《Rumor Has It That I'm Pregnant with His Highness' Child》 Chapter 1 ?Chapter 1: The Wrong Plot 2 It was midnight and still. In a certain corner of the Yu family mansion, two suspicious people were squatting. Dang Gui asked softly, ¡°Miss, are we really going to leave like this?¡± Yu Niaoniao pulled hard at the pile of grass in front of her and spoke without looking back. ¡°Everyone is saying that I have an affair with Duke Lang, but it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that I¡¯ve never spoken to him. He doesn¡¯t even know who I am, let alone have anything to do with me. When Duke Lang returns to the Jade Capital and hears those rumors, he will definitely kill me!¡± Recalling the infamous name of Duke Lang, Angelica couldn¡¯t help but shiver. 14 Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Let¡¯s leave before DukeLanges back. Don¡¯t worry, with my culinary skills, you won¡¯t starve.¡± 1 Angelica nodded vigorously. 1 If she followed Miss, there would be meat to eat! After pulling aside the haystack, she revealed the dog hole hidden under the wall. The mistress and her servant ducked out, one after the other. Yu Niaoniao knew someone in the city. She nned to look for that person and stay at his house for the night. She would leave the city at dawn. 1 Dang Gui gripped the bundle tightly, both nervous and excited. 5 ¡°Miss, ording to the plot in the script, will we meet a handsome and elegant man next? Perhaps you and him will have a passionate love story.¡± 3 Yu Niaoniao sneered disdainfully. ¡°Men will only affect my speed towards freedom.¡± 7 An hourter. In the prison of the Imperial Capital. 2 Dang Gui and Yu Niaoniao grabbed the cell door with both hands, their expressions dull and their eyes lifeless. 4 Dang Gui said,¡±This plot development is wrong!¡± 4 Yu Niaoniao pressed her head against the cell door and said in pain. ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was a curfew in the Imperial Capital!¡± 6 There were patrolling officers everywhere in the city who specially caught those who did not sleep in the middle of the night and were still strolling on the streets. Not long after the two of them ran out of the Yu Residence, they fell into the hands of the patrolling officers and were immediately given a set of luxurious shackles! 10 The jailer came over, opened the cell door, and spoke to them. ¡°Someone wants to see you.¡± Yu Qianqian and Dang Gui thought that someone from the Yu Residence had rushed over after hearing the news. 3 However, in the next moment, a handsome man in a crimson embroidered eagle brocade robe appeared in front of the cell door. He wore a ck cloak and carried an ancient-looking saber at his waist. His ck hair was held back by a jade crown, revealing cold eyes as sharp as des. He had a high nose and thin lips, and his skin was cold and white. 2 His entire body exuded a terrifying and dangerous aura. He was clearly not someone to be trifled with. The moment Yu Niaoniao saw him, she blurted out as if she had seen a ghost. ¡°Duke Lang?!¡± At the same time, countless captions quickly appeared in her mind. They were all about the recent rumors about her and Prince Lang. ¡°Did you know that Assistant Minister Yu¡¯s eldest daughter often dates Prince Lang in private? Could there really be something going on between the two of them?¡± ¡°What do you mean by a private date? We¡¯re already engaged!¡± 1 ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? I heard that Miss Yu is already pregnant with Prince Lang¡¯s child!¡± 1 ... Yu Niaoniao¡¯s almond-shaped eyes widened. Her face turned pale and she cried out in fear. ¡°That can¡¯t be right! I thought you were still away on business and wouldn¡¯t be back for another two days?¡± Duke Lang ced his hand on the hilt of his sword. His well-defined pale fingers formed a sharp contrast with the ck hilt, as if he would unsheathe his sword in the next moment. His gaze grew cold and his tone dangerous. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that I would be told that I was about to be a father just because I went out on an errand.¡± 5 Chapter 2 Chapter 2: Marriage Noticing Duke Lang¡¯s actions, rm bells went off in her heart. Without thinking, she pounced on him and reached out her hands to stop his hand from pulling the sword out. The two hands ovepped unexpectedly. The atmosphere froze for a moment. Yu Niaoniao reacted and wished she could chop off her hands on the spot. This was the ruthless Duke Lang, the famous living King of Hell in the Imperial Capital! How dare she touch his hand! She would definitely be cut into pieces on the spot, right?! Dang Gui was also stunned. She had never expected her mistress to be so brazen as to touch the hand of the Prince of Lang. Xiao Juan¡¯s eyes turned even colder, and his tone revealed some killing intent. ¡°Let go.¡± Yu Niaoniao trembled in fear. But she knew she couldn¡¯t let him pull the sword out. It was rumored that as long as the Sword of No Return was unsheathed, there would definitely be blood. She didn¡¯t want to bleed on the spot! Therefore, instead of letting go, she extended her other hand. The two hands gripped the Prince of Lang¡¯s hand tightly. She spoke with great sadness. ¡°Your Highness, let me exin! Those are all rumors. I¡¯m not pregnant, much less taint your innocence.¡± Xiao Juan asked coldly, ¡°Who spread the rumors?¡± Yu Niaoniao felt guilty. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s not me.¡± 2 However, he was not so easy to fool. ¡°I¡¯ve sent someone to investigate. These rumors came from your Yu Residence.¡± Yu curled up and choked. Her mind raced. So many thoughts came to her. Finally, she took a deep breath, steeled her heart, and knelt down in front of Duke Lang. She sobbed through her tears. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve actually admired His Highness for a long time, but I¡¯ve always been too embarrassed to say it. Recently, someone had seen through my feelings for you and spread rumors about me and you. ¡®I¡¯m sorry. I never thought it woulde to this.¡¯ Please believe me, I really don¡¯t know anything about this.¡± Even though she was crying, Xiao Juan was still unmoved. He was as cold as an iceberg that would never melt. 4 ¡°These are your one-sided words. How can I believe you?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him with tears in her eyes. ¡°Since I like you, I naturally want you to be well. Why would I deliberately tarnish your reputation? I definitely wouldn¡¯t let myself be in such an embarrassing situation.¡± 1 Xiao Juan was silent. Beside him, Dang Gui hesitated. Yu Niaoniao sped her hands together. Her eyes were filled with tears, and her face was filled with pleading. ¡°Your Highness, please forgive me this time.¡± Xiao Juan asked in a deep voice, ¡°What about the rumors between us?¡± Ever since he returned to the city, almost everyone had looked at him dubiously. Even if he didn¡¯t care about what others thought, he didn¡¯t want to get into trouble for no reason. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly wiped her tears and said quickly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the rumors stop at the wise. The truly smart people won¡¯t believe those rumors. Only fools will be misled by those rumors. Soon, this matter will slowly calm down.¡± 1 Xiao Juan said, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Yu Niaoniao vowed, ¡°I¡¯m sure!¡± But in the next moment. An official rushed in and knelt in front of Duke Lang. ¡°Your Highness, the pce has sent someone to deliver the imperial edict for the marriage. Please receive it immediately!¡± 3 A betrothal? Yu Qianqian¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She had a bad feeling. 1 Xiao Juan nced at her before asking. ¡°Marry to whom?¡± ... Chapter 3 Chapter 3: Oh My God! The official raised his head and his gaze paused on the hands of the Prince of Lang and Yu Niaoniao. He thought to himself that the rumors were indeed not groundless. Look at these two. They could not wait to get intimate in the cell. Their rtionship was really strong! 7 The official stered a smile on his face and said jubntly. ¡°When the emperor heard about the matter between His Highness and the eldest daughter of the Assistant Minister of Revenue, he specially issued a decree to betrothe the two of you. Congrattions, Your Highness! Congrattions, Miss Yu!¡± Xiao Juan looked at Yu Niaoniao again and asked word by word. ¡°Rumors stop with wise men? Only fools are misled by rumors? Eh?¡± 4 Yu Niaoniao felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Her mind went nk. Oh my old swan!! ¡®You can¡¯t fool people like that!¡¯ She couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Her vision darkened and she fell forward! At thest moment, she heard the official gasp. ¡°Miss Yu actually fainted from joy!¡± 9 ... When she woke up, she found herself lying on a familiar bed. Looking around, she confirmed that this was her boudoir. She let out a long breath. ¡°So I was dreaming!¡± ¡°What dream?¡± Dang Gui asked curiously as she walked over with the medicine. Yu Wenxian said in an amused tone, ¡°I dreamed of Duke Lang just now and even dreamed that the emperor gave us a marriage. Don¡¯t you think it was scary?¡± 6 With that, she realized that Angelica¡¯s expression had be unreadable. 4 Dang Gui could not help but extinguish herst hope. 3 ¡°It¡¯s not a dream.¡± The smile on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face gradually froze. Dang Gui continued, ¡°The emperor has indeed given you and Duke Lang a marriage. The imperial edict has already been sent to our Yu Residence. You two will be married in a month.¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned for a full minute. Shey back woodenly, sped her hands to her bosom, and closed her eyes peacefully. Dang Gui was puzzled. ¡°What are you doing?¡± 1 Yu Niaoniao curled up. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me. Please let me leave this world in peace.¡± 3 Dang Gui was speechless. She reached out and pulled Yu Niaoniao up from the bed. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll have peace and quiet after you¡¯re dead, mydy? Do you know what they say about you out there now?¡± Yu covered his ears. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡± Dang Gui spoke quickly like a machine gun. ¡°Those people said that you sneaked out of the house in the middle of the night to have a secret meeting with the Duke of Lang. They also said that you fainted in the Duke of Lang¡¯s arms because you were happy to receive the emperor¡¯s blessing.¡± Yu Wenxian keenly grasped the point and lowered her hands. 1 ¡°I fainted in the arms of the Duke of Lang?¡± Dang Gui stated the truth very objectively, ¡°At that time, you threw yourself at Duke Lang. His hand was still being pulled by you, so he couldn¡¯t dodge even if he wanted to.¡± Yu Niaoniao imagined the scene. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to die. She reached for the covers and pulled them over her face, letting out a wail of pain. ¡°I really can¡¯t clear my name this time even if I jump into the Yellow River !¡± Dang Gui pulled off her nket and said coldly. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know what the Yellow River is, you should rink the medicine before you jump in.¡± 4 Yu Niaoniao looked at her with a hopeless expression. ¡°Why do I have to take medicine when I¡¯m already in such a miserable state?¡± Dang Gui brought the medicine bowl to her mouth. ¡°You fainted from angerst night. The doctor specially prescribed this medicine for you. He said that it can calm your mind. I added some brown sugar in it. It shouldn¡¯t be bitter. Drink it while it¡¯s hot.¡± Yu Niaoniao took a small sip. It was indeed not bitter. Only then did she finish the medicine in her bowl. Dang Gui recalled what happenedst night and could not suppress the curiosity in her heart. She revealed the standard expression of a spectator and asked curiously. ¡°When did you start having those thoughts about the Prince of Lang, mydy?¡± 1 As Miss¡¯s personal maidservant, she followed Miss every day and waspletely unaware of this matter. Chapter 4 Chapter 4: Rumors Unexpectedly, Yu Niaoniao said,¡±I haven¡¯t said a word to the Prince of Lang beforest night. How could I possibly think anything of him?¡± Dang Gui was even more confused. ¡°Then why did you say thatst night...¡± Yu Niaoniao pretended to be profound. ¡°That was a convenient n.¡± 3 When Dang Gui blinked in confusion, Yu Qianqian exined to her patiently, ¡°Think about it. The rumors came from the Yu Residence. If the Duke Lang wants to investigate, he will definitely find out about the jade pendant...¡± A month ago, Yu Niaoniao followed her father into the pce for the banquet and happened to pick up a jade pendant. She made some effort to find the owner to no avail. It just so happened that she was short on money recently and needed money to do things, so she took the jade pendant to Fang¡¯s pawnshop and sold it for a hundred taels of silver. Unexpectedly, the shopkeeper of the pawnshop came to them the next day and said that the jade pendant belonged to Duke Lang. They did not dare to ept it and insisted on returning it to Yu Niaoniao. Only then did Yu Niaoniao realize that the owner of the jade pendant was actually Duke Lang. She knew that Duke Lang was not to be trifled with, so she could only return the money. She nned to find an opportunity to return the jade pendant to Duke Lang. However, recently, Duke Lang had been working elsewhere and was not in the Imperial Capital. Yu Niaoniao was not able to return the jade pendant as a result. What was even more unexpected was that this matter was spread out and became more and more exaggerated. At first, it was said that Prince Lang had given his jade pendant to Yu Niaoniao as a token of love. In the end, it turned out that she was already engaged to Duke Lang and was pregnant with his child! 1 This was a real-life rumor! Yu Niaoniao felt extremely regretful. If she had known earlier, she would not have picked up that jade pendant no matter what! ¡°If Duke Lang finds out that I once sold his jade pendant to a pawnshop for money, he will definitely not let me off. With his suspicious personality, he might even suspect that I deliberately stole his jade pendant. At that time, I won¡¯t be able to exin myself.¡± 1 Dang Gui suddenly understood. ¡°So you made up a lie and said that you liked Duke Lang, in case he continued to investigate.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face was bitter. ¡°That was all I could think of under the circumstances.¡± Dang Gui asked, ¡°What are you going to do now? The emperor wants to give you a marriage.¡± It would have been fine if she hadn¡¯t mentioned this matter, but the moment she did, she felt a headacheing on. She wondered what the Emperor was thinking. He actually believed such exaggerated rumors. Wasn¡¯t this nonsense! Yu Niaoniao gave a deep sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll cross the bridge when Ie to it. Let me live a little longer today.¡± 1 With that, shey down and continued sleeping. 2 At this moment, the door was forcefully pushed open! Yu Kangtai came storming in. It was obvious that he had juste out of court. He was still wearing the scarlet official¡¯s uniform that represented his status as the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue. He was holding a feather duster in his hand. After entering the door, he pointed at Yu Niaoniao and scolded her. 1 ¡°You unfilial daughter, you actually dared to sneak out of the house in the middle of the night to meet someone in private and was even imprisoned! If the Imperial Capital didn¡¯t send someone to deliver a letter to me, I wouldn¡¯t have known that you were so capable!¡± Yu Qianqian was so frightened that she jumped off the bed. 3 ¡°Father, let me exin. I just wanted to go out and admire the moonst night. I didn¡¯t expect to bump into the soldiers of the Imperial Capital.¡± ¡°How dare you quibble at a time like this? I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡± Yu Kangtai raised his feather duster and whipped it at Yu Qianqian. 1 He was so frightened that he covered his head and fled. 2 Her mouth did not forget to grumble. ¡°I¡¯m Duke Lang¡¯s fianc¨¦e now. If you break me, how are you going to exin it to him?!¡± 5 Chapter 5 Chapter 5: I¡¯ve Lost All My Face for Her! Hearing this, Yu Kangtai became even angrier. He raised his feather duster and chased after her. ¡°You wretched girl, how dare you threaten me? You didn¡¯t learn anything but bad habits. If I had known you were like this, I wouldn¡¯t have sent someone to bring you back from Bashu!¡± One fled ahead, the other pursued. Father and daughter kept circling the table. 1 Dang Gui looked at this scene and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°If he pursues, she won¡¯t be able to escape.¡± In the end, Yu Kangtai was exhausted and stopped first. He grabbed the edge of the table and panted heavily. He pointed the feather duster at Yu Niaoniao and cursed. 2 ¡°If you have the ability to cause trouble, don¡¯t run!¡± Yu Niaoniao was also very tired. Her head was covered in sweat. ¡°Father, things have alreadye to this. It¡¯s useless even if you beat me to death.¡± Yu Kangtai roared, ¡°What sin have Imitted to give birth to a debt collector like you?!¡± Madam Jiang walked in. Although she was over thirty years old, she had taken good care of herself. The years had barely left any marks on her face. Coupled with her careful dressing, she still looked beautiful. 1 ¡°Master, what are you doing?¡± Mrs. Jiang hurriedly helped Yu Kangtai sit down at the table and patted his back to help him calm down. ¡°Even if she did something wrong, you can¡¯t be so angry. What if you hurt your health?¡± Yu Kangtai gradually calmed down and his expression improved, but his tone was still very harsh. ¡°Not only was she entangled with Prince Lang, but she even brought this matter to the emperor. Now, everyone in the entire Imperial Capital knows that our Yu family has raised an indecent daughter! I have been utterly humiliated by her!¡¯ Mrs. Jiang poured a cup of tea and ced it beside his hand. ¡°Niaoniao is still young, so it¡¯s inevitable that she¡¯s a little inconsiderate. As elders, we have to tolerate her more.¡± 2 These words sounded like they were speaking for Yu Niaoniao, but in fact, they were fanning the mes. When Yu Kangtai heard Mrs. Jiang¡¯s words, his anger that had just subsided immediately red up again! He pped the table and swore. ¡°She¡¯s sixteen! She¡¯s an adult! 6 Look at Pingping, she is two years younger than her, but she is much more sensible and obedient. She never gives me any trouble. Unlike this wretched girl, who hasn¡¯t let me live a peaceful life since she returned!¡± Yu Qianqian was the daughter of the Xie family. The Xie family had already passed away, and Mrs. Jiang was Yu Kangtai¡¯s second wife. 3 After Mrs. Jiang entered, she gave birth to a pair of children. Yu Pingping was one of them. Mrs. Jiang continued to coax him gently. ¡°Alright, alright. Don¡¯t be angry. Since you didn¡¯t do a good job, just discipline her well. Don¡¯t let your anger affect yourhealth.¡± That reminded Yu Kangtai. The brat should be disciplined properly. Otherwise, she would really bewless! He pointed at Yu Niaoniao¡¯s nose and snapped. ¡°Go kneel in the ancestral hall and reflect. Don¡¯t get up without my permission!¡± Mrs. Jiang said gently to Yu Qianqian. ¡°Your father is in poor health. Don¡¯t make him angry in the future, understand?¡± Yu Niaoniao knew very well that Mrs. Jiang did not like her. 1 Therefore, she did not want to waste her breath on her. She casually pulled on a smock and walked out without looking back. Yu Kangtai reprimanded her from behind. ¡°Look at her attitude! She ignored her elders when they spoke to her. I wonder how her mother raised her?!¡± Yu Niaoniao paused in her pacing. She looked as if she wanted to argue, but she said nothing in the end. Silently, she quickened her pace and walked away. Chapter 6 Chapter 6: Like a Stinger in the Throat There were many memorial tablets ced in the ancestral hall of the Yu Residence. Those were the ancestors of the Yu family. Yu Niaoniao knelt on the futon and stared nkly at the memorial tablets in front of her. The sandalwood incense in the censer was burning slowly, sending up a faint green smoke. Her kneelingsted all day. It was dark outside. Her legs were already numb from kneeling. She looked around to make sure no one was nearby. Then she quietly changed her posture and sat on the futon. ¡°Mydy.¡± She turned toward the voice and saw Dang Gui sneaking in. Dang Gui ran to her and took out two warm white steamed buns. ¡°Master has ordered that no one is to bring you food. I secretly took this from the kitchen. Hurry up and eat.¡± After not eating for a day, Yu Qianqian was starving. She grabbed the steamed buns and started eating. Dang Gui¡¯s heart ached. ¡°Eat slowly. Don¡¯t choke.¡± It was too dry to just eat steamed buns. Yu Yuanyuan picked up the fruits on the incense table and ate them. 6 The juice in the melon eased her thirst. Dang Gui was dumbfounded. ¡°This is an offering to the ancestors!¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s cheeks were puffed up from eating, and her words were a little muffled. ¡°The ancestors definitely wouldn¡¯t bear to see me die of thirst. They probably wouldn¡¯t mind sharing a few fruits with me.¡± 1 Dang Gui was speechless. Her Miss did not have much else, but she had a lot of twisted logic. 2 Yu Niaoniao asked as she ate. 2 ¡°They didn¡¯t give you a hard time, did they?¡± Dang Gui said truthfully, ¡°Master punished me for three months.¡± Yu Qianqian rxed. ¡®It¡¯s just a fine. No big problem.¡¯ Dang Gui had been picked up by ident when she was in Bashu. At that time, Dang Gui was seriously injured and in aa. It took her a lot of effort to get someone to treat her. However, Dang Gui lost her memory when she woke up. Even the name Dang Gui was given by her at thest minute. Since then, Dang Gui had been following Yu Niaoniao. On the surface, Dang Gui was Yu Niaoniao¡¯s maidservant, but Yu Niaoniao had never signed a contract with her, so Dang Gui was still a good servant. Even the Yu Residence could not punish her casually. After eating, Yu Niaoniao felt much morefortable. Dang Gui carefully advised, ¡°Miss, you don¡¯t have to always make Master angry. Even if Madam is no longer around, you are still the eldest daughter of the Yu family. As long as you are obedient, Master will definitely not mistreat you.¡± Hearing this, Yu Niaoniao only smiled faintly. ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± It wasn¡¯t that she had to argue with her father, but her existence was a thorn in the family¡¯s side. Yu Kangtai¡¯s first wife was Madam Xie. But because of some conflicts, the two of them had divorced many years ago. After returning to her mother¡¯s house, Madam Xie realized that she was already pregnant. She did not want to be involved with Yu Kangtai anymore, so she gave birth to a daughter Yu Niaoniao in her family. From the moment she was born, she had never seen her biological father. It was not until after hering-of-age ceremony at the age of sixteen that she was brought to the Imperial Capital by the Marquis of Shun¡¯an. At that time, he had already married Madam Jiang, and Madam Jiang had already given birth to a son and a daughter for him. The four of them were happy. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s sudden appearance became a thorn that was forcefully inserted. Everyone in the Yu residence felt a lump in their throat. Yu Niaoniao had been pampered by her family since she was young. She did not want to suffer herself to cater to them, so she simply let her temper take its course. She would do and say whatever she wanted. Thinking of this, Yu Niaoniao smiled gently. Dang Gui did not understand. ¡°Why are you smiling?¡± ... Chapter 7 Chapter 7: Living Hades Yu Niaoniao saidzily, ¡°At first, I was a little worried that they would use the marriage to manipte me. Now that the emperor has personally bestowed a marriage upon me, no one can think of making an issue out of my marriage.¡± Marriage these days was based on the words of the matchmaker and the order of the parents. As the party involved, Yu Niaoniao did not have any autonomy at all. If Marquis Shun¡¯an and Madam Jiang were determined to make her marry a fool, the rest of her life would be over. Dang Gui, however, was worried. ¡°But I heard that Prince Lang kills people like flies. Countless souls have died under his de. What if he bullies you after you get married?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked indifferent. ¡°I can¡¯t beat him or run away. What else can I do? I can only lie t and let him bully me.¡± 4 Dang Gui was speechless. She knew herdy well enough to be unsurprised by the answer. 1 So she was prepared. She pulled out two books and shoved them into Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hands. ¡°Take a look at these two transcripts, Miss. You might find something.¡± Yu Qianqian casually flipped through the storybook and realized that it was about love after marriage. There were also a lot of colored fragments mixed in. Her expression gradually became subtle. ¡°You have quite the taste, Dang Guio.¡± Dang Gui said shyly, ¡°This is one of my treasures. It contains a lot of knowledge between husband and wife. If you¡¯re going to be bullied, why don¡¯t you change the way you¡¯re bullied?¡± 11 Yu Niaoniao smiled slyly. Dang Gui seemed to know quite a lot. She put away her book and lectured her righteously. ¡°Oh Dang Gui, it¡¯s harmful to the body and mind to read too much of such words. Give me all your treasures and I¡¯ll bear all the harm for you.¡± 4 Dang Gui was speechless. Yu Niaoniao had been reading the transcripts in the ancestral hall all night. 3 She caught a cold and fell ill the next day. 2 After the family doctor examined her, he said that she had caught a cold. Fortunately, it was not serious. She would recover after taking some medicine and resting for a few days. Dang Gui sent the doctor away and turned around to see her mistress getting up from the bed. ¡°Miss, the doctor said you have to rest more. You can¡¯t move around yet.¡± Yu Niaoniao changed from her sickly appearance and said energetically. ¡°I just have a slight cold. It¡¯s not a big problem. Go and bring out the small stove. We¡¯ll have a barbecue today!¡± Dang Gui quickly reacted. ¡°Were you pretending just now?¡± 2 Just now, Yu Niaoniao was lying on the bed weakly, as if she could die at any moment causing everyone to be frightened. Yu Xuan quickly put on her shoes and said happily. 8 ¡°The only way they¡¯ll stop bothering me while I¡¯m convalescing is if I act serious. Don¡¯t just stand there. Prepare the carbon fire. I¡¯ll get the condiments.¡± Thinking of delicious roasted meat, she was full of energy! ... Because of Yu Niaoniao, Yu Kangtai had been very angry for the past two days. Madam Jiang coaxed him for a long time. When he was in a good mood, Madam Jiang suggested. ¡°Instead of being cooped up at home, why don¡¯t you take the kids out for a walk?¡± Yu Kangtai thought this was a good idea and readily agreed. ¡°You¡¯re still the thoughtful one.¡± Madam Jiang smiled and asked someone to call her children over. Her son¡¯s name was Yu Sheng. He was fifteen this year. Her daughter¡¯s name was Yu Pingping. She was fourteen this year. 4 Yu Sheng looked like his mother and his eyebrows were even gentler. However, he had the bearing of the eldest son of the family. He was a gentleman and was as exquisite as jade. Yu Pingping , on the other hand, looked more like her father. Her eyes were huge, and her hair was ck and shiny. Her eyebrows were thin and willowy, and her figure was slender. There was even some baby fat on her pretty face, making her look very cute. The siblings greeted their parents. Seeing how obedient and sensible they were, Yu Kangtai smiled so hard that the corners of his eyes crinkled. At this moment, he hadpletely forgotten about that unfilial daughter of his. Until the butler ran in to report. ¡°My lord, mydy, the Prince of Lang is here!¡± Yu Kangtai¡¯s smile froze. Why is that living King of Hell here?! 1 ... Chapter 8 Chapter 8: Trapped! At the entrance of the Yu Residence. Yu Kangtai quickly led his eldest son forward and bowed to Duke Lang. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Your Highness wasing. Please forgive me for not weing you.¡± Xiao Juan was not wearing an official¡¯s uniform today. He was wearing a dark green brocade robe with narrow sleeves. He had a leather belt around his waist and a jade crown on his head. His eyebrows were still as sharp as knives, and he was cold. Just looking at him made one feel fear. He casually tossed his whip to the guard beside him and asked calmly. ¡°Where¡¯s Yu Niaoniao?¡± Afraid that he would neglect this living King of Hell, Yu Kangtai hurriedly replied. ¡°My daughter is sick. She¡¯s recuperating at home.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Bring me to see her.¡± He did not believe what Yu Niaoniao had saidst night and specially ordered someone to investigate. In the end, he really found something. Today, he was here to ask Yu Niaoniao about it. Yu Kangtai hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea...¡± Putting aside the fact that there was a difference between men and women, Yu Niaoniao was still sick. If she angered Duke Lang, who would bear the responsibility? However, Xiao Juan had no intention of asking for his opinion. With a long stride, he crossed the Yu residence gate. Yu Kangtai had no choice but to follow quickly. ¡°This way, Your Highness.¡± They soon arrived at the Green Jade Residence. Yu Kangtai was about to send someone to inform Yu Niaoniao to change her clothes and meet the guests when he saw smokeing out of the window of the Green Jade Residence. His face changed in shock and he eximed. ¡°Put out the fire!¡± 4 ... Inside the house. Dang Gui stuffed the charcoal into the small stove. Probably because the charcoal was a little damp, smoke kepting out of the small stove. Dang Gui was overwhelmed by the smoke. She hurriedly took a fan and fanned in the direction of the window, wanting to quickly expel the smoke from the house. Yu Niaoniao brushed the special sauce onto the skewers. The mutton sizzled as it was roasted, and a rich fragrance filled the air. Dang Gui swallowed hard. ¡°It smells so good!¡± She¡¯d had roast meat before, but none of it had smelled as good as thedy¡¯s. Sometimes, even she was curious. How could Yu Niaoniao, a rich youngdy, be so good at cooking? No matter what ingredients were in her hands, they could be especially delicious. Yu Niaoniao sprinkled a handful of green onions and gave her two skewers of mutton. ¡°These two skewers are cooked. Try them.¡± Dang Gui hurriedly put down her fan and took the mutton skewer. She was about to open her mouth to bite it. Suddenly there was a bang. The door was kicked open from the outside! Immediately after, a tall figure rushed in. The person who rushed in was none other than Prince Lang! 2 His sharp eyes swept the area, searching for anyone trapped in the fire. However, he did not expect to see a small stove emitting thick smoke and two women squatting beside it eating roasted meat happily. 5 Xiao Juan was speechless. Yu Niaoniao was speechless. They stared at each other through the smoke. 1 Silence. Silence is the bridge tonight! 2 The servants of the Yu residence rushed in with buckets and wooden basins. They were about to ssh water to extinguish the fire, but when they saw the scene in the room, they were collectively stunned. Where¡¯s the fire? Why is there only a grill? ... An hourter. The small stove, mutton, sauce, and homemade grill were all thrown out. 7 ... All the doors and windows opened. The smoke cleared. The house was cleaned up and incense was lit. Thest lingering aroma of roasting meat was masked by the scent of incense. Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui knelt on the ground and epted Yu Kangtai¡¯s reprimand. 1 Xiao Juan sat at the side and watched the scene coldly. It was not until he was getting impatient that he interrupted Yu Kangtai. ¡°I have something to discuss with your daughter in private.¡± Chapter 9 Chapter 9: Ha, Wretched Man! Xiao Juan¡¯s request was clearly against the rules. After all, there was a difference between men and women. How could he let them be alone in the room? How would it look if word got out? However, Yu Kangtai feared Prince Lang from the bottom of his heart. He was afraid of making the other party unhappy, so he hurriedly said. ¡°Okay, okay, okay. We¡¯re going out now.¡± With that, he took everyone away. Even Dang Gui was dragged out. Only Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao were left in the house. Xiao You stared fixedly at the woman kneeling on the ground. There was still some smell of barbecue on her body. There were some oil stains on her sleeves and two grayish-ck stains on her face. They should have been left behind when her fingers identally wiped her face. No matter how he looked at it, she did not look like a rich youngdy who had been raised in a wealthy family. After a long time, Xiao Juan finally moved. He slowly extended his right hand toward her. Yu Qianqian was stunned at first, but then she felt warm. Her cheeks flushed and she shyly put her left hand into his. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± Unexpectedly, this man looked cold and even knew how to take the initiative to pull her up. His insides were quite warm. Unexpectedly, Xiao Juan tiredly frowned and looked at her unhappily. ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb. I¡¯m asking you to hand over that jade pendant.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Ha, wretched man! She withdrew her ws resentfully and Xiao Juan asked quietly,¡±What jade pendant?¡± Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve already found out that you once took a jade pendant to Fang¡¯s pawnshop. Where¡¯s that jade pendant?¡± Since the other party had already found out about Fang¡¯s Pawnshop, there was no point in pretending to be stupid. She slowly stood up and took out a transparent square jade pendant from her makeup box. The jade pendant was engraved with an auspicious beast totem, and there was an ink-green silk hairpin at the bottom. The workmanship was very exquisite. Xiao Juan took the jade pendant, but his eyes were still on her. ¡°Where did you get this jade pendant?¡± Yu Niaoniao told the truth. ¡°I picked it up.¡± Xiao Juan clearly did not believe it. ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded obediently. ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Xiao Juan narrowed his eyes slightly and threatened. ¡°Surely you know what will happen to you if you deceive me?¡± Yu Niaoniao felt as if she had been wronged. Her eyes quickly turned red andrge tears rolled down her cheeks. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t His Highness believe me? I admire His Highness so much that I want to cut my heart out for you to see. Why would I lie to you?¡± Tears wet her cheeks, making her beautiful face look even more pitiful. If it were an ordinary man, his heart would have softened by now. However, Xiao Juan was not moved at all. His tone was still as cold as ice. ¡°Since you admire me, why did you sell my jade pendant?¡± He answered her questions fluently. ¡°When I picked up the jade pendant, I didn¡¯t know that it belonged to you. Coincidentally, I was short on money at that time, so I thought of pawning it. When I¡¯m rich in the future, I¡¯ll redeem it.¡± She was telling the truth. If she had known that the jade pendant belonged to Prince Lang, she wouldn¡¯t have dared to sell it even if she was beaten to death! While Xiao Juan ordered his men to investigate the rumors, he also asked his men to investigate Yu Niaoniao¡¯s background. He knew that she had grown up in Bashu and that there was a barrier between her and her biological father. Mrs. Jiang was not her biological mother and would not give her much pocket money. Therefore, she was probably telling the truth when she said that she was short on money. Yu Niaoniao clutched the hem of her clothes and looked at the Duke of Lang with trepidation, afraid that he would kill her if she disagreed. She saw the Prince of Lang raise his right hand and reach into his sleeve. Her little heart leapt into her throat. Was he going to pull a dagger out of his sleeve and stab her in the chest?! But in the next moment. She saw Prince Lang take out a stack of banknotes from his sleeve. Yes, she was not mistaken. It was really banknotes! Xiao Juan ced the banknote in front of her and asked calmly. ... ¡°Do you want it?¡± Chapter 10 Chapter 10: Great Fatherly Love This turn of events was beyond what she had expected. She was extremely surprised. She first looked at the banknotes, then at the cold man holding them. She swallowed hard. ¡°I-I want it.¡± In order to maintain her infatuated persona, she hastily added, ¡°As long as it¡¯s from the Duke, I want it!¡± Xiao Juan took in her little expression. Greedy, gluttony, streetsmart. Quite a lot of minor problems, but not a big one. Raising such a woman in the house was barely eptable. He put down the banknotes. ¡°Return the jade pendant to me. Here¡¯s the money. We¡¯re even.¡± Yu Niaoniao was pleasantly surprised. He had actually given her so much money! Logically speaking, the jade pendant belonged to Duke Lang, so it was natural for it to be returned to its owner. She did not expect him to be willing to pay. This was a pleasant surprise! She took the banknote with both hands and beamed. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness! You¡¯re really the best person in the world!¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s expression was rather sarcastic. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve heard someone describe me as a good person.¡± Yu Niaoniao put the banknotes into her pocket and said righteously, ¡°That¡¯s because they are blind and can¡¯t see the good in Your Highness.¡± Xiao Juan stood up, nning to leave. He had endless things to do every day. It was already very rare for him to take some time toe here to see Yu Niaoniao. He really did not have time to continue dying here. Yu Qianqian¡¯s heart skipped a beat and she could not help but ask. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to clear the air with the emperor?¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°rify what?¡± Yu Niaoniao scratched the back of her head and felt a little embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s those rumors about me and you. Although I didn¡¯t expect things to develop to this extent, this matter was caused by me after all. If you want to go to the emperor to rify this matter, I can help testify.¡± If she were in Prince Lang¡¯s shoes, she would definitely not be willing to be misunderstood like this. However, Xiao Juan only replied indifferently. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary.¡± Yu Niaoniao stared at him nkly. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°His Majesty¡¯s word is golden and cannot be changed.¡± Yu Qianqian said, ¡°But this matter concerns your lifelong happiness. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to reconsider?¡± Xiao Juan nced at her indifferently. ¡°I do not wish to repeat myself.¡± With that, he pulled open the door and strode out. Yu Yuanyuan looked at his long back and felt confused. What a weirdo! Dang Gui ran in and asked anxiously. ¡°Miss, how are you? Did Duke Lang hit you?¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°Why would he hit me for no reason?¡± Dang Gui said, ¡°You damaged his reputation. Didn¡¯t hee here to settle scores with you?¡± ¡°No, no, you¡¯re thinking too narrowly of him. Prince Lang is a very magnanimous person!¡± At this point, Yu Niaoniao took out the banknotes from her pocket and deliberately waved them in front of Dang Gui. ¡°Do you see that? These were all given to me by Duke Lang. It¡¯s a total of 250 taels. It¡¯s much better than that stingy father of mine!¡± Dang Gui was stunned. After learning that he had inexplicably be a father, not only did the legendary Duke Lang not get angry, he even gave money to the child¡¯s mother. What kind of touching fatherly love was this?! Yu Niaoniao winked at her. ¡°Do you want to go out and have some fun?¡± Since she was rich, of course she had to go out and enjoy herself. Dang Gui hesitated. ¡°But Master won¡¯t let you go out...¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled slyly. ¡°Then don¡¯t let him know.¡± Chapter 11 Chapter 11: Dowry When Madam Jiang suddenly came, Yu Niaoniao had no choice but to lie back on the bed and continue pretending to be sick. Madam Jiang sat down by the bed. ¡°Niaoniao, I heard that you were sick. I specially came to see you and discuss the dowry with you.¡± Yu Niaoniao was all ears. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Madam Jiang said softly. ¡°For families like ours, our daughters¡¯ dowries have been prepared since they were young. But you only returned to the Yu family two months ago. I didn¡¯t even know you existed before that. Hence the failure to prepare your dowry in advance.¡± ¡°Moreover, this marriage between you and Duke Lang is too sudden. We really can¡¯t gather so many things in a short time.¡± At this point, her meaning was clear. She was telling her that the family would not give her much dowry so that she could be mentally prepared. Yu Niaoniao said nothing. Madam Jiang sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t me us. We had no choice.¡± ¡°Have you told my father about this?¡± Madam Jiang¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Your father has been very busy recently. I haven¡¯t had the time to tell him.¡± Hearing this, Yu Niaoniao already had an idea. Based on her understanding of Yu Kangtai, he would definitely not treat his eldest daughter harshly when it came to dowry. Madam Jiang was here to test her attitude before deciding how to tell Yu Kangtai about this. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You and Father should discuss the dowry together. It¡¯s not appropriate for me to interrupt.¡± Madam Jiang wanted to say something else. However, Yu Niaoniao had already asked her to leave. ¡°I¡¯m sleepy. I want to rest.¡± Madam Jiang clenched the silk handkerchief in her hand. She was dissatisfied, but she still had to pretend to be gentle and virtuous. ¡°Then rest well. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± After Madam Jiang left, Yu Niaoniao immediately got up from the bed. Dang Gui asked as she helped her change. ¡°What did Madam mean? Was she not going to prepare your dowry?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily the case. The dowry will definitely be prepared. It¡¯s just that there will be less.¡± No matter how silly Dang Gui was, she knew how important a dowry was to a married woman. She asked carefully, ¡°Do you want to talk to Master about this?¡± Yu curled up. ¡°It¡¯s useless. My father won¡¯t listen to me.¡± Compared to her daughter, with whom he had no emotional foundation, Yu Kangtai definitely trusted his wife, Madam Jiang, who had slept with him for decades. If she really went toin to Yu Kangtai, it would only deepen his prejudice against her and make him think that she was deliberately targeting Madam Jiang. Madam Jiang had probably expected this, and that was why she dared to look for her directly to talk about the dowry. Dang Gui was worried. ¡°Then what should we do?¡± Yu Niaoniao straightened her sleeves and smiled at herself in the mirror. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. We¡¯ll cross that bridge when wee to it.¡± Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui crawled through the dog hole again. The two of them sessfully left the Yu Residence and headed straight for West City. As the trade center of the Imperial Capital, West City was undoubtedly the most lively and prosperous area in the city. The streets were lined with shops, and the streets were crowded with people. The cries of vendors rose and fell. They munched their way down the street. In the process, Yu Niaoniao inadvertently caught a glimpse of a familiar figure. When she looked closer, the figure was gone. Dang Gui asked as she nibbled on her pie. ¡°What are you looking at, miss?¡± Yu Niaoniao frowned in confusion. ¡°I clearly saw Yu Sheng just now. Why did he disappear in the blink of an eye?¡± Chapter 12 Chapter 12: Purchase Dang Gui looked around and did not see Yu Sheng in the crowd. ¡°You¡¯re not mistaken, are you, miss?¡± Yu Niaoniao believed that she could not be wrong. She shook her head. ¡°Never mind.¡± Anyway, he was gone. There was no need to dwell on it. They quickly put the episode out of their minds and continued to eat and drink happily. After eating and drinking their fill, Yu Qianqian brought Dang Gui to the cksmith shop. 2 Yu Niaoniao spent a lot of money to order a kitchen knife and an iron pot from the cksmith. As a time-traveler, her greatest grudge for having transmigrated to this era was the backward cooking method. 1 In the Dayan Dynasty, iron and metal were strictly controlled by the imperial court. As a result, ordinary people could only use tools like pots and pans to cook. The cooking method was mostly stewing, steaming, and roasting. Only a few aristocratic families used iron pots to cook. Yu Niaoniao had had enough of stew. She desperately needed an iron pot to improve her diet. Previously, she had no money and could not afford an iron pot. Now that she had a huge sum of 250 taels, it was not a problem for her to buy an iron pot! The cksmith epted the deposit and asked them to collect the goods in three days. They sold everything in West City. There was also an area dedicated to buying and selling livestock. Yu Niaoniao brought Dang Gui in and strolled around. When they came out, it was as though they had a great harvest. Dang Gui had a duck in her left hand and a chicken in her right. There was also a little suckling pig in the basket behind her. Yu Niaoniao was holding a donkey. 1 She asked if Dang Gui was tired. Dang Gui raised her head and puffed out her chest. ¡°I¡¯m not tired at all!¡± As long as she thought about how these chickens, ducks, and pigs would eventually be fragrant delicacies, she would be filled with energy and wish for a few more pigs! There was definitely no way the two of them could crawl through the dog hole with so much stuff. They could only go back through the back door. When the butler saw the things they brought back, he was dumbfounded. ¡°Miss, why did you get these things back?¡± Yu Niaoniao said with a smile. ¡°This is the dowry I prepared for myself.¡± 1 The butler suspected he had misheard. ¡°A dowry?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t I getting married to Prince Lang next month? You have to have a dowry when you get married. I specially went out to buy so many things. Look at this chicken and duck, how fat they are! And this pig, although it¡¯s a little small, it can be raised. It can be fattened very quickly.¡± 1 As she spoke, she walked back toward Green Jade Residence. The butler hurriedly stopped her. ¡°Miss, you can¡¯t bring these back!¡± It was not that the Yu Residence had not bought poultry and livestock before, but those were sent directly to the kitchen to be ughtered. No one had ever brought a lively poultry to the backyard. It was clearly against the rules for Eldest Miss to do so. Besides, which rich youngdy used these things as dowry? If word got out, people wouldugh to death! Yu Niaoniao cocked her head at him. ¡°Why not?¡± The butler couldn¡¯t say it clearly, so he could only try to find a reason. ¡°These things are all alive. They need someone to take care of them.¡± Dang Gui immediately volunteered, ¡°I can take care of them!¡± The butler red at her. Why was this person so blind?! Yu Nianiao said, ¡°Look, Dang Gui can take care of them. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± 1 The butler was furious. Was he worried about these livestock? He did not want a good mansion to be a breeding ground! 1 The butler had no choice but to get someone to invite Madam over. When Mrs. Jiang heard this, her heart skipped a beat. As luck would have it, Yu Kangtai returned at that moment. As soon as he entered the door, he heard about Yu Niaoniao and was immediately furious. He did not even have time to change out of his official uniform before he rushed to the Green Jade Residence angrily. 1 Chapter 13 Chapter 13: What the Hell! When Yu Kangtai and Mrs. Jiang rushed to the Green Jade Residence, they saw Dang Gui squatting among the flowers the moment they entered the courtyard. She dug out the flowers and threw them onto the stone path beside her. Yu Kangtai asked, ¡°The flowers are growing nicely. Why did you dig them up?¡± Dang Gui answered honestly. ¡°Miss said that she wants to build a straw shed in this ce to rear those chickens, ducks, pigs, and donkeys, so I have to clean this ce up in advance.¡± 1 Yu Kangtai¡¯s nostrils red in anger. That wretched girl actually really wanted to raise those livestock at home?! 1 This was really going against heaven! He rolled up his sleeves and strode into the house. ¡°Yu Niaoniao, get out here!¡± However, Yu Nianiao herself did not appear. He could only hear her voice floating out from the inner room. ¡°Father, I¡¯m here.¡± Yu Kangtai looked for the source of the voice and rushed into the inner room, only to see that there was also a small donkey in the room. 2 Yu Qianqian was washing the mud off the donkey with warm water. The donkey was obviouslyfortable being served. It raised its head and snorted softly. Yu Kangtai was shocked. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not stop moving and replied. ¡°I¡¯m bathing Gray. He¡¯s so dirty. I¡¯ll clean him up so I can take him out to meet people when we get married.¡± Yu Kangtai¡¯s eyes widened as he blurted out, ¡°Gray? You actually named a donkey?¡± Then he realized that he had digressed. 5 Before Yu Niaoniao could answer, Yu Kangtai immediately reprimanded her. ¡°Are you really going to marry with a donkey in tow? Aren¡¯t you ashamed?¡± Yu Niaoniao said sincerely. ¡°That can¡¯t be helped. Since my family couldn¡¯t gather my dowry, I had to think of a way myself. Gray might not be as tall as other horses, but he was cute, too. Look at its eyes. They¡¯re fluttering. There are long eyshes on them.¡± 2 ¡°On the day of the wedding, I¡¯ll ride it out and let everyone in the capital see what a cute little donkey I have!¡± 3 Yu Kangtai pictured the scene and felt his scalp tingle! 3 He roared angrily, ¡°Who said that we can¡¯t gather your dowry? No matter how ipetent I, Yu Kangtai, am, it¡¯s not so bad that I can¡¯t even take out a decent dowry!¡± 2 Yu Qianqian was very surprised. ¡°But Mother said that we can¡¯t afford so much dowry. She even asked me not to me you...¡± As she spoke, she looked at Mrs. Jiang, who was standing at the door. Yu Kangtai turned around and red at Mrs. Jiang. ¡°Who told you to say such nonsense to a child? If such a thing happens again in the future, can¡¯t you inform me first? You ignorant thing!¡± Mrs. Jiang secretly tightened her grip on the silk handkerchief in her hand, and her face turned pale. Yu Kangtai had been an official for many years, so he was not poor. However, Mrs. Jiang still had a pair of children. She would definitely be more biased towards her children. She thought had a good n. As long as Yu Niaoniao¡¯s dowry was reduced, there would be more things left for Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping in the future. 3 Even if Yu Qianqian went to find Yu Kangtai to cause trouble, Mrs. Jiang was not afraid. She was confident that she could convince Yu Kangtai to stand on her side. However, she did not expect Yu Qianqian to be so unpredictable. Now that her n had failed, she was displeased. She had underestimated this brat from the countryside! 3 Mrs. Jiang barely suppressed the surging emotions in her heart and choked with tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was inconsiderate. Please calm down.¡± After all, they had been husband and wife for many years. Yu Kangtai couldn¡¯t bear it and immediately softened his tone. ¡°Forget about this matter. We have to prepare the dowry well. I still have to survive in the bureaucracy in the future. Don¡¯t ruin our family¡¯s reputation for such a small profit.¡± Mrs. Jiang wiped the corners of her eyes and replied obediently, ¡°Yes.¡± Chapter 14 Chapter 14: Simply Blinding! Yu Kangtai kept a straight face and spoke stiffly. ¡°I¡¯ve taken care of the dowry for you. Shouldn¡¯t you get all these animals out of here?¡± But Yu Niaoniao was reluctant. She had paid for these chickens, ducks, pigs, and donkeys. They were very expensive! She negotiated with Yu Kangtai. ¡°Father, do you think this is okay? The chickens, ducks, and pigs were sent to the kitchen, where the kitchen staff would keep an eye on them for the time being. Gray would be sent to the horse shed for the groom to take care of. When I get married, I¡¯ll get someone to bring them to the royal residence.¡± Yu Kangtai was in disbelief and questioned loudly, ¡°You still want to take them to the Duke¡¯s Mansion? Are you crazy?!¡± He could not imagine the image of the murderous living King of Hell facing off against a pack of chickens, ducks, pigs, and donkeys. 2 It was simply blinding! ¡°You might not know this, but Duke Lang once gave me a sum of money. I used his money to buy these animals. If I throw them all away, wouldn¡¯t I be wasting Duke Lang¡¯s money? If Duke Lang finds out, he will definitely be angry.¡± Yu Kangtai was even more shocked. ¡°That living King of Hell... No, Prince Lang actually gave you money? When did this happen? Why didn¡¯t I know?¡± Yu Niaoniao covered her mouth and chuckled, looking shy. ¡°This is a small secret between me and Prince Lang. Don¡¯t tell anyone about it.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked as if he were suffering from constipation. 4 Initially, he had some doubts about the authenticity of the matter between Yu Niaoniao and Prince Lang. Now, it seemed that he was the one who was being paranoid. Duke Lang had begun to quietly give Yu Qianqian pocket money. How could the two of them not have anything going on?! Considering Duke Lang¡¯s authority, Yu Kangtai had no choice but to give in and tolerate Yu Niaoniao¡¯s suggestion. After leaving the Green Jade Residence, Mrs. Jiang couldn¡¯t help but remind her softly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you forgetting something?¡± Yu Kangtai replied angrily, ¡°What did I forget?¡± Mrs. Jiang said, ¡°Isn¡¯t Niaoniao supposed to be recuperating at home? Why did she run out without even informing us?¡± Yu Kangtai stopped abruptly. He had actually forgotten about this! He pped his forehead in frustration. 1 ¡°It¡¯s all that brat¡¯s fault. She made me so angry that I became muddle-headed.¡± Mrs. Jiang said as she observed his expression. ¡°Niaoniao grew up in Bashu and didn¡¯t learn any rules since she was young. It¡¯s not her fault. But now her identity was different. She is the eldest daughter of the Yu family and is about to be the princess consort of Lang County. We can¡¯t let her run around anymore, can we?¡± Yu Kangtai frowned. ¡°I would like to control her, but she always finds an opportunity to sneak out.¡± Mrs. Jiang said, ¡°This matter is indeed strange. There should be some secret passage. We have to get someone to search the residence, especially near the walls.¡± Yu Kangtai immediately ordered his men to search the entire residence. Soon the dog hole at the base of the wall was found and sealed with silt. Yu Sheng returned from outside and noticed themotion in the residence. He then asked someone. ¡°What happened at home?¡± The servant recounted what had happened in the house from beginning to end. Yu Sheng frowned when he heard that. He bridled at the boldness of Yu Niaoniao¡¯s words and actions, but said nothing. He walked away in silence. In the Green Jade Residence. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart ached when she learned that the dog hole had been sealed. That was her only way to freedom. It was gone just like that! How was she supposed to pick up the goods at the cksmith¡¯s shop?! 3 Chapter 15 Chapter 15: Hidden Martial Arts Expert Xiao Juan only returned to the prince¡¯s residence at midnight. He took off his cloak and handed it casually to the servant. His dark eyes looked at the Eagle Guard, who was kneeling on one knee, and he spoke quietly. ¡°Fire away.¡± Eagle Guard Meng Xizhou lowered his head and replied truthfully. ¡°On your Highness¡¯ order, I sent a spy to observe Yu Niaoniao. I discovered that not long after you left the Yu Residence, she sneaked out with a maidservant.¡± Xiao Juan wearily took off the No Return Saber and ced it on the table. The servant immediately offered warm tea. Meng Xizhou continued, ¡°They went to West City and ate a lot there. Then they went to the cksmith to customize a knife...¡± Xiao Tired paused as he took the teacup. He was finally interested. ¡°What kind of knife did she customize?¡± Ady¡¯s hand would at most hold an embroidery needle. Which rich youngdy would buy a knife? Could it be that Yu Niaoniao was a martial arts expert who hid her identity? Meng Xizhou¡¯s expression gradually becameplicated. ¡°She ordered a kitchen knife.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. Faced with the silent gaze of the Prince of Lang, Meng Xizhou took a piece of paper from his chest, unfolded it, and presented it with both hands. ¡°This is the style of kitchen knife she ordered.¡± Xiao Qing picked up the paper and looked at it. He realized that it was really a kitchen knife, but the style was slightly smaller than an ordinary kitchen knife. Next to the kitchen knife was a circr pattern. Xiao Juan was knowledgeable and quickly recognized that it was a pot. A kitchen knife with a pot. Clearly, the woman just wanted to cook. Xiao Juan immediately lost interest and casually threw the blueprint aside. Meng Xizhou continued, ¡°Then they went shopping again. They bought...¡± He caught himself at that. Xiao Juan nced at him. ¡°What did they buy?¡± Meng Xizhou¡¯s expression became indescribable. He managed to say, ¡°They bought a chicken, a duck, a little suckling pig, and a wooly donkey.¡± Even the knowledgeable Prince Lang could not help but feel surprised. That woman sneaked out with the money he gave her just to buy these things?! Xiao Juan was confused. ¡°Why did she buy these things?¡± If it was just to cook, there would be ingredients in the Yu Residence¡¯s kitchen. Why would a rich youngdy like her go out personally to buy them? Meng Xizhou nced at Prince Lang before speaking carefully. ¡°The spy heard it with his own ears... he heard Yu Niaoniao say that the reason she bought these things was to serve as her dowry.¡± Xiao Juan tiredly thought that his ears were broken. He couldn¡¯t resist asking again. ¡°What? A dowry?¡± Meng Xizhou braced himself against the death stare of the Lang Prince and nodded. ¡°Those chickens, ducks, pig, and donkey were her dowry for herself.¡± In other words, when they got married in the future, Yu Qianqian would have to bring her chickens, ducks, pig, and donkey with her. Just thinking about that scene made Xiao Juan feel suffocated. Meng Xizhou mustered his courage and asked. ¡°Your Highness, shall I go and ughter those chickens, ducks, pig, and donkey?¡± Xiao Juan wearily held his forehead and took a deep breath, trying to maintain hisposure. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. You¡¯ll withdraw the spies from Yu¡¯s side. There¡¯s no need to send anyone after her anymore.¡± Meng Xizhou replied respectfully, ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao Juan had specially sent someone to keep an eye on Yu Niaoniao because he wanted to know why she was short of money. This was to prevent her from hiding any schemes. Now it seemed he was worrying too much. A rich youngdy with chickens, ducks, a pig, and donkey. Even conspiracies had to take a detour when they saw her. Xiao Juan tiredly took a sip of hot tea and calmed his thoughts. ¡°The anti-government poetry case. How¡¯s the investigation going?¡± Meng Xizhou said, ¡°We have some leads.¡± ... Chapter 16 Chapter 16: Are You Really Going to Leave Me in the Lurch? In the blink of an eye, three days had passed. Today was the day to pick up the goods from the smithy. Yu Niaoniao was trapped at home and could not leave the house. Naturally, she could not pick up the goods on time. Just as she was scratching her head to think of a solution, a team of Eagle Guards suddenly barged into the Yu Residence. Without a word, they captured Yu Sheng. Mrs. Jiang had never seen such a scene before and was scared out of her wits. She hurriedly grabbed her son¡¯s arm to stop the Eagle Guards from taking him away. ¡°My Ah Sheng has never done anything bad. Even if you¡¯re an Eagle Guard, you can¡¯t arrest people for no reason, right?!¡± Everyone in the Dayan Dynasty knew how ruthless the Eagle Guards were. If they were to take him away, he would at least be skinned alive. Meng Xizhou was in charge of leading the team today. He took out a scroll from his sleeve and waved it in front of Mrs. Jiang. ¡°Recently, someone in the city has been secretly spreading anti-poetry. Our Eagle Guard has been ordered to investigate this matter. ording to our investigation, your son is rted to the anti-government poetry case. He has toe with me.¡± Mrs. Jiang hurriedly defended herself. ¡°There must be some misunderstanding! My Ah Sheng has always been obedient and sensible, and he¡¯s even more loyal to the current emperor. He will never be rted to this case. You must be mistaken!¡± However, no matter what she said, she could not stop the Eagle Guards from capturing her. Soon, Yu Sheng was forcefully taken away by the Eagle Guards. Mrs. Jiang was so anxious that tears fell. Yu Pingping held her arm, also anxious. ¡°Mother, what do we do now? They won¡¯t torture Brother, will they?¡± Mrs. Jiang felt even more dizzy at the thought of her precious son being tortured. She spoke urgently to the butler. ¡°Send someone to the Ministry of Revenue and tell the master that something has happened at home. Tell him toe back immediately!¡± When Yu Kangtai learned that his son had been captured, he immediately rushed home. However, even if he rushed back, it would be useless. The Eagle Guard was directly under the jurisdiction of the Duke of Lang, who only listened to the Emperor¡¯s orders. Duke Lang had always been a ruthless and decisive person. Anyone who fell into his hands would most likely not have a good ending. Everyone in the court was afraid of him, and themoners in the streets were even more terrified of him. There were even rumors that his notoriety would stop children crying. Yu Kangtai knew his limits. There was no way he could get his son back from Duke Lang. But he could not sit idly by while his son was captured. In the end, he could only put down his dignity as an elder and take the initiative to go to the Green Jade Residence. ¡°Niaoniao, Ah Sheng is your biological brother. You wouldn¡¯t bear to see him fall into the hands of the Eagle Guards, right? Can you help me plead with Duke Lang? Beg him to let your brother go.¡± Yu Niaoniap looked at the middle-aged man in front of her quietly. This was the first time she had seen her father so gentle since she had returned home. She couldn¡¯t exin what she was feeling. ¡°Prince Lang won¡¯t listen to me.¡± Yu Kangtai quickly said, ¡°Try it. It might work. After all, you¡¯re his fianc¨¦e. He should treat you differently.¡± Yu Niaoniao told the truth, ¡°The emperor bestowed the marriage upon us. In fact, there¡¯s no emotional foundation between us. In his eyes, I¡¯m no different from anyone else.¡± Yu Kangtai frowned, thinking these were her excuses. ¡°Are you really going to leave Yu Sheng to die? That¡¯s your own brother!¡± Yu Niaoniao could see disappointment and anger in the other party¡¯s eyes. It looked as if she hadmitted a heinous crime. But she did not feel at fault. She tilted her head slightly, her expression innocent. ¡°Do you really want me to beg the Duke of Lang?¡± Yu responded without hesitation. ¡°Yes.¡± Yu curled up. ¡°All right, then. I can go to Duke Lang.¡± Yu Kangtai immediately beamed with joy and hurriedly said, ¡°Good child, what a good child of our Yu family!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Can I go out now?¡± ¡°Of course you can!¡± Chapter 17 Chapter 17: Beloved Kitchen Knife As soon as Yu Kangtai left, Dang Gui immediately came over and looked at her mistress worriedly. ¡°Are you really going to plead with Duke Lang? But I heard that he¡¯s extremely ruthless. Even if the royal family falls into his hands, they won¡¯t be able to escape unscathed.¡± Compared to those royal rtives, the Yu family was nothing. However, she did not care about this at all. She urged, ¡°Let¡¯s put aside the matter of pleading for mercy. Let¡¯s quickly change our clothes and go out. If we¡¯rete, the cksmith¡¯s shop will have to close!¡± 3 Dang Gui was stunned. Unexpectedly, at this time, Miss was still worried about her kitchen knife and iron pot! 1 Yu Niaoniao rubbed her hands and said eagerly, ¡°With the iron pot, we can eat fragrant stir-fry.¡± 3 When Dang Gui heard that there was good food, she immediately forgot her worries and rubbed her hands with Miss. 1 ¡°Then let¡¯s get moving. Hehehe.¡± This time, the master and servant left the Yu Residence openly. There was no need to be as sneaky as before. It was rare for Yu Kangtai to be so considerate. He even took the initiative to ask if they wanted to arrange a carriage. With the principle of not taking advantage of a bastard, Yu Qianqian readily agreed. After getting into the carriage, she said to the coachman. ¡°To the Zhang family smithy in West City.¡± The coachman was puzzled. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we go to the county pce?¡± Yu Qianqian was determined. ¡°To the smithy first.¡± Although the coachman was puzzled, he did as he was told and drove the carriage straight to the Western City. The carriage pulled up in front of the smithy. Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui jumped off the carriage and dashed into the shop. The cksmith had already prepared the cleaver and the iron pot. The kitchen knife and iron pot were expensive. Fortunately, there was a reason why they were expensive. Be it the workmanship or the materials used, they were very powerful. Yu Niaoniao paid the rest readily. She took the knife and Dang Gui carried the pot, and they left the smithy happily. The coachman guarding the door was startled to see the youngdy holding a shiny kitchen knife. He took a quick step back and asked nervously. ¡°M-Miss, what are you doing with a knife?¡± Yu Qianqian said with a smile as she stroked her beloved kitchen knife. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the County Pce.¡± The coachman was terrified. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to the county pce to rob someone?¡± 1 Yu Qianqian red at him reproachfully. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I¡¯m a good citizen. I¡¯ve never done any robbery. I¡¯m going to look for Duke Lang and beg him for help.¡± The coachman looked again at the knife in her hand and swallowed hard. ¡®You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re going to beg for help.¡¯ 2 It was more like she was going to kill someone. However, he did not dare to say anything or ask anything. The carriage ran for half a round in the city before finally stopping at the entrance of the county pce. Yu Qianqian said to Dang Gui. ¡°Stay in the carriage. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Dang Gui was worried. ¡°Can you do it alone? Why don¡¯t I go with you?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. A busy person like Duke Lang definitely won¡¯t have the time to bother with me. I probably can¡¯t even enter the Duke¡¯s Pce. I should be back soon.¡± Dang Gui was stunned. ¡°Since you know, why did you agree to ask Duke Lang?¡± ¡°I had no choice.¡± Yu Niaoniao spread out her small hands, looking very helpless. ¡°Well, Father had forbidden me to go out.¡± If she wanted to go out to the cksmith¡¯s shop to pick up the goods, she could only fool Yu Kangtai into agreeing to let her out. Now that she had obtained the kitchen knife and iron pot as she wished, her goal had been achieved. Next was to go through the motions. 1 Chapter 18 Chapter 18: No Way Out! Angelica was a little worried. ¡°Master will be angry if you don¡¯t get it done, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao put on a fearless posture. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. At most, I¡¯ll kneel in the ancestral hall for another night. Anyway, I haven¡¯t finished reading the book you gave me thest time. I¡¯ll continue reading itter.¡± Dang Gui was speechless. She suddenly regretted giving her that book. Yu Niaoniao jumped down from the carriage and looked up at the que hanging directly above the vermilion gate. The que had fourrge words written on it: Lang Jun Imperial Pce. ¡°Quite imposing.¡± Yu Niaoniao walked up the steps. Before she could approach the gate, she was stopped by the Eagle Guard guarding it. ¡°This is the Prince of Lang County¡¯s residence. Outsiders are prohibited from approaching!¡± Yu Qianqian said crisply, ¡°I¡¯m not some random person. I¡¯m the fianc¨¦e of Prince Lang. I¡¯m here to look for him. Please help me pass the message.¡± The rumors about the eldest daughter of the Yu family and Prince Lang had already spread throughout the entire Jade Capital. The Eagle Guard in front of her had naturally heard of it. Unexpectedly, the person involved had alreadye knocking openly. The Eagle Guard¡¯s attitude immediately became much more polite. ¡°So you¡¯re Miss Yu. I was rude just now.¡± He cupped his hands at Yu Niaoniao, then continued. ¡°Prince Lang is out on business. He¡¯s not in the residence for the time being.¡± Yu Qianqian was secretly delighted. As expected, he was too busy to see her. She lowered her eyes, clearly disappointed. ¡°I see. I came at a bad time. I¡¯ll head back now.¡± Yu Wenxian turned to leave, but the Eagle Guard stopped her. ¡°Miss Yu, please stay. Although His Highness is not in the residence, we can send someone to deliver a message to His Highness. With your rtionship with His Highness, I believe His Highness will return soon.¡± Yu Niaoniao was shocked and hurriedly waved her hand. ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for that.¡± She was just here to go through the motions! She didn¡¯t really want to see that iceberg! However, the Eagle Guard was very attentive. ¡°It¡¯s not troublesome at all. Please enter the residence and take a seat. This way, please.¡± He turned sideways and made a gesture of invitation. Yu Niaoniao was speechless. There was no way out! She could not find a reason to refuse and could only bite the bullet and walk into the pce. The residence was filled with pavilions, flowers, and mountains. At first nce, it looked very luxurious, but people were rarely seen. There wasn¡¯t even a bird in sight in the yard. The entire royal residence was filled with an oppressive silence. As Yu Niaoniao waddled along the stone path, he could hear nothing but soft footsteps. She didn¡¯t understand. How could anyone live in a ce like this? Wouldn¡¯t they be afraid of nightmares in the middle of the night?¡¯ Granny Xiuyan led Yu Qianqian into the hall. ¡°His Highness will be here soon. Please wait a moment, Miss Yu.¡± Then, Granny Xiu Yan got someone to send over many refreshments and ced them in front of Yu Niaoniao for her to enjoy. Seeing that there was good food, Yu Niaoniao rxed a little. She picked up a pastry and popped it into her mouth. Well, it was quite delicious! She ate a pastry and took two sips of tea, wondering how to deal with the situation next. Unknowingly, she finished the tworge tes of pastries and a pot of tea. When Xiao Juan walked in, he heard a loud burp. He turned toward the voice and fell silent when he saw the woman slumped in a chair, touching her small belly. When he found out that Yu Niaoniao hade to look for him, he guessed that she was probably here for Yu Sheng. He was already prepared to reject the other party¡¯s plea for mercy for Yu Sheng. But now. Seeing the woman¡¯s happy little face as she ate and drank her fill, he began to wonder. Had she reallye to plead her case? Why did she seem more like a freeloader? ... Chapter 19 Chapter 19: Butterfly Pastry When she saw Duke Lang walk in, Yu Qianqian hurriedly stood up and bowed solemnly. ¡°Greetings to the County King... Burp!¡± Xiao Juan looked at her expressionlessly. ¡°Are the refreshments delicious?¡± Yu Juan praised him sincerely. ¡°It¡¯s especially delicious! Especially the butterfly pastry. It¡¯s sweet and delicious... Hup, take a bite... Hup, it¡¯s so crispy, making one relish its taste... Hup, endlessly!¡± Xiao Juan had never eaten butterfly pastry. He had no interest in tasting delicacies. In fact, he had a vague aversion to eating. The chefs in the residence had made him many delicacies, but none of them could enter his mouth. Even if Yu Qianqian praised the butterfly pastry, Xiao Juan was not interested at all. He sat down at the table and asked quietly. ¡°You specially came to the Lang Jun Imperial Pce eat butterfly pastry?¡± Yu Niaoniao widened her big eyes and looked at him unblinkingly. She asked sincerely. ¡°If I say yes, would you allow me toe to the residence more often to taste the butterfly puff... burp!¡± Xiao Juan looked at her silently. This woman was indeed here to freeload! Xiao Juan said, ¡°You will marry into the Lang Jun Imperial Pce next month. At that time, you can eat as many butterfly pastries as you want.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Oh, right!¡± Then she was a little annoyed and muttered softly. ¡°Why wait until next month? I really want to marry into the Lang Jun Imperial Pce today... burp!¡± Xiao Juan pretended not to hear her muttering and said calmly, ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my question. Why are you here?¡± Thinking of the purpose of her visit, Yu Niaoniao immediately wilted. She let out a long sigh. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m here about Yu Sheng... Hup, he was captured by the Eagle Guards. Father asked me to plead with you. He hopes you can let Yu Sheng off, Hup!¡± Xiao Juan looked her straight in the eye. That gaze was extremely prating, as if it wanted to see through her heart. ¡°I will not ept pleas from anyone.¡± He expected disappointment. But Yu Niaoniao just nodded, and then there was another loud burp! Exasperated, he raised his hand and tapped the back of her neck twice. Yu Niaoniao was stunned. She looked at him in confusion, not understanding what the man had done to her. Xiao Juan had no intention of exining. He said lightly, ¡°You don¡¯t look surprised at my refusal.¡± ¡°His Highness has always been strict with thew. How can a small woman like me expect to free him?¡± After saying these words in one breath, Yu Niaoniao suddenly realized that she had stopped burping! She recalled Duke Lang¡¯s actions just now and finally understood that the other party¡¯s two strikes were to help her resolve the problem of the hup. Seeing that she was still reasonable and did not pester him, he was quite satisfied. What he disliked most were those who liked to interfere with justice with favors. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, you should go back.¡± Xiao Juan gave the order to leave. Yu Niaoniao had no intention of leaving. She rested her forearms on the tabletop and leaned her upper body forward slightly. She asked the question carefully, almost in a whisper. ¡°Your Highness, may I ask why Yu Sheng was captured?¡± The girl¡¯s red lips opened and closed, and the fragrance of her lips entered Xiao¡¯s nose. Shaw frowned slightly but did not move. He said indifferently, ¡°Recently, someone in the city has been secretly spreading anti-government poetry. After some investigation, my subordinates discovered that this matter is rted to Yu Sheng.¡± Graceful Yu said, ¡°Can you be more specific? For example, do you have any evidence that Yu Sheng is rted to the anti-poetry case?¡± Xiao tiredly asked, ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I have to go back and report to my father. If I know more, it¡¯s easier for me to fabricate a reason to fool my father. Besides, I¡¯m Yu Sheng¡¯s biological sister. I live in the same mansion as him. There are some things that you can¡¯t investigate. I can help you.¡± Chapter 20 Chapter 20: Father and Daughter Love Thest sentence made Xiao Juan¡¯s gaze change slightly. He groaned for a moment, then finally spoke. ¡°My subordinates found out that the anti-government poetry came from a wine shop in West City. Coincidentally, Yu Sheng went to that wine shop three days ago.¡± Yu Niaoniao had an extraordinary memory. She instantly recalled that three days ago, she and Angelica had gone to West City to y. On the way, she saw Yu Sheng. 2 At that time, she found it strange. Why would she see Yu Sheng in a ce like West City? For a bookworm like Yu Sheng, other than reading at home, he would only go to tea houses and bookstores with his friends. He hated crowds and noise. West City happened to be the noisiest ce in the Imperial Capital. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°How did Yu Sheng exin it?¡± At the mention of this, his tired eyes turned slightly cold. ¡°He won¡¯t say anything.¡± Yu Qianqian was rather surprised. Everyone knew how ruthless the Eagle Guards were. Yu Sheng should know very well how serious the consequences would be if he did not cooperate with the investigation. But he refused to say anything. This was too strange. Yu Qianqian asked softly, ¡°What will happen if Yu Sheng is convicted of spreading anti-government poetry?¡± Xiao Juan tiredly said without hesitation. ¡°Decapitation.¡± The three words carried a biting chill. 4 Yu Niaoniao nvoluntarily cringed. 2 Although she had no feelings for Yu Sheng, she wouldn¡¯t just watch him lose his head. No matter what, he was her brother in name. She mustered her courage and stretched out two fair and tender fingers. She pinched Xiao Juan¡¯s sleeve and shook it gently as she begged softly. ¡°Your Highness, will you promise me something?¡± Xiao Juan wearily pulled back his sleeve expressionlessly. If she wanted to talk, just talk. What¡¯s with the tugging? 1 ¡°Thew is unforgiving.¡± The hard words hit the ground with a ng. Yu Qianqian gave him a fawning smile. ¡°I¡¯m not pleading for mercy for Yu Sheng. I just want to beg you to show mercy and let me see Yu Sheng.¡± Xiao nced at her. ¡°Why do you want to see him?¡± ¡°I want to talk to him. Maybe he¡¯lle to his senses and tell the truth after he sees me as his sister.¡± Xiao You did not believe her nonsense and said coldly. ¡°You only returned to Imperial Capital two months ago. Before that, you had no interaction with Yu Sheng. The two of you are just siblings by blood and have no emotional foundation. Why should he tell you the truth?¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. But she refused to give up and continued to plead. ¡°Just let me try. What if it works?¡± Xiao Juan did not want to waste any more time here. He stood up. ¡°I have things to do. Please leave.¡± With that, he turned to leave. But he couldn¡¯t move. He looked down and saw Yu Niaoniao sitting on the ground, hugging his thigh like an octopus. 5 Yu Lian raised her head and begged with tears in her eyes. 5 ¡°Just let me try once. Just once. Please.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Let go.¡± Yu Qianqian shivered at his cold gaze. 2 But her ws still didn¡¯t let go. ¡°I won¡¯t let go until you promise me.¡± Xiao Juan was furious. If it were anyone else who dared to be so bold, he would have kicked them away long ago. However, the person in front of him was Yu Niaoniao. The emperor had given the two of them a marriage. She was his nominal fianc¨¦e. He couldn¡¯t hit her, let alone kill her. ... Xiao wearily took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. ¡°Whatever.¡± After saying that, he circted his internal energy and forcefully walked forward. He was extremely strong, and Yu Niaoniao was no match for him. With every step he took, she was dragged along, sliding forward. 1 When Granny Xiuyan reached the door, she was stunned to see the two people in the house. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Yu Niaoniao quickly rified, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. We have a strong father and daughter rtionship.¡± 11 Xiao Juan was speechless. ... Chapter 21 Chapter 21: Professing Love Xiao Juan looked down at Yu Qianqian with a dangerous gaze. Yu Niaoniao was terrified and hurriedly squeezed out a fawning smile. ¡°You are as tall and mighty as a father to me.¡± Xiao Juan did not on her ttery. He looked at Granny Xiuyan at the door and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Granny Xiu Yan hurriedly said, ¡°Your Highness, the emperor has sent someone to summon you to the pce.¡± The emperor had ordered that Xiao Juan could not be dyed. He looked down at the woman who was still hugging his thigh tightly and suddenly asked. ¡°Are you sure you want to meet Yu Sheng in the cell?¡± Yu Qianqian nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes!¡± Xiao Juan sneered. ¡°As you wish. I hope you won¡¯t regret it.¡± Yu Niaoniao was overjoyed. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. You¡¯re so good to me. I really love you!¡± At the end, she didn¡¯t forget to raise her right hand. She pinched her thumb and index finger together and made a little heart the size of a fart. Xiao Juan was speechless. For the first time in his life, a woman had openly shown him love. How... shameless. Even though Granny Xiuyan was old, she could not help but blush at the future princess consort¡¯s words and actions. However, the corners of her mouth could not help but curl up into a smile. Initially, Granny Xiu Yan was still a little worried that the rumors outside were fake. The eldest daughter of the Yu family did not have any feelings for Prince Lang at all. After all, Prince Lang was famous for being unreasonable in the Imperial Capital. His style of doing things was even criticized by the entire court. Even Granny Xiuyan, who had watched Prince Lang grow up, knew that not many girls from good families could really like a person like him. But now it seemed that she had worried too much. Look at this couple, she couldn¡¯t help but marvel at howpatible they are! Xiao Juan sent a message to Meng Xizhou and left. Seeing that Yu Qianqian was about to leave, Granny Xiu Yan hurriedly got someone to prepare arge box of butterfly pastries. ¡°There¡¯s nothing much with which to entertain Miss Yu in our royal residence. Take this little bit of food back with you. Come and y often in the future.¡± Yu Niaoniao took the heavy food box and smiled until her eyes curved. A faint dimple appeared at the corner of her mouth, and her voice was sweet. ¡°Thank you, Granny. This butterfly pastry is especially delicious. I love it.¡± Granny Xiuyanughed. ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡± After bidding farewell to Granny Xiuyan, Yu Niaoniao carried the food box into the carriage and instructed the coachman. ¡°To the Justice Department.¡± The coachman was startled. ¡°What will you be doing there?¡± The Justice Department was a department specially set up by the emperor for the Eagle Guards. Usually, Duke Lang and his Eagle Guards worked in the Justice Department. If they arrested anyone, they would be locked up in the jail of the Justice Department for interrogation. Due to the fierce reputation of the Eagle Guards, ordinary people would take a detour when they saw the Justice Department. The coachman was no exception. As long as he heard the words ¡°Chief Justice¡±, the various evil deeds of the Eagle Guards would automatically appear in his mind, and he was scared to death. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°To see Yu Sheng.¡± The coachman wanted to ask more. However, Yu Niaoniao could not be bothered to say anything else. He had no choice but to drive the carriage to the Justice Department. In the carriage, Yu Niaoniao opened the food box, revealing the butterfly pastry inside. ¡°Eat it.¡± The scent hit her. Dang Gui immediately drooled. Miss did not forget to bring her delicious food when she went to the Lang Jun Imperial Pce. Miss was really too good to her! She picked up a piece of butterfly pastry and stuffed it into her mouth. She mumbled. ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡± Then, she picked up a piece of butterfly pastry and asked Yu Niaoniao why she wasn¡¯t eating it. Yu Wenxian touched her small belly and involuntarily burped. ¡°I¡¯m too full to eat.¡± Chapter 22 Chapter 22: Justice Division The carriage drew up in front of the main office. The coachman¡¯s knees went weak as he saw the Eagle Guards guarding the door. He swallowed hard and asked quietly. ¡°Miss, are you really going in?¡± Even if Yu Niaoniao was engaged to Prince Lang, she was still a weak woman. What if the Eagle Guards refused to let her in? What if they arrested her? Yu Niaoniao nced at the door of the Justice Department and puffed out her chest as she said confidently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± With that, she walked towards the main door of the Justice Department. The coachman watched her go, worried that she might never return. Especially when she was stopped by the guard at the gate. The coachman¡¯s heart was in his throat. ¡°The Eagle Guards aren¡¯t going to attack Yu Niaoniao, are they?¡± The next moment, he saw the Eagle Guards turn around and politely invite Yu Qianqian into the Justice Department. What he had worried about did not happen. The coachman froze. She, she actually went in! There were many Eagle Guards in the Justice Department. When they heard that the future Princess Consort of Lang Jun had arrived, they were all very curious and ran out to take a look. A young girl stood gracefully in the courtyard. She was wearing a yellow dress that reached her chest. Her eyes were bright and clear, and the skin on her small oval face was as fair as jade. Her ck hair wasbed into a simple bun, with two small and exquisite jade beads in it. She was like the first ray of the morning sun, making one feel warm andfortable. The Eagle Guards were stunned. They had never expected the woman who was rumored to be engaged to Duke Lang and even pregnant with his child to be so sweet and moving. They didn¡¯t know if the rumors were wrong, or if you couldn¡¯t judge a book by its cover. Meng Xizhou rushed out. ¡°Miss Yu, I was busy just now and didn¡¯t have time to pick you up. Please forgive me for not taking good care of you.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled graciously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Meng Xizhou turned to the side and made an inviting gesture. ¡°The cells are this way. Please follow me.¡± The Eagle Guards only gathered together to gossip after Yu Niaoniao had walked some distance away. ¡°Isn¡¯t Miss Yu already pregnant? But she doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s pregnant.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that. Maybe the pregnancy is too recent to tell.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s put the matter of the child aside for now. Miss Yu is Yu Sheng¡¯s sister. If Yu Sheng¡¯s crime is sentenced, he will definitely die. At that time, won¡¯t Miss Yu hate Duke Lang to death?¡± At this point, everyone suddenly fell silent. One was her own brother. The other was the man she loved. Yu Niaoniao would be caught in the middle and would struggle bitterly. Kinship and love would torture her young and fragile heart at the same time... Tsk tsk, with this plot, they could easily imagine 100,000 words of painful narrative. The cells of the Justice Department were underground and very dim and damp. Meng Xizhou led the way with hisntern. They walked through the cells. There were people locked in almost every cell, and they were all bruised and bloody. The air reeked of blood and decay. It was almost suffocating. From time to time, Meng Xizhou would turn around to look at Yu Niaoniao , afraid that she would be frightened. Yu Niaoniao did feel a little ufortable. Only now did she understand why Duke Lang had told her not to regret it. Anyone with a normal mentality would definitely feel terrible when they came to such a ce for the first time. Chapter 23 Chapter 23: You Have Sessfully Enticed My Interest Meng Xizhou stopped in front of a cell door. He opened the cell door with his key and turned to speak to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°You only have the time it takes to burn six incense sticks.¡± Yu Qianqian calcted in her mind. One incense stick was five minutes. That should be enough. She pushed open the door to the cell and saw the young man sitting against the wall. Yu Sheng looked up and was stunned when he saw Yu Niaoniao. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Yu Niaoniao ced her hands behind her back and looked around. Her tone was light. ¡°I came to see you.¡± This cell was no different from the others. It was dark and damp, and smelled of mold. Yu Sheng frowned. ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to see. You shouldn¡¯t be here. Go back.¡± Yu Nianiao gazed at him. His hair and clothes were a little messy. Fortunately, there were no obvious injuries on his body. He didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d been tortured. Yu Niaoniao suddenly said. ¡°I saw you three days ago in West City.¡± Yu Sheng¡¯s expression stiffened slightly before he regained hisposure and said awkwardly, ¡°You¡¯re mistaken.¡± Yu Qianqian was very certain. ¡°I can¡¯t be wrong. Why were you in West City that day? From what I know of you, you wouldn¡¯t appear in a noisy ce like West City unless you had a special purpose. Could it be that someone asked you to meet them in West City?¡± Yu Sheng raised his voice. ¡°It has nothing to do with you!¡± ¡°Do you know what kind of situation you¡¯re in?¡± Without waiting for the other party to answer, Yu Niaoniao continued. ¡°Now that the Eagle Guard has found out that you¡¯re involved in the anti-poetry case, if you can¡¯t prove your innocence, only death awaits you.¡± Yu Sheng¡¯s face turned pale, but he still gritted his teeth and refused to say anything. As she observed his expression, she became more curious about the truth of the matter. ¡°What exactly are you hiding?¡± No matter how she asked, Yu Sheng refused to say another word. Soon, half an hour passed. Meng Xizhou stood at the door and reminded her, ¡°Miss Yu, you should leave.¡± Yu Qianqian continued to look at Yu Sheng. ¡°You still won¡¯t talk?¡± Yu Sheng shut up. There was a dead silence. Just as Yu Sheng thought that the other party was about to leave angrily, he suddenly heard a chuckle. ¡°Excellent. You have seeded in arousing my interest.¡± Yu Sheng was speechless. His face gradually flushed. She couldn¡¯t tell if he was angry or anxious. ¡°Mind your own business!¡± Yu Niaoniao curled her lips. ¡°Are you teaching me how to do things?¡± Yu Sheng looked at Meng Xizhou, who was standing at the door. With outsiders present, he did not want to quarrel with his sister, so he could only try his best to soften his tone. ¡°It¡¯s my business. You don¡¯t have to get involved. I think it¡¯s better if you stay home and wait to get married.¡± Yu Niaoniao snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t need your opinion. I have my own.¡± Yu Sheng was speechless. Was this sister broken in some way? He was about to say something more when he was interrupted by Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Shut up. I won¡¯t give you the chance to turn me down.¡± With that, she walked out of the cell without looking back. Yu Sheng was left alone in the cell. Yu Niaoniao walked out of the Justice Department in high spirits. When Dang Gui saw hering out, she immediately walked up to her. ¡°Miss, are you okay? Did those Eagle Guards bully you?¡± Yu Yingying waved her small hand and said very domineeringly, ¡°They were polite to me. No one dares to bully me!¡± The coachman beside her was relieved to see her out safely, but also deeply surprised. He did not expect Missy to be able to enter and leave the Justice Division freely. ... Why did she get this special treatment? The coachman remembered the rumors, and his eyes automatically fell on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s belly. It seemed that the rumors were not groundless. Prince Lang was really going to be a father soon. Chapter 24 Chapter 24: Ruthless Law On the way back, the coachman deliberately slowed down the car, afraid that a rough ride would affect the baby in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s belly. By the time the carriage returned to the Yu residence, the sun was almost setting. As soon as the carriage stopped, Yu Niaoniao was about to jump down. The coachman shouted hurriedly, ¡°Wait!¡± He quickly fetched the footstool and put it beside the carriage. ¡°Eldest Miss¡¯s body is precious. You must not jump around. Please be careful.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not mind. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m in good health!¡± After getting out of the car, she trotted toward the mansion, her steps as brisk as a swallow¡¯s. Dang Gui ced the iron pot on her head and asked as she chased after her. ¡°Shall we see his lordship first, mydy?¡± Without looking back, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to Green Jade Residence and cook!¡± She couldn¡¯t wait to try her new kitchen knife and iron pot. When she heard that there was good food, she immediately forgot about her master and ran like the wind. When they returned to the Green Jade Residence, Dang Gui remembered that the small stove and seasoning they had hidden were all used during thest barbecue. Dang Gui wanted to go out and buy furnaces and ingredients. However, she was stopped by Yu Niaoniao. ¡°It¡¯s almost dark. Stop fussing.¡± Dang Gui said anxiously, ¡°But we don¡¯t have a stove and seasonings. How can we make delicious food?¡± Yu Niaoniao took out a handful of melon seeds from the snack box and said slowly. ¡°Go write a list of what you want to eat. Write down the ingredients and seasonings needed for those dishes. Someone will deliver themter.¡± Dang Gui was in disbelief. Was there actually such an amazing thing? She found a pen and paper and scribbled tworge sheets of paper. Just as she was about to write on the third piece of paper, Yu Kangtai and Mrs. Jiang rushed in. Ever since Yu Sheng was captured by the Eagle Guards, the couple had been as anxious as ants on a hot pan. Their hearts were in turmoil and they felt terrible. When they heard that Yu Niaoniao had returned, the couple thought that she would look for them. Unexpectedly, after waiting for a long time, they did not see anyone. They had no choice but toe to the Green Jade Residence. Yu Kangtai questioned as soon as he entered. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you meet me when you got back? Did you know we¡¯d been waiting for you?¡± Yu Qianqian answered truthfully, ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡± Yu Kangtai choked. His stomach was full of reproach andints that were stuck in his throat. They didn¡¯t go up or down and almost drove him to his grave. Mrs. Jiang was concerned about her son¡¯s safety and asked impatiently. ¡°How did it go? Did you see the Prince of Lang? Did he agree to release him?¡± Yu Wenxian took a sip of tea and said leisurely. ¡°I met with the Prince of Lang. He said that there would be no mercy. It would be impossible to release him before the truth was discovered.¡± Although Yu Kangtai had already expected this oue, he could not help but feel extremely disappointed when he heard it with his own ears. Mrs. Jiang¡¯s eyes immediately turned red. Unwilling to ept this reality, she grabbed Yu Niaoniao by the arm and spoke urgently. ¡°How can he do this? You¡¯re his fianc¨¦e. Sheng¡¯er is his future brother-inw. How can he not even let his own brother-inw off? Is his heart made of stone?¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly steadied her hand. ¡°Be careful, my tea is going to spill.¡± Mrs. Jiang almost broke down. ¡°At a time like this, all you care about is your tea. Your own brother is going to die!¡± Yu Niaoniao wriggled out of her grip. ¡°Calm down.¡± Yu Kangtai asked with ast trace of hope. ¡°Is there really no room for discussion?¡± Yu Niaoniao answered crisply. ¡°No.¡± Chapter 25 Chapter 25: A Few Small Requests Yu Kangtai¡¯s body swayed. His entire being seemed to have been sucked dry, and he instantly aged several years. Mrs. Jiang grabbed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand again and sobbed. ¡°Go beg Duke Lang to let Sheng¡¯er go. If you really can¡¯t, I¡¯ll go with you. I¡¯ll kneel and kowtow to him. As long as he can let Sheng¡¯er go, I¡¯ll do anything!¡± Yu Pingping had been peeking out the door. She saw her mother pleading with Yu Niaoniao and could not stand it anymore. She lifted her skirt and ran in. She grabbed Mrs. Jiang¡¯s hand and said loudly. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t beg her. I¡¯ll think of a way to save Brother!¡± Yu Qianqian took the opportunity to withdraw her hand. Mrs. Jiang looked at her daughter with tears in her eyes. ¡°What can you do?¡± Yu Pingping was speechless for a moment, unable to answer. But she continued stubbornly. ¡°I¡¯ll think of something. There¡¯s always a way!¡± Mrs. Jiang was in despair. She hugged her and cried. Seeing her mother crying so sadly, Yu Pingping¡¯s emotions were affected. Sorrow welled up in her and she started crying as well. Yu Kangtai hugged the mother and daughter, tears shing in his eyes. While drinking tea and munching on melon seeds, she admired the touching scene of the family of three hugging one another and crying. When she was tired of crying, Yu Pingping looked up. She wiped away her tears and red angrily at Yu Niaoniao. ¡°It¡¯s your brother who¡¯s in jail. Why aren¡¯t you worried or sad at all? You¡¯re too cold-blooded!¡± Yu Niaoniao cracked a melon seed. She spoke between bites. ¡°He¡¯s perfectly fine in prison. Not a scratch on him. Why should I be sad?¡± Yu Kangtai was indeed a government official. He immediately grasped the main point and hurriedly asked. ¡°How do you know Sheng¡¯er is fine? Have you seen him?¡± Hearing this, Mrs. Jiang immediately stopped crying and hurriedly looked at Yu Qianqian, waiting for her answer. Yu Qianqian did not hide anything and admitted it frankly. ¡°That¡¯s right. I just went to the Justice Department and saw Yu Sheng in his cell.¡± Mrs. Jiang asked anxiously, ¡°How¡¯s Sheng¡¯er? Was he bullied?¡± Grace Yu said, ¡°He¡¯s fine. Not a hair missing.¡± Mrs. Jiang was slightly relieved, but then she became worried. ¡°I heard that the Eagle Guards are ruthless. Even if they don¡¯t torture Sheng¡¯er now, it doesn¡¯t mean that they won¡¯t torture him in the future.¡± Yu Kangtai looked his eldest daughter up and down and asked suspiciously. ¡°A ce like the Justice Department isn¡¯t essible to just anyone. How did you get in?¡± Yu Niaoniao continued munching on melon seeds and replied casually. ¡°I begged the Prince of Lang. He agreed to let me in.¡± Yu Kangtai was surprised. With Duke Lang¡¯s unreasonable temper, why would he agree to let an outsider enter the Justice Department? Then, he recalled the recent rumors and could not help but look at Yu Niaoniao¡¯s abdomen. Was she treated differently due to her pregnancy? Yu Pingping said quickly, ¡°Then go and beg Duke Lang again and get him to agree to let us go in and see Brother.¡± Hearing this, a look of hope immediately appeared on Mrs. Jiang¡¯s face. Even Yu Kangtai could not help but look at her, hoping that she would nod in agreement. Yu Niaoniao blinked. ¡°You want me to beg Duke Lang again?¡± The three nodded in unison. Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°Sure.¡± Before the three of them could rejoice, they heard her speak again. ¡°But I have a few small requests.¡± Chapter 26 Chapter 26: Big Demands Mrs. Jiang¡¯s heart sank. She knew Yu Niaoniao was going to take advantage of the situation. But she had no room to refuse. The most important thing to her at the moment was her son¡¯s safety. She would promise anything to see her son. Mrs. Jiang gestured for her to tell her. Yu Niaoniao extended a fair and tender finger. ¡°First, you¡¯re not allowed to restrict my personal freedom in the future. I can go wherever I want. You can¡¯t interfere.¡± This request was too simple, so simple that it exceeded Mrs. Jiang¡¯s expectations. She nodded without hesitation. ¡°Okay.¡± Since she wasn¡¯t her biological daughter, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to care where he went. Yu Niaoniao looked at Yu Kangtai. He was the head of the family. His attitude was the key. Yu Kangtai was obviously very reluctant. It was only right for a father to discipline his daughter. Yu Miaomiao¡¯s request was obviously a challenge to his dignity as a father. But for his son¡¯s sake, he had no choice but topromise. ¡°Sure, go wherever you want. If you get into trouble in the future, don¡¯t expect me to clean up your mess!¡± Yu Niaoniao did not take the other party¡¯s threat seriously. The truth was, she¡¯d never expected much from her father, Yu Kangtai. They would be lucky if they could live together in peace. Yu Wenxian extended a second finger and continued. ¡°Secondly, if I want to cook hotpot at the Green Jade Residence in the future, don¡¯t stop me.¡± Yu Kangtai recalled that thest time she had a barbecue in her house, Prince Lang had chanced upon the scene. The corners of his lips twitched. He wanted to curse, but he held back because of his son. His face was grim as he spoke stiffly. ¡°Do whatever you want. I want to see what else you can do in the future!¡± He really did not understand. Why did Yu Qianqian choose to cook instead of being the daughter of an official? Did the Yu familyck food?! Yu Pingping had simr thoughts. He looked down on Yu Yingying¡¯s way of doing things. By insisting on cooking personally, it would be lowering her status and seeming to ve too petty! Mrs. Jiang was still suspicious. She had a feeling that Yu Niaoniao was not that simple. She would definitely not let go of such a great opportunity to ask for benefits. As expected, in the next moment, she saw Yu Niaoniao extend a third finger. ¡°Third, I want something. You guys have to get it for me as soon as possible.¡± Mrs. Jiang sneered secretly. It seemed that she was right. This girl was indeed very scheming. Next, Yu Qianqian would definitely ask for arge amount of gold, silver, and jewelry. She might even suggest splitting the Yu family¡¯s assets. Just as Mrs. Jiang was waiting for the other party to open his mouth, she saw Dang Gui hand over two pieces of paper. The paper was covered in writing. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s a list of what I want.¡± Mrs. Jiang took a deep breath and was prepared to suffer the pain. She focused on the paper and saw- One furnace, Ten pounds of charcoal, Two pounds of pork belly, One pound of chili, A bundle of garlic sprouts, Shallots, ginger, garlic, two taels each, A jug of cooking wine, Salt and vinegar... Mrs. Jiang almost thought that she had seen wrongly. Her eyes widened involuntarily as she read the list again. Yet no matter how many times she read it, nothing on the list changed. She was not the only one. Yu Kangtai was also stunned. He asked in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Yu Niaoniao was baffled. ¡°What else could it be?¡± Mrs. Jiang quickly came back to her senses. She replied quickly as if she was afraid that the other party would regret it. ... ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll have someone get it ready.¡± Chapter 27 Chapter 27: Twice-cooked Pork Usually, no matter what the Green Jade Residence needed, Mrs. Jiang would dy it again and again. She was very tactful and could always find a suitable reason so that no one could find fault with her. Only today was different. The Jiang family was extremely efficient today. It took her only a moment to gather everything on her list. ¡°Everything you want is here. When can you let us see Sheng¡¯er?¡± Yu Qianqian waved her hand. ¡°It¡¯s already dark. We¡¯ll talk about Yu Sheng tomorrow. You guys can go back first.¡± Yu Kangtai, Mrs. Jiang, and Yu Pingping were chased out of the Green Jade Residence. After they left, Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui rolled up their sleeves and started working! Yu Niaoniao smeared the pot withrd. She expressed great satisfaction at seeing the pan polished to a high gloss. Dang Gui stuffed the charcoal into the stove and asked excitedly. ¡°What are we having for dinner tonight, Miss?¡± Yu Niaoniao fished out a strip of fat and thin pork belly from the bucket and said with a smile. ¡°Tonight, we¡¯ll eat Twice-cooked Pork.¡± She added cold water to the pot. Pork and ginger slices and cooking wine were then added. Then she fished the pork out and put it on the chopping board. Yu Niaoniao held the newly made kitchen knife and quickly cut it into pieces. After the iron pot was heated, she first stir-fried the fatty meat. Under the high temperature, the fat began to ooze out. The pot sizzled, and the rich aroma of protein filled the air. Dang Gui sniffed hard and sighed sincerely. ¡°It smells so good!¡± When she was in Bashu, she had eaten many delicacies with Miss. Miss seemed to be especially talented in cooking and could always cook many delicacies that others had never heard of. 2 She had thought of learning to cook from herdyship. But it always ended in failure. It was clearly the same ingredients and condiments. The dishes cooked by Miss were fragrant and delicious, but the dishes she cooked were dark. 2 After that, the youngdy refused to let her cook again, lest she ruin the food. Yu Niaoniao poured arge spoonful of bean paste into the pot and took out a jar of peppercorns. This was a specialty they had specially brought from Bashu. As soon as the peppercorns entered the pot, the fragrance intensified. She added chili garlic sprouts and kept stir-frying. The scent continued to increase. Dang Gui was already hungry and swallowed hard. Yu Niaoniao said to her, ¡°Go to the kitchen and get some steamed buns.¡± Dang Gui was very fast. Soon, she returned with four hot white steamed buns. Yu Qianqian cooked another dish of vinegar cabbage. Two dishes were ced on the table. With a pair of chopsticks in one hand and a steamed bun in the other, she announced, ¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡± Dang Gui picked up a piece of twice-cooked pork and put it into her mouth. The pork was fat but not greasy. It was savory and delicious, with just the right amount of spiciness. It could be said to be very appetizing. Dang Gui¡¯s mouth was oily as she praised. 1 ¡°It¡¯s delicious. No one but ady can make pork that good.¡± The chefs in the Yu Residence also knew how to cook pork, but they mainly stewed it. The taste was far less delicious than the Twice-Cooked Pork. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s mouth was filled with food. Her cheeks were red and her eyes were sparkling. ¡°The stir-fry is delicious!¡± She had long been tired of stew. Today, she could finally have a change of vor. Her expensive custom-made kitchen knives and iron pots had not been in vain. ... The emperor had summoned Xiao Juan to the pce this time for the anti-poetry case. The current emperor was over sixty years old. Older people liked to reminisce the past. Emperors were no exception. He had been dreaming a lot recently. In his dreams, he could see many familiar figures. Those figures swayed in front of him, reminding him how much blood his hands had been stained with over the years. So much so that his paranoia was getting worse. He kept feeling that someone wanted to harm him. ... At this moment, someone in the square spread anti-government poetry, further stoking his fears. The emperor attached great importance to this matter and ordered Xiao Juan to find out the truth within three days. Chapter 28 Chapter 28: Come, Call Me Brother Early the next morning. Dang Gui ground the beans she had soakedst night into soy milk. Fresh soy milk with crispy fried dough sticks. It was a beautiful feeling! As soon as Mrs. Jiang walked into the Green Jade Residence, she smelled a rich fragrance. She hadn¡¯t had much of an appetite in the past two days, but she swallowed involuntarily at the scent. ¡°What are you guys eating?¡± Yu Niaoniao swallowed the fried dough stick in her mouth and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Mrs. Jiang was naturally here for Yu Sheng. Last night, she had been thinking about her son and could not fall asleep. Yu Kangtai was not much better than her. He had not slept well either. However, because he still had an official position and could not stay at home forever, he had to force himself to stay awake and go out to work with two big dark circles under his eyes. Mrs. Jiang stated her intentions. Yu Qianqian spoke as she ate her breakfast. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go outter. I¡¯ll let you see Yu Sheng as soon as possible.¡± Mrs. Jiang could not tell if her words were true or not. But in this situation, Mrs. Jiang had no choice but to believe her for the time being. After breakfast, she nned to go out. She made a point of going to the stables and bringing out the little donkey she had put there. When she and Dang Gui approached the front door, they saw the butler leading someone into the residence. When the butler saw Yu Niaoniao, he was clearly stunned. Then, he noticed the little donkey that Yu Yuanyuan was holding. His expression became even moreplicated. ¡°Miss, what are you...¡± Yu Qianqian stroked the donkey¡¯s ears and said crisply. ¡°I have to go out and do something.¡± The butler thought that she was going out to plead with Prince Lang, so he quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll get you a carriage now.¡± He did not dare to let his eldest daughter ride the donkey to find Prince Lang. Just the thought of that scene was unbearable. Yu waved his little hand in a very casual manner. ¡°No, Gray is enough.¡± The butler choked. Which youngdy in the entire Jade Capital would ride a donkey to meet her fianc¨¦?! Even if she was shameless, the Yu family still had their pride! The butler tried his best to save the Yu Residence¡¯s face and suggested with difficulty. ¡°Your Gray is too slow. A carriage would be quicker.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still early. I¡¯m not in a hurry. It¡¯s morefortable to slow down.¡± The butler said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean...¡± Yu Niao Niao said, ¡°Thank you for your kindness. This will be fine. I don¡¯t want to cause trouble for anyone.¡± Her big ck-and-white eyes were so full of sunshine they looked luminous. The butler said nothing. She was actually quite cute. The person who had been standing beside the butler suddenly said, ¡°Is this Cousin Niaoniao?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young master who was about seventeen or eighteen years old. He was wearing a silver-white brocade robe with the cor slightly open. His grayish-ck outer robe was loosely draped over his body. His long hair was loose and his skin was even paler. He did not stand straight, as though he was boneless. The butler hurriedly replied, ¡°Yes, this is Missy.¡± Then, he introduced, ¡°This is Madam¡¯s nephew. He woke up today to visit Madam.¡± The young master¡¯s gaze lingered on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face for a moment. He gently opened the fan. On the surface was a painting of a beauty. Beside the painting was the inscription. His face broke into what he considered a rakish smile. At the same time, he deliberately lowered his voice to make it sound more maic. ¡°I¡¯m Jiang Ze. I¡¯ve long heard that a beautiful cousin came to my aunt¡¯s house. Seeing her today, she indeed lived up to her reputation. ¡°Come, call me brother.¡± Chapter 29 Chapter 29: Overbearing Yu Niaoniao stared straight into his face. Jiang Ze¡¯s smile deepened. It seemed that his cousin had been deeply charmed by his handsome appearance. Sure enough, this was a country girl with no experience and no substance. He could take her down easily. To think his aunt had been so defensive towards her. The next moment, he heard Yu Niaoniao exim. ¡°Ah, Cousin, there¡¯s powder on your face!¡± Everyone turned to look at Jiang Ze. Indeed, there was a little white powder on his outerwear. Jiang Ze instinctively covered his face. This touch immediately rubbed off more makeup. So the reason he was so pale was because he had applied a thickyer of powder to his face. Jiang Ze could no longer maintain his smile, and his expression became extremely ugly. ¡°Are you deliberately embarrassing me, Cousin?¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked and said sincerely. ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just reminding you that your makeup is off. If you prefer rouge and powder, I suggest a better choice of cosmetics. Don¡¯t make it so white, don¡¯t make it so thick. The make-up will look better when it¡¯s as natural as possible...¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Jiang Ze interrupted her. He really didn¡¯t want to hear it any more. His face darkened as he cursed fiercely. ¡°You¡¯re just a country bumpkin from the countryside who doesn¡¯t know anything. How dare you teach me how to look good? Do you even know what beauty is?¡± Yu Niaoniao exined seriously, ¡°I¡¯m from Bashu. Bashu is not a rural ce.¡± Although Bashu was not as prosperous as the Imperial Capital, it was still a good ce with abundant resources. Jiang Ze sneered. ¡°If Bashu is really a good ce, why did youe all the way to the Imperial Capital? It¡¯s because that ce is so dpidated that you can¡¯t stay there!¡± Yu Niaoniao seemed to have thought of something, and her expression darkened. Dang Gui could not stand it any longer. She stepped forward to retort. ¡°You¡¯ve never even been to Bashu. What makes you say that?!¡± Others might not know, but Dang Gui knew very well that Miss did not leave Bashu willingly. If not for that incident, Miss would still be living well in Bashu. Why would shee all the way to the Yu family to suffer? Jiang Ze squinted at her and said disdainfully, ¡°Who do you think you are? Do you have the right to speak here?!¡± Then, he nced at the butler and questioned him coldly. ¡°How dare she interrupt when the Master is speaking? Is this the rule of your Yu family?¡± The butler did not dare to offend either side and could only bite the bullet and say awkwardly. ¡°Young Master, didn¡¯t you say you were here to visit Madam? It¡¯s gettingte. Please follow me.¡± Jiang Ze, however, refused to give up. His tone was aggressive. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you teach such an unruly servant a lesson?¡± He held his breath. He knew he couldn¡¯t do anything to her openly. In that case, he would vent his anger on the people around Yu Niaoniao! Seeing this, the butler could only whisper to Jiang Ze. ¡°Young Master, let¡¯s forget about this matter. Missy still has very important things to do. We can¡¯t dy her time.¡± Jiang Ze sneered in disdain. ¡°What important thing can she have?¡± The butler said, ¡°Young Master has been captured by the Eagle Guards. Eldest Miss is going to plead with Prince Lang.¡± Jiang Ze was taken aback. The reason he came to the Yu Residence today was because of his cousin, Yu Sheng. He was usually quite close to Yu Sheng. After learning that Yu Sheng had been captured, he couldn¡¯t sleep the entire night. This morning, he specially came to the Yu Mansion to inquire about the situation. Jiang Ze sneered, ¡°Can she really make Duke Lang let him go?¡± Chapter 30 Chapter 30: Investigating the Truth Jiang Ze had naturally heard about the rumors between Yu Niaoniao and Duke Lang, but those were just rumors. No one knew if they were true. Taking a step back, even if the rumors were true, with Duke Lang¡¯s domineering style, he would not let Yu Sheng go just because of a few words from a woman. Unable to answer, the butler changed the subject. ¡°In any case, please let this matter rest for Madam¡¯s sake.¡± Jiang Ze snorted. ¡°I¡¯ll remember what happened today for now. Don¡¯t let me see this bitch again, or I won¡¯t let her off!¡± When he said thest sentence, he deliberately red at Yu Niaoniao. Those words were clearly directed at her. With that, he ignored the other party¡¯s reaction and left. The butler cupped his hands at Yu Niaoniao before chasing after Jiang Ze. Dang Gui whispered as she watched them leave. ¡°That guy is so annoying.¡± Yu Niaoniao knew that she was talking about Jiang Ze. ¡°Leave him be. Let¡¯s get something nice to eat.¡± Dang Gui hurriedly asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to find Duke Lang? You promised Master and Madam that you would go to Duke Lang to plead for mercy.¡± Yu Niaoniao led the donkey out and said slowly. ¡°I only promised to let them see Yu Sheng as soon as possible. I didn¡¯t promise to plead with Prince Lang.¡± Dang Gui was confused. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same thing?¡± Yu smiled. ¡°Of course not.¡± She knew her limits. It was impossible for her to make Duke Lang let Yu Sheng go with just a few words. Even if she pleaded, it would only be a waste of effort. The only way to let Yu Sheng escape unscathed was to find out the truth and clear his name. Dang Gui pressed, ¡°So where are we going now?¡± Yu Niaoniao gently tossed out two words. ¡°West City.¡± ... It was two hourster when they arrived in West City. Yu Niaoniao stood in the street, looking around, muttering softly. ¡°This must be the ce.¡± Dang Gui followed beside her with the little donkey. Dang Gui and the donkey were both looking at Yu Niaoniao, their big eyes shining with curiosity. ¡°Four days ago, I saw Yu Sheng here. He was there, walking in that direction...¡± As Yu Niaoniao exined, she gestured with her hands. The man and the donkey turned their heads in unison to look in the direction she was pointing. 2 They saw an alley. Yu Niaoniao nned to go over and take a look. She asked Dang Gui to wait with the donkey. Dang Gui was worried and insisted on apanying her. Yu Niaoniao had no choice but to lead her and Gray into the alley. The alley was deep. They took a long detour and finally stopped in front of a liquor store. The front door of the pub was open and guarded by Eagle Guards. Sensing someone approaching, the Eagle Guards immediately went on guard. They were about to scold the approaching person when they froze when they saw the her face. Wasn¡¯t this the future Princess Consort of Lang County! What was she doing here? The Eagle Guards quickly imagined the reason. She must havee here to see the Prince of Lang. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Prince Lang was really lucky to have found such a beautiful and clingy little wife. The Eagle Guards smiled knowingly and were especially polite to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Miss Yu, are you here to see His Highness?¡± Yu Niaoniao was slightly stunned. Could it be that Prince Lang was also here today? 1 If she had known earlier, she would not havee! She reacted quickly, smiling shyly. ¡°His Royal Highness should be busy now, right? Am I disturbing him?¡± ... Chapter 31 Chapter 31: Chicken Soup Noodles The Eagle Guards thought to themselves that she was indeed here to look for Prince Lang. One of them smiled and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯m sure the prince will be very happy to see you.¡± The other man chimed in. ¡°I¡¯ll go inform Duke Lang now. Please wait a moment, Miss Yu.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not want to see the icy demon king, Duke Lang, especially under such circumstances. If he saw her, he would definitely suspect her motives and would definitely interrogate her again. She quickly extended her hand and called to the helpful Eagle Guard. ¡°No need! Since Your Highness has something important to do, I won¡¯t disturb you. I¡¯ll take a look around the neighborhood first. See youter.¡± With that, she pulled Dang Gui and the donkey away. As soon as they left, Xiao Juan walked out of the bar. Ever since the anti-government poetry was discovered, this wine shop had been seized by the Justice Department. The Eagle Guards had searched everywhere inside and outside the wine shop, but the clues they found were very limited. The emperor took this case very seriously. In order to find out the truth as soon as possible, Xiao Juan had toe to the wine shop personally today. The search results were still unsatisfactory. 1 Xiao Juan wearily frowned. His cloak swept across the threshold, carrying a biting cold air. The Eagle Guards guarding the door immediately went forward to greet him and told him that Miss Yu had juste. 1 Xiao Juan was surprised. He did not expect her to look for him here. Meng Xizhou was puzzled. ¡°How did Miss Yu know that His Highness woulde here today?¡± Although Duke Lang did not deliberately hide his whereabouts, as an unmarried youngdy, it was impossible for Yu Niaoniao to know his whereabouts. It was too far-fetched, however, to say that it was a coincidence. This was also what Xiao Juan wearily suspected. He asked gravely, ¡°Where did she go?¡± Hawk Guard pointed to the right. ¡°She went that way.¡± 1 After instructing the Eagle Guards to continue searching the ce, he strode to the right. Seeing this, Meng Xizhou hurriedly chased after him. At this moment, in a corner near the street entrance, there was a stall selling chicken noodle soup. Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui were sitting at the table, slurping noodles. They had followed the scent of chicken noodle soup all the way here. 1 The chicken soup was very fragrant. It was apanied by white noodles, a few vegetables, and a small handful of green onions. The ingredients were very simple, but they were exceptionally delicious. An old woman with white hair walked slowly to their table with a cane. She fumbled to ce a serving of pickled radish on their table and smiled. ¡°Any guest whoes to us for noodles will get aplimentary te of pickled radishes.¡± Dang Gui noticed that her eyes were different from the others and could not help but wave her hand in front of her. The little girl who was cooking noodles by the stove exined. ¡°My grandmother had a serious illness in the past. She didn¡¯t have the money to treat it. Although her life was saved, her eyes were damaged. She can¡¯t see anything now.¡± Dang Gui sighed, ¡°Poor thing.¡± Yu Niaoniao took a bite of the pickled radish and praised, ¡°Sour, spicy, crispy, and delicious!¡± The old woman immediately smiled. ¡°I marinated it myself. As long as you like it.¡± She gave each of the other tables a dish of pickled radishes. Almost all the customers who came here to eat noodles were old customers. They were quite familiar with each other. They chatted as they ate, asionally pulling the old woman and the little girl in with them. Yu Niaoniao ate the noodles in big mouthfuls, her small ears pricked up as she eavesdropped on their conversation. From the conversation of these people, it could be known that the little girl¡¯s name was Lian Niang, and her Grandmother¡¯s surname was Liu. Everyone called her Grandma Liu. Lian Niang and Grandma Liu depended on each other. They woulde here every day to set up a stall to sell chicken soup noodles, no matter the weather. Someone felt indignant for Grandma Liu. ¡°If not for those Eagle Guards, Grandma Liu wouldn¡¯t have broken her legs.¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped eating her noodles. Could it be that Grandma Liu¡¯s legs were broken by the Eagle Guards? Chapter 32 Chapter 32: Madness Yu Qianqian had also heard about the Eagle Guards. Everyone said that they were a group of murderous executioners. Words like heartless and evil were simply tailor-made for them. But those were just rumors. Yu Qianqian only listened and did not take them seriously. But now she couldn¡¯t help but waver. Seeing is believing. The weak Grandma Liu in front of her did not look like a criminal at all. If the Eagle Guards could even hurt her, then they must be really crazy. As themander of the Eagle Guards, Duke Lang¡¯s madness must be even more terrifying. The thought of marrying such a demon immediately made the noodles in her mouth taste bad. She couldn¡¯t help asking. ¡°Granny, did the Eagle Guards really break your leg?¡± When Grandma Liu heard the words ¡°Eagle Guards¡±, her thin body could not help but tremble. She stammered, ¡°N-no.¡± Lian Niang hurriedly said, ¡°Youngdy, don¡¯t misunderstand. My grandmother broke her leg herself, not because of the Eagle Guards.¡± ¡°But they just said that it was because of the Eagle Guards...¡± Lian Niang had no choice but to tell her everything. So this had something to do with the anti-government poetry case. Ever since the anti-poetry case was linked to the a nearby wine shop, the Eagle Guards had beening to investigate the case almost every day. Not only did they turn the wine shop upside down, but they also carefully checked the nearby residents and merchants. This noodle stall was naturally no exception. The old woman could not see. When she heard that the Eagle Guards had arrived, she thought that she and her granddaughter had been targeted by them. She was immediately frightened and fell to the ground in a panic, breaking her right leg. Logically speaking, the old woman should be recuperating at home, but she was worried about her granddaughter setting up a stall alone and insisted on following her with a walking stick. Realization dawned on Yu Qianqian. ¡°So that¡¯s what happened!¡± She breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I suppose not all rumors are true.¡± When everyone spoke of the Eagle Guards, their tone was filled with resentment and fear. One of them cursed in a low voice. ¡°Although the Eagle Guards didn¡¯t break Granny¡¯s legs, if those Eagle Guards hadn¡¯t suddenly appeared, Granny wouldn¡¯t have been so frightened that she fell. Those dogs will suffer retribution sooner orter!¡± The man next to him immediately hit him and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. People might hear you.¡± The Eagle Guards had spies everywhere. There was once someone who was captured by the Eagle Guards because they spoke nonsense in private and never returned. For a moment, no one in the stall spoke, leaving only the sound of Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui slurping their noodles. At this moment, a customer saw two figures not far away. His expression changed and he eximed. ¡°The Eagle Guards are here!¡± Everyone was shocked. They turned their heads in unison and saw two men in ck brocade robes walking over. They did not know the two men, but they knew the Eagle Guards¡¯ garb. The youngdy who was cooking the noodles was frightened. Her originally red face instantly turned as pale as paper, and the spat in her hand fell to the ground with a ng. From her terrified look, one would think that she saw a ghost in broad daylight. The diners were all terrified. They did not dare to stay any longer. They hurriedly threw down a few copper coins and fled. Seeing how anxious they were, it was as if there were ghosts chasing after them. Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui stopped what they were doing and looked at the two people approaching. They recognized at a nce that the leader was Prince Lang. Chapter 33 Chapter 33: Repressed Grandma Liu¡¯s body trembled like a leaf, and she almost lost her grip on her walking stick. Yu Niaonao quickly held her up to prevent her from falling. Granny Liu gripped her hand tightly and asked in horror, ¡°Is it really the Eagle Guards? Why are they here again? What do they want?¡± Yu Niaoniaoforted her gently, ¡°It¡¯s just a misunderstanding. It¡¯s not the Eagle Guards.¡± In order to increase her credibility, she even beckoned to Lian Niang. Lian Niang received Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hint and hurriedly agreed. ¡°Yes, yes, not the Eagle Guards. Don¡¯t be afraid, Grandma.¡± Grandma Liu was skeptical. ¡°But I clearly heard someone shouting about the Eagle Guards just now...¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°That person¡¯s clothes are a little simr to the Eagle Guards¡¯. The guest was just mistaken.¡± At this moment, Xiao Juan and Meng Xizhou had already walked up to them. Grandma Liu heard footsteps and quickly asked, ¡°Is it really not the Eagle Guards?¡± Before Xiao Juan and Meng Xizhou could speak, Yu Niaoniao shouted first. ¡°Husband! Why are you here? Are you here for me?¡± Xiao Juan and Meng Xizhou were stunned. Dang Gui¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. Her mistress actually addressed him as her husband! Even if the emperor had already given them a marriage, they had yet to officially get married. How could Missy address him as her husband in public? ¡°That¡¯s bold!¡± Yu Niaoniao could not care less. She blinked hard at Xiao Juan and mouthed a warning to him not to talk nonsense lest he frightened Granny. Xiao Juan¡¯s gaze paused on Grandma Liu for a moment, but in the end, he didn¡¯t say anything. He wanted to see what this woman was up to. When Meng Xizhou saw this scene, he could not help but sigh inwardly. Duke Lang really doted on Miss Yu. The two of them were not even married yet, but he allowed her to address him as her husband openly. It was obvious that they could not wait to get married. The single Meng Xizhou was surrounded by the sour scent of love, and his heart was bubbling with jealousy. Grandma Liu hurriedly asked, ¡°Is it your husband?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°That¡¯s right. My husband must have been worried about my safety after seeing that I hadn¡¯t returned for a long time.¡± Grandma Liu believed her and rxed. She smiled. ¡°Your husband is worried for you. You two must be very close.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not dare to look at Duke Lang¡¯s expression. She braced herself. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s very nice. He¡¯s gentle and considerate, but he doesn¡¯t talk much.¡± When others saw how well she spoke, they really believed her nonsense. Meng Xizhou was secretly amazed. He did not expect that the usually cold and indifferent prince would be so gentle and considerate in front of the woman he liked! Is that what they mean when they say he¡¯s repressed? He felt a little likeughing but held it in. He couldn¡¯t let his boss find out that he was secretly watching for entertainment. Even Lian Niang began to suspect that this beautiful youngdy in front of her was really a married to that cold Eagle Guard. The ¡°gentle and considerate¡± Xiao Juan was expressionless the entire time. He was the epitome of aloofness. Granny Liu said happily. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he doesn¡¯t like to talk. As long as he takes you seriously and treats you sincerely, that¡¯s enough.¡± She then asked, ¡°Do you want a bowl of chicken noodle soup for your husband too?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at Duke Lang and asked eagerly. ¡°Darling, do you want some?¡± The man looked at her coldly, his gaze as sharp as a knife. Yu Niaoniao swallowed hard. Theck of response was tantamount to tacit agreement. She spoke aloud to Lian Niang. ¡°Please cook a bowl of chicken noodle soup for my husband too. Don¡¯t forget to add an egg!¡± Thest sentence was powerful and heroic, as if an entire Imperial Feast had been added instead of an egg. Chapter 34 Chapter 34: Best of Both Worlds! 1 Yu Niaoniao pulled Xiao Juan to the table and sat down. While Lian Niang and Old Lady Liu were busy, Yu Niaoniao went to Xiao Juan¡¯s side and whispered to him. ¡°That blind granny is very afraid of the Eagle Guards. Please don¡¯t reveal your identity so as not to scare her.¡± Xiao wearily looked at her coldly. ¡°What does other people¡¯s business have to do with me?¡± Yu Niaoniao knew he would say that. ¡°I heard from someone just now that Grandma Liu and Lian Niange here every day to set up a stall. Look over there.¡± She pointed down the street as she spoke. ¡°That ce is a necessary route to the back door of the liquor store. If someone wanted to go in or out of the liquor store, they¡¯d have to pass through there. We¡¯re sitting here looking over there. Do we have a good view?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s reaction was very fast. He immediately understood what she meant. Those who secretly spread anti-government poetry would definitely keep a low profile and not usually enter through the main entrance. Among those who went in and out of the back door of the pub might be those who really spread anti-government poetry. And Grandma Liu and Lian Niang had probably seen that person. Xiao Juan looked at Yu Niaoniao with a deep gaze and said coldly. ¡°You came here to investigate the anti-government poetry case?¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked and said in a sweet and soft voice, ¡°I heard that the emperor values this case very much. Your Highness must be under a lot of pressure recently. I was afraid that you would be tired, so I wanted to help you.¡± Meng Xizhou couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue. Miss Yu was really infatuated with the Regional King! Xiao Juan said, ¡°I thought you interfered in this matter to save Yu Sheng.¡± Yu Niaoniao blushed and looked at him shyly. ¡°It was mainly to help you. Saving Yu Sheng was just a convenience.¡± Xiao Juan said mockingly, ¡°You¡¯re really a good sister.¡± Yu Niaoniao covered her face in embarrassment. ¡°Thank you for thepliment!¡± 4 Xiao Juan was speechless. When did he praise her? He had never seen such a shameless person! 1 He turned the conversation back to business. ¡°Since they might be in the know, I¡¯ll bring them back for questioning.¡± Yu Qianqian hurriedly held his hand and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± 1 She told him about how Grandma Liu was frightened by the Eagle Guards and broke her bones. Xiao Juan looked down at the hand she was holding down. Yu Niaoniao retracted her ws with a whoosh. 2 She sped her hands together and smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°Please, please, don¡¯t scare the old woman!¡± Xiao Juan naturally knew how terrifying the reputation of the Eagle Guards was. There were countless rumors about them. 1 In the eyes of manymoners, the Eagle Guards had already be human-eating demons. In Grandma Liu¡¯s situation, if she was brought back to the legal department, she would probably be scared to death. Xiao Juan could only give up on the idea of bringing her back for questioning. ¡°So what do you suggest we do?¡± Yu Qianqian whispered, ¡°It¡¯s very simple. Don¡¯t expose your identity. We¡¯ll travel incognito and talk to Grandma Liu and Lian Niang as ordinary people. We¡¯ll leave after the questioning. This way, we won¡¯t scare Grandma Liu and you can also get the information you want. It¡¯s the best of both worlds!¡± Xiao Juan thought for a moment and epted her suggestion. ¡°Then don¡¯t talk nonsenseter. Follow my instructions.¡± Xiao Juan responded softly, ¡°Yes.¡± Lian Niang walked over with two bowls of hot chicken noodle soup and ced them in front of Xiao Juan and Meng Xizhou. Because of her fear, Lian Niang¡¯s hands trembled and she almost spilled the chicken soup in her bowl. Yu Niaoniao pulled her to sit down and said with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. We¡¯re just here to ask you something. We¡¯ll leave after that. We definitely won¡¯t disturb your lives.¡± Chapter 35 Chapter 35: Love You Lian Niang looked at Xiao Juan carefully and quickly looked away. Then, she looked at Grandma Liu, who was busy. She made a fist and braced herself. ¡°Ask away.¡± She would do anything to keep her grandmother safe. Yu Niaoniao pointed to the nearby street entrance and asked. ¡°Do many people pass through there every day?¡± Lian Niang shook her head. ¡°Not many. The only people who can pass that way are practically all the guys and helpers at a nearby liquor store.¡± Yu Niaoniaosaid, ¡°Other than the clerk and the helper, was there anyone else?¡± Lian Niang recalled carefully. ¡°A few young gentlemen dressed as schrs would pass by there asionally.¡± Yu Niaoniao perked up and immediately pressed on. ¡°Do you remember what they looked like?¡± Lian Niang rubbed the corner of her clothes and said uneasily. ¡°I only caught a glimpse of them. From a distance, I couldn¡¯t really see their faces, but from the way they were dressed, I¡¯d say they came from a wealthy family.¡± Yu Niaoniao was disappointed. At this moment, Xiao Juan spoke. ¡°Any distinguishing marks on them?¡± Lian Niang didn¡¯t dare meet his gaze. She lowered her head and mumbled. ¡°They all look pretty young. As for the rest, I don¡¯t know.¡± At this moment, Grandma Liu walked over with a te of pickled radishes. Lian Niang quickly held her. ¡°Grandma, slow down.¡± Grandma Liu ced the pickled radish on the table. When she was done, she did not leave but asked. ¡°Why are you asking about these things?¡± ¡°We went to that restaurant for a meal previously and identally left our money bag there. We want to check who has been in and out of that restaurant recently. If we¡¯re lucky, we might be able to find the money bag.¡± Grandma Liu did not suspect anything and said. ¡°I see!¡± You can ask me about this. Although I can¡¯t see with my eyes, my ears are very sharp. ¡°I heard the voices of those schrs as they passed the street door.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately perked up and sat up straight. They both stared at Granny Liu. Grandma Liu spoke as she recalled. ¡°I remember they were discussing a fan. They said that the fan had Master Shangguan¡¯s inscription and signature on it. It was especially rare. It was priceless outside. You couldn¡¯t buy it even if you wanted to.¡± Yu Qianqian asked, ¡°Do you remember the specific inscription?¡± Grandma Liu waved her hand. ¡°How can I remember? I haven¡¯t read any books. I don¡¯t even understand those poems. How can I remember?¡± Yu Niaoniao thanked Grandma Liu. She turned to the man beside her and whispered a question. ¡°Do you know any calligraphers with the surname Shangguan?¡± Shangguan was a rare surname, let alone a famous calligrapher. A name immediately appeared in Xiao Juan¡¯s mind. ¡°Shangguan Jue.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked confused. She had never heard of this person. Meng Xizhou took the initiative to exin, ¡°Shangguan Jue is a very famous calligrapher in the Imperial Capital recently. It¡¯s said that his calligraphy is hard toe by and is very popr. Many young students are proud to get his calligraphy.¡± Yu Qianqian was very curious. ¡°Is his calligraphy really that good?¡± Meng Xizhou said, ¡°I remember that Duke Lang has Shangguan Jue¡¯s calligraphy in his mansion. If you¡¯re interested, you can go to Lang Jun Imperial Pce to admire it.¡± Yu Wenxian looked at Xiao Juan with anticipation. Xiao Qing rejected coldly, ¡°I¡¯m very busy and don¡¯t have time to receive you.¡± Yu grabbed his sleeve and shook him gently. Her voice was so soft it could almost melt someone. ¡°Please, will you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wheedle. This trick is useless against me.¡± Yu Qianqian ced her hands on her chest and squeezed two small hearts. ¡°Love you.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. ... Chapter 36 Chapter 36: Remember This Lesson Two hourster, in the Lang Jun Imperial Pce, Xiao Juan looked at Yu Yuanyuan expressionlessly, and kept questioning himself. Why was he so soft-hearted? Why did he let her into the house? Just for her two little hearts? Granny Xiu Yan ced te after te of fruits and snacks on the table and greeted them warmly. ¡°Miss Yu, don¡¯t stand on ceremony. Just treat this ce as your own home. Eat quickly. If there¡¯s not enough, I¡¯ll get someone to make more.¡± Yu Niaoniao held a cup of hot flower tea in her hand and smiled. She said sweetly, ¡°Thank you, Granny. That is quite enough.¡± Granny Xiuyan smiled at her, her eyes full of love. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You and His Highness can stay for lunch. I¡¯ll get the kitchen to make a few more dishes.¡± They both spoke at once. Xiao Juan, ¡°No need.¡± Yu Niaoniao up, ¡°Sure, sure!¡± There was a moment of silence. Granny Xiu Yan thought that Yu Niaoniao would feel awkward and was about to help smooth things over when she saw Yu Niaoniao blink. Her eyes, which had been ck and white, quickly turned red. She was on the verge of tears, her grievance obvious. ¡°Does the duke hate me so much that he won¡¯t even give me a bite to eat?¡± Xiao Juan looked at the pastry crumbs standing by her mouth and said expressionlessly. ¡°You ate more than a mouthful.¡± Granny Xiu Yan coughed twice, hinting that her county king should watch his words. Who says that about their wife? He probably wanted to be single for the rest of his life! Yu Niaoniao lowered her head, revealing a weak and fair neck. Her voice sounded muffled. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t care about such a mouthful of food. There¡¯s so much delicious food outside. Isn¡¯t it food everywhere?¡± I just want to have a meal with you, Your Highness. Can¡¯t you even satisfy such a small wish?¡± Then she wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve, as if she were crying. Sister Xiu Yan¡¯s heart ached as she hurriedly coaxed. ¡°Eat, eat, eat! Eat as much as you want. Even if the county prince isn¡¯t at home to eat, I¡¯ll get someone to cook for you.¡± She was still crying. Granny Xiu Yan looked at Xiao Juan and gestured for him to quickly say something to coax her. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to get a wife; the least he could do was not to drive her away! It was not that he hated Yu Niaoniao. He was busy and did not want to waste his time on something like lunch. Looking at the girl¡¯s pitiful appearance, Xiao Juan was silent for a while before changing his mind. ¡°You stay.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the girl who had been crying suddenly look up. Her face was clean, and her clear eyes showed no sign that she had been crying. She cheered happily. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness!¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. So she had been pretending to cry. He had interrogated countless prisoners and seen countless liars. Unexpectedly, he could not even see through the disguise of a little girl today. Xiao Juan took a deep breath and slowly spat out a word. ¡°Great.¡± He would remember this lesson. In the future, he would definitely not be fooled again. The servant came in with a heavy rectangr wooden box and spoke respectfully. ¡°Your Highness, Shangguan Jue¡¯s calligraphy is here.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately perked up. She opened the wooden box, took out the painting, and slowly unfolded it. This was andscape painting. The strokes were clean and direct, and the painting was majestic. Even Yu Niaoniao, who did not know much about calligraphy, could tell that this was a good piece of work. No wonder there were so many schrs chasing after him! Only when the painting was fully unfolded did Yu Niaoniao notice the inscription and signature at the bottom. When Yu Niaoniao saw the signature, her gaze froze. ... She blurted out, ¡°I have seen this signature.¡± Chapter 37 Chapter 37: What Goes Around Comes Around Xiao tiredly was a little surprised. ¡°When?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Just this morning, when Dang Gui and I left the house, we happened to meet Jiang Ze. He was holding a folding fan in his hand. On the fan was a portrait of a beauty, as well as the inscription and signature. It was this signature!¡± 1 These days, schrs usually wrote their own name. Shangguan Jue¡¯s name was Schr Luoshan. Yu Niaoniao did not know this, so she did not think much about it when she heard others mention Shangguan Jue. It was only at this moment, when she saw the signature, that she put two and two together. Xiao Juan stared at her. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not mistaken?¡± Yu Qianqian said without hesitation, ¡°Definitely!¡± Dang Gui stood up for herdy. ¡°Miss has a very good memory. She can remember anything she¡¯s seen, even if it¡¯s just a glimpse.¡± Tired, Xiao Juan sized up Yu Niaoniao as if he was reevaluating her. It turned out that apart from being gluttonous and greedy, she had other talents. Yu Niaoniao stroked her chin and pondered. ¡°Jiang Ze and Yu Sheng are cousins. They usually interact with each other and have a good rtionship. If Jiang Ze had invited Yu Sheng to a wine shop, Yu Sheng probably wouldn¡¯t have refused. As for why Yu Sheng didn¡¯t tell the truth, it¡¯s very likely to protect his cousin, Jiang Ze.¡± Logically, it all made perfect sense. But crucial evidence was still missing. Xiao Juan called Meng Xizhou over and asked him to immediately bring Jiang Ze back to the Justice Department for interrogation. Yu Niaoniao could not help but say, ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate to arrest him without any evidence, right?¡± Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°I only want the truth, not evidence.¡± Yu said, ¡°Where¡¯s the truth without evidence?¡± ¡°I can tell.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. As expected of the decisive Duke Lang. His methods of handling cases were really simple and crude. No wonder so many people criticized the Eagle Guards for killing people like flies. ... . In the Yu Residence, Mrs. Jiang¡¯s heart was in a mess because of her son, but in order to entertain her nephew, she still forced herself to stay awake. ¡°Ah Ze, why did you suddenlye over today?¡± 1 In front of the elders, Jiang was exceptionally obedient. 1 ¡°I heard that something had happened to my cousin and was worried, so I specially came to take a look. A ce like the Justice Department was not for humans. ¡°Aunt, have you thought of any way to save my cousin?If there¡¯s anything I can do to help, let me know. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Seeing that her nephew was so sensible, Mrs. Jiang felt gratified. ¡°I know you¡¯re close to Sheng and you care about him, but Eagle Guards aren¡¯t people you can offend easily. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t get involved. As for Sheng... don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s fine for now.¡± Jiang was very curious. ¡°How did Auntie know that Cousin is fine now? Did you see him in prison?¡± Mrs. Jiang felt that there was nothing to hide from her nephew. She told him about Yu Niaoniao being allowed into the legal department. At the end, sheughed at herself. ¡°Initially, I didn¡¯t think much of that country girl, Yu Niaoniao. However, I didn¡¯t expect that I would have to beg her to do something for me now. What a turn of events.¡± Jiang Ze was surprised. He did not expect her to really be able to speak to Duke Lang. He¡¯d thought the rumors out there were made up. Fortunately, he did not offend her too badly just now. Otherwise, it would be difficult to clean up the mess. 4 Chapter 38 Chapter 38: Helpless Jiang Ze chatted with Mrs. Jiang for a while before saying. ¡°Thest time I came looking for my cousin, I identally left a book in his study. Can I look for it?¡± Mrs. Jiang did not suspect anything and nodded in agreement. ¡°Go.¡± There were two study rooms in the residence. The slightlyrger one belonged to Yu Kangtai, and the smaller one belonged to Yu Sheng. Yu Sheng¡¯s study had been searched by the Eagle Guards. The books, calligraphy, and paintings inside were no longer in their original positions. Jiang Ze searched the study for a long time before he found the one he wanted among the many books. He opened the book and read. This was the book he had given Yu Sheng in the past. Just by looking at the surface, this was an ordinary travel book. It contained some travel experiences. But if he read it word for word, one would discover that there were a few anti-government poems hidden inside. Yu Sheng had an old-fashioned personality and was not interested in travelogs. After receiving the book, he casually flipped through two pages and stuffed it into the bookshelf. He had never touched it again, so he naturally did not know the hidden secrets. Jiang Ze had already expected this. That was why he had given this book to Yu Sheng. He had hidden it with Yu Sheng to avoid being discovered. Now that Yu Sheng had been captured, he was probably doomed. He did not know if the Eagle Guards would search this study again. Jiang Ze had speciallye to the Yu Residence today partly to inquire about Yu Sheng¡¯s situation and partly to find this book that hid anti-government poetry. When he had first obtained this book, he had casually written a limerick on thest page. Although it was not signed, one could tell from the handwriting that it was done by him. He must not let this book fall into the hands of the Eagle Guards. Jiang Ze tore off thest page, crumpled it into a ball, and stuffed it into his mouth. Then, he picked up the teacup and gulped down two mouthfuls of water, forcefully swallowing the paper. When he was done, he let out a long sigh of relief. He had finally eliminated this hidden danger. Jiang Ze stuffed the book back into the shelf and left the study as if nothing had happened. As for whether the book would be discovered by others and how much trouble it would cause Yu Sheng if it was discovered, that was not within his consideration. Now that he could not even protect himself, how could he care about the life and death of others? After Jiang Ze bade farewell to Mrs. Jiang, he went home with a rxed mood. Yet, when he walked into his house, he was greeted not by his familiar family but by a team of stern-looking Eagle Guards. Meng Xizhou, who was wearing a ck round-neck brocade robe, sat in an armchair. He looked at Jiang Ze like a ferocious beast that had locked onto its prey. His gaze was so sharp that it was terrifying. He waved his hand and ordered. ¡°Take him back.¡± Jiang Ze, on the other hand, was shocked. The fear in his heart swelled to the peak, so much so that the words he shouted broke. ¡°What are you doing? What right do you have to arrest me?!¡± The Eagle Guards ignored his shouts and struggles and forcefully tied him up. Jiang Ze screamed for help. However, the Jiang family had long been controlled by the Eagle Guards. Even if they wanted to help him, they were powerless. Jiang Ze was taken to the Justice Department. ... . At this moment, Yu Niaoniao was still having lunch in the Lang Jun Imperial Pce. The pce rarely had guests, and the chefs in the mansion rarely had the chance to disy their talents. Now that there was finally a guest who wanted to stay for a meal, and she was the future mistress of the pce, the chefs naturally worked hard and brought all their best dishes to the table. Like a hamster that had fallen into a rice jar, Yu Qianqian ate happily. She noticed that the man across the table barely touched his chopsticks and couldn¡¯t resist asking. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating? Is the food not to your liking?¡± Chapter 39 Chapter 39: Difficulties Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m eating.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at the remaining half of rice in his bowl. There was really only rice and no other dishes. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating the dishes?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Rice is enough for me.¡± Yu Qianqian did not agree with this. She stopped eating and put down her chopsticks to educate him. ¡°The nutrition provided by rice is limited. In addition to rice, people have to eat enough vegetables and meat so that their nutrition is bnced and their bodies can be healthier and less prone to illness.¡± Xiao Juan only replied with one word to her scientific remarks. ¡°Oh.¡± He was clearly unrepentant. Yu Niaoniao continued to persuade him incessantly. ¡°You¡¯re young now, so it doesn¡¯t matter if you eat whatever you want. When you¡¯re old and all kinds of illnessese knocking on your door, you¡¯ll know what regret is.¡± Xiao Juan continued to eat his rice elegantly and calmly, his chopsticks not touching the dishes on the table at all. ¡°You¡¯re not young anymore. Why are you still picky? This habit of yours is not good. You have to change it.¡± Xiao Juan finished thest bit of rice in his bowl. He put down his bowl and chopsticks and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m done. Enjoy.¡± With that, he left the dining hall. Yu Qianqian was dumbfounded. He left just like that? With so many delicious dishes left untouched, he actually only ate a bowl of rice? As expected of the famous King of Hell in the Imperial Capital. When he was ruthless, he even tortured himself! Granny Xiuyan had been waiting at the door. She had listened to the conversation in the dining room. She was afraid that Yu Qianqian would misunderstand that Prince Lang was throwing a tantrum, so she quickly walked in to exin. ¡°Miss Yu, don¡¯t be angry. I know you mean well, but His Highness has his own difficulties.¡± Yu Xianniao did not understand. ¡°How is it difficult to eat the dishes?¡± Sister Xiuyan sighed helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. The prince often starved when he was young and his stomach had not been well since. Since then, his diet had be exceptionally light. In addition, there were often people who wanted to murder the duke over the years. It wasmon to poison his food. The duke had almost died from poisoning. This led to his increasing aversion to food. He only ate rice for three meals a day and asionally drank some soup.¡± If it were anyone else, Granny Xiu Yan would definitely not say these things. However, the person in front of her was the future Princess Consort of Lang, the woman who was going to spend the rest of her life with the Lang Prince. She was naturally different from others. Yu Niaoniao was in disbelief. ¡°Isn¡¯t Your Highness the son of Princess Ni Yang? With the conditions of the Eldest Princess¡¯s residence, there¡¯s no need to let him starve, right?¡± Granny Xiuyan pursed her lower lip. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that.¡± She was originally a nanny serving the Empress Dowager. After Xiao Juan was brought to the pce to stay, the Empress Dowager asked Granny Xiu Yan to take care of Xiao Juan¡¯s daily life. This carested more than a decade. Even when Xiao Juan grew up and moved out of the pce, Sister Xiu Yan still followed him and helped him manage the matters in the mansion. Yu Niaoniao raised her eyebrows in disapproval. ¡°It¡¯s excusable, but eating rice alone won¡¯t do. It¡¯s bad for your health.¡± Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°I know this is bad, but I can¡¯t persuade the county prince.¡± She looked at Yu Niaoniao with expectant eyes. ¡°Miss Yu, do you have any ideas?¡± Prince Lang liked Yu Qianqian so much that he might listen to her advice! Yu Niaoniao stroked her chin. ¡°His Royal Highness¡¯s situation is more troublesome. His stomach is not good to begin with, so he has to recuperate carefully. In addition, he suffers from a certain degree of anorexia. Thebination of the two will cause a vicious cycle, causing him to eat less and less.¡± Chapter 40 Chapter 40: The Amazing Yu Niaoniao! Granny Xiuyan quickly said, ¡°Yes, yes. He¡¯s eating less and less. Sometimes he doesn¡¯t eat all day when he¡¯s busy.¡± Yu Niao Niao said, ¡°We have to treat his anorexia first. Make him psychologically interested in food. That way, we can further nurse his stomach.¡± Granny Xiu Yan asked anxiously, ¡°How can I cure anorexia?¡± Yu Niaoniao thought hard for a long time before giving a three-word answer. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Granny Xiuyan, who thought that the other party already had a solution, was speechless. After a round of fierce analysis, that was it? That was it?! 1 The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Yu Niaoniao picked up her chopsticks again and said as she ate. ¡°Give me some time to go back and think about it. Maybe I can figure out a solution.¡± Granny Xiu Yan felt hopeful again. ¡°If you think of a way, please tell me. I¡¯ll do my best to cooperate with you.¡± Yu Niaoniao gave her an OK sign. Granny Xiu Yan was confused. ¡°What do you mean by that gesture?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It means no problem.¡± After eating and drinking her fill, Yu Niaoniao was a little sleepy. Sister Xiuyan hurriedly got someone to clean up a guest room for her to let her have a good sleep. By the time she woke up, it waste. Yu Niaoniao prepared to go home. Before she left, she spoke shyly to Granny Xiuyan. ¡°I want to think about the medicinal cuisine. It can help nourish one¡¯s stomach, but I don¡¯t have enough ingredients on hand...¡± 1 Granny Xiuyan immediately brought her to the kitchen and said generously, ¡°You can choose any ingredients here. If there¡¯s not enough, I¡¯ll get someone to buy them immediately.¡± Looking at the dazzling array of fresh ingredients, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes gleamed with excitement. She flew over happily, like a little hamster in a hurry to stock up on food before winter came. Her small hands moved quickly, hugging the ingredients one by one. 2 When she couldn¡¯t hold it anymore, she found a bamboo basket and ced the ingredients into it. Soon, a bamboo basket was filled. ¡°Then let¡¯s have a second bamboo basket.¡± It was not until three full bamboo baskets were filled that Yu Niaoniao stopped. She looked at the remaining ingredients in the kitchen and silently warned herself that she had to know when to stop. She had to leave time for the flock to grow. She couldn¡¯t leave the sheep bald all at once. 2 When Sister Xiu Yan saw that she was going to bring home so many ingredients, she was extremely touched. For the sake of Duke Lang¡¯s health, Miss Yu had really put in too much effort! It was the duke¡¯s great fortune to have such a wife! 6 Granny Xiu Yan wanted to arrange for a carriage to send Yu Yuanyuan back, but she politely declined. She ced two bamboo baskets on the donkey¡¯s back, one on each side. Dang Gui carried the remaining bamboo basket on her shoulder. Although Dang Gui had thin arms and legs, she was very strong. Such arge basket of ingredients was nothing to her. Yu Niaoniao led the donkey back while Dang Gui followed behind with the wicker basket. The two of them walked happily home. When the butler of the Yu Residence saw that Yu Niaoniao had brought back a bunch of messy things, his old face instantly frowned. He asked painfully. ¡°Didn¡¯t Master already agree to prepare a dowry for you? Why did you still buy so many things?¡± Yu Wenxian raised her chin like a proud little peacock and unted proudly. 2 ¡°I didn¡¯t buy these. I brought them back from the Lang Jun Imperial Pce.¡± Look how amazing she is! Not only did she freeload at the Lang Jun Imperial Pce, but she also brought back so many good things. 1 She was simply a homemaker! The butler was in disbelief. ¡°Did Duke Lang give you all these things?¡± Yu Niaoniao thought for a moment. She had taken these things back from the Lang Jun Imperial Pce. Everything in the Lang Prince¡¯s Mansion belonged to him. It was equivalent to the Duke Lang giving them to her. So she nodded righteously. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± 3 Chapter 41 41 Help The butler was stunned again. It had to be known that Duke Lang was famous for being unreasonable. In addition, he was in charge of the Eagle Guards and was highly regarded by the emperor. He had always only had others rushing to give him gifts. He had never seen him take the initiative to give gifts to others. But Yu Niaoniao had repeatedly be that exception. First, Duke Lang gave her the jade pendant, and now he had given her so many ingredients. This was ample proof of how extraordinary she was to him. The butler recalled what had happened in the residence over the past few days and had no choice but to refresh his understanding of Yu Niaoniao. This Missy was really not a simple person. She had only been in the Jade Capital for less than two months from Bashu, but she had already obtained the heart of Duke Lang. She had even made Master have no choice but to give in to her. Even the usually shrewd Mrs. Jiang had suffered a loss in her hands. Such meticulous scheming was definitely not something ordinary people could do. The butler didn¡¯t dare think too deeply about it. He bent forward, his posture lowering a little more. ¡°Miss, these ingredients are very heavy. How can I trouble you?¡± With that, he called over three strong servants to help move the three baskets of ingredients to the Green Jade Residence. Not only did Yu Niaoniao go out today, but even Yu Pingping went out. She had said that she wanted to think of a way to save her brother, not just say it. She had specially set up a banquet in the restaurant and asked a few of her good friends out. Under the pretext of treating them to a meal, she asked her best friends to think of a way to save her brother. She was from an official family, so the girls she befriended were naturally daughters of officials. Yu Pingping had already nned it out. Her close friends all had elders in their families who were officials. If they could get their elders to help Yu Sheng, they might be able to convince the emperor let Yu Sheng off. Unfortunately, ideals were voluptuous, and reality was bone. There were many people in this world who only paid lip service. Few people were willing to help. As soon as they heard that they were going to save someone from the Eagle Guards, the attitudes of those best friends immediately faded. However, because of their sisterly rtionship, they did not refuse directly. Instead, they said tactfully. ¡°We¡¯re just women. We don¡¯t know anything about court matters. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be of much help.¡± Yu Pingping begged, ¡°As long as you help me pass the message, we should be able to negotiate things.¡± His best friends nodded reluctantly, indicating that they would find a chance to talk to their elders when they returned. They said they would look for an opportunity to talk. Whether they could find an opportunity was another matter. Yu Pingping did not hear the avoidance in their words and immediately beamed with joy. She felt she had not befriended those best friends in vain and quickly got someone to add a few more good dishes. At sunset, Yu Kangtai walked home tiredly. He had begged everywhere today, but no one was willing to help. Everyone in the dynasty knew how ferocious the Eagle Guards were. No one wanted to get involved in this mess. Mrs. Jiang ran out to wee him expectantly, but when she saw Yu Kangtai¡¯s tired expression, thest hope in her heart was extinguished. Yu Kangtai said, ¡°Madam, I really tried.¡± Mrs. Jiang¡¯s face quickly turned pale, and despair surged in her heart. Actually, she had also asked for help. However, as soon as those close friends and family heard that this matter was rted to the Eagle Guards, they hid far away. Even Mrs. Jiang¡¯s family expressed that they were helpless. Mrs. Jiang covered her face and cried. Yu Kangtai held her up before she lost her bnce and fell. At this moment, Yu Pingping returned. She was in a good mood and walked briskly. ¡°I went to ask my good sisters for help today. They all expressed their willingness to help. With the help of their elders, my brother will definitely be released soon.¡± Yu Kangtai and Mrs. Jiang were skeptical. It was not so easy to save people from the Eagle Guards. However, the next moment, they saw the butler run in and shout excitedly. ¡°Young Master is back!¡± Chapter 42 42 What They Believed to be True Yu Sheng was helped into the house. Yu Kangtai ordered someone to call the doctor over. Mrs. Jiang sat at the side and held her son¡¯s hand tightly. She was so excited that her voice was trembling. ¡°Sheng, you¡¯re finally back. I thought... I thought I¡¯d never see you again.¡± Yu Sheng looked very weak. His face was pale, and his lips were dry and cracked. His hair and clothes were also a little messy. Fortunately, there were no obvious wounds on his body. It seemed that he had not been tortured in prison. He forced a smile in front of his mother and spoke hoarsely. ¡°I was unfilial and made Father and Mother worried.¡± Soon, the doctor rushed over. He checked Yu Sheng carefully and confirmed that he had not slept for a long time. His thoughts were too heavy. In addition, he had not eaten properly, which was why his body was weak. It was not a big problem. He would recover after a good rest. After knowing that her son did not eat well, Mrs. Jiang hurriedly asked the kitchen to prepare food. Yu Sheng ate something and felt much better. Yu Kangtai asked, ¡°Why did the Eagle Guards suddenly release you?¡± Yu Sheng shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He had already given up hope and was prepared to die in prison. In the end, an Eagle Guard had run over to tell him that he was fine and that he should hurry home. He pressed the man for details. However, the Eagle Guard was very tight-lipped and did not say anything. Yu Kangtai was puzzled. ¡°The Eagle Guards wouldn¡¯t let you go for no reason. There must be something wrong.¡± Yu Pingping suddenly spoke excitedly. ¡°It must have been my friends who helped!¡± The other three turned toward her. Yu Pingping¡¯s eyes lit up and she said firmly, ¡°I just went to beg my sisters for help, and in the blink of an eye, Brother was released. The timing is too coincidental. They must have told their elders when they returned, and their elders pleaded for mercy. That¡¯s why they asked the Eagle Guards to release Brother.¡± Yu Kangtai was skeptical. The Eagle Guards he knew had always been ruthless and would never let him go just because of a few words from others. But his daughter¡¯s words were notpletely unreasonable. In the end, he chose to be silent and not argue. Mrs. Jiang believed her daughter¡¯s words. She reached out and touched her daughter¡¯s hair. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your friends this time. When you invite them to our houseter, I¡¯ll definitely reward them well.¡± Yu Pingping was proud that she could save her brother. She agreed happily. ¡°Yes!¡± Yu Kangtai realized that his son was a little distracted and asked, ¡°Did you think of something?¡± Yu Sheng came back to his senses and answered truthfully. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of my sister.¡± Mrs. Jiang frowned and said unhappily, ¡°Why are you thinking of her?¡± Yu Kangtai was not happy either. Previously, Yu Niaoniao had promised to plead with Duke Lang, but she did not manage to do anything when she went out. He regretted it. Why had he believed her nonsense? That girl had always been crazy and unreliable. Yu Sheng said, ¡°She came to visit me in prison and said she would help me find out the truth.¡± Yu Pingping¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t tell me you believe her nonsense?!¡± Yu Sheng recalled the scene in the prison and muttered, ¡°She didn¡¯t look like she¡¯s lying...¡± Afraid that her brother had been deceived, Yu Pingping hurriedly said. ¡°How can she figure out a case that even the Eagle Guards can¡¯t? She likes to talk big. Don¡¯t let her fool you.¡± Yu Kangtai agreed with his younger daughter. ¡°That girl, Niaoniao, is used to talking nonsense. Yesterday, she promised to save you, but I only saw her running around and not doing anything serious.¡± Mrs. Jiang said, ¡°Your father and sister are right. That girl, Niaoniao, is unreliable.¡± Chapter 43 43 Cabbage Stewed Tofu Inside the Green Jade Residence. With a crack, the eggshell shattered. The egg yolk dropped into the bowl with the egg white and was quickly mixed by Yu Qianqian with chopsticks. She stirred the sliced tofu twice. The white tofu was wrapped in ayer of yellow egg yolk. Then, with a shake of her chopsticks, the tofu fell into the iron pot. Hot oil sizzled. The tofu was fried until both sides were golden. Dang Gui squatted beside the stove and spoke as she stuffed charcoal into it. ¡°When I went to get the charcoal just now, I heard that Young Master was back.¡± Yu Niaoniao focused on frying the tofu and casually replied, ¡°Oh.¡± Dang Gui was filled with anticipation. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you that Young Master¡¯s grievances were washed away. Master and Madam will definitely be very grateful to you. Perhaps they¡¯lle backter to thank you!¡± She knew that Mrs. Jiang did not like Yu Niaoniao. That was understandable. After all, she wasn¡¯t born from her womb. It would definitely be challenging to get close to her. But that was no longer the case. If Yu Niaoniao became Yu Sheng¡¯s savior, Mrs. Jiang would definitely change her attitude towards her. With the support of her family, even if Yu Niaoniao did not have a good life after getting married in the future, she would still have her family to help her. She would not be alone and helpless. Yu Niaoniao was too focused on the food to think about anything else. She put the fried tofu into the casserole, lined it with cabbage, quail eggs, and mushrooms, and poured in the prepared sauce. She covered the pot and let it simmer. The soup gurgled when it was boiled. The scent spread. Dang Gui sniffed hard and drooled. When it was about time, Yu Niaoniao lifted the pot¡¯s lid and ced a handful of soft noodles inside before continuing to cook. Dang Gui looked longingly at the casserole, like a puppy waiting to be fed. ¡°Is it not ready yet?¡± As she cut the vegetables, Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯ll be done soon.¡± Dang Gui craned her neck to see and couldn¡¯t help but ask when she saw her chopping mutton. ¡°Are you preparing mutton stew, miss?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Preparing to make mutton soup.¡± Dang Gui was filled with anticipation. She actually didn¡¯t like mutton much because it had a bad smell no matter what she did. However, as long as it was Miss¡¯s cooking, it would definitely be delicious! Yu Niaoniao opened the casserole and fiddled with her chopsticks before saying. ¡°Dinner is ready.¡± Dang Gui cheered. ¡°We can finally eat!¡± She extinguished the fire in the stove and wrapped the casserole in the lingering warmth of the charcoal fire. Yu Niaoniao used her chopsticks to pick up sparkling and smooth vermicelli and ced it in her bowl. The vermicelli soaked into the soup, and the smell became very strong. Dang Gui took a bite and ate a piece of tofu. She immediately gasped from the heat. So hot! But so delicious! It was also stewed tofu. The tofu stewed by the chef of the Yu Residence had a light and soft taste, but the tofu stewed by Yu Niaoniao was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Just as the two were enjoying themselves, Yu Pingping suddenly came to the Green Jade Residence. She smelled the rich aroma the moment she entered the room and swallowed involuntarily. ¡°What are you guys eating?¡± ¡°Cabbage stewed with tofu,¡± Dang Gui asked warmly as she stood up. ¡°Do you want to sit down and eat with us, Second Miss?¡± She guessed that the other party had speciallye here to thank Yu Qianqian for saving Yu Sheng. This was a good opportunity to close the rtionship! Yu Pingping nced at the dishes in the sand pot and suppressed her desire. She pretended to be surprised and asked. ¡°So it¡¯s cabbage stewed with tofu. I thought you guys were hiding and secretly eating something good. That¡¯s it?¡± Her expression and tone were just short of carving the word ¡°despise¡± on her forehead. Chapter 44 44 Just You Wait! Yu Pingping was indeed here for her brother, but not to express her gratitude to Yu Niaoniao. She did not even look at Dang Gui, who was frozen in ce in embarrassment. Her eyes were fixed on Yu Niaoniao, and her voice was crisp and bright. ¡°I came to you to tell you that I have rescued my brother.¡± Yu Qianqian was rather surprised. ¡°You saved Yu Sheng?¡± Yu Pingping raised her chin slightly. ¡°I¡¯m different from you. You only know how to lie to your parents. I mean what I say.¡± This plot development was different from what Dang Guo had expected. She said hurriedly, ¡°Are you mistaken? The person who saved Young Master is clearly Missy.¡± Yu Pingpingughed rudely as if she had heard a joke. ¡°You¡¯re quite protective of your mistress, but unfortunately, you¡¯re not very smart. With your youngdy¡¯s ability, how could she save my brother? My brother was released because I asked someone to help plead for mercy.¡± Dang Gui wanted to say that was not the case, but she had no evidence. She was so anxious that she could only turn to look at herdy and hope that she would say something. Yu Niaoniao spoke as she had hoped, but the words she spoke were iprehensible. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then you¡¯re really awesome!¡± Yu Pingping snorted. ¡°I know you¡¯re very jealous, but this is the truth. Even if you don¡¯t want to face it, you have to ept it. Although you and I are half-sisters, I was carefully raised by my parents. I¡¯mpletely different from you, a country bumpkin from the countryside. You can neverpare to me.¡± When she first found out that she had a half-sister, her mother had reminded her to be careful of Yu Niaoniao. At first, she did not understand why her mother said that. When Yu Niaoniao returned to the Yu Residence, she watched as she jumped up and down every day, causing trouble everywhere, and attracting her father¡¯s attention. Only then did she gradually understand what her mother meant. Children who cried got candy. As her father scolded Yu Niaoniao, he had to keep an eye on her, afraid that she would cause trouble again. As time passed, he spent more and more energy and time on Yu Niaoniao. This was hard for Yu Pingping to ept. However, she could not show it, because she had always been obedient and sensible in her father¡¯s heart. She had to maintain her persona. She couldn¡¯t argue or make a scene. The pent-up grievances had increased. Today, she had finally found an opportunity to pour them out. After saying that, Yu Pingping quickly felt very happy. She waited for him to retaliate. However, after waiting for a long time, there was only a slurp. Yu Qianqian sucked hard on a piece of vermicelli! Yu Pingping¡¯s eyes widened. She was provoking the other party, but the other party was only concerned with eating! She was standing right in front of her, but she waspletely ignored by the other party! Yu Pingping flew into a rage out of humiliation. ¡°Hey, are you listening to me?¡± Yu Niaoniao answered vaguely as she ate. ¡°You say yours, I¡¯ll eat mine.¡± Yu Pingping was speechless. The breath was caught in her throat. She couldn¡¯t swallow or spit it out. She felt even more aggrieved! Yu Niaoniao quickly reminded Dang Gui when she saw her standing there awkwardly. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Eat your food. If you don¡¯t, the noodles will get mushy.¡± ¡°Oh, oh!¡± Dang Gui sat down obediently, picked up the noodles with her chopsticks, and sucked hard. Sizzle! Sizzle! The sound of vermicelli being chewed rose and fell. The two of them were too engrossed in the pleasure of the food to care about anything else. Yu Pingping looked like a fool being ignored. Shame and resentment overwhelmed her. She trembled with anger and her eyes turned red. ¡°Just you wait!¡± With that, she ran off in a huff. Chapter 45 45 Mutton Soup Yu Pingping had been protected by Mrs. Jiang since she was young. Everything went smoothly. This was the first time she¡¯d been bullied. She went back to her house. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She got so angry that she couldn¡¯t sleep all night. In contrast, Yu Niaoniao slept soundly that night. The next day was another sunny day. There was a casserole sitting on the small stove under the porch. The lid was firmly closed, but a fragrance still wafted out. There was mutton soup in the casserole. After a night of slow simmering, the mutton had long been stewed until it was soft and delicious. There was no longer the strong stench associated with mutton. Dang Gui took a bite and was immediately overjoyed. Yu Niaoniao smiled and asked, ¡°Does it taste good?¡± Dang Gui nodded hard. ¡°It¡¯s more than delicious. It¡¯s super delicious!¡± She had never had such delightful mutton soup! There was definitely no way the two of them could finish arge pot of mutton soup. Looking at the remaining half a pot of mutton soup, Dang Gui nned to leave it for lunch. However, in the next moment, she saw Yu Niaoniao pick up the soup spoon and scoop it out into a pottery jar. Half a pot of mutton soup filled a pottery urn. Yu Niaoniao closed the lid of the earthen jar, picked it up, and ced it in the food box. There was hot water in thepartment of the food box. It had the effect of keeping it warm. Dang Gui could not help but ask. ¡°What are you doing, Miss?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You can¡¯t eat too much mutton soup. It¡¯s easy to get heaty. Take the rest to His Highness.¡± Dang Gui was stunned. At this moment, she did not know if she should feel sorry for the remaining half pot of mutton soup or for Duke Lang, who could only eat leftovers. She spoke with difficulty. ¡°It¡¯s not good for us to give His Highness leftovers, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao retorted righteously. ¡°How is it leftovers? We all scooped soup from the pot into bowls before drinking it. Our chopsticks didn¡¯t even touch the soup in the pot. This soup is clean.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but this soup is still leftovers. If His Highness finds out...¡± As she spoke, Dang Gui¡¯s voice gradually weakened. However, Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Do you think this mutton soup is delicious?¡± Dang Gui nodded obediently and said that it was delicious. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°We shared the delicious food with the Duke. This is a token of our appreciation. He should be happy to know.¡± Dang Gui was speechless. It actually made sense! The two of them left the Yu Residence with the food box and rode the donkey straight to the Regional King¡¯s Mansion. ... . Yu Pingping had not slept the entire night and was in low spirits. But the thought of her friendsing to the house roused her, and she began to groom herself seriously. In order to thank her friends for helping to save Yu Sheng, Yu Fan especially got someone to send an invitation toe to her house to admire flowers and drink tea today. Mrs. Jiang and Yu Kangtai also knew about this. Mrs. Jiang specially instructed the chefs to use their best skills and make more delicious and exquisite food. She even asked someone to ce the best flowers in the residence in the courtyard for ease of viewing. After a night of rest, Yu Sheng¡¯s health was much better. When he learned that his benefactors wereing, he specially ordered someone to prepare a gift. There were a total of three daughters invited this time. They were Ji Wenjing, the legitimate daughter of the Assistant Minister of Rites, Yang Xianrong, the legitimate daughter of the physician, and Wan Jiatong, the illegitimate daughter of the Minister of Revenue. The three of them had already learned from their elders that Yu Sheng had been acquitted. They knew that the Yu family was safe this time. They sighed with relief. This way, they no longer had to distance themselves from Yu Pingping. The four of them could still y together as usual. When the three of them arrived at the Yu Residence, they were treated warmly. Just as the entire residence was enjoying themselves, someone from the Jiang family suddenly came. Chapter 46 46 One Wave After Another! The person who came was the Second Master of the Jiang family, Jiang Ze¡¯s biological father, and also Mrs. Jiang¡¯s second brother. As soon as he entered the door, he grabbed Mrs. Jiang¡¯s wrist and shouted while crying. ¡°Sister, you have to save your nephew this time!¡± Mrs. Jiang was shocked and quickly asked what was going on. Jiang Er wiped his tears. ¡°Yesterday, the Eagle Guards suddenly barged into our house and captured Ah Ze. They said that he was secretly spreading anti-government poetry. I don¡¯t believe Ah Ze would do such a thing. You watched him grow up, so you should know his personality. He¡¯s definitely not the kind of person who doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s important. However, the Eagle Guards did not listen to our exnation and insisted on condemning Ah Ze. I really have no choice but toe to you for help.¡¯ Mrs. Jiang was stunned. She did not expect that as soon as her son was released by the Eagle Guards, her nephew would be locked up again. What a wave of trouble! Mrs. Jiang said awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m just a woman. Can I interfere in the Eagle Guards¡¯ matters?¡± Jiang Er was obviously prepared and said quickly. ¡°I heard that Ah Sheng was released. What method did you use to make the Eagle Guards release him? Will you teach me? As long as I can save Ah Ze, I¡¯m willing to pay any price!¡± This matter concerned her nephew¡¯s life and death, so Mrs. Jiang was very anxious. She immediately ordered someone to call Yu Pingping over. When Yu Pingping heard his second uncle¡¯s intentions, she agreed without much hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to my sisters about this now. It¡¯s just a few words. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll refuse.¡± Jiang Er seemed to have found a straw to clutch at and begged, ¡°Your cousin¡¯s life is in your hands.¡± Yu Pingping went to find her three little sisters with confidence. However, after she finished asking, the smiles on Ji Wenjing, Yang Xianrong, and Wan Jiatong¡¯s faces disappeared. After hearing that Yu Sheng had been released, they thought that this matter was over. Unexpectedly, Jiang Ze was arrested again. If they had known earlier, they would not havee to the Yu family as guests. Yang Xianrong frowned and said helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t want to help you, but we really have no choice. The Eagle Guards have never allowed anyone else to interfere in their investigations. Even if we have an elder in the court, it¡¯s useless.¡± The other two were unwilling to have anything to do with the Eagle Guards, so they hurriedly rified. ¡°Yes, yes, we didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Yu Pingping did not believe them. ¡°If not for the help of your elders, how could my brother be released by the Eagle Guards? I know I shouldn¡¯t keep asking you to help, but this matter concerns my cousin¡¯s life. I had no choice but to beg you. Don¡¯t worry, as long as my cousin is safe this time, my second uncle and I won¡¯t mistreat you. You can get as muchpensation as you want.¡± She thought she had humbled herself, but in return, the three of them denied it vehemently. Wan Jiatong was a little anxious. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense! Didn¡¯t you get someone to acquit your brother? What does it have to do with us?¡± Yu Pingping rebuked, ¡°At a time like this, don¡¯t pretend. If not for your help, my brother would still be locked up in prison. I specially invited you to my house today to thank you properly.¡± Ji Wenjing said in surprise, ¡°But you said in the invitation that you would treat us to flower appreciation and tea. You didn¡¯t mention anything about your brother.¡± She really thought it was just flower appreciation and tea. If she had known that Yu Pingping had other intentions, she would have pretended to be sick and note. Yu Pingping defended himself. ¡°I just wanted to thank you in person. That would make me look more sincere.¡± Yang Xianrong had no choice but to deny it again. ¡°What happened to your brother has nothing to do with us. We didn¡¯t do anything. You must be mistaken.¡± Yu Pingping wanted to say, ¡°Stop joking.¡± But when she saw the other party¡¯s serious expression, she could not help but be stunned. She murmured, ¡°It¡¯s really not you guys?¡± But if they hadn¡¯t helped, who had? Chapter 47 47 Fury In the Langjun Imperial Pce, Yi Niaoniao was greeted by Granny Xiuyan, who smiled until the corners of her eyes crinkled. ¡°Miss Yu, please take a seat. I¡¯ll get someone to serve you some tea and snacks.¡± Yu Niaoniao ced the heavy food box on the table and said crisply. ¡°This is mutton soup with round cardamon fruit. The cardamon is warm, moist, and aerated, while the white pepper and ginger are spicy and temperate. The mutton was tender, nourishing the stomach and dispersing the cold. This soup is especially suitable for people with weak spleen and stomach, just like the symptoms of Duke Lang. Granny, why don¡¯t you give it to His Highness to taste?¡± Granny Xiu Yan was very surprised. It had only been a night, but Yu Qianqian had already figured out a medicinal cuisine suitable for Duke Lang. Presumably, Yu Niaoniao had been thinking about nourishing Prince Lang¡¯s spleen and stomach since she returned home. From this, it could be seen that she was really concerned about Prince Lang! Granny Xiu Yan was very touched, and her attitude became even kinder. ¡°Miss Yu, you came at the wrong time. His Highness went to the pce early this morning and is not in the residence for the time being.¡± Yu Niaoniao was not surprised. Duke Lang was a busy man. How could he have the time to stay at home all day? She said with a smile, ¡°Have someone put the mutton soup on the stove and heat it up a little. Duke Lang can eat it when he returns.¡± Granny Xiu Yan nodded in agreement. But then she looked worried. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look good outside. It looks like it¡¯s going to rain. Duke Lang rode there without rain gear. I¡¯m very worried that he¡¯ll get wet. I wonder if Miss Yu can help deliver an umbre to him?¡± Actually, there were many people in the royal residence who could give an umbre to Duke Lang, but Granny Xiu Yan did not mention anyone else. She just wanted to give Yu Qianqian and Prince Lang a chance to develop their rtionship. Yu Niaoniao instinctively looked out the window. When she went out, the sun was still shining, but now the clouds were dark. It looked like it was really going to rain. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Can¡¯t you let the servants deliver the umbre?¡± Granny Xiu Yan smiled and said, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better of you do it?¡± Yu Niaoniao could not refute, nor did she know how to answer. She could only smile awkwardly and politely. Sister Xiuyan brought an oil-paper umbre and pressed it into her hand. She encouraged her in a gentle tone. ¡°Don¡¯t be shy. Go.¡± Yu Niaoniao was pushed out the door. She looked up at the gloomy sky and then down at the oil-paper umbre in her hand. Forget it. On ount of the delicious butterfly pastry, she would send warmth to the living King of Hell. Yu Qianqian left the donkey and Dang Gui in the Langjun Imperial Pce. She got into the carriage and the coachman drove it straight to the pce. Today, Xiao Juan entered the pce regarding the anti-government poetry case. Afterst night¡¯s torture, Jiang Ze had already admitted that he had written anti-government poetry and even spread it in private. When Xiao Juan presented Jiang Ze¡¯s confession to the emperor, thetter was furious and ordered Jiang Ze to be executed by a thousand cuts. He also wanted the entire Jiang family to be executed. In the end, six old ministers stepped forward to dissuade him. Only then did they barely manage to get the emperor to rece the original sentence with exile of the Jiang family. Jiang Ze was still sentenced to death by a thousand cuts. Xiao Juan lowered his head and said respectfully. ¡°Jiang Ze is indeed involved in the anti-government poetry case, but he¡¯s not the mastermind. I suspect that there¡¯s someone behind him. He can¡¯t die yet. I want to keep him alive to lure out the big fish behind the scenes.¡± The emperor suppressed his anger. ¡°Then spare his life for now. Let him die when the case is solved.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Chapter 48 48 Storm When Xiao Juan walked out of the pce gate, the sky was already covered in dark clouds. It looked like there would be a storm soon. Beside the carriage not far away stood two old cab ministers. They were originally talking in low voices. When they saw Duke Lang, one of the old officials suddenly raised his voice. ¡°Is he worthy of being an official with me? We tried our best to assist the emperor in governing the world, but he used all sorts of methods to fool the emperor! He dared to arrest someone without any evidence and dealt with him with a confession after that. Can you believe a confession made through torture?!¡± Xiao Juan stopped and slowly turned around, his gazending on the six old officials. The person who had spoken was Ye Zhaohai, a schr of the Hanlin Academy. He was the most impatient in the cab and noone dared to say anything when his temper red. However, because he was old and famous and was the current emperor¡¯s mentor, no one dared to argue with him. Xiao Juan enunciated each word. ¡°The confession is true.¡± Ye Zhaohai questioned, ¡°Do you dare to say that you didn¡¯t torture Jiang Ze?¡± Xiao Juan was silent. Ye Zhaohai sneered, his tone filled with disgust. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else to say, right? ¡°The Eagle Guards had never followed the rules. They could arrest and convict whoever they wanted.¡± ¡°If one does not confess, you will torture that person.¡± ¡°The judgment is meted based on what you say!¡± ¡°Where do you ce the Son of Heaven? Where do you ce thews of the dynasty?!¡± With that, he flicked his sleeve and stepped onto the low stool to wait for the carriage. The other old minister sighed, clearly resigned, and finally got into the carriage. Xiao Juan was left standing alone. He lowered his eyes, his fingers curling into fists. Ye Zhaohai¡¯s voice was very loud just now, so the guards guarding the city gate heard it. They stood motionless at their posts, but their eyes flicked to the Duke Lang. They sighed in their hearts. Only Elder Ye dared to criticize Duke Lang and the Eagle Guards so openly. Tap. A drop of rain fell. The Imperial Guards immediately came to their senses and hurriedly took out their bamboo hats and straw coats. They noticed Duke Lang standing not far away and wanted to ask if he wanted rain gear. However, when they thought of Duke Lang¡¯s famous reputation, no one dared to approach him. More rain fell. In the blink of an eye, it was pouring. The rain drenched his tired hair and clothes. The cold air drilled into his bones and seeped into his limbs. Water dripped down his cold white cheeks. The sound of rain was endless, and the world became exceptionally noisy at this moment. He walked forward, alone. Vague voices drifted from the distance, bing unreal amid the noisy rain. Xiao Juan stopped in his tracks and waited for a moment. He saw a carriageing towards him through the heavy rain and fog. The curtains of the carriage were lifted and a small head poked out. Yu Niaoniao waved her arms at him and shouted. ¡°Your Highness!¡± There was a rare change in Xiao Juan¡¯s calm face. Why was she here? The carriage had just stopped when Yu Niaoniao quickly jumped out. She straightened her arm and held the oil-paper umbre high. The umbre covered Xiao Juan¡¯s head and helped him block the wind and rain. ¡°It¡¯s raining too hard. Get in the carriage, Your Highness.¡± Xiao Juan looked down at her and asked the question in his heart. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Yu Niaoniao said without hesitation. ¡°To take you home, of course!¡± Xiao Juan could not help but be stunned. Be it in the wind or the rain, or the mountains of des and seas of blood, he was used to being alone. He had never thought that someone would brave the rain to take him home. ... Chapter 49 49 Awkward Xiao Juan loosened his almost frozen fist. His pale fingers gripped the handle of the umbre, and his fingertips touched her hand. His hand was cold, like a hard block of ice. But her hand was warm and warm. Seeing that he was drenched, Yu Niaoniao could not help but frown. ¡°If it¡¯s raining, why don¡¯t you find a ce to hide?¡± There was reproach in her tone, but it was not offensive at all. Instead, it was intimate. Xiao Juan did not answer. He silently moved the oil paper umbre in her direction and shielded her from the wind and rain as much as possible. At that moment the coachman came down and opened his umbre over Duke Lang. Yu Niaoniao noticed the pce not far away. There were many Imperial Guards standing near the pce gate. They were all wearing rain gear. The Imperial Guards were watching her, too. To be precise, they were looking at the man standing beside her. What kind ofplicated look was that? They looked cold, but they were actually afraid. There was deep fear hidden in them. It was as if they were looking at a ferocious beast that could devour him at any moment. Yu Niaoniao originally wanted to ask why the Imperial Guards didn¡¯t lend a set of rain gear to Duke Lang. After seeing the look in the men¡¯s eyes, she swallowed the words she was about to say. Yu Niaoniao did not say anything else. She silently turned around and got into the carriage with Xiao Juan. The carriage started slowly and soon disappeared into the misty rain. In the car, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan sat on opposite sides. Water slid down the man¡¯s handsome face and onto his ink-ck robe. Yu Niaoniao took out a silk handkerchief and handed it over. ¡°Wipe it off.¡± The man neither reached out nor answered. Yu Qianqian thought of the other party¡¯s identity. As the Regional King, he should be used to being served. Since the other party did not move, he was probably waiting for her to wipe him down. ¡°He¡¯s quite difficult to serve,¡± Yu Niaoniao muttered softly as she reached out to wipe the rain off his face. However, before the handkerchief could touch the man, he dodged. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand froze in midair. She had taken the initiative to wipe someone¡¯s face, but she was actually despised. To be honest, it was quite awkward. But who was she? She was Yu Niaoniao! As long as she wasn¡¯t embarrassed, others would be! Yu Niaoniao¡¯s small hand trembled, and the silk handkerchief unfolded. ¡°Look, does my handkerchief look good? It¡¯s my favorite handkerchief.¡± She made a point of shaking the silk handkerchief, her small face full of ostentation. Xiao¡¯s Juan gaze swept across the silk handkerchief. It was a snow-white handkerchief with a fat fish swaying its head and tail embroidered on it. The words ¡°Niaoniao¡± were embroidered in the corner beside it. The font was also round and fat, making it inexplicably cute. It was just the way he felt about herl. The reason he avoided her just now was not that he despised her. He did not want to dirty her handkerchief. He did not exin himself. Because he knew that even if he exined, no one would believe him. He was used to this. Yu Niaoniao was a little bold. She did not care if he answered or not. Her little mouth kept chattering without stopping. By the time she returned to the prince¡¯s residence, her throat was dry. She picked up her teacup as soon as she entered and drank deeply. Xiao Juan returned to the house to change his clothes. Granny Xiu Yan was still entertaining Yu Niaoniao. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on Miss Yu this time.¡± Yu Niaoniao put down her teacup. ¡°His Highness was drenched in the rain. Get someone to cook some ginger tea for him to drive away the cold.¡± Granny Xiu Yan¡¯s expression became even more benevolent. ¡°Miss Yu, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already gotten someone to prepare ginger tea. The rain outside won¡¯t stop for a while. Why don¡¯t you stay for lunch?¡± Chapter 50 50 Sharing As soon as she heard that she could freeload, Yu Niaoniao immediately perked up. ¡°Sure, sure!¡± Granny Xiu Yan specially ordered someone to send the mutton soup to the kitchen and heat it up with a small fire. Xiao Juan took a simple hot shower and changed into clean clothes. Facing the ginger tea that was brought to him, he replied calmly. ¡°No need.¡± With that, he walked out of the bedroom without looking back. Lunch was ready and the dishes were very rich. Mutton soup was also ced on the table and ced in the most obvious position. When Yu Qianqian saw Xiao Juan enter, she immediately greeted him warmly. ¡°Come,e. Try the mutton soup I made.¡± Xiao Juan originally wanted to refuse, but after hearing her words, it became something else. ¡°Did you cook this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. This soup can nourish your stomach and is good for your body,¡± Yu Niaoniao said as she scooped a bowl of mutton soup. She ced the bowl in front of Xiao Juan and looked at him with anticipation. Xiao Juan had seen countless pairs of eyes. Some were cold, some were disgusted, some were filled with hatred, and some were filled with anger... But no one had ever expected anything from him. He looked down at the bowl of mutton soup. The fragrance entered his nose and made him want to taste it. He pinched the spoon and scooped some soup into his mouth. The warm mutton soup flowed down his esophagus into his stomach, and the chill brought by the rain was dispelled bit by bit. Yu Niaoniao looked at him unblinkingly. When he stopped moving after a sip, she couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Is it not to your liking?¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°You came to me today to give me soup?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded and said without a trace of guilt. ¡°That¡¯s right! This is the soup I¡¯ve been cooking all night. I think it¡¯s especially delicious and can¡¯t wait to share it with you.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked nkly, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Seeing this, Xiao Juan went straight to the point. ¡°I thought you were here to plead for mercy for Jiang Ze.¡± Yu Niaoniao was even more puzzled. ¡°Why would I plead for him?¡± Xiao Juan looked at her steadily, not letting go of any change in her face. ¡°He¡¯s your cousin. Now that he¡¯s convicted and can¡¯t escape death, don¡¯t you want to plead his case?¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately revealed the expression of a spectator and asked eagerly. ¡°Are you saying that Jiang Ze was convicted?¡± Xiao Juan was silent. He had seen countless people and could tell at a nce that Yu Niaoniao¡¯s reaction was not an act. She really had no idea. Yu Niaoniao took his silence as tacit agreement. She couldn¡¯t help but click her tongue. ¡°So the person Yu Sheng wants to protect is really Jiang Ze.¡± However, even though Jiang Ze knew the truth, he was unwilling to stand up for Yu Sheng and even pretended to be a guest at my house. Tsk, tsk, tsk. This person¡¯s heart is really ck.¡± Xiao Juan asked with aplicated expression, ¡°You don¡¯t look worried for Jiang Ze at all?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked matter-of-fact. ¡°That man deserved it. What¡¯s there to worry about?¡± Xiao Juan was really sure now. Yu Qianqian did not want to plead for Jiang Ze at all. She really had onlye to bring him soup. Thinking of this, Xiao Juan scooped up another spoonful of mutton soup and tasted it silently. Yu Qianqian asked curiously, ¡°What do you n to do with Jiang Ze?¡± This matter involved official business, and Xiao Juan usually wouldn¡¯t leak it to outsiders. But for some reason, he gave an answer without much hesitation. Perhaps the sound of the rain disturbed his mood. Perhaps the mutton soup was too warm. ¡°We¡¯ll detain him in the Justice Department for the time being. We¡¯ll execute him after we capture the mastermind.¡± Chapter 51 51 Why Are You Blushing? Seeing that the mutton soup in Xiao Juan¡¯s bowl was almost empty, Yu Niaoniao said with a smile. ¡°I heard that mutton soup goes better with rice. Do you want to try it, Your Highness?¡± Seeing that the man did not refuse, she reached out for the bowl in front of him and added some rice and soup. Finally, she did not forget to put two pieces of soft and fragrant mutton. Xiao Juan tried a bite. The rice absorbed the soup and became even more plump and soft. It was indeed delicious. He ate slowly, taking a long time to chew each bite. After Yu Niaoniao finished two bowls of rice, Xiao Juan finally finished the rice in his bowl. Granny Xiuyan was touched by this scene. Usually, Duke Lang would at most eat a bowl of white rice every meal. Sometimes, he would not even eat rice and only drink some soup. Today, he actually finished a bowl of rice and two bowls of soup. This was a historic breakthrough! Granny Xiu Yan wished she could set off two firecrackers to celebrate. She looked at Yu Niaoniao expectantly. Yu Niaoniao understood and immediately told her the form for the mutton soup. The method of cooking this mutton soup was actually very simple. It just took a little more time. Granny Xiu Yan thanked her again. The sound of the rain faded. Yu Niaoniao looked out the window. The rain had stopped and she should go back. Granny Xiu Yan hurriedly said, ¡°Your Highness, should you send Miss Yu back?¡± How could Yu Qianqian dare to let Duke Lang send her off personally? She quickly waved her hand in refusal. ¡°Your Highness is busy. I¡¯ll just ride Gray back.¡± Granny Xiu Yan asked in confusion, ¡°Gray?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s my donkey. I rode it to Langjun Imperial Pce today.¡± Granny Xiuyanughed happily. ¡°The name Gray is really cute.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s expression wasplicated. If Granny knew that Yu Niaoniao wanted to marry into the Langjun Imperial Pce on a donkey, would she still be able to smile? ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll send you back.¡± With that, he strode out. He did not give her a chance to refuse. Yu Niaoniao had no choice but to follow obediently. Granny Xiu Yan stood under the porch and watched them leave. She smiled until her eyes crinkled in relief. Seeing how loving they were, the royal residence would probably be able to wee more members soon. ... . In the carriage, Xiao Juan was as silent as ever. However, Yu Niaoniao could not stand the silence for too long. She started to find something to talk about. ¡°Jiang Zees from a schrly family and has a good family background. He should be living a good life. Why would he go against the Imperial Court and the emperor?¡± She waited a moment for an answer, but it did note. She mustered her courage and stretched out her ws, quietly poking the man¡¯s arm. She could feel the tight muscles through the cloth. They were even harder than she had expected. Xiao Juan looked at her expressionlessly. ¡°You like to get physical with people?¡± Yu Niaoniao denied it. ¡°No!¡± Xiao Juan began to dig up the past. ¡°The first time I saw you in prison, you hugged my thigh and even burrowed into my arms...¡± Suddenly being exposed, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face immediately flushed red. She quickly interrupted him. ¡°I didn¡¯t crawl into your arms! I fainted and identally bumped into you. I didn¡¯t mean to take advantage of you!¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Why are you blushing?¡± Yu Niaoniao covered her face and tried to argue. ¡°I¡¯m blushing from your nonsense.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Oh.¡± Yu Niaoniao became even angrier. ¡°Don¡¯t you believe me?¡± Xiao Juan did not answer. ¡°Don¡¯t touch men casually in the future.¡± Chapter 52 52 Have You Seen Many Handsome Men? Since it concerned her innocence, Yu Niaoniao felt that she had to exin things clearly. ¡°I have a number of small ws, but I¡¯m definitely not the kind of woman who will be tempted. Even if I see a handsome man on the road, I¡¯ll only take a second look at him. I won¡¯t rush up and touch him. I¡¯m not a perverted old aunt!¡± Xiao Juan keenly grasped the key point and asked calmly. ¡°Have you seen a lot of handsome men?¡± Yu Niaoniao recalled the many idol dramas she had followed before she transmigrated. There were really as many handsome men and beautiful women as the stars in the sky. She immediately forgot the embarrassment of being misunderstood andughed shyly. ¡°Not particrly.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°How many are there?¡± Yu Niaoniao began to calcte how many idol dramas she had watched and how many handsome actors she had been a fan of. Xiao Juan just looked at her quietly. His expression remained unchanged, but those who knew him well could tell that he was not in a good mood. Yu Niaoniao hugged her head in pain. ¡°Oh my, there are so many of them that I can¡¯t remember.¡± She could only me her idols for updating too quickly. Her small head could not amodate so many people. Xiao Juan was silent. No matter what Yu Niaoniao said next, Xiao Juan refused to respond. It was as if he had transformed into a human-shaped stone statue. His entire body emitted a cold aura that kept people away. The carriage stopped in front of the Yu residence. Yu Niaoniao asked Duke Lang if he wanted toe in and take a seat. Xiao Juan finally stopped being silent and replied indifferently. ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not force him. She smiled at him. ¡°Then I¡¯m leaving. Goodbye.¡± She jumped down from the carriage in time to see someone walk out of the Yu residence. Yu Pingping escorted her three friends out the front door. Usually, they had endless things to say as long as they were together, but today, they were all very silent. Yu Pingping, in particr, looked terrible. She had thought that her brother would be able to escape unscathed from the Eagle Guards thanks to her friends¡¯ help. She had even excitedly invited them to her house as a guest, but she had been pped in the face. So she was imagining things. She felt humiliated. Even so, she could only endure it. She saw her friends out the door herself and managed a smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t entertain you well today. Don¡¯t hold it against me. Let¡¯s meet again when we¡¯re free.¡± The three friends also pretended to be fine and smiled. After they left, Yu Pingping¡¯s expression immediately copsed. She gripped her handkerchief hard with annoyance. Previously, she had boasted in front of her second uncle and mother. Now that the matter had been messed up, how should she report itter? A carriage pulled up beside her at that moment. The door opened and Yu Niaoniao jumped out. Yu Pingping was filled with anger and was worried that she had nowhere to vent it. As soon as she saw Yu Niaoniao, she questioned her bluntly. ¡°Why did you run out again? I thought Father forbade you to run around.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°But Father has promised to leave me alone.¡± Yu Pingping gritted her teeth and said angrily. ¡°That¡¯s based on the premise that you can save your brother. You failed to deliver on your promise. What makes you think you¡¯ll get the privilege?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I fulfill my promise? Hasn¡¯t Yu Sheng returned safely?¡± Yu Pingping retorted, ¡°Even if my brotheres back, it doesn¡¯t prove that you helped. Unless you can find solid evidence.¡± Chapter 53 53 My Witness Yu Pingping did not believe that Yu Niaoniao was really that capable. She was just a country bumpkin and was definitely not capable of rescuing Yu Sheng from the Justice Department. Yu Niaoniao scratched her head, very troubled. ¡°I really don¡¯t have any evidence.¡± Yu Pingping thought to herself, ¡°As expected!¡± The corners of her mouth lifted in a cynical smile. However, before she could mock her, she heard Yu Niaoniao add, ¡°But I have a witness.¡± Yu Pingping¡¯s smile froze, then she snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me your witness is Dang Gui? She¡¯s your maidservant. She must be on your side. I can¡¯t trust what she says.¡± Dang Gui had just gotten off the donkey when she heard this. She felt wronged. She hadn¡¯t done anything. Why had she been shot while lying down? ¡°Of course not Dang Gui.¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her small hand at the carriage beside her. ¡°My witness is in the carriage!¡± Yu Pingping turned to the carriage. Just now, all her attention was on Yu Niaoniao and she did not look at the carriage much. Only then did she see thentern hanging from the carriage. Thentern had arge ¡°Lang¡± written on it. This was actually the carriage of the Langjun Imperial Pce! Could the person sitting in the car be... Yu Pingping could no longer maintain the smile on her face. Uneasiness overwhelmed her, causing her limbs to turn cold. But she still held onto a trace of hope. Maybe Yu Niaoniao was bluffing. Maybe there was no one in the carriage at all. Yu Pingping gripped the silk handkerchief tightly and suppressed the uneasiness in her heart. ¡°Really? Then let him out.¡± Yu Niaoniao went over and knocked on the carriage. She said ingratiatingly, ¡°Your Highness, can you pleasee out?¡± Hearing her call him Your Highness, Yu Pingping became even more terrified. Was Duke Lang really in the car? However, after waiting for a long time, no one came out. The carriage was quiet. It didn¡¯t look like anyone was there. The fear and uneasiness in Yu Pingping¡¯s heart quickly dissipated. As expected, Yu Niaoniao was bluffing. She was deliberately bluffing her! There was actually no one in the car at all. A smile appeared on Yu Pingping¡¯s face again. She looked at the other party as if she was a clown and deliberately mocked her. ¡°Where¡¯s your witness? Why won¡¯t hee out? Is it because he has something to hide?¡± She thought that Yu Niaoniao would fly into a rage out of humiliation, or that she would be too guilty to speak. In the end, she saw Yu Niaoniao tiptoe, grab the car window with both hands, andin coquettishly. ¡°Baby, did you hear that? She said you were shameful! If you don¡¯te out, you¡¯ll really confirm her words!¡± The mockery on Yu Pingping¡¯s face became even more obvious as she sneered. ¡°Alright, stop pretending. There¡¯s actually no one in the car. I know you¡¯re vain, but not to this extent...¡± Before she could finish, she saw the window curtain being slowly rolled up. The man had his back to the window. At this moment, he had already turned around, revealing a cold side profile with sharp lines. His eyebrows were as sharp as knives, his eyes as dark as ink, and his thin lips were pursed into a straight line. Even without saying anything, its strong presence was enough to tense one¡¯s nerves. Yu Pingping seemed to have suffered a huge shock. Her pupils dted bit by bit, and the blood quickly drained from her face. How is this possible?! Duke Lang was really in the car! Xiao Juan looked down at Yu Niaoniao and asked coldly. ¡°What did you just call me?¡± Chapter 54 54 Judging a Gentleman with a Petty Heart Just now, Yu Niaoniao did not think before she spoke. Only after she finished did she realize that she had said ¡°Baby¡±. It was all because of her extensive inte surfing before she transmigrated. It made her habitually call anyone she saw a ¡°Baby¡±. Faced with the man¡¯s interrogation, Yu Niaoniao panicked. But her face remained as steady as an old dog¡¯s. No matter! She could still operate. Yu Niaoniao blinked, looking innocent. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s Your Highness.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her steadily and said in a low voice, ¡°You clearly called me...¡± Yu Niaoniao asked curiously, ¡°What is it?¡± His thin lips opened and closed. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it. That title was too embarrassing. Not to mention that they were only engaged, even an old couple who had been married for many years could not say that. He wondered how the girl in front of him could say that. Yu Niaoniao was still asking, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you continue?¡± Xiao Juan could tell that she did it on purpose. That kind of humiliating address would only be shouted by her in broad daylight in front of outsiders. Yu Niaoniao had expected that the other party would be too embarrassed to say it, so she dared to y dumb. Seeing the man hesitate, the petty little person in her heart was already overjoyed. Hahaha, I didn¡¯t expect the terrifying Prince Lang to be so pure! Just as she was secretly amused, she suddenly heard the man ask expressionlessly. ¡°Do you want me to testify for you?¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She had almost forgotten about this. Xiao Juan¡¯s eyes were as sharp as knives as if he could see through her thoughts clearly. ¡°If you want me to speak up for you, repeat what you just called me.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. It was as if she had pinched the back of Destiny¡¯s neck. The little person in her heart wilted instantly. Xiao Juan looked at her quietly. The look in his eyes seemed to say, ¡°You¡¯re naughty. Continue being naughty!¡± Yu Niaoniao took a deep breath. A young woman should be flexible and not care about trifles! She threw caution to the wind. Yu Niaoniao leaned over and sped her hands together. She looked at the man eagerly and her voice was soft and sweet. ¡°Baby, please help me testify... ¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s heart trembled when he heard that. Yu Niaoniao continued. ¡°Baby, please... ¡± ¡°Baby, look at me...¡± ¡°Baby, why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± One ¡°Baby¡± after another popped out of her mouth. At first, Xiao Juan felt a little strange, butter on, his entire body went numb. He said expressionlessly. ¡°Enough.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately shut up obediently, but her hands remained in a pleading posture. Xiao Juan secretly regretted it. He was really stupid to almost fall for such a shameless woman. Yu Pingping saw their interaction and felt even more uneasy. She had originally thought that the rumors outside were exaggerated. It was impossible for the usually cold and heartless Duke Lang to be charmed by a country girl. But now, the truth was in front of her. Seeing was believing. She had no choice but to believe it. Duke Lang really liked Yu Niaoniao. The two of them had already hooked up! Xiao Juan nced at Yu Pingping indifferently. Just this nce made Yu Pingping¡¯s scalp tingle. Her knees buckled and she knelt down. She was close to tears from fear. ¡°Spare me, Your Highness!¡± ... Xiao Juan looked down at her and said coldly. ¡°She didn¡¯t lie.¡± At this moment, Yu Pingpingpletely lost his confidence and replied tremblingly. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Yu Niaoniao didn¡¯t lie. I misunderstood her. I was the one who judged a gentleman with my petty heart!¡± Chapter 55 55 Love You Xiao Juan looked at Yu Niaoniao again and saw that she was smiling happily. She was easy to coax, he thought. Yu Niaoniao noticed that the man was looking at her and changed to love mode in a second. ¡°Baby, fortunately, you testified for me. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t know what to do.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. Yu Niaoniao ced her hands on her chest and made the sign of a small heart. ¡°Love you!¡± Xiao Juan said with a wooden face, ¡°Shut up.¡± It was really indecent to keep saying that she loved him! Yu Niaoniao closed her mouth aggrievedly. Xiao Juan nced at Yu Pingping beside her. From her attitude towards Yu Niaoniao, it was not difficult to tell what kind of situation she was in in the Yu family now. He said calmly, ¡°If you have any difficulties in the future, you cane to the LangJun Imperial Pce anytime.¡± When these words fell into Yu Pingping¡¯s ears, it was equivalent to Duke Lang openly supporting Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao naturally understood this and immediately smiled again. Starlight seemed to sparkle in her eyes. ¡°Baby, you¡¯re so good!¡± Xiao Juan could not stand it anymore. He reached out and lowered the window curtain. The interior of the car darkened. The carriage started slowly, swaying slightly. Xiao Juan closed his eyes to rest, but for some reason, the sounds of ¡°Baby¡± were still ringing in his ears. It was sweet and soft with a hint of sweet wheedling. Ordinary women would retreat when they saw him. Only she was bold enough to wheedle at him. ... . Yu Pingping returned to the residence in a daze. Mrs. Jiang and Second Master Jiang had been waiting for her for a long time. When they saw her return, they immediately went up to ask for the results. ¡°How did it go? Did they agree to help?¡± Yu Pingping¡¯s lips opened and closed. After struggling for a long time, she finally forced herself to tell the truth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help you with Cousin.¡± She lowered her head, not daring to look at her mother and second uncle¡¯s expressions. She was so embarrassed that she wished she could find a hole to hide in on the spot. Mrs. Jiang was puzzled. ¡°Why? Are your friends unwilling to help?¡± No matter how difficult it was to say it, Yu Pingping understood that it was impossible to hide it anymore. She told the truth with difficulty. After hearing her words, Mrs. Jiang and Second Master Jiang were stunned. So the person who really helped save Yu Sheng was Yu Niaoniao. This time, not only Yu Pingping, but even Mrs. Jiang felt very embarrassed. The truth was like a p to their faces, making them feel hot. Second Master Jiang said anxiously. ¡°Since you know that Yu Niaoniao helped, call her over. Prince Lang likes her so much. As long as she intercedes, Ah Ze will definitely be fine.¡± Although Mrs. Jiang felt ufortable, for the sake of her nephew¡¯s safety, she still said to the maidservant beside her. ¡°Go call Niaoniao over.¡± ¡°There.¡± When the maidservant walked into the Green Jade Residence, she found Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui ying with mud. Their hands were covered in dirty mud. Even their clothes were speckled with mud. They looked rather disheveled. The maidservant could not understand their actions. ¡°What are you doing, Missy?¡± As she tried her best to paste the mud, she casually replied, ¡°Making an oven.¡± The maidservant did not understand what an oven was. She felt that Missy¡¯s words and actions were too strange. She did not have the sense of propriety that a daughter of an official should have. But she dared not say her thoughts. She only followed Mrs. Jiang¡¯s instructions and said, ¡°Miss, Madam requests your presence.¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her muddy hands and said helplessly. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m busy. I can¡¯t leave for a while.¡± ... Chapter 56 56 Anger Yu Niaoniao was telling the truth. She had to make the earth oven before dark. There was really no time for anything else. The maidservant felt that she was deliberately putting on airs. She was dissatisfied, but she still maintained a respectful appearance. ¡°Madam said that she needs your help with something very important. Please take some time to go over.¡± Hearing this, Yu Niaoniao looked puzzled. ¡°Since it¡¯s a very important matter, why didn¡¯t she look for me directly? Why did she have to send someone to look for me? Isn¡¯t this a waste of time?¡± The maid was speechless. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Go back first. I¡¯ll look for her when I¡¯m done. If she can¡¯t wait, she cane straight to me.¡± With that, she continued to bury her head in the mud. The maidservant bit her lower lip. ¡°Madam sent me to invite you over. If I don¡¯t seed, I¡¯ll be punished. Miss, please don¡¯t make things difficult for me.¡± Yu Niaoniao turned to her. ¡°You think I¡¯m giving you a hard time?¡± The maid pursed her lips and said nothing. But she could tell from her expression that was what she meant. Yu Niaoniao sighed and said helplessly. ¡°I can¡¯t help it if you insist. Whatever you say.¡± The maidservant was speechless. For some reason, she became even angrier! She stood there for a while longer but saw that Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui were buried in the mud and had no intention of responding to her. She had no choice but to slink back to report. As soon as the maidservant left, Yu Sheng arrived. He froze when he saw Yu Niaoniao ying with the mud. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± As she worked, she exined to him the structure and usage of the earth oven. Yu Sheng could not help but admire his sister¡¯s brain. She actually had such strange ideas. Yu Niaoniao nced at him. ¡°Are you here to ask me to help plead for mercy too?¡± Yu Sheng had already heard from others that Jiang Ze had been captured. He said seriously, ¡°You¡¯re not familiar with Cousin Jiang Ze. You¡¯re not obligated to help him.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. She did not expect this bookworm to be so understanding. She asked again, ¡°So what are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to confirm something with you. Was it really you who helped save me from the Justice Department?¡± The thank-you gift that Yu Sheng had prepared was returned. After asking, he realized that Yu Pingping had misunderstood. Her friends had not helped at all. Since it wasn¡¯t them, someone else must have helped. Yu Sheng quickly thought of Yu Niaoniao. Yu Sheng had speciallye to the Green Jade Residence to ask Yu Niaoniao about it. Yu Niaoniao wanted to casually bring it up with a joke, but seeing that he was serious, it was obvious that he thought this was very important. She could only put away her joke and ask him back. ¡°Would you believe me if I said yes?¡± Yu Sheng had obviously thought about this on the way here. Now he nodded without hesitation. ¡°I do.¡± Yu Niaoniao was a little interested. ¡°Why?¡± Yu Sheng exined his analysis. ¡°There¡¯s no point in lying to me. Moreover, this matter involved the Eagle Guards and the Justice Department. I just had to go to the Justice Department to verify this matter and quickly get the truth. Even if you wanted to lie, you wouldn¡¯t tell a lie that could be easily exposed.¡± Yu Niaoniao had mixed feelings. Yes, he could have asked everything clearly as long as he went to the Justice Department. It was such a simple thing, but Yu Kangtai was unwilling to do it. He would rather trust other people¡¯s judgment of her than verify the truth himself. Chapter 57 57 Bad Intentions Yu Niaoniao teased, ¡°Are you going to the Justice Department to verify it?¡± Yu Sheng ignored the question. ¡°There¡¯s actually no need for you to get involved in this mess.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s not up to you to decide if there¡¯s a need. It¡¯s up to me.¡± Her domineering speech immediately evoked Yu Sheng¡¯s memories, causing him to stand on the spot awkwardly, not knowing how to answer. Yu Niaoniao ignored him and continued working. With her and Dang Gui working together, a round earthen oven finally took shape. What was needed next was high temperature and a fixed model. Yu Qianqian stood up and was about to wash her hands when she realized that Yu Sheng was still standing there in a daze. ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Yu Sheng answered honestly, ¡°I haven¡¯t thanked you yet.¡± Although he did not want her to get involved in the anti-government poetry case, it was a fact that she had saved him. He couldn¡¯t be ungrateful. Yu Niaoniao thought of something and smiled at him. ¡°I don¡¯t like verbal thanks. If you really want to thank me, express it with action.¡± Yu Sheng asked cautiously, ¡°What can I do for you?¡± He braced himself for the worst. Her life-saving grace toward him was greater than the sky. Even if the other party asked him to go through hell and high water, he had to agree. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Go get some firewood.¡± Yu Sheng was stunned. He thought he had misheard. ¡°Get what?¡± ¡°Firewood.¡± Yu Niaoniao thought that the other party did not know what wood was and introduced it in detail. ¡°Firewood refers to dried branches and leaves that can be used to make fire.¡± Yu Sheng¡¯s face turned red. Of course, he knew what firewood was. He just did not expect that the gratitude Yu Niaoniao wanted was just some firewood. Seeing that he was standing still, Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, I can go myself...¡± Yu Sheng hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll go! I¡¯ll go now!¡± He hurriedly ran out of the Green Jade Residence. Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui washed their hands. The two of them nned to rest for a while. Before they could sit down, someone else entered the Green Jade Residence. This time, it was Mrs. Jiang and Second Master Jiang. Their expressions were not too good. Behind them were several maidservants. Seeing their attitude, she knew that they were up to no good. Dang Gui was nervous and hurriedly picked up the rolling pin on the chopping board, ready to fight at any time. Yu Niaoniao asked calmly. ¡°Why are Mother and Second Uncle here?¡± After hearing the servant girl¡¯s report, Mrs. Jiang found out that Yu Niaoniao would rather y with mud in the courtyard thane to see her. She was furious. In addition, Second Master Jiang was fanning the mes at the side. She immediately brought her men to the Green Jade Residence. Mrs. Jiang looked at the earthen oven in the courtyard and the pile of unused mud beside it. It seemed that the maidservant was not lying. Yu Niaoniao was really ying with mud. Mrs. Jiang cursed inwardly. As expected of a country bumpkin. She only knew how to do these unpresentable things! She asked in a low voice. ¡°I sent someone over to invite you. Why didn¡¯t you go? Are you deliberately not giving me face?¡± Yu Niaoniao said in surprise, ¡°How can that be? I¡¯m indeed busy and can¡¯t leave for the time being.¡± Mrs. Jiang pointed at the unfinished y oven and frowned. ¡°Are you busy doing this? Am I less important to you than a pile of broken mud?¡± Yu Niaoniao tried to exin. ¡°This isn¡¯t broken mud. This is a y oven I made. It can be used for...¡± Mrs. Jiang interrupted her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know what it does! I came to you especially because it¡¯s important that I ask your help.¡± Chapter 58 58 Help Jiang Ze? Yu Niaoniao looked at her livid face and scratched her head, looking very confused. ¡°Is that the attitude when asking for help these days?¡± Mrs. Jiang opened her mouth to say something but was pulled back by Second Master Jiang. Second Master Jiang only wanted Mrs. Jiang to teach Yu Qianqian a lesson, not topletely fall out with her. After all, he still had to get Yu Niaoniao to help save his son. If they really fell out, it would be difficult to save him. Mrs. Jiang suppressed the anger in her heart, and the anger on her face faded. She pressed a hand to her heart, her voice bitter and resigned. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like me. After all, I¡¯m not your biological mother. However, ever since I married into the Yu family, I had always been dutiful and did my best to take care of everyone in the family. I think I¡¯ve done enough. Even if you don¡¯t like me, please give me the most basic respect. Can you?¡± By the time she finished, her eyes were red, as if she had been greatly wronged. Second Master Jiang hurriedly added. ¡°Niaoniao, why are you still standing? Hurry up and apologize to your mother.¡± He was already prepared that the other party would die before admitting her mistake and had thought of a series of conversation techniques. In the end, she heard Yu Niaoniao reply indifferently. ¡°If you insist on an apology, then I¡¯ll apologize.¡± Second Master Jiang choked. She might as well not apologize at all! He braced himself. ¡°What do you mean you have to apologize? None of us is forcing you to apologize. We¡¯re trying to reason with you.¡± Yu Niaoniao suddenly understood. ¡°So you don¡¯t need me to apologize? If you had said so earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have apologized.¡± Second Master Jiang was speechless. A curse rose to his throat, but he forced it down. He had originally thought that the other party was a country girl with no experience and a good appearance. Now it seemed he had underestimated her. This girl was very powerful! Second Master Jiang took a deep breath. ¡°No matter what, we¡¯re your elders. We invited you over to have a chat out of goodwill. Why didn¡¯t you ept it?¡± ¡°I exined just now. I¡¯m busy and can¡¯t leave for the time being.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked very distressed. She looked at the other party as if she was looking at a retard. ¡°Can¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± Second Master Jiang¡¯s face flushed with anger. But he couldn¡¯t let it out. He could only grit his teeth and endure it. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this for now. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already heard about Ah Ze. He was framed. He couldn¡¯t have been involved in the anti-government poetry case. There must be some misunderstanding. Help me plead with Duke Lang and beg him to let Ah Ze off.¡± At this moment, Mrs. Jiang spoke. ¡°As long as you can do this, I can double your dowry.¡± She said this with great confidence. Although the Jiang family was not rich, they were still a schrly family that had umted wealth over many years. Their family had a rich foundation and many good things. Yu Niaoniao stroked her chin as if she was thinking seriously. ¡°It sounds very tempting.¡± Second Master Jiang thought that she was about to be tempted and was feeling happy when he heard her continue. ¡°But if I agree to help, how will I deal with Father if hees after me?¡± Mrs. Jiang was very confident. ¡°Ah Ze is his nephew. He won¡¯t leave him in the lurch. You just have to help him boldly.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked her up and down and asked in a very surprised tone. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me Mother doesn¡¯t know yet?¡± Mrs. Jiang was confused. ¡°Know what?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s because Jiang Ze arranged to meet Yu Sheng at the wine shop that Yu Sheng got involved with the anti-government poetry case. That¡¯s why the Eagle Guards listed him as a suspect and imprisoned him for interrogation.¡± Chapter 59 59 Don¡¯t Talk Nonsense! Mrs. Jiang was clearly stunned. She only knew that Jiang Ze and Yu Sheng were rted to the anti-government poetry case, but she did not know the details. When she heard Yu Niaoniao finish speaking, her first reaction was to deny it. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! If it was Ah Ze who caused Sheng to be arrested and imprisoned, he would definitely tell me the truth. He¡¯s so close to Sheng. He wouldn¡¯t leave him alone.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Their rtionship is so good. In order to protect him, Yu Sheng refused to say anything after being locked up in the Justice Department. Yu Sheng really treats him as a brother.¡± At this point, she looked at Second Master Jiang. Second Master Jiang¡¯s face had already turned pale. His eyes kept flickering, and he felt very guilty. He tried to deny it. ¡°It¡¯s not what it sounds like. Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°The Justice Department has already investigated this matter. Jiang Ze is the one who was really involved in the anti-government poetry case. He knew that Yu Sheng was wronged, but he still pretended to be fine and came to my house as a guest.¡± She paused, looking puzzled. ¡°The Eagle Guards have already intervened in the anti-government poetry case. Logically speaking, Jiang Ze should have tried his best to reduce his presence. Why did he stille to my house as a guest at that juncture? Could he have another purpose?¡± Mrs. Jiang followed her train of thought and immediately remembered. ¡°Ah Ze said he left a book in Sheng¡¯s study. He came to get it back, but when he left, I didn¡¯t see him with it.¡± Yu Niao Niao looked somewhere behind them and smiled. ¡°I see you¡¯ve guessed what the book is.¡± Mrs. Jiang and Second Master Jiang immediately turned around. They saw Yu Sheng standing nearby. Yu Sheng had unknowingly walked to the entrance of the Green Jade Residence with arge bundle of firewood in his arms. He stared nkly ahead, as if remembering. His expression gradually changed from confusion to disbelief. ¡°Could it be that travelogue?¡± Before anyone could ask what the travelogue was, he abandoned the firewood, turned around, and ran away quickly. ¡°Sheng, where are you going?¡± Mrs. Jiang shouted twice, but her son did not turn around. Afraid that her son would do something stupid, she hurriedly lifted her skirt and chased after him. As soon as Mrs. Jiang left, the others naturally left too. In the blink of an eye, the Green Jade Residence returned to its usual peace. Dang Gui walked over and picked up the firewood. ¡°Miss, do you still want this firewood?¡± Yu Niaoniao said matter-of-factly, ¡°Of course. When the earthen oven is done, we¡¯ll make cookies to eat.¡± Dang Gui asked curiously, ¡°What are cookies? Are they delicious?¡± Yu Niaoniao briefly described the deliciousness of the biscuits and immediately made Dang Gui drool. They immediately started working. Dang Gui was in charge of the fire and drying the earthen oven. Yu Niaoniao was in charge of making cookies. She added some brown sugar, oil, salt, and lye to the flour and mixed it evenly with her hands. Then she added ck sesame and spiced powder. Finally, she poured in just enough milk and kneaded it into a smooth dough. She put the dough in a basin and covered it with gauze. She used the time to cut some beef. Beef in this era was very expensive. The cost of such a palm-sized piece of beef was equivalent to three months of food for ordinary people. Yu Niaoniao ced the sliced beef into a bowl and added seasoning to marinate it. Then she rinsed the rice and put it on the pan to steam. The rice cooked from this kind of method carried the fragrance of firewood. It was much more fragrant than the rice she used to cook with an electric rice cooker in modern society. Chapter 60 60 Dilemma Yu Sheng ran into the study and quickly found the travelogue on the shelf. The moment he saw the travelogue, he felt relieved. It seemed that he was thinking too much. Jiang wasn¡¯t here to look for this book. Maybe everything was just a misunderstanding. However, when he opened the travelogue, he realized that thest page had been torn out. The spine of the book still showed signs of having been torn. Yu Sheng was stunned on the spot. The books in this study were numbered. No one in the family but him would turn his pages, let alone tear them. There was only one person who could do this at the moment, and that was Jiang Ze. Mrs. Jiang and Second Master Jiang also entered the study. They couldn¡¯t help but ask when they saw Yu Sheng staring nkly at a book. ¡°Sheng, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Yu Sheng¡¯s eyes turned red bit by bit, and his hand holding the book trembled slightly. He looked as if she would cry in the next moment. Mrs. Jiang¡¯s heart ached. She hurriedly ran over and grabbed her son¡¯s hand. ¡°Sheng, don¡¯t be anxious. Tell Mother what happened.¡± Yu Sheng took a deep breath and forced back his tears. He was the eldest son of the Yu family. In the future, the entire family would rely on him. No matter how ufortable he was, he could not cry. ¡°Mother, Sister is right.¡± Mrs. Jiang was confused. ¡°What did she say?¡± Yu Sheng told her the whole story. ¡°It was indeed my cousin who asked me to meet him at the wine shop. I thought it was just a simple meal. I didn¡¯t know until I got to the wine shop that he was meeting other people. Those people shared his resentment of the current imperial court and the emperor. They wrote poems under the influence of alcohol. Those poems could make us lose our heads if they spread. Terrified, I made an excuse and left.I thought that was the end of that matter. I didn¡¯t expect the Eagle Guards toe knocking the next day.¡± Mrs. Jiang¡¯s heart ached when she heard that. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell this to the Eagle Guards?¡± Yu Sheng lowered his eyes and said in pain. ¡°Jiang Ze is my cousin after all. If I expose him, he will definitely die. I don¡¯t want him to die. I don¡¯t want Mother to be sad. I thought about putting it off for a while. Anyway, the Eagle Guards have no evidence to convict me. As long as I survive the interrogation, I should be fine.¡± Mrs. Jiang could not help but cry. She punched her son with her hand and choked. ¡°You silly child, don¡¯t you know how ruthless the Eagle Guards are? If they really torture you, you¡¯ll at least be skinned alive!¡± Yu Sheng naturally knew how terrifying the Eagle Guards were. But in that situation, he had no choice. He whispered, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s all my fault. I didn¡¯t think carefully and made you worry.¡± Second Master Jiang, who had been silent, couldn¡¯t help but exin. ¡°Is there some misunderstanding? Ah Ze isn¡¯t that kind of bad child.¡± Yu Sheng¡¯s voice was bitter. ¡°I didn¡¯t believe that my cousin would do that to me, but the evidence is right in front of me.¡± He held up the travelogue and pointed to the remaining tear marks on the spine. ¡°My cousin gave me this book. I remember a piece of doggerel written by him on thest page, but now it is gone, too. It was torn up by him because he knew the book would expose him.¡± Second Master Jiang was still trying his best to exin. ¡°No, Ah Ze wouldn¡¯t do such a thing. You must be mistaken.¡± He looked at Mrs. Jiang and asked her to say something. ¡°You watched Ah Ze grow up. You should know his nature. He can¡¯t harm Sheng.¡± On the left was her son, and on the right was her brother. Mrs. Jiang was in a dilemma. At that moment, Yu Kangtai arrived. Chapter 61 61 Little Cookie Yu Kangtai had just returned from the government office and had yet to change out of his official uniform. When he heard that Second Master Jiang was here, he went straight to the study. Unexpectedly, just as he reached the door, he heard what Yu Sheng said. It turned out that Yu Sheng had been harmed by Jiang Ze! It was because of Jiang Ze that Yu Sheng suffered such a prison sentence for no reason and almost lost his life. Before Mrs. Jiang could speak, Yu Kangtai strode into the study. He looked extremely ufortable. ¡°The anti-government poetry case has been investigated and the emperor has convicted Jiang Ze. There¡¯s no room for negotiation. Don¡¯t waste your efforts.¡± Second Master Jiang said anxiously, ¡°Ah Ze is still a child. Even if he really did something wrong, he doesn¡¯t deserve to die. You¡¯re Ah Ze¡¯s uncle. Can you help me think of a way?¡± Yu Kangtai sneered and said cynically. ¡°He¡¯s neen, but he¡¯s still a child?!¡± He originally had a good impression of Jiang Ze. That child was good with words and was very good at winning the favor of the elders. However, the thought of Jiang Ze almost killing Yu Sheng made Yu Kangtai grit his teeth in hatred. Yu Sheng was his only son, the heir he had painstakingly nurtured. Whoever dared to touch his son was equivalent to touching his lifeblood! He wished he could strangle Jiang Ze now. Why would he be willing to spend the effort to save him? Without waiting for Second Master Jiang to say anything, Yu Kangtai flicked his sleeve and ordered his guests to leave. After chasing Second Master Jiang away, Yu Kangtai said to Mrs. Jiang. ¡°Don¡¯t interact with the Jiang family anymore.¡± Mrs. Jiang said awkwardly. ¡°Even if Ah Ze made a mistake, it won¡¯t implicate the entire Jiang family. After all, they¡¯re my family.¡± Her family was her backing. If she cut ties with her family, she would not even have anyone to help her when she encountered any difficulties in the future. She didn¡¯t want to get into that kind of isted situation. Yu Kangtai was very tough. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be? The emperor had already ordered that the entire Jiang family would be exiled and could never return to the capital. What did this mean? It meant that the emperor hadpletely despised the Jiang family! What you have to do now is topletely cut ties with the Jiang family and never interact with them again. This way, we will protect you, me, and our children!¡± Mrs. Jiang¡¯s face turned pale as if she had been struck by lightning. She said in disbelief, ¡°What did you say? Does the emperor want to exile the entire Jiang family? You¡¯re lying to me, right? This isn¡¯t true, right?¡± Yu Kangtai folded his hands and bowed in the direction of the pce. ¡°This is an imperial edict personally issued by the emperor. How would dare I fake it?!¡± Mrs. Jiang¡¯s body swayed twice. Yu Sheng hurriedly held her. ¡°Mother, are you alright?¡± Mrs. Jiang cried out, ¡°How did it be like this? How did it be like this?!¡± When the sky turned dark, the earthen oven was officiallypleted. While there was still some warmth in the oven, Yu Niaoniao put in the small pieces of dough. Dang Gui was in charge of controlling the temperature of the oven so that the biscuits would not burn. Yu Niaoniao continued to busy herself with her dinner. The hot oil stir-fried the ingredients and added the oyster sauce. Then, she cut the tender tofu into small pieces and marinated beef slices in the soup. When it was out of the pot, she sprinkled onions, sesame seeds, and garlic powder before pouring hot oil. There was a sizzling sound as the fragrance waspletely aroused. Dang Gui could not help but take a deep breath and say in an intoxicated tone. ¡°It smells so good!¡± Yu Niaoniao walked over and pulled open the oven to take a look. The little cookies were neatly arranged on a baking sheet. Because of the added brown sugar, the cookies were slightly reddish brown. She pulled the baking tray out with tongs and tasted a small biscuit. When she bit down, it made a crunchy sound and had a crispy sweetness. Chapter 62 62 See You By the time Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui finished dinner, the biscuits were almost cold. The cookies tasted crispier after they were cooled. Dang Gui ate one bite at a time with relish. As she ate, she asked, ¡°Miss, why are these cookies different in appearance?¡± Some cookies were square, while others were shaped like hearts. Yu Niaoniao picked out the small biscuits in the shape of hearts and ced them into a food box padded with oil paper. She beamed. ¡°These are for giving away.¡± Angelica asked curiously, ¡°Is it for Master?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Of course not.¡± With Yu Kangtai¡¯s attitude towards her, even if she sent the biscuits over, he would show disdain. He might even scold her for not doing her job and only knowing how to fiddle with these useless things. She wasn¡¯t going to ask for trouble. Dang Gui became even more curious. ¡°Then who are you giving it to?¡± Yu Niaoniao deliberately kept her in suspense. ¡°You¡¯ll know tomorrow.¡± The next morning, Yu Niaoniao carried the food box and Dang Gui held the donkey. The two of them and the donkey went out again. The butler was no longer surprised to see the little donkey again. He walked forward with a wooden face and bowed slightly. ¡°Miss, someone just sent a letter for you.¡± Yu Niaoniao was very surprised to see the letter being handed to her. She didn¡¯t know many people in the capital. Why would anyone send her a letter? The question was answered when she read the line written on the envelope ¨C The heavens covered the earth. Yu Niaoniao could not help but smile. ¡°It¡¯s Brother Junzhi.¡± Dang Gui asked nkly, ¡°Who is Brother Junzhi?¡± ¡°Brother Junzhi is my father¡¯s student.¡± Yu Niaoniao paused and exined softly. ¡°Not my biological father. My mother¡¯s second husband, my stepfather. My stepfather was a very famous schr in Bashu. Many people were willing toe to him to learn. Brother Junzhi was one of them. He lived with us for three years. By the time I met you, Brother Junzhi had been taken back by his family.¡± ¡°So you never met him.¡± Dang Gui understood. ¡°I see.¡± Yu Niaoniao pointed at the line of words on the surface of the letter. ¡°This is the secret code I agreed to meet with Brother Junzhi. As soon as I see this secret code, I know it¡¯s him.¡± Angelica blinked. ¡°It looks like you two are very close.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded vigorously. ¡°That¡¯s right. Brother Junzhi is gentle and considerate, and he¡¯s especially good at taking care of people. Unfortunately, his health isn¡¯t very good and he¡¯s often sick. After being separated for so many years, I wonder if his health is better?¡± She eagerly opened the letter and pulled out a thin sheet of paper. There was only one simple sentence on the paper ¨C At the Joyous Imperial Tea House, see you there. The handwriting was as gentle as he was. Yu Qianqian did not know where the Joyous Imperial Tea Shop was, so she could only ask the butler. The Joyous Imperial Tea House was quite famous in the Imperial Capital. Many schrs liked to go there. The butler naturally knew where it was and immediately described the location of the tea shop in detail. Yu Niaoniao thanked him and left the Yu Residence with Dang Gui. The butler could not help but mutter softly as he watched them leave. ¡°I remember that Second Miss is going to the Joyous Imperial Tea Shop today. Don¡¯t tell me they would bump into each other?¡± He knew that Second Miss had always been dissatisfied with Missy. And Missy was not someone to be trifled with. If these two met, who knew what would happen? Then, heforted himself that even if they were not on good terms, they would not fight in front of outsiders. ¡°It should be fine... right?¡± Chapter 63 63 Shen Junzhi Yu Qianqian had originally nned to go to the Langjun Imperial Pce. After receiving Shen Junzhi¡¯s letter, she changed her mind at thest minute and decided to go to the Joyous Imperial Tea Shop first. The location of the Joyous Imperial Tea Shop was very good, and there was an endless stream of customers. There were many guests in the lobby on the first floor, talking loudly. The waiter shuttled between the many tables with a teapot in his hand, looking at ease. Yu Qianqian met Shen Junzhi in a private room on the second floor. After not seeing him for many years, he had grown much taller. The youthfulness on his body had faded, but the gentle temperament between his eyebrows was still there. He was wearing a moon-white long-sleeved robe, and his skin was even paler than usual. His figure was slightly thin, but his posture was very straight, giving off the elegant aura of a gentleman. Shen Junzhi smiled at her when she saw Yu Niaoniao walk in. That smile was like a spring breeze in March that could melt one¡¯s heart. ¡°Niaoniao, long time no see.¡± ¡°Brother Junzhi!¡± Yu Niaoniao rushed over, wanting to give him a big hug like she did when she was young. But her mind suddenly recalled Duke Lang¡¯s instructions. ¡°Don¡¯t touch men casually in the future.¡± At the same time, she recalled Duke Lang¡¯s cold eyebrows. She shuddered involuntarily and stopped in her tracks, forcing her outstretched ws back. With their current age and status, they really couldn¡¯t be as casual and intimate as before. They had to avoid arousing suspicion. Shen Junzhi took in her movements and changes in expression, and the smile on his face faded. ¡°Niaoniao has changed a lot.¡± She was not as close to him as before. Yu Niaoniao did not notice the abnormality in the other party¡¯s emotions and smiled casually. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ve grown much taller?¡± Shen Junzhi looked her up and down. ¡°You¡¯ve indeed grown up. You¡¯re a big girl.¡± Yu Niaoniao sat down beside him and pretended to be mature. ¡°Brother Junzhi has grown taller too!¡± Shen Junzhi smiled at her, his eyes as gentle as water. ¡°I ordered some food. They¡¯re all your favorite.¡± ¡°Brother Junzhi is so good to me!¡± Yu Niaoniao called Dang Gui over and gave both parties a simple introduction. Shen Junzhi nodded slightly at Dang Gui and said gently, ¡°Thank you for taking care of Niaoniao these few years.¡± Dang Gui sighed in her heart as she greeted him. Miss was right. This Young Master Shen was indeed a gentle person. They were childhood sweethearts and had a deep rtionship. Logically speaking, the two of them should be a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, fate yed tricks on them. The emperor had already given Miss and Duke Lang a marriage. It was impossible for Miss and Young Master Shen to marry again. The two of them could only bury their feelings deep in their hearts... Unknowingly, Dang Gui had already imagined a melodramatic love triangle. Yu Niaoniao asked as she ate her refreshments. ¡°Why did Brother Junzhi suddenlye to the Imperial Capital?¡± Shen Junzhi said, ¡°To be honest, my house is in the Imperial Capital.¡± Yu Qianqian was very surprised. ¡°So you¡¯re from the Imperial Capital! You should have said so earlier. Where do you live? I¡¯ve never heard you mention this before.¡± Shen Junzhi said, ¡°This teahouse is under my name. If you want to find me, you can juste here.¡± Yu Niaoniao teased, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so rich. Should I call you Boss Shen in the future?¡± Shen Junzhi smiled helplessly. ¡°Call me whatever you want.¡± He picked up the teapot. His well-defined pale fingers contrasted with the dark green handle. Tea was poured into a cup and pushed in front of Yu Niaoniao. ¡°I heard about you and Duke Lang.¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped drinking her tea abruptly. Shen Junzhi looked at her steadily. ¡°Is it true?¡± Yu Niaoniao put down her teacup and said in distress. ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± Shen Junzhi said kindly, ¡°It¡¯s still early. You can talk slowly.¡± Chapter 64 64 Protect You Well Yu Niaoniao told him about the rumors between her and Duke Lang. When she finished, Shen Junzhi asked slowly, ¡°So you¡¯re not really in love with the Prince of Lang?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded generously. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s just a rumor. There¡¯s actually nothing between me and Duke Lang.¡± Shen Junzhi lowered his eyes and thought for a moment. ¡°Since you have no feelings for Duke Lang, wouldn¡¯t it be very unfair to you if you really married him?¡± Yu Qianqian picked up a piece of red bean cake and threw it into her mouth. She said vaguely, ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about it. The emperor has already given the order for us to marry. We can¡¯t disobey, right?¡± Shen Junzhi said, ¡°I can help you fake your death and escape. In the future, you can leave the Imperial Capital and go anywhere you want. You don¡¯t have to be restrained anymore.¡± As soon as he said this, Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui were shocked. Yu Niaoniao did not even care about the pastries and hurriedly said, ¡°Are you crazy? Do you know what the crime of resisting the decree is? You¡¯ll lose your head!¡± Shen Junzhiughed softly, her voice still soft. ¡°You always call me brother. I should do my duty as a brother and protect you well. Let you live the life you want. As for my safety, there¡¯s no need for you to worry. I have my own arrangements. I¡¯m sure nothing will happen.¡± He said it casually as if it was really a very simple matter. But Yu Niaoniao was not a three-year-old child. How could she really believe his words? She shook her head in refusal. ¡°Thank you for the offer. It¡¯s not necessary.¡± Shen Junzhi looked at her deeply. ¡°Your lifelong happiness is at stake. I suggest you give it some more thought.¡± Yu Niaoniao still shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s really no need.¡± For some reason, the usually gentle and easygoing Shen Junzhi was especially persistent about this matter. ¡°Go back and think about it. When you figure it out, you cane here to find me here anytime.¡± Yu Niaoniao wanted to say something else, but he stopped her with a gesture. He did not give her a chance to refuse. At this moment, there was a knock on the door of the private room. The shopkeeper of the tea shop walked in and spoke respectfully. ¡°Boss, Mr. Li has something to ask you.¡± Shen Junzhi frowned slightly, showing some displeasure. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Brother Junzhi, go do your thing. There¡¯s still time. We¡¯ll meet another day.¡± Shen Junzhi said, ¡°Then let¡¯s meet another day.¡± He stood up and instructed the shopkeeper. ¡°Put all the ounts here in my name.¡± ¡°There.¡± When Shen Junzhi reached the door, he suddenly stopped and looked back at Yu Niaoniao. ¡°You have to think carefully about what I told you just now. Nothing is more important than your lifelong happiness.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded and agreed. After everyone left, Dang Gui dared to whisper, ¡°Young Master Shen doesn¡¯t seem to want you to marry Prince Lang.¡± Yu Niaoniao casually picked up a boiled peanut and said as she peeled it. ¡°He¡¯s been like that since he was a kid. He loves to worry. He¡¯s only three years older than me, but he loves to control me even more than my father.¡± Dang Gui originally wanted to ask Yu Niaoniao if Young Master Shen was interested in her, but she was rendered speechless by Yu Niaoniao¡¯s answer. It turned out that in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart, Shen Junzhi was simr to her father. Since they were father and daughter, what else could they say? Before Shen Junzhi left, he had said that he had already paid the bill. Holding onto the principle of not wasting food, Yu Niaoniao called a waiter over and packed all the food on the table. They carried the heavy food box out. When they passed the door of a private room, they identally heard a woman talk. ¡°Yu Pingping¡¯s cousin has already been convicted. Her family might be implicated. Why are you still willing to invite her here for tea?¡± Chapter 65 65 Enemies on a Narrow Road Hearing a familiar name, Yu Niaoniao involuntarily stopped. She turned her head and saw that the door to the private room was not closed. Through the crack in the door, she could see three young women sitting in the private room. Yu Niaoniao had a good memory and immediately recognized that these three were Yu Fan¡¯s friends. Thest time Yu Pingping invited them to his house for a meal, Yu Qianqian had seen them from afar. They were Ji Wenjing, the legitimate daughter of the Assistant Minister of Rites, Yang Xianrong, the legitimate daughter of the physician, and Wan Jiatong, the illegitimate daughter of the Minister of Revenue. The person who had asked was Ji Wenjing. Wan Jiatong whispered, ¡°I heard that the emperor only punished the Jiang family and didn¡¯t vent his anger on the Yu family.¡± Ji Wenjing snorted. ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. Perhaps the emperor just hasn¡¯t thought of the Yu family for the time being. If he suddenly remembers that the Yu family and the Jiang family are inws one day, the Yu family will be in trouble.¡± Wan Jiatong was the timidest and immediately became a little afraid. ¡°Then what should we do? Why don¡¯t we go back? Let¡¯s interact with Yu Pingping anymore.¡± Yang Xianrong put down her teacup and said slowly. ¡°Why are you panicking? It¡¯s all just a guess. Perhaps the emperor doesn¡¯t have any intention of venting his anger on the Yu family at all. Instead of letting your imagination run wild here, why don¡¯t you think about what to buyter?¡± Ji Wenjing¡¯s attention was immediately diverted. She hurriedly said, ¡°I heard that Shu Yuezhuang has a new batch of good materials. There¡¯s good cloud silk satin among them.¡± Wan Jiatong hesitated. ¡°But I heard that cloud silk is very expensive.¡± Although they were all daughters of officials and dressed very exquisitely, their families were strict and would not give them too much pocket money. It was not a problem to buy small things usually, but if they bought something too expensive, they would have to think twice. Yang Xianrong smiled. ¡°The price is not a problem. As long as the things are good, it¡¯s enough. Anyway, someone will pay for us.¡± Ji Wenjing and Wan Jiatong asked in unison. ¡°Who is it?¡± Yang Xianrong said calmly, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s Yu Pingping. She caused such a huge misunderstandingst time. Shouldn¡¯t she make it up to us?¡± Ji Wenjing and Wan Jiatong seemed to have thought of something andughed. Obviously, they all tacitly agreed with Yang Xianrong. Outside the private room, Yu Niaoniao noticed a waiter walking over and immediately walked away with Dang Gui. Dang Gui whispered, ¡°Are those three people trying to ckmail Second Miss?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid they didn¡¯t just extort her this time. From the looks of it, they must have taken advantage of Yu Pingping in the past.¡± Dang Gui did not understand. ¡°But aren¡¯t they like sisters? Why are they treating Second Miss like this?¡± Yu said meaningfully, ¡°There¡¯s a kind of sister in this world called the stic sisters.¡± Dang Gui was even more confused. What was stic? Was it edible? And enemies were bound to meet. They bumped into Yu Pingping on their way downstairs. Yu Pingping had arranged to meet her sisters at the Joyous Imperial Joy Tea House today. Although they had some misunderstandings before, the sisterhood was still there. What needed to be done had to continue. She specially dressed up and walked over the threshold with her skirt raised. She walked into the Joyous Imperial Tea Shop, but she bumped into Yu Niaoniao on the way upstairs. They both stopped. Yu Pingping blurted, ¡°Why are you here? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re following me?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at her in amusement. ¡°Look carefully. I¡¯m walking down the stairs. I arrived at the tea shop before you. How did it result in me following you? If there has to be someone who was following, it should be you.¡± Yu Pingping immediately blushed in embarrassment. Chapter 66 66 Eavesdropping Seeing that she was standing still, Yu Niaoniao reminded her. ¡°You¡¯re blocking the way. Please make way.¡± Yu Pingping questioned indignantly, ¡°Why should I?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not want to argue with her over such a small matter, let alone block the stairs so that no one else could pass because of a little conflict between the two of them. Without a word, Yu Niaoniao brought Dang Gui back to the second floor and gave up the stairs. Yu Pingping lifted her skirt and walked up with her head held high, like a little peacock who had won a battle. She deliberately paused as she passed Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be impressed just because you saved brother. It¡¯s impossible! I¡¯ll never acknowledge you as my sister.¡± With that, she snorted softly and walked leisurely towards the private room they had agreed on. Yu Niaoniao watched her leave and suddenly said to her. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t push open the door now if I were you.¡± Yu Pingping stopped. She turned back to Yu Niaoniao and asked suspiciously. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Yu Niaoniao pointed to her ear and then to the door of the private room. The meaning was clear. She wanted her to hear it for herself. Yu Pingping frowned. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Although sheined, her body did as she was told honestly. She approached the private room and pressed her ear to the door. The conversation in the private room entered her ears clearly. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Yu Pingping here yet?¡± This was Ji Wenjing¡¯s voice. Yu Pingping was very embarrassed. She had been dyed when she left the house and had spent some time with Yu Niaoniao on the stairs just now, causing her to bete and make her sister wait for a long time. She red at Yu Niaoniao at the thought. Yu Niaoniao had already made herte, yet she still instigated her to hide outside the door and eavesdrop. She had been out of her mind to do what Yu Niaoniao had said. Just as Yu Pingping was about to push open the door to the private room, she heard Ji Wenjing speak. ¡°I¡¯m surprised she made us wait so long. She has to pay for this refreshment.¡± It was just a cup of tea. It was nothing to Yu Pingping. She usually treated her sisters to a meal and would buy them a lot of popr rouge and powder as small gifts. She had always been generous with her friends. But the tone in which Ji Wenjing said this made Yu Fan ufortable. That matter-of-fact attitude was as if Yu Pingping owed them something. At this moment, Yang Xianrong spoke. ¡°Since someone¡¯s paying the bill, let¡¯s ask for more refreshments. I¡¯ve always wanted to try this ce¡¯s Cloud Mist Tea. I hear it¡¯s delicious.¡± Wan Jiatong asked carefully, ¡°Cloud Mist Tea is the most expensive tea here. Yu Pingping will be unhappy if she finds out, right?¡± Yang Xianrong did not think much of this. ¡°Her grandfather¡¯s family has been exiled. Now that we¡¯re still willing to interact with her, we¡¯re already thinking highly of her. What else can she be unhappy about?¡± Ji Wenjing echoed, ¡°That¡¯s right. If not for her generosity, I would have stopped interacting with her when I found out that her cousin had been convicted.¡± Wan Jiatong said, ¡°Don¡¯t say that. It won¡¯t be good if she hears you.¡± Yang Xianrong said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll still give her some respect. We¡¯ll only say these things in private. We won¡¯t embarrass her in person.¡± Ji Wenjingughed. ¡°You¡¯re so bad.¡± Yang Xianrong raised her eyebrows. ¡°You say I¡¯m bad? How much better are you than me? Every time Yu Pingping treats someone to a meal, you guys have to use the most expensive ones. After that, you evenugh at her for being stupid behind her back.¡± Chapter 67 67 Spendthrift Ji Wenjing retorted. ¡°Am I wrong? She¡¯s the stupid one! When her brother was captured by the Eagle Guards, she actually wanted us to help save him? At that moment, I wanted to curse her. How could she have the cheek to ask us to help? Did she really think we could go against the Eagle Guards for her? She thinks too highly of herself!¡± Speaking of this, Wan Jiatong could not help butin. ¡°Who in the capital doesn¡¯t know how cruel the Eagle Guards are? Yu Pingping actually wants to drag us down. She¡¯s too selfish.¡± Yang Xianrong said, ¡°What¡¯s even funnier is that we just casually brushed her off at that time, but she actually believed it. She thought we would help her.¡± She couldn¡¯t help butugh when she finished. She looked like she really thought this was funny. Ji Wenjing and Wan Jiatong alsoughed. ¡°That¡¯s right. How can she be so stupid? She can¡¯t even tell what deniability is.¡± Yu Niaoniao was some distance away from the private room and could not hear the voices inside. But she could clearly see that Yu Pingping¡¯s face turned red, then pale. She tottered and looked as if she had received a huge blow. Clearly, the three people in the private room did not say anything good. Yu Pingping trembled with anger, tears welling in her eyes. She had always treated Ji Wenjing, Yang Xianrong, and Wan Jiatong as her best friends. No matter what good things there were, she would leave a portion for them and not forget to bring them along. That was why she felt the three of them would be duty-bound to help her when she needed them most. But who would have thought the three of them did not treat her as a friend at all. In their eyes, she was a stupid fool. Her sincerity waspletely trampled under her feet! Anger, grievance, and resentment welled up in her and turned into a raging fire. Yu Pingping¡¯s rationality was instantly burned clean. She flung open the door and stormed into the private room. Theughter in the private room stopped. The three of them looked at Yu Pingping in surprise. They had not expected Yu Pingping to appear at this time. They wondered how much of what they had just said had been heard by Yu Pingping. Yang Xianrong braced herself and said, ¡°Hey, when did youe? Why didn¡¯t you knock on the door first? You shocked us by suddenly rushing in.¡± Ji Wenjing tried her best to pretend that nothing had happened and said with a smile. ¡°Since you¡¯re here,e and sit down. We¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± Wan Jiatong pulled out a chair solicitously and said in a slightly fawning tone, ¡°Come and sit here.¡± Yu Pingping red at them angrily, her eyes almost spitting fire. ¡°Stop pretending! I¡¯ve always been good to you, but you¡¯re treating me like this? Has your conscience been eaten by dogs?!¡± Ji Wenjing¡¯s smile froze. It seemed that the other party had heard everything they had just said. This was going to be difficult. Yang Xianrong coaxed, ¡°Hey, we said the wrong things just now. Don¡¯t be angry. Come over and have a cup of tea to cool down.¡± Yu Pingping strode over. Yang Xianrong thought that the other party was willing to reconcile and heaved a sigh of relief. She hurriedly handed the teacup over. Unexpectedly, after Yu Ping took the teacup, raised her hand and sshed the tea on Yang Xianrong¡¯s face! The tea had been on for a short time. It wasn¡¯t very hot. However, Yang Xianrong was still frightened and screamed. ¡°Ah! What are you doing?!¡± Chapter 68 68 So What If I Hit You? Yang Xianrong, Ji Wenjing, and Wan Jiatong did not expect that Yu Fan, who usually looked silly, would dare to attack them directly. The tea dripped down Yang Xianrong¡¯s cheeks, wetting her clothes and ruining her carefully drawn makeup. She had never been so disheveled in her life. Yu Pingping still felt indignant. She grabbed the other party¡¯s hair and pped her cheek with her other hand. There was a sharp snap. Yang Xianrong immediately felt her cheeks burning. She was shocked and furious. ¡°How dare you hit me?¡± Her parents had never hit her since she was young, but Yu Pingping actually dared to hit her?! Yu Pingping sneered. ¡°So what if I hit you? Bitches like you deserve to be taught a lesson!¡± With that, she pped her again. Yang Xianrong¡¯s head buzzed. It all happened so quickly that Ji Wenjing and Wan Jiatong were stunned. The crisp sound of a p rang in their ears, immediately bringing them back to their senses. They rushed over, wanting to pull Yu Pingping away. At this moment, Yu Pingping had gonepletely crazy. She didn¡¯t care who wasing. She just raised her hand and hit whoever was in front of her. Ji Wenjing and Wan Jiatong were hit several times. Both of them were angry and counterattacked on the spot. In the blink of an eye, the four of them were fighting. They caused a hugemotion and attracted many onlookers. Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui mixed in the crowd to watch the show. Seeing that they were getting more and more ruthless, Yu Niaoniao was afraid that something would happen, so she instructed Dang Gui in a low voice, ¡°Go to the magistrate¡¯s office and call some people over.¡± As aw-abiding citizen, she naturally had to report to the authorities if she encountered a fight! The waiter from the tea shop ran into the private room and persuaded them to stop fighting. No one listened to him at all. He was afraid to reach out and pull them. After all, they were all daughters of officials and were very precious. If he touched their bodies, he would not be able to exin himself even if he opened his mouth. The clerk was at his wits¡¯ end and could only rush to the shopkeeper. At first, Yu Pingping could still gain the upper hand with brute force, but it was difficult for two fists to fight against six. Under the siege of the three of them, Yu Pingping did notst long and was quickly defeated. She was pressed to the ground by Ji Wenjing and Wan Jiatong, unable to break free. Yang Xianrong sneered fiercely. ¡°How dare you hit me? We gave you respect. See if I don¡¯t kill you!¡± There was a bright red five-finger mark on each side of her face. There were still tea leaves on her clothes. Her hair was already messy. When she smiled now, she looked exceptionally ferocious. Yu Pingping¡¯s hands were held down. But she still had legs. She suddenly raised her right leg and kicked Yang Xianrong fiercely! Yang Xianrong staggered and fell to the ground in a sorry state. She was really angry now. At this moment, there was only one thought in her mind. She would definitely let Yu Pingping die here! Yang Xianrong got up, picked up the teapot on the table, and threw it at Yu Fan¡¯s head! If this strikended, Yu Pingping would definitely bleed. At that time, she would be disfigured, if not dead. The scene stunned everyone present. Even Yu Pingping was shocked. She even forgot to react and could only open his eyes wide in fear. At the crucial moment, a hand reached out from the side and grabbed Yang Xianrong¡¯s wrist firmly. Yang Xianrong¡¯s right hand was forced to stop in midair, and the teapot in her hand stopped as well, unable to continue falling. The person who had grabbed her was Yu Niaoniao. She snatched the teapot from Yang Xianrong¡¯s hand and said unhurriedly. ¡°It¡¯s okay for sisters to fight, but there has to be a limit. You¡¯re going overboard.¡± Chapter 69 69 Biological Sister Yang Xianrong finally regained some of her rationality. She remembered how close she hade to killing someone and couldn¡¯t help but feel a lingering fear. But she still put on a fierce front. ¡°Who do you think you are? Do you have the right to speak here?!¡± At this moment, Yu Pingping had already recovered from her fear. She thought about how close she¡¯de to death and broke out in a cold sweat. Her limbs went weak and her mind spun. She felt a lump in her throat when she saw Yu Niaoniao confronting Yang Xianrong. She treated Yang Xianrong as her good sister, but the other party could kill her. She treated Yu Niaoniao as an enemy, but the other party stood up and saved her. She and Yu Niaoniao were the real sisters. She had mistaken the fish eyes for pearls. Guilt, regret, and grievance welled up in her heart, causing her eyes to turn red. She choked out a cry. ¡°Sister...¡± Yu Niaoniao thought that her ears were broken, but she actually heard Yu Pingping call her sister! She couldn¡¯t help but look at Yu Pingping. She looked as if she was looking at a rare item. Yu Pingping looked embarrassed. Yu Niaoniao sighed. Initially, she did not want to interfere in this matter, but she had already called her sister. She could not allow her sister to continue being bullied. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Did you hear that? She called me sister. Now I have the right to speak, right?¡± Yang Xianrong forced a mocking smile. ¡°So you¡¯re the bastard from the Yu family who was brought back from the countryside?¡± When Yu Kangtai brought Yu Niaoniao back, he announced to the public that she was his eldest daughter. However, many people were still suspicious of this. Some people suspected that Yu Niaoniao was Yu Kangtai¡¯s illegitimate daughter. Yang Xianrong thought so too. In her opinion, Yu Niaoniao was just an unpresentable bastard. She did not even have the right to talk to her. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± Yang Xianrong blurted out without thinking, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m talking about you!¡± It was only when she finished that she realized she had fallen into the trap. She immediately flushed with anger. Yu Niaoniaoughed rudely. ¡°So you know what you are.¡± Yang Xianrong was exasperated and raised her hand to hit her. Yu Niaoniao had originally nned to retaliate. But before she could, she heard someone shouting outside. ¡°The authorities are here!¡± Yu Niaoniao rolled her eyes and immediately fell to the ground in an extremely exaggerated manner. She covered the side of her face with one hand, her eyes red with an immense grievance. ¡°How dare you hit me? Do you know who I am? I¡¯m the fianc¨¦e of Duke Lang!¡± The onlookers at the door were forced apart and a team of Eagle Guards strode in. Thest to enter was Duke Lang, Xiao Juan! Everyone in the private room was shocked. Even Yu Niaoniao was stunned. She had asked Dang Gui to report to the officials, not to summon the Eagle Guards! This was equivalent to two groups of elementary school kids pecking at each other, and attracting the attention of the NSA. This was more than an overkill! Xiao Juan¡¯s sharp gaze swept over, and everyone present fell silent. ¡°I heard that someone is fighting and causing trouble here?¡± Yang Xianrong was so frightened that her legs went weak and her face turned pale. She shivered in defense. ¡°They attacked first.¡± Xiao Juan gaze swept to Yu Niaoniao and paused on her face. ¡± Were you assaulted?¡± Chapter 70 70 She Started Acting Cute Again Yang Xianrong was afraid that Yu Niaoniao wouldin first, so she hurriedly answered. ¡°I didn¡¯t even manage to hit her before she fell. She was clearly trying to put on a pretense! Your Highness, don¡¯t be fooled by her!¡± A chill appeared in Xiao Juan¡¯s ck eyes. ¡°Did I ask you?¡± Yang Xianrong trembled as fear overwhelmed her. She shut her mouth awkwardly, afraid to make another sound. Yu Niaoniao naturally would not let go of this great opportunity toin. She spoke pitifully. ¡°Although I wasn¡¯t hit, I was frightened. Miss Yang¡¯s p just now was terrifying. It was as if she wanted to knock my head off. If I hadn¡¯t dodged quickly, I might have been disfigured. The emperor had decreed that I should marry the duke next month and yet Miss Yang wanted to ruin my face at a time like this. I wonder what she was thinking?¡± Yang Xianrong red at her angrily. Yu Niaoniao seemed to have been greatly frightened. She immediately moved to Xiao Juan¡¯s side, tugged at his clothes, and said timidly. ¡°Your Highness, look. She even dared to be so fierce to me in front of you. You don¡¯t know how she bullied me in private. You have to seek justice for me.¡± Yang Xianrong was furious at her pretentious appearance. However, Duke Lang had yet to speak, so Yang Xianrong did not dare to speak. She could only re at Yu Qianqian. If her gaze could materialize into action, Yu Niaoniao would have been shot into a sieve by now. Xiao Juan looked down at the woman who was grabbing the hem of his clothes. He thought to himself that she was quite obedient today and did not call him ¡°Baby¡± again. He said solemnly, ¡°Stand up first.¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her head and blinked her big eyes at him innocently and pitifully. ¡°But my legs are weak from fear. I need Your Highness to hold my hand.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. How distressing. She was wheedling again. So many people around were watching, especially the crowd outside the door. They looked at Duke Lang and Yu Niaoniao without blinking, wanting to see if this rumored couple was really having an affair or if the rumors were exaggerated. Seeing that he was not moving, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s mind raced as she recalled thest time he had asked her to call him a treasure. Well, it looked like the sweetness wasn¡¯t enough. She had to add more. If she called him ¡°Baby¡± a few times, he should be able to reach out. Therefore, Yu Niaoniao opened her cherry lips slightly and the word ¡°Baby¡± was already on her lips. Looking at her mouth, Xiao Juan knew what she was going to shout. Before his head could react, his hand reached out and grabbed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s ws. With a little force, he pulled her up from the ground. Yu Niaoniao immediately smiled like a brilliant sunflower, and the words on her lips changed. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness!¡± Xiao Juan was secretly d that he had stopped her in time and not let her say that word in front of outsiders. The onlookers outside the door took in this scene and came to the same conclusion. If these two didn¡¯t have an affair, they swore they would collectively do a shmob handstand! Yu Pingping was still held down and could not move. She called her sister softly, reminding her not to forget about her. Only then did Yu Niaoniao remember that her sister was still lying on the ground. She immediately pushed Ji Wenjing and Wan Jiatong away and bent down to help Yu Pingping. Yu Pingping was touched. At the critical moment, her biological sister was the best! At this moment, in her eyes, her sister seemed to be enveloped in a holy glow. However, in the next moment, her thigh was pinched hard by her sister. The pain was overwhelming! Yu Pingping trembled from the stimtion and immediately burst into tears. Wahhhhh! It hurts!! Chapter 71 71 Bite Back Tears sprang to her eyes and poured down her cheeks. Yu Pingping cried until she was out of breath. She wanted to curse, but her sister covered her mouth. Yu Niaoniao asked in concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you crying all of a sudden? Does your body hurt somewhere?¡± Yu Pingping red at her with tears in her eyes. How dare she ask? She was clearly the culprit! Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You must have been injured by them during the fight just now. They were too ruthless. Did they actually beat you up like this? Even if their fathers are important ministers of the Imperial Court, they can¡¯t be sowless!¡± She spoke with righteous indignation. She radiated the glory of the righteous. If the person she had choked to tears was not Yu Pingping, even Yu Pingping would probably believe her nonsense. Wan Jiatong subconsciously denied it. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. I didn¡¯t hit her.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately asked, ¡°Do you dare to swear? If you hit my sister just now, your entire family will die! Do you dare?¡± Wan Jiatong was instantly speechless. The battle just now was very chaotic. She could not tell who she had hit at all, so she naturally did not dare to swear on the lives of her entire family. Ji Wenjing tried to distinguish for herself. ¡°I only hit her twice, but it wasn¡¯t hard. I couldn¡¯t really hurt her. Instead, she hit me as soon as she walked in...¡± Yu Niaoniao interrupted her, her tone extremely angry. ¡°The three of you teamed up to bully my sister alone, and you still have the cheek to bite back?¡± Then, she looked at the crowd outside the door. ¡°Look, my sister is crying so badly. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that her body is really hurting, would she, the daughter of an official, cry like this in front of outsiders?!¡± Yu Pingping¡¯s eyes filled with tears. At this moment, she understood her sister¡¯s intentions. As she scolded her sister in her heart, she worked hard to cooperate with the performance and cried miserably. Seeing a young girl crying so miserably, the onlookers outside the door could not help but pity her. ¡°She¡¯s crying like a baby. She must be hurt. Let¡¯s get her a doctor.¡± ¡°Poor little girl. She was beaten to a pulp.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect those three girls to be so ruthless when they looked so refined.¡± ¡°I heard that their biological fathers are all officials. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Is that all the upbringing of an official¡¯s family?¡± The words of discussion reached their ears. Yang Xianrong, Ji Wenjing, and Wan Jiatong¡¯s faces turned red and their bodies trembled in anger. They wanted to exin, but they could not speak. They were about to die of grievance. Seeing that Yu Niaoniao was almost done performing, Xiao Juan spoke unhurriedly. ¡°Send Miss Yang, Miss Ji, and Miss Wan home.¡± Yang Xianrong, Ji Wenjing, and Wan Jiatong thought that this matter hade to an end and heaved a sigh of relief. Then, they heard Duke Lang speak again. ¡°I will report this matter to the emperor. As court officials, how can Sir Yang, Sir Ji, and Sir Wan help the emperor govern the people in the future if they can¡¯t even discipline their daughters?¡± Every word was piercingly cold, and when it entered the ears of Yang Xianrong, Ji Wenjing, and Wan Jiatong, they instantly cked out and almost fainted. If word got out to the emperor, not only would their reputation be ruined, but even their father would be left with an impression of ipetence. Chapter 72 72 Love Cookie No matter how Yang Xianrong, Ji Wenjing, and Wan Jiatong begged, they could not change Duke Lang¡¯s decision. The three of them were forcefully sent home by the Eagle Guards. After today¡¯s incident, they would probably not be seen in the nobledies¡¯ social circle for a long time. The teahouse manager rushed over and realized that the matter had been resolved. However, he still held his breath and bowed to Duke Lang with trembling hands. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Your Highness wasing. Please forgive me for not weing you.¡± Xiao Juan did not even look at the shopkeeper as he said to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Where are you going next? I¡¯ll send someone to take you there.¡± Yu Niaoniao had two missions this time. One was to see Shen Junzhi at the teahouse, and the other was to deliver food to Duke Lang. The first task had been aplished. Now it was time for the second. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. I have something for you.¡± She called Dang Gui over and took the food box from her before handing it to Xiao Juan. ¡°These are little cookies I made myself. I added some edible base to it. It has the effect of neutralizing stomach acid. If you¡¯re hungry or have a stomachache, you can grab some biscuits to eat.¡± With that, she opened the food box, revealing the small biscuits inside. Each cookie was in the shape of a heart. Xiao Juan looked down at her. ¡°How did you know that I have gastric problems?¡± Yu Niaoniao replied obediently, ¡°Granny Xiuyan told me.¡± Xiao Juan understood. No wonder she gave him mutton soupst time. That soup also had the effect of nourishing his stomach. Yu Niaoniao looked at him expectantly. ¡°Would you like to try a piece?¡± It was well known that Duke Lang never ate outside. The surrounding Eagle Guards could not help but look at the box of small biscuits. They felt a little regretful. The biscuits looked quite delicious. Unfortunately, Prince Lang wouldn¡¯t eat it. However, in the next moment, they saw Duke Lang extend his right hand and pinch a small biscuit with his well-defined fingers. He brought it to his mouth and gently bit it. The heart-shaped cookie bounced slightly upward and made a cracking sound. Xiao Juan ignored the surprised gazes of the surrounding people and slowly swallowed the biscuit. ¡°It tastes okay.¡± The texture was fragrant and crispy, and a little sweet. Fortunately, it was not greasy. Yu Niaoniao pursed her lips and smiled, her face filled with embarrassment. ¡°These cookies represent my love for you, Your Highness. Every cookie you eat is equivalent to eating one of my hearts.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. She was good at everything but being coquettish. Didn¡¯t she see that the surrounding Eagle Guards¡¯ ears were almost sticking up to the sky? Later on, there would definitely be many rumors in the Justice Department. The title would probably be- Shocking! The future princess consort actually confessed her love to Duke Lang in public, but his reaction was... Xiao Juan ate the remaining half of the biscuit and was already very calm. He thought she just liked to wheedle and should be used to it.¡¯ Yu Niaoniao handed the food box to Xiao Juan. The two missions on this trip were sessfullypleted! ¡°I¡¯m taking Yu Pingping home. I¡¯ll see you another day.¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her ws at the man, then helped Yu Fan up and called Dang Gui. The three of them walked out. Xiao Juan asked someone to arrange a carriage to send the three of them back. In a private room on the second floor of the tea shop, Shen Junzhi stood by the window and watched the Eagle Guards leave with a cold expression. The teahouse manager stood behind him and spoke respectfully. ¡°The Eagle Guards came suddenly this time. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t search the teahouse wantonly. The people we hid here shouldn¡¯t have been discovered.¡± Shen Junzhi said calmly, ¡°Move everyone away. In the future, this will just be an ordinary tea shop.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Chapter 73 73 She¡¯s a Devil!! The carriage moved slowly down the street. In the car, Yu Pingping rubbed her thigh and grimaced in pain. ¡°You were too harsh just now.¡± Yu Niaoniao leaned against Dang Gui and saidzily, ¡°If I wasn¡¯t ruthless, how could you cry?¡± Yu Pingping questioned angrily, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you pinch yourself? If you cried, the effect would definitely be better than mine.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at her in surprise, as if she did not understand how she could ask such a stupid question. ¡°Is there anything else to say? Naturally, it¡¯s because I¡¯m afraid of pain.¡± Yu Pingping was even angrier. ¡°Aren¡¯t I afraid of pain?!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You never said you were afraid of pain.¡± Yu Pingping was speechless. Was that humannguage?¡¯ Was there anyone in this world who was not afraid of pain?! To think that she had been touched by Yu Niaoniao previously. She even felt that she was really a good sister. As it turned out, she was the naive one. Yu Niaoniao could not be a good sister. She was a demon!! The carriage stopped in front of the Yu Residence. Yu Niaoniao was the first to jump out of the car. She stretchedzily. It was gettingte. She had to think about what to eat for lunch. The butler came out of the residence to wee her. He was about to greet the eldest daughter when he saw the second daughter being helped out of the car by Dang Gui. When he looked closely again, he saw that Second Miss¡¯s hair was in a mess, her clothes were wrinkled, and her sleeves were torn. She was limping when she walked, and it was obvious that she had just fought with someone. More importantly, Second Miss was ring at Missy with anger. The butler¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he blurted out, ¡°Miss hit Second Miss!¡± This morning, he had been worried that Missy and Second Missy would fight when they met. Heforted himself that it shouldn¡¯t be. No matter how bad the grudge between the two of them was, they wouldn¡¯t fight in front of outsiders. They had to save some face for him and the Yu family. Unexpectedly, the more he worried about something, the more it would happen. Look at Second Miss¡¯s sorry state. She must have been beaten up by Missy until she could not fight back. How terrible! When Yu Niaoniao heard this, she immediately jumped up and retorted loudly. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. I didn¡¯t hit her. She was beaten by someone else.¡± The butler was skeptical. ¡°Second Miss, is that so?¡± Yu Pingping knew she was in a sorry state. She covered her face with her handkerchief and huffed. ¡°It really has nothing to do with Yu Niaoniao. She didn¡¯t hit me.¡± With that, she limped back into the residence. The butler hurriedly followed and instructed the servant to inform Madam. Mrs. Jiang was still upset about her family¡¯s matter when she suddenly heard that her daughter had been beaten up. She immediately forgot about her family¡¯s matter and rushed to Yu Niaoniao¡¯s boudoir. Yu Pingping was changing when she entered. There were multiple bruises on her fair skin. At first nce, it was a shocking sight. Mrs. Jiang¡¯s heart ached and she was anxious. ¡°Who hit you? Was it that brat, Yu Niaoniao?¡± Yu Pingping quickly put on her clothes. ¡°It¡¯s not her.¡± Mrs. Jiang said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. If Yu Niaoniao bullied you, tell me. I¡¯ll definitely help you vent your anger!¡± Yu Pingping did not want to tell anyone about what had happened between her and Yang Xianrong. It would make her look too stupid for not knowing what a sister she¡¯d known for years was like. She couldn¡¯t afford to lose face. But no matter how she denied it, Mrs. Jiang did not believe it. She kept feeling that Yu Niaoniao had bullied her. Yu Pingping could not exin it clearly, so she decided to be shameless. ¡°Oh my god, if I say no, then no! With Yu Niaoniao¡¯s small body, how can she defeat me? I just have to move my fingers and I can press her to the ground!¡± Chapter 74 74 Shocked Probably because she had been frightened during the day, Yu Pingping started to have a fever at night and kept talking nonsense. This frightened Mrs. Jiang and Yu Kangtai. They hurriedly sent for the physician. Themotion was so loud that even Yu Sheng woke up. Knowing that his sister was sick, he quickly changed his clothes and went to the small courtyard where his sister lived. In the middle of the night, the entire Xu residence was brightly lit. Yu Kangtai stood by the bed worriedly and looked at his younger daughter¡¯s flushed cheeks. After the physician finished taking her pulse, Yu Kangtai hurriedly asked. ¡°How¡¯s that?¡± The physician said truthfully, ¡°Your daughter was frightened and her emotions were fluctuating too much. In addition, she caught a cold, which caused her to have a high fever. I¡¯ll prescribe her a medicine first and see if she can get better.¡± Yu Kangtai was not at home during the day and did not know that Yu Pingping had fought with someone. He immediately looked at Mrs. Jiang and asked, ¡°Why was she frightened for no reason?¡± Mrs. Jiang pursed her lips, looking like she wanted to say something but hesitated. Although Yu Pingping repeatedly guaranteed that he was not bullied by Yu Niaoniao, Mrs. Jiang still felt that Yu Fan¡¯s injury was rted to her. Otherwise, why did the two of them go to the tea shop together and only return with Yu Fan injured while Yu Niaoniao was safe and sound? Yu Kangtai urged, ¡°Just say it!¡± Mrs. Jiang gritted her teeth and said her guess. ¡°Yu Pingping arranged to meet a friend at the tea shop today. When she returned, she was covered in injuries. I asked her who hit her, but she refused to tell me. However, I heard that Niaoniao went to that tea shop today as well. She came back with Pingping.¡± Yu Kangtai¡¯s anger surged to the top of his head as he cursed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her? She even dared to hit her sister!¡± Yu Sheng, who had been silent, could not help but say. ¡°Maybe they just happened to bump into each other at the tea shop and came back together. Sister doesn¡¯t seem like the type to hit anyone...¡± Mrs. Jiang interrupted her. ¡°How can there be such a coincidence? There are so many tea houses in the city. Why did they choose the same one? Taking a step back, even if they really met by chance, why was Pingping the only one who was injured Didn¡¯t Niaoniao help her sister when she saw her being bullied?¡± Yu Sheng was speechless. Yu Kangtai felt that Mrs. Jiang¡¯s words made sense. No matter what, Yu Niaoniao had something to do with Yu Pingping being bullied! Previously, Yu Niaoniao was willful and reckless, but Yu Kangtai endured it. But not now. She should never have hit her own sister. This had crossed Yu Kangtai¡¯s bottom line. Yu Kangtai asked Mrs. Jiang to stay behind to take care of Yu Pingping while he led his men to the Green Jade Residence aggressively. Yu Niaoniao was sleeping soundly when she was suddenly woken up. Her mind was a little confused. She rubbed her eyes and asked in a muffled voice. ¡°What happened?¡± Dang Gui said anxiously as she put the clothes on her, ¡°Master is here. He said he wants to see you immediately.¡± Yu Niaoniao frowned andined unhappily. ¡°Can¡¯t he wait until tomorrow? Why does he have to disturb my sleep? Isn¡¯t he wicked?¡± Dang Gui coaxed nicely, ¡°Master is already waiting outside the house. Get up quickly. We¡¯ll continue sleepingter.¡± Yu Niaoniao put on her clothes and casually tied her long hair with a headband. She walked out of the door slowly. There were already many people standing in the small courtyard. The leader was Yu Kangtai. He sped his hands behind his back and frowned. His eyes were zing with anger. ¡°Traitorous girl! Kneel!¡± Chapter 75 75 Punish Her! Yu Niaoniao was confused. She did not understand why her father was crazy again. She stayed where she was and asked, ¡°Why do you want me to kneel? You have to give me a reason.¡± Yu Kangtai sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what you¡¯ve done?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not understand. ¡°What exactly did I do?¡± Yu Kangtai said, ¡°Pingping is your biological sister. How can you be so ruthless? How did your mother raise you? She actually taught you to be sowless and inhumane!¡± Yu Niaoniao involuntarily curled her fingers and clenched her fists. ¡°You can say anything about me, but not a word about my mother.¡± Madam Xie treated her extremely well and never let her suffer. She had always treated her like a precious treasure. Even when she faced the threat of death in the end, Madam Xie did not hesitate to leave her with the hope of survival. In her heart, Madam Xie was the best mother in the world. She could not tolerate anyone saying bad things about Madam Xie. Yu Kangtai said, ¡°Am I wrong? If she had taught you well, would you have be like this today?!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me? I think I¡¯m fine the way I am.¡± Her mother had once said that she did not expect her to be sessful. She only hoped that she could live a happy andfortable life. So she had to do her best to live happily. She decided she had done the right thing. Yu Kangtai was so angry that heughed. ¡°You¡¯re really unrepentant, aren¡¯t you? I originally thought that as long as you obediently apologize to Pingping, this matter would be over. Now, it seems that I was too optimistic. Men, punish her!¡± The butler came forward with the cane. He reminded him with trepidation, ¡°Master, calm down. Missy has to marry Duke Lang next month. If you beat her up, it won¡¯t be easy for you to ount to Duke Lang.¡± Yu Kangtai snatched the cane and gritted his teeth. ¡°With her character, if she really marries into the Langjun Imperial Pce, who knows what trouble she will cause in the future. Before she gets married, I must discipline her well and make her change her bad habits!¡± With that, he pointed the cane at Yu Niaoniao and ordered. ¡°Tie her up.¡± Two gruff grannies walked towards Yu Niaoniao. They were still holding the ropes and apologizing. ¡°Miss, we¡¯re sorry.¡± Seeing that the situation was bad, Yu Qianqian pulled Dang Gui up and ran out. They ran quickly and arrived at the entrance of the small courtyard in the blink of an eye. Yu Kangtai shouted, ¡°Stop!¡± Instead of stopping, Yu Niaoniao ran even faster. Seeing this, Yu Kangtai was furious and threatened without thinking. ¡°If you run another step, don¡¯t enter the Yu Residence again. I, Yu Kangtai, will pretend that I never had a daughter like you!¡± Yu Niaoniao paused. But soon she continued to sprint. Seeing her run away without looking back, Yu Kangtai was so angry that he almost fainted. How did he give birth to such an unfilial daughter? What an unfortunate family! The butler asked carefully, ¡°Shall I send someone to chase Missy back?¡± Yu Kangtai was furious. How could he agree? He said fiercely, ¡°Ignore her! I want to see how far she can run without the Yu family¡¯s protection! When she suffers outside, she will naturally know toe back obediently and apologize. At that time, see how I deal with her!¡± With that, he pressed his chest and took two hurried breaths. His face had already turned ashen. The butler was afraid that he would get angry, so he hurriedly held his arm. ¡°You don¡¯t look well. Go back and rest.¡± Chapter 76 76 We¡¯ll Figure it out Yu Niaoniao ran out of the Yu Residence with Dang Gui. It was already midnight, and the people in the city were already asleep. The streets were empty, and the houses by the roadside were dark. The night wind blew, giving off a bleak feeling. Dang Gui hunched her shoulders and asked softly. ¡°Miss, what are we going to do next?¡± They had left in such a hurry that they had not even taken their purses or their jewelry. They were truly penniless. They could not even find an inn to stay the night. Yu Niaoniao raised her head and puffed out her chest, looking very imposing. ¡°What are you afraid of? We¡¯ll cross that bridge when wee to it. Let¡¯s just walk forward. We¡¯ll definitely find a ce to stay. When Dang Gui saw how confident she was, she thought that she really had a solution. Her worries immediately dissipated. They walked down the street. However, before they could walk far, they encountered the soldiers in charge of patrolling. The two sides met. Yu Niaoniao forced a smile. ¡°What a coincidence. We meet again.¡± Thest time, it was these soldiers who captured them and imprisoned them in the Imperial Capital. When the officers saw them, they were stunned for a moment before quickly taking out their shackles. ¡°Sorry, we¡¯re just doing our duty.¡± Yu Niaoniao obediently extended her hands and put on the shackles. Her movements were so practiced that one could not help but pity her. Ten minutester. Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui appeared in the cell of the Imperial Capital. Dang Gui asked aggrievedly, ¡°Miss, didn¡¯t you say that we would definitely be able to find a ce to stay?¡± Yu Niaoniao leaned back, looking very rxed. ¡°This is where we¡¯re going to stay.¡± Dang Gui looked incredulous. Yu Niaoniao said happily, ¡°Look, there are walls on all sides and tiles above our heads. The wind and rain can¡¯t touch us. What a good living environment! Most importantly, this ce was booked for three meals a day. It didn¡¯t cost a penny. It¡¯s practically every homemaker¡¯s dream home!¡± Dang Gui was speechless. She actually thought herdy had a point. No way! She could not be fooled by her twisted logic. Dang Gui shook her head hard, trying to stay awake. ¡°No matter how well you praise this ce, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that we¡¯re in jail.¡± Yu Niaoniao said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s just prison. Anyway, it¡¯s not our first time. As the saying goes, we¡¯ll get used to it in the future. In the future, if wee often, we might even be able to get a VIP room here.¡± Dang Gui was crazy. What the hell was this? Did she have any self-awareness as a prisoner?! Seeing that Dang Gui was about to break down, Yu Qianqian patted the ground beside her and said seriously. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Come and sleep. Everything was fine here except for the nket. It¡¯s a little chilly at night. We have to get closer so we can get warm.¡± Dang Gui eximed, ¡°You can still sleep?¡± Yu Niaoniao said matter-of-factly, ¡°Why can¡¯t I sleep? Is there any problem in this world that can¡¯t be solved by sleeping? If there is, let¡¯s go back to sleep!¡± Dang Gui had nothing to say and chose to close the mic. She sat down beside Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao tilted her head and leaned against Dang Gui. She quickly fell asleep. Dang Gui thought she could not sleep. However, as she listened to Yu Niaoniao¡¯s even breathing, Dang Gui¡¯s thoughts became slower and slower, and her eyelids drooped. Soon she was asleep too. Just as they were sleeping soundly, the cell door was suddenly opened and the jailer walked in. ¡°Miss Yu, wake up!¡± Chapter 77 77 Pitiful and Helpless The second time her dream was disturbed, Yu Niaoniao expressed her extreme displeasure. She looked at the jailer nkly. ¡°Do you know what time it is?¡± The jailer did not understand, but he answered honestly, ¡°It¡¯s already midnight.¡± Yu Niaoniao pounded the floor angrily. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯ste. Why aren¡¯t you sleeping? Even if you¡¯re not sleeping, you can¡¯t disturb my sleep! Do you know how sleepy I am now? Do you know how important sleep is to my hairline?¡± The jailer shrank back from her fierce stance. He braced himself and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to disturb your sleep. Duke Lang is here. He¡¯s waiting for you outside.¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. ¡°Why is Duke Lang here?¡± The prison guard said ingratiatingly, ¡°He probably heard about you and specially came to save you.¡± He did not forget to tter her. ¡°Duke Lang has really put in a lot of effort for you. I wish the two of you a blissful marriage and a son soon.¡± Outside the prison cell of the Imperial Capital, Xiao Juan stood with his hands behind his back. His posture was as straight as a sharp sword, and the cloak behind him swayed gently with the night wind. The bright moonlight fell on him, adding a hint of mystery. The Justice Department had spies everywhere. Almost at the same time that Yu Niaoniao was captured and brought into the Imperial Capital, the news reached Xiao Juan¡¯s ears. Xiao Juan had already fallen asleep. When he heard about this, he had no choice but to get up and personallye to the Imperial Capital to pick her up. He looked at the two people walking out of the cell. His gaze quickly swept over Yu Niaoniao. She was clean and did not see any injuries. It did not look like she had suffered. Yu Niaoniao jogged all the way to Duke Lang, her face filled with joy. ¡°Your Highness, did youe specially to pick me up?¡± Xiao Juan said indifferently, ¡°I just happened to be here at the Imperial Capital on business. When I heard that you were locked up here, I came to pick you up.¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked. ¡°It¡¯s already sote. Are the people from the Imperial Capital still working?¡± Xiao Juan casually replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Before Yu Niaoniao could ask further, he quickly changed the topic. ¡°Why did you sneak out of the house in the middle of the night again?¡± Yu Niaoniao groaned. ¡°I was kicked out of the house.¡± Xiao Juan frowned slightly. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened either. My father suddenly went crazy and forced me to kneel down and apologize. I refused to kneel and he was about to whip me with a cane. I was so frightened that I fled the house. My father even said that he would never acknowledge me as his daughter again. I had nowhere to go but to wander the streets.¡± As Yu Niaoniao spoke, she lowered her head and her voice lowered. She was like a homeless kitten, pitiful and helpless. Xiao Juan¡¯s frown deepened, and he looked very unhappy. He was clearly unhappy with Yu Kangtai¡¯s approach. However, Yu Kangtai was Yu Niaoniao¡¯s father after all. It was not appropriate for him to say anything bad about her father in front of her. Seeing that Yu Xuanxian¡¯s clothes were thin, he casually pulled off his cloak and shook it gently. The wide cloak spread out like warm wings, gently wrapping around Yu Niaoniao. The cloak still smelled of a man. It was very unfamiliar. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s body stiffened, but she quickly rxed. She looked up at the man in front of her and asked pitifully. ¡°We don¡¯t have anywhere else to go now. Can we stay at LangJun Imperial Pce for the night?¡± Xiao Juan looked down at her. ¡°Do you know what people will say about an unmarried woman who spends the night at a man¡¯s house?¡± But Yu Niaoniao smiled. Her almond-shaped eyes curved slightly as if stars were flickering in them. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. In any case, I¡¯m already engaged to you. As long as you don¡¯t despise me, what does it matter what others think of me?¡± Chapter 78 78 Apologize Granny Xiuyan was old and a light sleeper. She woke almost as soon as there was any movement outside. By the time she had dressed and hurried out, the Prince of Lang had already left. She did not know what had happened, but anything that could make Duke Lang appear in the middle of the night was definitely not a small matter. She was no longer sleepy. She paced worriedly. After waiting for a long time, Duke Lang returned. Granny Xiu Yan hurried forward and was stunned to see the young girl following Duke Lang. ¡°Miss Yu?¡± Yu Niaoniao was wrapped in a ck cloak. Because the cloak was too long, the ends dragged on the ground. She said shyly. ¡°I have nowhere to go for the time being. I can onlye to your house for the night.¡± Granny Xiu Yan did not understand why a rich youngdy like her woulde to Langjun Imperial Pce instead of staying at home in the middle of the night. However, from her expression, she knew that she must have something to hide. Granny Xiu Yan was considerate enough not to ask further. She said warmly, ¡°Don¡¯t stand on ceremony. You cane anytime you want.¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°Arrange a guest room for her.¡± ¡°There.¡± Granny Xiu Yan led Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui away. Xiao Juan looked at Yu Niaoniao¡¯s departing figure. Her words seemed to still be lingering in his ears. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t despise me, what does it matter what others think of me?¡± She looked at him unblinkingly when she said that. It was as if he was her entire world. It was a look he had never seen before, and a feeling he had nevere into contact with. It was not until her figurepletely disappeared into the night that Xiao Juan looked away. He nced at the sky. It was not long before morning court. He decided not to sleep anymore. He changed into his official uniform and left Langjun Imperial Pce in the hazy night. He got on his horse and went straight to the pce. When the first rays of dawn pierced the clouds, the morning court session officially began. The civil and military officials stood on either side. The elderly emperor sat high in his seat. Xiao Juan took a step forward and walked out of the crowd. He presented the memorial with both hands. ¡°I have a request.¡± Everyone in the royal court instantly held their breaths and stared at the memorial in Xiao Juan¡¯s hand. They secretly wondered who was going to be unlucky this time. Three of them looked frightened. They were the fathers of Yang Xianrong, Ji Wenjing, and Wan Jiatong. Yesterday, the three women were sent back to their respective homes by the Eagle Guards. It caused a hugemotion, so it was impossible for their families not to know. The eunuch-in-waiting took the memorandum with both hands and then forwarded it to the emperor. The emperor opened the memorial and read it. ¡°Minister Ji, Yang Zhenyan, and Minister Wan.¡± The three people named trembled, their expressions bing even more terrified. Trembling, they stepped out of line and bowed to the emperor. The emperor asked unhurriedly, ¡°Yesterday, the daughters of the three of you gathered in the Joyous Imperial Tea House to cause trouble and injured Assistant Minister Yu¡¯s youngest daughter. Is this true?¡± The three of them hurriedly knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for not teaching my daughter well. Please punish me, Your Majesty.¡± If it were any other time, the emperor would have just reprimanded them for such a small matter. But things were different now. The emperor had been paying a lot of attention to the anti-government poetry case recently and nned to investigate it thoroughly. There were constantly people in the court who were involved in the case. Seeing that the matter was getting out of hand, many people in the court could not sit still anymore and stood up to dissuade the emperor from investigating further. Even the cab felt that the emperor should know when to stop. They nagged all day, like a group of flies that could not be chased away no matter what, making the emperor very irritable. Coincidentally, Assistant Minister Ji, Yang Zhenyan, and Minister Wan had all dissuaded the emperor. The emperor immediately treated the three of them as punching bags. With a wave of his hand, he fined them for half a year and ordered them to go to the Yu family to apologize to the victim, Yu Pingping. Chapter 79 79 He had Wronged Yu Niaoniao Putting aside the matter of the fine, they still had to apologize to the little girl from the Yu family. How could Assistant Minister Ji, Yang Pingyan, and Minister Wan face anyone? The emperor¡¯s move was like stepping on their faces. This was even more ruthless to the civil officials who valued their reputation more than their lives! However, once the emperor said something, there was no way to take it back. Assistant Minister Ji, Yang Zhenyan, and Minister Wan could only kneel and thank him. Because of his angerst night, Yu Kangtai felt a little pain in his heart. The doctor suggested that he rest at home for a while. Therefore, he took a day off today and did not participate in the morning court assembly. Naturally, he did not know what happened during the morning court assembly. When Assistant Minister Ji, Yang Pingyan, and Minister Wan came to the Yu Residence with the jade strips on their backs, Yu Kangtai was told the entire story. Yu Kangtai was in disbelief. ¡°Did your daughters really injure Pingping?¡± Assistant Minister Ji, Yang Pingyan, and Minister Wan were all very embarrassed. They didn¡¯t want to speak, but they had to answer. ¡°Absolutely.¡± This matter had already reached the emperor, and there were so many people watching. There was no room for the three of them to deny it. Yu Kangtai frowned. If Yu Pingping was really injured by someone, why was Yu Niaoniao safe and sound? As an elder sister, shouldn¡¯t she help her sister when she saw her being bullied? Thinking about it this way, Yu Niaoniao was still at fault. She was notpletely innocent. Yu Kangtaiforted himself like this. He pretended to exchange a few pleasantries with Assistant Minister Ji, Yang Pingyan, and Minister Wan before preparing to send them away. But the three of them insisted on seeing Yu Pingping. ¡°The emperor said that we must apologize to Second Miss Yu. This is an imperial edict.¡± Yu Kangtai had no choice but to get someone to invite Yu Pingping over. Yu Pingping was awake, but she was still very weak. She did not know that Yu Niaoniao had left home. When her father called her over, she was confused. ¡°Father called me here. Do you have any orders?¡± Yu Kangtai introduced Assistant Minister Ji, Yang Pingyan, and Minister Wan. ¡°Their daughters injured you and they came specially to apologize.¡± The three of them bowed to Yu Pingping and apologized. Yu Pingping was very surprised. She had thought that the matter of yesterday hade to an end. She had not expected any follow-up today. Remembering how she had almost been disfigured yesterday, she was furious. She ignored the hint in her father¡¯s eyes and spoke with a straight face. ¡°The three of you probably don¡¯t know how ruthless your daughters were yesterday and almost killed me. If my sister hadn¡¯t saved me in time, I would have been beaten ck and blue. Do you think a simple apology can put this behind you?¡± When she was done, before the three of them could say anything, Yu Kangtai blurted out, ¡°Did Yu Niaoniao really save you?¡± Yu Pingping thought her father¡¯s reaction was strange. He looked as if he was very shocked. She answered truthfully, ¡°Yes, thanks to my sister yesterday. She protected me.¡± Yu Kangtai¡¯s brain buzzed, and he could not recover from the shock for a long time. Initially, he wholeheartedly believed that Yu Niaoniao was at fault. Unexpectedly, the truth was the opposite of what he thought. He had wronged Yu Niaoniao. He had wronged her without asking. Intense shame and regret almost engulfed him. Chapter 80 80 Hidden Merit and Name After breakfast, Yu Niaoniao walked into the courtyard and stretched against the sunny sky. It felt so good to eat and sleep! Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Granny Xiuyan. Seeing that Granny Xiu Yan wanted to say something but hesitated, Yu Niaoniao took the initiative to ask. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Granny Xiuyan smiled shyly. ¡°I have something to ask you for help. I wonder if you¡¯re free now?¡± Yu Niaoniao gestured for her to tell her. Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°Duke Lang went out before dawn today and hasn¡¯t returned yet. He hasn¡¯t even eaten breakfast. As you know, the Regional King has stomach problems and has to take medicine on time. He has to take three meals a day as much as possible, so I want to ask you to help deliver medicine and breakfast to him.¡± Yu Niaoniao agreed without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯d like that!¡± Duke Lang had kindly taken her in, so she had to repay him. Granny Xiu Yan was overjoyed. ¡°Thank you so much!¡± She took out the food box she had prepared. ¡°The medicine and breakfast are in here. I guess Duke Langis in the Justice Department now. You can go straight to the Justice Department to look for him.¡± Yu Niaoniao took the food box. ¡°Then I¡¯ll set off now.¡± Dang Gui wanted to follow, but she was rejected by Yu Niaoniao. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. You can stay here. You don¡¯t have to follow me back and forth.¡± Dang Gui looked at her eagerly. ¡°Thene back early.¡± Granny Xiu Yan sent Yu Niaoniao out of Langjun Imperial Pce. After the carriage left, Granny Xiu Yan turned around and returned to the residence. She straightened her sleeves. She had a temperament of hiding her achievements and fame. Your Highness, this is all I can do for you. ... . The carriage moved steadily down the street. Yu Niaoniao pulled up the bamboo curtain and looked out the car window. This area was inhabited by royal rtives, so the streets were especially spacious and clean. The mansions on both sides of the road were also built in an imposing manner. From the looks of it, they really wanted to write the words ¡°I¡¯m very noble and you¡¯re not worthy¡± on the door. When the carriage entered the downtown area, the surrounding shops gradually increased, and the streets became more and more crowded. Most of them were dressed brightly. As far as the eye could see, it was really a prosperous scene! Just as Yu Niaoniao was sighing in her heart, she heard amotion ahead. Someone seemed to be crying. The cry was exceptionally shrill and sharp, attracting Yu Niaoniao¡¯s attention. She looked in the direction of the voice and saw a book shop in front. Many onlookers had already gathered at the door of the book shop. The crying came from the bookstore. When the carriage approached the book shop, Yu Niaoniao saw clearly that there were four Eagle Guards standing at the innermost part of the crowd. They blocked the door of the bookstore tightly, preventing outsiders from entering. The citizens discussed quietly. ¡°Why did the Eagle Guards move all their books away?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. These are all the assets of the shopkeeper. If we empty them all at once, wouldn¡¯t it be equivalent to killing the shopkeeper?¡± ¡°From the looks of it, the Eagle Guards aren¡¯t just moving the books. They¡¯re going to capture the shopkeeper and his family.¡± ¡°Listen, the shopkeeper and his wife are crying so badly!¡± ¡°The Eagle Guards are not human. Sooner orter, they will suffer retribution!¡± . Probably afraid of being overheard by the Eagle Guards, the chatter behind them grew softer, almost inaudible. Yu Niaoniao ced her hands on the carriage window and craned her neck to look into the bookstore. She saw baskets of books being carried out and loaded onto the carriage the Eagle Guards had brought. In the end, even the shopkeeper¡¯s family was dragged out and stuffed into the carriage. They were all taken away. Chapter 81 81 Gastritis The scene was noisy. Yu Niaoniao noticed that themoners¡¯ expressions when they looked at the Eagle Guards were filled with fear and hatred. Such intense hostility was truly shocking. If this continued, the Eagle Guards would probably be the target of public criticism, and Duke Lang¡¯s situation would be even more difficult. The carriage was still moving. The bookstore was getting further and further away from her. Yu Niaoniao looked away and sat obediently. She rested her chin on one hand as her mind began to wander. It seemed that in the eyes of others, Duke Lang and his Eagle Guards were a group of evil spirits who ate people without spitting out their bones. At first, she thought so, but after her short time with Duke Lang, she felt that he did not seem as bad as the rumors said. The previous night, Prince Lang personally went to fetch her from prison in the middle of the night. He even carefully put a cloak on her and gave her a ce to stay. This was not something an evil spirit could do. Yu Niaoniao muttered unconsciously. ¡°What kind of person is he, exactly?¡± Inside the Justice Department, Xiao Juan was reading the case. He watched intently, not even bothering to take a sip from his tea. Unknowingly, the tea beside him was cold. Perhaps because he had not eaten breakfast and did not rest wellst night, Xiao Juan suddenly felt a faint pain in his stomach. This felt familiar. It must be an old habit. Xiao Juan frowned slightly and had no choice but to put down the dossier for the time being and pick up his teacup. After drinking a mouthful of cold tea, instead of easing, the stomach ache worsened. He had left in a hurry this morning without his usual stomach medicine. This was going to be troublesome. He did not want someone to send for a doctor. It would cause too muchmotion and might cause unnecessary trouble. After thinking for a moment, Xiao Juan recalled the cookies Yu Niaoniao had given him. He pulled open the drawer under the desk. Acquered wooden food boxy quietly in the drawer. After he returned to the Justice Department yesterday, he casually threw the food box sent by Yu Niaoniao into the drawer and never touched it again. Recalling what Yu Niaoniao had said, Xiao Juan opened the food box and casually picked up a small cookie before putting it into his mouth. The cookie was fragrant and crispy, sweet but not greasy. He ate four or five small biscuits in session. Xiao Juan felt that the stomach pain seemed to have lessened a little and was not as ufortable as before. He was rather surprised. He did not expect Yu Niaoniao to be telling the truth. These small cookies could really relieve stomach problems. He had never seen such a confectionery before, so it was probably not an ordinary thing. In that case, the process of making it should not be simple. It seemed that Yu Niaoniao had really put in a lot of effort. Xiao Juan carefully covered the food box, nning to save the remaining biscuits. ... . The carriage pulled up in front of the Justice Department. When the Eagle Guard standing guard at the door saw that it was the future Princess Consort, he instantly changed from a cold ck-backed dog to a passionate husky. ¡°Miss Yu, you¡¯re here to look for His Highness again today?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, please help me pass the message.¡± ¡°Alright, please wait a moment.¡± An Eagle Guard darted into the Justice Department. Before long, he returned and gestured for Yu Niaoniao to enter. ¡°His Royal Highness invites you in.¡± Yu Niaoniao entered the Justice Department and quickly met Duke Lang in a ce simr to a study. Xiao Juan put down the case in his hand and asked. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± His voice was as low and cold as ever, and his face was still as cold as ever. Yu Niaoniao ced the food box on the desk and said crisply. ¡°I¡¯m here to bring you food.¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Chapter 82 82 Honey ck Tea Yu Niaoniao said in surprise. ¡°You haven¡¯t even had breakfast. How can you not be hungry?¡± Without waiting for Xiao Juan to answer, she continued to persuade him. ¡°As the saying goes, a person is not made of steel. If you don¡¯t eat, you¡¯ll be hungry. Your body is so precious. You can¡¯t starve, or your heart will ache.¡± Xiao Juan was silent. Why did this woman¡¯s sweet wordse out of her mouth so effortlessly? Won¡¯t she feel embarrassed? Yu Niaoniao opened the food box and took out a small white porcin jar first. She ced the small jar in front of the man. ¡°This is your stomach medicine. You forgot to bring it with you when you went out. Sister Xiuyan asked me to bring it to you.¡± Xiao Juan opened the small jar and poured out two pills. He threw them into his mouth and swallowed them expressionlessly. Yu Qianqian then brought out a porcin bowl and two light and refreshing dishes. She opened the china cup, revealing the chicken soup porridge inside. The porridge must have been cooked for a long time. It had already been cooked out of rice oil. It was very sticky. Yu Niaoniao urged, ¡°These are your breakfast. Please eat them while they¡¯re hot.¡± Looking at the food, Xiao Juan knew that it was made by the chefs in Lanjun Imperial Pce. He looked away without much appetite and picked up the case again. ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat for the time being. Let¡¯s put them aside.¡± Seeing that he really did not want to eat, Yu Niaoniao rolled her eyes and suddenly asked. ¡°Do you still have the little cookies I gave you yesterday?¡± Xiao Juan subconsciously looked at the drawer beside him and asked, ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If you really don¡¯t want to eat breakfast, please have some of the cookies. No matter what, please eat something. Don¡¯t starve yourself.¡± Xiao Juan was already used to hatred, resentment, anger, and other negative emotions. Suddenly, someone was so concerned about him that he did not know how to deal with it. He could only pretend not to hear anything and continue reading the case file in his hand. Seeing that he did not appreciate it, Yu Niaoniao was quite unhappy. ¡°Forget it if you refuse to eat.¡± With that, she stood up and ran out without looking back. Xiao Juan¡¯s gaze moved away from the case and looked at her departing figure. His thin lips were pursed tightly. Had he disappointed her? Actually, that was normal. She and he were not from the same world. Logically, he knew that this small matter was not worth mentioning, but he did not feel veryfortable. He could not look at the dossier in his hand anymore. Xiao Juan had no choice but to put down the dossier, pick up the teacup, and finish the remaining half of the cold tea. The cold tea entered his throat but did not suppress his chaotic thoughts. His gaze still strayed involuntarily to the door. He wanted to see how Yu Niaoniao was doing. He hesitated for a long time. In the end, Xiao Juan chose to stand up. But in the next moment, he saw Yu Niaoniao return. She was carrying a teapot. Xiao Juan immediately sat back down and asked nonchntly. ¡°Where did you go just now?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook the teapot in her hand. ¡°Il went to make tea for you.¡± She picked up the teacup in front of Xiao Juan and poured away all the cold tea inside, recing it with hot honey ck tea. ¡°Your stomach is weak. Don¡¯t drink cold tea. This honey ck tea is good for your stomach. You¡¯re better off drinking this.¡± Xiao Juan looked at the teacup ced in front of him. In the white porcin teacup, pale red tea liquid emitted white mist. He picked it up and tasted it. It was sweet and warm. Even the slight difort in his heart was dispelled. Yu Niaoniao pushed the china cup closer to him and looked at him expectantly. ¡°Have some, will you?¡± Xiao Juan looked into her eyes and replied softly, ¡°Yes.¡± ... Chapter 83 83 Virtuous Wife Xiao Juan was full after eating a small bowl of chicken soup porridge. This appetite was pitifully small for an adult man, but he was anorexic and had a poor stomach. It was not easy for him to eat. Thus, she did not force him to eat more. She put the cutlery into the food box and prepared to leave. Xiao Juan nced at her and asked calmly. ¡°Did you sleep wellst night?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°It was especially good! Your pillow and nket are veryfortable. The bed is also very big. The environment is much better than a cell.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. As expected of a woman who had been in jail twice. Her praise was especially tricky. He said expressionlessly, ¡°But I heard that you slept quite well in the cell.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not seem to hear the teasing in the other party¡¯s words and smiled smugly. ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m not picky. I¡¯m easy to feed,monly known as a virtuous wife!¡± Xiao Juan did not understand. ¡°What does this have to do with being a good wife?¡± Yu Niaoniao said righteously, ¡°Of course it does! In the future, if your family doesn¡¯t have any money with which to live well, I won¡¯t despise you. Anyway, I¡¯m easy to support. It doesn¡¯t matter where I live. Isn¡¯t that virtuous enough?¡± Xiao Juan was dumbfounded. If she wanted to boast, she should boast properly. Why did she have to step on him in passing? Did he look like the kind of unlucky person who would fall from grace at any moment? There was a knock on the door. Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao looked at the door at the same time. Meng Xizhou walked in and cupped his fists at Prince Lang. ¡°Your Highness, all the books in Liu¡¯s Bookstore have been confiscated. What do you think we should do next?¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately remembered that she had passed by a bookshop on her way here and had seen the Eagle Guards collecting arge number of books there. She could not help but be curious. Why did he confiscate those books? Xiao Juan instructed calmly, ¡°Search all the books first and see if there is anti-government poetry hidden in them. Hand over the list before it gets dark.¡± Realization dawned on Yu Niaoniao. So it had something to do with the anti-government poetry case again. Meng Xizhou was in a difficult position. ¡°There are hundreds of those books. It would take a lot of time to read them page by page.¡± Xiao Juan frowned slightly, seemingly displeased. It was not that he had to make things difficult for his subordinates, but the emperor had been pressing him. ¡°Then send more men. Quickly.¡± Meng Xizhou said, ¡°Many people are out on business now. I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t be back for a while...¡± He broke off when he met Duke Lang¡¯s cold gaze. He didn¡¯t dare say anything else and answered obediently. ¡°I¡¯ll get on it.¡± After Meng Xizhou left, Xiao Juan picked up the case again. It seemed like he nned to continue the unfinished business. Yu Niaoniao suddenly went up to him. ¡°Your Highness, do you stillck manpower in the Justice Department?¡± Xiao Juan looked up at her. ¡°Why are you asking?¡± Yu Niaoniao puffed out her chest. ¡°I want to apply for a job.¡± Xiao Juan did not understand why she suddenly had such a thought. Yu Qianqian exined, ¡°I¡¯m penniless now. Although you¡¯ve provided me with a ce to stay, I can¡¯t stay at your house for free. I have to rely on myself, so I want to find a job.¡± Xiao Juan said solemnly, ¡°The Justice Department doesn¡¯t ept women.¡± What he meant was that there was no suitable job for Yu Niaoniao here. Yu Niaoniao was disappointed. ¡°I see. Well, never mind. I¡¯ll look elsewhere.¡± She was about to get up when she was stopped by Xiao Juan. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Chapter 84 84 I¡¯m Willing! Yu Niaoniao sighed. ¡°I n to take a look at the wine shops and teahouses in the city first. I can¡¯t do anything else, but my culinary skills are alright. Perhaps they¡¯ll be willing to take me in as a helper. As tiring as the job in those ces are, I have nowhere else to go now. No matter how tired I am, I can only grit my teeth and endure it.¡± An image involuntarily appeared in Xiao Juan¡¯s mind. In the noisy kitchen, Yu Niaoniao was being ordered around and made to keep working. She was so tired that her back hurt and she could not stand up. However, she could only grit her teeth and swallow all her tears. He couldn¡¯t think about it. The more he thought about it, the more his heart ached. Xiao Juan suddenly spoke. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him aggrievedly. ¡°Do you have any other instructions?¡± Xiao Juan said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s true that the Justice Department can¡¯t ept women, but Ick a helper. If you¡¯re willing, you can stay and help.¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned at first, then she nodded quickly. ¡°I¡¯m willing! Very much!¡± Seeing how cheerful she was, he was overjoyed. Xiao Juan could not help but smile. ¡°What do you want in terms of sry and treatment?¡± Yu Niaoniao counted with her little fingers and said seriously. ¡°I don¡¯t ask for much as long as food and amodation are covered and I can get my travel expenses reimbursed. I¡¯ll limit my working hours to less than eight hours a day. I¡¯ll take eight days off every month, and I¡¯ll work out the holidays. A monthly sry of no less than ten taels is enough.¡± Xiao Juan was silent. That¡¯s not a lot to ask? The imperial court had holidays, but they were usually once a month. At most, he could take three days off every month. However, because there were too many things to do in the Justice Department, Xiao Juan had never taken a break since he took office. He¡¯d almost forgotten about having a holiday. Yu Niaoniao actually asked for eight days off? She was thinking nonsense. Xiao Juan said with a wooden face, ¡°Three days of leave every month, a monthly sry of 20 taels, food, amodation, carriage, and horse fees.¡± Yu Niaoniao counted with her fingers again. Although the holidays had decreased, the sry had doubled. That was eptable. So she pped the table on the spot. ¡°No problem!¡± Xiao Juan had retained her, but then he was a little troubled. He wondered what kind of job he should give her. If he did not let her do anything, he was afraid that she would think too much. After some thought, Xiao Juan had an idea. He had someone bring the books he had just confiscated to Yu Niaoniao and spoke to her. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a photographic memory? Read all these books. Pick out the ones with anti-poetry hidden inside and make a list for me.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at the small mountain of books in front of her and felt numb. She really did not expect that Prince Lang would really use her to death when he said he wanted to hire her. He was not polite at all. If he went to modern society, he would be a capitalist who would not stop until he drained the working people dry. Poor sweatshop worker Yu Niaoniao had nowhere toin. She could only silently roll up her sleeves and start working. She hadn¡¯t been bragging when she said she had a photographic memory. As long as she nced at the page, her brain would automatically memorize the entire contents and quickly digest them. Xiao Juan could not help but ask when he saw her flipping through the book quickly. ¡°You can remember that?¡± Yu Niaoniao replied without looking up, ¡°I can remember most of it.¡± Xiao Juan was skeptical. He picked up a book she had just finished and opened it at random. He read the beginning of two sentences and let her take the next. Yu Niaoniao barely thought before blurting out an article. She actually memorized the entire page, word for word. Chapter 85 85 Reward This time, even the knowledgeable Xiao Juan was stunned. He had seen many talented people, but he had never seen someone with the same talent as Yu Niaoniao. Yu Qianqian looked up at him and said with a cheeky smile. ¡°Do you think your twenty taels of silver were worth it?¡± Xiao Juan really felt that it was worth it. Talent was a scarce resource in any era. At the same time, he felt that it was a pity. If she was a man, it would not be a problem for her to be the top schr. Unfortunately, she was a woman and would never be able to be an official or make a name for herself. There were many books that the Eagle Guards had confiscated today. A small half of them were sent to Yu Niaoniao, and the remaining half was distributed to the other Eagle Guards for review. Logically speaking, it should be faster with more people. However, Yu Nianiao was an overachiever. Her reading speed wasparable to a rocket. The pages were flipped by her. In just over four hours, she had finished the entire pile of books in front of her. It was also because she had read these books with her own eyes that she could confirm that the Eagle Guards were not talking nonsense. There was indeed some anti-government poetry hidden in these books. Apart from that, there were also many unhealthy books that promoted extreme thoughts and were prone to attracting evil. She picked out all these books, wrote a list, and ced it on Xiao Juan¡¯s desk. With the missionpleted, Yu Niaoniao stood up and stretched. Xiao Juan epted the list and said sincerely, ¡°You did well.¡± Yu Niaoniao had always been impudent. Hearing the man¡¯s praise, she immediately followed it. ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t you reward me?¡± She tilted her head back, her eyes sparkling like a cute kitten begging to be stroked. It made him want to reach out and touch it. Xiao Juan resisted the urge to reach out and asked calmly, ¡°What reward do you want?¡± Yu Niaoniao rubbed her hands together in anticipation. ¡°Can you treat me to supper tonight?¡± Ever since she came to the Imperial Capital, she had never seen the night market here or eaten supper here. She had beenining about this for a long time. Xiao Juan never ate outside food. He refused without thinking. ¡°No way.¡± Yu Niaoniao leaned over and grabbed the man¡¯s sleeve. She shook him gently and pleaded softly. ¡°I don¡¯t eat much. It won¡¯t cost you a lot of money. Just apany me to eat once, okay?¡± Xiao Juan shifted his gaze away from her face and said coldly, ¡°Acting cute is useless against me.¡± The same trick wouldn¡¯t fool him twice. Seeing this, Yu Niaoniao could only let go of her ws in disappointment and let out a long sigh. ¡°Okay.¡± Xiao Juan could not stand her dejected look and spoke as if to make up for something. ¡°If you want to eat anything, you can tell me. I¡¯ll get someone from the dining hall to cook for you.¡± The Justice Department had a dining hall. Usually, if the Eagle Guards were busy with work and did not have time to go home for dinner, they would stay in the dining hall of the Justice Department to eat. Hearing that she could eat delicious food, Yu Niaoniao immediately perked up. She started ticking off the dishes. ¡°I want fried lotus root, fried spring rolls, stir-fried meat, sweet and sour pork tenderloin, sour and spicy fish head, and winter melon shrimp soup.¡± Xiao Juan ordered someone to report the names of these dishes to the dining hall and asked the chefs to prepare lunch ording to the names of the dishes. Unexpectedly, the chefs were stumped by these dishes. They had never even heard of these dishes, let alone cooked them. If they didn¡¯t know Duke Lang¡¯s character, they would have thought that he was deliberately making things difficult for them. Chapter 86 86 Monkey Head Mushroom Chicken Soup Xiao Juan did not expect that the chefs of the Justice Department would not be able to make a few dishes. He frowned and began to consider changing cooks. Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if they don¡¯t know how to do it. I¡¯ll teach them.¡± It just so happened that she was very curious about the dining hall of the Justice Department. This was a good opportunity to take a look. Xiao Juan knew that she loved to cook, so he did not stop her and let her be. The dining hall of the Justice Department wasrger than she had expected.It was divided into two parts. The central room outside was filled with tables and chairs. It was a ce to eat. Inside, it was a kitchen. The kitchen was very well-equipped. There were pots and stoves, and there were various ingredients. Yu Niaoniao put her hands behind her back and strolled around the kitchen. A chef stood obediently at the side with his four disciples. Probably because the food was good, the chef and his disciples were fair and fat. Especially the chef. His bulging belly was about to burst his belt. They knew that Yu Niaoniao was the future Princess Consort and did not dare to underestimate her at all. Yu Niaoniao dug out a bag of fresh monkey head mushrooms from the corner. Monkey head mushrooms can promote gastrointestinal digestion and are very good for nursing people with gastrointestinal disease. She had an idea and immediately said to the fat chef. ¡°I don¡¯t want the shrimp winter melon soup anymore. Change it to monkey head mushroom chicken soup.¡± The fat chef asked carefully, ¡°May I ask how we can make monkey head mushroom chicken soup?¡± The monkey head mushrooms had been bought by the person in charge of the procurement. The fat chef had tried to make a stew with it, but the meat had an indescribable bitterness. He had not touched the monkey head mushrooms since. Originally, he had nned to throw away the monkey head mushrooms. He did not expect the future county princess to use them. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s simple. I¡¯ll teach you.¡± She soaked the mushrooms in salt water, then washed them. When the fat chef saw her squeezing the monkey head mushroom hard and letting out some yellow water, he could not help but ask boldly. ¡°May I ask what you¡¯re doing?¡± Yu Niaoniao was very happy to exchange culinary skills with others, so she did not hide it. ¡°This is to remove the bitter taste of the monkey head mushrooms.¡± The fat chef understood. The reason why the stew was bitter was that this step was missing. With this trick, the fat chef felt as if he had obtained a treasure. Yu Niaoniao ced the entire chicken into the casserole and added the oysters and jujube, as well as the monkey head mushrooms that had been torn into small pieces. She added water to the pot and started cooking. ... . Xiao Juan originally thought that Yu Niaoniao would return soon. After all, she was the future Princess Consort. The chefs in the dining hall would not really let her cook. She should just give them a few pointers. Unexpectedly, she was gone for a long time. Seeing that it was already noon and she was still nowhere to be seen, Xiao Juan could not sit still anymore. He decided to check the kitchen himself. When Xiao Juan walked near the kitchen, he saw many Eagle Guards gathered at the kitchen door. They all craned their necks to look into the kitchen and took deep breaths from time to time. From the looks of it, they seemed to be quite absorbed, so much so that no one noticed that Prince Lang hade over. It was not until they heard a low cough that everyone came back to their senses. When they turned around and saw that it was Duke Lang, they were shocked and hurriedly cupped their fists. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness!¡± Xiao Juan asked calmly, ¡°Why are you all gathered here?¡± Meng Xizhou scratched his head and said embarrassedly. ¡°We¡¯re watching Miss Yu cook.¡± Xiao Juan did not understand what was so good to watch about cooking. When he walked into the kitchen, the rich smell of food hit him, making him stop. He focused his gaze again and saw Yu Niaoniao standing beside the stove. Her sleeves were rolled up, revealing a slender white arm. She was nimbly stir-frying with a spat. Her originally fair and tender face was flushed red from the heat. A little sweat seeped out of the tip of her nose. Her lips had turned red and moist from something she had just eaten, making her look exceptionally attractive. Xiao Juan immediately understood what the brats were looking at. He turned around and looked at the group of Eagle Guards outside the door with a dark expression. His thin lips parted slightly and he spat out a word coldly. ¡°Get lost!¡± Chapter 87 87 Descend of a Heavenly God The Eagle Guards scattered in fear. In the blink of an eye, the door was empty. The fat chef and his disciples were also shocked. They rushed forward to greet him. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± Yu Niaoniao took the time to look at Xiao Juan. ¡°Why did youe, Your Highness?¡± Before Xiao Juan could answer, she quickly looked away and continued cooking. Xiao Juan had never been ignored like this. Scowling, he walked over. ¡°I thought you said you¡¯re teaching them how to cook. Why are you cooking yourself?¡± Everyone present could tell that Prince Lang was not in a good mood. Everyone was trembling with fear, afraid that Prince Lang would re up. Only Yu Niaoniao did not feel anything. Her mind was focused on cooking. ¡°It¡¯s useless to just learn passively. You have to see it done. I¡¯m demonstrating it to them myself. It¡¯s better than saying it ten times.¡± Xiao Juan looked displeased. He wanted to say that as the future Princess Consort, it was already very good that she could deign to exin a few words to the chefs. If they couldn¡¯t learn it, they could only me themselves for being too stupid. However, just as his thin lips opened, before he could say anything, Yu Niaoniao fed him a piece of meat. She asked expectantly, ¡°How does this meat taste?¡± Xiao Juan swallowed the words that were about toe out of his mouth. He chewed carefully and nodded slightly. ¡°Not bad.¡± Yu Qianqian immediately beamed with joy. ¡°This dish is lighter and won¡¯t stimte your stomach. It¡¯s also very appetizing and nutritious. I can get the chef to cook more for you in the future.¡± Xiao Juan did not speak. The displeasure on his face had disappeared. Yu Qianqian scooped out the dishes and ced them on the te. ¡°I¡¯ll teach them a few dishes every day in the future. In the future, they¡¯ll be able to cook many delicious dishes for His Highness.¡± Only then did Xiao Juan understand that she had taken the trouble to personally cook and teach them how to cook so that he could eat delicious food every day in the future. The fat chef and his disciples were surprised to find that not only was the Duke Lang not angry, but the corners of his mouth even curled up slightly. But when they looked carefully, the arc disappeared. Duke Lang was still that unreasonable and cold man. His smile just now seemed to be an illusion. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan sat down in the dining hall outside. There were three dishes and a soup on the table in front of him. There were not many dishes, but Yu Niaoniao had made them herself just now. She first asked for a bowl of chicken soup and ced it in front of Xiao Juan. ¡°This is Monkey Head Mushroom Chicken Soup. It can promote digestion, spleen, and stomach. Why don¡¯t you try it?¡± Xiao Juan picked up the bowl and took a sip. The grease in the chicken soup had been absorbed by the monkey head mushroom. It did not feel greasy when drunk. There was only a strong fragrance. In addition, because there were red dates, it was a little sweet when one savored it. He couldn¡¯t resist taking two more sips. Seeing this, Yu Niaoniao could not help but smile. There were still many Eagle Guards sitting in the dining hall. They were not in the mood to eat now. They were all peeking at Duke Lang¡¯s table from the corner of their eyes. They were really too curious. In the past, they had never seen Duke Lange to the dining hall for a meal. It was said that Duke Lang only ate the food sent by the Duke¡¯s pce. Sometimes, when he was busy, he did not even eat. Now that he saw Duke Lang appear in the dining hall, it was no different from seeing a god descend to the mortal world. But soon they didn¡¯t have time to pay attention to anyone else. This was because they discovered that there were several new dishes in the dining hall today, and they all tasted very good. After asking, they realized that it was a recipe taught by the future princess. The Eagle Guards buried their heads in their food and sighed inwardly. As expected of Miss Yu, who could even pull a heavenly god down to the mortal world. Her culinary skills were too superb! Chapter 88 88 Sleeping Together After eating and drinking her fill, Yu Niaoniao was a little sleepy. Xiao Juan had an exclusive lounge in the Justice Department. He let Yu Niaoniao sleep there. Although the lounge was small, it was well-equipped with bedding and other daily necessities. Yu Niaoniao was really sleepy. Without thinking, she took off her coat, shoes, and socks, rolled into bed, wrapped herself in the nket, and fell asleep. When she woke up, she smelled the faint scent of medicine left in the nket. This was the Prince of Lang¡¯s lounge, which meant he had probably slept in this bed before. Now that she was sleeping on this bed too, it was equivalent to the two of them sleeping together! At the thought of this, Yu Niaoniao could not help butugh. She dressed and walked briskly back to Mirror House. Xiao Juan sat behind the desk and carefully reviewed the case. From time to time, he would write on it. He heard footsteps and looked up at Yu Niaoniao. He saw that she was smiling and seemed happy. He asked. ¡°Did you encounter any happy events?¡± Yu Niaoniao wanted to tease him, so she deliberately did not answer and asked instead. ¡°Do you know that you smell faintly of medicine?¡± Xiao Juan really did not know about this. He raised his right hand and sniffed the sleeve carefully. There did seem to be a faint bitter scent. Then again, he suffered from stomach problems and often had to drink medicine. He didn¡¯t like incense usually, so it was normal for him to smell a little like medicine. Xiao Juan put down his hand and stared at her with his dark eyes. ¡°How did you know I smelled like medicine?¡± Yu Niaoniao was waiting for him to say this. She immediately smiled widely. ¡°Because I smelled medicine in your bed!¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. Yu Qianqian did not seem to see his stiff expression and continued speaking with a cheeky smile. ¡°I wasn¡¯t used to it when I first smelled it, but it felt pretty special after a while.¡± Xiao Juan said stiffly, ¡°Since you¡¯ve already slept enough, work hard next.¡± Then, he got someone to bring over arge stack of books and ced them in front of Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao immediately stopped smiling. Xiao Juan wrote a reply to thest dossier, then calmly stood up and said calmly. ¡°I have something to do outside. Do more and talk less here. When you¡¯re done, make a list of the books with problems and put them on my desk.¡± Yu Niaoniao had learned her lesson. This time, she was not mischievous and replied obediently. ¡°Sure thing.¡± After Xiao Juan left, Yu Niaoniao immediately tilted to the side as if she had no bones and continued to read in a reclining posture. It was best to lie down and read like this. After lying on her side for a long time, she switched to lying on her stomach. After a long time, she changed to lying on her back. The various positions kept rotating. If she was ufortable lying down, she would have to stand up and perform a set ofbination punches. The punches were dazzling and disorderly. The Eagle Guard, who was watching from the shadows, was dazzled. ... . After Xiao Juan left the Justice Department, he brought a team of Eagle Guards to the Imperial College. Books that could be circted on the market had to be reviewed by the Imperial College¡¯s Chancellor. Xiao Juan nned to take the list of prohibited books to the chancellor to get to him check how these books passed the review. But the Chancellor had turned them away. Xiao Juan had already expected this oue. The court and civil officials had great opinions about the Eagle Guards. They hated Duke Lang and hisckeys. As the pir of civil officials, the Chancellor naturally did not treat Duke Lang well. Chapter 89 89 Prince Min Xiao Juan was very busy and did not want to waste time here. He waved his hand. ¡°Break the door open.¡± The people in the Imperial College did not expect Prince Lang to be so rude and unreasonable. They were both surprised and angry. They wanted to step forward to stop him, but they were easily pushed away by the Eagle Guards. Meng Xizhou strode forward and kicked the door open. The Chancellor in the room trembled in anger. He pointed at the Prince of Lang and cursed. ¡°This is the directorate, a ce to read holy books. How dare you bring people to barge in? Do you still have any justice in your eyes?!¡± Xiao Juan couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with him. He threw the list in front of him and asked coldly. ¡°Did you approve these prohibited books?¡± Without even looking at the list, the chancellor pointed at the door and said angrily, ¡°Get lost. You¡¯re not wee here!¡± He was old now, and half of his body had already been buried. Therefore, he was not afraid of the Eagle Guards. At most, he would die. Xiao Juan said, ¡°I know you¡¯re not afraid of death, but what about your students and family? Can they not care about life and death like you?¡± The expression on the official¡¯s face changed drastically. His finger was trembling violently as he pointed at Duke Lang. He was clearly furious to the extreme. Xiao Juan stood upright and looked at him expressionlessly. In the end, the Chancellor was defeated. Even though he was familiar with the holy books and was extremely famous among the literati, he was still a mortal. He had people he cared about. Suppressing his anger, he picked up the list and scanned the titles. He spoke stiffly. ¡°The Prince of Min sent these books. He said he wanted to publish a few. I read the contents of the sample book and thought it was okay, so I approved them.¡± ¡°Do you still have the sample books?¡± The Chancellor turned and walked into the inner room. He took out a stack of books. He mmed the book on the table and snapped. ¡°They¡¯re all here!¡± Xiao Juan casually picked up a book and opened it. Although the title was the same, the content was different. This meant that the book sent by Prince Min to the Chancellor for review was not consistent with the content of the book that was finally put on the market. Was it intentional? Or was someone using the Prince¡¯s name to cause trouble? This matter still had to be investigated. Xiao Juan left the directorate with the Eagle Guards. After that, they went to Prince Min¡¯s Mansion. ording to seniority, Xiao Juan had to address Prince Min as Uncle. Prince Min had a strange personality and usually lived in seclusion. His greatest hobby was studying the Dao of longevity. He was wearing a loose Daoist robe and holding a horsetail whisk. He had a white beard under his chin, and he really looked like a sage seeking immortality. ¡°My son hasn¡¯t been well recently and can¡¯t see guests. If you have anything to say, just talk to me.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°This matter concerns the anti-government poetry case. The emperor values this case very much. I have to confront your son face to face.¡± Prince Min frowned, clearly displeased by his toughness. ¡°My son has always been obedient. He will never be involved in an anti-government poetry case. If you don¡¯t have conclusive evidence, please leave.¡± With that, he flicked his sleeve and turned to leave, leaving Xiao Juan behind. Xiao Juan said to his back. ¡°Uncle, do you want me to enter the pce and ask the emperor to send your son to the Justice Department for interrogation?¡± Prince Min stopped in his tracks. He turned to look at Xiao Juan, his eyes filled with anger. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯m just doing my job. Please understand, Uncle.¡± Prince Minughed in anger. ¡°I can¡¯t afford to be called Uncle by you, lest I get into trouble!¡± With that, he shouted at the butler, ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and call the prince over!¡± Chapter 90 90 Weakness Soon, Prince Shen Xu was brought over. He seemed to have just woken up and was still a little groggy. When he saw that Xiao Juan was here, he only yawnedzily. ¡°I heard you wanted to talk to me. What is it?¡± Xiao Juan ordered someone to ce the stack of sample books in front of Shen Xu and asked him if he recognized these books. When Shen Xu saw the books, his expression did not change. He casually flipped through two pages. ¡°I sent these books to the Chancellorand asked the old man to help review them.¡± Xiao Juan ordered someone to take out a stack of books. These books had been confiscated from the book shop by the Eagle Guards. The two batches of books had the same name, but the content was different. Xiao Juan asked Shen Xu to exin. Shen Xu looked confused. ¡°I didn¡¯t know about this! After the sample book passed the review, I got someone to inform the printing workshop to start printing. I didn¡¯t care about anything else after that. If you hadn¡¯te to look for me today, I wouldn¡¯t have known that the contents of the two batches of books were different.¡± Xiao Juan stared at him for a moment. ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± Shen Xu said yes. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Since you have a clear conscience,e back to the Justice Department with me.¡± Shen Xu¡¯s expression immediately changed. He backed away quickly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to the Justice Department!¡± Prince Ming took a step forward and said in a low voice, ¡°My son has never made a mistake. What right do you have to capture him and send him to the Justice Department?!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Whether he knows it or not, those forbidden books flowed out of his hands. This matter is rted to him. He has to cooperate with the Justice Department to investigate this case. If he refuses, he will be guilty. I have to bring him back for a good investigation.¡± Prince Min was livid. ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable!¡± Xiao Juan did not argue with him and waved his hand. ¡°Take him away.¡± The Eagle Guards stepped forward to arrest him. Shen Xu tried to escape, but he was a step toote. Soon, the Eagle Guards caught up to him and tied him up tightly. He cried at Prince Min, ¡°Father, save me! I don¡¯t want to go to the Justice Department!¡± Prince Min ordered the guards in the prince¡¯s mansion toe out, nning to snatch his son back. Xiao Juan looked at him coldly. ¡°The Judicial Department is directly under the emperor¡¯s jurisdiction. The emperor has given me the right to act first and reportter. Are you sure you want to attack us?¡± Prince Min hesitated. He knew how heartless Xiao Juan was. In the past, someone had tried to stop the Eagle Guards from handling the case, but he was eventually killed by Xiao Juan. That matter caused an uproar in the court. A group of officials impeached Xiao Juan, but in the end, they were all suppressed by the emperor. To the emperor, as long as Xiao Juan could get things done, it did not matter what methods he used in the process. Although Prince Min and the emperor were biological brothers, their rtionship was not close. He dared not bet on whether the emperor would stand with him. In the end, he could only watch helplessly as Shen Xu was taken away by the Eagle Guards. The butler saw that Prince Min¡¯s expression was extremely ugly and could not help but worry. ¡°Your Highness, are you all right?¡± Prince Min gripped his horsetail whisk tightly and gritted his teeth. ¡°Xiao Juan, just you wait!¡± The butler hurriedly lowered his voice and advised, ¡°The Eagle Guards have spies everywhere. Don¡¯t say such things again.¡± Prince Min was already furious. How could he care about this? ¡°Does he really think he can do whatever he wants? He has people he cares about. He has a weakness!¡± The butler looked at him in horror. ¡°What do you want, Your Highness?¡± Prince Minughed harshly. ¡°Isn¡¯t he getting married soon? I heard that he has a good rtionship with his fianc¨¦e. Get two people to teach Xiao Juan¡¯s woman a lesson.¡± The butler hesitated. ¡°That¡¯s not good. If someone finds out, it will probably cause trouble for our royal residence.¡± Prince Min said, ¡°What are you afraid of? She¡¯s just a little girl from the countryside. As long as she doesn¡¯t die, this matter can be fooled.¡± The butler could only bite the bullet and answer, ¡°I¡¯ll do it now.¡± Chapter 91 91 Promise The afternoon passed quickly. Yu Niaoniao first picked out the books in question and wrote a list. Then, she wrote two contracts and ced them on the table of Prince Lang. She pressed them with a paperweight to prevent them from being blown away by the wind. When she was done, she walked out the door and stretched. At this moment, the sun was about to set and it was time for the Justice Department to get off work. Yu Niaoniao was afraid that she would be asked to work overtime. Without waiting for Duke Lang to return, she immediately slipped away. Not long after she left the Justice Department, Xiao Juan returned. As soon as he entered the Mirror House, an Eagle Guard walked out of the shadows. The Eagle Guard cupped his fists. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Did she do anything after I left?¡± There were many important dossiers hidden in the Justice Department. In the past, many people had tried their best to sneak in just to steal secrets. Xiao Juan had always been cautious. Even the people around him did not dare to bepletely at ease. Just now, he had deliberately left in front of Yu Niaoniao to test her and see if she would reveal her true motives after he left. However, when he heard the Eagle Guard¡¯s description, he fell silent. Why did he feel like his future wife¡¯s brain was not working well just thinking about that scene? The Eagle Guard seemed to have the same feeling, so after reporting, he lowered his head deeply and did not dare to say another word. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao had just alighted from the carriage. She did not return to the Langjun Imperial Pce directly. Instead, she arrived at the West Pier. This was thergest pier in the entire Jade Capital. There were countless merchant shipsing and going every day. The huge human traffic bred business opportunities. Every night, this ce would be brightly lit. The streets were filled with vendors, and there were all kinds of good food and fun things. Yu Qianqian looked at the lively scene in front of her and thought happily that if Prince Lang did not bring her out for supper, she would eat alone. In life, only good food could not be let down! The coachman advised earnestly, ¡°Miss Yu, there are many outsiders at the West Pier of this city. It¡¯s very unsafe for people of all walks of life. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t run around alone.¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her hand and said indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll be back soon. Wait for me here.¡± With that, she plunged into the crowd and disappeared in the blink of an eye. The butler of Prince Min¡¯s Mansion, who was hiding in the dark, immediately said to the two men behind him. ¡°Niu Da, Niu Er, do you see that? That girl in the blue dress is the person you¡¯re going to deal with this time. Remember, don¡¯t make too much noise. Don¡¯t kill her. After you¡¯re done, leave the Jade Capital immediately and nevere back.¡± With that, the butler handed over a heavy money bag filled with gold ingots. Niu Da took the money bag and stered a smile on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will definitely help you do a good job!¡± Yu Niaoniao took the freshly cooked glutinous rice balls from the stall owner and was about to eat them when two unfamiliar men suddenly came over. They were Niu Da and Niu Er. The two brothers were tall and burly, both smiling maliciously. ¡°Youngdy, why are you here alone? Do you want us to treat you to something delicious?¡± Yu Qianqian did not expect such a good thing to happen and immediately said to them. ¡°Five copper coins for a bowl of glutinous rice balls. Thank you for treating me.¡± With that, she turned and left. Niu Da and Niu Er wanted to chase after her, but the stall owner stopped them. ¡°You haven¡¯t paid yet!¡± The stall owner had heard with his own ears that these two people wanted to treat that youngdy to a meal. As men, they had to keep their word! Chapter 92 92 Sugar Figurine Niu Da and Niu Er were in a hurry to chase after her. They did not want to waste time with the stall owner, so they could only quickly throw down five copper coins and chase after Yu Niaoniao. As Yu Niaoniao ate her rice balls, she looked around and watched themotion. Niu Da and Niu Er grabbed Yu Niaoniao from both sides to prevent her from escaping. ¡°Why are you running so fast? It¡¯s a mess here. What if you encounter bad people?¡± Yu Niaoniao giggled. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. I¡¯m talented and specialize in dealing with all kinds of bad people.¡± The brothers froze. Then, they saw Yu Niaoniao purse her lips and smile. ¡°I was just joking. Don¡¯t tell me you guys took it seriously?¡± Niu Da and Niu Er alsoughed. ¡°Hahaha, what a funny girl.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s attention was caught by a stall selling sugar figurines. She ran to the stall and watched intently as the stall owner kneaded the sugar figurine. The stall owner¡¯s fingers were extremely agile. In just a few seconds, he pinched out a lifelike little rabbit. Niu Da pretended to be disdainful and said, ¡°What¡¯s so good about this thing? Littledy,e with us. We know a particrly interesting ce.¡± Niu Er chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s a lot of good food and fun there. I promise I won¡¯t disappoint you.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes were still fixed on the sugar figurine, unwilling to look away. ¡°But I really want the sugar figurine now.¡± After that, no matter what Niu Da and Niu Er said, Yu Niaoniao refused to leave the sugar figurine stall. Now that there were people everywhere and patrolling soldiers passing by not far away, the two of them did not dare to use force. They could only bear the pain and buy a sugar figurine for Yu Niaoniao. Niu Da did not forget to confirm as he handed over the sugar figurine. ¡°You ate our sugar figurine, so you have toe with us.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Only then did Niu Da give her the sugar figurine. Yu Niaoniao bit off the sugar figurine¡¯s head and chewed it noisily. Niu Da and Niu Er thought that was it. However, before they could heave a sigh of relief, they saw Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°What¡¯s being sold over there? It looks interesting!¡± With that, she threw the half-eaten sugar figurine aside and dashed across the street. Niu Da and Niu Er were afraid that she would run away, so they hurriedly chased after her. Yu Niaoniao ran into a jewelry shop and spoke to the shopkeeper. ¡°Show me your most expensive jewelry!¡± Seeing that she was dressed very exquisitely, the shopkeeper immediately became extremely enthusiastic and smiled. ¡°Miss, please wait a moment. I¡¯ll get it for you now.¡± Soon, he brought out a tray. Inside was a set of exquisite hairpins made of pure gold iid with eight gems. ¡°This is our treasure. There¡¯s nothing to say about the materials or the craftsmanship. See if you like it?¡± Yu Qianqian picked up the golden hairpin and inserted it into her bun. She turned to Niu Da and Niu Er and asked. ¡°Is it nice?¡± Both brothers naturally praised her looks. Yu Niaoniao asked again, ¡°Then can you buy this set of jewelry for me?¡± Niu Da and Niu Er choked. They wanted to ask, ¡°Little girl, how did you have the cheek to say this?¡± However, in consideration of the mission given by Prince Min¡¯s Mansion, they could only try their best to pretend that nothing had happened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We¡¯d love to give you jewelry, but the two of us are really short on money. We can¡¯te up with so much money at once.¡± Yu Niaoniao said righteously, ¡°If you don¡¯t have money, sell yourself!¡± Chapter 93 93 Don¡¯t Go Too Far! Niu Da and Niu Er thought they had heard wrongly and could not help but ask. ¡°Sell what?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him disdainfully. ¡°Why are your ears broken at such a young age?¡± She walked to the door and pointed to the pleasure boat by the river. ¡°Do you see that? If you go there to sell your bodies, you can at least earn dozens of taels with your tall and strong looks. If it¡¯s not enough, you can sell it a few more times. Anyway, you¡¯re young. Your kidneys should be quite durable.¡± Niu Da and Niu Er immediately flushed with anger. They had indeed been to the pleasure boat in the past, but they had all gone to look for women to have fun with. They had never thought of selling themselves. The woman in front of them actuallypared them to those prostitutes. To them, it was simply a great humiliation! The brothers cracked their knuckles, wanting to punch someone. Sensing that something was wrong, Yu Niaoniao immediately took two steps back and asked warily. ¡°What do you guys want?¡± Niu Da gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°You promised us just now that you would follow us as long as you ate the sugar figurine.¡± Niu Er continued, ¡°You¡¯ve already eaten the sugar figurine. Shouldn¡¯t youe with us now?¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at them in surprise. ¡°I was just joking with you guys. You¡¯re not serious, are you? You don¡¯t really think you can trick a little girl into leaving with you, do you? No way, no way.¡± She looked at them as if they were two rare fools. If the two of them still did not know that they had been tricked, they would really be fools.. Niu Da threatened with a twisted face. ¡°Don¡¯t go too far!¡± Yu Niaoniao put her hands on her hips and retorted reasonably. ¡°How am I going overboard? I just want to buy a few pieces of jewelry. Isn¡¯t it normal for a youngdy my age to like dressing up? If you think I¡¯m going overboard, then I advise you to stay single for the rest of your lives. Stop harming girls!¡± She didn¡¯t forget to purse her lips in disdain. ¡°You don¡¯t have money, but you still want to seduce girls. How shameless.¡± Niu Da and Niu Er were furious. Ahhhhh! Who was the shameless one? She was the one who was vain and materialistic! What right did she have to say that about them?! Yu Niaoniao plucked the golden hairpin from her head and ced it back on the tray. She spoke with a bored expression. ¡°How boring. I¡¯m going home.¡± How could Niu Da and Niu Er let her go? They rushed forward to stop her. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Yu Niaoniao nimbly dodged the other party¡¯s groping hand and pretended to be terrified. ¡°Heavens! What are you doing? At the foot of the Son of Heaven, do you want to rob a good woman?¡± Niu Da and Niu Er were afraid that her shouting would attract the soldiers, so he hurriedly retracted his hand and exined to her angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. We just want to be friends with you.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked disgusted. ¡°I don¡¯t make friends with poor people.¡± Niu Daniu was speechless. Their blood pressure shot up again. Niu Da gritted his teeth and tried to straighten her twisted worldview. ¡°Do you think rich people are happy? No, you¡¯re wrong!¡± Yu Niaoniao agreed. ¡°Yes, you can¡¯t imagine the joy of being rich.¡± Niu Da was speechless. Niu Er couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°Is money all you care about?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked matter-of-factly, ¡°What else? Why good would a poor man do? To cause trouble for himself?¡± Niu Da forced a smile. ¡°We can bring you joy.¡± Yu Niaoniao pointed to the jewelry on the tray. ¡°Only they can bring me joy.¡± Chapter 94 94 Spendthrift Niu Er said angrily, ¡°Can you not be so superficial?!¡± Yu Niaoniao chuckled. ¡°Since you think I¡¯m superficial, don¡¯t block my way.¡± Of course, Niu Da and Niu Er could not let her go. The mission given to them by King Min¡¯s Mansion was notpleted yet! The two brothers were thinking about the big picture. They would stabilize this woman first. When she fell into their handster, they would then deal with her! The two of them huddled together and muttered for a while. Enduring the pain, they took out their money bags and went to buy jewelry from the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper was enjoying the show and had almost forgotten that he had to do business. He clicked his tongue when he saw that the two brothers had actually taken out money. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were quite rich!¡± He spoke politely, but his eyes looked as if he were looking at two fools that only would only appear once in a century. Niu Da and Niu Er put on fake smiles, while their hearts were bleeding crazily. This money was just given to them by the butler of the Prince of Min¡¯s Mansion. It had not even warmed up yet! As they cursed Yu Niaoniao crazily in their hearts, they reluctantly handed over the gold ingots. The shopkeeper had made a big deal and was smiling from ear to ear. He handed the wrapped jewelry to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Take it, youngdy. You¡¯re wee toe again.¡± Yu Niaoniao carried the exquisite jewelry box and walked out of the shop briskly. Niu Da and Niu Er followed closely behind. They stared fixedly at the jewelry box in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand. That was their hard-earned money! When Yu Niaoniaonded in their handster, they would definitely snatch the jewelry back and sell it. They could not suffer this loss no matter what! When they weren¡¯t looking, they realized that Yu Niaoniao had disappeared. The two of them were so frightened that they broke out in a cold sweat. They hurriedly searched and quickly found Yu Niaoniao in the crowd. At this moment, she was watching the opera troupe¡¯s performance with everyone. There were all sorts of performances. There was a ssic scene of a huge rock shattering on the chest and a fire-breathing scene. The crowd kept erupting in approval. Yu Niaoniao apuded. Niu Da and Niu Er wanted to abduct her and quickly settle the mission given by the Prince Min¡¯s Mansion. Therefore, Niu Da deliberately put on a disdainful attitude and said to her. ¡°What¡¯s so interesting about this little trick? That rock actually has cracks. The hammer wielder didn¡¯t use much strength at all. Come with us. We know a ce where there is juggling and it¡¯s much more fun than here.¡± Yu Niaoniao turned to look at them and deliberately raised her voice. ¡°How did you know that the stone had a crack?¡± Her shout was heard not only by the people around her but also by the theater crew, who were working hard. They stopped what they were doing in unison and looked at Yu Niaoniao and Niu Da and Niu Er unhappily. The expressions on Niu Da and Niu Er immediately turned bad. They wanted to slip away with Yu Niaoniao. However, not only did Yu Niaoniao not leave, she even said loudly. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. These words came from the two brothers beside me. If you¡¯re unconvinced, you can let these two brothers try it themselves.¡± Niu Da and Niu Er wished they could immediately cover Yu Niaoniao¡¯s mouth. When did they say they wanted to try it themselves?! At this moment, many people were watching. The troupe master knew that if he could not give an exnation for this matter, they would not be able to perform here anymore. So he took the initiative to walk forward and speak to Niu Er. ¡°Since the two of you suspect that our performance is fake, please try it yourself.¡± Yu Niaoniao jeered, ¡°That¡¯s right. Since you dare to say it, you have to dare to try it. If you just say it and don¡¯t do it, you¡¯ll be looked down upon!¡± Niu Da and Niu Er had no choice but to agree. Chapter 95 95 Borrowing Money Niu Da braced himself andy down on the bench. The troupe master personally brought over arge stone board and especially showed it to Niu Da. ¡°Look carefully. There¡¯s not a crack on it.¡± Niu Da wanted to cry. He wished there were cracks on the stone b! The heavy b was ced on him. The troupe master raised his sledgehammer and smashed it down. He heard a click. The b cracked. Niu Da grunted, and a trace of blood slowly seeped out of the corner of his mouth. Everyone was shocked to see this. The teacher hurriedly helped him up and asked, ¡°Are you okay? Do you want a doctor to take a look at you?¡± At this moment, Yu Niaoniao walked over and spoke casually. ¡°You don¡¯t to. He¡¯s got a strong body. This little injury is nothing to him.¡± With that, she patted Niu Da hard on the back, causing him to almost spit out another mouthful of blood. Niu Er supported his big brother and red angrily at Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done. What have you done to my brother?!¡± Yu Niaoniao was very unhappy. ¡°Are you ming me? I didn¡¯t expect you to be such men. Just now, you said that it would bring me joy. Now that something has happened, you¡¯re starting to me me. I¡¯m really blind to be with trash like you!¡± With that, she turned around angrily and left. Niu Er was in disbelief. ¡°She actually sounds like she¡¯s reasonable?!¡± Niu Da swallowed a mouthful of blood and endured the pain. ¡°Enough of this. Go after her. Don¡¯t let her get away.¡± Previously, they had only provoked Yu Niaoniao toplete their mission. However, after going through so much, they were already determined to get her. They had to kill this greedy, shameless, and cunning woman! The brothers caught up with Yu Niaoniao again. ¡°Miss, wait for us!¡± Yu Niaoniao looked back at them angrily. ¡°Go away. I don¡¯t want to see you again.¡± Niu Da held his painful chest and said weakly. ¡°I¡¯m feeling terrible. Can you take me to the medical center?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m not free. Get your brother to send you there.¡± Niu Da looked at her pitifully. ¡°We used all our money to buy jewelry for you. Now that we¡¯re penniless, can you lend us some money to treat our injuries? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll write you a loan when we reach the medical center. I promise I¡¯ll return it to you with interest.¡± Yu Niaoniao spread her hands. ¡°But I don¡¯t have money either.¡± Bull Er immediately said, ¡°How can you not bring money when you¡¯re out shopping at the night market?¡± Yu Niaoniao told the truth, ¡°I really don¡¯t have money. Initially, I only nned to look at things and not buy them. I didn¡¯t expect the two of you to... Oh, no, the two of you brothers appeared in front of me at the right time and even helped me resolve my urgent situation.¡± Niu Daniu was speechless. She let something slip just now, didn¡¯t she?! Yu Niaoniao looked grateful. ¡°Speaking of which, you guys helped me. I have to repay you. How about this? I¡¯ll help you borrow some money.¡± Hearing this, Niu Da and Niu Er were actually a little touched. The woman was not without humanity. At least she knew how to be grateful. However, in the next moment, they saw Yu Niaoniao walking over with an Eagle Guard. Yu Qianqian pointed at Niu Da and Niu Er and said, ¡°It¡¯s them!¡± Niu Da and Niu Er almost peed their pants. The gratitude in their hearts instantly dissipated, leaving only the urge to flee. The Eagle Guard looked Niu Da and Niu Er up and down and asked. ¡°Are you the ones who want to borrow money?¡± Chapter 96 96 I Only Have Your Highness in My Heart Niu Daniu was stunned. ¡°Borrow money?¡± The Eagle Guard said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Miss Yu said that you wanted to borrow money to treat your injuries, but she didn¡¯t have any money on her, so she could only ask me for help.¡± His name was Yan Nanguan. He was originally in charge of helping Miss Yu drive the carriage. At the same time, he was in charge of protecting Yu Niaoniao and ensuring that she could return to the Lanjun Imperial Pce¡¯ safely. Just now, he had been waiting by the carriage. When he saw Miss Yu return, he thought that she had finally had enough shopping. However, when he heard that she wanted to borrow money and heard her describe the appearance of the two borrowers, he felt that there was something wrong, so he decided to follow her. Niu Da and Niu Er immediately heaved a sigh of relief. So their identities had not been exposed! They nodded quickly. ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Yan Nanguan¡¯s eyes were very sharp. He sensed the difference in their expressions and became even more suspicious. ¡°Where are you from?¡± Niu Da casually made up a story. ¡°We live nearby.¡± Yan Nanguang asked again, ¡°What are you guys doing here tonight?¡± Niu Da said vaguely, ¡°I was just strolling around.¡± Yan Nanguan narrowed his eyes in suspicion. ¡°Is it just a stroll?¡± Niu Da felt guilty and did not dare to look at him. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao suddenly said. ¡°I know what they¡¯re here for. They¡¯re here to solicit customers!¡± This was a good reason! Niu Da and Niu Er hurriedly nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Yan Nanguan took the opportunity to ask, ¡°Why?¡± Before Niu Da could speak, Yu Qianqian answered first. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s to drag guests to their ce of business.¡± Yan Nanguang asked again, ¡°What do they sell?¡± Seeing that Yu Niaoniao was answering smoothly and helping them solve the problem, Niu Da decided not to speak anymore and let Yu Niaoniao lie for him. Unexpectedly, in the next moment, he heard Yu Niaoniao say. ¡°They¡¯re gigolos.¡± Niu Daniu was speechless. Yan Nanguan clearly did not expect such an answer. He could not help but look at the two brothers, his eyes filled with surprise. Unexpectedly, these two people looked burly and were actually in the vice industry. Niu Da was so angry that he ignored the pain in his chest and roared. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?!¡± Yu Niaoniao said righteously, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. The two of you followed me all the way and insisted on taking me to a fun ce. You even said that you wanted to bring me joy. Aren¡¯t you just trying to make me go to your ce to sleep with men?¡± Niu Da could not refute. Yu Qianqian did not forget to remind the Eagle Guard. ¡°Don¡¯t tell His Highness about this. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll be jealous.¡± Yan Nanguan¡¯s expression was indescribable. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you really...¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. I only have His Highness in my heart. Other men can¡¯t enter my eyes at all. I didn¡¯t even touch these two gigolos!¡± Niu Da resisted the urge to vomit blood and roared. ¡°We¡¯re not out to sell!¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked. ¡°If you¡¯re not here to sell yourself, why are you following me?¡± Then she seemed to think of something and asked with wide eyes. ¡°Are you human traffickers? You want to kidnap me and sell me for money because I¡¯m young and beautiful!¡± Niu Er hurriedly said, ¡°We don¡¯t!¡± At this moment, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s thoughts were quite clear. ¡°If you¡¯re really not human traffickers, follow us to the government office and let the authorities investigate your identities. If you¡¯re really not human traffickers, I¡¯ll apologize to you immediately!¡± Yan Nanguan nodded in agreement. Niu Daniu felt guilty. How would he dare to really go to the government office? They looked at each other, already making up their minds. ¡°Forget it, forget it. We can¡¯t be bothered to argue with you. At most, I won¡¯t go to the medical center.¡± With that, the two brothers ran off. Chapter 97 97 Two Good People Seeing them slip away, Yan Nanguan confirmed his guess. There was definitely something wrong with those two! Yan Nanguan wanted to chase after them, but he was worried about Yu Niaoniao¡¯s safety. He was worried about leaving her alone. Yu Niaoniao urged anxiously. ¡°Go after them! If they¡¯re really human traffickers and we let them go, who knows how many people they¡¯ll harm in the future!¡± Yan Nanguan hesitated for a moment, but in the end, the sense of justice in his heart prevailed. He took out the pocket quiver he always carried. He lit the fuse and aimed the quiver at the night sky. With a whoosh, a small firework shot into the night sky and exploded. Thismotion was not small and immediately attracted the attention of the surrounding people. Yan Nanguan did not even look at those people. He quickly spoke to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°I¡¯ve sent a signal. The Eagle Guards around here should be here soon. Stay here and don¡¯t move.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes, yes!¡± After arranging everything, Yan Nanguan strode forward and chased after Niu Daniu. In the blink of an eye, he was gone. Yu Niaoniao kept her word this time and stood obediently on the spot. A familiar voice suddenly spoke behind her. ¡°Niaoniao.¡± Yu Qianqian turned around and saw that under the bright moonlight, Shen Junzhi was wearing a light blue robe. His eyebrows were exquisite, and his temperament was gentle and indifferent. ¡°Brother Junzhi!¡± She ran toward him in surprise. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Shen Junzhi smiled at her. ¡°I was having a meal nearby with a friend and happened to see you, so I came over to greet you. Why are you standing here alone?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m here to shop at the night market. I¡¯ve heard that the night market in the Imperial Capital is very interesting. Seeing it with my own eyes is better than hearing it a hundred times.¡± Shen Junzhi asked gently, ¡°How do you feel about it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s especially good! Not only is there a lot of good food and fun here, but I met two good people.¡± Shen Junzhi looked interested. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t just treat me to food. They bought me jewelry.¡± She shook the jewelry box in her hand, her eyes crinkling withughter. ¡°They even performed chest-breaking for me to make me happy!¡± Shen Junzhi¡¯s expression becameplicated. Actually, not long after Yu Niaoniao entered the night market, he discovered her. At the same time, he had also noticed the malicious Niu Da and Niu Er. Originally, he had nned to save Yu Niaoniao when she was in danger, but he had never found a suitable opportunity. He had seen with his own eyes how Niu Da and Niu Er tried their best to trick Yu Niaoniao. In the end, they were tricked by Yu Niaoniao until they were left with nothing. It was really tragic! Shen Junzhi asked gently, ¡°I know a restaurant nearby that makes excellent beef pies. Do you want to try it?¡± As soon as she heard that there was good food, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Which restaurant was it?¡± Shen Junzhi said, ¡°I think it¡¯s called Fresh Food.¡± Yu Niaoniao memorized the name and smiled. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll try it with Duke Langter.¡± Shen Junzhi¡¯s smile faded a lot. ¡°But I heard that Duke Lang doesn¡¯t like to eat outside.¡± Yu Niaoniao said righteously, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s delicious or not. What¡¯s important is that he can pay.¡± Shen Junzhi was speechless. He had thought that she was going on a date with Duke Lang, but he did not expect her to only treat him as a payment tool. Shen Junzhi said, ¡°Actually, I want to ask you if you¡¯ve changed your mind. Duke Lang is very dangerous. If you marry him, you might be implicated by him.¡± He was not exaggerating. This time it was Niu Da and Niu Er who gave her trouble. What about next time? Would she be as lucky next time as she was tonight? Chapter 98 98 I Can¡¯t Leave Yu Niaoniao shook her head without hesitation. ¡°Thank you for your kindness. I won¡¯t leave.¡± Shen Junzhi looked at the girl in front of him and said in an extremely serious tone. ¡°You probably don¡¯t know what Duke Lang is like. Although he was highly regarded by the emperor, he made enemies everywhere in the court because of his domineering style of doing things. It is not an exaggeration to say that he was now surrounded on all sides by enemies. He had the emperor¡¯s protection. Those enemies could not touch him for the time being. They would definitely vent their anger on the people around him. You¡¯ll be in danger then. Niaoniao, listen to my advice. Leave Duke Lang and don¡¯t get involved with him again.¡± His words were reasonable. He was sincerely nning for her. Yu Niaoniao was touched, but she refused. ¡°I can¡¯t leave. I have very important things to finish.¡± Shen Junzhi wanted to ask what it was. However, before he could ask, he heard a cry not far away. ¡°The Eagle Guards are here!¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly turned around and saw the Eagle Guards rushing over. They were wearing ck brocade robes and crimson cloaks. They had sabers at their waists and ran over like the wind. Themoners were so frightened that they hurriedly retreated. They looked terrified as if they were hiding from some ferocious beast. The Eagle Guards stopped in front of Yu Niaoniao. Duke Lang dismounted. The Eagle Guards in front of him immediately parted to the left and right to make way for him. He casually threw the whip to Meng Xizhou and strode to Yu Niaoniao. He first looked Yu Niaoniao up and down to make sure she was safe before asking. ¡°Who just sent the signal?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s Yan Nanguan. He went after two suspicious people and told me to stay here.¡± Xiao Juan instructed Meng Xizhou. ¡°Take a few people to Yan Nanguan. Bring those two back to the Justice Department immediately.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± Meng Xizhou left in a hurry with a team of Eagle Guards. While they were talking, Yu Qianqian turned her head to look for Shen Junzhi. However, she saw that there was no one beside her. Shen Junzhi had already disappeared. She scratched her head and muttered softly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say goodbye before you left?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s hearing was extremely sharp. When he heard that he immediately asked, ¡°Who left?¡± ¡°A friend. I¡¯ll introduce you two some other time.¡± Yu Niaoniao took the initiative to hold Xiao Juan¡¯s hand and said with a smile. ¡°Since I¡¯m already here, why don¡¯t you apany me to the night market? I heard that there¡¯s a restaurant nearby that makes delicious beef pancakes. I want to try them.¡± Xiao Juan looked down at the right hand that she was holding. She wasn¡¯t strong. He could break free easily. But he didn¡¯t move. He said calmly, ¡°If you want to eat, you can go alone. You don¡¯t have to bring me.¡± The Eagle Guards all looked straight ahead and seemed to be focused, but in fact, their ears were all pricked up as they eavesdropped on the conversation between Duke Lang and Miss Yu. When they heard what Prince Lang said, they really wanted to rush up and shake him awake. How could he say that? He was going to be alone forever! Yu Niaoniao pouted and said coquettishly. ¡°What¡¯s the point of eating alone? I just want to be with you.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°I brought many Eagle Guards. What about them?¡± Yu Niaoniao tilted her body and stuck her head out to look behind him. She blinked and asked. ¡°Where are the Eagle Guards?¡± Xiao Juan turned around and saw that there was no one behind him. The Eagle Guards had long disappeared. Chapter 99 99 Beef Pie Yu Niaoniao looked up at the g hanging in front of the shop. The words ¡°Fresh Food¡± were written on it. ¡°This is it!¡± She walked inside happily. After two steps, she realized that the man was not following her, so she ran back and took Xiao Juan¡¯s hand. ¡°I heard that this ce has delicious beef pies. Let¡¯s go in!¡± Xiao Juan wanted to say that he had no appetite, but when he met the girl¡¯s expectant gaze, he swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue. In the end, he gave up resisting and let Yu Niaoniao pull him into the restaurant. The restaurant was filled with guests. The diners were eating happily, and the atmosphere was very lively. However, the moment Yu Niaoniao pulled Xiao Juan into the door, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Xiao Juan in unison. Someone eximed softly, ¡°It¡¯s the Eagle Guards!¡± They did not know Duke Lang, but they knew the Eagle Guard¡¯s garb. The shopkeeper of the restaurant almost rolled over and bowed to Xiao Juan, pleading in fear. ¡°Sir, we¡¯re running a small business here and don¡¯t have much money to earn. Please forgive us!¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly exined, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. We¡¯re here to eat. We don¡¯t mean anything else.¡± Hearing this, the shopkeeper felt a little relieved, but he still looked uneasy. He said carefully, ¡°What do you want to eat, sir? We¡¯ll get someone to pack it up and send it to your residence.¡± Yu Niaoniao frowned. ¡°Can¡¯t we just sit in the shop and eat?¡± The shopkeeper first stole a look at the cold man standing beside her before exining softly. ¡°Our shop is small. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not worthy of an official.¡± It wasn¡¯t that the shopkeeper was deliberately chasing him away. He had no choice. Everyone was very afraid of the Eagle Guards. If the Eagle Guards sat down to eat in the restaurant, all the other guests would probably run away. In that case, their business tonight would probably not be sessful. They were small businesses and really could not withstand such torture! Yu Niaoniao did not like his attitude. They were here to spend, not to rob. Did they have to be so guarded and ostracize them? She wanted to say something else, but Xiao Juan stopped her. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s go.¡± With that, he turned around and left. Yu Niaoniao looked at the embarrassed shopkeeper and then at the wary and uneasy customers. In the end, she could only stomp her feet and reply in a huff. ¡°It¡¯s just beef pie. What¡¯s so rare?!¡± She twisted around and ran out of the restaurant, catching up to Xiao Juan. Yu Niaoniao was very worried that Xiao Juan would feel ufortable because of this. She carefully observed the change in his expression, but she saw that his expression was indifferent, as if there was no change in his emotions. She couldn¡¯t help asking. ¡°Aren¡¯t you angry that they treated you like that?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°This kind of thing happens every day. If I were angry every time, wouldn¡¯t I have been angered to death long ago?¡± Themoners in the square regarded the Eagle Guards as ferocious beasts. As long as they appeared, themoners would retreat. He was used to this. Xiao Juan could be indifferent, but she could not. She said angrily, ¡°They¡¯re too much. I won¡¯te here for dinner again!¡± Xiao Juan looked at her. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to try this restaurant¡¯s beef pies? Although we can¡¯t eat here, we can send someone to get them.¡± Yu Niaoniao was still very unyielding. She refused to eat just like that! She clenched her small fists and spoke aggressively. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a beef pie? Why do we have to eat at his shop? Let¡¯s go home! I¡¯ll make beef pies for you personally. They¡¯ll definitely taste better than his!¡± Chapter 100 100 What¡¯s So Great About That?! Dang Gui waited at home for a day and could not help but worry when she did not see herdy return. She wanted to go outside and look for herdyship, but she was stopped by Granny Xiuyan. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Yourdy will be fine.¡± Dang Gui was still worried. ¡°Miss promised me she woulde back early, but it¡¯s dark and she¡¯s not back yet.¡± Ever since she lost her memory, she had been by Yu Niaoniao¡¯s side. She was the only person in the world Dang Gui could trust wholeheartedly. Once they were separated for too long, she would feel very insecure. Granny Xiu Yan smiled and said, ¡°Duke Lang had probably asked her to stay behind. With him protecting her, nothing will happen.¡± She could not wait for Duke Lang and Yu Niaoniao to spend more time together. After all, rtionshipse from getting along. As long as they had feelings for each other, the princess consort would definitely be able to give the Langjun Imperial Pce a little heir as soon as possible. How good would it be when the family of three was peaceful and beautiful! At this moment, the porter ran in to report. ¡°Nanny, His Highness and Miss Yu are back!¡± Hearing this, Dang Gui immediately straightened up. She ran out and all the way to the front door. When she saw herdy getting out of the carriage, she immediately rushed over like a swallow to the forest and grabbed herdy¡¯s sleeve tightly. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re finally back!¡± Unexpectedly, Yu Niaoniao said angrily, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the kitchen!¡± Dang Gui was puzzled. ¡°What are you going to do in the kitchen?¡± Yu Niaoniao rolled up her sleeves and prepared to fight. ¡°I want to make beef pies!¡± When Dang Gui heard that she was going to cook delicious food, she immediately forgot all her grievances. She echoed excitedly, ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Mistress and servant stormed straight to the kitchen. Granny Xiu Yan looked at their rapidly departing backs and a question mark slowly floated above her head. ¡°What triggered Miss Yu?¡± Xiao Juan replied indifferently, ¡°She wanted to eat beef pies but couldn¡¯t. That¡¯s why she ended up like this.¡± Granny Xiu Yan was skeptical. Was it that simple? Seeing that Duke Lang had no intention of borating, she tactfully did not pursue the matter and asked about something else. ¡°Your Highness, how are you and Miss Yu getting along today?¡± Xiao Juan was silent. He had Yu Niaoniao working all day today. He wonder if that counted as getting along well? Seeing this, Granny Xiu Yan couldn¡¯t help but purse her lips and smile. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything. I understand everything.¡± With that, she bowed and left. Before she left, she did not forget to give Xiao Juan an encouraging ¡°keep it up¡± look. Xiao Juan was at a loss. What did she understand? In the kitchen, Yu Niaoniao waved her dual des and quickly chopped the meat. The chopping board rattled against its frame. She held back her anger and was exceptionally ruthless when she shed. ¡°Why won¡¯t you let us eat in the shop? What¡¯s the big deal?!¡± Dang Gui was terrified. She asked carefully, ¡°Are you all right, Miss?¡± Yu Niaoniao gave her a fierce smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Dang Gui was speechless. She didn¡¯t dare ask again. She lowered her head and obediently kneaded the dough. Yu Niaoniao grabbed a handful of chopped cabbage and sprinkled it into the porcin basin. It was clearly a very ordinary action, but she forcefully exuded the aura of an army. Then, she added ginger and various condiments and stirred the beef evenly. Yu Niaoniao cut the dough in half. Her movements were crisp. Hmph, it was just a beef pie. What was the big deal?! Chapter 101 101 Contract The beef pies were cooked slowly in a pan with hot oil. When the skin was fried until both sides were golden, it could be cooked with sesame seeds. The rich aroma hit her. Dang Gui swallowed hard. ¡°Can I eat now?¡± Yu Niaoniao picked up two beef pies with her chopsticks, put them in her bowl, and pushed them toward her. ¡°Eat.¡± Dang Gui was overjoyed and started eating. Yu Niaoniao ced the remaining beef pies on the te and eagerly ran to look for Duke Lang. She ced the beef patty in front of the Duke Lang and looked at him expectantly. ¡°Try it. This is my beef pie.¡± Xiao Juan actually did not have much of an appetite, but he did not want to ruin Yu Niaoniao¡¯s mood, so he picked up a piece of beef pie, put it in his mouth, and took a gentle bite. The thin crispy skin was bitten through, and the meat filling overflowed. It was a little hot, but it smelled good. The beef itself was very rich in vor. Coupled with the refreshing cabbage, it was rich, fragrant, and delicious. It could be said to be just right. He gave a fair assessment. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? The beef pies I make are no worse than the ones sold outside. In the future, if you want to eat beef pie, let me make them for you. You don¡¯t have to go out and suffer grievances!¡± Xiao Juan actually did not care what others thought of him. He was used to it anyway. He was even prepared to spend the rest of his life alone. But at this moment, someone would be angry that he could not be treated fairly. She would personally cook for him in order to let him get the same thing as others. She was doing her best to protect him. Although the method was clumsy, it was exceptionally cute. Xiao Juan¡¯s heart softened uncontrobly. The other party¡¯s intentions were too precious for him to waste a trace of them. So much so that he, who did not usually eat dinner, actually ate three beef pies in a row. When he was about to eat the fourth one, Yu Niaoniao quickly put down her chopsticks and reached out to stop him. ¡°Don¡¯t eat too much at night, in case you get indigestion.¡± Xiao Juan had no choice but to put down his chopsticks, but his eyes were still on the remaining beef pancakes on the te. She did not expect him to love beef pies so much. Yu Niaoniao silently noted this down. She put the rest of the beef pie into the food box and said. ¡°Put these away for now. We¡¯ll eat them tomorrow when they¡¯re hot.¡± Granny Xiu Yan took the beef cake down and ordered someone to bring soup that helped with digestion. Yu Niaoniao asked as she drank her soup. ¡°Did you see what I left on your desk today?¡± Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°Yes, I saw it.¡± Today, Yu Niaoniao had left behind a total of two pieces of paper. They were a list and a contract. He pulled the contract from his sleeve and ced it in front of her. ¡°Why did you write this?¡± This was a contract of employment. The content was very simple. Yu Niaoniao had been hired by Duke Lang. The employment period was temporarily set at one year. During this period, Yu Niaoniao could freely enter and leave the Justice Department andplete the work handed down by Duke Lang on time. Duke Lang had to give her corresponding remuneration ording to the agreement. At the end of the contract, it was emphasized that while Yu Niaoniao was employed, Duke Lang had an obligation to ensure her personal safety and freedom. Yu Niaoniao exined seriously. ¡°We¡¯re engaged but as the saying goes, even biological brothers had to settle scores. Let¡¯s write down all the uses in ck and white to protect our interests. It won¡¯t hurt you or me.¡± Chapter 102 102 It¡¯s all Your Fault! Xiao Juan did not feel the need to sign a contract between the two of them. But the taste of beef pie lingered in his mouth. He didn¡¯t want to disappoint her over such a trivial matter. After a moment of silence, he finally chose to sign the deed. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly signed her name. She held the deed in her hands and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. From now on, you¡¯re my leader. I¡¯ll do whatever you want!¡± Xiao Juan had only one request for her. ¡°Behave yourself in the future and don¡¯t run around without permission.¡± Tonight, she was luckier. Two simple-minded people came to trouble her. What if it was a stronger bad person? What would a weak woman like her do? The consequences were unimaginable. Yu Niaoniao raised her right hand and ced two fingers between her eyebrows. She straightened her back and replied especially loudly. ¡°Yes sir!¡± It waste, so they went to their rooms to rest. Yu Niaoniao slept soundly. However, someone in the Yu Residence could not sleep at all. Yu Kangtai tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Mrs. Jiang, who was beside him, could not sleep because of him. Mrs. Jiang sat up. ¡°Master, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Yu Kangtai let out a long sigh. ¡°I¡¯m worried about her safety.¡± It had been a day and two nights since Yu Niaoniao left the Yu Residence. He had sent his servants out to search, but there was no result. Yu Kangtai frowned and muttered, ¡°She¡¯s a weak woman and penniless. She has no family in the Imperial Capital. Where can she go?¡± Ever since he knew that he had wronged Yu Niaoniao, he had been filled with regret. Originally, he nned to have a good talk with Yu Niaoniao after she returned. However, Yu Niaoniao never returned, and the people she sent out returned empty-handed. As time passed, Yu Kangtai became more and more anxious. Although he despised Yu Niaoniao and felt that she was willful and unruly, she was still his biological daughter. He could not bear to let her stay outside and ignore her. Mrs. Jiang was very impatient. She did not care about Yu Niaoniao¡¯s safety at all. She even wished she could die out there and nevere back. Mrs. Jiang coaxed gently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. God helps good people. She¡¯ll be fine. Go to sleep.¡± Yu Kangtai said irritably, ¡°How can I sleep when I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s dead or alive?!¡± Mrs. Jiang said helplessly, ¡°But you can¡¯t just stay awake, right? Listen to my advice. Sleep first. We¡¯ll talk about the rest tomorrow.¡± Yu Kangtai cursed angrily. ¡°Sleep, sleep, sleep! All you know is sleep! So Niaoniao wasn¡¯t born from your stomach. You don¡¯t care about her life at all, do you?!¡± Mrs. Jiang¡¯s tears fell. ¡°So in your heart, I¡¯m such a narrow-minded woman?¡± If it were any other time, Yu Kangtai¡¯s temper would have subsided when he saw his wife crying. However, his eldest daughter was still out there, and her life was still unknown. He was furious. At this moment, when he saw Mrs. Jiang crying, he felt extremely frustrated. ¡°Did I say anything wrong? If you hadn¡¯t spouted nonsense back then, would I have been able to determine that it was Niaoniao who injured Pingping? At the end of the day, it¡¯s all your fault!¡± Mrs. Jiang covered her face and cried even louder. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all my fault. I deserve to die! Shall I die now?¡± Yu Kangtai got off the bed and left with a straight face. At dawn the next day, he personally went to the Imperial Capital to ask the officials there to help find her. In the end, he was told by the officials of the Imperial Capital that Yu Niaoniao had been imprisoned in the Imperial Capital before being picked up by Duke Lang. Chapter 103 103 This Act is Sick Yu Kangtai did not expect Duke Lang to be involved. He rushed to Langjun Imperial Pce, but he was toote. Yu Niaoniao had already gone out with Duke Lang, and Yu Kangtai missed. He had no choice but to go back. He nned toe backter. As a bitter worker, Yu Niaoniao was forced to wake up early today. She and Xiao Juan went straight to the Justice Department after breakfast. Because she had woken up so early, Yu Niaoniao fell asleep in the carriage. The car swayed. She swayed with it. Unknowingly, her upper body slowly tilted to the side, and her head leaned against Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan was originally resting with his eyes closed when he suddenly felt some weight on his right arm. He immediately opened his eyes and turned his head. From this angle, he could see the top of Yu Niaoniao¡¯s head. She had especially changed into a man¡¯s outfit today. Her long hair was tied up. Coupled with her slender figure and fair skin, she really looked like a delicate young man at first nce. The Yu Niaoniao that Xiao Juan usually saw was lively. This was the first time he had seen her remain silent. To be honest, it was quite cute. As he watched, he actually lost track of time. It was not until the carriage stopped and the coachman¡¯s reminder sounded outside that Xiao Juan came back to his senses. He looked away and realized that he had been staring at Yu Niaoniao all the way. This behavior seem perverted. Fortunately, there was no one else in the car and Yu Niaoniao was still sleeping. He did not have to worry about being seen. Xiao Juan returned to his usual serious appearance and coughed lightly. ¡°Miss Yu, we¡¯re already at the Justice Department.¡± He waited, but there was no response. She still wasn¡¯t awake. Xiao Juan reached out and ced his hand on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s forehead, pushing her away. This time, Yu Niaoniao finally woke up. She opened her eyes and said with a nk look. ¡°Are we there?¡± Xiao Juan replied softly, ¡°Yes.¡± Then, he pushed open the door, ced one hand on the shaft, took a long stride, and jumped down from the carriage. Yu Niaoniao tidied her hair and clothes before following him out of the car. The Eagle Guards guarding the door cupped their fists and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± Xiao Juan walked past them without looking sideways, crossed the high threshold, and entered the Justice Department. When Yu Qianqian passed by the Eagle Guards, she did not forget to wave at them. ¡°Good morning!¡± The morning sun shone on her, making her smile look exceptionally bright and lovely. The Eagle Guards couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Good morning, Miss Yu.¡± For some reason, as long as they saw Miss Yu¡¯s smile, they felt happy, as if their greatest worries could disappear instantly. When Yu Niaoniao entered the Mirror House, she realized that theyout of the house had changed slightly. Originally, there was only a big desk in the room. Now, there was a small desk beside the big desk. There was everything on the small desk. There was a screen between the two desks for a partition. It was equivalent to dividing an office into two small offices. Xiao Juan pointed at the small desk. ¡°You¡¯ll sit there from now on.¡± Yu Niaoniao sat down behind the small desk. She fiddled with the inkstone on the table first, then turned to look at the screen beside her. The screen was quite cleverly made. The light could prate the white veil in the middle of the screen, but it blocked out the view on the other side. The privacy was quite high. Chapter 104 104 Screen Xiao Juan¡¯s hearing was very sharp. He could hear the movement clearly at the other end of the screen. He heard the soft scrape of clothes as she sat down. He could still hear the inkstone gently clink against the tabletop. She must be fiddling with it. Then everything went silent. Xiao Juan guessed that she was in a daze. He closed his eyes and told himself to stop paying attention to the people around him. He had to concentrate on what he was doing. Just as he picked up the dossier and was about to consult it, he heard a knock on the other side of the screen. Knock, knock. Xiao Juan stopped what he was doing and looked at the screen beside him again. He saw a small head poke out from behind the screen. Yu Niaoniao grabbed the edge of the screen with both hands and looked at the man eagerly. ¡°What¡¯s my job today?¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Do you see the box behind you?¡± Yu Niaoniao turned around and saw tworge boxes behind her. She opened the box and saw that it was filled with books. There were at least a few hundred books. Yu Niaoniao immediately had a bad feeling. Could it be that he wanted her to finish reading all these books?! Then her hunch was confirmed. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Your job today is to read all these books, select the unqualified books, and summarize them for me.¡± Yu Niaoniao casually flipped through them and realized that these books were exactly the same as the unqualified books she had screened yesterday. She couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°Didn¡¯t I read these books yesterday?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°These were confiscated from other bookstores in the city. They came from the same printing shop as the books yesterday. Look at the content of these books.¡± The most direct way to find out if the anti-government poetry case was rted to Prince Min was to screen all the books printed in his name. If the contents of all the books were the same, it meant that all the books had been printed through the same carving. If the person who handed the original carving to the printing shop was Prince Min, the anti-government poetry case must be rted to him. Yu Niaoniao sighed, resigned herself to her fate, picked up the book, and began to work. She felt like an emotionless scanning tool. Her eyes scanned the pages as she flipped through them. There was a knock on the door and Yan Nanguan walked in. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± Upon hearing this voice, Yu Niaoniao immediately put down the book and stuck her head out from behind the screen. She asked excitedly. ¡°Did you catch those two viinsst night?¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. Why did he feel that this screen waspletely unnecessary? Yan Nanguan first nced at Duke Lang. Seeing that he had no intention of stopping him, he answered. ¡°Miss Yu, I captured those two people near Ginkgo Streetst night. I¡¯ve already brought them back to the Justice Department. Now, they¡¯re locked in jail and awaiting His Highness¡¯s punishment.¡± Xiao Juan instructed calmly, ¡°Interrogate them first and see who instigated them.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Yan Nanguan epted the order and left. Xiao Juan was about to continue his work when he saw from the corner of his eye that the little head behind the screen had yet to leave. ¡°What else do you want to ask?¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked. ¡°How do you know they were ordered by someone?¡± Xiao Juan said indifferently, ¡°They don¡¯t know you and have no grudge against you. Why would they suddenly target you? There must be someone behind them.¡± Yu Niaoniao had a different opinion. ¡°Maybe they saw that I was young and beautiful and wanted to abduct me to sell for money?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Then they are really pitiful. They are blind at such a young age.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Chapter 105 105 Investigation Yu Niaoniao was so angry that her face turned red. She gritted her teeth. If not for the fact that he was a duke, she would have pounced on him and bitten him. How dare he mock her for being ugly?! Yu Niaoniao deliberately said in a sarcastic tone. ¡°Baby, you really know how to talk.¡± Xiao Juan replied seriously, ¡°You¡¯re the first person to praise me like that.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Forget it, she would not lower herself to the level of this stupid man! She pulled back to her book. Yan Nanguan was very efficient. It wasn¡¯t long before he returned with two statements. ¡°Your Highness, these are the statements of Niu Da and Niu Er. Please take a look.¡± Just as Xiao Juan picked up the confession, he saw a small head poke out from behind the screen. Yu Niaoniao gripped the edge of the screen with both hands. Her big watery eyes were filled with desire and anticipation. Xiao Juan was expressionless. ¡°What do you want to do now?¡± Yu Niaoniao said coquettishly. ¡°Baby, I want to see the confession too.¡± Xiao Juan sighed in his heart. She was acting coquettishly again. Yan Nanguan lowered his head and pretended to be invisible. He swore that he would definitely not tell anyone about Miss Yu calling Prince Lang a baby in private! Logically speaking, the prisoner¡¯s confession could not be casually shown to outsiders. However, as the victim, Yu Niaoniao was directly rted to this case, so there was no harm in letting her take a look. Therefore, Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°Come over and take a look.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes lit up and she cheered. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness!¡± Xiao Juan lowered his eyes. The woman had changed her address quite quickly after achieving her goal. Yu Niaoniao flew over and leaned close to Duke Lang. She craned her neck to see the confession in his hand. It turned out that Niu Da and Niu Er were indeed human traffickers. They used to kidnap women and children overseas. After they were discovered by the officials, they fled to the Imperial Capital and changed their identities. They nned to resume their business when the heat had passed. At this moment, the butler of Prince Min¡¯s Mansion looked for them and gave them a mission. The mission was very simple. They had to capture Yu Niaoniao and teach her a lesson. These two people had no bottom line, to begin with. In addition, the butler of Prince Min¡¯s Mansion offered a very generous price. They agreed almost without thinking. Yu Niaoniao was very confused. ¡°I don¡¯t even know anyone from Prince Min¡¯s Mansion. Why would they target me?¡± Xiao Juan put down the confession, his expression already extremely cold. ¡°They¡¯re not after you. They¡¯re after me.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked curiously, ¡°Do you have a grudge against Prince Min¡¯s Mansion?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The son of Prince Min might be rted to the anti-government poetry case. I arrested him yesterday with my men. He is still in prison.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately understood. She said with heartfelt emotion. ¡°I was shot even though I was lying down.¡± ¡°Stay here and continue with your business. I¡¯m going to interrogate the heir of Prince Min¡¯s Mansion.¡± With that, he stood up and strode out. Seeing his cold expression and cold aura, Yu Qianqian could not help but light a candle for the heir of Prince Min¡¯s Mansion in her heart. ¡°Oh, Prince, rest in peace.¡± The cell was dim. Shen Xu, was curled up in the corner, obvious fatigue on his face. He sneezed suddenly. Achoo! He rubbed his nose and swore unhappily. ¡°Which bastard is scolding me?!¡± Then the cell door was opened from the outside. Shen Xu looked at the door and saw two Eagle Guards walking in. ... He stood up immediately. ¡°Are you guys here to let me go?¡± Chapter 106 106 Lo Pingsha The two Eagle Guards didn¡¯t answer. They grabbed Shen Xu¡¯s arms and forcefully dragged him out. Shen Xu was taken to the torture chamber. He was pressed into the chair, his hands and feet firmly bound. Shen Xu was terrified and shouted. ¡°What are you doing? Let go of me!¡± The next moment, he saw Duke Lang walk in slowly. Xiao Juan was wearing a ck robe and a jade crown. His eyebrows were as sharp as knives, and he was tall and straight. When Shen Xu met his gaze, he immediately felt as if his heart was being gripped. Fear overwhelmed him, and she almost suffocated. Shen Xu stammered. ¡°I... I told you, I don¡¯t know anything about anti-government poetry. Those poems have nothing to do with me. D... don¡¯t malign innocent people!¡± Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°We¡¯ll know after we interrogate him.¡± There was only one way to interrogate someone in the Justice Department, and that was by torture. Xiao Juan instructed the people around him. ¡°Go get Little Lo.¡± ¡°There.¡± Soon, a delicate young man with a baby face walked in. His name was Lo Pingsha and he was seventeen years old. He was wearing a ck brocade robe that represented the Eagle Guards. He was not tall and had innocent puppy eyes. There was even some baby fat on his face. Although he was cute, he was the person in the Justice Department who was the most not to be trifled with other than Duke Lang. Xiao said calmly, ¡°Let him suffer a little, but don¡¯t kill him.¡± Like Xiao Juan, Lo Pingsha was a quiet person. In response to Duke Lang¡¯s instructions, Lo Pingsha only nodded, indicating that he understood. Lo Pingsha was enough here. Xiao Juan turned and walked out of the torture chamber. Not long after he walked out, he heard Shen Xu¡¯s cry of paining from the torture chamber. From the sound of it, it was probably worse than death. Everyone in the Judicial Department was already used to the various shouts in the torture chamber, so no one in the vicinity revealed any strange expressions. Everyone was still busy with their own things. Xiao Jiao instructed Yan Nanguan, who was following behind him. ¡°Go to Prince Min¡¯s residence and send something to him.¡± Two hourster. Yan Nanguan appeared in Prince Min¡¯s residence. Prince Min was still wearing a loose Daoist robe, and his expression was unfriendly. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here on His Highness¡¯s orders to deliver something to His Highness,¡± Yan Nanguan said as he took out a wooden box. He ced the wooden box in front of Prince Min. King Min asked, ¡°What is this?¡± Yan Nanguan lowered his head respectfully. ¡°You¡¯ll know when you open it.¡± Prince Min nced at the steward beside him. The butler understood and stepped forward to open the box. Two bloody right hands were lying inside! The butler screamed in terror and backed away. Prince Min was also shocked. The blood on his face instantly drained. He quickly turned away from the two hands and gritted his teeth. ¡°What does Duke Lang mean?!¡± Yan Nanguan said unhurriedly, ¡°These are the right hands of Niu Da and Niu Er. His Royal Highness asked me to send it to you for you to take a look. His Royal Highness also asked me to tell you that if this happens again, it will be your son¡¯s hand that will be sent to you.¡± Princ Min¡¯s face fell. ¡°How dare he?!¡± he raged. Yan Nanguan cupped his fists at him. ¡°I¡¯vepleted my mission. Goodbye.¡± Without waiting for a reply, he turned and left. Prince Min was left standing there in exasperation. The butler knelt on the ground and said fearfully. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I failed toplete the mission Your Highness gave me. Please punish me, Your Highness.¡± With a flick of his whisk, Prince Min swung the wooden box from the table to the floor. The two bloody hands inside rolled toward the butler. ¡°Get lost!¡± The butler practically scrambled out. ... Chapter 107 107 The Unruly Yu Niaoniao Almost at noon, Yu Niaoniao threw away the book she was reading and jumped up excitedly. It was finally time for a lunch break! ¡°I¡¯ll check out the dining hall.¡± And with that, she bounded out. Xiao Juan put down his brush and got up. He walked around the screen, and to the small desk. The brush on the desk was casually ced. The pen holder had long been tilted. The paperweight had fallen to the ground, and several books were scattered beside it. The sharp-eyed Xiao Juan also realized that there were some pastry crumbs on the table. Everyone in the Justice Department knew that Duke Lang was meticulous and never ate when he was working. The only food that could be sent to Mirror House was tea. The pastries were definitely not provided by the kitchen. She could only have smuggled them in. The thought of her eating while working made his forehead twitch. This woman really had no manners! Xiao Juan could not stand the chaotic scene in front of him. He bent down and reached down to pick up the books that were scattered on the floor. He put them back on the desk and tidied it up briefly. The table, which had been a mess, suddenly looked much neater. Xiao Juan washed his hands and exhaled lightly. At least it was now pleasing to the eye. In the kitchen, the fat cook and his disciples learned several new dishes under the guidance of Yu Niaoniao. It was probably because yesterday¡¯s lunch was too delicious that the Eagle Guards went back to discuss this matter with their colleagues. Those Eagle Guards who were previously unable toe to the dining hall were piqued, causing the number of Eagle Guards who went to the dining hall to increase exponentially. Even Lo Pingsha, who usually liked to hide and eat alone, appeared in the dining hall at this moment. He deliberately avoided the crowd and chose an unnoticed corner to sit down. The Eagle Guards were all gossiping about Duke Lang and Miss Yu. The dining hall was noisy. Their voices crept into Lo Pingsha¡¯s ears. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Miss Yu to be so good at cooking.¡± ¡°In the past, we could only eat stew every day. It was either stew meat or stew vegetables. I ate so much of those that I almost vomited.¡± ¡°Fortunately, Miss Yu is here. We¡¯re finally in luck!¡± ¡°Which of yesterday¡¯s dishes was your favorite? Three-cup chicken is my favorite.¡± ¡°Only children make choices. I like all of them!¡± ... . Lo Pingsha had heard a lot and could not help but be curious about the rumored Miss Yu. At that moment he saw a slender figure emerge from the scullery with a tray. At first nce, one would think that the person was a young man. However, Lo Pingsha was very observant and immediately recognized that it was a young girl dressed in men¡¯s clothes. Many of the Eagle Guards knew her. When they saw her appear, they greeted her warmly. ¡°Miss Yu, what delicious food did you make today?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled and replied generously. ¡°There¡¯s dried loofah with bamboo shoots, salmon tofu, bonefish, red silk lettuce.¡± Just the names alone were delicious! The Eagle Guards were itching to know what kind of delicacy it was. However, they did not dare to go up to take a closer look due to etiquette and could only watch as she walked away. Ever since Duke Lang came to the dining hall for lunch yesterday, the fat chef had gotten someone to bring over two screens and separate a small private room in the dining hall. At this moment, Xiao Juan was sitting in a private room. Even though there were no outsiders here, he still sat upright, his back straight. Yu Niaoniao walked into the private room and ced the tray on the table. ¡°Time to eat!¡± Chapter 108 108 Miss Conch The dishes in the dining hall began to be served one after another. Today¡¯s dishes did not disappoint the Eagle Guards. All of them ate with relish, wishing they could lick the soup at the bottom of the bowl clean. Lo Pingsha was withdrawn and unsociable, but he was a foodie. Whenever he was free, he would go out to look for delicacies. Sometimes, he would get some food at home himself. He admitted that he had eaten many delicious dishes, but the taste of the dishes provided today still amazed him. He silently finished all the food in front of him. In the end, he was still a little unsatisfied. It was said that the dishes in the dining hall were all cooked by the fat chef. Miss Yu was only responsible for guiding from the side. If she could create such delicious dishes just by guiding someone else, he wondered how delicious the dishes personally cooked by Miss Yu would be. At this thought, Lo Pingsha couldn¡¯t help but look in the direction of the private room. He really envied the Duke Lang. He could eat Miss Yu¡¯s personally cooked dishes every day. After eating and drinking their fill, everyone left the dining hall one after another and went about their own business. Yu Niaoniao curled up and yawned. She intended to get some sleep first. When she pushed into the lounge, she found a low couch in the house. Soft bedding and pillows were arranged on the low couch. She heard the man¡¯s deep voice behind her. ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll sleep on that low couch.¡± Yu Qianqian turned to look at him and asked, ¡°Did you specially prepare that low couch for me?¡± Xiao Juan nodded slightly. ¡°Yes.¡± Although they were already engaged, they were not officially married yet. He could not let her sleep in his bed directly. He was afraid that it would damage her reputation if word got out, so he specially ordered someone to add a new low couch in the lounge. ¡°The bedding and pillows are new. You can sleep in peace.¡± With that, he turned around and left. Yu Qianqian hurriedly asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you need a nap?¡± Xiao Jiao said without looking back. ¡°I don¡¯t have to.¡± Yu Qianqian looked in the direction he had left and knew that he was preparing to return to Mirror House to continue his work. She was genuinely moved. ¡°What a workaholic.¡± She took off her shoes, socks, and tunic and climbed onto the low couch, but her eyes were on the bed. Oops. Now she couldn¡¯t sleep in a bed, she no longer had an excuse to tease Duke Lang. It was a pity when she thought about it. When she woke up, she stretched. She spotted the fruit bowl on the table, grabbed a pear and two oranges on the way, shoved them up her sleeve, and sauntered out. When she walked into the Mirror House, she was surprised to find that the small desk had been tidied up neatly. ¡°Who helped me pack?¡± Xiao Juan silently sat down behind therge desk, opened the dossier, and read it seriously. He had no intention of showing off his achievements. Yu Niaoniao scratched the back of her head and muttered softly, ¡°How strange. Could it be that I met the legendary Miss Conch?¡± Xiao Conch did not even look up. Yu Qianqian had a small problem. When she was working, she had to munch on something. Otherwise, she would be easily distracted. Yesterday, she gritted her teeth and endured the day. Today, she did not want to endure anymore. Quietly she pulled a pear from her sleeve and bit into it. There was a soft click. The pear made a gap in her teeth, and the clear sweet juice filled her mouth. However, she did not dare to chew. She looked toward the screen like a thief, afraid that Duke Lang would discover that she had been snacking. She waited for a moment, but nothing happened at the screen door. Looks like he didn¡¯t undetected anything. Thus, Yu Qianqian started chewing boldly. She finished one bite and then another. This pear was so sweet! Chapter 109 109 Comfort On the other side of the screen, Xiao Juan listened to the soundsing from the side. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that a rat had entered Mirror House. He¡¯d thought it was bad enough that she¡¯d taken a couple of bites to satisfy herself. He did not expect her to continue eating. The sound of biting pear, of chewing, went on and on and on. Xiao Juan finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He put down the brush, got up, and walked around the screen. He saw the girl leaning crookedly against the desk, one leg crossed over the other, her little feet dangling in the air. She held a pear in one hand and a book in the other. Her lips were moist and full. The sweet scent of pears filled the air, blending perfectly with the scent of ink. Yu Niaoniao did not expect Duke Lang to suddenly appear. She was shocked and identally choked on a pear. ¡°Cough, cough, cough! Why are you here?¡± Xiao Juan looked down at her. That gaze was extremely simr to that of a middle school form teacher. It was so stern that it made one¡¯s scalp tingle. Xiao Juan enunciated each word. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to eat snacks in Mirror House. You¡¯re not allowed to cross your legs. You¡¯re not allowed to throw things around.¡± Three ¡®no¡¯s in one breath. Yu Qianqian hurriedly sat down and hid the remaining pears behind her. Her face was filled with a fawning smile. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± But he didn¡¯t leave. Instead, he stared at her lips for a moment. While Yu Niaoniao was confused, he took out his silk handkerchief and handed it to her. He spoke expressionlessly. ¡°Wipe your mouth clean.¡± ¡°Oh-oh!¡± Yu Niaoniao took the handkerchief and wiped her mouth carelessly. Then, she returned the handkerchief with both hands. Xiao Juan folded the silk handkerchief, stuffed it into his sleeve, and turned to leave. After he left, Yu Qianqian took out two oranges from her sleeve. Quietly, she peeled the orange and broke the meat. She put it in her mouth and chewed slowly, without making the slightest sound. Xiao Juan stopped flipping through the dossier. Although he didn¡¯t hear anything, he could smell the sour sweetness of oranges. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that it had to be someone sneaking another snack. Xiao Juan didn¡¯t understand. Why did people like to eat at work? Could they still read books while multitasking? He rose and moved silently around the screen door. He realized that Yu Niaoniao had returned to herzy appearance, but the pear in her hand had been reced with an orange. Yu Niaoniao sat up straight and hurriedly hid the orange under the table. Xiao Juan extended hisrge hand. ¡°Hand it over.¡± Reluctantly, Yu Niaoniao took out the remaining half of the orange and ced it in the man¡¯s palm. Xiao Juan¡¯s gaze still lingered on her. ¡°Anything else?¡± Yu Qianqian shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Xiao Juan was in disbelief and asked her to flip out both sleeves. As expected, a round orange rolled out of her sleeve and rolled to the side of Xiao Juan¡¯s shoe. Xiao Juan looked at her expressionlessly. ¡°Did you learn to lie?¡± Yu Qianqian tried to quibble. ¡°I¡¯m not lying. I just forgot that there¡¯s an orange.¡± The snacks were all confiscated. Like a puppet that had lost its soul, Yu Niaoniaoy on the desk, her eyes on the pages, but her thoughts had already begun to fly elsewhere. On the other side of the screen, Xiao Juan had not heard the sound of flipping pages for a long time. He feltpelled to ask, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yu Qianqian replied weakly. ¡°Pondering over life.¡± Xiao Juan stood up again and walked around the screen. When he saw her half-dead appearance, he could not help but frown. ¡°It¡¯s just a little snack. Do you have to be so decadent?¡± Yu Niaoniao sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. For a regr worker like me, work is too hard. Only snacks canfort me.¡± ... Chapter 110 110 Luring the Snake Out of its Hole From the looks of it, she would not be able to do anything without snacks. Xiao Juan could onlypromise and return the orange to her. With something to eat, Yu Qianqian immediately perked up. As she ate and worked, her efficiency increased. She finished bothrge boxes of books before the sunset. She divided the books into two piles. To her left were books containing anti-government poems, and to her right were regr books with no problems. Clearly, there were far fewer books on the left. Xiao Juan looked at the two piles of books and frowned in deep thought. Not all books contain anti-government poetry. Which meant the books had just the same titles, but their contents were different. He pulled another book from each of the two piles, opened it, andpared it carefully. The print was slightly different. The books were probably not from the same printing press. Xiao Juan closed the book and said in a low voice, ¡°Looks like someone is spreading anti-government poetry under the guise of Prince Min.¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked. ¡°Then aren¡¯t you arresting the wrong person?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him expectantly, clearly waiting for an exnation. He exined patiently. ¡°There are many nobles in the capital, but the mastermind chose Prince Min. It was probably because Prince Min and his son were of high status and did not have much power. Moreover, they were impulsive. With just a little provocation, the person behind the scenes would be able to make Prince Min and his son hate him. ¡°At that time, when Prince Min and I fight, the person behind the scenes will naturally be able to reap the benefits.¡± Realization dawned on her. So that was it! ¡°So what are you going to do about it?¡± Now that Xiao Qing had already captured Prince Min and even tortured him to death, the hatred between the two sides had already been formed. It would definitely be very difficult to resolve it. Xiao Juan replied, ¡°Lure the snake out of its hole.¡± Yu Niaoniao stroked her chin. ¡°It seems to be going to be interesting.¡± The sun was sinking toward the west. They took the carriage back to the royal residence. As soon as the two of them entered, they were greeted by an acquaintance. In the flower hall, Yu Kangtai kept pacing back and forth, wondering how to speak to Yu Qianqianter. He had never lowered his head to a junior in his life. Today was his first time. Footsteps sounded outside the door. Yu Kangtai continued to look up and saw Duke Lang and Yu Qianqian walk in. He hurried forward. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± Xiao Juan knew why the other party hade and felt inexplicably unhappy. However, the other party was Yu Qianqian¡¯s father after all. At the same time, he was also Xiao Juan¡¯s future father-inw. Xiao Juan had to give him some respect. ¡°No need for formalities.¡± Xiao Juan sat down at the head of the table and asked calmly. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Yu Kangtai did not dare to meet the eyes of this notorious King of Hell. He could only lower his head and speak carefully. ¡°I¡¯m here to fetch Niaoniao home. I had already heard about it from the Imperial Capital. It was all thanks to the Duke Lang that Niaoniao was able to escape from prison. Thank you for taking care of her for the past two days. I can¡¯t thank you enough. This is a small token of my appreciation. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± With that, he took out a rectangr brocade box and ced it respectfully in front of Duke Lang. Xiao Tired did not look at the brocade box. Instead, he looked at Yu Niaoniao, who was standing beside him. ¡°Do you want to go back with your father?¡± Yu Niaoniao rejected him without thinking. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± She was living a carefree life in the Langjun Imperial Pce. It was many times morefortable than staying in the Yu Residence. How desperate was she to return to the Yu residence? Chapter 111 111 All Alone Before Yu Kangtai came, he had already expected Yu Niaoniao¡¯s reaction and guessed that she might have some resistance. However, he did not expect her to reject him so decisively and not give him any respect at all. He frowned in spite of himself, annoyed. Considering that he was at fault first, Yu Kangtai endured it. He coaxed her with more patience than he had ever shown. ¡°It was my fault before. I misunderstood you. I know you¡¯re angry, but I¡¯m still your father. There¡¯s no overnight hatred between father and daughter. Come home with me first. We can talk when we get home.¡± Yu Niaoniao suddenly asked. ¡°Do you really know why I¡¯m angry?¡± Yu Kangtai said without thinking, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because I misunderstood you. Now I know that you weren¡¯t the one who injured Pingping. We¡¯ve all wronged you.¡± Yu Wenxian shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Yu Kangtai was stunned and looked puzzled. Yu curled his lips into a smile. ¡°I can actually understand why you don¡¯t trust me. I grew up with my mother and stepfather. There¡¯s only blood between us. There¡¯s no real basis for our feelings. I¡¯m actually very unfamiliar to you. You don¡¯t know me well enough to trust me.¡± Although she was smiling, Xiao Juan could clearly feel that she was very sad. He had personally experienced this feeling before. No one wanted to believe him when he was misunderstood by his closest kin. The world was vast, and they were all alone. Xiao Juan suddenly wanted to reach out and touch her head to stop her from being sad. However, considering that Yu Kangtai was still watching, he held back in the end. Yu Kangtai wanted to say no, but he couldn¡¯t argue. His mouth opened and closed. In the end, all he could manage was a line. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it woulde to this.¡± Yu Niaoniao curled up. ¡°In your position, it¡¯s only natural that you don¡¯t trust me. What I can¡¯t ept is your nder against my mother. She¡¯s been extremely good to me. I won¡¯t allow you to say anything bad about her.¡± At the mention of her mother, her fingers curled, bit by bit, into tight fists. It was as if she was trying his best to suppress her emotions. Yu Kangtai hadn¡¯t expected her to say that. After so many years, he had almost forgotten what Madam Xie looked like. The only thing he could still remember was the determination when Madam Xie proposed to make peace and the back view of them leaving the Yu Residence without looking back. He had never seen such a strong-willed woman who could separate just like that, leaving no room for negotiation. For many years after that, Yu Kangtai still had some resentment toward her. It was also because of the resentment hidden in the depths of his heart that he could not help but criticize Madam Xie when he faced Yu Qianqian. It was as if he could only bnce himself by stepping on Madam Xie. Yu Niaoniao looked him in the eye and enunciated each word. ¡°The person you should apologize to is not me, but my mother.¡± Yu Kangtai subconsciously avoided her gaze and said vaguely. ¡°Your mother is dead. There¡¯s no point talking about it. Let¡¯s get back to you.¡± Disappointment welled up in her heart. She pressed her lower lip together. ¡°Again, I¡¯m not going home.¡± Yu Kangtai frowned. ¡°You¡¯re an unmarried girl. If word gets out that you¡¯re living alone here, what will happen? Do you still want live with a good name in the future?¡± Yu Qianqian said indifferently. ¡°My reputation was already ruined anyway. What¡¯s a little worse?¡± Chapter 112 112 Busybody Yu Kangtai was angered by her fearless attitude. ¡°And have you thought of Duke Lang? Is he happy to support you?¡± Before Yu Qianqian could speak, Xiao Juan, who had been silent all this while, spoke first. ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure.¡± Yu Kangtai was speechless. What was wrong with this guy? Does anyone undermine people like that? Did he not care about the reputation of his future father-inw?! Yu Qianqian was extremely pleased. She put her hands on her hips and giggled, looking very much like a little fox. ¡°Father, did you hear that? Duke Lang said that he¡¯s happy to support me. We¡¯re willing parties. Don¡¯t be nosy.¡± Yu Kangtaiughed in anger. ¡°You¡¯re my daughter. It¡¯s only right to care about you. How did it be meddling?!¡± Yu Niaoniao still smiled and deliberately made a face at him. He looked like he deserved a beating. Yu Kangtai gritted his teeth. ¡°Duke Lang was just being polite. Only you would take it seriously.¡± Xiao Juan said. ¡°I¡¯m not being polite. I¡¯m serious.¡± Yu Kangtai was speechless. Why did he always have to talk when he shouldn¡¯t? He did it on purpose, didn¡¯t he? Yu Kangtai held back his temper and reminded him word by word. ¡°You¡¯re not officially married yet. You¡¯re not really married.¡± Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°Yes, so I let her stay in the guest room.¡± Yu Kangtai said, ¡°But in the eyes of outsiders, you two are living together. This is not appropriate.¡± ording to custom, in the days before marriage, men and women should meet as little as possible. It was best not to meet. However, Yu Xianniao and Xiao Juan were different. Not only did they not avoid suspicion, but they even openly lived under the same roof. It was really inappropriate to throw the rules of etiquette out of the window! At this moment, Yu Niaoniao touched her stomach and said faintly. ¡°In the eyes of outsiders, not only am I engaged to the duke, but I¡¯m also pregnant with his child. What are you talking about? We¡¯ve long been shameless.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless and so was Yu Kangtai. Although it was all the truth, there was no need to say it so bluntly. Yu Kangtai struggled to speak. ¡°That¡¯s not how shameless is used.¡± Yu Qianqian was nonchnt. ¡°It means the same thing.¡± Yu Kangtai said, ¡°You can¡¯t just give up on yourself.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want this to happen, but it feels so good to just lie t.¡± Yu Kangtai was furious. ¡°Can¡¯t you be more sensible and achieve something of value?!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m going to be the Princess Consort of Lang County soon. Isn¡¯t that something of value?¡± Yu Kangtai was speechless. If Yu Qianqian was a son, Yu Kangtai could still urge her to work hard to enter the imperial court and be loyal to the country. However, she was a woman. No matter how promising she was, she would only marry into a good family. However, Yu Kangtai did not want topromise just like that, so he could only bite the bullet and say. ¡°But you can still continue to work hard.¡± His original intention was to hope that Yu Qianqian would work hard to learn the way of the matriarch and strive to be an outstanding Princess of Lang County as soon as possible. However, Yu Niaoniao misunderstood. She blushed, embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m not even officially married into the family yet. Why should I be working hard to have children. Let¡¯s talk about itter. Father, don¡¯t be too anxious.¡± Yu Kangtai choked. Then his old face turned red. ¡°Wretched girl, what nonsense are you spouting? Since when did I say I am anxious?¡± Yu Wenxian pointed at him and said, ¡°Look, look. Aren¡¯t you anxious now?¡± Yu Kangtai was speechless. His blood pressure shot up. ... Chapter 113 113 Debt Collector Yu Kangtai had thought more than once that if he suddenly died one day, he would definitely be angered to death by this girl! He wondered what she grew up eating. She didn¡¯t have any other skills, but her ability to anger people was superb. Every time he spoke to her, he could be so angry he wanted to hit someone in no more than three sentences. One had to know that he was a schr and had always adhered to the principle of a gentleman using his mouth and not his hands. However, this principle could be broken every time with Yu Niaoniao. Yu Kangtai¡¯s head buzzed with anger. His temples throbbed. ¡°I must have owed you in a previous life to have a debt collector for a daughter in this one.¡± Xiao Juan frowned slightly. He thought Yu Kangtai¡¯s words were a little harsh. He was a little worried that she would be sad. But when he looked at her, he saw that she was still smiling cheekily. ¡°Then you must pay your debts properly in this life. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be your debt collector in the next life.¡± When Yu Kangtai thought about how he had to be the father of this debt collector in his next life, he immediately felt ufortable. ¡°Shut up!¡± Yu Niaoniao stuck out her tongue. ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. He was actually worried that she was upset? He must have been out of his mind. Yu Kangtai couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He rolled up his sleeves and wanted to beat someone up. The brat was asking for it! Yu Niaoniao hid behind Duke Lang. She held the Prince¡¯s arm andined pitifully. ¡°Your Highness, he wants to hit me, I¡¯m afraid~¡± Yu Kangtai said, ¡°Your Highness, please make way. This girl is too unruly. I have to discipline her well. Otherwise, she will definitely rebel in the future!¡± Yu Niaoniuao started to cry. Xiao Juan had no choice but to speak, ¡°Either way, it¡¯s wrong to hit someone. Please talk nicely.¡± Yu Kangtai said, ¡°Look at this girl. Does she look like she can speak properly?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Calm down first.¡± Due to the might of Duke Lang, Yu Kangtai had no choice but to suppress the anger in his heart. He spoke sternly to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°I don¡¯t care about anything else. You have to go back with me today! ¡°Don¡¯t forget your surname. The Yu residence is your home. Even if you want to marry in the future, you have to marry out of the Yu residence.¡± Yu Niaoniao snorted and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say that I won¡¯t go back. I¡¯ll just go back when we¡¯re about to get married.¡± Yu Kangtai said, ¡°What do you think the Yu residence is? Do you think you cane and go as you please? There¡¯s no such thing! You have to go back with me today, or I¡¯ll petition the emperor and impeach Duke Lang for detaining innocent women.¡± Yu Qianqian did not want to implicate Duke Lang because of this. Hearing this, she hesitated again. Should she go back with Yu Kangtai? Xiao Juan said expressionlessly. ¡°If you want to impeach me, go ahead. Anyway, I don¡¯tck a memorial for impeachment.¡± He was telling the truth. There were dozens of memorials to impeach him every day. The total number could pile up into a mountain. But so what? The Emperor used him just the same. He was still the Prince of Lang. Yu Kangtai was about to die from anger. They all said that the lid matches the pot. In terms of infuriating people, these two fellows were really a perfect match! No wonder the Emperor granted them marriage. He had to admit, the emperor had a keen eye! Yu Kangtai told himself over and over again that he could not get angry at Duke Lang. The other party was the King of Hell who killed without batting an eyelid. But in the end, he couldn¡¯t help but say something. ¡°Just indulge her! Sooner orter, you¡¯ll regret it!¡± Chapter 114 114 Unbelievable Before Xiao Juan could say anything, Yu Niaoniao spoke first. ¡°Father, you can¡¯t say that. Duke Lang didn¡¯t spoil me. The reason he was willing to take me in was that I could help him.¡± Yu Kangtai did not believe it at all. She was just a little girl. What could she do for Duke Lang? She was definitely making things up again. Yu Niaoniao took out the contract from her sleeve and ced it in front of Yu Kangtai. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, look at this. This is the contract I signed with Duke Lang. He provides monthly money and I help him work. It¡¯s all written clearly here.¡± Yu Kangtai picked up the contract and read it. The content was actually the same as what Yu Qianqian had said. He found it hard to believe that this girl was really working for the Prince of Lang. His son, Yu Sheng, whom he was most proud of, was only a High Schr. Yu Niaoniiao, an uncultured little girl who only knew how to be mischievous, was actually able to freely enter and exit the Justice Department! This, this was simply unbelievable! Seeing that his jaw was about to drop to the ground, Yu Niaoniao felt extremely good. She said triumphantly, ¡°Now you understand why I can¡¯t go home, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m someone with a job. I still have to run errands for Duke Lang. I don¡¯t have time to go back for the time being.¡± At this moment, Xiao Juan finally understood why Yu Qianqian wanted to sign a contract with him. It was for this moment. She wanted to stay in the royal residence. She had already prepared an escape route for herself. Yu Kangtai didn¡¯t know that. He thought that this contract was signed at the request of Duke Lang and that Yu Niaoniao was just passively cooperating. Yu Kangtai didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Can the Justice Department recruit women?¡± Xiao Juan said lightly, ¡°There¡¯s no rule in the legal department that prohibits the recruitment of women.¡± Yu Kangtai choked. Although that was the case, it was not good for a woman to show her face. But on second thought, if her future husband didn¡¯t think it was bad, what could anyone say? Yu Kangtai put down the contract with mixed feelings. It would be great if Yu Qianqian was a son. If she could work for Duke Lang at such a young age, her future would definitely be bright. But then he thought of the Eagle Guards¡¯ notoriety and changed his mind. It was indeed very glorious to be able to enter the Justice Department, but the risk was also very high. The Eagle Guards did things that offended people and could easily attract revenge. If they were not careful, they would lose their lives. Thinking of this, Yu Kangtai could not help but worry. ¡°In the future, you have to be careful in the legal department. Don¡¯t mess around like usual. When you¡¯re at home, you¡¯ll at most be taught a lesson, but if you mess around in the legal department, it won¡¯t be over with just a few words.¡± ¡°I know, you¡¯re so naggy!¡± Yu Kangtai¡¯s nostrils red. He just couldn¡¯t have a proper word with this girl! He turned away from her and bowed to Duke Lang. ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care in the future. Please forgive me for disturbing you today. Goodbye.¡± Xiao Juan watched him leave. After they left, Xiao Juan asked. ¡°You still won¡¯t forgive him?¡± Although Yu Qianqian had acted as if nothing had happened and was joking around with Yu Kangtai, she still did not go back with him. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s smile faded a little. ¡°Yeah.¡± She could understand why Yu Kangtai married again, and she could also ept his distrust of her. But she couldn¡¯t bear to hear Yu Kangtai say anything bad about Madam Xie. Not a word! Since he refused to apologize, she wasn¡¯t going back. She¡¯ll just wait and see. Chapter 115 115 Good Idea Yu Fan and Yu Sheng knew that their father was going to pick Yu Qianqian up today, so they waited at home. When they saw their father return, the siblings hurriedly went up to him. There was no one behind his father. Yu Sheng couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Where is Sister?¡± Yu Kangtai¡¯s face darkened and his tone was stiff. ¡°She¡¯s still in the Langjun Imperial Pce.¡± Yu Pingping asked in confusion, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to bring her back? Why didn¡¯t shee back with you?¡± Yu Kangtai was furious at the mention of this. He took the initiative to lower his status and humble himself to fetch Yu Xuanxian home, but she did not give him any face at all. Her words did not have the slightest respect for her father. ¡°She said she¡¯s working for Duke Lang and won¡¯t be back for a while.¡± With that, he stormed off. Yu Pingping and Yu Sheng looked at each other. Had they heard right? Yu Niaoniao actually wanted to stay by Duke Lang¡¯s side to work? She was an unmarried woman. What could she do? Yu Pingping did not believe this was true. She guessed, ¡°My sister must still be angry and refusing toe back. That¡¯s why she made it up.¡± Yu Sheng said nothing. He actually felt the same way. With Duke Lang¡¯s unreasonable personality, no matter how much he liked Yu Niaoniao, he would not let a woman work in the Judicial Department. Yu Pingping groaned. ¡°This started because of me. I can¡¯t ignore it.¡± Although she still did not like Yu Niaoniao and felt that this sister of hers was very bad, she was not someone who did not know what was good for her. She had saved her, and because she had been misunderstood, she could not return home. No matter what, she had to resolve this matter. Otherwise, she would feel uneasy. Yu Sheng turned to her. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Yu Pingping said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and apologize to her.¡± Yu Sheng knew his sister well and knew that she had always been proud and arrogant. It must have taken a lot of determination for her to make such a decision. He thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Yu Pingping said, ¡°We can¡¯t go empty-handed. We have to prepare gifts in advance.¡± As the saying goes, take what you eat. After Yu Niaoniao epted their gifts, she would naturally be too embarrassed to reject them. Yu Sheng nodded, thinking that was a good idea. So the question was- What gifts should they prepare?¡¯ Yu Pingping thought for a moment and quickly had an idea. ¡°She likes eating, doesn¡¯t she? We¡¯ll just prepare some good food for her!¡± Yu Sheng thought for a moment and said, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, but if we only prepare food, it¡¯ll be too ordinary. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be sincere enough.¡± Yu Pingpingughed and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just sincerity? It¡¯s too easy to resolve! As long as we personally cook and prepare a spread of delicious food for her, I guarantee that we will be sincere! After she ate the food we made, she would be so touched that she would cry on the spot. Hahaha, isn¡¯t that easy?¡± Yu Sheng asked again, ¡°Can you cook?¡± He had never cooked before. Not to mention cooking, he didn¡¯t even know how to light a fire. Yu Fan was full of confidence. ¡°Although I¡¯ve never cooked before, I¡¯ve seen Yu Wenxian cook. It¡¯s just cutting the ingredients and throwing them into the pot to cook together. It¡¯s very simple.¡± Yu Sheng was skeptical. ¡°Is the food made like that delicious?¡± Yu Pingping recalled how Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui were enjoying the cabbage stewed with tofu and nodded without hesitation. ¡°It¡¯s especially delicious!¡± Seeing how confident she was, Yu Sheng believed her. Chapter 116 116 Popcorn Tonight, Yu Niaoniao gave Dang Gui a mission to break corn kernels and promised to make her a delicacy she had never eaten As soon as she heard that there was good food, she became excited. She almost used all her strength to quickly rub the corncob. Golden kernels of corn fell into the bamboo basket. The bamboo basket was quickly filled with corn kernels. Dang Gui ran excitedly to find herdy. ¡°Miss, is this enough corn kernels? If not, I¡¯ll get more.¡± Yu Niaoniao quickly stopped her. ¡°Enough, enough.¡± Dang Gui asked expectantly. | ¡°What do you n to cook, miss?¡± Yu Niaoniao rolled up her sleeves and smiled. ¡°Popcorn.¡± She first stir-fried the rock sugar with hot oil until it was the color of caramel. Then she poured in the corn kernels and slowly stir-fried them. When the corn kernels bloomed, Yu Niaoniao covered the pot and began to shake it. The iron pot was too heavy. She had to rest after shaking it a few times. Crackling sounds kepting from inside the pot lid, like firecrackers. Dang Gui sniffed. Just by smelling it, she could feel the rich sweetness. If she really ate it, it would definitely taste better! She waited until the crackling gradually stopped. Yu Niaoniao lifted the lid of the pot, revealing a pot full of popcorn. There was syrup on the surface of the beige popcorn. It looked especially tempting. Dang Gui couldn¡¯t care less about the heat. She quickly grabbed two pieces of popcorn and threw them into her mouth. She chewed and chewed. The popcorn was a little crispy on the surface and very soft on the inside. It had the fragrance of corn and the sweetness of caramel. In short, it was super delicious! Yu Niaoniao cooked two pots of popcorn. One pot was left for Dang Gui¡¯s snack, and the other was ced in a brown paper bag and tied to the mouth with thin rope. The next morning. After breakfast, Yu Niaoniao went to work with Duke Lang. Xiao Juan noticed that she was carrying a big paper bag and could not help but ask. ¡°What are you holding?¡± Yu Niaoniao answered frankly, ¡°My snacks.¡± Xiao Juan immediately frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve told you that you¡¯re not allowed to eat snacks in Mirror House.¡± Yu Niaoniao snorted. ¡°But I don¡¯t have the energy to work without snacks.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Eat more if you¡¯re hungry.¡± Yu Niaoniao touched her small belly. ¡°Eating and eating snacks are two different things. You can¡¯t eat less, and you can¡¯t refrain from having snacks. You can only beplete in life if you eat both.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Nonsense!¡± Yu Niaoniao leaned over and tugged at his sleeve. Her voice was soft. ¡°Baby, don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t have to peel or spit out the core to eat this snack. It won¡¯t make a sound. I promise it won¡¯t trouble you. I¡¯ll just eat quietly. Can I?¡± Xiao Juan was very principled and refused coldly. ¡°No.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not give up. She took a popcorn from the paper bag and held it in front of the man. ¡°I¡¯m not lying. It really doesn¡¯t have to peel and I don¡¯t have to spit out its core. Try it yourself if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Xiao Juan expressed that he did not want to eat. Yu Niaoniao leaned over and begged shamelessly. ¡°Baby, just try one. Just one is enough. Please, Baby.¡± Xiao Juan could not stand her pestering. His thin lips opened slightly as he bit the popcorn that was handed over. It tasted unexpectedly sweet. When he finished the popcorn, he saw the pitiful girl suddenly jump up. Yu Niaoniao said excitedly. ¡°If you eat my food, it¡¯s equivalent to epting a bribe from me. You have to promise me that you¡¯ll allow me to eat snacks at Mirror House this time, or I¡¯ll report you!¡± Chapter 117 117 Fishing Xiao Juan looked at her expressionlessly. ¡°Are you plotting to frame me?¡± Yu Niaoniao wagged her index finger. ¡°No, no, no. It¡¯s called fishing, to be precise.¡± Xiao Juan narrowed his eyes. This word was interesting. Yu Niaoniao said smugly. ¡°Your Highness, your vignce is still too low. You were so easily corroded by someone else¡¯s sugar-coated bullets. Fortunately, it was me this time, not anyone else. Otherwise, you would definitely be unlucky.¡± Xiao Juan thought that if it were someone else who fed him, he would not ept it either. Granny Xiu Yan came over to remind them that it was gettingte. If they didn¡¯t leave soon, they would miss the appointed time. Xiao Juan walked out. Yu Niaoniao quickly chased after him with the paper bag. When getting into the carriage, Xiao Juan looked at the big paper bag in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s arms. Yu Niaoniao immediately hugged the paper bag tightly and gave him a fawning smile. In the end, Xiao Juan did not say anything and let her bring the popcorn to the Justice Department. Yu Niaoniao sat down behind the small desk. She had popcorn in her left hand, fruit tea in her right, and books in front of her. Eating and working at the same time could be said to be wonderful. Lo Pingsha and Meng Xizhou came to report to Prince Lang for work. The two of them had just walked into Mirror House when they smelled something sweet. At first, they thought that there was incense in the house. But soon they remembered that Duke Lang never used spices. So where did the scente from? Meng Xizhou was fine. He was just curious, but he maintained a serious expression. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ve already followed your instructions and led our men to search the entire Prince Min¡¯s Mansion. I didn¡¯t find any useful clues.¡± Xiao Juan was not surprised by this oue. He said calmly, ¡°Go to Prince Min¡¯s Mansion to search again tonight.¡± Meng Xizhou did not understand. ¡°Didn¡¯t we just search it?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The search is just a means. Your real goal is Prince Min.¡± Meng Xizhou understood. ¡°I understand.¡± Xiao Juan looked at Lo Pingsha and saw him staring nkly at the screen. He could not help but frown and ask. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Lo Pingsha immediately came back to his senses, embarrassment appearing on his fair baby face. ¡°Sorry, I was distracted.¡± He sensed someone behind the screen and guessed that the sweet smell wasing from behind it. He had little interest in the person, but he was interested in what the person ate. He wondered what that person was eating. It smelled so good. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°How¡¯s Shen Xu?¡± Lo Pingsha answered truthfully. ¡°I¡¯ve already interrogated him. The reason he wanted to print the book in the first ce was that he listened to a friend¡¯s suggestion. After sending the sample book to the printing shop, he left the rest to that friend. He really didn¡¯t know that there was something wrong with the printed book.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Who is his friend?¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°That person¡¯s name was Li Qiao. Shen Xu met him at a poetry meeting. Li Qiao was good at poetry. He was eloquent. Shen Xu hit it off with him at first sight and quickly treated him as a confidant. He often brought him along to eat and drink. But ever since the anti-government poetry case was exposed, Li Qiao disappeared. I suspect even the name Li Qiao might be fake.¡± Although he knew that it might be a fake name, Xiao Juan still got someone to investigate Li Qiao, hoping to find some clues. Xiao Juan instructed Lo Pingsha. ¡°Continue interrogating Shen Xu. It¡¯s best if a sketch can be made of Li Qiao¡¯s appearance.¡± ¡°There.¡± Things were arranged. Logically speaking, Meng Xizhou and Luo Pingsha should have left. But Lo Pingsha could not quite bring himself to walk. He wondered what the hell the person behind the screen was eating. Chapter 118 118 Negotiating Terms Xiao Juan¡¯s observation skills were very sharp. He noticed that Lo Pingsha had been stealing nces at the screen door from the corner of his eye. Then he associated it with Lo Pingsha¡¯s penchant for food. He immediately guessed what Lo Pingsha was thinking. However, Yu Niaoniao had brought the snacks herself. He had no right to let her share them with others. Moreover, Xiao Juan did not approve of eating snacks during work hours. It was enough for the Justice Department to have a glutton like Yu Niaoniao. He did not want this gluttony to spread to others. ¡°That¡¯s it. Go about your business.¡± After Xiao Juan said this, no matter how unwilling Lo Pingsha was, he had no choice but to leave. After they left, Xiao Juan said to the girl on the other side of the screen. ¡°In the future, when there are outsiders around, can you not eat snacks?¡± Yu Niaoniao chewed on the popcorn and asked vaguely, ¡°Why? I eat popcorn without making a sound.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°There are no sounds but there is a smell.¡± Yu Niaoniao replied reluctantly, ¡°Okay.¡± Lo Pingsha was efficient. After a while, he returned with a portrait. ¡°Your Highness, this is a portrait of Li Qiao drawn ording to Shen Xu¡¯s description.¡± As soon as Xiao Juan took the portrait, he saw a small head appear behind the screen. His temple throbbed. ¡°What do you want to do now?¡± Yu Niaoniao leaned over with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m very curious to see what that Li Qiao looks like.¡± With that, she craned her neck to look at the portrait. Xiao Juan did not dodge and let her be. The man in the portrait looked extremely ordinary. There was nothing special about him at all. It was almost impossible to find Li Qiao in the vast sea of people with such a portrait. Yu Niaoniao clicked her tongue. ¡°This portrait isn¡¯t good. It doesn¡¯t have any personal characteristics at all.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her. ¡°From what you¡¯re saying, you know how to draw?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I can try.¡± She had studied sketching in the past. Although she had not drawn for many years, she had a photographic memory and could still remember the technique very clearly. After spending some time together, Xiao Juan knew that although Yu Niaoniao was a little willful, she never did anything rash. Since she said she could try, she should be confident she could do it. Hence, Xiao Juan stood up. ¡°Come to the cell with me.¡± However, Yu Niaoniao grabbed his sleeve. ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to leave. You have to promise me a condition first.¡± Xiao Juan had a premonition that this woman wanted to take the opportunity to ask for benefits, so he asked, ¡°What do you want?¡± As expected, in the next moment, he heard her say with a smile. ¡°In the future, I¡¯ll eat whatever I want in Mirror House and do whatever I want. As long as I don¡¯t affect others, you can¡¯t control me.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her expressionlessly. Watching this scene, Lo Pingsha was very nervous. He was worried that Duke Lang would be angry. After all, everyone in the Justice Department knew that Duke Lang was an extremely serious and cold person. He had always kept his word and had never bargained. Now that Yu Niaoniao had openly made conditions with Duke Lang, it was no different from plucking a tiger¡¯s beard. It was extremely dangerous. However, Yu Niaoniao was not afraid at all. She looked at the man expectantly. ¡°Is it okay?¡± Just as Lo Pingsha was about to help smooth things over, Xiao Juan suddenly spoke. ¡°Are you sure you can draw a portrait of Li Qiao?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not dare to say anything definite. She said, ¡°Let me try first. If it works, you¡¯ll agree to my conditions. If not, you¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t say anything. How about that?¡± Xiao Juan nodded slightly. ¡°Sure.¡± Lo Pingsha¡¯s eyes slowly widened in disbelief. The cold and heartless Duke Lang actually gave in! Chapter 119 119 Don¡¯t Judge a Book by its Cover In the interrogation room, Yu Niaoniao sat behind the table. There was ink, paper, and inkstone on the table. She was fiddling with her brush when she heard footsteps. She immediately looked up and saw the Eagle Guards dragging a young man in. The man looked to be in his twenties. His clothes were very luxurious, and there were only a few small superficial wounds on his body. But he looked terrified. His face was so pale that there was no color in it. His pupils remained constricted. He was like a frightened bird. Any movement could scare him out of his wits. Especially when he saw Lo Pingsha. His knees buckled and he fell to the ground in a sorry state. He shuddered as if he had seen a terrifying demon. ¡°I¡¯ll confess. I¡¯ll confess everything. Don¡¯t torture me anymore.¡± This person was the heir of Prince Min¡¯s Mansion, Shen Xu. In just two days, the arrogance and edges on his body had beenpletely worn down. His mind was almost broken, and he no longer had his usual overbearingness. Yu Niaoniao could not help but look at Lo Pingsha. He had a baby face and fair skin. He looked much younger than he was. Those who did not know better would think that he was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old young man. However, such a delicate and cute young man could torture the heir of Prince Min¡¯s Estate until he broke down. It really did answer the old saying that you can¡¯t judge a book by its cover. Lo Pingsha¡¯s face was stern and his voice was cold. ¡°Describe Li Qiao¡¯s appearance in detail again. If there are any characteristics of him, you have to tell them one by one. You can¡¯t hide it.¡± Shen Xu hurriedly nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you everything I know. As long as you stop torturing me, I¡¯ll do anything!¡± Then, he began to describe Li Qiao¡¯s appearance. Yu Niaoniao was not in a hurry to start writing. She waited patiently for him to finish before asking. ¡°You said that Li Qiao¡¯s eyes were neither big nor small. These are the kind of eyes that are verymon. Let me ask you. What was Li Qiao¡¯s eye shape? Were the corners of his eyes sharp or blunt? Were the ends pulled down or tilted up? Did he have bags under his eyes? Were there dark circles under his eyes? Were his eyshes long? What about his eye sockets? Were they deep or shallow?¡± Faced with this series of questions, Shen Xu could not help but be stunned. Lo Pingsha reminded him coldly, ¡°Answer!¡± Shen Xu shivered in fear and suddenly came back to her senses. He spoke as he tried to remember what Li Qiao looked like. ¡°The corners of his eyes are sharp. They¡¯re a little pulled down...¡± While Shen Xu was describing, Yu Niaoniao began to draw. She used a very thin cursive pen. The tip was dipped in ink and quickly hooked lines on the paper. After Shen Xu finished speaking, Yu Niaoniao stopped drawing. She put down her pen and picked up the drawing paper. ¡°Is it an eye like this?¡± Shen Xu looked over and saw a pair of extremely vivid eyes drawn on the paper. Even though those eyes did not have many characteristics, they still made Shen Xu think of Li Qiao. His eyes widened involuntarily and he blurted out, ¡°Yes! That¡¯s what Li Qiao¡¯s eyes look like!¡± Lo Pingsha flinched slightly when he saw the eyes on the paper. Her strokes were very delicate. There was no concept of ink painting at all, onlyplete realism. This scalp-numbing sense of reality was unlike anything Lo Pingsha had ever seen before. He suddenly realized that if this method could be poprized in the Justice Department, the efficiency of the Eagle Guards in capturing criminals in the future would be greatly increased. Chapter 120 120 Marry a Sage After painting the eyes, it was time for the nose. The nose was not like the eyes. There were not many details to ask. After asking a few simple questions, Yu Niaoniao began to pick up her pen. She drew a nose ording to Shen Xu¡¯s answer. ¡°Take a look. Is that what it looks like?¡± Shen Xu stared at the paper carefully and hesitated. ¡°I think so...¡± Yu Niaoniao ced the piece of drawing paper beside her and casually picked up a new piece of paper to draw. She drew five noses at once. The five noses were basically the same shape, but the details were different. She picked up the paper cutter and cut off the five noses. Then she waved at Shen Xu. ¡°Come here.¡± Lo Pingsha gestured to the Eagle Guards. Two Eagle Guards immediately walked forward, grabbed Shen Xu from both sides, and pushed him to the table. At this moment, Lo Pingsha walked over. He wanted to see what Yu Niaoniao was going to do next. Yu Niaoniao spread out the paper with the eyes on it and picked up the five ¡°noses¡±. She ced them on the paper one by one and asked at the same time. ¡°Take a closer look. Which nose looks more like Li Qiao¡¯s?¡± Shen Xu stared unblinkingly at the drawing paper. When Yu Niaoniao gestured to the fifth ¡°nose¡±, Shen Xu suddenly said. ¡°This one looks most like Li Qiao!¡± Yu Niaoniao continued to ask, ¡°Do you think there¡¯s anything else you need to adjust this nose? For example, do you want the nostrils to be erged? Does the nose have to be rounder?¡± Shen Xu stared at the drawing paper for a long time. He pointed a finger at the bridge of the nose. ¡°I think he has a mole here. It¡¯s small and not dark. You can¡¯t see it unless you get close.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked encouraging. ¡°You¡¯ve done well. This little clue is important to us. When we catch Li Qiao, you¡¯ll be cleared of suspicion. Every time you think of a clue now, you¡¯ll have a little more hope of getting away with it.¡± Shen Xu dreamed of leaving the Justice Department. He was instantly excited when he heard this. He tried harder to remember everything about Li Qiao. Lo Pingsha didn¡¯t care what Yu Niaoniao said. Right now, all his attention was focused on the five ¡°noses¡±. He didn¡¯t know that drawing portraits of prisoners could be done this way. Not everyone could urately describe the prisoner¡¯s appearance and characteristics. Many people could only give a rough description, so the painter had no idea. However, if the Justice Department could collect many types of facial features and integrate them separately, wouldn¡¯t the problem of the portrait be resolved when they needed it? The more Lo Pingsha thought about it, the more he felt that this n was feasible. His gaze on Yu Niaoniao became even more fervent. It was said that one should marry a virtuous wife. Duke Lang had really profited this time! Xiao Juan had other things to do, so he asked Lo Pingsha to bring Yu Niaoniao to the interrogation room. When he finished what he was doing, he realized that Yu Niaoniao had not returned. It was just a portrait. Was there a need to take so long? Xiao Juan could not sit still anymore. He stood up and walked out. When he walked into the interrogation room, he saw a group of people gathered around the table, looking at something. It was not until he approached that everyone realized that Duke Lang was there. They hurriedly bowed. Yu Niaoniao stood up as well. ¡°Your Highness, why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to see how your painting is going.¡± ¡°I just finished painting it. I was about to send it to you when you came over.¡± As Yu Niaoniao spoke, she picked up the drawing paper and handed it to Xiao Juan. Chapter 121 121 Disciple Xiao Juan was stunned when he saw the portrait on the paper. The man on the paper was extremely vivid. Be it his facial features or outline, they were almost the same as a real person. Even the man¡¯s hair was depicted in an extremely delicate manner. One could even see a flickering luster. Yu Niaoniao asked expectantly, ¡°How am I doing?¡± Xiao Juan praised sincerely. ¡°Great.¡± Although the portrait held no appreciation value, it was objective and true enough. Objectivity and truth were the most important things to justice. Yu Niaoniao smiled smugly. If there was a tail behind her, it would have already curled up into the sky. Xiao Juan put away the portrait. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Yu Niaoniao followed the man out. Lo Pingsha hurriedly chased after her. ¡°Your Highness, please wait!¡± Xiao Juan looked back at him. ¡°What else?¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°It¡¯s about the portrait. I have an idea and want to discuss it with you, Your Highness.¡± Seeing that they had something serious to say, Yu Niaoniao immediately said tactfully. ¡°It¡¯s almost lunch. I¡¯ll take a look at the dining hall. Take your time.¡± She put her hands in her sleeves and strolled away. When the people in the dining hall saw Miss Yu, they immediately looked at her with admiration. The fat chef was originally sitting in a rocking chair drinking tea and enjoying his disciples¡¯ massage. When he heard that Miss Yu was here, he immediately jumped up. ¡°Miss Yu, pleasee in!¡± The fat chef bowed respectfully and invited her in. ¡°Please sit here. Do you want anything to drink? I have some good Longjing tea here. Shall I make a pot for you?¡± Yu Niaoniao sat in the recliner and said casually, ¡°Sure, I¡¯m fine with anything.¡± His little disciple quickly returned with hot Longjing tea. Before he could bring the tea to Miss Yu, Fatty Big Sea pushed him away. The fat chef snatched the tea from his disciple and eagerly handed it to Miss Yu. He did not forget to remind her. ¡°This tea is a little hot. Be careful.¡± Yu Niaoniao took the teacup and took a sip. ¡°Yes, this tea is quite fragrant.¡± The fat chef quickly said, ¡°I¡¯m d you like it. I¡¯ll bring the rest of the tea leaves to you.¡± With that, he prepared to turn around and leave. It seemed like he really nned to bring all his precious tea leaves. Yu Niaoniao quickly stopped him. ¡°There¡¯s no need. There are plenty of tea leaves in Langjun Imperial Pce. If I want to drink them, there¡¯s always some. You should keep those tea leaves for yourself.¡± The fat chef chuckled. ¡°How is this the same? The tea leaves in the Langjun Imperial Pce are His Highness¡¯s. My tea leaves are specially given to you as a gift.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked him up and down. ¡°You¡¯re so solicitous. You must want something from me, right? Tell me, what is it?¡± Unexpectedly, in the next moment, she saw the fat chef bend his knees and fall to the ground with a thud. Due to his size, the ground trembled. Yu Niaoniao was shocked and subconsciously gripped the armrest of her chair. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The fat chef¡¯s eyes were filled with tears as he said sincerely, ¡°Miss Yu, please take me in as your disciple!¡± Yu Niaoniao quickly waved her hand. ¡°No, no. How old are you? How can I take you in as my disciple?¡± Although she had not asked his age, he was at least in his thirties, judging from his appearance and figure. She was only sixteen this year. She did not look like someone who could be his master. Chapter 122 122 A Little Awkward But the fat chef was determined. ¡°My father and grandfather both said that chefs rely on their skills. It has nothing to do with age. Some people could only cook so much at their age. But some people could cook well at a young age. You are clearly thetter. I¡¯m convinced by your superb culinary skills and sincerely want to acknowledge you as my master. Please fulfill my wish!¡± With that, he bent down and kowtowed heavily. Seeing this, his disciples hurriedly knelt down and touched their heads to the ground. Yu Niaoniao had lived two lifetimes and had never seen such a scene. She hurriedly put down her teacup and stood up to help the fat chef. ¡°Get up. If you have something to say, say it standing up. You guys are exaggerating. I¡¯m not used to it.¡± The fat chef did not say anything like ¡°I won¡¯t stand up if you don¡¯t agree.¡± He stood up obediently. ¡°Miss Yu, my grandfather and father were both chefs. I had learned how to cook from them since I was young and had trained for so many years. Initially, I thought that my culinary skills were not bad. Only now did I know that there was a mountain beyond a mountain. I was too short-sighted. You¡¯re so much younger than me, but your culinary skills are much better than mine. Most importantly, you didn¡¯t hide anything from us and taught us how to cook every day. You even taught us all your tricks. After your careful guidance, my culinary skills have improved. In my heart, you are already my master. Even if you don¡¯t agree to take me in as your disciple, I will treat you like my master in the future.¡± As he spoke, his eyes turned red again. He had obviously developed genuine feelings. Yu Niaoniao did not expect him to be so grateful just because she taught him a few dishes. She reached out to pat the fat chef on the shoulder, but he was too tall for her to reach. It was a little awkward. She was about to withdraw her hand when the fat chef immediately bent his knees and squatted, making himself shorter. In this way, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand could easily pat his shoulder. Seeing this, Yu Niaoniao could not help butugh. ¡°You¡¯re quite quick-witted.¡± The fat chef smiled as well. ¡°My father taught me this. If I want to learn more skills, I have to be smart and sweet.¡± Yu Niaoniao patted his strong shoulder and said. ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t intend to take in a disciple for the time being.¡± These days, a master-disciple rtionship was equivalent to a father-son rtionship. Once she took the fat chef as her disciple, it was equivalent to tying herself to him. In the future, she would have to share both fortune and misfortune. She wasn¡¯t ready for that. The fat chef¡¯s face registered obvious disappointment. But then he heard Yu Niaoniao say. ¡°If you really want to learn cooking from me, you can call me teacher. In the future, you can learn from me when I cook. You can ask me anything you don¡¯t understand.¡± The fat chef did not understand the difference between a teacher and a master, but when he heard that he could learn cooking from Miss Yu, his mood immediately turned from gloomy to sunny. A big smile blossomed on his fat face. ¡°Teacher!¡± The disciples behind him hurriedly called her teacher. The fat chef was immediately unhappy. He turned his head and roared at his disciples. ¡°This is my teacher, not yours. Don¡¯t shout!¡± His disciples were not afraid of being shouted at. They still addressed her as teacher with a smile. The fat chef was so angry that he raised his hand to hit her. His disciples quickly dispersed. Yu Niaoniao looked at the fat chef and asked. ¡°I still don¡¯t know your name?¡± Facing the teacher, the fat chef immediately stopped being angry and stood obediently. ¡°My surname is Pan, and my name is Dafu. You can call me Dafu.¡± He was tall, fair, fat, and round, and he was wearing light-colored clothes. He looked like a real-life version of the Disney Character, Big White. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I want to buy something, but I can¡¯t go out for the time being. Please find someone to help me.¡± Chapter 123 123 A Long-term n Pan Dafu quickly asked, ¡°What do you want to buy?¡± ¡°Chrysanthemum, dried mandarin peel, Cassia seeds, hawthorn, dragon Herbs, ophiopogon...¡± Yu Niaoniao reported the names of many Chinese medicines in one breath. Then, she took out her purse and prepared to take out money. Pan Dafu hurriedly waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s not something especially expensive. How can I let Teacher take the money? Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll get someone to buy it outside.¡± With that, he shouted for his disciple to go to the medicinal shop immediately. After sending his disciple away, Pan Dafu asked carefully. ¡°Teacher, why do you want to buy medicine? Are you sick? I know a doctor who¡¯s very good at medicine. Do you want him to take a look at you?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not sick. I bought the medicine to make a drink.¡± Hearing this, Pan Dafu became even more curious. What kind of drink needed so much Chinese herbs? Yu Niaoniao taught them a few dishes as usual. It didn¡¯t take long for his young disciple to return. He ced a few bulging paper packets on the table, his voice especially loud. ¡°Teacher! I¡¯ve bought the herbs you wanted.¡± Pan Dafu immediately turned his head and red at him. ¡°I told you not to call her teacher. You can¡¯t remember, right?¡± His little disciple didn¡¯t argue. He just chuckled. Yu Niaoniao opened the paper bag and took a look. After confirming that he had bought the right herbs, she immediately got someone to prepare a pot of boiling water. She ced the herbs into the water ording to the ratio and slowly simmered them. She said to her disciple, ¡°Help me watch the fire. Don¡¯t let it all evaporate.¡± His little disciple was overjoyed and hurriedly agreed. ¡°Alright!¡± In this day and age, the mostmon way to preach and answer questions was for a master to instruct his disciple to work. His disciple would learn as he worked. In other words, the more work he did, the more opportunities he would have to learn. Pan immediately rushed over and pushed his disciple out of the way. ¡°Let me! I¡¯m patient. I know how to watch the fire.¡± With that, he brought a stool over and sat down in front of the small stove. His tiger eyes were fixed on the small stove. From the looks of it, he nned to guard it tightly. The little disciple who was pushed away did not dare to say anything. He was about to cry. Yu Niaoniao could not stand it anymore and said to her disciple. ¡°Go get me a bottle of fruit vinegar.¡± The so-called fruit vinegar was vinegar brewed from fruit. This vinegar could be drunk directly. It was sweet in acid and could stimte digestion. The little disciple was afraid that his job would be snatched away again, so he quickly ran to the cer. Everyone in the kitchen was working methodically. Yu Niaoniao was a little tired from drawing today, so she gave up on cooking personally. She found a bag of melon seeds and leaned against the rocking chair. As she chewed on the melon seeds, she instructed everyone to cook. It could be said to be quite leisurely. When the dishes were ready, the kitchen hands filed out with trays and brought the dishes to the table of the Eagle Guards outside. Yu Niaoniao stood up and carried a tray to the private room. Xiao Juan was already sitting in the private room. After Yu Niaoniao ced the dishes, he picked up his chopsticks and tasted a piece of fish. Then, he frowned. ¡°You didn¡¯t cook this?¡± Yu Niaoniao was eating with relish. When she heard this, she replied without looking up, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± She liked cooking, but that didn¡¯t mean she had to cook every day. No matter how much she liked it, she would be a little tired of doing it every day. She had to rx appropriately. Rxing was the long-term solution. Besides, the fat chef and his disciples were good at cooking. The dishes they cooked were delicious and not much worse than hers. How good would it be to eat ready-made food? She didn¡¯t have to do it herself. Chapter 124 124 Fat Otaku Joy Water Indeed, the dishes in front of him were fragrant and delicious. Xiao Juan felt that there was nothing to be picky about. But he still felt a little ufortable. So much so that his appetite instantly worsened. He stopped touching the dishes and ate in silence. When he finished the rice in his bowl, he put down his chopsticks and said indifferently. ¡°I¡¯m done eating.¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped eating and looked at him in surprise. ¡°Is that all you¡¯re eating?¡± ¡°Okay, eat slowly. I still have something to do.¡± With that, he stood up and prepared to leave. Yu Niaoniao finally realized that the man was not interested. She could not be med for being too slow. It was really because Xiao Juan¡¯s expression changed too little. He kept a straight face all day long and was really cold. Without a level-ten psychology qualification, it was impossible to read any emotional changes on his iceberg of a face. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly put down her bowl and chopsticks and reached out to grab his sleeve. ¡°Is today¡¯s food not to your liking?¡± Xiao Juan looked down at her and said calmly, ¡°I have no appetite. It has nothing to do with these dishes.¡± Yu Niaoniao leaned over and stared into his eyes. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He pulled back his sleeve and walked away. Yu Niaoniao watched him leave and rubbed her chin in thought. ¡°It was fine before we ate. He just took a bite and lost his appetite. He must have thought the food was bad.¡± With that in mind, she picked up her chopsticks again and put a piece of food into her mouth. It was quite delicious! She couldn¡¯t resist taking two more bites. Unknowingly, she finished two bowls of rice. Yu Niaoniao touched her round belly and got up to go to the kitchen again. She went to the small stove and lifted the lid to see that the liquid inside had been boiled to a reddish brown. Yu Niaoniao got someone to bring over a pottery urn. She filtered the soup into the pottery urn and found a cool ce to ce it. When she was done, she washed her hands, rolled up her sleeves, and prepared to cut the meat. Seeing this, Pan Dafu immediately craned his neck to look in her direction. He wanted to lean over and take a look, but he still had to keep an eye on the small stove and could not leave for the time being. Yu Niaoniao minced the beef and added the ingredients to stir it evenly. There was still some dough left from lunch. Yu Niaoniao grabbed a piece of dough and cut it into equal-sized pieces of dough with medicinal ingredients. She rolled it into dough, wrapped it in beef stuffing, and fried it in a pot with hot oil. She made two fragrant beef pies and cooked a simple bowl of mushroom tofu soup. By this time, the soup in the pottery urn had almost cooled. Yu Niaoniao poured fruit vinegar and homemade baking soda into it. The moment the baking soda entered the water, tiny bubbles began to rise. The Chinese herbal version of a c was made! Yu Niaoniao scooped a ss of the c with a spoon and took a sip. It didn¡¯t taste as exciting as the soft drinks in modern society, but it wasn¡¯t bad. It was sour and sweet, and it quenched her thirst. Most importantly, it was low in calories and sodium. It was healthier to drink! She turned to find Pan Dafu and the others looking at her eagerly. She blushed. ¡°Let¡¯s all taste it.¡± Everyone immediately gathered around and poured themselves a c. When they first tasted it, everyone felt that the taste was very strange and even did not dare to swallow it. After two sips, they gradually tasted the beauty of the c. The thrill that exploded in their mouths, the sweetness that lingered in their mouths after they swallowed. It was simply addictive! Pan Dafu smacked his lips and said, ¡°If this is paired with snacks, it will definitely taste better!¡± He pressed for the name of the drink. Yu Niaoniao blurted out, ¡°Fat Otaku Joy Water.¡± Chapter 125 125 As You Wish Yu Niaoniao carried the food box back to the Mirror House. Xiao Juan heard footsteps and looked up at her. His gaze paused on the food box in her hand, as if he wanted to say something, but he quickly remembered his promise. As long as she could paint a portrait of Li Qiao, he had to allow her to eat snacks in Mirror House. He could not go back on his word. He closed his mouth silently and let her be. Unexpectedly, Yu Niaoniao walked up to him. She put the food container on the desk. ¡°Baby, guess what I have in here?¡± Xiao Juan said expressionlessly, ¡°Not guessing.¡± It was fine if she brought snacks, but she actually deliberately showed them off in front of him. Was she asking for more?! Immediately after, he saw Yu Niaoniao open the food box and carry a te of beef pancakes and a bowl of mushroom tofu soup. Yu Niaoniao pped her hands and said exaggeratedly. ¡°Dang dang dang! Look what this is? Here¡¯s your favorite beef pie! Are you surprised?¡± Xiao Juan was stunned. He thought that the food box contained Yu Niaoniao¡¯s snacks, but he did not expect her to prepare food for him. Yu Niaoniao raised her chin and said proudly. ¡°Don¡¯t you think I can tell? You must be unhappy at noon. Isn¡¯t it because I didn¡¯t cook those dishes? Tsk tsk, I made these for you myself.¡± Xiao Juan did not say anything. He felt very melodramatic. It was just a few dishes. Who could cook them differently? Why did he have to eat what she had made herself? Besides, Yu Niaoniao was not his exclusive chef. Why should he ask her to cook for him every meal? Seeing that he was sitting still, Yu Niaoniao thought that he was still angry. She stuffed her chopsticks into the man¡¯s hand and coaxed him gently. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t be unhappy. Eat it while it¡¯s hot before you starve.¡± Xiao Juan clenched his chopsticks and whispered, ¡°Thank you.¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her hand. ¡°Aiya, don¡¯t be so polite.¡± Xiao Juan picked up a beef pie and took a bite, tasting it carefully. It tasted extremely good. But because it was so delicious, he couldn¡¯t bear to finish it too quickly. He even wondered if Yu Niaoniao would still cook for him after this meal. If she did, how long would shest? Seeing that the man had started eating, Yu Niaoniao did not disturb him anymore. She picked up the bamboo tube and walked behind the small desk to sit down. Fat Otaku Happy Water with popcorn was really peerless! She was eating enthusiastically when she heard the man at the other end of the screen speak. ¡°The wedding date is set for the eighth of next month. What do you think?¡± Yu Niaoniao choked on her Coke. Cough, cough, cough! She put down her cup quickly and pulled out her silk handkerchief to wipe her mouth. Why did he say such a scary thing?! Xiao Juan said, ¡°If you think the eighth day is not good, you can change it to another day. It¡¯s up to you.¡± Yu Niaoniao had no thoughts about the wedding date. In any case, they had to go through with this marriage sooner orter. It didn¡¯t matter which day it was set. So she said, ¡°The eighth day it shall be.¡± She could not see the man¡¯s expression through the screen, so she naturally missed the fleeting smile on his lips. He continued, ¡°Although it¡¯s a marriage bestowed by the emperor, there can¡¯t be any less etiquette. Tomorrow, I will get someone to send the betrothal gift to your house and let the matchmaker set the date with your family.¡± Yu Niaoniao grabbed a piece of popcorn and threw it into her mouth. ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°If you have any requests for the wedding, you can tell me. As long as it¡¯s reasonable and legal, I¡¯ll try my best to satisfy you.¡± Yu Niaoniao held her chin and thought for a moment. ¡°Speaking of requests, I have one.¡± Xiao Juan was all ears. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Can you apany me to the Ten Thousand Dharma Temple before we get married?¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Why are we going there?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I want to go to the Dharma Temple to light two eternalmps for my mother and stepfather. I want to introduce you to them as their new son-inw.¡± Xiao Juan had investigated her background and naturally knew that her biological mother and stepfather had passed away. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ... Chapter 126 126 Something Must Be Wrong! Xiao Juan called someone in to clean up the dishes. The person who came in was Meng Xizhou. When he saw the empty bowls and tes on the desk, he could not help but be stunned. Didn¡¯t Duke Lang never eat in the Mirror House? Why was he making an exception today? Something was wrong! Meng Xizhou was very nervous. He asked carefully as he studied the change in Duke Lang¡¯s expression. ¡°How do you feel, Your Highness? Are you feeling unwell?¡± How could Xiao Juan not see through Meng Xizhou¡¯s thoughts? However, he could not exin and could only reply simply and roughly. ¡°Stay out of things that don¡¯t concern you. Hurry up and clean up.¡± Meng Xizhou immediately shut his mouth, not daring to ask again. He quickly cleared the dishes and slipped away with the food box. Xiao Juan straightened his expression. ¡°Miss Yu,e over. I have something to tell you.¡± Yu Niaoniao stuck her head out from behind the screen. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Xiao Juan had no choice but to turn to look at her. ¡°I¡¯ve seen all the paintings you drew in the interrogation room today. You¡¯re very good.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°Hehe, I know I¡¯m good at drawing too.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. This woman really didn¡¯t know what politeness and humility were! He continued calmly, ¡°Lo Pingsha suggested a n to me. He wants to be able to implement your kind of painting in the Justice Department. I need your help with this.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You want me to teach painting? That¡¯s not a problem.¡± Xiao Juan was a little surprised. Any skill was precious these days. However, Yu Niaoniao seemed to bepletely unaware of this. Whether it was cooking or painting, she could easily teach others. She was not worried that her disciples would cause her to starve to death after mastering her skills. He really didn¡¯t know whether to call her generous or silly. Fortunately, Xiao Juan was not the kind of person who liked to take advantage of others. He said honestly. ¡°Having you teach people how to paint is an extra job. I¡¯ll make it up to you separately. What do you want?¡± Yu Niaoniao said without hesitation, ¡°Money.¡± Xiao Juan fell silent again. This woman really did not hide her greedy nature at all. Yu Niaoniao rubbed her fingers. ¡°In terms of numbers, the more the better.¡± Xiao Juan took out a stack of banknotes. ¡°Is that enough?¡± Yu Niaoniao straightened her arm and took the banknotes. She tapped them. There were a total of 320 taels. She quickly folded the banknotes and stuffed them into her arms, a bright smile on her face. ¡°Enough, enough! Thank you, Your Highness. You¡¯re really a generous superior. It¡¯s my fortune to work under you.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her miserly expression and chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s my blessing to have a subordinate like you.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him in a daze. ¡°Eh? Did you smile just now?¡± Xiao Juan said indifferently, ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± With that, he turned back to his work. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You were smiling just now! I saw it. The corners of your mouth were like this.¡± As she spoke, she poked the corner of her mouth with her finger, forcing a strange curve. Xiao Juan nced at her from the corner of his eye and saw her strange smile. He instantly felt ufortable. Although he rarely smiled, it was impossible for him to smile like that! It was simply blinding! Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Baby, give me another smile. I want to see it.¡± Xiao Juan said perfunctorily, ¡°One hundred taels for each nce.¡± Yu Niaoniao gasped. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and rob! The most popr top host in the Imperial Capital is not as expensive as you!¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. ... Chapter 127 127 Smiley As soon as she said that, Yu Niaoniao regretted it. She actually dared topare Duke Lang to someone from the brothel. Duke Lang would definitely be angry. As expected, the next moment she saw the man frown and look displeased. Yu Niaoniao had already made up her mind to wheedle and act cute. She wanted to bluff her way through. Immediately after, she heard the man ask coldly. ¡°How would you know the price of the hottest host in the city?¡± Yu Niaoniao choked. This was not the reaction she had expected! She couldn¡¯t think straight. She stuttered when she spoke. ¡°I-I heard someone talking nonsense.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s brows did not rx as he continued to ask, ¡°Who told you about these messy things?¡± Yu Niaoniao quickly went through the names of the people she knew in her heart, trying to find someone to me, but no one met the requirements. In the end, she could only make up something. ¡°I forgot!¡± Xiao Juan looked at her steadily. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a photographic memory?¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Oh no! She had forgotten about this! Since she had failed to lie, she decided to act like a rascal and be thickskinned about it. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I just don¡¯t remember.¡± After saying that, she even put on a ¡°believe it or not¡± posture. She thought the man would be unhappy. She was prepared to deal with his dirty looks, but the man suddenly smiled at her. Although this man was taciturn and unreasonable, his face was indeed peerlessly handsome. When he was usually cold, he was as unattainable as a flower on a high mountain. At this moment, he suddenly smiled. The flower on the mountain immediately became a snow lotus under the sun, shining with unparalleled beauty. Yu Niaoniao was stunned. This was too cool! Immediately after, she thought that this was her fianc¨¦. In the future, she would be able to see such beauty every time she woke up. Her heart could not help but thump. She could do it with such a handsome husband! She definitely could! However, in the next moment, she saw the man stop smiling and return to his expressionless face. Before Yu Niaoniao could be disappointed, she saw Xiao Juan extend his well-defined right hand towards her. ¡°A hundred taels. Thank you for your patronage.¡± Yu Niaoniao was confused and dumbfounded. What beauty? What husband? All of them turned to ashes at this moment. At this moment, the only words in her mind were... One! Hundred! Taels! Yu Niaoniao jumped up and shouted, ¡°I didn¡¯t agree. You¡¯re forcing me! This deal doesn¡¯t count!¡± Xiao Juan said slowly, ¡°I¡¯ve already informed you of the price in advance, which means that you know the price. Under this premise, if you see my smile, it means that you¡¯ve already epted this deal. There¡¯s no such thing as a forced sale.¡± Yu Niaoniao retorted, ¡°You insisted on smiling!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Then you can close your eyes and not look.¡± Yu Niaoniao choked again. Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°You can only me yourself for being lustful.¡± Yu Niaoniao was powerless to argue. She had indeed been blinded by beauty just now and hadpletely forgotten that she had to pay for this smile. Yu Niaoniao wanted to deny it, but on second thought, this was the Justice Department. If she dared to act shamelessly here, wouldn¡¯t she be stirring up trouble? In the end, she could only grit her teeth and admit defeat. She took out the stack of banknotes. Poor banknotes. She had to return them before they were warmed up. She took out two silver notes worth 50 taels and ced them in the man¡¯s palm. He would not lose! She endured the pain and forced a smile. ¡°A hundred taels to buy a smile from Duke Lang. It¡¯s worth it!¡± Hearing this, not only was Xiao Juan not angry, he even smiled at the other party. ... ¡°Two hundred taels.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Chapter 128 128 Profiteer Xiao Juan folded the banknotes neatly and stuffed them into his sleeve. ¡°Thank you for your return business. Wee next time.¡± Yu Niaoniao held the remaining 120 taels of silver, her heart aching so much that she could not breathe. She was really a prodigal. In the blink of an eye, she had spent 200 taels. That was 200 taels of silver! How much good food could she buy with that amount? The more she thought about it, the more regretful she became. Yu Niaoniao looked at the man in front of her and gritted her teeth. ¡°Profiteer!¡± Xiao Juan looked down at her, his lips curled. Before he could smile, Yu Niaoniao quickly covered her eyes and turned her back on him. She said loudly and righteously. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare cheat me of my money again!¡± With that, she slipped around the screen and ran back to her small desk, not giving him any chance. It was impossible for her to do the same thing three times in a row. Seeing this, the corners of Xiao Juan¡¯s mouth fell again, but there was a faint smile in his eyes. Actually, he did not care about that little money. He just wanted the girl to remember the lesson and not be blinded by beauty in the future. Especially those popr celebrities. All of them were powerful demons who could easily empty her pockets. Yan Nanguan led a group of Eagle Guards into Prince Min¡¯s Mansion and turned the entire mansion upside down. The Eagle Guards were rough. By the time they finished searching, Prince Min¡¯s Mansion had be a mess. There were still a lot of people gathered outside the mansion. They were all here to watch the show. Prince Min lost all his face. He was so angry that he threw his horsetail whisk to the ground and cursed. ¡°You dogs dare to do whatever you want just because the emperor trusts you. Do you really think there¡¯s now? I¡¯ll enter the pce and exin this to the emperor. I¡¯ll definitely kill you!¡± Yan Nanguang reached out and blocked his way. ¡°Before the case is investigated, please don¡¯t leave the mansion casually.¡± Prince Min red at him. ¡°Are you trying to put me under house arrest?¡± Yan Nanguan said, ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re being too serious. It¡¯s not house arrest. I¡¯m just asking you to cooperate with the investigation.¡± Prince Min pointed at his nose and cursed. ¡°Who do you think you are? You¡¯re just a dog under Xiao Juan. Even Xiao Juan isn¡¯t qualified to control me. What right do you have to ask me to cooperate with you? Get lost, don¡¯t block my path!¡± When Yan Nanguan was handling cases, they had seen all kinds of people, and there was naturally nock of exasperated and cursing types like Prince Min. The angrier the other party was, the calmer Yan Nanguan became. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t forget that your heir is still locked up in the Justice Department. If you can cooperate with us to solve the case as soon as possible, the heir will be able to regain his freedom as soon as possible. Otherwise... you understand.¡± When he said thest three words, Yan Nanguan¡¯s lips curled into a meaningful smile. Prince Min trembled with anger. ¡°How dare you threaten me!¡± Yan Nanguan waved his hand. ¡°Send His Highness back to his room to rest.¡± Immediately, two Eagle Guards stood up and grabbed Prince Min¡¯s arms from both sides, forcefully sending him into the house. Even with the door closed, they could still hear Prince Min cursing. ¡°Don¡¯t give me a chance to get out, or I¡¯ll kill all of you dogs!¡± Yan Nanguan instructed the Eagle Guards softly. ¡°Keep an eye on him, but don¡¯t stare too hard.¡± If he wanted to lure the snake out of its hole, he had to give it a chance. The Eagle Guards were very experienced in dealing with such matters. They nodded in unison. ¡°Understood!¡± Chapter 129 129 Tasting Food In the Yu Residence, Yu Pingping ced the freshly cooked dishes on the table. She wiped the ck dust off her face with the back of her hand, sessfully erging the stain on her face. With her dirty dress and messy hair, she looked like a freshly-baked little beggar. She was unaware of this and said to Yu Sheng excitedly. ¡°Brother, this is a delicacy I carefully cooked. Try it!¡± Yu Sheng looked at the sticky unknown object in the casserole and couldn¡¯t help but feel afraid. ¡°W-what are you cooking?¡± Yu Pingping pped her forehead. ¡°I almost forgot to name this dish!¡± Yu Sheng became even more terrified. ¡°This is your own creation? But haven¡¯t you ever cooked before?¡± Yu Pingping smiled proudly. ¡°I¡¯ve never cooked before, but I¡¯ve already seen the chefs cook. It¡¯s so simple! I just did it like them, but I thought their dishes were average, so I improved the dishes slightly.¡± Yu Sheng suggested sincerely, ¡°If it¡¯s your first time cooking, I suggest you don¡¯t make it too difficult. Let¡¯s start with the most basic dishes. If you really can¡¯t do it, make a cold dish. I think cucumber sd is good. It¡¯s refreshing and appetizing. You can try it.¡± Yu Pingping pouted and snorted unhappily. ¡°This is a gift to apologize to Yu Niaoniao. Are you going to let her eat a cucumber sd? Even if you don¡¯t care, I still want my dignity, okay?!¡± She put her hand on the edge of the table and urged him impatiently. ¡°Stop dilly-dallying and eat! How about checking out the saltiness? I can make adjustments.¡± Yu Sheng braced himself and picked up the spoon. He scooped up a spoonful of an unknown object and sniffed it. There was a strange smell that no one could describe. He felt that if he ate this mouthful, he would definitely have diarrhea. Driven by his desire to live, he made a difficult suggestion. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try another dish...¡± Before he could finish, Yu Pingping grabbed his hand and quickly stuffed the spoon into his mouth before he could close it. ¡°This is my first time cooking. It has to be for the people closest to me. No one else.¡± Yu Pingping looked at her brother expectantly. ¡°How does it taste? Is it good?¡± Yu Sheng said nothing. He stood up and rushed out of the house, covering his ears. He crouched under the tree and opened his mouth- Retch!! Yu Pingping was speechless. Her smile froze on her face. Her brother actually vomited from eating her food! She flew into a rage out of humiliation and stomped her foot. ¡°What do you mean? Is my food that bad?!¡± Yu Sheng wiped his mouth with his handkerchief and turned to her. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad.¡± Yu Pingping¡¯s expression softened slightly, and then she heard her brother continue. ¡°It just makes people lose the desire to live.¡± Yu Pingping was speechless. She didn¡¯t believe her cooking was that bad. She spooned up an unidentified object and brought it to her mouth. ... . The next moment, a squatting and vomiting figure appeared under the tree. Yu Sheng patted his sister¡¯s back to calm her down. ¡°Why don¡¯t we forget it and switch to another gift?¡± Yu Pingping wiped her mouth with a silk handkerchief and said angrily, ¡°I¡¯ve seen Yu Niaoniao cook dishes. It¡¯s simr to my method. Why does the food she cooks taste good while mine tastes bad? I¡¯m not convinced! I¡¯ll try a few more times. It¡¯ll definitely work. I want to prove that I¡¯m not inferior to her!¡± She turned to find her brother about to slip away and grabbed his sleeve. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to leave. You still have to test the dishes for me.¡± Yu Sheng wanted to cry. ¡°Good sister, please spare me!¡± Chapter 130 130 Intentions Losing 200 taels of silver at once made Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart ache. Even the Fat Otaku Joy water became nd. She pressed the index fingers of both hands to her temples, making small circles, concentrating. How could she get the two hundred taels back? As she thought about it, she really dide up with an idea. As the sun set, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan returned to the prince¡¯s residence as usual. Yu Niaoniao went straight to the kitchen. She rolled up her sleeves. After some work, she made two good dishes. They were sour soup beef and squirrel salmon. Whether it was the fragrance or the appearance, these two dishes could be said to be superb and could stimte one¡¯s appetite. Dang Gui drooled. ¡°Can I taste it, miss?¡± If it were any other time, Yu Niaoniao would definitely share some food with her. But tonight was different. Yu Niaoniao rejected her sternly. ¡°No, you can¡¯t. These two dishes are of great use.¡± Dang Gui was disappointed and wilted. ¡°Okay.¡± Yu Niaoniao touched her head. ¡°Go rub the dough. I¡¯ll make oil-doused noodles for youter.¡± Dang Gui had eaten oil-doused noodles before and could not forget the taste. When she heard this, she immediately perked up. ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Yu Niaoniao carried the tray to the dining hall. Granny Xiu Yan helped her put the squirrel salmon and sour soup beef on the table and praised her with a smile. ¡°Miss Yu¡¯s culinary skills are getting better and better. The dishes today are making me drool. They must taste very good.¡± Xiao Juan did not like spicy food. He preferred sour and sweet food. The two dishes in front of him happened to suit his taste. He picked up his chopsticks and was about to taste them. However, Yu Niaoniao suddenly spoke. ¡°Wait!¡± Xiao Juan looked up at her. ¡°Why?¡± Yu Niaoniao cleared her throat and said sternly. ¡°These two dishes are different from the ones you usually eat. I spent a lot of effort cooking them. They are the result of my hard work.¡± When Granny Xiu Yan heard this, she immediately understood that Miss Yu was using cooking to express her feelings for the duke. Who would bother to cook for others? Naturally, it was for someone she liked! Granny Xiu Yan couldn¡¯t help but smile. Xiao Juan did not think too much and asked. ¡°So?¡± Granny Xiu Yan was about to remind the county prince not to ask so bluntly. After all, she was a girl and would be embarrassed. However, before she could say anything, she saw Miss Yu extend her fair hand. Yu Niaoniao said confidently. ¡°So you have to pay before you eat!¡± Granny Xiu Yan was speechless. She thought she was eating sweets from watching a romantic scene, but when she took a bite, it was all copper. Xiao Juan clearly did not expect Yu Niaoniao to ask for money. It took him a moment to respond. ¡°How much do you want?¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her small hand and raised two fingers. ¡°Two hundred taels.¡± Xiao Juan immediately understood that she wanted to get back the two hundred taels of silver she had lost during the day. He put down his chopsticks and spoke calmly. ¡°You took the trouble to cook for me, so it¡¯s only right for me to pay. But do you know the price of the most expensive restaurant in the capital? The two dishes you cooked are only worth two taels of silver at most.¡± With that, he took out two taels of silver from his pouch and ced them in front of Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao was unconvinced. ¡°Can my culinary skills bepared to those ordinary chefs outside?!¡± Xiao Juan thought for a moment and felt that her words made sense. So he gave her another half a tael of silver. ¡°Surely this is enough?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I want two hundred taels!¡± ... Xiao Juan said slowly. ¡°The price of food in the Dayan Dynasty is clearly stipted. It can¡¯t exceed 30% of the market price at most. Otherwise, it will be seen as raising prices. Raising prices is equivalent to going to jail. You have to think carefully before you speak.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Chapter 131 131 Flirting Yu Niaoniao was indignant. ¡°It costs one hundred taels to buy your smile. This price is much more expensive than the most popr top host in the capital. You¡¯re raising the price!¡± Granny Xiu Yan thought she had misheard. What? His Royal Highness had actually started to sell himself? As expected of Duke Lang, who was in charge. Even at this moment, he was still calm and did not feel guilty at all. He even asked matter-of-factly, ¡°With my status, isn¡¯t it normal for me to be more expensive than the top host? Or is it that in your heart, I¡¯m not as good as the wild flowers and grass outside and not worth so much money?¡± Yu Niaoniao was stumped. Granny Xiu Yan¡¯s eyes widened as her heart surged. What? Was Miss Yu having dalliances outside? What grudges and entanglements had happened between the two of them in just a day? She felt that there were many important plotlines missing! Granny Xiu Yan shouted silently in her heart. Could a kind person sort out the plot for her? The more Yu Niaoniao thought about it, the more she felt that she had suffered a loss. She reached for the two bowls of food and ced them back on the tray. She spoke angrily. ¡°I¡¯m not earning two and a half taels of silver anymore!¡± With that, she turned around and left with the tray, leaving Xiao Juan with an empty table. Xiao Juan was speechless. She actually dared to give him a hard time to his face. It was obvious that she was getting more and more impudent in front of him. Logically speaking, Xiao Juan should be dissatisfied, but there was a faint smile in his eyes. The more impudent she was, the more evidence he had that she did not treat him as an outsider. Granny Xiu Yan said carefully, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Miss Yu and get her to send the dishes back.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°No need. Let her be.¡± It was just one less meal. It was not a big deal. Yu Niaoniao carried the tray back to the kitchen. When Dang Gui saw that she was back, she immediately weed her excitedly. ¡°Miss, I¡¯ve already kneaded the dough!¡± Yu Niaoniao ced the tray on the table and spoke to her. ¡°There¡¯s no need to make noodles. We¡¯ll eat these two dishes tonight!¡± Dang Gui was surprised to see the two dishes brought back intact. ¡°Aren¡¯t these dishes for Duke Lang?¡± Yu Niaoniao said angrily, ¡°We¡¯ll eat it ourselves!¡± Although Dang Gui did not understand what had happened, she could not care less in the face of delicious food. She immediately brought her bowl and chopsticks and ate with Miss. After the meal, Yu Niaoniao returned to the house to rest. She got someone to get hot water and prepared to take a bath to rx. Unexpectedly, Granny Xiu Yan walked in. She bowed to Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly invited her to sit down. ¡°Granny, why are you here sote at night?¡± Granny Xiu Yan looked a little troubled. ¡°I do have something to tell you. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be unhappy with what I¡¯m about to say.¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her hand. ¡°No, no. I don¡¯t have any other good points, but I¡¯m very magnanimous. If you have anything to say, just say it.¡± Granny Xiu Yan hesitated before speaking. ¡°His Highness has a reserved personality and likes to keep everything to himself. It¡¯s more boring to live with a man like him. It¡¯s understandable that you¡¯ll find a host outside to relieve your frustration, but you and His Highness will be married soon. At this critical moment, it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t fool around outside...¡± The more Yu Niaoniao listened, the more troubled she became. She quickly interrupted him. ¡°Fooling around? I didn¡¯t!¡± Chapter 132 132 Misunderstanding! Granny Xiu Yan, however, was reasonable. ¡°How can it be fake when the duke said it himself just now? I watched the duke grow up. I know his personality very well. He¡¯s definitely not the kind of person who speaks nonsense.¡± Yu Niaoniao could not exin. She covered her face and cried out in pain. ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding! It¡¯s all a misunderstanding! I¡¯ve never been to those red-light districts, let alone mess around!¡± Granny Xiu Yan quickly stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t be so loud. What if someone hears you and spreads it? You¡¯re a woman, after all. This matter is bad for your reputation.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly shut her mouth, but then she suddenly came back to her senses. ¡°I¡¯ve never done it before. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?!¡± Granny Xiu Yan was helpless. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you won¡¯t admit it. This matter ends here. You must remember to cut ties with those people outside and not interact with them anymore. ¡°Have a good rest. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± She curtsied to the other and withdrew respectfully. As soon as Granny Xiuyan left, a servant walked in with hot water. They poured hot water into the bathtub and stole nces at Yu Niaoniao from time to time. They had heard Miss Yu¡¯s cry outside the door just now. She actually dared to say that she had been to red-light districts and had messed around! ¡®You really can¡¯t judge a book by its cover.¡¯ They did not expect the lively and cute Miss Yu to be so fickle. It was just sad that their prince had fallen for such a ygirl. Yu Niaoniao was still troubled by the misunderstanding and did not notice the abnormality of the servants. When they were gone, she undressed and sat in the tub. Hot water poured over her body. She leaned backzily and closed her eyes. Her body rxed bit by bit, and her mood eased. After that, she rolled onto the bed and closed her eyes to sleep. She slept soundly. The next morning, she stretched out in the sun. Ah! Another day! She had already thrown yesterday¡¯s worries to the back of her mind. Dang Gui walked in with hot water. Yu Niaoniao noticed her strange expression and could not help but ask. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Dang Gui looked at her with aplicated expression. ¡°Miss, tell me honestly. Do you have someone else outside?¡± Yu Niaoniao was confused. ¡°What kind of question is that? How can I have someone outside?!¡± Dang Gui said, ¡°But when I went to the kitchen to get hot water just now, I heard the servants in the residence secretly discussing that you have another lover outside. They even said that you have sex with both men and women everywhere and you¡¯re not picky with meat and vegetables. You¡¯re an out-and-out ygirl.¡± Yu Niaoniao was shocked. She was furious! ¡°Who spread this nonsense?!¡± Dang Gui said, ¡°Those people in the kitchen. They made it sound so convincing that even I almost believed them.¡± Yu Niaoniao rolled up her sleeves and said angrily. ¡°Outrageous! It¡¯s fine if those people call me a yboy, but they actually said that I¡¯m not picky with meat and vegetables? It was clearly nonsense! ¡°I usually pay attention to meat and vegetables when I eat!¡± Dang Gui was speechless. Dang Gui reminded, ¡°The meat and vegetables they¡¯re talking about have nothing to do with food.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not care about this. ¡°I¡¯ll go argue with them now!¡± With that, she rushed out aggressively. Dang Gui shouted, ¡°You haven¡¯t washed up!¡± Yu Niaoniao replied without looking back, ¡°No!¡± Dang Gui was worried that she would quarrel with the people in the kitchen, so she hurriedly ran to Duke Lang to ask him to help suppress this matter. ... Chapter 133 133 I Don¡¯t Even Have Time to Love Him When Yu Niaoniao rushed into the kitchen, she saw four or five servants gathered and whispering. Their voices were low, but Yu heard a few words, including a mention of her. The servants did not expect Yu Niaoniao to suddenly appear and were all shocked. They hurriedly bowed. ¡°Miss Yu, why are you here?¡± Yu Niaoniao ced her hands on her hips and questioned, ¡°How dare you create rumors about me?!¡± The servants hurriedly shook their heads and said no. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t hear you. You were talking about me just now. How dare you deny it?!¡± The servants knew that they would be punished if they spoke rashly. They were pale with fear and hurriedly knelt down to kowtow. ¡°We were wrong. We shouldn¡¯t have spoken nonsense. Please show mercy, Miss Yu!¡± Yu Niaoniao was especially angry. ¡°What are you doing? Stand up. I¡¯m not your master. I¡¯m not qualified to punish you. I¡¯m here to tell you that I¡¯m not fooling around outside. I didn¡¯t do anything. I¡¯m innocent!¡± The servants hurriedly nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, yes, you¡¯re right!¡± One look at them and she knew that they had no choice but to submit. In their hearts, they still felt that Yu Niaoniao was a ygirl. Yu Niaoniao did not want the rumors to continue spreading. She had to resolve this matterpletely, so she asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure you all know how good-looking Duke Lang is, right?¡± How could the servants dare to say that the duke was not good-looking? They nodded in unison. Yu Niaoniao continued. ¡°I¡¯ve already seen a peerless handsome man like him. How can I be tempted by another man? I¡¯ll only love Duke Lang in my life! To me, he is the morning dew, the evening star, all my joy, the most precious treasure I had hidden in my heart. I can¡¯t wait to love him. How can I bear to hurt him?!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she heard apuse behind her. p, p, p! Yu Niaoniao immediately turned around and saw Duke Lang, Granny Xiu Yan, and Dang Gui standing outside the door. ¡®When did they arrive, and how long have they been standing there?¡¯ Dang Gui was still pping hard to support herdy. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, Miss!¡± Granny Xiu Yan was so touched that her eyes turned red. She wiped the corners of her eyes with a silk handkerchief. ¡°Miss Yu is really deeply in love with His Highness. It¡¯s so touching.¡± Xiao Juan stared at Yu Niaoniao quietly. Although he did not say anything, his dark eyes already contained many emotions. He seemed to have a thousand things to say, but he did not know how to say them. Yu Niaoniao did not expect that the person involved would hear her words of love. But as the saying went, as long as she wasn¡¯t embarrassed, others would be! Yu Niaoniao ran over quickly and hugged Xiao Juan¡¯s arm. ¡°Baby, tell them quickly. Our rtionship is very good. There has never been a third party. Don¡¯t let them spread rumors anymore.¡± Xiao Juan looked at the kneeling servants. They were already trembling with fear and on the verge of tears. ¡°We know our mistake. We won¡¯t dare to do it again. Please spare us, Your Highness!¡± Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°ording to the rules of the residence, those who speak nonsense will have their tongues cut off and sold.¡± The servants kowtowed so hard that their foreheads were bruised. ¡°Please show mercy, Your Highness!¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to cut their tongues. It¡¯s too bloody.¡± They had only gossiped a little. There was no need to be so ruthless. When Xiao Juan looked at her, his eyes softened. ¡°What do you think we should do with them?¡± Yu Niaoniao told him her suggestion. Chapter 134 134 Betrothal Gift Today was the day to deliver the betrothal gifts. Originally, Xiao Juan had nned to let Meng Xizhou bring a matchmaker to deliver the betrothal gift. However, after hearing Yu Niaoniao¡¯s affectionate confession, he felt that he could not let her down. He changed his mind at thest minute and decided to send the betrothal gift personally. He handed the matters in the residence to Yu Niaoniao and Granny Xiu Yan to handle while he brought people to the Yu Residence to receive the betrothal gift. The betrothal gifts prepared by LangJun Imperial Pce were quite generous and attracted the attention of many people along the way. Xiao Juan sat on the horse¡¯s back and looked straight ahead, still thinking about Yu Niaoniao. The words she said seemed to linger in his ears for a long time. That sincere and passionate love was something he had never felt before. He felt as if something had filled his chest. He was extremely contented. Yu Kangtai knew that the people from the Langjun Imperial Pce would send the betrothal gift today. He especially took a day off, put on his new clothes, and waited at home. Usually, the ones in charge of sending betrothal gifts were the elders in the family. However, Xiao Juan¡¯s biological mother, Princess Ni Yang, was not in the Imperial Capital, and he was not very close to his other rtives in the capital. Presumably, he would send his trusted aide to deliver the betrothal gift this time. However, when Yu Kangtai went out to wee him, he was stunned to see Duke Lang himself. It was actually the duke himself who hade to deliver the betrothal gift! Facing Duke Lang¡¯s sharp and cold ck eyes, Yu Kangtai¡¯s calves trembled slightly. He gathered his courage and said, ¡°Why is Duke Lang here personally?¡± Xiao Juan said indifferently, ¡°The betrothal gift is not a small matter. I naturally have toe personally.¡± He said that to show how much he valued this marriage. Actually, he was giving the Yu Residence face. Yu Kangtai also understood this. No matter how afraid he was, he could only brace himself and wee him. ¡°Pleasee in, Your Highness.¡± ... . Two flowers bloomed, one on each side. On the other hand, the rumors were definitely not limited to the servants. There were probably many people in the royal residence who were also gossiping about this matter in private. If she only dealt with these servants, the rumors would not dissipate. So Yu Niaoniao thought of an idea. What was the quickest way to dispel rumors? Naturally, it would create more topics to divert the public¡¯s attention! She asked Granny Xiuyan to gather all the servants in the residence and then asked them to speak up one by one. There was only one topic to talk about, which was the most explosive gossip they had heard recently. As for whether it was explosive enough, it was all up to Yu Niaoniao. These servants were usually detained in the residence. What they could see and hear was also what happened in the residence. Therefore, the gossip they could know was also rted to the people around them. At first, they wanted to gossip about nothing and try to muddle through. In the end, Yu Niaoniao gave them a bad review and said that they did not pass. In case they deliberately wasted time, Granny Xiu Yan spoke. ¡°Each of you only has two chances to speak. If you fail both times, you¡¯ll be beaten up and sold.¡± Granny Xiu Yan was deeply trusted by Duke Lang. She spoke with authority. The servants were immediately afraid. They didn¡¯t dare go through the motions again. They started racking their brains to think back. Someone stood up and said, ¡°Mrs. Zhao¡¯s man has an affair with Hongling. I saw them together with my own eyes.¡± Mrs. Zhao was clearly shrewish. She immediately grabbed Hong Ling¡¯s hair and scolded her, ¡°I thought there was something wrong with you. So you hooked up with my man!¡± A man rushed over and pulled Mrs. Zhao away, telling her to stop fooling around. Hong Ling hid behind the man and sobbed. ¡°Sister Zhao, don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯m not here to break you up. I¡¯m here to join you.¡± Yu Niaoniao spat out the melon seeds she was eating. This scene was exciting! Chapter 135 135 Indulgence After the first gossip was dropped, many more were poked out. A gossip conference finally turned into a revtion conference. Everyone was arguing until their faces were red. If not for the Eagle Guards watching from the side, they would definitely have started fighting. Not to mention Yu Niaoniao, even Granny Xiu Yan, who was an olddy in the residence, was stunned. She did not expect there to be so much gossip hidden in a small county pce. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao, Granny Xiu Yan, and Dang Gui seemed to have be quails in a melon field, eating melons happily. By the time the revtions ended, it was almost noon. Yu Niaoniao stood up and stretched. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I should go to the Justice Department.¡± Because of the betrothal, Duke Lang, who was never absent, took half a day off. As his personal assistant, Yu Niaoniao could also rest for half a day. Granny Xiu Yan hurriedly asked, ¡°It¡¯s already noon. Why don¡¯t you eat before going out?¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯ll eat outside today.¡± After saying that, Yu Niaoniao specially patted her purse. There were 120 taels of silver inside. Now that she was rich, she had to reward herself. Dang Gui looked at herdy eagerly. She really wanted to go out and eat something delicious. Yu Niaoniao received the longing gaze from Dang Gui and hooked her little finger at her. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat outside.¡± Dang Gui¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Okay!¡± Granny Xiu Yan quickly ordered someone to prepare the carriage. When Yu Niaoniao walked out of the residence with Dang Gui, she happened to see Duke Lang return. He sent the betrothal gift to the Yu Residence and chatted with Yu Kangtai for a while before leaving. Out of courtesy, Yu Kangtai still wanted to keep him for a meal, but he refused. He dismounted and strode over to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Where are you guys going?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°To the Justice Department. I¡¯ll find a restaurant on the way to settle my lunch.¡± Granny Xiu Yan seized the opportunity to speak quickly. ¡°His Highness is going to the Justice Department this afternoon. Why don¡¯t the two of you go together?¡± After saying that, she did not forget to give Duke Lang a look, indicating for him to agree quickly. This was a great opportunity to bury the hatchet with Miss Yu. Xiao Juan did not like to eat outside, but he was worried about Yu Niaoniao going out alone, so he nodded. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not think too much about it and immediately said, ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡± Granny Xiu Yan immediately got someone to take away the horse that Duke Lang had ridden back. This way, Duke Lang could only ride in the same carriage as Miss Yu. The two of them would have close contact again. Yu Niaoniao walked towards the carriage with Dang Gui. Xiao Juan was about to follow when he was stopped by Granny Xiu Yan. Granny Xiu Yan instructed in a low voice. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t mention moneyter, let alone use your tricks on Miss Yu. Girls are meant to be coaxed. Whatever Miss Yu wanted to do, just satisfy her. Remember, the most important thing is to make her happy. Everything else is just a small thing.¡± Xiao Juan frowned slightly. Clearly, he felt that it was not good to indulge someone like this. However, when he thought of her sincere confession this morning, he felt that it was fine to indulge her appropriately. After all, she was unique and deserved special treatment. So he nodded slightly to show that he understood. Granny Xiu Yan smiled in relief. She watched as Duke Lang got into the carriage and cheered for him. Go, Your Highness! You must have a positive rtionship with Miss Yu as soon as possible! Chapter 136 136 Separated Dang Gui and the coachman sat on the shaft. Only Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan were in the carriage. They faced each other, eyes locked. Yu Niaoniao was still thinking about the two hundred taels of silver. She had another n. She suddenly smiled ingratiatingly and asked eagerly. ¡°Your Highness, you must be tired after working all morning. Shall I massage your shoulders and legs?¡± She had already thought it through. A hundred taels for the shoulders and a hundred for the legs. Together, it was two hundred taels. If he dared to think that it was expensive, she would cry and say that she would put down her status as a rich youngdy to serve him. Was it not worth two hundred taels? She expected him to be too ashamed to not pay. Xiao Juan was thinking about Granny Xiu Yan¡¯s instructions. Nanny said girls had to be protected. How could he let her do the service? Hence, Xiao Juan rejected her. ¡°Thank you, but there¡¯s no need.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s scheme to cheat money had failed before it even began. She snorted softly and thought that he was quite cautious! The carriage stopped in front of a restaurant. Xiao Juan jumped out of the car first. He turned and reached out to Yu Niaoniao, ready to help her out of the car. In the end, she ced her hands on the shaft and easily jumped down. Xiao Juan could only silently retract his hand. Yu Niaoniao saw an old procuress selling pears across the street. The pears were piled in wicker baskets. They were big and round and looked as if they might be delicious. Yu Niaoniao could not help but swallow. Xiao Juan walked towards the restaurant. After taking two steps, he realized that Yu Niaoniao had not followed him. He could only stop and look back at her. ¡°Why did you stop?¡± Yu Niaoniao wanted to eat pears, but she was afraid that Xiao Juan would take the opportunity to cheat her of her money again. She could only say coyly, ¡°I¡¯m very curious. Are those pears sweet?¡± After saying that, she looked at the pears across the street with longing. The implication was, arguably, quite clear. Xiao Juan understood. Although he felt that this behavior was a little childish, he still remembered Granny Xiu Yan¡¯s instructions to try to satisfy Yu Niaoniao¡¯s request and make her happy. So he strode across the street. When the Madam saw the Eagle Guard uniform on Xiao Juan, her face immediately turned pale. She stammered a question. ¡°Officer, what can I do for you?¡± Xiao Juan asked expressionlessly, ¡°Are your pears sweet?¡± The procuress had obviously not expected such a question. She paused before speaking hesitantly. ¡°They should be sweet... right?¡± Xiao Juan frowned. ¡°Make yourself clear. If they¡¯re sweet, say they¡¯re sweet. Don¡¯t be vague!¡± The procuress was so frightened by his stern tone that she almost cried on the spot. ¡°Sweet, sweet, very sweet!¡± She spoke quickly, afraid that if she was toote, the man opposite her would draw his knife and cut her down. Xiao Juan left in satisfaction after receiving the answer. He returned to Yu Niaoniao and spoke to her seriously. ¡°Those pears are very sweet. Can we go now?¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. She was deep in thought. Which link had gone wrong? Was her implication not obvious enough, or was there something wrong with his understanding? Why was it that the previous development was clearly normal, but the final oue was far from the question? A momentter she concluded that it was because she and Duke Lang were not fated enough to stay together. Perhaps separation was the best ending for them. Yu Niaoniao sighed and turned to walk in the opposite direction from Duke Lang. ¡°All good things muste to an end, Your Highness. I think we should part...¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to a meal.¡± Yu Niaoniao turned quickly back to him and gripped his hand. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to be apart. We¡¯ll never be apart!¡± ... Chapter 137 137 Spring Roll Just from the size and decor, it was obvious that the cost of this restaurant was not low. Yu Niaoniao sat down at the table, feeling very happy. Fortunately, someone was treating her this time. She did not have to worry about the price and could eat boldly! She first pretended to ask Duke Lang what he wanted to eat. Was there anything she should avoid? Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°You can just order.¡± This meant that Yu Niaoniao could order whatever she wanted. Yu Niaoniao instantly felt happier. In this era, there was no menu. It was all up to the waiter to announce the dishes. The clerk was terrified when he saw the Eagle Guards. His legs and stomach trembled. Fortunately, he was a professional. He endured his fear and finished reporting the dishes with a trembling voice. What surprised Yu Niaoniao was that this restaurant actually had stir-fried dishes! It had to be known that most of the cooking methods were stewed. It was the same for restaurants. It was rare to see stir-fried dishes. With stir-fry, there were even more dishes to choose from. Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui discussed and decided to order all the signature dishes of this restaurant. Soon, the dishes were served. There were more than twenty dishes, filling the entire table. Yu Niaoniao picked up a shiny duck leg and ced it in Duke Lang¡¯s bowl. She smiled obsequiously. ¡°Please enjoy, Your Highness.¡± Only when Xiao Juan moved his chopsticks did Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui dare to eat. Dang Gui said as she ate, ¡°This donkey meat is delicious and especially tender!¡± ¡°This rabbit meat is good too!¡± The two of them ate with relish. The chopsticks in their hands seemed to be dancing. Inparison, Xiao Juan was indifferent. After all, he had no interest in restaurant food. Once he finished eating the rice in his bowl, he put down his chopsticks. He barely touched the dishes on the table. Yu Niaoniao held a pancake in one hand and a pair of chopsticks in the other. She picked up some vegetables and ced them into the pancake. She smeared some sauce on it and rolled it up before handing it to Duke Lang. ¡°Try this spring roll. It¡¯s quite delicious.¡± Xiao Juan took the spring roll and tasted it. There were several types of vegetables inside. With sauce, the taste was very rich, but it was also very refreshing. Yu Niaoniao rolled up a spring roll for herself and ate as she spoke. ¡°In the past, when I was in Bashu, my mother often made me spring rolls to eat. The pancake skin she made was especially thin, and the sauce she mixed was even better. It was a delicacy I would never have eaten anywhere else.¡± She looked wistful as she spoke. If only she could eat Mother¡¯s spring rolls again... Xiao Juan praised, ¡°The spring rolls you rolled are also delicious.¡± Yu Niaoniao ate the spring roll in her hand and said vaguely. ¡°It¡¯s different.¡± No matter how delicious her dishes were, they did not taste as good as her mother¡¯s. Yu Niaoniao took the opportunity to ask. ¡°Did Your Highness eat anything delicious when you were young?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s gaze became strange. It was a long time before he spoke. ¡°No.¡± Yu Niaoniao was in disbelief. ¡°Didn¡¯t you eat any delicacies when you were young? That¡¯s impossible, right? You¡¯re so noble. You should have eaten a lot of delicious food.¡± Xiao Juan did not want to discuss his past, and his expression became exceptionally cold. ¡°Are you guys done? If you are, leave.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said, ¡°Not yet!¡± She didn¡¯t waste any more time chatting and continued to eat. No matter how much she and Dang Gui ate, they could not finish so many dishes. Dang Gui hated wasting food the most and immediately said. ¡°I¡¯ll pack them up and take them back. We can have another meal tonight.¡± Yu Niaoniao agreed. Xiao Juan¡¯s lips curled down slightly. He had not eaten Yu Niaoniao¡¯s personally cooked dishes for a day. He had thought that he would be able to eat it tonight, but he did not expect Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui to bring the leftovers back. Chapter 138 138 Art Dang Gui called the shopkeeper to settle the bill. The shopkeeper trembled and said that there was no need to pay. The meal was free. Damn it! Even if he had the guts, he would not dare to ask the Eagle Guards for money! Xiao Juan looked at him coldly. ¡°We¡¯ll pay for it.¡± The shopkeeper felt even more uneasy. He didn¡¯t dare say anything else and answered honestly. ¡°Ten taels of silver for all the food and takeout.¡± Yu Niaoniao secretly clicked her tongue. Their meal was so costly! After all, her monthly sry was only twenty taels! Their meal had cost her half a month¡¯s sry! It was too extravagant! Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t her money that was being spent this time. Yu Niaoniao turned to look at Duke Lang. She saw that he was still expressionless, but if she observed carefully, she could see that his lips were slightly pursed. He didn¡¯t look happy. Yu Niaoniao secretly guessed that it was because their meal was too expensive. After paying the bill, Xiao Juan left the restaurant with Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui. They took the carriage to the Justice Department. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan entered the Justice Department, while Dang Gui took a carriage back to the county pce. Yu Niaoniao had already finished reading the tworge boxes of books. Xiao Juan gave her a new mission. ¡°From tomorrow onwards, you will be in charge of teaching the painters in the Justice Department to draw portraits. While there¡¯s still half a day, prepare in advance.¡± Yu Niaoniao said nkly, ¡°Prepare for what?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Teaching n.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Do you need to specially prepare a teaching n to draw? Don¡¯t you just need to observe to learn?¡± Xiao Juan looked at her expressionlessly. ¡°You¡¯d better not say that to anyone else.¡± Yu Niaoniao was confused. ¡°Why?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°You¡¯ll be beaten up.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Xiao Juan said seriously, ¡°Not everyone can remember everything like you. Ordinary people have to study for a long time before they can gradually master a skill.¡± Yu Niaoniao said helplessly, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll prepare the lesson n now.¡± She took out the pastries she had packed from the restaurant and ate them while writing her lesson n. In the blink of an eye, the afternoon passed. Yu Niaoniao quickly packed up and prepared to leave work. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your lesson n? Show it to me.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. You¡¯re so busy. You don¡¯t have to worry about such a small matter.¡± Xiao Juan stared at her quietly. Yu Niaoniao felt her scalp tingle. In the end, she could only surrender. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll show you.¡± She pulled out a piece of paper and handed it over. There were only a few lines on the paper: Basic lessons. Learn the structure of the human body and master the distribution of bones and muscles. There was nothing wrong with that. Xiao¡¯s Juan gaze moved down. Learning location, Falling Clothes Pavilion. The painting target was everyone in the pavilion. Xiao Juan¡¯s gaze gradually turned cold. ¡°If I remember correctly, the Falling Clothes Pavilion should be a famous brothel in the city.¡± Yu Niaoniao said righteously, ¡°We are not going there for pleasure. We are there for the sake of art!¡± Xiao Juan sneered. ¡°Is watching others take off their clothes art?¡± Yu Niaoniao felt wronged. ¡°How can you say that about me? I¡¯m doing all this to allow the students to master the human body structure more quickly.¡± Xiao Juan crumpled the lesson n and threw it away. ... ¡°It¡¯s not like you can only see human bodies in brothels.¡± Yu Niaoniao was curious. ¡°Is there anywhere else we can see them?¡± People were very conservative these days. Even if they were paid, no one would volunteer to be a human model. A momentter, Xiao Juan brought Yu Niaoniao into the morgue. He pointed at the row of corpses covered in white shroud and said, ¡°Are these bodies enough for you to see? If not, I¡¯ll get you a few more.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Enough.¡± Chapter 139 139 Not Powerful At All Although Yu Niaoniao was usually fearless, there was actually something she was afraid of, which was death. She was terrified of seeing dead people, especially when they were burned corpses. When she walked out of the morgue, her limbs were cold and her face was frighteningly pale. Xiao Juan looked at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yu Niaoniao held onto the tree trunk by the side of the path and closed her eyes to take a few deep breaths. When her breathing calmed down, she opened her eyes and said nonchntly. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her skeptically. ¡°You don¡¯t look too good. Do you want to get a doctor to take a look?¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately covered her money bag and said warily. ¡°I¡¯m not sick. Don¡¯t even think about asking me to pay for a doctor.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. He was concerned about her. Why did she only remember her money? ¡°There are doctors in the Justice Department. There¡¯s no need to spend money.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately rxed. ¡°You should have said so earlier. Since it¡¯s free, there¡¯s no harm in taking a look. Take it as a physical examination.¡± Xiao Juan brought her to see Lo Pingsha. He spoke to Lo Pingsha. ¡°Miss Yu suddenly looked very bad just now. Can you help examine her?¡± Yu Niaoniao was very surprised. ¡°Little Lo knows how to treat illnesses?¡± Lo Pingsha was stunned. When did he be Little Lo? He was clearly two years older than her! Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°Little Lo¡¯s family has been imperial physicians for three generations. He has been learning medicine from his elders since he was young. His medical skills are very outstanding.¡± Lo Pingsha spoke with difficulty. ¡°Can you not call me Little Lo?¡± It was better to call him Pingsha than Little Lo! Little Lo sounded like the name of a child. It was not domineering at all. Yu Niaoniao blinked. ¡°But I think Little Lo is quite good. It suits you very well.¡± Xiao Juan nodded slightly in agreement. Lo Pingsha was speechless. Xiao Juan used to address him by his full name but this was changed the moment the future Princess spoke. He could only reminisce about the past now. Lo Pingsha said sullenly, ¡°Miss Yu, please sit. I¡¯ll take your pulse.¡± Yu Niaoniao sat down at the table and extended her right arm, cing her wrist on the pulse pillow. While Lo Pingsha took her pulse, she turned her head and scanned the room. This was where Lo Pingsha usually worked. The space wasn¡¯t big, but it was filled with things. Most of them were books of all kinds. She even saw a bed in the corner. There was messy bedding and pillows. The doors and windows were closed, and the windows were covered with thick curtains. The room was very dark and was illuminated by two oilmps. Lo PingSha released her fingers. ¡°Miss Yu is fine. She¡¯s very healthy. She might have eaten too much for lunch and has some indigestion. She¡¯ll be fine after moving around more.¡± Xiao Juan was relieved that she was fine. Yu Niaoniao was very curious and could not help but ask, ¡°Little Lo, since you¡¯re from a family of Imperial Physicians, why did youe to the Justice Department? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to be an Imperial Physician?¡± In the eyes of outsiders, the Imperial Hospital was a ce to save lives, but the Justice Department was a ce to kill. There was a huge difference between the two. To make an inappropriate analogy- The Imperial Physicians were like angels in white, and the Eagle Guards were executioners. What could have caused an angel to give up saving people and choose to be a murderous executioner? Lo Pingsha lowered his eyes, his long eyshes hiding the emotions in them. ¡°The Justice Department suits me better than the Imperial Hospital.¡± Seeing that he did not want to talk about this matter, Yu Niaoniao tactfully put away her curiosity and changed the topic to something else. ¡°Your ce looks messy. Do you want someone to clean it up for you?¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°Thank you, but there¡¯s no need. If there¡¯s nothing else, please leave.¡± Chapter 140 140 Pain Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan left the Justice Department. As they settled into the carriage, Yu Niaoniao was still thinking about Lo Pingsha. She rubbed her chin in thought. ¡°Little Lo is a person with a story.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°You always like to be curious about others.¡± Yu Niaoniao snorted softly. ¡°If you want to say that I¡¯m nosy, just say it.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Everyone has their own sore spots.¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her small hand. ¡°Got it. I won¡¯t ask about Little Lo¡¯s past.¡± She twisted away and peered through the window. The afterglow of the setting sunnded on her face, illuminating it until it was white with a hint of red. Her eyes were sparkling like two dazzling ck gems. Xiao Juan stared at her profile. She spent every day so carefree; she was like a small sun, radiating warmth. Someone like her must have lived in a happy family atmosphere since she was young and had never experienced pain and torture. Yu Niaoniao suddenly called out. ¡°Stop the car!¡± The carriage pulled to the side of the road. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°I saw some hawthorns on the side of the road. I¡¯ll get some. I¡¯ll be back soon!¡± After saying that, Yu Niaoniao jumped off the carriage and went straight to the hawker. Xiao Juan originally wanted to follow, but when he thought of the fear themoners had when they saw the Eagle Guards, he dispelled the thought of getting out of the carriage. He looked out the carriage window. He saw Yu Niaoniao squatting in front of the stall. She reached into the wicker basket and flipped the contents twice, as if to determine the quality of the hawthorn. Satisfied, Yu Niaoniao took out her money bag and gave the other party a small silver piece. Then, she pointed at the carriage where Xiao Juan was. The vendor happily epted the money, picked up tworge baskets of hawthorn, and walked to the carriage. When he saw the Eagle Guard uniform the coachman was wearing, his face turned pale and his legs went weak. He was so afraid that he could not walk steadily. He had never expected that he would provoke a murderous Eagle Guard when he was just a hawker! Yu Niaoniao did not make things difficult for him. She just asked him to put the hawthorn on the ground. As if he had been pardoned, the stall owner immediately threw down the two baskets of hawthorns and ran away without even caring about the carrying pole. Looking at his panicked expression, one would have thought a tiger was chasing him. The coachman was not surprised. He helped carry the two baskets of hawthorn to the carriage. Yu Niaoniao followed him into the car. The carriage, which was not very spacious to begin with, became even more crowded with the two baskets of hawthorn. Yu Niaoniao had no choice but to sit beside Xiao Juan. Inevitably their arms touched. Even through the fabric of her clothes, Xiao Juan could feel the girl¡¯s soft arms and the faint fragrance on her body. In order to prevent his imagination from running wild, he took the initiative to find a topic. ¡°Why did you buy so many hawthorns?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°The hawthorn can be an appetizer. It¡¯s good for your body.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s heart warmed. ¡°I can¡¯t eat so much.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can still make them into candied fruits. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve eaten candied fruits. I¡¯m very hungry.¡± Xiao Juan had never eaten candied hawthorn before, so he did not know what kind of food this was. He couldn¡¯t help but look at the girl beside him. She always knew a lot about food that no one else had eaten. He wondered where she learned all this? The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Langjun Imperial Pce. Dang Gui asked expectantly when she saw Yu Niaoniao bring back tworge baskets of hawthorn. ¡°What delicious food are you cooking today, Miss?¡± Chapter 141 141 Hawthorn Cake As there were too many hawthorns, Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui would not be able to handle all of them. Hence, Yu Niaoniao called the kitchen helpers over and taught them how to remove the core of the hawthorns . The kitchen helpers got the hang of it quickly and soon finished dealing with a basin full of hawthorns. The hawthorns were cut in half and ced in the water. Yu Niaoniao cooked them until it was soft. After the hawthorns cooled, she mashed them together with the remaining juice and stirred. As there was no blender, she could only stir it manually the entire time. By the time she finished this step, Yu Niaoniao was already drenched in sweat. She poured the mashed fruit into the pot and added a moderate amount of white sugar. She simmered it. The fruit paste was being cooked until it was sticky. It gurgled and bubbled. The sweet and sour smell of hawthorn alone filled the air. Dang Gui sniffed. Just the smell of it made one¡¯s mouth water. Feeling that it was about time, Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Give me the lotus root powder.¡± Dang Gui immediately brought over a cloth bag filled with lotus root powder. She took out a little and poured it into a bowl. Then, she added some cold water and melted the lotus root powder. Then, Yu Niaoniao took the bowl and poured the paste into the pot. She continued to stir. At this moment, the hawthorn pulp had already be extremely sticky. Yu Niaoniao picked up the iron pot and poured the fruit paste into arge bowl. Then she ced it in the shade and waited for it to cool naturally. Then it was time to make candied hawthorn. Yu Niaoniao first brewed arge pot of syrup with sugar and water. When the syrup turned brown, she rolled the skewered hawthorns in it. When she took it out again, the red hawthorns were already wrapped in a sparkling sugar coat. She put the candied hawthorn on a te and continued to make a second, a third... In addition to the most ordinary candied hawthorns, she made a fruit version. She picked out arger hawthorn and cut it in half. She ced fruit in the middle and wrapped it in sugar. Dang Gui stared without blinking. Seeing that she was eager to try, Yu Niaoniao said to her. ¡°Do you want to try it too?¡± Since the syrup was already stir-fried, she didn¡¯t need to do anything else. She just needed to put the candied hawthorns in the syrup and roll them. It was a simple operation. Yu Niaoniao wasn¡¯t worried that Dang Gui would mess up. Dang Gui was excited. She took Yu Niaoniao¡¯s ce and picked up a string of hawthorns. She carefully dipped it into the syrup, then mimicked Yu Niaoniao. She pinched the end of the bamboo skewer and rolled the hawthorns around before slowly taking the skewer out. Dang Gui immediately looked at Yu Niaoniao. Seeing her nod in agreement, she was overjoyed. She had learned to make candied hawthorn! Although she had lost her memory and did not know where she hade from or what kind of person she had been in the past, But she wasn¡¯t dismayed by that, because she knew she was lucky to meet Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao gave her a name and brought her from Bashu to the Imperial Capital. She even let her eat a lot of delicious food. Her days were happy and full. She even felt that it would be good to live like this forever. The hawthorn pulp in the bowl hadpletely cooled and solidified. Yu Niaoniao ced it upside down on the chopping board, and the paste inside was poured out. It was a deep red color, and when poked gently with a finger, it swayed slightly with it, looking like arge jelly. Yu Niaoniao cut it into small pieces and ced them on the te. At the end, she did not forget to use the petals to form a heart. The lotus root powder hawthorn cake was made! She took the hawthorn cake to Duke Lang. ¡°Baby, try my new hawthorn cake.¡± Chapter 142 142 Please In the study, Xiao Juan was listening to Yan Nanguan¡¯s report. Yan Nanguan was ordered to keep an eye on Prince Min. This evening, the Eagle Guards discovered that Prince Min had secretly sent someone out of the residence. The Eagle Guards followed that person out of the city and had yet to return. Yan Nanguan hade to inform Duke Lang of this matter. After Xiao Juan finished listening, he said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t alert the enemy. Continue to watch. Report to me immediately if there¡¯s any news.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± At this moment, there was a knock on the door. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s voice came through the door. ¡°Baby, quickly try my new hawthorn cake.¡± What she said caught the two men in the room off guard. Yan Nanguan was afraid that he would dy the rtionship between Duke Lang and the future Princess Consort, so he hurriedly said. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Xiao Qing nodded slightly. ¡°Yes.¡± Yan Nanguan opened the door and saw Yu Niaoniao standing outside. He immediately bowed to her. ¡°Miss Yu.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re here too.¡± Yu Niaoniao handed the tray in her hand to him. ¡°You came at the right time. Try this hawthorn cake.¡± When Yan Nanguan saw the heart on the hawthorn cake, he felt a chill from the public disy of affection. He answered quickly. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m full.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten yet. How are you full? Besides, it¡¯s just a piece of hawthorn cake. It¡¯s not filling. Try it.¡± Yan Nanguan could not refuse. Moreover, the hawthorn cake in front of him looked really delicious. Unable to resist the temptation, he slowly reached out with his right hand, picked up a piece of hawthorn cake, and ced it in his mouth. It was sour and sweet. It was indeed delicious. He was about to savor it when he heard Duke Lang cough behind him. He immediately came back to his senses and did not dare to dy any longer. He quickly got lost. Yu Niaoniao walked into the study with a tray. When she ced the hawthorn cake in front of Xiao Juan, he saw the heart arranged with petals. But because a piece of hawthorn cake was taken away, the heart was also missing a small hole. His thin lips pursed slightly. His love was no longerplete. Yu Niaoniao picked up a piece of hawthorn cake with her chopsticks and handed it to the man. ¡°Try it.¡± Xiao Juan opened his mouth and bit the hawthorn cake. It was sour, and sweet. Apart from the subtle taste, he could smell the fragrance of lotus roots. Yu Niaoniao asked expectantly, ¡°Is it delicious?¡± Xiao Juan swallowed the cake and gave a fair evaluation. ¡°Delicious.¡± Yu Niaoniao leaned over and looked at him eagerly. ¡°Since you think it¡¯s delicious, can you return the two hundred taels to me?¡± Xiao Juan looked at her expressionlessly. It turned out that she had taken the trouble to prepare pastries for him just to get back the two hundred taels of silver. Seeing that he was silent, Yu Niaoniao leaned closer and grabbed his sleeve. Her voice was as soft and sweet as honey. ¡°Baby, please. Just return them to me, okay?¡± Xiao Juan asked in a low voice, ¡°If not for those two hundred taels, would you not have prepared this pastry for me?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him in surprise. ¡°Why would you think that? My heart aches for your body. I¡¯m dreaming about how to make you delicious food. What has it got to do with those two hundred taels?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°In that case, it should be fine if I don¡¯t give you the two hundred taels.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Damn it! She had gotten herself trapped. Yu Niaoniao said aggrievedly. ¡°I¡¯m not like you. You have a noble status and can have anything you want, but I was chased out by my family. I¡¯m penniless and very poor. Those two hundred taels may not be much to you, but it¡¯s a very important sum to me. Please, just return them to me... ¡± As she spoke, her voice broke, as if she would immediately cry if the man refused. Chapter 143 143 Nightmare In the end, Xiao Juan could not resist the girl¡¯s pestering and his attitude softened. ¡°I can give you the money, but you have to agree to one condition.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said, ¡°Tell me!¡± Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°You can¡¯t spend this money recklessly, especially not in those shady ces.¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked. ¡°What¡¯s a shady ce?¡± Xiao Juan said word by word, ¡°Flowery streets and willow alleys.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded without hesitation. She just couldn¡¯t go to the red-light district. It didn¡¯t matter. Anyway, she had money and could spend money to invite people to her house to perform! Xiao Juan did not know what she was thinking. When she agreed, he took out two hundred taels of silver and ced them in her ws. Yu Niaoniao quickly pocketed the money. Looking at her nervous little face, it was as if she had a peerless treasure. ¡°Your Highness, please enjoy. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± She blew the man a kiss and scampered off. Xiao Juan was helpless and scolded in a low voice. ¡°You little money-grubber.¡± After dinner, Yu Niaoniao took a hot bath as usual and went to bedfortably. Probably because she¡¯d seen the corpses during the day, she had a nightmare. Rain continued to fall in her dreams. Ignoring the obstruction of others, she staggered into the ruins. She wrapped her arms around the charred beam and struggled to move it away, revealing the body beneath it. The body had been burned beyond recognition. The limbs were crushed and misshapen. But she recognized her at once. A hoarse cry escaped her throat- ¡°Mother! Mother!!¡± Yu Niaoniao suddenly opened her eyes and woke up from her dream crying. The house was silent except for her slightly rapid breathing. It was so dark that she couldn¡¯t see her fingers. She sat up and wiped her face. Unsurprisingly, she felt wetness on her hand. Yu Niaoniao wiped her face with her sleeve. She grabbed the red string hanging around her neck and pulled out a small Maitreya jade pendant. This was a gift specially given to her by Madam Xie on her tenth birthday. It was said that Madam Xie had even specially sent this jade pendant to the temple and asked an eminent monk to bless it to ward off evil and protect her. All these years, Yu Niaoniao had always worn it close to her body. She held the jade pendant in both hands and tightened her grip on it bit by bit. ¡°Mother, I miss you.But I¡¯ll never see you again.¡± ... . The next morning. Yu Niaoniao changed and walked out the door. The sun shone on her. She stretched out her arms and did a huge stretch. Everything fromst night¡¯s dream had been suppressed in the depths of her heart. She put a smile back on her face and became the carefree girl again. Dang Gui came to remind her that breakfast was ready. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that there was good food. She went straight to the dining hall happily. What¡¯s the happiest thing about every day? Of course it was eating! After eating and drinking her fill, Yu Niaoniao asked Dang Gui to bring out the candied hawthorns they had made yesterday. In order to ce these candied hawthorns, Yu Niaoniao specially got someone to prick them and put them together with a nt stick. The nt rod was covered in bright red candied hawthorns. Yu Niaoniao plucked a candied fruit from it and handed it to Duke Lang. ¡°Would you like a stick of candied hawthorn?¡± Xiao Juan frowned as he looked at the thing in front of her. So this was the candied fruit she was talking about. It looked quite good, but this way of eating was a little unsightly. ... He said calmly, ¡°Leave it for now. I¡¯ll eat it when I get back.¡± Yu Niaoniao agreed. Chapter 144 144 Candied Hawthorn As Yu Niaoniao was carrying a long nt stick today, it was not convenient for her to take a carriage, so she chose to ride to work. Seeing her mount the horse, Xiao Juan was surprised and could not help but ask. ¡°Can you ride?¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her chin and said proudly. ¡°My maternal family raised horses. I learned to ride when I was very young.¡± The horse beneath her was domesticated and very docile. Yu Niaoniao held the reins in one hand and the wooden stick in the other as she went steadily forward. Xiao Juan rode his horse and followed. Because he was wearing the Eagle Guard uniform, he attracted the attention of many pedestrians. He was used to this. But gradually, he realized that the gazes of the pedestrians around him were not on him. He looked carefully and realized that those people were actually looking at the girl beside him. To be precise, they were looking at the nt rod she was carrying on her shoulder and the candied fruit stuck in it. The candied hawthorns looked red and shiny. When the sun shone, they were even more dazzling. If not for the fact that there was an Eagle Guard beside her, someone would probably have stopped her and asked what she was holding. The two of them walked to the entrance of the Justice Department. Yu Niaoniao nimbly dismounted from her horse. The Eagle Guards guarding the door immediately went forward to greet her. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± When they looked up, they noticed the wooden stick on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s shoulder and could not help but pause. Yu Niaoniao raised her hand, pulled out two candied hawthorns, and handed them over. ¡°I made this candied fruit myself. Take it.¡± The two Eagle Guards wanted to take them but did not dare to. They looked quietly at Duke Lang. Seeing that the duke did not show any dissatisfaction, they reached out and took the candied fruit. ¡°Thank you, Miss Yu.¡± Yu Niaoniao waved at them. ¡°Bye-bye!¡± The two Eagle Guards did not understand what goodbye meant, but they could guess from her gesture that it meant goodbye. So the two of them raised the candied fruits in one hand and waved the other as they spoke in unison. ¡°Bye.¡± Xiao Juan followed Yu Niaoniao into the Justice Department. He looked at the beautiful back view in front of him. As long as she saw an Eagle Guard, she would immediately pluck a candied fruit and hand it over, regardless of whether she knew them or not. The usually cold and murderous Eagle Guards looked ttered after receiving the candied hawthorn. Even Lo Pingsha, who never liked to interact with others, looked happy. He loved good food, most of all sweet things. The candied hawthorn in front of him was very sweet! Lo Pingsha bit into one of the candied hawthorns impatiently. The icing on the surface was crisp, and when he bit into it, it made a cracking sound. It was sweet, before he tasted the sourness of the hawthorn. There was sweetness in the acid, and there was acid in the sweetness. It was really delicious! Although he did not speak, he could not stop eating. It was obvious that he liked this taste very much. Hence, Yu Niaoniao plucked another candied fruit. ¡°I¡¯ll give you another one if you like. This one¡¯s grape-vored.¡± Lo Pingsha took the candied fruit and said sincerely, ¡°Thank you.¡± There were round grapes in the hawthorn, and the taste became even richer. As he was afraid that he would not be able to eat it if he ate it too quickly, he ate the second skewer very carefully. He only took a small bite every time. If not for the fact that he was worried that the icing would melt if he left it out for too long, he would have kept it and eaten it slowlyter. Seeing that Yu Niaoniao was about to leave, he hurriedly said. ¡°Miss Yu, the painters are already here. Where do you think we¡¯re teaching today?¡± Yu Niaoniao thought of the morgue filled with corpses and immediately felt her scalp tingle. She felt ufortable. But as a worker, she had to slog after taking the money. She could only bite the bullet. ¡°Tell them to bring wait for me at the morgue with their stationery.¡± Chapter 145 145 Hidden Talent In the Mirror House, Yu Niaoniao ced the nt rod in the corner and walked out with heavy footsteps. Xiao Juan looked at her. ¡°What kind of expression is that?¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face fell. ¡°It¡¯s the expression of someone going to the grave.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. Yu Niaoniao arrived at the morgue door. She silently hypnotized herself. There was no need to be afraid. It was just a few dead people. She¡¯d seen enough of them to get used to it. Having steeled herself, she braced herself and crossed the threshold of the morgue. Lo Pingsha had been waiting with the four painters. The four painting students were in all sizes from tall to short, and from fat to thin. They were all wearing the uniform of the Eagle Guards. As soon as they saw Yu Niaoniao, they immediately went forward to greet her. ¡°Greetings, sir.¡± In this era, people addressed learned people respectfully as sir. Yu Niaoniao pretended to smile naturally. ¡°You¡¯re wee. Introduce yourselves first.¡± The four of them were called Ge Haiyan, Han Xingning, Wu Yicheng, and Chen Ding. Yu Niaoniao immediately addressed them. ¡°Old Ge, Little Han, Little Wu, and Little Chen.¡± The four of them had no objections and happily replied, ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Yu Niaoniao turned to look at Lo Pingsha. ¡°Little Lo, are you going to learn painting with us?¡± Lo Pingsha said with a baby face, ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t necessarilye every day.¡± He was in charge of torture in the Justice Department. He had a lot of work every day, so he could only squeeze out a little time from his busy schedule to learn to draw. When she saw that the table, ink, and brush were ready, Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then let¡¯s start now. Since we¡¯re going to learn to draw portraits, the first step is to learn the structure of the human body. What is structure? You can think of it as the bones in the human body. It¡¯s the brace that supports the human body...¡± As she spoke, she raised her hand to Lo Pingsha¡¯s face. Lo Pingsha stood ramrod straight, afraid to move. He did not understand. There were clearly many corpses beside him. Why did Miss Yu insist on using him as a model? When she had gone through the structure on Lo Pingsha¡¯s face, it was time for the body structure. Yu Niaoniao could not take off his clothes. She could only let Little Lo off reluctantly. ¡°Which of these bodies is moreplete?¡± Lo Pingsha knew the corpses here very well and immediately pointed at a corpse covered in a white cloth. ¡°This one, I think. He was poisoned. I haven¡¯t had time to open him up for an autopsy. His epidermis is still intact.¡± Yu was shocked. ¡°You know how to do autopsies?¡± Lo Pingsha nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been studying with a procuress for a while.¡± He had originally studied medicine. With his foundation, he was exceptionally fast at learning how to perform autopsies. Now, he was already very experienced in performing autopsy at a young age. Yu Niaoniao sighed sincerely. ¡°The Justice Department is really full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons!¡± A young talent like him was very precious in any era. Lo Pingsha smiled shyly. ¡°You tter me, sir.¡± The small talk ended there. Yu Niaoniao went forward and lifted the white cloth, revealing the corpse under it. Even though she was mentally prepared, she still couldn¡¯t help but feel her scalp tingle when she saw the pale corpse. Lo Pingsha was observant and immediately asked. ¡°You look pale. Are you feeling unwell?¡± Yu Niaoniao tried her best to suppress the ufortable feeling in her heart. She could not forget the past, but neither could she be trapped by it. She had to defeat the fear in her heart! Yu Niaoniao forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Come here. I¡¯ll tell you about the distribution of bones and muscles in the human body.¡± Chapter 146 146 Thunder Chestnut Seeing that it was almost noon, Yu Niaoniao announced that ss was over. Everyone cupped their hands and bade her farewell. As she walked out of the morgue, her tense nerves rxed. She secretly heaved a sigh of relief. She was finally out of that eerie ce! She went to the Mirror House first and took all the remaining candied hawthorns. Xiao Juan put down the dossier and asked. ¡°How was your ss today?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Pretty good.¡± Xiao Juan carefully observed her expression and was relieved to see that she was still as carefree as ever. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Yu Niaoniao walked briskly to the dining hall. Pan Dafu did not see his teacher yesterday and missed her very much. When he saw hering, his fair and fat face immediately beamed. He hurried forward and called enthusiastically. ¡°Teacher, I heard that His Highness went to give you a betrothal gift yesterday. Congrattions!¡± The others in the kitchen surrounded her and congratted her. Yu Niaoniao distributed the candied fruits in her hand to everyone. ¡°It¡¯s made of hawthorn and sugar. Try it.¡± Everyone was very curious about this novel treat and could not wait to take a bite. It was sour, sweet, and delicious. Pan Dafu was even more impressed. ¡°Teacher¡¯s culinary skills are indeed impressive. You can make such delicious food with just hawthorn and sugar. I¡¯m impressed.¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I didn¡¯t create this food. I learned it by chance. If you like it, I can tell you the method and you can go back and make it yourself.¡± Hearing this, everyone was overjoyed. In this day and age, no matter what profession it was, they would not easily teach their secret recipes to outsiders. It was simply rare to see someone like Yu Niaoniao who did not hide anything. Everyone¡¯s attitude towards her naturally became more respectful and humble. Pan Dafu patted the cushion on the recliner. ¡°Please sit, Teacher. I¡¯ll make you some tea.¡± Yu Niaoniao had been standing all morning and was indeed tired. But she didn¡¯t want to rest yet. She had to find something to do to distract herself from thinking about the corpses. This was the bad thing about having a good memory. Whether it was good or bad, she could not forget it. Yu Niaoniao nced over and saw a basket of chestnuts by the wall. An idea immediately formed in her mind. She spoke to Pan Dafu. ¡°Take those chestnuts and wash them.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Usually, Pan Dafu would leave such small matters like washing vegetables to his disciples or the chefs. But it was different now. Pan Dafu had no intention of handing the job over to anyone else. He rolled up his sleeves and carried the basket to the well. Yu Niaoniao chose two pieces of mutton, washed them, and cut them into pieces. She put cold water in the pot and cooked it with onions, ginger, and cooking wine. When the liquid boiled, she brushed away the froth with a soup spoon, before reducing the heat and covered the pot to let the broth simmer slowly. Pan Dafu returned with the washed chestnuts. ¡°What¡¯s next, Teacher?¡± Yu Niaoniao picked up the kitchen knife and made a cross on the chestnut. ¡°Like this. Make an opening for the chestnuts so we can peel off their shellster.¡± Pan Dafu understood and immediately picked up a kitchen knife to help her cut the chestnuts. With his help, the basket of chestnuts was quickly cut. Yu Niaoniao brushed the surface of the chestnut with oil and poured it into the pot to stir-fry. Soon, the chestnuts exploded one after another, emitting crackling sounds. Pan Dafu said, ¡°I once heard my father say that this is called thunder chestnut. Because it makes a sound when fried, it¡¯s like thunder in the sky.¡± After saying that, he didn¡¯t forget to look like he was asking for praise. Yu Niaoniao thought to herself that this was just ordinary stir-fried chestnut. How could he quote the ssics? But she managed to maintain her teacher¡¯s posture and nodded slightly. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± Chapter 147 147 Golden Jade Soup After the chestnuts were fried, they were peeled. Yu Niaoniao divided the chestnuts into two piles. One of the piles of chestnuts was cut into pieces and ced in the mutton soup. At the same time, the yams were skinned and cut. They were also ced in the soup. They were sprinkled with salt, pepper, and wolfberries before they were covered to simmer. Another pile of chestnuts was mashed, added to honey, stirred evenly, and pressed down with a mold to make square chestnuts. Finally, it was drizzled with freshly brewed osmanthus sugar. Yu Niaoniao lifted the lid of the pot and took a look. The mutton soup in the pot was finished. The soup was bright and the mutton was tender. She stirred it with a soup spoon twice, and the rich fragrance spread immediately. Pan Dafu sniffed the fragrance. ¡°What soup is this? It smells so good!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°This is called Golden Jade Soup.¡± The white yam paired with the golden chestnuts really looked like white jade and gold, living up to the name of the dish. Pan Dafu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this soup. It¡¯s said to be imperial food in the pce. Only the emperor can taste it. I didn¡¯t expect Teacher to be able to make this soup.¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked. When she first learned this dish, she only thought that the name of this soup was quite pleasant. She did not expect it to be an imperial dish. Seeing that everyone was drooling, Yu Niaoniao scooped out a portion with a soup spoon and ced it in a porcin jar. ¡°You can share the rest among yourselves.¡± Pan Dafu and the others were overjoyed. They took out their bowls and chopsticks and surrounded the pot to taste the famous Golden Jade Soup. Yu Niaoniao walked out of the kitchen with a tray. As soon as she appeared, she immediately attracted the attention of the Eagle Guards in the dining hall. The Eagle Guards were secretly guessing what delicious food Miss Yu had made today. Yu Niaoniao walked briskly toward the private room. Making delicious food was indeed a very rxing activity. Just now, she was focused on cooking and had no time to think about those terrifying corpses. In the private room, Xiao Juan had been waiting for a while. Yu Niaoniao ced the tray on the table and lifted the lid of the porcin cup, revealing the golden jade soup inside. ¡°Please have your meal, Your Highness.¡± Xiao Juan scooped up a spoonful of soup and tasted it. It was delicious and did not have the smell of mutton at all. If he tasted it carefully, he could still taste the sweetness left behind by the lettuce and chestnuts. Yu Niaoniao picked up a piece of chestnut cake and asked as she ate. ¡°I heard that this Golden Jade Soup is the imperial cuisine of the pce. Have you eaten this soup in the pce?¡± Xiao Juan slowly finished a piece of mutton before speaking. ¡°I have.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked curiously, ¡°Compared to the imperial food in the pce, which tastes better?¡± Xiao Juan blurted out without thinking. ¡°Yours is better.¡± Although the imperial food in the pce was exquisite, it was tasteless. He liked the food that Yu Niaoniao made more. It had a different aura. Yu Niaoniao beamed with joy. ¡°Just based on your words, I¡¯ll definitely make more delicious food for you in the future!¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s voice softened involuntarily. ¡°Okay.¡± After eating and drinking her fill, Yu Niaoniao took a nap as usual. She had to continue teaching people to draw in the afternoon. In order to rx, she specially packed a pack of fried chestnuts. She let the students sketch the corpse while she sat beside it and peeled chestnuts with tea. This method proved to be working. With thefort of food, she felt much more rxed and less afraid when facing corpses. Lo Pingsha couldn¡¯t help but look at her a little longer. What kind of woman was she? She could eat chestnuts near a corpse with relish. Yu Niaoniao noticed his gaze and thought that he was greedy. She grabbed a handful of chestnuts and handed it over, asking him if he wanted to eat. Lo Pingsha looked at the chestnut in her palm. The chestnut skin had been fried until it exploded, revealing the golden flesh inside. The surface was still covered in a faintyer of oil. It looked delicious. Silently, he reached out and received the stir-fried chestnuts. ¡°Thank you.¡± Chapter 148 148 Framed On Xiao Juan¡¯s side, he suddenly received news from Meng Xizhou that the Eagle Guards had found Li Qiao¡¯s whereabouts ording to the portrait drawn by Yu Niaoniao. Li Qiao was the president of a secret poetry club in the city called the Blue Sea Society. The members of the association were all schrs. They all had amon characteristic, which was that they were talented but did not meet anyone. It was easiest for people like them to resent the Imperial Court and the emperor. Xiao Juan ordered to capture all the members of the Sea Association. The Eagle Guards were extremely efficient. That afternoon, all the members of the Sea Association were captured and locked up in the prison of the Justice Department. Naturally, that included Li Qiao. When Lo Pingsha heard this, he immediately put down his paintbrush and rushed to the prison to arrange the interrogation. At first, those schrs gritted their teeth and refused to tell the truth. After a few rounds of torture, one of them finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore. It turned out that the anti-government poetry that was circting on the market was all written by them. Some of them had failed time and time again, and some of them had finally managed to get into the advanced examination. However, because no one rmended them, they had not been able to obtain official positions. After a few years, they were still on the bench. The difficulty of studying hard and the dark side of officialdom made them hate the Imperial Court. They hated the injustice of the world, the Imperial Court, and even more, the emperor. Anti-government poetry was a tool they used to vent their anger. Initially, the anti-government poetry they wrote was only passed on to one another in private, until Li Qiao suddenly suggested that he could help print them into books and publish them without anyone noticing. At first, everyone was still skeptical. Only when Li Qiao really released the book containing the anti-government poetry did everyonepletely believe him. Li Qiao used this opportunity to build his reputation in the poetry club and became the president. Lo Pingsha personally interrogated Li Qiao. To Luo Pingsha¡¯s surprise, before he could get someone to torture him, Li Qiao confessed everything in one go. ¡°It was Prince Min who asked me to print those anti-government poetry poems into a book. He has long been dissatisfied with the current emperor. They are brothers, but the current emperor can sit on the throne and enjoy the people¡¯s worship. He can only be a powerless and idle prince. He is indignant! He wants the anti-government poetry to spread among the people and use it to discredit the emperor¡¯s image in the hearts of the people.¡± Lo Pingsha handed this statement to Duke Lang. After reading the contents of the confession, Xiao Juan asked, ¡°How much truth do you think are in these words?¡± Lo Pingsha answered honestly, ¡°He spoke with conviction and seemed to be telling the truth, but I don¡¯t think his words are trustworthy.¡± Xiao Juan put down the confession. ¡°Why do you think so?¡± ¡°He confessed too quickly as if he had expected it. Taking a step back, even if the anti-government poetry case was really instigated by Prince Min, why would Prince Min keep a hidden danger like Li Qiao? People like Li Qiao, who knew a lot, would either have to stay under their noses and be watched closely, or he would be killed and be done with it. They would definitely not let him run around outside. I keep feeling that there¡¯s something fishy about this.¡± Xiao Juan tapped his index finger lightly on the table. ¡°You mean, someone is deliberately luring the Eagle Guards to find Li Qiao and use him to frame Prince Min?¡± Lo Pingsha inclined his head in agreement. At that moment, Meng Xizhou walked in. ¡°Your Highness, someone from the pce has arrived. They said that the emperor has summoned you to the pce.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s gazended on the confession again. He had just made arrests and the people from the pce arrived. Wasn¡¯t this too fast? Chapter 149 149 Coconut Before Xiao Juan left, he did not forget to send someone to inform Yu Niaoniao that he was going to enter the pce to meet the emperor. He told her to go home today and not wait for him. The emperor was old, and his health was not what it had been. Before he finished reading the memorial today, he felt tired. He threw away his pen and was helped to lie on the couch for a while. The old emperor sat up when his attendant came in to report that the Prince of Lang had arrived. Everyone stepped forward to help the old emperor change and wash. When he walked out after changing, Xiao Juan had been waiting in the side hall for a while. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± The old emperor took the teacup from the eunuch and took a sip to moisten his throat. Then he spoke slowly. ¡°I heard that you captured a group of schrs today. What¡¯s going on?¡± Xiao Juan exined the situation before taking out confession and offering it with both hands. The eunuch stepped forward and took the confession, and transferred it to the old emperor. The old emperor narrowed his eyes. It took him a moment to read everything. He sneered. ¡°So this was done by Prince Min. I usually treat him well. I didn¡¯t expect him to harbor ill intentions!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Li Qiao¡¯s words alone can¡¯t convict Prince Min. We have to investigate this matter again.¡± The old emperor put down the confession and instructed him in a low voice. ¡°I don¡¯t care what methods you use. You have to investigate this case as soon as possible. If Prince Min was really responsible for the anti-government poetry, I would not let him off easily even if he was my brother! Do you understand what I mean?¡± He emphasized thest sentence with an especially oppressive tone. Xiao Juan lowered his head and replied respectfully, ¡°I understand.¡± The old emperor¡¯s paranoia had gotten worse over the years. He even became suspicious of his brothers and felt that everyone wanted the dragon throne under him. He was hinting that Xiao Juan could use this anti-government poetry case to implicate Prince Min. Xiao Juan even suspected that the old emperor had deliberately arranged for Li Qiao to be used of plotting something but he stopped his thoughts in time. These things were not for him to think about. All he had to do was carry out the emperor¡¯s orders, that was all. When they were done, the old emperor changed the subject and asked suddenly. ¡°I heard that Assistant Minister Yu¡¯s eldest daughter has been living in your house recently. Are you getting along well?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. We¡¯re doing fine.¡± The old emperor smiled ambiguously. ¡°It seems that the rumors are true. You and that Yu Niaoniao really have a deep rtionship. In that case, I¡¯m relieved. If there¡¯s a chance in the future, bring her into the pce to meet the Empress Dowager and me.¡± Xiao Juan agreed. The old emperor had limited energy. After only a short conversation, he looked tired. Xiao Juan tactfully bade farewell. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I won¡¯t disturb Your Majesty¡¯s rest.¡± The old emperor instructed the eunuch beside him. ¡°Didn¡¯t they send a batch of coconuts to the south recently? Get someone to bring a basket back for the Duke and let him try them.¡± ¡°There.¡± Xiao Juan cupped his fists and bowed. ¡°Thank you for your reward, Your Majesty.¡± When he returned to the prince¡¯s residence, he was just in time for dinner. Yu Niaoniao was very happy to know that he had brought back a basket of coconuts. ¡°Coconuts are great things. I¡¯ll stew coconut chicken for youter!¡± She had only eaten coconuts before she transmigrated. She had not eaten coconuts since she transmigrated to the Dayan Dynasty. Transportation in this era was inconvenient, and transporting fruits required a lot of manpower and resources. The transportation cost was too high. Only the emperor was qualified to enjoy the fresh coconuts sent from the south. Themoners had never even seen this thing. Xiao Juan looked at her thoughtfully. ¡°You sound like you¡¯ve had coconut before?¡± Chapter 150 150 Coconut Sugar Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. This was a deadly question. Her mind raced and she quickly gave an answer. ¡°My stepfather likes to make friends with guests from all over. He¡¯s received caravans from the south. I¡¯ve heard those merchants talk about a few ways to eat coconut and have always been interested in this thing. I didn¡¯t expect to see it with my own eyes today. In the end, it¡¯s all thanks to Duke Lang.¡± Towards the end, she looked a little shy and blushed. Xiao Juan had sent someone to investigate her background and knew that what she said was true. Her stepfather, Feng Lianghan, was not only knowledgeable but also hospitable. He had a good rtionship with many people and was quite famous in Bashu. Even the emperor had heard of Feng Lianghan¡¯s reputation and had the intention of recruiting him as an official. Something like receiving a Southern caravan was something that Feng Lianghan waspletely capable of doing. After dinner, Yu Niaoniao asked someone to bring two coconuts. She split the coconut with her knife and poured the coconut juice into a bowl. ¡°Please enjoy, Your Highness.¡± Xiao Juan picked up the bowl and took a sip. It tasted sweet but not greasy. It was best used to quench one¡¯s thirst after a meal. Yu Niaoniao also poured herself a bowl of coconut juice. She sat beside Xiao Juan, holding the bowl and drinking slowly. Finishing her coconut juice, she returned to digging for coconut meat. This was hard work. After digging for a while, she started to feel her arms ache. Seeing this, Xiao Juan took the spoon from her hand. He had practiced martial arts all year round and was very strong. In just a few moments, he had emptied the coconut. Yu Niaoniao eagerly pinched a piece of fruit and stuffed it into her mouth. The coconut meat was soft and tender and had a rich coconut fragrance. She picked up another piece of coconut meat and brought it to Xiao Juan¡¯s mouth. ¡°Try it too.¡± Xiao Juan opened his thin lips and bit the coconut meat. Unintentionally, his lips brushed against her fingertips. Yu Niaoniao did not notice this moment of contact and continued to eat the coconut meat with relish. XIao Juan¡¯s gaze lingered on her fingertips for a long time. The soft touch on his lips seemed to linger for a long time. He felt his heart stir. Yu Niaoniao asked him if he still wanted to eat. Xiao Juan was still thinking about the touch just now and could not help but agree. ¡°Yeah.¡± Yu Niaoniao pushed another coconut in front of him. ¡°Then dig out this coconut too.¡± Freebor. It was a waste not to use it. Xiao Juan was silent. So that was why she had asked him specifically if he wanted to eat. He picked up his spoon and quickly emptied the second coconut. Yu Niaoniao pinched a piece of coconut pulp and ced it in her mouth, eating with relish. She asked curiously when the man did not move. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Xiao Juan looked at her silently for a while. Seeing that she really had no intention of feeding him again, he could only pick up his chopsticks and put a piece of fruit into his mouth. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was his imagination, but the pulp wasn¡¯t as sweet as it had been. After eating two coconuts, Yu Niaoniao still felt unsatisfied. She ran to the kitchen again and cooked a pot of syrup with coconut juice and pulp, cow¡¯s milk, and malt sugar. The syrup was poured into the mold and ced in the icehouse. After doing this, Yu Niaoniao went back to sleep. When she woke up the next day, she went to the icehouse to take out the sugar and remove the mold. The small coconut candies were ready! She gave some of the coconut candy to Dang Gui and put the rest in a paper bag. When she went out, Xiao Juan saw that Yu Niaoniao was carrying a big bulging paper bag in her arms. He knew that she must have brought food out today. He had probably gotten used to it after so many times. He decided not to even say anything. Anyway, even if he did, she wouldn¡¯t listen. Chapter 151 151 Don¡¯t Believe in Rumors When they entered the Justice Department, Yu Niaoniao grabbed a small handful of coconut candy from the paper bag and handed it to the two Eagle Guards guarding the door. Her intention had been to share the food. However, the two Eagle Guards misunderstood. They thought that this was the wedding candy given out by Miss Yu and Prince Lang. ¡°Congrattions on your marriage. I wish you a long life together and may you have a child soon!¡± Yu Niaoniao was dumbfounded. She had just given them a few ordinary coconut candies. What was with this sudden blessing? The Eagle Guards asked again, ¡°May I ask when Miss Yu and His Highness got married?¡± They knew that with their status, they were definitely not qualified to attend Duke Lang¡¯s wedding. However, Miss Yu had been giving them some delicious food from time to time these past few days. They remembered this favor in their hearts. They nned to secretly gather money to give Miss Yu a wedding gift as a token of their appreciation. Yu Niaoniao was even more confused. ¡°Married? When did we get married?¡± It was the Eagle Guards¡¯ turn to be dumbfounded. So those weren¡¯t wedding candies? Xiao Juan coughed lightly. ¡°The wedding is on the eighth of next month. Let¡¯s go in first.¡± Yu Niaoniao waved at the Eagle Guards guarding the door, before stepping over the high threshold into the Justice Department. As usual, she gave everyone candy. Many of them, like the guards, misunderstood that those were wedding candies and thought that she and Duke Lang were secretly married. They congratted her and Duke Lang. All kinds of blessings poured into her ears like water, making her dizzy. She almost thought that she had indeed married Duke Lang. When ss started, Yu Niaoniao had just walked into the morgue when she saw four students cupping their hands at her in unison. ¡°Congrattions on your marriage with His Highness. I wish the two of you a blissful marriage!¡± Yu Niaoniao was already numb to the greetings by now. She put her hand to her forehead. ¡°We¡¯re only engaged. We¡¯re not married yet.¡± Old Ge was very surprised. ¡°But we heard that you¡¯re already giving out wedding candies. Moreover, you and His Highnesse to the Justice Department every day by car. You must live together. How can you not be married?¡± The other three didn¡¯t say anything, but from the looks on their faces, they were thinking the same thing as Old Ge. Yu Niaoniao once again understood what it was like to jump into the Yellow River and not be able to clear her name. It was really impossible to exin! She could only forcefully change the topic. ¡°We¡¯ll get married at the beginning of next month. We¡¯ll let you know then. Let¡¯s not talk about this. Let¡¯s go to ss.¡± At noon, Yu Niaoniao went to the dining hall. Pan Dafu immediately brought his disciples to congratte her. Blessing¡¯s words jumped out like cannonballs, not giving Yu Niaoniao any chance to exin. She was forced to listen to a cartload of auspicious words. When everyone had finished, she spoke with a wooden face. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. We¡¯re not married.¡± Pan Dafu said, ¡°But they all say that you and His Highness are married.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t believe in rumors.¡± Seeing that she was serious and not pretending, Pan Dafu finally believed her. ¡°May I ask when your wedding date with Duke Lang is set?¡± ¡°Eighth of next month.¡± Pan Dafu quickly calcted the days in his heart and realized that there were only a few days left. It seemed that he had to hurry up and prepare a congrattory gift for his teacher. As the Eagle Guards had captured a group of schrs yesterday, there were a few more memorials seeking to impeach Duke Lang during the morning court assembly today. They used Duke Lang and the Eagle Guards of arresting people indiscriminately and bullying schrs with their status. They were used of treating thew as nothing and their actions were extremely vile. They begged the emperor to punish them severely! Chapter 152 152 Will She Regret It? Faced with the censure of the officials, Xiao Juan looked straight ahead and had no intention of defending himself. The emperor set those memorials aside and said helplessly. ¡°Duke Lang is indeed a little rash, but I know that he has a good heart. He did all this for the Imperial Court. Let¡¯s put this matter aside for today and talk about it slowly in the future.¡± In a few words, he covered up this matter. The officials felt stifled and looked at Xiao Juan with even more dissatisfaction. When the morning court session ended, the officials gathered in groups and chatted. Only Xiao Juan was alone. His hearing was extremely sharp. Even though the officials behind him deliberately lowered their voices, the contents of the conversation still entered Xiao Juan¡¯s ears. ¡°Today, Duke Lang deliberately captured those schrs at will. Tomorrow, he can capture any of us. How can the Imperial Court tolerate him continuing to do whatever he wants?!¡± ¡°I heard that he even got the Eagle Guards to seal up Prince Min¡¯s residence. Even Prince Min is under house arrest. What else would he dare to do!¡± ¡°He has offended everyone in the court now. I wonder who will collect his corpse in the future?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just watch. I don¡¯t believe he¡¯ll end up well!¡± Every word was thick with malice. From this, it could be seen that once Xiao Juan lost his power, what awaited him would definitely be everyone kicking him. He had already gotten over this and was calm. No one couldst forever. Even the high and mighty emperor would have his time, let alone him. Even if he fell in the future, it would only be death. And what¡¯s to fear? Thinking of this, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s figure suddenly shed across Xiao Juan¡¯s mind. She had be his county princess. If he fell in the future, where would she go? Everyone was like this. Once they had something to worry about, they could no longer easily let go of things. Xiao Juan was like this now. He returned to the Justice Department just in time for lunch. Yu Niaoniao ced the hot dishes in front of him and beckoned him to eat. Xiao Juan suddenly asked, ¡°Are you sure you want to marry me?¡± Yu Niaoniao had just picked up a piece of fish when she paused. She looked puzzled. ¡°Why are you suddenly asking me this?¡± Xiao Juan looked at her steadily. ¡°We¡¯re not officially married yet. You still have a chance to go back on your word.¡± Yu Niaoniao ced the fish into her mouth and ate as she spoke. ¡°Have you forgotten? We were bestowed marriage by the emperor. The emperor¡¯s words are golden and cannot be changed. It¡¯s useless even if I want to go back on my word. We can only make do with each other in this life.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to marry, I can go to the pce and beg the emperor to take back the imperial edict.¡± Yu Niaoniao was very surprised. ¡°Can you influence the emperor¡¯s thoughts?¡± Xiao Juan naturally did not have that ability. He only said, ¡°I have my ways.¡± Yu Niaoniao bit her chopsticks and fell into deep thought. Xiao Juan stared at her and waited quietly for her answer. Duke Lang, who could remain calm under the criticism of the officials, felt inexplicably nervous and uneasy. Would she renege? A person with a bad reputation like him was definitely not a good match. Even if she wanted to break off the engagement, it was normal. There was a long pause before she spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t regret it.¡± These simple words knocked heavily on Xiao Juan¡¯s heart, causing it to beat much faster. Xiao Juan looked at her in a daze. ¡°Why?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled sweetly at him. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because I like you!¡± Chapter 153 153 Time Reveals the Heart Yu Niaoniao thought about it carefully. If she did not marry Xiao Juan, she could only move back to the Yu Residence. Based on how much Madam Jiang hated her, she would probably not have a good life in the Yu Residence in the future. Besides, she would have to get married sooner orter. In ancient times, there was no such thing as freedom of marriage. What mattered here were the words of a matchmaker. She was really worried about handing her lifelong happiness to Yu Kangtai and Madam Jiang. Although Duke Lang¡¯s reputation was not good and there were all kinds of rumors about him, Yu Niaoniao felt that he was not bad after spending some time together. At least they could get along well. Moreover, he was generous and could let her enter the Justice Department freely and not restrict her the way people did with women. These were big bonus points for her. If she wanted to break off the engagement, it would definitely be difficult for her to meet a man who could surpass Duke Lang in the future. In that case, what did she have to regret? She should just marry him! Xiao Juan looked at the girl in front of him for a long time. That focused gaze seemed to pierce her soul. Even though Yu Niaoniao was thick-skinned, she could not withstand it. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? It makes me feel embarrassed.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°If I fall into the quagmire one day and can¡¯t give you any more food, will you still love me?¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked. She understood. The other party was testing her! ¡°I like you not because of your power and status. I like you as a person. Whether you¡¯re in the clouds or the mire, there would be no problems as long as it¡¯s you.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her steadily. He wanted to ask her if that was true. Could she promise to do what she said? But logic told him that things would change. Even if she could guarantee that she would do what she said at this moment, people were fickle. Who could guarantee that she would be able to maintain the same state of mind as she was now? In the end, Xiao Juan did not dare to ask. He picked up his bowl and chopsticks and ate quietly. Yu Niaoniao asked as she served him food. ¡°Is Your Highness doubting whether what I say is true?¡± Xiao Juan looked up at her. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You¡¯ve interrogated many prisoners, so you must know that a person¡¯s mouth is the most unreliable. Therefore, no matter what I say now, you¡¯ll have doubts. The best way is to leave everything to time. As the saying goes, time reveals a person¡¯s heart. We¡¯ll see.¡± She even winked yfully at him. Time will tell... Xiao Juan silently pondered these words. The fact that she could say such words meant that she really nned to spend a long time with him. His heart felt much more at ease. He did not know what would happen in the end. At least he did not have to worry about her going back on her word for the time being. After dinner, Xiao Juan suddenly said. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to go to Ten Thousand Dharma Temple? I¡¯m free tomorrow. I can apany you.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes lit up and she said happily, ¡°Then let¡¯s go tomorrow!¡± Seeing that she was happy, Xiao Juan¡¯s eyes warmed up. At this moment, Yan Nanguan arrived. Seeing that he looked like he had something important to ask, Yu Niaoniao said tactfully. ¡°Then I¡¯m going to take a nap. Take your time.¡± As soon as she left, Yan Nanguan immediately said, ¡°The two Eagle Guards who left the cityst night have gone missing. I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ve already suffered.¡± Last night, Prince Min secretly sent people out of the city and Yan Nanguan secretly tracked them. In the end, the two Eagle Guards that were sent out did not return. This had happened before. It did not end well. Xiao Juan¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°Prepare the horses. I¡¯m going to Prince Min¡¯s Mansion.¡± Chapter 154 154 Don¡¯t Mess Around Inside Prince Min¡¯s Mansion, the Eagle Guards pushed open the main door of the Daoguang Pavilion. Smoke lingered in the pavilion. Prince Min, who was dressed in a green Daoist robe, was sitting cross-legged on a meditation cushion, facing the portrait of the Three Pure Ones. Hearing the door open, he turned around and saw Xiao Juan striding in. Prince Min did not look pleased. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Xiao Juan first looked at the portrait of the Three Pure Ones hanging on the wall before speaking. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a littlete to be praying?¡± Prince Min snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°The person you sent outst night hasn¡¯t returned yet.¡± Prince Min was stunned for a moment before he realized that the people he had sent out had been followed by the Eagle Guards! Heughed in anger. ¡°Ha! No wonder I could send the message so easily. It¡¯s because you deliberately let someone go easy on me. As expected of you. I was actually tricked by you!¡± Xiao Juan had no intention of wasting his breath on him and asked directly. ¡°Who did you send out the man to find?¡± Prince Min stood up and straightened his neck. ¡°Why should I tell you?!¡± Xiao Juan slowly walked up to him. His voice was neither fast nor slow, and it was filled with pressure. ¡°If you don¡¯t say it, the crime of the anti-government poetry case will fall on you and Shen Xu. When the two of you be ghosts under the swords, don¡¯te andin to me.¡± Prince Min clenched his horsetail whisk and gritted his teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that you want to use me as a scapegoat just because you can¡¯t find the mastermind behind the anti-government poetry case. The emperor won¡¯t allow you to do such a thing!¡± Xiao Juan looked at him sympathetically. He looked at him as if she were a pitiful ant. ¡°Uncle, have you ever thought about why the emperor never mentioned letting you free when Prince Min¡¯s residence has been sealed for so many days? Without the emperor¡¯s approval, no matter how much power I have, I can¡¯t put you under house arrest.¡± Prince Min¡¯s brain felt like it had been hit hard. He froze in ce, his brain buzzing. His eyes widened incredulously. ¡°Y-you mean, Imperial Brother wants me to...¡± He couldn¡¯t bring himself to say the word ¡°die.¡± Xiao Juan did not answer. In Prince Min¡¯s eyes, his attitude was equivalent to a tacit agreement. Prince Min felt weak all over. He swayed and fell onto the meditation cushion. His face was pale as he muttered. ¡°No, Imperial Brother won¡¯t be like this.¡± However, as he spoke, he could not continue. Because he remembered what the emperor had done these past few years. When the emperor was young, he was ambitious and hardworking. He was also quite tolerant of his brothers. However, as he grew older, the old emperor¡¯s paranoia became worse. In order to better monitor the civil and military officials, he specially set up the Justice Department. The Justice Department was directly under the Emperor¡¯s jurisdiction. It could monitor all officials and act ordingly. Over the past few years, more officials had died in the Justice Department¡¯s prison. Even some of the royal family had suffered. Prince Min had thought he would be fine. After all, he was just an idle prince with no real power. He was no threat to the emperor. There was no need for the emperor to trouble himself with him. Unexpectedly, he was too naive. The more Prince Min thought about it, the more ufortable he felt. His fingers trembled uncontrobly. Xiao Juan looked down at him. ¡°If you want to live, tell me everything you know. As long as you can find the mastermind behind the anti-government poetry case, you and Shen Xu will be exonerated.¡± Prince Min knew in his heart that Xiao Juan had deliberately told him these things to force him to tell the truth. And he had no choice. He lowered his head dejectedly and said hoarsely, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡± It turned out that someone had quietly found Prince Min and given him an address long before the Eagle Guards started investigating the anti-government poetry case. ¡°That person was a wandering Daoist priest. He imed to be very experienced in seeking longevity and wanted to share his experience with me. I met him with a skeptical attitude. After a conversation, I realized that he indeed had some real talent and interacted with him more and more frequently. However, one day, he suddenly disappeared. Before he left, he left a letter and said that if I was in trouble, I could send someone to that address to look for him. He would help me.¡± Xiao Juan asked in a low voice, ¡°What about the letter?¡± Prince Min hesitated before pulling the letter out of his sleeve. The Traveling Monk had reminded him in the letter to burn it after he read it before anyone found out. But Prince Min was notpletely brainless. He knew that if he burned the letters and was really exposed in the future, no one would believe him even if he told the truth. In order to leave himself an escape route, he chose to keep the letter. Xiao Juan took out the letter and quickly read the contents. The address mentioned in the letter was the Zhang family¡¯s guest house. If you went out from the east city gate and walked along the official road for ten miles, you would see it. He asked Yan Nanguan to immediately bring someone to the Zhang family¡¯s guest house. Yan Nanguan epted the order and left. ... Xiao Juan looked down at Prince Min, who was sitting on the meditation cushion, and said slowly. ¡°You have to return to the Justice Department with me.¡± Prince Min was terrified. ¡°No! I¡¯m not going to the Justice Department!¡± It was said that the torture methods in the Justice Department were extremely cruel. Anyone who was locked up would be skinned regardless of their official status. He was already old. If he was locked up in the Justice Department, he might not be able toe out alive. However, Xiao Juan did not give him a chance to refuse and directly brought him back to the Justice Department. Prince Min was led to the interrogation room. He was uneasy and trembling. His eyes kept looking around, and at the same time, he did not forget to threaten him. ¡°Don¡¯t mess around. I¡¯m the emperor¡¯s younger brother, a proper prince. If you dare to abuse your punishment on me, the spokesperson will definitely not let you off.¡± Xiao Juan looked at him coldly. ¡°I invited you over because I want you to answer a few questions. As long as you cooperate obediently, we won¡¯t make things difficult for you.¡± Prince Min looked at him skeptically. ... Xiao Juan instructed Meng Xizhou softly. ¡°Go get Yu Niaoniao.¡± ¡°There.¡± Meng Xizhou epted the order and left. Prince Min deliberately looked disdainful and said sarcastically. ¡°Did you specially bring me here to let Yu Niaoniao see me being tortured with her own eyes? Are you taking revenge for your fianc¨¦e? I really didn¡¯t expect the murderous Duke Lang to have such a loving side. If this matter gets out, who knows how many people willugh their teeth off?¡± Xiao Juan ignored him. It wasn¡¯t long before Lo Pingsha led Yu Niaoniao in, followed by four other artists. Prince Min clearly did not expect so many people toe at once. He was stunned. Yu Niaoniao was in ss when she suddenly received a message from Prince Lang. He said that a new job wasing and asked her toe to the interrogation room immediately. So she moved the ss from the morgue to the interrogation room. Chapter 155 155 Ice That Was Three Foot Deep Was Not Frozen in a Day Yu Niaoniao first greeted Duke Lang before sitting down behind the desk familiarly and speaking to the students. ¡°Today, I¡¯ll show you how to draw the suspect¡¯s image ording to the witness¡¯s oral description. Look carefullyter. If you don¡¯t understand anything, you can ask questions at any time.¡± The students answered obediently, ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao picked up her brush and dipped it in ink. She looked at Prince Min and asked. ¡°Tell me, what did the man look like?¡± Prince Min was very dissatisfied. ¡°You¡¯re an unimportant girl. What right do you have to interrogate me?¡± Yu Niaoniao was not angry at being rebuked. She even smiled good-naturedly. ¡°You have to know your ce. Look up and see where you are. Look clearly and think clearly before deciding if you want to continue being stubborn.¡± Prince Min became even angrier. ¡°How dare you threaten me?¡± Yu Niaoniao put down her brush. ¡°Since you¡¯re not cooperating, I¡¯ll leave for a while and let Little Lo entertain you well.¡± Seeing that Duke Lang had no objections, Lo Pingsha spoke to the Eagle Guards guarding the door. ¡°Take Prince Min to the torture chamber.¡± As soon as he heard that he was going to the torture chamber, Prince Min immediately panicked. He cried out in horror. ¡°I¡¯m not going to the torture chamber! I¡¯ll talk! I¡¯ll say anything!¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him calmly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you like a donkey? You didn¡¯t listen when I spoke to you properly. I had to whip you twice before you would listen.¡± Prince Min was furious and humiliated, but he did not dare to retort. He could only repeat that sentence. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything. I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡± Yu Niaoniao picked up the brush again. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you onest chance. Tell me about that person¡¯s appearance and characteristics. Start with his eyes.¡± Every question she asked was extremely detailed, making Prince Min very impatient. He felt that the other party was just holding a grudge and deliberately took the opportunity to make things difficult for him andugh at him. There were several times when he wanted to re up, but in consideration of Duke Lang standing beside her, he held back. When Yu Niaoniao brought a portrait of a Daoist priest to Prince Min and asked him if he was this person, Prince Min¡¯s eyes widened. He blurted out in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s this priest! How can you draw it so well? It¡¯s like a real person!¡± Initially, he thought that Duke Lang was using his position to seek revenge and wanted to use this opportunity to help Yu Niaoniao vent her anger. He did not expect that Yu Niaoniao was really capable and could draw that wandering Daoist priest vividly! Prince Min stared at the portrait again and again. The more he looked at it, the more he thought it looked like him. He could not help but ask. ¡°Have you met the traveling Daoist?¡± Yu Niaoniao handed the portrait to the students for reference. She casually replied, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him.¡± Prince Min said, ¡°Then why can you paint people so vividly?¡± Yu Niaoniaoughed triumphantly. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because I¡¯m good!¡± Prince Min did not want to believe that the girl in front of him was really that powerful, but the portrait was in front of him and he could not deny it. He replied stubbornly, ¡°Child¡¯s y!¡± Old Ge could not bear to see his master being despised and immediately reprimanded him sternly. ¡°If not for the portrait drawn by Sir, you and your son would have to bear the crime of spreading anti-government poetry and plotting against us! Do you actually dare to say that this is an insignificant trick? You really don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you!¡± Prince Min was furious, but he could not argue. His old face turned red. He simply ignored these people and said to Duke Lang. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you everything I know. Shouldn¡¯t you let me go back?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°You¡¯re our important witness now. We need to ensure your safety. Before the case is investigated, please stay in the Justice Department for the time being. Haven¡¯t you always wanted to see your son? I¡¯ll let you and your son stay in a cell so that you can catch up.¡± Prince Min was trembling with anger. He wanted to curse, but he did not dare. What did he mean by for his safety? Didn¡¯t he just want to lock him up?! What kind of sin had hemitted to provoke such a murderous god?! Prince Min was taken to a cell by the Eagle Guards and locked up. When he saw his old father locked up with him, Shen Xu¡¯s expression wasplicated. After ss, Yu Niaoniao quickly packed up and prepared to get off work. She said to Duke Lang, ¡°I¡¯m getting off work early today.¡± Xiao Juan asked her what she was going to do. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I have to prepare something in advance tomorrow.¡± Xiao Juan stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll apany you.¡± Yu Niaoniao was naturally happy to have additional freebor to help carry things. Hence, the Eagle Guards saw Duke Lang and Miss Yu leave the Justice Department together. That in itself was not unusual. After all, Duke Lang and Miss Yu had been together every day recently. Everyone was used to the two of theming and going. ... But this was different- This time, Prince Lang actually got off work early! He was a famous workaholic in the Justice Department. He would never bete or leave early unless necessary. However, before it was time to leave, Prince Lang had actually fled with his little wife! This was clearly skipping work! The Eagle Guards looked up and sighed. Indeed, love made people lose their minds. Even Duke Lang had fallen in love! Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan went to West City. The originally noisy street instantly fell silent the moment Xiao Juan appeared. Everyone froze and looked at Xiao Juan in unison. Their eyes were filled with horror and fear. It was as if Xiao Juan took another step forward, they would immediately escape. ... Xiao Juan stopped and whispered to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Go shopping first. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Yu Niaoniao agreed. Xiao Juan turned around and left West City. As soon as he left, West City was bustling again. Yu Niaoniao heard the vendors on the street talking softly. ¡°Oh my god, I was so scared just now. I thought the Eagle Guards were going to arrest us.¡± ¡°Fortunately, he¡¯s gone. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t even have this business.¡± ¡°I wonder why the Imperial Court is raising such a group of Eagle Guards? They only know how to capture people all day long, making it difficult for people to live peacefully.¡± ¡°Stop it, stop it. Don¡¯t let the Eagle Guard spies hear you.¡± ... . There were many other conversations like this. When Yu Niaoniao heard this, she felt very upset. In the eyes of themoners, the Eagle Guards were evil ghosts who killed without batting an eyelid. They were existences that they were afraid of. However, after spending some time together, she felt that the Eagle Guards were not as terrifying as the rumors said. They were actually a group of ordinary people with flesh and blood. There was no need for themoners to ostracize them so much. She had to think of a way to improve the Eagle Guards¡¯ reputation in the hearts of themoners. But ice that was three feet deep was not frozen in a day. This could not be rushed. She had to find the right opportunity to change slowly. Chapter 156 156 Spirit in Heaven Xiao Juan returned quickly. He changed into rough clothes and put away the saber at his waist. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his strong and muscr forearms. He wore a bamboo hat on his head and carried a bamboo basket on his back. At first nce, he looked like an ordinary farmer who hade into the city to shop. He raised his hand to lower his bamboo hat, covering most of his handsome face. She wouldn¡¯t have recognized him unless she looked closely. Yu Niaoniao circled him and clicked her tongue in wonder. ¡°You¡¯re quite fast at changing clothes.¡± Xiao Juan exined, ¡°There are Eagle Guards spies nearby. I borrowed some clothes from them.¡± His disguise proved very sessful. This time, no one noticed Xiao Juan. He silently followed behind Yu Niaoniao and watched her bargain with others and help her carry her things. They were in luck today. Someone in West City sold beef. The Dayan Dynasty explicitly forbade the killing of cows, but there were also exceptions. For example, if some cows died from serious injuries, they could be sold after obtaining the approval of the government. Beef was expensive, and it was rare. There were many people who were willing to spend money on meat. The meat stall was crowded with people. Yu Niaoniao also wanted to squeeze in, but she was stopped by Xiao Juan. ¡®You stand here. I¡¯ll go.¡¯ He shoved the basket into Yu Niaoniao¡¯s arms and squeezed into the crowd. Yu Niaoniao shouted toward him. ¡°Remember to buy tendons!¡± There were a lot of people buying meat, and none of them had any intention of queuing up. Everyone squeezed forward. In any case, whoever was stronger could squeeze to the front. Yu Niaoniao hugged the bamboo basket and stood on tiptoe, stretching her neck to look into the crowd. At this moment, a woman with a flower basket leaned over and asked eagerly. ¡°Youngdy, do you want to buy flowers? Look at how beautiful my flowers are. You can buy two for a copper coin. Do you want to buy two for your lover?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°How did you know I had a lover?¡± The woman pouted in the direction of the crowd. ¡°I saw it just now. Your lover asked you to wait here. He went ahead to buy meat.¡± Towards the end, she could not help but smile ambiguously. ¡°Tell me the truth. Did you go out with your lover in private?¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°A private meeting?¡± The woman winked. ¡°I saw it just now. Your man is wearing rough clothes. It¡¯s obvious that he came from a peasant background, but you¡¯re dressed like a youngdy. You must be from a rich family. Your family definitely won¡¯t agree to let you marry a peasant. If you want to meet your lover, won¡¯t you have to meet him in private?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not expect the woman to have imagined so much in such a short period of time. She saw that the bamboo basket the woman was carrying was filled with peonies. Those flowers bloomed beautifully and had the effect of lifting moods. It just so happened that Madam Xie liked peony flowers the most when she was alive. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°How much is it? I want it all.¡± The woman did not expect that her casual conversation would attract big business. She said happily. ¡°There¡¯s a total of thirty flowers here. They¡¯re supposed to sell for fifteen copper coins. If you buy a lot, that¡¯s twelve copper coins.¡± Yu Niaoniao counted twelve copper coins from her purse and handed them over. The woman ced the peony in her bamboo basket. The business was done. Logically speaking, the woman should have left, but she could not help but say a few more words. ¡°Youngdy, don¡¯t me me for being nosy. A woman¡¯s marriage is equivalent to her second reincarnation. You have to open your eyes and consider carefully. Your lover¡¯s background is low and doesn¡¯t match your family. If you marry him, your life in the future will definitely be difficult. Look at your delicate skin and tender flesh. You might not be able to withstand such hardship.¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked. ¡°But he¡¯s good-looking.¡± The woman sighed. ¡°You silly girl, can good looks be eaten? If you marry him in the future, you¡¯ll have to eat lettuce with him and work in the fields with him. You¡¯ll have to do everything. Are you sure you want to live like that?¡± Yu Niaoniao said seriously, ¡°But he¡¯s really good-looking.¡± The woman looked at her as if she was an innocent little girl who had been deceived. ¡°Why don¡¯t you understand? The most important thing for a man is to be able to support his family. If he can¡¯t even support you, he can¡¯t have you no matter how beautiful you are!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, but he¡¯s really too good-looking.¡± The woman said nothing. She sighed weakly. ¡°Why are you so obsessed?¡± A deep voice suddenly spoke. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Yu Niaoniao and the woman looked in the direction of the voice at the same time. They saw Xiao Juan walking over. ... As there were too many people buying beef, the bamboo hat on Xiao Juan¡¯s head fell off. At this moment, he was holding the bamboo hat in one hand and a piece of fresh beef in the other. His handsome face waspletely exposed to the sun. The woman¡¯s eyes widened. She had seen good-looking men before, but not as good-looking as this! At this moment, she finally understood why Yu Niaoniao was so stubborn. If it were her, she would also be stubborn in the face of such a good-looking lover! Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I bought some flowers from this big sister. Do they look good?¡± She handed the peonies in the bamboo basket forward. Xiao Juan replied calmly, ¡°Yes.¡± He carried the bamboo basket on his back and asked Yu Niaoniao what else she wanted to buy. Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else to buy.¡± ... Xiao Juan said, ¡°Then let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Yu Niaoniao waved at the woman selling flowers. ¡°Goodbye.¡± The woman could not help but say when she saw that they were handsome and beautiful. ¡°I wish you happiness!¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. After the two of them left West City, Xiao Juan returned to the carriage to change. They returned to the Langjun Imperial Pce. Yu Niaoniao immediately rolled up her sleeves and started working. She first had a chicken killed, washed and cut into pieces, and ced them in an empty coconut. She added cooking wine, soy sauce, salt, sugar, and ginger, then poured in coconut juice and covered it. She then ced the coconut and chicken into the pot and steamed them with water. Then, Yu Niaoniao made a coconut cake. Dang Gui tasted a piece and immediately announced. ¡°From now on, coconuts will be my favorite fruit in life!¡± It could yield juice, and pulp, and make candy, pastries, and dishes. There were so many ways to eat it. It was simply the favorite of foodies! Yu Niaoniao washed the beef she had bought this afternoon and cut it into thin slices. She sprinkled salt on them evenly and ced them near the stove. She dried them with the remaining warmth of the firewood and ced them on the steamer. Dang Gui asked as she fanned the fire. ¡°Are you makingmp shadow beef, Miss?¡± In the past, she had seen Miss make this food and knew how it was made. Yu Niaoniao replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Madam Xie loved to eatmp shadow beef when she was alive, but because beef was very difficult to buy, it was difficult for her to eat it all year round. Tomorrow, Yu Niaoniao would go to the Ten Thousand Dharma Temple to light the eternalmp for Madam Xie. She wanted to make some of Madam Xie¡¯s favorite food tofort her soul in heaven. Chapter 157 157 Eternal Light Yesterday, Yu Niaoniao said that she wanted to make coconut chicken for Xiao Juan. Today, this dish was served for dinner. She¡¯d proven herself a person of her word with practical actions. Xiao Juan first took a sip of soup, before eating a piece of chicken. The chicken stewed in coconut juice tasted very different. It was soft and tender. It was salty in the mouth but sweet in the aftertaste. At the same time, it had a strong coconut fragrance. He didn¡¯t eat much, but he finished the chicken and soup. When Granny Xiu Yan came to clear the dishes, she was very happy. In the past, Duke Lang did not like to eat. When he was in a bad mood, he would even vomit what he had eaten. It was really worrying. Ever since Miss Yu arrived, everything had changed. Duke Lang¡¯s aversion to eating was getting lighter. He could basically eat three meals a day on time and almost no longer felt nauseous. He was much better. If not for the etiquette, Granny Xiu Yan really hoped that Miss Yu would marry into the Langjun Imperial Pce now. The next morning, Yu Niaoniao ced the coconut cake andmp shadow beef she had prepared in advance into a food box. She also took two types of fruits that Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan liked to eat and ced them into the food box. Dang Gui carried the food box in one hand and the flower basket in the other as she followed Yu Niaoniao out of the house. Xiao Juan had already changed and was waiting outside. He had especially worn new clothes today. He was wearing an ink-ck round-necked brocade robe with a leather belt that entuated his thin waist. He wore a jade crown on his head and deer leather boots. His posture was as tall and straight as a sword. He looked sharp, but he was also more solemn than usual. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Yu Niaoniao had also be exceptionally quiet today. She didn¡¯t say much on the way. When they arrived at the Ten Thousand Dharma Temple, Xiao Juan went to make arrangements with the abbot and quickly settled the matter. The old abbot personally led them to the Changming Hall. There were manymps in the hall. The lights flickered, and the sandalwood was faint. Yu Niaoniao took the brush from the old abbot and wrote the names of Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan on the two Buddha ques. Sheid out the Buddhist tablets and took two longmps from the abbot. She lit them carefully. Yu Niaoniao knelt on the meditation cushion and kowtowed three times respectfully to the memorial tablet. After Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan died, they were buried near the Feng family¡¯s old residence. That ce was far from the Jade Capital Road, and Yu Niaoniao could not go back often to pay her respects. She could only light two eternalmps in the Ten Thousand Dharma Temple so that she could visit often in the future to entrust her sorrow. She inserted the lit incense into the incense burner. Dang Gui opened the food box and ced the food inside in front of themp. Yu Niaoniao took out a bouquet of peony flowers from the basket and ced it in front of themp that represented Madam Xie. ¡°Mother, Father, I¡¯m in the Imperial Capital now. I¡¯m doing well. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. ¡®I even found you a son-inw.¡¯ ¡°Not only is he good-looking, but he¡¯s also a duke. I specially brought him to see you today.¡± Yu Niaoniao turned to look at Duke Lang. Her original intention was to let Xiao Juane over and greet her parents. Unexpectedly, the man lifted his clothes and knelt respectfully on the meditation cushion. Yu Niaoniao could not help but be stunned. The man said nothing. He kowtowed three times in silence. Every kowtow was extremely solemn as if he was making a promise. For some reason, Yu Niaoniao felt a lump in her throat. She turned to look at the two eternalmps and spoke with red eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be alone anymore.¡± As if in response to her words, the me of the polemp wavered twice. After leaving Chang Ming Hall, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s mood was veryplicated. Initially, she only treated Xiao Juan as a forced choice. She felt that Xiao Juan had the same thoughts until she saw him kowtow just now. She suddenly felt that she was wrong. Xiao Juan did not feel that he had no choice but to marry her. He was far more sincere about this marriage than she was. This made Yu Niaoniao feel a little ashamed. She secretly decided in her heart that she had to correct her attitude in the future and manage this marriage well. She had to work hard to make their lives happy. This way, the high hopes Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan had for her before they died would not be in vain. On the way back. Yu Niaoniao said as she counted the days with her fingers. ¡°This month is over. There are only eight days left until the wedding date. Counting the time, the days passed quite quickly.¡± Xiao Juan replied indifferently, ¡°Yes.¡± Why were there still eight days? They returned to the Justice Department. Yan Nanguan had been waiting for a long time. When he saw that Duke Lang had returned, he immediately went forward to greet him. ¡°Your Highness, when I rushed to the Zhang family¡¯s guest house with my men, it was already empty. We found the corpses of two Eagle Guards in the cer of the guest house. They were killed with a single strike.¡± There was sadness in his eyes as he finished. ... The human heart was made of flesh. Even if they were Eagle Guards, they would have feelings and be sad because theirpanions had died. Xiao Juan was not surprised by this oue. He instructed calmly, ¡°Get someone to bury those two Eagle Guards and treat their families well.¡± Yan Nanguan replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Thinking of his twopanions who had died tragically, Yan Nanguan was concerned and indignant. ¡°We can¡¯t just let the murderer go!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious.¡± How could Yan Nanguan not be anxious? ¡°How are we going to continue investigating when the clues to the Zhang family¡¯s guest house have been cut off?¡± Xiao Juan looked at the letter in his hand and said slowly. ¡°We still have a lead in our hands.¡± ... In his hand was the letter that the traveling Daoist had left for Prince Min. It was only a few words, but it was enough for Xiao Juan. He dipped his pen in the ink, mimicking the handwriting in the letter, and wrote three words on a nk sheet of paper. When the ink was dry, Xiao Juan folded the paper and handed it to Yan Nanguan. Yan Nanguan¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll do it now!¡± He hurried away. That night, an assassin sneaked into the prison cell of the Justice Department, intending to assassinate Li Qiao, who was imprisoned. Fortunately, the Eagle Guards discovered it in time and took down the assassin on the spot. Li Qiao sat on the ground, his back against the wall. He was covered in injuries and looked disheveled. Even when Lo Pingsha took the assassin down on the spot, Li Qiao remained unmoved. He even looked at Yan Nanguan as if he was watching a show. Clearly, he felt that Yan Nanguan and the group of Eagle Guards were deliberately acting. No one wanted to assassinate him at all. It was all a y made up by the Eagle Guards. Until Yan Nanguan found a letter on the assassin. The letter contained only three words- Kill Li Qiao. Li Qiao¡¯s first reaction when he read the letter was suspicion. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! This letter is fake. You guys forged it!¡± Yan Nanguan did not argue. He just looked at him quietly. Gradually, Li Qiao wavered. Because he couldn¡¯t convince himself that the letter was fake. He oftenmunicated with that person secretly. The handwriting on this letter was identical to that person¡¯s. There was no way he could be wrong. Chapter 158 158 Old Lover After a long time, Li Qiao finally said the man¡¯s name. ¡°His name is Che Xuekun. He often travels as a Daoist priest.¡± Due to his repeated failures, Li Qiao lived a poor life. When he fell sick, he did not even have the money to get medicine. He could only wait for death in despair. It was then that he met Che Xuekun. Che Xuekun was knowledgeable. Not only did he cure Li Qiao¡¯s illness, but he also praised Li Qiao¡¯s talent. In his opinion, Li Qiao did not fail the imperial examination not because his knowledge was not good enough, but because Li Qiao was too straightforward and did not know how to tter others. That was why he did not get the chance to show his talent. Li Qiao had lived for so long, but this was the first time someone admired him so much. He was naturally overjoyed. In addition, the other party was his savior. Li Qiao quickly took him as a confidant and wished he could go through hell for him. Therefore, when Che Xuekun pulled him in, he agreed almost without hesitation. So the wandering Daoist was just Che Xuekun¡¯s disguise. He was actually from the Chen Nation. The Chen Nation was located on the southeast side of Dayan. The two countries¡¯ territories bordered each other, but the Chen Nation¡¯snd was far less rich than Dayan. In the past, the Chen Nation had also sent people to attack Dayan, but they had all failed. In the past two years, the Chen Nation had not gone to war again, but they had notpletely settled down either. From time to time, they would send people to the border to plunder people and food. Now that Chen Country had sent a person like Che Xuekun to infiltrate Dayan, they must have a n. Yan Nanguan looked at him coldly. ¡°Do you know what the crime of colluding with an enemy country is?¡± Li Qiao¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Of course, I know! But so what? Dayan refused to give me a chance to show my talent, so why can¡¯t I vote for another ruler?!¡± Seeing that he was still unrepentant even in death, Yan Nanguan could not help but curse. ¡°Have you read all your books to the dogs?!¡± Li Qiao shot back. ¡°Who are you to scold me? You Eagle Guards are just a group of eagle hounds raised by the old emperor. It was because of you that the Dayan Dynasty became foul. The reason I was locked up here today was only that I was unlucky and fell into your hands. But don¡¯t be smug. Things change. Sooner orter, nothing good will happen to you. I¡¯ll leave first and wait for you in hell Hahahaha!¡± He let out an unrestrained and crazedugh. He had already given up on himself. Yan Nanguan looked at him with a dark expression. When he was doneughing, Yan Nanguan asked. ¡°Where¡¯s Che Xuekun?¡± Li Qiao knew that he had no way out. Originally, he was determined to die and would never reveal anything about Che Xuekun. However, the fact that Che Xuekun had sent someone to kill him hurt him. Since Che Xuekun wanted him dead, he would not let Che Xuekun have it easy. Li Qiao¡¯s eyes were fierce. ¡°Che Xuekun is very cunning. Every time, he takes the initiative to contact me. He protects himself very well and has never revealed his whereabouts to me.¡± At this, he had tough at himself. Actually, Che Xuekun had always been wary of him and was prepared to abandon him at any time. It was because he trusted Che Xuekun too much that he did not notice this. Yan Nanguan looked disappointed. So Li Qiao did not know Che Xuekun¡¯s whereabouts either. But then he heard Li Qiao say. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know where he is, I know that he has an old lover in the Imperial Capital.¡± Yan Nanguan asked, ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The top hostess of the Falling Clothes Pavilion, Zhen Xixi.¡± When Yan Nanguan arrived at the Falling Clothes Pavilion with the Eagle Guards, Zhen Xixi had alreadymitted suicide. The Falling Clothes Pavilion was in the downtown area and was surrounded by merchants. When the Eagle Guards barged into the pavilion, they immediately attracted many people¡¯s attention. In just a moment, many onlookers gathered outside the pavilion. When everyone saw Zhen Xixi¡¯s body being carried out, it immediately caused amotion. As the top host, Zhen Xixi naturally had many fans. When these people saw the woman they liked die so easily, their hearts naturally ached. They looked at the Eagle Guards with hatred. In their opinion, Zhen Xixi was young and had always been healthy. She wouldn¡¯t suddenly die. She must have been forced to death by the Eagle Guards. These damn things didn¡¯t even let go of a weak woman. They were simply heartless! Zhen Xixi¡¯s body was sent back to the Justice Department, along with the others in the Falling Clothes Pavilion. Lo Pingsha examined Zhen Xixi¡¯s corpse and realized that she was pregnant. Xiao Juan ordered someone to interrogate everyone in the Falling Clothes Pavilion. After summarizing everyone¡¯s confession andbining it with the time Zhen Xixi was pregnant, he came to a conclusion. The fetus in her stomach was probably Che Xuekun¡¯s. Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°We just sent someone to the Falling Clothes Pavilion and Zhen Xiximitted suicide. This is definitely not a coincidence. Someone must have leaked the news.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately became alert. ¡°Do you mean that there¡¯s a mole in our Justice Department?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s not a mole.¡± If there was really a mole, Li Qiao would not have been hooked so easily. He continued, ¡°Che Xuekun should have sent someone to secretly watch the Justice Department. Once we make a move, he will sense it.¡± Yu Niaoniao sorted out her logic. ¡°In other words, Che Xuekun secretly sent a message to Zhen Xixi. In order to protect Che Xuekun, Zhen Xixi chose to end her life. If this is true, it means that Che Xuekun hasn¡¯t gone far. He might be hiding in the city!¡± Xiao Juan stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll enter the pce now and ask the emperor to seal the city gate.¡± As long as the city gate was closed, Che Xuekun would not be able to escape. At that time, the Eagle Guards would search every house. They would definitely be able to find him! Yu Niaoniao watched the man leave. ... When the sun set, she took the carriage back to the royal residence as usual. Seeing that she had returned alone, Granny Xiu Yan could not help but ask. ¡°And His Royal Highness?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°He went to the pce. He should be back soon.¡± From what she knew of Duke Lang, he was an extremely efficient person. He would definitely make the n to capture Che Xuekun as soon as possible. However, this time, her estimation was wrong. Xiao Juan was in the pce for a long time and had not returned. Yu Niaoniao felt that something was wrong. She was worried, so she waited with Granny Xiu Yan. They watched as the night deepened. Granny Xiu Yan was old and weak. She looked tired and couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ... Yu Niaoniao spoke to her. ¡°Go to bed first. I¡¯m here.¡± Granny Xiu Yan said helplessly, ¡°The older you get, the more useless you be. I¡¯ll go back to my room to take a nap first. If there¡¯s any news, please let me know.¡± Yu Niaoniao agreed. She watched Granny Xiu Yan leave, then propped her chin on one hand and looked at the candlelight in front of her in a daze. Why wasn¡¯t the prince back yet? It was not until four in the morning that Xiao Juan finally returned. It was sote that he thought everyone in the residence would be asleep. He was surprised to see lights on in the central room. Chapter 159 159 Brave Men Under Heavy Rewards Xiao Juan slowly walked into the central room and saw Yu Niaoniao dozing off on the table. He didn¡¯t know what she was dreaming about, but she smacked her lips twice and made muffled grunts in her throat. When Dang Gui saw that Duke Lang had returned, she hurriedly stood up and was about to call for help, but Duke Lang raised his hand to stop her. He took off his cloak and gently draped it over Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao felt the weight on her and woke up immediately. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. When she saw the man standing in front of her, she instantly sobered and called out in surprise. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re finally back!¡± Xiao Juan sat down beside her and asked, ¡°Have you been waiting for me toe back?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. You were in the pce for so long and never returned. We were all worried about you.¡± She remembered what Granny Xiu Yan had said and quickly said to Dang Gui. ¡°Go and tell Granny Xiu Yan that His Highness is back safely. Let her rest in peace.¡± Dang Gui obediently retreated. Yu Niaoniao took off her cloak and ced it on a chair beside her. She asked, ¡°Have you had dinner?¡± Xiao Juan shook his head. ¡°No.¡± Yu Niaoniao had expected this. She immediately said. ¡°I saved some food for you. You can eat it as soon as it¡¯s hot.¡± She stood up and prepared to go to the kitchen, but Xiao Juan stopped her. He whispered, ¡°It¡¯ste. Stop fussing and let the servants heat up the food.¡± Yu Niaoniao agreed. She instructed the servants to heat up the dishes. Soon, a servant walked in with hot food. Looking at the fragrant and hot food, his stomach was immediately awakened. He finally felt hungry. He picked up his bowl and chopsticks and began to eat. When he was almost done eating, Yu Niaoniao asked. ¡°Why are you back sote? Did something happen in the pce?¡± In the past, no matter what happened to Xiao Juan, he would only bury it in his heart and never tell anyone. However, after spending some time together, he had a certain trust in Yu Niaoniao. As long as it was not something that needed to be kept secret, he did not mind telling her. Xiao Juan pondered for a moment before speaking. ¡°It¡¯s about sealing the city gate and capturing Che Xuekun.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Did the emperor not agree to arrest him?¡± Xiao Juan shook his head. ¡°No, the emperor really wants to arrest him, but sealing the city gate is not a small matter. This matter has to be approved by the cab. The elders all disagree.¡± To the old emperor, Che Xuekun was the mastermind behind the anti-government poetry case and a spy for the enemy country. He had to make Che Xuekun¡¯s head fall to the ground to make an example of him. But the cab elders considered more. Once the city gates were sealed, themoners would definitelyin if it was inconvenient for them to enter and leave. The merchants would not be able to pass through normally, and the taxes on merchants in the city would decrease. There was also the problem of letters between the Imperial Court and the various government offices... Both sides stood their ground, and neither was willing to back down. Because the old emperor was not feeling well, he argued for a while before being helped to rest. Xiao Juan, who was left behind, had to continue confronting the old fellows from the cab. It was not until midnight that Xiao Juan could leave the pce. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°How did it go? Who prevailed in the end?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The elders say that we can seal the city gate, but we have to give the people in the city two days to prepare to reduce the resentment of the people.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Capturing criminals was about catching them off guard. They actually gave them two days to prepare. By then, who knew where they would go? Xiao Juan naturally knew this. But now that things hade to this, he could not change it. He could only think of another way. The next day, many Eagle Guards were added to the various city gates of the Imperial Capital. As long as someone left the city, they had to be strictly interrogated by the Eagle Guards. If they found anyone suspicious, they would be arrested on the spot. Not only that, Xiao Juan even asked Yu Niaoniao to draw a portrait of Che Xuekun ording to Li Qiao¡¯s description. He ordered people to paste the portraits all over the streets and alleys in the city with a reward of a thousand taels of silver. As the saying went, there would be brave men under heavy rewards. With the temptation of a thousand taels of silver, the citizens in the city joined in the capture of Che Xuekun. Che Xuekun had had a difficult two days. He hid everywhere like a street rat, trying his best to hide his whereabouts, afraid that his identity would be discovered. Because he was good at talking and had some talent, everything had been smooth-sailing since he sneaked into the Dayan Dynasty. He had never been in such a sorry state today. And all of this was thanks to Duke Lang! Che Xuekun was wearing rough clothes filled with dirt. His face was smeared with ck ash and he reeked of sweat. He hid in a group of simrly dressed men who helped people carry their bags on the docks and earned money. It was lunchtime and everyone was sitting together, eating dry food and chatting. ... ¡°Have you heard? Zhen Xixi from the Falling Clothes Pavilion is dead!¡± ¡°I know about this. Zhen Xixi was forced to death by the Eagle Guards. I heard that she died miserably.¡± ¡°What a beautiful girl. She was so young. It¡¯s a pity she died.¡± ¡°That group of Eagle Guards is arresting people everywhere every day. I heard that they¡¯ve been capturing someone called Che Xue Kun recently and even issued a bounty of 1,000 taels!¡± As soon as they heard that there were a thousand taels, these men immediately forgot about Zhen Xixi. They had discussed that after they were done, they would find a portrait to see what Che Xuekun looked like. Perhaps they would be lucky enough to catch Che Xuekun! Che Xuekun ate thest mouthful of his steamed bun and silently left the crowd. It seemed he could not stay in this ce any longer. He had to find another ce. He recalled what those people had said just now. Zhen Xixi was dead. She had died to protect him. If not for Duke Lang and the Eagle Guards, Zhen Xixi would not have died, and he would not have fallen to this state. Che Xuekun clenched his fists with a ruthless gaze. ... ¡°Duke Lang, you¡¯ve made me lose the woman I love. I won¡¯t let you have it easy with your woman!¡± In a hidden small courtyard in the city, Shen Junzhi was sitting by the window reading a book. The wind poured in from the window and blew his ck hair. He raised a hand to his lips and coughed softly. Mo Bao immediately walked over and helped close the window. ¡°Young Master, your health isn¡¯t good. The doctor said you can¡¯t get catch a cold.¡± He brought over a bowl of medicine and handed it to Shen Junzhi. ¡°You should take your medicine.¡± Shen Junzhi frowned, clearly not wanting to drink the medicine. However, he also knew that his body had to be nourished. He picked up the bowl and drank the medicine. Mo Bao immediately handed him a handkerchief. Shen Junzhi took the handkerchief and wiped the medicinal soup off his lips. Mo Bao said, ¡°Young Master, the spy just reported that he has found Che Xuekun¡¯s whereabouts. Should we send someone to arrest him?¡± Shen Junzhi put down the handkerchief and said calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t touch him yet. Keep an eye on him.¡± ¡°Yeas, Young Master.¡± Chapter 160 160 Don¡¯t be Angry Six days passed in a sh. Tomorrow was the eighth day of August, the day Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan got married. Yu Niaoniao could not stay in the Duke¡¯s Mansion anymore. She had to return to the Yu Residence today. Dang Gui wanted to pack her luggage, but she was stopped by Yu Niaoniao. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. We¡¯ll be back tomorrow anyway.¡± Dang Gui thought so and stopped packing. Xiao Juan did not go to the Justice Department today. He stayed at home. Yu Niaoniao waved goodbye to Granny Xiu Yan. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± Granny Xiu Yan, who was originally reluctant to part, could not help butugh. That made sense. Miss Yu would be entering Langjun Imperial Pce officially tomorrow. It was just a day. There was really nothing to be sad about. Granny Xiu Yan instructed. ¡°When you return, you must rest well and recuperate. ¡°As soon as the auspicious time arrives tomorrow, His Highness will bring eight sedan chairs to pick you up.¡± I know that girls get nervous when they get married. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to be uneasy. Our county pce is your home after you get married!¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled sweetly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll remember!¡± After bidding farewell to Granny Xiu Yan, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan sat in the carriage. The carriage moved smoothly down the stone road. Xiao Juan looked at the girl in front of him and suddenly spoke. ¡°You still have a chance to regret it until tomorrow before you get married.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not expect him to say such things at this moment. She pouted and said angrily, ¡°Why do you keep talking about this? Do you really want me to break the engagement?¡± Xiao Juan naturally did not want her to break the engagement. He was just unsure and afraid that he would implicate her. ¡°Marriage is a big deal. It concerns your lifelong happiness. You should think about it carefully.¡± Yu Niaoniao felt that the man just did not believe her. She was very unhappy and said angrily, ¡°Okay, since you want me to think about it, I¡¯ll think about it when I get back. Don¡¯t be angry if I really break the engagement.¡± With that, she turned away and ignored him. The carriage stopped at the entrance to the Yu residence. Yu Niaoniao was the first to jump off the carriage. She pulled Dang Gui into the residence and did not even look at Xiao Juan behind her. Xiao Juan stood beside the carriage and watched them leave. When he could no longer see Yu Niaoniao, Xiao Juan returned to the carriage. He had just arrived in the Justice Department when he was summoned by the emperor. So he hurried to the pce again. In the Hall of Diligence, the old emperor had just finished approving a few memorials when he felt tired. He had no choice but to put down the red pen and order someone to call the Sixth Prince, Shen Rui. Shen Rui was the son of Imperial Consort Shu. He was already 20 years old this year and wore a royal blue cloud-patterned brocade robe. His eyebrows were very simr to the old emperor when he was young. On the month of the sixth prince¡¯s birth, sweet dew fell from the northwest sky, alleviating the drought thatsted for half a year. The Imperial Astronomer gave him an order and said that he was born with auspiciousness, so the old emperor named him Rui. The old emperor had a total of seven princes. Three of them had died due to various idents. Now, there were only four left. And Shen Rui was the most beloved son of the old emperor. He called Shen Rui in front of him and pointed at the memorials on the desk. ¡°I¡¯m tired. Help me read these memorials.¡± Hearing this, Shen Rui was excited. His father was going to teach him how to read the memorials step by step! It seemed that his father intended to pass the throne to him. Shen Rui suppressed his excitement, washed his hands, picked up the memorial, and began to read it word by word. Soon, a eunuch came in to report that Duke Lang had arrived. The old emperor motioned for Shen Rui to pause. Xiao Juan strode in and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± The old emperor said slowly, ¡°Tomorrow is your wedding day. As your biological uncle, I should personally attend your wedding. However, I¡¯m not feeling well these few days and can¡¯t leave the pce. I¡¯ll let the Sixth Prince attend your wedding in my ce.¡± Xiao Juan immediately thanked him. Shen Rui also congratted him. The old emperor said, ¡°After you get married, you¡¯ll be an adult. You have to be more stable in the future.¡± ... Xiao Juan said, ¡°I will remember Your Majesty¡¯s teachings.¡± The old emperor then asked about Che Xuekun. ¡°Haven¡¯t they caught him yet?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°This person is extremely cunning and has never appeared.¡± The old emperor frowned, clearly displeased. ¡°It¡¯s been so many days and you still haven¡¯t caught him. I¡¯m afraid he has already escaped from the Imperial Capital. Your Eagle Guards are getting less and less efficient.¡± Xiao Juan knelt on one knee. ¡°I was ipetent. Please punish me, Your Majesty.¡± The old emperor said, ¡°You¡¯re getting married tomorrow, so I won¡¯t punish you. However, you have to hurry up with Che Xuekun¡¯s matter. Don¡¯t disappoint me again, understand?¡± ¡°I understand!¡± ... . After Yu Niaoniao returned to the Yu Residence, the first thing she did was check her house. She made sure that her small treasury was there and that her kitchen knife and iron pot were not lost. ... Then she went to the stables. The little donkey was fine. It looked like it had gained weight. Yu Niaoniao was very satisfied with this. She stroked the donkey¡¯s furry ears as she fed him carrots. ¡°You¡¯re going to move into the Langjun Imperial Pce with me tomorrow. Are you happy?¡± Dang Gui could not help but say, ¡°Miss, are you really nning to bring Gray along?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Of course! I spent a lot of money on Gray. I have to take it with me.¡± Dang Gui wanted to say something, but when she saw herdy¡¯s excited expression, she shut her mouth. As long as Miss was happy, His Highness probably wouldn¡¯t care about embarrassment... right? At this moment, the butler walked over and said respectfully. ¡°Miss, Second Miss invites you to the dining hall.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked casually, ¡°Why is she looking for me?¡± The butler answered truthfully, ¡°Previously, you saved Second Miss, but Second Miss didn¡¯t have the time to express her gratitude to you. Now that you¡¯re finally back, Second Miss specially prepared food for you to express her gratitude.¡± As soon as she heard that there was good food, Yu Niaoniao was immediately interested. She took Dang Gui straight to the dining room. In the dining hall, Yu Pingping had been waiting for a long time. When she saw Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui return, her face immediately revealed a smug expression. ¡°Look, these are dishes I prepared for you myself. Don¡¯t they look delicious?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at the dishes on the table. There were not many dishes. There were only three dishes and a soup. They were all very ordinary home-cooked dishes. She was amazed. ¡°You made all this yourself?¡± Yu Pingping raised her chin like a peacock. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± After this period of hard work and her brother¡¯s help in tasting the dishes, her culinary skills finally improved. These few dishes were the fruits of her hard work. Yu Niaoniao sat down at the table. Although they were all ordinary home-cooked dishes, they looked good and probably didn¡¯t taste bad. ¡°You didn¡¯t poison these dishes, did you?¡± Yu Pingping was immediately furious. ¡°How could I do such a despicable thing?!¡± To prove that the dishes were not poisonous, she picked up her chopsticks and quickly tasted all the dishes. When she was done, she mmed her chopsticks on the table and snorted. Chapter 161 161 Poison Seeing that she was fine after eating, Yu Niaoniao picked up her chopsticks. There were four dishes and one soup. They were red-braised eggnt, cabbage-stewed meat, chicken stewed with mushrooms, and pickled vegetable vermicelli soup. She tried each dish. Yu Pingping asked expectantly, ¡°How does it taste? Is it delicious?¡± Yu Niaoniaomented truthfully, ¡°The meat is a little old. The chicken and mushroom stew is too nd. There¡¯s too much salt in the vermicelli soup.¡± Yu Pingping¡¯s expression copsed. Yu Niaoniao changed the topic. ¡°But this eggnt tastes good. It¡¯s soft in the mouth, and the color looks good. It¡¯s salty and moderate. Good review.¡± With that, she picked up another piece of eggnt and put it into her mouth. Yu Pingping stood up again. She said excitedly, ¡°Isn¡¯t that so! Previously, I asked my brother to help try the dishes. His favorite dish was this red-braised eggnt, but he wasn¡¯t lucky. After a few bites, his stomach suddenly hurt. If you like it, eat more. If it¡¯s not enough, I¡¯ll make it for you.¡± The more Yu Niaoniao listened, the more she felt that something was wrong. She spoke with difficulty. ¡°Did Yu Sheng eat your food and get sick?¡± Yu Pingping red at her angrily. ¡°What do you mean? He has a weak stomach. It has nothing to do with my dishes. Don¡¯t use me!¡± Yu Niaoniao put down her chopsticks. ¡°How did you cook this eggnt?¡± Yu Pingping said matter-of-factly. ¡°I personally chose the eggnt. I washed it, peeled it, and cut it into pieces. Then, I cooked it in the pot. In order to ensure that the eggnt would look good when it was cooked, I didn¡¯t dare to turn on the fire. I let the eggnt flip in the pot twice and quickly scooped it out. I kept it clean the entire time. It was impossible for anyone to have a bad stomach!¡± Yu Niaoniao knew what the problem was after hearing Yu Pingping¡¯s ount. ¡°You just stir-fried it on low heat. That¡¯s no way to fry the eggnt. The raw eggnt is poisonous!¡± Yu Pingping¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s impossible, right? Isn¡¯t eggnt a vegetable? I know many vegetables can be eaten raw. Even if it¡¯s not cooked, it shouldn¡¯t be a big problem.¡± Yu Niaoniao felt her stomach begin to ache. She clutched her stomach and looked pained. ¡°You... ¡± With that, she stood up and rushed to the toilet. Seeing this, Yu Pingping¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Could there really be something wrong with her cooking? But she had eaten the eggnt herself. Why was she fine? However, in the next moment, Yu Pingping felt a faint pain in her stomach. Her expression changed and she hurriedly ran towards the toilet. The two sisters ran to the toilet several times in a row, almost copsing from diarrhea. When this matter reached Madam Jiang¡¯s ears, she was so frightened that she hurriedly ordered someone to call a doctor. The doctor took their pulses and confirmed that they had food poisoning. Fortunately, they did not eat much. They would be fine after taking some medicine and recuperating for two days. Madam Jiang stood by Yu Pingping¡¯s window. She looked at her daughter¡¯s pale face and her heart ached. ¡°You silly child. How dare you be so careless with what you eat?¡± Yu Pingping felt very guilty. She did not expect the eggnt to be poisonous. Not only did she implicate her brother in diarrhea, but she also got Yu Niaoniao and herself sick. ¡°Mother, how is Sister?¡± Madam Jiang was obviously unwilling to mention Yu Niaoniao. She frowned and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about her. Just take care of yourself.¡± Yu Pingping whispered, ¡°She suffered this time because of me. I¡¯m the culprit.¡± Madam Jiang stroked her head andforted her gently. ¡°She¡¯s greedy. It¡¯s none of your business what she dares to eat. You don¡¯t have to me yourself.¡± Yu Pingping said, ¡°But...¡± ¡°No buts. Get some rest. I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡± Yu Pingping was just careless and not really stupid. She observed her mother¡¯s face and asked carefully. ¡°Mother, do you hate Sister?¡± Madam Jiang said, ¡°This is not your concern.¡± Seeing that she did not deny it, Yu Pingping quickly said, ¡°Sister is actually quite a good person. If she hadn¡¯t saved mest time, I might have lost my life. Later, when Father wronged her, she didn¡¯t vent her anger on me. She...¡± Madam Jiang interrupted her again. ¡°Alright, stop talking.¡± Yu Pingping grabbed her sleeve and said sincerely. ¡°I know that you don¡¯t like Sister because of Cousin Jiang Ze. But in the end, Cousin Jiang Ze is an outsider, and Sister is family. Besides, Cousin Jiang Ze deserved it. He almost harmed my brother. I don¡¯t like him.¡± Madam Jiang flung her hand away and shouted sternly. ¡°You don¡¯t understand anything! Even if Ah Ze deserved it, what did the entire Jiang family do wrong? Did you know that because of Yu Niaoniao and Duke Lang, all the Jiang family members were exiled? It¡¯s a pity that your grandfather has to suffer like this when he¡¯s so old.¡± ¡°And there¡¯s your little cousin. She¡¯s just been born and she¡¯s going to be sent to that bitter-cold ce. I wonder if she¡¯ll grow up healthy. Every time I think of this, my heart feels like it is being stabbed! But you¡¯re still speaking up for the instigator. Do you have a heart?!¡± ... These words had been suppressed in Madam Jiang¡¯s heart for a long time. She had been afraid to say it, and had endured it. She thought that since Yu Niaoniao was about to get married, as long as she endured it a little longer, Yu Niaoniao would leave the Yu Residence. In the future, both parties could live their own lives, and she could see nothing. However, seeing how protective her daughter was of Yu Niaoniao, Madam Jiang could not help but vent her anger. Yu Pingping had never been reprimanded by her mother like this before. She felt extremely aggrieved and her eyes could not help but turn red. ¡°Then what do you want? Do you want us to reject Sister like you? I can¡¯t! I don¡¯t think Sister did anything wrong!¡± ¡°You!¡± Madam Jiang was furious. She raised her right hand and wanted to p her daughter. Yu Pingping was also very stubborn. She did not dodge and just looked at her mother. ¡°Go ahead! I won¡¯t change my mind even if you kill me. What¡¯s wrong is wrong, and what¡¯s right is right!¡± Madam Jiang¡¯s right hand froze in midair. In the end, she took it back. ... ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve grown up and your wings have hardened. You have your own thoughts. I can¡¯t control you. All of you, stand together with Yu Niaoniao. Go and circle her. You¡¯re the family anyway. I¡¯m just an extra.¡± After saying this, Madam Jiang turned around and left in a daze. Yu Pingping felt terrible. Shey on the pillow and cried softly. Inside the Green Jade Residence, Yu Niaoniao copsed on the bed. She was very weak. Dang Gui walked in with the freshly brewed medicine. ¡°How are you feeling, Miss?¡± Yu Niaoniao muttered, ¡°I feel very regretful. Very regretful. I only knew that you were an expert in the dark culinary world. I didn¡¯t expect Yu Pingping to be the real kitchen killer. The dishes you cook are the most disgusting. Her dishes can kill!¡± Dark Cuisine Expert Gui was speechless at Yu Niaoniao¡¯s brutal honesty. Chapter 162 162 Suicide After Yu Niaoniao took the medicine, she finally stopped vomiting and having diarrhea. However, her stomach still felt ufortable and she was very weak. Dang Gui covered her with a nket. ¡°Have a good rest. I¡¯ll cook some porridge for you.¡± Yu Niaoniao thought of the dark rice porridge she had once cooked and struggled to reach out her hand. ¡°Please, don¡¯t cook. Leave me a way out.¡± Dang Gui hurriedlyforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do anything. I¡¯ll get the kitchen maid to cook porridge for you.¡± Yu Niaoniao heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Dang Gui lowered the bed curtain and walked out quietly. When the sunset, Yu Kangtai returned. When he heard that his two daughters were sick, he hurriedly asked why. After the butler finished speaking, Yu Kangtai was silent for a moment before instructing solemnly. ¡°Don¡¯t ever let Pingping into the kitchen again.¡± The butler looked equally serious. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll remember.¡± Yu Kangtai first went to the Green Jade Residence and found out that Yu Niaoniao was still sleeping. He did not let anyone wake her up. He stood by the bed and looked at her before leaving. Then, he went to Yu Pingping¡¯s residence. Yu Pingping had only taken a bite of the eggnt, so the poison was very mild. After taking medicine and resting for the afternoon, she was almost better. Yu Kangtai was relieved to see that she was recovering well. Yu Pingping asked, ¡°How¡¯s Sister?¡± Yu Kangtai said, ¡°She¡¯s still resting. Don¡¯t disturb her. Also, don¡¯t go into the kitchen again. Let someone cook you anything you want.¡± Seeing that Yu Pingping was unconvinced and seemed to want to argue, Yu Kangtai reprimanded with a straight face. ¡°You¡¯re lucky this time, but what about the next time? I¡¯ve already asked the doctor. Raw eggnt is very poisonous. Vomiting and diarrhea are light symptoms but one can actually die from eating raw eggnts!¡± Yu Pingping was shocked. She did not expect eggnts to kill people! This time, she did not dare to say anything. She lowered her head and listened obediently. Yu Kangtai said, ¡°Tomorrow is the big day. She¡¯s still lying in bed. This is all your fault!¡± Yu Pingping said resentfully, ¡°I was wrong. I won¡¯t dare to do anything again.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no use apologizing to me. When Niaoniao wakes up, go and apologize to her.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Father and daughter were talking when the door was suddenly pushed open and a nanny rushed in a hurry. Seeing this, Yu Kangtai frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you knock beforeing in? You don¡¯t have any manners!¡± The nanny looked as if she had been greatly agitated. Her face was pale and she was trembling. She stammered. ¡°Master, Second Miss, bad news! M-Madam hung herself!¡± Yu Kangtai and Yu Pingping¡¯s expressions changed. Yu Pingping shouted angrily, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Why would my mother hang herself for no reason?!¡± The nanny was on the verge of tears. ¡°It¡¯s true! Ever since the Jiang family was sent away by the emperor, Madam had been in a bad mood every day. Today, Madam had another argument with Second Miss because of Eldest Miss. When Madam returned to the house, her expression was very ugly. She chased us all out. Concerned for herdyship¡¯s safety, I kept watch outside the house. Herdyship did not step out of the door or make a sound all afternoon.I took the initiative to knock and inform her that his lordship was back. If it were any other time, Madam would definitely go out to wee his return. But today, no matter how I knocked, Madam refused toe out. I felt even more uneasy, so I braced myself and forced the door open. In the end, when I entered, I saw Madam standing on a stool with her head stuffed in white silk...¡± Before she could finish, Yu Kangtai and Yu Pingping had rushed out. Burning with anxiety, they rushed to the main courtyard as quickly as possible. The courtyard was in an uproar. The maids and women were crying. Yu Kangtai and Yu Pingping rushed into the bedroom and saw Mrs. Jiang lying on the bed. Fortunately, Mrs. Jiang was not dead. She opened her eyes and looked at the top of the bed. Her eyes were red and her face was streaked with tears. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let me die? I should have died. If I had, you would all have been satisfied.¡± Yu Kangtai left in such a hurry that he tripped over the white silk on the ground and almost fell. He kicked the white silk aside fiercely. ¡°Burn this stupid thing!¡± A maidservant immediately ran over and took away the white silk on the ground. Yu Pingping pounced on Mrs. Jiang and cried. ¡°Mother, why are you so stupid? If you die, what will happen to Brother and me? You can¡¯t abandon us!¡± Mrs. Jiang looked away and sobbed. ¡°You¡¯re all grown up. You don¡¯t need me as your mother anymore. You don¡¯t listen to anything I say. You only know how to help outsiders bully me. There¡¯s no point in me living. I might as well die.¡± Yu Kangtai said, ¡°What are you talking about? When have we ever bullied you?!¡± Mrs. Jiang shut her mouth and remained silent. When Yu Sheng learned that his mother had hanged herself, he hurriedly rushed over. He knelt by the bed and pleaded, ¡°Mother, if you have anyints, just tell us. But don¡¯t take it too hard!¡± ... Yu Kangtai also said, ¡°Look at you. How scared are you? You¡¯re not a child anymore. Can¡¯t you sit down and talk to us nicely? If anything happens to you, what do you want us to do in the future?¡± Yu Pingping hugged Mrs. Jiang and cried. ¡°Mother, I was wrong. From now on, no matter what you say, I¡¯ll listen to you. Please don¡¯t do anything stupid again, okay?¡± Mrs. Jiang pursed her lips and remained silent. It was getting dark and it was almost time for dinner. But no one had an appetite. In the Green Jade Residence, Yu Niaoniao woke up hungry. Thankfully, Dang Gui walked in with hot millet porridge and helped Yu Niaoniao to her feet. Yu Niaoniao took the bowl and ate the porridge one mouthful after another. After eating the warm porridge, her hungry stomach was appeased and she felt better. Dang Gui whispered, ¡°I just heard that Madam hanged herself.¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped eating her porridge. She looked up in surprise. ¡°Mrs. Jiang is dead?¡± ... Dang Gui hurriedly said, ¡°No, Mrs. Jiang was saved just as she stuffed her head into the white silk.¡± Yu Niaoniao heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Although she did not like Mrs. Jiang, she did not want her to die. Besides, tomorrow was her wedding day. If Mrs. Jiang hanged herself today, her wedding with Duke Lang would definitely be ruined tomorrow. Yu Niaoniao finished her porridge and handed the empty bowl to Dang Gui. ¡°Go and find out why Mrs. Jiangmitted suicide.¡± Dang Gui agreed. Logically speaking, if something happened to the mistress of the household, Yu Niaoniao would definitely have to visit her. However, she was still sick. If she ran around in the night wind, her condition would probably worsen. She might as well not bother. Anyway, Mrs. Jiang did not like her. If she went, Mrs. Jiang might be even angrier. Chapter 163 163 Missing Yu Niaoniao felt very sleepy and her eyelids drooped. Soon she was sound asleep. At this moment, the door was pushed open from the outside and a man walked in silently. He covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief and walked straight to the bed. He put the sleeping Yu Niaoniao into a sack and carried her over his shoulder. Because Madam Jiang had attempted suicide, everyone in the Yu Residence was focused on the main courtyard tonight. Even Dang Gui was busy investigating the reason for Madam Jiang¡¯s suicide. Since Green Jade Residence was quiet and empty, the man easily brought Yu Niaoniao out of the Yu Residence. It was already midnight by the time Dang Gui returned to the Green Jade Residence. She had already found out the reason why Madam Jiangmitted suicide and wanted to share it with Yu Niaoniao. However, when she pushed open the bedroom door, she saw that the bed was empty. Yu Niaoniao was gone! At first, Dang Gui thought that Yu Niaoniao had gone to the toilet, so she ran to the toilet to look for her. But she didn¡¯t see anyone. Next, Dang Gui went to the kitchen to see if Yu Niaoniao was looking for food. But the cook and the kitchen helpers had long since gone to bed. The kitchen was dark and empty. Dang Gui could not find Yu Niaoniao and could not help but feel anxious. It waste. Where else could herdyship go? Dang Gui immediately searched the entire Green Jade Residence, but she still could not find any traces of Yu Niaoniao. She went to ask the concierge if she had seen Missy go out. The concierge shook his head, indicating that he had not seen her. Dang Gui really had no choice but to look for Master for help. At this moment, Yu Kangtai was still awake. He was not the only one. Yu Pingping and Yu Sheng were not asleep either. The three of them were worried about Madam Jiang and wanted to guard her in case she did anything stupid again. The butler came in and reported quietly. ¡°Master, Dang Gui said that Missy is missing and wants to ask you to send someone to look for her.¡± Madam Jiang¡¯s emotions had almost been appeased. When she heard someone mention Yu Niaoniao, she immediately cried again. ¡°Leave. Go find Niaoniao. You¡¯re the family connected by blood. Let me fend for myself.¡± Yu Kangtai hurriedly said, ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re my official wife. How can I ignore your life after so many years of rtionship?¡± Then, he instructed the butler. ¡°Let Dang Gui go back.¡± The butler hesitated. ¡°What about Missy?¡± Yu Kangtai said with a straight face, ¡°Doesn¡¯t she like to run out in the middle of the night? She must have run out to y again today. Don¡¯t worry about her. Anyway, there are patrolling soldiers in the city. She won¡¯t be able to run far before she¡¯s caught. At that time, Duke Lang will pick her up. We don¡¯t have to worry about her.¡± The butler thought about it and agreed, so he did not say anything else. He withdrew in silence. Dang Gui stood in the courtyard, feeling anxious. When she saw the butlere out, she hurriedly went up to ask. ¡°What did his lordship say?¡± The butler said, ¡°Miss will be fine. Go back first.¡± Dang Gui was in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s already sote. Doesn¡¯t Master care about Missy¡¯s sudden disappearance? What if something happens to her?¡± The butler said, ¡°This is the emperor¡¯s territory. What can happen? Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Madam almost got into an ident today. Everyone in the family is very worried. Don¡¯t cause trouble here. Hurry up and leave.¡± He made a shooing gesture, not wanting to say anything more. Dang Gui had always felt that harmony was the most important thing for a family. She often advised Miss not to quarrel with Master. She hoped that Miss could have a harmonious family. But now, she threw the words ¡°peace¡± to the back of her mind. Anger and anxiety shot straight to her head, making her lose her mind. She shouted in the direction of the bedroom. ¡°Master, Missy is your biological daughter. Aren¡¯t you worried about her safety at all? Madam¡¯s life is precious but so is Missy¡¯s! You can¡¯t be so biased!¡± Yu Kangtai shouted angrily from inside the house, ¡°Throw her out!¡± The butler immediately had someone cover Dang Gui¡¯s mouth to prevent her from speaking again before throwing her out of the main courtyard. Two servants stood guard at the courtyard door, preventing her from getting any closer. She clenched her fists, seething with resentment. How could there be such a biased father in the world?! She felt sorry for Yu Niaoniao! Dang Gui did not return to the Green Jade Residence. She ran towards the door. Since Yu Kangtai could not be counted on, she decided to seek help from Duke Lang. Duke Lang had eagle guards everywhere. As long as he could help, he would definitely be able to find Yu Niaoniao quickly. However, not long after Dang Gui ran out of the Yu Residence, she was caught by the patrolling soldiers and locked in ce. She was so anxious that she jumped up and down and shouted, ¡°I¡¯m a maidservant of the Yu family. My eldest daughter is missing!¡± The patrolling officer asked, ¡°How long has your eldest daughter been missing?¡± Dang Gui said, ¡°About two hours.¡± ... The patrolling soldiers felt that she was joking. How could being disappearance for two hours be considered missing?! If this could be ssified as missing, the Imperial Capital would probably be crushed by the case of a missing person every day. No matter how Dang Gui exined, the patrolling soldiers ignored her and locked her in the jail of the Imperial Capital. ... . When Yu Niaoniao woke up, she realized that her hands and feet were tied and her mouth was stuffed with cloth. She could not make a sound. She looked around and realized she was in a carriage. The carriage was moving, swaying. In addition to her, there was a middle-aged man sitting in the car. The man was wearing dark clothes and had a beard that covered most of his face. He saw Yu Niaoniao open her eyes and said with a faint smile, ¡°You¡¯re finally awake.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked into his eyes. ... Her memory and observation skills were very strong. Even though he was disguised, she still recognized him immediately. This person was the wanted Che Xuekun! Che Xuekun lifted her chin and scanned her face. ¡°You¡¯re quite good-looking. No wonder you can charm Duke Lang.¡± Yu Niaoniao made a whining sound in her throat. Che Xuekun tore the cloth from her mouth and asked, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Yu Niaoniao opened her mouth and shouted desperately, ¡°Help! Someone is trying to kill me for money!¡± Che Xuekun looked at her calmly. He was clearly not afraid at all. Yu Niaoniao quickly realized that her shout was useless. Her heart immediately sank. If they were still in the city, her shout could not fail to draw people. As if to confirm her guess, Che Xuekun said slowly. ¡°We¡¯ve left the Imperial Capital. This area is in the middle of nowhere. Even if you scream your lungs out, no one will save you.¡± Yu Niaoniao stared at him. ¡°What do you want?¡± Che Xuekun took out a dagger. The de flickered. ¡°Prince Lang forced the death of the woman I love and caused the death of my unborn son. He owes me two lives. He has to pay this debt.¡± Chapter 164 164 An Opportunity Yu Kangtai, Yu Sheng, and Yu Pingping stayed by Mrs. Jiang¡¯s bed for the entire night. Only when Mrs. Jiang waspletely asleep did the three of them walk out of the house. At this moment, the sky had already turned bright. All three of them were very tired. Yu Kangtai rubbed his temples and spoke to his children. ¡°Today is the day of Niaoniao¡¯s wedding. We will be busyter. While there¡¯s still some time, the two of you go back and sleep for a while.¡± Yu Sheng was worried. ¡°Is Sister not back yet?¡± Yu Kangtai said, ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look. At this time, no matter how yful she is, she should be back.¡± He thought that when he saw Yu Niaoniao, he would definitely teach her a lesson. How could she be so willful at her age? Today was the day of her wedding, but she still had the mood to run out and y. She did not know how to take the big picture into consideration! When he arrived at the Green Jade Residence, he saw that it was empty. Not only did Yu Niaoniao not return, but even Dang Gui had disappeared. This time, Yu Kangtai was finally a little anxious. He immediately ordered the porter to be called. ¡°Did you see Missy and Dang Guist night?¡± The gatekeeper answered truthfully, ¡°I only saw Dang Gui go outst night and didn¡¯t see Missy.¡± Yu Kangtai¡¯s frown deepened. Previously, Yu Niaoniao had slipped out of the residence through the dog hole, but the dog hole was already blocked. There were people guarding a few doors. If Yu Niaoniao wanted to go out, she would definitely rm the concierge. Unless she had gone out over the wall. However, the wall was so high and she did not know Qinggong. In addition, she had food poisoning yesterday and was weak. It was impossible for her to climb over the wall. So how did she leave the Yu residence? Yu Kangtai was puzzled. He said to the butler, ¡°Go to the Imperial Capital and see if their people have seen Niaoniao?¡± The butler agreed and hurried away. ... . In a quiet courtyard in the city. Shen Junzhi was about to drink the medicine when he saw the servant walking in quickly. The servant whispered, ¡°Young Master, the spy we sent to keep an eye on Che Xuekun sent news that Che Xuekun sneaked into the Yu Residencest night and kidnapped the eldest daughter of the Yu Residence.¡± Shen Junzhi¡¯s hand trembled, and a few drops of medicine spilled out. He set the bowl down and asked in a low voice. ¡°Is she injured?¡± The servant said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Shen Junzhi heaved a sigh of relief. The servant continued to report, ¡± As soon as the city gate opened, Che Xuekun disguised himself as a merchant and left the Jade Capital through the east city gate.¡± Originally, every city gate was guarded by Eagle Guards. However, because today was the wedding day of Duke Lang, the Eagle Guards gathered at the Duke¡¯s Mansion early in the morning, preparing to apany Duke Lang to pick up the bride. Therefore, the defense near the city gate rxed a lot, which allowed Che Xuekun to find an opportunity. The servant asked carefully as he observed the young master¡¯s expression. ¡°Our people are still following Che Xuekun. What do you think we should do next? Should we withdraw the people? Or stop them?¡± Shen Junzhi stood up. ¡°Prepare the carriage. I want to go out of the city myself.¡± The servant immediately panicked. ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re not in good health and should not over-exert yourself. If there is anything you need to do, just tell us.¡± Shen Junzhi had already made a decision and walked out. The servant hurriedly reminded him, ¡°Young Master, you haven¡¯t drunk your medicine!¡± Shen Junzhi replied without looking back. ¡°I¡¯ll drink it when I get back.¡± ... . In the carriage, Yu Niaoniao looked at the gleaming dagger and involuntarily shrank back. However, she decided that should deliberately pretend to be disdainful and mock him mercilessly. ¡°You knew that Zhen Xixi was pregnant, but you still informed her. You forced her tomit suicide to protect your safety. In the end, you¡¯re the real murderer who killed Zhen Xixi!¡± Her words hit Che Xuekun where it hurt, making him livid. ¡°Shut up!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Did I say anything wrong? You don¡¯t love Zhen Xixi at all. You only love yourself! How dare youe to me for revenge? If you really want to avenge Zhen Xixi, you shouldmit suicide on the spot!¡± Che Xuekun was furious andpletely lost his mind. His eyes were red as he raised his dagger and stabbed at Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart!l ¡°I told you to shut up. Can¡¯t you hear me?!¡± ... Yu Niaoniao had been waiting for this moment! She bent her knees and kicked Che Xuekun hard in the knee. In pain, Che Xuekun lost his bnce and fell awkwardly. The dagger fell from his hand. Yu Niaoniao crawled over on all fours, grabbed the dagger, reversed the de, and quickly cut the rope around her wrist. Che Xuekun reacted quickly. He endured the pain and got up. He grabbed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s ankle and forcefully dragged her back. ¡°You stupid bitch, how dare you plot against me?!¡± Yu Niaoniao swung the dagger back. The de cut through Che Xuekun¡¯s arm, and his skin immediately split open. Blood flowed out, and he screamed in pain. The man in charge of driving the carriage heard themotion and hurriedly reined in, stopping the carriage. ... He pulled out the sword under the car and reached out to push open the door. When he saw the inside of the car clearly, he could not help but be shocked. He hurriedly swung his sword at Yu Niaoniao. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao had already cut the rope around her ankle. She waved her arm and threw something at the man while shouting. ¡°Moo! Take my unique hidden weapon!¡± The man was shocked. He thought that she had hidden some hidden weapon and hurriedly put away his sword to dodge. He waited for the object tond with a crunch. Only then did he see that it was just a woman¡¯s silver earring. As for Yu Niaoniao herself, she had already seized this moment to escape through the car window. The man immediately realized that he had been tricked! He was furious. His face was red. ¡°Damn woman, I¡¯m going to kill her!¡± Che Xuekun held his bleeding arm and gritted his teeth. ¡°What are you waiting for? Go after her!¡± He had originally thought that Yu Niaoniao was just a delicate youngdy. He did not expect her to be so cunning. The two men were fooled by her. Had he known earlier, he would have killed Yu Niaoniao the moment he caught her! The man immediately chased after Yu Niaoniao. This ce was in the forest, and there were dense trees on both sides of the mountain path. After Yu Niaoniao jumped out of the carriage, she immediately entered the forest. She knew how to make use of the terrain. The mountains were lush with vegetation and the bushes were as tall as a person. She was petite and was quickly submerged in the dense vegetation. The man walked around the forest but could not find any traces of Yu Niaoniao. He was angry and anxious, but there was nothing he could do. What was worse was that he suddenly realized that he was lost! The terrain in the mountains wasplicated. Every tree was simr. Even a local might not be able to find the right direction, let alone a foreigner like him. He looked at the tall trees that could cover the sky and finally panicked. Oh no. How was he going to get out? Chapter 165 165 Escape Che Xuekun endured the pain and found the medication for external injuries in the carriage. He sprinkled the powder on the wound, then tore a piece of fabric from his shirt and wrapped it around the wound. This way, the wound would be treated simply. At this moment, he hated Yu Niaoniao to the core. He swore that he would definitely cut her into pieces when he caught her! As he was thinking this, he suddenly heard a bird¡¯s cry, followed by the sound of a bird pping its wings. Someone wasing this way! Che Xuekun immediately became vignt. He stuck his head out of the window and looked out. Sure enough, he saw a group of people riding straight over. Che Xuekun did not know the other party¡¯s identity or background, nor did he know if the other party was an enemy or a friend, but he did not dare to take the risk. He grabbed the bundle and threw it over his shoulder. He jumped down from the carriage, intending to crawl into the woods and hide. However, before he could run far, he was caught from behind. There were about a dozen peopleing. They were dressed very ordinarily, but all of them were armed and trained. They surrounded Che Xuekun. Che Xuekun heaved a sigh of relief when he realized that they were not Eagle Guards. However, he was still on guard. ¡°Who are you?¡± Shen Junzhi, who was dressed in a white robe, dismounted and slowly walked to the carriage. He saw signs of a struggle in the car, and some fresh blood that had not dried. A small shiny objecty in the corner. Shen Junzhi reached out and picked it up. He realized that it was an exquisite small silver earring. This should be something that Yu Niaoniao was wearing. He turned and his gaze fell on Che Xuekun. ¡°Where is she?¡± At this moment, Shen Junzhi was no longer as gentle and considerate as usual. He exuded a dangerous aura. Che Xuekun asked, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Shen Junzhi shook the silver earring in his hand. ¡°Where is the owner of this earring now?¡± Che Xuekun gritted his teeth and threatened fiercely. ¡°I don¡¯t know you. I have no grudge against you. Don¡¯t interfere!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, someone kicked him to the ground. Then someone raised a foot and stepped on his arm. The wound that had just been bandaged immediately split open, and blood kept gushing out. The pain was worse than death. He trembled. The servant threatened with a dark expression. ¡°Answer honestly whatever our Young Master asks you. If you continue to be stubborn, I¡¯ll cut off your flesh piece by piece and hang you on a tree. There should be many ferocious beasts hidden in the deep mountains and forests. When they follow the smell of blood, let¡¯s see if you can still be as stubborn as you are now.¡± Che Xuekun was frightened by the scene he described. In addition to the intense pain from his wound, the dual torture of his mind and body forced Che Xuekun to be unable to resist anymore. He could only tell the truth. ¡°She ran away.¡± Shen Junzhi asked, ¡°Where did she go?¡± Che Xuekun said, ¡°She entered the mountains and disappeared.¡± Shen Junzhi looked at the dense forest in front of him with a thoughtful expression. The servant said, ¡°The terrain in this mountain isplicated, and Miss Yu is alone. She will definitely get lost after entering. I¡¯m afraid it will be difficult for us to find her again.¡± Shen Junzhi smiled gently. ¡°You don¡¯t understand Niaoniao. She had a photographic memory. She would remember anything she walked past. Noplicated terrain could trap her. I guess it was because she had that confidence that she dared to escape into the forest alone.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but sound proud at the end. His Niaoniao had been smart since she was a child. She wouldn¡¯t be stumped by such a small problem. The servant understood and asked. ¡°Then where should we find her next?¡± Shen Junzhi said calmly, ¡°No matter which path she takes, she will eventually return to the Imperial Capital. We¡¯ll wait for her on the path back to the capital.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± ... . Today was the wedding day of Duke Lang and Yu Niaoniao. Before dawn, the people from the Langjun Imperial Pce were already busy. Xiao Juan changed into a bright red wedding robe and put on a dark long-sleeved shirt. His ck hair waspletely tied up and fixed with a golden crown. He had a golden jade belt at his waist and auspicious cloud patterns were embroidered on the hem of his robe. Granny Xiu Yan took out the Dragon and Phoenix Auspicious Jade pendant she had prepared in advance and hung it on his waist. She looked at the tall man in front of her and smiled in relief. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ve been looking forward to this day for so many years.¡± In the past, when she was in the pce, she was in charge of taking care of Duke Lang¡¯s daily life. Later, when Duke Lang moved out to establish a residence, he specially asked for the emperor¡¯s favor and asked her toe out too. All these years, she had been handling the daily matters of the Langjun Imperial Pce. It could be said that she had watched Prince Lang grow up with her own eyes. ... But she couldn¡¯t stay with him forever. Her life had entered its twilight years. There was not much time left. Granny Xiu Yan was worried. What would happen to Duke Lang after she left? Who would take care of him? Fortunately, Yu Niaoniao appeared. Not only was she beautiful, but she also had a good personality, was lively and cute, and could cook delicious food. She was the most suitable person for Duke Lang. They would definitely live well in the future. ording to the rules, parents had to be present on the day of the wedding. However, Xiao Juan¡¯s biological mother, Princess Ni Yang, did not appear. Xiao Juan had sent someone to send her a letter, but she did not reply. Until now, she was still in her fief. It seemed that she had no intention of attending the wedding. Xiao Juan had long expected this, so he was not disappointed. Seeing that it was about time, Xiao Juan strode out of Langjun Imperial Pce. The carriage was ready. It was a very luxurious horse carriage. There were a total of eight horses pulling it, and the front and back of the carriage were filled with Eagle Guards. They were all wearing ck Eagle Guards uniforms and riding tall horses. They stood in line neatly. From afar, a cold and murderous aura assaulted their faces. Granny Xiu Yan¡¯s eyelids twitched. ... Were they going to escort the bride? Or kidnap her? She couldn¡¯t help but remind him. ¡°Today is a joyous day. Can¡¯t you guys show some joy? At least smile!¡± Actually, the Eagle Guards wanted to smile too, but as long as they saw Duke Lang, they could not help but tense up. They did not even dare to breathe, let aloneugh. Meng Xizhou¡¯s lips twitched as he forced a smile. ¡°Nanny, can you see me smiling like this?¡± Granny Xiu Yan was speechless. Why was a nice young man smiling so crookedly? She rubbed her arms. ¡°Forget it. Don¡¯t smile. It¡¯s creepy.¡± At this moment, the Sixth Prince¡¯s carriage arrived. Shen Rui stuck his head out of the carriage and smiled at Xiao Juan. ¡°Prince Lang, I¡¯m notte, am I?¡± Xiao Juan said no. The group set off from the county pce and headed towards the Yu Residence. The citizens in the city also knew that today was the day of Duke Lang¡¯s marriage. There were many people watching on the road. Some people who disliked Duke Lang wanted to take the opportunity to cause trouble, but before they could do anything, they were taken down by the Eagle Guards. Chapter 166 166 Follow Me At this moment, the Yu Residence was shrouded in dark clouds. Yu Kangtai ced his hands behind his back and paced back and forth. His brows were furrowed and he was anxious. Yu Sheng walked in. ¡°Father, haven¡¯t you heard from Sister?¡± Yu Kangtai was about to say something when he suddenly saw the butler rushing over. He asked impatiently. ¡°Where¡¯s Dang Gui?¡± The butler panted and said, ¡°I went to the Imperial Capital. The people in the Imperial Capital said that they had never seen Missy. Last night, they only saw Dang Gui. I¡¯ve already redeemed Dang Gui.¡± With that, he turned around and let Dang Gui in. Dang Gui was also anxious. She didn¡¯t even bother to bow. ¡°Is Miss still not back?¡± Yu Sheng shook his head no. Yu Kangtai could finally confirm that Yu Niaoniao did not run out because she was yful. Something must have happened to her. He sped his hands behind his back and paced. ¡°What should we do now? The bridal party is about to arrive. How should we exin this to Duke Langter?¡± Dang Gui pleaded, ¡°Let¡¯s go and ask the Duke Langfor help. He¡¯s so powerful. He can definitely find Miss.¡± Yu Kangtai refused without thinking. ¡°No! We still don¡¯t know why she disappeared. If the news of her disappearance gets out, those people outside will definitely guess blindly again.¡± Dang Gui said anxiously, ¡°They can say whatever they want. No matter how important reputation is, is it more important than Miss¡¯s life?¡± Yu Kangtai red at her. ¡°What do you know? A woman¡¯s reputation is more important than her life!¡± Dang Gui was almost angered to death. She had only known that his master was old-fashioned, but she had not expected him to be so pedantic. What sin did Missmit in her previous life to have such a biological father in this life?! Yu Sheng was worried. ¡°This can¡¯t be hidden for long.¡± Yu Kangtai naturally knew this. He gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to look for her.¡± Yu Sheng said, ¡°I¡¯ll go too!¡± Dang Gui said, ¡°Me too. I¡¯ll go too!¡± Yu Kangtai agreed to their request and reminded them, ¡°Try to keep a low profile when you look for her. Don¡¯t let anyone know about her disappearance. If you still can¡¯t find her in the end, I can only risk it and apologize to Duke Lang.¡± Yu Sheng took away everyone he could mobilize in the residence. They began to search the city. ... . The trees in the mountain were dense. As far as the eye could see, they were lush. It was difficult for a normal person to tell the direction. But Yu Niaoniao was different. Her memory and observation skills were far superior to ordinary people. She would never walk the same path twice. It didn¡¯t take her long to find the exit. After leaving the forest, Yu Niaoniao saw a small river. She stood by the river and observed. She recalled a map that hung in the Mirror House. The map included the terrain around the city other than the entire Jade Capital. Yu Niaoniao had looked at the map and memorized the contents. Shepared the contents of the map and quickly determined where she was. As long as she followed this river for a while, she could see the official road. If she followed the path straight ahead, he would soon return to the Jade Capital. With a way forward, Yu Niaoniao immediately perked up. She started walking. However, not long after she walked, she heard the sound of hooves behind her. Someone was catching up! Yu Niaoniao was shocked. She didn¡¯t dare dy. She quickly crawled into the reeds and sank into the river. The sound of hooves reached where she was in the blink of an eye. The person who came was none other than Shen Junzhi and his subordinates. They reined in, and the hooves stamped in ce twice. The servant looked around and said in confusion, ¡°It¡¯s really strange. I clearly saw someone walking over just now. Why did he disappear in the blink of an eye?¡± Shen Junzhi¡¯s gaze drifted across the reeds. He rode toward the reed swing. The manservant stopped him hurriedly. ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t go over. That ce is humid and not good for your health. Let¡¯s go over and take a look for you.¡± Shen Junzhi reined in and stopped moving. Dozens of people rushed into the reeds and searched around. In the end, they found nothing. Shen Junzhi looked at the calm river. ¡°Have you looked in the water?¡± The servant said awkwardly. ... ¡°This water is very deep and muddy. Even if we get into the water, we won¡¯t be able to see anything clearly. We won¡¯t be able to find anyone.¡± He paused before continuing. ¡°We¡¯ve been here for so long. If Miss Yu is really hiding in the water, she definitely won¡¯t be able to hold it in anymore. We haven¡¯t seen her appear until now. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s hiding in the water. Why don¡¯t we look elsewhere?¡± Shen Junzhi was still looking at the river. He spoke suddenly. ¡°Niaoniao.¡± The reeds swayed in the breeze. No one responded to him. He continued. ¡°Niaoniao, I know you¡¯re hiding nearby. Come out and follow me. I¡¯ll protect you well.¡± There was still no response. ... Shen Junzhi lowered his eyes. Coupled with his pale and handsome face, he looked very lonely. The servant could not stand it anymore and could not help but advise, ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go.¡± After a long time, Shen Junzhi replied softly. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s.¡± The group mounted again. The sound of hooves quickly faded. After a long time, when she was sure that the group would not return, Yu Niaoniao emerged from the water. She spat out the reed pole in her mouth and struggled ashore. The reason she had been able to hide in the river for so long just now was that she had relied on the reed pole to help her breathe. Yu Niaoniao wrung her clothes and skirt forcefully, producing arge handful of water. By now she was soaked. Her wet clothes had be heavy, and her hair was dripping. She was in a sorry state. But she knew she couldn¡¯t stop to rest. She had to get back as soon as possible. Today was the day she married Duke Lang. She couldn¡¯t leave him alone at the wedding. Yu Niaoniao took two steps when a familiar figure suddenly appeared behind her. ¡°Niaoniao.¡± Yu Niaoniao stiffened. She turned slowly and saw Shen Junzhi standing nearby. So he hadn¡¯t left. He knew she was hiding in the river, so he deliberately had his men ride away while he hid. As he had expected, the person he had been waiting to see had emerged. Shen Junzhi reached out to her. ¡°Come here. I¡¯ll take you to change.¡± Yu Niaoniao stood still. ¡°I can¡¯t go with you.¡± Shen Junzhi said, ¡°Are you still thinking about Duke Lang? He can¡¯t protect you at all. If you insist on following him, you will encounter more danger in the future. You¡¯ll only be safe if you leave him. Now is a great opportunity. I can take you away. Even if the authorities investigatedter, we could still push everything to Che Xuekun.From now on you will bepletely free.¡± Chapter 167 - 167 Are You Going Back On Your Word Now? 167 Are You Going Back On Your Word Now? Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°No, I promised Duke Lang that I wouldn¡¯t break the engagement. I can¡¯t go back on my word.¡± Shen Junzhi stared at her. ¡°Is it just because of a promise? Can a promise make you willing to sacrifice your lifelong happiness? I don¡¯t believe it.¡± Yu Niaoniao was silent for a moment before slowly saying her hidden n. ¡°My mother and stepfather died violently. I have to find out the truth. Staying with Duke Lang will make it easier for me to search for clues.¡± Not only did the fire back then burn the Feng family residence to ruins, but everyone in the Feng family also died in the sea of mes. Yu Niaoniao was the only survivor of that fire. Shen Junzhi also knew about the fire. He had even sent someone to investigate the real cause of the fire, but the result revealed it was an ident. He advised her helplessly. ¡°I know you¡¯re still brooding over Teacher and Mistress¡¯s deaths, and I can understand your inability to let go. But you can¡¯t bring the dead back. You have to learn to face reality. That fire was just an ident. There was no conspiracy You don¡¯t have to sacrifice your lifelong happiness for this.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him steadily. ¡°Even you think the fire was an ident?¡± Shen Junzhi sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to believe you, but the evidence is important in everything. You said that someone deliberately caused that fire. Where¡¯s the evidence?¡± Yu Niaoniao was silent. Indeed, she could not produce evidence. But she could be sure that the fire had been man-made. She had told many people her spections, but no one wanted to believe her. Everyone thought she was overthinking it. Shen Junzhi was obviously the same. Yu Niaoniao knew that she could not persuade Shen Junzhi to change his opinion with her own mouth. She simply shut up. Shen Junzhi looked at her stubborn expression and advised gently. ¡°Even if you really want to find out the truth, you don¡¯t have to marry Duke Lang. Come with me. I can help you.¡± Yu Niaoniao still shook her head. If he didn¡¯t believe her, how could he sincerely help her pursue it? Now he was just trying to coax her. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but there¡¯s no need. I can handle my own matters. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± Shen Junzhi took two steps forward. ¡°Why won¡¯t you listen to me? I won¡¯t harm you.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately took two steps back. Her reaction pierced Shen Junzhi¡¯s heart, making him look even sadder. He lowered his voice, his tone almost pleading. ¡°Come with me. I¡¯ll take good care of you.¡± Yu Niaoniao pursed her lower lip. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I have to go.¡± She turned to leave, but Shen Junzhi came to her quickly and grabbed her wrist to stop her from leaving. Shen Junzhi said word by word, ¡°Don¡¯t leave. Don¡¯t marry Duke Lang. He¡¯s not suitable for you.¡± He usually looked gentle and refined. This was the first time he showed his domineering side in front of Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao tried to shake his hand off but failed. She looked up at the man in front of her and suddenly smiled. That smile was full of mockery. ¡°Brother Junzhi, if you don¡¯t think Duke Lang is suitable for me, then who is? Could it be you?¡± Shen Junzhi pursed his lips and remained silent. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Back then, you stayed in my house. My stepfather saw that you were talented, gentle, and humble and admired you. He even asked you personally if you were willing to take care of me for the rest of your life. Do you remember how you answered?¡± For Feng Lianghan, such a question was equivalent to asking Shen Junzhi if he was willing to marry Yu Niaoniao. At that time, Yu Niaoniao was only ten years old. It was obviously still too early to talk about marriage at this age, but Feng Lianghan really liked Shen Junzhi. Feng Lianghan nned to ask Shen Junzhi for his opinion first. If Shen Junzhi was willing, he would let the two children settle the marriage and wait for them to grow up before letting them get married officially. They had talked about it in private then. There had been no one else around. But what they did not know was that Yu Niaoniao was hiding in the cab. She had wanted to jump out of the cab and scare her brother, but she did not expect to hear them talking about her. Thinking of the past, Shen Junzhi¡¯s body suddenly froze, and his face turned pale. ¡°Stop talking about it.¡± However, Yu Niaoniao insisted, ¡°At that time, you said that you only had feelings for me as a sister and not as a woman.¡± Shen Junzhi¡¯s thin lips pursed tightly. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You also said that you would only treat me as a sister for the rest of your life and would never have any other feelings for me. You sounded very determined at that time. You wished you could swear to the heavens to prove your innocence. Why? Are you going back on your word now?¡± She gave him a deliberately amused look. It was as if she wouldugh mercilessly if the man in front of her dared to nod. ... Shen Junzhi was not someone without dignity. On the contrary, because of his background, his ego was stronger than anyone else¡¯s. Since the other party had already said so much, how could he continue to shamelessly cling to her? Shen Junzhi slowly loosened his fingers. ¡°I was young and ignorant back then and wasn¡¯t considerate enough. I hope you won¡¯t be angry if I offended you.¡± Yu Niaoniao quickly retracted her hand and took a few steps back. She knew when to stop. She immediately smiled and said sweetly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The past is the past. From now on, you¡¯re still my brother. We¡¯ll always be good siblings.¡± The words ¡®good brother and sister¡¯ pierced Shen Junzhi again. ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll get going.¡± With that, Yu Niaoniao turned to leave. Shen Junzhi stopped her again. ¡°Niaoniao, if I had promised to take care of you for the rest of your life, would you have been willing to marry me?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not look back. ¡°There are no ifs in this world. Your hypothesis means nothing.¡± ... Shen Junzhi stood where he was and watched her walk away. That afternoon many years ago, Sir had specially summoned him to the study and asked him what he thought of Yu Niaoniao. He did not think much of it at the time and answered frankly. ¡°Niaoniao is a very cute little girl.¡± Sir asked him again if he was willing to take care of Niaoniao for the rest of her life. At that time, he was still young and did not understand the rtionship between men and women. His heart was filled with ns for the future. There was no Niaoniao in his childish ns. So he gave a refusal without hesitation. He still had many important things to finish. How could he be dyed by a mere rtionship? Until he left Bashu, every time he thought of his days in the Feng family, the first thing that appeared in his mind was always that bright and pure smile. Some people didn¡¯t forget because they were separated. Some feelings did not fade with time. They took root in his heart and sprouted, growing day by day until they were an inseparable part of his body. Chapter 168 - 168 Runaway Bride 168 Runaway Bride Yu Sheng and Dang Gui led their men to search the city but could not find anyone. In the end, they decided to search outside the city. They were out of the city gates and on the official road when they saw a familiar figure. It was Yu Niaoniao, who had been missing for an entire night! ¡°Miss!¡± Dang Gui cried tears of joy and quickly pounced on Yu Niaoniao. When she hugged Yu Niaoniao, she realized that Yu Niaoniao was drenched. ¡°Why are you all wet, miss?¡± Yu Niaoniao was extremely cold now. Her entire body was trembling, and her face was pale. She even stammered. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Let¡¯s go back first!¡± Yu Sheng took off his coat and draped it over Yu Niaoniao. Dang Gui helped her into the carriage before Yu Sheng got into it. The coachman flicked the reins and steered the carriage back to the Imperial Capital. Dang Gui took out everything that could keep her warm in the carriage and wrapped Yu Niaoniao tightly. Yu Niaoniao was still trembling from the cold. Yu Sheng felt that something was wrong. He reached out to touch her forehead and his expression changed. ¡°You¡¯re heating up!¡± Yu Niaoniao cowered. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just caught a cold. I should be fine after drinking a bowl of ginger soup.¡± Yu Sheng disagreed. ¡°Fever is not a small matter. If it¡¯s serious, it can kill. I¡¯ll bring you to the medical center for treatment now.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t go to the medical center. It¡¯s almost time to get married. I have to rush back to get married.¡± Yu Sheng frowned. ¡°Why are you still thinking about marriage at a time like this?¡± Yu Niaoniao sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want this to happen either, but I have no choice. If I don¡¯t rush back to get married, the entire city will think that I ran away from the marriage tomorrow. How will Duke Lang live in the future? Moreover, the marriage between Duke Lang and I is bestowed by the emperor. If I escape, it will be equivalent to defying the decree and I will lose my head.¡± She analyzed it logically. Yu Sheng couldn¡¯t find anything to refute. In the end, he could only shut his mouth silently. ¡­ . The bridal escort team passed through half of the Imperial Capital and finally stopped in front of the Yu Residence. At this moment, many onlookers had already gathered at the door. The entire street was jammed. However, unexpectedly, the door of the Yu Residence was closed. Sixth Prince Shen Rui looked out of the car window and frowned when he saw that there was no one in front of the Yu Residence. ¡°Isn¡¯t today the wedding day of the Yu family¡¯s eldest daughter? Why isn¡¯t anyoneing out to wee the bridal party? And what¡¯s going on with this door? Why is it still closed?¡± Xiao Juan also felt that something was wrong. He nced at Meng Xizhou. Thetter understood and immediately went forward to knock. In the Yu Residence, when Yu Kangtai heard the knocking, he felt as if every knock was on his heart. It made his scalp tingle and he was extremely nervous. Yu Pingping was anxious. ¡°Father, the bridal party is already here. What should we do now?¡± Yu Kangtai did not know what to do. The butler asked carefully, ¡°Should we open the door first? It¡¯s not good to keep them outside.¡± Yu Kangtai asked, ¡°What do we say after the door opens?¡± Yu Pingping gritted her teeth. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just tell the truth? At this point, we have no other choice.¡± Yu Kangtai sighed heavily. At this point, they had no choice but to confess. The door to the Yu residence slowly opened and Yu Kangtai walked out with heavy steps. He looked up and saw Duke Lang on horseback and therge group of Eagle Guards who looked heroic and murderous at the same time. His legs and stomach could not help but tremble, and the courage he had painstakingly umted drained away. His mouth opened and closed, but he could not say a word. Anyone could tell that there was something wrong with Yu Kangtai. Xiao Juan dismounted and strode up the steps. ¡°I¡¯m here to get married. Hurry up and get Niaoniao toe out.¡± Cold sweat rolled down Yu Kangtai¡¯s forehead. He stammered, ¡°Clinging¡­ she¡¯s not in a position toe out for the time being.¡± As soon as he said this, it immediately caused the onlookers to specte. ¡°It¡¯s an auspicious time, but the bride hasn¡¯te out. Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s run away from the marriage?¡± ¡°That¡¯s very likely! After all, the person she¡¯s going to marry is Duke Lang. No normal person would be willing to marry such a murderous living King of Hell, right?¡± ... ¡°In my opinion, Duke Lang deserves it. He killed so many people before, and now even his wife has run away. This is retribution!¡± ¡­ . The onlookers deliberately lowered their voices. Normal people could not hear what they were saying. However, Xiao Juan¡¯s senses were sharp, and he could hear the surrounding discussions clearly. He did not believe that Yu Niaoniao would run away from the marriage, but he quickly remembered that he had asked Yu Niaoniao to consider the marriage again yesterday. Yu Niaoniao was very angry. She said she would think about it. She told him not to be angry if she broke the engagement. At the time, he¡¯d thought she¡¯d said it out of anger. Now, could she be telling the truth? Had she really broken off the engagement? Meng Xizhou was furious. He grabbed Yu Kangtai¡¯spel and interrogated him angrily. ¡°Where exactly is Miss Yu? Did you hide her?¡± ... Yu Kangtai hurriedly defended himself. ¡°I didn¡¯t! Why would I hide her? Let go of me.¡± At this moment, Shen Rui walked over. He frowned at Yu Kangtai and asked in a low voice. ¡°It¡¯s already the auspicious time. Why hasn¡¯t Miss Yue out yet? If she doesn¡¯t want to get married, she can just say so. There¡¯s no need to y these tricks.¡± Yu Kangtai couldn¡¯t argue. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. It¡¯s not that she doesn¡¯t want toe out. Something happened to her.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s expression changed and he immediately asked. ¡°What happened to her?¡± Yu Kangtai said, ¡°She suddenly disappearedst night. I haven¡¯t seen her since.¡± Shen Rui was skeptical. ¡°How could a living person suddenly disappear? There are so many people in your family. Can¡¯t you even keep an eye on a little girl?¡± Yu Kangtai could not exin this. Last night, all their attention was on Mrs. Jiang. No one cared about Yu Niaoniao at all, so they naturally did not know how she disappeared. However, in front of so many people, he couldn¡¯t tell them that Mrs. Jiang had attempted suicide. ¡°Family scandal should not be aired in public.¡± Seeing him stutter, Shen Rui felt that his words could not be trusted. ¡°Since you can¡¯t exin it, wait for your punishment. I¡¯ll go back to the pce and report to Father and ask him to make a decision for Duke Lang.¡± Yu Kangtai waspletely flustered. Once the Sixth Prince reported this matter to the emperor, he might not be able to keep his ck hat. He wanted to reach out to stop Shen Rui, but he was afraid of the other party¡¯s status as a prince. He hesitated and did not dare to move. He could only ask Duke Lang for help. ¡°Your Highness, you have to believe me. Niaoniao is really missing!¡± Chapter 169 - 169 I Must See Her 169 I Must See Her Shen Rui snorted. ¡°Prince Lang, don¡¯t believe his lies. He must have deliberately made up the story of Miss Yu¡¯s disappearance to protect his post. I don¡¯t believe a youngdy can disappear into thin air in a huge mansion like theirs.¡± Yu Kangtai was about to cry. ¡°I¡¯m really not lying!¡± Xiao Juan had solved countless cases. How could he not tell that Yu Kangtai was hiding something? He stared at Yu Kangtai and asked coldly. ¡°Even if she¡¯s gone, Dang Gui is still here, right? Call her out.¡± Based on his understanding of the Yu family, these people were estranged from Yu Niaoniao. In the entire Yu Residence, only Dang Gui was on the same side as Yu Niaoniao. In this situation, only Dang Gui would tell the truth. Yu Kangtai said, ¡°Dang Gui went out to look for her. She¡¯s not back yet.¡± Shen Rui sneered. ¡°What a coincidence. None of them are in the residence?¡± Yu Kangtai could not argue. At this moment, Yu Pingping was hiding at the door. She looked out carefully and saw that her father was speechless from the Sixth Prince¡¯s question. She was extremely anxious. She was about to rush out to speak for her father when she suddenly heard the butler¡¯s voice behind her. ¡°Young Master and Missy are back!¡± Yu Pingping suddenly turned around. ¡°Sister is really back?¡± The butler nodded vigorously. ¡°They just entered the Yu Residence through the back door. They¡¯ve already gone to the Green Jade Residence.¡± Yu Pingping was pleasantly surprised. She was finally back! She lifted her skirt and rushed towards the Green Jade Residence. At this moment, the Green Jade Residence was in a mess. The maidservants were putting on clothes for Yu Niaoniao. After changing, Dang Gui picked up ab and quicklybed Miss¡¯s hair. But because Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hair was still wet, it was very difficult tob it. Theb was to be stuck from time to time. Yu Niaoniao was afraid of missing the auspicious hour, so she urged. ¡°You don¡¯t have tob it so meticulously. Just make sure it¡¯s about the right size.¡± Dang Gui said solemnly, ¡°Today is the most important day of your life. How can you be so perfunctory?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°There¡¯s not much time left. Hurry up.¡± With that, she picked up the brush and prepared to draw her eyebrows. But because she was so cold that she was trembling, her fingers couldn¡¯t stop trembling as she held her eyebrow brush. Her drawn eyebrows were crooked. At this moment, Yu Pingping ran in. When she saw the eyebrows on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face, she was immediately shocked. ¡°Sis, why do you have caterpirs on your face?¡± Yu Niaoniao put down the brush and said in a mix of embarrassment and anger, ¡°Shut up!¡± Yu Pingping walked over and wiped her eyebrows with a wet handkerchief. She realized that her face was pale and her forehead was hot. She couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Are you sick? Do you want a doctor to take a look at you?¡± Yu Niaoniao sneezed, then rubbed her nose with her handkerchief. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said in a muffled voice. ¡°I just caught a cold.¡± With that, she picked up the brush again and prepared to draw her eyebrows again. Yu Pingping saw that her fingers were trembling. She couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and snatched the brush from her hand. ¡°Sit still. I¡¯ll help you with your makeup.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at her skeptically. ¡°Can you do it?¡± Yu Pingping raised her chin confidently. ¡°Just watch!¡± She did not have talent in cooking, but she was indeed very good at makeup. Soon, she helped Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face was made up beautifully. Yu Niaoniao looked left and right in the mirror. Her originally pale face was already covered by makeup, but Yu Pingping controlled it very well. It did not seem like she had heavy makeup at all. Her cheeks were fair and rosy, her eyebrows were very exquisite, and her red lips were bright and full. She was really bright-eyed and beautiful. Yu Pingping was very satisfied with her work and asked proudly. ¡°How is it? Is it beautiful?¡± Yu Niaoniao replied very honestly. ¡°I¡¯m so beautiful!¡± Yu Pingping was speechless. ¡®I asked you to praise my skills, not yourself!¡¯ ... Yu Sheng walked in with the ginger soup. ¡°Sister, drink this quickly to disperse the cold.¡± Yu Niaoniao reached out to take the bowl and drank the ginger soup in one go. Yu Pingping immediately picked up the lip gloss and touched up her makeup. Dang Gui put the golden hairpin on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s head. After she put on earrings, nes, and bracelets for Yu Niaoniao, she performed a series of other gestures. Finally, she stuffed a red and gold fan into her hand. In that case, it was done. Yu Niaoniao was afraid that she would miss the timing and urged. ¡°Go, go!¡± Logically speaking, there were still many segments after the bride¡¯s makeup. However, time was tight now. Yu Niaoniao was not in the mood to care about red tape. Everything was simple at special moments! Yu Pingping and Dang Gui helped her out. ... When she reached the door, Yu Sheng squatted down in front of her. ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll carry you out.¡± This was also a custom. When a bride got married, she had to be carried out by her family brothers. Until she boarded the bridal sedan, her feet could not touch the ground. Yu Niaoniao did not stand on ceremony and directlyy on Yu Sheng¡¯s back. However, she waved her hand and ordered. ¡°Move out!¡± Yu Sheng stood up with Yu Niaoniao on his back and walked forward. Dang Gui and Yu Pingping followed. They walked out of the Green Jade Residence and headed straight for the door. Yu Niaoniao suddenly asked. ¡°Am I heavy?¡± Yu Sheng said, ¡°You¡¯re not heavy.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then why are you walking so slowly?¡± Yu Sheng was silent for a moment before finally choosing to answer truthfully. ¡°Well, you¡¯re certainly a bit heavy.¡± He had only carried her for a short distance when his arms and back ached. Every step was extremely heavy. Yu Niaoniao knocked on his shoulder with her fan and said angrily. ¡°I¡¯m so thin. How heavy can I be? You¡¯re clearly too useless. Look at your small body. You must not have exercised much, right? You should learn from Duke Lang and train your body more. If you have nothing to do, practice martial arts.¡± Yu Sheng panted and argued, ¡°I¡¯m different from my brother-inw. He¡¯s a general, and I¡¯m a schr.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Although Duke Lang is a general, he¡¯s also a schr. Why can¡¯t you practice martial arts? I think you¡¯re too useless.¡± Yu Sheng¡¯s handsome face turned red. Initially, he was still sad that his sister was about to get married. Now, he was not sad at all. He only wished he could marry his sister off quickly. At the thought of this, Yu Sheng gritted his teeth and quickened his pace. In front of the Yu Residence¡¯s door, Yu Kangtai was desperate. Shen Rui nned to return to the pce and report this matter to his father. He asked Xiao Juan to leave with him but thetter refused. Shen Rui looked at him resentfully. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you given up yet? That Yu Niaoniao did not want to marry you at all. She had already run away! Even if you wait here until the end of time, she won¡¯t appear! Why do you have to embarrass yourself?¡± Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°I don¡¯t believe she will run away from the marriage. There must be a misunderstanding. I must see her.¡± Seeing that he was stubborn, Shen Rui¡¯s anger rose immediately. He frowned and scolded. ¡°You¡¯re really a blockhead! She¡¯s deliberately avoiding you. How can you possibly see her? I¡¯ll say this today. If you can see Yu Niaoniao today, I¡¯ll eat the door of the Yu Residence!¡± Just as he finished speaking, he suddenly heard the butler shout. ¡°The bride is out!¡± Chapter 170 - 170 I’m Willing! 170 I¡¯m Willing! Everyone looked at the Yu Residence¡¯s door in unison. Yu Sheng carried the bride across the threshold and walked into the sunlight. Yu Niaoniao was lying on his back, holding a big red gold fan. She lowered her head slightly, and the fan covered her face, making it impossible to see her facial features. However, from her pale fingers and slender neck, it could be seen that she was definitely not ordinary. Xiao Juan looked at her in a daze. Just now, he was prepared for the worst. If she still did not appear, he was prepared to barge into the Yu Residence and ask her for an exnation. Unexpectedly, she suddenly appeared in front of him in a red wedding dress. So she hadn¡¯t broken off the engagement. In the end, she chose to spend the rest of her life with him. Until Meng Xizhou reminded him softly. ¡°Your Highness, quickly fetch the bride.¡± Only then did Xiao Juane back to his senses. He immediately stepped forward and cupped his hands at Yu Kangtai. ¡°Father-inw, from now on, she will be my wife. With heaven and earth as witness, I will not let her down in this life.¡± He emphasized thest sentence with extra seriousness. To be honest, Yu Kangtai was still a little dumbfounded. He had a lot to ask Yu Niaoniao, but this was not the time to chat. He did his best to look happy and smiled. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I¡¯ll leave Niaoniao to you in the future. The two of you have to live well.¡± Xiao Juan looked at Yu Niaoniao and his voice involuntarily became gentle. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Yu Niaoniao replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Sheng carried her down the steps. When she passed by the Sixth Prince, Shen Rui, Yu Niaoniao suddenly said to Yu Sheng. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t forget to tear down our door and send it to the Sixth Princeter.¡± Shen Rui¡¯s face immediately turned red. He flew into a rage out of humiliation. He wanted to say something, but he felt that whatever he said now would only make him a joke. In the end, he could only sweep his sleeve and return to his carriage angrily. Seeing this, Yu Kangtai was very worried that Yu Niaoniao would offend the Sixth Prince. After all, he was a prince and was very doted on by the emperor. If Yu Niaoniao offended him, she would probably be in big trouble in the future. He wanted to teach Yu Niaoniao a lesson and find her a chance to apologize to the Sixth Prince. However, there were still so many people watching, so he really could not speak. He could only ce his hopes on Duke Lang. He hoped that Duke Lang could discipline Niaoniao properly when he returned and not let this girl cause trouble again. However, when Yu Kangtai looked at Duke Lang, he saw the corners of Duke Lang¡¯s lips curl up slightly as if he was smiling. From the looks of it, not only did he not have any intention of disciplining Niaoniao, he was actually quite happy. Yu Kangtai immediately had a bad feeling. When she married into Langjun Imperial Pce, she would probably not restrain her temper and would probably be spoiled even more. Dang Gui quickly walked to the carriage and helped Yu Niaoniao get on. After Yu Niaoniao sat down in the carriage, the team turned around and headed towards Langjun Imperial Pce. The Yu Residence lit up the firecrackers and Meng Xizhou led a team of Eagle Guards carrying rednterns to open the way. Arge crowd had gathered on both sides of the street. They craned their necks, wanting to see what the eldest daughter of the Yu family, who could charm the living King of Hell, looked like. Red gauze curtains hung around the carriage. They fluttered in the breeze. The citizens saw the bride sitting in the carriage. She was wearing a wedding dress made of red woven gold. She held a gold-painted fan. Her long ck hair was all tied up, revealing the back of her fair and slender neck. Her gold phoenix crown with red agate was shining. The golden tassels hanging down swayed slightly, making the skin on the side of her face even more fair and delicate. Her slender waist was tied by a golden belt, and the red dress spread behind her. The golden threads on her skirt reflectedyers of light, like the tail feathers of a phoenix pping its wings. There was a murmur from the crowd. ¡°This princess consort is really beautiful! I¡¯m starting to envy Duke Lang for marrying such a little beauty.¡± ¡°Why did she fall for that living King of Hell, Duke Lang?¡± ¡°With Duke Lang¡¯s brutal personality, I¡¯m afraid the princess won¡¯t have an easy time in the future.¡± ¡­ . The wind sent the conversation of themoners into Yu Niaoniao¡¯s ears. She tilted her head slightly and looked at the crowd on the street, wanting to see who was ndering Duke Lang. However, when her gazended on the crowd, she immediately saw Shen Junzhi standing at the back of the vast crowd. He was still wearing the moon-white long robe. His eyes were gentle and meticulous, and his face was handsome and pale. He was like an immortal who had walked out of a painting and had an otherworldly aura. ... He was looking at the bride in the carriage. Their eyes met and held. Yu Niaoniao could not help but be stunned. She did not expect to see Shen Junzhi at this time. Shen Junzhi looked at her steadily. There seemed to be many deep emotions hidden in his gaze. Seven years ago, the twelve-year-old Shen Junzhi became Feng Lianghan¡¯s student. Yu Niaoniao was only eight years old that year. She looked at the handsome young man who was brought to her and grinned. ¡°My name is Niaoniao. What¡¯s yours?¡± She happened to be changing her teeth at that time. When she smiled, he could clearly see that one of her front teeth was missing. Her originally sweet and cute smile instantly becameical. Shen Junzhi wanted tough, but he held back. ... He spoke in a gentle tone. ¡°My name is Shen Junzhi.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not feel embarrassed about losing her front tooth. She smiled exceptionally brightly, like a small sun. She called out crisply, ¡°Brother Junzhi!¡± After that, a little girl would follow him every day and call him Brother Junzhi again and again. ¡°Brother Junzhi, do you like candy? I have osmanthus candy that I just made. It¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°Brother Junzhi, why are you always reading? Don¡¯t you feel tired from reading every day?¡± ¡°Brother Junzhi, shall we go out and y? I know a ce with a particrly good view.¡± ¡°Brother Junzhi¡­¡± ¡­ . In the blink of an eye, the little girl who used to like to stick to him had be a slender and elegant girl. She was wearing a bright red wedding dress and sitting in a luxurious carriage iid with gold. She was about to marry another man. And all he could do was watch from a distance. The young man had no idea what was going on. When he woke up, it was toote. Yu Niaoniao also recalled the past. Images shed through her mind like a movie rey. Actually, before Feng Lianghan asked if Shen Junzhi was willing to take care of Niaoniao for the rest of her life, Madam Xie had privately asked Niaoniao if she liked Brother Junzhi. She asked if she was willing to live with Brother Junzhi for the rest of her life. Although Yu Niaoniao was a transmigrator, she had already recognized the reality and knew that she would live in this world for the rest of her life. Therefore, she did not mind finding someone to live with in this world. Shen Junzhi was born handsome, had a gentle and humble personality, and was very good at taking care of people. Although his body was a little weak, his ws did not mask his beauty. He could be considered a good candidate for a husband. Yu Niaoniao could not find a reason to refuse, so she nodded. ¡°I¡¯m willing!¡± Chapter 171 - 171 Wedding Ceremony 171 Wedding Ceremony She was willing, but Shen Junzhi was unwilling. Feng Lianghan did not want to force him, so the marriage of the two children was over. Although Yu Niaoniao was a little disappointed, she was not very sad.Since they could not be husband and wife, they would continue to be siblings. They would live their lives as usual. She was still chasing Shen Junzhi everywhere, calling him brother sincerely. The carriage continued forward, the distance between them widening. Previously, Shen Junzhi had asked her if she would agree to marry him if he promised to take care of her for the rest of her life. The answer was actually already there. But he didn¡¯t know, and she didn¡¯t want to mention it again. Yu Niaoniao looked away. Time could not go back. Life could not be redone. Some people were forever unattainable once missed. Shen Junzhi watched helplessly as the bridal escort team left. He could not resist taking two steps forward but was quickly stopped by the manservant. ¡°Young Master, forget it.¡± Shen Junzhi held the silver earring tightly in his hand. The earring pierced his palm, but the pain was not even one ten-thousandth of the pain in his heart. He knew it was time for him to let go. But the scariest thing about rtionships was that they were uncontroble. Even though his palm was pierced and the pain was piercing, he was still unwilling to let go. ¡­ . Granny Xiu Yan had been standing at the entrance of Langjun Imperial and craning her neck to look. When she saw the bridal party return, she immediately greeted them. ¡°Quick, quick, quick! Release the firecrackers!¡± The firecrackers were lit and crackled. Gongs, drums, and trumpets sounded. Langjun Imperial Pce had never been so lively. The entire mansion was filled with a festive atmosphere. Xiao Juan dismounted and strode to the carriage. He reached out and lifted the curtain. He spoke to the bride in the carriage. ¡°Niaoniao, we¡¯re home.¡± His voice was low and powerful, but it revealed an unprecedented gentleness. Yu Niaoniao held the fan in her left hand and extended her right. Niuaoniao put her hand in his big palm. Xiao Juan held her hand tightly and immediately frowned. ¡°Why is your hand so hot?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just a little hot.¡± Xiao Juan could hear the hoarseness in her voice and became even more worried. ¡°Are you sick?¡± Yu Niaoniao was indeed very ufortable. She had soaked in the cold river water for so long and returned to the Yu Residence drenched. Even if she drank ginger soup after that, it was not very useful. Her head was spinning now. Her throat itched. Her limbs ached. Her body alternated between cold and hot. But the wedding had to go on. She had to grit her teeth and held on, trying her best to pretend that nothing was wrong. She even urged him, ¡°I¡¯m really fine. Help me walk.¡± Xiao Juan frowned. His already cold face immediately became even more domineering. When the Eagle Guards nearby saw this, they thought that Duke Lang had a conflict with the princess consort. They were all worried that Duke Lang would re up. At this moment, Granny Xiu Yan walked over quickly. ¡°Everyone is waiting. Why hasn¡¯t the princess consort gotten out of the car?¡± Seeing that Duke Lang was standing still, Yu Niaoniao decided to lean out of the car and get out. However, before she could take a step, she was picked up by Duke Lang. Yu Niaoniao was shocked and could not help but exim. ¡°Ah!¡± Everyone was also stunned. Usually, the groom would help the bride get out of the car. Who would carry her directly? No matter how much Duke Lang wanted to get close to the princess consort, he had to consider the asion. There were so many eyes watching! In order to maintain her bnce, Yu Niaoniao had no choice but to hug Duke Lang¡¯s neck with one hand and still hold the fan with the other. At this moment, she did not forget to cover her face with her fan. At the same time, she lowered her voice and said to Duke Lang. ¡°Put me down now.¡± Granny Xiu Yan also felt that this was ridiculous. She hurriedly said, ¡°Let me support the county princess.¡± Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°Niaoniao is sick. Go and call the doctor to the backyard.¡± With that, he carried Yu Niaoniao and strode into Langjun Imperial Pce. Granny Xiu Yan was worried about the princess consort¡¯s health and did not dare to dy. She hurriedly went to look for the doctor. Seeing this, everyone felt that this wedding was strange. However, the wedding had to continue. The Sixth Prince, Shen Rui, also entered the mansion. Then, Meng Xizhou called the Eagle Guards into the mansion to attend the ceremony. ... Due to Duke Lang¡¯s bad poprity in the court, no one was willing to congratte him. Fortunately, the Eagle Guards were very supportive and prepared congrattory gifts when they came. The gifts were sent into the royal residence like flowing water, making the wedding look especially lively. The interior of the Langjun Imperial Pce was decorated with lights and streamers. The main hall was decorated as an auditorium. Xiao Juan originally wanted to carry Yu Niaoniao directly to the backyard and let the doctor treat her. Yu Niaoniao grabbed his cor firmly. ¡°We¡¯ll go through the ceremony first!¡± She had risked her life to rush back to get married. She could not let the wedding end halfway. If nothing unexpected happened, this would be the only wedding in her life. It could be considered a glorious moment in her life. She had to finish the process no matter what! Xiao Juan said, ¡°You¡¯re sick now. You have to see a doctor as soon as possible.¡± ... Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If we don¡¯t get married, we won¡¯t be a legal couple. Don¡¯t you want me to marry into your family legitimately?¡± Xiao Juan could not dissuade her and could only carry her into the hall. He lowered Yu Niaoniao to the ground. However, because her limbs were weak, Yu Niaoniao almost lost her bnce when shended. Her body swayed slightly. Xiao Juan immediately reached out and hugged her waist. At the same time, he secretly exerted strength and pulled her towards him. In this way, she leaned against him. At the wedding, the couple was so intimate as if no one was around. They had no intention of avoiding each other. Everyone watching the ceremony was already numb. They pretended they were blind and saw nothing. Sixth Prince Shen Rui was the witness. ording to the rules, he had to recite the congrattory words before the wedding. The congrattory speech had been prepared long ago. Shen Rui had just taken out his small notebook and was about to speak when he was ruthlessly interrupted by Duke Lang. ¡°There¡¯s no need to read it. We¡¯ll just get married.¡± Shen Rui was speechless. He had seen people who were anxious, but he had never seen anyone so anxious. He reminded him quietly, ¡°Everyone¡¯s watching.¡± As a duke, he had to care about his image. However, Xiao Juan did not appreciate it and said firmly. ¡°Hurry up.¡± Right now, he was focused on bringing Niaoniao to the doctor as soon as possible. He wanted to save on thoseplicated procedures. As for what others would think of him because of this? He didn¡¯t care. Shen Rui had no choice but to put away his small book. ¡°Alright, alright. Do whatever you want.¡± It wasn¡¯t his wedding anyway. Why should he care?! Dang Gui took the red silk flowers from others and handed one end to Duke Lang and the other to the princess. Shen Rui cleared his throat and announced loudly. ¡°Bow to the heavens and the earth! Respect the heavens and the earth for a long time!¡± Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan faced the world outside the door and slowly knelt down. ¡°Second bow to your parents! I wish you a long life!¡± Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan turned around and knelt in front of the portrait of Eldest Princess Ni Yang. ¡°Husband and wife bow to each other! Red flowers together, grow old together!¡± Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan faced each other. ording to custom, a husband and wife only needed to bow to each other. However, Xiao Juan lifted the hem of his shirt and knelt down. His actions were straightforward and without any hesitation. Chapter 172 - 172 The Power of Love 172 The Power of Love Seeing this, Yu Niaoniao stopped bowing. She remembered that Madam Xie had once told her that when a husband and wife bowed to each other, whoever bowed lower would be the party who loved the other more. When Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan got married, Feng Lianghan almost bent his waist. At this moment, Xiao Juan knelt down. The meaning was obvious. Yu Niaoniao could not help but be moved. She lifted her skirt slightly and knelt down as well. They faced each other, head to head, and bowed like never before. Since he treat her sincerely, she would return the favor. This scene touched everyone present. Even Shen Rui sighed. He had thought that the rumors outside were exaggerated. Now, it seemed that the rtionship between Duke Lang and Yu Niaoniao was really strong. Dang Gui helped Yu Niaoniao stand up. After all this, Yu Niaoniao felt even more powerless. She felt like she was walking on clouds and was dizzy. Xiao Juan came over to help her. Sensing that something was wrong with her, Xiao Juan picked her up again and strode toward the backyard. Seeing this, everyone thought that he was in a hurry to enter the bridal chamber. They wanted tough but did not dare to. They could only hold it in. They did not expect the usually cold and indifferent Duke Lang to be so impatient. Was this the power of love? Xiao Juan carried Yu Niaoniao into the bridal chamber. He ced her on the bed covered in a big red wedding nket and turned around to shout. ¡°Where¡¯s the doctor?¡± Granny Xiu Yan quickly walked in with the doctor. The doctor put down the medical box and checked Yu Niaoniao¡¯s pulse. ¡°The county princess is suffering from a high fever caused by a cold. Her condition is a little serious. I¡¯ll write a prescription to help her reduce her fever.¡± He picked up his pen and wrote down a prescription. Granny Xiu Yan took the prescription and called for the servants to immediately get the medicine. Dang Gui sent the doctor away. Only Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan were left in the bridal chamber. Yu Niaoniao was lying on the bed. The phoenix crown had been removed from her head, and her hair was loose. She had yet to remove her makeup. She was already confused by the fever. Her eyes were half open, and she kept talking nonsense. ¡°Don¡¯t go, don¡¯t go¡­¡± Xiao Juan sat on the edge of the bed. He took her hand. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. I¡¯m here.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t go. Come back.¡± So she missed her mother. Xiao Juan held her hand and did not let go, wanting tofort her in this way. Yu Niaoniao seemed to have thought of something and became agitated. ¡°Fire, there¡¯s a fire! Put it out!¡± Xiao Juan pressed her shoulder to stop her from moving. He didn¡¯t care if she could hear him. He spoke to her. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. There¡¯s no fire here. Everything¡¯s fine.¡± Yu Niaoniao was alreadypletely immersed in her own world. Tears streamed down her face, and she was so sad that she could not control herself. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m not leaving. I¡¯m not leaving!¡± Xiao Juan hugged her andforted her softly. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s all in the past. You have me now. I¡¯ll be with you.¡± Yu Niaoniao sobbed in his arms, her tears wetting hispels. She only stopped crying when she was tired. Xiao Juan let go of her. The makeup on her face had been ruined by her tears, and she looked like a dirty kitten. He got someone to bring hot water and wipe her face with a wet handkerchief. The tears and makeup were carefully wiped away. Without the cover of makeup, her true appearance waspletely revealed. Her lips were pale and bloodless now. An abnormal flush suffused her cheeks. Her eyshes were wet and her eyebrows were tightly furrowed. Granny Xiu Yan walked in with the medicine. ¡°Quickly let the princess drink this medicine.¡± Xiao Juan held Yu Niaoniao¡¯s head with one hand and held the bowl with the other. ¡°Niaoniao, open your mouth.¡± Yu Niaoniao was already in a daze and could not listen to the people around her. She kept her mouth shut and didn¡¯t move. She even whimpered ufortably. ... Xiao Juan had no choice but to forcefully open her mouth and carefully pour the medicine into her mouth. The medicine was bitter. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s small face crumpled. She tried to struggle and resist. Xiao Juan hugged her tighter. She was firmly trapped in his arms and could not move. She was forced to drink the bitter medicine with her mouth open. Xiao Juan was afraid of choking her, so he fed her especially carefully. He used almost all the patience he¡¯d ever had in his life. Granny Xiu Yan originally wanted to help, but when she saw this, she silently shut her mouth. After finally finishing the bowl of medicine, Xiao Juan was already sweating profusely. This job was even more tiring than running a thousand miles. He handed the empty bowl to Granny Xiuyan. ... Granny Xiu Yan reminded him, ¡°The Sixth Prince is still outside. Do you want to entertain him?¡± Shen Rui was specially sent by the emperor to congratte him. In a way, he represented the emperor and could not be neglected. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Help me take care of Niaoniao. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Granny Xiu Yan agreed. Xiao Juan nced at Niaoniao again. Probably because of the drug, she had closed her eyes and fallen asleep. Xiao Juan stood up and walked out. Logically speaking, they should have gone to the bridal chamber after the wedding ceremony. However, Xiao Juan carried Niaoniao and left too quickly, not giving everyone a chance to do so. At this moment, everyone was already seated and the dishes were served one after another. The highest-ranking Sixth Prince, Shen Rui, sat on the chairman¡¯s seat. He had no interest in these dishes and wine and was listening to the idle chatter around him. Actually, he could already leave at this time, but he did not want to let go of this opportunity to get closer to Duke Lang. Duke Lang was the most trusted person in front of the emperor and was in charge of the Justice Department. If he could pull him into his camp, it would be a great help to him. Shen Rui did not wait long for Xiao Juan toe out. A smile immediately lit his face. ¡°Prince Lang, you¡¯ve finallye out.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, Your Highness. I¡¯ll punish myself with three cups.¡± He picked up the sk and poured himself wine. He drank three sses in one go. Shen Rui praised, ¡°Prince Lang can hold his liquor well!¡± The Eagle Guards present were also very supportive and apuded. Meng Xizhou and Yan Nanguang came to Duke Lang with wine sses and insisted on toasting him. If it were any other time, they would definitely not dare to drink with Duke Lang. However, today was different. On this joyous day, Duke Lang had to drink a few sses no matter what. Xiao Juan did not dampen their spirits and clinked sses with them. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you guys today.¡± This was the first time Duke Lang had said such a thing. Meng Xizhou and Yannan Pass were ttered. The two of them hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s not hard work. It¡¯s our honor to serve you, Your Highness.¡± By the time the banquet was over, it was afternoon. Granny Xiu Yan arranged for someone to send the guests back. Xiao Juan walked towards the bedroom. When he reached the door, he remembered that he had drunk a lot. The smell of alcohol on him must be very strong. So he turned on his heel and went to take a bath and change intofortable regr clothes before he pushed open the bedroom door. Chapter 173 - 173 You Have Me Now 173 You Have Me Now In the new room, the dragon and phoenix candles were slowly burning. On the table were various fruits and snacks that symbolized auspiciousness, a pot of wine, and two wine sses. The wine was supposed to be drunk when they entered the bridal chamber. However, Yu Niaoniao was sick. She was still sleeping soundly, so she definitely could not drink. Xiao Juan reached out and touched Yu Xuanxian¡¯s forehead. It was still very hot. He summoned the physician. The physician suggested, ¡°We still have to let her continue drinking the medicine. Let¡¯s observe for the night. If the princess¡¯s condition doesn¡¯t improve tomorrow, I¡¯ll think of another way.¡± Xiao Juan was not very satisfied with this oue. ¡°I can only watch her get sick?¡± The doctor said a few methods to help reduce the fever, such as wiping the palm with white wine or applying cold medicine to the forehead. Xiao Juan noted them down and the physician took his leave. Xiao Juan ordered someone to bring cold water and white wine. He personally applied the wet handkerchief to Yu Niaoniao¡¯s forehead and found another handkerchief to wet the white wine. He held Yu Niaoniao¡¯s small hand in one hand and held the handkerchief in the other. He carefully wiped her palm. After wiping one hand, he switched to the other. He did this repeatedly. The wet handkerchief on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s forehead had to be changed often. Xiao Juan guarded her for the entire night. It was almost dawn when the heat finally subsided and Xiao Juan¡¯s heart could finally rest. Granny Xiu Yan advised, ¡°You haven¡¯t slept all night. You must be tired. Go and sleep. We¡¯ll take care of this ce.¡± Taking care of the patient was indeed a very tiring job. Xiao Juan stood up and said hoarsely. ¡°I¡¯ll go next door to rest. Call me if you need anything.¡± Granny Xiu Yan sent Duke Lang away. She walked to the bed and tucked Yu Niaoniao in. She sighed inwardly. A good wedding night was over. The two of them slept separately, let alone in the bridal chamber. Fortunately, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s condition improved. Granny Xiu Yanforted herself. There was still a long way to go. The duke and princess were very young. There was no need to rush. ¡­ . Yu Niaoniao slept very uneasily. She dreamed of many people, including her mother, Madam Xie, her stepfather, Feng Lianghan, Shen Junzhi, her grandfather, and her grandmother¡¯s family¡­ In the fire, Madam Xie did her best to push her out the venttion window. Madam Xie cried and called her to leave quickly. But she didn¡¯t want to leave. She did not want to be separated from her mother. Tears and fire consumed the world. Everything blurred. But the grief of being separated by life and death lingered. Vaguely, she heard someone take her hand. The man spoke in her ear, over and over. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s all in the past. You have me now. I¡¯ll always be with you.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not know who that person was. She moved only instinctively toward the man, snuggling into him, almost greedily absorbing the warmth of his body. The heart-wrenching grief was gradually dispelled by warmth. She quickly fell into a deep sleep. When she woke, the dragon and phoenix candles had burned out. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a golden glow over the new house. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re awake!¡± Dang Gui quickly ran to the bed, her eyes filled with surprise. Yu Niaoniao ced her hand on the bed frame and sat up with difficulty. ¡°How long have I been sleeping?¡± Dang Gui helped her sit down and picked up a soft pillow to stuff behind her. ¡°You¡¯ve been sleeping since noon yesterday.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked around. The room was filled with joyous red. She asked where the Prince of Lang was. Dang Gui said, ¡°His Highness guarded you all nightst night. He¡¯s sleeping now.¡± Actually, there were servants who could do the night watch for him. There was no need for Duke Lang to do it himself, but he was worried about Yu Niaoniao and insisted on watching her personally by the bed. Thinking of this, Dang Gui could not help but purse her lips and smile. It seemed that Duke Lang really loved her Miss! Yu Niaoniao was surprised. ¡°He guarded me all night?¡± Dang Gui nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. You had a fever yesterday and even had nightmares. You looked very sick. Your Highness was worried. He stayed by your bed the entire night and only left at dawn.¡± Yu Niaoniao recalled the person she had spoken to in her dream. It was probably Duke Lang. ... She did not expect him to be so considerate in private when he usually looked cold like a big ice cube. Dang Gui turned around and was about to leave when Yu Niaoniao asked her where she was going. Dang Gui answered truthfully, ¡°His Highness said that if you wake up, we have to inform him immediately.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°He¡¯s been tired all night. Let him sleep more. Don¡¯t disturb him for the time being.¡± Dang Gui thought about it and retracted her steps. She brought over a bowl of dark medicinal soup. ¡°The doctor said you have to drink this bowl of medicine when you wake up.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked disgusted. This medicine was obviously very bitter. She secretly regretted it. If she had known that she had to drink medicine, she would have let Dang Gui disturb Duke Lang¡¯s rest. Dang Gui handed the medicine bowl to her and urged, ¡°Drink it while it¡¯s hot.¡± ... Yu Niaoniao did not want to drink. Dang Gui said, ¡°If you don¡¯t drink medicine, you won¡¯t be able to recover. If you don¡¯t recover, you won¡¯t be able to eat good food. In the future, you can only eat white porridge every day. White porridge for breakfast, white porridge for lunch, white porridge for dinner, and ¡­¡± Yu Niaoniao felt her scalp tingle. She quickly took the medicine bowl and drank the medicine in one gulp with the determination of a warrior. This medicine was really bitter! She stuck out her tongue and made a face like she wanted to throw up. Dang Gui hurriedly stuffed a preserved fruit into her mouth. The fruit diluted the bitterness and Yu Niaoniao felt a little better. She held out her small hand. ¡°Give me more preserved fruit.¡± Dang Gui ced the box of candied plums in her hand and reminded her, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you breakfast. Don¡¯t eat too many candied plums, in case you can¡¯t eat breakfastter.¡± Yu Niaoniao stuffed a handful of candied plums into her mouth and her cheeks puffed up. She replied vaguely, ¡°Yes, yes, I know.¡± It didn¡¯t take long for Dang Gui to return. Today¡¯s breakfast was raw fish porridge. The chef of the LangJun Imperial Pce was very good. The fish slices were smooth and tender, and the porridge was fragrant and soft. Coupled with two refreshing dishes, it could be said to be just right. Yu Niaoniao hugged her bowl and ate with relish. At this moment, Xiao Juan walked in. Dang Gui hurriedly bowed. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± Yu Niaoniao wanted to get off the bed, but Xiao Juan pressed her back down. ¡°Stay put. We¡¯re family. There¡¯s no need for formalities.¡± He said this very naturally. He really did not treat Yu Niaoniao as an outsider. Yu Niaoniao sat back down. She smiled sweetly at the man, her voice clear and pleasant. ¡°Have you had breakfast?¡± Xiao Juan said no. Yu Niaoniao asked Dang Gui to add a set of cutlery and asked the kitchen to make more food. They sat facing each other at the table, basking in the warm sunlight and enjoying a hot breakfast. Chapter 174 - 174 Bridal Toast 174 Bridal Toast Yu Niaoniao caught a glimpse of the wine pot and wine ss beside her and her heart skipped a beat. ¡°We haven¡¯t had a bridal toastst night, have we?¡± Xiao Juan replied indifferently, ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao picked up the white jade wine pot and waved it in front of him. ¡°You have to have a sense of ceremony when you get married. You have to drink the toast. Let¡¯s make up for it now.¡± Xiao Juan stretched out his well-defined fingers and gently pressed them on the wine pot. ¡°You¡¯re still sick. You can¡¯t drink.¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked at him and said slyly, ¡°Just a little. It¡¯s fine.¡± Xiao Juan was very principled. ¡°No.¡± Yu Niaoniao reached out her little ws and scratched the back of his hand gently. She asked softly. ¡°Baby, don¡¯t you want to do the toast with me?¡± Xiao Juan felt the back of his hand itch. The itch ran down his arm and into his heart. He withdrew his hand involuntarily. ¡°The bridal toast can be drunkter.¡± Yu Niaoniao pouted. ¡°You should do the bridal toast when you get married. When you do it in the future, it won¡¯t be the bridal toast anymore. The meaning will be different if the time is different.¡± Xiao Juan ignored her and lowered his head to eat porridge. Yu Niaoniao picked up the wine pot and poured two sses. She stood up with her ss and walked over to the man. ¡°Baby,e and have a cross-cupped wine¡­ ¡± Xiao Juan still ignored her. Yu Niaoniao suddenly cried out, ¡°Aiya, I¡¯m so dizzy.¡± Xiao Juan thought that her condition had worsened and immediately put down his bowl and chopsticks, wanting to reach out to help her. Yu Niaoniao took the opportunity to sit on hisp and bring the ss to his lips. She said sweetly, ¡°Baby, I¡¯m dizzy. I need to drink the wine to recover.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. Yu Niaoniao looked at him expectantly. ¡°Drink, drink. Just a sip.¡± This was the first time Xiao Juan was so close to a woman. His heart could not help but beat faster. He instinctively straightened his back. His thigh muscles were tense. He didn¡¯t know where to put his hands. The girl¡¯s body was very soft and had a faint fragrance. Her eyes were bright and clear as she looked at him without blinking. Her long ck hair hung behind her, making her face even more delicate and fair. Xiao Juan¡¯s fingers curled up slightly before slowly rxing. After struggling for a long time, he finally relented. ¡°You can only take a sip.¡± She was sick. It was only right that he gave in to her. Yu Niaoniao beamed. ¡°Yes!¡± Xiao Juan took a wine ss from her. Their arms intertwined as they slowly brought the sses to their lips. The wine was clear and bright, and the fragrance was mellow. With just a small mouthful, Yu Niaoniao felt that it was lingering. Before she could take another sip, the wine cup in her hand was taken away by Xiao Juan. He drank both cups of wine, then asked Dang Gui to take away all the wine cups and wine pot, not giving Yu Niaoniao a chance to be greedy. Yu Niaoniao sighed. It was such a shame that she had only taken a sip of such good wine! After breakfast, Yu Niaoniao felt quite energetic. She wanted to go to the courtyard to bask in the sun. Xiao Juan picked her up and strode out. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said, ¡°I can walk by myself!¡± She was sick, not with a broken leg. Xiao Juan said, ¡°You¡¯re very weak now. You have to walk as little as possible.¡± He had someone put a recliner in the yard. She sat down on the recliner and Dang Gui brought a nket to cover her. Xiao Juan sat on the stone bench beside her. He looked at Yu Niaoniao and asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to ask you before. Why did you suddenly have a fever yesterday?¡± Yu Niaoniao told him about being kidnapped by Che Xuekun. In order to avoid any misunderstandings, she deliberately skipped over Shen Junzhi and did not mention him. ... Xiao Juan frowned. ¡°You disappeared for a night. Why didn¡¯t anyone from the Yu family report it to the authorities?¡± This matter was clear to Dang Gui. She said softly, ¡°I did report it to the authorities, but the people in the Imperial Capital felt that Miss had been missing for too short a time to build a case.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Then you can inform me.¡± Dang Gui¡¯s voice became even softer. ¡°I wanted to inform you, but I was captured by the patrolling soldiers halfway. When I was redeemed by the butler, it was already the next day.¡± It was Yu Niaoniao¡¯s turn to be surprised. ¡°Were you captured by the night patrol again?¡± Dang Gui felt especially aggrieved. ¡°Yes!¡± She thought herdy wouldfort her, but she heard herdy ask. ¡°You¡¯ve been in there three times. Didn¡¯t they arrange a VIP room for you?¡± Dang Gui was speechless. ... Whatever. She should never have expected anything from herdy. Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°Your father is too muddle-headed. He actually thought that you went out to y. Fortunately, you came back safely this time. Otherwise¡­¡± He didn¡¯t finish the sentence, afraid of breaking the taboo. Yu Niaoniao replied with a smile. ¡°Otherwise you¡¯ll be a widower.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. There was no need to be so straightforward. Dang Gui grabbed a grape and stuffed it into Yu Niaoniao¡¯s mouth. ¡°Have something to eat, Miss.¡± Eat more and talk less! Xiao Juan stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Justice Department and get someone to search for Che Xuekun outside the city. You should rest at home.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said, ¡°You don¡¯t know the location. I¡¯ll draw a route for you.¡± She asked Dang Gui to bring ink, brush, paper, and inkstone. Soon, she drew an borate road map. Xiao Juan put away the road map and strode out of the Langjun Imperial Pce. He had thought that Yu Niaoniao would be safe in the Yu Residence, but he did not expect Che Xuekun to sneak into the Yu Residence to quietly kidnap her. Although the Yu family was careless, he was also partly at fault. He shouldn¡¯t have let his guard down. He should have kept someone close to Yu Niaoniao at all times to keep her safe. This incident was a lesson to him. He would remember this lesson in his heart. It would never happen again. Xiao Juan left for a long time. After lunch, Yu Niaoniao returned to her room to sleep. When she woke up, she did not see Duke Lang return. She leaned back on the soft pillow and sighed with a particr sadness. Dang Gui asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked lonely. ¡°I¡¯m used to spending time with His Highness usually. Now that I can¡¯t see him, I feel ufortable.¡± When Dang Gui thought that she was missing Duke Lang, she was about tofort her when she heard her speak. ¡°It¡¯s like losing your own pig.¡± Dang Gui was speechless. Xiao Juan, who had just returned from outside, was speechless. Hearing footsteps, Dang Gui turned to look at the door and saw that it was Duke Lang. Before her brain could react, the words had already escaped her mouth. ¡°Mydy, your domestic pig is back.¡± Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan looked at her at the same time. Dang Gui froze on the spot. What the hell did she just say?! It was all Miss¡¯s fault for talking nonsense and leading her into a ditch! Faced with Duke Lang¡¯s death gaze, Dang Gui trembled in fear and knelt down. ¡°I said something wrong. Please punish me, Your Highness!¡± Chapter 175 - 175 Consummation 175 Consummation At the critical moment, Yu Niaoniao was still very loyal. She stood up for Dang Gui. ¡°Dang Gui is not the only one who said the wrong thing. I alsopared the county prince to a pig. If you want to punish someone, punish me too.¡± Dang Gui was immediately moved to tears. Xiao Juan asked expressionlessly. ¡°Do you think I look like a pig?¡± Dang Gui was about to exin when she heard Yu Niaoniao speak quickly. ¡°Pigs are so cute. They¡¯re fair, fat, and especially likable. Moreover, they¡¯re honest and have excellent morals. Most importantly, they¡¯re covered in treasures! Be it pig ears, pig faces, pig brains, pig legs, pig hooves, pigtails, or pig hearts, pig liver, pig lungs, and pig intestines, each of them can be made into an excellent delicacy! In my heart, pigs are the cutest animal in the world, and you are as cute as a pig in my heart!¡± After saying that, she did not forget to pinch two small hearts with her fingers in front of her chest. Xiao Juan was speechless. How on earth could she talk nonsense with a straight face? Xiao Juan said, ¡°Since you like pigs, I¡¯ll give you a nickname. I¡¯ll call you Little Pig in the future.¡± Yu Niaoniao choked. Damn it, she had been tricked! She said shyly, ¡°I¡¯m a girl. It¡¯s not appropriate to call me Little Pig, right?¡± Xiao Juan felt that her words made sense, so he changed his words. ¡°Then I¡¯ll call you Little Pink Pig.¡± Yu Niaoniao blurted out, ¡°You might as well call me Peppa.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The name Peppa is a little strange, but if you like it, I¡¯ll call you Peppa from now on.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not expect him to take it seriously! She hastily declined. ¡°No, the name Peppa is already used by someone else. I¡¯d better change it.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re my princess consort. As long as that person isn¡¯t a rtive of the royal family, he¡¯s not qualified to snatch your name. In the future, Peppa will be your nickname.¡± At this moment, Duke Lang looked like the domineering prince in the story. He gave his new little wife a nickname, Peppa. Yu Niaoniao covered her face silently. She was full of regrets! If she had known that she would get herself into trouble, she would never have indulge in so much nonsense. Seeing that Duke Lang had no intention of punishing her, Dang Gui heaved a sigh of relief. She climbed quietly to her feet and scurried out, staying close to the wall. Xiao Juan sat down by the bed and reached out to touch her forehead to confirm that her temperature had returned to normal. He asked, ¡°How are you feeling, Peppa? Any other difort?¡± Yu Peppa Niaoniao spoke with difficulty, swallowing her shame. ¡°I¡¯m much better already.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯ve already asked the Eagle Guards to search outside the city ording to the route you provided.¡± Yu Niaoniao really wanted the other party to forget Peppa Pig and hurriedly changed the topic. ¡°How did it go? Did you find Che Xuekun?¡± Xiao Juan said that he had found it. ¡°But the man is dead. The Eagle Guards brought back only a corpse.¡± The corpse that was brought back looked miserable. It looked like it had suffered inhumane torture before it died. Yu Niaoniao was surprised. ¡°Dead? Who killed him?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. The body has been handed over to Little Lo for examination. There should be a result tomorrow.¡± Shen Junzhi¡¯s figure appeared in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s mind. Could he have killed Che Xuekun? She didn¡¯t think so. Shen Junzhi doesn¡¯t seem like the type to kill others. But on second thought, one could not judge a book by its cover. Shen Junzhi¡¯s background was a mystery. Who could guarantee that he was not hiding another face? ¡°Peppa, Peppa!¡± Xiao Juan shouted twice before Yu Niaoniao regained her senses. ¡°What are you thinking? Why are you thinking so hard?¡± Yu Niaoniao took a deep breath. ¡°My name is wife. My real name is Baby. My nickname is Darling. You can call me whichever you like.¡± Just stop calling her Peppa! No matter which name it was, Xiao Juan could not say it. So he insisted. ¡°Peppa suits you better.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. ... Was what it meant to lift a rock to hit her own foot? It must be! In case the other party called her Peppa again, Yu Niaoniao decided to forcefully change the topic. ¡°Actually, I ran into an acquaintance on my way back to the city. I suspect that person might have killed Che Xuekun.¡± Xiao Juan asked who that person was. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°His name is Shen Junzhi. He used to live in my house for two years. He¡¯s my stepfather¡¯s student.¡± Then, she described Shen Junzhi¡¯s appearance. Xiao Juan expressed that he had never seen this person before. ¡°There are manymoners in the Imperial Capital. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll get someone to check the household register and see if there¡¯s someone called Shen Junzhi.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s mind was filled with thoughts. He wanted to ask her why she hadn¡¯t mentioned that she had met Shen Junzhi before. What was she hiding? What was her rtionship with Shen Junzhi? ... But in the end, he didn¡¯t ask anything. Because he knew in his heart that some things would make both sides feel awkward if he asked too clearly. He had to be confused when he had to be. Xiao Juan changed the topic. ¡°Peppa, you¡¯reing into the pce with me tomorrow.¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°Why?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The emperor wants to see you.¡± Yu Niaoniao had once followed Yu Kangtai into the pce and had also seen the emperor from afar at a banquet. Therefore, she was not very nervous about entering the pce. She nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± After dinner, the maids brought hot water and helped them wash up. Yu Niaoniao was a little nervous. Was Duke Lang going to sleep with her tonight? Xiao Juan was also hesitating. Where should he sleep tonight? Logically speaking, he and Yu Niaoniao should be sleeping together. But what if Yu Niaoniao was unwilling to sleep with him? He didn¡¯t want to impose. However, if he slept elsewhere tonight, people would misunderstand that he did not like Yu Niaoniao. There would probably be rumors that they were not on good terms. He was fine with it himself, but he did not want Yu Niaoniao to be someone else¡¯s topic of conversation. After washing up, Dang Gui and the other maids left. The door closed. Only Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan were left in the room. Yu Niaoniao was only wearing a thin middle shirt. Her long ck hair hung behind her, and her face without makeup looked exceptionally fresh and beautiful. She sat on the edge of the bed and asked the man. ¡®Where would you like to sleep tonight?¡¯ Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Where do you want me to sleep?¡± How could Yu Niaoniao answer? There seemed to be only one answer. She said shyly, ¡°Here, of course.¡± Xiao Juan walked over and sat down beside her. Somehow, his heart was beating a little faster. He could not look at the girl beside him. He said solemnly. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Go to sleep.¡± Yu Niaoniao replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Initially, she was worried that the man would do something to her. Unexpectedly, when the man said he wanted to sleep, he really just wanted to sleep. Xiao Juan covered himself with the nket and closed his eyes. His limbs were very well-behaved, and he had no intention of crossing the line. Yu Niaoniao could not help but ask. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to consummate the marriage?¡± Chapter 176 - 176 Too Pitiful 176 Too Pitiful In the darkness, Xiao Juan opened his eyes. He turned his head slightly to look at the girl beside him, his eyes as dark as the night. ¡°If I say I want it, will you agree?¡± Yu Niaoniao hesitated. She did not want to consummate the marriage. Her body was only 15 years old. In the modern world, she would only be a junior high school student. To have sex with a man at this age was definitely give her more pain than pleasure. Moreover, there was no perfect contraception in ancient times. If she was identally pregnant, she would have to bear the risk of giving birth. But these were just her personal thoughts. She had already married Duke Lang. The two of them were legally married. She should fulfill her duty as a wife. Yu Niaoniao moved under the nket like a caterpir. She leaned over and asked softly. ¡°Have you slept with other women before?¡± At this moment, the two of them were extremely close. Xiao Juan could feel the warm breath on the tip of her nose and the faint fragrance on her body. His heart beat a little faster, and his body stiffened. ¡°Why are you asking?¡± Yu Niaoniao hugged his arm and begged, ¡°Tell me, tell me. I want to know.¡± Xiao Juan spat out two words stiffly. ¡°No.¡± Everyone hated him and avoided him. How could a good woman be willing to give herself to him? There were once women with ulterior motives who tried to approach him, but he saw through them at a nce and quickly dealt with them. Yu Niaoniao thought to herself that it was indeed so. Such an unromantic fellow must be single. But she wasn¡¯t much better. She would notugh at him. Yu Niaoniao continued to ask. ¡°Then do you know how to have sex?¡± Xiao Juan looked at her expressionlessly. ¡°Although I have no experience, I¡¯m not a fool who knows nothing.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked again, ¡°Then can you make sure you don¡¯t hurt me?¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. How could he answer that? He wanted to reprimand her for saying such vulgar words as a woman. Yu Niaoniao looked at him without blinking. Her eyes were like clear spring water in the mountains, so clear that one could see through them. She looked like she simply wanted to know the answer. She did not have any coy thoughts. The words of reprimand spun around in Xiao Juan¡¯s mouth, but he swallowed them back. He said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve never done it before. How do I know you won¡¯t hurt?¡± Yu Niaoniao was even more vexed. Asking was useless. She decided to think in another direction. ¡°If you wanted to do something and you couldn¡¯t make up your mind, what would you do?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°First, prepare for the worst ande up with a solution. As long as you can ensure that the final oue is within your eptable boundary, you can do whatever you want.¡± Yu Niaoniao imagined it in her heart. The worst oue of her consummation with Duke Lang was that he was too lousy and injured her. Yu Niaoniao immediately asked. ¡°If I get injured when we consummate our marriage, does that count as a work injury? Can you reimburse me for my medical fees? Can you arrange for me to take paid sick leave?¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. Why would she be hurt? Would his technique be that bad?! Xiao Juan took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. He enunciated each word. ¡°Consider it your work injury. I¡¯ll reimburse your medical fees and arrange for you to have a paid vacation.¡± Yu Niaoniao pushed her luck. ¡°I¡¯ll set the holiday time?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately made a decision. They were just going to consummate their marriage. She would endure it. She would give herself a year and a half of paid leaveter. When the time came, she could feel as good as she wanted! ¡°If you really want it, thene!¡± ... With that, she closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. Her small hands under the nket were clenched into fists, and her body was as stiff as a rock. She did not look like she was going to consummate the marriage, but more like a brave warrior who was about to die! However, Xiao Juan only helped her lift the nket. ¡°Go to bed early.¡± Yu Niaoniao opened her eyes and asked in confusion, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to consummate your marriage?¡± Xiao Juan actually did not want to consummate the marriage. The only reason he¡¯d asked earlier was to gauge her attitude. She struggled and hesitated for so long. After weighing the pros and cons several times, she gave an answer. It was obvious that she was actually unwilling to consummate the marriage. He did not want to force her in the name of husband and wife. Besides, he himself was a little resistant to consummating the marriage. He had experienced some bad things as a child, which had caused him to have a psychological barrier to sex. Not to mention having sex with someone, just thinking about that scene made him feel nauseous. He thought it was good to be like this now. They were lying side by side in the same bed, each feeling the other¡¯s presence, but still keeping thest bit of distance. ... Facing Yu Niaoniao¡¯s curious gaze, Xiao Juan appeared very cold. ¡°I just made a hypothesis. I¡¯m not saying I want to consummate our marriage now.¡± Hearing this, Yu Niaoniao heaved a sigh of relief. Still, she was curious. ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to consummate the marriage?¡± Logically speaking, a man his age should be raring to do it. However, he acted so coldly. It looked very strange. Was he not very good in that area? If that was the case, he was pitiful. Xiao Juan was speechless. What was that look in her eyes? Why did he feel a sense of sympathy? What the hell was she imagining? Xiao Juan said with a dark expression, ¡°I naturally have my considerations. Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded obediently. ¡°Yes, yes, I understand. I promise not to mention the consummation or tell anyone about you. My mouth is very tight. Don¡¯t worry.¡± With that, she gave him a mysterious smile. Xiao Juan had a headache. What did she understand? She clearly did not understand anything! Xiao Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to consummate our marriage¡­¡± Yu Niaoniao ced her finger against his lips. ¡°My baby, don¡¯t say anymore. This concerns your dignity as a man. Let it be sealed in our hearts forever.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s face was as ck as the bottom of a pot. He pulled her ws away and spoke almost through gritted teeth. ¡°I¡¯m fine that way! I¡¯m just a little conflicted about having sex.¡± Yu Niaoniao revealed an understanding smile and coaxed gently. ¡°Yes, yes, you¡¯re just fine. You¡¯re the best!¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. Yu Niaoniao held his hand and said sincerely. ¡°My baby, it doesn¡¯t matter if you can never consummate your marriage with me. I¡¯m willing to watch over you for the rest of my life. My love for youes from my soul. As long as our souls are together, I don¡¯t care about anything else.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. It was clearly a touching confession, but he didn¡¯t feel touched at all. He even felt like punching someone. Chapter 177 - 177 Serving a King Is Like Serving a Tiger 177 Serving a King Is Like Serving a Tiger That night, Yu Niaoniao slept very peacefully. However, Xiao Juan did not sleep well. He dreamed that when he was young, he was dizzy with fever. No one in the princess¡¯s residence cared about him. He could only cry and run to his mother, hoping to beg her to save him. When he ran into Princess Ni Yang¡¯s bedroom, he saw her doing something indecent with her malepanion. The two of them were openly having sex on the bedl. They were extremely arrogant. That scene was deeply imprinted in Xiao Juan¡¯s heart. So much so that after so many years, he could still clearly remember every expression of Princess Ni Yang and her exaggerated cry. She looked like she was enjoying herself, but he only felt sick. Because he did not sleep well, he got up before dawn. He changed into lighter clothes and went to the yard to practice his swordy. His techniques were not fancy. Every move was straightforward. The de was wrapped in a biting cold air, and leaves flew everywhere. When Yu Niaoniao woke up, the sky was already bright outside the window. Xiao Juan took a shower and changed into a navy blue round-necked brocade robe. He wore a jade crown on his head and a leather belt around his waist. His figure was as tall as pine bamboo, and his eyes were as deep as the starry sky. He handed a bowl of medicine to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Drink it.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s small face scrunched up. She clearly did not want to drink. Xiao Juan stared at her and asked seriously, ¡°Do you want me to open your mouth and force you to drink?¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Shouldn¡¯t a normal man gently coax his wife when he saw that she didn¡¯t want to drink the medicine? Why did the situation suddenly change when it came to Duke Lang? No wonder he was still single despite being so handsome. Xiao Juan urged, ¡°Drink the medicine while it¡¯s hot.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes darted around. She couldn¡¯t care less about how he was in the past, but they were going to live together in the future. She couldn¡¯t let him continue being so insensitive. Yu Niaoniao leaned back and put on a weak and helpless appearance. ¡°But I¡¯m not feeling well and can¡¯t use my strength. Baby, can you feed me?¡± Xiao Juan sat by the bed, scooped up the medicine with a spoon, and brought it to her mouth. ¡°Open your mouth.¡± Yu Niaoniao stuck out the tip of her tongue and licked the soup. It was so bitter that she almost cried. ¡°It¡¯s so bitter. I don¡¯t want it anymore.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Good medicine is bitter. Just endure it.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him resentfully. ¡°Of course, I know that good medicine is bitter. I said that because I wanted you to coax me.¡± Xiao Juan said frankly. ¡°I¡¯m not good at coaxing.¡± Yu Niaoniao snorted softly. ¡°But didn¡¯t you coax me when I was sick and spouting nonsense?¡± Xiao Juan said solemnly, ¡°I wasn¡¯t not coaxing you. Those were my heartfelt words.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Damn it! He had managed to seduce her. Xiao Juan continued to feed her medicine. Since the medicine was too bitter for her to speak, she was forced to stop. After breakfast, Xiao Juan brought Yu Niaoniao into the pce to meet the emperor. The carriage was on its way to the pce. Xiao Juan looked at Yu Niaoniao¡¯s calm and silent face and thought that she was nervous. He took the initiative to reassure her. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Peppa. I¡¯ll be by your side. Answer whatever His Majesty asks youter. If you really can¡¯t answer, leave it to me. I¡¯ll help you.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked seriously, ¡°If the emperor asks me when the child in my stomach will be born, how should I answer?¡± Xiao Juan was stunned. ¡°What child?¡± Yu Niaoniao reminded him, ¡°The emperor thought that I was pregnant with your child because he heard the rumors. That¡¯s why he gave the decree to for you marry me.¡± Therefore, as far as the emperor knew, she was probably pregnant at this moment. Xiao Juan hesitated. ¡°The emperor won¡¯t ask about such a thing, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°What if he asks?¡± Xiao Juan fell into deep thought. The carriage went quiet. When the carriage stopped in front of the pce gate, Xiao Juan spoke again. ¡°If the emperor does ask about the pregnancy, you tell him the truth. It¡¯s all a rumor. You¡¯re not pregnant at all.¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked. ¡°Won¡¯t the emperor be angry?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The emperor hates it when people lie to him. As long as you tell the truth, he won¡¯t be angry. Even if he¡¯s really angry, his anger would be directed at those who made up rumors. It has nothing to do with you.¡± Yu Niaoniao was relieved. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± They got out of the carriage and entered the pce hand in hand. The old emperor was not feeling well today and canceled the morning court session. He was resting in his bedroom when he heard that Duke Lang had brought the Princess Consort over. He perked up and changed his clothes under the service of the pce servants. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan waited in the side hall for a long time before seeing the old emperor appear. The old emperor was in his fifties. He was not considered old. However, the previous emperors of the Shen family were not old. They did not live past 30 years old. It was already rare for the person in front of him to live past 50 years old. The old emperor was dressed in loose civilian clothes. His temples were gray, and his eyes were wrinkled. His face was thin, and he had a white beard under his chin. The pce servants carefully helped him to the main seat. After he sat down, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan went forward to greet him. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty¡± The old emperor smiled at them. ¡°There¡¯s no need for formalities. Sit down, all of you.¡± After Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan sat down, the pce servants served tea and snacks. The old emperor first asked about their marriage, then changed the topic and asked about Yu Niaoniao¡¯s pregnancy. Yu Niaoniao was secretly d. Fortunately, she was prepared. She quickly stood up and exined solemnly. ¡°I only knew the duke just before I got married. We didn¡¯t have any rtionship before that. The fact that I¡¯m pregnant is nonsense.¡± The old emperor seemed to have known about this. Instead of being angry, he smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I¡¯ve already sent someone to investigate. I know that the pregnancy is a rumor. You and Duke Lang are innocent.¡± Yu Niaoniao realized that the emperor knew it was a rumor but still came to ask her about her pregnancy. He was clearly testing her. If she had said something wrong just now, her life would have been lost here, based on the emperor¡¯s habit of hating being deceived, Thinking of this, she was terrified. As the saying went, serving a ruler was like serving a tiger. The ancients did not lie. The old emperor was obviously pleased with Yu Niaoniao¡¯s honest reaction. He expressed his concern for her a little more before speaking. ¡°I still have something to discuss with Duke Lang. Go to the Empress Dowager¡¯s ce and sit for a while. The Empress Dowager has always wanted to see what the new Princess Consort of Duke Lang looks like.¡± Yu Niaoniao stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± She nced at Xiao Juan imperceptibly. Xiao Juan returned aforting look. Yu Niaoniao lowered her head and left respectfully. The old emperor set down his teacup, his smile fading. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re prepared to let Prince Min and his son go?¡± Chapter 178 - 178 Mixed Noodles 178 Mixed Noodles Xiao Juan answered truthfully. ¡°I¡¯ve already found out that the anti-government poetry case was done by Che Xuekun. Now that I¡¯ve indicted Che Xuekun, Prince Min and his son were wronged and should be released.¡± The old emperor looked at him steadily. His gaze was like a knife, extremely sharp. Xiao Juan could clearly feel that the old emperor was not in a good mood. It seemed the old emperor was not pleased with the results of Prince Min¡¯s acquittal. Back then, the old emperor had hinted to Xiao Juan to take the opportunity to punish Prince Min. It was best if Prince Min died in the prison of the Justice Department. However, Xiao Juan did not do as he was told. That pissed the old emperor off. He even suspected that Xiao Juan was secretly colluding with Prince Min. Otherwise, why would Xiao Juan protect Prince Min and his son? ¡­ . In the Express Dowager¡¯s Pce, Queen Mother Deng invited Yu Niaoniao to sit down and talk. Queen Mother Deng was in her seventies and her hair was all white. She did not have to work hard for government affairs. She slept early and woke up early every day. She received all kinds of expensive supplements. Her body was well maintained, and her face was rosy and lustrous. Her health was far better than the old emperor¡¯s. Queen Mother Deng looked Yu Niaoniao up and down and said kindly, ¡°So you¡¯re the eldest daughter of the Yu family. You¡¯re really beautiful. No wonder Duke Lang likes you.¡± Yu Niaoniao blushed. ¡°Your Majesty, you must be joking. Those are all nonsense.¡± Queen Mother Deng said, ¡°I¡¯ve lived for so long, what haven¡¯t I seen? Just by looking at your happy little appearance, I know that Prince Lang must treat you extremely well. Why is he treating you well? It¡¯s because he likes you.¡± Yu Niaoniao blushed and looked embarrassed. Seeing this, Queen Mother Deng did not tease her anymore and asked about something else. ¡°Is Xiuyan doing well at the Langjun Imperial Pce?¡± Yu Niaoniao replied obediently, ¡°Everything is fine with Granny Xiu Yan.¡± Empress Dowager Deng saw the confusion in her eyes and took the initiative to exin. ¡°Xiu Yan was originally someone who served me. After Xiao Juan was brought to the pce, I saw that there was no one to take care of him and pitied him. I sent Xiu Yan to take care of his daily life.¡± Yu Niaoniao understood. So that was what happened! She could not help but ask when she saw that Queen Mother Deng was quite easy to talk to. ¡°How did the Duke get taken to the pce?¡± Queen Mother Deng sighed. ¡°This is all Ni Yang¡¯s fault!¡± Yu Niaoniao knew that Princess Ni Yang was Duke Lang¡¯s biological mother, but she had never heard Duke Lang mention Princess Ni Yang, and Princess Ni Yang had never appeared in the Duke¡¯s Mansion. Even when Duke Lang got married, Princess Ni Yang did not say anything. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that the rtionship between the mother and son was very strained. Yu Niaoniao waited for a moment, but Queen Mother Deng did not say anything. She was about to ask more questions, but Empress Deng changed the subject. ¡°I heard that you grew up in Bashu. I¡¯ve never been to Bashu. How¡¯s that ce? Is there anything delicious and fun?¡± It was obvious that Queen Mother Deng did not want to continue talking about Princess Ni Yang. Yu Niaoniao could not ask shamelessly and could only say. ¡°Bashu is not as prosperous as the Imperial Capital, but there are many delicious things there. For example, tofu pudding. In the past, I used to eat a bowl of hot tofu pudding every morning in Bashu. There was also red oil handmade and mixed noodles. The taste was also very good¡­¡± At the mention of good food, she couldn¡¯t stop talking about so many delicacies. Although Queen Mother Deng was not a gluttonous person, she was a little tempted by her words. ¡°If only I could taste it.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately said, ¡°I can make a bowl of mixed noodles for you to try now.¡± Queen Mother Deng was surprised. ¡°You can cook?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°My mother¡¯s culinary skills are very good. I learned from her.¡± Her words were true. Madam Xie¡¯s culinary skills were indeed very good. If not for her memories before she transmigrated, she might not have been able topare to Madam Xie in culinary skills. There was a small kitchen in the pce. Empress Dowager Deng really wanted to try the Sichuan delicacies that Yu Niaoniao had mentioned, so she asked someone to bring Yu Niaoniao to the small kitchen. Yu Niaoniao rolled up her sleeves and started washing the peas. The first step in making the noodles was to boil the peas. The peas cooked in bone soup were soft and glutinous, and the soup was thick and smooth. She kneaded the flour into dough and buckled the bowl. Then there were the sauces. She chopped the pork and stir-fried it in hot oil. She added ginger, garlic, bean paste, soy sauce, chili, and other seasonings. After the dough had risen, she pulled it into thin noodles and cooked it in the pot. At the same time, she scalded two small vegetables. She pouredrd, chili oil, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and other condiments into a bowl before adding some dried sprouts and pouring them into the broth. Then she scooped out the noodles and small vegetables and ced them in a bowl. She spread a thickyer of meat sauce and peas and sprinkled a small handful of green onions. While she was stir-frying the sauce, the fragrance had already drifted out of the kitchen. Queen Mother Deng could not help but look over at the small kitchen. When Yu Niaoniao walked out with the bowl of noodles, Queen Mother Deng¡¯s gaze was immediately attracted by the bowl of mixed noodles. The imperial chefs in the pce sometimes made noodles, but they had never made noodles in this form. This was refreshing to Queen Mother Deng. Yu Niaoniao ced the noodles in front of her and reminded her. ¡°These noodles are a little spicy. Eat slowly.¡± She was worried that Queen Mother Deng could not eat spicy food, but without spicy noodles, there was no soul, so she could only put as little chili as possible. Queen Mother Deng smiled. ¡°I could eat spicy food when I was young. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m old now and have to pay attention to my stomach. My taste gradually faded.¡± She stirred the noodles evenly with her chopsticks. The thin noodles wrapped in a thick sauce immediately became even more tempting. Queen Mother Deng took a cautious taste. It was indeed a little spicy, but it was still eptable. The meat sauce was salty and fragrant, the peas were soft, and the noodles were chewy. The three werebined, and the taste could be said to be just right. Queen Mother Deng had eaten too much light food. When she asionally ate something heavy, she felt unexpectedly good. She was eating when she suddenly heard the pce servant enter to report. ¡°Your Majesty, Duke Lang is here to see you.¡± Queen Mother Deng put down her chopsticks reluctantly. ¡°Let him in.¡± After Xiao Juan finished discussing serious matters with the emperor, he waited for Yu Niaoniao for a long time. He was worried that something had happened to Yu Niaoniao at the Empress Dowager¡¯s ce, so he personally came to pick her up. He strode into the hall and saw that Yu Niaoniao was safe and sound. He could finally rx. ¡°Greetings, Empress Dowager.¡± Empress Dowager Deng noticed that he looked at Yu Niaoniao the moment he entered and immediately understood that he was here to pick up his wife. She couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°You haven¡¯t been apart long, and you¡¯re already anxious to pick her up.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Niaoniao is weak. I¡¯m worried about her.¡± Queen Mother Deng continued to smile. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect you to dote on your wife.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯ve embarrassed myself.¡± Empress Dowager Deng sighed. ¡°Time sure flies. Back when you were first brought to the pce, you were so young and skinny. I was afraid that I wouldn¡¯t be able to support you. I didn¡¯t expect you to grow so big in the blink of an eye and even have a family.¡± Chapter 179 - 179 Suspicion 179 Suspicion In the bedchamber, incense curled. The ministerial eunuch, Wei Huai En, helped the old emperor lie down. When everything was settled, Wei Huai En was about to withdraw when he heard the old emperor ask a question. ¡°Wayne, what do you think of the rtionship between Duke Lang and Prince Min?¡± Wei Huai En had served the emperor for many years and knew his nature well. For the emperor to ask such a question, he was clearly suspicious of Duke Lang. Wei Huai En was very cautious. ¡°I¡¯ve lived in the pce for a long time. I¡¯m not sure what happened between Duke Lang and Prince Min.¡± The emperor sighed. ¡°Yes. Like you, I wonder if they are in contact privately?¡± He and Prince Min were half-brothers, but they were not close. Over the years, Prince Min had been obsessed with the path of longevity and did not care about politics. The emperor was very satisfied with this. He could not wait for all his brothers to be like Prince Min and be obedient. But as he grew older and his physical condition deteriorated, the old emperor¡¯s paranoia grew. His brothers had be his main suspects. Prince Min was no exception. Although Prince Min looked like he was bent on seeking the Tao, who could tell what he was thinking? The emperor judged others by himself. If he were Prince Min, he would not be content to be an idle prince with no real power. He had originally wanted to use the anti-government poetry case to get rid of Prince Min. But things didn¡¯t go as nned. Not only did Xiao Juan not kill Prince Min, but he also helped Prince Min clear his name. That made the old emperor very unhappy. It also deepened his suspicions. Why didn¡¯t Xiao Juan kill Prince Min? Could it be that the two of them had already colluded in private? The old emperor said slowly, ¡°Have your spies ask around and see if there¡¯s any contact between Prince Lang and Prince Min.¡± Wayne answered respectfully. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡­ . Queen Mother Deng was old after all. She did not talk for long before showing fatigue. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan tactfully took their leave. After leaving the Changji Pce, the two of them walked along the long pce path. Xiao Juan was tall and had long legs. He walked faster than Yu Niaoniao. Unconsciously, he walked to the front. But soon he stopped and turned to Yu Niaoniao, waiting for her to catch up. After a few times, Yu Niaoniao hugged his arm and ced most of her weight on him. This way, Xiao Juan had no choice but to pull her along. Yu Niaoniao looked up at him. From this angle, she could see the man¡¯s jawline. She recalled what Empress Dowager Deng had said just now and could not help but ask. ¡°How long have you lived in the pce?¡± Xiao Juan replied indifferently. ¡°Ten years.¡± Yu Niaoniao eximed, ¡°Wow! It¡¯s been so long. You must be very familiar with the pce, right?¡± ¡°Although I live in the pce, I can¡¯t walk around. I¡¯ve never been to many ces in the pce, so I¡¯m not particrly familiar with them.¡± When Xiao Juan was first brought into the pce, his health was very poor. Not only was he skinny, but he was also sick. Even the imperial physician said that he might not live long. He had been recuperating for the past two years and had never stepped out of his room. When his body gradually recovered, he followed the other princes to Chongwen Hall to study. However, because he was too small at that time, the princes looked down on him. Some people even deliberately bullied him. This caused his personality to be even more dull. He did not like tomunicate with others, nor did he want to interact with the outside world. Other than going to sses at Chongwen Hall every day, he stayed in his residence and read. Yu Niaoniao was the opposite of him. She was curious about this world. Her greatest wish was to taste all the delicacies in the world and see all the good rivers and mountains. Yu Niaoniao shook his arm and said excitedly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what¡¯s in the pce. We don¡¯t live here anyway. If there¡¯s a chance in the future, let¡¯s go sightseeing together. The outside world is much more interesting than the inside of the pce!¡± Xiao Juan looked down at her. He could clearly see the anticipation in her eyes. His emotions were infected, and he felt some anticipation. ¡°Where do you want to y?¡± Yu Niaoniao stroked her chin and pondered. ¡°That depends on the season. If it¡¯s spring flowers, I want to go to the south to admire the flowers. If it¡¯s winter, I¡¯ll go to the north to see the snow.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of the cold?¡± Yu Niaoniao hugged his arm tightly and smiled sweetly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you here? I won¡¯t feel cold if I hug you.¡± Helplessness appeared in Xiao Juan¡¯s eyes. At this moment, two young pce maids passed by. They immediately stopped and bowed when they saw the Lang couple. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness and Princess Consort.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled at them, while Xiao Juan looked straight ahead. After Duke Lang and his wife left, the two pce maids dared to straighten up. They talked quietly as they walked. ¡°So that¡¯s the county princess. She¡¯s so beautiful!¡± ¡°She¡¯s really bold to get so close to Duke Lang. No wonder he likes her.¡± ¡°Did you see that? Duke Lang didn¡¯t even shake her off. He just let her cling to him. He doted on her too much!¡± ¡°Stop it. I¡¯m drooling with envy.¡± The two little pce maids sighed in unison. Sigh! Another day of crying over someone else¡¯s love. ¡­ . After Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan left the pce, they returned to the county pce in a carriage. The carriage moved smoothly down the street. Yu Niaoniao leaned against the car window and looked at the scenery on both sides of the street excitedly. The farther they got from the pce, the more shops and pedestrians there were on the streets. As the carriage passed a refreshment shop, she smelled the rich, sweet smell and quickly said, ¡°Stop the carriage!¡± The carriage pulled over. Yu Niaoniao said to Xiao Juan. ¡°I¡¯m going to buy some pastries. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Xiao Juan suggested that the Eagle Guards buy it for her. Yu Niaoniao muttered, ¡°But the Eagle Guards don¡¯t know what pastries I like. I¡¯ll buy them myself.¡± Xiao Juan had no choice but to let her be. Yu Niaoniao jumped out of the carriage and ran towards the snack shop. She paused as she brushed past someone. She subconsciously nced at that person. The other party was dressed ordinary and had an ordinary appearance. He looked like an ordinary passerby. The other party realized that she was looking at him and asked calmly. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°No, I mistook you for someone else.¡± She looked away and walked briskly into the refreshment shop. This was a new snack shop in the city. It was said that the snack chef came from Jiangnan and was very good at making snacks. Facing the dazzling array of snacks, Yu Niaoniao was dazzled. In the end, she simply waved her hand. Only children made choices. She wanted all of them! ¡°Give me a pound of each snack.¡± The clerk was overjoyed. This was a big client! He wrapped the pastry deftly. Yu Niaoniao paid and walked out with the heavy pastry. She had just walked out of the snack shop when she looked up and saw a familiar figure walking out of the rouge shop across the street. Looking closely, it was Yu Pingping! Chapter 180 - 180 Disappointment 180 Disappointment Yu Pingping was followed by a maidservant. They seemed to be hiding from someone as they walked quickly. At this moment, Xiao Juan had already gotten out of the car. He walked over to Yu Niaoniao and took the overly heavy pastry box from her. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s gaze was still on the opposite side of the street. A young man walked out of the rouge shop. With his height and long legs, he quickly caught up with Yu Pingping. Yu Pingping was forced to stop. She clearly did not want to talk to the young man, but he clung to her. Seeing that Yu Pingping was about to leave, the young man even reached out to pull her arm. In the end, she shook him off forcefully. A young man and woman pulling each other by the street quickly attracted the attention of the surrounding people. Yu Pingping was a girl, after all, so she could not help but panic. Yu Niaoniao said to Xiao Juan. ¡°Go back to the carriage. I¡¯ll watch the show over there.¡± With that, she walked across the street. When she got closer, she heard what Yu Pingping and the young man were saying. Yu Pingping clenched her fists and said firmly. ¡°I told you, I won¡¯t see Yang Xianrong again. I¡¯ve cut ties with her. Don¡¯t disturb me again!¡± With that, she twisted around and tried to leave in the other direction. Unexpectedly, when she turned around, she happened to see Yu Niaoniao walking over. Yu Pingping stopped in her tracks and called out in surprise. ¡°Sister, why are you here?¡± Yu Niaoniao walked up to her. ¡°I was passing by and bought some food.¡± She looked at Yu Pingping and the young man curiously. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yu Pingping exined softly, ¡°I ran out of rouge. I heard that this shop had new goods, so I wanted to take a look. I didn¡¯t expect to meet him.¡± She paused and introduced him in a quieter voice. ¡°His name is Yang Yi. He¡¯s Yang Xianrong¡¯s brother.¡± When the young man heard Yu Pingping call her sister, he immediately understood Yu Niaoniao¡¯s identity. He cupped his hands at Yu Niaoniao. ¡°I¡¯m Yang Yi. Greetings, Princess.¡± Yu Niaoniao sized him up. He was quite handsome and dressed very well. ¡°Why are you pestering my sister in broad daylight?¡± Yang Yi looked helpless. ¡°Princess Consort, you¡¯ve misunderstood. I¡¯m not pestering Pingping. I have something to tell her.¡± Hearing him call Yu Pingping by her name, Yu Niaoniao could not help but raise her eyebrows. ¡°You address her quite affectionately.¡± Yu Pingping¡¯s face immediately flushed red with embarrassment. She red at Yang Yi angrily. ¡°I¡¯ve already cut ties with Yang Xianrong. I won¡¯t have any more contact with your Yang family in the future, and don¡¯t call me by my name anymore!¡± Yang Yi begged, ¡°I¡¯m here to sincerely beg for your forgiveness. Can youe to my house to see Xianrong for the sake of our past rtionship? Xianrong has been sick for the past two days and her mental state is not good, but she still misses you and wants to see you again.¡± Yu Pingping¡¯s attitude was very firm. ¡°I¡¯ve already said many times that I¡¯ve cut ties with Yang Xianrong. I can¡¯t visit her again!¡± She had always been clear about her likes and dislikes. She would treat those who were good to her twice as well. She would never show any mercy to those who were bad to her. Yang Yi frowned. ¡°How did you be so heartless? You weren¡¯t like this before.¡± His words clearly hurt Yu Pingping and tears filled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve always been so heartless. You just didn¡¯t see it before!¡± Yang Yi looked disappointed. ¡°I thought you were a good girl who valued rtionships and a reasonable person. I thought that as long as I made things clear to you, you would understand. I didn¡¯t expect to be wrong about you. If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t havee to you.¡± Yu Pingping¡¯s defense was broken on the spot, and tears flowed down her face. She cried, ¡°Then don¡¯te to me! Go away. I never want to see you again!¡± More and more gazes gathered on Yu Pingping. Yang Yi shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ve disappointed me.¡± With that, he turned and left. However, Yu Niaoniao stopped him. ¡°Do you know why Pingping cut ties with Yang Xianrong?¡± Yang Yi said, ¡°It was just a quarrel. It¡¯s normal for friends to quarrel.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Yang Xianrong almost broke Pingping¡¯s head and even attacked me. If you call this a quarrel, I don¡¯t mind quarreling with you now.¡± Yang Yi argued, ¡°My father has already apologized. This matter should be over.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You¡¯re just going to flip the page? You¡¯re quite shameless.¡± Yang Yi was embarrassed. In his anger, he spoke without thinking. ¡°As a woman, you should be obedient. How can you be so sarcastic? Your father is filled with talent. Didn¡¯t he teach you what it means to be obedient?!¡± Yu Niaoniao retorted, ¡°As a seven-foot-tall man, you didn¡¯t serve the country, but you¡¯re being rude to a girl here. Didn¡¯t your father teach you what etiquette and honor are?!¡± Yang Yi was so angry that his cheeks turned red, but he did not know how to refute her. In the end, he could only say hatefully. ¡°Only women and viins are difficult to raise!¡± Although Yu Pingping was not knowledgeable, she knew that he was cursing. She was immediately furious and bared her teeth. ¡°Who do you think you are? How dare you scold my sister?!¡± Although she did not like her sister either and liked to scold her sister in her heart for no reason, no one else should be able to do that! Yu Niaoniao said calmly, ¡°No matter what, I¡¯m still the Princess Consort. It¡¯s not polite for you to attack me in public, right? Looks like I have to talk to my Prince and ask him to give a memorial and talk about this in front of the emperor.¡± These words reminded Yang Yi that there was still Duke Lang behind this woman. It was fine to offend her, but it would be terrible to offend Duke Lang! Thinking of the murderous Duke Lang and the Eagle Guards, Yang Yi¡¯s arrogance immediately subsided. He did not even have the confidence to speak. ¡°I won¡¯t lower myself to your level!¡± With that, he ran away with his tail between his legs. With one of the protagonists gone, there was nothing left to watch. The surrounding crowd quickly dispersed. Yu Niaoniao turned to look at Yu Pingping and could not help but click her tongue. ¡°Tsk tsk, look at how pitiful you are. Did you have any other thoughts about that Young Master Yang?¡± Yu Pingping was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She immediately exploded. ¡°I didn¡¯t! You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± Yu Niaoniao was not blind. If Yu Pingping was not interested in Yang Yi, why would she cry when she was used by him? Yu Niaoniaomented from the bottom of her heart. ¡°To be honest, you really don¡¯t have good taste.¡± Yu Pingping was exasperated. ¡°Shut up!¡± Chapter 181 - 181 Responding to Changes by Staying the Same 181 Responding to Changes by Staying the Same Yu Niaoniao was not the kind of person who insisted on poking at someone¡¯s wound. She raised her hands in surrender. ¡°All right, all right, I¡¯ll stop. Go home yourself. I¡¯m leaving.¡± Yu Pingping hurriedly stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t leave!¡± !! Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Yu Pingping clutched her handkerchief and squirmed. ¡°Thank you for earlier.¡± Yu Niaoniao rolled her eyes and asked gossipily, ¡°If you really want to thank me, tell me about what happened between you and Yang Yi. I¡¯m curious how you fell for him.¡± Yu Pingping didn¡¯t want to say. She was afraid of losing face. But the other party had just helped her, so she could not burn bridges. After much hesitation, she finally braced herself and spoke. ¡°It¡¯s a long story¡­¡± Yu Pingping used to go to the Yang family to y with Yang Xianrong. After some time, she got to know Yang Xianrong¡¯s brother, Yang Yi. Yang Yi was good-looking and gentle. Coupled with Yang Xianrong¡¯s instigation, Yu Pingping had a good impression of him. Yang Yi did not reject her goodwill. Whether it was their family background or their age and appearance, they were verypatible. Originally, Yu Pingping was already prepared to spend the rest of her life with him. Unexpectedly, her rtionship with Yang Xianrong suddenly copsed. This was a separate matter and had nothing to do with Yang Yi. Yu Pingping would not vent her anger on Yang Yi just because Yang Xianrong¡¯s character was bad. However, Yang Yi¡¯s actions just now were like a basin of cold water that drenched Yu Pingping¡¯s heart. As she spoke, the grievance welled up in her, making her want to cry again. She choked. ¡°I thought he was a good man, but he didn¡¯t care about me at all. He was only thinking about his sister and did not think about me at all. He just said that about me. As if I¡¯m to me. I was furious. What right does he have to say that about me? What right does he have!¡± She put a handkerchief to her face and sobbed. Yu Niaoniao did not expect her emotions to copse so quickly and hurriedlyforted her. ¡°Stop crying, stop crying. He¡¯s blind. You don¡¯t have to cry for him. It¡¯s not worth it.¡± Yu Pingping cried as she said, ¡°I know it¡¯s not worth it, but I still feel terrible.¡± Yu Niaoniao coaxed her for a long time before she was done. She wiped the tears from her face with a handkerchief, but her eyes were still red. Yu Niaoniao patted her shoulder and said earnestly, ¡°You¡¯re an excellent youngdy. There¡¯s absolutely no need to shed tears over a man. Get rid of this scumbag and you¡¯ll meet someone better in the future. There¡¯s still a long way to go. I want you to do well.¡± With that, Yu Niaoniao gently pushed her away. Yu Pingping took two steps forward. She turned back to look at Yu Niaoniao and saw her give her an encouraging smile. Yu Pingping was very touched and asked eagerly, ¡°What about you? Aren¡¯t youing with me?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯ll take the carriage.¡± With that, she strode across the street and got into the carriage. The carriage started and drove past Yu Pingping. Soon, it was far away. Yu Pingping, who had been thrown to the side of the road, was speechless. She murmured with a wooden expression, ¡°Did she fool me again?¡± The little maid beside her did not dare to respond. ¡®Aye, poor Second Miss.¡¯ ¡­ . In the carriage, Xiao Juan had already heard Yu Niaoniao tell him what had happened. He asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid your sister will throw a tantrum if you just leave her there?¡± Yu Niaoniao snorted. ¡°Previously, she made me eat raw eggnt, causing me to have diarrhea. Today, I¡¯ll teach her a lesson. Consider it paying her back for harming me previously.¡± If not for the food poisoning, she would not have been kidnapped by Che Xuekun so easily. She remembered it all! Xiao Juan did not say anything else. He remembered Yang Yi¡¯s name and nned to talk to Yang Yi¡¯s father about this tomorrow morning. Yu Niaoniao took a pastry from the box and ate it. ¡°There¡¯s something else. I suspect we¡¯re being followed.¡± Xiao Juan frowned. ¡°Who followed us?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°When I was looking at the roadside scenery in the carriage just now, I saw a man on the street. Later, when I went to the snack shop, I saw that man again. When I was talking to Yu Niaoniao and Yang Yi, that man was mixed in the crowd. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a coincidence.¡± That man had an ordinary appearance and was the type that would be lost in a crowd. If anyone else had seen it, they would probably forget. But Yu Niaoniao was different. She had a photographic memory and extraordinary observation skills. As long as she had seen someone, it was impossible to forget. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°What does that person look like?¡± Yu Niaoniao spoke as she recalled. ... ¡°He¡¯s probably disguised. He¡¯s very ordinary-looking, nothing special, but¡­¡± She deliberately dragged out the syble to keep him in suspense. She looked as if she was asking him if he really wanted to know. Xiao Juan was very supportive. ¡°What did you discover? I really want to know.¡± Only then did Yu Niaoniao continue. ¡°I found something. The man¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple was very inconspicuous. The beard was stuck on his mouth. There was something wrong with his voice. I guess he could have been a eunuch.¡± Xiao Juan quickly reacted. ¡°It¡¯s someone from the pce.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Why are the people from the pce following us?¡± Xiao Juan had alreadye to a conclusion. ¡°The emperor must be suspicious of me. He sent someone to keep an eye on us.¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the emperor¡¯s most trusted person?¡± Xiao Juan said indifferently, ¡°The only person the emperor trusts the most is himself.¡± ... ¡°What are you going to do next?¡± Xiao Juan said slowly, ¡°In this situation, the more we do, the more mistakes we make. It¡¯s best if we deal with all changes by remaining unchanged.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded, indicating that she understood. In the afternoon, Xiao Juan went to the Justice Department. The autopsy results on Che Xuekun hade back. Lo Pingsha spoke methodically. ¡°There are many wounds on the victim. He must have been tortured before he died. The fatal wound was the knife wound at the neck. It was deep and almost severed the neck bone. The incision was smooth. The person who did it was calm and cruel. He wasn¡¯t an ordinary person.¡± He took out a piece of paper and ced it in front of Duke Lang. ¡°This was found on his body. Please take a look.¡± Xiao Juan unfolded the paper. When he saw the contents of the paper clearly, his eyes froze. This was actually the border map of Liaodong County! Lo Pingsha said, ¡°This map is hidden in thepartment of his inner garment. He went to great lengths to infiltrate our country, presumably to obtain this border map.¡± Chen Country was close to Liaodong County. If this border map was leaked, the consequences would be unimaginable! Xiao Juan looked at the blueprint in front of him and fell into deep thought. The border map was an important secret of the Dayan Kingdom. If no one helped Che Xuekun, he would never have obtained this map. It seemed that the anti-government poetry case was just a fa?ade. There was a bigger conspiracy hidden underneath. Chapter 182 - 182 Beaten Up 182 Beaten Up In the prison of the Justice Department, Prince Miny weakly on the ground. Although he had not been tortured, he was in a very bad state of mind because of the shock. Not only had he lost a lot of weight, but he was also extremely haggard. When he was first locked up, he could still use his status as a prince to be fearless. He felt that no matter how overboard the Eagle Guards were, they would not dare to be ruthless to him. But as time passed, his confidence weakened. !! This cell was dark and damp. The air was filled with the smell of decay. Being locked up for a long time could make one¡¯s mind drift. Not to mention that the Eagle Guards interrogated prisoners every day. When the prisoners were taken away, they wailed and screamed. By the time they were sent back, they were so tortured that they didn¡¯t even have the strength to shout. Prince Min looked at them as if he could see his future self, and the fear in him grew. This kind of mental devastation was far more torturous than directly using punishment. He stared nkly at the wall, feeling as if he were on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Suddenly, the cell door was opened from the outside. Prince Min heard themotion and immediately sat up straight, looking nervously at the door. Lo Pingsha entered the cell. He still looked delicate and cute. There was still some baby fat on his baby face. He looked like an innocent and harmless young man. But Prince Min was trembling with fear. His eyes were filled with terror. He looked as if he had seen a ghost. ¡°W-what are you doing? I¡¯ve told you everything I know. Don¡¯te over!¡± Lo Pingsha did not approach him. He stood in the doorway and spoke coldly. ¡°You cane out now.¡± Prince Min thought he had misheard. His eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°What did you say?¡± Lo Pingsha repeated it patiently. ¡°The case is solved. The anti-government poetry case has nothing to do with you. You can go now.¡± These days, Prince Min dreamed of leaving this damn ce every day. Now that his dream had finallye true, he could not help but cry tears of joy like a 300-pound fatty. He practically scrambled out of the cell. But he hadn¡¯t run far when he stopped again. He suddenly remembered that his son was still imprisoned and asked anxiously. ¡°What about the Ah Xu? Where is he?¡± Lo Pingsha spoke calmly. ¡°He¡¯s been released. If you go out now, you should be able to see him outside.¡± Hearing this, Prince Min did not dy any longer and ran out. When he ran out into the yard, he saw his son. Shen Xu was supported by someone. He looked very sorry. He was disheveled and covered in wounds. Some of the wounds had festered, and he looked extremely miserable. But fortunately, he was still alive. Prince Min was furious. He demanded an answer. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already find out the truth and confirm that the anti-government poetry case has nothing to do with us? Why are you still torturing my son? You¡¯re abusing private punishment!¡± Lo Pingsha spoke slowly. ¡°The prince was nasty when he was questioned and refused to cooperate with us. We had no choice but to make him suffer.¡± Prince Min was exasperated, but he could do nothing to them. He could only rage helplessly. ¡°Just you wait! Sooner orter, I¡¯ll make you pay for what you did today!¡± But Lo Pingsha said. ¡°Don¡¯t wait for another day. Let¡¯s do it today. Since you secretly sent someone to kidnap the Princess, you have to ept punishment. ording to thew, attempted kidnapping will be punished with thirty strokes of the paddle.¡± Prince Min was immediately dumbfounded. He had actually forgotten about this! Seeing the Eagle Guards walking towards him, Prince Min turned pale with fear and shouted. ¡°You can¡¯t torture me. I¡¯m the brother of the current emperor!¡± However, no matter how he shouted and struggled, it was useless. He was pressed down on the bench and stripped off his pants. The heavy board fell on his butt again and again, causing him to scream in pain. Shen Xu wanted to save his father, but he could not even stand steadily now. Since he could not even protect himself, how could he save others? He could only watch as his father was beaten until his skin was torn. When the thirty strokes were finally over, Prince Min was only half alive. Now he didn¡¯t even have the strength to scream. He could only let the Eagle Guards drag him out. The scene of Prince Min and his son being carried out of the Justice Department fell into the spy¡¯s eyes. Soon, the news was sent to the pce. The old emperor had just finished drinking his medicine. When he heard this, he immediately asked. ¡°Did you witness Prince Min¡¯s torture?¡± Wei Huai En answered truthfully. ¡°Prince Min was flogged within the Justice Department. The Justice Department was heavily guarded, and the spies under him could not enter. But the spy saw Prince Min and his son being carried out with his own eyes. They were covered in wounds, especially Prince Min. He was beaten half to death. The spy then sneaked into Prince Min¡¯s residence and saw the injuries on Prince Min and his son with his own eyes. They were badly injured would need a few months to recover. ¡°I believe the Eagle Guards did not show mercy.¡± Wei Huai En paused, carefully observing the change in the old emperor¡¯s expression. The old emperor¡¯s frown eased a lot. He looked like he was in a good mood. ... So Wei Huai En went on. ¡°One of my spies also found out something.¡± The old emperor said calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡± ¡°Because Prince Min hated Duke Lang, he secretly sent someone to kidnap Yu Niaoniao. Fortunately, Yu Niaoniao was smart enough and dodged the attack.¡± Hearing him out, most of the old emperor¡¯s suspicions dissipated. It seemed that not only did Xiao Juan and Prince Min not collude, but they even had a deep grudge. The old emperor was pleased with the result. He smiled and instructed, ¡°Prince Min has suffered this time. Bring a royal physician to see him and treat his injuries well. Don¡¯t let him think that I have mistreated him.¡± Wei Huai En took the hint and responded, ¡°I¡¯ll arrange it now.¡± When Wei Huai En arrived at Prince Min¡¯s residence with the imperial physician, Prince Min and his father were still lying in bed, unable to get down. Prince Min was rather surprised to learn that the emperor had sent an imperial physician to treat his injuries. How could the emperor be so kind? Was there a trap? The imperial physician treated Prince Min¡¯s injuries seriously before retreating. He spoke respectfully to Prince Min, who was lying on the bed and unable to move. ¡°The emperor asked me to pass a message to you. He feels very guilty for making you suffer this time. He wants you to recuperate well. If you need anything in the future, please let me know. The emperor will definitely do his best to satisfy you.¡± ... Prince Min was skeptical, but he looked grateful. ¡°I am grateful for my brother¡¯s concern. After I recover, I will definitely enter the pce to thank him.¡± Wei Huai En exchanged a few more pleasantries with him, then excused himself. This matter quickly reached Xiao Juan¡¯s ears. Chapter 183 - 183 Was I Wrong? 183 Was I Wrong? Xiao Juan did not react, but Meng Xizhou was indignant. ¡°We tortured Prince Min and his son toplete the mission given by the emperor. But now, the emperor actually sent an imperial physician to treat Prince Min¡¯s injuries. In this way, we¡¯re cast as viins. Instead, the emperor has a good reputation for being tolerant and benevolent.¡± Xiao Juan nced at him with a cold and warning gaze. ¡°Shut up.¡± Meng Xizhou wanted to say something, but when he met the other party¡¯s gaze, he chickened out. He shut his mouth resentfully, afraid toin. After Meng Xizhou left, Xiao Juan sat alone in the study for a long time. He didn¡¯te out of the study until Yu Niaoniao knocked. It was dark and there was no entertainment in ancient times. Yu Niaoniao was about to sleep after taking a shower when Granny Xiu Yan found her. She said that Duke Lang had been in the study for a long time. She also said that Duke Lang had a habit of locking himself in his study whenever he was unhappy. Hence, Yu Niaoniao went to look for Duke Lang. She studied the man¡¯s expression, trying to read his current mood, but found nothing. This man put on a grumpy and handsome face all day and his expression did not change. It was harder to read anything from his face than to ascend to heaven. Yu Niaoniao went straight to the point. ¡°Are you in trouble? If you are, tell me. Perhaps I can help.¡± Xiao Juan looked down at her and was silent for a long time before speaking. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Seeing that he was unwilling to tell the truth, Yu Niaoniao was a little disappointed, but she did not ask further. She asked the question instead. ¡°Are you hungry? Let me cook you something.¡± When she was upset, she liked to cook or eat. Good food was the most soothing. Xiao Juan actually did not have much of an appetite, but he could not bear to reject the other party¡¯s kindness, so he agreed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you.¡± What was best for supper? Crayfish and skewers, of course. But there were no crayfish these days, so she could only make skewers. The ingredients in the kitchen were very rich. Yu Niaoniao chose some ingredients ording to Xiao Juan¡¯s taste. There was beef, mutton, bean rind, yellow croaker, beef tendons, pork belly, and various vegetables. She asked Dang Gui to wash the ingredients and put them on the bamboo sticks. While Dang Gui was packing up the ingredients, Yu Niaoniao took some rice that she had not finished in the evening, cracked two eggs, and made fragrant egg fried rice. Then, she found a metal te and mixed the chopped chives with sauce before stir-frying them. Soon, the fragrance of the hot-te chives spread out. Dang Gui swallowed her saliva. Yu Niaoniao distributed some chives and put them into a bowl. She also scooped a bowl of egg-fried rice. When Dang Gui was done packing the ingredients, she hugged her bowl and squatted at the side to eat the egg-fried rice and iron-te chives. No matter how many times she ate Miss¡¯s food, she felt that it was iparably delicious. She felt that she would never get tired of it. Yu Niaoniao ordered someone to burn a small stove, with barbed wire over it in the courtyard. Yu Niaoniao ced strings of ingredients on the barbed wire, brushed them with oil and sauce, and flipped them repeatedly. Xiao Juan sat beside her and looked at her quietly. The firelight shone on her face, giving her a warm, shallow glow. He suddenly remembered that the first time he had gone to the Yu residence to look for her, she had actually hidden in the house with Dang Gui to start a barbecue. The house was filled with smoke. Those who did not know better would think that the house was on fire. Startled, he rushed into the house. At this moment, when he thought of that scene, he could not help but smile. Even the gloom in his heart was dispelled. In the past, he had always felt that this woman was very unruly and never followed the rules. Now that he looked back, he realized that the times he spent with her were all filled with happiness. Not only did she live happily on her own, but she also brought happiness to those around her. Yu Niaoniao handed over the roasted beef and mutton and happened to see the fleeting smile on his face. She couldn¡¯t help but freeze and ask curiously. ¡°What are you smiling at?¡± Xiao Juan had already put away his smile and returned to his expressionless face. He took the skewer and replied calmly. ¡°Nothing.¡± Yu Niaoniao snorted. ¡°You¡¯re always like that.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°What did I do?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t tell me anything. It¡¯s not good to keep it bottled up.¡± Xiao Juan said slowly, ¡°It¡¯s useless even if I tell you things. It will only make you worry.¡± Yu Niaoniao pouted, very unhappy. ¡°You didn¡¯t even tell me. How do you know it¡¯s useless? Besides, even if I don¡¯t have the ability to help you solve the problem, I can at least apany you to face it. ... Don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re husband and wife now. We¡¯re bound together for good or ill.¡± Xiao Juan lowered his eyes and looked at the meat skewer in his hand. After a long silence, he slowly spoke. ¡°My mother and I did not have a good rtionship. She never cared about my life and let the servants in the residence bully me. To me, the Princess¡¯s residence was like hell. And I was in hell, living a life worse than death. Only after the Empress Dowager epted me into the pce did I have hope in my life. The Empress Dowager asked the Imperial Physician to treat my injuries. The emperor even arranged for me to study at Chongwen Pavilion. They saved me. I¡¯ve always been grateful to them.¡± Even though he knew the emperor was using him, he had noints. Yu Niaoniao listened attentively. She knew that Prince Lang and Princess Ni Yang had a bad rtionship, but she did not expect their rtionship to be so bad. She did not understand. Why was Princess Ni Yang abusing her biological child? That was a child she had painstakingly given birth to after ten months of pregnancy! Xiao Juan seemed to have seen the doubt in her heart. He smiled and mocked. ¡°My mother was different from other women. ... She was born to the empress and the only legitimate princess of the Dayan Dynasty. Her background was iparably noble. She loves food, and beauty. She loves to raise handsome men and enjoy a luxurious life. The only thing she doesn¡¯t love is her children.¡± With that, he opened his mouth and bit off a piece of beef. He chewed it slowly. The beef skewer was a little cold, but it was delicious. Yu Niaoniao asked carefully. ¡°Are you unhappy because you thought of the Eldest Princess?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°No.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Then why?¡± Xiao Juan looked at the charcoal on the stove and said in a low voice. ¡°The emperor saved me. I should do my best to repay him, but sometimes I wonder if I¡¯m doing the right thing.¡± Now, be it the officials of the Imperial Court or the citizens of the world, they all felt that he was an evil person. He was condemned by a thousand. Everything he said and did was a sin. Even he could not help but be suspicious. Was he really wrong? Chapter 184 - 184 Enlightened 184 Enlightened Looking at the man in front of her, Yu Niaoniao had a momentary illusion that she was looking at her former self. Back then, the Feng family burned down, and Feng Lianghan and the Xie family died tragically. She insisted that the fire had been deliberate, but no one believed her. Everyone felt that she had fallen into the trap of her own fabricated imagination because she could not ept the painful reality. But only she knew that she was not wrong. They had both chosen a lonely path. No one knew whaty at the end of the road. Yu Niaoniao ced the roasted skewers on a te. She picked up the sk and poured two sses. She spoke slowly. ¡°In the past, like the others, I felt that Your Highness and the Eagle Guards were a group of terrifying people who killed without batting an eyelid. When I heard the rumors about me and you in the capital, I was scared out of my wits. That night, I escaped with Dang Gui. Unfortunately, before we could escape far, we were captured by the patrolling soldiers and locked up. You know what happened after that. After spending some time with you, I realized that you are not as terrifying as the rumors say. You are fair and impartial. You have principles and a bottom line. You are more responsible than many officials. I¡¯m very d that the Dayan Dynasty has a prince like you.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her in a daze. The world hated and feared him. There were many people who cursed him to die quickly. This was the first time anyone had sincerely agreed with him. Yu Niaoniao stuffed the wine ss into his hand and smiled at him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what others think. What matters is that we know in our hearts that we did nothing wrong.¡± Even if the world did not believe her, even if the path ahead was lonely, she would not give up pursuing the truth. Because she knew she wasn¡¯t wrong. Xiao Juan looked down at the wine in his cup thoughtfully. Yu Niaoniao took a sip of wine. The rich and fragrant wine made her narrow her eyes involuntarily. She looked up at the stars and sighed sincerely. ¡°What a beautiful night!¡± Xiao Juan looked up. He nced at the stars overhead, then back at the girl. She smiled and said, ¡°The soldiers guard the border. You and the Eagle Guards guard thew. ¡°All of you, protect peace together.¡± Only when the world is peaceful can ordinary people like me sit here in peace and admire the night.¡± She looked away and looked at Duke Lang. At this moment, Xiao Juan felt that her eyes were even more dazzling than the starry sky. Yu Niaoniao raised her ss at him. ¡°Here¡¯s to my hero.¡± Xiao Juan felt like his heart was filled with something warm and swollen. There seemed to be a thousand words but no way to speak. Their sses clinked gently. As the wine entered his throat, thest of the haze in his heartpletely dissipated. Everything in front of him seemed to open up. Yu Niaoniao put down her wine ss and grabbed a handful of skewers to put on the fire. She spoke to the man. ¡°Hurry up and eat the skewers. They¡¯ll get cold if you don¡¯t.¡± Seeing that she had been busy but did not eat much, Xiao Juan reached out to take the skewer and said. ¡°I¡¯ll roast it. Go eat first.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not stand on ceremony. She picked up a roasted bean skin from the te and took a bite. She ate with relish. She didn¡¯t forget to guide him. ¡°It¡¯s time to brush the oil. Don¡¯t brush too much, in case it burns.¡± It was Xiao Juan¡¯s first time roasting meat, so his movements were inevitably a little clumsy. Fortunately, he was calm and unhurried. Thest skewer was quite decent. Yu Niaoniao tasted a small yellow croaker and praised. ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡± Xiao Juan was still roasting chicken wings. He replied without looking up, ¡°Oh.¡± Yu Niaoniao brought the small yellow croaker to his mouth. ¡°Try it too. It¡¯s really delicious.¡± She deliberately aimed the fish on the other side at the man. Xiao Juan hesitated for a moment before finally opening his mouth and biting off a piece of fish meat. The fish skin on the surface was roasted and crispy. The fish meat was very tender and fragrant. It was indeed quite delicious. As Yu Niaoniao ate, she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Your Highness to be so good at cooking.¡± ... Xiao Juan looked up at her and saw that she had finished the entire yellow croaker in a few bites. Even the ce where he had bitten had been eaten clean by her. She casually tossed the fish bones onto her empty te and noticed that the man had been watching her. She couldn¡¯t help but touch the corner of her mouth and ask. ¡°Did I get something on my mouth?¡± Xiao Juan looked away. ¡°I dipped it in chili powder.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly took out her handkerchief and wiped her lips. ¡°Anything more?¡± Xiao Juan said that it was gone. After eating and drinking their fill, the two of them returned to their rooms to sleep. Because she had drunk a lot of wine tonight, Yu Niaoniao woke up in the middle of the night. Dazed, she reached out and touched the man lying beside her. ... Xiao Juan woke up immediately. He asked what was wrong. Yu Niaoniao half-opened her eyes and said vaguely. ¡°I want to go to the toilet.¡± As she spoke, she crawled out. She ced her ws on Xiao Juan and moved her knees over his legs. But because it was too dark and she was half-asleep, she identally touched something she shouldn¡¯t. She did not feel anything, but it was tough on Xiao Juan. He wanted to say something, but he did not know how to speak. His expression was extremely forbearing. Yu Niaoniao finally crawled to the bed, but she identally fell to the ground. Xiao Juan was shocked. He quickly got out of bed and lit the oilmp. In the dim light, he saw Yu Niaoniao sprawled on the ground. Xiao Juan hurriedly helped her up. ¡°Where did you hurt yourself?¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes were half-open, and she still looked sleepy. She frowned and muttered. ¡°I need to use the toilet.¡± Seeing her dazed look, Xiao Juan was really worried and picked her up. He walked around the screen and ced Yu Niaoniao on the ground. He pointed at the toilet seat beside her. ¡°See? Take care of it yourself. I¡¯ll wait outside.¡± As soon as Xiao Juan let go, he saw Yu Niaoniao swaying and falling onto the toilet seat. He quickly helped her up. ¡°Can you do it?¡± Yu Niaoniao rubbed her eyes and tried to wake up. ¡°Sure, I can do it.¡± Xiao Juan slowly let go. Seeing that she was no longer staggering, he turned around and walked out. He waited outside for a long time, but Yu Niaoniao did note out. He was worried. ¡°Niaoniao, are you better?¡± There was no response. Xiao Juan called out twice more, but there was still no reaction. Finally, he could not hold it in anymore. He strode around the screen and saw Yu Niaoniao sitting on the ground. Her head was leaning against the side of the toilet seat. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was slightly open. She had actually fallen asleep! Fortunately, she already had her pants on. Xiao Juan sighed. What else could he do? Resigned to his fate, he picked her up and ced her back on the bed. Yu Niaoniao slept until dawn. After waking up, shepletely forgot about how she had touched himst night. Today was the day of her homing. Sister Xiuyan had already prepared her return gift. After breakfast with Xiao Juan, she brought gifts to the Yu Residence. Chapter 185 - 185 Disappointment 185 Disappointment Today was the day Yu Niaoniao returned home. Early in the morning, the people from the Yu Residence got busy. Yu Kangtai specially changed into a new set of clothes and dressed up energetically. Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping also prepared carefully. Only Mrs. Jiang was unhappy. Yu Kangtai noticed his wife¡¯s strange expression and was afraid that she would take things too hard again, so he quicklyforted her. ¡°If you feel ufortableter, you can go back to the house to rest. Leave the matters of entertaining Niaoniao and Duke Lang to me.¡± Unexpectedly, when Mrs. Jiang heard this, she felt even more ufortable. ¡°Master is in a hurry to chase me back. Do you think I¡¯m an eyesore?¡± Yu Kangtai frowned. ¡°Why are your thoughts so extreme? I asked you to go back and rest for your own good.¡± Mrs. Jiang did not say anything else, but she was still very depressed. She had thought that as long as Yu Niaoniao was married, everything would return to normal. However, things were not as she had expected. Even if Yu Niaoniao no longer lived at home, her family would still mention her often. It was fine with Yu Kangtai. After all, Yu Niaoniao was his first child. It was normal for him to pay more attention to her. However, Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping had crawled out of her stomach. Logically speaking, they should be on her side. However, these two heartless people also spoke up for Yu Niaoniao. Every time they mentioned Yu Niaoniao, they would smile. From the looks of it, they clearly liked Yu Niaoniao, their half-sister. This made Mrs. Jiang very ufortable. She felt alone in this house. In the past, she could still seek the help of her family, but now that the Jiang family had copsed, she did not even have a ce to rx and confide. And all of this was because of Yu Niaoniao! Mrs. Jiang cursed in her heart countless times. Why didn¡¯t the fire back then burn Yu Niaoniao to death? Why did she have to escape? The heavens were blind! Not only did the heavens let that girl survive, but she also climbed up the high branch of Duke Lang and be the Princess Consort. Then, Mrs. Jiang thought that with Duke Lang¡¯s cruel personality, Yu Niaoniao would definitely not have a good life after marrying him. She might even be tortured by Duke Lang. Mrs. Jiang had heard that many people outside did not think highly of Yu Niaoniao and Duke Lang. They felt that Duke Lang was not serious about Yu Niaoniao. After the novelty passed, Yu Niaoniao would be despised. Thinking of this, Mrs. Jiang couldn¡¯t help but smile. She spoke with the heart of a spectator. ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry about me. I feel quite good now. It¡¯s rare for Niaoniao toe back. I¡¯ll definitely treat her and Duke Lang wellter. I won¡¯t make things difficult for you.¡± Later, she would definitely admire Yu Niaoniao¡¯s pitiful appearance after being tortured. No matter how cunning that girl was, wouldn¡¯t she be taught a lesson by the murderous Duke Lang?! Yu Kangtai did not know what his wife was thinking. Seeing that Mrs. Jiang was smiling and seemed to be in a good mood, he was relieved. ¡°It¡¯s good that you think that.¡± The butler had been waiting at the door. When he saw the Duke Lang¡¯s carriage, he immediately urged his servant to inform his master. Soon, Yu Kangtai rushed over with Yu Sheng. They bowed to Duke Lang. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°Father-inw, there¡¯s no need to be so polite.¡± Yu Kangtai stepped aside and said, ¡°Pleasee in.¡± He sighed inwardly. In the past, he had never dreamed that the famous Duke Lang would one day be his son-inw. This was really a matter of life and death! Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan sat down in the central room. At this moment, Mrs. Jiang also brought Yu Pingping over. They bowed to Duke Lang. When she got up, Mrs. Jiang deliberately nced at Yu Niaoniao. She had thought that she would see Yu Niaoniao¡¯s pale and dejected face, but she was disappointed. Not only did Yu Niaoniao not be dejected, but her appearance became even more charming than before. Her face was red and lustrous. It was obvious that she had been living well in the Langjun Imperial Pce these few days. Mrs. Jiang was disappointed, and she suddenly felt resentful. Why was her family suffering while Yu Niaoniao, the culprit, could live so freely? Xiao Juan had solved countless cases and was very sensitive to negative emotions. He immediately felt Mrs. Jiang¡¯s abnormality and nced at her coldly. Mrs. Jiang was frightened and hurriedly lowered her head. She gripped the handkerchief tightly and led Yu Pingping to a chair on the other side. Yu Kangtai looked at Yu Niaoniao and asked what he was most worried about. ¡°Did you cause any trouble in Langjun Imperial Pce these few days?¡± He was really afraid of Yu Niaoniao¡¯s ability to cause trouble. He was afraid that she would still do whatever she wanted after marrying Duke Lang. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°No, I¡¯m very obedient.¡± After saying that, she did not forget to wink at Duke Lang. ¡°Don¡¯t you agree, Baby?¡± Xiao Juan nodded calmly. ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Kangtai thought he had misheard and could not help but ask. ¡°What did you call him?¡± Yu Niaoniao replied crisply, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s Baby.¡± Even though Yu Kangtai was already the father of three children, he could not help but blush. However, in front of his children, he had to pretend to be calm and reprimand her in a low voice. ¡°Nonsense! How can you be so disrespectful?¡± Yu Niaoniao snorted. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? The Duke is my husband. It¡¯s justifiable for me to call him Baby. Anyway, I¡¯m not calling any other man. What right do you have to say that I don¡¯t have dignity?¡± ... Seeing that she was getting more and more out of hand, Yu Kangtai immediately raised his voice. ¡°How dare you talk back?!¡± Mrs. Jiang hurriedly said, ¡°Master, don¡¯t be angry. She¡¯s still young. It¡¯s normal for her to be naive.¡± This was undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire. Yu Kangtai was even angrier. ¡°She¡¯s already married and not a child anymore. Can¡¯t she think before she speaks and does things in the future?!¡± Yu Niaoniao did not want her homing to be another farce. She simply shut up and turned her head to look elsewhere. Seeing her unconvinced look, Yu Kangtai wanted to lecture her again. Before he could say anything, he heard Duke Lang speak. ¡°Niaoniao is innocent and cute. That¡¯s good. She doesn¡¯t need to change anything.¡± Yu Kangtai advised earnestly. ¡°This girl has been wild since she was young. If you don¡¯t beat her up in three days, she will tear down the roof. Her mother had not disciplined her well and had raised her to be willful. You must not spoil her. You must discipline her well. Otherwise, who knows how much trouble she will cause in the future!¡± ... Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°Is that so? But I think my mother-inw raised her very well. She¡¯s sincere, kind, smart, cheerful, casual, and open-minded. She has countless good points.¡± When Mrs. Jiang heard him mention mother-inw, she knew that he was referring to Madam. Xie and not her stepmother. She felt even more depressed and could not help but retort. ¡°Since you like her, you naturally think that she¡¯s good at everything. But that¡¯s not the case in the eyes of outsiders. If you really want the best for her, you can¡¯t spoil her.¡± Chapter 186 - 186 I Like it so Much 186 I Like it so Much Yu Kangtai agreed with Madam Jiang¡¯s words. As the saying went, the deeper one¡¯s love was, the longer they should n. The more he liked someone, the more he had to n for her long-term. In the end, Duke Lang was still too young. Xiao Juan took in the couple¡¯s performance. How could he not see what they were thinking? !! Madam Jiang looked kind on the outside but was evil on the inside. On the surface, she pretended to be good, but she was actually stirring up trouble. Yu Kangtai was rotten and inflexible, but he was still self-righteous. He put on the airs of a father all day long, but he had never really believed in Niaoniao. He was always nagging about all the things that cannot be done. From this, it could be seen how Yu Niaoniao had lived in the Yu Residence previously. If Yu Niaoniao¡¯s personality had been any weaker, she would have probably lost herself today andpletely be a puppet in their hands. When Xiao Juan thought of this, he felt even more disgusted with this couple. Even the expression on his face became colder. He asked coldly, ¡°What does it have to do with me what outsiders think?¡± Madam Jiang choked. He was too arrogant when he spoke to her, but she could not refute him. Yu Kangtai hurriedly helped his wife find a way out. ¡°You can¡¯t say that. You have a noble status, Your Highness, so you naturally don¡¯t have to care about others¡¯ opinions. However, Niaoniao is a woman after all¡­¡± Xiao Juan interrupted him. ¡°I¡¯m a duke, so Niaoniao¡¯s the Princess Consort. Her status is as noble as mine. If anyone feels that she¡¯s bad, they could tell me. I don¡¯t mind teaching them how to behave.¡± When he said this, his gaze rested on Madam Jiang, who instantly felt guilty. Not to mention her, even Yu Kangtai was very afraid. When Duke Lang said to teach a person a lesson, did he mean to kill him so that he could quickly reincarnate and be a new person in his next life? This time, the couple was so frightened that they stopped talking. Yu Niaoniao stole a nce at the man beside her and could not help but smile. Xiao Juan noticed her gaze and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled sweetly at him. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re really impressive today. I like it so much.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. Aye, that¡¯s distressing. She¡¯s wheedling again. Seeing that the situation was a little awkward, Yu Pingping wanted to ease the atmosphere and took the initiative to start a topic. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful day. The sun is shining and there are many flowers blooming in the garden. Why don¡¯t we go for a walk and admire the flowers?¡± But Yu Niaoniao remembered something else. ¡°I¡¯d rather visit Gray than admire the flowers. I was in such a hurry when we got married that I forgot about it.¡± Hearing her mention Gray, the expressions of everyone in the Yu Residence immediately became indescribable. Only Xiao Juan remained calm. He only knew that Yu Niaoniao raised a donkey, but he did not know that she had named it Gray. Yu Pingping gave an awkward but polite smile. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry. Gray is being taken care of. Let¡¯s go admire the flowers for now.¡± It was obvious that she really did not want to talk about the donkey at this time. However, Yu Yingying refused to follow her script. ¡°You guys go look at the flowers. I¡¯ll check on Gray.¡± Seeing that she was really leaving, Yu Pingping quickly stood up. ¡°If you leave, what will happen to His Highness?¡± Duke Lang was infamous and terrifying. It was fine if Yu Niaoniao was here. At least there was someone to help buffer the murderous aura on Duke Lang. However, if Yu Niaoniao left, they would have to face Duke Lang directly. Just thinking about that scene made their scalps tingle. Yu Niaoniao clearly did not understand what the other party meant and asked nkly. ¡°Do you mean for me to take His Highness down to see Gray?¡± Yu Pingping was shocked and hurriedly denied it. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± How could someone like Duke Lang deign himself to see a donkey in the horse shed? However, in the next moment, she heard Duke Lang ask. ¡°Is Gray your pet?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Duke Lang stood up. ¡°Since it¡¯s your pet, I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± This time, it was not only Yu Pingping who was panicking. Yu Kangtai dissuaded hesitantly. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± Duke Lang asked coldly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ... Yu Kangtai immediately dared not speak. Yu Niaoniao held Duke Lang¡¯s hand and said happily. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry.¡± When they went out, the others looked at each other. Yu Pingping asked carefully. ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Madam Jiang was in a bad mood, and her tone was not good. ¡°If you ask me, I should have killed that donkey long ago. It would have saved Yu Niaoniao from always thinking about that donkey.¡± Yu Sheng frowned. ¡°That donkey was raised by my sister. We can¡¯t kill it.¡± Yu Pingping nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. What did the little donkey do wrong? Why did you kill it?¡± Seeing that her children were siding with outsiders, Madam Jiang was even angrier. ... ¡°Have you forgotten what you promised me? Whatever I tell you to do, you¡¯ll do it.¡± Yu Pingping argued quietly. ¡°That depends on the situation.¡± Yu Sheng also said, ¡°If you¡¯re right, we¡¯ll naturally do as you say, but if you¡¯re wrong, we can¡¯t follow blindly.¡± Madam Jiang pointed at them. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m wrong?¡± Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping fell silent. A child does not speak of his mother. They could not say anything bad about their mother, but they were unwilling to go against their conscience. They could only answer with silence. Madam Jiang was greatly injured and her eyes turned red. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for the sake of this family. Otherwise, why would I make things difficult for a donkey? Forget it, do whatever you want. I¡¯m tired. I¡¯ll go back to my room to rest.¡± With that, she flicked her handkerchief and turned to walk out. As soon as she left, the atmosphere in the room became even more oppressive. Seeing that his children were unhappy, Yu Kangtaiforted them. ¡°Your mother hasn¡¯t been in a good mood recently. Give in to her more. She¡¯ll be fine after a while.¡± Yu Sheng pursed his lower lip. As children, it was only right for them to respect their parents, but their parents should also be reasonable. Her mother had be more and more paranoid recently. It was impossible to reason with her. She felt that the entire world was against her and that she could notmunicate them properly. Yu Pingping had simr thoughts. Yu Kangtai sighed. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not talk about these troublesome matters. Sheng¡¯er and I will apany Duke Lang to the study to chatter. I¡¯ll leave Niaoniao to Pingping.¡± Logically speaking, the mistress of the household should be in charge of entertaining the women. However, it was obvious that Madam Jiang was not in the mood to entertain Yu Niaoniao. Therefore, this matter could only be reced by Yu Pingping. Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping nodded in agreement. Chapter 187 - 187 Pet 187 Pet The Yu Residence¡¯s horse shed was very clean. Other than the smell, everything was fine. Gray was well taken care of. It was plump and muscr, and his fur was glossy. It hadrge, watery eyes and long, upturned eyshes. But this could not hide the fact that it was a donkey. Xiao Juan looked at it expressionlessly. !! ¡°Is this your pet?¡± Yu Niaoniao hugged Gray¡¯s neck and smoothed his fur as she answered. ¡°That¡¯s right! Look at it. It¡¯s so cute!¡± Xiao Juan fell into a deep silence. He¡¯d thought Gray would be a gray cat or dog, or at least a bird. Why did it have to be a donkey? Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Gray, I haven¡¯t seen you for a few days. Did you miss me?¡± The donkey seemed to understand her. It brayed at her and rubbed its head against her face. Seeing this, Xiao Juan felt a little jealous. He had not even brush against Yu Niaoniao¡¯s cheek so intimately. He was actually worse than a donkey. Yu Niaoniao began to imagine the future. ¡°When I bring Gray back, we can travel the world together!¡± Xiao Juan reminded expressionlessly, ¡°Without the permission of the Imperial Court, you¡¯re not allowed to carry weapons on you. If you want to travel the world with a sword, you¡¯ll be arrested before you leave the city gate.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. This person was so annoying. She groaned. ¡°Then I can always ride it to the Justice Department every day, right?¡± Xiao Juan felt that she could not. Previously, she had taken a carriage to the Justice Department with him. If she rode a donkey, they would not be able to ride in the same car again. That way, they would have fewer chances to be alone. However, Xiao Juan could not find a reason to reject her. He pondered in his heart. In the future, he had to enact aw. All transportation in the capital had to be reported to the Imperial Court. They had to obtain a pass before they could officially go on the road. Animals like Gray would have to stay at home obediently without a pass. ¡­ . After Madam. Jiang returned to the house, the more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She had given birth to Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping and had even spent more than ten years serving Yu Kangtai. Logically speaking, they were the real family. But they were all on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s side. Madam Jiang was both angry and aggrieved. She missed the past. At that time, Yu Niaoniao had yet to appear and their family was living peacefully. Last time, she had relied on hanging herself to make the family surround her. That was when she felt like she was back in the past. But that feeling didn¡¯tst long. She was beaten back to reality. It seemed that she could not get what she wanted just by acting pitiful. Madam Jiang thought about it and quickly came up with a n. She summoned her most trusted maid. ¡°Chun Xing, I need you to do something.¡± Seeing Madam Jiang¡¯s serious expression, Chun Xing knew that the matter she wanted her to do was definitely not simple, so she perked up and replied. ¡°Please tell me, Madam.¡± Mrs. Jiang whispered in her ear. After hearing this, Chun Xing looked very uneasy. ¡°Madam, are you sure you want to do this? Missy is different from before. She¡¯s already the County Princess now. We can¡¯t provoke her, right?¡± Mrs. Jiang was very confident. ¡°Look at you. So what if she¡¯s the Princess Consort?Our Dayan Dynasty rules with filial piety. Even though I¡¯m her stepmother, I¡¯m still her mother. She has to respect me. Otherwise, she would be unfilial. When the rumors spread, I won¡¯t have to do anything. The spit of the world will drown her.¡± Chun Xing was still a little hesitant. ¡°But there¡¯s still Duke Lang. What if he wants to pursue it to the end?¡± Mrs. Jiang snorted. ¡°He¡¯s very powerful, but it¡¯s not as exaggerated as the rumors say. Back then, when the rumors in the capital city spread that he and Yu Niaoniao were engaged, he did not find out anything. He was unable to investigate the original rumor. It will be the same this time.¡± These wordsforted Chun Xing. She nodded in response. ¡°I¡¯ll do it now.¡± The fewer people who knew about this, the fewer. Therefore, Chun Xing could not let others help her and could only do it herself. She changed into clothes that she had never worn before and walked in a ce with fewer people. She quietly slipped out of the Yu Residence through the back door. She thought no one was aware of her whereabouts, but little did she know that from the moment she stepped out the back door, she was being watched by the Eagle Guards, who were hiding in the shadows. ... First, there was a rumor from the Yu Residence that Yu Niaoniao was engaged to Duke Lang and got pregnant before marriage. Then, Yu Niaoniao was quietly kidnapped from the Yu Residence. Two things in a row made Xiao Juan suspect the people in the Yu Residence. Hence, he got the Eagle Guards to secretly keep an eye on the Yu Residence to see what demons and ghosts were hidden in this residence. Chun Xing made her way easily to a dpidated house and knocked on the door. Before she knocked, she didn¡¯t forget to cover half her face with a handkerchief. The door was opened by a middle-agedyabout. He did not recognize Chun Xing at first until she spoke. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± The idler finally understood. ¡°It¡¯s you. Come in and talk.¡± Chun Xing knew what this person was like. He ate, drank, and gambled. He usually did everything but did not do anything serious. The neighbors hated him. She didn¡¯t want to go through his door in case he took advantage of her. ... ¡°I¡¯m not going in. Let¡¯s just stand here and talk.¡± The idler smiled. ¡°Alright, what do you want me to do this time?¡± Chun Xing looked around and confirmed that there was no one around before whispering. ¡°It¡¯s very simple. Just likest time, you just have to go out and gossip about how the eldest daughter of the Yu family is domineering and disrespectful. Before she got married, she forced her mother to hang herself.¡± The idlerughed impolitely. ¡°Yo, the eldest daughter of the Yu family is really impressive. First, she had an affair with Duke Lang, and now she forced her mother to die. Tsk tsk tsk, this woman has some ability!¡± Chun Xing could not be bothered to waste her breath on him. She handed over two heavy silver ingots. ¡°This is your payment. Take it.¡± The idler chuckled. ¡°I can earn so much money just by spreading a few rumors. Don¡¯t forget me if such a good thing happens again in the future.¡± He reached for the silver ingot and deliberately touched the back of her hand. Chun Xing was disgusted by his wretchedness. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± She was about to retract her hand when she suddenly saw an Eagle Guard descend from the sky. The Eagle Guard grabbed Chun Xing¡¯s arm with one hand and pulled out his saber with the other. The de was ced at the idler¡¯s neck. ¡°Don¡¯t move. The Justice Department is handling a case!¡± The deration made their knees weak. The idler was the first to react and immediately knelt down to beg for mercy. ¡°Spare me, sir. It has nothing to do with me. I don¡¯t know anything. She instructed everything. If you want to arrest her, go ahead!¡± Chun Xing tried to escape, but her arm was grabbed tightly. She opened her mouth to bite the Eagle Guard¡¯s hand, but he twisted her arm instead. With a crack, Chun Xing¡¯s arm was dislocated. She screamed in pain. Chapter 188 - 188 Heaven’s Will 188 Heaven¡¯s Will Yu Pingping came to look for Yu Niaoniao and invited her to tea. Yu Niaoniao happened to be a little thirsty, but given the precedent of thest food poisoning, she was very cautious this time. ¡°You didn¡¯t make the tea, did you?¡± Yu Pingping¡¯s face darkened. !! She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°The maid made the tea and the pastry chef made the snacks. I didn¡¯t touch any of it. Are you relieved?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded in satisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Yu Pingping¡¯s fists hardened. Her sister was really asking for a beating! The sisters went to the gazebo for tea and flowers. Xiao Juan was led to the study by the butler. Yu Kangtai and Yu Sheng were already waiting there. Yu Kangtai took out the antique calligraphy and paintings that he had prepared and invited Duke Lang to admire them together. In fact, Xiao Juan was not very interested in antique calligraphy. Most of the time, Yu Kangtai talked non-stop. Yu Sheng nodded in agreement, and Xiao Juan listened quietly. Seeing that it was almost noon, the butler came to remind them that it was time for lunch. Yu Kangtai put down the painting and brought his men to the dining hall. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao and Yu Pingping had also arrived at the dining hall. The table was filled with dishes, most of which were stews. There were only two stir-fry dishes, and they were ced in the center. The ingredients were quite good, and there was nock of expensive ingredients. It was obvious that the Yu Residence had spent a lot of effort and money to prepare this banquet. As the mistress, Madam Jiang couldn¡¯t hide anymore. She was helped into the dining room. Yu Pingping and Yu Sheng heaved a sigh of relief when they saw that their mother had calmed down. No matter what her mother was thinking, she could at least finish this meal properly today. Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t go as nned. They had only taken two bites of their food when Meng Xizhou walked in and whispered in Duke Lang¡¯s ear. Yu Niaoniao was close enough to hear a few words. She thought it was official business, so she didn¡¯t think too much about it and continued eating. But in the next moment, she heard the man beside her say, ¡°Father-inw, the Eagle Guards just caught a suspicious person. After interrogating her, they found out that she was a maidservant from your Yu Residence.¡± Everyone at the table was stunned and turned to look at Duke Lang. Even Yu Niaoniao reluctantly lowered her chicken wings and pricked up her ears, preparing to listen to the follow-up plot. Madam Jiang had a bad feeling. She pretended to be calm. ¡°The maidservants in our Yu Residence are very honest. They can¡¯t possibly do anything illegal. Is there a misunderstanding?¡± Xiao Juan looked at her and asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t even said who that maidservant is. How do you know that there¡¯s a misunderstanding?¡± Madam Jiang choked. Yu Kangtai hurriedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s the name of that maidservant? Tell me and I¡¯ll get someone to investigate.¡± Xiao Juan nced at Meng Xizhou. Meng Xizhou understood and answered truthfully. ¡°That maidservant is called Chun Xing. She said that she¡¯s with Madam Jiang.¡± Madam Jiang¡¯s face instantly turned pale, while the others turned to look at her. Even someone like Yu Kangtai, who did not care much about the matters in the backyard, knew that Chunxing was a maidservant Madam Jiang had brought from her maiden family. Madam Jiang trusted her very much. Yu Kangtai was in disbelief. He asked with hisst hope. ¡°Where¡¯s Chun Xing? Tell her toe out.¡± As long as Madam Jiang could call Chun Xing out now, it would mean that the ¡°Chun Xing¡± that the Eagle Guards had captured was fake. However, Madam Jiang shook her head. ¡°Chunxing is not in the residence.¡± Yu Pingping asked impatiently, ¡°Where did she go?¡± Being caught by the Eagle Guards was not a small matter. If they were not careful, it would implicate the entire Yu Residence. Madam Jiang¡¯s heart was filled with fear and unease but she forced herself to calm down. The more critical the moment, the less she should panic. She did not have to worry about Chun Xing betraying her. After all, Chun Xing¡¯s indenture was still in her hands. As long as Chun Xing did not tell the truth, the Eagle Guards would have no evidence. She would just deny it. No matter what, she was still Duke Lang¡¯s mother-inw and his elder. He had to have some scruples. Thinking of this, Mrs. Jiang had a n. She spoke unhurriedly. ¡°She said she wasn¡¯t feeling well and wanted to go out to see a doctor. Logically speaking, she should be back by now, but I do not know why I had not seen her. I was also wondering what was wrong with her. The prince said that the Eagle Guards had captured her. May I ask what she had done?¡± Xiao Juan had seen many suspects and could see Madam Jiang¡¯s thoughts clearly. This kind of person would not shed tears until they saw their doom. He raised his right hand. ¡°Bring her in.¡± Meng Xizhou turned and went out the door. Seeing this, Mrs. Jiang¡¯s heart was in her throat. She kept her eyes on the door. In the next moment, she saw Meng Xizhou drag in two half-dead people. They were a man and a woman. The woman was Chun Xing. ... She was lying on the ground covered in wounds. Even though she had been washed, blood was still seeping out of her wounds. She looked extremely miserable. The man beside him was not much better. Every piece of flesh on his body was twitching in pain. He still did not forget to beg for mercy. ¡°Please, let me go. I¡¯ll talk. I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡± Faced with this image, everyone at the table lost their appetite. Madam Jiang¡¯s hand, hidden under the table, gripped her handkerchief tightly, feeling uneasy. Initially, she was very confident that Chun Xing would not dare betray her. But now that she saw Chun Xing being beaten up, her confidence was gone. At this moment, a ve contract was nothing to Chun Xing. It was more important to survive. Yu Kangtai could not bear to see this bloody scene. ¡°Your Highness, what are you doing?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°Seeing is believing. I¡¯ll let you hear Chun Xing¡¯s confession with your own ears now and see what she wants to do by sneaking out today.¡± Chun Xing looked up with difficulty. She looked at Madam Jiang, who was sitting at the table, her eyes filled with pleading. She was asking Madam Jiang for help. However, Madam Jiang looked at her warningly and threatened her not to speak nonsense. Thest hope in Chun Xing¡¯s heart was extinguished. What emanated from her eyes immediately was a strong hatred. ... She had followed Madam Jiang for many years and was loyal to her. No matter what dirty work it was, she was willing to help Madam Jiang In the end, she even sacrificed herself. However, Madam Jiang had no intention of saving her. She could have at least spoken up for her but she didn¡¯t. She was really heartless to the extreme! Meng Xizhou knelt down and pressed one hand against Chun Xing¡¯s wrist, forcing her fingers apart. He held the knife in his other hand, the de aimed at her fingers. ¡°I¡¯ll ask once. If you don¡¯t tell the truth, I¡¯ll chop off one of your fingers. If you don¡¯t tell me the second time, I¡¯ll chop off another finger until you tell me where it is. Let¡¯s see if you canst through all your fingers.¡± Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Chun Xing spoke without hesitation. ¡°Madam asked me to go out to Zhao San. She wanted Zhao San to spread rumors about the County Princess in the capital and ruin her reputation.¡± Chapter 189 - 189 Inverting the Truth 189 Inverting the Truth Yu Kangtai suddenly stood up and scolded. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± Yu Pingping was very angry and reprimanded indignantly. ¡°My mother treats you so well usually. No matter what you eat or wear, you have the best among the maidservants. She¡¯s never mistreated you. Why did you frame her like this? What are your intentions?!¡± !! Even Yu Sheng, who was usually the gentlest, frowned with dissatisfaction. ¡°If you¡¯re unhappy with our family, you can just say so. There¡¯s no need to y such tricks.¡± Madam Jiang was first surprised, then her eyes turned red, looking very sad. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief and sobbed. ¡°Chun Xing, I usually treat you well. Why are you saying such things?¡± Chun Xing coughed out a mouthful of blood and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. If I have told even half a lie, let me be struck by lightning and die a horrible death.¡± She would not have done it without full confidence. On the other hand, Yu Pingping and Yu Sheng were speechless. Yu Kangtai had been in the bureaucracy for many years and was not frightened by these few words. He said in a low voice, ¡°Everything has to be based on evidence. We can¡¯t just listen to your side of the story.¡± Chun Xing said, ¡°I have the money Madam gave me. She asked me to give it to Zhao San.¡± Meng Xizhou took out two heavy silver ingots and ced them on the table. Yu Kangtai nced at the two silver ingots. ¡°All silver ingots look the same. What makes you think that they were given to you by Madam? This item can¡¯t be used as evidence.¡± Xiao Juan said calmly. ¡°This matter is simple. The money in the Yu Residence is calcted. We just have to check all the money in the residence to see if the numbers match. These two big silver ingots are worth at least twenty taels. Even an official family like the Yu family could not lose 20 taels of silver for no reason. If there was a deficit, the mistress of the household would definitely have to give an exnation.¡± Madam Jiang¡¯s heart tightened as her thoughts raced. What was she going to do? Yu Pingping muttered softly, ¡°What if Chun Xing is dirty and stole our money?¡± Madam Jiang immediately looked troubled, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated. Seeing this, Yu Kangtai hurriedly asked. ¡°Is there something you can¡¯t say? It doesn¡¯t matter. The children and I are here. If you have anything, just say it. We¡¯ll back you up.¡± Madam Jiang seemed to have been encouraged and spoke carefully. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t want to say it. After all, this concerns Chun Xing¡¯s reputation. But at this point, I couldn¡¯t care less. Chun Xing had stolen my jewelry before. I¡¯d knocked her around a little after I found out. At the time, she¡¯d sworn she wouldn¡¯t do it again. I believed her and let it go.¡± Yu Pingping said anxiously, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us about this? Our family can¡¯t tolerate people who are dirty!¡± Yu Kangtai also said, ¡°Such a person should be sold immediately!¡± Madam Jiang sighed. ¡°After all, she¡¯s my dowry maid and has been with me for so many years. How can I sell her?¡± Yu Kangtai hated himself for failing. ¡°You¡¯re too kind! Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have been bullied by a maidservant!¡± Hearing their distorted conversation, Chun Xing was almost angered to death. She had followed Mrs. Jiang for so many years and had helped Mrs. Jiang deal with so many shameful things. She knew Mrs. Jiang¡¯s true colors better than anyone. Madam Jiang pretended to be gentle and generous, but she was actually narrow-minded and vengeful. What a joke it was to be calling her kind! Chun Xing struggled to argue. ¡°I didn¡¯t steal anything.¡± Madam Jiang looked very helpless. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, Your Highness, you can send someone to search her residence. You will definitely find a lot of things.¡± Chun Xing quickly said, ¡°You gave me those things. I didn¡¯t steal them!¡± She had helped Mrs. Jiang do so many shady things, so Mrs. Jiang naturally would not treat her badly. She had given her many things usually, including food, and clothes. Mrs. Jiang denied it. ¡°Why would I give you so much for no reason? If you¡¯re going to lie, you should make up a decent lie.¡± Chun Xing was exasperated. ¡°You!¡± Yu Pingping immediately said to Duke Lang. ¡°Brother-inw, the truth has already been revealed! It was Chun Xing who stole my mother¡¯s silver and colluded with outsiders to spread rumors and ruin my sister¡¯s reputation. After the matter was exposed, she even tried to frame my mother. Get someone to take her away! A thousand deaths would not be enough for such a vicious and ungrateful woman!¡± Chun Xing shook her head desperately in denial. ¡°I didn¡¯t! I¡¯m telling the truth!¡± Xiao Juan looked at the girl sitting beside the minister and asked her what she thought. Originally, Yu Niaoniao only wanted to watch the show quietly. She did not expect herself to be involved in this matter. Was it okay to just watch the show? She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. ¡°No matter who it is, they have to have a motive. Chun Xing has no grudge against me. Why would she want to harm me? Also, Chun Xing was usually trusted by Madam Yu. She couldn¡¯t have betrayed Madam Yu for no reason, right?¡± Madam. Jiang lowered her eyes and avoided her gaze. ¡°How would I know? You¡¯ll have to ask Chun Xing.¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked. ¡°But you said that Chunxing stole property and framed you.¡± In court, we pay attention to the principle of the party that advocates and the party that proves. ¡°Chun Xing argued that you had instigated her and she gave evidence for it. You are arguing that she nted the evidence. Are you going to provide corresponding evidence?¡± ... Madam. Jiang thought quickly and immediately said. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? If you search her residence, you¡¯ll definitely find the valuables she stole. Those are evidence.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked. ¡°If you knew she stole the property and didn¡¯t pursue the matter, why didn¡¯t you get it back?¡± Madam Jiang was instantly speechless. Yu Niaoniao continued. ¡°You knew the other party had stolen property, but you didn¡¯t ask for it back. That means you allowed or even condoned her theft. To put it bluntly, you¡¯re her aplice.¡± Mrs. Jiang gripped her handkerchief tightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t! You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± ¡°When did I spout nonsense?¡± Yu Niaoniao put on a listening posture. Madam Jiang¡¯s lips parted and closed for a long time before she forced out a reason. ¡°I¡ªI didn¡¯t ask for it back because I was afraid she would take revenge.¡± ... Yu Niaoniaoughed rudely. ¡°She¡¯s your dowry maid, which means you have her indenture in your hands. If she dares to do anything to you, you can sell her anytime. Are you actually afraid of her revenge? Mrs. Yu, do you think your statement is reasonable?¡± Madam Jiang was speechless again. Yu Niaoniao continued calmly. ¡°Looking at you, it¡¯s obvious that you don¡¯t think it makes sense either. Then we¡¯ll make the most reasonable deduction based on the avable clues. You¡¯ve always hated me because of the Jiang family¡¯s exile. Therefore, you secretly sent your most trusted maidservant, Chun Xing, to spend money to bribe Zhao San and let him spread rumors against me. Unfortunately, the matter was exposed. Chun Xing exposed you. And you pushed all the me to Chun Xing in order to clear your name. At the end of the day, you guys are fighting each other.¡± Chapter 190 - 190 You Vicious Woman! 190 You Vicious Woman! Madam Jiang seemed to have suffered a huge insult and said with red eyes and a trembling voice. ¡°I know you¡¯ve never liked me. After all, I¡¯m not your biological mother. I¡¯m just a stepmother. I can understand that. But I¡¯m still the wife your father officially married. You can dislike me, but you can¡¯t disrespect me, and you can¡¯t collude with outsiders to frame me!¡± With that, she covered her eyes with a handkerchief and sobbed softly. Yu Kangtai could not bear it and hurriedlyforted her to stop crying. Yu Pingping and Yu Sheng were caught in the middle. They wanted to believe their mother, but what their sister had just said made sense. Yu Niaoniao did not watch Mrs. Jiang¡¯s performance. She asked Chun Xing, who was lying on the ground. ¡°What kind of rumors did your Madam ask you to spread?¡± At this moment, Chun Xing hated Mrs. Jiang to the core and told her everything without hesitation. ¡°She said we were to spread that you were tyrannical and unfilial at home, forcing her to hang herself.¡± Yu Niaoniao was enlightened. ¡°I see!¡± Chun Xing felt that it was not enough and added. ¡°You might not know this, but Madam asked me to spread rumors about you and Duke Lang. You clearly just identally picked up Duke Lang¡¯s jade pendant. However, Madam asked me to tell the outside world that he gave the jade pendant to you as a love token and that the two of you are engaged for life.¡± Yu Niaoniao was curious. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that I stole Duke Lang¡¯s jade pendant?¡± Chun Xing exined, ¡°Stealing will be sentenced. At that time, the Justice Department will file a case and investigate. This matter will be exposed very quickly. However, if it¡¯s just spreading rumors about you guys, it won¡¯t be a crime. The Justice Department can¡¯t do anything about it.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°You guys are quite sneaky.¡± Chun Xing didn¡¯t know how to respond. She looked embarrassed. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°What else do you know?¡± Chun Xing¡¯s eyes darted around. ¡°If I tell you everything, can you ask Your Highness to spare my life?¡± Meng Xizhou spun the dagger in his hand and sneered. ¡°Do you think you have the right to bargain?¡± The little scheme in Chun Xing¡¯s heart immediately dissipated. She did not dare make any more requests and confessed honestly. ¡°A strange man came to me and asked me to deliver a letter to Madam. I did as he said because I was greedy for the wealth he gave me.¡± Yu Kangtai, who was gentlyforting his wife, was speechless. Suddenly, he felt a little cuckolded. His expression immediately turned ugly, and he retracted his hand from Mrs. Jiang. Mrs. Jiang hurriedly grabbed his hand. ¡°I¡¯m loyal to you and have never done anything wrong to you. Master, you have to believe me!¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re my wife. I¡¯m sure I believe you.¡± That was true, but Yu Kangtai¡¯s tone was clearly not as gentle as before. Mrs. Jiang waspletely flustered. What would she do if even Yu Kangtai did not believe her? Chun Xing continued her narrative. ¡°Madam and that man arranged to meet at a small teahouse. After they entered the private room on the second floor, they sent me out. I don¡¯t know what they said or did, either. Anyway, when Madames out, she¡¯s smiling and looking happy.¡± Yu Niaoniao could not help but admire this maidservant¡¯s speaking skills. She had not said an explicit word, but she could describe the matter in a way that made one¡¯s imagination run wild. As expected, Yu Kangtai¡¯s face immediately turned even greener. Madam Jiang tried to exin. ¡°Master, believe me. I didn¡¯t do anything. Chun Xing is talking nonsense!¡± Chun Xing immediately said, ¡°I still remember the name and location of that teahouse. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can take you to that teahouse and ask the staff and shopkeeper in the teahouse. They can testify for me!¡± Madam Jiang¡¯s face turned pale and she could no longer speak. Seeing this, what else did Yu Kangtai not understand? He shook off Mrs. Jiang¡¯s hand and pointed at her as he scolded, ¡°I¡¯ve treated you well all these years, and this is how you repay me? If I had known you were so fickle, I shouldn¡¯t have married you in the first ce!¡± At his harsh words, Mrs. Jiang was so anxious that tears fell. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡± Yu Kangtai pressed, ¡°Then what do you think it is?¡± Mrs. Jiang hesitated, not knowing how to exin. Yu Kangtai said fiercely. ¡°If you don¡¯t exin things clearly today, you won¡¯t be my wife in the future!¡± Mrs. Jiang trembled, her eyes filled with tears. ¡°Are you going to divorce me?¡± If it were any other day, Yu Kangtai would definitely soften when he saw his wife crying so pitifully. But things were different now. He could discuss everything else, but he could not tolerate this. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you onest time. What exactly is your rtionship with that man?¡± ... Mrs. Jiang¡¯s tears kept flowing. Her family had already copsed. If Yu Kangtai abandoned her, she would really have nowhere to go. She could not be divorced! ¡°I didn¡¯t know that man before. He said that he had a grudge against Yu Niaoniao. He could help me deal with Yu Niaoniao so that she would not dare to go against me in the future. At that time, I was also obsessed and believed his nonsense. He asked me to make some noise on the night of the seventh day of the New Year to attract the attention of the entire family so that he could take the opportunity to sneak into the Yu Residence and kidnap Yu Niaoniao.¡± Hearing her say this, how could Yu Niaoniao not understand? The man who looked for Mrs. Jiang should be Che Xuekun. The two of them colluded to kidnap her. Yu Niaoniao sighed. ¡°I knew it. How could it be such a coincidence? Che Xuekun happened to appear when something happened at home. So it was premeditated.¡± Yu Pingping¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. She looked at her mother as if she was looking at a stranger. ¡°So you were pretending to kill yourself. You were lying to us!¡± Yu Sheng was also shocked. He felt like his world had copsed. He had never expected his mother to be such an unscrupulous woman. ... Yu Kangtai was furious. He pointed at Mrs. Jiang and cursed. ¡°Y-you vicious woman!¡± No matter how dissatisfied he was with her, she was still his biological daughter. How could he tolerate someone plotting against his daughter? He raised his hand and pped Mrs. Jiang¡¯s face causing it to swell up. However, she could not care less about the pain. She grabbed Yu Kangtai¡¯s hand tightly and begged. ¡°Master, I know I was wrong. I won¡¯t do it again. Please forgive me this time!¡± She saw that Yu Kangtai was unmoved and immediately turned to take her son and daughter¡¯s hands. ¡°Sheng, Pingping, quickly help Mommy!¡± Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping were at a loss. This situation was something they had not expected. With their little life experience, they did not know how to deal with it at all. Xiao Juan, who had been watching coldly, finally spoke. ¡°Madam Jiang colluded with a wanted criminal to murder the Princess. Men, take her down.¡± Chapter 191 - 191 Staking it All 191 Staking it All Madam Jiang was shocked. She hurriedly stood up and identally knocked over the chair behind her. She grabbed Yu Kangtai¡¯s hand tightly, as if she was grabbing onto a life-saving straw. ¡°Master, I¡¯ve served you with all my might for so many years and even gave birth to a pair of children for the Yu family. Even if I don¡¯t have any contributions, I¡¯ve worked hard. Do you really want me to be captured?¡± Yu Kangtai could not bear it. However, he knew that Madam Jiang deserved it. He should not be soft-hearted. Hence, he turned his face away from Mrs. Jiang. Madam Jiang knelt on the ground and cried. ¡°Master, even if you don¡¯t care about our many years of husband and wife rtionship, don¡¯t you care about Ah Sheng and Pingping? I¡¯m their biological mother. If I am convicted, how would they live in the future? How can Sheng take the imperial examination in the future? How can Pingping talk about marriage in the future?¡± These words hit the mark. He really couldn¡¯t destroy the future of the two children for Madam Jiang. He shook off Mrs. Jiang¡¯s hand and pointed at her as he scolded. ¡°Now you know to think of the children. What were you doing earlier?!¡± Madam Jiang fell to the ground weakly and cried. Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping wanted to say something, but they felt that nothing they said was right. They neither wanted their mother to be captured nor wanted to disappoint their sister. Yu Kangtai looked at Duke Xianng and begged. ¡°Can you spare Madam Jiang on ount of me?¡± Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°There are nationalws and family rules. If she makes a mistake, she has to be punished. Otherwise, what¡¯s the point of the Justice Department?¡± Yu Kangtai was speechless. He steeled himself and decided to risk his old face. He lifted the hem of his shirt and knelt down. ¡°Your Highness, please!¡± Seeing this, Yu Sheng could no longer sit still. He stood up and walked over quickly. Without hesitation, he knelt. ¡°Your Highness, my mother is indeed in the wrong. I¡¯m willing to ept the punishment on her behalf!¡± With that, he knocked his forehead heavily on the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t arrest my brother!¡± Yu Pingping rushed over and quickly knelt down. ¡°If you want to arrest me, arrest me. I¡¯m willing to suffer for my mother!¡± Yu Sheng grabbed her arm and whispered, ¡°Hey, you¡¯re a girl. Don¡¯t get involved. Go back to the house.¡± Yu Pingping was unconvinced. ¡°So what if I¡¯m a girl? I¡¯m also a member of this family. I can do anything you can. Don¡¯t look down on me!¡± Yu Sheng raised his head and begged Duke Lang, who was sitting in a chair. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to this nonsense. Get someone to take me away. You can judge me however you want. Whether I get flogged or sent to the border, I¡¯ll ept it!¡± Yu Pingping squeezed forward. ¡°Capture me! Capture me! I¡¯ve been in good health since I was young. No matter how you punish me, I can take it!¡± Seeing this scene, Yu Kangtai felt relieved and bitter. He turned to look at Madam Jiang, who was already crying, and roared, ¡°Look what you¡¯ve done! This is all your fault!¡± Madam Jiang really regretted it now. She regretted it. Why had she been blinded by hatred and forgotten that she had such obedient children? Now, not only had she harmed herself, but she had also implicated her children. Madam Jiang crawled to Duke Lang on all fours and cried. ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility for my own actions. Arrest me. Don¡¯t arrest my children. They don¡¯t know anything. They¡¯re innocent!¡± Yu Pingping threw herself into her arms and cried for her mother. Madam Jiang sobbed when her daughter called her mother. She hugged her daughter with arm hand and pulled her son with the other. ¡°I appreciate your kindness. It¡¯s my fault. I deserve it. You¡¯re still young and have a bright future. You can¡¯t be harmed by me.¡± Yu Sheng¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t say that.¡± This should have been a very warm scene, but in Xiao Juan¡¯s eyes, it was very ufortable. He looked at Yu Niaoniao, who was sitting beside him. She was fiddling with the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks, her eyes downcast. She didn¡¯t look interested. Her surname was also Yu, and she was also a member of this family. Today was the day she returned to the family. But now she was acting like an out-of-ce outsider. She was lonely and pitiful. Xiao Juan did not know what she was thinking, but he stretched out his right hand. By the time he realized what was happening, his palm was resting lightly on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s head. Yu Niaoniao stopped fiddling with the rice. She turned her head slowly to look at the man beside her. Xiao Juan stroked her head and whispered to her. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You still have me.¡± He had obviously never touched someone¡¯s head so gently before. His movements were inevitably a little rusty. So much so that hisfort appeared clumsy. Yu Niaoniao did not think much of it at first. Anyway, she had long recognized her ce in the family. She had not expected much from this family from the beginning. If she had no expectations, why would she be disappointed? However, when she heard Xiao Juan¡¯s words, Yu Niaoniao suddenly felt a lump in her throat. It wasn¡¯t that she wasn¡¯t aggrieved. It was because she knew that the person she cared about the most was no longer alive. Even if she felt wronged, no one wouldfort her anymore. She had to force herself to be strong to lessen the difort. Xiao Juan¡¯sfort and concern were like needles that pierced through the shell she had painstakingly propped up. She looked down quickly, sniffed hard, and murmured a reply. ¡°Yes, I know.¡± It was a heavy nasal voice and a little shaky. At this moment, Xiao Juan deeply understood what heartache was. He wanted to pull her into his arms. ... However, considering that there were outsiders present, he held back in the end. Madam Jiang patted her daughter¡¯s head. She forced a smile on her tear-stained face. ¡°The proudest thing in my life was to have two good children like you. I can¡¯t ruin your future because of a moment of confusion.¡± At this point, Madam Jiang let go of the two children. She raised her hand and pulled the golden hairpin from her bun. She aimed the tip at her neck. Everyone present was shocked. Yu Kangtai shouted, ¡°What are you doing? Put down the hairpin!¡± Yu Pingping panicked. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t do anything stupid!¡± Yu Sheng wanted to snatch the hairpin from Mrs. Jiang¡¯s hand, but she stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯te over!¡± Yu Sheng was afraid that Madam Jiang would hurt him and did not dare to approach her. ¡°Mother, calm down.¡± ... Madam Jiang¡¯s hand trembled as she held the golden hairpin, but her expression was abnormally determined. ¡°I¡¯m calm! If I am still alive, I would definitely be captured by the Eagle Guards and sent to the Justice Department. Once I am convicted, Sheng and Pingping would be the children of sinners. In the future, Sheng would no longer be able to participate in the imperial examination, and Pingping would no longer be able to marry. I¡¯m their mother. I can¡¯t harm them. But if I die now, the Justice Department won¡¯t be able to convict a dead person, and Sheng and Pingping won¡¯t be implicated by me.¡± She looked at the cold-faced Duke Lang with a desperate madness in her eyes. ¡°Your Highness, am I right?¡± Chapter 192 - 192 A Clear Conscience 192 A Clear Conscience Xiao Juan had seen all kinds of suspects, but he had also seen people as extreme as Madam Jiang. At this moment, his reaction was very calm. ¡°Your life is your own. If you insist on seeking death, no one can stop you. But regardless of whether you¡¯re dead or alive, the crimes youmitted will be recorded. Your suicide from fear of crime will also be made public as an example.¡± In other words, even if Madam Jiang was dead, she was still a criminal. These words extinguished Madam Jiang¡¯sst hope. Her entire body seemed to have been sucked dry. The hairpin in her hand fell to the ground, and her body went limp. Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping hurriedly supported her while Yu Kangtai heaved a sigh of relief. Meng Xizhou strode forward and reached out to drag Madam Jiang up from the ground. He took out a pair of shackles and cuffed Madam Jiang¡¯s wrist. Madam Jiang¡¯s hands were fair and delicate. She usually only wore beads and jade bracelets. At this moment, she was suddenly cuffed with heavy shackles. The cold and hard touch immediately made Madam Jiang shiver. She turned back hurriedly to see her husband and children. Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping were anxious. They wanted to hold their mother¡¯s hand, but Meng Xizhou reached out and separated them. ¡°Don¡¯t get in the way of the Justice Department¡¯s case.¡± Yu Kangtai could not bear it. But he knew the way the Justice Department handled things. At this point, there was no turning back. He looked ingratiating and pleading. ¡°My wife is just a weak woman. Even if we don¡¯t put the shackles on her, she won¡¯t be able to escape. Do me a favor and take off the shackles first.¡± Meng Xizhou looked toward Duke Lang for directions. Seeing the other party nod slightly, he used the key to open the shackles. With her hands temporarily free, Madam Jiang cried out for her children with tears in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. In the future, when I¡¯m not at home, you have to take good care of yourselves and listen to your father.¡± Yu Pingping broke down and wailed without caring about her image. ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t want you to leave!¡± Yu Sheng was also crying uncontrobly. Only Yu Kangtai remained rational. He held back his tears and said to Madam Jiang. ¡°We¡¯re husband and wife, after all. I¡¯ll think of something. I¡¯ll try my best to make you suffer less.¡± Meng Xizhou pulled Madam Jiang out. Yu Kangtai, Yu Sheng, and Yu Pingping followed behind them. The youngest, Yu Pingping, was crying uncontrobly. As she cried and called out for her mother, her voice was heartbreaking. At this moment, the dishes on the table were already cold. Xiao Juan stood up and extended his hand to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Yu Niaoniao followed him out. Before she left, she did not forget to remind the butler. ¡°Make sure you send me my kitchen knife, the iron pot, and Gray. And those chickens, ducks, and geese I bought before. Don¡¯t miss a single one.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. After everything that had happened today, he thought she had forgotten about those chickens, ducks, geese, and her donkey. He was surprised she remembered. The butler hurriedly replied, ¡°I¡¯ll remember. I¡¯ll send someone to deliver them to youter.¡± After receiving the other party¡¯s guarantee, Yu Niaoniao followed Xiao Juan with relief. The two of them walked out of the Yu Residence and happened to see Madam Jiang being locked up in a prison carriage. Yu Pingping chased after the prison cart for a few steps but was stopped by Yu Sheng. Tears streamed down the siblings¡¯ faces as they watched the prison cart leave. Mother and children were forced to separate, and a good family was torn apart. This scene looked extremely tragic. Yu Niaoniao whispered, ¡°It feels like we¡¯re the evil ones.¡± Xiao Juan took the cloak from the servant and shook it open before putting it on Yu Niaoniao. He spoke tly. ¡°As long as we have a clear conscience.¡± Yu Kangtai wiped his eyes andposed himself. He walked over and bowed to Duke Lang. ¡°I didn¡¯t serve you well today. I hope Your Highness will forgive me.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Yu Kangtai looked at Yu Niaoniao, who was holding his hand. Her eyebrows were 50 to 60% simr to Madam Xie¡¯s. When he thought of Madam Xie, he could not help butpare the Madam Xie family to Madam Jiang. They were both gentle on the outside but tough on the inside. The difference was that Madam Xie was kinder. It was the kind of true kindness, not the kind of kindness that Madam Jiang pretended to be. Perhaps because he had been hurt by Madam Jiang, Yu Kangtai increasingly realized how good Madam Xie was. All the dissatisfaction from the past faded at this moment. The image of Madam Xie in his heart seemed to have been artificially covered by ayer of soft light and became unprecedentedly beautiful. Yu Kangtai could not help but ask, ¡°How has your mother been all these years?¡± This was the first time Yu Kangtai had asked her about Madam Xie since Yu Niaoniao was brought to the Imperial Capital. In the past, because he was afraid of losing face, Yu Kangtai had always pretended to have forgotten about Madam Xie and never took the initiative to ask about her. He felt that Madam Xie should not be living well. After all, she had married twice and was with a child. Unexpectedly, Yu Niaoniao replied crisply, ¡°She was great!¡± Yu Kangtai felt that she was too stubborn and frowned. ¡°It must have been hard for your mother to raise you alone. I heard that she had even married a poor schr. Not only did she have to take care of you, but she also had to manage the house. He was busy every day, so his days were probably not free. If she hadn¡¯t been so stubborn back then and divorced me, she and I wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± ... He stopped and waved his hand. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s not talk about this. She¡¯s already dead. Why mention it?¡± Yu Niaoniao said seriously. ¡°Although my stepfather¡¯s family isn¡¯t rich, they have many fields and shops. I¡¯m not sure how much money they earn. In any case, every winter, my stepfather will start a porridge stall all over Bashu to help the poor. My stepfather even paid for many children of the poor to study.¡± Yu Kangtai was speechless. Although he was a schr and had never done business, he knew that a family who could open a charity porridge stall every year must be very rich. Yu Niaoniao continued, ¡°As for my mother, my grandparents doted on her very much and didn¡¯t let her do any housework before she remarried. Then she married my stepfather, and he doted on her. He gave her whatever she wanted. The two of them were intimate every day. Their little lives made even me, their daughter, envious.¡± Yu Kangtai was speechless. This was not at all what he had expected. He was skeptical. ¡°Aren¡¯t you exaggerating? If that stepfather of yours was so good, would he have married your mother?¡± He would have married a young and beautiful woman if he was rich and powerful. Why would he marry a woman who had married twice and had a burden? Yu Niaoniao frowned, very unhappy. ... ¡°What do you mean by that? My mother was also outstanding. She was beautiful, smart, a good cook, and knowledgeable. Stepfather is lucky to have married her, okay?¡± Yu Kangtai argued. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to look down on your mother. I want to know how your mother sees eye to eye with your stepfather.¡± Chapter 193 - 193 You Still Have Me 193 You Still Have Me Yu Niaoniao snorted. ¡°Naturally, it was because my mother was too outstanding. My stepfather had a good impression of her at first nce. After a few encounters, he realized that my mother was even better than he had expected. He could not sit still and shamelessly came to ask for her hand in marriage. My mother examined him for a while and thought he was all right.¡± Yu Kangtai felt very ufortable, but he could not help but ask. ¡°Your mother agreed just like that?¡± !! Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Of course not. My mother even made two requests in the end.¡± Yu Kangtai was curious. ¡°What requests?¡± Yu Niaoniao extended a finger. ¡°First request: I don¡¯t care what you did in the past, but after marrying me, can you be loyal to me alone? Don¡¯t take concubines, don¡¯t take mistresses, and don¡¯t flirt outside?¡± Hearing this, Yu Kangtaiughed. ¡°She¡¯s still so naive.¡± The reason why Madam Xie wanted to divorce him was that he slept with a maidservant. At that time, Yu Kangtai¡¯s mother was still around. Two years after Madam Xie married into the family, her womb still did not move. The old madam could not sit still anymore, so she arranged a maidservant for Yu Kangtai. What the old madam meant was to let that servant girl have a child. Regardless of whether it was a boy or a girl, they would all live under Madam Xie¡¯s name in the future. Yu Kangtai felt that this was a perfect idea, so he did as his mother said. However, Madam Xie was disgusted by this matter and the couple argued over this. At that time, everyone in the Yu Residence felt that Madam Xie was too petty. Even outsiders felt that Madam Xie was in the wrong. Madam Xie¡¯s family was far away in Bashu, and she was alone in the capital. But she could not ept that she was sharing a husband with another woman. In the end, she made up her mind and proposed a divorce. At that time, Yu Kangtai was also in a fit of anger. He felt that it was just a woman. What was there to care about? Why would a man have to worry about not having a wife?! So he picked up his pen and signed the divorce papers. Now that he thought about it, Yu Kangtai actually regretted it. He shouldn¡¯t have agreed to the divorce so rashly. But he felt that there was something wrong with Madam Xie too. She was too petty. It was just a maidservant. Was it worth it for her to divorce him? Didn¡¯t she look at the other families in the capital? Which official didn¡¯t have concubines and maidservants? Even their madams felt that there was no problem, so why couldn¡¯t she do the same? In the end, he felt she was too naive. She was already married and still thought of herself as a youngdy. Yu Kangtai originally thought that Madam Xie had already learned her lesson. After returning to Bashu, she should be able to recognize reality. It was very normal for men in this world to have three wives and four concubines. Unexpectedly, she was still so naive. She was already married for the second time, but she still wanted a man to live only with her. Yu Niaoniao could hear the mockery in his tone. She raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°Do you have any objections?¡± Now she couldn¡¯t even be bothered to use a respectful title. Yu Kangtai said, ¡°I have no objections. I was just worried about your mother. I¡¯m afraid that not many men in the world can ept such a request.¡± How could Yu Niaoniao not see through his thoughts? If she had only disliked Yu Kangtai before, she really hated him now. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Just because you can¡¯t do it doesn¡¯t mean others can¡¯t. My stepfather promised my mother back then, and he lived up to his word. My mother was the only woman he had until he died.¡± Yu Kangtai was speechless. He felt as if he had been pped in the face. It burned. He looked away and hurriedly changed the subject. ¡°You haven¡¯t said what your mother¡¯s second condition is.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°The second request was about me. My mother said that even if she married for the second time, she won¡¯t give up on me as a daughter. She¡¯ll bring me with her and ask my stepfather to treat me as his own. ¡± This time, Yu Kangtai did not ask if the man had agreed to such a stupid request. He knew that the man had agreed since the second marriage took ce. What Yu Kangtai could not understand was why that man epted such unreasonable requests. What woman would ask to bring her child over after her second marriage? And what man would willingly help someone else raise a child? Yu Kangtai could not help but ask, ¡°Did you get along well with your stepfather?¡± Yu Niaoniao said without hesitation. ¡°Very well! My stepfather treats me like his own daughter. He¡¯s never mistreated me, physically or emotionally. In my heart, he¡¯s almost like my biological father.¡± These words agitated Yu Kangtai. He emphasized the reminder. ¡°I¡¯m your biological father!¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. Her tone was mocking. ¡°Is that right?¡± Yu Kangtai was very dissatisfied. ¡°What kind of attitude is that? Do you think I¡¯m inferior to that stepfather of yours?¡± In the past, Yu Niaoniao would have quarreled with him. But now she wasn¡¯t even in the mood to do so. She was already extremely disappointed with the man opposite her. Yu Niaoniao walked straight towards the carriage. Yu Kangtai wanted to chase after her, but Xiao Juan stopped him. Xiao Juan looked at him coldly. ¡°You¡¯re not worthy of being Niaoniao¡¯s father.¡± Yu Kangtai was clearly unconvinced. He tried to argue, but when he met Duke Lang¡¯s fierce gaze, he immediately fell silent in fear. ¡°Don¡¯t disturb her again.¡± Xiao Juan left after saying this. The carriage drove steadily back to the royal residence. Yu Niaoniao sat in the carriage and looked at the scenery through the window. ... Xiao Juan was a little worried about her. He wanted tofort her a few times, but because he had no experience in this area, he did not know how to speak. Suddenly, he heard Yu Niaoniao¡¯s voice. It was soft and unhurried. ¡°I was four when my mother married my stepfather. Everyone thought I was a child and didn¡¯t know anything, but I actually knew everything. So I was uneasy then. I was afraid that my mother would marry a bad man. I was afraid our lives would get worse and worse. Fortunately, none of my fears came true. My stepfather was a very nice man. He was good to me and my mother. I respected him from the bottom of my heart and sincerely treated him as my father. When Yu Kangtai sent someone to fetch me from Bashu, I had always thought that his image should be simr to that of my stepfather. To be precise, I felt that all fathers in the world should be like my stepfather. It turns out I was too naive.¡± The longer she spent with Yu Kangtai, the more she missed her life in Bashu. Back then, she¡¯d had her mother¡¯s love and her stepfather¡¯s doting. She¡¯d done whatever she wanted. Every day had been carefree. And now she had nothing. She felt someone holding her hand. She looked back and met Xiao¡¯s deep gaze. ¡°You still have me.¡± Chapter 194 - 194 Seduction 194 Seduction Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart ached. She leaned into Duke Lang and pressed her cheek against his arm. She nuzzled him gently and murmured. ¡°I¡¯m homesick.¡± Xiao Juan knew that the home she was talking about was far away in Bashu. He put an arm around her shoulders and murmured a response. !! ¡°When I¡¯m free, I¡¯ll take you back to Bashu to take a look.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately looked up and asked in surprise. ¡°Really? When?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Definitely not this year. Wait until next year. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll find a less busy time to take leave and bring you back. At that time, I¡¯ll sweep the graves of my parents-inw.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Because she was looking forward to it, her mood immediately improved. Her eyebrows and eyes were filled with mirth. She held Xiao Juan¡¯s hand and said affectionately, ¡°Baby, you¡¯re so good to me.¡± Seeing that she was happy, Xiao Juan was also happy. Just then, he heard a grunt. He looked down and saw Yu Niaoniao holding her stomach and sighing, ¡°Baby, I didn¡¯t eat much just now. I¡¯m so hungry.¡± Xiao Juan opened the secretpartment and took out a red-painted wooden box. He opened the lid and it was filled with small snacks. ¡°Use these to fill your stomach first. I¡¯ll get the cook to cook for you when we get home.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes lit up and she said in surprise, ¡°When did you hide delicious food in the carriage?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°They¡¯re all for you. Eat it.¡± Yu Niaoniao picked up a piece of preserved fruit and ced it in her mouth. The sweetness melted in her mouth. She narrowed her eyes in bliss. ¡°Awesome!¡± Actually, Granny Xiu Yan was the one who reminded Xiao Juan about this. She said that there was a new mistress in Langjun Imperial Pce and many things were different from before. Not only did they have to buy many women¡¯s things at home, but he had to make arrangements for the carriage too. Now, not only were there snacks in the carriage, but the cushions were also thicker. There were also two soft pillows and nkets. Yu Niaoniao said as she ate. ¡°It¡¯s great to be able to marry the Regional King!¡± The corners of Xiao Juan¡¯s mouth curled up involuntarily. Yu Niaoniao picked up a peach pastry and handed it over. ¡°This smells so good. Try it too.¡± Xiao Juan opened his mouth and took a small bite. The peach pastry melted in his mouth and was sweet and soft. Yu Niaoniao did not mind that this peach pastry had been bitten by a man. She finished the rest in two or three mouthfuls. On the other hand, Xiao Juan kept looking at her. More specifically, he was looking at her mouth. Yu Niaoniao was eating her second peach pastry when she noticed his gaze. She could not help but ask. ¡°Do you want more?¡± Xiao Juan originally wanted to say no, but for some reason, he said, ¡°Yeah.¡± Yu Niaoniao had already eaten half of the peach pastry in her hand. She could not give it to others, so she prepared to take another piece from the wooden box. However, Xiao Juan bent down and bit the rest of the peach pastry in her hand. The peach pastry was very soft. With a little force, he bit off a piece. When Yu Niaoniao looked at him, Xiao Juan had already sat up straight. He chewed and savored slowly. After swallowing, hemented nonchntly, ¡°This peach pastry is better than the previous one.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not react for a moment. She said innocently, ¡°Is that so?¡± She finished the remaining half of the peach cake in one bite and tasted it carefully. She did not feel any different from the peach cake from before. Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°Probably because everyone has different tastes.¡± It was not until the carriage stopped at the entrance of Langjun Imperial Pce and Yu Niaoniao was about to get off that she suddenly reacted. She blurted out, ¡°Your Highness, you weren¡¯t flirting with me just now, were you?¡± Xiao Juan was puzzled. ¡°Flirt?¡± Yu Niaoniao exined, ¡°It means seduction.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s expression immediately darkened. ¡°You¡¯re saying that I was seducing you? Who do you think I am?¡± Yu Niaoniao knew that she had said something wrong and hurriedly apologized. ¡°I was wrong. That¡¯s not what I meant. Flirting is actually a way to woo the person you like.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Xiao Juan said as he got out of the car. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly jumped out of the car. She asked after Duke Lang. ¡°You haven¡¯t answered me. Were you flirting with me just now?¡± Xiao Juan did not turn around and walked faster. ... He was tall and had long legs. One step was equivalent to two steps for Yu Niaoniao. Soon, Yu Niaoniao was left far behind. Granny Xiu Yan was surprised to see them back. ¡°Why are you back so early?¡± ording to her estimation, the Duke and Princess Consort would have lunch at the Yu residence and chat as a family for a while. When they returned, it would be sunset. But it was still noon! Xiao Juan said expressionlessly. ¡°Something happened, so we came back early.¡± Granny Xiu Yan quickly asked, ¡°Have you had lunch?¡± Yu Niaoniao, who had just run in, immediately responded. ¡°No!¡± ... Granny Xiu Yan¡¯s heart ached. ¡°How can this be? Why didn¡¯t your inws keep you for a meal when you brought gifts back? Are you hungry? Eat some pastries to fill your stomach first. I¡¯ll get the kitchen to prepare the food.¡± Yu Niaoniao touched her stomach and said. ¡°No hurry. I¡¯ve already eaten a lot of pastries on the way back. I¡¯m not so hungry.¡± Granny Xiu Yan immediately understood that Duke Lang had prepared food in the carriage. She could not help but smile in relief. The Duke had grown up and was bing more doting on his wife. This was good! ¡°Your Highness, please work hard and strive to give Langjun Imperial Pce a fair and chubby heir as soon as possible.¡± After Granny Xiu Yan left, Yu Niaoniao immediately tilted her body towards Duke Lang. She asked, blinking. ¡°You haven¡¯t answered me. Were you flirting with me just now?¡± However, Xiao Juan looked out the window at this moment. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately turned her head and looked out the window. Outside the window, there was nothing but flowers and trees. When she turned back, she realized that the chair beside her was empty. The man who had been sitting there was gone. Yu Niaoniao understood that she had been tricked. ¡°Hmph, if you don¡¯t want to say it, then don¡¯t. Why are you running so fast? I¡¯m not going to eat you.¡± The kitchen quickly prepared a sumptuous meal. Yu Niaoniao went to eat with Xiao Juan, but she was told that he had gone to the Justice Department. She had no choice but to enjoy the delicacies alone. After she finished eating, the things sent by the Yu Residence¡¯s butler arrived. The person in charge of epting this batch was Granny Xiu Yan. She looked at the donkey in front of her, the kitchen knife, the iron pot, and the flock of chickens, ducks, and geese. She was dumbfounded. ¡°What are all these?¡± The servant in charge of delivering the goods said respectfully, ¡°These are all the Princess Consort¡¯s things. I¡¯ve already delivered them. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Granny Xiu Yan asked someone to invite the County Princess over. Yu Niaoniao arrived quickly. She hugged the donkey¡¯s neck happily. ¡°Gray, my baby, you¡¯re home atst!¡± Chapter 195 - 195 When Had He Suffered Such Humiliation? 195 When Had He Suffered Such Humiliation? After breakfast, the next morning, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan prepared to go to the Justice Department. Before leaving, Yu Niaoniao especially got someone to bring her little donkey over. The donkey¡¯s fur had been carefullybed and looked glossy. On its back was a cushion made of small floral cloth. A cloth bag had been made on each side. !! A rein was put around its neck. On closer inspection, one could tell that the mp rope was actually woven from a colorful rope. Xiao Juan had never seen such a fancy donkey and could not help but ask. ¡°Are you really going to ride it to the Justice Department?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded as she stroked the little donkey¡¯s head. ¡°That¡¯s right. From now on, it¡¯s my exclusive mount!¡± Xiao Juan asked again, ¡°Aren¡¯t you taking the carriage? We haven¡¯t finished the snacks in the carriage.¡± His words reminded Yu Niaoniao. She pped her forehead. ¡°Oh, right! There are snacks!¡± She immediately threw the donkey aside, picked up her skirt, and ran quickly towards the carriage. She climbed into the carriage on all fours. Seeing this, Xiao Juan was very satisfied. It seemed that he could continue to ride in the carriage with Niaoniao. Unexpectedly, in the next moment, he saw Yu Niaoniaoe out of the carriage. She jumped down from the carriage with two heavy snack boxes in her arms. Xiao Juan asked her what she was doing. She opened the box and poured all the snacks into the cloth bag on the donkey¡¯s back. Then, she stuffed the empty boxes into Xiao Juan¡¯s hand and said contentedly. ¡°This way, I¡¯ll have snacks on the way!¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. This was not what he had expected. Yu Niaoniao mounted the donkey and held the reins. She shouted excitedly. ¡°Charge, my Baby!¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. He thought he had misheard. ¡°What did you shout?¡± he asked before he could stop himself. Unfortunately, he was toote. Yu Niaoniao had already run out on her donkey and did not hear his question at all. Meng Xizhou came over to remind him, ¡°The carriage is ready and can set off at any time.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯m riding a horse today.¡± Meng Xizhou realized that the county prince was not in a good mood, but he did not dare to say anything or ask anything. He quickly turned around to prepare the horse. Soon, Xiao Juan caught up to Yu Niaoniao on his horse. Xiao Juan nced at the little donkey under Yu Niaoniao and deliberately urged the Dark Cloud under him to approach the little donkey. Even though the donkey had been dressed up carefully, it was still far inferior to the tall and strong warhorse. At this moment, the two of them were in the same frame, making the donkey look even shorter and smaller. Gray clearly didn¡¯t like the big guy beside him. It turned to look at Dark Cloud. The donkey opened its mouth. He ~ tui! Spittle flew to the foreleg of Dark Cloud. Xiao Juan was speechless. This donkey was quite arrogant. Dark Cloud had experienced hundreds of battles and was a famous colt in the world. He was also a famous figure in the horse world. When had he ever suffered such humiliation? It was immediately furious. It stopped in its tracks and barked at the donkey, looking like it was about to rush up and fight at any moment. Yu Niaoniao was originally looking at the breakfast sold at the roadside stall when she suddenly heard amotion. She was shocked and hurriedly urged Gray to take a few steps to the side. Xiao Juan also gripped the reins tightly to prevent the Dark Cloud from approaching the donkey. When Yu Niaoniao asked what was going on, Xiao Juan pointed at the spittle on ck Cloud¡¯s front leg. ¡°Your Gray did it.¡± Yu Niaoniao frowned and reprimanded the donkey under her. ¡°Baby, how can you just spit? It¡¯s wrong, do you know?¡± When Xiao Juan heard her call the donkey Baby, the corners of his mouth immediately lowered. The donkey was clearly unconvinced. It snorted through its nose, very much like a sneer. Yu Niaoniao jumped off the donkey¡¯s back. She used a handkerchief to wipe the spittle from ck Cloud¡¯s leg. She took a malt candy from the bag and fed it to him. With good food, Dark Cloud¡¯s anger immediately decreased. It smacked its lips and snorted at the donkey, then turned and walked away. It was as if it was silently telling the other party, ¡°I won¡¯t lower myself to your level!¡± When Gray saw its master giving the annoying horse food, it immediately rubbed his head against Yu Niaoniao¡¯s arm and kept yowling. Yu Niaoniao was helpless. ¡°Alright, alright. This is for you. Don¡¯t be naughty in the future.¡± She took out another malt candy and fed it to Gray. ... Gray was instantly satisfied. Yu Niaoniao returned to the donkey¡¯s back and rode on. She did not forget to hum a tune. ¡°I have a little donkey. I never ride it. One day, on a whim, I rode it to the market. I had a little whip in my hand. I was so proud!¡± Along the way, many citizens in the city saw Duke Lang riding to the Justice Department. This was originally nothing special. But today was different. There was a young and beautiful girl beside him. The little girl was neither riding a carriage nor a horse. She was actually riding a little donkey. On the left, Duke Lang was riding on a horse. His posture was tall and straight, and his aura was awe-inspiring. He exuded an aura that kept people away. On the other hand, the little girl on the right sat on the donkey¡¯s back and swayed her legs. She hummed a tune and asionally took out fruit from the cloth bag and popped it into her mouth. This contrasting style could not help but make people take a second look. Some sharp-eyed people recognized that the girl was the Princess Consort of Lang! How could a dignified county princess be reduced to riding a donkey? ... Could it be that the County Princess had angered Duke Lang after their marriage and was despised by him? If that was the case, the County Princess was too pitiful. Just as everyone was secretly criticizing Duke Lang for being too heartless, they saw the County Princess reach out and hand over a walnut. She pouted and said, ¡°This is too hard. I can¡¯t open it. Help me.¡± In the next moment, everyone watched helplessly as Duke Lang reached out to take the walnut. He crushed the shell with one hand and said coldly to the little girl beside him. ¡°Hand.¡± The little girl immediately extended her little ws obediently. The man released his well-defined fingers, and pieces of walnut fell into her palm. The little girl smiled until her eyes curved, and two shallow dimples appeared at the corners of her mouth. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± The entire process was smooth. Both of them moved and reacted naturally. It was as if this was what often happened in their lives. However, the citizens of the Imperial Capital who witnessed this scene were shocked. Immediately, one rumor after another spread quickly in the capital. ¡°Shocking! This was how Duke Lang interacted with the Princess in private¡­¡± ¡°Help! Duke Lang and the Princess Consort were showing off their affection again!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! The murderous Prince Lang has been reduced to an emotionless walnut-smashing tool!¡± and a series of subsequent discussion topics. Such as how to open walnuts with one hand suavely? Someone keenly grasped the business opportunity and summarized a set of techniques for opening walnuts with one hand. It was printed into a book and sold out as soon as it was released. Chapter 196 - 196 Helpless 196 Helpless In the morning court assembly today, an official impeached Duke Lang, saying that he was bullying others and had no respect for his elders. He actually imprisoned his mother-inw. He spoke at length, with spittle flying everywhere. The old emperor had already received the memorial sent by Xiao Juan and knew the whole story. After listening to the passionate usation of the speaker, the old emperor spoke slowly. ¡°Madam Jiang colluded with a wanted criminal and attempted to murder the eldest daughter of the first wife. The evidence was conclusive. Even she had confessed. Duke Lang was able to disregard his personal feelings and enforce thew impartially. He was really a role model for the civil and military officials of the Dayan Dynasty. Not only will I not punish him, but I also have to praise him greatly! I want the world to know that as long as you break thew, you have to be punished no matter what your identity is!¡± He said too much in one breath. The old emperor felt an itch in his throat and coughed. Wei Huai En quickly brought warm tea to soothe his throat and served it to the old emperor. At this moment, no civil or military officials dared to make a sound. The entire court was silent. Especially the official who had stood up to use Duke Lang of treason. At this moment, he was kneeling on the ground, his face as pale as paper. The old emperor finished his tea and felt his throat ease. He spoke to the kneeling official. ¡°You didn¡¯t even figure out the whole story before you hurriedly jumped out and used Duke Lang. Don¡¯t you think you were too rash?¡± The official kowtowed and apologized. ¡°I was wrong. Please punish me, Your Majesty.¡± In the end, he was fined a month¡¯s sry. And Prince Lang had been rewarded with a good bow by the emperor. Madam Jiang was sentenced to ten years of imprisonment. But because the Dayan dynasty had special privileges forndowning families, thetter could makepensations with silver, which could offset the sentence for up to seven years. In that case, Madam Jiang only needed to serve three years. The matter was settled. The bow and arrows were sent to the county pce. Yu Niaoniao took a good look at the bow. She had learned archery before she transmigrated, but she had not practiced it for a long time. She raised her bow and aimed at the door. At this moment, Xiao Juan walked in. He saw Yu Niaoniao¡¯s actions and paused. ¡°You can shoot arrows?¡± Yu Niaoniao answered vaguely, ¡°A little, I guess.¡± Xiao Juan was puzzled. Dayan was a progressive dynasty and it was not umon for women to ride horses. But few women would learn archery. After all, women did not have to go to the battlefield. Archery was useless to them. If they practiced too much, their fingers would be callused. It was very ugly. Xiao Juan couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Who did you learn archery from?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not expect that the other party would ask her about it. She said with a grin. ¡°My grandfather¡¯s family runs an escort agency. They have a lot of escorts. I learned my horsemanship and archery from them.¡± These words were half-truths. Even if Duke Lang wanted to investigate, it would be difficult. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Since you know archery, you can use this bow.¡± Yu Niaoniao was very surprised. ¡°This is a gift from the emperor. Can it be given to others casually?¡± Xiao Juan was very calm. ¡°You¡¯re not an outsider. You can take whatever I have.¡± Yu Niaoniao was very happy. There was a martial arts arena in Langjun Imperial Pce. She ran excitedly to the arena with her bow and arrow and shot two arrows at the target. The first arrow missed the target. The second arrow did hit the target, but it was still far from the bull¡¯s eye. Xiao Juan walked behind her, grabbed her arm from behind, and raised it slightly. ¡°Keep your elbows in this position. Keep your hands steady. Don¡¯t push your fingertips too hard. Don¡¯t tense your body too much. Rx a little.¡± Now they were very close. From afar, it looked like Xiao Juan was hugging Yu Niaoniao from behind. Yu Niaoniao did not notice anything wrong with this posture. Her entire mind was on archery. After Xiao Juan¡¯s careful guidance, the next two arrows she shot did not miss. One of them was very close to the bullseye and almost hit it. She could clearly feel that her archery skills had improved a lot, and she was immediately even happier. Seeing her smile happily, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. In the following period of time, Yu Niaoniao would find time to practice archery every day. With her strong memory, her learning speed far exceeded that of ordinary people, and her archery skills improved by leaps and bounds. In a sh, a month had passed. Prince Min and his father were almost fully recovered. After careful consideration, father and son decided to leave the Imperial Capital and head to their fief. ... As the emperor¡¯s brother, Prince Min was conferred the title of Prince when he became an adult. He even received a sizable fief. However, because the fief was too remote and with the emperor and the empress dowager asking him to stay, Prince Min and his son stayed in the Imperial Capital. The fief was managed by the officials of the Imperial Court, so there was no need for Prince Min to worry. He just had to sit at home and wait for the officials to deliver the annual tax money. Originally, he thought such days were good. But things were different now. Prince Min already knew the emperor was suspicious of him. If he continued to stay in the Imperial Capital, he would probably die soon. So Prince Min wrote a memorial to the emperor, offering the idea of returning to his fiefdom to live. The old emperor didn¡¯t look happy as he read the memorial. He did not want Prince Min to return to his fief. Once Prince Min went to the fief, he would no longer be able to control him. However, he could not directly reject Prince Min¡¯s request. ording to precedent, the prince was supposed to live in a fief and could not return to the capital without an edict. It made sense for Prince Min to ask to return to his fief. The old emperor¡¯s gaze shifted to the border map lying beside him. This border map of Liaodong County was presented by Xiao Juan. Along with the diagram came a closing statement on the anti-government poetry case. The anti-government poetry case was nned by Che Xuekun. His goal was to discredit the emperor¡¯s image in the hearts of the people and disrupt the Dayan Court. And these were just appearances. ... What he really wanted was the border map of Liaodong County. As long as he could send this map to the Chen Nation, then Liaodong County would be the territory of the Chen Nation. When the Chen Country¡¯s army captured Liaodong County, they could go all the way south and enter the hintend of the Dayan Country. The old emperor was annoyed. The Chen Nation was just a small ce, but they actually dared to invade the Dayan?! If he could still be twenty years younger¡­ No, as long as he could be ten years younger, he would immediately be able to lead the army north and personally defeat the overconfident Chen Country. However, he was already old and his body was getting weaker by the day. There were many things that he could not do. He threw the memorial hard onto the border map and instructed in a low voice. ¡°Huai En, send someone to fetch Duke Lang.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Soon, Xiao Juan appeared in front of the old emperor. He bowed respectfully in greeting. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± The old emperor said slowly, ¡°Prince Min wants his fief back. Do you think I should agree to him?¡± Chapter 197 - 197 We Are Husband and Wife! 197 We Are Husband and Wife! Xiao Juan lowered his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m stupid and don¡¯t know what to do.¡± The old emperor regarded him steadily for a moment. If Prince Min had died in the prison cell of the Justice Department, he would not have had to worry about him returning to his fief. At the end of the day, Xiao Juan had to bear some responsibility for this matter. The old emperor said, ¡°I need you to do something.¡± Xiao Juan immediately said, ¡°Your Majesty, please instruct me.¡± The old emperor¡¯s expression was solemn as he spoke unhurriedly. ¡°Liaodong County has been very restless recently. Coincidentally, Prince Min¡¯s fief is in Liaodong County. This is an opportunity. I will send you to escort Prince Min and his son back to the fief. When you reach Liaodong County, think of a way to find out about the leak of the border map. I want to know, who is the one colluding with the enemy to betray the country.¡± Xiao Juan cupped his hands in response. ¡°As youmand.¡± The old emperor softened his tone slightly. ¡°It¡¯s a long journey. You won¡¯t be back for half a year. You and Yu Niaoniao are newlyweds. The two of you should have the strongest rtionship. If you separated now, Yu Niaoniao would probably feel ufortable. Remember to calm her down before you leave. Don¡¯t let her feelings for you go to waste.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I want to bring Niaoniao along on this long trip.¡± The old emperor frowned immediately, very disapproving of this. ¡°I know that you and Yu Niaoniao are deeply in love. However, it is a long journey to Liaodong County this time. A weak woman like Yu Niaoniao would definitely not be able to withstand it. With her around, it would slow your progress. If you want to bring her out to y, you can do so when you¡¯re free in the future. Let it go this time.¡± Xiao Juan exined unhurriedly, ¡°Niaoniao is a good rider. She won¡¯t slow us down. She is good at drawing people. Previously, the Justice Department had relied on her drawing to capture Li Qiao. I¡¯m bringing her to Liaodong County this time because I wanted her to use her skills to help me find the traitor.¡± The old emperor was skeptical. ¡°She has that ability?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can call Niaoniao over and have her draw a portrait on the spot.¡± The old emperor nced at Wei Huai En, who stood waiting. Wei Huai En understood and immediately bowed and left. He sent someone out of the pce to find the princess. Soon, Yu Niaoniao was brought into the pce. Before she could figure out what was going on, someone stuffed a paintbrush into her hand. Wei Huai En spoke to her. ¡°Please draw a portrait ording to my appearance.¡± Although Yu Niaoniao was filled with doubts, she still obediently did as she was told. The old emperor and Xiao Juan stood behind the screen. Through the screen, they could see Yu Niaoniao engrossed in painting. Soon, a portrait was drawn. Wei Huai En visibly paused when he saw the portrait. He had also hired someone to draw a portrait of him, and he was a famous painter in the capital. However, none of the drawings were as real as the portrait in his hand. The person in the painting looked almost identical to him. The degree of likeness was amazing. Wei Huai En took the portrait to the emperor, who was also shocked by the authenticity of the portrait. If he had not seen Yu Niaoniao draw with his own eyes, he would not have believed that this was actually done by a youngdy. This time, he was really impressed by Yu Niaoniao. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect your County Princess to have such ability. I underestimated her previously. I specially allowed you to bring her along to handle the case.¡± Xiao Juan cupped his hands and replied, ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± The old emperor said, ¡°Remember, the most important thing on your trip is to find out the truth about the border map. As for the other people and things, you don¡¯t have to take them too seriously.¡± The tone of his voice when he said this was clearly indicating something. Xiao Juan lowered his head. ¡°I¡¯ll remember.¡± He understood that the old emperor was reminding him that escorting Prince Min and his son back to their fiefdom was just an excuse. He didn¡¯t have to take it too seriously. And why would the Emperor say that? Xiao Juan had a bold guess. He was afraid that their journey to Liaodong County would not be peaceful. The emperor left with Wei Huai En. Xiao Juan walked around the screen and stood in front of Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Yu Niaoniao stood up and took his hand. She asked curiously. ¡°Why did you suddenly call me into the pce to draw?¡± Xiao Juan told her about taking her to Liaodong County. Yu Niaoniao was overjoyed. She did not expect there to be a public holiday. She followed Xiao Juan out and said with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re still the most loyal. You didn¡¯t forget to bring me along when going out to y.¡± Xiao Juan corrected him. ¡°This is not for fun. It¡¯s for an errand. The leak of the border map of Liaodong County is not a small matter. We have to investigate it clearly.¡± Yu Niaoniao clenched her fists. ¡°As husband and wife, we are united!¡± ... Xiao Juan raised his hand and patted her head. When Granny Xiu Yan found out that the Duke was actually bringing the Princess Consort to Liaodong County, she immediately felt terrible. ¡°Liaodong County is so far away. Princess Consort is so delicate. How can she withstand it?¡± Yu Niaoniaoforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When I was in Bashu, I often went to my grandfather¡¯s house to y. Sometimes, I even followed Uncle and the escorts. I¡¯ve been to many ces.¡± When Granny Xiu Yan heard this, her heart ached even more. ¡°Poor you, a rich youngdy. You actually have to go out to be an escort.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not know whether tough or cry. ¡°What are you thinking? I was just going out with the escorts to broaden my horizons. It¡¯s not as hard as you think.¡± Granny Xiu Yan wiped her tears. ¡°Once you¡¯re out the door, everything outside is difficult. It was fine with Duke Lang. In any case, he was thick-skinned. It did not matter how hard he suffered. But you¡¯re different. Your body is precious. You can¡¯t suffer.¡± The thick-skinned Xiao Juan was speechless Why did he feel that he was so worthless? ... Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°With His Highness around, I won¡¯t suffer.¡± Granny Xiu Yan knew that the emperor had already given the order and there was no room for negotiation. No matter how worried she was, she couldn¡¯t change the ending. She wiped her eyes andposed herself. She asked someone to prepare the things the duke and princess would need when they went out. Yu Niaoniao turned around and saw Dang Gui looking at her anxiously from behind the door. She called her over. ¡®What¡¯s the matter?¡¯ Dang Gui mustered her courage and spoke loudly. ¡°I want to go to Liaodong County with you!¡± Yu Niaoniao was surprised. ¡°Why? Wouldn¡¯t you be morefortable at home?¡± Dang Gui shook her head vigorously. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be separated from you.¡± Ever since she lost her memory, she had been by Yu Niaoniao¡¯s side. The thought of being separated from Yu Niaoniao for so long made her feel uneasy. Even the food would be less fragrant. She took Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand and begged. ¡°Just take me with you. I can do yourundry, carry your luggage, and cook for you¡­¡± Yu Niaoniao interrupted her. ¡°There¡¯s no need to cook. Don¡¯t waste food.¡± Dang Gui hung her head. Tears welled in her eyes, like a poor abandoned puppy. Yu Niaoniao rubbed her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take you with me.¡± Chapter 198 - 198 Stealing Food 198 Stealing Food Prince Min was overjoyed when he learned that the emperor had allowed him to return to his fief. However, he immediately felt ill after he heard that the emperor had asked Duke Lang to escort him to Liaodong County. Not only him, but Shen Xu was also greatly agitated. He felt that the wound that had just healed not long ago was starting to ache again. Shen Xuined bitterly, ¡°There are so many generals in the court. Of all the people, why did you choose that living King of Hell?¡± He only had to think of having to face that living King of Hell every day for the next few months to feel that the road ahead was dark. ¡°If I had known earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have returned to Liaodong County!¡± Prince Min¡¯s face darkened. ¡°What¡¯s the point of talking about this now? It¡¯s a done deal. Go pack.¡± Three dayster, the Eagle Guards loaded boxes of luggage into the carriage. Although Xiao Juan had said that he wanted to travel light, with his status as a county king, no matter how light it was, there were still various things to bring along. Soon, all the luggage was packed. Meng Xizhou indicated that they could set off at any time. Xiao Juan did not see Yu Niaoniao. Just as he was about to get someone to look for her, he turned around and saw her walking over with her little donkey. Meng Xizhou could not help but widen his eyes and ask. ¡°Princess Consort, don¡¯t tell me you want to ride the donkey to Liaodong County?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡± Meng Xizhou had aplicated expression. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, but it¡¯s unnecessary. After all, it¡¯s such a long journey. It¡¯s morefortable to take a carriage.¡± Yu Niaoniao said happily. ¡°The two don¡¯t conflict. If I¡¯m tired of riding in a carriage, I can ride a donkey. If the donkey is tired, I¡¯ll switch to a carriage. Isn¡¯t it morefortable to rotate?¡± Meng Xizhou was speechless. So it wasn¡¯t that the other party was too stupid, but that he was too narrow-minded. This time, Xiao Juan brought a total of 50 Eagle Guards, including Meng Xizhou and Lo Pingsha. Yan Nanguan was left in the capital. They said goodbye to Granny Xiu Yan and rode east towards the city. When the citizens in the city saw so many Eagle Guards, they were so frightened that they hid on both sides. It was not until they were far away that themoners dared to appear. When the Eagle Guards arrived at the east city gate, they immediately saw the convoy from Prince Min¡¯s Mansion waiting there. When Prince Min and his son saw that not only was Duke Lang in the convoy this time but that there was also Lo Pingsha, the painful memories from the Justice Department immediately surfaced in their minds, making their scalps tingle. Prince Min pretended to be ufortable and hid in the carriage. He greeted Xiao Juan through the window. Shen Xu did the same. He used the excuse of having a headache and hid in the car. Xiao Juan did not like to exchange pleasantries with others, so he spoke even less at this moment. After ending this awkward meeting, Xiao Juan gave the order to set off. The Eagle Guards were divided into two groups. One group led the way in front, while the other was responsible for bringing up the rear. The carriage of Prince Min and his son was sandwiched in the middle of the line. Regarding this, they did not dare to say anything or ask anything. They could only continue to hide in the carriage and y dead. Even their lunch was eaten in the carriage. Until the sky turned dark and the convoy stopped at a courier station. Only then did Prince Min and his son get out of the car. There were limited rooms in the courier station. The Eagle Guards could not all stay in them. Most of them could only camp near the courier station for the night. Yu Niaoniao was arranged to stay in the same room as Xiao Juan. Dang Gui lived next door to them, while Prince Min and Shen Xu lived opposite them. The others lived downstairs. Dang Gui started packing the room and luggage as soon as she entered. Yu Niaoniao put her hands behind her back and went downstairs. She intended to check the kitchen. In order to entertain them, the courier station had specially prepared amb tonight, nning to roast it whole. However, Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°The few of us definitely won¡¯t be able to finish such a big sheep. You can just cut a few catties of mutton and cook. Leave the rest to me.¡± The cook at the courier station did not understand why she wanted so much mutton, but because of her status as the Princess Consort, the cook did not dare to ask further and could only do as she said. At this moment, Shen Xu had just finished bathing and was about to have dinner when he suddenly smelled the fragrance of mutton souping from outside. However, there was no mutton soup on the table in front of him, only a te of red-braised mutton. He felt that the officials at the station had deliberately not sent the mutton soup to him. How could Shen Xu stand this pettiness? He immediately stood up and strode out. The subordinate hurriedly followed. ¡°Prince, where are you going?¡± Shen Xu said with a dark expression. ¡°I¡¯m going to the kitchen to see where they sent the mutton soup.¡± It would be fine if they sent the mutton soup to Prince Min¡¯s room, but if they sent it to Duke Lang, he would definitely not let it go! He had been hiding in the carriage today because he was afraid of Duke Lang. He had already suffered for a day. He could not tolerate it anymore! Shen Xu stormed into the kitchen. He nced over and saw the mutton soup in the pot and Yu Niaoniao standing beside the stove. At this moment, she was lowering her head to taste the mutton soup. Seeing this, Shen Xu blurted out. ¡°You actually hid here to steal food!¡± ... He expected her to be ashamed or embarrassed. However, Yu Niaoniao looked at him suspiciously. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± She had only tasted the saltiness of the mutton soup. How did it be stealing? Shen Xu sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be stupid with me. If I were you, I would immediately find a hole in the ground and hide in it to save myself from embarrassment!¡± Yu Niaoniao could not help but say. ¡°You¡¯re probably a melon baby.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a melon baby?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°A melon is stupid. A melon baby is ¡­.¡± Shen Xu flew into a rage out of humiliation. ¡°How dare you call me a fool?!¡± Yu Niaoniao could not be bothered with him and shouted out the door. ... ¡°Little Meng, Little Lo!¡± Soon Meng Xizhou and Lo Pingsha walked in. As soon as he saw Lo Pingsha, Shen Xu immediately cowered. He could only rage at Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Don¡¯t call for help if you have the balls!¡± Yu Niaoniao said calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t have balls, to begin with.¡± Shen Xu was speechless. Yu Niaoniao pointed at the mutton soup in the pot. ¡°Give this mutton soup to the Eagle Guards outside. It¡¯s cold at night. Drink some hot soup to warm up.¡± Lo Pingsha and Meng Xizhou felt warm inside and thanked her sincerely. They carried the pot out. Shen Xu hurriedly shouted. ¡°Isn¡¯t this mutton soup for us?¡± He could not be med for being greedy. The pot of mutton soup was really too fragrant. Just the smell alone could make one¡¯s mouth water. It must taste extremely good. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Who said I prepared it for you? I specially made this pot of mutton soup for the Eagle Guards. There¡¯s no share for you.¡± Shen Xu was in disbelief. ¡°You made this soup? You have such skills?¡± Chapter 199 - 199 Shallow 199 Shallow Most of the nobledies in the capital knew how to learn needlework, but they only learned the basics. Very few people would really study needlework and culinary skills. After all, they had all been pampered since they were young. There were groups of servants at home, and they were served by others. They did not need to do anything themselves. Shen Xu suspected that Yu Niaoniao was bragging. Yu Niaoniao could not be bothered to exin to him. She cracked the eggshell with one hand and the egg fell into the bowl. She quickly mixed it and added flour, water, and spring onions. She then stirred it evenly. She brushed a thinyer of oil into the pot and poured the batter into it. Yu Niaoniao shook the pot, and the batter gradually turned into a circle. After one side was set, she raised her wrist and the pot shook. The omelet in the pot flew up and flipped in the air before falling back into the pot. Shen Xu was dumbfounded. She was so powerful! When the omelet was fried until both sides were golden, Yu Niaoniao poured it onto a te. She fried five omelets in a row. She mixed another te of sauce. Shen Xu looked at the fragrant omelet on the te and wanted to taste it. However, Yu Niaoniao had no intention of inviting him to taste it. She lifted the lid of the casserole, revealing the mutton porridge bubbling out. She sprinkled onions, ginger, and little pepper and stirred with a soup spoon. At this point, Shen Xu really believed that she could cook. He felt embarrassed when he remembered that he had just used her of stealing food. He wanted to turn around and leave now, but the fragrance was still seducing him, making him unable to walk. Shen Xu spoke shamelessly. ¡°What are you cooking? It smells pretty good.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked up at him. ¡°Does it smell good?¡± Seeing that she was still willing to talk to him, Shen Xu immediately saw hope and hurriedly nodded. ¡°It¡¯s especially fragrant!¡± He thought she would share some food with him. However, in the next moment, he heard Yu Niaoniao say with a smile. ¡°I think it smells wonderful too. Unfortunately, there¡¯s nothing for you.¡± With that, she covered the casserole. Shen Xu was speechless. Yu Niaoniao stir-fried two other dishes. Then she carefully picked up the casserole and ced it on the bottom shelf of the food box. Then she ced the omelet and stir-fry on the second and thirdyers. She covered the food container and walked out. Seeing that he had been ignored, Shen Xu was very unconvinced. He snapped angrily. ¡°Why would you rather give the mutton soup to those Eagle Guards outside than give it to me to taste? Isn¡¯t my status much higher than those Eagle Guards?!¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped in her tracks and frowned slightly. She looked very unhappy. ¡°You¡¯re so shallow! You¡¯re so full of your identity. Identity doesn¡¯t mean everything. There are many things in my heart that are more important than identity.¡± Shen Xu did not expect this woman to care so much about substance. However, he was also very confident in his inner qualities. After all, he had been taught by a master since he was young, so he asked. ¡°Such as?¡± Yu Niaoniao said without hesitation, ¡°For example, height!¡± Shen Xu was speechless. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice? Those Eagle Guards outside are all taller than you.¡± Shen Xu said angrily, ¡°Nonsense!¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head and sighed. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you¡¯ll know tomorrow.¡± She looked at Shen Xu with sympathy. ¡°Look at you. You¡¯re already short. You should eat less lest you gain weight. Even if a tall man bes fat, he could still be said to be tall and strong. If you be fat, you can only be a short winter melon.¡± Shen Xu was dumbfounded and flew into a rage out of humiliation. He was indeed not tall, but he was certainly not the shortest one. He did not believe Yu Niaoniao¡¯s nonsense! This woman was definitely deliberately angering him. He could not fall for it! Yu Niaoniao left the kitchen briskly with the food box. Only when she was far away did Shen Xu react. She said that he only knew how to look at his own status and despised him for being too superficial. But she judged people by their looks! She was clearly more superficial than him! Yu Niaoniao walked to the stairs and bumped into Xiao Juan. He had gone outside to patrol just now. When he returned to the house, he did not see Niaoniao. He asked Dang Gui and found out that she had gone to the kitchen. ... Xiao Juan took the food box from her and whispered. ¡°You must be tired after a long day. Leave the cooking to the cook. Just rest.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled sweetly at him. ¡°I¡¯m not tired.¡± They went back upstairs, hand in hand. Yu Niaoniao scooped the porridge out of the casserole, then picked up an egg pancake, brushed it with sauce, ced in potato shreds and pickled vegetables, rolled it up, and handed it to Xiao Juan. ¡°Try it.¡± This was the first time Xiao Juan had eaten an egg pancake like this. He took it and tasted it. The omelet was soft and the sauce inside was salty and slightly spicy. With the crisp pickled vegetables and shredded potatoes, it tasted unexpectedly good. Yu Niaoniao also rolled an egg pancake for herself. She mumbled between bites. ¡°I used to love to make omelets like this at home. Every time, my stepfather would personally roll an omelet for my mother. If I wanted to eat it, I had to roll it myself. Hmph, they only know how to show off their love in front of me!¡± ... Xiao Juan finished an egg pancake roll and imitated Yu Niaoniao. He personally rolled up an egg pancake and handed it to Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao looked at him nkly. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Don¡¯t envy others. What others have, you have too.¡± Yu Niaoniao reached out and took the omelet. Those were nice words, but why did she sound so ufortable? It took her a moment to remember. Wasn¡¯t that what Daddy Pig had said tofort Peppa Pig? The next day, they continued on their way. Shen Xu did not take the carriage again. He chose to ride. He did not believe he was the shortest man in the group. He had topete with them one by one! Therefore, the Eagle Guards realized that Prince Min had be very strange today. He rode his horse from the front of the team to the back and then from the back to the front. His eyes were still wandering everywhere, and he gritted his teeth from time to time. Everyone was wondering if his brain had been clipped by the door when he left the house this morning. Afterparing with them one by one, Shen Xu was forced to admit that the Eagle Guards in this team were all taller than him. Even the baby-faced Lo Pingsha was taller than him! Shen Xu suffered a huge blow and felt terrible. Yu Niaoniao rode past him on her little donkey. Seeing his dejected look, she took the initiative tofort him. ¡°Even though you¡¯re naturally short, you don¡¯t have to be too depressed. As long as you can persevere with drinking cow¡¯s milk every day, exercising, going to bed early, and getting up early, you¡¯ll¡­¡± Hope lit up in Shen Xu¡¯s eyes. Could he grow taller by doing this? The next moment, he heard Yu Niaoniao continue. ¡°You¡¯ll gradually get used to your height and ept that you¡¯re short.¡± Shen Xu was speechless. Yu Niaoniao looked at her in surprise. ¡°You don¡¯t think you can still grow taller at this age, do you? No way, no way.¡± Shen Xu flew into a rage out of humiliation. ¡°Get lost!¡± Chapter 200 - 200 Mountain Bandits 200 Mountain Bandits Shen Xu was so agitated that he could not control his voice. His shout immediately attracted the attention of the people around him. Before Yu Niaoniao could do anything, the Eagle Guards were already unhappy. They red at Shen Xu angrily. Lo Pingsha rode close and spoke in a low voice. ¡°Prince, please be more respectful to our Princess. Don¡¯t think that we won¡¯t dare to do anything to you just because you¡¯re the Prince. If you dare to bully the Princess, the Justice Department will definitely not let you off.¡± !! These words were echoed by the rest of the Eagle Guards. ¡°Lord Lo is right! Don¡¯t bully our County Princess!¡± Shen Xu was even angrier. He was clearly the one being bullied! Faced with Lo Pingsha¡¯s threat, Shen Xu was a little afraid. However, if hepromised in front of so many people, wouldn¡¯t he be embarrassed? He gritted his teeth and shouted. ¡°Who do you think you are? What right do you have to speak to me like this? Not to mention that I didn¡¯t bully her, even if I did, what can you do?!¡± A voice spoke behind him. ¡°Who did you bully?¡± The voice was recognizable, deep and harsh, like a knife de scraping across an eardrum. Shen Xu immediately felt his scalp tingle. He turned stiffly and saw Duke Lang on horseback. Xiao Juan rode his horse closer to Yu Niaoniao and asked in a low voice. ¡°Were you bullied?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Xiao Juan was relieved. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± While they were talking, Shen Xu rode away. Shen Xu returned to his carriage. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He had clearly been yed by Yu Niaoniao, but the others were still speaking up for her. Those guys did not take him seriously at all! Shen Xu clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. ¡°Just you wait! When I find an opportunity, I¡¯ll definitely teach Duke Lang and the Princess a lesson!¡± Three dayster, the convoy left the official road and entered the mountains. The mountain road was uneven and the carriage was jolting. Yu Niaoniao simply gave up on taking the carriage and chose to ride a donkey the entire day. Gray might be small, but it was especially strong. He insisted on walking at the front of the group. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think it was the leader of the group. Yu Niaoniao held a cucumber in her hand. She ate half of it and gave the other half to Gray. Gray was happily chewing a cucumber when its ears flicked. He stopped and raised his head, letting out a high cry. Then, the entire team stopped. Xiao Juan sensed movement in front and sent an Eagle Guard with good movement techniques to check the situation. The Eagle Guard returned quickly. ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s a group of bandits robbing in front. They¡¯ve blocked the mountain path. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to pass through for a while.¡± Since that was the case, Xiao Juan did not hesitate and gave the order. ¡°Little Lo, stay behind to protect Niaoniao and Prince Ming. I¡¯ll bring our men to eliminate the bandits.¡± Lo Pingsha replied, ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Yu Niaoniao reminded him, ¡°Be careful and protect yourself.¡± Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± He flicked the reins and urged the dark cloud forward. The other Eagle Guards followed. Yu Niaoniao watched them disappear around the bend in the mountain path. At this moment, Prince Min and his father could not sit still anymore. They got out of the car one after another. Prince Min frowned and said, ¡°Why are there bandits in this ce? Is it a trap?¡± Shen Xu pursed his lips and said sarcastically. ¡°Duke Lang is so powerful. Even a trap definitely won¡¯t stump him.¡± Prince Min red at him. ¡°Shut up!¡± Although he did not like Duke Lang, he did not want anything to happen to him. After all, this ce was very remote. If the mountain bandits became ferocious, they would definitely not be able to escape. Shen Xu rolled his eyes and saw that the Eagle Guards were not around. There was only a maidservant and Lo Pingsha beside Yu Niaoniao. This was a good opportunity. He had to teach Yu Niaoniao a lesson. He wanted this woman to understand that he, the heir, was not someone to be trifled with! Shen Xu walked towards Yu Niaoniao. However, he had only walked halfway when he saw Yu Niaoniao take out a bow and arrow from her side pocket. Although she felt that a mere group of bandits would definitely not be a problem for Duke Lang, she still had to be ready to fight. Yu Niaoniao nocked an arrow and drew her bow. She turned left and right, wanting to adjust her aim. When the arrow swept past Shen Xu, he was so frightened that his face turned pale. Then, he scrambled back to the car. Seeing this, Yu Niaoniao was confused. She lowered her bow and asked, puzzled. ... ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the prince? Why does he look strange?¡± Lo Pingsha saw Shen Xu¡¯s actions just now and could naturally guess what he was thinking. He cursed in his heart, but his expression remained indifferent. ¡°He probably ate something bad and was in a hurry to settle it.¡± Yu Niaoniao understood. ¡°I see.¡± The sound of hooves came from ahead. Yu Niaoniao immediately turned her head to look ahead and saw Meng Xizhou riding over. When he was in front of her, Yu Niaoniao asked impatiently. ¡°How is the Duke?¡± Meng Xizhou quickly said, ¡°Princess, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ve already wiped out all the bandits. None of us died.¡± Yu Niaoniao felt relieved. That was good. Meng Xizhou continued, ¡°His Highness saved a family. Someone was injured and needs treatment.¡± He looked at Lo Pingsha. In their team, only Lo Pingsha knew medicine. ... Yu Niaoniao put away her bow. ¡°Then let¡¯s go over quickly.¡± They walked along the mountain path and soon saw Duke Lang and the Eagle Guards. On the ground beside them were the corpses of more than ten bandits. In order to avoid blocking the mountain path, the Eagle Guards picked up the corpses and threw them into the forest. On the edge of the mountain road was an overturned carriage. Sitting on the ground beside the carriage was a family of three. It looked like a middle-aged couple with a daughter. They were the ones who had been robbed by the bandits. Fortunately, the Eagle Guards appeared in time and killed the bandits. Otherwise, they would have been captured by the bandits. The middle-aged man¡¯s shoulder was injured and was in extreme pain. His wife and daughter were crying with anxiety. Lo Pingsha walked over and examined the middle-aged man¡¯s wound. The wound was deep and there was a lot of blood. Fortunately, no bones were broken. Lo Pingsha took out the medicine he carried and bandaged the middle-aged man¡¯s wound. The bleeding was quickly stopped. Lo Pingsha stood up. ¡°Rest well for the next period of time. Don¡¯t let your wounds get wet. Don¡¯t move your arms until they¡¯re healed. Take this bottle of medicine and change the dressing twice every morning and night.¡± He threw the pill bottle at the middle-aged man. Without waiting for the other party to express his gratitude, he turned around and left. He did not even look at him the entire time. His cold appearance was a stark contrast to his slightly childish baby face. Chapter 201 - 201 Saving a Life 201 Saving a Life Yu Niaoniao jumped off the donkey¡¯s back and ran to Xiao Juan. She pulled his hand and sized him up. She saw that not a single hair on his body was messy. It seemed that it was very easy for them to deal with this group of bandits. Yu Niaoniao looked at Xiao Juan with sparkling eyes, her eyes filled with admiration. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re really awesome to get rid of evil for the people!¡± Xiao Juan enjoyed her praise very much. He said quietly, ¡°We¡¯re still not sure if the Mountain Bandits have an aplice. To avoid unnecessary trouble, we have to get out of here as soon as possible.¡± Although the Eagle Guards were agile, it was difficult for a strong dragon to suppress a local snake. Xiao Juan nned to leave this ce first. When he arrived at the county city, he would get the officials to send people to search the bandits¡¯ir nearby. Yu Niaoniao had no objections to his decision. The family of three supported each other and walked toward Xiao Juan. Yu Niaoniao looked at them and saw that they were dressed rather simply. They looked like ordinarymoners. Surprisingly, the family of three looked outstanding. The middle-aged man was gentle and elegant, like a schr. His wife was delicate and graceful. Her daughter had all their strengths. Not only were her eyebrows exquisite, but her skin was also fair and tender, and her figure was slender. Because she had just cried, the corners of her eyes were red and her eyshes were wet. She looked really pitiful. The three of them knelt down towards Xiao Juan. ¡°Thank you for saving our lives, sir!¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s reaction was very cold. ¡°It was nothing. There¡¯s no need to thank me.¡± The middle-aged man struggled to his feet with the help of his wife and daughter. He spoke weakly. ¡°My surname is Duan and my name is Hanyi. This is my wife, Madam Zhao. That¡¯s our daughter, Nian¡¯er.¡± When Duan Nian¡¯er heard her father introduce her, she quickly nced at Xiao Juan. She looked timid as if there was some hidden anticipation, but she did not dare to express it because of her shyness. Duan Hanyi looked embarrassed. ¡°Our carriage is broken, but this ce is at least three days away from the nearest county city. I¡¯m injured now and can¡¯t walk that far. Can you make an exception and lend us a carriage? Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t use your carriage for nothing. We¡¯ll pay!¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at the carriage that had fallen to the side of the road. The carriage showed signs of falling apart. It really could not sit anyone else. She thought that Xiao Juan would agree. After all, their team had several carriages. It was not a problem to lend them one. However, Xiao Juan called Meng Xizhou over and instructed him in a low voice. Meng Xizhou nodded his understanding. Then, he led a few Eagle Guards to the carriage and straightened it. Then, they began to dismantle the carriage. It was only a moment. The carriage was stripped down to the bottom panel. Meng Xizhou patted the bottom of the carriage and grinned. ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s quite sturdy!¡± He waved at Duan Shiyi¡¯s family of three. ¡°Come here.¡± Madam Zhao and Duan Nian¡¯er helped Duan Hanyi over. Meng Xizhou let them sit on the board and then smiled. ¡°So the carriage won¡¯t fall apart anymore. You can continue on your way.¡± Duan Hanyi and his family were immediately dumbfounded. They never expected such a thing to happen! Duan Nian¡¯er said timidly, ¡°There¡¯s not even any cover in this car. It¡¯ll definitely be very cold at night.¡± Meng Xizhou said casually, ¡°Didn¡¯t you bring nkets? If you¡¯re cold, cover yourself with a nket. Do you need me to teach you such a simple thing?¡± Duan Nian¡¯er was speechless. Afterpleting the mission, Meng Xizhou returned to report. Duan Hanyi and his family were left sitting on the handcart, staring at one another. The team set off again. As Xiao Juan rode past the handcart without looking sideways, Duan Nian¡¯er¡¯s gaze followed him. Soon, Prince Min and Shen Xu¡¯s carriage drove past the handcart one after another. Shen Xu saw the family of three sitting on the handcart through the car window. His gaze was immediately attracted to Duan Nian¡¯er. This girl was really beautiful! Even though she was only wearing a rough dress and no makeup, it still could not hide her beauty. Shen Xu quickly got someone to stop the carriage. He stuck his head out of the car window and asked Duan Nian¡¯er. ... ¡°Miss, do you want toe to my car?¡± Duan Nian¡¯er was like a frightened deer. Her small body trembled slightly, and then she shrank her shoulders and hid behind her parents. She lowered her head to reveal her fair and slender neck. She said timidly, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but there¡¯s no need. I still have to take care of Father.¡± Shen Xu liked beautiful and innocent girls like her the most. He chewed carefully. ¡°So your name is Nian¡¯er? What a good name.¡± Duan Nian¡¯er blushed. Shen Xu was justining that the journey was too boring. It was rare for a beautiful girl toe knocking on his door. How could he let her go? He asked the attendant to force Duan Nian¡¯er into his car. Duan Nian¡¯er was terrified. She wanted to cry but did not dare to. Tears welled up in her eyes, making her look even more pitiful. Shen Xu was tempted and hugged her tightly. His big hand rubbed her slender waist. With her in his arms, he felt his heart flutter and his soul almost fly away. ... Duan Nian¡¯er wanted to ask her parents for help. She turned to look out the window and saw that her parents had been taken away. She was instantly even more afraid. Her voice trembled as she begged. ¡°Young Master, please let my parents go.¡± Shen Xu raised her chin and smiled maliciously. ¡°Little beauty, don¡¯t worry. As long as you serve me well, your parents will definitely be safe.¡± Duan Nian¡¯er was worried about her parents¡¯ safety and did not dare to resist. She could only follow the other party¡¯s wishes with tears in her eyes. What happened here was quickly spread to Xiao Juan¡¯s ears. Xiao Juan had always been cautious. Even though Duan Hanyi and his family looked very harmless, he was still a little wary. It was precisely because of this that he had refused the other party¡¯s request to rent a carriage. He wanted to distance himself from the family of three as soon as possible to avoid any unnecessary trouble. Unexpectedly, Shen Xu was blinded by lust and got her into his car. If there was really something wrong with that Duan Nian¡¯er, Shen Xu would be sending himself to the lion¡¯s den. He had seen people courting death, but he had never seen anyone doing it in such an extreme manner! Yu Niaoniao could not help but ask when she saw Xiao Juan¡¯s serious expression. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Xiao Juan knew Shen Xu¡¯s style. If he asked Shen Xu to throw Duan Nian¡¯er out of the carriage now, not only would Shen Xu not agree, but he would also very likely cause amotion about this matter and drag down the entire convoy¡¯s speed. For now, he could only wait and find an opportunity to investigate Duan Nian¡¯er. He reminded her, ¡°Follow me for the next few days. Don¡¯t wander off, and definitely don¡¯t act alone.¡± Although Yu Niaoniao did not understand, she still nodded obediently. ¡°Yes!¡± Chapter 202 - 202 Trilateral Love 202 Trteral Love There were no ry stations or guest houses in the mountains. There was not even a vige to be seen. They stayed until the sun was about to set. They still had not found a ce to stay. They could only set up camp and n to make do for the night. If it were any other time, Shen Xu would definitelyin. !! However, he had just obtained a beauty today and was in a good mood. When he heard that he was going to spend the night in the mountains, not only was he not dissatisfied, he even smiled at Duan Nian¡¯er. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful sunset out there. Why don¡¯t we go and see it together?¡± Although it was a question, he did not ask for her opinion. He pulled her out of the carriage. Duan Nian¡¯er¡¯s gaze scanned the crowd and quickly found Xiao Juan. She did not know where she got the strength from, but she suddenly broke free from Shen Xu¡¯s hand and ran toward Xiao Juan without care. In front of everyone, his woman pounced on another man. This was simply stepping on Shen Xu¡¯s face. Shen Xu was furious. ¡°Stop right there!¡± With that, he strode after her. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao was talking to Meng Xizhou. Meng Xizhou had just brought people into the mountain to hunt a few rabbits. He handed the rabbits to Yu Niaoniao and said that it was for her and the Duke. Yu Niaoniao took the rabbit. ¡°Thank you, then.¡± When she heard the roar, she looked at Shen Xu and Duan Nian¡¯er and saw Duan Nian¡¯er rushing in front of Xiao Juan. Duan Nian¡¯er was like a deer that had lost its way in the forest. Her body could not help but tremble as she looked at Xiao Juan with helplessness. She pleaded tearfully. ¡°Sir, please save me and my parents. As long as you can save us, I¡¯ll do anything.¡± Xiao Juan was unmoved and said coldly, ¡°Move.¡± Duan Nian¡¯er seemed to be clutching at straws. She refused to give up easily. ¡°My parents and I encountered bandits today and were almost insulted by them. At the critical moment, you appeared in time to save me. You are my hero and the person I admire. From that moment on, I swore to myself that I would follow you forever! I know that you have a noble status. A person like me is not worthy of you. I don¡¯t need a title. I just need to stay by your side and serve you for the rest of my life. Please give me this chance.¡± She spoke sincerely and looked at Xiao Juan with deep affection and admiration. She saw that Xiao Juan was standing still. Although he did not react, he did not refuse. Hence, she mustered her courage and wanted to reach out to pull Xiao Juan¡¯s sleeve. Seeing this, Shen Xu, who was following closely, was immediately exasperated. ¡°She¡¯s my woman. If you touch her, I¡¯ll never let you off!¡± In the eyes of others, this scene was like an eight o¡¯clock drama. Two men were fighting for a woman, and a battle was about to break out. Meng Xizhou was very worried that the Princess would be angry and hurriedlyforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll help you get rid of that woman.¡± Now, the entire Justice Department only recognized Yu Niaoniao as the Princess Consort. No matter how many women Duke Lang would have in the future, they would firmly stand on the side of the Princess Consort. Yu Niaoniao saw Xiao Juan raise his hand. She thought that Xiao Juan was going to respond to Duan Nian¡¯er and was quite unhappy. However, in the next moment, she saw Xiao Juan p Duan Nian¡¯er in the face! The force wind was sharp and oppressive like a thunderbolt. If this pnded, her brain would be blown out. No one expected that the scene, which was a melodramatic love triangle a moment ago, would be a live King of Hell tearing a beauty apart. The change was so sudden that everyone was stunned. No one stood up to stop Xiao Juan. Seeing that the palm was about tond, Duan Nian¡¯er¡¯s body suddenly twisted. Then, she slipped and fell to the ground in a sorry state. It was also because of this fall that she managed to avoid Xiao Juan¡¯s palm. Xiao Juan¡¯s palm missed. However, he did not have much of a reaction. He calmly retracted his hand and looked at Duan Nian¡¯er with an extremely deep gaze. His palm strike was intended to test Duan Nian¡¯er. The result of the test was as he had expected. Duan Nian¡¯er knew martial arts. Although the way she pretended to fall seemed like a coincidence, her instinctive reaction when she was in danger had betrayed her. Shen Xu was originally prepared to curse. However, after seeing that Xiao Juan even hit a woman, Shen Xu was instantly speechless. As expected of the living King of Hell! It was her bad luck for eight lifetimes that Duan Nian¡¯er liked him. It was not only Shen Xu. The others around him also had mixed feelings. It was not unreasonable for Duke Lang to be single for twenty years.If not for the emperor¡¯s blessing, he would probably still be single. Meng Xizhou looked at Yu Niaoniao carefully. He was even more worried. Duke Lang was so ferocious. What if he attacked the Princess in the future? Looking at the Princess Consort¡¯s small body, Duke Lang would probably only need one blow to kill her. ... Duan Nian¡¯er was guilty but she used the act of wiping her tears to avoid Xiao Juan¡¯s gaze. She cried and said, ¡°Why did you attack me, Your Highness? Did I do something wrong and make you unhappy? Tell me, I¡¯ll definitely change.¡± Shen Xu helped her up. ¡°Alright, since he doesn¡¯t like you, whatever you do will be wrong. You should just follow me in peace. As long as you serve me well, I won¡¯t treat you badly.¡± Duan Nian¡¯er carefully looked at Xiao Juan, only to see him staring at her coldly. Her heart tightened. She knew that the other party was already suspicious of her, so she hurriedly looked away and fell weakly into Shen Xu¡¯s arms. ¡°Young Master, my foot hurts. I think I identally twisted it just now.¡± Shen Xu was naturally very happy that a beauty had thrown herself into his arms. He chuckled at Xiao Juan as if he was showing off, then hugged Duan Nian¡¯er and walked back. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll help you back to rest. I have ointment for blood cirction in the car. I¡¯ll apply it personallyter. I guarantee it¡¯ll make your feet recover quickly.¡± With that, he did not forget to rub Duan Nian¡¯er¡¯s waist. Duan Nian¡¯er clung to him and sobbed softly as if she had been wronged. ... She knew in her heart that she would definitely not be able to seduce Xiao Juan. At this moment, she could only settle for the next best thing and change her target to Shen Xu. Thinking of Xiao Juan¡¯s merciless p just now, she hated him in her heart. She vowed that she would make him suffer! Xiao Juan walked up to Yu Niaoniao and realized that she was still looking at him in a daze. He had to ask. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Yu Niaoniao gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re awesome! You can actually be so ruthless to such a delicate little beauty.¡± Xiao Juan said truthfully, ¡°She has evil intentions and is not a good person. It¡¯s fine to kill her.¡± Yu Niaoniao was very surprised and hurriedly asked for the reason. Chapter 203 - 203 Roast Fish 203 Roast Fish Xiao Juan exined his discovery.
Yu Niaoniao was shocked. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Miss Duan to know martial arts.¡± Xiao Juan added, ¡°From her reaction speed at that time, her martial arts should not be low.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°She¡¯s being protected by Shen Xu now. I can¡¯t touch her for the time being. Let¡¯s wait and see what her goal is in approaching us. You have to be careful during this period and keep a distance from her.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded in acknowledgment. Xiao Juan saw that she was still carrying two rabbits and took the initiative to take them. ¡°Rest here. I¡¯ll clean up this rabbit.¡± He strode to the stream with the rabbit. Yu Niaoniao returned to the carriage and took out the bag containing the condiments. Dang Gui was working on the fire when she saw Yu Niaoniao walking over. She quickly asked.
¡°Look, Miss. Is this fire strong enough?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded and pointed to either side of the fire. ¡°Put a rock on each side so we can put the grill onter.¡± Not long after, Xiao Juan returned. In addition to the two cleaned rabbits, he had a grass carp. Xiao Juan said, ¡°When I was dealing with the rabbits by the stream just now, I saw fish swimming in the water, so I caught one.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately smiled. ¡°What a feast tonight!¡± She took out the special wire grill and put the rabbit and fish on it. She brushed the oil and sauce. On this trip, there was arge box specially used to store kitchenware, including the kitchen knife and iron pot that Yu Niaoniao had specially hired someone to make. Yu Niaoniao said to Dang Gui, ¡°Go and get the iron pot and the dry goods we brought.¡±
¡°Alright!¡± Under Yu Niaoniao¡¯s instructions, Dang Gui ced the dry fungus, dried bean skin, and sweet potato noodles into a basin and soaked them in hot water. The surface of the rabbit and fish was sizzling with oil, and the fragrance kept wafting out. Especially when Yu Niaoniao grabbed a handful of cumin and sprinkled it down, the fragrance immediately became even stronger. The various smells mixed together, but they could not suppress the fragrance of roasted rabbit and grilled fish. Shen Xu, who was enjoying dinner in the carriage, also smelled the fragrance. He sniffed. ¡°What¡¯s that smell?¡± Duan Nian¡¯er said timidly, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The food in front of Shen Xu was not bad either. There were dishes and meat, and there was even a pot of wine beside it. But none of them were as enticing as the scent that wafted in from outside. Shen Xu could not sit still anymore. He dropped his chopsticks and jumped out of the carriage, following the scent. Soon, he found Yu Niaoniao. Shen Xu looked at the roasted rabbit and roasted fish in front of her and couldn¡¯t help but swallow. ¡°Where did you get the rabbit meat and fish?¡± Yu Niaoniao replied without looking up, ¡°The rabbit meat was given by the Eagle Guards, and the fish was caught by the duke.¡± Shen Xu knew that he was not liked by Duke Lang and the Eagle Guards. It was impossible for them to help him catch rabbits and fish again. However, he was really greedy and could not bear to leave. ¡°How much is your rabbit meat and fish? I¡¯ll buy it.¡± Yu Niaoniao finally looked up at him. She smiled and asked, ¡°You want to eat it? It¡¯s free.¡± Hearing this, Shen Xu was very surprised. He thought that this woman would take the opportunity to extort him. He did not expect her to be so easy to talk to. Dang Gui was afraid that the food she was about to eat would fly away, so she hurriedly pulled Yu Niaoniao¡¯s sleeve and looked at her eagerly. ¡°I want to eat too.¡± Yu Niaoniao gave her aforting look. ¡°You won¡¯t be left out.¡± Dang Gui was relieved. Seeing this, Xiao Juan thought for a moment and mimicked Dang Gui. He reached out and pulled Yu Niaoniao¡¯s sleeve. Yu Niaoniao turned back to look at him. Xiao Juan said expressionlessly, ¡°I want to eat too.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Boss, speak properly. Don¡¯t act like a spoiled child. You¡¯re scaring me, okay?! Yu Niaoniao said with difficulty, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t forget you.¡± Shen Xu pointed at his carriage and said matter-of-factly, ¡°I¡¯ll go back first. Bring me the roasted rabbit and grilled fishter.¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped him. ¡°Wait.¡± Shen Xu asked, ¡°What else?¡± ¡°Although I said I didn¡¯t want money, I didn¡¯t say I didn¡¯t want anything else.¡± Shen Xu was immediately wary. ¡°What do you want?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled at him. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I just want you to promise me something.¡± Shen Xu had suffered a few times from her. After so many lessons, he did not let his guard down easily this time. He asked cautiously, ¡°Tell me what it¡¯s about first.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s very simple. You just have to hand Duan Nian¡¯er and her family over to Duke Lang.¡± Shen Xu clearly did not expect her to make such a request. He was stunned for a moment before heughed. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect you to be such a princess. You usually look rude and unreasonable, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be so virtuous in private. You actually took the initiative to find women for Duke Lang.¡± Yu Niaoniao frowned. ¡°Are you mistaken? I didn¡¯t arrange a woman for Duke Lang.¡± However, Shen Xu looked confident and said firmly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to defend yourself. I understand what you mean. ¡®I¡¯ve seen women like you. They think that as long as they¡¯re virtuous enough, they can win the dedicated love of their men. How naive!¡¯ Tsk tsk, Duke Lang must have umted eight lifetimes of good fortune to be able to marry such a considerate and magnanimous woman like you.¡± He deliberatelyughed sarcastically. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the beauty. You just have to answer me now. Are you willing to hand over Duan Nian¡¯er and her family?¡± Shen Xu sneered. ¡°In your dreams.¡± Duan Nian¡¯er was such a rare beauty. He had just obtained her and had yet to have his fill. How could he give her away for some food? Did he, the dignified heir to Prince Min, not care about his reputation? Yu Niaoniao was not surprised by this oue and immediately said, ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t force you. You can disappear from my sight.¡± Shen Xu wanted to leave. But his legs wouldn¡¯t obey him. They were fixed in ce, and his eyes were fixed uncontrobly on the roasted rabbit and grilled fish. He couldn¡¯t bear to move away. He wondered how this woman got the roasted meat. Why did it smell so good? He wondered how it would taste. Shen Xu thought about it and couldn¡¯t help but swallow hard again. Seeing that he refused to leave, Yu Niaoniao did not rush him. She continued to brush sauce into the rabbit and fish. When the fish was almost cooked, she took out the iron pot and ced it on the small stove beside her. She would stir-fry the sauce first. When the sauce was stir-fried with red oil and became fragrant, she would add water to boil it. Then, she would add the soaked fungus, bean skin, and sweet potato noodles. Chapter 204 - 204 Poison 204 Poison Seeing her cook in such a mess, Shen Xu was about tough at her when he saw her put the grilled fish into the pot. There was not much soup. Only half of the grilled fish was soaked in the soup. Yu Niaoniao grabbed a handful of dried chili and sesame seeds and sprinkled them on, then poured on ayer of hot oil. He heard a sizzling sound.The scent of chili and sesame was thoroughly arousing. Yu Niaoniao sighed. It was a pity there were no shallots or coriander. Otherwise, it would have been even more fragrant. Shen Xu stared at the pot of grilled fish and couldn¡¯t help but swallow again. He had eaten grilled fish before, but he had never seen anyone cook it like this. Even if he had not tasted it yet, just from the color and appearance, he knew that it must be very delicious! At this moment, the roasted rabbit meat was already ready. Yu Niaoniao handed one of the roasted rabbits to Dang Gui and said to her, ¡°Send this to Little Meng. Tell him this is to thank them for the rabbit.¡± Dang Gui ran to Mengxi Zhou with the roasted rabbit. Seeing this, Shen Xu¡¯s eyes turned red with jealousy. A lowly Eagle Guard could eat rabbit meat while he could only stand here and watch. How could that be? When Dang Gui ran back, Yu Niaoniao took out her bowl and chopsticks and called Dang Gui and Xiao Juan to eat. The fish and rabbit meat were freshly killed. The meat was very fresh and tender. The skin was roasted until it was fragrant. Coupled with Yu Niaoniao¡¯s special sauce, the taste was indescribably good! They did not cook rice. Fortunately, there was sweet potato noodles. The sweet potato noodles were doused with the gravy of the grilled fish. They tasted smooth and rich. With a slurp, Dang Gui sucked arge mouthful of sweet potato noodles into her mouth. She inhaled deeply from the heat, but she could not bear to spit it out. Shen Xu became angrier and angrier. The three of them ate with relish. They did not take him seriously at all! He couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Are you guys blind? Can¡¯t you see me?¡± Xiao Juan looked at him coldly. ¡°Watch what you say.¡± Shen Xu¡¯s heart tightened under his gaze and she immediately became obedient. Yu Niaoniao swallowed the rabbit meat and said slowly. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to leave? You refused to leave and insisted on standing here like a pir. What choice did I have? I could only eat all this delicious food in front of you.¡± Shen Xu gritted his teeth. ¡°Then I have to be really grateful to you!¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°You¡¯re wee!¡± Shen Xu returned to the carriage with a stomach full of anger. Duan Nian¡¯er hid in the corner of the carriage, looking like a terrified little rabbit. When she saw that Shen Xu had returned, she immediately shrank back with fear on her face. But if one looked closely, they would notice that her eyes would asionally look at the dishes on the table. When Shen Xu left just now, she secretly drugged the food and drinks. It was a slow-acting poison that was addictive. As long as Shen Xu took the poison, he would develop a strong dependence on it and could not leave it for a day. In this way, Duan Nian¡¯er could use this poison to control Shen Xu and make him work for her. This was faster and more effective than pure seduction. Shen Xu sat down at the table. The food on the table remained the same. Shen Xu picked up his chopsticks and wanted to eat, but when he thought of Yu Niaoniao¡¯s roasted rabbit and grilled fish, he immediately felt that the food in front of him was not fragrant. He mmed his chopsticks back on the table and shouted outside. ¡°Someone, remove all these dishes!¡± Seeing this, Duan Nian¡¯er hurriedly stopped him. ¡°It would be a pity to remove such good food and wine.¡± With that, she picked up the wine pot and personally poured a ss of wine. She shyly sent it to him. ¡°Please use it, Young Master.¡± If it were any other time, Shen Xu would definitely not be willing to reject a beauty who took the initiative to express goodwill. However, he had nowhere to vent his anger now. How could he be in the mood to tease a beauty? He swung his ss to the floor and cursed angrily. ¡°What kind of good wine is this? The real good stuff won¡¯t be sent to me. In the eyes of those people, I¡¯m inferior to a mere Eagle Guard. Why?!¡± Duan Nian¡¯er looked at the wine ss rolling on the ground and the wine that was spilled. She was so angry that she wanted to curse. However, she still had to pretend to be frightened and ask softly. ¡°Young Master, what¡¯s wrong? Who made you unhappy? Eat some food to calm down.¡± As she spoke, she picked up her chopsticks and picked up a piece of chicken to Shen Xu¡¯s mouth. Shen Xu waved her chopsticks away again. ... ¡°I¡¯m so angry that I¡¯m full. How can I eat?!¡± The chicken fell to the ground with the chopsticks. Duan Nian¡¯er secretly took a few deep breaths before barely suppressing the urge to twist the other party¡¯s head off. She said pitifully, ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t be angry. I just can¡¯t bear to see such a good meal wasted. You should eat more. Don¡¯t starve yourself.¡± Seeing that she was so concerned about him, Shen Xu could not help but be touched. ¡°I really don¡¯t have an appetite. You haven¡¯t eaten, have you? I¡¯ll reward you with these dishes. Eat them while they¡¯re hot.¡± Duan Nian¡¯er hurriedly refused. ¡°No need. I don¡¯t have an appetite either. I don¡¯t want to eat anything for the time being.¡± Shen Xu did not force her. ¡°Forget it if you don¡¯t want to eat.¡± Duan Nian¡¯er secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Shen Xu called a follower over. ... He asked the attendant to remove all the food and wine from the car. At the end, he did not forget to whisper a few words to the attendant. After the attendant heard this, he first nced at Duan Nian¡¯er before nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll get on it.¡± Soon, all the food and drinks in the car were taken away. Even the wine sses and chopsticks on the ground were cleaned up. There was even incense in the carriage, and the lingering smell of food and drinks waspletely dispelled. Duan Nian¡¯er still remembered the look the attendant had given her just now. Her intuition told her that what Shen Xu had instructed his follower to do just now was definitely rted to her. She asked timidly. ¡°Young Master, what did you say to that follower just now?¡± Shen Xu was in a much better mood. He pointed to his cheek and smirked. ¡°Give me a kiss and I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Duan Nian¡¯er blushed. She squirmed for a while before kissing Shen Xu shyly. Shen Xu was satisfied and smiled happily. Duan Nian¡¯er urged, ¡°Tell me quickly.¡± Shen Xu pulled her into his arms and chuckled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you didn¡¯t want to waste food just now? I also don¡¯t think it¡¯s good to waste food. It just so happens that your parents haven¡¯t eaten yet, so I got my servants to send those dishes to your parents.¡± After saying that, he even smiled proudly. Look at how considerate he was! Not only did he take care of the little beauty, but he also took care of her parents. The little beauty must be especially touched! Duan Nian¡¯er trembled and froze. There was poison in those dishes! If Duan Hanyi and Madam Zhao ate those dishes¡­ Oh no! Shen Xu noticed that the little beauty in his arms looked very pale and quickly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Chapter 205 - 205 There Must Be Something Wrong 205 There Must Be Something Wrong Although Duan Hanyi and Madam Zhao were only pretending to be her parents, the three of them were in cahoots. She didn¡¯t want to have her two aplices killed before she was done. Duan Nian¡¯er spoke with difficulty. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but my father is still injured. He can¡¯t drink now, and my mother won¡¯t drink either. I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t be able to enjoy those dishes.¡± She wanted Shen Xu to take back the dishes and wine, but Shen Xu mistakenly thought that she was embarrassed, so he pretended to be generous. ¡°If they can¡¯t drink, just pour those wine away. They can still eat those dishes.¡± Duan Nian¡¯er wanted to say something else, but Shen Xu no longer wanted to talk about this boring matter. He raised Duan Nian¡¯er¡¯s chin and said ambiguously. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t bother with anyone else. You just have to think about how to serve me now.¡± Duan Nian¡¯er had no choice but to pretend to give in. At midnight, Yu Niaoniao was suddenly woken up by the urge to pee. She and Dang Gui were sleeping in the tent while Xiao Juan slept in the carriage. Yu Niaoniao searched the tent with half-opened eyes for a while but did not find the chamber pot. But she woke Dang Gui up. Dang Gui propped up her upper body and asked in a low voice, ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Yu Niaoniao said she wanted to find a chamber pot. Dang Gui thought for a moment before saying. ¡°I forgot to take down the chamber pot. It¡¯s probably still in the carriage. Let me get it for you.¡± She started to get up. Yu Niaoniao pressed her back down. ¡°Go back to sleep. I¡¯ll get it myself. It¡¯s only a few steps.¡± Dang Gui thought that there should be no danger with the Eagle Guards keeping watch outside, so shey down and continued to sleep. Yu Niaoniao crawled out of the tent and walked in the direction of the carriage. Beside the fire sat two Eagle Guards in charge of the night watch. When they saw Yu Niaoniao, they quickly asked her what she was going to do. Did she need help? Yu Niaoniao politely refused. ¡°I¡¯m just going to get something from the carriage. Don¡¯t trouble yourselves.¡± She hadn¡¯t gone far when she noticed a furtive figure ahead. Yu Niaoniao looked over under the moonlight and realized that it was Duan Nian¡¯er! What was she doing out here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping? Yu Niaoniao recalled what Xiao Juan had said. This woman was not simple. She must have a motive for sneaking out in the middle of the night. She noticed that Duan Nian¡¯er seemed to be about to turn around and hurriedly bent down to hide behind a big tree. It took her a moment to poke her head out. She saw Duan Nian¡¯er get into the carriage at the back of the line. If she remembered correctly, that carriage was originally used to store misceneous items. However, because Shen Xu had taken in Duan Nian¡¯er and her family, he got someone to free up the carriage for the Duan family to use. Now, Duan Hanyi and Madam Zhao were in the carriage. It seemed that Duan Nian¡¯er had gone to look for her parents. But if she just wanted to see her parents, why didn¡¯t he go openly during the day? Why did she have to go secretly in the middle of the night? There was definitely something going on. Yu Niaoniao arched her back and tiptoed towards the carriage. She wanted to eavesdrop on what the Duan family was saying? However, in the next moment, arge hand suddenly reached out from behind and covered Yu Niaoniao¡¯s mouth, forcefully dragging her back behind the tree. She pressed her back against the tree trunk. Her heart was pounding in fear. Her breath almost stopped. Without thinking, she raised her right leg and mmed her knee into the other party¡¯s crotch! The other party reacted faster than her. He raised his leg and pulled her knee while lowering his head to whisper in her ear. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± The voice was low and cold and very recognizable. Yu Niaoniao immediately recognized him as Duke Lang. She looked up at him. Under the bright moonlight, Duke Lang was staring down at her. Because they were close, she could see her reflection clearly in his dark eyes. Seeing that she recognized him, Xiao Juan lowered his leg and let go at the same time. He had covered it very tightly just now. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s breathe sprayed into his palm. It felt warm and he could even touch her lips slightly. Even when he let go, the subtle touch remained in his palm for a long time. Xiao Juan involuntarily curled his fingers and gently clenched his fists. Yu Niaoniao asked in a low voice, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯ve been secretly watching Duan Nian¡¯er. When I noticed her movements in the night, I secretly followed her. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you.¡± He frowned slightly at that, and his expression hardened. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? Be careful in the meantime. Don¡¯t go near Duan Nian¡¯er. Why won¡¯t you listen to me?¡± ... If he hadn¡¯t followed her, he wouldn¡¯t have known about Yu Niaoniao¡¯s small actions. That Duan Nian¡¯er was very dangerous. What if she realized that Yu Niaoniao was following her and wanted to harm her? As long as he thought about the possibility of Yu Niaoniao encountering an ident, Xiao Juan felt his heart tighten and he was terrified. Yu Niaoniao knew that she was a little rash this time. She smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°I was wrong. Don¡¯t be angry. I promise I won¡¯t do it again.¡± This was not a ce to talk. Xiao Juan could only give up on reprimanding her for the time being and lower his voice. ¡°You go back first.¡± Yu Niaoniao pointed in the direction of the carriage at the end of the line. ¡°What about Duan Nian¡¯er?¡± Seeing that she did not forget to ask for information at this time, he was angry and amused. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Yu Niaoniao could only reply gloomily, ¡°Okay.¡± ... She turned and walked back. Xiao Juan looked at her dejected back and suddenly felt a little worried about letting her go back alone. Although there were Eagle Guards keeping watch not far away, what if something still happened? In the end, he was worried that the other party would gain the upper hand. Xiao Juan suddenly called out to her. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped and looked at him nkly. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Xiao Juan said expressionlessly. ¡°Youe with me, I¡¯ll send you backter.¡± A precious treasure had to be ced under his nose to be at ease. Yu Niaoniao was overjoyed. She ran back and hugged Xiao Juan¡¯s arm. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you!¡± Xiao Juan hugged her waist and flew up the tree with the help of Qinggong. This was the first time Yu Niaoniao had experienced Qinggong. When her body flew up, she could not help but hug Xiao Juan tighter. Her heart was beating nervously. The two of them followed the cover of the dense leaves and silently jumped from one tree to another. In an instant, they arrived at the tree closest to the carriage. Xiao Juan reached out and pushed aside the leaves in front of him. Yu Niaoniao looked over with her long neck and realized that the doors and windows of the carriage were closed. She could not see what was happening inside. She couldn¡¯t help being disappointed. Chapter 206 - 206 Eavesdropping 206 Eavesdropping Yu Niaoniao turned to look at the man beside her, only to see him staring at the carriage without moving. It was as if he could see through the carriage. Yu Niaoniao was surprised and could not help but ask. ¡°Do you have X-ray vision?¡± Xiao Juan did not understand what X-ray vision was. But he could guess what Yu Niaoniao was thinking. He pointed to his ear. ¡°My five senses are naturally sharper than those of an ordinary person. Although I can¡¯t see into the carriage, I can hear the voices inside.¡± Yu Niaoniao could not help but widen her eyes. He could hear it from so far away. His hearing was too strong! In order not to disturb Xiao Juan, Yu Niaoniao did not take the initiative to speak again. She sat quietly for a while, feeling bored and wanting to find something to kill time. She picked up a tuft of Xiao Juan¡¯s hair and began to braid it. Soon she had woven a thin braid. In order to make the braid more beautiful, she also picked a few small flowers from the tree and inserted them into the braid. Before long, Duan Nian¡¯er emerged from the carriage. She first looked around to make sure that there was no one around before walking back quickly. After she left, Xiao Juan left with Yu Niaoniao. They returned to the vicinity of the tent. Xiao Juan did not notice the change in his hairstyle. He asked Yu Niaoniao to hurry back to sleep. Yu Niaoniao was unwilling. She hade out in the middle of the night to look for the chamber pot, but she had yet to find it. Xiao Juan had no choice but to apany her to the carriage to get the chamber pot. Yu Niaoniao had been holding it in for too long. She settled it with a chamber pot in the carriage. When she was done, she let out a long breath and felt relieved. She put away the chamber pot and opened the door and windows to let in some air. Then she jumped down from the carriage. She said to Xiao Juan in embarrassment. ¡°There¡¯s a smell in the car. You can go back to the carriage and sleepter.¡± Xiao Juan nodded in understanding. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll send you back.¡± They headed for the tent. Yu Niaoniao could not help but ask curiously. ¡°Did you hear what Duan Nian¡¯er said just now?¡± Xiao Juan had nothing to hide from her and calmly repeated the conversation he had heard. The first thing he had heard was that Duan Hanyi and Madam Zhao were not Duan Nian¡¯er¡¯s parents. They only called each other by their names in private. From their tone, Duan Nian¡¯er should be the leader of the three. The second was that Duan Hanyi and Madam Zhao had been poisoned. The reason for the poisoning was ridiculous. It was actually because they had eaten the food and wine that Shen Xu had sent over. Yu Niaoniao could not help but look surprised. ¡°Could it be that Shen Xu knows everything? Is he actually pretending to be weak?¡± Xiao Juan knew Shen Xu¡¯s character very well. With his intelligence, he was definitely not pretending to be weak. ¡°It¡¯s probably just a coincidence.¡± Duan Nian¡¯er gave the antidote to Duan Hanyi and Madam Zhao, and the poison in their bodies was resolved. As for the three things, they were about their next n. Duan Nian¡¯er originally wanted to lure Xiao Juan directly, but her n failed. Next, they could only activate the backup n. Yu Niaoniao pressed, ¡°What¡¯s their backup n?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°They didn¡¯t say, and I don¡¯t know.¡± Yu Niaoniao stroked her chin. ¡°It looks like they¡¯re after you. Could they be your old enemies?¡± Xiao Juan was not sure either. Not far away, the Eagle Guards sitting by the fire saw that Duke Lang and the Princess Consort had already walked back and forth. They could not help but sigh inwardly. The rtionship between the Duke and the Princess Consort was really good! The two of them did not forget to go out for a secret meeting in the middle of the night. The Eagle Guards: Today is another day of being forced to watch their public disys of affection! The next morning. Everyone washed up briefly and the convoy started up again. Yu Niaoniao rode on the donkey and threw a peanut into her mouth from time to time, chewing it happily. She was still thinking about what had happenedst night. That Duan Nian¡¯er was prepared to activate the backup n. ¡®I wonder what their backup n is?¡¯ Yu Niaoniao waited to see what Duan Nian¡¯er¡¯s backup n was. In the end, after waiting for two days, nothing happened. Everything was so calm. Just as Yu Niaoniao thought that she would not be able to wait, it suddenly rained heavily. There was nowhere to hide in the mountain. Soon, everyone was drenched. At this moment, Duan Nian¡¯er stood up and said that she knew of a Taoist temple nearby. They could stay there for the night and continue their journey tomorrow when the rain stopped. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s first reaction was to suspect that there was something wrong with the Taoist temple. ... It was the same for Xiao Juan. Duan Nian¡¯er had ill intentions. She might have already gotten someone to set up an ambush in the Taoist temple. However, the rain was getting heavier. If they could not find a ce to hide from the rain, they would definitely fall sick from the cold. Even if men like them could withstand it, their horses would not be able to. Shen Xu shouted at Prince Lang through the car window. ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and find the Taoist temple!¡± At this point, even though they knew that there might be something wrong with the Taoist temple, they had no choice but to jump into the trap. Xiao Juan made the convoy change direction and go towards the Taoist temple Duan Nian¡¯er had mentioned. Soon, they saw a Taoist temple hidden in the forest. Meng Xizhou stepped forward and knocked. The front door was slowly pulled open and an old priest walked out. ... He listened to Meng Xizhou¡¯s intentions and agreed to the other party¡¯s request to stay the night. Xiao Juan let Meng Xizhou lead the way and take a look. After confirming that there was no danger in the Taoist temple, he let the others follow. Shen Xu was stillining. ¡°There¡¯s only one old Taoist priest in this Taoist temple. I wonder what he¡¯s worried about? He¡¯s too timid.¡± Duan Nian¡¯er said timidly, ¡°It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.¡± Shen Xu sneered. ¡°I think he¡¯s just afraid, but I can understand. After all, he has so many enemies. He has to worry about being sought out for revenge at all times. This is the oue of doing evil!¡± Duan Nian¡¯er pretended not to understand and looked confused. Xiao Juan called Meng Xizhou and Lo Pingsha in front of him and whispered a few words. They obeyed and left. There were many empty rooms in the Taoist temple. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan casually chose a room. Dang Gui put away the luggage and changed the bedding on the bed into the ones they had brought themselves. Yu Niaoniao took the opportunity to go to the kitchen. She bought some ginger from the old priest and made a hot ginger soup. Everyone was drenched in the rain today and would probably catch a cold. They had to drink some ginger soup to drive away the cold. Yu Niaoniao asked Lo Pingsha to help distribute the ginger soup. After the Eagle Guards drank the ginger soup, their cold bodies immediately warmed up. But what followed was deep sleepiness. Soon all the Eagle Guards fell asleep. Duan Hanyi and Madam Zhao walked out from the shadows. At this moment, the two of them had already shed their previous pretense of being simple and harmless. There was a gloomy aura between their brows. Chapter 207 - 207 We Can Satisfy You 207 We Can Satisfy You Looking at the unconscious Eagle Guards, Madam Zhao sneered in disdain. ¡°These Eagle Guards are really bold. They just came to a strange ce and dare to drink the water here casually.¡± Duan Hanyi said, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to that County Princess this time. If she hadn¡¯t foolishly insisted on making some ginger soup, our n wouldn¡¯t have gone so smoothly.¡± Madam Zhao said, ¡°We have to thank the heavens. If it weren¡¯t for the sudden heavy rain, they wouldn¡¯t havee to us obediently.¡± !! As they spoke, they couldn¡¯t help butugh. They had put a lot of knockout powder in the vat. Yu Niaoniao did not know anything and used the water in the water tank to boil the ginger soup. In the end, the ginger soup turned into a bewitching soup. When the Eagle Guards saw that it was the County Princess who personally brewed the ginger soup, they did not take any precautions and fell for it. Duan Hanyi asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Miss Nian¡¯er? Why isn¡¯t she here yet?¡± Madam Zhao thought for a moment before saying. ¡°Prince Lang and Prince Min are not on good terms. The ginger soup made by the Princess Consort will definitely not be shared with Prince Min and his son. I guess Miss Nian¡¯er must have been tripped by Prince Min and his son.¡± Duan Hanyi said, ¡°Let¡¯s go help her.¡± Madam Zhao pointed at the Eagle Guards lying on the ground and asked. ¡°What are we going to do with them?¡± Duan Han said indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s leave them here first. We¡¯ve drugged them heavily this time. They won¡¯t wake up until six or eight hourster. That¡¯s enough time for us to deal with Prince Min and his son.¡± Madam Zhao felt that what he said made sense, so she ignored the Eagle Guards and followed him to find Duan Nian¡¯er. As it turned out, they were right. Prince Min and his father did not drink the ginger soup. Now, everyone in the convoy had fallen asleep. Only Prince Min, his son, and their trusted aides were still awake. It was toote for Prince Min to sense that something was wrong. He was knocked out by Duan Nian¡¯er and fell to the ground. Seeing this, Shen Xu was shocked and furious. He shouted for someone toe. A few trusted aides rushed in and fought with Duan Nian¡¯er. Shen Xu took the opportunity to escape. In the end, he happened to bump into Duan Hanyi and Madam Zhao, who were rushing over. Duan Hanyi and Madam Zhao took action without hesitation and captured Shen Xu. Shen Xu was forced back into the room. By now, his trusted aides had been knocked to the ground and could no longer get up. Duan Nian¡¯erpletely tore off her weak disguise and revealed her evil and bloodthirsty true colors. She smiled at Shen Xu, her tone seemingly angry. ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t you like me very much? Why are you leaving me behind now? Are you the heartless man everyone always talks about?¡± Shen Xu was so afraid that his legs trembled. He stammered, ¡°W-who are you people?¡± He thought he was lucky to have picked up a delicate and beautiful little white rabbit. He did not expect her to be a big gray wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing, and he was the prey in her eyes. He was extremely regretful. He should not have been greedy for beauty! Duan Nian¡¯er twisted her slender waist and slowly approached him. Her slender fingers gently brushed past his neck, leaving a cold mark. ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t be afraid. I don¡¯t mean you any harm. I just want to do you a favor.¡± Shen Xu had goosebumps all over his body. ¡°I don¡¯t need any help from you.¡± Duan smiled gently. ¡°No, you do.¡± She pointed at the unconscious Prince Min. ¡°Young Master should be tired of being an heir, right? But as long as Prince Min is alive, you can¡¯t inherit his throne. Therefore, we can help you kill Prince Min and let you inherit the throne quickly.¡± Shen Xu immediately forgot his fear and roared. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to touch my father!¡± If not for the fact that he was tied up, he would definitely have rushed up to fight the other party. Duan Nian¡¯er ignored his roar and continued slowly. ¡°When you inherit the throne, Liaodong County will be your territory in the future. ¡®When the timees, our masters will talk to you about our uing cooperation.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t worry. As long as you cooperate with us obediently, we won¡¯t let you suffer.¡¯ Gold, silver, jewelry, beauties. Whatever you want, we can satisfy you.¡± Shen Xu roared. ¡°Dream on! Even if I die, I will never cooperate with you! Just you wait, I¡¯m going to the court to report you! I¡¯m going to let you die without a burial ground!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Madam Zhao pped him. Shen Xu turned his face away from the p. Half of his face was burning with pain, and the anger in his heart rose. This bitch! How dare she p him! Even his father had never pped him! Madam Zhao said coldly, ¡°Watch your mouth. If you dare to curse again, I¡¯ll cut off your tongue!¡± ... ¡°Sister Zhao, don¡¯t be so impatient. Master instructed us to persuade him as much as we can. After all, harmony makes money.¡± Duan Nian¡¯er drew her dagger as she spoke. The de was sharp and refracted a terrifying light. Shen Xu looked at her fearfully. ¡°What do you want?¡± Duan Nian¡¯er smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this knife won¡¯t hurt you.¡± She nced at Duan Hanyi. Duan Hanyi understood and kicked Shen Xu¡¯s knee. Shen Xu was in pain and was forced to kneel on the ground. Then, Duan Hanyi grabbed his cor and roughly dragged him to Prince Min¡¯s side. Duan Nian¡¯er turned the dagger and stuffed the hilt into Shen Xu¡¯s hand. She smiled at him. ¡°Now all you have to do is put a dagger into your father¡¯s heart.¡± Shen Xu refused. Instead, he grabbed the dagger and tried to stab Duan Nian¡¯er. ... However, Duan Nian¡¯er did not give him a chance at all. She twisted both his arms and dislocated them. He screamed in pain and could no longer hold the dagger. Duan Nian¡¯er held his hands at this moment. She was strong, forcing him to approach Prince Min with the dagger. Prince Min was still lying on the ground, unconscious and motionless. Seeing that the de was about to stab into Prince Min¡¯s heart, Shen Xu almost copsed. Tears flowed uncontrobly. He cried, ¡°Just kill me! Just kill me!¡± He would rather die than kill his father himself. Duan Nian¡¯er spoke unhurriedly. ¡°No. If you and your father are dead, the emperor will send someone to take back Liaodong County. We n to let you kill your father before supporting you to inherit the title of Prince Min. That way you¡¯ll have to listen to uster. If you dare to disobey, we will announce to the world that you personally killed your father.¡± Shen Xu shouted desperately, ¡°Help! Someone save me!¡± He swore that no matter who it was, as long as someone was willing to save him, he would kneel down and kowtow to them! He wondered if God had heard his prayer. A huge hole suddenly appeared in the roof, and shattered tiles fell. Immediately after, Xiao Juan descended from the sky and swept the No Return Saber in his hand. The snow-white saber light rushed towards Duan Nian¡¯er¡¯s face like a ghost! At the same time, the door burst open from the outside. Meng Xizhou and Lo Pingsha stormed in with the Eagle Guards. Chapter 208 - 208 Silencing 208 Silencing Duan Nian¡¯er¡¯s movement was extremely fast. However, no matter how fast she was, she was not faster than the No Return Saber in Xiao Juan¡¯s hand. The sharp de cut through the wind! Duan Nian¡¯er was forced into a corner. She had no choice but to draw the soft sword hidden at her waist. She swung the soft sword and wrapped it around the No Return Saber like a snake. !! She wanted to take the No Return Saber from Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan directly activated his internal energy and flipped the hilt of the saber. The No Return Saber suddenly shook. The soft sword wrapped around the saber broke into several pieces and fell to the ground with a ng. The saber that had broken free stabbed toward Duan Nian¡¯er. Duan Nian¡¯er¡¯s pupils trembled and her breathing almost stopped. The de grazed her neck and stabbed into the wall behind her. A thin line of blood appeared on her neck. The Sword of No Return only had to move an inch to take her life. Duan Nian¡¯er froze in ce. Her face was as pale as paper, and her eyes were filled with fear. For the first time in her life, she was close to death. Duan Hanyi and Madam Zhao saw that the situation was bad and wanted to escape, but it was toote. They were surrounded by the Eagle Guards and could not escape even if they had wings. Looking at the stern-looking Eagle Guards, Duan Hanyi and Madam Zhao were deeply shocked. Madam Zhao asked in disbelief. ¡°Weren¡¯t you guys already drugged?¡± Meng Xizhou grinned and said smugly. ¡°Your knockout powder is too inferior. Our Lord Little Lo is proficient in medicine and immediately discovered the strangeness in the ginger soup. The prince thought this was a chance to lure the snake out of its hole, so he wanted us to beat you at your own game and pretend to be drugged.¡± Lo Pingsha looked at him nkly. ¡°Don¡¯t call me Lo.¡± Meng Xizhou smiled even more brightly. ¡°Okay, Little Lo. No problem, Little Lo!¡± Lo Pingsha was speechless. His fists hardened immediately. At this moment, Madam Zhao and Duan Hanyi¡¯s faces suddenly turned pale. Then, they spat out a mouthful of ck blood and fell straight down. Lo Pingsha¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Oh no, they poisoned themselves!¡± He and Meng Xizhou rushed forward and forcefully pried open Madam Zhao and Duan Hanyi¡¯s mouths. They realized that both of them were missing a mr. The two of them had obviously pulled out a mr and stuck the poison sac in it so that they could kill themselves with poison at any time. Lo Pingsha shook his head at Meng Xizhou. ¡°The poison is too strong. It¡¯s hopeless.¡± Duan Nian¡¯er regained her senses and knew that her mission had failed. She could not let herself fall into the hands of Duke Lang. She was also prepared to bite through the poison sac and kill herself. Unfortunately, she was toote. Xiao Juan grabbed her chin and forced her mouth open. He called out to Little Lo. This time Lo Pingsha didn¡¯t argue about the title. He quickly ran to Duan Nian¡¯er and reached into her mouth with the forceps he carried with him. He took out a small poison sac from the gap between her mrs. Duan Nian¡¯er looked at them with wide eyes, her heart filled with despair. She didn¡¯t even have a chance to die. Xiao Juan let go of Duan Nian¡¯er and got someone to lock her in the woodshed for interrogation. He had to know who the instigator behind her was. Duan Nian¡¯er was trussed up by the Eagle Guards and dragged away roughly. Xiao Juan sheathed his saber and nced coldly at Shen Xu, who was sitting on the ground. Half of Shen Xu¡¯s face was still swollen. The corners of his eyes and his nose were red. His clothes were torn, and he looked dazed. He looked like a youngdy who had just been ravaged. It was not until Xiao Juan called him that he came back to his senses. He hurriedly got up and shouted anxiously. ¡°Those people came for me and my father. They wanted to kill my father and control me. They did not seed this time. There would definitely be a next time. You must keep us safe!¡± If Shen Xu had thought that Duke Lang was a living King of Hell before, he would be terrified if he took another look. However, after the torture just now, Shen Xu immediately felt that Duke Lang was emitting a holy golden light. How was he the living King of Hell? He was clearly a living Bodhisattva who saved people! Xiao Juan nced at him coldly. ¡°Help your father to the bed. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Shen Xu hurriedly stopped him. ¡°Where are you going? Can¡¯t you stay?¡± Xiao Juan felt that there was most likely something wrong with this person¡¯s brain. ¡°Do you want me to share a room with you?¡± Shen Xu said shyly, ¡°It¡¯s not impossible¡­¡± He only felt safe by Duke Lang¡¯s side. ... As long as he could ensure his own safety, it was fine to spend the night in the same room as Duke Lang. At most, he would sleep on the floor! Xiao Juan would be crazy to leave the delicate and cute princess to spend the night with a big idiot. He did not look at Shen Xu again and turned to leave. Shen Xu shouted several times but could not stop him. He was so anxious that he stomped his feet. He wanted to chase after him, but his father was still lying on the ground. He could not leave him alone. He could only watch as Duke Lang walked away. Xiao Juan nned to interrogate Duan Nian¡¯er himself. Unexpectedly, just as he reached the door of the woodshed, he suddenly heard a screaming from inside. ¡°Ah!¡± It was Duan Nian¡¯er¡¯s cry. Xiao Juan immediately saw a tall and thin figure sh past not far away. Although he only took a look, Xiao Juan recognized with his sharp vision that the person was the old Taoist priest who opened the door for them. ... Xiao Juan chased after him. Unfortunately, he was toote. When he ran past, the old priest was gone, and there was only a bow lying quietly on the ground. Xiao Juan picked up the bow and looked at it, his gaze turning colder. He immediately ordered the Eagle Guards to search for the old Taoist priest! An Eagle Guard rushed out of the woodshed. He looked anxious. He was about to look for Lo Pingsha when he saw Duke Lang walking over. He said hastily. ¡°Your Highness, Duan Nian¡¯er has been killed!¡± Xiao Juan walked into the woodshed with a dark expression. He saw Duan Nian¡¯er lying on the ground, trussed up. Her eyes were wide, her face white as a sheet. Her expression was one of horror. There was an arrow in her heart. Xiao Juan ordered someone to call Lo Pingsha over. Lo Pingsha hurried over. Yu Niaoniao came with him. When Yu Niaoniao heard that Duan Nian¡¯er had been killed, she was a little worried that Duke Lang would be in danger, so she followed him. She looked Prince Lang up and down and was relieved to see that he was safe. After some testing, Lo Pingsha confirmed that Duan Nian¡¯er had died from poison. Lo Pingsha drew the arrow and pointed it at the bloodstained arrowhead. ¡°It¡¯s smeared with poison. Even if this arrow doesn¡¯t hit her vitals, she¡¯ll die if it hits any part of her.¡± Yu Niaoniao leaned over curiously. Although she practiced archery, she was not very good at it. Therefore, she looked left and right but could not see anything special about this arrow. Xiao Juan took out the bow he had picked up earlier. Comparing the bow and arrow, the material and workmanship should be the same. The person who shot the arrow at Duan Nian¡¯er should be the old Taoist priest. His goal was clear, too. To silence her. Chapter 209 - 209 How Long Can You Hide? 209 How Long Can You Hide? Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°These standard bows and arrows are produced inrge quantities. They are usually directly supplied to the military camp. Ordinary people can¡¯t get them.¡± Lo Pingsha continued his analysis. ¡°Hiding poison in the mouth andmitting suicide if the mission fails. This is something only death warriors do. Someone who can afford a death warrior is definitely not an ordinary person.¡± Xiao Juan recalled what he had overheard while hiding on the roof and said thoughtfully. !! ¡°Their goal is to control the entire Liaodong County by controlling Shen Xu. This meant that Liaodong County was very important to the mastermind. Perhaps he¡¯s hiding in Liaodong County now.¡± Yu Niaoniao listened to their analysis and rubbed her chin in thought. ¡°The mastermind could have waited for us to arrive in Liaodong County before taking action, but they couldn¡¯t wait to do so. That meant they were in a hurry. I¡¯m curious. What¡¯s their hurry?¡± Neither Xiao Juan nor Lo Pingsha said anything. They knew in their hearts that the answer was in Liaodong County. Meng Xizhou led the Eagle Guards and searched the entire Taoist temple, but they did not find the old Taoist priest. It seemed he had left the Taoist temple. It was veryte at night and it was still raining. The Eagle Guards could not go out to track down the old Taoist priest. Xiao Juan could only get Yu Niaoniao to help draw the old Taoist priest¡¯s appearance. Later, he would hand the portrait to the government and ask the Imperial Court to issue a nationwide arrest document to apprehend him. It was midnight by the time she was done. Yu Niaoniao was extremely sleepy and kept yawning. Xiao Juan asked her to go back to sleep first. Yu Niaoniao held his hand tightly and said coquettishly. ¡°I want to go back to sleep with you.¡± He would go bald if he stayed upte. She did not want Duke Lang to go bald at such a young age. Otherwise, she would be blind to his handsome face. Xiao Juan was helpless and could onlyply with her. They went back into the house hand in hand. The bedding was made. They could go to bed as soon as they undressed. Yu Niaoniao had just taken off her coat when she heard someone knocking on the door. She could not help but stop and ask outside. ¡°Who is it?¡± Shen Xu¡¯s voice came through the door. ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± Yu Niaoniao did not understand. What was he doing here in the middle of the night? Xiao Juan went forward to open the door. He saw Shen Xu and Prince Min standing outside the door. The father and son were still hugging pillows and nkets. From the looks of it, they knew what they wanted to do. Before they could speak, Xiao Juan closed the door forcefully. Prince Min and his father were turned away. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Why did you close the door?¡± Xiao Juan said with a cold expression. ¡°Ignore them. We¡¯ll just sleep.¡± Yu Niaoniao replied in confusion, ¡°Oh.¡± She continued to undress. At this moment, Shen Xu¡¯s voice sounded outside the door again. ¡°Prince Lang, please be kind and let us in. We just want to stay with you for the night. We also brought pillows and bedding. We can sleep on the floor. It won¡¯t affect you or the County Princess.¡± Her tone was pleading, and she sounded pitiful. Xiao Juan shouted outside expressionlessly. ¡°Go away!¡± There was silence outside the door for a moment. But not long after, Shen Xu shouted again. ¡°I know how much we offended you in the past. It was all our fault in the past. We apologize to you. Please don¡¯t hold a grudge. Let us spend the night with you!¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. Anyone could tell that he was in a bad mood. Yu Niaoniao asked carefully. ¡°Why did they insist oning to our room to sleep?¡± Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°They¡¯re crazy.¡± He actually brought his father here to disturb their sleep. Without ten years of cerebral thrombosis, he wouldn¡¯t have done such a stupid thing! Shen Xu kept his ear pressed against the door to eavesdrop. When he heard the conversation in the room, he immediately shouted, ¡°Princess, we¡¯re being targeted by an unknown bad person. They want us, father and son, dead. We are powerless to protect ourselves and can onlye to you for protection. I would also like you to help say a few good words and persuade Duke Lang to open the door and let us in.¡± Yu Niaoniao approached Duke Lang and asked softly. ¡°Is it true?¡± Xiao Juan replied softly, ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao said to Shen Xu, who was outside the door. ... ¡°Go back first. The County Prince will send the Eagle Guards to protect youter. You¡¯ll be fine.¡± However, Shen Xu and Prince Min still refused to leave. Shen Xu insisted that only Duke Lang¡¯s strength could crush those with ill intentions. The others were unreliable, so they only trusted Duke Lang! Seeing that her persuasion was futile, Yu Niaoniao decided to ignore them. She took off her coat, shoes, and socks, climbed onto the bed, andy down on it. Xiao Juan was about to blow out the candles when Shen Xu¡¯s pleading voice sounded outside the door again. ¡°Prince Lang, Princess Consort, please be merciful and let us in for a night.¡± His tone was sobbing and intive, making Yu Niaoniao break out in goosebumps. She covered her ears, trying to pretend she couldn¡¯t hear. However, Shen Xu refused to let her have her way. He kept calling out to the Prince and Princess of Lang, deliberately dragging out the tone of thest word each time. It went on and on. There was no end to it! ... Xiao Juan could not take it anymore. He opened the door again and prepared to tie up the shameless father and son outside and throw them back into their room. Unexpectedly, just as he opened the door, he saw Shen Xu kneeling down. Shen Xu was still hugging a pillow and nket. Half of his face was swollen, looking quiteical. ¡°Prince Lang, please save us!¡± Prince Min felt embarrassed by his son¡¯s behavior and wanted to scold him. However, when he thought about how he had almost been killed by Duan Nian¡¯er, he immediately swallowed his words. Compared to saving face, saving his life was more important. Xiao Juan looked at them coldly. ¡°You can hide for a while, but you can¡¯t hide for long. Even if I can protect you tonight, what about in the future? Are you going to sleep here every day?¡± Shen Xu said without hesitation, ¡°As long as you¡¯re willing, we don¡¯t mind.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. Shen Xu kowtowed to him on the spot. ¡°Please! You¡¯re the only person who can save us now!¡± Xiao Juan stood still. But there was a voice behind him. ¡°Forget it. Let them in.¡± Xiao Juan turned to look at Yu Niaoniao and saw that she had already sat up. She yawned as she spoke. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. We still have to continue tomorrow. Let¡¯s sleep quickly.¡± She was really sleepy, but Shen Xu kept shouting outside the door, making her unable to rest. She didn¡¯t want to waste any more time on unimportant matters, so she let them in. Everyone should sleep early and stop fussing. Shen Xu was overjoyed. He immediately stood up and squeezed between Xiao Juan and the door with the nket and pillow. Prince Min followed suit and squeezed in. Chapter 210 - 210 Kind Father and Filial Son 210 Kind Father and Filial Son After entering the house, Shen Xu did not forget to thank Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Cousin-inw, thank you for letting us in. I¡¯ll remember this favor. If you need anything from me in the future, just ask. I¡¯ll definitely do my best!¡± After saying that, he specially patted his chest. The smile on his face was as sincere as it could be. At this moment, he was like a different person. He had changed from his usual arrogance to especially solicitous and enthusiastic. !! Yu Niaoniao could not help but sigh. Survival instincts were really a magical thing! Xiao Juan looked at the father and son coldly. ¡°Who are you calling your cousin-inw?¡± Shen Xu hurriedly said, ¡°My father is your uncle, and we¡¯re cousins. Your Princess Consort is naturally my cousin-inw!¡± Xiao Juan sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t see you treating me as a cousin in the past.¡± In the past, when Shen Xu saw him, it was as if he had seen a ghost. He wished he could stay three feet away from him and had never admitted their rtionship as cousins. Shen Xu touched his nose and smiled awkwardly. ¡°I was insensible in the past. Don¡¯t take it to heart. I¡¯ll definitely change in the future!¡± Xiao Juan could not be bothered to waste his breath on him. He ced the screen in the middle of the room, isting Prince Min and his son, before walking to the bed. Yu Niaoniao was really sleepy and had already crawled into bed to sleep. Xiao Juan blew out the oilmp by the bed andy down. There was a rustling sound on the other side of the screen. It must be Prince Min and his father sleeping on the floor. In a moment, the sounds disappeared. Even the oilmp on the table was blown out. The room fell intoplete darkness. Perhaps Prince Min and his father were really tired, they fell asleep quickly. On the other hand, Xiao Juan, who was sleeping on the bed, could not fall asleep. In the past, he had been used to sleeping alone. Later, with Niaoniao, he felt quite good. But now that there were suddenly two outsiders in the room, he didn¡¯t feel too good, especially since his five senses were naturally sharper than ordinary people¡¯s. He could hear very clearly what was almost inaudible to ordinary people. Xiao Juany on the bed and could clearly hear the breathing of the father and son. The sounds were a constant reminder that there were two outsiders in the room. Even though he knew they were no threat to him, he couldn¡¯t help but stay on guard. This night was very torturous for Xiao Juan. The next morning, Yu Niaoniao climbed out of bed and stretched. She turned around and saw that the man beside her had a dark expression. Yu Niaoniao quickly retracted her arm. She asked carefully. ¡°Baby, did you not sleep wellst night?¡± Xiao Juan replied coldly, ¡°Yes.¡± How could he have slept well? He could not sleep at all! And all of this was because of Prince Min and his son. However, the culprits did not feel anything at all. After the father and son woke up, they felt refreshed. Shen Xu was still smug. ¡°Father, I told you. As long as we stay with Cousin, we¡¯ll definitely be fine.¡± Prince Min agreed. ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Yu Niaoniao touched Xiao Juan¡¯s face andforted him. ¡°Baby, don¡¯t be angry. I have a way to make them stop sticking to us.¡± She leaned over and muttered in Xiao Juan¡¯s ear. After hearing that, Xiao Juan nodded slightly. ¡°Sure.¡± Yu Niaoniao quickly put on her clothes, shoes, and socks and walked around the screen. At this moment, Prince Min and his father were still wearing their outerwear. There were bedding and pillows on the ground that had yet to be tidied up. When they saw Yu Niaoniao arrive, they greeted her warmly. ¡°Good morning, Cousin-inw!¡± ¡°Good morning, Niece-inw!¡± To be honest, Yu Niaoniao was really not used to their sudden enthusiasm. She smiled at father and son. ¡°Good morning. How did you sleepst night?¡± They said in unison that it was good. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°There¡¯s still a long way to go. You can¡¯t cling to Duke Lang every day, right?¡± How could Prince Min not know this? But there was nothing he could do now. The killers were in the dark. They were in the light. Now that they were in a very passive situation, they could only stick to Duke Lang if they wanted to continue living. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I have a way to help you temporarily remove the danger, but it requires you to make a small sacrifice. It depends on whether you¡¯re willing?¡± Prince Min and his son were immediately interested. They urged her to tell them what method it was. Yu Niaoniao smiled, two shallow dimples appearing near her lips. ¡°Think about it. Why did those people deal with you?¡± ... Shen Xu blurted out without thinking, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because my father is Prince Min.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Those people dealt with you because of your identities. As long as we change our identities, won¡¯t your danger be resolved?¡± Prince Min looked thoughtful. ¡°You mean to swap identities?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. You and Shen Xu will pretend to be Duke Lang and me. Duke Lang and I will pretend to be you and your son. If anyone wants to harm you along the way, they wille for me and Duke Lang. It would have nothing to do with you.¡± Prince Min thought this was a good idea. When he still looked a little hesitant. ¡°But if you do, you and Duke Lang will be in danger.¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her hand and said indifferently. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯re under orders to keep you safe. As long as you¡¯re safe along the way, we¡¯re willing to suffer a little.¡± This time, Prince Min was really touched. ¡°Thank you. In the past, I was blind to misunderstand Duke Lang¡¯s ruthlessness. He is clearly such a good person. If we can arrive at Liaodong County safely, we will definitely reward you heavily!¡± ... Yu Niaoniao did not stand on ceremony. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡± In a few words, they finalized the n to swap identities. Shen Xu spoke suddenly, ¡°Swapping identities is fine, but I have a question.¡± Yu Niaoniao and Prince Min looked at him in unison, indicating that he should speak his mind. Shen Xu said, ¡°Who will y the role of Duke Lang? Who will y the Princess?¡± Prince Min raised his eyebrows and red. ¡°Why? Do you want me to act as the Princess Consort? I¡¯m already old, and the wrinkles on my face are like old tree bark. Are you shameless enough to let me wear female clothes?!¡± Shen Xu replied softly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m shameless. Anyway, I¡¯m not the one wearing it.¡± Prince Min was furious. He casually picked up the feather duster in the vase and prepared to perform a brilliant show of filial piety. Shen Xu was so frightened that he covered his head and fled. In the end, due to his father¡¯s threat, Shen Xu could only ept reality unwillingly. Yu Niaoniao ced a set of female clothes in front of him and said with a smile. ¡°Hurry up and put it on.¡± Shen Xu grimaced. ¡°I don¡¯t think this outfit is suitable for me.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked him up and down and said seriously, ¡°No, you¡¯re not much taller than me. You should be able to wear it.¡± Shen Xu was speechless. He should never have said that! Chapter 211 - 211 Blocking the Way 211 Blocking the Way It turned out that Yu Niaoniao¡¯s estimation was right. Her height was not much different from that of Shen Xu¡¯s. Shen Xu¡¯s clothes were just the right length for her. There was no need to cut them short. Xiao Juan and Prince Min also changed into each other¡¯s clothes. Prince Min was shorter than Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan¡¯s clothes were a little long for him, so he could only get someone to cut off a portion of his clothes and pants. Xiao Juan found Prince Min¡¯s clothes too short so he could only wear his own clothes and put on Prince Min¡¯s cloak as a disguise. After entering the city, Yu Niaoniao would buy fabric and make two sets of clothes for him. Prince Min touched his wrinkled face and was worried. ¡°I don¡¯t look like Duke Lang, do I?¡± Xiao Juan got someone to bring him a ck mask. ¡°Put this on. As long as there are outsiders present, don¡¯t take off your mask.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea!¡± Prince Min took the mask and put it on himself on the spot. The three of them had already packed up. They were only missing Shen Xu. Yu Niaoniao shouted at Shen Xu, who was behind the screen. ¡°Aren¡¯t you done yet?¡± A momentter, Shen Xu walked out coyly. He was wearing a pale green waist-length narrow-sleeved kilt and a pale yellow shawl on his arm. Since he didn¡¯t know how tob a woman¡¯s hairstyle, so he could only let his hair drape down his back, and he didn¡¯t have any makeup on. To be honest, he looked a little perverted. This was the first time Shen Xu was wearing a dress. He felt that something was wrong. He tugged at the hem of his dress, looking ashamed and embarrassed. ¡°Won¡¯t I scare someone if I walk out like this?¡± Prince Min wanted to nod and say that it was scary. However, when he thought that if he said that, he might have to be the one cross-dressing, he immediately changed his words and praised him vigorously. ¡°Very nice! You look like a fairy. I wish I had another daughter.¡± As long as he wasn¡¯t the one who had to do it. Yu Niaoniao resisted the urge tough and praised him against her will. ¡°You¡¯re indeed beautiful. Much better than when you were wearing men¡¯s clothes.¡± Shen Xu was skeptical. He looked at Duke Lang for his opinion. Among these people, only Duke Lang was considered reliable. Xiao Juan said expressionlessly. ¡°In my heart, Niaoniao is the best.¡± Yu Niaoniao blushed. ¡°In my heart, Your Highness is also the best-looking.¡± Shen Xu was speechless. He was caught off guard and was overwhelmed by the avnche of public disys of affection. Xiao Juan called Meng Xizhou and Lo Pingsha over and told them about the exchange of identities. He told them to be careful along the way and not to get the address wrong. After a simple breakfast, the convoy set off again. Yu Niaoniao was still riding her little donkey. When the convoy left the forest and entered the official road again, she gave up on the donkey and got into the carriage. This carriage originally belonged to Shen Xu, but now it was hers. The interior of the car was very spacious. There was everything they needed. Yu Niaoniaoy on the soft nket and sighedfortably. With the principle that it was a waste not to eat, she dug out everything she could eat in the carriage and tasted them one by one. Shen Xu liked to enjoy himself. Food that could enter his mouth was naturally good stuff. Yu Niaoniao ate with relish along the way. The carriage suddenly stopped and Yu Niaoniao stopped eating. She pushed open the window and peered out. ¡°What happened?¡± A momentter, Dang Gui came over on her donkey and spoke. ¡°There¡¯s someone kneeling in the middle of the road ahead, blocking our way.¡± Knowing that there was a good show to watch, Yu Niaoniao immediately became interested. She wiped her hands clean and jumped down from the carriage. Dang Gui wanted to give the donkey to her, but she refused. It was only a few dozen steps to the left and right. There was no need to ride a donkey. Yu Niaoniao walked to the front of the convoy and saw the person blocking its path. It was a young couple. ... The woman knelt on the ground and refused to get up. She cried until her voice was hoarse. ¡°Please help us! My girl is missing. She was kidnapped!¡± The man was anxious and wanted to pull the woman up. ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. These officials are unrted to us. They won¡¯t help us. Blocking an official¡¯s path is a serious crime. Let¡¯s go!¡± But the woman refused to listen to him. She insisted on not getting up. ¡°If you want to go, go! I¡¯ll find my wench even if I have to risk my life!¡± Xiao Juan sent someone to summon the couple over. Meng Xizhou walked up to the couple and said a few words to them before pointing in Xiao Juan¡¯s direction. A momentter, the couple was brought to Xiao Juan. The two of them did not have much experience and could not tell Xiao Juan¡¯s identity. However, from the horse that Xiao Juan was riding, they could tell that this person¡¯s identity was definitely extraordinary. So the couple knelt down and called out to the official. Xiao Juan sat on his horse and looked down at them. ... ¡°Why are you blocking our way?¡± Hearing his deep and dignified voice, the woman and the man were very afraid. But for her daughter¡¯s sake, the woman mustered her courage and spoke loudly. ¡°Please forgive me, Your Excellency. My girl was kidnapped not long ago. We searched everywhere but couldn¡¯t find her. No one cared when we went to the city to report it. We really have no choice but to loiter at the official road and see if we can find a kind benefactor or two.¡± At this point, the woman started crying again. ¡°My poor wench is only ten years old. She¡¯s my only child. If she can¡¯t be found, I don¡¯t want to live anymore!¡± Thinking of his obedient and cute daughter, the man¡¯s eyes could not help but turn red. He kowtowed to Xiao Juan. ¡°Please show mercy and help us find our daughter!¡± Yu Niaoniao could not help but ask. ¡°A case like this should be handled by the local authorities. Why don¡¯t the authorities care about you?¡± The woman wiped her tears. ¡°Young Master, you don¡¯t know. ¡°Recently, many girls have gone missing. Many people have gone to the government to report it. The government was short-handed and could not handle everything, so they only investigated cases for those who were rich and powerful. ¡°Poor and powerlessmoners like us were rejected and ignored.¡± Yu Niaoniao frowned. ¡°There¡¯s actually such a thing? Didn¡¯t anyone report this?¡± The woman said bitterly. ¡°Previously, a poor schr went to the prefectural city to report this matter. However, that county governor had a rtionship with the county magistrate here, so he sent the poor schr away with a few words. When the poor schr returned home, he realized that his house had been smashed. After that, hooligans would go to his house every few days to cause trouble. The poor schr¡¯s family was forced to move away. With such a precedent, who would dare to report it?¡± Yu Niaoniao gritted her teeth in anger just by listening. ¡°This county magistrate is too much!¡± Xiao Juan asked slowly, ¡°If you want us to help you find your daughter, do you have her picture?¡± Chapter 212 - 212 Investigating 212 Investigating The woman and the man shook their heads in unison. They were all ordinary farmers and could not even recognize a single word. How could there be a portrait? Yu Niaoniao immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll help you draw a portrait!¡± Neither the woman nor the man understood how she meant to draw. !! Yu Niaoniao immediately ordered someone to prepare ink, paper, and inkstone. There was no table then. She was about to ask someone to bring down the small table in the carriage when she saw Lo Pingsha kneel with his back to her. Lo Pingsha said, ¡°You can paint on my back.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not want to waste time, so she spread the rice paper on his back. Dang Gui stood by with the inkstone. Yu Niaoniao picked up her pen and dipped it in ink. ¡°Tell me carefully what your daughter looks like. The clearer the better. It will help us find your daughter faster.¡± As soon as they heard that they could find their daughter, the couple immediately began to rack their brains to recall the details. As they described, Yu Niaoniao painted. When the portrait waspleted, Yu Niaoniao put down her brush, picked up the portrait, and waved it at the couple. ¡°Look at it. Does this look like her?¡± When the couple saw the little girl in the portrait, they were immediately stunned. This, this painting resembled their daughter! It was simply like a real person! The woman said eagerly, ¡°It looks like her, very like her!¡± The man nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what my girl looks like!¡± With this portrait, their hope of finding their daughter increased a little. They looked at Xiao Juan with even more enthusiasm. Yu Niaoniao handed the portrait to Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan looked at the little girl in the portrait and said to the woman and the man. ¡°We still have important things to do and can¡¯t help you find her. When we enter the city, I¡¯ll get the authorities to help you find someone based on this portrait. No matter what, I will give you an exnation.¡± The woman and the man knelt down again and cried, ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± Meng Xizhou went forward to ask for the name and address of the couple. After registering the information, he let them leave. However, the man refused to leave. Meng Xizhou took the initiative to ask, ¡°What else?¡± The man hesitated for a moment before mustering his courage to speak. ¡°The daughters of two other families in our vige have also been abducted. They¡¯re looking everywhere for them. But they didn¡¯t have a portrait of their daughter. It would be difficult to find. So I want to ask if¡­ if you can help their daughter draw a portrait?¡± Yu Niaoniao agreed readily. ¡°Sure. You can look for me at the ry station in Wangsong Cityter. I¡¯ll be staying there for the next two days.¡± The man was overjoyed and tried to kowtow to her again. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly stopped him. ¡°There¡¯s no need to do this. You guys go back first.¡± The man was in a hurry to go back and inform the two families. Without any dy, he pulled his wife to the side of the road. Yu Niaoniao returned to the cart. The convoy set off again. After the convoy left, the young couple rushed home. The rest of the journey was peaceful and the convoy sessfully entered Wangsong City before nightfall. When the county magistrate in the city learned that Prince Min and Duke Lang were here, he hurriedly brought a group of officials to wee them. In order to make it easier for the convoy to pass, the county magistrate even got someone to seal all the main streets in the city to prevent themoners from going out. The magistrate wanted to invite Prince Min and Duke Lang to his house. It would be best if they stayed at his house tonight. But Xiao Juan refused, indicating that he wanted to stay at the ry station. The county magistrate did not dare to force him and could only lead him to the courier station. Then, the county magistrate called the chef from thergest restaurant in the city to the ry station and asked him to prepare a huge banquet. The county magistrate invited Prince Min and his son and Duke Lang to enjoy the banquet. Prince Min did not dare to take off his mask in front of outsiders and directly refused the invitation. Hence, only Yu Niaoniao, Xiao Juan, and Shen Xu attended the banquet. The magistrate held a wine jug and refilled the cups of the three nobles. He kept sayingpliments. Yu Niaoniao took a sip of wine. This wine tasted very good. She finished a ss and wanted to drink again, but Xiao Juan stopped her. He said in a low voice, ¡°Drink less.¡± Yu Niaoniao giggled at him. ¡°With you around, it¡¯s fine even if I get drunk.¡± Xiao Juan reminded him, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re here on business.¡± Yu Niaoniao thought of the lost girls. This was indeed a good opportunity to investigate the situation. She immediately forgot about the wine and revealed a businesslike smile. ¡°County Magistrate Liu, your ce looks quite peaceful. It¡¯s all thanks to your governance.¡± County Magistrate Liuughed so hard that his wrinkles appeared. ¡°No, no. You¡¯re too kind.¡± ... Yu Niaoniao felt that it was a good idea to swap identities in advance. Now that Xiao Juan had the status of Prince Min, it was much more convenient for them to speak and do things. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be humble. Being overly humble is pride. We¡¯ve all seen your political achievements. A good official like you will definitely rise up the ranks in the future.¡± Hearing her words, Magistrate Liu was so happy that he was about to fly. He immediately stood up and bowed to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Thank you for your kind words!¡± Yu Niaoniao invited him to sit down. She took the opportunity to pour him more wine. Yu Niaoniao only cut to the chase when he was dizzy from drinking. She pretended to be curious and gossiped. ¡°I heard that youngdies have been getting lost here recently. Some people even say that ghosts are causing trouble. Is that true?¡± Magistrate Liu supported his groggy head with one hand and held the edge of the table with the other. ¡°Prince, you¡¯re really funny. There are no ghosts in this world. Those girls were kidnapped.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Then do you know who kidnapped them?¡± County Magistrate Liu said, ¡°How would I know?¡± ... Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Then what do you know?¡± Magistrate Liu seemed to be thinking. After a while, he spoke. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about anything else, but I know that the same people took those girls. They¡¯re so good thatI can¡¯t catch them.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then you can send someone to report this to the Imperial Court.¡± Magistrate Liu hurriedly waved his hand. ¡°No, no! If this matter spread to the Imperial Capital, my political achievements this year would be over. Not only would I not get a chance to be promoted, but I might also be demoted because of my ipetence. This matter must not be reported to the Imperial Court.¡± Yu Niaoniao gritted her teeth. ¡°But if you don¡¯t report it to the Imperial Court, those human traffickers will continue to operate and more people will be harmed in the future.¡± County Magistrate Liu said indifferently, ¡°What does that have to do with me? Anyway, it¡¯s not my daughter who was abducted. As for those families whose daughters were abducted, they can only me their luck.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s fists stiffened. She really wanted to punch this idiot! Chapter 213 - 213 Comfort 213 Comfort When the banquet ended, County Magistrate Liu was already drunk and was carried back. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan returned to their rooms and prepared to wash up and sleep. Because of their identities, the two of them slept in separate rooms. Xiao Juan was a little unhappy about this. He silently made another note of Prince Min and his son. It was all those two burdens! Yu Niaoniao did not have any thoughts about sleeping alone. At this moment, she was still thinking about County Magistrate Liu. The more she thought about it, the more unhappy she became. As an official, he did not care about the safety of themoners and only thought about his future. !! Such a person was not worthy of being an official! She tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Then she simply got up, put on her clothes, and pushed out. She knocked on the door opposite. Soon, the door was opened. Xiao Juan, who was wearing a thin middle shirt, looked down at her and asked. ¡°What happened?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I have something to ask you.¡± Xiao Juan turned around and let her enter the house. Yu Niaoniao walked to the table and sat down. ¡°Can¡¯t someone like County Magistrate Liu be disciplined?¡± Xiao Juan sat down opposite her and said calmly, ¡°Strictly speaking, County Magistrate Liu did not break thew. Our Justice Department cannot interfere rashly.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°But he watched as themoners suffered and did nothing. And he still felt that he was very reasonable.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°That can only mean that he¡¯s ipetent. At the end of the year, I can suggest that the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs give him a low grade, but even so, this can at most demote him.¡± Hearing him finish, Yu Niaoniao was even angrier. Xiao Juan poured her a ss of warm water and said slowly. ¡°In our Imperial Court, there are many officials like County Magistrate Liu. They didn¡¯t make any major mistakes. They just did nothing.¡± Yu Niaoniao argued, ¡°Not only is County Magistrate Liu useless, but he¡¯s also selfish!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°But who isn¡¯t selfish? Officials are also humans, and they have selfish desires. You know the principle that if the water is too clear, there will be no fish.¡± Yu Niaoniao red at him. ¡°You actually spoke up for County Magistrate Liu! Whose side are you on?¡± Xiao Juan said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth. If you don¡¯t like it, I won¡¯t say anything.¡± Of course, Yu Niaoniao knew that Duke Lang was right, but she was still unhappy. Sheined aggrievedly, ¡°I¡¯m a girl. I came to tell you this in the middle of the night because I wanted you tofort me. Instead, you¡¯re being so philosophical.¡± Xiao Juan did not expect her to me him. However, looking at her angry and aggrieved expression, Xiao Juan could not help but soften his tone. ¡°I know what you¡¯re angry about. I used to be like you. I would be very angry in the face of these things, but it turns out that anger is useless because you¡¯ll find that there are many other bad things like this. If you insist on being angry about everything, you¡¯ll be angered to death.¡± Yu Niaoniao snorted. ¡°Then what do you think we should do? Are we going to do nothing and let the local people continue to suffer?¡± Xiao Juan stroked her little head. ¡°Leave this to me. It¡¯s gettingte. Go to sleep, or you won¡¯t be able to get up tomorrow morning.¡± Yu Niaoniao was still very convinced by Duke Lang¡¯s ability to do things. She stood up. ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need from me, just let me know. I¡¯ll definitely help.¡± Xiao Juan stared at her and replied softly, ¡°Okay.¡± Seeing that he had been looking at her, Yu Niaoniao could not help but touch her cheek and ask in confusion. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Nothing. I just think you¡¯re very good.¡± When he first met Yu Niaoniao, he felt that she was an ordinary little girl who was greedy and smart. However, after spending some time with her, he gradually discovered more and more dazzling things about her. She had a photographic memory. She could learn anything at once. Although she cared a lot about money, she was always generous when it came to serious matters. She could easily teach others skills that were extremely precious, and she could derive joy from such sharing andmunication. She also had a sense of justice. She would help those in trouble and fight for justice. Be it ability, character, or morals, she was very good. Yu Niaoniao smiled shyly. ¡°Thank you. I think I¡¯m fine too.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. He sent her back to her room, before calling for Meng Xizhou to give him instructions. ¡°Send someone to investigate the cases that County Magistrate Liu has handled since he was in office. Pick out all the cases with problems and give them to me.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± Meng Xizhou epted the order and left. Xiao Juan blew out the candle and returned to bed to rest. He had seen many officials like County Magistrate Liu. These people were timid and usually did not make any big mistakes, but there were definitely small mistakes. The truth was as Xiao Juan had expected. Many of the cases that County Magistrate Liu had handled were left unsettled. Meng Xizhou ced a pile of dossiers on the table. ¡°These cases were all tried by County Magistrate Liu. In the end, the intiff either withdrew thewsuit or the defendant ran away. Some people simply dyed the trial for a few years with insufficient evidence.¡± Xiao Juan casually picked up a dossier and opened it. The content of this case was actually very simple. A certain country squire doted on his concubine and even allowed her to bully his main wife. His main wife was harmed and miscarried. Not long after, his main wife died of illness. When her family found out about this, they were furious and directly sued the country squire in court. ... From the intiff¡¯s confession, it could be seen that the main wife¡¯s family was originally agitated and determined to sue to the end. They had to seek justice. But halfway through, the intiffs suddenly withdrew their case. County Magistrate Liu did not ask further and closed the case hurriedly. Xiao Juan flipped through the defendant¡¯s confession and the court trial records. It was not difficult to guess that the main wife¡¯s family had most likely been forced to withdraw thewsuit by the country squire. And County Magistrate Liu clearly knew. However, he held onto the principle that it was better to avoid trouble and closed the case. Xiao Juan tapped the defendant¡¯s name in the dossier and said calmly. ¡°Go and check on this squire. It¡¯s best if you can find out if he has any private dealings with County Magistrate Liu?¡± Meng Xizhou epted the order. ¡°Yes!¡± At this moment, Yu Niaoniao was painting someone. Early this morning, someone came to the courier station to look for her, saying that they wanted her to help draw a portrait. Yu Niaoniao went out and saw the young couple she had met on the official road yesterday. ... Behind the young couple were more than ten people. Their daughters or daughters-inw had gone missing. When they heard that there was a young master in the courier station who could draw a portrait, they set off from home before dawn and rushed more than ten kilometers to the ry station. Chapter 214 - 214 Luring the Enemy 214 Luring the Enemy Yu Niaoniao asked someone to set up tables and chairs in the courtyard. She sat behind the table and dipped her pen in ink, drawing as she listened to a description. Portraits flowed from her pen. When those people saw the portraits, they were shocked by how lifelike they were. As if they had obtained a treasure, they carefully held the portrait and kept kowtowing to Yu Niaoniao to thank her. !! Yu Niaoniao got someone to bring over a bench and invited these people to sit down for tea and rest. At the same time, she asked them about the details of the girls¡¯ disappearance. Soon the morning passed. Yu Niaoniao asked them to stay for lunch, but they declined. It was already very kind of her to be willing to help them draw a portrait for free. How could they be thick-skinned enough to stay and freeload? After everyone had left, Yu Niaoniao got someone to tidy up the courtyard. From the corner of her eye, she saw Shen Xu sitting under the porch and sunbathing. He was wearing an apricot-colored kilt and two jade hairpins in his bun. In order to make his skin look more like a woman¡¯s, he had specially applied makeup to his face. He had also applied a little lipstick to his lips and his eyebrows were described as thin. At first nce, he really looked like a young and beautifuldy. He held his round fan and fanned it from time to time. From time to time, he sipped his tea and looked very rxed. Yu Niaoniao walked over. ¡°Why are you here?¡± When Shen Xu saw that it was her, he immediately sat up and said solicitously. ¡°Sit down too.¡± After Yu Niaoniao sat down, Shen Xu continued. ¡°I¡¯m afraid to go out, so I can only sit here and bask in the sun and drink tea.¡± With his character, he would definitely have to go out and have fun when he reached a ce. However, the situation was disadvantageous to him now. In order to survive, he could only suppress his nature and stay at this small ry station. Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°If you want to go out, I can apany you.¡± Shen Xu was delighted at first, but then he wilted. ¡°You don¡¯t know martial arts. What if we encounter assassins again If we go out together? We don¡¯t even have the ability to protect ourselves. Let¡¯s forget it.¡± He was still more willing to save his life than enjoy his freedom. Yu Niaoniao was full of confidence. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll arrange it. I promise I won¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡± Shen Xu was skeptical. ¡°Really?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll go to Duke Lang now. I¡¯ll exin this to him clearly. He¡¯ll definitely agree.¡± Shen Xu immediately responded. ¡°As long as Duke Lang says yes, I¡¯ll follow you out.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately smiled. ¡°Alright, wait for me.¡± She stood up and walked into the house. At this moment, Xiao Juan was consulting a dossier in the guest room on the second floor. When he saw Yu Niaoniao walk in, he put down the dossier and asked. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Yu Niaoniao walked to the table and poured tea for him solicitously. ¡°I have something to discuss with you.¡± Xiao Juan looked to be all ears. ¡°Speak.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°There¡¯s a market in the city today. I want to take Shen Xu out for a walk.¡± Xiao Juan was puzzled. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Yu Niaoniao told him her n. ¡°I just chatted with the families of those kidnapped. From what they said, the big girls and young wives had been abducted while they were visiting the temple fair, watching the big show, or touring thentern fair. There was something inmon. They were all abducted when there were too many people around to care about them.¡± Xiao Juan quickly understood what she meant and asked with a frown. ¡°Are you trying to lure the enemy out?¡± If that was the case, Xiao Juan would definitely object. He could not let her fall into danger. Unexpectedly, Yu Niaoniao waved her hand. ¡°I¡¯m a man now, so I can¡¯t lure the snake out of its hole. I still have to rely on Shen Xu for this. He¡¯s the real wife now.¡± Xiao¡¯s tired brows rxed. This n was not bad. It could lure the snake out of its hole without risking her life. As for whether Shen Xu was in danger? That didn¡¯t need to be considered. The guy deserved a beating. It was a good chance to make him suffer. Xiao Juan made a decisive decision. ¡°We¡¯ll do as you say. I¡¯ll arrange for someone to protect you in secret.¡± Yu Niaoniao pinched her fingers in the shape of a heart. ¡°Your Highness is really wise and mighty. I love you more and more!¡± Xiao Juan lowered his eyes and said nonchntly, ¡°Don¡¯t be glib.¡± After Yu Niaoniao ran away, Xiao Juan raised his right hand and imitated her. He pinched his index finger and thumb together and gestured a small heart in an unfamiliar manner. He had never understood the specific meaning of this action, but for some reason, every time he saw Yu Niaoniao do this, he felt that she was especially cute. Shen Xu sat on the porch and waited for a while. When he saw that Yu Niaoniao had returned, he hurriedly asked. ... ¡°What did Duke Lang say?¡± Yu Niaoniao gave him an OK gesture. ¡°He said yes!¡± Shen Xu was extremely surprised. ¡°Really?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask him yourself.¡± Seeing that she was so open and did not seem to be lying, Shen Xu could not help but believe her. But he was still worried. ¡°What if we run into danger out there?¡± Yu Niaoniao patted her chest and promised. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Duke Lang will send someone to protect us in secret. Nothing will happen!¡± Hearing this, Shen Xu no longer hesitated and immediately stood up. ¡°Shall we go out now?¡± Yu Niaoniao agreed. ... Dang Gui wanted to follow them. However, Yu Niaoniao let Dang Gui stay in the courier station. She whispered to Dang Gui. ¡°We have something else to do this time, so it¡¯s not convenient for us to bring you along. Let¡¯s wait for the next time. The next time we go out, I¡¯ll definitely bring you along!¡± Although Dang Gui was still unwilling, she did not want to make things difficult for Yu Niaoniao. In the end, she nodded reluctantly. ¡°Okay, then.¡± Afterforting Dang Gui, Yu Niaoniao apanied Shen Xu out. They settled into the carriage. Not long after they left, Xiao Juan asked someone to call County Magistrate Liu over. After knowing that Prince Min had summoned him, County Magistrate Liu did not dare to dy for a moment and quickly rushed to the courier station. Xiao Juan threw the pile of dossiers in front of County Magistrate Liu. ¡°These are all the cases you¡¯ve handled in recent years. I¡¯ve read them all.¡± Cold sweat broke out on Magistrate Liu¡¯s forehead. He also knew that the cases he had worked on were unpresentable, but he had no choice. It was not good to offend local gentry. All he could do was try not to offend either side. Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°Just based on the cases you¡¯ve handled, I can send a memorial to the emperor to convict you of beingzy and ipetent.¡± Magistrate Liu hurriedly knelt down and begged for mercy. ¡°I know my mistake. I won¡¯t dare to do it again. Please forgive me!¡± ¡°I can give you a chance to redeem yourself.¡± Xiao Juan threw a stack of portraits of women in front of County Magistrate Liu. ¡°As long as you can find these lost women, I will let bygones be bygones. Otherwise, you will be sent to the prison of the Justice Department.¡± Magistrate Liu felt as if someone had grabbed his throat. He could not even say a word. He could only ept his fate and kowtow. ¡°As youmand.¡± Chapter 215 - 215 Don’t Come Over! 215 Don¡¯t Come Over! The carriage stopped near the market. Yu Niaoniao was the first to jump out of the carriage. She turned around to look at Shen Xu. Seeing that he was about to get out of the carriage, she hurriedly reached out to help him hold his skirt. She reminded him in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re the County Princess now. You have to pay attention to your image at all times!¡± Shen Xu could only let go of his skirt and whisper. ¡°Being a woman is too much trouble.¡± Yu Niaoniao held his arm. ¡°This is nothing. A real woman has it much harder than you.¡± Shen Xu carefully got out of the carriage and looked up. The market was filled with people and street vendors. It was very lively. This was the first time he had seen a bazaar among the people. He could not help but feel curious. He walked forward. Yu Niaoniao quickly pulled him back and reminded him again. ¡°Keep your steps small. Don¡¯t sway from side to side. You have to remember at all times that you¡¯re ady.¡± Shen Xu could only slow down. He saw someone ying monkey on the street and immediately walked over. Under themand of its master, the little monkey made all kinds of movements, causing many people to watch. Every time the little monkey made a difficult move, the crowd would erupt with enthusiastic cheers. Shen Xu watched excitedly and couldn¡¯t help but want to apud. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly covered his mouth and admonished him. ¡°Don¡¯t make a sound, or your identity will be exposed!¡± Although he was wearing female clothes, his voice was still that of a man. Once he spoke, his identity would immediately be exposed. Shen Xu could only swallow his words and p hard. After the performance ended, the performer led the little monkey to ask the judges for a reward. Most of them turned and walked away. Shen Xu felt that he had not had enough. He generously threw a silver ingot over. The silver fell into the basin with a crisp sound. The performer and those around him were stunned. So much money. He was rich! The performer quickly pocketed the silver and kept bowing to thank him. The scene attracted a lot of attention. When Yu Niaoniao and Shen Xu left, there were still people discussing what had just happened. ¡°Not only is that youngdy generous, but she¡¯s also very beautiful. I wonder which family she¡¯s from?¡± ¡°Look at you. Don¡¯t tell me you like her?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. That youngdy looks very unfamiliar. She shouldn¡¯t be a local. She might leave tomorrow.¡± ¡­ . While everyone was discussing, a short man looked at Shen Xu¡¯s departing figure with covetous eyes. Something urred to him. He chuckled and followed. Shen Xu had been pampered since he was young and was used to being extravagant. No matter what he saw, as long as he was interested, he would buy it. After buying it, he would y with it for a while before throwing it aside. Yu Niaoniao strongly condemned his extravagance. ¡°That¡¯s a waste!¡± Shen Xu said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s not worth much anyway.¡± Yu Niaoniao could not help but reveal an envious expression. She wanted to be rich too! When Shen Xu saw that someone was selling oil paper umbres, he thought that they looked pretty good. He did not care if he needed them or not and took out his purse to pay. At this moment, a short man suddenly rushed out from the side and snatched the wallet from Shen Xu¡¯s hand. Then, he ran far away. By the time Shen Xu reacted, his hand was already empty. As the heir of Prince Min, how could he tolerate his things being snatched by a little thief? Without thinking, he chased after him and shouted. ¡°Stop! Return my pouch!¡± His voice was powerful and did not sound like a delicatedy at all. The short man in front of him, who was running wildly, staggered and almost fell. He was terrified. Why was this youngdy¡¯s voice so rough? In the blink of an eye, Shen Xu was about to catch up to the short man, who couldn¡¯t care less about anything else. He sped up his escape while Shen Xu chased after him. Yu Niaoniao chased after him and shouted. ¡°Forget it, stop chasing!¡± Now that the human traffickers had not been arrested, she was very worried that Shen Xu would be in danger. However, Shen Xu did not care about this at all. He only wanted to catch the thief and get his wallet back. The short man was clearly extremely familiar with the terrain. He darted nimbly through the crowd, asionally turning a corner. Yu Niaoniao realized that there were fewer pedestrians and shops around her. They were already moving farther away from the bazaar. Yu Niaoniao had a bad feeling. As it turned out, her hunch was right. She and Shen Xu were led to a remote ce. There was not even a house here, and the streets were empty. There was no one else except them. The short man who had snatched the pouch suddenly stopped. He turned to them with a wicked grin. ... ¡°The two of you must have worked hard after chasing for so long. Why don¡¯t you sit with us for a while?¡± Shen Xu stopped and cursed angrily. ¡°Cut the crap and give me back my purse!¡± The short man threw up the pouch in his hand and caught it. He said calmly, ¡°The pouch is here. If you want it,e and get it.¡± Shen Xu wanted to say something, but Yu Niaoniao tugged at his sleeve. He turned around to look at Yu Niaoniao but saw two burly men appear not far behind her. Looking around again, he saw apletely unfamiliar environment. Only then did Shen Xu finally sense that something was wrong. He was nervous and scolded fiercely, ¡°What do you want? I¡¯m warning you, I¡¯m not someone you can provoke!¡± The short man grinned and said, ¡°No matter what your identity is, you have to be obedient when you reach Wangsong City.¡± Yu Niaoniao noticed the Eagle Guards in the dark. She immediately shook her head at them, indicating that they shouldn¡¯t move yet. The few people in front of them were clearly justckeys. ... There was no point in capturing them. The best solution now was to follow the clues and find out who was behind this and save the women who had been kidnapped. Meng Xizhou, who was hiding in the shadows, understood what the County Princess meant. He could only let go of the hilt and continue to wait. The short man approached the two burly men, Yu Niaoniao and Shen Xu. Shen Xu shouted in panic, ¡°Don¡¯te over!¡± Yu Niaoniao also pretended to be afraid and hunched her shoulders, trembling. The two burly men grabbed Yu Niaoniao and Shen Xu respectively. Yu Niaoniao and Shen Xu struggled hard. The two burly men took out the handkerchiefs they had prepared in advance and covered their mouths and noses. The handkerchief was smeared with knockout powder. After Yu Niaoniao and Shen Xu inhaled the knockout powder, they quickly felt dizzy. Their limbs went limp, and they fainted in a short while. Seeing this, the short man chuckled with a wretched and smug expression. ¡°This youngdy is born with delicate skin. She can definitely be sold for a lot of money.¡± A big man pointed at Yu Niaoniao and asked. ¡°What do we do with this kid?¡± The short man looked at Yu Niaoniao and saw that she was dressed exquisitely. She must be from a good family. ¡°Take him with us. We¡¯ll contact his familyter and see if we can extort some money?¡± Chapter 216 - 216 Dungeon 216 Dungeon When Yu Niaoniao woke up, she found herself locked in a dark cell. She was alone in the cell and could not see Shen Xu. She climbed to her feet and walked to the cell door. She peered through the small window and saw that it was dark outside. She could only vaguely see an aisle. She could not see anything else. Yu Niaoniao shouted tentatively. !! ¡°Little Shen, Little Xu, Little Xu!¡± A momentter, Shen Xu¡¯s voice sounded from next door. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately approached the left wall and raised her hand to knock on it. ¡°How are you now?¡± Shen Xu replied through the wall, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± For some reason, Yu Niaoniao actually felt that his tone sounded quite rippling as if he was enjoying it. So she pressed him. ¡°Is there anyone else on your side?¡± Shen Xu chuckled. ¡°There are also many beautiful youngdies.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless.It seemed that it was not an illusion. He was really enjoying himself. Back then, when those vigers asked Yu Niaoniao to help draw the portrait, she had also asked for some information about the lost women. This made it easier to find them. So Yu Niaoniao leaned against the wall and shouted. ¡°Miss Chen, is Miss Chen from the Chen Family Vige next door?¡± After a while, a young girl¡¯s voice said, ¡°I¡¯m Chen Niu¡¯er. How do you know my name? Do you know me?¡± Yu Niaoniao was delighted. She was living here. She hurriedly said. ¡°I¡¯ve met your parents. They¡¯re looking for you everywhere.¡± Thinking of her parents, Chen Niu¡¯er could not help but sob. ¡°I miss my parents so much. I want to go home.¡± Yu Niaoniaoforted them. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ll think of a way to get you out.¡± Miss Chen choked. ¡°How are you going to get us out when you¡¯re locked in yourself?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Anyway, I have an idea.¡± Then, Yu Niaoniao called out a few more names. Only Zhang Xian¡¯s name was not answered. The other missing women were all here. It seemed this was where the abducted women were being held. Yu Niaoniao still wanted to obtain more information about the trafficking gang, so she asked. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Zhang Xian here? Has any of you seen her?¡± A momentter, Chen Niu¡¯er¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°I¡¯ve seen Sister Xian. She was originally locked up here too, but someone took her away a while ago.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Where was she taken?¡± Chen Niuer said, ¡°The person who took her said that he wanted to send her to a good ce where she could enjoy life, but I know that person is lying because Sister Xian told me that the women locked up here will eventually be sold. The lucky ones will be sold as maidservants. The unlucky ones will be reduced to military prostitutes.¡± Thest two words surprised Yu Niaoniao. Even Shen Xu was surprised. He could not help but say, ¡°Hasn¡¯t the Dayan Dynasty already banned prostitutes from the army?¡± There were indeed military prostitutes in the previous dynasty. They were usually the womenfolk of the criminals. It was not until a general named Tang Pei stood up and said that it was not appropriate to have sex in the army and that it was easy for the enemies to sneak spies in that the currrent emperor issued a decree on strict management and to abolish military prostitutes. From then on, there were no military prostitutes in the military camps of the Dayan Dynasty. Chen Niu¡¯er squatted on the ground and shook her head, indicating that she did not know the details. Yu Niaoniao originally thought that this was an ordinary trafficking gang that relied on abducting women to earn money. She did not expect the military to be involved. Things were moreplicated than she had expected. Footsteps sounded outside, and then there was light. Someone came in with antern. Yu Niaoniao immediately stopped talking and looked out the small window. She saw three people walk in, led by the short man who had snatched the purse. The short man noticed Yu Niaoniao leaning out the window to look out, but he ignored her and walked right past her, stopping at the door of the cell next door. Due to the angle, Yu Niaoniao could not see that man anymore. She could only strain to hear. First, there was the sound of a lock being unlocked. Then the cell door was opened. The short man¡¯s gaze swept past the many women one by one. His gaze was as if he was admiring his spoils of war, and his face was filled with smugness and arrogance. Finally, his gaze stopped on Shen Xu. These women were all young and beautiful, but in terms of dressing, Shen Xu was definitely the best. Coupled with his delicate appearance, it was obvious that he was not raised by an ordinary family. This was a superior product! The shorter man smiled wretchedly. ¡°Let me introduce myself first. I¡¯m Qian Jiu. You can call me Master Jiu. May I know your name?¡± Shen Xu sneered. ¡°I¡¯m your father!¡± Qian Jiu was speechless. She was quite beautiful, but her voice was too rough. At first nce, he thought she was a rough man! Qian Jiu educated him earnestly. ... ¡°You can¡¯t speak like that. You¡¯ll make the noble unhappy. ¡°Tell you what, I¡¯ll get a mammy to teach you how to talkter.¡± Try to make your voice soft and lovable in the shortest time possible.¡± Shen Xu was disgusted and said in disgust. ¡°I was born like this. Do I need you to poke your nose into my business? If you don¡¯t like it, cut off your ears. Don¡¯t talk nonsense with me! And to make myself soft and lovable?Look at your eyes and brain. You¡¯re the one who should be made more lovable.¡± Yu Niaoniao, who was eavesdropping on the wall next door, could not help butugh. Pfft, hahaha! Seeing that Shen Xu did not give him any respect, Qian Jiu¡¯s face darkened, and his gaze turned dark. ¡°How ungrateful. Since you¡¯re so unappreciative, don¡¯t me me for not showing mercy.¡± He spoke to the twockeys following him. ¡°Tie this little girl up, strip her, and whip her hard!¡± ... One of theckeys was worried. ¡°If her flesh is damaged, we won¡¯t be able to sell her for a high price.¡± Qian Jiu said fiercely, ¡°Apply medicine on her after you¡¯re done. As long as there¡¯s no scar, she¡¯ll be fine!¡± The twockeys received the order and walked toward Shen Xu. How could Shen Xu give in obediently? Of course, he had to resist. Although he was a useless second-generation heir, he had learned the Six Arts of a Gentleman and knew a few basic moves. When the twockeys approached him, Shen Xu rushed forward and punched one of them in the nose. A three-man melee ensued. They punched and kicked each other, cursing from time to time. Yu Niaoniao could sense the intensity even through the wall. Seeing that the two of them could not subdue Shen Xu at all, Qian Jiu could not stand it anymore. He rolled up his sleeves and joined the battle. In the end, Shen Xu was defeated and tied up tightly. Qian Jiu was already furious. He had to teach this woman a lesson! He personally went forward to pull off Shen Xu¡¯s clothes. As soon as he tore open his clothes, he saw two white steamed buns fall and roll to his feet. In an instant, the cell was dead silent. Chapter 217 - 217 Unparalleled Hero 217 Unparalleled Hero Qian Jiu first looked down at the steamed bun by his feet, then looked up at Shen Xu¡¯s t chest. He was initially incredulous, then badly shaken, and finally angry and twisted. ¡°Are you a man?¡± Shen Xu raised his chin. ¡°Aren¡¯t you talking nonsense?¡± Qian Jiu roared, ¡°Then why are you wearing female clothes?¡± Shen Xu could not expose the fact that he had exchanged identities with Duke Lang and his wife, but he could not think of a suitable reason for the time being. He might as well give up. ¡°I like it! Can¡¯t I?¡± Qian Jiu was almost crazy. He had taken a huge risk to get a woman back. He thought that she would be a high-quality product that could be sold for a high price. He did not expect her to be a man! Qian Jiu stepped on the steamed bun and cursed angrily. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? How can a grown man wear women¡¯s clothes and deceive others!¡± Shen Xu did not back down. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s blind. How dare you me me? If you have time, go find a doctor to take a look at your eyes. Otherwise, you¡¯ll harm others in the future!¡± Qian Jiu grabbed his cor. ¡°Do you believe that I¡¯ll kill you now?!¡± Shen Xu was still very afraid of death. Seeing the fierce glint in the other party¡¯s eyes, it was obvious that he really wanted to kill him. He immediately admitted defeat. ¡°Big Brother, let¡¯s talk nicely. If you kill me, it won¡¯t end well for either of you. Why don¡¯t you let me go now? As long as you let me go. I¡¯ll let bygones be bygones and pretend nothing happened.¡± Qian Jiuughed in anger. ¡°Please get this straight. You¡¯re the one who has no end now. Since you¡¯re not a woman, you can¡¯t be sold for money. What I can¡¯t sell for money is trash. Trash has to be disposed of.¡± Shen Xu immediately said, ¡°As long as you return the steamed buns to me, I can continue to pretend to be a woman.¡± Qian Jiu did not want to waste any more time on this weirdo. He still had to think of a way to deal with the uing situation. His superiors had instructed him to find a few good people recently. He originally thought that the mission could bepleted, but he did not expect that the person he kidnapped was actually a pervert. In the end, it was all for nothing. Qian Jiu was furious. He drew a dagger with a glinting its de. ¡°Don¡¯t you like to wear female clothes? I¡¯ll send you to hell now. When you¡¯re a woman in your next life, you can wear female clothes as you please.¡± Shen Xu was shocked. ¡°You can¡¯t kill me! I¡¯m the heir of Prince Min¡¯s Mansion!¡± Qian Jiu sneered. ¡°If you¡¯re the heir, I¡¯ll be the king!¡± With that, he ced the dagger on Shen Xu¡¯s neck and prepared to slit his neck. This scene frightened the girls in the cell. A few of the timid ones cried out. Yu Niaoniao was also anxious. Why weren¡¯t Duke Lang and the Eagle Guards here yet? If they didn¡¯te, Shen Xu¡¯s life would be lost here! Yu Niaoniao gritted her teeth. She could not let Shen Xu die here. From the looks of it, she could only expose her identity and show that she was a woman. She had the value of being sold to divert Qian Jiu¡¯s attention and stall for time to save Shen Xu. She shouted at Qian Jiu next door. ¡°Wait a minute! Don¡¯t you want women? I am¡­ ¡± Before she could finish, she heard someone stagger into the dungeon, shouting at the top of his lungs. ¡°Ninth Master, something bad has happened. The Eagle Guards have found this ce! Those brothers outside have been destroyed. We can¡¯t stay here anymore. Let¡¯s run!¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s words spun in her throat, suddenly bing imposing. ¡°I am your ancestor!¡± Shen Xu, who had already copsed in despair, instantly revived on the spot. Heughed out loud. ¡°Qian Jiu, you scumbag, you¡¯re dead meat!¡± Qian Jiu was incredulous. Thinking he had misheard, he hurried to the door and asked the man who hade to report. ¡°What did you just say? How did the Eagle Guards find us here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. They suddenly appeared and killed many of our brothers. I had risked my life toe here to report. Those Eagle Guards are not human. They are ruthless and murderous If we fell into their hands, we would definitely be better off dead. Master Nine, let¡¯s escape before they find this ce!¡± Qian Jiu looked back at the girls in the cell with a fierce glint in his eyes. ¡°They¡¯ve all seen me. They can¡¯t be left alive. Kill them all.¡± Hearing this, Yu Niaoniao was shocked. She immediately leaned over the small window and shouted outside. ¡°Your Highness! Help! We¡¯re here!!!¡± She remembered that Xiao Juan¡¯s senses were abnormally sharp. He could hear voices far away. If he¡¯d been nearby, he would have heard her. It turned out she¡¯d gambled right. In the next moment, Xiao Juan appeared at the end of the corridor, followed by the heavily armed Eagle Guards. They headed straight for Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao looked at them as if she was looking peerless heroes. They were simply too dashing! She put her arm out the window and pointed next door. ¡°The bad guys are next door. Catch them before they get a chance to kill anyone.¡± ... Qian Jiu saw that the situation was bad and asked someone to close the door. Unfortunately, it was useless. Xiao Juan used his internal energy to kick open the cell door. The girls in the cell hugged their heads and cried in horror. Only Shen Xu wasughing. ¡°You¡¯re finally here, haha!¡± In the next moment, Qian Jiu¡¯s dagger was pressed against Shen Xu¡¯s neck. That cold and dangerous touch made Shen Xu¡¯s scalp tingle, and hisughter stopped. Qian Jiu threatened Shen Xu loudly in front of him. ¡°If you take another step forward, I¡¯ll kill this kid!¡± Xiao Juan said expressionlessly, ¡°If you kill him, you won¡¯t live either.¡± Qian Jiu said, ¡°Even if I let him go, I won¡¯t live!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Then you can die together.¡± ... Qian Jiu did not expect such an answer and was momentarily at a loss for words. Shen Xu was furious. ¡°Cousin, we¡¯re family. How can you treat me like this?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°When you called me a heartless beast in the past, you never thought that I was your cousin.¡± Shen Xu choked. After a while, he argued weakly, ¡°You can¡¯t me me. Everyone in Imperial Capital is scolding you. If I don¡¯t scold you, it¡¯ll make me seem unsociable.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I really can¡¯t me you back then, but you can¡¯t me me now.¡± Shen Xu choked again. Qian Jiu finally realized that the hostage in his hand did not seem to be very useful. But at this point, he could not find any other hostages who were more useful. He could only bite the bullet and try to wake the other party¡¯s conscience. ¡°You¡¯re brothers, after all. You can¡¯t just watch him get killed, can you? You¡¯re not that cold and heartless, are you?¡± Xiao Juan replied calmly, ¡°Not only am I cold and heartless, but I¡¯m also inhumane. Everyone knows about this.¡± Chapter 218 - 218 Husband and Wife 218 Husband and Wife Qian Jiu was speechless. Xiao Juan looked at him coldly. ¡°You only have two choices now. Either you kill the hostage and we torture you until you wish you were dead, or you let the hostage go. At that time, I can consider giving you a quick death.¡± Qian Jiu said hatefully. ¡°Since I¡¯m going to die anyway, I might as well drag someone down with me!¡± !! Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°That makes sense.¡± Shen Xu broke down and shouted, ¡°How is that reasonable? Try harder!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯ve tried my best, but it¡¯s useless. He doesn¡¯t listen to me.¡± Shen Xu said, ¡°Is that called hard work? You were just perfunctorilypleting the mission! You didn¡¯t put in any effort at all!¡± Xiao Juan seemed to be quite surprised. ¡°You saw through it?¡± Shen Xu was speechless. He wasn¡¯t blind! Shen Xu was seriously suspicious. ¡°Are you possessed by the woman next door? Otherwise, why did you suddenly speak like that woman?!¡± Yu Niaoniao responded through the wall. ¡°This is what it means to be husband and wife! Do you understand, you single dog?¡± Xiao Juan quickly caught the main point and nodded slightly. ¡°Yes, husband and wife.¡± Shen Xu cried. Why was he still being fed copious amounts of public disys of affection when he was about to die? Qian Jiu interrupted. ¡°Isn¡¯t the person locked up next door a kid? Why is it a woman?¡± Shen Xu cursed bitterly. ¡°That¡¯s why I said you¡¯re blind! The person next door was clearly a woman, but you couldn¡¯t tell! If you had kidnapped her as a hostage, I guarantee that Duke Lang will immediately let you go without any hesitation! But you kidnapped me as a hostage instead! I have an old grudge against Duke Lang. He doesn¡¯t care about my life at all!¡± Qian Jiu felt a little dizzy. He had spent a lot of effort to kidnap a man and a woman. He originally thought that the woman could be sold for a high price, but he did not expect that this woman was actually a man in disguise. And the man he had casually thrown aside as apanion was actually a woman. Moreover, that woman was Duke Lang¡¯s wife! It turned out that everything was the opposite. His eyes were red with anger, and the veins on his forehead bulged. ¡°You guys are deliberately hiding your identities to y with me!¡± No wonder the Eagle Guards had suddenly found this ce. These two must have deliberately lured them over. Shen Xu hurriedly defended himself. ¡°It¡¯s none of my business! I never thought of lying to you. I just wanted to wear female clothes. It¡¯s your eyes that are wrong. You can¡¯t me me!¡± However, Qian Jiu did not believe him. ¡°You¡¯re in cahoots with them! I didn¡¯t expect that I, Qian Jiu, had been in the martial world for many years and had seen many storms. In the end, I actually lost to you two weaklings.¡± Shen Xu was unconvinced. ¡°I¡¯m not a weakling¡­¡± Qian Jiu said, ¡°Shut up!¡± He didn¡¯t want to hear another word from this crossdresser. Now he was at the end of his tether. There was nowhere to run. With hisst hope, he grinned. ¡°Since you don¡¯t care if this kid lives or dies, I¡¯ll kill him now and see if you can really do nothing?¡± With that, he tightened his grip on the dagger and prepared to cut Shen Xu¡¯s throat. At the critical moment, Xiao Juan suddenly looked at Qian Jiu and asked. ¡°Miss Chen, what are you doing?¡± Qian Jiu paused. Before he could react, his head had already turned and looked behind him. There was indeed a girl standing behind him. However, Miss Chen¡¯s hands were empty and she did not have any weapons. Naturally, there was no possibility of her ambushing him. Just as he rxed a little. Xiao Juan suddenly grabbed his arm and broke it. With a crack, Qian Jiu¡¯s right arm was dislocated! He could no longer exert himself with his right hand. The dagger slipped from his grasp. Shen Xu felt as if he had been pardoned. He stood up and wanted to escape. However, his hands and feet were tied, so he could not maintain his bnce at all. He used too much strength and fell straight to the ground. His facended on the ground and he fell t on his face in a bow to all the Eagle Guards present. Qian Jiu endured the pain and wanted to retaliate, but his other arm was also crippled by Xiao Juan. As for Qian Jiu¡¯s twockeys, they did not dare to resist anymore when they saw that the situation was bad. They knelt down to Duke Lang and begged for mercy. The Eagle Guards stepped forward and tied up Qian Jiu and his twockeys before dragging them out roughly. Yu Niaoniao had been released. ... She hurried to the cell where the girls were being held. The girls were terrified. They hugged each other and trembled. From time to time, someone would sob. Meng Xizhou wanted the Eagle Guards to bring these girls out, but because this group of Eagle Guards looked very fierce, the girls were afraid and curled up into a ball, unwilling to go with them. Meng Xizhou did not know what to do. When he saw the County Princess, he hurriedly begged her as if he had seen his savior. ¡°Please help us. Tell these girls that we¡¯re really not bad people.¡± Yu Niaoniao told him to calm down. She asked the girls, ¡°Which one of you is Chen Niu¡¯er?¡± A youngdy with big eyes looked up at Yu Niaoniao and replied softly. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Yu Niaoniao walked over and squatted down in front of her. She smiled and said, ¡°I told you just now that I could definitely save you. Now, I¡¯ve done it. These big brothers are the reinforcements I brought over. They¡¯re here to save you.¡± Chen Niu¡¯er was skeptical. ¡°Really? You¡¯re not taking us to another ce to sell us, are you?¡± ... Yu Niaoniao stroked her head. ¡°I¡¯m a woman too. I won¡¯t lie to you.¡± Chen Niu¡¯er looked at her in surprise. ¡°Are you a woman?¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her chin. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t even have an Adam¡¯s apple.¡± Chen Niu¡¯er carefully reached out and touched her neck. Indeed, she did not touch her Adam¡¯s apple. Now Chen Niu¡¯er finally believed her. Yu Niaoniao reached out to her. ¡°Come with us.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Girl Chen ced her small hand in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s palm. Yu Niaoniao led her out step by step. The other girls saw Miss Chen walk out of the cell safely, and the Eagle Guards did not stop her or attack her. Hence, they stood up and carefully moved out. Most of these girls were pale and listless. A few of them had been locked up for too long and were so thin that they were almost out of shape. They were also in a daze. It wasn¡¯t until they walked out of the dungeon and saw the sunlight that they suddenly felt alive again. Chen Niu¡¯er started crying excitedly. ¡°We¡¯re finally out! I¡¯m not dreaming, am I?¡± The other girls hugged each other and cried tears of joy. Seeing this, Yu Niaoniao could not help but smile. At this moment, Xiao Juan walked to her side and asked in a low voice. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re relieved now?¡± The smile on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face quickly faded. ¡°Although these girls were saved, some of them have been transported away. I wonder if they¡¯re dead or alive.¡± Xiao Juan raised his right hand and ced his palm on her head, rubbing it gently. ¡°I¡¯ve already asked County Magistrate Liu to investigate. There should be a result soon.¡± Chapter 219 - 219 Smooth 219 Smooth Magistrate Liu originally thought that it was better to avoid trouble and just brush it off. But it was different now. The woman kidnapping case concerned his future career. If he didn¡¯t do his best, he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep the ck official hat on his head. County Magistrate Liu did not dare to ck off anymore. He sent out all his subordinates. From the city to outside the city, to the surrounding viges and official roads, they had to be strictly investigated. There were really not enough people for the job. County Magistrate Liu rolled up his sleeves and personally went to the city gate to check on the people entering and leaving the city. It was also because of County Magistrate Liu¡¯s example that his subordinates worked especially hard. Be it the constables or the officials, they were all busy. At the city gate, County Magistrate Liu¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at the pedestrians. Everyone who passed by him, no matter their identity, had to be scanned from head to toe. That gaze was as sharp as a knife, making one¡¯s hair stand on end. Especially when he saw young women, County Magistrate Liu still had to take out those portraits andpare them one by one. After confirming that they were not the women in the portraits, he let them go. When an old man led an ox cart through the city gate, County Magistrate Liu suddenly called out to him. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± The old man had no choice but to stop and bow to County Magistrate Liu. Magistrate Liu walked around the ox cart and asked in a low voice when he saw the sacks piled up on it. ¡°What¡¯s in this sack of yours?¡± The old man hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s just some rice and grains. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask the other officials. They¡¯ve already checked just now.¡± The junior official beside him nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, we just opened a sack. It¡¯s really filled with rice and grains.¡± However, County Magistrate Liu felt that it was not enough to check only one sack. Who knew what was in the other sacks? He ordered, ¡°Open all the sacks and check them one by one!¡± The bailiffs immediately moved the sacks. The old man hurriedly shouted, ¡°It¡¯s really rice and grains in here. Why don¡¯t you believe me? I oftene to the city to market. Many people in the city know me. I won¡¯t lie to you!¡± However, no matter what he said, County Magistrate Liu was unmoved. It seemed like he was determined to check them one by one. It was a matter of his future. He could not be too careful. The old man was anxious. He gestured toward the nearby crowd, indicating that he needed help. The next moment, a carriage rushed towards the city gate from afar. The driver of the carriage tugged at the reins as he shouted at the top of his voice. ¡°The horse is frightened. Move!¡± Seeing the carriage rushing straight towards the city gate, The people who had gathered near the city gate scattered. Even the bailiffs who had been checking the ox cart were forced to retreat. At this moment, everyone was in a panic. No one noticed that the old man was walking out with the ox cart. Only County Magistrate Liu noticed where the ox cart was going. rm bells rang in his head. Ignoring the danger of being hit by the carriage, he strode after the ox cart, shouting as he did so. ¡°Someone stop that ox cart! If anyone can stop it, I¡¯ll reward him with a hundred taels of silver!¡± There would be brave men under heavy rewards. When themoners, who had wanted to hide far away, heard that there were a hundred taels to be earned, they immediately rushed towards the ox cart like a swarm of bees. Even though the old man whipped the ox hard, the ox cart still could not move fast. Soon, the ox cart was surrounded by themoners. County Magistrate Liu caught up with the bailiffs. ¡°Take him down!¡± Seeing that the situation was bad, the old man pulled out the big saber hidden under the ox cart and jumped off the carriage to rush in the direction with the least people. He looked quite old, but the way he swung his saber was very imposing. Coupled with his ferocious expression, themoners were frightened and retreated, not daring to fight him head-on. Magistrate Liu shouted at the top of his lungs, ¡°A hundred taels! There would be a hundred taels if we capture him!¡± In the end, it was still money that moved people. Even though they knew that there was danger, a few men who thought they were up for it still stood up and tried to fight the old man. The bailiffs also pulled out of the official road and fought with the old man. In the end, the old man was defeated and tied up on the spot. However, there were casualties among the magistrate officers; two of them were injured. Magistrate Liu asked the two bailiffs to get their injuries treated. The remaining people unloaded all the sacks on the ox cart and opened them one by one to check what was inside. The top few sacks indeed contained rice and grains. But the sacks below contained people. They were youngdies. Their hands and feet were bound and their mouths gagged. Their eyes were closed and they were motionless. Fortunately, they were still breathing. From the looks of it, they were only unconscious. Magistrate Liu took out the portraits andpared them one by one. He was certain that these girls were part of the group of lost women. He was overjoyed. There was finally an exnation! ¡°Take them back quickly and get a doctor to treat them.¡± ... ¡°Yes, Lord Liu!¡± When themoners saw County Magistrate Liu personally rush to the front line despite the danger and save the kidnapped girls, they apuded. Someone else was shouting. ¡°Lord Liu is so powerful!¡± ¡°It¡¯s our Wangsong City¡¯s blessing to have an official like Lord Liu!¡± County Magistrate Liu, who was about to go back and report the case, stopped. He stared at the citizens. From the moment he got into the imperial examination and had the chance to be an official, people kept telling him that the most important thing to be an official was tact. Only a tactful person could survive in the treacherous bureaucracy. County Magistrate Liu admitted that he did not have any talent in the world, so he did not have any great ambitions. Ever since he took office in Wangsong City, he had always adhered to the principle of being tactful. He tried his best to build a good rtionship with the local gentry and strived to please the higher-ups. ... He did not care what the people thought of him. In any case, he would only be staying here for three years. As long as he did not make any major mistakes within three years, he would be promoted to the next position. To him, the citizens of Wangsong City were nothing. He did not care about themoners, so they naturally did not have a good impression of him. Usually, when themoners saw him, they were more afraid than respectful. asionally, he could hear themoners scolding him behind his back for working on a case in a daze. But now, themoners were praising him from the bottom of their hearts. Everyone looked at him with admiration and respect. It was as if they had only truly acknowledged County Magistrate Liu at this moment. Magistrate Liu could not help but feel his blood boil. He seemed to have returned to his youth and looked forward to the future with his ssmates. At that time, he had made a wish that if he could be an official in the future, he would definitely be a good official who could serve the people! Chapter 220 - 220 Atonement 220 Atonement County Magistrate Liu was immersed in his memories when he suddenly heard someone ask. ¡°Lord Liu, when will you give us the hundred taels of silver you promised?¡± Magistrate Liu suddenly came back to his senses and asked with wide eyes, ¡°What silver?¡± Themoners were shocked by his fierce appearance, but when it came to a hundred taels of silver, everyone mustered their courage and continued. !! ¡°You said it yourself in front of everyone just now. As long as we can stop the ox cart, we can get a hundred taels of silver. You¡¯re an official. You can¡¯t lie!¡± At this moment, County Magistrate Liu no longer felt hot-blooded. All that was left was the pain of losing a hundred taels of silver. No wonder many seniors often told him that it was not easy to be an official, and it was even harder to be a good official. Now, he finally understood. As a corrupt official, he could easily pocket money, but now, not only did he not earn any money, he even had to give money away. He was indeed not suitable to be a good official. He¡¯d better continue being an official who cked off. When County Magistrate Liu returned to the county office with his men, he found out that Prince Min had brought his men to wipe out the human traffickers¡¯ nest and even saved many kidnapped women. County Magistrate Liu immediately praised Xiao Juan and the Eagle Guards to the point that they were unprecedented. Xiao Juan did not like to hear these useless praises and said to him bluntly, ¡°Send someone to inform the families of the kidnapped women and tell them toe to the county office to pick them up.¡± ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I¡¯ll do it now.¡± Magistrate Liu turned around and took two steps before stopping. Xiao Juan looked up at him. ¡°What else?¡± Magistrate Liu asked ingratiatingly, ¡°Well, since the kidnapped women have been found, I guess I¡¯ve made amends, right?¡± Xiao Juan had already learned from the Eagle Guards that County Magistrate Liu was indeed very diligent today. In order to save the women, he did not hesitate to take risks and performed very well. ¡°I¡¯ve always been clear about rewards and punishments. Since you¡¯ve made a contribution, I¡¯ll let bygones be bygones.¡± Magistrate Liu was overjoyed and was about to thank him. Then, he continued, ¡°But you have to dig out all the cases you¡¯ve done sloppily before and retry them. If you dare to smooth over the case again in the future, I¡¯ll let the Eagle Guards lead you to the Justice Department.¡± County Magistrate Liu¡¯s smile froze. The other party was clearly not prepared to let him off. His n to continue being a good-for-nothing official was ruined. Xiao Juan looked at him coldly. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Are you unwilling?¡± How would County Magistrate Liu dare to say no? He forced a smile. ¡°Thank you for your advice, Your Highness. I¡¯ll definitely be fair in the future and try not to disappoint you.¡± Xiao Juan said indifferently, ¡°The Eagle Guards have spies everywhere. I hope you won¡¯t let me down.¡± The threat was clear in his words. Magistrate Liu¡¯s heart tightened and he hurriedly expressed his loyalty. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. I¡¯ll definitely do as I say!¡± Xiao Juan waved his hand, indicating that the other party could get lost. Magistrate Liu bowed and left. After they were gone, Yu Niaoniao walked out from behind the screen. She asked quizzically, ¡°Your Highness, since you know that County Magistrate Liu is not a good person, why did you let him continue to be an official?¡± In her opinion, a fellow like County Magistrate Liu, who did not treat themoners as humans at all, should be fired and investigated. He should have a taste of being wronged but unable toin. If he was asked such a question by anyone else, Xiao Juan would definitely send him back with an admonition to the effect of ¡°don¡¯t ask about anything unrted to you¡±. But facing Yu Niaoniao, his patience was surprisingly good. ¡°Then do you know that there are many fools like Magistrate Liu in the Dayan Dynasty? Even if I investigate County Magistrate Liu today, can you guarantee that the next county magistrate sent to Wangsong City will definitely be a good official?¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Not to mention a small county princess like her, even the emperor might not be able to give an urate answer. After all, the human heart wasplicated. How many people could maintain their original intentions when faced with the temptation of benefits? The bureaucracy of the Dayan Dynasty was far moreplicated than she had imagined. It was impossible for a single person to keep all the officials clean. The more she thought about it, the more powerless she felt. Yu Niaoniao lowered her head in frustration. Even the strand of hair on her head drooped. She looked like a frosted eggnt, listless. Xiao Juan reached out and touched her little head. ¡°There are indeed many issues with County Magistrate Liu. No matter how you look at it, he¡¯s not a good official, but he¡¯s not hopeless. I had looked through his past dossiers. He liked to gloss things over and didn¡¯t want to offend the local gentry. Many of the cases had been left almost unsettled in his hands.¡± ¡°However, he had never wronged any innocent citizen, nor had he plundered the people¡¯s wealth. He had also not used his status as a county magistrate to bully good citizens.¡± ¡°He could build a good rtionship with the local gentry without making any big mistakes. In a way, he was actually quite capable. If he can sustain this on the right path, it will definitely benefit the people.¡± Yu Niaoniao was still a little unconvinced. ¡°Previously, a poor schr went to the state capital to sue County Magistrate Liu. In the end, the poor schr¡¯s house was destroyed. That family was forced to leave their hometown. This matter must have something to do with County Magistrate Liu!¡± Xiao Juan said unhurriedly. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent someone to investigate. The matter of the poor schr really has nothing to do with Magistrate Liu. It was a local squire who hired a few ruffians in private to please County Magistrate Liu. He would go to the poor schr¡¯s house every few days to cause trouble.¡± Yu Niaoniao was skeptical. ¡°Really?¡± Xiao Juan patiently sorted out her thoughts. ... ¡°Think about it. With County Magistrate Liu¡¯s status, it¡¯s actually very simple for him to take revenge on that poor schr. As long as he found a reason to cross out the poor schr¡¯s name when he participated in the county examination, the poor schr¡¯s future would be gone.¡± ¡°Why would he send so many people to the poor schr¡¯s house to cause trouble? Is he not afraid his reputation isn¡¯t bad enough?¡± Yu Niaoniao thought about it and agreed. County Magistrate Liu looked like a tactful and experienced person. This kind of person was best at protecting himself and would never do anything openly. From the looks of it, County Magistrate Liu was not hopeless. Yu Niaoniao leaned over and hugged his arm, asking eagerly. ¡°Then can you ensure that Magistrate Liu will definitely be good?¡± Xiao Juan had originally nned to reach for a brush to write a letter. With her hugging him, he temporarily put the matter of writing a letter aside. He lowered his eyes to look at her and said slowly. ¡°Let¡¯s observe for a while. If he still doesn¡¯t change, I¡¯ll send him to the prison of the Justice Department and let him experience what it¡¯s like to be an official that doesn¡¯t make decisions for the people.¡± Yu Niaoniao praised, ¡°Your Highness is so thoughtful!¡± ... Chapter 221 - 221 Popular Support 221 Popr Support When the families of the kidnapped women received the news, they were all overjoyed. They immediately set off from home and rushed to Wangsong City overnight. When the girls saw their loved ones, they immediately burst into tears. The fear and helplessness they had suppressed for many days were all released at this moment. They cried uncontrobly. Their loved ones were no better. They had been prepared for the worst, thinking that they would never see their daughters or daughters-inw in their lives. Now that they saw them standing in front of them, happy and surprised, they could not even speak properly. When Yu Niaoniao saw this scene, she was deeply moved. She missed her mother too. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw County Magistrate Liu wiping his tears and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you touched?¡± Magistrate Liu held his pouch and sobbed. ¡°I¡¯m mourning the hundred taels of silver that I sent out.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. ¡°It¡¯s just a hundred taels of silver. Do you have to do that?¡± County Magistrate Liu said, ¡°You¡¯re Prince Min¡¯s heir. You¡¯ve been living in luxury since you were young and don¡¯t know the hardships of the world. Naturally, you don¡¯t know how important a hundred taels of silver is to an ordinary official like me.¡± Yu Niaoniao patted his shoulder andforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. Although you paid a hundred taels of silver, you won the hearts of the people. The hearts of the people are priceless.¡± County Magistrate Liu pursed his lips, but he did not think so. How much could the hearts of the people be worth? In the courtyard, the girls and their families had calmed down. They gathered in front of County Magistrate Liu and took out everything they had brought. A dark-skinned man grinned. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Lord Liu this time. Otherwise, my wife wouldn¡¯t have been able toe back. There is nothing good in my house except for these two old hens that had been raised for years. If you don¡¯t mind, use them to make soup to nourish your body.¡± A woman whose eyes were swollen from crying spoke,¡±Lord Liu saved my daughter, so he¡¯s equivalent to her second parent. This roll of fabric was originally reserved for my daughter¡¯s dowry. I¡¯m giving it to Lord Liu now as repayment for saving my daughter¡¯s life.¡± An old woman with white hair and clothes full of patches said, ¡°I only have this one granddaughter. If she doesn¡¯te back, I won¡¯t be able to live either. These are the vegetables I nted myself. They¡¯ve all been washed and can be eaten after they¡¯re cut and cooked. You must ept them.¡± ¡­ . Everyone rushed to send their items to County Magistrate Liu. Ever since Magistrate Liu became an official, he had never seen such passionate citizens. The things that were brought to him were not worth much, but they were the best these poor people could offer. They were all sincerely thanking Magistrate Liu. A thin old schr stepped forward, holding an umbre. ¡°Lord Liu, this is the Myriad People Umbre we made for you together. It has our signatures on it. I hope you can ept it.¡± With that, he opened the oil-paper umbre. The umbre was covered in names. There were manymoners who could not write and the old schr had taught them stroke by stroke. Magistrate Liu looked at the Myriad People Umbre in a daze for a long time. He had only wanted toplete the mission given to him by Prince Min and use this opportunity to hug his ck veil hat more tightly. Unexpectedly, his unintentional actions received the gratitude and respect of themoners. Come to think of it, he hadn¡¯t actually done much. He had been thinking for himself from the beginning to the end and had never thought for themoners. At this moment, Magistrate Liu felt guilty and did not dare to reach out to take the Umbre of Myriad People. The old schr was nervous when he stood still. ¡°Do you think our umbre isn¡¯t exquisite enough? We were in a hurry, so we can only make it like this. If you think it¡¯s not good, we can make another one. It¡¯ll just take more time. I hope you can wait a little longer.¡± Yu Niaoniao reached out and took the Myriad People Umbre. ¡°No need. This umbre is quite good.¡± She raised the umbre over County Magistrate Liu¡¯s head and asked with a smile, ¡°Do you think so?¡± How would Magistrate Liu dare to let Prince Min¡¯s heir hold an umbre for him? He hurriedly took the Myriad People Umbre. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. The heir is right. This umbre is already very good.¡± Only when the handle was in his hand did he feel the weight of the umbre. It was heavier than he had expected. It was so heavy that he almost lost his grip. This was not just the weight of an umbre, but that of the expectations of the people. It was also his responsibility as an official of the people. The old schrughed. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t mind, sir.¡± After expressing their gratitude, themoners went home happily. Only County Magistrate Liu was left standing there. He held the Umbre of Myriad People in his hand and looked at the many thank-you gifts piled up in front of him. His emotions were extremelyplicated. Yu Niaoniao casually took out a corn cob from a pair of thank-you gifts. She used the corncob as a microphone and handed it to County Magistrate Liu. ¡°Please allow me to interview you. How do you feel now?¡± ... Magistrate Liu let out a long sigh. ¡°To be honest, it doesn¡¯t feel good.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Why?¡± County Magistrate Liu said, ¡°In the past, it didn¡¯t matter how I lived my life. But now that I¡¯ve epted this Umbre of Myriad People, I can¡¯t be a good-for-nothing anymore. I have a feeling that myfortable days areing to an end.¡± He looked sad and wanted to cry. Yu Niaoniao smiled happily. ¡°Good luck. If you do well, you¡¯ll be promoted and get a raise. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll send you to the Justice Department for a day trip.¡± County Magistrate Liu was speechless. He wanted to cry even more! Yu Niaoniao returned to the station with the corncob. She saw that Shen Xu was wearing the clothes of the Eagle Guards and could not help but ask. ... ¡°What are you doing?¡± Shen Xu puffed out his chest. ¡°After the past two days, I¡¯ve finally realized that it¡¯s not necessarily safe to pretend to be the princess. What if I encounter a guy who has designs on me again? I think it¡¯s safer to wear male clothes.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled evilly. ¡°Even boys might not be safe.¡± Shen Xu red at her. ¡°Shut up!¡± Yu Niaoniao circled him and asked curiously. ¡°Where did you get this Eagle Guard outfit?¡± Shen Xu said, ¡°I borrowed it from Duke Lang. In the future, I¡¯ll pretend to be an Eagle Guard. This way, I should be safe.¡± He saw that Yu Niaoniao was about to say something and quickly covered his ears. ¡°Alright, stop it. I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡± With that, he turned around and ran, not giving Yu Niaoniao a chance to retort. Yu Niaoniaoughed rudely. Dang Gui heard the sound and walked out. When she saw that it was Yu Niaoniao, tears rolled down her face. She spoke as she wiped away tears, ¡°You were almost kidnapped. I was scared to death. How can you still smile? Take me with you wherever you go in the future. Even if I¡¯m abducted, I want to be abducted with you. You¡¯re not allowed to leave me alone again!¡± Yu Niaoniao did not know whether tough or cry. ¡°Okay, stop crying. I deliberately lured those human traffickers out. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of myself. Besides, there¡¯s still Duke Lang. He¡¯ll protect me too.¡± Chapter 222 - 222 Texas Chicken 222 Texas Chicken In order tofort Dang Gui, Yu Niaoniao specially cooked Texas Chicken for her. This dish was very troublesome to make. First, she plucked the old hen¡¯s feathers and removed its internal organs. Then, she boiled it in cold water and removed the blood foam. She added green onion and ginger wine to remove the fishy smell and then changed the heat to simmer. When the chicken soup was ready, she filtered it with gauze. She chopped some chicken into minced meat and soaked it in the spring onion ginger wine for a moment. Then, she poured the marinated chicken meat into the chicken soup and simmered it. This was a process that required a lot of patience. The ingredients were stewed until they were absorbed by the meatballs before being scooped out. The chicken soup that had been carefully stewed twice was called double-boiled soup. Its taste was even more delicious and fragrant than ordinary chicken soup. Yu Niaoniao smeared the entire chicken with malt and ced the hot oil into the pot. She fried it until it was dark red and scooped it out to control the oil. She untied the casserole and ced in the pre-prepared seasoning bag. She poured in the double-boiled soup, added the spring onion ginger wine soy sauce and mushrooms, stirred them evenly, and put in the fried whole chicken. She covered it. First, she heated it up and removed the froth. Then, she switched it to a small fire and slowly stewed it. At this moment, Dang Gui hadpletely forgotten to cry. She stared longingly at the casserole, gulping at the rich aroma. Yu Niaoniao smiled and said, ¡°I quite like to eat Texas chicken, but because it¡¯s too troublesome to cook, I rarely cook this dish. You¡¯re lucky today.¡± Dang Gui asked curiously. ¡°Why is this dish called Texas Chicken? Texas sounds like the name of a ce, but I¡¯ve never heard of this ce.¡± Yu Niaoniao began to spout nonsense in all seriousness, ¡°Texas is actually a person¡¯s name. He was the one who invented this dish. In memory of him,ter generations named it Texas Chicken.¡± Dang Gui was enlightened. ¡°I see.¡± Then she asked, ¡°Did he invent other dishes?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± Dang Gui looked disappointed. ¡°That¡¯s a pity. If only he could cook a few more dishes.¡± Yu Niaoniao reached out and gently flicked her forehead. ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. Inventing new dishes is not like growing cabbage in the fields. It¡¯s not as simple as you think.¡± Dang Gui covered her forehead. ¡°Okay.¡± Yu Niaoniao nudged her. ¡°Go and see if Duke Lang is back.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Dang Gui ran out of the kitchen. After a while, she returned. ¡°Miss, His Highness has just returned. He¡¯s in the guest room upstairs.¡± Yu Niaoniao lifted the lid and looked. The chicken skin was smooth and red. The fragrance assaulted her nose. The dish was already done. She smiled. ¡°Get the dishes. Dinner is ready.¡± Dang Gui was excited. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Yu Niaoniao gave some chicken and chicken soup to Dang Gui. The chicken was stewed until it was very soft and mushy. Without much force, one could easily remove the chicken from the bones with chopsticks. Dang Gui could not wait to taste it. The meat was fresh, fat, and tender. It was even more delicious than she had expected! Yu Niaoniao carried the tray upstairs. At the same time, two uninvited guests arrived at the station. Walking in front was a handsome man in a blue robe. Behind him was a little servant. The young clerk took out the document and the silk seal that identified him and showed them to the official at the station. After the official finished reading, he hurriedly returned the document and the silk seal with both hands and bowed respectfully. ¡°So it¡¯s Young Master Lu from the County Governor¡¯s Mansion. Please forgive me for not weing you.¡± The little boy put away the document and the silk seal and said, ¡°My young master passed by here and wanted to stay at the station for the night.¡± The official hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s our pleasure, but the guest rooms on the second floor are already full. Only the room in the southwest corner of the backyard is still empty. I wonder if Young Master Lu is willing to amodate?¡± When Lu Yao first entered the station, he noticed the Eagle Guards guarding the door. He had heard that the emperor had sent the Eagle Guards to escort Prince Min and his son to Liaodong County. He guessed that the people living on the top floor of the station should be Prince Min and his son. Although he was the son of the county governor, he was still iparable to Prince Min and his son. Therefore, he tactfully agreed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s only for one night.¡± The official said, ¡°Please follow me.¡± The three of them walked out of the central room through the side door and through the cloister to the backyard. Lu Yao sniffed. ¡°What¡¯s that smell? Why does it smell so good?¡± The official exined with a smile, ¡°Someone must be cooking in the kitchen.¡± With that, he pointed in the direction of the kitchen. Lu Yao had been traveling the entire day and had only eaten two pancakes at noon. He was hungry now, so he said to the little attendant. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go into the room and put the luggage down? I¡¯ll see if there¡¯s anything edible in the kitchen?¡± With that, he eagerly walked towards the kitchen. In the kitchen, Dang Gui was chewing on a drumstick with relish. She could not bear to eat such a delicious drumstick too quickly. She ate every bite especially carefully. She suddenly heard a voice. ¡°What are you eating?¡± Dang Gui stopped chewing on the drumstick. She looked up and saw the handsome man standing at the door. ... This man was wearing a long blue robe. Because he had been traveling for days, his clothes were stained with a lot of dust, and he looked a little tired. He had a pair of amorous peach blossom eyes, a high nose bridge, deep facial features, and a tall and straight body. He was the kind of man who could easily gain a woman¡¯s favor. If it were an ordinary woman, she would definitely put down the drumstick immediately after being stared at by such a handsome man. Then, she would quickly wipe her lips and tidy up her appearance so as not to ruin his first impression of her. But Dang Gui only replied with two words. ¡°Texas Chicken.¡± Then she lowered her head and continued to eat the drumstick seriously. How could a handsome man be better than a chicken drumstick?! Seeing her cold attitude, Lu Yao became interested in her. Due to his status and appearance, he had been very favored by women since he was young. Be it old seniors or young juniors, they would favor him as long as they were women. However, the woman in front of him did not seem to be interested in him at all. Lu Yao found it interesting. ... He walked over, lifted the hem of his shirt, and sat down coolly opposite Dang Gui. After getting close, the fragrance of the dishes immediately became even stronger. Lu Yao could not help but look at the dishes on the table. He endured his hunger and asked in a curious and expectant tone. ¡°I¡¯ve never had Texas Chicken. How does it taste? Is it good?¡± He thought the hint in his words should be obvious. After receiving his meaning, the other party should politely ask if he wanted to eat with her. At that time, he could freeload. Lu Yao¡¯s n was very good. Unfortunately, the girl opposite him did not y ording to n. Dang Gui answered without looking back. ¡°Delicious.¡± And that was it. Lu Yao looked at her in disbelief. She was eating with relish and refused to even look at him. What a lovely face. What a heartless girl! Chapter 223 - 223 Wait for Me 223 Wait for Me Lu Yao refused to give up and tried to strike up a conversation again. ¡°My name is Lu Yao. May I know your name?¡± Dang Gui felt that this person was so annoying and disturbed her enjoyment of delicious food. She picked up her bowl and chopsticks, stood up, and said, ¡°My name is Dang Gui.¡± !! Then, she ran out of the kitchen with her bowl and chopsticks. She wanted to find a quiet ce to continue enjoying her food. Lu Yao called her twice, but she did not even turn her head. From her posture, it was as if she was avoiding him like he was a snake. This made Lu Yao doubt himself. Was he really that annoying? The young page ran in and couldn¡¯t help asking when he saw his young master sitting in the kitchen in a daze. ¡°Young Master, didn¡¯t youe looking for food? Did you find it?¡± Lu Yao sighed. ¡°I did find it, but it¡¯s gone.¡± The boy servant was confused. He did not understand what his young master meant. ¡­ . At the door of the guest room on the second floor. Yu Niaoniao held the tray with both hands and could not knock. She wanted to call out to Duke Lang, but she remembered that they were still ying the role of Prince Min and his son. Hence, she reorganized the words on her lips and said, ¡°Are you in there, Your Highness?¡± A momentter, the door was pulled open from the exit. When Xiao Juan saw that it was her, he turned around and let her in. Yu Niaoniao ced the tray on the table. ¡°Quick, try the Texas chicken I just made and see if it¡¯s delicious.¡± She lifted the lid of the casserole and the fragrance filled the entire room. Xiao Juan sat down at the table and took the bowl and chopsticks from her. He first tried a piece of chicken, then a mouthful of chicken soup. Finally, he gave a pertinent evaluation. ¡°It tastes delicious.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately smiled. ¡°As long as you like it.¡± She scooped up a bowl of rice, soaked it in chicken soup, and covered it with ayer of shredded chicken and mushrooms. Just like that, she used her chopsticks to pull the chicken, mushroom, and rice into her mouth. She was extremely satisfied! This was Yu Niaoniao¡¯s favorite way of eating. After eating and drinking her fill, Yu Niaoniao asked. ¡°How¡¯s that Qian Jiu¡¯s trial going? Did he reveal the mastermind?¡± Xiao Juan walked to the small stove, picked up the teapot, poured two cups of tea, and replied. ¡°Qian Jiu is responsible for kidnapping women in Wangsong City. He had more than a dozen people under him. Their gang had a stronghold elsewhere. They divided the abducted women into grades. Thest grade was sent to the military camp as military prostitutes. The better ones were ced in brothels to earn money. The best ones were kept and carefully trained by them, to be given to the nobles as a gift.¡± He handed one of the cups of tea to Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao waved her hand. ¡°I don¡¯t drink tea at night. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to sleep.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°This is calming tea. It helps with sleep.¡± Hearing this, Yu Niaoniao no longer refused. She thanked her Baby sweetly and took a sip of the teacup. Seeing that she had drunk the tea, Xiao Juan continued. ¡°The military camp Qian Jiu mentioned is the Eastern Expedition Army, which is the garrison army of Liaodong County. ording to the records of the Imperial Court, the Eastern Expedition Army had a total of 100,000 troops. Their main duty was to guard the Liaodong border and prevent the Chen Country from invading. At the same time, they have to protect the safety of the entire Liaodong County.¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked. ¡°You mean the Eastern Expedition Army is secretly colluding with the human trafficking gang?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°If what Qian Jiu said is true, then there must be a huge problem with the Eastern Expedition Army.¡± Yu Niaoniao recalled what Duan Nian¡¯er had said before she died. Her heart skipped a beat as she had a guess. ¡°Could the mastermind behind Qian Jiu and Duan Nian¡¯er be the same person? The reason why Duan Nian¡¯er is so eager to attack Prince Min and his son is that there¡¯s a problem within the Eastern Expedition Army. Someone is afraid of being exposed, so they want to attack Prince Min and his son.¡± Xiao Juan replied calmly, ¡°What you said is not impossible. The Eastern Expedition Army epted military prostitutes. If this matter is investigated, themander of the Eastern Expedition Army will be responsible.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked curiously, ¡°Who¡¯s themander of the Eastern Expedition Army?¡± ¡°General Tang Pei.¡± Yu Niaoniao thought the name sounded familiar at first, but then she remembered. ¡°Isn¡¯t General Tang who suggested abolishing the military prostitutes?¡± It was because the emperor had listened to Tang Pei¡¯s suggestion that he had issued a decree banning prostitutes from the military. She did not expect that someone in Tang Pei¡¯s military camp was raising military prostitutes. This was too ironic. Yu Niaoniao said worriedly, ¡°If there¡¯s really a problem with the Eastern Expedition Army, then it will definitely be very dangerous for us to go to Liaodong County this time.¡± The Eastern Expedition Army had 100,000 troops, but they only brought more than 50 Eagle Guards with them this time. Even if the Eagle Guards could fight ten people alone, they could not defeat 100,000 troops! Xiao Juan put down his teacup and slowly exined his n, ¡°This trip is indeed very dangerous, so I want you to stay in Wangsong City. After I send Prince Min and his son to Liaodong County, I¡¯lle back and meet you.¡± ... Yu Niaoniao rejected him without thinking. ¡°No! I can¡¯t let you take the risk alone. I want to go with you! We¡¯re husband and wife. We should go through thick and thin together. Don¡¯t even think about leaving me!¡± With that, she put down her teacup and grabbed Xiao Juan¡¯s hand tightly, her expression iparably firm. Xiao Juan did not say anything else and just stared at her. Gradually, Yu Niaoniao felt a little dizzy, and intense sleepiness swept over her. Her eyelids drooped uncontrobly. Her body swayed twice before she fell weakly into Xiao Juan¡¯s arms. Xiao Juan picked her up and gently ced her on the bed before covering her with a nket. He stroked Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hair and spoke with unprecedented gentleness. ¡°Be good and sleep well.¡± Yu Niaoniao had already realized that there was something wrong with the cup of tea. She managed to hold on to thest of her rationality and asked with difficulty. ... ¡°Why?¡± Xiao Juan said slowly. ¡°I brought you out this time because I was afraid that you would be plotted against in the Imperial Capital. I have to put you near me to feel at ease. But what man proposes, God disposes. I underestimated the danger of Liaodong County. I do not know if I would return alive from Liaodong County this time. I can only leave you here for now. I¡¯ll let Little Lo stay to keep you safe. Just wait two weeks for me. If I¡¯m not back in half a month, follow Little Lo back to the Imperial Capital.¡± Yu Niaoniao gripped his sleeve tightly. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± Reason told her not to sleep. But the sleepiness was getting stronger. In the end, her body could not hold on and she fell asleep. Xiao Juan pried her fingers apart one by one and carefully ced her under the nket. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked quietly at her sleeping face. He stared at her for half the night. When it was almost dawn outside, he stood up. Xiao Juan did not know if they would be able to see each other again. He was extremely reluctant. He bent down and his thin lipsnded on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s forehead with a feather-like kiss. ¡°Wait for me toe back.¡± Chapter 224 - 224 Helpless 224 Helpless When Yu Niaoniao woke up, she was already alone in the room. The dishes on the table have been cleared. In their ce were a purse and an envelope. She threw back the nket and jumped out of bed. Without bothering to put on her shoes and socks, she quickly opened the door and ran out. Lo Pingsha had been guarding the door. When he saw Yu Niaoniao appear, he immediately reached out to stop her. !! ¡°Princess Consort, please stay.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked anxiously, ¡°Where¡¯s His Highness?¡± Lo Pingsha answered truthfully, ¡°At dawn today, His Highness left the courier station with his men. ording to their speed, they should be reaching Min Mountain soon.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not know where Min Mountain was. She only wanted to catch up to Duke Lang as soon as possible. But Lo Pingsha refused to let her go. ¡°Before His Highness left, he instructed that you can¡¯t follow him to Liaodong County.¡± Yu Niaoniao was anxious. ¡°Liaodong County is very dangerous. I can¡¯t let Duke Lang take the risk alone!¡± Lo Pingsha asked calmly, ¡°Even if you follow, what¡¯s the use?¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Although she was a transmigrator, she did not have a spatial superpower or a system cheat. At the end of the day, she was still an ordinary person. Compared to the ancient people, she only had more modern knowledge. Even if she followed him to Liaodong County, she would not be able to help Duke Lang. She might even be a burden to him. Lo Pingsha said, ¡°His Highness has been through a lot. He¡¯s the strongest person I¡¯ve ever met. Someone like him wouldn¡¯t die so easily in Liaodong County. We should trust him.¡± Yu Niaoniao said nothing else. She went back into the house, dazed. The pouch and envelope stilly quietly on the table. Yu Niaoniao reached out and picked up the envelope. She poured out a travel pass and two pieces of paper. In the letter, Xiao Juan said that if he did not return safely this time, he would let Yu Niaoniao return to the Imperial Capital with a divorce letter. This way, she could draw a clear line with him and not be avenged by his enemies. Yu Niaoniao looked at the thin divorce document and fell silent for a long time. Back then, when the manor was on fire, Madam Xie risked her life to push her out of the sea of fire. And there was nothing she could do. She could not save Madam Xie, her stepfather, or more than ten people in the Feng family. Even after so many years, she still hated her helpless self every time she thought about it. She¡¯d regretted it countless times. Why had she run away back then? What was the point of her surviving alone? Yu Niaoniao¡¯s fingers trembled as she pinched the divorce book. In the next moment, she tore the divorce letter into pieces. She was not the helpless little girl she had been. She was old enough to protect those around her. Yu Niaoniao put the travel pass and purse into her arms and shouted for Dang Gui. Dang Gui ran in. ¡°What can I do for you, Miss?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked determined. ¡°Pack your luggage. We¡¯re going to Liaodong County.¡± Dang Gui hesitated. ¡°But Duke Lang said before he left that he wouldn¡¯t let you go¡­¡± Yu Niaoniao interrupted her. ¡°Do as I say. I¡¯ll get you a deluxe hot potter. You can eat whatever you want with it.¡± Dang Gui quickly replied, ¡°Alright!¡± She immediately got to work, quickly packing her luggage. Yu Niaoniao had changed into a simple silk dress. She did not put on any makeup or gold foil jewelry. She only had two small silk flowers in her bun. She was dressed no differently from an ordinarydy. Lo Pingsha had been guarding the door. His forehead twitched when he saw Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui walking out with bags. He had to remind her again. ¡°Princess, you can¡¯t leave the courier station for the time being.¡± Yu Niaoniao threw the bag over her shoulder and defended herself. ¡°My legs are on my body. I can go wherever I want. You can trap me for a while, but not forever. ¡®I¡¯ll definitely sneak out as soon as I get the chance. Then you won¡¯t even be able to find me. If I¡¯m in danger outside, you won¡¯t be able to save me in time.¡± ¡°Instead of that, you might as welle with us. This way at least I¡¯m still under your nose. If there is danger, you could still protect me in time. Little Lo, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Lo Pingsha could not argue with her and asked helplessly. ¡°Why do you have to go to Liaodong County? You¡¯re just a weak woman. You won¡¯t be of much help there. You might as well stay here and wait for His Highness to return.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked. ¡°Why do you think Duke Lang will definitelye back? What if he doesn¡¯t?¡± ... Lo Pingsha said, ¡°Your Highness is skilled and resourceful. He¡¯ll definitely be back.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°No matter how powerful he is, he¡¯s still made of flesh and blood. How can hepare to a hundred thousand soldiers?!¡± Lo Pingsha was speechless. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can help him, but I have to try, right? Think about it. If you were in danger, wouldn¡¯t you want someone to back you up?¡± Lo Pingsha was silent for a moment, his heart wavering. ¡°What does the Princess n to do?¡± Yu Niaoniao ced her hand to her mouth and whispered. ¡°Duke Lang and Prince Min have special identities. No matter where they go, there will be people watching them at all times. But we¡¯re different. No one would care about the three of us. This was our chance.¡± ¡°We can pretend to bemoners and sneak into Liaodong County to secretly investigate what kind of conspiracy is hidden in it. As soon as we find out the truth, we will immediately ask the Imperial Court for help. So what if they had a hundred thousand troops? As long as the Imperial Court sends out an army, they will definitely be defeated!¡± Lo Pingsha pondered for a moment. In the end, he was convinced. ¡°I can apany you to Liaodong County, but you have to promise me that you won¡¯t act alone, let alone risk your life.¡± ... Yu Niaoniao nodded vigorously. ¡°No problem!¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°I¡¯m going back to change and pack. Wait for me.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then we¡¯ll wait for you downstairs.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yu Niaoniao brought Dang Gui down to the first floor. They found the official at the courier station and bought arge bag of dry food. At the same time, they filled their water bags for the journey. At this moment, Lu Yao came out with his little attendant. When Lu Yao saw Dang Gui, he turned around and walked to her. He greeted her elegantly. ¡°Good morning, Miss Dang Gui.¡± Dang Gui felt that she did not know him very well. She did not expect him to greet her. She did not know how to respond, but it would be rude not to. In the end, she could only reply dryly. ¡°Good morning, Young Master Lu.¡± Lu Yao looked at the bags they were holding and asked curiously, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Dang Gui first looked at Yu Niaoniao. Seeing that she had no intention of stopping her, she replied softly. ¡°We¡¯re going to Liaodong County.¡± Lu Yao raised his eyebrows. ¡°What a coincidence. We¡¯re going to Liaodong County too.¡± Chapter 225 - 225 Sister 225 Sister The moment Lu Yao appeared, Yu Niaoniao noticed him. This person¡¯s attire was quite particr, and his words and actions were very elegant. Clearly, he was a handsome man that could only be raised by a wealthy family. When he said that he was going to Liaodong County, Yu Niaoniao finally could not help but speak, ¡°Are you from Liaodong County?¡± Lu Yao looked at her and sized her up imperceptibly. He nodded slightly. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been away studying for years. Now I¡¯m ready to go home to my parents.¡± He paused before continuing. ¡°You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re from Liaodong.¡± Yu Niaoniao lowered her eyes and her voice was very low. ¡°I¡¯m from Bashu. Because of an ident at home, I have nowhere to go. I can only go to Liaodong County with my brother and sister to rely on my family. However, we¡¯ve never been to Liaodong County before, so I don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll do when we get there.¡± In order to show her sadness, she deliberately wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve. She looked pitiful as if she were about to cry at any moment. Lu Yaoforted her. ¡°People have joys and sorrows. Please don¡¯t be sad. If you trust me, you cane with us. I¡¯m very familiar with the terrain of Liaodong County. I can send you anywhere you want.¡± Yu Niaoniao was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Really? That¡¯s great! Young Master Lu is really a good person.¡± Lu Yao asked, ¡°How should I address you?¡± ¡°Yu Niaoniao.¡± Lu Yao smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful name.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°May I know your name, Young Master Lu?¡± ¡°My surname is Lu and my name is Yao.¡± When Lo Pingsha walked downstairs with his bag, his heart skipped a beat when he saw Yu Niaoniao chatting happily with a strange man. Was the County Princess going to cheat on Duke Lang? Then he shook his head and shook off this unrealistic guess. No, no. The County Princess was willing to take a huge risk to look for Duke Lang in Liaodong County. How could she have an affair with another man? Yu Niaoniao caught a glimpse of Lo Pingsha walking over. Before he could speak, she spoke first. ¡°Brother,e over quickly. Let me introduce you. This is Young Master Lu Yao. He was from Liaodong County and was preparing to return. He happens to be on the way. He said he could give us a lift.¡± Lo Pingsha quickly reacted. Yu Niaoniao was nning to use Lu Yao as a cover to sneak into Liaodong County. That was indeed a good idea. With Lu Yao, a native of Liaodong County, not only could they sneak into Liaodong County more smoothly, but they could also ask Lu Yao about the situation in Liaodong County. Hence, Lo Pingsha immediately cupped his hands at Lu Yao. ¡°Thank you, Young Master Lu.¡± Lu Yao helped him up. ¡°It¡¯s fate that we met by chance. You don¡¯t have to be so polite.¡± At this moment, the official walked over with a bag and said respectfully. ¡°Young Master Lu, this is the dry food you wanted. Your carriage has been prepared. You can set off at any time.¡± The little pageboy took the bundle from the official. Lu Yao asked Yu Niaoniao if she had a carriage. Yu Niaoniao did not know if Duke Lang had left a carriage for her. She was pondering over how to answer when Lo Pingsha spoke. ¡°We have a carriage.¡± Lu Yao smiled again. ¡°That¡¯s more convenient.¡± The little attendant and Lo Pingsha went to the backyard to drive the carriage, while Yu Niaoniao, Dang Gui, and Lu Yao stood at the entrance of the courier station and waited. When he saw Lo Pingsha¡¯s carriage, Lu Yao was clearly stunned. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why is there another donkey?¡± Yu Niaoniao was also a little surprised. She did not expect Duke Lang to not only leave her a carriage but also Gray. Gray had eaten and drunk his fill at the station for the past two days and had gained weight. He was now a veritable fat little donkey. Yu Niaoniao touched its ears and exined to Lu Yao. ¡°This is my donkey. Its name is Gray. Because I¡¯ve developed feelings for it, we always bring it around.¡± Lu Yao made a show of understanding. Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui got into the carriage. Lo Pingsha was in charge of driving. Gray followed the carriage. It didn¡¯t need to carry goods or people. It took his time and its little tail wagged gaily. From time to time, it would turn its head and bite off a leaf by the side of the road. He looked rxed as he chewed his leaf slowly. In the cart, Dang Gui exined what had happened when she met Lu Yao yesterday. Yu Niaoniao stroked her chin thoughtfully. ¡°That Young Master Lu seems to be very interested in you.¡± Dang Gui looked confused. ¡°Is he?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s obvious.¡± Dang Gui thought about it seriously. ¡°He¡¯s probably interested in the Texas Chicken I ate yesterday.¡± At this, she pursed her lips and whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t notice. His eyes were almost glued to my bowl yesterday. He must have wanted to eat. Hmph. I didn¡¯t have enough for myself. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t share it with him!¡± ... Yu Niaoniao wanted tough. ¡°That Young Master Lu doesn¡¯t look like someone who hasn¡¯t had good food. He won¡¯t be so greedy, right?¡± Dang Gui said matter-of-factly. ¡°That depends on what dish it is. If it was an ordinary dish, he probably wouldn¡¯t care. But that was Miss¡¯ Texas Chicken. It was a peerless delicacy that could not be bought outside. He must be craving it!¡± Yu Niaoniao poked her forehead. ¡°Do you think everyone is as gluttonous as you are?¡± Dang Gui giggled. ¡°Isn¡¯t it all because Miss¡¯ culinary skills are too good? I want to eat more.¡± Yu Niaoniao reminded her. ¡°We have to hide our identities. Now that we¡¯re siblings, you have to call me Sister in the future, understand?¡± Dang Gui asked in disbelief as if she had received a dream reward. ¡°Can I really call you Sister?¡± Ever since she woke up, she had lost all her memories. The only person she could trust was Yu Niaoniao. She really treated Yu Niaoniao as her family. ... However, she also knew that Yu Niaoniao was the daughter of an official andter became the County Princess. She was not someone a person of unknown origin could approach. She could only treat Yu Niaoniao as her sister in her heart. She had never thought that she could really call her sister. Yu Niaoniao smiled and said, ¡°Of course.¡± Dang Gui was overjoyed. She threw her arms around Yu Niaoniao and shouted excitedly. ¡°Sister, Sister, Sister!¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly reached out to support herself and maintain her bnce to avoid falling. She responded helplessly. ¡°Once is enough. It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t hear you.¡± Dang Gui refused to stop. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re my sister from now on!¡± Even if it was just an identity, Dang Gui was still extremely happy. She was like a child who had never eaten candy and had suddenly tasted delicious candy. She was so excited that she wished she could show it off to the world. The carriage stopped halfway to rest. Dang Gui led Gray to the river to drink water. Unexpectedly, Lu Yao chased after them. ¡°I¡¯m going to the river to wash my hands. Let¡¯s do it together.¡± Because she was in a good mood, Dang Gui gave him a big smile this time. ¡°Sure.¡± Lu Yao was clearly stunned when he saw her smile. He blurted out, ¡°You smile like someone I remember.¡± Chapter 226 - 226 Engagement 226 Engagement If it were an ordinary woman, she would definitely think that the other party was deliberately finding a topic to have a conversation with her. But Dang Gui was different from ordinary women. She had no memories of the past. After hearing what Lu Yao said, her first reaction was to suspect that Lu Yao was someone she had once known. She immediately pressed. ¡°Who¡¯s the person you remember? What¡¯s her name? How old is she?¡± Lu Yao was stunned by her series of questions. ¡°Actually, I only met that person once. And that was many years ago. We were both young then. They say girls change when they grow up. I really don¡¯t know what she looks like now.¡± Heughed softly at the end. Dang Gui pressed eagerly, ¡°You haven¡¯t told me what her name is.¡± Lu Yao felt that her attitude was a little strange. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he gave his answer. ¡°Her name is Tang Guixi. She¡¯s the only daughter of General Zheng Yuan.¡± Dang Gui repeated the name Tang Guixi in her heart. She actually felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. She couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Where is she now?¡± ¡°Of course, she¡¯s in Liaodong County. She has been guarding the border with her father for the past few years and has never left.¡± Lu Yao paused and revealed a puzzled expression. ¡°Do you know Tang Guixi?¡± Dang Gui shook her head. ¡°No.¡± She was very disappointed. Since Tang Guixi was still in Liaodong County, it meant that she was not Tang Guixi. So who the hell was she? They chatted as they walked. Before they knew it, they had reached the river. Lu Yao squatted down and scooped up the river water to wash his hands. He observed Dang Gui from the corner of his eye and saw her run to climb the tree after putting the donkey by the river. The girl looked delicate and small, but she was very agile. She climbed the tree in a few steps. She sat on the trunk, picked a lot of wild fruits, and carried them in her coat. When she was done, she swung the bundle over her shoulder and slid down the tree trunk. Lu Yao had seen many girls, but those girls were all from famous families and had a good upbringing. They were proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, and embroidery, but they did not know how to climb trees. He watched as Dang Gui walked over with the bulging bag. He stood up and reached out to her. ¡°Let me carry it for you.¡± Dang Gui did not hesitate and handed the bag over. When Lu Yao reached out to take it, he almost failed. This bag of wild fruits was too heavy! Just now, when he saw Dang Gui holding it easily, he thought it was manageable. He did not expect it to be so heavy! He had to wrap both arms around the bundle. Dang Gui could not help butugh at his struggle. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± She took the bundle back again and walked to the river. She squatted down and began to wash the wild fruits. Lu Yao did not show much of a reaction, but he was actually very embarrassed. He had wanted to help but did not expect to expose the fact that he was weaker than a woman. He coughed lightly to hide it and began to make conversation. ¡°Miss Dang Gui is quite strong.¡± Dang Gui replied without looking up, ¡°I don¡¯t have any other abilities. I¡¯m just a little stronger. If Young Master Lu needs any help in the future, you can look for me.¡± Lu Yao thought to himself that what a coincidence. He remembered that Tang Guixi was also very strong. He found a clean rock beside Dang Gui and sat down. ¡°Are you a biological sister to your sister?¡± Dang Gui did not answer. ¡°Why are you asking?¡± Lu Yao said, ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything else. I¡¯m just asking.¡± Dang Gui said especially loudly. ¡°Of course, my sister and I are biological sisters!¡± ¡°In other words, your surname is also Yu?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Dang Gui muttered the name Yu Dang Gui in her heart. Yes, it was very smooth. She liked it! Lu Yao thought that since Dang Gui and Yu Niaoniao were biological sisters, she should have nothing to do with the Tang family. It should be a coincidence that she looked simr to Tang Guixi. Thinking of Tang Guixi, Lu Yao could not help but sigh. The reason why he returned home at this time was that his mother had sent someone to send him a letter and urged him to hurry home and marry Tang Guixi. The Lu family and the Tang family were old friends. Lu Yao and Tang Guixi had been engaged since they were young. However, he and Tang Guixi had only met once when they were four years old. After that, the two of them never interacted again. They were strangers to each other. He only heard that Tang Guixi was very strong and rude. She often followed her father to the military camp and was an out-and-out tomboy. If any man married her, he would definitely be unlucky for eight lifetimes! As the man who would be unlucky for eight lifetimes, Lu Yao felt very stifled. Dang Gui asked curiously, ¡°Why are you sighing?¡± ... Lu Yao looked at the clear river in front of him with a mncholic expression. ¡°I¡¯m too unlucky.¡± There were thousands of good women in the world. Why did his father have to choose such a vulgar and barbaric woman as his wife? Dang Gui was puzzled. ¡°How are you unlucky? From the way you look and dress, you should be from a prestigious family. Your life is very superior and you don¡¯t have to worry about food and clothing. How good it is that you can go out and learn!¡¯ There are many people in this world who do not have enough to eat or wear. They run around every day for survival. They had lived so hard without feeling sorry for themselves. You¡¯re so much luckier than them. There¡¯s really no need to feel bad.¡± Lu Yao cupped his hands at her seriously. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m too greedy.¡± Seeing him like this, Dang Gui felt a little embarrassed. ¡°I was just saying. You don¡¯t have to take it too seriously.¡± Lu Yao said seriously. ¡°I think thedy said it very well. In the past, when I lived at home, I lived a carefree life and never knew what suffering was. Over the years, I¡¯ve traveled and studied. In the process, I¡¯ve met many people and experienced many things. You¡¯re right. There are many people in this world who are exhausted just to live.¡± He was originally very resistant to being an official and felt that officialdom was dark. He did not want to get involved. It could be seen that after experiencing the hardships of the people, he changed his opinion. If he wanted to improve the lives of the people and realize his ideals, he had to enter the bureaucracy. Apart from being urged to marry by his mother, he had also returned home because he wanted to be an official like his father. ... He was the son of the county governor. ording to thews of the Dayan Dynasty, there was no need for him to take an examination. He could be an official through grace. Dang Gui was interested in his travels over the years. ¡°Surely you¡¯ve been to a lot of ces? Are there any particrly fun ces?¡± Lu Yao looked into her bright eyes and could not help but smile. He began to talk about the ces he had been to over the years, the interesting people and things he had seen. One was engrossed in his lecture, while the other listened attentively. They chatted by the river for a long time. They only ended their conversation reluctantly when the little page boy came to them. Chapter 227 - 227 A Man’s Heart 227 A Man¡¯s Heart Dang Gui handed the bulging bag to Yu Niaoniao and said. ¡°These are wild fruits I just picked. Sis, try them.¡± Yu Niaoniao first looked at Dang Gui in front of her, then at Lu Yao, who was talking to the little attendant not far away. A meaningful smile gradually appeared on her face. ¡°Were you with Young Master Lu just now?¡± Dang Gui did not think too much about it and replied frankly, ¡°Yes, he told me about his experience studying abroad. It was quite interesting.¡± Yu Niaoniao picked up a wild fruit and ate it. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Young Master Lu leading the way for us this time. As thanks, give him a portion of these wild fruits.¡± Dang Gui agreed. ¡°Yes!¡± Since she was going to give her a gift, she couldn¡¯t be too shabby. She especially returned to the car and chose a beautiful empty box. She picked some beautiful wild fruits and filled the box before carrying it to Lu Yao. ¡°This is a thank-you gift from my sister to Young Master Lu. Thank you for leading the way.¡± Lu Yao took the heavy box. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You don¡¯t have to be so polite.¡± The gift had been delivered. Dang Gui¡¯s mission wasplete. She turned to leave but Lu Yao suddenly stopped her. ¡°If you want to hear more about my travels in the future, you cane to me anytime.¡± Dang Gui¡¯s eyes lit up and she replied crisply, ¡°Okay!¡± She was a person with no past, so she enjoyed listening to other people¡¯s wonderful stories. It was as if she had been through those things with them. The carriage set off again. In the next few days, as long as there was a chance, Dang Gui would run to Lu Yao to listen to the story. They became close quickly and the little attendant saw that the situation was not good. After Dang Gui left, he immediately leaned over and whispered to Lu Yao, ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re already engaged to the eldest daughter of the General¡¯s Mansion.¡± Lu Yao¡¯s good mood immediately turned bad. He frowned unhappily. ¡°Can you not talk about this awful thing?¡± The little attendant said, ¡°I know you don¡¯t like Miss Tang, but this marriage was personally decided by Master. It can¡¯t be annulled. Don¡¯t do anything stupid for Dang Gui.¡± These words hit Lu Yao¡¯s sore spot. His face darkened. ¡°Shut up.¡± The little attendant was also afraid that he would really anger the young master. He knew when to stop and obediently shut up. Although Lu Yao was the eldest son of the Prefectural Governor¡¯s Mansion, he had two younger brothers under him who were both restless. In the past, when he was at home, those two younger brothers had caused him a lot of trouble. In the years he had been away from home studying, those two brothers would definitely seize the opportunity to please his father. If he insisted on breaking the engagement, he would definitely anger his father and push him to the side of his illegitimate brothers. Whether it was for his mother¡¯s expectations or his own ideals, he could not fall out with his father. His only choice was to listen to his father¡¯s arrangements and marry Tang Guixi toplete the marriage arrangement between the Tang and Lu families. Seeing that it was almost dark, they found a guest house near the official road. After dinner, Dang Gui brought the small dessert that Yu Niaoniao had personally made to Lu Yao, wanting to continue listening to his story. When she knocked on Lu Yao¡¯s door, he had no intention of letting her in for a while. He spoke calmly, ¡°I¡¯m a little tired today. I want to sleep early.¡± Dang Gui could sense that the other party¡¯s attitude was a little cold. However, she was too embarrassed to ask for the reason, so she could only agree obediently. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave you to rest.¡± She handed over the dessert. ¡°This is my sister¡¯s egg pudding. It¡¯s delicious. Try it.¡± Lu Yao did not want it at first, but in the end, he could not bear to refuse. Atst, he reached out and received the egg pudding. ¡°Rest well. See you tomorrow!¡± Dang Gui waved at him and turned to leave. Lu Yao closed the door. He put the egg pudding on the table. Looking at the cream-colored egg pudding, his mood returned. After a long time, he picked up his spoon and scooped up a small piece of pudding. In the warm yellow candlelight, the pudding trembled in the spoon. Its surface was moist. He took a bite. It was soft and smooth and had the sweet smell of eggs and milk. It was a dessert he had never had before. He took one bite after another and quickly finished the small bowl of pudding. He put down his spoon with a small sigh. If only he wasn¡¯t engaged to another woman. Yu Niaoniao was very surprised to see Dang Gui back so quickly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to listen to Young Master Lu¡¯s story?¡± Dang Gui sat down at the table and rested her chin on her hands. ¡°Young Master Lu said that he was tired and wanted to rest early, so I came back.¡± Yu Niaoniao sensed that she was not in high spirits and took the initiative to ask. ¡°Did you have a conflict with Young Master Lu?¡± This was what Dang Gui did not understand. She frowned and said. ¡°We didn¡¯t have a problem. We were fine before, but when I went to him just now, he acted cold. It was strange.¡± Hearing her say that, Yu Niaoniao found it strange. ¡°A man¡¯s heart is hard to understand.¡± ... Dang Gui nodded in agreement. Yu Niaoniao leaned over and asked, ¡°You often go to chat with Young Master Lu these days. Have you heard him talk about his identity and background?¡± Dang Gui shook her head. ¡°No. He only shared about what happened when he was traveling. He never mentioned his identity. He rarely even said anything about his family.¡± Yu Niaoniao was a little disappointed. ¡°The little guy is quite strict. It seems that the honey trap doesn¡¯t work on him.¡± Dang Gui¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°A honey trap?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not hide it and told the truth. ¡°I originally wanted you to take the opportunity to get information from Young Master Lu when you interacted with him.¡± Unfortunately, the results were unsatisfactory. Lu Yao was even more cautious than she had expected. Dang Gui was a little depressed. ¡°I was useless and disappointed you.¡± Yu Niaoniao reached out and rubbed her head. ¡°What are you talking about? It has nothing to do with you. That Young Master Lu is too difficult to deal with.¡± ... Dang Gui clenched her fists. ¡°I¡¯ll think of a way to approach himter.¡± ¡°Forget it. Since his attitude is cold, there¡¯s no need for you to rush to curry favor with him.¡± Dang Gui hesitated. ¡°What about the information?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯ll think of something else.¡± She went to find the shopkeeper of the guest house, nning to replenish some dry food and water and find out about Liaodong County. The shopkeeper immediately spoke when he learned that they were going to Liaodong County. ¡°Then you have to be careful. It¡¯s best if you hire some strong guards to follow.¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°Why?¡± The shopkeeper lowered his voice slightly. ¡°You might not know this, but there are many bandits in Liaodong County who rob passersby everywhere. If a youngdy like you went to Liaodong County, you would definitely be harmed. I advise you to either change course and not go, or bring more men.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If there are so many bandits, doesn¡¯t the government care?¡± The shopkeeper shook his head and sighed. ¡°Who knows? Wemoners can¡¯t interfere with the government.¡± Chapter 228 - 228 Liaodong County 228 Liaodong County Yu Niaoniao returned to the guest room with arge bag of dry food and water. She told Lo Pingsha and Dang Gui what she had asked. ¡°Little Lo, do you know about the bandits running rampant in Liaodong County?¡± Lo Pingsha thought for a moment before speaking. ¡°The Justice Department originally had spies in Liaodong County. But for some reason, the spies had stopped sending back news three years ago. Weter sent some people to Liaodong County to gather information, but it was useless. Because Liaodong County is too far from the Imperial Capital, it¡¯s out of our reach to investigate even though we had doubts in our hearts.¡± In other words, he did not know why there were so many bandits in Liaodong County. Dang Gui asked eagerly, ¡°What do we do next?¡± Yu Niaoniao pondered for a moment. ¡°Let¡¯s see Lu Yao¡¯s reaction first. He¡¯s a local of Liaodong County and definitely knows more about it than us. If he also feels that we need to hire guards, we¡¯ll pay some people.¡± Dang Gui and Lo Pingsha nodded in agreement. Lu Yao had something on his mind tonight and slept uneasily. He finally made it to dawn. As soon as he got up, there was a knock on the door. Lu Yao asked who it was. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s voice came through the door. ¡°It¡¯s me. I have something to talk to Young Master Lu about.¡± Lu Yao¡¯s first reaction was whether would Dang Guie with her sister. He quickly dressed and made sure his hair was neat before walking forward to open the door. When he saw that only Yu Niaoniao was standing outside, the light in Lu Yao¡¯s eyes dimmed at a visible speed. Yu Niaoniao did not understand. ¡°Young Master Lu doesn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood. Did you not sleep wellst night?¡± Lu Yao nodded slightly. ¡°Yes, why are you looking for me?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s like this. I heard that bandits were rampant in Liaodong County. I was afraid of danger and wondered if I should hire a few escorts to protect us. Since Young Master Lu knows Liaodong County better than us, I specially came to ask for your opinion.¡± Lu Yao could not help but frown. ¡°I grew up in Liaodong County. It¡¯s always been very peaceful there and there have never been any bandits. Who did you hear that from?¡± Yu Niaoniao exined truthfully. ¡°The innkeeper of the guest house told me. He didn¡¯t look like he was lying. Besides, he had no need to lie like this. Could it be that Young Master Lu has been studying overseas for many years and hasn¡¯t returned home, so you don¡¯t know about the changes in your hometown?¡± Lu Yao answered without hesitation, ¡°It¡¯s impossible for there to be bandits. Liaodong County is guarded by the Eastern Expedition Army. General Zhengyuan is good at fighting and hates evil. If there were really bandits in Liaodong County, General Zheng Yuan would definitely send troops to extinguish them immediately. It¡¯s impossible for bandits to run rampant.¡± Yu Niaoniao whispered, ¡°What if something happened to the Eastern Expedition Army too?¡± Lu Yao did not hear clearly. ¡°What did you say?¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Since Young Master Lu said that there are no bandits in Liaodong County, we¡¯ll listen to you. We¡¯ll set off after breakfast.¡± Lu Yao nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll get going.¡± With that, Yu Niaoniao turned around and left. Lu Yao could not help but stop her. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Yu Niaoniao turned to look at him. ¡°What else, Young Master Lu?¡± Lu Yao wanted to ask if Dang Gui was sad when she returnedst night. He had been so coldst night that he must have broken Dang Gui¡¯s heart. But he forced the words back. Now that he had decided to keep his distance, he should be resolute about it. He smiled. ¡°Nothing. I just wanted to remind you that it¡¯s getting cold. You guys have to remember to put on more clothes so you won¡¯t freeze.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°Yes, thank you for the reminder.¡± It was already the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. In addition, Liaodong County was in the north, so the temperature was indeed lower. Fortunately, they had brought enough clothes for this trip and did not have to worry about not having thick clothes. Yu Niaoniao, Dang Gui, and Lo Pingsha had eaten dinner before walking out of the guest house with bags of luggage. The innkeeper took the initiative to ask, ¡°Youngdy, do you want to hire guards? If you do, I can introduce a few to you. The price is definitely fair.¡± Before Yu Niaoniao could answer, Lu Yao, who was walking over, spoke first, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but there¡¯s no need.¡± The innkeeper was surprised. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of being robbed by bandits?¡± Lu Yao said, ¡°We¡¯re on the official road. We don¡¯t have to worry about bandits. Even if we¡¯re really unlucky, we can still report it to the authorities.¡± The shopkeeper shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re still too young. If reporting to the officials was useful, there wouldn¡¯t be so many bandits in Liaodong County now.¡± Seeing that Lu Yao¡¯s attitude was firm, he knew that it was useless to say anything else. He would only know his mistake after experiencing the worst. Hence, he stopped talking about this and went forward to help them carry their luggage. Lu Yao first looked at Dang Gui, who was putting the luggage on the carriage. Seeing that she did not look at him anymore, he looked away and said to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°You saw it just now, right? The shopkeeper said that bandits ran rampant in Liaodong County. He must have seen that you¡¯re not from Liaodong County and wanted to use the excuse of introducing guards to you to cheat you of your money.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked softly, ¡°But what if he was speaking the truth?¡± Lu Yao said in a low voice, ¡°If there are really bandits, we¡¯ll report it to the officials. Don¡¯t worry, my family has some power in Liaodong County. The authorities won¡¯t dare to neglect me.¡± Yu Niaoniao had long guessed that his background was unusual. His words confirmed her guess. The two carriages and a donkey set off again. A dayter, they finally entered Liaodong County. Dang Gui leaned against the car window and looked out. As far as the eye could see, there was arge dense forest. ... Liaodong County was located at the northeast border of the Dayan Dynasty. There were many forests here, and because of the terrain, it was not suitable for nting rice. Therefore, the people here mainly ate wheaten food. At noon, they found a ce with a water source and stopped to rest. Lu Yao said to them, ¡°We should see a vige some distance ahead. We can stay in that vige tonight and try the specialties of Liaodong County.¡± As soon as she heard that there was good food, Dang Gui immediately perked up. She had been eating dry food every meal for the past two days. Her mouth had no taste, and she really wanted to eat a hot meal. Dang Gui asked expectantly as she nibbled on a steamed bun, ¡°What delicious food is there in Liaodong County?¡± Lu Yao wanted to introduce a few of his favorite dishes, but he swallowed his words. He controlled his emotions and tried not to meet her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ll know when the timees.¡± With that, he turned around and returned to his carriage. No matter how slow Dang Gui was, she could feel Lu Yao¡¯s coldness towards her. ... Not only that, but Lu Yao had not spoken to her much for the past two days, as if he was deliberately avoiding her. She could not help but ask, ¡°Sister, does Young Master Lu have something against me?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not understand what Lu Yao was thinking. She began to hum softly. ¡°Don¡¯t guess the boy¡¯s thoughts. You won¡¯t understand no matter how you guess.¡± Chapter 229 - 229 Strange Things 229 Strange Things They rushed for another four hours before finally seeing the vige Lu Yao had mentioned. But when their carriage entered the vige, they realized that it was ridiculously quiet. Not only was there no sound of people in the vige, but not even chickens, ducks, pigs, or geese. It was as if the entire vige was empty. This was too strange! Yu Niaoniao and the others alighted from the carriage. They picked a random house and knocked. No one answered. Dang Gui pushed the courtyard door open with a little force. She turned to Yu Niaoniao and said, ¡°Sister, this door is unlocked.¡± Yu Niaoniao replied, ¡°Let¡¯s go in and take a look.¡± They pushed open the courtyard door and went in to take a look. They realized that the courtyard had long been overgrown with weeds. The doors and windows in the house were broken. The ground was covered in dust and the furniture was dpidated. It was obvious that no one had lived here for a long time. Then, they went to the other houses in the vige and realized that the entire vige was empty. No one knew where they were. Lu Yao frowned. ¡°How can this be? I clearly passed by this vige when I left home. There were many families living in the vige at that time. Why are they all gone? What happened?¡± Dang Gui recalled what the innkeeper had said and guessed. ¡°Could the bandits have entered the vige and captured everyone?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Although the things in the house are old and worn, there are no signs that they were damaged. That means the vigers left on their own.¡± Dang Gui did not understand. ¡°Why did the vigers leave out of the blue?¡± No one present could give an answer. Although there was nothing in this vige, at least there were houses to shelter them from the wind and rain. They chose a rtively intact house and nned to make do here for the night and continue their journey in the morning. The expected local delicacies were gone. They had to continue eating dry food tonight. Lu Yao looked at Dang Gui¡¯s unhappy expression and suddenly said. ¡°I have some beef jerky in my carriage. Do you guys want to try it?¡± Dang Gui reacted quickly and hurriedly replied, ¡°Sure, sure!¡± From her anxious look, she seemed to be afraid that the other party would renege. Lu Yao smiled and instructed the little attendant to bring the beef jerky. With the support of the beef jerky, the dry steamed bun immediately became much more delicious. As Dang Gui ate with relish, her small face was filled with joy. Seeing this, Lu Yao¡¯s smile deepened. After dinner, everyone found a ce to sleep and rest. Only Lo Pingsha was awake. He had a feeling there was something strange about this ce. Someone had to keep watch in case of an ident. The good night passed steadily and they hurried on the next morning. When the carriage passed near the farnd, Yu Niaoniao saw that the fields were all empty. There was not even a crop. There had been no one to tend to them for a long time. The fields were covered in weeds and looked deste. Lu Yao saw this scene too. He could not help but frown. He had only been out for five years. Why had Liaodong County changed? What had happened in Liaodong County in the past five years? He made a decision. When he entered the county city, he would definitely ask the local county magistrate. The surrounding scenery gradually changed, and the forest became denser. Dang Gui looked at it for a long time and felt that there was nothing new, so she leaned against Yu Niaoniao and closed her eyes to sleep. They were sleeping soundly when the carriage suddenly stopped. Then they heard Lo Pingsha¡¯s reprimand. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui woke up immediately. They quickly asked what had happened. Lo Pingsha¡¯s voice entered the car. ¡°There¡¯s a robbery up ahead.¡± Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui were shocked. They had really encountered bandits! They did not have time to think. They hurriedly took out their defensive weapons and prepared to fight the bandits to the death. However, when they jumped out of the carriage and saw the bandits with their own eyes, they could not help but be stunned. The road ahead was blocked by a thick tree trunk lying horizontally. Behind the trunk stood a dozen people, men, women, and children. They were all ragged and thin, and their eyes were empty and silent. The only weapon in their hands was wooden clubs. At this moment, Lu Yao and the little attendant got out of the car. They also had weapons in their hands, and they were prepared for the worst. They did not expect to see this. Yu Niaoniao was in disbelief. ¡°Are these people bandits?¡± They were clearly more like refugees! Lo Pingsha was also a little hesitant. ¡°I think so. Otherwise, why would they block our way?¡± Lu Yao took a step forward and asked with a local ent, ¡°May I ask what you want?¡± A tall, thin young man walked out of the group. He was different from the others. Others could only hold sticks in their hands. Only he held an axe. ... He looked hard at the axe, as a deliberately fierce expression took shape on his face. ¡°This area is our territory. If you want to pass through here, you have to leave a toll!¡± Lu Yao asked how much they wanted. The young man¡¯s gaze roved over them. Even if the young man was inexperienced, he could tell that these people were dressed very well and were very fair. He could tell that they were rich. Therefore, the young man spoke without thinking, ¡°I want all the money and food you have!¡± Lu Yao originally thought that it was better to avoid trouble. He would treat it as spending money to avoid trouble. However, the other party was asking for too much. He definitely could not agree. If they handed over the silver and food, how would they survive the rest of the journey? Lu Yao said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a hundred taels. As long as you take the money and leave, I can pretend that nothing happened today.¡± When the bandits heard that there were a hundred taels, their eyes immediately lit up. They discussed softly. They had never seen so much money in their lives! ... The young man raised his hand to silence everyone. He stared at Lu Yao. ¡°Don¡¯t bargain with me. I want all the money and food you have. If you don¡¯t agree, don¡¯t even think about passing through here today!¡± A hundred taels of silver sounded like a lot, but there were so many of them. They had to eat and see a doctor. There would not be much to go around. Seeing that the other party was unwilling topromise, Lu Yao sighed softly. ¡°In that case, don¡¯t me me for being rude.¡± With that, he drew his sword. Although he was a schr, he had also learned the Six Arts of a Gentleman and had even learned sword techniques from a master for a period of time. Regardless of his strength, his posture looked very scary. The bandits were shocked by the sword in his hand, and their faces revealed fear. Only the young man with the axe looked fearless. He gritted his teeth. ¡°Looks like you guys are nning to fight us to the death.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, an arrow tore through the air and hit the tree in front of him. The arrowhead stabbed deep into the wood, the end still quivering. The young man was really frightened now. He looked up and saw Yu Niaoniao holding a bow. Yu Niaoniao asked word by word. ¡°Are you sure you want to fight us?¡± Chapter 230 - 230 Taking Advantage of the Situation 230 Taking Advantage of the Situation The young man¡¯s face was pale and his heart was beating like a drum. His legs were trembling in fear and he could barely stand. However, when he thought of the vigers in the vige who were still waiting for money and food to save their lives, he could only suppress his fear and speak with difficulty. ¡°Fight with your lives! We¡¯re not afraid of death!¡± Because he was so afraid, his voice trembled. Yu Niaoniao looked at him with a faint smile. ¡°Are you sure none of you are afraid of death? Look back at yourpanions. They look quite afraid.¡± The young man turned to look at everyone and saw that they were all retreating. They were clearly frightened by Yu Niaoniao¡¯s arrow. They were all flesh and blood. If they were unlucky enough to be shot by an arrow, they would not survive even if it did not hit their vital points. Because they did not have a doctor. Once they were injured, no one could treat them and they could only wait for death. The young man questioned loudly and angrily, ¡°When those officials forcefully took ournd, you chose to retreat! When the government forcefully confiscated our strong men, you also chose to retreat! Now that we have nond and no home, are you guys still going to retreat?¡± These words were powerful as if they were filled with blood. Everyone paused. Yes, they had nothing left. If they retreated any further, only death awaited them. The young man said loudly, ¡°If we can¡¯t bring money and food back, our wives, children, and parents will starve and die of illness. Do you want to see that happen?¡± Everyone agreed. ¡°No! We want money and food!¡± The young man looked toward Yu Niaoniao and Lu Yao with reckless ruthlessness. ¡°Then snatch all their money and food!¡± In an instant, the bandits were like jackals, tigers, and leopards. They fiercely stepped over the trees in front of them and pounced at Lu Yao with sticks! Lu Yao hurriedly swung his sword to protect himself. Yu Niaoniao, Dang Gui, and the little attendant also joined the battle. As for Lo Pingsha, he flew over everyone¡¯s heads andnded in front of the young man. The young man wanted to resist, but he had never practiced martial arts and was no match for Lo Pingsha at all. Lo Pingsha snatched the other party¡¯s axe and grabbed the young man by the neck. ¡°If you move again, I¡¯ll kill him.¡± Seeing this scene, the bandits stopped. The young man could clearly feel the strength of the hand around his neck. If the other party wanted to, he could break his neck at any time. Faced with the threat of death, he still refused to retreat. ¡°Folks! Leave me alone. Hurry up and snatch the money and food. With money and food, everyone can live!¡± Seeing that the bandits were still hesitating, Yu Niaoniao hurriedly interrupted. ¡°Wait a minute! You just said that the government took yournd by force and captured your strong men. What¡¯s going on?¡± The young man straightened his neck and said, ¡°What does this have to do with you?!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I guess you not only need money and food now, but you also need a physician, right? My brother is a doctor. His medical skills are very brilliant. As long as you don¡¯t mess around and talk to us properly, he will give you treatment and medicine. How about that?¡± These words hit their weak spot. Many of the vigers were sick and needed treatment urgently. However, treating illnesses and getting medicine required a lot of money. They did not have money, so they could only take the risk and resort to robbery. The young man was skeptical. ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not know what to do to prove what she had said. She could only look at Lo Pingsha for help. Lo Pingsha said stiffly, ¡°There¡¯s a medical kit in my luggage.¡± Dang Gui immediately ran to the carriage. She dug out Lo Pingsha¡¯s luggage and found a heavy medical kit. Dang Gui ced the medical box where everyone could see it. She opened the lid and revealed what was inside. There were pulse cushions, threads, gauze, small scissors, silver needles, somemonly used medicine, and so on. These were indeed things that physicians would use. The young man finally believed Yu Niaoniao. He gave up resisting and raised his hands. ¡°As long as this physician is willing to treat our loved ones, I can tell you whatever you want to know.¡± Seeing this, the other bandits also put down their weapons. Yu Niaoniao nodded at Lo Pingsha. Lo Pingsha understood and released the young man. He walked over, picked up the medical kit, and spoke to the bandits, ¡°Send all your patients over. We have other things to do. We don¡¯t have time to waste here. Be quick.¡± The young man was overjoyed and immediately instructed everyone to return. Most of the bandits had left, leaving only the two young girls with the young man. Yu Niaoniao had already put away her bow. She saw how thin the three of them were and said to Dang Gui. ¡°Go get the rations and water from the car.¡± Dang Gui quickly brought over a bulging cloth bag. Yu Niaoniao took out six steamed buns and distributed them to the three of them. When the three of them saw the steamed buns, their eyes immediately turned red. ... Before they could thank her, they grabbed the steamed buns and ate it in big mouthfuls. They almost choked because they were in a hurry. After wolfing down the food, the three of them clearly wanted more. But Yu Niaoniao did not take out any more steamed buns. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Because of the steamed buns, the three of them looked much more energetic. The young man in the lead spoke with more confidence. ¡°My name is Xia Haisheng. These two are my cousins. We originally lived in Xia Vige, but because ournd had been taken away by the authorities, We were unable to bear the taxes and were forced to be tenant farmers. But not long after, the authorities sent someone to recruit and captured many strong men. This way, there weren¡¯t enough people to farm. We couldn¡¯t farm so many fields for utilities. In the end, we couldn¡¯t even be tenant farmers. We were forced to leave the vige and be bandits.¡± Hearing this, Yu Niaoniao finally understood. It seemed that the vige they had passed by was the Xia family vige. The reason why there was no one in the vige was that the vigers had all fled. Lu Yao frowned and could not help but ask. ¡°Why did the authorities take yournd for no reason?¡± Speaking of this, Xia Haisheng was furious. ¡°The weather hasn¡¯t been good these few years. The harvest in our fields is very bad. It¡¯s a problem to even eat. However, not only did the government not reduce taxes, but they even increased them by a lot. Many families were forced to sell their children and fields. Thosendlords took advantage of the situation and deliberately bought ournd at an extremely low price.¡± Lo Pingsha spoke quietly, ¡°The Imperial Court has explicitly stipted that the price of privatend trading must not be less than 70% of the market average. This statute was to prevent anyone from having ill intentions and annexing a lot ofnds. You can report it to the authorities.¡± ... Chapter 231 - 231 Second Parent 231 Second Parent Xia Haisheng smiled bitterly. ¡°We want to report it! However, the officials did not listen to us at all. Those officials had long been bribed by thendlords. They were colluding. Once we dare to resist, the officials wille looking for us. We¡¯re just a bunch of civilians. What can we do ? As long as we still have a little hope, we won¡¯t have given up on a peaceful life and be bandits!¡± Towards the end, he and his two cousins could not help but tear up. They were clearly desperate and disillusioned. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Then what about the conscription you mentioned?¡± !! Xia Haisheng calmed down before speaking. ¡°I¡¯m not sure exactly. All I know is that the Eastern Expedition Army is recruiting. They want a lot of manpower.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked thoughtful. It was the Eastern Expedition Army again. First, they raised taxes, then annexedrge amounts ofnd. These were all to hoard money and food. Not only that, they were recruiting. This was clearly a big move! Lu Yao clenched his fists. ¡°What¡¯s the name of your local magistrate?¡± Xia Haisheng looked puzzled. ¡°I¡¯m just amoner. How would I know the county magistrate¡¯s name? I only know that his surname is Li. Why are you asking this?¡± Lu Yao did not answer. He held his breath. He had thought that under his father¡¯s governance, Liaodong County would prosper. Unexpectedly, the officials below actually dared to deceive their superiors and collude with the local gentry! When he returned home, he would definitely tell his father what had happened here and let his father punish those corrupt officials! The vigers of Xia Vige returned quickly. They ced the patients they had brought in the shade. Dang Gui and Yu Niaoniao brought over a small table. Lo Pingsha sat on the ground behind it and checked the patients¡¯ pulses one by one. Probably because Lo Pingsha had a baby face and looked like a half-grown child, those patients had some doubts about his medical skills. It was not until Lo Pingsha told them their condition by taking their pulses that they believed that the young man in front of them was really capable. Lo Pingsha spent an hour seeing all the patients. He wrote a prescription for everyone and used herbs that were cheaper and moremon. The patients held the prescriptions as if they were treasures. Regarding this, Xia Haisheng was both happy and sad. He was happy that the vigers¡¯ illness was finally treatable. He was sad that they had no money and could not get medicine. Taking a step back, even if they obtained the medicine and cured the vigers, how would they live in the future? Would they have to continue to live by robbing? Yu Niaoniao took out a hundred taels of silver and handed it to Xia Haisheng. ¡°I can see that you¡¯re an opinionated person. Take this money to get medicine for the vigers and buy some food.¡± ¡°In the future, if you have nowhere to go, you can leave Liaodong County and go to Wangsong City to find the local Magistrate Liu.¡± Then she took out another letter. ¡°When County Magistrate Liu sees this letter, he will arrange a ce for you.¡± Xia Haisheng was touched and knelt down. ¡°We will never forget your kindness!¡± Yu Niaoniao asked him to stand up and speak. Xia Haisheng took the banknotes and letter with both hands. He was so excited that his hands were trembling. ¡°May I know your name?¡± Yu Niaoniao felt that this was a good opportunity to improve Xiao Juan¡¯s reputation. She wanted to reveal her identity, but she was worried that it would threaten her and the people around her. After weighing the pros and cons, she decided to continue hiding her identity. ¡°My surname is Yu, and my husband¡¯s surname is Xiao. As for our identities¡­ When you reach Wangsong City and see County Magistrate Liu, he will naturally tell you.¡± Xia Haisheng bowed deeply to her. ¡°Mrs. Xiao saved our entire Xia Family Vige. You¡¯re like a second parent to us. We will remember this kindness. In the future, if you need us for anything, just say the word. We won¡¯t hesitate to do anything!¡± Yu Niaoniao instructed, ¡°After you reach Wangsong City, live well. If we¡¯re fated in the future, we might meet again.¡± Xia Haisheng nodded solemnly. ¡°Yes!¡± Lu Yao was still immersed in anger and shock and did not notice what Yu Niaoniao and Xia Haisheng had said. Dang Gui and Lo Pingsha carried the low table back to the carriage. Xia Haisheng led his men to move the trees in the middle of the road. With no obstacles, the carriage traveled smoothly. The vigers stood by the roadside and watched the two carriages leave. Next, they passed by several viges. The situation was almost the same as Xia Family Vige. All the vigers had run away, leaving only empty houses. There were stillrge patches of abandoned fields that no one had farmed. Lu Yao became angrier. When they entered the city, he immediately spoke to the little attendant. ¡°I have something to do. Follow the three Yu siblings to the inn first. I¡¯ll look for you after I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± It was already evening. By the time Lu Yao found the county office, it was dark. ... He stepped forward and knocked. The bailiff who opened the door was impatient. ¡°Can¡¯t youe back tomorrow? Can¡¯t you see that it¡¯s dark? Go, go! If you don¡¯t, don¡¯t me me for being rude to you?!¡± Lu Yao took out the seal he carried with him. ¡°I¡¯m the eldest son of the County Governor¡¯s Mansion. I¡¯m passing by here and have something to talk to the county magistrate about.¡± The bailiff took the seal dubiously and read it. However, he had never seen the seal of the County Governor¡¯s Mansion, so he could not be sure if it was real. ¡°Wait here a moment. I¡¯ll be back.¡± The bailiff turned and ran to the private advisor, showing him the seal. The private advisor knew that the seal was real when he saw it. He hurriedly informed the county magistrate and the two of them rushed to wee Eldest Young Master Lu. The door of the county office opened and Lu Yao was politely invited in. The county magistrate ordered someone to prepare a banquet to entertain Eldest Young Master Lu. ... Lu Yao was not in the mood to eat or drink. He spoke, ¡°I¡¯ve passed through several viges along the way and realized that everyone in the vige has run away. Large fields have be barrennd. What¡¯s going on?¡± He thought the county magistrate would be guilty and flustered. Unexpectedly, the county magistrate only smiled. ¡°Young Master, you don¡¯t know. Those vigers owed money. It has nothing to do with us.¡± Lu Yao was furious. ¡°Are you still lying at a time like this? I¡¯ve already asked around. Those vigers were forced away by you! It was you who privately raised taxes and forced themoners to sell their fields at a low price.¡± The magistrate hurriedly protested. ¡°Young Master, you¡¯ve misunderstood! I¡¯m just a seventh-grade official. How would I have the guts to increase taxes privately? These are all orders from the county governor. We¡¯re just following orders.¡± Lu Yao was in disbelief. ¡°What did you say? My father has always loved the people as his children. Why would he do such a thing?!¡± The county magistrate said, ¡°We didn¡¯t take a single cent of the taxes we collected. We handed them all to the county governor. If you still don¡¯t believe me, you can ask the county governor about this.¡± Chapter 232 - 232 Unusual 232 Unusual Lu Yao rejected the county magistrate¡¯s invitation and left the county office in a daze. His mind was filled with what the county magistrate had just said. If what the county magistrate said was true, then the culprit behind the people¡¯s discement was his father, whom he had always respected. He didn¡¯t want to believe it was true. Unknowingly, the sky darkened. The little attendant stood at the entrance of the inn and craned his neck to look out. He waited for a long time but did not see his young master return. He wanted to go out and search, but he didn¡¯t know which way to go. While he was hesitating, Dang Gui walked out with the water she had used to wash her face. She was about to throw out the water when she caught a glimpse of the uneasy little page standing in the doorway. She asked curiously. ¡°Yuan Shu, what are you doing?¡± When the little attendant turned around and saw her, he hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s sote, but my young master isn¡¯t back yet. I¡¯m worried that something happened to him.¡± ¡°I see. Then wait. I¡¯ll tell my sister. I¡¯ll apany you out to find himter.¡± The little attendant was overjoyed. ¡°That¡¯s great. Thank you, Miss Dang Gui!¡± Dang Gui poured out the water and returned to the guest room to tell Yu Niaoniao about this. Yu Niaoniao took out her purse and handed her a silver ingot. ¡°If you see a medicine shopter, go buy somemonly used medicine. We have given all the medicine we brought previously to the people from Xia Family Vige. We have to make up for the medicine, in case anything happens to us in the future.¡± Dang Gui took the heavy silver ingot and nodded. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If there¡¯s any left, you don¡¯t have to bring it back. Go buy some food you like.¡± Dang Gui immediately beamed. ¡°Yes, thank you, Sister!¡± She went out happily with the silver. Dang Gui and Yuan Shu walked around the city and finally found Lu Yao in a teahouse. Lu Yao sat at the table. The tea in front of him was already cold. He just stared nkly at the pedestrians, not moving. He did note back to his senses until Dang Gui and Yuan Shu found him. ¡°Why are you guys here?¡± Yuan Shu said anxiously, ¡°You haven¡¯t returned. We were worried about you, so we came out to look for you.¡± Lu Yao looked at the little attendant and then at Dang Gui. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just not in a good mood. I want to walk around and rx.¡± Yuan Shu said, ¡°Then you should have greeted us first.¡± Lu Yao sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wasn¡¯t considerate enough and even implicated Miss Dang Gui.¡± Dang Gui waved her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, Young Master Lu. I¡¯m bored anyway. It¡¯s good to take a walk.¡± Seeing that Lu Yao was safe, she nned to leave. Lu Yao quickly stopped her. ¡°It¡¯s not safe for you to walk alone at night. You shoulde with us.¡± Dang Gui blinked. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take a walk?¡± Lu Yao said, ¡°I¡¯ve been here for long enough. It¡¯s time to go back.¡± Dang Gui said, ¡°But I still have to buy something.¡± ¡°We can go with you.¡± The other party¡¯s kindness made it difficult for Dang Gui to refuse repeatedly, so she nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s go together.¡± The three of them went to the medicine shop. Dang Gui bought the herbs and paid. There was still a lot left. She had passed by a preserves shop and saw it was doing quite well. She nned to buy some snacks. Yuan Shu took the initiative to take the packed herbs from the staff and silently followed Dang Gui and Lu Yao. He looked at the two figures in front of him and sighed inwardly. Actually, be it in terms of appearance or personality, she was quitepatible with his young master. Unfortunately, they were of different social status. They were destined to be unrted. After entering the preserves shop, Dang Gui was momentarily dazzled by the dazzling array of preserves. The shopkeeper was very enthusiastic and gestured that she could try the items before buying. Therefore, Dang Gui tried all the candied plums in the shop. She did not forget to give two candied plums to Lu Yao so that he could try them too. Lu Yao did not want to dampen her spirits, so he took the preserves and tasted them. To be honest, the taste was very ordinary. He had eaten many good things, so they were really not worthy of his attention. But when Dang Gui asked him how it tasted, he blurted it out without thinking. ¡°Not bad.¡± Dang Gui immediately smiled. ¡°Right, right? I think these two candied plums taste the best, too. They¡¯re not too sweet or too sour.¡± She asked the shopkeeper to weigh two catties of those preserves. ... Lu Yao looked at her happy face and suddenly felt that the candied plums he had just tasted were indeed very good. They tasted better than the candied plums he had eaten before. The three of them left the preserves shop and retraced their steps. Dang Gui carried the paper bag of candied plums and ate them as she walked. Her eyes narrowed slightly. She looked like she was enjoying herself. A pedestrian was rushing over. Dang Gui was only focused on eating and did not notice themotion in front of her. Seeing that the person was about to hit her, Lu Yao took action in time and pulled Dang Gui to his side. Caught off guard, Dang Gui staggered and her headnded on Lu Yao¡¯s chest. She did not think much of it. Instead, Lu Yao was in pain. He frowned involuntarily. Dang Gui hurriedly took two steps back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Lu Yao pretended to be fine and softened his voice. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. You don¡¯t have to apologize.¡± ... He felt a little embarrassed. A youngdy had bumped into him, but he, a man, had been hurt. Just the thought of it was embarrassing. In order to ease the awkwardness, Lu Yao forcefully changed the topic. ¡°I still don¡¯t know where you¡¯re going in Liaodong County.¡± Liaodong County was neither big nor small. There were seven or eight county cities in the county, and there were many viges under each county. Dang Gui stopped eating the preserves. She thought for a moment before answering. ¡°To Xingning, I suppose.¡± Xingning was the prefectural city of Liaodong County, where the governor¡¯s mansion was located. Lu Yao was surprised. ¡°Then our destination is the same. My family lives in Xingning.¡± Dang Gui looked surprised. ¡°That¡¯s too much of a coincidence!¡± Lu Yao asked, ¡°Where do your rtives live? I¡¯m very familiar with Xingning. I might know your rtives.¡± Dang Gui really did not know how to answer. She could only answer vaguely. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen that rtive. I only heard Sister and Brother mention him. I¡¯m not sure who it is. If Young Master Lu wants to know, you can ask my sister.¡± Seeing that she did not want to say it, Lu Yao tactfully did not ask further. But the suspicion in his heart grew. Previously, when they encountered the bandits, the posture and uracy of Yu Niaoniao when she drew her bow and shot were definitely not something an ordinary family could nurture. Moreover, Lo Pingsha¡¯s posture when he attacked was definitely that of an expert, and he had excellent medical skills. Dang Gui did not seem unusual, but she was very tight-lipped. She never mentioned her past and said nothing about her background. From these indicators, these three siblings must be very unusual. Chapter 233 - 233 All a Coincidence! 233 All a Coincidence! The three of them returned to the inn. Dang Gui first handed the herbs she had bought to Lo Pingsha before running to look for Yu Niaoniao. She repeated her conversation with Lu Yao and asked. ¡°Sister, is Young Master Lu suspecting us?¡± !! Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Their disguise was not rigorous. As long as Lu Yao had the heart, he would definitely suspect something. Dang Gui hurriedly asked, ¡°Then what should we do next?¡± Yu Niaoniaoforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. Since he didn¡¯t ask us directly, it meant he had no intention of confronting us for the time being. In that case, we pretended that nothing had happened and continued mingling. When we reach Xingning, we¡¯ll part ways with him.¡± Dang Gui nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± The night passed quickly. The next morning, they ate breakfast and prepared to continue on their way. Unexpectedly, just as they pushed open the door, they saw many people standing outside the inn. The leader was the local county magistrate. As soon as he saw Lu Yao, he immediately went forward and bowed. ¡°Young Master Lu.¡± Lu Yao frowned in dissatisfaction. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to disturb me? Why did you bring so many people to me?¡± The county magistrate hurriedly apologized. ¡°Young Master Lu, please forgive me. I didn¡¯t mean to disturb you. The county governor sent someone to deliver a secret order and asked me to let you stay here for two days. Two dayster, the people from the County Governor¡¯s Mansion will rush here to pick you up.¡± If it were before, Lu Yao would have agreed to stay and wait obediently for someone to pick him up. But now he was anxious to go home and ask his father about what he had heard and seen. He did not want to waste any more time here. So he refused without hesitation. ¡°There¡¯s no need to mobilize so many people. I know the way back. I can go back myself. Move.¡± The county magistrate was in a difficult position. ¡°But we can¡¯t exin it to the county governor.¡± Lu Yao said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll make it clear to him. Even if he wants to pursue the matterter, I¡¯ll bear the responsibility alone. It has nothing to do with you!¡± At this point, the county magistrate knew that the other party was determined to leave. He could only step aside and make way. Lu Yao, Yu Niaoniao, and the others sat in the carriage. Two carriages and a donkey moved forward and quickly disappeared from view. The magistrate looked away and instructed his advisor. ¡°Write a letter immediately and send someone to Xingning to tell the county governor about the eldest young master.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The carriage moved steadily along the official road. Along the way, they encountered three more robberies. Without exception, those bandits were all emaciated. They were originally good citizens. After theirnd and property were snatched away, they could no longer live. In their desperation, they could only be bandits. The first two groups of bandits were sent away by Yu Niaoniao with money. Only thest group of bandits rejected the arrangements. They had clearly killed before. There was ferocity in their eyes. They were not satisfied with just taking a mere 100 taels of silver and insisting on killing and robbing, taking all the money and food. In that case, Yu Niaoniao, Lu Yao, and the others had nothing more to say. They all joined the battle. Although those bandits were fierce, they had never undergone formal training. They fought without any order and relied on brute force. After a fierce battle, the bandits were defeated. They either died or fled. Yu Niaoniao and Lo Pingsha were fine. Only Dang Gui was slightly injured in order to protect Lu Yao. There was a long, thin cut on her arm and slow seeping blood stained her sleeve. Lu Yao was anxious. Without thinking, he picked Dang Gui up and ced her in the carriage. Lo Pingsha washed his hands, opened the medical kit, and began to bandage Dang Gui¡¯s wound. There was limited space in the carriage, so the others could only wait outside. Lu Yao kept pacing back and forth, his eyes fixed on the carriage. He was extremely vexed. He hated himself for being so careless just now. He was only concerned with dealing with the bandits in front of him, but he did not expect someone to ambush him from behind. As a result, he implicated Dang Gui who threw herself at him to save him. It was all his fault! At the thought of this, Lu Yao raised his hand and pped himself hard. Yuan Shu was shocked and hurriedly pulled him back. ¡°Young Master, what are you doing?¡± Lu Yao said with red eyes, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. If it weren¡¯t for saving me, Dang Gui wouldn¡¯t have been injured.¡± Yuan Shuforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t think like that. Those bandits are too shameless. You don¡¯t want to be like this. Don¡¯t take all the me.¡± Lu Yao clenched his fists and made up his mind. Dang Gui could risk her life for him. He definitely could not let her down. When he returned to Xingning, he would tell his family about the engagement. Lo Pingsha jumped out of the carriage and spoke to Yu Niaoniao. ... ¡°The wound isn¡¯t deep. It¡¯s been bandaged. Be careful not to let her move her arm for the next few days. Change the dressing on time every day. Don¡¯t let the wound touch water.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded in understanding. At this moment, Dang Gui¡¯s head popped out of the car window and said to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at her energetic appearance and knew that she was really fine. She could finally rx. Lu Yao walked quickly to the carriage and said to Dang Gui. ¡°Rest well. Let me know if you need any help. You were injured because of me this time. I¡¯ll definitely repay you.¡± Dang Gui felt a little ashamed. At that time, when she saw that Young Master Lu had been ambushed, she immediately rushed over and wanted to repel the bandits. Unexpectedly, she slipped and fell, her body colliding with the bandit¡¯s de. In short, she had no intention of using her body to block the knife for Young Master Lu. It was all a coincidence! ... She tried to exin. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t expect to be injured. I identally ran into the man¡¯s knife. It had nothing to do with you. You don¡¯t have to me yourself.¡± She was telling the truth, but Lu Yao felt that she was saying it on purpose to relieve his psychological burden. Lu Yao was even more touched, his eyes filled with tenderness. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it. I know. I understand your intentions.¡± Dang Gui was confused. What kind of intentions? What did he understand now? When the carriage started again, Dang Gui still did not understand what Lu Yao meant. She could not help but ask Yu Niaoniao for advice. ¡°Sister, did Young Master Lu misunderstand something?¡± Yu Niaoniao was a discerning observer and smiled ambiguously. ¡°He probably thinks that you love him, so you risked your life to block the knife for him. He must be very touched.¡± Dang Gui¡¯s face turned red and she was so embarrassed that she could not speak properly. ¡°I-I¡¯m not in love with him! Sister, don¡¯t spout nonsense!¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Then why are you blushing?¡± Dang Gui covered her face with her uninjured hand and forced herself to exin. ¡°I feel hot!¡± Chapter 234 - 234 Marriage 234 Marriage Fortunately, they had replenished a batch ofmonly used medicine a few days ago. There was no concern about not having enough medication to treat Dang Gui¡¯s wounds. The carriage stopped halfway to rest. Dang Gui had sat in the car for a long time and wanted to get out for some air. Yu Niaoniao helped her carefully out of the car. !! At this moment, Lu Yao walked over. He looked at Dang Gui and asked. ¡°Can I talk to you alone?¡± Dang Gui did not think too much about it and nodded in agreement. Yu Niaoniao went to discuss the next schedule with Lo Pingsha so that Dang Gui and Lu Yao could be alone. Lu Yao looked at Dang Gui and asked gently. ¡°Does your wound still hurt?¡± Dang Gui answered truthfully, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt much anymore.¡± Lu Yao said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I caused you to be injured. I¡¯ll take responsibility.¡± Dang Gui hurriedly exined. ¡°It really has nothing to do with you. I identally hit the knife.¡± Lu Yao did not believe it. How could there be such a coincidence? Dang Gui must have said that because she did not want him to me himself. He did not expect her to be so understanding even though she looked carefree. Lu Yao¡¯s heart ached even more, and his gaze on Dang Gui became gentler. ¡°Either way, you saved me this time. I¡¯m grateful to you. Lady Dang Gui, this is my ancestral jade pendant. I¡¯m giving it to you.¡± He took off the jade pendant around his neck and handed it to Dang Gui. It was a small and exquisite Guanyin jade pendant. The Guanyin statue was carved vividly. The texture was crystal clear, and the color was bright and green. There were no ws. Whether it was the materials or the carving, they were both rare and top-grade. Dang Gui hurriedly waved her hand. ¡°No, I can¡¯t ept such an expensive thing.¡± Lu Yao grabbed one of her hands and forcefully stuffed the jade pendant into it. ¡°I know you won¡¯t believe me no matter what I say now. I can only give you this jade pendant. It¡¯s a testament. Please take it.¡± Dang Gui did not understand. ¡°Testament to what?¡± Lu Yao enunciated each word. ¡°Testament to my feelings for you, Dang Gui. I like you. I want to marry you.¡± Dang Gui¡¯s eyes slowly widened, and shock appeared on her pale face. She thought she had misheard and asked in disbelief. ¡°What did you say?¡± Lu Yao tightened his grip on her hand and stared into her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the future will hold, and I know that life won¡¯t let me have it so easily. But I still hope that you can appear in my future. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Can I?¡± Dang Gui¡¯s heart was pounding and her cheeks were hot. She felt her mind go nk. She didn¡¯t know what to say. Lu Yao waited for a long time but there was no answer. He was a little disappointed, but he still said gently. ¡°It concerns your lifelong happiness. You can think about it slowly. Tell me when you¡¯ve thought about it.¡± With that, he took the initiative to let go of Dang Gui¡¯s hand. Dang Gui almost fled. Yu Niaoniao was discussing something with Lo Pingsha. When she saw Dang Gui rushing over, she thought that something had happened. The two of them immediately stopped talking. Yu Niaoniao asked anxiously. ¡°What happened? Why do you look like the sky has fallen?¡± Dang Gui first looked at Lo Pingsha. Lo Pingsha understood. ¡°I¡¯ll feed the horses.¡± With that, he tactfully left. Dang Gui waited until he was gone before speaking. ¡°Just now, Young Master Lu asked me to marry him. He said he wanted to marry me.¡± Her face was already very red, and after saying this, she was so embarrassed that she wanted to hide in a hole on the spot. Yu Niaoniao was stunned at first, but then sheughed. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing!¡± Dang Gui stomped her feet in anger. ¡°Sister, why are you stillughing?!¡± Yu Niaoniao coughed lightly and quickly stopped smiling. She tried her best to pretend to be serious. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯tugh anymore.¡± Dang Gui paced back and forth, looking very anxious. ¡°Sister, what do you think I should do?¡± ... Yu Niaoniao said in a rxed manner, ¡°It¡¯s very simple. If you like him too, promise him. Otherwise, reject him.¡± Dang Gui hesitated before saying what was on her mind. ¡°I do like him a little, but not to the point of marriage.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then tell him that you¡¯re not ready to get married yet. If he¡¯s willing, he can spend time with you first. When your rtionship stabilizes, you can talk about marriage. If you find that the other party isn¡¯t suitable for you during the process, you can leave in time.¡± Dang Gui was very worried. ¡°Is that really okay? Will he think I¡¯m deliberately taking advantage of him?¡± In this day and age, marriage was about the fate of matchmaking among parents. The person involved had no choice. Dang Gui had never thought there was a possibility of the couple getting along with each other for a while and testing each other¡¯s character. Yu Niaoniao spoke unhurriedly, ¡°Tell him your thoughts and concerns and discuss them with him properly. If he thinks you¡¯re taking advantage of him, it means he doesn¡¯t really care about you. A man who doesn¡¯t take you seriously will never be a good match for you.¡± Dang Gui listened thoughtfully. She took out the Guanyin jade pendant. ¡°Young Master Lu gave this to me. Should I return it?¡± Yu Niaoniao picked up the jade pendant and looked at it. This thing was expensive and not something an ordinary family could have. It seemed that Lu Yao¡¯s identity was really not simple. ... Recalling the county magistrate¡¯s attitude towards Lu Yao, Yu Niaoniao became more and more curious about Lu Yao¡¯s true background. She ced the jade pendant back in Dang Gui¡¯s hand and said. ¡°Even if you return the jade pendant to him now, he definitely won¡¯t ept it. Keep it for him first. If it doesn¡¯t work out between the two of you in the future, it won¡¯t be toote for you to return the jade pendant to him.¡± Dang Gui nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao wanted her to think of a way to get information from Lu Yao. But after thinking about it, Yu Niaoniao finally suppressed this thought. True feelings were rare. She would let Dang Gui and Lu Yao get along well. Hopefully, they could achieve sess in the end. They made it to the city before dark. After entering the city, they found an ordinary inn to stay in. Unexpectedly, just as they put down their luggage, a group of guards surrounded the inn. All the guests in the inn were cleared out. Lu Yao walked out of the guest room with a dark expression and saw the guards standing in the hall. The leader of the guards stood up and cupped his fists at Lu Yao. His voice was powerful. ¡°Greetings, Eldest Young Master!¡± Lu Yao asked in a low voice, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Lu Shiliu said, ¡°Liaodong County is not peaceful now. The county governor is worried about your safety and especially sent me to escort you home.¡± ¡°I can go home myself. There¡¯s no need to mobilize so many people.¡± Lu Shiliu said, ¡°I¡¯m just following orders. Please don¡¯t make things difficult for us.¡± The entire inn was surrounded. From the looks of it, they would not stop if Lu Yao did not leave with them today. Chapter 235 - 235 Confession 235 Confession Lu Yao did not like the feeling of being forced to do something. However, he knew very well that with his current strength, he could notpete with his father. Even if he refused to go with the guards, these guards would find a way to take him away by force. At the end of the day, he was too weak. He took a deep breath and spoke slowly, ¡°It¡¯ste today. We¡¯ll set off for Xingning tomorrow.¡± Lu Shiliu said, ¡°Then please have a good rest. I¡¯ll stay in the inn to protect you.¡± Lu Yao did not say anything else and turned to leave. He knocked on Dang Gui¡¯s door. ¡°Can Ie in?¡± Dang Gui first looked at the guards standing outside, then nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± She turned around and let Lu Yao in before closing the door with one hand. Lu Yao looked at Dang Gui and said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already seen the situation outside. I have to follow them home tomorrow. Dang Gui, are you willing to leave with me?¡± Dang Gui whispered, ¡°I¡¯m not ready to talk about marriage now. Can we¡­ can we spend some time together first?¡± With that, her heart hung in her throat. She was nervous and afraid he would be angry about it. Lu Yao sighed. ¡°I was anxious and didn¡¯t give you time to adjust. It¡¯s okay, as long as you don¡¯t refuse me. Let¡¯s take it slow. I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡± Dang Gui was relieved. She was very touched. ¡°Thank you, Young Master Lu.¡± Lu Yao said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. Also, don¡¯t call me Young Master Lu anymore. My courtesy name is Yunchong. Everyone close to me calls me Yunchong. Call me that too.¡± Dang Gui blushed and called softly, ¡°Young Master Yunzhong.¡± Lu Yao was helpless. She was still too reserved. But he also knew that she still needed time to adapt, so he did not force her to do as he said. ¡°If you don¡¯te with me, we¡¯ll have to part ways tomorrow. However, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. When you reach Xingning, you cane to the County Governor¡¯s Mansion to look for me. As long as you take out the jade pendant I gave you, the gatekeeper will let you in.¡± Dang Gui looked at him in a daze. ¡°The County Governor¡¯s Mansion?¡± At this point, there was no need to hide it anymore. Lu Yao told the truth. ¡°Lu Yaoguang, the county governor of Liaodong County, is my father.¡± Dang Gui was shocked. ¡°You¡¯re the son of the county governor!¡± No wonder he knew Liaodong County so well. No wonder the officials in Liaodong County were so respectful to him. Combined with his status as the son of a county governor, it all made sense. Lu Yao took a step forward and held her hand. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t have lied to you. It was my fault. I apologize. I¡¯m sorry. Don¡¯t be angry, okay?¡± Dang Gui shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not angry.¡± She was telling the truth. She had not been honest with him, so how could she ask him to be truthful with her? Seeing how obedient and sensible she was, Lu Yao doted on her even more. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll never lie to you again.¡± Dang Gui felt a little guilty. She still did not dare to confess her true background. She pulled away and whispered, ¡°When are you leaving tomorrow?¡± Lu Yao said, ¡°They should leave at dawn.¡± He could not bear to part with Dang Gui and could not help but ask. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to considering with us?¡± Dang Gui shook her head. ¡°No.¡± She had to follow Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao still had something to do. She definitely could not follow the people from the County Governor¡¯s Mansion. Lu Yao was disappointed. But he did not force it. Instead, he spoke gently. ¡°The wounds on your body haven¡¯t healed yet. You have to rest well during this period. Don¡¯t be in a hurry to travel. When you reach Xingning, remember to look for me immediately.¡± Dang Gui nodded in understanding. She hesitated for a moment before asking carefully. ¡°You¡¯re the son of a county governor and from a prestigious family. Will your family agree to you being with me?¡± Lu Yao could not answer this question. He could only promise, ¡°I can promise you that whether anyone epts you or not, you¡¯re the only wife I¡¯ll ever acknowledge! I will marry no one but you.¡± Dang Gui was both worried and touched. She was worried about the Lu family¡¯s attitude toward her and was touched by Lu Yao¡¯s determination. She blushed. ¡°I believe you.¡± Lu Yao looked at her beautiful face and wanted to touch it. However, he was afraid that he would offend her, so he could only suppress the urge in his heart. ... Dang Gui hesitated. ¡°There¡¯s something else I want to ask you.¡± Lu Yao told her to ask whatever she wanted. Dang Gui asked, ¡°Who is this Tang Guixi you mentioned previously?¡± Lu Yao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Why did she suddenly ask about Tang Guixi? Did she already know about Tang Guixi¡¯s engagement with him? He asked uneasily, ¡°Why are you asking?¡± Dang Gui said dryly, ¡°Nothing. I was just curious when you mentioned her before, so I asked.¡± When Lu Yao mentioned the name Tang Guixi, Dang Gui felt it was a little familiar. She had lost her memory. The past was a nk. Anything that made her feel familiar was extremely important to her. She was not familiar with Lu Yao before, so she could not ask too much. Now that Lu Yao was leaving soon, she had to ask him about it. Lu Yao was conflicted. Reason told him that he should tell Dang Gui the truth. ... But he felt afraid. He and Dang Gui had just begun and Dang Gui¡¯s feelings for him were still unstable. If he told the truth about his engagement at this time, his rtionship with Dang Gui would probably end. That was an ending he definitely did not want to ept. After a long silence, Lu Yao spoke, ¡°Tang Guixi is Tang Pei¡¯s only daughter. The Tang family and our Lu family are old friends. I met Tang Guixi once when I was young and haven¡¯t interacted with her since.¡± Dang Gui asked, ¡°What kind of person is Tang Guixi?¡± Lu Yao answered truthfully, ¡°I didn¡¯t interact much with her and don¡¯t know her well. I heard that she has an extroverted personality and strong martial arts. She¡¯s a heroine.¡± Dang Gui tried to remember. Her mind remained nk. She did not find any relevant memories. But she refused to give up. That sense of familiarity could not havee out of thin air. She suspected that she might have known Tang Guixi before. If she could find Tang Guixi, perhaps she would know her past. So she pressed him. ¡°Do you know where I can find Tang Guixi?¡± Lu Yao was nervous. ¡°Why are you looking for her? Do you know her?¡± Dang Gui suppressed her guilt and made up a reason. ¡°I think she¡¯s very powerful. I want to make friends with her.¡± Lu Yao did not want her to see Tang Guixi, so he refused. ¡°Tang Guixi is very busy. She often spends time in the military camp with General Zheng Yuan. Ordinary people usually can¡¯t see her.¡± Before Dang Gui could ask further, Lu Yao spoke first. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Get some rest. I¡¯m leaving.¡± Chapter 236 - 236 Divorce 236 Divorce The next morning, Lu Yao left the inn with his attendant. Before he left, he left behind a hand-drawn map of Liaodong County. With this map, Yu Niaoniao and the other two could find Xing Ning urately. After Lu Yao and the guards left, the inn immediately became cold and empty. !! The guests who had stayed previously had been chased away by the guards. Now, only Yu Niaoniao, Dang Gui, and Lo Pingsha were left in the inn. The innkeeper knew that the three of them had a rtionship with the eldest young master of the County Governor¡¯s Mansion. Afraid of offending them, he personally sent breakfast to their rooms and said that this breakfast was free for them. He hoped that they could live happily here. Yu Niaoniao looked at him and asked. ¡°I heard that Prince Min came to Liaodong County. Is that true?¡± The innkeeper did not dare hide it and answered truthfully. ¡°It¡¯s true. Duke Lang came with him. You know him, right? It was the living King of Hell who was in charge of the Justice Department. His reputation was very bad. It was said that he was here to escort Prince Min back to Liaodong County. It was such a big scene when they passed by us!¡± Yu Niaoniao pretended to be curious and continued asking. ¡°How long ago did they pass by here? We¡¯re also going to Xingning. We¡¯re afraid of bumping into them and disturbing the nobles, so we want to miss them.¡± ¡°About three days ago. At the rate you guys are going, you probably won¡¯t bump into them. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Yu Niaoniao knew what to do. ¡°Thank you.¡± The innkeeper said, ¡°Then I won¡¯t disturb your meal. If you have any other instructions, just shout. I¡¯m on call.¡± After the shopkeeper left, Lo Pingsha unfolded the map and tapped it with his fingertip. ¡°Now that we¡¯re here, we¡¯ll follow this official road. If nothing goes wrong, we¡¯ll reach Xingning in about four days.¡± Yu Niaoniao swallowed the prawn dumpling in her mouth. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time. We have to speed up next. There might not be much time to stop and rest on the way. Dang Gui, does your wound still hurt?¡± Dang Gui hurriedly said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. The wound has scabbed over. Brother Lo said that my wound is about to heal.¡± Yu Niaoniao was relieved. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± The three of them quickly finished their breakfast, prepared dry food and water and continued on their way. After four days of traveling day and night, they finally saw the gates of Xingning. At the same time, the County Governor¡¯s Mansion was filled with dark clouds. Madam Shu, the county governor¡¯s wife, sat at the table. She was no more than forty years old. Her hair wasbed neatly, and there were only two golden hairpins in her bun. She was dressed very simply, but she was very imposing. She ced half the Buddhist scripture on the table and frowned. ¡°Is he still refusing to change his mind?¡± Granny Zheng sighed. ¡°No, Eldest Young Master is determined to cancel the marriage with the Tang family this time. He didn¡¯t eat a mouthful of the food we sent. It¡¯s been a day and a night. If he continues to stay up like this, I¡¯m afraid his body won¡¯t be able to take it.¡± Madam Shu was furious. She raised her hand and mmed it on the table. ¡°Does he think that will force me topromise? Go tell him that even if he starves himself to death, I don¡¯t think I can let him do whatever he wants!¡± Granny Zheng hurriedlyforted her. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t say such angry words. Eldest Young Master is your favorite. How can you bear to let him starve to death? We¡¯re all family. How can there be overnight hatred? Let¡¯s calm down and slowly think of a solution.¡± She offered calming hot tea as she spoke. Madam Shu took a sip of tea and felt the breath in her chest ease slightly. She said coldly. ¡°Yun Chong is my son, so I know his temper. He had long known that he was engaged to Tang Guixi, but he had never shown any rejection before. This meant that he could ept marrying Tang Guixi. Now that he suddenly suggested breaking off the engagement, there must be a reason.¡± Granny Zheng asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mrs. Shu spoke slowly, ¡°We¡¯ve all been there. We know in our hearts that the only thing that can make a man insist on not marrying is that he¡¯s met another woman, one who makes him want to marry even more.¡± Granny Zheng quickly reacted and immediately said. ¡°Lu Shiliu escorted Eldest Young Master back this time. I¡¯ll get someone to call him over and ask.¡± Shu nodded slightly. ¡°Go.¡± Granny Zheng left in a hurry. Madam Shu pinched her temples, her eyes filled with frustration. Before her son came back, she¡¯d thought about him day and night, looking forward to his return every day. Now that her son was finally back, she was not happy for long before that kid kicked a fuss about wanting to break off the engagement. The marriage between the Lu family and the Tang family was very important. It was like a rope that tied the two families tightly together. It was absolutely impossible to break. If Lu Yao¡¯s father found out about this, he would definitely break Lu Yao¡¯s legs! The only thing that made Madam Shu d was that Lu Yao¡¯s father had apanied Prince Min and Prince Lang to Xiangtai and would not be back for a while. She had to extinguish Lu Yao¡¯s thoughts of breaking off the engagement before his father returned. Soon, Granny Zheng returned with Lu Shiliu. Mrs. Shu asked. ¡°Did you see anyone following Yun Zhong when you sent him back this time?¡± Lu Shiliu hesitated. Granny Zheng immediately said, ¡°If you have something to say, just say it. Now that Master is not at home, Madam is in charge of all the matters in the residence. Don¡¯t make Madam angry.¡± Lu Shiliu had no choice but, to tell the truth. ... ¡°When I found Eldest Young Master, I saw three people with him. They were a man and two women. It was said that they were siblings. They were alsoing to Xingning and met Eldest Young Master on the way, so they traveled together.¡± Madam Shu asked, ¡°What¡¯s the identity of the three siblings? What¡¯s their name?¡± Lu Shiliu shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Then do you remember what they looked like?¡± This time, Lu Shiliu nodded. ¡°I remember.¡± Madam Shu smiled coldly. ¡°Very good. Take people to guard the city gate. As soon as you see the three siblings enter the city, take them down.¡± Lu Shiliu hesitated. ¡°Eldest Young Master has a good rtionship with those three siblings. If Eldest Young Master finds out about this, he¡¯ll probably be angry.¡± Mrs. Shu said, ¡°Just do as I say. I¡¯ll take responsibility if anything happens.¡± Lu Shiliuined in her heart. That was what Madam said, but she was still Eldest Young Master¡¯s mother. If Eldest Young Master really pursued the matter, he would definitely not dare to do anything to her. In the end, he would be the unlucky one. ... However, Madam¡¯s attitude was very strong. Now that the county governor was not in the residence, Lu Shiliu had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree. ¡°I¡¯ll do it now.¡± Coincidentally, just as Lu Shiliu arrived near the city gate with her men, he saw Yu Niaoniao and the other two. Chapter 237 - 237 Injured 237 Injured A guard following behind Lu Shiliu asked softly. ¡°Boss, are we going to do it now?¡± Lu Shiliu looked at the three siblings not far away and thought for a moment before speaking. ¡°Let¡¯s follow and take a look. We¡¯ll do it in the night.¡± Arresting someone for no reason was unjustifiable no matter what. This matter had to be handled in a low-key manner. The fewer people knew, the better. Yu Niaoniao, Dang Gui, and Lo Pingsha originally wanted to go to Prince Min¡¯s Mansion. But on the way Lo Pingsha noticed that they were being followed, so he changed direction at thest minute and stopped the carriage in front of an inn. The inn clerk weed them warmly. During dinner, Lo Pingsha first checked the food and tea to make sure it was okay before letting them eat. He whispered instructions. ¡°As soon as we entered the city today, we were targeted. The other party has ill intentions. We have to be more vignt tonight. Don¡¯t fall into their trap.¡± Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui remembered. After eating and drinking their fill, they returned to their rooms to rest. The truth was as they had expected. In the dead of night, their door was knocked on from the outside. Someone sneaked into the room, walked silently to the bed, and covered Yu Niaoniao¡¯s mouth and nose with a handkerchief stained with knockout powder. At the critical moment, Yu Niaoniao suddenly opened her eyes! She threw the nket at the man and covered his face. When he hurriedly pulled off the nket, the cold de was already against his neck. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± The man immediately froze in ce, not daring to move. Yu Niaoniao pulled off the mask on the other party¡¯s face and looked at him under the moonlight outside the window. She realized that he looked familiar. Then, she remembered that when the guards of the County Governor¡¯s Mansion went to fetch Lu Yao home, she had seen this person among the guards. This person had an ordinary appearance. Back then, he stood among so many guards. If it were anyone else, they would definitely not remember him. But Yu Niaoniao was different. She had a photographic memory. She could remember from even a nce. ¡°You¡¯re from the County Governor¡¯s Mansion!¡± The person did not expect Yu Niaoniao to still remember him. He was first shocked, then pretended to be calm. ¡°Since you know who I am,e with us obediently.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Where are we going with you?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s the County Governor¡¯s Mansion. Our madam wants to see you.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s mind raced and she quickly understood the reason. Presumably, the county governor¡¯s wife knew about Lu Yao and Dang Gui and wanted to see what kind of person Dang Gui was. This was actually nothing. If it were Yu Niaoniao, she would also be interested in the woman her son liked. But she wouldn¡¯t send someone to sneak up on someone in the middle of the night. Not only was this method inappropriate, but it was also filled with malice! Before they met, Yu Niaoniao was already unhappy with the county governor¡¯s wife. She said coldly, ¡°Since the county governor¡¯s wife wants to see us, why didn¡¯t she send someone to invite us over openly? Is this how the county governor¡¯s residence treats guests?¡± The man stammered, unable to answer. At that moment, there was a loud bang in the next room, followed by Dang Gui¡¯s scream! Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart tightened. Something had happened to Dang Gui! While she was distracted, the guard suddenly turned around and retreated, pulling away from her. Then, he took out the sword at his waist and stabbed it at Yu Niaoniao! Although Yu Niaoniao knew archery, she had never practiced martial arts. She couldn¡¯t fight back. She could only dodge to the side. Fortunately, she was ready before bed. She ced a bowl on the table. It was filled with powder. It was a secret powder made by Lo Pingsha. As long as a person touched it, their skin would itch unbearably. She grabbed the bowl and raised it at the guard. ¡°Check out my knockout powder!¡± The guard quickly retreated and covered his mouth and nose to avoid inhaling the knockout powder. However, to his surprise, as soon as the powder touched the back of his hand, he immediately felt an intense itch. The itch affected hiis face and neck¡­ wherever his skin touched the powder itched. He could not stand the itch and scratched hard, looking extremely pained. Yu Niaoniao took the opportunity to grab a stool and smash it against his head! He only had time to grunt before he staggered and copsed. Yu Niaoniao threw away the stool. She pulled open the door and hurried to the next room. As soon as he entered, he saw Lo Pingsha fighting Lu Shiliu. The two of them exchanged blows and were locked in battle. ... Dang Gui fell to the ground and did not move. Yu Niaoniao ran over quickly and helped Dang Gui up. She was shocked to see so much blood on her hands! Yu Niaoniao¡¯s expression immediately changed. She pulled back Dang Gui¡¯s hair and found arge wound on the back of her head. Blood was seeping out. Yu Niaoniao was anxious. However, she did not know medicine and could only cover Dang Gui¡¯s wound with a handkerchief. ¡°Dang Gui, wake up. Don¡¯t sleep.¡± Dang Gui¡¯s eyes were closed, and her face was as pale as paper. She did not react at all, and her breathing was getting weaker. Yu Niaoniao was so anxious that she was about to cry. ¡°Little Lo, save Dang Gui. She¡¯s dying!¡± Hearing this, Lo Pingsha raised his hand and flicked it. Three silver needles flew silently from his fingertips. It was too dark to see the silver needles clearly. Lu Shiliu dodged the first two silver needles, but not thest one. ... The silver needle pierced his arm and he immediately felt his entire arm go numb. He couldn¡¯t even hold his sword. Immediately after, he was sent flying by Lo Pingsha¡¯s palm and fell to the ground, vomiting blood. Lo Pingsha picked up the medical kit, strode over to Dang Gui, and began to administer first aid. They could not stay here any longer. If the people sent by the county governor¡¯s wife did not capture the three of them, they would definitely send more people over. Yu Niaoniao quickly packed her luggage. She noticed that Lu Shiliu was moving out. It seemed that he was nning to escape. She thought of how this person had caused Dang Gui to be seriously injured and was furious. She grabbed the teapot and threw it at his head! The teapot was smashed. Lu Shiliu was dizzy and fainted after a while. Lo Pingsha looked up and spoke to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°The bleeding has been stopped, but Dang Gui hasn¡¯t woken up yet.¡± Yu Niaoniao made a prompt decision. ¡°We have to get out of here immediately.¡± Lo Pingsha asked her where she was going. It was midnight and the city gates were closed. They definitely could not get out, but if they stayed in the city, the county governor¡¯s wife would definitely not let them off. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Prince Min¡¯s Mansion.¡± Now, in Xingning City, only Prince Min¡¯s Mansion could stand up to the County Governor¡¯s Mansion. The three of them checked out of the room overnight and drove the carriage to Prince Min¡¯s Mansion. Chapter 238 - 238 Unconscious 238 Unconscious A few years ago, Prince Min had always lived in the Imperial Capital, but Liaodong County was his fief. His imperial residence had always been in Xingning City. The residence was tended to all year round and everything was in order. Shen Xu was sleeping soundly when he was suddenly woken up. He was very unhappy. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping in the middle of the night? Are you tired of living?!¡± !! The servant quickly said, ¡°Prince, please forgive me. The Princess is here!¡± Shen Xu was stunned for a moment before sitting up. ¡°Which princess? It¡¯s not the Princess of Lang, is it? But wasn¡¯t she left in Wangsong City?¡± The servant said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how she came here. Anyway, she¡¯s already waiting outside. She said that she needs to see you urgently. Do you want to see her?¡± Shen Xu quickly got out of bed and put on his clothes. ¡°Of course, I want to see her!¡± That woman was Duke Lang¡¯s treasure. If he offended her, Duke Lang would definitely not let him off. Shen Xu rushed out of the bedroom and rushed to the living room. As soon as Yu Niaoniao saw him appear, she spoke to him, ¡°Quickly arrange a guest room for us. Dang Gui is injured and needs a clean ce to be treated.¡± Shen Xu looked at the unconscious Dang Gui. Her forehead was wrapped in thick gauze, and she did seem to be seriously injured. He said immediately, ¡°Come with me!¡± They hurried to the guest room. Dang Gui was ced on the bed. Lo Pingsha rolled up his sleeves, washed his hands, and helped Dang Gui remove the gauze on her head. He had only done a preliminary treatment of the wound at the inn just now. Now that he had the conditions, he could treat her carefully. Shen Xu stood at the side and could not help but click his tongue when he saw the wound on Dang Gui¡¯s head. ¡°Why was she so seriously injured? Who did it?¡± Yu Niaoniao said in a low voice, ¡°The county governor¡¯s wife sent someone to do it.¡± Shen Xu was very surprised. ¡°You mean Madam Shu? She has no grudge against you. Why did she do this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Tell me first. Where is Duke Lang?¡± Shen Xu answered truthfully, ¡°Prince Lang, my father, and the county governor, Lu Jiaoguang, went to Xiangtai together.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Why did they go to the Xiangtai?¡± ¡°The Eastern Expedition Army¡¯s camp is located in Xiangtai. They said that they want to patrol the Eastern Expedition Army and visit General Tang Pei.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t they tell you anything before they left?¡± Shen Xu thought for a moment before saying. ¡°Prince Lang left me a letter before he left. He told me to stay in Prince Min¡¯s Mansion and not run around. If they¡¯re not back in three days, let me send that letter to the Imperial Capital and give it to Yan Nanguan of the Justice Department.¡± At this point, he couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. It sounded a little like he was making funeral arrangements. It sounded ominous. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Where¡¯s the letter? Show it to me.¡± Shen Xu said, ¡°I ced the letter in the bedroom. Wait a moment, I¡¯ll get it for you now.¡± ¡­ . In the camp of the Eastern Expedition Army in Xiangtai City, General Cheng Wu and Du Tao were wearing silver-gray armor , looking tall and straight. General Cheng Wu cupped his fists andughed loudly. ¡°Greetings, Prince Min and Prince Lang.¡± Then, he smiled at the county governor, Lu Jiaoguang. ¡°Master Lu, long time no see!¡± Prince Min was still wearing the loose Taoist robe he usually wore. There was a horsetail whisk in his arm. His white beard fluttered. At first nce, he did not look like a prince but more like an old Taoist priest seeking immortality. He raised his chin slightly, his expression cold. ¡°General Cheng Wu, don¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡± Du Tao turned to the side and said respectfully, ¡°Please sit inside.¡± They walked into the house. Du Tao ordered refreshments to be served. He rubbed his hands together and said excitedly. ¡°When I learned that the three esteemed guests wereing, I was so excited that I didn¡¯t sleepst night. Unfortunately, General Tang is sick and can¡¯t wee you personally. I hope you can forgive me.¡± Xiao Juan did not touch the teacup beside him. He was wearing a ck round-necked brocade robe and a crimson cloak. He sat upright. His dark eyes were as sharp as knives as he asked calmly. ¡°What happened to Tang Pei?¡± Du Tao sighed, looking worried. ¡°Two years ago, General Tang was injured on the battlefield. After that, he fell sick. He has been lying in bed recuperating for the past two years. His condition has improved a little, but for some reason, his condition suddenly worsened two days ago. He actually fainted and hasn¡¯t woken up yet.¡± Then, he looked at Lu Yaoguang, who was sitting beside him. ¡°Lord Lu knows about this too.¡± Lu Yaoguang nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, I came to visit General Tang not long ago. He¡¯s indeed very sick.¡± ... Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Doctor, do you know why it worsened?¡± Du Tao sighed. ¡°This matter is quitementable. General Tang originally had a daughter called Tang Guixi. That girl used toe to our military camp often. She was lively and skilled. We were quite familiar with her. But three years ago, Tang Guixi suddenly disappeared. Ever since then, General Tang had been depressed and missed his daughter every day. Not long ago, he had heard the news of Tang Guixi¡¯s unexpected death. He couldn¡¯t take the blow and vomited blood on the spot. After that, he fell unconscious.¡± Xiao Juan looked at Lu Yaoguang and asked, ¡°Do you know about these things?¡± Lu Yaoguang¡¯s expression was a little unnatural. ¡°I only know that Tang Guixi is missing, but I don¡¯t know that she¡¯s dead.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Is that girl, Gui Xi, really dead?¡± Du Tao looked regretful and said slowly. ¡°Not long ago, someone found fragments of Tang Guixi¡¯s clothes and the sword she had always carried with her. There was blood on the scraps of clothing and the sword. It was probably bad. ... General Tang vomited blood on the spot when he saw those things.¡± Lu Yaoguang¡¯s expression changed a few times before finally turning into a long sigh. ¡°Guixi has been engaged to my Yunchong since she was young. Originally, I thought she was just young and yful and had sneaked out to y. She would be back soon. I did not expect her to never return. Sigh! If I had known earlier, I would have let her marry into the Lu family sooner. If she had stayed in our Lu family in peace, nothing would have happened.¡± Du Taoforted him. ¡°Lord Lu, you don¡¯t have to me yourself. This has nothing to do with you. Since things had developed to this point, it could only mean that Tang Guixi and Lu Yao were not fated. Lu Yao will definitely find someone more suitable in the future.¡± Lu Yaoguang waved his hand and said sadly. ¡°Now is not the time to talk about this. Let¡¯s get down to business. ¡°I apanied Prince Min and Prince Lang to Xiangtai to assist you in inspecting the Eastern punitive expedition.¡± Du Tao said brightly, ¡°I¡¯m already prepared. There¡¯s arge-scale drill in the army this afternoon. Your Highnesses, please take a break. After lunch, I¡¯ll apany you to watch the soldiers practice.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Take us to see Tang Pei first.¡± Chapter 239 - 239 Tang Pei 239 Tang Pei Du Tao hesitated. ¡°But General Tang is still unconscious. Even if you go, you can only watch and not even say a word.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We just have to see him.¡± Du Tao had no choice but to agree. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take you to see General Tang now.¡± They stood up and walked out. Du Tao exined the general situation in the military camp to them as they walked. Themander of the Eastern Expedition Army was Tang Pei. Below him were four generals. While Tang Pei was seriously ill, Du Tao took care of everything in the military camp. The other three generals assisted him. The four of them were quite capable and managed the huge Eastern Expedition Army well. Along the way, Lu Yaoguang praised them. Xiao Juan suddenly asked. ¡°I heard that there are military prostitutes in the Eastern Expedition Army. Is this true?¡± The expressions of Du Tao and Lu Yaoguang changed. They met Xiao Juan¡¯s deep gaze and felt a little afraid. Du Tao forced a smile. ¡°Your Highness, you must be joking. The emperor has long banned the raising of military prostitutes. Even if we had a hundred guts, we wouldn¡¯t dare to disobey the imperial edict!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°In that case, let the Eagle Guards search the military campter. After the search is over, we¡¯ll confirm that the rumors are fake. If anyone says such things again, I¡¯ll immediately send someone to capture them and punish them severely.¡± Du Tao¡¯s smile was almost gone. ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Du Tao said, ¡°This is the camp of the Eastern Expedition Army, not the Justice Department. The Eagle Guards shouldn¡¯t have the right to search, right?¡± Xiao Juan said unhurriedly. ¡°When the emperor set up the Justice Department, he said that as long as someone broke thew, the Justice Department had the right to investigate and deal with them. I¡¯m actually doing this to protect your reputation. As long as we can find out the truth and confirm that the rumors are fake, no one will nder you in the future.¡± Du Tao broke out in a cold sweat. He looked towards Lu Yaoguang, hoping that he would help say something. However, Lu Yaoguang looked elsewhere. It was obvious that he did not want to get involved in this mess. Du Tao had no choice but to grit his teeth and say it as if he was risking everything. ¡°Since Your Highness insists on searching, let¡¯s search. After visiting General Tang, you can search as you please. Anyway, we¡¯re upright and not afraid of being investigated!¡± Xiao Juan seemed to be satisfied with his answer and nodded slightly. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± They walked into the courtyard. Before opening the door, Du Tao spoke to the others. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. General Tang was still unconscious. The military doctor had instructed him to recuperate. There were too many people and it was easy to disturb General Tang¡¯s rest. So we can only get four people in at most at a time. The rest of you, please wait outside.¡± Xiao Juan instructed Meng Xizhou, who was following behind him. ¡°Stay outside with the others and wait.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Du Tao knocked. A momentter, the door was pulled open and a manservant walked out. When he saw so many nobles standing outside, he hurriedly knelt down and bowed. Du Tao called him up and asked. ¡°How is General Tang now?¡± The servant replied honestly, ¡°He¡¯s not awake yet.¡± Du Tao sighed, then turned to Prince Min and Duke Lang and gestured for them toe in. Prince Min and Prince Lang walked into the house first, followed by Du Tao and Lu Bianguang. When the four of them walked into the house, the door was immediately closed from the outside. Prince Min frowned and asked, ¡°Why are you closing the door?¡± Du Tao exined with a smile, ¡°This is so that the noise outside wouldn¡¯t disturb General Tang.¡± They walked around the screen and saw the bed. The bed was surrounded by gauze. Through the gauze, they could barely see a person lying on the bed, but they could not see the person¡¯s exact appearance. Du Tao walked over and reached out to lift the bed curtain. He turned to the other three and said. ¡°This is General Tang.¡± Xiao Juan and Prince Min walked to the bed and were slightly stunned when they saw the person lying on it. When Tang Pei entered the capital to report his work in the past, Xiao Juan had seen him. His impression of Tang Pei was that he was an extraordinary, straightforward, and meticulous man. But now, Tang Pei was lying motionless on the bed. His face was pale, his eyes were closed, and his lips were blue. At first nce, he looked dead. Xiao Juan¡¯s eyes moved. He wanted to reach out to check Tang Pei¡¯s breathing, but Du Tao stopped him. ... ¡°What is Your Highness going to do?¡± Xiao Juan lied without changing his expression. ¡°I¡¯ve read many medical books and know a little about the Tao of Qihuang. I want to take General Tang¡¯s pulse and see how his condition is.¡± Du Tao spoke slowly. ¡°General Tang¡¯s condition is very serious. Not only did I get a military physician to take a look at him, but I also specially hired a famous doctor to treat him. However, there was no improvement. Even if His Highness takes his pulse, it¡¯s useless. There¡¯s no need to trouble you.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s just taking his pulse. It doesn¡¯t take much effort.¡± Du Tao said, ¡°Forget it. This is not something a duke should do.¡± ¡°Are you teaching me how to do things?¡± ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯ve misunderstood. I just don¡¯t want to waste your time.¡± They stood toe to toe, neither willing to back down. Prince Min flicked his horsetail whisk and said slowly, ¡°Duke Lang just wants to take General Tang¡¯s pulse. It won¡¯t take long. There¡¯s no harm in letting him try.¡± The two princes had spoken. Du Tao could not handle it alone. He turned to look at Lu Jiaoguang. ... ¡°What do you think, Lord Lu?¡± Lu Yaoguang was trying his best to reduce his presence when Du Tao directly called his name. This time, everyone looked at him. He had to bite the bullet. ¡°Didn¡¯t the County Prince say that he just wanted to look at General Du? Now that we¡¯ve seen him, shouldn¡¯t we leave?¡± Xiao Juan looked at him steadily. ¡°It seems that County Governor Lu has a good rtionship with General Du.¡± Lu Yaoguang smiled awkwardly. ¡°We just knew each other and don¡¯t have a deep rtionship. Compared to General Du, I have a deeper rtionship with General Tang. After all, the Tang and Lu families are old friends.¡± Xiao Juan continued to ask, ¡°Since you¡¯re a family friend, why didn¡¯t you report this to the Imperial Court when General Tang was seriously ill for a long time?¡± Lu Yaoguang choked. He quickly defended himself. ¡°Previously, I saw that General Tang¡¯s injuries were not serious. In addition, General Du actively hired someone to treat him. I thought that he would recover quickly, so I did not report this matter to the Imperial Court. Who would have thought that his injuries would suddenly worsen? If I had known earlier, I would have reported it to the Imperial Court.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll send a message back to the Imperial Capital now and tell the emperor about this.¡± With that, he walked out. Du Tao stopped him again. ¡°Your Highness, why are you in such a hurry?¡± Xiao Juan spat out two words coldly. ¡°Get lost.¡± Chapter 240 - 240 Underground Secret Passage 240 Underground Secret Passage Du Tao did not move. At this moment, he hadpletely lost the enthusiasm and straightforwardness he had when they first met. His entire body seemed to be covered in ayer of haze, making him look exceptionally ruthless. ¡°This is an internal matter of our Eastern Expedition Army. We can resolve it ourselves. I hope you won¡¯t interfere, Your Highness.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Everything in the world is in royalnd. How can it be considered meddling in other people¡¯s business when I patrol the Eastern Expedition Army on behalf of His Majesty? On the other hand, you keep obstructing me. You seem to be hiding many secrets.¡± !! His gaze locked onto Du Tao with a strong sense of oppression. Du Tao smiled. ¡°Your Highness, you have a good eye. I really don¡¯t want the news of General Tang¡¯s illness to spread, at least not in the short term. Therefore, please keep it a secret.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°What if I don¡¯t agree?¡± Du Tao¡¯s eyes shed fiercely. ¡°Then don¡¯t me me for being ruthless.¡± Prince Min¡¯s expression darkened as he shouted. ¡°How dare you threaten us? Are you nning a rebellion?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I just want to rebel!¡± With that, Du Tao took two steps back, before reaching out and grabbing the thin rope beside the bed curtain to pull it down. With a whoosh, arge fell from the sky! Xiao Juan pulled out his No Return Saber and swept the sharp de across, cutting through therge above his head. Du Tao whistled and immediately pressed the mechanism beside the bed. A tile opened, revealing an underground passage. He jumped into the secret passage. Seeing this, Lu Yaoguang wanted to chase after him and flee with him, but he was toote. Xiao Juan, who was faster, grabbed the back of his cor and forcefully pulled him back. Lu Yaoguang could only watch helplessly as the tiles closed again. He was exasperated and shouted. ¡°Wait for me!¡± At the same time, a thick smoke entered the house through the door. Prince Min covered his mouth and nose. ¡°Where did the smokee from?¡± Xiao Juan casually tore off a piece of bedsheet and tied Lu Yaoguang¡¯s hands behind his back. He hurried to the door and reached for it, only to find it locked from the outside. When he pushed open the window again, the oue was the same. They were all locked from the outside. There was also a huge fire outside as smoke poured into the room. Xiao Juan called Meng Xizhou twice. No one answered. It was obvious that Meng Xizhou and the others had been plotted against. Du Tao was ready. He¡¯d nned everything. Xiao Juan used his internal energy and kicked the door. There was a loud ng as the door fell to the ground. As the mes outside immediately spread into the house with the wind, Xiao Juan grabbed Prince Min and ran out. However, before they could rush out of the door, arrows were shot at them, forcing them back into the room. Lu Yaoguang coughed and said, ¡°You can¡¯t get out. Du Tao has set up an inescapable ambush outside. No matter how strong you are, you won¡¯t be able to escape death.¡± Xiao Juan turned his gaze to the secret passage entrance on the ground. Du Tao had escaped through the secret passage just now. There must be an exit inside. Xiao Juan walked past the bed and searched for a moment before quickly finding the mechanism. With a gentle press, the tiles opened. Seeing this, Lu Yaoguang staggered over and panted. ¡°Take me with you. Please.¡± Xiao Juan looked at the dark secret passage. He did not know what was going on inside. If there was a trap inside, they would be in danger. But in this situation, he had no better choice. Xiao Juan carried Tang Pei, who was lying on the bed, on his shoulder and said to Prince Min, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Prince Min had already thrown away his horsetail whisk. He followed Xiao Juan down the secret passage. Lu Yaoguang did not want to stay in the house and wait for death. He sat down and ced his feet in the secret passage. Then he moved down bit by bit. After his feet reached the ground, he walked down the steps. Not long after they left, the tiles closed automatically again. The secret passage was dark. Fortunately, Xiao Juan had the habit of carrying a lighter with him. He took out the torch. In the faint light, he saw antern hanging on the wall beside him. He took down thentern and lit the candle inside. Xiao Juan handed thentern to Prince Min and let him carry it. Prince Min walked in front with thentern, and Xiao Juan followed closely behind with Tang Pei. Lu Yaoguang walked at the back. His hands were still tied behind his back and his movements were restricted. He was very afraid that Duke Lang would attack him, so he deliberately kept a distance from the two people in front. After walking for a while, Prince Min realized that there was a fork in the road ahead. He asked Xiao Juan which way to go. ... Xiao Juan ced Tang Pei on the ground. He squatted down and looked carefully under the dim light of thentern. He found a shallow footprint. He stood up and pointed to the right. ¡°Du Tao went this way. We¡¯ll follow him.¡± Prince Min agreed. They continued down the road on the right. Then, they encountered several forks. At first, Xiao Juan could still distinguish the direction with the footprints. Later, the footprints suddenly disappeared. They werepletely lost in this underground passage, unable to tell direction. Prince Min was terrified. ¡°We¡¯re not going to die trapped here, are we?¡± Xiao Juan ced Tang Pei on the ground and turned to look at Lu Yaoguang not far away. ¡°Do you know how to get out?¡± Lu Yaoguang¡¯s expression was ugly as he said hoarsely. ¡°Tang Pei secretly got someone to dig this secret passage to prevent any idents. There were only three people in the world who knew the route of this secret passage. One was Tang Pei, the other was Du Tao, and thest was Tang Pei¡¯s daughter, Tang Guixi. Du Tao only told me that there was a secret passage here that could be used to escape at a critical moment. But he didn¡¯t tell me how to find the exit.¡± ... Prince Min immediately walked to Tang Pei¡¯s side. The hazyntern light shone on Tang Pei¡¯s face. His face was frighteningly pale. Even after being carried over his shoulder for so long, he still showed no sign of waking. His eyes were closed and he did not move. Prince Min tried to shout twice. ¡°General Tang, Tang Pei!¡± Xiao Juan extended his finger and ced it under Tang Pei¡¯s nose. Seeing this, Prince Min¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°What are you doing? General Tang is unconscious, not dead. Do you need to check his breathing?¡± Xiao Juan retracted his finger. ¡°He¡¯s already dead.¡± The moment he saw Tang Pei, Xiao Juan felt that Tang Pei was not alive. He wanted to check Tang Pei¡¯s breathing then, but he was stopped by Du Tao. After that, he carried Tang Pei and fled. He could clearly feel that Tang Pei¡¯s body was frighteningly cold. There was no warmth at all, and his limbs were even a little stiff. When he checked his breathing, the result was not surprising. The man was really dead. Prince Min fell to the ground in shock. ¡°D-dead? How did that happen?¡± There are only three people in the world who know the exit of the secret passage. Du Tao had already fled, and Tang Guixi¡¯s whereabouts were unknown. It was very likely that she had already perished. Only Tang Pei was left, but he was already dead. So what do they do? Chapter 241 - 241 Inescapable Net 241 Inescapable Net Xiao Juan looked at Lu Yaoguang not far away and said in a low voice. ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡± Lu Yaoguang was flustered and looked at him warily. ¡°What do you want to talk about? Let me make it clear to you first. Tang Pei¡¯s death has nothing to do with me. I didn¡¯t kill him.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Do you mean that Tang Pei was killed?¡± Lu Yaoguang shut his mouth and stopped talking. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°The person who killed him was Du Tao, right? What¡¯s your rtionship with Du Tao? Are you aplices?¡± Lu Yaoguang remained silent. Xiao Juan said, ¡°You don¡¯t think Du Tao wille back to save you, do you? He doesn¡¯t trust you at all. Otherwise, he would have told you where the exit of the secret passage is. He has been guarding against you.¡± Lu Yaoguang gritted his teeth. ¡°You don¡¯t have to sow discord. I¡¯m not familiar with Du Tao, to begin with.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Then why did you help him keep the secret?¡± Lu Yaoguang refused to admit it. ¡°I have nothing to do with Du Tao! I don¡¯t know anything about him!¡± Xiao Juan knew what he was worried about. He was just afraid that he would be implicated after betraying Du Tao. ¡°I¡¯m giving you a chance to confess now. As long as you tell me everything honestly, I¡¯ll think of a way to plead for youter.¡± Lu Yaoguang did not believe it. ¡°You can¡¯t even protect yourself now. What right do you have to promise me?¡± Xiao Juan said slowly, ¡°Since I dared to follow you to Xiangtai, I naturally had a backup n. If I don¡¯t go back in three days, someone will send a message about the situation here to the Imperial Capital. Soon the emperor would send troops to take over Liaodong County. You and your family won¡¯t get away with it.¡± Lu Yaoguang¡¯s expression changed. At this point, he had already been abandoned by Du Tao. Du Tao would not take the risk toe back and save him. Once what happened in Liaodong County was leaked, the head of the Lu family would be med. After weighing the pros and cons, Lu Yaoguang finally made a choice. ¡°I can tell you everything I know, but I have a condition.¡± Xiao Juan gestured for him to speak. Lu Yaoguang said, ¡°No matter what happens to me in the end, I don¡¯t want my family to be implicated.¡± Xiao Juan promised, ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to save the lives of your family.¡± Although Duke Lang had a fierce reputation, he had always been true to his words. Lu Yaoguang took a deep breath and spoke slowly. ¡°Du Tao joined the Eastern Expedition Army four years ago. He was very skilled and smart and was already very familiar with the entire army despite having just joined. Even Tang Pei had a good impression of him and had mentioned him to me. He said that he was a promising talent and had a bright future. Who would have thought that this person was actually a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing?¡± ¡°After Du Tao became familiar with the generals in the army, he understood every general¡¯s personality and weakness. Then, he schemed to lure those generals into a trap and force them to collude with him. By the time Tang Pei realized that something was wrong, it was toote. All the trusted generals around him were controlled by Du Tao. This was equivalent to taking over Tang Pei.¡± ¡°Three years ago, Tang Guixi suddenly disappeared. Tang Pei told the public that she had gone out to y. I knew in my heart that Tang Pei had probably asked Tang Guixi to send a letter to ask the Imperial Court for help. However, Tang Guixi did not return. I guessed that she had most likely encountered an ident.¡± ¡°After that, Du Tao and Tang Pei fell out. At that time, the Chen Nation sent troops to harass themoners at the border of Liaodong County. Tang Pei led the troops to resist to chase the Chen Nation¡¯s troops out of Liaodong County.¡± ¡°It was on that battlefield that Tang Pei was injured and fell sick. It was clear that Du Tao is definitely involved in Tang Pei¡¯s injury.¡± Prince Min could not help but say, ¡°Tang Pei knew that there was something wrong with Du Tao, so why did he personally lead the army at that time? Swords have no eyes on the battlefield. Isn¡¯t he afraid of being stabbed from behind?¡± Lu Yaoguang sighed. ¡°This is Tang Pei. Even if he knows that there¡¯s a tiger¡¯s den ahead, he won¡¯t take a step back because of this. It was also because of his principle of not giving in that he could guard the border of the Dayan Dynasty and protect the safety of the people of Liaodong County.¡± ¡°For so many years, they didn¡¯t give the Chen Nation a chance.¡± Prince Min did not know whether to scold Tang Pei for being stupid or admire his fearless spirit. Lu Yaoguang continued. ¡°Tang Pei was sick in bed and his movements were restricted. Hence, Du Tao rightfully took over the Eastern Expedition Army. He took the opportunity to kick out all the people who were loyal to Tang Pei and rece them with his own. Soon, the entire Eastern Expedition Army fell into Du Tao¡¯s hands.¡± ¡°Du Tao took the initiative to look for me. He said that the military funds of the Eastern Expedition Army were tight and asked me to think of a way to get money. ¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t agree, he would expose me for colluding with the local powerhouses and annexing thend of themoners. I was forced to follow his instructions and increased the taxes in Liaodong County. Then, I gave the extra tax to Du Tao.¡± ¡°Du Tao used that money to bribe military generals again. He was also the one who raised military prostitutes to buy peoples¡¯ hearts. On the one hand, he grasped the leverage, but on the other hand, he satisfied the desire of the generals. With grace and power, he has those people firmly in his palm.¡± At this point, Lu Yaoguang let out a long sigh. ¡°You¡¯re toote. Now that the Eastern Expedition Army has beenpletely taken over by Du Tao, his status in the army is unparalleled. Unless Tang Pei can survive, no one can shake his status.¡± Prince Min was desperate. This meant that even if they could escape the secret passage, they could not escape Xiangtai. The Eastern Expedition Army had 100,000 troops. It was easy to kill them. Xiao Juan said, ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true.¡± Facing Prince Min¡¯s puzzled gaze, Xiao Juan exined calmly. ¡°There are a hundred thousand troops in the Eastern Expedition Army. Du Tao can¡¯t control everyone firmly. He can only control the generals at the top. If he wants to mobilize the troops, he needs two more things¡ªthe Commander¡¯s Seal and the Emperor¡¯s Order.¡± He looked at Lu Yaoguang and asked, ¡°If I¡¯m right, Du Tao didn¡¯t get either of those things.¡± Lu Yaoguang smiled bitterly. As expected of Duke Lang, he immediately grasped the crux of the matter. ¡°Yes, Du Tao has been looking for the Commander¡¯s Seal and Emperor¡¯s Order, but he can¡¯t find them. Tang Pei did not have it on him. It was also not found at the military camp or Tang Pei¡¯s house. It was also because of these two things that Du Tao did not dare to let Tang Pei die.¡± ¡°For the past three years, he had been keeping Tang Pei alive with medicine, wanting to interrogate him about the whereabouts of the Commander¡¯s Seal and Emperor¡¯s Order ¡°Tang Pei refused to say and the two sides were in a stalemate. Until recently, when Du Tao learned that you wereing. He knew that there was no way he could cover up, so he might as well kill Tang Pei. He set up an inescapable, nning to kill you all.¡± Prince Min was angry and afraid. ¡°If Duke Lang and I are here, he won¡¯t be able to escape death once the emperor investigates!¡± Chapter 242 - 242 Father and Daughter 242 Father and Daughter Lu Yaoguang said, ¡°Since Du Tao dared to do it, he naturally had a countermeasure in mind. After you die, he will me your deaths on Tang Pei. He would tell the public that Tang Pei had colluded with the Chen Nation and betrayed the country by plotting to kill Duke Lang and Prince Min.¡± ¡°In the end, he had tomit suicide because his crimes were exposed. In this way, all of you will be dead. There will be no evidence. Even if the Imperial Court wants to investigate, they won¡¯t be able to.¡± Prince Min was so angry that he could not even speak. His body trembled. Not only was this person cunning, but he was also extremely vicious! !! Xiao Juan looked at Tang Pei¡¯s corpse and suddenly changed the topic. ¡°Is Tang Guixi really dead?¡± Lu Yaoguang did not understand why he suddenly mentioned Tang Guixi, but he still answered truthfully. ¡°She¡¯s been missing for three years. She¡¯s never been heard from. She¡¯s probably dead.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°But what if she just found a ce to hide?¡± Lu Yaoguang said, ¡°If she was still alive, she would definitely find a way to tell the Imperial Court what happened in the Eastern Expedition Army, but the Imperial Court is still in the dark. The only exnation is that she¡¯s no longer alive.¡± Xiao Juan stopped talking. Lu Yaoguang had a point. Prince Min muttered softly, ¡°So what if she¡¯s alive? She¡¯s just a girl. She can¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡­. In Prince Min¡¯s Mansion, Shen Xu ran out. He returned a momentter with a thin letter. Yu Niaoniao opened the envelope and pulled out the letter. Shen Xu hurriedly said, ¡°This is a letter to the Imperial Capital. Duke Lang wouldn¡¯t let me open it on my own.¡± Yu Niaoniao ignored him and quickly read the letter. Xiao Juan briefly exined his arrival in Liaodong County in the letter. He first discovered that the Eastern Expedition Army had raised military prostitutes without permission. Then, he followed this clue and discovered that the Eastern Expedition Army had colluded with the government and the local powerhouses. They raised taxes without permission and annexed thend of themoners, causing the people to live in misery. Many good citizens were forced to a dead end and eventually became bandits. People have been sent to obstruct him during his investigation. Duan Nian¡¯er was one of them. Someone did not want them to find out the truth about the Eastern Expedition Army. It could be seen that there was a terrifying force hidden in the Eastern Expedition Army. He had specially brought Prince Min and the County Governor, Lu Yaoguang, to Xiangtai to find out what had happened in the Eastern Expedition Army. He was also investigating the role the Expeditionary General, Tang Pei, and the County Governor, Lu Yaoguang yed in this matter. If he did not return in three days, it meant that there had been a mutiny in the Eastern Expedition Army. They had to inform the emperor as soon as possible and ask him to send troops to suppress the Eastern Expedition Army. Shen Xu craned his neck to read the letter. The contents of the letter made him jumpy. By the time he finished reading the letter, his expression had be extremely terrified. ¡°My father went to Xiangtai too. Will something happen to him?¡± Yu Niaoniao stuffed the letter back into the envelope and said to him, ¡°There¡¯s no need to wait three days. Get someone to send this letter to the Imperial Capital immediately. Be fast!¡± Shen Xu waspletely flustered now. He hurriedly replied, ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I¡¯ll go now.¡± He hurried out with the envelope. Yu Niaoniao looked at Dang Gui, who was lying on the bed. At this moment, Lo Pingsha had already bandaged Dang Gui¡¯s wound again, but Dang Gui was still unconscious. Heat began to rise in her body. Her lips went dry, and her cheeks flushed unnaturally. Yu Niaoniao used a wet handkerchief to cool her down. Seeing that she had been muttering, she bent over. She heard Dang Gui repeat the same word ¡ª ¡°Father¡­¡± ¡­. When Tang Guixi was born, her father was out fighting until she was three. The little girl with two pigtails hid behind the door and looked at her father, who had just returned home. Everyone around her was urging her to call him father. But Tang Guixi pursed her lips and refused to do as told. Her father walked to her, squatted, and took out a rattle. He spoke gently. ¡°Guixi, this is a toy Father specially made for you. It¡¯s for you.¡± Tang Guixi hesitated for a moment before reaching out her hand and taking the rattle. She gently turned the rattle drum, and the crisp drum sounded. A faint smile also appeared on her small face. The scene changed. Tang Guixi was eight years old. She was wearing boys¡¯ clothes and her face was dirty. She was holding a long stick. She knocked the little fatty who hade to provoke her to the ground with a stick, propped her foot on the little bench, and pointed at the little fatty heroically. ¡°In the future, this territory will be under my protection. If you dare to behave atrociously in my territory again, I¡¯ll beat you up!¡± The little fatty got up and shouted in exasperation, ¡°What¡¯s so great about you? Aren¡¯t you just a fatherless brat?!¡± When Tang Guixi heard this, she rushed up without a word and beat the little fatty up again. After that, she did not forget to shout, ¡°I have a father! My father is a great general and a great hero! The reason he¡¯s away all year round is that he wants to protect the country at the border!¡± When Tang Pei returned home, she heard that her daughter had gone out to y. He ran out to look for his daughter and happened to hear her say this. He felt extremely gratified. He strode over, picked up his daughter, and sat her on his shoulder. Tang Guixi was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Father, you¡¯re back!¡± Tang Pei looked at her lovingly. ... ¡°Yes, my dear girl has grown taller.¡± Tang Guixi raised her chin proudly. ¡°I¡¯ll grow taller. Taller than Father!¡± She sat on her father¡¯s shoulder like a proud cub and spoke to her friends who were looking at her eagerly. ¡°This is my father, the great hero who makes enemies tremble in fear!¡± His friends looked envious. The scene changed again. Her mother died when Tang Guixi was ten years old. Tang Pei rushed back. He did not even have time to take off his armor before running into the mourning hall. Tang Guixi looked up at him with tears in her eyes. ¡°Father, what took you so long?¡± Tang Pei hurriedly wiped her tears. ¡°I came backte. I was wrong.¡± ... After dealing with her mother¡¯s funeral, Tang Guixi left her hometown with her father and headed to Xiangtai. Although she was a girl, she liked to stay in the military camp with her father. She practiced riding and archery with the soldiers every day and even learned martial arts. As Tang Pei lectured her, he said that she would be despised by her inws in the future. At the same time, he could not bear to detain her at home and turned a blind eye to her behavior in the military camp. Tang Guixi thought that such days would continue until one day her father suddenly called her over and spoke to her sternly. ¡°Gui Xi, I¡¯ll stay in the Eastern Expedition Army and think of a way to dy Du Tao. Take these two things and leave Xiangtai to seek help from the Imperial Court.¡± ¡°Du Tao will probably send someone after you. You can¡¯t use the official road, let alone expose yourself. It¡¯s best if you circle around from the southwest. The terrain there isplicated and conducive to hiding your whereabouts.¡± Tang Guixi did not want to leave her father. She wanted to stay and suffer with him. But she knew she couldn¡¯t be willful. She had toplete the mission her father had given her. Only then could the Eastern Expedition Army and Liaodong County be saved. Chapter 243 - 243 Regaining Memory 243 Regaining Memory Tang Guixi quietly left Xiangtai with two guards. It didn¡¯t take long for their pursuers to catch up to them. Two guards had died protecting her. She was grieving, but she couldn¡¯t stop. !! Following her father¡¯s instructions, she deliberately chose a difficult mountain path and circled to the southwest. Her pursuers were relentless. She dodged as she fled, suffering many injuries. Using the terrain advantage of the southwest mountains, she dealt with the enemy. Later, because the inmed wound caused a high fever, she fell into aa. That day, Yu Niaoniao followed her maternal family¡¯s escort team out to y. She happened to bump into the seriously injured and unconscious Tang Guixi and picked her up. ¡­ . Dang Gui slowly opened her eyes. The blurry image in front of her gradually became clear. She stared at the carved roof of the bed for a long time. Yu Niaoniao stayed by the bed. She was surprised and happy to see Dang Gui awake. The weight on her heart finally settled. Lo Pingsha had said that as long as Dang Gui could wake up, it would not be a problem. Dang Gui looked at her nkly. The scene in front of her seemed to coincide with what she had seen three years ago when she woke up from hera. At that time, she opened her eyes and saw Yu Niaoniao. When Yu Niaoniao asked her name and where she lived, she couldn¡¯t answer a word. She couldn¡¯t remember anything. Her memories of the past were nk. Later, Yu Niaoniao gave her a name. ¡°You¡¯re alone out there. Your family must be worried about you. They¡¯re all looking forward to your return. Then I¡¯ll call you Dang Gui. I hope you can recover your memory and return home early.¡± Dang Gui blinked slowly, her eyes turning red. She choked. ¡°I remember.¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned at first, then her eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Have you regained your memory?¡± Without waiting for Dang Gui to answer, Yu Niaoniao asked impatiently, ¡°What was your name before? Where did you live?¡± Back then, Dang Gui was brought home by Yu Niaoniao. When she woke up, Yu Niaoniao asked these two questions. At that time, she couldn¡¯t think of an answer. This time, it was different. She could give a clear and definite answer. ¡°My name is Tang Guixi. My father is General Tang Pei. I lived with my father in Xiangtai.¡± General Zhengyuan, Xiangtai¡­ These two terms drilled into Yu Niaoniao¡¯s head, making her small brain work quickly. ¡°Why were you near Bashu in the first ce? And so badly injured.¡± Dang Gui told Yu Niaoniao what had happened. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°In other words, the Eastern Expedition Army had a problem three years ago, and Du Tao was the instigator. But why did he do it?¡± Dang Gui said, ¡°My father suspects that he is a spy sent by the Chen Nation. His goal is to cause the copse of the Eastern Expedition Army from the inside. As long as the Eastern Expedition Army copses, the troops of the Chen Nation can march into Liaodong County without any effort. At that time, it will be toote even if the Imperial Court sends troops to help.¡± Realization dawned on Yu Niaoniao. This way, everything made sense. The border map of Liaodong County that Che Xuekun had obtained back then was very likely obtained from Du Tao. The so-called anti-government poetry case and the kidnapping of a woman were just decoys. Their real goal was to cooperate from the inside to allow the Chen Nation sessfully invade Liaodong County! No wonder Prince Min and his son were assassinated. As long as they returned to Liaodong County, they would quickly discover the secret of the Eastern Expedition Army. Once the news leaked, the Imperial Court would make arrangements in advance, and Du Tao¡¯s n would fail. The best solution was to kill Prince Min and control Shen Xu. This way, the hidden danger could be resolved without arousing the suspicion of the Imperial Court. Dang Gui lifted the nket and was about to get out of bed. Yu Niaoniao quickly stopped her. ¡°Your head is still injured. You can¡¯t move.¡± Dang Gui said anxiously. ¡°I lost my memory for three years. Three years is enough time for Du Tao to set everything up. I¡¯m worried about my father. I¡¯m afraid something will happen to him.¡± Yu Niaoniao pressed her back down. ¡°I understand your feelings, but you won¡¯t be able to help even if you go to Xiangtai. Why don¡¯t you recuperate first? Little Lo and I will go to Xiangtai.¡± Dang Gui shook her head. ¡°No, you¡¯ve never been to Xiangtai and don¡¯t know that ce at all. Even if you go, you won¡¯t know how to enter the Eastern Expedition Army¡¯s camp. I have to go with you. And I have two other things that my father gave me. With those two things, we might be able to win by surprise.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly asked what it was. Dang Gui said in a low voice. ¡°Commander¡¯s Seal and Emperor¡¯s Order.¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. ¡°But when I saved you back then, I didn¡¯t see you carrying the Commander¡¯s Seal and Commander¡¯s Seal.¡± ¡°Those two things were too important. I was afraid I wouldn¡¯t be able to escape pursuit and that those two things would be taken, too. So I deposited them in the bank before I left Xiangtai.¡± ... Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You kept such a precious thing in the bank? Aren¡¯t you afraid they would be discovered?¡± Dang Gui smiled slyly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no one will find out.¡± Yu Niaoniao called Lo Pingsha and Shen Xu over. She told them about Dang Gui¡¯s memory recovery and the Eastern Expedition Army. ¡°We¡¯re going to Xiangtai now to retrieve the Commander¡¯s Seal and the Emperor¡¯s Order. Then we¡¯ll find a way to expose Du Tao¡¯s scheme and save Duke Lang and Prince Min.¡± Shen Xu was stunned. He felt as if he were listening to an alien conversation. It was too surreal. The little maidservant beside Yu Niaoniao was actually the daughter of a general! The powerful Du Tao in the Eastern Expedition Army was actually a traitor! The Commander¡¯s Seal and Emperor¡¯s Order were actually stored in an unreliable ce like the bank. ... The huge amount of information almost drowned Shen Xu. He had only gone back to his room to sleep. When he woke up, he realized that the entire world had changed! Seeing that they were about to leave, Shen Xu hurriedly said. ¡°If all of you leave, what will happen to me?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Stay in Prince Min¡¯s Mansion to receive us.¡± Shen Xu was unwilling. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a burden and deliberately refuse to bring me along? I don¡¯t care. I want to go to Xiangtai with you. My father¡¯s life is still unknown. I have to save him!¡± Yu Niaoniao said solemnly, ¡°We¡¯re not going on a vacation this time. We¡¯re going to fight it out with someone and might never return. Are you sure you want to take the risk with us?¡± Shen Xu was a little afraid. He hesitated for a moment and finally gritted his teeth. ¡°I want to go to Xiangtai with you! I want to save my father!¡± Yu Niaoniao really looked at Shen Xu in a different light. Although this fellow had bad habits, he was really filial to his father and was quite responsible at critical moments. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then let¡¯s set off now.¡± The group set off from Prince Min¡¯s Mansion and prepared to leave the city in a carriage. They only knew when they reached the city gate that the county governor¡¯s wife had sent someone to guard the city gate and strictly interrogate the pedestrians who left the city. Chapter 244 - 244 Commander’s Seal and Emperor’s Order 244 Commander¡¯s Seal and Emperor¡¯s Order Themoners discussed softly as they lined up to leave the city. ¡°Why are you suddenly investigating the people who are leaving the city? Did something happen?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Last night, a thief entered the Prefectural Governor¡¯s Mansion and lost something. The county governor¡¯s wife was very angry. She sent someone to keep an eye on the city gate at dawn today. Everyone who leaves the city has to be interrogated. It seems that she has to catch that thief!¡± ¡°Which thief is so bold to sneak into the County Governor¡¯s Mansion to steal something?¡± ¡°I heard there were three thieves, a man and two women. Look, there¡¯s a portrait of them beside the city gate!¡± ¡­. The chatter of themoners entered the carriage. Yu Niaoniao knew what was going on. Catching the thieves was a fabricated excuse to nab the three of them. She said to Shen Xu,¡±We¡¯re counting on youter. Don¡¯t let them find out about us.¡± Shen Xu tidied his clothes and puffed out his chest proudly. ¡°Just wait!¡± As an outstanding yboy, pestering and bullying others was his specialty! The team advanced bit by bit. When Prince Min¡¯s carriage reached the front, the officials asked everyone in the carriage to get out. They wanted to interrogate them one by one. Shen Xu pushed open the car window and looked down at the soldiers. ¡°Who do you think you are? How dare you ask me to get out of the carriage? Do you believe that I¡¯ll strip you of your positions now?!¡± Only then did the soldiers notice the emblem of Prince Min¡¯s Mansion on the carriage. They immediately hunched their shoulders in fear and did not dare to retort. Shen Xu scolded angrily, ¡°What are you standing there for? Get lost. I¡¯m leaving the city!¡± One of the soldiers mustered his courage and said. ¡°But the county governor¡¯s wife instructed us to interrogate everyone who leaves the city¡­¡± Shen Xu seemed to have heard a funny joke andughed bluntly. ¡°Not to mention the county governor¡¯s wife, even if Lu Yaoguang himself came, he would have to be polite to me. This is my father¡¯s fief. From now on, I¡¯m the owner of this ce. Don¡¯t you know whom you should listen to?¡± The officers looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Be it the county governor¡¯s wife or the heir, they did not dare to offend them. Shen Xu¡¯s face darkened. ¡°You asked for this!¡± He instructed the coachman, ¡°Charge out directly. Whoever dares to stop me will be unlucky. I won¡¯t pay for anything!¡± With that, he mmed the window shut. The coachman flicked his whip and urged the carriage forward. The soldiers who were originally blocking the middle of the road were frightened out of their wits and hurriedly hid to the side. The carriage raced past them and straight out of the city gate. The soldiersined in their hearts. They med themselves for not looking at the almanac when they went out today. They had actually encountered such an unreasonable person. Due to Shen Xu¡¯s attitude, no one dared to chase after him. They could only watch as the carriage quickly left. In the carriage, Shen Xu shook his head. ¡°Wasn¡¯t my performance just now great?¡± Yu Niaoniao praised sincerely. ¡°That was a good performance. Don¡¯t do it again, or you might get beaten to death.¡± Shen Xu was speechless. Xingning was very close to Xiangtai. It took only half a day for the carriage to reach Xiangtai. As the base of the Eastern Expedition Army, most of the people living here were military families. Dang Gui had lived here for many years and was familiar with everything. She was too concerned about her father¡¯s safety to reminisce about the past and located the bank as quickly as possible. Yu Niaoniao helped her into the bank. Immediately, a clerk came forward and asked if they wanted to save or withdraw money. Dang Gui¡¯s head was still wrapped in thick gauze. Her face was pale and she sounded short of breath. ¡°I saved something here three years ago. I want to take it out.¡± The clerk asked, ¡°Can you show me the deposit slip?¡± ¡®The deposit slip was destroyed when I was being hunted,¡¯ she said weakly. ¡°I lost the deposit slip.¡± The clerk asked again, ¡°Then do you remember your secret order?¡± When a bank deposited something, they would leave a string of secret orders for the client. As long as the client could write the right secret order and have the same handwriting, they could take it out without a deposit slip. Dang Gui nodded. ¡°I remember.¡± ¡°Please follow me.¡± The clerk led them to the second floor and invited them to sit down. Then he took out a pen and paper and asked Dang Gui to write her name, time of deposit, and secret order. Dang Gui quickly finished writing. The clerk took the list into the storeroom to search. It was a long time before he returned. He ced a square box on the table. ¡°Take a look. Is this what you saved?¡± Yu Niaoniao helped open the box and took out a heavy five-colored pottery horse. She could not help but look at Dang Gui for directions. ... Didn¡¯t they say the Commander¡¯s Seal and Emperor¡¯s Order? Why had they be a decoration? Dang Gui nodded. ¡°It¡¯s this thing.¡± The clerk ced a list in front of Dang Gui. ¡°Please sign here.¡± Dang Gui signed her name and left the bank with Yu Niaoniao. They returned to the carriage. Shen Xu was also surprised to see the pottery horse ornament they brought back. ¡°Is this the Commander¡¯s Seal and Emperor¡¯s Order you¡¯re talking about? Are you kidding me?¡± Dang Gui said weakly, ¡°Smash it open. The things are hidden inside.¡± Shen Xu immediately found a small hammer specially used to smash walnuts and said to them. ¡°Stay away.¡± ... Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui moved back and used soft pillows to shield themselves from the flying debris. Shen Xu waved his small hammer and knocked on the pottery horse. When the pottery horse was broken into pieces, the Commander¡¯s Seal and Emperor¡¯s Order were revealed. Yu Niaoniao picked up the Commander¡¯s Seal and Emperor¡¯s Order and wiped them clean with a handkerchief. Shen Xu was very curious. ¡°How did you think of hiding them in the pottery horse?¡± Dang Gui said, ¡°It was on a whim. I saw someone doing pottery, so I spent some money and made a pottery horse ornament myself. In the process, I hid the items inside. This way, as long as the pottery horse did not shatter, no one would know about the Commander¡¯s Seal and the Emperor¡¯s Order.¡± And she had paid a high price to keep the pottery horse in the bank. No one would touch it. Shen Xu clicked his tongue. ¡°As expected of the daughter of a tiger. She¡¯s smart!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Now that we have the Commander¡¯s Seal and the Emperor¡¯s Order, the n is halfpleted. Next, we had to find some people to sneak into the camp.¡± There were 100,000 troops in the Eastern Expedition Army. Du Tao could only control the generals above. There were so many soldiers at the bottom and he definitely could not control them all. We have to find a way to rope these low-level soldiers in and get them on our side. ¡°With the troops, the Commander¡¯s Seal, and the Emperor¡¯s Order, we¡¯ll definitely win this game.¡± Dang Gui thought for a moment and had an idea. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to someone. He might be able to help us.¡± Chapter 245 - 245 I’m Back 245 I¡¯m Back Under Dang Gui¡¯s guidance, the carriage stopped at the entrance to the alley. The alley was very narrow and the carriage could not enter. Yu Niaoniao, Dang Gui, Lo Pingsha, and Shen Xu could only get out of the carriage and walk. Dang Gui spoke as she walked. ¡°Grandpa Sun lives here. He used to be a military physician in the Eastern Expedition Army and saved many people. Many people in the army respected him very much. Later, he was discharged early because he injured his leg during the march and became disabled.¡± !! ¡°My father had saved his life. He had always been very grateful to my father. As long as he¡¯s willing to help, he should be able to rope in a lot of people.¡± They walked into the alley and knocked on the door of the house at the far end. The door was opened by a little girl. She was immediately wary when she saw that it was a stranger. ¡°Who are you?¡± Dang Gui stepped forward. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember me, Xiaohe?¡± Xiaohe stared at her face for a moment, then finally remembered and blurted out, ¡°You¡¯re Sister Guixi!¡± Dang Gui smiled. ¡°It¡¯s me. I¡¯m back.¡± Xiaohe hurriedly opened the courtyard doorpletely and invited them in. Then she ran to find the adults at home. Soon Old Sun limped out with a cane. Behind him were two young daughters-inw and several small children. Almost the entire family was here and they were pleasantly surprised to see Dang Gui. Old Sun asked excitedly, ¡°Miss, where have you been for the past three years? Why haven¡¯t we heard from you at all? We thought something had happened to you and were worried sick.¡± Then he noticed the gauze wrapped around Dang Gui¡¯s forehead and frowned. ¡°You have a head injury? Let me see.¡± Dang Gui said gently, ¡°Grandpa Sun, it¡¯s just a small injury. It¡¯s fine. I came to you this time because I have something very important to ask you for help with.¡± Old Sun led them into the house. The two daughters-inw served them tea and then tactfully left. Dang Gui briefly exined why she hade. When Old Sun heard this, his beard trembled in anger. ¡°I knew something had happened to the Eastern Expedition Army!¡± ¡°Previously, General Tang was injured on the battlefield and had been recuperating after being sent back. I once wanted to see him, but I was stopped by the kid with the surname Du.¡± ¡°He insisted that I was too old and did not allow me to treat General Tang. At the time, I thought there was something wrong with him, but no one believed me!¡± Dang Gui was extremely worried when she heard that her father was injured. ¡°Is my father¡¯s condition very serious?¡± Old Sun said solemnly, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen it with my own eyes, so I can¡¯t be sure how serious his injuries are. However, from the fact that General Tang hasn¡¯t appeared in public for three years, I can tell that his injuries are definitely not light.¡± Dang Gui¡¯s heart was heavy, and even her head hurt. Seeing that she did not look good, Old Sun hurriedlyforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. General Tang has experienced so many storms and has always been in good health. I¡¯ll treat him carefullyter. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be cured.¡± Dang Gui forced a weak smile. ¡°Thank you, Grandpa Sun.¡± Old Sun used his illness to get someone to call his two sons back from the military camp. Not long after, the two sons of the Sun family rushed back. When they heard that their father was seriously ill, they were shocked. As soon as they entered the door, they were stunned to see their father sitting there safely. ¡°Father, aren¡¯t you sick?¡± Old Sun said quickly, ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about that for now. Look who this is.¡± Sun Dng and Sun Eng looked in the direction their father was pointing and noticed that there were four other people sitting beside them. Three of them were unfamiliar, but a pale girl wrapped in gauze looked familiar. They stared again and finally remembered. Wasn¡¯t this girl the eldest daughter of the Tang family who had been missing for three years?! Sun Dng and Sun Eng were pleasantly surprised. ¡°Miss, when did youe back?¡± Dang Gui said weakly, ¡°I just got back.¡± The brothers wanted to ask more, but their father interrupted. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk for now. Missy needs your help with something.¡± Then, Old Sun told them what Du Tao had done. Yu Niaoniao originally thought that convincing the Sun brothers would take some time Unexpectedly, the two brothers agreed on the spot. ¡°Leave this to us. We¡¯ll definitely do a good job for Missy!¡± Old Sun also felt that they had agreed too quickly and was a little worried. ¡°Don¡¯t talk big. This matter is risky. If you can¡¯t do it, just say it. Don¡¯t force yourself.¡± Sun Dng hurriedly said, ¡°Father, you haven¡¯t been in the military camp for a long time, so you don¡¯t know. The military camp is in a mess now.¡± Sun Eng added, ¡°Ever since Du Tao rxed the military rules, a lot of things have happened in the army. Many people have contracted dirty diseases because of prostitutes.¡± ¡°They could not be cured and no one would care if they reported it to the higher-ups. Now, they are living a life worse than death.¡± ¡°There were also people who were addicted to alcohol and spent all the money they had saved. In the end, they were even in debt.¡± ¡°There were also gambling, fighting, theft of military items¡­¡± ¡°The military camp today is simply not a ce for humans to stay. We are just holding our breaths. I can¡¯t leave because of my identity as a soldier. I can only endure it.¡± Old Sun could not help but ask, ¡°Why is it so chaotic? Doesn¡¯t anyone from the higher-ups care?¡± Sun Dng shook his head. ¡°Who cares? Those people up there y even more crazily. They live in drunkenness all day long and squander their military sry wantonly,pletely ignoring the lives of their subordinates.¡± Sun Eng immediately said, ¡°Everyone is hoping that General Tang will recover quickly and clean up the military camp.¡± ... Brother Sun said, ¡°If everyone knows that Missy is back, they will definitely stand on her side without hesitation.¡± Dang Gui cupped her fists at them and said solemnly. ¡°I¡¯ll leave everything in your hands.¡± The Sun brothers hurriedly returned the greeting. ¡°It¡¯s our honor to serve Missy!¡± They quickly returned to the barracks. Old Sun invited them to eat at home and was politely rejected. ¡°We have things to do. We¡¯ll visit another day.¡± Seeing that he could not keep them, Old Sun could only get someone to take out the box under his bed. He carefully wiped the dust off the box, then opened the lid, revealing the armor inside. ¡°It¡¯s the armor I used to wear. I haven¡¯t used it in years, but I take it out and polish it every year. If you don¡¯t mind, you can use it.¡± Dang Gui looked at the armor in front of her and felt a lump in her throat. ¡°Thank you, Grandpa Sun. I¡¯ll use it well.¡± ... Old Sun picked up the helmet and put it on Dang Gui¡¯s head. The man¡¯s helmet was a little big for Dang Gui, but it was just enough to cover the gauze on her forehead. Old Sun looked at her eyes, which were fifty to sixty percent simr to General Tang¡¯s, and said seriously, ¡°The future of the Eastern Expedition Army depends on you.¡± Chapter 246 - 246 Caught in the Act 246 Caught in the Act After leaving Old Sun¡¯s house, Yu Niaoniao and the others returned to the carriage. Shen Xu asked where he was going to wait. Yu Niaoniao said in distress, ¡°There has been no news from Duke Lang and Prince Min. I¡¯m very worried about them. I want to enter the military camp to look for them, but the back of the military camp is tightly guarded. We can¡¯t enter. If only there was a secret passage that could let us sneak into the military camp.¡± Dang Gui immediately said, ¡°I know a secret passage that leads directly to the military camp.¡± !! Everyone immediately perked up and hurriedly asked where the entrance to the secret passage was. Dang Gui said, ¡°It¡¯s in the small courtyard opposite the back door of the Wan Family¡¯s bun shop in the west of the city.¡± The carriage headed west into the city and stopped near the back door of Wan¡¯s Bun Shop. They got out of the car and found the small courtyard Dang Gui had mentioned. Dang Gui was stunned when she saw the courtyard door. ¡°Why isn¡¯t this door locked?¡± Seeing that everyone was looking at her, she took the initiative to exin. ¡°This small courtyard is under my father¡¯s name. To prevent the secret entrance in the courtyard from being discovered, this small courtyard is usually locked. Only my father and I have a key. No one else can enter.¡± Shen Xu asked, ¡°Could your father be inside?¡± Dang Gui was delighted when she heard this. She raised her hand to push the door open, but Lo Pingsha stopped her. ¡°Wait a minute. There are people in this courtyard, and there are a lot of them.¡± Dang Gui¡¯s joy immediately subsided. She frowned and said, ¡°My father never brings outsiders here.¡± Yu Niaoniao said in a low voice, ¡°This can only mean that the person in the courtyard is probably not your father.¡± She instructed Lo Pingsha, ¡°Go see who¡¯s in the courtyard.¡± Lo Pingsha nodded in agreement. He mustered his qinggong and sprang up onto a nearby tree. He looked into the small courtyard through the gaps in the leaves. The others stood under the tree and waited. A momentter, Lo Pingsha jumped down from the tree andnded firmly on the ground. Yu Niaoniao asked impatiently, ¡°What¡¯s the situation inside?¡± Lo Pingsha said in a low voice, ¡°There are many people in the courtyard. From the looks of it, there are at least a dozen of them. They¡¯re all from the Eastern Expedition Army. Someone just walked out of the house. From the looks of it, he should be the leader of this group.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Do you know who that person is?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the man. When the others saw him, they called him General Du.¡± A name immediately popped up in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s mind, and she blurted out, ¡°Du Tao!¡± To verify if that person was Du Tao, Lo Pingsha flew up the tree with Dang Gui again. The two of them hid behind the leaves and peeked through a gap. Dang Gui saw many people standing in the courtyard, and the leader was Du Tao. After three years, she finally saw him again! Lo Pingsha led her back to the ground. Dang Gui said without hesitation, ¡°That person is Du Tao!¡± She clenched her fists, hatred bursting from her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll go in and kill him now!¡± Lo Pingsha hurriedly pulled her back. ¡°There are more than ten people in the courtyard, and all are experts. There should be many more hiding in the dark. If you rush in openly, you¡¯ll be courting death!¡± Dang Gui said hatefully, ¡°So what do we do now? Are we just going to let him go?¡± Yu Niaoniao thought for a moment and had an idea. ¡°The fact that Du Tao is here means he probably already knows about the secret passage. He must have juste out of it.¡± Shen Xu said, ¡°So what?¡± Yu Niaoniao recounted her n. ¡°This is a good opportunity for us. We would find a way to lure Du Tao away and then sneak into the military camp through the secret passage.¡± ¡°While Du Tao is not in the military camp, we could spread the news that Tang Guixi has returned. Let everyone in the army know that their Eldest Miss Tang is back!¡± ¡°At that time, Dang Gui would definitely be able to obtain the support of arge number of people. By the time Du Tao finds out what Dang Gui did, it will be toote.¡± Shen Xu touched his chin and said, ¡°It¡¯s indeed a good idea, but I have a question.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°What question?¡± Shen Xu said, ¡°Who¡¯s going to lure Du Tao away?¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s gaze swept across the few of them before finallynding on Shen Xu. Shen Xu immediately felt his scalp tingle and all the hair on his body stand up. He crossed his arms and asked warily. ¡°What do you want? Let me make it clear to you first. I don¡¯t know martial arts and I can¡¯t run fast. If you want me to distract Du Tao, it¡¯s impossible.¡± Yu Niaoniao put a hand on his shoulder and smiled maliciously. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t know martial arts. It doesn¡¯t matter if you can¡¯t run fast. You just have to do what I say. I guarantee you¡¯ll lure the person away. Hehehe.¡± Shen Xu rubbed his arms. ¡°Stop smiling. I¡¯m afraid.¡± Yu Niaoniao lowered her voice and exined to him. ... After hearing this, Shen Xu was still a little hesitant. ¡°Will this work?¡± Yu Niaoniao patted his shoulder. ¡°If it were anyone else doing this, they might not be able to do it, but if it were you, you would definitely be able to do it. I have high hopes for you.¡± Shen Xu had never been trusted so much before. He could not help but feel a little smug. He felt a power rising in his chest, so much so that he temporarily forgot to be afraid. ¡°Leave this to me!¡± Yu Niaoniao, Lo Pingsha, and Dang Gui walked out of the alley and walked around the small courtyard. They found a remote area and squatted under the wall. Shen Xu cleared his throat and pointed at the courtyard door. ¡°Smash the door!¡± The two guards following him immediately rushed forward and began pounding on the door. The courtyard door rattled against its frame. It was so loud that only a deaf person could have missed it. Not only did the people in the courtyard hear it, but even themoners living nearby heard it. ... Thedy boss of the bun shop pushed open the door and walked out. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Shen Xu deliberately raised his voice and said, ¡°My concubine ran away. I chased after her with my men and saw her run into this courtyard with my own eyes!¡± Themoners loved to hear gossip, especially when it came to a melodramatic scene of catching an adulterer in the act. They would never get tired of it! The surrounding residents gathered around, enjoying the show. Shen Xu ced his hands on his hips and shouted. ¡°If you have the ability to snatch women, open the door! What was the point of hiding inside?¡± ¡°You coward. If you don¡¯t have the ability, why did you seduce a married woman? Shameless bastard!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯te out, I¡¯ll get someone to smash the door! No matter what, I¡¯m going to arrest you adulterous couple today. I want everyone to see your shameless acts!¡± In the courtyard, Du Tao frowned and his face darkened. ¡°What¡¯s going on out there?¡± The guard spoke carefully. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but a man suddenly came outside. He insisted that his concubine hade to us and wanted to break in to catch her in the act. Now there are many onlookers gathered outside. General, what do we do now? Do we open the door?¡± Chapter 247 - 247 Believe It or Not! 247 Believe It or Not! When Du Tao came out of the secret passage, he was sure that Duke Lang and Prince Min would not be able to walk out. The secret passage was tooplicated. Without water and food, those three would perish in the secret passage sooner orter. In his ns, Du Tao would enter the secret passage and drag the corpses out. He would fake the fact that Duke Lang and Prince Min had conspired to kill Tang Pei. That way, he could perfectly remove himself from this matter. He had calcted everything, but he had not expected an ident at this time. The courtyard door kept shaking. It looked like if he didn¡¯t open it, it would be broken. Du Tao suppressed his anger and spoke in a low voice. ¡°Open the door!¡± He wanted to see who was so bold toe looking for trouble! The courtyard door was pulled open. Du Tao strode out and said to Shen Xu. ¡°I don¡¯t have your concubine here. You¡¯re in the wrong ce.¡± Shen Xu did not believe him. He pointed at Du Tao and shouted. ¡°It¡¯s you! I saw you hugging my Cui¡¯er with my own eyes. You must have hooked up with her long ago, you adulterous couple!¡± The onlookers looked at Du Tao and discussed softly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this person to be an adulterer who likes to seduce married women.¡± ¡°A shameless man like him should be drowned in a pig cage with that flirtatious woman!¡± ¡°The person in question has alreadye knocking on his door, but he still refuses to admit it. He¡¯s too cowardly!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! If he¡¯s a man, he should dare to take responsibility!¡± ¡­. Du Tao heard the discussion clearly. His face turned green with anger, and his temples throbbed. ¡°I¡¯ll say it onest time. I don¡¯t know a woman named Cui¡¯er. I¡¯ve never hooked up with a married woman, and I¡¯ve never had a woman here!¡± Shen Xu immediately said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe your nonsense! Unless you can let us in to search!¡± Du Tao said in a low voice, ¡°This is my house. Why should you search it? Who do you think you are?¡± Shen Xu pointed at him and shouted. ¡°Look, look! You¡¯re guilty! You don¡¯t even dare to let us in to take a look. You must have hidden my Cui¡¯er. You shameless bastard. If I don¡¯t see Cui¡¯er today, I won¡¯t leave!¡± Du Tao felt that this person was really unreasonable. ¡°Believe it or not!¡± After saying this, Du Tao turned around and prepared to leave. Shen Xu immediately reached out to grab his sleeve. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about running! You seduced a married woman. If you don¡¯t give me an exnation today, don¡¯t even think about leaving this ce!¡± Du Tao waved his hand away. ¡°Get lost!¡± Shen Xu fell to the ground. He immediately howled at the top of his lungs. ¡°This is bad! Not only did this person seduce a married woman, but he also hit me! Is there now?¡± The crowd gathered around and condemned Du Tao. Du Tao couldn¡¯t get away from the crowd. At the same time, with everyone¡¯s attention on Shen Xu and Du Tao, Lo Pingsha led Yu Niaoniao and Dang Gui over the wall and sneaked into the small courtyard. Dang Gui remembered theyout of the house very well. She quickly found the mechanism and opened the entrance to the secret passage. The three of them entered the secret passage before its entrance closed quietly. Although the secret passage was dark, Dang Gui remembered antern near the entrance. She fumbled for thentern and lit it with the torch she carried. The three of them walked forward with thentern. During this period, they passed through several forks. Fortunately, Dang Gui was in charge of leading the way, so they did not have to worry about getting lost. After some time, they realized that a little light had appeared ahead and the three of them immediately stopped. Lo Pingsha walked to the front, one hand on the hilt of the knife hanging from his waist, and slowly approached the spot of light. As he approached, he saw figures moving near the light. Just as he looked over, a bright de shed at him! His heart tightened as he hurriedly retreated and dodged. At the same time, he pulled out the saber at his waist to block the approaching de. The des collided with a crisp sound. Then the two of them exchanged a few more moves. However, because the space in the secret passage was limited and it was not convenient to use their fists and feet, the two of them were a little restrained. Soon, Lo Pingsha was at a disadvantage and was forced back. His back hit the wall, unable to retreat. Seeing that the other party¡¯s de was about tond on him, Yu Niaoniao eximed. ¡°No!¡± Hearing this familiar voice, Xiao Juan immediately activated his internal energy and forcefully twisted his saber. The de of his saber turned abruptly in midair andnded somewhere else. Xiao Juan shouted. ... At this moment, Lo Pingsha recognized the other party and heaved a long sigh of relief. Yu Niaoniao was pleasantly surprised. She quickly ran towards Xiao Juan. ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯ve finally found you!¡± Xiao Juan was afraid that the No Return Saber would hurt her, so he quickly sheathed the saber. Then, he hugged her waist with one hand and looked down at her. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay in Wangsong City? Why didn¡¯t you listen to me?¡± Yu Niaoniao hugged him tightly. ¡°I was worried about you and afraid that something would happen to you, so I pestered Little Lo to bring me to you. Fortunately, we came. Otherwise, you would have been trapped here for who knows how long!¡± With that, she raised her chin. She looked quite proud. It was indeed as she said. Xiao Juan could not me her. He continued, ¡°How did you find this ce?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s a long story¡­¡± ... She skipped the unimportant details and went to the point. She quickly exined how she had found this ce. Xiao Juan was very surprised. He did suspect that Tang Pei¡¯s daughter was not dead, but he did not expect Dang Gui to be Tang Guixi! This was too much of a coincidence. If it hadn¡¯t happened around him, he would have wondered if this was a legend told by the folk storyteller. Prince Min ran over and said happily. ¡°So it¡¯s you! That¡¯s great. Take us out!¡± Yu Niaoniao told him to calm down. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry about getting out. We have other things to do.¡± At this moment, Dang Gui walked to their side with thentern. With a mixture of anticipation and apprehension, she asked carefully, ¡°Your Highness, did you see my father in the military camp? Is he okay now?¡± Xiao Juan did not know how to answer. Prince Min did not have so many concerns and blurted out, ¡°General Tang is dead!¡± Dang Gui felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She was stunned on the spot. Her head buzzed, and her unhealed wound stung. It was a long time before she spoke. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± Her father had promised to wait for her return. He couldn¡¯t be dead! Prince Min pointed to the body lying on the ground nearby. ¡°Your father is there. If you don¡¯t believe me, go see for yourself.¡± Dang Gui staggered over. Chapter 248 - 248 Bitter Life 248 Bitter Life In Dang Gui¡¯s memory, her father had always been so tall. As a child, she used to sit on his shoulder. But now the father in front of her was emaciated. After three years of illness, he was no longer the great general he had been. His temples were white, and his face was pale. Hey still. His entire body exuded a heavy aura of death. Dang Gui slowly knelt down and slowly touched Tang Pei¡¯s hand. !! In the past, his palm was wide and warm, and there were thick calluses left behind by years of martial arts. Now his hands were very cold. There was no warmth at all. Dang Gui opened her mouth to call out for her father, but something seemed to be stuck in her throat. She couldn¡¯t make a sound. Tears rolled from the corners of her eyes and down her face. Lu Yaoguang walked to her side. He stared at her familiar face for a long time before he was sure that she was Tang Guixi. Lu Yaoguang asked, ¡°Where have you been for the past three years? Why haven¡¯t I heard anything?¡± As Dang Gui looked up, her eyes were red with grief and anger. ¡°How did my father die?¡± At this point, there was nothing to hide. ¡°Du Tao poisoned him.¡± Dang Gui had expected this answer. She was not surprised. There was only burning hatred in her eyes. She would definitely kill Du Tao! Prince Min could not help but urge them again. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here. We can talk slowly when we get out.¡± Dang Gui wiped her tears and choked. ¡°Please take my father out.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°What about you?¡± Dang Gui helped her father tuck the loose hair behind his ear. Her voice was still sobbing, but her tone was extremely firm. ¡°I¡¯d better follow the n. I¡¯ll sneak into the Eastern Expedition Army¡¯s Camp first. Then I¡¯ll reveal my identity and gather my troops.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Let me go with you.¡± Dang Gui shook her head. ¡°No, you¡¯ve been with me for three years. Thank you for taking care of me for the past three years. Let me face the rest of the journey myself.¡± Lu Yaoguang could not help but advise. ¡°You¡¯re just a girl. Why do you have to get involved in those fights? You¡¯d bettere with us. Leave the East Expeditionary Army alone.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even if your father is no longer around, your engagement with my Yunchong still counts.¡± ¡°In the future, you can stay at home in peace and live your life peacefully.¡± Dang Gui¡¯s eyes were still wet, but her expression had be determined. She spoke calmly. ¡°My father has never taken a step back in his life. How can I, as his daughter, get cold feet?¡± Lu Yaoguang still could not understand. ¡°But you¡¯re a girl after all. You can¡¯t make a contribution. Even if you save the Eastern Expedition Army, the Imperial Court won¡¯t acknowledge your existence.¡± ¡°Although I¡¯m a woman, Father has never restrained me with this. He gave me the freedom toe and go from the barracks like an ordinary man.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let him down. If he could protect the Eastern Expedition Army, he could protect the peace in Liaodong County. This was my father¡¯sst wish and my goal.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what the Imperial Court thinks of me. I just want my father to rest in peace.¡± Lu Yaoguang looked at her in a daze. In that instant, he thought he saw Tang Pei in her face. The personalities of this father and daughter were surprisingly simr. They were both so stubborn. As long as they made a decision, no one could stop them. Lu Yaoguang said, ¡°You have to think carefully. You might not be able toe back.¡± Dang Gui said, ¡°Since I¡¯ve decided to go, I¡¯m prepared to wrap my body in leather.¡± She shouldered the expectations of her father and countless others. She could only advance in this battle. She could not retreat. Lu Yaoguang let out a long sigh and stopped talking. Yu Niaoniao was still very worried about Dang Gui¡¯s safety, but she also knew that even if she followed Dang Gui into the military camp, there was a limit to how much she could help. She might as well stay outside and think of a way to dy Du Tao and buy Dang Gui more time. ¡°Okay, I respect your decision.¡± Lo Pingsha carried Tang Pei¡¯s body. Dang Gui took onest look at her father. ¡°Father, watch carefully from above. I won¡¯t disappoint you! What you want to protect, I¡¯ll continue to protect it for you.¡± She steeled herself and looked away. She turned away. Yu Niaoniao said to her back, ¡°You have to protect yourself. We¡¯ll wait for you outside!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After saying this, Dang Gui strode in the opposite direction from everyone. She was clearly alone, but she walked with the aura of an army. With her photographic memory, Yu Niaoniao remembered the route clearly. She took charge of giving directions and led everyone back the way they hade. Soon they found the exit. ... Prince Min could not wait to open the door and be the first to get out of the secret passage. The others ducked out after him. Unexpectedly, just as they stabilized themselves, they saw the door being pushed open from the outside. Du Tao stood in the doorway and looked at them with a faint smile. ¡°Everyone, you¡¯re finally out. You really made me wait.¡± Prince Min hurriedly retreated. ¡°Why are you here?¡± he said in horror. Du Tao asked, ¡°If I¡¯m not here, where else would I be?¡± He looked at Yu Niaoniao and Lo Pingsha and sneered. ¡°You deliberately got someone to shout outside the courtyard door to attract my attention before sneaking into the secret passage in the chaos. What a good n! I almost fell for it.¡± Xiao Juan took a step forward and blocked Du Tao¡¯s gaze on Yu Niaoniao. Seeing this, Du Tao sneered again. ... ¡°Since Your Highness is so protective of her, it seems like Your Highness has a deep rtionship with this little beauty.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll let you die together so that you can continue to be a pair of bitter lovebirds in your next life.¡± Yu Niaoniao stuck her head out from behind Xiao Juan and retorted. ¡°We won¡¯t know who will win until thest moment.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still so stubborn!¡± Du Tao pped his hands. Immediately, a group of personal guards rushed into the house. They held sabers and surrounded Yu Niaoniao, Xiao Juan, and the others. Du Tao said, ¡°Bring him here.¡± Two personal guards escorted Shen Xu to the door. As soon as he saw Shen Xu, Prince Min was immediately excited. ¡°Let go of my son!¡± Du Tao smiled and said, ¡°So this is the heir of Prince Min¡¯s Mansion. I¡¯m sorry.¡± He pulled out the saber at his waist and ced the de on Shen Xu¡¯s neck. ¡°All of you, obediently surrender. If anyone dares to move, I¡¯ll make this noble heir bleed on the spot.¡± Prince Min panicked. ¡°Don¡¯t kill my son. I¡¯ll do anything you want.¡± Du Tao stared at Xiao Juan and asked sinisterly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to surrender, Your Highness?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°In the past, someone threatened me with Shen Xu¡¯s life. Guess what happened?¡± Du Tao didn¡¯t answer. Yu Niaoniao raised her hand and answered, ¡°I know! Now that person is enjoying the rest of his life in prison.¡± Chapter 249 - 249 Double Stab 249 Double Stab Du Tao was furious at their echoing voices. He spoke to Prince Min, ¡°Did you see that? You risked your life with Duke Lang, but he didn¡¯t care if your son died.¡± Prince Min looked at Duke Lang with pleading eyes. ¡°Xiao Juan, Ah Xu is my only child. He¡¯s my lifeblood. Please, save him.¡± Xiao Juan looked back at Yu Niaoniao. Although he did not say anything, Yu Niaoniao suddenly understood his thoughts. She took a silent step to the side as she reached for the bow she was carrying. Xiao Juan was silent for a while as if he had made a huge decision. ¡°I can surrender, but you have to let Shen Xu go first.¡± Shen Xu thought that Duke Lang would disregard his life likest time. He had already prepared for the worst. At most, he would die. As long as his father could escape alive, he would be relieved. Unexpectedly, Duke Lang was willing topromise in order to save his life. Shen Xu was immediately moved to tears. Brother! He risked his life to save him. This was a real brother! In the future, if anyone dared to say anything bad about Duke Lang, he would twist that person¡¯s head off and kick it like a ball! Du Tao said sarcastically, ¡°Do you think you still have the capital to negotiate with me?¡± Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°If I risk everything to fight you, you might not be able to escape unscathed. This is my capital.¡± Du Tao had fought him before, so he naturally knew how strong he was. If he really had to risk his life, he would definitely not end up well. This was also the main reason why Du Tao used Shen Xu as a hostage to force Duke Lang to surrender. Du Tao thought for a moment. ¡°I can let him go. Throw your saber over first.¡± As long as he did not have any weapons, Duke Lang¡¯s strength would be greatly reduced. Xiao Juan untied the No Return Saber at his waist. His well-defined fingers moved slowly across the sheath as if he were bidding farewell. He bent down, put the knife on the ground, and pushed it forward. The No Return Saber slid forward against the ground. Du Taoughed proudly. ¡°Hahaha! Duke Lang, you deserve this!¡± Xiao Juan stood up. ¡°You should let him go now, right?¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let the heir go now.¡± Du Tao let go of Shen Xu and signaled to the personal guards to attack immediately. No one in this house could escape today. They had to die! Shen Xu staggered towards Prince Min. ¡°Father!¡± At the same time, the personal guards rushed forward and pounced on Xiao Juan. Du Tao thought that Xiao Juan would definitely die this time and was extremely pleased. When people were smug, they tended to forget. Yu Niaoniao had been waiting for this moment when the other party let down his guard. She quickly pulled back the bowstring and shot a sharp arrow straight at Du Tao¡¯s heart! When Du Tao saw the approaching arrow, his heart stopped and his pupils trembled. However, he was a veteran of the battlefield and had struggled on the line several times. His reaction was naturally not slow. He forcefully twisted his upper body to avoid vital parts. The arrow grazed his arm, sending out a trail of blood. Du Tao paled in pain and staggered back a step. The personal guards were shocked by this sudden change. They involuntarily stopped in their tracks and looked at Du Tao in unison, afraid that something would happen to him. Xiao Juan took the opportunity to break out of the encirclement and pick up the No Return Saber at lightning speed. With a whoosh, the de was unsheathed and swept out. The soldier closest to him had his throat slit and died on the spot. Blood sttered on Xiao Juan¡¯s face, like small red plums blooming on cold white rice paper. Coupled with his cold gaze, it made one feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave. It was bone-chilling. Everyone present was shocked. Even Yu Niaoniao was stunned. Usually, when Xiao Juan faced her, he appeared very restrained and calm. He was also very respectful to her. He waspletely different from the rumored living King of Hell who killed people like flies. As time passed, Yu Niaoniao gradually felt that the rumors were exaggerated. Xiao Juan was not a ruthless person at all. But at this moment, seeing Xiao Juan end a person¡¯s life without blinking, she was jolted to reality. The rumors might not be exaggerated. The Xiao Juan who usually lived with her had just deliberately restrained his edge. The current Xiao Juan might be the real him. Du Tao was shocked and furious. He roared, ¡°Bitch! You actually plotted against me! What are you waiting for? Kill them!¡± The personal guards suddenly came back to their senses. They suppressed the fear in their hearts and pounced at Duke Lang! Xiao Juan fought ten people alone, but he was not at a disadvantage at all. The No Return Saber in his hand was wrapped in a biting cold air. Wherever it passed, no one lived. In just a moment, more than a dozen soldiers fell. Blood slowly spread under them. The rich smell of blood filled the entire room. ... Everyone was stunned. They didn¡¯t even dare to breathe. They looked at Xiao Juan with fear. It was not like they were looking at a living person, but a terrifying monster. Xiao Juan walked towards Du Tao with the No Return Saber. Dark red blood dripped down the tip of the knife. Tick, tick. Every drop hit Du Tao¡¯s heart, making his scalp tingle and his fear double. He hurriedly retreated and shouted fiercely, ¡°I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯te over. I still have people here!¡± With that, he shouted. He wasn¡¯t speaking the official Dayannguage. It was a string of words that no one understood. Only Lu Yaoguang could vaguely understand a few words. He hurriedly said, ¡°Du Tao is speaking the Chennguage!¡± ... As Liaodong County was bordering the Chen Country, Lu Yaoguang had captured many spies sent by the Chen Country in his capacity as the county governor of Liaodong County. In order to better interrogate the Chen Country¡¯s spies, he had learned the Chen Country¡¯snguage for a period of time, so he had a good understanding of it. Prince Min was puzzled. ¡°Why does Du Tao speak the Chennguage?¡± Apart from Du Tao himself, no one present could give an urate answer. A man jumped off the roof andnded steadily in front of Du Tao. This person was wearing ordinary dark gray rough clothes. His face was dark, and his facial features were rough. There was a scar at the corner of his eye. When he looked at Xiao Juan, his eyes shed with bloodlust. In the next moment, he pulled out the short dagger hidden in his sleeve and rushed towards Xiao Juan like a ghost! Xiao Juan raised his saber to fight. The two of them were as fast as lightning. Sparks flew as their weapons kept colliding. When experts fought, others could not interfere at all and could only stand at the side and watch. To someone like Yu Niaoniao, who had no training in martial arts at all, she could only see two shadows flying around. She could not see their exact movements at all. However, from the current situation, Xiao Juan should have the upper hand. Chapter 250 - 250 Family 250 Family Du Tao stepped back, clutching his wound. He nned to get out of there before going to the military camp to call for help. When Yu Niaoniao realized that Du Tao wanted to run, she immediately shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t let him escape!¡± Dang Gui should be in the military camp now. They could not let Du Tao return. Otherwise, Dang Gui would be in danger! !! Lo Pingsha ced Tang Pei¡¯s body on the ground and handed it to Yu Niaoniao to take care of. He pulled out the saber at his waist and quickly caught up to Du Tao, blocking his way. Du Tao was injured and could not fight anyone now. However, in order to save his life, he could only grit his teeth and endure the pain. The furniture in the room kept being destroyed. Yu Niaoniao said to Shen Xu. ¡°Put General Tang on your back. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Shen Xu was a pampered heir. He had never even done heavy lifting work, let alone carry a corpse. He looked at Tang Pei¡¯s body and his face turned green. ¡°Do you actually want me to carry a corpse?¡± Yu Niaoniao ced her hands on her hips and asked, ¡°You¡¯re the only strong young man among us. If you don¡¯t carry him, who will? Do you want a weak woman like me to carry him?¡± Shen Xu recalled her archery posture just now. It was very scary and did not look like a weak woman at all. Yu Niaoniao urged, ¡°Hurry up, don¡¯t dy!¡± Shen Xu had no choice but to squat down. Yu Niaoniao and Prince Min helped move Tang Pei onto Shen Xu¡¯s back. Shen Xu felt the cold corpse on his back and immediately felt his hair stand on end. He was scared to death, but he didn¡¯t want to show it. He could only bite the bullet and pretend that nothing had happened. He slowly stood up. Yu Niaoniao led the way. She stood on tiptoe and carefully stepped over the corpses toward the door. The others followed; they went out the door and into the front yard. At this point, Du Tao and Lo Pingsha were fighting fiercely in the courtyard. Seeing that Yu Niaoniao and the others were about to run, Du Tao changed the direction of the de in his hand, turned his body, and stabbed straight at Yu Niaoniao. It was this little girl who had shot him just now! Even if he died, he would drag this little girl down with him! It was toote for Lo Pingsha to stop him. The de in Du Tao¡¯s hand aimed fiercely toward Yu Niaoniao¡¯s head. From the looks of it, he wanted to cut Yu Niaoniao in half on the spot. Yu Niaoniao could not dodge in time. She widened her eyes and looked at the fast-approaching sharp de. Seeing this scene, everyone¡¯s hearts stopped. They all thought Yu Niaoniao was dead. Shen Xu even opened his mouth and prepared to scream in grief. However, in the next moment. They saw Yu Niaoniao wave the small porcin bottle in her hand. Immediately, white powder flew out of the small porcin bottle. Because he was too near, Du Tao could not dodge. The white powder flew onto his body. He immediately felt itchy all over and did not even have the strength to hold the knife. The knife fell to the ground with a ng. Then, Du Tao began to scratch his cheeks, neck, and the back of his hand hard. The more he scratched, the more it itched. Soon, he scratched bloody marks on his body. Du Tao was exasperated and cursed. ¡°Bitch, you plotted against me again!¡± Yu Niaoniao looked innocent. ¡°You attacked me first. I was defending myself.¡± Du Tao said, ¡°You¡¯re despicable!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Not only am I despicable, but I¡¯m also ruthless.¡± She said to Lo Pingsha, ¡°Tie this guy up.¡± Du Tao tried to resist, but he was injured and itchy all over. His punch was soft and powerless. Lo Pingsha brought gloves for autopsies to avoiding into contact with the powder. He easily tied Du Tao up tightly. This way, Du Tao could not scratch himself even if he wanted to. It was so itchy that his entire body twitched and his face turned red. He could only writhe on the ground differently, whimpering in pain. This was a hundred times worse than killing him directly! Shen Xu, Prince Min, and Lu Yaoguang felt their scalps tingle. Princess Consort Lang looked quite cute. They did not expect her to be so ruthless. ... No wonder she could be with Duke Lang. This was what it meant to be a family. Yu Niaoniao shook the small porcin bottle and said with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the itching powder Little Lo gave me. This thing is really useful.¡± Lo Pingsha corrected him. ¡°It¡¯s not called itching powder. It¡¯s called Five-Flower Powder.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Oh, can you give me some more itching powderter? I don¡¯t have much left.¡± Lo Pingsha sighed and gave up trying to correct her. ¡°Okay.¡± A scream came from inside the house. Immediately after, the scar-faced man was sent flying out of the house and fell heavily to the ground. Before he could get up, he opened his mouth and spat out arge mouthful of blood. There were dozens of wounds on his body. He was covered in blood and looked terrifying. ... Xiao Juan walked out slowly, holding the No Return Saber. When he walked into the sunlight, everyone saw that his pupils were abnormally ck. Like a bottomless abyss, they were dark and devoid of light. Those were not the eyes of a living person. Everyone present was horrified. Prince Min let out a low cry. ¡°Is he acting up again?!¡± Shen Xu turned to look at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Duke Lang?¡± Prince Min seemed afraid that Duke Lang would hear him. He first nced at Duke Lang. When he saw that the other party was not paying attention to him, he lowered his voice and spoke carefully. ¡°I heard that Princess Ni Yang is crazy, so she often does ridiculous things that ordinary people can¡¯t understand. Duke Lang is her son, so he must have inherited her madness.¡± Shen Xu was trembling with fear. There was actually such a thing! He looked at Duke Lang with increasing fear. The normal Duke Lang was scary enough. Wouldn¡¯t he kill everyone if he really went crazy? Lo Pingsha did not look happy either. He spoke to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Get out of here first.¡± When Shen Xu, Prince Min, and Lu Yaoguang heard this, they immediately turned around and walked out, afraid that they would be shed by Duke Lang if they were slow. Only Yu Niaoniao stood still. She looked at Xiao Juan steadily. She struggled with herself. She¡¯d spent a lot of time with him. She knew what he was like. She trusted him not to kill innocents. But the image of him killing without batting an eyelid lingered in her mind. Reason and emotion were constantly entangled. It was impossible to tell. Xiao Juan walked up to the scar-faced man with the No Return Saber and looked down at him. The scar-faced man was no longer as ruthless as before. His face was filled with fear. His body kept trembling as he muttered. But because he was speaking in Chen Country¡¯snguage, no one could understand what he was saying. From his almost choked tone and the way he moved back on his hands and knees, it looked like he was begging the other party to let him go. Chapter 251 - 251 Hug 251 Hug Xiao Juan raised the No Return Saber and aimed it at the scar-faced man¡¯s neck. It looked like he was prepared to kill him with one strike. Lo Pingsha hurriedly called out to him. ¡°Your Highness, spare him!¡± Xiao Juan paused. He looked up at Lo Pingsha coldly. Although he usually had a cold countenance, it did not scare Lo Pingsha. This was different. Lo Pingsha was constantly warning himself in his heart to be careful of the man in front of him. He was very dangerous! Lo Pingsha broke out in cold sweat and spoke with difficulty. ¡°Your Highness, leave him alive so that we can get the mastermind out of him.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s thin lips moved slightly as he slowly spat out a word. ¡°Kill.¡± Lo Pingsha tried his best to persuade him. ¡°Calm down. Keeping him is more useful than killing him.¡± Xiao Juan still said that word. ¡°Kill.¡± His tone was calm and terrifying. At that moment, he didn¡¯t look alive. He looked more like an emotionless robot who only knew how to kill. He raised his hand and pierced the scar-faced man¡¯s neck. The scar-faced man¡¯s eyes widened. His body twitched violently a few times before he stopped breathing. Xiao Juan pulled out the No Return Saber and walked towards Du Tao. Du Tao was still squirming, trying to ease the itch by rubbing against the ground. When he saw Xiao Juan walking over, he hurriedly moved back and shouted in fear. ¡°Don¡¯te over!¡± Lo Pingsha walked forward and tried to stop Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan aimed the No Return Saber at Lo Pingsha and spat out a word coldly. ¡°Kill.¡± Lo Pingsha¡¯s scalp tingled. ¡°Your Highness, calm down. It¡¯s me. I¡¯m Lo Pingsha.¡± Xiao Juan was silent for a moment when he heard Lo Pingsha. Lo Pingsha thought he had calmed down and was about to rx when he heard him say, ¡°Kill anyone who stands in my way.¡± Lo Pingsha froze, his face turning even paler. In terms of martial arts, he was no match for Duke Lang. If Duke Lang wanted to kill him, he had almost no chance of survival. Yu Niaoniao could not watch helplessly as Xiao Juan attacked Lo Pingsha. She mustered her courage and ran over. She grabbed Xiao Juan¡¯s arm and spoke slowly in a sweet voice. ¡°Baby, stop killing, okay? I¡¯m scared.¡± With that, she hugged Duke Lang¡¯s arm tighter, not giving him a chance to swing his saber. At the same time, she did not forget to signal to Lo Pingsha to run away. Lo Pingsha hesitated. He was very worried that Duke Lang would be so murderous that he would not even let Yu Niaoniao off. Xiao Juan stood still. His dark eyes slowly rolled as he looked at the girl beside him. To be honest, his current emotionless appearance was really terrifying. Yu Niaoniao tried her best to suppress the fear in her heart and smiled sweetly. ¡°Baby, can you give me a hug?¡± Lo Pingsha secretly tightened his grip on the silver needle. As long as Duke Lang wanted to kill her, he would throw out the silver needle. As for whether the silver needle could hit Duke Lang, that would depend on fate. Xiao Juan still did not move. But at least he didn¡¯t say ¡°kill¡± again. Yu Niaoniao felt that this was a good sign. It meant that her wheedling was still effective on him. She hugged his waist and buried her face in his chest. ¡°Baby, let¡¯s go home, okay?¡± She was only that strong, and Xiao Juan could easily break free. But he didn¡¯t move. He just stood there. He could feel the warmth of her body and the softness of her cheek against his chest. After a long time, he spoke slowly. ¡°Niaoniao¡­¡± Hearing him call her name, Yu Niaoniao was delighted. She hurriedly looked up and saw a little light in his eyes. It was no longer dark. She knew that he had regained his senses! Yu Niaoniao was extremely excited. ... She was scared out of her wits just now! She thought he would kill her when he went crazy! Xiao Juan raised his hand and ced his palm on her head, rubbing it gently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I must have frightened you.¡± He knew what he had just done and was terrified. Fortunately, he woke up in time. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable. Yu Niaoniao originally did not want to cry, but when she heard this, she felt a lump in her throat and tears immediately fell. She hugged Xiao Juan and cried, ¡°Wuwuwu, you scared me to death just now!¡± Xiao Juan felt very guilty. He didn¡¯t know how tofort his little princess, so he handed her the No Return Saber. ¡°Why don¡¯t you cut me to vent your anger?¡± Yu Niaoniao cried even harder. ¡°Are you scaring me again?¡± Xiao Juan hurriedly wiped her tears. But because there was blood on his hand, the wipe only made her face dirtier. ... Yu Niaoniao did not know and was still crying. ¡°Can you stop scaring people like that?¡± Xiao Juan promised seriously, ¡°Yes!¡± Yu Niaoniao held back her tears slightly. ¡°Also, don¡¯t leave me alone again. Even if there¡¯s danger, I can bear it with you.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s heart softened. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll bear it together.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Hug.¡± ¡°Okay. Hug.¡± Xiao Juan hugged her tightly as if she was the most precious treasure in the world. The couple hugged for a long time before separating. Xiao Juan turned around and saw Lo Pingsha. ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Lo Pingsha was speechless. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave?¡± Although he knew he was killing the mood by standing here, he had to remind them. ¡°There¡¯s also Du Tao here. What should we do?¡± At this moment, the itch on Du Tao¡¯s body had eased a lot. He began to n what to do next. He had made up his mind. No matter how the Eagle Guards interrogated himter, he would insist on not confessing. In any case, Duke Lang did not have any real evidence to convict him. Xiao Juan seemed to have seen through Du Tao¡¯s n and said coldly. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Eastern Expedition Army camp.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Is it through the secret passage?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°No, we¡¯ll use the main entrance.¡± Du Tao was overjoyed when he heard this. He was worried that he would not be able to escape. When he returned to the camp of the Eastern Expedition Army, he would be able to order his soldiers to take down Duke Lang. As for the reason, he had already thought of it. He would say that Duke Lang and the others had murdered Tang Pei! Because he had something to look forward to, Du Tao did not do anything else and appeared especially well-behaved. Lo Pingsha grabbed the back of Du Tao¡¯s cor and dragged him out like a dead dog. Outside the courtyard, Shen Xu and the others saw Duke Lange out and immediately took a few steps back in fear. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said, ¡°His Highness is fine.¡± Everyone looked over and saw that Duke Lang had already put away his saber. He did not look so scary anymore. Only then did they lower their guard and let out long sighs of relief. Prince Min said awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We made a fuss.¡± Chapter 252 - 252 Revenge 252 Revenge Xiao Juan did not take this small matter to heart. He was already used to the vignce and fear of others. Shen Xu pointed at Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face and mocked loudly. ¡°Why are you crying? And what¡¯s that redness on your face? Could it be that you¡¯re crying because you¡¯re ugly now?!¡± He thought that Yu Niaoniao would fly into a rage out of humiliation, but she plunged into Xiao Juan¡¯s arms andined aggrievedly, ¡°Baby, Shen Xu bullied me!¡± Xiao Juan raised his hand and pressed it on the hilt of the No Return Saber. He nced at Shen Xu coldly, as if he was about to draw his saber and cut him down in the next moment. Shen Xu¡¯sughter stopped. Oh no! He had forgotten that this woman was under someone¡¯s protection. He smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°I was joking. The County Princess is beautiful.¡± Prince Min could not bear to see his son do anything stupid and quickly changed the topic. ¡°Where are we going next?¡± Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°The Eastern Expedition Army camp.¡± Everyone rode to the entrance of the camp. When the soldiers guarding the door saw Duke Lang and Prince Min arrive, they hurriedly opened the door and respectfully invited them in. Among those soldiers was a familiar face. It was Sun Dng from the Sun family. As soon as Yu Niaoniao saw Sun Dng, she knew that Dang Gui had stabilized the situation and heaved a sigh of relief. When Sun Dng noticed Tang Pei on Lo Pingsha¡¯s back, his eyes immediately turned red. He knelt on the ground and shouted sadly. ¡°General Tang!¡± The other soldiers knelt down at General Tang¡¯s body. Du Tao immediately shouted at the top of his lungs. ¡°It was Duke Lang and Prince Min who jointly killed General Tang! Get someone to arrest them and avenge General Tang!¡± Shen Xu raised his leg and kicked Du Tao, cursing. ¡°Stop talking nonsense here! You were the one who killed General Tang. You¡¯re the culprit.¡± Du Tao had long made up his mind not to admit it. At this moment, he ignored the pain and quickly retorted. ¡°General Tang has saved my life. I¡¯m eternally grateful to General Tang. Why would I harm him?¡± ¡°On the other hand, you must have an ulterior motive foring all the way from the Imperial Capital to Liaodong County.¡± ¡°General Tang was in charge of a hundred thousand troops. You must be greedy for the military power in his hands, so you killed him and wanted to use this opportunity to seize power!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so ruthless! Even if I have to risk my life, I have to avenge General Tang!¡± As he spoke, his eyes turned red and his voice was filled with tears as if he was really grief-stricken by Tang Pei¡¯s death. Shen Xu was stunned. This person¡¯s ability to distort the truth was too strong! No wonder he could win over the upper echelons of the entire Eastern Expedition Army in just three years. Yu Niaoniao ignored Du Tao¡¯s performance and asked Sun Dng. ¡°Where is she?¡± Although she did not name her, Sun Dng knew that she was asking about Eldest Miss Tang. He wiped his tears and choked. ¡°Miss was injured. The military physician took a look at her. It¡¯s just a slight wound. She¡¯s fine.¡± When Yu Niaoniao heard that Dang Gui was injured, her heart immediately skipped a beat. ¡°Where is she?¡± Sun Dng said truthfully, ¡°They¡¯re all at the drill ground.¡± ¡°Can you take us there?¡± Sun Dng hurriedly agreed. ¡°Of course. Please follow me.¡± Seeing that Brother Sun was so obedient to Yu Niaoniao, Du Tao could not help but curse. ¡°You traitor! Didn¡¯t you hear what I said? This group of people had killed General Tang. They were murderers! It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t avenge General Tang, but you¡¯re actually willing to be theirckey?!¡± Sun Dng held it in, but in the end, he could not help but rush over and punch Du Tao in the cheek. Du Tao staggered and almost fell. He felt one side of his cheek swell. It burned. The inside of his mouth felt raw and the taste of blood filled his mouth. He looked at Sun Dng in disbelief. In his impression, Sun Dng was just a lowly pawn. He had never taken such a small ant seriously. But now, he was actually beaten by this ant. The humiliation and anger in his heart were far stronger than the pain in his cheek. Du Tao gritted his teeth. ¡°How dare you hit me?!¡± Sun Dng clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with hatred. ¡°If not for the fact that keeping you alive is useful, I would kill you now. General Tang promoted you single-handedly. When he went to the battlefield, he even trusted you with the rest of the army.¡± ¡°But how did you repay him? You stabbed him in the back! You ungrateful ingrate! You won¡¯t be able to repay your debt even if you die a thousand times!¡± Du Tao did not expect a small ant like Sun Dng to know so much. ... He tried to defend himself. ¡°Who said I killed General Tang? I wasn¡¯t the one who killed General Tang. Don¡¯t listen to other people¡¯s nonsense!¡± ¡°Save your words for Eldest Miss Tang!¡± After saying this, Sun Dng turned around and left. Xiao Juan, Yu Niaoniao, and the others followed closely behind. Du Tao was stunned. What Miss Tang? The only person who could be called Missy by the soldiers of the Eastern Expedition Army was Tang Pei¡¯s only daughter, Tang Guixi. But Tang Guixi was already dead! The assassin he sent out brought back Tang Guixi¡¯s sword and torn clothes. The killers said that they had seen Tang Guixi roll down the mountain with serious injuries. With her injuries at that time, it was impossible for her to survive! Shen Xu kicked Du Tao again. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Go!¡± ... Du Tao staggered forward. His eyes darted around, his gaze passing over the soldiers nearby, trying to find his trusted aide. Almost all the high-ranking generals of the Eastern Expedition Army were under his control. He still had something on those people. As long as he could find those generals, he could order them to mutiny. As long as the mutiny seeded, the Eastern Expedition Army would still be his. As for Xiao Juan, Shen Xu, and the others, they would all die! Seeing that they were about to reach the drill ground, Du Tao still did not see a single trusted aide. Not only that, but the atmosphere in the military camp was very strange. Everyone looked at him with hatred and disdain. They didn¡¯t look like they were looking at a general. They looked like they were looking at a despicable person. An uneasy feeling rose in Du Tao. He seemed to sense something. His steps slowed¡­ Shen Xu did not give him a chance to escape and pushed him from behind. The push sent him staggering forward. The drill ground was filled with people. As far as the eye could see, it was a dense expanse. Other than the people on duty, the rest of the Eastern Expedition Army soldiers were gathered there. Sun Dng stood by the school ground and shouted. ¡°His Highness Prince Min and the Regional King have arrived!¡± The Eastern Expedition Army soldiers, who had been standing upright, turned around and looked at Duke Lang and his men. Then they stepped back in unison, making a straight path. Chapter 253 - 253 Winner Takes All 253 Winner Takes All Du Tao looked up and saw the woman on the tform. Tang Guixi sat upright in a round chair. She was wearing military clothes, and her dark gray armor glowed in the sun. Her figure was thin but straight, like a blood-stained spear, and she had the aura of a one-man army. Her face and her lips were pale. As she looked straight at Du Tao, her eyes were as cold as knives. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± !! Du Tao froze in ce, his eyes wide. He blurted out in disbelief. ¡°Are you a human or a ghost?¡± Tang Guixi asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Du Tao was terrified. He thought that Tang Guixi¡¯s vengeful spirit had returned to take his life. His legs trembled involuntarily. He backed away, trying to escape. Seeing this, Shen Xu was really impatient. He grabbed Du Tao¡¯s cor and roughly pulled him forward, cursing. ¡°At a time like this, do you think you can still escape? Hurry up and get over there!¡± Du Tao was dragged forward. He could clearly feel the deep hatred in the eyes of the people around him. At this moment, he was really panicking. He wanted to retreat, but Shen Xu did not give him a chance to escape. He pulled him forward. Finally, he was pushed onto the tform. Only now did he see three people kneeling beside him. The three of them were also generals. There were a total of four of them, including Du Tao. Their duty was to help Commander Tang Pei manage the Eastern Expedition Army. In the end, they worked together to eliminate Tang Pei and even had a hand in killing him. If Du Tao was the mastermind, the other three were aplices. The three people kneeling on the ground all lowered their heads. They were trussed up and had many wounds on their bodies. They looked sorry and had clearly just experienced an intense battle. Initially, Du Tao had hoped that the three of them could activate the mutiny to save him. Seeing that they had been captured, thest hope in Du Tao¡¯s heart was extinguished. He slumped his shoulders and muttered, ¡°How did it be like this?¡± Tang Guixi looked at him coldly. ¡°You should ask yourself this question. You betrayed your superior, deceived your subordinates, murdered themander-in-chief, wreaked havoc in the military camp, colluded with the enemy, andmitted treason¡­ You deserve this oue!¡± Du Tao suddenlyughed out loud as if he had given up. ¡°Hahaha! What do you mean I deserved it? It¡¯s just a case of the winner taking it all! I lost today, so I can only stand here and let you convict me. But if I win, you¡¯ll be the one kneeling here to be judged today!¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re at fault?¡± Du Tao gradually stoppedughing. His eyes were bloodshot, and his expression was exceptionally ferocious and twisted. ¡°Was I wrong? Just because my father was a Dayan citizen and my mother was from the Chen Nation, those people in the vige did not treat our family of three as humans.¡± ¡°They broke into my house, tied my father up, and beat him. They stripped my mother naked and insulted her.¡± ¡°My mother could not stand the humiliation andmitted suicide at home. My father also fell sick and died quickly.¡± ¡°I was forced to leave the vige to join the Chen Nation. Since you Dayan people can¡¯t tolerate me, I¡¯ll be a citizen of the Chen Nation.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill all you Dayan citizens! I want you to die with my parents!¡± ¡°Miss Tang, are you saying I¡¯m at fault? I took revenge for my parents. I served my country. I¡¯m being filial. What¡¯s wrong with me? What¡¯s wrong with me?!¡± Tang Guixi did not expect him to have such a past and was momentarily speechless. Yu Niaoniao spoke at this moment. ¡°If you want revenge, you should find your enemies. You shouldn¡¯t attack innocent people. Those innocent people are not obliged to pay for your hatred.¡± Tang Guixi came back to her senses. She almost fell for Du Tao¡¯s logic. Fortunately, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s words helped her find it in time. Tang Guixi said slowly, ¡°My father trusted you so much. He promoted you and gave you a bright future. He never mistreated you, but you killed him.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference between you and the vigers who forced your parents to death? You¡¯re all doing evil. You¡¯re just like them. You¡¯re all evil people who can¡¯t tell right from wrong and don¡¯t care about human life!¡± ¡°As disgusted as you are by those vigers, so am I disgusted by you!¡± Du Tao¡¯s expression went nk. He hated those stupid and vicious vigers to death, but he did not expect to be like them one day. This dealt a heavy blow to him. It sucked away his energy. He swayed on his feet, halfughing and half crying. He muttered, ¡°So I¡¯m the same kind of person as them. The same kind of person¡­¡± Tang Guixi asked coldly, ¡°If you want a quick death, tell me the truth. Who sent you to the Eastern Expedition Army? Who is the mastermind behind you?¡± Du Tao was too wrapped up in himself to listen to anyone else. He did not even look at Tang Guixi and continued to repeat that sentence. ¡°How did I be someone like them? How did this happen?¡± Sun Dng grabbed his cor and roughly picked him up, interrogating him. ¡°Miss is asking you a question. Are you deaf?!¡± Only then did Du Tao seem toe back to his senses. ... At this point, he had nothing to hide. He might as well tell them everything he knew. ¡°The emperor of the Chen Nation is envious of thend and poption of the Dayan, but they can¡¯t defeat the Dayan with their little troops.¡± ¡°I volunteered, indicating that I could divide the Eastern Expedition Army from the inside. The Chen Emperor epted my suggestion and even sent Che Xuekun and Li Guojin to help me.¡± ¡°You must know who Che Xuekun is. Li Guojin was the man with a scar on his face. He doesn¡¯t know how to speak Dayannguage, but his martial arts are extremely high. He¡¯s the number one expert in the Chen Nation.¡± Du Tao paused andughed at himself. ¡°I originally thought that Li Guojin¡¯s martial arts were the best in the world. I didn¡¯t expect to be so ignorant. The real number one is Duke Lang.¡± Yu Niaoniao was very proud that her man had been praised. She felt even happier than she had been praised herself. Seeing her raised chin proudly, a smile appeared in Xiao Juan¡¯s eyes. Du Tao continued. ¡°I already have half of the Dayan race¡¯s bloodline, so I can easily sneak into the Dayan Realm. So I forged a new identity and entered the Eastern Expedition.¡± ¡°General Tang was indeed a powerful person. I admired him. But it was because he was too powerful that I couldn¡¯t let him live. Only when he died would the Eastern Expedition Armypletely copse.¡± ... ¡°Without the protection of the Eastern Expedition Army, Liaodong County was amb on the chopping block, at our mercy. At that time, those who have hurt me and looked down on me will all die!¡± With that, Du Taoughed again, almost maniacally. Chapter 254 - 254 A Conscience 254 A Conscience Du Taoughed as he spoke. ¡°I know I won¡¯t live, but don¡¯t even think about having it easy!¡± ¡°Tang Pei was already dead. The Eastern Expedition Army is leaderless. You were just a group of loose sand.¡± ¡°When the Chen Country¡¯s armyes, you can only wash your necks and wait for death!¡± !! When the soldiers present heard this, they felt uneasy. Indeed, Tang Pei was their spiritual pir. As long as Tang Pei was around, they would be invincible. But now, Tang Pei was dead. It was as if they had lost their backbone. If the Chen Nation took the opportunity to attack, it would be difficult for them to resist. Tang Guixi slowly stood up and swept her steady gaze across the audience. ¡°Although my father is no longer around, I¡¯m still alive. I¡¯ll continue to oversee the Eastern Expedition Army in his ce. As long as I¡¯m alive, I won¡¯t let the iron hooves of the Chen Nation¡¯s army cross the Dayan border!¡± Without waiting for anyone to react, she grabbed the red-tasseled spear standing beside her. The spear shaft suddenly swung up and swept out. The sharp spearhead actually pierced straight through the stone pir beside her. All the soldiers were in an uproar. They knew that Tang Guixi was born with extraordinary strength and was a martial arts genius, but they did not expect her to be so strong. The people in the military camp were the most direct. They had a natural admiration for the strong. Tang Guixi disyed her strength with her actions. No one had any doubts anymore. Their gazes on Tang Guixi became even more fervent. As expected of the daughter trained by General Tang. Like father, like daughter! Tang Guixi looked at Du Tao coldly and asked. ¡°What else do you have to say?¡± Du Tao looked at the red-tasseled spear that pierced the stone pir and swallowed hard. ¡°N¡­ nothing else.¡± Tang Guixi pointed at Du Tao and the three people kneeling beside him. ¡°Hang the four of them. No food or drink without my permission.¡± Sun Dng was the first to rush forward. He grabbed the back of Du Tao¡¯s cor and dragged him off the stage. Then a few soldiers rushed forward and dragged the other three down. There was a shelf beside the drill ground that was used to hang those who vited the military rules. Du Tao and the other three hung in the air with their hands tied. Every soldier who passed in front of them stopped to spit and curse. Some of the more impatient people threw stones at them. Yu Niaoniao followed Tang Guixi back to her residence. ¡°Dang Gui, you were too impressive just now! Especially the shot you threw out just now. It was simply awesome. If you were a man, I would have married you on the spot.¡± Xiao Juan, who followed them in, was speechless. Caught off guard, he felt he was cuckolded. Tang Guixi held her abdomen and sat down. She frowned slightly and looked a little pained. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your stomach?¡± After Tang Guixi sat down, she smiled indifferently. ¡°I¡¯m a little hurt. I¡¯ve had the military physician take a look. It¡¯s not a big problem. I¡¯ll be fine in a few days.¡± Yu Niaoniao was very worried. ¡°Are you really okay? Do you want Little Lo to take a look at you?¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°I¡¯m really fine. It¡¯s just a flesh wound. I used to practice martial arts with my father and was often injured. I¡¯m used to it.¡± At this moment, Yu Niaoniao hadpletely broken free from her excited state. She sat down beside Tang Guixi and asked worriedly. ¡°What are you going to do in the future?¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°In the future, I¡¯ll stay in the Eastern Expedition Army and continue to guard Liaodong County in ce of my father.¡± Yu Niaoniao hesitated. Xiao Juan helped her say what she wanted to say. ¡°Even if you can suppress the Eastern Expedition, you¡¯re still a woman. Since the founding of the Dayan Dynasty, there had been no precedent of a woman being a general.¡± ¡°After the Imperial Court learns of General Tang¡¯s death, they would definitely send someone to rece him.¡± ¡°At that time, you have to hand over all the Commander¡¯s Seal and Emperor¡¯s order. Eventually, you will have nothing.¡± Tang Guixi had obviously thought about this. She spoke calmly. ¡°I know that I can¡¯t change the rules of the Dayan Dynasty alone. All I could do was do my best to hold the Eastern Expedition Army. Even if I didn¡¯t get anything in the end, it didn¡¯t matter. I will at least have a clear conscience.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart ached. If only Dang Gui had not been born in ancient times but in modern times. A woman like her would definitely be able to shine in a modern society where men and women were equal. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve already decided, I¡¯ll support you unconditionally. But there¡¯s something I still want to ask you. If you stay in the Eastern Expedition Army, what will happen to Lu Yao?¡± Tang Guixi fell silent. ... She could stay in the military camp as a woman in order to fulfill her father¡¯sst wish and ignore the opinions of the world. However, Lu Yao was not her. He might not be able to ept her actions. Yu Niaoniao patted the back of her hand gently and spoke softly. ¡°The luckiest thing that could happen to a person is to meet someone who loves you and whom you happen to love. Many people could not find someone they truly loved in their lives.¡± ¡°It was extremely rare for you to meet. However you choose, you must think twice.¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao said seriously, ¡°You have to remember that no matter what you choose in the end, I¡¯ll support you.¡± Tang Guixi smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled along with her. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave you to recuperate. We¡¯ll leave you to rest.¡± Tang Guixi called for Sun Dng and asked him to wait for Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan at the Octagon Pavilion. There was a special ce in the Eastern Expedition Army to receive the officials of the Imperial Court called the Eight Directions Pavilion. Not only Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan, but also Shen Xu, Prince Min, Lu Yaoguang, and the others were arranged to stay in the Eight Directions Pavilion. ... When Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan walked into the Eight Directions Pavilion, they happened to see Shen Xu sitting under the porch and staring at the sky in a daze. Yu Niaoniao blinked at Xiao Juan and gestured for him to keep quiet. She stood on her tiptoes and quietly circled behind Shen Xu. Then, she suddenly reached out and patted Shen Xu¡¯s left shoulder. Shen Xu was so frightened that his body trembled. He quickly turned his head to the left and saw no one. He was confused and wondered if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight. Then, he turned around and saw Yu Niaoniao making a face. He was shocked again. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Yu Niaoniao chuckled at him. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. There are no ghosts in broad daylight.¡± Shen Xu wanted to save face and said stubbornly, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid!¡± Yu Niaoniao did not expose him and sat down beside him. Not only that, she even called Xiao Juan over and the three of them sat in a row. Yu Niaoniao asked curiously. ¡°What are you thinking about sitting here? Why don¡¯t you go into the house?¡± Shen Xu pretended to be deep in thought and said, ¡°After what happened to Du Tao, I¡¯m thinking about a question. Will we all end up bing the kind of people we hate the most? If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s too sad.¡± Xiao Juan did not expect the usually heartless Shen Xu to have times of mncholy. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I think it¡¯s good to be the kind of person I hate the most. You know what kind of person I hate the most?¡± Shen Xu was very curious. ¡°What kind of person?¡± Xiao Juan waited quietly for an answer. Yu Niaoniao looked serious. ¡°A rich person.¡± Both Shen Xu and Xiao Juan were rendered speechless. Chapter 255 - 255 Comfort 255 Comfort Lo Pingsha brought hot water to let Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan wash the blood off their bodies. They also changed into clean clothes. Meng Xizhou brought the Eagle Guards to the Octagon Pavilion. They were more or less injured. Fortunately, there were still many of them who were well. Meng Xizhou knelt on one knee. ¡°I did not protect Your Highness well. It was my fault. I deserve to die. Your Highness, please punish me!¡± The other Eagle Guards also knelt on one knee and asked Duke Lang to punish them. Xiao Juan told them to get up. ¡°I¡¯m also responsible for this matter. I underestimated the situation. If I take it seriously, I¡¯ll be punished like you.¡± Meng Xizhou hurriedly said, ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t say that!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Take this as a lesson for us. Remember it as a warning in the future.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness¡± After Meng Xizhou and the others left, Yu Niaoniao asked softly. ¡°Did you really misjudge the situation?¡± Xiao Juan looked down at her. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yu Niaoniao grabbed a handful of peanuts and muttered as she peeled them. ¡°From what I know of you, you¡¯re not the kind of person who makes mistakes easily. Since you knew that there was a problem with the Eastern Expedition, you would have definitely raised your guard. You won¡¯t let your opponent find an opportunity easily.¡± ¡°Du Tao said that he wanted to bring you to see General Tang. You could have brought a few more people in.¡± ¡°Or let Meng Xizhou visit General Tang in your ce.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to take the risk yourself.¡± Xiao Juan said with interest, ¡°What else?¡± ¡°You did whatever Du Tao said. It looks like you deliberately slipped into the trap he set. It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head and threw the peeled peanuts into her mouth to chew. Xiao Juan said, ¡°I did deliberately expose myself. Otherwise, it will be difficult for me to find out the truth about the Eastern Expedition in a short time.¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°I understand. This is what it means to enter the tiger¡¯s den to nab the cub! But you took too much risk this time and almost lost yourself. Fortunately, Dang Gui and I arrived in time. Otherwise, you and Prince Min would have been trapped in the secret passage for who knows how long.¡± Xiao Juan said indulgently, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all thanks to you this time.¡± What he didn¡¯t say was that he left marks on the walls when he didn¡¯t pass a fork in the secret passage. If he really couldn¡¯t find an exit, he could still retrace his steps back to the barracks. However, there would inevitably be a fierce battle. With his superb martial arts, he might be able to rush out of the military camp alive, but not Prince Min. Yu Niaoniao pushed the peanuts beside her toward Xiao Juan and said proudly. ¡°I saved your life. You have to repay me, right? I don¡¯t want much. Just peel the peanuts for me.¡± Xiao Juan agreed. He reached out with his well-defined fingers, pinched the peanuts, and began to seriously peel them for her. Yu Niaoniao looked at his cold side profile and could not help but think of his terrifying appearance when he suddenly lost his mind and only knew how to kill. She couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Why did your personality suddenly change?¡± Xiao Juan stopped peeling peanuts. Yu Niaoniao was afraid that these words would touch his minefield. She said hurriedly. ¡°If it¡¯s not convenient for you to say, forget it. Forget I asked.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Reach out?¡± Yu Niaoniao obediently extended her hands. Xiao Juan ced the peeled peanuts in her palm and said calmly. ¡°It¡¯s not inconvenient. If you want to know, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately pricked up her ears and waited for the rest. Xiao Juan seemed to be thinking about what to say. ¡°My mother enjoyed watching the beast fight show in the past. I suppose you know what a beast fight is?¡± ¡°Two beasts would be locked in the same cage and forced to kill each other.¡± ¡°At one point, I made my mother angry. She ordered someone to lock me in a cage to let me fight those beasts. If I wanted to live, I had to fight the beasts. There was only one thought in my mind then.¡± ¡°Kill them all.¡± ¡°Ever since then, I had a problem. As long as I kill more people, I¡¯m prone to losing control of my emotions.¡± At this point, the memories that had already faded in his mind became clear again. When he was young, he finally survived. Hey on the ground, covered in injuries, almost on hisst breath. Someone opened the door, walked into the cage, and dragged him out roughly. Until then, his mouth still repeated one word¡ª ¡°Kill!¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. She couldn¡¯t imagine that cruel scene. She felt as if her entire heart was being gripped tightly. It hurt. She really did not understand why Princess Ni Yang would abuse her son like this. ... Seeing that her eyes were red, Xiao Juan reached out and rubbed her head tofort her. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s all in the past.¡± Yu Niaoniao sniffed and said in a low voice. ¡°You¡¯re the one suffering. I should be the oneforting you. Why are youforting me?¡± Xiao Juan asked smoothly. ¡°Okay, how do you want tofort me?¡± Yu Niaoniao handed over the peanuts in her hand. ¡°Here you go. Eat more delicious food and you won¡¯t feel bad.¡± Xiao Juan said helplessly, ¡°I peeled these peanuts for you just now.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°We¡¯re husband and wife. Why are we so clear? What¡¯s yours is mine, and what¡¯s mine is still mine. Take it and eat it. Don¡¯t stand on ceremony with me!¡± Xiao Juan could only reach out to take the peanuts and eat them. He did not know if it was an illusion, but these peanuts were even more fragrant than the peanuts he had eaten before. ... Even the difort left behind by his childhood memories was dispelled. Xiao Juan could not help but soften his voice. ¡°Thank you for this.¡± Yu Niaoniao thought that he was talking about her and Dang Gui saving him from the secret passage, so she waved her hand and said indifferently. ¡°You¡¯ve already thanked me. You don¡¯t have to thank me again.¡± However, Xiao Juan said, ¡°Fortunately, you stopped me in time and didn¡¯t let me attack Little Lo.¡± Only then did Yu Niaoniao know that he was talking about his emotional loss. Thinking of the scene at that time, she was still a little afraid. If it happened again, she was not sure if she would have the courage to go forward and hold Xiao Juan back. Yu Niaoniao felt that this could not continue. What if he really lost control of his emotions one day and even she could not stop him? As the saying went, the person who created the problem had to be the one solving it. Xiao Juan¡¯s worry was caused by Princess Ni Yang. It was best to start with her. However, with their bad rtionship, it was almost impossible to get Princess Ni Yang to help treat his illness. Forget it. It was too early to say anything. She would think of something when they returned to the Imperial Capital. ¡­. The next day, a funeral was held in the camp of the Eastern Expedition Army. The soldiers lined up neatly and escorted Tang Pei¡¯s coffin out of the military camp. Chapter 256 - 256 Why Are You Here? 256 Why Are You Here? The citizens of Xiangtai City gathered on both sides of the street. Many of them were disabled veterans who had retreated from the front line and had followed General Tang through life and death. They ran after the funeral procession and cried as they shouted for General Tang. Old Sun was also here. His legs were inconvenient, so he limped, but he still followed the procession for a long time. It was not until the funeral procession left the city that he was stopped by his family. Tang Pei was buried on a high mountain. Tang Guixi kowtowed three times to her father¡¯s tombstone. When she looked up again, her eyes were red. ¡°Dad, you¡¯ve worked hard for so many years. Rest well here from now on. This is the ce I specially chose for you. From here, you can see the border between our Liaodong County and the Chen Nation. You can watch over us carefully from now on.¡± ¡°I will take over your position and continue to protect thisnd.¡± The wind rustled the leaves, and a leaf happened to brush past the wet corners of Tang Guixi¡¯s eyes. It was as if her father was helping her wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes. Tang Guixi reached out and caught the leaf. Then, Yu Niaoniao, Xiao Juan, and Prince Min also went forward to bow and offer incense to Tang Pei to bid farewell. On the way back, it suddenly snowed. White snowkes fell one after another, and soon, a thinyer of snow umted on the ground. The hooves trampled across the snow, leaving clear hoofprints. However, they were quickly covered by snow. Yu Niaoniao returned to the Octagon Pavilion and sat by the stove with Xiao Juan and Prince Min. Shen Xu had grown up in the Imperial Capital and had rarely seen such heavy snow. He said excitedly, ¡°Shall we go out for a snowball fightter?¡± Yu Niaoniao was not interested. ¡°Go ahead and y. I don¡¯t want to go.¡± Xiao Juan held her small hand and asked in a low voice. ¡°Why are you unhappy?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m thinking about the people who lost theirnd. How can they survive the winter?¡± For people who didn¡¯t have to worry about food and clothing, snow was an interesting thing. However, for those who could not eat or wear warm clothes, the snow became a death wish. Xiao Juanforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave this to me.¡± Three dayster, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan returned to Xingning in the carriage. Prince Min, Lu Yaoguang, and Tang Guixi returned with them. They set off in the morning and arrived at Xingning at noon. Lu Yaoguang invited everyone to his house for dinner. Xiao Juan happened to have something to discuss with Lu Yaoguang, so he agreed. Since he wanted to go, Yu Niaoniao naturally had to go. Tang Guixi hade to Xing Ning to discuss the engagement with the Lu family, so she epted Lu Yaoguang¡¯s invitation. Shen Xu liked to join in the fun. Seeing that everyone had gone, he wanted to follow them. Therefore, arge group of people went to the county governor¡¯s residence. The wife of the county governor, Madam Shu, was still worried about her son. When she suddenly heard that Master had returned and brought back many important guests, she hurriedly washed up and got someone to inform Lu Yao to prepare in advance. Having dressed up,Madam Shu came out and greeted them happily. Lu Yaoguang introduced Prince Min and his son, as well as Prince Lang and his wife. Madam Shu greeted them one by one. When it was Tang Guixi¡¯s turn, Madam Shu was stunned on the spot, her face revealing an intense surprise. ¡°Guixi, didn¡¯t you leave Liaodong County? When did youe back?¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°I just came back.¡± Madam Shu was a little unhappy to see that she was wearing a in-colored dress and no jewelry. There was no makeup on her face. Madam Shu was from a famous family in the west of the river. Her cousin was a favored consort by the emperor. Her ideal daughter-inw should also be from a prestigious family. She had to be gentle and generous, knowledgeable, and good at managing family matters. She had to be able to be her son¡¯s virtuous wife. However, Tang Guixi was far from her expectations. She had been raised by Tang Pei like a boy since she was young. She liked to ride horses and shoot arrows and practiced good martial arts. She spent all her time in the military camp and never knew what it meant to be obedient. However, she was Tang Pei¡¯s only daughter. The Lu and Tang families were old friends. This marriage had been decided long ago, and Lu Yaoguang needed Tang Pei¡¯s support. Tang Pei was in charge of the 100,000-strong Eastern Expedition Army. As long as the two families could be inws, with the power in Lu Yaoguang¡¯s hands and the deterrence of the Eastern Expedition Army, Lu Yaoguang would be able to hold his own in Liaodong County in the future and would no longer have to listen to those local powerhouses. Therefore, no matter how much Madam Shu disliked Tang Guixi, she had to let her son marry her. Madam Shu took the initiative to hold Tang Guixi¡¯s hand and said gently. ¡°Why is there gauze wrapped around your head? Are you injured? Do you want a doctor to take a look at you?¡± Tang Guixi said that she was fine. It was just a superficial wound and had been treated. Lu Yaoguang said to Madam Shu, ¡°Get someone to prepare more good wine and dishes. I want to treat all the distinguished guests well today.¡± ... Madam Shu agreed. She wanted to take the opportunity to nurture Tang Guixi¡¯s ability to do housework, so she said to her. ¡°Guixi, do you want to walk around the kitchen with me?¡± Tang Guixi nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly raised her hand. ¡°I want to go too.¡± Her favorite ce was the kitchen. She wondered what delicious food there was in the county governor¡¯s residence¡¯s kitchen. Since the County Princess had spoken, Madam Shu naturally did not dare to disagree and hurriedly said. ¡°Then let¡¯s go together.¡± The three of them were about to leave when Lu Yaoguang suddenly stopped Madam Shu and asked. ¡°Where¡¯s Yun Zhong? I just heard from the concierge that he¡¯s back. Why don¡¯t I see him?¡± Lu Yaoguang had a legitimate son and two from his concubine. Usually, he treated his three sons equally, but on such an important asion, the first thing he thought of was still the legitimate son. ... Madam Shu naturally thought of this and could not help but feel a little happy. She smiled and said, ¡°Yun Zhong hasn¡¯t been feeling well for the past two days. I asked him to rest well in the house. I¡¯ve already sent someone to inform him just now. I think he should be here soon.¡± Almost as soon as she finished speaking, the servant walked in and reported. ¡°Master, Madam, Eldest Young Master is here.¡± Lu Yaoguang smiled and said, ¡°Let him in quickly.¡± After not seeing him for many years, he missed his eldest son very much. He wondered how this child had grown up. When Lu Yao walked in, everyone in the room focused on him. Lu Yao bowed respectfully to Lu Yaoguang. ¡°Greetings, Father.¡± Lu Yaoguang realized that his son had grown much taller than him, but he was too thin. His heart couldn¡¯t help but ache. ¡°Yunchong, haven¡¯t you been eating well recently? Why have you lost so much weight?¡± Lu Yao straightened his upper body and was about to answer when his gaze froze when he saw Tang Guixi. His eyes widened slowly as he asked in disbelief. ¡°Dang Gui, why are you here?¡± Chapter 257 - 257 Blaming Them 257 ming Them Madam Shu had once sent Lu Shiliu to capture Dang Gui. Although the arrest failed, Madam Shu sent someone to the inn where Dang Gui lived to investigate and uncovered her name. Ever since then, the name Dang Gui had been firmly remembered by Madam Shu. She was thinking about what to do to erase this name from Lu Yao¡¯s heart almost every day. !! At this moment, when she suddenly heard Lu Yao shout the word Dang Gui, Madam Shu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She was afraid that Lu Yao would mention breaking off the engagement again and hurriedly mediated. ¡°Yun Zhong has a maidservant called Dang Gui. He¡¯s used to calling her that. He must have called her by mistake now. Don¡¯t take offense.¡± After saying that, Madam Shu red at her son, indicating for him to apologize quickly. Lu Yao did not even look at his mother. He looked at Tang Guixi in a daze. Tang Guixi was also looking at Lu Yao. After not seeing him for a few days, he had lost a lot of weight. His face was very pale, and there was some stubble on his chin. He looked very down and out. He must have not had a good few days. Tang Guixi smiled at him. ¡°Long time no see, Young Master Lu. Let me introduce myself again. My current name is Tang Guixi.¡± Lu Yao thought that he had heard wrongly. ¡°Who did you say you are?¡± Lu Yaoguang did not know what had happened between the two of them. He thought that it was their first time meeting and took the initiative to introduce them. ¡°Yunchong, this is General Tang¡¯s daughter. Guixi is also your fianc¨¦e.¡± Lu Yao was first shocked, then overjoyed. ¡°Dang Gui, Gui Xi¡­ It¡¯s all you. It¡¯s always you! That¡¯s great!¡± Initially, he was still troubled by the withdrawal of the engagement. Now, it seemed that he was overthinking. The person he liked and the person he was going to marry were the same. Only at this moment did Madam Shu graduallye back to her senses. It turned out that the Dang Gui she had been looking for was Tang Guixi. They were actually the same person! Madam Shu recalled that she had once sent someone to kidnap Dang Gui and could not help but feel guilty. Fortunately, the kidnapping did not seed. Otherwise, this matter would not have been able to end. Lu Yaoguang was confused. ¡°Yun Zhong, what are you talking about? What Dang Gui? Where did this Dang Guie from?¡± Lu Yao was filled with joy and smiled like a fool. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I misunderstood previously. Dad, I¡¯m very happy to be engaged to Guixi. In the future, we¡¯ll be filial to you and Mom.¡± Lu Yaoguang said angrily, ¡°You haven¡¯t even paid your respects. Why are you saying this? You¡¯re making a fool of yourself.¡± Lu Yao was blinded by joy and could not care less. Yu Niaoniao reminded, ¡°Mrs. County Governor, aren¡¯t we going to the kitchen?¡± Madam Shu hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, yes, yes. We¡¯ll go to the kitchen to arrange lunch. Everyone, take your time.¡± Seeing that Tang Guixi was about to leave, Lu Yao subconsciously wanted to chase after her, but he was stopped by Lu Yaoguang. ¡°If she wants to go to the kitchen, do you want to go too? Brat, you really forget your father after having a wife. You¡¯re not allowed to go anywhere now. Stay here obediently and receive the important guests with me.¡± Lu Yao had no choice but to watch his sweetheart leave reluctantly. Madam Shu introduced the situation at home as she walked. She was observing Tang Guixi¡¯s attitude at the same time. Seeing Tang Guixi¡¯s obedient expression, she thought that Tang Guixi did not know that she was the one who sent someone to kidnap her and secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Madam Shu said slowly. ¡°Guixi, I don¡¯t care what you were like in the past. ¡°When you marry into our Lu family in the future, everything has to follow our Lu family¡¯s rules.¡± ¡°I know your mother died early and no one taught you how to do housework. It¡¯s okay. If you learn from me in the future, I¡¯ll teach you the rules.¡± ¡°In the future, your only goal in life will be to help your husband and raise your children. Be an outstanding wife of an aristocratic family. Do you understand?¡± These words made Yu Niaoniao frown. She was already very dissatisfied with Madam Shu because of the kidnapping. Now, her dissatisfaction with Madam Shu had doubled. It was obvious that Madam Shu was not easy to get along with. If Tang Guixi really married into the Lu family in the future, she would definitely suffer at the hands of Madam Shu. After waiting for a long time without receiving the answer she wanted, Madam Shu couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Guixi, why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Do you have any objections to my words?¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°Madam is right, but I can¡¯t do it.¡± Madam Shu thought she had heard wrongly. This girl actually said that she couldn¡¯t do it?! Madam Shu suppressed her anger and tried her best to ask in a gentle tone. ¡°It¡¯s every woman¡¯s duty to support their husband and raise their children. Why can¡¯t you do that?¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°My father is no longer around, and the Eastern Expedition Army is leaderless. I can¡¯t disregard them. In the future, I¡¯ll live in the military camp for a long time and won¡¯t be able to do housework with you.¡± ... Madam Shu eximed, ¡°Your father is no longer around? When did this happen?¡± Tang Guixi lowered her eyes to hide the sadness in her heart. ¡°I held my father¡¯s funeral three days ago.¡± Madam Shu finally understood why Tang Guixi was dressed so inly. It was because she was mourning. In an instant, many thoughts shed across Madam Shu¡¯s mind. Since Tang Pei was dead, the engagement between the Tang and Lu families became less important, and as her mother-inw, she no longer had to worry about Tang Guixi. Moreover, Tang Guixi¡¯s mother had died first, and now her father had died. To put it bluntly, she was unlucky! She wondered if she would jinx her husband in the future. Thinking of this, Madam Shu¡¯s tone became not so polite. ¡°Since your father is no longer around, you should abide by the rules and stop running into the military camp.¡± ¡°As for the Eastern Expedition Army, the Imperial Court will take care of it. Don¡¯t interfere too much.¡± Tang Guixi¡¯s attitude was firm. ¡°I won¡¯t leave the Eastern Expedition Army until the Imperial Court sends someone to take over.¡± Madam Shu¡¯s face darkened. ¡°You¡¯re a woman. Why do you always like to interfere in men¡¯s matters? Didn¡¯t your mother teach you what it means to be a woman?!¡± ... Tang Guixi said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what it means to be a woman. I only know that the Eastern Expedition Army can¡¯t do without me now, and I can¡¯t leave the Eastern Expedition Army.¡± Madam Shu was furious. ¡°You¡¯re really stubborn! To think that I wanted to teach you well, but you didn¡¯t appreciate my kindness at all! Since you don¡¯t care about me, your future mother-inw, then leave. Don¡¯t hang around in front of me anymore, lest you annoy me!¡± Yu Niaoniao finally couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and couldn¡¯t help but speak. ¡°Back then, you sent people to kidnap us and almost killed Dang Gui. We haven¡¯t found trouble with you yet, but you actually med us?!¡± Madam Shu suddenly became nervous when she heard her mention old scores. She tried to quibble. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. Let me exin.¡± Yu Niaoniao sneered. ¡°I stayed with Dang Gui that night. The assassin sneaked into my room in the middle of the night. If I hadn¡¯t reacted fast enough, I would have been tied up in front of you. You said you wanted to exin. Alright, exin it to me now!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t give me a reasonable exnation today, I¡¯ll charge you with attempted kidnapping!¡± Chapter 258 - 258 Annulment 258 Annulment Initially, Yu Niaoniao had taken into ount Tang Guixi and Lu Yao¡¯s engagement and did not want to ruin their rtionship, so she did not intend to mention the kidnapping. Unexpectedly, Madam Shu picked on Tang Guixi the moment they met. Yu Niaoniao knew very well that Madam Shu had deliberately put on airs in front of Tang Guixi so that she could suppress her to make her subservient in the future. This kind of gaslighting was really disgusting. Since Madam Shu wanted to suppress Tang Guixi, Yu Niaoniao would suppress Madam Shu. Anyway, her status was higher than that of Madam Shu. No matter what she said, Madam Shu could not refute it. She wanted Madam Shu to understand that Tang Guixi was not a pushover! Madam Shu was so frightened that her face turned pale. She only knew that when Lu Shiliu went to kidnap Dang Gui, she had twopanions with her. However, she did not know that the princess consort was one of them. If she had known that the princess consort had a rtionship with Dang Gui, she would not have dared to attack her! Madam Shu was burning with anxiety. She wanted to exin herself, but she didn¡¯t know how to say it. In the end, she could only look at Tang Guixi. ¡°Guixi, quickly help me say something! I¡¯m your future mother-inw, Yun Zhong¡¯s mother. Even if there¡¯s any conflict between us, it¡¯s our domestic business. Let¡¯s just settle it ourselves behind closed doors. You can¡¯t just watch as I¡¯m being convicted, right?¡± Tang Guixi said calmly, ¡°People have to be responsible for their actions. Since you dared to send people to kidnap us, you have to be prepared to bear the consequences.¡± Seeing how heartless she was, Madam Shu disliked her even more. However, in this situation, Madam Shu could only give up their dignity and beg. ¡°Guixi, I know I was wrong. I promise I won¡¯t do such a stupid thing again. Can you speak up for me? When you marry into the Lu family in the future, I will definitely treat you well.¡± Tang Guixi pondered for a moment and suddenly said. ¡°Actually, I came to the Lu family this time for my engagement with Lu Yao.¡± Madam Shu thought that she wanted to get married as soon as possible and felt even more confident. As long as she wanted to marry into the Lu family, she had to respect her as her mother-inw. In the future, it was only right for the mother-inw to set the rules. Madam Shu softened her tone and said gently. ¡°I know. You¡¯re not young anymore. You should get married as soon as possible, but you¡¯re still mourning. You have to wait three years before getting married¡­¡± Tang Guixi interrupted her. ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood. I don¡¯t want to get married.¡± Madam Shu thought that her ears were damaged and she was hallucinating. She asked in disbelief. ¡°What did you say?¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°Just as you said, I have to observe mourning for three years. Lu Yao is already twenty this year. I guess you and County Governor Lu are in a hurry to have grandchildren. I don¡¯t want to dy your ns for grandchildren, nor do I want to waste Lu Yao¡¯s time. Let¡¯s break off the engagement.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said I want to break off the engagement¡­¡± Before Tang Guixi could finish, she sensed that the person asking was not Madam Shu. She immediately turned around and saw Lu Yao. Lu Yao looked at her in shock. ¡°You want to break off the engagement?¡± Madam Shu couldn¡¯t help but speak. ¡°Even if you want to annul the engagement, it should be brought up by the elders or matchmakers. How can a girl like you say such a thing personally? Aren¡¯t you afraid of beingughed at?¡± Tang Guixi said calmly, ¡°My parents are dead. My uncles and elders are not in Liaodong County. It will take at least a month or two for them to rush over. That¡¯s too troublesome. I hate to trouble others the most. I can decide my marriage.¡± Madam Shu wanted to say something else, but Yu Niaoniao stopped her. ¡°Let them talk alone. Don¡¯t cause any more trouble.¡± Madam Shu was indignant. ¡°I¡¯m his biological mother. It¡¯s only right for me to care about him. How did it be trouble?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Oh, you care about him, to the extent that you even sent someone to kidnap us?¡± Madam Shu choked hard. Lu Yao looked at them. ¡°What kidnapping?¡± Madam Shu was afraid that Yu Niaoniao would say something about the kidnapping again, so she hurriedly said. ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s go to the kitchen to arrange lunch. You guys take your time chatting.¡± Yu Niaoniao said to Tang Guixi, ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave first. See youter.¡± Tang Guixi nodded. Yu Niaoniao and Madam Shu left together. Only Lu Yao and Tang Guixi were left in the long corridor. Just now, Lu Yaoguang insisted that Lu Yao receive important guests with him, but Lu Yao had been thinking about Tang Guixi. He had a lot to tell her and many questions to ask her. So he slipped out when his father wasn¡¯t paying attention. He ran over to look for Tang Guixi expectantly, not expecting to hear her say that she wanted to annul the engagement. It was as if someone had poured a basin of cold water on his head, extinguishing all his expectations. Lu Yao did not understand. ¡°Why do you want to break off the engagement? Did I do something wrong?¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°I have to observe mourning for three years.¡± Lu Yao said without hesitation. ... ¡°I can wait for you! Not to mention three years, I¡¯ll wait for you for thirty years!¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°After we get married, I can¡¯t stay in the county governor¡¯s residence with you. I have to stay in the Eastern Expedition Army¡¯s camp.¡± Lu Yao was puzzled. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°My father has passed away. Now that the Eastern Expedition Army is leaderless, I have to stay in the military camp to stabilize their morale.¡± Lu Yao said, ¡°But you¡¯re just a woman. You shouldn¡¯t do this. The Imperial Court will definitely send someone to take over the Eastern Expedition Army. You don¡¯t have to stay in the Eastern Expedition Army forever.¡± Tang Guixiughed at herself. ¡°So even you think women shouldn¡¯t interfere in military matters?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. My heart aches for you. The conditions in the military camp are tough. I don¡¯t want you to suffer.¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°I used to stay in the military camp with my father and never felt bitter.¡± Seeing her determined attitude, Lu Yao could only give in. ¡°If you insist on staying in the military camp, I can stay there with you.¡± Tang Guixi asked, ¡°What about your parents? Aren¡¯t you going to care about them?¡± ... Lu Yao hesitated for a moment before saying. ¡°Xiangtai isn¡¯t far from Xingning. We cane back to see them often.¡± Tang Guixi shook her head. ¡°Your parents will definitely not agree.¡± Lu Yao said, ¡°I¡¯ll persuade them to agree.¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°What if you can¡¯t convince them? You can only choose one between your parents and me. Who will you choose?¡± Lu Yao could not answer. ¡°Your question doesn¡¯t make sense. It¡¯s difficult for anyone to make a choice. If it were you, who would you choose?¡± Tang Guixi said without hesitation, ¡°I will choose my parents.¡± Lu Yao was stunned. Tang Guixi said, ¡°To be honest, I quite like you, but this liking isn¡¯t enough for me to give up my family and ideals. I believe you¡¯re the same.¡± Lu Yao was in pain. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why do you have to make this choice? This choice is unnecessary!¡± Chapter 259 - 259 Plea 259 Plea Tang Guixi felt terrible. But she continued. ¡°I just chatted with your mother for a while. Her ideal daughter-inw should be a gentle, generous, and sensible youngdy, but I¡¯m not like that. I can¡¯t take good care of you or stay at home all day to help you do housework. I can¡¯t integrate into your family.¡± Lu Yao said, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her nonsense! You¡¯re married to me, not her. Why do you care?!¡± !! Tang Guixi said, ¡°But she¡¯s your mother. She worked so hard to raise you. She¡¯s an importantponent of your family. How can I not care about her opinion?¡± Lu Yao was speechless. Tang Guixi took a deep breath and said slowly. ¡°I can actually understand what your mother did. She did it for your own good. If it were me, I would also hope that my son could find a gentle and considerate wife, and not marry a fierce woman like me who only knows how to fight and kill.¡± Lu Yao said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about yourself like that. I think you¡¯re very good.¡± Tang Guixi felt a lump in her throat. She resisted the urge to cry and smiled. ¡°Then your taste is quite strange. You actually admire a woman like me.¡± Lu Yao wanted to reach out and hug her, but he was afraid of offending her, so he could only suppress the urge in his heart. ¡°Can you not be in a hurry to annul the engagement? Give me a little more time. I¡¯ll convince my parents. I¡¯ll get them to agree that I¡¯ll stay with you in the barracks. If they insist on disagreeing, then I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± ¡°We will wait for you to finish your three-year mourning period. After you settle everything in Liaodong County, and the Imperial Court sends someone to take over the Eastern Expedition Army, we will get married.¡± Tang Guixi shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no need. The two of us are not suitable. The engagement will be annulled. This is your marriage proposal and the jade pendant you gave me. I¡¯ll return them to you.¡± She took out the marriage proposal and the Guanyin jade pendant and handed them over. Lu Yao refused to take it. He looked pleading. ¡°Guixi, it wasn¡¯t easy for me to be with you. Can you not give up so easily?¡± Tang Guixi made up her mind. ¡°Since you refuse to ept the marriage proposal and jade pendant, I¡¯ll send them to County Governor Luter.¡± With that, she turned around and left. Lu Yao called her a few times, but he could not stop her. He could only watch her leave. ¡­. Lu Yaoguang realized that his son had disappeared and scolded him with a smile, ¡°This kid must have gone to look for Guixi.¡± Shen Xu asked curiously, ¡°How did you know that he was looking for Miss Tang?¡± Lu Yaoguang sighed. ¡°I was also young once and had a girl I liked. When you like someone, you can¡¯t hide your gaze.¡± Didn¡¯t he see that Lu Yao¡¯s eyes were almost glued to Tang Guixi? Shen Xu touched his chin and said, ¡°After hearing what you said, I also want to taste the bitterness of love.¡± Lu Yaoguang smiled and asked, ¡°Do you need me to introduce you to someone? There are many good youngdies in Liaodong County. As long as you¡¯re willing, I¡¯ll immediately get those people to send the portraits over.¡± Shen Xu immediately waved his hand to indicate that there was no need. He was just having fun. He had not had enough freedom yet, so he did not want to get married so quickly. Xiao Juan suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯ve already recorded everything that happened in Liaodong County. I¡¯ll order someone to send the letter to the Imperial Capital tomorrow and present it to the emperor.¡± The smile on Lu Yaoguang¡¯s face froze. Once the matter in Liaodong County was exposed, he would not be able to cover up his collusion with the local powers to annex thend of themoners. At that time, he would not be able to keep his ck official hat. Although Lu Yaoguang was already mentally prepared for this matter, he could not help but take a chance at this critical moment. He said ingratiatingly, ¡°Your Highness, can you let me off on ount of me taking the initiative to confess everything? I promise to be a conscientious good official in the future and never do anything illegal again.¡± Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve told you before. If you confess everything, I¡¯ll protect your entire family. As for the rest, don¡¯t think about it anymore.¡± Lu Yaoguang refused to give up and wanted to plead for mercy. Xiao Juan interrupted him. ¡°Although I can¡¯t absolve you of your crimes, I can plead with the emperor to reduce your punishment.¡± Lu Yaoguang was overjoyed. If he could reduce the punishment, he might be able to keep his ck hat. He hurriedly said, ¡°Thank you, Your Highness! You¡¯re really my benefactor!¡± Xiao Juan said lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to thank me. There are conditions for me to help you plead.¡± ¡°Please tell me. As long as it¡¯s something I can do, I will definitely do my best!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Return all thend you swallowed to the people.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, not only did Lu Yaoguang¡¯s expression change, even Prince Min and his son revealed surprised expressions. Lu Yaoguang hurriedly said, ¡°No way!¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Why not?¡± Lu Yaoguang seemed to want to say something but did not dare to. He looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated. Xiao Juan said, ¡°If you have something to say, just say it. There are no outsiders here.¡± When Prince Min and Shen Xu heard this, they immediately became happy. It seemed that Duke Lang treated them as his own people. Prince Min chimed in, ¡°County Governor Lu, if you have anything to say, just say it. We definitely won¡¯t tell anyone.¡± Lu Yaoguang hesitated for a while before saying. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve been through thick and thin together. I¡¯ll tell you everything. There are more than ten powerful forces in Liaodong County. Those families have much more influence locally than I, the county governor. The county governor could be transferred away at any time, but those powerhouses have taken root here for generations.¡± ... ¡°If I offend them, my life as a county governor will not be easy. It was also because of this that I had no choice but to join forces with them and cooperate with them to annex thend. If I ask them to spit out thend now, it would be equivalent to snatching food from the tiger¡¯s mouth. They would definitely not agree. If they make a big deal out of it, they will do anything!¡± Shen Xu snorted. ¡°Can they still rebel?¡± Lu Yaoguang hurriedly said. ¡°They won¡¯t rebel, but they will think of a way to cause us all kinds of trouble. The previous county governor here was fired and investigated because he had offended those powerful people.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if he took bribes or not. However, I knew that the person who bribed him was in cahoots with the person who reported him.¡± ¡°What¡¯s even worse is that after that person was dismissed, he brought his family back to his hometown. On the way, he encountered bandits and his family died.¡± Shen Xu¡¯s scalp went numb. ¡°How dare they be so arrogant? Didn¡¯t anyone report it to the Imperial Court?¡± Lu Yaoguang said helplessly, ¡°After I took office, I reported this matter to the Imperial Court. The Imperial Court ordered General Tang to send troops to destroy the mountain bandits. During that time, almost all the mountain bandits in Liaodong County were killed, but so what? The local powerhouses are still as stable as Mount Tai.¡± Chapter 260 - 260 Different Thoughts 260 Different Thoughts Prince Min and Shen Xu¡¯s hearts pounded. They would have to live in Liaodong County in the future. They hoped not to have any conflicts with those rich people. Lu Yaoguang said earnestly. ¡°Your Highness, listen to my advice. Forget about thend. At most, I¡¯ll control them more in the future and ask them to restrain themselves.¡± Xiao Juan said expressionlessly, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t return thend. I¡¯ll report your collusion with the local power tomorrow to the emperor and see how he deals with you.¡± Lu Yaoguang immediately panicked. ¡°Don¡¯t! Your Highness, listen to me. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to do as you say, but I really can¡¯t do it! Those powerhouses annexed thend wantonly in order to stabilize their foundation locally. Thosends were their foundation and lifeblood. They have already eaten it. It¡¯s impossible for them to spit it out again.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s eyes turned cold as he questioned in a low voice. ¡°What¡¯s the use of having so muchnd? They do not farm, so they could only let those good fields go to waste. On the other hand, themoners who urgently needed the fields to save their lives could only watch from the side. Do you think that¡¯s reasonable?¡± Lu Yaoguang said, ¡°So what if it¡¯s unreasonable? The people who lost theirnd are themoners. It has nothing to do with you. Why do you have to offend so many powerful people for a group of irrelevant people?¡± Xiao Juan emphasized. ¡°Thosemoners have nothing to do with me, but I promised someone. That I would definitely return thend to thosemoners so that they could live peacefully through the winter. If you don¡¯t agree, I¡¯ll hand over your rtionship with the local powerhouses to the emperor.¡± ¡°Whether you want to offend the powerful or keep your ck hat, choose!¡± Lu Yaoguang was forced into a corner. He pped his thigh hard and said angrily. ¡°Why did I meet someone like you? Everyone else was just getting by, but you were the only one who was stubborn. Fine! I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll give an order to let themoners who have lost theirnde to the government office to receive the title deed.¡± ording to the normal procedure, both parties had to be present when tradingnd. However, Lu Yaoguang knew that those rich people would definitely ignore his orders, so he could only act first and reportter. He directly transferred thosends to themoners. As for how angry this would make the rich and powerful? It was no longer within Lu Yaoguang¡¯s consideration. The most important thing now was to protect his ck official hat. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Why wait for tomorrow? Pass the order down now. The sooner the matter is settled, the sooner I can return to the capital in peace.¡± Lu Yaoguangined in his heart. This master did not even give him a chance to dy for a day. He gritted his teeth. ¡°Then I¡¯ll arrange it now. Please wait here for a moment.¡± With that, he went out to the study and began to draft a document. Prince Min looked at Duke Lang and couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of offending those powerful people and causing them to take revenge?¡± Xiao Juan asked unhurriedly. ¡°How many people have I offended?¡± Prince Min tacitly agreed. He thought to himself that it made sense. So many people had died at Duke Lang¡¯s hands, and there were countless people who wanted him dead. As the saying went, one did not have to worry about money. Duke Lang already had so many enemies, so it was nothing to have a few more. Prince Min sighed. ¡°You¡¯ll leave Liaodong County soon anyway. Those powerful people can¡¯t do anything to you. Xu and I will be in trouble. We still have to stay with those powerful people in the future. I hope they won¡¯t find trouble with us.¡± Shen Xu patted his chest and said, ¡°Dad, what are you afraid of? I¡¯m here. I¡¯ll protect you!¡± Prince Min looked at him as if he was looking at a silly son. ¡°Just live well. I can¡¯t count on you.¡± Shen Xu was speechless. He felt humiliated. Xiao Juan said lightly, ¡°I have a suggestion that can help you stabilize your status.¡± Prince Min hurriedly asked, ¡°Tell me quickly.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Although General Tang has already passed away, Tang Guixi is still around. For the time being, the Eastern Expedition Army will listen to her. You can build a good rtionship with her and rope her in. In the future, if those rich people have designs on you, you can ask Tang Guixi to help you.¡± Prince Min¡¯s eyes lit up, thinking that this was a good idea. However, he immediately asked, ¡°But the Imperial Court will send people to take over the Eastern Expedition Army sooner orter. Tang Guixi won¡¯t stay in the Eastern Expedition Army forever.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. ording to the rules of the Dayan Dynasty, every prince could store soldiers. As long as the number was within 10,000, it would be fine. After Tang Guixi leaves the Eastern Expedition Army, you could recruit her to Prince Min¡¯s Mansion and let her lead the soldiers. With her holding down the fort, your safety will not be a problem.¡± Prince Min pped his thigh. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea! We¡¯ll do as you say!¡± Shen Xu also felt that this n was brilliant. The father and son gathered together and muttered to each other, discussing how to rope Tang Guixi in next. Actually, the best way to rope her in was through marriage. However, Tang Guixi was already engaged to the Lu family, so marriage was impossible. They could only think of other ways. At noon, everyone sat around the table for lunch. Everyone at the dining table had different thoughts. Lu Yaoguang was still uneasy because he was about to offend all the local powerhouses. He had no appetite at all in the face of arge table of delicious food. Madam Shu was uneasy. From time to time, she would nce at Yu Niaoniao, afraid that she would tell others about the kidnapping. Lu Yao seemed to have lost his soul. He picked up a pair of chopsticks and put them down with an ugly expression. He looked at Tang Guixi, who was sitting opposite the table, with a gaze that seemed to have a thousand things to say. Tang Guixi did not even look at Lu Yao and only buried her head in her bowl. Prince Min and Shen Xu whispered to each other and asionally nced at Tang Guixi. Yu Niaoniao was probably the most rxed. She did not feel burdened at all. She ate with relish the entire time and did not forget to put food into Xiao Juan¡¯s bowl. ... ¡°Hurry up and eat. Don¡¯t always eat the rice in the bowl. Eat more of the dishes.¡± Xiao Juan did not like to eat food outside, but he would still eat the food Niaoniao personally picked for him. After the meal, only Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan were full. The others barely touched their chopsticks. Yu Niaoniao leaned back and touched her slightly bulging stomach. She burped in satisfaction. It felt good to be full. At this moment, Tang Guixi stood up. She walked up to Lu Yaoguang and handed over the jade pendant and the marriage proposal. ¡°Uncle Lu, I want to annul the engagement.¡± Lu Yaoguang was drinking tea. When he heard this, he almost choked to death. He coughed violently and took a while to calm down. ¡°W-What did you say?¡± Lu Yao stood up. ¡°Guixi!¡± ... Tang Guixi did not look at him and repeated calmly. ¡°I want to break off the engagement.¡± Chapter 261 - 261 Not Fated 261 Not Fated Lu Yaoguang never expected so much to happen at home in just a meal. He first asked Madam Shu and Lu Yao to bring the guests to the reception hall to rest before saying to Tang Guixi, ¡°Come with me for a moment.¡± Tang Guixi followed Lu Yaoguang to the study. After the two of them sat down, Lu Yaoguang spoke solemnly. ¡°I¡¯m old friends with your father. Even if your father is no longer around, the rtionship between our families is still there. If you have any difficulties, you can tell me. I¡¯ll definitely help you. Don¡¯t mention the annulment again.¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°I appreciate your kindness. I don¡¯t have any difficulties. The reason why I want to annul the engagement is that I¡¯m not suitable for Lu Yao.¡± Lu Yaoguang asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you and Yun Zhong quitepatible? And I can tell that Yun Zhong likes you very much. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t have feelings for him.¡± Tang Guixi looked down at her hands in herp. ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Ask away.¡± ¡°If Lu Yao marries me, he has to live with me in the Eastern Expedition Army camp. We can¡¯t stay at home often to serve you and your wife. I can¡¯t listen to your arrangements for everything. If I¡¯m unlucky, I might even die on the battlefield. Can you still ept such a daughter-inw?¡± Lu Yaoguang opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn¡¯t. Of course, he couldn¡¯t ept it. What he wanted was a daughter-inw who could take care of Lu Yao and help with the housework, not a woman who would abduct his son after getting married. Tang Guixi looked up. She saw the answer on Lu Yaoguang¡¯s face. She was not surprised. Tang Guixi continued calmly. ¡°There are many things in this world that are more important than love, such as responsibility. With my father gone, I will watch over the Eastern Expedition for him. It is my responsibility. Lu Yao is the eldest son of the Lu family. It is his responsibility to inherit the family business in the future. We all have our responsibilities. He cannot give up his responsibility as the eldest son of the Lu family just to be with me. I can¡¯t abandon the Eastern Expedition Army just to be with him.¡± Lu Yaoguang was stunned. He did not expect such a little girl to think so far ahead. He let out a long sigh. ¡°Your parents are no longer around. You¡¯re alone and helpless now. If you still break off the engagement with our family, what will you do in the future? What will you rely on to survive? Don¡¯t just think about the Eastern Expedition Army. You have to n for yourself!¡± Tang Guixi lowered her eyes again. ¡°My father used to tell me that there has to be a small number of people in this world who can¡¯t n for themselves. I didn¡¯t understand these words before, but I do now.¡± Lu Yaoguang could no longer speak. He would never be able to be someone like Tang Pei, but this did not stop him from admiring someone like Tang Pei. The little girl in front of him already had the demeanor of her father when he was young. Tang Guixi ced the jade pendant and the marriage proposal on the table. ¡°These are back to you.¡± Lu Yaoguang picked up the Guanyin jade pendant. ¡°This jade pendant was given to you by Yun Zhong, right? He actually gave you this. Looks like he really wants to marry you.¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°I¡¯ve let him down.¡± Lu Yaoguang put down the jade pendant. ¡°Forget it. None of you did anything wrong. You can only me fate.¡± He stood up and walked to the desk. He opened the locked drawer and took out the marriage proposal. ¡°Logically speaking, the withdrawal of the engagement should be discussed by the parents of both parties, but your family¡¯s situation is special, so we don¡¯t have to be so particr. This is your proposal. Take it.¡± Tang Guixi took the proposal with both hands. ¡°Thank you.¡± Lu Yaoguang said regretfully. ¡°Although the engagement has been annulled, I still treat you as my niece. If you suffer in the future, feel free toe to me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­. In the hall, Lu Yao had been distracted. Madam Shu called him several times, but he did not react. Madam Shu couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and raised her hand to pat his arm twice. ¡°Yun Zhong!¡± Only then did Lu Yaoe back to his senses. ¡°Mother, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Madam Shu red at him. ¡°What are you thinking about? Why do you look like you¡¯ve lost your soul?¡± Lu Yao was naturally thinking about Tang Guixi. Thinking of what she had said previously, Lu Yao felt that the source of the problem should be his mother. If his mother could change her attitude towards Tang Guixi, perhaps Tang Guixi could give up on the annulment. Therefore, he said to Madam Shu, ¡°Mother, Guixi is actually a very good girl. Can you be more tolerant of her in the future?¡± When Madam Shu heard this, she immediately frowned and was very unhappy. That girl had yet to enter the house, but she had already seduced her son to side with her. If she really entered the house, would her son still have her in his eyes in the future?! There were still guests sitting in the reception hall, so Madam Shu couldn¡¯t re up in front of them. She chided helplessly. ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying. I¡¯ve always treated Guixi as my child. When have I not been tolerant of her?¡± Lu Yao tried his best to exin, ¡°What I mean is that Guixi has her own thoughts. What she wants to do is up to her. Don¡¯t always use your methods to restrain her.¡± Madam Shu was so angry that sheughed. ... ¡°Tell me, what are Guixi¡¯s thoughts?¡± Lu Yao said seriously, ¡°She wants to stay in the Eastern Expedition Army and inherit her father¡¯s unfinished business, not stay in the back residence to support her husband and teach her children.¡± Madam Shu felt her fists harden. She wanted to punch her silly son. ¡°You mean that you have to stay in the Eastern Expedition Army with her in the future? What about me and your father? What about the huge Lu family? Your father and I didn¡¯t raise you so that you could fall in love. We want you to have the ability to bear the heavy responsibility of the Lu family!¡± In the end, Madam Shu gritted her teeth to suppress her voice. Her upbringing had taught her that no matter how angry she was, she could not show it in front of outsiders. No matter the asion, she had to maintain her bearing as the wife of the county governor. She was like this, and her daughter-inw had to be like this in the future. Lu Yao understood what his mother meant, but he could not bear to give up on Tang Guixi. He tried his best to strike a bnce between the two things. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to take responsibility. I mean, I¡¯ll follow Guixi to the military camp for a few years. When the Imperial Court sends people to take over the Eastern Expedition Army in the future, I¡¯ll move back with Guixi. When the timees, we will be filial to you and Dad.¡± Madam Shu couldn¡¯t help but regret it. She had protected her son too well, which made him so naive. If she had known this would happen, she wouldn¡¯t have agreed to let him go out to study. ¡°Then tell me, how many years are you going to stay in the military camp? Is it three or five years?¡± Lu Yao did not know the exact number and could only say vaguely, ¡°Anyway, it won¡¯t be long.¡± ... Chapter 262 - 262 Choice 262 Choice Madam Shu questioned, ¡°How many years can there be in life? Your father and I are old. I originally wanted to wait for you toe back this time and let you get married. We thought you would give us a fat grandson so that your father and I can enjoy life with you in the future. But you actually want to marry into the Tang family. I really raised you for nothing!¡± Lu Yao exined, ¡°I¡¯m not marrying into the family¡­¡± Madam Shu interrupted him. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t marry into the family, outsiders will think that you¡¯re marrying into the family if you move into your wife¡¯s house after marriage!¡± Lu Yao said, ¡°I don¡¯t care what others think.¡± Madam Shu: ¡°But your father and I care! The entire Lu family cares! Lu Yunchong, don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re not just an ind. You¡¯re also the eldest son of the Lu family. You have to think about the future of the entire Lu family!¡± Lu Yao was speechless. That¡¯s right. He was the eldest son of the Lu family. From the moment he was born, he was destined to inherit the family business. His father¡¯s hopes and his mother¡¯s efforts were all heavy burdens on his shoulders. No matter how much he liked Tang Guixi, it was impossible for him to give up the entire Lu family for her. Madam Shu softened her tone. ¡°I¡¯ve tried it before and know how difficult it is to let go, but life forces us to give certain things up sometimes. Pain is only temporary. You¡¯ll meet better people in the future.¡± Lu Yao remained silent. No matter how good a person was, she was not Tang Guixi. When the mother and son spoke, they deliberately lowered their voices. However, the reception hall was only so big. As long as one listened, they could still hear what they were saying. Yu Niaoniao knew that Tang Guixi and Lu Yao¡¯s marriage waspletely ruined. Although she felt sorry, she could understand. Love was between two people, but marriage was indeed between two families. Madam Shu did not like Tang Guixi very much. Tang Guixi did not have her family¡¯s support. In the future, when Tang Guixi married into the Lu family, she would definitely be bullied. Instead of living on thin ice in the Lu family for the rest of her life, she might as well annul such a marriage and focus on doing what she liked. Xiao Juan was not surprised by this oue. He knew very well how strict the aristocratic families were with women. With Tang Guixi¡¯s personality, it was impossible for her to stay with the Lu family for a long time. Prince Min was still discussing with Shen Xu how to rope Tang Guixi in. Prince Min said, ¡°Son, if Tang Guixi really breaks off the engagement with Lu Yao, you have to marry her. Coincidentally, you¡¯re not young anymore and need a wife.¡± When Shen Xu thought of Tang Guixi throwing a spear through the stone pir, he was so frightened that his scalp went numb. His life was in danger! ¡°No, no, no. I¡¯m not suitable for her.¡± Prince Min red. ¡°How are you not suitable? Only a powerful wife like Tang Guixi can suppress a frisky monkey like you.¡± At this moment, Tang Guixi walked in. Prince Min immediately stood up. ¡°Guixi, you came at the right time. I have something to tell you.¡± Shen Xu was afraid that he would propose to her now and hurriedly pulled her back. ¡°Father, don¡¯t do anything rash! They might not even break off the engagement!¡± Lu Yao also stood up. He wanted to ask Tang Guixi what she and his father had said, but he did not dare to, afraid that the answer would make him feel ufortable. In the end, Yu Niaoniao spoke first. ¡°Guixi, are you sure you want to annul the engagement?¡± Tang Guixi nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve already discussed it with County Governor Lu. He agreed to the annulment and has already returned the proposal to me.¡± Lu Yao¡¯s face turned pale. He seemed to have suffered a huge blow and was in a daze. Madam Shu could not bear to see her son in such a daze. She gave a look and asked the servant to help Lu Yao back to his room to rest. As soon as they left, Madam Shu smiled. ¡°Miss Tang, you¡¯re right. From now on, you¡¯ll walk your own path. No matter if you live a good or bad life in the future, it has nothing to do with our Yunchong.¡± Madam Shu couldn¡¯t wait to annul the engagement. She had already felt that Tang Guixi was not worthy of her son. Now that Tang Pei was dead, the only backer Tang Guixi could rely on was gone. It would be a loss for the Lu family to have her marry into the family. It was good that the engagement was broken off. Lu Yao could marry a better wife in the future. The only thing that made her unhappy now was that the person who suggested breaking off the engagement was Tang Guixi. If this matter spread out in the future, outsiders would think that there was something wrong with Lu Yao. Otherwise, why would the engagement be broken for no reason? Thinking of this, Madam Shu couldn¡¯t help but say a few more words. ¡°Since you¡¯ve made your decision, you have to be prepared to bear the consequences. Even if you don¡¯t lead a good life in the future, don¡¯t even think about turning back.¡± She deliberately said this partly to anger Tang Guixi and partly to cut off thest possibility of Tang Guixi and Lu Yao. Tang Guixi said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. In the future, be it marriage or death, Lu Yao and I will have nothing to do with each other.¡± Madam Shu sneered. ¡°I hope you mean what you say.¡± She felt that Tang Guixi would definitely regret it in the future. Now, Tang Guixi was no longer the high-spirited eldest daughter of the Tang family. She had no parents. She was just a lonely little girl. When she was bullied in the future, she would not even have anyone to stand up for her. Tang Guixi¡¯s future would definitely be difficult. Yu Niaoniao could not stand Madam Shu¡¯s arrogant attitude and was about to retort when Prince Min beat her to it. Prince Min pped andughed. ¡°It¡¯s good to break off the engagement! Since Guixi has already broken off the engagement with Lu Yao, I can propose on behalf of Ah Xu.¡± Shen Xu was frightened to death. He jumped up and shouted, ¡°Father, don¡¯t spout nonsense! I didn¡¯t want to marry Tang Guixi. I¡¯ve always treated her as my sister.¡± At this point, he seemed to have unblocked his meridians and instantly came to a realization. ¡°That¡¯s right! I can be siblings with Tang Guixi! Father, haven¡¯t you always wanted a daughter? You can take her in as your adopted daughter. We will be family in the future and can support each other.¡± ... As he spoke, he winked at his father. Prince Min reacted quickly. When he received his son¡¯s hint, he immediately changed his words. ¡°Yes, yes, yes! Guixi, you¡¯re still mourning. It¡¯s not appropriate to talk about marriage at this time. I happen to want a daughter and intend to take you in as my adopted daughter. I wonder if you¡¯re willing?¡± This change was so sudden that everyone present was stunned. The most shocked person was Madam Shu. She originally thought that it would definitely be difficult for Tang Guixi, who had broken off the engagement, to get married again. She did not expect that there was already someone waiting to take over. Moreover, he was from Prince Min¡¯s Mansion! Tang Guixi was stunned. ¡°Prince Min, why did you suddenly think of taking me in as your adopted daughter?¡± She remembered that she did not have much interaction with Prince Min and his son. Prince Min smiled and said, ¡°There are many reasons, but it¡¯s mainly because I like you. I think you¡¯re filial and responsible. You¡¯re a good girl.¡± Tang Guixi didn¡¯t know what to do. She habitually looked at Yu Niaoniao. ¡°What do you think?¡± ... Yu Niaoniao rolled her eyes. ¡°I think it is a good idea. In fact, I want to be a sworn sister to you. In the future, not only will you be Prince Min¡¯s adopted daughter, but you will also be the sister of the Princess Consort of Lang County. Let¡¯s see who dares to look down on you in the future.¡± After saying that, she even nced at Madam Shu meaningfully. Chapter 263 - 263 Short-sighted 263 Short-sighted Tang Guixi knew that Yu Niaoniao had specially chosen this time to say that they were sworn sisters to support her. Her heart warmed and she couldn¡¯t help but smile. Who said she was alone? She still had Yu Niaoniao as her sister. Tang Guixi nodded hard. ¡°Yes!¡± Yu Niaoniao walked over and held her hand. !! ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll return to Prince Min¡¯s Mansion to hold the ceremony.¡± Prince Min was overjoyed and hurriedly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll go back now.¡± Madam Shu hurriedly said, ¡°My master hasn¡¯t returned yet. I¡¯ll get someone to inform him and get him to send everyone off.¡± Xiao Juan said calmly. ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Madam Shu had heard of Duke Lang¡¯s ferocious reputation. She did not even dare to look at him, let alone talk to him. At this moment, she could only shut her mouth resentfully. Yu Niaoniao and the others left the county governor¡¯s residence happily. When Lu Yaoguang walked into the hall, he realized that only Madam Shu was left. He was puzzled. ¡°Where are the others?¡± Madam Shu was in an extremely bad mood. Without thinking, she blurted out, ¡°They¡¯re all dead!¡± Lu Yaoguang was shocked. ¡°What did you say?!¡± Seeing that he really believed her, Madam Shu hurriedly changed her words. ¡°No, I¡¯m talking nonsense.¡± She had just been pped in the face by Yu Niaoniao and Prince Min, but she could not retaliate. She had to maintain a dignified and generous demeanor on the surface. She could not vent her anger in her chest and almost suffocated to death! Lu Yaoguang looked at the ugly expression on her face and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Who provoked you?¡± Madam Shu endured it again and again, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t help but say what was on her mind. ¡°I¡¯m Yun Zhong¡¯s mother. Is there anything wrong with me thinking for him? Tang Guixi is not suitable for Yun Chong, to begin with. Now that they had broken off the engagement, I thought it is quite good. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Moreover, Tang Guixi was the one who suggested breaking off the engagement. I wasn¡¯t the one who forced her to break off the engagement. Why do they all make it look like I¡¯vemitted a heinous crime? Who did I offend?¡± Lu Yaoguang was indeed an old fox who had been in the bureaucracy for many years. He immediately extracted the main point from her words. ¡°Are you saying that not only did you upset Tang Guixi, but you also offended Prince Min, his son, Duke Lang, and his wife?¡± Madam Shu choked. She had been so angry just now that she had forgotten about this. As the wife of an aristocratic family, the first rule was to be sensible. She could not provoke people she could not afford to offend and could not cause trouble for herself and her family. She hurriedly defended herself. ¡°I didn¡¯t take the initiative to provoke Prince Min, his son, and Duke Lang¡¯s wife. They insisted on standing up for Tang Guixi. I didn¡¯t want it to be like this!¡± Lu Yao pointed at her and scolded her. ¡°You! What can I say about you? Why did a person who usually seems quite smart make a mistake at this time? Although Tang Pei was dead, his influence on the Eastern Expedition Army is still there.¡± ¡°Tang Guixi was the only bloodline he had left. The Eastern Expedition Army would definitely protect her. Even if she left the Eastern Expedition Army in the future, her rtionship with the Eastern Expedition Army would not be severed.¡± ¡°Our family might still need her help in the future. Even if you don¡¯t like her, you should maintain a basic friendly rtionship with her. We should leave a way out in case they meet in the future. Don¡¯t you even understand such a simple logic?¡± Madam Shu was speechless. She was just a woman from the back residence and did not leave her house all day long. How could she know about matters pertaining to the military camp? All she could see was thend in front of her. Lu Yaoguang asked her to exin what had just happened in detail. After she finished speaking, Lu Yao cursed, ¡°That old fellow Prince Min actually took advantage of the situation!¡± Madam Shu didn¡¯t understand. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lu Yaoguang said, ¡°He knows that he¡¯s new here and has an unstable foundation in Liaodong County, so he wants to rope Tang Guixi in.¡± Only then did Madam Shu understand. ¡°No wonder Prince Min and his son were so enthusiastic about Tang Guixi just now.¡± Lu Yao pointed at her and scolded her. ¡°Look at what you did! Originally, with our family¡¯s rtionship with Tang Pei, Tang Guixi would still give our family some courtesy and respect even if she broke off the engagement.¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯ve interfered, it¡¯s all gone! I really regretted agreeing to annul the engagement so quickly. Guixi doesn¡¯t know how to do housework, but at least she won¡¯t be as short-sighted as you!¡± Madam Shu couldn¡¯t raise her head after being scolded, and her eyes turned red. This was the first time Lu Yaoguang had said such harsh words to her since they got married. She felt extremely wronged. Back then, when Lu Yaoguang came to ask to marry her, he praised her for being virtuous and homely. But now, he found her short-sighted. Lu Yaoguang instructed, ¡°Go prepare some gifts. I¡¯ll personally go to Prince Min¡¯s residenceter and apologize to them.¡± Madam Shu replied in a muffled voice, ¡°Yes.¡± In Prince Min¡¯s Estate, Yu Niaoniao and Tang Guixi officially held the ceremony to be sworn sisters. From now on, they were true sisters! Yu Niaoniao held Tang Guixi¡¯s hand and said excitedly, ¡°If anyone dares to bully you again in the future, tell me. I¡¯ll help you avenge your grievance!¡± Tang Guixi smiled and agreed. Prince Min found an opportunity to interrupt. ¡°Don¡¯t forget about our adoption too, Guixi.¡± Tang Guixi hesitated for a moment before speaking. ... ¡°My father just passed away and we¡¯re not familiar with each other yet. I want to consider it again. Can I?¡± Although Prince Min was a little disappointed, he was still very enthusiastic. ¡°No problem! You can take your time to consider. When you¡¯ve considered it, tell us your answer. Anyway, the door of Prince Min¡¯s Mansion will always be open to you.¡± Tang Guixi said sincerely, ¡°Thank you.¡± The servant came in to report that Lu Yaoguang hade. Prince Min looked at Duke Lang with a questioning gaze. ¡°Do you want to see him?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°Let him go back and tell him to be obedient in the future and not do any illegal things. The Justice Department will keep an eye on him. I already have his records. If he makes any mistakes in the future, he will be punished twice as harsh!¡± Prince Min immediately said to the servant. ¡°Did you hear Duke Lang? You have to convey it to Lu Yaoguang word for word.¡± ¡°There!¡± ... Outside Prince Min¡¯s Estate, Lu Yaoguang ced his hands behind his back and paced back and forth. Two followers stood quietly at the side with gifts. They waited for a long time before the concierge returned. Lu Yaoguang asked impatiently, ¡°Can I go in now?¡± The gatekeeper said respectfully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Prince Min is very busy and doesn¡¯t have time for you for the time being.¡± Lu Yaoguang was very disappointed and asked, ¡°When is he free? I¡¯lle again when he¡¯s free.¡± The concierge said, ¡°He won¡¯t be free for a while.¡± Lu Yaoguang understood that Prince Min did not want to see him. The concierge continued, ¡°His Highness has a few words to convey to you.¡± He repeated Duke Lang¡¯s words, even imitating his cold tone. Lu Yaoguang¡¯s scalp went numb. He did not dare to stay any longer and left dejectedly. Chapter 264 - 264 Vegetarian Hot Pot 264 Vegetarian Hot Pot In order to celebrate their kinship, Yu Niaoniao decided to make hotpot tonight! Tang Guixi had lived with Yu Niaoniao in Bashu for three years. In those three years, she had eaten a lot of delicacies. Among them, her favorite was Sichuan hotpot. It was fragrant and spicy, and she ate it with gusto! Knowing that she could eat her favorite hotpot tonight, Tang Guixi was very excited, but then she lowered her head. ¡°But I¡¯m still mourning. I can¡¯t eat meat.¡± !! Yu Niaoniao pped her hands. ¡°Then let¡¯s make a vegetarian hotpot!¡± Tang Guixi had never eaten a vegetarian hotpot and was very curious. ¡°How do you make a vegetarian hotpot?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± Yu Niaoniao borrowed the kitchen of Prince Min¡¯s Mansion. She first used soybean sprouts, cabbages, mushrooms, corn, carrots, dried mushroom roots, white radishes, and other ingredients to boil a pot of clear and delicious vegetarian soup. With this soup base, she added a small amount of celery and oil tofu. The soup gradually turned white and was seasoned with salt and pepper. Yu Niaoniao started another pot with red soup base. The rapeseed oil was heated up. She added pepper, vine pepper, bean paste, garlic, and dried chili segments to stir-fry the base. Then, she added chili slices and continued to stir-fry until the red oil was stir-fried. She added a gourd full of water. After boiling, she added white sugar, soy sauce, and a small amount of salt. She divided the washed onions into two portions, tied them into a small knot, and threw them into the red and white soup. Tang Guixi ced the washed dishes on the table. ¡°Sister, do you think these dishes are enough?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked back. ¡°Yes, this is enough. After I mix the sauce, we can eatter.¡± Tang Guixi stood next to her and couldn¡¯t help but slurp when she saw the bottom of the pot boiling. ¡°It smells so good!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯ll write down the cooking methodter. If you want to eat it in the future, get the chef to cook it for you ording to the recipe.¡± Tang Guixi nodded hard. ¡°Yes!¡± The luckiest thing for her after losing her memory was to meet Yu Niaoniao. Not only did Yu Niaoniao save her, but she also made a lot of delicious food for her and supported her when she at her most helpless and confused state. Tang Guixi suddenly said. ¡°Sister, I¡¯ve felt that my father is a hero since I was young. I knew that he was very good at fighting. He could protect his country and earned the admiration of many people. But I hate him sometimes.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked as she cut the vegetables. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°My father is always very busy. It¡¯s very difficult for him to go home. He would onlye back for a day or two asionally. He did not have much time for me. don¡¯t think he¡¯s a qualified father. Protecting the country sounded very powerful, but the country was so big. What did it have to do with me? I just want my father to spend more time with me.¡± ¡°It is only now that I could really understand my father. The reason why he wanted to protect the country was that he had family in this country. The soldiers risked their lives for no other reason than for their families to be safe.¡± ¡°Although my parents are no longer around, I still have you as my sister. From now on, you will be my only family. I will guard Liaodong County well and not let those bad people outside barge in and disturb your life.¡± Tang Guixi hoped that her sister could continue living so freely. She wanted Yu Niaoniao to only consider what to eat for three meals a day and not worry about anything else. Yu Niaoniao was so touched that her eyes were red and her tears were about toe out. ¡°Sister, you¡¯ve really grown up. I¡¯m so relieved.¡± Tang Guixi was very embarrassed. Immediately after, she saw Yu Niaoniao ce the kitchen knife on the chopping board. ¡°Since you¡¯ve grown up, you can help me cut these little red peppers. My eyes can¡¯t take it anymore. They¡¯re so spicy.¡± Tang Guixi quickly asked, ¡°What happened to your eyes?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I forgot to wash my hands after cutting the chili just now. Then, I wiped my eyes with my hand and cried from the spiciness.¡± Tang Guixi was dumbfounded. It turned out that her sister was crying not because she was touched, but because of the chili. Yu Niaoniao wiped her tears with a handkerchief and did not forget to remind her, ¡°Remember to cut it into pieces. It¡¯s best if you cut it into chili powder.¡± Tang Guixi resigned herself to fate and picked up the kitchen knife to cut the chili. Yu Niaoniao got someone to bring the hotpot, ingredients, and sauce to the dining room. Xiao Juan and Prince Min had been waiting for a long time. When they saw Yu Niaoniao¡¯s red eyes, they could not help but ask, ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Yu Niaoniao sniffed and spouted nonsense in all seriousness. ¡°When I was cutting the chili just now, I suddenly remembered an idiom about ruthlessness. I wanted to try it myself, so I put the finger that had just finished cutting the chili into my mouth. Then, I cried from the spiciness.¡± Everyone was dumbfounded. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Hey, why aren¡¯t youughing? Isn¡¯t my joke funny?¡± Xiao Juan asked expressionlessly, ¡°So did you really cry from the spiciness?¡± Yu Niaoniao scratched her cheek. ¡°Although the process is different, the result does seem to be the case.¡± Shen Xuughed out loud. ¡°I think you cried because of your own stupidity!¡± Xiao Juan looked at Shen Xu coldly, his eyes filled with death. Shen Xu¡¯sughter stopped. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Niaoniao has been smart since she was young, but she¡¯s asionally a little silly. You¡¯re not allowed to discriminate against her.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. It was a good thing. Why did it sound so awkward? Prince Min couldn¡¯t wait to pick up the bowl and chopsticks. ¡°This soup looks quite fragrant. How do you eat it? Do I scoop it up with a soup spoon?¡± ... Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said, ¡°That¡¯s not how you eat it.¡± She poured the shredded bean skin into the pot and added some kelp, corn, mushrooms, vegetarian balls, and other dishes. When the dishes were cooked, she picked them up with her chopsticks and rolled them in the dipping dish. The dishes were wrapped in a thick sauce and put into their mouths. It tasted fragrant and spicy, especially satisfying! Prince Min and Shen Xu had never eaten food like this before and found it very refreshing. They all picked up their chopsticks to cook. As members of the royal family, they had eaten many delicacies. When this hotpot dish first entered their mouths, they did not think it was too stunning, but they did not seem to be able to stop their chopsticks. They kept picking up vegetables out of the pot. The more they ate, the more delicious it became and they could not stop. Yu Niaoniao took out two vegetarian balls from the white soup and ced them in Xiao Juan¡¯s bowl. ¡°You don¡¯t have a good stomach. It¡¯s best not to eat spicy food. Try this vegetarian meatball. I made it myself. It¡¯s filled with mushrooms, fungus, and shepherd¡¯s purse.¡± Xiao Juan took a bite of the vegetarian meatball. It was refreshing and sweet. ... ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± Yu Niaoniao scooped up a piece of white radish from the pot and ced it in his bowl. ¡°Eat more radishes. It¡¯s good for your body.¡± No matter what food she picked up, Xiao Juan ate it all. Yu Niaoniao knew that he could not eat too much. When he was almost done, she stopped and buried her head in her food. Chapter 265 - 265 Softening 265 Softening Prince Min picked up the wine pot and asked Xiao Juan if he wanted a drink. Xiao Juan did not like to drink, but he was in a good mood today and did not mind drinking a few sses. Yu Niaoniao immediately said, ¡°You can only have one drink. Your stomach isn¡¯t good. You can¡¯t drink too much.¡± Prince Min knew that men did not like to be controlled, especially in front of outsiders. He was a little worried that Xiao Juan would be unhappy. !! In the end, he saw Xiao Juan smile. ¡°Okay.¡± Prince Min thought that he was blind. Xiao Juan actually smiled! The murderous King of Hell actually smiled from the bottom of his heart! This was even rarer than the sun rising from the west! Prince Min rubbed his eyes hard, wanting to confirm if he was seeing things. Although the smile on Xiao Juan¡¯s face disappeared, the tenderness in his eyes was still there. He picked up his ss and took a shallow sip. Prince Min was shocked. He really did not expect that the rumored King of Hell would one day transform into a gentle person. Was love really so powerful? Prince Min could not help but look at his useless son. If Shen Xu could also find true love, could he be obedient? Thinking of this, Prince Min couldn¡¯t help but look at Tang Guixi again. To be honest, this girl was really not bad. She was beautiful and responsible. Most importantly, she could fight. If she could take Shen Xu in, Shen Xu would definitely be controlled and not dare to do anything that would worry him in the future. Prince Min stuffed the wine pot into Shen Xu¡¯s hand. Shen Xuughed. ¡°Dad, that won¡¯t do. There¡¯s no need for you to pour me wine. I can do it myself.¡± Prince Min said, ¡°I¡¯m asking you to pour a ss of wine for Guixi.¡± Shen Xu¡¯s smile froze. So he was imagining things. He whispered, ¡°She hasn¡¯t agreed to be your daughter yet, and you¡¯re already favoring girls over boys.¡± Prince Min red at him. ¡°What did you say?¡± Shen Xu shrank his neck. ¡°N-nothing.¡± He poured two sses of wine and handed one to Tang Guixi. Tang Guixi said, ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m still mourning and can¡¯t drink. How about this? I¡¯ll toast everyone with tea.¡± With that, she picked up her teacup. The others also raised their sses. Above the hot hotpot, the teacup and wine cups collided gently, producing a crisp sound. Yu Niaoniao said cheerfully, ¡°We survived this disaster. We will definitely live a long life in the future!¡± Everyone said in unison. ¡°To longevity!¡± ¡­. In the governor¡¯s residence, Lu Yao stayed alone in the dark bedroom. His mind was filled with scenes of his interaction with Tang Guixi. From their acquaintance in Wang Song City to their acknowledgment in Xing Ning, this journey had not been long, but it was the most unforgettable memory in his life. Especially after knowing that he could not interact with her again, this memory became even more important. Knock, knock. There was a knock on the door. Lu Yaoguang¡¯s voice came through the door. ¡°Yunchong, open the door. Let¡¯s talk.¡± After a long time, Lu Yao reacted. He slowly stood up and opened the door. Lu Yaoguang was holding a tray with food. ¡°Your mother and I were worried about you when you didn¡¯t eat tonight. I know you¡¯re in a bad mood, but you have to eat something. Don¡¯t starve yourself.¡± Lu Yao reached out to take the tray. ¡°Thank you.¡± Lu Yaoguang followed him into the house. Seeing that the room was dark, Lu Yaoguang found a candlestick and lit it. The dim candlelight illuminated the house. Lu Yao ced the tray on the table, but he had no intention of eating. Lu Yaoguang looked at his gloomy expression and sighed, ¡°Now that things havee to this, let it go.¡± Lu Yao remained silent. If he could ept it, he wouldn¡¯t feel so ufortable. Lu Yaoguang took out the Guanyin jade pendant and ced it on the table. ¡°She asked me to return this to you.¡± Under the candlelight, the jade pendant revealed a warm yellow luster. Lu Yao stared at the jade pendant, his eyes involuntarily turning red. ... ¡°Dad, I really like her, and she likes me very much. Previously, in order to save me, she almost lost her life. I once promised her that I would not let her down in this life.¡± Lu Yaoguang patted his shoulder. ¡°If you don¡¯t feel good, cry. Cry to your heart¡¯s content. When you¡¯re done crying, forget about her.¡± Lu Yao choked. ¡°I¡¯ll see her again.¡± Lu Yaoguang frowned at him. ¡°Since the engagement has been broken off, there¡¯s no need to meet again, right?¡± Lu Yao was very insistent. ¡°Just once. I want to talk to her onest time.¡± Looking at him now, Lu Yaoguang couldn¡¯t help but recall his younger self and sighed. ¡°Go if you want, but you have to remember that you¡¯re old enough to know what to do and what not to do.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­. After eating and drinking, Prince Min asked Shen Xu to send Tang Guixi back to her room to rest, but Tang Guixi politely rejected him. ... Tang Guixi walked into the guest room and closed the door. As she sat alone in the empty room, the liveliness from the hotpot meal disappeared. She lit the candle and sat down at the dressing table. In the mirror, she removed the gauze from her head. However, because she could not see the back of her head, she could not change her dressing. But it was already sote, and she didn¡¯t want to trouble others. Tang Guixi looked at herself in the mirror and for some reason, she couldn¡¯t help but think of Lu Yao. Although she appeared veryposed in front of everyone, she still felt very ufortable. It was just that she didn¡¯t show it. It waste at night and she was alone in the room. She no longer needed to pretend. The difort in her heart surged out. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door and Tang Guixi came back to her senses. She quickly wiped the corners of her eyes and asked, ¡°Who is it?¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s voice came through the door. ¡°It¡¯s me. You should change your dressing tonight, right? Let me help you.¡± Tang Guixi stood up and walked over to open the door. Although the night was hazy, Yu Niaoniao could still see the redness at the corners of Tang Guixi¡¯s eyes. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart ached, but after seeing Tang Guixi pretend to be calm, Yu Niaoniao thoughtfully chose not to ask anything. Some emotions were only suitable for digestion alone. Time was the best medicine to heal injuries. Yu Niaoniao used the candlelight to check the wound on the back of Tang Guixi¡¯s head. The wound had already scabbed over and seemed to be healing well. She helped Tang Guixi change the medicine and pointed at her abdomen. ¡°Let me take a look at your injuries.¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I can change the dressing myself.¡± Yu Niaoniao crossed her arms and looked at her steadily. ¡°If you don¡¯t show me, I won¡¯t leave tonight.¡± Tang Guixi did not mind letting Yu Niaoniao sleep here, but she was afraid that Duke Lang woulde and find trouble with her in a fit of anger. She had no choice but to unbuckle her belt and pull open herpels. She lifted the hem of her bodice, revealing her gauze-wrapped waist. When the gauze was removed, a hideous wound was revealed. Yu Niaoniao frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you weren¡¯t seriously injured?¡± Chapter 266 - 266 Hes Outside 266 He¡¯s Outside Tang Guixi said nonchntly, ¡°It¡¯s indeed not serious. It¡¯s just a superficial wound. It just looks a little scary.¡±
Yu Niaoniao carefully changed her dressing. ¡°Will this wound leave a scar in the future?¡± Tang Guixi didn¡¯t care much about this. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe it¡¯ll stay.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It won¡¯t look good if there¡¯s a scar. I¡¯ll get Little Lo to get you some medicine to remove the scar.¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°It¡¯s just a little scar. It¡¯s okay. My father has many scars.¡± Yu Niaoniao rolled her eyes at her. ¡°If your father was still alive, he would definitely beat you up when he heard this.¡± Tang Guixiughed. ¡°You¡¯ve never even met my father, but you actually know him quite well.¡± She had been like a tomboy since she was young. Her father had worried about her a lot, but it was useless. Her personality was like this. She could not change it. Yu Niaoniao helped her wrap the gauze again and instructed.
¡°If you change your dressing againter, remember to get help. Don¡¯t always carry your burden alone.¡± Tang Guixi put on her clothes and smiled. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m really envious of Duke Lang for being able to marry a beautiful, smart, and capable wife like you. I only hate myself for not being a man. If I were a man, I would definitely marry you. This way, you¡¯ll have nothing to do with Duke Lang!¡± Yu Niaoniao gestured for her to keep quiet. Tang Guixi was very unconvinced. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Duke Lang isn¡¯t here. What¡¯s wrong with me saying a few words about him? Besides, I¡¯m telling the truth. Other than not being a man, my conditions were not inferior to his. And I knew you earlier and spent more time with you. We also know and trust each other better. Inparison, I¡¯m more suitable for you than him!¡± Yu Niaoniao pointed in the direction of the door and whispered. ¡°He¡¯s outside.¡± Tang Guixi froze.
As if in response to Yu Niaoniao¡¯s words, Xiao Juan¡¯s low voice sounded outside the house. ¡°Niaoniao, are you done?¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said, ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll be done soon.¡± Tang Guixi swallowed hard. ¡°Why is Duke Lang outside? When did he arrive? Why didn¡¯t I know?¡± Yu Niaoniao exined softly. ¡°He was worried about meing to look for you alone and insisted on apanying me. But I was going to change your dressing. It¡¯s not convenient for a man like him to be present so I asked him to wait for me outside.¡± Tang Guixi held onto herst hope. ¡°He didn¡¯t hear what I just said, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes wandered. ¡°Maybe he didn¡¯t¡­ hear you?¡± Tang Guixi heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Yu Niaoniao could not bear to tell her the truth. Xiao Juan¡¯s five senses were sharper than those of ordinary people. He had most likely heard everything she said just now. After Tang Guixi was dressed, she sent Yu Niaoniao out. Tang Guixi saw the man waiting in the courtyard and smiled guiltily. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s sote. Why aren¡¯t you asleep?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you not asleep too?¡± Yu Niaoniao walked up to him. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Xiao Juan held her hand and nced at Tang Guixi casually. ¡°When are you going back to Xiangtai?¡± Tang Guixi didn¡¯t think too much about it and blurted out, ¡°In two days.¡± Xiao Juan narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°The Eastern Expedition Army has just experienced turmoil and needs to beforted. As the head of the Eastern Expedition Army, aren¡¯t you worried at all?¡± Tang Guixi realized that the other party was chasing her away. She asked tentatively. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back tomorrow?¡± Xiao Juan replied indifferently. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s best to leave tomorrow morning. When you get to Xiangtai, you can still make it for lunch.¡± Tang Guixi was very embarrassed. Now, she waspletely sure that Duke Lang had heard everything she had said just now! Yu Niaoniao tugged at Xiao Juan¡¯s sleeve and whispered. ¡°Guixi is still injured and needs to rest here for a few more days. Why are you in a hurry to chase her away?¡± Xiao Juan didn¡¯t answer her question. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go back.¡± He led Yu Niaoniao back. Yu Niaoniao turned around and waved at Tang Guixi as she walked. ¡°Good night!¡± After walking far away, Yu Niaoniao shook off Xiao Juan¡¯s hand. ¡°You haven¡¯t answered me. Why did you chase her away?¡± Xiao Juan said unhurriedly, ¡°I¡¯m doing this for her own good.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? Prince Min wants Tang Guixi to be his daughter-inw. If she continues to live here, Prince Min will definitely think of a way to create opportunities for her and Shen Xu.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°So what? Guixi is such a good girl. It¡¯s normal for someone to be interested in her.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Then do you think Tang Guixi and Shen Xu arepatible?¡± Yu Niaoniao thought about it carefully and pped her thigh. ¡°Of course not! That short melon is not worthy of our Guixi!¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. He wanted to say that Shen Xu¡¯s personality was still not mature and was notpatible with Tang Guixi for the time being. He did not expect Niaoniao¡¯s line of thought to be so strange. Forget it. No matter what the process was, it was the oue was what he wanted. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You did the right thing. We can¡¯t let Guixi continue to stay in Prince Min¡¯s Mansion. We have to let her go back quickly.¡± Xiao Juan nodded and echoed, ¡°Yes.¡± Previously, Niaoniao said that she wanted to marry Tang Guixi, and tonight, Tang Guixi said that she wanted to marry Niaoniao. Xiao Juan felt a strong sense of crisis. He had to quickly separate the two of them. In a room on the other side of Prince Min¡¯s Estate, Shen Xu had just taken a shower andy on the bed when he suddenly sneezed heavily. He rubbed his nose and muttered unhappily. ¡°Who¡¯s talking bad about me behind my back?¡± The next morning, Tang Guixi prepared to set off for Xiangtai after breakfast. Yu Niaoniao, Xiao Juan, and Prince Min were there to send her out of the city. Tang Guixi was wearing men¡¯s clothes. Her ck hair was tied up high with a headband, revealing her smooth and fair forehead. She had no makeup on her face and was not wearing any essories. She did not look feminine at all, but she had a different kind of valiant aura. ¡°Your Highness, I meant what I saidst night from the bottom of my heart. I really think Sister Niaoniao is very good. You must treat her well in the future. If you dare to bully her, I¡¯ll immediately kill my way to Yujing from Xiangtai and teach you a lesson!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t have this chance.¡± Tang Guixi looked at Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Sister, if I¡¯m free in the future, I¡¯ll go to the Imperial Capital to see you.¡± Yu Niaoniao took out a booklet and handed it over. ¡°Other than the hotpot recipe, there are also other dishes. They¡¯re all your favorites. Take them. If you want to eat them in the future, get someone to make them for you.¡± Tang Guixi epted the booklet and put it away. She pulled Yu Niaoniao aside and whispered. ¡°Sister, I know you¡¯ve been investigating the truth behind the Feng family¡¯s fire. If the Feng family was really harmed by someone and you find the real culprit, please write to me and I¡¯ll help you take revenge.¡± Her sister¡¯s hands were used to make delicacies. They could not be tainted by the blood of those bad people. Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 267 - 267 Farewell 267 Farewell It suddenly snowed again. Tang Guixi pulled up the hood of her cloak, which covered most of her face. Lo Pingsha led the horse to Tang Guixi and handed her the reins. ¡°Have a safe trip.¡± Tang Guixi took the reins. ¡°Thank you.¡± She was about to mount when she heard someone call her name. ¡°Return!¡± Everyone looked over and saw Lu Yao, who had just jumped out of the carriage. Lu Yao did not have time to hold an umbre. He ran all the way to Tang Guixi through the snow. ¡°I went to Prince Min¡¯s Mansion to look for you just now. The doorman said that you had already set off, so I hurriedly chased after you. Fortunately, you haven¡¯t left.¡± Tang Guixi asked, ¡°Young Master Lu, why are you looking for me?¡± Lu Yao took out the Guanyin jade pendant. ¡°This is for you.¡± Tang Guixi refused. ¡°Since we¡¯ve already broken off the engagement, I can¡¯t ept anything from you.¡± Lu Yao said, ¡°I know that the engagement can¡¯t be salvaged, but this jade pendant is my personal gift. After all, you were injured in order to save me previously. I have to express my gratitude. If you don¡¯t ept it, it¡¯s equivalent to making me owe you a favor.¡± Tang Guixi still shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve already exined to you that the injury was an ident. You don¡¯t have to feel burdened by it.¡± Lu Yao was very persistent. ¡°Whether it was an ident or not, you were injured trying to save me. Guixi, please ept this jade pendant, okay?¡± Seeing that Tang Guixi was unwilling to ept it, he stuffed the jade pendant into the cloth bag beside the saddle. Tang Guixi quickly took out the jade pendant and wanted to return it to him. However, Lu Yao had already taken a few steps back. He said loudly as he retreated. ¡°Guixi, I understand why you insisted on breaking off the engagement. I also know that with my current ability, I can¡¯t promise you anything. But I still don¡¯t want to give you up!¡± ¡°This jade pendant represents my final intent. If you don¡¯t like it, you can throw it away or sell it. You can do whatever you want with it. I will work hard to be stronger and more mature in the future. I¡¯ll look for you again when I have the ability to give you everything you want.¡± After saying this, he did not give the other party a chance to refuse and quickly turned around and ran away. Tang Guixi held the jade pendant and watched him leave in a daze. She thought that since she had already said so much and even broke off the engagement in public, Lu Yao should feel embarrassed as a man. He would definitely not have any thoughts about her. Unexpectedly, he refused to give up. His true love was really touching. Yu Niaoniao said to Tang Guixi. ¡°If you think this jade pendant is difficult to deal with, you can hand it to me. I¡¯ll get someone to send it back to the county governor¡¯s residence.¡± Tang Guixi opened her palm. Snowkesnded on the Guanyin jade pendant and quickly melted into water. After a long time, she spoke. ¡°Okay.¡± She endured her reluctance and handed the jade pendant to Yu Niaoniao. It should be a clean break. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Is there anything you want me to bring him?¡± Tang Guixi forced herself to look away from the jade pendant and said calmly, ¡°Let him take good care of himself. He deserves a better woman.¡± Yu Niaoniao was dissatisfied. ¡°You¡¯re the best woman in the world.¡± Tang Guixi smiled. ¡°That¡¯s it. I¡¯m leaving. Take care.¡± She swung into the saddle and flicked the reins. The horse raised its front hooves and ran forward quickly. Yu Niaoniao called out after her, ¡°You have to take care too!¡± In the heavy snow, Tang Guixi¡¯s figure was getting further and further away. Soon, she disappeared into the white snow. ¡­ . Yu Niaoniao could not be bothered to go to the county governor¡¯s residence again. She handed the Guanyin jade pendant to Meng Xizhou and asked him to help return the jade pendant to Lu Yao. In addition, Xiao Juan also asked an Eagle Guard to check various ces and confirm that Lu Yaoguang had indeed sent the instructions to returning thends. The county magistrates had also implemented this decree. At this point, Xiao Juan had finished what he wanted to do. He prepared to return to the Imperial Capital. Three dayster, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan left Prince Min¡¯s Mansion together. Prince Min and Lu Yaoguang came to send them off. Lu Yaoguang said respectfully, ¡°I¡¯ve already followed your instructions and returned thend to themoners.¡± Xiao Juan replied indifferently, ¡°Yeah.¡± ... Lu Yaoguang hesitated for a moment before reminding him. ¡°Thosends were snatched from the local powerhouses. It¡¯s equivalent to snatching food from the tiger¡¯s mouth. I heard that the powerhouses are very angry about this. I¡¯m worried that they will do you harm. You have to be careful along the way.¡± Xiao Juan replied calmly, ¡°I know what to do. You just have to do your job.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The carriage drove steadily on the official road. Yu Niaoniao leaned against the carriage window and looked at the retreating scenery by the roadside. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh. When she came, she and Dang Gui were in the same carriage. The two of them chatted andughed. Time passed quickly. But now that she was alone in the carriage, she felt so lonely! She couldn¡¯t help but sigh again. At that moment, the sound of hooves came from behind. The convoy slowed down. Everyone looked back and saw a group of troops quickly catching up. The leader was Tang Guixi! ... Yu Niaoniao was extremely surprised. She quickly leaned out of the car window and waved her arms vigorously. ¡°Return!¡± Tang Guixi rode over and finally stopped beside the carriage. After not seeing her for a few days, she had be thinner and more energetic. ¡°Fortunately, you guys didn¡¯t go far. Otherwise, I might not have been able to catch up to you.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked curiously, ¡°Why are you following us?¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°I heard that the local powerhouses of Liaodong County bear a grudge and n to hire assassins to attack you. I was worried that something would happen to you, so I specially brought troops to escort you.¡± At this moment, Xiao Juan rode over. He looked at Tang Guixi and said lightly. ¡°We can settle a few killers ourselves. You don¡¯t have to make this trip.¡± Tang Guixi smiled. ¡°Actually, I just want to send Sister off. Escorting you is just a matter of convenience. Your Highness, are you so petty that you won¡¯t even satisfy this wish of mine?¡± In front of Niaoniao, Xiao Juan naturally could not say no. Yu Niaoniao was especially excited. ¡°That¡¯s great! I was just thinking about you. I didn¡¯t expect you to appear. Quick, get into the carriage. I have a lot of delicious snacks here!¡± Tang Guixi jumped off the horse, flicked her clothes, jumped into the carriage, and bent down to get into it. Xiao Juan watched as they stuck together again and sighed helplessly. Forget it, he would let them spend more time together. In the carriage, Yu Niaoniao opened the food box and distributed the food inside to Tang Guixi. Tang Guixi sighed as she ate. ¡°It¡¯s still morefortable to be with you. There are all kinds of delicious food every day!¡± Yu Niaoniao asked curiously, ¡°How¡¯s the food in your military camp?¡± Chapter 268 - 268 Assassination 268 Assassination At the mention of this, Tang Guixi¡¯s expression became veryplicated. ¡°Sister, do you like stew?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I quite like it.¡± Tang Guixi asked again, ¡°If I let you have stew for every meal 365 days a year, would you still like it?¡± Yu Niaoniao imagined that feeling and involuntarily shivered. ¡°I won¡¯t like it!¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°Those bandits only know how to make stew. No matter what ingredients are in their hands, they will eventually turn into a pot of stew.¡± In the past, she had eaten big pots of stew with her father in the military camp. It was fine if she was used to it. However, she had eaten so many types of food with Yu Niaoniao in the past three years that she had long be picky. As the saying went, it was easy to go from simple to extravagant, but difficult to go from extravagant to frugal. Now that she was asked to eat those messy stew, it was very difficult for her to ept it. Yu Niaoniao looked sympathetic. ¡°Then what will you do in the future?¡± Tang Guixi sighed. ¡°What else can I do? I¡¯ll make do first.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I give you a book of recipes? You can give that book to the cooks and ask them to cook ording to the recipe.¡± Tang Guixi refused without hesitation. ¡°No! That¡¯s your recipe. It records your unique secret recipes. How can you give it to others casually?¡± Yu Niaoniao could not help butugh. She didn¡¯t realize that this girl was quite protective of her food. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t cook for a living anyway. It won¡¯t affect me if the recipe gets out.¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°That won¡¯t do either! If they want to learn your skills, they have to kowtow to you at least twice and respect you as their master. They have to abide by the ethics! How could they obtain a recipe for nothing?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°But if they don¡¯t have a recipe, they won¡¯t be able to improve their culinary skills. You won¡¯t be able to eat delicious dishes.¡± Tang Guixi waved her hand with an extremely determined attitude. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! Other than being disgusting, there¡¯s nothing wrong with those stews. I¡¯ll eat a few more meals and slowly get used to it.¡± Yu Niaoniao couldn¡¯t do anything to her. ¡°Why are you making things difficult for yourself?¡± Tang Guixi leaned back and smiled. ¡°This is also a form of training for me. If I go to the battlefield in the future, the conditions would definitely be much harder than in the military camp. If I can¡¯t even take this bit of hardship in the military camp, wouldn¡¯t I be unable to endure it on the battlefield? It¡¯s good like this.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Turn around.¡± Tang Guixi was puzzled. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Let me see how the wound on the back of your head is doing.¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m fine.¡± Yu Niaoniao red at her. ¡°Turn around!¡± Tang Guixi was quite afraid that she would be angry, so she could only obediently turn around. Yu Niaoniao leaned over and pulled back her hair to examine her wound carefully. The scab had fallen off, leaving only a small scar. There was no longer any hair on the scar. The small area was bare, making Yu Niaoniao frown. ¡°You have to grow hair. I¡¯ll get Little Lo to get you a prescription for hair.¡± Tang Guixi smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I usually tie my hair up. You can¡¯t see that area.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°And the wound on your stomach?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all healed.¡± Yu Niaoniao stared at her. Tang Guixi had no choice but to unbuckle her belt and pull open her clothes. The wound on her abdomen had indeed almost healed, but it had also left a scar. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°I asked Little Lo to give you the scar removal ointment previously. Have you used it?¡± Tang Guixi¡¯s eyes wandered. ¡°I used it.¡± When Yu Niaoniao saw her like this, she knew that she was definitely not telling the truth. ¡°Have you used it or not? If you dare to lie to me, you¡¯ll have to eat stew every meal for the rest of your life.¡± This threat was too ruthless! Tang Guixi could only tell the truth. ¡°I really did, but sometimes I forget to apply the medication when I¡¯m busy.¡± Yu Niaoniao educated her. ¡°The ointment has to be used in line with the prescription. How can it be effective if you fish for three days and dry the for two days?¡± Tang Guixi replied obediently. ¡°I know.¡± The next two days were calm. Not to mention assassins, they did not even see a bandit along the way. The bandits who threatened them previously had disappeared. It was said that they had returned to their hometown to farm. ... Yu Niaoniao thought that nothing would happen but it was as if the heavens were deliberately going against her. That night, a group of killers came to attack them. Fortunately, everyone reacted quickly. After a series of battles, all the killers were captured. These killers were clearly trained. As soon as they were arrested, they immediatelymitted suicide by taking poison Hence, they were left with no evidence. Yu Niaoniao was still wearing her sleeping clothes. She was wearing an outer shirt, and her long ck hair was draped behind her. She stood in the courtyard and looked at the corpses all over the ground. ¡°Hiring so many professional killers at once must have cost a lot, right?¡± Tang Guixi sneered. ¡°Those people are very rich. Hiring so many assassins is nothing to them.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Since they¡¯re so rich, why do they have to snatchnd from themoners?¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°They¡¯re just greedy.¡± Xiao Juan ordered someone to hand over the corpses of these killers to the local government. After cleaning up the scene, everyone went back to sleep. ... The next morning, they continued on their way. Then, they experienced three more assassinations, each more vicious than thest. From the looks of it, they really hated Xiao Juan to the core and wanted him dead! The Eagle Guards quickly dragged the corpses of the killers away and cleaned up the scene. Tang Guixi hooked Yu Niaoniao¡¯s shoulder and said half-jokingly. ¡°Sister, do you see that? This is the oue of offending the rich and powerful. They have plenty of money and can constantly send assassins to hunt you down. As long as you are a little negligent, you might die.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at the remaining blood on the ground and did not say anything. Tang Guixi asked, ¡°Do you regret it?¡± Yu Niaoniao was still silent. Tang Guixi smiled. ¡°Alright, I was just joking with you. No matter how dangerous it is, I¡¯ll protect you. I can¡¯t say the same for anywhere else. At least in Liaodong County, I can definitely protect you.¡± Two dayster, the convoy arrived at the Xia family vige. The Xia family vige, which had originally been empty, had returned to its usual liveliness. Xia Haisheng had already found out Yu Niaoniao¡¯s identity from the county magistrate of Wang Song City. When he saw Yu Niaoniao arrive at the vige, he was extremely surprised. He hurriedly called the vigers out to wee her. At noon, he specially prepared a sumptuous meal for them to thank Yu Niaoniao for her help. After eating and drinking, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan went out for a walk. It was still winter, and the fields had yet to be nted with food, but the diligent vigers had already removed all the weeds in the fields. They could only start farming in spring. The cries of chickens, ducks, pigs, and cows could be heard everywhere in the vige. From time to time, children would run past them. Yu Niaoniao took two quick steps and turned around. As she walked back, she looked at Xiao Juan and asked. ¡°We¡¯ve encountered so many assassinations along the way because of thend. Have you ever regretted it?¡± Xiao Juan looked into her bright eyes and said without hesitation. ¡°Never.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled brightly. ¡°Neither have I!¡± Chapter 269 - 269 Tired Bird Returns to the Forest at Night 269 Tired Bird Returns to the Forest at Night Xia Haisheng was the son of the Xia family¡¯s vige chief. He had brought the vigers to rob Yu Niaoniao and the others because his father was sick and urgently needed money for treatment. Now that his father had recovered, their family was very grateful to Yu Niaoniao. They specially invited Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan to their house for dinner. Xia Haisheng told Yu Niaoniao about their experiences during this period of time. !! After receiving Yu Niaoniao¡¯s guidance, Xia Haisheng brought the vigers to Wangsong City and sent Yu Niaoniao¡¯s personal letter to County Magistrate Liu. County Magistrate Liu was in great pain. He was already very busy, and now the Princess Consort of Lang County was giving him additional work. Wasn¡¯t this overworking? However, County Magistrate Liu did not have the right to refuse. He could only brace himself and temporarily settle them in a small vige under his jurisdiction. However, because of the limited fields, County Magistrate Liu could not produce so muchnd to distribute to the vigers of the Xia family vige. He nned to distribute some food to the vigers first before letting them develop the wastnd. Unexpectedly, before the wastnd was developed, the vigers of the Xia family vige heard about the decree to return thend in Liaodong County and were overjoyed. They packed their luggage and ran back to the Xia family vige in Liaodong County. Now that the vigers had already reimed thend that originally belonged to them, the strong men who had been forcibly recruited had also been released. Prince Min had even given out the order for all themoners in Liaodong County to be exempted from taxes for two years. Life in the Xia family vige returned to its usual stability. Xia Haisheng was moved to tears. ¡°Although we don¡¯t know why the county governor suddenly wants to return thend to us, I can feel that all of this is because of His Highness and the Princess Consort. You must have done something behind the scenes. ¡°Otherwise, why would we be able to take back ournd not long after you arrived in Liaodong County?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°Perhaps this is just a coincidence?¡± Xia Haisheng was very determined. ¡°I might not have much knowledge, but I¡¯m not stupid. There¡¯s definitely no such coincidence.¡± With that, he knelt down and kowtowed to Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan. ¡°I, Xia Haisheng, will never forget your kindness. If you need me in the future, I won¡¯t hesitate to climb mountains of des and go through seas of mes!¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly asked him to get up. ¡°If you¡¯re really grateful to us, put in a few good words for my duke if anyone badmouths him in the future. He¡¯s actually quite a good person. He¡¯s not as scary as outsiders say.¡± Xia Haisheng hurriedly replied. ¡°That¡¯s for sure! ¡°When there¡¯s a harvest in thend, our vige will use food to exchange for some money and build a memorial for the two of you. Not only can we let our descendants remember your kindness, but we can also let the people in the surrounding viges know your great achievements.¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her hand. ¡°Forget about the memorial. If you¡¯re really rich, you can build a road or a school. These are much better than the memorial.¡± Xia Haisheng agreed immediately. ¡°Alright! We¡¯ll do as you say. We¡¯ll set up a schoolter. The school will be named after the two of you. How about calling it the Duke Lang Couple School?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled awkwardly and politely. ¡°Don¡¯t you think the name of this school is a little long?¡± Xia Haisheng scratched the back of his head. ¡°I¡¯ve never studied before, so I don¡¯t know what name is suitable. Why don¡¯t you suggest a name?¡± Yu Niaoniao thought for a moment and had an idea. ¡°Let¡¯s call it Juan Niao School.¡± Xia Haisheng blurted out, ¡°What a good name!¡± Actually, he did not know what Juan Niao meant at all, but no matter what the County Princess said, he felt that it was a good name. Xiao Juan suddenly asked. ¡°Do you know how to write the words?¡± Xia Haisheng shook his head, indicating that he didn¡¯t know. He didn¡¯t even know how to write his name. How could he know how to write those words? Xiao Juan ordered someone to get a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone and wrote the words ¡°Juan Niao School¡± on the spot. His handwriting was just like the feeling he gave off. It was irond and had a sharp aura. However, for some reason, when Yu Niaoniao saw these words, her heart felt warm and soft. Xia Haisheng carefully epted the calligraphy treasure and nned to find a craftsman to frame it and hang it in the main room of the school. Walking out of Xia Haisheng¡¯s house, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan walked along the path to their temporary residence. The small vige was very quiet at night. The moon was bright and the atmosphere was good. Unfortunately, the wind was too strong, and Yu Niaoniao shivered from the cold. She was not in the mood to take a walk at all. She only wanted to return to the warm house quickly. Xiao Juan suddenly asked. ¡°Why did you suggest Juan Niao School?¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped in her tracks and said as if nothing had happened. ¡°Juan Niao refers to tired birds. The tired birds return to the forest at dusk, and the clouds return to the mountain. Haven¡¯t you heard the poem? I thought the poem had a good mood. Moreover, it could remind the children in the school that they were from the Xia family vige. Even if they be sessful in the future, they can¡¯t forget their roots.¡± Xiao Juan did notment on this exnation. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Do you think the name is bad?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s voice had a rare gentleness. ¡°I think this name is very good to me. I like it very much.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ... She snorted softly. ¡°That¡¯s better.¡± ¡­ . After leaving the Xia family vige, the convoy traveled for another three days before finally arriving at the border of Liaodong County. Tang Guixi looked at Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan. ¡°I¡¯ll see you off from afar. We¡¯ll part ways eventually. I¡¯ll see you off here!¡± Yu Niaoniao was very reluctant. ¡°You have to take good care of yourself in the future. Don¡¯t let yourself be injured again.¡± Tang Guixi smiled and said, ¡°You too. You have to take good care of yourself!¡± Yu Niaoniao walked forward and hugged her. Tang Guixi whispered into her ear. ¡°If you encounter any trouble, you must write to me. As sisters, I will definitely help you even if I have to cross thousands of mountains and rivers.¡± ... Yu Niaoniao agreed. ¡°Yes, you too. If there¡¯s anything, you must write to me.¡± Tang Guixi looked at Duke Lang and smiled. ¡°Alright, let go of me quickly. Otherwise, your prince¡¯s eyes will pop out.¡± Yu Niaoniao chuckled. ¡°He won¡¯t re.¡± Although she said that, she couldn¡¯t help but look back at Xiao Juan. The man stood there expressionlessly. Indeed, he did not re. Yu Niaoniao let go of Tang Guixi and smiled. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Tang Guixi pretended to be rxed and waved her hand. ¡°Go, go. Stop dawdling.¡± Last time, it was Yu Niaoniao who watched Tang Guixi leave on her horse. This time, it was Tang Guixi who stood rooted to the ground and watched Yu Niaoniao get into the carriage. The carriage slowly drove forward. Yu Niaoniao leaned against the car window and stuck her head out to look at Tang Guixi. Tang Guixi waved her arm at her and shouted. ¡°Have a safe trip!¡± Yu Niaoniaoughed and waved her arms at her. Xiao Juan rode beside the carriage, followed by the other Eagle Guards. Seeing the convoy walk further and further away until they could no longer be seen, Tang Guixi reluctantly retracted her gaze. She mounted her horse and spoke to the soldiers behind her. ¡°Let¡¯s go too.¡± The two teams walked in twopletely opposite directions. When would they meet again? Chapter 270 - 270 Just Do It! 270 Just Do It! After leaving Liaodong County, there were no more assassination attempts. It seemed that the group of powerhouses had stopped taking revenge. It was obvious that Liaodong County was their territory. In their territory, they were inevitably more daring. However, as long as they left their territory, the powerhouses would not dare to do anything rash. After all, assassinating the Regional King was not a small crime. Once there was evidence of their crime, they would definitely die! Yu Niaoniao could finally heave a sigh of relief. She finally did not have to worry about the rest of the trip. Five dayster, the convoy sessfully arrived at Wang Song City. Magistrate Liu had long known that they woulde. He had gotten someone to clean the courier station in advance and even ordered someone to prepare rich food and wine. During the meal, County Magistrate Liu repeatedly rified to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Princess Consort, you have to believe me. I really didn¡¯t neglect the vigers of the Xia family vige. I arranged amodation for them ording to your instructions and even distributed food to them. In the end, they all ran away overnight. I don¡¯t know what happened. Don¡¯t me me!¡± He was really aggrieved. That group of vigers hade and left so suddenly that they did not even greet him, making him feel uneasy. He was afraid that the vigers had gone away because he had done something wrong. Yu Niaoniao said as she ate. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I know this has nothing to do with you. I don¡¯t mean to me you. You¡¯ve already done a good job.¡± County Magistrate Liu heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°The Princess Consort is wise.¡± After Yu Niaoniao ate and drank her fill, she went to bed. However, Xiao Juan could not sleep yet as he had received a secret letter from the Imperial Capital. The secret letter was written by Yan Nanguan. In the letter, he mentioned three things. The first was about the Eastern Expedition Army. Previously, Yan Nanguan had received a secret letter from Duke Lang. When he knew that something had happened to the Eastern Expedition Army, he immediately reported this matter to the emperor. The emperor was about to send troops to suppress the Eastern Expedition Army when they received an urgent report from Duke Lang before the army set off. He said that the problem with the Eastern Expedition Army had been resolved. Duke Lang had relied on his ability to resolve the huge problem in the east evidence. Logically speaking, he should be rewarded. However, Yan Nanguan said in the letter that the emperor had no intention of rewarding Duke Lang at all. Yan Nanguan did not dare to second guess the Holy Decree. He could only tell Duke Lang about this and let him figure it out himself. The second point was rted to the emperor. Recently, the emperor established a new department called the Sky Wolf Guards. Wei Huai¡¯en, the emperor¡¯s most trusted eunuch, was in charge of the Sky Wolf Guards. The reason why this department was established was that themoners had more and moreints about the Eagle Guards ofte. The mostmon thing the emperor heard every time he went to court was the criticism and condemnation of Duke Lang and the Eagle Guards by the officials. In order to appease public anger, the emperor temporarily established the Sky Wolf Guards. Its main duty was to supervise the Justice Department and ensure that there were no vitions in the operations of the Justice Department. In other words, the emperor had put ayer of shackles on the Justice Department. As the person in charge of the Justice Department, Xiao Juan was at a disadvantage. Lastly, Yan Nanguan wanted to remind Duke Lang that Princess Tao Ran had entered the capital. Princess Tao Ran was not the emperor¡¯s favorite daughter, but she had the worst temper. The key point was that she was obsessed with Duke Lang. Yan Nanguan specially wrote about this to let the Duke of Lang County be mentally prepared. Princess Tao Ran was a difficult person to deal with. Xiao Juan put the letter to the candle me. The letter was ignited and quickly burned to ashes. He did not take Princess Tao Ran¡¯s matter to heart. What he cared about more now was the Sky Wolf Guards. He knew very well that setting up the Sky Wolf Guards to appease the public anger was just a facade. The emperor was warning him. The underlying message was that everything he had now was bestowed by the emperor. If he could not do what the emperor wanted, the emperor could rece him at any time. However, if he really did as the emperor said and let Prince Min and his son die on the way to Liaodong County, it would vite his principles. How should he choose between the emperor¡¯s orders and principles? Xiao Juan had hesitated about this before and she told him to adhere to his principles. Therefore, he chose to protect the lives of Prince Min and his son and let them arrive at Xingning safely. By doing so, Xiao Juan knew that he would definitely make the emperor unhappy. He was ready to ept the consequences. The next day, the convoy continued on its way. The weather was cold, and Yu Niaoniao was not in the mood to ride a donkey. She stayed in the carriage all day long, other than eating and sleeping, she drew and read. Later on, she was really bored, so she simplybined the activity of reading and painting. She expressed the plot of the book in the form of a drawing. A monthter, she finished an entireic book. Compared to reading text, the threshold for reading suchics was lower because they were all paintings. Even if one could not read, one could understand the meaning. Yu Niaoniao felt that suchics should be quite popr. Her heart skipped a beat as she had an idea. Perhaps she could draw aic strip of what she and Xiao Juan had encountered in Liaodong County. When she was painting, she could highlight Xiao Juan¡¯s heroic and handsome appearance and mold him into a great hero to dispel his ferocious image among themoners. She did it immediately! Yu Niaoniao picked up her paintbrush and threw herself into painting again. Recently, Xiao Juan realized that Yu Niaoniao often peeped at him and liked to draw secretly. He wanted to see what she had drawn, but she hid the paper tightly every time and refused to show him. The more she hid, the more curious Xiao Juan became. At night, while Yu Niaoniao was asleep, Xiao Juan quietly woke up and opened the box cage. This box was filled with Yu Niaoniao¡¯s things. There was everything inside. But there was no drawing paper. Xiao Juan refused to believe it. He flipped through the other boxes, but he still could not find the drawing paper he wanted. Where did Niaoniao hide the drawing paper? Xiao Juan was puzzled. Coincidentally, Yu Niaoniao turned around. Shey on her side on the bed with herpel slightly open, revealing a corner of the drawing paper. Xiao Juan was stunned. She actually hid the drawing paper in her arms! ... Xiao Juan walked to the bed and looked at the sleeping figure. After hesitating for a moment, he could not suppress his curiosity. He reached out his well-defined fingers and gently pinched a corner of the drawing paper. He exerted a little force and tried to pull the drawing paper out. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao suddenly turned around again. Xiao Juan was shocked and quickly stopped. Yu Niaoniaoy on the bed with her limbs spread out. She pressed the drawing paper under her. Seeing that she did not wake up, Xiao Juan heaved a sigh of relief. Then, he found it amusing. He had seen confronted many big scenes and had never panicked in life-and-death situations. At this moment, he actually felt nervous. It was unknown what Yu Niaoniao had dreamed of, but her little mouth curled up and sheughed strangely. ¡°Come and chase me. If you catch up to me, I¡¯ll let you hehe!¡± ... Xiao Juan was speechless. Chapter 271 - 271 Taking a Bath 271 Taking a Bath After another month of traveling, the convoy finally returned to the Imperial Capital before New Year¡¯s Eve. Yan Nanguan waited at the city gate with the Eagle Guards in advance. As soon as they saw Duke Lang¡¯s carriage, they immediately went forward. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness and Princess Consort!¡± Yan Nanguan said, ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s a long journey. It¡¯s been hard on you.¡± The wind was cold. They waited near the city gate for a long time. Their noses were red from the cold. Xiao Juan rode on the horse and said to them. ¡°You guys go back first. Tomorrow is New Year¡¯s Eve. I¡¯ll give you a day off. Go home and celebrate with your rtives. See you at the Justice Department the day after tomorrow.¡± The Eagle Guards were delighted and replied in unison. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness!¡± Lo Pingsha, Meng Xizhou, Yan Nanguan, and the others left while Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan returned to their residence. Granny Xiu Yan had long ordered someone to warm the room. As soon as Yu Niaoniao entered, she felt like she had instantly transitioned from winter to spring. She took off her cloak and outer clothes and sat in the rocking chair. She sighedfortably. ¡°Home is still the mostfortable!¡± Granny Xiu Yan asked solicitously. ¡°I¡¯ve already asked someone to boil hot water. Do you want to take a hot bath first?¡± In order to hurry back, Yu Niaoniao had not taken a good bath for a while. Hearing this, she immediately replied. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take a bath now!¡± There was a bath in Langjun Imperial Pce, but Xiao Juan never liked to enjoy it. He usually bathed quickly and rarely used the bath, so this bath was idle all year round. Things were different now. Ever since the Duke¡¯s Pce had Yu Niaoniao as its mistress, the bath could finally y its rightful role. Yu Niaoniao took off her clothes and let her body slowly sink into the warm water. She leaned back against the wall of the pool and narrowed her eyes. The faint fragrance of essential oils filled the air. At this moment, every pore on her body had opened up. She was very rxed and felt extremelyfortable. Granny Xiu Yan walked in with tea and snacks. She ced the refreshments beside the bath and asked. ¡°Do you need me to wipe your back, Princess Consort?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Okay, okay!¡± She turned around and turned her back to Granny Xiu Yan. Granny Xiu Yan squatted down, rolled up her sleeves, and wiped her back with a soft wet handkerchief. ¡°County Princess, I didn¡¯t see Dang Gui just now. Where did she go?¡± Yu Niaoniao fiddled with the petals floating on the water and sighed. ¡°She went home.¡± Granny Xiu Yan was confused. ¡°Went home?¡± Yu Niaoniao exined how Dang Gui lost her memory and then regained it. Granny Xiu Yan sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Dang Gui to be the daughter of General Zhengyuan. I originally thought that she was just an ordinary little girl.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°She¡¯s staying in Xiangtai now. She probably won¡¯t return to the Langjun Imperial Pce in the future.¡± Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°But you can¡¯t have no one to serve you. I¡¯ll get some maidservants toe overter. You can choose two that you like.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± At this moment, Xiao Juan¡¯s low voice sounded outside the door. ¡°Is the bath being used now?¡± The servant guarding outside the door replied truthfully, ¡°The Princess Consort is using it.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯lle backter.¡± Xiao Juan was about to turn around and leave when Granny Xiu Yan hurriedly ran out to stop him. ¡°Your Highness, please wait!¡± Xiao Juan turned to look at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Granny Xiu Yan smiled kindly. ¡°Since you¡¯re here,e in and take a bath together. Anyway, you and the princess consort are husband and wife. There¡¯s nothing to avoid.¡± When Yu Niaoniao heard this, she was shocked. Holy shit, was Duke Lang going toe in and take a bath with her? No, no! Absolutely not! Yu Niaoniao immediately put down her half-finished tea and scrambled out of the bath. Outside the room, Xiao Juan politely declined. ¡°No need. I still have something to do. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°You¡¯ve already walked so far. You definitely have to take a bath. Don¡¯t be in a hurry to leave. The hot water inside is ready-made. You can soak in it now.¡± She knew Duke Lang¡¯s temper. This person was very boring. He did not know how to sweet-talk or please girls. Who knew how many years it would take for someone like him to have a child? She had to help him! ... Seeing that Duke Lang still did not move, Granny Xiu Yan could not help but urge. ¡°The Princess Consort is still waiting for you inside!¡± Xiao Juan was surprised. ¡°Is she really waiting for me?¡± Granny Xiu Yan nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes, yes! The Princess Consort also wants to take a bath with you.¡± Yu Niaoniao, who was preparing to put on her clothes, was speechless. ¡°Granny, don¡¯t do that to me¡­¡± ¡°When did I say such a thing?¡± In a moment of desperation, Yu Niaoniao identally slipped and fell forward, her head hitting the screen. Bang! ¡°Ah! It hurts!!¡± Outside the house, Xiao Juan and Granny Xiu Yan heard the sound and hurriedly walked in. ... At this moment, Yu Niaoniao was squatting on the ground, covering her head with one hand and pulling her clothes with the other. She frantically wrapped her clothes around herself. Her wet long hair hung down her sides, and her cheeks were white and red from the heat. Her eyes were red from the pain, and there was a crystal-clear tear at the corner of her eye. Xiao Juan quickly walked to her side, squatted down, and reached out to touch her forehead. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you hit your head? Let me see.¡± Yu Niaoniao was embarrassed and in pain now. Her voice was trembling. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I identally bumped into the screen just now. You guys go out first.¡± Xiao Juan noticed that she was only wrapped in thin innerwear. The water droplets on her body wet her inner clothes, and her graceful figure could be vaguely seen. Xiao Juan felt as if his pupils had been burned. He hurriedly retracted his gaze, not daring to look further. He quickly took off his coat and wrapped it around her. ¡°I¡¯ll send you back.¡± With that, he carried Yu Niaoniao horizontally and strode out. At the same time, he instructed Granny Xiu Yan. ¡°Call the physician.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao was sent back to the bedroom. Xiao Juan ced her on the bed. She immediately pulled the nket over and wrapped it around her, revealing only her wet head. Xiao Juan looked at her forehead carefully. There was a small bump. Fortunately, her skin was not torn. ¡°Why were you so careless?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not dare to say that she fell and hit her head because she was afraid that Xiao Juan woulde in to take a bath with her. She said resentfully, ¡°It won¡¯t happen again.¡± After physician came, he checked Yu Niaoniao¡¯s injuries and said, ¡°It¡¯s not a big problem. Just apply some medicinal wine.¡± The physician gave them a bottle of medicinal wine and left. Xiao Juan picked up the bottle and poured the medicinal wine into his palm. After rubbing it warm, he wiped it on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s forehead. Yu Niaoniao screamed in pain. In order to prevent her from moving, Xiao Juan had no choice but to hold her firmly with one arm. After applying the medicinal wine, the two of them broke out in a thinyer of sweat. Chapter 272 - 272 Don’t Eat Me! 272 Don¡¯t Eat Me! Xiao Juan let go of Yu Niaoniao and washed his hands. ¡°Go to sleep first. I¡¯ll take a bath.¡± Initially, he did not like to take a bath, but because he had been traveling for days, he was a little tired. He nned to take a bath to rx. Unexpectedly, he bumped into Yu Niaoniao. By now, it was toote to take a bath. He washed his body with hot water and changed into a loose andfortable sleeping suit. !! When he returned to the bedroom, Yu Niaoniao was already asleep. There were two pillows on the bed. She was originally sleeping on the pillow inside. After a few rolls, her head had already moved to the pillow outside, but her body still upied the position inside. This way, Xiao Juan could not sleep. He stood by the window and stared at Yu Niaoniao for a long time. He hesitated. Should he wake her up? Or should he find another ce to sleep? In the end, Xiao Juan chose the third option. He first picked up the pillow inside and pushed Yu Niaoniao in with the pillow she was sleeping on. Yu Niaoniao was sleeping soundly and did not notice that she was being moved at all. After her body was straightened, Xiao Juan lifted the nket andy down. The pillow he was using now was the one Yu Niaoniao usually used. It still had the faint fragrance of her body. The fragrance entered his nose and lingered in his heart, messing up his emotions. It made him unable to fall asleep. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao suddenly turned around and rolled into Xiao Juan¡¯s arms. Her forehead was under his chin. The strong smell of medicinal wine entered his nose and dispelled the faint fragrance. Xiao Juan was helpless and moved his head back a little to avoid touching the wound on her forehead. Amidst the strong smell of medicinal wine, Xiao Juan no longer had any messy thoughts and quickly fell asleep. It was probably because the smell of the medicinal wine was too intense. That night, Yu Niaoniao dreamed that she was soaking in a medicinal wine barrel. What was even more terrifying was that Xiao Juan was standing beside the bathtub and staring at her with a strange gaze. She covered her chest with her hands and asked warily, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°You look delicious.¡± With that, he began to add firewood to the bottom of the bathtub, making the fire burn even more fiercely. He actually really wanted to boil the medicinal wine, cook Yu Niaoniao, and eat her! Yu Niaoniao felt extremely hot and struggled. She screamed crazily, ¡°Don¡¯t eat me, don¡¯t eat me!¡± Her eyes flew open and she found herself lying on the bed. There was no one beside her. Granny Xiu Yan quickly walked to the bed and asked with concern. ¡°Princess Consort, what¡¯s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?¡± Yu Niaoniao recalled the scene in her dream and still felt a lingering fear. ¡°I dreamed that Duke Lang was going to eat me.¡± Granny Xiu Yan pursed her lips and smiled, thinking that the two of them were really close. Even in her dreams, Princess Consort was thinking about Duke Lang. ¡°Princess Consort, don¡¯t be afraid. His Highness wants to eat you because he likes you.¡± Yu Niaoniao tried her best to exin, ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that type of eating. It¡¯s really eating!¡± Granny Xiu Yan¡¯s smile became even more ambiguous. ¡°I understand. You don¡¯t have to say anything else.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. She suspected that Granny Xiu was involved in pornography. Granny Xiu Yan ordered someone to bring hot water and help Yu Niaoniao wash up. Yu Niaoniao sat in front of the dressing mirror and let Granny Xiu Yan put a hairpin on her head. ¡°Where¡¯s His Highness?¡± ¡°He went to the pce to meet the emperor early in the morning. He probably won¡¯t be back until noon.¡± The servants brought in breakfast and ced it on the table. After Yu Niaoniao finished her breakfast happily, Granny Xiu Yan served hot tea and called over more than ten maidservants. ¡°Princess Consort, these are all the children of the residence. They¡¯re about the same age as you. Do you think anyone looks pleasing to the eye?¡± Yu Niaoniao nced at them and realized that these maidservants were above average in terms of looks and figure. They were good-looking enough to be brought out but would not steal the limelight from their mistress. Obviously, these maidservants had been carefully chosen by Granny Xiu Yan. Yu Niaoniao did not want to let Granny Xiu Yan down. She first asked these maids to introduce themselves one by one. By the time they finished introducing, Yu Niaoniao had almost figured out their nature. Yu Niaoniao first pointed at a round-faced maidservant, then at a thin and small maidservant in the corner. ¡°Just the two of you.¡± The round-faced maidservant was pleasantly surprised and immediately knelt down to thank her. ¡°I thank the Princess Consort!¡± The thin and small maid clearly did not expect to be chosen. She was stunned for a while beforeing back to her senses and hurriedly knelt down to thank her. ¡°Greetings, County Princess.¡± Granny Xiu Yan waved her hand and asked the other maidservants to leave. Although the maids were unwilling, they did not dare to disobey and retreated. Granny Xiu Yan said respectfully, ¡°Princess Consort, since you¡¯ve chosen these two maidservants, why don¡¯t you give them names? It¡¯ll be more dignified when you bring them out in the future.¡± ... Yu Niaoniao caught a glimpse of a calligraphy painting hanging on the wall. There was a poem written on it: A cup of wine in the spring breeze and ten years of rain in the martial world. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she said to the round-faced maidservant. ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll be called Chun Feng (Spring Breeze).¡± Then, she said to the thin and small maidservant. ¡°Your name is Ye Yu (Night Rain).¡± The two of them kowtowed in unison to thank her. Yu Niaoniao stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while. Come with me.¡± Chun Feng and Ye Yu agreed. ¡°Yes.¡± Granny Xiu Yan quickly asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ... Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°The Directorate.¡± Granny Xiu Yan was very surprised. ¡°Why are you going there?¡± Yu Niaoniao took out a picture book and smiled. ¡°I want to print books and sell them, but books have to be reviewed by the Directorate, so I want to take this picture book to the Chancellor.¡± Granny Xiu Yan reminded tactfully, ¡°Our Duke and the civil officials don¡¯t have a very harmonious rtionship. They have many misunderstandings about His Highness. Do you want to bring more people to the directorate this time?¡± With the directorate¡¯s prejudice against Duke Lang, she was very afraid that the Princess Consort would not even be able to enter the Directorate. Yu Niaoniao was very confident. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can handle it myself.¡± She left Langjun Imperial Pce with Chun Feng and Ye Yu and took a carriage to the Directorate. The truth was indeed as Granny Xiu Yan had expected. Yu Niaoniao was stopped outside the Directorate. The concierge of the Directorate said. ¡°Our Lord Chancellor is very busy now and doesn¡¯t have time to see you for the time being. Pleasee another day.¡± Yu Niaoniao ignored him and barged in with the two maidservants. The concierge hurriedly reached out to stop them. However, before his hand could touch them, he saw Yu Niaoniao suddenly fall to the ground. Then, he heard her call out loudly. ¡°How dare you push me? Everyone says that the Directorate is a holynd for schrs. I didn¡¯t expect you to bully a weak woman like me!¡± The concierge hurriedly exined, ¡°I didn¡¯t. Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I know. A small concierge like you definitely won¡¯t dare to do anything to me, so the Directorate must have instructed you to do this! It was the Directorate who asked you to bully me!¡± Chapter 273 - 273 The Pot Goes With the Cover 273 The Pot Goes With the Cover In the Directorate¡¯s tea room, Luo Mingxue and Shen Junzhi were sitting opposite each other. The two of them were sipping tea and discussing current affairs in the capital. Secretary Wang rushed in. ¡°Lord Chancellor, bad news. The Princess Consort of Lang County is causing trouble at the entrance of our Directorate!¡± Shen Junzhi paused in his actions. Luo Mingxue¡¯s white eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and his wrinkled face was filled with unhappiness. ¡°Didn¡¯t we ask the concierge to send her away? Why hasn¡¯t she left?¡± Secretary Wang said with a bitter expression. ¡°The concierge said that you¡¯re very busy now and don¡¯t have time to see her. But she didn¡¯t believe him and insisted oning in to look for you. For some reason, they started arguing.¡± ¡°When the Princess Consort shouted that our Directorate was bullying others, her voice was especially loud. This rmed the nearby government offices and many officials ran out to watch themotion.¡± ¡°If this continued, our Directorate would probably be theughingstock of the entire Imperial Capital tomorrow. What should we do now?¡± As Luo Mingxue ced the purple sand teacup on the table, his beard was trembling with anger. ¡°Looks like this Princess Consort of Lang is not easy to deal with. Let her in! I want to see why she came to me in such a big hurry.¡± After Secretary Wang left, Luo Mingxue looked at Shen Junzhi, who was sitting opposite him, and the anger on his face dissipated slightly. ¡°The Princess of Lang County has ill intentions. Do you want to sit next door for a while?¡± Shen Junzhi smiled. ¡°I happen to know her. There¡¯s no need to avoid her.¡± Luo Mingxue was surprised. ¡°How do you know her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story¡­¡± Secretary Wang rushed to the entrance of the directorate. After Yu Niaoniao¡¯smotion, not only did a few officials from the nearby government offices run out to watch themotion, but even the students from the directorate ran out. The students had a prejudice against Duke Lang, so they naturally did not have a good impression of his Princess Consort. At this moment, they were pointing at Yu Niaoniao, feeling that she was pestering them. Yu Niaoniao was supported by two maidservants, looking pitifully bullied but unable to resist. At first nce, it really looked like the directorate bullying weak women with their numbers. If word got out, would the Directorate still have its reputation? When Secretary Wang saw this scene, he felt his head swell. He hurriedly ran over and roared at the students. ¡°Why are you all standing here? Don¡¯t you have ss? Do you want me to record your names and give you the lowest rating before you¡¯re happy?!¡± The students were shocked and dispersed. Secretary Wang retracted the fierce expression on his face and turned to look at Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Lord Chancellor invites you in.¡± Yu Niaoniao pressed her hand to her heart, looking gentle and weak, but the question she asked was very sharp. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say just now that he wasn¡¯t free? Why is he suddenly free now?¡± Secretary Wang choked and said with an embarrassed expression, ¡°He must have just finished his work.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him steadily. Secretary Wang felt a chill down his spine and felt very ufortable. He exined softly, ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯m not lying to you.¡± These words were simply revealing. Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Secretary Wang led them into the Directorate. When they walked into the tea room, Yu Niaoniao was stunned to see the two people sitting at the table. Shen Junzhi was actually here! He was wearing a moon-white long robe today. His ck hair was fixed by a jade hairpin. His ck eyes were gentle, and his sitting posture was dignified and elegant. He had the graceful demeanor of a young master of an aristocratic family. Seeing Yu Niaoniao look at him, Shen Junzhi smiled at her. ¡°Long time no see.¡± Yu Niaoniao couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Shen Junzhi said, ¡°I¡¯m old friends with Chancellor Luo. I arranged to drink tea with him today. I didn¡¯t expect to see you here. What a coincidence.¡± Yu Niaoniao was originally a little embarrassed. Seeing his natural and unrestrained appearance, the difort in her heart dissipated. She smiled back. ¡°It¡¯s indeed a coincidence.¡± Luo Mingxue said stiffly, ¡°Are you the Princess of Lang County? Why are you looking for me?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not beat around the bush and exined her intentions. ¡°I want to publish two books and need your help to print them.¡± Luo Mingxue mocked, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a woman like you to want to write a book?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°From what you said, do you look down on women?¡± It was not that Luo Mingxue looked down on women. He felt that it was only fair for the male lead to be outside and the female lead to be inside. Women should stay at home to take care of their husbands and children. Things like publishing books should not be done by women. He looked at Yu Niaoniao and knew that even if he told her these reasons, it would be useless. She would not listen at all. Luo Mingxue did not want to waste time arguing with her, so he replied perfunctorily. ¡°What book are you going to publish? Show it to me.¡± He had already made up his mind that no matter what book she was about to publish, he would not give the approval. He would just find a random reason to send her awayter. ... Yu Niaoniao took out the twoics she had drawn and ced them on the table. Luo Mingxue picked up one of the books and flipped through two pages. To his surprise, he realized that the book was filled with drawings. The strokes of the drawing were very simple, but the scenes and characters drawn were lifelike. Even those who could not read could understand what they meant at a nce. This was the first time Luo Mingxue hade into contact with such books. He could not help but read a few more pages. He looked up at the woman in front of him and asked. ¡°Did you draw all these paintings?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°That¡¯s right. This is aic book I adapted from a story.¡± Luo Mingxue said, ¡°Is this kind of book called aic strip? It¡¯s quite appropriate.¡± Shen Junzhi asked, ¡°Can I take a look?¡± Seeing Yu Niaoniao nod in agreement, Shen Junzhi reached out and picked up anotheric book. ... He flipped it up from the top and read it very seriously. Yu Niaoniao found it too tiring to stand and sat down in the empty seat at the table. Seeing this, Luo Mingxue¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°You sat down without permission before Master said anything. This is not the way to be a guest.¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked and asked, ¡°When guests enter, you don¡¯t let them sit or serve tea. Is this how you treat them?¡± Luo Mingxue was speechless. This woman was really eloquent. No wonder she could be a couple with Duke Lang. There was really nothing good about the two of them! Shen Junzhi read more than twenty pages in one go. He stopped reading, but he could already guess the general content. ¡°The protagonist of thisic is Duke Lang?¡± Yu Niaoniao admitted frankly, ¡°Yes.¡± As soon as he heard that the protagonist was Duke Lang, Luo Mingxue immediately took theic book from Shen Junzhi¡¯s hand and flipped through it carefully. Seeing that Yu Niaoniao was bored from waiting, Shen Junzhi took the initiative to pour her a cup of tea. Yu Niaoniao took the teacup and said politely, ¡°Thank you, Young Master Shen.¡± Chapter 274 - 274 Princess Tao Ran 274 Princess Tao Ran Seeing this, Shen Junzhi felt a little disappointed. In the past, when Niaoniao saw him, she would call him Brother Junzhi affectionately. Now, she called him Young Master Shen politely. The distance between the two of them had widened. The more Luo Mingxue read, the more he frowned. In the end, he mmed the book shut and said angrily. !! ¡°What lousy book is this? This is not the real Duke Lang at all. You¡¯re deliberately glorifying him. How can such a book filled with lies be published? Hurry up and take this lousy book away!¡± With that, he threw the book in front of Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao said loudly. ¡°The content depicted in this book is all about what really happened. I went to Liaodong County with Duke Lang. I saw him capture human traffickers and save many kidnapped women.¡± ¡°We also caught the spy in the Eastern Expedition Army and stopped the Chen Nation¡¯s scheme.¡± ¡°We also helped the citizens of Liaodong County take back thend that belonged to them so that they could return to a stable life.¡± ¡°I can swear with my life that these things are all true!¡± Luo Mingxue asked disdainfully, ¡°If Duke Lang really did so many good things, why didn¡¯t the emperor reward him and even reprimanded him in public?¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. She thought that after Duke Lang returned to the Imperial Capital, the emperor would definitely reward him. After all, he had made a lot of contributions to Liaodong County. However, the oue did not develop as she had expected. Yu Niaoniao muttered, ¡°The emperor reprimanded Duke Lang? Why?¡± Luo Mingxue sneered. ¡°What else could it be? It¡¯s naturally because Duke Lang is reckless and actually dares to bully others! He plundered the rich and powerful in Liaodong County and forced them to give thend under their names to the local people.¡± ¡°Those powerful people were at their wits¡¯ end and could only jointly report Duke Lang. Duke Lang¡¯s actions were simply a disgrace to the Imperial Court! The emperor was still too soft-hearted. He only reprimanded him.¡± ¡°In my opinion, we should dismiss him and investigate him so that he can¡¯t be domineering anymore!¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not like that! It was clear that those powerful people stole from themoners. We just helped themoners take back what originally belonged to them.¡± Luo Mingxue seemed to have heard a funny joke. ¡°Haha, you¡¯re still dreaming at this time? Everyone in the Imperial Capital knew what kind of person Duke Lang was. Would a murderous evil spirit actually help ordinary people? Do you think anyone will believe this? Even if you¡¯re lying, you should have drafted it first.¡± Yu Niaoniao was exasperated. She pped the table and shouted. ¡°I¡¯m not lying! Duke Lang is a good person! He¡¯s a good person!¡± Seeing that she was really anxious, Shen Junzhi hurriedly said, ¡°Alright, alright, cut it out. We¡¯re talking about the book now. Don¡¯t get carried away.¡± He looked at Luo Mingxue and said sincerely. ¡°Can you make an exception and help stamp these two books on my ount?¡± Luo Mingxue hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°I can do you the favor. This book can be stamped and approved, but the other book with Duke Lang as the protagonist will never pass the approval. I won¡¯t let such a book filled with lies spread on the market.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. What¡¯s in this book really happened. It¡¯s not a lie!¡± Luo Mingxue did not believe her at all. He took the seal and stamped the title page of one of theics. He also wrote the words ¡°Pass¡±. ¡°Alright, Princess Consort, please leave. I still have something on. Forgive me for not sending you off.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not take the two books. She turned around and walked out. Chun Feng and Ye Yu hurriedly chased after her. Not long after they walked out, Shen Junzhi¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°Niaoniao, wait!¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped and turned around to look back. She saw Shen Junzhi walking over quickly. He handed the two books to Yu Niaoniao and said warmly. ¡°You forgot your books.¡± Yu Niaoniao took the books and thanked him. Shen Junzhi looked at her tense face andforted her gently. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. I believe what you say.¡± Yu Niaoniao gripped the book in her hand tightly. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. Why would they rather listen to others than believe what I say?¡± Shen Junzhi said, ¡°People are always more willing to believe established facts. It¡¯s very difficult for them to ept apletely different truth.¡± Yu Niaoniao naturally knew this. But she felt terrible. Xiao Juan had clearly helped so many people, but in the end, he was still misunderstood. This was unfair! Shen Junzhi continued tofort her. ¡°No matter what others think, I¡¯ll always be on your side.¡± Yu Niaoniao took a deep breath and suppressed the surging emotions in her heart. She tried her best to smile. ¡°Thank you, Young Master Shen.¡± Shen Junzhi stared at her. ¡°I prefer you to call me Brother Junzhi.¡± ... Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°That was in the past. I¡¯m already married. In order to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, it¡¯s more appropriate for me to call you Young Master Shen.¡± Shen Junzhi¡¯s eyes dimmed, and he became very disappointed. Seeing him like this, Yu Niaoniao felt a little bad. However, with their current identities, it was necessary to avoid suspicion. She made up her mind. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go back first.¡± With that, she turned around and left the Directorate with the two maidservants. Yu Niaoniao got into the carriage and said to the coachman. ¡°To the pce.¡± Chun Feng was bolder, so she asked carefully. ¡°Why are you going to the pce?¡± The pce was not a ce that anyone could enter. Even if Yu Niaoniao was the Princess Consort of Lang County, she had to not enter the pce without being summoned. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°To pick up His Highness.¡± ... After doing so much good, not only did Xiao Juan not receive any reward after returning to the Imperial Capital but he was also reprimanded by the emperor in public. If it were her, she would definitely feel terrible. She had to look for Xiao Juan tofort him and help him pull himself together. The carriage stopped near the pce gate. Yu Niaoniao jumped out of the carriage and walked to the pce door. The guards stopped her. ¡°The pce is an important ce. No one is allowed to approach!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m the Princess Consort of Lang, I want to ask if Duke Lang has left the pce?¡± After knowing her identity, the guards became slightly more polite. One of them replied, ¡°Not yet.¡± Yu Niaoniao thanked him. She waited near the pce gate for a long time until almost noon before she saw Duke Lange out of the pce. Xiao Juan was wearing a dark ck round-cored brocade robe. His ck hair was raised high by a jade crown, and he had his No Return Saber on his waist. He was wearing ck boots. His figure was tall and straight, and he had a cold aura. Behind him was a beautiful woman in gorgeous clothes. When the guards saw the woman, they cupped their fists and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Princess Tao Ran.¡± Chapter 275 - 275 Looking at You in a New Light 275 Looking at You in a New Light After the court assembly, the emperor asked Xiao Juan to stay. However, when Xiao Juan followed the emperor to his study, the emperor still had something else to deal with and asked him to wait outside. In the end, more than two hours passed. Seeing that it was almost noon, the emperor called Xiao Juan in to ask about the exact situation of the Eastern Expedition Army. Actually, Xiao Juan had already written everything about the Eastern Expedition Army in detail in the memorial, but since the emperor wanted to ask, he could only say it again. The emperor surmised, ¡°In other words, after so long, the 100,000 troops of the Eastern Expedition actually fell into the hands of a little girl?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Tang Guixi is the only daughter of General Tang Pei. She has received Tang Pei¡¯s training since she was young. She is familiar with the art of war and is extremely knowledgeable about the Eastern Expedition Army. The entire Eastern Expedition Army is quite convinced of her abilities. Now that the Eastern Expedition Army has just experienced civil strife and is in a state of panic, having Tang Guixi preside over the Eastern Expedition Army can greatly relieve the uneasiness in the hearts of the soldiers.¡± The emperor looked at him steadily. ¡°You seem to admire Tang Guixi?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. I have no personal feelings!¡± The emperor said, ¡°I¡¯ll find out if it¡¯s the truth or a personal rtionship. You caused a lot of trouble when you went to Liaodong County this time. Now, not only are the ministers impeaching you, but even the local powerhouses in Liaodong County are dissatisfied with you. You¡¯re making things difficult for me!¡± Xiao Juan lowered his eyes. ¡°I have a clear conscience.¡± The emperor sneered. ¡°What a clear conscience! Looks like you don¡¯t regret your decision at all?¡± Xiao Juan knew very well that the emperor was still concerned about Prince Min and his son. Before leaving, the emperor hinted at killing Prince Min and his son. However, not only did he not kill Prince Min and his son, he even let them arrive at Liaodong County safely. This made the emperor very unhappy. Today, when the emperor deliberately reprimanded him in front of the ministers, he was actually making use of the situation. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Everything I did was for the emperor and the people of the world. I¡¯ve never regretted it.¡± The emperor was so angry that his chest heaved. ¡°Good! Well said! You really impressed me!¡± Xiao Juan knelt on one knee and said in a low voice. ¡°The rich in Liaodong County forcefully divided up and wantonly annexed thend of themoners. They maliciously raised taxes, and themonersined.¡± ¡°If Prince Min and his son could not reach Liaodong County safely, the entire Liaodong County would continue to be corroded by the powerful.¡± ¡°When themoners are forced to the point of no longer being able to survive, they will definitely rebel. At that time, it will be toote for the Imperial Court to send troops to suppress them!¡± The term that the old emperor hated the most now was rebellion. Xiao Juan¡¯s words were like a basin of water, extinguishing the anger in his heart. He immediately calmed down. ¡°Don¡¯t you stoke fears. Thosemoners don¡¯t even have decent weapons. How can they rebel?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s precisely because they have nothing left that they will rebel! Since ancient times, hasn¡¯t the dynasty changed because themoners were forced into a corner and could only go all out?¡± The old emperor was speechless. Xiao Juan said, ¡°As long as Prince Min and his son are still in Liaodong County, those powerful people won¡¯t dare to bully themoners unscrupulously. As long as themoners can still catch their breaths, they won¡¯t have the intention to rebel. I think it¡¯s worth it to exchange their lives for the stability of the entire Liaodong County.¡± The old emperor asked in a low voice, ¡°What if Prince Min colludes with those powerful people?¡± Xiao Juan said without hesitation. ¡°Impossible! On the way to Liaodong County, I was assassinated. Those powerhouses were behind the attacks. ¡°Prince Min and his son had already formed a grudge against them, so it would be very difficult for them to cooperate. Moreover, there was the Eastern Expedition Army. Tang Guixi is as loyal and straightforward as her father. She would not side with either party.¡± ¡°At that time, the Eastern Expedition Army, Prince Min, and the powerhouses will be in a three-way formation. They will restrain one another and make Liaodong County more stable.¡± The old emperor had been on the throne for many years. There were many things that he could understand without others saying. Liaodong County was bordered by the Chen Nation, and the Chen Nation had been eyeing the Dayan Dynasty covetously all these years. As the first checkpoint against the Chen Nation¡¯s invasion, Liaodong County¡¯s strategic significance was extremely important. If Liaodong County fell into chaos, the Chen Nation would immediately transform into a hungry wolf and pounce on the Dayan Dynasty to tear a bite out of it. At that time, the internal and external problems of the Dayan Dynasty would erupt at the same time, and it was very likely to shake the foundation of the country. No matter how much the old emperor wanted Prince Min and his son to die, he would not lose the fate of the Dayan Dynasty. He was not that senile. The old emperor leaned back, his expression clearly softening. ¡°Get up.¡± Xiao Juan stood up straight. The old emperor: ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say these things in the court just now?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°These words are just my guess. Even if I say it, the ministers won¡¯t believe me. They will only think that I¡¯m exaggerating.¡± The old emperor, who had just thought that he was exaggerating, felt a little guilty. He pretended to be calm and smiled. ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything after being reprimanded by me in front of all the civil and military officials. You¡¯re quite calm.¡± Xiao Juan lowered his head and said obediently. ¡°I didn¡¯tplete the mission you gave me. You were unhappy, so it was only right for you to teach me a lesson. As long as it can make you feel better, I won¡¯t have anyints no matter how you deal with me.¡± These words made the old emperor feel veryfortable. He knew that Xiao Juan was ttering him, but Xiao Juan was straightforward. If such a person was ttering him, he would be more convincing. Seeing how loyal he was, the old emperor felt a little guilty, and his tone became more generous. ... ¡°We can¡¯t let Tang Guixi control the Eastern Expedition Army forever. After all, she¡¯s a woman. It¡¯s not convenient for her to be with men all day long. I¡¯ll get the Cab to choose someone to take over the Eastern Expedition Army. In addition, I will issue a decree to confer General Zhengyuan as the Marshal of Zhengyuan and confer his wife as a first-grade edict. ¡°Tang Guixi will be conferred the title of County Lord of Xiangtai. Xiangtai will be her fief, and the taxes in the fief will belong to her.¡± Xiao Juan bowed. ¡°Your Majesty is kind!¡± The old emperor said, ¡°Lu Yaoguang, the county governor of Liaodong County, colluded with the local powerhouses and raised taxes without permission. He annexed thend wantonly and broke thew. He used his power for personal gain and should be executed ording to thew!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°He already knows his mistake and returned thend. He even helped me capture the spies in the Eastern Expedition Army. He can be considered to have made amends.¡± The old emperor thought for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to plead for mercy. I¡¯ll do you a favor this time. He can be spared from death, but he can¡¯t escape punishment. I shall demote the county governor of Liaodong County, Lu Yaoguang, to the county magistrate of Cangnan County. He will be appointed immediately!¡± Cangnan County was located in the southwest of the Dayan Dynasty. Not only was that ce remote, but it was also filled with miasma. Many ethnic minorities gathered there and were very aggressive; it was a ce that all officials avoided. Demoting Lu Yaoguang and sending him to Cangnan County was almost equivalent to exile. It was unknown if he would survive this trip. ... Chapter 276 - 276 Retreating For Advancement 276 Retreating For Advancement When Xiao Juan came out of the study, he bumped into Wei Huaien. The two sides met. Wei Huai¡¯en bowed and said respectfully. ¡°Your Highness, long time no see. You look much more energetic aftering back from Liaodong County.¡± Xiao Juan did not like to interact with these eunuchs, but these eunuchs apanied the emperor all day long and could not be offended. He replied indifferently, ¡°You look the same. Nothing has changed.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en smiled. ¡°If Your Highness is leaving the pce, I¡¯ll arrange a soft sedan chair for you.¡± Horses were not allowed in the pce. Officials could only walk in and out. However, a favored official like Duke Lang could sit in a sedan chair although everyone in the pce knew that Duke Lang did not like to do so. Wei Huai¡¯en¡¯s question was clearly out of courtesy. Xiao Juan rejected the other party¡¯s kindness and strode down the steps. Wei Huaien stood rooted to the ground and watched Xiao Juan leave. A young eunuch leaned over and asked fawningly. ¡°Master, Duke Lang was reprimanded by the emperor in public and lost all his dignity. Why does he still look fine? Is he deliberately trying to be brave?¡± Wei Huai¡¯en nced at the young eunuch and said with a faint smile. ¡°You¡¯re underestimating him too much. His move today is called retreating in order to advance. On the surface, it looks like he has suffered, but the truth is that the emperor trusts him even more.¡± The young eunuch did not understand. Before long, Xiao Juan saw Princess Tao Ran. She was wearing a gorgeous purple pce dress with a pearl hairpin in her bun. There was a yellow plum blossom between her eyebrows. Her facial features could be described as small and exquisite. Her face was covered in light rouge, and even her nails were painted red. It was obvious that she had dressed up carefully. Xiao Juan originally wanted to pretend not to see her and walk past her. However, Princess Tao Ran walked up to him and blocked his path. She asked happily, ¡°Cousin Mo Zhu, long time no see. How have you been?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s reaction was still cold. ¡°I¡¯m fine. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Princess Tao Ran did not seem to notice his coldness and continued to speak excitedly. ¡°I heard that you went to Liaodong County and was very worried about your safety. I specially went to the temple to ask for a peace talisman. I hope you can ept it.¡± As she held a small and exquisite amulet in front of Xiao Juan, her eyes were filled with hope. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t believe in these.¡± Princess Tao Ran begged, ¡°This is a gift from me. Cousin, please ept it. I beg you.¡± ¡°Keep it for yourself.¡± After saying this, Xiao Juan walked around Princess Tao Ran and strode towards the pce door. Princess Tao Ran hurriedly chased after him. ¡°Cousin Mo Zhu, don¡¯t walk so quickly. If you don¡¯t like this amulet, I¡¯ll throw it away.¡± With that, she really threw the amulet away and never looked at it again. It was as if the amulet she had treated as a treasure just now was no longer valuable. ¡°Cousin Mo Zhu, what do you like? Tell me, no matter what it is, I can give it to you.¡± Xiao Juan said without turning around, ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m already married. Please respect yourself.¡± Princess Tao Ran stopped in her tracks, before speeding up and rushing in front of him to block his path again. ¡°I know it was Father who gave you the marriage. You actually don¡¯t like that woman at all. I¡¯ll kill that womanter so that you won¡¯t be pestered by her again.¡± Xiao Juan suddenly stopped. Seeing this, Princess Tao Ran thought that he had agreed to her suggestion. Just as she was about to take the opportunity to take credit, she realized that Xiao Juan¡¯s gaze had be extremely sharp like a knife. A dangerous aura surged towards her as if it could take her life at any time. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t touch her.¡± Princess Tao Ran held her breath and stood rooted to the ground. Xiao Juan walked past her. Princess Tao Ran pressed her hand to her heart and felt her intense heartbeat. A happy smile slowly appeared on her face. Hehe, Cousin Mo Zhu was still so powerful. He only needed to look at her and say something to scare her so much that her heart beat faster. She could only feel this thrill from him. Princess Tao Ran chased after him again. ¡°Cousin Mo Zhu, wait for me!¡± They walked out of the pce door one after another. Yu Niaoniao waited outside the pce door for a while. She was originally very worried that Xiao Juan would be depressed and ufortable from being reprimanded by the emperor in public, but when she saw Xiao Juan, she realized that she had worried too much. He looked no different from usual. He still looked cold and distant, without the slightest feeling of frustration. Xiao Juan looked at her and asked. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ... Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m here to bring you home!¡± At this moment, Princess Tao Ran walked over. She sized Yu Niaoniao up with an unfriendly gaze and said in an extremely cold tone, ¡°Are you the woman who has been pestering Cousin Mo Zhu?¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. ¡°Cousin Mo Zhu?¡± Princess Tao Ran sneered and said arrogantly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you still don¡¯t know that Mo Zhu is Duke Lang¡¯s courtesy name?¡± Yu Niaoniao really did not know. But she didn¡¯t care much about that. After all, she had lived in modern society for so many years and was used to calling names. The words were very unfamiliar to her. Xiao Juan felt very guilty. They had been married for a while, but he had not told her his courtesy name. ... This was his negligence. Yu Niaoniao looked at him and asked. ¡°Which Mo Zhu is it?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Ink, bamboo.¡± Yu Niaoniao praised, ¡°This name is quite elegant.¡± Seeing that she was not angry, Xiao Juan rxed slightly. ¡°This is the calligraphy teacher gave me. I don¡¯t usually use it. If you like it, you can call me Mo Zhu in the future.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled slyly. ¡°But I still prefer to call you baby.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. Caught off guard, he was teased again. Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°Anything is fine. You can do whatever you like.¡± Seeing the two of them chatting as if no one was around and treating her as air, Princess Tao Ran couldn¡¯t help but burn with jealousy. ¡°You called him baby for no reason. You¡¯re indeed a shameless vixen!¡± Xiao Juan pulled Yu Niaoniao behind him. He used his body to stop Princess Tao Ran¡¯s re and said coldly. ¡°Your Highness, Niaoniao is my officially married Princess Consort. Please respect her!¡± Seeing that he was so protective of Yu Niaoniao, the jealousy in Princess Tao Ran¡¯s heart burned even more crazily. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth! If she hadn¡¯t shamelessly seduced you on purpose and caused everyone in the Imperial Capital to know about the matter between the two of you, would Father have given you a marriage? Everything was her scheme. Cousin, don¡¯t be deceived by her innocent appearance!¡± Xiao Juan knew Princess Tao Ran¡¯s personality. No matter how he exined, she would not listen. He might as well go all out. ¡°She didn¡¯t seduce me. I took a fancy to her first. I nned everything. I would do anything to get her. She was actually the one who was deceived.¡± Princess Tao Ran was stunned. The guards not far away were speechless. Chapter 277 - 277 Durian Thousand-Layer Cake 277 Durian Thousand-Layer Cake While everyone was stunned, Xiao Juan had already pulled Yu Niaoniao into the carriage. Princess Tao Ran watched the carriage leave and stomped her feet in anger. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! This can¡¯t be true! Cousin Mo Zhu can¡¯t really like her!¡± In the carriage, Yu Niaoniao looked at the man sitting in front of her and asked carefully. !! ¡°Could what you just said be true? Have you really had a crush on me for a long time?¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Yu Niaoniao originally felt that the scandal between her and Xiao Juan was a coincidence, but Xiao Juan had said it confidently just now. He really didn¡¯t look like he was lying, making her a little confused. Xiao Juan said, ¡°If I didn¡¯t say that, Princess Tao Ran wouldn¡¯t have let you off.¡± Yu Niaoniao heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I knew it. Before there was any scandal, we didn¡¯t say a word to each other. How could you have a crush on me? That really scared me.¡± She pushed open the car window and looked back. Seeing Princess Tao Ran¡¯s exasperated expression, she couldn¡¯t help but ask,¡±What¡¯s going on between you and Princess Tao Ran?¡± After saying that, Yu Niaoniao felt that she had asked too much. Although she and Xiao Juan were married, there was no emotional foundation between the two of them. Hence, she hurriedly added,¡±If it¡¯s hard to say, pretend I didn¡¯t ask.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s attitude was very calm. ¡°There¡¯s nothing difficult to say. Princess Tao Ran is the emperor¡¯s third daughter. When I was still living in the pce, I used to spend time with her.¡± Yu Niaoniao recalled the scene just now and whispered,¡±She seems to like you very much.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°That isn¡¯t it.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not understand. ¡°But she cares a lot about you and seems jealous.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°You don¡¯t know her. She¡¯s been like this since she was young. She¡¯s very possessive. As long as she takes a fancy to something, be it a person or a thing, she wants it for herself.¡± Yu Niaoniao muttered,¡±She wants to possess you because she likes you.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s different.¡± Yu Niaoniao tilted her head and looked at him with confusion. The matter was tooplicated. Xiao Juan could not exin the difference in a few words. He could only remind her. ¡°Before Princess Tao Ran leaves the Imperial Capital, you have to be careful. Don¡¯t go out alone, let alone have any contact with her.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded obediently. ¡°Oh.¡± Xiao Juan still felt worried. After returning to Langjun Imperial Pce, he called Meng Xizhou over. ¡°Take this blueprint and get the craftsman to make it ordingly. It shouldn¡¯t be too big. It has to be suitable for women.¡± Meng Xizhou looked at the small crossbow drawn on the blueprint and asked curiously, ¡°Who are you giving it to?¡± Xiao Juan looked at him quietly. Meng Xizhou quickly reacted. ¡°Could it be the Princess Consort?¡± Xiao Juan did not deny it and said in a low voice. ¡°Hurry up and do it.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Meng Xizhou left in a hurry with the blueprint. It was almost the new year. Granny Xiu Yan prepared to buy new year¡¯s goods. She handed the shopping list to Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao read through it quickly and felt that there was no problem. ¡°Let¡¯s go with this order.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Granny Xiu Yan was about to leave when Yu Niaoniao stopped her. ¡°Nanny, I want to ask you about someone.¡± Granny Xiu Yan said warmly, ¡°Go ahead.¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her hand and let the people serving her retreat. She waited until there was no one else in the room before speaking. ¡°How much do you know about Princess Tao Ran?¡± Granny Xiu Yan was stunned for a moment before she reacted and blurted out, ¡°Is Princess Tao Ran here to pester His Highness again?¡± When Yu Niaoniao heard this, she knew that she had asked the right person. She nodded. ¡°Yes, I went to look for His Highness today and met her at the pce gate.¡± Granny Xiu Yan frowned. ¡°I knew it. Most likely, she came back to the Imperial Capital for Duke Lang. She hasn¡¯t given up on Duke Lang!¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Is there something between her and Duke Lang¡­¡± Granny Xiu Yan hurriedly denied it. ¡°No! Duke Lang has always treated her as his sister and has never had any romantic feelings for her. It¡¯s her wishful thinking to pester Duke Lang.¡± In order to prove that what she said was true, Granny Xiu Yan told her everything she knew. ... ¡°This Princess Tao Ran is actually quite pitiful. Her biological mother was a pce maid. She was born because the drunk emperor happened to be frisky.¡± ¡°The emperor had no feelings for the mother and daughter at all, so he naturally did not care too much.¡± ¡°The people in the pce had always liked to tter the strong and trample on the weak. When everyone saw that Princess Tao Ran was not favored, they did not take her seriously. She had been bullied many times when she was young.¡± ¡°Later on, for some reason, she pestered Duke Lang. I originally thought that it was quite good that the two children could bepanions in the pce. I even looked forward to them bing a couple when they grew up.¡± ¡°However, after interacting with her for a while, she realized that Princess Tao Ran was stubborn and ruthless. She was an extremely difficult person to get along with.¡± ¡°Fortunately, Duke Lang doesn¡¯t have any feelings for her. Otherwise, Duke Lang would suffer in the future.¡± At this point, Granny Xiu Yan pressed her chest and took a long breath. It seemed that she was really afraid. Yu Niaoniao blinked. ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard of her before?¡± Granny Xiu Yan exined. ¡°Ever since she reached adulthood, she was sent to a fief and only returned recently.¡± ¡°I had been worried that she would continue to pester Duke Lang when she returned. Now it seemed that my worries were not unfounded. She had not given up on Duke Lang.¡± ... ¡°You have to be careful during this period of time. Try not to go out as much as possible to avoid being targeted by her.¡± Seeing that they were all reminding her to be careful, Yu Niaoniao was very curious. ¡°Is she really that scary?¡± Granny Xiu Yan said earnestly. ¡°You haven¡¯t interacted with her before, so you don¡¯t know her yet.¡± ¡°She had been a strange person since she was young. She was paranoid and solitary. She did whatever she wanted and always liked to raise snakes, insects, rats, and ants.¡± ¡°I heard that her mother is from the southern border. The southern border is good at raising Gu. Perhaps she also has Gu worms. In short, she¡¯s very evil! You have to stay away from her.¡± Yu Niaoniao replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Although Xiao Juan did not look sad, Yu Niaoniao still felt that she shouldfort him. Coincidentally, the emperor had sent some rewards to the Duke Lang¡¯s Pce, including durians from the south. Looking at the huge durian covered in thorns, Yu Niaoniao immediately thought of a dessert she had not eaten for a long time. Durian cake! She raised the knife and cut open the durian shell. She broke off a piece of durian meat to try it. The texture was soft and thick, coupled with a sweet taste. How awesome! When the others in the kitchen smelled this, they all pinched their noses and retreated. They did not understand why this thing was so smelly. How could the Princess Consort eat it? After Yu Niaoniao finished a piece of durian meat, she turned to ask the others if they wanted to try it together. Everyone shook their heads in unison and rejected her crazily! Yu Niaoniao said regretfully, ¡°You guys actually don¡¯t eat such delicious food.¡± With that, she ate another piece. Everyone felt deep veneration. As expected of the Princess Consort, she dared to put anything in her mouth! Chapter 278 - 278 She Was Really Cute 278 She Was Really Cute Next, Yu Niaoniao began to prepare the durian thousandyer cake. Chun Feng and Ye Yu helped. They held their breaths the entire time. When they really couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore, they ran to the door and took a few deep breaths of fresh air. They really couldn¡¯t stand the strange smell of durians. !! When Xiao Juan returned, he couldn¡¯t help but ask when he saw the yellow cake in front of him. ¡°What is this?¡± Yu Niaoniao cut a piece of durian thousandyer cake and handed it to him. She introduced eagerly, ¡°I specially prepared dessert for you. You definitely haven¡¯t eaten this before. Try it.¡± Chun Feng and Ye Yu held their breaths together, feeling extremely nervous. They wanted to remind Duke Lang that this cake was made of durian and smelled bad. However, Princess Consort was standing at the side. They did not dare to say anything and could only pray in their hearts that Duke Lang would not hit anyone after eating the cake. Xiao Juan took the te and sniffed it. He realized that this cake smelled a little strange. He couldn¡¯t help but look at Yu Niaoniao again. If it were anyone else, he would definitely not ept such a strange thing. However, Yu Niaoniao was different. The food she made was never bad. Most of all, he trusted her. She would never harm him. With his trust in her, Xiao Juan dug out a piece of cake with a silver spoon and ced it in his mouth. After taking a bite, his expression froze. Yu Niaoniao looked at him expectantly. ¡°How is it? Is it delicious?¡± Xiao Juan swallowed the cake with difficulty, picked up the teacup beside him, and gulped down the tea. When the remaining durian taste in his mouth was suppressed, he spoke in a low voice. ¡°It tastes unique.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°That¡¯s how durian tastes. It was a little strange when you first ate it, but after taking two more bites, you¡¯ll realize that it¡¯s actually very delicious.¡± Xiao Juan did not want to touch the cake in front of him again. ¡°It¡¯s almost dinnertime. You can¡¯t eat too much dessert. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to eatter.¡± With that, he got someone to rush into the kitchen and quickly serve dinner. In the past, he would skip dinner whenever possible, but it was different now. Compared to the strange-tasting cake in front of him, dinner looked much more pleasing to the eye! Yu Niaoniao was very depressed. ¡°I specially prepared this durian thousandyer cake for you. I wanted to make you happy, but I didn¡¯t expect you to not like it.¡± Xiao Juanforted her. ¡°I appreciate your kindness. I¡¯m in a good mood now. I don¡¯t need to be coaxed.¡± Yu Niaoniao lowered her head and said unhappily. ¡°I¡¯ve already heard about the morning court assembly today. You¡¯ve clearly done so many good deeds, but no one cares about you. How can you not be disappointed?¡± Xiao Juan reached out and rubbed her little head. ¡°I already expected this oue before I decided to do those things. I had never thought that anyone would praise me. Since there¡¯s no hope, why would I be disappointed?¡± The more he said, the worse Yu Niaoniao felt. She felt sorry for Xiao Juan. Yu Niaoniao asked softly, ¡°If you already knew that this would be the oue, why did you do those things? Isn¡¯t it thankless?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that? You have to stick to your principles and not care about what others think. It¡¯s fine as long as we know that we did the right thing.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked up at him in a daze. She thought that she had just said a few poisonous words, but he took them seriously. What did it feel like? Anyway, her heart felt a little poignant. Sheined softly, ¡°How can there be such an innocent and gullible person like you in the world?¡± Xiao Juan had mixed feelings. ¡°You¡¯re the first person to say that I¡¯m innocent.¡± Everyone thought that he was evil, fierce, and cruel. This word had nothing to do with him. Yu Niaoniao said seriously, ¡°That¡¯s because there¡¯s something wrong with their eyes. They only know how to follow the crowd. I think that you are not only innocent, but also upright and brave. You¡¯re a very, very good person!¡± The more she interacted with Xiao Juan, the better she felt about him. It was like tasting wine. When it entered the throat, it was very spicy and ufortable, but after a long time, one would realize the rich taste contained in it. As Xiao Juan looked at her sparkling eyes, his own eyes were filled with gentleness. When he was thwarted, she would carefully make delicious food tofort him. When he was not understood, she would guard him and cheer him on over and over again. She was really cute. She was so cute that he couldn¡¯t help but want to hide her from others. ¡­ . ... In the pce, the old emperor did not flip the sign tonight. He was old and his health had been deteriorating for the past two years. He no longer had the energy to deal with the concubines in the harem. During this period of time, he had mostly stayed in his bedroom, and today was no exception. He had just finished his dinner and was about to wash up and sleep when he was informed that Noble Consort Shu was here. The old emperor said, ¡°Let her in.¡± As soon as Noble Consort Shu entered, she knelt in front of the old emperor. She cried pitifully. ¡°Your Majesty, I beg you to retract your order and not deport Lu Yaoguang to Cangnan.¡± Lu Yaoguang¡¯s wife, Madam Shu, and Noble Consort Shu were cousins. Before the two of them married, they were very close. Even after they separated, they oftenmunicated. Now that Lu Yaoguang had been demoted to Cang Nan, Madam Shu would definitely follow. A ce like Cang Nan was not a ce for humans at all. If Madam Shu went there, it was unknown if she would be able to return alive. Noble Consort Shu did not want her cousin to suffer, so she came to plead with the emperor. ... The old emperor asked someone to help her up. ¡°I know that you have a deep rtionship with Lu Yaoguang, but the country has itsws. I can¡¯t ignore my personal feelings. Otherwise, how can I answer to the people of the world?¡± Noble Consort Shu sobbed. ¡°Can¡¯t you be magnanimous and spare Lu Yaoguang this once on ount of me serving you for so many years?¡± At this, the old emperor looked at her steadily. Noble Consort Shu felt a chill down her spine and stopped her tears. ¡°Why do you look at me like that?¡± The old emperor said, ¡°You¡¯ve been in the pce for many years. You should know the rule that concubines are not allowed to intervene in matters of government, right?¡± Noble Consort Shu¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. I don¡¯t have any intention of doing politics. I just feel sorry for Cousin and don¡¯t want her to suffer in Cangnan with Lu Yaoguang.¡± The old emperor said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to say the same thing a second time. Go back. Don¡¯te here again if there¡¯s nothing important.¡± Noble Consort Shu was chased out of the bedroom. That night, this news spread throughout the entire pce. Usually, Noble Consort Shu relied on her status as a noble consort to bully the other concubines. Now that they knew that she had been chased out of the emperor¡¯s bedroom, they naturally would not let go of this great opportunity to mock her. Noble Consort Shu felt embarrassed and didn¡¯t go out much these few days. She held her breath. She couldn¡¯t eat well or sleep well. The eldest pce maid, Liu Zhi, advised her to let it go but Noble Consort Shu gritted her teeth. ¡°It¡¯s all Duke Lang¡¯s fault. If he hadn¡¯t insisted on meddling in Liaodong County¡¯s matters, Lu Yaoguang wouldn¡¯t have been demoted to Cangnan and I wouldn¡¯t have been so humiliated!¡± Chapter 279 - 279 Killing Two Birds with One Stone 279 Killing Two Birds with One Stone Liu Zhi carefully reminded her, ¡°But I heard that Duke Lang had begged the emperor. The emperor only dealt with County Governor Lu lightly on his ount. Otherwise, County Governor Lu might not even survive.¡± Noble Consort Shu mmed her palm on the table and scolded angrily. ¡°You¡¯re actually speaking up for an outsider? Whose side are you on?!¡± Liu Zhi hurriedly knelt down and said in fear. !! ¡°I¡¯m naturally on your side! I hope you can calm down and not be rash. Duke Lang was deeply trusted by the emperor. If we fought him head-on, we might suffer. Why don¡¯t you endure it for the time being? As long as there¡¯s life, there¡¯s hope.¡± Noble Consort Shu sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t I know what you¡¯re talking about? I naturally won¡¯t attack Duke Lang directly.¡± Liu Zhi looked up. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Noble Consort Shu looked down at her red nails and said slowly. ¡°Didn¡¯t he marry a princess consort? I heard that the couple has a very good rtionship. Even when they went to Liaodong County this time, Duke Lang didn¡¯t forget to bring her along. I can¡¯t deal with Duke Lang, but it¡¯s still easy to deal with a small princess consort.¡± Liu Zhi said, ¡°But the Princess Consort of Lang County is outside the pce, far away from us.¡± Noble Consort Shuughed confidently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯ll have to enter the pce soon.¡± Liu Zhi was still a little uneasy. She felt that this matter was not easy to handle, but looking at Noble Consort Shu¡¯s posture, she would not give up until she achieved her goal. Liu Zhi knew that she could not persuade her, so she could only follow her wishes. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Noble Consort Shu didn¡¯t answer her question. ¡°Call Princess Tao Ran over.¡± Liu Zhi was puzzled. ¡°Why are you calling her over?¡± Noble Consort Shu narrowed her beautiful eyes. ¡°Doesn¡¯t she like to pester Duke Lang? Now that Duke Lang is married, she must hate the Princess Consort of Lang. Let¡¯s do her a favor and give her a chance to kill her love rival.¡± ¡°What if the matter is exposed?¡± ¡°It would be Princess Tao Ran who did it. Even if she¡¯s exposed, it¡¯s her fault. What does it have to do with me?¡± Liu Zhi came to a realization. Not only did Noble Consort Shu want to use someone else to kill Princess Consort, but she also wanted to use Princess Tao Ran as a scapegoat. This was killing two birds with one stone! ¡­ . Yu Niaoniao drew twoics, The Seven Treasures Record and Duke Lang in Liaodong. The Seven Treasures Record was drawn ording to a story. It was Yu Niaoniao¡¯s pastime. In addition, Duke Lang in Liaodong was an original sketchbook with Xiao Juan as the protagonist. Unfortunately, it could not be officially printed and distributed without approval by the Directorate. She nned to publish The Seven Treasures Record first to earn some capital. Then, she would think of a way to change theic with Xiao Juan as the protagonist into a script and find a troupe to make a y. Drama was not like books. It did not require the approval of the directorate. At that time, she could act however she wanted. Who would control her? However, because Xiao Juan and Granny Xiu Yan had instructed Yu Niaoniao to go out less recently, it was not convenient for her to go out. She could only ask Meng Xizhou to help find a bookseller. The previous anti-poetry case had caused many bookstalls in the capital to be closed down. Now, as long as the booksellers heard the word Eagle Guard, they would break out in cold sweat. As a result, when Meng Xizhou came looking for them, the booksellers all said that they were sick and disappeared. All of them hid far away. At first, Meng Xizhou was still polite to them. Later on, seeing that they did not know how to appreciate favors, he simply ordered someone to tie them all up and send them neatly to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Princess Consort, the booksellers you want have been delivered. Please check.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at the trembling booksellers in front of her and asked in confusion. ¡°Why did you tie them up?¡± She had wanted to hire someone to help her print books. Why did it look like she was going to eat someone? Meng Xizhou said, ¡°These guys are too pretentious. I invited them politely, but they were unwilling, so I could only change my method.¡± Yu Niaoniao coughed lightly and reminded him, ¡°You¡¯re officials, not bandits. Can you not be so rough when you do things in the future?¡± Meng Xizhou said, ¡°But this is the most efficient way. His Highness usually does this.¡± Yu Niaoniao recalled Duke Lang¡¯s style of investigating cases. It seemed that the Eagle Guards had learned it from Duke Lang! They had learned by example. This couldn¡¯t go on. If they wanted to change themoners¡¯ prejudice against the Eagle Guards, they had to change their style of doing things. Yu Niaoniao first got someone to untie the booksellers and greeted them kindly. ¡°Please sit down and have a cup of tea.¡± The booksellers were all businessmen and were used to reading people¡¯s expressions. Seeing that the young Princess Consort looked easy to talk to, their thoughts immediately became active. One of the fair and fat middle-aged men asked, ¡°What can I do for you, Your Highness?¡± Yu Niaoniao ced the Seven Treasures Record on the table. ¡°I want to publish a book and ask everyone to help print and distribute it.¡± The booksellers were still a little uneasy and did not dare to move. Yu Niaoniao said warmly, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Go ahead and look. If you have any questions, just ask me.¡± Under her encouragement, the booksellers leaned over and began to open the Seven Treasures Record. ... The plot in the book was actually very clich¨¦. It was a story of a poor schr turning the tables and marrying a fair, rich, and beautiful woman to reach the peak of his life. However, because it was changed to the format of aic strip, the originally clich¨¦ story immediately became interesting. The more the booksellers read, the more excited they became. They finished the books in one go. They already had an idea that this Seven Treasures Record would definitely be easy to sell. However, as businessmen, they naturally had to fight for the greatest benefit for themselves, especially since the Princess Consort of Lang County looked very easy to talk to. It was the fair and fat middle-aged man who spoke first. ¡°The plot of this book looks very familiar to me. I seem to have seen it in other books. There¡¯s nothing novel about it.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Although the story is ordinary, I expressed it in aic strip. It¡¯s considered an innovation to bottle new wine.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve never sold suchics before. We don¡¯t know how well the market would take to it. If we want to publish your book, we¡¯ll have to take a huge risk.¡± Another bookseller immediately said. ¡°If someone else asked us to publish such a book, we definitely wouldn¡¯t agree. However, you¡¯re the Princess Consort, so we have to show you some respect. We can help you pay for this book. As for the fee, how about 100 taels of silver?¡± Yu Niaoniao hesitated. ¡°A hundred taels?¡± ... ¡°You¡¯ve never published a book, so you don¡¯t understand the market. Usually, the fee we give the author is usually only 10 or 20 taels. It won¡¯t exceed 50 taels at most. 100 taels is already a high price that we made an exception to give. If you can¡¯t ept it, then there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± The other booksellers nodded in agreement. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I need to think about it.¡± Chapter 280 - 280 Echoing Each Other 280 Echoing Each Other The booksellers replied, ¡°Take your time to consider. There¡¯s no hurry.¡± They had already calcted the score in their hearts. A hundred taels of silver was indeed a very high fee, but this money was a fixed price. It was equivalent to a one-time pay off. As long as the Princess Consort of Lang County epted the money, The Seven Treasures Record had nothing to do with her no matter how much they earned in the future. They were all experienced booksellers. With their sharp sense of business, they could confirm that The Seven Treasures Record would definitely sell well in the future. !! Compared to the huge profits, a hundred taels of silver was just a drop in the ocean. They were already confident in this business and were very happy. Yu Niaoniao felt that this was a good opportunity to educate Meng Xizhou. Hence, she called Meng Xizhou over and said earnestly. ¡°I looked for these booksellers to ask them for help. They must feel ufortable that you captured them back like this. Look, they¡¯re unwilling to help me publish books.¡± Meng Xizhou ced one hand on the hilt of his saber and nced coldly at the booksellers. His tone was filled with threat. ¡°It¡¯s their honor to help. If they dare not agree, they can¡¯t me me for being rude to them with this knife in my hand!¡± When the booksellers heard this, they immediately turned pale with fear and hurriedly defended themselves. ¡°We didn¡¯t say no. We¡¯re happy to help the County Princess publish the book!¡± Meng Xizhou said, ¡°Princess, look, they¡¯ve already agreed.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Although she did not advocate using violence to solve the problem, this feeling of cutting the Gordian knot was really satisfying! No, no, she could not fall out with them. She pulled herself together. ¡°They only agreed on the surface. They¡¯re definitely still not convinced. We have to convince them.¡± Meng Xizhou¡¯s gaze lingered on the booksellers as he asked coldly, ¡°Who¡¯s unconvinced? Tell me!¡± The booksellers trembled. ¡°I¡¯m convinced! We¡¯re all convinced!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t scare them. What if they talk nonsense when they go back?¡± Meng Xizhou said, ¡°Our spies are everywhere in the Imperial Capital. If anyone dares to speak nonsense, I¡¯ll invite them to the Justice Department for tea tomorrow!¡± The booksellers shook their heads crazily. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t dare! We wouldn¡¯t dare talk nonsense!¡± Seeing that they were so afraid that they were about to cry, Yu Niaoniao felt quite guilty. She was the one who had invited someone to help, but she had still frightened them to this extent. She decided to find a way to make up for their losses. ¡°A hundred taels is indeed too much. Why don¡¯t you give me fifty taels first?¡± The booksellers were stunned. This was the first time they had seen someone bargain with them like that. Was there actually such a good thing? Immediately after, they heard Yu Niaoniao continue. ¡°The remaining fifty taels will be counted as the printing and publication cost of the Seven Treasures Record. In the future, you¡¯ll give me half of the profit for every Seven Treasures Record sold. This way, it can reduce your cost and your risk. How good is that?¡± The booksellers felt bad! Half the profit was equivalent to cutting their flesh! However, Yu Niaoniao was right. Every word was for their sake. They could not find a reason to refuse. The fair and fat bookseller could not help but say. ¡°Isn¡¯t that too disadvantageous for you? Do you want to think about it?¡± They would rather pay a hundred taels of silver than give her half of the profits! Yu Niaoniao smiled generously. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s a blessing to suffer! I¡¯m happy to help you. I hope you can take care of me in the future.¡± She wrote the contract on the spot and was the first to sign and fingerprint it. When it was the booksellers¡¯ turn, they were very unwilling. However, Meng Xizhou stood at the side with a knife and red at them. They were so afraid that they could only endure the pain and sign the contract. When the booksellers walked out of the Langjun Imperial Pce with their contracts, they wanted to cry. They had thought that the Princess Consort of Lang County was easy to manipte. They did not expect her to pretend to be weak! They could all tell that the Princess Consort of Lang County and Meng Xizhou had yed along with each other just now. Poor them. They had been smug and felt that victory was in their grasp. Now it seemed they were really stupid. But on second thought, how could a woman who could marry Duke Lang be a simple person?! In Langjun Imperial Pce, Yu Niaoniao handed ten taels of silver to Meng Xizhou. ¡°This is your errand fee. It¡¯s been hard on you today.¡± Meng Xizhou declined. ¡°It¡¯s my honor to work for you. How can I take your money? I can¡¯t ept this silver. If you really want to thank me, why don¡¯t you cook some delicious food for me?¡± With that, he smiled shyly. When Yu Niaoniao was making the thousandyer durian cake yesterday, she conveniently made the remaining durian into durian sugar. She immediately said, ¡°I have some durian candy here. Take it.¡± Meng Xizhou had never eaten durian before and was very curious about the taste of durian candy. Yu Niaoniao wrapped arge handful of durian candy in oil paper and handed it to Brother Meng Xizhou. He pinched a candy into his mouth. It tasted strange, but not bad. ... In fact, after tasting it carefully, it had an unusual unique vor. Yu Niaoniao asked him how it tasted. Meng Xizhou said without hesitation, ¡°Delicious!¡± Yu Niaoniao was very happy. Finally, someone could appreciate the unique taste of durians like her! She grabbed another handful of durian candy for him to take back and eat slowly. Meng Xizhou returned to the Justice Department happily with the durian candy. Lo Pingsha was the most sensitive to food. He was the first to notice the unique smell on Meng Xi and immediately asked. ¡°What did you just eat?¡± Meng Xizhou adhered to the principle of sharing good things with his brothers. He took out therge bag of durian candy and said mysteriously. ¡°I just ate this durian candy. It was rewarded to me by the County Princess. Do you want to try it?¡± ... Lo Pingsha immediately extended his hand. ¡°Give me one.¡± After taking the durian candy, he put it in his mouth without hesitation. He frowned at first, then slowly rxed his brows and nodded in praise. ¡°Sweet but not greasy. A very special taste. Give me more.¡± At this moment, Yan Nanguan came over. ¡°What are you guys eating? I want it too.¡± The packet of durian candy was divided into three and they munched on their candies with relish. When Xiao Juan called them over for a meeting, he immediately smelled the familiar stenching from them. That was the smell ofst night¡¯s durian cake! Last night, Xiao Juan only took a bite of the cake, and the rest was eaten by Yu Niaoniao. This caused the smell of durian on Yu Niaoniaost night to linger for a long time. He was even surrounded by this strange smell when he slept. He had thought that he would be free today aftering to the Justice Department. Unexpectedly, the smell surfaced again! Xiao Juan felt suffocated. Chapter 281 - 281 Roast Fish on Paper 281 Roast Fish on Paper The next morning, Yu Niaoniao woke up early. She wanted to go to the Justice Department with Xiao Juan. Recently, she had been bored at home and wanted to go out for some air, but Xiao Juan did not let her run around alone, so she could only follow him to the Justice Department. It just so happened that she had not seen Pan Dafu for a long time. There was also her painting training ss. She wondered how those students were doing now. Before leaving, Yu Niaoniao did not forget to remind Chun Feng and Ye Yu. ¡°Don¡¯t forget my tofu.¡± The two of them replied in unison, ¡°I won¡¯t forget. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Xiao Juan thought that she was going to cook something delicious again, so he did not care. The couple took a carriage to the Justice Department. When the Eagle Guards guarding the door saw the county princess arrive, they immediately bowed to her enthusiastically. Yu Niaoniao casually took out a handful of durian candy and shared it with them. ¡°Take it to sweeten your mouths.¡± Xiao Juan nced at the durian candy and his eyebrows twitched imperceptibly. Why hadn¡¯t she finished her durian candy? He swore to himself that he would cklist durians in the Langjun Imperial Pce in the future and ban such things from appearing in the Langjun Imperial Pce again! She had not been here for a while. The Mirror House was the same as before. Nothing had changed. The small table that belonged to Yu Niaoniao was still in ce. The pen, ink, paper, and inkstone were neatly arranged. The tabletop was spotless. It was obvious that someone cleaned it up every day. Yu Niaoniao sat behind the desk, crossed her legs, picked up a durian candy, and threw it into her mouth. ¡°Baby, what¡¯s my mission today?¡± Xiao Juan tried his best to keep a distance from her. ¡°I have nothing to do with you today. Go and see your students.¡± Yu Niaoniao stood up. ¡°Then I¡¯m leaving. See youter.¡± After she left the Mirror House, Xiao Juan heaved a sigh of relief. He opened the window and let the lingering durian smell in the house dissipate as quickly as possible. Yu Niaoniao ran to Lo Pingsha to ask where the students of the painting training ss were. Lo Pingsha said, ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll call them over.¡± Soon, the four students were brought to Yu Niaoniao. They bowed respectfully. ¡°Teacher, long time no see. How have you been?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Come,e. This is durian candy I made myself. I¡¯ll let you try it too.¡± She deftly distributed the candy. Although Lo Pingsha had already eaten durian candy, he still extended his ws. The students carefully put away the durian candy and took out their recent paintings for Yu Niaoniao to guide them. With durian candy in her mouth and a paintbrush in her hand, Yu Niaoniao began to grade their homework. The morning passed quickly. At noon, Yu Niaoniao went to the dining hall as usual. The moment Pan Dafu saw her, his eyes were filled with tears. He was so excited that he could not speak properly. ¡°Teacher! You¡¯re finally back! I missed you so much!¡± Yu Niaoniao could not help but shiver and rub the goosebumps on her arms. ¡°Speak properly.¡± Pan Dafu wiped his tears. ¡°Annoying. I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± If it were a youngdy, it would not be a big deal to say this, but he was a burly man. She would tremble after jumping twice on hearing it. Facing his wheedling, Yu Niaoniao really could not stand it. She hurriedlyforted him. ¡°I know you miss me and I miss you guys. I made this durian candy. Take it.¡± Hearing that there was good food, Pan Dafu immediately stopped crying. He reached out with two fan-sized palms and caught the durian candy and threw it into his mouth. He was first shocked by the strange taste, then quickly tasted the deliciousness. He could not help but sigh. ¡°As expected of the candy made by Teacher. The vor is very unique.¡± With that, he looked at Yu Niaoniao with curiosity. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°This is candy made from durian. Do you know about durian?¡± Pan shook his head, indicating that he did not know. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°That¡¯s a fruit produced in the south. Usually, you can only see it in the south. Its shell is very hard and full of thorns, but the pulp inside is very soft and sweet. I made these candies from the pulp of the fruit. The process of making candy is very simple. There¡¯s nothing special about it. It¡¯s just that this fruit is very rare. If not for the emperor¡¯s reward, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to make candy from durians.¡± In this age, traffic was tight, and transportation of goods relied on cargo ships and carriages. In addition, there were no perfect preservation measures. It required a lot of manpower and resources to transport fruits from the south to the Imperial Capital. The cost was extremely high. Usually, only tributes to the emperor could enjoy this treatment. Pan Dafu understood. ¡°I see. We benefited from you and Duke Lang.¡± Durian was rare. He could not bear to eat it again. He carefully put away the remaining durian candy, nning to bring it back for his family to try. Yu Niaoniao strolled around the kitchen and realized that there were many fish raised in the water tank. She asked curiously, ¡°Where did you get so many fish in winter?¡± Pan puffed out his chest and exined proudly. ... ¡°These are all fish my father and a few of my uncles fished out of the iceke. They caught a lot of fish and couldn¡¯t finish them at home, so they asked me to bring them to the Justice Department to give everyone more food.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°What are you going to do with these fish?¡± Pan Dafu scratched his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it yet. I n to stew them into fish soup, but the Eagle Guards don¡¯t seem to like fish soup very much.¡± ¡°I have an idea. Let¡¯s cook grilled fish today.¡± Pan Dafu said, ¡°Are you talking about roasting the fish on the fire? You have to roast them one by one. It¡¯s too troublesome. Moreover, the grilled fish will be dry. I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t like it.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled slyly. ¡°Believe me, they¡¯ll like it.¡± Out of trust in her, Pan Dafu decided to listen to her arrangements and change the fish stew to grilled fish. Under Yu Niaoniao¡¯smand, Pan Dafu led his disciples to disembowel all the fish and clean them. They then applied onions, ginger water, and cooking wine, before marinating them for a period of time. Taking advantage of this time, they prepared some other side dishes, such as potato, lettuce, corn, cabbage, and noodles. She washed them all and sliced them for backup. At the same time, she prepared the soup base. The fish was ced on the barbed wire, brushed with oil, and roasted with charcoal until it was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. ... Yu Niaoniao spread arge piece of oil paper in the iron pot and ayer of side dishes. ¡°Put the fish on this.¡± Pan Dafu was puzzled. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You¡¯ll knowter.¡± Pan Dafu was filled with curiosity. He followed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s guidance and carefully ced the grilled fish on the oil paper. Yu Niaoniao poured the soup on it, sprinkled onions and fragrant vegetables, and wrapped them all in oil paper. The same was done to the other grilled fish. There were many small stoves in the dining hall. In the past, they were used to make mutton pot. Today, they were used to make grilled fish. The kitchen helpers moved the small stove out and ced a small stove on each table. They lit the charcoal and ced the iron pot containing the grilled fish on it. The Eagle Guards were confused. They did not understand what was going on. They looked at the ball of oil paper in the pot in confusion. Could this be their lunch today? Was the Justice Department so poor that they had to eat paper? Chapter 282 - 282 Stinky Tofu 282 Stinky Tofu The iron pot was heated up, and the soup in the oil paper gradually boiled, constantly gurgling. Meng Xizhou could not help but lean closer and smell it. His eyes immediately lit up. ¡°It smells so good!¡± Seeing this, the others also went to the pot and inhaled hard. They could indeed smell a rich fragrance. Someone couldn¡¯t resist the urge to tear open the oil paper and see what was inside. He was stopped by Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Don¡¯t move. It¡¯s not time yet.¡± The sealed space inside the oil paper could allow the soup to seep into the fish, making the fish and side dishes more delicious. If the oil paper was opened early, the taste would be lost. The Eagle Guards could only sit obediently at the table and wait. Yu Niaoniao took out the paper bag containing durian candy and said with a smile. ¡°Do you guys want some candy first?¡± The Eagle Guards surged over and reached for the candy. Only Xiao Juan was still sitting at the table. He stared at everything in front of him. The suffocating smell of durian surrounded him again. He had nowhere to hide even if he wanted to. He was desperate. The only thing that made him d was that Yu Niaoniao had finally given out all her durian candy. Congrattions to him. She no longer had durian candy! Xiao Juan held his breath and told himself that he would be fine after a while. In the future, there would be no anti-human fruit like durian in his life. When Yu Niaoniao said that it was done, the kitchen helpers went forward to help remove the oil paper. A hot steam rose from it, followed by the fragrance of grilled fish. Looking at the grilled fish that had absorbed the soup, the Eagle Guards could not help but pick up their bowls and chopsticks and eat. Yu Niaoniao picked up a piece of fish and ced it in Xiao Juan¡¯s bowl. ¡°Your stomach isn¡¯t good. I deliberately didn¡¯t put chili or peppercorns in this one. Try it and see how it tastes.¡± Xiao Juan tasted the fish carefully. The meat was fresh and fragrant. He praised her sincerely. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately smiled. ¡°The side dishes are delicious too. Try them.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The grilled fish for lunch today made everyone want more. Pan Dafu was convinced. ¡°As expected of a teacher. You actually thought of using this method to grill fish. It¡¯s really amazing! I¡¯ve learned something today!¡± Yu Niaoniaoughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t create this method. I just learned it from others. If you want to cook grilled fish in the future, you can use this method. The process is simple and the taste is delicious.¡± Pan Dafu nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes, yes. Thank you for your guidance, Teacher!¡± Seeing that Yu Niaoniao was about to leave, he hurriedly stopped her. ¡°Teacher, please wait.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Pan Dafu pulled her to the storeroom next door. He looked around to make sure there was no one else around before speaking softly. ¡°Teacher, have you been well recently? Did Duke Lang bully you?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not understand. ¡°I¡¯m quite good. Duke Lang is also very good to me and has never bullied me. Why are you asking?¡± Pan Dafu said, ¡°You don¡¯t know yet, do you? Recently, rumors about you and Duke Lang have been circting everywhere in the city.¡± Yu Niaoniao had been staying in Langjun Imperial Pce recently and did not know anything about the outside world. She asked curiously, ¡°What did they say about us?¡± Pan Dafu said, ¡°They said that your parents didn¡¯t love you since you were young and that you were thrown to the countryside to fend for yourself. When you grew up and returned to the Imperial Capital, you were unfortunately fancied by a bully. In order to get you, that bully didn¡¯t hesitate to seize you by force and force you to give yourself to him. He even let the entire city know about you and him and used this to ruin your reputation, causing you to have no choice but to marry him¡­¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly interrupted him. ¡°Wait, the bully you¡¯re talking about can¡¯t be Duke Lang, right?¡± Pan Dafu hurriedly said, ¡°Keep your voice down. There are Eagle Guards everywhere in the Justice Department. Don¡¯t let them hear you.¡± Yu Niaoniao was both amused and miffed. ¡°It¡¯s all nonsense. Duke Lang is a very good person. He never forced me.¡± Pan Dafu was skeptical. ¡°Really?¡± Yu Niaoniao promised solemnly. ¡°I swear on my character that it¡¯s definitely true!¡± Pan Dafu was relieved. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± When he heard those rumors, he was very worried for Yu Niaoniao, afraid that she would be bullied by Duke Lang. Fortunately, the rumors were fake. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Where did you hear these rumors?¡± Pan Dafu scratched his head and said embarrassedly. ¡°My wife overheard it from the storyteller when she went out to buy New Year¡¯s goods. She knew that I admired you and told me about it when she returned.¡± ... Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Storyteller?! Could it be that what happened between Duke Lang and me has be a legendary story?¡± Pan Dafu smiled awkwardly. ¡°Your stories are too strange. They¡¯re very popr after being adapted into legends. I heard that there are many teahouses in the city now with storytellers telling your stories.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they afraid that I will sue for infringement on my rights?!¡± Pan Dafu was puzzled. ¡°Infringement?¡± Yu Niaoniao pped her forehead. She had forgotten that there was no copyright in this day and age. She changed her expression. ¡°I mean, aren¡¯t they afraid the Eagle Guards wille knocking?¡± Pan Dafu said, ¡°They didn¡¯t use your names. The protagonists of the stories were given other names. Even if the Eagle Guards went to them, they couldn¡¯t do anything to them.¡± Yu Niaoniaoughed in anger. ¡°They¡¯re quite smart. They actually know how to use aliases. Tell me, what aliases did they give Duke Lang and me?¡± Pan Dafu hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°The male lead¡¯s name is Overlord Xiao, and the female lead¡¯s name is Yu Gonggong.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I can still understand Overlord Xiao. What the hell is Yu Gonggong? When did I be a eunuch?¡± ... ¡°Ahem, in regard to ¡°Gong¡±, this does not refer to eunuch but the bow in the story of the Overlord Bending the Bow.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. It had to be said that the naming standards of this batch of onlookers were really impressive! Pan Dafuforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. Those people are just gossiping. After a while, everyone will forget about these things.¡± Yu Niaoniao was tired. ¡°I hope so.¡± She also liked to gossip, but she did not expect to be someone else¡¯s fodder one day. This was probably the cyclical nature of the Heavenly Dao. Yu Niaoniao went to take a beautiful afternoon nap. After waking up, she threw those rumors to the back of her mind. Anyway, she didn¡¯t go out recently. No matter what people said about her, she wouldn¡¯t understand. As long as she could not hear it, she could pretend that nothing had happened. After work, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan returned to Langjun Imperial Pce. Chun Feng and Ye Yu waited on Yu Niaoniao to change her clothes and told her that the things she needed were ready. Yu Niaoniao was very excited. She ran to the kitchen and removed the lid. She looked at the stinky tofu soaking in the wooden bucket and a satisfied smile appeared on her face. Yesterday, when she was eating durian, she was thinking about stinky tofu and snail noodles. Snail rice noodles needed snails. It was winter now, so they couldn¡¯t get snails. In this case, she could only fry stinky tofu to satisfy her cravings. Chapter 283 - 283 Indecent 283 Indecent Xiao Juan walked into the dining room and saw that the dishes were already ced on the table. He looked around but did not see Yu Niaoniao. He asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Niaoniao?¡± Granny Xiu Yan replied respectfully, ¡°The Princess Consort is still in the kitchen. She said that she¡¯s preparing a unique snack.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Yu Niaoniao walk in with a te. Xiao Juan¡¯s nose twitched slightly. He smelled a peculiar stench. At first, he thought it was something rotting. When Yu Niaoniao walked up to him and the stench became stronger, he realized that the stench wasing from her. To be precise, it came from the te of food in her hand. Xiao Juan subconsciously held his breath. ¡°What is this?¡± Yu Niaoniao ced the te on the table and introduced it with a smile. ¡°This is called stinky tofu. It¡¯s especially delicious. Try it quickly.¡± Xiao Juan looked at the ck tofu on the te and his expression became indescribable. This thing was so smelly. How could it still be delicious? He immediately refused. ¡°I don¡¯t like tofu. Take it away.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Although this tofu smells bad, it tastes delicious. Try it if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± She picked up a piece of stinky tofu and handed it over. Xiao Juan immediately leaned back and expressed his resistance. Seeing that he refused to eat, Yu Niaoniao felt very regretful. ¡°It¡¯s such a pity that you don¡¯t even try such delicious food.¡± Xiao Juan did not reply. Even if he starved to death, he would never eat such smelly food. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to eat it. I¡¯ll eat it myself.¡± With that, Yu Niaoniao opened her mouth and took a bite of the stinky tofu. The stinky tofu was fried until its surface was charred and crispy. It was also sprinkled with garlic soup, chopped peppers, chopped green onions, sour radish cubes, and other ingredients. The salty and fragrant soup surged into her mouth. Coupled with the sour and spicy radish cubes, the taste was one word¡ªabsolute! She took one bite after another, and the stinky tofu cracked as she bit it. If he ignored the te of smelly stinky tofu in front of her, Xiao Juan would think that she was eating some peerless delicious food from the way she savored the tofu. The entire dining hall was upied by the smell of stinky tofu. Xiao Juan really could not stand this smell. He ordered someone to open all the doors and windows so that the room could be ventted. The te of stinky tofu was quickly wiped out by Yu Niaoniao. She took a sip of chicken soup in satisfaction. ¡°It¡¯s so delicious!¡± Xiao Juan looked at her expressionlessly, hesitating if he should find a physician to take a look at her. After all, she had eaten so much stinky tofu just now. What if it resulted in a bad stomach? However, Yu Niaoniao did not feel ufortable at all. After eating the stinky tofu, she ate another bowl of soup noodles. Seeing that she was safe and sound, Xiao Juan temporarily dispelled the idea of hiring a physician for her. After dinner, Xiao Juan urged Yu Niaoniao to quickly bathe and change. Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°I just took a bath yesterday. I didn¡¯t sweat today, so I don¡¯t have to take a bath, right?¡± Who would take a bath every day in such cold weather? Aren¡¯t they afraid of freezing? Xiao Juan was very insistent. ¡°Go wash up.¡± Although she had already finished the stinky tofu, the stench on her body still lingered for a long time. If he went to bed with her like this, he was afraid that he would dream of stinky tofu. That feeling was suffocating just thinking about it. Yu Niaoniao had no choice but to take a bath and change into a clean nightgown. When she returned to the bedroom, the stench on her body had already disappeared. The two of themy down on the bed. Xiao Juan turned his head and could smell the faint fragranceing from her body. At this moment, he could finally rxpletely. He would finally not have nightmares tonight. The next morning, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan finished their breakfast. The two of them prepared to go to the Justice Department. Before leaving, Yu Niaoniao specially asked Chun Feng and Ye Yu to move the remaining stinky tofu into the carriage. Seeing this, Xiao Juan¡¯s expression immediately changed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yu Niaoniao said happily, ¡°The stinky tofu is so delicious. I can¡¯t eat it alone. I have to bring it to the Justice Department and let everyone try it.¡± ... With that, she lifted her skirt and boarded the carriage. Xiao Juan looked at the carriage in front of him and did not move for a long time. Yu Niaoniao leaned against the carriage window and asked him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get in the carriage?¡± In the carriage, there was not only Yu Niaoniao but a bucket full of stinky tofu. Xiao Juan really could not stand riding in the same carriage as the stinky tofu. ¡°I want to ride today.¡± He ordered someone to bring Dark Cloud over and mounted his horse. Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s so cold today. Why aren¡¯t you riding in the carriage with me?¡± Xiao Juan replied without changing his expression, ¡°I don¡¯t feel cold.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The carriage moved forward steadily. Xiao Juan rode his horse and followed unhurriedly. ... They sessfully arrived at the Justice Department. Yu Niaoniao jumped out of the carriage and asked the coachman to help carry the bucket of stinky tofu down. The Eagle Guards guarding the door were very curious when they saw the county princess with a wooden bucket. ¡°What¡¯s in your bucket?¡± Yu Niaoniao said mysteriously, ¡°It¡¯s a new delicacy I made. You¡¯ll know what it is when we have lunch.¡± The Eagle Guards trusted the Princess Consort¡¯s culinary skills very much. When they heard that she had made delicious food again, they were immediately excited. Ever since the Princess Consort came to the Justice Department, the food standards of the Eagle Guards had soared. The direct result was that the average weight of the Eagle Guards increased significantly. In order to prevent the Eagle Guards from gaining weight early, Xiao Juan gave the order to strengthen training. Recently, the Eagle Guards had doubled their training. When Yu Niaoniao passed by the drill ground, she saw the Eagle Guards doing their morning exercise. All of them were so tired that they were sweating profusely. A few of them even took off their tops, revealing their muscr arms. Yu Niaoniao could not help but take a few more nces, and her footsteps slowed down. Those chest muscles and those abs! Their figure was really amazing! A man coughed beside her. Cough cough! Yu Niaoniao immediately looked away and pretended not to see anything. She continued walking seriously. Xiao Juan called Meng Xizhou over and ordered in a low voice. ¡°From today onwards, the Eagle Guards are not allowed to take off their clothes in the Justice Department, especially in broad daylight!¡± After saying that, he didn¡¯t forget to nce at the few guys who had taken off their shirts and scolded coldly, ¡°It¡¯s indecent!¡± Meng Xizhou was confused. After Duke Lang walked away with a dark expression, Meng Xizhou ran to Lo Pingsha toin. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s wrong with Your Highness today? ¡°Suddenly, we¡¯re not allowed to take our clothes off in the Justice Department.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we always take off our clothes during training?¡± ¡°Especially in the summer. The weather was so hot. Who could withstand it?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we take off a few clothes in the past? I didn¡¯t hear His Highness say that it was immoral.¡± Lo Pingsha said calmly, ¡°Things are different now.¡± Meng Xizhou did not understand. ¡°How is it different?¡± ¡°In the past, the Justice Department was filled with men. It¡¯s different now. The Princess Consort often enters the Justice Department.¡± Meng Xizhou came to a realization and pped his forehead. ¡°That¡¯s right! The Princess Consort was passing by just now. It¡¯s indeed indecent.¡± He immediately shouted at the Eagle Guards who had taken off their shirts. ¡°Hurry up and put on your clothes! If the Princess Consort sees you again, be careful that His Highness will skin you alive!¡± Chapter 284 - 284 Diverting the Trouble 284 Diverting the Trouble Yu Niaoniao first sent the stinky tofu to the dining hall, then continued to teach the students in the painting training ss how to draw. After ss, she strolled to the dining hall and began to teach the chefs how to make stinky tofu. Pan Dafu was very resistant to the smelly tofu that looked very dark. He felt that this moldy tofu could not be eaten at all. This was especially when the stinky tofu was thrown into the oil pot, the stench became even stronger. !! Everyone in the kitchen wanted to escape immediately. Yu Niaoniao served the fried stinky tofu and invited everyone to try it. No one dared to move their chopsticks. In the end, Pan Dafu bravely took the first step and extended his chopsticks toward the te of stinky tofu. He actually did not have any hope for the taste of the stinky tofu. He was even prepared to have diarrhea after eating it. The reason why he dared to try was entirely out of respect for Yu Niaoniao. He did not want a situation where no one cared about the food Yu Niaoniao made, so he could only test the poison for her. When Pan Dafu took the first bite of the stinky tofu, everyone in the kitchen held their breaths and silently prayed for him to hold on and not be poisoned to death by the stinky tofu. Pan Dafu chewed with difficulty. But his expression gradually changed from pain to surprise and enjoyment. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°How is it?¡± Pan Dafu took another bite of the stinky tofu and ate it even more carefully this time. After eating, hemented sincerely. ¡°This tofu smells bad, but it¡¯s unexpectedly fragrant. Moreover, the more I eat, the more fragrant it bes!¡± Hearing his words, his disciples mustered their courage and began to try the stinky tofu. In the end, they could not stop eating! They quickly finished the te of stinky tofu. In the end, they still expressed that they wanted more. Pan Dafu sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this smelly tofu to taste so good. As the old saying went, one should not judge a book by its cover. This is the same principle as cooking. One cannot judge the quality of a dish just by its stench. Although some ingredients don¡¯t look good, a chef can still make delicious food as long as his culinary skills are good.¡± Yu Niaoniao was rather surprised. ¡°A few pieces of stinky tofu made you contemte the philosophy of life.¡± Pan Dafu smiled in embarrassment. ¡°This is all because Teacher taught me well.¡± Then, he taught his disciples that not only did they have to learn how to cook, but they also had to learn how to be good people through cooking. Yu Niaoniao asked them to fry all the stinky tofu in the wooden barrel. When it was lunchtime, the stinky tofu was brought to the Eagle Guards. As a result, the dining hall that afternoon was once again upied by the stench. Xiao Juan was already numb to this. He felt that other than durians, he had to add stinky tofu to his cklist. Before they could finish lunch, an Eagle Guard rushed in. ¡°Your Highness, the Imperial Capital sent someone over just now. They said that someone is causing trouble in the middle-grade incense building in the city and wants you to help deal with it.¡± Before Xiao Juan could speak, Meng Xizhou stood up first and said unhappily. ¡°Why are you looking for Duke Lang for such a small matter? What are those people from the Imperial Capital doing?¡± The Eagle Guards exined the situation. It turned out that the troublemaker was Princess Tao Ran. That afternoon, she was drinking tea in the Fragrance Restaurant when she happened to hear a schr talking about Overlord Xiao and Yu Gonggong. She was so angry that she smashed her cup and bowl on the spot. She even ordered people to beat up the storyteller and destroy the Fragrance Restaurant. The shopkeeper of the Fragrance Restaurant did not dare to provoke her and could only report it to the officials. The people from the Imperial Capital rushed over and tried to persuade Princess Tao Ran to stop fooling around. Not only did Princess Tao Ran not listen to his advice, but she even made things worse and threatened to see Duke Lang. If she couldn¡¯t see him, she wouldn¡¯t stop. The people from the Imperial Capital had no choice but toe and ask Duke Lang for help. Since it concerned Princess Tao Ran, Meng Xizhou could not say anything else. Everyone in the dining hall looked at Duke Lang, waiting for his decision. Even Yu Niaoniao was very curious. She wanted to know if Xiao Juan would meet Princess Tao Ran. Xiao Juan¡¯s expression remained indifferent, and he did not look troubled at all. ¡°Go and tell the people in the Imperial Capital that if they can¡¯t even resolve such a small matter, they shouldn¡¯t stay in the Imperial Capital anymore. Every year, there are many people who pass the imperial examinations. There are many people waiting to take their ce.¡± The Eagle Guards immediately left. Yu Niaoniao leaned over and asked softly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that Princess Tao Ran will really destroy the Fragrance Restaurant?¡± Xiao Juan said lightly, ¡°With the people from the Jingzhao Prefecture around, the Fragrance Pavilion can¡¯t be destroyed.¡± ¡°But would they dare to provoke Princess Tao Ran?¡± ... Xiao Juan did not answer the question. ¡°Do you know how many nobles there are in the Jade Capital?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head to indicate that she did not know. Xiao Juan extended three fingers. ¡°Just the royal family alone has this number. There are also the families of the aristocratic families and officials.¡± ¡°As a local government official, the Imperial Capital must have its ways to manage such a noble every day.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible for them not to be able to deal with a mere Princess Tao Ran.¡± ¡°Since they can handle it, why did theye to invite you?¡± Xiao Juan exined patiently. ¡°They want to sell Princess Tao Ran a favor and throw a hot potato into my hands.¡± ¡°As for whether the matter can be handled in the end, that¡¯s my problem. They don¡¯t have to take any responsibility.¡± Yu Niaoniao clicked her tongue. ... ¡°They¡¯re trying to divert the trouble. How cunning!¡± If it were someone who cared about their reputation, they would most likely agree to help the Imperial Capital. Fortunately, Xiao Juan had never cared about others¡¯ opinions and would not be deceived by such a trick. After lunch, Yu Niaoniao took a nap. When she woke up, she heard that the matter with the Fragrance Restaurant had been resolved. After the people from the Imperial Capital failed to persuade Princess Tao Ran, the prefectural magistrate could only enter the pce to seek an audience with the emperor. The emperor sent the Sky Wolf Guards to send Princess Tao Ran back to the princess¡¯s manor and grounded her for a month. Yu Niaoniao asked curiously. ¡°What are the Sky Wolf Guards?¡± Xiao Juan gave a general exnation of the appearance and duties of the Sky Wolf Guards. When Yu Niaoniao heard this, she was not happy. The emperor had specially set up the Sky Wolf Guards when Xiao Juan was not in the Imperial Capital. It was obvious that he wanted to use the Sky Wolf Guards to restrain the Eagle Guards. In other words, the emperor no longer trusted Xiao Juan. Yu Niaoniao muttered softly, ¡°You¡¯re so dutiful, but the emperor is still wary of you.¡± Xiao Juan was a little disappointed at first, but, he had already let it go. ¡°Emperors are paranoid. It¡¯s fine as long as we get used to it.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I don¡¯t think this is fair to you.¡± Xiao Juan stroked her little head. ¡°There is no such thing as absolute fairness.¡± Yu Niaoniao also knew this, but she was still a little unwilling. ¡°Are we going topromise like this?¡± Xiao Juan said slowly. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that the Justice Department exists to ensure the fairness of most people.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart was touched. She smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Chapter 285 - 285 Sausage 285 Sausage Today, Yu Niaoniao asked Chun Feng to buy a lot of tofu. When Xiao Juan saw the tofu, his forehead could not help but twitch. Could it be that she still wanted to make stinky tofu? He wanted to say something but hesitated. He wanted to persuade her to eat something else. It was good to eat anything, but not this smelly thing. !! Xiao Juan¡¯s senses were sharper than ordinary people, including his sense of smell. Therefore, the stench affected him more strongly. ¡°Do you have to eat tofu? Can¡¯t you eat something else?¡± Yu Niaoniao said excitedly, ¡°But I want to eat tofu recently.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her sparkling eyes and could not bear to ruin her mood. Forget it, he would let her be. He was already prepared to endure the stench again tonight. However, when dinner was served, he did not see any traces of stinky tofu. He could not help but ask. ¡°Niaoniao, where¡¯s your tofu?¡± As Yu Niaoniao scooped the soup, she said, ¡°It¡¯s marinating in the vat. It¡¯ll take a few days to marinate.¡± Xiao Juan was very surprised. ¡°Didn¡¯t you make stinky tofu?¡± ¡°No, I n to make fermented tofu this time. It¡¯spletely different from stinky tofu.¡± At this point, Yu Niaoniao smiled slyly and deliberately asked. ¡°Do you want to eat stinky tofu? You won¡¯t be able to eat it tonight. I¡¯ll fry it for you tomorrow.¡± Xiao Juan refused without hesitation. ¡°Thank you, I don¡¯t eat stinky tofu.¡± Her resistance could be said to be quite firm. Yu Niaoniao could not help but chuckle. It seemed that Duke Lang really did not like stinky tofu. This time, not only did she marinate the fermented tofu, but she also marinated some salted duck eggs and century eggs. It was almost the new year. ording to the rules of the Dayan Dynasty, the officials of the Imperial Court were on leave from the first to the fifteenth day of the new year. The Justice Department was rather special. The Eagle Guards only had five days of annual leave. From the sixth day of the new year, they had to take turns until the fifteenth day of the new year. Then, they returned to their normal rest time. During lunch, everyone ate and chatted about how to spend the annual leave. At first, Yu Niaoniao listened excitedly. Later, she realized that Lo Pingsha was sitting alone in the corner eating quietly. After the Eagle Guards, he did not participate in the discussion. As a result, he looked out of ce. Xiao Juan sensed her abnormality and followed her gaze. He saw Lo Pingsha sitting in the corner and could not help but ask. ¡°Why are you looking at Little Lo?¡± Yu Niaoniao voiced the confusion in her heart. ¡°Little Lo doesn¡¯t seem to be looking forward to the annual leave.¡± Xiao Juan exined, ¡°There¡¯s no one at home anymore. Even if it¡¯s the holidays, he¡¯s homeless. In the end, he can only stay in the Political and Legal Division like in the past.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then he¡¯s too pitiful.¡± Xiao Juan saw through her thoughts and took the initiative to ask. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked. ¡°Shall we invite him to our house for the New Year? It¡¯s more lively to celebrate the New Year with more people!¡± Xiao Juan replied casually, ¡°As you wish.¡± What he didn¡¯t say was that he used to spend the New Year in the Justice Department like Lo Pingsha.In any case, his parents were not in the Imperial Capital, and there were no rtives in the Langjun Imperial Pce to apany him. He might as well use this time to settle the unfinished matters. Yu Niaoniao was very happy. After dinner, she ran to find Lo Pingsha and invited him to the Langjun Imperial Pce for the new year. Lo Pingsha was stunned for a long time before he reacted. ¡°Why?¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°What do you mean why?¡± Lo Pingsha asked, ¡°Why did you invite me to spend the New Year with you?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Because it¡¯s lively with more people.¡± This reason was not enough to convince Lo Pingsha. He hesitated. Yu Niaoniao continued, ¡°I¡¯ll prepare a lot of delicious food for the new year. Duke Lang and I don¡¯t have a big appetite. We might not be able to finish it. We need your help.¡± Upon hearing that there was good food, Lo Pingsha was immediately tempted. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll ept it.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately smiled. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. Come to the Langjun Imperial Pce for the new year. I¡¯ll get someone to tidy up the guest room for you in advance.¡± Lo Pingsha looked at her bright and warm smile and felt his heart warm. ¡°Okay.¡± Today, there was no smelly tofu or durian. Xiao Juan felt that his way home had be much easier. When they returned to Langjun Imperial Pce, Chun Feng and Ye Yu immediately came to report. ... ¡°Princess Consort, we¡¯ve already bought the pig intestines you wanted. Do you want to take a look now?¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. He thought he had misheard and could not help but ask. ¡°Pig what?¡± Ye Yu was more honest. When she heard this, she thought that Duke Lang did not hear her clearly and immediately repeated, ¡°A pig¡¯s intestine is the intestine in a pig¡¯s stomach. It¡¯s long and contains¡­¡± Xiao Juan quickly interrupted her. ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± It turned out that he had rxed too early. Although there were no durians and stinky tofu today, there were pig intestines! Xiao Juan had never eaten pig intestines in his life. He simply could not imagine how something dirty and smelly like pig intestines could enter his mouth. Xiao Juan tried his best to remain calm. ¡°Niaoniao, I have no objections if you like to make some strange things to eat, but forget about the pig intestines. Let¡¯s change to something else to eat, okay?¡± ... However, Yu Niaoniao was very insistent. ¡°No! I want to make sausages with pig intestines. When I was in Bashu, my mother would make sausages every New Year. This is our family¡¯s custom.¡± Xiao Juan had never eaten sausages, but at the thought of making them with pig intestines, he had no appetite. ¡°Can¡¯t you make sausages out of something else?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. Xiao Juan had no choice but topromise again. ¡°Do it if you want.¡± He had endured the stinky tofu and durian, so he did not care about another strange dish in the form of pig intestines. Yu Niaoniao instructed the kitchen helpers to clean the pig intestines. She cut the pork and marinated it with ingredients for a period of time. Because Xiao Juan could not eat spicy food, she specially mixed two vors of meat filling. They were salty and sweet, and spicy. The small intestine was soaked in vinegar and yellow wine. After washing it, it was washed in hot water. Then, it was drained and ced on the funnel. Next was stuffing the intestines. This was aborious job. In the past, when she was in Sichuan, these things were done by her stepfather, Feng Lianghan. Later, when she returned, Dang Gui and Feng Lianghan did it together. It wasn¡¯t that they couldn¡¯t let the servants do these things, but Madam Xie said that this was a traditional New Year project at home. It had to be done by the family together to create a festive New Year atmosphere. But now that Feng Lianghan and Madam Xie were no longer around, and Dang Gui was also thousands of miles away from her, Yu Niaoniao could only clean and stuff the intestines herself. She was about to make a move when she suddenly heard Chun Feng and Ye Yu remind her. ¡°His Highness is here.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately stopped what she was doing and turned to look at the door. She saw Xiao Juan standing outside the kitchen door. Chapter 286 - 286 New Year 286 New Year Yu Niaoniao was very surprised. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Xiao Juan said lightly, ¡°I saw that you haven¡¯t returned, so I came to take a look. Are you not done yet?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s still early. I¡¯ll probably be busy until veryte today. Go to sleep first.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Can¡¯t you get the servants to help you?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°No. My mother said that we have to make our own sausages. Sausages made by a family working together are the most fragrant.¡± Xiao Juan looked at the pig intestines in the wooden basin. All the pig intestines had been cleaned up and there was no stench. However, he still felt a little ufortable. Yu Niaoniao was very curious to see him standing still. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± The next moment, she saw Xiao Juan walk into the kitchen. He walked straight to the side of the wooden basin, rolled up his sleeves, bent down, and took a deep breath. Then, he held his breath and tried his best to suppress the resistance in his heart. He slowly extended his right hand. His slender fingers grabbed a pig intestine and scooped it up. This simple action had almost exhausted all his strength. Yu Niaoniao looked at him in surprise. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She remembered that he hated pig intestines very much. To be precise, he hated all dirty and smelly things. However, she did not expect him to personally hold the pig intestines. Xiao Juan tried his best to forget what he was holding and said calmly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that sausages made by a family working together are the best? Of course, I have to help you.¡± As much as he hated pig intestines, he couldn¡¯t leave her to make sausages alone. Because they were family. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao suddenly felt a lump in her throat. In the past, she had spent the New Year with her stepfather and mother. The entire family was lively, but now that her stepfather and mother were gone, she was alone. It would be a lie to say that she did not feel ufortable at all. To her, filling sausages was not as simple as cooking delicacies. It was a ritual for her to remember her family. She wanted to use this ceremony to tell her stepfather and mother that she still remembered them. She would never forget them. Seeing that she was silent, Xiao Juan could not help but ask. ¡°What should I do next? I¡¯ve never stuffed sausage before. You have to teach me.¡± Yu Niaoniao took a deep breath and suppressed the poignant feeling. She smiled brightly. ¡°It¡¯s easy. I¡¯ll show you.¡± She squeezed the pork into the funnel with all her might. The pork was slowly poured into the pig¡¯s small intestine through the funnel. The originally t pig intestine was filled by the meat filling and gradually bulged. Xiao Juan was very smart and immediately understood the principle. This job was not difficult. It just required strength. He practiced martial arts all year round, so his strength was naturally not small. With just a little force, the meat filling was poured into the pig intestine. Yu Niaoniao brought over an embroidery needle. As soon as she saw where there was air in the sausage, she would poke it with a needle to let out the air inside. The pig intestine would stick even tighter to the meat filling. When a pig intestine was filled, Yu Niaoniao picked up the fine twine and tied a knot in the sausage every half foot. One sausage was done. Chun Feng and Ye Yu were dumbfounded. They never expected the cold and indifferent Duke Lang to personally stuff sausages. Who would believe this? Next, the work of circting one sausage after another. There was a shelf in the storeroom for drying ingredients. These sausages were hung up and could be eaten when they had dried. After finishing his work, Xiao Juan could not wait to take a bath. This time, he bathed for two hours and changed the hot water three times. He heaved a sigh of relief when he could no longer smell anything strange. He returned to the bedroom in his pajamas and found Yu Niaoniao already asleep on the bed. Filling sausages was aborious task. She was exhausted tonight and fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. She did not feel anything about Xiao Juan lying down beside her. She was still sleeping soundly. Xiao Juan turned around and looked at the sleeping Yu Niaoniao. In the dark night, her face became blurry and unclear. However, in Xiao Juan¡¯s mind, he still remembered her lonely expression when she was making sausages. The only reason he helped her with the sausages was that he didn¡¯t want to see that lonely emotion on her face again. The Yu Niaoniao in his heart should always be as bright and dazzling as a small sun. As he thought about it, Xiao Juan could not resist approaching her to gently kiss her forehead. ¡°Good night, my little sun.¡± ¡­ . All kinds of snacks were essential for the new year. ... Yu Niaoniao had been busy in the kitchen for the past few days. She made grapefruit sugar, sugar yams, peach cakes, candied hawthorns, sesame pastries, red beans, hemp potatoes, and a series of other foods. She organized them into boxes and tied them with beautiful red ribbons. The preserved century eggs, salted duck eggs, and moldy tofu were also taken out from the cer and ced in gift boxes. Yu Niaoniao divided these gift boxes into several portions. With that, the New Year¡¯s gifts was ready. Granny Xiu Yan had already gotten someone to prepare the couplets for the new spring. Rednterns were hung at the entrance and under the eaves. There were also red window flowers and blessings. Even the flowers in the vase had been reced with red plum blossoms. She even chose five people from her servants to form a lion dance team. After a period of training, this lion dance team had already be proficient. Granny Xiu Yan had even specially equipped them with lion dance clothes. They were just waiting to show their skills. Five days passed in a sh. It would be New Year¡¯s Eve soon. Everyone in the Justice Department was especially happy today. Even Xiao Juan was more amiable than usual. ... In the past, he did not have any expectations for the New Year, but it was different this year. There was a little princess consort at home, and she had prepared a lot of delicious food for him. He was now looking forward to the New Year. It was not easy for them to make it to the end of the day. Everyone could not wait to pack up and go home. Meng Xizhou and Yan Nanguan knew that there was no one at Lo Pingsha¡¯s house. The two of them ran to find Lo Pingsha to ask if he was willing to spend the New Year at their house. As a result, as soon as they entered Lo Pingsha¡¯s residence, they saw him packing his luggage. Meng Xizhou could not help but ask. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Lo Pingsha replied without looking up, ¡°To the Langjun Imperial Pce for the New Year.¡± Meng Xizhou and Yan Nanguan were stunned. They thought they had misheard. ¡°What? Where are you going for the New Year?¡± Lo Pingsha did not have many things. He packed his luggage in a few moves. He carried his luggage and said calmly, ¡°The Princess Consort said that she had made a lot of delicious food and wanted to invite me to her house as a guest to celebrate the New Year with her. I agreed.¡± Meng Xizhou and Yan Nanguan were instantly envious. They also wanted to go to the Langjun Imperial Pce to freeload! Chapter 287 - 287 New Year’s Eve Dinner 287 New Year¡¯s Eve Dinner When Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha returned to Langjun Imperial Pce, Yu Niaoniao was still busy preparing the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner in the kitchen. Hence, the two of them could only sit in the reception hall and wait. Granny Xiu Yan served refreshments. It was rare for a guest toe to Langjun Imperial Pce, so Granny Xiu Yan was very enthusiastic. ¡°Little Lo, these are all food made by our Princess Consort. Try them and see if you like them.¡± Upon hearing this, Lo Pingsha immediately became interested in the pastry and fruit tter in front of him. He began to eat and drink his tea. Xiao Juan sat quietly at the side and drank his tea. He had no intention of speaking the entire time. Granny Xiu Yan watched as they ate their own food without interacting at all. She felt that it was too boring. It would be lively during the new year, so she took the initiative to start a conversation. ¡°How do you usually spend the New Year?¡± Lo Pingsha answered matter-of-factly, ¡°I used to spend the New Year with my parents.¡± Granny Xiu Yan asked reflexively, ¡°What happened after that?¡± ¡°After that, my parents passed away, so I could only spend the New Year alone.¡± Granny Xiu Yan was speechless. It was better not to have asked. She secretly regretted not mentioning it! Granny Xiu Yan forced herself to change the topic. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the past. You¡¯re in luck today. Our Princess Consort has prepared a particrly sumptuous New Year¡¯s Eve dinner today. You¡¯ll definitely like it very muchter.¡± Lo Pingsha expressed his sincere anticipation. ¡°Yes, thank you, Your Highness.¡± ¡°The County Princess especially wees your arrival. She specially asked us to tidy up the guest room in advance and even reminded us to serve you well. If you have any dissatisfaction, you can tell me. Just treat this ce as your own home. Don¡¯t be embarrassed.¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°Yes, thank you, Granny.¡± Granny Xiu Yan asked, ¡°What do you think of these pastries and fruit tes?¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°Delicious.¡± Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°Do you want me to get you some more food?¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°Thank you, but no.¡± Granny Xiu Yan was speechless again. The topic got stuck at this point. She considered herself to be quite a chatty person, but no matter what topic she found, Lo Pingsha could quickly end the conversation with the simplest answer. There was really no way to continue the conversation today. Granny Xiu Yan tried to change her target and asked Duke Lang, who was sitting on the other side. ¡°Your Highness, do you want more tea?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°No need.¡± Granny Xiu Yan asked, ¡°What about the pastries? Do you want more?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°No need.¡± Granny Xiu Yan was dumbfounded. Forget it, she would pretend she didn¡¯t ask anything. The two of them were equally taciturn. They were born to end topics. She stopped trying to find a topic of conversation and stood quietly by the side, dutifully acting as a background board. For an entire hour, the two of them really did not say a word. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that they were having a cold war. Who would have thought that they were simply not good at small talk? It was not until Yu Niaoniao came over to inform them that they could eat that Granny Xiu Yan felt relieved. Their savior had finally arrived! The group of them went to the dining hall. Yu Niaoniao had spent a lot of effort on tonight¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve dinner. There were exactly ten dishes on the table, which symbolized that everything was perfect. Yu Niaoniao lifted the lid, revealing the Eight Treasures Rice in the porcin basin. The boiled glutinous rice was slow-cooked withrd, water, bean paste, and white sugar. In order to make it taste richer, Yu Niaoniao added some red dates, cinnamon, lilies, walnuts, and other ingredients. The crystal clear glutinous rice was decorated with red, green, and green fruits and looked very festive. Everyone on the table had a bowl of Eight Treasure Rice. Lo Pingsha took a bite. The glutinous rice was cooked until it was extremely soft. It had the fragrance ofrd and a faint sweetness. He couldn¡¯t help but take two more bites. ¡°Don¡¯t just eat that. Eat more of the other dishes.¡± Yu Niaoniao pointed at the dish that looked like a gold ingot in front of her and said, ¡°Try this Rich Garden dish first.¡± This dish lookedplicated, but it was actually very simple to make. One just had to make a meatball with minced meat before digging a hole in the middle and adding a quail egg into the hole. It would then be steamed and sprinkled with spring onions when it was out of the pot. Xiao Juan used the spoon to dig out a small piece of meat and put it in his mouth to taste. The minced meat had been marinated. It did not have the fishy smell of pork at all. The texture was soft but not mushy, and the taste was very fresh and fragrant. Yu Niaoniao scooped a bowl of soup and ced it in front of him. She wanted him to drink some hot soup to moisten his intestines and help his stomach digest. The soup was made of meatballs, fishballs, and egg slices which were all personally made by Yu Niaoniao. The meatball looked small. When one bit into it, one could clearly feel the sticity and tenacity of the meatball. There was only one word to describe it: fresh! ... Lo Pingsha tasted all the dishes on the table. He liked every dish. If he had to choose a favorite dish, it would be sweet and sour pork ribs. The ribs he used to eat were stewed and tasted soft and chewy. However, sweet and sour pork ribs were different. The meat still maintained a fresh and tender texture. It tasted sour and sweet, and no matter how he ate it, he would not get tired of it. After the New Year¡¯s Eve meal, the three of them were a little stuffed. People tend to get sleepy easily after eating. But they couldn¡¯t sleep yet, because they had to keep watch for the New Year tonight. The three of them moved into the reception pavilion. Yu Niaoniao ced three sweet potatoes and three corns in the brazier and prepared a pot of hot milk tea on the small stove. It was quite boring to just sit there. Fortunately, Yu Niaoniao was prepared. She took out a small wooden box and said mysteriously. ¡°Dang dang dang! Look at what this is!¡± ... Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha watched as she took out a stack of cards from the small wooden box. They did not understand what she wanted to do. ¡°This is called poker. Since we have nothing to do, why don¡¯t we y a few rounds of Fight the Landlord?¡± Then, she introduced the gamey of Fight the Landlord. Xiao Juan said solemnly, ¡°Gambling is illegal.¡± Yu Niaoniao choked. She knew that this man was very old-fashioned, but she did not expect him to be so pedantic. Fortunately, she was quick-witted and quickly came up with a countermeasure. ¡°We¡¯re not gambling. The loser has to be punished.¡± ¡°What¡¯s punishment?¡± Yu Niaoniao could not think of a punishment for a while. She could only turn to look at Granny Xiu Yan, who was standing beside her and throw this hot potato to her. ¡°Granny, go prepare some cards. Each note has a different punishment written on it. The loser will randomly draw a card. No matter what¡¯s written on the back of the card, the loser will have to execute it.¡± She then looked at Xiao Juan. ¡°Is this okay?¡± Since this was not technically gambling, Xiao Juan no longer resisted. He and Lo Pingsha joined the ranks of Fight the Landlord. Thendlord for the first round was Yu Niaoniao. For the sake of fairness, regardless of whether they won or lost this round, it was all to help Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha understand the rules. They would start the forfeit officially in the second round. Chapter 288 - 288 Accept Defeat 288 ept Defeat In the next round, Yu Niaoniao was still ying the role of thendlord. She was full of confidence and felt that she would definitely win this round. After all, she had a lot of experience ying Fight the Landlord. Facing the two newbies, Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha, it was naturally easy! However, reality pped her hard in the face. Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha were both veterans of interrogating criminals.They could guess most of the cards in her hand from the subtle changes in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s expression, She first threw out the scattered cards in her hand, preparing to throw her trump card before showing the rest of her hand. This n was originally perfect. However, just as she threw down the card, Xiao Juan suddenly threw an even bigger card. Then, they began to y a single card. Yu Niaoniao watched as they yed cards one after another. There were several times when she wanted to tear down the even pair, but in the end, she resisted. She quickly calcted the cards that she had already yed in her mind. There was no way there would be a bigger card to be yed. There would not be a third-generation card either. They definitely still had pairs. As long as one of them came up with a pair, she would be able to pick it up immediately. Unexpectedly, the two of them seemed to have discussed it and did note up with a pair. Yu Niaoniao watched helplessly as they yed all the cards in their hands. In the end, she was still holding the string of pairs in her hand. She could not believe that she had lost to two newbies. Xiao Juanforted her. ¡°You¡¯re already ying very well. Try harder.¡± Yu Niaoniao threw the string of pairs on the table and sighed. ¡°I admit defeat!¡± Granny Xiu Yan had already prepared the cards. ¡°Princess Consort, do you want to take a look at the contents of these notes? I thought of them casually. I wonder if they¡¯re suitable?¡± Yu Niaoniao was very assured of Granny Xiu Yan¡¯s work and replied without thinking. ¡°There¡¯s no need to look. Just let me pick one.¡± All the cards were rolled into a ball and ced on the te. Yu Niaoniao casually picked up a small ball of paper and opened it. She was immediately dumbfounded. Seeing her strange expression, Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha leaned over to read the contents of the note. There was a sentence written on the note: Please kiss someone next to you. Yu Niaoniao really did not expect Granny Xiu Yan to write such content. She originally thought that with the conservative thinking of the ancients, they would at most request a dance or something. She did not expect the first note to be so exciting. Yu Niaoniao looked at Granny Xiu Yan silently. She had underestimated thetter! Granny Xiu Yan smiled back. ¡°Your Highness, Princess Consort, this is all I can help you with.¡± She retreated silently, hiding her glee with her achievement. Lo Pingsha reacted quickly. He retreated to the door immediately and kept a distance from Yu Niaoniao. This way, Xiao Juan was the only one next to Yu Niaoniao. Xiao Juan sat still. He looked at Yu Niaoniao and said calmly. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to do it. Pick another one.¡± Yu Niaoniao pped the note on the table with bravado. ¡°I said I¡¯ll ept my loss. It¡¯s just a kiss. What¡¯s the big deal?!¡± With that, she pounced on Xiao Juan and kissed his face. When Xiao Juan came back to his senses, Yu Niaoniao had already sat back in the distance. She adhered to the principle that as long as she was not embarrassed, others would be the ones who were embarrassed. ¡°Why are you looking at me? Continue ying cards. Little Lo,e here quickly.¡± Xiao Juan felt a strange sensation where his cheek had been kissed. It was a little numb and warm. He subconsciously looked at Yu Niaoniao¡¯s lips. Her lips were red and glossy, like red cherries. Just looking at them made one feel they were sweet and delicious. Xiao Juan suddenly spoke. ¡°This is the first time you¡¯ve kissed me.¡± Yu Niaoniao paused in her shuffling. Goodness! She had already tried her best to pretend that nothing had happened. Why did he still have to remind her? Was he forcing her to die on the spot? Yu Niaoniao yed dumb. ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t even notice, haha.¡± She prayed that Xiao Juan would not mention this again so she coulde out of this situation with some dignity intact! ... Xiao Juan could tell that she did not want to mention this again, so he did not say anything else. However, Lo Pingsha could not help but ask. ¡°First time? No way? Haven¡¯t you been married for half a year?¡± He would never have thought that the Princess Consort of Lang County, who looked like she was glued to Duke Lang, had not consummated her marriage! Yu Niaoniao felt guilty and smiled even more exaggeratedly. ¡°Hahaha! Look at what you¡¯re saying. It¡¯s definitely not the first time. His Highness just said it casually. He was joking. There¡¯s no need to take it seriously. Let¡¯s continue ying cards. This time, you¡¯ll be thendlord.¡± Afraid that he would continue to ask, Yu Niaoniao quickly shuffled the cards and urged him to quickly grab them. Lo Pingsha felt that there was something strange between the two of them. However, this was a private matter for the couple. As an outsider, he could not ask too much. He could only disregard his suspicions and stop talking. Yu Niaoniao did not dare to let her guard down this time. From the moment she yed the first card, she began to count the cards in her heart. ... Excluding the cards that had already been dealt and the cards in her hand, she could calcte the cards in Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha¡¯s hands. Based on the sequence and pattern of their cards, she could roughly calcte which cards they had taken. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s desire to win was already bursting. She clenched the remaining two cards in her hand tightly. She did not believe that she could lose this round! Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha did not know how to count cards, but they were very good at psychological tactics. The two of them were fighting each other to find out their respective bottom lines. If it was a 1v1, it was still uncertain who would win in the end. However, this was Fight the Landlord. Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao, calcted cards and employed tactics as teammates. They cooperated very well. The result was that Lo Pingsha held on for a long time but finally lost. He looked at the te that had been brought to him. It contained many small balls of paper. Lo Pingsha, who had always been calm, was actually a little nervous. He was afraid that he would get the same paper ball as the princess. Under the gazes of Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan, Lo Pingsha picked up a small ball of paper. He silently prayed that as long as it wasn¡¯t a kiss, he would do anything. He slowly unfolded the paper ball. On it was a line of words: Tell me what you can¡¯t let go of. When Yu Niaoniao saw this line of words, she immediately felt a sense of injustice. Why did Little Lo get such a simple punishment?! It was so unfair! If she had to talk about the most unforgettable thing, she could say it for three days and three nights! For example, a rabbit she had raised when she was young had disappeared. Later, she found out that it had been made into a dish and brought to the table. She was so angry that she cried as she ate the rabbit meat. She even said that she would never raise a rabbit again. Another example was the New Year¡¯s money she received when she was young. All of it had been taken away by her mother, who said that she was keeping it for her. In the end, she had kept it until now and had never returned it. Yu Niaoniao had already imagined countless answers. However, Lo Pingsha¡¯s expression was solemn, as if he had fallen into some distant memory and did not speak for a long time. It was as if this question was extremely difficult for him to answer. Chapter 289 - 289 Blessing 289 Blessing After a long time, Lo Pingsha finally gave an answer. ¡°The thing I can¡¯t get over the most is my father¡¯s death.¡± Xiao Juan was not surprised by this answer. Clearly, he knew. However, Yu Niaoniao was clearly stunned. She wanted to ask for the reason, but she was afraid of evoking the other party¡¯s sadness. Lo Pingsha saw that she was hesitating and took the initiative to exin. ¡°My father was originally an imperial physician, but because he was involved in a case of an imperial heir being killed, the emperor ordered him to be suspended and investigated. In desperation, he hung himself from a beam at home. My mother couldn¡¯t take the blow and fell ill. Not long after, she passed away.¡± Originally, he had a perfect family. His father was an imperial physician with superb medical skills; his mother was gentle and virtuous, and he had inherited his father¡¯s career. He had learned a lot of good medical skills and would soon be a respected divine doctor like his father. Everything was so beautiful. But his father¡¯s death had suddenly shattered all that. To him, his father¡¯s death was the beginning of all his nightmares. It was an anguish that he would never be able to let go of. Yu Niaoniaoforted him. ¡°It¡¯s all in the past. My condolences.¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°In my heart, this matter will never pass. Everyone said that my father poisoned the little prince to death and that my father was the murderer. However, I knew my father very well. He had always been principled about helping the world. He would never poison anyone. He must have been framed! I want to find out the truth behind the murder of the imperial heir and seek justice for my father.¡± When he said thest sentence, his expression became extremely determined. Yu Niaoniao looked at him in a daze, as if she was seeing her other self in the world. She couldn¡¯t help but reply, ¡°I¡¯ll help you!¡± Lo Pingsha did not expect her to say such a thing. He was surprised and very touched. A faint smile appeared on the usually expressionless baby face. ¡°Thank you.¡± Granny Xiu Yan walked in and reminded them, ¡°It¡¯s almost midnight.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately pushed the cards forward and stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go out and y.¡± She pulled Xiao Juan out, and Lo Pingsha followed unhurriedly. The snow in the courtyard was swept clean. Thenterns under the eaves were all lit up, and a few stars shone in the sky. Yu Niaoniao took out the firecrackers she had prepared in advance. When it was time, she lit the firecrackers and covered her ears as she jumped all the way to hide behind Xiao Juan. The firecrackers crackled. At this moment, many families in the Jade Capital were setting off firecrackers. The pce was even setting off fireworks. The Langjun Imperial Pce was not far from the pce. Yu Niaoniao only needed to look up to see the gorgeous fireworks blooming in the night sky. She grabbed Xiao Juan¡¯s arm and said excitedly. ¡°Happy New Year, baby!¡± Xiao Juan looked down at her. ¡°Happy New Year.¡± In the past, he would wee the New Year alone. No one would apany him to watch over the New Year, light firecrackers with him, hold his hand, and wish him a happy New Year. It was different this year. At this moment, his chest was rippling with emotions. He had a lot to say to her. However, before he could say anything, he saw Yu Niaoniao turn around. She said to Lo Pingsha, ¡°Little Lo, Happy New Year!¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°Happy New Year.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Granny Xiu Yan, Happy New Year!¡± Granny Xiu Yan couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°Good, good, good. Happy New Year.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Chun Feng, Ye Yu, Happy New Year!¡± Chun Feng and Ye Yu didn¡¯t expect to receive blessings. They were ttered and hurriedly thanked her. Next, Yu Niaoniao blessed everyone she saw in the residence. Xiao Juan realized that he was not the only one who received Niaoniao¡¯s blessing and could not help but feel a little disappointed. He didn¡¯t say much after that. It was alreadyte and everyone returned to their rooms to rest. Yu Niaoniao was really tired. After washing up, she could not wait to climb into bed. She chose afortable sleeping position and closed her eyes. Sleepiness quickly enveloped her. Just as she was in a daze, she suddenly heard someone ask beside her. ¡°Why are you saying Happy New Year to so many people?¡± It took a lot of effort for Yu Niaoniao to open her eyes slightly. She saw that Xiao Juan was looking at her, clearly waiting for her answer. At this moment, her mind was filled with sleep, and her thoughts were especially slow. She did not think much about what she said and said almost everything that came to mind. ¡°Because I want everyone to be happy in the new year.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s voice lowered. ¡°If you give your blessing to everyone, I won¡¯t be the most special one.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Although I gave many people my blessings, my first blessing was given to you. You¡¯re still the most special one. No one else canpare to you.¡± ... The disappointment in Xiao Juan¡¯s heart was immediately soothed. He leaned toward Yu Niaoniao and whispered. ¡°I also gave you my first blessing. No one else canpare to you.¡± Yu Niaoniao yawned. ¡°Thank you. Do you have anything else to ask? If not, I¡¯m going to sleep. I¡¯m so sleepy.¡± Xiao Juan said warmly, ¡°Sleep.¡± Yu Niaoniao fell asleep with relief. However, before she could sleep for long, she was woken up by Xiao Juan. ¡°Niaoniao, it¡¯s time to get up.¡± Yu Niaoniao opened her eyes with difficulty. She looked out the window and saw the sky was still dark. She could not help but mutter, ¡°Why are you up so early? I haven¡¯t slept enough.¡± Xiao Juan pulled her out of bed. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you two days ago? On the first day of the Lunar New Year, all the royal rtives have to enter the pce to pay their New Year greetings to the emperor, the empress, and the empress dowager. We can¡¯t bete, or it will be disrespectful.¡± ... Yu Niaoniao was in pain. She could not even sleep well on the first day of the new year. It was too tragic to be a rtive of the royal family! Chun Feng and Ye Yu walked in to help her change her clothes and wash up. Because he was going to the pce to meet the emperor, he could not dress too casually. Xiao Juan especially changed into the crimson crown that represented the identity of the county king. Yu Niaoniao also changed into a red long-sleeved dress. There was a long navy green shawl hanging between her arms and a golden sparrow tiara with pearls on her head. Thin golden tassels fell from her temples, and there was a small half-pearl between her eyebrows. With every step she took, the tassels and pearls on her tiara would sway. In order to maintain her bearing, Yu Niaoniao had to straighten her posture and walk steadily. She had to be extra careful when she crossed the threshold so she would not trip. When she stepped on the stool and sat in the carriage, she immediately heaved a long sigh of relief. She could finally rest for a while. Yu Niaoniao noticed that Xiao Juan had been looking at her and subconsciously touched her cheek. ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± Xiao Juan said seriously, ¡°You¡¯re very beautiful today.¡± Chapter 290 - 290 New Year 290 New Year Yu Niaoniao immediately asked. ¡°Am I usually not beautiful?¡± Xiao Juan was helpless. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Usually, she was naturally very beautiful, but because she was young, she always gave off the vibe of a girl next door. She was cute, lively, and likable. !! But today, she was very different. She was wearing a grand princess gown and exquisite and bright makeup. The childishness on her body disappeared all of a sudden. She was like a rich peony that had bloomed and be dazzling. She could capture a man¡¯s gaze with just one look. Yu Niaoniao smiled, her red lips curving beautifully. ¡°You look beautiful today too.¡± She was not being polite. Xiao Juan was indeed exceptionally good-looking today. He usually liked to wear dark clothes and was dressed in ck almost every day. Although he was quite handsome, his handsomeness exuded a strong murderous aura that made people afraid to look at him. Other than the day of the wedding, this was the only time Yu Niaoniao had seen him wearing red. Unlike the bright red wedding gown, however, the scarlet gown was more solemn. Coupled with his cold and handsome face, he looked like a high and mighty god, making people want to submit to him. Xiao Juan reminded her, ¡°Beautiful is not used to describe men.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Who said that? In my opinion, anything beautiful can be described as beautiful.¡± Xiao Juan could not do anything to her and could only let her talk nonsense. The carriage stopped at the entrance of the pce. Xiao Juan helped Yu Niaoniao out of the carriage. There were already many carriages parked at the entrance of the pce. They were all royal family rtives preparing to enter the pce to pay their New Year greetings. Originally, they were chatting in groups and greeting each other. The atmosphere was very warm, but the moment Duke Lang and his wife appeared, everyone seemed to be stifled and instantly fell silent. The scene instantly fell silent. Xiao Juan was used to this. He estimated that it was about time. He held Niaoniao¡¯s hand and walked straight ahead. He did not even look at anyone else. When they reached the entrance of the pce, Xiao Juan asked the imperial guards guarding the door. ¡°Can we enter the pce now?¡± The imperial guard hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, pleasee in.¡± Xiao Juan held Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand and walked into the pce. When they walked past the pce gate, Xiao Juan especially reached out to hold her waist to prevent her from falling. The pce door was very tall. Yu Niaoniao needed to raise her leg very high to walk over. It was fine usually, but the headdress she was wearing today was too heavy and she could not lower her head. This action was quite difficult for her. Fortunately, Xiao Juan supported her and helped her maintain her bnce. The two of them sessfully passed through the pce gate. A pnquin had already been prepared in the pce. Xiao Juan usually did not like to sit in a sedan chair, but today was different. He could not let Niaoniao walk such a long distance with him in a gown, so he made an exception and sat in the sedan chair with her today. The sedan stopped outside Zhengde Hall. The other royal nobles also arrived one after another. When everyone arrived, the entire Zhengde Hall was already filled with people. Some of the royal rtives who were not valued could only stand outside the Zhengde Hall. After the old emperor appeared, everyone knelt down to pay their respects and wish the emperor well in the new spring. After that, everyone would have to kneel and listen to the old emperor¡¯s vision for the new year and his expectations for everyone. The lines were prepared a long time ago. He spoke for a full hour before it ended. Yu Niaoniao knelt until her knees were numb. It was not easy for her to endure until the emperor finished his speech. She could finally stand up. She finally understood why Little Swallow, a character in her favorite television show, wanted to make an ¡®easy to kneel¡¯ gadget. She told herself that she would also make one for herself so that she would not get arthritis at such a young age. Next, the men and women had to separate. The men had to stay on to apany the old emperor, while the women had to go to the Fengyi Pce to pay their respects to the empress. Afterward, they would apany the empress to Biquan Pce to pay their New Year greetings to the empress dowager. Yu Niaoniao left the Zhengde Hall with the other women and rode a sedan to the Fengyi Pce. The Fengyi Pce was the residence of Empress Wen. Because Empress Wen was not in good health and was bedridden all year round, the matters in the harem had always been managed by Noble Consort Shu and the four virtuous consorts. Therefore, Empress Wen had a minimal presence in the pce. Yu Niaoniao had rarely heard anyone mention her. If not for the fact that she was going to the pce to pay her New Year¡¯s greetings, she would not have known that there was still Empress Wen in the Dayan Dynasty. This also meant one thing: Empress Wen was not favored. When Yu Niaoniao walked into the Fengyi Pce and saw the old clothes on the pce servants and the pce that had not been repaired for many years, she was even more certain of this. She did not understand why Empress Wen, the rightful mistress of the pce, was in such a miserable state. Under the guidance of the pce servants, the women entered the main hall. Soon, the concubines in the pce also arrived at the Fengyi Pce. Only Noble Consort Shu was still not there. ... Yu Niaoniao realized that everyone was used to this. No one felt that there was anything wrong with Noble Consort Shu. The women sat down ording to their status. Some of the lower statuses could only stand in the rear. Yu Niaoniao sat in the middle. She was very satisfied with the position. She would not stand out too much, but she could sit in peace. The women knew each other. They gathered together and whispered. The concubines chatted in groups. Only Yu Niaoniao was alone. No one wanted to talk to her. It was not that she was too aloof, but the others were deliberately avoiding her. As long as she looked over, those people would immediately evade her, as if they were avoiding a gue. Yu Niaoniao knew in her heart that it was because of her rtionship with Duke Lang that everyone was afraid of her. At this moment, she personally experienced Xiao Juan¡¯s feelings. She thought to herself that this should be how he was ostracized in the court. A momentter, the maid helped Empress Wen out. ... Empress Wen was 40 years old this year. Her face was pale and she was extremely skinny. It was as though a gust of wind could blow her away. The grand empress gown draped on her loosely. Even though she had makeup on, it could not cover up the dull sickly aura on her body. It was hard to imagine that such a sickly woman was actually the Empress of the Dayan Dynasty. Yu Niaoniao knelt down and bowed with the others. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty. I wish Your Majesty good luck in the new spring.¡± Empress Wen said, ¡°We are family, there is no need for formalities. Sit down and talk.¡± She sounded as weak as she looked. If one stood further away, she might not be able to hear what she said. When everyone was seated, Noble Consort Shu finally arrived. She was dressed even more borately than usual today. The pearls on the golden hairpin were tributes from the South Sea, and the dress was made of rare high-grade Cloud Flower satin with lifelike peacocks embroidered on it. Perhaps it was because of the embroidery or the light, but the peacock on the skirt looked a little like a phoenix. Noble Consort Shu bowed to Empress Wenzily. ¡°I¡¯mte. I hope you won¡¯t me me.¡± Chapter 291 - 291 Viper 291 Viper Empress Wen smiled, ¡°No worries, you are notte.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. It seems like I don¡¯t have to be too anxious.¡± Noble Consort Shu didn¡¯t wait for the other party to reply and sat on the seat on the right. Her outfit was so eye-catching that even Empress Wen, who was sitting at the head of the table, paled inparison. At first nce, those who did not know better would think that the person with the highest status in the room was Imperial Concubine Shu. !! Noble Consort Shu did not think that she was being too high-profile. She rolled her beautiful eyes and swept her gaze across the concubines and women present. When she saw Yu Niaoniao, her gaze deliberately paused for a while. Imperial Concubine Shu asked, ¡°Are you the new wife of Duke Lang?¡± Yu Niaoniao stood up and replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Noble Consort Shu sized her up from head to toe unscrupulously and smiled mysteriously. ¡°You¡¯re quite pretty.¡± Yu Niaoniao lowered her head and said, ¡°Your Highness, you tter me. In terms of looks, I¡¯m far inferior to you.¡± Noble Consort Shu said, ¡°You¡¯re quite sweet. This sachet is for you.¡± After saying that, she took off an exquisite fragrance bag from her waist. Yu Niaoniao walked forward and took the sachet with both hands. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± She was about to put the sachet into her sleeve when she heard Noble Consort Shu say. ¡°Why would you put it away? I gave you the sachet because I wanted you to wear it and y with it. If you put it away, wouldn¡¯t all my efforts be in vain?¡± Yu Niaoniao could only hang the sachet at her waist. Noble Consort Shu smiled in satisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Yu Niaoniao bowed and retreated to her seat. When she turned around, she caught a glimpse of Empress Wen¡¯s expression. Empress Wen was looking at the sachet on her waist with aplicated expression. When the surrounding women saw that Yu Niaoniao had done nothing and received Noble Consort Shu¡¯s reward for no reason, they were a little envious and jealous. The way they looked at Yu Niaoniao became more and more unfriendly. Yu Niaoniao did not care what others thought. She looked down at the exquisite sachet hanging at her waist, but her mind was thinking about Empress Wen¡¯s expression just now. Judging from Empress Wen¡¯s reaction, this sachet was not simple. When the women gathered together, the ones they talked about the most were naturally their husbands and children, followed by rouge, makeup, dresses, and jewelry. No matter what they talked about, Noble Consort Shu would always be the center of attention. Everyone praised her dress and jewelry. Empress Wen, on the other hand, had been quiet from the beginning to the end. asionally, she would take a few sips of tea and barely spoke. When it was almost time, Noble Consort Shu suggested that they go to Biquan Pce to pay New Year greetings to the Empress Dowager. Everyone responded unanimously. Only then did Noble Consort Shu suddenly remember that there was an empress present. She turned to look at Empress Wen, who was sitting at the main seat and asked with a smile. ¡°Empress, shall we go now?¡± Empress Wen was not angry at all. She nodded and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± She stood up with the help of the pce maid. The others also stood up and followed Empress Wen out of the Fengyi Pce. A group of sedans had already stopped at the door. Among them, the most eye-catching carriage was naturally the Feng Luan carriage that only the empress could ride in. No matter how arrogant Imperial Concubine Shu was, she could only watch helplessly as Empress Wen sat in the carriage that she had always dreamed of. Noble Consort Shu sat in the sedan that belonged to her. Her eyes were still staring at the Feng Luan sedan in front of her, and her eyes were filled with determination. Just wait. Sooner orter, she would be able to board that carriage as well! After everyone was seated, the guard of honor slowly walked toward the Crystal Spring Pce. Yu Niaoniao took off the sachet hanging at her waist. Although she did not know what was wrong with this sachet, it was better not to wear it for the time being. She stuffed the sachet into her sleeve, nning to bring it to Lo Pingsha for inspection when she returned. The guard of honor walked very slowly. Yu Niaoniao was swaying until she was sleepy. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she suddenly felt something cold touch her fingers. She immediately woke up and looked down. To her surprise, she saw a small snake! It was unknown when this snake had crawled into the sedan. At this moment, it was leaning against Yu Niaoniao¡¯s finger. It looked like it was nning to crawl in through her sleeve. If it was an ordinary girl, she would definitely be scared out of her wits. But who was Yu Niaoniao? She used to be an internationally renowned chef. Snakes were an ingredient to her, and she was very familiar with killing snakes. Yu Niaoniao quickly attacked and grabbed the little snake¡¯s vitals. The little snake twisted its body crazily and wrapped its long body around her wrist. It opened its mouth to reveal its small poisonous teeth and spat out its scarlet snake tongue. However, no matter how it struggled, it could not break free from Yu Niaoniao¡¯s shackles or bite her. Yu Niaoniao said to the strong eunuch who was carrying the sedan chair. ¡°Stop.¡± ... As soon as her sedan stopped, the sedan in front and behind also stopped. When Imperial Concubine Shu heard that it was the Princess of Lang County calling for the sedan chair to stop, she guessed what was going on. A smug smile appeared on her bright face. It seemed that the sachet she had given the Princess Consort of Lang County had worked. There was a special spice in the sachet. It was fine for humans to smell it, but as long as a snake smelled it, it would immediately be excited. The sedans that the women took after entering the pce were all arranged in advance. As the actual leader of the harem, it was too easy for Noble Consort Shu to tamper with the sedan chair. She had gotten someone to hide a snake in the Princess Consort¡¯s carriage in advance. It was winter now. The snake was spupposed to be in a dormant state and would not pose any danger. However, after Yu Niaoniao put on the sachet, the snake smelled the fragrance and was immediately stimted to wake up. It was obvious what would happen next. Yu Niaoniao must have been bitten and poisoned. Noble Consort Shu did not want to miss this opportunity to watch a good show. She got out of the sedan and walked towards Yu Niaoniao¡¯s sedan. ... She had to admire Yu Niaoniao¡¯s sorry state after she was bitten by the snake. Seeing this, the concubines and women followed. When they walked majestically to Yu Niaoniao¡¯s sedan, they happened to see Yu Niaoniao walking out of the sedan with a small snake. Everyone gasped in shock. A few concubines who were especially afraid of snakes could not help but scream in fear. ¡°Ah! There¡¯s a snake!¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled at them. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ve already caught this snake.¡± Then, she said to the imperial guards beside her. ¡°Can I borrow your saber?¡± The imperial guards were not afraid of snakes, but they were all stunned by the calm expression of the Princess of Lang County, who was holding a poisonous snake and chatting happily. A guard took off his saber and handed it over with both hands. Yu Niaoniao took the saber and cut off the snake¡¯s head. The viper¡¯s head fell to the ground and rolled away before stopping right at Noble Consort Shu¡¯s feet. Noble Consort Shu had never seen such an exciting scene before. She was so frightened that her face turned pale and she screamed. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Chapter 292 - 292 An Eye for an Eye 292 An Eye for an Eye With Concubine Shu¡¯s shout, the scene immediately became chaotic. Yu Niaoniao ignored this. She took out the handkerchief she carried with her and tied a knot around the dead snake, then handed it to the eunuch beside her. ¡°Hold it for me.¡± !! The young eunuch swallowed hard. ¡°Why must I hold it?¡± Such a scary thing should be thrown away! Yu Niaoniao said matter-of-factly. ¡°Why throw it away? It¡¯s such a waste. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to bring it back to cook snake soup?¡± The young eunuch did not know how to respond. His face turned red as he forced out ament. ¡°You sure know how to live.¡± He gingerly took the snake¡¯s carcass. It took a while for Noble Consort Shu to calm down. She knew that she had lost herposure just now and was actually frightened to death by a small snake. How embarrassing would it be if word got out?! But time could not be turned back. What had already happened could not be changed. She was extremely angry. She red at Yu Niaoniao and scolded her with a dark expression, ¡°What are you doing? You actually brought a snake into the pce? Are you trying to harm me?!¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked in confusion. ¡°I have no grudge against you. Why would I want to harm you?¡± Noble Consort Shu was speechless. There was indeed no direct hatred between her and Yu Niaoniao. In fact, they had not even spoken a word before today. The two of them did not know each other at all. The reason why Noble Consort Shu hated Yu Niaoniao was that Duke Lang¡¯s meddling had caused Lu Yaoguang to be demoted and Madam Shu to suffer. As the cousin of Madam Shu, Noble Consort Shu wanted to plead for Lu Yaoguang, but she was mercilessly reprimanded by the Emperor. This greatly embarrassed Noble Consort Shu, so she hated Duke Lang. Since she could not deal with Duke Lang, she could only vent her anger on the Princess Consort. Unexpectedly, not only did her meticulous n fail to make the Princess of Lang County suffer, but she also embarrassed herself in public. Noble Consort Shu gritted her teeth in hatred, but she couldn¡¯t say anything. In the end, she could only forcefully change the topic. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about how you brought the poisonous snake into the pce. You scared me with the poisonous snake just now. You have to bear this responsibility!¡± Yu Niaoniao did not understand. ¡°It¡¯s just a dead snake. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± Noble Consort Shu: ¡°Even if it¡¯s dead, it¡¯s still a poisonous snake!¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°How do you know this is a poisonous snake?¡± Just now, she didn¡¯t say a word that this snake was poisonous. How did Noble Consort Shu know that this snake was poisonous? Noble Consort Shu choked again. She had arranged for the snake to be ced in the sedan. Of course, she knew that it was a poisonous snake. But none of that could be said. She gritted her teeth. ¡°This snake looks very fierce. It must be a poisonous snake. Don¡¯t change the topic. You have to bear the consequences of today¡¯s matter!¡± Yu Niaoniao could tell that the other party had ill intentions, so she stopped beating around the bush and asked directly. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Noble Consort Shu: ¡°Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year. I don¡¯t want to ruin everyone¡¯s mood. You just need to kneel here for two hours.¡± Kneeling for two hours was indeed not a particrly serious punishment in the pce. However, Yu Niaoniao knew in her heart that if she really knelt, not only would she embarrass herself, but she would also embarrass Xiao Juan. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m not convinced.¡± Noble Consort Shu sneered. ¡°What¡¯s the use of being unconvinced? I¡¯m a noble consort. You have no choice but to ept my words.¡± She clearly wanted to use her power to suppress others. Yu Niaoniao knew that she was indeed lower than the other party in terms of status. ¡°I know you¡¯re a noble consort. Your status is noble, but your status isn¡¯t the highest here. Don¡¯t forget that the empress is the mistress of the harem.¡± With that, she strode to the side of Feng Luan¡¯s carriage. She bowed to Empress Wen. ¡°I¡¯ve been wronged. Please seek justice, Your Majesty!¡± Noble Consort Shu was so angry that sheughed. This woman was desperate enough to ask Empress Wen for help! Everyone in the pce knew that Empress Wen was just putting on airs. She was so sick that she almost lost her human form. Who knew when she would give up on life? She could not even take care of herself, so how could she have the time to care about other people¡¯s business?! A concubine who was following behind Noble Consort Shu stood up and mocked sarcastically. ¡°Does Princess of Lang County actually want the Empress to stand up for you? The Empress hates being disturbed the most. No matter what happens in our pce, she doesn¡¯t care. Do you think the Empress will make an exception for you? Dream on!¡± These words were echoed by many concubines. They were all supporters of Noble Consort Shu. Usually, they would follow Noble Consort Shu and think of ways to please Noble Consort Shu so that they could gain a foothold in the pce. This was a good opportunity to please Noble Consort Shu, so they naturally wouldn¡¯t let it go. Mocked and ridiculed by the others, Yu Niaoniao looked at Empress Wen eagerly, pressed her palms together, and begged. ¡°Please, help a poor child.¡± ... Empress Wen was sitting in the tall Feng Luan Carriage. Her thin face was covered with a thinyer of makeup, and her lips were smeared with red lip gloss. She looked like an exquisite sculpture in the heavy Empress gown. At first nce, she looked pretty good, but if one observed carefully, one would notice that there was no vitality on her body. She did not look like a normal living person. She looked down at Yu Niaoniao and remained silent for a long time. Just as everyone thought that Yu Niaoniao would definitely be rejected this time, Empress Wen suddenly spoke. ¡°How do you want me to help you?¡± Everyone present was shocked. Everyone in the pce knew that Empress Wen had always shut herself in and never interfered with the affairs outside. In the past, there had been concubines who hade to ask for help, but she had always rejected them. She could even give up her authority to manage the harem. Yet she had made an exception for the Princess Consort of Lang County! Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said, ¡°A small snake appeared in my carriage. I killed it. Imperial Concubine Shu happened to see this scene. She insisted that I was deliberately scaring her. I was wronged!¡± Empress Wen looked at Noble Consort Shu and asked calmly. ... ¡°Do you have evidence that the Princess of Lang County deliberately frightened you?¡± Noble Consort Shu naturally had no evidence. She forced an argument. ¡°If she didn¡¯t do it on purpose, why did she have to kill the snake in front of me?¡± Empress Wen: ¡°You have a point.¡± Noble Consort Shu nced at Yu Niaoniao proudly. Then, she heard Empress Wen say. ¡°Since she scared you, you should kill a snake in front of her and scare her a little.¡± Noble Consort Shu was stunned. She thought she had misheard. ¡°What did you say? You want me to kill snakes?¡± Empress Wen asked calmly, ¡°An eye for an eye, is there a problem?¡± Noble Consort Shu said loudly. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid of snakes!¡± Empress Wen: ¡°You can ask someone else to do it for you. That won¡¯t scare you.¡± Noble Consort Shu was speechless. Yu Niaoniao said quickly. ¡°Your Majesty is wise!¡± Kill! Kill! If another snake was killed, she would have another snake stew! Chapter 293 - 293 What a Pity! 293 What a Pity! Where could Noble Consort Shu get a snake in such a short time? Not to mention that she was afraid of snakes, to begin with. If she let someone kill a snake on the spot, not only would it not scare Yu Niaoniao, but it would also scare her. In the end, Noble Consort Shu could only swallow her anger. ¡°Since Sister Empress has already appeared to plead for the Princess Consort of Lang County, I can¡¯t say anything else. Let¡¯s forget about this matter. The Empress Dowager is still waiting for us to pay our New Year greetings. Everyone, leave quickly. We¡¯ve been keeping her waiting for too long.¡± Empress Wen did not want to pursue the matter further and responded casually. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go.¡± Everyone returned to their respective carriages. The venomous snake incident was over just like that. Yu Niaoniao did not know what others were thinking, but she felt quite regretful. Initially, she had wanted to have another snake stew, but her wish had fallen through. What a pity! The guard of honor continued forward and soon arrived at the Crystal Spring Pce. When Empress Wen led everyone into the main hall, she realized that all the princes and princesses were there. They were all here to wish Empress Dowager Deng a happy new year. Among them were naturally the Sixth Prince, Shen Rui, and Princess Tao Ran. The princes and princesses bowed to the empress in unison. ¡°Greetings, Mother. May the new spring be safe and sound.¡± Empress Wen led a group of concubines and women to greet Empress Dowager Deng. ¡°Your concubine respectfully invites the Empress Dowager to have a prosperous new spring and a long life.¡± Empress Dowager Deng smiled kindly. ¡°We¡¯re all family. There¡¯s no need to be so polite. Hurry up and sit down.¡± Everyone sat down ording to their status. This ce was filled with women, so it was inconvenient for the princes to stay for long. They only sat for a while before getting up and leaving. Noble Consort Shu¡¯s gaze never left the sixth prince, Shen Rui. He was her only son and her only hope for the rest of her life. In her opinion, among the three princes present, her son was the most outstanding. He would definitely achieve great things in the future! This was also the first time Yu Niaoniao had seen all the princes and princesses. Before entering the pce, Granny Xiu Yan exined the general situation in the pce to her. The Emperor originally had eight princes and five princesses, but for various reasons, unfortunately, several children died young. Among the princes, only the Third Prince, Fourth Prince, Sixth Prince, and Seventh Prince could sessfully grow up. There were only two princesses left, and Princess Tao Ran was one of them. However, the strange thing was that only three princes and two princesses could be seen at the scene, and one prince was nowhere to be seen. No one present mentioned this matter, as if the fourth prince had never existed. Everyone surrounded Empress Dowager Deng and chatted happily. All kinds of auspicious words poured out like they were free. Only three people present did not say anything. It was Empress Wen, Princess Tao Ran, and Yu Niaoniao. The first two did not like to socialize because of their personalities, while Yu Niaoniao was focused on food. In front of her was the exquisite tea and snacks made by the royal chef. Both the color and fragrance were excellent. As Yu Niaoniao tasted it carefully, she pondered over the preparation methods of these refreshments. At this moment, Noble Consort Shu suddenly called her name. ¡°Princess Consort of Lang, what are you doing?¡± Yu Niaoniao paused in her eating. She looked at the pastries in front of her eyes and answered truthfully, ¡°Eating.¡± At this moment, all the concubines and women looked at Yu Niaoniao in unison. Seeing that she was actually focused on eating, they secretly mocked her for being unsophisticated and inelegant. Noble Consort Shu frowned slightly and looked disgusted. ¡°Your hand has just caught a poisonous snake and you haven¡¯t washed it yet. How can you eat directly? Aren¡¯t you afraid of eating something bad?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked down at her hands. They were quite clean. But the others didn¡¯t think so. A concubine covered her mouth and chuckled. ¡°I heard that the Princess Consort of Lang Countyes from Sichuan. In a remote ce like Sichuan, the people living there should be barbarians who have yet to develop. They¡¯re used to living a life of eating raw meat and drinking blood. Why would they care about cleanliness? Don¡¯t they just grab things and stuff them into their mouths?¡± At this point, she deliberately nced at Yu Niaoniao with an apologetic expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m a straightforward person. I¡¯m more straightforward than most people, but I don¡¯t have any ill intentions toward you. You won¡¯t be angry, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao spoke unhurriedly. ¡°You said so much just now because you want to imply that I had no upbringing and despise me for being too barbaric. However, when the emperor bestowed the marriage, he had once praised me in the imperial edict for being virtuous, proper, appropriate, and smart. My character has already been recognized by the emperor, but you¡¯re publiclyughing at me for being unruly.¡± ¡°Why? Do you think the Emperor was wrong about me? Are you so powerful that you can point fingers at the emperor?¡± Thest sentence was like a thunderp, scaring the concubine so much that her expression changed drastically. She was about to jump up and use Yu Niaoniao of spouting nonsense when she saw her smile innocently. ... ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m also a straightforward person. I hope you won¡¯t be angry.¡± That concubine instantly felt that her breath was stuck in her chest and she could not swallow it or spit it out. She almost choked to death. It was said that Duke Lang was a silent living King of Hell. Why did he marry such an eloquent consort? How could two people withpletely opposite personalities live together?! Empress Dowager Deng did not want to see people quarrel during the new year, so she said in a low voice. ¡°Alright, stop talking.¡± The concubine could only shut her mouth resentfully. Empress Dowager Deng looked at Noble Consort Shu and asked about the poisonous snake. Noble Consort Shu had been waiting for this opportunity and immediately said, ¡°On the way to the Biquan Pce just now, the Princess Consort of Lang County suddenly killed a poisonous snake. I was almost scared to death.¡± ¡°Initially, I wanted to teach the Princess Consort of Lang County a lesson so that she would be more stable in the future.¡± ¡°Unexpectedly, the empress actually stood up for the Princess Consort of Lang County. This matter could only be left unsettled.¡± ... Towards the end, she deliberately pressed her chest and frowned slightly, revealing a look of lingering fear. Empress Dowager Deng was Noble Consort Shu¡¯s aunt. They were rtives, to begin with. In addition, Noble Consort Shu was a sweet-talker. After entering the pce, Empress Dowager Deng had always liked her. After listening to Noble Consort Shu¡¯s story, Empress Dowager Deng was very worried. She held Noble Consort Shu¡¯s hand and asked with concern. ¡°Did something happen to you? You don¡¯t look well. Do you want to get an imperial physician to take a look?¡± Noble Consort Shu said gently, ¡°Thank you for your concern, Empress Dowager. I was originally a little ufortable. However, after saying a few words to you, I feel much better.¡± ¡°It should be because I touched your blessing that my illness disappeared.¡± Empress Dowager Deng beamed with joy. ¡°You only know how to coax me.¡± Then, she looked at Yu Niaoniao and asked, ¡°Where did you get the snake?¡± Yu Niaoniao replied truthfully, ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Queen Mother Deng looked at her doubtfully, ¡°It¡¯s impossible for a poisonous snake to appear in the pce for no reason. Someone must have brought it in from outside.¡± Chapter 294 - 294 Murder 294 Murder Empress Dowager Deng was clearly suspecting Yu Niaoniao. Almost everyone felt that Yu Niaoniao was doomed but Yu Niaoniao was still very calm. ¡°That¡¯s right. I also think that the incident of the poisonous snake is strange, so I suggest investigating thoroughly. We have to investigate everyone who hade into contact with the sedan chair. ¡°We also have to investigate the people who had entered and left the pce these few days. If we can¡¯t get to the bottom of this matter, how can the Emperor and you sleep peacefully?¡± !! Empress Dowager Deng could not help but ask, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you¡¯ll have to be questioned too. Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± Yu Niaoniao said righteously, ¡°As long as I can ensure your and His Majesty¡¯s safety, I¡¯m willing to do anything! In any case, I¡¯m upright and not afraid of being investigated!¡± Empress Dowager Deng was speechless. She really did not expect Yu Niaoniao to say such words. Even Empress Wen looked at Yu Niaoniao twice, as if she was surprised by her response. Noble Consort Shu secretly clutched the silk handkerchief, feeling very nervous. If Empress Dowager Deng really wanted to investigate thoroughly, she might be the one to take the me. At that time, her tricks would be exposed. Empress Dowager Deng looked thoughtful as if she was thinking about whether Yu Niaoniao¡¯s suggestion was feasible. Noble Consort Shu was afraid that Empress Dowager Deng would agree to a thorough investigation, so she hurriedly spoke, ¡°Today is the first day of the new year. There are many people in the pce. It¡¯s really not easy to investigate. Besides, it would be inauspicious if word got out that something like this had happened on the first day of the new year.¡± ¡°In my opinion, why don¡¯t we turn a big matter into a small one?¡± Empress Dowager Deng had lived in the harem for most of her life. She had experienced far more schemes and plots than Noble Consort Shu. Noble Consort Shu¡¯s words sounded fine at first nce, but Empress Dowager Deng immediately sensed her nervousness. Coupled with what she had just said and Yu Niaoniao¡¯s reaction, Empress Dowager Deng quickly guessed the general situation. She let go of Noble Consort Shu¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯re right. Since the poisonous snake didn¡¯t hurt anyone, let¡¯s forget about this matter. I don¡¯t want to make everyone unhappy on the first day of the new year over such a small matter.¡± Noble Consort Shu keenly noticed the change in Empress Dowager Deng¡¯s mood. She felt a little uneasy, but she did not say anything, afraid that she would say too much and make too many mistakes. Empress Dowager Deng looked at Yu Niaoniao again. This time, her gaze became much kinder. ¡°You¡¯re a good child. It¡¯s his blessing that Mo Zhu married you.¡± Yu Niaoniao said obediently, ¡°Your Highness, you tter me.¡± Empress Dowager Deng said warmly. ¡°Your hand has just caught a poisonous snake. It¡¯s indeed not clean. What if you get poisoned? This is no joke. Someone, bring the Princess Consort of Lang County down to change her clothes and wash up.¡± Yu Niaoniao could only stand up to thank her and leave the main hall with a pce maid. As soon as they left, Princess Tao Ran slipped out. In any case, Princess Tao Ran usually did not receive much attention. Now that everyone was focused on Empress Dowager Deng, not many people would pay attention to her whereabouts. However, Noble Consort Shu had been secretly paying attention to Princess Tao Ran. She saw Princess Tao Ran follow Yu Niaoniao out and her red lips curled up slightly, revealing a smug smile. She would let the two women fight it out. She just needed to sit back and reap the benefits. ¡­ . Yu Niaoniao followed the pce maid for a while. At first, Yu Niaoniao did not think anything of it, butter on, when she realized that they were walking further and further away, she could not help but be vignt. She deliberately slowed down. ¡°Where are we going?¡± The pce maid walked in front and turned around to look at her. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be there soon.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked forward. It was a deep path to the bamboo forest. It was very quiet. Other than them, there was no one else. Her intuition told her that there was definitely a hidden danger ahead. She stopped, refusing to go any further. ¡°We¡¯ve walked so far and still haven¡¯t arrived. Did you lead us the wrong way?¡± Seeing this, the pce maid also stopped. As she stared at Yu Niaoniao coldly, her tone was filled with threat. ¡°I advise you to walk forward obediently. Don¡¯t refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit.¡± Yu Niaoniao stepped back. ¡°Who the hell are you? What do you want to do to me?¡± She lowered her hands and quietly pressed the small crossbow hidden in her wide sleeve with her right hand. This small crossbow was specially made for her by Xiao Juan to protect herself. She had always carried it with her. She did not expect it to reallye in handy today. There were only three small arrows in the small crossbow. They could not be used recklessly. Yu Niaoniao held her breath and stared at the pce maid¡¯s every move, secretly looking for a suitable opportunity to attack. The pce maid clearly felt that victory was in her grasp. She could not be bothered to pretend anymore and smiled sinisterly. ¡°I¡¯m a reaper sent by the King of Hell to take your life!¡± With that, she took out a dagger from her sleeve and stabbed it straight at Yu Niaoniao! Yu Niaoniao dodged sideways. At the same time, she took this opportunity to raise her right hand and press the expansion button. Whoosh! The small crossbow shot an arrow and hit the pce maid¡¯s heart! The pce maid screamed in pain as blood flowed out of her wound. She stumbled and fell to the ground. Yu Niaoniao immediately turned around and prepared to return the way she hade. Unexpectedly, she had just run two steps when she bumped into Princess Tao Ran, who was following her. Princess Tao Ran originally wanted to find an opportunity to attack Yu Niaoniao, but she happened to see Yu Niaoniao shoot the pce maid. ... She immediately shouted, ¡°Help! The Princess Consort of Lang County has killed someone!¡± Yu Niaoniao retorted, ¡°She attacked first. I was just protecting myself!¡± However, Princess Tao Ran did not listen to her exnation at all. She only kept shouting that the Princess Consort of Lang County had killed someone. It seemed that she was determined to pin the crime of murder on Yu Niaoniao. Now that there were witnesses and evidence, it was difficult for Yu Niaoniao to clear her name. Yu Niaoniao cursed her bad luck. She turned around and ran, nning to find Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan was very familiar with the pce. He should know what to do to escape. Seeing that she was about to run, Princess Tao Ran chased after her. ¡°Stop! You¡¯ve killed someone. Don¡¯t even think about escaping!¡± Yu Niaoniao did not turn around and increased her speed. As she turned a corner, a hand suddenly reached out from the side, grabbed her arm, and pulled. Caught off guard, she was pulled into a room. ... The door was quickly closed. Yu Niaoniao raised the small crossbow and aimed it at the person beside her, ready to attack at any moment. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot. It¡¯s me.¡± When Yu Niaoniao heard this familiar voice, her eyes widened. Under the faint light, she could see the man¡¯s face clearly. It was Shen Junzhi, whom she had not seen for a long time! Yu Niaoniao was about to ask why he was there when Shen Junzhi covered her mouth and gestured for her to keep quiet. There were hurried footsteps outside the door. At the same time, there was Princess Tao Ran¡¯s shout. ¡°Help! The Princess Consort of Lang County has killed someone!¡± Chapter 295 - 295 Unexpected Discovery 295 Unexpected Discovery Princess Tao Ran¡¯s shout quickly attracted a group of imperial guards. They were all shocked when they heard that the Princess Consort of Lang County had killed someone and fled. The imperial guards were divided into two groups. One group went back to check on the pce maid¡¯s corpse, while the other followed Princess Tao Ran to continue searching for the Princess Consort of Lang County. After they walked away, Shen Junzhi let go of Yu Niaoniao. !! Yu Niaoniao took two steps back to distance herself from him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Shen Junzhi said, ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Come with me first. It¡¯s not safe here.¡± He took Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand and wanted to take her away. Yu Niaoniao stood still. ¡°Tell me why you¡¯re in the pce first. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to leave with you.¡± From the moment she entered the pce until now, many things had happened in just four hours. This pce was full of danger to her. She could not trust anyone inside. This included Shen Junzhi, who was in front of her. Shen Junzhi was very helpless. ¡°You¡¯re still so stubborn. Alright, let me tell you. Today is the first day of the New Year. I followed the elders of my family into the pce to pay my respects to the emperor.¡± Yu Niaoniao thought that his surname was also Shen and could not help but make a guess. ¡°Are you from the royal family?¡± Shen Junzhi gave an affirmative answer. ¡°Yes, my father is Duke of Huan. I was originally in Zhengde Hall with my father. However, because there were too many people inside, it was too stuffy. I didn¡¯t feel too good, so I thought I¡¯de out and get some air. I didn¡¯t expect to bump into you here.¡± Yu Niaoniao had never heard of the Duke of Huan and nned to ask Xiao Juan when she returned. Shen Junzhi urged. ¡°If those guards can¡¯t find you, they will definitely send more people to search this ce from the inside out. If you are caught by them, you would definitely not be able to exin yourself.¡± ¡°Come with me quickly. I won¡¯t harm you.¡± However, Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m going to find Duke Lang.¡± Now, the only person she could trust in the pce was Duke Lang. Shen Junzhi said, ¡°He¡¯s still in the Zhengde Hall and won¡¯t be able toe out for a while. Come with me first. I¡¯ll help you find himter.¡± Yu Niaoniao thought for a moment and finally chose to believe him. They grew up together. On ount of their friendship, she was willing to trust him. Shen Junzhi brought her out of the house and took a detour around the pce before finally arriving at a dpidated pce. ¡°A concubine died here before. Since then, this ce has been locked up. No one hase in again. You¡¯re safe here.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the legendary Cold Pce?¡± Shen Junzhi smiled helplessly. ¡°This is the zed Jade Pce. It¡¯s fine if you insist that it¡¯s a Cold Pce. After all, this ce has been abandoned for many years. It¡¯s no different from a Cold Pce.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked around and realized that the zed Jade Pce was already abandoned. The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, and the path was filled with rotten branches and fallen leaves. Many of the pce doors and windows were damaged. As they entered the ce, a strong musty smell wafted over them. Yu Niaoniao pinched her nose. ¡°How many years has this ce been abandoned?¡± Shen Junzhi thought for a moment before saying. ¡°Twenty years.¡± The furniture in the house was still there, but because no one had cleaned it all year round, it was already covered in thick dust. Shen Junzhi coughed twice and said, ¡°I remember there¡¯s a well in the backyard. I¡¯ll get some water and help you clean this ce.¡± Yu Niaoniao declined his kindness. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I won¡¯t be here for long. There¡¯s no need to waste your time. You¡¯re not well and it¡¯s cold here. Stop standing here and go back to Zhengde Hall. At the same time, help me tell Duke Lang toe here and find me as soon as possible.¡± Shen Junzhi was quite happy to hear the first half of what Yu Niaoniao said, but when he heard the second half, his eyes could not help but darken. From the beginning to the end, the only person she trusted the most was Duke Lang. Shen Junzhi coughed lightly twice again before saying, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave first. Stay here and don¡¯t run around. I¡¯ll get Duke Lang to look for you as soon as possible.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± Shen Junzhi smiled gently. ¡°It¡¯s my duty to protect you. You don¡¯t have to say such polite words to me.¡± Yu Niaoniao reminded him, ¡°I¡¯m married.¡± Shen Junzhi¡¯s smile turned bitter. ¡°I know.¡± Neither of them spoke after that. Before Shen Junzhi expressed his feelings, Yu Niaoniao could still treat him like a brother. However, now that she knew his feelings, she could no longer interact with him without any misgivings like before. After all, she was already married. There were some things that needed to be avoided. Shen Junzhi looked at Yu Niaoniao and said, ¡°Then I¡¯m leaving.¡± ... ¡°Yeah.¡± Shen Junzhi turned around and left the zed Jade Pce. After he left, only Yu Niaoniao was left in the huge pce. There was dust everywhere in the pce. It was so dirty that there was not even a ce to sit. Yu Niaoniao recalled Shen Junzhi¡¯s words and finally went to the backyard. The backyard waspletely abandoned. A big tree in the middle of the courtyard had already withered. Part of its roots had been eaten away by insects. The entire tree had fallen to the ground, and even a portion of its roots had been brought out. The soil in that area was also in a mess. When Yu Niaoniao passed by with the bucket, she identally stepped on something hard. She looked down and saw a small dark object. She squatted down and picked up the thing. She wiped off the soil on it and took a closer look. She was shocked realized that it was a human bone! From its shape and size, it should be a baby¡¯s hand bone. ... Yu Niaoniao immediately felt a chill run down her spine. More than one person had died in this ce. She looked at the withered tree lying on the ground in front of her and hesitated for a long time. In the end, she decided to dig the spot and take a look. It would have been fine if she didn¡¯t know. Now that she knew that someone might be buried below, she couldn¡¯t just sit back and do nothing. She had to see what was going on. There was no hoe in the pce. She searched around and finally found a small shovel. This shovel should be a tool used by gardeners to loosen the soil when cultivating flowers and nts. It was small and easy to manage for Yu Niaoniao. She took off her heavy crown, took off her coat, pulled up her skirt, and stuffed it into her belt. She squatted on the ground and began to dig. She dug out some bones one after another. When she pieced all the bones together, she confirmed that it was a newborn baby. Princes and princesses often died prematurely in the harem. It was not rare for a dead baby to appear, but burying a dead child in the backyard was very strange. Moreover, the baby¡¯s bones were dark purple. It was obvious that he had died from poisoning. As for what poison it had been poisoned with, it would have to be examined by a professional coroner. Chapter 296 - 296 Disappointment 296 Disappointment Yu Niaoniao fetched a bucket of water, washed her hands, and wiped a chair. She sat in her chair and waited for Xiao Juan to pick her up. She waited for a long time and couldn¡¯t help but fall asleep against the back of the chair. When she woke up, it was almost dark outside. Yu Niaoniao could not help but feel a little nervous. !! Why wasn¡¯t Xiao Juan here yet? Could it be that Shen Junzhi had lied to her? Did Shen Junzhi actually not inform Xiao Juan? Yu Niaoniao stood up and walked to the door. The cold night wind blew in her face, making her shiver. She wrapped her clothes tighter around her and hesitated whether to continue waiting here or go out and take a look. In the evening, the zed Jade Pce looked even colder than during the day. Especially when the night wind blew past her ears, she could faintly hear someone crying. Coupled with the remains of the baby dug out from the backyard, it was simply an excellent setting for a haunted scene. If it were a timid girl, she would definitely cry from fear. Fortunately, Yu Niaoniao firmly believed in Marxism and did not believe that there was any supernatural power in this world, so she was not too afraid. What troubled her more now was her hunger. She had not eaten for most of the day. She was thirsty, hungry, and very cold. She really could not stay in this lousy ce anymore! Just as she decided to leave the zed Jade Pce, she suddenly heard footsteps. Immediately after, the front door of the zed Jade Pce was pushed open from the outside. A group of people walked in quickly withnterns. The person in the lead was Duke Lang, Xiao Juan! He walked very quickly, bringing with him a biting cold wind. His deep and cold eyes were dark, and his handsome face was tense without any expression. It was not until the moment he saw Yu Niaoniao that his eyes lit up again, and the expression on his face softened. Yu Niaoniao was pleasantly surprised. She pounced at Xiao Juan. ¡°Baby, you¡¯re finally here! I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time!¡± Xiao Juan caught her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte.¡± Originally, he had been staying in the Zhengde Hall with the other royal rtives. Because the Emperor was around, no one dared to leave casually. When it was noon, the Imperial Kitchen sent lunch over. After lunch, it was already afternoon. As usual, the pce hired famous performers to perform. The emperor, the empress, and the empress dowager had to watch the show and interact with the royal family. However, at this moment, news of the Princess Consort of Lang County killing someone suddenly spread out from the Biquan Pce! Xiao Juan¡¯s first reaction was disbelief. It was impossible for Niaoniao to kill someone! However, Princess Tao Ran insisted that she had seen the Princess Consort of Lang County kill someone with her own eyes. The evidence seemed conclusive, so Xiao Juan had to believe it. The emperor ordered a search for the Princess Consort of Lang. Xiao Juan did not look for Niaoniao with the others. Instead, he stayed at the crime scene and carefully examined the pce maid¡¯s corpse. The pce maid was killed by an arrow. This small arrow was very familiar to Xiao Juan. He had specially customized it for Niaoniao to protect herself. Based on his understanding of Niaoniao, she must have been forced to shoot the crossbow because she had no choice. Xiao Juan picked up the dagger that had fallen to the ground and looked at it. This thing was very unfamiliar. It shouldn¡¯t be something that Yu Niaoniao used. It most likely belonged to the pce maid. Then, he looked at the pce maid¡¯s hands. There were calluses on her palms. This was a characteristic that only martial arts practitioners had. How could an ordinary pce maid know martial arts? Xiao Juan ordered someone to get the register from the Internal Affairs Division for information about this pce maid. After a careful check, he identally discovered the truth: This pce maid was actually an imposter! She was not a real pce maid, but a fake. As for her true identity, there was no way to know for the time being. The clues that Xiao Juan had found were presented to the emperor. When the Emperor found out that an unknown person had sneaked into the pce, he was furious and ordered Noble Consort Shu to be called over to be reprimanded. ¡°Is this how you manage the harem? An imposter was openly operating under your nose, and you didn¡¯t notice at all! Is this your ability? You¡¯ve really disappointed me!¡± Noble Consort Shu was originally waiting to see Yu Niaoniao make a fool of herself. She did not expect this fire to burn her in the end. She knelt on the ground in fear and asked for the Emperor¡¯s forgiveness. The emperor punished the chief steward of the Imperial Attendant Division and themander of the Imperial Guards for their failure to ensure safety. Noble Consort Shu did not end up well either. She was ordered to be grounded for a month. During her imprisonment, she could no longer interfere with the affairs of the pce. The sixth prince, Shen Rui, tried to plead for his mother, but he was also reprimanded by the emperor. Since there was a problem with the identity of the pce maid, there was room for reconciliation for the murder of the Princess Consort of Lang County. However, they still had to find her. This time, Xiao Juan also joined the search. It was not until it was almost dark that he found Yu Niaoniao in the zed Jade Pce. Seeing that her nose was red from the cold, he touched her small hands which were also cold. Xiao Juan immediately took off his cloak and wrapped it around her. Yu Niaoniao immediately felt much warmer. ... She looked up at the man in front of her and asked, ¡°How did you find this ce? Did Shen Junzhi tell you?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Shen Junzhi? Is he the person you wanted to investigate previously? Does he know that you¡¯re here?¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. Shen Junzhi did not look actually for Xiao Juan. He really lied to her! Yu Niaoniao was very disappointed. She had known Shen Junzhi for so many years and had always trusted him. She did not expect him to betray her trust in the end. Yu Niaoniao said truthfully, ¡°Shen Junzhi was also in the pce. He happened to meet me and brought me here to take refuge. He also said that he would go to Zhengde Hall to look for you and tell you that I¡¯m in the zed Jade Pce. Have you never seen him?¡± Xiao Juan frowned. ¡°No.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Then how did you find this ce?¡± ¡°We searched the pces one by one. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have found you sote.¡± As Xiao Juan spoke, he sized her up from head to toe. He saw that other than her face turning pale, there was nothing else wrong with her. ... He rxed. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay.¡± Xiao Juan was about to bring Yu Niaoniao out of the zed Jade Pce when she stopped him. ¡°I found something here. I don¡¯t know what to do with it. Let me show you.¡± Xiao Juan followed her to the backyard and saw the remains of the baby on the ground. Yu Niaoniao roughly exined the process of discovering the remains. ¡°This child died a strange death. Do you want to investigate?¡± Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°This matter might be rted to the emperor. We have to report it to the emperor and let him make the decision.¡± Yu Niaoniao had no objections. Xiao Juan personally put the remains of the baby into a box and sent them to the emperor. He reported everything to the emperor and asked him to make a decision. The old emperor looked at the skeleton in the wooden box and was silent for a long time before speaking slowly. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Chapter 297 - 297 Huddling 297 Huddling Although the identity of the pce maid was questionable, it was a fait apli that Yu Niaoniao had killed someone. Until the case is ascertained, she remained in the Justice Department with the identity of the suspect for further investigation. Therefore, on the night of the first day of the Lunar New Year, Yu Niaoniao was locked up in the Justice Department. The Eagle Guards, who were supposed to be on holiday, had no choice but to take up their posts in advance. Yu Niaoniao thought that she would be thrown into jail, but she was brought to the room Xiao Juan usually used to rest. Meng Xizhou said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you to stay here for the next few days.¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be in jail?¡± Meng Xizhou chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re the Princess Consort. You take good care of us usually. How can we really lock you up?!¡± Yu Niaoniao was very worried. ¡°But if others find out about this, it will cause trouble for you, right?¡± ¡°We all know that you killed in self-defense. Locking you up here is just a procedure. Even if someone found out, we would be able to deal with it. Stay here and let us know if you need anything.¡± ¡°As long as you don¡¯t leave the Justice Department during this period of time, it doesn¡¯t matter where you go.¡± Not long after Meng Xizhou left, Xiao Juan arrived. He looked at Yu Niaoniao and said seriously. ¡°You¡¯re actually safer here.¡± Yu Niaoniaoughed. ¡°I understand. You don¡¯t have to exin.¡± Xiao Juan felt a little relieved. He was very afraid that Niaoniao would be angry. Fortunately, his worries were unnecessary. Niaoniao was smarter than he had expected. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Although this ce isn¡¯t asfortable as home, we have everything we need. I¡¯ve transferred the Eagle Guards back. With them around, your safety won¡¯t be a problem.¡± He had only brought Niaoniao into the pce for a while before she was assassinated. This made Xiao Juan feel guilty and gave him the impetus to strengthen his protection of Niaoniao. He had to investigate the background of that pce maid and see who was trying to harm Niaoniao. Only by catching the mastermind could Niaoniao be safe. Yu Niaoniao sighed. ¡°It¡¯s the new year. Why can¡¯t we have some peace?¡± Xiao Juan stroked her little head. ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you tonight.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Really? That¡¯s great!¡± After experiencing so much today, it would be a lie to say that she was not afraid at all. If Xiao Juan could stay, she would definitely be much more at ease. After spending half a year with him, she had unknowingly treated Xiao Juan as a spiritual support. As long as she was with him, she did not have to be afraid of anything. There was originally a bed in the room. Later on, in order to make it easier for her to take a nap, Xiao Juan got someone to specially add a low couch for her. Yu Niaoniao usually slept on a low couch, and today was no exception. After washing up, she consciously climbed onto the low couch. The Justice Department was not like Langjun Imperial Pce. They could only rely on braziers for warmth. Niaoniao moved one of the two braziers in the room to the side of the low couch. She wrapped herself tightly in the nket, feeling that it was not warm enough. She moved closer to the brazier, wanting to get closer to the source of the fire to dispel the chill. Xiao Juany on the bed alone. As long as he turned his head, he could see the low couch not far away. At this moment, he really regretted adding a low couch. If not for that low couch, she would have slept with him tonight. He was usually used to having someone by his side. Now that his side was empty, Xiao Juan felt very ufortable. He could not fall asleep even if he closed his eyes. He could only turn his head and look at the bed not far away in a daze. In the middle of the night, Xiao Juan still could not fall asleep. He really couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He lifted the nket and got out of bed, walking to the low couch. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao was already in a deep sleep. The winter night was very cold, so she specially covered herself with an extra nket. This made her face look even more small and cute. Xiao Juan called out in a low voice, ¡°Niaoniao.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not react. Xiao Juan called her name again. This time, she finally reacted. Half-opening her eyes, she asked groggily, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Are you cold?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Not cold.¡± It was a little cold when she first got into bed, but it was warm now. She even felt quitefortable. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have slept so soundly. Xiao Juan had originally thought that if she felt cold, he could get her to go to the bed and sleep with him. The two of them would not be cold if they leaned against each other for warmth. However, Niaoniao had already said that she was not cold. This reason was obviously useless. After a short silence, Xiao Juan spoke. ¡°But I feel cold.¡± Yu Niaoniao was very generous and said without hesitation, ¡°Thene and squeeze with me. My nket is very warm.¡± Xiao Juan did not expect things to go so smoothly. He immediately pulled open the nket and crawled in. The nket was already warm from Niaoniao¡¯s body heat. When Xiao Juany down, he felt that his entire body was wrapped in a warm aura. It was especiallyfortable. He turned to look at Niaoniao and said sincerely. ... ¡°It¡¯s morefortable with you here.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled proudly. ¡°Of course!¡± She had been full of Yang energy since she was young. In the past, Madam Xie would sleep with her every winter because her body was warm. Holding her to sleep was like hugging arge hot water bag. It was especiallyfortable. Xiao Juan was the opposite of her. He had suffered too much when he was young. His body was much weaker than children his age. Even after entering the pce and being nursed by the imperial physician, there were still many seque, including his cold constitution. His body temperature was lower than that of ordinary people all year round. It was fine in the summer, but not so in the winter. Yu Niaoniao reached out and touched Xiao Juan¡¯s cheek. She realized that his face was so cold. She covered his face with her hands. When his face heated up, she would cover his hands. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Are you still cold?¡± Xiao Juan looked at her without blinking, as if he was looking at a rare treasure. ... He held her hand and said softly. ¡°I¡¯m not cold anymore. Go to sleep.¡± Yu Niaoniao felt that his palm was indeed not so cold, so she closed her eyes in relief. Soon, she fell asleep again. Xiao Juan stretched out his well-defined fingers and gently and slowly brushed them across her cheek. His fingertips identally touched her lips. That soft and warm touch made his heart beat faster. As if he had done something bad, he quickly retracted his hand and did not dare to move again. Yu Niaoniao was still sleeping soundly, unaware of the man¡¯s small actions. The charcoal in the brazier was still burning quietly, emitting warmth. The cold wind blew past outside, and the night was as dark as ink. On the small couch, the two of them huddled against each other. In this warm atmosphere, Xiao Juan could not help but slow his breathing and close his eyes. Without realizing it, he fell asleep. At this moment, all the troubles in the outside world had nothing to do with them. They only had each other in their world. Chapter 298 - 298 Seeing Is Better Than Hearing Everything 298 Seeing Is Better Than Hearing Everything When Yu Niaoniao woke up, it was already the next morning. The sky outside the window was bright, and the man beside her was long gone. She stretchedzily. It felt so good to have a good sleep! Beside the bed was a brand-new dress. !! Yu Niaoniao picked it up and held it against herself. The size and length were just right. She put on her clothes and turned around in the mirror. The top was a short red jacket and the bottom was an apricot-colored pleated skirt. The skirt was embroidered with red plum blossoms. Coupled with a scarf made of white rabbit fur, it looked especially festive. Yu Niaoniao was very satisfied with this outfit. Shebed her hair into a simple and unique bun. She specially picked two golden hairpins embedded with red coral stones and inserted them into her bun. There was a knock on the door. Knock knock. Yu Niaoniao turned around. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s me.¡± It was Little Lo¡¯s voice! Yu Niaoniao immediately stood up and walked over to open the door. Lo Pingsha stood outside the door with a cup of hot water. ¡°I¡¯m here to bring you hot water.¡± Yu Niaoniao turned to let him into the room. Lo Pingsha poured water into the washbasin. Yu Niaoniao rolled up her sleeves and asked as she washed up. ¡°Where¡¯s Duke Lang?¡± Lo Pingsha hesitated for a moment before deciding to answer truthfully. ¡°This morning, the emperor ordered the Sky Wolf Guards to assist the Justice Department in investigating the case. The deputy general of the Sky Wolf Guards, Wei Liao, has already arrived at the Justice Department. He said that he wants to interrogate the relevant personnel involved. Duke Lang is talking to him now.¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped washing her face. ¡°Sky Wolf Guards?¡± When she first returned to the Jade Capital, she had heard Xiao Juan mention the Sky Wolf Guards, but she had never seen them. After a period of time, she had almost forgotten about the Sky Wolf Guards. She did not expect them to suddenly appear. Lo Pingsha was afraid that she would think too much, so he took the initiative tofort her. ¡°Although the Sky Wolf Guards are here, the lead on the case is still in our hands. We still have to listen to Duke Lang in the end.¡± Yu Niaoniao replied, ¡°Yes, I know.¡± She continued to wash her face, but she was a little worried. The Emperor had set up the Sky Wolf Guards to restrain the Justice Department. Now, he even asked the Sky Wolf Guards to interfere in the Justice Department¡¯s case. It was very likely that he wanted to divide the power of the Justice Department. This was not a good sign. Pan Dafu ran over with a heavy food box. ¡°Teacher, I¡¯m here to bring you breakfast!¡± Yu Niaoniao was very surprised. ¡°Aren¡¯t you on holiday to celebrate the new year at home? Why are you back?¡± Pan Dafu chuckled. ¡°I know you have to stay in the Justice Department for this period of time. I was worried that you wouldn¡¯t eat well, so I especially returned to the Justice Department in advance. In the future, I¡¯ll cover all your three meals a day. I guarantee that you¡¯ll eatfortably!¡± In the end, he did not forget to pat his chest with a confident expression. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°What about your family?¡± Pan Dafu said proudly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already told my family. When they found out about you, they urged me to hurry over and cook for you!¡± His father and grandfather admired the Princess Consort of Lang County¡¯s culinary skills. If not for the fact that the Justice Department did not allow outsiders to enter, his father and grandfather would have followed him to cook for the Princess Consort of Lang County. Yu Niaoniao was a little touched. Although she did not officially take Pan Dafu as her disciple, he sincerely regarded her as a teacher. She took out two red packets from her sleeve and gave one each to Lo Pingsha and Pan Dafu. Yu Niaoniao said pretentiously. ¡°Although you¡¯re both older than me, I¡¯m your teacher so I can be considered your elder. This is a red packet from your elder for the new year. You can¡¯t refuse an elder¡¯s gift. You have to ept it.¡± Lo Pingsha did not know whether tough or cry. He had never thought that he could get a red packet from someone younger than him. Pan Dafu was very direct. He epted the red packet without hesitation and said happily. ¡°Thank you, Teacher! This is the first red packet you gave me for the New Year. I have to keep it well.¡± He kept the red packet in his pocket like it was a treasure and did not forget to remind her. ¡°Teacher, hurry up and eat. The food won¡¯t taste good when it gets cold.¡± Yu Niaoniao sat down at the table. ¡°Have you eaten? If not, sit down and eat with me.¡± Lo Pingsha and Pan Dafu both said that they had already eaten. The two of them were afraid that they would disturb Yu Niaoniao from eating, so they tactfully retreated. Yu Niaoniao picked up the bowl and chopsticks, picked up the noodles, and ate. The noodles were very chewy. They were cooked under low heat with chicken soup, and there was a golden fried egg lying on the noodles. In addition, there were two stir-fried dishes and a dessert. ... There was a little too much food, so Yu Niaoniao could not finish it. She put down her bowl and chopsticks and saw Meng Xizhou standing outside the door, looking around. She called him in. ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± Meng Xizhou looked guilty. ¡°Duke Lang and Wei Liao want to interrogate all the people involved in the case. Please go over and cooperate with the investigation now.¡± Yu Niaoniao found it strange. She was just cooperating with the investigation. Why did Meng Xizhou have such an expression? It was not until she was brought to the interrogation room that she understood the reason. Meng Xizhou was very ashamed. ¡°Wei Liao said that if we want to do things ording to the rules, we have to ask questions here. Please don¡¯t be angry. They¡¯re just asking a few questions. With His Highness around, they won¡¯t dare to do anything to you.¡± Yu Niaoniao already understood what was going on. The Sky Wolf Guards knew her identity but still interrogated her in such a ce. It was obvious that they wanted to humiliate Xiao Juan. She straightened her sleeves and walked into the interrogation room. Yu Niaoniao was very familiar with this ce. ... She used to draw portraits of suspects here. But it was different today. She had be a suspect in the eyes of others. Two young men sat behind the table. One of them was Xiao Juan, and the other was Wei Liao, the deputy general of the Sky Wolf Guards. The Eagle Guards were dressed in deep ck, but the Sky Wolf Guards were different. Their clothes were mainly crimson. Inparison, the Sky Wolf Guards were much more ostentatious. Wei Liao looked to be in his early twenties. He was wearing a scarlet round-necked brocade robe. His facial features were handsome and fair, and his face was very exquisite. There was always a faint smile on his lips. Coupled with his slightly upturned peach blossom eyes, he looked like a flirtatious man in a drama. Yu Niaoniaoined in her heart. This person was obviously not a good person! Wei Liao sized Yu Niaoniao up and asked with a faint smile. ¡°You¡¯re the woman rumored to want Duke Lang by hook or by crook? It¡¯s really better to see you than to hear about you. You look quite ordinary in person.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Indeed, seeing is better than hearing. I was originally quite curious about what the deputy general of the Sky Wolf Guards looked like. Now, it seems that it¡¯s really disappointing.¡± Wei Liao raised an eyebrow. ¡°You have a sharp tongue.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled modestly. ¡°Far inferior to you.¡± Wei Liao leaned back and saidzily, ¡°We didn¡¯t summon you here to observe how you talk. Tell us, how did you kill that pce maid?¡± Chapter 299 - 299 Jackal 299 Jackal Yu Niaoniao recounted the process of the pce maid trying to harm her. Wei Liao said with a faint smile. ¡°These are just your side of the story. Do you have any evidence?¡± Yu Niaoniao replied frankly, ¡°No.¡± !! Wei Liao put on a troubled expression. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m willing to believe what you say, but we need evidence. If you don¡¯t have evidence, it¡¯ll be difficult for us to clear your name.¡± Yu Niaoniao replied calmly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to clear my name. I did kill someone. There¡¯s no doubt about it. What you need to investigate now is the identity and background of that pce maid. To find out why she sneaked into the pce and why she wanted to harm me?¡± Wei Liao spoke as if he hadn¡¯t heard her question. ¡°You should know that you have to pay with your life for killing someone. Even if you¡¯re the Princess Consort of Lang County, you can¡¯t escape thew.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I killed her in self-defense. ording to thews of the Dayan Dynasty, I can be exonerated.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°But you have no evidence to prove that you killed someone in self-defense.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°But you have evidence to prove that there¡¯s a problem with that pce maid¡¯s identity. This has already indirectly verified my words.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°But we stillck direct evidence.¡± ¡°The indirect evidence can only point out an investigation n for you. You¡¯ll have to worry about the rest. I¡¯m just a suspect who has lost her freedom now. I can¡¯t help you.¡± At this point, Yu Niaoniao smiled and added ambiguously. ¡°When you say that youck direct evidence, it means that you already believe what I said.¡± Wei Liao had been trying to steer the conversation just now. He had even dug a few pits for Yu Niaoniao, to jump into. However, this woman was really smart. Not only did she not fall into the pit, but she also fought with him for the right to dominate the conversation. This changed Wei Liao¡¯s opinion of Yu Niaoniao greatly. Wei Liao had thought that she was just a pretty girl, but it seemed that he had underestimated her. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Do you have anything else to ask?¡± Wei Liao turned to look at Xiao Juan, who was sitting beside him, and asked him if he had anything to ask. Xiao Juan replied coldly. ¡°No.¡± Wei Liao did not care about his cold attitude. He looked at Yu Niaoniao again and asked with a smile. ¡°I have onest question. How did you escape to the zed Jade Pce after killing the pce maid? I remember that you rarely enter the pce and are very unfamiliar with the terrain of the pce. The zed Jade Pce is also very remote. Don¡¯t tell me you got there by ident. Not many people would believe such a coincidence.¡± Yu Niaoniao was a little hesitant, not knowing if she should expose Shen Junzhi. Wei Liao leaned forward with one hand on the table. His amorous peach blossom eyes stared at Yu Niaoniao as he said half-jokingly. ¡°Let me guess. Excluding the possibility of a coincidence, someone was helping you. That person knew that you had killed someone. To protect you, he brought you to the zed Jade Pce.¡± At this point, he turned his head slightly and looked at Xiao Juan, who was sitting beside him and asked with a smile. ¡°Does Duke Lang know who the person who secretly helped the Princess Consort is? Do you know what their rtionship is?¡± Xiao Juan was silent. Seeing this, Wei Liao¡¯s smile widened as if he had seen a good show. ¡°Aiyaya, looks like the Princess Consort is hiding a lot of things from you!¡± Yu Niaoniao was a little anxious. She had thought of telling Xiao Juan about Shen Junzhi, but it was definitely not now. The situation was special now. If she confessed her rtionship with Shen Junzhi, not only would she not be able to rify the misunderstanding, but she might also make things worse. Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t discuss anything unrted to the case.¡± Wei Liao¡¯s smile disappeared. ¡°Alright, alright. Back to the main topic. How did you get to the zed Jade Pce? You haven¡¯t answered my question.¡± Yu Niaoniao weighed the pros and cons and finally decided to hide Shen Junzhi¡¯s existence for the time being. ¡°Princess Tao Ran insisted that I killed the person and even brought people to look for me everywhere. She looked like she wanted to bring me to justice. I was afraid that they would act rashly, so I found a ce to hide. I originally wanted to look for Duke Lang, but I was not familiar with the terrain of the pce and took the wrong path. I identally arrived at the zed Jade Pce.¡± Wei Liao sighed. ¡°It seems that you won¡¯t tell the truth.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°That¡¯s the truth.¡± Wei Liao said meaningfully, ¡°It seems that that person is very important to you. In order to protect him, you¡¯re not even willing to tell Duke Lang the truth. Tsk tsk tsk, your rtionship with that person is really deep.¡± Yu Niaoniao frowned. ¡°Please don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Wei Liao sat up straight and crossed his legs, looking rxed. He said slowly, ¡°Usually, if I encounter a situation where the criminal refuses to cooperate with the investigation, I will usually choose to torture him to extract a confession.¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯re different. You¡¯re Duke Lang¡¯s wife after all. This is Duke Lang¡¯s territory. I can¡¯t torture you in front of Duke Lang.¡± ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll give you another day to think about it. I hope you can give me a satisfactory answer at this time tomorrow.¡± With that, Wei Liao raised his right hand and gestured for Yu Niaoniao to leave. Yu Niaoniao nced at Xiao Juan and saw that there was no expression on his face. She could not tell if he was in a good or bad mood. She stood up and walked out of the interrogation room. Meng Xizhou and Lo Pingsha had been waiting outside. When they saw Yu Niaoniaoe out, they immediately went up to ask. ¡°How was it? Did Wei Liao make things difficult for you?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Meng Xizhou heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ... Lo Pingsha was more attentive. He realized that Yu Niaoniao¡¯s expression was not right and asked. ¡°Did something happen to you?¡± Yu Niaoniao hesitated before speaking. ¡°Where did Wei Liaoe from? Why haven¡¯t I heard of him before?¡± Although Lo Pingsha did not know why she asked this, he still told her everything he knew. ¡°Wei Liao is Wei Huai¡¯en¡¯s adopted son. You should know Wei Huai¡¯en, right? He¡¯s a eunuch in the pce and one of the most trusted people of the emperor. At the same time, he is also the general of the Heavenly Wolf Guards.¡± ¡°Wei Liao had always been working for Wei Huai¡¯en and had shown his face in front of the emperor. When the emperor established the Sky Wolf Guards, Wei Huaien rmended Wei Liao to the emperor.¡± ¡°Usually, Wei Huaien would be serving the emperor in the pce and could not leave. As such, the Sky Wolf Guards mostly listened to Wei Liao¡¯smands.¡± ¡°I had never interacted with Wei Liao before, so I didn¡¯t know much about him. All I know is that he has a nickname, Jackal.¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°Why do you call him Jackal?¡± Lo Pingsha exined, ¡°A jackal is greedy and cunning. As long as its prey is targeted, it will eventually be its meal.¡± ... Chapter 300 - 300 Buddha Jumps Over The Wall 300 Buddha Jumps Over The Wall Yu Niaoniao was in a mess. Instead of returning to the lounge, she went straight to the kitchen. Pan Dafu was surprised to see her here so early. ¡°Teacher, it¡¯s still early for lunch. Why are you here?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Go ahead. I¡¯m just walking around.¡± She had a habit of cooking good food when she was in a bad mood. !! Yu Niaoniao went to the storeroom to retrieve some ingredients and prepared to make Buddha Jumps Over The Wall Soup. This dish was veryplicated to make. Not only did it require many precious ingredients, but it also consumed a lot of time and energy. To the current Yu Niaoniao, what she had most was time and energy. She first removed the sand and fishy smell from the shark fins before steaming it in the Shao wine in the pot. She picked up the fatty meat, washed away the soup, and ced it aside for backup. Seeing that she was about to cook, Pan Dafu quickly came over and asked solicitously. ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡± Yu Niaoniao said casually, ¡°Help me kill a chicken and duck and wash the pig trotters andmb knuckles.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Yu Niaoniao did not stop moving. She waved the kitchen knife and cut the fish jaw into pieces. She added wine and green onions and boiled them in the water to remove the fishy smell. Then, she fished them out. The Gold Coin Abalone was steamed in the pot. She cut a cross-shape on each of them with a knife and ced them in a small basin. She added bone soup and Shao wine and steamed it for an hour. Then, she steamed a few quail eggs and peeled the shells for backup. Pan Dafu brought over the washed chicken and duck, then went to cook the pork trotters andmb knuckles. Yu Niaoniao took the chicken and duck and ced them on the chopping board. She picked up the knife specially used to chop bones and chopped off his head, neck, and feet. She did not throw these things away. Instead, she packed them in a basin and prepared to braise themter. At this moment, the pig trotters andmb knuckles were also cleaned by Pan Dafu. Yu Niaoniao put the pork trotter,mb knuckles, and duck into the pot together. She used boiling water to wash them several times to remove the blood and the gamey smell. Then, she put them into the pot and boiled them with soup and wine. She scooped them out for backup. Next, she had to cook sea cucumbers, pork trotters, ham, winter bamboo shoots, fish belly, and other ingredients. By the time she was done with all the ingredients, the morning had passed. Pan Dafu followed behind her the entire time and helped her. He was especially curious. What kind of dish needed so many ingredients? When all the ingredients were ready, Yu Niaoniao heated the iron pot, poured oil, added onions, ginger, and stir-fried the items to make them fragrant. Then, she poured all the chicken, duck,mb¡¯s knuckles, pig trotters, flower mushrooms, and winter bamboo shoots. She added seasoning and covered the pot to stew for an hour. Before she lifted the pot, she picked out the cinnamon and star anise and poured the rest of the ingredients into the basin. She left the soup in the pot for backup. Yu Niaoniao then went to the cer to choose a rtively good-looking wine jar. She poured stew into the wine jar and ced it on the small stove to heat it up. Then, she poured out the liquid and ced a small bamboo basket into the wine jar. She ced the ingredients that she had prepared earlier into the jar one by one and poured the soup into it. She used the lotus leaves to seal the mouth of the wine jar and then covered it with a bowl topletely seal the mouth of the wine jar. After doing this, Yu Niaoniao picked up the wine jar and carefully ced it on the small stove. It was already noon. Seeing that she was still circling the stove, Pan Dafu could not help but persuade her. ¡°Eat first. You can work after lunch.¡± Yu Niaoniao replied without looking up, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll eat here today.¡± Usually, Pan Dafu, his disciples, and the kitchen helpers ate in the kitchen. There was no special table in the kitchen. They all set out the food on the stove. The group gathered around the stove to eat, which meant they had no chairs and had to eat standing up. Pan Dafu felt that this was too unfair to Yu Niaoniao. He got someone to move a small table over and ced the food that belonged to Yu Niaoniao on it. He pointed at the recliner and said enthusiastically, ¡°Teacher, sit here and eat.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at the firewood on the small stove. After confirming that the fire was just right, she left in relief. She sat on the recliner, picked up the bowl and chopsticks, and started eating. Pan Dafu looked at her expectantly. ¡°I made all these dishes. Teacher, what do you think?¡± Yu Niaoniao said without hesitation, ¡°Not bad. They¡¯re all delicious. Your cooking has improved again.¡± Pan Dafu was overjoyed. ¡°As long as you like it. If it¡¯s not enough, I¡¯ll cook a few more dishes for you.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°No need. This is enough.¡± Seeing that Pan Dafu was still standing at the side, she could not help but ask. ¡°Why don¡¯t you eat?¡± Pan Dafu: ¡°Eat first, I¡¯ll wait on you.¡± It was the same between master and disciple in modern days. When the master ate, the disciple had to stand at the side and wait on him, helping to serve tea, water, and vegetables. Yu Niaoniao expressed that there was no need. ¡°Go ahead and eat. I don¡¯t need you to serve me here.¡± Seeing that she didn¡¯t want him to serve her, Pan Dafu was quite disappointed. He turned around and walked to the stove. ... His disciples and kitchen helpers had been waiting for a long time, but Pan Dafu had not eaten. They did not dare to touch their chopsticks. Only after Pan Dafu took his first bite did everyone dare to pick up their bowls and chopsticks to eat. While Yu Niaoniao was eating happily, the atmosphere in the dining hall outside was not good. Today, Wei Liao had brought the Sky Wolf Guards to help the Eagle Guards with the case, but they had yet to leave. Not only that, but the Sky Wolf Guards had also followed the Eagle Guards to the dining hall. It seemed that they were nning to stay for lunch. The Eagle Guards and the Sky Wolf Guards were not on good terms, to begin with. Now that they were together, they naturally did not like each other. Everyone¡¯s faces darkened and they did not say anything. The air was filled with animosity. Wei Liao ignored Xiao Juan¡¯s cold face and sat opposite him with a smile. ¡°The food in the Justice Department is not bad. The food here isparable to the restaurants in the Jade Capital.¡± Xiao Juan said expressionlessly, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to sit here.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°This seat is empty. What¡¯s wrong with letting me sit for a while? The dignified Prince Lang can¡¯t be so petty, right?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯ve always been very petty.¡± ... Wei Liao didn¡¯t expect him to say that and was obviously stunned. Seeing that he was sitting still, Xiao Juan stood up. Wei Liao thought that he was going to make a move, so he couldn¡¯t help but feel excited. He had long heard that Duke Lang was skilled. He had always wanted to spar with the other party and see who was stronger between the two. Just as Wei Liao was rubbing his fists and preparing to test his skills, he saw Xiao Juan walk past him without hesitation. Xiao Juan walked further and further away, not even looking at Wei Liao. Wei Liao asked. ¡°Where are you going? Do you still want to eat your food? If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll eat it for you!¡± Xiao Juan ignored him. Anyway, those dishes were not made by Niaoniao. He did not want to eat them in the first ce. He knew that Niaoniao hade to the dining hall and thought that she would eat with him as usual. However, he did not see her in the dining hall. He guessed that she was still busy in the kitchen, so he went straight to the kitchen to look for her. Everyone in the kitchen was eating happily when they suddenly saw Duke Lang appear. They were all shocked and almost dropped the chopsticks in their hands. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness!¡± Yu Niaoniao looked up and her heart skipped a beat when she saw Xiao Juan. Why was he here? Could it be because of what happened in the interrogation room just now? Chapter 301 - 301 Mistake 301 Mistake Xiao Juan looked down at the woman sitting in the recliner and asked. ¡°Why are you eating here?¡± Yu Niaoniao pointed at the wine jar on the small stove. ¡°I have to watch the fire. I can¡¯t leave. I might as well eat here.¡± At this moment, the wine jar had already boiled, and the fragrance kept spreading out. Xiao Juan smelled it as soon as he entered. !! He said, ¡°Can¡¯t someone else watch the fire for you?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I spent a lot of effort on this pot of food. I¡¯m worried about leaving it to others. Besides, others have to eat.¡± Xiao Juan did not say anything else, but he had no intention of leaving. Seeing this, Yu Niaoniao asked tentatively. ¡°Have you eaten? If not, do you want to sit down and eat together?¡± Xiao Juan nodded without hesitation. ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately said to the people standing foolishly beside the stove, ¡°Please bring another stool over.¡± The kitchen helpers hurriedly brought over a stool from next door. After carefully wiping it clean, they ced it beside the small table. Xiao Juan lifted his clothes and sat on the stool. Stupefied, Pan Dafu ced a clean bowl and chopsticks in front of Duke Lang. At this moment, everyone in the kitchen had eaten. They all looked at Duke Lang in a daze. The living King of Hell, who usually looked cold, indifferent, and unreasonable, was actually eating in the kitchen. Logically speaking, his aura waspletely ipatible with this kitchen that was filled with smoke and fire, but at this moment, it looked strangely harmonious. Yu Niaoniao was nervous. Her mind was filled with thoughts about how to exin Shen Junzhi to Xiao Juan. She suddenly heard Xiao Juan ask. ¡°Something bothering you?¡± Yu Niaoniao came back to her senses. ¡°How do you know I have something on my mind?¡± Xiao Juan said lightly, ¡°You¡¯ve only been eating the rice in your bowl and barely picked up any other food. You look distracted. There must be something on your mind.¡± Yu Niaoniao put down her chopsticks in embarrassment. ¡°I do have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Tell me, what is it?¡± Yu Niaoniao hesitated. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first. I¡¯ll tell youter.¡± There were other people in the kitchen. It was not convenient to talk about things. Xiao Juan looked at her deeply, as if he had guessed what she was thinking. After dinner, they helped the chefs clean up the kitchen and left. Yu Niaoniao wanted to stay and watch the jar of Buddha Jumps over the Wall, so Xiao Juan also stayed. The small table had not been moved. Pan Dafu had left some fruits, tea, and snacks on it as desserts for them. Yu Niaoniao held a teacup in her hand and asked softly as she observed Xiao Juan¡¯s expression. ¡°Do you want to know how I got from Crystal Spring Pce to zed Jade Pce?¡± Xiao Juan gave an answer without hesitation. ¡°Yes, I do.¡± It could be said that he was very direct and had no intention of beating around the bush. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Actually, Wei Liao was right. Someone did help me. That person¡¯s name is Shen Junzhi. He¡¯s one of my stepfather¡¯s students. He used to live in my house for three years.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°You once asked me to send someone to investigate him.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± She had long suspected Shen Junzhi¡¯s background and had asked Duke Lang to help investigate him, but he found nothing. Xiao Juan looked at her uneasy expression and asked coldly. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with him?¡± Yu Niaoniao said without hesitation, ¡°I treat him as my brother. He treats me as his sister. We¡¯re just siblings. Don¡¯t think too much!¡± Xiao Juan was silent. Even though he had zero experience in affairs between men and women, he could hear the hidden meaning in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s words. Yu Niaoniao said anxiously, ¡°I can swear that there¡¯s really nothing between us. If I lie, let me be struck by lightning¡­¡± Xiao Juan interrupted her. ¡°That¡¯s enough. I believe you.¡± Hearing this, Yu Niaoniao heaved a sigh of relief. Xiao Juan looked down at the tea in the cup and was silent for a while before asking. ¡°Can you tell me about you and Shen Junzhi?¡± He knew that those things would make him ufortable, but he still wanted to know. He wanted to know about her past. He wanted to know everything about her. Yu Niaoniao scratched her head in embarrassment. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s just some trivial matters. It¡¯s not worth mentioning.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯m free now anyway. I¡¯ll treat it as a story to relieve my boredom.¡± Yu Niaoniao had no choice but to start from the beginning. ... ¡°The first time I saw Shen Junzhi was when I was eight years old. He came to visit my stepfather, who, seeing his talent and intelligence, epted him as a student. He has lived with us ever since. He was three years older than me. I often went to y with him. ¡°After a while, our rtionship became more and more harmonious¡­¡± In the beginning, Yu Niaoniao was still very nervous and careful with her words. She was afraid of causing any misunderstanding. But gradually, she became immersed in her memories and spoke more casually. ¡°Shen Junzhi is very smart and learns very quickly. My stepfather often praised him and asked me to take him as an example and learn from him.¡± ¡°Actually, my learning speed is even faster than Brother Junzhi¡¯s. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m toozy to learn. Anyway, I can¡¯t take the imperial examination. Even if I memorize four books and five sutras, it¡¯s useless. Why waste my effort?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Xiao Juan looked at her calmly and asked, ¡°You called him Brother Junzhi?¡± ... Yu Niaoniao froze. She covered her mouth. She had forgotten herself and actually said what she used to call him. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re really close to him.¡± With that, he stood up and walked towards the door. Yu Niaoniao quickly chased after him. ¡°Don¡¯t go! I misspoke just now!¡± Xiao Juan walked out of the kitchen without looking back. Yu Niaoniao chased after him for two steps, but because she was still sitting on the stove, she could not leave. She could only watch Xiao Juan leave. She sat back down dejectedly and raised her hand to p her mouth twice. ¡°Who asked you to have such a cheap mouth? Now that you¡¯ve made him leave in anger, how are you going to clean up the mess?¡± Xiao Juan returned to Mirror House. The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became. He believed in her character. She was not a promiscuous woman. However, Shen Junzhi¡¯s existence was still like a thorn in his heart, making him feel very ufortable. Xiao Juan looked at the dossier in front of him, but he could not read a word. After an hour, he could not sit still anymore and called Meng Xizhou in. ¡°Go and investigate a man named Shen Junzhi.¡± Meng Xizhou: ¡°Shen Junzhi? Didn¡¯t you ask us to investigate him before? We didn¡¯t find anything. There¡¯s no such person in the household register.¡± Xiao Juan analyzed calmly. ¡°This means that he¡¯s using a fake name. He is neen years old this year and could enter the pce. This meant that his status was not low. He also knew the terrain of the pce very well, which meant that he should be from the pce.¡± ¡°Or perhaps he had lived in the pce for a long time. There shouldn¡¯t be many people who can match these people at the same time.¡± Meng Xizhou immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and check now.¡± Chapter 302 - 302 Really Incorrigible! 302 Really Incorrigible! It wasn¡¯t until the sun set that the Buddha Jumps Over The Wall Soup was ready. Yu Niaoniao carefully picked up the wine jar and tied it with twine to make a simple handle. She carried the wine jar out of the kitchen and walked towards Mirror House. It was already time to go on duty. The Eagle Guards were walking out in groups when they suddenly smelled a rich fragrance. They followed the fragrance and saw the County Princess carrying a wine jar. That wine jar was the source of the fragrance. The Eagle Guards all knew that the Princess Consort was lively and cheerful and was an easygoing person, so they leaned over curiously and asked what delicious food was in the wine jar. Yu Niaoniao sighed. ¡°I identally made His Highness angry. This is an apology gift for him.¡± The Eagle Guards had originally wondered if they could thicken their skin and ask for a bite or two to try. Now that they knew that this was her apology gift, everyone was too embarrassed to ask for it andforted her. ¡°His Highness likes you so much, he definitely won¡¯t be angry with you.¡± ¡°Just say a few good words to himter and coax him. He should be fine.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled at them. ¡°Thank you for your blessings. I hope he can forgive me.¡± The Eagle Guards collectively cheered her on. ¡°You will seed!¡± The wine jar was very heavy. By the time Yu Niaoniao reached Mirror House, her fingers were red, and her arms were sore. Fortunately, Xiao Juan had not left. He was packing the dossier on the table when he suddenly saw Yu Niaoniao walk in with a fragrant wine jar. He immediately stood up and walked over to take the wine jar from her. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask someone else to carry such a heavy thing?¡± Yu Niaoniao rubbed her sore arm and said coquettishly, ¡°This is a dish I specially prepared for you. I just wanted to send it to you myself.¡± Xiao Juan ced the wine jar on the table and took her hand. He could not help but feel his heart ache when he saw the deep marks on her fingers. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded vigorously. ¡°It hurts very much!¡± Xiao Juan frowned. ¡°Could it be a strain? I¡¯ll get Little Lo to take a look at you.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯m not injured. It just hurts a little. You just have to blow on it for me and I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Xiao Juan was helpless. She was wheedling again. However, he could not refuse. In the end, he could only bend down and move his thin lips to her fingers, blowing expressionlessly. Yu Niaoniao guided her carefully. ¡°Not only do you have to blow, but you have to make a whooshing sound to be effective.¡± Xiao Juan felt that she was pushing her luck. He straightened, releasing her ws. ¡°You look better.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately took his hand. ¡°But you don¡¯t look well. Are you still angry with me? I¡¯ll blow for you. Can you not be angry?¡± With that, she lowered her head and blew at his fingers. The warm breath sprayed on his finger, stirring up an inexplicable feeling in Xiao Juan. It was said that ten fingers were connected to the heart. The numbness felt by the fingers could also be felt by the heart. Xiao Juan retracted his hand. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m not angry. You don¡¯t have to do this.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him doubtfully. ¡°Really?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Really.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then smile for me to see.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. He forced a stiff smile. Yu Niaoniao was almost sent away by his smile. She took a few steps back and said in horror,¡±Stop smiling! It¡¯s too scary!¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s facial features were sharp, to begin with, and his temperament was very cold. He was the kind of person who was not to be trifled with. When he suddenly raised the corners of his mouth, she immediately felt as if he had been possessed by a ghost. It looked sinister and especially terrifying! Xiao Juan suppressed the corners of his mouth and returned to his expressionless state. ¡°You asked me to smile.¡± Yu Niaoniao felt very wronged. ¡°I used to think you have a nice smile. Why is it so scary today?¡± Xiao Juan stopped talking. He returned to the back of the table and continued to arrange the files. When Yu Niaoniao saw him like that, she knew that he was angry again. She leaned over and took his sleeve. ¡°It was my fault just now. If you want to smile, smile. If you don¡¯t want to smile, don¡¯t smile. I shouldn¡¯t have forced you.¡± Xiao Juan ignored her. Yu Niaoniao circled around him like a bee. ¡°Will you stop ignoring me? What do you want me to do to make you forgive me?¡± Xiao Juan nced at her and suddenly said, ¡°Answer two questions.¡± ... Yu Niaoniao immediately said, ¡°Go ahead and ask. I¡¯ll definitely answer everything.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Does Shen Junzhi smile well?¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Holy sh*t, what a question! Xiao Juan said, ¡°Compared to Shen Junzhi, whose smile is better?¡± Yu Niaoniao felt like there was a sword hanging above her head. As long as she answered one word wrong, she could forget about leaving Mirror House alive today. She spoke carefully. ¡°Of course, you look the best! ¡°You¡¯re the man I¡¯ve admired for a long time. Not to mention Shen Junzhi, even ten of him added together would not be as important to me as you.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her quietly. ¡°Is that so?¡± Yu Niaoniao sighed heavily. ... ¡°To put it bluntly, if there was really something between me and Shen Junzhi, I would have been with him long ago. Why would I marry you?¡± That was the reason, but Xiao Juan felt ufortable. His handsome face was tense as he said in a low voice,¡±But you called him Brother Junzhi.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I can have many brothers, but you¡¯re my only treasure.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. Although he knew that she was just sweet-talking, he still felt sweet. How hopeless! Xiao Juan said, ¡°He spent three years with you. You shared a beautiful memory thatsted three years.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You and I are going to spend the rest of our lives together. How can our future bepared to just three years?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Can you promise me not to see him alone again?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I have to rify. Ever since we got married, I haven¡¯t taken the initiative to meet him. We always happen to meet.¡± Xiao Juan frowned slightly. ¡°Could there be such a coincidence?¡± Yu Niaoniao spread her hands. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Anyway, what I said is true.¡± Xiao Juan was deep in thought. He felt that things were not that simple. Yu Niaoniao opened the wine jar, and a rich fragrance spread. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Hurry up and eat! This is the Buddha Jumps Over The Wall I carefully cooked for you.¡± Xiao Juan did not eat much for lunch. When he smelled the fragrance, his thoughts were immediately attracted by the delicious food in front of him. He picked up a piece of abalone with his chopsticks and tasted it. It was fresh, fragrant, smooth, and tender. The texture was chewy, and it was fragrant but not greasy. It was a rare delicacy. Yu Niaoniao also picked up a piece of chicken and ced it in her mouth. She narrowed her eyes in happiness and sighed sincerely. ¡°My mother once told me that as long as I can still eat delicious food, there¡¯s still hope in life.¡± Chapter 303 - 303 Excusable 303 Excusable The next morning, Yu Niaoniao refused to get up. It was too cold outside. Since she had nothing to do today, she nned to stay in bed for a while longer. Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t go as nned. Soon, Xiao Juan came to inform her that someone wanted to see her. !! Yu Niaoniao asked who it was. Xiao Juan said, ¡°They¡¯re your siblings.¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°Why are they here?¡± With difficulty, she unsealed the nket and got up from the bed. When Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping walked in, Yu Niaoniao was already dressed. The siblings bowed to Xiao Juan and then looked at Yu Niaoniao in unison. They sized her up from head to toe. They saw that she was dressed well and looked energetic. She did not look like someone who had gone to jail. Yu Pingping could not help but ask, ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that you were locked up in the Justice Department?¡± Yu Niaoniao lied casually. ¡°Yes, I want to see you guys so I just came out of prison. I still have to be locked upter.¡± Yu Pingping believed her and could not help but frown. ¡°It must be very cold in prison this winter. How did you spend the night? What if you catch a cold?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked with a cheeky smile, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re very worried about me?¡± Yu Pingping¡¯s expression froze. She turned her head away unnaturally and replied stiffly. ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. I can¡¯t be bothered to care about you.¡± Xiao Juan could tell that they had a lot to say and casually found an excuse to leave. ¡°I still have things to do. Enjoy your chat.¡± Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping watched him leave respectfully. After he left, the siblings immediately rxed. Yu Sheng took out a bag and ced it on the table. He said, ¡°Life in prison is not easy. These are the clothes and food we prepared for you.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not expect them to be so considerate. She opened the bag, picked up the clothes, and ced them against her body. ¡°Is it nice?¡± Yu Pingping pursed her lips. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± Yu Sheng looked at his sister helplessly. ¡°You chose this style yourself.¡± Yu Pingping blushed and stomped her feet. ¡°Shut up!¡± His brother was so annoying. Why did he have to give her away? If Yu Niaoniao found out, she would definitelyugh at her. As expected, the next moment, she saw Yu Niaoniaough. ¡°Haha, so Yu Pingping personally chose these clothes. No wonder they¡¯re simr to the clothes Yu Pingping is wearing.¡± Yu Pingping¡¯s thoughts were exposed, and her face turned even redder. She did have some thoughts when choosing the style of the clothes. She specially chose two dresses of simr styles. One was for Yu Niaoniao, and the other was for her to wear. This way, they could wear matching sister outfits. Yu Pingping flew into a rage out of humiliation and instantly exploded. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, you don¡¯t have to!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°How can I not like such good material and workmanship? I¡¯ll try it now.¡± She went behind the screen and quickly changed into her new clothes. The milky-white cored upper coat was paired with a light yellow pleated skirt. There were yellow plum blossoms embroidered on thepels and cuffs, and a circle of pale yellow millet pearls rolled around the edges. The skirt was embroidered with white cloud patterns, and there was also a pair of embroidered shoes iid with pearls. The color was light, but it did not lose the charm of a young girl. She looked like the first bud of spring, full of vitality. Yu Niaoniao spun in front of her siblings. ¡°How is it? Does it look good?¡± Yu Sheng said without hesitation, ¡°It looks good. This outfit suits you very well.¡± Yu Pingping snorted. ¡°This is because I have good taste.¡± She was also wearing a light yellow pleated dress today, but it was matched with a light green short jacket. Yellow spring flowers were embroidered on the clothes, and there were small pearls at the stamens. It was from the same series as Yu Niaoniao¡¯s dress. When the two of them stood together, it was obvious that they were sisters. Yu Niaoniao sat down at the table. ¡°I¡¯ll take the clothes. Is there anything else?¡± Yu Pingping muttered unhappily, ¡°Why? We¡¯ve just arrived. Do you want to chase us away?¡± Yu Niaoniao exined. ¡°This is the Justice Department. Ordinary people are not allowed to enter. It was Duke Lang¡¯s special favor that they coulde in today. But you can¡¯t stay here for too long, lest others gossip.¡± Yu Sheng hurriedly said, ¡°We won¡¯t stay long. We¡¯re here mainly to see how you¡¯re doing.¡± Yu Niaoniao spread her hands. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m fine now. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ... Yu Pingping said, ¡°Fortunately, you¡¯re fine. Otherwise, those people outside would gossip again.¡± Hearing her words, Yu Niaoniao knew that there must be rumors about her outside again. She asked curiously. ¡°What are they saying about me?¡± Yu Pingping said, ¡°They said that your rtionship with Duke Lang is broken. Duke Lang even hit you and you killed someone in a fit of anger.¡± Yu Niaoniao was dumbfounded. ¡°They¡¯re so imaginative!¡± Yu Shengforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t bother about those people. They have nothing better to do and like to talk nonsense. After the case is investigated and you regain your innocence, those rumors will copse on their own.¡± She paused and nced carefully at Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Sis, there are no outsiders here. Tell us the truth. You didn¡¯t kill anyone, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao sighed, her expression pained. ... ¡°I did kill someone.¡± Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping immediately panicked. Yu Pingping stood up. ¡°You really killed someone?!¡± Yu Niaoniao exined, ¡°The other party wanted to kill me. I fought back in self-defense.¡± Hearing this, Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping felt better. They were afraid that their sister was a depraved murderer. It would be understandable if she had only fought back in self-defense. Yu Sheng said in a low voice, ¡°Your case is very troublesome.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I know.¡± Yu Pingping was quite optimistic. ¡°In any case, Duke Lang is your husband. With him protecting you, he will definitely be able to clear your name in the end.¡± Yu Niaoniao thought of the Sky Wolf Guards who had ill intentions and sighed softly. ¡°I hope so.¡± If this case was handed over to the Justice Department to investigate, Yu Niaoniao believed that she would be able to clear her name quickly. However, now that the Sky Wolf Guards had interfered, the situation immediately becameplicated. What would the final oue be? She was not sure. Now, they could only take things one step at a time. After the chat, Yu Niaoniao sent Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping out. Yu Sheng reminded, ¡°If you need any help, just tell us. We¡¯ll definitely do our best to help you.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°I know.¡± Yu Sheng hesitated for a moment before speaking. ¡°Father was worried about you.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s expression was indifferent. ¡°Oh.¡± Yu Sheng said, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. He knows that you¡¯ve been locked up in the Justice Department. He hasn¡¯t been eating or sleeping well for the past few days. He actually wants toe and see you, but you know his personality. He wants to save face. Even though he¡¯s worried to death, he refuses to say anything.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Chapter 304 - 304 Perjury 304 Perjury Seeing that she still didn¡¯t seem to care, Yu Sheng advised seriously, ¡°I know you feel wronged, but he¡¯s still your biological father. Can you stop hating him?¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked. ¡°I don¡¯t hate him.¡± Yu Sheng did not believe her. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t like him much, but it¡¯s not to the point of hating him.¡± !! Yu Sheng was still slightly doubtful. Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°If I didn¡¯t have a good life all these years, maybe I¡¯d have hated him. But in fact, I¡¯ve been living well in Bashu all these years. My mother and stepfather gave me a perfect family. I grew up in a blissful atmosphere and personally felt what kinship was. Why should I hate when I have so much love?¡± This time, not only Yu Sheng, but even Yu Pingping was stunned. This was the first time Yu Niaoniao had talked about the past in front of them. They thought that Yu Niaoniao¡¯s life should not have been very good in the past. After all, she lived in a remote ce like Bashu. Moreover, Madam Xie married again and Yu Niaoniao had to live with her stepfather. Her life must be like walking on thin ice. Unexpectedly, the truth was the opposite of what they had imagined. She was actually living very well, even better than in the Imperial Capital. Yu Pingping could not help but ask. ¡°If you¡¯re living so well, why did youe to Imperial Capital?¡± The smile on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face faded. ¡°Because my mother and stepfather passed away. My maternal grandfather and grandmother are old. I don¡¯t want to cause them trouble, so I can onlye to Imperial Capital.¡± Yu Pingping knew that she had misspoken. She wanted to apologize, but she could not bring herself to do so. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, but she could not say a word. Yu Sheng said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bringing up your sad matters.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s all in the past.¡± Yu Niaoniao appeared very calm as if she had already gotten over everything. After sending Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping off, Yu Niaoniao sat alone at the table for a while. Actually, she had never been able to get over it. The deaths of Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan had always been a knot in her heart. Unless the real culprit was found, she would hold a grudge for the rest of her life. Yesterday, Xiao Juan and Wei Liao interrogated all the relevant personnel in the case. There was only one person who was not present, and that was Princess Tao Ran. She was still grounded and could not leave the princess¡¯s manor without the emperor¡¯s permission. In order to interrogate her, Wei Liao had especially entered the pce yesterday to seek permission from the emperor. This morning, Princess Tao Ran was brought to the Justice Department. The first thing she said was: ¡°The Princess Consort of Lang County killed someone. I saw it with my own eyes. There¡¯s no mistake!¡± Xiao Juan looked at her expressionlessly with a cold gaze. Wei Liao still had a half-smile on his face. ¡°Please tell me the whole story of the murdermitted by the Princess Consort of Lang County.¡± Princess Tao Ran only saw the pce maid being shot in the heart and falling to the ground. But she knew that saying that would not convict Yu Niaoniao, so she began to embellish. ¡°I saw her arguing with that pce maid. The two of them fought, and then she shot an arrow and killed the pce maid. After that, I asked her to stay and plead guilty. She refused to listen to my advice and fled. It¡¯s obvious that she has a guilty conscience.¡± Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°What posture did she use and from which direction did she shoot the arrow? What posture did the pce maid take?¡± Princess Tao Ran did not answer the question. ¡°Cousin Mo Zhu, long time no see. I miss you.¡± Xiao Juan emphasized, ¡°Answer my question just now.¡± Princess Tao Ran hooked a strand of hair with her finger and smiled slyly. ¡°You can ask me to answer your question if you agree to one of my requests. You have to apany me to dinnerter.¡± Wei Liao said with the mentality of watching a show, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll promise you on his behalf.¡± Xiao Juan did not even look at Wei Liao and said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s your duty to cooperate with our investigation.¡± Princess Tao Ran pouted. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to cooperate! Are you going to torture me?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°You can try.¡± Wei Liao looked at him in surprise and deliberately asked in an exaggerated tone. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you really want to hurt the princess?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The Justice Department hasn¡¯t tortured a princess yet. I don¡¯t mind setting a precedent.¡± Princess Tao Ran rolled her eyes and suddenly smiled. ¡°You can torture me, but I want Cousin Mo Zhu to do it himself. ¡°As long as it¡¯s Cousin Mo Zhu, I¡¯m willing even if it kills me.¡± Wei Liao sighed. ¡°Your Highness is so infatuated. I¡¯m almost moved to tears.¡± Xiao Juan knew Princess Tao Ran¡¯s personality. The more he ignored her, the more excited she became. He stood up. ¡°I still have something to do. Little Lo, help me out for a while.¡± ... With that, he strode out of the interrogation room. Seeing this, Princess Tao Ran immediately panicked. ¡°Don¡¯t go! Come back!¡± She stood up and wanted to chase after him, but she was firmly held down by two Eagle Guards. She shouted in exasperation. ¡°Get lost! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Lo Pingsha took Xiao Juan¡¯s ce. He quietly watched as Princess Tao Ran shouted. He had no intention of dissuading her. In the end, it was Wei Liao who couldn¡¯t stand the noise and rubbed his ears. ¡°Your Highness, stop shouting. He¡¯s already gone. Even if you shout until your throat tears, he won¡¯t hear you.¡± Princess Tao Ran clenched her fists and said, ¡°I only speak to Cousin Mo Zhu. No one else can get a word out of me!¡± ... Wei Liao said, ¡°But if you don¡¯t speak, we won¡¯t be able to convict the Princess Consort of Lang County.¡± These words hit Princess Tao Ran¡¯s soft spot. She immediately calmed down. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you everything I saw. The Princess Consort of Lang County killed the maid.¡± Lo Pingsha reminded him, ¡°You haven¡¯t told me the exact details of the murdermitted by the Princess Consort of Lang County.¡± Princess Tao Ran was very impatient. ¡°What other details can there be? Isn¡¯t it just an arrow? Those who shot from the front will be killed directly.¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°If she was shot from the front, they must have been facing each other. That pce maid is neither blind nor stupid. If she saw someone shooting at her, wouldn¡¯t she dodge?¡± Princess Tao Ran said, ¡°They were fighting. The two of them were too close. The pce maid couldn¡¯t avoid it.¡± ¡°Why were they fighting? What position were they fighting in?¡± Princess Tao Ran did not want to answer these trivial questions. Lo Pingsha said, ¡°If you don¡¯t make things clear, we won¡¯t be able to settle the case.¡± Princess Tao Ran could only say. ¡°I don¡¯t know why they fought, but they were already fighting when I saw them. The pce maid grabbed the clothes of the Princess Consort of Lang County, and the Princess Consort of Lang County took the opportunity to shoot an arrow into her heart.¡± Lo Pingsha asked, ¡°Did the pce maid grab the clothes of the Princess of Lang County? Was it her chest? Or her clothes?¡± Princess Tao Ran thought for a moment before saying, ¡°It should be the hem of her clothes.¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°The gown the princess wore that day was very long and was draped all the way to the ground. If the pce maid wanted to grab the hem, she would have to squat on the ground.¡± Princess Tao Ran immediately corrected herself. ¡°It was thepel on her chest! I misremembered it just now.¡± Lo Pingsha called over an Eagle Guard. The two of them stood facing each other. Lo Pingsha let the Eagle Guard grab thepels of his chest while he raised his right hand in an archery gesture. In the end, they realized that the Eagle Guard¡¯s action of grabbing the other party¡¯s clothes caused his arm to block his chest. It was impossible for the arrow to pierce through and hit the heart. Lo Pingsha looked at Princess Tao Ran expressionlessly. ¡°Do you know the crime of perjury?¡± Chapter 305 - 305 We’re a Match Made in Heaven 305 We¡¯re a Match Made in Heaven Princess Tao Ran was speechless. She was so focused on convicting Yu Niaoniao that she made many mistakes in her testimony. At this moment, she was filled with regret. If she had known earlier, she wouldn¡¯t have said so much just now. Now that someone had found a loophole in her words, it would be difficult for her to smooth things over. Lo Pingsha continued, ¡°I know you¡¯re a princess and have a noble status, but don¡¯t forget that this is the Justice Department. Even royal rtives have to follow the rules here.¡± Princess Tao Ran had learned her lesson this time. She stopped talking and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you. Get Duke Lang here. Unless he¡¯s here, don¡¯t expect me to tell the truth.¡± In the face of her threat, Lo Pingsha was neither angry nor anxious. He still spoke calmly. ¡°Since Your Highness is unwilling to cooperate with the investigation, please go back. As for your previous testimony, it will be treated as perjury and void.¡± Princess Tao Ran immediately panicked. ¡°Why should it be invalidated? I¡¯m telling the truth!¡± Lo Pingsha looked at her quietly. Princess Tao Ran was very unhappy. ¡°Even if part of what I said just now is fake, part of it is true. The Princess Consort of Lang County really killed someone! I can swear!¡± Lo Pingsha said calmly, ¡°Many people know that you admire Duke Lang. Out of jealousy, you hate the Princess Consort of Lang County.¡± Princess Tao Ran frowned. ¡°What do you mean by that? Do you suspect that I framed her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not impossible.¡± Princess Tao Ran was furious. ¡°What right do you have to say that? Do you have evidence?!¡± Lo Pingsha asked, ¡°Then what right do you have to say that the Princess Consort of Lang County deliberately killed someone? Do you have evidence?¡± Princess Tao Ran was exasperated, but she couldn¡¯t find any words to refute him. She pointed at Lo Pingsha and scolded, ¡°How dare you! Do you know who I am? How dare you speak to me like that!¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°I¡¯ve just said that even if you¡¯re a rtive of the royal family, you have to follow the rules when you reach the Justice Department. The rules here are evidence.¡± Princess Tao Ran couldn¡¯t out-talk him and started to make a scene. ¡°I don¡¯t care! I want to see Duke Lang! If you don¡¯t let me see him, I won¡¯t leave!¡± Lo Pingsha gave the Eagle Guards a look. The Eagle Guards stepped forward and grabbed Princess Tao Ran¡¯s arms, forcefully lifting her up. She was pushed out. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! I¡¯m not leaving! I want to see Cousin Mo Zhu!¡± However, no matter how much she shouted, no one paid attention to her. Yu Niaoniao made the leftovers from the Buddha Jumps Over The Wall Soup yesterday into braised food. She carried the food box and walked towards Mirror House, nning to try the food with Xiao Juan. Coincidentally, she bumped into Princess Tao Ran on the way. When Princess Tao Ran saw Yu Niaoniao, her eyes turned red with anger. ¡°B*tch! It¡¯s all your fault! You snatched Cousin Mo Zhu away! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Two Eagle Guards grabbed her tightly, preventing her from hurting the Princess Consort of Lang County. Yu Niaoniao looked puzzled. ¡°What does Duke Lang not liking you have to do with me?¡± Princess Tao Ran shouted, ¡°It¡¯s because of you that he doesn¡¯t want me! It¡¯s all because of you!¡± Yu Niaoniao reminded her, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you knew Duke Lang before me. If Duke Lang was interested in you, he would have proposed to you long ago. How could I have anything to do with it?¡± How could Princess Tao Ran not know this? She knew that Xiao Juan did not like her, but at least he was not married at that time. Since there was no one else in his heart, she still had hopes of getting him. But it was different now. Xiao Juan already had someone in his heart, and she could no longer enter his heart. Herst hope was gone. Princess Tao Ran almost broke down. ¡°Even if he doesn¡¯t like me, he shouldn¡¯t like you!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s his freedom who he likes. You have no right to interfere.¡± Princess Tao Ran said, ¡°He¡¯s mine! The only person qualified to stand by his side is me!¡± Yu Niaoniao felt that there was something wrong with her brain. ¡°He¡¯s a person, not an object. He has his own thoughts. He shouldn¡¯t belong to anyone. If you really like him, you should respect his choice.¡± Princess Tao Ran¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred. ¡°You don¡¯t understand him at all! You¡¯re not worthy of him!¡± Yu Niaoniao felt like she was talking to a duck. The two of them were not on the same page and could notmunicate at all. At this moment, Xiao Juan came over. ¡°Niaoniao, why are you here?¡± Yu Niaoniao lifted the food box. ¡°I¡¯m here to bring you something to eat.¡± ... Xiao Juan said, ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Princess Tao Ran could not help but shout when she saw that he did not even look at her. ¡°Cousin Mo Zhu, do you really not want me anymore?¡± Her voice trembled uncontrobly, and her tone was pleading. Xiao Juan was unmoved. ¡°I¡¯ve already made it very clear to you. You¡¯re my cousin. You can only be my cousin forever.¡± Princess Tao Ran cried. ¡°How could you do this to me? Have you forgotten? When you were young, you were ostracized in the pce. I was the only one willing to be by your side!¡± ¡°We grew up together. You¡¯re the only one in my world, and I¡¯m the only one in yours. We are a match made in heaven!¡± Xiao Juan responded with indifference. Princess Tao Ran sobbed and continued. ¡°When you were young, they didn¡¯t even want to y with you. They even ganged up to bully you. I was the only one by your side.¡± ... ¡°I understand your pride. I know you don¡¯t want to be associated with those people.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who understands you the most in this world!¡± When she said thest sentence, she was almost hoarse with agitation. Xiao Juan was still silent. Seeing that he did not respond to her, Princess Tao Ran suddenly thought of something and turned around. She red at Yu Niaoniao viciously and cursed. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you! You made Cousin Mo Zhu be more and more unlike himself. You destroyed him!¡± Yu Niaoniao felt more and more that this person was seriously ill. ¡°Do you have to make him lonely to be happy?¡± Princess Tao Ran rebuked angrily. ¡°Shut up, you don¡¯t know anything! You haven¡¯t seen the original Cousin Mo Zhu. You don¡¯t know what the real him looks like. Like me, he was born alone!¡± ¡°Our world is different from others. We don¡¯t need the understanding of other people. No one can step into our world! Get out of our world now!¡± Yu Niaoniao felt that she was really unreasonable. Xiao Juan, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke. ¡°You¡¯re mistaken.¡± Princess Tao Ran looked at him. ¡°I¡¯m right. It can¡¯t be wrong.¡± Xiao Juan said slowly. ¡°Although I¡¯ve lived in loneliness for a long time, I don¡¯t want to continue like this. I¡¯m not like you.¡± ¡°I like my life now. I don¡¯t want to go back to the past.¡± Princess Tao Ran looked at him in a daze, as if she was looking at aplete stranger. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Everything in the past was a nightmare to me. It only brought me pain. The Cousin Mo Zhu you saw in the past was not the real me.¡± Chapter 306 - 306 Betrayal 306 Betrayal Princess Tao Ran muttered in disbelief. ¡°What¡¯s the real you?¡± Xiao Juan held Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand and said calmly. ¡°The real me is no different from an ordinary man. I eat three simple meals a day and run around every day. asionally, I will be lost, but no matter howte or tired I am, there will be someone waiting for me at home.¡± Princess Tao Ran couldn¡¯t ept it. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. You¡¯re lying to me.¡± In her heart, Cousin Mo Zhu would always be that lonely and proud young man. He would definitely not be as mediocre as other men. Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯ve said everything I need to say. Believe it or not.¡± He pulled Yu Niaoniao past Princess Tao Ran. Not long after, Yu Niaoniao heard Princess Tao Ran¡¯s cries behind her. ¡°I treat you as the most important person in my life. Why did you betray me? Why?!¡± Yu Niaoniao could not help but turn around and look at Princess Tao Ran. She saw that her face was covered in tears, and her eyes were filled with despair and hatred. Thinking of what Princess Tao Ran had just said, Yu Niaoniao could roughly guess why she liked Xiao Juan. In her childhood, Princess Tao Ran and Xiao Juan did not fit in. They were ostracized by their peers for various reasons, which made Princess Tao Ran treat Xiao Juan as her own kind. She thought that Xiao Juan was the same kind of person as her. She wanted Xiao Juan to stay by her side forever, so she pestered him. Even though she knew that he was married, she still refused to give up on him. Was this love? Yu Niaoniao did not know the answer. She only knew that she did not want Xiao Juan to return to his old self. She hoped that he could taste the sweetness, bitterness, and spiciness of this world like everyone else and feel the beauty of this world. The two of them arrived at Mirror House. Yu Niaoniao opened the food box and took out arge bowl and a casserole. A bowl was filled with braised food. There were braised duck necks, braised duck heads, braised chicken feet, and braised duck feet. The other y pot contained duck blood vermicelli soup. Not only did it contain duck blood, but it also contained duck intestines, cabbage, and tofu shreds. They were all leftover ingredients from the Buddha Jumps Over The Wall Soup she made yesterday. She didn¡¯t waste any and used them all. Xiao Juan looked at the food in front of him and did not know where to start. Yu Niaoniao washed her hands and nibbled on the duck neck with her bare hands. Xiao Juan had never eaten duck neck. Seeing that Niaoniao was eating with relish, he was a little curious. He reached out to pick up a piece of duck neck and tried to take a bite. There wasn¡¯t much meat on the duck neck, but it was chewy. Coupled with the fact that it had been braised, it tasted special. The two of them finished eating the duck neck and the duck head and the chicken feet. Once these things were eaten, they could not stop. After eating the braised food, she ate a bowl of delicious duck blood vermicelli soup. Yu Niaoniao burped in satisfaction. Seeing that Xiao Juan also revealed a rare rxed expression, she could not help but say. ¡°I¡¯ll make a lot of delicious food in the future. Let¡¯s eat together.¡± Xiao Juan did not understand why she suddenly said such a thing. Yu Niaoniao advised earnestly, ¡°There are still so many delicious things we haven¡¯t eaten. You must not return to your old self.¡± Xiao Juan wanted tough and was a little touched. ¡°Yeah.¡± Seeing that he had agreed, Yu Niaoniao immediately smiled. That was more like it! How happy life would be when one ate and drank well every day! ¡­ . Lo Pingsha stood up with the organized confession and walked out. Footsteps sounded behind him, but Lo Pingsha paid them no heed. After leaving the interrogation room, he found that the footsteps behind him had not disappeared. He stopped and turned around. When he saw Wei Liao following behind him, he asked. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Wei Liao smiled. ¡°You¡¯re going to see Duke Lang, right? Coincidentally, I want to look for him too. Let¡¯s go together.¡± The two of them arrived at Mirror House one after another. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao had just packed up her dishes and was about to leave. Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door and stopped in her tracks. Lo Pingsha¡¯s voice came through the door. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s me.¡± ... Yu Niaoniao was relieved. Since they were on the same side, there was nothing to worry about. She was about to go forward and open the door when she heard Lo Pingsha add, ¡°And Vice General Wei.¡± Yu Niaoniao still remembered her current identity. She was a suspect and should be locked in a cell. If Wei Liao saw her here, he would definitely make a fuss. She immediately became nervous. ¡°What should I do? Should I climb out of the window?¡± Xiao Juan could not imagine her secretly escaping through the window. It felt like the two of them were having an affair. ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± After saying this, Xiao Juan went forward to open the door. He looked at the two people standing outside the door and asked calmly. ¡°What is it?¡± ... He did not open the door all the way. His body blocked the door tightly so that no one could see what was happening inside. Lo Pingsha handed over the statement. ¡°This is Princess Tao Ran¡¯s statement. Please take a look.¡± Xiao Juan took the statement and prepared to close the door. Wei Liao hurriedly called out to him. ¡°Wait a minute! I have something else to say.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Speak.¡± Wei Liao was both angry and amused. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to let me sit inside for a while?¡± Xiao Juan did not move. ¡°This is where I usually handle official business. There are many things inside. Outsiders can¡¯t enter.¡± With his attitude, he almost wrote the words ¡°get lost¡± on his face. If it were anyone else, they might have left tactfully. However, Wei Liao was thick-skinned andpletely ignored Xiao Juan¡¯s coldness. He still smiled. ¡°It¡¯s said that visitors are guests. Your Justice Department won¡¯t reject guests, right? It won¡¯t sound good if word gets out.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°You make it sound like I have a good reputation.¡± Wei Liao was speechless. Xiao Juan said, ¡°If you have something to say, say it. I¡¯m very busy.¡± Wei Liao suddenly thought of something and revealed an ambiguous smile. ¡°You won¡¯t let me in no matter what. Don¡¯t tell me you have a mistress in your house?¡± Xiao Juan looked at him expressionlessly. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want to say, then please leave immediately. I don¡¯t have time to talk nonsense with you.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°I¡¯m a man too. I know what you¡¯re thinking. It¡¯s interesting to do something in this ce once in a while.¡± Seeing that Xiao Juan was about to close the door, he quickly reached out and pressed it. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. I came to find you this time to ask you how much you know about the baby¡¯s remains dug out of the zed Jade Pce.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°What do you think I can know?¡± Wei Liao smiled faintly. ¡°You¡¯ve lived in the pce for a long time. You should know something about the zed Jade Pce, right?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Wei Huai¡¯en has been in the pce longer than me. As his adopted son, you can ask him directly if you want to know anything. He definitely knows more than me.¡± Chapter 307 - 307 Orange Candy 307 Orange Candy Wei Liao and Xiao Juan fought back and forth. After a long time, neither of them said anything useful. The smile on Wei Liao¡¯s face faded, and there was a hidden threat in his tone. ¡°The emperor specially sent me to help you solve the case, but you refuse to share even a single clue. Why? Do you think the emperor shouldn¡¯t send me to interfere in this case?¡± Xiao Juan said expressionlessly, ¡°The emperor sent you here to find clues, not to waste time with me. If you have the time to waste with me here, why don¡¯t you go and check the files of the pce in the past years? There might be clues.¡± !! Wei Liao asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Justice Department have any files from the pce?¡± Xiao Juan replied without hesitation. ¡°No.¡± Wei Liao did not believe it, but he could not find any evidence to refute it. In the end, he could only give up. ¡°Alright, since you¡¯re so against me, I won¡¯t be an eyesore here. ¡°I¡¯ll get going first. If you find any clues, remember to let me know immediately.¡± Xiao Juan did not even say a word of farewell and closed the door. Wei Liao looked at the closed door in front of him and could no longer maintain the smile on his face. The other party was not giving him any respect at all. In that case, he would wait and see! Wei Liao sneered and turned to leave. After leaving the Justice Department, he rode to the pce. On the way, they happened to pass by a bookstore. There was a long queue at the entrance of the bookstore. It looked very lively. Wei Liao was very curious. He immediately reined in his horse and ordered the Sky Wolf Guard behind him, ¡°Go see what¡¯s going on?¡± A Sky Wolf Guard received the order and left. Soon, he returned. ¡°Reporting to Vice-Commander, the bookstore in front has a new book on sale today. Those people are all queuing up to buy books.¡± Wei Liao was puzzled. ¡°What kind of book is worth queuing up to buy on such a cold day?¡± ¡°That book is called the Seven Treasures Record. It was said that the entire book wasposed of pictures, with very few words. Even those who could not read could understand the entire book just by looking at the drawing.¡± ¡°This book was released yesterday. As soon as it was released, it was sold out. Today, the owner of the bookstore began to restrict the purchase. He only sold 50 books a day, not one more.¡± ¡°Those people were afraid that they wouldn¡¯t be able to snatch it, so they came to line up at the door early in the morning.¡± Wei Liao¡¯s interest was piqued. He loved reading novels and would visit the theater whenever he was free. He was very familiar with the popr novels on the market. He had never heard of the Seven Treasures Record. Wei Liao ordered, ¡°Go buy one for me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Relying on his status, the Sky Wolf Guard bought a Seven Treasures Record from the bookstore without queuing up. He respectfully handed the book to Wei Liao. Wei Liao leisurely rode his horse while holding the Seven Treasures Record in one hand. His gaze fell on the cover. The author¡¯s name was Master Wang From the Vige Entrance. Wei Liao frowned slightly. ¡°What kind of strange name is that?¡± He felt that someone who could adopt such a pen name was definitely not a normal person. Wei Liao casually flipped open the Seven Treasures Record. Originally, he only came to read this book out of novelty, but as he read, he couldn¡¯t stop. The storyline was not novel, but the style of narrating the story with pictures was rare. Most importantly, the drawings in the book were very vivid. The emotions of the characters were realistically portrayed, and the images of the male and female leads were extremely true to life. In the past, he had to imagine the story himself when he read the storybook, but this Seven Treasures Record was different. It presented the story in front of him, giving him a more intuitive feeling of the content of the story. Wei Liao was entranced. It was not until the Heavenly Wolf Guards behind him reminded him that he realized that he had already arrived near the pce gate. He reluctantly closed the book and put it in his arms. He nned to study it carefully when he returned home tonight. At the same time, he changed his opinion of the author of this book. Although the pen name was a little strange, his drawing skills were still not bad. ¡­ . In Mirror House, Yu Niaoniao heard the conversation between Xiao Juan and Wei Liao clearly. She was also very interested in the baby¡¯s remains in the zed Jade Pce. After all, she had personally dug them out. She really wanted to know the origins of the baby. ¡°You haven¡¯t found out the identity of the baby?¡± Xiao Juan had nothing to hide from her and said frankly. ¡°The remains have been handed over to Little Lo for an autopsy. The child was poisoned but the real cause of death was suffocation.¡± Yu Niaoniao was surprised. ¡°Suffocated to death?¡± Xiao Juan continued. ... ¡°The zed Jade Pce used to be Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s residence. Because of her beauty, Imperial Concubine Yue was doted on by the emperor as soon as she entered the pce. Later on, she got pregnant but unfortunately had a difficult delivery. The child died right after it was born. She also died from hemorrhage.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Could that child have been born by Imperial Concubine Yue?¡± Xiao Juan said slowly. ¡°ording to Little Lo¡¯s test results, the child died twenty years ago.¡± ¡°20 years ago happened to be the time when Imperial Concubine Yue died in childbirth. However, Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s child had long been buried.¡± ¡°The funeral was handled by the Ministry of Rites and the Minister of Internal Affairs. It couldn¡¯t have been faked.¡± Yu Niaoniao scratched her head. ¡°If it¡¯s not Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s child, then whose child is it? Could it be that someone else was pregnant in the zed Jade Pce back then?¡± Xiao Juan said. ¡°I¡¯ve already gotten someone to retrieve the information of all the pce maids in the zed Jade Pce and confirmed that no one was pregnant back then. ... However, this was only superficial information. After all, it was not a good thing for a pce maid to get pregnant. If someone was really pregnant, she would definitely try her best to hide it. ¡°In addition, it¡¯s been a long time. It¡¯s not easy to investigate this matter.¡± Yu Niaoniao suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask Granny Xiu Yan? She¡¯s been in the pce for a long time. She should be very familiar with things in the pce.¡± At her reminder, Xiao Juan realized that he had forgotten about Granny Xiu Yan. He nodded and replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go back and ask herter.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Wait a moment. I made orange candy. Bring some back for Granny to try.¡± She raced to the kitchen, wrapped the freshly made orange candy in oiled paper, and tied a beautiful bow with red silk. She then handed the oil paper bag to Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan put the oil paper bag into his pocket and rode back to Langjun Imperial Pce. Granny Xiu Yan had not seen Duke Lang for two days. At first nce, she was shocked and happy to see him back. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re finally back! I heard that something happened to Princess Consort in the pce. Is she alright now? Is she injured?¡± ¡°Niaoniao is in the Justice Department now. She¡¯s fine.¡± Xiao Juan took out the oil paper bag from his arms. ¡°She made this candy herself and asked me to bring it back for you.¡± Granny Xiu Yan opened the oil paper bag and was very touched to see the orange candy inside. ¡°I¡¯ve troubled the Princess.¡± She was old and had bad teeth. She couldn¡¯t eat many things. She didn¡¯t have to chew this orange candy. She just had to put it in her mouth. It was very suitable for an old person like her. Granny Xiu Yan carefully put away the orange candy. Chapter 308 - 308 You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover 308 You Can¡¯t Judge a Book by Its Cover Xiao Juan said, ¡°Granny, how much do you know about the zed Jade Pce?¡± Granny Xiu Yan was puzzled. ¡°Why are you suddenly asking about this?¡± ¡°Niaoniao happened to dig out the remains of a baby from the zed Jade Pce. After that, the emperor ordered me to investigate this matter. I don¡¯t know much about the zed Jade Pce, so I came to ask you.¡± Granny Xiu Yan was very surprised. ¡°There¡¯s actually such a thing?¡± ¡°Do you remember if there was someone else who was pregnant in the zed Jade Pce other than Imperial Concubine Yue?¡± Granny Xiu Yan said without hesitation, ¡°No.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°After so many years, are you sure your memories are not wrong?¡± Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°At that time, I had a little sister from the same hometown who was working in the zed Jade Pce. She often told me about the zed Jade Pce. If a pce maid was pregnant in the zed Jade Pce, it was impossible for her not to tell me anything.¡± Xiao Juan quietly erased the hypothesis that a pce maid was pregnant. Granny Xiu Yan seemed to have thought of something and said anxiously. ¡°That little sister once told me that someone wanted to harm Imperial Concubine Yue.¡± ¡°Imperial Concubine Yue had been harmed several times during her pregnancy, but she had always avoided it because she was lucky.¡± ¡°I thought that Imperial Concubine Yue and her son would be blessed by the heavens, but I didn¡¯t expect them to lose their lives in thest round.¡± She let out a long sigh, feeling sorry for Imperial Concubine Yue and her son. Xiao Juan understood what she meant. ¡°Are you saying that Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s difficultbor was caused by someone?¡± If anyone else asked about such dirty things in the harem, Granny Xiu Yan would definitely say that she did not know. However, facing Duke Lang, whom she had watched grow up, there was nothing she could not say. ¡°There¡¯s no hard evidence, but that¡¯s what my little sisters and I are guessing.¡± Xiao Juan was deep in thought. Granny Xiu Yan sighed. ¡°When Imperial Concubine Yue was pregnant, we all thought that she could use this opportunity to advance further. With the emperor¡¯s love for her, it was not impossible for her to be conferred a noble consort. Who would have thought that she would end up like this? What a joke.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Do you know who is harming Imperial Concubine Yue?¡± Granny Xiu Yan shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Back then, she was only a little pce maid. It was already good enough that she could take care of herself. As for the power struggle in the harem, she could only treat it as gossip and listen. She did not dare to know anything else. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Then do you know who did not get along with Imperial Concubine Yue in the pce back then?¡± Granny Xiu Yan recalled carefully. ¡°Concubine Yue was good-looking and had a gentle personality. She got along well with the other concubines. At that time, only Empress Wen did not have a good rtionship with her.¡± At this point, Granny Xiu Yan¡¯s expression became veryplicated. ¡°Actually, Empress Wen and Imperial Concubine Yue are cousins. The two of them entered the pce one after another.¡± ¡°Logically speaking, the sisters should have supported each other in the pce, but the two of them had fallen out because of thepetition for the emperor¡¯s favor.¡± ¡°Back then, Empress Wen was not as aloof from worldly affairs as she was now. At that time, she was also a powerful person and refused to suffer any losses.¡± ¡°Seeing that Imperial Concubine Yue was favored, she was jealous and tried to suppress Imperial Concubine Yue.¡± ¡°In the end, not only did it not seed, but it also made the emperor love and pity Imperial Concubine Yue even more.¡± She suddenly pped her thigh. ¡°Oh right! I almost forgot that Empress Wen and Imperial Concubine Yue were pregnant in the same year! Even the months of their pregnancy were about the same.¡± ¡°At that time, there were rumors in the pce that if Concubine Yue¡¯s child was a prince, the emperor would make her child the Crown Prince.¡± ¡°Do you think Empress Wen did something to Imperial Concubine Yue so that her child could be the Crown Prince?¡± Without evidence, Xiao Juan could note to a conclusion. However, the information provided by Granny Xiu Yan confirmed the direction of his investigation. ¡°I have to investigate this matter again. I¡¯ll go back to the Justice Department first. Don¡¯t tell anyone about what I asked you just now.¡± Granny Xiu Yan patted her chest and promised. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m very tight-lipped!¡± She got someone to pack up all the things the County Princess usually used and asked Duke Lang to bring them to the Justice Department. She also repeatedly reminded him to take good care of the County Princess and not let her suffer. Because Granny Xiu Yan had packed too many things, it was not convenient to bring so many things on horseback. When Xiao Juan returned to the Justice Department, he changed his transportation to a carriage. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao was flipping through the dossiers in Mirror House. She felt that sitting around was too boring, so she specially asked Lo Pingsha to find all the dossiers rted to the zed Jade Pce. Previously, when Xiao Juan faced Wei Liao, he said that there were no dossiers about the pce in the Justice Department. In fact, there were many dossiers rted to the pce hidden in the Justice Department. There was only one dossier regarding the zed Jade Pce. Yu Niaoniao read the dossier from beginning to end. When Xiao Juan returned, he saw Yu Niaoniao staring nkly at the dossier. Hearing footsteps, Yu Niaoniao came back to her senses. She looked up at Xiao Juan, who had just walked in, and said. ¡°I read the files of the zed Jade Pce and found something.¡± Xiao Juan nced at the dossier in front of her. Logically speaking, the dossier in the Justice Department could not be read without permission, but he knew that Niaoniao wanted to investigate the case as soon as possible, so he did not me her. He said calmly, ¡°I just asked Granny Xiu Yan. She told me something.¡± ... Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°What is it?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Tell me your discovery first.¡± Yu Niaoniaobed the dossier in front of her and tried a line of words. ¡°The dossier says that when Imperial Concubine Yue died in childbirth, the imperial physician in charge of treating her was dismissed and investigated.¡± ¡°I checked the Imperial Physician Hospital¡¯s register and found that the imperial physician in charge of treating Imperial Concubine Moon was called Lo Heng.¡± ¡°Lo Heng is Lo Pingsha¡¯s father.¡± Xiao Juan was not surprised at all. Yu Niaoniao could not help but ask, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you react at all? Did you already know?¡± Xiao Juan exined calmly. ¡°When Little Lo joined the Eagle Guards, I had already investigated his background.¡± ¡°His father was sentenced because he was involved in Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s death in childbirth. Everyone thought that he had caused the death of the newborn prince. His reputation and future were ruined.¡± ... ¡°Unable to withstand the pressure, he hung himself from a beam at home. Little Lo didn¡¯t want to believe that his father had caused someone¡¯s death. He wanted to find out the truth, but he could not do it alone. So he came to me, hoping I could help him.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not expect Little Lo to have such a past. She took the opportunity to ask, ¡°Did you promise him?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Xiao Lo¡¯s medical skills are very outstanding. The Justice Department just happens tock such talent. I agreed to help him find out the truth. In exchange, he would join the Justice Department.¡± Yu Niaoniao clicked her tongue. She did not expect the usually upright Duke Lang to be so scheming. Next, Xiao Juan told her about the clues provided by Granny Xiu Yan. Yu Niaoniao was very surprised. ¡°I¡¯ve met Empress Wen. She doesn¡¯t look like the kind of person who would harm her sisters.¡± Xiao Juan said lightly, ¡°You can¡¯t judge a book by its cover. This concerns the position of the Crown Prince. No matter who it is, they won¡¯t sit still and wait for death.¡± Chapter 309 - 309 Tea Egg 309 Tea Egg Since they had found Lo Heng, they could continue to investigate this clue. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan called Lo Pingsha over and asked him about Lo Heng. Lo Pingsha knew that they were investigating the case again. He said frankly, ¡°I was young and didn¡¯t understand anything. Although Father doted on me, he never told me about the pce.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t your father leave any medical records?¡± ¡°Are you talking about the pulse records?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes, yes, I meant the pulse record!¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°My father has always had the habit of keeping the pulse records. This way, he can better observe the changes in the patient¡¯s physical condition. However, my father burned all the pulse cases before hemitted suicide. He didn¡¯t leave a word.¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned to hear that the pulse cases were all burned. Lo Pingsha said, ¡°My father reminded me in his suicide note not to pursue the case of Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s death in childbirth. I guess he was afraid that I wouldn¡¯t listen, so he went all out and simply destroyed all the clues.¡± Yu Niaoniao sighed. ¡°He was probably trying to protect you.¡± Lo Pingsha lowered his eyes. ¡°I know.¡± But it was because he knew his father¡¯s painstaking efforts that he wanted to find out the truth. He could not let his father die with an injustice! She had just found some clues when they were cut off. Yu Niaoniao did not know what to say. The atmosphere fell silent. After a while, Lo Pingsha suddenly spoke. ¡°I remember that the Imperial Hospital has a backup of the pulse records. We can get the pulse records of the zed Jade Pce from the Imperial Hospital twenty years ago.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea!¡± Xiao Juan shook his head. ¡°No.¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°There are records in the Justice Department. Eighteen years ago, there was a sudden mishap in the Imperial Physician Court. Because they were discovered in time, there were no casualties, but the pulse records in the Imperial Physician Court were all burned.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°The pulse records in the Imperial Hospital were also burned. Isn¡¯t this too much of a coincidence?!¡± Xiao Juan nodded in agreement. ¡°It¡¯s indeed too much of a coincidence.¡± Back then, when he checked the records and found out that the Imperial Hospital had gone through a fire eighteen years ago, he felt that this matter was a little strange, but he did not think too much about it. Now, it seemed that the fire was not an ident. It was very likely that someone had done it on purpose. It was to destroy the evidence. Yu Niaoniao thought hard. ¡°Although the pulse records are gone, the people in the Imperial Hospital should still be around. We can call them over and ask. Maybe we can get something out of them?¡± Lo Pingsha did not have much hope for this. ¡°Those imperial physicians walk the pce all year round. They¡¯re best at keeping secrets. Even if they really know something, they won¡¯t tell.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°We have no other choice now. We can only try our best.¡± Xiao Juan really could not think of a better solution and could only say. ¡°Let¡¯s try it first. We¡¯ll see if it works.¡± That afternoon, all the imperial physicians who had worked with Lo Heng were invited to the Justice Department. Lo Pingsha questioned them one by one. Yu Niaoniao cooked arge pot of tea eggs. She got someone to distribute these tea eggs to the Eagle Guards and let them eat them as snacks. Knowing that Lo Pingsha was still busy, Yu Niaoniao wrapped his tea egg in oil paper and personally sent it to him. When she found Lo Pingsha, she saw him talking to a middle-aged man. The man was wearing clothes that represented his status as an imperial physician. He had a beard and looked to be in his forties. He frowned. ¡°Pingsha, I know you still hate me for breaking off the engagement, but you can¡¯t use your position to take revenge. I had nothing to do with Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s death back then. You can¡¯t convict me casually.¡± Hearing the mention of annulling the engagement, Yu Niaoniao could not help but stop. She was afraid that if she appeared rashly now, it would make the situation awkward, so she temporarily found a corner to hide. Lo Pingsha exined, ¡°Uncle Zhang, I don¡¯t hate you or have any intention of talking back to you. We invited you over this time just to ask you a few questions. After that, you can leave.¡± Imperial Physician Zhang was skeptical. ¡°Really? You¡¯re not fooling me into lowering my guard, are you?¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°If we really suspected you, we would have locked you up long ago. We wouldn¡¯t have given you a chance to stand here and talk.¡± Although the words did not make one feelfortable, they made some sense. Imperial Physician Zhang rxed slightly and said. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you everything I know. Back then, Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s pregnancy was taken care of by your father. On the night of Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s difficultbor, your father was also in the zed Jade Pce. He would definitely be responsible for Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s death. As for the rest, I don¡¯t know anything.¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°My father was your senior. You were friends for many years. My father often asked you to y chess and drink tea with him. Didn¡¯t he tell you anything about Imperial Concubine Yue?¡± Imperial Physician Zhang shook his head in denial. ... ¡°No. As imperial physicians, we have to follow the rules. The physical condition of the concubines in the harem is a secret. They can¡¯t be revealed.¡± ¡°Not to mention that we¡¯re just fellow disciples, he won¡¯t tell me about Imperial Concubine Yue even if we¡¯re biological brothers.¡± No matter how Lo Pingsha asked, Imperial Physician Zhang insisted that he did not know. After Imperial Physician Zhang left, Yu Niaoniao walked out of the corner. Lo Pingsha paused slightly when he saw her. ¡°Princess Consort, when did you arrive?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s been a while. I heard what you said to Imperial Physician Zhang just now. Have you been engaged before?¡± Lo Pingsha admitted frankly. ¡°Yes, my father has a good rtionship with Imperial Physician Zhang. Coincidentally, Imperial Physician Zhang¡¯s wife has a daughter who¡¯s only a year younger than me. We have been engaged since we were young. They were only waiting for us to grow up before letting us married.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked curiously, ¡°Then why did you break off the engagement?¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°After my father passed away, my mother passed away. My family fell. I¡¯m not worthy of the girl from the Zhang family.¡± ... Yu Niaoniao frowned. ¡°They¡¯re breaking off the engagement just because something happened to your family? That¡¯s heartless.¡± Lo Pingsha¡¯s expression was indifferent and not very angry. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s good to annul the engagement. I¡¯m amoner. I have nothing.¡± ¡°Even if I married Miss Zhang, I could not let her live afortable life without worry.¡± ¡°Instead of letting her suffer with me, it¡¯s better for her to find another husband.¡± Yu Niaoniao stuffed the tea egg wrapped in oil paper into his hand andforted him. ¡°It¡¯s fine. There are many good girls in the world. You¡¯ll definitely meet better girls in the future.¡± Lo Pingsha opened the oil paper and could not help but ask when he saw the tea egg inside. ¡°Is this an egg?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s cooked with tea leaves, cinnamon, aniseed peppercorns, and other ingredients. It¡¯s delicious.¡± Just by smelling it, Lo Pingsha felt that the taste of the tea egg was definitely not bad. He peeled a tea egg on the spot and took a bite. He was immediately attracted by the unique salty fragrance. Yu Niaoniao asked with a smile. ¡°Is it good?¡± Lo Pingsha stuffed the entire egg into his mouth and nodded as he ate. It was too delicious! Chapter 310 - 310 Lantern Festival 310 Lantern Festival After some interrogation, the results were as Lo Pingsha had expected. The imperial physicians were all tight-lipped and did not provide any useful information. Although she had expected it, Yu Niaoniao was still disappointed. She refused to give up and suggested again. ¡°Back then, there were so many pce maids and eunuchs in the zed Jade Pce. They served Imperial Concubine Yue every day. They might know something.¡± !! Xiao Juan had already thought of this. He said, ¡°The second year after Imperial Concubine Yue passed away, it happened to be Empress Dowager Deng¡¯s fortieth birthday. The emperor specially ordered that pce maids above the age of twenty could return home and marry. At that time, almost all the pce maids in the zed Jade Pce left.¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°Why did they all leave? Could it be that the pce maids in the zed Jade Pce are all above the age of twenty?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Of course not, but in order to leave the pce, they secretly stuffed money into the eunuchs¡¯ coffers.¡± Leaving the pce was extremely important to those pce maids, but to the Imperial Attendant Division, it was just a matter of changing their age on the roster. It was a piece of cake. They could easily earn a sum with a flick of their fingers. Why not? Yu Niaoniao understood and asked again. ¡°Even if the pce maids have returned to their hometowns, aren¡¯t there still eunuchs?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°All the eunuchs from the zed Jade Pce met with mishaps. After twenty years, none of them are alive now.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°There¡¯s clearly a problem!¡± Xiao Juan naturally knew that there was a problem. Since they were all dead, there was no evidence. He had no way of investigating. Yu Niaoniao scratched her head. ¡°Why don¡¯t we start with those pce maids? Although they¡¯ve returned to their hometown, at least they¡¯re still alive. Let¡¯s send someone to their hometown to search. Perhaps we can find them.¡± Lo Pingsha¡¯s heart felt heavy. ¡°What if something had also happened to those pce maids ?¡± Since something had happened to the eunuchs from the zed Jade Pce, those pce maids would probably not survive. Killing someone to silence them. If one had to do a deed like that, one would do it ruthlessly. Yu Niaoniao held onto herst hope. ¡°What if someone had escaped?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to their hometown to look for them, but it¡¯s a long way. It¡¯ll take a while to know the oue.¡± Yu Niaoniao sighed. ¡°What else can we do? Just wait. Hopefully, we¡¯ll get a good oue.¡± In the blink of an eye, it was the Shangyuan Festival. As soon as it was time for duty today, the Eagle Guards left in a hurry. They had to rush back to spend the holidays with their families. As night fell, the Justice Department became cold and empty. Yu Niaoniao propped her chin on her hand and looked at the night scene outside the window. It was said that every year, the Imperial Capital would hold antern party on the night of thentern festival. She had attended thentern festival in Bashu in the past. However, the Imperial Capital was the capital of Dayan. The lights here would definitely be much grander than Bashu. Unfortunately, she could not leave the Justice Department and see the legendary Imperial Capital Lantern Festival with her own eyes. ¡°Niaoniao.¡± Hearing someone call her, Yu Niaoniao turned to look at Xiao Juan. He had already taken off his Eagle Guard uniform and changed into the clothes of a civilian. He was holding a little fox mask. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to thentern festival.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°But I can¡¯t leave the Justice Department yet.¡± Xiao Juan put the little fox mask on her face. ¡°As long as I don¡¯t say anything and you don¡¯t, no one will know you left the Justice Department.¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked. She did not expect a man who had always been very principled to say such a thing. Xiao Juan held her hand and walked out. After the two of them left the Justice Department, they rode to West City. There were especially many people in West City tonight. Lanterns hung on both sides of the street. From afar, the lights were brilliant, illuminating the entire West City neighborhood as bright as day. Themonersing and going on the streets were all dressed brightly and smiling. Yu Niaoniao looked left and right and felt overwhelmed. As she had expected, thentern festival in the Imperial Capital was indeed more extravagant and livelier than the one in Bashu. Not only were there more people here, but the style of thenterns was also more borate. Since it was antern show, there would be a segment to guessntern riddles. Yu Niaoniao tried to guess antern riddle, and she got it right. She had sessfully received a reward: A palm-sized pink lotusmp. There was no ce to hold thismp. Yu Niaoniao could only hold it with her palm. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t thismp even have a lift?¡± ... Xiao Juan exined, ¡°Thisntern is not used to lighting, but to make a wish.¡± Yu Niaoniao was very curious. ¡°How do you wish?¡± ¡°Light the candle in themp and put it on the river. Let it drift far along the river. It¡¯s said that this can convey people¡¯s wishes to the heavens.¡± Yu Niaoniao understood. This was a rivermp! She pulled Xiao Juan through the crowd and ran to the river. At this moment, there were many people gathered by the river. They were also here to light the rivermps. Seeing that they were still writing on thentern, Yu Niaoniao also found someone from whom to borrow a brush and ink and carefully wrote a line on thentern¡ª She hoped that her grandfather and grandmother would be healthy and live a long life. Xiao Juan helped her light thentern and carefully ced it on the river. There were othernterns floating on the river. They drifted slowly away along the river. From afar, it looked like a shimmering gxy. ... Yu Niaoniao looked at the distantntern. If her mother and stepfather were in heaven, please let her wishe true. After Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan died, her grandfather took her over. Her grandfather and grandmother wanted her to stay with the Xie family, but she refused. She insisted oning to the Imperial Capital. Because of this, her grandfather and grandmother were angry. Yu Niaoniao felt guilty. Her grandfather and grandmother were old, but she could not apany them. Seeing her gloomy expression, Xiao Juan asked. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Yu Niaoniao came back to her senses. ¡°Nothing. I just thought of my family and was a little sad.¡± Before Xiao Juan could think of a way tofort her, she had alreadyposed herself and returned to her usual lively self. ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere else.¡± The two of them walked all the way and were a little tired. They casually found a teahouse to sit down and rest. Unexpectedly, just as they walked into the teahouse, they bumped into an acquaintance. Wei Liao smiled and said, ¡°Yo, isn¡¯t this Duke Lang?¡± When the waiter, who was originally enthusiastic, heard the words ¡°Duke Lang¡±, his face turned pale with fear, and his legs kept trembling. The man standing beside him was actually the rumored murderous Duke Lang! Not only the waiter, but the expressions of the guests at the nearby tables also changed. They looked at Xiao Juan with fear and resistance, as if they were looking at some terrifying ferocious beast. That gaze made Yu Niaoniao feel very ufortable. She wanted to say something, but when she thought of her current status, she had to keep a low profile now. She could not let anyone know that Duke Lang had secretly brought her out to y. She could only continue to remain silent. Seeing this, Xiao Juan knew that he could not stay here anymore. He held Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand and turned around, nning to sit somewhere else. Wei Liao followed him and asked. ¡°Who is this girl? Your Highness, why didn¡¯t you introduce her?¡± Chapter 311 - 311 You Lied to Me! 311 You Lied to Me! Xiao Juan did not want to bother with Wei Liao, but Wei Liao followed behind them like a sticky candy that could not be shaken off. Wei Liao said, ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t leave so quickly. Since we bumped into each other, why don¡¯t we sit down and have a drink?¡± Xiao Juan turned around and looked at him coldly. ¡°Get lost.¡± !! Seeing that he was not giving him any respect, the smile on Wei Liao¡¯s face faded. ¡°I wanted to befriend you, but you¡¯re treating me like this. That¡¯s not good, is it?¡± There was a hint of threat in his words. Xiao Juan¡¯s attitude was still very tough. ¡°If you know what¡¯s good for you, stay away from us.¡± Wei Liao¡¯s gaze shifted from him to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Why is this girl wearing a mask? Is there something shameful about her?¡± Afraid of being recognized, Yu Niaoniao simply shut up. Wei Liao took a step forward. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Is it because you¡¯re shy?¡± Xiao Juan pulled Yu Niaoniao behind him and red at Wei Liao with a warning. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand humannguage? Get lost!¡± Seeing this, Wei Liao wanted to see this girl¡¯s true colors even more. He smiled in mock exasperation. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave.¡± He backed away as he spoke. When Xiao Juan turned around and left with Yu Niaoniao, Wei Liao suddenly rushed forward and took off the mask on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face! His movements were too fast for Yu Niaoniao to react. She only felt a strong winding at her. Fortunately, Xiao Juan was beside her. He grabbed Wei Liao¡¯s wrist in time and twisted it outward. Wei Liao immediately felt that the bones in his wrist were about to be broken. It was so painful that his face turned pale. ¡°Let go!¡± Xiao Juan wanted to break Wei Liao¡¯s hand, but his rationality told him not to do so. Wei Liao was Wei Huai¡¯en¡¯s adopted son and the deputy general of the Sky Wolf Guards. If he really crippled Wei Liao, this matter would not be able to end. Xiao Juan shook off Wei Liao¡¯s hand and said coldly. ¡°If there¡¯s a next time, I¡¯ll break your arm!¡± With that, he walked away with Yu Niaoniao. Wei Liao was left standing there alone. He held his wrist, which was in extreme pain, and a few beads of cold sweat appeared between his eyebrows. He looked at Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao¡¯s backs and gritted his teeth in anger. He would remember today¡¯s grudge. Just wait and see! Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan went to a nearby restaurant. Coincidentally, someone was performing a dragon and lion dance beside them. They chose a seat by the window and ate supper while admiring the dragon and lion dance outside. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao had already taken off her mask. She remembered what had just happened and couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Will that Wei Liao hate us?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°He has ill intentions towards us, to begin with. It doesn¡¯t matter if he hates us.¡± Yu Niaoniao thought about it and agreed. That guy was not a good person. Why should she care what he thought? She would just treat him as a fart. The dragon and lion dance performance reached its climax. The crowd kept erupting with cheers. In the distance, someone was still setting off fireworks. Dazzling fireworks exploded in the night sky, illuminating the originally pitch-ck night sky in five colors. It was beautiful. Yu Niaoniao raised her wine ss and said to Xiao Juan. ¡°Tomemorate the firstntern festival we¡¯ve spent together. Cheers!¡± Xiao Juan picked up his wine ss and gently clinked it with hers. After a ss of wine, Yu Niaoniao narrowed her eyes in enjoyment. ¡°I¡¯m so lucky to have met you aftering to the Imperial Capital.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her quietly. Yu Niaoniao poured herself another ss of wine and smiled. ¡°To be honest, when I decided toe to the Imperial Capital, I was already prepared to be alone and helpless.I didn¡¯t expect to meet you.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve helped me a lot. Here¡¯s to you. Thank you for taking care of me.¡± She drained her ss again. Xiao Juan also raised his ss. ¡°You¡¯ve helped me a lot too. We¡¯re taking care of each other.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled even more happily. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re taking care of each other! In the future, we still have to continue taking care of each other for the rest of our lives!¡± Xiao Juan looked at her with a deep tenderness that he did not expect. ... Yu Niaoniao picked up her ss again. ¡°This toast is to the rest of my life. May we be able to sit together and drink, eat meat, and watchnterns like tonight every year during thentern festival!¡± Their sses clinked again. Xiao Juan finished his wine and looked at the woman who was still smiling foolishly in front of him. He was unprecedentedly happy. Seeing that Yu Niaoniao still wanted to drink, he reached out to hold her ss and reminded her, ¡°You¡¯ve already drunk a lot. You¡¯ll be drunk if you continue.¡± Yu Niaoniao pouted. ¡°I¡¯m not drunk. I can hold my liquor very well. If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll drink it for you to see!¡± Xiao Juan was now certain that the woman in front of him was already drunk. He snatched the ss from her hand. ¡°Stop drinking.¡± Yu Niaoniao was so angry that her cheeks puffed up. ¡°Why did you snatch my wine ss? My alcohol tolerance is really good. In the past, in Bashu, I often drank with my parents. Every time, it was me who drank a jar of wine!¡± Xiao Juan took the wine pot away and asked the waiter to bring a pot of strong tea. ... He poured a cup of tea and ced it in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand. ¡°Have some tea to sober up.¡± However, Yu Niaoniao threw a tantrum. ¡°I don¡¯t like tea. I want to drink.¡± Xiao Juan called the waiter over again and instructed him in a low voice. Soon, the waiter brought over a wine pot. Xiao Juan picked up the wine pot, poured a full cup, and ced it in front of Yu Niaoniao. ¡°This is the wine you wanted.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not suspect anything. She picked up her cup and drank it in one gulp. In the end, she realized that this was not wine at all, but hangover soup! She flushed with anger. ¡°You lied to me!¡± The corners of Xiao Juan¡¯s lips curled up slightly, revealing an extremely faint smile. In Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes, that smile was as good as having more than tenyers of filters. Her anger dissipatedpletely in this smile. Who could be mad at a peerless handsome man who was smiling at them? Anyway, she couldn¡¯t do it. Yu Niaoniao cleared her throat and pretended to speak seriously. ¡°Forget it this time. Don¡¯t do it again.¡± Xiao Juan picked up the wine pot and asked. ¡°Do you want another drink?¡± Yu Niaoniao refused. The hangover soup did not taste good. Xiao Juan picked up the soup spoon, scooped a bowl of glutinous rice balls, and ced it in front of her. ¡°Eat some glutinous rice balls to fill your stomach.¡± Yu Niaoniao ate a glutinous rice ball with sesame filling. It smelled quite good! Her gazended on the bowl and te in front of Xiao Juan, but she saw that he had barely touched his chopsticks. His bowl was still clean. She couldn¡¯t help but say. ¡°The glutinous rice balls here are quite delicious. Do you really not want to try them?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°Eat more if it¡¯s delicious.¡± Yu Niaoniao felt very helpless. She wondered when he would change his habit of not liking to eat outside. After eating and drinking their fill, the two of them paid the bill and left. Chapter 312 - 312 Handwrap Dumplings 312 Handwrap Dumplings Yu Niaoniao put on the mask again. Perhaps because she had drunk too much, she walked unsteadily. Xiao Juan had no choice but to hold her arm. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t feel too good. The aftereffects of this wine are a little strong.¡± This ce was a little far from where they had parked their horses. They had to walk for a while. Xiao Juan squatted down in front of her and turned his back to her. ¡°Come up. I¡¯ll carry you.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not hesitate andy down. She wrapped her arms around Xiao Juan¡¯s neck and rested her chin on his shoulder. Xiao Juan stood up with her on his back and walked forward steadily. Many of the people who came to watch thentern festival were young men and women. There was nock of feelings between them, but they only exchanged gifts. At most, they held hands. No one was as brazen as Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan. Along the way, many pedestrians looked at Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao strangely. Yu Niaoniao was secretly d that she was wearing a mask. No one knew it was her. As for Xiao Juan, he had never cared about what others thought. At this moment, he did not care at all. They reached the ce where the horses were parked. Xiao Juan was worried about Yu Niaoniao riding alone, so on the way back, it became two people riding the same horse. After returning to the Justice Department, Xiao Juan went to the kitchen to boil hot water so that Yu Niaoniao could take a bath. Unexpectedly, Yu Niaoniao followed him to the kitchen. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Why did you follow me?¡± Yu Niaoniao rolled up her sleeves. ¡°You didn¡¯t eat much tonight. You¡¯ll definitely be hungry. I¡¯ll cook you something.¡± There was still dough left over from the steamed buns for lunch in the kitchen. She cut the dough into small pieces and rolled them into thin pieces. She wrapped ced in meat stuffing and wrapped it into a hand wrap. She liked to eat spicy dumplings, but Xiao Juan¡¯s stomach was not good and he could not eat spicy food. She used chicken soup to prepare the base and added seaweed, shrimp, egg slices, and cabbage. When it was out of the pot, she sprinkled some green onions. A hot bowl of soup was ready. Yu Niaoniao returned to the house with her hands. At this moment, Xiao Juan had already poured hot water into the bathtub. Xiao Juan called her to take a bath. She called Xiao Juan over for supper. Yu Niaoniao took a detour behind the screen, took off her clothes, and soaked in hot water. She narrowed her eyes infort. It felt toofortable to eat and drink her fill before taking a hot bath. Xiao Juan sat at the table and ate quietly. He never once nced over the screen. But the asional sound of water drilled uncontrobly into his ears. He ate slower and slower. Hazy images gradually appeared in his mind. The protagonist of those images was the same person¡ªYu Niaoniao. Xiao Juan felt very ashamed. He forced himself not to think about things he shouldn¡¯t. After a while, the sound of water on the other side of the screen finally stopped. Xiao Juan secretly heaved a sigh of relief. He could finally be free. However, in the next moment, he heard Yu Niaoniao exim. ¡°Ah!¡± Xiao Juan stood up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yu Niaoniao scrambled up from the ground and rubbed her knees. ¡°The water on the ground was too slippery. I identally fell just now.¡± Xiao Juan wanted to see how she was, but he was worried that he would offend her. For a moment, he was in a dilemma, not knowing what to do. A momentter, Yu Niaoniao limped out from behind the screen, fully dressed. Her long hair was down her back, her face was flushed, and her eyes were misty. She looked as if she had just been bullied. She was pitiful. Xiao Juan quickly walked over to support her. ¡°Where are you hurt?¡± Yu Niaoniao pointed at her right foot. ¡°I twisted her ankle.¡± Xiao Juan helped her sit on the bed, then squatted down and held her ankle for a closer look. ¡°It¡¯s a little swollen. I¡¯ll get you some medicinal wine.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Xiao Juan quickly brought over a bottle of medicinal wine. He sat on the edge of the bed and ced Yu Niaoniao¡¯s foot on hisp. The medicinal wine was rubbed hot in his palm. Then he smeared it on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s ankle and rubbed it gently. Yu Niaoniao trembled in pain. ... Xiao Juan pressed her calf to stop her from moving. ¡°It¡¯ll hurt a little at first. Just bear with it.¡± Yu Niaoniao pursed her lips and nodded. Because of the pain, her toes could not help but curl up. Her slender white calves were taut. Xiao Juan did not dare to be too heavy-handed, but it was useless if he did not use any strength. In order to control it well, he massaged it especially carefully the entire time. When he was done, he was exhausted. He ced Yu Niaoniao¡¯s leg on the bed and covered her with a nket. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Go to sleep.¡± Yu Niaoniao turned to look at him. ¡°What about you?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I have to pour the bath water.¡± ... He first took the water out of the bathtub and poured it out. At the same time, he sent the bowls and chopsticks on the table to the kitchen. Then, he washed up with the remaining hot water. When he returned to his room, Yu Niaoniao was already asleep. Xiao Juan lifted the nket andy down beside her. Yu Niaoniao felt a familiar aura approach her and subconsciously leaned toward him. Xiao Juan dodged back. His body was still very cold and he did not want to freeze Yu Niaoniao. In the end, his entire action woke Yu Niaoniao up. She asked with half-open eyes, ¡°Why are you dodging?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid of freezing you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t freeze.¡± As Yu Niaoniao spoke, she reached out with her ws and held hisrge hand. Her own heat covered kept him warm. She asked, ¡°Were the handwrap dumplings tasty?¡± Only then did Xiao Juan know that the thing he had just eaten was called handwrap dumplings. ¡°Delicious.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°When your stomach has healed, I¡¯ll make you spicy ones in the future. Those would be even more fragrant.¡± Xiao Juan agreed softly. Yu Niaoniao asked again, ¡°Do you know why I made handwrap dumplings for you?¡± Xiao Juan said that he did not know. Yu Niaoniao inteced her fingers with his. She smiled. ¡°Because I want to hold your hand.¡± Xiao Juan held her hand tightly. At this moment, there were a thousand things he wanted to say to her, but he did not know where to start. When he finally figured out how to speak, he realized that the woman beside him had fallen asleep again. Xiao Juan listened to her light and calm breathing and felt very helpless. Forget it. He would talk about itter. She woke up the next morning. Yu Niaoniao realized that the man beside her had disappeared. She was used to this. Pan Dafu brought breakfast as usual. There were hot fresh meat stuffed buns and freshly cooked mung bean porridge. Yu Niaoniao ate buns and ate porridge, thinking that it would be even better if there was another te of pickled vegetables. Thinking of pickled vegetables made her crave the dish. She had not eaten pickled vegetables since she left Bashu. Yu Niaoniao remembered that there were a lot of vegetables stored in the cer of the Justice Department¡¯s kitchen. Because it had been too long, many of the vegetables had already wilted. They did not taste good when cooked. This made them perfect for marinating with pickles. Chapter 313 - 313 Opening the Coffin and Autopsy 313 Opening the Coffin and Autopsy Under Yu Niaoniao¡¯smand, the kitchen helpers moved out the vegetables hoarded in the cer. Most of them were white radishes and cabbages. The kitchen helpers washed the dishes and dried them. The white radishes were cut into cubes and ced in the jar. They added garlic, chili, white vinegar, salt, and sugar and finally sealed the jar. She cut the cabbage in half and smeared the pre-mixed chili sauce on the leaves. This job was very simple, but it required a lot of patience. Every vegetable leaf had to be evenly smeared with chili sauce. Then she ced the cabbage in the jar and sealed it for storage. Yu Niaoniao was counting the jars of pickled vegetables in the cer. Pan Dafu leaned over and asked mysteriously. ¡°Teacher, didn¡¯t you stay with Duke Langst night?¡± Yu Niaoniao could not expose that she had secretly slipped outst night, lest she caused trouble for Xiao Juan. She replied casually, ¡°No, I stayed in the Justice Departmentst night.¡± Pan Dafu looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated. When Yu Niaoniao saw him like that, she knew that he must have heard some more rumors, so she said to him. ¡°If you have something to say, just say it. There¡¯s no need to hide it.¡± Pan Dafu said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you. On the way to the Justice Department this morning, I heard that Duke Lang went to thentern festivalst night.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you surprised? Duke Lang didn¡¯t go to the festival alone. He had a young woman with him!¡± Yu Niaoniao thought to herself that the young woman in question was herself. She replied perfunctorily. ¡°Is that right?¡± Pan Dafu was very anxious. ¡°Teacher, Duke Lang has other women outside. Why aren¡¯t you worried?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not know whether tough or cry. These people in the Jade Capital did not do anything serious every day and liked to spread gossip. If not for the fact that she was one of the parties involved, she would have believed those rumors. Pan Dafu was still trying to persuade her. ¡°Don¡¯t think this is a small matter. As long as a man cheats once, there will be a second, third, or even countless times!¡± Yu Niaoniao agreed. A man who cheated was indeed uneptable. Pan Dafu said, ¡°I¡¯ll help you ask aroundter and see what that woman¡¯s identity is and where she lives.¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°What do you want to achieve with taht?¡± ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll call her out for a good talk. We can use persuasion before coercion. We would talk to her properly first and persuade her to stop pestering Duke Lang.¡± ¡°If she doesn¡¯t listen, we¡¯ll try to capture her and teach her a lesson. Let her understand that there¡¯s no good ending for going against you!¡± Pan Dafu¡¯s analysis was logical, but Yu Niaoniao was speechless. ¡°Not to mention that Duke Lang doesn¡¯t have another woman outside, even if he really has another woman, that¡¯s his problem. He should be the one we should teach a lesson to, right?¡± Pan Dafu was shocked by her words. ¡°What? Do you still want to teach Duke Lang a lesson? That¡¯s not good, right? Duke Lang is so skilled. Even if we call a few more people, we won¡¯t be able to defeat him.¡± Yu Niaoniao pped her forehead. What was going on?! She exined, ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. Things are fine between Duke Lang and me. There¡¯s no third party involved. You don¡¯t have to bother.¡± Pan Dafu looked at her with sympathy. ¡°I know family scandals can¡¯t be aired in public.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to tell outsiders about something like this happening at home. I¡¯ll stop.¡¯ ¡°You just have to remember that I¡¯ll always be on your side.¡± At this moment, Yu Niaoniao deeply understood what it meant to be unable to exin oneself. Since she couldn¡¯t exin, she decided not to. She changed the subject. ¡°If you really want to help me, help me investigate. Where did these rumorse from?¡± Although Xiao Juan did not wear a maskst night, he did not wear the uniform of the Eagle Guards. As long as it was not someone he knew, they should not know his identity. Who spread the news that Xiao Juan brought a woman to Lantern Cityst night? Wei Liao¡¯s figure shed through Yu Niaoniao¡¯s mind. The person most likely to do such a thing was Wei Liao. But there was no evidence. Suspicion could only be suspicion. Pan Dafu agreed immediately. ¡°Alright, Teacher has something on. I¡¯ll do my best. You just have to wait for my good news in the Justice Department.¡± During lunch, Xiao Juan told Yu Niaoniao about the zed Jade Pce case. ¡°The people I sent out have returned. They found the hometown of the pce maids, but they were toote. Those pce maids are already dead.¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. ¡°How did they die? Were they harmed?¡± ¡°On the surface, they must have died identally, but I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s such a coincidence in the world.¡± All the pce maids from the zed Jade Pce happened to die in an ident. It was too far-fetched to say that this was a coincidence. ... Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart sank. ¡°They might have been silenced.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°But it¡¯s not like we didn¡¯t gain anything. Those pce maids are all dead, which just happens to confirm our previous guess. Something suspicious must have happened in the zed Jade Pce in the past. The direction of our investigation is right.¡± Yu Niaoniao followed his words. ¡°Those pce maids were silenced. That means someone doesn¡¯t want us to continue investigating.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°For so many pce maids to die quietly in different ces, it proves that the identity of the mastermind is not simple. He must have manyckeys.¡± Seeing that he was deep in thought and did not even move his chopsticks, Yu Niaoniao reminded him. ¡°The dishes are getting cold. Let¡¯s eat first. We¡¯ll have the energy to think about things after we¡¯re full.¡± Xiao Juan came back to his senses. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s eat first.¡± Yu Niaoniao picked up a piece of cured meat and ced it in her mouth. As she ate, she suddenly had a sh of inspiration. ¡°Since we¡¯ve all confirmed that there¡¯s something wrong with Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s death, why didn¡¯t we just open the coffin and perform an autopsy?¡± Instead of spending time looking for someone who knew, it was better to start with Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s body. Wouldn¡¯t the evidence be stronger that way? ... Xiao Juan did not expect her to make such a shocking suggestion and was clearly stunned. ¡°Open the coffin and perform an autopsy?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded vigorously. ¡°That¡¯s right! If Imperial Concubine Yue really died an unnatural death, her body will definitely leave clues.¡± Even though Xiao Juan had worked many cases, he had never opened a coffin for an autopsy. The ancients were particr about burial. Once the dead were buried, they could no longer be dug out. Otherwise, it would be sphemy against the dead. However, what Yu Niaoniao said made sense. At the moment, they did not have to worry about it. The simplest and most effective way was to start with Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s body. Xiao Juan hesitated. ¡°Concubine Yue has been dead for twenty years. Now her body should only be a skeleton. What other clues can we find?¡± Chapter 314 - 314 Survival 314 Survival Although Yu Niaoniao had never done work rted to autopsies, she had read some documentation on the forensic dissection of corpses in the past. She could tell Lo Pingsha that information. With his rich experience with autopsies and the theoretical knowledge she had provided, it should work. Yu Niaoniao said confidently. ¡°Even if there¡¯s only a skeleton left, we can find out the real cause of Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s death. As long as we know how she died, won¡¯t the rest be easy?¡± !! Xiao Juan fell into deep thought as if he was thinking about the feasibility of this matter. Yu Niaoniao took another bite of rice. She spoke as she ate. ¡°The biggest problem now is not how to do the autopsy, but how to get the emperor to agree to let us open the coffin for the autopsy.¡± Now that Imperial Concubine Yue was buried in the imperial mausoleum, they had to obtain the emperor¡¯s approval if they wanted to open the coffin and perform an autopsy. But it didn¡¯t take a genius to know that the emperor would definitely not agree to this. Xiao Juan said, ¡°I have a way to get the emperor to agree to open the coffin for an autopsy.¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped eating. She widened her eyes and looked at Xiao Juan in disbelief. ¡°What ideas do you have?¡± Xiao Juan kept him in suspense. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you for the time being. I¡¯ll talk to Little Loter. If he can really do what you said, I¡¯ll agree to your suggestion.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± After dinner, the two of them found Lo Pingsha and exined their intentions. Lo Pingsha was in a difficult position. ¡°Although I¡¯ve examined many corpses, they¡¯re all recently deceased. I¡¯ve never examined remains of someone who had died for more than twenty years, and I can¡¯t be sure I can find any clues.¡± Yu Niaoniao pulled him aside and began to tell him theoretical knowledge about autopsies. She didn¡¯t know anything about autopsies, but she had a photographic memory. Now she could memorize even the books she had read before she transmigrated. Theyman watched the scene. The insider watched the ropes. Lo Pingsha was an expert, so he was naturally entranced. He knew very well how important the autopsy techniques provided by Yu Niaoniao were. This was a huge wealth that he could not ask for! Xiao Juan listened and did not understand the professional words rted to autopsies at all. Seeing that the two of them were engrossed in their conversation, he decided to let them discuss slowly. He had other things to do. When Yu Niaoniao and Lo Pingsha were done talking, he would continue to discuss the opening of the coffin and the autopsy with Lo Pingsha. Yu Niaoniao and Lo Pingsha chatted about the autopsy for the entire afternoon. When the two of them came back to their senses, the sun was almost setting outside. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s voice was hoarse. ¡°I can¡¯t anymore. I have to go back and rest. Put together the knowledge I mentioned. We¡¯ll talk about the restter.¡± Lo Pingsha looked at her with admiration, as if he were looking at an otherworldly expert. ¡°I thought you were only good at painting and cooking. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so knowledgeable about autopsies. You know so much!¡± Yu Niaoniao felt very guilty. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t really understand it. I just read more.¡± She was telling the truth. Although she could memorize the forensic literature, she had not been systematically trained. She could only understand the general meaning through the words. If she really had to exin it, she would be helpless. But Lo Pingsha took her words as modesty. She knew so much, but she was still so humble. She really had the demeanor of an expert! Lo Pingsha¡¯s admiration for her increased. ¡°Thank you for being willing to teach me this knowledge. Whether you¡¯re willing to take me in as your disciple or not, I¡¯ve decided on you as my master in the future.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled in embarrassment. Pan Dafu had said something simr to her before. She couldn¡¯t exin how she knew so much, so she shut up and turned around to rest. Just as Yu Niaoniao reached the door, she heard Granny Xiu Yan¡¯s voiceing from inside. When did Granny Xiu Yan arrive? Just as Yu Niaoniao was feeling curious, she heard Granny Xiu Yan say. ¡°Your Highness, just listen to my advice. Don¡¯t interact with women outside anymore.¡± ¡°Those women outside are vixens. They love to seduce men like you. Don¡¯t fall for their tricks!¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped and pricked up her ears to eavesdrop on the conversation in the house. Xiao Juan¡¯s tone was very helpless. ¡°I¡¯ve already said that I don¡¯t have a woman outside.¡± Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°You still don¡¯t admit it? ¡°Everyone outside knew that you took a woman to thentern festival night.¡± ¡°And they said you raised another woman behind the Princess Consort¡¯s back. There are no outsiders here. Can¡¯t you tell me the truth? Who is that woman? How long have you been together?¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Where did you hear this rumor? ... ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that those people out there love to gossip.¡± ¡°They could also spread rumors about her.¡± ¡°Back then, nothing happened between me and Niaoniao. It¡¯s all because of the nonsense of those people outside that the emperor bestowed a marriage on us.¡± Granny Xiu Yan asked. ¡°If there¡¯s really nothing between you and the Princess Consort, will the emperor have given you a marriage?¡± ¡°Could you have epted the County Princess so quickly?¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. Even through the door, Yu Niaoniao could feel Duke Lang¡¯s depression. Granny Xiu Yan was still talking. ¡°That¡¯s why I said that rumors might not be fake. There might be some truths among the rumors!¡± Xiao Juan had to tell the truth. ... ¡°The person who went to thentern festival with mest night was actually Niaoniao.¡± Granny Xiu Yan was stunned. ¡°Really?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Niaoniao can¡¯t leave the Justice Department, but she wants to see thenterns, so I asked her to put on a mask and quietly brought her out to y.¡± Granny Xiu Yan was still skeptical. ¡°Are you really not lying to me?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, ask her yourself.¡± Xiao Juan called out to the door. ¡°Niaoniao, stop hiding. Come in.¡± Seeing that she had been discovered, Yu Niaoniao walked into the room. She poured herself a cup of tea and drank it before asking. ¡°How did you know I was outside?¡± Xiao Juan pointed to his ear. ¡°I heard your footsteps and breathing.¡± Forget the footsteps. He could even hear the breathing outside the door. There was no one else with such hearing. Yu Niaoniao was impressed. ¡°Impressive, impressive!¡± Granny Xiu Yan asked. ¡°Is what His Highness said just now true? Did you really go to thentern show with himst night?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Tell me the truth. Don¡¯t lie to cover for him.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at Xiao Juan. Seeing his helpless expression, she could not help but smile. ¡°Last night, His Highness and I went to thentern festival. We even ate glutinous rice balls, sent out a rivermp, and watched the fireworks.¡± She did not look like she was lying. Granny Xiu Yan pressed her chest and heaved a sigh of relief. She looked like she had survived a disaster. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good!¡± Chapter 315 - 315 Wish 315 Wish Granny Xiu Yan opened the floral cloth covering the basket and said. ¡°Princess Consort, these are the sausages you wanted. I brought them for you. See if these are enough. If not, I¡¯ll go back and get them.¡± Originally, she did not have to do such an errand personally. She usually left it to the servants to do. But today, she had heard rumors that Duke Lang had a woman outside. !! She was really worried, so she personally came to the Justice Department. She wanted to take the opportunity to have a good chat with Duke Lang and persuade him to cut ties with the shady woman outside. Yu Niaoniao looked at the basket full of sausages and hurriedly replied. ¡°Enough, enough.¡± Granny Xiu Yan smiled. ¡°If there¡¯s anything else you need, you can tell me.¡± Yu Niaoniao thought for a moment and did not think of anything else. ¡°Nothing for the time being. You must be tired from this trip. Sit down and have a cup of tea.¡± Granny Xiu Yan declined. ¡°No need. I rode a donkey here. I¡¯m not tired at all.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You mean Gray?¡± Granny Xiu Yan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. I originally wanted to take a carriage. However, we still had to install the carriage. I found it too troublesome so I simply rode Gray out.¡± ¡°It happened so that it had not gone out for a long time, so I let it out for a run today.¡± ¡°Gray is indeed your donkey. It is especially humane. Without even pointing the way, it brought me straight to the Justice Department.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If you want to go out in the future, you can ride it. Although it can¡¯t run as fast as a horse, it¡¯s stable.¡± Granny Xiu Yan clearly liked Gray and agreed. ¡°Alright, in the future, when I have nothing to do, I¡¯ll bring it out for some air so that it won¡¯t feel stifled.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled and said, ¡°Since you¡¯re here, why don¡¯t you have dinner here before leaving? I can even take you on a tour of the Justice Department.¡± Granny Xiu Yan was indeed very curious about where Duke Lang usually worked. When she heard this, she was very tempted. But not everyone could stay in the Justice Department. She looked at Xiao Juan and asked. ¡°Can I?¡± Seeing Xiao Juan nod, she was relieved. ¡°Then I¡¯ll shamelessly stay for this meal.¡± Yu Niaoniao carried the heavy bamboo basket. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to the kitchen and think about what to eat tonight.¡± Granny Xiu Yan hurriedly snatched the bamboo basket. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to do anything. Let me do it.¡± Although she was old, she was still very agile. She followed Yu Niaoniao with the bamboo basket. They chatted as they walked and soon reached the kitchen. There was still a lot of cured meat left for lunch. Coupled with sausages, it was just enough to make a steamed dish of cured food. In addition, she made a casserole porridge, steamed garlic prawns, and finally stir-fried two home-cooked dishes. That was about it. The Justice Department only made breakfast and lunch and usually did not make dinner. Therefore, the chefs and helpers had already left in the afternoon. At this moment, only Yu Niaoniao and Granny Xiu Yan were in the kitchen. Granny Xiu Yan looked around the kitchen from the inside out. She was very satisfied to see that it was very clean and there was no oil on the stove. The ingredients in the storeroom were also very rich. It seemed that Duke Lang and the Princess Consort ate quite well here. Seeing that Yu Niaoniao had begun to wash the vegetables, Granny Xiu Yan hurriedly rolled up her sleeves and helped her. ¡°Don¡¯t do it. Let me, a servant, do these rough jobs.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s do it together.¡± Granny Xiu Yan quickly chose and washed the vegetables, but her eyes kept ncing at Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao noticed her gaze and could not help but ask. ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± Granny Xiu Yan looked around to make sure there was no one else there before speaking in a low voice. ¡°Is your period here this month?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not understand. ¡°Not yet. Why are you asking?¡± Granny Xiu Yan¡¯s eyes were filled with anticipation. ¡°Do you want to get a doctor to take a look? What if you¡¯re pregnant?¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately understood what the other party was thinking. She did not know whether tough or cry. She had not consummated her marriage with Xiao Juan. How could she be pregnant? However, she could not tell Granny Xiu Yan about this. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I get my period at the end ofst month. It¡¯s still early this month.¡± Granny Xiu Yan was still unwilling to give up. ¡°What if you¡¯re pregnant? You can¡¯t say for sure. It¡¯s safer to let the doctor take a look.¡± ... She was old and did not know how many years she could live. She could not help but feel anxious. In the past, her greatest wish was to see Duke Lang marry a consort. Now that Duke Lang had finally married a consort, her wish was to see Duke Lang father a fat boy. If she could hug Duke Lang¡¯s child before she passed, she would die in peace! Yu Niaoniao advised, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Duke Lang and I are still young. Let¡¯s wait a little longer. At least wait until I¡¯m 18 before thinking about giving birth.¡± Granny Xiu Yan immediately panicked when she heard this. ¡°Why wait until you¡¯re 18? Aren¡¯t you in good health now? It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you to get pregnant and have children.¡± Yu Niaoniao had no choice but to start fooling her. ¡°I just look healthy. Actually, my constitution isn¡¯t very good. I used to be seriously ill. I¡¯ve lost my health since then. I still have to recuperate for a long time to recover.¡± Granny Xiu Yan believed her and became even more anxious. ¡°I see! Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? She could not neglect his recuperation. ... ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to buy more medicinal herbs to nourish your body and send them to you and Duke Langter.¡± She had to recuperate Yu Niaoniao¡¯s body as soon as possible so that she could give birth to Duke Lang¡¯s children as soon as possible. Yu Niaoniao secretly heaved a sigh of relief. As long as Granny Xiu Yan stopped pressing her into giving birth, anything else was fine. She nodded in agreement. ¡°Thank you, Granny.¡± Granny Xiu Yan sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t stand on ceremony with me. I¡¯ve never been married or had children in my life. My only hope is to see you and Duke Lang happy and have children early.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not dare to answer this, afraid that she would stir up trouble again. She forcefully changed the subject. ¡°It takes a lot of time to cook porridge. I¡¯ll wash the rice first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± When the sun set in the west and the Eagle Guards went home, the Justice Department became cold and empty. Yu Niaoniao and Granny Xiu Yan brought the food to the table. ¡°Princess Consort, shall I call Duke Lang over for dinner?¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll go. I¡¯ll call Little Lo over for dinner too.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lo Pingsha¡¯s house was empty. He could not be bothered to travel back and forth, so he had been living in the Justice Department. Usually, he would go out for dinner. Tonight, when he found out that there was delicious food personally cooked by the County Princess, he was naturally overjoyed. He immediately changed his clothes and went to the dining hall. The dining hall was very quiet at night and the oilmp on the table emitted a warm yellow glow. Yu Niaoniao invited everyone to sit down and eat. Chapter 316 - 316 Harming Others Without Helping Oneself 316 Harming Others Without Helping Oneself Granny Xiu Yan hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m a servant. It¡¯s not appropriate for me to eat at the table. This is against the rules. Why don¡¯t I take the bowl to the kitchen to eat?¡± Yu Niaoniao pulled her to a seat at the table and pressed her shoulder to stop her from moving. ¡°This is not the Langjun Imperial Pce. There¡¯s no need to follow so many rules.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a servant now. You¡¯re our family. Since we are family, we have to sit together and eat. Your Highness, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°Niaoniao is right. Granny, sit down.¡± Granny Xiu Yan was very touched. She had watched Duke Lang grow up and had always treated him as her child. Now that she saw him and the Princess Consort recognize that they were family, she felt that all the hard work over the years had been worth it. Yu Niaoniao picked up the soup spoon and scooped a bowl of century egg lean meat porridge for each of them. Other than Yu Niaoniao, this was the first time the other three people present had eaten century eggs. They were all very curious about this thing. Xiao Juan did not like the appearance of the century egg. It looked dark and did not seem to taste good. However, this was porridge personally cooked by Niaoniao. He had to try it no matter what. So he scooped up a small spoonful of porridge and put it in his mouth. He tasted it slightly and actually thought it was very good. Although the century egg tasted a little strange, it worked perfectly with the porridge and lean meat. It was smooth, tender, and fragrant in the mouth. It was a little salty and had a faint lingering peppery fragrance. Lo Pingsha and Granny Xiu Yan also felt that the porridge tasted good and ate it with relish. Granny Xiu Yan sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that duck eggs could be prepared like that. I¡¯ve learned more from the County Princess.¡± Yu Niaoniao picked up a piece of sausage. ¡°This preserved food is also very delicious. Try it all.¡± It was probably because he was also involved in making the sausages that Xiao Juan looked forward to these sausages. He also picked up a piece of sausage and ced it in his mouth. When he bit down, the grease seeped out, and a unique fragrance bloomed between his tongue. The taste was salty and a little sweet. It was really excellent with century egg lean meat porridge. The sausage was originally hard, but after being steamed, the texture became soft. Because it had been steamed with cured meat, the fragrance of cured meat stood on the surface of the sausage, and the smell became even stronger. Granny Xiu Yan and Lo Pingsha could not wait to taste the sausages. Lo Pingsha could not help but ask. ¡°What¡¯s this sausage made of? It tastes very curious.¡± Granny Xiu Yan reminded him kindly, ¡°You¡¯d better ask after you¡¯re done eating. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to eat it.¡± Lo Pingsha was puzzled. ¡°Why?¡± Seeing that he was so curious, Yu Niaoniao generously satisfied his curiosity. ¡°This sausage is made of pork and pig intestines.¡± Lo Pingsha froze in his actions. His eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Pork and what?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Pig intestines are the intestines in a pig¡¯s stomach. They¡¯re long¡­¡± Lo Pingsha quickly interrupted her description. ¡°Alright, stop talking. I know what pig intestines are.¡± He did not expect such delicious sausage to be made of that dirty pig intestine. It was fine if he didn¡¯t know. Now that he knew that the sausage was made of pig intestines, Lo Pingsha didn¡¯t dare to use his chopsticks on it again, but the sausage did taste good. He hesitated with his chopsticks, very distressed. How was he feeling now? He felt very regretful! He regretted not listening to Granny Xiu Yan¡¯s dissuasion. He shouldn¡¯t have asked what the sausages were made of. As long as he did not know what the ingredients were, he would not be as conflicted and frustrated as he was now. Yu Niaoniao said as she ate. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so conflicted. The pig intestines have been cleaned very well. There¡¯s no strange smell at all.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Duke Lang. He made these sausages with me.¡± Lo Pingsha was shocked. Did Duke Lang actually personally cook? This was even more unbelievable than red rain! Granny Xiu Yan reminded him, ¡°Are you really not eating? If you don¡¯t, we¡¯ll finish all these sausages.¡± Lo Pingsha came back to his senses and realized that there was indeed not much sausage left in the bowl. He knew that Duke Lang was slightly obsessed with cleanliness. If someone like Duke Lang could eat sausages, it meant that those pig intestines had really been cleaned up very well. He steeled himself and reached out with his chopsticks to pick up the sausage and put it in his mouth. He wouldn¡¯t care anymore and would just eat first! One bite of sausage and one bite of porridge. How wonderful! Everyone had a good dinner. ... The dishes and porridge on the table were swept clean. Lo Pingsha said with regret, ¡°I haven¡¯t had such a delicious dinner in a long time.¡± Yu Niaoniao suggested, ¡°You can have dinner with us in the future, but in exchange, you have to be in charge of washing the dishes after dinner.¡± Lo Pingsha¡¯s eyes lit up. Was there actually such a good thing in the world? As if he was afraid that the other party would go back on her word, he hurriedly agreed. ¡°Okay, okay, okay! I¡¯ll wash the dishes!¡± As long as he could eat the delicacies made by the Princess Consort every meal, he would even eat the bowl, let alone wash the dishes! Lo Pingsha stayed behind to clean up the dishes while Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan sent Granny Xiu Yan out. They escorted her to the main entrance of the Justice Department. Granny Xiu Yan rode on Gray and waved at Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. You guys should go back quickly. The wind is strong at night. Don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± ... Yu Niaoniao touched Gray¡¯s ear and said to Granny Xiu Yan. ¡°Be careful on the way.¡± Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to send you supplements tomorrow. In the future, you have to eat them on time every day.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded in agreement. After thentern festival, curfew had been restored in the city. Granny Xiu Yan had to go back quickly. Otherwise, she would run into the curfew. After bidding farewell to Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan, she rode the donkey to the Langjun Imperial Pce. Xiao Juan held thentern in one hand and Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand in the other. They walked back side by side. Two shadows, one tall and one short, appeared especially intimate in the silent night. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°What¡¯s with the supplements Granny Xiu Yan mentioned just now? Why do you suddenly need to eat supplements?¡± Yu Niaoniao was too embarrassed to say that those supplements were to help her get pregnant as soon as possible. She could only make up a random reason. ¡°I just want to have them. Why? Do you want them too?¡± Xiao Juan looked at her deeply and did not ask further. Yu Niaoniao quickly changed the topic. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect even Granny Xiu Yan to know about your visit to thentern festivalst night. Who spread this news?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯ve already gotten someone to investigate. There should be a result soon.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Could it be Wei Liao?¡± Xiao Juan did not speak. His reaction was equivalent to tacitly agreeing to Yu Niaoniao¡¯s guess. In the first instance, he thought of the same thing as Yu Niaoniao. The only person who could do such a thing was Wei Liao. Chapter 317 - 317 Bad Feeling 317 Bad Feeling As it turned out, they were right. The next day, Meng Xizhou told Duke Lang the results of the investigation. The recent rumors about Duke Lang in the city were indeed deliberately spread by Wei Liao. Yu Niaoniao did not understand. ¡°Why does he have to make things difficult for us?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°What reason is there for a crazy dog to bite anyone?¡± Meng Xizhou asked, ¡°Should we teach Wei Liao a lesson?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°The fact that you found out about Wei Liao so quickly means that Wei Liao didn¡¯t hide anything when he spread the rumors. He deliberately exposed himself to us so that we could take the initiative to look for him.¡± Meng Xizhou came to a realization. ¡°This person is really cunning!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°You can leave first. There¡¯s no need to investigate this matter anymore.¡± Meng Xizhou was indignant. ¡°Are we just going to let that kid go?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°I know what to do.¡± Hearing this, Meng Xizhou did not ask further and obediently took his leave. Yu Niaoniao carefully observed the change in Xiao Juan¡¯s expression. Seeing that he was not angry, she asked curiously. ¡°How are you going to deal with Wei Liao?¡± Xiao Juan opened the dossier and said calmly, ¡°The best way to deal with a mad dog is to ignore him.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Are you nning to deal with all changes by remaining unchanged?¡± Xiao Juan replied indifferently. ¡°Yes, actually, Wei Liao is nothing. The real troublemaker is someone else.¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°Who is it?¡± Xiao Juan did not answer. He knew in his heart that the reason Wei Liao dared to provoke him so openly was that Wei Huai¡¯en was backing him up. As for Wei Huai¡¯en, why would he go against him? Naturally, it was because someone had instructed it. There was no one else other than the emperor who could order a eunuch to do things. When the emperor used him, it was because he needed a knife to help him get rid of those obstacles in the court. Now that the Justice Department was getting stronger and the emperor¡¯s paranoia was getting stronger, he no longer trusted him. The Sky Wolf Guards were the ropes used by the emperor to restrain the Eagle Guards, and Wei Huai¡¯en and Wei Liao were tools used to suppress Xiao Juan. And that was the way an emperor weighed things. Xiao Juan did not want to tell Yu Niaoniao these messy things, lest they caused her trouble. At noon, Yu Niaoniao went to the kitchen to prepare lunch as usual. Pan Dafu pulled her aside conspiratorially. He looked very agitated, but he forced himself to suppress his emotions and spoke softly. ¡°Teacher, I¡¯ve already found out who was spreading the rumors behind the scenes. You definitely won¡¯t be able to guess who that person is!¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked. ¡°Was it Wei Liao from the Sky Wolf Guards?¡± Pan Dafu was dumbfounded. The answer he had prepared was stuck in his throat and he almost choked. After a long time, he forced out a sentence. ¡°How do you know?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°The Eagle Guards found out.¡± Pan Dafu understood. The Eagle Guards had many spies. It was indeed easy to investigate such a small matter. He then said, ¡°Something else happened in the capital recently. You probably don¡¯t know yet.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°That Princess Tao Ran. Shemitted suicide yesterday and almost died. Fortunately, she was saved in time.¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°Why did shemit suicide for no reason?¡± Pan Dafu shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I heard about this from someone else.¡± The reason why he told Yu Niaoniao this was because he had also heard the rumors between Princess Tao Ran and Duke Lang. He was worried that Princess Tao Ran would cause trouble again, so he gave Yu Niaoniao a warning in advance. Yu Niaoniao was deep in thought. Her intuition told her that Princess Tao Ran¡¯s actions would most likely implicate Xiao Juan. She immediately put down her work and prepared to tell Xiao Juan about this. Unexpectedly, she was still toote. When she arrived at Mirror House, she was told that someone from the pce hade and taken Xiao Juan away. They said that the emperor had something to ask Xiao Juan. The bad feeling in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart intensified. As soon as something happened to Princess Tao Ran, the emperor sent someone to call Xiao Juan away. This was definitely not a coincidence. Could it be that the emperor wanted to me Xiao Juan for Princess Tao Ran¡¯s suicide? In the study, Xiao Juan cupped his fists and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± The old emperor sat behind the desk. He had just reviewed some memorials and looked tired. ... He took the ginseng tea from Wei Huai¡¯en and took a sip. He was slightly better. ¡°Mo Zhu, I called you here to ask you what¡¯s going on between you and Tao Ran.¡± ¡°Shemitted suicide by taking poison in the residence yesterday. Fortunately, she was discovered in time. Otherwise, she would have been dead by now.¡± ¡°When I asked her why she wanted to take things so hard, she cried very sadly and said that it was all because of you.¡± Xiao Juan answered seriously. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ve always treated Princess Tao Ran as my sister. As for why Princess Tao Ranmitted suicide, I¡¯m not sure.¡± The old emperor put down his teacup and said solemnly. ¡°Tao Ran said that you bullied her when she was brought to the Justice Department for questioning.¡± Xiao Juan immediately denied it. ¡°That¡¯s definitely not the case! When I questioned Princess Tao Ran back then, I wasn¡¯t the only one present. There were so many people watching. I didn¡¯t even touch a strand of her hair!¡± Hearing this, the old emperor¡¯s expression softened. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be nervous. I know very well what kind of person you are. You can¡¯t do anything to Tao Ran.¡± ... Xiao Juan cupped his fists and bowed. ¡°Your Majesty is wise!¡± The old emperor sighed helplessly. ¡°Actually, I know that Tao Ran has always liked you. In the past, I wanted to arrange a marriage for the two of you.¡± ¡®But you¡¯ve always said that you only want to serve the country and don¡¯t have any romantic feelings for the time being. I can¡¯t force you, so I can only give up.¡± ¡°Initially, I thought that Tao Ran would give up on you after you became engaged to Yu Niaoniao. Now it seems that I underestimated her feelings for you.¡± Xiao Juan lowered his eyes and said respectfully. ¡°Princess Tao Ran just took things too hard for a moment. As long as she¡¯s given some time, she¡¯ll slowly get over it.¡± The old emperor shook his head. ¡°Tao Ran has been stubborn since she was young. I can tell from this incident. After all these years, if she could get over it, she would have. Why did it get to the point of suicide?¡± Xiao Juan said respectfully, ¡°When Princess Tao Ran was young, she had no other ymates. She treated me as her only ymate. As time passed, she felt that this was love.¡± ¡°Actually, that was not the case. She justckedpany. As long as His Majesty could spend more time with her, she would probably forget about me. After all, you¡¯re her father. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re much more important to her than me. If anyone in this world can cure Princess Tao Ran¡¯s heart disease, it will definitely be you.¡± The old emperor was speechless for a moment. Chapter 318 - 318 Condemnation 318 Condemnation The old emperor actually did not have much feelings for his daughter, Princess Tao Ran. When he first found out that she had been born, the old emperor¡¯s reaction was very calm. He was even prepared that the child would die young. After all, it was extremely difficult to raise children in the pce. Princes and princesses often died young. A princess like Princess Tao Ran, who was not valued, would definitely not be taken good care of. The probability of her dying early was very high. !! However, reality exceeded the old emperor¡¯s expectations. Princess Tao Ran actually grew up smoothly. When he learned that Princess Tao Ran hadmitted suicide yesterday, the old emperor¡¯s first reaction was to feel embarrassed. A dignified princess actually risked her life for a man. She had no backbone as a princess at all. She had really embarrassed the royal family! Later on, the old emperor thought about it and felt that this was a good opportunity to test Xiao Juan. He wanted to betroth Princess Tao Ran to Xiao Juan and see his reaction. If Xiao Juan refused, it meant that he did not sincerely submit to him, the emperor. If it were the contrary, it meant that Xiao Juan did not have any ill intentions. Unexpectedly, he hinted so much, but Xiao Juan did not answer. In the end, Xiao Juan even med it on him, her father. The old emperor stewed for a while before finally deciding not to beat around the bush with him and getting straight to the point. ¡°I¡¯m busy with government affairs and haven¡¯t been well recently. I really can¡¯t find time to apany Tao Ran often. I¡¯m also deeply sorry about this.¡± ¡°In order to make up for Tao Ran, I n to fulfill her obsession and let her marry you. What do you think?¡± Xiao Juan immediately said, ¡°I already have a wife in my family. Princess Tao Ran is precious. She can¡¯t be a concubine!¡± The old emperor said, ¡°Then divorce your wife and marry again. Or let Yu Niaoniao be your concubine and Tao Ran your wife.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It was His Majesty¡¯s decree for me to marry Niaoniao back then. Now, he wants me to divorce my wife and marry again. Isn¡¯t that going against the imperial edict? How will the world look at me in the future?¡± The old emperor stared at him. ¡°So you¡¯re unwilling to marry Tao Ran?¡± ¡°Princess Tao Ran is a golden leaf. It¡¯s a blessing from my previous life to be able to marry her.¡± ¡°However, His Majesty had already given me a marriage decree. At this moment, everyone in the world knew.¡± ¡°If His Majesty issued another decree to give me a marriage and even asked me to divorce my wife and remarry, it would be a treacherous act.¡± ¡°It was a small matter for me to lose my integrity and be criticized. However, if the world thinks that His Majesty¡¯s imperial edict has changed overnight and this damaged His Majesty¡¯s image in the hearts of the world, it will be a big deal!¡± The old emperor¡¯s face darkened. ¡°How dare you! How dare you say that I went back on my word?¡± Xiao Juan knelt down and pressed his forehead to the ground. ¡°I spoke inappropriately. Please calm down, Your Majesty.¡± The old emperor¡¯s voice contained anger. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense with me. I only have one question for you now. Are you willing to marry Tao Ran?¡± Ayer of sweat appeared on Xiao Juan¡¯s forehead. He was already prepared for the worst. ¡°I¡¯m not willing.¡± The old emperor¡¯s gaze quickly turned cold. Now, he was just asking Xiao Juan to marry a princess and Xiao Juan was unwilling. If he let Xiao Juan do something else in the future, wouldn¡¯t it be even harder? The old emperor said, ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t change it?¡± Xiao Juan said without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m not changing it.¡± The old emperor asked again, ¡°Do you know what will happen if you disobey the decree?¡± Xiao Juan raised his hands, took off the crown on his head, and ced it on the ground beside him. Then, he respectfully kowtowed to the old emperor. ¡°If I disobey the decree, you shall kill without mercy!¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to die.¡± Seeing his determined look, the old emperor admired him. ¡°Are you really going to lose your life for a woman?¡± Xiao Juan said slowly, ¡°His Majesty has taught me since I was young that the most important thing in life is to be loyal and straightforward.¡± ¡°One could not get carried away just because he was in a high position, nor could one be ungrateful just because he wanted to protect himself.¡± ¡°I have always listened to your teachings. Be it to my family or to His Majesty, I have to be consistent.¡± The old emperor was rather moved by this. Xiao Juan¡¯s words made sense. If Xiao Juan could divorce his wife and remarry in order to protect himself today, would Xiao Juan be able to betray him, the emperor, for his own benefit in the future? Compared to raising an ingrate, the old emperor would rather maintain the current situation. It was easy to get obedient people, but it was rare to see honest people. The former could make people happy, but at the critical moment, thetter was the most reliable. The creases on the old emperor¡¯s face rxed bit by bit, and his gaze on Xiao Juan became much gentler. But his voice was still harsh. ¡°I¡¯m willing to betroth the princess to you because I think highly of you. How dare you resist the decree? You¡¯re really bold!¡± ¡°Someone, bring Xiao Juan away and flog him ten times as an example!¡± ... Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty.¡± Soon, Xiao Juan was brought down. The old emperor nced at Wei Huai¡¯en beside him. ¡°Go and watch. Let the Imperial Guards know their limits.¡± Hearing this, Wei Huai¡¯en immediately understood that the emperor was just putting on an act and did not really want to punish Xiao Juan. Wei Huai¡¯en walked out of the study and gave the imperial guards a look. The guards understood and specially switched the court staffs to hollow versions. This staff looked thick, but it did not hurt when it was struck. Just as they were about to attack, they suddenly heard a hoarse voice. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Everyone looked over and realized that Princess Tao Ran had arrived. ... She was supported by two pce maids. Her face was pale and she looked frail and thin. Her eyes were red and her eyelids were puffy. She had clearly been crying for a long time. Wei Huai¡¯en and the guards bowed to her. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± Princess Tao Ran did not even look at anyone else and stared fixedly at Xiao Juan. ¡°Cousin Mo Zhu, would you really rather be beaten than marry me?¡± Xiao Juan replied calmly, ¡°I¡¯m very grateful for the princess¡¯s love, but I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not fated with you in this life.¡± Tears flowed out of Princess Tao Ran¡¯s eyes. Sheughed as she cried. Herughter was desperate and crazy. ¡°Good! Xiao Juan! Since you¡¯re heartless to me, don¡¯t me me for being heartless to you!¡± She looked at the two guards with the staff and said hatefully. ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and do it!¡± The guards hurriedly raised their court staffs and hit Xiao Juan¡¯s back. They looked like they had used a lot of strength at first, but in fact, they had secretly absorbed most of it the moment theynded. In addition, the court staffs were hollow, to begin with, so it did not hurt at all when theynded on Xiao Juan¡¯s back. Princess Tao Ran watched as Xiao Juan was beaten and felt extremely relieved. ¡°If you beg me now, I can consider pleading for mercy and asking Father to spare you.¡± Xiao Juan ignored her. Seeing that he did not even look her in the eye, Princess Tao Ran hated him even more. She shouted at the two guards. ¡°Didn¡¯t you eat? Why isn¡¯t there any sound? If you don¡¯t have the strength, get someone else to do it!¡± Chapter 319 - 319 Courtesy before Force 319 Courtesy before Force The guards groaned inwardly. Just now, Eunuch Wei had hinted to them to be gentle. Now, Princess Tao Ran wanted them to hit him hard. They were caught in the middle. It was inconvenient! In the end, they had no choice but to look to Wei Huai¡¯en for help, hoping that he would point them in the right direction. !! Wei Huai¡¯en did not expect Princess Tao Ran to appear at this time. He could not mess up the job given by the emperor. He had no choice but to stand up and speak. ¡°Your Highness, please calm down. You haven¡¯t recovered yet. The imperial physician instructed you to recuperate well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s windy outside. If you catch a cold, it would not be good.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to go back and rest. I¡¯ll watch over this ce.¡± Princess Tao Ran did not have much patience with anyone other than Xiao Juan, especially since the other party was a lowly eunuch. ¡°This is none of your business. Get lost!¡± Wei Huai En¡¯s expression did not change. He still had a kind smile. ¡°I¡¯m here to watch. Unless the emperor says so, I won¡¯t dare to leave my post.¡± Princess Tao Ran sized him up unkindly. ¡°Are you using Father to threaten me?¡± Wei Huai¡¯en bowed slightly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Princess Tao Ran could not be bothered with him and said to the two imperial guards. ¡°What are you waiting for? Continue hitting!¡± The guards could only raise their staffs again. This time, they still did not dare to use force. Seeing that Xiao Juan¡¯s expression did not change, Princess Tao Ran was very dissatisfied. ¡°You two pieces of trash, you don¡¯t even know how to hit someone. Get lost!¡± Then, she pointed at the two strong eunuchs behind her and said to them. ¡°The two of you, go! Remember, you must use all your strength. If anyone dares to go easy, I¡¯ll chop off his hand!¡± The two eunuchs jumped. They were just standing at the side, but they were also dragged into the picture. They were too unlucky! However, since the princess had given the order, they did not dare to disobey. They could only brace themselves and walk forward, preparing to take the court staffs from the two guards. How would the two Imperial Guards dare to hand over the staff? If someone else obtained the staff, they would immediately know what was going on. How would the two of them exin themselves then? They did not dare to betray Wei Huai¡¯en. In the end, they could only admit defeat. The two Imperial Guards gripped the staff tightly, not daring to let go. Wei Huai En also helped persuade her. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t make things difficult for them. The emperor gave the order to flog Duke Lang. They¡¯re under orders. They can¡¯t report until they¡¯re done.¡± Princess Tao Ran refused to listen to his advice and insisted on changing people. No one was willing to give in. The situation was in a stalemate. Wei Huai En secretly winked at the young eunuch behind him. The young eunuch understood and quietly ran to the study to report what had happened outside to the emperor. Then the young eunuch returned with the emperor¡¯s decree. ¡°Your Highness, the emperor orders you to go back immediately. If you continue to cause trouble here, we can only send someone to forcefully send you back.¡± Princess Tao Ran refused to go back. ¡°I want to see Father. I¡¯m not convinced! Duke Lang clearly bullied me. Why can¡¯t I vent my anger?¡± Wei Huai¡¯en said politely, ¡°You said that Duke Lang bullied you. Do you have any real evidence?¡± Princess Tao Ran gritted her teeth. ¡°What do you mean? Do you suspect that I¡¯m lying? This concerns my reputation. As a princess, would I joke about my reputation?!¡± Wei Huai En smiled but said nothing. His appearancepletely angered Princess Tao Ran. She cursed in exasperation. ¡°You¡¯re just a lowly eunuch who has been castrated. What right do you have to question me?!¡± No matter how strong Wei Huai¡¯en¡¯sposure was, his expression could not help but change when he heard the word ¡°castrated¡±. As an iplete person, this was the greatest taboo. Princess Tao Ran¡¯s words urately stepped on Wei Huai¡¯en¡¯s minefield. Wei Huai En¡¯s smile disappearedpletely. ¡°My status is low. I¡¯m indeed not qualified to question the noble princess. ¡°I was wrong.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll report it to the emperor now and ask him to punish me.¡± ... With that, he cupped his hands at Princess Tao Ran and turned to leave. Seeing this, Princess Tao Ran panicked. She knew that Wei Huai¡¯en was actually going toin even though he said he was asking for forgiveness. But soon she calmed down. She had only scolded Wei Huai¡¯en. Could it be that as a princess, she could not even scold a eunuch? Besides, she wanted to see her father in the first ce. If Wei Huaienined, her father would probably summon her. At that time, wouldn¡¯t she be able to cry to him soon? As soon as Wei Huai En walked into study, he knelt on the ground, his voice sobbing. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m guilty!¡± The old emperor was puzzled. ¡°What crime have youmitted?¡± Wei Huai En choked. ¡°Just now, Princess Tao Ran used Duke Lang of bullying her and even shouted that she wanted to see you. I asked her if she had any real evidence.¡± ... ¡°I deserve to die. I¡¯m just a lowly person. How dare I question Princess Tao Ran¡¯s words?¡± ¡°Your Majesty, please punish me.¡± When the old emperor heard this, he knew that Princess Tao Ran was pestering him. He said with a dark expression, ¡°Your question is reasonable. What¡¯s wrong with it? Get up first. I¡¯ll get someone to send Princess Tao Ran back. As soon as she recovers, I¡¯ll send her back to her fief and forbid her froming to the Imperial Capital again.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en wiped his tears with his sleeve and raised his upper body. He spoke gratefully. ¡°Thank you for your forgiveness, Your Majesty. You didn¡¯t me me.¡± He stood up and continued, ¡°Hasn¡¯t Your Majesty been worried about the Chen Nation¡¯s envoy recently?¡± Ever since the internal strife of the Eastern Expedition Army was resolved, the emperor of the Chen Nation learned that his wolfish ambition had been exposed. In order to prevent Dayan from finding trouble with him, the Emperor of the Chen Nation took the initiative to propose marriage. They wanted to ask to marry a princess of Dayan and eternally unite the two countries through marriage. The envoy sent by the Emperor of the Chen Nation was already on the way and would arrive at the Imperial Capital soon. The old emperor did not have a good impression of the Chen Nation. He wanted to reject this marriage, but he did not want topletely fall out with the Chen Nation because of this. Recently, he had been worried about this matter. The old emperor could not help but ask. ¡°Do you have a solution?¡± Wei Huai En spoke respectfully. ¡°As the old saying goes, harmony makes money. Try not to fight if you can, lest you waste money.¡± ¡°Since the Emperor of the Chen Nation wanted to marry our princess, why not follow his wishes? This way, not only could you show your magnanimity to the world, but you could also give the Chen Nation onest chance. If the Chen Nation still did not repent and still plotted against our Dayan Dynasty, the world will only think that the Chen Nation deserves it if we send troops to them.¡± The old emperor looked thoughtful. ¡°Courtesy before force?¡± Wei Huai¡¯en pretended to understand. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. That¡¯s what I meant! Your Majesty is so knowledgeable and hit the nail on the head.¡± The old emperor said, ¡°What you said makes sense. Let me think about it again.¡± Chapter 320 - 320 Killing Two Birds with One Stone 320 Killing Two Birds with One Stone Seeing that the two guards were motionless again, Princess Tao Ran immediately scolded with a dark expression. ¡°Are you deliberately stalling for time to cover up for Duke Lang? What benefits did you receive from him? How dare you help him like this!¡± The two guards hurriedly shook their heads in denial. ¡°No, no! Absolutely not!¡± Princess Tao Ran wanted to change out the guards who were carrying out the punishment, but the two guards were afraid of taking responsibility and refused. Just as Princess Tao Ran lost her temper and wanted to severely punish the two disobedient guards, Wei Huai¡¯en finally returned. !! He conveyed the emperor¡¯s intentions to Princess Tao Ran. ¡°His Majesty said he wants to see you. Please follow me.¡± Hearing this, the corners of Princess Tao Ran¡¯s mouth curled up into a triumphant smile. She knew that her father would definitely not punish her for a lowly eunuch. When she saw her fatherter, she would definitelyin and teach Xiao Juan and Wei Huai¡¯en a lesson! Princess Tao Ran looked at Xiao Juan and raised her chin slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll give you onest chance. As long as you change your mind and marry me, I¡¯ll help you plead with Father.¡± Xiao Juan ignored her. Princess Tao Ran did not receive the response she wanted, and the hatred in her heart immediately surged. When he was young, she was the only one by his side. She protected him for ten years and loved him wholeheartedly. All she wanted was for him to be like her. To have only each other in their world. But Xiao Juan had betrayed her. He had married another woman, but she had been left where she was. The deeper her love for Xiao Juan back then, the deeper her hatred for him now. Princess Tao Ran took a deep breath and said slowly, ¡°Alright, since you don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you, don¡¯t me me for being rude to you.¡± She would rather destroy a man she could not have than let another woman have him. Princess Tao Ran walked towards the study with the help of the pce maids. What she didn¡¯t notice was that after she turned around, Wei Huai¡¯en¡¯s gaze suddenly turned cold and his eyes were filled with malice. He sneered inwardly. She was just an unloved cheap princess but she had really treated him like a dish. ¡°I¡¯ll let you be arrogant for a while longer today. When it¡¯s time for the wedding in the future, you¡¯ll cry!¡± Xiao Juan happened to catch the change in Wei Huai¡¯en¡¯s expression at this moment. He did not know what Wei Huai En was going to do, but he could guess that Princess Tao Ran was definitely going to be unlucky next. On the surface, Wei Huai¡¯en looked kind and smiled at everyone. He seemed to be a good person, but how could someone who had climbed from a young eunuch to his current position really be a good person? Xiao Juan¡¯s ruthlessness could be seen on the surface. Wei Huai En was different. His ruthlessness was all hidden in the dark, making it impossible to guard against him. Usually, when the old cab ministers entered the pce to discuss matters, they would be polite to Wei Huai¡¯en. No one dared to underestimate the most trusted eunuch beside this emperor. Only Princess Tao Ran relied on her status and did not take Wei Huai¡¯en seriously, thinking that he was really just a lowly eunuch. As soon as Princess Tao Ran left, the two guards heaved a sigh of relief. They quickly finished ten rounds, then hurriedly threw the court staffs and apologized to Duke Lang. ¡°Please forgive us, Your Highness. We were just following orders. We were really forced to do this.¡± Xiao Juan did not feel much pain. He knew that they had shown mercy and said calmly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t me you.¡± The two guards heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Your Highness is really magnanimous!¡± Xiao Juan left the pce on foot as usual. At this moment, Princess Tao Ran was crying to the old emperor in the study. ¡°Father, Xiao Juan and Wei Huai¡¯en ganged up to bully me! Xiao Juan had clearly bullied me, but Wei Huaien still spoke up for Xiao Juan. ¡°The two of them are in cahoots. Father, you have to stand up for me!¡± The old emperor said helplessly. ¡°You always say that Xiao Juan bullied you, but you can¡¯t produce evidence. What can I do? Even if I¡¯m the Son of Heaven, I can¡¯t convict someone without evidence.¡± Princess Tao Ran wiped her tears and said angrily. ¡°What evidence do you need for such a thing? He had already done everything. Did he still want to deny it? Either he marries me or he dies!¡± The old emperor advised, ¡°Xiao Juan is a duke, not some Tom, Dick, or Harry. His life and death cannot be determined with just a few words from you.¡± ¡°If you can¡¯te up with anything to try and incriminate him, then calm down and stop fooling around.¡± ¡°Do you know that your reputation is already terrible now? Do you still want to get married in the future?¡± Princess Tao Ran did not feel that there was anything wrong with her actions. ¡°I¡¯ll only marry Xiao Juan in my life. What does what others think of me have to do with me?!¡± The old emperor¡¯s head ached at her imprable appearance. At this moment, he could not help but think of Wei Huai¡¯en¡¯s suggestion. He only had two daughters. Regardless of how deep their rtionship was, they were at least his flesh and blood. He could not bear to marry them to a foreign country. However, now that Princess Tao Ran was desperate for a man, her reputation in the capital waspletely ruined. ... It was almost impossible to choose a good consort for her in the future. But she was a girl after all. It was impossible for her to never get married. After thinking about it, marrying her far into the Chen Nation was the most suitable choice. This way, he could sessfully marry her off and improve the rtionship between the two countries. He had solved two problems at the same time. It could be said to be killing two birds with one stone! Thinking of this, the old emperor made a decision. But he did not say this thought directly. Instead, heforted her gently. ¡°I know what you mean, but this is a serious matter. I have to think about how to deal with Xiao Juan. ¡°Go back first and recuperate well. Don¡¯t cause any more trouble.¡± Princess Tao Ran believed her father¡¯s words and thought that he would really deal with Xiao Juan. She felt reluctant. After all, that was the man she loved deeply. But then she felt happy. Who asked him not to know what was good for him? He deserved to die! ¡°Thank you, Father. You¡¯re so good to me. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± ... ¡°Go back, go back.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en sent Princess Tao Ran out. Before leaving, Princess Tao Ran even looked at Wei Huai¡¯en disdainfully. The meaning was self-evident. Wei Huai¡¯en was calm and did not look embarrassed at all. He kept a smile on his face. He waited until she was gone before he stopped smiling. The young eunuch behind himined softly, ¡°That Princess Tao Ran is too much. She actually doesn¡¯t take you seriously at all.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en replied casually, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her. She¡¯s just a little girl who doesn¡¯t know anything.¡± With that, he casually flicked his horsetail whisk, as if shaking off some insignificant dust. He then asked, ¡°How¡¯s the progress on Ah Liao¡¯s side?¡± The young eunuch reported truthfully. ¡°Young Master Wei Liao has already found some clues ording to the clues you gave. Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s death back then is very likely rted to Empress Wen.¡± Wei Huai En looked thoughtful. ¡°Empress Wen?¡± Chapter 321 - 321 Waiting for You to Come Back 321 Waiting for You to Come Back Yu Niaoniao was uneasy, worried that something would happen to Xiao Juan. Hearing that Xiao Juan had returned, she hurriedly ran out. Seeing Xiao Juan striding towards her, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart immediately rxed. Fortunately, he had returned safely. ¡°I heard that the emperor asked you to enter the pce because of Princess Tao Ran?¡± Xiao Juan held her hand and walked into the room. ¡°Yes, the emperor wanted me to marry Princess Tao Ran, but I refused.¡± When Yu Niaoniao heard the first half of the sentence, her heart tightened. She was very worried that he would agree. After hearing thetter half, she immediately heaved a sigh of relief. She pressed, ¡°The emperor didn¡¯t me you for that?¡± Xiao Juan did not mention that he had been flogged and replied with a normal expression. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty is magnanimous and doesn¡¯t me me.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± At this moment, Pan Dafu came knocking. ¡°Your Highness, Princess Consort, are you having lunch here? Or in the dining hall?¡± Yu Niaoniao had forgotten to eat lunch because she was worried about Xiao Juan. Now that Pan Dafu reminded her, she felt hungry. She could not be bothered to go to the dining hall and wanted to eat in the room, but she still remembered that Xiao Juan did not allow others to eat in the Mirror House. She could only turn to look at Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan read her eyes. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat in the bedroom.¡± The bedroom was not far from where they were. After eating, she could go straight to bed and take a nap. Yu Niaoniao felt that it was very good and immediately replied. ¡°Okay.¡± Pan Dafu personally brought the food to the bedroom. When Xiao Juan sat down at the table, he frowned slightly. Although the two guards were not ruthless, they still left a little bruise on the skin. It was fine when he stood, but when he sat down, the flesh on his back stretched with his movements, and he could not help but feel a little pain. When Yu Niaoniao looked at him, his expression had returned to normal. Yu Niaoniao ced a bowl of Three-fragrance soup in front of him. ¡°Have some soup first.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± After eating and drinking his fill, Pan Dafu came over to clean up the dishes. Yu Niaoniao pulled Xiao Juan to take a nap. Xiao Juan said, ¡°I still have something to do. Go to sleep first.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You have to strike a bnce between work and rest. You have to sleep well before you can do anything better.¡± Xiao Juan was very insistent. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep well until it¡¯s done.¡± Yu Niaoniao had no choice but to let him be. In the afternoon, Lo Pingsha came to Yu Niaoniao for advice on performing autopsies. This stumped Yu Niaoniao. She could only recite the entire text, but she was still far from mastering it. She really had no choice but to say, ¡°As the saying goes, truthes from practice. If you have doubts about this theoretical knowledge, why don¡¯t you try applying it? The practical results will tell you the answer.¡± Lo Pingsha thought about it carefully and felt that it made sense. ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Princess Consort!¡± He was immersed in the morgue all afternoon and did note out until it was dark. Yu Niaoniao wanted to look for Xiao Juan, but she met Meng Xizhou halfway. Seeing Meng Xizhou¡¯s ugly expression, she hurriedly asked. ¡°What happened?¡± Meng Xizhou¡¯s face was tense and his mood was depressed. ¡°Wei Liao came again just now.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Is he up to something again?¡± ¡°He told everyone that Duke Lang angered the emperor in the pce today and was ordered to be flogged. He deliberately wanted to embarrass Duke Lang. What a despicable person!¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. Was Xiao Juan was flogged? But didn¡¯t he say the emperor didn¡¯t me him? Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Was he telling the truth?¡± Meng Xizhou said without hesitation, ¡°It must be fake! The emperor relies on Duke Lang so much. How could he punish him for no reason? Besides, we all saw that Duke Lang was fine today. He did not look injured at all. Wei Liao was talking nonsense!¡± ¡°If not for Duke Lang telling me not to do anything rash, I would have pressed that kid to the ground and beaten him up!¡± Others did not know, but Yu Niaoniao knew very well that Xiao Juan had refused to marry Princess Tao Ran. ... The princess¡¯s precious body was rejected and this matter was enough to annoy the emperor. It was not impossible for the emperor to punish him because of this. Yu Niaoniao ran to look for Xiao Juan. When she arrived at Mirror House, she realized that Xiao Juan was not there. Yan Nanguan told her that Duke Lang had gone out to do something and would not be back until tonight. Yu Niaoniao was incredulous. He had just been flogged and went out to run around,pletely disregarding his injuries. Did he think he was made of bronze? When it was dark, Yu Niaoniao had already made dinner, but she still did not see Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha. She walked around the Justice Department and finally found Lo Pingsha in the morgue, still buried in the autopsy. When Lo Pingsha heard that it was time to eat, he realized that his stomach was rumbling with hunger. Yu Niaoniao did not want to look at the corpse beside him. ¡°Go take a shower first.¡± ... Lo Pingsha replied as he packed the equipment, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Yu Niaoniao went to the entrance of the Justice Department and waited for a long time before seeing Xiao Juan return. Seeing her standing at the door, Xiao Juan could not help but ask. ¡°Why are you standing here?¡± Yu Niaoniao said without hesitation, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m waiting for you toe back.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s heart warmed. He liked the feeling that no matter when he returned home, there was someone waiting for him. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°The food is ready. Hurry up and eat.¡± Everything else could wait until they were done eating. The two of them went to the dining hall. At this moment, Lo Pingsha had already changed ande over. The three of them sat around the table. Lo Pingsha was really hungry. He finished three bowls of rice in one go. When he was almost done eating, he put down his chopsticks and said to Xiao Juan. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ve learned how to examine bones. Even if it¡¯s a corpse from ten years ago, I can find out why he died.¡± Xiao Juan looked up at him. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Lo Pingsha thought for a moment and gave a rtively conservative answer. ¡°At least 70%. I¡¯ll ponder over itter. Perhaps I can increase my chances by another 10%.¡± Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°Yes, 70% is enough. I¡¯ll enter the pce to see the emperor tomorrow.¡± Lo Pingsha still had some doubts. ¡°Can the emperor really agree to open the coffin and perform an autopsy?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°I have my ways.¡± After eating and drinking his fill, Lo Pingsha stayed behind to wash the dishes. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan returned to the room. Xiao Juan nned to wash up briefly and go to bed, but Yu Niaoniao wanted him to take a bath before sleeping. ¡°You must be sweating after running around all afternoon. You have to wash up.¡± Xiao Juan expressed that there was no need. ¡°I didn¡¯t sweat much today. I¡¯ll bathe another day.¡± It was not that he did not want to take a bath. He was afraid that the injury on his back would be seen by Yu Niaoniao. However, Yu Niaoniao was very insistent. ¡°No, you have to take a bath today, or you¡¯re not allowed to go to bed.¡± Xiao Juan had no choice but to reply, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go next door to take a bath.¡± Chapter 322 - 322 Strange Feeling 322 Strange Feeling Xiao Juan poured hot water into the bathtub, took off his clothes, and was about to sit in the bathtub when he heard a knock on the door. Then, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s voice came through the door. ¡°Baby, let me wipe your back.¡± Xiao Juan refused without hesitation. !! ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± Yu Niaoniao pretended to cry; her voice was filled with resentment. ¡°Boohoo, do you despise me?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you let me wipe your back?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Men and women shouldn¡¯t touch each other.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Hmph, since you say so, I¡¯ll move out now and we¡¯ll sleep in separate rooms in the future!¡± With that, she turned around and left. Afraid that she would really move away, Xiao Juan quickly put on his inner clothes, pulled open the door, and chased after her. ¡°Niaoniao!¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped and turned to look at him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I was wrong. We¡¯re husband and wife. There¡¯s no such thing as improper contact.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately followed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll scrub your back.¡± Xiao Juan refused again. ¡°There¡¯s really no need. I¡¯m not used to having my back rubbed.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You can cultivate habits. I¡¯ll rub you a few more times and you¡¯ll get used to it.¡± Xiao Juan did not know what to say. He actually did not want Niaoniao to see the wounds on his back. Seeing that he was silent, Yu Niaoniao sighed inwardly. Actually, she could understand Xiao Juan¡¯s thoughts. This man just didn¡¯t want her to know that he had been flogged. She had asked him to take a bath and offered to scrub his back because she wanted to force him to tell the truth. Unexpectedly, he was still stubborn. Yu Niaoniao took the initiative to walk forward and take his hand. ¡°It¡¯s cold outside. Let¡¯s talk inside.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± They went into the house. Yu Niaoniao took out a small porcin bottle containing medicinal oil from her sleeve and ced it on the table. ¡°Is there anything you want to tell me?¡± When Xiao Juan saw the medicine bottle and thought of Yu Niaoniao¡¯s abnormal actions tonight, what else did he not understand? He lowered his eyes. ¡°How did you know?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Wei Liao told everyone about you being flogged. This time, I have to thank his big mouth. Otherwise, I would still be in the dark about you. Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you were injured? Do you not treat me as one of your own?¡± Xiao Juan silently made another note of Wei Liao. ¡°You¡¯re mistaken. I didn¡¯t tell you because I didn¡¯t want you to worry for nothing.¡± Yu Niaoniao pretended to understand and nodded in agreement. ¡°That makes sense. If anything happens to me in the future, I won¡¯t tell you because I don¡¯t want you to worry for nothing.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. It was a long time before he could say anything. ¡°I¡¯m not like you. I¡¯m thick-skinned and I¡¯m fine with a few injuries.¡± Yu Niaoniaoughed in anger at his double standards. ¡°Then take off your clothes now and let me see if you have thick skin.¡± Xiao Juan did not want to take off his clothes. Seeing that he was standing still, Yu Niaoniao asked. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you taking it off? Are you going to say that men and women shouldn¡¯t touch each other again?¡± How would Xiao Juan dare to say this? ¡°I already apologized just now. Don¡¯t mention that again.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then take it off quickly.¡± Xiao Juan kept feeling that the current scene was strange. It was as if their gender roles were reversed. In the end, Xiao Juan could not resist. He took off his shirt, revealing his muscr chest. He actually felt a little ufortable when he saw Niaoniao looking at him without blinking. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Turn around.¡± Xiao Juan turned around obediently. On the surface of his tall back were bruises. It was a shocking sight. ... Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart tightened. She reached out and gently touched his back. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Xiao Juan could not see the scene behind him. It was because he could not see that the feeling on his back was even sharper. He felt someone touch his back and tensed involuntarily. The shape of his muscles became more obvious. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not believe it. ¡°You¡¯re so seriously injured. It must hurt. I¡¯ll find Little Lo and get him to treat you.¡± Xiao Juan stopped her. ¡°No need. The Imperial Guards didn¡¯t use much strength. I just suffered superficial wounds. It really doesn¡¯t hurt much. I¡¯ll be fine in two days.¡± Yu Niaoniao was skeptical. ¡°Really?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The emperor ordered me to be flogged just to show others. He doesn¡¯t really want to punish me.¡± Yu Niaoniao could not imagine that he had shown mercy. If those Imperial Guards really hit him hard, how badly would he be beaten? ... ¡°Was it because you refused to marry Princess Tao Ran that you were punished by the emperor?¡± ¡°You were stupid too. How dare you refuse the emperor¡¯s proposal? What if the emperor chops you up in a fit of anger?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Since I¡¯ve already married you, I won¡¯t marry anyone else.¡± Yu Niaoniao could not help but be moved. In this era where men were superior to women, it was really rare to see a man like Xiao Juan, who was in a high position and could still be loyal. She was really lucky to have met him. Yu Niaoniao muttered softly, ¡°You¡¯re quite good at coaxing people.¡± Xiao Juan was puzzled. ¡°When did I coax you? I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± The corners of Yu Niaoniao¡¯s mouth curled up involuntarily. ¡°Go take a bath first. I¡¯ll apply the medication for youter.¡± Xiao Juan turned around and looked at her silly smile. He was inexplicably happy. He waited a moment, but when she stood still, he had no choice but to remind her. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a bath. Go out for a while.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just wash up. I won¡¯t look at you.¡± With that, she covered her eyes with both hands. Xiao Juan walked to the bathtub, took off his pants, and sat down. He turned to look at Yu Niaoniao and saw her sitting in a chair with her back to him. She was quite honest. She really wouldn¡¯t look. When he finished bathing and put on his clothes, he walked over to Yu Niaoniao and saw her dozing off against the back of the chair. Xiao Juan wanted to carry her up and put her on the bed. Unexpectedly, just as he touched Yu Niaoniao, she woke up. Yu Niaoniao sat up straight and rubbed her eyes. ¡°How did I fall asleep?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Since you¡¯re sleepy, go to sleep.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°No, I still have to apply medication for you.¡± She asked Xiao Juan to take off his shirt and lie on the bed. She poured the medicinal oil into her palms. After rubbing it warm, she pressed her hands on Xiao Juan¡¯s back and slowly massaged it. ¡°If you feel pain, just say it.¡± Xiao Juan buried his face in the pillow and said gloomily, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Since it doesn¡¯t hurt, rx.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s body was very tight now. The muscles on his back were as hard as stones. She could not press them. Xiao Juan did not know how to exin. He really did not feel any pain. The reason why his body was tense was that Niaoniao¡¯s hands were too soft. When her hand rubbed his back on time, he had a strange feeling. His entire body tingled. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you use more strength?¡± Yu Niaoniao increased her strength. This way, it hurt a little while feeling numb. Xiao Juan felt even stranger. Chapter 323 - 323 Witness 323 Witness Yu Niaoniao did not know Xiao Juan¡¯splicated feelings at all. She kicked off her shoes and socks, knelt on the bed, and massaged his back hard. She worked for a long time before stopping. By then, she was sweating profusely from exhaustion, and her face was flushed. ¡°Okay, you can turn over.¡± Xiao Juan did not move. !! Yu Niaoniao reached out and patted his back. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you moving?¡± Xiao Juan could not say anything. After being massaged by Yu Niaoniao just now, he actually felt something uncontrobly. There was a reaction below his abdominal cavity. If he flipped over now, she would immediately notice his abnormality. He couldn¡¯t afford to be embarrassed. Yu Niaoniao looked at her ws and remembered how hard she had exerted just now. She could not help but worry. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you suffered internal injuries from my massage?¡± Xiao Juan was indeed about to suffer internal injuries. He replied in a muffled voice, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Go get my clothes.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Yu Niaoniao got out of bed, put on her shoes, and went to get his clothes. While she was gone, Xiao Juan quickly turned around and pulled the nket over his lower body. Yu Niaoniao went to wash her hands. When she returned with the clothes, she saw that Xiao Juan had already sat up. She did not think too much about it and handed the clothes over. Xiao Juan put on his clothes. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Go to sleep.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Yu Niaoniao got into bed, climbed over Xiao Juan, andy down inside. Xiao Juan gave her half of the nket. After she covered herself with the nket, Xiao Juan turned around and blew out the candle on the low bedside cab. The room was enveloped in darkness. Everything returned to silence. Yu Niaoniao was indeed tired. She closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep. Xiao Juan could not fall asleep. His body¡¯s reaction could not subside for a while. He felt ufortable holding it in, so he lifted the nket and sat up. Yu Niaoniao woke up. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thirsty. I¡¯m going to get some water.¡± Xiao Juan did not light themp and got out of bed in the dark. He walked to the table, picked up the teapot, and gulped down all the cold tea. The cold tea flowed down his esophagus and into his stomach as it finally suppressed the heat. He returned to the bed andy down again. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao was still sleeping soundly and did not notice the man¡¯s abnormality. When she woke up the next day, she found that there was no one beside her. Yu Niaoniao was already used to this. She quickly washed up and went to Mirror House to look for Xiao Juan after breakfast, but she realized that he was not there. After asking, she found out that Xiao Juan had entered the pce early this morning. Xiao Juan entered the pce to request to open the coffin and perform an autopsy. But he was toote. Someone entered the pce before him to see the emperor. This person was Wei Liao of the Sky Wolf Guards. He reported the results of his recent investigation to the emperor. When Xiao Juan appeared, the old emperor had already heard Wei Liao¡¯s report. The old emperor did not even look at Xiao Juan. His gray eyes stared at Wei Liao as he asked in a low voice. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Imperial Concubine Yue died in childbirth because Empress Wen secretly poisoned her?¡± Wei Liao replied, ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°This is no small matter. Do you have any real evidence?¡± ¡°I have a witness. This person is Empress Wen¡¯s pce maid, Wang Xue.¡± The old emperor immediately ordered someone to summon Wang Xue. Soon, WangXue was brought to the emperor. She knelt on the ground, her thin body trembling, her eyes filled with fear. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± The old emperor looked down at her as if he was looking down at a small ant that he could crush at any time. ¡°Tell me everything you know. If you lie, I¡¯ll tear you into pieces!¡± Wang Xue trembled even more. She spoke with difficulty. ¡°Your Majesty, Her Majesty and Imperial Concubine Yue were pregnant at the same time. ... Everyone said that Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s child was definitely a prince. At that time, Imperial Concubine Yue was already favored. If she gave birth to a prince, the empress was worried that her status and the fetus in her stomach would be affected. ¡°So the empress took the risk and asked me to bribe Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s nanny to secretly poison Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s daily food.¡± The old emperor¡¯s face was dark, and his eyes contained monstrous anger. He swept the teacup off the table and scolded sternly. ¡°You bitch! How dare you harm Imperial Concubine Yue and the imperial heir? Men, drag her down and execute her!¡± Wang Xue was so frightened that her eyes rolled back and she fainted. Because his emotions were fluctuating too much, the old emperor felt dizzy and his body swayed twice. Wei Huai¡¯en stepped forward to support him and quickly took out a pill. He fed it to the old emperor with warm water. ¡°Your Majesty, please calm down. Don¡¯t let your anger affect your health. This bitch is a very important witness. If she dies, no one will be able to use Empress Wen of her crimes. Please spare her life for the time being.¡± After the old emperor took the medicine, his breathing gradually stabilized. ... He pushed Wei Huai¡¯en away and took a deep breath, trying to calm down. ¡°Lock Wang Xue up in the Punishment Division and keep her under strict supervision.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en called over two Imperial Guards and dragged the unconscious Wang Xue down. The old emperor leaned back in his chair, his expression was unreadable. It was a long time before anyone heard him speak. ¡°Call Empress Wen over. I have something to ask her.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en knew that this matter was no small matter. He did not ask the young eunuch below to run errands for him. Instead, he personally went to the Fengyi Pce. The Fengyi Pce was still as cold and cheerless as before. Empress Wen sat at the head of the table. Her thin and pale face was pale and she was shrouded in a gloomy aura. She asked Wei Huai¡¯en. ¡°Why did His Majesty suddenly think of seeing me?¡± Wei Huai¡¯en said respectfully, ¡°His Majesty said that he has something very important to ask you in person. Please follow me to his study immediately.¡± Empress Wen said, ¡°Since the emperor wants to see me, I¡¯ll go over now.¡± The pce maid helped her stand up. Another pce maid took a cloak and put it on her. ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s cold outside. You¡¯re weak. You have to wear more clothes. Don¡¯t fall sick from the cold.¡± Empress Wen asked calmly, ¡°You still haven¡¯t found Wang Xue?¡± When Wei Huai¡¯en heard Wang Xue¡¯s name, he lowered his head slightly to hide the dark glint in his eyes. The pce maid shook her head. ¡°Not yet.¡± Empress Wen said, ¡°Continue searching. After we find her, tell her to stay in the house and not run around. I have something to tell her when Ie back.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± The pce maids sent Empress Wen out of the Fengyi Pce. Empress Wen rode the phoenix carriage to the door of Shang¡¯s study. Wei Huai¡¯en helped her into the study. When she entered, she realized that there was someone else in Shang¡¯s study besides the emperor. Xiao Juan and Wei Liao greeted her. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± Empress Wen just nced at them indifferently. She pushed Wei Huai En¡¯s hand away and bowed to the old emperor sitting behind the desk. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± The old emperor looked at her steadily with an extremelyplicated gaze. Chapter 324 - 324 Enlightenment With Death 324 Enlightenment With Death When they got married, she was in her youth. Her skin was fair and rosy, her ck hair was soft, and her eyes were bright and clear. When she smiled, she was as bright as peach blossoms in spring. However, she was now pale and thin. There was no longer any light in her dark eyes. Empress Wen asked, ¡°May I know why Your Majesty summoned me?¡± The old emperor did not answer directly. Instead, he waved his hand and said tiredly. ¡°Everyone else, leave.¡± Xiao Juan and the others left the study. The door was closed. Everyone had to keep a distance from the door in case they eavesdropped on the conversation between the empress and the emperor. Xiao Juan stood under the porch and looked ahead as if he was in a daze. Actually, he was listening to the voice in the study. His five senses were naturally sharper than those of ordinary people. At this distance, no one could hear themotion in the study, but he could. In the study, the old emperor asked slowly, ¡°Did Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s death have something to do with you?¡± Empress Wen asked, ¡°Would you believe me if I said no?¡± The old emperor was silent in response. Empress Wen curled her lips into a cynical smile. ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve already convicted me. Even if I deny it, you won¡¯t believe me. In that case, why ask me again?¡± The old emperor sighed. ¡°Wang Xue has already told me everything. Stop resisting in vain.¡± Empress Wen said, ¡°So you caught Wang Xue. No wonder I didn¡¯t see her today. What did she say to you?¡± ¡°She said you poisoned Imperial Concubine Yue to death.¡± Empress Wenughed out loud as if she had heard a joke. ¡°Heh! As the empress, do I have to poison a mere concubine? So what if she was lucky and could really give birth to a prince? I¡¯m the empress. When her son sees me, he has to call me Mother!¡± ¡°Even if he was lucky enough to inherit the throne in the future, he had to respect me as the empress dowager! What reason do I have to harm Imperial Concubine Yue and her son?!¡± She had said too much in one breath. Coupled with her emotions, her breathing quickened and she coughed violently. The old emperor had no intention of getting an imperial physician to take a look at her. He just stared at her quietly. Empress Wen clutched her chest and coughed so hard that she could not straighten her back. In the silent study, only the sound of her persistent coughs could be heard. It took a while for her coughing to subside. The old emperor spoke slowly, ¡°So you won¡¯t admit to harming Imperial Concubine Yue?¡± Empress Wen was already on the verge of copse. Her face was so pale that she did not look alive. However, she still tried her best to maintain her bearing as an empress and said word by word,¡±I¡¯m innocent!¡± Deep disappointment appeared in the old emperor¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve already given you onest chance to confess, but you¡¯re unwilling to cherish it. In that case, I can only deal with this impartially.¡± Empress Wen asked with a trembling voice, ¡°What do you n to do with me, Your Majesty? Will you give me the white silk? Or poison wine?¡± The old emperor said, ¡°You have to pay with your life for killing someone. On ount of our rtionship as husband and wife, I won¡¯t make your crimes public. In the future, I¡¯ll announce to the public that you died of illness. This way, I can protect thest bit of dignity for you and the Seventh Prince.¡± Empress Wen looked at him nkly. Even though she had long gotten over it, she still could not help but feel dazed when she heard the emperor¡¯s words about killing her. She entered the pce at the age of 15 to marry the emperor. To this day, she could still remember the scene back then. At the grand wedding, she married him in front of everyone. At that time, she was still naive as a young girl, thinking that she could grow old with the emperor and be loving. But the harsh reality pped her hard. After so many years, all her expectations of the emperor had been eroded. In the end, all that was left was despair. After a long time, Empress Wen came back to her senses. Tears rolled down her face, but a strange smile appeared on her face. ¡°It¡¯s said that a day as husband and wife is a hundred days of kindness. His Majesty and I are husband and wife, but you¡¯ve never trusted me.¡± ¡°In that case, I have nothing else to say.¡± ¡°I can only prove my innocence with my death. I¡¯m innocent!¡± When Xiao Juan, who was standing under the porch, heard this, he cursed in his heart! In the next moment, he heard a muffled sounding from Shang¡¯s study, followed by the old emperor¡¯s shout. ¡°Empress, what are you doing?! Someone, call the imperial physicians!¡± Everyone rushed into the study and saw Empress Wen lying on the ground. Blood was flowing out of the wound on her forehead. There was blood on the corner of the table beside her. It was obvious that she had hit the corner with her forehead just now, wanting to die this way. The old emperor hurried toward her, almost falling over in his haste. Fortunately, Xiao Juan used his Qinggong to fly over and support him. After the old emperor stabilized himself, he quickly bent down to check on Empress Wen. Wei Huai¡¯en immediately got someone to summon the imperial physicians. He and another eunuch helped Empress Wen up and let her lie on the soft couch that the old emperor usually used to rest. The old emperor covered the wound on Empress Wen¡¯s forehead with a silk handkerchief and said bitterly. ¡°Why are you so stupid?¡± Empress Wen¡¯s eyes were half-open and her breathing was weak. ... She spoke with difficulty, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ve never harmed Imperial Concubine Yue.¡± The old emperor really did not expect her to still insist on being innocent. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Empress Wen was really wronged? The imperial physicians quickly rushed over. They surrounded the soft couch and performed emergency treatment on Empress Wen. The rest of the unrted personnel were invited out. Xiao Juan was no exception. He and Wei Liao stood at the door of the study. Wei Liao gave Xiao Juan a provocative smile. ¡°Prince Lang, everyone says that you solve cases extremely quickly. Now it seems that¡¯s all to you. I¡¯ve already found the real culprit who killed Imperial Concubine Yue, but you still haven¡¯t found anything.¡± Xiao Juan asked calmly, ¡°Do you really think Empress Wen is the murderer?¡± Wei Liao asked, ¡°What else could it be? Empress Wen has a sufficient motive. Coupled with Wang Xue as a witness, who else could it be but Empress Wen?¡± Xiao Juan did not answer. ... He had suspected Empress Wen at first, but from Empress Wen¡¯s reaction just now, she did not look like the murderer. Wei Liao sneered. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Are you speechless?¡± Xiao Juan could not be bothered to respond. From the looks of it today, he would not be able to return for a while. He wondered if Niaoniao would be worried. Thinking of this, Xiao Juan called over a young eunuch and instructed. ¡°Help me send a message to the Justice Department. Tell them that I¡¯m going backter today and let them do what they should do as usual.¡± With that, he casually handed over a silver ingot. The young eunuch took the silver ingot happily. ¡°I¡¯ll do it now.¡± Seeing that Xiao Juan had ignored his existence, Wei Liao was very dissatisfied. Just as he was about to continue provoking him, he suddenly saw someone rushing over from afar. The young eunuch announced loudly, ¡°His Highness, the Seventh Prince, has arrived!¡± Chapter 325 - 325 Cinnamon Omelette 325 Cinnamon Omelette In the Justice Department, Yu Niaoniao did not think too much when she heard that Xiao Juan would only be back veryte today. She should still eat and sleep. In the afternoon, she was bored and went to the backyard to hang around. She happened to see Pan Dafu instructing his disciples to move things. She walked over and saw them carrying baskets of vegetables. As soon as Pan Dafu saw her, he immediately weed her warmly. ¡°Teacher, are you taking a walk here?¡± Yu Niaoniao replied, ¡°Yes.¡± When she saw the fresh cinnamon in the basket, she remembered that it was time to eat it. ¡°How much is this cinnamon for a catty?¡± Pan Dafu was stunned. ¡°Are you talking about these wild vegetables? This is a gift from the vegetable farmers when they saw that we bought a lot. It¡¯s free.¡± Yu Niaoniao was very surprised. There was actually such a good thing in the world?! Pan Dafu exined. ¡°These wild vegetables taste very strange. Usually, only poor families will pluck them and eat them. If they¡¯re sold, it¡¯s very difficult to sell them for a high price. That vegetable farmer won¡¯t be able to sell them even if he keeps them. So he decided to give them to us as a favor.¡± Yu Niaoniao reached out and picked up a piece to take a look. She had picked the tender tip. Just by looking at it, she felt that it was fresh and juicy. It must be very crispy. Seeing that she was very interested in these wild vegetables, Pan Dafu took the initiative to speak. ¡°Since Teacher likes it, these wild vegetables are for you.¡± These wild vegetables were only a catty or two in total. It was not enough for everyone to share if they were used to cook. Moreover, most of the Eagle Guards did not like the taste of wild vegetables and felt that they tasted strange and astringent. Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°Then I¡¯ll ept it.¡± Whether the cinnamon was served cold or used to make fried eggs or pancakes, they would definitely taste good! At night, Yu Niaoniao divided the washed cinnamon into two parts. A portion of the cinnamon was chopped and mixed with the egg liquid. It was heated up and fried into a thin omelet. The other portion of cinnamon was cooked in water. It was drizzled with specially concocted sauce, sprinkled with green onions, garlic, and spicy food, and finally doused with some hot oil. The entire kitchen was filled with the unique fragrance of cinnamon. Yu Niaoniao even stir-fried fragrant fish-vored shredded pork with spring bamboo shoots, shredded fungus, carrots, shredded meat, and other ingredients. She also cooked a pot of winter melon shrimp soup with sweet and sour pork ribs. Dinner was settled! Yu Niaoniao and Lo Pingsha waited for a long time, but Xiao Juan did not return. Seeing that the food was about to turn cold, Yu Niaoniao could only invite Lo Pingsha to eat first. Lo Pingsha asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to wait for Duke Lang?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Let¡¯s not wait. I¡¯ll just leave a portion of food for him.¡± She found clean bowls and chopsticks, set out some food, and ced it on the stove. She warmed it with the remaining charcoal on the stove. Lo Pingsha had eaten cinnamon before and did not like its taste very much. After tasting it today, it really changed his previous understanding of cinnamon. The cold cinnamon was crispy and fresh in his mouth, and the omelet made him unable to stop eating. When he was full, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Cinnamon is too delicious!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°At this time, cinnamon will be tender and we can eat more of it. After a while, it will be old. If we want to eat again, we can only wait for early spring next year.¡± Lo Pingsha hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll get Pan Dafu to buy more cinnamon tomorrow.¡± He would not get tired of eating such delicious food every meal! Lo Pingsha stayed behind to wash the dishes, while Yu Niaoniao returned to the room to rest alone. After washing up, she changed into her pajamas and spread her hair. When she got into bed, Xiao Juan still did not return. She could not help but be a little worried. What had happened in the pce? It was already sote. Why wasn¡¯t Xiao Juan back yet? Unknowingly, she fell asleep. But because she was uneasy, she slept uneasily. Half-awake, she felt someone move beside her. She opened her eyes and saw Xiao Juan sitting on the edge of the bed. Yu Niaoniao woke up immediately and sat up. ¡°Why are you back sote?¡± Xiao Juan turned to look at her and saw that her hair was loose and there were a few strands on the top of her head. She was wearing a thin snow-green middle shirt. The nket slid to her waist, and her eyes were round like a cute kitten. He reached out and lifted the nket for her. ¡°Something happened in the pce.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Empress Wenmitted suicide.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes widened even more. ¡°Suicide? Why?¡± ... Xiao Juan told her the whole story. ¡°Later, the Seventh Prince and Empress Dowager Deng rushed over when they heard the news. The matter had blown up. Empress Wen¡¯s life was in danger and the emperor was in a bad mood. None of us dared to leave.¡± ¡°It was not until the imperial physicians said that Empress Wen¡¯s life was no longer in danger that we could leave the pce.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not expect so much to happen in the pce in just a day. At this moment, she waspletely awake and asked curiously. ¡°Does Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s death have anything to do with Empress Wen?¡± Xiao Juan shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about this yet, but from Empress Wen¡¯s reaction, I¡¯m more inclined to think that she¡¯s not the real culprit.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately said, ¡°I told you back then that Empress Wen doesn¡¯t look like the kind of person who would harm her sisters. She should have been framed.¡± Xiao Juan analyzed calmly, ¡°Wang Xue is Empress Wen¡¯s pce maid. She¡¯s considered Empress Wen¡¯s trusted aide. No matter how you look at it, there¡¯s no need for Wang Xue to frame Empress Wen.¡± Yu Niaoniao tilted her head and thought for a moment,ing up with a possibility. ¡°Maybe someone has something on her and forced her to frame Empress Wen?¡± ... Xiao Juan nodded slightly. ¡°That¡¯s a possibility, but these are just our guesses. Weck conclusive evidence.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°In that case, we still have to open the coffin and perform an autopsy.¡± The testimony of the living might be fake, but the dead would not lie. She was a little worried. ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that the emperor has already determined that Empress Wen is the real culprit and won¡¯t let us open the coffin for an autopsy.¡± Xiao Juan stroked her head and smoothed her hair. ¡°Don¡¯t think about it. Go to sleep.¡± Yu Niaoniaoy back. She suddenly remembered about dinner and sat up again. ¡°Have you had dinner? I saved food for you. It¡¯s on the kitchen stove. I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± She was about to lift the nket and get out of bed when Xiao Juan pressed down on her shoulders. Xiao Juan stuffed her arm back under the nket and said. ¡°Go ahead and sleep. I¡¯ll get it myself.¡± Yu Niaoniao curled up under the nket and watched Xiao Juan leave. Because she had already seen Xiao Juan return safely, the heavy worry in her heart was lifted. This time she fell asleep quickly and slept soundly. She did not dream again. When Xiao Juan returned to the room after eating and saw her sleeping soundly, he could not help but rx. He took off his coat and crept under the nket toy down beside her. Chapter 326 - 326 Roping In 326 Roping In The next morning, an uninvited guest came to the Justice Department. It was the Sixth Prince, Shen Rui. He wanted to treat Xiao Juan to a meal and wine, but Xiao Juan refused. Shen Rui refused to give up and threatened that if Xiao Juan did not agree, he would stay in Mirror House today. !! Xiao Juan did not want to waste his breath on him and said candidly, ¡°If you have anything to say, just say it. I¡¯ll help if I can.¡± Shen Rui chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. Why would I need your help? I just want to catch up with you. We¡¯re cousins after all.¡± Seeing that he refused to say it directly, Xiao Juan could not be bothered with him and went about his business. Shen Rui was left alone. He tried to find a topic to chat with Xiao Juan, but he did not receive a response. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao arrived with freshly fried fries and Fat Otaku Joy Water. She did not expect Shen Rui to be here. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, she was stopped by Xiao Juan. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. Juste in.¡± Shen Rui smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, Cousin-inw. I heard about you. I believe you were wronged.¡± Yu Niaoniao ced the fries and Fat Otaku Joy Water on the table and asked, ¡°Why is Sixth Prince here?¡± Shen Rui said, ¡°I want to treat Duke Lang to a meal, but he¡¯s unwilling. Help me persuade him. It¡¯s just a meal. I won¡¯t do anything to him. Why is he so heartless?¡± Yu Niaoniao was not stupid. Of course, she knew that there was no free lunch. ¡°Your Highness, you have a noble status. There will definitely be many people rushing to eat with you. Why do you have to drag Duke Lang along?¡± Shen Rui said helplessly, ¡°Do you think I have other intentions too? You¡¯ve all misunderstood. I¡¯m really not that kind of person!¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled and picked up a fry. She dipped it in her homemade sweet and sour sauce and ate it slowly. Soon, there was a knock on the door. Meng Xizhou stood at the door and said respectfully. ¡°Your Highness, the emperor has sent someone to invite you to the pce.¡± Xiao Juan put down the dossier in his hand and asked, ¡°Did he say why?¡± ¡°I heard it¡¯s about the case of Empress Wen and Imperial Concubine Yue.¡± Xiao Juan had an idea. He stood up and spoke to Yu Niaoniao, ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded in agreement. Seeing that Xiao Juan was about to leave, Shen Rui was anxious and hurriedly stopped him. ¡°Wait a minute. I have a few words to say to you in private. Can you get the others to leave?¡± Meng Xizhou took the initiative to retreat. Yu Niaoniao was about to get up and leave when she was stopped by Xiao Juan. ¡°You don¡¯t have to leave.¡± However, Shen Rui hesitated. ¡°What I am going to say is very important. It¡¯s best that it is not overheard by a third person.¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°Niaoniao is my wife. She¡¯s one of us. There¡¯s nothing to hide.¡± Shen Rui had no choice but to pinch his nose and endure it. ¡°Prince Lang, you probably don¡¯t know yet. Before dawn today, the Seventh Prince knelt at the entrance of the Zhengde Hall with a group of civil and military officials and asked Father to investigate Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s case and give Empress Wen justice.¡± Xiao Juan really did not know about this. His expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡± Shen Rui said, ¡°From what I know of Father, he will most likely agree to the Seventh Prince¡¯s request. He must have summoned you to the pce for this matter.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°So?¡± Shen Rui first looked at Yu Niaoniao, who was sitting at the table and focused on drinking the Fat Otaku Joy Water, then at the thin-looking Xiao Juan. He gritted his teeth and said what was in his heart. ¡°Many people in the pce know the grudge between Empress Wen and Imperial Concubine Yue. They are sisters, but they are actually enemies. It was very likely that Empress Wen had poisoned Imperial Concubine Yue. Coupled with Wang Xue¡¯s confession, this case could basically be concluded.¡± ¡°The Seventh Prince did this today because he was the son of Empress Wen. He could not let his mother¡¯s crime be exposed. He deliberately made a big deal out of it to drag more people down.¡± ¡°He wants to confuse the public and cover up Empress Wen¡¯s crimes. If I were you, I would close the case immediately and not give them a chance to fish in troubled waters.¡± Xiao Juan looked at him quietly. Shen Rui felt a little ufortable under his gaze. ¡°If you have something to say, just say it. You don¡¯t have to look at me like that.¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°You said so much because you want me to pin the crime on Empress Wen. You want Empress Wen to die and the Seventh Prince to lose his reputation.¡± Shen Rui was embarrassed. His face alternated between green and red, and he was very embarrassed. He spoke with difficulty, ¡°Empress Wen killed Imperial Concubine Yue. She deserved it.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Of course, one would have to pay with his life for killing someone, but what if Empress Wen was wronged?¡± Shen Rui said without hesitation, ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°As long as we haven¡¯t found direct evidence of Empress Wen¡¯s murder, this case can¡¯t be concluded. The emperor is still waiting for me in the pce. Please forgive me for not being able to stay here for long. Goodbye.¡± With that, he walked out. Shen Rui stopped him again. ... ¡°As long as you help me this time, you will definitely benefit when I reach a high position in the future!¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped eating her fries. Now that the emperor was still alive, it was treasonous for Shen Rui to say such a thing. No wonder he insisted on chasing everyone out. Shen Rui stared fixedly at Xiao Juan, waiting for his answer. He had offered Xiao Juan an olive branch in the past, but Xiao Juan had rejected him every time. Actually, he was not the only one. The other princes also wanted to rope Xiao Juan in. But no one had seeded. Shen Rui originally did not want to be in such a hurry. He nned to take it slow and pull Xiao Juan to his side bit by bit. Even if he could not pull him over, he could not let Xiao Juan stand opposite him. He really had no choice today. Seeing that Empress Wen was about to die, he could not give Empress Wen and the Seventh Prince a chance to make aeback. As long as he could pin the crime on Empress Wen, as her son, the Seventh Prince would not be qualified to fight for the throne in the future. ... In this way, Shen Rui had one less powerfulpetitor. He would be one step closer to the throne. Xiao Juan said slowly, ¡°Sixth Prince, I¡¯ll pretend not to hear what you said today. Please don¡¯t look for me again.¡± Shen Rui¡¯s expression immediately turned extremely ugly. ¡°Are you really not giving me any respect?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°In the Justice Department, we only talk about thew and not favors.¡± He reached out and pulled open the door, turning sideways in a gesture of invitation. ¡°Sixth Prince, please leave.¡± Shen Rui flew into a rage out of humiliation and secretly harbored a grudge against Xiao Juan. However, he understood that now was not the time to fall out with Xiao Juan. He could only take a deep breath and suppress the anger in his heart. ¡°You can consider what I said just now. If you have any needs, you can tell me directly. I¡¯ll definitely satisfy you.¡± Although I¡¯m still a prince now, my father is old and his health has been deteriorating in the past few years. You¡¯re a smart person. You should know to n for your future in advance.¡± Chapter 327 - 327 Suicide 327 Suicide Xiao Juan still looked cold and indifferent, with no intention of wavering. Shen Rui was asking for a rebuff. In the end, he could only walk out of Mirror House with a stomach full of anger. As soon as they left, Yu Niaoniao immediately put down the Fat Otaku Joy Water and asked, ¡°If you reject the Sixth Prince so directly, he will definitely hate you, right?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°He was raised by Noble Consort Shu to be arrogant, but in terms of literary and military strategies, he¡¯s really not a match for the other princes. The person who can ascend the throne, in the end, might not be him.¡± !! Yu Niaoniao recalled Noble Consort Shu¡¯s hostility towards her and could not help but whisper, ¡°It¡¯s best not to let the Sixth Prince ascend the throne. Otherwise, I¡¯ll definitely not have a good life in the future.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Do you have a grudge against the Sixth Prince too?¡± ¡°I have no grudge against the Sixth Prince, but I have a grudge against Noble Consort Shu.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right. To be precise, she hates me unterally. I don¡¯t even know how I provoked her.¡± ¡°On the day I entered the pce to pay her New Year greetings, she put a poisonous snake in my sedan chair. Fortunately, I was not afraid of snakes. If it were anyone else, they would have been frightened to death on the spot.¡± ¡°After that, she even wanted to frame me and insisted that I had brought the poisonous snake into the pce. If not for Empress Wen speaking up for me, I would have had to kneel on the pce path for hours.¡± ¡°She is just a noble consort now, but she is already so unreasonable. If she really bes the Empress Dowager in the future, won¡¯t my life be even harder?¡± Xiao Juan frowned. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me these things before?¡± Yu Niaoniao scratched her head. ¡°So much happened that day that I didn¡¯t have time to tell you this. Later on, I forgot about it.¡± She had once suspected that the fake pce maid who wanted to harm her was arranged by Noble Consort Shu. But on second thought, she thought that was unlikely. When Noble Consort Shu released a poisonous snake to bite her, the former could still deny that it was an ident. But if she was killed in the pce, the nature of the matter would bepletely different. In the end, Noble Consort Shu might suffer great losses if the truth came to light. It made no logical sense to take such a huge risk to target a county princess who was no threat to her. Xiao Juan looked helpless. ¡°How can you forget such an important thing?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled shyly. ¡°I was wrong. It won¡¯t happen again.¡± Xiao Juan rubbed her little head. ¡°There¡¯s something you might not know yet. Noble Consort Shu and Madam Shu are cousins. Madam Shu is Lu Yaoguang¡¯s wife. After Lu Yaoguang was demoted, their family was not doing well. Noble Consort Shu even pleaded with the emperor regarding this matter, but unfortunately, it didn¡¯t seed.¡± Realization dawned on Yu Niaoniao. ¡°So she hates us?¡± Xiao Juan nodded slightly. ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao felt very wronged. ¡°Noble Consort Shu is too unreasonable! Lu Yaoguang deserved it. What did it have to do with us?¡± ¡°Besides, you even pleaded for mercy for him. If not for your pleading, Lu Yaoguang might have lost his head long ago. Why did she only remember the bad and not the good?¡± ¡°Besides, the person who gave the order to demote Lu Yaoguang was the emperor. Noble Consort Shu should me the emperor. Why did she implicate me?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t dare to me the emperor or attack me, so she can only bully you.¡± Yu Niaoniao pouted. ¡°Hmph, to put it bluntly, she bullies the weak and fears the strong!¡± Meng Xizhou knocked on the door and reminded him, ¡°The people from the pce are still waiting outside.¡± Yu Niaoniao pushed Xiao Juan out. ¡°Leave quickly. Come back early.¡± After Xiao Juan left the Justice Department, he rode straight to the pce. When he arrived at Zhengde Hall, the group of people kneeling at the door had already left. This time, not only did the old emperor summon Xiao Juan, but he also summoned Wei Liao. ¡°I called you over today to let you continue investigating Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s case.¡± Wei Liao was puzzled. ¡°Hasn¡¯t the real culprit been identified?¡± Even if Empress Wen died to prove her innocence, it did not prove that she was really innocent. The old emperor said, ¡°I understand what you mean, but there¡¯s no evidence to prove the Empress¡¯s guilt.¡± ¡°But Wang Xue will testify.¡± The old emperor said, ¡°Wang Xue is dead.¡± Xiao Juan and Wei Liao were stunned. ¡°Dead?¡± Wei Huai¡¯en, who was standing at the side, took the initiative to exin to them. ¡°Last night, Wang Xue died in the cell of the Punishment Division. No one realized until this morning that she had hit her head against the wall and died. It looked like a suicide.¡± Wei Liao couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Why did she suddenlymit suicide? Could it be that someone killed her to silence her and deliberately created the false impression of suicide?¡± Wei Huai¡¯en shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The Criminal Prosecution Division is very tightly managed. In addition, the emperor especially emphasized yesterday that we have to take good care of Wang Xue. No one has seen her since she was locked up until her body was discovered. No one has sent anything to the cell. There¡¯s not even food or water.¡± ¡°Then why did she kill herself?¡± The old emperor spoke slowly. ¡°Could it be that she felt guilty and was too ashamed to live that she chose tomit suicide?¡± Xiao Juan quickly understood what he meant and asked, ¡°Do you think there¡¯s something wrong with Wang Xue¡¯s confession?¡± Wei Liao quickly retorted, ¡°She voluntarily used Empress Wen of murdering Imperial Concubine Yue. She doesn¡¯t have to lie!¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Since she wasn¡¯t lying, why did shemit suicide?¡± Wei Liao was speechless. ... The old emperor said, ¡°No matter what, Wang Xue is already dead. There¡¯s no evidence to convict the empress now. The investigations have to continue. I called you over to ask for your opinion.¡± Wei Liao reacted quickly and spoke first. ¡°Although Wang Xue is dead, there are still many pce maids and eunuchs in the Fengyi Pce. I suggest that we capture all of them and interrogate them severely. As long as one of them is willing to tell the truth, the truth of the case will be revealed.¡± The old emperor asked, ¡°But what if the empress is really innocent? How will you exin it to herter?¡± Wei Liao was neither servile nor overbearing. ¡°If the Empress is innocent, I¡¯m willing to ept any punishment! As long as I can help the emperor resolve his worries, I¡¯m willing to do anything!¡± The old emperor inclined his head slightly. ¡°Your loyalty is indeedmendable.¡± Then, he looked at Xiao Juan. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Don¡¯t you have any thoughts?¡± Xiao Juan spoke slowly. ¡°This case began with the remains of the baby dug out of the zed Jade Pce. All of us suspected that the baby was Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s child.¡± ... ¡°However, suspicion could only remain as suspicion. If we want to know the truth, we have to dig up the tomb and take a look.¡± ¡°If Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s child is still in the coffin. This meant that the remains of the baby in the zed Jade Pce were not those of Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s child at all.¡± ¡°Our investigation has been going in the wrong direction from the beginning.¡± Wei Liao looked at him in disbelief, as if he were listening to a fantasy. ¡°Are you crazy? You want to dig up Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s grave?!¡± Back then, Imperial Concubine Yue died in childbirth, and the little prince she gave birth to was also stillborn. Such a young prince could not stand alone, so the Ministry of Rites buried him with Imperial Concubine Yue. This way, not only could the little prince have a ce to stay, but they could also keep the mother and son together after they died. Chapter 328 - 328 Intent 328 Intent Xiao Juan¡¯s suggestion to open the coffin to examine the little prince¡¯s remains was equivalent to digging up Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s grave. This kind of behavior was simply treasonous! Ordinary people could not think of such a method at all. Only a lunatic like Xiao Juan would dare to do so. The old emperor also found the idea too unorthodox, and his grizzled eyebrows drew together. !! ¡°Concubine Yue has been dead for many years. If we rashly dig up her grave, we will disturb her. This is very inappropriate.¡± Xiao Juan had already thought of an excuse and said unhurriedly, ¡°As a victim, Imperial Concubine Yue definitely wants to find out more than anyone who murdered her and her child. If she¡¯s in heaven, she¡¯ll probably understand us.¡± The old emperor was still very hesitant. ¡°Disturbing the undead of the dead is no joke.¡± Xiao Juan said solemnly, ¡°No one thinks that this is a joke. If Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s undead feels wronged, she cane and take revenge on me. I have a clear conscience and am not afraid of anything!¡± Wei Huai¡¯en sighed ambiguously. ¡°Prince Lang is really the most upright person in the Dayan Dynasty. We feel ashamed.¡± The old emperor said, ¡°This matter is very important. Let me think about it again. All of you, leave.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± After leaving Zhengde Hall, Wei Liao nced at Xiao Juan and said with a faint smile. ¡°As expected of Duke Lang. You even thought of digging graves. I¡¯m impressed!¡± Xiao Juan ignored his sarcasm and walked down the steps. Wei Liao followed behind him slowly and continued. ¡°I heard that the Sixth Prince went to the Justice Department early this morning. Could he have gone to look for you?¡± Xiao Juan still ignored him. Wei Liao deliberately put on an exaggerated expression. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. It¡¯s a big taboo for a prince to interact with the court officials in private!¡± Xiao Juan replied without changing his expression. ¡°You can report me to the emperor.¡± Wei Liaoughed. ¡°I don¡¯t have any real evidence. How can I report you? Don¡¯t get me into trouble in the end.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Since you know it in your heart, shut up and get lost.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°This road isn¡¯t specially opened for you. You can walk on it, and so can I. What right do you have to tell me to get lost?¡± Xiao Juan could not be bothered to argue with him. He increased his speed and walked towards the pce gate without looking sideways. The distance between them was quickly widened. Wei Liao looked at Xiao Juan¡¯s gradually disappearing back, and the smile on his face faded. He turned on his heel and retraced his steps back to the vicinity of Zhengde Hall. He didn¡¯t have to wait long to see Wei Huai¡¯en walk out of Zhengde Hall. Wei Liao stepped forward to greet him. ¡°Father.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en was not in the mood to exchange pleasantries with him. ¡°Prince Lang is not someone who speaks without thinking. If he dares to suggest opening the coffin, he must have other motives. Keep an eye on him and see what he wants.¡± Wei Liao nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Wei Huai En frowned. ¡°I thought that we could find the real culprit before Duke Lang this time and let you make a contribution to the emperor.¡±I ¡°Unexpectedly, there was aplication. Now that this case was getting more and moreplicated, I felt vaguely uneasy. I hope nothing else happens.¡± Wei Liaoforted him. ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely get to the bottom of this case before Duke Lang does and not disappoint you.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en¡¯s brows rxed slightly. ¡°I hope so.¡± Wei Liao hesitated for a moment, but he couldn¡¯t help but ask the question in his heart. ¡°Knowing the emperor, will he agree to Duke Lang¡¯s suggestion?¡± Wei Huai¡¯en¡¯s expression wasplicated. ¡°It¡¯s hard to predict a ruler¡¯s heart. I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡­ . Today, Yu Niaoniao received her first dividend after the book was published. There were more than 200 taels of silver! She put away the silver as her private money. In the future, when she regained her freedom, she would use this money to hire a troupe and let them arrange the scenes ording to her request. She had prepared the script for the show. It was the sketchbook describing the trip to Liaodong County. Although theic had failed the review, Yu Niaoniao did not intend to give it up. Later on, she would write a y and have the troupe go on a tour everywhere. She wanted everyone in the world to know that he was actually a good person! Meng Xizhou said, ¡°Other than asking me to transfer this money to you, those booksellers also asked when you n to publish a second book.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°The second book is still brewing. I¡¯ll inform them when I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± After Meng Xizhou left, Yu Niaoniao immediately took out her brush, ink, paper, and inkstone and began to conceptualize the plot of the nextic book. ... The previous Seven Treasures Record told a melodramatic love story. This time, she decided to change her train of thought. She nned to draw a story of a chivalrous immortal who killed demons. The story began with the female lead going down the mountain to train. Through the female lead¡¯s perspective, Yu Niaoniao disyed the various wonders of the Xianxia world. The female lead made many friends during the training process, and she became stronger. She was engrossed in painting when Xiao Juan returned. Yu Niaoniao immediately put down her pen and asked curiously. ¡°How¡¯s it going in the pce?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The emperor ns to continue investigating Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s case. So I proposed to open the coffin and perform an autopsy.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You really said it? Didn¡¯t the emperor fly into a rage?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say directly that I wanted to examine Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s body. I just said I suspected that the remains of the baby dug out of the zed Jade Pce are Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s child. I hope to open the coffin and see if Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s child is still around. I guess the emperor actually has some doubts. He wasn¡¯t angry after hearing my suggestion and said that he would consider it.¡± ... Yu Niaoniao understood Xiao Juan¡¯s thoughts. He said that he only wanted to see if Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s child was still in the coffin. But when the coffin was really opened, they would have a chance to investigate Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s body. This was what it meant to mask one¡¯s intent! Yu Niaoniao gave him a thumbs up. ¡°You¡¯re so smart!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Actually, I wasn¡¯t lying. I do suspect the identity of the baby¡¯s remains. Although he was dug out of the zed Jade Pce, it doesn¡¯t mean that he must be Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s child.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°What if he¡¯s really not Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s child?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°That way, things will be even moreplicated.¡± Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s death was already suspicious. If they added an unknown dead baby, it would be no different from adding salt to injury. Their workload would increase greatly. Yu Niaoniao sped her hands together. ¡°Now, we can only pray to the heavens that it¡¯s Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s child and not make it harder for us to solve the case.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°You still believe in the heavens?¡± Yu Niaoniao said seriously, ¡°That depends on the situation. If everything is in control, then I believe that humans will triumph over the heavens. If there¡¯s really no other way, then I believe that the heavens have their own arrangements.¡± Xiao Juan said helplessly, ¡°You¡¯re quite good at judging the situation.¡± Chapter 329 - 329 Premeditated 329 Premeditated That night, the emperor sent someone to the Justice Department to remind Xiao Juan to be prepared to go to the Imperial Concubine¡¯s tomb to check on Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s tomb tomorrow morning. Xiao Juan told Lo Pingsha about this and reminded him. ¡°There should be people from the pce watching tomorrow. ¡®I¡¯ll think of a way to distract them. You take the opportunity to examine Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s body.¡± ¡°Remember, you have to be fast. You can¡¯t move too much. Don¡¯t be discovered.¡± Lo Pingsha nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll remember.¡± !! Yu Niaoniao was filled with anticipation for the oue of the autopsy. She woke up early the next morning. Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha were about to set off after breakfast when Yu Niaoniao hurriedly stopped them. ¡°You¡¯ve all gone out. It¡¯s quite boring if you leave me here. Why don¡¯t you arrange a mission for me too?¡± Xiao Juan thought for a moment. ¡°Go through Wang Xue¡¯s information. She won¡¯t seek death for no reason. I suspect that she might have been threatened.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately understood what he meant. As the most useful pce maid on Empress Wen¡¯s side, Wang Xue did notck money or status. The only thing that could be used to threaten her was probably her family. Yu Niaoniao patted her chest and promised, ¡°Leave this to me!¡± When Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha arrived at the mausoleum on horseback, they realized that not only were the people from the Internal Affairs Division and the Ministry of Rites, but even Wei Liao was there. Wei Liao smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone open a coffin for an autopsy. You have to let me broaden my horizons today.¡± Xiao Juan ignored him and walked straight into the mausoleum. The others followed. The Concubines¡¯ Mausoleum was close to the Imperial Mausoleum. After the concubines in the pce of the Dayan Dynasty died, they would be buried here. The officials in charge of guarding this ce led the way. They quickly found Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s tomb. Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s tomb wasparable to that of an Empress. From this, it could be seen that the emperor really doted on her. Wei Liao sighed inwardly. Perhaps those rumors back then weren¡¯t necessarily false. If Imperial Concubine Yue and the child in her stomach were not dead, she might really have reced Empress Wen. Xiao Juan ordered someone to dig up the tomb. The Minister of Internal Affairs and the officials of the Ministry of Rites stood watching. The eunuchs from the Internal Affairs Division were fine. They only felt pity for what happened to Imperial Concubine Yue, but the two officials from the Ministry of Rites had ugly expressions. When the Ministry of Rites found out that Duke Lang wanted to open the coffin and perform an autopsy, they firmly opposed it. The Minister of Rites even rushed to the pce because of this and cried and begged the emperor not to do this. It was said that it was important to respect the deceased. If he rashly opened the coffin for an autopsy, it would be disrespectful to the deceased! If word got out, what would themoners think? They would probably drown in the saliva of themoners! Unfortunately, the emperor was biased toward Duke Lang¡¯s words. He would not listen to a word of others¡¯ advice. The Minister of Rites was exasperated. He had fallen ill when he returnedst night. It was said that he was still lying in bed. Although he hated Duke Lang to death, there was nothing he could do at this point. He could not let Duke Lang do whatever he wanted in the Imperial Mausoleum, so he sent two officials to the Imperial Mausoleum to monitor Duke Lang¡¯s every move. As long as Duke Lang did anything out of line, the opening of the coffin and the autopsy had to stop immediately! At this moment, the two officials from the Ministry of Rites widened their eyes and stared fixedly at Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s tomb, watching unblinkingly as it was dug open bit by bit. The tomb was divided into two floors. There was only an empty coffin on the upper floor. After digging open the upper floor, they had to walk down the stairs to enter the real tomb. Lo Pingsha and a few other Eagle Guards went down to the tomb. Wei Liao also wanted to follow, but he was stopped by Xiao Juan. ¡°Opening a coffin and performing an autopsy is not a small matter. Unauthorized people are not allowed to enter.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°I¡¯m just taking a look. I won¡¯t do anything.¡± With that, he jumped straight into the tomb and walked down the stairs. The people from the Internal Affairs Division and the Ministry of Rites also wanted to go down, but when they saw that Xiao Juan was still standing there, they hesitated, not knowing if they should go down. The eunuch from the Imperial Attendant Division could not help but ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going down to take a look, Your Highness?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°The air in the tomb is not circting well, and there might be poisonous gas hidden. If too many people enter rashly, they might be poisoned. I¡¯ll just wait upstairs.¡± Seeing that he was reasonable, the eunuchs gave up on the idea. As for the two officials from the Ministry of Rites, they did not move after weighing the pros and cons. The Minister of Rites had asked them to monitor Duke Lang. Wherever Duke Lang was, they had to be there. They could not let him take a step out of their sight! The air in the tomb was indeed bad. Lo Pingsha found it difficult to breathe. But he was prepared. He took out a medicine bottle, opened the lid, and brought the bottle to his nose. A cool scent entered his nose, immediately making his breathing easier. He handed the medicine bottle to the Eagle Guards beside him so that they could smell it too. Seeing this, Wei Liao shamelessly went over to ask for it. ¡°What is this? Let me smell it too.¡± The Eagle Guards did not have a good impression of him. After using it, they returned the medicine bottle to Lo Pingsha. Lo Pingsha pocketed the medicine bottle. ... They worked together to open Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s coffin, revealing the precious burial items inside, as well as two skeletons, one big and one small. Wei Liao covered his mouth and nose and came over. When he saw two skeletons in the coffin, he couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°The little prince¡¯s skeleton is still lying here. In other words, the baby¡¯s skeleton found in the pce is not the little prince. Who could that child be?¡± Lo Pingsha ignored him. He put on his special gloves and carefully flipped the bones. Wei Liao immediately became vignt and questioned. ¡°What are you doing? Didn¡¯t Duke Lang say that we just have to open the coffin and see if the little prince¡¯s bones are still there? What else do you want to do to the bones of Imperial Concubine Yue and the little prince?¡± Lo Pingsha asked without looking up. ¡°How can you be sure that these two skeletons must be those of Imperial Concubine Yue and the little prince? What if someone secretly ced other skeletons here to confuse the public? I need to check.¡± Wei Liao mocked, ¡°What kind of joke is this? These are the remains of a concubine. Who dares to steal the remains here?¡± ¡°There are all kinds of birds in the forest. If we want to know if these two skeletons belong to Imperial Concubine Yue and the little prince, we¡¯ll know after investigating.¡± As Lo Pingsha spoke, he took tweezers from his toolbox and picked up a bone to examine. ... After so many years of decay, the flesh had long rotted away, leaving only a wrinkled, hard grayish-ck substance stuck to the bones. Wei Liao stood at the side and watched Lo Pingsha¡¯s every move. ¡°You guys actually nned this beforehand, right?¡± Lo Pingsha did not respond. He went about his business. Wei Liao said, ¡°You said it was to prove the identity of the baby¡¯s remains in the pce, but it was actually to open the coffin to examine Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s body. I¡¯m very curious. Who came up with such a bold idea?¡± Chapter 330 - 330 Important Clue 330 Important Clue Seeing that Luo Pingsha was still ignoring him, Wei Liao deliberately lowered his voice. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll expose you?¡± Lo Pingsha finally acknowledged him this time. ¡°Go. When the emperor asks, we¡¯ll say that you came up with the idea of opening the coffin and performing an autopsy.¡± !! Wei Liao said disdainfully, ¡°You¡¯re just ndering me. The emperor won¡¯t believe you!¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°You went down to the tomb with us and even opened the coffin with us for an autopsy. What¡¯s wrong with saying that you came up with this idea?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one doing the autopsy. I didn¡¯t!¡± Lo Pingsha asked, ¡°Who would believe you?¡± Wei Liao choked, thenughed. ¡°That¡¯s right. Other than me, everyone else here is on your side. They will definitely testify for you. I was careless this time. I actually followed you down to the tomb alone. I admit defeat.¡± Lo Pingsha ignored Wei Liao and spoke to one of the Eagle Guards. ¡°Bring the oilmp over.¡± The Eagle Guard immediately brought the oilmp to Lo Pingsha. Lo Pingsha carefully examined Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s remains under the dim yellow light. ¡­ . Inside the Justice Department, Yu Niaoniao read Wang Xue¡¯s information seven or eight times but did not see any problems. ording to the information, Wangxue¡¯s ancestral hometown was in Hexi County, west of the river. Her parents had died when she was young. In order to survive, she had no choice but to sell herself as a ve. After a few twists and turns, she was sold to the Wen family and became a maidservant to the eldest daughter of the Wen family. Later, Miss Wen married into the pce and became the empress. Wang Xue also entered the pce and became the most useful pce maid on Empress Wen¡¯s side. This information had been investigated by the Eagle Guards. There should be no mistake. How could an orphan with no parents be threatened? Yu Niaoniao fell into deep thought. There had to be something that was amiss. She must have missed something! Yu Niaoniao took a big gulp of Fat Otaku Joy Water, then widened her eyes and stared at the handwriting on the paper, nning to read it again. This time she read it especially carefully, almost word for word. Halfway through, her heart skipped a beat. Her gaze shifted back to the line on the far left¡ª Her ancestral home was in Hexi County. Yu Niaoniao stared at the words. She felt like she had heard someone mention Hexi County somewhere. When was it? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her mind was reying everything that had happened in the past few days. In the end, she found nothing. Yu Niaoniao was not discouraged. Her memory could not be wrong. Since she could feel that Hexi County was familiar, someone must have mentioned it to her. If it hadn¡¯t happened recently, it had happened much longer ago. She pushed her memory forward to four months ago. In Xingning City of Liaodong County, the county governor¡¯s residence, the wife of the county governor, the Shu family¡­ Madam Shu! Yu Niaoniao immediately remembered that Madam Shu was from Hexi County! Previously, when she was in Xingning, she had heard someone mention the Shu family and knew that she was from a famous family in the west of the river. Because it was just a casual mention and not anything important, she did not take it to heart. She actually did not remember it immediately just now. Yu Niaoniao knocked her head. ¡°To think you have a photographic memory. You didn¡¯t even remember.¡± She got up and ran out to find Meng Xizhou. ¡°Help me find information on the Shu family in Hexi County.¡± Meng Xizhou did not understand why she wanted this, but he still did as she said. Chapter 331 Twins Chapter 331 Twins Yu Niaoniao''s small head immediately looked up. Her eyes were wide, and her face was filled with curiosity and anticipation. "What clue is it?" Xiao Juan said, "Let''s go in first?" Only then did Yu Niaoniao remember that they were still standing in the courtyard. She hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes!" After the three of them entered the house, Xiao Juan said to Lo Pingsha. "Share what you discovered." Lo Pingsha said smoothly, "I checked the remains of Imperial Concubine Moon and the little prince and found that Imperial Concubine Yue had been poisoned when she was alive. She should have suffered a difficult delivery because of the poison and died of hemorrhage." Yu Niaoniao listened carefully. These were more or less what they had guessed. Lo Pingsha continued, "In addition, I discovered something else. Imperial Concubine Yue''s pelvis was very wide and apanied by slight damage. I originally thought it was caused by difficultbor. Later, I ced the remains of the little prince at her pelvis forparison. The little prince was very thin and weak. With his size, he should have been born easily. It wouldn''t have damaged Imperial Concubine Moon''s pelvis unless¡­" Yu Niaoniao continued, "Unless the little prince in the coffin is not Imperial Concubine Yue''s biological son! Someone reced the little prince''s remains!" However, Xiao Juan said, "The possibility is very low. I''ve checked Imperial Concubine Yue''s mausoleum. It''s very well-preserved inside and out. There are no traces of it being dug up. There are people guarding the Imperial Concubines'' mausoleum. If someone really wants to dig up Imperial Concubine Yue''s mausoleum, it''s impossible for no one to notice such a hugemotion." Yu Niaoniao was really confused now. "Then what''s going on?" Lo Pingsha said slowly, "There''s another possibility. Perhaps Imperial Concubine Yue was pregnant with twins back then. She gave birth to a pair of little princes. One of the little princes was buried with her, and the other little prince was buried in the zed Jade Pce." Yu Niaoniao''s little head spun quickly. "As the imperial physician in charge of treating Imperial Concubine Yue, did your father already know that Imperial Concubine Yue was pregnant with twins?" Lo Pingsha recalled his father hanging himself from a beam, and his expression darkened. "My father was experienced in medicine. If Imperial Concubine Yue was pregnant with twins, he would have been able to diagnose them." Yu Niaoniao said, "But I''ve read the dossier rted to Imperial Concubine Yue. There was no mention of twins. Have you interrogated the people from the Imperial Hospital? They didn''t given birth to twins before. I don''t see anything wrong." Xiao Juan asked, "What if Imperial Concubine Yue deliberately hid this matter?" mention this either." Xiao Juan pondered. "Someone was deliberately hiding this." Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. "What''s there to hide about twins? It''s not like the royal family has never given birth to twins before. I don''t see anything wrong." Xiao Juan asked, "What if Imperial Concubine Yue deliberately hid this matter?" Yu Niaoniao and Lo Pingsha looked at him in unison, not understanding what he meant. Xiao Juan said, "Granny Xiu Yan said that Imperial Concubine Yue was plotted against more than once when she was pregnant. This was on the premise that she did not know if the fetus in her stomach was a male or a female." "If the news that she was pregnant with twins who were princes leaked, there would definitely be more people in the harem who wanted her life. For this reason, she chose to hide the twins and kept a low profile to protect herself." Yu Niaoniao thought about it carefully. With Imperial Concubine Yue''s situation at that time, it was indeed very likely for her to do so. She asked immediately, "Even so, why were Imperial Concubine Yue''s two children separated?" Such young children died at birth. Logically speaking, they should be buried with Imperial Concubine Yue. But one of them was buried in the zed Jade Pce. This matter was strange. Xiao Juan had clearly thought about this long ago. He gave an answer unhurriedly, "There''s only one way to separate the two children: One of the children might still be alive." Yu Niaoniao felt goosebumps all over her body. She rubbed her arms and whispered, "Didn''t we find the remains of both children?" Lo Pingsha groaned. "The remains of the two children are only bones. I can only determine their age and cause of death through the bones, but I can''t restore their appearance. In other words, no one knows who these two children are." Yu Niaoniao missed the DNA technology of modern society. In such a situation, one only had topare the DNA of the two children with Imperial Concubine Yue to know the answer. Unfortunately, this was ancient times. DNA was out of the question. Now, they could only deduce through the existing clues and continue investigating in the direction of the deduction. Yu Niaoniao said, "Assuming one of the children is still alive, where will he be?" Lo Pingsha frowned and his baby face was tensed. "In a sea of people, finding a child who''s been missing for twenty years is like looking for a needle in a haystack." Xiao Juan said slowly, "Compared to finding a needle in a haystack, why don''t we start with the zed Jade Pce? Who secretly hid a child back then? Who buried the child''s body in the backyard of the zed Jade Pce?" Lo Pingsha said, "The people who are qualified to do these things are most likely from the zed Jade Pce. But everyone who came out of the zed Jade Pce is dead. There''s no evidence." The trail broke off again. Yu Niaoniao caught a glimpse of the dossier piled up on the desk and recalled what she had just read. A thought shed through her mind. She said quickly, "I checked Wang Xue''s information this morning and realized that she was from Hexi County. Coincidentally, Noble Consort Shu is the descendant of a famous family in Hexi County. In order to prove that this is not a coincidence, I checked all the information on all the pce servants in the zed Jade Pce to see if anyone else were from Hexi County." Seeing her excited expression, Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha thought that she had found a clue. They all sat up straight and asked in unison, "How did it go?" Yu Niaoniao said, "In the end, I realized that none of them were from Hexi County." Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha were speechless. They felt as if someone had poured a basin of cold water on their heads in the dead of winter. It was cold! Then, they heard Yu Niaoniao say, "But I found something else that was interesting." She stood up and ran to the desk. With her extraordinary memory, she urately found the two scrolls she wanted from therge pile of dossiers. Yu Niaoniao spread out the two dossiers and ced them in front of Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha. "Take a look. What''s wrong with these two dossiers?" Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha each picked up a dossier and read it carefully. These two dossiers recorded information about all the second-grade pce maids in the zed Jade Pce. They read the dossier from beginning to end. When they were done, they exchanged nces. In the end, they could not see anything wrong. Yu Niaoniao reminded them. "It''s ink! Didn''t you notice that the ink on these two dossiers is very new?" In order to verify her words, she specially brought another stack of dossiers and ced them in front of them so that they could make theparison themselves. Chapter 332 Too Late Chapter 332 Too Late After someparison, Yu Niaoniao was proven to be right. The ink on the other dossiers was old. Only the ink on these two dossiers was rtively new. If one sniffed closer, one would realize that the ink fragrance of these two dossiers was stronger. Lo Pingsha looked at the dossier in his hand and asked, "Could someone have forged these two dossiers?" Xiao Juan said calmly, "In order to make it easier to investigate the case, I specially asked the emperor for permission to borrow these dossiers from the Internal Affairs Division." "Ever since they were moved to the Justice Department, they had been ced in the Qianji Building." "There are only a handful of people who can enter the Qianji Building ande into contact with them. I don''t believe they will betray me." Yu Niaoniao said immediately, "It can''t be someone from the Justice Department." Lo Pingsha asked curiously, "How did you know?" Yu Niaoniao pointed at the handwriting on the dossier. "Look at this handwriting. All the dossiers have the same handwriting." "It meant that the person who forged the dossier and recorded the information of the pce staff should be the same person." "In order not to be discovered, he had specially chosen old paper. Even the bound cotton thread was used." "Only the ink can''t be faked. Even if he used old ink, there would still be a subtle color difference because of the passage of time. In order to hide this, the person who did this specially copied two entire dossiers." The Eagle Guards who were in charge of reading the dossiers back then were only focused on reading the contents of the dossiers. In addition, there were too many dossiers. Those dense words made one dizzy. How could anyone pay attention to whether the ink color of two of the dossiers had changed? Only Yu Niaoniao could discover the slightest abnormality with her photographic memory. Lo Pingsha flipped through the dossier in his hand again. "Only these two dossiers were forged, which means that one of these second-grade pce maids is very likely rted to the mastermind. But they''re already dead. How can we investigate?" Xiao Juan said slowly, "Although the pce maids are all dead, the person who forged the dossier is still around. I''ll go to the pce to take a look." Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said, "It''s getting dark. Why don''t we eat first?" Xiao Juan shook his head. "No, the emperor is not in good health. He goes to bed early at night." "If I''mte, I won''t be able to get him to agree to let me interrogate the people from the Internal Affairs Division." "If I wait until tomorrow, I''ll be worried again. It wasn''t easy to find a clue. In order to avoid any trouble, I''d better investigate this matter as soon as possible." Yu Niaoniao knew that he was worried that an incident like what happened with Wang Xue would ur again. She asked, "What about your dinner? You can''t go hungry, can you?" Xiao Juan opened the drawer behind the desk and took out an exquisite wooden box. He opened the wooden box, revealing the heart-shaped cookies inside. These were all made by Yu Niaoniao for him to eat as snacks. They could both fill and nourish his stomach. Xiao Juan grabbed a handful of small biscuits, wrapped them in oil paper, and put them in his arms. "These are enough for me." Yu Niaoniao sent him out and reminded him, "Be careful on the way. Come back early." When she turned back into the house, she saw Lo Pingsha staring straight at the exquisite wooden box on the desk. She pursed her lips and smiled. She walked over to open the wooden box and grabbed a handful of small biscuits. "I made these desserts myself. Try them too." Lo Pingsha''s eyes lit up visibly. He took out the silk handkerchief he carried and wrapped it around the small cookies. He tried a piece. It was crispy and sweet but not greasy. It was delicious! Because Xiao Juan was not eating here, Yu Niaoniao did not n to make dishes that were tooplicated tonight. She went to the kitchen and dug out the sweet potato noodles. When they were cooked, she added high soup. There was also vinegar, peppercorns, sesame oil, soy sauce, onions, garlic, chili noodles, peanuts, and other ingredients. Soon, tworge bowls of hot sour and spicy noodles were cooked. It just so happened that the pickles in the cer had been marinated. Yu Niaoniao went to the cer to get a bowl of pickled radishes. She cut the pickled radishes into cubes and mixed them with chili oil, onions, garlic, and white sugar to make sweet and sour radishes. Sour and spicy noodles with sour and sweet radishes could be said to be very appetizing. Lo Pingsha''s face turned red from the spiciness, but he still couldn''t stop eating. Yu Niaoniao had grown up in Bashu. This bit of spiciness was nothing to her. She couldn''t help butugh when she saw Lo Pingsha inhale as he ate. "Why don''t you eat less?" Lo Pingsha spoke with difficulty. "It''s okay. I can still do it." Yu Niaoniao was afraid that the food would be too spicy for Lo Pingsha. After dinner, she brewed a pot of chrysanthemum tea for him. After tea, Lo Pingsha felt much better. At least his mouth was not so numb. Yu Niaoniao returned to the room, washed up, and went to bed. However, because she was worried about Xiao Juan entering the pce, she could not fall asleep. Hence, she sat up, put on her clothes, and went to the kitchen to get two sweet potatoes, two corns, and a handful of chestnuts. There was a small stove specially used for warming herself by the fire. Yu Niaoniao ced the sweet potato corn chestnuts on the edge of the small stove and simmered them with the temperature of the charcoal fire. Meanwhile, she sat by the stove in a daze. Suddenly, she heard a crisp p. Yu Niaoniao immediately came back to her senses and realized that the chestnuts had popped. She picked up the tongs and flipped the chestnuts. At this moment, the door was pushed open from the outside. The cold night wind blew in. Yu Niaoniao immediately stood up and looked at the man who walked in. "You''re back!" Xiao Juan untied his cloak and frowned. "Why aren''t you asleep yet?" Yu Niaoniao walked over and took his cloak. "I can''t sleep." She hung the cloak on the screen. Xiao Juan smelled the fragrance of food in the house and quickly noticed the corn and sweet potato chestnuts beside the small stove. "Are you not full tonight?" Yu Niaoniao pulled him to sit down beside the stove. "I''m full, but I''m worried that you''re not. Coincidentally, these things are almost done roasting. Eat quickly." Xiao Juan was indeed a little hungry. That night, he only ate a small handful of cookies and had been running around since. He was so busy that he didn''t even bother to drink. He picked up the corn and sweet potatoes with the tongs and put them on the ground to cool. Yu Niaoniao brought him a cup of hot tea and asked. "How''s your investigation going? Did you find the person who forged the dossier?" Xiao Juan took a sip of tea. "I found him, but he''s already dead." Yu Niaoniao was stunned for a moment before asking. "How did he die?" "He fell into theke and drowned." Xiao Juan was toote. Tonight, he obtained the emperor''s permission and broke into the Imperial Attendant Division with his men. He interrogated all the eunuchs in the Imperial Attendant Division one by one and realized that one of them was missing. After asking, he learned that the eunuch was the person in charge of copying the information of the pce servants. The Eagle Guards searched the entire Imperial Attendant Division and finally found the eunuch''s body in the pond. Xiao Juan said in a low voice. "When we found him, he hadn''t been dead long. I was so close." Yu Niaoniaoforted him. "Although he''s dead, it''s notpletely fruitless. At least it proves that our investigation is going in the right direction." Chapter 333

Chapter 333: Two Fragrance Sachets

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan said slowly, ¡°That dead eunuch¡¯s name is Wangfu. When we found him, he was already dead. This is definitely not a coincidence. He was probably silenced.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded in agreement. ¡°Those two dossiers were forged by Wangfu. The mastermind was afraid that he would leak the secret, so Wangfu was silenced.¡± ¡°In that case, our previous guess was probably right. We¡¯re one step closer to the truth.¡± Xiao Juan exhaled softly. ¡°I have to enter the pce again tomorrow.¡± Yu Niaoniao picked up the two corns on the ground and handed one to Xiao Juan. ¡°Eat something. Eat and sleep well. Only then can you have the strength to nab the mastermind.¡± Xiao Juan took the corn and peeled ityer byyer, revealing the golden corn kernels roasted inside. He took a bite. It was fragrant and sweet, with a faint charred fragrance unique to charcoal. After eating the roasted corn and roasted sweet potatoes, Xiao Juan felt full. He washed up briefly and went to bed with Yu Niaoniao. The next morning, Xiao Juan entered the pce again. He brought people to the Internal Affairs Division and thoroughly investigated Wangfu¡¯s residence from the inside out. Even the people who were usually close to Wangfu were carefully interrogated. Everyone said that Wangfu thought highly of himself because he had studied and could read and write. He rarely interacted with the other eunuchs in the Imperial Attendant Division and was a particrly withdrawn person. And because of that, no one would care what he usually did, let alone know if he was hiding any secrets in private. Xiao Juan returned to the Justice Department at noon. It was just in time for lunch. He and Niaoniao sat in the private room of the dining hall to eat. Yu Niaoniao asked curiously, ¡°What did you find out today?¡± Xiao Juan finished the soup in his bowl and said, ¡°Wangfu used to be a descendant of an official family. Later, because something happened to his elders, his entire family was sentenced. He was forced to enter the pce and be a eunuch. Because of his background, he felt that he was different from other eunuchs. He was usually alone and never had a deep rtionship with anyone.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°So no one knows about Wangfu?¡± Xiao Juan nodded slightly. ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked disappointed. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Although we didn¡¯t get anything out of others, we found a few things from his residence.¡± Yu Niaoniao was very curious. ¡°What are these?¡± Xiao Juan did not answer directly. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first. I¡¯ll show you after.¡± Yu Niaoniao could only suppress her curiosity and eat obediently. After eating and drinking her fill, she could not wait to pull Xiao Juan back to Mirror House. Xiao Juan looked at her in amusement. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to take a nap?¡± Usually, she would go back for a nap after lunch. Today, in order to satisfy her curiosity, she had even forgotten to take a nap. Yu Niaoniao urged, ¡°I¡¯m not napping anymore. Hurry up and show me those things.¡± Xiao Juan was helpless and returned to Mirror House with her. He ordered someone to bring over a wooden box. Opening the box, they saw a sachet, a purse, sweat towels, and a pillowcase. o Juan said, ¡°¡®l¡¯nese were all round m wangnrs room.¡± Yu Niaoniao picked up these things and looked at them. She did not find anything unusual. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is there something wrong with these things?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice? The stitches on these things are very delicate and neat. It¡¯s not something a man can do.¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked. Although she was good at cooking, she never did needlework and knew nothing about needlework. Yu Niaoniao took these things to the window and looked at them carefully under the sunlight outside. She realized that their stitches were indeed very delicate. She did not dare to say anything else. Anyway, she could not sew such delicate stitches herself. Yu Niaoniao thought for a moment. ¡°Maybe Wangfu was good at sewing?¡± After all, he was a bachelor and did not have anyone to mend his clothes. Wouldn¡¯t he have to do it himself? Xiao Juan had naturally thought of this and said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the clothes he was wearing and the clothes stored in his closet. The stitches are only passable. They¡¯re definitely not as delicate and neat as these things. These things must have been given to him.¡± Yu Niaoniao was deep in thought. ¡°It¡¯s most likely a woman who can gift such a thing. ¡± Xiao Juan continued, ¡°Moreover, she¡¯s a woman who¡¯s very good at needlework.¡± If he could trace this mysterious woman, he might be able to find out who Wangfu was working for when he was alive. Yu Niaoniao flipped the few things in her hand several times. The colors of these things were very in. Among them, the sweat towel and sachet were embroidered with the name Wangfu. Two orchids were embroidered on the sachet, and a pair of lively little carps were embroidered on the surface of the pillowcase. Whether it was orchids or carp, they were verymon. There was nothing special about them. Xiao Juan had already gotten someone to investigate the origins of these things, but he found nothing. No one knew from whom they came. Seeing that Niaoniao did not move for a long time, Xiao Juan could not help but persuade her. ¡°Forget it, you should take a nap. I¡¯ll get someone to investigate these things. Someone who could deliver things to Wangfu from time to time should live in the pce.¡± ¡°The pce is only so big. If there¡¯s really no other way, I¡¯ll get someone to investigate all the women in the pce who are good at needlework.¡± Although this was very troublesome and might not yield anything, this was the only solution they could think of at the moment. After all, they had so few clues. Yu Niaoniao suddenly said, ¡°This sachet feels a little familiar.¡± Xiao Juan was slightly stunned. ¡®You¡¯ve seen this sachet?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Xiao Juan was puzzled. Since she had never seen it before, why did it feel familiar? He couldn¡¯t resist. ¡°Could it be your imagination?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not answer. She stared at the embroidery on the sachet for a long time. A thought suddenly urred to her. ¡°I remember! It¡¯s that sachet!¡± Berore mao Juana asK ror me reason, YU INIaomao ran away witn me sachet. Xiao Juan immediately chased after her. They returned to the lounge one after the other. Yu Niaoniao opened the dressing table and took out a small and exquisite sachet. Xiao Juan was rather puzzled when he saw the sachet. ¡°Where did this sachete from?¡± Yu Niaoniao exined quickly. ¡°Do you remember when we entered the pce to pay our New Year greetings on the first day of the Lunar New Year?¡± ¡°That day, Noble Consort Shu gave me a sachet. I had a feeling there was something wrong with that sachet.¡± ¡°When I returned, I poured out all the spices in the sachet and handed them to Little Lo to check. Little Lo said there was a very rare nt in the spices. Its scent was very stimting to snakes. It was because I was carrying it that the poisonous snake attacked me that day.¡± ¡°The spices are still with Little Lo. I put away the sachet. That¡¯s it..¡± Chapter 334 Chapter 334: Who Are You Threatening? Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao ced the two sachets together. Xiao Juan leaned over to take a closer look. The fabric of the two sachets was different, and the embroidery on the surface was different, but their stitches were as neat and delicate. It looked like the same person had embroidered them. In order to verify his guess, Xiao Juan flipped over both sachets and realized that the stitches on the back were identical. Even the way they were knotted was exactly the same. This was definitely embroidered by the same person! Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Noble Consort Shu gave me this sachet. Could the other one also be from Noble Consort Shu?¡± Xiao Juan analyzed calmly. ¡°With Noble Consort Shu¡¯s background and personality, it¡¯s impossible for her to personally embroider something for a lowly eunuch.¡± ¡°These two sachets should have been embroidered by someone else and sent to Noble Consort Shu.¡± ¡°Most of the clothes worn by the concubines in the hareme from the weaving department.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to check the Weaving Division first and see if there¡¯s an embroiderer in the Weaving Division who can embroider these two sachets.¡± ¡°If not, I can only go to Noble Consort Shu to investigate.¡± Although Noble Consort Shu had been grounded recently, she had been favored for many years and her status was very stable. Moreover, she had an adult prince under her. Her family was also very supportive. It would definitely be extremely difficult for the Justice Department to investigate her. Yu Niaoniao handed him both sachets. ¡°I can¡¯t help you much. I can only wish you luck.¡± Xiao Juan put away the two sachets and said sincerely, ¡°You¡¯ve already helped me a lot. If you hadn¡¯t found clues, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to narrow the investigation to Noble Consort Shu.¡± Yu Niaoniao scratched her head and smiled shyly. ¡°It¡¯s because of Wang Xue. When I checked her information previously, I realized that she and Noble Consort Shu were both from Hexi County, so I took note of Noble Consort Shu. That¡¯s why I thought of Noble Consort Shu when I saw the sachet just now.¡± If it was a coincidence that Wang Xue and Noble Consort Shu were both from Hexi County, then it was not a coincidence that these two sachets came from Noble Consort Shu. Putting the two things together was enough to confirm that Noble Consort Shu was a huge suspect. Xiao Juan stroked her little head. ¡°You¡¯re really smart.¡± Yu Niaoniao had often been praised for being smart since she was young and was almost immune to such praise. Therefore, not only did she not have any intention of being humble, but she even curled her lips into a smug expression. That expression seemed to say: Right, right? I think I¡¯m super awesome too! Xiao Juan entered the pce again with two sachets. This time he directed the investigation at the Weaving Division. The aunt in charge of the weaving division was frightened. She asked what had happened and why so many Eagle Guards had suddenly barged in. Xiao Juan did not seem to hear the aunt in charge¡¯s question and said. ¡°Call out all your embroiderers and their embroidery.¡± The aunt in charge knew that something big had happened. She panicked, not knowing what to do. Usually, Noble Consort Shu was in charge of all matters in the harem, but she had been grounded recently, and her power had been temporarily removed. It was useless to look for Noble Consort Shu now. The aunt in charge could only secretly ask the trusted little pce maid beside her to look for Empress Dowager Deng and ask her to defend them. When Empress Dowager Deng heard that Duke Lang had surrounded the Weaving Division with the Eagle Guards, she was also very surprised. She did not understand how the Weaving Division had provoked Duke Lang. However, she was not muddle-headed. She knew that since Duke Lang could bring people to openly surround the Weaving Division, it meant that this matter had been approved by the emperor. Since the emperor had agreed, why should an old woman like her interfere? Hence, Empress Dowager Deng did not even show her face and got someone to send the little pce maid away. The embroiderers in the Weaving Division were all gathered in one ce. Meng Xizhou held the roster and read the names one by one. With every name read, an embroiderer stood up and took out her embroidery. The aunt in charge was extremely anxious. She kept looking in the direction of the door. When the little pce maid finally returned, she saw her shake her head. The hope in her eyes was extinguished. She knew that Empress Dowager Deng did not intend to care about this matter. The other concubines in the pce could not be counted on. The aunt in charge could only put away all her thoughts and cooperate obediently with the Eagle Guards to investigate the case. The aunt in charge did not know what Duke Lang wanted to investigate, but no matter what, she hoped this had nothing to do with the Weaving Division. She wondered if her prayers had worked. Afterparing all the embroidery products, Xiao Juan realized that none of the embroideries was the same as the two sachets. This meant that the person sewing the sachet was not in the weaving division. Since they could not trace the person in the Weaving Division, they could only seek her out in the Startling Pce. The Startling Pce was Noble Consort Shut s residence. If he wanted to investigate, he had to get the emperor¡¯s approval. That night, Xiao Juan brought two sachets to see the emperor. After looking at the two sachets, the old emperor pondered for a long time before speaking. ¡°These two sachets alone can¡¯t prove that Noble Consort Shu was the real culprit behind Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s death.¡± Xiao Juan said slowly. ¡°I know. Although the sachet can¡¯t prove that Imperial Concubine Yue was killed by Noble Consort Shu, it could prove that Noble Consort Shu had designed it for the carrier to be bitten by a poisonous snake.¡± ¡°If not for the fact that Niaoniao was bold and not afraid of snakes, she would have suffered a mishap long ago.¡± ¡°Noble Consort Shu even tried to frame Niaoniao. It was obvious how sinister her intentions were!¡± ¡°Niaoniao could let this matter go, but as her husband, I could not sit back and do nothing.¡± ¡°Noble Consort Shu has to give an exnation.¡± The old emperor also knew that Noble Consort Shu was in the wrong. He sighed. ¡°It¡¯s understandable that you feel sorry for your County Princess, but Noble Consort Shu has already been grounded. She¡¯s already learned her lesson. Anyway, the Princess Consort of Lang County is not injured. Why don¡¯t we turn a big matter into a small one?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°You dote on Noble Consort Shu, so your heart naturally ached for her even more.¡± ¡°However, a Noble Consort should be guilty of the same crime as amoner. Only then can she set an example for the people! ¡± The old emperor frowned slightly. ¡°Then what do you think we should do about this? Do you want Noble Consort Shu to be bitten by a poisonous snake?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. I just want Noble Consort Shu to apologize to Niaoniao.¡± The old emperor was so angry that heughed. ¡°You actually want Noble Consort Shu to apologize to Yu Niaoniao? Do you think with Noble Consort Shu¡¯s personality, she can humble herself and apologize to others? What kind of dream are you having?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°If she doesn¡¯t apologize, I¡¯ll have to set up a case to investigate this matter. The appearance of a poisonous snake in the pce is not a small matter. When we find out about Noble Consort Shuts culpability in the future, don¡¯t me me for being impartial.¡± The old emperor¡¯s face darkened. ¡°How dare you! Who are you threatening? Xiao Juan knelt on one knee and lowered his eyes. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare! ¡°Noble Consort Shu was from a prestigious family and had a prince. Her status is noble.¡± ¡°But she is still a citizen of the Dayan. As long as one is a Dayan, they have to follow thews of the Dayan!¡± ¡°This is what you said to me when I first took over the Justice Department. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t forget?¡± The old emperor was speechless.. Chapter 335 Chapter 335: Visit Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The old emperor¡¯s face darkened and the corners of his mouth drooped. His gray eyes stared at Xiao Juan for a long time before he spoke. ¡°You make it sound righteous. In fact, you¡¯re just standing up for Yu Niaoniao.¡± ¡°Xiao Juan, you¡¯re selfish.¡± Xiao Juan did not retort. ¡°As long as you¡¯re human, you¡¯ll definitely be selfish.¡± The old emperor said in a low voice, ¡°Your selfishness has affected your judgment.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I want the person who made a mistake to apologize. Is that right?¡± There was anger in the old emperor¡¯s tone. ¡°But don¡¯t forget that Noble Consort Shu is my concubine! If you let her apologize to Yu Niaoniao, it¡¯s equivalent to embarrassing me!¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s reply was neither servile nor overbearing. ¡°My thoughts are exactly the opposite of yours.¡± ¡°Not only would it not embarrass you if you asked Noble Consort Shu to apologize, but you would also let the world know what a fair and just emperor you are.¡± ¡°You are impartial and just when ites tow enforcement. You won¡¯t let a person off easily just because the person who made the mistake is your consort.¡± ¡°You set an example for the civil and military officials and are a role model for the world.¡¯ ¡°Even if this matter is recorded in the history books,ter generations will only praise you for being upright!¡± The old emperor knew that he was not in good health and that his lifespan should not be long, so he paid special attention to what the history books said about him. He hoped to leave a good reputation. Even if he died eventually, he could still live a long life. Xiao Juan¡¯s words tickled his itch and tempted him. If merely asking Noble Consort Shu to apologize could earn him a good reputation, this deal was too worth it! As for whether Noble Consort Shu would be angry after that, that was not important. Anyway, she could not escape from the harem. He would reward her in privateter andfort her. The old emperor¡¯s brows gradually rxed, and the expression on his face softened visibly. ¡°I don¡¯t care what the future generations think of me. But what you just said does make some sense.¡± ¡°I have to let the world know that there are family rules and nationalws.¡± ¡°Even a noble consort could not touch innocent people. Only if everyone can abide by thew can the countryst long.¡± Xiao Juan said respectfully, ¡°Your Majesty is wise!¡± The old emperor thought for a moment before speaking. ¡°She can apologize, but you have to know your limits. Noble Consort Shu is the biological mother of the Sixth Prince after all. You have to give her some respect.¡± Xiao Juan quickly replied, ¡°I understand!¡± He paused before adding, ¡°Since I¡¯m going to see Noble Consort Shu, why don¡¯t I investigate the sachet The old emperor frowned again. ¡°Do you really think Imperial Concubine Yue was killed by Noble Consort Shu?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Before the case is solved, I don¡¯t dare to jump to conclusions.¡± ¡°How are you going to investigate the sachet?¡± Xiao Juan knew that he was worried that the matter would blow up and not be easy to clean upter, so he said. ¡°I just want Noble Consort Shu to cooperate with the investigation. I¡¯m not certain that she¡¯s the real culprit.¡± ¡°In order not to cause misunderstandings, I would not leak anything about the investigation. ¡± ¡°This time, I would only let the public know that I wanted to resolve the misunderstanding between Noble Consort Shu and Yu Niaoniao.¡± The old emperor was pleased with the answer. ¡°Then do as you say.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Thank you for your permission, Your Majesty.¡± The old emperor nced at Wei Huai¡¯en, who was standing beside him. ¡°Follow him.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en knew very well that the emperor was worried that Duke Lang would make things difficult for Noble Consort Shu, so he specially sent him to follow Duke Lang and keep an eye on him to prevent unnecessary trouble. Xiao Juan naturally knew this very well. He got someone to send a message back to the Justice Department and asked Meng Xizhou to escort Yu Niaoniao into the pce. Yu Niaoniao did not know why she wanted to enter the pce. She thought that something had happened in the pce and felt uneasy. She was brought to Xiao Juan. Beside Xiao Juan was Wei Huai¡¯en. Wei Huai¡¯en bowed slightly to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Greetings, Princess Consort.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at Xiao Juan and then at Wei Huai¡¯en, her face filled with confusion. Xiao Juan took the initiative to exin. ¡°I asked you to enter the pce because of Noble Consort Shu.¡± Then, he told her that the emperor already knew that Noble Consort Shu had plotted to harm her and asked the former to apologize. Yu Niaoniao was very surprised. ¡°The emperor actually asked Noble Consort Shu to apologize to me? Am I dreaming?¡± She was just a princess consort. When did she be so important? Xiao Juan said warmly, ¡°Of course not. The emperor is fair and strict. He definitely won¡¯t let you suffer in vain.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly bowed in the direction of the Zhengde Hall. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Startling Pce first. After we settle Noble Consort Shu¡¯s matter, I¡¯ll bring you to the emperor to thank him.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded obediently. ¡°Okay.¡± Xiao Juan held her hand and walked towards the Startling Pce. Wei Huai¡¯en followed behind them unhurriedly. The group quickly arrived at the Startling Pce. Noble Consort Shu had been grounded recently and the gates of the Startling Pce were closed. No one had visited her for a long time. Today, someone suddenly knocked on the door. The eunuch in charge of guarding the door in the Startling Pce was rather surprised. When he looked out through the crack in the door and saw Duke Lang, his wife, and Wei Huai¡¯en, his heart skipped a beat. The other party had a high status and he was just a eunuch. How could he dare to disregard him? He hurriedly opened the door and invited him in. Then, he hurriedly ran to report to Noble Consort Shu. Noble Consort Shu was teasing the parrot. If she called out ¡°Empress¡±, the parrot would respond by saying ¡°idiot¡±. She was so amused that she couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°This little thing is too interesting!¡± At this moment, Liu Zhi rushed in and whispered. ¡°Your Highness, Duke Lang, the Princess Consort, and Eunuch Wei Huai¡¯en are here.¡± The smile on Noble Consort Shuts face immediately disappeared. She did not like the Duke Lang couple at all. If only Duke Lang was here, Noble Consort Shu would not even want to see them. However, it was different if Wei Huai¡¯en came with them. Wei Huai¡¯en was the emperor¡¯s most trusted eunuch. Even someone as arrogant and despotic as Noble Consort Shu had to restrain herself when she saw him usually. Now that he had apanied Duke Lang and his wife to the Startling Pce, it meant that this matter should have been approved by the emperor. Noble Consort Shu knew that whether her punishment could be lifted was up to the emperor. Therefore, she did not dare to lose her temper and instructed Liu Zhi. ¡°Let them in.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Soon, Xiao Juan, Yu Niaoniao, and Wei Huai¡¯en were brought to Noble Consort Shu. Even though Noble Consort Shu was prepared, her expression stiffened visibly when she saw Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao. She pretended to drink her tea to hide her awkwardness. By the time she put down her teacup, her expression had returned to normal. She straightened the hem of her sleeves, raised her chin slightly, and spoke slowly with an arrogant expression. ¡°You don¡¯t visit unless there¡¯s something important. Why did you suddenlye to the Startling Pce?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°We need your cooperation on two things..¡± Chapter 336 Chapter 336: Remember What You Said Today! Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Noble Consort Shu smiled and said casually, ¡°Who do you think I am? Do you think I have to cooperate just because you want me to? Even if you¡¯re Duke Lang, you¡¯re not powerful enough to point fingers at me, right?¡± Xiao Juan had already expected such a reaction and replied calmly. ¡°I¡¯ve already received the emperor¡¯s permission before I came here. If Noble Consort doesn¡¯t cooperate, it¡¯s equivalent to disobeying the decree.¡± Noble Consort Shut s face darkened. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth. What you do is up to you.¡± Noble Consort Shu gritted her teeth. Damn Duke Lang, how dare he speak to her like that? She caught a glimpse of Wei Huai¡¯en watching from the side. If she did not do something appropriate, it would definitely reach the emperor¡¯s ears. In order not to offend the emperor again, she could only take a deep breath and suppress the anger in her heart. ¡°Tell me, what is it?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The first thing is that on the first day of the Lunar New Year, you plotted to attack Niaoniao with a poisonous snake. After that, you even tried to frame her for this poisonous snake. Although Niaoniao was not injured, you were in the wrong in this matter. I hope you can apologize to her in person.¡± Noble Consort Shuughed rudely as if she had heard a huge joke. ¡°Haha, you actually want me to apologize to Yu Niaoniao? Are you dreaming?¡± Xiao Juan took out the sachet and said unhurriedly. ¡°This is the sachet you gave Niaoniao that day. I¡¯ve already had someone test it. There¡¯s something wrong with the spices in the sachet. ¡°I¡¯ve reported this to the emperor.¡± ¡°The emperor did not punish you severely on ount of your past rtionship. He just wants you to apologize. I hope you can understand the emperor¡¯s intentions.¡± Noble Consort Shu wanted to curse. What nonsense was this?! Ever since she entered the pce, she had been inferior to Empress Wen. That was fine, but now, she actually had to lower her head and apologize to a woman whose status was inferior to hers. This was equivalent to tearing off her face and throwing it on the ground! What rtionship? Were their many years of rtionship used to exchange for her humiliation? Noble Consort Shu gritted her teeth in hatred, but she could not re up. Her pretty face turned red. Wei Huai¡¯en advised, ¡°Your Highness, as long as you apologize, this matter will be over.¡± Noble Consort Shu forced a cold smile. ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s humiliated, not you. Naturally, you can stand and talk.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en still looked calm. ¡°The emperor actually feels sorry for you, but there are nationalws and family rules. If you do something wrong, you have to take responsibility. That¡¯s the rule.¡± Noble Consort Shu knew that it was impossible for her to dodge today. Lightning, rain, and dew were all favors from the heavens. No matter how angry she was, she could only do as the emperor said. She took a deep breath and spoke slowly. ¡°Alright, isn¡¯t it just an apology? I¡¯ll apologize!¡± With Liu Zhi¡¯s help, she stood up and slowly walked to Yu Niaoniao. Her eyes were cold. She didn¡¯t look like she was there to apologize. She looked more like she was here to kill someone. ¡°I want to apologize, but I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to take it.¡± Yu Niaoniao replied crisply, ¡°Why can¡¯t I take it? I¡¯m the victim and you¡¯re the perpetrator. It¡¯s only right for you to apologize to me. I have a clear conscience!¡± Noble Consort Shu sneered again. ¡°Very good! Remember what you said today!¡± In the future, she would definitely make Yu Niaoniao pay for what she had said and done today! Yu Niaoniao revealed a terrified expression. ¡°What? Do you still want to threaten me?¡± Noble Consort Shu did not answer. Instead, she straightened her neck and said stiffly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Is this okay?!¡± With that, she turned to leave. She did not want to stay here any longer, let alone say another word to the Princess Consort of Lang County. However, Xiao Juan stopped her. ¡°Please wait, Noble Consort. I have a second matter that requires your cooperation. ¡± Noble Consort Shu was very impatient. ¡°What else do you want?¡± Xiao Juan took out a second sachet. ¡°We discovered that the embroidery on these two sachets is exactly the same. We suspect that someone in the Startling Pce is secretly colluding with the Minister of Internal Affairs. We need to interrogate your pce maids.¡± Noble Consort Shu frowned. ¡°What kind of ce do you think the Startling Pce is? What right do you have to be impudent here?!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The emperor has already approved this matter.¡± Noble Consort Shut s expression stiffened. She really hated the emperor now. That old thing called her baby in private. Now that it was a critical moment, he actually sold her outpletely. How hateful! Noble Consort Shu sat back in her round chair and sneered. ¡°Since the emperor has agreed, what else can a weak woman like me do?¡± ¡°Investigate if you want!¡± ¡°But let me be blunt.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t find anything in the end, don¡¯t me me for being rude to you!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡± He called the Eagle Guards in and began to interrogate all the pce maids in the Jingque Pce. Meng Xizhou held the roster and named them one by one. The pce maid whose name was called had to stand up and ept the Eagle Guards¡¯ questioning. Yu Niaoniao was bored, so she followed Meng Xizhou and watched them investigate the case. When the roster was flipped to thest page, Meng Xizhou read the name on it. ¡°Yunque.¡± A momentter, a short pce maid walked out of the crowd. She bowed respectfully. ¡°Greetings, sirs.¡± An Eagle Guard went forward and asked about her age and personal strength when she entered the pce. Another Eagle Guard took a pen and paper to record the information. Yunque lowered her head and answered smoothly. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything unusual. Meng Xizhou could not help but frown. ¡°We¡¯ve already asked all the pce maids in the Startling Pce, but we still haven¡¯t found the person who sent the sachet to Wangfu. What should we do?¡± He turned to look at Duke Lang to see for his instructions. Duke Lang was staring at Noble Consort Shu. When the Eagle Guards were questioning the pce maid just now, Xiao Juan had been quietly observing Noble Consort Shu¡¯s reaction. There was nothing unusual until the Yunque appeared. Noble Consort Shu adjusted her sitting posture slightly and nced in the direction of the Yunque from time to time. Her movements were so small that it was difficult for others to notice. His rich experience in handling cases told Xiao Juan that Noble Consort Shu should care a lot about the Yunque. There might be something wrong with this pce maid. Just as Xiao Juan was about to get someone to stop the Yunque, someone spoke first. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and realized that it was Yu Niaoniao. She walked up to the Yunque and sized her up from head to toe several times. Yunque couldn¡¯t help but tense. ¡°What can I do for you, Princess Consort?¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s gaze finallynded on her face as she asked thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you before.¡± Yunque subconsciously grabbed her sleeve and retorted softly. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I have always stayed in the Startling Pce. You have never been to tne Startling pce Detore. HOW can you nave seen me ¡°You must have remembered wrongly.¡± ¡°I was born ordinary. There are many pce maids like me in the pce. It¡¯s normal for you to mistake me for someone else.¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°I won¡¯t be mistaken..¡± Chapter 337

Chapter 337: Weakness

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios When Yu Niaoniao first saw the Yunque, she felt that she looked familiar. After carefully searching her memories, Yu Niaoniao quickly remembered. ¡°On the first day of the Lunar New Year, I followed the Empress and the others to Crystal Spring Pce to pay my New Year greetings to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager ordered someone to bring us refreshments. You were among the pce maids who brought us refreshments. You¡¯re not from the Startling Pce. You should be a pce maid from the Crystal Spring Pce.¡± At that time, there were many pce maids delivering refreshments. They put down the refreshments and retreated. Yu Niaoniao only nced at them and did not pay much attention. But it was because of this nce that today¡¯s reversal happened. Noble Consort Shu pretended to sneer in disdain. ¡°There are so many pce maids in the Crystal Spring Pce. How can you be sure that the person you saw must be the Yunque? What if you¡¯re mistaken?¡± Xiao Juan trusted Niaoniao¡¯s memory very much. He said without hesitation, ¡°It¡¯s very simple to verify Yunque¡¯s identity. We just have to investigate the Crystal Spring Pce.¡± Noble Consort Shu secretly tightened her grip on the silk handkerchief. ¡°Who do you think you are? The Crystal Spring Pce is the residence of Empress Dowager. How can you investigate it casually?!¡± ¡°Since Noble Consort says so, let¡¯s go to the Crystal Spring Pce.¡± With that, Xiao Juan pretended to leave. Noble Consort Shu immediately panicked. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Xiao Juan looked back at her. ¡°What other instructions do you have?¡± Noble Consort Shu¡¯s mind raced, but she could not think of a suitable solution. In a moment of desperation, she felt dizzy and her expression became even uglier. Liu Zhi was worried and asked with concern. ¡°Your Highness, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Do you want to ask the imperial physician to take a look?¡± Noble Consort Shu felt that this was a good opportunity to stall for time. She held her forehead and looked pained. ¡°My head hurts.¡± With that, she closed her eyes and fell limply to the side. Liu Zhi was shocked and hurriedly shouted. ¡°Go get the imperial physician!¡± She and the other two pce maids hurriedly helped Noble Consort Shu up and walked towards the bedroom with difficulty. As outsiders, Xiao Juan, Yu Niaoniao, and Wei Huai¡¯en naturally could not follow them into the bedroom. But they didn¡¯t leave either. They stayed where they were. Not long after, the imperial physician rushed over. He treated Noble Consort Shu and finally said. ¡°Your Highness¡¯s emotions are fluctuating too much. She was so angry that her body couldn¡¯t take it for a moment and fainted. She needs to recuperate well for the next period of time. Don¡¯t make her angry again.¡± Since the imperial physician had said so, Xiao Juan, Yu Niaoniao, and Wei Huai¡¯en naturally could not stay in the Startling Pce anymore. The three of them returned to Shang¡¯s study to report to the emperor. When the emperor found out that Noble Consort Shu had fainted from anger, his expression immediately darkened and he said unhappily. ¡°How did you do it? You actually made Noble Consort Shu so angry?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ve already been exceptionally kind by agreeing to Noble Consort¡¯s apology to Yu Niaoniao. Don¡¯t be ungrateful!¡± Xiao Juan recounted what he had encountered in the Startling Pce from beginning to end. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with that Yunque. We must investigate her thoroughly. Please allow me to bring her back to the Justice Department for detailed interrogation, Your Majesty.¡± Although the emperor was angry, he was not muddle-headed. The case had been investigated to this point. There was no reason to give up halfway. Otherwise, all their efforts would be in vain. In any case, she was just an insignificant pce maid. If Xiao Juan wanted to take her away, so be it. The old emperor spoke in a low voice. ¡°You can take her away, but you have to get to the bottom of things. Don¡¯t end up with nothing and make a fool of yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll definitely find out the truth as soon as possible.¡± Xiao Juan retreated with Yu Niaoniao. The old emperor watched them leave and pondered for a moment before suddenly asking. ¡°Did I do the right thing by giving them a marriage? Or did I do the wrong thing?¡± At this moment, other than the old emperor, there was only Wei Huai¡¯en in Shang¡¯s study. Wei Huai¡¯en had followed the emperor for many years. He knew the emperor¡¯s temper and personality very well. The emperor was proud and arrogant. Even if he sometimes knew that he was wrong, he could not tolerate anyone saying anything bad about him. Therefore, Wei Huai¡¯en replied without hesitation. ¡°His Majesty is naturally right.¡± The old emperor was not so easy to fool. He asked, ¡°Why do you think so?¡± Wei Huai¡¯en reacted quickly and immediately thought of a response. ¡°Although the previous Duke Lang was upright, he was less humane. Like an untamed wild horse, it was very easy for him to hurt others.¡± ¡°Ever since they got married, Duke Lang had someone he cared about and protected. He began to learn to restrain his temper.¡± ¡°Compared to wild and untamed horses, horses who knew how to restrain their sharpness were easier to control. Do you think that¡¯s the case?¡± The old emperor thought for a moment and quickly understood what Wei Huai¡¯en meant. Back then, the old emperor discovered Xiao Juan¡¯s talent and spent a lot of effort nurturing him. It could be said that arge part of the credit for Xiao Juan growing into a sharp knife was due to the old emperor. To the old emperor, Xiao Juan was like a piece of work that he had carefully carved. He was proud of it. But as Wei Huai¡¯en had said, the de was too sharp and could easily hurt him. While the old emperor was using Xiao Juan to do things for him, he naturally had to be wary of him. Now that Xiao Juan had the woman he loved, it was like a sword that was sheathed. The danger level was greatly reduced. The old emperor could also use this to better control Xiao Juan. After figuring this out, the old emperor¡¯s frown gradually rxed. He leaned back in his chair and sighed meaningfully. ¡°People be vulnerable once they have a weakness.¡± Seeing that the old emperor understood what he meant, Wei Huai¡¯en smiled and spoke respectfully. ¡°Your Majesty is right.¡± Xiao Juan brought people to the Startling Pce to capture the Yunque. In the end, he was toote. Liu Zhi said obediently, ¡®Yunque is timid, to begin with. She was frightened by you today and fell sick.¡± ¡°We asked a doctor to treat her, but she was diagnosed with hysteria. Not only was she twitching, but she was also talking nonsense.¡± ¡°The doctor said that this illness was hopeless. She had to be sent out of the pce quickly before she frightened others.¡± ¡°Before you came, Yunque had been sent out of the pce. If you want to find her, leave the pce and look for her.¡± Meng Xizhou could not help but say, ¡°Just now, the Yunque suffered from hysteria. How can there be such a coincidence?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± No matter how Meng Xizhou asked, Liu Zhi did not know anything. It was obvious that she wanted to y dumb until the end. Meng Xizhou gritted his teeth in anger, but he could not do anything to the other party. He was really furious! Xiao Juan said in a low voice. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The group hurriedly left the Startling Pce. Yu Niaoniao was still waiting for them at the door. Seeing theme out, she hurriedly went up and asked. ¡°Did you capture her?¡± Meng Xizhou said hatefully, ¡°She escaped!¡± Chapter 338

Chapter 338: Noble Consort Shu¡¯s Scheme

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan repeated Liu Zhi¡¯s words concisely. ¡°Noble Consort Shu must have deliberately pretended to faint to stall for time so that someone could secretly send the Yunque out of the pce. As long as we can¡¯t find Yunque, we can¡¯t do anything to her.¡± Yu Niaoniao thought for a moment and said, ¡°Yunque is from the Crystal Spring Pce. Won¡¯t the Empress Dowager have any objections if she¡¯s suddenly sent out of the pce?¡± Xiao Juan exined patiently. ¡°You don¡¯t know much about the pce. The Empress Dowager is Noble Consort Shuts aunt. The two of them are usually very close.¡± ¡°Yunque is just a small pce maid. She is far inferior to Noble Consort Shu in the Empress Dowager¡¯s heart.¡± ¡°Even if something happens to her, the Empress Dowager won¡¯t care.¡± It sounded cruel, but this was the real situation in the pce. In the eyes of the higher-ups, eunuchs and pce maids were like ants under their feet. No one cared about the life and death of ants. Yu Niaoniao recalled how close Empress Dowager Deng was to Noble Consort Shu in Crystal Spring Pce. She had thought that it was due to Noble Consort Shu¡¯s talent for sweet talking, but now she knew that the two of them were rted. In that case, her strategy of asking Empress Dowager Deng to pressure her would not work. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Then what do we do next?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Let¡¯s track Yunque and see if we can stop her.¡± They hurried out of the pce. In the Startling Pce, Liu Zhi helped Noble Consort Shu sit up. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ve already done as you said. Duke Lang can¡¯t see the Yunque, so he can only leave.¡± Noble Consort Shu nodded slightly. ¡°You did very well.¡± At this moment, the sixth prince, Shen Rui, arrived. He hurried to the bed and spoke with concern, ¡°When I heard that Mother was sick, I was so anxious. What illness do you have? Is it serious?¡± Noble Consort Shu¡¯s gaze softened involuntarily when she saw her son. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. I¡¯m fine. Sit down and talk.¡± Liu Zhi brought a round stool over and ced it by the bed. Shen Rui sat on the stool, his eyes still on Noble Consort Shu. His heart ached when he saw her pale face. ¡°I heard that you fell sick from anger because of Duke Lang. Duke Lang is too much. He actually doesn¡¯t take you seriously just because he has some power. I¡¯ll teach him a lesson now and avenge Mother!¡± With that, he was about to get up. Noble Consort Shu quickly stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t be rash. Duke Lang is heavily relied on by the emperor. If you attack him, the emperor will definitely not let you off easily.¡± Shen Rui was indignant. ¡°But you¡¯re sick from anger because of him. Are we just going to let this matter go?¡± Noble Consort Shu nced at Liu Zhi. Liu Zhi understood and retreated with the others. Only Noble Consort Shu and Shen Rui were left in the room. Noble Consort Shu spoke slowly. ¡°Rui¡¯er, you¡¯re already an adult. There are some things I can¡¯t hide from you.¡± ¡°Duke Lang was investigating Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s case. He had now found out about me. ¡°If he continues to investigate, I might lose my life.¡± Shen Rui said without thinking, ¡°Let him investigate! Anyway, Mother, you haven¡¯t done anything. No matter how he investigates, it will all be in vain!¡± Noble Consort Shu looked at him with aplicated expression. Shen Rui¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He asked instinctively, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s death is really rted to you?¡± For so many years, Noble Consort Shu had protected her son very well. She tried her best not to let Shen Rui know about the dirty things hidden in the dark. But now that things hade to this, she could not hide it anymore. Noble Consort Shu took a deep breath and said slowly, ¡°You were just born back then and didn¡¯t know how favored Imperial Concubine Yue was. If she and the child in her womb were allowed to live, we would only be a foil to them. Be it my current position as Noble Consort or your right to fight for the throne in the future, they would no longer exist.¡± Shen Rui looked at her in a daze and said with difficulty. ¡°So you killed Imperial Concubine Yue?¡± Noble Consort Shu felt very ufortable admitting that she had killed someone in front of her child. She subconsciously avoided Shen Rui¡¯s gaze and said softly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s foil forever, and I don¡¯t want you to only be a nameless idle prince in the future.¡± ¡°I want to get rid of any obstacle that stands in our way.¡± ¡°Imperial Concubine Yue is like this, and so is Duke Lang.¡± Shen Rui took in too much information at once and was not able to cope with the overload. He asked hesitantly, ¡°What do you want to do to Duke Lang?¡± A ruthless glint appeared in Noble Consort Shut s eyes. ¡°I wanted to shift the suspicion to Empress Wen. As long as Empress Wen died, the Seventh Prince would no longer be a threat. The position of the future heir would be yours.¡± ¡°However, Duke Lang should not have appeared halfway! He ruined my n and even targeted me. I can¡¯t let him live anymore.¡± Shen Rui had never seen his mother like this before, and his heart could not help but tremble. He spoke carefully. ¡°Duke Lang has no conclusive evidence. He can¡¯t convict you.¡± Noble Consort Shu sighed. ¡°You¡¯re still too naive. Once a person like Duke Lang became suspicious, he would definitely investigate.¡± ¡°Although I sent Yunque out of the pce today, this is only treating the symptoms and not the root cause.¡± ¡°Without Yunque, Duke Lang would continue to investigate in other ways. Once he finds out the truth, I¡¯m finished.¡± ¡°Rui¡¯er, you don¡¯t want to see Mother die, do you?¡± Shen Rui hurriedly shook his head. ¡°Of course not! Mother, you have to live well. Anyone who wants to hurt Mother is my enemy!¡± Hearing this, Noble Consort Shu was very relieved. ¡°Good son, I didn¡¯t raise you for nothing.¡± Shen Rui hesitated and said, ¡°But Duke Lang is not an ordinary person. He¡¯s skilled and is highly valued by Father. It¡¯s very difficult for us to deal with him.¡± Noble Consort Shu had already nned this. She whispered, ¡°Of course, we can¡¯t deal with Duke Lang directly. We have to rely on others for this.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Noble Consort Shu¡¯s eyes lit up as she slowly exined her n, ¡°The Chen Nation¡¯s diplomatic mission will arrive at the Imperial Capital soon.¡± ¡°Back then, it was because of Duke Lang¡¯s interference that the Chen Nation¡¯s n to ambush Liaodong County failed. Those people from the Chen Nation must hate Duke Lang very much.¡± ¡°We can work with the Chen Nation¡¯s diplomatic mission. We will be responsible for providing opportunities. They were responsible for killing.¡± ¡°After it¡¯s done, they¡¯ll leave the Imperial Capital. Even the emperor can¡¯t do anything about it.¡± Shen Rui was a little hesitant. ¡°But they¡¯re from the Chen Nation after all. Wouldn¡¯t we be colluding with external enemies if we do this?¡± Noble Consort Shu red at him. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? The Chen Nation¡¯s diplomatic mission is here to seek peace. I heard that the emperor ns to reconcile with them. They¡¯re no longer considered enemies, so how can we be colluding with external enemies? Seeing that her son was still hesitating, Noble Consort Shu continued, ¡°Look further into the future. Working with the Chen Nation this time is equivalent to establishing a friendly rtionship with them. In the future, when you fight for the throne, the Chen Nation might even help you.¡± Thinking of the position of Crown Prince, Shen Rui¡¯s heart immediately burned as if it had been doused with hot oil. He nodded vigorously.. ¡°We¡¯ll do as Mother says!¡± Chapter 339

Chapter 339: Self-me

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Meng Xizhou led the Eagle Guards to track Yunque and pursued her all the way out of the Imperial Capital. They found an overturned carriage by the official road ten miles outside the city. The carriage was empty and there was no sign of Yunque. There were signs of a struggle beside the carriage. It looked like a bad fight. Meng Xizhou left two people beside the carriage while the others continued to follow him. They followed the tracks until they found Yunque in the dense bushes. Coincidentally, Yunque was being pressed to the ground by a masked man. Her mouth was firmly covered by the man, and she could not call for help. She could only stare at the man in front of her in wide-eyed horror. Meng Xizhou shouted sternly, ¡°Stop!¡± When the masked man realized that someone wasing, not only did he not stop, but he also drew his dagger and slit Yunque¡¯s throat. In an instant, blood sttered all over him. Yunque twitched in pain, and her legs kicked desperately. Meng Xizhou did not expect this person to be so bold. Apart from being shocked, he became even angrier. He drew the saber at his waist and quickly attacked the masked man! The other Eagle Guards also drew their sabers and surrounded the masked man to prevent him from escaping. The masked man let go of Yunque and jumped up to fight Meng Xizhou. After an intense battle, the masked man was at a disadvantage. He was cut in the arm. The pain slowed him. Meng Xizhou kicked him again and sent him flying. The masked man fell to the ground in a sorry state. The other Eagle Guards immediately swarmed forward, preparing to take him down. The masked man did not dodge. He took out the poison hidden in his sleeve and threw it into his mouth. Meng Xizhou knew that something was amiss but it was toote for him to stop it. The masked man swallowed the poison and grimaced. He looked like he was in pain. The cloth covering his face was stained red by the blood he spat out. Soon he could not take it anymore and fell straight to the ground with his eyes open. An Eagle Guard stepped forward to check and found that the masked man was no longer breathing. Meng Xizhou had no choice but to ce hisst hope on Yunque. He took out the Golden Creation potion he carried and poured it on Yunque¡¯s wound. He wrapped her wound with a silk handkerchief. The conditions were limited now, so this was all he could do. Meng Xizhou picked up Yunque andforted her. ¡°Hang in there. I¡¯ll take you to a doctor now.¡± Yunque reached out with difficulty and handed over a bloodstained silk handkerchief. Her bloodless lips opened and closed as if she were saying something. Meng Xizhou lowered his head and leaned his ear over. He heard the girl say, ¡°I¡¯m not Yunque. I don¡¯t want to die.¡± Meng Xizhou perked up. She was indeed not Yunque. Duke Lang and the Princess Consort¡¯s guess was right! Now, as long as she was brought back, she could testify against Noble Consort Shu. He ran all the way back to the Justice Department. Meng Xizhou kicked open Lo Pingsha¡¯s residence and roared at the top of his lungs. ¡°Little Lo! Save this girl. Don¡¯t let her die!¡± Meng Xizhou had caused too muchmotion, so much so that Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan were rmed. They arrived at Lo Pingsha¡¯s residence in time to hear him speak in an almost heartless tone. ¡°She lost a lot of blood. Shee¡¯s dead.¡± Meng Xizhou stood by the bed, sweating profusely. His chest and hands were covered in blood. He was breathing hard. ¡°How is that possible? She just spoke to me. She said she didn¡¯t want to die.¡± Lo Pingsha repeated it expressionlessly. ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡± Xiao Juan walked over and ced his finger under Yunque¡¯s nose. ¡°She¡¯s indeed no longer breathing.¡± Meng Xizhou seemed to have lost all his strength and sat on the ground. He looked at the motionless Yunque on the bed and muttered in disbelief. ¡°How did this happen?¡± Thinking of what had just happened, Meng Xizhou became angrier. He clenched his fists and mmed them against the ground. His tone was filled with hatred and self-reproach. ¡°We were so close to catching Noble Consort Shu! It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m too useless. I couldn¡¯t catch the assassin or save Yunque¡¯s life!¡± Yu Niaoniao got someone to help Meng Xizhou up. ¡°Little Meng, you¡¯ve done your best. Go take a shower and rest.¡± Meng Xizhou was helped out. However, he quickly ran back. ¡°Your Highness, Princess Consort, I forgot to give this to you just now!¡± As Meng Xizhou spoke, he handed over a blood -stained silk handkerchief. Yu Niaoniao took the silk handkerchief and looked at it. This was just a very ordinary white silk handkerchief. The only thing worth noticing was the two small words embroidered on the corner of the silk handkerchief. But because it was stained with blood, the two words could not be seen clearly. Yu Niaoniao ordered someone to bring cold water. She soaked the silk handkerchief in cold water and added soap juice to rub it gently. Soon the blood was scrubbed clean. By the time Yu Niaoniao took the silk handkerchief out of the water, the words on it had be verv clear. Yu Niaoniao read the two words: ¡°An. ¡± Xiao Juan was deep in thought. ¡°It sounds like a woman¡¯s name.¡± In the Dayan Dynasty, silk handkerchiefs were very personal items. Women usually did not wear silk handkerchiefs with someone else¡¯s name embroidered on them. Yu Niaoniao guessed, ¡°This should be her original name.¡± This guess coincided with Xiao Juan¡¯s. He immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the pce now.¡± After Xiao Juan entered the pce, he went straight to the Imperial Attendant Division. There were records of all the pce maids and eunuchs in the pce in the Internal Affairs Division. Xiao Juan ordered someone to check all the roster. In the end, the heavens did not disappoint. They really found a pce maid called An. This pce maid was a third-grade pce maid in the Crystal Spring Pce. She was in charge of serving tea, water, and cleaning. Xiao Juan went to the Biquan Pce to meet Empress Dowager Deng, hoping to see An. Queen Mother Deng seemed to have expected him and reacted very calmly. ¡°An was seriously ill. I was afraid that she would spread it to others, so I got someone to send her out of the pce.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Since An is from the Crystal Spring Pce, why is she in the Startling Pce? Moreover, she ims to be Yunque?¡± Empress Dowager Deng said indifferently, ¡°Is there such a thing? I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. If you want to know, just ask An herself.¡± ¡°An is dead.¡± Queen Mother Deng¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°I see. That¡¯s a pity.¡± Xiao Juan continued, ¡°An is only a third-grade pce maid. Without the permission of the higher-ups, she doesn¡¯t have the guts to run to the Startling Pce, let alone rashly rece Yunque¡¯s identity.¡± Empress Dowager Deng frowned slightly, showing some dissatisfaction. ¡°Are you suspecting that I harmed An?¡± Xiao Juan lowered his head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. I¡¯m just puzzled. I hope to get the right answer from you.¡± Empress Dowager Deng said, ¡°As the Empress Dowager, how would I know about a small pce maid? No matter how many times you ask, I¡¯ll say the same thing. I don¡¯t know..¡± Chapter 340

Chapter 340: Unexpected Harvest

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan did not obtain any useful information from Empress Dowager Deng. He left the Biquan Pce empty-handed. As Empress Dowager Deng raised her hand to her forehead and frowned slightly, her eyes were filled with worry. Granny Yi asked with concern, ¡°Your Highness, are you feeling unwell? Do you want to call a physician over to take a look at you?¡± Empress Dowager Deng waved her hand. ¡°No need. I just feel annoyed.¡± Granny Yi was someone Empress Dowager Deng had brought from her family. She had followed Empress Dowager Deng for many years and knew Empress Dowager Deng¡¯s temper ana personality very well. Hearing Empress Dowager Deng say this, Granny Yi immediately understood the reason. ¡°Are you troubled by Noble Consort Shu?¡± Queen Mother Deng said slowly, ¡°Today, Yurong suddenly sent someone to the Biquan Pce. She said that the Startling Pce doesn¡¯t have enough people and needs to borrow a pce maid from the Crystal Spring Pce.¡± ¡°They also asked that she had to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. At that time, I felt that something was wrong, but I did not think too much about it. I agreed to her request and lent An to her.¡± ¡°In the end, An Lan never returned. Now, even Duke Lang hade looking for her. Tell me, what is Yurong trying to do?¡± Yurong was Noble Consort Shu¡¯s maiden name. Now, only Empress Dowager Deng would call her that. Granny Yi ced a cup of calming tea beside Empress Dowager Deng andforted her gently. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Noble Consort Shu is your niece. She can¡¯t harm you.¡± Empress Dowager Deng sighed. ¡°I was afraid that she would take things too hard and do something she shouldn¡¯t.¡± Granny Yi thought for a moment and suggested. ¡°When Noble Consort Shu is released, you can call her over and have a good talk with her. Noble Consort Shu has always respected you. She will definitely be willing to listen to you.¡± Empress Dowager Deng picked up her teacup, the worry in her eyes lingering. ¡°I hope so.¡± Xiao Juan returned to the Justice Department. He told Yu Niaoniao the results of the investigation. ¡°The truth is not as you expected. An is indeed from the Crystal Spring ¡°However, Empress Dowager Deng insisted that she was seriously ill and was sent out of the pce. She never mentioned her appearance in the Startling Pce.¡± ¡°The Empress Dowager said that she did not know anything about Yunque.¡± To put it bluntly, Empress Dowager Deng was determined to protect Noble Consort Shu. However, she had a noble status. Even Xiao Juan could not do anything to her. Seeing that he was frowning, Yu Niaoniaoforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t think about the Empress Dowager for now. From the current clues, we could basically confirm that the Yunque we saw was An in disguise.¡± ¡°Noble Consort Shu had done this deliberately. She clearly did not want us to see the real Yunque. This also proved Noble Consort Shu¡¯s guilty conscience. The real Yunque must be the pce maid who secretly hooked up with Wangfu. ¡± Xiao Juan agreed with her guess. ¡°The real Yunque hasn¡¯t shown up yet. She¡¯s probably been silenced.¡± The pce was neither big nor small. It was not difficult to hide a corpse. If Xiao Juan wanted to find the real Yunque, he had to turn the entire pce upside down. The emperor would definitely not agree to him doing this. He could only give up the clue of the Yunque for the time being. At this moment, Lo Pingsha came looking for him. ¡°Your Highness, Princess Consort, look at this.¡± He handed over a dagger. As soon as Yu Niaoniao saw the dagger, she immediately remembered. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the dagger that the fake pce maid was holding?!¡± Xiao Juan took the dagger and took a closer look. Soon, he remembered that on the first day of the Lunar New Year, Yu Niaoniao was assassinated in the pce. The dagger in the hand of the fake pce maid who wanted to assassinate her looked exactly the same as the dagger in front of him. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Where did you get this dagger?¡± Lo Pingsha replied truthfully. ¡°Meng Xizhou brought back two people today. One is An, and the other is the masked killer who killed An. And this dagger is the murder weapon that killed An. ¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked. ¡°How can there be such a coincidence in the world?¡± The two killers happened to use the same type of dagger. This probability was probably enough to buy a winning lottery ticket. Xiao Juan said slowly, ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be a coincidence.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him. ¡°If it¡¯s not a coincidence, these two must know each other.¡± ¡°Not only do they know each other, but they might be in cahoots.¡± At this point, Xiao Juan looked at Lo Pingsha. ¡°Take me to the killer.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± When they reached the morgue, they realized that Meng Xizhou was also there. Meng Xizhou had already changed into clean clothes, but he was still a little dispirited. He should still be ming himself for what happened with An. He bowed to Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness and Princess Consort.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Meng Xizhou said, ¡°I heard that Little Lo has found out the identity of the person who killed An, so I specially came to ask him about the situation.¡± Lo Pingsha pointed to the man lying on the bed. ¡°This is the man who killed An.¡± The cloth had been removed from the man¡¯s face, revealing his entire face. His facial features looked very ordinary; it was the type of face that would be difficult to find in a crowd. Such people had a low presence, and this was better for them to hide their identities and not be discovered. Lo Pingsha spoke frankly. ¡°Hemitted suicide by taking poison. I¡¯m not sure what poison it was. All I knew was that it was a very strong poison. As long as he took it, the poison would immediately re up and he would die quickly.¡± ¡°Usually, people who can use this poison are professional killers.¡± Meng Xizhou recalled the process of fighting the masked man and said. ¡°When this person saw us appear, not only did he not escape, he even killed An in front of us. It was obvious how purposeful he was.¡± ¡°His martial arts moves were mainly about killing people. Every move was aimed at the other party¡¯s vital points. He was straightforward and ruthless, not showing any mercy. He did not even know how to defend himself. After confirming that he could not escape, he did not hesitate to kill himself with poison. ¡± ¡°In every way, he fits the killer¡¯s style very well.¡± Xiao Juan said slowly, ¡°That fake pce maid was a professional assassin like him.¡± Lo Pingsha asked, ¡°Who hired a professional assassin to deal with the County Princess?¡± Yu Niaoniao recalled carefully. She had indeed offended many people, but it was not to the extent of making someone specially hire professional killers to kill her. Xiao Juan put away the dagger and said calmly. ¡°We still have to find out who it is, but one thing is certain.¡± Everyone was puzzled. Xiao Juan continued, ¡°We can contirm that the take pce maid who assassinated Niaoniao is also an assassin. When I report this matter to the emperor, Niaoniao¡¯s crime of killing for no reason will be cleared.¡± ¡°A professional assassin had killed countless people in the past. Such a person deserved to die. Killing her was naturally not a crime.¡± Only then did Yu Niaoniao realize that she had been identally proven innocent! She smiled at Meng Xizhou. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Little Meng!¡± Meng Xizhou was very confused. He thought he had messed up. He did not expect to be able to clear the County Princess¡¯s name.. Chapter 341

Chapter 341: OCD

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan presented the assassin to the emperor and attached two daggers as evidence. The emperor did not expect a professional assassin to sneak into the pce. This posed a huge threat to his own safety. He had to take it seriously! He issued a decree to absolve Yu Niaoniao of her crime. At the same time, he ordered the Internal Affairs Division to check all the pce maids and eunuchs in the pce to prevent any more killers from masquerading as pce maids. Under the investigation, it was established several pce maids and eunuchs had disappeared, but because no one reported it, no one knew until now. The emperor handed this matter to the Sky Wolf Guards to investigate what was behind the missing pce maids and eunuchs. In the Justice Department, in order to celebrate Yu Niaoniao¡¯s freedom, Pan Dafu specially prepared a table of good wine and dishes. Other than Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan, Meng Xizhou, Lo Pingsha, Yan Nanguan, and the others had also received invitations. Everyone sat around the table and chatted as they ate. Yu Niaoniao realized that Lo Pingsha was not in high spirits and did not eat much. She asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you encounter any difficulties?¡± Lo Pingsha shook his head. ¡°Nothing.¡± At this moment, Meng Xizhou came over with a wine ss and hooked Lo Pingsha¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Little Lo is sad because the Princess Consort is going back and he won¡¯t be able to eat delicious food tonight!¡± Yu Niaoniao understood. So that was why! Lo Pingsha shook off Meng Xizhou¡¯s hand and said with a straight face, ¡®Who wants you to talk too much?¡± Meng Xizhou and Yan Nanguan looked at each other andughed in unison. Yan Nanguan said as he smiled. ¡°I used to envy Little Lo. He could eat delicious food personally cooked by the County Princess every night. This is not a treatment that anyone can enjoy.¡± Meng Xizhou added, ¡°In any case, we can only watch.¡± Yan Nanguan said, ¡°But now, I pity Little Lo. As the saying goes, it¡¯s easy to go from simple to extravagant, but it¡¯s difficult to go from extravagant to frugal. After getting used to eating delicious dinners, he suddenly has to eat in meals. Who can stand this?¡± Meng Xizhou chimed in, ¡°Anyway, I can¡¯t stand it.¡± Lo Pingsha watched expressionlessly as they echoed each other and spoke stifflv. ¡°Are you guys doing a double act here?¡± Meng Xizhou and Yan Nanguan said no, but they smiled gloatingly. Yu Niaoniao could not stand it anymore. ¡°Don¡¯t gang up to bully Little Lo.¡± She then spoke to Lo Pingsha. ¡°If you want to eat my food, you can move to Langjun Imperial Mansion. The guest room you stayed in is still empty. We just have to get someone to tidy it up.¡± This time, not only Lo Pingsha, but even Meng Xizhou and Yan Nanguan were stunned. Lo Pingsha asked uneasily. ¡°Is this really okay? Will it disturb you and His Highness?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°Langjun Imperial Pce is very big. You can¡¯t disturb us.¡± Seeing that Duke Lang had made his stand, Lo Pingsha felt even more ttered. He flushed with excitement. ¡°Thank you!¡± Since his parents¡¯ deaths, Lo Pingsha had been a loner. He was so used to eating and sleeping alone that he had almost forgotten what it was like to have a family. It was not untilst year¡¯s New Year when he was invited to move to the Duke¡¯s Mansion for the time being that he ate New Year¡¯s Eve dinner with Duke Lang and his wife, waited for the New Year together, and watched the fireworks together that he felt how good it was to havepany again. He did not expect Duke Lang and his wife to be willing to let him stay in the Duke¡¯s Mansion forever. He was pleasantly surprised and touched. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Pack upter and return to the Langjun Imperial Pce with us.¡± Lo Pingsha nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes!¡± Yu Niaoniao saw Meng Xizhou and Yan Nanguan¡¯s faces scrunch up and could not help but ask. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Meng Xizhou and Yan Nanguan said in unison. ¡°We¡¯re jealous!¡± Initially, they were still gloating. They did not expect him to move to Langjun Imperial Pce in the blink of an eye. In the end, the joke was on them. Yu Niaoniao pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°If you want to stay in Langjun Imperial Pce, you cane anytime. There¡¯s not much else in there, but there are enough guest rooms.¡± Hearing this, Meng Xizhou and Yan Nanguan immediately smiled again. However, they still declined Yu Niaoniao¡¯s kindness. Their situation was different from Lo Pingsha¡¯s. Lo Pingsha¡¯s parents were dead and he had no other rtives at home. He was alone. Duke Lang and his wife had kindly taken him in because they wanted to give him a ce to anchor and rely on. However, Meng Xizhou and Yan Nanguan were different. The two of them had elders and children. Their homes were lively, so there was no need for them to move out. After eating and drinking their fill, everyone dispersed like birds. Today, Granny Xiu Yan was very happy to know that the Princess Consort wasing back. She had specially asked someone to boil grapefruit water and prepare a small brazier. When Duke Lang and his wife returned, Granny Xiu Yan immediately ced the brazier at the door and said to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°After stepping over the brazier, all your bad luck will be burned clean.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not believe in these things, but in order to reassure Granny Xiu Yan, she obediently did as she was told. She held Xiao Juan¡¯s arm with one hand and lifted her skirt with the other. She jumped gently over the brazier. Then, Granny Xiu Yan brought over grapefruit water. ¡°If you wash your hands with grapefruit leaves, all your bad luck will disappear.¡± Yu Niaoniao reached out her hands and soaked them in the water. Seeing that she had finished washing her hands, the wrinkles on Granny Xiu Yan¡¯s face rxed. ¡°Alright, alright! After this matter, will the Princess Consort be extremely lucky and have her wishe true!¡± Yu Niaoniao sat down in the recliner and kicked off her embroidered shoes. Her small feet shrank under her skirt, and her arms stretched up. ¡°Home is still the mostfortable!¡± Ye Yu was about to help pick up the embroidered shoes when she saw Duke Lang bend down first. He picked up the two embroidered shoes and ced them neatly beside the recliner. His movements were extremely natural as if he had done it many times. Ye Yu was surprised and envious. Duke Lang was really good to the Princess Consort! Chun Feng put down the refreshments and winked at Ye Yu. Ye Yu understood. She knew that Chun Feng wanted to leave the couple alone. Hence, Ye Yu and Chun Feng retreated silently. Yu Niaoniao saw Xiao Juan¡¯s actions and said in amusement. ¡°Your OCD is incurable.¡± Xiao Juan did not understand. ¡°What is OCD?¡± Yu Niaoniao sat up and extended her thin arms. She picked up the two embroidered shoes on the ground and deliberately arranged them in a mess. ¡°Now that you¡¯re looking at these two shoes, don¡¯t you feel ufortable? It¡¯s as if a small w is scratching your heart and upsetting you. You have to arrange them neatly to feelfortable.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Is there a problem?¡± With that, he bent down again and ced the two embroidered shoes neatly.. Chapter 342

Chapter 342: Popr

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Seeing this, Yu Niaoniao could not help butugh. She smiled as she said, ¡°No problem. You¡¯re fine like this.¡± Xiao Juan did not understand what was so funny. Wasn¡¯t love of cleanliness the most basic quality of a person? Yu Niaoniao turned around and supported the side of her face with one hand. A small foot reached out from under her skirt and swayed on the side of the recliner. ¡°I remember that on the way to Liaodong County, sometimes we couldn¡¯t find a courier station guesthouse. We could only sleep in the wilderness. I didn¡¯t see you being so particr then.¡± ¡°At that time, conditions were limited, so everything could only be simple. Now that we¡¯re at home, we naturally do whatever¡¯sfortable.¡± At this point, Xiao Juan could not help but look at her restless little foot. Her feet were just the right size. Every toe was round. Even her nails were round. Her fingertips were faintly pink. She looked cute. Yu Niaoniao was very rxed now. She did not feel that she was presentable at cm. Her feet were still swaying there, making Xiao Juan¡¯s eyes hurt. He brought over a thin nket and shook it open to cover Yu Niaoniao¡¯s body. He helped her cover her exposed feet. Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°Why are you bringing me a nket? I¡¯m not cold.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Let¡¯s cover your feet. The sky¡¯s been gloomy for the past few days. I feel that it will rain for a while. It¡¯s easiest to catch a cold in spring.¡± Yu Niaoniao turned to look out the window. The sky was indeed gloomy. She spoke slowly. ¡°Qingming will be in two days, right?¡± Xiao Juan quickly understood what she meant and said, ¡°When the timees, I¡¯ll apany you to the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple and offer incense to my parents -inw.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± The next day, Yu Sheng arrived at the Langjun Imperial Pce. Unfortunately, he missed Yu Niaoniao, who was not in the residence. She had gone out to buy ingredients. Granny Xiu Yan said politely, ¡°We don¡¯t know when the Princess Consort will be back. Why don¡¯t you wait here for a while?¡± Yu Sheng said politely, ¡°Thank you, but there¡¯s no need. There are still many things to do at home. I have to go back as soon as possible. I came today to ask the Princess Consort. Tomorrow is the Qingming Festival. Our family has to pay respects to our ancestors. I wonder if she¡¯s willing to go back and pay respects to our ancestors with us?¡± Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°I¡¯ll help you convey this to the Princess Consort. Whether she goes or not, I¡¯ll send someone to the Yu Residence to ry the message.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Tomorrow was the Qingming Festival. Yu Niaoniao wanted to personally make offerings for her mother and stepfather, so she specially came out today to buy the necessary ingredients. Xiao Juan was busy and did not have time to apany her. However, in order to ensure her safety, he specially asked Meng Xizhou to follow her. Yu Niaoniao was in charge of buying, and Meng Xizhou was in charge of carrying things. Soon, Meng Xizhou¡¯s hands were filled with bags. He practiced martial arts all year round, so this weight was nothing to him. He looked very rxed the entire time. It was suddenly drizzling. Yu Niaoniao and Meng Xizhou did not have umbres on them, so the two of them could only find a ce to hide from the rain. Coincidentally, there was a bookstore beside it, and there were many people inside. Yu Niaoniao and Meng Xizhou could not squeeze in and could only stand under the eaves of the door to shelter themselves from the rain. Fortunately, Meng Xizhou was wearing civilian clothes today, and not an Eagle Guard uniform. Otherwise, if the shopkeeper of the bookstore saw him blocking his door, he would definitely be so frightened that he would close his shop on the spot. Meng Xizhou turned to the people in the bookstore and could not help but click his tongue. ¡°These schrs are really strange. They buy books as if they don¡¯t cost money and fight to buy them.¡± Yu Niaoniao also turned to look at the bookstore. She also found it strange. Even if there were many schrs in the Imperial Capital, there wouldn¡¯t be so many people queuing up to buy books, right? Since she had nothing to do, Yu Niaoniao said to Meng Xizhou, ¡°I¡¯m going in to take a look and buy a few books to y with. Just wait for me here.¡± Meng Xizhou was a little worried. ¡°There are so many people in the bookstore. What if they hurt you? If you want to buy books, just tell me the title. I¡¯ll get someone to send them to the Langjun Imperial Mansion.¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯m just going in to take a look. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± She twisted into the bookstore and found the people gathered around the counter without looking at the books on the shelves. The shopkeeper of the bookstore stood behind the counter and spoke loudly. ¡°Everyone, please line up. There are still thest three books of the Seven Treasures Record today. Firste, first served. Those who can¡¯t buy them, pleasee early tomorrow!¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked. So these people were here for the Seven Treasures Record. Everyone shouted. ¡°Why are there only three books? Shopkeeper, you must still have some in stock. Take them all out and sell them. Don¡¯t wait till tomorrow!¡± ¡°By tomorrow, we definitely won¡¯t be able to buy it again.¡± ¡°I especially rushed over from elsewhere to buy books. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to find you here. You have to sell them to me!¡± Yu Niaoniao knew that her book was popr, but she did not expect it to be that popr. She puffed out her chest involuntarily, feeling very smug. At that moment, a familiar figure walked into the bookstore. It was Wei Liao of the Sky Wolf Guards. When everyone in the bookstore saw him, they stopped talking. The shopkeeper of the bookstore weed him in fear. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Young Master Wei woulde. Please forgive me for not weing you.¡± Wei Liao asked with a smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me before that Master Wang¡¯s new book ising out soon? Where¡¯s the new book? Hurry up and show it to me.¡± The shopkeeperined in his heart. Previously, Wei Liao had forced him to tell him who Master Wang was. He really couldn¡¯t answer. In the end, he could only use the excuse that Master Wang was preparing a new book and didn¡¯t have time to show his face. He had temporarily escaped Wei Liao¡¯s pestering. Unexpectedly, since then, Wei Liao hade to ask about Master Wang¡¯s new book every few days. The shopkeeper of the bookstore dyed it again and again until today. He spoke carefully. ¡°The new book is still in preparation. It¡¯ll take a while. Why don¡¯t you go back first? I¡¯ll send it to you immediately when the new book arrives.¡± The smile on Wei Liao¡¯s face instantly disappeared. His face darkened and his tone was cold. ¡°I¡¯ve asked you several times. You always say the new book is still in preparation. You¡¯re deliberately fooling me, aren¡¯t you?¡± The shopkeeper almost peed his pants in fear. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare! I¡¯m telling the truth!¡± He had indeed heard from the booksellers that Master Wang had been preparing a new book recently. That was why he dared to mention it to Wei Liao. However, who knew that Master Wang at the Vige Entrance would draw so slowly? It had been so long, but the shadow of the new book had yet to appear! Wei Liao grabbed the shopkeeper by the cor and easily lifted him up. ¡°My patience is limited. If you keep fooling me, don¡¯t me me for being rude to you.¡± The shopkeeper¡¯s feet left the ground, and his neck was choked by his clothes. His eyes widened in fear.. ¡°Please spare me, Young Master Wei!¡± Chapter 343

Chapter 343: How Interesting

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios When Yu Niaoniao saw Wei Liao, she secretly felt unlucky. She had not looked at the almanac when she went out today. Why did she bump into him?! She prepared to slip away before anyone noticed her. Unexpectedly, just as she reached the door, she saw Wei Liao pick up the shopkeeper. The poor shopkeeper was weak and could only struggle desperately to call for help. His face was red with anxiety. Everyone in the bookstore was very indignant, but they did not dare to act rashly because of the power of the Sky Wolf Guards. In the end, Yu Niaoniao could not stand it anymore. She pushed past the person standing in front of her and strode out. ¡°Stop it!¡± Everyone looked at her and saw that she was a delicate and beautiful little beauty. They could not help but worry for her. Who knew how many days such a beautiful youngdy would live if she fell into Wei Liao¡¯s hands? When Wei Liao saw Yu Niaoniao, he was clearly stunned. Then, he curled his lips and revealed a malicious smile. ¡°I was wondering who it was. So it¡¯s the Princess Consort of Lang County! Why are you here today?¡± When everyone heard his words, they realized that the youngdy in front of them was actually the Princess Consort of Lang County! They had thought that she was an enchanting vixen, but they did not expect her to look quite cute in person. This should be what everyone often said about not judging a book by its cover, right? Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect my luck to be so bad. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to go out, but I happened to bump into you.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°How could I darepare to that person in your family? He¡¯s the unparalleled fiend.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s lips twitched into a fake smile. ¡°Then I was wrong. You¡¯re not a jinx. You¡¯re a retard. An unprecedented and unparalleled great retard.¡± Wei Liao didn¡¯t know what she meant by retard, but from her sarcastic attitude, he could guess that it was definitely not a good thing. ¡°How interesting.¡± He loosened his fingers as he spoke. The shopkeeper of the bookstore felt as if he had been pardoned. He almost scrambled behind the counter, not daring to appear again. Wei Liao walked towards Yu Niaoniao. ¡°As the saying goes, a chance encounter is better than a treat. It¡¯s fate that we met here. Why don¡¯t I treat you to a cup of tea?¡± Yu Niaoniao refused without hesitation. ¡°Thank you, but no. I¡¯m allergic to tea.¡± Wei Liao raised his eyebrows. ¡°Allergies?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s a special symptom. It¡¯s usually fine, but as long as I drink tea, I¡¯ll have rashes all over my body. It¡¯s itchy and painful.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Then let¡¯s not drink tea. Let¡¯s drink wine.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m allergic to wine too.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Then drink in water.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m also allergic to water.¡± Wei Liao asked, ¡°What are you not allergic to?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°As long as I¡¯m with you, I¡¯m allergic to anything.¡± Wei Liao deliberately looked enlightened. ¡°So I¡¯m the one who really makes you allergic!¡± Yu Niaoniao apuded. ¡°You¡¯re so smart. Since you already know the answer, please stay away from me.¡± Wei Liao chuckled. ¡°You were the one who insisted on jumping out to attract my attention. Why are you pretending to be noble now? Do you women like to y hard to get?¡± Yu Niaoniao could not help but rub her arms. What kind of lousy line was that? Why did she feel like she had identally entered an urban melodrama? She really had goosebumps! Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that everyone was watching themotion. Those glowing eyes and the faint expression of anticipation were indescribable. Yu Niaoniao was very worried that the headline in the Imperial Capital tomorrow morning would be: Shocking! The Princess Consort of Lang County actually cheated and flirted with the Vice General of the Sky Wolf Guards in public. Was this the loss of morals? Or the destruction of human nature?! It seemed that they could not stay here for long. Yu Niaoniao immediately shouted. ¡°Little Meng!¡± When Meng Xizhou, who was outside the door, heard the shout, he immediately put down the bags in his hand and rushed into the bookstore like lightning. He stood in front of Yu Niaoniao and used his body to block Wei Liao¡¯s gaze. ¡°Vice General Wei, the Princess Consort has already said that she doesn¡¯t want you to appear in front of her. Please respect yourself!¡± Wei Liao¡¯s smile faded. ¡°So the Princess Consort has Eagle Guards with her.¡± When everyone in the bookstore heard the word Eagle Guard, they immediately retreated as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight, their faces filled with fear. Compared to the recently established Sky Wolf Guards, ordinary people were still more afraid of the Eagle Guards. In their opinion, the Eagle Guards were like evil spirits that ate people without leaving behind their bones. As long as they encountered them, nothing good would happen! Meng Xizhou was already used to everyone¡¯s prejudice against the Eagle Guards. He didn¡¯t even look at the people around him. His eyes were fixed on Wei Liao, in case Wei Liao wanted to harm the Princess Consort. Yu Niaoniao did not like the way everyone looked at Meng Xizhou. Because many people had also looked at Xiao Juan with the same gaze. Coincidentally, the rain outside had stopped. Yu Niaoniao did not want to stay here any longer. She said to Meng Xizhou. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± The two of them walked out of the bookstore and returned to Langjun Imperial Mansion. Wei Liao watched them leave with a yful expression. After they were gone, Wei Liao looked away. He knocked on the counter and spoke to the shopkeeper hiding under it. ¡°I¡¯ll give you onest chance. If I don¡¯t see Master Wang¡¯s new book in three days, your bookstore will close.¡± The shopkeeper of the bookstore hurriedly replied. ¡°Thank you, Young Master Wei! I¡¯ll definitely think of a way to get you Master Wang¡¯s new book.¡± In fact, he did not know Master Wang at the Vige Entrance at all, let alone know where to get a new book. He was only saying this to stall for time. He wouldfort Wei Liao first, then pack up and leave the Imperial Capital with his family to hide. Wei Liao sneered. ¡°If you dare lie to me, I¡¯ll let you die without a burial ce.¡± With that, he left the bookstore with the Sky Wolf Guards. When Yu Niaoniao returned to the Langjun Imperial Pce, she was no longer angry. However, Meng Xizhou was still angry. ¡°By saying those words to you in public, Wei Liao was clearly deliberately making things difficult for you. Who does he think he is? He¡¯s just an adopted son of a eunuch. What right does he have to treat you like this?! ¡± Yu Niaoniao got someone to put away the things she had bought and did not forget to remind him. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you say these things here, but don¡¯t talk nonsense outside. Be careful not to cause trouble.¡± Although Wei Huai¡¯en was a eunuch, he was one of the emperor¡¯s most trusted people. His influence was not small. It would not be good to offend him. Meng Xizhou chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not stupid. I only dared to say what I was thinking in front of you and His Highness. If there were outsiders present, I wouldn¡¯t dare to say a word.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Alright, there¡¯s nothing for you to do here. Go back to the Justice Department first.¡± ¡°Okay..¡± Chapter 344

Chapter 344: There¡¯s No One Else in My Heart

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao had already drawn more than ten pages of the new book. Originally, she had nned to draw a story about a hero. But after what had happened today, she had changed her mind. She realized that the customers in the bookstore were all men. In other words, her readership was almost exclusively male. What kind of stories did men like? Naturally, it was satisfying prose about the male lead marrying a fair, rich, and beautiful woman to reach the peak of his life. The Seven Treasures Record happened to tell such a clich¨¦ and melodramatic story. At first, Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. The storyline of the Seven Treasures Record was clearly very ordinary and there was nothing particrly attractive about it. Even if it could rely on novel expressions likeics to attract people¡¯s attention, the novelty was limited. After a while, the poprity would decrease, and there would be fewer people buying books. But the truth was the opposite of what she had expected. The sales of the Seven Treasures Record had not decreased over time. It had been almost a month since it was released, but there were still many people queuing up to buy the Seven Treasures Record. It was not until today that Yu Niaoniao personally went to the bookstore to take a look that she knew the reason. The people who bought books were all men. The Seven Treasures Record happened to cater to their likes. In addition,ics were a novel form of expression, so it was naturally sought after by male readers. Even a sharp-eyed, picky, and mean man like Wei Liao had be a fan of the Seven Treasures Record. Yu Niaoniao felt that this was a good opportunity. Wasn¡¯t Wei Liao looking forward to her new book? Then she would write a new book that would keep men hooked. What book had been the most irresistible since ancient times? Naturally, it was torture! Yu Niaoniao quickly went through all the new media abuse stories she had seen in the past in her mind. She quickly had an outline. She picked up her pen and wrote the title of the book on the first page, The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation. Legend had it that there was a Phoenix Cry Nation in the distance. In this country, women were respected. From the emperor and the civil and military officials to the head of the household, they were all women. Men could only rely on women¡¯s graces. The male lead was a little mute and very handsome. His family arranged for him to marry a domineering female princess. The princess was domineering and fierce to outsiders, but she was very gentle to the little mute. The little mute had unknowingly fallen in love with the princess. However, just after he fell in love, he identally realized that the princess did not love him. There was a first love hidden in the princess¡¯s heart. It was only because he looked a little simr to her first love that the princess was so gentle to him. After the truth was torn open, the little mute was inconsble and wished he was dead. He went to ask the princess for rification, but because the antagonist interfered, the princess misunderstood him, and he could not exin himself because he was mute. In a fit of anger, the princess imprisoned him and abused him in all kinds of ways. Yu Niaoniao drew dozens of pages in one go. When she was drawing the little mute, she automatically brought Wei Liao¡¯s annoying face into the picture, so the male protagonist looked a little like Wei Liao. This was especially true of the little mute¡¯s peach blossom eyes. They were affectionate when he looked at people, and pitiful when he cried. Tsk tsk tsk, he could be said to be an outstanding example of a protagonist! When Xiao Juan returned to the Langjun Imperial Pce in the evening, he realized that Yu Niaoniao was still painting. He heard from Granny Xiu Yan that Niaoniao had been painting for most of the day, so he walked over and knocked on the desk to remind her. ¡°It¡¯s almost dark. Stop drawing and rest.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked up and rubbed her sore eyes. She saw that the sky had darkened outside the window and realized that it was almost night. She couldn¡¯t help but mutter. ¡°Time sure flies!¡± Xiao Juan was helpless. ¡°Why are you so diligent today?¡± Usually, she would draw twice when she felt like it. Most of the time, she could not be bothered to draw for such a long time. She dyed the date of submission. Anyway, those booksellers would not dare to do anything to her. Yu Niaoniao smiled slyly. ¡°I¡¯ve recently thought of a new story. My mind is racing, so I draw especially quickly.¡± Xiao Juan was a little curious. ¡°What story did you draw?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not done yet. If you don¡¯t mind, you can take a look first.¡± As Yu Niaoniao spoke, she handed over the draft. Xiao Juan took the draft and flipped through it. When he saw the settings of the Phoenix Cry Nation, his face did not have much of an expression. After all, there were all kinds of strange things in the Chiliocosm. Even if there was really a country where women were respected, it was fine. When he saw the little mute and the domineering princess fall in love and the two of them being intimate, his expression still did not change. It was not until the little mute realized that the princess had someone in her heart and that he was just a substitute that Xiao Juan¡¯s expression finally changed subtly. He frowned slightly as if he disapproved of the princess¡¯s actions. However, he still read on patiently, hoping that the princess woulde to her senses and pity the person in front of her. In the end, not only did the princess not be kinder, but she also became more and more inhumane. She tore off her affectionate disguise and imprisoned the little mute. She began to torture him both physically and mentally. Xiao Juan¡¯s frown deepened. When he finished thest page, he asked, ¡°What about the rest?¡± Yu Niaoniao answered honestly, ¡°I haven¡¯t drawn it yet.¡± Xiao Juan put down the draft with a very serious expression. ¡°Why did you think of such a plot?¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked, not understanding why he was asking. She answered innocently, ¡°I was just imagining things.¡± Xiao Juan stared into her eyes and asked doubtfully. ¡°Can you get to such a plot just by imagining?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡®What¡¯s wrong with this plot?¡± Xiao Juan ced his hands behind his back as if he was thinking about what to say. It was a long time before he spoke. ¡°There¡¯s no one else in my heart.¡± Yu Niaoniao was confused. ¡°Huh?¡± Why were they suddenly talking about this? Xiao Juan continued, ¡°If I had someone I liked, I would never force you to be with me.¡± It was Yu Niaoniao¡¯s turn to be surprised. ¡°You already have someone you like? Who is it? Do I know her?¡± Xiao Juan did not know how to answer these questions, so he skipped them and continued. ¡°We¡¯re husband and wife. We should respect and tolerate each other. Even if you don¡¯t like me anymore and don¡¯t want to be with me, you can tell me directly. I definitely won¡¯t imprison and abuse you.¡± Logically speaking, Yu Niaoniao should be quite touched, but she was still more confused. ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± Xiao Juan pointed at the draft on the desk with an extremely serious expression. ¡°You wouldn¡¯te up with such an extreme plot for no reason. You must have been agitated in reality.¡± Yu Niaoniao recalled Wei Liao¡¯s annoying face and nodded. ¡°Yes, I was indeed a little agitated.¡± If Wei Liao hadn¡¯t insisted on looking for trouble, she wouldn¡¯t have thought of drawing sadistic essays. Xiao Juan said, ¡°If you have something on your mind, you can tell me. Don¡¯t be like the little mute in the story and keep everything in your heart.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded in confusion. ¡°Oh..¡± Chapter 345

Chapter 345: Worship

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Granny Xiu Yan came over to remind them that dinner was ready and told them about Yu Sheng¡¯s visit today. Yu Niaoniao replied without thinking. Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll get someone to send a message to the Yu family.¡± After she left, Xiao Juan asked Yu Niaoniao why she did not go home to pay respects to her ancestors. The Dayan Dynasty emphasized filial piety. Worshiping their ancestors was a very important thing. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Have you forgotten? Tomorrow, we¡¯re going to the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple to burn incense for our mother and stepfather. We don¡¯t have time to return to the Yu family to pay respects to our ancestors.¡± Compared to the ancestors of the Yu family, her feelings for Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan were much deeper. If she had to choose between the two, she would naturally choose thetter. Of course, Xiao Juan would not forget that he was going to the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple tomorrow. He just did not want Niaoniao to be criticized. He suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t I return to the Yu family to pay respects to your ancestors in your behalf?¡± Yu Niaoniao understood Xiao Juan¡¯s concerns. She walked forward, took Xiao Juan¡¯s hand, and gently pressed her forehead against his arm. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but there¡¯s no need. Many of the Yu family¡¯s descendants went to burn incense and pay their respects, but Mother and stepfather only have you and me. You have to go.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s heart ached for her. His voice involuntarily became gentle and low. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you. I¡¯ll go to the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple with you.¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her face and smiled sweetly at him. ¡°Okay!¡± After dinner, Yu Niaoniao went to the kitchen to prepare the offerings she needed tomorrow. Because she considered that it was a memorial in the temple, she prepared all vegetarian food, such as peach blossom crystal cake, brown sugar glutinous rice cake, sesame peach pastry, spring rolls, and so on. Feng Lianghan loved to eat soybeans when he was alive. He definitely had a bowl of hot spicy soybeans for breakfast every day, so Yu Niaoniao specially soaked soybeans in advance. The next day, Yu Niaoniao woke up before dawn. Xiao Juan asked her why she was up so early. Even if she wanted to go to the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, she did not have to get up so early. Yu Niaoniao said as she dressed. ¡°I have to grind tofu.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s heart ached that she had to start working early in the morning, so he followed her. ¡°I¡¯ll grind it for you.¡± They dressed and washed up briefly before going to the kitchen. At this moment, the servants in the kitchen had just woken up. They were boiling water. When they saw Duke Lang and his wife, they hurriedly put down their work and went forward to greet them. Yu Niaoniao rolled up her sleeves. ¡°Go about your business. Don¡¯t worry about us.¡± She picked up the wooden bucket containing soybeans and was about to walk out when Xiao Juan reached out to take it for her. He asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡± Yu Niaoniao pointed to the backyard. ¡°The stone mill is over there.¡± They went out to the backyard. Yu Niaoniao was in charge of pouring beans, and Xiao Juan was in charge of grinding. He was strong and it was not difficult for him to push. Milky soy milk flowed into the wooden basin continuously. The servants secretly looked out of the window. They were quite surprised to see Duke Lang and his wife working together to grind soy milk. They did not expect the noble duke and his wife to work together like ordinary farmers. Yu Niaoniao divided a portion of the filtered soy milk. After boiling it, she added some white sugar. Coupled with the fresh meat buns that had just been cooked, it was very delicious! Now that Lo Pingsha was also living in the Langjun Imperial Pce, not only did Yu Niaoniao eat it herself, but she also did not forget to leave a portion of soy milk for Lo Pingsha. He could have it when he woke upter. By the time the tofu pudding was out of the pot, the sky was already bright outside the window. Yu Niaoniao ced the prepared food into a food box. She had especially worn a in-colored dress today. Xiao Juan was still wearing the ck clothes he usually wore, but from the brand-new fabric, it could be seen that these should be his new clothes. He had made ample preparations to see his parents-inw. It was drizzling outside. Xiao Juan held the oil-paper umbre in one hand and held Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand in the other. The two of them happened to meet Lo Pingsha on the way out. Lo Pingsha was also wearing in clothes today and carrying a food box. He greeted Duke Lang and his wife. ¡°It¡¯s Qingming today. I want to pay my respects to my parents. Are the two of you going out to pay respects to your ancestors?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded and replied, ¡°That¡¯s right. Where are you going? If it¡¯s on the way, let¡¯s go together.¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°My parents were buried on Tianyin Mountain outside the city.¡± Tianyin Mountain was in the west, in a different direction from the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple. The two of them did not go in the same direction, so they separated after leaving the door. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan took the carriage out of the city and walked along the official road for a while before arriving at the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple. The two of them arrived at the ce where the eternal light was worshipped. When they found Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan¡¯s memorial tablets, they realized that there was a vase of beautiful peony flowers in front of them. The weather was still rtively cold now. It was not the time for peony flowers to bloom. However, not only was the bottle of peony flowers in front of them blooming enthusiastically, but the color was also very gorgeous. There were dewdrops on theyers of petals. It was obvious that they had just been plucked. Yu Niaoniao found it very strange. ¡°Where did these flowerse from?¡± Xiao Juan looked at the incense still burning quietly in the incense burner and said. ¡°Someone must have just paid respects to Parents-inw.¡± He called the little monk in charge of guarding themp over and asked if anyone hade here to pay their respects just now. The little monk answered truthfully, ¡°A gentleman dide just now. He brought this peony flower. He even offered three incense sticks and donated a sum of money to the temple. He instructed us to take good care of these two memorial tablets in the future.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡®What¡¯s that person¡¯s name?¡± ¡°He said his surname is Shen.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately reacted. ¡°It must be Shen Junzhi! He shouldn¡¯t have gone far. I¡¯m going to find him!¡± With that, she ran out. Xiao Juan quickly pulled her back. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Why are you looking for him?¡± Yu Niaoniao blurted out without thinking. ¡°I want to ask him why he lied to me. Who the hell is he?¡± Xiao Juan held her wrist tightly and asked in a low voice, ¡°What happens after you ask? What else do you want?¡± His gaze was a little scary now. Yu Niaoniao could not help but lower her voice. ¡°I just want to ask. I don¡¯t want to do anything.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Since you don¡¯t want anything, why chase after him?¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Xiao Juan turned her body over and softened his tone. ¡°We¡¯re here to pay our respects to our parents today. Don¡¯t be distracted by irrelevant people, okay?¡± In front of the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple¡¯s Mahavira Hall was a hundred-year-old peach tree. This tree was also called the marriage tree. Unmarried men and women often came here to pray for marriage. In early spring, the peach branches were filled with pink and white peach blossoms. When the wind blew, petals fell like a peach blossom rain. Shen Junzhi, who was dressed in white, stood under the peach blossom tree with one hand behind his back. His wide sleeves fluttered in the wind, and his eyebrows were lowered. His face was handsome and gentle, like an immortal who had walked out of a painting.. Chapter 346 Chapter 346: Helping Out Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The servant stood behind him with an oil-paper umbre, blocking the falling petals for him. Shen Junzhi raised his right hand and stretched out his slender fingers, revealing the silver earring lying in his palm. It was Yu Niaoniao¡¯s earring. In order to deal with the kidnappers, she had thrown away this earring. After Shen Junzhi picked it up, he had kept it until now. Shen Junzhi looked down at the silver earring in his palm. His gaze seemed to prate the earring and see someone else. The servant could not help but ask. ¡°Young Master, how long are we going to wait here?¡± Shen Junzhi said, ¡°Wait until Niaoniaoes out.¡± He had left so much information. Niaoniao must know that he had just been here. She would probablye out to look for him. As a child, he used to tease her with this trick. Every time, she would chase after him. The servant did not understand. ¡°So what if you see her? She¡¯s already married.¡± Shen Junzhi retracted his fingers and clenched the silver earring bit by bit. ¡°I¡¯ll tell her everything when shees after me.¡± The servant¡¯s expression immediately changed. ¡°Young Master, you must not!¡± Shen Junzhi ignored the servant¡¯s dissuasion. Since he was young, he had always followed other people¡¯s ns and had never made a decision for himself. Today, he wanted to fight for himself. In front of the eternalmp, Yu Niaoniao gradually calmed down. She admitted that she had been a little impulsive. Shen Junzhi was indeed hiding many secrets, but what did that have to do with her? She was already grown up. She would no longer chase after Brother Junzhi for no reason like when she was young. Yu Niaoniao opened the food box, took out the food inside, and ced them on the incense table. Xiao Juan picked up six incense sticks, lit them, and gave three to Niaoniao. They knelt on the futon and kowtowed to the memorial tablet. In the past, there were many people who came to the peach blossom tree to pray for blessings. Today, because it was the Qingming Festival, everyone had gone to pay respects to their ancestors. The number of people who came to ask for marriage could be counted on one hand. The peach blossom tree was cold and empty. Other than Shen Junzhi and the servant, there was only one monk in charge of cleaning. When the monk swept away all the petals on the ground, Shen Junzhi still did not see the person in his heart. The manservant¡¯s initial uneasiness faded to sympathy. He advised him quietly, ¡°Young Master, forget it.¡± The monk poured thest pinch of powdered petals into the wicker basket. The manservant natted the water dronlets on his bodv and said to Shen Tnnzhi. ¡°There¡¯s always something in life. Don¡¯t force it. Young Master, forget it.¡± Shen Junzhi looked up at the peach tree above. Other than peach blossoms, there were also many pieces of red silk cloth hanging on the branches. Those silk cloths were hung by those who hade to pray for blessings. It was said that this could let the Immortal Matchmaker hear their prayers and fulfill their wishes. Shen Junzhi asked, ¡°Is this marriage tree really effective?¡± The monk said slowly, ¡°In the mortal world, love and hatred are unclear even to Buddha. How can it be decided by a tree? In the end, it still depends on fate.¡± Shen Junzhi recalled what had happened since he met Niaoniao. In conclusion, there were only four words: They were not fated. The monk carried the wicker basket full of peach petals and strolled away with a broom and a dustpan. Shen Junzhi put the silver earring into his sleeve. It was a simple action, but it seemed to seal all his pining and anticipation. ¡°She¡¯s noting. Let¡¯s go.¡± Yu Niaoniao nagged at her mother and stepfather¡¯s memorial tablets. ¡°I have a formal job now. I have a monthly sry and paid leave. I even have food and amodation!¡± ¡°I know a lot of people in the Justice Department. There¡¯s the tall and fat chef, Pan Dafu, and Little Lo. He likes to joke andugh, but he¡¯s very reliable at critical moments. Meng Xizhou and Yan Nanguan are especially good to me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something else you definitely don¡¯t know. Dang Gui has regained her memory! She has already remembered who she is. So her real name is Tang Guixi, the daughter of the great general.¡± ¡°Although Dang Gui isn¡¯t with me now, I don¡¯t feel lonely at all, because I still have His Highness! He¡¯s with me every day. Every morning, I just have to open my eyes and I can see him. In the future, we¡¯ll grow old together and be a happy couple when we¡¯re old.¡± ¡°Father, Mother, you don¡¯t have to worry about me. I¡¯m happy every day now!¡± When she said thest sentence, Yu Niaoniao could not help but soften her tone and smile exceptionally brightly. Xiao Juan often saw her smile. In the past, he¡¯d thought she¡¯d grown up in an environment filled with joy and happiness. Like a small sun, she was always so warm and dazzling. He thought that someone like her should have nevere into contact with the dark side. But in fact, she had seen her loved ones die tragically. It would have been fine if she had never had happiness from the beginning. It was most painful and despairing for someone to have experienced happiness which waster destroyed, like what happened to Yu Niaoniao. Yet she never showed these negative emotions. What she disyed was always the happy and positive side. Yu Niaoniao picked up the wine pot and poured two sses. ¡°This is peach blossom wine I brewed myself. In the past, Mother would use peach blossoms to brew wine every spring. Now that Mother is no longer around, I can only do it myself. My culinary skills might not be as good as Mother¡¯s, but you can¡¯t despise me.¡± Xiao Juan picked up his wine ss and slowly poured the wine on the ground. The sweet fragrance of wine slowly spread. He poured three times before stopping. Yu Niaoniao put down the wine pot. ¡°Alright, you can¡¯t be greedy for good wine. That¡¯s all for today. We¡¯ll visit you another day.¡± As usual, Xiao Juan donated a generous sum of money and walked out with Niaoniao. When they passed near the marriage tree, it was already empty. The two of them did not look at the tree again. After going down the mountain, they took a carriage home. They arrived home at noon, just in time for lunch. After eating and drinking his fill, Xiao Juan went to the Justice Department. He still had to continue investigating Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s case. Yu Niaoniao stayed in the Langjun Imperial Pce. She nned to finish The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation as soon as possible. She was really looking forward to Wei Liao¡¯s reaction when he saw the little mute being tortured. It would be super interesting, hahaha! Once a person had motivation, they would be especially energetic when they did work. Just as she was drawing furiously, Yu Kangtai suddenly came looking for her. Yu Niaoniao had no choice but to put down her paintbrush and go to the reception hall to receive Yu Kangtai. ¡°Why is Father here?¡± Yu Kangtai asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go back today when I asked Sheng¡¯er to inform you of the ancestral worship yesterday?¡± Yu Niaoniao answered truthfully, ¡°I have to pay my respects to my mother and stepfather.¡± Yu Kangtai said angrily, ¡°Have you forgotten your surname? Your surname is Yu, and you¡¯re from the Yu family! You didn¡¯t pay tribute to the legitimate ancestors of the Yu family during the Qingming Festival and actually went to pay tribute to an outsider! You¡¯re supporting an outsider! Is your elbow pointing outward?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°The elbow is pointing outward. If it turns inward, wouldn¡¯t it be deformed?¡± Yu Kangtai was furious.. ¡°You!¡± Chapter 347

Chapter 347: Acknowledging a Thief as Father

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After Yu Kangtai found out that Yu Niaoniao had been locked up in the Justice Department on suspicion of murder, he was both angry and worried. He did not sleep well for a few days. He felt that Madam Xie had not taught Yu Niaoniao well, which was why she had raised her to be sowless. She actually dared to kill someone in the pce. However, Madam Xie was already dead. No matter how angry he was, he could not find anyone to vent his anger. He wanted to see Niaoniao, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to take the initiative to look for her. Later, Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping went to the Justice Department to visit Yu Niaoniao. When they returned, they told Yu Kangtai that Yu Niaoniao was doing very well in the Justice Department. Only then did he rx. It was not easy for Yu Niaoniao to be cleared of her crimes. Yu Kangtai finally felt relieved. Coincidentally, it was almost the Qingming Festival. He specially asked Yu Sheng to inform Yu Niaoniao to go home and worship her ancestors. At that time, he could have a good chat with Yu Niaoniao. He had nned it well, but Yu Niaoniao did not appreciate it. On the day of the Qingming Festival, everyone from the Yu family¡¯s side family was present, except for Yu Niaoniao. Yu Kangtai did not say anything on the surface. He held the ancestral worship ceremony methodically, but he was furious. As an elder, he had already taken the initiative to make a peace offering. As long as Yu Niaoniao reciprocated, the father and daughter would sessfully reconcile. But she rebuffed his overture. She could not understand his painstaking efforts as a father at all. Yu Kangtai trembled with anger and pointed at Yu Niaoniao. ¡°You unfilial daughter!¡± Yu Niaoniao put on a fearless posture and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Yu Kangtai was incredulous. ¡°Aren¡¯t you ashamed?¡± Yu Niaoniao said perfunctorily, ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯m very ashamed.¡± Yu Kangtai was even angrier. ¡°What kind of attitude is that? Did you even listen to what I said?¡± Yu Niaoniao dug her ears. ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m listening.¡± Yu Kangtai speechless Before he came, he was prepared to have a big fight with Yu Niaoniao, but she did not put up a fight. No matter what he said, she nodded in agreement. It was like an impervious piece of meat. That was even more infuriating! Yu Kangtai was so angry that his chest heaved and his face turned red. He red at Yu Niaoniao, wanting to say something, but he did not know what else to say. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Is there anything else? If not, please leave. I still have things to do.¡± She had to finish drawing the Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation, lest the poor shopkeeper got killed by Wei Liao. Yu Kangtai gritted his teeth and questioned, ¡°Do you still have me in your eyes?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him calmly and asked a question. ¡°Do you really want to know the answer?¡± Her reaction made Yu Kangtai feel uneasy. But he refused to retreat, his attitude still unyielding. ¡°Of course!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You¡¯re my biological father. This can¡¯t be denied, but in my heart, my father can only be Feng Liang Han.¡± Yu Kangtai felt as if he had been hit in the head. He was stunned on the spot. He never expected Yu Niaoniao to say such a thing. After a while, he came back to his senses and asked with a trembling voice. ¡°What did you say? Try saying it again.¡± Yu Niaoniao took a deep breath and spoke slowly as if she was telling a story. ¡°When I was sick when I was young, my mother and stepfather stayed by my bed and took care of me all night. ¡°When children called me a wild child without a father and ganged up to bully me, my stepfather would take me to the parents of those children to demand an exnation.¡± ¡°He told me not to be afraid. He would be my father from now on.¡± ¡°Every time my stepfather went away, he did not forget to bring me gifts.¡± ¡°Every time I had a birthday, my stepfather would carefully prepare a gift for me.¡± ¡°Every New Year¡¯s Eve, my stepfather would quietly slip New Year¡¯s money under my pillow.¡± ¡°Every time I was sad, my stepfather would try his best to make me happy.¡± ¡°Every time I...¡± Yu Kangtai¡¯s expression darkened. He couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He raised his voice to interrupt her. ¡°Enough!¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped her narrative. Yu Kangtai said disdainfully. ¡°He¡¯s not your biological father. He can¡¯t really love you. The only reason he was so good to you was to coax you and your mother.¡± ¡°If your mother had given birth to his child and he had his own, he would never have continued treating you so well .¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°How do you know my mother didn¡¯t have children for him?¡± Yu Kangtai was stunned for a moment before asking hesitantly, ¡°Your mother had a child with him?¡± Yu Niaoniao saw through his thoughts. Even though he had already divorced Madam Xie, and the two of them already had their own families, he still felt inexplicably possessive of Madam Xie. After knowing that she had given birth to another man¡¯s child, Yu Kangtai felt as if his everything had beenpletely snatched away by someone else. Yu Niaoniao nodded without hesitation. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Yu Kangtai felt angry for no reason. He endured it again and again, but in the end, he could not help but mock her. ¡°No wonder Madam Xie taught you to be like this. It¡¯s because she had a child with another man.¡± ¡°Indeed, with a stepfather, there will be a stepmother. To think you still foolishly acknowledged a thief as your father.¡± Yu Niaoniao said unhurriedly. ¡°You said that my stepfather was deliberately lying to me, then you said that my mother didn¡¯t teach me well, and then you said that I recognized a thief as my father.¡± ¡°So everyone else is in the wrong but you?¡¯ Is it only by stepping others into the dust that you can show your nobility?¡± Her words urately pierced Yu Kangtai¡¯s thoughts. He raised his voice in denial. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him with sympathy. ¡°When you see someone else do something you can¡¯t do, you will do whatever it takes to belittle them. Someone like you must feel very inferior.¡± Yu Kangtai roared in embarrassment. ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m your biological father. How can you say that about your biological father?!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m really sad. Why do I have a biological father like you?¡± Her words triggered Yu Kangtai¡¯s anger. He was so angry that he lost all his rationality. He raised his hand to p Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face. Yu Niaoniao had expected him to attack. She took a step back and dodged Yu Kangtai¡¯s p. Yu Kangtai missed. He was even angrier. ¡°How dare you dodge?!¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him expressionlessly. ¡°Mother and Stepfather have never attacked me since I was young.¡± Yu Kangtai said angrily, ¡°A filial son is born under a rod. It¡¯s because they didn¡¯t discipline you well that they raised you to be sowless now!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°They worked hard to raise me to adulthood because they wanted me to be happy, not let me be beaten and scolded by you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re happy. Have you thought about anyone else? How much trouble have you caused since you returned to the Imperial Capital?¡± ¡°You caused me to be humiliated in front of my colleagues and caused the Yu family to be disgraced in the Imperial Capital.¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯re not even willing to go home to pay your respects to your ancestors, what else do you want? Do you have to pierce the sky before you stop?!¡± Chapter 348

Chapter 348: Severing Rtionship

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°What will you do if I really pierce the sky? Will you sever your father-daughter rtionship with me?¡± Yu Kangtai was furious. ¡°You bastard, what did you say? Try saying that again!¡± Yu Niaoniao seemed to be discussing what to eat tonight. She still had a normal tone. ¡°That¡¯s my personality since I grew up. It¡¯s impossible to change it. Besides, I didn¡¯t think I had done anything wrong. There is no need to change.¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t ept it, you can sever ties with me. From now on, we¡¯ll go our separate ways. Whether I live or die has nothing to do with you.¡± Yu Kangtai never expected her to say such a thing. It was as if a basin of cold water was being poured over his head, and his anger was extinguished. He was shocked at the ridiculousness of what he heard. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m embarrassing? As long as you cut ties with me, no matter what embarrassing things I do in the future, I won¡¯t implicate you.¡± Yu Kangtai looked at her nkly. She looked very calm and her words were clear. She did not seem to be spouting nonsense in a fit of pique. She really wanted to cut ties with her father. ¡°You¡¯re unfilial. I can sue you in the Imperial Capital.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Go ahead and sue. I¡¯m willing to bear the consequences.¡± Yu Kangtai was speechless. How could he really go to the Imperial Capital to sue Yu Niaoniao? That would be equivalent to causing a storm in the city. Everyone would know that he had raised an unfilial daughter. How could he stay in the court in the future?! He just wanted to scare Yu Niaoniao. But she was not afraid at all. Yu Kangtai said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of damaging Duke Lang¡¯s reputation?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Does Duke Lang still have a reputation?¡± Yu Kangtai was speechless. After a moment of silence, he spoke again. ¡°If you cut ties with me, it means that you won¡¯t have your family to rely on in the future. Even if you suffer in the Langjun Imperial Pce, no one will help you.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯ve never expected you to help me.¡± Her casual words stabbed Yu Kangtai hard. Yu Niaoniao looked indifferent. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me if I have you as a father.¡± Yu Kangtai¡¯s expression darkened. If he was only angry before, he was really hurt now. He originally thought that as Yu Niaoniao¡¯s biological father, he had some weight in her heart, but the truth pped him hard in the face. She didn¡¯t care about him as a father at all. No matter what he said or did, she would not take it to heart. This kind of practical coldness was the most hurtful. Yu Kangtai said nothing else. He left the Langjun Imperial Pce in a daze. Yu Niaoniao returned to the study. She sat behind the desk and stared at the drawing paper in front of her for a long time. After Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan passed away, Yu Niaoniao was very depressed. Even if she pulled herself togetherter, she would inevitably feel lonely in the dead of night. When she found out that her biological father had sent someone to pick her up from the Imperial Capital, she was actually looking forward to it. Feng Lianghan was only her stepfather. If he could treat her so well, then as her biological father, Yu Kangtai would definitely treat her better. The result disappointed her. From the moment she returned to the Imperial Capital until now, not only did Yu Kangtai¡¯s actions not make her feel the warmth of her family, but they also wiped away her expectations for her biological father. Yu Niaoniao sighed. No wonder Madam Xie left Yu Kangtai. This kind of man was indeed not worth entrusting one¡¯s life to. With such a mncholic mood, Yu Niaoniao picked up her paintbrush again and continued with her work on The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation. Yu Kangtai¡¯s arrival reminded her that the male lead, the little mute, could not always be with the domineering princess. He had to have his own background plot to make the character more three-dimensional. In order topound the theme of torture, the little mute¡¯s background would definitely not be good. She would arrange a scumbag mother for him first, followed by a scumbag father. In addition, she would have a few antagonistic brothers and sisters. She drew until night and continued after dinner. Xiao Juan asked her to sleep first and draw it tomorrow morning. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Go to sleep first. I¡¯ll draw two more. I¡¯ll sleepter.¡± Xiao Juan washed up and went to bed. He waited for a long time but did not see Yu Niaoniao appear. He had no choice but to lift the nket and get out of bed. He went to the study and saw that she was still drawing furiously. Themp oil was almost gone. She didn¡¯t even notice. Xiao Juan could not take it anymore. He took the paintbrush from her hand and picked her up. ¡°Go to sleep!¡± Yu Niaoniao fluttered twice and realized that she could not resist. In the end, she could only obediently go to bed. She would continue painting the next day when she woke up. During this period, Xiao Juan looked at her draft. The plot he had seenst time had already dealt him a considerable blow. He did not expect the subsequent plot to shatter his worldview. Xiao Juan could not help but ask, ¡°How could you think of such a twisted plot?¡± Yu Niaoniao was still painting and replied without looking up. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s based on my extraordinary understanding of life.¡± Xiao Juan asked solemnly, ¡°What did life do to you?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Indescribable.¡± Xiao Juan did not understand. ¡°What¡¯s indescribable?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°What life did to me is indescribable.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. Under Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hard work, she finished the first book, The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation, in only three days. She took the fresh draft to the Directorate to get it reviewed. Chancellor Luo flipped through the draft page by page. The more he read, the more his expression twisted. In the end, he felt sick. Luo Mingxue threw the draft on the table and said angrily, ¡°What the hell are you drawing?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Chancellor Luo said, ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with your story! A very big problem! It¡¯smon for men to be superior to women, but your book is inverted that. Not only that, but you even had a man pregnant. It¡¯s simply apletely different story. It¡¯s ridiculous! ¡± Yu Niaoniao pointed to the first page of the draft. ¡°Don¡¯t you see? It says here that this story is pure fiction. What is fiction? It means that everything in the book is fake. Since it¡¯s fake, why do you care how I write it?¡¯ ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s not about politics and is legal!¡± Chancellor Luo was so angry that his beard stood on end. ¡°Y-you¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± Yu Niaoniao urged, ¡°Don¡¯t waste time. Hurry up and stamp it.¡± Chancellor Luo said, ¡°I¡¯ll never pass such an embarrassing book!¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Are you really not going to pass the book?¡± Chancellor Luo¡¯s attitude was extremely firm. He thought Yu Niaoniao would be angry, but she smiled. Yu Niaoniao put away the sketch. ¡°Alright, since you¡¯re unwilling, there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± With that, she left briskly. Chancellor Luo was puzzled by her reaction, but he did not think too much about it and thought that this matter was over. Unexpectedly, the next day, arge group of people blocked the entrance of the Directorate and mored to see Chancellor Luo.. Chapter 349

Chapter 349: Turn of Events

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After Yu Niaoniao returned home, she got someone to bring the booksellers to the Langjun Imperial Pce. She said that she had already drawn a new book. However, Chancellor Luo had an old grudge against her and refused to let her pass the review. Therefore, the release date of the new book could only be dyed. As for how long the dy would be, she could not tell. How could the booksellers stand it when they heard this? They were relying on the Princess Consort of Lang County¡¯s new book to earn money. If her new book could not be released, it would be equivalent to cutting off their ie. As the saying went, cutting off someone¡¯s financial path was like killing their parents. The booksellers could no longer sit still. They promised Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Leave the review to us. As long as there¡¯s nothing explicitly prohibited by thew in your new book, we¡¯ll definitely be able to get the Directorate to pass your review!¡± With that, they hurriedly left the Langjun Imperial Pce. Next, they gathered the shopkeepers of the various bookstores in the city and spread the news that the Directorate had used official matters for personal gain and deliberately blocked Master Wang¡¯s new book at the entrance of the vige. In just a day, this matter was known by everyone in the city. The previous Seven Treasures Record had been flipped through many times by readers. The pages were about to rot. They were all looking forward to Master Wang¡¯s new book. In the end, they were told that the Directorate had interfered and deliberately prevented Master Wang¡¯s new book from being released. How could the vast number of book fans tolerate this? Early the next morning, they formed an army to urge the updates and gathered at the entrance of the Directorate. Relying on their numbers, they forcefully blocked the door and shouted for Chancellor Luo toe out and give an exnation. In this way, not only did it affect the students¡¯ ss, but it also attracted the attention of the nearbymoners. Chancellor Luo could not ignore this matte and rushed to the entrance of the Directorate and realized that there were old and young people blocking the door. From the way they were dressed, they should be from good families. Chancellor Luo could not figure out why such a group of people was blocking the way. He tried to persuade everyone to disperse. However, before he could finish, he was interrupted. ¡°Cut the crap. Did you deliberately block Master Wang¡¯s new book?¡± Chancellor Luo immediately understood that these people were helpers hired by the Princess Consort of Lang County. He defended himself loudly. ¡°It¡¯s not that I deliberately didn¡¯t pass the book. There are too many unsavory elements in the book.¡± The book fans asked what it was about. As the Directorate¡¯s chancellor and the leader of the schrs in the world, Chancellor Luo was confident in his status. He looked down on unpresentable drawings like ¡°The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation¡±. Now that he was asked to repeat those extremely ridiculous contents of ¡°The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation¡± in front of so many people, it was no different from public execution. How could he afford to lose face?! Chancellor Luo said with a straight face. ¡°Whatever the content is, it¡¯s not something you need to care about. Hurry up and disperse, or I¡¯ll report it to the authorities.¡± Seeing his attitude, the book fans were immediately even more excited. ¡°You said that the content of Master Wang¡¯s new book is too ridiculous, but you can¡¯t say what is so bad about it. You¡¯re clearly patronizing us!¡± ¡°Looks like everyone is right. It¡¯s precisely because you have an old grudge against Master Wang that you used your position to take revenge. You deliberately blocked Master Wang¡¯s new book from being reviewed.¡± ¡°To think that you, as the Chancellor of the Directorate, can do such a thing. You¡¯re really unworthy of being a teacher!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t give us an exnation today, we won¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re not leaving!!¡± The more the book fans spoke, the more excited they became. They swarmed forward and surrounded Chancellor Luo. When had Chancellor Luo ever seen such a scene? He was angry and anxious. His old face flushed. ¡°You¡¯re rebelling! You¡¯re really rebelling! How dare you cause trouble at the feet of the Son of Heaven? Do you still have thew in your eyes?!¡± The officials of the Directorate were afraid that something would happen to the old chancellor from anger, so they hurriedly squeezed into the crowd and saved Luo Mingxue. Luo Mingxue shouted in exasperation. ¡°Outrageous? How dare you cause trouble at the entrance of the Directorate in broad daylight? Hurry up and report it to the officials. Get the people from the Imperial Capital to capture all these guys!¡± Before the officials could take action, a team of Sky Wolf Guards appeared at the entrance of the Directorate. The person in the lead was Wei Liao, the deputy general of the Sky Wolf Guards. Wei Liao asked with a smile. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Chancellor Luo? Why is he so angry?¡± When Chancellor Luo saw him, he immediately became confident and said loudly. ¡°You¡¯re just in time. Take these troublemakers away!¡± When the book fans saw the Sky Wolf Guards, they were a little afraid. They wanted to retreat, but they felt indignant. Just as they were hesitating, they heard Wei Liao speak slowly. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. I need Chancellor Luo¡¯s help with something else.¡± Chancellor Luo did not understand how he could help the Sky Wolf Guards. They usually did not interact at all. However, since the other party had spoken and Luo Mingxue had a favor to ask, he said. ¡°If there¡¯s anything, just tell me.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°I heard that Master Wang¡¯s new book has been blocked by you. Can you please be magnanimous and let Master Wang¡¯s new book pass the review?¡± The book fans were pleasantly surprised. They originally thought that it was an enemy, but they did not expect the Sky Wolf Guards to be friendly troops. This was really a turn of events! Inparison, Chancellor Luo¡¯s expression was as ugly as it could be. ¡°So you¡¯re also here for Master Wang¡¯s new book.¡± To think that he was so happy when he first saw Wei Liao and thought that the officials wereing to help him. In the end, he was imagining things. Wei Liao admitted frankly, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m very interested in Master Wang¡¯s book. Even if Chancellor Luo has an old grudge against Master Wang, please don¡¯t argue with him on my ount and let his new book go through the review.¡± Master Luo refused without thinking. ¡°Impossible! There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll let that ridiculous book be published! ¡± Wei Liao asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to let Master Wang¡¯s new book go through the review? Is there anything illegal in his book?¡± Luo Mingxue could not answer for a moment. Although the premise of the book was ridiculous, there was nothing against the Dayanw. It was not like many novels that deliberately portrayed arge number of gaudy scenes. The scenes of the male and female leads being intimate in the books were blurry, and everything below their mouths was covered in a thick mosaic. The plot in the book was all about the grievances of the male and female leads. It did not involve the royal court, so it was naturally impossible to talk about politics. If he had to pin a crime on it, he would probably have to go against the rules. Chancellor Luo squeezed out a sentence with a livid face. ¡°That book is against civility.¡± Wei Liao asked, ¡°How did it go against civility? Could it be that the protagonist in the book is disobedient and unfilial? Or did the protagonistmit some unforgivable crime?¡± Chancellor Luo gritted his teeth. ¡°The protagonist didn¡¯tmit any crime, but he became pregnant with a child.. Isn¡¯t that going against the rules?¡± Chapter 350

Chapter 350: All¡¯s Well That Ends Well

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Everyone present was shocked by Luo Mingxue¡¯s words. How was it possible for a man to give birth? It was impossible for such a plot to appear in Master Wang¡¯s book. Chancellor Luo must be lying Seeing that no one believed him, Luo Mingxue became even angrier. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can see for yourself. As the Chancellor of the Directorate, do I have to lie about such a thing?¡± Wei Liao said with a faint smile. ¡°But you refused to review Master Wang¡¯s new book. We couldn¡¯t see it even if we wanted to, so we naturally couldn¡¯t be sure if what you said was true.¡± The book fans echoed. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! We¡¯ve never read Master Wang¡¯s new book. Naturally, we¡¯ll have to take your word for it!¡± ¡°Even if you degrade Master Wang¡¯s book to nothing, we won¡¯t be able to find evidence to refute it. After all, we won¡¯t be able to see the new book.¡± ¡°If you really have a clear conscience, let Master Wang¡¯s new book be published. After we see the new book with our own eyes, we¡¯ll naturally know if you¡¯re telling the truth.¡± Chancellor Luo was so angry that his chest heaved. He could not say anything for a long time. He did not understand how a clich¨¦ plot like the Seven Treasures Record could attract so many book fans. Now that these book fans were focused on Master Wang at the Vige Entrance, they could not listen to anything others said. In the end, he was caught in the middle. What was he after? Wasn¡¯t it to protect everyone and not let a lousy book like ¡°The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation¡± poison themoners¡¯ eyes and worldview?! He was kind to others, but they did not appreciate it. In that case, there was no need for him to be this evil person anymore! Chancellor Luo made up his mind and said almost angrily. ¡°Alright! Since you insist on reading the new book, I¡¯ll do as you wish. I hope you won¡¯t regret it in the future.¡± Hearing this, everyone was excited and cheered. ¡°That¡¯s great! We¡¯ll be able to see Master Wang¡¯s new book soon!¡± Wei Liao smiled happily. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. Let Master Wang¡¯s book pass the review. That way, we¡¯ll be happy and you won¡¯t have to be pestered by us anymore. Everyone will be happy.¡± Chancellor Luo snorted heavily and could not be bothered to waste his breath on them. He flicked his sleeves angrily and left. That afternoon, Yu Niaoniao brought her new book to the Directorate again. She greeted him with a smile. ¡°Chancellor Luo, I haven¡¯t seen you for a day. You look much younger!¡± Chancellor Luo was filled with anger. Seeing that she was still chuckling at him, he was even angrier. ¡°If those readers find out that Master Wang is the Princess Consort of Lang County, will they continue to read your books in the future?¡± Yu Niaoniao said calmly. ¡°As long as I don¡¯t admit it, it¡¯s useless no matter what you say. Besides, it¡¯s your duty to protect your identity and privacy for the author. If you can¡¯t even do that, it can only mean that your character is really bad. I¡¯m sad that the Directorate has a Chancellor like you.¡± Chancellor Luo was so angry that his nose was crooked. ¡°As the ancients say, only women and viins are difficult to raise. They were not lying! ¡± Yu Niaoniao asked calmly, ¡°You look down on women so much. May I ask what you think of your mother, wife, and daughter?¡± Chancellor Luo pped the table. ¡°How dare you! Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Yu Niaoniao ced The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation on the table. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. Help me stamp the book first. We¡¯ll talk slowlyter.¡± Talk his ass! Chancellor Luo did not even want to talk to her anymore. He picked up the seal and stamped it on the book. Then he ordered her to leave. ¡°You can leave now. Forgive me for not sending you off.¡± Yu Niaoniao put away the book and said helplessly, ¡°You¡¯re really petty. You don¡¯t even treat me to a cup of tea.¡± Chancellor Luo pointed at the door. ¡°Get out!¡± He wanted to tell her to scram, but because of his status and upbringing, he couldn¡¯t. Yu Niaoniao stood up slowly. ¡°Alright, alright. I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. See you another day.¡± She returned to the Langjun Imperial Pce and gathered the booksellers to discuss the new book again. Yu Niaoniao suggested increasing the royalties. The booksellers had already expected this. They knew that this county princess was not so easy to fool, so they did not dare to y any tricks. They obediently epted her suggestion and increased her royalties by 20%. The booksellers would pay a portion in advance. The rest would be paid to her monthly when the new book was officially released. After these things were settled, Yu Niaoniao handed them the draft of the new book. The booksellers eagerly flipped through the pages. There was only one draft, and there were many of them. They could only make do. The more they read, the stranger their expressions became. In the end, their expressions were ever-changing and exciting. Yu Niaoniao asked with a smile. ¡°How do you feel?¡± The booksellers looked at each other. Finally, the fat one stepped forward and asked. ¡°Princess Consort, do you want to change the plot in the book? If you really can¡¯t think of an exciting plot, you can tell us. We¡¯ll provide you with the plot idea. You just have to follow the drawing.¡± Yu Niaoniao said without hesitation. ¡°There¡¯s no need to change it. I think the plot of the new book is quite good. You can just print and distribute it.¡± The fat bookseller wanted to cry. ¡°But readers won¡¯t like such a plot.¡¯ Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Who said that? I like this novel plot very much. It¡¯spletely different from those gaudy novels outside!¡± The booksellers could not persuade her and could only leave resentfully. Before they left, Yu Niaoniao did not forget to remind them. ¡°Remember to hurry up with the new book release. I¡¯m still waiting to see the readers¡¯ reaction!¡± The booksellers were collectively silent. What other reaction could there be? They could only curse. In the evening, Xiao Juan returned to the Langjun Imperial Pce and saw Yu Niaoniao sitting in a rocking chair, munching on melon seeds and humming a tune. She looked like she was in a good mood. He couldn¡¯t help but be curious. ¡°What happy things have you encountered today?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°The new book is settled.¡± Xiao Juan had already heard about the book fans causing trouble at the entrance of the Directorate and said helplessly, ¡°Why did you have to draw that strange story?¡± If she had drawn a slightly normal story, Chancellor Luo¡¯s reaction would not have been so strong. Yu Niaoniao smiled slyly. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting story! Stories about talented schrs and beautiful women are everywhere. How manyplicated and tear-jerking stories like mine could there be?¡± ¡°The rarer something is, the more precious it is. The stranger the story, the more it can attract the public¡¯s attention.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°That¡¯s true, but isn¡¯t the direction of your story a little too farfetched? The male lead can clearly live a better life, but you haven¡¯t let him have a good day from the beginning to the end.¡± Yu Niaoniao thought to herself that the male lead was based on Wei Liao. Of course, she could not let him live a good life! She had to torture him hard! Yu Niaoniao defended herself righteously. ¡°This is called tasting the bitter before we can appreciate the sweet. If you want to promote something, suppress it first. You have to step on the male lead and push him into the dust first. Only then can readers look forward to the plot of the male lead¡¯s counterattack.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Are you saying that the male lead will counterattack in the future?¡± Yu Niaoniao said without hesitation, ¡°No.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. What a miserable man! Chapter 351

Chapter 351: Little Secret

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After the drafts were handed to the booksellers, they still needed proofreading and printing. It would take a while for them to be officially released. Durinz this period, something biz happened in the Imperial Capital. After three months of traveling, the Chen Nation¡¯s diplomatic mission finally arrived at the Imperial Capital. The Third Prince and the Sixth Prince were ordered to lead a team out of the city to wee them. Since the Chen Nation¡¯s people were appearing openly in the Imperial Capital, the citizens of the Imperial Capital were very curious. They gathered on both sides of the street and craned their necks to watch the Chen Nation¡¯s diplomatic mission. At the same time, they did not forget to discuss with their rtives and friends. ¡°These Chen Nation people look no different from us Dayan people. Their eyes, skin, and head are simr.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just look at their appearance. They¡¯re full of bad intentions. They want to invade our territory all day long.¡± ¡°If they want to make an enemy of us, why are they here to negotiate? What are they up to?¡± ¡°They probably saw that our Dayan soldiers were strong and felt that they could not defeat them, so they could only seek peace first.¡± ¡°Look, there are many women in the diplomatic mission!¡± That night, the pce held a banquet to wee the Chen Nation¡¯s diplomatic mission. All officials above the fourth grade in the capital had to attend the banquet, and each person could bring one or two family members. After Xiao Juan was off duty, he did not even change out of his official uniform and brought Yu Niaoniao into the pce. When the two of them arrived at the pce, the sky had already darkened. The pce lights by the roadside were lit one after another. From afar, they looked like stars walking in the night sky. The banquet was set near the Tai Liquid Pool. There was a circr stone tform in the pool that was connected to the shore by a Nine-curve bridge. It was called the Fragrance Appreciation tform and was the ce where dancers and musicians performed. The pce servants led the guests to their seats. There were two to three people at a small table. There were already fruits and refreshments on the table in advance. It was unknown if it was intentional or a coincidence, but the person sitting at the table beside Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao was Wei Liao. Wei Liao¡¯s parents passed away when he was young. Apart from his adoptive father, Wei Huai¡¯en, he had no other rtives. Therefore, he did not bring his family with him tonight. He was the only one sitting at the table. When he saw Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan, he was not surprised at all. He even took the initiative to smile at them. ¡°Good evening.¡± As soon as Yu Niaoniao saw him like this, she knew that someone had deliberately arranged for the three of them to sit together. As for who did it? It was obvious. It had to be Wei Huai¡¯en. As a eunuch and a favorite of the emperor, it was easy for him to adjust the order of seats at the banquet. Yu Niaoniao was originally very annoyed with Wei Liao, but ever since she used Wei Liao as her prototype to create the little mute in The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation, she inexplicably looked forward to seeing Wei Liao. She was really looking forward to seeing his reaction after reading The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation! Thinking of this, Yu Niaoniao could not help but smile happily. ¡°What a coincidence. I didn¡¯t expect to meet Vice General Wei here.¡± Wei Liao felt a chill run down his spine at her smile. He had a feeling that this woman was up to no good. His lips twitched in a deliberately fake smile. ¡°We first met at the bookstore and then here. It¡¯s too far-fetched to call it a coincidence. I should say that we¡¯re too fated.¡± After saying that, he deliberately looked at Xiao Juan provocatively. Xiao Juan had long known from Meng Xizhou that Yu Niaoniao happened to meet Wei Liao at a bookstore. When he heard Wei Liao say this, he knew that Wei Liao was deliberately trying to provoke him, so he ignored him and continued drinking his tea. Yu Niaoniao said meaningfully. ¡°Our fate goes beyond that!¡± He still did not know that the Master Wang he had been thinking about was her. Wei Liao did not know what she meant. Hearing her say this, he felt that she had a bad n. This woman was not easy to deal with. In order not to fall into her trap, Wei Liao stopped in time and stopped deliberately looking for trouble. Finally, no one was chattering in her ears. Yu Niaoniao felt that the entire world was quiet. She picked up an apricot, peeled it, and ate happily. Xiao Juan asked coldly. ¡°Why is your fate with him more than that?¡± Yu Niaoniao paused in her eating. She was naturally referring to Master Wang at the Vige Entrance. However, Wei Liao was sitting beside her. He had practiced martial arts, so his hearing was sharper than that of ordinary people. If Yu Niaoniao said her pen name, Wei Liao might hear her. Yu Niaoniao did not want Wei Liao to know that Master Wang was her pen name for the time being. After all, she had carefully prepared a new book for him. If he found out that she had drawn this book, he might very well switch from a fan to a hater and stop reading. Then wouldn¡¯t her efforts be in vain? At the very least, she had to wait until he finished reading the book and let him suffer a ton of mental distress before telling him the truth about the pen name. At that time, it would be equivalent to double the critical hit. It would definitely anger him to death! Just thinking about that scene made Yu Niaoniao overjoyed. Seeing her smile again for no reason, Xiao Juan could not help but frown. Why was she so happy when he mentioned Wei Liao? Yu Niaoniao deliberately kept him in suspense. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you this little secret when we get home.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her, then at Wei Liao at the next table, and his frown deepened. Were there already little secrets between the two of them? When did they be so close? Yu Niaoniao brought a peeled apricot to his mouth. ¡°This apricot is very sweet. Try it.¡± Xiao Juan opened his mouth expressionlessly and bit off the fruit. For some reason, he felt very sour. Yu Niaoniao smiled and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t it very sweet?¡± Xiao Juan replied against his will. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± When almost all the guests were present, the Chen Nation¡¯s diplomatic mission arrivedte. There were many people on the diplomatic mission this time, but after excluding the guards and servants, there were only three people left who really had the right to speak. The one with the highest status was the Ninth Prince of the Chen Nation, Han Chengxi. This person looked to be in his early twenties. He was tall, handsome, and had thick eyebrows. His eyes were like eagles and were sharp. After the Chen Nation¡¯s diplomatic mission appeared, all the guests present stopped talking and turned to look at the group in unison. Yu Niaoniao was no exception. She realized that other than Han Chengxi, the other two were rtively weak-looking and looked like civil servants. The Chen Nation¡¯s diplomatic mission¡¯s seats were very close to the front. They stopped when they passed by Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan¡¯s table. Han Chengxi looked at them and asked in not-so-standard Dayan officialnguage. ¡°Are you Duke Lang and the Princess Consort of Lang?¡± Xiao Juan replied indifferently, ¡°So what if I am?¡± Han Chengxi took another deep look at the couple and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± The two people following behind him also did a double take of Duke Lang and his wife, as if they wanted to memorize their appearance.. Chapter 352

Chapter 352: Dividing the Lovers

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios When the emperor arrived, the banquet officially began. As usual, they ate and drank and spoke in an official tone. The scene looked quite harmonious. The musicians yed music and the dancers appeared gracefully. They followed the Nine-curve Bridge to the Fragrance Appreciation tform. With a gentle wave of their sleeves, they danced. Everyone stopped talking and began to concentrate on enjoying the dance. When the song ended, the dancers bowed and left the stage. The old emperor asked the Chen Nation¡¯s diplomatic mission what they thought of the Dayan¡¯s song and dance. Han Chengxi stood up and bowed respectfully. ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that Dayan has many beauties. Now I see that it really lives up to its reputation. The song and dance of Dayan are very beautiful. It makes us fascinated and very tempted!¡± Even though he knew that he was deliberately ttering him, the old emperor still enjoyed it. Who didn¡¯t like to hear good things? The emperor was no exception. Then, Han Chengxi spoke. ¡°We didn¡¯te to the Dayan Kingdom empty-handed. Not only did we bring the unique specialties of the Chen Nation, but we also brought eighteen beauties.¡± ¡°These beauties had been carefully chosen by our emperor. All of them have graceful figures, are as beautiful as flowers, and could sing and dance well. They had specially prepared a dance for the Emperor of Dayan.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, please do me the honor of taking a look.¡± The old emperor readily agreed. ¡°Yes, let us see the dance of the beauties of the Chen Nation.¡± Han Chengxi stood up and shouted in Chen Country¡¯snguage, ¡°Come out.¡± Soon, eighteen women appeared in front of everyone. They were wearing the unique clothes of the Chen Nation and a veil on their faces. Their appearances could not be seen clearly, but from the exposed fair skin and bright eyes, it could be seen that they were definitely beauties. They followed the Nine-curve Bridge to the Fragrance tform, dancing vaguely. Yu Niaoniao did not know how to dance. She only knew that these eighteen youngdies were indeed very good-looking when they danced. They twisted their small waists, which were thin and soft. As they spun and jumped, their skirts fluttered, revealing their small jade feet. When their arms were raised, their sleeves fell, revealing their snow-white and slender forearms. Their slender fingers spun under the moonlight, like carefully carved jade. There was an indescribable dreamy beauty. Even Yu Niaoniao could not take her eyes off them, let alone the men present. All of them did not blink. Clearly, they were attracted by the graceful dance of the beauties. When the music ended and the beauties left the stage for the curtain call, everyone present apuded. The old emperor praised, ¡°The beauty of the Chen Nation¡¯s dance is indeed impressive. My horizons have been broadened.¡± Han Chengxi stood up again and bowed slightly. ¡°Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. If you don¡¯t mind, we¡¯re willing to offer these eighteen beauties to you. I hope you can ept them.¡± If it were a few years ago, when the old emperor was still healthy, he would have happily epted the gift. Who wouldn¡¯t want a beauty? In any case, there were many empty pce rooms in the harem. He was not afraid of having nowhere to settle them down. However, the old emperor¡¯s health was not as good as before. Usually, it was difficult to even read basic memorials, let alone have sex. To him, having beauties was useless except as ornaments. The old emperor smiled faintly. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but there are enough concubines in my pce. There¡¯s no need to increase the number.¡± Han Chengxi was not discouraged and continued. ¡°These beauties were carefully chosen by our Chen Nation¡¯s emperor to express our sincerity to the Dayan. If the Chen Nation is unwilling to ept them, it¡¯s equivalent to looking down on our Chen Nation and not willing to ept our surrender. ¡± He sounded like he was pleading, but there was a hidden force in his words. The old emperor was a little unhappy, but he could not refuse directly. After all, the Chen Nation hade with gifts to make peace. If he refused in public, it would make him look petty. If this matter spread, Dayan¡¯s reputation would not be good. At this moment, Wei Liao stood up and spoke loudly. ¡°Your Majesty, we really can¡¯t refuse the good intentions of the Chen Nation¡¯s diplomatic mission.¡± ¡°It just so happened that I do not have any wives or concubines at home. When I saw these beauties from the Chen Nation, I was very tempted.¡± ¡°If Your Majesty can reward me with one or two, I will definitely be grateful!¡± Wei Liao¡¯s words enlightened the old emperor. He could reward these beauties. This way, he could show his generosity as the emperor and prevent the Chen Nation from making an issue out of this. It could be said to be the best of both worlds! The old emperor praised Wei Liao¡¯s wit in his heart and replied with a smile. ¡°I almost forgot that you really need a family at your age. I¡¯ll reward you with two beauties.¡± Wei Liao hurriedly bowed. ¡°Thank you, Lord!¡± After straightening up, his gazended on Duke Lang and his wife at the next table. He suddenly curled his lips and continued. ¡°Prince Lang is about my age. He only has one main consort at home now. He has no secondary consort or concubine, and he has no children. His house must be very cold.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, you can¡¯t favor one over the other. Remember to reward Duke Lang with a few beauties.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly. This guy was deliberately causing trouble for him! Xiao Juan did not want any beauty from the Chen Nation. Just as he was thinking about how to refuse, he sawYu Niaoniao clutch her heart and look pained. ¡°I feel terrible.¡± Xiao Juan quickly held her shoulder and asked, ¡°Where are you feeling unwell? Are you sick?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°As soon as I heard that you wanted another woman, I feel as if my heart was stabbed to death. I felt terrible.¡± Xiao Juan immediately said, ¡°I never said I wanted another woman. I only like you.¡± Wei Liao shook his head and deliberately spoke very loudly, ¡°Prince Lang, you can¡¯t do this. It¡¯s normal for men to have three wives and four concubines. How can you be controlled by a woman?¡± Xiao Juan looked at him coldly. ¡°This is not being controlled. This is respect and love.¡± At this moment, the old emperor spoke, ¡°Princess Consort Lang, as the main consort, you should be tolerant and magnanimous. It¡¯s your duty to help Duke Lang spread his roots. You can¡¯t be jealous and petty.¡± Yu Niaoniao seemed to have suffered a great grievance and choked with tears. ¡°I also want to be tolerant and magnanimous, but I feel terrible! As long as I think of Duke Lang being with another woman, I want to cry.¡± As she spoke, tears really fell. Xiao Juan hurriedly pulled her into his arms and patted her back gently. ¡°Alright, alright. Don¡¯t cry. I feel even worse seeing you suffer.¡± The others were extremely jealous of the couple¡¯s lovey-dovey appearance. Even the old emperor could not take it anymore. He really did not expect a person who usually looked decisive to be so soft in front of his wife. In this scene, the old emperor felt like an evil person who had broken up a couple. He said angrily, ¡°Forget it. Since Duke Lang doesn¡¯t want it, give the spot to someone else..¡± Chapter 353

Chapter 353: Marriage

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After all, there were only a few ¡°outliers¡± like Xiao Juan among the men. Most of the officials present were happy to ept the emperor¡¯s reward. Soon, the eighteen beauties of the Chen Nation were divided up. The officials who had received the reward were in a good mood. They could not hide the smiles on their faces. Inparison, their wives were very unhappy. They were dressed up and happily apanied their husbands to the pce for the banquet. Unexpectedly, a little vixen descended from the sky. Moreover, this little vixen was rewarded by the emperor, and represented the good rtionship between the two countries. Not only could they not do anything to the little vixen in the future, but they also had to treat her well. It would be strange if they felt good. They were afraid of being used of being jealous and ruining their reputation, so they did not dare to express their unwillingness like the Princess Consort of Lang County. In the end, not only could they not be angry, but they also had to pretend to be happy. They stood up with their husband and expressed their gratitude to the emperor. At this moment, they actually envied the Princess Consort of Lang County. No matter what the reputation of the Princess Consort of Lang County had, at least she did not have to suffer. The segment of rewarding beauties hade to an end, and the banquet had to continue. Han Chengxi pretended to be drunk and made a marriage request to the old emperor. ¡°My father has heard a lot about Dayan culture and wants to marry a Dayan princess as an empress. In this way, not only can he bring Dayan¡¯s regard into the Chen Nation, but he can also deepen the rtionship between the two countries and form an eternal alliance. I beg Your Majesty to fulfill our wish!¡± A few old ministers in the cab had already known about this and did not react much, but the other officials were very surprised. They did not expect marriage to be on the cards. Now, the emperor only had two princesses, and they were both at the age of marriage. However, the emperor of the Chen Nation was almost sixty years old. No one would bear to marry their daughter to such a lousy old man, right? Many people guessed that the old emperor would not agree to the marriage request. However, the oue was beyond their expectations. The old emperor did not refuse. Instead, he said that this matter was important and had to be considered carefully. He would give an answer tomorrow. Han Chengxi said expectantly. ¡°Then we¡¯ll wait for the good news.¡± Next, everyone was secretly thinking about the marriage between the two countries and was not in the mood to drink and eat. Yu Niaoniao was also thinking about this. She went to Xiao Juan¡¯s ear andmunicated with him softly. ¡°Is the emperor really going to marry a princess to the Chen Nation?¡± The two of them were very close. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s breath sprayed on Xiao Juan¡¯s ears, making him feel numb. His expression did not change as he said calmly, ¡°If the Emperor of the Chen Nation wants to marry a princess as a concubine, Dayan will most likely not agree. But if she bes the Empress of the Chen Nation, it will be different.¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°How is it different?¡± ¡°The first wife of the Chen Emperor passed away many years ago. The position of Empress has always been empty.¡± ¡°This was not because the Emperor of the Chen Nation was so affectionate, but because the Empress of the Chen Nation wielded a lot of power.¡± ¡°The emperor of the Chen Nation did not want his power to be divided by others, so he could only leave the Empress seat empty.¡± ¡°Now that he was willing to marry a Dayan princess as the Empress, he was indeed very sincere. Knowing the emperor, he¡¯ll probably agree.¡± Once a Dayan Princess became the Empress of the Chen Nation, it meant that Dayan also had a lot of influence in the Chen Nation. This was very positive for the establishment of diplomatic rtions between the two countries. In terms ot Dlts, tms was a sure-win deal. But from the perspective of the Dayan princess, this was a huge sacrifice. After all, no girl would be willing to marry an old man. When Yu Niaoniao thought of this, she could not help but sigh. Although she was a princess, there were times when she had no choice. After the banquet, the guests left. The pce servant led the way with antern. After leaving the pce gate, everyone got into their carriages and returned home. Yu Niaoniao sat in the carriage, still thinking about the marriage. She rested her chin on one hand and asked curiously, ¡°Which princess do you think the emperor will marry off?¡± Xiao Juan went through the conditions of the two princesses in his heart and gave an answer. ¡°It should be Princess Tao Ran.¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°Why her?¡± Xiao Juan analyzed calmly. ¡°Princess Tao Ran¡¯s reputation in the capital is very bad. Anyone with a clean family background is unwilling to marry her. However, if he returned her to her fief, he was afraid that she would cause trouble in the future.¡¯ ¡°The best solution was to send her to a marriage alliance. This way, not only can she unleash her usefulness as a princess, but it can also be an opportunity to resolve the issue of her marriage.¡± Yu Niaoniao recalled Princess Tao Ran¡¯s personality and could not help but ask. ¡°Princess Tao Ran is not easy to deal with. What if she causes trouble in the Chen Nation?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have any help in the Chen Nation. If she dares to act recklessly in an isted situation, she would be courting death.¡± ¡°If one empress can die in the Chen Nation, another can die.¡± When he said thest sentence, his tone became exceptionally cold. Yu Niaoniao was speechless and could only sigh. It waste when the two of them returned to Langjun Imperial Pce. Yu Niaoniao was extremely sleepy. After washing up, she quickly climbed into bed, covered herself with a nket, and prepared to sleep. Unexpectedly, just as she closed her eyes, she suddenly heard Xiao Juan ask. ¡°You haven¡¯t said what the little secret is.¡± The question came out of nowhere and Yu Niaoniao did not react for a moment. She asked in a daze, ¡°What little secret?¡± Xiao Juan looked at her steadily, not letting go of the slightest change in her expression. ¡°Your little secret with Wei Liao.¡± Yu Niaoniao finally realized that he was still thinking about the banquet! She quickly exined. ¡°You misunderstand. There are no secrets between Wei Liao and me. The little secret I mentioned before refers to something else.¡± Then, she told him the cause and purpose of her creation of The Record of Phoenix Cry Nation. After hearing her finish, Xiao Juan did not know how to react. He did not expect Wei Liao to be a fan of Niaoniao¡¯s book, nor did he expect her to have such a tricky revenge method. When Wei Liao found out the truth in the future, he would definitely explode on the spot, right? Thinking of that scene, the faint jealousy in Xiao Juan¡¯s heart dissipated, What a miserable man! Yu Niaoniao instructed, ¡°You have to keep it a secret for me. Don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± In the darkness, Xiao Juan¡¯s lips curled up into a faint smile. He answered softly, ¡°Okay.¡± The two of them were next to each other and quickly fell asleep. However, some people could not sleep at all. After the banquet today, the old emperor summoned Princess Tao Ran in private and mentioned the marriage to her. Princess Tao Ran was extremely unwilling. She said loudly, ¡°The person I like is Xiao Juan.. I won¡¯t marry anyone but him!¡± Chapter 354

Chapter 354: Bitter Fruit

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The old emperor originally wanted to discuss the marriage with Princess Tao Ran. After all, she was his biological daughter. He could not bear to wrong her too much. Aspensation, he nned to give her more dowry and raise the status of her biological mother. Unexpectedly, Princess Tao Ran said this, making the old emperor so angry that his blood pressure soared. How could he be in the mood to think aboutpensation? His face immediately darkened as he said forcefully. ¡°What I said is an imperial edict. Do you want to resist?¡± Princess Tao Ran¡¯s eyes immediately turned red. No matter how arrogant she was usually, she knew that there were some people she could not afford to offend. For example, the old emperor in front of her. One word from him could decide whether she lived or died. Princess Tao Ran was frightened by her father¡¯s words. She did not dare to fight head-on again. She hurriedly softened her attitude and knelt down, begging bitterly. ¡°Father, I heard that the emperor of the Chen Nation is already an old man. I don¡¯t want to marry him. Please don¡¯t make me marry him, okay?¡± Seeing her like this, the old emperor¡¯s expression softened. He advised earnestly, ¡°I can¡¯t bear to part with you either, but this marriage is very important to Dayan. As long as you became the Empress of the Chen Nation, you could use the Empress¡¯s power to eliminate the Chen Nation¡¯s ambitions for the Dayan. This way, the two countries could live in peace and themoners could avoid the pain of war. This is a good thing. You have to go.¡± Princess Tao Ran could not take in these words at all. She shook her head vigorously. ¡°I¡¯m not going to the Chen Nation! I don¡¯t want to marry an old man!¡± The old emperor said, ¡°Can¡¯t you sacrifice yourself for the people of the Dayan?¡± Princess Tao Ran cried. ¡°I¡¯m iust a weak woman. Whv should I make a sacrifice? There are thousands of people in Dayan. What do their lives have to do with me?¡± The old emperor could not stand it anymore. He raised his hand and pped Princess Tao Ran hard. She fell to the ground, one cheek burning. She covered her face and looked at the old emperor in disbelief. ¡°Father, you actually hit me?¡± Even though she had not been doted on since she was young, she was still a princess. Everyone would only say a few harsh words to her and asionally tease her in private. But no one had ever dared to p her. This was the first time she had been pped. Not to mention that the person who hit her was her father. She was shocked and resentful. She felt as if her entire world was about to copse. The old emperor looked at her reproachfully and lectured her in a low voice. ¡°You¡¯re the princess of the Dayan. The Dayan people raised you with countless taxes. They let you grow up in luxury and enjoy privileges that ordinary people could not ess. ¡°You actually say that the lives of the Dayan people have nothing to do with ¡°If the citizens of the Dayan were finished, so was the Dayan. At that time, can you, Princess Dayan, still live?!¡± Princess Tao Ran was powerless to refute. She could only cover her face and sob. The old emperor said, ¡°I know that the emperor of the Chen Nation is a little old. It¡¯s unfair for you to marry him. But you¡¯re the princess of Dayan. You can¡¯t just enjoy the privilege of a princess and not fulfill your duty as a princess. There¡¯s no such thing in the world.¡± Princess Tao Ran cried. ¡°But I¡¯m not the only princess in Dayan. Why do I have to make the marriage?¡± The old emperor said calmly. ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask yourself. You¡¯re usually willful and reckless and ruined your own reputation.¡± ¡°Any man with a clean family background doesn¡¯t want to marry you. You can¡¯t stay single forever.¡± ¡°It just so happens that the Emperor of the Chen Nation wants a marriage. If I don¡¯t let you go, who else can?¡± Princess Tao Ran hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s not like no one will marry me. I¡¯m a princess. There are many people in the Imperial Capital who want a royal princess.¡± The old emperor spoke unhurriedly, ¡°A royal princess can indeed bring glory to the family, but we have to see what kind of royal princess she is. Who would dare to marry a princess with a bad reputation like you?¡± ¡°Even if someone was really not afraid of death and dared to marry you, that person was most likely greedy for utilitarianism.¡± ¡°Even if you¡¯re willing to lower your status and marry over, I¡¯m not willing to be inws with such a family. Our royal family can¡¯t afford to lose its reputation.¡± Princess Tao Ran hurriedly grabbed the hem of the old emperor¡¯s clothes and raised her tear-stained face, looking panicked and helpless. ¡°But this matter concerns my lifelong happiness. No matter how important the royal family¡¯s reputation is, it¡¯s not as important as my happiness, right?!¡± The old emperor didn¡¯t answer. But she could tell from his expression what his answer was. In his heart, his daughter¡¯s happiness was far less important than the royal family¡¯s dignity. The light in Princess Tao Ran¡¯s eyes extinguished bit by bit. Although she had long known that she was not liked by her father, she still had a little hope that he still had some love for her. But at this moment, thest hope in her heart was extinguished. Princess Tao Ran slowly loosened her fingers, and her face turned pale. Seeing that she had nothing else to say, the old emperor instructed, ¡°Send Princess Tao Ran back.¡± He did not forget to remind the servants to take good care of Princess Tao Ran and not let anything happen to her. Wei Huai¡¯en understood that the old emperor meant to keep an eye on Princess Tao Ran to avoid unnecessary trouble. He spoke respectfully to Princess Tao Ran. ¡°Your Highness, please get up.¡± Princess Tao Ran neither spoke nor moved. Wei Huai¡¯en called over two pce maids and helped Princess Tao Ran up. They helped Princess Tao Ran out, and Wei Huai En followed them unhurriedly. After sending her to the sedan, Wei Huai¡¯en nned to leave. Princess Tao Ran suddenly stopped him. ¡°Eunuch Wei, can you help me plead with Father? You¡¯re the person he trusts the most. He might listen to you.¡± When she said this, she looked awkward and her tone was humble. She was a different person from her usual arrogant self. As Wei Huai¡¯en smiled at her, his attitude was polite and distant. ¡°Your Highness, you tter me too much. I¡¯m just a lowly eunuch. How can I bear your expectations?¡± Princess Tao Ran hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say this. You said it to me yourself that day.¡± Princess Tao Ran was stunned. Wei Huai En bowed to her, flicked his horsetail whisk, and left leisurely. Princess Tao Ran had long forgotten her humiliation of Wei Huai¡¯en that day. To her, Wei Huai¡¯en was just a eunuch. It was normal to scold him a little. There was no need to take it to heart. The small matter she thought was not worth mentioning was remembered by Wei Huai¡¯en. It became the grudge he hid in his heart. Princess Tao Ran watched him leave and finally came to. She had been hated. The bitter fruits of the past had all been reaped.. Chapter 355 Chapter 355: Token Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After the Chen Nation¡¯s diplomatic mission left the pce, they took a carriage back to the guest house specially arranged for them by the Honglu Temple. Han Chengxi sat down at the table and took out a small note from his sleeve. During the day, the Second Prince and the Sixth Prince went out of the city to wee the Chen Nation¡¯s diplomatic mission. The Sixth Prince, Shen Rui, secretly stuffed a note into Han Chengxi¡¯s hand when no one was paying attention. There were only five words on the note: See you tonight at midnight. It was almost midnight. Han Chengxi ced the note above the candle and let the me devour it. Soon the note turned to ashes. There was a knock on the door and the voice of the attendant barged through it. ¡°Your Highness, we have a visitor.¡± Han Chengxi thought that he was quite punctual. He stood up, straightened his clothes, and walked out of the bedroom. He saw two people standing outside. One of them was his follower, and the other was wearing a ck cloak. Most of his face was hidden under a wide hood, so his face could not be seen clearly. But from his height, he should be an adult man. Han Chengxi called out tentatively, ¡°Sixth Prince?¡± The man raised his head slightly and lowered his hood; his face waspletely exposed. It was the Sixth Prince, Shen Rui. He smiled at Han Chengxi. ¡°Ninth Prince, you have a good eye.¡± Han Chengxi nced at his follower. The attendant understood and tactfully retreated. Han Chengxi and Shen Rui entered the room. They sat down at the table. Shen Rui caught a glimpse of a small pile of ashes on the floor beside the table and asked with a smile. ¡°Was the Ninth Prince burning something just now?¡± Han Chengxi picked up the teapot and replied as he poured tea, ¡°Yes, I just burned the note you gave me.¡± Shen Rui understood. ¡°Indeed, you should burn it. It¡¯s not good for that thing to be seen.¡± Han Chengxi handed over the teacup and went straight to the point. ¡°Sixth Prince, why are you here sote at night?¡± Shen Rui took the teacup but did not drink it. He rubbed the side of his cup gently with his finger and spoke slowly. ¡°It¡¯s rare for the Ninth Prince toe to the Imperial Capital. Do you want to stay in the Imperial Capital for a while? I can apany you to walk around the Imperial Capital and show you the scenery of our Dayan.¡± Han Chengxi said politely, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Sixth Prince. I really want to stay here for a long time, but Father is still waiting for me to report back. I can¡¯t keep Father waiting. I have to set off for the Chen Nation in a few days.¡± Shen Rui found several more reasons, but he could not get Han Chengxi to agree to stay longer. Han Chengxi looked carefree, but he was actually very cunning. Shen Rui had no choice but to tell her his true motive. ¡°To be honest, I actually have a business deal I want to work with you on.¡± Seeing that the other party was finally willing to cut to the chase, Han Chengxi did not beat around the bush and asked directly. ¡°What business? Shen Rui approached him and lowered his voice. ¡°I know that the Ninth Prince is well-versed in both civil and military matters and is a powerful candidate for the throne of the Chen Nation. As long as you help me do this, I can help you when youpete for the throne in the future.¡± Han Chengxi narrowed his eyes slightly. At this moment, he hadpletely lost the carelessness he usually showed. He had be shrewd. ¡°Duke Lang is not that easy to deal with.¡± Shen Rui said, ¡°It¡¯s precisely because he¡¯s not easy to deal with that I came to look for you. Only you have the ability to deal with him.¡± Seeing Han Chengxi hesitate, he hurriedly continued to persuade him. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that it was precisely because Duke Lang interfered that Du Tao was captured. Your Chen Nation¡¯s deployment in Liaodong County was also ruined. Don¡¯t you want to take revenge?¡± Han Chengxi naturally wanted revenge. But he was not stupid. He knew that Shen Rui wanted to make use of him. Han Chengxi pondered for a moment and said. ¡°You said you could help me fight for the throne in the future. These are all fake. I want something more realistic.¡± Hearing him say this, Shen Rui knew that the other party was interested in cooperating with him. He hurriedly said, ¡°What do you want? As long as I can get it, I¡¯ll definitely get it for you.¡± Han Chengxi said, ¡°What I want is very simple. It¡¯s Tang Guixi¡¯s life.¡± Shen Rui was stunned. Of course, he knew who Tang Guixi was. He just did not expect him to make such a request. Han Chengxi said, ¡°You want Duke Lang¡¯s life, and I want Tang Guixi¡¯s. A life for a life. It¡¯s very fair.¡± Shen Rui hesitated and said, ¡°But Tang Guixi is far away in Liaodong County. It¡¯s not convenient for me to attack her.¡± Han Chengxi leaned back. ¡°I don¡¯t care about that. Anyway, my request is to let Tang Guixi die. As long as you can do it, I¡¯ll help you deal with Duke Lang.¡± Shen Rui thought of his mother¡¯s instructions to him and gritted his teeth. ¡°Alright, I promise you!¡± Han Chengxi smiled. ¡°Happy cooperation.¡± Shen Rui said, ¡°Tang Guixi is too far away. I can¡¯t kill her in the short term.¡± Han Chengxi had clearly thought of this long ago. He spoke unhurriedly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We can exchange tokens to represent our promise to each other. ¡°1When I help you deal with Duke Lang, you willto return the token to me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for you. How about that?¡± Shen Rui hesitated. Once the two of them exchanged tokens, it was equivalent to handing something over to each other. If the token was exposed in the future, their cooperation would also be known by outsiders. This was a serious crime of colluding with the enemy. Even if Shen Rui was a prince, he could not deal with the consequences. Seeing that he was silent, Han Chengxi said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t want to. I¡¯ll pretend you didn¡¯te tonight.¡± With that, Han Chengxi prepared to send the guest off. Shen Rui recalled what his mother had said to him. If Duke Lang found out the truth behind Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s death, his mother would definitely not be able to escape death. At that time, he would not have a good time. Instead of waiting for death, he might as well take a gamble! Shen Rui took off the jade pendant around his neck and ced it on the table. ¡°This is the peace pendant the Empress Dowager gave me when I was born. It was engraved with my birthday. There is only one piece in the entire Dayan. I¡¯d kept it with me all these years. Can it be my token?¡± Han Chengxi picked up the jade pendant and looked at it. He smiled. ¡°Of course. ¡± Then, he took out a small and exquisite metal token from his sleeve and ced it in front of Han Chengxi. ¡°This is a token that represents my identity. My name is engraved on it. As long as you take it out, you can travel unimpeded in the Chen Nation.¡± Shen Rui took the token and took a closer look. He saw that it was engraved with the Chen Nation¡¯snguage. He did not recognize it at all. He could not verify the authenticity of the token. Just as he was hesitating, he heard Han Chengxi say. ¡°If you think the token is unreliable, I can write a promise to you on the spot in your Dayan¡¯snguage.¡± Shen Rui epted the suggestion. Han Chengxi immediately wrote a promise. His Dayan writing was not very beautiful, but it was very neat. It was obvious that it was the result of years of practice. He did not forget to stamp his private seal on the promise.. Chapter 356 Chapter 356: Hatred Out of Love Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Shen Rui left the guest house with Han Chengxi¡¯s personal promise and token. When the attendant walked into the bedroom, he saw Han Chengxi ying with the jade pendant and could not help but ask. ¡°When did Your Highness get such a beautiful jade pendant?¡± Han Chengxi nced up at him. The attendant¡¯s heart trembled under his gaze. He hurriedly knelt down and apologized. ¡°I said too much. I deserve to die.¡± Han Chengxi had no intention of ming him. ¡°This is a token from the Sixth Prince of Dayan.¡± The follower looked up carefully and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the Ninth Prince smiling and in a good mood. He continued to ask the Ninth Prince, ¡°That Sixth Prince is really strange. He came to you sneakily in the middle of the night to give you a token. I wonder what he wants?¡± Han Chengxi said, ¡°He wants me to do something for him. This jade pendant is my reward.¡± The follower was even more puzzled. ¡°As a prince, why did you agree to help him?¡± Han Chengxi was in a good mood and did not mind saying a few more words. ¡°If I help him do this, it¡¯s equivalent to having something on him. In the future, no matter what I asked him to do, he would have to do it obediently.¡± ¡°With the prince of the Dayan as my spy, won¡¯t the Chen Nation have a much higher chance of winning if they want to invade the Dayan in the future?¡± The follower hurriedly praised, ¡°Your Highness is wise!¡± Han Chengxi continued, ¡°Even if the matter doesn¡¯t seed, we can still pick on the internal conflicts of the Dayan and let them fight among themselves. At that time, our Chen Nation only needs to reap the benefits. Why wouldn¡¯t I agree to such a stable deal?¡± Heughed at the end. The followerughed with him. ¡°As expected of His Highness. Your n is really wless. I¡¯m impressed!¡± The next morning, Shen Rui entered the pce. He told Noble Consort Shu everything about his conversation with Han Chengxi. When he finished updating, he did not forget to take out the token Han Chengxi had promised him. Noble Consort Shu snorted. ¡°This Ninth Prince of the Chen Nation is really scheming! He wants to exchange a token with you because he wants to hold something on you and use it to threaten you in the future.¡± Shen Rui said nervously, ¡°But I¡¯ve already promised him...¡± Noble Consort Shuforted him. ¡°It¡¯s fine. If you agreed, so be it. Let¡¯s leave it at that for now. It¡¯s just a jade pendant. If he really wants to threaten you with the jade pendant in the future, you¡¯ll insist that the jade pendant has long been lost.¡± Hearing this, Shen Rui felt a little relieved. Noble Consort Shu continued, ¡°Keep these two things well. Don¡¯t let anyone else see them.¡± These two things concerned his life, so Shen Rui naturally valued them very much. He hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely hide them well.¡± Shen Rui asked, ¡°Are we really going to kill Tang Guixi? She¡¯s the daughter of General Zheng Yuan. Father just conferred her the title of County Lord.¡± Noble Consort Shu said, ¡°So what? She¡¯s 180,000 miles away from your status as a prince. In the end, she¡¯s just a helpless little girl. Since the Chen Nation wants her life, just give it to them.¡± Shen Rui would sometimes help his father read memorials. When his father was in a good mood, he would even talk to him about politics. Therefore, even though he had never left the Imperial Capital, he knew the importance of the Eastern Expedition Army to Dayan. Once something happened to the Eastern Expedition Army, Liaodong County would be lost. At that time, the Chen Nation¡¯s army could easily rush into the hintend of the Dayan. Shen Rui was very worried. ¡°Tang Guixi is in charge of the Eastern Expedition Army now. If she dies, will the Eastern Expedition Army be in chaos?¡± Noble Consort Shu did not care about this. ¡°You think too highly of her. The Eastern Expedition Army was willing to be under her control on ount of her father. How could so many people really be convinced by a little girl?¡± ¡°Even if she died, it would not affect the Eastern Expedition Army. At that time, the Imperial Court would send someone else to take over the Eastern Expedition Army.¡± ¡°It just so happens that your uncle is about to return to the capital to report his work. He¡¯s good at literature and martial arts and is the best candidate to take over the Eastern Expedition Army.¡± Shen Rui felt that his mother¡¯s words made sense. Tang Guixi was just a little girl. Her life and death did not affect the overall situation. When she died, Shen Rui could think of a way to let his uncle take over the Eastern Expedition Army. No matter how he thought about it, he did not lose out. Shen Rui no longer hesitated and said, ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for the assassinter.¡± Noble Consort Shu said slowly, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry about Tang Guixi. We have other things to do now.¡± ¡°Are you talking about Duke Lang?¡± Noble Consort Shu nodded slightly. ¡°Yes, since the Chen Nation¡¯s diplomatic mission has agreed to cooperate with us, what we have to do next is to create an opportunity for them to attack.¡± Seeing how confident she was, Shen Rui could not help but ask. ¡°Did you already have a n?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Princess Tao Ranter.¡± Shen Rui pursed his lips in disdain. ¡°Why are you looking for her? She only knows how to circle around Duke Lang every day and even lowered her status to force him to marry her. In the end, she was rejected. She¡¯s really disgraced our royal family.¡± Noble Consort Shu said, ¡°She still has to help us get Duke Lang to take the bait.¡± Shen Rui was suspicious. ¡°She likes Duke Lang so much that she will help us deal with him? That¡¯s impossible, right?¡± Noble Consort Shu smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. It is precisely because she could not get what she wanted from Duke Lang that it is easier for her to hate him. She will want to destroy something she can¡¯t get her hands on.¡± Shen Rui felt a chill down his spine and muttered softly, ¡°Women are so scary.¡± Noble Consort Shu smiled again. ¡°Not all women are like Princess Tao Ran. She¡¯s just an exception. Go back first. I¡¯ll inform you when the matter is settled.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± After Shen Rui left, Noble Consort Shu got someone to invite Princess Tao Ran over. Because of the marriage, Princess Tao Ran was in an extremely bad mood. Even she ignored Noble Consort Shu. Noble Consort Shu was not in a hurry. She pulled Princess Tao Ran aside and said a lot of things. She even got someone to take out thetest clothes and jewelry and tried them on Princess Tao Ran one by one. In the end, she gave all these clothes and jewelry to Princess Tao Ran. No woman would not like beautiful clothes and jewelry, and Princess Tao Ran was naturally no exception. The expression on her face finally improved. Noble Consort Shu took the opportunity to suggest. ¡°I know that you¡¯re going to marry into the Chen Nation soon. ¡°It¡¯s a long journey. The emperor will definitely arrange for people to escort you all the way.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like Duke Lang very much? Why don¡¯t you suggest to the emperor that he dispatches Duke Lang to send you to the Chen Nation?¡± ¡°This way, you can spend more time with him. It can be considered thest bit of fate between the two of you.¡± Princess Tao Ran was tempted. She was indeed still thinking about Xiao Juan. If Xiao Juan could escort her to the Chen Nation, she might be able to seize this opportunity to have something happen between her and Xiao Juan. When the time came, he would have no choice but to acknowledge it.. Chapter 357 Chapter 357: Unspeakable Secret Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Noble Consort Shu¡¯s suggestion gave Princess Tao Ran hope again. As long as she could seed with Xiao Juan, she did not have to be sent to a marriage alliance. Moreover, she could take this opportunity to marry Xiao Juan. It could be said to be killing two birds with one stone. So after she left the Startling Pce, she couldn¡¯t wait to find the old emperor and express her wishes to him. ¡°What Father said to mest night was thought-provoking. When I returned, I reflected on it for the entire night. I already know my mistake. I¡¯m willing to go to the Chen Nation to reconcile.¡± Hearing this, the old emperor was very relieved. A smile bloomed on his old face. ¡°It¡¯s best if you can get over it. Don¡¯t worry, I will remember your contributions to the Dayan. I won¡¯t mistreat you.¡± ¡°Later, I will issue a decree to promote your mother. You can ask for anything. As long as it¡¯s within a reasonable range, I can satisfy you.¡± Princess Tao Ran said, ¡°I don¡¯t ask for anything else. I just hope that you can allow Duke Lang to escort me to the Chen Nation.¡± The old emperor¡¯s smile faded. ¡°You still haven¡¯t given up on Xiao Juan?¡± Princess Tao Ran sobbed. ¡°I¡¯ve liked him for more than ten years. How could I give up such a deep rtionship so easily?¡± ¡°However, Father, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already recognized the reality and am willing to go to the Chen Nation to marry.¡± ¡°There is no longer any possibility between me and Duke Lang. I wanted Duke Lang to lead the convoy to send the bride off because I wanted to take this ¡°opportunity to say goodbye to himpletely.¡± ¡°Only then can I fulfill myst wish for him. Father, please fulfill it.¡± With that, she lifted her skirt slightly and knelt down. Tears rolled down her cheeks, making her look very pitiful. Seeing this, the old emperor could not bear it. It was indeed unfair for her to marry an old man. Now that she had only made this request, rejecting her would seem too unreasonable. Finally, the old emperor let out a long sigh. ¡°Forget it. Since you insist on letting Xiao Juan escort you, I¡¯ll agree to your request. I hope you can do as you say and not cause any more trouble.¡± Princess Tao Ran was overjoyed and hurriedly kowtowed to thank him. ¡°Thank you, Father! I won¡¯t let you down!¡± After Princess Tao Ran left, Wei Huai¡¯en served warm water and pills. ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s time to take your medicine.¡± The old emperor took the cup and swallowed the pill in the hot spring water. Wei Huai¡¯en asked, ¡°Does Your Majesty think what Princess Tao Ran just said is true?¡± The old emperor put down his cup and replied casually. ¡°Who knows?¡± Wei Huai¡¯en said, ¡°If Princess Tao Ran still refuses to give up on Duke Lang and wants to use this opportunity to have something happen with him, won¡¯t it ruin the marriage?¡± He did not care what would happen between Princess Tao Ran and Duke Lang. He just did not want Princess Tao Ran to stay in Dayan anymore. That day, Princess Tao Ran publicly humiliated him, so he wanted her to suffer in the Chen Nation! The old emperor spoke calmly. ¡°You underestimate Xiao Juan. If he could not even deal with Tao Ran, how could he manage such a huge Justice Department?¡± ¡°I agreed to let Xiao Juan escort Tao Ran to the Chen Nation because I wanted Tao Ran to recognize the reality. No matter how she tries, it¡¯s impossible for her to take Xiao Juan down.¡± ¡°This way, she willpletely give up and marry into the Chen Nation obediently.¡± Wei Huai En understood. ¡°Your Majesty is so thoughtful!¡± Inside the Justice Department, Yan Nanguan hurriedly found Duke Lang and reported in a low voice. ¡°Last night, at midnight, the Sixth Prince secretly went to the guest house where the Chen Nation¡¯s diplomatic mission was staying.¡± Ever since Xiao Juan suspected Noble Consort Shu, he had been paying attention to Noble Consort Shu¡¯s actions. However, because Noble Consort Shu was in the harem, the investigations of the Justice Department could not reach the pce, so he could only shift his target to the Sixth Prince. These few days, Yan Nanguan had been secretly monitoring the Sixth Prince. Originally, everything was normal. The Sixth Prince did not do anything abnormal untilst night. Although Dayan and the Chen Nation were on good terms on the surface, they were still wary of each other in private. For the Sixth Prince of Dayan suddenly to visit the Ninth Prince of the Chen Nation in the middle of the night, there must be some unspeakable secret between the two of them. Xiao Juan looked thoughtful. ¡°What¡¯s Shen Rui¡¯s motive for looking for Han Chengxi?¡± Yan Nanguan could not answer this question. He said truthfully, ¡°That guest house has been booked by the Chen Nation¡¯s diplomatic mission. They have people inside and outside. Our spies can¡¯t be inserted, so we have no way of knowing what they said in the guest house.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Continue to watch them and wait and see.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± As soon as Yan Nanguan left, Yu Niaoniao walked in. Seeing her stern face, Xiao Juan asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Who made you unhappy?¡± Yu Niaoniao said angrily, ¡°I saw Pan Dafu just now. He told me that there have been new rumors in the Imperial Capital recently.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Is someone talking about you and me again?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°That¡¯s right! They said that I¡¯m a shrew who doesn¡¯t know the big picture. I can¡¯t bear children myself and won¡¯t let you take concubines. You¡¯re really unlucky to marry me!¡± She knew in her heart that the reason why those people outside said that about her was that she had rejected the beauty the emperor had bestowed on Duke Lang at the banquetst night. In this world, women were required to be obedient and tolerant. It was her fault for being so unwilling to share her husband and the world could condemn her openly. Actually, when she deliberately pretended to cry and pulled Xiao Juanst night to prevent him from epting the reward of a beauty, she was already mentally prepared to be scolded. However, when she really heard those condemningments, she was still a little unhappy. Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to investigate and see who¡¯s gossiping behind my back.¡± Yu Niaoniao quickly stopped him. ¡°Forget it. They¡¯re all people with nothing better to do. Why waste precious time and energy on such people? Ignore them.¡± The Eagle Guards were busy every day. She did not want to add to their workload over such a small matter. Anyway, she would not lose anything if she was scolded. In a few days, everyone would naturally forget about this matter. Xiao Juan looked at her. ¡°But don¡¯t you feel terrible?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Of course, I feel ufortable being scolded but other than scolding me a few times, what can they do? Anyway, you won¡¯t divorce me. I¡¯m still the Princess Consort of Lang County. When they see meter, they still have to be polite.¡± She put her hands on her hips and raised her chin, looking smug. She looked like a cute little fox basking in a tiger¡¯s might. Xiao Juan¡¯s gaze on her involuntarily softened. What he admired most was her open and optimistic nature no matter what happened. It was as if in her heart, there was no problem in the world that could trap her. His mood improved with her.. Chapter 358 Chapter 358: New Book Release Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao¡¯s new book, The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation, was finally officially released. Early this morning, there was a long queue in all the major bookstores in the Jade Capital. Everyone was all here to buy new books. As a hardcore fan of Master Wang at the Vige Entrance, Wei Liao naturally could not miss this grand event. As soon as the bookstore opened, he barged in with his men and used his privilege to forcefully cut the line. He was the first to get the new book. He couldn¡¯t wait to go home to read it. He found a teahouse nearby and sat down. He couldn¡¯t wait to open his new book. When he saw the premise of the book, he could not help but frown. How could it be that women were superior to men? This was too aggrieving for men! What was even more outrageous was that the male lead was actually a little mute. Wei Liao didn¡¯t know if it was his imagination, but he felt that this little mute¡¯s facial features were simr to his. This made him feel even more immersed when he was reading. When he saw the little mute marry the princess, he thought that the little mute would quickly conquer the princess¡¯s heart and make her willingly work for him. In the end, the little mute quickly fell in love with the princess and even thought of ways to please her. It would have been fine if the princess had appreciated it. However,ter on, the little mute realized that the princess had already fallen for someone else. She did not care about him at all and had only been ying with his feelings from the beginning to the end! When Wei Liao saw this, his fists hardened. He wished he could rush in and beat that scumbag of a princess to death! How could there be such an ungrateful woman in the world?! Wei Liao thought that the little mute woulde to his senses after recognizing the princess¡¯s true colors. Then, he would work hard to gain both fame and fortune and be pursued by arge group of girls. He would ruthlessly trample on the princess and sneer at her, ¡°Don¡¯t bully the weak!¡± In the end, the little mute in the book only knew how to cry. He cried when he was bullied, humiliated, and locked up. His eyes were like sluices. There would always be endless tears. Wei Liao¡¯s blood pressure soared and his temples throbbed. What the hell was this? He threw the book to the ground in anger. Even so, he did not let go of his grudge. He rushed forward and stepped on it twice. After doing this, Wei Liao left the teahouse with a dark expression. The attendant could not help but ask when he came out empty-handed. ¡°Where¡¯s your book?¡± ¡°A lousy book that even dogs don¡¯t read. I threw it away!¡± The attendant was frightened by Wei Liao¡¯s gloomy expression and did not dare to say anything else. Wei Liao mounted his horse and prepared to go back to find the two new beauties of the Chen Nation to relieve his anger. On the way back, he saw many people queuing up at the bookstore by the roadside to buy The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation. He couldn¡¯t help but think of the contents of the book again. That little mute wouldn¡¯t be locked up forever, would he? He was the male lead after all. If the author wanted the plot to develop, he had to be released. And that female princess. She was such a scumbag. She would definitely not have a good ending, right? Little Mute wouldn¡¯t have to turn things around in the future, right? What other story would happen between them? As he thought about it, Wei Liao¡¯s riding speed gradually slowed down. In the end, he couldn¡¯t ovee his curiosity. He pulled the reins, changed direction, and rode back to the teahouse. When he walked into the private room, he saw the clerk cleaning and immediately asked. ¡°Where¡¯s the book I left here?¡± The clerk was surprised. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want the book.¡± When he came in, he saw the book lying on the ground. There were two distinct shoe prints on the cover. It was obvious that it was despised. Wei Liao didn¡¯t want to admit that he had thrown away the book. He asked coldly. ¡°Where¡¯s the book?¡± ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± The clerk hurriedly took out the book. He had wiped the book, but one could still see the shoe print on the cover. Wei Liao snatched the book and casually threw a piece of silver to the clerk as a reward. Then, Wei Liao left the teahouse. The attendant looked at the book in his hand and wanted to ask, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that even dogs wouldn¡¯t read the book? Why did you bring it back?¡± However, when he met Wei Liao¡¯s gloomy gaze, the attendant immediately cowered and shut his mouth, not even daring to breathe, Wei Liao rode home. The two beauties from the Chen Nation came to greet him, but he rejected them. He closed the door and sat alone in the study, continuing to read The Record of Phoenix Cry Nation. When he saw the male lead, Little Mute, secretly escape back to his family, he smiled proudly. Hehe, he knew it would be like this! Even if he was mute, he was still the male lead. How could he really be imprisoned for the rest of his life? He felt that Little Mute should sober up and work hard next. In the end, Little Mute¡¯s family felt he shouldn¡¯t have returned. They even wanted to send him back to the scumbag princess and warned him that men had to be obedient. Even if the princess mistreated him, it was his life. As a man, he could only ept his fate. Wei Liao was so angry that he almost suffocated. He had only heard that women had to be obedient. When had he heard that men had to be obedient too? Was this author¡¯s brain damaged? How could hee up with such an unreasonable and ridiculous plot?! In the process of reading, Wei Liao wanted to throw the book away several times, but in the end, he continued reading with a dark expression. He had never been so angry with a book. But for some reason, the angrier he was, the more he wanted to see the end. He had to know what had happened to the scumbag couple in the book in the end. However, the oue disappointed him. At the end of the book, the little mute risked his life to save the princess and finally warmed her heart. The rtionship between the two of them seemed to have finally gotten on track, but the first love in the princess¡¯s heart suddenly returned! Wei Liao couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. Was the scumbag princess going to cause trouble again? However, when he turned to the next page, he realized that it was thest. There was only a simple line of words: If you want to know what happens after that, stay tuned. Wei Liao was dumbfounded His expression gradually twisted. He couldn¡¯t take it anymore. With two clicks, he tore the lousy book into pieces. This did not make him feel appeased. He smashed everything in the house again. Soon, the study became a mess. Wei Liao walked out of the study on the fragments and said with a sinister smile. ¡°Master Wang from the Vige Entrance, right? Just you wait. I¡¯ll definitely find you and break your hands. Let¡¯s see if you still dare to draw such an infuriating book in the future?!¡± On the way home, Yu Niaoniao suddenly sneezed loudly. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Did you catch a cold? Do you want Little Lo to take a look at you?¡± Yu Niaoniao rubbed her nose. ¡°No need. Someone must be badmouthing me behind my back..¡± Chapter 359 Chapter 359: Wishful Thinking Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Wei Liao stormed to the bookstore and interrogated the shopkeeper. ¡°Who exactly is the guy who drew The Record of Phoenix Cry Nation?¡± The shopkeeper trembled. ¡°It¡¯s¡ªit¡¯s Master Wang at the Vige Entrance.¡± A fierce glint appeared in Wei Liao¡¯s eyes. ¡°Where is he?¡± The shopkeeper was so frightened that he was about to cry. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Wei Liao grabbed his neck. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell the truth, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± The shopkeeper was really crying now. ¡°Young Master Wei, spare me! I¡¯m just a bookseller. I¡¯ve never seen Master Wang at the Vige Entrance. I really don¡¯t know who he is.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure.¡± Wei Liao shook him off. ¡°Trash!¡± He left the bookstore and decided to look for Chancellor Luo in the Directorate. The books on the market had to pass Chancellor Luo¡¯s review first. He must have seen Master Wang at the Vige Entrance. When Wei Liao arrived at the Directorate aggressively, he wanted to ask Chancellor Luo about Master Wang¡¯s true identity. However, Chancellor Luo was very unyielding and refused to speak. He did not like the Princess Consort of Lang County very much, but it was extremely immoral to reveal the author¡¯s identity without the author¡¯s consent. It vited his personal integrity. If word got out in the future, others would think that he was spineless and not principled. Nothing was more important to a schr than backbone. No matter how hard Wei Liao tried, Chancellor Luo refused to tell the truth. He straightened his neck and said, ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m afraid of you. Did you only rely on your adoptive father to obtain your current official position? You and Duke Lang are birds of a feather. Do you want me topromise? Dream on!¡± Wei Liao clenched his fists. He really wanted to beat this old man up. However, the other party was the Chancellor of the Directorate after all and had a high prestige among the schrs. Without evidence of a crime, he could not touch him at will. Wei Liao could only suppress the anger in his heart and point at Chancellor Luo. ¡°Just you wait! Don¡¯t let me catch you in the act!¡± After saying this, Wei Liao left the Directorate angrily. He did not believe that he could not find out Master Wang¡¯s true identity! Today, the emperor announced an imperial edict. Princess Tao Ran¡¯s biological mother was conferred the title of Lady of Deportment and was given the position of Hall Master. Everyone in the harem knew that this gift was bestowed in exchange for Princess Tao Ran¡¯s lifelong happiness, so the concubines reacted very calmly. Especially the biological mother of the other princess. She was even secretly d that her daughter was not chosen for this marriage. She would rather not advance in rank in her life than let her daughter be sent to the Chen Nation to marry an old man. Princess Tao Ran¡¯s biological mother was originally just a small pce maid. Coincidentally, she was taken by the drunk emperor. The emperor did not take this matter to heart at first; after waking up, he forgot about the little pce maid. It was not until the pce maid was pregnant and gave birth to a little princess that the emperor remembered her and conferred her as a Talented Lady. After that, she sat in the position of a Talented Lady for seventeen years without taking another step forward. The entire pce had almost forgotten about this person. Now that she had suddenly skipped a few levels and be Lady of Deportment overnight, she should be happy. However, the thought of her daughter marrying into a foreign country and being with an old man in his fifties made her cry. ¡°Boohoo, my poor daughter. There are clearly two princesses. Why did the emperor choose you? Is it because there¡¯s no one in my family that he bullied She cried for a long time but did not hear Princess Tao Ran¡¯s voice. She turned around and saw Princess Tao Ran choosing clothes and jewelry. As she hummed a tune, her eyebrows and eyes were filled with joy. She looked like she was in a good mood. Lady Rong could not help but ask, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sad at all?¡± Princess Tao Ran smiled and asked, ¡®Why should I be sad? How good is a marriage? I really want to set off quickly!¡± She was overjoyed at the thought of seeing Xiao Juan soon. Lady Rong walked over and touched her forehead. ¡°Are you sick? Why are you talking nonsense?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand. I naturally have a reason to be happy.¡± Princess Tao Ran picked up a dress and gestured at herself. She asked excitedly, ¡°Do you think I look good in this dress? Lady Rong could not understand. ¡°Do you know how far the Chen Nation is? If you marry over, you won¡¯t be able toe back in the future. Even if you¡¯re bullied there, no one will support you. You still have to serve an old man in the future...¡± Princess Tao Ran interrupted her nagging. ¡°Alright, stop talking. I know what marriage means. I¡¯ve already nned it. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± Lady Rong was still worried. ¡°You¡¯re a girl. What ns can you have?¡± Princess Tao Ran smiled proudly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Anyway, I¡¯ll definitely get what I want in the end.¡± With that, she ran to the dressing mirror and gestured at her skirt. ¡°The color of this dress is too pale. It¡¯s better to change it.¡± Then she dug out other dresses from the wardrobe and continued to gesture in the mirror. At this moment, Noble Consort Shu sent someone to deliver arge box of things. In addition to thetest clothes and jewelry, there was also a small and exquisite medicine box. Liu Zhi, who was in charge of delivering the things, exined. ¡°This medicine box containsmonly used medicine. It¡¯s a long journey. If Your Highness encounters a headache or fever on the way, these medications might be useful.¡± Liu Zhi specially opened the medicine box and took out a small porcin bottle. ¡°This medicine is special. It can help you sleep. If Your Highness can¡¯t sleep in a foreign country, you can use it to help you sleep.¡± Princess Tao Ran understood and immediately took the small porcin bottle. ¡°I understand.¡± Liu Zhi took out another box of spices. ¡°I heard that the emperor of the Chen Nation likes to use spices. These spices were specially prepared by Her Highness. As long as you use them, I guarantee that the emperor of the Chen Nation will dote on you.¡± Princess Tao Ran¡¯s eyes lit up and she hurriedly took the spices. ¡°Thank Her Highness for me. I appreciate her kindness. I¡¯ll definitely repay her in the future.¡± Liu Zhi pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re too polite. As long as you¡¯re happy, Her Highness will be relieved.¡± Princess Tao Ran rolled her eyes and whispered to Liu Zhi. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to tell the Noble Consort when you get back. If you¡¯re free, invite the Princess Consort of Lang County to the pce. With her around, Duke Lang will be very easy to talk to.¡± Liu Zhi understood. ¡°I understand.¡± After she left, Princess Tao Ran carefully put away the medicine box and spices. These were all her treasures.. Chapter 360 Chapter 360: Banquet Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Lady Rong was puzzled. ¡°When did Noble Consort Shu treat you so well?¡± In her impression, Noble Consort Shu had always been very arrogant. Other than the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, no other woman in the harem was worthy of her attention. Now that Noble Consort Shu was suddenly so enthusiastic about Princess Tao Ran, she was definitely up to no good. Lady Rong felt a little uneasy. Princess Tao Ran did not care. ¡°Why do you care so much about her? Anyway, she can¡¯t harm me.¡± Liu Zhi returned to the Startling Pce and conveyed Princess Tao Ran¡¯s words to Noble Consort Shu. Noble Consort Shu pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°Princess Tao Ran is really smart. If she hadn¡¯t mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten. We should indeed invite the Princess Consort of Lang County into the pce.¡± Liu Zhi said, ¡°I heard that Duke Lang dotes on the Princess Consort very much. Noble Consort Shu¡¯s smile widened. ¡°In that case, even if Duke Lang has wings, he won¡¯t be able to escape.¡± As soon as Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan entered the house, they received an oral order from the emperor. Princess Tao Ran was going to the Chen Nation for the marriage. The emperor asked Duke Lang to lead the escort. Yu Niaoniao was dumbfounded. ¡°There are so many generals in the court. Why did the emperor choose you?¡± Granny Xiu Yan also felt that there was something amiss with this matter. ¡°It¡¯s not like the emperor doesn¡¯t know how Princess Tao Ran feels about you. He even asked you to escort her. Isn¡¯t that equivalent to sending a sheep to the tiger¡¯s den?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s reaction was very calm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Princess Tao Ran is just a woman. She can¡¯t do anything to me.¡± Granny Xiu Yan was worried. ¡°As the saying goes, it¡¯s easy to dodge an open spear, but difficult to guard against a hidden arrow. What if she ys tricks on you?¡± Xiao Juanforted her. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Ever since I took over the Justice Department, I¡¯ve seen all kinds of methods. With Princess Tao Ran¡¯s ability, she can¡¯t do anything to me. You just have to stay at home and wait for me toe back.¡± Granny Xiu Yan was still worried. However, she knew that it was difficult to disobey the emperor¡¯s order. There was no room for negotiation. Now, the only way to deal with it was to face it squarely. Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°I¡¯ll pack your luggage.¡± Yu Niaoniao also said, ¡°I¡¯ll make more convenient food for you to bring to the road.¡± With that, she quickly ran to the kitchen to work. She could not help anything else but make more delicious food in case Xiao Juan was did not like the food outside and starved. At this moment, Yan Nanguan walked in and whispered. ¡°Your Highness, the Sixth Prince and the Ninth Prince of the Chen Nation are secretly colluding. If you lead a team to send the bride off, you have to walk with the Chen Nation¡¯s diplomatic mission. Will they take this opportunity to harm you?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of them making a move, but I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t.¡± As long as they dared to attack, the Eagle Guards would have a chance to catch them red-handed. At that time, none of them would be able to escape! Three dayster, Princess Tao Ran got married in Yihe Hall. Xiao Juan had to go out early in the morning. He had to wait outside the pce gate in advance. Yu Niaoniao especially woke up early today. She stuffed arge bag of food into his arms and instructed, ¡°These are dry food I specially prepared for you. Take them and eat them on the way. I keep feeling that Princess Tao Ran and the Ninth Prince of the Chen Nation have ill intentions. You have to be careful along the way. Don¡¯t eat what they give you. Keep a distance from them and protect yourself.¡± Xiao Juan stroked her head. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll remember.¡± He carried the bag on his back and mounted his horse. Before he left, he did not forget to look back at Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao looked at him eagerly. ¡°Have a safe trip. Come back early!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°When I¡¯m not at home, try not to go out as much as possible. If you really have to go out, remember to bring Little Meng along.¡± Yu Niaoniao knew that he was afraid that she would not be safe, so she replied obediently, ¡°Okay!¡± Xiao Juan waved his whip and rode away. Yu Niaoniao lifted her skirt and ran down the steps. As she watched him leave, she felt lonely. Ever since she married into the Langjun Imperial Pce, she had always been with Xiao Juan and was rarely separated. Now that he had to escort Princess Tao Ran to the Chen Nation, this trip would take at least half a year. Whenever she thought about not seeing him for half a year, she felt empty. At this moment, in the pce, the emperor and empress sent Princess Tao Ran away with a group of concubines. Everyone was smiling, except Lady Rong. But she didn¡¯t dare cry out loud, afraid of making the emperor unhappy. She could only cover her mouth with a silk handkerchief. Princess Tao Ran was wearing a bright red wedding dress and a gilded phoenix crown. She held a red veil and a golden phoenix fan. She bowed gracefully to the emperor and empress. ¡°Father, Mother, I¡¯m getting married today, so I can¡¯t be filial to you in the future. I feel guilty. I hope you can take good care of yourselves in the future and live a long life.¡± The old emperor instructed, ¡°After you marry into the Chen Nation, don¡¯t be as willful as before. You have to take good care of your husband and children and abide by the principles of a woman. If anyone bullies you, you don¡¯t have to swallow your anger. You can order someone to send a letter back. I¡¯ll stand up for you.¡± These words were pleasant to hear, but Princess Tao Ran knew the truth very well. The Chen Nation was far from Mount Yujing. It would take at least half a year to go back and forth. If she really encountered any danger, she would probably be dead by the time her father sent someone to save her. Her father was justforting her. She could not take it seriously. Princess Tao Ran looked grateful. ¡°Father loves me so much. I definitely won¡¯t let you down.¡± When it was almost time, Princess Tao Ran sat in the carriage with the help of the pce maid. The bridal escort team slowly walked along the street. There were Eagle Guards protecting them from the front and back, and the Chen Nation¡¯s diplomatic mission followed behind. In addition to the rich dowry, the entire convoy looked especially spectacr. It was not an exaggeration to say that it was ten miles long. The streets were crowded with onlookers. They had never seen such a grand wedding and were all excited. Yu Niaoniao was also mixed in the crowd. She looked at Xiao Juan, who was riding a tall horse, and prayed silently. ¡°You have toe back safely!¡± The bridal escort left the city and followed the official road east. The citizens in the city dispersed. Yu Niaoniao sighed and prepared to go home. Seeing her forlorn expression, Meng Xizhou suggested. ¡°Since you¡¯re out, do you want to walk around? Treat it as a walk.¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°No need. Let¡¯s go back.¡± As soon as the two of them returned to the Langjun Imperial Pce, the people from the pce arrived. The person who came was a young eunuch. He said respectfully, ¡°The peony flowers in the Dce are blooming extremelv well todav. Noble Consort Shu has invited the princess consorts of the capital to the pce to admire the flowers and drink tea. This is an invitation. Pleasee on time tomorrow morning. ¡± With that, he ced an exquisite invitation in front of Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao frowned.. Didn¡¯t Noble Consort Shu hate her very much? Why did she want to treat her to tea? Could this be a banquet? Chapter 361 Chapter 361: Ambush Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao held her forehead, looking very ufortable. ¡°I thank Her Highness for her kindness, but I haven¡¯t been feeling well for the past two days and have been dizzy. The doctor asked me to rest at home. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to enter the pce to admire the flowers and drink tea with Her Highness.¡± The young eunuch looked troubled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not good. This time, not only did Her Highness invite the princess consorts of the capital, but she also invited the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager is very interested in this flower appreciation. If you¡¯re absent, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll spoil the Empress Dowager¡¯s mood. At that time, none of us can bear the me.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not believe that Empress Dowager Deng would be angry without her. Noble Consort Shu must have expected her to refuse and deliberately asked the young eunuch to use the title of Empress Dowager to suppress her. She could reject Noble Consort Shu, but she had to give the Empress Dowager respect. Yu Niaoniao let out a long sigh and said helplessly. ¡°Since you insist on me going, I¡¯ll go. However, let me say this first. If I fall sick halfway, don¡¯t me me for disturbing everyone¡¯s mood in admiring the flowers.¡± The young eunuch hurriedly said, ¡°Of course not. There are so many imperial physicians in the pce. If you¡¯re sick, there will be many imperial physicians to treat you. I guarantee that you¡¯lle back healthy.¡± Knowing that Yu Niaoniao was going to the pce tomorrow, Granny Xiu Yan and Meng Xizhou were quite worried. Since there were no outsiders in the room, Meng Xizhou had no qualms about speaking. ¡°That Noble Consort Shu must be up to no good!¡± Yu Niaoniao threw up her hands. ¡°I know that too, but she¡¯s already brought up the Empress Dowager. I can¡¯t refuse.¡± Meng Xizhou said, ¡°I¡¯ll apany you to the pce tomorrow. I¡¯ll protect you.¡± Granny Xiu Yan was worried. ¡°There are many rules in the pce. As long as Noble Consort Shu makes a small n, she can send you away. At that time, the princess consort will be alone and will find it difficult to protect herself.¡± Looking at their worried expressions, Yu Niaoniao smiled andforted them. ¡°Don¡¯t put on a bitter face. Since Noble Consort Shu dared to invite me into the pce openly, she won¡¯t do anything to me in the pce. Otherwise, if anything happens to me, the entire world will know that she did it. Is she that stupid?¡± When Meng Xizhou and Granny Xiu Yan heard her words, they felt that they made sense and were slightly relieved. Although Yu Niaoniao said that, she was actually not optimistic. Noble Consort Shu had plotted against her before. As the saying went, with the first, there would be a second time. The possibility of it happening again was very high. Even if the emperor would pursue itter, it would only be to make up for things that had happened. It would not be of much use. In order to ensure her safety, Yu Niaoniao decided to put on the crossbow that Xiao Juan had specially made for her. In addition, she specially asked Lo Pingsha for some powder. This powder was very stimting. As long as it touched the skin directly, it would make one itch. If it touched the eyes, it might even make them blind. Previously, in Liaodong County, Yu Niaoniao had used it to deal with the assassins who ambushed her. The effect was very good. She had specially named this powder itching powder. At night, the bridal escort team found a courier station to rest. The station officials prepared a sumptuous dinner for them. Xiao Juan did not eat much. He only sat at the table for a while before returning to his room to rest. He still had to get up early tomorrow. After washing up, he prepared to go to bed. At this moment, Princess Tao Ran, who lived next door, suddenly screamed in fear. Xiao Juan immediately put on his coat, picked up the No Return Saber, and quickly rushed out. When he kicked open the door and rushed into Princess Tao Ran¡¯s room, he found her shouting in the corner. ¡°A rat just ran past!¡± So it was just a rat. Xiao Juan sheathed his saber and strode over to take a look. He did not see any rats. However, just in case, he still got someone to call the officials at the courier station and get them to help change Princess Tao Ran¡¯s room. The official was in a difficult position. ¡°To be honest, our temple is small and our rooms are limited. Now that they¡¯re all full, we can¡¯t spare a room for Princess Tao Ran for the time being.¡± Princess Tao Ran whispered, ¡°If you really can¡¯t, I can stay in Duke Lang¡¯s room. ¡± Xiao Juan agreed without thinking. ¡°Sure.¡± Princess Tao Ran was stunned before she was overjoyed. Xiao Juan agreed so readily. He definitely wanted to live with her. Unexpectedly, in the next moment, she heard Xiao Juan continue. ¡°My room is vacated for Princess Tao Ran. I¡¯ll sleep in the carriage outside.¡± The joy in Princess Tao Ran¡¯s heart was immediately extinguished. She said hurriedly, ¡°No! The rat has gone away anyway. I can sleep here. There¡¯s no need to change rooms.¡± In the middle of the night, Xiao Juan could not be bothered to do anything else. He nodded when he heard her say that. ¡°Then that¡¯s it. Your Highness, rest well. We¡¯ll take our leave first.¡± Princess Tao Ran stopped him. ¡°Brother MO Zhu, please wait. I still have something to tell you.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Princess Tao Ran looked at the others. Everyone understood and tactfully retreated. Soon, only Princess Tao Ran and Xiao Juan were left in the room. Princess Tao Ran walked to the table and picked up the teapot to pour tea. ¡°Brother MO Zhu, it¡¯s been hard on you to run around in the middle of the night. Hurry up and drink a cup of tea.¡± She handed the teacup to Xiao Juan, her eyes filled with anticipation. Xiao Juan took the teacup, but he did not drink it. Instead, he ced it back on the table. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m not thirsty. If you have anything to say, just say it.¡± Disappointment shed in Princess Tao Ran¡¯s eyes. She sat at the table, picked up the silver shears, and fiddled with the wick of the oilmp. ¡°We grew up together and can be considered childhood sweethearts. With our rtionship, there¡¯s really no need for you to be so polite.¡± Xiao Juan still looked cold. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, Princess, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± With that, he turned around and left. Princess Tao Ran put down the silver scissors. ¡°Stop!¡± Xiao Juan ignored her and walked straight towards the door. Just as he reached for the door to pull it open, he suddenly felt someone approaching behind him. He subconsciously bent his right hand and mmed his elbow back. There was a painful grunt. Then there was the sound of someone falling to the ground. Xiao Juan turned around and saw Princess Tao Ran hugging her chest and curling up on the ground. Her face was twisted in pain. She had wanted to hug Xiao Juan from behind when he was not paying attention. In the end, she received an elbow strike. As someone who practiced martial arts all year round, Xiao Juan was far stronger than ordinary people. He almost broke Princess Tao Ran¡¯s ribs. Xiao Juan frowned at her. ¡°Did you want to ambush me just now?¡± Princess Tao Ran was already in extreme pain. When she heard Xiao Juan¡¯s question, she almost vomited blood. Was he speaking humannguage? She, a weak woman, had taken the initiative to throw herself at him, but he actually treated it as a sneak attack! Was there something wrong with this man¡¯s brain? Princess Tao Ran resisted the urge to vomit blood and gritted her teeth. Chapter 362 Chapter 362: A Good Opportunity Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan was skeptical. ¡°Since it¡¯s not a sneak attack, why did you rush over from behind?¡± Princess Tao Ran was angry and aggrieved. She said fiercely, ¡°I have nothing better to do. I want to see if I can pick you up from behind. Can¡¯t I?¡± Xiao Juan said firmly, ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m a married man, and you¡¯re about to marry the Emperor of the Chen Nation. We have to keep a distance from each other and not cross any lines.¡± Princess Tao Ran no longer had the strength to say anything to him. She said tiredly, ¡°I¡¯m tired. Go back first.¡± Xiao Juan opened the door and walked out, instructing the maidservant who was waitinz outside, ¡°Princess Tao Ran seems to be iniured. Get the Dhvsician to take a look at her.¡± The maid was surprised. ¡°Why is the princess injured?¡± Xiao Juan did not answer and walked away. He returned to his room, ced the No Return Saber at the head of the bed, took off his outerwear, and went to bed. The next morning, Yu Niaoniao finished dressing up. Chun Feng wanted to put rouge on her face, but she refused. ¡°That¡¯ll do.¡± Chun Feng looked at her fair face and hesitated. ¡°But you don¡¯t look very good now.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at her cheeks in the mirror. She only applied foundation makeup, but there was no rouge or lip gloss, making her entire face look pale. She smiled, pleased with this. ¡°That¡¯s the effect I want.¡± Chun Feng did not understand, but she did not ask further. There were many things that servants like her should not know. Yu Niaoniao took a carriage to the pce with Meng Xizhou protecting her. Coincidentally, they met Wei Liao by the pce gate. After the past few days of adjustment, his mood improved a lot. At least he looked the same as usual. He sized Yu Niaoniao up unscrupulously, his tone very yful. ¡°The Princess Consort of Lang County doesn¡¯t look well today. Don¡¯t tell me she fell sick because she misses Duke Lang?¡± Yu Niaoniao pressed her hand to her heart and coughed lightly. She deliberately said in an affected tone. ¡°Yes, I haven¡¯t been feeling well for the past two days. You¡¯d better stay away from me, in case anything happens to meter and I have to me you.¡± Wei Liao sneered and said mockingly, ¡°That¡¯s true. You¡¯re the apple of Duke Lang¡¯s eye. If anything happens, I won¡¯t be able to bear the responsibility.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then please make way, Vice General Wei. You¡¯re in our way.¡± Wei Liao turned to the side and made way. Yu Niaoniao walked past him with Meng Xizhou. Wei Liao stood there and watched them leave. He looked at Yu Niaoniao¡¯s back thoughtfully. ¡°Why did the Princess Consort of Lang County enter the pce today?¡± The Imperial Guard in charge of guarding the empty door answered truthfully, ¡°Noble Consort Shu is holding a flower appreciation banquet in the pce today and invited all the princess consorts in the capital to the pce to admire the flowers and drink tea. I heard that the Empress Dowager will also attend.¡± Wei Liao stroked his chin. He remembered that the Princess Consort of Lang County and Noble Consort Shu did not have a good rtionship. Logically speaking, Noble Consort Shu would not invite the Princess Consort of Lang County to the pce as a guest. Now that the Prince of Lang County had just left, Noble Consort Shu called the Princess Consort of Lang County into the pce. Could there be a conspiracy? But none of this had anything to do with him. He was more concerned about something else.. A few days ago, the emperor had ordered a thorough investigation of all the people in the pce and found several missing pce servants. Wei Liao was in charge of investigating their whereabouts. After some investigation, he realized that there was something wrong with a pce maid called the Yunque. Yunque was originally an embroiderer in the Weaving Division. Because of her outstanding embroidery skills, she was transferred to the Startling Pce. Coincidentally, she was from the same hometown as Wang Cai. Although he had not found any evidence, with Wei Liao¡¯s experience in handling cases, he felt that the disappearance of Yunque and Wang Cai¡¯s death was rted to the Starling Pce. Originally, Wei Liao had been vexed. What should he do to find out the truth about the Startling Pce? Now, an opportunity hade knocking on his door. Noble Consort Shu was busy entertaining the princess consorts today. There would definitely not be many people in the Startling Pce. It was a good opportunity to sneak in and investigate! Wei Liao made up his mind. He turned around and walked into the pce. The Sky Wolf Guards following behind were stunned and hurriedly asked. ¡°Where are you going, sir?¡± Wei Liao replied without looking back, ¡°I have something to do. You guys go back first.¡± Today¡¯s flower appreciation banquet was set in the imperial garden. When Yu Niaoniao arrived, almost all the other princess consorts were present. Everyone was talking in groups. When they saw the Princess Consort of Lang County appear, their voices fell silent. Yu Niaoniao was used to this. She pretended to be sick and found a ce to sit down and rest. At this moment, a line of words seemed to be written on her forehead: I¡¯m sick. Please don¡¯t approach! Indeed, no one had any intention of approaching her. They were all secretly observing her, wanting to see what was wrong with the Princess Consort of Lang County today. Why did she look so pale? Soon, Noble Consort Shu and Empress Dowager Deng arrived. Everyone stood up and bowed to the two of them. Noble Consort Shu helped Empress Dowager Deng sit at the head of the table. Empress Dowager Deng¡¯s smile was very kind. ¡°Dispense with the ceremony. Stop standing. Sit.¡± The princess consorts sat down and began to praise Empress Dowager Deng and Noble Consort Shu. They poured out pleasant words as if they were free. Only Yu Niaoniao remained silent. Noble Consort Shu asked. ¡°Why isn¡¯t the Princess Consort of Lang County speaking today?¡± Yu Niaoniao stood up and said gently. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I haven¡¯t been feeling well for the past two days. I might have caught a cold by chance. I¡¯m afraid of spreading the disease to you and the Empress Dowager, so I don¡¯t dare to say anything. Please forgive me.¡± Noble Consort Shu looked concerned. ¡°Since you¡¯re sick, you have to rest well. The wind here is strong and you can¡¯t stand the cold. Why don¡¯t you go to the Startling Pce to rest and get the Imperial Physician to take a look at you?¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly waved her hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need to go through so much trouble. I¡¯ve already taken medicine. It¡¯s fine.¡± However, Noble Consort Shu was very insistent on letting Yu Niaoniao rest in the Startling Pce. In the end, even Queen Mother Deng spoke. ¡°Since it¡¯s Noble Consort Shu¡¯s good inten tions, Princess Consort Lang, go and rest. ¡± Once Empress Dowager Deng spoke, how could Yu Niaoniao have the right to refuse? She could only thank her and be carried to the Startling Pce by the sedan. After she left. Noble Consort Shu nced at Liu Zhi. who was following her. Liu Zhi understood and quietly left the Imperial Garden, following the sedan in front. When the sedan was halfway there, Yu Niaoniao spoke to the eunuchs carrying the sedan. ¡°I suddenly remembered that I haven¡¯t paid my respects to the Empress since I entered the pce. Send me to the Fengyi Pce. I have to pay my respects to the Empress first.¡± The eunuchs said awkwardly, ¡°But Noble Consort Shu asked us to send you to the Startling Pce.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll go to the Fengyi Pce first. It¡¯s the same if I go to the Startling Pceter. If Noble Consort Shu mes meter, I¡¯ll bear the responsibility. I won¡¯t implicate you.¡± Hearing her say this, the eunuchs rxed and prepared to change directions to the Fengyi Pce. At this moment, Liu Zhi hurriedly caught up. ¡°Why did you guys changenes?¡± Chapter 363 Chapter 363: Catch Her! Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao sat in the sedan chair without moving. She looked down at the willow branch and asked unhurriedly. ¡°I want to pay my respects to Her Majesty. Is that a problem?¡± Liu Zhi bowed to her before saying. ¡°But Her Highness has already instructed me to let you rest in the Startling Pce first. If you go somewhere else halfway, Her Highness will interrogate uster. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t bear the responsibility. I hope Your Highness can understand and not make things difficult for us.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯ve already said that if Her Highness mes me, I¡¯ll bear the responsibility. It has nothing to do with you.¡± Liu Zhi smiled bitterly. ¡°Although that¡¯s the case, Her Highness has always been a woman of her word. She won¡¯t let us off easily just because of you.¡± At this point, she deliberately nced at the eunuchs in charge of carrying the sedan chair with a wary gaze. The eunuchs shuddered at the thought of Noble Consort Shu¡¯s methods of dealing with people. They did not dare to take any chances and immediately carried the carriage towards the Startling Pce. Yu Niaoniao shouted, ¡°Stop!¡± However, the eunuchs did not listen to her. The sedan did not stop for a moment. Yu Niaoniao made up her mind and jumped up from the sedan chair to the ground. When shended, she rolled and lost most of her strength. Her dress and the pearl hairpin on her head became messy, but she couldn¡¯t care less. She got up and ran. The eunuchs were shocked by her actions and stopped hurriedly. Liu Zhi looked at Yu Niaoniao¡¯s back and said expressionlessly. ¡°Get her!¡± Two figures darted out from the shadows. They used Qinggong and were as fast as lightning. In the blink of an eye, they caught up to Yu Niaoniao. Sensing someone aDDroachinz from behind. Yu Niaoniao hurriedlv took out the itching powder she carried with her and sprinkled it behind her. The white powder dissipated in the air. The two people in charge of the pursuit did not expect her to have such a move. Caught off guard, they were pped in the face by the powder. They immediately felt an itch on their faces, and their eyes burned. They could not open them. Yu Niaoniao took the opportunity to speed up and distance herself from them. In a moment, she was far away. Seeing this, Liu Zhi knew that something was wrong. She rushed to Noble Consort Shu to report this matter. When Noble Consort Shu found out that Yu Niaoniao had run away, she was naturally in a bad mood. She cursed her for being useless. If she couldn¡¯t even do such a small thing, what was the point of raising them? However, now was not the time to pursue the matter. The most important thing was to capture Yu Niaoniao as soon as possible and not let her return to Langjun Imperial Pce safely. Noble Consort Shu pretended to be anxious and said to Empress Dowager Deng. ¡°Something bad has happened. The Princess Consort of Lang County suddenly lost her mind and ran away!¡± Empress Dowager Deng was very surprised. ¡°Why would the Princess Consort of Lang County have hysteria for no reason?¡± Noble Consort Shu frowned slightly and said worriedly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. Just now, the Princess Consort of Lang County said that she was not feeling well. I was worried about her health and got someone to send her to the Startling Pce to rest.¡± ¡°Unexpectedly, she suddenly started talking nonsense halfway and even shouted that someone wanted to harm her. Liu Zhi could not persuade her.¡± ¡°In the end, not only did the Princess Consort of Lang County jump out of the sedan chair and run away, but she also injured two guards before she left.¡± Empress Dowager Deng frowned. ¡°There¡¯s actually such a thing? Where is the Princess Consort of Lang County now?¡± Noble Consort Shu sighed. ¡°That¡¯s the problem. The Princess Consort of Lang County has disappeared, and I don¡¯t know where she went. I¡¯m very worried about her safety now and want the Imperial Guards to look for her in the pce.¡± ¡°When they find her, they would send her to the Startling Pce. I must exin to her properly that I have no ill intentions towards her not to let her imagination run wild.¡± Queen Mother Deng nodded. ¡°Yes, I know you¡¯re being kind. You don¡¯t have to worry about it. I ordered the Imperial Guards to look for the Princess Consort of Lang County.¡± ¡°After finding her, they would let the Imperial Physician take a good look at her. If there¡¯s really hysteria, he has to treat it well. She can¡¯t avoid treatment.¡± Noble Consort Shu agreed. ¡°Your Highness is right.¡± When Yu Niaoniao entered the Imperial Garden, Meng Xizhou was stopped outside. The reason was that all the people attending the flower appreciation banquet this time were women. In order not to offend them, all men were not allowed to enter. Hence, Meng Xizhou could only stand outside the Imperial Garden and wait. In the end, not long after, the news that the Princess Consort of Lang County had disappeared spread. Meng Xizhou was extremely anxious. He wanted to ask Noble Consort Shu about it, but he did not even see Noble Consort Shu. Liu Zhi asked him to go back first. She would send someone to inform him after finding the Princess Consort. ¡°Our Princess Consort is a living person. How can she disappear just like that? Did you do something to her? Return the Princess Consort!¡± Liu Zhi¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Watch your words. The Princess Consort of Lang County ran away on her own. It has nothing to do with us. If you talk nonsense again, don¡¯t me us for being rude to you.¡± Meng Xizhou clenched his fists. He wanted to punch her, but logic told him that this was the pce, not the Justice Department. If he attacked someone in the pce, not only would he not be able to find the Princess Consort of Lang County, but he might also lose himself. The gains would not make up for the losses. He could only force himself to calm down. Now that Duke Lang was not in the capital, it was impossible for him to deal with Noble Consort Shu alone. The most important thing now was to find the Princess Consort of Lang County as soon as possible. The rest could wait until Duke Lang returned. ¡°I said something wrong just now. I don¡¯t mean anything else. I just want to find the Princess Consort of Lang County as soon as possible. Can you let me stay in the pce to help find her? One more person and one more power will make it faster to locate the Princess Consort of Lang County.¡± Liu Zhi¡¯s attitude was very strong. ¡°You¡¯re not from the pce. ording to the pce rules, you can¡¯t stay in the pce for a long time. This is not appropriate. Please leave the pce immediately. Now that the Imperial Guards have been searching the pce, I believe they¡¯ll find the Princess Consort of Lang County soon. She¡¯ll definitely be fine.¡± Meng Xizhou wanted to say something else, but Liu Zhi did not want to waste her breath on him anymore. She turned around and left. Meng Xizhou tried to chase after her, but he was stopped by two guards. The two Imperial Guards sent Meng Xizhou out of the pce almostpulsively. At the same time, Yu Niaoniao was running for her life. The roads in the pce wereplicated. Fortunately, Yu Niaoniao had a photographic memory. She had memorized the route she had taken when she came. Now, she could leave the pce as long as she returned along the way. But halfway there, she met the Imperial Guards who hade to look for her. Yu Niaoniao thought that they could send her out of the pce and was quite happy. In the end, they wanted to send her to the Startling Pce; they insisted that she was suffering from serious hysteria and wanted to treat her. How could Yu Niaoniao agree? She took advantage of the situation and ran away again. However, her luck was too bad. She had just escaped from the Imperial Guards when she turned around and met Wei Liao again. Wei Liao had juste out of the Startling Pce. He could not find any useful clues from the Startling Pce and was troubled. He did not expect to bump into Yu Niaoniao when he looked up.. Chapter 364 Chapter 364: Deal! Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios As soon as Yu Niaoniao saw Wei Liao, she cursed her bad luck. Why did she have to meet him?! She turned and ran back, only to see the group of Imperial Guardsing after her. She was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. She was in a real dilemma. Wei Liao also noticed the Imperial Guards rushing over. A yful smile appeared on his face. ¡°What have you done to attract so many people?¡± Yu Niaoniao weighed the pros and cons in her heart. There were many Imperial Guards, but Wei Liao was alone. Inparison, Wei Liao was easier to deal with. So she made a prompt decision and pushed Wei Liao hard, causing him to take two steps back. And she took two steps forward. They ducked into the corner. There were trees to the side as cover. As long as they didn¡¯t get close, the guards couldn¡¯t see them. However, Wei Liao did not want her to get what she wanted. He deliberately said, ¡°Tsk tsk, what are you doing? Do you want me to cover up for you? Then you¡¯re thinking too much. I¡¯m deeply indebted to the emperor. I¡¯ll never do anything to cover up for a suspect.¡± With that, he pretended to call the Imperial Guards over. Yu Niaoniao pressed one hand on his chest and raised the other, revealing the small crossbow hidden in her wide sleeve. She aimed the arrow at Wei Liao¡¯s neck and whispered. ¡°If you move, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Wei Liao narrowed his eyes. ¡°This thing is very dangerous. If you¡¯re not careful, you¡¯ll hurt yourself.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly attacked. He grabbed her right wrist and wrenched it out. With his other hand, he grabbed her neck and pressed her against the wall. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s back hurt. She had no martial arts, so even if she had a weapon, she was no match for Wei Liao. Moreover, her original intention was not to kill Wei Liao. If acting tough didn¡¯t work, she could only use the soft approach. Yu Niaoniao endured the pain and spoke with difficulty. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know who Master Wang at the Vige Entrance is? I know him. I can tell you his identity, but you have to promise me one thing.¡± Hearing this, Wei Liao rxed his grip slightly. He asked skeptically, ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I have Master Wang¡¯s draft. He gave it to me. It¡¯s at my house. I can show it to you.¡± Seeing how confident she was, Wei Liao couldn¡¯t help but believe her. ¡°What if you can¡¯t produce the draft if I follow you to the Langjun Imperial Pce?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I can write a contract. If I can¡¯t take out the draft, I¡¯ll let you do whatever you want!¡± Seeing that she had even said such a thing, Wei Liao was finally willing to let go of her. He raised his hand to pull out the golden hairpin on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s head and waved it in front of her. ¡°If you can¡¯t take out the draft, I¡¯ll sell your golden hairpin. At the same time, I¡¯ll tell everyone in the Imperial Capital that you gave me this golden hairpin. As for what others will think of your rtionship with me, that¡¯s none of my business. ¡± Yu Niaoniao rubbed her neck and cursed inwardly. This person was really cunning! Wei Liao put away the golden hairpin. ¡°Tell me, what do you want me to help you with?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Escort me back to the Langjun Imperial Pce.¡± Coincidentally, Wei Liao was going back with her to get the draft. Hearing this, he agreed without thinking. ¡°Deal! ¡± At this moment, the Imperial Guards were very close. If they came a little closer, they would be able to see the two of them. Wei Liao tidied up his appearance and strode out from the corner. He deliberately looked curious when he saw the Imperial Guards. ¡°What are so many of you doing?¡± The leadinglmperial Guard replied, ¡°The Princess Consort of Lang County had a hysteria attack and has gone somewhere. The Empress Dowager ordered us to find her as soon as possible. I wonder if Vice General Wei has seen the Princess Consort of Lang County? Wei Liao was very surprised. ¡°There¡¯s actually such a thing? No wonder I saw her in a hurry just now, as if she was hiding from someone.¡± The Imperial Guard hurriedly asked, ¡°You¡¯ve seen the Princess Consort of Lang County? Where is she?¡± Wei Liao raised his chin in the other direction. ¡°I saw her run that way. If you chase her now, you might still be able to catch up.¡± ¡°Thank you, Vice General Wei!¡± The Imperial Guards immediately chased after Wei Liao. After a while, they disappeared. Wei Liao turned to Yu Niaoniao and said. ¡°Stop hiding. They¡¯re gone.¡± Yu Niaoniao carefully stuck her head out. After confirming that they were gone, she mustered her courage and walked out. Wei Liao looked her up and down. ¡°They said you were suffering from hysteria. Are you really sick?¡± Yu Niaoniao rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You¡¯re the sick one. Your entire family is sick!¡± Not only was Wei Liao not angry, he even smiled. ¡°How dare you argue with me at a time like this? Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll sell you out now?¡± Yu Niaoniao obediently shut her mouth. Now that she had a favor to ask, she would endure it for the time being. She would slowly settle her personal grudges in the future. Seeing that she had be obedient, Wei Liao was very satisfied. ¡°You¡¯re fine like this. Please keep it up.¡± Yu Niaoniao urged, ¡°Cut the crap and leave.¡± Wei Liao narrowed his eyes. ¡°Say that again.¡± Yu Niaoniao took a deep breath and smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°Young Master Wei, as the saying goes, time is precious. Your time is more precious than gold. How can you waste it casually? Let¡¯s set off quickly while the sun is shining.¡± Wei Liao smiled in satisfaction. ¡®Very good. Let¡¯s go now.¡± As soon as he turned around, Yu Niaoniao immediately stopped smiling and made a face at his back. As if there were eyes behind his head, Wei Liao suddenly turned around! Yu Niaoniao quickly put away her funny face and smiled like ackey. ¡°Does Young Master Wei have any other instructions?¡± Wei Liao looked at her but didn¡¯t see anything wrong, so he turned back. Yu Niaoniao was afraid that he would turn around again. This time, she became obedient and did not cause trouble again. Wei Liao was very familiar with the terrain of the pce. With him leading the way, Yu Niaoniao sessfully avoided all the Imperial Guards and arrived near the pce gate. Wei Liao found a set of eunuch clothes for Yu Niaoniao to change into. She disguised herself as a young eunuch and followed Wei Liao with her head lowered. As the two of them passed by the pce gate, the guard guarding the door suddenly stopped them and asked. ¡°Which pce is this eunuch from? Why are you leaving the pce? Please show me your waist token.¡± Yu Niaoniao took off her waist token and handed it over. She deliberately pinched her throat and spoke. ¡°I¡¯m from the Internal Affairs Division. I¡¯m under Eunuch Wei¡¯s orders to buy some daily necessities for Young Master Wei.¡± Everyone in the pce knew that Wei Liao was Wei Huai¡¯en¡¯s godson. Although Wei Huai¡¯en was in the pce, he would often send someone to contact Wei Huai¡¯en. Therefore, the guards guarding the door did not suspect much. After confirming that there was no problem with the waist token, they let her through. Yu Niaoniao lowered her head the entire time. She was so nervous that she did not even dare to breathe. It was only after leaving the pce and beingpletely out of the guards¡¯ sight, that Yu Niaoniao dared to look up and let out a long breath. She had finally escaped! Chapter 365 Chapter 365: Payment and Delivery Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Meng Xizhou rushed back to the Langjun Imperial Pce and told Granny Xiu Yan that the Princess Consort of Lang County had disappeared from the pce. Granny Xiu Yan was anxious, but there was nothing she could do. Now that Duke Lang was not in the pce, with her status, it was difficult for her to even enter the pce, let alone ask Noble Consort Shu for him. In the end, she had no choice but to think of a n. ¡°Prepare the carriage. I¡¯m going to the Yu family.¡± Meng Xizhou quickly reacted. ¡°You want to ask Yu Kangtai for help?¡± Granny Xiu Yan nodded. ¡°Yes, although he doesn¡¯t have a good rtionship with the County Princess, he¡¯s still her father. He can¡¯t just watch something happen to her, right?¡± Actually, she did not want to look for Yu Kangtai, but she really had no choice now. She could only risk it to beg Yu Kangtai. Meng Xizhou hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± They hurried out. In the end, they bumped into Yu Niaoniao and Wei Liao at the entrance. The two sides met and were stunned. Granny Xiu Yan was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Princess Consort! You¡¯re back!¡± Meng Xizhou was also extremely excited. He spoke incoherently. ¡°They all said that you were gone. We were worried sick. Fortunately, you¡¯re fine.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Let¡¯s go in and talk.¡± Granny Xiu Yan hurriedly replied, ¡°Okay, okay, okay. Let¡¯s go in first.¡± They entered the central room. Yu Niaoniao roughly exined her experience. Meng Xizhou was furious. ¡°Noble Consort Shu is too arrogant. She dares to harm you in broad daylight.¡± Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°She dared to be so fearless because Duke Lang is not in the capital. When Duke Lang returns, she¡¯ll suffer.¡± Wei Liao put down his teacup and said slowly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid your Duke Lang might not be able to return.¡± They all looked at him. Meng Xizhou red at him. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? You¡¯re not allowed to curse Duke Lang!¡± Yu Niaoniao stared at Wei Liao and asked. ¡°Do you know something?¡± Wei Liao spread his hands. ¡°What can I know? I was just guessing. Noble Consort Shu is not stupid. She must know that Duke Lang won¡¯t let her off when he returns. Since she dares to attack you so openly, it means that she¡¯s confident in ensuring that Duke Lang won¡¯t return.¡± Meng Xizhou was unwilling to believe it. ¡°This is all your one-sided story!¡± Wei Liao continued, ¡°Haven¡¯t you been investigating Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s murder? I guess you¡¯ve recently found out about Noble Consort Shu. If she wants to secure her own interests, she¡¯ll definitely make a move.¡± Yu Niaoniao connected what had happened recently. Originally, she found it strange. Why did they choose Xiao Juan to escort Princess Tao Ran? From the looks of it, Noble Consort Shu might have a role in this. Yu Niaoniao was deep in thought. ¡°Noble Consort Shu first sent Duke Lang away before attacking me. What¡¯s her goal? I¡¯m just a weak woman. What good will it do her to capture me?¡± Wei Liao asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s thoughts raced. ¡°Noble Consort Shu¡¯s greatest target has always been Duke Lang. She probably attacked me for him because she could threaten him with me...¡± At this point, she suddenly stood up and her expression turned ugly. ¡°Duke Lang is in danger!¡± Seeing that she was about to rush out, Wei Liao grabbed her arm and reminded her. ¡°You haven¡¯t shown me the sketch.¡± Yu Niaoniao could only endure it and instruct Granny Xiu Yan. ¡°Go get the draft from my room and get someone to give me a fast horse and dry food. I have to find Duke Lang.¡± Granny Xiu Yan hurriedly went to do it. Yu Niaoniao then said to Meng Xizhou, ¡°Go to the Justice Department and choose a few trustworthy Eagle Guards to support Duke Lang with me.¡± Meng Xizhou still had a trace of hope. ¡®With Duke Lang¡¯s skills and experience, he must have been on guard long ago. He probably won¡¯t let the Chen Nation¡¯s diplomatic mission and Princess Tao Ran seed.¡± Yu Niaoniao said in a low voice, ¡°But what if Duke Lang finds out that I was captured by Noble Consort Shu? Will he give up resisting to save my life?¡± Meng Xizhou said, ¡°But you¡¯re fine now.¡± ¡°But Duke Lang doesn¡¯t know. He can only take a chance. Do you think he¡¯ll risk betting that I¡¯m fine? Or will he sacrifice himself to ensure my safety?¡± Meng Xizhou could not answer. If it were in the past, Duke Lang would definitely not risk his life for others. But it was different now. From the way Duke Lang usually interacted with the Princess Consort, it could be seen that he valued her very much. Even if there was a chance that she would be harmed, he would not dare to take the risk. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°We have to find Duke Lang as soon as possible and let him know that I¡¯m safe.¡± This concerned the safety of Duke Lang. Meng Xizhou did not dare to hesitate anymore and immediately did as Yu Niaoniao instructed. Yu Niaoniao turned around and saw Wei Liao looking at her with a faint smile. Although this guy was not a good person, he had indeed helped today. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Thank you for today.¡± Wei Liao had been disliked since he was young. No one had ever sincerely thanked him. He did not expect to hear a thank you from Yu Niaoniao. His long eyebrows raised slightly as he reminded her. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can get away with it just by saying thank you. I still have your golden hairpin. Don¡¯t try to y tricks on me.¡± Yu Niaoniao rolled her eyes. She had to be out of her mind to thank him. Soon, Granny Xiu Yan brought the draft she wanted. Yu Niaoniao first flipped through the drafts to confirm that there was no signature on them before saying to Wei Liao. ¡°The drawing is here. Return my golden hairpin.¡± Wei Liao took out the golden hairpin from his pocket. ¡°Payment on one hand and delivery on the other.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± They handed over what they were holding at the same time. Yu Niaoniao held one end of the golden hairpin, but she realized that she could not pull it out no matter what. She could not help but speak. ¡°Let go.¡± Wei Liao pulled the other end of the sketch towards him and said. ¡°Let go first.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°At a time like this, you still refuse to believe me.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡®You don¡¯t believe me!¡± The two of them looked at each other and understood that their trust in each other was negative. If this stalemate continued, who knew when it would end? Finally, Yu Niaoniao made a suggestion. ¡°I¡¯ll count to three, two, and one. When I reach thest count, we¡¯ll let go at the same time.¡± Wei Liao agreed. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll start counting. Three, two, one!¡± They released their fingers almost at the same time. Yu Niaoniao quickly retreated with the golden hairpin. Wei Liao eagerly flipped through the draft. These were just the first drafts. They were very scribbled and there were many areas where they had been painted and modified. However, from theposition and line style, it could be seen that these were indeed the manuscripts of Master Wang from the Vige Entrance. It seemed that Yu Niaoniao was not lying. She really knew Master Wang at the Vige Entrance! ¡°Tell me quickly, who is Master Wang at the Vige Entrance?¡± He waited for an answer. Wei Liao looked up at Yu Niaoniao, only to see that she had long disappeared.. Chapter 366 Chapter 366: It¡¯s a Deal Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios When Wei Liao chased after her, he saw that Yu Niaoniao had already mounted her horse. He roared at the top of his lungs. ¡°You haven¡¯t told me who Master Wang is at the Vige Entrance.¡± ¡°Master Wang is me!¡± After saying this, Yu Niaoniao swung the reins hard and rode away. Wei Liao stood rooted to the ground in disbelief. Master Wang was the Princess Consort of Lang County? How was that possible? Impossible! She must be fooling him! Wei Liao had lived for so long, but he had always been the one to fool others. There had never been a precedent of him being fooled. He could not swallow this anger no matter what. Coincidentally, his horse was parked nearby. He immediately mounted his horse and chased after Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao rode to the Justice Department. After meeting up with Meng Xizhou and the others, she rushed toward the east city gate without stopping. Wei Liao chased after them on his horse, finally catching up to Yu Niaoniao and the others near the east city gate. Yu Niaoniao was queuing up to leave the city. When she saw Wei Liao chasing after her, she expressed her confusion. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Wei Liao asked in exasperation, ¡°You just said that you¡¯re Master Wang at the Vige Entrance. Are you ying with me?¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked. ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± Wei Liao asked, ¡°What evidence do you have to prove that you¡¯re telling the truth?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Can¡¯t those drafts I gave you be used as evidence?¡± Wei Liao was speechless. Meng Xizhou reminded her, ¡°Princess Consort, it¡¯s our turn.¡± The people in the queue in front had already left the city. Now, it was Yu Niaoniao and the others¡¯ turn. After Meng Xizhou revealed his identity as an Eagle Guard, the city guards immediately let him through. Yu Niaoniao did not have time to argue with Wei Liao anymore and left the city with Meng Xizhou and the others. To Yu Niaoniao¡¯s surprise, Wei Liao actually followed her out of the city. She had to reiterate. ¡°I¡¯m really not lying to you. If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll draw in front of you when I get back. Will that do?¡± Wei Liao retorted without thinking, ¡®What if you don¡¯te back?¡± Yu Niaoniaoughed in anger. ¡°I¡¯ve just set off and you¡¯re cursing me to death?!¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°This is just in case.¡± Yu Niaoniao was focused on finding Xiao Juan and was not in the mood to bicker with him. She said, ¡°Forget it if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± With that, she rode away. Meng Xizhou and the others followed closely behind. Wei Liao chased after her without thinking. He chased her all day. When it was dark, Yu Niaoniao saw that Wei Liao was still following behind and felt a headache. ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Before I confirm if you¡¯re Master Wang, you can¡¯t leave my line of sight. If you die, I¡¯ll suffer a huge loss.¡± Yu Niaoniao was really convinced. If this guy was in modern society, he would be a die-hard stalker fan! He would do anything to chase after her. Anyway, the road was for all to use. She couldn¡¯t forbid others from passing through here. She could only let him. The night was dark and windy, and the mountain path was not easy to walk on. Moreover, the horses needed to rest. Yu Niaoniao and the others could only stop to wash and rest for a while and eat something to replenish their strength. Yu Niaoniao and the others had brought dry food and water, but Wei Liao had decided to leave the city at thest minute and did not bring anything to eat. Seeing that he was sitting by the roadside without moving, Yu Niaoniao could not help but ask. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to find something to eat?¡± It was not convenient to hunt at night, but he should be able to find some wild fruits. Wei Liao said, ¡°What if I go looking for food and you take the opportunity to escape?¡± Yu Niaoniao said as she ate. ¡°I¡¯m going to find Duke Lang anyway. As long as you follow the route to the Chen Nation, you¡¯ll definitely be able to find me.¡± Wei Liao asked, ¡°What if you¡¯re attacked halfway and killed?¡± Yu Niaoniao bit off a piece of pie and said angrily, ¡°Can¡¯t you wish me well?!¡± Wei Liao looked her up and down. His tone was disdainful as he said, ¡°Look at you. You don¡¯t know any martial arts. It¡¯s easy for others to kill you.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you die, but you have to tell me the true identity of Master Wang at the Vige Entrance before you die.¡± Yu Niaoniao was very curious. ¡°Why do you have to find Master Wang at the Vige Entrance?¡± Wei Liao asked, ¡°If you¡¯re really Master Wang from the Vige Entrance, you should know very well why I insisted on finding you, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled guiltily. ¡°Haha, pretend I didn¡¯t ask.¡± Wei Liao stared at her face and asked, ¡°Are you really Master Wang from the Vige Entrance?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Liao stood up and walked towards her. From the looks of it, he had ill intentions. Yu Niaoniao immediately went on guard. ¡®What are you doing?¡± Meng Xizhou and the other five Eagle Guards also leaned over to prevent Wei Liao from harming the Princess Consort of Lang County. Wei Liao stopped a step away from Yu Niaoniao. He stared at Yu Niaoniao and asked. ¡°If you¡¯re really Master Wang at the Vige Entrance, tell me, how did Little Mute do after the princess returned? Did the princess choose her first love and abandon Little Mute?¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. She had never expected the other party to look so aggressive and ask such a question. Yu Niaoniao asked carefully. ¡°What do you think?¡± Wei Liao said disdainfully, ¡°With Her Highness¡¯ scumbag attribute, she will definitely abandon the little mute and choose her first love, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°No, ording to my plot, after the first love appeared, the princess only found a ce to settle him down. She still kept Little Mutepany every day and protected him extremely gently.¡± It was Wei Liao¡¯s turn to be stunned. He did not expect the scumbag princess to turn back. Could this be the power of true love? Wei Liao couldn¡¯t help but look at her in a new light. It seemed that he had wronged her. Although she had been a scumbag in the past, she had changed and be a new person. Wei Liao was interested in the following plot and asked. ¡°What about after that? Would the princess and Little Mute be happy together?¡± Yu Niaoniao rolled her eyes and deliberately kept him in suspense. ¡°If you want to know, you have to agree to one condition.¡± Wei Liao knew that this woman was not that easy to talk to. He sneered. ¡°What do you want me to help you with now?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You have to keep me safe all the way until I find Duke Lang.¡± Wei Liao replied disdainfully, ¡°Are you treating me as a free guard? You look down on me too much.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If I can return to the Imperial Capital safely after finding Duke Lang, I¡¯ll give you another exclusive limited -edition portrait of Little Mute and the princess. There¡¯s also my signature on it. It¡¯s the only one in the world. No other reader has it except you. How about that?¡± Wei Liao was dumbfounded Wei Liao said, ¡°It¡¯s a deal!¡± He didn¡¯t want to agree, but she had put too much on the table.. Chapter 367

Chapter 367: Envy

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios In the Startling Pce, Noble Consort Shu sat in a chair. Her expression was dark and extremely ugly. The pce maids all lowered their heads, not even daring to breathe. The Sixth Prince, Shen Rui, rushed in. ¡®Mother, there was news from the city defense office just now that the Princess Consort of Lang County has already left the Imperial Capital with the Eagle Guards.¡± Noble Consort Shu couldn¡¯t take it anymore and swept the teacup beside her to the ground. ¡°A bunch of trash! You can¡¯t even capture a weak woman with so many people. What are you good for?¡± The teacup fell to the ground and shattered. Tea sttered. The pce maids knelt in fear. Shen Rui advised, ¡°Mother, please calm down. At this point, we can only think of a way to remedy it. Don¡¯t let your anger affect your health.¡± Noble Consort Shu took a deep breath and tried her best to suppress the anger in her heart. She looked at the kneeling Liu Zhi and asked in a low voice. ¡°Where¡¯s the jade pendant you picked up earlier?¡± Liu Zhi quickly took out a butterfly-shaped jade pendant with an apricot-white silk ribbon from her sleeve and handed it over with both hands. ¡°This is a jade pendant that the Princess Consort of Lang County identally dropped during her escape. I put it away. It might be useful.¡± Noble Consort Shu took the butterfly jade pendant and looked at it. Whether it was the workmanship or the texture, this jade pendant was top-notch. The word ¡°Lang¡± was engraved on the back of the jade pendant, enough to prove that it belonged to the Langjun Imperial Pce. She handed the jade pendant to Shen Rui and instructed. ¡°Get someone to send this jade pendant to Han Chengxi. Remember, it has to be fast. In addition, arrange for another group of killers to stop Yu Niaoniao at all costs. I want to see her if she¡¯s alive, or her corpse if she¡¯s dead!¡± Shen Rui¡¯s heart trembled. He knew this was hisst chance. Once they missed it, it would be impossible for them to kill Duke Lang again. In the future, their situation would be even direr. He put away the jade pendant and said solemnly. ¡°I¡¯ll do it now!¡± Time was precious. Yu Niaoniao and the others only rested for a while before setting off again. They followed the official road east. The night gradually passed, and the sky turned bright. They arrived at the courier station at noon. Meng Xizhou said, ¡°Princess Consort, let¡¯s go there to replenish some water and feed the horses.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded in agreement. The group stopped. The Eagle Guards went to feed the horses. Meng Xizhou took his water bag to get water and asked the station officials- ¡°Did you see the convoy escorting Princess Tao Ran pass by here in the past two days?¡± The station official spoke as he filled his water bag. ¡°I saw them. They spent the night here the night beforest. There were especially many people. We were busy.¡± Meng Xizhou asked again, ¡°When did they leave?¡± ¡°They left at dawn yesterday. Calcting the distance, they should be reaching West Peak Mountain soon.¡± Meng Xizhou calcted in his heart. They were a day away from the bridal escort team, but there were many people on the bridal escort team. Their speed would definitely not be too fast. As long as they sped up, they should be able to catch up to the bridal escort team tomorrow night. Wei Liao wanted to sit down and have a cup of tea and rest. Yu Niaoniao was unwilling. She urged. ¡°Hurry up and leave. Don¡¯t waste time.¡± Wei Liao saw that her face was red from the sun, and her hair and body were covered in dust from eating and sleeping in the wind. She looked gray. At this moment, she did not look like a Princess Consort. Instead, she looked more like a country girl. Wei Liao could not help but ask. ¡°Do you have to work so hard?¡± Yu Niaoniao said solemnly, ¡°If I¡¯mte, Duke Lang might die.¡± Wei Liao smiled ambiguously. ¡°How rare. There¡¯s actually someone in this world who will risk her life for Duke Lang. I thought everyone couldn¡¯t wait for him to die.¡± Yu Niaoniao pursed her lips. ¡°There are indeed many people who want him dead, but there are also many people who want him alive. ¡± ¡°For example, me, Meng Xizhou, Granny Xiu Yan, and so many Eagle Guards in the Justice Department...¡± ¡°No matter where he is, as long as he needs us, we will do our best to help him.¡± She wanted Xiao Juan to know that there was not only darkness in his world but also light. Wei Liao looked at her steadily. In the past, he had always found this woman annoying, but now she seemed to be glowing. The light was close to him, but he would never be able to touch it. Wei Liao chuckled again. In a self-deprecating tone, he said, ¡°In the past, I used tough at Duke Lang, thinking he was too pitiful. After doing so much, didn¡¯t he end up infamous? But now, I actually envy him a little.¡± At least when Xiao Juan was in danger, someone would rush to save him. If he were in a dangerous situation, would anyone be willing to risk their lives to save him? The answer was obviously no. Even if Wei Huai¡¯en was his adoptive father, Wei Huai¡¯en would not risk everything for him. In that case, the most pitiful person was actually him. Yu Niaoniao looked at him in confusion, not understanding why he suddenly sighed. Wei Liao had no intention of exining. He stood up and stretched, then went to buy some dry food and water from the station official. The group set off again. The sun¡¯s tip washed out, and the sky gradually darkened. Yu Niaoniao only wanted to find Xiao Juan quickly and had no intention of stopping to rest. They traveled all night. By noon the next day, the horses were panting from exhaustion. Coincidentally, there was a teahouse by the roadside. Meng Xizhou suggested stopping to rest to let the horses catch their breath. Although Yu Niaoniao was anxious, she knew that if she continued to rush, these horses would definitely die of exhaustion, so she agreed to Meng Xizhou¡¯s suggestion. They sat down in the teahouse. The teahouse owner poured them tea enthusiastically and asked what they wanted to eat. Wei Liao picked up his teacup and was about to drink when Yu Niaoniao stopped him. Yu Niaoniao smiled at the boss and asked, ¡°Do you know who we are?¡± The boss of the teahouse said happily, ¡°From the way these officials are dressed, I know they¡¯re the Eagle Guards of the Justice Department. You¡¯re all so travel-worn. You must be tired from the journey. Drink some water. I¡¯ll get you some food.¡± Yu Niaoniao nced at Meng Xizhou. Meng Xizhou understood and pulled out his saber to block the boss¡¯s way. The teahouse owner was shocked. ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m a good citizen. You can¡¯t mess around!¡± Yu Niaoniao shook the teacup in her hand and asked with a faint smile. ¡°If you¡¯re a good citizen, why did you drug our tea?¡± The boss of the teahouse seemed to have been wronged. ¡°Madam, what are you talking about? How would I dare to drug you? You¡¯re wronging me again!¡± Yu Niaoniao ced the teacup heavily on the table. ¡°Since you say you didn¡¯t drug us, drink this cup of tea..¡± Chapter 368

Chapter 368: Instigation

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The other five Eagle Guards surrounded him. One of them handed the teacup to the teahouse owner as if to pour the tea into his mouth. Seeing this scene, the boss of the teahouse could not pretend anymore. He raised his hand and pulled out the knife hidden under the chopping board. He shed fiercely at Meng Xizhou and shouted. ¡°Do it!¡± Several figures appeared from the nearby bushes. They drew their bows and nocked arrows aimed at everyone in the teahouse. Then, several arrows shot at Yu Niaoniao and the others! Meng Xizhou reacted extremely quickly. He dodged the boss¡¯s knife and sent the No Return Saber into his chest. Immediately after, he grabbed the boss¡¯s shoulder and roughly pulled him in front of him as his shield. A few arrows entered the teahouse owner¡¯s body. The teahouse owner didn¡¯t even have time to make a sound before he stopped breathing. At the same time, Wei Liao overturned the table. He pulled Yu Niaoniao behind the table to shield them from all the arrows. The other five Eagle Guards also found cover to avoid being shot by the arrows. Seeing that they were all hiding, the archers stopped shooting for the time being. At a time like this, Wei Liao still did not feel threatened. He was even in the mood to ask questions. ¡°How did you know there was something wrong with the teahouse owner?¡± Meng Xizhou used the boss¡¯s corpse as a shield and moved behind the table bit by bit. When he heard this, he chuckled. ¡°When ordinary people see us Eagle Guards, their legs will go weak from fear. They wish they could dig a hole and hide in it. However, not only was this boss not afraid of us, but he was also so enthusiastic toward us. It¡¯s obvious that there¡¯s a problem.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded in agreement. Wei Liao¡¯s expression wasplicated. He understood the logic, but why did Meng Xizhou look so proud when he said this? They had already been avoided by themoners like snakes and scorpions. What was there to be proud of?! As expected, the Eagle Guards were not normal! Yu Niaoniao reminded him, ¡°They¡¯reing.¡± Everyone looked out carefully. A dozen figures walked out of the forest. They slowly approached the teahouse with sabers, looking like they wanted to eliminate them. Meng Xizhou asked softly, ¡°What should we do?¡± The other party had many people. They did not have the advantage if they fought head-on. Yu Niaoniao pointed at the four wooden pirs of the teahouse. ¡°Break them.¡± Meng Xizhou asked, ¡°And?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Run.¡± This teahouse was very simple. It was just propped up by four wooden pirs and covered with thatch. The moment Meng Xizhou and the others broke the wooden pirs, the thatched roof suddenly copsed! Wei Liao grabbed Yu Niaoniao under his arm and flew out. Meng Xizhou and the other five Eagle Guards also retreated from the teahouse at the same time. After the thatched roofnded, it kicked up clouds of dust, and the thatch flew everywhere. The horses that were originally tied to the teahouse were also frightened and scattered everywhere. The scene was extremely chaotic, and nothing could be seen clearly. When their vision cleared again, Yu Niaoniao and the others had long disappeared. The killers looked at each other, not knowing what to do next. They turned in unison to look at the forest behind them. The Sixth Prince, Shen Rui, walked out of the forest with a dark expression. He said coldly, ¡°They lost their horses. They can¡¯t have gone far. Chase them!¡± The killers put away their weapons, took their horses from the forest, and chased after Yu Niaoniao and the others. The truth was as Shen Rui had expected. Yu Niaoniao and the others did not have horses and could only run on two legs. Even if Wei Liao and the Eagle Guards had Qinggong, there would be a time when their stamina was exhausted. It was impossible for them to outrun trained horses. Soon the killers caught up to them. There were more than twenty masked killers in total, and they were all well-equipped. It was obvious that they were not easy to deal with. They surrounded Yu Niaoniao and the others. Meng Xizhou and the other five Eagle Guards protected Yu Niaoniao, who did not know martial arts, in the middle. Although the assassins had the advantage in numbers, Meng Xizhou and the five Eagle Guards were all superb experts. In addition to Wei Liao, who was a powerful external help, the assassins did not gain any advantage after a round of fighting. Shen Rui, who had been hiding and observing in secret, frowned tightly when he saw this scene. He had thought that more than twenty experienced killers would be more than enough to deal with six Eagle Guards, but he had not expected Wei Liao to appear. Didn¡¯t this guy go against the Eagle Guards at every turn? How did he get here? Shen Rui was very angry, but he also knew that now was not the time to re up. The most important thing was to capture Yu Niaoniao as soon as possible. He could not let her ruin his n! After thinking for a moment, Shen Rui had an idea. He rode out of the shadows. ¡°Stop!¡± The masked killers stopped and stepped aside to make way for Shen Rui. When Yu Niaoniao saw Shen Rui, she was not surprised. Noble Consort Shu would definitely not let the matter rest if she could not capture her in the pce. As Noble Consort Shu¡¯s only son, the Sixth Prince, Shen Rui, would definitely think of a way to help Noble Consort Shu capture her. When Yu Niaoniao decided to look for Xiao Juan, she was already mentally prepared to face pursuit. Shen Rui looked down at them with a rather arrogant expression. ¡°Princess Consort of Lang County, if you don¡¯t want to die,e with us obediently. Don¡¯t resist fruitlessly.¡± Yu Niaoniao retorted, ¡°How do you know that the ones who die in the end won¡¯t be you and Noble Consort Shu?¡± Shen Rui sneered. ¡°You really won¡¯t shed tears until you see the coffin.¡± His pupils darted around as he looked at Wei Liao, who was standing beside Yu Niaoniao. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re hanging out with the Princess Consort of Lang County. I won¡¯t pursue what happened before.¡± ¡°As long as you can leave here now and not interfere in the Princess Consort of Lang County¡¯s matter, I can promise you that after I ascend the throne in the future, I will hand over the entire Justice Department to you.¡± ¡°In the future, your status will be even higher than Duke Lang¡¯s.¡± Hearing this, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. If Shen Rui wanted to instigate Meng Xizhou and the Eagle Guards to defect, she was not afraid at all, because she knew that Meng Xizhou and the Eagle Guards were loyal to Duke Lang and would definitely not fall for it. But Wei Liao was different. As the Vice General of the Sky Wolf Guards, he was already standing opposite Duke Lang. The two of them often fought openly and secretly, and their rtionship was very bad. The only reason he was willing to help her now was because of a little peripheral gift she had promised. Compared to that gift, Shen Rui¡¯s promise was much more tempting. Wei Liao pretended to think seriously. ¡°How can you ensure that you can definitely ascend to the throne?¡± Shen Rui said confidently. ¡°Among the four princes, be it my background or the degree of my father¡¯s love, I¡¯m undoubtedly the number one! My father usually teaches me how to deal with government affairs. He clearly wants to return the throne to me.¡± Wei Liao nodded. ¡°That makes sense..¡± Chapter 369

Chapter 369: Ultimate Move

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The bridal escort team could not find a courier station to stay at tonight and could only sleep in the wilderness. They set up two tents. One was for Princess Tao Ran, and the other was for the Ninth Prince of the Chen Nation, Han Chengxi. The others from the Chen Nation spent the night in the carriage. Xiao Juan arranged for the Eagle Guards to bury the pot and cook. Princess Tao Ran carried a food box to Xiao Juan and said eagerly. ¡°Brother MO Zhu, you should be hungry, right? This is a snack I brought from the pce. It¡¯s delicious. Try it.¡± Xiao Juan refused calmly. ¡°Thank you, but there¡¯s no need.¡± ¡°We¡¯re so familiar with each other. You don¡¯t have to be polite to me.¡± As Princess Tao Ran spoke, she opened the food box, picked up a pastry, and brought it to Xiao Juan¡¯s mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll feed you. Don¡¯t worry. I washed my hands. They¡¯re clean.¡± Xiao Juan raised his hand and mercilessly waved the pastry to the ground. ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not eating.¡± With that, he turned around and walked away. Princess Tao Ran looked at the pastry on the ground and her expression turned extremely ugly. Before she left the pce, Noble Consort Shu had someone send her knockout powder. She thought that as long as she could knock Xiao Juan out, she could pretend to sleep with him. Even if nothing happened between the two of them, it was enough to implicate Xiao Juan. At that time, he could only marry her. In order to make Xiao Juan take the knockout powder, Princess Tao Ran tried her best to coax Xiao Juan to eat along the way. However, be it tea or pastries, as long as it was something she gave him, he would not even touch it. This made all her ns fall through. Princess Tao Ran turned to look at Xiao Juan and realized that he was eating his own dry rations and water. He had been like this all the way, eating only the food he had brought. She heard that Yu Niaoniao had prepared the food for him. Princess Tao Ran¡¯s fingers turned pale as she held the food box. She was crazy with jealousy. The food she gave him was swept to the ground, but the food Yu Niaoniao gave him was savored carefully as if it was a treasure. From this, it could be seen how different their statuses were in his eyes. It was not an exaggeration to say that there was a world of difference. Princess Tao Ran took a deep breath and told herself to calm down. At this point, the knockout powder would definitely not work. She could only use her ultimate move. She was about to return to the tent when she bumped into Han Chengxi. Startled, she stepped back quickly. Han Chengxi reached out to help her. ¡°Are you all right, Your Highness?¡± Princess Tao Ran shook off her hand and said angrily, ¡°Stay away from me!¡± With that, she walked towards the tent. Han Chengxi looked at her slender back and curled his lips into an ambiguous smile. After dinner, Xiao Juan casually found a tree and flew up with Qinggong. He sat on the branch with his back against the trunk and bent one leg over it. He wrapped his arms around the No Return Saber and closed his eyes to rest. By midnight, everyone was asleep. The camp was silent except for the soft rustling of leaves as the evening wind stirred them. Suddenly, Xiao Juan opened his eyes silently. He sat up slightly and raised his hand to push aside the leaves in front of him. He looked down and saw Princess Tao Ran walking out of the tent. She was alone and had no maids or guards. Xiao Juan watched her walk deeper into the forest. Seeing her walk further and further away, Xiao Juan jumped andnded steadily on the ground. He called out to Princess Tao Ran twice. However, Princess Tao Ran acted as if she did not hear him and continued walking. Xiao Juan was in charge of escorting her to the Chen Nation, so he had to ensure her safety along the way. He called over two Eagle Guards who were in charge of the night shift and asked them to follow and take a look. He did not want anything to happen to Princess Tao Ran. The two Eagle Guards chased after Princess Tao Ran. The three of them quickly disappeared into the thick night. Xiao Juan waited for almost half an hour, but he did not see Princess Tao Ran return or the two Eagle Guards. He had a bad feeling. He immediately called everyone in the camp and mobilized them to go out and look for her. Xiao Juan could not stay idle. He personally entered the forest and searched for Princess Tao Ran. Suddenly, he saw a corner of a shirt sh past from the corner of his eye! Xiao Juan immediately used his Qinggong to chase after him. Soon, he caught up to him. The other party was the missing Princess Tao Ran! Xiao Juan grabbed her arm to stop her from running around. ¡°Why are you running around in the middle of the night?!¡± Princess Tao Ran cried until her face was covered in tears. ¡°I feel terrible. I don¡¯t want to go to the Chen Nation. I don¡¯t want to marry an old man. Brother MO Zhu, please take me away!¡± With that, she plunged into Xiao Juan¡¯s arms and hugged his waist tightly, unwilling to let go. A faint fragrance entered Xiao Juan¡¯s nose. Instinctively, he pushed her away. ¡°Stop fooling around! You agreed to the marriage yourself. How can you go back on your word? Go back with me obediently now!¡± Princess Tao Ran refused to give up and pounced on him again. ¡°Brother MO Zhu, I really like you very much. For you, I can do anything. Please take pity on me and stop pushing me away, okay?¡± Xiao Juan took a step back and easily dodged her. She missed and fell to the ground. Xiao Juan had no intention of reaching out to help her. He stood watching her coldly, waiting for her to get up on her own. unexpectedly, sne could not get up ror a long time. Xiao Juan felt that something was wrong. He bent down and reached out to grab Princess Tao Ran¡¯s arm. ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± The night in the mountains was very cold, but Princess Tao Ran was dressed very lightly. She was wearing a tube top dress and a light gauze smock. Through the thin gauze, Xiao Juan could clearly feel that Princess Tao Ran¡¯s temperature was very high. The next moment, he saw Princess Tao Ran look up, revealing a tear-stained face. Her cheeks were abnormally flushed, and her eyes were misty. Her lips were slightly parted, and she kept muttering. She looked drunk, and her body kept squirming. The light muslin smock she was wearing outside slipped off, revealing arge area of snow-white skin. What was worse was that Xiao Juan felt his body heat up. At this point, if he still didn¡¯t know what had happened, he would have wasted all his years of experience working on cases. Xiao Juan quickly let go of Princess Tao Ran¡¯s arm and took two steps back. ¡°What spices are you using?¡± In order to be sure, Princess Tao Ran used almost all the spices Noble Consort Shu had given her. Not only did she sprinkle spices on her clothes, shoes, and socks, but she also soaked herself in spices. She maximized the effect of the spice, but she did not expect it to be so powerful.. Chapter 370 Chapter 370: That¡¯s the Light of the Righteous Path! Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios At this moment, Princess Tao Ran was like boiling oil, and her body was hot. She desperately wanted relief. She reached out and looked at Xiao Juan with pleading eyes. ¡°Brother MO Zhu, give it to me. Please...¡± Xiao Juan frowned. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with your current state. I¡¯ll go find a physician. Don¡¯t move.¡± With that, he turned around and walked away mercilessly. No matter how Princess Tao Ran shouted, he did not turn around. Princess Tao Ran was left alone in the dark forest. At this moment, she really hated Xiao Juan. She hated him for being so heartless. She had already done so much for him, but he still ignored her. The heat in her body was still rising, and the hatred in her heart was eating away at her heart like a poisonous snake. She kept twisting on the ground, crying out in pain. At this moment, Han Chengxi quietly walked to her side. He squatted down and gently stroked Princess Tao Ran¡¯s face. ¡°Such a beautiful woman took the initiative toe to Duke Lang, but he still refused. What a waste.¡± Princess Tao Ran was already confused. She felt her cheek being touched. Immediately, it was as if she was someone She felt her cheek being touched. Immediately, it was as if she was someone who had been thirsty for a long time and had found nectar. She hurriedly grabbed that hand and took the initiative to lean over. She touched the other party with her body and kept calling him Brother MO Zhu. Han Chengxi raised her chin. ¡°Look carefully. I¡¯m not your Brother MO Zhu.¡± Under the hazy moonlight, Princess Tao Ran saw the person in front of her clearly. The other party was actually Han Chengxi. She felt disgusted and wanted to pull her hand away. However, Han Chengxi held her hand tightly. ¡°Little beauty, since Duke Lang doesn¡¯t want you, let me dote on you.¡± Princess Tao Ran shrank back and said in a trembling voice, ¡°What do you want? Don¡¯t do anything rash. I¡¯m the princess of Dayan. I¡¯m going to marry your father. Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Her struggle was no different from scratching an itch for Han Chengxi. Han Chengxi easily pressed her under him. ¡°Father is old. He can¡¯t satisfy you. Why don¡¯t you just follow me? I¡¯ll make you happy.¡± Princess Tao Ran was really afraid now. She shouted in fear, ¡°Help! Brother MO Zhu, save me!¡± Han Chengxi spoke slowly as he tore off her clothes. ¡°Stop shouting. Your Brother MO Zhu can¡¯t even protect himself now. He can¡¯t save you.¡± Princess Tao Ran asked, ¡®What did you do to Brother MO Zhu?¡± Han Chengxi lowered his head and approached her with a smile. ¡°He was so heartless to you. Do you hate him to death?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve arranged for someone to kill him for you soon.¡± ¡°Look how good I am to you. Shouldn¡¯t you be grateful to me?¡± Princess Tao Ran had indeed thought of destroying Xiao Juan, but it was definitely not in a situation where she could not even protect herself. Facing Han Chengxi, she could still resist a little at first, but as the effects of the knockout powder became stronger and stronger. Later, she gradually gave up resisting andpletely sank. Facing the generous conditions offered by the Sixth Prince, Wei Liao looked like he was really tempted. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart sank. If Wei Liao was really instigated to defect, she, Meng Xizhou, and the others would be in an extremely difficult situation. At that time, not to mention finding Xiao Juan, it would be a problem for them to leave this ce alive. In order to make Wei Liao make up his mind as soon as possible, Shen Rui added anotheryer of chips. ¡°Here are 100,000 taels of silver. I don¡¯t need you to do anything. As long as you don¡¯t do anything and leave here quietly, these 100,000 taels of silver are yours. ¡± He pulled a thick stack of banknotes from his sleeve and handed them to the guard beside him. The guard walked up to Wei Liao with the banknotes. Yu Niaoniao involuntarily held her breath. She secretly tightened her grip on the crossbow hidden in her sleeve. Once Wei Liao really defected, she would have to fight to the death. Shen Rui smiled at Wei Liao and said calmly. ¡°Although money isn¡¯t omnipotent, if you have money, it can make your life much morefortable.¡± ¡°If you think 100,000 taels is not enough, I can add more. You can name the number.¡± At this moment, everyone present looked at Wei Liao, waiting for his answer. Wei Liao looked at the banknotes in front of him and took it without hesitation. Yu Niaoniao was disappointed, but she was not surprised. After all, Wei Liao was unrted to her. Why would he give up such generous conditions to help her? Meng Xizhou and the other five Eagle Guards¡¯ expressions immediately turned very ugly. The smile on Shen Rui¡¯s face deepened, and his eyes were filled with smugness. ¡°As expected of Wei Huai¡¯en¡¯s adopted son. He¡¯s really sensible and smart!¡± Wei Liao smiled as well. ¡°I have a question. Should I ask?¡± Shen Rui was in a good mood and said generously. ¡°Ask away. ¡± Wei Liao asked, ¡°Did you go through so much trouble to capture the Princess Consort of Lang County to use her as a hostage to threaten Duke Lang?¡± At this point, there was nothing to hide. Shen Rui admitted frankly. ¡°That¡¯s right. Aren¡¯t you very annoyed with Duke Lang too? As long as you get rid of him, you and your Sky Wolf Guards will be the dominant force in the future.¡± Wei Liao continued to ask, ¡°You can¡¯t kill Duke Lang alone. Do you have other aplices?¡± The smile on Shen Rui¡¯s face faded. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± However, Wei Liao continued speaking as if he hadn¡¯t heard the other party¡¯s warning. ¡°Let me guess. Could your aplice be the Ninth Prince of the Chen Nation?¡± ¡°You colluded with an enemy and intended to murder Duke Lang on the way to send the bride.¡± ¡°It¡¯s to stop Duke Lang from continuing to investigate the case of Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s murder.¡± Shen Rui¡¯s facepletely darkened. ¡°Shut up!¡± Wei Liao waved the banknotes in his hand, causing the thin paper to rustle. He had a casual smile on his face, and his tone was light. ¡°100,000 taels of silver is indeed very tempting. The Justice Department is also what I want.¡¯ ¡°But I¡¯ve had a problem since I was young. I hate traitors the most.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like your dirty money.¡± With that, he tore the banknote into pieces in front of everyone and raised it. The pieces of paper were blown away by the night wind like snow. Yu Niaoniao, Meng Xizhou, and the others were stunned. Damn, was this still the Wei Liao they knew? There was actually light on his body! That was the light of the righteous path! At this moment, Shen Rui¡¯s face was as dark as water. He looked at Wei Liao with killing intent. ¡°Do you have to go against me to the end?!¡± Wei Liao ignored Shen Rui. He turned to look at Yu Niaoniao and said casually. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to save your prince? Leave now.¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. ¡°Now?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t leave now, you might not be able to.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°But how can I leave?¡± Wei Liao put his index finger and thumb to his mouth and whistled loudly. A momentter, there was the sound of hurried hooves in the distance. Immediately after, a snow-white horse rushed out of the forest and headed straight for Wei Liao. Yu Niaoniao recognized it at a nce.. It was Wei Liao¡¯s horse! Chapter 371 Chapter 371: This Time, He Will Definitely Die! Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The killers tried to stop the horse. However, Meng Xizhou and the other five Eagle Guards reacted faster. Without thinking, they rushed forward and fought the killers. The killers were held back and could no longer approach the white horse. Wei Liao grabbed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s arm and threw her onto the horse. ¡°Go. Leave this to us.¡± With that, he patted the white horse¡¯s butt with the back of his saber. The white horse raised its front hooves and rushed out with Yu Niaoniao like an arrow. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly bent down to hug the horse¡¯s neck to maintain her bnce so that she would not fall. She turned her head and looked back. In the darkness, Wei Liao pulled out another saber hanging at his waist. With two des in hand, he knocked down an assassin who was trying to chase after her. Wei Liao, Meng Xizhou, and the other five Eagle Guards blocked the path, not giving those killers a chance to pass. Shen Rui was exasperated, but he could only watch helplessly as Yu Niaoniao rode away quickly. After a while, her back disappeared into the thick night. Xiao Juan was about to return to the camp to look for a physician when he was attacked. More than ten masked killers surrounded him and shed at him without a word! Xiao Juan had always kept his saber with him. At this moment, he drew the saber at his waist without hesitation. The No Return Saber refracted a blue luster in the night. The de cut through the night wind and swung with thunderous force. The weapons collided, sending sparks into the night. After a few rounds, Xiao Juan realized that the moves of this group of killers were not like those of the Dayan people. After thinking for a moment, he had an answer. This group of killers was very likely sent by the Chen Nation. Xiao Juan¡¯s skills could be said to be one of the best in Dayan. Even though this group of killers had the advantage in numbers, they still could not hurt him. However, these masked killers were not anxious at all. They blocked all of Xiao Juan¡¯s paths. Even if they were in danger of being injured, they wanted to trap him. At first, Xiao Juan thought that they were waiting for reinforcements. It wasn¡¯t until he felt dizzy and couldn¡¯t use his limbs that he understood the other party¡¯s true goal. The knockout powder Princess Tao Ran had used just now was very strong. Even though he had only inhaled a little, he had still been hit. After an intense battle, the blood in his body flowed faster, increasing the speed of the knockout powder. This group of killers had tried their best to trap him there for this moment. The killers sensed that Xiao Juan¡¯s movements had slowed down and knew that the time hade. They immediately whistled and more than ten killers rushed out of the shadows. More than thirty people rushed forward, and each of their moves aimed at a vital point. Even though Xiao Juan tried his best to deal with it, he was unfortunately injured. His arm was cut, and blood stained half his sleeve. His vision swam, and his body grew heavier. It was as if a voice in his ear kept telling him, ¡°Stop holding on and close your eyes to sleep.¡± Xiao Juan bit the tip of his tongue, and the pain woke him up a little. He swung his knife to ward off a lunging killer. His remaining rationality told him not to fall. But his body was already overwhelmed. There was endless darkness around him, and enemies who were ready to pounce on him at any moment to take his life. He was alone. Such a desperate situation reminded him of that time many years ago. When he was young, he was thrown into a cage to fight ferocious beasts to death. How simr was the scene then to this moment? If he won, he could live. If he lost, he could only die. He couldn¡¯t die. He had to get back alive. Because there were still people waiting for him at home. In that case, he could only kill everyone in front of him! Xiao Juan suddenly tightened his grip on the No Return Saber, the veins on the back of his hand bulging. As if sensing its master¡¯s emotions, the cold light on the de became even more terrifying. He raised his eyes, which were as dark as a cold pool, and stared at the enemy with an emotionless gaze. He slowly spat out a word. ¡°Kill. The masked killers realized that something was wrong with the man in front of them. However, they did not think too much about it. In any case, Xiao Juan was alone and had been drugged. Even if he had wings, it was impossible for him to escape. The killers decided to end the battle quickly and get rid of Xiao Juan as soon as possible. Their attacks became even faster. The des in their hands attacked Xiao Juan from all directions, not giving him any chance to dodge. This time, he would definitely die! In the forest at night, a white horse was galloping. Yu Niaoniaoy on the horse¡¯s back, her long hair flying in the night wind. She looked at the endless road ahead and prayed over and over, ¡°Xiao Juan, nothing must happen to you. Wait for me. I¡¯ll be here soon!¡± After the deed, Princess Tao Ran finally regained some rationality. She was lying on the grass in a disheveled state. Her face was covered in dried tears. Her eyes were red and her body was covered in ambiguous red marks. Han Chengxi stood up and licked his lower lip in satisfaction. As expected of the Princess of the Dayan Kingdom. Her skin was fair and tender, and she tasted very good. Princess Tao Ran was in total despair. She originally had thest hope of marrying Xiao Juan, but now that she had lost her chastity, it waspletely impossible between her and Xiao Juan. What should she do from now on? Her future was as dark as the night. Han Chengxi looked at her as he put on his clothes. ¡°Are you nning to lie down here forever? Don¡¯t me me for not reminding you. Someone will be looking for you soon. If you don¡¯t want anyone to see you like this, get up and get dressed.¡± Princess Tao Ran endured the pain from the depths of her body and gritted her teeth as she struggled to get up. She looked at the man in front of her and recalled the scene of her being pressed down by him and bullied wantonly. Hatred immediately welled up in her heart like a flood. She grabbed the hairpin that was scattered on the ground and stabbed it into Han Chengxi¡¯s abdomen! Han Chengxi reacted very quickly. He grabbed Princess Tao Ran¡¯s wrist and stopped her. ¡°What do you want?¡± Princess Tao Ran gritted her teeth and cursed, ¡°Beast, I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Han Chengxi easily snatched the hairpin from her hand and helped her put it back into her bun. He patted Princess Tao Ran¡¯s cheek and looked at her as if she were a puppy that had been throwing a tantrum. ¡°Little beauty, I¡¯ve already slept with you. If you kill me, who will want you in the future?¡± Princess Tao Ran pounced on him crazily, grabbing and biting him. Han Chengxi¡¯s patience ran out and he pped her. The snap was especially clear in the forest at night. Princess Tao Ran was knocked to the ground. Her face burned. Tears streamed down her face. Her dignity, chastity, life... Everything was destroyed now. Han Chengxi fastened his belt and tidied his clothes. He looked down at Princess Tao Ran and said coldly. ¡°If you¡¯re sensible, I can still let you continue to be the Princess of the Dayan Kingdom, but if you don¡¯t know how to appreciate favors, I¡¯ll let you die here with Duke Lang..¡± Chapter 372

Chapter 372: Don ¡®t Touch Her

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios In the end, her desire to live prevailed. Princess Tao Ran endured the humiliation and resentment and silently put on her clothes. A guard from the Chen Nation rushed over with antern. ¡°Your Highness, the Sixth Prince of the Dayan Nation sent a letter and asked you to read it as soon as possible.¡± Han Chengxi took the letter. In addition to a thin letter, there was also a small and exquisite butterfly jade pendant. There were only a few words in the letter. It roughly meant that the Princess Consort of Lang County had run away. This was the jade pendant she carried with her. Han Chengxi could not help but frown. ¡°You can¡¯t even catch a woman. Why is the Sixth Prince of the Dayan Kingdom so useless? He ced the letter in thentern and lit it by candlelight. After the letter was burned to ashes, Han Chengxi put the butterfly jade pendant into his sleeve. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± They took a few steps and realized that there were no footsteps behind them. Hence, Han Chengxi stopped and turned to look at Princess Tao Ran. ¡°Didn¡¯t you keep calling him Brother MO Zhu just now? Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll bring you to see your Brother MO Zhu now.¡± After knowing that she could see Xiao Juan, Princess Tao Ran¡¯s eyes finally lit up. Although it was no longer possible for her and Xiao Juan, Xiao Juan was strong in martial arts. He might be able to kill Han Chengxi and avenge her. Princess Tao Ran strode forward with her sore legs and followed silently. Han Chengxi believed that he had nned everything wlessly. He first bribed the pce maids serving Princess Tao Ran and asked the pce maids to secretly tamper with Princess Tao Ran¡¯s knockout powder, making the effects of the knockout powder even stronger. After Princess Tao Ran attacked Xiao Juan, the killers that Han Chengxi had arranged beforehand would seize the opportunity to attack Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan, who was drugged, would definitely not be able to withstand the siege of so many killers. In the end, he would only die. The truth was developing far more smoothly than Han Chengxi had expected. Not only did he drug Xiao Juan, but he also took advantage of Princess Tao Ran¡¯s body for nothing. Calcting the time, Xiao Juan should have already be a corpse. Han Chengxi nned to check the results and let Princess Tao Ran personally admire the scene of her lover¡¯s tragic death. Unexpectedly, when they arrived at their destination, he saw corpses everywhere. Only one person remained standing. That person was Xiao Juan. The cold moonlight shone on him, illuminating the blood stains on his body. The No Return Saber in his hand fell slightly, and drops of blood fell from it. He slowly raised his head. There was no light in his dark pupils. They were as cold and deep as a bottomless abyss that would crush a person once he fell into it. An indescribable aura of danger surrounded him. At this moment, Xiao Juan did not look like a living person, but more like a demon who had just crawled out of hell. Han Chengxi had never expected such an oue. All the killers he had hired died, and in the end, only Xiao Juan remained. What kind of monster was this guy? Princess Tao Ran was also very afraid but happy at the same time. As expected of her Brother MO Zhu. He was so powerful! She could not help but take two steps forward and call out in a hoarse voice, ¡°Brother MO Zhu!¡± However, Xiao Juan did not seem to know her. His gaze was as cold as ever. He spat out a word coldly. ¡°Kill.¡± Princess Tao Ran said, ¡°Look carefully. I¡¯m Tao Ran.¡± In the next moment, Xiao Juan waved the No Return Saber and shed at her. Princess Tao Ran was shocked. Her mind went nk and she forgot to dodge. In the end, Han Chengxi reached out and pulled her away. Princess Tao Ran was still in shock. She looked at Xiao Juan a short distance away and felt that he was both familiar and unfamiliar. Logically speaking, Xiao Juan was her ideal man. He was cold, heartless, powerful, and unstoppable. But the thought of almost dying under his saber just now petrified her. Her intense fear kept rising. She didn¡¯t even have the courage to look at him directly. At this moment, she was no different from those who hated and feared Xiao Juan. After the initial shock, Han Chengxi regained hisposure. He looked at Xiao Juan and said. ¡°You¡¯re very powerful. I admire you for that. I even regret it. Why wasn¡¯t someone as powerful as you born in the Chen Nation?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s response was only one word. ¡°Kill! ¡± Seeing that he was about to attack him, Han Chengxi quickly said. ¡°If you move again, Yu Niaoniao will lose her life!¡± When he heard the words ¡°Yu Niaoniao¡±, Xiao Juan suddenly stopped. Seeing this, Han Chengxi knew that his guess was right. Xiao Juan was really lovestruck. His only weakness was Yu Niaoniao. As long as an enemy grasped this, no matter how powerful he was, he could only obediently surrender. Han Chengxi took out the butterfly jade pendant from his sleeve and shook it gently. ¡°Do you see that? This is Yu Niaoniao¡¯s belonging. She¡¯s in Noble Consort Shuts hands now. If you don¡¯t want her to die, put down the knife in your hand and don¡¯t resist again.¡± With that, he threw the butterfly jade pendant over. Xiao Juan raised his hand to catch the jade pendant. He looked down at the butterfly jade pendant lying quietly in his palm. An image appeared in his mind: Yu Niaoniao took out a butterfly jade pendant from her makeup and hung it on her waist. Then, she spun in front of him, and her skirt fluttered. As she smiled, her eyes crinkled. ¡°Do I look good?¡± Xiao Juan looked at her bright smile and replied sincerely, ¡°Yes.¡± Warm memories broke through the clouds, momentarily illuminating his entire world. Reason returned, and there was light in his eyes again. Xiao Juan gripped the butterfly jade pendant tightly and said hoarsely. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her.¡± Han Chengxi said, ¡°I told you, as long as you do as I say, Yu Niaoniao will be safe.¡± A butterfly jade pendant didn¡¯t mean anything, but what if? What if they really caught Yu Niaoniao? Xiao Juan could not afford to gamble, nor did he dare to. He slowly loosened his fingers, and the No Return Saber fell to the ground. Han Chengxi looked at the guards behind him. The guards carefully approached Xiao Juan. Seeing that he had no intention of resisting, they swarmed forward and pressed him to the ground. Seeing that Xiao Juan had been restrained, a smug smile appeared on Han Chengxi¡¯s face. ¡°A wolf, but tamed into a dog. How interesting.¡± Princess Tao Ran did not expect Xiao Juan to be captured so quickly. Once again, she clearly realized how important Yu Niaoniao was to Xiao Juan. Even if he went berserk, he would still preserve thest bit of gentleness for Yu Niaoniao. Although Han Chengxi was smug, he did not forget. He remembered what Shen Rui had said in the letter. Yu Niaoniao had already run away. Perhaps she was on her way. He had to make it quick. Han Chengxi made a prompt decision. ¡°Kill him.¡± Xiao Juan was firmly pressed against the construction site. A guard raised his saber and aimed the de at the back of his neck. Princess Tao Ran stared fixedly at Xiao Juan. As long as he was willing to ask her for help, she would think of a way to stop Han Chengxi. However, Xiao Juan did not even look at her. He was actually willing to die for Yu Niaoniao. The moment the de fell, a small crossbow bolt suddenly shot over and hit the knife. The knife fell from his hand andnded ten feet away. Xiao Juan saw the crossbow that had fallen to the ground and recognized it at a nce. It was a crossbow he had specially customized for Yu Niaoniao. It was Yu Niaoniao! Chapter 373 Chapter 373: Don ¡®t misunderstand Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao rode the horse all the way. When she arrived at the temporary camp of the bridal procession, she realized that Xiao Juan, Princess Tao Ran, and Han Chengxi were all gone. After asking, she learned that they had been gone for a long time. Yu Niaoniao immediately had a bad feeling. She asked Yan Nanguan to gather all the Eagle Guards and search the surroundings with the camp as the center. Yu Niaoniao also participated in the search. As the search area increased, the distance between her and the Eagle Guards widened. But she was not worried that she would get lost. She continued forward without hesitation. After an unknown period of searching, she saw light ahead. She perked up and rode quickly forward. Soon, she saw Xiao Juan. He was pressed to the ground. Someone raised a saber and looked down at the back of his neck. The next moment, his head would fall to the ground. Yu Niaoniao was anxious, but her brain was surprisingly calm. She raised her right hand on the horse¡¯s back and the buckle expanded. Whoosh. A small crossbow bolt shot out and sent the saber flying. Xiao Juan looked up at her. He watched as Yu Niaoniao rode towards him. In the night, everything was dark except for her. She crossed barriers and overcame numerous challenges to dash toward him recklessly. Han Chengxi¡¯s expression changed drastically as he shouted sternly, ¡°Catch her!¡± The killers were about to attack Yu Niaoniao. At this moment, Xiao Juan suddenly exploded and threw all the Chen Nation guaras wno were suppressmg mm to me grouna. Then, he picked up the No Return Saber on the ground and appeared in front of Han Chengxi in the blink of an eye. Han Chengxi did not carry a saber. He could only retreat quickly. Unfortunately, he was toote. The No Return Saber had already fallen, cutting a wound on his face. The wound stretched down the left side of his forehead, past the bridge of his nose, and to the jawbone of the left side of his face. In an instant, blood overflowed and flowed down, dying most of his face red. He cried out in pain. Seeing this, the Chen Nation guards could only give up on the mission to capture Yu Niaoniao and run to protect Han Chengxi. Seeing that one move failed to take Han Chengxi¡¯s life, Xiao Juan,though regretful, did not continue fighting. He quickly retreated and distanced himself from the Chen Nation guards. Yu Niaoniao rode up to him and extended her right hand. ¡°Get up here!¡± Xiao Juan grabbed her hand and flipped onto the horse¡¯s back, sitting steadily behind her. He casually sheathed the No Return Saber and held Yu Niaoniao¡¯s waist with one hand. With the other, he took out a small and exquisite quiver. He lit the fuse of the quiver with a match, then raised it high. Apanied by a sharp siren, a small fire rose into the night sky, then suddenly exploded into fiery fireworks. This was a signal between the Eagle Guards. When the Eagle Guards, who were still searching in the forest, saw this firework, they all stopped searching and ran in the direction of the explosion. Seeing this, Han Chengxi knew that his n hadpletely failed. He covered the wound on his face and ordered through the pain. ¡°Retreat!¡± The Chen Nation guards covered Han Chengxi¡¯s retreat. Princess Tao Ran originally did not want to follow them, but Han Chengxi refused to let her go. Before he left, he did not forget to get the guards to capture her. Yu Niaoniao raised her right hand again and aimed the crossbow at Han Chengxi¡¯s retreating back. Han Chengxi seemed to have sensed the danger behind him. He specially asked the guards to stand behind him. In this way, his figure was tightly covered by the guards. Yu Niaoniao could only put down the crossbow regretfully. ¡°Tsk, how cunning.¡± Soon, Yan Nanguan rushed over with the Eagle Guards. They were all frightened when they saw the corpses all over the ground. When they looked at Duke Lang again, they saw that he was also covered in blood and looked extremely sorry. With the crisis resolved, Yu Niaoniao heaved a sigh of relief. She was about to turn to speak to the man behind her when he copsed. His tall body pressed against hers, almost crushing her. Yu Niaoniao called Xiao Juan twice, but there was no reaction. The man had clearly fainted. Yan Nanguan hurriedly said, ¡°Hurry back to the camp. There¡¯s a physician there!¡± They hurried back. When they arrived at the camp, the Eagle Guards carried Duke Lang into the tent on a stretcher. The doctor took Duke Lang¡¯s pulse and checked his injuries. ¡°He didn¡¯t hurt his vitals, but he lost too much blood. He needs to recuperate well for a while.¡± He bandaged Xiao Juan¡¯s injuries and gave him a few more instructions before leaving with the medicine box. Knowing that Xiao Juan¡¯s life was not in danger, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. It was not until this moment that Yan Nanguan had a chance to ask. ¡°I wonder how the Princess Consort found this ce?¡± Yu Niaoniao quickly said, ¡°Little Meng and Wei Liao escorted me all the way here. We were intercepted on the way. I wonder how they are now. Hurry up and send someone to help them.¡± She described the location of the interception in detail. Yan Nanguan nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll remember. I¡¯ll bring people to find them now. ¡± With that, he turned around and left the tent. The curtain was lifted and lowered. In the end, only Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan were left in the tent. Xiao Juan was still unconscious. His eyes were closed and his face was pale. His clothes were covered in blood. It was impossible to tell which was his blood and which was someone else¡¯s. Yu Niaoniao got someone to bring over a basin of water. She first helped Xiao Juan take off his dirty clothes, then wiped the blood off his body with a wet handkerchief. After wiping the front, Yu Niaoniao carefully lifted his body, wanting to wipe his back. Unexpectedly, Xiao Juan suddenly opened his eyes. He looked straight at Yu Niaoniao, scaring her. ¡°Y-you¡¯re awake?!¡± Xiao Juan did not respond. He continued to look straight at her without even blinking. Yu Niaoniao felt that something was wrong. She waved her hand in front of Xiao Juan¡¯s eyes, but there was still no reaction. Yu Niaoniao could not help but panic. ¡°Xiao Juan, can you hear me? Don¡¯t scare me.¡± After a while, she saw Xiao Juan¡¯s eyes move slightly. He asked hesitantly as if he couldn¡¯t be sure. ¡°Niaoniao?¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly replied, ¡°It¡¯s me. I¡¯m Niaoniao!¡± Xiao Juan slowly turned his head and looked around. Then, he lowered his head and looked at his body. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Yu Niaoniao blushed and hurriedly let go of him. She stood up and exined. ¡°You¡¯re so dirty. I want to wipe you down. I don¡¯t mean anything else. Don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± Xiao Juan propped himself up on the bed with one hand and rubbed his temples with the other. His voice was low and hoarse. ¡°I thought I was dreaming. I didn¡¯t expect it to be true.¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked, clearly not following his train of thought. ¡°What dream?¡± Chapter 374

Chapter 374: Privacy

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios When he was young, Xiao Juan was thrown into a cage and forced to fight beasts. He had begged, too, for someone to open the cell door and let him out. Unfortunately, it was useless. No matter how he begged, she ignored him. Ever since then, he had understood that no one would save him. Begging wouldn¡¯t get anyone¡¯s heart softened. It would only make themugh harder. The only person he could rely on was himself. Xiao Juan engraved this realization in his heart and told himself that he could never pin his hopes on others. After so many years, he was already used to fighting alone. When he was on the verge of death just now, he really thought that he was dead. He had never expected anyone to save him. Unexpectedly, Yu Niaoniao suddenly appeared. She was alone, but with courage, she broke through theyers of siege and barged into his world without care. Xiao Juan immediately felt like he had returned to his childhood. The cell door, which had been tightly closed, suddenly burst open. Someone rushed into the cage and reached out to him to take him away. Memories ovepped with reality. The past and the present intertwined. For a moment, Xiao Juan could not tell if this was a dream or if it was really happening. He met Yu Niaoniao¡¯s puzzled gaze and his heart softened involuntarily. Even his voice became gentle. ¡°Thank you for saving me.¡± If not for her, he would still be trapped in that cage of his childhood and would never be free. Yu Niaoniao thought he was talking about her saving him from Han Chengxi. She spoke with lingering fear. ¡°Fortunately, I came quickly. If I had been anyter, you would have died.¡± Xiao Juan said softly, ¡°Yes, fortunately, you came.¡± Ever since he was young, his luck had not been good. His biological father had died early, and his mother had been heartless. The emperor seemed to be close to him, but he was actually using him. The entire court regarded him as a thorn in their side, and the people of the world treated him as a ferocious beast. He seemed destined to walk alone in the dark for the rest of his life. The luck that others could easily obtain was a star that was out of his reach. But it was different now. He had Niaoniao. Everything was due to fate. The luck he had umted over the years was all to meet her. Seeing that his upper body was still naked, Yu Niaoniao hurriedly found a clean shirt for him to put on. When Xiao Juan raised his hand, he happened to touch the butterfly jade pendant. The jade pendant was originally in his arms. It must have fallen out when Yu Niaoniao undressed him just now. He picked up the jade pendant and handed it to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°This is yours. It¡¯s returned to its rightful owner.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at the butterfly jade pendant in front of her and felt an indescribableplicated feeling. ¡°Han Chengxi used this jade pendant to trick you into willing to die?¡± Xiao Juan whispered, ¡°He said that you were captured by Noble Consort Shu. I was afraid that something would happen to you.¡± Yu Niaoniao felt a lump in her throat and her eyes turned red. ¡°Are you stupid? Why do you believe everything he says? It¡¯s just a jade pendant. What if he stole it?¡± Xiao Juan naturally knew that this was a possibility. However, he was still afraid that Niaoniao would really fall into Noble Consort Shu¡¯s hands. Even if there was only a one in a million chance, he did not dare to take the risk. Yu Niaoniao took the butterfly jade pendant. Thinking of how Xiao Juan had almost lost his life because of this jade pendant, she hated it to the core and wanted to smash it into pieces. However, when she raised the jade pendant, she could not bear to really smash it. This was the jade pendant that Xiao Juan had risked his life to get back. There was still a little blood on it. Yu Niaoniao gripped the butterfly jade pendant tightly and said seriously in a sobbing voice. ¡°You have to remember that even if I¡¯m really kidnapped in the future, you can¡¯t be foolishly ughtered like before. If you really sacrifice your life for me, how can I live in the future? I¡¯ll be tortured to death by guilt and regret.¡± Xiao Juan was silent. From the look on his face, she knew he hadn¡¯t taken her words seriously. Yu Niaoniao took a deep breath and sat down by the bed. She held Xiao Juan¡¯s hand and looked into his eyes. ¡°I know you have a responsibility to me. ¡®Because I¡¯m your Princess Consort, you¡¯re willing to sacrifice yourself to protect me.¡¯ ¡®But you have to remember that you live in this world first as yourself and then as my husband.¡¯ When you¡¯re in danger, you have to prioritize your safety before you can consider others. ¡®Perhaps you¡¯ll think I¡¯m being selfish.¡¯ ¡®But that¡¯s what I mean.¡¯ ¡®I selfishly hope you live well.¡¯ Can you fulfill my selfishness?¡± Xiao Juan stared at her quietly. Over the years, the emperor had repeated those words in the process of nurturing him¡ª ¡°I saved you. From now on, your life belongs to me. You have to do whatever I ask you to do.¡± ¡°You have to be loyal and patriotic. You have the Imperial Court and the people in your heart.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be selfish, let alone have desires.¡± ¡°You have to broaden your horizons. Your life is just a speck of dust to the people of the world. It doesn¡¯t matter even if you die. As long as you canplete the order I gave you.¡± No one had ever told him that he had to keep himself safe first. No one had told him that he could actually be selfish. After a long time, Xiao Juan spoke slowly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t do it.¡± Yu Niaoniao was a little anxious. ¡°Why don¡¯t you listen to me? Haven¡¯t you heard of the saying that listens to others and eats your fill?!¡± Xiao Juan reached out and wiped the dust off her face. ¡°I really can¡¯t do it.¡± He hoped she would live well. That was his personal desire. He would do anything for that. Yu Niaoniao was really angry. She pushed Xiao Juan¡¯s hand away and cursed angrily. ¡°Is your head made of stone? Why don¡¯t you know how to turn? I might as well call you Xiao Stone in the future!¡± Not only was Xiao Juan not angry, but he also smiled gently. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s call me Xiao Stone.¡± In the future, this would be the title exclusive to Niaoniao. Seeing that he was stubborn, Yu Niaoniao was really angry. But she couldn¡¯t do anything to him. In the end, she could only stand up. ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered with you.¡± With that, she turned around angrily and ran out. Xiao Juan reminded her, ¡°I¡¯m not done wiping my body.¡± Although Yu Niaoniao was angry, she still remembered that he was an injured person. His arm was still hanging by gauze, so he could not wipe his body. She could only suppress her anger and return to the bed with a straight face. She ordered him with a wet handkerchief. ¡°Turn around.¡± Xiao Juan obediently turned around and turned his back to her. His back was very straight, his shoulders straight. The muscles on his back were smooth and beautiful. It was obvious that he had worked out often. There were also some scars of varying depths scattered on his back. Those were all left behind from his previous missions. Yu Niaoniao bent down and wiped his back with a wet handkerchief. When she touched the scars, her movements involuntarily became gentle.. Chapter 375 Chapter 375: Too Naive Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios When Yan Nanguan returned, the sky was already bright. Wei Liao, Meng Xizhou, and the five Eagle Guards returned with him. They were more or less injured. Fortunately, none of their vitals were injured, and they were in good spirits. Yu Niaoniao asked the physician to treat their wounds and asked. ¡°How did you guys do after I left?¡± Meng Xizhou answered honestly. ¡°The Sixth Prince wanted to chase after you but was held back by us. Later on, as time passed, he knew that he would definitely not be able to catch up to you, so he gave up struggling with us and gave the order to retreat. He brought his men back to the Imperial Capital.¡± Wei Liao leaned back and saidzily, ¡°I bet he¡¯llin when he gets back.¡± Meng Xizhou said angrily. ¡°He colluded with foreign enemies. How dare he use us?!¡± Wei Liao clicked his tongue. ¡°Is that all you Eagle Guards have? It¡¯s exactly because he knows that Duke Lang has something on him that he has to strike first. After he convicts Duke Lang first, no matter what Duke Lang says, he can say that Duke Lang is biting him because of a grudge.¡± Meng Xizhou clenched his fists. ¡°You can humiliate me, but don¡¯t humiliate the Eagle Guards! ¡± Yan Nanguan and the other Eagle Guards also stared at Wei Liao with an unfriendly gaze. Seeing that they were about to quarrel, Yu Niaoniao hurriedly changed the topic. ¡°Have you had breakfast? You must be hungry after working all night. I¡¯ll get someone to get you something to eat. When we¡¯re done, we have to set off for the capital.¡± Seeing her turn to leave, Wei Liao immediately sat up straight and shouted. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Yu Niaoniao turned to look at him. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb. You promised before that as long as I could escort you to Duke Lang, you would repay me.¡± Realization dawned on Yu Niaoniao. ¡°You mean the portrait. I¡¯ll send it to you when I get home.¡± Wei Liao was filled with distrust for her. He extended three fingers and said, ¡°You have to send me the portrait in three days at thetest.¡± Yu Niaoniao had originally wanted to dy for a while. After hearing his words, her n was ruined. She could only nod resentfully. ¡°Okay.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°And what happened to the princess and the little mute in the plot you mentioned before? Did the princess really turn around and only like the little mute?¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes darted around, and her voice was a little weak. ¡°Why don¡¯t you wait for the second book of Phoenix Country toe out before reading it yourself? It¡¯s very boring to spoil the story in advance.¡± Wei Liao urged impatiently after waiting for so long. ¡°If I tell you to say it, say it quickly. Don¡¯t try to go back on your word!¡± Meng Xizhou and Yan Nanguan frowned and warned at the same time, ¡°Wei, be more polite to our County Princess!¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her hand, indicating that she was fine. She scratched her cheek. ¡°If you have to know now, I¡¯ll tell you. But you have to promise not to be angry when you hear it.¡± Hearing this, Wei Liao had a bad feeling. ¡°Did that princess start causing trouble again?¡± Yu Niaoniao took a few steps back and moved closer to the door before speaking. ¡°Although the first love was back, the princess still treated the little mute wholeheartedly. The little mute was extremely touched. His eyes and heart are filled with the princess. Not long after, he was pregnant...¡± Wei Liao interrupted her. ¡°Are you saying that the princess was pregnant?¡± He felt that pregnancy should be an opportunity to make the princess better. After all, women were very maternal. As long as they had children, they would be very gentle. However, he heard Yu Niaoniao reply. ¡°It¡¯s the little mute who¡¯s pregnant.¡± Wei Liao was dumbfounded He was too naive. Althouqh the premise of a man qivinz birth was introduced in the book, he never expected such a thing to happen to the male lead, Little Mute. The most annoying thing was that this little mute looked especially simr to him! Meng Xizhou, Yan Nanguan, and the others were dumbfounded. Yan Nanguan could not help but confirm again. ¡°Is this little mute a man?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a man.¡± Yan Nanguan was in disbelief. ¡°How can a man get pregnant?!¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her hand. ¡°Aiya, these are all fiction. In my story, animals can be spirits. So what if a man has a child? It¡¯s very normal. There¡¯s no need to make a fuss.¡± Wei Liao said angrily, ¡°Normal my ass!¡± Yu Niaoniao ced her hands on her hips. ¡°Then do you still want to hear the plot? If you do, don¡¯t speak.¡± Wei Liao could only shut his mouth aggrievedly. He wanted to see how ridiculous the plot could get. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°The little mute was especially happy to know that he was pregnant. He ran to the princess in high spirits and told her about the pregnancy.¡± Wei Liao sneered. ¡°The princess must be very happy. She¡¯s finally going to be a father... Oh, no, a mother.¡± Yu Niaoniao ignored him and continued. ¡°Her Highness did look very happy. In the end, when she turned around, she got someone to lock the little mute in a small ck room and prepared to dig out one of his kidneys to treat her first love.¡± ¡°It turned out that the reason the first love came back to look for the princess was that he had a rare disease and needed the kidney of the pregnant man as a medical catalyst.¡± ¡°The person the princess loved the most had always been her first love. Although she felt some pity for the little mute, she decided to sacrifice him in order to save her favorite.¡± ¡°Anyway, people have two kidneys. Even if one is dug out, Little Mute can still live. It¡¯s not a big problem.¡± Wei Liao¡¯s expression had be extremely twisted. It was as if he was trying his best to suppress his emotions. He gritted his teeth and forced a sneer. ¡°Hehe, even his kidney has been dug out. Isn¡¯t that a big problem? Does she still have any humanity? If such a scum falls into my hands, I¡¯ll dig out her heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys and feed them to the dogs!¡± Meng Xizhou could not help butin, ¡°What did the poor dogs do wrong again? Why did you let them eat such dirty things?¡± Yan Nanguan nodded in agreement. They, who had always been hostile to each other, were actually on the same side at this moment. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Do you still want to hear the rest of the plot?¡± Wei Liao said without hesitation, ¡°Tell me!¡± He felt that since the princess was already so scumbag, the little mute would definitely give up on herpletely and p her before telling her to stay where she was! In the end, Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°The little mute was very afraid. He knelt on the ground and begged the princess, hoping that she would let him and the child in his stomach off.¡± ¡°The princess¡¯s heart softened for a moment, but after thinking of her sickly first love, In the end, she steeled her heart and ordered someone to dig out the little mute¡¯s kidney.¡± ¡°The little mute had a miscarriage and was lying on the bed on hisst breath, shouting for the baby..¡± Chapter 376

Chapter 376: The Only Witness

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Meng Xizhou was more emotional. When he heard this, his eyes turned red. It was too tragic! Yan Nanguan also revealed a pained expression. Wei Liao had the most intense reaction. He punched the bedboard under him and cursed. ¡°What kind of bullshit plot is this? I don¡¯t ept it!!¡± Afraid that he would vent his anger on her, Yu Niaoniao immediately waved her hand. ¡°That¡¯s all for the story. Bye!¡± With that, she ran out. Wei Liao roared behind her. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Yu Niaoniao ducked into another tent. At this moment, Xiao Juan was putting on his clothes. It seemed like he was preparing to go out. He could not help but ask when he saw Yu Niaoniao running in anxiously. It looked like a tiger was chasing after her. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Yu Niaoniao chuckled. ¡°Nothing. Why are you out of bed? The doctor said you have to rest well.¡± Xiao Juan tied his clothes and said. ¡°We can¡¯t dy here any longer. We have to get back to the Imperial Capital as soon as possible.¡± Yu Niaoniao recalled what Wei Liao had just said and could not help but worry. ¡°Although we didn¡¯t let Han Chengxi take advantage of us this time, we lost Princess Tao Ran. Will Sixth Prince Shen Rui me us for this?¡± Even if Princess Tao Ran drugged Xiao Juan first, such a thing was without evidence. Xiao Juan¡¯s words alone could not convince the emperor. If Shen Rui insisted that Xiao Juan had deliberately lost Princess Tao Ran, it would be very difficult for Xiao Juan to exin himself. Xiao Juan did not look very worried. ¡°Since I dared to promise to escort Princess Tao Ran to the Chen Nation, I must be prepared. Although Han Chengxi ran away, the two officials from the Chen Nation who came with him did not manage to escape. They have already been controlled by the Eagle Guards.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. ¡°As long as we have their testimony, we can prove your innocence!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The tricky problem now is that we don¡¯t understand the Chen Nationnguage. We can¡¯tmunicate with them.¡± This meant he couldn¡¯t get useful testimony out of them. Yu Niaoniao was very optimistic. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Our Dayan is filled with talents. We can always find someone who understands the Chen Nation¡¯snguage.¡± Xiao Juan nodded slightly. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go back first.¡± They had a simple breakfast before hurrying back. It was clearly broad daylight and the sun was shining above her head, but Yu Niaoniao felt a chill run down her back. On the way, she took the time to look back and saw Wei Liao staring at her resentfully. Yu Niaoniao felt a chill down her spine. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± Wei Liao sneered. ¡°I want to see what kind of person cane up with such a disgusting plot. ¡± Yu Niaoniao thought to herself that it was because this plot was disgusting that she wanted to draw it to irritate him! But she didn¡¯t dare tell the truth. She asked, ¡°Since you hate the rest of the plot so much, do you still want the portraits of the princess and the little mute?¡± Wei Liao continued to sneer. ¡°Why not? I have to! I¡¯ll hang the portrait of the princess in the toiletter. Even if she doesn¡¯t die of the stench, I¡¯ll disgust her to death!¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless and could only chuckle. ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy.¡± Xiao Juan noticed that the two of them were talking and subconsciously slowed down to approach Yu Niaoniao. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Yu Niaoniao said concisely, ¡°Wei Liao wants to hang someone else¡¯s portrait in the toilet.¡± Xiao Juan looked at Wei Liao with aplicated gaze. Why did he have to be watched as he went to the toilet? What kind of strange hobby was this? Wei Liao snapped, ¡°What kind of look is that? It¡¯s not your portrait I want to hang!¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately said, ¡°I can testify to that. Wei Liao wants to hang a portrait of a woman, definitely not His Highness.¡± At this point, she seemed to have thought of something and turned to look at Wei Liao. ¡°By the way, is the subject in the portrait you asked for wearing clothes or not?¡± Xiao Juan narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression gradually bing subtle. ¡°You can draw naked people?¡± Yu Niaoniao puffed out her chest proudly. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The human body was the foundation of painting! Wei Liao seemed to have thought of something. The anger on his face disappeared, reced by an indescribable ambiguous smile. ¡°She still has to wear clothes, but she can wear less.¡± It was too unattractive for the subject to be fully naked. It was more tempting to be half-covered. Yu Niaoniao pursed her lips. ¡°Your smile looks a little wretched.¡± Wei Liao was speechless. His smile froze on his face. How dare this woman call him wretched? If not for Xiao Juan watching from the side, he would definitely beat this woman up! The group rushed back. In the end, it took them two days to return to the Imperial Capital. As soon as they entered the city, Wei Liao wanted to part ways with them. He was the Vice General of the Sky Wolf Guards. If others saw him hanging out with a group of Eagle Guards, he would not be able to survive in the Imperial Capital in the future! Before leaving, Wei Liao couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Are you sure you can¡¯t change the plot?¡± Yu Niaoniao refused firmly. ¡°No, I will not change it.¡± Wei Liao couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Why do you have to draw such a disgusting plot?!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If you feel disgusted, just don¡¯t read it.¡± The problem was that Wei Liao couldn¡¯t help but want to see it! He did not know what was wrong with him. He was clearly filled with resentment towards the plot, but he still wanted to know what would happen next. He hoped that the little mute could work hard and shake off that scumbag princess. He wanted to counterattack and walk to the peak of his life! However, Yu Niaoniao refused to draw ording to the script he had arranged. Wei Liao gritted his teeth in anger. ¡°If you continue drawing like this, no one will buy your book. Just wait to lose money!¡± Yu Niaoniao looked indifferent. ¡°Forget it if no one buys it. I¡¯m not short of this money anyway.¡± Wei Liao choked. He was furious. But soon he stopped being angry. He could even manage a smile. ¡°Very good. I hope you can always maintain your current backbone. Don¡¯te asking me for favors again.¡± With that, he rode away. Yu Niaoniao did not take Wei Liao¡¯s words to heart. They had just returned to the Langjun Imperial Pce and had yet to rest properly when they received the emperor¡¯s summons. The couple could only quickly change their clothes and enter the pce to meet the emperor. As soon as they saw the old emperor, they were questioned. ¡°Xiao Juan, I asked you to escort Princess Tao Ran to the marriage alliance, but she disappeared and the Chen Nation¡¯s diplomatic mission ran away. What were you doing?!¡± Xiao Juan recounted his experiences over the past few days. But the old emperor didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°You said that the Sixth Prince and Han Chengxi were secretly colluding. Do you have any evidence? Who can testify for you? Don¡¯t talk about the Eagle Guards. They¡¯re your subordinates. They naturally listen to you. Their words can¡¯t be used as evidence.¡± Hearing this question, Yu Niaoniao reacted. The only person who had no interest in Xiao Juan and had participated in the entire incident was... That was Wei Liao. He was the only witness. They did need Wei Liao¡¯s help.. Chapter 377 Chapter 377: A Huge Loss! Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan said respectfully, ¡°The Vice General of the Sky Wolf Guards, Wei Liao, is also one of the people who know. He can testify for us.¡± Previously, when the Sixth Prince, Shen Rui,ined to the emperor, he had mentioned Wei Liao. He said that Wei Liao and Xiao Juan were irreconcble on the surface, but in fact, the two of them had secretly colluded. Hearing Xiao Juan¡¯s words, the old emperor was a little suspicious even if he did not face Wei Liao. However, he did not show it on his face and instructed calmly. ¡°Get Wei Liao here.¡± ¡°Aye. ¡± Wei Huai¡¯en obeyed and left. He walked out of Shang¡¯s study and immediately ordered someone to call Wei Liao over. Soon, Wei Liao appeared at the door of Shang¡¯s study. Wei Huai¡¯en had been waiting at the door. When he saw Wei Liao arrive, he lowered his voice. ¡°The emperor wants to ask you about Duke Lang. Have you thought about how to deal with it?¡± Wei Liao said unhurriedly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do.¡± Seeing him like this, it seemed that he was prepared. Wei Huai¡¯en did not ask further and led him into Shang¡¯s study. Wei Liao cupped his fists at the old emperor. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± The old emperor had no intention of beating around the bush with him and asked. ¡°I heard that you haven¡¯t been in the Imperial Capital for the past few days. Where have you been?¡± Wei Liao said respectfully, ¡°I went out of the city to do something.¡± The old emperor continued to ask, ¡°Have you seen Duke Lang in the past few days?¡± Wei Liao subconsciously looked at Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao, who were standing quietly at the side. Xiao Juan looked calm and did not look uneasy. On the other hand, Yu Niaoniao was extremely nervous. She was afraid that Wei Liao would change sides and not tell the truth. If Wei Liao refused to speak up for Xiao Juan, he would not be able to exin himself. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao felt incredibly regretful. If she had known that things would turn out like this, she would have treated Wei Liao better. While the old emperor was looking elsewhere, Yu Niaoniao sped her hands together and made a begging gesture at Wei Liao. Her face was filled with pleading. Wei Liao raised his eyebrows slightly as if considering. Yu Niaoniao ced two fingers of her right hand in the palm of her left hand. Her fingers curved, simting a human kneeling. ¡°Big shot, I¡¯ll kowtow to you. ng, ng!¡± The old emperor seemed to sense something and suddenly turned around. Yu Niaoniao instantly returned to her obedient appearance. He looked at Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao but did not see anything wrong. He thought that his paranoia was acting up again. He looked at Wei Liao again. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Wei Liao said respectfully, ¡®Your Majesty, I¡¯ve been investigating Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s murder recently. The reason I left the city was for this case. I didn¡¯t expect to meet the Princess Consort of Lang County on the way. She and six Eagle Guards were attacked by a group of masked killers.¡± Yu Niaoniao secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Wei Liao wasn¡¯t lying. This fellow was still reliable. The old emperor was skeptical. ¡°Is there such a coincidence? The world is so big. It¡¯s too much of a coincidence that you met the Princess Consort of Lang County as soon as you left the city and happened to see her being attacked.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°I also think this matter is very strange. ¡°Therefore, I did not go up directly to save her. Instead, I hid in the dark and observed what was happening.¡± ¡°Unexpectedly, the next scene made me suspect that I was hallucinating.¡± ¡°I never expected the Sixth Prince to appear there. He was the mastermind behind those killers!¡± The old emperor frowned involuntarily. ¡°Nonsense! Rui¡¯er said that the Princess Consort of Lang County secretly left the Imperial Capital after injuring the Imperial Guards. He was worried that something would happen to the Princess Consort of Lang County, so he brought people out of the city to look for her. How could he harm the Princess Consort of Lang County?!¡± ¡°I know this matter sounds unbelievable, but everything I said is true. Your Majesty, the wounds on my body were left by those killers.¡± With that, Wei Liao rolled up his sleeves, revealing his gauze-wrapped arm. Seeing that he was about to remove the gauze on the spot, the old emperor stopped him. ¡°Alright, I believe you¡¯re indeed injured, but this doesn¡¯t mean that those killers are in cahoots with Rui¡¯er.¡± At this moment, Xiao Juan stood up and said respectfully. ¡°On the way to the Chen Nation, I was also assassinated. Although those killers had been killed by me, their corpses were still there. The characteristics of the Chen Nation were still there. ¡°In addition, I also captured two Chen officials. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know the Chen Nation¡¯snguage and can¡¯t interrogate them.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, please issue a decree to get the officials of the Honglu Temple to help trante.¡± The old emperor immediately ordered the Honglu Temple to send an official who understood the Chen Nation¡¯snguage to the Justice Department to assist the Eagle Guards in interrogating the Chen Nation¡¯s officials. At this moment, the old emperor was a little tired. He waved his hand. ¡°Go back first. Don¡¯t run around until the case is investigated.¡± ¡°Aye. ¡± Everyone left the emperor¡¯s study one after another. As the sun shone on her, Yu Niaoniao heaved a long sigh of relief. She turned to look at Wei Liao and was about to thank him when Wei Liao walked past her as if he didn¡¯t know her. That expression and appearance were cold! Yu Niaoniao was stunned. What was wrong with this guy? Xiao Juan was used to this. He held Niaoniao¡¯s hand and left the pce. After getting into his carriage, Xiao Juan exined. ¡°There are spies everywhere in the pce. In order to avoid suspicion, Wei Liao can¡¯t appear too familiar with us.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately understood. When Wei Liao was testifying for them just now, he had deliberately skipped some details and never mentioned the deal between him and the Princess of Lang County. He attributed everything to a carefully arranged ¡°coincidence¡± to clear his rtionship with the Duke Lang couple. The more he did not get along with Duke Lang, the more credible the testimony he had just said. Yu Niaoniao patted her chest. ¡°I was really scared to death just now. I was so afraid that Wei Liao would change his mind at thest minute and not testify for us. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t do that.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Actually, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. He will definitely testify for us.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not understand why he was so sure. Meeting her puzzled eyes, Xiao Juan exined patiently. ¡°When Wei Liao rejected the olive branch offered by the Sixth Prince, he had already fallen out with him.¡± ¡°Even if the Sixth Prince could not do anything to him for the time being, he would definitely remember this debt.¡± ¡°If the sixth prince really ascended the throne in the future, he would definitely take revenge on Wei Liao.¡± ¡°If he doesn¡¯t want to leave any hidden dangers, the best way is to help us step on the Sixth Prince. We can¡¯t give him a chance to turn things around.¡± Realization dawned on Yu Niaoniao. Immediately, she was a little annoyed. If she had known earlier, why would she have been worried? She actually put her hands together and begged Wei Liao who had taken advantage of her for nothing.. She had really suffered a huge loss! Chapter 378 Chapter 378: Not My Type At All! Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After the old emperor rested, Wei Huai¡¯en quietly left the bedroom. At this moment, Wei Liao had been waiting outside for a long time. When he saw his adoptive fathere out, he immediately went forward to greet him and called out with a smile. ¡°Father.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en led him for a while until there was no one around before asking. ¡°Why did you speak up for Xiao Juan just now?¡± Wei Liao exined, ¡°Since I¡¯ve already offended the Sixth Prince, I can¡¯t give him a chance to fight back. Instead of saying that I¡¯m helping Xiao Juan, it¡¯s more like I¡¯m protecting myself.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en narrowed his eyes and studied the tall young man in front of him. ¡°You clearly had a chance not to offend the Sixth Prince. Why did you have to bump into his knife?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°I found out that Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s murder might be rted to Noble Consort Shu and the Sixth Prince. If this is true, I¡¯ll fall out with the Sixth Prince sooner orter. It¡¯s just a matter of time.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en stared at him for a long moment. ¡°Ah Liao, I raised you myself. I know your temper better than anyone. These reasons of yours won¡¯t convince me.¡± Wei Liao was silent. Wei Huai¡¯en said, ¡°Tell me the truth. Why did you go against the Sixth Prince? Was it to protect the Princess Consort of Lang County? Did you fall for her?¡± Wei Liao couldn¡¯t help butugh as if he had heard a huge joke. ¡°Father, what nonsense are you talking about? Even if all the women in the world are dead, it¡¯s impossible for me to like Yu Niaoniao. She¡¯s not my type at all!¡± It was unknown if Wei Huai¡¯en believed him or not, but his expression was still calm. ¡°Then why? You have to give me a reasonable exnation.¡± Wei Liao gradually stopped smiling and lowered his eyes. ¡°The Sixth Prince colluded with foreign enemies. Father, you should know that my biological parents died at the hands of spies. What I hate most in my life are people who collude with the enemy and betray their country. The Sixth Prince deserves to die!¡± Wei Liao¡¯s parents were honestmoners who lived by running a small bookshop. They happened to encounter an injured enemy spy, but they did not know that the other party was a spy and only thought that he was an ordinary passerby. The spy lied that he had encountered bandits and needed to stay at their house for a day. Wei Liao¡¯s parents were very kind. Not only did they give the spy a ce to stay, but they also treated his wound. Unexpectedly, good intentions were not rewarded. That night, the spy secretly killed Wei Liao¡¯s parents and burned down their bookstore to erase any traces of him being here. At that time, Wei Liao had been stuffed into a cab by his parents because he was young. Later, Wei Liao¡¯s family fields were upied by his rtives, and he was sold to human traffickers. After a few twists and turns, he was sold into the pce. Originally, he was going to be a pure eunuch. At that time, there were more than a dozen children who were sold into the pce with him. But Wei Huai¡¯en had singled him out among so many children. The reason was simple. This child was especially smart. While the other children were trembling and at a loss, Wei Liao already knew how to judge the situation and did his best to get the best treatment for himself. Wei Huai¡¯en had taken a fancy to his quick-wittedness. Coincidentally, at that time, Wei Huai¡¯en wanted to adopt a child to take care of him in old age. Seeing that Wei Liao was quite suitable in all aspects, he erased Wei Liao from the cleansing list and bought a residence outside the pce. He also sent someone to take care of Wei Liao. When Wei Huai¡¯en had decided to adopt Wei Liao, he had already investigated Wei Liao¡¯s background clearly. He knew that Wei Liao had personally witnessed his parents being cruelly killed by enemy spies, and he also knew how much Wei Liao hated traitors. The Sixth Prince¡¯s actions happened to urately step on Wei Liao¡¯s minefield. Naturally, Wei Liao could not tolerate it. Wei Huai¡¯en sighed. ¡°Forget it. The Sixth Prince was indeed courting death this time. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± If it were anything else, the old emperor might have tolerated the Sixth Prince, but no emperor could tolerate colluding with external enemies! Once the matter of colluding with the enemy and betraying the country was investigated, the Sixth Prince would be finished. Wei Huai¡¯en looked at Wei Liao¡¯s arm. ¡°Are you badly hurt?¡± Wei Liao said obediently, ¡°It¡¯s just a superficial wound. It¡¯s fine.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en reminded him, ¡°The Sixth Prince and Noble Consort Shuts n has failed. They should be panicking now. Send someone to keep an eye on the Sixth Prince¡¯s residence. Don¡¯t let him escape.¡± ¡°Noble Consort Shu is in the pce and definitely could not escape. But not necessarily the Sixth Prince.¡± Wei Liao replied solemnly, ¡°Yes.¡± The two of them chatted for a while longer. Seeing that it was gettingte, Wei Liao prepared to leave. Before he left, he heard Wei Huai¡¯en ask again. ¡°Are you not attracted to the Princess of Lang County?¡± Wei Liao said without hesitation, ¡°Absolutely not! The woman I like should be the type with big breasts, a thin waist, and long legs. With Yu Niaoniao¡¯s small body, I won¡¯t like her even if I¡¯m blind!¡± Towards the end, his tone revealed obvious disdain. Wei Huai¡¯en said, ¡°If you hated her so much, why did you help her escape the pce? And escort her all the way to Duke Lang?¡± He knew his adopted son very well. Although Wei Liao usually had a smile on his face and seemed easy to get along with, he was actually very closed-minded. Even if someone died before him, he would not look at them. Such a cold and heartless person would not help others casually. However, he helped Yu Niaoniao again and again. This had to make Wei Huai¡¯en think deeper. Wei Liao sighed. ¡°At this point, I can¡¯t hide it from you anymore. Actually, the reason why I helped Yu Niaoniao was that she published a book. I happened to read the book and wanted to know the rest of the plot, so I helped her.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en was surprised. ¡°She can write books?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Not a book. A painting book. She can tell stories by painting.¡± ¡°Is the story she drew exciting?¡± Wei Liao recalled the disgusting melodramatic plot in The Record of Phoenix Cry Nation and his expression became indescribable. ¡°It¡¯s not exciting at all. The plot is lousy, and the characters are even worse!¡± Wei Huai¡¯en did not understand. ¡°If it¡¯s lousy, why do you still want to Imow the subsequent plot?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s lousy that I want to know how bad the rest of the plot can be.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en had nothing to say. Even though he had raised Wei Liao, he still sometimes felt that there was something wrong with this child¡¯s head. A normal person would throw away a rotten apple. Only Wei Liao would cut open the rotten apple bit by bit to find out if it was rotten to the core. Wei Liao¡¯s expression was very rxed as he smiled. ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be tempted by Yu Niaoniao.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en said, ¡°It¡¯s best if you think that way. In the future, you have to keep a distance from the people from Duke Lang¡¯s Mansion. You know the emperor¡¯s personality.¡± Wei Liao stopped smiling and replied solemnly, ¡°I understand..¡± Chapter 379

Chapter 379: Where There¡¯s life, There¡¯s a Way Out

Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After Xiao Juan sent Yu Niaoniao back to Langjun Imperial Mansion, he immediately rushed to the Justice Department. The officials sent by the Honglu Temple had already arrived at the Justice Department. When Xiao Juan appeared, they immediately began to interrogate the two Chen Nation officials. The trialsted until the evening. When Xiao Juan returned to the Langjun Imperial Pce, it was already midnight. Yu Niaoniao had just finished drawing the portraits of the princess and the little mute. When she saw that Xiao Juan had returned, she asked. ¡°Are you hungry? I¡¯ll get some supper.¡± Seeing that she was so tired that she could not open her eyes, Xiao Juan whispered. ¡°Not hungry. Go to sleep.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± They washed up briefly and went to bed. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao was already very sleepy. Her upper eyelids kept pressing down, but she still forced herself to ask. ¡°Have the two Chen officials confessed?¡± Xiao Juan hugged her and whispered. ¡°Yes, they told us everything they know. They can testify that Shen Rui secretly met Han Chengxi in the middle of the night. Although they didn¡¯t hear the contents of their conversation, they heard from Han Chengxi¡¯s attendant that Han Chengxi and Shen Rui made a deal and exchanged tokens for it.¡± Yu Niaoniao perked up. ¡°What token?¡± If they could find the token, they would have all the witnesses and evidence. At that time, there was no way Shen Rui could deny it. Xiao Juan said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what token those two officials of the Chen Nation were referring to. ording to my guess, they should be something that can represent their identities. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll report this matter to the emperor and ask him to order a search of the Sixth Prince¡¯s residence.¡± Yu Niaoniao was filled with anticipation for tomorrow. As long as the Sixth Prince was convicted, the case of Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s murder should be solved. It seemed that everything coulde to an end. In order to seize the initiative, the first thing Shen Rui did after returning to the Imperial Capital was to enter the pce toin to his father. He said that Xiao Juan had used his position to take revenge for his personal grudge and plotted to murder the Chen Nation¡¯s diplomatic mission on the way to escort the bride. Not only did he cause the rtionship between the two countries to worsen, but he also lost Princess Tao Ran. He spoke with conviction, and the emperor believed him a little. However, after returning to the Sixth Prince¡¯s residence, Shen Rui was still uneasy. He had a bad feeling. After knowing that Duke Lang and the others had returned, Shen Rui immediately ordered someone to investigate. In the end, he was told that Duke Lang had brought back many assassin corpses this time and two officials from the Chen Nation. Moreover, the emperor sent the officials of the Honglu Temple to the Justice Department that afternoon. It was obvious that he wanted to help Duke Lang interrogate the two Chen officials. Shen Rui¡¯s uneasiness grew. It waste at night outside, but Shen Rui was not sleepy at all. He ced his hands behind his back and paced the house. His brows were tightly furrowed, and his face was filled with worry. What should he do? What should he do next? At this moment, the butler walked in and spoke respectfully. ¡°Your Highness, Noble Consort Shu sent someone over. She said that she has something to tell you.¡± Shen Rui immediately said, ¡°Bring him over.¡± After a while, the butler brought back a young eunuch. When the young eunuch looked up, Shen Rui saw the other party¡¯s face and realized that it was actually Liu Zhi! Liu Zhi could see the surprise and confusion in Shen Rui¡¯s heart and took the initiative to exin. ¡°It¡¯s not easy for a pce maid to leave the pce, but Her Highness is worried about leaving this matter to others, so she can only let me change into the clothes of a eunuch and leave the pce.¡± Realization dawned on Shen Rui. For his mother to go through so much trouble, she must have something very important to tell him. He nced at the butler. The butler understood and retreated with his head lowered, but he did not go far. Instead, he guarded the door to prevent anyone from approaching the room. In the room, Shen Rui asked impatiently. ¡°What did Mother want to tell me? Did she think of a way to deal with it?¡± As Liu Zhi sighed, her tone was filled with profound resignation. ¡°Her Highness said that the situation has gotten out of hand. There¡¯s nothing she can do.¡± Shen Rui¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. How could this be? Even his mother was helpless. Wouldn¡¯t he be dead? Liu Zhi continued, ¡°Her Highness asked you to leave the Imperial Capital at dawn tomorrow and hide in Hexi County first. Hexi County is the Shu family¡¯s territory. With the Shu family¡¯s protection, your safety is not a problem.¡± Shen Rui was indignant. ¡°But I can¡¯t hide forever, right?¡± Liu Zhi advised painstakingly. ¡°What Her Highness means is for you to lie low in Hexi County for a while. When the matter has blown over, perhaps the emperor¡¯s anger would subside.¡± ¡°After all, you¡¯re biological father and son. Even a vicious tiger won¡¯t eat its children. The emperor probably won¡¯t kill you heartlessly.¡± ¡°At that time, you just have to admit your mistake and you should be fine.¡± Shen Rui was still worried. ¡°What if Father refuses to forgive me? What if he insists on killing me?¡± Liu Zhi lowered her voice again. ¡°If the emperor is really so heartless, you can only leave Dayan and hide in the Chen Nation. Don¡¯t you still have the token of the Ninth Prince of the Chen Nation?¡± ¡°Take that token to the Chen Nation to look for him. I believe he will take you in. ¡± Shen Rui was very unwilling. ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, won¡¯t I have to rely on others in the future?¡± Liu Zhi sighed again. ¡°It¡¯s very difficult to live under someone¡¯s nose, but at least you can keep your life. As long as there¡¯s life, there would be a way out in the future.¡± Seeing that Shen Rui was still very hesitant, she could not help but feel disappointed. The Sixth Prince had ambitions, but he did not have enough decisiveness. He always hesitated when he encountered problems, so many of his decisions were made by Noble Consort Shu. If the Sixth Prince had been smarter and more decisive, perhaps he and Noble Consort Shu would not have fallen to this state today. Unfortunately, these were just theoretical suppositions. At this point, there was no turning back. Liu Zhi took out a letter. ¡°Your Highness knows it¡¯s difficult for you to make up your mind. This is a personal letter from her to you. Take a look for yourself.¡± She handed over the letter with both hands and finally left the Sixth Prince¡¯s residence quietly under the cover of the night. Shen Rui opened the letter and pulled out a thin piece of paper. The paper was covered in writing. It was filled with Noble Consort Shuts instructions to Shen Rui. That strong reluctance was almost overflowing from the paper. At the end of the letter, Noble Consort Shu said that she would take responsibility for everything. In this way, she might never see Shen Rui again. If there was a next life, she hoped they could still be mother and son. This was actually a farewell letter. Shen Ruipletely broke down. He pressed the letter to his heart and cried uncontrobly. The next day, before dawn, Xiao Juan left the Langjun Imperial Pce. He entered the pce to meet the emperor and presented the confessions of the two Chen officials. At this point, the emperor had no choice but to ce Shen Rui under suspicion. He immediately issued a decree to search the Sixth Prince¡¯s residence and ordered Shen Rui and Noble Consort Shu to see him. Unexpectedly, when the Eagle Guards rushed into the Sixth Prince¡¯s residence aggressively, they realized that the Sixth Prince had long disappeared.. Chapter 380 Chapter 380: Suicide Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios When the old emperor learned that Shen Rui had fled, the anger in his heart immediately surged. At this moment, he was already sure that Shen Rui had lied to him! This kid ran away because he had a guilty conscience! The old emperor did not expect to be tricked by his favorite son when he was old. He was furious. He raised his hand and swept the teacup and memorial in front of him to the ground. ¡°Outrageous!¡± Everyone in the study hurriedly knelt down. ¡°Please calm down, Your Majesty.¡± Seeing that the old emperor¡¯s face was red with anger and his breathing was a little rapid, Wei Huai¡¯en knew that his old illness must have acted up. He quickly took out a pill and fed him. After taking the medicine, the old emperor¡¯s breathing stabilized slightly. However, his expression was still extremely bad. ¡°Call Noble Consort Shu over. I want to ask her in person how she raised her son!¡± Wei Huai¡¯en immediately arranged for someone to summon Noble Consort Shu from the Startling Pce. Unexpectedly, the young eunuch returned quickly. The young eunuch knelt on the ground. ¡°Your Majesty, Noble Consort Shu is here.¡± The old emperor sneered. ¡°She¡¯s quite fast. Tell her to get in here!¡± A momentter, Noble Consort Shu slowly walked into the study. She was different from her usual brash and unrestrained self. Today, she was dressed exceptionally simply. She was wearing a in-colored dress and only had two simple silver hairpins in her bun. She did not wear any makeup or jewelry. She bowed to the emperor. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± When she straightened up, everyone realized that there were already some fine lines at the corners of her eyes. Usually, she would put on makeup to hide her true age. Now that she had washed away the makeup, everyone realized that she had actually be old. The old emperor¡¯s anger subconsciously dissipated when he saw her like this. But he still had to ask what needed to be asked. ¡°How much do you Imow about Shen Rui and the Ninth Prince of the Chen Nation secretly colluding?¡± Noble Consort Shu said, ¡°Can I talk to you alone?¡± The old emperor looked at her steadily for a moment. Finally, he waved his hand, indicating that the others should leave. He wanted to see what other tricks this woman could y. After everyone left and only the old emperor and Noble Consort Shu were left in the study, Noble Consort Shu slowly spoke. ¡°The person who secretly colluded with the Ninth Prince of the Chen Nation was me. Rui¡¯er was just sending a message to the Ninth Prince of the Chen Nation for me. ¡°I hate Duke Lang for harming my cousin.¡± ¡°I cooperated with the Ninth Prince of the Chen Nation and asked him to kill Duke Lang on the way.¡± ¡°Everything was done by me alone. It has nothing to do with anyone else.¡± The old emperorughed in anger. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a fool? You¡¯re a woman from the harem. On what basis does the Ninth Prince of the Chen Nation have to cooperate with you?¡± Noble Consort Shu said, ¡°I promised to help him kill Tang Guixi so he would help me get rid of Duke Lang. A life for a life. It¡¯s very fair.¡± The old emperor was furious at her unrepentant appearance. He grabbed the incense burner beside him and threw it at her. Noble Consort Shu dodged to the side. The incense burner was on the ground. It nged open, scattering incense ash and spices. The old emperor¡¯s hand trembled as he pointed at her. ¡°How dare you dodge?!¡± As Noble Consort Shu looked up, her expression was surprisingly calm. ¡°Your Majesty, you need to end this matter. I¡¯m willing to bear all the me. You can kill or torture me as you please. I just hope you can be magnanimous and let Rui¡¯er live.¡± The old emperor scolded rudely, ¡°Who do you think you are? You can¡¯t even protect yourself, yet you still want to plead for mercy for others?!¡± Noble Consort Shut s eyes turned red. She had been doted on by the emperor for years. It would be a lie to say that she had no feelings for him. However, what had happened recently had worn away the feelings in Noble Consort Shu¡¯s heart bit by bit. She was forced to recognize that the emperor actually did not have any real feelings for her. Now he was scolding her for nothing. Perhaps in his heart, she had always been just a little thing to y with in his spare time. Noble Consort Shu took a deep breath and tried her best to maintain herposure. ¡°Your Majesty, you can scold me as you please. I¡¯m willing to ept it, but please don¡¯t forget what happened in the Fengyi Pce twenty years ago...¡± The emperor¡¯s expression suddenly changed. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°What I mean is that as long as you can spare Rui¡¯er¡¯s life, I can take on both cases from twenty years ago. In any case, there¡¯s only death left and right. Multiple charges don¡¯t make much difference to me.¡± The emperor narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. I just want to help Your Majesty resolve the hidden danger. Please give me this chance, Your Majesty.¡± As the emperor looked at her steadily, his eyes were already filled with killing intent. He had thought that this woman was very stupid. He did not expect her to bite back at him. There was a long pause before the emperor spoke. ¡°As long as Shen Rui can take the initiative toe back and apologize, I can consider punishing him lightly.¡± Noble Consort Shu knelt on the ground. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness!¡± The Eagle Guards were ordered to pursue the Sixth Prince, Shen Rui. However, when they found Shen Rui, they realized that he was already dead. After Xiao Juan found out about this, he immediately rushed to the scene. In a small wooden house by the river, cobwebs had formed in the corners because no one had lived there for a long time. There were several holes in the roof. The doors and windows were on the verge of copse as if they would fall at any moment. Shen Rui was hanged in this room. When Xiao Juan arrived, Shen Rui¡¯s corpse had already been ced on the ground, but the rope that was used was still on the beam. Meng Xizhou said, ¡°When we found this ce, he was already dead. His will was still on the table. There were no signs of a struggle at the scene. The preliminary conclusion was that it was suicide.¡± The suicide note was still untouched on the table. Xiao Juan walked over to take a look. The handwriting on the will was indeed Shen Rui¡¯s. In the will, he admitted all his crimes and said that he was too ashamed to face his father. He could only choose to die to apologize. Xiao Juan looked at the ground and suddenly asked. ¡°Had someone cleared the scene?¡± It was obvious that no one had lived in this room for a long time. Logically speaking, the ground should be covered in dust, but now, the ground was clean. Meng Xizhou answered truthfully, ¡°The ground was so clean when we came in.¡± By now Lo Pingsha hadpleted the preliminary autopsy. He spoke seriously. ¡°The cause of death was asphyxiation. There were no signs of a struggle before he died, and there were no other injuries on his body. So far, it does look like a suicide.¡± Xiao Juan thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Could he have been drugged and then stuffed into a noose to hang?¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°We have to take him back for a deeper autopsy to see if he was drugged.¡± The Eagle Guards searched the entire wooden house from the inside out, but they found no other clues. The group could only return to the Imperial Capital with Shen Rui¡¯s corpse.. Chapter 381

Chapter 381: Things Have Changed

Xiao Juan reported Shen Rui¡¯s death to the old emperor. The old emperor felt as if he had been struck by lightning and he actually spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot! Finally, his eyes closed and he fainted. This frightened everyone. Even Empress Dowager Deng was rmed and rushed to the bedroom to see the emperor. After the emergency rescue of the Imperial Physicians, the old emperor quickly woke up from hisa. But he still looked terrible and spoke weakly. ¡°Rui¡¯er is... he¡¯s really dead?¡± Xiao Juan answered truthfully, ¡°Yes, the Sixth Prince¡¯s corpse has been sent to the Justice Department for further autopsy. Your Majesty, my condolences.¡± Among all the princes, the old emperor liked Shen Rui the most. He even had the thought of making Shen Rui the Crown Prince. Even though he was extremely disappointed in Shen Ruiter, he had never thought of really taking his life. After all, he was his flesh and blood and he had high hopes for him. How could he be ruthless enough to kill Shen Rui? He originally wanted to lock Shen Rui up for a while and let him suffer. If Shen Rui could sincerely repent, he would allocate a remote fief to Shen Rui so that he could live the rest of his life in peace. Unexpectedly, Shen Rui died just like that! Empress Dowager Deng felt terrible. She wiped her tears and asked. ¡°How exactly did Rui¡¯er die?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Based on the current evidence, the Sixth Prince should have hanged himself. There¡¯s also a will of his here. Please take a look at it, Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager.¡± He pulled a letter from his sleeve and offered it with both hands. Wei Huai¡¯en stepped forward to take the letter and forward it to the emperor. However, the vision of the old emperor and Empress Dowager Deng was not very good. It was very difficult for the two of them to read the letter. In the end, Wei Huai¡¯en could only help read the contents of the letter. When the old emperor heard this, he was both angry and sad. ¡°If he had realized his mistake earlier, he wouldn¡¯t havee to this point!¡± Empress Dowager Deng did not expect the usually obedient imperial grandson to do so many bad things in private. She also felt that Shen Rui was too stupid. He gave up his bright future and actually asked the Ninth Prince of the Chen Nation for help. However, he was already dead. Empress Dowager Deng could not say anything else about him. In the end, she could only say, ¡°Rui¡¯er is Noble Consort Shu¡¯s only child. We have to inform her about this.¡± The old emperor seemed to think of something and his expression changed. He called Wei Huai¡¯en to him and whispered instructions. Wei Huai¡¯en¡¯s expression did not change when he heard this. ¡°I¡¯ll do it now.¡± With that, he left. Soon, the Third Prince, the Fourth Prince, and the Seventh Prince arrived. They were all here to visit their sick father. Xiao Juan tactfully bade farewell. Before he left, the old emperor handed him the case of the Sixth Prince¡¯s death. Xiao Juan epted the order and left. AS ne walked out ot tne Dearoom door, ne nappened to Drusn past tne tnree princes. The Third Prince and the Fourth Prince looked very anxious, and their footsteps were faster than the other. Only the Seventh Prince¡¯s eyes were red and his face was filled with grief. He was in poor health and walked slowly, falling behind. Xiao Juan stepped aside and waited for the three princes to walk past him before continuing to walk out. There was a faint cry behind him. ¡°Wuwu, Father, are you alright? When I heard that you vomited blood, I was so frightened that my heart almost stopped.¡± In the bedchamber, the old emperor looked at his three sons kneeling by the bed with an indescribable feeling. These were his sons, so he naturally valued them. However, there were still long and short fingers, let alone human hearts. Among all the sons, the old emperor liked the Sixth Prince, Shen Rui, the most. But the son who disappointed him the most was Shen Rui. All the high hopes he had for so many years were in vain. The old emperor spoke weakly. ¡°You should know about Rui¡¯er, right?¡± The Third Prince reacted the fastest. He was the first to speak. ¡°Sixth Brother was too confused! As the Prince of Dayan, he actually dared to collude with external enemies and side with outsiders. The Chen Nation had always been ambitious. Sixth Brother was clearly inviting a wolf into his house. If it were me, I would never bow down to foreign enemies even if I died!¡± The fourth prince regretted being a step toote. However, he did not dare to be distracted. As soon as the Third Prince took a breath, he continued impatiently, ¡°Sixth Brother is young. In addition, he has been spoiled by Noble Consort Shu for so many years. It¡¯s normal for him to be a little impulsive. However, his mistake this time was indeed too big.¡± ¡°What was even more hateful was that not only did he not repent after making a mistake, he evenmitted suicide? Didn¡¯t he know how sad his father would be if he did this? Look at Father, he¡¯s so angry that he¡¯s vomiting blood. Unfilial thing, I really don¡¯t want to admit that I have a younger brother like him!¡± The old emperor listened quietly to them. His expression did not change. He looked at the Seventh Prince kneeling at the back and asked. ¡°Zhuo¡¯er, why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Seventh Prince Shen Zhuo raised his head slightly, revealing his pale face and already red eyes from crying. He said hoarsely, ¡°I feel terrible that Sixth Brother is dead.¡± The old emperor said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think he deserved it?¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°Sixth Brother did make a mistake, but no matter what he bes, he¡¯s still my brother. I only hate myself for being too ipetent to stop Sixth Brother when he made a mistake.¡± With that, he knelt on the ground. His thin body trembled slightly, and there were faint cries. Seeing this, the old emperor could not help but be moved. He got someone to help Shen Zhuo up. ¡°You¡¯re a good kid.¡± Although it was just a simple praise, it made the expressions of the Third and Fourth Princes change. They had said so much just now, but Father had not evenmented. Shen Zhuo had only shed a few tears, but his father had praised him. The gap between Shen Zhuo and the two of them widened. Ever since Noble Consort Shu spoke to the emperor alone in Shang¡¯s study, she had been grounded. She had been locked up in the Startling Pce for the past two days and could not go anywhere. All these years, although she did not have the title of Empress, she could manage the harem in ce of the Empress. She could be considered to be glorious. Even if many new people entered the pce one after another, no one could overshadow her. Every day, there were people who racked their brains to enter the Startling Pce, and there were countless people who ran to her to curry favor. But things had changed. The Startling Pce was cold. The usually attentive faces were all gone. When Wei Huai¡¯en led his men into the Startling Pce, the pce servants were very uneasy. They did not know if Eunuch Wei had brought good news or bad news this time. Liu Zhi helped Noble Consort Shu out. Noble Consort Shu had not eaten or slept well for the past two days and looked very weak. She was not even in the mood to dress up. She was wearing a loose dress. After sitting down, she nced at Wei Huai¡¯en andughed at herself. ¡°In the past two days, you¡¯re the only one who took the initiative to step into the Startling Pce..¡± Chapter 382 Chapter 382: The Most Heartless Emperor Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Wei Huai¡¯en bowed respectfully. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m here on the emperor¡¯s orders to send you something.¡± Noble Consort Shu was clearly prepared and reacted calmly. ¡°Is it poisoned wine? Or white silk?¡± Wei Huai En nced at the young eunuch behind him. The young eunuch immediately came forward with a mahogany tray. On the tray were a wine pot and a wine ss. Seeing this, Liu Zhi knelt down and cried, ¡°Your Majesty, please spare Her Highness¡¯s life on ount of their many years of rtionship! ¡± Wei Huai¡¯en ordered someone to drag Liu Zhi down. The other unrted people were also cleared out. In the end, only Noble Consort Shu, Wei Huai¡¯en, and the two young eunuchs he had brought were left in the room. Noble Consort Shu sat still. ¡°His Majesty promised me that he would spare the Sixth Prince¡¯s life. I have to confirm that the Sixth Prince is safe before I can leave in peace.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en said, ¡°Your Highness, you might not know this, but the Sixth Prince has already passed away.¡± Noble Consort Shu¡¯s eyes widened. Her calm posture instantly disintegrated. Shepletely lost herposure and shouted. ¡°How is that possible? This isn¡¯t true. I¡¯ve already informed Rui¡¯er to run away. He¡¯s definitely still alive. You¡¯re lying to me!¡± Wei Huai¡¯en said, ¡°At this point, is there a need for me to lie to you? The Sixth Prince hanged himself. Before he died, he left a suicide note, indicating that hemitted suicide out of fear of punishment. The emperor and the empress dowager already know about this.¡± Noble Consort Shu still shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! Rui¡¯er can¡¯t havemitted suicide.¡± It was not until Wei Huai¡¯en took out Shen Rui¡¯s will that Noble Consort Shu had no choice but to believe that Shen Rui was really dead. She rushed out as if she had gone crazy. ¡°Rui¡¯er won¡¯tmit suicide. This letter must have been forged by someone else. He must have been harmed! ¡°I¡¯m going to see the emperor. Rui¡¯er can¡¯t die in vain. The emperor must mete out justice for Rui¡¯er!¡± However, before she could run far, she was stopped by two young eunuchs. Wei Huai¡¯en poured the poisoned wine into a ss and ced his hands in front of Noble Consort Shu. ¡°Your Highness, His Majesty has ordered Duke Lang to investigate the Sixth Prince¡¯s death as soon as possible. The truth will definitelye out, but before that, you have to drink this ss of wine.¡± Noble Consort Shu struggled desperately. ¡°I¡¯m not drinking! Let go of me, you bunch of dogs! I want to see Empress Dowager Deng!¡± Empress Dowager Deng was her aunt and would definitely stand on her side. Wei Huai¡¯en spoke unhurriedly, ¡°The Empress Dowager dotes on you, but you shouldn¡¯t have dared to threaten the emperor.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a mother too. You should know very well what choices mothers make when their children are threatened.¡± Noble Consort Shu was immediately speechless. She had threatened the emperor with what had happened twenty years ago in order to leave Shen Rui a way out. She knew the emperor¡¯s nature and understood the consequences of what she had done. Wei Huai En brought the ss to her lips. ¡°Since you dare to threaten the emperor, you must be prepared to die. Don¡¯t resist anymore. Please leave with dignity. ¡± Noble Consort Shu was indeed prepared to die. However, she did not expect Shen Rui to die before her. Now that Shen Rui had died for no reason, how could she be willing? She turned her head away desperately, refusing to drink the ss of wine. She had to live. She had to find the murderer who killed Shen Rui and take revenge for him! Wei Huai¡¯en¡¯s patience ran out. He grabbed Noble Consort Shu¡¯s chin with one hand and forced her mouth open. Then, he forced a ss of poisoned wine into her mouth. The spicy wine flowed into her body along her esophagus. Noble Consort Shu whimpered in despair. Soon, there was a sharp pain in her abdomen. The two eunuchs released her. She could not straighten in pain. She could only clutch her stomach and twitch on the ground. Wei Huai En ced the empty wine ss back on the tray and looked at Noble Consort Shu with pity. ¡°Bear with it. You¡¯ll be with the Sixth Prince soon.¡± Noble Consort Shu was in so much pain that she wanted to die. She Imew she was about to die. Would she regret it if he asked her? She naturally regretted it. She regretted participating in the concubine selection. She regretted thinking about rising to the top. What she regretted the most was having feelings for the man on the throne. The most heartless person in the world was the emperor. When he felt that she was valuable, he would spoil her until she waswless and thought that she could squander everything in the world. But when he didn¡¯t need her, she was an eyesore. She had to be eliminated. If there was a next life, she would definitely not enter the Imperial Family. Yu Niaoniao had been waiting for the results of the search, but in the end, she received news that the Sixth Prince had passed away. This ending was beyond her expectations. She rushed to the Justice Department just as Lo Pingsha finished the second round of autopsies. He reported in full detail. ¡°From the ligature mark on his neck, the Sixth Prince was indeed hanged. I cut open his abdomen and checked the food residue in his stomach. He hadn¡¯t eaten for a long time before he died. His stomach was almost empty. It can eliminate the possibility of having been drugged with food.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Could it be that he was drugged with incense? ¡°Under normal circumstances, the effects of the incense are far inferior to the knockout powder. If the Sixth Prince had smelled the incense before he died, he should have been forced awake when he was hung from the beam and was seriously oxygen -deprived. ¡± ¡°Think about it. If you suddenly woke up and found yourself hanging in the air, you would definitely struggle, right? However, the Sixth Prince¡¯s hands were clean, and his clothes were very neat. There were no signs of struggle.¡± ¡°All of this proved that he did not move even at thest moment. He was really determined to die.¡± Xiao Juan was silent. Yu Niaoniao could not help but say, ¡°In that case, did the Sixth Prince reallymit suicide?¡± Lo Pingsha nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao turned to look at Xiao Juan, only to see that he had been looking at Shen Rui on the autopsy bed. His brows were tightly furrowed, and his thin lips were pursed into a straight line. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Do you suspect that Shen Rui did notmit suicide?¡± Xiao Juan hesitated for a moment before saying his thoughts. ¡°Suicide takes a lot of courage, but from what I know of Shen Rui, he doesn¡¯t have that courage.¡± These were all his personal intuitions, but cases were solved with real evidence. Now, all the evidence indicated that Shen Rui hadmitted suicide. Xiao Juan¡¯s guess was not supported by any evidence. He thought Yu Niaoniao would persuade him not to let his imagination run wild, but he heard her say. ¡°Since you still have doubts, let¡¯sb this case from the beginning again. We might find something useful?¡± Xiao Juan turned to look at her and saw that her face was filled with smiles. Her eyes were bright and full of vitality. Even if he couldn¡¯t produce evidence, she chose to trust his instincts. This feeling of being supported unconditionally was really good. Xiao Juan¡¯s gaze could not help but soften. ¡°Okay..¡± Chapter 383 Chapter 383: I¡¯ll End It for You Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The starting point of the entire matter was Yu Niaoniao¡¯s assassination in the pce. Hence, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan entered the pce and returned to the ce where she was assassinated that day. In order to facilitate recalling the details, the two of them decided to reenact the assassination. Xiao Juan disguised himself as a fake pce maid and stood a step away from Yu Niaoniao. He pulled out the dagger hidden in his sleeve and pounced at her! Yu Niaoniao dodged sideways. At the same time, she raised her right hand and pressed the extension. The crossbow hidden in her sleeve shot out. The distance was too close. Xiao Juan could not dodge in time and was shot in the heart. He was in pain. He clutched his heart and retreated. Yu Niaoniao took the opportunity to escape. When she turned around, Xiao Juan had already fallen into a pool of blood. The case reenactment ended there. However, Xiao Juan was still lying on the ground, motionless. Yu Niaoniao walked over, lifted her skirt, and squatted down. She poked his shoulder with her little finger. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you up?¡± Xiao Juan looked straight ahead and said slowly, ¡°When the fake pce maid fell that day, her face was also facing this direction. Moreover, her eyes were round and she did not close them until she died.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked in the direction he was looking and saw a bamboo forest. She suddenly remembered. ¡°That day, the fake pce maid wanted to bring me through the bamboo forest. I felt that something was wrong and refused to enter the bamboo forest.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°There must have been someone in the bamboo forest that day. Perhaps he hid in the bamboo forest and watched the fake pce maid get killed by you before watching you escape in a panic.¡± Yu Niaoniao broke out in a cold sweat. Why did it seem like a pervert? She rubbed her arms. ¡°Who the hell is that person?¡± Xiao Juan stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go into the bamboo forest and take a look.¡± The two of them entered the bamboo forest. The temperature in the bamboo forest was lower than outside. asionally, a wind would blow. The bamboo swayed gently with the wind, making a sound like waves. There were some Taihu Stones scattered in the bamboo forest. These stones had been transported from the south. Each stone was in a different shape and had many holes ot ditterent sizes distributed on it. Xiao Juan walked behind a Taihu Stone. At his height, he could clearly see the scene outside the bamboo forest through the holes in the stone. ¡°He should have been standing here that day.¡± Yu Niaoniao walked around the Taihu Stone and did not find any clues. But it made sense. That person had only stood here for a while. How could he have identally left a clue? Such a coincidence that could only appear in a story was almost impossible in reality. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Where did you go next?¡± Yu Niaoniao brought Xiao Juan to the corridor. ¡°At that time, Princess Tao Ran had been chasing me. I was forced to run here and happened to meet Shen Junzhi. He pulled me into a room.¡± She looked around as she spoke and quickly found the familiar door. She was about to push open the door when she was stopped by Xiao Juan. ¡°Let me in first.¡± He pushed open the door and walked in, then closed it. Yu Niaoniao rushed past the door ording to the scene on the day of the crime. A hand suddenly reached out, grabbed her arm, and pulled her into the room. The room was dark. Yu Niaoniao leaned against the door with Xiao Juan in front of her. He whispered, ¡°And?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Shen Junzhi covered my mouth and nose to prevent me from making a sound.¡± Xiao Juan reached out and covered her mouth and nose. Her warm breath sprayed into his palm, making it itch indescribably. Xiao Juan could not help but think what Shen Junzhi was thinking when he covered her mouth and nose that day. Did he enjoy the feeling of being in close contact with Yu Niaoniao? What about her? What was she thinking at that time? He closed his eyes and suppressed the surging jealousy in his heart. ¡°And?¡± Yu Niaoniao pointed out the door and then at the hand covering her. Xiao Juan let go of her. Yu Niaoniao immediately moved to the side to distance herself from him. At the same time, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief. When the man covered her mouth and nose just now, all she could smell was the man¡¯s scent. That feeling made her heart beat faster for some reason. She clearly did not feel this way when Shen Junzhi covered her that day. She tried her best to maintain herposure. ¡°Shen Junzhi asked me to go with him.¡± Xiao Juan looked down at her. ¡°You agreed?¡± Yu Niaoniao denied it without thinking. Xiao Juan stared at her quietly. In the dim room, Yu Niaoniao could not see the man¡¯s eyes clearly, but she could sense that he was not in a good mood. She spoke quickly. ¡°I¡¯m serious! I thought the timing of his appearance was too coincidental. And I had never known his true identity. I was very wary of him, so I naturally refused to go with him.¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°But you still left with him in the end.¡± Yu Niaoniao defended herself. ¡°In that situation, I was alone and helpless. If I continued to stay here, I would definitely be captured by Princess Tao Ran and her men. I could only leave this ce with Shen Junzhi first before thinking of a way to find you.¡± Xiao Juan naturally knew that Niaoniao had done the right thing. However, as long as he thought of Niaoniao leaving with another man, he could not help but feel jealous. It took him a while to calm down. ¡°The next time you encounter something like this, think of a way to make a big deal out of it. The worse the better. That way, you can stall for time until I save you.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°This is the pce. What if we make things difficult?¡± Xiao Juan touched her head. ¡°I¡¯m here. I¡¯ll clean up the mess for you.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart warmed. ¡®Yes!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to the next ce.¡± The next ce was the zed Jade Pce. It was still deste. The courtyard was overgrown. Yu Niaoniao said as she walked in. ¡°Shen Junzhi left me here and left. He said he would look for you in Zhengde Hall and give you the news that I was in trouble, but he never returned. ¡°I was alone here and happened to find the bones of a baby buried in the backyard...¡¯ They went to the backyard and stood beside the ce where the bones had been excavated. The bones had been sent to the Justice Department, but the pit was still here. Xiao Juan looked at the nearby tree that had fallen to the ground and said slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve already checked. This big tree suddenly fellst month. The reason was that the bottom of the trunk was empty from the aphids. The trunk couldn¡¯t hold on anymore and fell. The roots were brought out of the soil, revealing a little of the baby¡¯s bones buried under the tree.¡± Yu Niaoniao lifted her skirt and squatted down. She looked down at the pit and muttered to herself. ¡°How can there be such a coincidence?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Then they left the pce and returned to the Justice Department. They dug out the confessions of the Imperial Physicians and read them again. They even found Lo Pingsha and asked him carefully about the entire process of examining Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s skeleton in the concubine¡¯s mausoleum that day.. Chapter 384 Chapter 384: Case Closed Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Lo Pingsha naturally told them everything he knew. At the end, he took out a piece of drawing paper. ¡°I was afraid that I would miss something, so I especially drew the scene in Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s coffin. However, I don¡¯t have Princess Consort¡¯s photographic memory. What I drew with my memory might be a little blurry.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately took the drawing paper and read it carefully. The main body of the painting was naturally the bones of Imperial Concubine Yue and the little prince. Then, there were all kinds of burial items surrounding them. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s gaze was quickly attracted by the white jade longevity lock on the little prince¡¯s chest. She was about to take a closer look when she suddenly heard footsteps. Then, Meng Xizhou rushed in. ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s news from the pce that Noble Consort Shu has passed away.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s thoughts were interrupted. She looked up at Meng Xizhou and asked in surprise. ¡°Why did Noble Consort Shu suddenly die?¡± Meng Xizhou said, ¡°On the surface, she has a sudden illness. Actually, she was bestowed death by the emperor.¡± Yu Niaoniao could not help but frown. ¡®Why?¡± Meng Xizhou said, ¡°The person who killed Imperial Concubine Yue and her son back then was Noble Consort Shu. She was jealous of Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s favor and was afraid that Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s status would be affected after giving birth to a prince.¡± ¡°Therefore, she made the first move and bribed the Granny serving Imperial Concubine Yue to secretly poison Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s pregnancy-stabilizing medicine. As a result, Imperial Concubine Yue gave birth prematurely. In the end, both mother and son died.¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°How did you know?¡± Meng Xizhou exined. ¡°A young eunuch came to the pce just now. He told me all these things. He also brought an oral edict from the emperor It was said that the truth of Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s murder had been revealed and the real culprit had been executed. Imperial Concubine Yue would probably rest in peace in theherworld. Our Justice Department can close the case directly.¡± Yu Niaoniao turned to look at Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan happened to look at her. Their eyes met, and they could see the surprise in each other¡¯s hearts. After this period of investigation, they had already locked the suspect in Noble Consort Shu. They were already mentally prepared that Noble Consort Shu was the real culprit. They did not expect Noble Consort Shu to die so quickly. They had not even found evidence of the offense, but the emperor announced that the case could be closed. Wasn¡¯t this too rushed? But Lo Pingsha smiled at that moment. ¡°The truth is finally out. Imperial Concubine Yue wasn¡¯t killed by my father. My father¡¯s grievances can finally be washed away.¡± Meng Xizhou was also quite happy. ¡°Your father will definitely be very relieved.¡± Lo Pingsha suddenly knelt down and kowtowed to Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness and Princess Consort, for finding the real culprit who murdered Imperial Concubine Yue and her son and clearing my father¡¯s name. I thank you on behalf of my father! ¡± Yu Niaoniao quickly pulled him up. ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. We actually didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Lo Pingsha said solemnly. ¡°You¡¯re my benefactors. No matter what happens in the future, as long as you give the order, I won¡¯t hesitate to go through fire and water! ¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I just want you to be safe.¡± Lo Pingsha was not good at expressing himself. He really did not know what to say and could only repeat the word. ¡°Thank you.¡± Meng Xizhou interrupted. ¡°Since we¡¯re closing the case, are we going to organize all the information on this case into a dossier and seal it in the Qianji Building?¡± Xiao Juan still felt that there were many doubts about this case, but the emperor had already ordered the case to be closed. As a subject, he had no choice but to obey. ¡°Yeah.¡± Lo Pingsha immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll summarize the autopsy statement.¡± He left with Meng Xizhou. Soon, only Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan were left in the room. Seeing that Xiao Juan was silent for a long time, Yu Niaoniao took the initiative to ask. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± Xiao Juan said slowly, ¡°I originally thought that even if the emperor knew the truth behind Noble Consort Shu¡¯s murder, he would only strip Noble Consort Shu of her title and send her to the nunnery to copy scriptures every day to atone for her crimes. I didn¡¯t expect the emperor to kill her.¡± There were often scenes of concubines plotting against each other in the harem. The emperor should be used to this. Although Noble Consort Shut s crime was very bad, she was still the biological mother of the Sixth Prince and Empress Dowager Deng¡¯s niece. She had been in the pce for many years and had received great kindness. After considering so many factors, the emperor should not have sentenced her to death. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Maybe because the emperor loves Imperial Concubine Yue very much?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s expression did not change, but his tone revealed a hint of mockery. ¡°If he really loves Imperial Concubine Yue, why didn¡¯t he think of investigating Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s murder all these years? If not for the discovery of the baby¡¯s bones in the zed Jade Pce, perhaps the emperor would have forgotten about Imperial Concubine Yue.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Noble Consort Shu died too quickly.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she suddenly said. ¡°Could it be that Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s murder was just an excuse? Did the emperor actually sentence Noble Consort Shu to death for something else?¡± Xiao Juan did not speak, tacitly agreeing with her guess. Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°What could make the emperor not hesitate to kill a noble consort?¡± Xiao Juan could not give a definite answer. Although Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s case could not be investigated anymore, the Sixth Prince¡¯s case still had to be investigated. That afternoon, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan left the Justice Department and prepared to go to the east city gate. Unexpectedly, they were stopped halfway. The person who stopped them was Wei Liao. He put his left hand on his hip and extended his right. ¡°Three days have passed. Where¡¯s the portrait you promised me? You¡¯re not going to go back on your word, are you?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°The portrait has been drawn long ago, but I don¡¯t have it with me. Go back first. I¡¯ll get someone to send the portrait to your houseter. ¡± ¡°You¡¯d better not lie to me, or.. Wei Liao snorted. His threat was self-evident. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m a puppy if I lie to you. That should work, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget the signature.¡± With that, Wei Liao prepared to leave. Yu Niaoniao was a little surprised to see him leave so readily. She took the initiative to stop him. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Wei Liao raised his eyebrows. ¡°What?¡± Yu Niaoniao first nced at Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan understood what she meant and nodded slightly in agreement. Wei Liao was impatient. ¡°Why are you talking in riddles? If you have something to say, say it. Don¡¯t y tricks in front of me.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You should already know that the Sixth Prince is dead, right?¡± ¡°So what if I do? What does it have to do with you?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°The emperor handed this case to Duke Lang. Don¡¯t you have any thoughts?¡± Wei Liao sneered disdainfully. ¡°Are you here to show off in front of me? Let me tell you, I¡¯m not buying it!¡± Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°In the past, if you knew that I had taken over a new case, you would definitely think of a way to get a share of it. Even if you couldn¡¯t interfere, you would think of a way to cause trouble for me.¡± Yu Niaoniao replied tacitly, ¡°But this time you didn¡¯t do anything. You were too quiet.¡± Wei Liao looked at them warily. ¡°What exactly are you guys trying to say?¡± Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao approached him at the same time and asked, ¡°Do you know anything about the Sixth Prince¡¯s death?¡± Chapter 385 Chapter 385: Sugar Pancakes Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Wei Liao sneered disdainfully. ¡°Heh, could it be that there¡¯s something wrong with your brains from investigating the case? You actually came to ask me? Not to mention that I don¡¯t know anything, even if I did know something, I wouldn¡¯t tell you.¡± Even though he had helped Xiao Juan testifyst time, he and Xiao Juan were still enemies. Their rtionship would never be harmonious. Yu Niaoniao raised her hands and made a tearing motion. ¡°If you don¡¯t say anything, I¡¯ll tear up the portraits of the princess and the little mute. Crash, tear them into pieces.¡± Wei Liao was speechless. He pointed at Yu Niaoniao and gritted his teeth. ¡°How dare you threaten me?¡± Yu Niaoniao pulled out the small fan at her waist and opened it. ¡°If you tell us the truth, I¡¯ll give you a fan.¡± Wei Liao said disdainfully, ¡°I don¡¯t care about your stupid fan!¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her small fan and winked at him. ¡°There are little mutes and princesses drawn on the front and back of the fan, and they¡¯re wearing clothes that have never been seen in books.¡± Wei Liao didn¡¯t like the little mute and the princess at all! But he really wanted to see the little mute and the princess in new clothes! Wei Liao took a deep breath and said quickly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you. During this period of time, I had sent someone to secretly keep an eye on the Sixth Prince. The previous day, the Sixth Prince left the prince¡¯s residence before dawn. My Sky Wolf Guards quietly followed behind him. However, he encountered an ident when he left the city gate. Someone was fighting near the city gate. It was a chaotic scene. When the Sky Wolf Guards finally squeezed out of the crowd, the Sixth Prince was already gone.¡± Xiao Juan was deep in thought. ¡°How can there be such a coincidence?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. I also think this is too much of a coincidence. After that, I sent someone to investigate the two people fighting near the city gate. In the end, I found out that they had been paid by someone else and deliberately chose that time to fight near the city gate to deliberately create chaos to dy the Sky Wolf Guards.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked. ¡°Who instructed them?¡± Wei Liao revealed a strange smile. ¡°You¡¯ll never guess who that person is.¡± Yu Niaoniao urged, ¡°Don¡¯t keep me in suspense. Tell me quickly!¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°The butler of the Sixth Prince¡¯s residence.¡¯ Yu Niaoniao was stunned. This answer was indeed unexpected. Wei Liao said slowly, ¡°After that, I interrogated the butler of the Sixth Prince¡¯s residence. He said that the Sixth Prince already knew that he was being followed, so he deliberately asked him to pay two people to cause trouble near the city gate to shake off the people following him.¡± Seeing that Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan were silent, he smiled gloatingly. ¡°Are you disappointed? It wasn¡¯t easy for you to find a clue. You thought you could catch a big fish. You didn¡¯t expect to return to the starting point after circling around. You were overjoyed over nothing!¡± Yu Niaoniao was indeed very disappointed. But she still pretended not to care. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. There¡¯s still plenty of time. We can take our time investigating. Sooner orter, we¡¯ll find out the truth.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that Shen Rui is a prince. His body can¡¯t be kept in the Justice Department forever. The royal family will mourn him in seven days at thetest. At that time, if you still can¡¯t find the truth, this case can only be closed with suicide as the conclusion.¡± He counted with his fingers. ¡°Let me calcte. You only have five days left, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao red at him angrily and cursed, ¡°A petty person gets what he wants!¡± Wei Liaoughed even more impudently. ¡°Haha, do you knowwhy I don¡¯t want to interfere in the Sixth Prince¡¯s case? Because I know there¡¯s no way to investigate this case. No matter how busy you get, you can only close the case with suicide as the conclusion.¡± Yu Niaoniao snorted and could not be bothered to argue with him. She pulled Xiao Juan away. Wei Liao¡¯s shout came from behind. ¡°Don¡¯t forget my portrait and fan!¡± Yu Niaoniao did not look back. She and Xiao Juan went to the east city gate and asked the guards about the situation on the day of the Sixth Prince¡¯s ident. The city guards told him everything they still remembered. What they described was almost the same as what Wei Liao had said. There were indeed two people fighting near the city gate that morning. It was very fierce and the scene was especially chaotic. The Sixth Prince¡¯s carriage took advantage of that time to leave the city. On the way back, Xiao Juan was very silent. Yu Niaoniaoforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Wei Liao. He just wants the world to be in chaos. Let¡¯s investigate slowly. We¡¯ll definitely find out the truth.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°What if the truth is suicide?¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Along the way, all the clues finally pointed to one conclusion: Shen Ruimitted suicide to avoid punishment. Even Xiao Juan himself suspected that he had guessed wrongly. Yu Niaoniao took his hand. ¡°There are still five days left. We¡¯ll do our best and leave it to fate.¡± Xiao Juan looked down at their intertwined hands and replied softly. ¡°Yeah.¡± For the next five days, they investigated the Sixth Prince¡¯s death repeatedly. In the end, they still found nothing. The next day was the day of mourning. The emperor sent someone to take Shen Rui¡¯s body away and also sent an oral order to Xiao Juan to enter the pce. After Xiao Juan left, Yu Niaoniao went home. When she was bored, she saw Lo Pingsha talking to Granny Xiu Yan and asked. ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Granny Xiu Yan bowed respectfully. ¡°Little Lo said that he wants to pay his respects to his parents tomorrow and asked me to help tell the kitchen to get the chef to prepare some food.¡± Lo Pingsha exined, ¡°Tomorrow is the day of the Sixth Prince and Noble Consort Shu¡¯s funeral. I want to tell my parents this news so that they can rest in peace.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I happen to have nothing to do. What kind of food do you want? I¡¯ll help you make it.¡± Lo Pingsha was ttered. ¡°Won¡¯t that be too much trouble for you?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled and said, ¡°We¡¯re all family. Don¡¯t be so polite.¡± Because she had not found any clues in the Sixth Prince¡¯s case, she was a little depressed. She could use the opportunity to make delicious food to adjust her mood. She asked, ¡°Do your parents have anything they particrly like to eat?¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°My father liked to eat sweet things when he was alive, especially sugar pancakes. They were small pancakes wrapped in glutinous rice skin and filled with white sugar. He could eat ten of them in one go!¡± Granny Xiu Yan looked surprised. ¡°Sugar pancakes are so sweet. Won¡¯t your father get tired of eating ten in one Lo Pingsha shook his head. ¡°No, my father loves sweetness as much as his life, but my mother supervises him and doesn¡¯t let him eat too much sweet food. After all, he¡¯s not young and his body is quite fat. He can¡¯t eat too much sweet food. Speaking of the past, the corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily, and the light in his eyes softened. Granny Xiu Yan realized that Yu Niaoniao had not spoken for a long time and could not help but ask. ¡°Princess Consort, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Chapter 386 - Chapter 386: Longevity Lock Chapter 386: Longevity Lock Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Just as Lo Pingsha mentioned the sugar pancake, Yu Niaoniao recalled something that had happened when she was young. At that time, she was only seven years old. She had to go to the Feng n¡¯s ss every day. Feng Lianghan was the patriarch of the Feng family. He had funded the construction of the school. As long as someone was a child of the family, he could go to school for free. If he studied well, he could even get a schrship. Feng Lianghan was knowledgeable, to begin with. He was fully capable of teaching Yu Niaoniao. But he still felt that children should be with their peers. That way, it would stimte their nature and help their personalities grow. Not only did Yu Niaoniao have to go to the n school to attend sses, but even Shen Junzhi, who hadter be Feng Lianghan¡¯s student, had to go to the n school to attend sses. The two of them were the only two outsiders in the n school. It was inevitable that they would be ostracized. Yu Niaoniao was thick-skinned and good at fighting. If anyone dared to bully her, she could hit them back on the spot. After that, she could still smile cheekily and act as if nothing had happened. No one could do anything to her. He was not in good health and his mind was sensitive. After only three days of school, he could not take it anymore and told Feng Lianghan that he did not want to go to school. Feng Lianghan naturally did not agree. He personally sent Shen Junzhi to school and instructed the teacher to take good care of him before returning. The teacher was very busy and could not keep looking out for Shen Junzhi. The group of naughty children tore up the words Shen Junzhi had just written when the teacher was not paying attention. Not only that, but they also sshed all the ink on Shen Junzhi¡¯s face and body. After that, everyoneughed together. They pointed at Shen Junzhi andughed at him for being a bookwvorm. He only knew how to read all day long. He was really a fool. Then everyone began to shout in unison. ¡°Fool! Fool! Shen Junzhi is a big fool!¡± The teacher was furious. He jumped up to grab the mischievous students. In the end, he did not manage to catch them and was quite tired. The teacher had no choice but to give Shen Junzhi half a day off to go back and change his clothes. Shen Junzhi stood up and walked out. During the process, someone tripped him. He stumbled and fell awkwardly to the ground. The jade pendant he had been wearing around his neck fell out and hit the ground, breaking in half. Yu Niaoniao sat in the corner with her legs crossed, with the brush in her hand spinning smoothly. She watched as Shen Junzhi got up and reached out to pick up the broken jade pendant. The jade pendant should be important to him. His fingers trembled and his eyes turned red. The teacher hurriedly helped him up. ¡°Junzhi, where did you fall? Do you want a doctor to take a look at you?¡± Shen Junzhi shook his head and left with the broken jade pendant. The teacher roared at the mischievous students. ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done! Shen Junzhi is such an obedient child, but he was bullied by you! Let your parentse to schoolter. I want to talk to them in person!¡± The students immediately shrank their necks and begged the teacher not to invite their parents. Yu Niaoniao stood up and walked out. The teacher shouted at her, ¡°Where are you going during ss? Sit back down!¡± Yu Niaoniao held her stomach and shouted exaggeratedly. ¡°Ouch, my stomach hurts. I must have eaten something bad. I¡¯m going to the toilet. I can¡¯t take it anymore!¡± With that, she ran out. The Master was furious and shouted at her back. ¡°Yu Niaoniao, you¡¯re skipping ss again! Come back!¡± Yu Niaoniao ran quickly, ignoring how angry the teacher behind her was. After leaving the school, she walked home along the road. However, when she returned home, she did not see Shen Junzhi. After asking, she found out that Shen Junzhi had not returned at all. Yu Niaoniao was afraid that he would do something stupid, so she told her parents about this and asked them to send someone to look for Shen Junzhi. She went out to look for him herself. In the end, she found Shen Junzhi by the river. The kid was squatting by the river, holding the broken jade pendant and secretly crying. Yu Niaoniao walked over and said like a little adult, ¡°You¡¯re so old, yet you¡¯re still crying.¡± Shen Junzhi quickly wiped his tears. ¡°I¡¯m not crying.¡± Yu Niaoniao squatted down beside him. ¡°Then why are you hiding here?¡± Shen Junzhi tugged at the hem of his shirt. ¡°I¡¯m washing clothes here.¡± The hem of his shirt was still wet. The ink had been washed off. Yu Niaoniao looked at his face and saw that his eyes were swollen from crying. Shen Junzhi quickly turned his head and looked elsewhere. Yu Niaoniao did not expose him. She took out an oil paper bag. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten at a time like this. You must be hungry, right? I have some sugar pancakes here. My mother specially made them for me. They¡¯re delicious. Try them too.¡± Shen Junzhi said that he was not hungry. But in the next moment, his stomach growled loudly. Yu Niaoniaoughed rudely. Shen Junzhi was embarrassed by theugh. Yu Niaoniao forcefully stuffed the oil paper bag into his hand. ¡°Eat, eat. You¡¯ll feel much better after eating some sweet food.¡± Shen Junzhi was indeed hungry. Boys his age could not withstand hunger the most. In the end, he sumbed to the temptation of delicious food. He carefully ced the jade pendant aside before starting on the sugar pancake. The surface of the sugar pancake was ayer of soft glutinous rice skin, and there was sweet white sugar filling inside. When he took a bite, the white sugar filling would overflow, and in an instant, the sweetness filled his entire mouth. While he was eating, Yu Niaoniao picked up the shattered jade pendant. The jade pendant was broken into several pieces. It took Yu Niaoniao a lot of effort to piece it together. She looked at the jade pendant and asked curiously. ¡°So it¡¯s a longevity lock. There¡¯s even writing on it.¡± Before she could take a closer look, Shen Junzhi quickly put away the white jade longevity lock and ced it in his arms like a treasure. Yu Niaoniao pursed her lips andined, ¡°Look at how petty you are! I¡¯ve already given you candy, but you can¡¯t even let me take another look at the longevity lock.¡± At that time, Shen Junzhi was still a half-grown child and did not have such heavy thoughts. ¡°Mother gave me this longevity lock. My birth characters are engraved on it. I can¡¯t show it to anyone else.¡± Ever since then, Yu Niaoniao had never seen Shen Junzhi take out the white jade longevity lock. After so many years, Yu Niaoniao had almost forgotten about the longevity lock. It wasn¡¯t until Lo Pingsha mentioned sugar pancakes that she suddenly remembered. Not long ago, Lo Pingsha had drawn a painting of the scene in Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s coffin. In that painting, the little prince was wearing a white jade longevity lock. The design was identical to the longevity lock Shen Junzhi was wearing. The doubts buried in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart were immediately resolved. She spoke to Granny Xiu Yan and Lo Pingsha. ¡°I suddenly remember something very important. I¡¯m going to look for Duke Lang!¡± With that, she lifted her skirt and rushed out.. Chapter 387 - Chapter 387: Seventh Prince Chapter 387: Seventh Prince Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Shen Rui¡¯s death was a huge blow to the old emperor, and his already weak body became even worse. He had been bedridden for the past few days and could not even review the memorials. The government affairs in the court could only be temporarily handled by the old ministers in the cab. But this was not a long-term solution. The old ministers had suggested to the old emperor more than once that he named the crown prince. The old emperor was indignant. He did not want to give up the throne just like that. However, his body was getting worse and worse. He could not hold on for long. Once he suddenly passed away, and no one seeded him, the world would definitely be in chaos. It was necessary to appoint a crown prince in advance. Now, he was only left with three princes. These three people came to visit him every day. Among them, the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince were especially enthusiastic, wishing they could engrave the words ¡°loyalty¡± and ¡°filial piety¡± on their foreheads. Not only that, but the Sky Wolf Guards had also recently found out that the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince were secretly roping in the ministers. It seemed that they were nning to prepare for their fight for the throne. The old emperor felt very ufortable. He was not dead yet, but these two boys could not wait to fight for the throne. Wei Huai¡¯en came in to report. ¡°Your Majesty, Duke Lang is here.¡± ¡°Send him in.¡± The old emperor sat up with the help of the pce servants. He leaned back on the soft pillow and looked at Xiao Juan as he walked in. ¡°Tomorrow is the day of Rui¡¯er¡¯s funeral. Have you found anything about Rui¡¯er¡¯s death?¡± Xiao Juan answered truthfully, ¡°No.¡± The old emperor was not surprised by this oue. ¡°Looks like Rui¡¯er didmit suicide. Let¡¯s close this case. We don¡¯t have to investigate anymore.¡± Xiao Juan replied respectfully, ¡°Yes.¡± The old emperor looked at Wei Huai¡¯en and said slowly. ¡°Although Rui¡¯er is my son, he has made a huge mistake. He deserves to pay the price. After he dies, there¡¯s no need for posthumous conferment. Let¡¯s just follow the burial rites of a prince.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en immediately ordered someone to convey the emperor¡¯s intentions. The old emperor sighed. ¡°I used to hear people say that the most painful thing in a person¡¯s life is to see their children die before them. I understand it now.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The dead can¡¯t be revived. Your Majesty, my condolences.¡± The old emperor said, ¡°Rui¡¯er is dead. Now, I only have three princes left. The civil and military officials in the court are urging me to quickly appoint the crown prince. In your opinion, who among the three princes is more suitable to inherit my throne?¡± His question was very casual as if he did not treat the crown prince as anything important. However, Xiao Juan knew very well that this was a fatal question. If he answered wrongly, he might die. ¡°I don¡¯t know the three princes very well. I¡¯ll listen to Your Majesty. The country is Your Majesty¡¯s country. Whoever Your Majesty wants to appoint can inherit it.¡± The old emperor frowned slightly as if he was not satisfied with this answer. He turned to Wei Huai¡¯en and asked. ¡°What do you think?¡± Wei Huai¡¯en responded respectfully. ¡°Although His Majesty has been unwell recently, he should recover soon. There¡¯s really no need to be in a hurry to appoint an heir.¡± ¡°The three princes are still young and needed His Majesty to take care of and nurture them. It is extremely important to have a crown prince. In my opinion, it¡¯s better to take give this careful consideration.¡± The old emperor sighed again. ¡°I also think I have to think it over seriously, but those old fellows in the cabe to rush me every day, making me annoyed.¡± Xiao Juan took the initiative to volunteer. ¡°Why don¡¯t I talk to them?¡± Everyone in the Imperial Court knew that Duke Lang was talking about bringing someone to the Justice Department to skin them alive. The old emperor did not know whether tough or cry. ¡°If you really seek them out, not only will they interfere with you, but even I will be scolded. Forget it, I still want a few more days of peace.¡± Xiao Juan quickly admitted his mistake. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it through.¡± Although the problem was still unresolved, the old emperor¡¯s mood inexplicably improved. He looked at Xiao Juan and sighed. ¡°I know you¡¯re loyal and straightforward. I hope you can continue. Even if I¡¯m no longer around in the future, you can¡¯t forget your mission.¡± Xiao Juan understood what the old emperor meant. His mission was to be a knife in the emperor¡¯s hand. Even if the throne changed in the future, he would still continue to be the sharpest knife in the emperor¡¯s hand. His life was not important. It was important to preserve the status and authority of the emperor. Xiao Juan lowered his head. ¡°I¡¯ll remember your teachings.¡± Yu Niaoniao rushed to the pce entrance in a carriage. She ran to ask the imperial guard guarding the door. ¡°How long has Duke Lang been in the pce? The Imperial Guard answered truthfully, ¡°Princess Consort, Duke Lang has been in for an hour.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Did he say when he wasing out?¡± The Imperial Guard shook his head. ¡°No.¡± The pce was not a ce she could enter as she pleased. Yu Niaoniao could only wait at the door, hoping that Xiao Juan woulde out as soon as possible. Her mind was filled with the Longevity Lock and Shen Junzhi. She was distracted when she suddenly heard the guards call out in unison. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s thoughts were pulled back. She turned toward the voice and saw a carriage parked in front of the pce gate. The carriage door was pushed open and a white-robed man ambled down on a stool. When she saw the man¡¯s face clearly, she eximed. ¡°Shen Junzhi?¡± The person everyone called the Seventh Prince was actually Shen Junzhi?! Shen Junzhi was wearing a moon-white cored long robe with a jade belt at his waist. His ck hair was all tied up and fixed with a white jade crown. His face was as pale as ever, and his eyebrows were slender and gentle. His figure was tall and slender, like an immortal who had walked out of a painting. He had an otherworldly temperament. He clearly did not expect to meet Yu Niaoniao here. He looked stunned. ¡°Niaoniao, why are you here?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I should be the one asking you that. Why are you here? And why did they call you the Seventh Prince?¡± At this point, Shen Junzhi knew that he could not hide it anymore and could only admit it. ¡°I am indeed the Seventh Prince.¡± Yu Niaoniao was in disbelief. ¡°But you said your name is Shen Junzhi. As far as I know, the Seventh Prince¡¯s name is Shen Zhuo.¡± Shen Junzhi exined, ¡°Zhuo is my name. Junzhi is my word.¡± Not only did ancient men have names, but they also had words and even ounts. Therefore, be it Shen Zhuo or Shen Junzhi, it was all him. The guards looked back and forth between the two of them, probably guessing at their rtionship. Yu Niaoniaoughed at herself. ¡°In that case, I was too stupid to not even guess that Shen Junzhi was Shen Zhuo. Serves me right for being fooled by you.¡± Shen Junzhi stared at her and said solemnly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have hidden my identity from you.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him as if he were a stranger. ¡°How much more have you lied to me? Shen Junzhi felt ufortable under her gaze. ¡°Niaoniao, I don¡¯t want to lie to you, but I¡­¡± Chapter 388 - Chapter 388: Old Acquaintance Chapter 388: Old Acquaintance Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios His attendant suddenly reminded him, ¡°Your Highness, this is not a ce to talk. ¡± There were still so many eyes watching. Shen Junzhi suppressed the words on his lips and suggested, ¡°I know there¡¯s a new restaurant in the city. The chef is from Bashu and makes authentic Shu cuisine. Shall I go with you to try it?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head and refused. ¡°No, I¡¯m waiting for someone. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± Shen Junzhi asked, ¡°Are you waiting for Xiao Juan? Yu Niaoniao did not speak, which was equivalent to a tacit agreement. Shen Junzhi felt very upset. He whispered, ¡°I still remember that there was a temple fair during the new year. There were many people on the streets, and you and I were separated by the crowd. ¡°I was anxious and looked everywhere for you. Finally, I found you in front of a sugar figurine stall. I bought you a sugar figurine. In exchange, you agreed to one condition.¡± ¡°If you get separated again in the future, you have to stay where you are and wait for me. You will not go anywhere¡­¡± Yu Niaoniao interrupted his memories. ¡°Wake up. That¡¯s all in the past.¡± Shen Junzhi naturally knew that everything was in the past. But he still couldn¡¯t help but think of those three years. After all, it had been the happiest time he¡¯d had since he was born. There was no scheme, no conspiracy, no hatred, and no power struggle. He only needed to go to school, study, taste delicacies, and y with Niaoniao every day. Back then, he did not feel much when he was living that life. However, as time passed and he experienced the coldness of the world and the unfathomable nature of the human heart, he understood how precious those three years were. How could he bear to give up such precious memories? ¡°Yo, what are you two whispering about here?¡± Yu Niaoniao and Shen Junzhi turned their heads in unison and looked in the direction of the voice. They saw Wei Liao riding over. Wei Liao jumped off the horse and looked between Yu Niaoniao and Shen Junzhi. His smile became even more ambiguous. ¡°So the Princess Consort and the Seventh Prince are old acquaintances.¡± With that, he pretended to cup his hands at Shen Junzhi as a greeting. With outsiders present, Shen Junzhi could not say anything else. However, his eyes were still on Yu Niaoniao, and there were thousands of words hidden in his gaze. Yu Niaoniao avoided Shen Junzhi¡¯s gaze and looked at Wei Liao. ¡°Are you going to the pce?¡± Wei Liao casually threw the reins to his follower and replied, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Can you help me ry a message to Duke Lang after you enter the pce? You just have to tell him that I¡¯ll wait for him here.¡± Wei Liao sneered. ¡°Why should I listen to you?!¡± Yu Niaoniao took out a painting and a folding fan. ¡°The painting and folding fan are here. As long as you¡¯re willing to help me, I¡¯ll give them to you.¡± Wei Liaoughed in anger. ¡°Are you done? Who do you think I am? Do you really think I can be controlled by you?!¡± Yu Niaoniao opened her fan. The front of the fan was painted with the little mute, and the back was painted with the princess. Their faces were the same, but their clothes had changed and were different from their appearances in the book. The little mute was wearing a panda costume. He was a wearing white furry suit with ck gloves and boots. He even had a panda hat on his head. Coupled with his fair and tender face and big watery eyes, he could melt one¡¯s heart. The princess was wearing a tiger-skin short skirt, revealing long, straight legs. Her eyes were emerald green, and her tail hung slightly down behind her. The tip of her tail was slightly raised. She was licking her ws, and her eyes were raised slightly in a wild and seductive smile. Wei Liao was first hit hard by the little mute¡¯s cute face, then he was hit hard by the princess¡¯s beauty. He replied quickly as he crazily despised himself for being spineless. ¡°I¡¯ll help you!¡± Yu Niaoniao gave him the painting and folding fan. Shen Junzhi could not help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s the pattern on that fan? Did you draw it?¡± Yu Niaoniao replied casually, ¡°Yes, I drew it.¡± Shen Junzhi took out the folding fan he carried with him. ¡°Can you draw one for me too?¡± He also wanted to have Niaoniao¡¯s calligraphy treasure and bring it back for collection. In the future, as long as he missed her, he could take out his fan and take a look. Wei Liao immediately said. ¡°No! That painting was especially drawn for me. There¡¯s only one in the world. Princess Consort of Lang County, you¡¯re not allowed to draw for others.¡± Shen Junzhi frowned slightly, clearly dissatisfied with Wei Liao¡¯s domineering behavior. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Seventh Prince, but I¡¯m not in the mood to paint recently.¡± Seeing that she had rejected the Seventh Prince, Wei Liao immediately felt relieved. Very good. His folding fan and portrait were still unique. He put away the fan and portrait and said to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Then I¡¯ll get going.¡± Then, he cupped his hands at Shen Junzhi and strode into the pce. Shen Junzhi asked, ¡°Are you very familiar with Wei Liao?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°The Seventh Prince has a noble status. He should be very busy. There¡¯s no need for you to stay here and waste time with me.¡± Shen Junzhi felt very ufortable by her indifferent attitude. He was about to say something else when he saw a eunuch rush out of the pce. The young eunuch ran all the way to Shen Junzhi and Yu Niaoniao and bowed respectfully. ¡°Greetings, Seventh Prince, Princess Consort of Lang County.¡± Shen Junzhi recognized this young eunuch as someone close to Empress Wen and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± The young eunuch said, ¡°I¡¯m under the Empress¡¯s orders to invite the Princess Consort of Lang County to the Fengyi Pce. The Empress has something to tell the Princess Consort of Lang County.¡± Shen Junzhi could not help but frown. ¡°What does Mother have to tell the Princess Consort of Lang County?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± Although Shen Junzhi did not understand what his mother wanted to do. From his understanding of his mother, since she openly invited her to Fengyi Pce as a guest, it meant that she would not do anything to Yu Niaoniao. He said to Yu Niaoniao,¡±Don¡¯t worry. Mother probably just wants to talk to you. I¡¯ll apany you to the pce.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not want to leave this ce, but she could not disobey Empress Wen¡¯s order. She could only bite the bullet and enter the pce. Shen Junzhi led Yu Niaoniao to the Fengyi Pce. Empress Wen was not surprised to see Shen Junzhi. She casually found an excuse to send Shen Junzhi and the others away. Soon, only Yu Niaoniao and Empress Wen were left in the room. Empress Wen still looked sickly and pale, but her eyes were brighter than before and her mental state was much better. She leaned against the chaise longue and asked slowly. ¡°Are you in such a hurry to see Duke Lang because you¡¯ve made an important discovery and are in a hurry to share it with him?¡± She thought Yu Niaoniao would be terrified. However, Yu Niaoniao looked up and asked in a manner that was neither servile nor overbearing, ¡°If I say yes, will you silence me? Chapter 389 - Chapter 389: Secret Chapter 389: Secret Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Even though Yu Niaoniao did not have any romantic feelings for Shen Junzhi, she could not help but distinguish for him. ¡°Shen Junzhi is already an adult. His life should be decided by him. Besides, he¡¯s a living person. As long as one was human, they would definitely have seven emotions and six desires.¡± ¡°It was indeed impossible between him and me, but he would meet other women in the future. You can¡¯t let him die alone, can you?¡± Empress Wen could not help butugh. ¡°He will naturally have someone to apany him in the future, but those people will only be passersby in his life. He cannot develop feelings for those people.¡± ¡°Emotions are too uncontroble. It could easily be a weakness and a target for others to attack. For example, you and Xiao Juan.¡± Before Yu Niaoniao could retort, Empress Wen spoke first. ¡°I know what you want to say. Don¡¯t be in a hurry to refute.¡± ¡°Thinking back to that day when Xiao Juan was plotted against by the Ninth Prince of the Chen Nation, he almost lost his life. With his skills, he did not have to suffer like that. However, he was still willing to surrender. You should know the reason very well.¡± ¡°If Xiao Juan had not met you¡­ if he had not been restrained by love¡­ Would he be coerced into giving up resisting?¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Although she knew that it was extreme to think this way, it was the truth. Xiao Juan was forced to give up resisting to protect her. She had be Xiao Juan¡¯s weakness. Anyone could use her to threaten him. There was a knock on the door, followed by the voice of a pce maid. ¡°Your Majesty, Duke Lang is here to bring the Princess back.¡± Empress Wen patted Yu Niaoniao¡¯s shoulder gently. ¡°You can go.¡± Yu Niaoniao turned silently. After two steps, she suddenly stopped. She turned back to Empress Wen and asked. ¡°I have another question. Can you answer it?¡± Empress Wen was very tolerant. ¡°Ask away.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Back then, Imperial Concubine Yue gave birth to twins. One of them died and the other was raised by you. Then who was the child buried in the backyard of the zed Jade Pce?¡± There was a long silence. Just as Yu Niaoniao thought that the other party would not speak again, Empress Wen suddenly spoke. ¡°That¡¯s my child.¡± Although she had already guessed this, Yu Niaoniao could not help but be stunned when she heard Empress Wen say this answer with her own ears. ¡°Why?¡± Empress Wen was clearly looking at Yu Niaoniao, but her gaze seemed to pass through her and see far away. ¡°It was not easy to conceive with my body, but at that time, I desperately wanted a child.¡± ¡°I thought that as long as I had a child, he would remember me more for the sake of the child.¡± ¡°I took a lot of medicine and worked hard to get pregnant. Unfortunately, I had a difficult delivery and gave birth to a stillborn. Ever since then, my health has been very poor.¡± ¡°The emperor gave Noble Consort Shu the authority to manage the harem on the grounds that I was not in good health and needed to recuperate.¡± At this point, she gently stroked her t abdomen, sadness in her eyes. ¡°Why are you asking? It¡¯s naturally because I¡¯m stupid. Stupidity can warm the hearts of people.¡± In the end, it proved that some people in this world were born cold and hard. They could never have warmth. Yu Niaoniao recalled Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s death and could not help but make a guess. ¡°Could it be that you were harmed by someone too?¡± Empress Wen¡¯s gaze on her turned cold and heavy. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She was afraid that Empress Wen would do something in a fit of anger. After a while, Empress Wen suddenly changed the topic. ¡°You can go.¡± Yu Niaoniao wanted to run, but she mustered her courage and asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll tell the truth?¡± Empress Wen asked, ¡°Do you have evidence?¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately fell silent. Empress Wen said calmly. ¡°Without evidence, how can you prove that what you say is the truth? If you can¡¯t prove that you¡¯re telling the truth, you¡¯ll be the one to suffer in the end.¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped talking again. That was indeed the case. Without evidence, her mouth alone could not make everyone believe her. Even though she knew that Empress Wen was the real mastermind, she could not expose her. Empress Wen said, ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll make a deal with you. Think of a way to make Junzhi give up on youpletely. In exchange, I can tell you a secret.¡± Yu Niaoniao knew too many secrets today. She was numb to secrets now. Empress Wen: ¡°It¡¯s a secret rted to the Feng family¡¯s annihtion back then.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately perked up and asked. ¡°What secret?¡± Empress Wen suddenly asked an irrelevant question. ¡°Do you know when the Eagle Guards were established?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at her nkly and asked in confusion. ¡°What does this have to do with the Feng family¡¯s annihtion?¡± Empress Wen said, ¡°The Eagle Guards were officially established three years ago. Then do you know what the first thing Xiao Juan did after taking charge of the Eagle Guards was?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret trip to Jinguan City in Bashu County to carry out a special mission.¡± At this point, Empress Wen leaned slightly closer to Yu Niaoniao and whispered in her ear. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, the Feng family is in Jinguan City, right? And it happened to be destroyed three years ago, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes widened a little. She felt her heart stop and her blood turn cold. She lost her intuition. She didn¡¯t even remember walking out the door. Her mind was filled with what Empress Wen had just said. Her heart was in a mess as she walked forward mechanically. It was not until she bumped into someone that she suddenly came back to her senses. The person she bumped into was Shen Junzhi. Shen Junzhi was very worried about Niaoniao and had been guarding the door. When he saw here out, he had just entered to wee her when she bumped into him as if she could not see the way. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly retreated and apologized after stabilizing herself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Shen Junzhi looked at her dejected face and asked worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did Mother make things difficult for you?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Shen Junzhi had a thousand things to say to her, but when he really saw her, he did not know how to say them. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart was a mess and she had already forgotten Empress Wen¡¯s instructions. She only wanted to leave quickly and bowed to him. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, Your Highness, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Shen Junzhi felt very ufortable with her polite attitude. He couldn¡¯t help but speak. ¡°On Qingming Festival, I went to the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not understand why he suddenly mentioned this. Shen Junzhi looked at her steadily. ¡°I saw you. I¡¯m sure you know that I was in the temple. You only have to walk out of the hall door to see me.¡± ¡°I thought then that if you would just appear to me, I would tell you everything. ¡± ¡°But I waited for a long time and you didn¡¯t appear..¡± Chapter 390 - Chapter 390: Heartless Chapter 390: Heartless Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°So what if you tell me everything?¡± Shen Junzhi was stumped. He had indeed not thought about what happened after that. Yu Niaoniao was surprisingly calm. ¡°You¡¯re the Seventh Prince of the Dayan. You can¡¯t give up the responsibility on your shoulders because of me.¡± !! ¡°I can¡¯tpromise because of you. Even if you confess everything to me, there can¡¯t be a follow-up between us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you understood this four years ago.¡± Four years ago, Feng Lianghan suggested marriage to Shen Junzhi, but Shen Junzhi rejected him. At that time, Yu Niaoniao thought that Shen Junzhi simply did not like her. Only now did she understand. He had too many things hidden in his heart to share with her. Yu Niaoniao continued. ¡°Since you could figure it out back then, you should know this even better in the future.¡± Every word she said was like a sharp knife that stabbed into Shen Junzhi¡¯s heart. It was so painful that he could barely stand. He spoke with difficulty, his voice trembling slightly. ¡°I admit that I took it for granted back then. Now I know I was wrong. ¡°Can you give me another chance? ¡°Give me three more years¡­¡± ¡°No, just a year!¡± ¡®I¡¯ll definitely give you an exnation in a year.¡± This was the first time in his life that he had begged in such a humble tone. He put down his dignity as a prince and only wanted the person he liked to give him some hope. However, Yu Niaoniao was not even willing to give this little hope. ¡°Everything in the past is in the past. Now that I already have someone in my heart, and you have already be the high and mighty Seventh Prince. Not to mention the rtionship between a man and a woman, even the rtionship between siblings can¡¯t be maintained anymore.¡± At this point, she took a step back, lifted her skirt slightly, and slowly knelt down. Shen Junzhi reached out without thinking, wanting to stop her. Unfortunately, he was toote. His fingers brushed past her. Yu Niaoniao touched the ground with both hands and ced her forehead on the back of her hand. She bowed respectfully. ¡°From now on, when I see Your Highness again, I will abide by etiquette. I hope Your Highness will do the same.¡± Shen Junzhi¡¯s hands were still in midair for a long time. Before this, he still had a glimmer of hope, but Yu Niaoniao¡¯s kneeling destroyed that hopepletely. The two of them were clearly very close, but the chasm between them was thousands of feet deep. His fingers slowly folded, as if he wanted to grab something. But in the end, he couldn¡¯t catch anything. He could only put down his hands weakly. A breeze blew past, and Shen Junzhi¡¯s sleeve swayed gently. He looked down at the woman kneeling in front of him and asked in a trembling voice. ¡°Do you have to do this? Do you have to be so heartless?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°There were no feelings, to begin with. How am I heartless?¡± These words were really heartbreaking. Shen Junzhi could no longer speak. He turned around silently and saw Empress Wen standing quietly at the door. She had appeared there at some point. He wondered how much she had heard. Shen Junzhi¡¯s lips twitched. He wanted to smile to express his ease. But what finally surfaced was a smile uglier than crying. ¡°Mother, 1¡­ 1¡­ Empress Wen said, ¡°Princess Consort of Lang County, you can leave first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Yu Niaoniao stood up and left silently without looking up. After she walked away, Empress Wen said to Shen Junzhi. ¡°Find a ce to cry and forget about her.¡± Shen Junzhi lowered his eyes and said bitterly, ¡°If I could forget, I would have long forgotten. Why drag it out until now?¡± Empress Wen sighed helplessly. ¡°If you really can¡¯t forget, hide everything about her in the depths of your heart. Don¡¯t let anyone discover your feelings for her.¡± ¡°You should know that you are the only legitimate prince of the current dynasty. Whether it was the previous dynasty or the harem, there were countless people staring at you. ¡± ¡°If others knew that you liked the Princess Consort of Lang County, do you know how much danger it would bring her? If you want her to be safe, you have to control yourself and stay as far away from her as possible.¡± Shen Junzhi took a deep breath and bowed respectfully. ¡°Thank you for your teachings, Mother. I¡¯ll remember.¡± Xiao Juan was originally discussing matters with the old emperor in his bedroom. After the conversation ended, when Xiao Juan came out of the bedroom, a young eunuch immediately ran over. ¡°Your Highness, Vice General Wei of the Sky Wolf Guards, asked me to pass a message to you. He said that the Princess Consort of Lang County is looking for you. She¡¯s waiting for you outside the pce gate.¡± Xiao Juan knew Niaoniao¡¯s personality very well. If it was not an urgent matter, she would not have run to the pce gate to wait for him. He immediately quickened his pace and rushed towards the pce gate. However, when he arrived at the pce gate, he was told that Empress Wen had already called her over. He cursed in his heart and immediately rushed towards the Fengyi Pce. However, the Fengyi Pce was not a ce he could barge into at will. He could only get someone to pass the message while he stood outside the Fengyi Pce and waited. Not long after, he saw Yu Niaoniao walk out of the Fengyi Pce. He did not know what she had experienced in the Fengyi Pce, but she did not look well. Xiao Juan walked over quickly and asked with concern. ¡°Why do you look so pale? Did Empress Wen make things difficult for you?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m just a little tired. I want to go back and rest. ¡± Seeing that she was unwilling to say, Xiao Juan did not ask further and led her out. After they left the pce, they took the carriage home. She was distracted along the way. It was obvious that she had something on her mind. Xiao Juan could not help but ask. ¡°Why did youe to me?¡± Yu Niaoniao came back to her senses. ¡°I remembered something. It¡¯s about Shen Junzhi.¡± She roughly exined about the longevity lock and finished. ¡°I didn¡¯t know until today that not only was Shen Junzhi the Seventh Prince, but he was also one of the twins birthed by Imperial Concubine Yue back then.¡± Xiao Juan was not concerned about this. He asked, ¡°Did Empress Wen call you over just now for this?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°Yes. ¡°She confessed everything to me. Actually, she was the one who nned everything.¡± ¡°Noble Consort Shu, the Sixth Prince, and you and I were all pawns in her hands.¡± ¡°But I have no evidence to make the truth public.¡± Xiao Juanforted her gently. ¡°You¡¯ve already done your best. There¡¯s no need to worry about this anymore. As for the truth, how do you know that the emperor doesn¡¯t know anything?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°From what you say, you seem to know something?¡± ¡°I was originally wondering why the emperor suddenly ordered Noble Consort Shu¡¯s death.¡± ¡°Noble Consort Shu died so suddenly as if it was intended to hide something. It wasn¡¯t until I heard what you just said that I finally understood.¡± ¡°The emperor sentenced Noble Consort Shu to death not to punish her, but to silence her.¡± Yu Niaoniao was even more puzzled.. ¡°Silence? Chapter 391 - Chapter 391: All For Nothing Chapter 391: All For Nothing Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan slowly exined his guess. ¡°Back then, the Empress and Imperial Concubine Yue were pregnant at the same time. No matter which of them gave birth to the prince, the Wen family¡¯s status would improve. But in the end, none of their children was born.¡± ¡°Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s child was poisoned to death by Noble Consort Shu. What about the Empress? At that time, Noble Consort Shu was just an ordinary concubine. The power of the harem was still in the hands of the empress. With Noble Consort Shu¡¯s ability, it¡¯s impossible for her to harm the child in the empress¡¯s stomach.¡± Yu Niaoniao was entranced. She really wanted to know. In the end, what caused the empress to lose her child? Xiao Juan saw that she hade out of her distracted state and that there was light in her eyes again, so he continued. ¡°There¡¯s also Lo Pingsha¡¯s father, Luo Heng. He was a Vice Commissioner of the Imperial Hospital when he was alive and his medical skills were superb.¡± ¡°The Empress and Imperial Concubine Yue were pregnant at the same time. It was impossible for Luo Heng to only treat Imperial Concubine Yue and not care about the Empress. In the end, their children could not be saved. After that, Luo Hengmitted suicide at home. Not only that, but he had burned all the records of the pulse cases when he was alive.¡± ¡°If it were just because of Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s death, Luo Heng would not have done this. After all, Noble Consort Shu was only an ordinary concubine at that time.¡± ¡°As the Vice Commissioner of the Imperial Hospital, he had been in the pce for many years. It was not that he did not have the ability to protect himself.¡± ¡°There had to be something about the empress. Luo Heng knew who had harmed the child in the empress¡¯s stomach. It was because he knew who it was that he was even more afraid. He knew that he definitely could not live, so he chose tomit suicide and burn all the pulse cases.¡± ¡°He even left a suicide note, reminding his son not to investigate the truth.¡± ¡°Think about it. Who could have nted someone in the Fengyi Pce to kill the Empress¡¯s child and make the Vice Commissioner of the Imperial Hospital, who had seen many storms, give up resisting and die?¡± Yu Niaoniao followed his train of thought and quickly thought of a figure. She gasped involuntarily. ¡°That¡¯s his own flesh and blood. How could he bear to do it?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°So what if they¡¯re biological? In the face of royal power, even biological father and son can be enemies.¡± Yu Niaoniao was still puzzled. ¡°But how did Noble Consort Shu know about this?¡± ¡°You should think in this way: Why was Noble Consort Shu able to kill Imperial Concubine Yue and her son so smoothly?¡± ¡°It would be fine if Noble Consort Shu was really smart. But it was obvious from her attitude towards you and me that she was actually not that smart.¡± ¡°A not-so-smart person could quietly kill the extremely favored Imperial Concubine Yue. Someone must have secretly helped Noble Consort Shu. The person who would help her was probably the emperor.¡± ¡°It was also because Noble Consort Shu knew this that she used this to threaten the emperor. In the end, the emperor killed her.¡± After hearing Xiao Juan¡¯s analysis, Yu Niaoniao had a new question. ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, why did the emperor ask you to investigate Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s murder? Isn¡¯t he causing trouble for himself?¡± Isn¡¯t he causing trouble for himself?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Perhaps what he really wants to investigate is not who killed Imperial Concubine Yue and her son. What he really wants to know should be the identity of the child dug out of the backyard of the zed Jade Pce. ¡® Yu Niaoniao immediately understood and blurted out. ¡°The emperor is actually using this to test the Empress?!¡± Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°Yeah. ¡± Empress Wen had been living in seclusion for so many years and rarely appeared in front of outsiders; she even gave up her power to manage the harem. She looked like she lived in a remote corner and stood aloof from the world, but the Wen family was still behind her. As the number one aristocratic family in Dayan, the Wen family¡¯s power was unimaginable to ordinary people. The emperor had always been wary of the Wen family and Empress Wen. After learning that an unknown baby¡¯s corpse had been dug out from the backyard of the zed Jade Pce, the emperor immediately suspected Empress Wen. He was worried that there was a w in his n back then, so he asked Xiao Juan to investigate the case back then. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao connected the cause and effect and understood everything. Back then, Empress Wen and Imperial Concubine Yue looked like they were facing each other, but they were just acting. The two of them had always interacted secretly. On the other hand, the emperor seemed to dote on Imperial Concubine Yue very much and even wanted to make her a noble concubine after she gave birth to the emperor¡¯s heir. In fact, he had never thought of letting the child in Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s stomach be born alive. Empress Wen had been lying low for many years just for revenge. The emperor had never let down his guard against Empress Wen for many years. They actually knew each other¡¯s true colors in their hearts. They did not care what the truth was at all. Only Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan were foolishly trying their best to investigate the truth. They almost lost their lives because of this. Thinking of this, Yu Niaoniao could not help butugh at herself. ¡°It feels like we¡¯ve worked for nothing.¡± Xiao Juan stroked her head and said gently, ¡°It¡¯s not tor nothing. At least we cleared Luo Heng¡¯s name and gave Lo Pingsha justice.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s right! I almost forgot about Little Lo.¡± Back then, Lo Pingsha voluntarily gave up studying medicine and took the initiative to join the Eagle Guards, ignoring the opinions of outsiders. It was to find out the truth back then to clear his father¡¯s name. Now that the truth was out, Lo Heng no longer had to be used of killing Imperial Concubine Yue and her son. Lo Pingsha had achieved his wish and the shackles in his heart had been unlocked. His life in the future would definitely be easier and freer. Thinking of this, the depression in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart was swept away. As she smiled, her eyes were crinkling. ¡°Little Lo said he was going to pay his respects to his parents. I promised to make sugar cookies for him. I¡¯ll make them for him when we get back.¡± Seeing that she had regained her vitality, Xiao Juan¡¯s heart softened. Even if she encountered something bad herself, as long as someone around her encountered something good, she would still be happy for them. No wonder Granny Xiu Yan, Lo Pingsha, Meng Xizhou, Yan Nanguan, Pan Dafu, and everyone in the Justice Department liked her so much. Who wouldn¡¯t like such a kind and warm person? The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Langjun Imperial Pce. Yu Niaoniao jumped out of the carriage and entered the Langjun Imperial Pce briskly. Lo Pingsha and Granny Xiu Yan heaved a sigh of relief when they saw that they had returned safely. Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°Princess Consort, you ran so quickly just now. We were so frightened that we thought something big had happened. Fortunately, you¡¯re all fine.¡± Yu Niaoniao scratched the back of her head and smiled embarrassedly. ¡°I thought of something just now and was in a hurry to tell Duke Lang. I didn¡¯t have time to exin it to you. I¡¯m sorry for making you worry.¡± Granny Xiu Yan hurriedly said, ¡°How can you apologize to us? You just have to be safe.¡± Yu Niaoniao said to Lo Pingsha. ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll make the sugar pancakes now.¡± Lo Pingsha hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± After the two of them left, Granny Xiu Yan looked at Xiao Juan and asked. ¡°Has Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s case and the Sixth Prince¡¯s case been closed?¡± Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°Yes, the cases are closed.¡± Granny Xiu Yan sighed. ¡°Concubine Yue is the emperor¡¯s favorite concubine, and the sixth prince is the emperor¡¯s most valued prince. In the end, they died. The emperor must be feeling extremely ufortable.¡± Xiao Juan did notment on this.. Chapter 392 - Chapter 392: Qjanji Building Chapter 392: Qjanji Building Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios In the kitchen, Yu Niaoniao added water to the glutinous rice noodles and kneaded the paste into a fair and fat glutinous rice ball. She then divided it into several small medicines, rubbed them, spread them out, and wrapped them in white sugar filling, before crushing them. A small glutinous rice cake was made. Lo Pingsha stood watching unblinkingly. Yu Niaoniao gave him a small piece of dough and asked him to try it too. Lo Pingsha rolled up his sleeves, washed his hands, and imitated Yu Niaoniao. He pressed the dough into a thin skin with a rolling pin. Then, he added the white sugar filling, squeezed the glutinous rice skin tightly, and gently pressed it with his palm. It was done. Yu Niaoniao praised, ¡°You¡¯re quite talented. You learned it immediately.¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°This sugar cake is easy, to begin with. If it were anyone else, they should be able to learn it in an instant.¡± Yu Niaoniao recalled the tragic scene when Dang Gui learned to make sugar cookies and could not help but feel a lingering fear. ¡°If it were anyone else, the ending might be very terrifying.¡± Lo Pingsha was puzzled. ¡°Aren¡¯t we making sugar cookies? What can there be to be afraid of?¡± Yu Niaoniao said earnestly. ¡°It¡¯s because we don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll produce at the end that¡¯s the scariest.¡± Lo Pingsha said nothing. Although he did not understand, he felt inexplicably powerful. He took another small piece of dough and continued to focus on making the sugar cake. Yu Niaoniao suddenly asked. ¡°Do you know why the Eagle Guards went to Bashu County three years ago?¡± Lo Pingsha stopped pinching the sugar cake. He looked up at Yu Niaoniao and asked in surprise. ¡°Why are you asking?¡± Yu Niaoniao said vaguely, ¡°I was also in Bashu County three years ago. I was a little curious. I want to know what you did in Bashu County at that time.¡± Lo Pingsha said solemnly. ¡°That¡¯s confidential. We can¡¯t tell anyone without the emperor¡¯s permission.¡± Unless the emperor relented, no one could tell her the truth. In other words, it was useless even if she asked Xiao Juan. Yu Niaoniaopletely gave up on asking Xiao Juan about it and said resentfully. ¡°Okay, forget I asked.¡± They put the finished sugar pancakes into the oil pot and fried them slowly on low heat. It would be ready when it was fried until both sides were golden. Lo Pingsha eagerly tried one. It was hot in his mouth, but he still couldn¡¯t bear to spit it out. The glutinous rice skin was soft. When he bit into it, the syrup inside overflowed, and the sweetness bloomed on the tip of his tongue. He gave her a thumbs-up. ¡°Delicious!¡± Yu Niaoniao made a few other desserts and even got someone to take a pot of bamboo green leaves from the cer and put them into a food box. Lo Pingsha thanked Yu Niaoniao and went out happily with the food box. Tonight, Yu Niaoniao had carefully prepared a table of good dishes, all of which were Xiao Juan¡¯s favorites. Yu Niaoniao solicitously picked up some food for him. ¡°Try it and see if it¡¯s delicious.¡± Xiao Juan did not move his chopsticks. He looked at Yu Niaoniao steadily and asked. ¡°Do you need my help with something?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled guiltily. ¡°How can that be? I just want you to have a good meal. Don¡¯t think too much.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯ll count to three. If you still don¡¯t tell the truth, don¡¯t ask for it anymore.¡± With that, he really began to count. ¡°One, two, three¡­ Yu Niaoniao hurriedly interrupted him. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell you! I do have a favor to ask of you.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her calmly. ¡°Tell me, what is it?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him eagerly, sped her hands together, and begged. ¡°Baby, can you let me into the Qianji Building?¡± The Qianji Building was where the Justice Department stored the dossiers. One had to get Xiao Juan¡¯s approval in order to enter the Qianji Building. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Why are you going there?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I want to see the dossier of the Feng family¡¯s destruction back then.¡± Xiao Juan knew that she was still brooding over the Feng family¡¯s annihtion. There was no harm in letting her read the dossier back then, so he nodded in agreement. ¡°Sure.¡± Yu Niaoniao was overjoyed. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness!¡± Xiao Juan took a bite of the food and said unhurriedly. ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up. Even if you read the dossier on the Feng family¡¯s extermination, you won¡¯t find any useful clues.¡± The case of the Feng family being wiped out back then was ssified as an ident. After the dossier was sent to the Justice Department, Xiao Juan also read it and did not see anything unusual. Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°I understand. I just want to see and understand more about the details of the case back then.¡± She scooped a bowl of soup and ced it beside Xiao Juan¡¯s hand, looking very eager. ¡°Tomorrow is the day of the funeral of the Sixth Prince and Noble Consort Shu. You must go. I¡¯ll go to the Qianji Building alone.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her. ¡°Can you do it alone?¡± Yu Niaoniao said confidently. ¡°It can definitely work. If it really doesn¡¯t work, I can still consult Little Lo and Little Meng.¡± Xiao Juan nodded slightly in agreement. The next morning, Xiao Juan woke up early. He changed into the ceremonial robe that represented his status as a duke. Because he was going to mourn, he had to wear a white linen robe over the ceremonial robe and wrap a hemp rope around his waist. Yu Niaoniao sent him out. Before leaving, Xiao Juan did not forget to remind her. ¡°The dossier on the Feng family¡¯s extermination case is on the first floor of the Qianji Building. You just have to stay on the first floor. Don¡¯t go upstairs.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked curiously, ¡°Why?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Everything upstairs is confidential. Unless the emperor approves, no one can touch it.¡± Yu Niaoniao understood. ¡°I know.¡± She stood at the door and watched Xiao Juan ride away. Then, she excitedly rode the donkey to the Justice Department. The Eagle Guard guarding the door was quite surprised to see her alone. ¡®Why don¡¯t I see His Highness today?¡± Yu Niaoniao exined, ¡°Today is the day of the Sixth Prince and Noble Consort Shu l s funeral. All the royal rtives in the capital have gone, and Duke Lang is naturally no exception.¡± She stepped into the Justice Department and could not wait to find Meng Xizhou. ¡°Take me to the Qianji Building quickly. His Highness has agreed to let me in.¡± Meng Xizhou did not doubt what Yu Niaoniao said. Firstly, she was the apple of Duke Lang¡¯s eye. It was expected that Duke Lang would agree to let her enter the Qianji Building. Secondly, she had been in the Justice Department for so long. Be it her character or ability, she had been unanimously recognized by everyone. It would not feel inappropriate to let her enter the Qianji Building. ¡°Come with me.¡± Yu Niaoniao followed behind Meng Xizhou and quickly saw the legendary Qianji Building. The building was four stories tall and square. The doors and windows were all locked. There were also two Eagle Guards standing guard at the door. Were there more patrolling Eagle Guards passing by? The security measures were quite thorough. Meng Xizhou greeted the Eagle Guards guarding the door who quickly let them in. The door of the Qianji Building was opened, but because there were no lights on inside, it was dark at a nce. Meng Xizhou led the way with thentern. Yu Niaoniao followed him over the threshold and into the Qianji Building.. Chapter 393 - Chapter 393: Use Chapter 393: Use Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The Qianji Building was filled with bookshelves. Every shelf was neatly stacked with dossiers over the years. They were ced separately by time and ce. When Meng Xizhou found out that Yu Niaoniao was looking for the dossier on the Feng family¡¯s annihtion in Jinguan City three years ago, he immediately brought her inside. They stopped in front of a bookshelf. ¡°Here are the dossiers from Jinguan City three years ago. Let me help you find them.¡± With that, Meng Xizhou ced thentern on the ground and began to search them one by one. Yu Niaoniao also helped to search. Soon, they found the dossier with the words ¡°Feng family annihtion case¡±. Yu Niaoniao quickly opened the cloth cover, took out the scroll, and unfolded it. She read it carefully in the dim candlelight. The funeral procession of the Sixth Prince and Noble Consort Shu set off from the pce and finally arrived at the Imperial Mausoleum and the Imperial Concubine¡¯s Mausoleum. Fortunately, the Imperial Mausoleum was not far from the Concubine Mausoleum. Everyone first went to the Imperial Mausoleum, then to the Concubine Mausoleum. The emperor, the empress, and the empress dowager were not present. This time, the person in charge was the fourth prince. Xiao Juan mixed in the crowd and bowed to the tombstone with everyone. When all the procedures werepleted, everyone took off their linen clothes and burned the twine. They left the Imperial Mausoleum in groups and prepared to go home. Xiao Juan was about to mount his horse when he was stopped. ¡°Duke Lang, please wait.¡± Xiao Juan stopped what he was doing and looked in the direction of the voice. He saw Seventh Prince Shen Zhuo. He had already learned from Niaoniao that Shen Zhuo was Shen Junzhi and knew that this guy had unusual thoughts about Niaoniao. Xiao Juan asked expressionlessly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Seventh Prince?¡± Shen Zhuo still did not look too good. He looked a little sick and weak. His voice was soft, and he looked very refined. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything else. I just want to ask how Niaoniao is. Yesterday, I saw that she didn¡¯t look too good. She didn¡¯t seem to be feeling well. I was worried about her.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s expression and tone became even colder. ¡°She¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Shen Zhuo looked relieved. ¡°I¡¯m d she¡¯s fine. I¡¯m relieved.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, Seventh Prince, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Shen Zhuo looked at his obvious hostility and recalled that Niaoniao would rather choose him than him. He felt inexplicably jealous. Shen Zhuo could not help but ask, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to ask about my rtionship with Niaoniao?¡± Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°Niaoniao told me about you two. She said that you lied to her.¡± Shen Zhuoughed at himself. ¡°She really trusts you. She tells you everything.¡± Then, he changed the topic and asked, ¡°Then do you know why Niaoniao married you?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because the emperor bestowed a marriage.¡± Shen Zhuo smiled, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not that simple. Do you want to know why?¡± Xiao Juan was already a little impatient, but because of the other party¡¯s status, he could only endure it. ¡°Seventh Prince, please speak your mind. Don¡¯t beat around the bush.¡± Shen Zhuo said slowly, ¡°There¡¯s something you might not know yet. On the day Niaoniao married you, I saw her. I asked her if she was willing toe with me.¡± He saw a very obvious change in Xiao Juan¡¯s expression. He immediately understood that Niaoniao did not tell Xiao Juan about this. Xiao Juan indeed did not know. Back then, Niaoniao only said that she had been kidnapped by Che Xuekun, but she did not mention Shen Zhuo. The smile on Shen Zhuo¡¯s face deepened. ¡°At that time, I told Niaoniao that as long as she was willing toe with me, I could help her leave the Imperial Capital and start a new life incognito. However, she was unwilling. She told me that she had to stay by Duke Lang¡¯s side because¡­¡± When he said this, he deliberately paused. As he wished, he saw Xiao Juan frown and be nervous. After waiting for a long time without an answer, Xiao Juan could not help but ask. ¡°Because of what?¡± Even though he knew that the other party had ill intentions, Xiao Juan still wanted to know the reason. He wanted to know everything about Niaoniao! Shen Zhuo enunciated each word in a voice only the two of them could hear. ¡°Because she wants to investigate the Feng family¡¯s annihtion back then. You¡¯re in charge of the Justice Department. It¡¯s better for her to pursue the truth if you stay by your side.¡± ¡°At the end of the day, the reason she was willing to marry you was not that she had feelings for you, but because she wanted to use your identity.¡± ¡°If you weren¡¯t Duke Lang, if you weren¡¯t in charge of the Justice Department, she wouldn¡¯t have married you at all.¡± Every word of his was filled with malice, stabbing into Xiao Juan¡¯s heart like a sharp knife. Xiao Juan did not want to believe that this was true. In his anger, he forgot who they were and grabbed Shen Zhuo by thepels. ¡°Shut up! It¡¯s not what you say at all!¡± When the surrounding people saw this scene, they surrounded him and pulled him away. ¡°Duke Lang, don¡¯t mess around. His Highness is weak. If he¡¯s injured by you, how are you going to exin it to the emperor and the empress?!¡± Xiao Juan was forced to let go of Shen Zhuo. He watched as Shen Zhuo revealed a weak appearance and spoke to the people around him. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Duke Lang only did this in a moment of desperation. Don¡¯t me him.¡± Xiao Juan clenched his fists. As he had too many emotions suppressed in his heart, the veins on the back of his hand bulged. Everyone was frightened by his murderous look and shut their mouths, not daring to say anything else about him. However, they were even more certain that Duke Lang was arrogant and even dared to bully the Seventh Prince. Unfortunately, the Seventh Prince¡¯s temper was too good. He did not even say anything when he was bullied and even spoke up for Duke Lang. Shen Zhuo covered his mouth and nose with a silk handkerchief and coughed lightly. ¡°Everyone, disperse. Duke Lang, go back quickly. The Princess Consort is still waiting for you at home.¡± Everyone was afraid that Duke Lang would still attack the Seventh Prince and insisted on waiting for him to leave. After everyone dispersed, only a few guards in charge of guarding the Imperial Mausoleum and Xiao Juan were left. Xiao Juan silently mounted his horse and rode back to the Imperial Capital. He did not believe Shen Zhuo. Not a word. He was going back to ask Niaoniao. At the same time, Yu Niaoniao had already finished reading the dossier on the Feng family¡¯s annihtion. In the end, as Xiao Juan had said, she could not find any useful clues. Come to think of it, if there were clues, this case would not have been closed as an ident. Coincidentally, an Eagle Guard came to look for Meng Xizhou and said that he had something to ask him to go over. Meng Xizhou hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while. Can the Princess Consort stay here alone?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll go out myself after I see it.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll get going then.¡± Meng Xizhou left the Qianji Building in a hurry. As soon as he left, Yu Niaoniao put the dossier back. She carried thentern inside and reached the entrance to the stairs. One could go up this staircase to the second floor. ording to Xiao Juan, everything upstairs was confidential. Among them should be records of Xiao Juan leading the Eagle Guards to Jinguan City for a mission three years ago.. Chapter 394 - Chapter 394: Illusion Chapter 394: Illusion Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Ever since she met Empress Wen, Yu Niaoniao had been thinking about what Empress Wen had said to her. She wanted to know what Xiao Juan had done in Jinguan City three years ago. Was he rted to the Feng family¡¯s annihtion? This doubt was like a poisonous snake that entrenched itself in her heart and kept gnawing at her nerves. If she could not resolve this question, she would probably not be able to face Xiao Juan without any grudges in the future. She had to know the truth! She turned back to the door. The door to the Qianji Building was still open, but the Eagle Guards were outside. They could not see what was happening inside. At this moment, she was alone in the Qianji Building. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Yu Niaoniao raised a foot and gently stepped on the wooden stairs. Thentern emitted a dim yellow light, illuminating the path in front of her. She lifted the hem of her dress with one hand and walked up. When she reached the second floor, she saw a door with a copper lock. This ce was actually locked. Yu Niaoniao refused to give up. She carried thentern and continued up. It turned out that it wasn¡¯t just the second floor. The third and fourth floors were also locked. It was impossible to enter without a key. No wonder Meng Xizhou could leave her alone in the Qianji Building. He was not afraid of her going upstairs to spy on secrets at all. Yu Niaoniao could only turn back and walk down the stairs. She thought to herself that as the person in charge of the Justice Department, Xiao Juan must have the key to the Qianji Building. If she could steal the key from him¡­ No, no! As soon as the thought appeared, she pressed it down. Xiao Juan trusted her so much. How could she steal his things?! She would never do such an ungrateful thing. Forget it. she would think of something else. If it really didn¡¯t work out, she would go back to Bashu personally and dig up the case from back then before investigating. Unknowingly, she had reached the second floor. When she rounded the corner and was about to walk down to the first floor, she saw someone standing at the bottom stair. That person¡¯s figure was tall and slender as he stood quietly in the darkness. His ck brocade robe seemed to be one with the darkness. Yu Niaoniao froze in ce, the blood in her body almost frozen. Why was Xiao Juan back? He had instructed her not to go upstairs, but she had sneaked upstairs. Surely he would be angry? How could she exin it to him? Xiao Juan raised his head slightly and looked at the girl standing at the top of the stairs. ¡°I told you not to go upstairs.¡± It was a simple sentence, and the tone was t. There was no reproach at all. However, Yu Niaoniao was panicking. Her palms were sweaty as she held thentern. She wanted to exin, but her throat felt blocked. She couldn¡¯t say a word. Xiao Juan looked at her steadily and asked, ¡°What are you looking for upstairs?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not know what to say. Was she going to say that she wanted to know what Xiao Juan had done in Jinguan City three years ago? Wasn¡¯t it obvious that she suspected him? Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Yu Niaoniao knew that she had to give an exnation for today¡¯s matter. Xiao Juan would never give her a chance to muddle through. She mustered her courage to speak. ¡°I want to check something.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Do you want to investigate the Feng family¡¯s annihtion three years ago? Didn¡¯t I already agree to let you read the dossier back then?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯ve already read the dossier, but there are still some things I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°What kind of things?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Did you bring the Eagle Guards to Jinguan City three years Xiao Juan immediately understood what she meant. ¡°You suspect that I wiped out the entire Feng family?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head quickly. Because she was in such a hurry, her voice trembled. ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°I just think it¡¯s all too much of a coincidence.¡± ¡°Coincidentally, the Feng family encountered an ident at that time and you brought the Eagle Guards to Jinguan City.¡± ¡°You told me before that there¡¯s no such thing as a pure coincidence. Perhaps the two things are rted¡­¡± Xiao Juan interrupted her. ¡°You¡¯re suspicious of me.¡± His tone was colder than ever. Yu Niaoniao seemed to have returned to the first time she met Xiao Juan. He had been so cold and heartless then. She was no different from a rock by the roadside in his eyes. Her life and death were irrelevant to him. At that time, she did not think much of it and could even get through it with augh. But now she felt terrible. She felt so bad she wanted to cry. Yu Niaoniao tried her best to exin. ¡°I just want to figure out the connection between the two things. Perhaps as long as I figure it out, I¡¯ll know the truth about the Feng family¡¯s destruction.¡± Even at a distance, even in the dim light. Xiao Juan could still see the tears in her eyes. Yu Niaoniao sniffed and tried her best to force back her tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have disobeyed you and gone upstairs without permission. I¡¯ll ept any punishment you want.¡± Xiao Juan resisted the urge to walk over and hug her and said calmly. ¡°I can forget about today, but there¡¯s something else I want you to tell me truthfully.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly replied, ¡°Tell me!¡± Xiao Juan stared at her and asked word by word. ¡°The reason why you were willing to marry me back then was to get close to me so that you could better investigate the Feng family¡¯s annihtion?¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned for a moment before denying it without hesitation. ¡°Of course not! I¡¯m just admiring His Highness¡­¡± Xiao Juan interrupted her. ¡°I want the truth!¡± He had interrogated so many prisoners and seen countless lies. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s acting skills were nothing. In the past, he could be fooled by her because he was willing to believe her. But now he didn¡¯t want to be bewitched by her sweet words. Yu Niaoniao opened her mouth, wanting to say that this was the truth a few times. But as long as she met the man¡¯s sharp gaze, she could not say it. In the end, she could only admit defeat. ¡°Yes, I did have some thoughts when I approached you back then.¡± ¡°I wanted to investigate the Feng family¡¯s annihtion, but I was alone and no one would help me. I could only think of a way to approach you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in charge of the Justice Department. The Justice Department has spies all over the world and is very well-informed.¡± ¡°If I can gain your trust, I might be able to get some clues from you.¡± Her answer was almost identical to what Shen Zhuo had said. Xiao Juan felt as if he was soaking in cold water. So he¡¯d held out a glimmer of hope that Shen Zhuo had lied to him. It turned out that he was too naive. Xiao Juan thought that he was already a heartless person. But now he felt very ufortable in his heart. It was as if he had been cut by a blunt knife. It was not fatal, but it was especially torturous. ¡°In that case, were you lying to me when you said you admired me previously?¡± ¡°Is your kindness to me also a means to gain my trust?¡± ¡°Was the kindness and cheerfulness you disyed also an illusion you deliberately put up?¡± Chapter 395 - Chapter 395: Cold Chapter 395: Cold Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios This was the first time Xiao Juan had said such harsh words to Yu Niaoniao since they got married. She stood rooted to the ground, aggrieved. Tears rolled down her face. Unexpectedly, she really cried. Xiao Juan immediately panicked. Yu Niaoniao tried not to cry. She inhaled hard and choked. ¡°I admit that I had some thoughts when I first approached you.¡± ¡°But after really understanding you, I had already forgotten those thoughts. I¡¯m good to you because I think you¡¯re really good. You deserve all the good things!¡± ¡°I knew I had done something wrong today. I had done something wrong. I would ept any punishment.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t say that about me. You can¡¯t degrade me to nothing!¡± As she spoke, she squatted down, hugged her knees, buried her face in her arms, and cried. Xiao Juan strode up the stairs and reached out to hug her. His fingers paused when they touched her before he retracted them. Since the sweet words she said were fake¡­ Since she didn¡¯t really like him¡­ He couldn¡¯t touch her casually. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Stop crying.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked up, revealing her tear-stained face. She looked at the man in front of her and spoke in a sobbing voice. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a very bad and scheming person who deliberately approached you with a motive?¡± ¡°But have you thought about it? I didn¡¯t know you then. I didn¡¯t know what you were like at all. How can I marry you with all my love?¡± ¡°When you first met me, didn¡¯t you suspect that I deliberately set up rumors?¡± Xiao Juan was not misled by her words. Instead, he calmly pointed out the key points. ¡°Even so, you shouldn¡¯t have lied to me.¡± That was what he cared about most. She always said how much she admired him, but that was not the case in her heart. However, he took it seriously and foolishly believed her nonsense. Yu Niaoniao could not refute. Although she felt that the lies she had told were insignificant, lying was ultimately wrong. She wiped her tears. ¡°Then I apologize. I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t lie to you again.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Stand up first.¡± Yu Niaoniao snorted. ¡°I can¡¯t stand up. My feet are numb.¡± She held out her hand, wanting him to help her. However, Xiao Juan did not move. He said, ¡°You can slowly stand up with the handrail beside you.¡± Yu Niaoniao red at him with wide eyes. He was right in front of her, and he actually wanted her to hold the armrest? Did he really not want to touch her that much?! Yu Niaoniao was aggrieved and angry. Her rebellious nature was triggered. Hmph, the more he didn¡¯t want to touch her, the more she wanted to touch him! Yu Niaoniao held the railing of the stairs and stood up with difficulty. Then, she pretended to be unsteady and pounced on the man. Xiao Juan was afraid that she would fall. This was the second floor. If she fell, something would definitely happen. He grabbed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s waist in time to help her stabilize her bnce. When she regained her bnce, he immediately withdrew his hand and took two steps back to keep his distance from her. ¡°Let¡¯s go out.¡± Yu Niaoniao was furious at his polite and distant appearance. She said angrily, ¡°I twisted my ankle just now. I can¡¯t walk. Help me down.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her feet. Her feet were in shoes and socks and covered by the hem of her dress. It was impossible to see if she had really sprained them. ¡°Since you¡¯re injured, stay here. I¡¯ll get Little Lo to take a look at you.¡± With that, he was about to leave. Yu Niaoniao quickly stopped him. ¡°No need! I didn¡¯t twist it very badly. There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Then can you leave?¡± Yu Niaoniao gritted her teeth. ¡°I can walk!¡± Damn man, he was ruthless! She followed Xiao Juan down the stairs and left the Qianji Building. Coincidentally, Meng Xizhou had finished his business and came over. When he saw Duke Lang and his wife, he immediately bowed to them. Then, he realized that Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes were red and her eyshes were wet. It was obvious that she had just cried. Meng Xizhou asked with concern. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the Princess Consort? Who bullied you?¡± Yu Niaoniao could not say that she had just quarreled with Xiao Juan and cried. It was too embarrassing to say. She pretended to smile naturally. ¡°I¡¯m fine. The sand blinded my eyes. I¡¯m just a little ufortable.¡± As a straight man who had been single for many years, Meng Xizhou did not realize that Yu Niaoniao was lying at all. He said hurriedly, ¡°Then get someone to blow on it quickly. Otherwise, my eyes will feel more and more ufortable.¡± With that, he winked at Duke Lang, meaning, ¡°Why are you still standing? Hurry up and blow the dust out for the Princess Consort!¡± Xiao Juan said expressionlessly. ¡°Are you very free? Have you finished what you¡¯re doing?¡± Meng Xizhou said, ¡°N-no.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you busy with your matters?¡± As slow as Meng Xizhou was, he also sensed that something was wrong with the atmosphere between Duke Lang and his wife. He didn¡¯t dare say another word. He slipped away. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan went to Mirror House. However, just as Yu Niaoniao sat down, she saw Xiao Juan walking out. She asked hurriedly, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Xiao Juan said without looking back. ¡°Something¡¯s up.¡± With that, he strode out the door. Yu Niaoniao stared nkly at the door until the manpletely disappeared from her sight. She still could note back to her senses. From the moment he appeared in the Qianji Building, his attitude tow had changed. In the past, although he seemed cold, he was very tolerant of her. He t of her in various details of life. When she was with him, she could feel ease. But it was different now. Putting aside the argument between the two of them in the Qianji Buil Xiao Juan did not even look at her on the way from the Qianji Building Mirror House. Even when she took the initiative to find a topic of conversation, his rc was cold. She wanted to approach him as usual and wheedle and act cute with h he avoided her. Not only that, but he would always keep a distance from her. There seemed to be an invisible membrane between them. She was clearly in front of him, but his heart was far away. The more Yu Niaoniao thought about it, the sadder she became. Her te again. ¡°I¡¯ve already admitted my mistake. What else do you want?¡± At Qianji Building, the two Eagle Guards guarding the door were surprised to see Duke Lang return. ¡°Why are you back?¡± Xiao Juan casually replied, ¡°I left something in the building.¡± He took thentern from the Eagle Guard and strode into the Qianji Building, heading straight for the top floor. He took out the key he carried, unlocked the copper lock, and pushed through the door. There were far fewer dossiers stored on this floor than on the first. They were all ced in separate drawers, and each drawer was locked. If the lock was forcefully broken, it would trigger the mechanism to shoot poisonous arrows. Xiao Juan took out his key and opened one of the boxes. He took out the dossier stored inside and stuffed it into his sleeve. Then, he closed the door and left the Qianji Building without looking sideways. When Xiao Juan returned to Mirror House, he saw Niaoniao crying hard. He panicked again. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not expect him to return so quickly. She wiped her tears and said, ¡°I thought you weren¡¯ting back.¡± ¡°I just went to get something.¡± With that, he took out the scroll from his sleeve and gently ced it in front of Niaoniao. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know what I did in Jinguan City three years ago? The entire process is clearly recorded here. Look for yourself..¡± Chapter 396 - Chapter 396: Reconciliation Chapter 396: Reconciliation Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao was very stunned. She remembered what Lo Pingsha had said about the Eagle Guards going to Jinguan City three years ago. It was a secret. Unless the emperor allowed it, it could not be leaked. But now, Xiao Juan had actually ced the scroll containing the confidential content in front of her. Yu Niaoniao looked at the man in front of her with wide red eyes and asked in disbelief. ¡°Can I really look?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°If you want to see it, go ahead.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°But if I look, won¡¯t you break the rules? Will you be punished for this?¡± Xiao Juan did not speak. Yu Niaoniao understood him. This was equivalent to tacit agreement. She immediately shook her head. ¡°Then I won¡¯t read it.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t look now, you¡¯ll think of a way to peek in the future. Why don¡¯t you look openly now? As for whether I¡¯ll be punished, you don¡¯t have to worry. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Yu Niaoniao still shook her head, indicating that she did not want to see. She really wanted to know the truth from three years ago, but she could not implicate Xiao Juan and let him be punished. She would rather take more detours herself than let Xiao Juan suffer. Xiao Juan looked at her steadily. ¡°You only have this one chance. If you give it up, you¡¯ll never see it again.¡± Yu Niaoniao was still insistent. ¡°I¡¯m not looking.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know what I did in Jinguan City three years Yu Niaoniao pursed her lips and hesitated for a moment before telling the truth. ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Xiao Juan continued to ask, ¡°The answer is in front of you. Why don¡¯t you look?¡± Yu Niaoniao lowered her head and whispered. ¡°You¡¯ll be punished for leaking secrets without permission, right? I don¡¯t want you to be punished.¡± Xiao Juan looked at the top of her head for a long time before saying. ¡°I can tell you.¡± Yu Niaoniao slowly raised her head and looked at him nkly. ¡°What?¡± Xiao Juan said slowly. ¡°The reason I went to Jinguan City three years ago was to investigate a corruption and bribery case.¡± ¡°The officials involved fled to Jinguan City with the money and colluded with the local garrison. I was ordered to arrest them.¡± ¡°There was a lot at stake with this case and it has yet to be closed, so the emperor ordered it to be kept secret.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him nkly. So this was the truth. She felt extremely ashamed. ¡°So all of this is really a coincidence. The Feng family¡¯s annihtion has nothing to do with you. I was thinking too much. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s notpletely unrted.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Huh?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Three years ago, I saved a youngdy in Jinguan City. At that time, she was covered in injuries and was unconscious on the roadside. When I saw her, I got someone to send her to the medical center.¡± Some blurry fragments shed across Yu Niaoniao¡¯s memory. On the night of the Feng family¡¯s fire, she was the only one who escaped. She stumbled forward. She was in a daze. Her mind was already disoriented, but the remaining rationality in her mind told her that she couldn¡¯t stop. She had to run forward. She had to report it to the authorities and find someone to put out the fire. After running for an unknown period of time, she finally couldn¡¯t hold on anymore and staggered to the ground. Even though a voice in her head kept moring to stand up, her body was already exhausted and she could not move. Her consciousness gradually became chaotic, and the scene in front of her became blurry. In a daze, she thought she heard hooves, then voices. She couldn¡¯t hear what he said. She could only instinctively reach out and grab the corner of his shirt tightly. She spoke with difficulty. ¡°Save the Feng family. Put out the fire.. It was a simple sentence, but it took up all her remaining strength. Then she fainted and becamepletely unconscious. When she woke up, she was already lying in the medical center. She asked the doctor at the medical center and found out that a kind person had sent her to the medical centerst night, but that person had not left his name, so she did not know who it was. The memory stopped there. Yu Niaoniao was enlightened. ¡°You were the one who saved me back then!¡± She never expected that she and Xiao Juan had met three years ago. Actually, Xiao Juan had already recognized Yu Niaoniao when he first saw her in the Imperial Capital. However, because he felt that this was an unimportant matter, he did not take the initiative to mention it. ¡°On the night of the Feng family¡¯s fire, I was chasing after the fugitive official.¡¯ ¡°In order to help me capture him, the government office in Jinguan City had mobilized more than half of their troops.¡± ¡°It was also because of this that no one discovered the Feng family¡¯s fire in time.¡± ¡°Even if you reported it to the officials, the government could only mobilize a small number of people to extinguish the fire.¡± ¡°Strictly speaking, I did have to bear a portion of the responsibility for the Feng family¡¯s destruction back then.¡± ¡°If I hadn¡¯t mobilized the troops in Jinguan City that night, the Feng family might not have been burned to ruins.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Thinking of the Feng family¡¯s tragic situation, Yu Niaoniao was very sad. However, she still remained sober and shook her head. ¡°What happened to the Feng family has nothing to do with you. You don¡¯t have to apologize.¡± Xiao Juan said solemnly. ¡°I know you¡¯ve always wanted to find out the truth behind the Feng family¡¯s destruction. I¡¯ll do my best to help you. ¡°If you want to know anything in the future, you can ask me directly.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act on your own again.¡± There are many mechanisms hidden in the Qianji Building. If you identally touch them, you might lose your life.¡± Yu Niaoniao felt even more ashamed. Initially, she thought that Xiao Juan would not tell her, but he told her everything. She had taken it for granted. ¡°Thank you.¡± Xiao Juan picked up the scroll and stuffed it back into his sleeve, preparing to turn around and leave. Yu Niaoniao suddenly grabbed the hem of his shirt and looked at him eagerly. ¡°I¡¯ve already admitted my mistake. Can we make up?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes lit up. Xiao Juan pulled the hem of his shirt out of her hand and took two steps back. ¡°I¡¯ll send the scroll back to the Qianji Building.¡± With that, he turned around and left Mirror House. Yu Niaoniao watched him leave, and her originally bright eyes dimmed bit by bit. Although he promised to make up, he still kept a distance from her and spoke to her politely and distantly. He clearly minded. Yu Niaoniao stood up. She prepared some good food in the kitchen. As the saying went, as long as Xiao Juan ate what she made, he would definitely be too embarrassed to be angry with her. Coincidentally, the kitchen had bought a new basket of cauliflower today. Yu Niaoniao first used warm water to soak the dried cauliflower and tea tree mushrooms. She cut the onions, ginger, and garlic for backup. The chicken was cut into pieces and put in cold water. She put some ginger slices and cooking wine to remove the fishy smell. She removed the blood foam and then fished out the chicken and washed it with cold well water. The vegetable oil in the pot was heated up. She added rock sugar and slowly boiled it into a sticky red syrup. She added the chicken and stir-fried it evenly. The chicken was wrapped in syrup and gradually turned red. It was out of the pot. Yu Niaoniao ced the stir-fried chicken into the cauldron with yellow cauliflower, tea tree mushrooms, star anise, onions, ginger, garlic, and other condiments. She covered it and ced it on the stove to boil. Then, she turned it to a low fire and slowly simmered it.. Chapter 397 - Chapter 397: Once Bitten, Twice Shy Chapter 397: Once Bitten, Twice Shy Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao also prepared red braised beef tendon and corn ribs soup. She stir-fried a seasonal side dish. Lunch was ready! After she served the carefully prepared food, she saw Meng Xizhou walking over. He said carefully, ¡°His Highness asked me to tell you that he has something to do today and won¡¯t be eating in the dining hall at noon. He asked you to eat first.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face revealed obvious disappointment. see.¡± Meng Xizhou could not help but worry when he saw the sumptuous meal still steaming on the table. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. His Highness really has something to do. He¡¯s always been very concerned about you. If he hadn¡¯t encountered something important, he would havee to eat with you.¡± Yu Niaoniao tried her best to appear natural. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can understand, but there¡¯s a little too much cooking today. I can¡¯t finish it alone. Do you want to eat together?¡± Meng Xizhou naturally agreed readily. Then, Yu Niaoniao even called Lo Pingsha and Yan Nanguan over. Everyone sat around the table and ate all the food. Yu Niaoniao did not see Xiao Juan for the rest of the afternoon. She returned to the Langjun Imperial Pce with Lo Pingsha. Lo Pingsha saw that she did not say much along the way and knew that she was in a bad mood. But he was not good atforting people. He did not know what to say. Granny Xiu Yan was a little surprised to see that only Yu Niaoniao and Lo Pingsha had returned. ¡°Why didn¡¯t His Highnesse back with the Princess Consort?¡± Usually, this couple stuck together every day and were inseparable. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°He has something to do. He might be backter.¡± Granny Xiu Yan did not think too much about it and asked. ¡°Then do you want to have dinner with him when hees back?¡± Yu Niaoniao thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s wait.¡± She carefully prepared another table of food and waited for Xiao Juan toe back for dinner. Seeing that the food on the table was cold, Yu Niaoniao could only say to Lo Pingsha. ¡°We¡¯re not waiting. Let¡¯s eat first.¡± Lo Pingsha asked, ¡°Do you want to leave some food for Duke Lang?¡± Yu Niaoniao was a little angry and did not want to leave food for Xiao Juan. However, when she thought of Xiao Juan¡¯s weak stomach and how he really could not withstand hunger, she could only suppress her temper and instruct Granny Xiu Yan. ¡°Get someone to distribute a portion of food and heat it up on the stove.¡± Granny Xiu Yan did as she was told. Usually, when they ate, Yu Niaoniao liked to chatter, making the atmosphere lively. But she was really not in the mood to talk tonight. She just buried her head in her food. Lo Pingsha wanted to say something, but he did not know where to start. Tonight¡¯s meal was exceptionally cold. At this moment, Granny Xiu Yan finally sensed that something was wrong. Could it be that Duke Lang and the Princess Consort had a conflict? After dinner, Yu Niaoniao returned to her room to rest. She thought she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep. As it turned out, she muttered about her sleeping ability and fell asleep not long after shey down. In her daze, she felt someone beside her. She immediately opened her eyes and saw Xiao Juan standing by the bed. He reached out and covered her with the nket that she had kicked away. Yu Niaoniao woke up immediately. ¡°You¡¯re finally back! Have you had dinner? I got someone to save food for you. I¡¯ll ask someone to get it for you.¡± Xiao Juan put down the nket. ¡°No need. I¡¯ve already eaten outside.¡± Yu Niaoniao was very surprised. ¡°I thought you never eat anything outside?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t use to. Now that my stomach is better, I can eat once in a while.¡± As Xiao Juan spoke, he walked to the cab. He pulled open the cab door and took out the bedding and pillows. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly asked, ¡°Why are you taking the nket? There¡¯s enough bedding on the bed.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯ll sleep in the study for the next few days.¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. He actually hated her to this extent and was unwilling to even sleep with her. Seeing that he was about to walk out of the door, Yu Niaoniao suddenly stopped him. ¡°Are you still angry with me?¡± Xiao Juan replied concisely, ¡°No.¡± Yu Niaoniao was exasperated. ¡°You are! You¡¯ve been avoiding me all day! You¡¯re not talking to me, not eating with me, and now you even want to be separated from me when you sleep. You¡¯re clearly having a cold war with me!¡± Xiao Juan sighed and exined helplessly, ¡°I avoided you because there¡¯s a difference between men and women.¡± Yu Niaoniao thought she had heard wrongly. She asked in shock, ¡°We¡¯ve been married for almost a year, and you¡¯re still saying that there¡¯s a difference between men and women?¡± Xiao Juan said stiffly, ¡°In the past, I thought that you liked me and that we could naturally get close to each other.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s different now. I already know your true thoughts. You have no romantic feelings for me. In that case, I naturally can¡¯t cross the line. Let¡¯s keep our distance from now on.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not expect him to have such thoughts. She said hurriedly, ¡°I lied to you in the past, but I don¡¯t think so anymore.¡± ¡°Baby, I do have feelings for you. You don¡¯t have to deliberately avoid me.¡± Xiao Juan misunderstood her. ¡°Your most important rtives have been killed. I can understand your eagerness to know the truth.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since I promised to help you investigate the Feng family¡¯s annihtion, I will definitely keep my word.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to say those words to make me happy anymore.¡± With that, he carried the nket and pillow out of the bedroom. Yu Niaoniao called out to him a few times but could not stop him. She really didn¡¯t expect that she would cause such consequences just by fabricating a few lies. For Xiao Juan, it was once bitten, twice shy. No matter how she exined, he wouldn¡¯t believe her. Yu Niaoniao pped her mouth. ¡°Who told you to spout nonsense? Now, let¡¯s see how you clean up the mess!¡± In the study, Xiao Juan was about toy the nket when Granny Xiu Yan walked over quickly and snatched the nket from his hand. ¡°Your Highness, why are you sleeping here today? Are you really going to leave the Princess Consort alone in the bedroom?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°She should be morefortable sleeping alone than with another person.¡± In the past, he had mistakenly thought that Niaoniao really liked him, so he wanted to hug her to sleep. But now that he already knew the truth, Niaoniao had no interest in him at all. If he continued to tter himself, he would be too presumptuous. Granny Xiu Yan advised earnestly, ¡°It¡¯s normal for the couple to have a conflict, but you can¡¯t neglect the Princess Consort because of this. She¡¯s a girl after all. Go and say a few nice words to her and give her a way out. This matter will be over.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± Granny Xiu Yan wanted to persuade him again, but Xiao Juan stopped her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything. I know what I¡¯m doing..¡± Chapter 398 - Chapter 398: Watching the Show Chapter 398: Watching the Show Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios At night, Xiao Juan could not sleep. He used to sleep alone and never thought there was anything bad about it. But now he couldn¡¯t fall asleep. He felt that something was missing from his side. He struggled through until dawn. The emperor sent someone to summon him to the pce. He did not even have time to eat breakfast before changing into his official uniform and leaving the Langjun Imperial Pce in a hurry. Therefore, only Yu Niaoniao and Lo Pingsha ate breakfast today. Lo Pingsha was very worried about Yu Niaoniao, afraid that she would let her imagination run wild. He took a long time toe up with a topic. ¡°It¡¯s a holiday. What are you going to do?¡± With his reminder, Yu Niaoniao remembered that she was on holiday today. She did not have to clock in to work at the Justice Department. She thought for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while to do something.¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°Do you need me to apany you?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head to indicate that there was no need. ¡°Go about your business. Don¡¯t worry about me. I can do it myself.¡± Although that was the case, when Yu Niaoniao went out, Lo Pingsha still found an agile Eagle Guard to quietly follow behind her to protect her. Yu Niaoniao did not know that there was someone tailing behind her. She rode the donkey through the streets and alleys before finally stopping at the entrance to the Sky Oriole Garden. As one of the most famous theaters in the Imperial Capital, the Heavenly Oriole Garden was filled with guests every day. It was still morning, but the entrance was already filled with carriages and guests. Most of the people who came to watch the show were men. asionally, there were also rich daughters or madams. Although Yu Niaoniao was wearing men¡¯s clothes today, one could tell from her eyebrows that she was a woman. The clerk in charge of receiving guests at the door greeted her and asked enthusiastically. ¡°Did you arrange a theater ticket in advance?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head and said no. The clerk immediately said, ¡°Then I¡¯m sorry. We¡¯ve sold out all our opera tickets today, but there are still some tomorrow. If you need them, you can book them now.¡± Yu Niaoniao was surprised. She did not expect this ce to be so popr. She could not enter without booking a ticket in advance. However, she could not have a holiday tomorrow. Even if she bought a ticket, she could note. She had to give up. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll check with another ce.¡± Yu Niaoniao was about to turn around and leave when she turned around and saw an acquaintance. It was the Vice General of the Heavenly Wolf Guards, Wei Liao. He was wearing a blue round-necked brocade robe with a ck leather belt at his waist and a folding fan at his waist. Her ck hair was raised high, and a strand fell from his forehead. He had either deliberately forgotten or the first button on his cor was not fastened. The cor was turned down. Coupled with his amorous peach blossom eyes, he looked very much like a yboy. He casually threw the whip into the hands of the follower behind him and slowly walked up to Yu Niaoniao. He whistled, his expression extremely frivolous. ¡°Yo, isn¡¯t this the Princess Consort of Lang County? Why are you in the mood to watch the show here?¡± Then, he looked at Yu Niaoniao¡¯s side and realized that she was alone. He raised his eyebrows. ¡°Why are you alone? Didn¡¯t your persone?¡± Yu Niaoniao said vaguely, ¡°He¡¯s busy.¡± Wei Liao looked enlightened. ¡°No wonder! It seems that Duke Lang neglected you, so you came here alone to have fun. Yu Niaoniao red at him angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. I¡¯m not here to have fun.¡¯ Wei Liao crossed his arms and smiled faintly. ¡°What else can you do if you¡¯re not here for fun?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I naturally have my reasons. There¡¯s no need to tell you.¡± The clerk from the West Garden did not expect the youngdy in male clothes in front of him to be the Princess Consort of Lang County. He was immediately frightened. He had actually rejected the Princess Consort of Lang County. Would Duke Lang rush over with a saber and sh him when he found out? The more he thought about it, the more afraid he became. He stammered. ¡°Princess Consort, I was blind just now. Please forgive me for offending you.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not take what had just happened to heart. She replied casually. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll get going.¡± Wei Liao stopped her. ¡°Aiya, since you¡¯re already here,e in with me.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°But I don¡¯t have a ticket.¡± Before Wei Liao could say anything, the staff hurriedly said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t have a ticket. It¡¯s our honor that the Princess Consort cane to our ce to watch the show. You cane whenever you want.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not expect her status as the Princess Consort to be so useful. If she had known earlier, she would have just revealed her identity and entered the venue. The clerk bent down and invited them in enthusiastically. Yu Niaoniao had also followed her parents to the theater in Bashu to listen to opera in the past, but the theater in Bashu waspletely different from the theater in the Imperial Capital. She started looking around as soon as she entered. Whatever she saw was refreshing. Wei Liao was different. He was a regr here and was very familiar with it. It had long lost its novelty. Compared to watching the things in the theater garden, he found the Princess Consort¡¯s reaction more interesting. He had been secretly observing Yu Niaoniao. He saw her crane her neck and look around with wide eyes as if neither of those actions was enough for her to get a good look. When she saw someone performing a backflip on the stage, she stopped involuntarily and opened her mouth to exim. Ha, she looked like she had never seen the world! When the backflip on the stage ended, the audience cheered. From time to time, someone threw money onto the stage. Yu Niaoniao could not help but p hard. ¡°So amazing!¡± Wei Liao said disdainfully, ¡°He¡¯s just putting on a show.¡± Yu Niaoniao deliberately provoked him. ¡°If you look down on him so much, go on stage and perform. What¡¯s the point of just talking?¡± Wei Liao sneered. ¡°You want me to perform on stage? You¡¯re not good-looking, but you sure have beautiful dreams.¡± With that, he walked up the stairs. Yu Niaoniao lifted her skirt and followed. ¡°Compared to the number one beauty in Phoenix Nation, I¡¯m indeed not good-looking.¡± When Wei Liao heard this, he immediately turned around and red at her angrily. ¡°Shut up!¡± In The Record of Phoenix Cry Nation, the little mute was the number one beauty of Phoenix Cry Nation. And the little mute looked very simr to Wei Liao. When Wei Liao heard Yu Niaoniao¡¯s words, he immediately thought of himself. How could he not be angry?! Yu Niaoniao giggled. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the little mute, not you. Why are you in a hurry?¡± Wei Liao wanted to curse, but he thought of something and swallowed his words. ¡°I¡¯m busy today. I won¡¯t lower myself to your level.¡± Seeing that he was about to leave, Yu Niaoniao quickly stopped him. ¡°Wait a minute. Do you know who the troupe master here is? Can you take me over to see him?¡± One look at Wei Liao and she knew that he was a regr here. He must know the troupe master here. Wei Liao smiled. ¡°Alright, follow me..¡± Chapter 399 - Chapter 399: Meeting of Fans Chapter 399: Meeting of Fans Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Sky Oriole Garden had a total of three floors. The first floor was the lobby, where ordinary guests listened to the show. The second floor was a private room. One had to pay extra to book it in advance. The third floor was also a private room, but this ce only received important guests. Wei Liao brought Yu Niaoniao up to the third floor. Yu Niaoniao looked around. The third floor was very quiet and there was almost no one around. She asked suspiciously, ¡°Is the troupe master really here?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯ll see himter.¡± With that, Wei Liao pushed open the door of a private room and strode in. After Yu Niaoniao walked in, she realized that there were already many people here, and they were all young men. These men were gathered together discussing something. As soon as they saw Wei Liao, they immediately greeted him warmly. ¡°Brother Wei, you¡¯re finally here. We¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time!¡± Wei Liao brought Yu Niaoniao over and introduced her. ¡°This is a friend of mine. She¡¯s also read Master Wang¡¯s book and wants toe over and broaden her horizons.¡± Then, he bent down slightly and whispered to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m here to attend a fan gathering. The people in front of you are all your fans.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said, ¡°But didn¡¯t you say you were taking me to see the troupe master?¡± Wei Liao pointed at a fatty in the group. ¡°He¡¯s the troupe master¡¯s son, Zheng Changle.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at the little fatty and was thinking about how to greet him when she heard the little fatty speak first. ¡°This little brother must think like us that Master Wang¡¯s writing is super lousy!¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. Arge question mark slowly floated out of the small head. The others echoed him at once. ¡°Forget about the Seven Treasures Record from before. It was still eptable for the time being. What was that Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation? It made me want to vomit blood.¡± ¡°In all my life, I¡¯ve never seen such a ridiculous book!¡± ¡°To think I was so looking forward to his new book and went around promoting how good it was. Now that I think about it, I was really stupid! The thing I regret most in my life is opening his book!¡± Yu Niaoniao shrank her neck and did not dare to say a word. She cursed Wei Liao in her heart. This fellow had deliberately tricked her! These people were not her fans at all. This was not a fan party. They were all her anti-fans! If she exposed her identity here, the consequences awaiting her would definitely be very tragic. Damn Wei Liao. Not only was he an anti-fan, but he had also gathered a group of anti-fans. What was he now? An anti-fan leader?! Wei Liao sat down at the table, picked up a peanut, and threw it into his mouth. He smiled maliciously. He asked deliberately, as if the scene was not exciting enough, ¡°Brother Yu, why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Do you have a different opinion of Master Wang at the Vige Entrance?¡± Everyone stopped talking and looked at Yu Niaoniao suspiciously. She felt that if she dared to say a good word about Master Wang at the Vige Entrance, she would not be able to walk out of here alive today. The corners ofYu Niaoniao¡¯s mouth twitched as she forced a smile. ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re right. Master Wang¡¯s book wasn¡¯t good.¡± Hearing this, everyone¡¯s gazes immediately became much kinder. However, Wei Liao refused to let Yu Niaoniao get away so easily. He continued to ask, ¡°Then tell me, what¡¯s wrong with Master Wang¡¯s book? Tell us your opinion and share it with everyone.¡± The little fatty, Zheng Changle, added, ¡°That¡¯s right. You don¡¯t have to be shy. Say whateveres to your mind. As long as you don¡¯t like Master Wang at the Vige Entrance, you¡¯re one of us!¡± Yu Niaoniao braced herself. ¡°I think Master Wang¡¯s style is alright, but there¡¯s a huge problem with his plot. ¡± ¡°Especially the rtionship lines between the male and female leads in the Seven Treasures Record.¡± ¡°As the daughter of a rich family who had been pampered since she was young, what young talent had she not seen?¡± ¡°How could she be charmed by a poor schr? She even abandoned her parents and eloped with him desperately.¡± ¡°This is simply impossible. What nonsense!¡± At first, it was very difficult for her to say it. Later, the more she spoke, the smoother it became. In the end, she was already expressing her dissatisfaction sincerely. Everyone present was stunned. Even Wei Liao was surprised. He couldn¡¯t help but argue, ¡°I don¡¯t think the plot of the Seven Treasures Record is very exciting, but it¡¯s not as useless as you say.¡± The others had simr thoughts. The reason why they were originally fans of Master Wang at the Vige Entrance was because they had read the Seven Treasures Record. Even after they became fans, they still felt that the Seven Treasures Record was a rare good book. From time to time, they would secretly take it out to reminisce. Zheng Changle said awkwardly,¡±l also think the Seven Treasures Record is alright.¡± ¡°Although the plot was a little exaggerated, it was notpletely impossible.¡± ¡°The protagonist, the schr, was a little poor, but he had a good appearance and was very talented.¡± ¡°Most importantly, he¡¯s sincere to the female lead. It¡¯s possible that the female lead will like him.¡± Yu Niaoniao said disdainfully, ¡°If he was sincere, why would he take in so many concubines after bing the top schr? Such sincerity is too cheap.¡± Zheng Changle argued, ¡°It¡¯s very normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines. Besides, the male lead has already be a high official. Is it appropriate not to have a few beauties serving him?¡± Although the others didn¡¯t say anything, they nodded in agreement. Yu Niaoniao spread her hands. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s very normal for the princess to have three husbands and four consorts in The Record of Phoenix Cry Nation. After all, she¡¯s rich and powerful. ¡± Zheng Changle choked hard. He was exasperated. ¡°You¡¯re unreasonable!¡± Yu Niaoniao said righteously, ¡°You were the one who told me just now that no matter what I thought, I could say it. Now that I¡¯ve said it, you¡¯re unhappy. What do you want me to do?¡± Zheng Changle wanted to retort, but he did not know how to speak. He was so angry that his chubby face turned red. In the end, he decided to be shameless. ¡°I don¡¯t care! You can only say that the Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation is bad, but don¡¯t say that the Seven Treasures Record is bad!¡± Yu Niaoniao deliberately pretended to be puzzled. ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t these two bookse from Master Wang at the Vige Entrance? Since they¡¯re both Master Wang¡¯s books, they should be scolded.¡± Zheng Changle did not know how to refute and scratched his head anxiously. It was obvious that he was no match for Yu Niaoniao in terms of glibness. He could only turn to Wei Liao for help. ¡°Brother Wei, say something!¡± Wei Liao said slowly, ¡°I think Brother Yu is right. Whether it¡¯s the Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation or the Seven Treasures Record, as long as they¡¯re Master Wang¡¯s books, they should be scolded.¡± Yu Niaoniao gave the little fatty a smug smile and swaggered to the table. Just as she was about to sit down, she suddenly reached out and pulled out the fan Wei Liao had clipped to his waist. Wei Liao reacted quickly. Before she could open her fan, he grabbed her wrist. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Yu Niaoniao deliberately shouted. ¡°Aiya, why are you nervous? I just want to see your fan. If I remember correctly, your fan was made by Master Wang at the Vige Entrance, right? I didn¡¯t expect you to carry it with you.¡± Everyone immediately looked at the folding fan.. Chapter 401 - Chapter 401: Stubborn Chapter 401: Stubborn Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Everyone was shocked by Zheng Changle¡¯s thoughts. They had never seen anyone go back on their word like this. Unexpectedly, this was not the end. Next, Zheng Changle began to point at their noses. ¡°Who are you to say anything about me? Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done in private.¡± ¡°Second Brother Lu, you say that you hate Master Wang¡¯s books the most, but you secretly booked all the books in the bookstore!¡± Second Brother Lu blushed. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t want others to be poisoned by The Record of Phoenix Cry Nation, so I bought all the books in advance. I locked those books in the box and didn¡¯t read a single one!¡± Zheng Changle said, ¡°And you, Hu Si. You especially paid a high price to hire someone to crush all the important characters written by Master Wang at the vige entrance into sugar figurines to decorate the house!¡± Hu Si shrunk his neck. ¡°I got the sugar figurines made because I wanted to eat all those sugar figurines. I felt good eating the annoying characters.¡± Zheng Changle said, ¡°As for you, Wu Xiaoliu, there¡¯s even less of a need for me to say anything, right? Last time, you even secretly found me and wanted me to choose a few people from the theater so that we could perform the Seven Treasures Record and the Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation.¡± Treasures Record and the Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation.¡± Wu Xiaoliu covered his face with his sleeve. ¡°You promised not to tell anyone.¡± By the time Zheng Changle finished speaking, everyone present had already been found out. Even Wei Liao was surprised. He had thought that it was already impressive enough for him to secretly collect portraits of the little mute and the princess. He did not expect this group of people to be even worse than him. However, these people were still stubborn. At this point, they were still unwilling to confess. Yu Niaoniao was also stunned by this reversal. She had thought that these were her anti-fans. She did not expect them to still be fans on the inside. Zheng Changle¡¯s mouth went dry. However, he couldn¡¯t care less about drinking water to moisten his throat. His eyes were fixed on Wei Liao. To be precise, he was looking at the folding fan in his arms. ¡°Brother Wei, since the fan has already been revealed, there¡¯s no need to hide it. Name a price. I promise I won¡¯t bargain!¡± Seeing this, the others leaned over and shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll pay 100 taels. Sell it to me!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay 200 taels!¡± ¡°300 taels, give it to me!¡± Zheng Changle was exasperated. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about snatching it from me. I¡¯ll pay a thousand taels!¡± With that, he mmed a stack of banknotes on the table. His aura could be said to be quite strong. Everyone present was shocked by his imposing manner. Unexpectedly, Wei Liao did not even look at the banknotes and said slowly. ¡°Not to mention 1,000 taels, I won¡¯t sell it even if it¡¯s 10,000 taels. Zheng Changle immediately panicked. ¡°I can¡¯t take out 20,000 taels in a short time.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°What I mean is that no matter how much you pay, I won¡¯t sell my fan.¡± Zheng Changle begged, ¡°Don¡¯t. We¡¯re all friends. Let¡¯s discuss it again!¡± The others also looked at Wei Liao eagerly, wanting him to sell the fan to them. Wei Liao enjoyed this feeling. He took out his fan and opened it, revealing the portrait drawn on the fan. Everyone¡¯s eyes were fixed on the fan. Their burning gazes seemed to raze the fan. Wei Liao was very proud and his tone was filled with bragging. ¡°This fan was personally drawn by Master Wang at the Vige Entrance. There¡¯s only one in the world. It¡¯s impossible for me to sell it. Give up.¡± As he had hoped, he saw disappointment on everyone¡¯s faces. He felt even happier. In the past, he felt good about scolding Master Wang at the Vige Entrance with everyone, but now, this feeling of being envied and jealous was even better! At that moment, a small hand reached over and picked up the stack of banknotes on the table. ¡°Give me this thousand taels. I¡¯ll help you get a fan drawn by Master Wang at the Vige Entrance.¡± Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Yu Niaoniao happily counting banknotes. She did not expect a fan to sell for so much money. If she had known that money was so easy to earn, she would have drawn a dozen of them every day. Zheng Changle was skeptical. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Wei Liao. I got him the folding fan in his hand.¡± Zheng Changle immediately looked at Wei Liao and asked if it was true. Wei Liao¡¯s expression was very ugly. What was wrong with this woman? Had she been bribed with a mere thousand taels? Did she still want her status as the Princess Consort of Lang County? Wei Liao sneered. ¡°Of course not. Master Wang personally handed this fan to me. It has nothing to do with this guy.¡± Yu Niaoniao had already expected Wei Liao to not cooperate, so she returned the banknotes to Zheng Changle and said to him. ¡°Take this money back first. When I bring the fan over tomorrow, the goods and money can be exchanged at the same time. How about that?¡± Zheng Changle nodded without hesitation. ¡°Alright! When are youing tomorrow?¡± Yu Niaoniao thought for a moment. She still had to go to the Justice Department tomorrow to clock in. She definitely did not have time during the day. ¡°In the evening. I¡¯ll meet you here then.¡± Zheng Changle said, ¡°Alright, you just have to tell the waiter at the door that you¡¯re here to look for me tomorrow. You don¡¯t have to buy a ticket in advance.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡± Originally, she hade here to look for the troupe master to talk to him about the adaptation of Prince Lang¡¯s Liaodong Tour. No matter what Xiao Juan thought of her now, she would not change her original intention. She would try her best to reverse Xiao Juan¡¯s bad image in the hearts of the public. Now that she realized that the troupe master¡¯s son, Zheng Changle, was a fan of her book, she felt that she could start with Zheng Changle. She would first establish a certain trust with him before asking him to help facilitate the adaptation. The others were also tempted. They also wanted to obtain the folding fan drawn by Master Wang at the Vige Entrance, but they could not take out 1,000 taels for the time being. They looked at Yu Niaoniao eagerly. Yu Niaoniao noticed their gazes and her heart skipped a beat. ¡°I can also get a bookmark personally written by Master Wang at the Vige Entrance. Do you want it?¡± Everyone nodded hurriedly. ¡°Yes, yes, yes! We want it! How much?¡± The bookmark was just a word. Unlike the folding fan, which had to be drawn, Yu Niaoniao did not raise the price very high. She extended a fair finger. ¡°One tael of silver apiece.¡± Unexpectedly, in the next moment, Zheng Changle took out the banknotes and pped them on the table. ¡°Give me a hundred bookmarks first!¡± The others shouted. ¡°I want a hundred bookmarks too!¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. There were so many people. If each of them bought a hundred pieces, her hands would be crippled, right?! She spoke with difficulty. ¡°A hundred won¡¯t do. Everyone is limited to ten.¡± Although everyone was disappointed, they could only reluctantly ept it. ¡°Ten will do.¡± After counting the bookmarks, Yu Niaoniao prepared to turn around and leave. While it was still early, she had to go back and quickly make the folding fan and bookmarks. These were all white silver! As soon as she walked out of the private room, Wei Liao followed her. Wei Liao blocked her way and said with a dark expression. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to draw fans for others!¡± Chapter 402 - Chapter 402: Despicable Chapter 402: Despicable Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Wei Liao had just tasted the wonderful feeling of being envied by a group of people. He hadn¡¯t had enough yet. If Zheng Changle also had a fan, he would never be able to show it off to others in the future. How could he ept it? Yu Niaoniao did not know what Wei Liao was thinking. She just thought this guy was ridiculous. She couldn¡¯t be bothered with him. She prepared to walk around him and go downstairs. Wei Liao extended his arm and blocked her way again. ¡°Did you hear what I said?¡± Yu Niaoniao rolled her eyes and said angrily, ¡°I heard you. No, please move!¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°You promised me before that the fan you gave me would be unique in this world. Don¡¯t tell me you want to go back on your word?!¡± So that was what he was worried about! Yu Niaoniao was enlightened. This fellow was even stronger. He did not even want anyone else to have the same fan. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if I draw another fan for others, it will be another pattern. It will bepletely different from the pattern on your fan.¡± Hearing this, Wei Liao felt a little better. But his tone was still tough. ¡°Can you not draw a fan for someone?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°How can I earn money if I don¡¯t draw fans for others?¡± Wei Liao looked disdainful. ¡°It¡¯s just a thousand taels of silver.¡± Yu Niaoniaoughed in anger at his tone. ¡°A mere thousand taels? That¡¯s all? Brother, do you have a gold mine at home? A thousand taels is actually nothing to you. If you¡¯re really so rich, why don¡¯t you take out some money to help the poor?¡± Wei Liao said slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t see any poor people in the circles I usually interact with.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m an out-and-out poor person standing in front of you. Can you give me some money?¡± Wei Liao didn¡¯t understand. ¡°You¡¯re the Princess Consort of Duke Lang. Doesn¡¯t he give you money to spend? He doesn¡¯t look like such a stingy man.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately defended Xiao Juan. ¡°It has nothing to do with him! I want to earn money with my own abilities. I don¡¯t want to be a rice worm that only knows how to ask men for money.¡± Wei Liao looked suspicious. ¡°You don¡¯t look like a self-reliant woman.¡± Yu Niaoniao gritted her teeth. ¡°What do you mean? Are you looking down on me?!¡± Seeing that she was angry, Wei Liao smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. I¡¯m just telling the truth. You look like the kind ofzy person who doesn¡¯t have any ambitions. You won¡¯t sit if you can lie down. You won¡¯t stand if you can sit. You just want to eat and wait for death every day.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Damn it! She couldn¡¯t argue. He was indeed talking about the life she had dreamed of! Wei Liao took a step forward and bent down to stare into her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re in such a hurry to earn money. Do you have some unspeakable secret?¡± This fellow was indeed the Vice General of the Sky Wolf Guards. His thoughts were indeed very sharp. Yu Niaoniao subconsciously tensed up. ¡°I don¡¯t have any unspeakable secrets. I¡¯m upright. Don¡¯t judge me with your dirty thoughts!¡± Wei Liao smiled. ¡°You¡¯re feeling guilty.¡± Yu Niaoniao denied loudly, ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Wei Liao rubbed his ears. ¡°Keep your voice down. You¡¯re going to deafen me.¡± Yu Niaoniao pushed him hard. ¡°A good dog doesn¡¯t block the way. Move!¡± Wei Liao took the opportunity to stand up. ¡°I¡¯ll say it onest time. You¡¯re not allowed to draw fans for others. Otherwise, I¡¯ll tell everyone the truth that you¡¯re Master Wang at the Vige Entrance and let everyone in the Imperial Capital know that the Princess Consort of Lang County secretly earns money by drawing third-rate novels.¡± Yu Niaoniao said angrily, ¡°I¡¯m not drawing a third-rate storybook!¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°The setting in The Record of Phoenix Cry Nation is so exciting. If the Chinese court officials find out that it was you who did it, guess what they will say about you and Duke Lang?¡± Yu Niaoniao was immediately speechless. She was not afraid of being criticized, but she did not want Xiao Juan to be used as a topic of conversation. It was a long time before she spoke again. ¡°How dare you threaten me with such a thing. You¡¯re despicable.¡± Wei Liao wasn¡¯t ashamed. Instead, he was proud. ¡°Thank you for thepliment. I¡¯m a bad person by nature. The more you call me bad, the happier I am.¡± Yu Niaoniao felt that this person was most likely seriously ill. She said angrily, ¡°I¡¯ll promise you. I won¡¯t draw fans for others.¡± There were so many types ofics around. Even if she didn¡¯t draw a fan, she could still make other things, such as pillows, dolls, hands, screens, and so on. Having achieved his wish, Wei Liao finally stopped blocking her and stepped aside. When Yu Niaoniao walked past him, she really could not hold back the anger in her heart. She suddenly stretched out a foot and stepped on the back of his foot! She stepped on it quite hard. However, she was only a woman and had never practiced martial arts. Even if she used all her strength, it would be nothing to Wei Liao. What Wei Liao really couldn¡¯t stand was that this woman stepped on his instep and jumped up. She was shorter than him, so her head bumped into Wei Liao¡¯s chin! This time, it really hurt! Wei Liao covered his painful chin and reached out to grab Yu Niaoniao. In the end, he missed. Like a loach, the woman darted far away. Wei Liao strode after her. He had to teach this woman a lesson today! When Yu Niaoniao heard footsteps behind her, she immediately ran even faster. Her two slender legs moved vigorously, like two rapidly spinning fire wheels. In the blink of an eye, she was near the theater door. Just as she was about to rush out the door, arge hand suddenly grabbed the back of her cor from behind. She was forced to brake. She turned around and saw Wei Liao staring at her angrily. His chin had clearly turned red. Wei Liao gritted his teeth. ¡°Run! Why aren¡¯t you running anymore?¡± Yu Niaoniao was a little afraid. After all, her strength was far inferior to the other party. But on second thought, there were peopleing and going around. He probably wouldn¡¯t dare to really attack her. So she mustered her courage again. ¡°Men and women shouldn¡¯t touch each other. Let go of me.¡± Wei Liao sneered. ¡°Ha, now you know that men and women shouldn¡¯t touch each other. Why didn¡¯t you think of that when you lifted your hand to attack me just now?¡± Yu Niaoniao retorted, ¡°I didn¡¯t lift my hand on you!¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°You didn¡¯t lift your hand, but you lifted your foot! You even used your head!¡± He really had to hand it to this woman. As the Princess Consort, she actually dared to fight with a man and was so shameless. He wondered how Duke Lang could tolerate her?! Wei Liao pondered over how he could teach this woman a lesson. No woman had ever dared to provoke him like this. He definitely could not let her off easily. However, she was the Princess Consort of Lang County after all. He could not use violence against her in public. Just as Wei Liao was thinking about what to do next, he saw a figure from the corner of his eye.. Chapter 403 - Chapter 403: An Eye for an Eye Chapter 403: An Eye for an Eye Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Wei Liao caught a glimpse of a man standing beside a pir not far away. That person looked like he was watching the performance on the stage, but his eyes kept sneaking in the direction of Wei Liao and Yu Niaoniao. Coincidentally, Wei Liao had seen him in the Justice Department. He was an Eagle Guard. When the Eagle Guard realized that Wei Liao seemed to have noticed him, he immediately retracted his gaze and walked in another direction. The distance between the two widened. In the blink of an eye, the Eagle Guard was gone. Wei Liao had already guessed most of it. Duke Lang must have been worried about Yu Niaoniao going out alone and specially sent an Eagle Guard to protect her in secret. Although the Eagle Guards were gone, they must not have gone far. They must have hidden nearby. He had to keep Yu Niaoniao safe. He could not be too far away from her. With a thought, Wei Liao suddenly knew how to teach Yu Niaoniao a lesson. He quickly put on a warm smile as he let go of herpels and quickly hooked her shoulder with his other hand, deliberately looking intimate. ¡°Brother Yu, you had a good time in Sky Oriole Garden today, right? Ye Yin served you well, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao had yet to recover from his sudden change in expression. When she heard what he said, she was even more confused. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense¡­¡± Wei Liao interrupted her in an extremely ambiguous tone. ¡°Alright, I know. You like Ye Yin very much. I can¡¯t even say. I¡¯ll just stop.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t forget your promise to Ye Yin. You promised to give him something. You must be more careful when you get back.¡± ¡°Come over early tomorrow. Don¡¯t let him wait too long.¡± Before Yu Niaoniao could speak, Wei Liao pushed her out the door. She staggered and almost fell. Yu Niaoniao turned around angrily, but she realized that Wei Liao had already walked away. She could only curse angrily. ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± As soon as the clerk at the door saw her, he immediately smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t hear anything just now.¡± was speechless. ¡°What did you hear?¡± The clerk looked around to make sure that no one was paying attention to him before ttering him softly. ¡°Ye Yin is the new star here. Although he¡¯s a little young, he¡¯s definitely the number one in our Heavenly Oriole Garden in terms of looks and figure! You have good taste taking a fancy to him!¡± He had been standing at the door just now, and Wei Liao had spoken loudly. He had no choice but to hear him. Yu Niaoniao was so angry that her face turned red. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I have nothing to do with Ye Yin. If you spread rumors, I¡¯ll get someone to cut off your tongue!¡± The clerk was frightened to death and hurriedly apologized. ¡°I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have spoken nonsense. I¡¯ll p myself now!¡± With that, he really pped himself twice. He hit himself very hard. Two crisp sounds immediately attracted the attention of many people. Seeing that everyone was looking over, Yu Niaoniao was afraid that she would make things worse, so she could only run away in a hurry. She rode the donkey back to the Langjun Imperial Pce. Granny Xiu Yan asked with concern. ¡°Did it go well outside today? Were you bullied?¡± waved her hand and said no. Although she had met that annoying Wei Liao today, she had not been able to gain an advantage over him. The two of them were even. Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°Then are you hungry? Are you thirsty? I¡¯ll get someone to prepare some refreshments for you.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not answer the question. ¡°Is the embroiderer in the residence free today? I have something to ask her for help.¡± Granny Xiu Yan immediately replied, ¡°Of course she¡¯s free! The residence has spent money to raise several embroiderers. I¡¯ll get someone to call them over.¡± Soon, the four embroiderers were brought to Yu Niaoniao. They knelt down and bowed to Yu Niaoniao in fear. ¡°Greetings, Princess Consort.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked them to get up and casually took out a draft. ¡°Can you embroider the pattern on this?¡± One of the embroiderers took the draft and looked at it. She saw that there were two people drawn on it. Although the proportion of the characters and their facial features were a little strange, it should not be difficult to embroider. Therefore, the four of them nodded in agreement. immediately smiled. ¡°Very good. Get to work now. Embroider the contents of this painting into pillowcase. The pillowcase is about this wide and long. Make it almost as t a real person¡­¡± She gestured above her head as she spoke. The embroiderers pricked up their ears and listened carefully, memorizin: everything the County Princess said. After saying all the requests, Yu Niaoniao took out four silver ingots and p them on the table. ¡°As long as the pillowcases you make satisfy me, these four silver ingots a yours.¡± The four embroiderers were naturally overjoyed and hurriedly agreed. Yu Niaoniao instructed, ¡°Remember, you only have one day. After you fini making the pillowcase tomorrow, put in the pillow core and hand it to Gr? Xiu Yan. She¡¯ll send someone to give me a pillow.¡± The four of them replied in unison, ¡°Yes.¡± They immediately got to work after returning to the embroidery room. Whether it was to get on the Princess Consort¡¯s good side or for the four ingots, they had to do their best this time! At the same time, the Eagle Guards in charge of secretly protecting Yu Niaoniao had returned to the Justice Department. He went to report to Lo Pingsha. Unexpectedly, he bumped into Lo Pingsh talking to Duke Lang. Xiao Juan had already learned from Lo Pingsha that Yu Niaoniao had gone out today. He also knew that Lo Pingsha had ordered one of the Eagle Guards to protect Yu Niaoniao. He caught a glimpse of someoneing and asked calmly. ¡°What is it?¡± The Eagle Guard nced at Lo Pingsha before speaking. ¡°Your Highness, the Princess Consort has returned to the Regional King¡¯s Mansion safely.¡± Xiao Juan continued to ask, ¡°Did she encounter any trouble today?¡± After asking, he saw the Eagle Guard hesitate and immediately understood that Yu Niaoniao must have encountered an unusual situation outside today. So his face darkened and his voice was cold. ¡°Tell me, what happened?¡± The Eagle Guard was afraid and did not dare to hide it, so he told the truth. ¡°Today, the County Princess went to the Heavenly Oriole Garden.¡± ¡°However, because I did not have a ticket, I could not follow her in and could only look for an opportunity nearby.¡± ¡°When I finally found an opportunity to sneak into the Heavenly Oriole Garden, I saw that the Princess Consort had already walked down the stairs. There was a man behind her.¡± Xiao Juan frowned. ¡°What man?¡± ¡°It was the Vice General of the Sky Wolf Guards, Wei Liao. He seems to be very familiar with the Princess Consort. He even told her¡­ said.. Xiao Juan reprimanded, ¡°If you have something to say, just say it. Don¡¯t hem and haw!¡± ¡°Wei Liao mentioned a young man called Ye Yin. He said that he served the Princess Consort very well and asked her not to forget to prepare gifts for hi He also promised to see her tomorrow.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s expression gradually turned ugly. ¡°Who is Ye Yin?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve asked around. Ye Yin is a small actor in the Heavenly Oriole Garden. I heard that he¡¯s very handsome. Many rich daughters spend money to suppo him.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. Lo Pingsha said nothing. Heavens! Was the Princess Consort actually raising an actor behind Duke Lang¡¯s back?! Chapter 404 - Chapter 404: Not Worthy of Her Chapter 404: Not Worthy of Her Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Lo Pingsha asked carefully. ¡°Your Highness, do you want to go home and talk to the Princess Consort? Perhaps there¡¯s a misunderstanding. The Princess Consort has such deep feelings for you that she won¡¯t do anything to let you down.¡± Xiao Juan lowered his eyes and remained silent. Everyone thought that she was loyal to him. Even he thought so in the past. But now he recognized the reality. She had no romantic feelings for him at all. Since she didn¡¯t like him, it wasn¡¯t impossible for her to find another man. Xiao Juan silently told himself that she had the right to pursue happiness. He should not shackle her, but the ufortable feeling in his heart became stronger and stronger. He tried his best to suppress the urge to rush home and ask Niaoniao about it. ¡°I still have things to do. I can¡¯t go back for the time being.¡± Lo Pingsha wanted to say something else, but Xiao Juan changed the topic. ¡°Although the corruption case from ten years ago has been solved, the suspect is dead, and the one million taels of dirty money is missing. Now that we had finally found a clue, the emperor is taking it very seriously and ordered us to capture the suspect. ¡°Pass down the order to divide the Eagle Guards in the Justice Department into two teams. A group of people went to the various city gates to guard and investigate suspicious people. ¡°The other team will search every house in the city. They definitely won¡¯t let go of any clues!¡± Seeing that he had made up his mind, Lo Pingsha could only sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll do it now.¡± After everyone went out, only Xiao Juan was left in the room. He finally did not have to pretend anymore and his expression became extremely gloomy. The moment he thought that she might be intimate with another man, the violent emotions in his heart kept surging. He really wanted to rush out now and find the man called Ye Yin and cut him into pieces! But logic told him not to. Even if Niaoniao liked other men, he could not interfere with her choice. He should set her free. He should be happy that she had found happiness. Two opposing extreme emotions kept tugging at his heart, making his mental state worse and worse. He even felt self-loathing. It was her freedom to like whoever she liked. What right did he have to point fingers at her? Someone like him, who had grown up in the dark, was only worthy of staying in a dark corner. It was normal for her not to like him. If it were him, he wouldn¡¯t like a bad person like him, who was infamous, unromantic, and had blood on his hands. He was not worthy of her. Inside Mirror House with closed doors and windows, the light was dim and nothing could be seen clearly. Xiao Juan sat quietly behind the desk and did not move for a long time, like a lifeless sculpture. When the sun was about to set, there was suddenly a knock on the door of Mirror House. Meng Xizhou¡¯s voice came through the door. ¡°Your Highness, are you there? I have something to report.¡± After a long time, Xiao Juan replied. ¡°Come in.¡± The door was pushed open, and the afterglow of the setting sun shone in. The originally dark house suddenly became much brighter. Meng Xizhou bowed before speaking. ¡°I¡¯ve already followed your instructions and brought people to search the city door to door for the suspect. Although we haven¡¯t found the target yet, we brought back someone.¡± Xiao Juan asked calmly, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°A performer in the Sky Oriole Garden called Ye Yin.¡± Xiao Juan slowly looked up and asked as if to confirm, ¡°Ye Yin?¡± Meng Xizhou deliberately lowered his voice and exined. ¡°I¡¯ve already heard about the Princess Consort and Ye Yin.¡± ¡°The Princess Consort is deeply loyal to you and will not change her mind easily.¡± ¡°That actor called Ye Ying must have seduced the Princess Consort!¡± ¡°Coincidentally, I found out about the Heavenly Oriole Garden today and happened to see Ye Yin, so I brought him back.¡± ¡°Do you want to take the opportunity to teach him a lesson?¡± ¡°It¡¯s also to let him know that the Princess Consort is not someone an actor like him can think about.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s expression immediately darkened as he reprimanded. ¡°Nonsense! I ordered you to search the entire city to capture the suspect, not to use your official position for personal gain!¡± Niaoniao had no feelings for him to begin with. If she found out that he had abused his power to vent his personal anger, she would definitely look down on him even more. She might even leave him in anger. No! He could not let Niaoniao leave him. Meng Xizhou was shocked by Duke Lang¡¯s cold gaze and hurriedly apologized. ¡°I know my mistake. I¡¯ll let him go now.¡± With that, he turned to leave. Xiao Juan suddenly stopped him. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Meng Xizhou could only stand obediently. ¡°Your Highness, do you have any other instructions?¡± Xiao Juan was silent for a long time before asking the question that was suppressed in his heart. ¡°What did he look like?¡± Meng Xizhou said without hesitation, ¡°He¡¯s greasy and weak. He¡¯s far inferior to you!¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s heart dimmed. Unfortunately, Niaoniao did not think so. Meng Xizhou could tell that he was actually quite curious about Ye Yin, so he advised softly. ¡°In any case, we¡¯ve already captured him. Why don¡¯t you take this opportunity to take a look with your own eyes?¡± Xiao Juan was tempted. He was really curious. He wanted to know what type of man could make Niaoniao¡¯s heart flutter. ¡°Take me there to take a look.¡± Meng Xizhou immediately replied, ¡°Yes!¡± They entered the cell and quickly saw the rumored Ye Yin. This person looked to be about fourteen or fifteen years old. He was slender and had very fair skin. His eyebrows had been carefully repaired and he looked more exquisite than ordinary men. Originally, he had nned to go on stage to perform, but as soon as he changed his clothes and before he could put on his makeup, he was caught by the Eagle Guards. At this moment, he was wearing heavy costume. His face was pale, and his eyes were filled with fear and uneasiness. When he saw Xiao Juan and Meng Xizhou appear, he knelt down without a word. ¡°Please forgive me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m amoner and a serious actor. I make hard-earned money by singing opera and had never done anything bad.¡± ¡°I¡¯m innocent!¡± Xiao Juan lowered his eyes and looked down at him. Such an actor who knelt down for mercy at the drop of a hat could actually obtain Niaoniao¡¯s liking. Why? How was he inferior to this actor? Xiao Juan even prayed maliciously, wishing that Niaoniao could be here and see this scene with her own eyes. Meng Xizhou deliberately frightened him. ¡°Everyone whoes here feels very innocent, but as long as they¡¯re interrogated, they quickly be less innocent.¡± Ye Ying was frightened and trembled. He had heard that the methods of interrogating criminals in the Justice Department could be said to be extremely cruel. Even if he survived the interrogation, he would be skinned alive. It was hard to say if the Heavenly Oriole Garden would still want him in the future. His life had just begun. He didn¡¯t want it to be ruined. Ye Yin kowtowed hard. ¡°Please be magnanimous and not torture me.. I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡± Chapter 405 - Chapter 405: Confession Chapter 405: Confession Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Meng Xizhou originally only wanted to scare the other party casually. Seeing Ye Yin¡¯s reaction, he immediately understood that Ye Yin was really hiding something. He subconsciously looked at Duke Lang, who was standing beside him. Xiao Juan¡¯s expression did not change, and his tone was as cold as ice. ¡°You only have one chance to tell the truth.¡± Meng Xizhou took out the saber he carried with him and aimed the de at Ye Yin¡¯s cheek. He sneered and threatened. ¡°If you dare to lie, I¡¯ll turn you into a flowery-faced man. You won¡¯t have to put on makeup anymore when you go on stage to perform in the future. It¡¯ll save you a lot of trouble.¡± Ye Yin was so frightened that he cried. Tears and snot flowed down his face. However, he did not bother to wipe it and hurriedly replied. ¡°I don¡¯t dare to lie to the two officials!¡± ¡°Yesterday was the 60th birthday of the old madam of the Assistant Minister of Rites. In order to make the old madam happy, Assistant Minister Wei invited our opera troupe to the Wei residence to perform.¡± ¡°I went along.¡± ¡°Because I drank too much water, I needed to pee. As soon as I got off the stage, I rushed to find the toilet. On the way, she happened to see Assistant Minister Wei talking to someone by the window.¡± ¡°Because of the distance, I could not hear what they said. However, I saw the appearance of the person beside Assistant Minister Wei clearly. He looks very simr to the person on the wanted poster!¡± Xiao Juan nced at Meng Xizhou beside him. Meng Xizhou sheathed his saber and took out a wanted order from his sleeve. The man drawn on the wanted poster was the suspect on the run from the corruption and bribery case. ¡°Look closely. Is that him?¡± Ye Yin hurriedly wiped his tears and craned his neck to stare at the wanted order. Then, he nodded vigorously. ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s him!¡± Xiao Juan instructed in a low voice, ¡°Bring people to Assistant Minister Wei¡¯s residence.¡± Meng Xizhou immediately turned around and left the cell. Xiao Juan looked down at Ye Yin and continued to ask, ¡°If you¡¯ve seen the person on the wanted poster, why didn¡¯t you say so?¡± Ye Yin shrank his neck. ¡°I¡¯m just an actor. My status is low. All I want is to eat and wear warm clothes to live well. Assistant Minister Wei is a high-ranking official in the court. I can¡¯t afford to offend him. He was an actor. Not only did he have to know how to act, but he also had to y the game. Yesterday, he saw Assistant Minister Wei talking to someone in the Wei Mansion. Although he did not know who that person was, he knew that he should be inconspicuous in such a matter. Therefore, he only nced at Assistant Minister Wei and that person from afar before quietly leaving. After that, he hid this matter in his heart and told no one. Even when the Eagle Guards posted the arrest warrant at the entrance of the Heavenly Oriole Garden, he did not say a word. He had thought he had hidden it well. No one would know about him. He had not expected to end up in the hands of the Eagle Guards. Ye Yin was puzzled. How did this happen? Xiao Juan asked a few more questions about the suspect. Ye Yin answered them one by one. When there was really nothing else to ask, Xiao Juan knew that he could leave. But he stood still. He looked at the disheveled Ye Yin and was silent for a long time. In the end, he could not help but ask, ¡°What did you talk about when you met?¡± Ye Yin looked confused. ¡°Who did I meet?¡± Xiao Juan could not say her name and could only say, ¡°A young woman. She is beautiful and has a good personality.¡± Ye Yin was still very confused, not understanding who the other party was talking about. Seeing him like this, Xiao Juan could not help feeling angry. He was just an actor. It was already an honor to receive Niaoniao¡¯s favor, but he actually could not remember her! Xiao Juan turned around and left with a dark expression. Ye Yin hurriedly shouted, ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve already exined everything. Can you let me go?¡± Xiao Juan said without looking back. ¡°You¡¯ll have to stay here until the suspect is caught.¡± When he walked out of the cell, he instructed the Eagle Guard in charge of the cell. ¡°The person in here will have a meal every day.¡± The Eagle Guard looked at the cell where Ye Yin was and replied in understanding, ¡°I understand.¡± Under normal circumstances, the persons in the cell would have two meals a day. Xiao Juan gave Ye Yin a meal. Although he would not starve to death, he could still make Ye Yin feel ufortable for a while. It did not matter if someone said that he was taking revenge or that he was narrow-minded. He would admit it! In any case, he did not want the actor called Ye Yin to have an easy time. He would be a viin for once! When Xiao Juan returned to the Langjun Imperial Pce, it was already night. Granny Xiu Yan said as she helped him take off his cloak. ¡°Dinner has just been prepared. Go to the dining hall first. I¡¯ll inform the Princess Consort now.¡± Xiao Juan asked casually, ¡°What did she do today?¡± Granny Xiu Yan told him everything. ¡°As soon as the Princess Consort returned today, she called all the embroiderers in the residence over and asked them to help embroider a pillowcase.¡± ¡°She said that she wanted to embroider a pillow about the height of a real person ording to the portrait drawn by the princess consort!¡± ¡°After that, the Princess Consort went to the study and wrote for the entire afternoon. She hasn¡¯te out yet.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°What did she write?¡± Granny Xiu Yan shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but something that can make the Princess Consort write for an entire afternoon must be very important. It might be a letter or something.¡± She wanted to hint to Duke Lang that the Princess Consort probably wanted to write to him to resolve the conflict between the two of them. Unexpectedly, Xiao Juan recalled the Eagle Guards¡¯ report. Before the Eagle Guard said that Niaoniao left the Heavenly Oriole Garden, she had promised to prepare a gift for Ye Yin. Now that she was making pillows and writing letters, it was very likely that they were all prepared for Ye Yin. Seeing that Granny Xiu Yan was about to look for Niaoniao, Xiao Juan spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll get her.¡± As soon as he said that, he regretted it. Why did he offer to look for Niaoniao? Did he want to see with his own eyes what a love letter Niaoniao gave to someone else looked like? He was really afraid that he would not be able to resist tearing the letter apart on the spot. Granny Xiu Yan misunderstood what he meant. She thought that he wanted to take the initiative to make peace with the County Princess, so she immediately beamed and hurriedly replied. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. The Princess Consort is in the study. Go quickly.¡± He could not swallow the words he had said. Xiao Juan could only walk out step by step. He walked to the study and raised his hand to knock. A sound came from inside the room. ¡°Who is it?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± There were hurried footsteps, and then the door was pulled open from the inside by Yu Niaoniao. She looked at Xiao Juan in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± Xiao Juan looked at the happy smile on her face and felt as if he had not seen her for a long time. They had clearly met yesterday. In the past, when he heard that a day apart felt like three years, he thought it was purely pretentious. Now that he had truly experienced this feeling, he knew the bitterness. Xiao Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s time to eat.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Alright,e in first. I have to tidy up the things on the table.¡± Xiao Juan hesitated for a moment before walking in. He immediately saw the stack of papers on the desk. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡®What are you writing?¡± Yu Niaoniao said openly. ¡°You¡¯ll know when you look..¡± Chapter 406 - Chapter 406: A Barefooted Person Would Not Be Afraid of a Shoe Chapter 406: A Barefooted Person Would Not Be Afraid of a Shoe Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After some hesitation and struggle, Xiao Juan finally could not hold back his curiosity and walked to the desk. In the dim candlelight, he saw what was written on the paper¡ª ¡°Thank you for your support along the way.¡± Xiao Juan could not help but frown, but he resisted asking and flipped to the second long page. This time, it wrote¡ª ¡°Your support is my motivation and courage to move forward.¡± He scrolled further back. It was almost the same content. ¡°In the wind and rain, you were with me all the way.¡± ¡°With your help, I can walk freely.¡± ¡°A thousand words can¡¯t express my feelings for you. I¡¯ve already remembered how touched I was by you.¡± These words didn¡¯t sound like love letters. They sounded more like thank-you letters. Xiao Juan looked at Yu Niaoniao, wanting to ask but not daring to. He was afraid that he would be annoying if he interfered too much. Yu Niaoniao took the initiative to exin. ¡°I¡¯m going to make these sentences into bookmarks.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°What¡¯s the use of making so many bookmarks?¡± Yu Niaoniao blurted out, ¡°To give it to someone!¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s heart sank. As expected, she was preparing a gift for Ye Yin. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Did you get the embroiderydies to make pillows to give away too?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s heart sank to the bottom. He knew he didn¡¯t need to ask anymore. The answer was right in front of him. Niaoniao had someone else. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have gone to so much trouble to prepare a gift for him. Xiao Juan¡¯s heart was filled with jealousy. It was too easy for him to let Ye Yin eat only one meal a day. He should starve to death! He didn¡¯t want to look at the bookmarks again. He turned and walked toward the door. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat.¡± ¡°Hey! Wait for me. I¡¯m not ready yet.¡± As Yu Niaoniao shouted, she hurriedly sorted out the bookmarks. When she packed everything and rushed out of the study, she saw Xiao Juan standing in the courtyard with antern. From the look on his face, he was clearly waiting for her. Yu Niaoniao was quite happy. Although this man said that he wanted to keep a distance from her, he still could not let her go. No matter how hard he pretended to be, he was soft-hearted. Yu Niaoniao ran towards him happily. She wanted to hold the man¡¯s hand as usual. However, he dodged. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Xiao Juan turned around after saying this, his attitude very cold and distant. Yu Niaoniao could not help but be stunned. A huge sense of loss welled up in her, and the corners of her mouth drooped. She looked at the man¡¯s back and could not help but ask. ¡°What exactly do you want me to do to ept my apology?¡± Xiao Juan stopped in his tracks. He did not turn around. His voice sounded exceptionally cold in the night. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize.¡± She had done nothing wrong. It was just his own wishful thinking. She did not need to apologize at all. Yu Niaoniao misunderstood him. He wasn¡¯t even willing to give her a chance to apologize. He was determined not to make up with her! Xiao Juan continued walking. No matter what Yu Niaoniao said next, he would not utter a word. Lo Pingsha had already arrived at the dining hall. When he saw Duke Lang and his wife walk in one after another, he immediately stood up and greeted them. Xiao Juan still looked cold. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite. Sit.¡± During the meal, Yu Niaoniao tried to put food into Xiao Juan¡¯s bowl several times, but he refused. He indicated that he had hands and did not need help with his food. Even someone as optimistic and positive as Yu Niaoniao could not help but feel a little depressed after being rejected repeatedly. She lowered her head and silently dug into her mouth. Even her favorite prawn meat did not feel so sweet in her mouth. Lo Pingsha sensed the anomaly between the two of them and was secretly anxious. Now that there was a possibility of the Princess Consort having a change of heart, Duke Lang actually did not try his best to salvage it. What was he thinking? Lo Pingsha tried to do something for the two of them, so he tried to find a to to ease the atmosphere. ¡°Princess Consort, do you have any ns tomorrow? I heard that a restauran had recently opened in the city. The chef came from Sichuan and cooked goo Bashu dishes. Do you want to try it tomorrow? If you think it¡¯s delicious, I¡¯ll t it with my colleagues from the Justice Departmentter. ¡± Xiao Juan did not speak, but his eating clearly slowed down. He waited for Yu Niaoniao to answer. Yu Niaoniao looked troubled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not tomorrow. I have an appointme with someone else tomorrow.¡± Lo Pingsha knew something was wrong. He looked at Duke Lang and saw that his expression had indeed be extremely ugly. Lo Pingsha hurriedly saved him. ¡°I wonder who the Princess Consort is meeting tomorrow? Is it convenient you to bring us along?¡± If the Princess Consort was not dating another man, she should not refuse tc bring them along. At that time, the misunderstanding would be resolved, she and Duke Lang would probably reconcile. Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Whether she sold books or the surrounding areas, she was doing it to earn money for her drama. However, she could not let Xiao Juan know about the drama for the time being. This was mainly to avoid trouble for him. The scene she wanted to arrange was ¡°Prince of Lang, Liaodong¡±. This book could not even pass the review from the Directorate. If it was moved to the stage in the future, it would definitely cause a hugemotion in the court. At that time, there would definitely be people taking the opportunity to find fault. If those people knew that this drama was prepared by Xiao Juan, they would definitely say extremely unpleasant things. There could even be people who deliberately exaggerated, saying that he knew thew and broke it. He knew that this book could not pass the review, but he still insisted on letting it appear in front of the world. He would do anything for his reputation. They would even seize a few words from the opera and take them out of context as evidence to attack Xiao Juan. Yu Niaoniao did not want things to be like that. She could not let Xiao Juan be involved. Even if someone talked about this drama in the future, she could bear the responsibility alone. The entire matter was nned by her, and Xiao Juan did not know at all. Anyway, she was just a weak woman with no official position at all. There was nothing to be afraid of. Those people could not do anything to her even if they talked! Lo Pingsha became even more anxious. What a good opportunity. Why did the princess reject it? Could she really have someone outside? Just as he was racking his brains to think of a way to resolve this matter, he saw Duke Lang put down his bowl and chopsticks and say coldly. ¡°I¡¯m full. Enjoy.¡± Then he stood up and strode out of the dining room. Yu Niaoniao could not help but frown. ¡°He¡¯s only eaten half a bowl of rice. Why is he full?¡± Lo Pingsha¡¯s expression wasplicated. ¡°Princess Consort, tell me the truth. Do you still have Duke Lang in your heart?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded without hesitation. ¡°Of course. Lo Pingsha said, ¡°Then do you still want to continue living with him?¡± Yu Niaoniao continued to nod. Lo Pingsha said, ¡°In that case, you should be loyal to Duke Lang.¡± With that, he felt that the other party should understand what he meant. So he stood up and walked out too. Yu Niaoniao was left sitting alone, confused. What was going on? Chapter 407 - Chapter 407: Sentimental Chapter 407: Sentimental Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After leaving the dining hall, Xiao Juan went straight to the study. He prepared to continue sleeping in the study tonight. He unintentionally saw the neatly ced pieces of bookmark papers on the desk and could not help but feel angry. He wanted to burn all those bookmarks. But he was afraid that doing so would make Niaoniao angry. He could only suppress his anger. He thought that out of sight, out of mind. Hey down on the bed and closed his eyes, preparing to sleep. In the end, he couldn¡¯t fall asleep. He was thinking about something. Even with his eyes closed, his mind was still thinking about what had happened during the day. Did Niaoniao really have another lover? Was he about to be abandoned? Could Niaoniao really obtain happiness by following that actor? It was said that actors were heartless. Could she have been deceived by that actor? The more he thought about it, the more ufortable he felt. He couldn¡¯t sleep. At that moment, there was a sudden knock on the door. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s voice came through the door. ¡°Your Highness, are you asleep?¡± Xiao Juan immediately sat up. He walked quickly to the door and reached for it, but stopped when his fingers touched it. His emotions were in a mess now. He was afraid that he would lose control after seeing Niaoniao. He didn¡¯t want to scare her. Therefore, he could only suppress the urge to open the door and speak to Yu Niaoniao through the door. ¡°What is it?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked carefully, ¡°If you¡¯re not asleep, can you let me in? The materials for my bookmarks are still on the desk. I want to do the final finishing.¡± Xiao Juan felt as if someone had poured cold water on him. The surging emotions in his heart were immediately extinguished. His entire heart turned cold. So she hade to him in the middle of the night for those damn bookmarks. So she hade to him in the middle of the night for those damn bookmarks. She hade to prepare a gift for another man, not for him at all. He almost ttered himself again. Xiao Juan slowly opened the door. Without looking at the girl standing outside the door, he turned around, walked around the screen, and sat back on the edge of the bed. From the beginning to the end, it was as if he had not seen Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao was still holding a food box. That was supper she had specially made for Xiao Juan. He had only eaten half a bowl of rice tonight. He must be hungry now. She knew that Xiao Juan might not open the door for her, so she deliberately used the bookmarks as an excuse to make Xiao Juan open the door to her study. But before she could speak, Xiao Juan turned around and left. That cold attitude hurt Yu Niaoniao a little. But she quickly perked up and walked into the study with the food box. She ced the food box on the small table and turned to Xiao Juan. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared supper for you. Come and eat.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s answer was still very cold. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°But I¡¯ve already made it. If you don¡¯t eat it, you can only throw away all this food.¡± She sounded aggrieved. Xiao Juan could not stand this. A momentter he came out from behind the screen. He walked over to the small table and sat down. A smile immediately appeared on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face again. She opened the food box and took out a bowl of hot beef ramen. There was also a te of cucumber sd and a te of pickles she had marinated herself. Xiao Juan silently picked up his chopsticks and buried his head in his noodles. The noodles were very chewy in the mouth. With the big bone soup as the foundation, they were fragrant and delicious. The beef was braised and cut into pieces. It was salty and delicious. Coupled with the crisp and refreshing cucumber sd and pickles, everything could be said to be just right! Yu Niaoniao looked at him eating and was especially satisfied. In the past, Madam Xie had liked to see her and Feng Lianghan eat. At that time, she did not understand why. Now, she finally understood. Making delicacies for important people to eat, and seeing that they liked it very much created a sense of achievement for the people who cooked. Xiao Juan noticed that Niaoniao had been standing at the side and not moving, so he asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to get the bookmarks?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll get it done now. Eat slowly.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll get it done now. Eat slowly.¡± She went to the desk, took out her tools, and cut the notepaper into equal sizes. Then she used the paste to glue them to the thin bamboo slices she had prepared in advance. These bamboo pieces had been specially polished. Their surfaces were very smooth, and the words Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation were engraved on the back. After pasting the paper, Yu Niaoniao took out a bundle of colorful silk pendants. There was a small hole under the bamboo slice in advance. She only needed to pierce the thread of the silk pendant through it and knot it tightly. A small bookmark was done! Xiao Juan finished the noodles and felt much better. He turned to look at Niaoniao and saw her carefully threading the wire in front of the candlelight. His mood, which had finally improved, suddenly worsened. He couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°It¡¯s sote. Can¡¯t you do it tomorrow?¡± The light was bad at night, but she still had to do such a delicate job. Wasn¡¯t she afraid of hurting her eyes? Was it worth it to go to all this trouble for an actor? He was going to sleep in the study tonight, but she still had to light themp to do things. It would definitely affect his sleep. She said hurriedly, ¡°I¡¯ll pack my things and take them back to the bedroom to do them. Go to sleep.¡± When Xiao Juan heard this, he was even more unhappy. She actually had to go back to the room to continue working. Was she going to sleep tonight?! He got up and walked over, snatching the bookmark from her hand. ¡°Leave your things here. Go to sleep.¡± Yu Niaoniao said awkwardly, ¡°But I promised to send these things over tomorrow. I can¡¯t go back on my word.¡± Xiao Juan frowned harder and harder, feeling more and more annoyed. But he held back and said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it for you.¡± Yu Niaoniao was surprised. ¡°Can you do it?¡± Xiao Juan nced at the bookmark in his hand. The structure was very simple, so he said. ¡°Yes, I can.¡± Yu Niaoniao hesitated for a moment before finally rejecting his kindness. ¡°You still have to get up early tomorrow to go to the Justice Department. You¡¯re so busy. You can¡¯t take up your precious rest time because of a small matter like mine. You should sleep early. We¡¯ll do these things tomorrow.¡± Xiao Juan was angry when he saw these bookmarks. He had endured it and wanted to help make the bookmarks for Niaoniao. When he heard her say that, he said without hesitation. ¡°Then go to sleep.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at the screen beside her. She knew that there was a bed behind the screen. That ce was usually used for a nap. Now, it had been requisitioned by Xiao Juan. He had slept herest night. It still seemed that way tonight. Yu Niaoniao asked carefully. ¡°Can I stay tonight?¡± Xiao Juan avoided her gaze and turned to look elsewhere. He said coldly, ¡°No.¡± Yu Niaoniao refused to give up. ¡°Why? I¡¯m not fat. I won¡¯t take up too much of your space.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°No means no. Leave quickly.¡± His tone was very cold and there was no room for negotiation. Yu Niaoniao rolled her eyes and pounced on Xiao Juan to hug his waist. She acted shamelessly on the spot. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m going to sleep here tonight. Don¡¯t even think about chasing me away!¡± She thought that since she had taken the initiative, Xiao Juan would not push her away again if he was still a man. In the next moment, her acupoints were pressed by Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan picked her up and walked around the screen. He ced her on the bed and covered her with a nket. ¡°Since you insist on sleeping here, we¡¯ll do as you wish, your acupoints will be unlocked in an hour. Sleep in peace.¡± With that, he got up and left.. Chapter 408 - Chapter 408: Miss Conch Chapter 408: Miss Conch Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniaoy upright on the bed and stared at the beam with dead fish eyes. At this moment, there was only one thought in her mind: She could not live like this! The bastard had actually left her here and run away alone. To think that she did not hesitate to put down her reservations as a girl and took the initiative to throw herself at him. In the end, this was the oue. She had really thrown her flirtatious nces at a blind person and wasted her efforts! Yu Niaoniao gritted her teeth and thought hatefully that she could not forgive Xiao Juan so easily. Didn¡¯t he refuse to acknowledge her? Then she would ignore him! She said would see who can oust who?! She practiced many ways to have a cold war with Xiao Juan in her mind and unknowingly fell asleep. What she did not know was that Xiao Juan had not gone far. He had been standing outside the study door. After the aura in the room calmed down, Xiao Juan pushed open the door and walked in silently. He walked to the bed and looked at Niaoniao quietly, his eyes filled with obvious longing. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao was sleeping soundly and did not notice the movement beside her. After looking at her for a while, Xiao Juan reluctantly retracted his gaze and turned to walk to the desk. He picked up the half-finished bookmark on the table and studied it carefully in the bright moonlighting through the window. Then he tried to process it. Because he had no experience, his movements were inevitably a little clumsy. After a few more times, he mastered the method and did it more and more smoothly. He hated the bookmarks, and hated the person who was about to receive them even more. But he knew that he could not stop Niaoniao from sending these bookmarks out. She could not finish these bookmarks tonight. She would definitely have to continue tomorrow, but she had to report to the Justice Department tomorrow morning. She could only get up early and rush work. Xiao Juan did not want her to wake up so early. He wanted her to sleep more. He could only suppress his difort and help her make all these bookmarks. Yu Niaoniao still remembered the bookmarks. Before dawn the next day, she struggled out of bed. She had to finish the rest of the bookmarks before she went to the Justice Department. But when she reached the desk, she realized that all the bookmarks had been made. They were neatly arranged on the desk. Yu Niaoniao could not help but be stunned. She remembered that she had not finished the bookmarksst night! Could it be that her memory was messed up? Or had the legendary Miss Conch appeared and helped her finish everything? Yu Niaoniao scratched the back of her head, puzzled. The sky outside the window was still gray. It was still early. She yawned, sleepiness rising. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not think about it. I¡¯ll go back and catch up on my sleep. I¡¯ll talk about the rest when I¡¯m full.¡± Yu Niaoniao staggered back to bed, pulled the nket over her, and continued to sleep. When she woke up again, the sky was already bright outside the window. She jumped out of bed and stretched. It felt good to sleep well! She remembered the bookmarks and suspected that she was hallucinating. She immediately ran to the desk and realized that the bookmarks were still there. They had been made. Nothing was an illusion. This was really strange! Yu Niaoniao dressed, washed up, and walked towards the dining room. She was still thinking about the bookmarks as she walked. Since there was no evidence, she would use the elimination method. Not many people in the entire Langjun Imperial Pce knew that she was going to make the bookmarks, let alone sneak into the study in the middle of the night to secretly make them. A tall figure quickly appeared in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s mind and she muttered. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s Duke Lang?¡± The more she thought about it, the more she felt that it might be him! He was definitely the ¡°Miss Conch¡± who had sneaked into the study to help her! She stepped into the dining hall and saw Xiao Juan sitting at the table eating porridge. She immediately ran over and asked. ¡°Did you help me finish those bookmarksst night?¡± Xiao Juan replied coldly, ¡°No.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him skeptically. ¡°Really?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I don¡¯t have to lie to you.¡± At this moment, Granny Xiu Yan walked in with a set of clothes and asked. ¡°Your Highness, do you want to wash these clothes?¡± Xiao Juan only nced at the clothes before quickly looking away and replying indifferently. ¡°Yeah.¡¯ Yu Niaoniao took the opportunity to look at the clothes in Granny Xiu Yan¡¯s arms. Her sharp eyes noticed the white marks on the sleeves. Granny Xiu Yan was about to leave with her clothes when she was stopped by Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± She leaned over to take a closer look at the white marks on the sleeve and realized that they were paste stains. Granny Xiu Yan did not understand her actions, so she took the initiative to exin. ¡°His Highness only changed into these clothesst night, but this morning, His Highness ced them on the cab beside the bed. I don¡¯t know if I should wash them, so I can only ask His Highness.¡± Yu Niaoniao grabbed the sleeve and turned to look at the man sitting at the table. ¡°Where did the paste on your sleevee from?¡± Xiao Juan lied without changing his expression. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Maybe I identally rubbed it somewhere.¡± Yu Niaoniao was not so easy to fool. ¡°No one in the house used pastest night. Only I used paste when I made the bookmarks. Your sleeve must have been identally stained when you made the bookmarks, right?¡± Xiao Juan did not say anything. Last night, the lights in the study were not lit and he could only see under the moonlight. The moonlight was hazy and he could not see clearly. In addition, it was his first time making a bookmark, so it was inevitable that he made some mistakes and identally touched some paste. He thought he would be fine after changing out of his clothes. Unexpectedly, Granny Xiu Yan ran over with the clothes and was bumped into by Niaoniao. Xiao Juan was actually very embarrassed that his lie had been exposed. However, he still maintained an expressionless face and looked very cold. Yu Niaoniao waved at Granny Xiu Yan, indicating that she could leave. Xiao Juan finished the porridge in his bowl in two or three mouthfuls and stood up to leave. Yu Niaoniao stretched out her leg and ced her hands on her hips, blocking Xiao Juan. ¡°Why are you running? Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I have to go to the Justice Department.¡± Yu Niaoniao was no longer intimidated by his cold face. Because she knew that the man in front of her was stubborn but soft-hearted. He pretended to be polite and distant as he pushed her away again and again. He lookedpletely emotionless towards her, but he would sneak into the study after she fell asleep to help her finish what she had not done. Yu Niaoniao said firmly, ¡°You made the bookmarks!¡± Xiao Juan tilted his head slightly and deliberately looked away from her. ¡°If you say so.¡± Yu Niaoniao took a step forward. ¡°Why did you secretly help me make the bookmarks?¡± She deliberately emphasized the word ¡°secretly¡±. Her sudden approach made Xiao Juan nervous. He had to take a step back. ¡°No reason.¡± Yu Niaoniao took another step forward. ¡°Why don¡¯t you dare to look at me?¡± Xiao Juan retreated again. ¡°No, you¡¯re thinking too much.¡± Yu Niaoniao continued to approach. ¡°Then look at me when you speak?¡± Xiao Juan continued to retreat. His back pressed against the back of the chair. He could no longer retreat.. Chapter 409 - Chapter 409: Too Tragic! Chapter 409: Too Tragic! Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao originally wanted to have a cold war with Xiao Juan and let him have a taste of being ignored. However, after knowing that this guy had secretly helped her make bookmarks in the middle of the night, she extinguished the thought of a cold war. Cold war, her ass. She didn¡¯t want a cold war! When dealing with such a stubborn but soft-hearted man, she had to be tougher. She had to force him to face his heart and make him face the truest thoughts in his heart. Yu Niaoniao looked at the man who had been forced into a corner by her and a sly smile appeared on her face. ¡°How are you going to hide now?¡± Xiao Juan looked down at the girl in front of him. Whether it was his height or his status and power, he was the one who had the upper hand. But now, he could not even resist. More urately, he had no intention of resisting. He even enjoyed the close contact with her. Xiao Juan reached out, as if he wanted to touch the girl in front of him, his eyes filled with anticipation. Seeing this, not only did Yu Niaoniao not dodge, but she even took the initiative to raise her face and lean towards his finger. However, in the next moment, she heard Xiao Juan say softly. ¡°If only all this were true.¡± With that, he ced his hand on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s shoulder and forcefully pushed her away with a powerful force. Yu Niaoniao was forced to retreat. Seeing that Xiao Juan was about to leave, she subconsciously reached out and grabbed his sleeve. ¡°This is all true!¡± Xiao Juan did not believe it. ¡°I¡¯ve already said that I¡¯ll try my best to help you do whatever you want. But please don¡¯t tell me such a lie again. I don¡¯t want to be fooled again.¡± He thought he had it, but he realized that everything was a lie. He still had nothing. He did not want to experience this huge difference again. Xiao Juan retracted his sleeve and turned to walk out of the dining hall. He told himself silently. As long as there was no hope, there would be no disappointment. Yu Niaoniao stood rooted to the ground and watched him leave. She did not understand. Xiao Juan clearly still had feelings for her. Why did he refuse to ept her? What was he fighting for? Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan went to the Justice Department. This time, unlike before, the two of them did not ride in the same carriage. Xiao Juan chose to ride a horse. Yu Niaoniao rode a donkey. The two of them rode along the streets of the Imperial Capital one after another. Yu Niaoniao was originally riding behind, but at some point, Xiao Juan¡¯s speed became slower and slower. Yu Niaoniao gradually overtook him. Xiao Juan stared at the graceful back Yu Niaoniao in front of him for a long time. When they arrived at the Justice Department, The two of them still entered one after another. This time, even the Eagle Guards guarding the door realized that something was wrong. They recalled the rumors they had heard yesterday and could not help but secretly exchange nces. Could it be that the County Princess really had someone else outside? Could it be that Duke Lang would return to being single in less than a year of marriage? If that was the case, Duke Lang was too miserable! Yesterday, Meng Xizhou brought the Eagle Guards to Assistant Minister Wei¡¯s house to arrest him. At first, Assistant Minister Wei refused to admit it and tried his best to stop the Eagle Guards from searching the Wei Mansion. Meng Xizhou was used to such scenes. Without a word, he got someone to tie up Assistant Minister Wei and even his family. Immediately after, they searched the entire Wei Mansion. Finally they caught the suspect by the wall, who was about to escape over it. Now that the suspect had been imprisoned in the Justice Department, Lo Pingsha was interrogating him with his men. The suspect¡¯s mouth was very tight. No matter how Lo Pingsha tortured him, he refused to tell him the whereabouts of the stolen silver. Xiao Juan personally went to the cell to take a look. The suspect was already on hisst breath from the interrogation. There was not a good piece of flesh on his body. Xiao Juan knew in his heart that this guy was already determined to die. The possibility of him speaking was slim. He instructed Lo Pingsha. ¡°Go interrogate the Assistant Minister of Rites.¡± ¡°Aye.¡± The emperor already knew that Assistant Minister Wei was harboring th suspect and had long ordered him to be dismissed and investigated. The Department could interrogate him however they wanted. The current Assistant Minister Wei was no longer as glorious as before. looked disheveled and uneasy. As soon as Lo Pingsha saw Assistant Minister Wei like this, he knew 110M deal with him. Lo Pingsha first brought Assistant Minister Wei to admire the suspect¡¯s state. As expected, Assistant Minister Wei was so frightened that his fact turned pale, afraid that he would be like that. Then Lo Pingsha let him see his wife and children. Facing his wife and children who were crying, Assistant Minister Wei¡¯s l; of defense copsed. It was fine if he suffered himself, but he did not want his wife and childr suffer with him. ¡°I can tell you everything I know, but you have to keep my family safe.¡± He emphasized the word ¡°safe¡±, making it obvious that he meant sometl Lo Pingsha immediately understood what he meant. He was afraid that his family would be the target of revenge after he con everything. Lo Pingsha said without hesitation. ¡°The Eagle Guards have already taken care of all your family members. There are people guarding them twenty-four hours a day.¡± ¡°Their safety would definitely not be a problem.¡± ¡°After we find out the truth and confirm that they are innocent, we will secretly send them elsewhere. No one but us would know where your family had gone.¡± ¡°In the future, they can start a new life.¡± Assistant Minister Wei epted the other party¡¯s arrangements. Then he told him everything he knew. Lo Pingsha recorded everything he said. This confession was quickly sent to Xiao Juan. Actually, Assistant Minister Wei did not know where the stolen silver had gone. He was only in charge of covering the suspect and thinking of a way to send him out of the city. As for why he did this? The reason was simple. Someone had something on him and had threatened him, forcing him to help hide the suspect. Lo Pingsha said, ¡°The mastermind hid it very well. Assistant Minister Wei didn¡¯t even know who threatened him. He only received an anonymous letter. In the letter, that person made it very clear that he had once taken bribes.¡± Xiao Juan put down the confession and asked. Lo Pingsha said truthfully, ¡°The mastermind asked Assistant Minister Wei to burn the letter after reading it, but he was careful. He hid the anonymous letter in a secretpartment in the study.¡± Xiao Juan called Meng Xizhou over and asked him to bring people to search Assistant Minister Wei¡¯s study. Yu Niaoniao sat behind the small desk and watched them busy themselves. She was the only one with nothing to do. She couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡± Xiao Juan casually replied, ¡°No.¡± Yu Niaoniao lowered her head. ¡°Okay.¡± At this moment, Yan Nanguan walked in. Yu Niaoniao thought that he was also here to look for Xiao Juan, but she did not expect him to look for her. ¡°Princess Consort, the people from Langjun Imperial Pce sent these things over. They said they were for you.¡± Then, he ced the big pillow he was holding on the table. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes lit up. Her real-life pillow was finally done! Chapter 410 - Chapter 410: Couldn ‘t Keep Her Chapter 410: Couldn ¡®t Keep Her Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios In order to prevent the pillow from being dirtied, Granny Xiu Yan specially wrapped it up with a cloth and tied it tightly with cotton thread. When it was brought to Yu Niaoniao, it looked like a long worm. Yu Niaoniao opened it excitedly, revealing the human-shaped pillow inside. Xiao Juan sat still, but his eyes were on her. Seeing her hug the big strangely shaped pillow, he was even more concerned. He wanted to know what it was. Why was Niaoniao so happy? Before long, Yan Nanguan asked. ¡°Princess Consort, what is this?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled and said, ¡°This is called a pillow. I specially asked the embroiderers to customize it.¡± The pillow was as tall as an adult. There was a little mute embroidered on the front and a princess on the back. The embroidery was very exquisite. The stitches were delicate and neat. They were smooth and t to the touch. The pattern looked lifelike. Zheng Changle would probably like it very much. Yan Nanguan had only heard of pillows in the past, but this was the first time he had seen a pillow. He smiled and ttered, ¡°This pillow looks quite beautiful. It¡¯s very suitable for the County Princess.¡± However, Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°This is specially made for someone else.¡± Yan Nanguan blurted out without thinking. ¡°It¡¯s for His Highness, right?¡± He was even prepared to praise Duke Lang and his wife for having a deep rtionship, but Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not for him. It¡¯s for someone else.¡¯ The smile on Yan Nanguan¡¯s face froze, and he swallowed the praise on the tip of his tongue. Therge pillow that the Princess Consort had carefully prepared was actually not for Duke Lang. So who is she giving it to? Yan Nanguan could not help but recall the recent rumors about the Princess Consort having a new lover. He had originally thought that those were just rumors. The Princess Consort and Duke Lang were so close. How could the Princess Consort cheat on him? But now it seemed that perhaps the rumors were true. Thinking of this, Yan Nanguan could not help but look at Duke Lang. He saw that Duke Lang was still expressionless and did not even have the intention to ask who she wanted to give the pillow to. Since Duke Lang did not ask, Yan Nanguan could only ask on his behalf. ¡°May I ask who you want to give the pillow to? Do you need my help to send it to you?¡± No matter what, Yan Nanguan did not want Duke Lang and the Princess Consort to really break up. Before the matter of cheating was confirmed, Yan Nanguan had to hurry up and find out who the person who tried to seduce the County Princess was. Then, he would secretly put a sack on his head and beat him up to warn her not to have any designs on the County Princess again. Xiao Juan quietly pricked up his ears. He already knew who the guy who seduced Niaoniao was. He still wanted to observe her attitude. Yu Niaoniao smiled slyly. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you for the time being.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s eyes darkened. She refused to tell them. Was she afraid that they would harm that actor? Did she care so much about that actor? Yan Nanguan still wanted to ask, but Yu Niaoniao did not give him a chance. ¡°You should be busy, right? Go do your thing. I¡¯ll send this pillow over myself.¡± Yan Nanguan was sent away just like that. Xiao Juan watched as she happily put away the big pillow and could not help but ask, ¡°Are you going out today?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m going to the Heavenly Oriole Gardenter.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s heart sank a little. Was she really going to the Sky Oriole Garden to date that actor? He whispered, ¡°A ce like the Heavenly Oriole Garden is very chaotic. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t go too often.¡± If she was going, she should bring him along. Yu Niaoniao did not understand what he meant. She smiled and said. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve already been there. The garden isn¡¯t as chaotic as you think. I¡¯m just watching the show and drinking tea.¡± Xiao Juan did not say anything else. He got up and left Mirror House. He went to the cell and instructed the Eagle Guards in charge of guarding the prison. ¡°Release that actor called Ye Yin.¡± The Eagle Guard was surprised. ¡°Let him go now?¡± Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Later, Niaoniao would go to the Heavenly Oriole Garden to meet Ye Yin. If she could not see Ye Yin, she would definitely track him down. When she found out that Ye Yin had been captured by the Eagle Guards, she would probably think that he was using his position to take revenge. What would she think of him then? Xiao Juan did not want his image in Niaoniao¡¯s heart to be destroyed. He could only put Ye Yin back. When the sun set, Yu Niaoniao could finally get off work! She specially changed into men¡¯s clothes, carried the bag containing the bookmark on her back, picked up the oversized pillow, and walked out excitedly. Xiao Juan could not help but ask, ¡°Do you really not need me to send you off?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°No, I can do it myself. I¡¯ll go home when I¡¯m done.¡± With that, she touched the big pillow in her arms, her eyes filled with obvious anticipation. After selling this big pillow, she would be able to raise a thousand taels of silver. How was this a pillow? This was simply white silver! Thinking of this, she couldn¡¯t wait. Xiao Juan was stung by the anticipation in her eyes. He had wanted to ask her to stay longer, but now it seemed that he could not. All he could do was let go. Seeing that Xiao Juan had nothing else to say, Yu Niaoniao left the Justice Department with the pillow and rode the donkey to the Heavenly Oriole Garden. The Sky Oriole Garden in the evening was even livelier than during the day. The garden gate was as crowded as a marketce. An entire row of rednterns hung. There was an endless stream of people dressed in bright clothes. When they approached, they could vaguely hear cheersing from the theater. When the waiter in charge of entertaining the guests at the door saw Yu Niaoniao arrive, he quickly weed her as if he had seen a female Bodhisattva. This time, he did not dare to mention the tickets again and respectfully invited her in. The clerk led her directly to the VIP area on the third floor. He pushed open the door of one of the private rooms and gestured for Yu Niaoniao to enter. ¡°Pleasee in.¡± Yu Niaoniao walked in with a big pillow and realized that there were many people sitting in the private room. They were all familiar faces she had seen yesterday, including Wei Liao. She could not help but ask, ¡°Why is Vice General Wei here?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I be here? You don¡¯t own this ce. I cane and go as I please.¡± As Wei Liao spoke, he peeled a peanut and threw it into his mouth, chewing it with a crisp sound. Yu Niaoniao was focused on earning money and could not be bothered to waste her breath on him. She spoke directly to Zheng Changle. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared what you want.¡± Zheng Changle rubbed his chubby hands and asked expectantly. ¡°Take it out and take a look.¡± Wei Liao emphasized, ¡°Don¡¯t forget your promise.¡± She was not allowed to draw a fan for others. He would be the only one who had the fan of the little mute and the princess¡¯s fan! He had speciallye here early today to supervise Yu Niaoniao and prevent her from going back on her word. ¡°What did Brother Yu promise you?¡± Chapter 411 - Chapter 411: Pricing Chapter 411: Pricing Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Wei Liao didn¡¯t answer. He stared intently at Niaoniao¡¯s movements, wanting to see what she had prepared for Zheng Changle today. Yu Niaoniao looked around and realized that the low couch beside her was empty. She ced the big pillow on the low couch and untied the thin rope and fabric in front of everyone, revealing the pillow inside. ¡°For some difficult reasons, the fan can¡¯t be drawn anymore, but I asked Master Wang at the Vige Entrance to prepare something else for you. It¡¯s this big pillow. It¡¯s a limited edition customized version of the little mute and the princess. Are you satisfied?¡± The moment the human-shaped pillow appeared, everyone¡¯s eyes lit up. That gaze was not like seeing a pillow. Instead, it was like seeing a peerless beauty! The surprise and desire in his eyes were almost overflowing. Zheng Changle was fat, but he was surprisingly agile now. He pounced on the pillow and touched it with his chubby hands. His voice was trembling with excitement. ¡°Satisfied, so satisfied! I like it so much!¡± The others gathered around, reaching out to touch the pillow. This made Zheng Changle unhappy. He hid the pillow behind him and looked at everyone warily. ¡°This is my baby. You can¡¯t touch it. What if you dirty it?¡± Everyone used him of being too petty and not even letting them touch it. However, no matter what everyone said, Zheng Changle refused to let them touch it. He had even thought about taking this pillow back and putting it in his bed. From now on, he would sleep with it every night. Seeing Zheng Changle monopolize such a big treasure, everyone was extremely envious. Among them was Wei Liao. He had watched Yu Niaoniao intently, afraid that she was drawing a fan for someone else. Unexpectedly, she had made such a huge human pillow. The little mute and the princess were embroidered on it. If one hugged it in his arms, it would be like hugging a character from a sketchbook. Who wouldn¡¯t want such a treasure?! Wei Liao walked up to Yu Niaoniao and looked at her faintly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you could make such a pillow?¡± Yu Niaoniao threw up her hands. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°I want a pillow too. Make one for me.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I can pay.¡± Yu Niaoniao still remembered this guy threatening her and giggled. ¡°Sure. Give me two thousand taels and I¡¯ll make you one.¡± Wei Liao was very dissatisfied. ¡°You sold it to Zheng Changle for a thousand taels! You can¡¯t raise the price on the spot!¡± Yu Niaoniao said slowly, ¡°I¡¯m not raising the price on the spot. I¡¯m setting a price for people. For ordinary people, I could sell them for a thousand taels. But not for you. The price I¡¯ll give you will all be doubled.¡± It wasn¡¯t that Wei Liao couldn¡¯t take out two thousand taels, but he couldn¡¯t take this lying down. He sneered. ¡°Do you believe I¡¯ll expose your pen name now?¡± Yu Niaoniao choked. She had almost forgotten about the alias. Wei Liao was one of the few people who knew her pen name. If her identity was exposed, it might affect her future ns. She shook her small fists and asked angrily. ¡°Is that all you know?¡± Wei Liao said proudly, ¡°As long as it works, it¡¯s fine.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re shameless?¡± Wei Liao¡¯s smile widened. ¡°I¡¯m very happy to be shameless.¡± Yu Niaoniao was shocked by his shamelessness. ¡°The walls of the Imperial Capital were built ording to your thick skin, right?¡± Wei Liao touched his face proudly. ¡°I¡¯ve never measured it. I don¡¯t know if it is.¡¯ At this moment, Zheng Changle had already woken up from his joy. He took out a thick stack of banknotes and handed it to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°This is a thousand taels. Count it.¡± Yu Niaoniao took the banknotes and quickly counted them. It was indeed a thousand taels. There was no mistake. The others gathered around and asked questions. ¡°Brother Yu, can you customize a pillow like that for us?¡± Facing money that came knocking on her door, how could she reject it? Yu Niaoniao said with a smile. ¡°I can help you customize it, but the workmanship of that kind of pillow is moreplicated. It¡¯s a limited edition. Everyone can only buy one. I can only sell 10 in the entire Dayan Dynasty at most.¡± When they heard that it was a limited edition and only 10 could be sold, everyone panicked. Afraid that they would never be able to buy it if they missed it, they immediately rushed to pay. ¡°Make me one!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t bring enough money with me. These are the deposit. I¡¯ll make up the rest tomorrow.¡± ¡°I want to make one too. Remember it for me!¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s head hurt from the noise. She raised her voice. ¡°Everyone, calm down. There are only seven of you. Ten bolsters will definitely be enough. How about this? You guys register with me first and pay a deposit. When the pillows are ready, I¡¯ll get someone to send them to your houses.¡± Zheng Changle was very cooperative and immediately ordered someone to bring over a pen, ink, paper, and inkstone. Yu Niaoniao finished at the table and dipped her pen in ink. ¡°Who¡¯s first?¡± However, when she looked up, she saw Wei Liao sitting opposite her. He smiled at Yu Niaoniao. ¡°I¡¯m the first. Yu Niaoniao looked at the group of people behind him who were angry but did not dare to say anything. She immediately understood that this fellow had relied on his strong martial arts to force them away. She rolled her eyes rudely. ¡°Your name, identity, and address.¡± ¡°Wei Liao, Vice General of the Sky Wolf Guards. I live in Wei Mansion on White Plum Street in the east of the city.¡± Yu Niaoniao quickly noted down his information and said casually, ¡°Pay a deposit of four hundred taels first. If the order is canceled, the deposit will not be refunded.¡± Wei Liao took out a few banknotes and handed them over. At the same time, he craned his neck to read what she had written. When he was sure she had written it correctly, he stood up and left, relieved. Almost as soon as Wei Liao¡¯s butt left his seat, someone sat down impatiently. ¡°Me, me, me! It¡¯s my turn!¡± Then, he quickly told her his information and took the initiative to offer the banknotes. Yu Niaoniao registered the information and epted the banknotes. ¡°Next!¡± Soon, everyone¡¯s information was registered. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s harvest could be said to be very generous. She was very satisfied with the banknotes. With so much money, she did not have to worry about not being able to hire famous actors during the rehearsal. The matter of the pillow was temporarily over. Yu Niaoniao opened the bag and took out the bookmarks inside. ¡°These bookmarks cost one tael of silver each. There are a total of 70. Those who booked them yesterday, pleasee over and collect the goods.¡± Everyone¡¯s mind was filled with the pillow and they almost forgot about the bookmarks. They gathered around and saw that there was indeed Master Wang¡¯s signature on the bookmark and his personally written blessings. They were immediately excited again. They had already bought a pillow worth a thousand taels of silver. Would they not be able to afford a bookmark worth a mere tael of silver? Soon, the seventy bookmarks were sold out. Only Wei Liao did not buy it. Who asked him not to make a reservation yesterday? He looked at Yu Niaoniao again with that faint gaze. Everything was unspoken. Yu Niaoniao was speechless.. Chapter 412 - Chapter 412: No Free Lunch in the World Chapter 412: No Free Lunch in the World Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Although the surrounding products had made Yu Niaoniao arge sum of money, she had not forgotten her original intentions. She said to Zheng Changle, ¡°Can we talk in private? I have something to discuss with you.¡± Zheng Changle hugged his precious pillow and let go. He was as happy as a 200-pound fatty. No matter how he looked at Yu Niaoniao, she was pleasing to the eye. When he heard this, he agreed without thinking. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s talk next door.¡± Zheng Changle greeted the others and left the private room with Yu Niaoniao. Wei Liao watched them leave and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. Yu Niaoniao and Zheng Changle entered the private room next door. Zheng Changle was still hugging his big pillow. His chubby face was pressed against the pillow as he looked at Yu Niaoniao and asked. ¡°Go ahead. What is it?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I know you¡¯re a straightforward person, so I¡¯ll be straightforward. I¡¯m nning to film a show. I¡¯ve already prepared the script. I need your opera troupe to provide the cast and performance venue. I¡¯ll pay the fee. If we earn money, we¡¯ll split it equally. How about that?¡± As the young master of the Heavenly Oriole Garden, Zheng Changle naturally knew very well about the opera troupe. Although he liked Yu Niaoniao, doing business was a separate matter. Even biological brothers had to settle ounts clearly. He sat up a little straighter and asked. ¡°Did you bring the script?¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately took out the sketchbook and handed it over. Zheng Changle carefully ced the pillow in the chair beside him, picked up the sketchbook, and opened it. He recognized it on just one page and blurted it out. ¡°Is this a book drawn by Master Wang at the Vige Entrance?¡± Yu Niaoniao admitted frankly, ¡°Yes.¡± Zheng Changle snorted. ¡°I wonder what ridiculous story he drew this time?¡± Even as he said that, his hand deftly turned to the second page. Yu Niaoniao sat quietly at the side and waited. It was a thin sketchbook, only about ten pages long. He quickly flipped through it. Zheng Changle did not react. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Unwilling to give up, he flipped back a few more times. Unfortunately, there was nothing left. Yu Niaoniao exined, ¡°It¡¯s just a small portion. If you¡¯re willing to cooperate with me, I¡¯ll show you theplete y.¡± Zheng Changle reluctantly put down the sketchbook. ¡°To be honest, the plot of your y is indeed quite exciting. Even if it¡¯s only a small portion of the first half, it¡¯s already piqued my appetite. But I have a question. I wonder if I should ask?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Go ahead.¡± Zheng Changle lowered his voice slightly. ¡°The male lead in your y is Duke Lang¡­ Could he be the one in charge of the Justice Department now?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Zheng Changle hugged the pillow back into his arms and shrunk his neck. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how scary the Justice Department and the Eagle Guards are? If our opera troupe dares to frame Duke Lang, we¡¯ll probably have to pack up and leave soon. In serious cases, we might even be imprisoned!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I guarantee that the Justice Department and the Eagle Guards won¡¯t do anything to your opera troupe. Just go ahead and rehearse.¡± Zheng Changle did not believe it. ¡°You¡¯re just a young man selling goods. Can you control the Justice Department? The Eagle Guards are a group of evil spirits who eat people without spitting out their bones.¡± Yu Niaoniao said helplessly, ¡°The Eagle Guards are really not as terrifying as you think. Like you, they are ordinary people with flesh and blood.¡± Zheng Changle was a little angry when he heard this. ¡°If you tell anyone else this, see how many people will believe you.¡± ¡°Putting aside other matters, the Eagle Guards captured Ye Yin from our opera ss yesterday.¡± ¡°Although Ye Yin had spent a little, he was not a bad person and had not done anything bad. However, those Eagle Guards rushed in and captured him indiscriminately.¡± ¡°He was not released until noon today. He had been sick when he returned.¡± ¡°He s still in bed. The doctor said that he wanted to recuperate for a while.¡± ¡°My father told me that although Ye Yin had been released, he had offended the Eagle Guards. He probably could not stay in the Imperial Capital anymore.¡± ¡°When he recovers, we¡¯ll have to send him away. That kid, Ye Yin, sang quite well. Originally, we nned to promote him. Now, that kid¡¯s future was ruined. What do you think this is?!¡± Yu Niaoniao did not expect this. She tried to defend herself. ¡°The Eagle Guards don¡¯t arrest people randomly. There must be a reason they took Ye Yin.¡± Zheng Changle frowned at her. ¡°Why are you so protective of the Eagle Guards? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re one of them. But you don¡¯t look like one. I remember that the Eagle Guards have selection criteria. They have to be tall. You¡¯re so short that you¡¯ll be eliminated in the preliminary round.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. She covered her stabbed heart and said weakly. ¡°If you¡¯re talking, talk properly. Don¡¯t make personal attacks.¡± Her height of 1.65 meters was not short among women! Zheng Changle said, ¡°When the Eagle Guards took Ye Yin away, they didn¡¯t say anything. We,moners, don¡¯t dare to ask.¡± ¡°In any case, it¡¯s up to them to arrest or release him.¡± From his tone and expression, it was obvious that he had a lot of resentment toward the Eagle Guards. Yu Niaoniao changed her angle and continued to persuade him. ¡°You just said that you wanted to send Ye Yin away. In my opinion, why don¡¯t you keep him? Isn¡¯t my script short of people? Give him to me. The price is negotiable.¡± Zheng Changle sized her up. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that Ye Yin is someone who has been locked up in the Justice Department¡¯s prison. If you keep him here and the Justice Department finds trouble with you in the future, you have to bear it yourself. We don¡¯t dare to interfere.¡± Yu Niaoniao promised confidently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as Ye Yin is honest and doesn¡¯t vite the rules, I guarantee that he¡¯ll be safe and sound. No one will dare to find trouble with him.¡± Zheng Changle said, ¡°I still have to discuss this with my father. In addition, I have to ask Ye Yin for his opinion. Come back tomorrow. I¡¯ll give you an answer then. ¡± Yu Niaoniao agreed. She reached out to take the sketchbook away. Zheng Changle reached out and pressed the sketchbook down. Yu Niaoniao looked at him in confusion. Zheng Changle cleared his throat. ¡°Can you sell this book to me?¡± This was a book personally drawn by Master Wang at the Vige Entrance. Although it was only a dozen pages, it was more collectible than the paintings sold on the market. He was naturally very covetous. Yu Niaoniao rolled her eyes and said, ¡°If you really want it, I can give you this book. ¡± Zheng Changle was pleasantly surprised. But he was a businessman and knew very well that there was no free lunch in the world. He tried to remain calm. ¡°What are your conditions?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I want to set up the show. Help me make this happen.¡± Zheng Changle was in a difficult position. ¡°You can set up the show, but this script of yours is really too dangerous.¡± ¡°Once performed it¡¯s equivalent to dancing on the tip of a knife. Not to mention me, even my father wouldn¡¯t dare take such a risk.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you change the script? Or change the male lead?¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s upper body leaned forward slightly. She stared into Zheng Changle¡¯s eyes and enunciated each word. ¡°I won¡¯t change either the script or the male lead..¡± Chapter 413 - Chapter 413: Eavesdropping Chapter 413: Eavesdropping Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Zheng Changle did not understand why Yu Niaoniao insisted on using this script, but the other party clearly did not want to say much, so he tactfully did not ask further. The two of them prepared to get up and leave. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she suddenly asked. ¡°Do you know any way to make people happy? Recently, Xiao Juan had always been cold to her. She had to think of a way to coax him. But she had tried everything she could, and none of them had worked. She could only learn from others. The people from the Justice Department and the Langjun Imperial Pce were too familiar with one another. If she asked them, this matter would immediately reach Xiao Juan¡¯s ears. Zheng Changle was a very good research subject. He was a man like Xiao Juan and should know what men were thinking. Moreover, he did not know Xiao Juan and would definitely not tell him about this. Zheng Changle was puzzled by her sudden question. ¡°Why are you asking? Are you going to coax someone?¡± Yu Niaoniao chuckled. ¡°I was just asking.¡± Zheng Changle said, ¡°There are many ways to coax people. This has to be adjusted ording to the actual situation. Are you coaxing a man or a woman? Is he old or young? What does he like?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Male, older than me. His preference is¡­ work?¡± Zheng Changle was speechless. ¡°Can work be considered a hobby?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Everyone has different preferences.¡± Zheng Changle said, ¡°From your description, this person must be very boring and old-fashioned. There are no emotions in his daily life. He¡¯s as hard as a block of wood.¡¯ Yu Niaoniao nodded frantically. ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Zheng Changle said, ¡°The best way to deal with such a person is to pester him and think of a way to make him notice you. You can use extreme methods when necessary.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked humbly, ¡°What method?¡± Zheng Changle chuckled and said ambiguously, ¡°Men definitely can¡¯t escape two things. Wine and sex. Bring him to a brothelter and find him a beautiful girl. It will only take one night to coax him.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Shut up! Zheng Changle was not reliable at all. Yu Niaoniao decided to end this research. When the two of them walked out of the private room, they immediately saw Wei Liao standing with his back against the wall. Wei Liao crossed his arms and turned to look at the two of them with a smile. ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Yu Niaoniao exposed him mercilessly. ¡°What coincidence? You were clearly standing here deliberately to eavesdrop!¡± Wei Liao¡¯s smile widened. ¡°You guessed it.¡±¡® Yu Niaoniao was speechless. ¡®What do you mean, she guessed?¡¯ Seeing how fearless he was, he had never thought of hiding it! Yu Niaoniaoined, ¡°Can you be any more arrogant?¡± Wei Liao turned around and stood up slightly. ¡°That¡¯s right. I was eavesdropping here. Is that arrogant enough?¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. At this moment, only a curse could express her feelings. Seeing the two of them bicker, Zheng Changle could not help but sigh. ¡°You must have a good rtionship in private.¡± Yu Niaoniao said solemnly, ¡°I suggest you go back and eat more dragon eyes (longans).¡± Zheng Changle did not understand. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°To make up for your poor eyesight and judgment.¡± With that, she turned around and left. Wei Liao followed. When he passed Zheng Changle, he saw that Zheng Changle was still confused and casually exined. ¡°She¡¯s asking you to nourish your eyes before you go blind again.¡± Only then did Zheng Changle react. However, before he could argue for himself, Yu Niaoniao and Wei Liao had already walked away. The mission to the Heavenly Oriole Garden today had beenpleted. Yu Niaoniao prepared to leave. She heard footsteps behind her and turned around. When she saw Wei Liao following her, she immediately went on guard. ¡°Are you following me?¡± Wei Liao was speechless. ¡°How am I following you? I¡¯m looking for you openly.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°What can you want from me?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°I heard everything you said to Little Fatty Zheng just now.¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned for a moment before realizing that the Little Fatty Zheng he was talking about was Zheng Changle. She was speechless. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you eavesdropped, but you actually came specially to tell me about this. What do you want to do? Are you trying to show off your ability to eavesdrop?¡± Wei Liao ignored her sarcasm and asked directly. ¡°Did you want to set up Duke Lang¡¯s matter as a y for the stage? You want to use this to refresh the bad impression of Duke Lang in the hearts of themoners?¡± Just two simple sentences exposed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s thoughts. She snorted. ¡°What business is it of yours?¡±¡® Wei Liao continued, ¡°Does Duke Lang know about this?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re asking a lot of questions?¡± Wei Liao smiled. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer me directly, which means Duke Lang doesn¡¯t know about this. This is all your wishful thinking.¡± The words wishful thinking sounded harsh. Yu Niaoniao said angrily, ¡°So what if it¡¯s my wishful thinking? If I¡¯m willing, what can you do?!¡± Wei Liao really had no need to interfere. He did not get along with Duke Lang, to begin with. Whether Duke Lang lived or died had nothing to do with him. However, facing Yu Niaoniao now, he seemed to be possessed. His mouth opened and closed uncontrobly, saying all the things he should and should not say. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you. The reason why the emperor established the Justice Department and ced Duke Lang in an important position was to train Duke Lang into the sharpest knife in his hand.¡± ¡°What was a knife? It was a weapon to kill. You couldn¡¯t have selfish desires.¡± ¡°The emperor would definitely be wary when he used him.¡± ¡°Why do you think not many people know about what Duke Lang did?¡± ¡°Because Duke Lang was just a knife. The knife doesn¡¯t need a reputation. He just needs to do what he has to do.¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. She murmured, ¡°But he¡¯s not a knife. He¡¯s a person.¡± Wei Liao smiled and said coldly, ¡°So what? Who cares?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I care.¡± It was Wei Liao¡¯s turn to be stunned. Yu Niaoniao said seriously, ¡°I don¡¯t want him to live in a dark world forever. I want everyone to know how good he is. I hope he gets more kindness.¡± If Xiao Juan was a knife in the emperor¡¯s hand, she was a knife in Xiao Juan¡¯s hand. She would help him break through the dark clouds and let the sun shine on him. Wei Liao chuckled again. This time, theughter revealed an indescribableplicated emotion. ¡°You¡¯re too naive.¡± Yu Niaoniao pursed her lips. She knew that this guy was indirectly calling her stupid. Wei Liao said, ¡°You specially used Master Wang¡¯s pen name to publish the book and even sold those pillows and bookmarks yourself to earn money to rehearse, right? Do you know that you¡¯ve done so much for Duke Lang?¡± Yu Niaoniaoined, ¡°You really have so many questions today..¡± Chapter 414 - Chapter 414: Excursion Chapter 414: Excursion Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Wei Liao said, ¡°I just don¡¯t understand.¡± He did not understand why he and Xiao Juan were both loners in the darkness, but only Xiao Juan could meet a silly girl who did not care about rewards. Seeing that he was staring at her, Yu Niaoniao clutched her chest and retreated. ¡°What kind of look is that? I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t do anything rash.¡± Wei Liao sneered in disdain. ¡°Look at you. Don¡¯t tell me you really think I can be interested in you. I¡¯m not Fatty Zheng. I¡¯m not blind.¡± Yu Niaoniao lowered her hand. ¡°That¡¯s best. I¡¯m going home. Don¡¯t follow me anymore.¡± Before she could turn around, Wei Liao stopped her again. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked impatiently, ¡°What else do you want?¡± Wei Liao smiled ambiguously and mischievously. ¡°You just asked Little Fatty Zheng how to coax a man. Did you quarrel with Duke Lang? Do you want to make him happy and resolve the conflict between the two of you?¡± Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Yu Niaoniao exploded. ¡°You don¡¯t have to mind anything about our family matters!¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry. I can help you.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not believe a word he said. ¡°Heh, can you be so kind?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can follow me. I know a ce that makes people happy.¡± Yu Niaoniao was still skeptical. ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°You have the pillow and the bookmarks I want. If I lie to you, you can choose not to sell me the pillow and bookmarks. You don¡¯t have to return the four hundred taels deposit.¡± Yu Niaoniao calcted in her heart. If he didn¡¯t lie to her, she would know how to coax Xiao Juan. If he lied to her, she would get four hundred taels of silver for nothing. No matter how she looked at it, she did not lose out. Yu Niaoniao immediately made a decision. ¡°I¡¯ll believe you this time.¡± The smile on Wei Liao¡¯s face deepened. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you.¡± The two of them left the Sky Oriole Garden together. It was dark, but there was still some time before curfew. There were still many pedestrians strolling on the street, and the shops on both sides were open. Wei Liao led the way on his horse, while Yu Niaoniao followed behind on her donkey. After crossing two streets, they stopped in front of the brightly lit Smokey Lane. This was a famous ce for fireworks in the Imperial Capital. There were more than a dozen Qin¡¯s Loft and Chu¡¯s Halls of various sizes in the alley. As far as the eye could see, it was a feast. Even before entering the alley, Yu Niaoniao could smell the rich fragrance of wine and makeup in the air. She turned to Wei Liao and questioned him angrily. ¡°Is this what you mean by making people happy? You¡¯re teasing me!¡± With that, she turned to leave, away from this ce of fireworks. However, Wei Liao reached out and blocked her way. ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to leave. I¡¯m not lying to you. Don¡¯t you want to make Duke Lang happy? You just have to go in and see how those girls do it and you¡¯ll know how to coax him.¡± Yu Niaoniao still refused. ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll see something I shouldn¡¯t. I¡¯ll get sore eyes.¡± Wei Liao leaned over and hooked his arm around her shoulder. ¡°Actually, Little Fatty Zheng is right. As long as you¡¯re a man, you can¡¯t avoid alcohol and sex. ¡°Lust is a gentlend, and wine is a man¡¯s tomb. The girls here ware are all good at this. Their ability to coax men is something you cannotpare to. As long as you can learn a little, coaxing your Duke Lang will not be a problem.¡± He was not entirely unreasonable. Yu Niaoniao was a little tempted. She was just going in to take a look. She would treat it as broadening her horizons and not do anything else. Yu Niaoniao shook off his arm and raised her chin. ¡°You, lead the way.¡± Wei Liao smiled and dutifully walked to the front to lead the way. He was clearly a regr here and was very familiar with it. When the girls on the street saw him, they leaned toward him like bees and butterflies. They winked and stuffed handkerchiefs, all wanting to pull him into their pavilion. Wei Liao did not refuse the flirtatious nces and handkerchiefs sent over, but he did not stop for a moment. He led Yu Niaoniao forward and finally stopped in front of a brothel called Green Garden. Unlike the other brothels whose doors were open, the courtyard door of Green Garden was closed. There was a white octagonntern hanging at the door, and a gardenia tree beside it. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Is this a brothel too?¡± ¡°This ce only epts business from acquaintances and doesn¡¯t usually receive guests. It¡¯s most suitable for someone like you who can¡¯t show your face. With that, Wei Liao went forward and knocked. A momentter, the courtyard door was pulled open and a little girl with two buns walked out. She clearly knew Wei Liao. As soon as she saw him, she immediately turned around and respectfully invited him in. The decoration in the Green Garden Courtyard was very elegant. It did not look special, but there was actually ingenuity everywhere. It was obvious that it had been carefully decorated at a high price. Yu Niaoniao looked around as she walked. She had thought that brothels were messy ces with good and bad people. Now that she was in them, she realized that she was shallow. Yu Niaoniao and Wei Liao were brought to a private room. The little girl lit the incense burner and filled their cups with tea before silently retreating. The door was closed, leaving only Yu Niaoniao and Wei Liao in the private room. Wei Liao casually threw aside the handkerchieves he had just received and patted the spot on his body that was stained with makeup. Then, he picked up his teacup and took a sip. Seeing that he had drunk the tea, Yu Niaoniao picked up the teacup and drank it. She did not understand tea leaves and could not tell if it was good or bad. She only knew that it was quite fragrant. Then she put down her teacup, stood up, and walked around the private room. Not only were there tables and chairs, but there were also beds, desks, wardrobes, screens, and incense burners. In addition, there was an expensive-looking zither. There were also other musical instruments such as lutes and flutes hanging on the wall. There was also a chessboard and aplete tea set on the table. Yu Niaoniao reached out her finger and gently fiddled with the zither. The zither made a clear ng. Yu Niaoniao retracted her hand and sighed. ¡°The girls here have many talents.¡± Wei Liao leaned back and said slowly. ¡°The guests here don¡¯t necessarilye to satisfy their lust. Some just want to find someone with whom to chat, y chess, and rx.¡± Yu Niaoniao heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed that she did not have to worry about getting sore eyes from seeing discordant scenes. The door was pushed open and a young woman in a light blue gauze dress walked in. She bowed to Wei Liao and said gently. ¡°Greetings, Young Master Wei. You haven¡¯t been here for a while.¡± Wei Liao pointed at Yu Niaoniao and said, ¡°She¡¯s the protagonist today. She wants to learn how to make men happy.¡± Yu Niaoniao deliberately coughed twice. Even if he was telling the truth, there was no need to be so direct. Yu Shi looked at Yu Niaoniao and recognized at a nce that she was a woman. She was just dressed as a man. She was very tactful and knew that she could not ask about the guests, so she replied with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely do my best to help you..¡± Chapter 415 - Chapter 415: Singing and Dancing Chapter 415: Singing and Dancing Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios In the Langjun Imperial Pce, Xiao Juan was sitting behind his desk and reading. He was reading very intently as if he was concentrating all his attention on the book. But every few moments he nced up at the door. As if he was waiting for someone. Footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door. Someone wasing! Xiao Juan immediately put down his book and looked anxiously at the door. The person who walked in was Granny Xiu Yan. He immediately felt a strong sense of disappointment. But his expression did not change. He asked calmly, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Granny Xiu Yan was worried. ¡°It¡¯s already sote and the Princess Consort isn¡¯t back yet. Could she have met a bad person? Should we send someone to look for her?¡± Xiao Juan lowered his eyes, his heart aching. Niaoniao had promised him that she woulde back as soon as possible, but it was already sote. If she wasn¡¯t back yet, it meant that she was getting along so well with that actor called Ye Yin that she had forgotten to go home. Logically speaking, he shouldn¡¯t have gone to her. After all, she was flirting with her sweetheart. If he brought people to look for her, wouldn¡¯t he be asking for trouble? However, he was really worried. What if Niaoniao was really in danger? Granny Xiu Yan was about to die of anxiety. ¡°Your Highness, say something.¡± In the end, his worry for Niaoniao prevailed. Xiao Juan stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go find her. ¡± Even if Niaoniao would despise him for being nosy because of this, he had to confirm if she was safe now. Niaoniao¡¯s safety was more important than anything! Granny Xiu Yan hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to prepare a horse for you now.¡± In Green Garden¡¯s private room, Yu Shi asked gently, ¡°May I know where you want to learn?¡± Yu Niaoniao touched her stomach. ¡°I think we should start with dinner.¡± Yu Shi was stunned. ¡°Huh?¡± Yu Niaoniao exined. ¡°I haven¡¯t had dinner yet. I¡¯m so hungry. Can you get me something to eat?¡± There was only tea on the table, but tea would not satiate one¡¯s hunger. Yu Shi pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t entertain you well. I¡¯ll prepare food for you now. Please wait a moment.¡± She left the private room leisurely. Wei Liao mocked, ¡°Your brain is filled with food. No wonder you can¡¯t even handle your own man.¡± Yu Niaoniao was both straightforward and strong. ¡°What do you know? Food is the priority of the people. It¡¯s human nature to want to eat when you¡¯re hungry. If you have the ability, don¡¯t eatter!¡± Wei Liao chuckled again. ¡°That¡¯s all you¡¯ve got.¡± Yu Shi returned quickly. Behind her were several maidservants. They served dishes and wine. Yu Niaoniao was already hungry. When she saw that there was delicious food, she immediately picked up her bowl and chopsticks and ate impatiently. Yu Shi washed her hands and picked up a drunk prawn with her slender fingers. She peeled off the shell and ced the crystal clear prawn meat in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s bowl. ¡°This drunk shrimp is a famous dish here. Try it.¡± Yu Niaoniao picked up the prawn meat and ced it in her mouth. Her eyes immediately widened, and she gave Yu Shii a thumbs up. ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡± Yu Shi smiled and continued to serve her. Yu Shi was very good at reading people¡¯s expressions. Almost as long as Yu Niaoniao nced at any dish, Yu Shi would immediately put that dish into her bowl. At the same time, she would smile gently. After the meal, Yu Niaoniao was extremely satisfied. Not only were there beauties in this ce, but there were also delicacies and wine. It was indeed a paradise on earth. No wonder men liked toe here for fun. As a woman, Yu Niaoniao liked this ce! However, she quickly came back to her senses. The bills at such a ce must be very high. She wondered if her purse can handle it. Poverty sobered her! Seeing that Yu Niaoniao and Wei Liao were almost done eating, Yu Shi stood up and called someone in to clean up the table. Yu Niaoniao took the opportunity to approach Wei Liao and asked in a low voice. ¡°we¡¯ll go clu¡± Wei Liao didn¡¯t understand. ¡°What dutch?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It means splitting the fees equally. You pay half, I¡¯ll pay half. We won¡¯t take advantage of each other.¡± She couldn¡¯t let herself bleed alone. She had to let Wei Liao share half the burden. Wei Liao did not care about this bit of silver, but this did not stop him from teasing Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Why should I? You ate more than me just now.¡± Yu Niaoniao directly med him. ¡°You, a man, ate less than a little girl like me. How dare you me me for eating too much?¡± Wei Liao sneered. ¡°I¡¯m not that hungry. I¡¯m not like you. You were like a ghost that was going to be reincarnated.¡± Yu Niaoniao began to act shamelessly. ¡°I don¡¯t care. Anyway, you brought me here. We have to split tonight¡¯s expenses equally.¡± Wei Liaoined, ¡°Didn¡¯t you earn a lot of money today? Do you have to be so stingy?¡± Yu Niaoniao held her purse tightly. ¡°My money is for serious business, not for spending money on wine andnd.¡± Wei Liao asked, ¡°Should I spend my money on drinking and drinking?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded without hesitation. ¡°That¡¯s right! You look like an indecent fellow. You like to visit brothels and attract bees and butterflies everywhere.¡± Wei Liao was speechless. Although he usually liked to eat, drink, and have fun, he felt very ufortable being described so bluntly by Yu Niaoniao. He could let others say that, but not Yu Niaoniao. Wei Liao frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not as dirty as you think.¡± Yu Niaoniao clicked her tongue and deliberately said in an exaggerated tone. ¡°Yes, yes. You¡¯re just flirtatious, not obscene.¡± Wei Liao gritted his teeth. ¡°If you say another word, you¡¯ll settle tonight¡¯s bill alone. I won¡¯t pay a single cent!¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately shut her mouth obediently. As long as the other party was willing to pay, she did not mind being mute. Yu Shi returned quickly. This time she brought a pot of warm wine and some side dishes and desserts. She spoke gently as she poured wine. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not difficult to make people happy. You just have to remember four words. ¡± Yu Niaoniao asked humbly, ¡°Which four words?¡± ¡°y to his liking.¡± Yu Niaoniao said in distress, ¡°But I don¡¯t know what he likes.¡± Xiao Juan usually looked cold. Other than work, there was nothing else in his eyes. He was like a meticulously designed work machine with no personal preferences. Yushi smiled and her voice was gentle. ¡°Then we can only try them one by one. We can start with the mostmon preferences, such as zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, or sing and dance to see which one he likes.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t like any of this?¡± ¡°Then try something else.¡± Yu Shi smiled. ¡°Actually, matching their preferences is just a method. You don¡¯t have to be too constrained by it. The sincerity you disyed in trying to suit him is the most touching. ¡± Yu Niaoniao was convinced. It was because she had used too many tricks previously that Xiao Juan misunderstood her after her lie was exposed. Having learned her lesson, she had to take it as a warning. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Now the question is, which one should I try first?¡± Wei Liao interrupted, ¡°His quietness is definitely useless. I suggest you start with singing and dancing.¡± Yu Shi took the opportunity to ask, ¡°Can you sing and dance?¡± Yu Niaoniao scratched her cheek and said awkwardly. ¡°I did learn a little a long time ago.¡± Wei Liao was immediately interested. ¡°Really? Show us..¡± Chapter 416 - Chapter 416: I Promise You! Chapter 416: I Promise You! Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao¡¯s expression was quiteplicated. ¡°Are you sure you want to see it?¡± ¡°Yes! ¡± Wei Liao replied without hesitation, He was a man who had seen many things and had watched many exciting dance performances. However, he was still filled with anticipation for Yu Niaoniao¡¯s performance. The urge to see it was like a young boy who did not know anything yet. This feeling was quite new to him. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°1 can dance, but this dance of mine is rather special. I can¡¯t be the only one dancing. Someone has to dance with me.¡± Wei Liao immediately said, ¡°Let Yu Shi dance with you.¡± ¡°No, Sister Yu Shi has to y the zither for me.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Shall I call someone else over?¡± Yu Niaoniao refused again. ¡°There¡¯s no need to go through so much trouble. Just dance with me.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°But I can¡¯t dance.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t know. I can teach you. The movements are very simple. You can learn them after watching them once.¡± Wei Liao had also seen a two-person dance. Usually, this kind of dance required an extremely high level of tacit understanding between the two dancers. During this period, it was inevitable that there would be much physical contact. He swallowed the refusal on the tip of his tongue at the thought. He almost covered his ears and said to himself. It was just a dance anyway. There was no one else here. There was no need to care too much. Yu Shi sat down and stroked the strings of the zither with both hands. ¡°What kind of apaniment do you want?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I want cheerful and energetic music. It¡¯s best if it has a little rhythm.¡± Yu Shi indicated that she understood. Yu Niaoniao stood in the middle of the house, moved her arms, and began to prepare. Seeing that Wei Liao was still sitting still, she asked. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you getting up? Wei Liao said, ¡°I¡¯ll watch you dance first.¡± He wanted to see what dance Yu Niaoniao was dancing before deciding if he wanted to dance with her. Yu Niaoniao was unwilling. ¡°What if you don¡¯t dance with meter? It¡¯ll be so awkward for me alone.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep my word.¡± Yu Niaoniao seized the opportunity to ask, ¡°If you refuse to dance with meter, you¡¯ll have to finish all the wine on the table. You¡¯ll bear the cost tonight.¡± These were all small matters. Wei Liao agreed without hesitation. ¡°Sure. ¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately said, ¡°In addition, you have to learn to bark three times. ¡± Wei Liao was immediately unwilling. ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck.¡± It didn¡¯t matter if he paid for the drinks. He didn¡¯t care about that anyway. But barking like a dog was different. It would hurt his pride. He couldn¡¯t ept it. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If you can do what you say, you don¡¯t have to bark like a dog. Seeing your reaction, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re already prepared to go back on your word. If that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t dance anymore. Coincidentally, I don¡¯t really want to dance.¡± With that, she sat down on the stool and really refused to dance. Seeing this, Wei Liao spoke before his brain could react. ¡°I promise you!¡± When he came back to his senses, he wanted to p himself. Was he crazy? He actually agreed to her unreasonable request! Wasn¡¯t it just a dance? If he wanted to see it, any dancer could dance better than Yu Niaoniao. Why did he have to be stubborn about her? He felt that he might have a serious illness tonight! Yu Niaoniao immediately beamed. ¡°You promised. A gentleman has to keep his word. Sister Yu Shi, help me bear witness!¡¯ Yu Shi smiled and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Yu Niaoniao stood up again, took off her coat, and threw it aside. Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, revealing a slender and fair arm. She also picked up the hem of her clothes and stuffed it into her belt to avoid interfering with her next actions. She twisted her neck and hips, stretching her arms and kicking. When the preparations were almost done, she gestured to the Yu Shi to start. Wei Liao sat up straight, his eyes filled with anticipation. Yu Shi strummed the strings, and the brisk and lively sound of the zither drifted out. Yu Niaoniao said aloud. ¡°Now for the seven sets of radio gymnastics. The times are calling! The first set ¨C stretch!¡± With that, she extended her left arm, then her right, raised her hands high, crossed them above her head, and squatted. She was still chanting to give herself a sense of rhythm. ¡°One, two, three, five, six, seven, eight. Two, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight!¡± Yu Shi¡¯s fingers almost slipped off the strings. Fortunately, she reacted quickly and quickly stabilized her mind. She continued to y ording to Yu Niaoniao¡¯s rhythm. Wei Liao was stunned on the spot. He was incredulous. ¡°You call that dancing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so? How could there be such an ugly dance in the world?¡± This was just the prelude. The rest of the action should look good. Wei Liaoforted himself silently. Finally, when the first set ended, Yu Niaoniao finally changed her movements. ¡°Second set ¨C exercising your limbs!¡± She stretched out her arms and drew a circle in the air. Then she twisted around and bent her knees to squat. Her small arms shook off one after another. Next was to keep cycling this action. Wei Liao¡¯s expression gradually became dazed. What was the difference between this action and the previous one? Weren¡¯t they all equally ugly? How can this thing be called dancing? It was simply out of character! Although she had not done this exercise for many years, Yu Niaoniao still remembered every action clearly with her powerful memory. ¡°Third set ¨C chest expansion exercise!¡± Yu Niaoniao puffed out her chest and raised her head. She raised her arms and pressed them back. After putting them down, she repeated this action. When she was about to reach the fourth set, Wei Liao finally couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and called for a halt. ¡°Alright, stop dancing.¡± He covered his eyes, looking like he couldn¡¯t bear to watch. Yu Niaoniao stopped what she was doing and looked eager. ¡°I told you these movements were simple. Come and dance with me.¡± This was worlds apart from the double dance that Wei Liao had expected. His entire body was filled with resistance. ¡°I¡¯m not dancing.¡± Even if he died, even if he jumped down from here, he could not dance such a stupid and ugly dance! Yu Niaoniao had expected this. She smiled and said, ¡°Alright, since you¡¯re not jumping, you have to drink, pay, and bark like a dog.¡± Wei Liao stood up. ¡°I suddenly remembered that I have something to do. I have to go first.¡± He wanted to slip away. Yu Niaoniao immediately said loudly. ¡°If you dare to run, you can forget about your pillow and bookmark. In the future, if I make anything rted to the Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation, you can forget about it.¡± Wei Liao gritted his teeth and said fiercely. ¡°That¡¯s all you know how to do!¡± Yu Niaoniao said proudly, ¡®T)idn¡¯t I learn this from you? There¡¯s no need for a new move. As long as it works..¡± Chapter 417 - Chapter 417: Consenting Chapter 417: Consenting Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Meng Xizhou rushed out of the Heavenly Oriole Garden. He strode up to Xiao Juan and cupped his fists. ¡°Your Highness, I couldn¡¯t find the Princess Consort in the theater. The opera troupe said that the Princess Consort had already left the theater.¡± Xiao Juan could not help but frown. ¡°Since she left here long ago, why didn¡¯t you see her go home? Did she leave the theater alone?¡± Meng Xizhou¡¯s expression becameplicated. ¡°The staff in the theater saw the Princess Consort leave with Wei Liao. The two of them seemed to have discussed where they were going, but I don¡¯t know where it was.¡± Xiao Juan frowned even more. Wei Liao was not a simple person. Niaoniao would probably suffer if she stayed with him. Xiao Juan immediately gave the order to let the spies in the city investigate the whereabouts of Yu Niaoniao and Wei Liao. Soon, the Eagle Guards sent the results. Meng Xizhou¡¯s expression became even moreplicated. ¡°Someone saw the Princess Consort and Wei Liao go to Mistwater Alley together.¡± Everyone in the Imperial Capital knew what Mistwater Alley was. Any girl from a good family would stay far away from such a ce. But now, Yu Niaoniao had actually gone to that kind of ce with Wei Liao. The man had gone to Mistwater Alley to have fun. What could a woman like her It was really puzzling. Xiao Juan did not think too much about it and immediately ordered. ¡°To Mistwater Alley,¡± In Green Garden¡¯s private room. The brisk and lively sound of the piano sounded again. Yu Niaoniao skipped around as she shouted the beat. Wei Liao imitated her movements and did exercises with her. He had a lifeless face the entire time as if the entire world had turned gray. Don¡¯t ask him how he was feeling. He regretted asking her to dance. He especially regretted it! When he stepped into Mistwater Alley with Yu Niaoniao, he had never dreamed that he would wee the most embarrassing moment of his life tonight. He even began to ponder about life¡­ ¡°Who am I?¡± ¡°Where am I?¡± ¡°What am I doing?¡± Yu Shi watched the two of them jump around. Yu Niaoniao was already delicate and cute. Doing these actions did not feel out of ce. In fact, she was a little cute. But Wei Liao was different. He was tall and burly, with long arms and legs. Coupled with his scowl the entire time, he looked like a big monkey who had been forced to operate. Yu Shi wanted tough, but professionalism told her not to. She could only purse her lips and endure it. She did not expect to see such a rare scene tonight. She had profited! From time to time, Yu Niaoniao would turn to look at Wei Liao. Seeing that he looked like he was about to die, she urged him seriously. ¡°You have to perk up. You have to feel like a baby eagle preparing to take off. You¡¯ll soon be able to spread your wings and soar. Your body is filled with energy!¡± Wei Liao¡¯s lips twitched in a fake smile. ¡°How long will this dance take?¡± At this moment, every moment was torture for him. He was about to copse. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. It¡¯s almost over.¡± Wei Liao believed her and thought that it was really going to end soon. In the end, after dancing set after set, it finally ended after a long time. Yu Niaoniao was panting a little, but she was in good spirits. She said energetically, ¡°Dance once a day and live to 99! Wei Liao, do you feel rxed and especiallyfortable now?¡± Wei Liao slumped in his chair. He was as weak as a broken rag doll. At this moment, he only had one thought: What could he do to remove the image of him dancing from his mind? He did not want to remember that embarrassing scene again in his life. Seeing that Wei Liao was ignoring her, Yu Niaoniao could only talk to Yu Shi. ¡°How do you think I danced just now?¡± Yu Shi thought for a long time before speaking with difficulty. ¡°You dance very cutely, making people feel very happy. However, such a dance stillcks a little beauty. I think you can dance more gently. This way, you can show your characteristics as a woman. If you don¡¯t mind, I can dance for you.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately replied, ¡°Sure, sure!¡± Yu Shi got up leisurely, walked to the middle of the house, and began to jump. Even without the apaniment, she could still urately grasp the rhythm. Every move was gentle and beautiful, making people want to pity her. Yu Niaoniao watched intently. However, Wei Liao¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in her ears. ¡°Did you dance that dance just now for anyone else?¡± Yu Niaoniao turned to look at Wei Liao, who was sitting beside her, and replied truthfully, ¡°No.¡± Wei Liao pped his thigh and cursed inwardly. Why was he so unlucky? So many people had never been poisoned by her dance. Why did he have to be the one? He suggested sincerely, ¡°In the future if you see someone dying, you can dance for him. There¡¯s no need to doubt your ability. With your dance, even a dead person can be frightened to death by you.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. She faked augh. ¡°Hehe, if you die one day, I¡¯ll definitely dance for you.¡± Wei Liao said with lingering fear, ¡°Then forget it. Just let me leave this world quietly and don¡¯t let me ept your torture again.¡± Yu Niaoniao was about to say something when hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside. Immediately after, the door of the private room was pushed open and a maidservant ran in and shouted. ¡°Oh no, Duke Lang has barged in with the Eagle Guards!¡± Yu Shi stopped dancing and frowned. ¡°Why are the Eagle Guards here for no reason?¡± The maidservant shook her head vigorously. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. They didn¡¯t say anything. After breaking in, they walked around. It looks like they¡¯re looking for someone.¡± Wei Liao looked at Yu Niaoniao and smiled when he saw her guilty expression. ¡°You¡¯re finished.¡± If Duke Lang saw her drinking lotus wine here with the Vice General of the Sky Wolf Guards, his reaction would definitely be very exciting. How could Wei Liao bear to miss such a good show? Yu Niaoniao forced herself to calm down. She did not panic. She felt that she could still be saved! She said to Wei Liao, ¡°Leave this ce immediately. Don¡¯t let Duke Lang see you.¡± Wei Liao refused to move. He leaned back and crossed his arms, looking pleased with himself. ¡°1 won¡¯t leave.¡± Yu Niaoniao was exasperated. ¡°You¡¯re not leaving, are you? Then I¡¯ll leave!¡± With that, she was about to run out when she suddenly remembered that her coat was still on the ground. She hurriedly ran back, picked it up, and put it on. The maidservant reminded her, ¡°There are all Eagle Guards outside. If you go out, you¡¯ll definitely bump into them.¡± Yu Shi looked at Yu Niaoniao and asked tentatively, ¡°Could you be the person the Eagle Guards are looking for?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled awkwardly. ¡°Probably.¡± Yu Shi asked, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the person you want to coax is Duke Lang?¡± Yu Niaoniao became even more embarrassed. ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Shi pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°He personally brought people to look for you. He must value you very much. Since you¡¯re willing, why don¡¯t you seize this opportunity?¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. ¡°Huh?¡± Yu Shi leaned over and whispered in her ear.. Chapter 418 - Chapter 418: Drunk Chapter 418: Drunk Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios When Yu Niaoniao heard this, she asked doubtfully. ¡°Will this work?¡± Yu Shi said, ¡°Won¡¯t you know if it works? Even if it doesn¡¯t, you didn¡¯t lose anything. ¡± Yu Niaoniao thought about it and agreed. Even if it didn¡¯t work, she wouldn¡¯t lose anything. If it did, she would profit! She immediately made a decision to take a gamble. She took off the coat she had just put on and threw it aside. She strode to the table, picked up the wine pot, and began to pour it directly into her mouth. Wei Liao was stunned and frowned. ¡°The concentration of this wine is very high. Aren¡¯t you afraid of getting sick from drinking it like this?¡± Yu Niaoniao ignored him. In the blink of an eye, she had finished the entire pot of wine. She put down the sk, opened her mouth, and burped, reeking of alcohol. A thin blush quickly appeared on her originally fair face, and her eyes became misty. Yu Shi whispered a few instructions to the maidservant. The maidservant epted the order and left. Due to the alcohol, Yu Niaoniao began to feel light-headed and could not stand steadily. Wei Liao reached out to help her, but he stopped when he was about to touch her body. Yu Niaoniao reached out and ced her hand on the table to stabilize herself. She turned to look at Yu Shi and chuckled. ¡°The wine you have here is quite delicious. Is there more? Give me another pot.¡¯ Yu Shi only wanted her to pretend to be pitiful with wine so that Duke Lang could not let go of her. She did not expect her to be addicted to drinking. Yu Shi said helplessly, ¡°This is the strongest wine we have here. Just this pot is enough to make you drunk for a day. You can¡¯t drink anymore.¡± Yu Niaoniao was unwilling. ¡°That¡¯s all. I won¡¯t get drunk no matter how much I drink! Back then, when I was in Bashu, I drank white wine like water. The wine in Bashu was really strong. It burned in one mouthful of wine and two mouthfuls of side dishes. It was very strong!¡± Seeing that she had already begun to talk incoherently, Yu Shi could not help but worry. ¡°Do you remember what you¡¯re going to doter?¡± Yu Niaoniao said without hesitation, ¡°Of course, I remember. I would just sleep with Duke Lang!¡± Yu Shi was speechless. So was Wei Liao. Xiao Juan, who had just walked to the door and was about to enter the room, was speechless. The Eagle Guards following behind Xiao Juan were all speechless. Heavens! The Princess Consort actually publicly announced that she wanted to sleep with Duke Lang. This was too explosive! Was this what they could hear? If they could, there was no problem paying! But then again, the Princess Consort and Duke Lang had been married for almost a year. Shouldn¡¯t they have slept together long ago? Facing the hot gazes of the people behind him, Xiao Juan instructed without changing his expression. ¡°Wait outside first.¡¯ The Eagle Guards had no choice but to obey Duke Lang¡¯s orders. They could only retreat reluctantly with a heart full of gossip. Xiao Juan pushed open the door and strode into the private room. He immediately saw Yu Niaoniao standing at the table. She was wearing men¡¯s clothes and her coat had been thrown aside. Her face, which was not covered in makeup, was already red. Even her nose had turned red. Her small mouth was pouting slightly and she was muttering. ¡°I told you to bring the wine, so bring it. I won¡¯t get drunk! None of you know what my nickname in Bashu is, right? I won¡¯t get drunk after a thousand sses! My alcohol tolerance is super good!¡± When Yu Shi saw Duke Lang walk in, her face turned pale with fear and she hurriedly knelt down. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± Wei Liao greeted himzily, ¡°Good evening, Your Highness. Do you want to sit down and have a drink?¡± Xiao Juan did not even look at them and walked past them. He bent down to pick up the coat that had been thrown to the ground and asked coldly. ¡°Who undressed her?¡± Although he didn¡¯t name him, Wei Liao knew that he was asking him. Wei Liao deliberately smiled ambiguously. ¡°Guess.¡± Xiao Juan put his coat on Yu Niaoniao and pulled out the No Return Saber at his waist. The sharp de drew a cold arc in the air. The de stopped near Wei Liao¡¯s neck. With just another inch, Wei Liao¡¯s head would be separated from his neck. Wei Liao stood still, the smile on his face fading. ¡°Is Duke Lang trying to kill me?¡± Yu Shi was afraid that Duke Lang would really kill Wei Liao here. Wei Liao was the Vice General of the Sky Wolf Guards and the adopted son of the chief eunuch, Wei Huai¡¯en. If anything happened to him in Green Garden, everyone in Green Garden would be implicated. Yu Shi mustered her courage and exined in a trembling voice. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯ve misunderstood. Young Master Yu took off her clothes herself. It has nothing to do with Young Master Wei.¡± She thought that if she exined everything clearly, Duke Lang would stop. However, Xiao Juan did not move. He looked coldly at the man on the other end of the de and asked coldly. ¡°You deliberately brought Niaoniao to a ce like this. What are you thinking of doing to her?¡± Wei Liao said disdainfully, ¡°What do you think I can do to her? She¡¯s just a silly woman. I was just teasing her when I had nothing to do.¡± ¡°It better be.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Juan sheathed his saber. He took Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand and whispered. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Yu Niaoniao tilted her head and looked at him. ¡°Who are you?¡± Xiao Juan frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you even recognize me?¡± Yu Niaoniao leaned over and stared at his face up close. Finally, she recognized him. ¡°It¡¯s you! My baby, why are you sote? I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time!¡± With that, she plunged into Xiao Juan¡¯s arms and pressed her face against his chest. She rubbed against him hard, and her two small arms wrapped around his waist and hugged him tightly. Xiao Juan¡¯s body immediately became extremely stiff, and he did not know how to release his limbs. He subconsciously stood up straight, his muscles tense. ¡°Let go of me first.¡± Instead of letting go, Yu Niaoniao hugged him tighter. ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t want to leave you.¡± She was clearly very drunk. Xiao Juan knew that drunkards could not be reasoned with. He could only press on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s wrist and use a little force. Yu Niaoniao felt her wrist ache and numb and subconsciously let go. Xiao Juan took the opportunity to retreat. Seeing that Yu Niaoniao was about to pounce on him again, he picked her up horizontally. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Xiao Juan said in a low voice, then carried Yu Niaoniao and strode out. Yu Shi waited until they were far away before she dared to stand up. She pressed her chest and heaved a long sigh of relief. Amitabha. Fortunately, Duke Lang did not start a massacre here. Green Garden had escaped tonight. Yu Shi turned to look at Wei Liao, only to see him staring fixedly in the direction Duke Lang and Yu Niaoniao had left. Usually, he would always smile and scold others, not taking anything to heart. However, at this moment, he actually looked a little lonely. Yu Shi had read countless people, so she could not help but make a guess. But she knew Wei Liao¡¯s personality. There were some things that Yu Niaoniao could say, but she could not. Therefore, she did not dare to say a word and silently retreated.. Chapter 419 - Chapter 419: Pinky swear Chapter 419: Pinky swear Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan carried Yu Niaoniao out of Green Gardeni¡¯s courtyard door. The Eagle Guards waiting outside were all stunned. When they saw Yu Niaoniao¡¯s flushed face and her face rubbing against Xiao Juan¡¯s chest, the Eagle Guards¡¯ eyes widened. At this moment, their hearts were filled with thoughts. Just now, the Princess Consort had said that she wanted to sleep with Duke Lang. They did not expect her to have seeded so quickly! How should one put it? As expected of the Princess Consort. She was awesome! Xiao Juan ignored everyone¡¯s burning gazes and walked straight to the carriage. He stuffed Yu Niaoniao into the carriage. He wanted to punch someone, but Yu Niaoniao grabbed his wrist. Yu Niaoniao refused to let go no matter what, still humming softly. ¡°Baby, don¡¯t go. I¡¯m so dizzy. I have to hug you.¡± Seeing that she was frowning and looked really ufortable, Xiao Juan could only jump into the carriage and bend down to get into it. The Eagle Guards winked at each other as if they had nothing to say. The carriage moved slowly, and the Eagle Guards followed on horseback. The group sessfully left Mistwater Alley. In the carriage, Yu Niaoniao hugged Xiao Juan¡¯s arm and refused to let go. She leaned close to Xiao Juan and rubbed her cheek against his chest, smiling like a fool. ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re so cool. I like it so much.¡± Xiao Juan sat upright and held Yu Niaoniao¡¯s shoulder with one hand to prevent her from falling. His other hand was ced obediently on his knee. Other than that, he did not do anything else. He looked down at the girl leaning against him. The strong smell of alcohol drilled into his nose. He frowned. ¡°How much did you drink?¡± Yu Niaoniao extended a finger. ¡°I only drank one ss!¡± Xiao Juan did not believe her nonsense at all. ¡°Have you forgotten what I told you? You can¡¯t drink too much outside, especially when I¡¯m not with you. What if you¡¯re drunk and bullied?¡± Yu Niaoniao pouted. ¡°But I¡¯m unhappy and want to drown my sorrows with alcohol.¡± Xiao Juan was puzzled. ¡°Why are you unhappy? Yu Niaoniao snorted through her nose. ¡°Because you¡¯re ignoring me! Recently, you¡¯ve been pretending not to see me as if I don¡¯t exist. You avoid me when you eat and sleep. You even look cold when you talk to me. I don¡¯t like you like this. I really don¡¯t!¡± The more she spoke, the angrier she became. She waved her small fists and punched him twice. Xiao Juan did not dodge and exined, ¡°If you don¡¯t like me, I naturally have to stay away from you.¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her head and red at him with her watery eyes. ¡°When did I say I don¡¯t like you? If I don¡¯t like you, can I marry you?!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The reason you married me was that the emperor gave us a marriage.¡± Yu Niaoniao defended herself forcefully, ¡°It¡¯s true that the emperor gave us a marriage, but I didn¡¯t resist you! How many things have we experienced along the way? Don¡¯t you know how I feel about you?¡± Xiao Juan was silent. He had also thought that after experiencing so much with Niaoniao, no matter how dangerous it was, she would always be by his side and never leave him. She should have feelings for him, right? But every time this happened, another voice would pop into his mind. What if? What if she was just trying to gain his trust? What if he was being wishful again? Xiao Juan could not afford to bet on this ¡°what if¡±. He was afraid of losing, and even more afraid that in the end, he and Niaoniao would not even be husband and wife in name. He could only bury his head in the sand like an ostrich and not think or ask. He would live like that as long as he could. Yu Niaoniao shook his arm. ¡°Say something!¡± Xiao Juan looked at her flushed cheeks and whispered. ¡°You¡¯re drunk.¡± Yu Niaoniao straightened her neck and looked stubborn. ¡°I¡¯m not drunk! ¡± Xiao Juan said in a coaxing tone, ¡°Alright, you¡¯re not drunk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you very seriously now that I like you very much. You¡¯re the best person in the world besides my mother, my stepfather, and my grandfather and grandmother. I¡¯ve lost my mother and my stepfather. I can¡¯t lose you.¡± ¡°So, you can¡¯t leave me¡­ Hup!¡± At the end, Yu Niaoniao could not help but burp loudly again. When Xiao Juan heard her say that she liked him, his heart involuntarily beat faster. He almost believed her. But he quickly calmed down. Niaoniao was drunk. She was talking drunkenly now. Drunken words could not be taken seriously. Yu Niaoniao hugged his arm and repeated. ¡°You have to remember that you can¡¯t leave me. Ever.¡± Xiao Juan gently patted her back to calm her down and coaxed her gently. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll remember. I won¡¯t leave you.¡± Yu Niaoniao extended her pinky. ¡°Let¡¯s pinky swear.¡± At this moment, Xiao Juan was apletely different person from his usual unreasonable appearance. His temper was exceptionally good. He did whatever Yu Niaoniao asked him to do. Their pinkies hooked. Yu Niaoniao said in a low voice, ¡°Pinky promise, hang yourself. You¡¯re not allowed to change for a hundred years!¡± Xiao Juan replied, ¡°Alright, nothing will change.¡± Yu Niaoniao cupped his hand, lowered her head, and kissed the back of it. Xiao Juan was immediately stunned. Yu Niaoniao looked up and giggled at him. ¡°Hehe, I¡¯ve stamped you. That way, you¡¯re not allowed to go back on your word.¡± Xiao Juan felt the back of his hand tingle. The soft touch of Yu Niaoniao¡¯s lips seemed to have not disappeared. He looked involuntarily at Yu Niaoniao¡¯s lips. Her lips were small and full, red and beautiful. Just looking at them made her look very sweet. If he could take a bite¡­ Xiao Juan quickly dismissed the thoughts in his mind. Niaoniao was still drunk. No matter what she did now, she was drunk. He could not take advantage of her. The carriage stopped in front of the Langjun Imperial Pce. Xiao Juan ordered the Eagle Guards to return. He carried Yu Niaoniao and strode into the residence. Granny Xiu Yan heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that they had returned safely. Xiao Juan instructed, ¡°Go prepare some hot water and a bowl of hangover soup.¡± ¡°Aye.¡± Granny Xiu Yan quickly prepared everything Duke Lang needed. Xiao Juan picked up the hangover soup and carefully fed it to Yu Niaoniao. Then, he called Chun Feng and Ye Yu over and asked the two of them to help Yu Niaoniao bathe and change. After making the arrangements, Xiao Juan prepared to leave. However, Yu Niaoniao grabbed the hem of his shirt and refused to let go. She said pitifully, ¡°You promised not to leave me.¡± Her face and nose were red and her eyes were misty. Coupled with her small expression, she looked very pitiful. Chun Feng and Ye Yu could not help but soften. The bolder Qiu Feng advised softly, ¡°Your Highness, why don¡¯t you stay?¡± In any case, Duke Lang and the Princess Consort were husband and wife. It did not matter even if they bathed together. Xiao Juan also wanted to stay. But he knew he couldn¡¯t. Niaoniao was drunk now. If he took the opportunity to do something to her, she would definitely hate him to death tomorrow when she woke up. He steeled himself. ¡°Just the two of you take care of her.¡± With that, he pulled her hand away and walked out without looking back.. Chapter 420 - Chapter 420: True Lord Chapter 420: True Lord Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao¡¯s body was submerged in hot water. The heat kept rising, making her sleepy. Chun Feng and Ye Yu carefully carried her out of the bathtub. After drying her, they helped her lie on the bed. Ye Yu covered her with the nket and lowered the bed curtain. Chun Feng left an oilmp at the head of the bed. She blew out the other oilmps. They retreated quietly. As soon as they went out, they saw Duke Lang standing under the porch. The two of them hurriedly bowed. Xiao Juan asked calmly. ¡°How is she?¡± Chun Feng said softly, ¡°The Princess Consort is already asleep.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°She drank a lot and might wake up at night. Remember to watch her.¡± Chun Feng and Ye Yu agreed in unison. ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao Juan looked at the closed door again before turning to leave. He still spent the night in the study. Watching him leave, Ye Yu was puzzled and asked softly, ¡°Duke Lang is clearly very concerned about the Princess Consort. Why didn¡¯t he stay behind to apany her just now?¡± Chun Feng shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Over the past few days, the rtionship between Duke Lang and the Princess Consort had be cold. As maidservants, they naturally noticed it. They had thought that Duke Lang had lost his sense of novelty in the rtionship and did not like the Princess Consort anymore, but from his attitude, he clearly still had the Princess Consort in his heart. They were even more confused. What was going on between the two of them? Yu Niaoniao slept soundly. When she woke up, it waste in the morning. She sat up and looked out the window at the bright sunlight. She couldn¡¯t help but rub her throbbing forehead. ¡°What time is it?¡± Chun Feng answered truthfully, ¡°It¡¯s already nine o¡¯clock.¡± Damn, it was already sote! Yu Niaoniao immediately lifted the nket and jumped out of bed. ¡°Quick, bring my clothes over.¡± Ye Yu brought over the dress she had prepared long ago and helped the County Princess put it on. Yu Niaoniao urged, ¡°Hurry up. I¡¯m alreadyte.¡± She had to clock in at the Justice Department early in the morning. She was already an hour and a halfte! Chun Feng said, ¡°Princess Consort, there¡¯s no hurry. Before His Highness left, he instructed that he would apply for leave for you today. You can rest in the residence in peace.¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned and blurted out, ¡°Will the fee be deducted if I take leave?¡± Chun Feng hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± She did not understand. Logically speaking, when the Princess Consort found out that Duke Lang had helped her apply for leave, she should be touched by his thoughtfulness, right? Why was the Princess Consort¡¯s first reaction to the question if money would be deducted? Chun Feng said carefully,¡±His Highness specially applied for leave for you out of love. Compared to His Highness¡¯s love, that bit of money should be nothing. When His Highness returns, you have to thank him properly.¡± Yu Niaoniao replied, ¡°Yes, yes, I will.¡± However, she felt extremely regretful. If she missed a day of work, she would lose a day of sry! Putting up a drama was a money-burning endeavor. Every copper coin she had now was iparably precious! After washing up, Yu Niaoniao sent Chun Feng and Ye Yu out. She dug out the banknotes she had earnedst night and counted them one by one to make sure not a single one was missing. Very good. She did not pay for the expenses at Green Gardenst night. She had saved another huge sum! Yu Niaoniao carefully put the banknotes into the box and locked it. She gently stroked the surface of the box, her eyes filled with love. ¡°Baby, stay here well. Don¡¯t go anywhere. Whether I can help Duke Lang clear his name in the future depends on you.¡± After breakfast, Yu Niaoniao called the four embroiderers over. She first rewarded the embroiderers with ten taels of silver each, then gave them the task of making seven bolsters. The embroiderers epted the mission and left happily with the silver. Then, Yu Niaoniao went to the study and made ten bookmarks. Looking at the customized bookmark of Phoenix Cry Country, Yu Niaoniao thought of a certain man who had secretly helped her make bookmarks in the middle of the night. Although the nst night had failed and she was very frustrated and a little angry, this indirectly proved one thing¡ª Xiao Juan was really a gentleman! Thinking of this, Yu Niaoniao felt a little proud. Her man was not the kind of person who would be tempted at the sight of prey. He could still maintain his bottom line in the face of temptation. Hehehe, she liked it so much! Yu Niaoniao picked up her pen and dipped it in ink. ording to Xiao Juan¡¯s image, she drew a group of cute little people. As she drew, she imagined Xiao Juan doing these actions and the corners of her mouth curled up unconsciously. When she was done, she made this set of cartoons into a bookmark. Yu Niaoniao ced this specially customized set of bookmarks into a box and pasted a small note of ¡°Baby¡¯s Kiss¡±. But on second thought, she was afraid that Xiao Juan did not know that this was for him. So she drew another bird in the corner of the small note. Yu Niaoniao ced the box neatly in the middle of the desk, ensuring that Xiao Juan would see it at first nce when he returned. After doing this, she left the study and returned to the bedroom to change into men¡¯s clothes. Then, she rode the donkey to the Heavenly Oriole Garden. Today, she entered the theater as usual. She went up to the third floor and into the private room. She realized that other than Zheng Changle, there was also a middle-aged man who looked simr to Zheng Changle. It was obvious that this middle-aged man was Zheng Changle¡¯s father. As expected, he introduced himself. ¡°My name is Zheng Zaizhou. I¡¯m the owner of the Heavenly Oriole Garden and Changle¡¯s father.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ve already heard about you from Changle. I¡¯ve already read the y you gave me.¡± ¡°To be honesty the plot of the script was very good. The ups and downs were very interesting. ¡± ¡°However, the protagonist inside was mapped to Duke Lang. You should know very well what kind of person Duke Lang is.¡± ¡°Although our opera troupe is a little famous in the Jade Capital, we are still ordinary people. I really can¡¯t afford to offend Duke Lang and the Justice Department.¡± Yu Niaoniao listened quietly. When he was done, she spoke slowly. ¡°If Master Zheng didn¡¯t want to cooperate with me, he wouldn¡¯t have appeared here today. Since you appeared, it means that you actually have the intention to cooperate.¡± Zheng Zaizhou smiled helplessly. ¡°I do like your y. From my experience, if it¡¯s adapted into a y and moved onto the stage, the response will definitely be very good. It¡¯s just that the protagonist in the y has to be changed¡­¡± Yu Niaoniao interrupted him. ¡°The protagonist can¡¯t be changed. It has to be Duke Lang.¡± Her tone was firm and there was no room for negotiation. Zheng Zaizhou said, ¡°Why do you have to do this? Why do you have to go against Duke Lang?¡± Yu Niaoniao exined, ¡°In this movie, Duke Lang has always had a positive image. Even if Duke Lang finds out, he won¡¯t be angry.¡± ¡°Who can guarantee that? After all, Duke Lang is famous for being cold-blooded and heartless.. What if he doesn¡¯t like being treated as the protagonist in the show and kills us all out of displeasure?¡± Chapter 421 - Chapter 421: Introduction Chapter 421: Introduction Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios No matter what Yu Niaoniao said, Zheng Zaizhou was still very afraid and unwilling to take this risk. Seeing this, Yu Niaoniao could only give up on the idea of working with the Heavenly Oriole Garden. She stood up. ¡°Since Old Master Zheng is unwilling, I can¡¯t force you. Just pretend I didn¡¯t mention this. Goodbye.¡± With that, she walked out. Zheng Changle quickly chased after her and stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to leave!¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped. ¡°Since the business can¡¯t be discussed, what¡¯s the point of me staying here? Why don¡¯t I take a look at the other theaters while it¡¯s still early?¡± The Heavenly Oriole Garden was not the only theater in the Imperial Capital. If it could not be done here, perhaps she could try other ces. Zheng Changle advised, ¡°Even if you run around the entire Imperial Capital, it¡¯s impossible for anyone to dare to cooperate with you. Because everyone is afraid of death! No one would offend the infamous Duke Lang for a show. This isn¡¯t worth it!¡± Yu Niaoniao pursed her lower lip with a stubborn expression. ¡°If everyone refuses to cooperate with me, I¡¯ll buy a theater myself. I¡¯ll be the owner. I can arrange any show I want!¡± Zheng Changle did not expect her determination to be so great. He was puzzled. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a y? Do you have to spend so much money?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You don¡¯t understand. This is very important to me. I have to finish it. Zheng Changle sighed. ¡°Since you¡¯re determined, I won¡¯t persuade you. I know that there was an opera troupe in the city that is about to stop operating. The troupe master is preparing to sell the opera troupe and leave the Imperial Capital. If you really want to open a theater, I can introduce you.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Thank you so much!¡± Zheng Changle was caught by her sparkling eyes and involuntarily puffed out his chest. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to him now.¡± Yu Niaoniao followed him downstairs excitedly. When the two of them walked out of the theater, they bumped into Wei Liao. Wei Liao raised his eyebrows. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Zheng Changle did not know what to say. Before Yu Niaoniao could speak, he told Wei Liao everything. Knowing that Yu Niaoniao was going to buy an opera troupe, Wei Liao clicked his tongue. ¡°Do you know how much it costs to buy a theater?¡± ¡°Oh, right. You made a lot of money selling pillows and bookmarks. You should barely buy a dpidated opera troupe.¡± ¡°But do you know how much it costs to rent a venue and pay to keep a theater running?¡± ¡°Do you have enough?¡± Yu Niaoniao subconsciously touched the pouch at her waist and said confidently, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Wei Liao smiled and extended his right hand. ¡°Where¡¯s my bookmark?¡± Yu Niaoniao took out the ten bookmarks from her sleeve and ced them in his hand. ¡°Here you go. We¡¯re even. Don¡¯t follow me anymore.¡± With that, she walked away. Zheng Changle did not know how to ride a horse, so he could only take a carriage. Yu Niaoniao was still riding her donkey. The two of them walked through the streets and alleys for a long time before they found the Cheri opera troupe Zheng Changle had mentioned. The opera troupe was located in a very remote ce. There were poor people living all around. The pedestrians on the streets were dressed very shabby. When they saw the two well-dressed people, Yu Niaoniao and Zheng Changle, they could not help but look at them twice, Yu Niaoniao looked at the courtyard door in front of her. There was a piece of red paper stuck to it. On the paper were four words: Qirui Opera Troupe, This was their troupes signboard. It was really very shabby. Zheng Changle went forward and knocked. As he waited for the door to open, he whispered to Yu Niaoniao. ¡®¡±The troupe master of Cherys opera troupe is called Liu Qirui. He has a bad temper and is very stubborn. If he says anything to make you unhappy, don¡¯t lower yourself to his level.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You seem to know him very well.¡± Zheng Changle had aplicated expression as he spoke slowly. ¡°He and my father are sworn enemies. The two of them had been fighting since they met. My father often said other things. Sometimes he gritted his teeth in hatred, and sometimes he was smug. But more of it should be appreciation. Although Qirui Opera Troupe looked dpidated now, it was also a famous drama troupe back then. Even our Heavenly Oriole Garden would be suppressed by it.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, Liu Qirui had unfortunately offended an influential person in the capital. That noble sent people to cause trouble every day. The onlookers were all so frightened that they did not dare toe again, so Qirui Opera Troupe declined.¡± ¡°Why do I dare to say that no one in the Imperial Capital dares to cooperate with you? It¡¯s because your y mapped Duke Lang. Duke Lang is even more terrifying than the noble Liu Qirui had offended. Who would dare to court death?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked like she understood. The courtyard door was pulled open from the inside and an old man with a haggard expression and a beard stuck his head out. The moment he saw Zheng Changle, his expression changed. ¡°Why are you here again? I told you, even if I starve to death, I won¡¯t sell the troupe to your Heavenly Oriole Garden!¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at Zheng Changle beside her. Zheng Changle touched his nose and exined in embarrassment. ¡°My father has always wanted to take over Qirui Opera Troupe, but Liu Qirui was unwilling.¡± Seeing that Liu Qirui was about to close the courtyard door, Yu Niaoniao hurriedly reached out and blocked it. ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood. I¡¯m the one who wanted to buy your theater today.¡± Liu Qirui paused and looked her up and down, his eyes filled with suspicion. ¡°Aren¡¯t you in cahoots with the Zheng father and son?¡± After Zheng Changle¡¯s introduction and Liu Qirui¡¯s attitude, Yu Niaoniao had a preliminary understanding of how to talk to him. Yu Niaoniao raised her smile and said sweetly. ¡°I originally nned to cooperate with Old Master Zheng, but I couldn¡¯t ept his conditions. In the end, the cooperation didn¡¯t seed. Then, Zheng introduced me to you.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s convenient for you, can you let us in to talk?¡± When Liu Qirui heard that she had refused to work with Zheng Zaizhou, he immediately had a good impression of her. ¡°You cane in, but not him.¡± He nced at Zheng Changle. Yu Niaoniao had a crossbow hidden in her sleeve to ensure her safety. She turned to Zheng Changle. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll get going. Be careful.¡¯ After Yu Niaoniao entered the small courtyard, Liu Qirui immediately closed the courtyard door. Zheng Changle turned around and was about to leave when he saw Wei Liao standing beside the carriage. He was leaning back against the carriage, arms folded, azy smile on his face. ¡°Did you really leave her here alone?¡± Zheng Changle said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Although Liu Qirui has a bad temper, he¡¯s still a good person. He won¡¯t bully Brother Yu.¡± Wei Liao was used to thinking the worst of people. He had never believed that there were people who were absolutely good in this world. Hearing Zheng Changle¡¯s words, Wei Liao sneered disdainfully. ¡°Heh, all businessmen are evil. Not many of you businessmen are good.¡± Zheng Changle was so angry that his chubby face turned red. ¡°How can you say that? To think I treated you as a brother!¡± Wei Liao ignored him and walked straight to the courtyard door. Then, he used his movement technique to cross the wall and easily sneaked into the courtyard.. Chapter 422 - Chapter 422: No Way Out Chapter 422: No Way Out Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao looked around as she walked and saw many costumes drying in the small courtyard. Those costumes had been used for a long time and had long been washed out of color. There were obvious signs of mending. When she walked into the house, she realized that it was filled with old tables and chairs. There was a temporary stage built of wooden nks in the middle of the house. Liu Qirui took the initiative to introduce the troupe. ¡°We originally had a theater, but in order to repay our debt, we were forced to give it up. Now we could only live here. The more famous actors in the theater had left.¡¯ ¡°Now that the opera troupe was in danger, I don¡¯t know how long we couldst. Even if you¡¯re willing to pay for the opera troupe, it¡¯s very difficult to let it return to its former glory.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at his hard face and asked. ¡°You don¡¯t seem too willing to let me buy the troupe?¡± Liu Qirui admitted frankly, ¡°I really don¡¯t want to sell the opera troupe.¡± Yu Niaoniao expressed her understanding. ¡°You have no choice.¡± Seeing that her attitude was still polite, Liu Qirui did not put on a high and mighty attitude the way he did with the other buyers. Hence, Liu Qirui softened his tone and advised pertinently, ¡°I believe that kid from the Zheng family has already told you the reason why our opera troupe declined. If you don¡¯t want to cause trouble, I advise you not to get involved in this mess.¡± A crisp woman¡¯s voice suddenly came. ¡°Father, what are you talking about?!¡± Yu Niaoniao looked in the direction of the voice and saw a little girl in an apricot-colored dress with two buns walking over quickly. The little girl looked to be about fourteen years old. Because she had been malnourished for a long time, her face was a little yellow and her body was even thinner than her peers. She held the tray with both hands. On it were two teacups. She walked quickly, but the tray was held firmly. The tea in the teacup was not spilled at all. Liu Qirui frowned at her. ¡°Sixing, why are you out?¡± ¡°I heard that we had a guest, so I came to take a look.¡± The little girl ced the tray on the table and took out a cloth from her waist. She wiped the table and chairs quickly and invited Yu Niaoniao to sit down with a smile. She ced the teacup in front of Yu Niaoniao with a very enthusiastic attitude. ¡°My name is Liu Sixing, and I¡¯m the daughter of the troupe master. May I know your name?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°My surname is Yu.¡± Liu Sixing ignored her father¡¯s unhappy expression and sat down opposite Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Young Master Yu, you¡¯re here to buy our opera troupe, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao felt that this little girl was quite interesting and replied with a smile, ¡°Yes.¡± Liu Sixing said, ¡°You have such good taste! Our Qirui Opera Troupe used to be a famous drama troupe in the Imperial Capital. There were countless spectators who came to our opera troupe every day, and the demand for tickets was even greater.¡± ¡°The actors nurtured by our opera troupe are all outstanding. Any name you call out can resound with the audience like thunder.¡± Liu Qirui scolded angrily, ¡°Enough. That¡¯s all in the past. Don¡¯t mention it again! Go down first. You have nothing to do here.¡± Liu Sixing¡¯s butt was still on the stool, as she refused to leave. ¡°Although those things are in the past, they really happened. I have to tell Young Master Yu, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°Miss Liu is right.¡± Liu Sixing seemed to have found something to rely on and raised her chin at Liu Qirui. ¡°See, Young Master Yu supports me.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t exin it to you clearly!¡± Liu Qirui was angry and anxious. He turned to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Sixing is young, so she¡¯s inevitably a little rash. Don¡¯t lower yourself to her level. No matter how glorious Qirui Opera Troupe was in the past, it has declined now.¡± Liu Sixing panicked when she heard this. ¡°Father!¡± Liu Qirui did not look at her and continued to speak to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Our opera troupe has fallen and we still owe a huge debt. Even if the opera troupe was mortgaged, it would not be enough. If you buy our opera troupe, not only will you have to bear the risk of offending the powerful, but you also have to bear a huge debt.¡± ¡°You look quite young. Don¡¯t act rashly. I advise you to go back and discuss it with your family. Think carefully before making a decision.¡± Seeing that her father had exposed everything, Liu Sixing could not sit still anymore. She jumped up and shouted. ¡°Father, if you continue like this, we¡¯re really going to starve to death!¡± Liu Qirui retorted, ¡°Aren¡¯t we hungry already?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because senior brothers go out every day to do manualbor! Do you know how much work they have to do every day and how much disdain they have to suffer to earn enough money to live?¡± ¡°They took you as their master back then to learn opera from you. But now I can¡¯t remember how long it has been since theyst appeared on stage!¡± At the end, Liu Sixing¡¯s eyes turned red and her voice became choked. Liu Qirui¡¯s lips trembled as if he wanted to defend himself, but in the end, he could not say anything. Liu Sixing wiped her eyes hard. ¡°If there was any hope, I wouldn¡¯t want to sell the opera troupe, but now we¡¯re really at our wits¡¯ end.¡± Liu Qirui lowered his head and remained silent. Seeing him like this, Liu Sixing felt mentally and physically exhausted. She had said simr things many times, but every time she reached the end, her father would be as silent as he was now. The atmosphere between father and daughter gradually stiffened. Yu Niaoniao spoke on time, ¡°Do you guys want to hear me out?¡± The Liu father and daughter turned to look at her. Yu Niaoniao cleared her throat. ¡°I¡¯ve understood most of your situation. It¡¯s time for you to know my situation. I¡¯m actually not very interested in singing opera. The reason I want to buy a theater is to perform a show.¡± She took out the ybook and ced it on the table, indicating for the Liu father and daughter to take a look. Liu Qirui opened the y and read. Liu Sixing craned her neck to take a look too. The ybook expressed the plot in a series of drawings. Even if they did not know many words, they could understand the content. Yu Niaoniao picked up the teacup and lifted the lid to take a look. Only then did she realize that it was filled with cold water. There was not even a single tea leaf. After all, tea leaves were quite expensive. With the troupe¡¯s current situation, they definitely could not afford it. After looking at the script, the expressions of the father and daughter were very solemn. Liu Sixing asked directly, ¡°Young Master Yu, do you think your life is toofortable and wish to deliberately cause trouble for yourself?¡± Liu Qirui also said, ¡°No one in the entire Imperial Capital dares to film your script.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°That¡¯s why I came to you. Anyway, you¡¯re already in such a sorry state. You can¡¯t be much worse.¡± The Liu father and daughter felt as if they had been stabbed in the heart. Chapter 423 - Chapter 423: Making a Comeback Chapter 423: Making a Comeback Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I know. This y is mapped to Duke Lang. It¡¯s normal for you to be afraid. But there are two sides to everything. Let¡¯s think about it from another angle. It is because everyone is afraid of Duke Lang that no one dared to arrange his deeds into operas.¡± ¡°If the Qirui Opera Troupe could sessfully bring Prince of Lang, Liaodong, to the stage.You are the only ones in the Imperial Capital. ¡°You¡¯re experts. You should know what being unique means, right?¡± Liu Qirui muttered, ¡°It means that we are the only ones and are irreceable.¡± Yu Niaoniao snapped her fingers. ¡°That¡¯s right! Everyone has a curious mentality. They will be inevitably curious about new things they had never seen. Especially since the protagonist of this movie was Duke Lang! ¡® ¡°Duke Lang is a famous figure in the Dayan Dynasty. Usually, as long as there was any movement on him, it would cause a huge reaction among the people. This meant that everyone was actually very concerned about Duke Lang. ¡® ¡°If Qirui Opera Troupe uses Duke Lang¡¯s image as the protagonist in the show, which was equivalent to borrowing Duke Lang¡¯s influence. There is no need for special publicity to win the attention of many people. ¡® ¡°When the show is officially moved to the stage, Qirui Opera Troupe can also take advantage of the situation and soar up, recreating its glory back then!¡± The more she spoke, the more excited she became. Her voice rose, and she grew taller. There seemed to be holy light shining on her. The Liu father and daughter had to look up to see her face. Liu Sixing was overwhelmed by her words and could not help but clench her fists. She shouted excitedly, ¡°Well said! Qirui Opera Troupe will definitely regain its former glory!¡± Liu Qirui¡¯s old face flushed red, and his eyes glistened with tears. He refused to sell the opera troupe under immense pressure, partly because of his feelings for it, and partly because he was indignant. He was unwilling to give up the career he had worked on for most of his life. At this moment, he finally saw the hope of making aeback. How could he not be excited? Yu Niaoniao reached out to them, her voice filled with bewitchment. ¡°Come, bring Prince of Lang, Liaodong, to the stage with me. We¡¯re going to bring Qirui back into the public eye. We have to let everyone in the Imperial Capital know that our Qirui Opera Troupe is back!¡± The minds of Liu Qirui and Liu Sixing were filled with endless expectations for the future. Without thinking, they walked towards Yu Niaoniao, wanting to hold her hand At that moment, a tired figure suddenly spoke. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Liu Qirui and Liu Sixing stopped in their tracks. They both turned to look at the door. After seeing the two people standing at the door clearly, Liu Sixing called out i] surprise. ¡°Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, you¡¯re back!?¡± Those two were Liu Qirui¡¯s disciples. They had just returned from work and were very tired. Their gazes circled the three people in the room before finallynding on Yu Niaoniao. They asked in confusion. ¡°Who is this young man? Why are you standing on the stage? And why is there a hole in the roof?¡± When Liu Qirui and Liu Sixing heard this, they realized that Yu Niaoniao had already climbed onto the stage. No wonder she looked so tall. There was a small hole in the roof above her. Sunlight seeped through it and shone on her. This made her look especially dazzling as if she was enveloped by holy light. Yu Niaoniao coughed lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t mind these details. In short, our goals are the same. I think we can work together.¡± On the roof, Wei Liao sat cross-legged with one hand supporting the side of his face, and the other holding a tile. In order to make it easier to see into the house, he had just removed two tiles, making a small hole in the roof. Unexpectedly, this small hole was used by Yu Niaoniao and became her ¡°light prop.¡± Wei Liao watched as Yu Niaoniao talked non-stop, fooling the Liu father and daughter. He could not help but smile silently. This woman was really interesting. In the room, Liu Qirui had already been convinced by Yu Niaoniao. He didn¡¯t want to miss this opportunity to make aeback, but he still had doubts. ¡°Duke Lang is not someone to be trifled with. What if he wants to settle scores with us?¡± Yu Niaoniao promised solemnly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have some ties with Duke Lang. When the timees, I¡¯ll go to him and plead for mercy. He should be fine.¡± Liu Qirui did not expect her to have a rtionship with Duke Lang and immediately thought even more highly of her. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll listen to you. I¡¯ll sell Qirui Opera Troupe to you.¡± When he said thest few words, his voice was almost out of tune, as if he was trying his best to suppress his reluctance. Yu Niaoniao patted his shoulder andforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. Even if I buy Qirui Opera, you¡¯ll still manage it. I usually have my own things to do and will not interfere in the troupe¡¯s matters.¡± Liu Qirui was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Really?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, we can write this in the contract.¡± Liu Qirui hurriedly waved his hand. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary.¡± Next was to discuss the specifics of reselling the opera troupe. Qirui Opera Troupe was not worth much, but the opera troupe owed arge amount of foreign debt. If those foreign debts were included, it would cost at least eight thousand taels of silver. Yu Niaoniao added up the profits from selling books and the surrounding areas, which was only more than 8,600 taels. She took out eight thousand taels of silver to buy the opera troupe and used the remaining few hundred taels of silver to maintain the daily expenses of the opera troupe. After everything was settled, both parties signed the contract and went to the government office to notarize it. When the procedures were all done, Yu Niaoniao became the new owner of Qirui Opera Troupe. She was quite happy to have achieved something big. But when she touched her shriveled purse, she immediately became worried again. The opera troupe could not stay in this dpidated small courtyard forever. They had to rent a decent theater. Every inch ofnd in the Imperial Capital was expensive, and the rent was definitely not cheap. In addition, she had to hire someone to buy new props¡­ Everything had to be spent. The remaining 600 taels were not enough at all. Yu Niaoniao rode the donkey back, her mind filled with thoughts of earning money. She didn¡¯t even notice when Wei Liao followed her. ¡°Congrattions, the new owner of Qirui Opera Troupe.¡± Yu Niaoniao came back to her senses and turned around to see Wei Liao riding beside her. She frowned and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Wei Liao said slowly. ¡°I heard that you just bought Qirui Opera Troupe and specially came to congratte you. By the way, do you need to borrow money? I have money here. I only need 30% interest. The price is fair and honest.¡± Yu Niaoniao originally wanted to refuse, but she quickly had a n. She spoke leisurely. ¡°There¡¯s no need to borrow money. If you have too much money to spend, you can consider bing a sponsor of Qirui Opera Troupe.¡± Wei Liao was interested.. ¡°What is a sponsor?¡± Chapter 424 - Chapter 424: Jealous and Angry Chapter 424: Jealous and Angry Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao was a little hungry. When she saw a small restaurant selling mutton steamed buns in front, she suggested. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Why don¡¯t we sit down and talk while we eat?¡± Wei Liao agreed. ¡°Sure.¡± The two of them walked to the door of the small restaurant and realized that it was pitifully small. There were only two sets of tables and chairs in the shop, and they were already filled with people. Some diners had nowhere to sit, so they could only squat on the steps at the door with bowls and chopsticks to eat. The scene looked chaotic. It did not match Yu Niaoniao and Wei Liao¡¯s identities at all. Wei Liao thought that Yu Niaoniao would leave. However, Yu Niaoniao took a deep breath and praised, ¡°It smells so good!¡± It smelled so good. It must taste good! Not only did Yu Niaoniao not want to leave, but she was also a little impatient. She asked thedy boss, ¡°Can you get more seats here?¡± Thedy boss immediately brought out two small stools from the house and ced them on the steps by the door. ¡°Please take a seat. What do you want to eat?¡± Yu Niaoniao sat down on a small stool. ¡°Two bowls of mutton steamed buns first, plus arge chicken te and cold fungus. And two servings of cow¡¯s milk cheese.¡± ¡°Alright, please wait a moment.¡± Thedy boss noted down the names of the dishes and left in a hurry. Wei Liao asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask me what I want to eat before you order?¡± Yu Niaoniao was filled with confidence. ¡°I¡¯ve already seen it just now. Their most famous dishes here are mutton steamed buns and therge chicken te. The taste definitely won¡¯t be bad!¡± ¡°But what if I don¡¯t like mutton and chicken?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then don¡¯t eat it. I won¡¯t force you to eat it.¡± Wei Liao seemed determined to argue with her to the end and continued to ask. ¡°Can you finish all these dishes alone?¡± Yu Niaoniao said matter-of-factly, ¡°If I can¡¯t finish it, I can take it home.¡± Wei Liao choked. Although this shop was small, the dishes were served quite quickly. Soon, thedy boss brought over tworge bowls of hot mutton soup. The white tbread was ced in a small bamboo basket and ced in front of Yu Niaoniao and Wei Liao. Because the two of them had ordered more food, thedy boss had specially set up a small table for them. Yu Niaoniao tore the tbread into small pieces and soaked it in the mutton soup. After absorbing the soup, the tbread became very soft and smooth. It even had the rich fragrance of mutton soup. She ate with relish, and her small face was full of enjoyment. Wei Liao originally did not want to eat such unknown food, as he was afraid that it would not be clean. However, when he saw Yu Niaoniao eating so happily, he could not help but eat. Needless to say, the mutton soup here was indeed very strong, and the tbread was also very chewy. It tasted no worse than the dishes made by famous chefs. The two of them were wearing expensive clothes. Be it their appearance or bearing, they were very different from the surroundingmoners. From afar, the two of them looked out of ce. However, they did not have such self-awareness. They only focused on eating and ignored the gazes of others. After eating until she was about 80% full, Yu Niaoniao slowed down and began to talk about serious matters. ¡°You just said that you¡¯re willing to lend me money. This means that you should have a lot of spare money on hand. That money is useless in your hands. Why don¡¯t you take it out to do business? ¡± ¡°If you used your money to make money, you could get more money. Of course, you¡¯re busy and don¡¯t have time to manage your business.¡± ¡°It just so happened that our Qirui Opera Troupe is nning toe up with a new show recently. It was guaranteed to be popr.¡± ¡°We are still in the beginning and a little short on money. You can invest the spare money you don¡¯t need for the time being to help us rehearse.¡± ¡°When we earn money in the future, we¡¯ll give you a dividend ording to the ratio of your investment. That way, you won¡¯t have to worry about business and can earn a lot. Isn¡¯t that wonderful?¡± Wei Liao looked at her with a faint smile. ¡°To put it bluntly, you want to gain something for nothing.¡± Yu Niaoniao defended herself righteously. ¡°How can you say that? Give us the money and we¡¯ll help you earn money. It¡¯s called mutual benefit. It¡¯s a win-win situation!¡± Wei Liao said slowly, ¡°I¡¯m not the silly father and daughter of the Liu family. Your bluff doesn¡¯t work on me. It¡¯s not impossible for me to pay for your opera, but you have to show your true abilities. It¡¯s impossible to get money from me with just a few big words.¡± Yu Niaoniao cursed inwardly. This fellow was really sneaky. He wouldn¡¯t let go until he saw something tangible! Her n to gain something from nothing was a failure. She had no choice but to take out the backup n. ¡°Alright, when I get back, I¡¯ll write a n and write out the selling points and the specific implementation n for our drama for you to see. If you think it¡¯s okay, consider investing in us. Otherwise, forget it.¡± Wei Liao looked interested again. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait and see.¡± Thedy boss brought the freshly made cow¡¯s milk cheese to the two of them. Yu Niaoniao eagerly picked up the bowl and took a sip. Before she could taste it, she heard the diners beside her mention Duke Lang. She immediately pricked up her ears to listen. ¡°Have you heard? Last night, Duke Lang rushed into Mistwater Alley with a group of Eagle Guards. In the end, he even snatched someone out.¡± ¡°Someone who can catch Duke Lang¡¯s eye must be a peerless beauty, right?¡± ¡°What beauty? Duke Lang snatched a handsome man!¡± The diners were stunned. Someone blurted out. ¡°Duke Lang actually swings that way?!¡± Yu Niaoniao almost spat out the cheese in her mouth. What was going on? A straight man like Xiao Juan was actually called a homosexual. This was too ridiculous! Wei Liao, on the other hand, smiled especially happily. He was gloating as usual. The diners continued to gossip. ¡°Look at how ignorant you are. What¡¯s there to be surprised about? Duke Lang only married at his age. Who would believe that he doesn¡¯t have any special hobbies in that area?!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, what about the Princess Consort of Lang County? If she finds out that her husband likes men, won¡¯t she be angered to death?¡± ¡°Perhaps the Princess Consort of Lang County already knows. Otherwise, why would she have a gigolo outside?¡± Everyone was shocked again. There was too much gossip today. Yu Niaoniao felt terrible. When did she have a gigolo outside? The diner, however, spoke eloquently, ¡°Don¡¯t doubt me. The Princess Consort of Lang County likes an actor from the Heavenly Oriole Garden. I think his name is Ye Yin.¡± ¡°She likes that actor very much. Recently, she had been running to the Heavenly Oriole Garden every day. And every time she goes, she brings bags. Those are gifts for Ye Yin.¡± The other man echoed, ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! I know someone in the Heavenly Oriole Garden and he told me about this. The day before yesterday, Ye Yin was even locked up by the Eagle Guards in the Justice Department.¡± ¡°Initially, we were all puzzled. We did not understand what a small actor like Ye Yin could do to rm the Eagle Guards.¡± ¡°Later on, we found out that Duke Lang was jealous and angry!¡± Chapter 425 - Chapter 425: Divorce Chapter 425: Divorce Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios ¡°That Ye Yin dared to snatch a woman from Duke Lang. He¡¯s really bold. I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t have much to live for in the future.¡± When Wei Liao heard this, he couldn¡¯t stopughing. He did not expect that his casual nonsense would spread among the people and be taken seriously. When he thought about how the usually cold and indifferent Duke Lang had be a cuckold, Wei Liao felt that this matter was too much fun! At this moment, Yu Niaoniao understood everything. She ced the porcin bowl hard on the low table and red at the man in front of her. ¡°You deliberately mentioned Ye Yin to me that day to ruin my reputation, right?¡± Wei Liao smiled. ¡°Who asked you to bump my chin? Of course, I have to teach you a lesson.¡± Yu Niaoniao was so angry that her face turned green. ¡°Just you wait!¡± With that, she stood up and ran away angrily. Wei Liao wanted to chase after her, but thedy boss stopped him. ¡°Sir, you haven¡¯t paid the bill!¡± Wei Liao could only take out his pouch to pay. However, by the time he finished paying the bill and looked for Yu Niaoniao, she had already left on the donkey. Wei Liao scolded angrily, ¡°Last night, we agreed to split the bill equally at Green Garden, but you ran away. In the end, the bill was all on me. You ran away again today. In the end, I was the one paying. So you¡¯re treating me like a fool!¡± When Yu Niaoniao rushed to the Justice Department on her donkey, the Eagle Guards guarding the door were surprised to see her. ¡°Didn¡¯t Your Highness say that you¡¯re resting today? Why are you here?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I have an urgent matter to discuss with Duke Lang.¡± With that, she crossed the threshold and ran into the Justice Department. She was originally puzzled and did not understand why Xiao Juan had be so awkward these few days. He deliberately avoided her and was unwilling to talk to her much. He was also indifferent to her initiative. So it was because Xiao Juan had believed those rumors outside! He must have thought that she had someone outside and was unhappy. That was why he suddenly became so cold. Since she had already found the root of the problem, she had to resolve it! Yu Niaoniao ran to the door of Mirror House in a hurry, nning to exin the matter to Xiao Juan. She was about to knock when she heard Xiao Juan and Meng Xizhou¡¯s voicesing from the house. Meng Xizhou said, ¡°Are you really not going to bring the Princess Consort along to Liangzhou this time?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s better for her to stay in the Imperial Capital.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand stopped in midair and did not knock. What was Xiao Juan doing in Liangzhou? Why hadn¡¯t he mentioned this to her? And why had he abandoned her? Meng Xizhou said, ¡°But it will take at least half a year for you to go. Can you really be at ease leaving the Princess Consort here?¡± This time, there was a long silence before she heard Xiao Juan¡¯s voice. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. She is a woman and could not do anything. If we bring her along, she will only drag us down.¡± Meng Xizhou said, ¡°Don¡¯t say that. The Princess Consort has done a lot.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve already decided on this matter. She¡¯ll stay obediently in the Imperial Capital and not cause trouble for us.¡± His tone was cold and unyielding as if he really treated Yu Niaoniao as a burden. Yu Niaoniao looked at the closed door in front of her and felt indescribably ufortable. She slowly withdrew her hand, lowered her head in frustration, turned around, and walked down the steps. In the house, Xiao Juan sat behind the desk. Although he was speaking to Meng Xizhou, his eyes were on the closed door. He could hear the fading footsteps outside clearly. Meng Xizhou also turned to look at the door and asked. ¡°Was there someone outside just now?¡± Xiao Juan did not answer. His senses were naturally sharper than those of ordinary people. He had already sensed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s presence when she approached the door. He had deliberately said those words to her just now. This time, he went to Liangzhou on an order. Liangzhou was the fief of Princess Ni Yang and his hometown. It was the ce where he was born and where he endured the darkest years of his life. That ce was the source of his nightmares. It was a past he never wanted to look back on. He did not want to bring Niaoniao along. He did not want Niaoniao to fall into that dark quagmire. Initially, he was still in a difficult position, not knowing what to do to make Niaoniao stay obediently in the Imperial Capital. Knowing her, if she found out about his trip to Liangzhou, she would want to apany him. Now it was all good. She would be disappointed in him after what he¡¯d said. She probably wouldn¡¯t want to see him again for a while. Naturally, she wouldn¡¯t apany him to Liangzhou. Meng Xizhou waited for a while. Seeing that Duke Lang had no other instructions, he silently retreated. After he left, only Xiao Juan was left in the room. He turned to look at the vertical screen beside him. In the past, he could see Yu Niaoniao¡¯s figure on the other side through the screen. But now he could see nothing. Niaoniao probably didn¡¯t want to talk to him anymore. However, in the next moment, he heard familiar footsteps. He looked in the direction of the voice and saw Yu Niaoniao storm in. Xiao Juan was very surprised. Hadn¡¯t she already run away in anger? Why was she back? Yu Niaoniao was indeed very sad. She racked her brain to earn money so she could put together the drama under immense pressure. She did all that because she wanted to help Xiao Juan change his image in the hearts of themoners. She wanted more people to understand how good he was. However, Xiao Juan actually said that she was a burden and ignored her thoughts. He had insisted on abandoning her and she had nowhere to vent her grievance and disappointment. She originally wanted to leave the Justice Department and not see Xiao Juan again. But the more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She had done nothing wrong. Why should she run? Taking a step back, even if she really wanted to run, she had to make things clear to Xiao Juan before she ran, lest outsiders who did not know better thought that she was being unreasonable. She, Yu Niaoniao, would not suffer this grievance! Yu Niaoniao rushed over and pped the desk. ¡°Who did you just say was a burden? Try saying that again!¡± When she said this, she was very imposing. Her eyes were burning like a small steel cannon that was ready to fire. As long as Xiao Juan said that she was a burden again, she would immediately explode on the spot and kill him! Xiao Juan did not say anything. Those words just now were not from his heart. He could not say it in front of Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao pointed at him. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can get away with pretending to be dead! You have to make things clear to me today. Otherwise, don¡¯t live like this!¡± After a long time, Xiao Juan spoke. ¡°Since you heard everything, why ask again?¡± Yu Niaoniao was exasperated and spoke without thinking. ¡°Alright! Then I won¡¯t ask anymore. Let¡¯s not live like this anymore. Just write the divorce letter now. We¡¯ll split up now. In the future, you walk your sunny path and I¡¯ll cross my wooden bridge. Let¡¯s not interact with each other anymore!¡± When he heard her mention divorce, Xiao Juan¡¯s expression finally changed. He just wanted to anger Yu Niaoniao so she would stay away. He didn¡¯t want to divorce her. Yu Niaoniao ced the pen and paper heavily in front of him. ¡°Hurry up and write!¡± Realizing that the matter was out of control, Xiao Juan panicked. ¡°Niaoniao, don¡¯t be rash.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to write, right? Then I¡¯ll write!¡± Yu Niaoniao picked up her pen and prepared to write the divorce letter. Xiao Juan pressed her hand down. ¡°Let me exin.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked up. Her eyes were red as if she would cry at any moment. ¡°Then exin!¡± Chapter 426 - Chapter 426: Birthday Chapter 426: Birthday Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan caused a hugemotion, attracting many Eagle Guards. They did not dare to enter and could only gather outside the door and peer into the house. Initially, they were worried that Duke Lang would attack the princess in a fit of anger. They were even prepared to risk their lives to rush in and stop the fight. In the end, he only saw the Princess Consort pping the table and shouting at Duke Lang. Not to mention attacking, he did not even dare to breathe loudly from the beginning to the end. The entire time, they only saw him sitting there and being reprimanded. He was so honest that their heart ached. It was not until the Princess Consort suggested a divorce that Duke Lang became agitated. He pressed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand tightly, refusing to let her write the divorce letter. Meng Xizhou, who was hiding in the crowd watching themotion, could not help but persuade her. ¡°Princess Consort, calm down. Divorce is not a joke.¡± The other Eagle Guards agreed. They quite liked watching themotion, but they did not want Duke Lang and the Princess Consort to really divorce. Yu Niaoniao was furious. She turned and roared at the group outside the door. ¡°What are you looking at? Haven¡¯t you seen a couple fight?¡± Xiao Juan scolded in a low voice, ¡°Get lost!¡± The Eagle Guards were frightened and immediately scattered. In the blink of an eye, the door of Mirror House was empty. Xiao Juan pried open her fingers and pulled the brush out of her hand. Then, he threw the brush far away. After making sure that she could not get the pen, he felt slightly relieved. He looked at Yu Niaoniao¡¯s red eyes and his heart ached. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I never thought of you as a burden. You mean a lot to me. It¡¯s because you¡¯re too important that I don¡¯t want to take you to Liangzhou.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not understand. ¡°Why are you going to Liangzhou? Why can¡¯t you take me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Do you remember Ye Yin?¡± How could Yu Niaoniao not remember? She hurriedly exined, ¡°I have nothing to do with him. I don¡¯t know him at all. Don¡¯t listen to the nonsense outside!¡± Xiao Juan was slightly stunned. ¡°You don¡¯t know him?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded vigorously. ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯ve never even met him. How can I know him? It was all that bastard Wei Liao¡¯s fault. He had deliberately made up some wild lies to make fun of me. Don¡¯t fall for his trap!¡± Xiao Juan did not expect the truth to be like this. So she hadn¡¯t fallen for another man. It had all been a misunderstanding. The dark clouds that had umted in his heart for the past few days dissipated. It didn¡¯t matter even if she didn¡¯t like him. As long as she didn¡¯t like anyone else, she wouldn¡¯t leave him for the time being. Xiao Juan could not help but blurt out, ¡°That¡¯s the best.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°What?¡± Xiao Juan forcefully changed the topic. ¡°Previously, the Eagle Guards captured Ye Yin and learned from him where the suspect in the bribery case was.¡± ¡°Based on the clues he had provided, the Eagle Guards captured the fugitive at Assistant Minister Wei¡¯s house.¡± ¡°That suspect could not bear it. Torture was useless.¡± Yu Niaoniao listened attentively. ¡°And?¡± ¡°Then, we shifted the interrogation target to Assistant Minister Wei. Compared to the lone suspect, Assistant Minister Wei, who had a family and a job, was clearly easier to break through. That proved to be the case. Assistant Minister Wei quickly confessed everything he knew.¡± ¡°But he wasn¡¯t at the center of the bribery case. He didn¡¯t know where the stolen money had gone. He said that he had been coerced into asking a tiger for its skin.¡± ¡°He hid all the letters the man had threatened him in a secretpartment in the study. The Eagle Guards brought back those letters and handed them to me.¡± At this point, Xiao Juan opened the desk drawer and took out a few thin pieces of paper. He ced them in front of Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao immediately picked up the letter and read it carefully. The contents of the letter were very simple, almost the same as what Assistant Minister Wei had said. Because he had been bribed before, someone had something on him and forced him to work for them. Yu Niaoniao flipped through the letters several times. The letters were neither signed nor had any trace of personal information. Even the handwriting was different. It had clearly been deliberately disguised. The letter itself was the most ordinary kind of rice paper on the market. It was neither too expensive nor incredibly cheap. Yu Niaoniao looked up and asked in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s the use of these letters?¡± Xiao Juan reached out his well-defined fingers and gently tapped the words on the paper. ¡°Do you smell it?¡± Yu Niaoniao leaned closer to the letter and sniffed it carefully. ¡°There¡¯s a faint fragrance of ink, but that¡¯s nothing, right? As long as it¡¯s high-quality ink, it will have a hint of fragrance.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°This is not an ordinary ink fragrance. This is the unique smell of Qingyun Mo. Qingyun MO is produced in Qingyun County, and Qingyun County is under the jurisdiction of Liangzhou.¡± That faint ink fragrance was nothing special to ordinary people. However, Xiao Juan¡¯s senses were naturally sharper than those of ordinary people. Even a little fragrance could not escape his nose. He was born in Liangzhou and lived there for a long time. He knew that Qingyun MO was the mostmon ink used by people in Liangzhou and had long memorized that smell. Almost as soon as he touched the letter, he thought of Qingyun Mo. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Is that why you¡¯re going to Liangzhou?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°This is only one of the reasons. The other reason is that Princess Ni Yang¡¯s birthday ising soon. The emperor ordered me to go back and celebrate Princess Ni Yang¡¯s birthday.¡± ¡°Princess Ni Yang¡¯s fief is in Liangzhou, so I have to return to Liangzhou.¡± Yu Niaoniao had once heard Xiao Juan mention Princess Ni Yang. She was a woman who liked delicious food and luxurious clothes and was obsessed with enjoyment. She could even ignore the life and death of her biological son. How could Yu Niaoniao be at ease with Xiao Juan going back to face such a mother? She grabbed Xiao Juan¡¯s sleeve and said go back with you.¡± Xiao Juan was not surprised by this oue. He pulled his sleeve out of Niaoniao¡¯s hand. ¡°On the surface, I¡¯m returning to Liangzhou to celebrate Princess Ni Yang¡¯s birthday. In fact, I¡¯m there to investigate the rtionship between the bribery case and Liangzhou.¡± ¡°This is not a joke. It might be very dangerous. It¡¯s safer for you to stay in the Imperial Capital.¡± Yu Niaoniao refused to stop and asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t I encounter many dangers when I went to Liaodong County previously? Not only did I not implicate you, but I also helped you. Why can¡¯t I do it this time if it¡¯s Liangzhou?¡± Xiao Juan was silent. Yu Niaoniao looked into his eyes and asked word by word. ¡°Is it because of Princess Ni Yang?¡± Xiao Juan subconsciously avoided her gaze. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to be in danger again.¡± Seeing that he refused to tell the truth, Yu Niaoniao did not ask further. She just emphasized her attitude again. ¡°No matter what you¡¯re worried about, I¡¯m going to Liangzhou with you. Unless you divorce me, don¡¯t even think about getting rid of me!¡± It was impossible to divorce. Not in this life. Xiao Juan could only reply, ¡°Let me think about it again..¡± Chapter 427 - Chapter 427: Act First and Report Later Chapter 427: Act First and Report Later Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios They returned to the Langjun Imperial Pce in the evening. Yu Niaoniao felt that the misunderstanding had been resolved. Xiao Juan probably would not sleep in separate rooms with her tonight. However, after dinner, he went to the study again. Yu Niaoniao was immediately furious and ran to knock on the door angrily. Xiao Juan had just opened the box and saw a set of bookmarks inside. A cute cartoon figure was drawn on each bookmark. It was obvious that this was Niaoniao¡¯s doing. Xiao Juan thought of the scene when Niaoniao made these bookmarks. The corners of his mouth involuntarily curled up, and his expression softened. At this moment, the voice that represented rationality sounded in his mind and said, ¡°Wake up! She made these bookmarks to please you. She wants you to help find out the truth about the Feng family¡¯s destruction. She¡¯s using you. Don¡¯t fall for her trap!¡± The smile on Xiao Juan¡¯s face faded slightly. But his gaze on the bookmark was still affectionate. Even if it was to use him, it didn¡¯t matter. As long as it was something she wanted to do, he would do his best to help her. Knock knock knock! Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door. Xiao Juan immediately stopped smiling and ced the bookmark back into the box. He walked over and opened the door. He sawYu Niaoniao standing outside. ¡°It¡¯ste. Why are you looking for me?¡± Yu Niaoniao said solemnly with a tense face. ¡°I¡¯ve already made things clear to you. I don¡¯t even know Ye Yin. I¡¯ve never done anything wrong to you. Why are you still throwing a tantrum?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯m not throwing a tantrum.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not believe him. ¡°If you¡¯re not throwing a tantrum, why are you sleeping in the study?¡± Xiao Juan lowered his eyes and said softly. ¡°Because I know my limits.¡± She didn¡¯t like him, so he naturally had to keep a distance from her. Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°What limits?¡± Xiao Juan did not answer. There were some things that it was enough for everyone to know. If he had to make it clear, it would embarrass both parties. Xiao Juan forcefully changed the topic. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to go to Liangzhou? I¡¯ll agree to it.¡± The surprise came too quickly. Yu Niaoniao could not help but be stunned. The series of questions she had prepared were also stuck in her throat. Xiao Juan continued, ¡°We¡¯re preparing to set off in three days. It¡¯s a long journey to Liangzhou this time, and the weather in Liangzhou is very different from the Imperial Capital. Remember to bring more winter clothes.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded in agreement. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Go to sleep.¡± With that, he closed the door. Yu Niaoniao looked at the closed door and finally came back to her senses. Wasn¡¯t she here to ask Xiao Juan about it? But in the end, she didn¡¯t get anything out of him! He was fooling her again! Yu Niaoniao raised her hand and wanted to knock again, but when she thought of Xiao Juan dodging, her raised hand fell again. Initially, she thought that the conflict between her and Xiao Juan came from Ye Yin. As long as she exined clearly, everything would be fine. The result waspletely different from what she had expected. Xiao Juan was still avoiding her. He didn¡¯t even want to discuss the problem between them. Every time she mentioned this, he would change the topic. On second thought, perhaps the problem between them had nothing to do with outsiders at all. From the beginning, she approached Xiao Juan with a motive. Xiao Juan happened to have an extremely sensitive personality. Once he realized that he had been deceived, it would be difficult for him to trust her again. All their present problems resulted from this. Trust was something that could not be re-established with just a few pleasant words. Even if she knocked on the study door tonight and forcefully brought Xiao Juan back to the bedroom, the problem between them would still exist. If she wanted to really solve the problem, she still had to rely on practical actions. Yu Niaoniao let out a long sigh. There was still a long way to go! She returned to the bedroom. Instead of sleeping directly, she took out her pen, ink, paper, and inkstone. She began writing her revival n for Qirui Opera Troupe in the dim candlelight. There were only three days left. She had to write the n as soon as possible so that she could trick Wei Liao into¡­ oh, no, get the sponsorship from him. This way, even if she was not in the Imperial Capital for a long time, Qirui Opera Troupe would be able to obtain enough money to sessfully bring Prince of Lang, Liaodong, to the stage. At the same time, an uninvited guest arrived at Wei Liao¡¯s house. This person was wearing a wide ck cloak, and his entire face was hidden under the hood. Behind him were four guards. When he took off his hood and looked up, Wei Liao finally saw his face clearly and couldn¡¯t help but look surprised. ¡°Father, why are you here?¡± The person who came was Wei Huai¡¯en, the eunuch beside the emperor. Due to his identity, Wei Huai¡¯en rarely left the pce. Usually, if he had any instructions, he would send someone to convey them to Wei Liao. He had actuallye personally tonight, which really shocked Wei Liao. Wei Huai¡¯en waved his hand. The guards understood and silently retreated. They guarded the door and forbade irrelevant people from approaching. Wei Huai¡¯en sat down at the head of the table and spoke slowly. ¡°You should have heard Duke Lang is about to leave for Liangzhou, right?¡± Wei Liao nodded. ¡°Yes, I heard that Princess Ni Yang¡¯s birthday ising soon. Duke Lang is going back to congratte her.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en said, ¡°Princess Ni Yang celebrates her birthday every year. Why is it only this year that the emperor asked Duke Lang to go back and congratte Wei Liao said respectfully, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I hope Father can enlighten me.¡± ¡°Recently, the Justice Department has been investigating a corruption case. The dirty money involved is eight million taels. Now that this dirty money is missing, it must not be a coincidence that Duke Lang is going to Liangzhou at this time.¡± Wei Liao understood. ¡°Are you suspecting that the dirty money is hidden in Liangzhou?¡± Wei Huai¡¯en did not give a positive answer. ¡°This is just a guess. The truth remains to be confirmed. I¡¯m telling you these things because I want you to have an idea. When you go to Liangzhou, you¡¯ll have a rough goal and won¡¯t be led by the nose.¡± Wei Liao was puzzled. ¡°Do I have to go to Liangzhou too?¡± ¡°Yes, this is the emperor¡¯s idea. He¡¯s worried about Duke Lang and wants you to follow him to Liangzhou.¡± At this point, Wei Huai¡¯en took out a secret order and ced it in front of Wei Liao. ¡°This is a secret order given by the emperor. Keep it well. If Duke Lang and Princess Ni Yang have any ill intentions, you can act first and reportter.¡± Wei Liao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He took the secret order with both hands and carefully put it away. Wei Liao could not help but ask, ¡°I don¡¯t understand. If the emperor doesn¡¯t trust Duke Lang, why did he send him to Liangzhou?¡± There were so many people in the court. The emperor could choose anyone to go to Liangzhou. There was really no need to go through so much trouble. Wei Huai¡¯en only said four words indifferently. ¡°The heart is unpredictable.¡± He stood up and prepared to leave. Before he left, he suddenly thought of something and looked at Wei Liao. ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve been very close to the Princess of Lang County recently?¡± Wei Liao smiled. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s quite interesting.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget what I told you before. Stay away from Duke Lang.¡± ¡°I understand what you mean. Don¡¯t worry. My approach to the Princess Consort would only make Duke Lang hate and wary of me even more. And isn¡¯t that what that person wants to see?¡± Although he did not name the person, it was implicit who ¡°that person¡± was. Wei Huai En did not say anything else. He pulled up his hood and returned to the pce under the escort of his guards.. Chapter 428 - Chapter 428: Obsession Chapter 428: Obsession Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao stayed up all night and finally finished writing the proposal. She was so sleepy that her eyelids kept falling. But she couldn¡¯t sleep yet. She still had to go to work in the Justice Department and give this proposal to Wei Liao. There was no rest day for workers! Yu Niaoniao walked out of the bedroom with two huge dark circles under her eyes. She kept yawning along the way. In the dining hall, Granny Xiu Yan had already prepared breakfast. When she saw Yu Niaoniao, she could not help but be stunned and quickly asked. ¡°Princess Consort, where did you gost night? Why do you have such dark circles under your eyes?¡± Yu Niaoniao subconsciously touched her eyes and said guiltily, ¡°Nothing much. Perhaps I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night.¡± At this moment, Xiao Juan walked in. When he saw Yu Niaoniao, he immediately frowned and asked the same question as Granny Xiu Yan. ¡°What did you dost night?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled awkwardly. ¡°Haha, I just didn¡¯t sleep well. I¡¯ll just catch up on my sleepter.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Then hurry up and catch up on your sleep after you¡¯re done eating. You don¡¯t have to go to the Justice Department for the next three days. Stay at home and pack your luggage. At the same time, prepare a few birthday gifts for Princess Ni Yang.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately nodded in agreement. After breakfast, Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha went to the Justice Department as usual. Yu Niaoniao did not return to the house to rest. She pocketed the n and rode out on the donkey. She first got someone to send a letter to Wei Liao and asked him to meet her in a private room on the third floor of the Heavenly Oriole Garden. Then, she rode her donkey straight to the Heavenly Oriole Garden. She remembered the rumors outside. They had spread from the Sky Oriole Garden. There were too many people in this ce to tell who had more mouths. Initially, she did not want toe here again, but Ye Yin¡¯s matter still needed an oue, so she had no choice but toe again today. In order to avoid causing another misunderstanding, Yu Niaoniao specially brought a bamboo hat out this time. There was a circle of white gauze at the edge of the bamboo hat. The white gauze fell and could cover her face, making it impossible to see her face. Since she had covered her face, she naturally could not enter the Sky Oriole Garden by showing her face. However, the tickets to the Heavenly Oriole Garden had long been sold out. Yu Niaoniao could only grit her teeth and endure the pain of spending a high price to buy a ticket from the scalpers. Her heart was bleeding when she entered the Sky Oriole Garden with the tickets. Heavens, this was all money! She would nevere to this godforsaken ce again. It was too expensive! When Yu Niaoniao went upstairs, she was stopped by the waiter. ¡°Sir, you can¡¯t go upstairs without an appointment.¡± Yu Niaoniao directly reported Zheng Changle¡¯s name. When the clerk heard the young master¡¯s name, he immediately let him in. Yu Niaoniao went straight to the third floor, pushed open the door, and walked into the private room. As soon as she sat down, Zheng Changle, the little fatty, ran over. Seeing that Yu Niaoniao was wearing a bamboo hat, he could not help but ask. ¡°There¡¯s no sun or wind or rain in this house. Why are you wearing a bamboo hat? Don¡¯t you feel stuffy?¡± It was indeed very stuffy to wear a bamboo hat in the house. It was indeed very stuffy to wear a bamboo hat in the house. Since there was no one else here, Yu Niaoniao took off her bamboo hat. Zheng Changle gasped when he saw her face. ¡°Oh my god, why are your dark circles so heavy? Did you go out as a thiefst night?¡± Yu Niaoniao had no choice but to exin again. ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night.¡¯ Zheng Changle clicked his tongue. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. You don¡¯t look like you didn¡¯t sleep well. Instead, you look like your energy has been sucked away by a demoness. Tell me honestly, did you go somewhere to have funst night?¡± Yu Niaoniao yawned. ¡°I stayed at homest night and didn¡¯t go anywhere.¡± Zheng Changle¡¯s smile became even more ambiguous. ¡°Aiyo, I didn¡¯t expect Sister-inw to be so powerful. She squeezed your body dry.¡± Yu Niaoniao coughed lightly. ¡°Watch your manners.¡± She was mindful of cracking dirty jokes lest she got investigated. After chatting about the gossip, Zheng Changle finally got down to business. ¡°I heard you bought Qirui Opera Troupe?¡± There was nothing to hide. Yu Niaoniao admitted frankly. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Zheng Changle leaned over and asked in a low voice, ¡°How much did it cost?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Why are you asking so many questions?¡± Zheng Changle chuckled, and two dimples actually appeared on his fair and fat face. ¡°I know you¡¯re not interested in opera. You bought Qirui Opera Troupe for Prince of Lang, Liaodong. ¡°Why don¡¯t we do this? No matter how much you pay for Qirui Opera Troupe, I¡¯ll pay 30% more for it.¡¯ ¡°With this money, you could totally buy a better troupe.¡± ¡°If you really can¡¯t, you can still set up your own opera troupe. If youck people, you cane to me. I have everything here.¡± ¡°How about that? It¡¯s still a good deal for you.¡¯ Yu Niaoniao poured herself a cup of tea. She took two sips of tea before speaking slowly. ¡°Young Master Zheng is so rich. Why must you be so persistent about Qirui Opera Troupe?¡± Zheng Changle smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s not that I have an obsession with Qirui Opera Troupe, but my father¡¯s obsession is too deep! He had always wanted topletely defeat Liu Qirui.¡± ¡°As long as he could get his hands on Chery Drama Company, Liu Qirui would bepletely defeated by my father.¡± ¡°This way, I can fulfill one of my father¡¯s long-cherished wishes.¡± Yu Niaoniao put down her teacup. ¡°Qirui Opera Troupe is already in dire straits. Your father has long been a winner.¡± Zheng Changle shook his head. ¡°These are just appearances.¡± ¡°To people like Liu Qirui and my father, as long as there was a trace of hope, they could not be considered aplete failure.¡± ¡°And you are Liu Qirui¡¯sst hope.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You want to extinguish Liu Qirui¡¯sst hope?¡± Zheng Changle hurriedly exined. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I actually admire Liu Qirui very much. I don¡¯t have any ill intentions toward him. Even if I bought Qirui Opera Troupe, I wouldn¡¯t do anything to him. I¡¯ll feed him well and let him livefortably.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked unhurriedly, ¡°Do you think Liu Qirui can ept this oue?¡± Zheng Changleughed awkwardly. ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m discussing it with you. As long as you agree, this matter will be settled. ¡± ¡°As for Liu Qirui, he might not be able to ept it for a while.¡± ¡°In the future, he will naturally be able to ept it.¡± Yu Niaoniao also smiled. ¡°That¡¯s a good thought. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t take you up on your offer.¡± Zheng Changle was puzzled. ¡°Why? This business won¡¯t do you any harm.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°As a person, I have to be honest. Since I promised Liu Qirui that I would help Qirui Opera Troupe make aeback, I have to do what I say.¡± Zheng Changle was even more surprised when he heard her say that. ¡°You don¡¯t really think Qirui Opera can still make aeback, do you?¡± Back then, the reason why he introduced Qirui Opera Troupe to Yu Niaoniao was that Liu Qirui was prejudiced against them and refused to sell them the troupe no matter what. He had no choice but to let Yu Niaoniao appear. He nned to wait for Yu Niaoniao to buy the opera troupe before increasing the price to buy it from her. From the beginning to the end, he did not think there was any hope of Qirui Opera Troupe making aeback.. Chapter 429 - Chapter 429: Proposal Chapter 429: Proposal Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Why not?¡± Zheng Changle advised earnestly. ¡°Did Liu Qirui not tell you about the situation with Qirui Opera Troupe?¡± ¡°Not only had their opera troupe offended the influential people in the capital, but they also owed a lot of debt.¡± ¡°The celebrities and musicians the troupe had spent a lot of effort nurturing had all run away. Now, their opera troupe could not even afford a servant.¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯ve taken over Qirui Opera Troupe, not only do you have to help them pay their debts, but you also have to prevent the dignitaries from looking for trouble again.¡± ¡°In addition, they had to pay a high price to poach people elsewhere and find a new venue¡­¡± ¡°Are you sure you can bear such a heavy burden?¡± ¡°Taking a step back, even if you really carried it, you could not guarantee that Qirui Opera Troupe would definitely be popr in the future.¡± ¡°Taking another step back, even if Qirui Opera Troupe was really lucky and popr, it would be difficult to fill in the amount of money you had invested in a short time.¡± ¡°Even if you just recoup your capital, it would take a long time. Why? You don¡¯t have to torture yourself like this at all!¡± Yu Niaoniao extended a finger and said unhurriedly. ¡°First, I¡¯m not afraid of the powerful. If anyone dares toe looking for trouble, I can beat them up.¡± ¡°Second, I¡¯ve already paid off all the debts owed by Qirui Opera Troupe.¡± ¡°Third, don¡¯t you have famous actors here? Don¡¯t forget that you promised to give Ye Yin to me.¡± Zheng Changle looked at her in shock. For a moment, he didn¡¯t know whether toin that she was too rich or that she wasn¡¯t afraid of death. Zheng Changle persuaded him for a long time. His mouth was dry, but Yu Niaoniao still refused to change her mind. No matter how he calcted, he did not expect to misjudge Yu Niaoniao in the end. This person looked like he was focused on earning money, but he was actually a naive and stubborn fellow. His father had told him before that such people were the hardest to deal with. Naive people had a unique set of values. Money could not move them. Coupled with stubbornness, it was simply hopeless. Zheng Changle could only admit defeat. ¡°Alright, if you want to keep the Qirui Opera Troupe, keep it. In the future, if you feel that you can¡¯t hold on anymore, you cane to me anytime. I¡¯ll still increase the price by 30%. I won¡¯t go back on my word.¡± He was certain that Qirui Opera Troupe would notst long. In the end, Qirui Opera Troupe would still fall into the hands of his family. Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°That day won¡¯te.¡± At this moment, the door of the private room was pushed open and Wei Liao walked in. He immediately saw the two huge dark circles under Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes and asked. ¡°Did you go thievingst night?¡± Yu Niaoniao rolled her eyes at him. ¡°That¡¯s right. I went to your house to steal something. Hurry up and report it to the authorities and arrest me.¡± Wei Liaoughed. ¡°I¡¯m an official. I can arrest you now.¡± Yu Niaoniao extended her hands. ¡°Don¡¯t just say it. Catch me now.¡± She was sure that the other party was just having fun with his mouth. He definitely wouldn¡¯t really arrest her. Unexpectedly, Wei Liao really took out a set of iron chains. Seeing this, Yu Niaoniao retracted her ws. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Wei Liao smiled faintly. ¡°Since you admit that you¡¯re a thief, of course, I have to arrest you.¡± Yu Niaoniao retorted, ¡°Then if I say that I¡¯m your ancestor, will you immediately kneel down and kowtow to me three times?¡± Wei Liao sized her up and sneered, ¡°With someone like you, you¡¯re more like a foot-washing maid to my ancestor.¡± Yu Niaoniao mocked, ¡°You¡¯re paranoid at such a young age. How pitiful!¡± Zheng Changle found it very interesting to listen to the two of them bicker. This was much more interesting than listening to a y! Wei Liao noticed that there was still an onlooker beside him and immediately changed his target to Zheng Changle. ¡°Didn¡¯t Brother Yu only invite me? Why is Brother Zheng here?¡± Zheng Changle smiled and exined, ¡°I¡¯m here to discuss something with Brother Yu.¡± Wei Liao sat down in the empty seat beside him and asked with a faint smile. ¡°Are you done discussing?¡± Zheng Changle felt a chill down his spine from his gaze and immediately stood up. ¡°We¡¯re almost done talking. I¡¯ll leave now. Enjoy your chat.¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped him. ¡°You haven¡¯t given me a definite answer about Ye Yin. Is heing or not?¡± Zheng Changle said truthfully, ¡°I¡¯ve already told Ye Yin about this. He agreed immediately. He said that he¡¯s very grateful to you for taking him in. He can go on stage to perform at any time.¡± If it were in the past, it would definitely cost a lot of money to poach Ye Yin. But things were different now. Now that everyone knew that Ye Yin had been imprisoned in the Justice Department, who would dare to take him in? He was already very satisfied as long as he could have a ce to stay. Yu Niaoniao asked Ye Yin about his recent health and learned that he was almost better, so she said, ¡°Get Ye Yin to pack up. He cane with me to Qirui Opera Troupeter.¡± Zheng Changle nodded in agreement. After Zheng Changle left, only Yu Niaoniao and Wei Liao were left in the private room. Wei Liao leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. ¡°Why did you call me here?¡± Yu Niaoniao took out the proposal and ced it on the table. ¡°This is the proposal for the revival of Qirui Opera Troupe. Take a look.¡± Wei Liao did not take the proposal. His eyes were still on Yu Niaoniao. ¡°You didn¡¯t sleepst night just to write this?¡± Yu Niaoniao said stubbornly, ¡°How is that possible? I casually wrote this n. Why would I need to spend the entire night?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the dark circles on your face?¡± Yu Niaoniao forced a quibble. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it just now? I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night. Cut the crap and quickly read the proposal. If there¡¯s a problem, tell me now. I¡¯ll change it for you immediately.¡± It was not fun being Party B. When she became rich in the future, she would also be a party A! Wei Liao picked up the proposal and read it. Based on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s understanding of him, this fellow would definitely seize the opportunity to find fault with her. She might have to work overtime to change the proposal when she returned today. Yu Niaoniao was prepared to face the sarcasm. Unexpectedly, Wei Liao only casually flipped through two pages. Then, he took out the personal seal he carried with him and stamped the end of the proposal. He then put the mud to his finger and pressed his handprint on it. After doing this, he wiped his fingers with a silk handkerchief, took out a stack of banknotes, and threw them in front of Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Three thousand taels, is that enough?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not react and looked at him in a daze. Was she dreaming? Did this guy actually pay so decisively? Wei Liao knocked on the table and urged impatiently. ¡°Say something!¡± Yu Niaoniao came back to her senses and hurriedly picked up the banknotes. ¡°That¡¯s enough money.¡± Wei Liao nodded and put the proposal into his pocket. ¡°Then that¡¯s it. Take the money and go back to sleep. Be careful not to die suddenly.¡± With that, he got up and left. Yu Niaoniao quickly stopped him. ¡°You can¡¯t take the n with you!¡± However, Wei Liao didn¡¯t seem to hear her. He walked quickly and left the private room in the blink of an eye.. Chapter 430 - Chapter 430: Independence Chapter 430: Independence Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The proposal was taken away by Wei Liao, so Yu Niaoniao had no choice but to write another one. This time, she wrote in greater detail. She even specially marked a few of the more important ces with a red pen. When she was done, she found Yu Pingping. Yu Pingping was quite surprised when she arrived at the Langjun Imperial Pce. ¡°You actually took the initiative to ask me out. That¡¯s really rare!¡± Yu Niaoniao drank a cup of strong tea and felt much more energetic. ¡°Sister, sit down. It¡¯s been a long time since the two of us spoke alone.¡± Yu Pingping had goosebumps all over her body when she called her sister. She could not help but shake her arms, looking like she could not stand it. ¡°If you have something to say, just say it. Don¡¯t give me that.¡± Yu Niaoniao gave her a meaningful smile. ¡®You¡¯reing of age next year. I suppose Father is going to matchmake you?¡± At the mention of this, Yu Pingping pouted andined angrily. ¡°Previously, Father helped introduce me to a young man from a family. However, after my mother¡¯s ident, that family quickly arranged a marriage for their young man.¡± ¡°It was as if he was afraid that I would cling to them. Hmph! They don¡¯t like me, but I don¡¯t like them too. What¡¯s the big deal!¡± Yu Niaoniao said earnestly. ¡°Sister, I¡¯ve been there before. I can understand your feelings very well.¡± ¡°Actually, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It was those people outside who looked at you with prejudice. You don¡¯t have to care about them. You just have to be yourself.¡± Ever since Yu Pingping fell out with those sisters, she rarely said such private words to anyone. In the past, when Madam Jiang was around, she could still chat with her for a while. Later on, Madam Jiang was sent away, and no one talked to her about this anymore. Although her brother was very good to her, he was a man after all. His thoughts were not as delicate as a woman¡¯s, and he knew nothing about a woman¡¯s thoughts. Yu Pingping could not talk to him about these topics. Hearing Yu Niaoniao¡¯s words, Yu Pingping could not help but feel a lump in her throat. But she insisted on being stubborn and said angrily, ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. How can anyonepletely ignore the gazes of others?¡± ¡°Father often said that reputation was the most important thing for a woman. Now that my reputation has be like this, those good gentlemen will definitely look down on me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what will happen in the future.¡± Yu Niaoniao said encouragingly, ¡°I don¡¯t think Father ispletely right. Reputation is indeed important, but it¡¯s not the most important. You don¡¯t have to undervalue yourself because of this.¡± ¡°If I were you, instead of cing all your hopes on your future husband, who is not even decided on yet, why don¡¯t you build it yourself?¡± Yu Pingping was puzzled. ¡°How?¡± Yu Niaoniao took out the proposal and ced it in front of her. ¡°I recently took over an opera troupe and am preparing for a new show. This is my n. Take a look. If you¡¯re interested, you can consider joining.¡± Yu Pingping did not understand. ¡°Even if you want to do business, you can do business like satin teahouses, rouge, and makeup. There¡¯s no need to set up a troupe, right? Acting is a lowly profession. You¡¯ll be looked down upon.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Look, this is prejudice. Just now, youined that people looked down on you. Now, you turn around and despise others. What¡¯s the difference between you and those who are biased?¡± Yu Pingping blushed in embarrassment. This time, she was not stubborn. She lowered her head and did not say anything else. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I naturally have my reasons for buying the opera troupe. You¡¯ll naturally know in the future. Look at the proposal first.¡± Yu Pingping opened the n and read silently. At first, she was quite calm. The more she read, the wider her eyes became. After reading it, she was in a state of shock and muttered. ¡°There are actually so many tricks in a show? Why haven¡¯t I seen it before?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s naturally no such thing anywhere else. These tricks will only appear in our Qirui Opera Troupe.¡± Everyone had a curious mentality, and Yu Pingping was naturally no exception. She could not wait to see Cheery¡¯s Theatre reopened. Yu Pingping said, ¡°You just said you wanted me to join. How can I join?¡± Yu Niaoniao exined, ¡°I¡¯m going to Liangzhou with Duke Lang in two days. This trip will take at least half a year.¡± ¡°I will not be in the Imperial Capital and cannot take care of Qirui Opera Troupe, so I wanted someone to help me watch over it. After thinking about it, I think you¡¯re the most suitable.¡± Yu Pingping pointed at her nose and asked in surprise. ¡°Can I do it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not difficult. Liu Qirui is in charge of the opera troupe. You don¡¯t have to worry. You just have to help me do two things.¡± ¡°The first thing is to help me hold on to these banknotes. If Liu Qirui needs money, as long as it¡¯s within a reasonable range, you would give it to him.¡± ¡°The second thing was to check the ounts at the theater once a month. Leave a copy of the ount book for me to check when I get back.¡± With that, she took out three thousand taels of silver and ced it in front of Yu Pingping. It sounded quite simple. Yu Pingping felt a little more confident. ¡°I did learn from my mother how to check the ounts, but are you sure you can trust me with so much money?¡± Yu Niaoniaoughed. ¡°You¡¯re my biological sister. If I can¡¯t even trust you, who else can I trust?¡± Yu Pingping was very touched. It felt like drinking a cup of hot tea in the dead of winter. Her heart was warm. She promised solemnly, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely help you do this!¡± Yu Niaoniao continued, ¡°When you¡¯re familiar with it, you¡¯ll be in charge of Qirui Opera Troupe¡¯s ounts in the future.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay you monthly and have a bonus at the end of the year. The amount will definitely satisfy you.¡± ¡°When you have your own career and a stable source of ie, you can speak and do things more confidently in the future.¡± ¡°In the future, if you saved enough money, you could even buy some businesses for yourself.¡± ¡°When you don¡¯t have to rely on others and can livefortably on your own, you¡¯ll really stand tall.¡¯ Yu Pingping was very strong-willed and did not want to listen to others¡¯ arrangements for everything. The future blueprint drawn by Yu Niaoniao hit her heart. She had always felt that her mother was too stupid. She had ced all her hopes on her family and thought that her family was her greatest backer. In the end, her family had almost caused Madam Jiang¡¯s son to lose his life. She did not want to be like her mother. She had to have the right to speak for herself. Yu Pingping took the banknotes and counted them before carefully pocketing them. ¡°Am I working now?¡± Yu Niaoniao stood up. ¡°You still don¡¯t know where Qirui Opera Troupe is. I¡¯ll bring you to recognize the door and introduce you to each other. It¡¯ll be easier for you to interact in the future.¡± Yu Pingping nodded. The sisters took a carriage to Qirui Opera House. After Yu Niaoniao¡¯s introduction, Yu Pingping and the Liu father and daughter had a preliminary understanding of each other. Then, Yu Niaoniao left the n and script to Liu Qirui and instructed,¡±l¡¯m leaving the Imperial Capital for a while. I¡¯ll leave Qirui Opera Troupe to you. I hope to see a new scene when I return.¡± Liu Qirui promised, ¡°I won¡¯t let you down!¡± Chapter 431 - Chapter 431: Acupuncture Point Chapter 431: Acupuncture Point Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios When Yu Niaoniao returned home, it was already afternoon. She was so tired that she didn¡¯t even bother to take off her clothes. She fell into bed and fell asleep. She slept soundly. When she woke up, the house was dark. She called Chun Feng and Ye Yu in and asked what time it was. Chun Feng replied truthfully, ¡°It¡¯s already midnight.¡± Yu Niaoniao rubbed her eyes. It was already sote! Chun Feng helped her out of bed, and Ye Yu found clothes for her. Yu Niaoniao yawned. ¡°Is His Highness back?¡± Chun Feng pursed his lips and smiled. ¡°He was back long ago. He even came to see you, but you were still asleep at that time. You didn¡¯t know.¡± Only then did Yu Niaoniao realize that she was wearing a coat before she fell asleep. Why did her coat disappear after she slept? She asked Chun Feng and Ye Yu if they had changed them. Chun Feng and Ye Yu shook their heads and said no. Yu Niaoniao touched her chin. Could it be that Xiao Juan had helped her take off her coat? She wanted to ask Xiao Juan, but her stomach was rumbling with hunger. It was more important to fill her stomach first. Yu Niaoniao touched her stomach. ¡°Is there anything to eat?¡± Ye Yu immediately said, ¡°Dinner has been hot on the stove. I¡¯ll bring it over for you now.¡± After eating and drinking her fill, Yu Niaoniao ran to the study to look for Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan was still awake. When he saw her, his expression was still indifferent. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Yu Niaoniao leaned over and asked with a smile, ¡°I heard from Chun Feng and Ye Yu that you visited me tonight and even undressed me?¡± Xiao Juan frowned slightly. When he went to see her, he saw that she had not even taken off her coat when she slept. He felt she could be ufortable sleeping in her outerwear, so he helped her take it off. This was originally a small matter. Why did it sound like something else when it came from Yu Niaoniao? However, this matter was not easy to exin. In order to avoid making things worse, Xiao Juan simply denied it. ¡°I didn¡¯t take off your clothes.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him wide-eyed. ¡°You¡¯re still not admitting it?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it. Why should I admit it?¡± From the looks of it, he was nning to deny it. However, Yu Niaoniao had no choice. Who asked her to have no evidence? She snorted. ¡°If not you, then a puppy undressed me.¡± Xiao Juan, who had been forced to be a dog, was speechless. He forcefully changed the subject. ¡°You came to me specifically to talk about this?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Of course, there¡¯s something else. Isn¡¯t Princess Ni Yang¡¯s birthdaying up? What kind of congrattory gift should I prepare for her? I don¡¯t know Princess Ni Yang very well. Give me some advice.¡± When she said thest sentence, she dragged out her tone slightly, as if she was wheedling. Xiao Juan could not deal with her wheedling. He instinctively turned his head away, afraid to look at her again. ¡°She likes delicacies in the Hua Residence. There is still a lot of jewelry and satin rewarded by the emperor in the storeroom. Pick some of the fresher styles and wrap them up before sending them over.¡± Yu Niaoniao sensed his avoidance. She deliberately leaned closer. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it seem too perfunctory to just give these? Do you want to prepare some other antiques, calligraphy, and paintings?¡± Xiao Juan immediately took two steps to the side and distanced himself from her. ¡°There¡¯s no need. She doesn¡¯t like those. Besides, she doesn¡¯tck such things. We just have to be polite.¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked. ¡°Why have you been avoiding me?¡± Xiao Juan quickly denied it. ¡°No.¡± Yu Niaoniao leaned over again and asked with a naughty smile, ¡°Really?¡± Xiao Juan suddenly reached out and tapped her acupoints. Yu Niaoniao immediately could not move. She red at the man in front of her with wide eyes in silent usation. The bastard actually did this to her again! Xiao Juan picked her up and strode out of the study. He walked through the corridor and into the bedroom. He gently ced her on the bed and covered her with a nket. However, Yu Niaoniao was not sleepy at all. She red at Xiao Juan angrily. Xiao Juan sighed softly, his voice like a murmur. ¡°Since you don¡¯t like me, don¡¯t provoke me again.¡± Yu Niaoniao wanted to refute him. It was not that she did not like him. But she was still lit up and could not say a word. She could only stare. ¡°Rest well. The acupuncture points will be unlocked in an hour.¡± After saying this, Xiao Juan turned around and left. Yu Niaoniao could only lie on the bed and look up at the sky speechlessly. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She could not let this matter go! The next day, Yu Niaoniao especially woke up early. She ran to Lo Pingsha for advice. ¡°Your medical skills are so superb. You should know your acupuncture points very well, right?¡± Lo Pingsha was puzzled. ¡°Why are you asking?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I have a friend. She¡¯s often tapped on her acupoints. Every time she¡¯s tapped, she can¡¯t move. She¡¯s very distressed about this, so she asked me to ask you if there¡¯s any way to remove her acupoints on her own.¡± Lo Pingsha was surprised. ¡°Are you often tapped? Who did it?¡± Yu Niaoniao emphasized guiltily. ¡°It¡¯s my friend, not me!¡± Lo Pingsha did not expose her. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s actually very simple to unseal your acupoints yourself.¡± Yu Niaoniao pricked up her ears. ¡°How?¡± ¡°As long as your internal energy is stronger than the other party¡¯s, you can break through your acupoints with your internal energy alone.¡± Yu Niaoniao was immediately disappointed. ¡°If my internal energy were stronger than his, I wouldn¡¯t have to ask you.¡± Lo Pingsha immediately pressed, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that person was your friend?¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Oh no! She had identally let it slip. Yu Niaoniao decided to forget about that part and forcefully changed the topic. ¡°Is there any other way?¡± Lo Pingsha shook his head. ¡°No.¡± Yu Niaoniao refused to give up. ¡°If I practice martial arts from now on, how long will it take me to catch up to my opponent?¡± ¡°That depends on how strong your opponent is.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°He¡¯s probably as strong as Duke Lang.¡± Lo Pingsha immediately became excited and said angrily, ¡°Prince Lang actually tapped your acupoint? Why did he do this to you?¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Why did his brain react so quickly to such a thing?! Yu Niaoniao tried her best to maintain thestyer of privacy. ¡°Not Duke Lang. I¡¯m just using him as a reference.¡± Lo Pingsha spoke righteously. ¡°Stop covering for Duke Lang. There are only zero and countless domestic violence. If you keep enduring it, he will only be worse in the future. Please be brave and tell us what happened. We¡¯ll help you!¡± Yu Niaoniao exined weakly, ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.. Lo Pingsha was indignant. ¡°Princess Consort, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll go to Duke Lang now and ask him to give you an exnation. How can a man attack his wife?!¡± Seeing that he was really going to look for Xiao Juan, Yu Niaoniao had no choice but, to tell the truth. ¡°I was the one who wanted to do something bad to him. He wasn¡¯t willing, so he attacked me.¡± Lo Pingsha said nothing.. Chapter 432 - Chapter 432: Erectile Dysfunction Chapter 432: Erectile Dysfunction Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Until Yu Niaoniao left, Lo Pingsha was still in an indescribablyplicated state. His beautiful wife took the initiative to throw herself into his arms. As her husband, not only was Duke Lang indifferent, he even stopped her. Was this something a normal man could do?! Since Duke Lang could do it, it meant that he was not a normal man. Lo Pingsha was considered knowledgeable. There were only two possibilities for such a situation¡ª Either he was gay or he had an obstacle in that area. Duke Lang did not look like a homosexual. Thetter was clearly more likely. Then he thought of the conflict between Duke Lang and the Princess Consort recently. It might have something to do with Duke Lang¡¯s ipetence in bed. This also exined why Duke Lang deliberately ignored her when he clearly had the princess in his heart. Because he couldn¡¯t, he could only be cold. The more Lo Pingsha thought about it, the more he felt that this was the truth! Duke Lang and the Princess Consort had done him a favor. He could not watch the two of them continue to be in a stalemate. He had to cure Duke Lang so that this couple could live a harmonious and perfect life. Lo Pingsha remembered a medical book that specifically recorded how to treat men with erectile dysfunction. He immediately rummaged through the book and studied it. When it was lunchtime, Lo Pingsha especially went to the dining hall early to wait. As soon as he saw Duke Lang appear, he immediately went up to him. ¡°Your Highness, can we talk in private?¡± Seeing his serious expression, Xiao Juan thought that it was some important secret and nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± They walked to the private room and sat down. Lo Pingsha lowered his voice and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already heard the Princess Consort talk about you. Your Highness, you can¡¯t continue like this. If there¡¯s a problem, you have to resolve it as soon as possible. If you dy it, it will only get worse. It¡¯s bad for you and the Princess Consort.¡± Xiao Juan looked at him expressionlessly. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Lo Pingsha thought that he was unwilling to tell the truth. After all, this matter concerned a man¡¯s dignity. It was normal for him not to tell anyone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s no one else here. I¡¯m a doctor. If you have any questions, just let me know. I¡¯ll do my best to help you.¡± Xiao Juan frowned. ¡°If you have something to say, just say it. There¡¯s no need to hide it.¡± Lo Pingsha was still single, so it was inevitably awkwvard to talk about this. He braced himself and whispered. ¡°Have you and the Princess Consort had a lot of problems in that area recently?¡± Xiao Juan asked patiently, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lo Pingsha looked even more embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s¡ªit¡¯s about sex.¡± Xiao Juan was slightly stunned before asking, ¡°Who did you hear that from?¡± Lo Pingsha felt guilty under the expression in his eyes and blurted out subconsciously. ¡°The Princess Consort told me¡­¡± Before he could finish, he came back to his senses and quickly shut up. Unfortunately, it was toote. Xiao Juan¡¯s frown deepened. Niaoniao actually told others that he could not do it in bed? She had never even tried it with him. How did she know that he definitely could not?! However, he could not discuss this with anyone. He could only say stiffly. ¡°I¡¯m in good health. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Lo Pingsha looked at him skeptically. ¡°Really? If you really have a hidden illness in that area, you can tell me. I¡¯ll try my best to treat you. Don¡¯t avoid treatment.¡± Xiao Juan emphasized word by word with a dark expression. ¡°I¡¯m really healthy!¡± Lo Pingsha felt a chill run down his spine under his sinister gaze. He immediately shut his mouth and did not dare to make another sound. Xiao Juan said, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, leave.¡± Lo Pingsha retreated obediently. Only Xiao Juan was left in the private room. The fragrant food was served, but he had no intention of eating. At this moment, there was only one thought in his mind¡ª Did Niaoniao actually feel that he could not do it? Recently, the emperor had been bedridden and had not appeared in court for a long time. He could not even approve the memorials and could only leave them to the cab ministers for the time being. But this was not a long-term solution. The number of memorials regarding the appointment of the crown prince soared and were sent to the cab in a steady stream. The elders were also anxious. They mentioned the appointment of the crown prince to the old emperor almost every day. The old emperor had always said that he was still considering it, but he had never confirmed a final candidate. The hearts of the people in the court wavered. The Third and Fourth Princes¡¯ attempts to rope people in became more and more frequent. In the past, they would be covert about it. Now, they could not even care less. They were just short of snatching it openly. The two brothers were very tense about this. Today, the two of them entered the pce to visit their sick father, but they quarreled in the bedroom over a small matter. The old emperor was already in a bad mood because of his illness. He became even more irritable after their argument. He scolded hoarsely. ¡°Look at you now. Where¡¯s your brotherhood? Get out!¡± The Third Prince and the Fourth Prince were chased out of the bedroom. Instead of letting it go, the two of them became even more anxious. They continued to argue outside the bedroom. In the end, they actually started fighting. The guards could not stop them. In the end, it was Wei Liao who happened to pass by and pulled the two princes away. When the old emperor found out about this, he was really angry. ¡°I¡¯m not dead yet, but they¡¯re already so anxious. When I¡¯m really not around, won¡¯t they cause a ruckus?! ¡°Huai¡¯en, pass down my decree. The Third Prince and the Fourth Prince are grounded for a month to reflect!¡± Wei Huai En epted the order and left. He passed on the old emperor¡¯s decree. Although the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince were still very unconvinced, they did not dare to continue causing trouble because of their father¡¯s dignity. They could only return reluctantly. After dealing with this farce, Wei Liao prepared to leave. At this moment, the Seventh Prince, Shen Zhuo, arrived. Recently, he had beening to the pce every day to visit the old emperor. He served tea and water and served him well. Wei Huai¡¯en and Wei Liao bowed in greeting. ¡°Greetings. Your Highness.¡± Due to his congenital deficiency, Shen Zhuo had not been in good health. His face looked even paler than those of ordinary people. He was wearing a moon-white long-sleeved robe. His eyebrows were delicate and gentle, giving off an elegant and otherworldly aura. Even in the face of people like Wei Huai¡¯en and Wei Liao, who had lower statuses than him, he did not put on any airs and appeared approachable. In addition, he was handsome, so many young pce maids in the pce secretly liked him. Shen Zhuo smiled. ¡°Wei Liao, you¡¯re here too. I have something to tell you.¡± Wei Liao¡¯s first reaction was that the Seventh Prince wanted to rope him in. It wasn¡¯t that he thought too highly of himself, but recently, the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince had been fighting too fiercely. The two brothers had been snatching people everywhere, so Wei Liao, the Vice General of the Sky Wolf Guards, had naturally not been missed. The Third Prince and the Fourth Prince had invited him to their residence more than once, but he had rejected them using various reasons. Although the Seventh Prince had never done anything and looked like he had a peaceful life, Wei Liao knew very well that these were just appearances. Now that the Seventh Prince suddenly looked for him, it was difficult not to think too much.. Chapter 433 - Chapter 433: Acupuncture Point Chapter 433: Acupuncture Point Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Wei Liao said politely, ¡°Your Highness, feel free to instruct me.¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°I heard that you¡¯re going to Liangzhou with Duke Lang. It¡¯s a long journey. I¡¯m worried that there will be dangers on the way. I hope you can protect the Princess Consort of Lang County well.¡± Wei Liao thought he had misheard and couldn¡¯t help but look up at the other party. ¡°You¡¯re talking about the Princess of Lang County? Shouldn¡¯t it be Duke Lang?¡± Shen Zhuo smiled gently. ¡°She¡¯s indeed the Princess Consort of Lang County. We¡¯re considered old friends. Although we don¡¯t interact much anymore, I still want her to be safe.¡¯ Wei Liao was filled with confusion. He did not understand how the Seventh Prince was rted to Yu Niaoniao. However, he knew that this was not something he should ask, so he could only agree. ¡°It¡¯s my duty to protect Duke Lang and the Princess Consort. I¡¯ll definitely do my best.¡± Shen Zhuo nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Then I¡¯m relieved. When he was gone and there was no one else around, Wei Liao lowered his voice and asked Wei Huai¡¯en. ¡°Father, what does the Seventh Prince mean?¡± Wei Huai¡¯en said, ¡°What else could it mean? What other matters could there be between a man and a woman?¡± Although he was a eunuch, he had seen many things between men and women and understood the Seventh Prince¡¯s thoughts at a nce. Wei Liao frowned. ¡°But Yu Niaoniao is already the Princess Consort. The Seventh Prince won¡¯t covet someone else¡¯s wife, right?¡± But Wei Huai En smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not like there hasn¡¯t been a precedent of a king liking his subject¡¯s wife.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°But he¡¯s not a king yet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of time.¡± Wei Liao was stunned. ¡°You mean the emperor wants to make the Seventh Prince the Crown Prince? But hasn¡¯t the emperor always disliked the Seventh Prince?¡± This was because the Seventh Prince was birthed by Empress Wen and had the support of the entire Wen family; the Wen family had always been a thorn in the old emperor¡¯s heart, causing the old emperor to never like the Seventh Prince. This was alreadymon knowledge in the pce. Wei Huai¡¯en said, ¡°The emperor hasn¡¯t explicitly said who he wants to appoint as the crown prince, but from the current situation, the seventh prince has a high chance of winning. Even if the emperor doesn¡¯t like the seventh prince, there¡¯s nothing he can do. Who asked the other two princes to be so disappointing?¡± Wei Liao was silent. The Third Prince and the Fourth Prince were indeed too naive. The two of them fought fiercely, but there was actually no tangible content at all. It looked like a child ying house as two rookies pecked at each other. Compared to them, the Seventh Prince looked exceptionally steady and reserved. He was indeed the best choice for the position of Crown Prince. Wei Huai¡¯en patted his shoulder and said earnestly. ¡°Seventh Prince¡¯s future is limitless. He¡¯s willing to let you help now. Just do your best to help him.¡± ¡°Anyway, it was not a big deal. After it¡¯s done, you can still make him owe you a favor. This favor might bring you a lot of benefits in the future.¡± Wei Liao felt inexplicably unhappy. As for how this unhappiness came about, he himself did not know. However, he had to agree obediently to his father¡¯s instructions. ¡°Thank you for your teachings, Father. I¡¯ll remember.¡± After Wei Liao left the pce, he rode home. In his bedroom was a locked wooden box. He treasured this box very much. No one was allowed to touch it. Because they were leaving for Liangzhou in two days, it was not convenient for Wei Liao to bring this wooden box with him, so he specially ordered someone to open a secretpartment in the wall. He took out the things in the wooden box one by one. There was a custom-made portrait, folding fan, bookmark of the Record of Phoenix Cry Nation, and a n written by Yu Niaoniao. Thest thing that was taken out was a pale pink silk handkerchief with two little birds embroidered on it. This was the silk handkerchief Yu Niaoniao had used to wipe the tea off his body with tea. She had forgotten to get it back. It was just a very ordinary silk handkerchief and was really not worth collecting. He could have thrown it away long ago. However, for some reason, he had kept it until now. Wei Liao neatly folded the silk handkerchief and ced it in a secretpartment with everything else. He locked it. Yu Niaoniao realized that Xiao Juan was a little strange tonight. He nced at her from time to time, but when she looked at him, he quickly looked away and pretended that nothing had happened. After repeating this several times, Yu Niaoniao could not help but ask. ¡°Do you have something to tell me?¡± Xiao Juan wanted to ask her why she felt that he could not do it. However, it was really not easy to say such things. He was silent for a long time. Finally, he spat out two words. Yu Niaoniao blinked. ¡°Really?¡± Xiao Juan forcefully changed the topic and asked, ¡°Did you look for Little Lo today?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded and said yes. Xiao Juan asked again, ¡°What did you tell him?¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately felt a little guilty. What else could she say? Wasn¡¯t it just asking Lo Pingsha for advice on how to deal with Xiao Juan? Sheughed dryly. ¡°Haha, why are you asking?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Little Lo came to look for me. He told me about you.¡± When Yu Niaoniao heard this, she immediately panicked. ¡°How could he tell you that? I was just asking him for advice on acupuncture. He didn¡¯t teach me anything. That¡¯s fine, but why did hein? That¡¯s too unreliable.¡± This time, it was Xiao Juan who was stunned. ¡°Did you look for Little Lo to learn acupoints?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°What else? What do you think I¡¯m doing?¡± Seeing how matter-of-fact she was, he didn¡¯t think she was lying. Xiao Juan could not help but wonder if Lo Pingsha had misunderstood Niaoniao. Or was Niaoniao¡¯s acting too good that even he had been deceived? He really could not understand. He could only put the question aside for the time being and ask. ¡°Why are you learning acupoints?¡± Yu Niaoniao tapped her two fingers against each other and whispered, ¡°I just want to learn a defensive skill. Xiao Juan said, ¡°But touching acupoints requires internal energy. If you start cultivating internal energy now, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a littlete.¡± Yu Niaoniao lowered her head in disappointment. ¡°I know.¡± Xiao Juan did not want to disappoint her and continued, ¡°Although you can¡¯t learn acupoints, I can teach you something else.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately raised her head and looked at him with sparkling eyes. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Some simple self-defense techniques. This doesn¡¯t require internal energy. You just need to master the technique.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked excitedly, ¡°Then if I learn it, can I subdue you?¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. That was a dangerous thought. Yu Niaoniaoughed. ¡°I was just joking with you. Don¡¯t take it seriously.¡± Xiao Juan thought to himself that she didn¡¯t look like she was joking just now. Yu Niaoniao urged, ¡°There¡¯s no time like the present. Start teaching me now.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Reach out.¡± Yu Niaoniao obediently extended her hands. Xiao Juan pressed her right wrist and exerted a little force. Yu Niaoniao immediately felt her wrist go numb. Xiao Juan pointed at her wrist and told her that there was an acupuncture point there. As long as she pressed it down, she would feel a violent soreness. Yu Niaoniao was eager to try. ¡°Reach out and let me try.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. For some reason, he felt that she had other intentions.. Chapter 434 - Chapter 434: So Stupid! Chapter 434: So Stupid! Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Although he had a bad feeling, Xiao Juan still extended his hand. Yu Niaoniao reached out two fair fingers and tapped his wrist. ¡°Is this the ce?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°A little lower.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s fingers moved down a little. Xiao Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± Yu Niaoniao grabbed his forearm with one hand and pressed the acupuncture point on his wrist with the other. ¡°Do you feel anything?¡± Xiao Juan was expressionless. ¡°A little.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked humbly, ¡°Is it not strong enough? Shall I exert more force?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao pressed down with all her might. The soreness on his wrist intensified, and Xiao Juan could not help but frown. Yu Niaoniao immediately asked, ¡°How is it? Is this okay?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s voice became low. ¡°Yes.¡± Outside the door, Lo Pingsha heard themotion in the room clearly and was already blushing. Initially, he was still thinking about what had happened during the day. Since Duke Lang refused to listen to his advice, he nned to start with the Princess Consort and ask her to persuade Duke Lang not to avoid treatment. The sooner this illness was treated, the easier it would be to recover. Coincidentally, Granny Xiu Yan wasing to inform Duke Lang and the Princess Consort for dinner, so Lo Pingsha volunteered and specially came to look for Duke Lang and the Princess Consort. Unexpectedly, just as he reached the bedroom door, he heard DUke Lng and Princess Consort talking. Every line was filled with fierce words. This greatly agitated Lo Pingsha, who was still single. His baby face turned red. But then again, since Duke Lang could have sex with the Princess Consort, it meant that there was no hidden illness in his body. Lo Pingsha naturally did not have to worry too much. With a flushed face, he walked away silently. In the dining hall, Granny Xiu Yan had already set up the dishes. She asked when Lo Pingsha walked in. ¡°Why is your face so red? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Lo Pingsha said vaguely, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just a little hot.¡± ¡°Coincidentally, we made mung bean paste tonight. Drink some of this. It can reduce heat.¡± Granny Xiu Yan ced a bowl of mung bean paste in front of him and asked. ¡°Where are His Highness and the Princess Consort? Why arent they here yet?¡± Lo Pingsha looked even more embarrassed. ¡°They¡¯re busy. They¡¯ll have toe backter.¡± Granny Xiu Yan did not suspect anything. ¡°I see. Let¡¯s wait a little longer.¡± They waited for a long time before Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan arrived. Lo Pingsha quietly took a few more nces at them and saw that Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face was flushed with excitement, while Xiao Juan¡¯s expression was expressionless and cold. Lo Pingsha found it puzzling. Usually, after doing that, the woman would be tired and the man would be satisfied. Why was it the other way around when it came to Duke Lang and the Princess Consort? Recalling what the Princess Consort had said previously, Lo Pingsha was secretly shocked. Could it be that Duke Lang was at a disadvantage in the bedroom? He had identally chanced upon a huge gossip! When Lo Pingsha looked at the County Princess again, he felt admiration. Yu Niaoniao felt that Little Lo was looking at her strangely and could not help but ask. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Lo Pingsha sighed sincerely. ¡°You really can¡¯t judge a book by its cover. The Princess Consort¡¯s strength is admirable.¡± Although she did not understand what the other party was saying, Yu Niaoniao was still very happy to be praised. She smiled proudly. ¡°Of course!¡± Seeing her admit it so readily and without the shyness of an ordinary woman, Lo Pingsha felt more and more that she was really a strange woman. He suggested seriously with admiration, ¡°Although you¡¯re still young, you still need to control yourselves, especially Your Highness. You can eat more nourishing food on a daily basis.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded vigorously. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. His Highness is not in good health. You have to be especially particr about food. I spent a lot of effort on this.¡± This concerned a man¡¯s dignity, but she mentioned it in public. Lo Pingsha was afraid that Duke Lang would be unhappy. He stole a nce at Duke Lang and saw that he was still cold and indifferent. He did not show any displeasure. Lo Pingsha secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Since Duke Lang did not care about this, there was no need for Lo Pingsha to hide. He said to Yu Niaoniao, ¡°I¡¯ll write a prescription to nourish the bodyter. You can give it to His Highness ording to the prescription. I believe it will be beneficial.¡¯ Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Sure, sure!¡± Xiao Juan ate silently without saying a word. Actually, when he was in the bedroom just now, he had heard someone outside the door. From the rhythm of the footsteps and the frequency of his breathing, he could guess that it was Lo Pingsha. He did not take this small matter to heart, so he naturally did not tell Niaoniao. He had listened to the conversation between Niaoniao and Lo Pingsha. Niaoniao did not know what Lo Pingsha was thinking, but Xiao Juan could guess most of it. He knew that Lo Pingsha must have misunderstood, but this kind of thing was not easy to exin. He could only pretend not to know anything and let Lo Pingsha continue to talk to Niaoniao. After dinner, Yu Niaoniao said excitedly to Xiao Juan, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s continue!¡± She had only learned one self-defense technique just now. It was naturally better to have as many life-saving skills as possible at such a critical moment! Lo Pingsha was so shocked that his chopsticks fell to the ground. Holy shit, the Princess Consort actually wanted to continue doing embarrassing things with Duke Lang! Didn¡¯t they just do it? Why were they doing it again? Were all young people so vigorous? Xiao Juan nced at the dumbfounded Lo Pingsha and replied indifferently. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go.¡± Lo Pingsha watched the two of them leave and could not help but sigh. ¡°I¡¯m so stupid!¡± he said at the thought that Duke Lang and the Princess Consort were very discordant in bed. In fact, the couple was very harmonious. Eight times a day was not a problem! Granny Xiu Yan was confused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lo Pingsha spoke in an extremelyplicated tone. ¡°Nanny, perhaps there will be good news from the Langjun Imperial Pce soon. ¡± Granny Xiu Yan was very curious. ¡°What good news?¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s good news about another member.¡± Granny Xiu Yan was immediately anxious. ¡°What? Does His Highness want to take a concubine? How can that do?! The Princess Consort will be unhappy!¡± Lo Pingsha said nothing. He felt that Granny Xiu Yan was thinking too highly of Duke Lang¡¯s ability. It was already very difficult for Duke Lang to deal with the Princess Consort alone. How could he ept another one? Lo Pingsha coughed lightly. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. What I mean is to give birth. The Princess Consort and Duke Lang are so loving. They might give the Duke¡¯s Mansion a little heir or daughter soon.¡± Granny Xiu Yan¡¯s worry immediately turned to joy and she couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, that¡¯s great!¡± Chapter 435 - Chapter 435: Send Off Chapter 435: Send Off Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After days of rushing work, the embroiderers had already finished making all seven big pillows. Yu Niaoniao chose a young man with fast legs from the many servants and handed him the pillow and the list of people who had ordered it. ¡°Chu, help me give these pillows to the people on the list. Remember, change into something inconspicuous before you go out. If anyone asks you about the origin of the pillow, you would say that you didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Try to keep a low profile. Don¡¯t let anyone know that you¡¯re from the Langjun Imperial Pce.¡± The servant named Ah Chu nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯ll remember.¡± He went to change first, then went to a nearby carriage dealership to rent a carriage. The carriages in the Langjun Imperial Pce all had emblems, which were dead giveaways. Ah Chu carried the bolsters into a carriage and delivered them ording to the list. In a day, he had almost run through the entire Imperial Capital. It was not until the sun set that he returned to the Langjun Imperial Pce to report to the Princess. ¡°I¡¯ve sent all the pillows. Here¡¯re their signatures.¡± Chu handed over a stack of signing slips with both hands. Yu Niaoniao took the receipt and roughly nced at it. After confirming that there was no problem, she ced it aside. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you today. This is your reward.¡± She handed over a heavy silver ingot. Ah Chu was naturally overjoyed to receive the reward and hurriedly knelt down to kowtow. ¡°Thank you for your reward, Princess Consort.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about today.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± When Wei Liao returned home, he heard that someone had sent a big thing over. He opened the packaging and found that it was the princess and the little mute. He ignored the strange gazes of the servants and hugged the big pillow for a long time. When he went to bed at night, Wei Liao was still reluctant to let go of the pillow. Hey on the bed with a pillow in his arms, reluctant to part with it. Tomorrow, he would set off for Liangzhou. He would not be able to touch his precious pillow for a long time. If only this pillow could be smaller so that he could take it on a long trip. But he quickly dismissed the thought. There were so many bad people outside. What if someone coveted his pillow and stole it? It was safer to leave it at home. Wei Liao fell asleep unknowingly as his thoughts ran wild. The next day, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan woke up at dawn. The two of them quickly washed up and ate breakfast before preparing to set off. All the luggage had been packed into the carriage yesterday, and the apanying Eagle Guards were already ready to leave. This time, Meng Xizhou was left in the Imperial Capital, while Yan Nanguan and Lo Pingsha were added to the entourage. In order to take care of Yu Niaoniao, Granny Xiu Yan especially stuffed the two of them into the convoy. Granny Xiu Yan reluctantly sent Duke Lang and the Princess Consort to the entrance. ¡°You must be careful along the way. Remember to wear more clothes when it¡¯s cold. There¡¯s a lot of food prepared in the carriage. Eat when you¡¯re hungry. If you encounter any problems, get someone to send a message back. You must take good care of yourself.¡± Yu Niaoniaoforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This isn¡¯t the first time we¡¯ve traveled far. We can take care of ourselves. You too. You have to take care of your health and not work too hard.¡± With that, she stretched out her arms and walked over to hug Granny Xiu Yan. ¡°Nanny, take care.¡± This sudden closeness made Granny Xiuya¡¯s heart soften. At this moment, she could clearly feel that the County Princess did not treat her as a servant but as family. Granny Xiu Yan held back her tears and replied, ¡°Thank you for your concern, Princess Consort.¡± She exhorted Chen Feng and Ye Yu, ¡°You must serve the Princess Consort well. If there¡¯s any danger, you have to shield her. Don¡¯t let her suffer any injuries.¡± Chun Feng and Ye Yu nodded in unison. ¡°We¡¯ll remember.¡± It was gettingte. They could not dy any longer. Yu Niaoniao bade farewell to Granny Xiu Yan and boarded the carriage with Chun Feng and Ye Yu. Xiao Juan mounted his horse and gave the order to set off. Granny Xiu Yan stood on the steps and watched the team leave reluctantly. When the convoy approached the west city gate, they realized that there was not a single ordinary citizen near the west city gate. The entire street had been cleaned up. Yu Niaoniao sensed that the carriage had stopped and immediately stuck her head out the window to look forward. She saw a group of people standing in front of her. Among them were two familiar faces. They were the Seventh Prince, Shen Zhuo, and the Vice General of the Sky Wolf Guards, Wei Liao. Yu Niaoniao was very surprised. Why were they here? Xiao Juan dismounted and casually threw the reins to the Eagle Guards beside him. He stepped forward and cupped his fists. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± Shen Zhuo smiled and said gently, ¡°Father values your trip to Liangzhou very much. Unfortunately, he¡¯s sick in bed and can¡¯t show his face, so he asked me to send you off.¡± He looked at the carriage behind Xiao Juan and asked. ¡°Why don¡¯t I see the Princess Consort?¡± Xiao Juan lied without changing his expression. ¡°She¡¯s not feeling well and can¡¯t be exposed to the wind. I hope Your Highness can forgive her.¡± Shen Zhuo asked, ¡°If she can¡¯t see the wind, why is she sticking her head out of the carriage?¡± Xiao Juan turned around and saw Yu Niaoniao leaning against the car window to look out. The lie was broken. He could only order someone to invite Yu Niaoniao over. Yu Niaoniao bowed politely as if she had never seen the Seventh Prince before. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± Shen Zhuo looked at her face that he had been thinking about day and night. There were a thousand things he wanted to say to her, but his rationality prevented him from saying them. He had to restrain himself. ¡°It¡¯s a long journey to Liangzhou. Princess Consort, you must take good care of yourself along the way.¡± Although he did not do anything out of line, Xiao Juan¡¯s expression became even colder. Wei Liao¡¯s gaze swept over the three of them, revealing a faint smile. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Thank you for your concern, Seventh Prince. With Duke Lang around, I will definitely be well taken care of.¡± Shen Zhuo¡¯s heart was pierced. But he couldn¡¯t show it. He got someone to bring wine and poured wine for Xiao Juan, Yu Niaoniao, and Wei Liao. ¡°Here¡¯s to you. Have a safe trip ande back early.¡± Yu Niaoniao held her wine ss in confusion. Why did he include Wei Liao? Was Wei Liao going to Liangzhou with them? Wei Liao finished his wine and smiled when he saw Yu Niaoniao¡¯s stunned expression. ¡°The emperor was worried that you would be in danger along the way, so he specially sent me along to protect you.¡± Yu Niaoniao muttered, ¡°As if I¡¯ll believe you!¡± Everyone in the Imperial Capital knew that the Sky Wolf Guards and the Eagle Guards did not get along. Wei Liao targeted Xiao Juan everywhere. Yet the emperor actually sent Wei Liao to protect Xiao Juan? That was ridiculous! However, since Wei Liao dared to say that, it meant that the emperor had really ordered him to go to Liangzhou with him. No matter how bold he was, he could not fake an imperial edict. As for Wei Liao¡¯s true goal, only he and the emperor knew. Shen Zhuo ced the ss back on the tray and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I won¡¯t dy your precious time. Please set off.¡± Yu Niaoniao turned around and returned to the carriage. Xiao Juan and Wei Liao also got on their horses. This time, Wei Liao also brought a group of people. The two groups gathered near the western city gate, and the entire group immediately became evenrger.. Chapter 436 - Chapter 436: You ‘re Not Allowed to Go! Chapter 436: You ¡®re Not Allowed to Go! Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The convoy found the courier station before dark. After a day of traveling, everyone was tired. Bathing was impossible. After dinner, they washed their faces briefly and returned to their rooms to rest. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan were husband and wife, so they were naturally arranged to stay in the same guest room. Looking at the bed in front of her that could amodate two people, Yu Niaoniao could not help but be amused. She threw herself onto the bed and rolled, then propped up her upper body and waved at Xiao Juan. ¡°I tried it for you. This bed is quite soft. Come and sleep with me.¡± They had not slept together since their argument. When they were in the Langjun Imperial Pce, Xiao Juan insisted on sleeping in the study. Yu Niaoniao had tried all kinds of methods, but they were all useless. Unexpectedly, they were suddenly going to sleep together again. This was a pleasant surprise! Xiao Juan looked at her expressionlessly. ¡°I¡¯ll get another room.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately sat up. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to go! Tonight, this courier station has been booked by our people. All the rooms were already full. It was impossible for there to be any empty rooms.¡± ¡°Besides, we¡¯re husband and wife. If you sleep elsewhere, what will others think of me?¡± As she spoke, her face was filled with grievance and pity. Xiao Juan did not want her to be criticized, so he could only take a step back. ¡°I¡¯m going out to get something.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to run?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t run.¡± Yu Niaoniao was relieved and put on a smile again. ¡°That¡¯s good. Go.¡± Xiao Juan pushed open the door and walked out. Yu Niaoniaoy on the bed and giggled with the nket. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about escaping me tonight.¡± In order to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Yu Niaoniao decided to sacrifice herself. She quickly undressed and took off her coat and socks. The pearl hairpin on her head was all removed. Her long ck hair fell down, and she was only wearing a thin white inner shirt. She especially pulled open the cor, revealing a small piece of snow-white skin. After doing this, shey down and supported the side of her face with one hand, creating an enchanting figure. In a situation where a man and a woman were alone, she did not believe that Xiao Juan could still control himself! After a while, Xiao Juan returned. He was stunned to see Yu Niaoniao. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked her big eyes. ¡°I was waiting for you.¡± Xiao Juan put down the nket in his hand and strode over. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart could not help but beat faster. It seemed that her seduction n had seeded. Xiao Juan could not hold it in anymore. Immediately after, she saw Xiao Juan pull up the nket and cover her with it. ¡°It¡¯s cold at night. Don¡¯t freeze.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. I¡¯ve already taken off my clothes, and you¡¯re telling me this?! Xiao Juan moved the table and chairs to the side, then shook off the nket he had just carried back and spread it on the ground. Seeing this, Yu Niaoniao could not help but widen her eyes. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯ll sleep on the floor tonight.¡± Yu Niaoniao lifted the nket on her and sat up, questioning loudly. ¡°Did you just say you were going out to get something so you could sleep on the floor with the nket?¡± Xiao Juan replied, ¡°Yes.¡± He had just told the junior official at the courier station that the night was too cold and there was not enough nket. The junior official believed him and immediately brought him a thick new nket. Xiao Juan originally wanted to take off his coat, but just as his well-defined fingers touched his belt, he remembered that Niaoniao was still watching from the side. He put down his hand andy down in his coat. Yu Niaoniao was furious. ¡°Xiao Juan!¡± This was the first time she had called him by his full name. Xiao Juan opened his eyes. ¡°What else?¡± Yu Niaoniao jumped out of bed and ran to him barefoot without even putting on her shoes. ¡°Get up!¡± Xiao Juan looked away from her smooth and small feet and said calmly. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. We still have to travel tomorrow. Go back to bed and sleep.¡± Yu Niaoniao refused to leave. ¡°You¡¯ll sleep in the bed with me.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°No need. I¡¯ll sleep here.¡± said, ¡°No need. I¡¯ll sleep here.¡± Yu Niaoniao said angrily. ¡°If you don¡¯t sleep in the bed, then I won¡¯t sleep tonight.¡± Xiao Juan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said slowly. ¡°Niaoniao, don¡¯t force me anymore.¡± Yu Niaoniao actually heard some suppressed pain in these words. She immediately panicked and quickly exined. ¡°I¡¯m not forcing you. I don¡¯t want you to sleep on the floor. The floor is wet. You¡¯ll get sick.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°But¡­¡¯ Xiao Juan interrupted her. ¡°No buts. Go to sleep.¡± His tone was tough and he would not ept refusal. Yu Niaoniao lowered her head and replied aggrievedly. She had just turned around when she was stopped by Xiao Juan. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± got up and walked to the bed. He bent down to pick up the embroidered shoes on the ground and ced them in front of Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Put on your shoes. Don¡¯t run around barefoot.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately smiled through her tears. Although this man always put on a cold expression and refused to get close to her, he was actually still very concerned about her. She stretched out a small foot and said coquettishly. ¡°Then help me put it on.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her steadily. Yu Niaoniao thought that he was unwilling and was about to put down her foot when she saw the man bend down. He knelt on one knee, his eyes lowered. He held Yu Niaoniao¡¯s ankle with one hand, picked up the embroidered shoe with the other, and helped her put it on. His movements were not very gentle, but they were very meticulous. Yu Niaoniao looked down at him. From this angle, she could see the high bridge of his nose and long, thick eyshes. Compared to the men in Imperial Capital, Xiao Juan¡¯s facial features were even more deep and three-dimensional. She asked suddenly. ¡°Are all the men in Liangzhou as good-looking as you?¡± helped her put on both shoes before answering. ¡°You¡¯ll know when you get to Liangzhou. Go to sleep.¡± Yu Niaoniao dawdled back to bed. Xiao Juan blew out the oilmp and darkness descended. Yu Niaoniao could not see the man on the ground clearly, so she could only close her eyes and sleep obediently. Although Xiao Juan said that he was fine, the next morning, Yu Niaoniao still got someone to cook a bowl of ginger tea for him to help him remove the wet and cold air in his body. The small official at the courier station ordered someone to bring breakfast to their respective rooms. After breakfast, the group set off again. This trip was a long one. Yu Niaoniao was bored and asked Chun Feng and Ye Yu to help grind ink and spread paper. She picked up her pen and prepared to draw the second part of the Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation. Although this book attracted tirades toward her, the sales were not worse than the Seven Treasures Record. Many people were like Wei Liao and Zheng Changle. They cursed as they read. This surprised the booksellers and made them even happier. They naturally did not want to miss this business opportunity. Before she left the Imperial Capital, the booksellers had looked for her, hoping that she could produce a second book as soon as possible. Yu Niaoniao had an opera troupe to support now and was very short of money, so she agreed and said that she would submit the manuscript when she returned.. Chapter 437 - Chapter 437: Pain in the Face Chapter 437: Pain in the Face Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao only used a few strokes to outline a living person. Chun Feng looked at the person on the paper and blurted out. ¡°This person looks like Young Master Wei.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, her expression changed. She must have said something wrong. The Princess Consort only had Duke Lang in her heart. How could she have drawn another man? Chun Feng hurriedly knelt down and apologized. ¡°I said something wrong! I deserve to die!¡± However, Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You¡¯re right. The person I drew does look like Wei Liao.¡± Chun Feng and Ye Yu were stunned. They did not expect the County Princess to admit it so openly. Could it be that the Princess Consort was¡­ This was shocking news! Chun Feng immediately pointed at the sky and swore, ¡°I promise not to tell anyone about this. If I vite the heavens, I¡¯ll be struck by lightning!¡± Yu Niaoniao looked puzzled. This was not a big deal. Was there a need to make such a poisonous oath? On the way, the carriage stopped to rest. Yu Niaoniao got out of the car to stretch her muscles. Chun Feng and Ye Yu walked toward the back. All the luggage was in the carriage behind. They wanted to get some tea leaves and rice paper. They muttered softly as they walked. ¡°Why did the Princess Consort draw Young Master Wei?¡± ¡°Shh, stop it. Someone might hear you.¡± They did not notice someone on the big tree beside them. Wei Liao was sitting on a tall tree branch. He had originally nned to sit here and enjoy the breeze, but he did not expect to hear the conversation between the two maidservants. Was Yu Niaoniao painting him? Wei Liao thought for a moment and understood what was going on. She had once said that the male lead in the Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation, the little mute, was based on him. The painting the two maidservants were talking about should be the little mute in the story. Could it be that Yu Niaoniao was preparing to draw the second part of The Record of Phoenix Cry Nation? Wei Liao immediately became interested. He jumped to the ground and found the carriage Yu Niaoniao was in. There was no one in the carriage at this moment. Wei Liao jumped into the carriage and bent down to get in. The pen, ink, paper, and inkstone on the table had not been tidied up. A few finished manuscripts were ced beside them. Wei Liao picked up the sketch and looked at it. It was indeed the content of The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation. Unfortunately, there were only a few pages and he finished them in an instant. Wei Liao was very dissatisfied. Why was that woman drawing so slowly? He really wanted to find a small ck room to lock her in. She was not allowed to do anything except draw. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Wei Liao looked in the direction of the voice and saw Yu Niaoniao appear beside the carriage. As she stared at the sketch in his hand, her small face gradually crumpled. ¡°You stole from me!¡± Wei Liao denied it. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You barged into my carriage without permission and took my things. You stole them without asking! ¡± Wei Liao couldn¡¯t argue. In the end, he simply put the draft into his arms. ¡°Okay, since you insist that I stole it, I¡¯ll steal this for you to see.¡± Yu Niaoniao had never seen such a shameless person. Her face turned red with anger. ¡°Put that down!¡± Not far away, Xiao Juan heard themotion and rushed over. He asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Yu Niaoniao pointed at Wei Liao in the carriage andined angrily, ¡°This guy stole my things!¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s face immediately darkened. He pulled out the No Return Saber and aimed the tip at Wei Liao. ¡°You¡¯re courting death.¡± Wei Liao didn¡¯t back down. He ced his hand on the hilt of the saber at his waist and sneered. ¡°Are you sure you want to fight me here?¡± This was Yu Niaoniao¡¯s carriage. If they really attacked here, the carriage would definitely be damaged. Xiao Juan took a step back. ¡°Come out.¡± Wei Liao rolled out of the car window andnded steadily on the ground. He patted his chest. ¡°It¡¯s right here. Come get it if you want it.¡± Without a word, Xiao Juan swung his saber at his chest! Wei Liao drew his dual des to block. The weapons collided with a crisp sound. The entire convoy was rmed. They looked over in unison and saw Xiao Juan and Wei Liao fighting fiercely. Yu Niaoniao was stunned. They actually fought. She only wanted Xiao Juan to help her get the draft back. Not only did Wei Liao not return it, but he also drew his saber and fought head-on. Was there a need to do this for a few drafts? What surprised Yu Niaoniao, even more, was that the Eagle Guards and the Sky Wolf Guards also drew their weapons, looking ready to fight at any time. They already disliked each other and usually had a lot of grudges. Now, they had no choice but to gather because of the imperial edict. When they saw the two bosses fighting, they naturally felt they did not have to endure anymore. Seeing that the situation was bad, Yu Niaoniao hurriedly shouted. ¡°Stop fighting! Stop fighting!¡± Someone would definitely be injured in a fight. She didn¡¯t want anyone to bleed over such a small matter. Anyway, it was just a few drafts. If it was gone, so be it. She would draw againter. However, Xiao Juan and Wei Liao were fighting fiercely and had no intention of stopping. Yu Niaoniao could only use the ruse of self-injury to hold her stomach and shout. ¡°Aiyo, my stomach feels so ufortable! Am I poisoned?¡± As soon as they heard her shout, Xiao Juan and Wei Liao put away their sabers at the same time. Yu Niaoniao shouted even more pitifully. ¡°It hurts so much. I¡¯m going to die!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Just wait!¡± Then, he strode over to Yu Niaoniao, picked her up, and ced her in the carriage. He called Lo Pingsha over. Wei Liao sheathed his saber and sneered at the carriage not far away. ¡°You were so fake in your act. Only that idiot Xiao Juan would fall for it.¡± Although he said that, he didn¡¯t leave. He stayed where he was. A Sky Wolf Guard came over and asked, ¡°Boss, are we still fighting?¡± Wei Liao asked, ¡°They¡¯ve already run away. Why should we fight?¡± Seeing that their boss had said so, the Sky Wolf Guards could only put down their weapons. Seeing that the other party had stopped fighting, the Eagle Guards could only give up. Arge-scale armed battle had ended before it even began. In the carriage, Lo Pingsha finished taking Yu Niaoniao¡¯s pulse. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°How is it?¡± Yu Niaoniao quietly reached out and tugged at Lo Pingsha¡¯s sleeve, giving him a crazy look. Lo Pingsha received the hint from the County Princess. He said solemnly with a baby face. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t worry. The Princess Consort might have a happy pulse.¡± Yu Niaoniao was so frightened that she almost jumped up. She shouted in her heart, ¡°Holy shit, don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± She was still a virgin. How could she have a happy pulse?! Xiao Juan¡¯s expression became indescribable. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°I¡¯m notpletely sure yet. We¡¯ll need some time to know if she¡¯s really pregnant. In short, during this period of time, the Princess Consort must maintain a good mood. Everything has to be done ording to her wishes. Don¡¯t make her angry again.¡± He knew that the Princess Consort was pretending to be sick for Duke Lang. There was no illness that men liked and valued more than pregnancy. Lo Pingsha thought this was a brilliant n. For some reason, the Princess Consort did not look happy.. Chapter 438 - Chapter 438: Liangzhou Chapter 438: Liangzhou Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao secretly hinted to Lo Pingsha that she hoped he would find a random illness to fool him. She did not expect him to refer to pregnancy! This development was like a bolt from the blue, instantly stunning Yu Niaoniao. Others might not know, but as the parties involved, she and Xiao Juan knew very well that the two of them had never consummated their marriage. What would Xiao Juan think of her? Would he think he was going to be a father to an unknown child again? She found it difficult to argue. She looked at Lo Pingsha with extreme resentment¡ª ¡°Little Lo, you really killed me!¡± she muttered Lo Pingsha did not know that he had caused trouble and was still carefully reminding Xiao Juan of various things to take note of. Xiao Juan was expressionless the entire time. After Lo Pingsha left, only Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan were left in the carriage. Xiao Juan looked at Yu Niaoniao and asked slowly. ¡°Am I going to be a father again?¡± The reason they knew each other was because of the rumors. At that time, everyone in the capital was saying that the two of them were engaged and that Yu Niaoniao was pregnant with his child. In the end, they had been married for almost a year and there were no signs of her belly swelling. Yu Niaoniao could not care less about pretending to be sick and quickly denied it. ¡°I¡¯m not pregnant!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°But Little Lo said that you have a happy pulse.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly exined, ¡°He said it might be a happy pulse. It¡¯s just a possibility!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Little Lo¡¯s medical skills are very good. He usually won¡¯t misdiagnose.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Maybe he made a mistake this time? Isn¡¯t that how life is? There are idents everywhere.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her quietly. Yu Niaoniao shrank back guiltily. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Continue making it up. Let¡¯s see how long you can sustain this.¡± Yu Niaoniao became even more embarrassed. ¡°You can tell?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯m not blind. If I can¡¯t tell, I can retire early.¡± When he first heard Niaoniao cry out in pain, he was indeed very nervous. That was because he was confused by his concern for her. But when he picked her up, he saw that her face was rosy and her voice was clear. She did not look sick at all. He knew that she was lying. He did not want her to be embarrassed in front of outsiders, so he cooperated with her performance. Yu Niaoniao muttered softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to continue fighting. It wasn¡¯t worth it for a few drafts. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Did Wei Liao steal the drafts?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯ll get their back for you.¡± He was about to get out of the carriage when Yu Niaoniao quickly stopped him. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s just a few drafts. It¡¯s not worth much.¡± She was very afraid that Xiao Juan would fight Wei Liao again. Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°Whether it¡¯s worth it or not, they¡¯re yours. No one else can take them.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Wei Liao is very shameless. He won¡¯t return the drafts. It¡¯s useless for you to look for him. It¡¯s better not to waste time on him.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she heard Wei Liao¡¯s voice outside the carriage. ¡°I originally wanted toe and return the drafts. Since you said I¡¯m shameless, I won¡¯t return them. I can¡¯t suffer your scolding for nothing, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately pushed open the window and looked out. She saw Wei Liao leaning against the carriage, holding the drafts in his hand and wearing a particrly annoying smile. Yu Niaoniao used, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you steal, but you even eavesdropped on others. Can¡¯t you have a bottom line?¡± Wei Liao waved the drafts in his hand. ¡°I have no bottom line, to begin with. You should be used to it.¡± Yu Niaoniao extended her hand. ¡°Return the drafts to me!¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want them anymore?¡± Yu Niaoniao gritted her teeth and threatened, ¡°If you take my drafts away, I won¡¯t be able to submit them. If I don¡¯t, you¡¯ll never see the sequel to the Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation.¡± Wei Liao¡¯s smile widened. ¡°That¡¯s for the best. A lousy book like the Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation shouldn¡¯t appear in this world.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Since you think it¡¯s a lousy book, why steal the drafts?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°I¡¯m happy to. Can¡¯t I?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Shameless!¡± Wei Liao smiled with enjoyment. ¡°Go on, scold as much as you can.¡± This time, Yu Niaoniao did not even want to scold him. She took a deep breath. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. Don¡¯t argue with idiots.¡± She closed the car window, blocking out Wei Liao¡¯s annoying face. Out of sight, out of mind! Soon, Chun Feng and Ye Yu returned. They saw a few drawings on the shaft of the carriage. They picked them up and saw that they were the princess consort¡¯s paintings. They immediately told the Princess Consort about this. Yu Niaoniao took a look at the drafts. They were the ones that had been stolen. There was no need to guess. Wei Liao must have ced the drafts there. She found it inexplicable. ¡°What exactly does Wei Liao want?¡± Xiao Juan looked at the drafts with an exceptionally cold expression. The team set off again. Yu Niaoniao continued to work on her drafts. With her previous experience, she was much more vignt. She locked all the drafts into a secretpartment in the car to prevent Wei Liao from stealing them again. Today, they could not find a courier station and could only search for a vige nearby to stay for the night. Xiao Juan still slept on the floor, which made Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart ache. Instead of that, they might as well sleep in separate rooms. Liangzhou was close to the northwest border. It would take at least two months to travel from the Imperial Capital. They changed from a dry road to a water road and back to a dry road. They traveled for more than seventy days. The journey was quite smooth. Even if there were bandits, when they saw that there were many people in the convoy and that all of them were armed, they knew that they were not to be trifled with and tactfully kept a distance. asionally, a few blind thieves would be dealt with by the Eagle Guards. Yu Niaoniao used her free time on the way to finish the sequel to The Record of Phoenix Cry Nation. She felt a sense of aplishment about this. When she returned to the Imperial Capital, she could earn another sum of royalties. Presumably, the new scene in Qirui Opera Troupe would be staged then. Yu Niaoniao pushed open the car window and looked out. Ever since the convoy entered Liangzhou, the scenery had be more and more deste. At this moment, all she could see were loess and rocks. Even the trees were short and small. The hot wind blew sand in their faces. Yu Niaoniao subconsciously narrowed her eyes. Chun Feng advised, ¡°The sandstorm outside is strong. Don¡¯t look anymore. Be careful not to be blinded by the sandstorm.¡± Yu Niaoniao sat back down. Ye Yu quickly went forward and closed the carriage window. Chun Feng helped Yu Niaoniao clean the sand from her hair andined softly. ¡°Liangzhou is really not a good ce. There¡¯s sand everywhere. The sun is especially scorching, the air is dry, and there¡¯s very little water.¡± Ye Yu was not good with words. She did not speak, but she nodded slightly in agreement with Chun Feng. This ce was far inferior to the Imperial Capital. Yu Niaoniao did not care much about this. She said in a rxed tone, ¡°This ce isn¡¯t as bad as you think. At least the scenery here is not bad..¡± Chapter 439 - Chapter 439: Teasing Chapter 439: Teasing Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Chun Feng did not understand. ¡°How is this good? There¡¯s yellow soil and sand everywhere. I can¡¯t even see a taller tree.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen enough tall trees, flowers, and birds in the Imperial Capital? ¡°We¡¯ve all left the Imperial Capital, so we naturally want to see a different scenery from the Imperial Capital. We¡¯ll treat it as broadening our horizons.¡± ¡°When you return to the Imperial Capital in the future, you can still talk to your sisters and tell them you have walked through the rocky mountains of Liangzhou, tasted the specially roasted sheep of Liangzhou, and seen the rainbow of Liangzhou fall to the moon. Those are experiences they have never had before. They will envy you to death.¡± Hearing Yu Niaoniao¡¯s words, Chun Feng and Ye Yu could not help but smile. Even the resistance in their hearts dissipated. Beforeing, Yu Niaoniao had already checked some documents about Liangzhou and had a rough understanding of this ce. Liangzhou upied a vast area and was one of thergest prefectures in the Dayan Dynasty. However, half of thend here was covered in sand all year round. The soil was barren and water resources were scarce. Ordinary crops could not survive. After the convoy entered Liangzhou, Yu Niaoniao realized that the dishes on the dining table had changed greatly. The vegetables became fewer and fewer, and the staple food changed from good white rice to sorghum rice. The number of meat dishes did not decrease, but the cooking method was mostly roasted. The reason was very simple. There was no need for water for roasting. In Liangzhou, water had to be bought. This night, they stayed at the courier station as usual. The small official at the courier station exined with a smile, ¡°Please forgive us. Our conditions here are simple and crude. I hope you can forgive us.¡± Xiao Juan was from Liangzhou and naturally knew the environment very well. He knew that the small official at the courier station was telling the truth and was not deliberately being negligent with them, so he did not say anything. He just waved his hand and dismissed the small official. Yu Niaoniao was not picky with her food. She picked up her chopsticks and ate. ¡°This roastmb chop is quite tender, but there¡¯s too little cumin. It¡¯s not fragrant enough.¡± Wei Liao was not very interested in these dry dishes. He saidzily, ¡°Do you think cumin is cheap? Spices like this are very expensive.¡± As Yu Niaoniao ate, she said, ¡°But I remember that Liangzhou is rich in cumin.¡± Wei Liao raised his chin at Xiao Juan meaningfully. Yu Niaoniao looked at Xiao Juan curiously. Xiao Juan exined, ¡°Liangzhou is barren. Cumin is one of the few specialties here that can be brought out. Therefore, the government has ssified cumin as a tax item. If themoners don¡¯t have money, food, and cloth, they can also use cumin.¡± Yu Niaoniao understood. ¡°The government bought arge amount of cumin and then transported it elsewhere to sell it to earn profits, right?¡± Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°I remember it¡¯s not just cumin. There¡¯s also a specialty in Liangzhou. ¡± This was Xiao Juan¡¯s hometown. Yu Niaoniao was very interested in everything here, so she asked. ¡°What is it?¡± Wei Liao said slowly, ¡°Beauty.¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. ¡°Huh?¡± Wei Liao spoke tirelessly as if he were telling a story, ¡°The beauties of Liangzhou are very famous. Almost every pce talent show will shortlist women from Liangzhou. Cui Chang, the famous concubine who was doted on and even had her name in the history books, came from Liangzhou.¡± ¡°Oh right, Prince Lang¡¯s mother, Princess Ni Yang, was also a famous beauty. It¡¯s said that a foreign envoy once came all the way to the Imperial Capital to see Princess Ni Yang¡¯s beautiful face.¡± Even if she had never seen Princess Ni Yang, Yu Niaoniao could guess that she was definitely not ordinary. Otherwise, she would not have given birth to a handsome son like Xiao Juan. However, Wei Liao¡¯s words still gave Yu Niaoniao a higher understanding of her beauty. Everyone loved beauty, and Yu Niaoniao was naturally no exception. She rubbed her small hands and her eyes lit up as she said to Xiao Juan. ¡°Let¡¯s walk around outsideter.¡± She could also admire the beauties of Liangzhou. Xiao Juan replied indifferently, ¡°Yes.¡± After dinner, Yu Niaoniao could not wait to pull Xiao Juan out of the courier station. She realized that there was someone following her. She turned around and saw Wei Liao. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Wei Liao saidzily, ¡°The food at the courier station is too disgusting. I want to go out and see if there¡¯s anything edible.¡± Yu Niaoniao was skeptical. ¡°You¡¯re not following us, are you?¡± Wei Liao sneered disdainfully. ¡°Heh, I followed you? You think too highly of yourself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s for the best if you¡¯re not following us.¡± After Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan left the courier station, they went to the busiest street in the city. In the evening, the temperature dropped a lot. It was not as hot as during the day. It was quite cool with the night wind. Themoners who were free ran out to stroll, so there were quite a lot of pedestrians on the streets. Along the way, Yu Niaoniao had indeed discovered many beauties. The people of Liangzhou were generally tall. Because they often bathed in the sun, their skin was mostly honey-colored. Their hair was thick and ck, and they had high noses and deep eyes. She also realized that the women here liked to wear gorgeous dresses. No matter their age or background, they could walk the streets openly. There were also many women in charge of the stalls and shops on the street. From everyone¡¯s reaction, this should be the norm here. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°The status of women in Liangzhou seems to be quite high.¡± Xiao Juan exined calmly. ¡°Liangzhou used to be arge tribe that respected women. Although they wereter edified by the Imperial Court and gradually integrated into the customs of the Central in, the status of women here is still rtively high. ¡± Yu Niaoniao understood. ¡°I see.¡± No wonder Xiao Juan epted Phoenix Country¡¯s settings well. It was because he was born in Liangzhou and had long adapted to the culture of honoring women. At this moment, a man suddenly rushed over and blocked their path. The man looked Niaoniao and Xiao Juan up and down and asked in an ambiguous tone. ¡°Can we talk in private?¡± Yu Niaoniao thought that the other party was a lecher who wanted to tease her and refused without thinking. ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m already taken.¡± With that, she leaned toward Xiao Juan. Unexpectedly, the manughed. ¡°So this gentleman is your husband. That¡¯s easy. I wanted to ask your husband if he was interested in entering the princess¡¯s manor.¡± He stared at Xiao Juan¡¯s handsome face and smiled even more ambiguously. ¡°My name is Fu Run. I¡¯m someone who specializes in searching for handsome men for Princess Ni Yang. Believe me, with your looks and figure, you¡¯ll definitely be loved by Princess Ni Yang. There¡¯s endless wealth waiting for you in the future!¡± Yu Niaoniao was shocked. She had thought that she was the one being teased. She did not expect her target to be her husband! She immediately hugged Xiao Juan¡¯s arm and said loudly. ¡°This is my husband!¡± Fu Run smiled and asked, ¡°Do you mind changing husbands? The price is negotiable.¡± Yu Niaoniao was suffocated by the other party¡¯s actions. Could her husband be used to make money? Chapter 440 - Chapter 440: Lust Chapter 440: Lust Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan thought that Yu Niaoniao would refuse sternly, but he did not expect her to ask how much it was. Was she tempted? Of course, Yu Niaoniao was not tempted. It was purely an instinctive reaction because she had been too short of money recently. Feeling the death stare of the man beside her, she quickly salvaged the situation. ¡°No matter how much you pay, I won¡¯t sell my husband!¡± What a joke. If the money was gone, she could still earn it. If a handsome, steady, and loyal man like Xiao Juan was gone, it would be difficult to find another one. Fu Run did not give up. ¡°How about three hundred taels? If not, five hundred taels. In addition, I can give you a full set of red agate.¡± Yu Niaoniao imitated Wei Liao and snorted disdainfully. ¡°Do we look like the kind of people whock money?¡± Even if she was short of money, she could not show it! Fu Run said, ¡°How much money do you want? Tell me. There are so many men in the world. Why do you have to cling to this one?¡± Yu Niaoniao said loudly. ¡°There are many men in the world, but those have nothing to do with me. I only want my husband. He¡¯s my treasure. No one else can covet him!¡± With that, she pulled Xiao Juan forward. It was rare for Fu Run to meet such a handsome man, so he refused to let him off. He blocked their way again, his expression hardening. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re locals. You¡¯re new here and don¡¯t know the rules of Liangzhou. Princess Ni Yang had the final say here. There is no man she cannot get.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sensible, follow me obediently. Otherwise, when Princess Ni Yang finds out about this, she won¡¯t let you have it easy.¡± This time, without needing Yu Niaoniao to speak, Xiao Juan pulled out the No Return Saber. The tip of the saber was less than an inch away from his moist eyes. He only had to push forward a little and blood would burst out of his eyes. Fu Run¡¯s legs went weak from fear. His face was pale and his eyes were filled with fear. He stammered for mercy. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t kill me.¡± Xiao Juan spat out two words coldly. ¡°Get lost.¡± Fu Run immediately scrambled away. Xiao Juan sheathed his saber. Yu Niaoniao thought that this matter was over. Unexpectedly, they encountered a few more people who tried to strike up a conversation. There were men and women, and they were all here to ask if Xiao Juan was willing to enter the princess¡¯s residence. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s mood was killed by this group of pimps and pulled Xiao Juan back to the courier station. As soon as they entered, they saw Wei Liao talking to a petty official at the courier station. Wei Liao¡¯s expression was unfriendly. ¡°Why are there guys looking for men for Princess Ni Yang everywhere?¡± The petty official exined, ¡°Sir, don¡¯t me me. Princess Ni Yang released a notice saying that she wanted to collect all the handsome men in Liangzhou.¡± ¡°Be it those who rmended themselves or those who rmended others, as long as they could catch the Eldest Princess¡¯s eye, they would be rewarded heavily.¡± ¡°In order to obtain a reward, those people searched everywhere for handsome men. Any slightly good-looking man in the city could not escape harassment.¡± ¡°In addition, the Eldest Princess¡¯s birthday wasing soon. The officials and squires in Liangzhou had to send gifts. Everyone knew that the Eldest Princess liked handsome men, so they naturally had to give a few good-looking men as congrattory gifts.¡± ¡°Therefore, there have been especially many people searching for handsome men recently.¡± Wei Liao frowned. ¡°In other words, I have to continue being harassed along the way.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind. ¡°So you were harassed too!¡± Her tone was filled with gloating. Wei Liao turned around and saw Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan walking in. He chuckled. ¡°Also? Looks like Duke Lang didn¡¯t escape those people¡¯s clutches either.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled evilly. ¡°Prince Lang is Princess Ni Yang¡¯s biological son. He¡¯s definitely safe. You might not be. When you see Princess Ni Yangter, she¡¯ll be tempted by you. Let¡¯s see what you can do.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°What else can I do? I can only obey. Anyway, Princess Ni Yang is gorgeous. I won¡¯t suffer any losses if I follow her. Instead, you and Duke Lang will suffer a little. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°If I follow Princess Ni Yang, it will be equivalent to bing Duke Lang¡¯s stepfather. In the future, you will have to call me father-inw when you see me. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a loss?¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. The image took her breath away. Wei Liao revealed a triumphant smile. Xiao Juan spoke at the right time, ¡°Princess Ni Yang already has a prince consort. Even if you follow her, you can only be a gigolo. There are countless gigolos like you in the princess¡¯s residence.¡± ¡°Their status is only slightly higher than that of servants. When they see me, they have to bow respectfully and call me Your Highness.¡± Wei Liao¡¯s smile froze on his face. This time, it was Yu Niaoniao¡¯s turn to smile proudly. ¡°Oh hehe, just be prepared to be a gigolo!¡± With that, she pulled Xiao Juan away, not giving him a chance to counterattack. When he slept at night, Xiao Juan chose to sleep on the floor as usual. Yu Niaoniaoy on the bed and stuck her head out to look at him. She asked softly. ¡°Won¡¯t you mind?¡± Xiao Juan did not understand. ¡°Mind what?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Princess Ni Yang raises gigolos and even searches for handsome men everyvvhere.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Her business has nothing to do with me.¡± This reaction could be said to be extremely cold. Seeing that he was not ufortable because of this, Yu Niaoniao waspletely relieved. She did not care about Princess Ni Yang. She just did not want Xiao Juan to be hurt. The next morning, the team set off again. They continued along the official road. When they reached the next stop, Yu Niaoniao wanted to go out and shop again. With the previous lesson, she specially prepared a bamboo hat for Xiao Juan to wear. The gauze curtain hanging down the edge of the bamboo hat could cover his head tightly. This way, no one would harass him anymore. Yu Niaoniao pulled him out and did not forget to remind him. ¡°Boys have to protect themselves when they¡¯re out. Don¡¯t show your face casually, lest bad people think of you.¡± Xiao Juan was silent. This time, there were indeed no more pestering people, but asionally, one or two people would want to take off Xiao Juan¡¯s bamboo hat using various excuses and see what he looked like. After all, he had an attractive figure. He had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs. He looked especially eye-catching in the crowd. With such a good figure, as long as he looked decent, he could be included in the list of candidates for the princess. Yu Niaoniao saw someone selling veils by the roadside. The color was quite good. She chose one and gestured at her hair. ¡°Is it nice?¡± Xiao Juan said that it looked good. Yu Niaoniao looked at him and then at the veil in her hand. She suddenly had an idea. ¡°Why don¡¯t you pretend to be a woman? Then no one will have any designs on you.¡± Xiao Juan refused firmly. ¡°No need.¡± He was not Shen Xu, who would resort to wearing female clothes in order to survive. Far away in Liaodong County, Shen Xu suddenly sneezed. He rubbed his nose.. ¡°Which little vixen is nagging about me again?¡± Chapter 441 - Chapter 441: Stealing Chapter 441: Stealing Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao chose two of her favorite veils. She was about to take out her money when the man beside her reached out and ced a small piece of silver on the stall. Yu Niaoniao turned to look at the man and pursed her lips into a smile. ¡°Is this a gift from you?¡± Xiao Juan avoided answering. ¡°Are we still shopping?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded without hesitation. ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Yu Niaoniao took the wrapped veil from the stall owner. As soon as she turned around, a little beggar rushed over and bumped into her. She staggered and almost fell. Fortunately, Xiao Juan hugged her waist in time. When she steadied herself, he quickly withdrew his hand. The little beggar¡¯s face was dirty. It was impossible to tell his age. He was very thin and weak, a head shorter than Yu Niaoniao. His clothes were tattered, his hair was messy, and he smelled bad. He kept bowing to Yu Niaoniao and saying something. However, because he was speaking in the Liangzhou dialect, Yu Niaoniao did not understand. She could only ask the man beside her. ¡°What is this child talking about?¡± As a citizen of Liangzhou, Xiao Juan naturally understood thenguage here. He helped trante. ¡°He¡¯s apologizing to you. He said he didn¡¯t mean to hit you.¡± Yu Niaoniao rubbed her aching waist. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Xiao Juan let the little beggar leave. The little beggar turned and ran as if he had been pardoned. Yu Niaoniao rubbed her waist twice and suddenly realized that the pouch hanging at her waist was gone! She reacted quickly and shouted behind the little beggar. ¡°Stop! Return my purse!¡± When the little beggar heard her shout, instead of stopping, he ran faster. Yu Niaoniao wanted to chase after him, but Xiao Juan stopped her. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll chase.¡± With that, he used his qinggong and chased after the little beggar at a speed that left others in the dust. How could Yu Niaoniao stay? That pouch contained more than half of her assets! Now that she was short of money, her heart would ache if she could not get that money back. ¡°Wait for me!¡± Yu Niaoniao lifted her skirt and followed. The little beggar was very familiar with the terrain here. His small figure quickly passed through the streets and alleys. After turning left and right, the figure following behind finally disappeared. The little beggar was tired after running for so long. He leaned against the wall and panted. He was secretly d that he had shaken that guy off. He wiped the sweat off his face haphazardly, then took out the pouch to look at it. There was a lot of broken silver and a stack of banknotes. There were more than he had expected. He was d, but also worried. Fortunately, with this money, his sister¡¯s illness could be saved. He was worried that the youngdy who had lost so much money just now would be very anxious. The little beggar gripped his pouch tightly and tried to suppress the guilt in his heart. His sister¡¯s condition was getting worse. There was nothing else he could do. For his sister¡¯s sake, he had to be a bad person. He put the pouch back in his pocket and ran forward. Unexpectedly, before he could take two steps, he was blocked by a figure who had descended from the sky. Xiao Juan stood upright with the afterglow of the setting sun behind him. His face was hidden under the bamboo hat, and his voice was as cold as ice. ¡°Hand over the purse.¡± The little beggar did not expect the other party to catch up. He was so frightened that he quickly turned around and ran. Xiao Juan did not chase after him this time. He raised his hand to the sheath of the No Return Saber and swept it forward. The scabbard left his hand and flew straight at the little beggar¡¯s back. The little beggar could not see what was behind him. He could only feel a strong gust of wind flying toward him. Immediately after, he felt a pain in his back and threw himself forward. The little beggar endured the pain in his back and struggled to get up. Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°If you run again, it won¡¯t be the scabbard that hits you next time. It¡¯ll be the saber in my hand.¡± These words seeded in scaring the little beggar. He did not dare to act rashly again. Xiao Juan slowly walked over, as the No Return Saber in his hand refracted a snow-white light. He aimed the tip of the knife at the little beggar and said, ¡°For thest time, hand over the purse.¡± The little beggar looked at the sharp tip of the knife inches away and trembled in fear. He hesitated before handing over the pouch. He wasn¡¯t afraid of death. He was afraid that no one would take care of his sister after he died. He had to live. Only by living could he find hope. Xiao Juan took the pouch, but he did not let the little beggar off. ¡°Get up and follow me to the officials.¡± The little beggar immediately panicked. He scrambled to his hands and knees and pleaded, ¡°Please, don¡¯t take me to the officials. I can¡¯t go to jail. Please let me off this time!¡± With that, he kowtowed hard. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao finally caught up. She was out of breath from running. Her face was red and her forehead was covered in sweat. ¡°I¡­ I finally found you.¡± Xiao Juan frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to wait there?¡± Yu Niaoniao was almost exhausted. At this moment, she could not even stand steadily. She could only lean on Xiao Juan and say weakly. ¡°How dare you talk to me like that? You ran so fast and left me there alone. What if a bad person kidnaps me? Of course, I have to follow you.¡± Xiao Juan was helpless. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just a little tired. Let me rest for a while.¡± Xiao Juan returned the pouch to her. Yu Niaoniao put away the pouch and took out a silk handkerchief to wipe the sweat off her head. Her gazended on the little beggar and she was immediately furious. ¡°You stinky child. You didn¡¯t learn the good things and actually learned to steal. Do you know that stealing is illegal?!¡± The little beggar was still kowtowing. ¡°Please don¡¯t arrest me to see the officials. I¡¯ll do anything you want. Just don¡¯t put me in jail.¡¯ This time, he spoke in Liangzhou¡¯s officialnguage. Yu Niaoniao could understand him. Seeing that his forehead was broken and he looked really pitiful, Yu Niaoniao could not help but soften. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go to jail, why did you steal?¡± The little beggar cried. ¡°My sister is sick, but I don¡¯t have the money to treat her and get medicine. I can only¡­ I can only steal. I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯ll kowtow to you. Please spare me this time!¡± Yu Niaoniao did not expect there to be an inside story, so she asked. ¡°How old is your sister? What¡¯s her illness?¡± The little beggar said, ¡°She¡¯s seven years old this year. I don¡¯t know what illness she has. She feels very ufortable when she breathes and keeps coughing. Today, she even started to feel hot all over. I don¡¯t know what to do. I want to find a doctor for her, but I can¡¯t fork out the consultation fee. The doctor is unwilling to treat her.¡± He whimpered as he spoke.. Chapter 442 - Chapter 442: Madness Chapter 442: Madness Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao hated it when children cried. She pulled the little beggar to his feet and continued to ask, ¡°Are there no adults in your house?¡± The little beggar cried. ¡°They¡¯ve all been taken.¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°Who captured them?¡± The little beggar refused to say anything else this time. It seemed that there was something else going on. Yu Niaoniao turned to look at Xiao Juan and asked. ¡°It¡¯s a life, after all. Can we go see his sister?¡± Xiao Juan nodded slightly in agreement. Yu Niaoniao squatted down and said to the little beggar, ¡°I know a powerful physician. He might be able to cure your sister, but you have to take us to see her first. We have to make sure you¡¯re telling the truth.¡± The little beggar did not know if the other party was telling the truth. But he had no better choice now. His sister was still waiting for him. He had to take a chance. ¡°Alright, follow me.¡± Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan followed the little beggar. The three of them walked further and further away. The houses around them became smaller and more dpidated. Finally, they came to a dpidated straw shed. it had be a shelter for the little beggar and his sister. The little beggar moved away the piles of hay, revealing his sister hidden under them. He exined to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°When I was away, I was afraid that my sister would be bullied, so I covered her with hay so she would not be seen.¡± Yu Niaoniao squatted down and looked at the little girl lying in the hay in front of her. She looked thin and small. Her face was as pale as paper. Her lips were dry and her eyes were half-open. Every time she breathed, it was very difficult. She coughed from time to time. Yu Niaoniao reached out and touched her forehead. It was indeed very hot. The little girl struggled to speak. ¡°Brother¡­¡± The little beggar gripped his sister¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Miaomiao. I¡¯m here. I¡¯ll save you.¡± Yu Niaoniao said to Xiao Juan, ¡°This child is very sick. We have to get Little Lo to take a look at her quickly.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Then bring her back.¡± Yu Niaoniao picked the little girl up. This little girl was really too thin. She was so light that she could barely feel her weight. She panicked when she saw that she was being held by a stranger. She called out hoarsely for her brother. The little beggar hurriedly called out, ¡°Give me my sister. I can carry her.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at his thin appearance and was a little worried. ¡°Can you do it?¡± The little beggar vowed, ¡°I carry my sister often. I can do it!¡± Seeing that the little girl kept calling him brother, Yu Niaoniao could only ce her on the little beggar¡¯s back. Although the little beggar was thin, he was quite strong. He steadily carried his sister. The little girl immediately hugged her brother¡¯s neck; her face filled with attachment and trust. They left the straw shed and walked towards the station. On the way, Yu Niaoniao asked about the two children. ¡°I still don¡¯t know your names.¡± The little beggar said, ¡°My name is Ling Hai. My sister¡¯s name is Ling Miao.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll call you Little Hai. How many times have you stolen things?¡± Being exposed for stealing in front of his sister made Ling Hai very embarrassed. He blushed and exined, ¡°I¡¯ve never stolen anything before. Today is the first time.¡± Yu Niaoniao had mixed feelings. ¡®Why am I so unlucky?¡± She did not understand and continued to ask. ¡°There were so many people on the street. Why didn¡¯t you steal from someone else? Why did you target me?¡± Ling Hai¡¯s eyes wandered. ¡°Because you¡¯re dressed well and good-looking.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Little Hai, I want to hear the truth.¡± Ling Hai¡¯s voice became very soft. ¡°Because you look rich and stupid. The risk of being caught stealing from you would be low.¡± In short, it was easy to get money from stupid people! Yu Niaoniao was speechless. She turned to look at Xiao Tnan beside her and asked angrilv- ¡°Do I look stupid?¡± Xiao Juan thought for a moment before saying, ¡°No, you just look more innocent.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s anger immediately abated. She had clearly epted this simple exnation. Ling Hai secretly looked at Xiao Juan with admiration. He was awesome! The group walked a long way back to the courier station. When Ling Hai saw the courier station, he was clearly stunned. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why are you living here? Are you officials?¡± This was an official station, a ce where only officials could stay. Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m the Princess Consort. This is Duke Lang.¡± Ling Hai¡¯s eyes immediately widened like a frightened little beast, his face filled with fear. ¡°Duke Lang? Are you Princess Ni Yang¡¯s son, Duke Lang?¡± Yu Niaoniao was confused. ¡°Why do you look like that? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ling Hai carried his sister and retreated. ¡°Why is it you? How did we meet you? You¡¯re actually here to catch us, right? You nned all of this, right?!¡± Yu Niaoniao was confused. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? You were the one who bumped into me first and stole my pouch. You made these choices yourself. How could it be nned?¡± Her words calmed Ling Hai down a little. No matter how powerful a person was, they could not predict his choice in advance. Perhaps all of this was really just a coincidence. However, Ling Hai still felt uneasy. He wanted to leave with his sister, but just as he turned around, he was surrounded by the Eagle Guards. Xiao Juan had worked on many cases and was very experienced in reading people. He keenly caught the main point of Ling Hai¡¯s words and forced a question. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m arresting you? Have youmitted a crime? Are you wanted by the authorities?¡± Ling Hai hurriedly denied it. ¡°We have notmitted any crimes! Our family is innocent! It was Princess Ni Yang who took a fancy to my eldest brother and forced him to enter the princess¡¯s manor to be her servant.¡± ¡°My eldest brother was already married. He was unwilling to abandon his wife and refuse to obey.¡± ¡°In a fit of anger, Princess Ni Yang ordered someone to capture our entire family. My father, mother, uncles, and eldest brother and sister-inw have all been captured. Their fate is still unknown.¡± ¡°Only my sister and I survived when my father hid us in the cab. You¡¯re Princess Ni Yang¡¯s son. You must be in cahoots with her!¡± Yu Niaoniao did not expect the truth to be like this. If all of this were true, Princess Ni Yang would really be inhumane. Although everyone loved beauty, it was too crazy to capture someone else¡¯s entire family to satisfy their selfish desires. Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°How do I know if you¡¯re telling the truth?¡± Ling Hai said, ¡°This matter is not a secret. Many people in the city know about it. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can investigate!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll naturally investigate, but before that, I have to trouble you for a while.¡± With that, Xiao Juan got the Eagle Guards to capture the Ling siblings.. Chapter 443 - Chapter 443: Do Your Best Chapter 443: Do Your Best Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Ling Hai thought that death was waiting for him. He regretted it. If he had known earlier, he would not have stolen money. If he hadn¡¯t stolen anything, he wouldn¡¯t have provoked Duke Lang, let alone implicate his sister. Ling Hai hugged his sister in despair and refused to let go. Even if he died, he would die with his sister. She was thest of his family. They depended on each other and no one could separate them. Yu Niaoniao looked at him helplessly. ¡°If you don¡¯t let go, how are we going to treat your sister?¡± Ling Hai thought he had misheard. He looked up at Yu Niaoniao in disbelief. ¡°Treatment?¡± Yu Niaoniao pointed at Lo Pingsha, who was standing beside her, and introduced. ¡°Here, this is Physician Lo. His medical skills are very good. If you still want your sister to live healthily, quickly let him take a look at her.¡± This plot development far exceeded Ling Hail s expectations. His brain couldn¡¯t react. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to arrest and kill us?¡± he muttered. Yu Niaoniao was speechless. What did this child take them for? Murderous demons? ¡°Although you stole my purse, this crime isn¡¯t enough to sentence you to death. We¡¯re not unreasonable people. Duke Lang has already sent someone to investigate your family. If it¡¯s true, we¡¯ll give you an exnation.¡± Ling Hai could not understand. ¡°But Duke Lang is Princess Ni Yang¡¯s son. Shouldn¡¯t you be in cahoots with her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story. In short, you just have to understand one thing. Duke Lang is Duke Lang and Princess Ni Yang is her own person. They¡¯re not in cahoots!¡± When she said thest sentence, Yu Niaoniao deliberately strengthened her tone to show her attitude. Ling Hai was skeptical. ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Yu Niaoniao spread her hands. ¡°You can choose not to believe us. In that case, you can only hug your sister and wait for death.¡± Ling Hai looked down at his sister, who was in his arms. She was so feverish that she could not even open her eyes, but she was still calling out softly. ¡°Brother¡­¡± Ling Hai was extremely anxious. He looked up at Lo Pingsha and asked urgently, ¡°Are you really a physician? Can you really cure my sister?¡± Lo Pingsha didn¡¯t finish. ¡°I have to see your sister¡¯s condition before Ie to a conclusion.¡± This concerned his sister¡¯s life and death, so Ling Hai could only take the risk. He let go of his sister. ¡°Physician, please cure my sister.¡± Lo Pingsha bent down and first pried open Ling Miao¡¯s eyelids to take a look. He touched her forehead and cheek and finally checked her tongue and pulse. ¡°The cold air has entered her body and has already injured her heart and lungs. This child is still young and can¡¯t take many types of medicine. It¡¯s very troublesome.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Can she be treated?¡± Lo Pingsha looked grim. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. First, carry her into the room, put her to bed, and change her into clean clothes.¡± This time, without needing Yu Niaoniao to speak, Ling Hai had already picked up his sister and walked into the room. He carefully ced his sister on the bed. There were no clean little girl¡¯s clothes in the courier station for the time being. Yu Niaoniao could only let Chun Feng send over a set of her clothes. She would change Ling Miao first before getting someone to buy two sets of clean children¡¯s clothes from the streets. Chun Feng and Ye Yu stayed in the room to change Ling Miao¡¯s clothes. The others left. After Ling Miao was changed, Lo Pingsha continued to treat her. At the same time, Xiao Juan ordered someone to go to the county office and pull out the Ling family¡¯s dossier. The dossier was sent to Xiao Juan, who read it seriously. The dossier said that the eldest grandson of the Ling family hadmitted adultery. The Ling family protected the murderer and was equivalent to an aplice. But there was no physical evidence mentioned in the dossier. There were only two statements. And it had only taken two days for this case to close. The speed at which the case was solved could put the Justice Department to shame. Xiao Juan put down the dossier with a solemn expression. There was something strange about this case. Clearly, the truth was not as simple as it was described in the dossier. Perhaps Ling Hai was not lying. The cause of this matter was Princess Ni Yang. That woman had always been arrogant and domineering. As long as she wanted something, there was nothing she could not get. Yu Niaoniao returned to the bedroom and saw the dossier on the table. She could not help but ask. ¡°Is this the Ling family¡¯s dossier?¡± Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can I see it?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately picked up the dossier and read it quickly. She frowned. ¡°There¡¯s obviously not enough evidence in this case. Why did the county magistrate close the case?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The county magistrate closed the case in a hurry. It¡¯s very likely that someone above was pressuring him. He had no choice.¡± ¡°Could it be Princess Ni Yang?¡± Xiao Juan did not say anything, which was a tacit agreement. Yu Niaoniao wanted to scold her, but she endured it. After all, he was Duke Lang¡¯s biological mother. Even if their rtionship was not good, she could not scold his mother in front of him. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°How¡¯s Ling Miao?¡± ¡°Little Lo prescribed medicine for her. She¡¯s already asleep. Little Lo said that he had to observe more. If she could cool down tomorrow, she should be fine.¡¯ ¡°Little Hai was worried and stayed by her sister¡¯s bed.¡± After saying that, Yu Niaoniao picked up the dossier and read it. At the end of the dossier, it mentioned that the entire Ling family had been demoted to hardbor, but it did not mention where they were working. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°What about the Ling family?¡± She really wanted to seek justice for the Ling family, but this matter involved Princess Ni Yang. She could not interfere even if she wanted to. Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to follow up on the investigation and see if we can find any clues, but this will take some time.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°I understand. You can¡¯t rush such things.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°And don¡¯t forget the purpose of our trip. We¡¯re here to investigate the whereabouts of the stolen silver. This is the most important thing.¡± Yu Niaoniao suddenly had a thought. ¡°Could that stolen silver have been hidden by Princess Ni Yang?¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Do you have evidence?¡± Yu Niaoniao cringed. ¡°No.¡± ¡°The amount of stolen silver is huge. The emperor values it very much. Don¡¯t talk nonsense without evidence.¡± Yu Niaoniao replied obediently, ¡°I know.¡± Xiao Juan changed the topic. ¡°But what you said is not impossible. Liangzhou is Princess Ni Yang¡¯s territory. If the stolen silver is really hidden here, it¡¯s impossible for Princess Ni Yang not to know.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded vigorously. ¡°That¡¯s what I think. We¡¯re thinking the same thing! ¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s still the same thing. You can¡¯t rely on guesses. You have to have evidence.¡± Yu Niaoniao stroked her chin in thought. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of money. It¡¯s tens of millions of taels. Just piling it up would make up a small mountain. Where can you hide so much silver without being discovered?¡± Regarding this, the two of them thought for a long time but could not figure it out. In the end, they could only wash up and sleep.. Chapter 444 - Chapter 444: Three Fathers Chapter 444: Three Fathers Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The next day, Ling Miao finally stopped feeling hot. Lo Pingsha said that her condition had begun to improve and prescribed her another set of medicine. Ling Hai held the medicine bowl and carefully fed it to his sister. After drinking the medicine, Ling Miao ate some millet porridge and fell asleep again. Ling Hai covered his sister with the nket and walked out quietly. Yu Niaoniao was about to visit Ling Miao when she saw Ling Haie out. ¡°How¡¯s your sister?¡± Ling Hai was filled with gratitude. ¡°She¡¯s much better. Thank you.¡± Regardless of whether Duke Lang and Princess Ni Yang were in cahoots, they had saved Ling Miao. Duke Lang and his wife were Ling Hai¡¯s benefactors. Yu Niaoniao smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s good. Take good care of Miaomiao. Let us know if you need anything.¡± Ling Hai knelt down in front of her. ¡°I will never forget your kindness. From now on, my life is yours. I will do whatever you ask me to do. Even if I have to climb mountains of des and dive in seas of mes, I will never retreat! ¡± Yu Niaoniao quickly pulled him up. ¡°Why would I want your life? You should keep your life for taking good care of your sister. We¡¯re still investigating your family. If you have any clues, you can provide them to us.¡± Ling Hai quickly said, ¡°Back then, my brother was used of raping a woman, but he stayed at home on the day of the crime. Our entire family can testify for him. He definitely didn¡¯t go out tomit the crime.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Is there no one else other than your family who can testify for your brother?¡± Ling Hai shook his head. ¡°No.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Is there really none?¡± Ling Hai thought carefully for a long time and suddenly said. ¡°I remember! That day, my mother arranged to meet the people from Zhang¡¯s Tailor Shop to measure and tailor.¡± ¡°Her mother thought about how her eldest sister-inw had just entered the house and nned to make her two new clothes.¡± ¡°That day, my brother had been with Sister-inw. When Tailor Zhang was measuring Sister-inw, Brother should also be around.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°In other words, Tailor Zhang should have seen your brother on the day of the crime?¡± Ling Hai nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a possibility.¡± Yu Niaoniaoughed. ¡°This clue you provided is very useful.¡± However, Ling Hai was a little uneasy. ¡°I went to the tailor afterward, wanting him to help testify for my brother. But he insisted that he had never been to my house that day.¡± ¡°He even threatened me that if I looked for him again in the future, he would report me to the authorities and get the soldiers to arrest me. ¡°After that, he moved away with his family. I don¡¯t know where he is now.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll definitely find him.¡± She went to find Xiao Juan for breakfast and told him the clues Ling Hai had provided. Xiao Juan had an idea. After breakfast, he got someone to go to the county office again and found the household register of Tailor Zhang and the travel pass he used to move out of this ce. Coupled with the memories of the soldiers at the city gate, the Eagle Guards quickly locked onto the direction where Tailor Zhang had left. Xiao Juan sent two Eagle Guards to continue tracking Tailor Zhang. Princess Ni Yang¡¯s birthday was imminent, so they could not stay here for long. They had to continue their journey. Yu Niaoniao was worried about leaving Ling Hai and Ling Miao on their own. ¡°Do you guys want toe with us?¡± Ling Hai was naturally willing. Although his sister¡¯s condition had improved, she had notpletely recovered. It was best if she followed therge convoy. Only then could Physician Lo continue to treat his sister. Seeing him nod, Yu Niaoniao continued. ¡°We¡¯re here on a decree to celebrate Princess Ni Yang¡¯s birthday. If you want to follow, it¡¯s best if you disguise yourselves to avoid being recognized.¡± When Ling Hai heard the name Princess Ni Yang, he could not help but frown. He did not want to celebrate that bad woman¡¯s birthday! But for his sister¡¯s sake, he could only suppress his resistance and say obediently. ¡°We¡¯ll do whatever you want us to do.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then pretend to be my follower. Your sister will assume the identity of a maidservant. Can you do that?¡± Ling Hai nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay!¡± When the team set off again, Yu Niaoniao had two servants by her side. She had specially arranged another carriage for Ling Hai and Ling Miao to ride. This way, it would be easier for Ling Hai to take care of his sick sister. The convoy moved steadily along the official road. They passed through a small town on the way and stopped to rest and have lunch. Yu Niaoniao also jumped out of the carriage. Her head was wrapped in a new gauze scarf. The thin gauze scarf wrapped her hair and cheeks, keeping away the wind and sand. She strode to the restaurant and sat down at the table. She pulled off her veil and ordered all the specialties in their shop with a wave of her small hand. Wei Liao sat down in the empty seat beside her and asked with a faint smile. ¡°Why are there two new faces beside you? Where did theye from?¡± Yu Niaoniao pped the veil on the table and said with a fake smile, ¡°Hehe, I bought them casually on the way. Do you Sky Wolf Guards even care about such things?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°I¡¯m just concerned about you. Why are you reacting so strongly? Are you feeling guilty?¡± Yu Niaoniao continued to smile fakely. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, please walk away. I don¡¯t want to eat at the same table as you. Seeing your face will affect my appetite.¡± Wei Liao sat still. ¡°That¡¯s good. You should eat less and lose weight.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯ll be fat if I want to be fat and thin if I want to be thin. Do I need you to say anything? Go wherever you want. Don¡¯t disturb my meal.¡± As she spoke, she flicked down her veil and made a shooing motion. Wei Liao looked at the veil in her hand and asked, ¡®Where did you get it?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled proudly. ¡°Of course, it was given to me by Duke Lang. Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡± Wei Liao sneered. ¡°So ugly!¡± With that, he stood up and sat down at another table. Yu Niaoniao took a deep breath and told herself not to be angry. The angrier she was, the more excited he got. The best way to deal with him was to ignore him. At this moment, Xiao Juan walked in. He sat down in the empty seat opposite Yu Niaoniao and asked. ¡°Have you ordered everything?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I just received news that the princess¡¯s manor will send someone to pick us up. We have to stay here for a day.¡± Yu Niaoniao was very curious. ¡°Who will be sent here?¡± ¡°Princess Ni Yang¡¯s third Prince Consort, Cheng Qi.¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. ¡°The third Prince Consort? Could it be that Princess Ni Yang has married three¡­¡± She didn¡¯t finish the sentence. She was afraid that Xiao Juan would feel ufortable. However, Xiao Juan did not care about this. He admitted frankly, ¡°Yes, she¡¯s been married a total of three times. The first two consorts have passed away. My biological father was the second consort.¡± Yu Niaoniao clicked her tongue. ¡°Your family situation is quiteplicated.¡± She felt that having two fathers was enough. She did not expect Xiao Juan to have three fathers. She had lost.. Chapter 445 - Chapter 445: A toast Chapter 445: A toast Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan briefly introduced Cheng Qi¡¯s situation. This person was the legitimate son of the famous Cheng family in Jingzhou. His grandfather was the famous cab minister, Ye Zhaohai. Yu Niaoniao had a deep impression of Ye Zhaohai. He was the oldest, most senior, and most irritable in the cab. Back then, Xiao Juan was ordered to investigate the anti-government poetry case. Although he had already found out the truth, he was questioned by Ye Zhaohai. This elder had a deep prejudice against Xiao Juan. He often impeached Xiao Juan and strongly advocated the abolition of the Justice Department and all the Eagle Guards. For this, he had won the support of many people in the court. Yu Niaoniao frowned at the thought of that old man. ¡°Could Cheng Qi be as difficult to deal with as his grandfather?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°No, Cheng Qi has been pampered since he was young. He¡¯s a yboy who only knows how to eat, drink, and have fun. He never cares about politics. Although he¡¯s the consort, he doesn¡¯t have an official position. Don¡¯t worry too much about him.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not understand. ¡°Why did Princess Ni Yang marry such a person?¡± Xiao Juan exined, ¡°This is a marriage arranged by the emperor. Moreover, Cheng Qi¡¯s appearance is very outstanding and suits Princess Ni Yang¡¯s taste.¡± Realization dawned on Yu Niaoniao. As long as his face was good-looking, nothing else mattered. After dinner, the group found an inn in the town. Because there were many of them, they booked the entire inn. Yu Niaoniao specially chose a suite. There were two small bedrooms in the suite. She and Xiao Juan upied one each. This way, Xiao Juan did not have to sleep on the floor at night. When the local gentry heard that Duke Lang was here, they came to visit. They even held a banquet in the best restaurant in the town and warmly invited Duke Lang and the others to the banquet. Xiao Juan had never liked to socialize, but he was here with a mission this time. He had to find out where the stolen silver had gone. These squires had lived here for a long time and should be very familiar with the situation here. Perhaps he could uncover some clues from them. Hence, Xiao Juan epted the invitation. In the evening, he brought Yu Niaoniao to the banquet. Yu Niaoniao heard footsteps behind her and turned around. When she saw that it was Wei Liao, she could not help but ask, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Wei Liao pulled an invitation from his sleeve and waved it in front of her with a smug smile. ¡°That group of squires invited me too. I was bored, so I went to join in the fun.¡± Yu Niaoniao was suspicious, but she did not ask further. After getting into the carriage, Yu Niaoniao said to Xiao Juan. ¡°Why do I feel like Wei Liao is following us?¡± Along the way, no matter where she and Xiao Juan went, Wei Liao would follow them. At first, she thought that he had nothing better to do and deliberately came to argue with her to kill time. However, as time passed, she could not help but suspect something. Previously, when she had asked Wei Liao in person if he was following them, Wei Liao mocked and denied it. This time, she did not ask directly, but the suspicion in her heart did not dissipate. Xiao Juan¡¯s expression was indifferent. ¡°This should be his mission.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Is his mission to follow us? Who gave him the mission?¡± ¡°There¡¯s only one person in this world who can give the Sky Wolf Guards a mission.¡± Hearing this, the old emperor¡¯s face immediately appeared in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s mind and she could not help but blurt out. ¡°It¡¯s the emperor! But why?¡± Xiao Juan slowly exined his guess. ¡°Back then, the emperor sent me to escort Prince Min and his son to Liaodong County. He hinted that I would get rid of Prince Min and his son on the way.¡± ¡°However, in the end, Prince Min and his son arrived in Liaodong safely. I did not do as the emperor expected.¡± This matter must have left a knot in his heart. ¡°The emperor was afraid that I would be disobedient likest time, so he specially asked Wei Liao to keep an eye on me.¡± Realization dawned on Yu Niaoniao. What did he mean by asking Wei Liao to protect Duke Lang? It turned out that he wanted Wei Liao to monitor Duke Lang. This old emperor¡¯s need for control was really abnormally strong! Seeing Xiao Juan¡¯s calm expression, Yu Niaoniao could not help but ask, ¡°Did you already guess Wei Liao¡¯s true motive?¡± Xiao Juan nodded slightly. ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao gritted her teeth. ¡°Wei Liao is indeed up to no good. To think he still has the cheek to say that he¡¯s here to protect us. Shameless liar!¡± The carriage stopped at the entrance of the restaurant. Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao alighted one after another. The squires had already prepared the food and wine. They even carefully arranged a song and dance performance. There was fine wine and delicacies, and the sound of music. Beauties danced. The scene could be said to be very lively. The squires raised their sses and toasted Duke Lang. Xiao Juan¡¯s stomach was not good. Usually, if it was not necessary, he would not drink at all. However, at the dining table, drinking was the best way to let people rx. He picked up his ss and drained it. Everyone cheered in unison and praised Duke Lang for his amiable personality. Yu Niaoniao looked worried. She picked up some food and ced it in Xiao Juan¡¯s bowl, letting him eat something to fill his stomach. Drinking on an empty stomach was bad for the body. In the eyes of the squires, they immediately seized the opportunity and began to praise the love between Duke Lang and the Princess Consort crazily. Then, they toasted again. Seeing that Xiao Juan was about to drink again, Yu Niaoniao was anxious. From the corner of her eye, she saw Wei Liao eating and watching a good show. An idea came to her and she immediately said in an exaggerated tone, ¡°Don¡¯t just toast my Duke Lang. Don¡¯t leave Vice General Wei behind! Not only is he the adopted son of Eunuch Wei, but he is also a popr person in front of the emperor. Because he is capable and loyal, he is very important to the emperor.¡± ¡°Previously, the Chen Nation¡¯s diplomatic mission hade to the capital and sent many beauties. The emperor had even specially chosen two beauties to give to Vice General Wei. It¡¯s obvious how much the emperor liked him. Everyone, why aren¡¯t you toasting him?¡± Wei Liao, who was gloating, was speechless. He saw everyone¡¯s gazes on him, and the smile on his face stiffened. Why were they looking at him? He was not interested in drinking with a group of men! The squires had originally thought that Wei Liao was just an ordinary official from the capital. They did not expect him to be the emperor¡¯s trusted aide. They immediately gathered around Wei Liao like dogs seeing bones and fought to toast him. Wei Liao tried to lie that he was not feeling well and could not drink. Yu Niaoniao immediately exposed his lie. ¡°Vice General Wei has always been in good health. I saw you drink during lunch today. How can you not drink? Don¡¯t stand on ceremony. Don¡¯t let down everyone¡¯s kindness.¡± Wei Liao deliberately spoke in a meaningful tone, ¡°The County Princess even saw that I drank at noon. It seems that you¡¯re very concerned about me. You¡¯re actually secretly paying attention to me.¡± Yu Niaoniao replied generously, ¡°That¡¯s right. After all, you were specially sent by the emperor to protect us. The emperor trusts you so much. Your status is so important, so His Highness and I are naturally very concerned about you.¡± Her words also had a deeper meaning. Only Wei Liao and Xiao Juan understood what she meant.. Chapter 446 - Chapter 446: Wine Ceremony Chapter 446: Wine Ceremony Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Wei Liao knew that Yu Niaoniao was deliberately targeting him. Because she knew the real purpose of his trip. But he wasn¡¯t ashamed. With his current status, he was destined not to care about right or wrong. He just had toplete the mission ording to the emperor¡¯s request. Everything else had nothing to do with him. While the squires¡¯ attention was on Wei Liao, Yu Niaoniao quickly scooped a bowl of chicken soup and ced it in front of Xiao Juan. ¡°Eat more.¡± Xiao Juan drank the hot chicken soup and ate some dishes. His stomach, which had been a little ufortable from the alcohol, finally felt much better. After drinking two sses of wine, Wei Liao deliberately raised his voice and said to Xiao Juan. ¡°Duke Lang, don¡¯t just eat. Drink two sses with us!¡± Immediately, someone carried a wine pot over and filled it for Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan picked up his wine ss and was about to drink when Yu Niaoniao suddenly spoke. ¡°How boring is it to just drink? Why don¡¯t we do a drinking game? The loser not only has to drink, but he has to perform on the spot.¡± This suggestion was unanimously approved by everyone. Yu Niaoniao continued, ¡°I¡¯m on the same side as Duke Lang. I¡¯ll help him administer the wine. If he loses, let him drink. I¡¯ll perform. How about that?¡± Wei Liao chuckled. ¡°Isn¡¯t that unfair?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s just a game. Why do you have to be so particr? Or are you afraid of losing?¡± Wei Liao said disdainfully, ¡°Provocation doesn¡¯t work on me.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If you think it¡¯s unfair, you can find a helper.¡± With that, she casually pointed at the women ying the piano and dancing. ¡°There are so many girls. Pick whoever you want.¡± The squires cheered for Wei Liao to pick a girl. In the past, Wei Liao would not be afraid of such a scene. Wasn¡¯t it just picking a girl? This was a good thing that hade knocking on his door. It would be a waste not to take it. But now he was a little unwilling. He could not exin why. He felt that he was most likely sick, and quite sick. Yu Niaoniao smiled at him as if she wanted to see the world burn. ¡°Choose whoever you like.¡± The girls had already stopped dancing and ying music. All of them blushed. Two of the bolder ones had already begun to wink at Wei Liao. They knew that Wei Liao was a high-ranking official from the Imperial Capital, and he was very handsome. If they could be his women, it would undoubtedly be a very good way out for lowly women like them. Wei Liao was a little impatient. He sneered. ¡°Who do you think I am? Can I like a girl so easily? Don¡¯t you want to drink? Just bring it on.¡± Seeing this, the girls were very disappointed, but they did not dare to say anything. They could only continue to dance and y. The rule of the wine order was very simple. It was a poem. Thest word of the previous sentence had to be the same as the first sentence of the next. Yu Niaoniao could remember everything. The Three Hundred Poems of the Tang Dynasty and the Selected Song Ci were all in her mind. This kind of poetry game was child¡¯s y to her. She was familiar with 5,000 years of poetry. No matter what the previous sentence was, she could quickly follow with the next. With Yu Niaoniao as a cheat, Xiao Juan did not even lose once. He watched helplessly as the others at the table drank ss after ss. Even Wei Liao was not spared and lost twice. After drinking too much, everyone¡¯s reaction speed slowed down, and their bodies rxed. They were no longer as restrained as before and spoke and did things more freely. Not only did the loser have to drink, but he also had to perform. Most of them were performing poetry recitations. There was also singing and dancing. The scene was noisy. After the new round of drinking, Yu Niaoniao expressed that she did not want to hear the poetry recitation. She wanted to hear the other party tell a story. ¡°It¡¯s best if it¡¯s a local story in Liangzhou. The stranger the better. For example, did a group of strangers suddenly appear here? Or is there a haunted ce?¡± The drunken squires had lost their ability to think. They followed her words and began to recall. ¡°You¡¯re the only strangers who¡¯ve been here recently. There¡¯s no one else.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything about ghosts.¡± ¡°Who said there aren¡¯t ghosts? Have you all forgotten about the Ghost Weeping Forest?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes! The Ghost Weeping Forest is haunted. I heard that someone once took a shortcut there and happened to encounter the Yin soldiers. He was so frightened that he peed his pants and fell seriously ill when he returned home. From then on, he went crazy. I heard that it was because his soul was taken away by the Yin soldiers.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just the Ghost Weeping Forest. There¡¯s also the Chillywind Valley. That ce often emits the shrill cries of women. I passed by there once and heard the cries with my own ears. It was terrifying!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget the Xiann Temple. No one has dared to approach it since it was burned to ruins by the fire, but recently, someone saw ghostly fire near it.¡± As Wei Liao listened to these people tell stories, he finally understood why Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao hade to the banquet tonight. These two people were pretending to socialize at the banquet to get information from the local gentry. As Wei Liao ate, he memorized the ces they had mentioned and prepared to send someone to those haunted ces to check. He did not believe in ghosts. Even if there were really ghosts, they could only be pretending. By the time the banquet ended, it waste at night. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan left the restaurant and returned to the inn in a carriage. Tonight¡¯s matter went even smoother than Xiao Juan had expected. This was all thanks to Niaoniao. She had helped him block the drinking and even helped him get information. As Xiao Juan stared at the side of Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face, his heart was warm. She was really good to him and thought about him all the time. No wonder he thought she really liked him. If it were any other man, they would probably not be able to help but indulge in her meticulous treatment. Yu Niaoniao noticed the man¡¯s gaze and turned to look at him. ¡°Do you feel dizzy? Do you want to rest?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I only drank one ss. It¡¯s fine.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If you encounter such a thing again, let me help you drink. My alcohol tolerance is very good. I won¡¯t get drunk even after a thousand sses!¡± Xiao Juan recalled thest time she was drunk and refused to let go of him. He praised her against his will. ¡°You can hold your liquor very well, but you still can¡¯t drink too much. It¡¯s bad for your health.¡± Although Xiao Juan had only drunk one cup, after returning to the inn, Yu Niaoniao still personally cooked hangover soup for him. Coincidentally, Wei Liao came to the kitchen to find water. He saw Yu Niaoniao cooking soup and immediately brought over a porcin bowl. ¡°Give me a bowl.¡± Yu Niaoniao extended her hand. ¡°Ten taels a bowl.¡± Wei Liao raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why don¡¯t you rob someone?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Take it or leave it. It¡¯s not for you anyway.¡± Wei Liao took out a heavy silver ingot and ced it on the stove. Yu Niaoniao happily pocketed the silver ingot and looked at Wei Liao with an exceptionally kind gaze. She looked as if she was looking at a fat sheep. It would be a waste not to take advantage of the opportunity! Chapter 447 - Chapter 447: Prince Consort Chapter 447: Prince Consort Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao scooped a bowl of hangover soup for Wei Liao and gave him a businesslike smile. ¡°Please enjoy.¡± Wei Liao was already used to her greedy reaction. He picked up the bowl and took a sip. In the past, he had drunk hangover soup before. It did not taste good, but today, this bowl of hangover soup was delicious. He couldn¡¯t resist taking two more sips. Yu Niaoniao smiled and said, ¡°If you think the taste is good, you cane often in the future. My price is fair and I¡¯m honest.¡± With that, she turned around and left with another bowl of hangover soup. Wei Liao slowly finished his hangover soup. He originally wanted to put the empty bowl back, but on second thought, this was soup he had spent ten taels of silver on. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem to receive the bowl for such an expensive soup, right? Inexplicably, he tucked the empty bowl into his sleeve and walked out of the kitchen as if nothing had happened. The next morning, Xiao Juan called Yan Nanguan over and told him about the haunted ces he had heard about at the banquet yesterday. He also asked him to send someone to check those ces. Just as Yu Niaoniao had said, it was almost impossible to transport tens of millions of taels of stolen silver into Liangzhou without anyone knowing. It was inevitable that someone would notice something amiss during the process. If one wanted to hide it, ghosts were the simplest and most effective way. As long as there was news of a ghost, themoners would consciously keep a distance from that ce. asionally, someone would pass by and notice something amiss, but they would consciously attribute everything to ghosts. Of course, this was just spection. In the end, it still depended on the results of the investigation. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan had just finished breakfast when Cheng Qi arrived. His appearance and outfit were very different from the locals of Liangzhou. His facial features were very handsome, and his eyebrows were slender and exquisite. His lips were red and his teeth were white. The outline of his face was very gentle. His long ck hair was casually tied behind him with a headband, and he was wearing a loose long-sleeved shirt. His skin was even fairer than ordinary people¡¯s. From afar, it looked so fair that it glowed. It was a stark contrast to the honey-skinned locals around him. When Yu Niaoniao saw him, she immediately understood why Princess Ni Yang had chosen to marry him. Even though he was already middle-aged, he did not show any signs of gaining weight. He still looked so elegant and handsome. Cheng Qi sized Xiao Juan up and praised him with a smile, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time. You¡¯ve really grown up! Back then, when you left Liangzhou, you were less than half my height. Now, you¡¯re even taller than me.¡± ¡°Everyone says that the feng Shui of the Imperial Capital is good for people. Now, it seems that it¡¯s true. Look at how well you¡¯ve been raised!¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s expression was indifferent, and there was a hint of distance in his politeness. ¡°You don¡¯t look much different from before. You¡¯re still very young.¡± Cheng Qi waved his hand and said humbly, ¡°I¡¯m just superficial. I¡¯m old on the inside. I can¡¯tpare to young people like you.¡± Then, he looked at Yu Niaoniao, who was beside Xiao Juan, and his eyes lit up. ¡°This is Niaoniao, right? As expected of a daughter raised by a schr. She¡¯s really slender and elegant.¡± Yu Niaoniao bowed. ¡°Thank you for your praise, Consort.¡± Cheng Qi¡¯s gaze was fixed on her. ¡°Niaoniao is sixteen this year, right? She¡¯s really at a good age.¡± ¡°I came in a hurry this time and didn¡¯t prepare anything good for you. This is the sachet I usually use. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± With that, he took off the sachet at his waist and handed it to Yu Niaoniao. His words made everyone present speechless. No father-inw had ever given his daughter-inw a sachet he had used when he first saw her. A sachet was a very personal thing. It was usually only given to the closest person to him. Cheng Qi¡¯s intentions were obvious. Yu Niaoniao politely declined. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but I don¡¯t usually use sachets.¡± Seeing that she refused to ept it, although Cheng Qi was disappointed, he did not continue to pester her. ¡°In that case, forget it. I¡¯ll give you something else another day.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not know what to say and could only smile awkwardly and politely. Although she had long known that this Prince Consort was a yboy, she had never expected him to not even let his daughter-inw off. Did he really not care about appearances at all? Xiao Juan¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Prince Consort, please respect yourself. Niaoniao is already my wife. ¡± Cheng Qi smiled indifferently. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. I just think that Niaoniao is cute and can¡¯t help but want to take care of her.¡¯ He said this matter-of-factly as if he really just wanted to take care of his cute daughter-inw. Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of my Princess Consort myself. There¡¯s no need for others to worry about.¡± Cheng Qi looked helpless. ¡°Look at you. You¡¯re still as serious as you were when you were young. With your personality, you¡¯re easily taken advantage of.¡± Xiao Juan seemed to have thought of something, and his gaze turned colder. Cheng Qi yawned, looking sleepy. ¡°I woke up too early today. I haven¡¯t slept enough. Hurry up and pack up. I¡¯ll go back to the carriage to sleep for a while.¡± With that, he turned around and walked out of the inn. Xiao Juan ordered everyone to pack up and set off as soon as possible. Although his face had always been expressionless and one could not tell if he was happy or angry, Yu Niaoniao could still sense that he was not in a good mood. Sheforted him softly, ¡°Ignore Cheng Qi. He¡¯s most likely sick.¡± Someone who could target his daughter-inw was definitely not a normal person. Xiao Juan looked down at her and reminded her, ¡°Cheng Qi does everything based on his whims. He¡¯s a person with no bottom line. You have to be careful. Don¡¯t let him have the chance to approach you.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded obediently. ¡°Yes!¡± Xiao Juan still felt worried. He had to get something special from Lo Pingshater. The convoy set off again and continued forward. Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha were both riding horses. They spoke quietly as they rode forward. At the end of the conversation, Lo Pingsha nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll make it as soon as possible.¡± On the way, when the team stopped to rest, Cheng Qi came to look for Yu Niaoniao for lunch, but she politely declined. Beside him, Chun Feng and Ye Yu looked worried. Even they could tell that this Prince Consort had impure thoughts about the Princess Consort. Yu Niaoniao did not want Cheng Qi to affect her mood for eating. She ate with her usual relish. Xiao Juan regretted agreeing to bring Niaoniao here. If she hadn¡¯te here, she wouldn¡¯t have suffered this grievance. Wei Liao walked past them and spoke with a faint smile. ¡°That Prince Consort is very enthusiastic about the Princess Consort.¡± He thought Yu Niaoniao would definitely refute him, but she only looked up at him and continued eating. Wei Liao was not used to this. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Chapter 448 - Chapter 448: Better to Enjoy It Alone Chapter 448: Better to Enjoy It Alone Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I just suddenly feel that you¡¯re actually quite pleasing to the eye.¡± Xiao Juan stopped eating and turned to look at her. Wei Liao was also surprised. ¡°Huh?¡± Yu Niaoniao said seriously, ¡°As the saying goes, people die when makingparisons; likewise, goods that arepared have to be thrown away. Looking at you, your words are indeed very annoying butpared to Cheng Qi, you¡¯re actually not bad.¡± Wei Liao was speechless Listen, was this what a human would say? Xiao Juan looked away and continued to eat silently. Wei Liao sneered. ¡°Hehe, you really know how to talk.¡± Yu Niaoniao chuckled. ¡°Are you instantly filled with confidence in yourself?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°I¡¯m not confident, but I¡¯m full of killing intent.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately stopped smiling and turned to lean on Xiao Juan. ¡°Baby, someone wants to kill me. I¡¯m afraid and want a hug¡­. Feeling the warm and soft touch of her leaning over, Xiao Juan¡¯s body involuntarily stiffened. After a long time, he squeezed out three words from his throat, his voice low and a little hoarse. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Yu Niaoniao continued to wheedle. ¡°I want a hug.. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Stop fooling around.¡± This scene deeply pierced Wei Liao¡¯s eyes. He felt almost blind. ¡°Can you guys be any more disgusting?¡± Yu Niaoniao snorted. ¡°If you feel disgusted, stay away from us.¡± ¡°You make it sound like I really want to stay with you guys.¡± With that, Wei Liao turned around and left. Xiao Juan pulled his arm out of Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± Yu Niaoniao opened her mouth. ¡°I want you to feed me.¡± Chun Feng and Ye Yu pursed their lips and giggled. They quietly retreated so as not to disturb the couple¡¯s intimacy. Xiao Juan forced himself to look away from Yu Niaoniao¡¯s lips and said expressionlessly, ¡°Eat it yourself.¡± Yu Niaoniao pouted. ¡°You can¡¯t even feed me a bite. You¡¯re so petty.¡± Xiao Juan was not petty. He was afraid that he would not be able to control his emotions. He had to keep his distance from her and remind himself at all times not to fall into it again. When it was almost dark, the convoy stopped again. Xiao Juan nned to stay at the courier station as usual, but Cheng Qi was unwilling. He despised the simple environment of the courier station and brought everyone to live in the house of a local squire. The country squire had a big business and a very imposing house. Faced with the visit of the Prince Consort and Duke Lang, the squire was naturally overjoyed. Not only did he let all the best rooms in the house be vacated, but he also carefully prepared a sumptuous meal. Facing arge table of fine wine and delicacies, Cheng Qi was still not satisfied. ¡°Why is there only fine wine? Why isn¡¯t there a beauty?¡± The squire froze. His family actually had some dancers, but because of his status as the emperor¡¯s son-inw, he did not dare to call those dancers out, as he was afraid of making Princess Ni Yang unhappy. Unexpectedly, the Prince Consort took the initiative to ask for a beauty to serve him. From the looks of it, he did not seem to be afraid of Princess Ni Yang pursuing the matter. The squire could only order someone to bring over all the dancers at home to dance for the distinguished guests. Cheng Qi drank as he admired the beauties dancing. After three rounds of wine, the alcohol hit him. He reached out and pulled the two dancers into his arms. He leaned over and took a deep breath against the beauty¡¯s skin. ¡°The fragrance on a beauty is even more intoxicating than the fragrance of wine.¡± The beauties giggled shyly. If this continued, there would probably be a restricted scene that was not suitable for children. Xiao Juan did not want to dirty his eyes and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m full, Niaoniao. Let¡¯s go.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not want to stay here anymore and left with Xiao Juan. Cheng Qi did not care about this. Seeing that Wei Liao was still around, he asked the beauties to toast him. ¡°It¡¯s better to be happy alone than together. Vice General Wei, don¡¯t be restrained. Please indulge your enthusiasm to enjoy the women of Liangzhou.¡± Wei Liao smiled. ¡°Although I like beauties too, I¡¯m a picky person. If I don¡¯t like them, I won¡¯t be able to enjoy them.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°There are Eagle Guards everywhere. Who can bully me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. The eldest daughter of this family was bullied by the Prince Consort just now.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What did Cheng Qi do to her?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Take a guess.¡± With that, he turned around and left. Yu Niaoniao shouted in exasperation, ¡°You¡¯re too wicked!¡± In return, Wei Liaoughed. Fortunately, Xiao Juan returned not long after. He told Yu Niaoniao what had happened. It turned out that Cheng Qi had entered the wrong room after getting drunk and even molested the country squire¡¯s eldest daughter. That was where the shout hade from. Yu Niaoniao frowned. ¡°What should we do about this?¡± Regardless of whether Cheng Qi had done anything to her, that girl¡¯s reputation was gone. This was a matter that concerned her life. However, Cheng Qi had a noble status, so the squire¡¯s family did not dare to do anything to him. They could only grit their teeth and bear with it it. Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°Cheng Qi is the Prince Consort. The Prince Consort can¡¯t take a concubine. Even if that girl follows him, she can at most be his mistress.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not know what to say about this matter.. In the end, she could only curse, ¡°Cheng Qi is really a piece of trash!¡± Chapter 449 - Chapter 449: Wolf Pack Chapter 449: Wolf Pack Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The next morning, when Yu Niaoniao saw Cheng Qi again, she saw a young woman beside him. The girl¡¯s eyes were red as if she had just cried, but she did not show much resistance when Cheng Qi hugged her; it seemed as though she had epted reality. Cheng Qi did not feel ashamed of doing anything wrong. He smiled and said. ¡°I disturbed youst night. It¡¯s my fault. When we reach Jinwu Cityter, I¡¯ll treat you to wine as an apology.¡± Xiao Juan replied calmly, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go.¡± Cheng Qi carried the new beauty into the carriage. Yu Niaoniao watched them leave and sighed inwardly. Everyone said that a pot matched a lid. This fellow and Princess Ni Yang were really a match made in heaven. The squire¡¯s family must have benefited from Cheng Qi. Not only did they not pursue the matterst night, but they even sent him away happily. The convoy set off again. Yu Niaoniao leaned against the soft pillow and swayed with the carriage. Unknowingly, she gradually fell asleep. At noon, she was woken up for something to eat. She couldn¡¯t fall asleep in the afternoon. She could only take out cards and y Fight the Landlord with Chun Feng and Ye Yu to pass the time. By the time the carriage stopped again, the sun had set. But they did not manage to find a ce to stay. Yu Niaoniao jumped out of the carriage to ask Xiao Juan about the situation and happened to see him talking to Cheng Qi. Xiao Juan had a serious expression and a cold voice. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that this road could reach Jinwu City faster?¡± Cheng Qi looked helpless. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either. Previously, I took this shortcut to find you. How would I know that I actually went in the wrong direction this time?¡± Yu Niaoniao could not help but ask, ¡°Are we lost?¡± Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Cheng Qi said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault this time. I¡¯ll get someone to search the vicinity and see if there¡¯s a ce to stay.¡± With that, he called the apanying guards over and asked them to search nearby. Xiao Juan called Yan Nanguan over and asked him to bring a team of Eagle Guards to investigate the terrain. It was dark and windy now. If there was any danger around, it would be very difficult for them to guard against it. They had to be prepared in advance. Yan Nanguan quickly left with his men. At this moment, Wei Liao came over. He crossed his arms and smiled as if he was watching a good show. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that we would take a shortcut? Where are we cutting?¡± Cheng Qi did not feel awkward and smiled. ¡°This time, I did something bad out of kindness. I shouldn¡¯t have led the way. However, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. This ce shouldn¡¯t be far from Jinwu City. If something really happens, Jinwu City will send someone to support us.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°So we¡¯re sleeping in the open tonight?¡± Cheng Qi immediately said, ¡°My carriage is very spacious. If you don¡¯t mind, you can spend the night in my carriage.¡± Xiao Juan looked at him expressionlessly, his eyes projecting a death stare. ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Cheng Qi exined, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. I mean to let Niaoniao and Xiaoya spend the night in the carriage. I¡¯ll just find another ce to make do for the night. No matter how difficult the conditions are, it¡¯s impossible for the girls to suffer.¡¯ Yu Niaoniao was speechless. This fellow actually made sense. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Prince Consort. My own carriage is quitefortable. There¡¯s no need to change ces.¡± She looked around and saw that they were now in a rock forest. As far as the eye could see, there were strange rocks. Under the dark sky, these rocks looked like ghosts. Coupled with the cold night wind, a sinister and terrifying atmosphere arose spontaneously. Yu Niaoniao subconsciously shrank her neck. This ce did not feel good. A thick cloak fell on her. She turned around and saw Xiao Juan standing behind her. Xiao Juan retracted his hand. ¡°It¡¯s cold at night. Wear more.¡± Yu Niaoniao gathered her cloak and smiled sweetly at him. ¡°Yes!¡± Xiao Juan took out a sachet. ¡°This is for you.¡± Yu Niaoniao took the sachet and sniffed it. Its fragrance was very special. At first sniff, it smelled a little bitter, but it was veryfortable after a long time. There should be some herbs added to it. She asked curiously, ¡°Where did this sachete from?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I asked Little Lo to specially make this. There are some special herbs added to it. Wearing it with you can prevent mosquitoes and insects. If you smell it hard, you can even refresh your mind.¡± Yu Niaoniao was very happy. ¡°Wow! Little Lo has such an ability. It¡¯s too powerful! ¡± She immediately put the sachet on. Yan Nanguan returned with the Eagle Guards. They had searched the vicinity, but they had not even seen a family, let alone an inn. This area was filled with rocks. Other than rocks, there was nothing else. It seemed that they would have to sleep in the open tonight. The night was dark, and it was too troublesome to set up a tent at thest minute. Anyway, it was only a night, so Xiao Juan did not let the Eagle Guards set up a tent. Everyone used the firewood they had picked up to light two bonfires. Everyone sat around the fire to warm themselves and casually ate some dry food and water. It was considered dinner tonight. As the night deepened, Yu Niaoniao brought Chun Feng and Ye Yu back to the carriage to rest. Xiao Juan and the Eagle Guards were still sitting by the bonfire. They were prepared to make do tonight. Wei Liao sat beside another bonfire with the Sky Wolf Guards. The two sides were clearly separated and did not interfere with each other. While Yu Niaoniao was in a daze, she suddenly heard an urgent knocking. Knock knock knock! She, Ye Yu, and Chun Feng woke up. The three of them hurriedly pushed open the car window and saw Xiao Juan standing outside the carriage. He lowered his voice. ¡°There¡¯s danger. Get out of the carriage. Be gentle.¡± Yu Niaoniao, Chun Feng, and Ye Yu were shocked. They hurriedly put on their clothes and tiptoed out of the carriage. Xiao Juan immediately protected Yu Niaoniao behind him and retreated behind the rock with the three of them. Yu Niaoniao realized that there were dozens of green eyes not far ahead. They were hidden in the night and could not be seen clearly. Only their eyes emitted a faint cold light. It was a wolf pack! They approached the camp silently under the cover of the night. If not for the fact that the wolves had been discovered by the Eagle Guards on night duty, the convoy would not have known that they had be someone else¡¯s prey. Yu Niaoniao had never seen such a scene and could not help but feel a chill in her heart. Why were there so many wolves? The wolf pack seemed to have sensed their abnormality and knew that they were about to run. The alpha made a prompt decision to raise his head and howl. Immediately after, dozens of wild wolves rushed out of the darkness! They pounced at the humans like arrows. Xiao Juan pushed Yu Niaoniao behind the nearest rock. He drew the No Return Saber. The de was bright, refracting a sharp light in the night. The first wolf to pounce was injured by the de and fell to the ground, wailing in pain. The night wind blew over, spreading the smell of blood. The wolves were stimted and rushed towards Xiao Juan! Chapter 450 - Chapter 450: Lost Chapter 450: Lost Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The moment she saw the wolf pack pounce on Xiao Juan, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart was in her throat and she almost forgot to breathe. She took an involuntary step forward and was immediately grabbed by Chun Feng and Ye Yu behind her. ¡°Princess Consort, you can¡¯t go over!¡± Yan Nanguan arrived in time with the Eagle Guards and helped Xiao Juan block most of the wild wolves. Then, Wei Liao and the Sky Wolf Guards arrived. At this critical moment, they could not care less about factional struggles. They pulled out their sabers and attacked! Amidst the des and shadows, wild wolves kept falling and wailing in pain. The alpha realized that something was wrong. If this continued, even if they could capture a few humans as prey, they would pay a heavy price. The losses outweighed the gains. After weighing the pros and cons, the alpha made a prompt decision and let out a piercing howl. When the remaining wolves heard the order, they immediately withdrew from the battle and quickly gathered together. They lowered themselves to face the enemy, growling low in their throats as they retreated. Yan Nanguan asked, ¡°Should we chase after them?¡± The night was dark and windy. They did not know the terrain here. If they continued to pursue the wolves, it was very likely that the team would get separated and fall into even greater danger. Xiao Juan quickly made a decision. ¡°Don¡¯t chase after a desperate enemy.¡± After waiting for the two sides to put a rtively safe distance between them, the wolf pack turned and left. Their backs quickly disappeared into the vast night. Yu Niaoniao quickly ran out from behind the rock. After confirming that Xiao Juan was not injured, she heaved a sigh of relief. A few carcasses of wild wolves were left at the scene. In addition, a few Eagle Guards and Sky Wolf Guards were injured in the battle. Fortunately, no one died. Lo Pingsha was treating the injured. Yan Nanguan brought people to deal with the carcasses of the wild wolves and cleaned up the remaining blood on the ground to prevent the smell of blood from attracting more wild beasts. Wei Liao spoke suddenly. ¡°Cheng Qi is gone.¡± Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan immediately turned to look for Cheng Qi¡¯s carriage. Only then did they realize that his carriage was gone. The guards and servants who had been following Cheng Qi were also gone. Xiao Juan¡¯s expression immediately darkened. ¡°They must have escaped in the chaos.¡± Just now, all of them were busy dealing with the wolf pack and no one was in the mood to pay attention to Cheng Qi and the others. Yu Niaoniao frowned. ¡°Why did Cheng Qi run away for no reason?¡± Wei Liao sneered. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because he¡¯s guilty.¡± Hearing him say this, Yu Niaoniao had a guess and blurted out. ¡°Could Cheng Qi have deliberately led us the wrong way?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Cheng Qi has lived in Liangzhou for so many years. Logically speaking, he should be very familiar with this ce, but he led us to take the wrong way. This doesn¡¯t make sense. In addition, Cheng Qi took the opportunity to escape when the wolves suddenly attacked in the middle of the night. Who would believe that he didn¡¯t deliberately arrange this?¡± Yu Niaoniao was still puzzled. ¡°But what does he want? Even if he kills us, he won¡¯t gain anything.¡± Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t forget what we came to Liangzhou for.¡± ¡°We¡¯re here to celebrate Princess Ni Yang¡¯s birthday and secretly investigate the whereabouts of that stolen silver¡­ At this point, Yu Niaoniao was enlightened. ¡°It¡¯s that stolen silver!¡± If Cheng Qi was rted to that stolen silver, then he had a very good reason to kill Duke Lang! Yu Niaoniao said angrily, ¡°He can run, but he can¡¯t hide. Cheng Qi definitely has to return to the princess¡¯s residence. When we find him, we¡¯ll definitely confront him!¡± Wei Liao saidzily. ¡°But we have to get out of here safely. It¡¯s only been one night and we¡¯ve encountered a wolf pack. We don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll encounter tomorrow.¡± Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°At dawn, we¡¯ll set off and reach Jinwu City as soon as possible.¡± Wei Liao yawned. ¡°I hope we can still make it to Jinwu City.¡± With that, he turned around and walked away, nning to sleep well while there was still some time before dawn. Xiao Juan asked Yu Niaoniao to go back and sleep for a while. Yu Niaoniao also knew that at this point, it was most important to recuperate and deal with the next predicament. ¡°Have a good rest too.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Yu Niaoniao, Chun Feng, and Ye Yu returned to the carriage. After that soul-stirring battle just now, the three of them were still a little afraid. Fortunately, Yu Niaoniao was happy-go-lucky. She closed her eyes and fell asleep not long after. When she woke the next morning, the wolf¡¯s carcasses were gone and the blood had been cleaned off the ground. The Eagle Guards were methodically counting the supplies. Everything looked normal again. It was as if the fierce battlest night had been a dream. At this moment, the sky was bright and Yu Niaoniao could finally see her surroundings clearly. Large rocks were scattered everywhere. Their surfaces showed signs of being eroded by wind and sand, interspersed with small trees. asionally, crows flew across the sky, letting out ugly cries. No matter how she looked at it, this was not a good ce. After a simple breakfast, the group set off again. They tried to head back the way they hade, but after walking for most of the day, they could not find the original path. No matter how they walked, they were still surrounded by huge rocks in strange shapes. They could neither see anyone nor find a decent path. Yan Nanguan pointed at a triangr mark on the rock and spoke with difficulty. ¡°This is the mark I made before. We¡¯re back where we were.¡¯ In other words, they were lost. Xiao Juan looked at the triangr mark with a dark expression. ¡°Try another direction.¡± The group chose apletely opposite direction and continued on their way. But in the end, they returned to the marked ce. This time, the entire team fell silent. Even the horses were moving uneasily in ce. At this moment, the sun was already setting in the west. It would be dark soon. Yu Niaoniao jumped out of the carriage and walked over to look at the triangr mark on the rock. Then she looked around. The rocks were like natural walls, turning the ce into a huge maze. And they were the travelers trapped in the maze. If they couldn¡¯t find a way out, they could only die trapped in this godforsaken ce. Wei Liao was also a little frustrated. He said angrily, ¡°This finally exins why Cheng Qi lured us here.lf we were bitten to death by the wolves, he could me the wolves for everything. Even if we were lucky enough to escape from the wolves, we would not be able to leave this godforsaken ce safely. In the future, if the Imperial Court sent someone to investigate this matter, Cheng Qi could say that we had taken the wrong path. In short, everything has nothing to do with him.¡± Cheng Qi did not look promising. He seemed to be just a profligate son who was obsessed with alcohol and sex. They did not expect him to be so powerful when it came to harming people. Not only Wei Liao, but even Xiao Juan had misjudged. Yu Niaoniao stroked the triangr mark with her fingertips and asked coldly. ¡°Little Yan, are you sure this is the mark you drew?¡± Yan Nanguan nodded without hesitation. ¡°Yes..¡± Chapter 451 - Chapter 451: Ghost Cry Forest Chapter 451: Ghost Cry Forest Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Do you suspect that there¡¯s something wrong with this mark?¡± Yu Niaoniao thought for a moment and said, ¡°We deliberately changed directions just now. Logically speaking, we shouldn¡¯t have returned to where we were. There are only two possibilities for this to happen. One, the mark has been tampered with, and two, our sense of direction has deviated.¡± In order to verify if there was anything wrong with the mark, Yu Niaoniao ordered someone to get a brush. She dipped it in ink and wrote a strange English sentence on the rock. No one around her could understand what she was writing. They looked confused. Yu Niaoniao threw the brush to Ye Yu and looked at the English on the rock. She nodded in satisfaction. ¡°In that case, it¡¯ll be difficult for others to imitate it. The group continued forward with their torches. After a long walk, they saw the string of English words Yu Niaoniao had written. Yu Niaoniao had a photographic memory. After carefullyparing every detail of the Englishnguage, it was exactly as she remembered. This confirmed that the mark was fine. The problem was their sense of direction. There were rocks everywhere. They looked different, but if you looked at them for a long time, you would realize that they actually looked simr. It was easy for them to affect one¡¯s sense of direction. Yu Niaoniao looked up at the starry sky above. Sensory distractions might appear, but the stars in the sky did not lie. She turned to look at Xiao Juan and asked, ¡°Do you remember which direction the sun set when we came here yesterday?¡± The sun naturally set from the west, but Xiao Juan knew that was not what she was asking. He remembered briefly and replied. ¡°It¡¯s our left.¡¯ Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then we came from the north.¡¯ She pointed to the Big Dipper in the sky and continued, ¡°It¡¯s in the north. We just have to go straight in its direction and we should find a way out.¡¯ Everyone was a little confused, not understanding how she hade to this conclusion. Xiao Juan did not think too much about it and immediately gave the order to advance in the direction of the Big Dipper. It waste at night, and the cold wind kept blowing through the cracks between the rocks, making a whooshing sound like a woman¡¯s cry in the night. On the way, they also found traces left behind by the wolves, which meant that the wolves had been around. Even though they were already very tired, everyone had no choice but to perk up and be careful to avoid being ambushed by the wolves again. This time, Yu Niaoniao did not take a carriage. She also chose to ride a horse. She was wearing a thick cloak. From time to time, she would look up at the starry sky to make sure they were heading in the right direction. The Eagle Guard in charge of scouting ahead suddenly shouted. ¡°There¡¯s no way forward!¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately urged the horse under her to go forward with Xiao Juan. They reached the front of the group. In the hazy starlight, they could see a small rock mountain ahead. If they continued, they would die. At this moment, Wei Liao rode over. He looked at the rocky hill ahead and smiled. ¡°Princess Consort, your judgment seems to be wrong. We didn¡¯t see such a small mountain when we came.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not say anything. At this moment, she wondered if she had made a mistake. Xiao Juan dismounted and walked to the front of the rock mountain. He raised his hand and touched the rock wall before shouting at Yan Nanguan. ¡°Torches!¡± Yan Nanguan immediately ran over with a torch. With the help of the fire, Xiao Juan carefully observed the marks on the rock wall and squatted down to look at the sand on the ground. Yu Niaoniao also jumped off the horse and walked to his side. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The sand on the ground should have been newly paved. Someone had been here before. In order not to be discovered, they took the sand from elsewhere to cover the traces.¡¯ Yu Niaoniao squatted down to take a closer look. Indeed, the sand on the surface was a little different from the sand below. She reached out and pulled away the sand on the surface. She saw two deep ruts below. ¡°This must be a mark left by a carriage. For it to make such deep ruts, it must be carrying something heavy¡­¡¯ At this point, she had a guess. ¡°Could this be their way to deliver stolen silver?¡± At this moment, Wei Liao also leaned over. He squatted down and carefully examined the marks on the ground. ¡°Princess Consort, looks like I have to take back what I just said. You should be right this time.¡± Xiao Juan ordered the Eagle Guards to sweep away the sand on the ground. We Liao was unwilling to fall behind, and his Sky Wolf Guards also joined in the cleaning. The sand on the surface was swept away, and the long ruts were clearly disyed in front of everyone. They followed the rutted track and saw that it extended to the foot of the rock hill and stopped abruptly in front of a boulder. The Eagle Guards and the Sky Wolf Guards worked together to move the huge rock away. A deep tunnel appeared in front of everyone. Yan Nanguan led a small team into the tunnel. They went to investigate the situation first. The others waited outside. They did not have to wait long before Yan Nanguan returned with his men. Their faces were filled with joy. ¡°The way out is ahead!¡± Hearing this news, everyone perked up. The team entered the tunnel methodically. The tunnel was just wide enough for a carriage to enter. By the time they passed through the tunnel, the sky was already bright. Yu Niaoniao looked over and realized that this was already the edge of the rock forest. As long as they moved forward for a while, they could leave this ce. At this moment, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. They were finally leaving this godforsaken ce! After leaving the tunnel, the rutted tracks extended to the road ahead. Carriages often passed by on this road. The ruts on the ground intersected with each other. It was difficult to tell who was who. A middle-aged man was walking forward with firewood. He was startled to see arge group of peopleing out of the rock forest and shouted in the localnguage. ¡°Why are you guys out of this ce?¡± Only Xiao Juan could understand Liangzhounguage and he responded, ¡°Is there a problem here?¡± The middle-aged man was also enthusiastic and immediately spoke to him. Yu Niaoniao did not understand a word. Xiao Juan got someone to give the middle-aged man a silver ingot and sent him away. Seeing that Yu Niaoniao was looking at him curiously, he took the initiative to exin, ¡°The person just said that the ce where we were trapped is called the Ghost Cry Forest. The terrain there isplicated. If you¡¯re not familiar with the locals here, it¡¯s difficult toe out once you enter. Moreover, there are wild beasts there at night that eat people.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately remembered. ¡°Previously, those squires mentioned the Ghost Weeping Forest. Could this be it?¡± Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s said that there¡¯s a cold wind here all year round and you can hear the cries of female ghosts. That¡¯s why it¡¯s called the Ghost Weeping Forest..¡± Chapter 452 - Chapter 452: Xianglan Temple Chapter 452: Xiann Temple Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao recalled the previous night¡¯s experience and knew that the ¡°weeping¡± was actually the sound of the wind passing through the rock gap. It did sound a little like a woman crying, but in fact, there were no ghosts at all. Xiao Juan continued, ¡°That person just said that there¡¯s a vige ahead. We can go there to rest.¡± After a day and night, they were already tired. They continued to find a ce to rest. The group walked along the road and quickly saw the vige the middle-aged man had mentioned. Knowing that they were important guests from the Imperial Capital, the vige chief did not dare to dy. He killed chickens and sheep and prepared a very sumptuous meal to entertain them. After eating dry food for two days, Yu Niaoniao could finally eat a hot dish today. Naturally, she was very happy. Seeing that she was eating to her heart¡¯s content, Xiao Juan was especially generous when he paid. The vige chief held the heavy silver ingots and smiled from ear to ear. Yu Niaoniao took the opportunity to ask for the route to Jinwu City. After receiving the reward, the vige chief naturally answered everything he knew and quickly told them everything he knew. Although Cheng Qi had tricked them into the Ghost Weeping Forest, there was something he wasn¡¯t lying about¡ª This ce was indeed not far from Jinwu City. As long as they walked along the road, they would see the official road. After walking along the official road for half a day, they would see Jinwu City. Yu Niaoniao turned to ask again. ¡°Have you seen arge group of people driving past here in carriages recently?¡± The vige chief spoke in ented officialnguage. ¡°Yes, although this ce is remote, we can reach Jinwu City from here. Some caravans who could not bear to pay on the official road would choose to take our path. Sometimes, they will evene to our vige to rest. We can also take the opportunity to earn some tea money.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Was there a strange-looking team among them? The kind of people who don¡¯t like to talk and are obviously not to be trifled with. They¡¯re very vignt. ¡± The vige chief thought about it carefully. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯ve never seen anyone like them.¡± ¡°What about the others in your vige?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. I¡¯ll ask for you.¡¯ ¡°The vige chief was about to leave when his son suddenly spoke from behind, ¡°I saw a team not long ago. They passed in front of our vige. I was returning from herding sheep.¡± ¡°There were many people on their team and it was gettingte. I thought that if they could stay in the vige for the night, we could earn a lot by providing amodation.¡± ¡°Unexpectedly, as soon as I asked, they red at me. It was terrifying. It was as if they were going to kill me if I dared to say another word. I was so frightened that I hurried home.¡± The vige chief quickly asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this before?¡± His son scratched his head. ¡°It was just a small matter so I forgot. If thisdy hadn¡¯t asked today, I wouldn¡¯t have remembered that.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Did you see which direction they went?¡± The vige chief¡¯s son said, ¡°I remember they were heading for Xiann Mountain.¡± The vige chief was very surprised. ¡°Why did they go to Xiann Mountain? No one dared to go to that ce for a long time. Did you remember wrongly?¡± His son hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t think I remember¡­¡± Seeing the vige chief¡¯s strange expression, Xiao Juan asked. ¡°Is there a problem with Xiann Mountain?¡± The vige chief hesitated for a moment, but in the end, on ount of therge reward, he told the truth. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with Xiann Mountain, but there¡¯s something wrong with Xiann Temple in the mountains. There were clearly no incense offerings in that temple.¡± ¡°However, the monks in the temple never came out to ask for alms and never interacted with themoners living around. It was very strange!¡± ¡°Not long ago, the temple was on fire. The entire temple was burned clean. Logically speaking, there shouldn¡¯t be anyone in the temple. However, someone saw figures moving in the temple at night.¡± ¡°Everyone said that that temple was haunted. Anyone who dared to approach the temple would be pestered by evil spirits. As time passed, no one dared to approach it again.¡± Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan exchanged nces. They already understood each other. It seemed that they had to visit the ¡°haunted¡± Xiann Temple. The group filled their water bags with fresh water again and fed the horses before setting off again. They saw the rumored Xiann Temple the next afternoon. It happened to be a cloudy day. The sky was misty and there were mountain rocks everywhere. Xiann Temple, which had been burned to ruins, stood alone. From afar, it really looked a little sinister. Xiao Juan was about to go in and investigate personally when he was stopped by Yan Nanguan. ¡°We don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on inside. It won¡¯t be good if you encounter danger inside. Why don¡¯t you let me go in and investigate the situation for you first?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. When you go in ande out, it¡¯ll probably be dark. We don¡¯t have much time left. We have to investigate this ce today. Take someone to keep watch outside. I¡¯ll bring a team in. If the situation inside is wrong, I¡¯ll ignite the quiver and inform you.¡± Seeing that he was determined to leave, Yan Nanguan could onlypromise. ¡°Alright, you have to be careful.¡± At this moment, Wei Liao walked over and said to Xiao Juan. ¡°I have nothing to do anyway. I might as well go down with you.¡± Xiao Juan refused expressionlessly. ¡°No.¡± Wei Liao smiled. ¡°Why? You don¡¯t trust me?¡± If it were anyone else, they would more or less hide it, but Xiao Juan admitted it frankly, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll stab me in the back.¡± With that, he left with the Eagle Guards. Wei Liao¡¯s mission this time was to keep an eye on Xiao Juan. He could not let Xiao Juan leave his field of vision. He was about to follow when Yan Nanguan blocked his way. Yan Nanguan said solemnly, ¡°His Highness has said that you can¡¯t follow him in. Please don¡¯t disobey His Highness and wait here in peace.¡± Wei Liao¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Get lost!¡± Yan Nanguan stood still. Wei Liao sneered. ¡°You asked for it!¡± Just as he was about to make a move, Yu Niaoniao stopped him. ¡°What are you doing? Duke Lang has just left, and you¡¯re already nning to rebel?¡± Wei Liao snapped, ¡°It has nothing to do with you. Move.¡± Yu Niaoniao ced her hands on her hips and said righteously. ¡°What do you mean it has nothing to do with me? I heard it all just now. You want to cause trouble for Duke Lang. Duke Lang is my husband. This has a lot to do with me!¡± Wei Liaoughed in anger. ¡°Hehe, are you saying I¡¯m causing trouble?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not want to fall out with him at this time. After all, Xiao Juan was not around. If Wei Liao really fought, no one present could suppress him. Hence, Yu Niaoniao softened her tone. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve been traveling for so long. Don¡¯t you feel tired? Hurry up and rest.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°I¡¯m not tired.¡± Yu Niaoniao rubbed the back of her waist. ¡°But I¡¯m tired. My back hurts from riding in the carriage every day. It¡¯s so ufortable.¡± Wei Liao said disdainfully, ¡°Delicate!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I¡¯m delicate! How can Ipare to Young Master Wei? You were born with thick skin. Chapter 453 - Chapter 453: Explosion Chapter 453: Explosion Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Although Yu Niaoniao said that she wanted to rest, she was actually very worried and could not be at ease. She kept pacing back and forth, asionally ncing up at the temple. She wondered how Xiao Juan was doing inside. Would he be in danger? The others were busy with their own things. No one spoke. Everyone was waiting for Duke Lang¡¯s return. Time passed bit by bit. Yu Niaoniao felt more and more uneasy. She could not help but ask. ¡°Why aren¡¯t they out yet? Should we send someone in to take a look?¡± Wei Liao took the initiative to say, ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± This time, Yan Nanguan did not stop him because he was also a little uneasy. Yan Nanguan said, ¡°I¡¯ll send someone in with you.¡± Wei Liao knew that they didn¡¯t trust him, so he couldn¡¯t be bothered to say anything else. He walked straight towards Xiann Temple. However, he had only taken two steps when he suddenly heard a loud bang! The underground of Xiann Temple exploded! The already charred ruins were immediately sted into pieces. Red mes soared into the sky, followed by billowing smoke. Everyone present was shocked by this sudden scene. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face instantly turned as pale as paper. ¡°No! It can¡¯t be!¡± Without thinking, she wanted to rush into the temple, but Wei Liao stopped her. ¡°You¡¯re courting death if you go in now!¡± Yu Niaoniao waspletely flustered. There was only one thought in her mind ¡°Xiao Juan is still inside!¡± She struggled desperately, wanting to rush into the temple to look for Xiao Juan. However, Wei Liao held onto her tightly. Yan Nanguan had already reacted and roared, ¡°What are you waiting for? Put out the fire!¡± Everyone began to scramble for tools to extinguish the fire. There was no water source nearby, so they could only rely on sand to extinguish the fire. Baskets of sand were carried over and poured into the sea of fire. The fire was gradually diminishing, but no one was seen running out of the temple. Everyone¡¯s hearts sank. It seemed that it was very likely that something had happened to Duke Lang. When the mes were almost extinguished, Wei Liao let go of Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao rushed into the temple that had been burned to ruins and shouted Xiao Juan¡¯s name. ¡°Xiao Juan! Where are you!¡± There was no response. The Eagle Guards also came in and began to search everywhere, hoping to find traces of Duke Lang. Unfortunately, they found nothing. Yan Nanguan gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Continue searching! I want to see him dead or alive!¡± The Eagle Guards had no choice but to continue searching. They searched all night and found nothing the next morning. This time, even Yan Nanguan did not know what to do next. Yu Niaoniao had searched almost every part of the ruins, but she still could not find the person she was looking for. Her hands, face, and clothes were covered in ck charcoal dust. She was dirty; she did not look like a county princess, but more like a beggar. But at this moment, she could not care less. She stood in the ruins, looking around nkly, her voice hoarse. ¡°Xiao Juan, where are you?¡± Chun Feng and Ye Yu followed her and helped her search. Both of them had given up hope. Duke Lang was most likely to have been blown up. But they did not dare to say that. They were afraid that the Princess Consort would not be able to ept it. Lo Pingsha walked over and said to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°You must be tired after searching all night. Go eat something and rest. Leave this to us.¡± However, Yu Niaoniao did not seem to hear him. She was still repeating that sentence¡ª ¡°Xiao Juan, where are you?¡± Helpless, Lo Pingsha could only let Chun Feng and Ye Yu forcefully send the Princess Consort back to the carriage. Chun Feng and Ye Yu supported Yu Niaoniao¡¯s arms on both sides. ¡°Princess Consort, let¡¯s go.¡± Yu Niaoniao refused to move. ¡°I haven¡¯t found him yet. I¡¯m not leaving.¡± Chun Feng advised, ¡°Even if you want to look for him, you have to take care of yourself first. What if you fall sick when you find His Highness? His heart will ache then!¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes turned red as tears fell one after another. ¡°Can I still find him?¡± No one could answer that question. Chun Feng and Ye Yu fell silent. Even Lo Pingsha did not know how to answer. Yu Niaoniao cried and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t made things clear to him. I haven¡¯t let him see the scene I specially rehearsed for him. There are still many things I haven¡¯t done with him¡­¡± The more she spoke, the worse she felt and the louder she cried. Grief spread through the ruins and everyone present felt terrible. Even Yan Nanguan, who had always been calm and reserved, could not help but tear up. Although it was normal for the Eagle Guards to suffer casualties since they were a group of people walking on the edge of a knife. Danger and death followed them every day. However, Duke Lang had left too suddenly. Before they could react, it had happened. They didn¡¯t even have a chance to redeem themselves. This sudden separation was the most uneptable. At noon, Yu Niaoniao still refused to rest and continued to search the ruins. As long as she had not seen the corpse, there was still a glimmer of hope in her heart. Her hands were bruised and battered. She was so tired that she could barely stand. Lo Pingsha felt that he could not let her continue like this. He reached out and knocked her unconscious on the back of her neck. Then he let Chun Feng and Ye Yu help her back into the carriage. Lo Pingsha brought the medical kit and helped her treat the wounds on her hands. When Yu Niaoniao woke up, it was already night. She had been changed into clean clothes. Her face and hands were clean. She struggled to get up, wanting to continue searching for Xiao Juan in the ruins. As soon as she sat up, she saw Wei Liao sitting beside her. Yu Niaoniao asked hoarsely, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Wei Liao had been sitting here for some time. Just now, he had looked at her quietly and saw that she was frowning even when she was sleeping. She was still shouting Xiao Juan¡¯s name. Wei Liao had never experienced the feeling of treating another person as important. He couldn¡¯t help but be curious. ¡°What will you do if Duke Lang really dies?¡± His words urately pierced the most painful ce in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart. She was very angry. ¡°Even if you die, Xiao Juan won¡¯t die!¡± Wei Liao smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be angry with me. We both know that in this situation, Xiao Juan¡¯s chances of survival are very low.¡± Yu Niaoniao wanted to refute him, but she could not. Thinking that she would never see Xiao Juan again, her tears fell again. Wei Liao said disdainfully, ¡°Why are you crying again? Women are so troublesome.¡± Even as he said that, he handed over his silk handkerchief. Yu Niaoniao did not take the silk handkerchief. She hugged her legs, lowered her head, and buried her face between her knees. Her thin shoulders rose and fell with the crying. Wei Liao¡¯s voice reached her ears. ¡°If Duke Lang is no longer around, do you want to consider following me?¡± Chapter 454 - Chapter 454: Fragrance Sachet Chapter 454: Fragrance Sachet Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Wei Liao¡¯s tone was filled with mockery. It was obvious that he was joking. Yu Niaoniao was furious. She grabbed the pillow beside her and threw it at him, crying and cursing. ¡°Get lost!¡± Wei Liao reached out and caught the pillow, his smile growing wider. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to find a two-legged toad. Two-legged men are all over the street. Why would you hang yourself from a tree?¡± Yu Niaoniao was exasperated. ¡°Are you leaving? If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll call for help!¡± Wei Liao put down the pillow and stopped smiling. ¡°I¡¯ll stop teasing you. I came to you for something serious.¡± Yu Niaoniao wiped her tears and said doubtfully, ¡°What serious business can you have?¡± Wei Liao asked, ¡°Have you ever wondered why Xiann Temple suddenly exploded?¡± From the beginning of the explosion until now, Yu Niaoniao had been immersed in grief. Her brain had forgotten to function and she was not in the mood to think about anything else. Hearing his question, Yu Niaoniao began to think. ¡°There was a strong smell of gunpowder in the ruins. Someone must have buried gunpowder in Xiann Temple. There must be a lot of gunpowder to cause such a big explosion.¡± Wei Liao also smelled the gunpowder. ¡°Gunpowder is not something ordinary people can get their hands on, let alone such arge amount of gunpowder.¡± Yu Niaoniao recalled the ruts they had seen in the Ghost Weeping Forest and had a guess. ¡°Maybe the ruts in the Ghost Weeping Forest are bait. Whoever¡¯s behind this knows that if we want to leave the Ghost Weeping Forest, we¡¯ll definitely find those ruts and follow them to this ce.¡± Wei Liao continued, ¡°So they nted explosives here in advance. Whoever dares to enter will be killed. This is a series of schemes!¡± From the Ghost Weeping Forest to Xiann Temple, it was all about killing those who wanted to track down the stolen money. Yu Niaoniao clenched her fists and smashed them against the floor of the carriage. ¡°It must have been Cheng Qi! That guy is too vicious!¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Cheng Qi is a suspect, but we don¡¯t have any evidence. Even if we confront him, he can deny it.¡± Cheng Qi was from a prestigious family and was the Prince Consort. Moreover, this was Liangzhou, the territory of Princess Ni Yang. Without real evidence, the Eagle Guards and the Heavenly Wolf Guards could not do anything to him. Yu Niaoniao was angry, hateful, and deeply helpless. She could not help but mutter, ¡°If only Xiao Juan was still here¡­¡± If he was around, he would definitely have a way to deal with Cheng Qi. Wei Liao asked coldly. ¡°Do you think Duke Lang must be dead?¡± Yu Niaoniao lowered her head. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t want him to die, but now that we can¡¯t find him¡­ Wei Liao exined his thoughts, ¡°From what I know of Duke Lang, he¡¯s not the kind of person who will be killed easily. If one could get rid of him so easily, he would not have been alive and well after being in charge of the Justice Department for so many years.¡± ¡°It had to be known that there were countless people in the court who wanted him dead, including many who were stronger than Cheng Qi. If they can¡¯t even take Duke Lang¡¯s life, can Cheng Qi do it alone?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked up at him and blinked slowly. ¡°You mean, Xiao Juan should still be alive? But if he¡¯s still alive, why didn¡¯t hee out?¡± Wei Liao couldn¡¯t figure this out either. Xiao Juan cared so much about Yu Niaoniao. If he wanted to fake his death, he would definitely inform her in advance to prevent her from being sad. However, from Yu Niaoniao¡¯s reaction, she really did not know anything. Wei Liao said as he thought, ¡°Did Duke Lang give you any hints before? Or did he give you anything special?¡± Yu Niaoniao thought for a moment and remembered. ¡°He gave me a sachet.¡± With that, she took off the sachet hanging at her waist. On the surface, it was just an ordinary sachet and nothing special. Wei Liao asked her to open the sachet to take a look. Yu Niaoniao opened the sachet and poured out all the spices inside. She realized that there was a small note mixed in. She immediately unfolded the small note. On it was a line of words¡ª Princess¡¯s birthday in Jinwu City. Yu Niaoniao immediately became excited. ¡°This is Xiao Juan¡¯s handwriting!¡± Wei Liao took the note and looked at it. ¡°Prince Lang probably wants us to continue to Jinwu City and attend Princess Ni Yang¡¯s birthday banquet. He will meet us at the birthday banquet.¡± Yu Niaoniao was overjoyed. ¡°In that case, he¡¯s still alive. He¡¯s not dead!¡± Wei Liao nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure Duke Lang had already expected that the rest of the trip would be dangerous and agreed on a rendezvous point with you in advance.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately smiled through her tears and straightened up. ¡°Then let¡¯s set off now and hurry to Jinwu City!¡± Wei Liao returned the note to her and reminded her, ¡°The fewer people who know about this, the better.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded in understanding. Although she did not know what Xiao Juan¡¯s n was, the fact that he only told her about this meant that it was not appropriate to spread it. She burned the small note and carefully put the spices back into the sachet. Seeing that she hadpletely recovered, Wei Liao prepared to get up and leave. Yu Niaoniao suddenly stopped him. ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± Wei Liao smiled. ¡°Take a guess.¡± Yu Niaoniao really did not understand. ¡°Logically speaking, if Xiao Juan dies, it will be beneficial to you. There¡¯s no need for you to do anything unnecessary.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°You¡¯re wrong. If Duke Lang really dies, it will only cause more harm to me.¡± Seeing Yu Niaoniao¡¯s puzzled expression, he patiently said a few more words, ¡°Why do you think the emperor set up the Sky Wolf Guards? It was to use us to restrain the Eagle Guards. Once Duke Lang dies and the Eagle Guards disperse, do you think there¡¯s a need for us to exist?¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. Wei Liaoughed at himself. ¡°It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t want Duke Lang to be well, but I don¡¯t want him to really die. Only when he¡¯s alive can our Heavenly Wolf Guards continue to have value.¡± With that, he pushed open the carriage door and jumped out. Yu Niaoniao shouted at him, ¡°Thank you!¡± Whatever his motives, he had helped her. If he hadn¡¯t reminded her, she would still be in grief. Wei Liao stopped and turned around to speak to her. ¡°If you really want to thank me, consider my previous suggestion. I don¡¯t mind if you¡¯re a widow, as long as you can still paint.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not react at first. After a while, she remembered what he was suggesting. This guy was still thinking of poaching her! She was furious. ¡°Get lost!¡± She couldn¡¯t be polite to this guy! Wei Liaoughed and walked away. In the eyes of others, Wei Liao had taken advantage of the fact that Duke Lang had just left to bully the Princess Consort. His actions were really arrogant. Yan Nanguan gritted his teeth in anger. ¡°Wei, don¡¯t go overboard! Even if Duke Lang was no longer around, we¡¯re still here.¡± ¡°If anyone dares to bully the Princess Consort, they will be enemies with our Eagle Guards!¡± Chapter 455 - Chapter 455: Jinwu City Chapter 455: Jinwu City Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The Eagle Guards stared at Wei Liao with hostility. Seeing this, the Sky Wolf Guards were not to be outdone and red back fiercely. The two sides fell into a tense state again. Yu Niaoniao quickly jumped out of the carriage and shouted at them. ¡°Wei Liao didn¡¯t bully me. Don¡¯t do anything rash. Now is not the time for internal strife!¡± Now that Xiao Juan was not around, she had to stabilize the situation for him. For the sake of the County Princess, the Eagle Guards looked away. Yan Nanguan went forward and asked, ¡°Why are you down?¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes were still red and her voice was a little hoarse, but her mental state had returned to normal. ¡°Have a good night¡¯s rest. We¡¯ll leave here in the morning.¡± Yan Nanguan was surprised. ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to look for Duke Lang?¡± Yu Niaoniao lowered her eyes, her expression sad. ¡°If we could have found him, we would have.¡¯ ¡°If we dy any longer, it would only waste time. We might as well leave this ce first. Let¡¯s go to Jinwu City and tell Princess Ni Yang about this. We have to find out the cause of the explosion and see who nned all this.¡± When she said thest two sentences, she gritted her teeth and her tone revealed some ruthlessness. ¡°Whoever did it has to pay with his life!¡± Yan Nanguan¡¯s expression was stern. ¡°Okay.¡± He passed down the Princess Consort¡¯s order. Although the Eagle Guards still could not ept the fact that Duke Lang had suddenly left, they rationally knew that the Princess Consort¡¯s actions were the most correct. Instead of being obsessed with grief, they might as well take action and avenge Duke Lang! When Yu Niaoniao turned around, she saw Ling Hai and Ling Miao standing not far away. Ling Miao¡¯s condition was almost healed, but her body was still very thin. She clung to her brother, and looked a little nervous. Ling Hai brought his sister to Yu Niaoniao and said, ¡°I heard that something happened to Duke Lang. Is there anything we can do to help?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head to indicate that she did not, then said. ¡°You should know that our destination is the princess¡¯s residence, right? I know you don¡¯t like Princess Ni Yang, but I still hope you can control your emotions next. Don¡¯t let anyone see through you.¡± Ling Hai pursed his lower lip. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t cause you trouble.¡± If he was alone, it did not matter if he risked his life to take revenge on Princess Ni Yang. But he still had a sister. If he died, how would his sister live? His sister was all he had left. He couldn¡¯t leave her alone. He had to live. Only by living could he protect the people he wanted to protect. The next morning, the team set off again. Yan Nanguan found Yu Niaoniao and looked troubled. ¡°Princess Consort, there¡¯s a little trouble with Dark Cloud.¡± Dark Cloud was Xiao Juan¡¯s mount. It seemed to be able to sense everyone¡¯s sadness and stayed on the spot anxiously, unwilling to leave and not allowing anyone to approach it. It kicked anyone who dared to approach it. When Yu Niaoniao went over, she saw a few Eagle Guards surrounding the Dark Cloud, trying to calm it down so that it could obediently leave with the main group. Unfortunately, it was useless. Like its owner, this fellow was stubborn. Yu Niaoniao leaned over and waved at Dark Cloud. At the same time, she called its name. Dark Cloud remembered Yu Niaoniao¡¯s voice and the scent on her body. It rxed its vignce a little. Yu Niaoniao took the opportunity to approach it and reach out to touch its head. Yan Nanguan was very nervous. ¡°Princess Consort, be careful. Don¡¯t be kicked by it. This guy is so strong that it could break the bones of an adult man with a kick.¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her hand, indicating for Yan Nanguan to stop talking. She slowly ced her small hand on Dark Cloud¡¯s head. Seeing that Dark Cloud did not reject her, she gently touched its head. Dark Cloud felt veryfortable and subconsciously leaned towards Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao took out an oil paper bag from her sleeve. There were a few Maltesers in the oil paper bag. She pinched a Malteser and brought it to Dark Cloud¡¯s mouth. Dark Cloud first sniffed and smelled the sweetness. He immediately opened his mouth and bit into the Malteser, eating it. The candy was quickly finished. It licked its mouth reluctantly and rubbed its head against Yu Niaoniao¡¯s arm, indicating that it wanted more. Yu Niaoniao gave it another piece of candy. When it finished eating and wanted a third piece, Yu Niaoniao refused to give it anymore. ¡°Too much sugar will cause your teeth to rot. When we reach Jinwu City, I¡¯ll get you some more delicious food.¡± It was unknown if the Dark Cloud understood her. When Yu Niaoniao led it forward, it did not resist and obediently followed its mistress. This scene made Yan Nanguan angry and amused. He had thought that Dark Cloud was unwilling to leave because it refused to leave its master, but two Maltesers coaxed it. It turned out that in its heart, its master had about the same value as two Maltesers. Yu Niaoniao did not take the carriage again today. She chose to ride. Dark Cloud carried her steadily forward. There was no sun today. The wind was strong, blowing in their faces with sand. Yu Niaoniao was wearing a cloak and a veil on her head. She covered herself tightly. They stopped for a rest on the way to replenish the horses¡¯ feed and water before continuing on their way. They finally arrived at Jinwu City before dark. To Yu Niaoniao¡¯s surprise, the gatekeeper of Jinwu City was actually a woman. The female general was tall and tanned. When she smiled, she revealed neat white teeth. ¡°You¡¯re the Princess Consort of Lang County, right? The Eldest Princess has already instructed us to wait for you here.¡± Yu Niaoniao pulled down the veil covering her mouth and nose and asked, ¡°Where is the Eldest Princess now?¡± The female general said, ¡°The weather has been hot recently. The Eldest Princess has gone to the courtyard outside the city to avoid the heat. She should be back tomorrow. Please go to the princess¡¯s residence to rest for th time being.¡± She looked behind Yu Niaoniao and asked hesitantly. ¡°Why don¡¯t I see His Highness?¡± Yu Niaoniao lowered her eyes and looked sad. ¡°He had an ident on the wa The female general was extremely surprised. ¡°Something happened to Duke Lang? How did this happen?¡± Yu Niaoniao roughly exined the ident they had encountered at Xiangk Temple. The female general was puzzled. ¡°Why did you go to a ce like Xiann Temple for no reason?¡± ¡°We heard that it was haunted and didn¡¯t believe it, so we wanted to go over and take a look. Who knew that such a thing would happen? If I had known earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed to go there no matter what.¡± As Yu Niaoniao spoke, her eyes turned red again. The female general hurriedlyforted her. ¡°My condolences. I¡¯ll report thi matter to Princess Ni Yang. We must find out the truth and give you an exnation.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded with tears in her eyes. ¡°Thank you, General.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee, Princess Consort.¡± The female general led the way in front and led Yu Niaoniao and the others to the princess¡¯s residence. As soon as Yu Niaoniao entered the princess¡¯s residence, she saw a familiar face. Cheng Qi greeted her with a smile. ¡°Wee to the princess¡¯s residence..¡± Chapter 456 - Chapter 456: Let’s Die Together! Chapter 456: Let¡¯s Die Together! Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The moment she saw Cheng Qi, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s fists immediately hardened. She wanted to rush up and beat his smiling face into a pig¡¯s head! But reason kept her emotions under control. She barely suppressed the urge to punch him and asked word by word, ¡°Didn¡¯t you leave with us? Why did you leave us in a lurch?¡± Cheng Qi looked surprised as if he was puzzled by her words. ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s because the wolf pack attacked. The scene was too chaotic, so we had no choice but to get separated from you. How can I leave you behind and run away? You can¡¯t say that casually.¡± Yu Niaoniao had expected him to refuse to admit it. Unless she had evidence, there was nothing she could do to him. Yu Niaoniao tried her best to maintain herposure. ¡°We know what the truth is. The heavens are watching. I hope you know what¡¯s good for you.¡± Cheng Qi smiled. ¡°Why am I only seeing you? Where¡¯s your Duke Lang?¡± Yu Niaoniao bit her lower lip and remained silent. Seeing this, Cheng Qi¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you quarreled with Duke Lang and left him on the road?¡± As Yu Niaoniao red at him, her hands clenched into fists, as if she was trying her best to suppress her emotions. Cheng Qi took a step forward. ¡°If Duke Lang doesn¡¯t want you anymore, you can tell me. I¡¯llfort you well.¡± Before Yu Niaoniao could speak, arge hand reached out from the side and ced it between the two of them. Cheng Qi followed the hand and saw that it was Wei Liao, the Vice General of the Sky Wolf Guards. Wei Liao smiled at him. ¡°Even if you¡¯re the Prince Consort, you have to pay attention to firste, first served, right? Even if the Princess Consort of Lang County wants to find a substitute, the first candidate will be me. You have to rank behind me.¡¯ Yu Niaoniao¡¯s expression froze and she wanted to curse. What nonsense was he talking about? When did she say that she wanted to find a substitute?! He made her sound like a yer. God in heaven, she was not such a person. She was pure and good! Cheng Qi¡¯s expression became very strange. ¡°So Vice General Wei has taken a fancy to the Princess Consort of Lang County. Could it be that the two of you have long¡­¡¯ Wei Liao¡¯s smile remained. ¡°You can¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Cheng Qi smiled. ¡°I understand, I understand!¡± Yu Niaoniao wanted to curse. What did he understand? Before Cheng Qi could finish, Wei Liao interrupted him. ¡°Princess Consort, it¡¯s been a long journey. Hurry up and rest.¡± After saying that, he winked at Yu Niaoniao. In Cheng Qi¡¯s eyes, this scene was equivalent to Wei Liao secretly sending a signal to Yu Niaoniao, confirming their affair. However, Yu Niaoniao understood that Wei Liao was hinting at her to endure. Now was not the time to fall out. They did not have conclusive evidence to identify Cheng Qi. This was Cheng Qi¡¯s territory. If they really caused a scene, they would be the ones to suffer in the end. Yu Niaoniao suppressed her anger. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Seeing that they were about to leave, Cheng Qi stopped them. ¡°Since you¡¯re all here, why do you have to stay outside? This is half a home for Niaoniao. I¡¯ve already gotten someone to tidy up the guest rooms. You can stay there directly.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not want to live here, but she noticed the hint in Wei Liao¡¯s eyes and could only agree against her will. ¡°Fine. ¡± Cheng Qi immediately asked the butler to lead them to the guest rooms. Princess Ni Yang was hedonistic, so her residence was naturally built extremely luxuriously. There were all kinds of strange flowers and nts in the courtyard, and jade buildings were scattered everywhere. The servants in the residence were also wearing gold and silver. When she entered the guest room, Yu Niaoniao realized that the decoration in the room was even more exaggerated. Not to mention those antique calligraphy and paintings, any piece of furniture was red sandalwood. Even the fabric used to make the window was high-grade silk. Compared to this ce, the Langjun Imperial Pce was like a slum. As a girl who lived in a ¡°slum¡± all year round, Yu Niaoniao could not help but feel a little jealous. If she had that much money, she wouldn¡¯t have to work so hard to sell the periphery or paint desperately to submit the manuscript. Chun Feng and Ye Yu went to pack their luggage. Yu Niaoniao walked around the room and was about to go out for some air when she saw Wei Liao walking over. Wei Liaoughed. ¡°You¡¯re going out? What a coincidence. Shall we take a walk together?¡± Yu Niaoniao indeed had something to ask him, so she agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ye Yu, who was tidying the bed, could not help but guess when she saw the two of them leave. Shemunicated quietly with Chun Feng. ¡°Do you think there¡¯s really something going on between the princess consort and Young Master Wei?¡± Chun Feng red at her. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? If anyone hears you, be careful of your tongue!¡± Ye Yu shrank back in fear and did not dare to make another sound. Chun Feng nagged as she worked, ¡°As servants, we shouldn¡¯t interfere in the master¡¯s matters. Besides, outsiders might not know what kind of person the Princess Consort was, but don¡¯t we know? She won¡¯t do that kind of thing.¡± Ye Yu nodded. ¡°I understand. I won¡¯t talk nonsense again.¡± Yu Niaoniao and Wei Liao had already walked into the garden. Looking at the courtyard filled with strange flowers and nts, Yu Niaoniao sighed sincerely. ¡°It¡¯s good to be rich!¡± Wei Liao sneered. ¡°Look at you. You¡¯re a princess consort after all. You don¡¯tck money.¡± At this point, he suddenly remembered that she had secretly rehearsed her new opera behind Duke Lang¡¯s back¡­. If it was just her daily expenses, she really did not have to worry about money. However, she still had to support such a big opera troupe and could not tell Duke Lang about this. It was impossible for her not tock money. Wei Liao teased her bluntly. ¡°I almost forgot that you really don¡¯t have money. You even asked me for 3,000 taels previously.¡± Yu Niaoniao emphasized, ¡°I¡¯m not asking for it. It¡¯s an investment! In the future, when the opera troupe earns money, I¡¯ll give you a dividend!¡± Wei Liao raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do you really think your opera troupe can earn money?¡± Yu Niaoniao snorted. ¡°It¡¯s useless to say anything else. You¡¯ll naturally know if you can earn money.¡± After the small talk, she turned to business. ¡°Why did you wink at me to stay just now? It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know what Cheng Qi is like. What if he wants to harm us?¡± Wei Liao asked, ¡°Will he let us go if we stay in an inn?¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. She knew this very well. She just hated Cheng Qi and did not want to stay under the same roof as him. Wei Liao stated his n. ¡°Eldest Princess Ni Yang will only be back tomorrow. The defense of the princess¡¯s residence shouldn¡¯t be very tight now. If we stay, I can investigate the internal situation of the princess¡¯s residence tonight. We might be able to find some clues. Yu Niaoniao looked him up and down suspiciously. ¡°Can you do it? You won¡¯t be discovered, will you? If you are, I won¡¯t admit to being with you.¡± Wei Liaoughed in anger. ¡°If I¡¯m caught red-handed, I¡¯ll be the first to expose you! If we die, we die together!¡± Chapter 457 - Chapter 457: Return of the Princess Chapter 457: Return of the Princess Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Although she said that, Yu Niaoniao was still quite worried when night came. If Wei Liao was really caught, it would only be bad for her. There was nothing she could do but pray silently for him. She hoped everything would go well for him. The next morning, after washing up, Yu Niaoniao could not wait to ask Wei Liao aboutst night. However, as soon as she entered the door, she was stunned to see him looking like he was about to die. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why do you look like you¡¯ve been squeezed dry?¡± Wei Liao sat in a chair and said weakly, ¡°Last night, I went to the study to see if there were any useful clues hidden there. In the end, I saw Cheng Qi with two maidservants¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t finish the sentence. Yu Niaoniao blinked. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you watched a live erotica?¡± Wei Liao¡¯s lips twitched in disdain. ¡°I was almost blinded.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You could have left if you didn¡¯t want to see it.¡± Speaking of this, Wei Liao felt even more pained. ¡°Do you think I didn¡¯t want to leave? I was sitting on the beam and they were doing that kind of thing directly under me. I just had to move a little and they¡¯ll discover me.¡± Yu Niaoniao gasped. ¡°So you watched all night?¡± Wei Liao mocked, ¡°All night? You think too highly of Cheng Qi. He doesn¡¯t have that ability. I waited for them to finish before leaving.¡± Yu Niaoniao admired him sincerely. ¡°Then you¡¯re quite impressive. You actually watched it from beginning to end.¡± Wei Liao raised his hand to cover his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s fine if it hurts my eyes, but it¡¯s especially noisy. Those two women seem to bepeting with each other in terms of their voices. Each of them shouted louder than the other, making my head buzz. When I came back, I even had a nightmare. My dream was filled with women¡¯s shouts. It was terrifying!¡± Listening to his description, an image appeared in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s mind¡ª Cheng Qi and the two maidservants were doing such shameless things. The three of them were fighting fiercely, and they were very excited. Wei Liao was trapped on the beam, between a rock and a hard ce. Images and sounds attacked his fragile nerves at the same time, making him suffer. He was like a pitiful and helpless little white flower being ravaged by a storm. Yu Niaoniaoughed unkindly. ¡°Hahaha, to think that you¡¯re the Vice General of the Sky Wolf Guards. You¡¯re actually frightened by such a small scene. You¡¯re too useless!¡± Wei Liao retorted angrily. ¡°You make it sound like you¡¯ve seen this before!¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled as she said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about this. Did you find anythingst night?¡± Wei Liao stared at her faintly. ¡°Then can you stop smiling?¡± Yu Niaoniao barely suppressed the corners of her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m not smiling.¡± Wei Liao took a sip of tea to refresh himself before telling her the results of his investigationst night. Putting aside those trivial matters, there were only two important things¡ª Firstly, Princess Ni Yang had the habit of raising ferocious beasts. There was a tiger in the backyard now. Anyone who made her unhappy would be thrown to the tiger. Secondly, the rtionship between Princess Ni Yang and Prince Consort Cheng Qi was very bad. Although the two of them were still husband and wife, they had not slept together for a long time. They were only husband and wife in name. Now, the two of them were ying their own games and did not interfere with each other. When Yu Niaoniao heard that there was a tiger in the backyard, she immediately recalled Xiao Juan¡¯s previous encounter. When he was young, he was thrown into a cage by Princess Ni Yang to fight ferocious beasts and almost lost his life. That woman could even be ruthless to her son. She must be even more ruthless to others. Yu Niaoniao was deep in thought. ¡°Maybe we can use the discord between the couple to use Princess Ni Yang to deal with Cheng Qi.¡± Her thoughts coincided with Wei Liao¡¯s. Wei Liao said, ¡°Princess Ni Yang will return to the residence today. Think of a way to get close to her and get a feel of what shes like. Find out what she likes and hates. Then, you¡¯ll use the right medicine to sow discord between her and Cheng Qi and make them turn against each other.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded, then immediately reacted and asked unhappily. ¡°Why me?¡± Wei Liao spread his hands helplessly. ¡°I have no choice. Who asked you to be Princess Ni Yang¡¯s daughter-inw? Compared to an unimportant outsider like me, you clearly have an advantage.¡± Yu Niaoniao smirked. ¡°Who said you don¡¯t have an advantage? Aren¡¯t you quite good-looking? You can sell your looks to seduce the Eldest Princess.¡± Not only was Wei Liao not angry, he even smiled happily. ¡°So you think I¡¯m good-looking too. Tell me honestly, do you usually peek at me? Don¡¯t be shy to admit it. Everyone loves beauty. I can understand you.¡± Yu Niaoniao was furious at his shamelessness. ¡°Can you be any more shameless?!¡± Wei Liao touched his cheek. ¡°How can I bear not to have such a beautiful face?¡± Yu Niaoniao could not take it anymore and stood up. ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered with you!¡± With that, she stood up and walked out. Wei Liao was no longer sleepy. He picked up the mirror and looked at his face. He looked left and right and said happily. ¡°You have good taste!¡± When it was almost noon, the girl from the princess¡¯s residence came to inform Yu Niaoniao that Princess Ni Yang had returned to the residence. Yu Niaoniao immediately brought the spring breeze and night rain to wee them. When she arrived at the entrance, she realized that Wei Liao was already there. There were also more than a dozen well-dressed men. It was said that they were all gigolos raised by Princess Ni Yang. She had to admit that Princess Ni Yang¡¯s aesthetic standards were good. These men were indeed very good-looking. Just looking at them was pleasing to the eye. Wei Liao noticed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s gaze and said sarcastically. ¡°Stop looking. Be careful not to be mistaken for having any thoughts about Princess Ni Yang¡¯s gigolos.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you said? Everyone loves beauty. I just want to admire something beautiful. Is that wrong?¡± Wei Liao nced at the group of gigolos. He didn¡¯t think there was anything to see in these men who relied on women. He could defeat ten such weak gigolos at once. Cheng Qi was thest to arrive. He must have just put on his clothes. The creases at the hem had not been smoothed out yet. The corners of his eyes drooped slightly, and his face was tired. From time to time, he would yawn. One look at him and one would know that he had overindulgedst night. Those gigolos bowed to him. Cheng Qi did not care at all about the wild men raised by his wife. He askedzily. ¡°Is she not here yet?¡± The female official replied respectfully, ¡°Her Highness¡¯s carriage will be here soon.¡± Cheng Qi yawned again and muttered softly, ¡°If I had known she wasn¡¯t here yet, I would have slept a little longer.¡± The official pretended not to hear anything. A momentter, Princess Ni Yang¡¯s honor guard finally arrived.. Chapter 458 - Chapter 458: Loving Front Chapter 458: Loving Front Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The luxurious carriage pulled by eight horses stopped in front of the princess¡¯s residence. The door opened and a beautiful woman in luxurious clothes emerged. The official stepped forward and held her hand. ¡°Slow down, Your Highness.¡± Princess Ni Yang slowly walked down on the mahogany stool. She was tall and slender. Even though she was middle-aged, her skin was still well-maintained. It was fair and smooth, and there were almost no wrinkles. Her ck hair wasbed into a high bun and decorated with a golden headdress iid with red agate. Long golden tassels fell and swayed slightly with her steps. Her red skirt slowly dragged across the ground. Her slender waist and jade belt were graceful. Her facial features were a little simr to Xiao Juan¡¯s. They were exquisite and three-dimensional, and the ratio was perfect. The difference was that Xiao Juan looked more murderous and cold. He was like a flower on a high mountain, making people retreat and not dare to approach rashly. However, Princess Ni Yang was more like a blooming mand. She was bright, moving, and flirtatious. Even though one knew that she was poisonous, one could not help but want to approach her. Their temperaments could be said to be poles apart. Cheng Qi stepped forward and held her hand. He said gently, ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re finally back. I missed you very much when you were away.¡± Princess Ni Yang replied with a faint smile, ¡°I miss you too.¡± At first nce, the couple was very loving. Even Yu Niaoniao was a little suspicious and could not help but whisper to Wei Liao. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the couple didn¡¯t get along? They didn¡¯t look like they are on bad terms.¡± Wei Liao also lowered his voice. ¡°The royal family cares about their reputation. Even if they¡¯re already separate in private, they still have to pretend to be on good terms. This is called united on the outside but separated on the inside.¡± Princess Ni Yang noticed a few unfamiliar faces and immediately pulled her hand out of Cheng Qi¡¯s. She asked Yu Niaoniao with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re Ah Juan¡¯s new wife, right?¡± Cheng Qi also lowered his hand. At the same time, he deliberately took two steps back and distanced himself from Princess Ni Yang. Their movements were very small, but Yu Niaoniao still saw them. It seemed that Wei Liao was right. This couple really did not get along. Yu Niaoniao went forward to greet her. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± In her impression, Princess Ni Yang should be an extremely difficult person to get along with. She had the typical image of an evil mother-inw. She was already prepared to put up with difficult behavior. Unexpectedly, Princess Ni Yang took the initiative to hold her hand and said affectionately with a smile on her face. ¡°I originally nned to stay in the courtyard for two more days. When I found out that you were here, I rushed back in advance. Your name is Niaoniao, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao was ttered. ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Princess Ni Yang led her inside and spoke as they walked. ¡°Niaoniao, actually, I¡¯ve wanted to see you for a long time. Unfortunately, we¡¯re too far apart. I can¡¯t see you even if I want to. Fortunately, Ah Juan brought you here this time. Otherwise, I don¡¯t know when I would have to wait to see you. By the way, why don¡¯t I see Ah Juan?¡± Yu Niaoniao thought to herself that she finally remembered that she had a son! She looked sad. ¡°We were plotted against on the way. His Highness had an ident.¡± Princess Ni Yang raised her eyebrows. ¡°Is he dead?¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Was this something a mother could say?! She lowered her head and told him about the explosion at Xiann Temple. Princess Ni Yang said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to be so unlucky to be blown up. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get someone to collect his corpseter.¡± Although she was a little surprised, she was not sad. It was as if the life and death of her biological son were just an insignificant urrence to her. Yu Niaoniao looked at her nkly. ¡°You don¡¯t look sad.¡± Princess Ni Yang smiled gently. ¡°He grew up in the Imperial Capital and has no feelings for me. Why should I be sad for him?¡± Yu Niaoniao pursed her lower lip. The reason why Xiao Juan grew up in the Imperial Capital was that he could not survive living with her. However, looking at Princess Ni Yang¡¯s matter-of-fact expression, she did not feel that she had done anything wrong at all. Yu Niaoniao could not help but say, ¡°His Highness is your child after all.¡± Princess Ni Yang said, ¡°So what? Although I gave birth to him, that doesn¡¯t mean I have to love him. Correspondingly, even if I die in the future, I don¡¯t need him to send me off. It¡¯s very fair.¡± Yu Niaoniao really wanted to ask, ¡°Since you don¡¯t love your child, why did you give birth to Xiao Juan?¡± But she swallowed the words. This question was too sharp and could easily make Princess Ni Yang unhappy. She still had to use Princess Ni Yang to deal with Cheng Qi. She had to think of a way to build a good rtionship with Princess Ni Yang. Yu Niaoniao smiled bitterly. ¡°You can ept it, but I can¡¯t.¡± Princess Ni Yang said slowly, ¡°I can understand how you feel. When my first consort died, I couldn¡¯t live with it any more than you did. I felt as if the sky had fallen.¡¯ ¡°By the time the second consort died, I was numb. Although he was still alive, he was no different from dead. I was used to this. There was no one in this world who could not live without anyone.¡± ¡°Even without a man, we women can still live well.¡± Seeing that Yu Niaoniao was silent, she suddenly stopped and pointed at the group of gigolos behind her. ¡°The best way to heal a love wound is to develop a new rtionship. Look at these men. Which one do you like? Take your pick. I¡¯ll give them all to you.¡± Yu Niaoniao was shocked. Before his son¡¯s corpse turned cold, his biological mother had already started to arrange a family for his daughter-inw? This was really something she had not expected. She looked at the reactions of the gigolos again. Although they were a little surprised, they did not have much resistance; it was as if they were used to this. Yu Niaoniao politely declined. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but I¡¯m not in the mood to think about this now.¡± Princess Ni Yang narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly. ¡°Do you despise them for being used by me?¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately denied it. ¡°No, no!¡± Princess Ni Yang smiled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you despise them. There are still a few little fellows backyard of the princess¡¯s residence that I haven¡¯t touched. I can give tl to you.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°There¡¯s really no need.¡± Princess Ni Yang was about to persuade her again when Cheng Qj spoke. ¡°Your Highness, you might not know this, but the princess consort alre someone by her side. The novelty has yet to pass. No matter who you gi she won¡¯t ept it.¡± Princess Ni Yang was very surprised. ¡°There¡¯s someone beside Niaoniac is it?¡± Yu Niaoniao had a very bad feeling. When she saw Cheng Qi point at Wei Liao, her heart skipped a beat. Damn it, no! Cheng Qi said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s this Vice General Wei.¡± Wei Liao was speechless. This was beyond his expectations.. Chapter 459 - Chapter 459: I’ll Dote on You Well Chapter 459: I¡¯ll Dote on You Well Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Hearing Cheng Qi¡¯s words, the first reaction of Yan Nanguan and Lo Pingsha was to deny that there was definitely nothing between the Princess Consort and Wei Liao! Cheng Qi must be talking nonsense! However, Princess Ni Yang had yet to speak. There was no ce for subordinates like them to interrupt. They could only re at Cheng Qi unkindly. Princess Ni Yang had not noticed Wei Liao before. After hearing Cheng Qi¡¯s words, she took a closer look at Wei Liao and saw that he was tall and handsome. His peach-blossom eyes seemed to be filled with love at all times. Even Princess Ni Yang, who had seen countless handsome men, could not help but light up. At this moment, they had already entered the princess¡¯s residence. There was no need for Princess Ni Yang to pretend to be harmonious with Cheng Qi. Princess Ni Yang sized Wei Liao up unscrupulously and asked with a smile. ¡°Are you Wei Huai¡¯en¡¯s adopted son?¡± Wei Liao replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Princess Ni Yang nodded slightly. ¡°You¡¯re indeed good-looking. Niaoniao, you have good taste.¡± Yu Niaoniao exined weakly, ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. Wei Liao and I are innocent.¡± Princess Ni Yang was surprised. ¡°So he¡¯s not yours?¡± Yu Niaoniao quickly said no. Hearing this, Yan Nanguan and Lo Pingsha thought that it was as expected. It was impossible for the Princess Consort to like Wei Liao. The two of them heaved a sigh of relief. Princess Ni Yang¡¯s red lips curled up as she smiled happily. ¡°Since he¡¯s still ownerless, I won¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. Immediately after, she saw Princess Ni Yang wave at Wei Liao, as if she was calling a puppy. ¡°Little guy,e here.¡± Her voice was melodious and pleasant, enough to melt one¡¯s bones. Wei Liao immediately froze on the spot. Although he had encountered a lot of harassment along the way, those people were not his match. He could teach them a lesson without any burden. But the person in front of him was Princess Ni Yang. He could not attack her. He looked at Yu Niaoniao and crazily hinted at her to quickly help say something! He did not want to be one of Princess Ni Yang¡¯s manyckeys! Looking at Wei Liao¡¯s pitiful and helpless gaze, Yu Niaoniao wanted tough. Haha, she didn¡¯t expect him to have such a day! Seeing Wei Liao standing still, the smile on Princess Ni Yang¡¯s face faded a little. ¡°Why are you so disobedient? Do you think nothing of me, a princess?¡± Wei Liao had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk over. He knelt on one knee. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Princess Ni Yang raised his chin with her slender finger painted with bright r cardamom and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re indeed quite lovely. Do you want to follow me? I¡¯ll dote on you well.¡± Wei Liao said with difficulty, ¡°Thank you for your favor, Your Highness. My status is low. I¡¯m really worthy of you.¡± Princess Ni Yang narrowed her eyes. ¡°Are you rejecting me?¡± Wei Liao tried to salvage the situation. ¡°If Your Highness likes handsome mer I can help you search. I can summon whatever you want.¡± Princess Ni Yang let go of his chin, and the smile on her facepletely disappeared. ¡°Since you¡¯re unwilling, I won¡¯t force you, but I hate being rejected the most. Men, send Wei Liao to the backyard and give Rouge more food.¡± Rouge was the name of the big tiger in the backyard of the princess¡¯s residence. Wei Liao¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Please spare me, Your Highness!¡± Yu Niaoniao did not expect things to suddenly be like this. She liked to see Wei Liao make a fool of himself, but she didn¡¯t want him to really die. Seeing the guards of the princess¡¯s residence walking towards Wei Liao, it seemed that they were nning to bring him to the backyard to feed the tigers. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly shouted. ¡°Stop!¡± She turned to Princess Ni Yang. ¡°Not only is Wei Liao Wei Huai¡¯en¡¯s adopted son, but he¡¯s also the Vice General of the Sky Wolf Guards. He¡¯s someone the emperor can trust. If you kill him, how are you going to exin yourself when the emperor investigates?¡± Princess Ni Yang only replied casually. ¡°He¡¯s just a martial artist. If I kill him, so be it. Can my brother take my life for a martial artist?¡± Yu Niaoniao choked. The other party¡¯s attitude of not taking human lives seriously was too arrogant. The other party¡¯s attitude of not taking human lives seriously was too arrogant. However, the other party was the Eldest Princess, the only legitimate princess of the previous emperor. With her status, everyone had to respect her. As long as she did not rebel, even the emperor could not do anything to her. Yu Niaoniao continued to persuade her. ¡°Even if the emperor won¡¯t do anything to you, he¡¯ll still be a little unhappy. There¡¯s no need for you to have a grudge against the emperor for an unimportant person.¡± Princess Ni Yang said casually, ¡°What does it have to do with me if he¡¯s happy? I just have to be happy.¡± Yu Niaoniao realized that the Eldest Princess in front of her was a ssic example of supremacy. She was self-centered and could not tolerate rejection or listen to others¡¯ suggestions. It would never work to reason with her. Yu Niaoniao did not know what to do and was anxious. Princess Ni Yang looked her up and down and asked thoughtfully. ¡°Why are you so anxious? Didn¡¯t you say that you have nothing to do with Wei Liao?¡± Yu Niaoniao made up her mind and said shamelessly, ¡°To be honest, Wei Liao is very important to me. I can¡¯t live without him. Your Highness, please spare his life!¡± Yan Nanguan and Lo Pingsha immediately froze on the spot, as if they had been struck by lightning. They were filled with disbelief. The Princess Consort had actually admitted her rtionship with Wei Liao! Duke Lang¡¯s corpse was not cold yet. How could she do this?! Princess Ni Yang smiled again. ¡°I knew there was something going on between the two of you. You were pretending with me a moment ago. You can¡¯t pretend anymore, can you?¡± She waved at the guards. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll spare him today.¡± The guards immediately retreated. Wei Liao let out a long sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. ¡± Princess Ni Yang said, ¡°You should thank Niaoniao. If not for her, I wouldn¡¯t have spared you.¡± With that, she deliberately winked at Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao could not say anything. She hoped that Xiao Juan would not know about today¡¯s matter. Otherwise, the misunderstanding between the two of them would definitely deepen. Wei Liao looked at Yu Niaoniao and said. ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank between us.¡± Princess Ni Yang pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. If you like him, you have to get him. Why care about the judgment of the world?¡± Yu Niaoniao echoed guiltily, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± Princess Ni Yang held her hand again and said affectionately. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll show you something good.¡± Yu Niaoniao was forced to follow her. Seeing that there was nothing else for him to do, Cheng Qi returned to his room to catch up on his sleep. The others went about their business. In the end, only Yan Nanguan, Lo Pingsha, and Wei Liao were left standing there. Yan Nanguan and Luo Pingsha stared fixedly at Wei Liao, their eyes almost spitting fire. ¡°Wei, how dare you seduce our County Princess?!¡± Chapter 460 - Chapter 460: Infatuation Chapter 460: Infatuation Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Based on their understanding of the Princess Consort, Yan Nanguan and Lo Pingsha felt that she was not a promiscuous woman. Wei Liao must have taken advantage of the situation to seduce her! Looking at his foxy appearance, he was born to be a yboy. Looking at his foxy appearance, he was born to be a yboy. Unfortunately, this was the princess¡¯s residence and it was not convenient for them to attack. Otherwise, they would definitely beat this male vixen up! Wei Liao spoke unhurriedly. ¡°I can¡¯t say it¡¯s seduction. After all, my conditions are right here. Be it appearance, ability, or status, they¡¯re not much inferior to Duke Lang¡¯s. It¡¯s normal for Niaoniao to like me.¡± Yan Nanguan was livid with anger and clenched his fists. ¡°Are you worthy of beingpared to Duke Lang? You think too highly of yourself. The Princess Consort will always love Duke Lang the most!¡± Lo Pingsha also said, ¡°The princess consort is only temporarily bewitched by you. When she wakes up, she will definitely dump you.¡± Wei Liao chuckled. ¡°Then we¡¯ll see!¡± With that, he ignored their fire-breathing gazes and swaggered away. Yu Niaoniao was very nervous along the way, afraid that the ¡°good thing¡± Princess Ni Yang was talking about was the big tiger called Rouge. She didn¡¯t want to get close to that man-eating tiger. Just the thought of that scene was terrifying! In the end, she was brought to the study by Princess Ni Yang. There were several study rooms in the princess¡¯s residence. This was Princess Ni Yang¡¯s private study. Usually, no one, including Prince Consort Cheng Qi, was allowed to enter without her permission. The others consciously stopped outside the door. Only Yu Niaoniao was brought into the study by Princess Ni Yang. There were several bookshelves in the study, each filled with books. Princess Ni Yang walked to one of the bookshelves and turned to speak to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Come and take a look.¡± Yu Niaoniao walked over and took a look. She realized that the bookshelf was filled with copies of the same book. The title of the book was ¡°The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation¡±! She was immediately stunned on the spot. She had never expected Princess Ni Yang to be a fan of her books! Princess Ni Yang took out one of the books and gently stroked the cover with her slender fingers. She smiled happily. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen such an interesting book in a long time. After reading it once, I couldn¡¯t forget it. I couldn¡¯t help but reread it many times. I even specially ordered someone to buy all the copies of the book in the Liang Province to collect it as a memento.¡± At this point, she looked at Yu Niaoniao meaningfully. ¡°I¡¯m very curious about who Master Wang is. Why could she design such an interesting plot? She was really too talented!¡± ¡°Especially the Phoenix Cry Nation she described in the book. It was simply the ideal world in my heart. That sense of affinity was simply uncanny. I specially ordered someone to investigate the author¡¯s background, only to discover something very interesting¡­.¡± ¡°So Master Wang at the vige entrance was Ah Juan¡¯s new wife At that time, I sighed. Fate was really a wonderful thing. My favorite author was actually my daughter-inw. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a coincidence?¡± ¡°I was really happy to know that you wereing to Liangzhou. I¡¯ve been looking forward to this meeting for a long time.¡± Her front had been stripped clean. Yu Niaoniao was a little embarrassed. ¡°I love to write and draw when I¡¯m free. I didn¡¯t expect to catch your eye. I¡¯m really embarrassed.¡± She really did not expect that The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation, which had been cursed badly by countless people, would actually be liked by Princess Ni Yang. Moreover, from the looks of it, it was not an ordinary liking. It could be said to be an obsession. Princess Ni Yang smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re so talented. You should be proud. What¡¯s there to be ashamed of?¡± She casually flipped to thest page of the book and sighed softly. ¡°Your book is good in every aspect. The only bad thing is that the story is too short. It¡¯s gone before I can get enough of it. There should be a follow-up, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a second one. I¡¯ve already finished painting it. I¡¯m just waiting to return to the Imperial Capital to print it in bulk and officially distribute it.¡± Princess Ni Yang¡¯s eyes lit up. She asked expectantly. ¡°Can I see the second part first?¡± Yu Niaoniao wanted to build a good rtionship with Princess Ni Yang, so she agreed without hesitation. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll bring it over now.¡± Princess Ni Yang urged, ¡°Go, go!¡± Yu Niaoniao walked out of the study and saw many servants waiting outside. They all greeted Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Greetings, Princess Consort.¡± Yu Niaoniao walked away quickly. She still hadn¡¯t reacted. Beforeing to the princess¡¯s residence, she had imagined many scenarios of meeting Princess Ni Yang. However, she did not expect the oue to be like this. Princess Ni Yang was actually a die-hard fan of her book! No wonder she had taken a fancy to Wei Liao at first nce. It must be because Wei Liao looked very simr to the male lead in the book, Little Mute. Yu Niaoniao returned to the bedroom to get the draft. She bumped into Wei Liao on the way back. Wei Liao immediately saw the draft in her hand and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t you apanying Princess Ni Yang? What are you doing with the draft?¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s tone was veryplicated. ¡°Princess Ni Yang wants to know the subsequent plot of the story so I brought the draft to her.¡± Wei Liao was stunned. ¡°Princess Ni Yang also reads The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Like you, she likes it very much.¡± Wei Liao blurted out without thinking, ¡°Who said I like the book? I hate this book very much. It¡¯s the worst book I¡¯ve ever read in my life!¡± Yu Niaoniao chuckled. ¡°Who brought the custom-made folding fan of the princess and the little mute with him? Who used a thousand taels of silver to order the custom-made big pillow of the princess and the little mute from me? And who took the opportunity to sneak into my carriage and steal the draft?¡± Wei Liao was speechless He could not answer a word of this series of questions. He could only forcefully change the subject. ¡°Why does Princess Ni Yang like your book?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°For the same reason as you.¡± Wei Liao was speechless The change of subject failed. Seeing that he was speechless, Yu Niaoniao felt great! She smiled triumphantly. ¡°I know that the Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation I created is very outstanding. It¡¯s normal for you to like such an outstanding story. I can understand you.¡± These were the words he had used to retort Yu Niaoniao this morning. She had returned them to him. Wei Liao was speechless. ¡°Since Princess Ni Yang likes your book, it¡¯s easier for you to approach her. Don¡¯t forget our n.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do.¡± She hugged the drafts and prepared to leave. Wei Liao called out to her. ¡°Princess Ni Yang is temperamental. No matter how close she appears to you, don¡¯t let your guard down.¡± ¡°I know.. What a nag!¡± Chapter 461 - Chapter 461: Reception Chapter 461: Reception Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios As soon as Princess Ni Yang saw Yu Niaoniao return, she asked impatiently. ¡°Where¡¯s the draft? Show it to me.¡± Yu Niaoniao handed over the thick stack of drafts. ¡°It¡¯s all here.¡± Princess Ni Yang took the drafts and immediately flipped through them. She was reading so intently that shepletely forgot that there was someone beside her. Seeing that she could not finish reading it in a short time, Yu Niaoniao began to stroll around the study. She realized that other than the entire bookshelf of the Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation, the other bookshelves were filled with serious books like history books. There were even a few military books mixed in, each of them very thick. Yu Niaoniao casually took out a book and realized that it had traces of being read. This meant that these books were not for show. Princess Ni Yang had really read these books. She could not help but turn to look at Princess Ni Yang. Seeing that she was immersed in the world ofics, Yu Niaonuao could not help but feel puzzled. In Xiao Juan¡¯s eyes, Princess Ni Yang was cold and heartless. In the eyes of outsiders, Princess Ni Yang was domineering and tyrannical, but the Princess Ni Yang she knew was obsessed withic books. However, in private, Princess Ni Yang would read a lot of history books. Which one was the real Princess Ni Yang? Princess Ni Yang finished thest page of the draft and was still unsatisfied. She praised her sincerely. ¡°These are wonderful drawings. No, I was reading too casually just now. I have to take a closer look.¡± With that, she flipped back to the first page and began to read for the second time. Seeing the female official outside the door looking around, Yu Niaoniao walked over and asked. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The female official whispered, ¡°Lunch is ready. Where does Her Highness want to eat?¡± She knew Princess Ni Yang¡¯s habit. Without permission, no one was allowed to step into this study, so she did not dare to enter or make a sound, afraid of disturbing Princess Ni Yang. However, it was gettingte. If Princess Ni Yang was hungry, she would be the one punishedter. Hence, she was extremely conflicted. Yu Niaoniao turned around and looked at Princess Ni Yang, who was engrossed in heric book. She hesitated for a moment before saying. ¡°I¡¯ll ask her for you.¡± The official looked grateful. ¡°Thank you, Princess.¡± Yu Niaoniao walked to Princess Ni Yang¡¯s side and reminded her softly. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s time for lunch.¡± Princess Ni Yang replied without looking up, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not dare to persuade her further and could only turn around and leave. Unexpectedly, she had only taken two steps when she was stopped by Princess Ni Yang. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Yu Niaoniao turned to look at her. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Princess Ni Yang reluctantly put down the draft. ¡°It¡¯s not toote to read this draftter. We have to eat lunch today. After all, you came all the way to me. I must wee you. Let¡¯s go eat.¡± With that, she stood up and walked over to hold Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand affectionately before walking out. When the female official saw Princess Ni Yange out, she hurriedly went forward and asked respectfully. ¡°Where do you want to eat today, Your Highness?¡± Princess Ni Yang looked to be in a good mood. She smiled and said, ¡°As usual. Remember to prepare more good wine and dishes. I want to entertain Niaoniao well. ¡± ¡°Aye.¡± Although thend in Liangzhou was barren and it was difficult to see lush vegetation, the flowers and nts in the princess¡¯s residence were served very well. No matter how difficult it was to grow precious species, they could be raised here. After all, Princess Ni Yang had said that if the flowers and nts could not be raised, the person in charge of serving them would be thrown into the backyard to feed Rouge. Not wanting to be a tiger¡¯s meal, the gardeners naturally worked hard to tend to the flowers and nts. Princess Ni Yang held Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand and walked through the flowers. She casually picked a beautiful peony and pinned it to Yu Niaoniao¡¯s temple. ¡°The color of these flowers suits you.¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her hand to touch the flower at her temples. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± Princess Ni Yang said slowly as she admired the flower on Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Many schrs like topare women to delicate flowers. Because they felt that women should be as gentle and weak as flowers and let them pick as they pleased. ¡°But you¡¯re different. The woman you portray is cold and heartless. She can easily step on men and y with them.¡± She smiled again as she spoke, her beautiful face bing even more charming. ¡°Niaoniao, I like the world you narrate.¡± Yu Niaoniaoined softly, ¡°But many people feel that the Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation is not good. The Directorate was not even willing to stamp me and review me.¡± Princess Ni Yang snorted. ¡°They¡¯re men and can¡¯t ept being dominated by women, so they naturally can¡¯t ept the Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation.¡± ¡°In the end, it was because they were afraid. They were afraid that they would one day be characters in a book. A group of cowards.¡± You don¡¯t have to care. Just stick to your creative idea. ¡°If anyone says anything bad about you in the future, just tell me. I¡¯ll throw them to Rouge for extra food.¡± Yu Niaoniao onlyined casually. She did not expect to cause someone to lose his life because of this. She said hurriedly, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Princess Ni Yang said slowly. ¡°The best way to deal with people who take a different stand is to make an example of them. As long as they see what happens when they go against us, they¡¯ll be much more obedient in the future.¡± At this moment, Princess Ni Yang was cold, heartless, and domineering. She immediately coincided perf tly with the image in the hearts of Xiao Juan and themoners. Perhaps this was the real Princess Ni Yang. Even if she liked to readics, it was only because the settings in the book happened to reach her soft spot. If not for this ¡°coincidence¡±, Princess Ni Yang would definitely not be so close to her. At that time, the Princess Ni Yang she would have to face would most likely be a cold and heartless evil mother-inw. Yu Niaoniao shut her mouth and did not dare to say anything else. They arrived at the third floor of the Breeze Pavilion. This ce had a wide view. Standing by the window, they could see most of the princess¡¯s residence. The dishes on the table were ready. Seeing that there was only Cheng Qi at the table, Princess Ni Yang asked. ¡°Where¡¯s Wei Liao?¡± Cheng Qi replied casually, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Logically speaking, with Wei Liao¡¯s status, he was not qualified to eat at the same table as Princess Ni Yang. However, Princess Ni Yang made an exception today. ¡°Wei Liao is Niaoniao¡¯s man. I¡¯m going to wee her today. How can Wei Liao not apany her? Call him over.¡± The servant left in a hurry and quickly brought Wei Liao over. Princess Ni Yang pointed at the spot beside Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Sit there.¡± Wei Liao was very obedient and obediently walked to Yu Niaoniao¡¯s side and sat down. During the meal, he even poured wine and picked up food for Yu Niaoniao from time to time, acting very solicitous. He performed the part of a male vixen who was anxious to get promoted vividly.. Chapter 462 - 462: Disgust Chapter 462: Disgust Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Princess Ni Yang was very satisfied with Wei Liao¡¯s performance. Men not only had to be good-looking, but they also had to be as discerning and capable as Wei Liao. How could Yu Niaoniao let go of such a good opportunity? She began to deliberately torture Wei Liao. She said that the tea was too hot and asked him to change it to cold. Then, she said that there were too many fish bones and asked him to pick them clean. Anyway, she was just looking for trouble. She wanted to see Wei Liao being forced to serve her despite his impatience. Unexpectedly, Wei Liao was surprisingly patient. When she said to change the tea, he went to change a fresh cup and brought it over, not forgetting to remind her. ¡°Drinking cold tea is bad for your health. I changed it for you. It can¡¯t be too hot or too cold. It¡¯s just right.¡± When she said that he should pick the bones, he used his chopsticks to pick clean the small bones in the fish. ¡°Is this enough fish? If not, I¡¯ll help you pick another one.¡± This development waspletely different from what Yu Niaoniao had expected! She really wanted to pounce on Wei Liao and grab his face to see if he was someone else in disguise. The Wei Liao she knew could not be so gentle and considerate! Seeing that she was sitting still, Wei Liao took the initiative to ask. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating? Do you think the fish isn¡¯t delicious? Then I¡¯ll peel a few prawns for you.¡± With that, he really began to peel the prawns. Soon, there were a few more fresh prawns in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s bowl. She looked at the fish and shrimp in her bowl and wondered if she should eat them. Princess Ni Yang noticed her abnormality and asked with concern. ¡°Are you feeling unwell? Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Yu Niaoniao could only pick up her chopsticks and bite the bullet to pick up the prawns in her bowl and put them into her mouth. There was naturally no need to mention the taste of the dishes. Be it the ingredients or the cooking method, they were very good. However, when she thought about how Wei Liao had personally peeled these prawns, she felt as if a fishbone was stuck in her throat. It was as if she was sitting on pins and needles! Wei Liao looked at her expectantly, his tone exceptionally gentle. ¡°Is it good?¡± Princess Ni Yang also asked, ¡°Niaoniao, are the dishes today still to your liking?¡± Yu Niaoniao said that it was delicious. She regretted it. She had originally wanted to take the opportunity to anger Wei Liao, but she did not expect to be the one who was disgusted in the end. Wei Liao immediately smiled. ¡°If you like it, I¡¯ll peel prawns for you every day in the future.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him with a fake smile and warned softly, ¡°Don¡¯t go too far.¡± Wei Liao smiled brightly. ¡°It takes one to know one.¡± Did she want to torture him? Then he would disgust her to death! Cheng Qi smiled and teased, ¡°The two of you are still whispering. What a good rtionship. How long have you been together?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked sad. ¡°I suddenly thought of Duke Lang and felt terrible. Wei Liao wasforting me just now.¡± Cheng Qi said, ¡°Is that so? I didn¡¯t expect the Princess Consort to be so infatuated.¡± When he said thosest few words, there was mockery in his tone. He was clearly being sarcastic. Yu Niaoniao seemed to have suffered a huge grievance and her face turned pale. ¡°If you look down on me, Prince Consort, you can just say it. I¡¯ll leave.¡± With that, she stood up to leave. Princess Ni Yang hurriedly stopped her. ¡°We¡¯re not done eating. Why are you leaving? Sit down.¡± Then, Princess Ni Yang nced at Cheng Qi coldly and said in a very unfriendly tone. ¡°It¡¯s not your ce to ask about Niaoniao¡¯s matters. Just take care of yourself.¡± Although Cheng Qi did not get along with her and they had quarreled before, that was in private. The two of them never showed it in front of outsiders. But now, with an outsider like Wei Liao present, Princess Ni Yang actually reprimanded him directly. Where would he put his face? Cheng Qi had been doted on since he was young. How could he be willing to suffer? His face darkened and he casually threw his chopsticks on the table. ¡°ording to seniority, I¡¯m considered Niaoniao¡¯s father-inw. As an elder, am I not even qualified to say a word to her? Besides, I was just joking with her just now. She was the one who felt guilty and didn¡¯t dare to answer me. What does it have to do with me?¡± Princess Ni Yang¡¯s attitude was very domineering. ¡°Niaoniao is mine. If you say she¡¯s wrong, you¡¯re saying that I¡¯m wrong.¡± Cheng Qiughed in anger. ¡°It¡¯s only your first day meeting her. I¡¯m your official husband. Yet you actually think she¡¯s more important than me? Since you care so much about her, go with her in the future!¡± With that, he stood up and strode out with a dark expression. Princess Ni Yang¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°If you leave, don¡¯te back. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be annoyed!¡± Cheng Qi quickened his pace and went downstairs. Soon, he could not be seen. Princess Ni Yang asked Yu Niaoniao to sit down. Yu Niaoniao looked uneasy. ¡°Did I cause you to quarrel? I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll exin to the Prince Consort for you.¡± When facing Yu Niaoniao, Princess Ni Yang looked exceptionally magnanimous. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. He provoked you first. Men are all bitches. You don¡¯t have to care about him. Just eat in peace.¡± Yu Niaoniao sat back obediently. ¡°Oh.¡± Wei Liao, who had suddenly beenbeled a b*tch, was speechless. How could he be shot while lying down? After dinner, Princess Ni Yang was in a hurry to read theic. She asked Yu Niaoniao to do whatever she wanted. If she needed anything, she could tell the female official. After Princess Ni Yang left, Yu Niaoniao immediately heaved a sigh of relief. She finally didn¡¯t have to act anymore. She could rx! Wei Liao looked at her with a faint smile. ¡°You acted well just now. You made Princess Ni Yang and the Prince Consort quarrel with just a few words.¡± Yu Niaoniao chuckled. ¡°You acted well too. You even helped me peel prawns.¡± Wei Liao said proudly, ¡°As a wild man raised by you, I have to have this ability.¡± He identally disgusted Yu Niaoniao again. She rubbed her arms, looking like she couldn¡¯t stand it. ¡°I¡¯m not blessed with a wild man like you.¡± Tomorrow was Princess Ni Yang¡¯s birthday. The princess¡¯s residence had already begun to get busy. Those who wanted to take this opportunity to curry favor with Princess Ni Yang gathered from all directions. Some of them had arrived at Jinwu City in advance and handed over their business cards to visit Princess Ni Yang. In the end, they were all rejected. They would all think that Princess Ni Yang was busy preparing for tomorrow¡¯s birthday banquet. In fact, Princess Ni Yang was too obsessed withics to deal with the people outside. After Prince Consort Cheng Qi left the princess¡¯s residence angrily, he did not return all night and only returned drunk the next morning. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that he must have been out fooling around against night. On the night before his wife¡¯s birthday, her husband ran out to fool around with another woman. Any woman would be angry. Princess Ni Yang was very calm after knowing this. ¡°I don¡¯t care what he didst night. When the birthday banquet beginster, he has to stand beside me dressed up. If he dares to embarrass me, I¡¯ll skin him alive.¡± The official shivered and hurried off to find the consort.. Chapter 463 - 463: Lust Chapter 463: Lust Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Cheng Qi was sleeping soundly when he was suddenly woken up. He was extremely unhappy. He looked at the female official with a dark expression and dealt with her impatiently. ¡°Alright, alright, I know.¡± The female official was still a little worried and instructed carefully, ¡°Her Highness has instructed you to be on time. If she¡¯s mocked because of you, please bear the consequences.¡± Cheng Qi enunciated each word clearly. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll be there on time! Is that okay?¡± The female official bowed and left. As soon as they left, Cheng Qi kicked over the stool beside him and gritted his teeth. ¡°Isn¡¯t she just a lousy princess? Does she really think of herself as a queen? I have always been at her beck and call, never caring about my feelings.¡± ¡°¡® You haven¡¯t even had a child in years. What kind of woman are you?¡± ¡°It was fine if you refused to give birth yourself, but you actually killed another woman and her child!¡± ¡°You¡¯re causing me to have no descendants!¡± ¡°I¡¯m really unlucky to have married a vicious woman like you!¡± The servant shrank his neck, not daring to make a sound. After Cheng Qi finished cursing, the servant went forward and set the stool up. He advised softly, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. It might harm your body.¡± Cheng Qi ced his hands on his hips and sneered. ¡°Since she doesn¡¯t treat me as a person, I¡¯ll make sure she can¡¯t even be a living person! Have you arranged everything I asked you to arrange?¡± The servant nodded. ¡°It¡¯s all been arranged. The poison has been added to the dishes and wine. The guests attending the birthday banquet have also been swapped. I guarantee that Princess Ni Yang won¡¯t leave today¡¯s birthday banquet alive.¡± Cheng Qi could not help butugh when he thought of Princess Ni Yang dying on the spot. ¡°Haha, after so many years, I¡¯ve finally waited until today! ¡°Vicious woman, let¡¯s see how long you can be arrogant.¡± He could not wait to see that scene. He immediately stretched out his arms. ¡°Help me change. I¡¯m going to celebrate Princess Ni Yang¡¯s birthday¡­ Oh, no, her birthday will soon be the anniversary of her death. I should go pay my respects to her.¡± The servant quickly helped Cheng Qi put on the gown. Cheng Qi straightened his clothes in the mirror. After being married for more than twenty years, he was still handsome, but if one looked closely, one would see a few small lines at the corners of his eyes and the corners of his mouth. His eyes were no longer as bright as when he was young. He looked away from the mirror. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Back then, the emperor gave him and Princess Ni Yang a marriage. On the surface, it was a gift to the Cheng family, but in fact, he wanted to use this method to tie the Cheng family and the royal family together. This was a calcted political marriage. Cheng Qi knew this very well, so he had never thought of giving his feelings to this marriage. However he yed before the marriage, he would continue with it after the marriage. As for Princess Ni Yang, she could also y to her heart¡¯s content. The two of them just didn¡¯t interfere with each other. Even if Princess Ni Yang had a bad temper, he endured it. But she should never have killed his bloodline. He was already forty years old this year. Brothers around his age already had grandchildren, but he did not even have a son or daughter. Cheng Qi still could not forget the scene of him rushing to the courtyard outside the city ten years ago. When he pushed open the door, he saw his mistress lying in a pool of blood and on herst breath, shouting to save her child. The only child he¡¯d had in years had drowned in a vat. When he fished the child out of the vat, his small body was cold. The vengeance for killing his son was irreconcble! Cheng Qi strode forward, his eyes filled with hatred. Today was that woman¡¯s birthday. She had set up a birthday banquet in the residence. All the famous people in Liangzhou woulde to congratte her. He had chosen this time today, when she was at her most glorious, to make her bleed on the spot! Let her have a taste of falling from the clouds into the mire and shattering into pieces! Cheng Qi happened to meet Yu Niaoniao halfway. After Yu Niaoniao dressed up, she walked to the front courtyard with Chun Feng and Ye Yu, preparing to attend Princess Ni Yang¡¯s birthday banquet. She did not expect to bump into Cheng Qi. The two sides met at the intersection. Cheng Qi sized Yu Niaoniao up with an impudent gaze. ¡°Niaoniao looks even more beautiful than usual with this outfit today.¡± Because she was attending the birthday banquet, Yu Niaoniao especially changed into a dress that represented her status as the County Princess. Her already exquisite facial features became even more beautiful and moving after being carefully drawn. She did not like Cheng Qi¡¯s naked gaze, which seemed to want to strip her, and frowned. ¡°Thank you for your praise, Prince Consort. I still have to attend the birthday banquet, so I¡¯ll leave first.¡± She was about to circle around Cheng Qi when Cheng Qi reached out and stopped her. He smiled and said, ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? There¡¯s still some time before the birthday banquet begins. Since we met here, it means that we¡¯re fated. Why don¡¯t we sit down and have a good chat?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him warily. ¡°We have nothing to talk about.¡± Cheng Qi took a step forward and asked in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know how Duke Lang died?¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s expression immediately changed as she said hatefully. ¡°You killed Duke Lang!¡± Cheng Qiughed. ¡°So what if I did? But do you have evidence?¡± Yu Niaoniao was furious. She raised her hand to p him. However, before her hand couldnd, Cheng Qi grabbed it. Cheng Qi pinched her wrist and smiled even more impudently. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. What a soft little hand. How can you use it to hit someone?¡± Chun Feng and Ye Yu hurriedly stepped forward, wanting to pull Cheng Qi away. ¡°Prince Consort, please respect yourself!¡± Cheng Qi said impatiently, ¡°Tie these two girls up. Don¡¯t let them interfere with my business.¡± The attendants behind Cheng Qi immediately grabbed Chun Feng and Ye Yu. They struggled desperately. ¡°What are you doing? Let go. Help.. Before they could shout, their mouths were covered. Immediately after, they were tightly tied up and their mouths were gagged by cloth. They could not make a sound. Yu Niaoniao looked at Cheng Qi in disbelief. ¡°Are you crazy? This is the princess¡¯s residence!¡± Cheng Qi looked indifferent. ¡°So what if it¡¯s the princess¡¯s residence?¡± Yu Niaoniao stepped back. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that Princess Ni Yang will be angry? Cheng Qi said, ¡°She can¡¯t even protect herself. How can she care about you and Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She had a bad feeling. ¡°What did you do?¡± Cheng Qi grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Do you want to know? As long as you serve me well and make me happy, I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her knee and mmed it into his lower abdomen. An intense pain came to his vital part, and Cheng Qi Yu Niaoniao took the opportunity to break free fron away. Cheng Qi took out the saber at the attendant¡¯s waist Chun Feng¡¯s neck. His tone was extremely ruthless. ¡°If you dare to run, I¡¯ll kill these two girls immediately!¡± Chapter 464 - 464: Behind You Chapter 464: Behind You Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao had no choice but to stop. She looked at Chun Feng and Ye Yu and saw that Chun Feng¡¯s neck had been cut by a de. A trace of dark red blood slowly flowed down the wound. Chun Feng trembled with fear and tears fell. However, she still endured the pain and shook her head. She told the Princess Consort to ignore them and run! Yu Niaoniao lowered her hands and secretly tightened her grip on the crossbow tied to her forearm under the cover of her wide sleeves. She threatened fiercely. ¡°Don¡¯t forget my identity. I¡¯m the official wife of Duke Lang. How dare you touch me?!¡± Cheng Qiughed. ¡°If Duke Lang was still alive, I wouldn¡¯t dare to touch you, but he¡¯s dead now. No one can protect you.¡± Yu Niaoniao bit her lower lip and looked indignant. ¡°If something happens to Duke Lang, the Imperial Court will not ignore it. When the emperor sends someone to investigate, you will definitely not be able to escape responsibility!¡± Instead of being afraid, Cheng Qiughed even more impudently. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that the emperor has been bedridden for a long time. He can¡¯t even approve the memorials. Now that all the matters of the court have been handed over to the Cab, the three princes are fighting for the throne. They could not take care of themselves and would not care what happened in a remote ce like Liangzhou. Even if the Imperial Court really sends someone to investigate, I have a way to cover up everything.¡± Yu Niaoniao was silent. Cheng Qi was telling the truth. The current royal court had been messed up by the battle for the crown prince. Everyone was watching the three princes, wanting to see who would ascend to the throne in the end. At this juncture, no one would be distracted by Liangzhou¡¯s business. It was almost impossible to wait for the Imperial Court to send reinforcements. Cheng Qi handed the hilt to the attendant beside him and reached out to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Little beauty, is there anything else you want to say?¡± ¡°If not,e to me obediently. A smart person had to learn to judge the situation. The current you can only live by obeying me.¡± face was tense as she red at him angrily. However, because she was unable to protect herself, she could only slowly walk toward him with hatred and unwillingness. Seeing her like this, Cheng Qi became even happier. ¡°I like your stubborn little temper best. It¡¯s cute.¡± When she was only a step away, he reached out and grabbed her arm. Eagerly, he pulled her into his arms and leaned over to kiss her. ¡°Niaoniao, I¡¯ve been waiting for this day for a long time. I fell in love with you the first time I saw you.. Before he could finish, he felt something cold and hard press against his jaw. With difficulty, he rolled his eyeball and looked down. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s right sleeve slid down, revealing the crossbow hidden inside. The sharp arrow was under Cheng Qi¡¯s chin. As long as she extended the trigger, the arrow would pierce his chin. Yu Niaoniao said coldly, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, get them to let my people go. ¡± Cheng Qi did not expect her to carry such a dangerous weapon and was shocked. But he was not flustered. He could even smile. ¡°Niaoniao, are you sure you can kill me?¡± said, ¡°Do you want to try?¡± Cheng Qi said, ¡°There¡¯s something you might not know. I know martial arts too.¡± Before the syble of thest word couldnd, he attacked at lightning speed. He grabbed the joint of Yu Niaoniao¡¯s right arm and twisted it hard. With a sound, the joint in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s right wrist dislocated. Her right hand hung limply. The pain made her face turn pale. Cheng Qi pulled her into his arms and smiled proudly. ¡°I¡¯m a descendant of an aristocratic family. I¡¯ve learned the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, and riding and archery sword techniques. I might not be good at dealing with experts, but it¡¯s more than enough to deal with a weak woman like you.¡± Yu Niaoniao endured the pain and pushed him out. ¡°Let go of me.¡± Cheng Qi reached out and touched her face. ¡°Be good. I¡¯ll give you a good time.¡± As he spoke, he took the crossbow bolt off her arm, then picked her up horizontally and strode toward the nearest guest room. Behind him, the attendant said, ¡°Prince Consort, aren¡¯t you going to Princess Ni Yang¡¯s birthday banquet?¡± Cheng Qi said without looking back, ¡°I¡¯m very busy now. Just follow the n!¡± struggled with all her might, but a woman was naturally weaker than a man in terms of strength. Moreover, her right hand was dislocated now, so it was even more impossible for her to break free. Cheng Qi kicked open the guest room door and strode over with Yu Niaoniao. He threw her onto the bed and immediately began to undress impatiently. Yu Niaoniao endured the pain in her wrist and quickly got up. She wanted to escape, but just as she got out of bed, Cheng Qi pushed her back onto the bed. Cheng Qi strangled her and warned, ¡°You¡¯d better be good. Don¡¯t keep thinking about escaping. My patience is limited. If you exhaust it all, don¡¯t me me for not showing mercy.¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her leg and kicked his lower abdomen. But this time, Cheng Qi was prepared and pressed his leg against hers. Yu Niaoniao was tightly pressed and could no longer struggle. She could only change her routine, pause her struggles, and beg with red eyes, ¡°Can you let go of me first? You¡¯re hurting me.¡± Seeing that she had finally learned her lesson, Cheng Qi smiled in satisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. As long as you¡¯re obedient, I¡¯ll dote on you.¡± With that, he really let go of Yu Niaoniao. He was very confident in his strength and couldpletely control Yu Niaoniao. It was impossible for her to escape from him. Yu Niaoniao quickly sat up and moved back to distance herself from Cheng Qi. Her mind raced as she thought about what to do to get away. That was when she saw someone jump through the window. The man was agile and silent when hended. With the sunlighting in through the window, Yu Niaoniao saw the person¡¯s face clearly and could not help but be stunned. It was actually Xiao Juan! When did he arrive at the princess¡¯s residence?! In the blink of an eye, Xiao Juan had already walked to the bed. He looked at Cheng Qi coldly, as if he was looking at a dead person. However, Cheng Qi¡¯s back was facing the window. He did not notice what was happening behind him and was still looking at Yu Niaoniao with narrowed eyes. ¡°Niaoniao, don¡¯t be shy. Come over and let me hug you.¡± At this moment, the panic and uneasiness in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart hadpletely dissipated. She was even in the mood to tease Cheng Qi, ¡°Prince Consort, that¡¯s not good, right? I¡¯m already Duke Lang¡¯s wife. If Duke Lang finds out about what you¡¯re doing to me, he¡¯ll definitely kill you.¡± Cheng Qi said indifferently, ¡°He¡¯s already dead. He¡¯s just a dead person. Why bother with him? You just have to live happily with me! ¡± ¡°But he¡¯s right behind you.¡± Yu Niaoniao extended her little finger and pointed behind Cheng Qi.. Chapter 465 - 465: Beat Them At Their Own Game Chapter 465: Beat Them At Their Own Game Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Instead of scaring Cheng Qi, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s words made himugh. ¡°Haha, Niaoniao, you¡¯re really cute. Do you think I¡¯ll be frightened by such a clumsy lie? A moment of passion is worth a thousand gold. Don¡¯t dy anymore. Let¡¯s get down to business.¡± As he spoke, he was about to pull Yu Niaoniao¡¯s skirt when someone suddenly grabbed the back of his cor. Then a powerful force attacked. He was sent flying and mmed into the wall before falling to the ground in a sorry state. Before he could get up, Xiao Juan¡¯s fist had alreadynded. Immediately after, there was a one-sided beating. Cheng Qi could not resist at all. He could only hug his head and wail. Yu Niaoniao covered her eyes with her uninjured hand. Oh my, it was so bloody and violent that she didn¡¯t dare look at it. Xiao Juan did not use any weapons and just punched down one after another. Every punch was ruthless. Even from a distance, Yu Niaoniao could hear the sound of bones breaking. That feeling made her scalp tingle just thinking about it. When Cheng Qi¡¯s shouts became softer and softer, as if he was about to die, Yu Niaoniao looked through her fingers and saw that Cheng Qi had been beaten into a pulp. If he continued, he would really be dead. Yu Niaoniao quickly put down her hand and shouted, ¡°Stop hitting, stop hitting. Don¡¯t really kill him. I still have something to ask him.¡± Xiao Juan stopped and Cheng Qiy on the ground like a dead dog. His body was covered in wounds. His originally handsome face was bruised and swollen He did not even have the strength to stand up. Yu Niaoniao jumped off the bed and ran to Xiao Juan¡¯s side. She had a lot to say to Xiao Juan but now was not the time. There were more important things to do now. Yu Niaoniao asked Cheng Qi. ¡°You just said stick to the n. What¡¯s your n?¡± Cheng Qi said nothing. Xiao Juan raised his foot and stepped on his face, pressing it down.

¡°Are you going to tell me?¡±

Cheng Qi felt as if his entire skull was about to crack. The pain made him wish he was dead. He had to speak. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you.¡¯ Xiao Juan rxed his strength and gave him room to speak. Cheng Qi said, ¡°I have to see Princess Ni Yang before I can tell you my n.¡± Xiao Juan stepped down harder. ¡°You¡¯re not qualified to negotiate with us.¡± Cheng Qi endured the pain and spoke with difficulty. ¡°Instead of torturing me here, why don¡¯t you see how Princess Ni Yang is doing?¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Did you do something at the birthday banquet?¡± Cheng Qi grinned andughed. Blood flowed down the corner of his mouth. However, he did not care at all. ¡°It¡¯s useless even if you kill me. The n has already begun. I want Princess Ni Yang to die with me.¡± Yu Niaoniao was anxious. ¡°What did you do?¡± At this moment, Xiao Juan suddenly spoke, ¡°He got someone to poison the food and wine of the birthday banquet. He even arranged for many killers to disguise themselves as guests and sneak into the birthday banquet. He wanted Princess Ni Yang to die.¡± Cheng Qi¡¯sughter stopped. ¡°How do you know that?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Because I¡¯ve been secretly investigating you these days. I know everything you¡¯ve done.¡± He had already expected a trap in Xiann Temple and deliberately left Niaoniao and the others outside the temple while he led his men into the temple. As expected, there was indeed danger in the temple. Xiao Juan discovered the gunpowder buried underground. He might as well beat them at their own game and deliberately detonate the gunpowder to create the illusion that he had been killed. But in fact, he had already left Xiann Temple. Cheng Qi thought that his evil n had seeded and believed that Xiao Juan was dead. Naturally, he would not guard against a dead person. This created an opportunity for Xiao Juan. He used the advantage of ¡°the enemy is in the light while I¡¯m in the dark¡± to secretly investigate Cheng Qi. Cheng Qi thought that his n was wless, but little did he know that everything he did was observed by Xiao Juan. Today¡¯s birthday banquet was the time for Cheng Qi to carry out his n. At the same time, it was the day Xiao Juan closed the. Cheng Qi¡¯s face was twisted. ¡°Since you know everything, why are you asking Xiao Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s interesting to see you think you¡¯re in control. I want you to do more so that I can hit you a few more times.¡± Cheng Qi was dumbfounded. He was about to curse, but Xiao Juan stepped on him. Yu Niaoniao said anxiously, ¡°Isn¡¯t Princess Ni Yang in danger now?!¡± Today was Princess Ni Yang¡¯s birthday. All the famous people in Liangzhou were gathered in the princess¡¯s residence. The entire princess¡¯s residence was decorated with lights and streamers. There was a lot of traffic in front of the door, and it was bustling. When the guests were all here and the birthday banquet was about to begin, there was still no sign of the Prince Consort. Princess Ni Yang looked at the female official beside her and asked in a low voice. ¡°Where¡¯s the Prince Consort?¡± The female official whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve already informed the Prince Consort He said he would be there on time. Why don¡¯t we wait a little longer? Perhaps he¡¯s been dyed. He should be here soon.¡± Princess Ni Yang endured and continued to wait. The female officer asked the dancers to dance to liven things up and divert everyone¡¯s attention. The dance was quickly finished. The Prince Consort still did not appear. Princess Ni Yang sat alone at the head of the table, her face as dark as water. No one dared to say anything. They could only peek at Princess Ni Yang from time to time and guess what had happened between Princess Ni Yang and the Prince Consort. Why didn¡¯t the Prince Consort even show up on such an important day? Could it be that the Prince Consort could no longer tolerate Princess Ni Yang¡¯s bad temper and was determined to break up with herpletely? No matter what, there was going to be a good show today! The female officer had to ask the dancer to dance again. However, Princess Ni Yang did not want to endure it anymore. She ordered coldly, ¡°Go and bring me the Prince Consort, whatever he¡¯s doing now. Even if he¡¯s dead, bring me the body!¡± The female official hurriedly agreed. ¡°Yes!¡± She immediately arranged for someone to find the Prince Consort. At this moment, Yan Nanguan walked over and was very anxious. ¡°Your Highness, the princess consort hasn¡¯t appeared yet. We can¡¯t find her anywhere. Could something have happened to her?¡± Princess Ni Yang frowned and looked around. Indeed, she did not see Yu Niaoniao. Just now, she was so angry that she did not notice that someone was missing. Princess Ni Yang asked someone to call Wei Liao over and ask him if he had seen Niaoniao. Wei Liao was surprised. ¡°The Princess Consort is gone?¡± Yan Nanguan said quickly. ¡°I even went to look for her this morning. She was still dressing up at that time and asked Little Lo and me toe to the front first. She woulde over when she was ready, but we waited for a long time without seeing her.¡± Princess Ni Yang said, ¡°All the exits of the princess¡¯s residence are guarded. If Niaoniao leaves, someone will definitely report to me. Now that I haven¡¯t received any news, it means that Niaoniao is still in the residence. As long as she¡¯s in the residence, she won¡¯t be in danger.¡± Wei Liao was not so optimistic. ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true. The princess¡¯s residence is not absolutely safe.¡± Princess Ni Yang looked displeased. ¡°Are you questioning me?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. Your Highness is talented and wise. No one in the residence is unconvinced of that. I¡¯m worried about the Prince Consort. He previously had bad intentions toward the Princess Consort. Now that he and the Princess Consort disappeared at the same time, I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s such a coincidence..¡± Chapter 466 - 466: The Wicked Would Always Complain First Chapter 466: The Wicked Would Always Comin First Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Princess Ni Yang stood up and said sternly. ¡°The Prince Consort actually has designs on Niaoniao? Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? Go find them!¡± When the guests noticed that Princess Ni Yang was about to leave, they all stopped talking and looked at her in unison. What was happening now? Princess Ni Yang was not in the mood to care about the guests¡¯ thoughts. She hurried out, her long skirt dragging across the ground. Yan Nanguan and Wei Liao followed closely behind. Just as they reached the door, more than a dozen guests suddenly rushed out! ¡°Demon woman, hand over your life!¡± They pulled out the swords hidden in their clothes and stabbed toward Princess Ni Yang with ferocious expressions! This change was too sudden. Before Princess Ni Yang could call for help, the assassin¡¯s sword was already in front of her. Fortunately, Yan Nanguan and Wei Liao reacted quickly. Yan Nanguan pulled Princess Ni Yang behind him. Wei Liao pulled out the dual des on his waist and blocked. The weapons collided with a crisp sound. Only then did the guests present react. They were immediately frightened out of their wits and screamed. The assassins¡¯ goal was very clear. They did not even look at the others. They only wanted to take Princess Ni Yang¡¯s life. Princess Ni Yang shouted, ¡°There¡¯s an assassin. Help!¡± In the end, after shouting for a long time, no guard came in. The assassins surrounded her, Wei Liao, and Yan Nanguan. One of the assassins sneered. ¡°Demon woman, the guards outside have long been transferred away. Even if you shout until your throat breaks today, no one will save you. Just die obediently!¡± With that, they swarmed forward. Each move was fatal, as they sought to kill Princess Ni Yang as quickly as possible. Wei Liao and Yan Nanguan were not pushovers. Even though they did not have an advantage in numbers, they still relied on their powerful martial arts to knock these assassins to the ground one by one. Seeing that their numbers were decreasing, the assassin in the lead finally panicked. He raised his foot and kicked over a nearby table. Cups, bowls, and tes fell to the ground, and broken porcin flew everywhere with a tter. This was the signal he had agreed with his aplices. If the assassination failed, they would overturn the table. When their aplices guarding outside heard the sound, they would immediately rush in with their men to support them. The next moment, the assassins saw a figure appear outside the door. Thinking that reinforcements had arrived, they were relieved only to realize that the people who walked in were Yu Niaoniao, Xiao Juan, and Cheng Qi, who had been grabbed by the cor and dragged along the ground. Behind them was arge group of Eagle Guards. The assassins were shocked. They were waiting for reinforcements. Why were these people here?! Yu Niaoniao walked in front. Her right hand was in an abnormally twisted posture. Her clothes and hair were a little messy. Her face was pale and she looked anxious. Xiao Juan was wearing a ck narrow-sleeved robe with a leather belt around his waist and deer boots. His ck hair was tied behind his head with a ck headband. His face, which was simr to Princess Ni Yang¡¯s, was expressionless, and his eyes were as cold as ice. Cheng Qi, who was being dragged by him, was the most miserable. His body was covered in injuries and his face was swollen. It was almost impossible to see his original appearance. Yu Niaoniao asked as soon as she entered, ¡°Your Highness, are you okay?¡± Princess Ni Yang asked, ¡°Niaoniao, are you okay?¡± They spoke almost at the same time. Realizing that they asked the same question, the two of them froze. Yan Nanguan eximed, ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re still alive!¡± Wei Liao had long known that Xiao Juan was faking his death, so he did not react much. His gaze lingered on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s dislocated wrist for a moment. He wanted to ask her how she had been injured, but in the end, he could not. The Eagle Guards swarmed forward and subdued the remaining assassins in a few moves. The crisis was averted. Xiao Juan threw Cheng Qi forward as if he was throwing a piece of trash. ¡°Mother, this is a birthday gift for you.¡± Cheng Qi rolled in front of Princess Ni Yang. He looked up with difficulty and was stunned to see that Princess Ni Yang was still safe and sound. Why was Princess Ni Yang still alive? Had his n failed? Then he saw the captured assassins. Those were the death warriors he had carefully nurtured. Every one of them was an expert, but now, more than half of them had fallen to the ground and fainted. The remaining half were also tied up tightly. It was obvious that their assassination had not seeded. Cheng Qi¡¯s heart immediately sank to the bottom. This was thest oue he wanted. Princess Ni Yang frowned at the person in front of her and said in disgust, ¡°What is this thing?¡± Xiao Juan said expressionlessly, ¡°Your Prince Consort.¡± Princess Ni Yang was amazed. Was this ugly thing actually Cheng Qi? Although there were a lot of issues with Cheng Qi, his face was wless. However, the person in front of him was bruised and battered, like a stray dog. The difference was too great. Even his wife could not recognize him. Princess Ni Yang despised Cheng Qi for being too ugly and quickly retracted her gaze to ask Xiao Juan. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Before Xiao Juan could speak, Cheng Qi shouted first, ¡°Princess, you have to help me! I just discovered Duke Lang¡¯s n to murder you, so he wanted to silence me. Look at the injuries on my body. They were all caused by him!¡± Yu Niaoniao was in disbelief. The bastard actuallyined first! She was furious. ¡°You were the one who wanted to murder the princess. You arranged for all these killers!¡± ¡°Niaoniao, don¡¯t even think about pinning the me on me. These killers were clearly arranged by Duke Lang.¡± At this point, Cheng Qi turned to look at the trussed assassins. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, Your Highness, you can ask them and see who¡¯s behind them.¡± Princess Ni Yang looked at the assassins. The assassins received a look from Cheng Qi. They were all death warriors trained by Cheng Qi. Cheng Qi¡¯s orders were more important than their lives. They immediately said, ¡°Duke Lang instructed us to assassinate Her Highness!¡± Yu Niaoniao was a little anxious. ¡°Your Highness, they¡¯re in cahoots with Cheng Qi. They¡¯re deliberately ndering Duke Lang. Don¡¯t believe them!¡± Cheng Qi knew that this was hisst hope of survival. He had to grasp it. Otherwise, what awaited him was a tragic death. He endured the pain all over his body and quickly retorted, ¡°I know that Duke Lang has always hated the princess. He has long wanted her to die!¡± ¡°In the past, he was young and did not have the ability to deal with the princess. Now that he was in charge of the Justice Department and had power, he wanted to return and take revenge.¡± ¡°He had arranged for these assassins, as well as the poison in the food and wine. Your Highness, you treated Xiao Juan so badly back then. How could he still treat you as his mother?¡± ¡°This person is ruthless and disregards his family.. Don¡¯t believe him!¡± Chapter 467 - 467: Clown Chapter 467: Clown Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao was very afraid that Princess Ni Yang would believe Cheng Qi¡¯s nder. Just as she was racking her brains to think of a way to clear Xiao Juan¡¯s name, she saw Princess Ni Yang walk to the table and casually pick up a ss of wine. She asked Cheng Qi, ¡°Did you say there was poison in these dishes?¡± Cheng Qi said yes without hesitation. Princess Ni Yang handed the wine ss to Xiao Juan and said with a faint smile. ¡°Since the Prince Consort said you poisoned the wine, take a sip and let me see. As long as you dare to drink, I¡¯ll believe you¡¯re innocent.¡¯ Yu Niaoniao¡¯s expression immediately changed. ¡°Your Highness, no!¡± Princess Ni Yang ignored the others and only looked at Xiao Juan. ¡°Are you going to drink it or not?¡± Seeing this, Cheng Qi was overjoyed. As long as Xiao Juan dared to drink that wine, he would definitely die. However, if Xiao Juan did not dare to drink it, it could prove that he had a guilty conscience. He would not be able to clear his name. No matter the oue, it was in Cheng Qi¡¯s favor. Everyone present looked at Princess Ni Yang and Duke Lang with rapt attention, waiting for the final oue. Yan Nanguan knelt down with a thud. ¡°I¡¯m willing to drink this cup of wine on behalf of His Highness!¡± Princess Ni Yang smiled gently and her tone was arrogant. ¡°Who do you think you are? What right do you have to rece Duke Lang?¡± Xiao Juan reached out to take the wine ss. In a moment of desperation, Yu Niaoniao could not care less and rushed forward to snatch the wine ss from Princess Ni Yang¡¯s hand. ¡°We¡¯re husband and wife. I¡¯ll drink for him!¡± With that, she brought the wine ss to her mouth. Before she could drink the wine ss, Xiao Juan pressed the back of her hand. Xiao Juan forcefully pulled the wine ss out of her hand. ¡°It¡¯s just a ss of wine. I¡¯ll drink it.¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t be rash. This wine is very likely poisonous!¡± Xiao Juan was very calm. ¡°You have to believe me.¡± Hearing this, Yu Niaoniao calmed down a little. From Xiao Juan¡¯s attitude, this ss of wine did not seem to be poisonous at all. She no longer stopped him and watched helplessly as Xiao Juan drank the wine. Everyone stared at Xiao Juan without blinking, wanting to see if the poison would act up on the spot. Cheng Qi¡¯s lips had already curled into a smug smile. He knew that a vicious woman like Princess Ni Yang would not even let her biological son off. She would definitely not believe Xiao Juan. In the end, he was right. Princess Ni Yang actually let her biological son test the poison. Hahaha! He wanted to see how Princess Ni Yang would clean up after Xiao Juan died from the poison! However, Cheng Qi waited for a long time and did not see Xiao Juan show any abnormality. He had been standing there looking perfectly fine. His posture was straight, and his exDression did not chance. He did not look D0isoned at all. The smile on Cheng Qi¡¯s face gradually disappeared. Immediately after, he saw Princess Ni Yang pick up another ss of wine and drink it in front of everyone. She swirled her empty ss and chuckled. ¡°Looks like there¡¯s no poison in this wine.¡± Cheng Qi was in disbelief. ¡°How is this possible? How can this be?¡± He had clearly asked someone to poison the food and wine! Why were Princess Ni Yang and Duke Lang fine after drinking?! Yu Niaoniao heaved a long sigh of relief. Fortunately, the wine was not poisonous. She was really frightened just now. She said angrily to Cheng Qi, ¡°Duke Lang has proven his innocence. What else do you have to say?¡± Cheng Qi hurriedly defended himself. ¡°I don¡¯t know why things turned out like this. Xiao Juan clearly poisoned the food and wine. He said it himself. I heard it with my own ears. It can¡¯t be fake!¡± Princess Ni Yang turned around and ced the empty wine ss back on the table. Cheng Qi crawled to her feet on all fours, grabbed the hem of her skirt, and begged, ¡°Princess, you have to believe me! I swear I¡¯m not lying to you¡­¡± He broke off. Princess Ni Yang drew a sword from the waist of an Eagle Guard. The de was unsheathed and drew a sharp arc in the air before slitting Cheng Qi¡¯s throat. Blood sttered, dying the hem of Princess Ni Yang¡¯s dress red. Everyone present was shocked by this sudden scene. Some timid guests could not help but scream. Cheng Qi covered the wound on his neck and swayed to the ground. Blood kept seeping out between his fingers. His eyes widened as he red at Princess Ni Yang, his face filled with disbelief. ¡°W-why?¡± Princess Ni Yang casually threw the sword back to the Eagle Guards. She looked down at Cheng Qi with an arrogant gaze as if she was looking at a lowly ant. ¡°Do you really think I don¡¯t know all the things you did in private?¡± Cheng Qi was extremely stunned. She actually knew everything! No wonder she dared to let Xiao Juan drink that ss of wine in front of so many people. So she had known the truth behind the poison. What assassins? Poison? It was just a show she was helping to put up. However, he thought that his n was wless. Just now, he had tried his best to quibble for himself and put the me on Xiao Juan. In the end, he realized that he had be a clown in everyone¡¯s eyes. Despair and resentment overwhelmed him together, making Cheng Qi unable to hold it in anymore. He gritted his teeth and cursed while enduring the pain. ¡°The thing I regret most in my life is marrying a vicious woman like you. You couldn¡¯t have a child yourself. You even killed my son. The heavens are watching. Sooner orter, you¡¯ll suffer retribution!¡± Princess Ni Yang seemed very surprised and raised her thin eyebrows slightly. ¡°You mean the child who drowned in the vat? I almost forgot about the incident if you didn¡¯t mention it. Don¡¯t tell me you hate me for it?¡± Cheng Qi could no longer speak, but his expression was clearly saying¡ª Of course! The vengeance for killing his son was irreconcble! ¡°Have you thought of a question?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve raised so many women outside over the years. Why aren¡¯t those women pregnant?¡± ¡°Only that woman gave you a son?¡± She Imew that Cheng Qi could no longer speak, so she took the initiative to give an answer. ¡°Not long after we got married, I had someone drug your diet. That medicine is colorless and tasteless. It won¡¯t harm your body. Its only use is to make you infertile. ¡± Everyone present was stunned. Since Cheng Qi was infertile, it was impossible for him to have children. In other words, the son born to that mistress was actually not Cheng Qi¡¯s flesh and blood. Cheng Qi had actually been cuckolded! What was even more ridiculous was that he did not notice that he had been cuckolded at all. He even thought that the dead child was his own flesh and blood. For this, he did not hesitate to endure humiliation and plot to murder Princess Ni Yang to avenge his son. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao was already overwhelmed by the gossip. First, Princess Ni Yang drew her sword and killed her husband. Then the Prince Consort took revenge, and finally, the Prince Consort was cuckolded. The plot reversed so quickly that she could not keep up.. Chapter 468 - 468: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole Behind Chapter 468: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole Behind Trantor: As Studios???? Editor: As Studios Cheng Qi opened his mouth, wanting to say that it was impossible. This vicious woman was definitely lying to him. But there was a hole in his throat. More blood flowed. He could no longer speak. He could only pant heavily and re at Princess Ni Yang. Princess Ni Yang smiled ambiguously. ¡°I helped you get rid of the mistress who cheated on you and even helped you kill that little bastard. I was helping you. You should thank me. Why do you hate me?¡± Cheng Qi was furious. More blood flowed. After a moment, he stopped moving. He was lying in a pool of blood, covered in injuries. The blood on his neck was blurry. His eyes were wide, and his face was filled with hatred and unwillingness. The guests felt a chill in their hearts at this scene and wished they could escape immediately. The guests felt a chill in their hearts at this scene and wished they could escape immediately. However, without Princess Ni Yang saying anything, no one dared to move. They could only hold their breaths. Wei Liao went forward and checked Cheng Qi¡¯s breathing to confirm that he was dead. Princess Ni Yang said casually, ¡°Men are a bunch of ungrateful things.¡± She ordered someone to drag Cheng Qi¡¯s corpse down. Immediately, a servant walked in with a bucket and quickly rinsed the blood off the ground, andid a beautiful new carpet. The assassins were taken away by the Eagle Guards, and everything in the house returned to normal. It was as if everything that had just happened was an illusion. Princess Ni Yang slowly sat back on the main seat and smiled. ¡°Today is a good day. I¡¯m very happy that everyone hase from afar to celebrate my birthday. It¡¯s my fault for scaring everyone just now. I¡¯ll toast everyone as an apology.¡± With that, she picked up her ss and downed it. But the guests hesitated, afraid to move. Even though the scene had been cleaned up, the smell of blood still lingered in the air. It kept reminding everyone that it was here that Princess Ni Yang had personally killed her husband. Everyone was terrified, afraid that Princess Ni Yang would kill them if she was unhappy. Who was in the mood to drink and eat?! Princess Ni Yang put down her wine ss and looked around at everyone. The smile on her face faded a little. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you drinking? Are you not giving me respect?¡± The guests were shocked. Afraid that they would make Princess Ni Yang unhappy, they hurriedly sat back down, raised their sses, and drank all the wine in them. Seeing this scene, Princess Ni Yang smiled again. ¡°What happened today was really an ident. I originally didn¡¯t want to see blood on today¡¯s day, but it happened so suddenly that I had no choice. Please don¡¯t me me.¡± The guests said in unison, ¡°No, no.¡± Princess Ni Yang spun the ss in her hand. Her phoenix eyes flickered, and her red lips were charming. ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about. Please rx. As long as you¡¯re not stupid like the Prince Consort and behave yourselves, I won¡¯t do anything to you.¡± The guests hurriedly stood up and knelt down, fighting to show their loyalty to Princess Ni Yang. ¡°We swear to follow Your Highness to the death. We¡¯ll do whatever you want us to do. We won¡¯t say a word even if we have to climb mountains of des and seas of mes!¡± Princess Ni Yang¡¯s smile widened. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡¯ Seeing this scene, Yu Niaoniao suddenly remembered what Princess Ni Yang had once said about killing the chicken to warn the monkey. At this moment, everyone present should be monkeys. Cheng Qi, who had been killed in public just now, should be that chicken. The guests present were all famous figures in Liangzhou. As long as they could be controlled, the entire Liangzhou could be firmly kept in check by Princess Ni Yang. From the respectful and frightened reactions of the guests, Princess Ni Yang¡¯s goal of killing the chicken to scare the monkey had been achieved. From this result, it happened to verify that proverb¡ª The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. The sound of silk bamboo rose as the dancers danced again. The princess¡¯s residence was filled with song and dance. Xiao Juan went forward and said, ¡°Mother, Niaoniao¡¯s hand is injured. I have to bring her down to treat her injuries first.¡± Princess Ni Yang was in a good mood and naturally agreed readily. ¡°Go quickly. Tell me what medicinal herbs you need. The residence has them.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mother.¡± Xiao Juan brought Yu Niaoniao out. The sounds behind them gradually faded away. The two of them arrived at the bedroom. Then, Xiao Juan ordered someone to call Lo Pingsha over. Lo Pingsha helped Yu Niaoniao reattach her dislocated wrist and stabilize it with splints and gauze. ¡°For the next period of time, please try not to touch this hand. Don¡¯t let the bones dislocate again. This is the ointment for you. Apply it once every night. Also, take two pills every morning and night.¡± Xiao Juan took the ointment and medicine bottle. ¡°Thank you.¡± Lo Pingsha rarely heard Duke Lang¡¯s gratitude and could not help but feel ttered. ¡°These are my duties. You don¡¯t have to thank me, Your Highness.¡± He still had a lot to tell Duke Lang, but he noticed the atmosphere between Duke Lang and the Princess Consort. The two of them probably had private things to say to each other, so he tactfully chose to shut up and retreat silently. Xiao Juan poured out two pills and poured a ss of warm water before cing it in front of Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Take your medicine.¡± Yu Niaoniao took the pill from him and suddenly asked, ¡°When did you arrive at the princess¡¯s residence?¡± The moment she saw Xiao Juan, she wanted to ask this question, but because the situation was urgent, she could not find a chance to ask. She waited until she finally had the chance to ask the question. Xiao Juan lowered his eyes. ¡°A littleter than you.¡± After living with him for so long, Yu Niaoniao knew some of his habits very well. For example, every time he felt guilty, he would subconsciously avoid her gaze. Just like what he was doing at present. Yu Niaoniao said solemnly, ¡°Look me in the eye and speak.¡± Xiao Juan nced at her, but quickly looked away. Yu Niaoniao said firmly, ¡°You lied to me.¡± Xiao Juan did not say anything. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Tell me the truth. When did you arrive at the princess¡¯s residence?¡± After a while, she heard Xiao Juan speak again. ¡°I followed you to the princess¡¯s residence.¡± Yu Niaoniao was slightly stunned before she reacted. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve been following us all the way? Xiao Juan stopped talking again. Not saying anything was equivalent to a tacit agreement. Yu Niaoniao suddenly remembered what she had said to save Wei Liao¡¯s life. Could Xiao Juan have heard it? Also, did Xiao Juan see her pretending to have an affair with Wei Liao? The more she thought about it, the more flustered she became! Xiao Juan reminded her, ¡°The water is getting cold. Take your medicine.¡± Yu Niaoniao ate the pill in a daze. Seeing that Xiao Juan was about to leave, she quickly stopped him. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to help you find Chun Feng and Ye Yu.¡¯ Her clothes and hair were in a mess. He had to get Chun Feng and Ye Yu to help her change into clean clothes.. Chapter 469 - 469: Envy Chapter 469: Envy Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The Eagle Guards found Chun Feng and Ye Yu in a remote house that had been idle for a long time. Chun Feng¡¯s neck had been cut by a knife. Fortunately, the wound was not deep. After stopping the bleeding, she was fine. Seeing the two of them brought back safely, Yu Niaoniao heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Fortunately, you¡¯re all fine.¡± Chun Feng and Ye Yu hurriedly asked when they saw the Princess Consort¡¯s right hand wrapped in gauze. ¡°Is your hand injured?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked rxed. ¡°My wrist was dislocated. It¡¯s already reattached. I¡¯m fine.¡¯ With that, she shook her right arm. Chun Feng hurriedly advised, ¡°As the saying goes, it takes a hundred days to break a bone. You have to take good care of your hand. Don¡¯t move it.¡± Ye Yu nodded vigorously in agreement. Yu Niaoniao lowered her hand. ¡°I¡¯ve frightened you today. The monthly sry for this month has doubled. Consider itpensation for you. Especially Chun Feng. You¡¯re also injured. This should be considered a work injury.¡± She raised her uninjured hand, took a golden hairpin from her head, and ced it in Chun Feng¡¯s hand. ¡°This is for you. Whether you keep it for yourself or sell it for money, it¡¯s fine.¡± It was not that Yu Niaoniao was unwilling to give her money directly, but she did not have any money on her. All the money she had earned from selling the surroundings had been used to support the opera troupe. The only valuable things she could produce now were jewelry. Chun Feng held the heavy golden hairpin with both hands and hurriedly said, ¡°I can¡¯t ept such expensive jewelry!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°No matter how precious something is, it¡¯s not as important as your life. I told you to take it. Just take it.¡± Chun Feng gripped the golden hairpin tightly and kowtowed to her. ¡°Thank you, Princess Consort.¡± Chun Feng and Ye Yu were helping Yu Niaoniao change her clothes in the house. Xiao Juan stood alone under the porch and quietly looked at the strange flowers and nts in the courtyard. At this moment, Yan Nanguan walked over. He cupped his fists at Duke Lang. Xiao Juan turned slightly and his gazended on the other party. ¡°Is everything settled?¡± Yan Nanguan answered truthfully, ¡°Those assassins have been imprisoned. Lo Pingsha is interrogating them. I believe there will be a result soon.¡± Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°Where are Cheng Qi¡¯s servants?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all locked up too. They¡¯re awaiting interrogation.¡± Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°After interrogating, kill them all.¡± Yan Nanguan shivered. ¡°Yes!¡± Over the years, Cheng Qi bullied good people and snatched women. Those attendants were his aplices. Their hands were stained with a lot of blood, so they deserved to die. However, he was still puzzled. Duke Lang was not a bloodthirsty person. Why would he suddenly kill so many people? Xiao Juan naturally had a reason for doing this. Previously, when Cheng Qi had ill intentions toward Yu Niaoniao, several attendants had seen it. If they spread this matter, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s innocence would be gone. In any case, they were not good people. They might as well kill them to prevent future trouble. Yan Nanguan asked carefully. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have an ident at Xiann Temple previously? Why did you suddenly appear in the princess¡¯s residence? What happened between then and now? Please answer me, Your Highness.¡± Now that the matter hade to an end for the time being, there was no need to keep it a secret. Xiao Juan finished his experience during this period of time in a few words. Yan Nanguan came to a realization. That was the truth! He smiled. ¡°I was originally puzzled. Your Highness was talented and intelligent. Why did you suddenly encounter an ident?¡± ¡°So this was all Your Highness¡¯s n. Your Highness¡¯s move was really awe-inspiring!¡± ¡°Now that Cheng Qi had been executed, the soldiers and generals under him had been controlled. I think we¡¯ll be able to find that stolen silver soon and return to the court.¡± Xiao Juan was not that optimistic. ¡°Cheng Qi is dead, but that stolen money might not be found.¡± Yan Nanguan was puzzled. ¡°Why?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s expression was solemn and his tone was serious. ¡°I¡¯ve been secretly investigating Cheng Qi recently.¡± ¡°He was indeed the suspect who had written to the Assistant Minister of Wei in the Imperial Capital and threatened him to help hide the stolen money. That batch of stolen silver had indeed entered Liangzhou through him.¡± ¡°But strangely, the stolen silver had disappeared after leaving Xiann Temple. Even Cheng Qi did not know where the stolen silver had gone. He also sent people to secretly investigate the whereabouts of the stolen money, but there was never any result.¡± Yan Nanguan was shocked. ¡°How could such arge amount of silver disappear just like that?!¡± Xiao Juan ced his hands behind his back and said unhurriedly. ¡°I have a feeling that Cheng Qi might not be behind the stolen money case. This isn¡¯t over.¡± ¡°Looks like Duke Lang is thinking the same thing as me.¡± Xiao Juan and Yan Nanguan turned their heads at the same time and looked in the direction of the voice. They saw Wei Liao leaning against a stone pir not far away. Wei Liao crossed his arms over his chest. He looked as if he had no bones and waszy. Yan Nanguan frowned. ¡°Were you eavesdropping on us?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so ugly. I just happened to pass by and a gust of wind happened to blow into my ears.¡± Yan Nanguan was speechless. How could there be so much coincidence? This guy was clearly quibbling! As soon as Xiao Juan saw Wei Liao, he recalled what Yu Niaoniao had said a few days ago¡ª In front of so many people, she admitted that Wei Liao was very important to her. Could it be that Niaoniao had really fallen for Wei Liao? Thinking of this, Xiao Juan felt his heart ache. Jealousy grew like weeds, almost engulfing his rationality. Wei Liao had already walked up to Xiao Juan. He waved his hand in front of Xiao Juan. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Are you stupid?¡± Yan Nanguan was anxious to protect his master and said angrily, ¡°Be more respectful to His Highness!¡± Wei Liao withdrew his hand and chuckled. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m afraid of you.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°You also think Cheng Qi is not the mastermind behind the stolen money case?¡± Wei Liao replied frankly. ¡°That¡¯s right. Cheng Qi is the Prince Consort andes from a prestigious family. He¡¯s been living in luxury since he was young and doesn¡¯t have to worry about not having money to spend. He doesn¡¯t have to take the risk for that stolen silver.¡± Yan Nanguan retorted, ¡°That¡¯s tens of millions of silver. Who wouldn¡¯t be tempted by such arge sum of money? Besides, who would think that it¡¯s too little?¡± Wei Liao wagged his index finger. ¡°No, no, no. This is different. Stealing stolen silver was a capital crime. Cheng Qi would know this. If he dared to take the risk of losing his head to steal the stolen silver, he must have a strong purpose. ¡®So what¡¯s his motive?¡¯ Could it be that he stole tens of millions of taels of stolen silver for pleasure? Then the problem was that with his status, he could still live a rich life even without stealing stolen money. There¡¯s no need for him to take this risk.¡± Although Yan Nanguan disliked Wei Liao, he had to admit that Wei Liao¡¯s analysis made sense. There was indeed something fishy about Cheng Qi stealing the stolen silver.. Chapter 470 - 470: I’m Only Interested in You! Chapter 470: I¡¯m Only Interested in You! Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan said, ¡°But I did find clues about Cheng Qi stealing the silver.¡± Wei Liao spread his hands. ¡°So that¡¯s the problem! Why did he steal the silver? I think as long as we investigate this, we might know the truth behind the stolen silver case.¡± Yan Nanguan followed his words and racked his brain to figure out what the truth was. Xiao Juan suddenly said, ¡°You¡¯re not attending the birthday banquet in the front courtyard and specially came here to tell us this?¡± Wei Liaoughed. ¡°Haha, didn¡¯t I just say that? I just happened to pass by and wanted to talk to you. By the way, how¡¯s the Princess Consort? Is she seriously injured?¡± Even though he sounded rxed as if he was asking casually, Xiao Juan knew in his heart that his real motive foring here was for Niaoniao. Xiao Juan¡¯s gaze turned cold. ¡°Niaoniao is doing very well. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Both sides were smart people. Some things just had to be nipped in the bud. Wei Liao smiled again. ¡°Haha, I¡¯m d she¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll get going.¡± With that, he turned around and left. The moment he turned away, his smile disappeared. When Xiao Juan was not around, he could easily see Yu Niaoniao. However, now that Xiao Juan was back, it was difficult for him to even see Yu Niaoniao again. This made him very unhappy. Yan Nanguan looked at Wei Liao¡¯s departing figure and hesitated before speaking. ¡°Your Highness, Wei Liao and the Princess Consort have been quite close recently. There are already many rumors.¡± ¡°I naturally believe in the Princess Consort. She is devoted to you and can¡¯t have an affair with another man. But she is still subjected to withstand public opinion!¡± ¡°Moreover, Wei Liao is not a good person, to begin with. It would be bad if he had designs on the County Princess. You must be more careful. Don¡¯t let Wei Liao take advantage of you.¡± Xiao Juan was silent. If Niaoniao really did not like Wei Liao, he would naturally chase Wei Liao far away and not let him harass her. But what if Niaoniao liked Wei Liao? In that case, they were in love. What right did Xiao Juan have to break them up? The bedroom door was pulled open and Chun Feng and Ye Yu walked out. One of them was carrying the clothes the County Princess had changed out of, and the other was carrying a copper basin with washing water. The two of them bowed to Duke Lang. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Niaoniao?¡± Before Chun Feng could answer, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s voice came from the room. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± With that, she skipped out. Xiao Juan frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t run. You¡¯re still injured.¡± Yu Niaoniao said righteously, ¡°I injured my wrist, not my foot. What does it matter if I run a couple of steps?¡± Yan Nanguan cupped his fists at her. ¡°Greetings, Princess Consort.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately asked, ¡°How are those assassins? Have they confessed?¡± Yan Nanguan said, ¡°They¡¯re still being interrogated.¡± Yu Niaoniao said indignantly. ¡°It¡¯s fine if they attempted to assassinate Princess Ni Yang, but they actually want to frame Duke Lang. We have to teach them a lesson. Don¡¯t be soft-hearted when you interrogate them.¡± Seeing that she was still so concerned about Duke Lang, Yan Nanguan could not help but smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do.¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her uninjured hand and waved it twice. ¡°All of you, leave. I have something to talk to His Highness alone.¡± ¡°Aye. ¡± Yan Nanguan, Chun Feng, and Ye Yu had all left. Only Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao were left under the porch. Yu Niaoniao asked deliberately. ¡°The birthday banquet is being held in front. There are wine, meat, and beauties dancing there. Why don¡¯t you go there and y?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in those.¡± Yu Niaoniao leaned over and looked into his eyes. ¡°Then what are you interested in?¡± Xiao Juan did not answer and asked, ¡°What are you interested in now?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°There are many things, such as delicious food, interesting stories, beautiful scenery, beautiful dresses, sparkling jewelry, and the most popr rouge and powder¡­ I¡¯m very interested in all those!¡± Xiao Juan subconsciously blurted out, ¡°Are you interested in Wei Liao too?¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. Xiao Juan immediately corrected himself. ¡°Forget it, pretend I didn¡¯t ask.¡± Actually, the moment he said it, he regretted it. It was her freedom to like someone. If he interfered too much, he would only make Niaoniao unhappy. Xiao Juan turned around, wanting to leave. Yu Niaoniao quickly grabbed his sleeve and said quickly, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in Wei Liao.¡± Xiao Juan stopped in his tracks. Yu Niaoniao continued, ¡°To be precise, I¡¯m not interested in any man in this world except you. I¡¯m only interested in you!¡± Xiao Juan lowered his eyes. She was doing it again. She was weaving false dreams again. Seeing that he was silent, Yu Niaoniao knew that he did not believe her and hurriedly emphasized. ¡°I¡¯m serious. I¡¯m not lying to you!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°You¡¯re indeed not lying to me. I can help you find out the truth about the Feng family¡¯s destruction. I¡¯m useful to you, so you¡¯ll naturally be very interested in me.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him nkly, her fingers involuntarily loosening. Xiao Juan¡¯s sleeve fell. He walked away. In the end, Yu Niaoniao was still angry and shouted behind him. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one in this world who can help me. Wei Liao can also help me find out the truth, but why am I not interested in him? Why can¡¯t you think about this?¡± Xiao Juan said without looking back. ¡°Because you don¡¯t trust him.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Xiao Juan¡¯s back quickly disappeared around the corner. Originally, Yu Niaoniao wanted to exin it to Xiao Juan that she and Wei Liao were just putting on a show. She had no thoughts about Wei Liao at all, and Wei Liao treated her the same. They hated each other and would never have an affair in their lives. However, from Xiao Juan¡¯s reaction, no matter how she exined, he would not believe her. He had already decided that there was something ambiguous between her and Wei Liao. The more Yu Niaoniao thought about it, the angrier she became. She really wished she could pry open Xiao Juan¡¯s mind and see what he was thinking. After the birthday banquet, the news that Princess Ni Yang stabbed the Prince Consort to death quickly spread throughout Jinwu City. Themoners discussed this. ¡°Did you hear? Princess Ni Yang killed her consort!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t the Prince Consort want to murder her first? The Prince Consort hasmitted a capital crime.¡± ¡°Even so, he¡¯s still her Prince Consort. How can she kill her own Prince Consort with her own hands?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The Prince Consortmitted a crime and could have been handed over to the Imperial Court. The Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple are not to be trifled with. How can a princess like her kill someone herself? Moreover, she killed her own Prince Consort!¡± ¡°It¡¯s said that a day as husband and wife is a hundred days of kindness. How could she bear to do it? She¡¯s really cold-blooded!¡± As the rumors spread, Princess Ni Yang¡¯s image in the hearts of themoners became more and more terrifying. Now, as long as everyone talked about her, they would look afraid. As the person involved, Princess Ni Yang did not care at all. She even had the time to gossip with Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Now that Juan is back, what about your Young Master Wei?¡± Chapter 471 - 471: Art Mirroring Life Chapter 471: Art Mirroring Life Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Seeing Yu Niaoniao¡¯s embarrassed expression, Princess Ni Yang smiled. ¡°I know your troubles. You can¡¯t bear to part with Wei Liao, but you can¡¯t let go of Ah Juan. You¡¯re in a dilemma and don¡¯t know how to choose, right? This question is actually very simple. Since you can¡¯t make a choice, don¡¯t make one. You¡¯ll take both.¡± Yu Niaoniao was shocked by her words. Could this really happen? ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea.¡± Princess Ni Yang raised her eyebrows and said disapprovingly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong witn that( Can it be that men are allowed to nave three wives and tour concubines, but women are not allowed to raise a few more men?¡± ¡°Ordinary women would be restrained by three or four virtues, but you probably wouldn¡¯t. You¡¯re a woman who can draw The Record of Phoenix Cry Nation. Your thoughts shouldn¡¯t be so narrow.¡± Yu Niaoniao exined with difficulty, ¡°I don¡¯t think women should be born inferior to men. The so-called three rules of subordination and four virtues are just shackles to restrain women. If Duke Lang has let me down, I can abandon him, but he hasn¡¯t done anything wrong to me. How can I let him down?¡± Princess Ni Yang smiled. ¡°You¡¯re still too naive, but it doesn¡¯t matter. Since you¡¯re worried about An Juan, continue to be the Princess Consort of Lang County in peace. I¡¯ll help you deal with Wei Liao. I promise I won¡¯t let him affect your rtionship as husband and wife.¡± Yu Niaoniao was shocked. After spending the past few days together, she had a rough understanding of Princess Ni Yangs character. When Princess Ni Yang said that she would deal with him, she really wanted to deal with himpletely and make him disappear from this world. Yu Niaoniao was indeed troubled by the scandal between her and Wei Liao. She wanted to exin this matter as soon as possible so that Xiao Juan would not continue to misunderstand. But she didn¡¯t want Wei Liao to die because of this! After all, it was a life, and Wei Liao had helped her. She couldn¡¯t push him into the fire. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. There¡¯s no need.¡± Princess Ni Yang smiled mischievously. ¡°You still can¡¯t bear to part with Wei Liao, right? Look at you. You clearly want both of them, but you still insist on saying no. Why?¡± Yu Niaoniao was extremely embarrassed. This matter was already getting worse. There was no way to exin it. She made up her mind and braced herself. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t like Wei Liao.¡± Princess Ni Yang narrowed her eyes slightly, her tone revealing a hint of danger. ¡°Then you told me before that Wei Liao is very important to you. Are you lying to me?¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly shook her head. ¡°No! How would I dare to lie to you?! Wei Liao was indeed very important to me, but the truth was not what you thought.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something you might not know. Duke Lang is sick. Although he looks no different from a normal person on the surface, his illness would re up once he is agitated and he would be especially crazy.¡± ¡°We sought out many physicians who said there was no cure.¡± ¡°This was until a divine doctor suddenly appeared and gave Duke Lang a prescription. He said that it could cure Duke Lang¡¯s illness, but this prescription needs a medicinal catalyst in the form of human blood. Moreover, it has to be the fresh blood of a person with a Yin fate.¡± ¡°Wei Liao¡¯s fate happened to be Yin. He is the medicinal catalyst I found for Duke Lang.¡± After she finished these words in one breath, her heart was still beating like a drum. She did not know if these lies could fool Princess Ni Yang. Princess Ni Yang frowned slightly, as if in deep thought. After a moment, she said, ¡°Why does this plot sound familiar? Isn¡¯t this the story between the little mute and the princess in The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation?¡± Yu Niaoniao said guiltily, ¡°Yes, as the saying goes, art originates from life. My creative inspiration is drawn from life.¡± ¡°I see! I knew it. I was wondering why the little mute in the book looks so simr to Wei Liao. At first, I thought you liked him, so you drew him in the book. Now, it seems that I was wrong.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled awlwardly. ¡°Wei Liao has to live. Otherwise, Duke Lang¡¯s illness will be out of control. I hope Your Highness can help me keep this secret from outsiders.¡± Especially not Wei Liao. If this guy knew that he had be someone else¡¯s medicinal primer, he would immediately overturn the roof of the princess¡¯s residence. Princess Ni Yang smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I understand.¡± Yu Niaoniao secretly heaved a sigh of relief. She had finally fooled Princess Ni Yang this round. Since Princess Ni Yang knew that she did not like Wei Liao, she would probably not matchmake her with him in the future. This way, she could save a lot of trouble. Princess Ni Yang asked expectantly. ¡°There should be a third book, right? When do you n to start writing? Do you need me to provide you with creative material?¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. ¡®What creative material?¡± ¡°There are so many gigolos in the residence that you can choose at will. Take away whoever you like. Whether it¡¯s cutting out the heart, lungs, or eyeballs, it¡¯s up to you. They¡¯re your material.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s scalp went numb. ¡°No, no need. I don¡¯t have the inspiration to create a third installment yet. I¡¯ll look for you when I need it.¡± Back then, she had indeed written The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation with the goal of torturing people to death, but she had not really wanted to kill anyone because of this. What did Princess Ni Yang mean by digging out the heart, lungs, and eyes? Just the thought of that scene was terrifying. Princess Ni Yang was a little disappointed. ¡°How can there be no inspiration? I¡¯m still waiting to see the third book.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled awkwardly. ¡°That¡¯s how creation is. It¡¯s a test of inspiration. As long as inspirationes, I could draw the entire book in an instant. But without inspiration, every stroke is torture.¡± ¡°Moreover, my hand is still injured. The doctor said that it would take a hundred days to recover. It¡¯s impossible for me to paint this hand again without recuperating for two or three months.¡± With that, she pointed at her right wrist, which was wrapped in gauze, indicating that she was telling the truth. Princess Ni Yang sighed helplessly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± She looked around. ¡°Why don¡¯t I see Juan? Where did he go?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°He went out early in the morning. He must have something to do.¡± Princess Ni Yang was very dissatisfied. ¡°You¡¯re injured, but he¡¯s not at home with you. He¡¯s too insensible. When hees back, I¡¯ll teach him a lesson for you!¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t. Business is more important. I understand.¡± Princess Ni Yang chuckled. ¡°You just can¡¯t bear to part with him.¡± Yu Niaoniao lowered her head with a shy expression. Princess Ni Yang said, ¡°It¡¯s quite boring for you to stay in the house all the time. Why don¡¯t I take you out to y? I know a very interesting ce.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked up and asked curiously. ¡°What ce?¡± Princess Ni Yang deliberately kept her in suspense. ¡°You¡¯ll know when the timees..¡± Chapter 472 - 472: Joy Seeking Pavilion Chapter 472: Joy Seeking Pavilion Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Princess Ni Yang first brought Yu Niaoniao to the backyard. ¡°You¡¯ve been here for a few days, but I haven¡¯t introduced you to Rouge.¡± Princess Ni Yang pointed at the tiger locked in therge iron cage and smiled. ¡°This tiger is Rouge. I¡¯ve had it for three years. It¡¯s a very cute little thing.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at the man-sized tiger in front of her and could not help but tense up. Her heart was pounding. How was this thing cute? If it opened its mouth, it could swallow her in one bite. Scary was more like it! The big tiger slowly walked out of the iron cage. He had a metal ring around his neck. There was still blood around his mouth. He must have just finished eating. As Princess Ni Yang reached out and stroked the big tiger¡¯s head, her eyes were filled with love. ¡°Rouge hasn¡¯t gone out to y for a long time. Let¡¯s bring it out for some air today.¡± Yu Niaoniao was very afraid that the big tiger would turn around and bite off Princess Ni Yangs slender hand. Fortunately, the big tiger only nced at Princess Ni Yang and did not do anything else. Princess Ni Yang ordered someone to get a chain and buckled it to the metal ring around the tiger¡¯s neck. When the princess¡¯s carriage appeared on the street, themoners were frightened by the big tiger and scrambled away. The shops on the street also closed their doors and windows. Soon the street was empty. The big tiger walked forward step by step. The metal rings and chains around his neck clinked from time to time. Yu Niaoniao and Princess Ni Yang sat in the carriage. They could see through the carriage window. In the eyes of thosemoners, Princess Ni Yang in the carriage was no different from that big tiger. They were both terrifying monsters who ate people without spitting out their bones. If it were an ordinary person facing such a situation, they would definitely be unhappy. However, the corners of Princess Ni Yang¡¯s mouth curled up. She kept a smile on her face and looked like she was in a good mood. She seemed to enjoy being feared by everyone. The carriage finally stopped in front of a dazzling three-story building. Yu Niaoniao followed Princess Ni Yang out of the carriage. She looked up and saw the words Joy Seeking Pavilion written on the sect in the small building. Such a simple and clear name made Yu Niaoniao hesitate. ¡°What is this ce?¡± The conflict between her and Xiao Juan had yet to be resolved. If Xiao Juan found out that she had gone out to have fun, it would make the situation even moreplicated. Princess Ni Yang said slowly, ¡°In the past, it was always the men who went out to have fun. Women could only do housework at home and wait for them toe home obediently. I got someone to build this brothel. This ce only receives female guests. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll bring you in to broaden your horizons.¡± With that, she walked up the steps. After taking two steps, she realized that Yu Niaoniao was not following her. She turned back to Yu Niaoniao and asked. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Come here quickly.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we forget it? My hand is still injured. The doctor said that I have to recuperate. I¡¯d better go home.¡± Princess Ni Yang said angrily, ¡°Look at you! Isn¡¯t it just for fun? Those men spend all their time phndering outside and never think there¡¯s anything wrong with their actions. What are you afraid of? Come in with me!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. I just don¡¯t think this is good¡­¡± Princess Ni Yang did not waste her breath on her. She got someone to lift her up and forcefully brought her into the Joy Seeking Pavilion. Unlike what Yu Niaoniao had imagined, the interior of the Joy Seeking Pavilion was very elegant. There were no jarring scenes. There was a song and dance performance on the stage. Female guests sat below the stage and watched. Among them were old women and youngdies who had yet to be married. From the way they were chatting andughing in groups, they muste here often to y. When Princess Ni Yang saw Yu Niaoniao looking at the female guests, she immediately guessed what she was thinking. ¡°Do you think the guests here are all looking for men? Then you¡¯re too narrow-minded. Many female guestse here just to find a ce to chat and drink with their friends and rx.¡¯ Yu Niaoniao said sincerely, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Princess Ni Yang¡¯s expression became ambiguous. ¡°Of course, if you want to find a man to apany you, this ce can provide corresponding services. I¡¯ll take you to the private room upstairs. There are many men there. You can choose.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly waved her hand in refusal. ¡°No need!¡± Princess Ni Yang smiled. ¡°Heh, I knew you wouldn¡¯t dare. Forget it, you can¡¯t force such a thing. I¡¯ll take you downstairs to take a look.¡± Yu Niaoniao subconsciously looked at the floor under her feet. ¡°There¡¯s a basement here?¡± ¡°The best things are hidden underground.¡± After saying this, Princess Ni Yang led Yu Niaoniao forward. They crossed the lobby and entered the atrium. The other end of the atrium was connected to the backyard. Yu Niaoniao noticed that people entered the atrium from the backyard. There were men and women among them. From their attire, they should be from rich families. When they saw that Princess Ni Yang was also there, they hurriedly bowed. Princess Ni Yang walked past them without looking at them. She led Yu Niaoniao through the hanging flower door and into a small courtyard. There were people guarding the courtyard. When they saw Princess Ni Yang arrive, they immediately opened the door behind them and said respectfully. ¡°Your Highness, pleasee in.¡± Yu Niaoniao followed Princess Ni Yang into the house. There was a tunnel inside the house. They went down the stairs and into the tunnel. Although the tunnel was dim, there were people carryingnterns in front and behind, so it was not in the way. Yu Niaoniao could not help but ask softly. ¡°Your Highness, didn¡¯t you say that this ce only receives female guests?¡± She had seen a man enter here just now. Princess Ni Yang replied casually, ¡°The Joy Seeking Pavilion does only receive female guests, but this is underground and no longer belongs to the Joy Seeking Pavilion. Regardless of their gender, as long as they can afford it, they cane here to y.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not understand. What was so fun abouting to such an airtight basement? When they reached the end of the tunnel and pushed open the door in front of them, a huge colosseum appeared in front of them. In the circr colosseum, two beasts were tearing at each other. The guests in the stands were shouting desperately. The noise and the smell of blood assaulted her, causing her to stop involuntarily. It turned out that their so-called y was to watch the beast fight performance. Princess Ni Yang sensed that she had stopped again and said helplessly, ¡°Hurry up and leave. There¡¯s a very exciting performanceing up. Don¡¯t miss it.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not dare to look at the two ferocious beasts fighting. She followed Princess Ni Yang into the stands and sat in the best seat exclusive to Princess Ni Yang. After the battle between the two ferocious beasts ended, someone entered the venue and dragged the corpses of the ferocious beasts away. They simply cleaned up the scene. Then, a big tiger walked in. Yu Niaoniao recognized it at a nce. It was Rouge. The metal ring and chain around its neck had been untied. When the audience in the stands saw it appear, they immediately erupted in cheers of understanding. It was obvious that it was very popr with these people. Immediately after, more than a dozen shackled people were pushed into the Bestial Battle Arena. What was about to happen was a battle between a ferocious beast and humans.. Chapter 473 - 473: Beast Fight Chapter 473: Beast Fight Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios When the dozen or so people were pushed into the colosseum, the audience in the stands fell silent. They hade here for the beast fight performance. They did not expect a battle between a beast and humans to suddenly happen. A guard helped the dozen or so people remove the shackles around their necks. They had been given freedom after a long time, but they could not be happy. Because the big and strong tiger was watching them not far away. They looked up and found Princess Ni Yang among the many onlookers. They hurriedly ran to the edge of the Bestial Battle Arena and knelt down and kowtowed to Princess Ni Yang in the stands, begging, ¡°Your Highness, please spare us! We know our mistake. We won¡¯t dare to do it again!¡± Only then did the onlookers notice that Princess Ni Yang had actuallye. The already silent atmosphere became even quieter. Yu Niaoniao could not help but ask, ¡°Your Highness, what are you doing?¡± Princess Ni Yang looked down at those people and said slowly. ¡°These people were originally servants of the princess¡¯s residence. They should have obeyed me. However, they epted Cheng Qi¡¯s bribe and actually tried to poison the food and wine to harm me. How can I let such traitors off easily?¡± Yu Niaoniao came to a realization. After the birthday banquet ended, the princess¡¯s residence was cleaned up by Princess Ni Yang. Those people who had been bribed by Cheng Qi were all exposed. Initially, Yu Niaoniao thought that those people would be killed by Princess Ni Yang as an example. Unexpectedly, Princess Ni Yang actually brought them into the Bestial Battle Arena. It seemed that she didn¡¯t just want those people to die. She wanted them to die slowly in extreme pain and fear. In the end, they would die in an iplete state. Princess Ni Yang noticed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s expression and smiled. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m cruel?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not answer. Princess Ni Yang said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we make a bet? If they survive this duel, I¡¯ll let them live.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Do you think they can survive?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t they survive? If Ah Juan could survive at such a young age back then, why can¡¯t so many adults? They can¡¯t be worse than a child, right?¡± It would have been fine if Princess Ni Yang did not say this, but once she did, Yu Niaoniao felt even worse. The reason why the Bestial Battle Arena repulsed her was that this ce reminded her of Xiao Juan¡¯s encounter when he was young. He had also been forced to duel with beasts. He had also struggled desperately on the line between life and death. Yu Niaoniao could not help but speak, ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why did you treat Duke Lang like that?¡± Princess Ni Yang was puzzled. ¡°What did I do to him? Didn¡¯t I just throw him into a cage and let him y with a tiger for a while?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at her in disbelief. ¡°You think that¡¯s ying? That¡¯ll kill him! ¡± Princess Ni Yang said, ¡°That tiger wasn¡¯t even an adult yet. It might not be able to bite him to death. Alright, let¡¯s not talk about this. The performance is about to begin. Let¡¯s watch the performance.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the tiger in the colosseum began to move. It charged at the men, moving extremely fast. The men were unarmed and could only run as fast as they could. Probably out of instinct for survival, they ran as fast as they had ever run in their lives. They were actually able to keep a distance from the tiger. They ran around the Bestial Battle Arena without being able to let the tiger catch up. Princess Ni Yang chuckled when she saw this. ¡°You can¡¯t just think about escaping. I didn¡¯t sit here just to watch such a boring game of cat and mouse.¡± She nced at the female official beside her and instructed calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t let them run away again.¡± ¡°Aye. ¡± The official passed on Princess Ni Yang¡¯s order. Then, a guard from the princess¡¯s residence raised his bow and aimed at the people running for their lives. He shot an arrow and hit one of them in the calf. The man screamed and fell to the ground. Before he could get up, the tiger had spread itself over him and snapped his neck in one bite. In an instant, blood sttered. The audience in the stands cried out in horror. Some timid women covered their eyes and cried softly. They liked to watch beast-fighting performances, but this did not mean that they could ept the scene of a living person being bitten to death by a beast. After all, they were humans themselves. They would have empathy for their kind. After the tiger bit that Derson to death. it ate his corose on the SD0t. The sound of sharp teeth snapping bones and flesh being chewed made the scalps of the audience in the stands tingle and their backs break out in cold sweat. Usually, when they saw the big tiger bite other ferocious beasts to death, they would cheer it on and think that it was especially impressive. However, now that they saw it eat a human thigh in two or three bites, the audience did not even dare to breathe loudly, afraid that this ferocious tiger would rush to the stands and bite them to death. After eating that person, the tiger continued its unfinished hunt. The guards of the princess¡¯s residence raised their bows and stared around the arena. If anyone dared to escape again, they would shoot at that person. Those people could not escape, so they could only risk their lives to fight the tiger. However, they were unarmed and had never practiced martial arts. How could they be a match for that big tiger? Next was the tiger¡¯s one-sided torture of that group of people. Screams and cries kepting from the colosseum, mixed with the sound of a tiger biting off bones. The smell of blood became stronger. Yu Niaoniao felt her stomach churn and wanted to vomit. She didn¡¯t dare look anymore. She turned her head away. The dozen or so people were quickly bitten to death by the tiger. The ground in the arena was already red with blood, and the remains of some broken fingers that had not been eaten clean were scattered everywhere. Princess Ni Yang smiled gently. ¡°Niaoniao, looks like you lost the bet. They didn¡¯t survive.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face turned pale. She did not want to say a word. Seeing that she did not look good, Princess Ni Yang said considerately, ¡°You don¡¯t look well. Let¡¯s go back.¡± The female official walked forward and helped Yu Niaoniao stand up. The audience was silent. They looked at Princess Ni Yang with fear. After today¡¯s incident, their fear of Princess Ni Yang would increase. They walked out of the Joy Seeking Pavilion. The guard followed with the tiger. The tiger¡¯s face and body were stained with blood. There was still wet blood dripping from his mouth. Princess Ni Yang was clearly very satisfied with its performance today. She personally took out a silk handkerchief and wiped the blood on its face. ¡°Rouge is so obedient.¡± Tiger, who was full, was in a good mood. He stood still and let the woman wipe his face. At first nce, the scene seemed quite warm. However, as long as Yu Niaoniao thought of the tiger devouring people just now, she felt very ufortable. That feeling of nausea surged up again, making her feel extremely sick.. Chapter 474 - 474: Nightmare Chapter 474: Nightmare Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After a night of interrogation, the assassins confessed. They did not know where the stolen silver had gone, nor did they know why Cheng Qi had swallowed thatrge sum of dirty silver. But they mentioned something¡ª Cheng Qi had a good rtionship with the Liangzhou City Guard Captain, Yuan Gui. The two of them often went to drink together. The information about Yang Gui was quickly handed to Xiao Juan. Young Gui, the County Governor of Liangzhou, and Princess Ni Yang were the three forces in Liangzhou. The city guard captain was in charge of the military, and the county governor of Liangzhou was in charge of politics and livelihood. Princess Ni Yang seemed to not care about anything, but because of her noble status, be it the City Guard Captain or the County Governor of Liangzhou, they had to treat her carefully. All these years, the three parties had restrained each other and got along quite harmoniously. The City Guard Captain, Yuan Gui, looked like an uncouth person. He was burly and liked wine and beauties. In this aspect, he was quite simr to Cheng Qi. However, someone who could sit firmly in the position of City Guard Captain and handle the three factions with ease was definitely not a simple uncouth person. Xiao Juan personally went to themandant¡¯s residence, nning to get something out of Yuan Gui. When he arrived at themandant¡¯s residence, he realized that Wei Liao was also there. Wei Liao smiled harmlessly. ¡°Is Duke Lang also here to drink with Lieutenant Yuan?¡± Xiao Juan looked at him expressionlessly. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°I heard that Captain Yuan has been cooping himself up in his house for a long time, so I specially came to ask him for two sses of wine to try.¡± Yuan Gui pped andughed heartily. ¡°Haha, I don¡¯t have much else at home, but I hoard a lot of wine. It¡¯s rare for the two nobles toe Imocking. We must drink lintil we¡¯re drunk!¡± Xiao Juan knew in his heart that Wei Liao had deliberately followed him to monitor him. Due to Yuan Gui¡¯s presence, Xiao Juan could not say much and could only agree. ¡°Since you¡¯re so kind, I¡¯ll ept it respectfully.¡± Yuan Gui ordered someone to bring over a fewrge wine jars and arge table of dishes. The three of them sat around the table and drank. Xiao Juan and Wei Liao both wanted to get Yuan Gui drunk. The two of them kept finding reasons for Yuan Gui to drink, drinking ss after ss. Soon, Yuan Gui was drunk. Wei Liao wanted to take the opportunity to ask about the rtionship between Yuan Gui and Cheng Qi. Unexpectedly, halfway through his question, Yuan Gui closed his eyes and fell asleep on the table. Seeing this, Wei Liao could not help but curse. Xiao Juan looked calm. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go.¡± He put down his ss and stood up, walking out. Wei Liao immediately followed. ¡°Are we really going to let it go?¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°What else do you want?¡± Wei Liao choked. Yuan Gui was a third-grade city guard captain. He had military power and was a true local bully. Even if Xiao Juan and Wei Liao were high-ranking officials from the Imperial Capital, they could not do anything to Yuan Gui before they were fully confident. Fortunately, Xiao Juan had already expected this oue and was not too disappointed. Yuan Gui was a meticulous person. He would definitely be wary of the two strangers who suddenly came looking for him. It was not so easy to get information from him. He must have deliberately fallen asleep so smoothly just now. Xiao Juan walked out of the door of themandant¡¯s residence and mounted his horse. He looked back at Wei Liao and asked. ¡°And tell me, how did you find this ce?¡± Wei Liao chuckled. ¡°Whatever your Eagle Guards can find out, our Sky Wolf Guards can find out too.¡± Xiao Juan did not say anything else and rode away. On the way, he happened to pass by a fruit stall. He saw that the grapes on the stall were plump and had water droplets on their surface. They looked crystal clear and very beautiful. He couldn¡¯t help but think of Niaoniao. She had said that she liked good food. Presumably, she would like the grapes. Xiao Juan dismounted and bought two bunches of grapes. He carefully ced the grapes in his cloth bag. When he returned, he deliberately slowed down to avoid crushing the grapes with the vigorous actions of the horse. After returning to the princess¡¯s residence, Xiao Juan carried the grapes to look for Niaoniao and happened to encounter Chun Feng at the door of the bedroom. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Is Niaoniao in the house?¡± Chun Feng was worried about not being able to share what happened to Yu Niaoniao with anyone. When she saw Duke Lang arrive, she immediately poured out all the words she had been holding in. ¡°The Princess Consort went out with Her Highness this morning. After returning, the Princess Consort¡¯s face turned pale and she looked very ufortable.¡± ¡°I wanted the physician to take a look at the Princess Consort, but the Princess Consort said that she was fine and just needed to rest.¡± ¡°After that, the Princess Consort stayed in the room to rest and did not even eat much for lunch. She said she had no appetite and could not eat.¡± ¡°Your Highness, you have to persuade the Princess Consort to eat something. Don¡¯t let her starve.¡± Xiao Juan frowned. ¡°I understand. You¡¯re dismissed.¡± ¡°Aye.¡± Xiao Juan pushed open the door and walked into the bedroom. He saw Yu Niaoniao sleeping on the bed. She seemed to be having a nightmare. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her face was pale. She gripped the nket tightly with both hands and nodded vaguely from time to time. ¡°No¡­ don¡¯t¡­ Xiao Juan ced the grapes on the table and slowly walked to the bed. He reached out and touched her forehead. Fortunately, there was no fever. But there was a lot of cold sweat on her forehead, and her hair was soaked. Xiao Juan got up to wring the wet handkerchief and help her wipe the sweat off her face. Yu Niaoniao suddenly opened her eyes and woke up from her nightmare! Xiao Juan stopped wiping her sweat. Seeing her terrified expression, Xiao Juan could not help but soften his voice and coax her softly. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. It was all just a dream.¡± It took Yu Niaoniao a while to recover from the fear of the nightmare. She ced her hands on the bed frame and slowly sat up. ¡°When did you get back?¡± Xiao Juan picked up a soft pillow and ced it behind her. He replied, ¡°I just returned. Did you have a nightmare just now?¡± Yu Niaoniao recalled the scene in her dream and hurriedly grabbed Xiao Juan¡¯s hand. Xiao Juan wanted to pull his hand back, but he heard her say. ¡°I saw you in a dream.¡± Xiao Juan paused. ¡°A dream about me?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded vigorously and said anxiously. ¡°I dreamed that you were locked in arge iron cage and fighting a big tiger. The tiger bit you until you were covered in wounds. You were about to die¡­¡¯ The more she spoke, the more ufortable she felt. In the end, she couldn¡¯t help but whimper. Tears rolled down her face. ¡°Boohoo, I¡¯m so scared! I wanted to save you, but I couldn¡¯t get into the cage. I couldn¡¯t help you!¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s heart ached from her crying. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m right here. Look at me. I¡¯m fine. The dream was all fake. There is no big tiger. Don¡¯t take it seriously.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him with tears in her eyes and choked. ¡°But I saw the big tiger today. That tiger even ate many people.¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t win back then, wouldn¡¯t it be impossible for me to know you?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s expression immediately changed drastically, and his voice contained shock and anger. ¡°Did that woman take you to the Bestial Battle Arena?!¡± Chapter 475 - 475: Heartache Chapter 475: Heartache Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Previously, Xiao Juan had heard that Niaoniao had gone out with Princess Ni Yang. After returning, Niaoniao had be very strange. Initially, he thought that Princess Ni Yang had bullied Niaoniao. Now, he knew that it was because Niaoniao had been brought to the Bestial Battle Arena. Xiao Juan knew very well what kind of ce the Bestial Battle Arena was. Niaoniao must have been frightened to be like this. Xiao Juan hated Princess Ni Yang. It was fine if she abused him, but she didn¡¯t even let Niaoniao off. This was something Xiao Juan could not tolerate. He tried to slow his voice and coaxed gently, ¡°It¡¯s okay. With me here, that tiger can¡¯t hurt you.¡± Yu Niaoniao cried. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of that tiger. My heart aches for you.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s heart softened. He couldn¡¯t help but reach out to wipe her tears. His fingers stopped just before they touched her cheek. Xiao Juan silently told himself that he could not be tempted again. He could not be fooled again. He was about to retract his hand when Yu Niaoniao took it first. She took the initiative to lean her cheek against his palm and nuzzle it gently. Hot, wet tears wet his palms. He pursed his thin lips involuntarily and wanted to retreat, but his body seemed to have lost control and refused to move. Yu Niaoniao choked and said, ¡°What if I¡¯m also locked in arge iron cage one day and Princess Ni Yang forces me to fight a ferocious beast? What should I Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°No, I won¡¯t let that happen.¡± The pain he had experienced would never be experienced again. He would definitely protect her firmly behind him and not let her be hurt at all. However, Yu Niaoniao insisted on arguing with him, ¡°I¡¯m talking about what if. What if that dayes? If I¡¯m really unlucky and an ident happens, will you feel sad for me? Will you cry for me?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. He did not dare to think about how he would survive alone if Niaoniao was gone one day. Xiao Juan forcefully changed the topic. ¡°If Princess Ni Yang wants to harm you, you just have to remember one thing.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him with her red eyes. ¡°What?¡± ¡°No matter what she does to you, you can¡¯t give in.¡± Seeing the confusion on Niaoniao¡¯s face, Xiao Juan exined patiently, ¡°Eldest Princess Ni Yang has a strong desire to control. In her eyes, human lives are as worthless as grass.¡± ¡°So don¡¯t expect any sympathy from her.¡± ¡°Showing weakness and asking for help are tactics that do not work on her. She might even think that you are too boring and end your life early.¡± ¡°The more she wants to suppress you, the more you have to resist.¡± ¡°As long as you didn¡¯tpromise and give in, she would feel that you are an unfinished work that needs to be continued. You can take this opportunity to stall for time and fight for a chance to escape.¡± As he spoke, he looked dazed, as if he had recalled some bad memories. His brows slowly furrowed. Yu Niaoniao asked carefully, ¡°Is this how you endured as a child?¡± Xiao Juan replied softly, ¡°Yes.¡± When he was thrown into the iron cage, he had asked Princess Ni Yang for help, but she was indifferent. After knowing that asking for help was useless, he could only risk his life to fight the ferocious beasts. It was also at that time that Princess Ni Yang finally looked him in the eye. After the duel ended, she even asked the doctor to bandage his wound for the first time. Because of this, Xiao Juan could barely survive and live for a few more days. Otherwise, by the time the pce sent someone to Liangzhou, he would have been seriously injured and cold. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart ached even more. ¡°If there¡¯s a next life, I must meet you sooner so that I can protect you from others.¡± Xiao Juan looked down at her and could not suppress the increasingly strong emotions in his heart. His fingers gently brushed past the corners of her eyes and wiped away the hot tears. He did not dare hope for another life. He was satisfied as long as he could not be separated from Niaoniao in this life. Yu Niaoniao leaned over. ¡°Ah Juan.¡± This was the first time Xiao Juan had heard her call him that. His heart could not help but tremble. That soft voice with a little sob could kill him. Involuntarily, he lowered his head and followed his heart. He wanted to get close to her, hug her, and kiss her. Yu Niaoniao looked at him unblinkingly. There were still sparkling tears on her curly eyshes. She looked wet and her face was a little pale. There were still wet tears on her face. She grabbed Xiao Juan¡¯s clothes bit by bit. She was extremely nervous, and her heart was pounding. Knock knock knock! There was a sudden knock on the door. Xiao Juan suddenly came back to his senses and quickly sat up straight before retracting his hand. The distance between them widened. Yu Niaoniao could not help but call out again. ¡°Ah Juan.¡± Xiao Juan avoided her gaze and turned to look at the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± The sound of Chun Feng came through the door. ¡°The Princess Consort didn¡¯t eat much for lunch. I was worried that she would starve, so I specially prepared some food.¡± Xiao Juan stood up and walked over to open the door. He took the food box from Chun Feng. Chun Feng asked with concern. ¡°How¡¯s the Princess Consort now? Is she better?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°She¡¯s just too frightened. She¡¯s fine. Go make a pot of calming tea. ¡± ¡°Aye.¡± Chun Feng epted the order and left. Xiao Juan closed the door with one hand. He ced the food box on the table and said to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Come and eat something.¡± Yu Niaoniao shouted in her heart. She was so close! If Chun Feng hade a littleter, the two of them would have kissed! She refused to give up and stammered. ¡°I¡¯m weak. Can you carry me over?¡± Xian Tuan aglced her to wait Then, he took out a low table and ced it on the bed. Then, he took out the food from the food box and ced it neatly on the low table. ¡°Since you¡¯re weak, sit on the bed and eat. ¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. This man must have done it on purpose. He must have done it on purpose, right? She took a deep breath and continued to wheedle. ¡°My right hand is injured and I can¡¯t use any strength. I can¡¯t hold my chopsticks. Feed me.¡± Xiao Juan scooped a bowl of soup and ced it in front of her. ¡°Then have some soup first.¡± Yu Niaoniao held her right wrist, which was wrapped in gauze, and said pitifully, ¡°I can¡¯t carry the bowl. I can¡¯t carry the spoon.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her steadily. Yu Niaoniao looked back at him without guilt. She was indeed injured. She wasn¡¯t lying! The two of them looked at each other for a long time. In the end, Xiao Juan was defeated. He held a bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other and began to feed her soup. Yu Niaoniao opened her mouth and drank a mouthful of soup. In the end, she even smacked her lips. ¡°Aiyaya, why does this soup taste so sweet today?¡± Xiao Juan still did not say anything, but the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. After finishing the bowl of soup, Yu Niaoniao pretended toment. ¡°You¡¯ve served me well, Little Juan. I¡¯m very satisfied..¡± Chapter 476 - 476: Don’t Be Smooth Chapter 476: Don¡¯t Be Smooth Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan picked up his bowl and chopsticks and continued to feed her. Yu Niaoniao took a bite of the fish and immediately frowned. ¡°Why are there thorns in this fish?¡± Xiao Juan immediately lowered his head to look at the remaining fish in his bowl and used his chopsticks to pry open the fish to examine it carefully. He did not see any fish bones. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°The fish bones are too small to see. If you don¡¯t believe me, try a bite.¡± Xiao Juan did not suspect anything and picked up the fish to taste. There were indeed no fish bones. Yu Niaoniao asked him to try it again. He looked up at Yu Niaoniao and saw her sly smile. How could he not understand? He had been yed by her. Xiao Juan put down his bowl and chopsticks. ¡°You already have the strength to fool people. Looks like you don¡¯t need me to feed you anymore. Eat slowly.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t go! I won¡¯t tease you anymore.¡± Xiao Juan was not really leaving. Hearing her say this, he picked up his bowl and chopsticks and continued to feed her. With every bite of rice, Yu Niaoniao had to look at Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan was a little nervous but his expression did not change. ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re good-looking. As long as I look at you, my appetite will improve.¡± Xiao Juan was a little happy to be coaxed, but he still looked cold. ¡°Don¡¯t be glib.¡± Yu Niaoniao retorted, ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth.¡± Xiao Juan did not argue with her and silently fed her. After eating and drinking her fill, Yu Niaoniao leaned back and saidzily. ¡°This meal today is really delicious. It¡¯s better than anything I¡¯ve eaten before! Do you know why, Juan?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s heart trembled at her address. He lowered his eyes, picked up the low table as if nothing had happened, and turned to leave. Yu Niaoniao shouted behind his back, ¡°Because you fed me this meal today. I think it smells especially good!¡± Even as Xiao Juan warned himself not to believe her sweet words, he could not help but smile. He bumped into Chun Feng as he walked out of the door. Chun Feng was holding a teapot in her hand when she identally saw the smile on Duke Lang¡¯s lips. She could not help but stand rooted to the ground. She had been in the Duke¡¯s Mansion for so many years, but she had never seen him smile! She thought she was hallucinating and wanted to take a closer look, but the corners of Duke Lang¡¯s mouth had returned to normal, and the special effects on his face had disappeared. Chun Feng could not help but feel a little dazed. Could it be that she was really hallucinating just now? Seeing that she was standing still, Xiao Juan asked calmly. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Chun Feng came back to her senses and hurriedly lowered her head. ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver calming tea to the Princess Consort.¡± Xiao Juan replied indifferently, ¡°Yes, go in.¡± He turned aside and let Chun Feng into the house. Chun Feng heaved a sigh of relief when she saw the County Princess sitting on the bed. Her face was red again and she was humming a tune. She looked to be in good spirits. It seemed that the County Princess should be fine. ¡°Princess Consort, this is the calming tea that His Highness specially instructed me to cook for you.¡± Chun Feng poured tea as she spoke. She noticed two hangings of fresh grapes on the table and smiled. ¡°These are the grapes His Highness bought for you, right? They look so fresh. They must be very sweet. I¡¯ll wash them for you now.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded vigorously. ¡°Go, go.¡± After Chun Feng handed her the teacup, she took the grapes to the copper basin and washed them one by one with clear water. Yu Niaoniao held her teacup and sipped. Chun Feng said, ¡°Princess Consort, I have something to tell you.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Do you still remember Ling Hai and Ling Miao?¡± Chun Feng looked at the County Princess nod before continuing. ¡°The room where the siblings live is next to me and Ye Yu. I often take care of them. Previously, they had obediently stayed in the house and did not go out, but recently, for some reason, the two of them had often run out.¡± ¡°When I ask them what they were going to do, they hemmed and hawed, as if they were hiding something.¡± Do you want to call the siblings over to ask?¡± Yu Niaoniao put down her teacup. ¡°Coincidentally, I¡¯m free. I¡¯ll just look for them.¡± With that, she lifted the nket and got out of bed. She called Ye Yu in to help her change. Chun Feng hurriedly asked, ¡°What about these grapes?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Bring them along.¡± After changing, she brought Chun Feng and Ye Yu to the Ling siblings¡¯ residence. The truth was indeed as Chun Feng had said. Ling Hai and Ling Miao were not in the room. They must have gone out again. Ye Yu brought over a chair and invited the County Princess to sit down. Yu Niaoniao waited as she ate the grapes. The grapes were indeed very sweet. She finished them one after another and could not stop. Not long after, Ling Hai and Ling Miao returned. The siblings were shocked to see the County Princess as soon as they entered. They hurriedly knelt down. ¡°Greetings, Princess Consort.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked them to stand up and talk. After this period of recuperation, the two children had gained some weight on their bodies and faces, and their skin had be fair and clean. In addition, their facial features were exquisite, to begin with, so they became even more cute and beautiful. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Where did you go just now?¡± Ling Hai replied softly, ¡°It¡¯s too stuffy in the house. I took my sister out for some air.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°But I heard that you guys have been running out every day recently. Could it be that you go out for air every day?¡± Ling Hai¡¯s voice became even softer. ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao caught a glimpse of Ling Miao¡¯s hands behind her back, as if she was hiding something, so she asked. ¡°Miaomiao, what are you holding?¡± Ling Miao¡¯s face instantly turned pale. She stuttered, ¡°N¡­ nothing.¡± Yu Niaoniao sighed and educated them earnestly, ¡°You¡¯re all good children. Good children can¡¯t lie. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to be bad children?¡± Ling Miao hurriedly shook her head. ¡°No! We¡¯re not bad children!¡± Yu Niaoniao extended her right hand. ¡°Then show me what you have.¡± Ling Miaojiang looked at his brother for help. Ling Hai knew that he could not hide it anymore, so he could only take the initiative to confess. ¡°Reporting to the Princess, we were not actually going out for some air. We went to see a friend.¡± Yu Niaoniao was rather surprised. ¡°You still have friends in the princess¡¯s residence?¡± Ling Hai told him everything. ¡°His name is Wang Jun. Many years ago, I attended the birthday banquet of the Wang family¡¯s elders and saw him in the Wang family. We haven¡¯t seen each other since. This was until three days ago when we happened to see Wang Jun in the princess¡¯s residence. ¡°He didn¡¯t look well. He was weak as if he hadn¡¯t eaten in a long time. We have been saving our rations and giving him half.¡± Seeing that her brother had told her everything, Ling Miao took out the small basket hidden behind her. The small basket was used to store food. The food inside was gone, leaving an empty basket. Yu Niaoniao was curious. ¡°Wang Jun? Where is he now?¡± Chapter 477 - 477: Do You Want to Go Home? Chapter 477: Do You Want to Go Home? Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Ling Hai hesitated. ¡°Wang Jun is still a child. Can you be magnanimous and let him off?¡± Yu Niaoniao was amused by him. ¡°Look at you. You¡¯re talking as if you¡¯re not a child yourself.¡± Ling Hai lowered his head in embarrassment. Yu Niaoniao stopped smiling and said seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I mean your friend no harm. I just want to meet him and see what kind of person he is.¡± Ling Hai and Ling Miaodu were still children and were easily fooled. Yu Niaoniao had to see Wang Jun personally to confirm that he was not a bad person. Ling Hai still trusted Yu Niaoniao very much. Hearing this, he was relieved. ¡°I know where he lives. Let me take you to him.¡± Yu Niaoniao stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ling Hai held his sister¡¯s hand and the siblings led the way. The group walked around the residence and became more and more remote. Finally, they arrived at a grayish-white courtyard wall. Yu Niaoniao looked around. There were trees all around and no scenery. There was not even a decent road. If not for the two siblings leading the way, Yu Niaoniao would not have known that such a ce was hidden in the residence. Ling Hai climbed up the tree trunk beside him. When he reached the top of the branch, he shouted into the courtyard wall. ¡°Ah Jun!¡± A momentter, there was a giggling sound in the grass at the foot of the wall. Then the head of a young boy emerged from the grass. He was the Wang Jun that Ling Hai had mentioned. Ling Miao immediately walked forward and helped pull Wang Jun out of the dog hole. Ling Hai also slid down the tree trunk and ran to Wang Jun. Wang Jun¡¯s hair was messy. It was obvious that he had notbed it for a long time. His clothes were also crooked. Even his clothes were not tied in the right position. He smiled foolishly when he saw Ling Hai. ¡°Hehe, Ah-Hai.¡± Yu Niaoniao realized that something was wrong with this child¡¯s expression. She squatted down and gave Wang Jun a kind smile. ¡°Hello, Ah Jun.¡± Only then did Wang Jun realize that there was someone else beside him. He was shocked and hurriedly hid behind the door. His face was filled with vignce and fear. Ling Hai hurriedlyforted him. ¡°Ah Jun, don¡¯t be afraid. This big sister is a good person. She saved Miaomiao and me. She¡¯s our benefactor.¡± Wang Jun still hid at the door and refused toe out. Ling Hai turned to Yu Niaoniao and exined, ¡°Ah Jun was born with a strange illness. Although his appearance is no different from those of ordinary people, his reaction speed is always slower than others. He¡¯s alsocking in intelligence, but he¡¯s very kind.¡± Realization dawned on Yu Niaoniao. So that was it! She asked Chun Feng to take out the remaining grapes and handed them to Wang Jun. ¡°I¡¯m here to bring you food. These grapes are sweet. Do you want to try them?¡± When Wang Jun saw the plump and sparkling grapes, he swallowed involuntarily and his eyes were filled with desire. But he was still a little afraid of strangers. Yu Niaoniao grabbed a handful of grapes and handed them to Ling Hai and Ling Miao, asking them to bring them to Wang Jun. The siblings immediately did so. This time, Wang Jun did not refuse. After taking the grapes, he threw them into his mouth without even peeling them. Seeing that his mouth was filled with juice, Yu Niaoniao asked Chun Feng to wipe his mouth. Chun Feng squatted down and took out a silk handkerchief to wipe Wang Jun¡¯s mouth. Because of the delicious food, Wang Jun had a good impression of the three big sisters he had just met for the first time. When Chun Feng approached him, he only nced at her but did not move away. Chun Feng wiped his mouth clean and helped him spread out the straps of his clothes that were not tied in the right position. His coat andpels opened, revealing a jade pendant hanging on his chest. Chun Feng picked up the jade token and looked at it. She realized that the front of the jade token was engraved with the pattern of the Qilin auspicious beast. Not only was Wang Jun¡¯s name engraved on the back, but there was also a string of addresses. ¡°Princess Consort,e and see.¡± Yu Niaoniao leaned over to take a look. When she saw the address behind the jade pendant, she sighed softly. ¡°Poor parents! This must have been custom-made for him by his family.¡± ¡°His family knew that he was different from the other children. Afraid that he would get lost outside, they specially engraved the address behind the jade pendant they carried with them.¡± ¡°If a kind person picks him up, they can send him back ording to the address. ¡± Chun Feng could not help but ask. ¡°If his family cares so much about him, why would they leave him alone in such a lousy ce?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not know this either. She reached out and touched Wang Jun¡¯s little head. ¡°Ah Jun, can you tell us why you¡¯re here?¡± Wang Jun shook his head as he ate the grapes. Yu Niaoniao asked again, ¡°Then does your family know you¡¯re here?¡± Wang Jun still shook his head. Yu Niaoniao thought for a moment and changed the question. ¡°Do you want to go home?¡± This time, Wang Jun did not shake his head. He burst into tears. ¡°Wuwuwu!¡± Yu Niaoniao was shocked and hurriedlyforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have asked you this. I was wrong.¡± Ling Hai also helpedfort Wang Jun. Wang Jun gradually calmed down. He sobbed, ¡°I want to go home.¡± Hearing this answer, Yu Niaoniao knew what to do. It seemed that this child did not stay here willingly. She looked at the courtyard wall behind him and continued to ask. ¡°How did you get here?¡± Wang Jun stammered, ¡°They brought me here and didn¡¯t allow me to go out. No one cared about me. They only brought me some food for a few days. I¡¯m so hungry. Boohoo.¡± He started crying again as he spoke. ¡°I miss my parents and grandfather so much. Boohoo!¡± This child looked less than ten years old. He was really pitiful to have encountered such things. Yu Niaoniao sympathized andforted him gently. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. These grapes are for you. What do you like to eat? I¡¯ll get someone to send them to youter.¡± Hearing that there was good food, Wang Jun quickly stopped crying. ¡°I want noodles with eggs. Can I?¡± In the past, he could eat whatever he wanted at home, but now, he could not even eat ordinary food like noodles and eggs. Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Ye Yu suddenly reminded, ¡°Someone¡¯sing!¡± Yu Niaoniao had yet to figure out Wang Jun¡¯s identity and could not alert him for the time being. She immediately let Wang Jun crawl back through the dog hole. She quickly left with the group. After returning to her residence, Yu Niaoniao asked Ling Hai. ¡°Do you know whose child Wang Jun is?¡± Ling Hai shook his head. ¡°I went to his house a few years ago. At that time, I was only two or three years old. No one would introduce the elders in Wang Jun¡¯s family to me, but I remember that his house was very big and there were many servants in the residence. The servants called Wang Jun Young Master.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡± ¡°Yes! We won¡¯t tell anyone.¡± Yu Niaoniao left the Ling siblings¡¯ residence with Chun Feng and Ye Yu. After returning to the bedroom, the more Yu Niaoniao thought about it, the more she felt that Wang Jun¡¯s matter was very strange. She wanted to talk to Xiao Juan about this, but she was told that Xiao Juan had gone out again.. Chapter 478 - 478: Gentleman Chapter 478: Gentleman Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Other than Princess Ni Yang, the City Protection Lieutenant Yuan Gui and the County Governor of Liangzhou had the highest status. Xiao Juan had already seen Yuan Gui in the morning and could not obtain any useful clues from him. In the afternoon, Xiao Juan prepared to meet the County Governor of Liangzhou. This person had been the County Governor of Liangzhou for more than 30 years. He should be very familiar with what had happened in the county over the years. Before this, Xiao Juan had gotten someone to investigate this Liangzhou County Governor. His name was Wang Jianan and he was almost sixty this year. It was said that Wang Jianan had a gentle personality and liked to collect famous calligraphy and paintings. He often brought a group of schrs to drink, have tea, and recite poetry. He rarely interfered in government affairs in Liangzhou. There were once people who came to him to beg for mercy, but he always used the excuse of being old and frail. As time passed, themoners stopped counting on him and even secretly gave him a nickname: Wang Did Not Care. This nickname happened to suit his character¡ª Whatever happened, he didn¡¯t care. When Xiao Juan arrived at the County Governor¡¯s Mansion, he happened to meet Wang Jianan drinking with a group of schrs. Knowing that Duke Lang was here, Wang Jianan greeted him warmly. ¡°It¡¯s better toe at the right time. Your Highness,e and y too!¡± Xiao Juan was not interested in elegant things like wine. He said coldly, ¡°I have something to discuss with County Governor Wang. Can we talk in private?¡± Wang Jianan could only say to the group of schrs. ¡°You guys y first. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± He stood up with the help of his attendant and walked forward with his cane. ¡°It¡¯s rare for Your Highness toe to my residence. Shall I show you around?¡± Xiao Juan followed him forward. After walking for a distance and no longer hearing the schrs reciting poems behind him, Xiao Juan spoke. ¡°County Governor Wang should have heard about Prince Consort Cheng Qi, right?¡± Wang Jianan was old and his spine could no longer be as straight as a young man¡¯s. He was slightly hunched over, holding his walking stick with one hand. 1¨C1is hair was gray, and his face was covered in wrinkles of varying depths. Hearing this, he slowed down and looked at Xiao Juan with his gray eyes. ¡°I know what you want to ask, but I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know anything.¡± Xiao Juan said in a low voice. ¡°Since you know what I¡¯m here for, you should know. The stolen silver was umted from the hard work of countless people, one copper coin for one copper coin.¡± ¡°It is very important to the Imperial Court. I have to get it back! If you can provide useful clues, the Imperial Court will definitely reward you heavily!¡± ¡°On the other hand, I have to wonder if you¡¯re in cahoots with them?¡± Wang Jianan smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to scare me. At my age, my only son is no longer alive. No matter how bad it is, it¡¯s just death. What do I have to be afraid of?¡± Xiao Juan frowned. ¡°Are you really willing to live like this?¡± ¡°So what if I¡¯m indignant? This is the way of the world. I¡¯m powerless alone.¡± Wang Jianan stopped and sighed softly. ¡°I¡¯ve long heard about Your Highness. Although you¡¯re unreasonable and your style is a little extreme, you¡¯re one of the few upright gentlemen in the court. I admire you.¡± Xiao Juan was slightly stunned. This was the first time he had heard such words from an official in the court. There was actually someone who sincerely admired him? How rare! Wang Jianan looked at the calmke in front of him andughed at himself. ¡°But I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t be like you.¡± Xiao Juan continued to persuade him, ¡°You just have to tell me what you know. I¡¯ll guarantee your personal safety.¡± But Wang Jianan had already turned around. ¡°No matter how many times you ask, I¡¯ll say the same thing. I don¡¯t know.¡± He walked slowly forward on his cane and did not look back. Xiao Juan had no choice but to leave the mansion and return emptv-handed. When he returned to the princess¡¯s residence, the sun was already setting. Chun Feng helped him take off his cloak and said. ¡°Her Highness just sent someone to invite the County Princess over. She said that she wants to have dinner with her.¡± Xiao Juan nodded slightly, indicating that he understood. He went to wash his face and wash the sand off it. Then he strode toward the dining room. In the dining hall, Princess Ni Yang sat at the head of the table. She smiled at Yu Niaoniao, who was sitting at the other side. ¡°I heard you were sick when you came back today. Did you let the doctor take a look?¡± The longer they interacted, the more Yu Niaoniao could feel Princess Ni Yang¡¯s mood swings. She became even more cautious when facing Princess Ni Yang. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I¡¯m much better.¡± Princess Ni Yang gently patted the empty seat beside her. ¡°Sit here. Let¡¯s sit closer so that we can talk better.¡± Yu Niaoniao was very unwilling. As long as she saw Princess Ni Yang now, the bloody scenes in the Bestial Battle Arena would appear in her mind. Her stomach churned again and she felt very ufortable. But she was also very worried that if she said no, she would make Princess Ni Yang unhappy. Just as she was in a dilemma, Xiao Juan strode in. He bowed to Princess Ni Yang. ¡°Mother.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Xiao Juan walked over and naturally sat down beside her. ¡°Yes, I heard you were here, so I came over.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You came at the right time. Let¡¯s eat together.¡± She turned her head and asked the maid to prepare the dishes. Seeing how intimate the couple was, Princess Ni Yang did not mention letting Yu Niaoniao sit beside her and asked instead. ¡°I heard that Juan ran out twice today. Did something happen?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s expression was indifferent. ¡°Nothing happened. I just went to visit the City Protection Lieutenant and the County Governor of Liangzhou to chat with them about the situation in Liangzhou over the years. After all, I¡¯ve left Liangzhou for so many years. There have been many changes here. There are many things I don¡¯t know.¡± Jinwu City was only so big and his identity was so sensitive. He would definitely not be able to hide the fact that he had been to see the City Protection Lieutenant and the County Governor of Liangzhou. In that case, he might as well say it openly. Princess Ni Yang looked interested. ¡°What did you guys talk about?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Actually, we didn¡¯t talk much. I drank some wine with Captain Yuan and heard County Governor Wang recite some poetry.¡± Princess Ni Yang smiled. ¡°Yuan Gui loves to drink and is warm and hospitable. Every time his guestse, he has to keep them for drinks until they¡¯re drunk.¡± ¡°As for Wang Jianan, he liked to study painting and calligraphy. Previously, he specially sent someone to deliver a box of famous calligraphy and paintings for my birthday.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The calligraphy and paintings that County Governor Wang sent to you must not be ordinary.¡± Princess Ni Yang said, ¡°If you¡¯re interested, I¡¯ll get someone to send them to youter. ¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Thank you, Mother. I don¡¯t know much about calligraphy. You should keep them for yourself to admire slowly.¡± Seeing that he did not appreciate it, Princess Ni Yang did not care much. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Yu Niaoniao ate in silence. Other than the fact that the two of them looked a little simr, they did not look like mother and son at all. They gave off a cold feeling.. Chapter 479 - 479: There Must Be Something Wrong Between You! Chapter 479: There Must Be Something Wrong Between You! Trantor: As Studios?????? Editor: As Studios After dinner, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan greeted Princess Ni Yang and returned to their residence. The two of them had just walked to the door of the guest room when they saw Wei Liao. Wei Liao leaned against the door frame, crossed his arms, and greeted herzily. ¡°Yo, you¡¯re finally back.¡± Xiao Juan subconsciously took a step forward and shielded Yu Niaoniao behind him. He asked expressionlessly, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Wei Liao said with a faint smile, ¡°I¡¯m here to look for the Princess Consort. Please make way, Your Highness. Don¡¯t block me from talking to the Princess Consort. ¡± No matter how dissatisfied Xiao Juan was, he knew that he had no right to stop Niaoniao from talking to others. He could only take two steps to the side. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°What do you want?¡± This was the first time Wei Liao had spoken to Yu Niaoniao directly since Xiao Juan returned. He straightened a little. ¡°This afternoon, Princess Ni Yang got someone to send over many supplements. She said that they were for me to replenish my Qi and blood.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in good health and said that I had no use for such things. However, the person sent by Princess Ni Yang said that these were specially prepared for me. He said that if there¡¯s anything I don¡¯t understand, I can ask the Princess Consort.¡± ¡°Therefore, I specially came here to ask the Princess Consort to give me an exnation. Why is that?¡± Yu Niaoniao felt guilty. The melodramatic story she had spouted in front of Princess Ni Yang had been taken seriously by thetter. She had even sent someone to send arge number of supplements to Wei Liao. She smiled awkwardly. ¡°If you don¡¯t want those supplements, you can take them back and sell them for money. Nobody will stop you.¡± Wei Liao said angrily. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m like you? That¡¯s all I have.¡± ¡°I want to know now. What did you say to Princess Ni Yang to make her send me so many supplements?¡± Yu Niaoniao whispered, ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything¡­¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell me, are you? I¡¯ll go find Princess Ni Yang now. She should be willing to tell me the answer.¡± With that, he turned to leave. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly stopped him. ¡°Wait a minute! I¡¯ll tell you!¡± If Eldest Princess Ni Yang told him the truth, he would definitely sell her out. Wei Liao looked at her calmly. ¡°Speak.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Before I say anything, you have to promise me that no matter what I say next, you¡¯re not allowed to be angry, let alone fall out.¡± Wei Liao sneered. ¡°So you really didn¡¯t say anything good about me.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not dare to answer. Wei Liao said, ¡°I promise you. Tell me!¡± Yu Niaoniao subconsciously moved closer to Xiao Juan to increase her sense of security. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not a big deal. Previously, Princess Ni Yang asked me how I would choose between you and Duke Lang. I definitely chose Duke Lang, so Princess Ni Yang felt that you were too redundant and wanted to throw you to the tiger. I couldn¡¯t watch you be killed, so I could only make up a small lie.¡± When he heard that she had chosen Duke Lang, Wei Liao felt very ufortable. Even his tone became nasty. ¡°What exactly did you say?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s mood was the opposite. When he found out that Niaoniao had chosen him without hesitation, he was naturally extremely happy. Yu Niaoniao shrank her neck. ¡°I said that Duke Lang is suffering from a terminal illness and needs the blood of someone with a special fate as the medicine catalyst. You¡¯re the medicine catalyst I chose. Only if you¡¯re alive can you cure Duke Lang¡¯s terminal illness.¡± Wei Liaoughed in anger. ¡°No wonder Princess Ni Yang specially sent me so many supplements to nourish my Qi and blood. So it¡¯s to make me bleed more so that your Duke Lang treat his illness?!¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly exined, ¡°I was just expedient. I was trying to save your life!¡± Wei Liao took a step forward and asked, ¡°Then tell me, do you really want to use my blood to treat Duke Lang? Am I really just a medicine primer in your eyes?¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face took on a big embarrassed expression. Why did this person really put himself in it? His immersion was too strong! ¡°Wake up! Duke Lang doesn¡¯t have a terminal illness, and you¡¯re not a medicine primer. Those are all lies I told Princess Ni Yang. They¡¯re all fake!¡± Wei Liao was skeptical. ¡°Is it really fake? Why do I feel that this is the truth?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Look at Duke Lang. Does he look like he¡¯s terminally ill?¡± Wei Liao asked without hesitation, ¡°If he doesn¡¯t have a terminal illness, why hasn¡¯t he had a child after being married to you for a year?¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Xiao Juan was speechless. Wei Liao sneered. ¡°Hehe, you have nothing to say, right? One of you must be sick! ¡± Yu Niaoniao spoke with difficulty, racking her brains to find an excuse for herself. ¡°You can¡¯t say that. We don¡¯t have children because I don¡¯t want them for the time being. I¡¯ve always taken contraceptives. We¡¯re healthy. There¡¯s nothing wrong with us.¡± Wei Liao still didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°How can a normal couple not want children? There must be something between you!¡± In some ways, he was right. There was indeed something wrong with the rtionship between Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan. They were only husband and wife in name. They had never really consummated their marriage. Recently, Xiao Juan had been avoiding Yu Niaoniao. If this continued, their rtionship would probably only exist in name. But these could not be told to outsiders. Yu Niaoniao pretended to be calm and retorted loudly. ¡°I think you¡¯re the one with the problem! Whether we have children or not is our private matter. What does it have to do with you? Do you need to ask questions here? If you¡¯re bored, go back and eat all the supplements the princess gave you. You can nourish your brain and save yourself from letting your imagination run wild.¡± Wei Liao narrowed his eyes and said in a dangerous tone. ¡°As expected! You treat me as a medicinal catalyst. You want to fatten me up with supplements so that you can kill me at the end of the year!¡± Seeing that she could not exin, Yu Niaoniao gave up and retorted loudly with her hands on her hips. ¡°If I wanted to kill you, why would I wait until the end of the year? I can do it now!¡± Wei Liao was so angry that heughed. ¡°Are you still so self-righteousfor doing such a thing?¡± Yu Niaoniao stuck out her tongue at him. ¡°Hehe Wei Liao¡¯s fists hardened. ¡°Are you asking for a beating?!¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately hid behind Xiao Juan and shouted. ¡°If you want to hit me, you have to step on my Duke Lang first!¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. Suddenly, he didn¡¯t want to care about her. Wei Liao rolled up his sleeves. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t dare?¡± Yu Niaoniao stuck her head out from behind Xiao Juan and continued to mor. ¡°Come on! If you have the ability, walk over on Duke Lang!¡± Wei Liao shouted, ¡°Duke Lang, move aside!¡± Xiao Juan looked at him expressionlessly. ¡°How old are you guys this year? You¡¯re so childish.¡± Wei Liao sneered. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re noble and you¡¯re amazing. The two of you ganged up to bully me..¡± Chapter 480 - 480: Concerns Chapter 480: Concerns Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Hearing this, Yu Niaoniao wanted to retort. However, before she could say anything, she was pushed into the room by Juan. Then the door nged shut. Yu Niaoniao was locked in the room. She was puzzled as she waited with wide eyes for the closed door. Why did he lock her in? Outside the door, Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°Let¡¯s talk in private.¡± Wei Liao was still sneering. ¡°What can¡¯t be said here?¡± Xiao Juan did not force her and said bluntly, ¡°You didn¡¯te here just for those supplements, right?¡± The sneer on Wei Liao¡¯s face gradually faded. He nced at the closed door beside him and walked down the steps. Xiao Juan followed. They walked out into the courtyard. At this moment, Wei Liao no longer looked as exasperated as before. He returned to his usualzy appearance. ¡°What exactly are you trying to say?¡± Xiao Juan said unhurriedly. ¡°You actually know very well that what Niaoniao said just now was the truth. She had made up the story about the medicinal primer.¡± ¡°But you insisted on pretending not to believe it and arguing with her. Didn¡¯t you just want to take this opportunity to spend more time with her?¡± Wei Liao chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re thinking too much?¡± Xiao Juan did not insist on getting to the bottom of it and said calmly, ¡°I hope I¡¯m thinking too much.¡± This ce was a distance from the door, and they deliberately lowered their voices. Even if Yu Niaoniao in the room pricked up her ears to eavesdrop, she could not hear what they were saying. Xiao Juan turned around and walked up the steps, pulling open the door. Yu Niaoniao stuck her head out. She saw Wei Liao standing alone in the courtyard. Wei Liao happened to be looking at her. That gaze was tooplicated, making Yu Niaoniao feel like he wanted to say something. Before she could think carefully, the door was closed again. This time, Wei Liao was the only one locked outside. He stared silently at the closed door. Warm yellow light leaked through the gap. Unfortunately, that light would never reach him. In the room, Yu Niaoniao pulled Xiao Juan¡¯s sleeve and exined anxiously. ¡°You have to believe me. I made up the story about the medicinal primer and terminal illness!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I believe you.¡± Yu Niaoniao heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Xiao Juan was not as imaginative as Wei Liao. He was still very reliable. Just as she exhaled, she heard Xiao Juan ask, ¡°Were you making up that bit about asking Wei Liao to step on me?¡± Yu Niaoniao held her breath. She had almost forgotten about this. She smiled awkwardly. ¡°I was deliberately scaring Wei Liao. You¡¯re so powerful. How could Wei Liao step on you? His legs would be broken!¡± With that, she pulled Xiao Juan to the table and sat down. She poured tea for him with her uninjured hand and looked for a topic to distract him. ¡°Where did you go during the day? Why didn¡¯t you bring me?¡± Xiao Juan took the teapot from her. ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say that? I went to see the City Protection Lieutenant and the County Governor of Liangzhou.¡± ¡°How did it go? Did they say anything?¡± Xiao Juan poured two cups of tea and pushed one of them in front of Yu Niaoniao. ¡°They didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Yu Niaoniao sighed. ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t you have made a wasted trip?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Not really. Although the Liangzhou County Governor didn¡¯t say anything, I keep feeling that he knows something. He just has some misgivings and isn¡¯t willing, to tell the truth.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I apany you to the County Governor¡¯s Mansion tomorrow?¡± Xiao Juan shook his head slowly. ¡°It¡¯s useless. Until we figure out what he¡¯s afraid of, we won¡¯t be able to get him to talk.¡± He saw Niaoniao frown, looking very troubled. He did not want her to waste her time on these things, so he took the initiative to change the topic. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this. Did you rest well at home today? Does your wrist still hurt?¡± At the mention of this, Yu Niaoniao immediately perked up. ¡°I was about to tell you. I saw a child in the princess¡¯s residence today. His name is Wang Jun. He¡¯s locked up in a remote small courtyard in the residence. I keep feeling that this child¡¯s identity is not simple and want you to send someone to investigate.¡± As she spoke, she took out two drawings. The first was a portrait of the child. The second drawing was the Qilin auspicious beast jade pendant. Yu Niaoniao also wrote down the address carved on the back of the jade pendant. ¡°He probably lives here. Apparently, his family is rich. It shouldn¡¯t be difficult to find.¡¯ When Xiao Juan saw the portrait and the Qilin auspicious beast jade pendant, he did not react much. However, when he saw the address, his expression immediately changed. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the address of the County Governor¡¯s Mansion?¡± Yu Niaoniao was very surprised. ¡°County Governor¡¯s Mansion? Could it be that Wang Jun is the young master of the County Governor¡¯s Mansion? But if the young master of the County Governor¡¯s Mansion is lost, the County Governor will definitely send someone to look for him.¡± Xiao Juan looked at the child¡¯s portrait on the drawing paper and said in a low voice, ¡°Or it could be because he¡¯s afraid to look.¡¯ Yu Niaoniao recalled what Xiao Juan had just said and immediately reacted. ¡°Could it be that the county governor of Liangzhou is worried about Wang Jun?!¡± Xiao Juan put away the drawing paper. ¡°Looks like I have to visit the County Governor¡¯s Mansion tonight.¡± When it waste at night, everyone in the princess¡¯s residence was asleep. Xiao Juan, who was dressed in ck, quietly left the princess¡¯s residence. He used his qinggong and silently moved through the night. When he arrived at the County Governor¡¯s Mansion, it was silent. Other than the person in charge of the night shift, everyone else was asleep. County Governor Wang Jianan was no exception. Because he was old, he slept lightly at night and was easily woken up. At this moment, he was in a daze when he suddenly felt someone beside him. He suddenly opened his eyes and saw a tall figure standing by the bed. Wang Jianan was about to shout when the other party stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t scream. It¡¯s me.¡± Wang Jianan recognized the voice. It was Duke Lang, whom he had met during the day! He sat up hurriedly and fumbled to light the oilmp by the bed. ¡°Your Highness, why are you visiting sote at night?¡± Xiao Juan did not waste his breath on him. He took out the two pieces of drawing paper and ced them in front of him. ¡°Take a look for yourself.¡± Wang Jianan did not understand. He picked up the pieces of drawing paper with both hands and looked at them under the dim candlelight. When he saw the young boy in the painting, his eyes widened. His hands trembled. Even his voice trembled. ¡°Isn¡¯t, isn¡¯t this my Ah Jun?!¡± He hurriedly looked at Xiao Juan and asked anxiously, ¡°Have you seen Jun? Where is he? Is he still alive?¡± Xiao Juan replied calmly, ¡°He¡¯s in the princess¡¯s residence. He¡¯s still alive.¡± Wang Jianan looked like he was crying andughing. ¡°Alright, alright! As long as he¡¯s alive!¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Who is Wang Jun to you?¡± Wang Jianan gently stroked the young man¡¯s face in the painting. His gray eyes were filled with love and longing. ¡°Ah Jun is my grandson. Ever since my son and daughter-inw passed away, Ah Jun is the only family I had left in the world.¡± ¡°Poor child. He was born deficient and a little silly. Even though I took care of him carefully, he was still abducted by bad people. I haven¡¯t seen him since..¡± Chapter 481 - 481: Other Purposes Chapter 481: Other Purposes Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Wang Jianan¡¯s son was a famous talent in Liangzhou. His calligraphy could be said to be priceless. Five years ago, Princess Ni Yang asked Wang Jianan¡¯s son to paint for her. Wang Jianan¡¯s son did not like Princess Ni Yang¡¯s style and was unwilling to paint for her. This matter made Princess Ni Yang very unhappy. Not long after, Wang Jianan¡¯s son had his hand broken and he could no longer write or draw. Wang Jianan knew very well that this matter was most likely done by Princess Ni Yang. However, he had no evidence and could not identify Princess Ni Yang. He could only swallow his anger. Because his hands were crippled, his son never recovered and chose tomit suicide in theke one morning. Wang Jianan¡¯s daughter-inw could not take the blow and fell sick. Not long after, she died. Only Wang Jun was left. Wang Jianan had always protected Wang Jun as his darling, but Wang Jun still fell into Princess Ni Yang¡¯s hands. Princess Ni Yang used Wang Jun¡¯s life to threaten Wang Jianan topromise. After hearing Wang Jianan exin his encounter, Xiao Juan asked. ¡°What did Princess Ni Yang ask you to do?¡± Wang Jianan shook his head. ¡°She didn¡¯t ask me to do anything.¡± ¡°She knew I wasn¡¯t really obeying her and that I would turn on her at the first opportunity. So she was very wary of me and never told me her n.¡± ¡°Her only request to me is to keep my mouth shut and say nothing. I was to be an obedient and ipetent county governor.¡± It was not that he really did not want to care about anything, but because of his grandson¡¯s life, he had no choice but to pretend to y dumb. Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°You¡¯ve been the County Governor of Liangzhou for so many years that you¡¯re more familiar with this ce than anyone else. There are some things that you should be able to sense even if Princess Ni Yang doesn¡¯t tell you.¡± Wang Jianan admitted frankly,¡±Yes, I know that the Prince Consort secretly transported some shameful things into Liangzhou.¡± ¡°I also knew that the person who helped him transport those things was from the military camp.¡± ¡°The military power in Liangzhou was in the hands of the City Protection Lieutenant, Yuan Gui.¡± ¡°Since the Prince Consort could mobilize troops to help him transport things, Yuan Gui must be involved.¡± ¡°However, what the Prince Consort did not know was that Yuan Gui had already hooked up with Princess Ni Yang in private.¡± ¡°Now that the Prince Consort is dead, the things he brought into the Liang Province might very well fall into the hands of Princess Ni Yang.¡± At this point, Wang Jianan looked at Xiao Juan deeply and his tone was very solemn. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know what those things are, something that even the Prince Consort and Princess Ni Yang want must not be simple. Your Highness must havee all the way to Liangzhou for those things, right?¡± Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Wang Jianan carefully put down the portrait and knelt on one knee towards Xiao Juan. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m already half-buried. There¡¯s nothing to care about anymore. The only person I was worried about was Ah Jun.¡± ¡°As long as you can help me save Ah Jun, I¡¯ll do anything you want!¡± Princess Ni Yang was violent and unpredictable. As long as Wang Jun was in her hands, Wang Jianan would not be at ease. He had to save Wang Jun as soon as possible while he was still alive. Xiao Juan asked him to stand up before saying. ¡°At this point, I don¡¯t have to hide it from you. The Imperial Court has lost a batch of stolen silver, amounting to tens of millions of taels. The emperor ordered me to recover the stolen silver.¡± Wang Jianan understood. ¡°I see!¡± It was no wonder they fought over such arge sum of money. Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯re more familiar with the situation here. Can you tell me if Princess Ni Yang and Yuan Gui have done anything special in the past few years?¡± He did not believe that Princess Ni Yang had racked her brains to obtain such arge amount of dirty silver just to eat, drink, and enjoy herself. She must have other motives! Wang Jianan thought for a moment. ¡°Princess Ni Yang has always been like that. Her mood changes easily. She does whatever she wants. She¡¯s really unpredictable.¡± ¡°If there is anything different about her in the past few years, it would probably be her wanton search for handsome men. ¡°This is ridiculous. Not only did she keep gigolos in her residence, but she also got someone to search for outstanding young men outside.¡± ¡°If those men did not obey, Princess Ni Yang would order someone to capture their entire family and send them to serve asborers.¡± ¡°There were once people who came to beg me to uphold justice, but I was worried about Ah Jun¡¯s safety and did not dare to care about these things.¡± At this, he let out a long sigh, ashamed. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Do you know how many families have been captured?¡± Wang Jianan said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the details, but there are at least a hundred families. Xiao Juan quickly calcted. If there were ten people in a family, there would be more than a thousand people! Why did Princess Ni Yang capture so many people? What endeavor needed so muchbor? Xiao Juan asked again, ¡°Is there any ce in Liangzhou that has been building rapidly recently?¡± Wang Jianan shook his head no. Xiao Juan frowned. That was strange. Since there was no construction, where did the capturedmoners go? He spoke to Wang Jianan. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll help you save Wang Jun as soon as possible.¡± Wang Jianan was overjoyed. ¡°Thank you! I¡¯ll never forget your kindness. I¡¯ll definitely repay you in my next life!¡± With that, he knelt down towards Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan reached out to stop him. ¡°Alright, I should go. Tonight, pretend I didn¡¯te.¡± Wang Jianan nodded vigorously. ¡°I understand!¡± He watched Xiao Juan leave and turned around to return to bed. Thinking of his grandson, he could not fall asleep. In the princess¡¯s residence. Yu Niaoniao was dozing off by the bed. She woke up immediately when she heard the door open. She propped her head up and opened her eyes. She looked anxiously at the door. She saw Xiao Juan push open the door and walk in. Xiao Juan closed the door and asked her, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asleep?¡± Yu Niaoniao quickly went up to him. ¡°I¡¯m worried about you. How is it? What did County Governor Wang say?¡± Seeing that she was so worried about him, Xiao Juan was naturally very happy. Whether she meant it or not, as long as she was still willing to pay attention to him, he was satisfied. Xiao Juan roughly repeated his conversation with Wang Jianan. After Yu Niaoniao heard this, she began to count with her little fingers, trying to smooth out the logic. ¡°Cheng Qi had designs on that batch of stolen silver because of Yuan Gui¡¯s instigation, and Yuan Gui was secretly colluding with Princess Ni Yang. In other words, Cheng Qi had been used from the beginning. He was just a pawn in Princess Ni Yang¡¯s hands.¡± Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°That should be the case.¡± Yu Niaoniao had mixed feelings. ¡°In that case, Cheng Qi is actually a little pitiful.¡± After Cheng Qi lost his value, Princess Ni Yang should have already nned to send him to the afterlife. However, his actions at the birthday banquet sent him to his early death.. Chapter 482 - 482: Braised Beef Chapter 482: Braised Beef Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao asked Xiao Juan what he nned to do next. Xiao Juan told her to hurry up and sleep. ¡°It¡¯ste. If you don¡¯t sleep, it¡¯ll be dawn.¡± With that, he pushed Yu Niaoniao towards the bed. The bedroom was divided into two parts. There was a low couch for a lunch break in the outer room. Xiao Juan slept there at night. Since Xiao Juan had returned safely, Yu Niaoniao could naturally rx. Shey on the bed and fell asleep not long after. Xiao Juany on the low couch and listened to the calm breathinging from the inner room. His heart calmed down. He closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep. The next morning, Chun Feng and Ye Yu brought breakfast. Yu Niaoniao prepared to continuest night¡¯s topic while eating with Xiao Juan. Unexpectedly, just as they sat down, Wei Liao appeared. He did not treat himself as an outsider at all. Without needing Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan to speak, he sat down on the empty seat at the table and smiled. ¡°Yo, are you preparing to eat? Coincidentally, I haven¡¯t eaten yet. Give me a pair of chopsticks.¡± Yu Niaoniao said angrily, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°I¡¯m here to discuss serious matters with you.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not believe him. ¡°What serious business can you have?¡± ¡°I heard something. The county governor of Liangzhou, Wang Jianan, has a grandson called Wang Jun.¡± ¡°That kid disappeared five years ago and has been missing since.¡± ¡°From then on, Wang Jianan became indifferent to the world and focused on antique calligraphy and painting.¡± ¡°He did not care about Princess Ni Yang¡¯s various evil deeds.¡± ¡°Sometimes, he would even take the initiative to help Princess Ni Yang clean up the mess. He had already be Princess Ni Yang¡¯s vassal.¡± ¡°I guessed that Princess Ni Yang probably had something on him that caused his personality to suddenly change.¡± ¡°That weakness is very likely rted to Wang Jun. We can investigate from this point.¡± After Wei Liao finished speaking, he was surprised to find that Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao did not move. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this is a valuable clue? I especially shared such an important clue with you. Shouldn¡¯t you give any indication?¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her chin and said proudly. ¡°We already knew about this!¡± Wei Liao was even more surprised. ¡°When did you know?¡± Actually, Yu Niaoniao only found outst night, but in order to pretend, she could not tell the truth. ¡°We knew about such a small matter a long time ago!¡± Wei Liao narrowed his eyes. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°But I told you everything!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°But we already know. There¡¯s no point in telling us.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°But before I told you, I didn¡¯t know you already knew.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°What difference does it make?¡± Wei Liao refused to give in and argued, ¡°Of course there¡¯s a difference!¡± ¡°Without knowing that you already know the clues, I took the initiative to share the important clues I had investigated with you.¡± ¡°I thought of you immediately if anything good happened, but you were unwilling to share your clues with me. Inparison, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re very selfish?!¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her hands in surrender. ¡°Okay, okay, okay. You¡¯re in the right.¡± Wei Liao snapped, ¡°I¡¯m the one in the right!¡± Xiao Juan interrupted unhurriedly, ¡°If you continue arguing, the noodles will pile up.¡± Only then did Yu Niaoniao remember that she had not eaten breakfast. There was no food in her stomach, and she had no aura when she quarreled. She immediately picked up her bowl and chopsticks and ate. Wei Liao mmed the table and reminded, ¡°Where¡¯s my share?¡± In view of his good behavior of taking the initiative to provide clues, Yu Niaoniao still got someone to add a set of bowls and chopsticks for him. Wei Liao scooped up noodles from the casserole and did not forget to ask. ¡°How did you know about Wang Jian¡¯an and his grandson?¡± Yu Niaoniao replied casually, ¡°Because I¡¯ve seen his grandson. He¡¯s in the princess¡¯s residence. I even promised to send him food today.¡± Wei Liaoughed. ¡°You¡¯re really lucky to encounter such a thing.¡± Seeing the two of them chatting back and forth in a harmonious and natural atmosphere, Xiao Juan could not help but feel a little bitter. He lowered his eyes and looked at the noodles in his bowl. They tasted nd and like chewing wax. At that moment, tworge slices of braised beefnded in his bowl. He looked up along the chopsticks and saw Yu Niaoniao smiling at him. ¡°Eat more.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s feelings were cured by this smile. Wei Liao knocked on the edge of the bowl and shouted shamelessly. ¡°I want beef too!¡± Yu Niaoniao rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Go eat your fart!¡± Xiao Juan picked up the poached egg in his bowl and ced it in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s bowl. ¡°This is for you.¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. Recently, Xiao Juan had been avoiding her and rarely took the initiative. She was both shocked and happy. She immediately forgot about Wei Liao and picked up the poached egg to take a big bite. ¡°This poached egg that our Ah Juan gave me smells so good!¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s heart raced at her intimate tone. He lowered his eyes and returned to his noodles, pretending not to hear her. For some reason, the taste of the noodles became delicious again. Wei Liao was very unhappy with the scene in front of him. He threw his bowl and chopsticks on the table and said angrily. ¡°No! These lousy noodles taste terrible!¡± Yu Niaoniao ate happily as usual and ignored him. If she did not speak, Xiao Juan naturally would not speak either. So there was only the sound of noodles being sucked and soup being drunk. Wei Liao stared at the two people in front of him and sneered. ¡°Heh, you¡¯re really magnanimous. Princess Ni Yang is about to rebel, but you still have the mood to eat noodles!¡± Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan stopped eating their noodles at the same time and looked at him in unison. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°What rebellion? What do you know now?¡± Wei Liao crossed his arms and raised his chin slightly, looking domineering. ¡°I want beef!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you weren¡¯t eating?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°I just dislike the noodles, but I didn¡¯t say that the beef isn¡¯t delicious. If you want to know what I mean, you have to follow my instructions, understand?¡± Yu Niaoniao picked up the te of braised beef and ced it heavily in front of him. ¡°Eat! All for you!¡± Wei Liao nced at her. ¡°Is that your attitude?¡± Yu Niaoniao had never seen such an annoying fellow. However, she had a favor to ask. She could only endure her temper and pick up a piece of braised beef and put it in his bowl. ¡°Can Young Master Wei do this?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°That¡¯s too little.¡± Yu Niaoniao picked up arge handful of braised beef and ced it in his bowl. ¡°Eat slowly. Be careful not to choke.¡± Wei Liao smiled happily. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t choke.¡± He picked up his chopsticks and slowly ate two pieces of braised beef. When he was satisfied, he spoke. ¡°Actually, I found something else.¡± ¡°There was once a rumor that there was an iron mine in Liangzhou.¡± ¡°However, no one knew where the iron ore was, and the authorities had not received any news about it.¡± ¡°Over time, this matter was treated as a rumor..¡± Chapter 483 - 483: Capture the Leader First Chapter 483: Capture the Leader First Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao asked. ¡°Where did you get this information?¡± Wei Liao deliberately kept them in suspense. ¡°We, the Sky Wolf Guards, have our own channels of information. There¡¯s no need to tell you this.¡± Xiao Juan suggested in a low voice, ¡°If there¡¯s really an iron mine in Liangzhou, it will definitely require arge number of people to mine it. Coincidentally, Eldest Princess Ni Yang captured manymoners to serve asborers under the excuse of searching for gigolos.¡± Wei Liao saidzily, ¡°In my opinion, snatching men is just an illusion used by Princess Ni Yang to confuse the public. Her real goal is to gather enough people to mine iron ore for herself.¡± Realization dawned on Yu Niaoniao. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, the family of Ling Hai and Ling Miao should have been captured to mine iron ore. As long as we can find the iron ore, we can help them find their family.¡± Wei Liao unceremoniously poured cold water on her. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple! What we just said is just a guess. At the moment, we¡¯re not even sure if the iron mine really exists. How can we find the exact address?¡± Xiao Juan was deep in thought. ¡®What¡¯s their goal in mining iron ore?¡± Wei Liao leaned back and said mockingly, ¡°It can¡¯t be that she¡¯s forging iron to sell pots, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao recalled that she had spent arge sum of money to buy the iron pot and kitchen knife. It could be seen that iron ore was an extremely precious resource in this era. Having an iron mine was no different from having a golden mountain. She asked Wei Liao, ¡°You just said that Princess Ni Yang wants to rebel. What¡¯s going on?¡± Wei Liao spread his hands and analyzed slowly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Princess Ni Yang used Wang Jun to control Wang Jianan and forced him to turn a blind eye.¡± ¡°What she did was equivalent to separating Liangzhou from the Imperial Court, preventing the Imperial Court from knowing about the change in the situation in Liangzhou.¡± ¡°She had also killed the Prince Consort and hidden the iron mine. Perhaps she had even pocketed the stolen silver. ¡°As a princess, she does notck food or clothes. She could live in luxury for the rest of her life. However, she had to take such a huge risk. She must have a huge n.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t she love reading your Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation? I guessed she was envious of the princess in the book.¡± ¡°She also wants to be like the female lead in the book and stand at the peak of power, trampling all those men who think highly of themselves.¡± Actually, the reason why he suspected Princess Ni Yang was because of an imperial edict secretly sent to him by his adoptive father, Wei Huai¡¯en, before he left the Imperial Capital. The emperor asked him to keep an eye on Xiao Juan. Once Xiao Juan and Princess Ni Yang did anything unusual, he would kill them without mercy! At first, he did not understand the emperor¡¯s decree. It was when he came to Jinwu City and met Princess Ni Yang that he gradually understood the meaning behind the decree. Perhaps the emperor had long been suspicious of Princess Ni Yang. He was worried that his half-sister would plot to usurp the throne, but because Liangzhou was too far from the Imperial Capital, he could not do anything about this matter. He could only let Wei Liao go to Liangzhou in his ce. What Wei Liao found outter further confirmed his guess. These words were reasonable. Yu Niaoniao believed them. She had not interacted with Princess Ni Yang for long, but she could feel that Princess Ni Yang was the kind of person who did not want to submit to others. Her strength was even greater than that of many men. Ordinary people would not dare to think about rebelling, but it was hard to say if it was Princess Ni Yang. Xiao Juan said expressionlessly, ¡°These are just your guesses.¡± Wei Liao smiled. ¡°They¡¯re indeed just guesses, but you already believe them, don¡¯t you?¡± Xiao Juan was silent. Yu Niaoniao was very worried. If Princess Ni Yang really wanted to rebel, what would Xiao Juan do? Even though everyone knew that the mother and son did not have a good rtionship, it was still impossible to erase their blood rtionship in this era of filial piety. Once Princess Ni Yang rebelled, regardless of whether she seeded in the end, Xiao Juan would fall into a predicament. She reached under the table and ced her hand on the back of Xiao Juan¡¯s. Xiao Juan looked sideways at her. He saw worry and concern in her eyes. Wei Liao spoke again, drawing their attention to him, ¡°What are your ns next?¡± Xiao Juan was still silent. Wei Liao was helpless. ¡°Do you still want to fight alone at a time like this?¡± Under the table, Yu Niaoniao held Xiao Juan¡¯s hand bit by bit, silently telling him¡ª Whatever his choice was, she would always support him. Xiao Juan felt the warmth from the back of his hand, and his silent attitude melted bit by bit. ¡°I already met Wang Jiananst night. He said that Princess Ni Yang and Yuan Gui had already colluded. That batch of missing dirty money might have fallen into their hands.¡± Wei Liao clicked his tongue. ¡°Tsk, as expected!¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart was heavy. ¡°They captured innocent people wantonly and secretly mined iron ore. This will allow them to continuously forge weapons.¡± ¡°In addition, there is the dirty silver worth tens of millions of taels and the military power in the city guard captain¡¯s hands.¡± ¡°They have already taken advantage of the right time, ce, and people.¡± A rare solemn expression appeared on Wei Liao¡¯s face. ¡°They¡¯re prepared and onlyck the east wind. What about us? Even if we add up all the people in our hands, there are less than two thousand. If we want to stop them from rebelling, it¡¯s no different from a mantis trying to stop a cart. We¡¯re courting death.¡± Yu Niaoniao hesitated. ¡°Let¡¯s leave this ce first. We¡¯ll attack when the Imperial Court¡¯s reinforcements arrive.¡± Wei Liaoughed. ¡°You¡¯re naive. Do you think we¡¯ll ever leave Liangzhou safely?¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately fell silent. She actually knew that with Princess Ni Yang¡¯s style of doing things, it was impossible for her to let them leave safely. Now that Princess Ni Yang had yet to fall out with them, she probably felt that the time was not ripe. And this was all they had. Wei Liao fiddled with the chopsticks on the table and looked between Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao. ¡°I have an idea, but I wonder if you can ept it?¡± Yu Niaoniao refused without thinking. ¡°No!¡± Wei Liao raised an eyebrow. ¡°I haven¡¯t even said what it is, and you¡¯re already saying no?¡± Yu Niaoniao said almost shamelessly. ¡°I don¡¯t care. You just can¡¯t!¡± Wei Liao looked at her angry face and suddenlyughed. ¡°Have you guessed what I¡¯m going to say?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked away, ignoring him. She had indeed guessed. But she couldn¡¯t ept that solution. At this moment, Xiao Juan suddenly spoke. ¡°What¡¯s your solution?¡± Yu Niaoniao held his hand. ¡°Ignore him. He likes to talk nonsense!¡± Xiao Juan held her hand. ¡°I know what to do.¡± Wei Liao spoke slowly. ¡°I¡¯m sure Duke Lang knows the principle of capturing the leader first, right?¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°You want to kill Princess Ni Yang?¡± Wei Liao corrected him, ¡°We will kill Princess Ni Yang and Yuan Gui together. As long as the two of them die, the people below will be leaderless and will naturally copse.. ¡° Chapter 484 - 484: Both Chapter 484: Both Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao had already thought of Wei Liao¡¯s suggestion. But she couldn¡¯t say it. Princess Ni Yang was Xiao Juan¡¯s mother. Even if Princess Ni Yang had never treated Xiao Juan as her son, Xiao Juan could not kill his mother himself. No matter what the reason was, once he was guilty of killing his mother, he would definitely be scolded by the world. As Yu Niaoniao red at Wei Liao, her eyes were filled with hatred. Wei Liao smiled indifferently. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you the way. It¡¯s up to Duke Lang to decide.¡± Xiao Juan lowered his eyes, his long eyshes covering the emotions in them. It was a long time before she heard him speak. His voice was low and deep. ¡°Princess Ni Yang is the only legitimate daughter of thete emperor. She has a noble status. We used her of rebellion without evidence.¡¯ ¡°It would be fine if that was the truth. But if she had no intention of rebelling, we¡¯ll have to bear the crime of assassinating the princess. You and I will both die.¡± Wei Liaoughed softly with a hint of smugness in his tone. ¡°The emperor had given me a privilege.¡± ¡°Once I discover any abnormal movements from Princess Ni Yang, I can kill her on the spot!¡± Yu Niaoniao looked surprised. The emperor had actually expected Princess Ni Yang to have the intention to rebel! She did not expect that guy to n so far ahead when half of his body was already in the ground. As expected of the final winner who could defeat many brothers and sit on the throne. His schemes were deep! Xiao Juan looked at Wei Liao deeply, as if he wanted to ask something, but in the end, he did not say anything. Wei Liao had clearly guessed what Xiao Juan wanted to ask, but he pretended not to know anything and continued to smile. ¡°You can rx now, right?¡± Xiao Juan had an indescribable feeling in his heart, and his voice became suppressed. ¡°Since the emperor expected this day, what else can I say? Let¡¯s do as the emperor says.¡± Yu Niaoniao was anxious. ¡°Ah Juan!¡± When the emperor said that he wanted to kill Princess Ni Yang, it was just a matter of words. However, if this matter fell on Xiao Juan, it would be a huge crime of killing his mother! He was already infamous. If he was convicted of killing his mother, he would be reviled no matter where he went in the future. Perhaps even the history books would record this and make him famous for ten thousand years. He had done nothing wrong. Why did he have to face this? Yu Niaoniao could not ept it. Xiao Juanforted her softly. ¡°Niaoniao, it¡¯s fine.¡± Yu Niaoniao said anxiously, ¡°How can it be fine? Princess Ni Yang is your biological mother. If you kill her, outsiders won¡¯t think that you¡¯re putting righteousness before family. They¡¯ll only scold you for being heartless and inhumane!¡± Xiao Juan originally felt very ufortable. Seeing how anxious she was in thinking for him wholeheartedly, he suddenly felt much better. No matter what the future held, at least Niaoniao was still by his side. That was enough for him. He had obtained too little in his life and knew that the greater his request, the greater his disappointment. When he was young, he struggled to survive in the princess¡¯s residence. He had fantasized that Princess Ni Yang would only forget him for the time being. As long as he could make Princess Ni Yang think of him, he could escape his misery. However, when he finally saw Princess Ni Yang after much difficulty, he saw that she was having sex with another man. She saw Xiao Juan appear at the door. Her gaze was devoid of a mother¡¯s longing for her child. There was only coldness and boredom. Xiao Juan¡¯s hopes for motherly love werepletely shattered at that moment. Huge disappointment wrapped around him, leaving him at a loss. Later, he met Niaoniao. He thought that he and Niaoniao were both willing parties. But the truth pped him hard in the face. She had an ulterior motive for approaching him. Her sweet words were all lies. So it had been his wishful thinking from the beginning to the end. Once again, he tasted the bitterness of disappointment. Since then, he had understood a fact¡ª He was not worthy of hope. As long as there was no hope, there would be no disappointment. Xiao Juan said softly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me? Don¡¯t care what people say. As long as I know I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± Yu Niaoniao felt even worse. When she said this back then, she did not think too much about it. She thought that they just had to persevere. But now, she had already experienced the difficulty of Xiao Juan¡¯s position and understood the terrifying meaning of words. Wei Liao bent his index finger and knocked on the table to show his presence. ¡°It¡¯s enough for the two of you. You haven¡¯t even done anything yet, but you¡¯re already worried about personal gains and losses. If Duke Lang really can¡¯t bear to do it, let me deal with Princess Ni Yang. In any case, I¡¯m not rted to her by blood. I won¡¯t feel any psychological burden. As for Duke Lang, you deal with Yuan Gui. Let¡¯s split up. Is that okay?¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately broke free from her sadness. Wei Liao¡¯s suggestion could be said to be foolproof. Not only could theyplete the mission given by the emperor, but they could also absolve Xiao Juan of killing his mother. She looked at Wei Liao with bright eyes and said happily. ¡°Vice General Wei, Young Master Wei, Brother Wei! How can you be so smart?!¡± At this moment, Wei Liao was like a Bodhisattva who had saved the world. His entire body emitted a benevolent golden light. She wished she could immediately kneel down and offer three more incense sticks. Xiao Juan looked at Wei Liao differently. He really did not expect Wei Liao to take the initiative to suggest such a method. Wei Liao had a cold personality and had always been indifferent. In addition, Xiao Juan was not on good terms with him, to begin with. He could not wait to see Xiao Juan in trouble. But now, he was willing to help Xiao Juan. It was really unexpected. Wei Liao enjoyed the ttery from Yu Niaoniao. He crossed his arms and raised his chin, smiling smugly. ¡°Now you know I¡¯m smart? What were you doing earlier?¡± Yu Niaoniao crazily praised, ¡°I had bad judgment previously. I underestimated Young Master Wei. Young Master Wei is the smartest person in the world!¡± Wei Liao¡¯s smile widened. ¡°It¡¯s rare to hear such nice words from you. Say a few more words.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t you like to read the Seven Treasures Record? When we return to the Imperial Capital, I¡¯ll draw another new book with the same style as the Seven Treasures Record. I guarantee you¡¯ll enjoy it!¡± Wei Liao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Really?¡± Yu Niaoniao patted her chest and promised. ¡°Of course it¡¯s true!¡± Wei Liao couldn¡¯t wait any longer and immediately urged. ¡°Stop dilly-dallying! I¡¯ll go look for Princess Ni Yang now. Duke Lang will look for Yuan Gui. Let¡¯s end this matter as soon as possible so that we can return to the Imperial Capital as soon as possible.¡± The sooner he returned to the Imperial Capital, the sooner he could read his new book. Xiao Juan stopped him. ¡°Wait a moment. Princess Ni Yang is not so easy to kill. Even if your martial arts are strong, you might not be able to seed. Think of a foolproof n first.. Chapter 485 - 485: Disrespectful Heart Chapter 485: Disrespectful Heart Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao also felt that they could not act rashly. Wei Liao could only reluctantly sit back down. ¡°Do you have any good ideas?¡± Xiao Juan analyzed, ¡°Previously, Cheng Qi tried to assassinate Princess Ni Yang, but he failed. He was a lesson to us. ¡± If we attack in the princess¡¯s residence, the sess rate will be extremely low. The best way is to help her trick her out and do it outside the residence.¡± Wei Liao followed his train of thought. ¡°Princess Ni Yang always brings enough people with her every time she goes out. The sess rate of directly assassinating her is very low. It¡¯s best if we can find someone trustworthy by her side and attack her when she¡¯s unprepared.¡± Yu Niaoniao frowned. ¡°The question is where can we find such a person?¡± Wei Liao looked at her meaningfully. ¡°Aren¡¯t you very trusted by Princess Ni Yang?¡± Before Yu Niaoniao could speak, Xiao Juan tly refused. ¡°This matter is extremely dangerous. Niaoniao doesn¡¯t know any martial arts at all. Don¡¯t even think about touching her!¡± Wei Liao spread his hands as if it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Alright, alright. Forget I said anything. ¡± Yu Niaoniao hesitated for a moment before mustering her courage to speak. ¡°I think what Wei Liao said is notpletely unreasonable. Perhaps I can really try.¡± Xiao Juan still refused. ¡°No, I won¡¯t let you take the risk.¡± His tone was extremely determined. There was no room for negotiation. Yu Niaoniao wanted to persuade him again, but there was a sudden knock on the door and the sound of the Chun Feng came in. ¡°Princess Consort, Her Highness wants to see you. Please go to the study.¡± Yu Niaoniao replied, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go immediately.¡± She turned to look at Xiao Juan and reminded him in a low voice. ¡°Discuss it first. I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Yu Niaoniao pushed open the door and walked out. She instructed Ye Yu, who was standing at the door. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to prepare a bowl of hot soup noodles and two eggs. Send them to Wang Jun. It¡¯s best if you bring Ling Hai and Ling Miao along. Remember to be careful not to be discovered.¡± Ye Yu nodded and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll remember.¡± Yu Niaoniao walked towards the study with Chun Feng. There were many servants standing at the door of the study. They were waiting here so that the Princess could summon them at any time. When they saw the County Princess arrive, they bowed and greeted her. ¡°Greetings, Princess Consort.¡± The female official weed her. ¡°Her Highness is already in the study. Princess Consort, pleasee in.¡± She pushed open the door and bowed slightly, gesturing for him toe in. ording to tradition, other than Princess Ni Yang herself, only those invited by her could enter the study. No one else could step into the study. Chun Feng could not enter, so she could only wait outside the door. In the study, Princess Ni Yang was painting. When she saw Yu Niaoniao arrive, she immediately put down her brush and greeted her excitedly. ¡°Niaoniao,e over quickly. Look at my painting.¡± Yu Niaoniao walked over and realized that she was drawing the princess and the little mute. Princess Ni Yang asked expectantly. ¡°How much do you think this painting looks like the protagonists in your book?¡± Yu Niaoniao praised, ¡°Your Highness is brilliant. The characters you draw are even more charming than the characters in the book.¡± She was not ttering her. She was sincere. Not only was the princess drawn by Princess Ni Yang graceful and luxurious, but she also had an aura of looking down on the world. As a superior, her image was vivid on paper. Inparison, the little mute, who was the male lead, was much weaker. Standing beside the princess, he did not look like her husband, but more like her sidekick. Princess Ni Yang smiled, looking very happy. ¡°Haven¡¯t you been vexed that you don¡¯t have the inspiration for the third part of Phoenix Country? I can provide you with an idea here.¡± Yu Niaoniao pretended to be all ears. ¡°Princess, please speak.¡± Princess Ni Yang casually pulled out a scroll from a vase by the table. She unfolded the scroll, revealing the image. The princess in The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation was drawn on the painting, but the difference was that she was not wearing a royal robe that represented her status as a princess, but a dragon robe that represented her status as an emperor. Yu Niaoniao was stunned. Princess Ni Yang ced the painting on the desk and smiled as she admired her painting. ¡°The Drincess in the book is resourceful and Imowledzeable. It¡¯s too much of a waste to just let her be a princess.¡± ¡°She was the biological sister of the Empress, and she was also a royal. Logically speaking, she had the right topete for the throne.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you arrange a plot for her to ascend the throne in the third movie?¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart pounded. Previously, Wei Liao had told her that the reason why Princess Ni Yang liked Phoenix Cry was that she wanted to be a character in the book. Now it seemed that Wei Liao was right! Princess Ni Yang really had the heart to rebel! Princess Ni Yang stared at her. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Do you think the plot I¡¯m talking about is bad?¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly denied it. ¡°No! I¡¯m thinking about how to arrange this plot to make sense?¡± Princess Ni Yang said casually. ¡°Isn¡¯t that simple? We just have to kill the Empress and rece her.¡± Yu Niaoniao carefully objected. ¡°But the rtionship between the sisters is not bad. If they suddenly fall out, I¡¯m afraid the readers won¡¯t ept it.¡± As Princess Ni Yang smiled gently, her tone was mocking. ¡°What feelings do you have when you¡¯re in the royal family? Even if there were, it would be an illusion.¡± ¡°The princess is smart and capable. Has the empress really never suspected her at all? ¡°The princess is not inferior to the empress. Is she really willing to submit to others?¡± Yu Niaoniao could not answer. Every word the other party said had another meaning. If she said anything wrong, she might be killed. She was so nervous that cold sweat kept breaking out on her back. Princess Ni Yang changed the topic and suddenly asked, ¡°I heard that you have a brother and a sister. How did they treat you? Were your parents biased when they faced you?¡± Yu Niaoniao said carefully, ¡°They¡¯re all quite good to me.¡± Princess Ni Yang extended her slender fingers. Her red-painted fingertips pinched Yu Niaoniao¡¯s chin and gently raised her face. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± ¡°I sent someone to investigate you.¡± ¡°Your biological mother has passed away. Your stepmother has been mean to you and has tried to harm you several times.¡± ¡°Your father never trusted you. He even kicked you out of the house.¡± ¡°Although the back of a hand was covered in flesh, the flesh in the palm was thicker than the back of the hand.¡± ¡°Do you really not hate them at all for treating you like that?¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless again. She wasn¡¯t a saint. How could she not have any resentment? It was just that she could distinguish between priorities. She knew that resentment would only make her lose her mind, so she tried to ignore it. She had to focus on something more meaningful.. Chapter 486 - 486: Plan Ahead Chapter 486: n Ahead Trantor: As Studios????? Editor: As Studios Princess Ni Yang looked into her eyes and said meaningfully, ¡°An ordinary family like yours can¡¯t avoid scheming against each other, let alone the royal family. ¡°So what if they¡¯re sisters? As long as it involves a conflict of interest, they¡¯ll still fall out when it¡¯s time. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Yu Niaoniao said with difficulty, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll draw the third installment like how you said.¡± Princess Ni Yang smiled in satisfaction. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to your new work.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back and prepare to draw the third one now.¡± With that, Yu Niaoniao was about to leave when she was stopped by Princess Ni Yang. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go back. I have everything here. Draw here.¡± Yu Niaoniao was shocked. ¡°Draw here?¡± Princess Ni Yang said matter-of-factly, ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s quiet here. Other than me, no one else wille in to disturb you. You can concentrate on writing new books.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be here with you. If you encounter any difficulties in the plot, you canmunicate with me. Isn¡¯t that good?¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped herself from saying, ¡°Of course not! ¡± She was still in a hurry to go back and discuss countermeasures with Xiao Juan and Wei Liao! Yu Niaoniao racked her brain to find a reason for herself. ¡°Your environment is indeed very good, but I have a problem. I like to create in a familiar environment.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been here twice and am not familiar with it. If I stay here topose, I will feel very ufortable and it will affect my performance.¡± Princess Ni Yang said, ¡°That¡¯s easy. If you stay here for a while longer, you can read the books here and use the pen, ink, paper, and inkstone on the table.¡± ¡°After a while, you¡¯ll naturally be familiar with this ce.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°But¡­¡± Before she could finish, there was a knock on the door, followed by the voice of the female official. ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s a letter for you.¡± Princess Ni Yang said, ¡°Bring it in.¡± The door was pushed open and the female official walked in with her head bowed. She presented a letter with both hands and withdrew. The door was closed again. Princess Ni Yang did not evade Yu Niaoniao. She opened the envelope in front of her and took out a letter filled with words. She read the letter quickly, her red lips curving as she chuckled. ¡°Niaoniao, do you know who sent this letter?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head to indicate that she did not know. Princess Ni Yang ced the letter in front of her and gestured for her to read it herself. Driven by curiosity, Yu Niaoniao picked up the letter. This letter was sent by the head of the Cheng family. He had already learned that Cheng Qi had attempted to murder Princess Ni Yang. In the letter, he sincerely apologized to Princess Ni Yang and said that Cheng Qi¡¯s death was deserved. The Cheng family would not me Princess Ni Yang for this. At the end of the letter, the head of the Cheng family hoped that Princess Ni Yang would let the Cheng family bring Cheng Qi¡¯s body back to his hometown for burial on ount of their past rtionship. ¡°Are you willing to return the Prince Consort¡¯s body to the Cheng family?¡± Princess Ni Yang smiled. ¡°How? I¡¯ve already asked Rouge to eat him. There¡¯s not even any bone left.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately recalled the scene of the big tiger devouring human flesh and could not help but tense up. ¡°Then how are you going to exin it to the Cheng family?¡± Princess Ni Yang said slowly, ¡°Who do they think they are? Why should I answer to them?¡± Yu Niaoniao said carefully, ¡°But the Cheng family has a deep foundation in the court. It¡¯s not good for you to offend them.¡± Princess Ni Yang did not care about this. ¡°So what if their foundation is deep? They¡¯re just a group of ants who listen to others. As long as the emperor says something, he can make the Cheng family unable to enter the royal court again. From then on, their foundation will be destroyed and they won¡¯t have a future.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless and felt even more nervous. It seemed that Princess Ni Yang had already made up her mind to rebel. She had even thought about it. When she ascended the throne, she would uproot the Cheng family and prevent future troubles. Princess Ni Yang took the letter from her hand, casually crumpled it into a ball, and threw it to the ground. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t be dyed by unimportant people and things. Hurry up and think about how to draw the sequel, okay? I have everything you need. If you need something, I can get someone to find it.¡± Yu Niaoniao knew that she would not be able to leave here for a while, so she could only think of a way to stall for time. ¡°I really can¡¯t draw it for a while. Let me read someone else¡¯s book first. I might be able to find inspiration.¡± Princess Ni Yang agreed readily. ¡°Alright, take a look.¡± Yu Niaoniao pretended to be looking for books seriously and began to walk back and forth between a few bookshelves. It took her a moment to pull a book out of it, then she sat down and pretended to read. Princess Ni Yang also found a book for herself. She sat opposite her and read quietly. Unknowingly, the morning passed. Xiao Juan and Wei Liao waited for a long time, but Yu Niaoniao did not return. They ordered someone to look for Yu Niaoniao, but they were told that Yu Niaoniao had been retained by Princess Ni Yang and would not be back for a while. Xiao Juan felt very uneasy. When night fell, he still did not see Niaoniao return. The uneasiness in Xiao Juan¡¯s heart multiplied. He was worried that Princess Ni Yang would do something bad to Niaoniao, so he immediately went to look for her personally, wanting to get her back. In the end, Princess Ni Yang did not even see him. Using the excuse that it waste and she wanted to rest, she got the official to send Xiao Juan away. Xiao Juan returned empty-handed. He couldn¡¯t sleep that night. His mind was filled with Niaoniao. Princess Ni Yang clearly did not want him to see Niaoniao. What the hell did she want? What if she wanted to hurt Niaoniao? Xiao Juan could not bear the pain of losing Niaoniao. ¡°I¡¯ll look for Wang Jianan now and ask him to find a reason to deceive Princess Ni Yang. We¡¯ll set up an ambush in the County Governor¡¯s Mansion in advance and attack when the time is right.¡± This was the n they had discussed. Originally, he had nned to implement it in a few days, but now that Niaoniao had been detained by Princess Ni Yang, Xiao Juan could only bring the n forward in order to prevent anything from happening to her. Wei Liao asked with a faint smile, ¡°Why are you suddenly in such a hurry?¡± Xiao Juan frowned and said in a low voice. ¡°Niaoniao hasn¡¯t returned yet.¡± Wei Liao¡¯s expression immediately became serious. His thoughts coincided with Xiao Juan¡¯s¡ª He could not let Niaoniao continue to stay in Princess Ni Yang¡¯s hands. With Princess Ni Yang¡¯s unpredictable personality, she might suddenly want to throw Niaoniao to feed the tiger. Wei Liao didn¡¯t ask further and quickly said. ¡°We¡¯ll divide the work as we agreed before. I¡¯ll deal with Princess Ni Yang. You deal with Yuan Gui. We have to take down both of them.¡± Xiao Juan called Lo Pingsha and Yan Nanguan over and told them his n. ¡°Little Lo, stay behind. Tomorrow, as soon as Princess Ni Yang leaves the princess¡¯s residence, think of a way to save Niaoniao ande to the county governor¡¯s residence to meet us.¡± Lo Pingsha nodded.. ¡°Yes!¡± Chapter 487 - 487: Secret Door Chapter 487: Secret Door Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios In the County Governor¡¯s Mansion, Wang Jianan was shocked when he heard Xiao Juan exin his intentions. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this to Princess Ni Yang? She¡¯s your mother!¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s expression did not change as he said in a low voice, ¡°The Son of Heaven is guilty of the same crime as themoners. No matter who she is, she has to be punished by thew.¡± Wang Jianan did not know what to say. He knew that Duke Lang had always been impartial, but he did not expect him to be so ruthless to his mother. How many people in the world could be so heartless? Wei Liao urged, ¡°Don¡¯t waste time. Send an invitation to Princess Ni Yang immediately. Tell her that we have something important to discuss and ask her toe and see you as soon as possible.¡± Wang Jianan asked uneasily. ¡°Are you sure you can kill Princess Ni Yang? What if she escapes? Don¡¯t forget the lesson of the Prince Consort. He was killed by Princess Ni Yang because of the failed assassination. I heard that Princess Ni Yang didn¡¯t even let go of his corpse and threw it to the tiger to eat. There were no remains!¡± Xiao Juan said coldly. ¡°If Princess Ni Yang doesn¡¯t die, your grandson will be imprisoned by her for the rest of his life.¡± Wang Jianan thought of his little grandson. He was already an old bag of bones. It didn¡¯t matter what happened, but Wang Jun was still young. He couldn¡¯t let Wang Jun spend the rest of his life in captivity. For the sake of his grandson, Wang Jianan gritted his teeth, steeled his heart, and knocked his walking stick hard on the ground. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll risk my life to gamble with you!¡± He immediately wrote a letter and ordered someone to send it to the princess¡¯s residence. Wei Liao transferred all the Sky Wolf Guards under him to the County Governor¡¯s Mansion and began to set up traps. He was determined to keep Princess Ni Yang alive here. Xiao Juan ordered someone to send a letter to the City Protection Lieutenant, Yuan Gui, and invited him to the Drunken Fairy Building to drink. The Drunken Fairy Building was thergest restaurant in the city. In order to make it easier to attack, Xiao Juan had booked the entire restaurant in advance. In order to avoid any idents, he specially chose a nimble Eagle Guard and asked him to pretend to be an ordinary person and leave Jinwu City quietly with a secret letter. In the princess¡¯s residence, Yu Niaoniao had been in the study for a day and a night. During this period, she found many excuses, but they were all rejected by Princess Ni Yang. Princess Ni Yang was determined to let her draw the third installment here. Otherwise, she would not be allowed to leave. In addition to books, there was also a bed for resting in the study. Three meals a day were sent over, and hot water was provided for her to bathe at night. Even a change of clothes had been prepared for her in advance. The size was just right, as if they were tailor-made. To be honest, if she did not care about Xiao Juan, Yu Niaoniao would feel quitefortable here. She could eat and drink. She didn¡¯t have to do anything. There were many books for her to pass the time. These were simply godlike days! The female official sent an invitation, saying that it was from the County Governor¡¯s Mansion. Princess Ni Yang opened the invitation and took a look. It was indeed Wang Jianan¡¯s handwriting. His personal seal was still on it. He said that he had recently discovered some abnormal movements from the Eagle Guards. They might want to deal with Princess Ni Yang. It was not convenient to exin the details in the letter. He hoped that Princess Ni Yang would go to the County Governor¡¯s Mansion to talk to him as soon as possible. This time, Princess Ni Yang did not show the letter to Yu Niaoniao. Instead, she burned it. She stood up slowly. ¡°Niaoniao, I¡¯m going out for a while. I¡¯ll be back soon. Stay here in peace and don¡¯t run around. If you need anything, just let the servants know.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded in agreement. She watched Princess Ni Yang leave. The study door was quickly closed again. Yu Niaoniao knew that there was someone guarding the door. It was impossible for her to get out. But she had no intention of staying here obediently and doing nothing. Yu Niaoniao threw the book aside, stood up, and began to search the study carefully. She wanted to see if she could find evidence of Princess Ni Yang plotting a rebellion here. Although Wei Liao had received the emperor¡¯s special permission and would not be med even if he killed Princess Ni Yang, Princess Ni Yang was still Xiao Juan¡¯s mother. Those who did not know the inside story would definitely scold Xiao Juan to death. Therefore, Yu Niaoniao hoped to find evidence of Princess Ni Yang¡¯s crimes. As long as there was conclusive evidence, if anyone dared to attack Xiao Juan in the future, she could smash the evidence into that person¡¯s face so that those troublemakers would shut their mouths! Yu Niaoniao searched every corner and broke out in a thin sweat, but she still found nothing. At this moment, there was a knock on the door and the female official¡¯s voice came in. ¡°Princess Consort, there¡¯s afternoon tea prepared in the kitchen. Do you want some?¡± Yu Niaoniao refused without hesitation. ¡°No, I¡¯m not hungry!¡± ¡°Alright then. If you want to eat, please let me know.¡± There was silence outside quickly. Yu Niaoniao wiped the sweat off her forehead and looked at therge bookshelf in front of her, unwilling to give up. This was Princess Ni Yang¡¯s exclusive study. It was extremely private and was always guarded at the door, not allowing outsiders to step in. If Princess Ni Yang had any secrets, they would definitely be hidden here. Yu Niaoniao rolled up her sleeves. ¡°I don¡¯t believe I can¡¯t find it!¡± Her gaze wandered around therge bookshelves in front of her. These shelves were ced against the wall. Each was made very high. There was a foot or so between them. In the middle would be floor-to-ceiling vases for decoration. Yu Niaoniao moved the vases away one by one. When she moved to thest vase, she realized that the bottom was fixed to the ground. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t move it. Inspired, she wrapped her arms around the vase and tried to spin it from side to side. In the end, the vase was really turned. The next moment, she saw the bookshelf in front of her slowly open to both sides, and a secret door appeared in front of her. The secret door was locked. A key was needed to open it. Yu Niaoniao fiddled with the brass lock. She had never liked to read the Four Books and Five Scriptures since she was young, but she loved to read those messy misceneous books. Among them was a book called the Thousand Locks. That book recorded the way to open a thousand locks. Coincidentally, the brass lock in her hand was among them. Although many years had passed, she still remembered every word of the book. She took off her gold earring and removed the dangle. Then she straightened the thin ear hook. The end was deliberately twisted into a small hook. She inserted the gold wire into the lock and fiddled with it carefully. At the same time, Princess Ni Yang had already left the princess¡¯s residence and was riding a carriage to the County Governor¡¯s Mansion. As soon as she left, Lo Pingsha began to move. He first found Ling Hai and Ling Miao and asked the siblings to find Wang Jun. Then, he arranged for the Eagle Guards to protect them. When he was done, Lo Pingsha went straight to the study. He had to save the Princess Consort as soon as possible.. Chapter 488 - 488: Change of Plans Chapter 488: Change of ns Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios In the study, after a few attempts, Yu Niaoniao finally opened the brass lock. She took off the brass lock and pushed. The secret door slowly opened. A secret passage appeared in front of her. Yu Niaoniao subconsciously looked back at the door and confirmed that the doors and windows of the study were closed. Outsiders could not see the scene in the study. She raised the candlestick and tiptoed into the secret passage. As soon as she entered, the secret door closed automatically behind her. She immediately turned. In the dim candlelight, she was relieved to find that the secret door could be opened from the inside. At least she didn¡¯t have to be trapped in this secret passage. Yu Niaoniao walked along the secret passage and soon entered a secret room. There was a bronze statue in the secret room. This person seemed to be tailor-made ording to Princess Ni Yang¡¯s appearance. Be it her facial features or figure, she was exactly the same as Princess Ni Yang. Most importantly, this bronze statue was actually wearing a bright yellow dragon robe! Yu Niaoniao raised the candlestick and approached the statue. The embroidery on the dragon robe was extremely exquisite. It was impossible to create such a lifelike pattern without decades of effort. The clothes were made of high-grade golden silk, and the fabric was also a treasure of foreign tributes. When she approached, she could even smell a faint ambergris. Such a dragon robe was enough to substitute the real thing. Yu Niaoniao walked around the statue and realized that not only was this dragon robe heavy, but it was alsorge. It was almost impossible for her to take it off and bring it out without anyone knowing. She could only give up on this dragon robe for the time being and look at something else. A map hung on the wall. Yu Niaoniao had seen this map in Mirror House before. It was a map of the Dayan Dynasty. In the map, all the mountains, rivers, viges, and cities in the Dayan Dynasty were depicted in great detail. She found Liangzhou in the diagram and realized that someone had drawn a circle here with a red pen. Yu Niaoniao looked at the ce where the circle was drawn again and again. Then, she realized that there was a small map hanging beside it. The map depicted the terrain in Liangzhou. Yu Niaoniaopared the two maps and quickly realized that the ce circled was called Chillywind Valley. She remembered hearing someone mention Chillywind Valley. That ce was filled with Yin energy. Someone had even met a ghost soldier there. When that person returned, he fell seriously ill and was scared out of his wits. It was very strange! Yu Niaoniao naturally did not believe the rumor. Since there were no ghosts, there could only be someone causing trouble! Yu Niaoniao suspected that the rumored iron mine might be in the Chillywind Valley. The princess¡¯s carriage stopped at the entrance of the county governor¡¯s residence. Wang Jianan personally went out to wee him with his walking stick. ¡°Greetings, Princess.¡± Princess Ni Yang slowly alighted from the carriage with the help of her maidservant. Her head was wrapped in a red veil, covering most of her face, revealing only a pair of flirtatious phoenix eyes. Wang Jianan suppressed the nervousness and apprehension in his heart and turned to make way. When Princess Ni Yang walked through the door with her men, he followed with his walking stick. He said as he walked, ¡°It¡¯s an emergency. Your Highness, please follow me to the study for a secret discussion.¡± Princess Ni Yang said nothing and nodded slightly in agreement. They arrived at the study door. Wang Jianan asked the others to wait outside. Only he, Princess Ni Yang, and a few maidservants beside her entered the study. After Princess Ni Yang sat down, she looked at Wang Jianan, wanting to hear what he wanted to say. Wang Jianan closed the door and gave Princess Ni Yang an apologetic smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was forced. Please forgive me, Your Highness.¡± Princess Ni Yang¡¯s eyes revealed confusion. Immediately after, she saw Wei Liao jump down from the beam and a few Sky Wolf Guards rush out from behind the screen. They drew their sabers and aimed the des at Princess Ni Yang. Princess Ni Yang suddenly stood up and the maidservants beside her shouted. ¡°There¡¯s an assassination! Save the princess!¡± Unfortunately, there was no response outside the door. Wei Liao smiled triumphantly. ¡°Stop shouting! It¡¯s useless. We¡¯ve already controlled the guards you brought. Now, no one will save you even if you scream your throat out.¡± Princess Ni Yang red at him. Her body trembled slightly, but she said nothing. The maids beside her had already turned pale with fear and were at a loss. Wei Liao that some thing was wrong. Princess Ni Yang had not said a word since she entered the door. That didn¡¯t sound like her. He stopped smiling and lifted the veil off Princess Ni Yang¡¯s face with the tip of his knife. What was revealed was an unfamiliar face. She was not Princess Ni Yang at all! Wei Liao and Wang Jianan¡¯s expressions changed at the same time. Wang Jianan was in disbelief. ¡°How can this be?!¡± This woman¡¯s eyes were extremely simr to Princess Ni Yang¡¯s, and her height was almost the same. After deliberately dressing up, she was no different from the real Princess Ni Yang, so Wang Jianan could not recognize her. Wei Liao cursed inwardly. Princess Ni Yang was not here. She was probably still in the princess¡¯s residence. Yu Niaoniao, Lo Pingsha, and the others were in danger if they stayed in the residence! He made a prompt decision and ordered. ¡°Go to the princess¡¯s residence!¡± In the Drunken Fairy Building, Xiao Juan waited for a long time but did not see Yuan Gui appear. His heart was filled with doubts. Worried that the n had changed, he ordered someone to go to the County Governor¡¯s Mansion and the Princess¡¯s Mansion to investigate. At the same time, Lo Pingsha had rushed to the vicinity of the study. He saw that the study door was guarded. There were only two of them. He was confident he could handle it. He pretended to have been lost and walked towards the study door, but was stopped by two guards. ¡°This is not a ce for you. Please leave immediately!¡± Lo Pingsha hurriedly apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not familiar with this ce and took the wrong path. May I ask which way to the reception hall?¡± The guards pointed casually. ¡°That way!¡± ¡°Can you just walk straight that way? Don¡¯t you need to turn?¡± The guards were impatient. ¡°Why are you talking so much nonsense? Leave quickly, or don¡¯t me us for being rude!¡± Lo Pingsha pretended to be frightened and terrified, but in the next moment, he raised his hand and threw out two silver needles. The silver needles pierced into the two guards. Before they could cry out, their vision darkened and they fainted. Lo Pingsha took the keys from them and opened the study door. He pushed it open and walked in, only to see that the study was empty. There was no sign of Yu Niaoniao. He was greatly surprised. Where had she gone? Had she already sneaked out? Lo Pingsha was puzzled. He was about to search carefully again when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside. It was as if a lot of people were rushing over. Shocked, Lo Pingsha hurried out of the study. He realized that there were indeed arge number of guards gathered outside. Princess Ni Yang, who should have left the princess¡¯s residence, was standing among the guards. She was dressed very differently today. She was no longer wearing a red dress, but a ck riding outfit. She had a sword at her waist and the tall and powerful tiger beside her. Princess Ni Yang curled her red lips and smiled. ¡°Do you know the consequences of trespassing in my study without permission Chapter 489 - 489: Leaving a Clue Chapter 489: Leaving a Clue Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Lo Pingsha¡¯s heart had sunk to the bottom. Although he did not understand why Princess Ni Yang was here, he knew that she would definitely not let him off. If he wanted to leave this ce, he could only fight to the death. Lo Pingsha gripped his saber tightly. ¡°I just want to find the Princess Consort. I have something very important to discuss with her in person. If I¡¯ve offended you, please forgive me, Your Highness.¡± Princess Ni Yang said, ¡°Niaoniao is very busy now and doesn¡¯t have time to see you. If you have anything to say, you can tell me. I¡¯ll help you tell her.¡± ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. There¡¯s no need to trouble you. I¡¯ll look for her when the Princess Consort is free. Goodbye.¡± As Lo Pingsha spoke, he moved to the side. Princess Ni Yang touched the big tiger beside her and said gently. ¡°Hungry, aren¡¯t you? Go find something to eat.¡± With that, she released the chain around the big tiger. After the big tiger regained its freedom, it immediately pounced on Lo Pingsha! Lo Pingsha drew his knife and swept it across, cutting a wound on the tiger¡¯s forelimbs. Blood flowed. The pain stimted the tiger, causing it to be ferocious. It pounced at Lo Pingsha at an even faster speed! Lo Pingsha retreated quickly as he took out the quiver he carried. The quiver was pulled open, and an arrow with sparks shot straight into the sky with a piercing whistle. When the Eagle Guards scattered in the residence heard this voice, they immediately rushed in Lo Pingsha¡¯s direction. When the Eagle Guards arrived, they saw Lo Pingsha fighting the big tiger. Both sides were injured. Princess Ni Yang stood at the side and watched the show. When she saw the Eagle Guards arrive, she did not feel nervous. She still looked rxed and calm. ¡°Everyone¡¯s here. Just in time. It saves me the trouble of looking for you one by one.¡± She raised her hand and ordered. ¡°Take them all down.¡± The guards of the princess¡¯s residence immediately rushed forward and fought the Eagle Guards. Amidst the shes of light, people kept falling, mixed with the roar of a tiger. In the study, Yu Niaoniao came out of the secret passage and was immediately shocked when she heard themotion outside. She walked quickly to the door and looked out. The courtyard was filled with people. Lo Pingsha and a group of Eagle Guards were surrounded by the guards of the princess¡¯s residence. She wanted to help Lo Pingsha, but she did not know martial arts. Rushing out now would only increase the burden on the Eagle Guards. Princess Ni Yang ?eyes were extremely sharp. Even though there were people in front of her, her gaze still passed through the many figures, and saw Yu Niaoniao hiding at the door. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s gaze met hers, and her heart skipped a beat. Oh no, she had been discovered! Yu Niaoniao immediately retracted her head. If Princess Ni Yang knew that her secret had been discovered by her, she would definitely kill her! She ran toward the window, nning to escape through it. She wanted to look for Xiao Juan and Wei Liao and ask them to hurry back to save Lo Pingsha. Unexpectedly, the window was locked from the outside and could not be pushed open at all! Yu Niaoniao returned to the door and saw Princess Ni Yang striding towards the study under the escort of the guards. What should she do? Yu Niaoniao forced herself to calm down and thought quickly. Although she could not go out now and could not see Xiao Juan, she knew he would definitelye here to look for her. She had to leave him some clues! Yu Niaoniao ran to the desk, picked up her brush, and quickly wrote the words Chillywind Valley on the paper. There was no time to wait for the ink to dry. She took off the other golden earring from her ear and wrapped it in the paper, kneading it into a small ball. She ran to the bed again and poked a hole in the window paper with her fingers. Then she threw the ball of paper hard through the hole. There was a small garden outside the window. After the ball of paper flew out, itnded in the grass. At the same time, Princess Ni Yang walked into the study. ¡°Niaoniao, what are you doing?¡± Yu Niaoniao forced herself to remain calm. ¡°I want to open the window to get some air, but this window is locked. I can¡¯t push it open.¡± Princess Ni Yang¡¯s gaze circled the room before stopping on the bookshelf. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart was in her throat. Was she going to be discovered? Princess Ni Yang slowly walked to the bookshelf and reached out to touch the mouth of the vase beside her. Just as Yu Niaoniao thought that she had been exposed, she saw Princess Ni Yang¡¯s hand leave the vase andnd on the bookshelf. She pulled a book from the shelf. Yu Niaoniao heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed that she had not been exposed. Princess Ni Yang casually opened the book and asked casually. ¡°Niaoniao, what were you doing when I wasn¡¯t around?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Reading.¡± Princess Ni Yang ced the book back on the shelf. ¡°How obedient.¡± She turned to look at Yu Niaoniao and smiled. ¡°Since you¡¯re so obedient, let me take you somewhere.¡± Yu Niaoniao still remembered that Princess Ni Yang had said something simr to herst time. In the end, she was brought to the Bestial Battle Arena by Princess Ni Yang and had to watch a bloody beast fight with her own eyes. That experience made Yu Niaoniao ufortable for a long time. Now that she heard that Princess Ni Yang was taking her somewhere, she instinctively felt uneasy. It was definitely not going to be a good ce. She didn¡¯t want to go. She turned the vase, and the bookshelf slowly opened, revealing the secret door hidden behind it. Seeing that the situation was bad, Yu Niaoniao wanted to run, but she was caught by the guards. She recalled the defensive technique Xiao Juan had given her and mmed her elbow into a guard¡¯s heart. While the guard rxed his grip, she quickly retracted her hand, then grabbed the thumb of one of the guards and pulled it out. The guard cried out in pain. Yu Niaoniao broke free and rushed towards the door, shouting at the same time. ¡°Little Lo¡­ Before she could finish shouting, another guard grabbed the back of her neck from behind. She felt her vision go ck and she fell straight down. Princess Ni Yang took out the key she carried with her and was about to open the brass lock when she identally realized that the keyhole had been pried open. She immediately turned and looked at the unconscious Yu Niaoniao. While she was gone, Yu Niaoniao was the only one in the study. The only person who could discover the secret door and pry open the brass lock was Yu Niaoniao. Princess Ni Yang suddenly smiled, and her eyes were filled with admiration. ¡°As expected of you. You discovered my hidden secret so quickly.¡± She unlocked the brass lock, pushed open the secret door, and instructed the guards around her. ¡°Bring her.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± A guard bent down and carried Yu Niaoniao over his shoulder. Then, Princess Ni Yang ordered someone to set a fire. The study was filled with books. Once the fire rose, it quickly spread and turned into a raging fire. Princess Ni Yang led her men into the secret passage. When the secret door closed, Princess Ni Yang left a few guards behind and asked them to seal the secret door with mud and stones before blocking the entire secret passage with stones. In this way, no one could enter this secret passage again.. Chapter 490 - 490: Madness Chapter 490: Madness Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan and Wei Liao rushed back to the princess¡¯s residence as quickly as possible and realized that thick smoke was rising from the residence. The servants in the residence were escaping in a panic. Among them were Ling Hai, Ling Miao, and Wang Jun. When they saw Duke Lang, they cried as if they had seen a life-saving straw. ¡°Your Highness, the Princess Consort and Lord Lo haven¡¯te out yet! Hurry up and save her!¡± Xiao Juan arranged for a few Eagle Guards to stay with the three children and then rushed towards the study with his men. Wei Liao followed without thinking. The closer they got to the study, the more intense the fire became. When they arrived near the study, they realized that the entire study had been engulfed by mes. Even the nearby rooms were affected and ignited. Lo Pingsha was still fighting the guards of the princess¡¯s residence with the Eagle Guards. Both sides were already at the end of their rope. As for the big tiger called Rouge, it had already been seriously injured and fallen to the ground. The arrival of Xiao Juan and Wei Liao greatly increased the strength of the Eagle Guards. In just a few moves, they settled all the guards. Xiao Juan asked anxiously. ¡°Where¡¯s Niaoniao?¡± Lo Pingsha clutched the wound in his shoulder and panted. ¡°I went into the study to look for her, but I didn¡¯t see her. I thought she had escaped.¡± ¡°However, when I was dealing with the guards of the princess¡¯s residence just now, I heard the Princess Consort shout.¡± ¡°It sounded like it wasing from the study.¡± Hearing this, Xiao Juan and Wei Liao turned to look at the study at the same time. At this moment, the study had already be a sea of mes. Those mes were like ferocious beasts baring their fangs and brandishing their ws. As long as anyone dared to enter, they would immediately be devoured. Xiao Juan wanted to rush into the sea of fire without thinking. He had told himself more than once that it didn¡¯t matter if Niaoniao didn¡¯t love him. As long as she was alive and well, as long as she was willing to stay by his side, he was satisfied. He would give her everything she wanted. But now, even hisst hope was shattered. After Niaoniao left, he would be left alone in this world. No one would rack her brains to make him happy or eat and chat with him. A beam of light had just risen in his life. Before he could grab it, it was extinguished. He couldn¡¯t ept this ending. Lo Pingsha and Yan Nanguan hurriedly pulled him back. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t be rash!¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. He stared fixedly at the study and ordered word by word. ¡°Let go!¡± If it were any other time, Lo Pingsha and Yan Nanguan would definitely retract their hands in fear. However, no matter how afraid they were now, they had to grit their teeth and hold on to Duke Lang tightly, not letting him die. Wei Liao stared nkly at the study, his eyes zing. He felt an indescribable difort in his heart. It was as if a hole had been torn in his heart. A cold wind blew through the hole. The chill seeped into his bones, almost freezing the blood. He couldn¡¯t believe it. Was Niaoniao really dead? Surely not? It was said that a scourge would live for a thousand years. A scourge like her would definitely live for more than ten thousand years. As he thought about it, his feet involuntarily walked toward the study. When the Sky Wolf Guards noticed Wei Liao¡¯s abnormal actions, they were shocked and hurriedly pulled him back. They did not understand. It was fine if Duke Lang went berserk after the Princess Consort of Lang County got into trouble, but why was Vice General Wei also crazy? Lo Pingsha spoke through the pain. ¡°Princess Ni Yang hasn¡¯te out since she entered the study. She should have set this fire. It¡¯s impossible for her to set fire to herself, so I guess there¡¯s a secret passage hidden in the study.¡± These words woke Xiao Juan up. If there was a secret passage, Niaoniao might not be dead. He immediately ordered, ¡°Put out the fire!¡± For the first time, the Eagle Guards and the Sky Wolf Guards united. They worked together to extinguish the fire. Jinwu City had very few water resources, but it had a lot of sand and stones. They transported arge amount of sand and stones into the princess¡¯s residence and poured them into the study. The mes were suppressed bit by bit. It was not until the sun set and it was almost dark that the fire waspletely extinguished. Xiao Juan and Wei Liao led their men and searched the study. There were no corpses. This meant that Yu Niaoniao and Princess Ni Yang had already left. They were still alive. Yan Nanguan suddenly shouted. ¡°There¡¯s a secret door here!¡± Xiao Juan and Wei Liao immediately ran over. The bookshelves that had been against the wall copsed from the fire. After the Eagle Guards moved the shelves, they discovered the secret door hidden behind them. However, no matter how hard they tried, they could not push open the secret door. Xiao Juan reached out and knocked on the secret door. When he heard the dull sound, he could not help but frown. ¡°There¡¯s a wall behind the door. Someone must have blocked it.¡± Yan Nanguan asked, ¡°Then what should we do?¡± As long as they knew where the secret passage behind the door led, they would know where Niaoniao had been taken. How could Xiao Juan give up just like that? He ordered in a low voice, ¡°Break this wall!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Yan Nanguan got someone to find tools and prepare to smash the wall. Yan Nanguan got someone to find tools and prepare to smash the wall. Soon, they summoned heavy hammers and began to smash the wall. The wall shook from the impact and quickly formed a huge hole. However, the oue was not satisfactory. Even though the wall had been broken, the secret passage behind had been blocked by sand and stones. Seeing this, the usually calm Yan Nanguan could not help but curse. ¡°These sons of bitches!¡± Xiao Juan did not give up. Behind this wall was a rockery. He ordered someone to chisel open the rockery. He had to figure out where the secret passage inside led to! At this moment, the sky waspletely dark. The Eagle Guards and Sky Wolf Guards were still busy. All of them were sweating profusely from exhaustion. Wang Jianan rushed to the princess¡¯s residence. At his age, his vision was poor and his legs were inconvenient, but he still came for his grandson. Seeing his thin grandson, Wang Jianan was so excited that tears streamed down his face. He held his grandson for a long time until someone beside him reminded him. ¡°Don¡¯t forget the business, sir.¡± Only then did Wang Jianan let go of his grandson reluctantly. He asked his trusted aide to keep an eye on Wang Jun before bringing people into the princess¡¯s residence and finding the Eagle Guards and Heavenly Wolf Guards who were still digging the rockery. ¡°Your Highness, why are you still here?¡± ¡°Yuan Gui surrounded the entire Jinwu City with his troops. He said that you plotted to assassinate Princess Ni Yang and kill your biological mother.¡± ¡°He even told the entire city that anyone who could hand over your head would receive a reward of a thousand taels of silver.¡¯ ¡°If they don¡¯t see your head in three days, they¡¯ll break into the city. It would be a fierce battle when the time came. There would definitely be countless casualties. The citizens in the city did not want to fight. They were looking for you in groups Quickly hide!¡± Wang Jianan did not want to fight, but he was someone who knew the inside story. He knew that Duke Lang had been wronged. Moreover, Duke Lang saved his grandson. He could not be ungrateful. Wei Liao stabbed the shovel in his hand into the soil and asked with a faint smile. ¡°Duke Lang, do you think they¡¯ll agree if I exchange your life for that of the princess?¡± Yan Nanguan and Lo Pingsha immediately red at him. ¡°Stoping up with bad ideas!¡± Chapter 491 - 491: Beat Him At His Own Game Chapter 491: Beat Him At His Own Game Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Wang Jianan was anxious. ¡°Why are you still fighting among yourselves at a time like this? Run!¡± Wei Liao asked, ¡°Where can we go? They¡¯ve already surrounded Jinwu City. Unless we grow wings, we can¡¯t leave Jinwu City.¡± Xiao Juan said expressionlessly, ¡°Then don¡¯t leave.¡± Wang Jianan said anxiously, ¡°Then won¡¯t we have to wait for death?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯ve already sent someone to send a secret letter. The reinforcements should be here soon. Continue digging. You must find the secret passage!¡± Wei Liao was surprised. ¡°When did you send the secret letter?¡± ¡°Before we executed the n.¡± Xiao Juan was used to preparing for the worst. Of course, he had to be sufficiently prepared for an important matter like assassinating Princess Ni Yang. Yuan Gui had a lot of troops, but the Imperial Court had even more. If they really fought, it was still uncertain who would win in the end. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, they still had a chance to turn the tables. Xiao Juan raised his hammer and smashed it fiercely at the rockery. A hole was punched in the mountain rock, and gravel fell. His arms were already sore and numb, and there was faint blood seeping out from between his thumb and index finger. However, he could not stop. He had to find the secret passage. He had to save Niaoniao! His heart filled with regret. He should not have let Niaoniao meet Princess Ni Yang. He should have guarded her at all times and not let her leave him even a step! Wei Liao flicked his arm and said nothing else. He picked up the shovel again and continued digging. Seeing this, the others also got busy. Lo Pingsha was injured and could not join the team digging the rockery. He could only wander around to see if he could find any useful clues. The night was dark and the moon was hazy. Lo Pingsha held thentern, his eyes wide as he carefully searched every inch. Suddenly, he felt something under his feet, as if he had stepped on something. He raised his foot, then bent down and reached out to push through the grass. In the dim light, he saw a paper ball lying quietly in the grass. He picked up the ball of paper and unfolded it. He found a golden earring wrapped inside. There were also three words written on the paper in very scrawled handwriting¡ª Chillywind Valley. Lo Pingsha looked up and around and saw the study window not far away. The window had long been burned beyond recognition. But Lo Pingsha already had a guess. He rushed to find Duke Lang with the paper and gold earring. ¡°Your Highness, I found the clues left behind by the Princess Consort!¡± His shout immediately made everyone stop. Everyone looked at him in unison. Xiao Juan threw it away and took the paper and gold earring with his bleeding fingers. Although the handwriting was messy, he recognized it at a nce. It was Niaoniao¡¯s handwriting! She had worn earrings too. Niaoniao was telling him that she had been brought to the Chillywind Valley. Xiao Juan stuffed the note and earrings into his arms and said in a low voice. ¡°Get out of the city and go to Chillywind Valley!¡± Wang Jianan hurriedly reminded him, ¡°The city gate has long been blocked from the outside. Now, the city wall is filled with archers arranged by Yuan Gui. As soon as we appear, we¡¯ll be shot by them.¡± Xiao Juan turned to look at Wei Liao. ¡°I ept your suggestion just now.¡± Wei Liao was stunned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Don¡¯t they just want my life? If you tie me up and send me to them, will they reject?¡± Wei Liao immediately understood what he meant. ¡°Are you nning to beat him at his own game?¡± Yan Nanguan was a little uneasy. ¡°But this is too dangerous. If anything goes wrong, His Highness will really die.¡± Xiao Juan was determined. ¡°Time is tight. I have to leave the city immediately to save Niaoniao.¡± He looked around at everyone and spoke in a low voice. ¡°I need someone to help me send me to Yuan Gui now. I wonder which of you can help me?¡± Yan Nanguan and Lo Pingsha immediately stood up. ¡°We can!¡± Wei Liao sneered. ¡°The two of you are Duke Lang¡¯s trusted aides. The entire world knows that you are loyal to him. Yuan Gui is not a fool. How can he believe you?¡± Although Yan Nanguan and Lo Pingsha were angry, they did not refute. Because what the other party said made sense. Wei Liao crossed his arms. ¡°I¡¯m willing to help, but Yuangui already knows that I¡¯m in cahoots with Duke Lang. He definitely won¡¯t believe me.¡± Wang Jianan hesitated. ¡°Why don¡¯t I go?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°You betrayed Princess Ni Yang and Yuan Gui. If Yuan Gui sees you, he might kill you.¡± Wang Jianan immediately stopped talking. He had yet to settle his grandson down. He could not die yet. At that moment, a slightly childish voice sounded. ¡°Let us go!¡± Everyone made way, revealing Ling Hai and Ling Miao standing at the back of the crowd. The siblings held hands and strode towards Duke Lang. ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯re children. They won¡¯t be too wary of us.¡± ¡°We usually hid in the backyard of the princess¡¯s residence and rarely appeared in front of others. Not to mention Yuan Gui, even Princess Ni Yang had never seen us. They definitely won¡¯t know us.¡± Wei Liao stroked his chin. ¡°They¡¯re indeed good candidates.¡± Xiao Juan looked at the Ling siblings in front of him and asked solemnly. ¡°This is very dangerous. Are you sure you want to go?¡± Ling Hai said, ¡°As long as we can leave this ce and capture Princess Ni Yang, we might be able to find our family. As long as we can see our family again, we can bear any danger!¡± Ling Miao nodded vigorously, agreeing with her brother. Xiao Juan had never liked children. The reason why he took in these two children back then was because Niaoniao was soft-hearted. He usually ignored the two children, but now that he saw how they looked without hesitation, he could not help but be moved. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave this to you.¡± Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night. The entire Jinwu City was in a panic. No one could sleep peacefully. The streets were empty. Themoners had their doors and windows closed, not daring to go out for fear of being implicated. Ling Hai and Ling Miao pulled the handcart all the way through the streets and alleys before finally stopping near the city gate. The archers on the city wall immediately pulled back their bowstrings and aimed their arrows at the Ling siblings. Ling Hai hurriedly raised his hands to show that he had no ill intentions. He shouted, ¡°Officers, don¡¯t shoot arrows. I¡¯m here to collect my reward!¡± A momentter, the armored Yuan Gui appeared by the window of the city tower. He looked down at Ling Hai and asked. ¡°What reward do you want?¡± Ling Hai said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that as long as we capture Duke Lang, we¡¯ll get a reward of a thousand taels? I brought him here. Shouldn¡¯t you give us the reward?¡± Hearing this, everyone on the city wall stirred. Yuan Gui¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°You really captured Duke Lang? Why should I believe you?¡± Chapter 492 - 492: Aren ‘t You Dead? Chapter 492: Aren ¡®t You Dead? Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Ling Hai and Ling Miao worked together and lifted the straw mat covering the handcart, revealing the man lying under it. Even from a distance, under the moonlight, Yuan Gui could still see clearly that the man was Duke Lang, Xiao Juan! These two children had really brought Duke Lang here! Yuan Gui was very surprised, but at the same time, he was a little suspicious. He was afraid that there was a trap, so he did not act rashly and asked. ¡°How did you capture Duke Lang?¡± ¡°To be honest, we¡¯re two wandering beggars who happened to be taken in by Duke Lang. However, he treated us extremely harshly and let his subordinates bully us.¡± ¡°We had long intended to escape. Today, there was suddenly a fire in the princess¡¯s residence. The residence was in chaos. We siblings seized the opportunity to escape.¡± ¡°On the way, we bumped into Duke Lang. He was looking for the county princess and asking if we had seen her. I lied to him and said I knew where the princess consort was.¡± ¡°He really believed me and asked me to quickly bring him to see the County Princess. We took him somewhere private and stabbed him in the heart when he was unprepared.¡± As Ling Hai spoke, he pointed at Xiao Juan¡¯s heart. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, look for yourself. The dagger is still in him!¡± Yuan Gui looked over and indeed saw a dagger inserted in Xiao Juan¡¯s heart. The wound had already stopped bleeding, but the clothes on Xiao Juan¡¯s chest had long been dyed dark red by blood. The truth was right in front of him. Yuan Gui had no choice but to believe it. He told Ling Hai and Ling Miao to stand still and then spoke to the deputy general beside him. ¡°Go down and take a look.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The deputy general led the two men down the stairs. Their footsteps hurried down the city tower to the handcart. They first reached out to check Xiao Juan¡¯s breathing. He was indeed dead. Then, they checked the wound on Xiao Juan¡¯s chest and confirmed that it was real. The deputy general gripped the hilt of the dagger and pulled it out. A string of bright red blood beads flew out. Ling Miao was very afraid and hurriedly hid behind her brother. Ling Hai was not nervous at all and even took the initiative to speak. ¡°Go ahead and check, sir. We swear we¡¯re not lying.¡± The deputy general looked at Xiao Juan, who was lying motionless on the handcart, and already believed what Ling Hai said. It seemed that Duke Lang was really dead. Who would have thought? The famous Duke Lang had actually died at the hands of two unknown children. No one would believe this. The deputy general casually threw the dagger aside and wiped the blood on the back of his hand on his shirt twice. Then he took out a stack of banknotes from his sleeve. ¡°Here¡¯s your reward. Take it.¡± The moment Ling Hai saw the banknotes, his eyes lit up. He was like a real money-grubber. He grabbed the banknote tightly and kept thanking him. ¡°Thank you, sir! Thank you!¡± Then he pulled his sister and ran away quickly. The soldier beside him could not help but ask. ¡°General, are we just going to let them go?¡± The deputy general said indifferently, ¡°They¡¯re just two brats. There¡¯s no need to waste time on them. The most important thing now is Duke Lang. The two of you, carry the corpse up for themandant to see.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Two soldiers lifted Xiao Juan and strode towards the city gate tower. Yuan Gui ced his hands behind his back and walked back and forth in the house. He immediately asked when he saw the deputy general return with his men. ¡°How¡¯s the situation? Is it really Duke Lang?¡± The deputy general said, ¡°I¡¯ve already verified that it¡¯s indeed Duke Lang. We even brought him back!¡± Hearing this, Yuan Gui was shocked and hurriedly retreated. He reached out and pressed the saber at his waist, looking like he was about to draw it at any moment. The deputy general hurriedly exined. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. Duke Lang is already dead. We brought back a corpse. It can¡¯t hurt you.¡± Yuan Gui let go of the hilt and cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯m not nervous. Where¡¯s the body?¡± The deputy general asked his two soldiers to carry the corpse into the house. The body was ced. Yuan Gui walked over to take a closer look and was overjoyed to find that Xiao Juan was really dead. ¡°Sure! That¡¯s great!¡± Ever since he found out that the wretched emperor had sent Duke Lang to Liangzhou, he had been uneasy. He was afraid that the secret of him and Princess Ni Yang secretly colluding and plotting a rebellion would be discovered. Now that Duke Lang was dead, no one could threaten him anymore. He would soon be able to take over the entire Liangzhou and establish himself as a king. In the future, he would annex the nearby territory step by step until he took the entire Dayan for himself! The deputy general was very discerning. He immediately knelt on one knee and congratted him. ¡°Congrattions, Captain, on getting rid of your greatest worry! ¡± The others in the room knelt down and congratted themandant in unison. Yuan Gui¡¯s face lit up. ¡°We resolved Duke Lang without spending a single soldier. This matter has to be recorded so it will go down in history in the future.¡± The deputy general ttered him. ¡°Of course!¡± Yuan Gui circled Xiao Juan twice again. Seeing that the saber hanging in his suite was very good, he could not help but bend down and reach out to take it, muttering. ¡°This should be the legendary No Return Saber, right? I heard that as long as it¡¯s unsheathed, it must see blood. Wouldn¡¯t it be a pity to lose such a divine weapon? Why don¡¯t you leave it for me as a souvenir¡­¡± Before he could finish, he saw Xiao Juan, who was supposed to be dead, suddenly open his eyes. Before he could react, Xiao Juan had already pulled out the No Return Saber and pressed the de against Yuan Gui¡¯s neck. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Yuan Gui felt the chill on his neck and trembled in fear. Afraid that his neck would be severed, he didn¡¯t dare move. The deputy general and the others were also shocked. They hurriedly pulled out their sabers and aimed them at Xiao Juan. Yuan Gui asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Aren¡¯t you dead?¡± Xiao Juan was naturally not really dead. The wound in his chest looked deep, but it was less than an inch. It was still a distance from his heart. Coupled with Lo Pingsha stopping the bleeding in time, it was not fatal at all. Just now, he had taken Lo Pingsha¡¯s special pill to make his breathing very weak. He was using his internal energy to hold his breath and make himself appear very dead. As for the dagger in his heart, it was actually a retractable knife. Only a portion of the tip of the knife stabbed into Xiao Juan¡¯s chest, but because a portion of its knife had been retracted, outsiders would think that the dagger had pierced very deep. Xiao Juan had already stood up. He held the knife in one hand and pressed the other on Yuan Gui¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Open the gates if you don¡¯t want to die.¡± Yuan Gui suppressed his fear, ¡°Do you want your subordinates to leave Jinwu City? That¡¯s impossible. I won¡¯t let them leak the news!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re not afraid of death?¡± Yuan Gui gritted his teeth. ¡°If I die, don¡¯t even think about leaving here alive!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll send you on your way first.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he shed out with the No Return Saber in his hand. Before Yuan Gui could even cry out, a deep wound appeared on his neck.. Chapter 493 - 493: Unfair Chapter 493: Unfair Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios When Yu Niaoniao woke up, she realized that she was lying on arge carved bed. There was soft bedding under her, and she could smell a faint fragrance. She ced one hand on the bed and slowly sat up. Then she raised her hand to the back of her neck. After a brief nkness in her mind, she gradually remembered what had happened before she fainted. She immediately became nervous. Princess Ni Yang already knew that she had entered the secret passage. Would she be silenced? Yu Niaoniao looked around warily. This was an exquisitely decorated boudoir. The candles on the table were burning quietly. The incense burner was still emitting faint green smoke. There was a thick wool carpet on the ground. The room was empty except for her. Where was she? Yu Niaoniao got out of bed and realized that she was only wearing a piece of loose light-colored innerwear. The hairpin in her hair had been removed, and her long ck hair hung straight behind her. She casually pulled the outer shirt hanging from the hanger and wrapped it around her. Then she picked up the brush on the desk and quickly tied her waist-length hair into a bun. She looked down at her bare feet and back at the bed. There was no sign of shoes. There were no shoes in this room. Yu Niaoniao could only walk to the door barefooted. The door was closed. She had expected it to be locked from the outside. However, she pushed it open with a gentle push. This surprised her and made her even more uneasy. Princess Ni Yang had kidnapped her here but did not lock the door. This could only mean that Princess Ni Yang was not worried that she could escape at all. She stuck her head out and looked out. There was a long corridor with pce lights hanging under it. There were no stars or moon in this ce, let alone the sun. One could only rely on the lights. Yu Niaoniao extended a foot and crossed the threshold. She stepped on the white marble floor. The coldness made her shiver. She gritted her teeth and put her other foot out. The feeling of stepping barefoot on white marble could be said to be heart-piercing. But now was not the time to fuss over such small matters. Yu Niaoniao found a direction and ran forward quickly. She wanted to find out what this ce was. How could she get out of there? At the end of the corridor was a door. She pushed open the door and walked in. What greeted her was the dazzling pce room. Princess Ni Yang was trying on a dragon robe tailored for her. Four or five pce maids surrounded her and helped her tidy her skirt and bun. Hearing amotion behind her, Princess Ni Yang turned around. She saw Yu Niaoniao, who had suddenly barged in, and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake.¡± Although Yu Niaoniao had long known the secret of Princess Ni Yang wanting to be an emperor, she could not help but be stunned on the spot. The dragon robe on Princess Ni Yang had been modified, and the style had be more suitable for women. When it was worn on Princess Ni Yang, it could highlight her figure as a woman and give her an imposing aura that made people not dare to look at her directly. She raised her right hand and her wide sleeve waved gently. ¡°Come, help me take a look at this outfit. Is there anything else I need to change?¡± The surrounding pce maids silently retreated to the side. Yu Niaoniao braced herself and walked over. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you dressed like this. It feels strange.¡± Princess Ni Yang raised her hand to adjust the golden dragon hairpin on her head and asked with a smile, ¡°Then do you think I¡¯m suitable for this outfit?¡± She had to bow her head. Yu Niaoniao praised, ¡°You¡¯re as beautiful as a fairy. You look good even in a sack. ¡± Princess Ni Yangughed out loud. ¡°You¡¯re so sweet.¡± She extended her right hand to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Come, it¡¯s rare for you toe. I¡¯ll show you around.¡± Yu Niaoniao could not wait to look around and explore the terrain. She immediately replied, ¡°Okay.¡± She ced her right hand in Princess Ni Yang¡¯s. The two of them walked out of the pce hand in hand. Walking out of the door, she saw a group of pces as far as the eye could see. In the distance, she could even see high pce walls. But magically, it was still dark above their heads. They could see neither moon nor stars nor the sun. They could only rely onnterns and torches for illumination. Princess Ni Yang was very proud of her sess. ¡°How is it? It¡¯s not bad here, is it?¡± Yu Niaoniao said sincerely, ¡°It¡¯s too spectacr.¡± She was sure that this was not the pce, but everything here was extremely simr to the pce, like a miniature high-quality imitation of the pce. Building such a ce would require a lot of manpower and financial resources, not to mention time. It could be seen that Princess Ni Yang¡¯s n to be the emperor had been confirmed a long time ago. Princess Ni Yang led her up the steps and strolled along the pce path while chatting. ¡°At this point, I¡¯m sure you know that I don¡¯t want to be just a princess. I want to ascend the throne like those men and rule the world.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked carefully, ¡°Isn¡¯t it good to be a princess?¡± Princess Ni Yang asked, ¡°What¡¯s so good about it? Isn¡¯t it just that you don¡¯t have to worry about food and clothing?¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Wasn¡¯t it enough to live in luxury? This was the dream of many people! Princess Ni Yang said unhurriedly. ¡°My biological mother is the empress. I¡¯m the only legitimate daughter of thete emperor. In terms of background, none of those brothers couldpare to me.¡± ¡°In terms of talent, I¡¯m no worse than any of them. But because they¡¯re princes, and I¡¯m a princess, they would have a chance to be made heir apparent, while I could only be used as a bargaining chip in a marriage alliance with a man I didn¡¯t even know. ¡°Is that fair?¡± Yu Niaoniao said honestly, ¡°It¡¯s not fair.¡± Princess Ni Yang continued. ¡°My first Prince Consort was a great general with a strong military power of 300,000 men. Father decreed a marriage for us.¡± ¡°Not long after I married him, he was sent to fight and then died on the battlefield. It had not been more than three months.¡± ¡°After my Prince Consort died, my father naturally took back his military power. At that time, I was still young and did not think about how sinister the human heart could be.¡± ¡°It was not until muchter that I gradually understood the hidden trick. Myhad actually wanted to get rid of the great general who had made great contributions.¡± ¡°He had given me and the great general a marriage just to temporarily stabilize the great general and lower his guard against the emperor.¡± ¡°This was so that it would be convenient for my father¡¯s next n. As for whether the general had really died on the battlefield or was killed by someone else, no one knew.¡± ¡°Anyway, my father only treated me as a pawn from the beginning to the end. He wouldn¡¯t care how I felt. He wouldn¡¯t understand the pain of losing my consort so soon after marriage.¡± ¡°He only rewarded me with some things and felt that this matter could be over. I¡¯m a person, not some Tom, Dick, or Harry. As long as I¡¯m given some meat and bones, I have to forget the pain he caused me!¡± Yu Niaoniao felt sad. So paranoia wasn¡¯t just a trait of the current emperor. The previous emperor had been just as paranoid. This could be considered hereditary.. Chapter 494 - 494: Two Choices Chapter 494: Two Choices Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios There was hatred in Princess Ni Yang¡¯s eyes, but the corners of her mouth remained curled up, and her smile was filled with mockery. ¡°After my father passed away, the new emperor ascended the throne.¡± ¡°My brother was still young at that time and his foundation was unstable. In order to rope in the hearts of the people and stabilize my status, he decreed that I should marry Marquis Anxi.¡± ¡°Marquis Anxi was more than ten years older than me. His first wife had long passed away. He had once led troops to stop foreign enemies and protect the peace of the people in the northwest. He was very famous in the northwest.¡± ¡°What my brother wanted happened to be this reputation. It was not until I married Marquis Anxi that I found out that he was weak and sickly and would not live long.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure my brother knew about this long ago, but even if he knew, he still bestowed a marriage on me and Marquis Anxi. The emperor¡¯s order could not be disobeyed. Even if I was a princess, I could not divorce him.¡± ¡°Fortunately, Marquis Anxi was not a bad person. He was very considerate to me andforted me slightly. Later, I even developed a little affection for him.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, he had a short life. He died of illness a yearter. What was worse was that I didn¡¯t know I was pregnant until after he died.¡± ¡°In order to appease us, Imperial Brother nned to bring us back to the Imperial Capital. However, I learned my lesson this time. I knew that even if I returned to the Imperial Capital, there was very likely a third marriage waiting for me.¡± ¡°As long as I¡¯m not old and useless, my brother won¡¯t give up on using me. So I offered to stay in Liangzhou and not go anywhere.¡± ¡°If anyone dares to force me, I¡¯ll die with the child. My brother didn¡¯t dare to really force me to death. After all, he still wanted his reputation.¡± ¡°So he gave me Liangzhou as a fief. All the taxes in the fief will belong to me.¡± When Yu Niaoniao heard her finish, she realized that Xiao Juan was actually a remnant son. He had already lost his father before he was born. Princess Ni Yang lifted her skirt with one hand and held the handrail with the other as she slowly walked up the stairs. ¡°From then on, I understood a principle. If a person wanted to live with dignity, they had to firmly hold the choice in their hands. If you want to get the right to choose, you have to stand at the highest position.¡± She reached the fifth floor of the pce and stood by the window. She had a panoramic view of the small pce. ¡°Where is the highest ce? That¡¯s here, the highest point of the pce, the peak of power.¡± Yu Niaoniao stood beside her and looked at the small pce, but because the light was bad, she could not see it very clearly. Compared to her ambition for power, Yu Niaoniao felt more like the cold wind blowing at her. It was clearly autumn, but the temperature here was very low. It was as if winter had entered. Coupled with the fact that they were standing too high, it was even colder when the cold wind blew. Yu Niaoniao shrank her neck and rubbed her small hands. She asked softly, ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard that it¡¯s lonely at the top?¡± Princess Ni Yang sighed softly. ¡°If you stand too high alone and don¡¯t even have anyone to talk to, you will indeed be lonely.¡± ¡°Fortunately, I met you. The Phoenix Cry Nation you created is my ideal country.¡± ¡°No one has ever understood me as well as you do. I only hate myself for not Imowing you sooner. When I be the empress in the future, you will be my Imperial Preceptor.¡± Yu Niaoniao was shocked. She had made up Phoenix Cry Nation to disgust Wei Liao and those straight men. She did not expect Princess Ni Yang to take it seriously and even treat her as a confidante. She hurriedly refused. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness, but I know my limits. You can let me draw, but you really can¡¯t let me be the Imperial Preceptor. I don¡¯t have that ability. ¡± Princess Ni Yang did not mind. ¡°Those useless people who only know how to drink and y with women can be officials. Why can¡¯t you?¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her hand. ¡°I really can¡¯t. There are so many people in the world. You should find someone else.¡± Princess Ni Yang stopped smiling and her tone was sharp. ¡°Do you look down on me?¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly denied, ¡°No, no!¡± Princess Ni Yang said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you think like those stupid men that women can¡¯t be emperor?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I don¡¯t mean that. In my opinion, women are the same as men. Their status should be equal. Whether they¡¯re an official or an emperor, they should be upied by the capable. It has nothing to do with gender.¡± Princess Ni Yang was still unhappy. ¡°You¡¯re wrong! Men should be inferior to women. When I be emperor, I want to change all the officials in the court to women. In the future, only women can have three husbands and four concubines. Men can only obediently stay at home and do housework with their children. They have to abide by three obediences and four virtues. They¡¯re not allowed to show their faces or read and write.¡± Yu Niaoniao was thinking that although her worldview was warped, why do these words sound inexplicably satisfying? No, no! She could not be led astray. She coughed lightly and said solemnly. ¡°That might cause dissatisfaction among the men. What if they band together and rebel?¡± Princess Ni Yang said coldly, ¡°Then kill! I¡¯ll kill as many as theye until I kill all those rebels!¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless and could only praise. ¡°Your Highness is so bold.¡± Princess Ni Yang could tell at a nce that she was not sincere. ¡°You think my methods are too ruthless, but you don¡¯t know that those who achieve great things are stepping on countless bones. If I¡¯m not ruthless, how can I suppress those arrogant men?¡± Yu Niaoniao echoed, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re willing to be my Imperial Preceptor?¡± Yu Niaoniao choked. When did she say that she was willing to board this pirate Ship? She hurriedly distanced herself. ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary person. It¡¯s embarrassing.¡± Princess Ni Yang took a step forward and forced her. ¡®You have to understand that I¡¯m informing you, not consulting you. You have no right to refuse me.¡± Yu Niaoniao had no choice but to take a step back. ¡°I¡­ I understand.¡± She would give in verbally now and use this opportunity to stall for time. In the future, even if Princess Ni Yang was captured, they would not be able to identify her without evidence. Just as she was thinking this, she saw Princess Ni Yang get someone to bring a piece of paper. The paper was covered in words. ¡°This is your promise. As long as you sign and sign it, you will be my subordinate in the future. When I ascend to the throne in the future, you will be my Imperial Preceptor. I will definitely not mistreat you.¡± Yu Niaoniao was shocked. This person was prepared! If she signed it and it was exposed, the evidence would be irrefutable. She would not be able to clear her name even if she jumped into the Yellow River. If she were to be persecuted for the crime of treason, even Xiao Juan could not protect her. She definitely could not sign this! Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, right? We¡¯re so familiar with each other. There¡¯s no need for this formality.¡± Princess Ni Yang refused to give her a chance to bluff her way through. ¡°You only have two choices now. You can sign and sign obediently and celebrate with me.¡± ¡°Or I¡¯ll get someone to throw you down from here and leave you in pieces.¡± ¡°Take your pick..¡± Chapter 495 - 495 Water Prison Chapter 495 Water Prison Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao asked pitifully. ¡°Can I choose neither?¡± Princess Ni Yang smiled. Her tone was gentle, but the words she spat out were extremely domineering. ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± Yu Niaoniao made up her mind and closed her eyes, like a brave warrior about to die. ¡°I can¡¯t sign this!¡± The smile on Princess Ni Yang¡¯s face instantly disappeared. She emphasized her next words coldly. ¡°Throw her down.¡± Two guards immediately came forward, grabbed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s arms, and lifted her up, preparing to throw her out the window. Yu Niaoniao shouted in fear, ¡°No way? You¡¯re actually serious!¡± Princess Ni Yang said, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m joking with you?¡± Yu Niaoniao gripped the edge of the window tightly and refused to let go. ¡°I¡¯m your daughter-inw after all. Are you really going to kill me?!¡± Princess Ni Yang said, ¡°I can even kill my own son, let alone you, my daughter-inw. Throw her down.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°No, no, no! If I die, who will continue the story of Phoenix Cry Nation? If I die, you won¡¯t be able to see the finale of Phoenix Cry Nation for the rest of your life!¡± Princess Ni Yang did not care. ¡°I really like the story of The Record of Phoenix Cry Nation, but unfortunately, you don¡¯t know how to appreciate favors. In that case, I can only bear the pain and part with my love to let you bring The Record of Phoenix Cry Nation to Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You can¡¯t do this! We can talk things over!¡± Princess Ni Yang did not want to give her a chance to stall for time. She said, ¡°Clean it up.¡± Then, she turned around and prepared to go downstairs. Half of Yu Niaoniao¡¯s body was pushed out the window. Her nails were almost broken from gripping the edge of the window. At this critical moment of life and death, she suddenly remembered what Xiao Juan had once said to her¡ª Princess Ni Yang was a person with no empathy. Weakness and pleading were useless to her. The only way to keep her from killing her was to notpromise or beg for mercy. The more stubborn the other party was, the more she wanted to crush that person. Yu Niaoniao shouted at the top of her lungs. ¡°Do you know why I refused to sign? Because I know that your rebellion will definitely not seed this time! You have ambitions but no ability to govern the world. If I follow someone like you, I¡¯ll only die!¡± Princess Ni Yang suddenly stopped. She turned back and looked at Yu Niaoniao sharply. ¡°What did you say?¡± Seeing that Princess Ni Yang had returned, the guards could only pause. Half of Yu Niaoniao¡¯s body was in the room, and the other half was hanging in the air outside the window. She spoke with difficulty, ¡°You know very well what I¡¯m saying. You¡¯re cold and brutal, disregarding human life. As long as themoners of Liangzhou mentioned you, their faces would turn ashen and they would tremble. You¡¯re like the tiger you raised to them.¡± ¡°You know what a tiger is, right? It¡¯s a beast who eats people without spitting out their bones!¡± The guards shouted, ¡°How dare you!¡± Princess Ni Yang had never been criticized like this in person, and her expression turned extremely ugly. A guard advised, ¡°Your Highness, please calm down. I¡¯ll throw her down now to save her from talking nonsense.¡± Princess Ni Yang sneered, and her tone was sinister. ¡°It¡¯s too easy on her to kill her like this. Put her in a water cell.¡± Hearing this, Yu Niaoniao secretly heaved a sigh of relief. She didn¡¯t have to die for the time being. The so-called water prison was to trap a person in a pool. The depth of the pool was just below the prisoner¡¯s mouth. As long as the prisoner rxed a little, the water would reach his nose and make him unable to breathe. The prisoner would not feel anything for the time being, but after a long time, the prisoner¡¯s stamina and willpower would gradually weaken. His body would not be able to hold on and it would be extremely torturous. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hands were tied behind her back. Her body was soaked in cold water. There were stone walls around her and an iron fence above her head. She looked up and saw Princess Ni Yang standing at the edge of the pool through the fence. ¡°Are you angry because I hit the nail on the head?¡± Princess Ni Yang looked down at her. Along the way, Princess Ni Yang had calmed down a lot. ¡°I know. You¡¯re deliberately provoking me to stall for time.¡± Yu Niaoniaoughed. ¡°I admit that I did it on purpose, but I¡¯m telling the truth. You really don¡¯t have the potential to be a wise ruler.¡± Princess Ni Yang said, ¡°Do you think my brother can be considered a wise ruler if I can¡¯t be one? He¡¯s so suspicious. For the sake of power, he can even be ruthless to his own family. In terms of coldness, he¡¯s not inferior! ¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°He¡¯s suspicious, but at least he still knows how to cover up his evil deeds. However, in order to satisfy your selfish desires, you can trample on thew without restraint, fish themoners, and disregard human lives!¡± Princess Ni Yang¡¯s eyes revealed deep disappointment. ¡°I thought you would understand me very well, but it seems that I was wrong about you. You actually don¡¯t understand anything.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand. I don¡¯t understand why you can naturally ce yourself above others.¡± ¡°You were just born into a good family. What¡¯s so great about that?!¡± ¡°The delicacies you eat every day, the silk and satin you wear, and all the privileges you have were exchanged with the hard-earned money of themoners. ¡± ¡°It was difficult for themoners to eat and wear warm clothes, but they still had to hand over most of their annual harvest to the Imperial Court.¡± ¡°Those grains were exchanged for money and turned into imperial delicacies for you to eat, drink, and enjoy.¡± ¡°But you treated themoners as ants and trampled on them wantonly. If a person like you can be emperor, the Dayan Dynasty will really be finished!¡± Princess Ni Yang said coldly, ¡°You really dare to voice your thoughts.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°In any case, I¡¯m already like this. What¡¯s there not to say?¡± On ount of the other party¡¯s creation of The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation, Princess Ni Yang did not mind chatting with her a little more before she died. Princess Ni Yang said unhurriedly. ¡°You¡¯re a woman too. You should know very well. Men had always ced importance on fame and fortune. I wanted to fight my way out of so many men. I had to be even more cold and heartless than men.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to get rid of anyone who gets in my way. I also want everyone to see how miserable it is to be my enemy. Those who submit will prosper, and those who disobey will die!¡± ¡°This is the only way to intimidate those restless thieves. I thought you would understand all this. Unfortunately, you disappointed me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re like those mortals outside. You talk about benevolence and morality, but you actually don¡¯t know anything.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°To put it bluntly, you¡¯ll do anything to achieve your goal. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being notorious for generations? Princess Ni Yang asked, ¡°So what if I am? Those who achieved great things did not care about trifles. When I achieve great things in the future, who would remember what kind of person I used to be?¡± ¡°History had always been written by the victors.. In the future, all the people in the world will remember will be my great achievements!¡± Chapter 496 - 496: Pawn Chapter 496: Pawn Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios At this moment, Princess Ni Yang was extremely calm. The conviction in her heart was extremely firm. No matter what Yu Niaoniao said, it could not shake her at all. She looked down at Yu Niaoniao, who was locked in the water prison. Her gaze was no longer as gentle as before. It was as cold as ice. ¡°Do you have anything else to say? If not, I¡¯m leaving.¡± Yu Niaoniao knew that if she left, she would never return, and she would be trapped in this dark water prison. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly shouted. ¡°I have another question!¡± Princess Ni Yang asked, ¡°What question?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Back then, you threw Xiao Juan into a cage and forced him to fight the beasts. Did you really want him to die back then?¡± She still could not believe that a mother would want to kill her son for no reason. Princess Ni Yang seemed to be recalling something from a long time ago, and her gaze became a little distant. After a long moment, she spoke. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t want to kill him. I just wanted to do a test.¡± ¡°I wanted to see how strong his survival instincts and adaptability were when he was in a desperate situation.¡± ¡°As it turned out, he was even more outstanding than I had expected.¡± ¡°Are you going to ask what¡¯s the point of doing this test?¡± ¡°Of course, it meant something. I finally gave birth to him after ten months of pregnancy. He has an extraordinary value to me.¡± Yu Niaoniao keenly caught the keyword. ¡°Value?¡± To think a mother would actually use a word like ¡°value¡± to measure her child. However, Princess Ni Yang felt that it was only right. ¡°If I keep Ah Juan by my side to raise him, Brother will definitely be worried.¡± ¡°He would think of ways to nt people in Western Liang. This was not conducive to the implementation of my n. ¡± ¡°The best way is to send Ah Juan away.¡± Realization dawned on Yu Niaoniao. ¡°You deliberately abused Xiao Juan to make outsiders think that you wanted to kill your son. The emperor and the empress dowager believed it and sent someone to bring Xiao Juan to the Imperial Capital.¡± ¡°After Xiao Juan left, only you were left. At that time, the emperor was still young and not as suspicious as he was now. He rxed the surveince of Liangzhou, and that¡¯s what you wanted.¡± Princess Ni Yang said slowly. ¡°That¡¯s right. Ah Juan is indeed a smart child. Not long after he arrived in the Imperial Capital, my brother discovered his talent.¡± ¡°He had obtained my brother¡¯s trust step by step and climbed to his current position. I had originally thought that when Juan returned this time, I wouldy my cards on the table and let him join my camp.¡± ¡°This way, I would be like a tiger with wings and have a higher chance of winning.¡± ¡°He is my only son. I was already infertile and would have no other children in the future. If I be emperor, the future throne would definitely pass to him.¡± ¡°This is a good thing for him. Unfortunately¡­¡± She did not finish, but Yu Niaoniao knew what it meant. Unfortunately, Xiao Juan was different from Princess Ni Yang. He was a very principled person. Even if the emperor used him and suspected him, he still remembered the emperor¡¯s saving grace. He would never rebel. Princess Ni Yang sighed softly. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that after so many years, Ah Juan is still brooding over what happened back then. He doesn¡¯t even want to acknowledge me as his biological mother.¡± Yu Niaoniao was so angry that her voice was trembling. ¡°For your ambition, you almost killed Xiao Juan and even used him like a tool.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a living person, not a toy you bought. You never thought about his feelings. You¡¯re not worthy of being a mother!¡± Princess Ni Yang said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m my father¡¯s only legitimate daughter, but isn¡¯t he treating me as a pawn? ¡°And when has he ever cared about my feelings?¡± ¡°Since my father can treat me like this, why can¡¯t I treat my son like this?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You keep ming your father. You hate him for disregarding their father-daughter rtionship, but what¡¯s the difference between you and your father now?!¡± Every word was like a knife that urately pierced the most sensitive part of Princess Ni Yang¡¯s heart. From the first time she was given a marriage, she hated her father deeply. It was her father who had ruined her life. She could ignore the curses of the world, but she could not ept that she had be like her father. Princess Ni Yang¡¯s face turned ashen in an instant. She nced at the guard beside her. ¡°Let her suffer.¡± The guard understood and went forward to open the cell door. He grabbed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hair and pressed her into the water. Yu Niaoniao sank into the water. Water drilled into her head through her ears and nose. She couldn¡¯t breathe. She kicked as hard as she could. When she was about to suffocate, the guard let go. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s head could finallye out of the water. She tilted her head back and breathed hard. Because her breathing was so rapid, she coughed hard. Princess Ni Yang looked down at her. ¡°That¡¯s the price for saying the wrong thing.¡± At this moment, Yu Niaoniao was drenched. Her hair was stuck to her cheeks, and water droplets rolled down her forehead. Her face was pale, and she looked extremely sorry. But even so, she straightened her neck and said, ¡°What did I say that was wrong? You and thete emperor are indeed biological father and daughter. You¡¯re selfish! You have no right to hate thete emperor because your face is as ugly as your father¡¯s!¡± If she had deliberately provoked Princess Ni Yang previously to buy time to survive, then she was purelyining about injustice for Xiao Juan presently. It was clearly the sin of thete emperor and Princess Ni Yang. Why should Xiao Juan bear the consequences? In this era of filial piety, Xiao Juan could not say anything bad about his parents, but Yu Niaoniao was not Princess Ni Yang¡¯s child. She would not spoil this selfish and vicious woman. She was going to scold this woman for Xiao Juan today! Princess Ni Yang¡¯s hands hidden in her wide sleeves were clenched into fists. ¡°Go on!¡± The guard pressed Yu Niaoniao into the water again. It was a long time before she was released. She popped her head out of the water. Her eyes were watery and she couldn¡¯t see clearly. Her mind was spinning fromck of oxygen. Her voice was hoarse. ¡°Do you think that by giving birth to Xiao Juan, you can rule his life and control his life?¡± ¡°Your thoughts really coincide with your father¡¯s!¡± ¡°He gave birth to you and raised you. He¡¯s done you a huge favor. What¡¯s wrong with him just using you?¡± ¡°You actually held a grudge against him for so many years over such a small matter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t done the same thing before. What right do you have to resent others?¡± ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡± Princess Ni Yang could not help but pull out the sword at the guard¡¯s waist and point it at Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face. At that moment, there was a sudden shout not far away. ¡°Your Highness, something happened!¡± She stopped and turned to see an armored female general rushing over. The female general fell to her knees. ¡°Duke Lang has appeared at the entrance of the Chillywind Valley with his men. He¡¯s going to kill his way in soon!¡± Princess Ni Yang was first shocked. How did Xiao Juan know that they were here? She went through everything that had happened in the past two days from beginning to end and quickly reacted. Then, she suddenly turned around and stared fixedly at Yu Niaoniao in the water prison. ¡°You leaked our whereabouts!¡± Chapter 497 - 497: Where There Was Life, There Was Hope Chapter 497: Where There Was Life, There Was Hope Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao was overjoyed. Xiao Juan had finally found her! When she looked at Princess Ni Yang, she saw that the other party was looking at her with an extremely sinister gaze. Her heart skipped a beat. Yu Niaoniao pretended to be calm and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me Your Highness wants to use me as a hostage to force Xiao Juan to retreat?¡± Princess Ni Yang did not deny it. This was a tacit agreement. The female general beside her clearly had the same intention. She spoke quickly. ¡°Lord Yuan Gui has already been killed by Duke Lang, and all his troops have been captured. With just these people in our hands, we can¡¯tpete with Duke Lang. ¡°In my opinion, Duke Lang values the Princess Consort so much. Why don¡¯t you threaten him with her life and force him to retreat?¡± Before Princess Ni Yang could speak, Yu Niaoniao spoke first. ¡°So what if Xiao Juan is willing to retreat?¡± ¡°The Imperial Court has already discovered your scheme and knows that this is your nest. Even if Xiao Juan does not kill you, the emperor would still send troops to suppress you.¡± ¡°If you want to live, you can only escape in panic and hide like a stray dog. You may not be have the next meal after eating. There would be no tomorrow after today. ¡®Your Highness, can you stand this grievance?¡± Princess Ni Yang¡¯s knuckles turned pale as she gripped the hilt of her sword, and her expression turned even uglier. The female general hurriedly advised. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t listen to her nonsense. She¡¯s deliberately provoking you.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stall Duke Lang and fight for an opportunity to leave this ce.As the saying goes, where there¡¯s life, there¡¯s hope. As long as you¡¯re alive, there will definitely be a day when you make aeback!¡± Yu Niaoniao continued to dampen their spirits. ¡°That¡¯s easy to say. What can you use to make aeback? Yuan Gui is dead, his troops have been seized, and even the iron mine hidden in the Chillywind Valley has been discovered. Now, you don¡¯t have money or people. On what basis do they have to work for you? Could it be because of Her Highness¡¯s peerless beauty?¡± The female general was exasperated. ¡°Shut up!¡± Yu Niaoniao did not even look at the female general as she stared intently at Princess Ni Yang. ¡°Your Highness prides herself on her peerless talent and wisdom. She wouldn¡¯t bring herself to do such a despicable thing, right?¡± Princess Ni Yang suddenly thought of something andughed. ¡°You¡¯re right. I really can¡¯t stand this grievance.¡± The female general was extremely anxious. ¡®Your Highness, as long as you¡¯re alive, there¡¯s still hope. You¡¯re familiar with books. So many big shots in history have made aeback after experiencing defeat. As long as you survive this, you¡¯ll definitely be lucky in the future!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that the big shots you¡¯re talking about are all men. They suffered nothing more than starvation, cold, and being looked down upon. ¡± ¡°But you¡¯re a woman and a beautiful woman at that. I don¡¯t need to tell you what a beautiful woman who can¡¯t protect herself will encounter. You should know.¡± The female general was furious. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re nning. You¡¯re deliberately scaring the princess to make her give up resisting and surrender. Dream on!¡± She then said to Princess Ni Yang. ¡°Ignore this woman. As long as I¡¯m with you, no one can bully you!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You cant even protect yourself, so how can you protect others?¡± The female general gritted her teeth in anger, wishing she could kill Yu Niaoniao now. However, she still had to use Yu Niaoniao as a hostage. She could only re fiercely at Yu Niaoniao and warn her not to spout nonsense! Yu Niaoniao ignored the warning and continued. ¡°If I were you, I would obediently surrender. After all, Her Highness is the biological mother of Duke Lang and the emperor¡¯s biological sister. As long as Her Highness can sincerely admit her mistake, perhaps the emperor can spare your life.¡± Princess Ni Yang slowly lowered her sword. ¡°Since I chose this path, I can¡¯t turn back, let alone surrender.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart sank. The persuasion had failed. It seemed she had to prepare for the worst. The female general hurriedly said, ¡®Yes, yes. We won¡¯t surrender. We¡¯ll leave now.¡± Princess Ni Yang said, ¡°Go pack your things and wait for me at the back door.¡± ¡®Yes!¡± The female general left in a hurry. Princess Ni Yang asked the guards to bring Yu Niaoniao out of the water prison. Then, they went to the main hall. Theyout of this hall was an imitation of the Zhengde Hall in the pce. The ground waspletely paved with smooth white marble. Eight coiling dragon pirs stood around. In the front were nine steps, and above the steps was the dragon chair that represented the supreme royal power. Yu Niaoniao was thrown to the ground. She was already dressed thinly. Now that she was drenched, she shivered when her body touched the cold white marble floor. Her face was pale from the cold. Under repeated drowning, her lungs choked on water, causing her entire windpipe to burn. Her head was dizzy and she felt terrible. Princess Ni Yang asked the guards to move all her precious wine over. Wine jars of all sizes were ced on the ground. Princess Ni Yang said, ¡°Go to the back door. I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡± The guards obeyed and left. Only Princess Ni Yang and Yu Niaoniao were left in the empty hall. Princess Ni Yang casually picked up a small wine jar. She lifted the lid, and the rich fragrance of wine spread. ¡°These are fine wines I specially ordered someone to gather from all over the world. I want to take these fine wines out to celebrate with everyone on the day of the coronation. Now that we can¡¯t celebrate, it¡¯s a waste to leave so much fine wine. Why don¡¯t the two of us have a good drink?¡± With that, she poured all the wine in the jar onto Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hands were tied behind her back and she could not move. The rich fragrance of wine entered her nose, waking her up a little. She raised her head with difficulty and looked at Princess Ni Yang. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to escape?¡± Princess Ni Yang casually threw away the empty jar. It fell to the ground and shattered. She turned and picked up another jar of wine. This time she didn¡¯t pour it out again. Instead, she brought it to her mouth and took a long sip. She narrowed her eyes in enjoyment. ¡°It¡¯s indeed good wine!¡± She nced at Yu Niaoniao, who was lying on the ground, and sneered. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that even if I could escape for a while, I wouldn¡¯t be able to escape for the rest of my life? Where else would I go after leaving here?¡± ¡°I was my father¡¯s only legitimate daughter and the most respected princess of the Dayan Dynasty. I had never lowered my head to anyone since I was young.¡± ¡°But if I escape, in order to survive in the future, I have to give up my pride as a princess. I still have to kneel on the ground and pander to the guys I used to look down on.l can¡¯t do that.¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°You don¡¯t want to escape or surrender. Then what do you want?¡± Princess Ni Yang took another sip of wine, then slowly walked to the Coiling Dragon Pir. As she reached out and gently stroked the pattern on the pir, her eyes seemed a little dazed.. Chapter 498 - 498: Incorrigible Chapter 498: Incorrigible Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios ¡°It took me years of hard work to build this underground pce. To me, it¡¯s my dream. Now that my dreand has been destroyed, I¡¯ll let it die with me.¡± Yu Niaoniao was shocked. ¡°What do you want?¡± Princess Ni Yang casually threw the wine jar to the ground. With a crack, the jar shattered, and wine sttered all over the ground. Princess Ni Yangughed. ¡°This underground pce, these jars of fine wine, and the dragon robe I¡¯m wearing are my favorite things.¡± ¡°Ah, right. And Niaoniao. You know me best. You are my best burial items.¡± With that, she smashed several jars of wine in a row. In the end, she could not be bothered to smash them. After removing the lid, she kicked all the wine jars over. The mellow wine flowed everywhere. Princess Ni Yang stepped on the wine and walked up the steps toward the dragon throne she had dreamed of. The gorgeous skirt was wet from the wine and thickened. There were chaotic shouts and hooves in the distance. The enemy had already arrived at the city and would soon attack the underground pce. However, this did not affect Princess Ni Yang¡¯s footsteps at all. She sat upright on the dragon chair, her wide sleeves hanging down the armrest. Yu Niaoniao was anxious and tried her best to break free. However, the rope around her wrist became even tighter after being soaked. No matter how hard she tried, even if her skin was scraped, she could not break free. Princess Ni Yang looked down at Yu Niaoniao and smiled happily. ¡°You were my only witness when I ascended the throne. You should be honored.¡± Yu Niaoniao cursed, ¡°You lunatic! Don¡¯t drag me down with you!¡± Princess Ni Yang reached out her slender fingers painted with bright red cardamom and picked up the candle ced on the candlestick beside her. The candle me swayed gently with her movements, flickering. ¡°I gave up a lot to be able to sit in this position.¡± ¡°I had thought I would spend the rest of my life alone.¡± ¡°Fortunately, with you as my confidant before I die, I won¡¯t be too lonely on the road to hell. From the looks of it, the heavens have treated me well.¡¯ Yu Niaoniao did not want to die. She still had a lot to do and people she wanted to see. Xiao Juan would definitely find her. She had to think of a way to stall for time. ¡°At this point, do you still not have any regrets?¡± Princess Ni Yang asked, ¡°What do you want me to regret?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If you had treated your child well back then, you wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this.¡± Princess Ni Yang looked at her steadily. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Go back. As long as you can sincerely admit your mistake, Xiao Juan will forgive you.¡± Princess Ni Yang said, ¡°I don¡¯t regret it.¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. Princess Ni Yang said, ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s forgiveness either.¡± Yu Niaoniao could not help but curse. ¡°You¡¯re incorrigible.¡± Princess Ni Yangughed again. ¡°The Phoenix Cry Nation you created, the world in my dream¡­ if I bring you along, I might be able to reincarnate into that world in my next life.¡± In the next moment, she threw the candle gently. The candle flew out of her hand andnded on the ground. The moment the me touched the wine, it suddenly soared, and the fire immediately spread at an extremely fast speed. In the blink of an eye, the entire hall turned into a sea of fire. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s clothes were roasted and burned until she was in pain. Princess Ni Yang¡¯s skirt was also burned. But she didn¡¯t dodge. She just sat upright on the dragon throne and let the mes climb up her skirt. Her red lips curled into a smile that was both satisfied and desperate. From the moment she was born, she had been the center of attention. She had been proud all her life. Even in death, she was still the proud Dayan Princess. No one could humble her. No one could break her spine. In the next moment, an arrow suddenly flew in from outside the hall and hit Princess Ni Yang¡¯s heart! The arrow pierced her body and pinned her to the dragon chair. Her smile froze on her face, and her pupils dted. Blood kept gushing out, staining her dragon robe. She watched helplessly as Xiao Juan and Wei Liao rushed into the sea of fire. Wei Liao held a bow in his hand. It was obvious that he had shot the arrow just now. Xiao Juan wrapped Yu Niaoniao in a wet cloak and carried her out. Wei Liao was a step slower. He could only watch as Xiao Juan carried Niaoniao and ran out. From the beginning to the end, Xiao Juan did not look up at the woman on the dragon throne. The moment she left the hall, Yu Niaoniao turned to look at Princess Ni Yang. She saw Princess Ni Yang sitting alone on the high dragon throne. Her face was as pale as paper, and there seemed to be a glint of tear in the corners of her eyes. Her lips were slightly open as if she wanted to say something. But no one present was willing to stop and listen to her. She was left in the sea of fire. Yu Niaoniao could not help but ponder. She had given everything but still ended up with nothing. Had she really never regretted it? Xiao Juan hugged Niaoniao tightly, his heart beating extremely fast. He shouted as he ran. ¡°Little Lo! Little Lo!¡± Lo Pingsha quickly ran over. ¡°You found the Princess Consort?¡± Xiao Juan said anxiously, ¡°She¡¯s burned. Take a look at her.¡± There were many empty rooms in the underground pce. Xiao Juan found a clean room and ced Yu Niaoniao on the bed so that Lo Pingsha could treat her. Yu Niaoniao knew that she was safe and sound, and her tense nerves suddenly rxed. She finally couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. She closed her eyes and fell asleep. Lo Pingsha spoke as he washed his hands. ¡°Your Highness, help me take off the Princess Consort¡¯s clothes so I can treat her wound.¡± Xiao Juan was stunned. ¡°Me?¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°I know this is a little unfair to you, but in the current situation, there¡¯s no one else more suitable. I can only let you do it for me.¡± Be it the Eagle Guards, the Heavenly Wolf Guards, or the reinforcements sent by the Imperial Court, they were all men. They clearly could not help Yu Niaoniao take off her clothes. There were some maidservants in the crypt, but they were all subordinates of Princess Ni Yang. Lo Pingsha could not trust them. The most suitable person now was Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan looked at Yu Niaoniao and curled his fingers bit by bit. He had already made up his mind to keep a distance from her. But in the past two days, when Niaoniao was in danger and he knew that he might never see her again, that determination had been slowly obliterated. He was desperate to get her back. He did not want to be separated from her again. It didn¡¯t matter if she didn¡¯t love him now. At most, he would woo her again. If one time was not enough, he would do it ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times¡­ He would do his best to be good to her and make her feel the love that came from him. Xiao Juan loosened his clenched fingers. He bent down and extended his hands. With gentle movements, he helped Niaoniao untie her clothes and took them off bit by bit. Nothing in this world could separate them. Even if it meant death.. Chapter 499 - 499: Sleep Chapter 499: Sleep Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios In a daze, Yu Niaoniao opened her eyes and realized that she had returned to the backyard of the Feng family¡¯s old residence. The surrounding vegetation had been swallowed by the mes. Thick smoke surrounded them. Feng Lianghan extended his hand. ¡°Quick, step on my shoulder and climb up. As long as you climb over this wall, you¡¯ll be safe.¡± Yu Niaoniao wanted Madam Xie to go out first. However, Madam Xie was unwilling. She insisted that Niaoniao leave first. The fire grew stronger. Feng Lianghan seemed to have heard something and urged eagerly, ¡°Quick! If you don¡¯t leave, none of us will be able to!¡± Yu Niaoniao had no choice but to follow Madam Xie¡¯s wishes. She carefully stepped on Feng Lianghan¡¯s shoulder and ced her hands on the courtyard wall. When Feng Lianghan stood up, her hands were just enough to grab the edge of the top of the wall. She gritted her teeth and used all her strength to climb up. She turned around and looked at Feng Lianghan and Madam Xie. ¡°Come on up!¡± However, Feng Lianghan and Madam Xie did not move. They just stood there quietly, staring at her longingly. ¡°Niaoniao, leave. Forget what happened tonight and live well.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to be separated from you!¡± She jumped down the wall recklessly, wanting to return to Feng Lianghan and Madam Xie. However, just as shended, the surrounding scenery suddenly changed. It was dark all around, and the cold night wind blew in her face. There was a piercing pain in her ankle. Her vision was blurred by tears. Her head was spinning. Her body fell to the ground uncontrobly and she was too weak to get up. Despair welled up in her, making her almost give up. She might as well die like this. She might even be able to catch up to her parents and reunite with her family on the road to the afterworld. Tap, tap, tap! There was the sound of hooves approaching, and then someone walked to her side. There was some confused conversation in his ears. Among the many words, she heard a familiar voice¡ª ¡°Send her to the medical center and inform the local government to go to the Feng family. ¡± She immediately recognized that it was Xiao Juan¡¯s voice. She opened her eyes with all her might and looked in the direction of the voice, but all she could see was a blurry figure. She opened her mouth with difficulty to call his name. But something seemed to be stuck in her throat. She couldn¡¯t make a sound. Her brain grew groggy. Her eyes closed uncontrobly, and her consciousness fell into darkness. When she opened her eyes again, she saw herself standing in darkness with antern. The faint lighting from thentern was just enough to illuminate a small area of the ground at her feet. Yu Niaoniao looked around nkly. ¡°Xiao Juan( Where are you!¡± A momentter, a tall figure walked out of the darkness and approached her. It was Xiao Juan! Yu Niaoniao was very surprised. However, the next moment, she heard Xiao Juan ask, ¡°Why did you lie to me? You said you liked me. It¡¯s all a lie.¡± ¡°You deliberately approached me so that I could help you find out the truth about the Feng family¡¯s destruction.¡± Yu Niaoniao stood frozen in ce. She wanted to exin, but she did not know how to speak. Xiao Juan said, ¡°You liar, I won¡¯t believe you anymore.¡± With that, he turned around and left. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly chased after him, wanting to stop him. ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡± In the guest room of the County Governor¡¯s Mansion. Yu Niaoniaoy on the bed with her eyes closed. Her entire body was hot, and her face was abnormally red. She frowned and muttered vaguely. Xiao Juan wiped her cheeks and palms with a wet handkerchief. She suddenly raised her right hand as if to grab something and shouted at the same time. ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± Xiao Juan immediately held her hand. ¡°Niaoniao, I¡¯m here. I¡¯m not leaving.¡± He looked at Niaoniao without blinking and saw that her eyes were still closed and she had not woken up. It had been two days. She slept for two whole days. Xiao Juan stayed by her side and helped her change her dressing and wipe her body. He did not close his eyes for two nights. At this moment, his expression was even worse than the unconscious Yu Niaoniao. Lo Pingsha persuaded him to rest. ¡°If you continue to stay up like this, your body will copse. Go and sleep. We¡¯ll watch over here. If the Princess Consort wakes up, we¡¯ll definitely inform you immediately.¡± However, Xiao Juan did not seem to hear anything. All his attention was on Niaoniao. At this moment, Wei Liao walked in. He looked at Yu Niaoniao on the bed, then at Xiao Juan sitting by the bed. Finally, he looked at Lo Pingsha and asked angrily. ¡°Why isn¡¯t the Princess Consort awake yet? Can you cure her? If you can¡¯t, I¡¯ll find another doctor.¡± Lo Pingsha was anxious too. But he knew there was no point in being anxious. He walked over and carefully checked the wounds on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s body. He realized that they were still a little swollen. It seemed that he had to adjust the form of the ointment again. Lo Pingsha returned to his residence and studied it for the entire afternoon. At night, he came to look for Xiao Juan with the improved ointment. ¡°Try this ointment on the Princess Consort.¡± Xiao Juan opened the lid and first dug out a little ointment to touch his wrist. After confirming that there was no problem, he carefully applied it to Yu Niaoniao¡¯s wound. Lo Pingsha then brought out another bowl of medicine. ¡°This is medicine to reduce the fever. Please give it to the County Princess.¡± The warm medicine flowed down her esophagus into her body. Perhaps it was because the bowl of medicine was more effective, but after Yu Niaoniao drank the bowl of medicine, she did not dream again. She was sleeping so soundly that her brows rxed. Xiao Juan guarded her for another night. The next morning, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s fever subsided, and the swelling of her wound subsided a lot. Lo Pingsha said, ¡°The situation has improved a lot. The Princess Consort should be fine.¡± Xiao Juan asked hoarsely, ¡°Then why isn¡¯t she awake yet?¡± Lo Pingsha spoke hesitantly. ¡°She¡¯s probably too weak. Let her sleep a little longer. She might wake upter.¡± Xiao Juan did not say anything else and continued to look at Niaoniao without blinking. Lo Pingsha advised, ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten much for the past two or three days. If this continues, your body will definitely not be able to take it. County Governor Wang asked the kitchen to prepare some food. Take a few bites.¡± Xiao Juan did not say a word, as if he had not heard anything. Lo Pingsha scooped out a bowl of fish porridge from the casserole and handed it to Xiao Juan. ¡°Eat some.¡± Xiao Juan did not move. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten for so long. How can you not be hungry¡­¡± Before Lo Pingsha could finish, he noticed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyshes tremble and her eyelids move. His eyes widened involuntarily. ¡°Is the Princess Consort about to wake up?¡± Xiao Juan immediately held Niaoniao¡¯s hand and realized that her fingers were also moving slightly. Immediately after, they saw Yu Niaoniao slowly open her eyes. Lo Pingsha could not help but exim, ¡°She¡¯s really awake!¡± Xiao Juan subconsciously clenched his hands tightly, not daring to blink, afraid that he was dreaming. Faced with their burning gazes, Yu Niaoniao opened her mouth with difficulty and said the first words she had said in three days¡ª ¡°I¡¯m so hungry..¡± Chapter 500 - 500: Not Enough Chapter 500: Not Enough Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha were stunned. Yu Niaoniao sniffed hard, and the fragrance of fish porridge entered her nose. She looked eager. ¡°Can you give me something to eat?¡± Xiao Juan finally came back to his senses and snatched the bowl from Lo Pingsha¡¯s hand. He scooped up the fish porridge with a spoon and carefully fed it to Niaoniao. Because he was so agitated, his hands trembled slightly. Yu Niaoniao ate threerge mouthfuls of norridge in one go. It was really ufortable to lie down and eat porridge. She made a second request. ¡°Can you help me up?¡± Lo Pingsha had just extended his hand when Xiao Juan beat him to it. Xiao Juan helped Niaoniao up with one arm. Lo Pingsha took the opportunity to pick up a soft pillow and stuff it behind Yu Niaoniao. Xiao Juan nced at Lo Pingsha expressionlessly. Lo Pingsha immediately retreated tactfully. ¡°I still have to brew medicine. Goodbye!¡± He raced out, no longer acting as an annoying third wheel. Xiao Juan continued to feed Yu Niaoniao porridge. The bowl of fish porridge was quickly finished. Yu Niaoniao pouted, looking as if she had not had enough. Xiao Juan silently scooped another bowl of porridge and continued to feed her. Seeing that she was eating happily, he finally felt hungry and his stomach gurgled. Yu Niaoniao immediately looked at his stomach. ¡°Are you hungry too?¡± Xiao Juan felt awkward, but he still looked calm and said as if nothing had happened. ¡°Eat first. I¡¯ll eatter.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t. Go ahead and eat. Just let Chun Feng or Ye Yu feed me.¡± She wanted to eat with a bowl herself, but her hands were burned too. Her ws were wrapped like dumplings, and she couldn¡¯t hold the bowl. How could Xiao Juan give the beautiful job of feeding Niaoniao to others? He said expressionlessly, ¡°They¡¯re all busy.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not want Xiao Juan to starve, so she suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a few bites first before feeding me?¡± Xiao Juan wanted to refuse, but his heart skipped a beat and the words suddenly changed. ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± With that, he scooped up the fish porridge in his bowl with a spoon and ced it in his mouth. After two mouthfuls, he scooped up the porridge with a spoon and brought it to Niaoniao¡¯s mouth. ¡°It¡¯s your turn to eat.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. wait! She had meant for Xiao Juan to take a few bites first from another set of bowl and spoon, not to share a spoon with her! Wouldn¡¯t a spoon for two people be equivalent to an indirect kiss? Didn¡¯t Xiao Juan even know this bit ofmon sense? Was he deliberately teasing her? However, looking at Xiao Juan¡¯s upright expression, she suspected that she was thinking too much. With his wooden personality, how could he take the initiative to tease her? That was impossible! There must be something wrong with her own mind. She should reflect on herself deeply. Yu Niaoniao thought about it and shook off those messy guesses. She silently opened her mouth and ate the fish porridge. She did not know if it was her imagination, but she realized that Xiao Juan was especially slow this time, especially when the spoon stayed in his mouth for a long time. Countless thoughts immediately popped up in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s mind¡ª He had done it on purpose, right? He must have done it on purpose! She did not expect him to be such a sensual person. She really could not judge a book by its cover! Xiao Juan scooped up the fish porridge with a spoon again and brought it to her lips. Yu Niaoniao could not help but swallow. Her mind was filled with the scene of Xiao Juan holding the spoon in his mouth just now. How, how could she open her mouth? Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating anymore?¡± He didn¡¯t show it, but he was actually very nervous. He was afraid that Niaoniao would feel repulsed. He was afraid that she would despise him. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face turned red. She opened her mouth and silently epted the feeding. Although this feeding method was a little shameful, she liked the taste of handsome men and delicacies at the same time! Seeing that she did not seem to feel conflicted after eating the fish porridge, Xiao Juan immediately heaved a sigh of relief and his mood became especially good. They finished the bowl of fish porridge and Xiao Juan felt that he had not had enough. He had never thought that an ordinary bowl of fish porridge could be so delicious. Yu Niaoniao was not full yet. She wanted another bowl. But she was rejected by Xiao Juan. ¡°You just woke up. You can¡¯t eat too much at once. You won¡¯t be able to digest it.¡± Yu Niaoniao could only give up. Xiao Juan finished the rest of the food in front of her. Lo Pingsha appeared at the right time. He handed the freshly brewed medicine to Xiao Juan and called someone over to clean up the dishes on the table. Xiao Juan first took a small sip of the medicine. After confirming that the temperature was just right, he brought the medicine to Yu Niaoniao¡¯s lips. Yu Niaoniao frowned and opened her mouth unwillingly. After drinking this bowl of medicine, her stomach waspletely full. At this moment, Wei Liao walked in. He saw that Yu Niaoniao had finally woken up, and the stone in his heart was lifted. Once people rxed, they had fewer scruples when they spoke. ¡°You slept for three days before waking up. Even a pig can¡¯t sleep as well as you.¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. ¡°I slept for three days?¡± She thought she had only slept the night. Unexpectedly, three days had passed! Lo Pingsha quickly seized the opportunity to take credit for Duke Lang. ¡°His Highness has been by your side for the past three days. It¡¯s all thanks to His Highness¡¯s careful care that your injuries have recovered so well.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at the green and ck shadows under Xiao Juan¡¯s eyes and her heart ached. ¡°Thank you.¡± Xiao Juan met her gaze and whispered, ¡°There¡¯s no need to talk about this between you and me.¡± He was her husband. It was only right for him to do anything for her. Yu Niaoniao realized that ever since she woke up, Xiao Juan¡¯s attitude toward her seemed to have changed. But she wasn¡¯t sure if she was imagining it. Wei Liao snorted and his tone was sour. ¡°For these three days, Duke Lang just needs to stay by the Princess Consort¡¯s side.¡± ¡°I was out of luck. Not only did I have to settle so many prisoners, I still had to arrange for people to send those miners back to their ces of origin.¡± ¡°I still had tofort themoners in the city.¡± ¡°In addition, I had to get someone to send a letter back to the Imperial Capital and tell the emperor what had happened here.¡± ¡°I was so busy that I felt dizzy. I wished I could grow three heads and six arms. In the end, I didn¡¯t even get a good word.¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked. ¡°Captive miners?¡± She felt like she had missed a lot of the plot. Xiao Juan exined patiently. ¡°Yuan Gui and Princess Ni Yang are already dead. We also discovered the underground pce secretly built by Princess Ni Yang and the iron mine she secretly dug.¡± ¡°Everything was as we had guessed. Princess Ni Yang used the excuse of searching for handsome men to capture arge number of innocent citizens who were unwilling to obey her.¡± ¡°Thosemoners were all reduced to miners who specially mined iron for Princess Ni Yang. The family members of Ling Hai and Ling Miao are among them.¡± Yu Niaoniao quickly asked, ¡°Has their family been reunited?¡± Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. This made her feel happier than realizing that she had narrowly escaped death herself. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Chapter 501 - 501: Planning Ahead Chapter 501: nning Ahead Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan roughly exined how they discovered the underground pce. It turned out that the underground pce and iron mine were hidden in the Chillywind Valley. When they found the iron mine, not only did they discover arge number of enved miners, but there were also arge number of well-made weapons. The rumors about the Chillywind Valley being haunted were naturally fake. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Didn¡¯t someone say that he was scared out of his wits and went crazy when he saw the Yin soldiers passing by?¡± Xiao Juan exined patiently, ¡°That person was indeed crazy, but he did not go crazy from fear.¡± ¡°Instead, it was because he had identally entered the Chillywind Valley and discovered the hidden secret. When he returned, he was in a panic. He had frightened himself and made himself sick.¡± ¡°In addition, his family did not have the money to treat his illness, and treatment was dyed. Although his life was saved in the end, it left behind the sequ of being delirious.¡± ¡°Others mistakenly thought that he had gone crazy from witnessing the passage of the Yin soldiers. As word spread, the matter became more and more strange. ¡± Wei Liao sat down in a chair, crossed one leg, and said slowly, ¡°Everyone listened to the rumors and was so frightened that they did not dare to approach Chillywind Valley.¡± ¡°This happened to fall into Yuan Gui and Princess Ni Yang¡¯s ns.¡± ¡°They secretly sent someone to help to encourage and deepen themoners¡¯ understanding that Chillywind Valley was haunted. It caused the secret of the Chillywind Valley to be hidden until now.¡± Realization dawned on Yu Niaoniao. ¡°I see!¡± She then asked, ¡°I have another question. How did you find me?¡± The pce was filled with wine, and the fire burned extremely quickly. If Xiao Juan and Wei Liao looked for her after seeing the fire, she would probably have been burned into a fireball by the time they found her. So they must have known she was in that pce before the fire started. The problem was that there were so many pces in the crypt and the terrain was soplicated. How were they able to locate her urately? This question puzzled Yu Niaoniao very much. Xiao Juan took out a charred sachet from his sleeve and ced it in front of her. ¡°Do you remember this?¡± Although half of the sachet had been burned ck, Yu Niaoniao still recognized it at a nce. This was the sachet Xiao Juan had given her. She nodded vigorously. ¡°Of course, I remember.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I asked Little Lo to specially concoct the spices in this sachet. Not only does the smell of this spicest, but it¡¯s also very unique. After entering the underground pce, I smelled this fragrance. Although it¡¯s very faint, I can confirm that it¡¯s the smell left behind by the sachet on your body.¡± That faint fragrance was very difficult for ordinary people to smell. However, to Xiao Juan, whose five senses were naturally different from ordinary people, it was very easy to smell. Realization dawned on Yu Niaoniao. ¡°So you followed the fragrance?¡± Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Liao deliberately said in a sarcastic tone. ¡°Duke Lang must have deliberately given such a sachet to the Princess Consort to make it easier to lock onto her location. Tsk tsk tsk, such a man is really terrifying. ¡± Xiao Juan lowered his eyes, feeling uneasy. His fingertips hidden in his sleeve curled up slightly. When he gave Niaoniao the sachet, his motives were indeed impure. He was Now that Niaoniao knew the truth, would she me him? Yu Niaoniao rolled her eyes at Wei Liao. ¡°What do you know? Our Ah Juan is afraid that I will be kidnapped by bad people. ¡± ¡°He¡¯s doing this out of concern for me. This is called nning ahead!¡± ¡°As it turned out, he was very thoughtful. This sachet was really useful.¡± ¡°If Ah Juan hadn¡¯t found me in time following the fragrance, I¡¯m afraid I would have been burned to charcoal by now.¡± The nervousness in Xiao Juan¡¯s heart disappeared, and his fingers rxed. Yu Niaoniao raised her two ws wrapped in gauze and rubbed against Xiao Juan¡¯s arm. ¡°Baby, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t listen to the instigation of a despicable person. I¡¯ll always believe you!¡± Xiao Juan gently held her ws and said in a muffled voice, ¡°It¡¯s my fault this time. I didn¡¯t take good care of you and made you suffer so much.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said, ¡°It has nothing to do with you. Those bad people are too bad. They¡¯re at fault.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°But if I could protect you, you wouldn¡¯t be injured.¡± Yu Niaoniao pouted. ¡°You can¡¯t say that. If Princess Ni Yang didn¡¯t lo¡±ck me in the study, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to know the secret of the Chillywind Valley. ¡°If the secret of Chillywind Valley had never been discovered, how could those miners go home to reunite with their rtives? I think this injury is worth it.¡± With that, she chuckled. Wei Liao looked at her as if she were a fool. ¡°Is your brain damaged by the fire? Those miners are unrted to you. What does their lives have to do with you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the Bodhisattva Guan Yin. Just manage yourself and don¡¯t worry about others!¡± Yu Niaoniao wanted to retort, but she realized that there was a thin wound on Wei Liao¡¯s jaw. It had already scabbed over and looked like it had been cut by a de. She asked immediately, ¡°Why is your face injured?¡± Wei Liao raised his hand and touched his chin. It hurt a little. That was because he had been too anxious when he was fighting the rebels and had identally been cut by them with a knife. As for why he was anxious? It was because he was worried about Yu Niaoniao. He was afraid that she would be too stupid to protect herself and be tortured to death by that maniac, Princess Ni Yang. Wei Liao did not want to say this lest Yu Niaoniao teased him. He lied casually, ¡°I identally cut myself when I shaved with a knife.¡± Yu Niaoniao clicked her tongue. ¡°To be able to make such a long cut, it seems that knife is quite sharp.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°You¡¯re wrong. The reason I was injured wasn¡¯t that the knife was too sharp, but because my skin was too thin. It broke with a gentle scrape.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Pui, narcissist!¡± Wei Liaoughed unscrupulously. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Yu Niaoniao could not be bothered with him. She looked at Xiao Juan and asked, ¡°When are we going back to the Imperial Capital?¡± She wanted to return to the Imperial Capital quickly and see how the rehearsal in Qirui Opera Troupe was going. Xiao Juan whispered, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. You¡¯re injured and can¡¯t move around for the time being- We¡¯ll rest here for a while first.¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her small arms. ¡°I¡¯m fine now! Look if you don¡¯t believe me. I can run and jump now. I can set off at any time.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her two thin arms wrapped tightly in gauze and sounded helpless. ¡°Be good and lie down. Don¡¯t move.¡± Yu Niaoniao wanted to get out of bed and take two steps to prove that she was really fine. However, Xiao Juan pressed her shoulder and did not let her move. ¡°Rest for a few days. It won¡¯t be toote to get off the ground when your injuries recover.¡± Wei Liao sneered. ¡°Tsk tsk, look at you now. You¡¯re covered in gauze like a little monster. If you really run out, you¡¯ll definitely scare people to death..¡± Chapter 502 - 502: Yearning Chapter 502: Yearning Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios As long as it was a woman, she would love beauty. Yu Niaoniao was naturally no exception. When she heard Wei Liao¡¯s words, she immediately became nervous. ¡°Ah Juan, do I look ugly now? Am I disfigured by the fire? Show me a mirror.¡± Xiao Juan nced at Wei Liao coldly, warning him not to speak nonsense. Xiao Juan stroked Yu Niaoniao¡¯s head andforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the ointment Little Lo made for you is special. As long as you follow the instructions and change the dressing on time, and don¡¯t let the wound get wet or crack, it won¡¯t leave a scar.¡± Lo Pingsha reminded him, ¡°You have to be careful about your food. Don¡¯t eat recklessly.¡± Xiao Juan asked him to make a list of food that she needed to avoid. Lo Pingsha immediately found a brush and paper and wrote a long list on the spot. Things like seafood, beef, and mutton could not be eaten. Spicy food like chili had to be avoided as much as possible. Yu Niaoniao nced at the names of the ingredients on the list and immediately felt her vision darken. How could she live if she could not eat so much?! Wei Liao gloated and deliberately said, ¡°In order to celebrate our quelling the rebellion and killing the bandit leader, County Governor Wang specially prepared a sumptuous banquet for us.¡± ¡°The time is set for tonight. At that time, all the famous figures in Jinwu City woulde. It is said that there would be many famous local delicacies at the banquet. Do you want toe and y?¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes were filled with desire. She wanted to go! She really wanted to go! Xiao Juan originally wanted to persuade her to lie in the house and recuperate in peace, but when he met her pitiful gaze, his heart softened. ¡°If you want to go,e with us.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. She pounced on him and hugged his waist. ¡°Ah Juan, you¡¯re so good to me. I love you to death!¡± Xiao Juan quickly held her shoulder, afraid that she would bump into the wounds on her body. Lo Pingsha coughed lightly. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to customize a wheelchair for the Princess Consort. This way, it¡¯ll be easier for her to travel.¡± With that, he ran out. He didn¡¯t want to stay here and be forced to witness their public disys of affection anymore. Wei Liao originally wanted to pique Yu Niaoniao with the banquet, but he did not expect Xiao Juan to agree to bring her to the banquet. He looked at the clingy couple and was very unhappy. He turned around and left. Yu Niaoniao still remembered the mirror. She urged Xiao Juan to get her a mirror. Xiao Juan took the mirror from the dressing table. He helped hold the mirror up. Yu Niaoniao leaned in front of it and examined it from left to right. She realized that not only were her limbs and body wrapped in gauze but even her head was wrapped in gauze. Only her eyes, nose, and mouth were revealed. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Looks like Wei Liao was right. I¡¯m really a little scary.¡± She could act as a mummy without putting on makeup. Xiao Juan was afraid that she would be sad, so he hurriedlyforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯ll be fine after a while.¡± Yu Niaoniao deliberately teased him. ¡°Then if the scars remain and I be an ugly person in the future, will you still want me?¡± Xiao Juan said seriously, ¡°No matter what you be, you¡¯re the best-looking in my heart.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart immediately felt as if it had been filled with honey, and the corners of her mouth could not help but curl up. Ever since they quarreledst time, Xiao Juan had not said anything nice to her. Now, he was finally enlightened. He was no longer as distant as before. Yu Niaoniao raised her head and pretended not to have heard him. ¡°What are you talking about? I didn¡¯t hear you clearly. Say it again.¡± Xiao Juan forcefully changed the topic. ¡°I haven¡¯t showered in a few days. I still have to go to the dinner party tonight. I have to take a shower and change. Go to sleep.¡± With that, he turned and walked out. Yu Niaoniao shouted at his back. ¡°I just asked you to say a few pleasant words. Why are you running?¡± When Xiao Juan heard her words, he walked faster. From the back, he actually looked like he was fleeing. Yu Niaoniaoughed until she fell back. In the end, extreme joy turned to sorrow. She identally pulled on her wound, causing her to shiver in pain and immediately not dare to move again. Xiao Juan returned quickly. He had changed. The end of his hair was still wet. There was some moisture between his eyebrows. He walked to the bed and saw that Niaoniao was already asleep. She was just lying on the bed with no nket over her. Her head was tilted to the side, and her small mouth was slightly open. She looked like she was sleeping soundly. Xiao Juan picked up the nket and gently covered her. Then he sat on the edge of the bed. As he looked at her quietly, his eyes were filled with yearning. He had almost lost her forever. Every time he thought of this, he felt a lingering fear. In the past, he had always felt that death was very far away from him. He did not feel any sense of urgency, so he could lie to himself with a clear conscience. He felt that it did not matter even if Niaoniao did not like him. However, after this matter, Xiao Juan suddenly felt a strong sense of urgency. Life was short. What if someone between him and Niaoniao had to leave this world forever in the future? He couldn¡¯t waste any more time. He had to cherish every moment he spent with Niaoniao. Even if he was going to die in the future, he could not leave any regrets for himself. Xiao Juan¡¯s fingers gently brushed past the tip of Yu Niaoniao¡¯s nose. He bent down close to Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face. Just as his lips were about to touch her face, she suddenly rolled over. In the end, she identally pressed on the wound. She woke up from her dream in pain and cried out. Xiao Juan hurriedly asked. ¡°Where does it hurt? Let me see.¡¯ Yu Niaoniao wheedled, ¡°My arm hurts.¡± Xiao Juan carefully checked the gauze on her arm and did not find any bleeding. ¡°Fortunately, the wound didn¡¯t open.¡± Yu Niaoniao continued to moan. ¡°It hurts.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I get Little Lo to prescribe you some painkillers?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°No, just blow on it for me.¡± Xiao Juan had no choice but to lower his head to blow on her wounds. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± Yu Niaoniao pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°Yes, much better.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Lie down properly and try not to move.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°1 was asleep. How could I control myself? Why don¡¯t you sleep beside me? That way, you can watch me and not let me move?¡± With that, she even smiled obediently to show that she was harmless. Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You haven¡¯t slept for three days. How can you not be sleepy? Come and lie down. Don¡¯t force me to beg you.¡± Xiao Juan had no choice but to take off his coat and lie down beside her. He lifted the nket for her. ¡°Go to sleep.¡± Yu Niaoniao obediently closed her eyes. Just as Xiao Juan thought that she was about to fall asleep, he suddenly heard her ask coldly. ¡°You were sneaking around just now. Did you want to do something to me?¡± Xiao Juan was speechless.. Chapter 503 - 503: Banquet Chapter 503: Banquet Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan said expressionlessly. Yu Niaoniao looked at him bitterly. ¡°As a man, you¡¯re neither greedy for wealth nor good wine. If you¡¯re not even greedy for beauty, then what¡¯s the point of living?¡± Xiao Juan looked at her covered in gauze and moved his lips, wanting her to understand that her current appearance waspletely unrted to beauty, but in the end, he held back and said nothing. Forget it. As long as she was happy. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°You¡¯re right. Ipletely agree.¡± Yu Niaoniaoughed and looked like she was in a good mood. ¡°I appreciate your apology, but that¡¯s not enough. You have to correct your mistake.¡± Xiao Juan asked humbly, ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her ws wrapped in gauze and gently tapped Xiao Juan¡¯s lips. Then, she tapped her lips and asked. ¡°That¡¯s it, understand?¡± Xiao Juan followed her movements and looked at her lips. Because she was injured, her lips were pink and she looked a little pale. But he couldn¡¯t look away. Of course, he understood what she meant. Although he was a little nervous, he was unwilling to give up this great opportunity. He obeyed the wishes in his heart and slowly leaned over. Yu Niaoniao looked at his approaching handsome face and her heart involuntarily beat faster. Although she appeared so proactive, it was actually her first time. She was very nervous. When their lips touched, they held their breaths in unison. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at the man in front of her without blinking. Xiao Juan was also looking at her. This was the first time he had looked at her so closely. Now he could even see how many eyshes there were on her eyelids. Their breaths intertwined, and the ambiguous temperature quickly rose. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart beat like a drum. Just as she was about to close her eyes and prepare to make further contact, Xiao Juan suddenly retreated. The touch of his lips disappeared. Yu Niaoniao looked at him in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiao Juan was even more puzzled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. Could it be that he felt that kissing was just their lips touching? From the looks of it, that really seemed to be what he was thinking! Yu Niaoniao did not know what to say for a moment. Xiao Juan asked again, ¡°Is there a problem?¡± He had never kissed anyone before and had no experience in this area, but looking at Niaoniao, it was as if he had done something wrong just now. This made him very uneasy. Could it be that Niaoniao despised him? Yu Niaoniao sighed in resignation. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Go to sleep.¡± No matter how thick-skinned she was, she could not discuss something like kissing. Xiao Juan watched her close her eyes, but he could not fall asleep. He secretly regretted it. If he had known earlier, he would have done his homework in advance. Now, Niaoniao already knew that he was a fool who did not even know how to kiss. His image as a man was ruined. When the sun was about to set, Lo Pingsha sent over a wooden wheelchair. This wheelchair was specially made for Yu Niaoniao. Chun Feng had specially sewn a soft cushion and ced it on the chair. Xiao Juan picked Niaoniao up and ced her in the chair. Be it size or height, it suited her very well. She touched the wooden handle and smiled. ¡°This wheelchair is very good. I like it very much. Little Lo, thank you!¡± Lo Pingsha was delighted. ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s almost time. Let¡¯s go.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°Yes!¡± Xiao Juan pushed the wheelchair out. When he reached the door, the wheelchair was stopped by a high threshold. Lo Pingsha, Chun Feng, and Ye Yu were about to step forward to help when they saw Xiao Juan grab the wheels on both sides of the wheelchair and carry Yu Niaoniao with it. After crossing the threshold, Xiao Juan ced the wheelchair steadily on the ground. Yu Niaoniao wanted to give him a thumbs up, but because her ws were wrapped in gauze, she could only give him a fist. ¡°You¡¯re awesome!¡± Xiao Juan smiled gently. It was not until this moment that the depression from the kisspletely dissipated from his heart. When they arrived at the attic where the banquet was held, there were already many people sitting there. As the owner, Wang Jianan had naturally arrived early. He was talking to Wei Liao. Seeing Duke Lang arrive, everyone went forward to greet him. Wang Jianan personally led Duke Lang and his wife to the master seat. The guests saw Duke Lang pushing a wheelchair. The woman sitting in the wheelchair was covered in gauze, only revealing her eyes, nose, and mouth. She looked quite scary. They had long heard that the Princess Consort of Lang County was injured, but they did not expect her injuries to be so serious. From the looks of it, the Princess Consort of Lang County must have been disfigured. Men liked beautiful women, and Duke Lang was definitely no exception. Even if he did not divorce the Princess Consort, he would definitely not dote on her in the future. Thinking of this, everyone looked at Yu Niaoniao with sympathy. Yu Niaoniao did not know what others were thinking at all. As soon as she sat down, she asked impatiently. ¡°What delicious food would there be tonight?¡± Wang Jianan was very grateful to the Princess Consort who had saved his grandson. He read the menu of the banquet from beginning to end and finished. ¡°That¡¯s all for the time being. If there¡¯s anything else you want to eat, just tell me. I¡¯ll get someone to prepare it.¡± Yu Niaoniao was very content. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± The maidservants filed in with food and wine. Yu Niaoniao watched as the delicacies on the table increased and was extremely touched. Tears flowed down the corners of her mouth. Wang Jianan raised his ss and said loudly. ¡°For so many years, Princess Ni Yang has been like an invisible mountain, pressing down on us until we can barely breathe. Now that this mountain has finally disappeared, be it us or themoners, we¡¯re all happy about this. All of this is thanks to Duke Lang and the Princess Consort. Let¡¯s toast them! ¡± The guests stood up and looked at Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you, Princess Consort!¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hands were wrapped in gauze, so she definitely could not raise her ss. She could only look at Xiao Juan eagerly, hoping that he could feed her a sip of wine. Xiao Juan coldly rejected her request. ¡°You¡¯re injured. You can¡¯t drink while you¡¯re still taking medicine.¡± Then, he picked up his ss and clinked it with everyone¡¯s. Everyone raised their heads and drained their sses. Xiao Juan put down his empty wine ss, picked up a piece of chicken, and fed it to Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao immediately forgot about the bitterness of not being able to drink and ate the chicken happily. After she finished the chicken, Xiao Juan picked up a piece of vegetable for her. Yu Niaoniao ate the vegetables in one bite. Then, Xiao Juan picked up another piece of yam for her. Yu Niaoniao ate the yam and said at the same time,¡±l want that venison..¡± Chapter 504 - 504: Dreams Into Reality Chapter 504: Dreams Into Reality Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The venison was cooked with chili and drizzled with red chili oil. It was obvious that its vor was strong. Xiao Juan picked up a piece of venison, but he did not send it directly to Yu Niaoniao¡¯s mouth. Instead, he ced it in the tea and washed it. When the spicy oil on the venison was washed clean, he brought it to Niaoniao¡¯s mouth. ¡°Eat.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at the tasteless venison and could not help but frown. ¡°This venison doesn¡¯t taste good.¡± Xiao Juan ced the venison on a te and picked up a piece of chicken for her. The chicken was steamed, with sauce on the side. However, the chicken that Xiao Juan picked up for her was not dipped in sauce. Although the steamed chicken was not inedible, she still wanted to eat something dipped in sauce. Yu Niaoniao extended her round gauze-wrapped ws and pointed at the small te containing the sauce. ¡°Get some of this.¡± Xiao Juan said solemnly, ¡°No, not only can you not eat spicy food now, but you can¡¯t have soy sauce and vinegar either. Otherwise, it will leave a scar.¡± Yu Niaoniao could not understand. ¡°Why can¡¯t I have soy sauce and vinegar?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°This is medical advice.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll eat crabs. The crab meat will be delicious even if it¡¯s steamed.¡¯ Xiao Juan said, ¡°Shrimp and crabs are all seafood. You can¡¯t eat them either.¡± Yu Niaoniao pursed her lips and was about to cry. ¡°I can¡¯t eat this or that. Then what else can I eat?¡± In order tofort Niaoniao, Xiao Juan ced the chicken in the vegetable soup and rolled it around, letting it be stained with some oil before sending it to Niaoniao¡¯s mouth. ¡°Try this and see if it¡¯s delicious.¡± Yu Niaoniao opened her mouth and ate the chicken. With the enhancement of the vegetable soup, the chicken tasted much better. Seeing that she liked to eat it, Xiao Juan scooped some vegetable soup and poured it on the rice. After mixing it evenly, he covered it with some vegetables and chicken and fed it to Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao obediently epted the feeding and ate until her mouth was oily. Seeing this, the guests present were surprised by Duke Lang¡¯s thoughtfulness. They did not expect the legendary living King of Hell to have such a gentle side. Was this the legendary transformation of steel into softness? Initially, they were worried that the Princess Consort of Lang County would be despised. Now, it seemed that they were thinking too much. Duke Lang cared a lot about the Princess Consort! Wei Liao looked at Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao¡¯s intimate appearance and heard the guests praise Duke Lang and his wife. He felt even more unhappy. Everyone gave Duke Lang the credit and forgot about him. The more he thought about it, the more he felt he had lost. Seeing that Xiao Juan was only focused on feeding her and could not eat anything himself, Yu Niaoniao could not help but say. ¡°Eat too. ¡± Xiao Juan knew that she liked to hear sweet nothings, so he wanted to take this opportunity to coax her. He had wanted to say that as long as he saw that she was full, she would not be hungry, but because he was not familiar with the business, it came out warped. Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯m full when I see you.¡± Yu Niaoniao was confused. Xiao Juan was speechless. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Let me exin. That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Yu Niaoniao seemed to have suffered a huge blow and looked extremely aggrieved. She Imew that she did not look good now, but Xiao Juan did not have to despise her so much, right?! He had clearly said that she was the best in his heart! Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Wretched man, big liar!¡± Xiao Juan forcefully exined, ¡°I said that I¡¯m full when I see you because you¡¯re too beautiful. I don¡¯t feel hungry as long as I see you.¡± Yu Niaoniao was skeptical. ¡°Really?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. When have I ever lied to you?¡± Yu Niaoniao began to dig up old scores. ¡°You lied to mest year in Liaodong County. You secretly drugged the tea and tricked me to drink it. You drugged me and left me behind.¡± Xiao Juan felt a little guilty. ¡°It¡¯s been so long. How can you remember?¡± Yu Niaoniao snorted. ¡°I¡¯ll remember this for the rest of my life! Let¡¯s see if you dare to lie to me again.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you this time. I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you unless you prove it to me with practical actions.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Peel a prawn for me.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. So she was waiting for him there! Xiao Juan picked up a piece of chicken and handed it over. He said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t have any prawns. I have a piece of chicken. Do you want it?¡± Yu Niaoniao red at him angrily. ¡°Man, you¡¯ve already lost my trust in you!¡± With that, she took a bite of the chicken and chewed hard. She whispered as she ate. ¡°I used to dream often. In my dream, there was someone wearing egg soup pancakes, stepping on marshmallows, and looking for me with roasted meat and drumsticks. I originally thought that person would be you, but now I know that the dream is fake. That person can¡¯t appear in reality.. She stopped talking. Because she saw Wei Liao walking over. He held a shiny drumstick in one hand and a te of fragrant roastedmb chops in the other. His entire body was filled with the fragrance of food. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. Could it be that Wei Liao had suddenly found his conscience and came to deliver delicious food to her? Was this the legendary dream shining into reality?! Xiao Juan frowned and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Wei Liao deliberately waved the drumstick in front of Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes followed the drumstick, her desire obvious. She extended her round ws. ¡°Is this for me? Thank you.¡± Wei Liao smiled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you still taking medicine? How can you eat such greasy food?¡± With that, he opened his mouth and bit off a piece of meat from the drumstick. He ate it with relish. Yu Niaoniao looked at him in disbelief with wide eyes. Wei Liao said as he ate, ¡°It¡¯s better for me to eat such greasy food. If you want to eat it, you can watch me eat it. You¡¯ve heard the allusion to quenching your thirst, right? It¡¯s the same principle as this.¡± Yu Niaoniao was about to cry from anger. How could there be such a bad person in the world?! Xiao Juanforted her. ¡°Ignore him. Let¡¯s continue eating.¡± He scooped up a spoonful of silver fungus lotus seed soup and brought it to her mouth. After Yu Niaoniao had the lotus seed soup, she saw Wei Liao grab a roastedmb chop. ¡°Tsk tsk, thismb chop is really fragrant. There are many spices sprinkled on it. There¡¯s cumin, chili powder, peppercorn powder, onions¡­¡± Yu Niaoniao thought of the fragrance emitted by the seasonings sprinkled on themb chop and immediately felt that the silver fungus lotus seed soup in her mouth was tasteless. She also wanted to eat roastedmb chops! Wei Liao bit off a piece of mutton and spoke as he ate. ¡°I didn¡¯t think the mutton was that delicious in the past, but today, I think the taste of this mutton chop is simply superb! Princess Consort, why are you looking at me? Do you want to smell the mutton chop? Alright, I¡¯ll let you smell it.¡± He handed over themb chop. That fragrance drilled into Yu Niaoniao¡¯s nose and hooked out all the gluttons in her stomach! Xiao Juan poured a bowl of strong tea on themb chop. Tea dripped down themb chop. There were still a few tea leaves hanging on it. Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°Sorry, my hand slipped..¡± Chapter 505 - 505: If There’s an Afterlife Chapter 505: If There¡¯s an Afterlife Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Wei Liao threw the wetmb chop back onto the te and asked with a faint smile. ¡°Did Your Highness do it on purpose?¡± Xiao Juan replied without changing his expression, ¡°Would you believe me if I said no?¡± The two of them did not show much anger, but there was a tense aura. When their eyes met, it was as if lightning was shing and there was gunpowder. Seeing that the situation was bad, Wang Jianan quickly stood up and said. ¡°Quickly change a te of roastedmb chop for Young Master Wei and make a new pot of tea for His Highness.¡± The maidservants quickly walked forward and took away the roastmb chop and empty teacups. Then, Wang Jianan called the dancers to begin the performance, and the sound of music floated up. Wang Jianan wanted to use the song and dance performance to dilute the animosity between Xiao Juan and Wei Liao, but the two of them did not even look at the dancers. Wei Liao said to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Don¡¯t you want good food? Eat whatever you want on my table. Do you want toe with me?¡± Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°Niaoniao is injured. She needs to keep to the food restrictions while taking medicine.¡± Wei Liao sneered in disdain. ¡°What do you mean by food restrictions? That¡¯s just a quack doctor¡¯s trick. I was injured in the past and still drank and ate meat while recuperating. Aren¡¯t I fine now?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Niaoniao is different from you. It doesn¡¯t matter how thick your skin is, but she¡¯s delicate and needs to recuperate well. She can¡¯t do anything rash.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°These are all your excuses! You just want to control Yu Niaoniao and use this to satisfy your desire to control.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯m Niaoniao¡¯s husband. I have an obligation to take good care of her. On the other hand, you¡¯re not rted to her. What right do you have to point fingers at our matters here?¡± Wei Liao choked. He was indeed in no position. He was purely unhappy, so he wanted to make others unhappy too. As for why he was unhappy? He didn¡¯t want to think about it. Instinct told him that the answer would be uneptable to him. Wei Liao pretended to be calm and said to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Just you wait. At this rate, you¡¯ll definitely be controlled by him in the future.¡± With that, he turned around and walked away. Looking at his back, he actually looked a little angry. Yu Niaoniao was very puzzled. ¡°What is this guy doing here?¡± Xiao Juan replied indifferently, ¡°Who knows?¡± They were both men, but he could feel that Wei Liao¡¯s attitude towards Niaoniao was very different. In the past, Wei Liao would harass Niaoniao from time to time. He could even say that Wei Liao was deliberately provoking her,monly known as looking for trouble. However, now that Wei Liao was causing all kinds of trouble, it was more like he wanted to attract Niaoniao¡¯s attention. It didn¡¯t take a genius to guess what a man wanted to do if he wanted to attract the attention of the opposite sex. However, Xiao Juan did not intend to tell Niaoniao this. He scooped up a piece of soft, tender white tofu with a spoon and brought it to her lips. ¡°Ignore him. Continue eating.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After the banquet ended, Xiao Juan pushed Niaoniao back to the guest room. People were especially prone to sleepiness after eating and drinking their fill. Yu Niaoniao was like this now. She kept yawning on the way. When Xiao Juan picked her up and ced her on the bed, she fell asleep almost as soon as she touched the pillow. Xiao Juan could not sleep yet. He had to change Niaoniao¡¯s dressing. In order not to wake her up, his movements were extremely gentle throughout the entire process. The next day, Yu Niaoniao woke up and did not realize that the gauze on her body had been changed once. She was helped to sit up. Xiao Juan wiped her face with a wet handkerchief and said. ¡°I¡¯m going outter.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked curiously, ¡°Why are you going out?¡± Xiao Juan had no intention of hiding it and said frankly. ¡°Although Princess Ni Yang hasmitted a heinous crime, she¡¯s still my mother. I have to arrange her funeral.¡¯ Yu Niaoniao immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± She knew that she would definitely not be of much help in this state, but she was really worried about Xiao Juan. Princess Ni Yang upied a very important ce in his life. Now that he was going to arrange her funeral, he would definitely not feel good. At a time like this, she had to be with him. Xiao Juan looked up at her and saw that her expression was firm. It was obvious that she had made up her mind to leave, so he nodded in agreement. ¡°Yeah.¡± Yu Niaoniao specially asked Chun Feng to choose in white clothes for her. In her current state, she did not have to consider hairpins or jewelry. She just had to casually tie her long hair up and stabilize it with a sandalwood hairpin. Xiao Juan was still wearing his usual ck clothes. He had a leather belt around his waist and ck boots, looking deep and reserved. After breakfast with Niaoniao, he left the County Governor¡¯s Mansion and took a carriage to a temple in the city. The abbot in the temple clearly knew Xiao Juan. When he saw Xiao Juan bring Yu Niaoniao over, he immediately led the couple to the back hall. There was a ck coffin parked in the back hall. Beside it were four monks kneeling. They were chanting scriptures as they knocked on the wooden fish. Yu Niaoniao originally thought that they were chanting the Reincarnation Scripture. After asking, she realized that they were actually chanting the Cmity Surpassing Scripture. This was specially instructed by Xiao Juan. He lit three incense sticks and inserted them into the incense burner. ¡°Princess Ni Yang hurt many people when she was alive. She never repented for this until she died. I hope to use the Cmity Surrogate Sutra to make her turn over a new leaf and be a good person in her next life.¡± Smoke curled up from the incense. The smoke misted his eyes, making them look a little blurry. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t believe in ghosts and gods?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe in ghosts, but I hope that people can have a next life. Yu Niaoniao became even more curious. ¡°Why?¡± Xiao Juan looked at her silently. If there was really an afterlife, he might be able to meet her again. He admitted that he was greedy. He felt that one life was not enough and wanted another. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Xiao Juan looked away. ¡°If people can have a next life, I might be able to make up for a lot of regrets.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked like she did not understand. Xiao Juan walked to the side of the coffin and reached out to push open the lid, revealing the charred corpse lying inside. Princess Ni Yang, who was once known as the number one beauty of Dayan, was now charred by the fire and unrecognizable. Seeing this scene, Xiao Juan felt veryplicated. He had thought of many endings, but he had never thought that this would be the ending between him and his mother. The host asked, ¡°Your Highness, do you need someone to redecorate Her Highness?¡± The local custom was that after a person died, they had to be washed up and buried in a coffin. Xiao Juan replied indifferently. ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± She was already charred. What else was there to dress up for? Even if Princess Ni Yang was still alive, with her vain and strong personality, she definitely did not want others to see her unrecognizable appearance. Xiao Juan covered the coffin and ordered someone to bring iron nails. He personally sealed the coffin. When he was done, he let the Eagle Guards in to bring the coffin out of the temple.. Chapter 506 - 506: Farewell to the Past Chapter 506: Farewell to the Past Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao could not ride a horse now and could only take a carriage. She pushed open the car window and looked out. She saw manymoners standing on the street. The Eagle Guards carried the coffin and walked on the streets of Jinwu City. Xiao Juan rode at the front of the convoy. All of them were wearing ck brocade robes and dark red cloaks. There were sabers hanging at their waists. It was obvious that they were not to be trifled with. Although they did not say a word the entire time, themoners knew that they were sending Princess Ni Yang¡¯s coffin out of the city. Themoners hated Princess Ni Yang to the core and wished they could throw a few rotten eggs at her coffin. However, because of the aura of Duke Lang and the Eagle Guards, no one dared to really attack. Themoners could only re at the coffin with hatred and curse Princess Ni Yang in their hearts that she would never be able to reincarnate afternguishing in the eighteen levels of hell. Yu Niaoniao ?could read the resentment in the hearts of themoners through her eyes. Actually, she admired Princess Ni Yang a little. As a woman, she could break through her shackles and had talent and ambition that was not inferior to men. However, Princess Ni Yang¡¯s methods were too extreme. This made her lose the love and respect of the people. Without the love and respect of the people, even if she could really be lucky enough to ascend to the throne, she would definitely not be able to sit on it for long. Yu Niaoniao closed the carriage window and prayed silently. She hoped that Xiao Juan could forget the negative emotions brought about by Princess Ni Yang as soon as possible. After leaving Jinwu City, the team walked along the official road for a while before going up the mountain. It was not convenient for the carriage to enter the mountain, so Xiao Juan carried Niaoniao to the horse¡¯s back and rode with her. The mountain path was rugged, so it was inevitable that it would be bumpy. In order to avoid aggravating the wounds on Niaoniao¡¯s body, Xiao Juan tried his best to slow down so that the horse could move more steadily. Finally, the team stopped in front of a mausoleum. Xiao Juan carried Niaoniao down the horse and gave her an introduction. ¡°This is my father¡¯s tomb. I heard from the servants in the princess¡¯s residence that he had a good rtionship with the Eldest Princess when he was still alive. If the two of them are buried together, I believe they should be willing.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at the tombstone standing in front of her and recalled what Princess Ni Yang had once said. Princess Ni Yang had mentioned her three consorts, but she only showed nostalgia only when she mentioned the second Prince Consort. It was obvious that she did have some feelings for the second Prince Consort. The Eagle Guards dug up the Prince Consort¡¯s tomb and ced Princess Ni Yang¡¯s coffin inside. Then, they filled the soil and buried it again beforepletely sealing the tomb. Xiao Juan kowtowed to the tombstone and ced fresh fruits and tributes. He also burned some paper money to pay tribute to his deceased father. Yu Niaoniao also wanted to kowtow to her dead father-inw, but her entire body was wrapped in gauze and she really could not kneel down. She could only bend her waist slightly. Xiao Juan personally added Princess Ni Yang¡¯s name to the tombstone. In this way, Princess Ni Yang¡¯s funeral waspleted. The entire process was extremely simple. Other than Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao, only the Eagle Guards were present. There was no one else. Such a funeral could be said to be simple for a princess. However, Xiao Juan felt that this was enough. No matter how lively the funeral was, it was for outsiders to see. He didn¡¯t care what outsiders thought. He just needed a clear conscience. Xiao Juan carried Niaoniao back to the horse. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± They rode down the mountain. Yu Niaoniao sat in Xiao Juan¡¯s arms and looked back at the mausoleum. It buried Xiao Juan¡¯s parents and his past. From now on, he would bid farewell to the pastpletely and wee a new life. Xiao Juan noticed her gaze and asked. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not answer the question. ¡°Although people can¡¯t choose their background, they can choose the path they want to take in the future, Ah Juan, have you thought about which path you want to take?¡± Xiao Juan blurted out without thinking. ¡°I¡¯ll take whichever path you take.¡± With that, he shut his mouth and silently waited for Niaoniao¡¯s reaction, feeling a little nervous. Yu Niaoniaoughed. ¡°I realize you¡¯re getting better at coaxing people recently.¡± Xiao Juan was afraid that she would misunderstand that he was coaxing her, so he immediately said seriously. ¡°I¡¯m not coaxing you. I mean it.¡± Yu Niaoniao gently leaned against his chest. ¡°Then you have to do what you say. No matter what happens in the future, you have to follow me. We can never be separated.¡± Xiao Juan replied softly, ¡°Yeah.¡± The group returned to Jinwu City the same way they came. In the end, just as they entered the city, yan Nanguan rushed towards them on his horse. ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s a letter from the capital!¡± The carriage stopped. Yu Niaoniao pushed the cart out and saw Yan Nanguan rush to Xiao Juan and deliver a letter to him. Xiao Juan took out the letter and frowned as he read the contents. Seeing this, Yu Niaoniao could not help but worry. Something must have happened to make Xiao Juan¡¯s expression change. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What happened in the capital?¡± Xiao Juan rode to the carriage and handed the letter in through the window. Yu Niaoniao took the letter and read it quickly. This was a secret letter sent from the Justice Department. The person who wrote was Meng Xizhou. In the letter, he said that the emperor¡¯s condition had worsened and he had not attended the morning court assembly for two months. In order to fight for the position of Crown Prince, the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince had used various methods. Because the Third Prince identally fell off his horse and broke his right leg, he was crippled for life. The Fourth Prince had be a fool because he had drunk too much and identally injured his head. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that these incidents were man-made. It was just that the emperor cared about his face and did not want the world to know about the family scandal between the brothers, so everyone pretended to be oblivious. There were a total of three princes. The first two had met with mishaps one after another and lost their right topete for the position of Crown Prince. In the end, only the Seventh Prince was still intact. Therefore, the position of Crown Prince fell into the Seventh Prince¡¯s hands without any suspense. The emperor had already decided to hold the crowning ceremony for the Seventh Prince, Shen Zhuo, on the tenth day of October. At that time, Xiao Juan and Wei Liao had to participate. Yu Niaoniao put down the letter. She was already mentally prepared for Shen Zhuo to be conferred the title of Crown Prince, so she was not too surprised. She was concerned about something else. ¡°It¡¯s already August. There are only two months left until the day of the Crown Prince¡¯s conferment. It will take at least two months to set off from here to the Imperial Capital. In other words, we have to set off now.¡± Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°Wei Liao and I will leave first. You stay here and continue to recuperate. It won¡¯t be toote to return to the Imperial Capital when your injuries recover. I¡¯ll leave Little Lo behind to take care of you.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately refused. ¡°You just promised me that no matter what happens in the future, we have to walk the same path. In the end, you turned around and wanted to abandon me. You didn¡¯t keep your word!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°But you¡¯re injured now, so it¡¯s not convenient for you to travel.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°1 ride in a carriage every day anyway. What¡¯s inconvenient about it? If it really doesn¡¯t work, we can still turn to the water and take a boat.¡± Xiao Juan thought for a moment and felt that the water route was indeed a solution, so he chose topromise. ¡°Okay, then. You¡¯reing with us..¡± Chapter 507 - 507: Everyone Has Their Aspirations Chapter 507: Everyone Has Their Aspirations Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Wang Jianan did not expect them to leave so quickly and could not help but be a little flustered. He hurriedly got the chefs to prepare the dry rations for them to eat on the way. In addition, he got someone to prepare a lot of local specialties that filled tworge carts. In addition, he had something to ask Duke Lang. ¡®What should we do with the princess¡¯s residence?¡± ording to thew, Princess Ni Yang hadmitted the crime of treason and would be executed. However, her status was special. If her family was really executed, the current emperor and the empress dowager would lose their heads with her. Therefore, it was impossible to execute her entire family. They could only arrest all the servants in her residence, convict them, and sell them again. The person was gone, but the princess¡¯s residence was still there, and there was arge amount of gold, silver, and treasure hidden in the residence. Wang Jianan did not know how to deal with it and could only seek Duke Lang¡¯s advice. Xiao Juan already had an idea about this and said, ¡°Take out 100,000 taels of silver and distribute it to the innocentmoners who were captured to be miners. Consider itpensation for them. The remaining money will be used to set up a charity hall to specially amodate the helpless old, weak, women, and children. You¡¯ll supervise this matter.¡± Wang Jianan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± He sighed inwardly. Although Duke Lang looked cold and unreasonable, he was actually quite kind. Compared to his ruthless mother, he was really a good person. At dawn, the next day, Yu Niaoniao, Xiao Juan, and the others left the County Governor¡¯s Mansion. Wang Jianan sent them all the way out of the city. Seeing that they were about to exit the city, Xiao Juan asked Wang Jianan to go back. Wang Jianan could only stop. He got out of the carriage with the help of others and bowed deeply to Duke Lang. ¡°I¡¯ve already said my thanks many times, but I have to say it onest time. Thank you, Your Highness, for saving my Ah Jun. I can¡¯t repay your kindness. If Your Highness has any orders in the future, you just have to say one word. I won¡¯t hesitate to go through hell and high water!¡± His words were equivalent to surrendering to Xiao Juan, indicating that he was willing to stand on his side in the future. Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to do anything. You just have to do your job and be a good official with a conscience.¡± Wang Jianan replied solemnly, ¡°I will follow your teachings and definitely not let you down, Your Highness!¡± Xiao Juan waved his whip, and the horse under him sped up and dashed forward. The others followed closely behind. Wang Jianan stood there and watched them leave. After they were gone, Wang Jianan looked away and waved at the old servant beside him. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± In the next few days, every time Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan¡¯s team arrived, they would be warmly weed by the local people, especially those rescued from the iron mine. They wished they could worship Duke Lang as an immortal. Their gratitude was obvious. Not to mention Xiao Juan himself, even the Eagle Guards following behind him were not used to it. Ever since they entered the Justice Department, they had be ferocious tigers in the hearts of themoners. As long as they appeared, themoners would tremble and hide everywhere. This was the first time in history that themoners showed liking and gratitude to them. Faced with the eggs, tbread, and other thank-you gifts sent to them by themoners, this group of Eagle Guards did not know how to react. They could only continue to maintain their expressionless and cold appearance. They did not want anything. But even so, there would still be somemoners who would forcefully stuff things into their hands. Yu Niaoniao saw a tall girl stuff a handkerchief into Lo Pingsha¡¯s hand and hug him when he was unprepared. When he came back to his senses and wanted to return the handkerchief, the girl had already run away. So Lo Pingsha could only stand there with a red face, not knowing what to do. Seeing this scene, Yu Niaoniao was overjoyed. Lo Pingsha discovered the Princess Consort and took a handkerchief to her for guidance. ¡°What should we do with this handkerchief?¡± He had never encountered such a thing before. He had no experience at all. Yu Niaoniao said as she smiled. ¡°Since it¡¯s a gift from a girl, ept it.¡± Lo Pingsha blushed and said in embarrassment, ¡°It¡¯s not good to take a girl¡¯s things rashly, right? What if someone misunderstands?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Let me see the handkerchief.¡± Lo Pingsha hurriedly offered the handkerchief with both hands. Yu Niaoniao waved her two ws wrapped in gauze, indicating that she could not hold a handkerchief now. Only then did Lo Pingsha remember that the Princess Consort was still injured. He immediately spread out his handkerchief for her to see. Yu Niaoniao said after looking at both sides of the handkerchief. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s no girl¡¯s name embroidered on this handkerchief. Even if someone saw you holding this handkerchief, they would not know who had given it to you.¡± ¡°Besides, we¡¯re leaving tomorrow morning. From now on, you and she will be separated by thousands of mountains and rivers. It will be very difficult for there to be a misunderstanding between the two of you.¡± Lo Pingsha thought about it and felt relieved. ¡°Thank you for your advice, Princess Consort.¡± Yu Niaoniao sized him up and asked coldly, ¡°You¡¯re not young anymore. Haven¡¯t you thought of marrying and having children?¡± Although Lo Pingsha had a baby face and looked very young, he was actually two years older than Yu Niaoniao. In this era ofmon early marriage and early childbearing, he could already be considered an old leftover man. If anyone else asked such a thing, Lo Pingsha would definitely think that they were meddling and would not even care. But now that he was facing the Princess Consort who had done him a favor, she could be considered half a rtive in his heart. She could ask such a question out of concern for him. Lo Pingsha shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it yet.¡± Yu Niaoniao had no intention of urging him to get married. After all, everyone had their own ambitions. She only reminded him, ¡°If you meet a girl you like, you can tell me. I¡¯ll help you refer. If you really can¡¯t meet anyone, I can introduce one to you.¡± Lo Pingsha lowered his head shyly. ¡°Okay.¡± At night, in the courier station, Xiao Juan was changing Niaoniao¡¯s dressing. Because the wounds on her body were scattered, she had to take off all her clothes. At first, Yu Niaoniao was very shy, but when she realized that Xiao Juan was even more nervous than her, she immediately forgot about her embarrassment. As the saying went, as long as she wasn¡¯t embarrassed, others would be. Seeing that Xiao Juan was carefully applying medication on her and staring at the wounds on her body the entire time, Yu Niaoniao did not dare to look anywhere else and could not help but want tough. When Xiao Juan heard herughter, he paused in his actions. ¡°Why are youughing?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Nothing. I just thought of Little Lo. A girl sent him a handkerchief during the day and made him helpless. He was quite cute.¡± Xiao Juan tightened his grip on the medicine bottle, his expression unchanged. ¡°You think Little Lo is cute?¡± Chapter 508 - 508: Jealous Chapter 508: Jealous Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao admitted frankly, ¡°That¡¯s right. Although he¡¯s a man, he has a baby face. He looks very cute.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Do you like him?¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s expression immediately became meaningful. ¡°Baby, you¡¯re not jealous, are you?¡± Xiao Juan lowered his eyes and continued to apply medication to her. ¡°No.¡± Yu Niaoniao rolled her eyes and continued to smile. ¡°I do like Little Lo. He¡¯s cute, good at medicine, and talented and good-looking. Who wouldn¡¯t like a boy like him?¡± Xiao Juan told himself that it was impossible for Niaoniao to like Lo Pingsha. There could not be anything between the two of them. But his lips were pursed tightly. Jealousy spread wildly in his heart. He couldn¡¯t control it. At that moment, he heard Niaoniao say something. ¡°So I quite want Little Lo to be my brother-inw.¡± Xiao Juan was stunned. ¡°Brother-inw?¡± Yu Niaoniao said slowly. ¡°My father has been looking for a suitable inw for Pingping. I think Little Lo is quite good. He¡¯s reserved and doesn¡¯t talk much. But he is smart, thoughtful, and reliable.¡± ¡°Pingping had an extroverted personality. She chattered all day long and was a little carefree. However, she is clear about her love and hate and is sincere with others. She is very sensible about important matters.¡± ¡°Their personalities happened toplement each other. Wasn¡¯t that just right? However, this is just my wishful thinking. Whether they like each other in the end depends on themselves.¡± Xiao Juan did not expect Niaoniao to think that way. ¡°I thought you¡­¡± Yu Niaoniaoughed. ¡°Why? Do you think I like Little Lo? You let your imagination run wild.¡± Xiao Juan also felt that he was thinking too much. Because he liked Niaoniao himself, he felt that all the men in the world would snatch her from him. Love had made him worried about personal gains and losses. He was a little unlike his old self. ¡°I was thinking too much. It¡¯s my fault.¡± Yu Niaoniao only wanted to joke with him. Seeing that he was seriously admitting his mistake, she felt a little embarrassed. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong either. I didn¡¯t express myself clearly enough just now.¡± Xiao Juan took the opportunity to change the topic. ¡°Can your father agree to let your sister be with Little Lo?¡± Civil officials like Yu Kangtai, who hade from a proper background, hated the Justice Department and the Eagle Guards the most. In their opinion, the Eagle Guards were a group of jackals, tigers, and leopards. Yu Kangtai only had two daughters in total. His eldest daughter had been betrothed to Duke Lang by the emperor. There was nothing he could do about it. He could only ept it. He would definitely not want his youngest daughter to marry an Eagle Guard. Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°In the past, he would definitely not have agreed.¡± ¡°But things were different now. Ever since Madam Jiang¡¯s ident, my family had be infamous in the Imperial capital.¡± ¡°Everyone knew that Madam Jiang is a vicious woman. As her biological daughter, Pingping¡¯s reputation is naturally not much better.¡± ¡°Now, all the upright families in the Imperial capital were unwilling to form marriage rtions with our family.¡± ¡°And my father looked down on those who wanted to marry into our family. Inparison, isn¡¯t Little Lo the best choice?¡± She made sense. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Then, are you nning to introduce them to each other?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. When we return to the Imperial Capital, I¡¯ll find an opportunity to mention this to them. If they don¡¯t dislike it, let them meet. If not, forget it.¡± Xiao Juan bandaged her wound again. Yu Niaoniao wanted to reach out and scratch her arm, but she was stopped by Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan told her not to move. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°But my wound has been itching recently. It feels ufortable if I don¡¯t scratch it.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°That¡¯s the wound slowly healing. Bear with it.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°1 know, but I still itch.¡± Xiao Juan had no better idea and could only say to her. ¡°Go to sleep. You won¡¯t feel itchy after you fall asleep.¡± Yu Niaoniao pouted. ¡°Give me a kiss. It won¡¯t itch anymore.¡± Xiao Juan was exceptionally obedient at this moment. He bent down and kissed her gently on the lips. ¡°Is this okay?¡± Yu Niaoniao smacked her lips with a reluctant expression. ¡°It¡¯s passable.¡± Xiao Juan was caught betweenughter and tears. The next day they continued on their way. When they passed by a county city, they saw Ling Hai and Ling Miao. So this was where the Ling family was. The Ling family had already returned to their original residence and had even receivedpensation from the government. They used thispensation to buy materials, hire workers, and continue to do the cloth business. Their lives returned to normal. In order to express their gratitude, the Ling family prepared a sumptuous meal and warmly entertained Yu Niaoniao and the others. Although Yu Niaoniao could not drink, she was happy for the Ling family. The next morning, Yu Niaoniao, Xiao Juan, and the others prepared to set off again. As soon as they walked out of the door, they saw Ling Hai standing in the courtyard with his luggage. Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Unexpectedly, Ling Hai knelt down in front of her. ¡°His Highness and the Princess Consort saved our Ling family. You¡¯re our benefactors. I don¡¯t know how to repay you. I can only follow you and work for you. I hope Your Highness and Princess Consort can ept me!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You¡¯re still young. Even if you want to repay my kindness, you can do so in a few years. You should stay at home and study hard now.¡± Ling Hai was unwilling. ¡°I¡¯m already twelve years old this year. I¡¯m not a child anymore. Please give me a chance, Princess Consort. I¡¯m very capable of suffering. As long as you let me follow you, I¡¯m willing to do anything!¡± Yu Niaoniao did not understand. ¡°Why do you have to follow us? If you leave with us, won¡¯t your family worry about you?¡± Ling Hai had clearly considered this and said quickly. ¡°I¡¯ve already told my parents, brother, and sister about this. They all think that men have ambitions and support me in following you to the Imperial Capital.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at Xiao Juan and asked. ¡°What do you think?¡± Xiao Juan really wanted to arrange an errand boy beside Niaoniao. Although Meng Xizhou and Yan Nanguan could help her, they were still from the Justice Department and had their own things to do. They could not wait for Niaoniao¡¯s instructions at any time. Ling Hai was a good candidate. The child was smart and brave. Most importantly, he was grateful to Niaoniao and was reliable. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Let him follow you to try out first. Coincidentally, it¡¯s inconvenient for you to move now. You can instruct him to do anything.¡± Yu Niaoniao agreed. ¡°Fine.¡± Ling Hai was overjoyed. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you, Princess Consort!¡± Although Ling Hai said that he had already obtained his family¡¯s approval, Niaoniao still met the Ling family personally. Ling Hai¡¯s father said, ¡°We can¡¯t bear to part with Little Hai, but he has his own opinions. He didn¡¯t want to be trapped in this small ce. He wanted to see the outside world. As parents, we could only let him fly.¡± ¡°We all know that you and His Highness are good people. We¡¯re very relieved to have Little Hai by your side..¡± Chapter 509 - 509: Rich Chapter 509: Rich Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios When they parted, Ling Miao hugged her brother¡¯s arm and refused to let go. She cried until her face was covered in tears. Ling Hai could not bear to be separated from his family. However, in the end, he gritted his teeth, pushed his sister away, turned around, and walked out of the Ling family¡¯s door resolutely. Yu Niaoniao, who was sitting in the carriage, could not help but ask when she saw this scene through the window, ¡°If you¡¯re reluctant, why did you leave?¡± Ling Hai wiped his eyes. ¡°Because I want to be stronger.¡± Duke Lang and his wife were the most capable people he had ever met. Not only could he broaden his horizons by helping them, but he could also learn. When he became stronger in the future, he would be able to protect his family from bad people. Yu Niaoniao had mixed feelings. He was twelve years old. In modern society, he was still a junior high school student, but Ling Hai had already begun to n for the future. Life had taught him the fickleness of human nature in advance, and it had also taught him too early the cruelty of the adult world. She wondered if this was good for him. The team set off again. After dozens of days of crossing mountains, they finally left Liangzhou. The team continued along the official road for another five days before finding the jetty. Originally, Xiao Juan had nned to charter arge ship, but when they reached the ferry terminal, they realized that charter ships needed to be booked in advance. The ships docked at the ferry were either cargo ships or merchant ships that had been booked. There were a few ships that could still carry guests, but they were all small ships that could not amodate so many people from the Eagle Guards and the Sky Wolf Guards. Yu Niaoniao suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we continue on our way in the carriages?¡± Xiao Juan disagreed. ¡°The rest of the journey will get bumpier. You¡¯ll feel terrible.¡± He asked Yan Nanguan to find the owner of one of the merchant ships and expressed his willingness to pay double the price to charter this ship. If double wasn¡¯t enough, triple was fine. Yan Nanguan returned quickly. He even brought back the owner of the merchant ship. The owner of the merchant ship was a balding middle-aged man. From the way he was dressed, one could tell that his family was very rich. He bowed to Xiao Juan. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness. I heard that Your Highness wants to take a boat to Daqian City. I happen to be going to Daqian City to sell goods. If Your Highness doesn¡¯t mind, you can travel with me. Although my boat conditions are ordinary, it¡¯s spacious enough to amodate all of you.¡± Seeing that he was so tactful, Xiao Juan was very satisfied. He immediately took out a banknote and handed it over. ¡°This is our fee.¡¯ Wang Yue hurriedly declined. ¡°No, no, no. I can¡¯t take your money.¡± Xiao Juan frowned. He had never believed that there was a free lunch in the world. If the other party did not want money, he would definitely ask for something else. ¡°Then what do you want?¡± Wang Yue smiled awkwardly. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m actually selfish. From here, we have to pass through a dangerous beach between the big city. The river flows rapidly and there are many reefs hidden under the water. Ships could easily be in danger there.¡± ¡°What is worse was that there was a nest of piratesying in ambush nearby. They would rob passing merchant ships. Thest time I passed there, I was robbed. Not only did we lose a lot of goods, but several of our fellows were also injured.¡± Xiao Juan immediately understood what he meant. ¡°You want us to help you deal with those water bandits?¡± Wang Yue rubbed his hands and smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°I¡¯ve long heard of Your Highness¡¯s reputation and know that the Eagle Guards under you are very powerful. As long as you¡¯re around, those pirates definitely won¡¯t dare to attack.¡± He was a businessman, so he naturally could calcte it. If he hired an escort to escort him the entire time, the fee would be much more expensive than the ship fee. Moreover, the escort might not be able to protect his merchant ship. Inparison, inviting these people to board the ship for free was the most cost-effective choice. Of course, if he could take this opportunity to build a rtionship with Duke Lang, that would be even better! Xiao Juan had seen countless people, so he naturally knew what Wang Yue was thinking. He pped the banknote on Wang Yue. ¡°We won¡¯t pay a penny less for the boat fees. As for that group of pirates, we won¡¯t let them off if they dare to appear.¡± Seeing that he could not refuse, Wang Yue could only ept the banknotes. He led them respectfully to the ship. Wang Yue was right. His ship was indeed very big. There were many rooms on it, enough for all of them. Even the horses and carriages they had brought could be amodated. The horses and carriage were arranged in a warehouse under the cabin. Someone would take care of them every day. Yu Niaoniao sat in a wheelchair and leaned against the porthole. She could see the vast river. Chun Feng and Ye Yu were busy packing their luggage. There were ready-made bedding in the guest room, but it was a little damp to the touch. They folded those bedding and put them in the cab, then reced them with the bedding and pillows they had brought. In addition, they took out teapots, cups, copper basins, chamber pots, dressing mirrors, and other daily necessities. In the end, they even moved out arge bathtub that could amodate two people. Soon, they filled the small room. Yu Niaoniao was deeply impressed. Rich people were so particr when they went out. It took her a moment to realize that she was the ¡°rich man.¡± But in fact, her pockets were cleaner than her face. She had no money at all! At the thought of this, Yu Niaoniao could not help but feel mncholic. Her draft had died in the sea of fire with Princess Ni Yang, so she had to draw it again. She still remembered the plot. But she was wrapped in gauze now and had the same hands as Doraemon. She could not even hold her chopsticks, let alone draw. If she couldn¡¯t draw, she wouldn¡¯t be able to submit the manuscript. If she could not submit the manuscript, she would not be able to earn money. Without money, how could she support the opera troupe? The more Yu Niaoniao thought about it, the more depressed she became. She could not help but sigh deeply. ¡°I¡¯m so poor!¡± Chun Feng and Ye Yu looked up at her at the same time, puzzled. ¡°How can you be poor? His Highness is so rich. If youck money, you can tell him.¡± Yu Niaoniao said righteously, ¡°Your thinking is wrong! No matter how rich Duke Lang is, it is still his money. What does it have to do with me? How could I be thinking about his money?¡± ¡°If I spend his money, I would suffer in front of him in the future and have to listen to him for everything. If this continues, what dignity will I have?¡± Chun Feng and Ye Yu were dumbfounded. Yu Niaoniao educated them earnestly. ¡°We women can¡¯t rely on men for everything. We have to learn to be independent. Even if we have to spend money, we have to spend our own. Only then can we have an independent personality. Do you understand?¡± Chun Feng and Ye Yu looked at each other. Finally, Ye Yu extended her right hand and said carefully. ¡°I have a question.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Ask.¡± Ye Yu asked sincerely, ¡°What if we don¡¯t have money?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Your question is very critical. I¡¯m also worried about it.. Do you have any good money-making ideas?¡± Chapter 510 - 510: Surprise Chapter 510: Surprise Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Vesting her faith in the wisdom of the crowds, Yu Niaoniao looked at Chun Feng and Ye Yu hopefully, hoping that they could think of a good solution. Chun Feng immediately said, ¡°You can borrow money from His Highness. As long as you ask, His Highness will definitely be willing to lend it.¡± Ye Yu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re going to borrow money. You¡¯ll pay it back when you have money in the future. This way, you don¡¯t have to lose your dignity.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, but if Duke Lang asks me why I want to borrow money, how should I answer?¡± This was exactly what Chun Feng and Ye Yu wanted to ask. They asked in unison, ¡°That¡¯s right. What do you want so much money for?¡± Yu Niaoniao said vaguely, ¡°I¡¯m going to do something big and need a lot of money, but I can¡¯t let Duke Lang know for the time being.¡± Ye Yu seemed to have thought of something and immediately understood. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you really have an actor outside?¡± Chun Feng looked shocked. The Princess Consort asked Duke Lang to borrow money to support an actor. If Duke Lang found out, wouldn¡¯t he be angered to death? So much for killing people! Outside the door, Xiao Juan carried the freshly brewed medicine and was about to push open the door when he heard Chun Feng¡¯s low cry. He stopped involuntarily as his hand froze in midair. Although eavesdropping was immoral, morality was no longer in his mind. He just wanted to know how Niaoniao answered. Had she really kept an actor outside? Yu Niaoniao hurriedly denied it, ¡°Nonsense! I don¡¯t have an actor! Besides, with Duke Lang¡¯s looks and figure, could the actors outsidepare to him? I must be blind to throw Duke Lang away and go out to look for other men!¡± Ye Yu hurriedly knelt down. ¡°I said something wrong. I deserve to die!¡± With that, she pped herself hard. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Alright, get up. Don¡¯t say such things again.¡± Ye Yu stood up. ¡°I won¡¯t dare to talk nonsense again.¡± Chun Feng asked curiously, ¡°Then why do you want so much money? Are you buying something expensive?¡± Yu Niaoniao hesitated again and again. Thinking that there was no one else here, she felt there was no harm in revealing some inside information, so she said to them, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t tell anyone else.¡± Seeing the two of them nod vigorously to ensure that it would not leak out, Yu Niaoniao continued, ¡°I actually wanted to prepare a surprise for Duke Lang.¡± Chun Feng became even more curious. ¡°What surprise?¡± Yu Niaoniao refused to say anything else. ¡°It won¡¯t be a surprise if I tell you everything.¡± Although Chun Feng and Ye Yu were desperate to know the answer, they tactfully did not continue to ask. Outside the door, Xiao Juan¡¯s mood was like a roller coaster that had experienced huge ups and downs. First, he was shocked and suspicious. Then he was pleasantly surprised. Then he was intensely curious. He really wanted to know what the surprise was. However. no matter what it was. as long as Niaoniao was still willing to snend the effort to prepare a surprise for him, it meant that she had him in her heart. As long as Niaoniao had him in her heart, it was more important than anything else! In the room, Yu Niaoniao was still thinking about how to earn money. Chun Feng quickly came up with another idea. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sell something? You have so much jewelry. You can earn a lot by selling a few.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Do you think I haven¡¯t thought of this method? Every piece of jewelry I have has the mark of the Duke¡¯s Mansion. Do you believe that if I take the jewelry into the pawnshop now, the pawnshop will expose this matter to Duke Lang in the next moment?¡± Back then, she took Xiao Juan¡¯s jade pendant to the pawnshop to sell for money. In the end, the shopkeeper of the pawnshop personally came looking for her the next day. Not only did he return the jade pendant to her, but he also made this matter known to everyone in the city. It was enough to have learned such a lesson once. She didn¡¯t want to do it again. Ye Yu thought hard. ¡°What do you have that can be sold for money but won¡¯t be discovered to be from the Langjun Imperial Pce?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at the two of them and suddenly smiled evilly. ¡°Why don¡¯t I sell you guys?¡± The two of them immediately turned pale with fear and knelt down in front of her, crying and pleading. ¡°Princess Consort, please spare us. Don¡¯t sell us!¡± Yu Niaoniao only wanted to joke with them. She did not expect them to take it seriously and hurriedly called them up. ¡°No, no. I wouldn¡¯t sell you guys even if I sold myself.¡± At this point, Yu Niaoniao seemed to have found a way to make money. She stroked her chin thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s right. I can sell myself.¡± Chun Feng and Ye Yu even forgot to cry and looked at her in a daze. What did the Princess Consort say? Was she going to sell herself? Was she crazy from poverty? Yu Niaoniao cleared her throat and began to talk nonsense in all seriousness. ¡°I¡¯ve already thought of the auction proposal. Listen. I¡¯m female and 80% new. I¡¯m in my prime.¡± ¡°The procedures areplete. And I¡¯m not injured at all. There is no need to top up money.¡± ¡°I will only need a catty of rice and two taels of meat to move a hundred miles. I¡¯m especially capable!¡± ¡°I could pick the soil in the fields, chop firewood in the mountains, cook, and doundry.¡± ¡°If I have money, I would spend it. If I don¡¯t, I would stay at home.¡± ¡°You can bring me out. Whether you can bring me back depends on your ability. Interested parties are wee to consult!¡± Xiao Juan, who was eavesdropping outside the door was speechless. She had even thought of the pitch. She really nned to sell herself! Chun Feng and Ye Yu were dumbfounded. They never expected the Princess Consort to think of this. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°How much do you think I can sell myself for?¡± Chun Feng spoke with difficulty. ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao sighed. ¡°I want to joke, but my purse doesn¡¯t allow it. If I don¡¯t sell myself, what else can I sell?¡± Ye Yu hurriedly said, ¡°Can¡¯t you sell paintings?¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her two ws. Seeing her round hands wrapped in gauze, Ye Yu was immediately speechless. Chun Feng had an idea. ¡°You can still sell recipes! Don¡¯t you usually think about all kinds of delicious food? Those delicacies can¡¯t be bought outside even if you have money. If you¡¯re willing to sell them, all the restaurants will definitely fight to buy them. ¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea!¡± It was much faster to earn money by selling recipes than by selling books. It was the best for emergencies. Chun Feng continued, ¡°Actually, if you can open your own restaurant, you¡¯ll definitely earn more money.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at her faintly. ¡°If I could afford a restaurant, would I need to think of a way to raise money?¡± Chun Feng was speechless. At this moment, there was a knock on the door and Xiao Juan¡¯s voice came in. ¡°Niaoniao, can Ie in?¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately nced at Chun Feng and Ye Yu, indicating for them to shut their mouths and not talk nonsense. ¡°Come in.¡± The door was pushed open and Xiao Juan walked in with the medicine. Chun Feng and Ye Yu bowed to him. Seeing that he ignored them, they tactfully retreated.. Chapter 511 - 511: Ghost Ship Chapter 511: Ghost Ship Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After drinking the medicine, Yu Niaoniao was a little sleepy. Xiao Juan picked her up and ced her on the bed, covering her with a nket. Yu Niaoniao closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep. Xiao Juan looked at her quietly and wanted to ask what surprise she had prepared. If she was short of money, he could give it to her. But in the end, he resisted asking. Because he knew that once he asked, Niaoniao would definitely be unhappy. Xiao Juan reached out and gently pushed the loose hair away from her forehead. ¡°You went to so much trouble to prepare a surprise for me, which proves that you actually have me in your heart, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao was already asleep, so she naturally would not give any response. The merchant ship left the ford and moved gently along the river. It was peaceful for five days. On the sixth day, it suddenly rained, and the river rose. Wang Yue reminded everyone that there was a dangerous beach ahead and told them to be more careful. The river ahead narrowed, and the merchant ship slowed. But after the merchant ship turned a corner, the river suddenly became rapid. The boat swayed violently with the river. The wheelchair Yu Niaoniao was sitting in slid out. Fortunately, Xiao Juan quickly grabbed the wheelchair and prevented her from falling with it. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Yu Niaoniao gripped the armrest of the wheelchair tightly, still in shock. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡±. She looked out the porthole. Both sides of the river were covered in rocky cliffs. Wind and rain poured in through the window. Chun Feng and Ye Yu hurriedly closed the window. The waves hit the boat with a violent sound. The boatmen shouted in unison as they paddled desperately. The captain gripped the steering wheel tightly and tried his best to control the direction of the merchant ship, careful to avoid the hidden reefs hidden under the river. The merchant ship rocked harder. Wang Yue gripped the rope tightly and swayed along the ship. The rain soaked him, but he didn¡¯t even have time to wipe his face. Because he realized that the merchant ship was moving away from its predetermined route. If he followed this direction, the hull would definitely hit the rock wall on the shore. He cried out in fear. ¡°We¡¯re going to hit it. Turn around!¡± The captain spun the wheel hard, but it was useless. He roared into the wind and rain. ¡°The wind is too strong today. The boat is out of control!¡± Xiao Juan realized that something was wrong and said to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Stay in the room. I¡¯ll take a look outside.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Xiao Juan left in a hurry. Chun Feng and Ye Yu gripped the wheelchair under Yu Niaoniao tightly to prevent her from sliding out again. When Xiao Juan ran to the deck, he realized that Wei Liao, Yan Nanguan, and Lo Pingsha were also there. The wind and rain hit them in the face, wetting their clothes. But no one cared about that now. They focused all their attention ahead. There was a rock wall ahead. If the merchant ship continued forward, it would quickly bump into it. In that case, the entire ship would be finished! The captain roared at the top of his lungs, urging the boatmen to work harder. However, even though the boatmen tried their best, there was still little effect. Xiao Juan made a prompt decision and ordered the Eagle Guards to join the rowers and help them row the boat. At this critical moment, Wei Liao did not say anything else. He asked the Sky Wolf Guards to help. With the help of so many people, the merchant ship finally slowed down. However, at this moment, the wind and rain suddenly became stronger. The river kicked up huge waves with the wind. The water hit the deck, and the ship shook violently. The people on the deck were almost thrown out. The captain shouted, ¡°Put down all the sails!¡± After asking for the location of the sail, Xiao Juan immediately used his Qinggong and flew up the pole. He gripped the long pole with one hand and untied the rope with the other. Whoosh! The sail suddenly fell. Lo Pingsha and Yan Nanguan caught the rope below and tied it firmly to the earth hook. At the same time, Wei Liao used his Qinggong to fly to another pole and lower the sail. After all the sails were lowered, the ship finally stabilized. The rain was still falling. and the wind had not stopped- However, after everyone worked together, the merchant ship had changed direction and returned to its predetermined route. Seeing this, Wang Yue heaved a long sigh of relief. He had finally escaped death. He had never been so d before. Fortunately, he had invited Duke Lang and the others to board the ship. Otherwise, they would definitely not be able to escape today. However, before Wang Yue could rx for long, he suddenly heard someone shout. ¡°Look, there¡¯s a ship ahead!¡± Wang Yue was shocked. The only ships that would appear here at a time like this were those pirates. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the pirates are here to rob us?¡± He raised his hand to wipe the water off his face and looked ahead with wide eyes. Through the wind and rain, he saw a small ship floating ahead. From the size of the ship, even if there were really pirates on it, there were definitely not many people. There was nothing to fear. There were still so many Eagle Guards and Sky Wolf Guards behind Wang Yue. He immediately felt confident and turned to ask Xiao Juan. ¡°Your Highness, what do you think we should do?¡± Xiao Juan also saw the small ship and casually replied, ¡°Let¡¯s lean over and take a look.¡± If they were really pirates, he did not mind getting rid of them for the people. The merchant ship slowly approached the small ship. Coincidentally, the wind and rain were much lighter now. Without the impediment of the rain, not only did the merchant ship stabilize, but everyone¡¯s vision became much clearer. Wang Yue craned his neck to look over, but there was no one on the small ship. He was surprised. ¡°Why isn¡¯t there anyone?¡± The ship often went back and forth along this river. He remembered the rumors he had heard and his expression changed. ¡°This can¡¯t be a ghost ship, right?¡± Wang Yue was shocked. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. How can there be ghosts in broad daylight?!¡± The captain¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°I heard that the ghost ship appears in storms like this. Anyone who sees it will suffer.¡± Hearing his vivid description, Wang Yue was even more afraid. Wang Yue trembled as he said to Xiao Juan. ¡°Your Highness, why don¡¯t we leave that ship alone?¡± Even if there were many Eagle Guards and Heavenly Wolf Guards on their ship, it was impossible for them to defeat ghosts! Xiao Juan did not believe that there were ghosts in this world. He asked Yan Nanguan to take a few people to see what was going on with that small ship. Yan Nanguan immediately epted the order and left. There was a spare small boat in the storage area under the merchant ship. Yan Nanguan left in a small boat with a few Eagle Guards. The captain reached into his pocket and took out the amulet. He pressed it tightly to his heart and kept muttering Amitabha, praying for Buddha¡¯s blessing. Wang Yue was scared to death, but he could not help but look at the small ship. The more he looked at it, the stranger he found it. Perhaps it was really the ghost ship that was rumored to bring misfortune to people! Not long after, Yan Nanguan returned with the Eagle Guards. He was holding a blood-stained arrow. ¡°There¡¯s indeed no one on that ship, but there¡¯s a lot of blood. I brought this arrow back from that ship..¡± Chapter 512 - 512: Jade Bracelet Chapter 512: Jade Bracelet Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan took the arrow and looked at it. His expression changed slightly. Wei Liao also saw the arrow and could not help but frown. ¡°The standard of this arrow is very simr to the arrows in the army.¡± Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s just a resemnce.¡± Wei Liao took a closer look and realized that this arrow was actually a little different from the ones in the army. He pressed, ¡°Did you find anything else?¡± Yan Nanguan said, ¡°There¡¯s still a lot of money hidden on the ship. We checked and found that the money should have been plundered by the pirates. In other words, that ship was indeed owned by the pirates.¡± Wang Yue could not help but interrupt. ¡°Could that group of pirates have been retaliated against by their enemies? They rob passing merchant ships for a living. People like them must have a lot of enemies.¡± Xiao Juan looked at the arrow in his hand and said slowly. ¡°Someone who can use such an arrow must not be an ordinary person.¡± Wei Liao continued. ¡°The other party only kills and doesn¡¯t want property. This means that they don¡¯t care about that money at all. How could a group of pirates provoke such a powerful enemy? Could it be that not only did they rob merchant ships, but they also robbed official ships?¡± Wang Yue immediately shook his head. ¡°That won¡¯t happen. These pirates aren¡¯t crazy. How would they dare to rob an official¡¯s ship? If they dared to attack the official ship, the Imperial Court would have sent troops to destroy them long ago.¡± Lo Pingsha said thoughtfully, ¡°There¡¯s one more thing. If it¡¯s really for revenge, they just have to kill them. But what about the corpses? Why isn¡¯t there anyone on the boat?¡± Wei Liaoughed softly. ¡°This is getting more and more interesting.¡± Wang Yue did not find it interesting at all. He rubbed his arms, looking afraid. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me those who were once killed by them turned into malicious ghosts to take revenge on them?¡± Yan Nanguan was speechless. ¡°With your imagination, it¡¯s a pity not to write a storybook. ¡± Wei Liao suggested, ¡°Those pirates often move around this area, which means their nest should be nearby. Why don¡¯t we look for their nest?¡± Wang Yue shouted in fear. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, right? Can¡¯t we pretend that nothing happened? Anyway, those pirates are not good people. They deserve to die. Leave them alone. Xiao Juan did not care about the lives of the pirates, but he cared very much about the origin of this arrow. The person who could create such an arrow was very likely rted to the military. He made a quick decision. ¡°Investigate.¡± Wang Yue was extremely unwilling, but Duke Lang¡¯s status and reputation could not be disregarded, so he did not dare to disobey. The merchant ship slowed and searched along the riverbank. In the end, they really found traces left behind by the pirates. There was a small jetty by the river. Because it was blocked by trees, one would not notice its existence unless one looked closely. The reason why they could set up a jetty in such a remote ce was most likely to make it easier for the pirates to rob. Yan Nanguan brought the Eagle Guards close to the jetty in a small boat and ashore from that jetty. The others stayed on the boat and waited. Everyone waited for a long time before Yan Nanguan and the others returned. Yan Nanguan¡¯s expression was ugly. ¡°Your Highness, we found the nest of the pirates, but they¡¯re all dead. Their corpses and houses were burned clean, leaving no one alive.¡± Wei Liao became even more interested and nned to go ashore personally to take a look. Xiao Juan also decided to go to the event location to take a look. The boat set off again. Xiao Juan and Wei Liao went ashore from the small jetty. They walked along the mountain path and found the vegetation by the roadside stained with blood. On closer inspection, he could see streaks of blood on the ground. They must have been marks left behind when the bodies were dragged. Wei Liao clicked his tongue. ¡°Tsk tsk, it¡¯s fine if they kill people, but they have to drag the corpses back and burn them. These people have a strange hobby.¡± When they found the vige where the pirates lived, they saw that it was charred. The entire vige had been burned to ruins. Peeling open the copsed beam, he could see the charred corpse that had been burned beyond recognition. These charred corpses were all gathered in one ce. This meant that after those people killed the pirates, they specially dragged the corpses here and burned them. Wei Liao stroked his chin. ¡°Why would they do that?¡± Xiao Juan looked at the ruins in front of him and was silent for a long time before saying. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s to make it easier to count.¡± Wei Liao understood. ¡°That¡¯s right. With so many pirates and their families, there must be a lot of them. In order to prevent anyone from escaping, those people will definitely count the number of corpses.¡± He praised Xiao Juan for once. ¡°As expected of Duke Lang. He¡¯s so good at guessing the hearts of murderers.¡± Xiao Juan ignored this guy¡¯s sarcasm. His gaze lingered on one of the charred corpses for a long time. He realized that the charred corpse¡¯s right hand was clenched into a fist. He could vaguely see a little green between its fingers. It was like he was holding something in his hand. Xiao Juan walked over. He pried open tnearred corpse¡¯s nngers Witn tne NO Return saber, and an emerald jade bracelet rolled to the ground. Xiao Juan wrapped the bracelet in a handkerchief and picked it up. At this moment, Wei Liao came over. ¡°The texture is transparent and clear, and the color is bright and green. It¡¯s good stuff!¡± Xiao Juan turned the bracelet around and his gaze stopped on the inside of it. His eyes narrowed slightly. Wei Liao immediately asked, ¡°What did you find?¡± He reached out to take the bracelet and look at it. However, Xiao Juan avoided his hand, wrapped the bracelet, and put it in his sleeve. ¡°Nothing. Go back.¡± Wei Liao was very dissatisfied. ¡°Hey, you clearly found a clue. Why didn¡¯t you tell me? You can¡¯t be so selfish and petty!¡± Xiao Juan could not be bothered with him. He squatted down and checked the charred corpse in front of him. Male, medium build. Cause of death was an arrow pierced through the heart. Because the corpse was burned too badly, Xiao Juan could only take note of this for the time being. He instructed the Eagle Guards behind him. ¡°Take this body back.¡± ¡°Aye. ¡± The Eagle Guards made a simple stretcher out of tree branches at the event location and carried the male charred corpse down the mountain. Seeing that they had finally returned, Wang Yue heaved a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to urge them to leave this troublesome ce quickly, he saw that the Eagle Guards had actually carried back a charred corpse! Wang Yue gasped in fear and almost fainted. ¡°W-w-w-why did you bring this back? Throw it off the boat!¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°This is important physical evidence. You can¡¯t throw it away.¡± With that, he ignored the anxious and afraid Wang Yue and turned to instruct Lo Pingsha. ¡°I¡¯ll let you examine this body. Give me a result as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Aye. ¡± Then, Xiao Juan walked straight to the cabin. Wang Yue shouted impatiently, ¡°Set sail, quickly!¡± The merchant ship set sail again. After leaving the small jetty, it continued along the original route. In the guest room, Niaoniao heaved a long sigh of relief when she saw that Xiao Juan had returned safely. Yu Niaoniao asked why the boat was stopped. Xiao Juan told her about the pirates¡¯ murder and took out the jade bracelet wrapped in a handkerchief from his sleeve. ¡°This isn¡¯t an ordinary bracelet. It came from the pce..¡± Chapter 513 - 513: To Split Hairs Chapter 513: To Split Hairs Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao was very curious. ¡°Why is something from the pce in the hands of the pirates?¡± This was also something Xiao Juan could not figure out. Yu Niaoniao took the bracelet from him and took a closer look at the sunlight outside the window. The more she looked at it, the more familiar it looked. Seeing her strange expression, Xiao Juan could not help but ask. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yu Niaoniao stared at the bracelet and tried her best to search her memory. ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen this bracelet somewhere. Where is it¡­ ¡°Ah, right!¡± ¡°I remember now. My mother has an emerald bracelet that looks very simr to this bracelet!¡± Xiao Juan looked surprised. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Yu Niaoniao pointed at the pattern on the inside of the bracelet and said. ¡°My mother¡¯s bracelet also has this pattern on the inside. She usually treasured this bracelet and usually did not take it out. She would only take it out to wear it on very important asions. ¡°She even told me that she wanted to leave that jade bracelet for me as a dowry. I couldn¡¯t have remembered wrongly.¡± Xiao Juan said thoughtfully, ¡°All the jewelry in the pce will be marked. The pattern on the inside of this bracelet is the mark. If the bracelet in your mother¡¯s possesion had this pattern, it meant that the bracelet in her hand also came from the pce. But why does your mother have something from the pce?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°That bracelet was given to her by my stepfather. He said it was the Feng family¡¯s heirloom.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯ve long heard of your stepfather and have sent someone to investigate him. Someone from the Feng family¡¯s ancestors once became an official in the court, but their official positions were not high. It¡¯s unlikely that they would be rewarded by the emperor.¡± The two of them looked at the jade bracelet in their hands and felt that there was something fishy about its origins. Xiao Juan put away the bracelet. ¡°Everything in the pce is recorded. When we return to the Imperial Capital, I¡¯ll go to the pce to investigate the origin of this bracelet.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± After the merchant ship left the dangerous beach, it drove even more steadily. The rain outside the window gradually stopped. In the evening, Lo Pingsha came to look for Xiao Juan. ¡°The autopsy results are back. The victim is a man, probably in his fifties. He was thin. He suffered from a variety of illnesses when he was alive. He had rheumatism and the joints in his knees were swollen. He should have felt terrible on a rainy day. His lungs were also a little swollen. It was a congenital lung disease. He should have coughed often when he was alive. The cause of death was obvious. An arrow pierced his heart and he died on the spot. He died quickly and barely experienced pain.¡± Xiao Juan listened quietly and asked. ¡°Is that all?¡± Lo Pingsha hesitated before speaking. ¡°There¡¯s something else. The joints of his right wrist and fingers are slightly deformed. His cervical vertebrae are also slightly bent, as if caused by prolonged writing. But that¡¯s just my guess. The body was burned too badly. I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s true.¡± Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°I understand. It¡¯s been hard on you. Go rest.¡± ¡°Aye. ¡± Xiao Juan returned to the guest room and told Niaoniao the autopsy results. Yu Niaoniao became even more curious. ¡°What kind of person writes for a long time? A teacher? A schr? Or someone like me who earns money hi hilhli.shing hooks? Bilt either way. they must be cultured. Why would a cultured person appear in a pirate vige?¡± These days, schrs were very precious. Even if they were short of money, they could be private teachers for rich people or take in a few farmers¡¯ disciples as students. If they really couldn¡¯t, they could be ountants. They wouldn¡¯t be reduced to bing pirates. Xiao Juan said slowly, ¡°If we can find out the background of the jade bracelet, we might be able to find out the identity of the deceased.¡± Yu Niaoniao sighed. ¡°That¡¯s all we can do now.¡± After dinner, Xiao Juan wiped Niaoniao¡¯s face and changed her dressing. When they were done, theyy on the bed together. Usually, Niaoniao would fall asleep almost as soon as she touched the pillow, but tonight, she opened her eyes and looked straight at the top of the bed. She did not fall asleep for a long time. Xiao Juan sensed her abnormality and took the initiative to ask. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± In the silent night, his voice was exceptionally deep. Coupled with the sound of the waves outside, it was especially reassuring. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m thinking about the jade bracelet. Could the deaths of my mother and stepfather have something to do with that bracelet?¡± Xiao Juan could not answer this question. Yu Niaoniao muttered. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought of anything wrong with that bracelet before. If you hadn¡¯t happened to find this bracelet today, perhaps I wouldn¡¯t have thought of it for the rest of my life. Were there many other clues like this? But I ignored them. To think that I im to have a photographic memory. I¡¯m actually a bad judge of character, right?¡± Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t say that about yourself. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Perhaps you¡¯re just thinking too much. That bracelet has nothing to do with your mother¡¯s death.¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t have tofort me. I¡¯m too useless. I haven¡¯t been able to find any useful clues that made my mother and stepfather die with grievances. That¡¯s why they¡¯re guiding us to find this bracelet.¡± Xiao Juan pulled her into his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t split hairs to go down a dead end. It¡¯s not what you think.¡± He realized that although Niaoniao usually looked optimistic and open-minded; it was as if there was nothing in the world that could defeat her. However, as long as it involved Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan¡¯s deaths, it was very easy for Niaoniao to lose her mind. In the end, it was because she cared too much. Yu Niaoniao leaned into Xiao Juan¡¯s arms and only calmed down after a long time. She nuzzled thepel of his shirt. ¡°I want to go back to Bashu.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°When I return to the Imperial Capital this time and settle what I¡¯m doing, I¡¯ll apany you back to Bashu.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I can¡¯t wait anymore.¡± Xiao Juan hugged her tighter. ¡°Yes.¡± Ten dayster, the merchant ship sessfully arrived at the crossing of Daqian City. After Xiao Juan and the othersnded, they bade farewell to Wang Yue. When the local county magistrate learned that Duke Lang was here, he personally brought a group of officials to wee him and warmly invited them to drink and eat. Xiao Juan refused their banquet and mentioned the destruction of the pirates. He asked tne county magistrate to send someone to tne pirates¡¯ vige to deal with the follow-up matters. The county magistrate naturally agreed. Those pirates had always been his greatest worry, but because the cunning pirates were extremely good at swimming and were very familiar with the terrain, he could not capture them at all with the few people in the county office, Now that the group of pirates was dead, the county magistrate was very happy. At the end of the year, these would be his achievements! Because of this, the county magistrate became even more enthusiastic about Duke Lang and the others. He sent them all the way to the courier station and got someone to pack food from the best restaurant in the area and send it to the courier station. If not for the fact that he was afraid that Duke Lang would be unhappy, he would have stuffed himself into the courier station to stay. At night, Xiao Juan removed the gauze and changed the dressing for Niaoniao as usual. The wounds on her body had scabbed over. In ces, the scabs began to fall off. For the time being, she was recovering very well.. Chapter 514 - 514: Returning to the Capital Chapter 514: Returning to the Capital Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After two months of traveling, Xiao Juan and the others finally returned to the Imperial Capital. At this moment, the gauze on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s body had been removed, but because the scar was still there, she could only cover her face with a veil. When she jumped out of the carriage and looked at the familiar door of the Langjun Imperial Pce, she immediately felt as if her feet had finally stepped on the ground. Home was the best! Granny Xiu Yan brought the servants out to wee them. As soon as she saw Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao, her eyes could not help but turn red. ¡°You¡¯re finally back. Ever since you left, I haven¡¯t slept well. I¡¯m worried sick every day, afraid that something would happen to you outside. Fortunately, God bless you. You¡¯re all back safely.¡± Yu Niaoniao went forward and hugged her. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯re all fine!¡± Granny Xiu Yan looked her up and down and said the ssic saying of an elder ¡°You¡¯ve lost weight!¡± Yu Niaoniao was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Really? That¡¯s great. I¡¯ve be even slimmer!¡± Granny Xiu Yan was caught betweenughter and tears. ¡°Why do you need to be so slender? It¡¯s better for a girl to be fat. It means she¡¯s lucky.¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her chin. ¡°But a slender figure looks good in clothes!¡± Granny Xiu Yan looked like she was helpless against Yu Niaoniao. The servants began to move the luggage. Yu Niaoniao held Xiao Juan¡¯s hand and walked into the Langjun Imperial Pce. Granny Xiu Yan looked at the two of them holding hands and could not help but purse her lips and smile. It seemed that the couple had reconciled again! Xiao Juan had just sat down and had yet to take a sip of water when someone from the pce came. They said that the emperor had summoned Duke Lang. Xiao Juan could only immediately get up and ride straight to the pce. Before he left, he did not forget to remind Niaoniao that he would definitely be backte tonight and asked her to have dinner first. She did not have to wait for him. Granny Xiu Yan asked as she served tea to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Are you hungry? Do you want the kitchen to get you something to eat?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°No, I ate on the way. I¡¯m still full.¡± In order to make it easier to drink water, she had no choice but to take off the veil on her face. Granny Xiu Yan was shocked to see the scar on her face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your face?¡± She was originally a pretty youngdy with fair skin. Now, there were two reddish-brown scars on her face. They were especially obvious. Yu Niaoniao took a sip of water before exining. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. These are scars from the burns. Little Lo prescribed me medicine to remove the scar. I have to use it every day. The scar will be gone after a while.¡± Granny Xiu Yan became even more nervous. ¡°Burns? How did you get burned? Are there any other burns on your body? Are they serious?¡± Yu Niaoniao said casually, ¡°There are still a few burns on her body, but they¡¯ve all healed. There are only scars.¡± Her tone was very rxed as if she was talking about the weather, but Granny Xiu Yan was terrified. Those were burns. If she was not careful, she would die! Granny Xiu Yan asked, ¡°Are you really fine? Do you want Duke Lang to get the imperial physician in the pce to take a look at you?¡± Yu Niaoniao rolled up her sleeves, revealing the scar on her arm. ¡°Look, they¡¯re really all better. Little Lots medical skills are very good. He¡¯s not inferior to the imperial physicians in the pce. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Granny Xiu Yan¡¯s heart ached. ¡°Looking at the size of this scar, you must have been seriously injured. It must have hurt a lot at that time, right? Seriously, why didn¡¯t he protect you well? He made you suffer so much.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately said. ¡°It has nothing to do with Duke Lang. It was all an ident.¡± In order to prevent Granny Xiu Yan from continuing to be sad about this matter, Yu Niaoniao quickly changed the topic. ¡°I¡¯m going to change. I have to go out and do somethingter.¡± Granny Xiu Yan hurriedly said, ¡°Where are you going? Do you want a carriage?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°No need. I¡¯ll just ride Gray.¡± She returned to the bedroom, changed into a light dress, and rode the donkey out of the Langjun Imperial Pce. Yu Niaoniao arrived at the dpidated small courtyard rented by Qirui Opera Troupe. The courtyard door was still the same, but everyone in the courtyard had moved away. She asked the family next door and found out that Qirui Opera Troupe had moved to Jasmine Street. They had rented a new garden there and named it Qirui Garden. Yu Niaoniao rode the donkey and continued on her way. As she asked around, she searched and finally found Qirui Garden. The gate to the garden was closed. The que above the gate was still covered in red cloth. It didn¡¯t look like it had officially opened. She stepped forward and knocked. Soon the door was pulled open from the inside and Liu Sixing¡¯s head poked out from behind it. She originally wanted to tell the people outside that the theater had not opened for business yet and let theme back after a while, but she did not expect to see a familiar pair of eyes. Although the other party¡¯s face was covered by a veil, Liu Sixing recognized her at a nce. ¡°Boss!¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°Long time no see. I¡¯m back.¡± Liu Sixing sized her up in surprise. ¡°So you¡¯re a woman too!¡± Previously, when she saw her, she was dressed as a man and looked quite handsome. Unexpectedly, she was a slender little girl. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Wearing men¡¯s clothes was for convenience.¡± Liu Sixing gave her an understanding look. ¡°That¡¯s right. Usually, if I go out to do something, I¡¯ll change into men¡¯s clothes for convenience.¡± She opened the doorpletely and weed Yu Niaoniao in enthusiastically. Yu Niaoniao looked around as she walked. The garden was a littlerger than she had expected. The tables and chairs were arranged in an orderly manner. There was also a small pool beside it. There were carps raised in it. Coupled with the banana leaves in the corner, it looked quite elegant. On the stage, Ye Yin was acting with someone. The two of them walked back and forth on the beat, babbling and singing opera words. Liu Qirui was sitting below and watching. He was so engrossed in watching that he didn¡¯t notice anyone enter. He didn¡¯te back to his senses until Liu Sixing called out to him. Liu Qirui turned around and saw Yu Niaoniao. He was stunned for a moment before reacting. ¡°Are you the owner?¡± Liu Sixing whispered to him, ¡°Don¡¯t make a fuss. The boss is a woman to begin with. She wore men¡¯s clothes for convenience.¡± Liu Qirui was indeed very surprised. He did not expect his boss, who was so generous, swift, and business-minded, to be a woman. At his age, he had experienced ups and downs and had seen countless people, but he had never seen a woman like Yu Niaoniao. Liu Sixing warmly invited Yu Niaoniao to sit down and poured her a cup of tea. Yu Niaoniao looked at the teacup and smiled. ¡°There are tea leaves this time. It¡¯s finally not cold.¡± Liu Sixing was very embarrassed. ¡°Previously, we didn¡¯t have money and couldn¡¯t afford tea leaves. We could only greet you with cold water.¡± Yu Niaoniao took a sip of tea. ¡°This tea is not bad. Where did you buy it?¡± Liu Qirui answered honestly, ¡°This is from your sister. She said that there are many tea leaves at home that they can¡¯t finish, so she sent some over, in case we can¡¯t even bring out a decent cup of tea when we entertain guests.¡± Towards the end, the honest man blushed, looking embarrassed. Yu Niaoniao put down her teacup. ¡°Since she gave it to you, just ept it.. By the way, how¡¯s the new scene going? Chapter 515 - 515: To Puff Oneself Up at One’s Own Cost Chapter 515: To Puff Oneself Up at One¡¯s Own Cost At the mention of the rehearsal, Liu Qirui immediately perked up. He changed from his embarrassment and said excitedly. ¡°It¡¯s all been set up. We¡¯ve been rehearsing for the past few days. This is a lyric book I wrote myself. What do you think?¡± Yu Niaoniao took the lyrics book and flipped through it. Even though she did not understand opera, she felt that these words were very exciting. This made her look forward to the entire show even more. ¡°Not bad. You wrote well. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so talented.¡± In his field of expertise, Liu Qirui appeared very confident. ¡°I studied for a few years when I was young. Although I didn¡¯t get a schrship, I gained a lot from writing lyrics andposing.¡± Liu Sixing suggested, ¡°Since the boss is here, why don¡¯t you sit down and watch us rehearse? You can give us some pointers.¡± Yu Niaoniao had the same intention and agreed immediately. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to give you pointers. I¡¯ll just take it as joining in the fun.¡± Liu Sixing immediately said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go dress up now.¡± Yu Niaoniao was quite surprised. ¡°You can act too?¡± Liu Sixing chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve traveled everywhere with my father since I was young and spent every day in the theater. I¡¯ve learned a lot from you. If I don¡¯t sing well, I hope you can forgive me.¡± Under Liu Qirui¡¯s arrangements, the curtain was pulled open, revealing that the background was not the usual big white cloth, but a background map depicting mountains and rivers. Not only that, but there were also many mountain rocks, flowers, and trees on the stage. This made the audience know at a nce that the story happened on the mountain path. Apanied by the drumbeat, Duke Lang, yed by Ye Yin, appeared on the stage with his subordinates. Because it was just a rehearsal, he was not wearing a full outfit. He had only painted his face. Fortunately, he was handsome, to begin with, and this made him look elegant. Then, the Princess Consort yed by Liu Sixing appeared and helped Ye Yin capture human traffickers to fight with the spies. Their movements were beautiful and pleasing to the eye. Especially when the actors ying the rebels went on stage and fought the couple, the drums and gongs became even more intense and hurried. Red mes appeared in the background behind them, and smoke overflowed from both sides of the stage. It was as if they were really on the battlefield. Yu Niaoniao felt extremely immersed in the audience. Her heart couldn¡¯t help but beat faster and her palms sweat. When all the bad people fell, the two protagonists won aplete victory. The background was changed to a prosperous street market. The kidnapped women were reunited with their families and cried tears of joy. Themoners cheered. The curtain fell, and the y came to an end. Due to the limited time, they could only act for this part, but it was already enough to satisfy Yu Niaoniao. Whether it was the actors¡¯ singing voice, their control of the rhythm, or the art design of the stage, they were all very good. Yu Niaoniao praised sincerely, ¡°It¡¯s well arranged. When do you n to officially stage it?¡± After receiving the approval of their boss, Liu Qirui and Liu Sixing were very happy. Liu Sixing jumped down from the stage happily and smiled. ¡°We¡¯ve chosen a few days and were waiting for you toe back and make a decision.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Oh?¡± They chose a total of three days. They were three dayster, ten dayster, and the sixth of next month. Yu Niaoniao thought for a moment. ¡°Isn¡¯t three days too rushed?¡± Liu Qirui said, ¡°No, we¡¯ve prepared everything we should. We can hold the opening ceremony at any time.¡± Yu Niaoniao naturally hoped to let the new scene y out quickly, so she made a decision on the spot. ¡°In three days, then.¡± Liu Qirui said, ¡°Then we¡¯ll hold the opening ceremony in three days. Boss, you must be there on time. At that time, you¡¯ll have to host the opening ceremony.¡± However, Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s not convenient for me to show my face in front of others. You can host the opening ceremony.¡± Liu Qirui nodded obediently. ¡°Then I¡¯ll ept it respectfully and take the limelight for you.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You¡¯ve spent most of the money I left, right?¡± Liu Qirui was a little embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s indeed finished.¡± Liu Sixing knew her father¡¯s personality. He was not good with words. In order not to be misunderstood, Liu Sixing quickly exined on behalf of her father. ¡°We¡¯re already doing our best to save money. However, just renting this garden cost two thousand taels of silver.¡¯ ¡°In addition, we had to buy costumes and props and hire waiters and musicians. The silver poured out like water¡± ¡°Now, in order to save money, we only eat two breakfasts a day, each with steamed buns and pickles. We haven¡¯t seen meat in five months.¡± The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she became. Her voice lowered. Liu Qirui secretly tugged at his daughter a few times to stop, but it was useless. She still said everything she wanted to say. He was so embarrassed that he did not know what to do. He said dryly, ¡°Boss, Sixing isn¡¯tining to you. Don¡¯t be angry. Anyway, the garden will open in two days. At that time, with ie, our lives will be better.¡± Yu Niaoniao was not angry. She also knew that it was very expensive to support such arge opera troupe. It was not easy for them tost with three thousand taels until now. Yu Niaoniao took out a silver ingot from her purse and ced it on the table. ¡°It takes a lot of effort for you to rehearse. You can¡¯t just eat two meals a day. Take this money to buy some rice, grains, and vegetables.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not feasible to be extravagant, but you cannot save what needs to be spent. Don¡¯t worry, I still have money here. I won¡¯t starve you.¡± Liu Qirui hurriedly declined. ¡°How can that do? How can I let you spend money again?¡± Liu Sixing looked at Yu Niaoniao with stars in her eyes. They were both women. How could the boss be so generous?! She really hoped to be a woman who kept her word like her boss. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Alright, there¡¯s still a long way to go. There¡¯s no need to be so polite to me. Continue working. I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Seeing that she was about to get up and leave, the Liu father and daughter hurriedly asked her to stay. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay for a meal before leaving?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°I eat a lot. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll eat all the food you have left.¡± With that, she walked out. Seeing that they could not stop her, the Liu father and daughter could only send her out. After leaving Qirui Garden, Yu Niaoniao rode the donkey back the way she hade. She let out a long sigh, very worried. Just now, she had acted especially generous in front of the Liu father and daughter, as if she really had an endless mountain of gold and silver in her hands, but in fact, she did not have many taels of silver left in her pocket. She had to deliberately to puff herself up at her own cost so that the Liu father and daughter could hold the opening ceremony more thoughtfully. She touched her shriveled purse. She was poor now. She had to earn money quickly. After returning to the Langjun Imperial Pce, Yu Niaoniao plunged into the study and began to write furiously, penning down all the recipes she remembered. She did note out of the study until it was dark. In the end, it was only when Granny Xiu Yan personally brought dinner to the study that she felt hungry btedly. She finished her meal quickly and returned to writing the recipe. Writing a few more recipes would earn him more money. For a small sum of money, charge! Chapter 516 - 516: Second Time Chapter 516: Second Time After Xiao Juan entered the pce, he met the emperor. The emperor was in a better state than the rumors said. Although he was sick in bed and needed someone to serve him, at least his mind was clear and he looked in good spirits. He listened to Xiao Juan recount the entire journey to Liangzhou from beginning to end. The content was almost the same as what Wei Liao had said. The old emperor sat on the bed and spoke very slowly, with the unique bearing of an old person. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Ni Yang to do such a thing. She really disappointed me. Fortunately, you didn¡¯t collude with her. You¡¯re still a good child and didn¡¯t let me down.¡± Xiao Juan said respectfully, ¡°It¡¯s my duty to be loyal and patriotic.¡± The old emperor said, ¡°You¡¯ve contributed to the quelling of the rebellion this time. Tell me, what reward do you want?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I want a three-month vacation.¡± The old emperor was surprised. ¡°Why do you need such a long vacation?¡± Xiao Juan lowered his eyes, looking a little sad. ¡°Although Mother made a huge mistake, she¡¯s still my biological mother. I feel terrible and want to take a break.¡± The old emperor sighed. ¡°This is all Ni Yang¡¯s fault. She implicated you and made you suffer with her. I¡¯ll listen to you and let you rest for three months to rx.¡± Xiao Juan bowed and thanked him. ¡°Thank you for your reward, Your Majesty.¡± The old emperor said, ¡°In addition, I¡¯ll reward you with a thousand taels of gold and a hundred pieces of satin.¡± Xiao Juan thanked him again. Just saying these words made the old emperor look tired. Xiao Juan tactfully bade farewell and left. After walking out of the bedroom, he did not go straight home. Instead, he took a detour to the Internal Affairs Division. When the eunuch in charge of the Internal Affairs Division saw Duke Lang arrive, he hurriedly knelt down and bowed in fear. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness. May I know why Your Highness has suddenlye?¡± Xiao Juan took out the jade bracelet wrapped in a silk handkerchief from his sleeve and said in a low voice. ¡°Help me investigate the origins of this bracelet.¡± The eunuch in charge took the bracelet with both hands and looked at it carefully. ¡°This is indeed something from the pce, but it should be an old item from many years ago. Why is it in His Highness¡¯s hands?¡± Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t ask too much about things you shouldn¡¯t.¡± The eunuch in charge shrank back, afraid to say anything else. Although he was quite old, his memory was really good. He quickly found the relevant records of the jade bracelet in arge pile of books. ¡°This bracelet was gifted by the Persian country fifty years ago. Later, it was given to Imperial Concubine Meng by Emperor Ren. Ever since then, this bracelet has never appeared again. I remember that there was a pair. Why is there only one left? Where¡¯s the other?¡± Xiao Juan ignored the eunuch in charge¡¯s question and asked in a low voice. ¡°Where¡¯s Imperial Concubine Meng?¡± The eunuch in charge extended a finger and pointed at the sky. ¡°She¡¯s long dead. If she was still alive, she would be a hundred years old now.¡± Xiao Juan asked again, ¡°Does she have descendants?¡± The eunuch in charge shook his head. ¡°No, Imperial Concubine Meng is a very good person. She¡¯s famous for her good temper in the pce. Unfortunately, she has no children in her life and doesn¡¯t even have a princess.¡± Xiao Juan did not ask further. He put away the jade bracelet and instructed. ¡°I don¡¯t want a third person to know what you just told me.¡± The eunuch in charge hurriedly replied, ¡°I understand.¡± He watched Duke Lang leave. After confirming that he was gone, the eunuch in charge immediately left the Internal Affairs Division and rushed to find Wei Huai¡¯en. He told Wei Huai¡¯en about Duke Lang¡¯s investigation of the jade bracelet. Wei Huai¡¯en did not understand. ¡°Why would he investigate the origins of a bracelet?¡± The eunuch in charge shook his head. ¡°He didn¡¯t say. I don¡¯t know.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en waved his hand to dismiss the eunuch in charge and ordered someone to call Wei Liao over. ¡°Father, why have you summoned me?¡± Wei Huai¡¯en said, ¡°When you followed Duke Lang to Liangzhou, did you see a jade bracelet in his hand?¡± Wei Liao nodded without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it.¡± Then, he exined the discovery of the jade bracelet. ¡°At that time, I wanted to see the bracelet, but Duke Lang wouldn¡¯t let me. From the looks of it, he must have discovered something unusual about the bracelet.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en was thoughtful. ¡°Why would a pirate have something from the pce? Where¡¯s the corpse of the bandit?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Duke Lang took it away. It should be in the Justice Department now.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en stopped asking. Because he knew that as long as the corpse entered the Justice Department, it was Impossible tor mm to to It again. Wei Liao asked curiously, ¡°Is that bracelet really from the pce?¡± Wei Huai¡¯en said, ¡°That¡¯s what Emperor Ren rewarded Imperial Concubine Meng, but Imperial Concubine Meng has been dead for many years. Why would her things appear in the hands of a pirate? And why is Duke Lang so concerned about this matter? This matter is too strange. You have to keep an eye on it.¡± Wei Liao nodded. ¡°I will.¡± After getting down to business, Wei Huai¡¯en softened his tone and chatted with him. ¡°You look a lot tanned after being out for a long time. You must have suffered a lot along the way, right?¡± Wei Liao smiled casually. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I think it¡¯s good to go out and broaden my horizons.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en said, ¡°I heard that there was a scandal between you and the Princess Consort of Lang County. Your rtionship with her is unclear. Is this true?¡± Wei Liao denied it without hesitation. ¡°No, those are just rumors.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en stared at him. ¡°If you say no, then I¡¯ll take your word for it. But I still want to ask you. Do you really not have any thoughts about Yu Niaoniao?¡± Wei Liao pretended to smile casually. ¡°This is the second time you¡¯ve asked me.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en said, ¡°Is your answer the same asst time?¡± Wei Liao opened his mouth to say yes, but Yu Niaoniao¡¯s bright smile suddenly appeared in his mind. He suddenly could not say the words on the tip of his tongue. He just stood there in silence. Wei Huai En frowned slightly. ¡°You should know that you don¡¯t walk on the same paths.¡± Wei Liao was still silent. Wei Huai¡¯en said, ¡°Go back first. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll assign you an errand. I¡¯ll let you leave the Imperial Capital for a while ande back when you have calm down.¡± ¡°Aye. ¡± After bidding farewell to his adoptive father, Wei Liao walked out of the pce alone. There were high pce walls on both sides and t and hard white marble ground under their feet. He looked ahead, still thinking about what his adoptive father had just said. His father asked him what he thought of Yu Niaoniao. He did not think he could have any thoughts about Yu Niaoniao. At that moment, he was so overwhelmed that he could not deny it. Could it be that he really liked Yu Niaoniao? That was impossible. She was not his type at all! There must be a mistake somewhere! His father was right. He had to calm down. Wei Liao clenched his fists and silently told himself that when he calmed down, he would know that it was impossible for him to have feelings for Yu Niaoniao.. Chapter 517 - 517: Garlic Ribs Chapter 517: Garlic Ribs Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios When Xiao Juan returned to the Langjun Imperial Pce, it was alreadyte at night. The winter night was exceptionally cold. As soon as he pushed open the door, a cold wind blew into the house. Granny Xiu Yan helped him take off his cloak and handed it to the maidservant beside him. ¡°Have you had dinner?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°No, where¡¯s Niaoniao?¡± ¡°The Princess Consort is still in the study. She said she wanted to write some recipes. She¡¯s been writing all afternoon. She¡¯s put in a lot of effort. Even dinner is in the study.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go see her.¡± With that, Xiao Juan walked out. Granny Xiu Yan quickly chased after him. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten your dinner yet. I got someone to save food for you. I¡¯ll send it to you now.¡± Xiao Juan did not stop and went straight to the study door. The door was only ajar. It opened with a gentle push. He walked in and saw Yu Niaoniao sleeping on the desk. She had the recipe she had just finished writing in front of her and a brush in her right hand. There was a little ck ink on her face, making her look strange and ridiculous. Xiao Juan took the brush from her hand and ced it on the brush mountain. Then, he wiped the ink off her face with a wet handkerchief. His movements were very gentle, and the look in his eyes was even gentler. Niaoniao was sleeping soundly, unaware of everything around her. Xiao Juan brought a nket and gently covered her. The dim candlelight fell on her face, casting her in the only light in Xiao Juan¡¯s eyes. He just stared at her quietly for a long time. Until there was a gentle knock on the door. Granny Xiu Yan stood at the door and asked. ¡®Your Highness, where do you want your dinner?¡± Xiao Juan raised his hand and gestured for her to keep quiet. Unfortunately, he was toote. Yu Niaoniao was already awake. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. She asked in a low voice, ¡°Ah Juan, when did youe back?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I just returned. Don¡¯t sleep here. Be careful not to catch a cold. Go back to the room and sleep.¡± Yu Niaoniao yawned loudly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to sleep together?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I haven¡¯t washed up yet. Go ahead. I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡± ¡°Oh, then I¡¯ll get going.¡± Yu Niaoniao put away the recipe in front of her and stood up to walk out. Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°Princess Consort, shall I send you back to your room?¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her hand. ¡°No need. Stay here and serve Duke Lang.¡± Granny Xiu Yan could only stay where she was and watch the Princess Consort leave. Then, Granny Xiu Yan got someone to send the food to the study. ¡°Your Highness, eat it while it¡¯s hot.¡± As she spoke, she ced a full bowl of rice in front of Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan did not eat directly. Instead, he looked at her and asked. ¡°How many years have you been in the pce?¡± Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°Almost forty years.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Then do you know about Imperial Concubine Meng?¡± Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°Of course, I do.¡± ¡°Imperial Concubine Meng was a rare kind person in the pce.¡± ¡°Back then, I had just entered the pce and was bullied at a young age. Coincidentally, Imperial Concubine Meng saw me.¡± ¡°Not only did she reprimand the pce servants who bullied me, but she also rewarded me with a box of ointment. That ointment was very effective. After I applied it, the bruises on my body quickly dissipated.¡± Xiao Juan did not expect her to have such a rtionship with Imperial Concubine Meng. He immediately took out the jade bracelet. ¡°Have you seen this bracelet?¡± Granny Xiu Yan took the bracelet and took a closer look. Then she shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Xiao Juan asked again, ¡°This is Imperial Concubine Meng¡¯s bracelet. Are you sure you¡¯ve never seen her wear it?¡± Granny Xiu Yan still shook her head. ¡°Indeed not.¡± Xiao Juan was a little disappointed. It seemed that the clues had been cut off again. Granny Xiu Yan returned the bracelet to him and suggested. ¡°If you want to know about Imperial Concubine Meng, why don¡¯t you ask the pce maids serving her? They must know more than me.¡± Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll get someone to askter.¡± Granny Xiu Yan suddenly thought of something and said. ¡°If you really can¡¯t find any clues, you can try your luck with the Empress Dowager. Imperial Concubine Meng had a good rtionship with the Empress Dowager when she was alive. The Empress Dowager might know about her.¡± Xiao Juan was rather surprised. ¡°Why is the Empress Dowager on good terms with Imperial Concubine Meng?¡± Not only were the two of them separated by seniority, but they were also not rted by blood. Logically speaking, they were not rted at all. Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°I heard that the reason why the Empress Dowager could enter the pce as a consort back then was because of Imperial Concubine Meng, but I¡¯m not very sure what happened.¡± Xiao Juan looked thoughtful. Granny Xiu Yan waited for a moment. Seeing that he had nothing else to ask, she silently retreated. After dinner, Xiao Juan washed up and returned to the bedroom. He saw that Niaoniao was already lying on the bed and sleeping. He took off his coat, lifted a corner of the nket, andy down quietly beside Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao sensed the movement beside her and opened her eyes slightly. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Did I wake you up? Yu Niaoniao turned around and crawled into his arms. ¡°What took you so long?¡± Xiao Juan hugged her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was too slow.¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want an apology. I want a kiss Xiao Juan kissed her almost without hesitation. Their lips touched, then parted. Yu Niaoniao smacked her lips and chuckled. ¡°It smells like garlic!¡± Xiao Juan had garlic ribs for dinner just now. He did not expect her to taste them even after he rinsed his mouth. He smiled involuntarily and patted her back gently. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Go to sleep.¡± The next morning, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan finished their breakfast. Yu Niaoniao wiped her mouth and said to Xiao Juan. ¡°I have something on today and have to take leave. I can¡¯t go to the Justice Department with you.¡± Xiao Juan asked casually, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled mysteriously. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you.¡± Xiao Juan did not need to guess to know that she probably wanted to sell recipes to earn money. However, in order to preserve the surprise, he did not ask anything and only reminded her. ¡°Don¡¯t go out alone.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Got it.¡± She put on her veil and ran out happily. When she saw Ling Hai on the way, she immediately waved at him. ¡°Come here. I have something to tell you!¡± Ever since Ling Hai came to the Langjun Imperial Pce, he had been very uneasy. Everything here was too unfamiliar. Everyone in the residence had their own things to do, except for him. He was like a useless person. Ling Hai did not want to wait like this, so he took the initiative to look for the Princess Consort, wanting to get some work. Hearing the Princess Consort say that she had something to discuss with him, Ling Hai perked up and quickly ran to her. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m going out to do something. Go get my carriage.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ling Hai thought that the Princess Consort¡¯s carriage should be a famous colt simr to Dark Cloud, but when he arrived at the horse shed, he saw a gray donkey..
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Chapter 518 - 518: Selling Recipes Chapter 518: Selling Recipes Little Ling Hai asked a question from the depths of his soul. ¡°Are you sure? I want the Princess Consort¡¯s mount.¡± The coachman answered truthfully, ¡°That¡¯s right. This is the Princess Consort¡¯s mount. ¡± With that, he took Gray out of the horse shed and stuffed the reins into Ling Hail s hand. Ling Hai looked at the donkey in front of him. The donkey looked back at him. The boy and donkey stared at each other. In the end, Ling Haipromised and resigned himself to fate. He led the donkey out. Forget it, forget it. Wasnt it just a donkey? As long as the Princess Consort was willing, it did not matter if she rode a LUI LUIse: Ling Hai realized that he was walking in ce. He turned and saw the donkey standing still. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t pull it. In the end, the coachman couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and took the initiative to remind him. ¡°Gray doesn¡¯t go with strangers. You can¡¯t take it with brute force.¡± Ling Hai wiped his sweat. As expected of the Langjun Imperial Pce. Even the donkey they raised was so loyal. He asked humbly, ¡°Then what should I do?¡± The groom was experienced. ¡°It¡¯s simple. Just get him something to eat.¡± With that, he pointed at the bamboo basket containing the white radishes beside him. Ling Hai took out a white radish from the basket and handed it to Gray. Gray unceremoniously opened his mouth and bit the radish, eating it with a crunch. In the blink of an eye, it finished a big radish. Even the way it looked at Ling Hai became much kinder. This time, when Ling Hai took it away, it did not resist anymore. He led it out smoothly. Ling Hai was speechless. He had thought that this was a loyal donkey to its master. He did not expect its loyalty to be equivalent to the value of a big white radish. He didn¡¯t know if he should feel sorry for the big white radish or for its owner. Yu Niaoniao stood at the entrance of the Langjun Imperial Pce and waited. When she saw Ling Hai bring the donkey over, she immediately turned around and rode it. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ling Hai was stunned. ¡°Are you taking me out with you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Yu Niaoniao nned to go out to discuss business. She was afraid that she would not be able to handle the scene alone, so she nned to bring Ling Hai along. Ling Hai was pleasantly surprised. The Princess Consort finally had a use for him! On the city street, Ling Hai walked slowly with the donkey. Yu Niaoniao rode on the donkey¡¯s back. Her head turned this way and that, looking around for the right target. They walked for a long time. Ling Hai could not help but ask. ¡°Princess Consort, what are you looking for?¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly instructed, ¡°Don¡¯t call me Princess Consort outside. My identity has to be kept a secret.¡± Ling Hai immediately corrected himself. ¡°I understand, Master.¡± Yu Niaoniao wanted to say that he could just call her Madam, but she was afraid that others would ask who her husband was. At that time, she would have to fabricate a fake husband identity to fool others. It would be troublesome. Hence, she tacitly agreed to Ling Hai¡¯s address. ¡°I want to find a restaurant.¡± Ling Hai asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t there restaurants everywhere nearby?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°These restaurants are too small. I¡¯m looking for the kind of very imposing restaurants that are obviously super rich.¡± Ling Hai did not understand. ¡°I see.¡± He nced around from the corner of his eye and suddenly pointed at a restaurant in front of him. ¡°That restaurant looks quite rich.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a resplendent restaurant in front. It was estimated to have three floors. Exquisite pce lights hung on each floor. There was a lot of traffic in front of the door. It was obvious that they were not short of money. Yu Niaoniao pped her hands. ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± In order to avoid being exposedter, she had to talk to Ling Hai first. ¡°Remember, we¡¯re businessmen now. ¡®I¡¯m going to talk business with someone, and you¡¯re my attendant.¡¯ ¡°Watch my expressionter. Whether or not the business is sessful in the end, we can¡¯t expose our true identities.¡± If others found out that they were from the Langjun Imperial Pce, no one would dare to do business with her. Ling Hai nodded seriously. ¡°I¡¯ll remember.¡± They stopped in front of the wine house. When the clerk at the door saw them, he immediately went up to them and spoke politely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯re already full. Do you want toe back tonight?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m not here to eat. I¡¯m here to discuss business with your boss. ¡± ¡°Go tell your boss that I have a recipe book passed down from my ancestors.¡± ¡°It documents many secret recipes that were unknown to outsiders. I¡¯m sure your boss will be interested.¡± The clerk looked her up and down. Seeing that she was dressed appropriately, he guessed that her family was not short of money. Seeing that she was confident and did not look like she was lying, he decided to believe her for once. ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll call the shopkeeper over to talk to you.¡± With that, he turned around and ran into the restaurant. Soon, he called over a middle-aged man. It seemed that he was the shopkeeper of this restaurant. He looked at Yu Niaoniao suspiciously. ¡°You really have an ancestral recipe book?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. Look if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Yu Niaoniao took out the recipe and casually flipped open a page for him to see. The shopkeeper had run the restaurant for many years. Although he did not personally cook, he was quite knowledgeable about culinary skills. As soon as he saw the recipe, he knew that the taste of these dishes was definitely not bad. Most importantly, these were dishes he had never seen before. If he could really make it, it would definitely be one of their specialties. The shopkeeper¡¯s thoughts immediately became active. He immediately made up his mind to buy this recipe. However, as a businessman, he naturally had to bargain, especially when he saw the youngdy in front of him. She must be the eldest daughter of some family. In order to supplement her lover, she took out her ancestral recipe book to exchange for money. It was not like he had not seen such a thing before. Such an ignorant youngdy was the easiest to fool. The shopkeeper pretended not to be very interested. ¡°Thest thing weck here is recipes. Your recipe doesn¡¯t look like much. If it were our boss, he definitely wouldn¡¯t buy it. I¡¯m a kind person and don¡¯t want you toe all the way for nothing. How about this? I¡¯ll pay fifty taels of silver for your recipe.¡± Yu Niaoniao frowned. ¡°Fifty taels is too little.¡± The shopkeeper looked reluctant. ¡°I¡¯ll give you another twenty taels at most. This is already a very high price. ¡°You don¡¯t know, do you? The recipes outside are only sold for ten or twenty taels at most. Don¡¯t be too greedy.¡± Before Yu Niaoniao could speak, a smiling voice came from above her head. ¡°I¡¯ll pay five hundred taels for this recipe!¡± Yu Niaoniao looked up and saw Wei Liao leaning against the railing on the second floor of the restaurant. He was holding a wine pot in his hand and smiling with his flirtatious eyes. ¡°You want to buy someone else¡¯s recipe for a mere seventy taels of silver? Dream on!¡± The shopkeeper flushed. He wanted to argue, but he didn¡¯t dare. He had wanted to bargain and take the opportunity to take advantage of the situation. He did not expect someone to throw a wrench in the works. He held his breath and asked, ¡°Young Master Wei, you don¡¯t do restaurant business. Why are you buying this recipe?¡± Wei Liao saidzily, ¡°I have money. What can you do if I buy it and burn it for fun?¡± The shopkeeper was angry again..
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Chapter 519 - 519: Sky-high Price Chapter 519: Sky-high Price The shopkeeper knew that Wei Liao was the Vice General of the Sky Wolf Guards and a popr person with the emperor. He definitely could not afford to provoke him. No matter how angry he was, he did not dare to re up. However, he could not abandon such a precious recipe book. After all, anyone who had unique recipes these days would definitely hide them. No one would take them out to sell unless they had no choice. If he missed this opportunity today, it would be difficult to encounter such a good thing in the future. The shopkeeper could only make up his mind and say to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°I¡¯ll pay five hundred and ten taels for your recipe book.¡± Before Yu Niaoniao could speak, Wei Liao spoke loudly. ¡°I¡¯ll pay six hundred taels!¡± The shopkeeper almost couldn¡¯t breathe. He was filled with hatred! This guy must be here to cause trouble! However, considering the other party¡¯s identity, the shopkeeper could not say anything and could only swallow his anger. ¡°I¡¯ll pay six hundred and ten taels.¡± Even if their restaurant¡¯s business was booming, more than 600 taels of silver was not a small sum to them. He was just acting first and reportingter. He still had to ask the boss for instructionster. He hoped Wei Liao wouldn¡¯t raise the price again. Unfortunately, Wei Liao didn¡¯t let him have his way. ¡°I¡¯ll pay eight hundred taels.¡± This sudden increase of 190 taels was already so high that the shopkeeper could not bear it. The shopkeeper felt his temples throbbing. He pinched his forehead and gritted his teeth. ¡°Why don¡¯t you do something with this eight hundred taels? Why do you have to waste your time here?¡± Wei Liao smiledzily. ¡°It¡¯s still the same thing. A thousand taels of gold can¡¯t buy my happiness!¡± The shopkeeper had no choice but to bite the bullet and increase the price. ¡°I¡¯ll pay eight hundred and ten taels.¡± After announcing this price, he immediately looked up at Wei Liao on the second floor and begged with cupped hands. ¡°Please stop raising the price. We¡¯re small businesses. We can¡¯t withstand your sky-high bids.¡± There were many peopleing and going at the entrance of the restaurant, including people who liked to watch themotion. When the shopkeeper and Wei Liao began to bid, many people stopped to watch. At this moment, there was already a circle of people gathered. They were watching the show and shouted at Wei Liao upstairs. ¡°Hurry up and bid! Don¡¯t be afraid!¡± Wei Liao lived up to their expectations and raised an index finger. ¡°A thousand taels. ¡± The shopkeeper swayed and almost fainted. This amount was almost their restaurant¡¯s monthly profit. If he had to spend a month¡¯s profits on a recipe book, it would be fine if he could earn it backter, but what if he could not? He had to bear the responsibility. The problem was that he could not afford it! At the end of the day, he was just a worker. He did not have much authority. The onlookers were still shouting, urging the shopkeeper to increase the price. The shopkeeper held his forehead and pretended to be ufortable. He secretly winked at the clerk beside him. The clerk understood and immediately went forward to support him. ¡°Shopkeeper, what¡¯s wrong?¡± The shopkeeper said, ¡°I have a headache. Help me in and rest.¡± Seeing that he was about to slip away, the onlookers booed andughed at him for being too cowardly. The shopkeeper pretended not to hear anything and quickly left. Seeing that one of the parties involved had already left, the onlookers knew that there was nothing else to watch and dispersed like birds. Yu Niaoniao looked up at Wei Liao on the second floor and asked. ¡°Are you really going to spend a thousand taels on my recipe?¡± Wei Liao asked, ¡°Why? Are you afraid that I won¡¯t be able to pay?¡± In order to prove that he was rich, he immediately took out a stack of banknotes and waved them at Yu Niaoniao. The banknotes rustled in the breeze. Yu Niaoniao did not expect him to be serious and was rather puzzled. ¡°Why are you buying my recipe?¡± Wei Liao took a sip of wine and chuckled. ¡°Why do you care why I am buying it? Alright, hurry up and send me the recipe.¡± Yu Niaoniao could not be bothered to look for him. She prepared to let Ling Hai help her send the recipe upstairs. However, at this moment, a young man in a blue robe ran over quickly and shouted at Yu Niaoniao. ¡®Wait!¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him. ¡°You are?¡± The blue-robed man cupped his hands at her politely. ¡°My surname is Gongsun. I¡¯m running a restaurant in the city. Recently, I¡¯ve been worried about developing new dishes. When I heard that someone was selling recipes here, I rushed over. May I ask if your recipes are still avable? Can you sell them to me?¡± Yu Niaoniao pointed at Wei Liao on the second floor. ¡°He just offered a thousand taels for my recipe.¡± The blue-robed man immediately said, ¡°I can pay two thousand taels!¡± Yu Niaoniao was shocked. This person had doubled the price so swiftly. He was too ostentatious! Wei Liao was very dissatisfied. ¡°What do you mean? Do you understand? Firste, first served? I¡¯ve already bought this recipe. Take your bid away with you!¡± The blue-robed man was not afraid of Wei Liao at all. He said unhurriedly, ¡°What matters in business is that we¡¯re even. Since you haven¡¯t paid, it means that this business hasn¡¯t been done yet. It¡¯s reasonable for me to make a request now.¡± Wei Liao sneered. ¡°Alright, since you insist on snatching it from me, I won¡¯t stand on ceremony with you. I¡¯ll pay three thousand taels!¡± The blue-robed man extended a hand. ¡°Five thousand taels.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Eight thousand taels!¡± The blue-robed man said, ¡°Ten thousand taels!¡± The onlookers, who had already dispersed, gathered again. When they heard the number of ten thousand taels, they could not help but gasp. This was an astronomical price! What peerless recipe could be sold for such a high price?! Yu Niaoniao was also very surprised. Before she came, she had already calcted that her recipe would at most sell for seven to eight hundred taels of silver. If Wei Liao hadn¡¯t shouted a price just now, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to earn a thousand taels of silver. Unexpectedly, someone shouted ten thousand taels in one go! This price was too ridiculous. Wei Liao ced the wine pot on the table beside him and shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll pay twelve thousand taels!¡± Wasn¡¯t it just raising the price? Thene at him. If he admitted defeat today, he would be a grandson! Yu Niaoniao looked up at him. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± That was twelve thousand taels. No matter how rich he was, he could not squander it like this, right?! The blue-robed man said without changing his expression. ¡°Fifteen thousand taels.¡± Everyone was dumbfounded. He was actually increasing the price. Wei Liao pped the fence. ¡°Twenty thousand taels!¡± The blue-robed man said, ¡°Twenty-three thousand taels.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Twenty-five thousand taels.¡± At this moment, the onlookers were speechless. They all looked at the two bourgeoisie quietly with one thought in their minds¡ª Were these two crazy? If they were not sick, why would they spend tens of thousands of taels of silver to buy an unknown recipe book?! Yu Niaoniao really could not stand it anymore. She interrupted their raises. ¡°Stop bidding!¡± Chapter 520 - 520: Deal Chapter 520: Deal Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao wanted to earn money, but she had never thought of bing rich overnight. It was said that there was no free lunch in the world. This was the situation now. Yu Niaoniao knew very well that her recipe could not be sold for tens of thousands of taels. If she really sold the recipe to one of them for more than ten thousand taels, it would be equivalent to her taking advantage of the other party. Niaoniao still did not know the background of the blue-robed young master. However, she knew that Wei Liao was definitely not the kind of person who would let others take advantage of him for nothing. If she took advantage of him today, he would definitely think of a way to make it upter. Moreover, if Wei Liao and Young Master Gongsun continued to shout, this matter would only be bigger and bigger. She had hidden her identity to go out and sell recipes. Her greatest fear was that things would blow up. Therefore, this matter had to be resolved quickly. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°My recipe is only sold for a thousand taels. Wei Liao, I know you¡¯re not interested in the recipe. You¡¯re just bored now. It¡¯s a waste to sell this recipe to you. Why don¡¯t you sell it to someone who really needs it?¡± Wei Liao was very unhappy. ¡°How can you say that? I¡¯m doing you a favor by paying for your recipe. If I hadn¡¯t helped you raise the price just now, you would have been cheated by that unscrupulous profiteer for fifty taels.¡± Yu Niaoniao replied insincerely, ¡°Then thank you!¡± Wei Liao was furious. ¡°You¡¯re in trouble!¡± The blue-robed young man took out a stack of banknotes. ¡°This is twenty thousand taels. Count it.¡± Yu Niaoniao only took away two banknotes worth five hundred taels. ¡°If I say a thousand taels, it¡¯s a thousand taels.¡± The blue-robed young manughed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you. I respect your thoughts.¡± This person¡¯s attitude was not bad. Yu Niaoniao had a good impression of him. ¡°I can sell you the recipe, but I have another condition.¡± The blue-shirted young man said, ¡°Tell me.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I want to take a look at the restaurant you run.¡± This person appeared too suddenly, and as soon as he appeared, he raised the price of the recipe to a terrifying number. This made her a little suspicious of his background. The blue-robed young man was stunned for a moment before agreeing readily. ¡°Alright, please follow me.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked Ling Hai to follow with the donkey. On the second floor of the restaurant, Wei Liao sneered as he watched the three of them leave. ¡°How dare you snatch business from me? You¡¯re really tired of living!¡± The Sky Wolf Guard standing at the side stepped forward and asked, ¡°Do you want me to follow after that kid and teach him a lesson?¡± Wei Liao¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°Go and see where that kides from.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Yu Niaoniao followed the blue-robed young man to a restaurant called ¡°Qian Shanxue¡±. Not only did this restaurant have an elegant name, but the interior was also decorated very elegantly. It was obvious that the owner of this ce was a very tasteful person. The blue-robed young man invited Yu Niaoniao into the private room for tea. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was such an elegant restaurant here.¡± The blue-robed young man poured a cup of tea and ced it in front of her. ¡°My restaurant has just opened not long ago. It¡¯s indeed not famous.¡± ¡°As I¡¯m sure you can see, business here is not good. This is because our dishes are too ordinary and featureless.¡± ¡°Your recipe book can resolve our urgent needs. This can be considered our fate. Since there was no problem with the other party¡¯s identity, Yu Niaoniao did not think too much about it. She took out the recipe and ced it in front of him. ¡°This is the recipe. Look at the contents first. If you don¡¯t think this recipe is worth a thousand taels, I can refund you the money.¡± The blue-shirted young man wiped his hands with a handkerchief before picking up the recipe and reading it carefully. He looked impressed. ¡°I don¡¯t cook much. However, looking at the records inside, I could guess that the dishes cooked ording to it must be delicious.¡± ¡°I was lucky today and picked up a treasure. This thousand taels was worth it!¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± The blue-shirted young man was in a good mood. ¡°If you have such a recipe to sell in the future, you must prioritize me. Don¡¯t worry about the price. It will definitely satisfy you.¡± Yu Niaoniao naturally agreed. After discussing business, Yu Niaoniao stood up and bade farewell. The blue-shirted young man walked her to the door. After they were gone, the blue-robed young man turned around and returned to the restaurant. He returned to the private room. At this moment, there was another person in the originally empty private room. It was Xiao Juan, who was wearing a ck robe. The blue-robed young man handed over the recipe with both hands and said respectfully, ¡°Your Highness, this is the recipe sold by the Princess Consort. I¡¯ve already bought it ording to your request.¡± Xiao Juan reached out to take the recipe and gently stroked the cover with his well-defined fingers. This was a personally written recipe. There was only one in the world. How could he let it fall into the hands of others? The blue-robed young man said, ¡°Fortunately, I arrived in time. Otherwise, this recipe would have been bought by Wei Liao.¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t bother about him.¡± He knew that Wei Liao had unspeakable thoughts about Niaoniao, but Niaoniao had no thoughts about Wei Liao. Wei Liao was just making his presence known. The best way was to ignore that guy and let him suffer alone. Although he was reluctant, Xiao Juan still handed the recipe to the blue-robed young master. ¡°Take it and copy it. Since you promised to use this recipe to develop a new dish, you have to do what you say so that you won¡¯t be exposed in the future.¡± The blue-robed young man understood. ¡°I¡¯ll return the original to you immediately after I¡¯m done copying.¡± ¡°Yeah. ¡± A momentter, Xiao Juan left Qian Shanxue and rode to the Justice Department. The Sky Wolf Guard hiding not far away saw this scene. He rushed back to the restaurant and reported what he had seen to Wei Liao. ¡°I originally wanted to bring a few brothers to Qian Shanxue to cause trouble. I had to teach that kid surnamed Gongsun a lesson.¡± ¡°I did not expect to see Duke Lang appear.¡± ¡°When ites to Duke Lang, I don¡¯t dare to act rashly. I can onlye back and ask you for instructions.¡± Wei Liao ced his wine ss on the table. His tone was disdainful as he said, ¡°I was wondering why that Gongsun kid happened to appear at this time. So it was arranged by Duke Lang. Isn¡¯t it just a recipe? Does he have to go through so much trouble?¡± The Sky Wolf Guards suggested, ¡°Should we tell the Princess Consort about this? That way, Duke Langs n will be exposed.¡± Wei Liao kicked him and scolded angrily, ¡°You¡¯re really stupid! If Yu Niaoniao finds out the truth, not only will she not me Duke Lang, but she might even be touched by this. What will I be then? Will I be their matchmaker?¡± The Sky Wolf Guard did not dare to cry out in pain after being kicked. He reminded him softly. ¡°You¡¯re a man. A man can¡¯t be a matchmaker. He can only be a cupid.¡± Wei Liao was speechless. His eyes were fierce. ¡°Say that again.¡± The Sky Wolf Guard shrank back in fear and did not dare to speak again. He shrank pitifully into a corner. Wei Liao gritted his teeth and stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Justice Department!¡± The Sky Wolf Guard asked carefully, ¡°Why are we going to the Justice Department?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know the identity of that charred corpse? I¡¯ll investigate now.¡± ¡ªAt the same time, he would stir some trouble for Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao.. Chapter 521 - 521: Leaving You Chapter 521: Leaving You Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao returned to the Langjun Imperial Pce happily with a thousand taels. She took some spices and beef jerky she had brought back from Liangzhou, then brought Ling Hai out again. They had originally nned to go to the Yu Residence to look for Yu Pingping, but they did not expect to bump into her on the way. Yu Pingping had just walked out of the bookstore when she saw Yu Niaoniao riding a donkey over. She was pleasantly surprised and could not help but smile. ¡°Sister! When did you return to the Imperial Capital?¡± After not seeing her for half a year, not only had this little girl grown taller, but her facial features had also grown. The childishness on her body had faded a lot, and she looked even more like ady. Yu Niaoniao jumped off the donkey¡¯s back. ¡°I just returned yesterday.¡± Ling Hai led the donkey to the side so as not to disturb the sisters from catching up. Yu Pingping pouted andined. ¡°What took you so long? It¡¯s almost the new year. I thought you wouldn¡¯t be back until next year.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled mischievously. ¡°Why? Do you miss me?¡± Yu Pingping immediately blushed and cursed angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself, okay? I wouldn¡¯t miss you unless I had nothing better to With that, she turned around to look elsewhere, looking angry. Yu Niaoniao was still smiling. ¡°When I saw you just now, I thought you had grown up. From the looks of it, you¡¯re still a child.¡± Yu Pingping originally wanted to ignore her, but she was unwilling to be looked down upon by her, so she could not help but defend herself. ¡°If you think I¡¯m childish, then don¡¯t leave the Qirui Opera Troupe to me.¡± Yu Niaoniao spread her hands and pretended to sigh helplessly. ¡°I have no choice. You¡¯re my only biological sister. I don¡¯t trust anyone else. I only trust you.¡± Yu Pingping could not help but smile. ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you treating me better?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked Ling Hai to take out those spices and beef jerky. ¡°Don¡¯t say I don¡¯t remember you as my sister. These are the specialties I brought back from Liangzhou. I specially brought them for you.¡± Yu Pingping snorted. ¡°It¡¯s not something valuable.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it back.¡± She reached out as if to take the specialties away. Yu Pingping immediately panicked and hurriedly hugged the box containing the specialties. ¡°Who asks for a gift back? You¡¯re too petty!¡± Yu Niaoniao said matter-of-factly, ¡°Don¡¯t you despise these things for being worthless? Since you don¡¯t want them, I naturally have to take them back.¡± Yu Pingping said angrily. ¡°Who said I didn¡¯t want them? I just said something casually, and you¡¯re in a hurry to take them back. How can there be someone like you? You¡¯re not sincere at all!¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her hands andpromised. ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have taken it too seriously.¡± She looked at the bookstore beside her and asked. ¡°Are you out to buy books?¡± Yu Pingping nodded and said yes. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your book?¡± Speaking of this, Yu Pingping was furious. She snorted heavily and said unhappily. ¡°I didn¡¯t get it!¡± Yu Niaoniao was very surprised. ¡°What book? You can¡¯t buy it yet?¡± Yu Pingpingined. ¡°It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t buy it, but it¡¯s not on the market yet. Those profiteers had previously tricked us into saying that they would definitely publish a new book at the end of the year. But it¡¯s almost the new year and I haven¡¯t even seen the shadow of my new book.¡± ¡°No, I still have toe tomorrow. I rush them every day. If they don¡¯t produce the new book, I¡¯ll annoy them to death!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Do you have to do that? It¡¯s just a book. There are so many books in the bookstore. Can¡¯t you read something else?¡± Yu Pingping said angrily, ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Master Wang¡¯s book is different from others. No book can rece his.¡± Yu Niaoniao thought she had misheard. ¡°Whose book are you talking about?¡± Yu Pingping knew that she had let it slip. Although Master Wang¡¯s book was good, many people said that it was a ridiculous work. If her sister found out that she read such a book, she would definitely take the opportunity tough at her. She blinked and pretended to be oblivious. ¡°Did I just say whose book? I didn¡¯t¡­ Before ??????????????? could ask further, Yu Pingping said quickly. ¡°Alright, alright. I still have something to do. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± With that, she was about to leave. Yu Niaoniao grabbed her arm. ¡°Wait a minute. I need your help with something. ¡± Yu Pingping could only stop. ¡°What else?¡± Yu Niaoniao took out the thousand taels of silver and handed it to her. ¡°While I¡¯m away, help me manage the assets of Qirui Garden quite well. You¡¯ll continue to manage the finances in the future.¡± Yu Pingping thought that the money had been given to her sister by Duke Lang, so she did not ask further and simply epted the banknotes. ¡°Alright, since you¡¯re so sincere in asking me for help, I¡¯ll reluctantly help you again.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°Qirui Garden will officially open for business the day after tomorrow. I n to take advantage of the first day of business to hold a preferential activity. For example, as long as you¡¯re an audience who enters the Qirui Garden to watch the show, you can get a 20% discount on all expenses. If the total consumption exceeds a certain amount, you can even give an additional portion of special snacks. What do you think?¡± Yu Pingping thought for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. It¡¯s a good way to attract attention.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. You have to be there on the opening day. At that time, you have to cut the ribbon in my ce.¡± Yu Pingping frowned. ¡°You¡¯re the boss. Why don¡¯t you do it yourself?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be inconvenient.¡± As Yu Niaoniao spoke, she took off the veil on her face, revealing the brown scar. Yu Pingping¡¯s eyes widened. She was so frightened that she almost could not hold the box. ¡°W-what happened to your face?¡± Yu Niaoniao put on the veil. ¡°I was injured in Liangzhou. My injuries have healed, but the scar is still there, so it¡¯s not convenient for me to show my face in front of others. I can only ask you to help me.¡± Yu Pingping was also a woman and knew how important looks were to women. She was extremely anxious. ¡°You¡¯re already in this state. Why do you care about the opening ceremony? Hurry up and find a doctor to treat you. Isn¡¯t your man Duke Lang? Let him enter the pce to get an imperial physician for you. If you really can¡¯t, you can issue a bounty and pay a high price to seek treatment. I don¡¯t believe you won¡¯t find a divine doctor who can help you remove the scar!¡± Yu Niaoniao felt that her anxious appearance was quite fun. She wanted to tease her, so she pretended to be helpless. ¡°It¡¯s useless. This is all I can do for the rest of my life. Fortunately, Duke Lang doesn¡¯t despise me. He said that no matter what I be, he won¡¯t abandon me.¡± Yu Pingping expected better from her and stomped her feet. ¡°Are you stupid! If you can believe a man¡¯s words, even a sow can climb a tree! Putting aside those we don¡¯t know about, look at our father. As soon as he divorced your mother, he married my mother.¡± ¡°How seamlessly did he transit from one to another? As the saying goes, they¡¯re all the same! No matter how nicely they said it, he would still despise you when you were old.¡± ¡°Not to mention that you¡¯re disfigured now. He¡¯ll abandon you before you get old.. ¡° Chapter 522 - 522: Bad Woman Chapter 522: Bad Woman Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao was stunned. ¡°Why are you saying that about our father?¡± It was not that she respected Yu Kangtai very much, but this era valued filial piety too much. As a girl born and raised in a traditional family, Yu Pingping would definitely be affected by this patriarchal thought and naturally, treat her father as her sky. However, Yu Pingping¡¯s words just now were openly mocking her father. Yu Niaoniao found it unbelievable! Yu Pingping pursed her lips. ¡°In the past, I felt that there was nothing wrong with our father. But ever since I helped you manage the finances of the opera troupe, my father had interfered with my freedom in all kinds of ways.¡± ¡°He despised the opera troupe as a lowly business.¡± ¡°He forbade me to go out and interact with the opera troupe.¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t listen, he¡¯ll use the familyw on me. I¡¯m sick of him now!¡± Yu Niaoniao frowned. ¡°Did he hit you?¡± Yu Pingping said, ¡°He wanted to hit me, but my brother stopped him. I don¡¯t understand. I just wanted to find something to do. Why did he do everything to stop me?¡± The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she became, and her voice lowered. Yu Niaoniao looked at her seriously. ¡°Then do you still want to help me manage the finances of the opera troupe?¡± Yu Pingping gave an affirmative answer without hesitation. ¡°Of course! The more my father looked down on me, the more I had to prove to him that I was no worse than anyone else. Even if I leave him, I have the ability to raise myself!¡± It would be fine if she was still the little girl who had been raised in the inner residence, but after tasting the sense of aplishment of earning money with her own ability, how could she be willing to listen to her father? Although she could not be as powerful as the princess in The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation, she hoped to have the right to make decisions for herself. Yu Niaoniao smiled and praised sincerely, ¡°Good for you.¡± Yu Pingping raised her chin and smiled triumphantly. ¡°Of course!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. Go back and prepare a beautiful set of clothes. I¡¯ll see you in Qirui Garden the day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Yu Pingping left with the gift box. After taking two steps, she suddenly stopped and turned to look at Yu Niaoniao. ¡°You almost fooled me. The scar on your face¡­¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I was just teasing you. My scar can disappear. It just takes a while.¡± Yu Pingping was immediately furious. ¡°How dare you lie to me? You¡¯re too much!¡± She rushed over with the gift box and bumped into Yu Niaoniao hard before running away angrily. Yu Niaoniao took two steps back and smiled helplessly. ¡°Why are you still acting like a child? Childish!¡± They were about to leave when a familiar shout came from behind. ¡°Princess Consort, is that you?¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped in her tracks and turned to look in the direction of the voice. She saw a fat middle-aged man running out of the bookstore. She recognized him at a nce. This fat man was one of the many booksellers she had worked with. She cursed inwardly. This guy was definitely here to rush her for the manuscript. Yu Niaoniao pulled Ling Hai along and was about to run. Seeing this, the fat bookseller hurriedly increased his speed and chased after him, shouting. ¡°Princess Consort, stop running. I recognized you! ¡®When did you get back? Why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡¯ When are you going to return the manuscript you owed us previously?¡± Yu Niaoniao pretended not to hear and ran even faster. The fat bookseller said, ¡°If you run again, I¡¯m going to call out your pen name.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately braked and stopped. Now that there were people everywhere in broad daylight, if the fat bookseller shouted her pen name, it would be equivalent to the entire city knowing that she was selling sketchbooks. She ced her hands on her hips and spoke to the fat bookseller. ¡°Don¡¯t shout. We have an agreement. If you expose my pen name, our cooperation will immediately end. You¡¯ll have to pay me ten times the royalties.¡± The fat bookseller was tired and panted. ¡°I¡ªI had no choice.¡± ¡°You were gone for half a year. We agreed to submit the manuscript when you returned. ¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t tell us that you were back. You even made so many of us wait for you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know, but peoplee to the bookstore every day to ask about new books. We were racking our brains to think of a way to stall for time.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s almost the end of the year. We really couldn¡¯t dy it any longer. Please do us a favor and give us the draft quickly.¡± He bowed with both hands as he spoke, looking really pitiful. Yu Niaoniao felt guilty. Back then, she had promised to submit the manuscript when she returned, but now she could no produce it. She was the one who had gone back on her word. She was in the wrong. ¡°I¡¯m not done yet. Wait a little longer. I¡¯ll let you know when I¡¯m done.¡± The fat bookseller was not so easy to fool. ¡°You always say to wait a little longer, but it won¡¯t end. You have to give us a definite answer this time. When can you submit the manuscript?¡± Yu Niaoniao scratched her face and said awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯ll submit the manuscript after the Lantern Festival.¡± ¡°Lantern Festival! ¡± The fat bookseller widened his green bean eyes and roared in disbelief. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that you would submit the manuscript during the Dragon Boat Festival?¡± Yu Niaoniao was overjoyed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll submit the manuscript during the Dragon Boat Festival!¡± The fat bookseller was so angry that he almost soared to the sky. ¡°Do you know how many people are waiting for your new book?¡± ¡°Do you know how much pressure we booksellers have to endure every day?¡± ¡°Look at mv size. I¡¯m so worried that I¡¯m gaininz weight!¡± ¡°And my hair, it falls off inrge quantities every day!¡± ¡°If this continues, my wife will despise me!¡± ¡°Please do us a favor and stop torturing us, okay?¡¯¡±¡® Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t you look like you have a lot of hair?¡± The fat bookseller pulled the hat off his head and reached out to pull his hair back, revealing a small patch of bare scalp. ¡°Look, is there a lot of hair? Is there a lot?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at the reflective scalp and really could not go against her conscience. The fat bookseller put his hat back on and said angrily, ¡°I¡¯ve seen countless authors, but I¡¯ve never seen an author who can drag it out as well as you.¡± ¡°However, you have a noble status, so I don¡¯t dare to do anything to you. No matter how stressed I was, I had to endure it myself.¡± ¡°God, I just want to sell a few books to earn some money to support my family. Is it easy for me? Boohoo!¡± He actually covered his face and cried as he spoke. The surrounding pedestrians looked over and sized up the fat bookseller and Yu Niaoniao curiously. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Why are you crying? Men don¡¯t cry easily.¡± The fat bookseller said, ¡°Boohoo! You didn¡¯t keep your word. You can¡¯t do what you promised me, you big liar!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I have my reasons.¡± The fat bookseller said, ¡°Boohoo! What difficulties can you have? Don¡¯t you just want to y with me? You just feel very happy to see me worried about you every day, don¡¯t you?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°When did I? Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± The fat bookseller said, ¡°You do! You bad woman!¡± Seeing that the onlookers¡¯ gazes were bing stranger and stranger, Ling Hai hurriedly pulled Yu Niaoniao¡¯s sleeve and reminded her softly. ¡°This is not a ce to talk..¡± Chapter 523 - 523: Win-Win Cooperation Chapter 523: Win-Win Cooperation Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao had already personally experienced the gossip ability of the onlookers in the Imperial Capital. She did not want to be the center of gossip again, so she suggested finding another ce to talk. But the fat bookseller was unwilling. He wanted to use the power of the crowd to pressure the Princess Consort to submit the manuscript quickly. ¡°Wuwuwu, if you don¡¯t give me a definite answer today, I¡¯ll die in front of you!¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s scalp went numb from his crying. She said angrily, ¡°Alright, alright, stop howling. Isn¡¯t it just handing in the manuscript? Don¡¯t make it sound like I did something to you.¡± The fat bookseller said, ¡°Then submit the manuscript now!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I don¡¯t have a script now.¡± The fat bookseller wailed at the top of his lungs. ¡°Wu, ow, ow!¡± An auntie beside him could not help but ask. ¡°Youngdy, did you cheat him of his money? Or did you cheat him of his feelings? The auntie did not believe him. ¡°If you didn¡¯t, how could a young man like him cry so badly?¡± The other onlookers nodded in agreement. Yu Niaoniao could not exin. She said helplessly, ¡°I really don¡¯t have a script now. It¡¯s useless even if you cry to death here.¡± The fat bookseller lowered his crying slightly. ¡°Then how soon can you submit the manuscript?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°The Lantern Festival¡­ As soon as these three words left her mouth, she heard the fat bookseller¡¯s cries suddenly rise. She hurriedly covered her ears and corrected herself. ¡°The New Year! I¡¯ll submit the manuscript before the New Year, okay?¡± The fat bookseller silently calcted the time in his heart. There were only ten days left until the new year. He would get the printing shop to work overtime during the new year and could still publish books before the Lantern Festival. So he said, ¡°You have to keep your word.¡± Yu Niaoniao promised solemnly. ¡°Definitely!¡± The fat bookseller threatened, ¡°If you don¡¯t listen to me this time, I¡¯ll strangle myself in front of your house!¡± With that, he raised his hands and made a strangling gesture. At this moment, a team of soldiers walked over and scolded loudly. ¡°What are you guys doing blocking the middle of the road? Can¡¯t you see that the carriagesing and going can¡¯t pass? Spread out!¡± Everyone hurriedly retreated to the sides. Yu Niaoniao took the opportunity to slip away with Ling Hai. Afterpletely shaking off the troublesome fat bookseller, Yu Niaoniao slowed down. Ling Hai asked carefully. ¡°Princess Consort, who was that person just now?¡± Yu Niaoniao replied casually, ¡°A bookseller.¡± Ling Hai asked again, ¡°Then do you write books?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°To be precise, I draw books.¡± Ling Hai¡¯s eyes revealed admiration. ¡°Those who can publish books must be very knowledgeable. What book are you drawing? Can I take a look?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled awkwardly and politely. ¡°Hehe, about that. You¡¯re still young and not mature enough to read such books.¡± Ling Hai was very disappointed, but he did not say anything else. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If you want to read, I¡¯ll find some books for you to readter. By the way, you should still be studying at your age, right? I¡¯ll find you a schoolter.¡± Ling Hai immediately shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not going to school. I have to work for you.¡± Yu Niaoniao was caught betweenughter and tears. ¡°You¡¯re only so young. What can you do? You should go to school obediently. When you grow up in the future, you might even be able to be a top schr or something. In the future, you¡¯ll return to your hometown in glory. How glorious will that be!¡± Ling Hai still shook his head and insisted on not going to school. Yu Niaoniao thought that he did not like to study, so she did not force him. Ling Hai asked, ¡°Are we going home now?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go home and change first. Then we¡¯ll go somewhere.¡± ¡°Where?¡± Sky Oriole Garden.¡± After not seeing each other for half a year, the Sky Oriole Garden was still filled with guests. Yu Niaoniao was wearing men¡¯s clothes and a mask. Ling Hai followed behind her. This was his first time in a ce like this. He was nervous and curious. His ck and white eyes could not help but look around. Zheng Changle, the little fatty, ran downstairs and craned his neck to look around, but he did not see the person he wanted to see. He was not only a little anxious. He asked the clerk beside him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Brother Yu was here? Where is he?¡± The clerk pointed at the handsome young man in the mask. ¡°That¡¯s him.¡± Coincidentally, Yu Niaoniao turned around and saw Zheng Changle. Hence, she took the initiative to walk toward Zheng Changle. ¡°Brother Zheng, long time no see.¡± Hearing her voice, Zheng Changle immediately confirmed her identity. He stared at the mask on her face and asked, ¡°Why are you still wearing a mask when youe to me? Yu Niaoniao raised her hand and took off her mask, revealing the scar on her face. ¡°I was injured a while ago and can¡¯t see anyone for the time being.¡± With that, she put the mask back on. Zheng Changle was first shocked, then he asked, ¡°How did this happen? Is it serious? Have you seen a doctor?¡± Yu Niaoniao sighed. ¡°My injuries have actually healed, but the scar can¡¯t be removed. In the future, I might have to wear a mask to see people.¡± Seeing his good friend be like this, Zheng Changle felt extremely sorry. ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I dide to you today because I need your help with something.¡± Zheng Changle immediately said, ¡°Just tell me. I¡¯ll definitely help!¡± Yu Niaoniao took out a piece of paper from her sleeve. ¡°My request is very simple. I want to paste this at the entrance of your theater. It only needs to be pasted for three days.¡± Zheng Changle reached out and took the paper. ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter. There¡¯s no problem¡­¡± When he saw what was written on the paper, he stopped. His eyes widened in disbelief. ¡®What is this?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s like this. Qirui Garden is about to open for business, but we¡¯re a new theater. No one knows about it. I was afraid that no one woulde to support us on the opening day, so I personally drew this poster and wanted to paste it at the entrance of your theater. There are many people here and they¡¯re all old fans. I believe it can bring a little poprity to Qirui Garden.¡± The clerk with Zheng Changle was very angry. The clerk scolded indignantly, ¡°Don¡¯t you know about thepetition among peers? You¡¯re tantlying to our theater to snatch guests. Our young master will never agree!¡± He thought that his young master would stand on the same side as him, but he heard Zheng Changle ask, ¡°Master Wang drew this poster, right? I recognized it at a nce. Can you sell it to me?¡± The clerk immediately turned to look at the young master, only to see him hugging the poster lovingly. He looked as if he wished he could kiss it. ¡°Young Master, what are you doing? Didn¡¯t you hear that he wasing to our house to snatch guests?! Yu Niaoniao said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not snatching guests. This is a win-win cooperation. ¡®You guys helped me attract poprity today. If anything good happens in the future, we won¡¯t forget you. Mutual benefits are benign. Only then can we go far..¡± Chapter 524 - 524: Pulling Guests Chapter 524: Pulling Guests Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios It was bullsh*t that the cooperation was win-win. Even a three-year-old child would not believe this! The clerk thought that his young master would definitely not fall for it. However, Zheng Changle was already deeply fascinated by the poster. He hadpletely forgotten his status as the young master of the Sky Oriole Garden and only said. ¡°Sell me this poster. For whatever it costs.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°As long as you want it, I can give you the poster.¡± Zheng Changle was overjoyed. ¡°Really? That¡¯s great. Thank you!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°But you have to promise me to paste it at the door of the Sky Oriole Garden. As long as you paste it for three days, it¡¯s yours in three days.¡± Zheng Changle was about to agree when the clerk pulled him hard. ¡°Young Master, wake up! If you stick this thing at the entrance of our theater, it¡¯s equivalent to sending our guests to their business. When the troupe master finds outter, he won¡¯t let you off!¡± Zheng Changle immediately imagined his father chasing after him with a feather duster. He shivered in fear and immediately woke up. ¡°No, no, I can¡¯t! My father will beat me to death!¡± Yu Niaoniao sighed, very disappointed. ¡°I also know that I¡¯ll make things difficult for you, but I don¡¯t have any better way now. My face was injured and I might never be able tomunicate normally.¡± ¡°I could neither take the imperial examination nor get married and have children. My life is over.¡± ¡°Qirui Garden was myst hope. ¡°I came to you for help because I really had no choice. Forget it if you¡¯re unwilling. I¡¯m sorry I caused you trouble.¡± ¡°I might not publish books or show my face in front of others in the future. I¡¯ll give you that poster as a souvenir. I¡¯ll get going first. Take care.¡± With that, she turned around and left in a daze. Zheng Changle hurriedly stopped her. ¡°What do you mean? Is Master Wang you?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s already like this. Is it important whether I am Master Wang?¡± Actually, Zheng Changle had already suspected that Brother Yu was Master Wang. But at that time, he had no evidence. He could not ask too much. NOW tnat Brotner yu nad exposed ms Identity, ms guess was true. This shocked and delighted Zheng Changle. He wished he could transform into a screaming chicken and roar on the spot. Ahhh, he had seen his idol! He had even spoken to his idol! Zheng Changle said excitedly. ¡°Of course it¡¯s important. If you¡¯re Master Wang, I¡¯ll definitely help you!¡± The clerk stomped his feet anxiously. ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t be rash. He¡¯s lying to you. Don¡¯t fall for it!¡± Zheng Changle said, ¡°He¡¯s already disfigured. How can he be bluffing?!¡± The clerk said, ¡°Even if he¡¯s disfigured, what does it have to do with you?¡± Zheng Changle was immediately furious. ¡°Shut up!¡± How could it not be rted? Master Wang at the Vige Entrance was his favorite author! If Master Wang did not publish books in the future, where would he find spiritual food in the future? How could he live without spiritual food?! Zheng Changle pushed the clerk away and said loudly to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Master Wang, I¡¯ll help you paste the poster at the entrance of the Sky Oriole Garden.But you have to promise me that you won¡¯t give up on yourself. You must pull yourself together. I¡¯m still waiting for your new book!¡± Yu Niaoniao was very touched. ¡°Thank you. When I publish a new bookter, I¡¯ll definitely arrange a role for you in it.¡± Zheng Changle immediately felt as if he had been injected with chicken blood and was extremely excited. ¡°Really? Can I appear in your book too?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It might just be a small role. If you¡¯re unwilling¡­¡± Zheng Changle nodded crazily. ¡°Yes, yes! I¡¯m willing!¡± When the book fans gatheredter, he would definitely tell the other readers about this and make them die of envy! Yu Niaoniao raised her right hand. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡± Zheng Changle did not understand what she meant. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Put your hands up too.¡± Zheng Changle obediently raised his hands. Yu Niaoniao reached out her right hand and gently patted his left. ¡°This is our agreement.¡± Then, Yu Niaoniao left the Sky Oriole Garden with Ling Hai. Zheng Changle still stood rooted to the ground in a daze, looking in the direction Yu Niaoniao had left. The clerk was anxious. ¡°You¡¯re not really going to help them pull guests, are you?¡± Zheng Changle clenched his left hand. ¡°I¡¯ve decided!¡± The clerk was delighted. ¡°You¡¯ve changed your mind? You won¡¯t help them anymore?¡± Zheng Changle said, ¡°I won¡¯t wash my hands anymore!¡± The clerk was speechless. Zheng Changle said, ¡°This was pped by Master Wang!¡± The clerk said nothing. This young master was hopeless. The troupe master should quickly father another one. Inside the Justice Department. Xiao Juan was flipping through the dossiers in the Qianji Building. He took out all the information about Imperial Concubine Meng and read them one DY one. Imperial Concubine Meng¡¯s life was quite smooth-sailing. Other than the fact that she had no children, her life could almost be said to be easy. It was also because of this that there was very little information about her. Xiao Juan searched for a long time but could not find any useful information. He remembered what Granny Xiu Yan had said and decided to change his line of investigation. He found the records when Empress Dowager Deng entered the pce back then. As expected, he saw Imperial Concubine Meng in this record. Back then, it was difficult for thete emperor to have heirs. Empress Dowager Li was anxious and wanted to help thete emperor expand his harem. She decided to choose women of the right age from the aristocratic families to enter the pce. However, it was not convenient for Empress Dowager Li to leave the pce, so she asked Imperial Concubine Meng to help with the selection. When Imperial Concubine Meng went to the Deng family, she took a fancy to the Second Miss of the Deng family and brought her into the pce. After the Second Miss of the Deng family entered the pce, she was conferred the title of Zhaoyi. Two yearster, she gave birth to a prince. She was promoted to Concubine Deng. When the prince grew up and inherited the throne, Concubine Deng became the current Empress Dowager Deng. The reason why Empress Dowager Deng could enter the pce as an imperial concubine was all thanks to Imperial Concubine Meng. No wonder her rtionship with Imperial Concubine Meng was very good. Perhaps Empress Dowager Deng would really know where Imperial Concubine Meng¡¯s jade bracelets went. Should he ask Empress Dowager Deng? Just as Xiao Juan was thinking, he suddenly heard Meng Xizhou¡¯s voice outside the door. ¡°Your Highness, Wei Liao is here.¡± Xiao Juan put down the dossier. ¡°What is he doing here?¡± ¡°He said he¡¯s here to investigate a case.¡± Xiao Juan walked out of the Qianji Building and came to the front yard. There were several Eagle Guards standing in the courtyard. They surrounded Wei Liao and were on guard. Wei Liao crossed his armszily. ¡°I told you, I¡¯m here to investigate a case, not fight. You don¡¯t have to be so nervous.¡± Xiao Juan looked at him expressionlessly and said coldly, ¡°What case are you investigating?¡± The Eagle Guards bowed to him. Wei Liao said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you bring back a charred corpse previously? I suspect that he¡¯s rted to a case I recently investigated. I hope your Justice Department can cooperate and let me examine that charred corpse.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°What if I don¡¯t cooperate?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so petty. We¡¯re all working for the emperor. If you help me, it¡¯s equivalent to helping the emperor.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°If the emperor issues a decree, I¡¯ll definitely do as he says.. May I ask if you have an imperial edict?¡± Chapter 525 - 525: Unforgettable Chapter 525: Unforgettable Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Wei Liao looked very helpless. ¡°Alright, since Your Highness is unwilling to help, I can¡¯t force you. I¡¯ll enter the pce and seek an audience with the emperor. I¡¯ll report to the emperor that Your Highness found Imperial Concubine Mengs belongings in the hands of pirates and ask the emperor to allow me to investigate this matter thoroughly.¡± With that, he turned to leave. Xiao Juan looked at him coldly and did not react. Wei Liao took a few steps before stopping and turning to look at him. ¡°You didn¡¯t stop me? Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll tell the emperor about this?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°If you really wanted to tell the emperor, you would have told him on the first day you returned to the capital. Why wait until now? Besides, I have nothing to hide. Tell him if you want.¡± Wei Liao was really helpless now. ¡°You¡¯re really stubborn. Alright. alright. I lost this time.¡± Even though he said that, Xiao Juan had no intention of being happy. Xiao Juan asked coldly, ¡°You specially came to the Justice Department to say Wei Liao said slowly. ¡°I know that you¡¯re actually Qian Shanxue¡¯s real owner. You were the one who bought Yu Niaoniao¡¯s recipe. You knew that she urgently needs money and wanted to help her in this way.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°So?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Then do you know that Yu Niaoniao has already borrowed three thousand taels from me?¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. Wei Liao said, ¡°How interesting. You¡¯re clearly husband and wife, but she would rather borrow money from me than ask you for it.¡± Xiao Juan slowly walked forward and stood in front of him. Their eyes met. The air was thick with gunpowder. The Eagle Guards could not help but feel nervous and subconsciously gripped the saber at their waists. Wei Liao also thought that Xiao Juan would re up and attack. He did not show it on his face, but he was secretly prepared to retaliate at any time. Just as they were about to fight, they heard Xiao Juan say unhurriedly. ¡°These are just your one-sided words. Why should I believe you?¡± ¡°Taking a step back, so what if Niaoniao borrowed money from you?¡± ¡°She is still my Princess Consort. I¡¯m the one who can sleep with her every day. I¡¯m the one who can grow old with her, The person who can have children with her is still me.¡± Wei Liao¡¯s expression gradually turned cold, and the hostility in his eyes intensified. Xiao Juan said, ¡°You¡¯re a smart person. You should know very well that there¡¯s no possibility between you and Niaoniao. Instead of wasting your efforts, why don¡¯t you stop your losses in time? Run before you fall too deep.¡± Wei Liao smiled again, this time filled with mockery. ¡°What are you talking about? Don¡¯t tell me you think I fancy that stupid woman, Yu Niaoniao? Forget your bad taste. Don¡¯t confuse me with you.¡± Xiao Juan did not say anything else, but he looked at Wei Liao as if he could see through his heart. Wei Liao was very angry and said without thinking. ¡°I¡¯ll be blind to like a stupid woman like Yu Niaoniao who has no looks, no figure, and a one-track mind!¡± A sudden shout came from the door. ¡°His Highness, the Seventh Prince, has arrived!¡± Xiao Juan and Wei Liao¡¯s expressions changed at the same time. The two of them immediately walked out the door and saw Shen Zhuo, who had just gotten out of the carriage. Shen Zhuo was wearing a light blue long robe. His ck hair was raised high by a jade crown. His face was handsome, and his eyebrows were gentle. He was tall, but his face was slightly pale and he looked a little thin. The attendant helped him up the steps. He smiled and asked, ¡°I heard you arguing from afar.¡± Xiao Juan and Wei Liao cupped their fists at the same time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making a fool of myself, Seventh Prince.¡± Shen Zhuo stepped over the high threshold and into the Justice Department. He looked as he walked. ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that the Justice Department is unusual. Now that I¡¯ve seen it with my own eyes, it¡¯s not as scary as the rumors say.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The rumors on the streets are not trustworthy.¡± Shen Zhuo nced at him. ¡°It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t believe everything. For example, if the rumors between you and Niaoniao were all fake, why would you and her really get married?¡± Xiao Juan was silent. Shen Zhuo turned to look at Wei Liao. ¡°I heard you mention Niaoniao¡¯s name outside the door just now. Why? Do you have a rtionship with her in private?¡± Wei Liao was very unhappy to hear him call her Niaoniao. It was fine if Xiao Juan called her Niaoniao. After all, they were husband and wife who had worshipped the heavens and the earth. It was justifiable for Xiao Juan to call her that. However, what was wrong with the Seventh Prince? He had nothing to do with Yu Niaoniao! Wei Liao smiled. ¡°Your Highness, you must be joking. What kind of rtionship can there be between me and the Princess Consort? I was just spouting nonsense just now. I hope you won¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Shen Zhuo sat down in a chair and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t have a rtionship. It¡¯s best not to say such things in the future. If word gets out, it won¡¯t be good for Niaoniao¡¯s reputation.¡± Wei Liao replied pretentiously, ¡°Thank you for your reminder, Your Highness. I¡¯ll definitely be careful with my words and actions in the future. If there¡¯s nothing else, Your Highness, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°I heard that Wei Huai¡¯en helped you get an assignment from Father. After the ceremony of the Crown Prince is over, you have to set off for the Imperial Capital. I probably won¡¯t see you for a long time. I hope you can do a good job this time and not let Wei Huai¡¯en down.¡± His words were not only a reminder, but a warning. Wei Liao understood what the other party meant and felt even more unhappy. However, he still had to pretend that nothing had happened and reply with a smile. ¡°I understand.¡± When Wei Liao turned around and walked out the door, the smile on his face suddenly disappeared. He strode out of the Justice Department with a cold expression. His mood was already extremely bad. Shen Zhuo hade to the Justice Department mainly to look for Xiao Juan. ¡°I heard about your encounter in Liangzhou this time. Niaoniao was seriously injured. How is she now? How are her injuries recovering?¡± Xiao Juan said expressionlessly, ¡°Thank you for your concern, Seventh Prince. Niaoniao is fine. Shen Zhuo frowned slightly, looking dissatisfied. ¡°If I had known that she would be injured, I wouldn¡¯t have let you bring her to Liangzhou. Seriously, before we set off, I specially instructed you to protect Niaoniao well. Why did you still let her be injured?¡± Xiao Juan was silent. Shen Zhuo sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m too naggy. Niaoniao has a lively personality and often does whatever she wants. However, she doesn¡¯t know martial arts and doesn¡¯t have the ability to protect herself. If you can¡¯t protect her, don¡¯t bring her around.¡± Xiao Juan was silent for a long time before saying four words. ¡°Niaoniao is doing well.¡± He did not like Shen Zhuo to talk about Niaoniao in such a tone. Niaoniao did not know martial arts, but she was smart and independent. She was not a weak woman who could not live without protection. Shen Zhuo said, ¡°Niaoniao is naturally very good. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± He didn¡¯t finish the sentence. However, Xiao Juan already understood what he meant. It was precisely because Niaoniao was very good that Shen Zhuo could not forget her.. Chapter 526 - 526: You’re Too Annoying! Chapter 526: You¡¯re Too Annoying! Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios ¡°If you can¡¯t protect Niaoniao, leave on your own. There will naturally be someone more suitable to protect her.¡± After saying this, Shen Zhuo left the Justice Department. Xiao Juan sat alone in the house in a daze for a long time. Previously, Wei Liao¡¯s provocation did not affect him because he was very sure that there was no possibility between Niaoniao and Wei Liao. However, Shen Zhuo was different. He was a prince now and would soon be the crown prince and the emperor in the future. Xiao Juan was still only a county king. If Shen Zhuo was determined to snatch her from him, could he really protect her? Yu Niaoniao brought Ling Hai back to the Langjun Imperial Pce. Because she hadpleted the mission to sell the recipe, Yu Niaoniao was in a good mood. Even her walking was lighter than usual. It was not until Ling Hai reminded her to submit the manuscript on time that she returned to reality. Her footsteps became heavy again. Sigh! She had to work overtime again tonight. She went to the study and began to paint. Fortunately, she had already drawn it once. She could rely on her superb memory to redraw the previous draft. However, she had promised to give Zheng Changle a small extra, so she had to change the plot a little. Unknowingly, the sky outside the window had already darkened. Chun Feng came to remind her. ¡°His Highness is back. It¡¯s time for dinner.¡± Yu Niaoniao put down her brush, stood up, and stretched. When she walked into the dining hall, she saw that Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha were already sitting at the table. Once she sat down, the three of them could start eating. As Yu Niaoniao ate, she asked, ¡°What case did the Justice Department work on today?¡± Xiao Juan picked up a meatball for her and replied casually. ¡°I investigated what happened to Consort Meng when she was alive and realized that she was on good terms with Empress Dowager Deng when she was alive. I¡¯m considering if I should ask Empress Dowager Deng about Consort Meng.¡± Yu Niaoniao was surprised. She did not expect that Empress Dowager Deng was involved. ¡®Will the Empress Dowager be unhappy if we go to her for such a small matter?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The Empress Dowager has a gentle personality, so she shouldn¡¯t take issue with us. However, I¡¯m worried that if this matter is exposed to the Empress Dowager, His Majesty might find out. The case of the Feng family¡¯s annihtion has already been decided by the Ministry of Justice. If we want to reverse the case, we have to find strong evidence, but we don¡¯t have any evidence now.¡± Yu Niaoniao understood what he meant. ¡°Are you worried that His Majesty won¡¯t let us continue investigating after finding out?¡± Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± The reason why he did not tell the emperor about the jade bracelet was that he had considered this. The emperor was very goal-oriented. He had spent so much money to support the Justice Department and the Eagle Guards, not for the sake of the world, but for himself to better control the civil and military officials. To the emperor, it was a huge waste for the Eagle Guards to spend so much effort on an old case that had already been settled. He would definitely not be happy. Yu Niaoniao suggested. ¡°Why don¡¯t we test the Empress Dowager?¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°How?¡± Yu Niaoniao briefly exined her n. ¡°When I enter the pceter, I shall put on that jade bracelet. If Empress Dowager Deng knew that bracelet, she would definitely recognize it.¡± ¡°I could take the opportunity to talk to her and get the information I wanted. But if she doesn¡¯t recognize it, it means that she had never seen this bracelet either. We don¡¯t have to spend time on Empress Dowager Deng.¡± ¡°This way, no matter what the oue was, there was no need to rm the emperor. What do you think?¡± Xiao Juan thought about it seriously. ¡°I can give it a try, but you have to control yourself. Don¡¯t let anyone see that you did it on purpose.¡± Lo Pingsha also felt that this idea was feasible. Yu Niaoniao pped her hands. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled! We just need a reason to enter the pce to see Empress Dowager Deng.¡± Granny Xiu Yan spoke at the right time. ¡°The day after tomorrow is the day the Seventh Prince is anointed as the Crown Prince. At that time, the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and His Majesty will go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Duke Lang and the Princess Consort will also go to watch the ceremony.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Yes, yes, yes. The Crown Prince ceremony! This is a good opportunity to get close to the empress dowager!¡± Hearing the words Crown Prince, Xiao Juan¡¯s eyes darkened. He didn¡¯t say another word after that. The entire time, he was very quiet. At first, Yu Niaoniao did not notice anything amiss. When the two of them returned to the bedroom and Xiao Juan applied medication for her as usual, she However, Xiao Juan did not say a word. He was as quiet as a sawed gourd. Only then did Yu Niaoniao notice his abnormality. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you unhappy?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°Nothing.¡± Yu Niaoniao stared at his expressionless poker face and said firmly. ¡°You¡¯re just unhappy! Something must have happened to you?¡± Xiao Juan was silent. After applying the medication for her, he got up to wash his hands. Yu Niaoniao put on her clothes and sat cross-legged on the bed. ¡°What exactly happened to you? Tell me. Perhaps I can help you think of a way.¡± Xiao Juan washed his hands in silence and wiped them clean with a cloth towel. When he returned to the bed and saw Yu Niaoniao staring at him without blinking, he could only say, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Go to sleep.¡± Yu Niaoniao was very unhappy. She fell straight onto the bed, then rolled back and forth, left and right, making a mess of the bedding and muttering. ¡°You clearly have something on your mind, but you didn¡¯t tell me. Do you not trust me? I feel so terrible. I definitely won¡¯t be able to sleep tonight. It¡¯s all your fault. You caused me to lose sleep. You¡¯re so annoying!¡± Xiao Juan looked at her quietly for a long time before speaking. ¡°Shen Zhuo is about to be the Crown Prince. Don¡¯t you have any thoughts about this?¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped rolling and looked up at him, looking confused. ¡°What can I think? Whether he bes the Crown Prince or something else, it has nothing to do with me. I¡¯ve long lost contact with him.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°But he came to look for me today. He cares about you very much.¡± Yu Niaoniao rolled over and sat up, scolding angrily. ¡°Why is he looking for you? Is there something wrong with him!¡± After cursing, she immediately covered her mouth, her eyes darting around as she said sneakily. ¡°Will I be arrested if I insult the future Crown Prince?¡± Xiao Juan was amused by her appearance and his eyebrows involuntarily rxed. ¡°What you¡¯re saying here won¡¯t be heard by anyone but me.¡± Yu Niaoniao lowered her hand. ¡°That¡¯s good. Let me tell you, Shen Zhuo is just so cheap. When my stepfather proposed to him, he rejected him without hesitation. Now that I¡¯ve already thrown him away, he wants to turn back. Dream on!¡± After saying that, she rolled her eyes. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Marriage proposal?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s been many years. At that time, I didn¡¯t know his true identity. My stepfather took a fancy to his and felt that he was promising, so he had the intention of marrying me to him.¡± Logically speaking, Xiao Juan should feel ufortable, but seeing that Niaoniao¡¯s words were open and there was no guilt, he knew that she had really let go of what happened back then.. Chapter 527 - 527: If I Don’t Like Him, I Don’t Like Him! Chapter 527: If I Don¡¯t Like Him, I Don¡¯t Like Him! Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao had almost forgotten about Shen Zhuo. She did not expect this fellow toe looking for her again. She knew that this matter was a knot in Xiao Juan¡¯s heart, so she might as well tell him the truth so that he would not let one¡¯s imagination run wild in the future. ¡°When I was young, I might have had a good impression of Shen Zhuo, but that good impression had been extinguished 800 years ago. I don¡¯t have any thoughts about him now, let alone in the future. If hees looking for you again, you can treat him as a fart.¡± Xiao Juan stared at her. ¡°But he¡¯s going to be the Crown Prince soon.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°So what if he bes emperor? If I don¡¯t like him, I don¡¯t like him!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°If he really bes the emperor, his words will be an imperial edict. You can¡¯t refuse.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then let¡¯s leave here and find a private ce to live in seclusion so that he can¡¯t find us! But in this way, you can¡¯t continue to be a duke. You might not be willing to¡­¡¯ Xiao Juan said without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m willing.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately beamed. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled!¡± Looking at her smile, the corners of Xiao Juan¡¯s mouth curled up slightly, and the lingering and uneasy feelings in his heart dissipated. No matter what would happen to Shen Zhuo in the future, it was enough as long as she stood firmly by his side. He would think of a way to fight for the rest. The next day, Xiao Juan went to the Justice Department as usual. Because Yu Niaoniao had agreed to submit the manuscript before the end of the year, she could only stay at home to rush it. She was leaning against the table painting when Chun Feng walked in with tea and snacks. ¡°Princess Consort, please have some refreshments.¡± Yu Niaoniao replied without looking up, ¡°Yes.¡± After a while, she did not hear footsteps leave. Yu Niaoniao looked up and realized that Chun Feng was still standing at the side. She could not help but ask. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Chun Feng said, ¡°I saw Little Hai just now. He¡¯s wandering outside the study as if he has something to ask you.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I see. Let him in.¡± ¡°Aye.¡± Chun Feng turned around and walked out of the study, waving at Ling Hai, who was still wandering in the courtyard. ¡°The County Princess wants to see you. Go in quickly.¡± Ling Hai perked up and hurriedly tidied up before running into the study. ¡°County Princess Consort, do you need me for something?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to look for me for something? I heard from Chun Feng just now that you¡¯ve been wandering outside the study for a long time.¡± Ling Hai scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°I want to ask you if there¡¯s anything I can do. I¡¯ve been in the Langjun Imperial Pce for two days and haven¡¯t been assigned any work. I don¡¯t know what I can do. I don¡¯t know anyone else, so I can onlye to you.¡± Yu Niaoniao was enlightened. ¡°So it¡¯s about this. It¡¯s my fault for not thinking it through.¡± Ever since she returned to Langjun Imperial Pce, she had been so busy that she had forgotten to settle Ling Hai. Yu Niaoniao looked around and her heart skipped a beat. ¡°How about this? You¡¯ll be my assistant from now on.¡± Ling Hai didn¡¯t understand what an assistant did. Yu Niaoniao exined, ¡°The assistant¡¯s matters are veryplicated. Let¡¯s start with the simplest. Do you see these drafts? This is a storyboard sketch, this is a line draft, and this is a finished sketch.¡¯ Ling Hai pointed at a map in the corner. ¡°What about this?¡± Yu Niaoniao picked up the diagram and looked at it. ¡°It¡¯s useless. Just throw it away.¡± With that, she crumpled it into a ball and threw it into the basket. Ling Hai followed her guidance and sorted out the messy drafts on the table in the order of the scenes. Seeing that he got everything in good order, Yu Niaoniao was very satisfied and asked again. ¡°Can you read?¡± Ling Hai was a little embarrassed. ¡°I only recognize somemon words.¡± Yu Niaoniao pointed at the nk spot on the sketch. ¡°Do you see here? You need to write character dialogue here. Fill in the dialogue ording to the script. If you encounter words you don¡¯t know, check the dictionary yourself. The dictionary is on that bookshelf.¡± She raised her hand and pointed at therge bookshelf standing by the opposite wall. Ling Hai nodded and replied, ¡°Got it.¡± After making the arrangements, Yu Niaoniao let him be and continued to paint. When Chun Feng came to deliver lunch to them at noon, Yu Niaoniao put down her paintbrush. She stood up to wash her hands and saw that Ling Hai was still busy, so she said to him. ¡°Don¡¯t be busy. Come and eat first.¡± Ling Hai replied, ¡°I¡¯m just missing thest bit. I¡¯ll be right there!¡± Yu Niaoniao wiped her hands clean and walked to Ling Hail s side to take a look. She realized that he was writing the conversation on a nk piece of paper and did not write the conversation directly on the sketch. She couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Why did you write the conversation here?¡± Ling Hai hurriedly exined. ¡°My handwriting isn¡¯t good. I want to write a few more times on the nk paper to see which is better before cutting it and pasting it on the draft. In this way, I can change it even if I identally write the wrong words. I don¡¯t have to ruin your draft.¡± Yu Niaoniao gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Not bad. You¡¯re quite smart.¡± Ling Hai was very embarrassed by the praise. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If you¡¯re free, you can read more books. You can read all the books here. It won¡¯t do you any harm to learn more while you¡¯re young.¡± Usually, Xiao Juan was in the Justice Department and rarely used this study. She was usually the one using it here, and there was nothing to keep secret. Ling Hai was extremely grateful. ¡°Thank you.¡¯ Previously, the County Princess wanted to send him to school to study, but he rejected her. It was not because he did not like to study, but because he did not want to cause trouble for the County Princess. Now, not only could he help the County Princess, but he could also study and learn. It was killing two birds with one stone. He was naturally very happy. After lunch, the two of them continued to work. With Ling Hail s help, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s work efficiency increased greatly. Seeing that the sky was about to turn dark, she instructed Ling Hai. ¡°I¡¯m not in the residence tomorrow. You can rest for a day.¡± Ling Hai replied obediently, ¡°Okay.¡± The next day, at dawn, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan set off from the Langjun Imperial Pce. They had to enter the pce first before following the main group to the Imperial Ancestral Temple. After entering the pce, Yu Niaoniao and the other women were going to visit the Empress Dowager and Empress. However, unlike the other women, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face was covered by a veil, revealing only her eyes. This caused many people to look at her strangely. When a luxuriously dressed Madam passed by her, she deliberately snorted. ¡°You¡¯ve already entered the pce, but you¡¯re still dressed like this. Could it be that you¡¯ve been at the border of Liangzhou for too long and have forgotten the rules of the pce?¡± Although she lowered her voice, Yu Niaoniao could still hear her clearly. Clearly, the other party was saying it for her to hear. Yu Niaoniao nced at the person and saw that she was very unfamiliar. She did not know her at all. Seeing this, the Madam immediately slowed down. ¡°Is there anything you want to say to me, County Princess?¡± She thought that Yu Niaoniao would be angry or embarrassed, but no matter what, the person who would be embarrassed in the end would definitely be Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao said seriously, ¡°I want to ask, who are you?¡± That Madam was speechless.. Chapter 528 - 528: A Match Made in Heaven Chapter 528: A Match Made in Heaven Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao really did not know the other party and did not know why she was looking for trouble. Her question waspletely sincere. However, in that Madam¡¯s ears, it became a mockery. Her face turned livid. ¡°Good, very good!¡± With that, she flicked her sleeve angrily and left. Yu Niaoniao was left standing there at a loss. Who was this person? A young eunuch behind them said at the right time. ¡°That¡¯s Mrs. Yang. Yang Xianrong is her daughter.¡± Hearing the name Yang Xianrong, Yu Niaoniao immediately understood what was going on. Back then, because of the fight between Yang Xianrong and Yu Pingping, Yang Xianrong was punished and grounded. Her father was even reprimanded by the emperor. Almost two years had passed since this incident and Yu Niaoniao had almost forgotten about this small matter. However, from Mrs. Yang¡¯s attitude, it was obvious that she was still brooding over the matter. Yu Niaoniao casually took out a piece of silver and handed it to the young eunuch. ¡°Thank you for your advice.¡± The young eunuch hurriedly refused. ¡°Not really. Young Master Wei specially instructed me to take care of you more.¡± Yu Niaoniao was surprised. Was Wei Liao was actually so considerate? The sun had really risen from the west! The group arrived at the Biquan Pce. Empress Dowager Deng and Empress Wen were dressed very formally today. The two of them sat at the head of the table and epted the kneeling of the women. After they stood up, Empress Dowager Deng realized that Yu Niaoniao had a veil on her face and could not help but ask. ¡°Princess Consort Lang, why are you still covering your face?¡± In the crowd, Mrs. Yang sneered secretly. She actually dared to wear a veil when she saw the Empress Dowager and Empress. She clearly did not take the Empress Dowager and Empress seriously. The Princess Consort of Lang County would be punished! The others also looked at Yu Niaoniao. Most of them were waiting to watch a good show. After all, Duke Lang¡¯s reputation was really bad. He had many enemies in the court, and no one hoped for him to be well. Yu Niaoniao exined calmly. ¡°Your Highness, I was injured in Liangzhou and have a scar on my face. I was afraid of scaring you and the Empress, so I entered the pce with a veil.¡± Empress Dowager Deng frowned slightly. ¡°How did this happen? Appearance is very important to women. I¡¯ll get the imperial physician to take a look at youter.¡¯ Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Empress Dowager. I¡¯m using medication. I believe the scar will be removed soon. There¡¯s no need to trouble the imperial physician to make another trip for me.¡± Mrs. Yang questioned, ¡°The Princess Consort said that she has a scar on her face, but we didn¡¯t see it with our own eyes. We still don¡¯t know if this matter is true.¡± She deliberately wanted to embarrass Yu Niaoniao. If Yu Niaoniao was really disfigured and took off her veil in public, it would be equivalent to exposing her ugly appearance to everyone. She would definitely lose all her face. However, if Yu Niaoniao was not disfigured, she would have lied to Empress Dowager Deng. The consequences would be even worse. Empress Dowager Deng was not an aggressive person. She said warmly, ¡°I believe the County Princess won¡¯t joke about such a thing. Don¡¯t say anything else.¡± However, Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Since the Empress Dowager trusts me so much, I naturally can¡¯t make things difficult for you. I¡¯ll take off my veil now to prove my innocence, lest others spread rumors about this.¡± With that, she raised her hand and took off the veil on her face. Before leaving, Chun Feng specially applied more cosmetics to Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face and helped her hide most of the scars on her face. However, after leaving, Yu Niaoniao quietly wiped the cosmetics off her face. At this moment, the scar on her face was clearly visible to everyone. The women present were stunned. Even Empress Wen was a little shocked. She did not expect the scar on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face to be so obvious. If this scar could not be removed, how could yu Niaomao tace otners In tne tutureg The others had simr thoughts. As the person involved, Yu Niaoniao was very calm. She put the veil back on and looked at Empress Dowager Deng on the high seat. Empress Dowager Deng¡¯s face was pale as if she had been violently frightened. She was stunned. The nanny beside her sensed Empress Dowager Deng¡¯s abnormality and hurriedly asked. ¡°Your Highness, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Empress Dowager Deng did not answer, her eyes still fixed on Yu Niaoniao. Mrs. Yang immediately scolded Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Princess Consort Lang, look at what you¡¯ve done. If anything happens to the Empress Dowager because of you, you won¡¯t be able to absolve yourself of the me even if you die ten thousand times!¡± Empress Wen frowned and said, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t make a huge fuss here. Hurry up and call the imperial physician.¡± Mrs. Yang could only shut her mouth resentfully and not dare to say anything else. Empress Wen helped Empress Dowager Deng to the inner room to rest while the others waited outside. Without the Empress and the Empress Dowager holding the fort, the women gathered in groups and discussed softly. Only Yu Niaoniao was excluded. She sat alone in the corner and gently turned the jade bracelet on her wrist. Her ears were filled with the whispers of the women. ¡°Did you see that? The face of the Princess Consort of Lang is so scary.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her to really be disfigured. This is retribution. Who asked Duke Lang to harm so many people?!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t she just say that the scar could be removed?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just a lie she used to preserve herst bit of dignity. How can such a serious scar recover?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference between her current appearance and a hag? She¡¯s a match made in heaven with that living King of Hell, Duke Lang.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. These two are toopatible!¡± Mrs. Yang looked at Yu Niaoniao gloatingly. Seeing her sitting alone in the corner in a daze, she felt the pleasure of sessfully taking revenge. However, in fact, Yu Niaoniao did not care about the discussions of others. Her mind was filled with thoughts about Empress Dowager Deng. When she raised her hand to take off the veil just now, she deliberately let her sleeve slide down, revealing the jade bracelet hanging on her wrist. Empress Dowager Deng and Empress Wen, who were sitting opposite, could definitely see it clearly. Everyone thought that Empress Dowager Deng was frightened by the scar on her face. Only Yu Niaoniao knew that Empress Dowager Deng was frightened by the jade bracelet on her hand. At that time, other than shock, there was also fear and uneasiness in Empress Dowager Deng¡¯s gaze. From this reaction, it could be seen that Empress Dowager Deng definitely knew this jade bracelet. The imperial physician quickly rushed over. He checked Empress Dowager Deng¡¯s body and said that her emotions were fluctuating too much. There was no big problem. He asked her to drink a cup of calming tea and rest for a while before running away. Seeing that it was about time, Empress Wen helped Empress Dowager Deng out and prepared to leave Biquan Pce. The women retreated to the sides and made way for the Empress Dowager and Empress to go first. wnen tne Empress Dowager passea DY YU INIaomao, sne pausea. ¡°The Princess Consort of Lang County.¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her head slightly. ¡°What can I do for you, Empress Dowager?¡± Empress Dowager Deng said, ¡°After the conferment of the Crown Prince is over,e to the Biquan Pce. I have something to ask you.¡± Yu Niaoniao agreed respectfully. ¡°Yes..¡± Chapter 529 - 529: Anointing the Crown Prince Chapter 529: Anointing the Crown Prince Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Wei Huai¡¯en brought the young eunuchs to help the old emperor change his clothes, then let Wei Liao in to carry the old emperor out. At this moment, the old emperor was already very sick. He could not even stand up. Usually, he could only lie in bed. Today was the day to confer the title of Crown Prince. He had to be there personally and could only force himself to stay awake. Wei Liao quickly walked in and knelt on one knee in front of the bed, waiting to carry the old emperor out. However, the old emperor said. ¡°Let Xiao Juan carry me.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en could only ask Wei Liao to leave and invite Xiao Juan in. Xiao Juan knelt on one knee and bent down. When everyone helped the old emperor onto his back, he felt a weight on his back. Then, he stood up with the old emperor on his back and steadily walked out the door. The old emperor leaned on Xiao Juan¡¯s back and said weakly. ¡°In the past, I believed some rumors. Thinking that Ah Zhuo¡¯s fate was not good, I sent him to the temple.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t pick him up until he was 20 years old. As a father, I owe him a lot.¡± ¡°However, he ignored the past and spent the past six months serving me with all his might. He¡¯s a good child like you.¡± Xiao Juan walked forward without looking sideways. He knew that the emperor must have a purpose for saying these words, so he did not answer and only listened quietly. The old emperor took a deep breath and continued. ¡°Although I¡¯ve already issued a decree to make Ah Zhuo the Crown Prince, there are still many objections in the court.¡± ¡°They felt that Ah Zhuo had grown up in a temple since he was young. He was ignorant and did not have any outstanding achievements. He could not bear the burden of inheriting the throne.¡± ¡°In order to reduce their prejudice against Ah Zhuo, I changed the narrative of your deed of capturing the spy of the Chen Nation in Liaodong County and rescuing the kidnapped woman.¡± ¡°I¡¯m having Ah Zhuo to take the credit for this deed. In exchange, Tang Guixi could continue to lead the East Expedition.¡± ¡°You should be able to ept it, right?¡± Xiao Juan said expressionlessly, ¡°I submit to His Majesty¡¯s arrangements.¡± The old emperor smiled in satisfaction. ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t mind. You¡¯re a good child. You¡¯ve done a lot for me over the years and didn¡¯t let me down.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already told Ah Zhuo.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty.¡± Wei Liao and Wei Huaien were just a step behind them. Even though the old emperor¡¯s voice was very soft, Wei Liao and Wei Huaien could still hear him clearly. Wei Huai¡¯en¡¯s expression did not change, as if he had not heard anything. The corners of Wei Liao¡¯s mouth curled up slightly into a mocking smile. However, this smile disappeared in the blink of an eye. Xiao Juan carried the emperor into the carriage. After the emperor was settled, Xiao Juan jumped out of the carriage and rode to the front of the team. At this moment, everyone was already here. Xiao Juan led the Eagle Guards to clear the way in front. Therge group marched towards the city gate. When they arrived at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, it was already noon. The civil and military officials knelt on the ground and quietly listened to Wei Huai¡¯en read the imperial edict loudly. This imperial decree was dictated by the emperor and written by a schr of the Hanlin Academy. A huge part of it was praised for the beautiful quality of the Seventh Prince, Shen Zhuo. For example, he was born with auspiciousness and had been talented since he was young. He knew how to love themoners at a young age and had secretly done many good deeds that no one knew about. When Yu Niaoniao heard this, she did not think there was anything wrong. Wasn¡¯t it just business ttery? It was just a process. However, next, Wei Huai¡¯en mentioned what happened in Liaodong Countyst year. All the credit for designing the capture of human traffickers, rescuing the kidnapped woman, finding the spy of the enemy country, breaking the huge conspiracy of the Chen Nation, returning themoners¡¯ fields¡­ was given to the Seventh Prince, Shen Zhuo. It was because of Shen Zhuo¡¯s secret arrangements that Xiao Juan could do these things. In short, all of this was Shen Zhuo¡¯s achievement. As one of the people who had apanied Xiao Juan through life and death in Liaodong County, Yu Niaoniao could not take it anymore. She was about to look up when Xiao Juan, who was kneeling beside her, reached out and pressed her down. She turned to look at Xiao Juan, only to see him looking down at the ground. There was no anger or surprise on his face, as if he had known that such a thing would happen. Yu Niaoniao wanted to ask what was going on. However, considering that it was not appropriate to make a sound at this moment, she could only shut her mouth and choose to remain silent. Whatever else Wei Huai¡¯en said next, Yu Niaoniao could not listen to a word. She was filled with anger now. She had never hated Shen Zhuo so much. It was clearly not his achievement. How could he ept all of this with a clear conscience? Didn¡¯t he feel guilty?! After reading the imperial edict, Shen Zhuo stood up and took it with both hands. The emperor personally put on the golden dragon crown that represented his new status. Everyone shouted in unison, ¡°Long Live the Crown Prince!¡± Yu Niaoniao kept her mouth shut. Shen Zhuo stood at a high ce and looked at the scene of the civil and military officials submitting to him. At this moment, it was as if all living beings were ants, and he was the emperor who controlled the life and death of everyone in the world. This condescending feeling was too fascinating. Next was to worship the ancestors and tell their ancestors about Shen Zhuo bing the Crown Prince so that they could bless the Shen family¡¯s territory to be passed down from generation to generation. When the entire ceremony waspleted, it was already afternoon. During this period, everyone had to kneel non-stop. It was boring and tiring, and they could not eat or drink. They could not even go to the toilet. If it were in the past, Yu Niaoniao would definitely be dizzy from hunger. But now she was so focused on sulking that she forgot to be hungry. Yu Niaoniao returned to the carriage and Chun Feng immediately served refreshments. ¡°You must be hungry, right? Quickly eat something to fill your stomach.¡± Yu Niaoniao said angrily, ¡°No! I¡¯m full of anger!¡± Chun Feng hurriedly asked, ¡°Who made you angry? Tell Duke Lang and ask him to avenge you.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°There¡¯s no point in telling him.¡± The emperor had personally issued the imperial edict. The contents were decided by him. If anyone dared to question it, it was equivalent to going against the emperor. Even if Xiao Juan was Duke Lang, he still could not resist the imperial power. Chun Feng did not know the inside story and did not understand what Yu Niaoniao meant. However, seeing that Yu Niaoniao had no intention of exining in detail, she tactfully did not ask further and asked. ¡°What do you want to eat when you get hometer? Or do you want to sleep and rest first?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I have to go to the pceter.¡± Chun Feng said, ¡°Then you should eat something first, lest you feel ufortable when you enter the pceter.¡± Yu Niaoniao thought about it and agreed. It was not worth starving her body for that bastard Shen Zhuo, so she grabbed the cake and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing hard. Looking at her ruthlessness, it was as if she was biting someone¡¯s flesh instead of cake.. Chapter 530 - 530: Unrewarding Chapter 530: Unrewarding Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After the ceremony, everyone returned to their homes, but Yu Niaoniao still had to enter the pce to see Empress Dowager Deng. Xiao Juan was worried about her entering the pce alone and decided to apany her. The two of them walked along the long pce path. Xiao Juan saw that Yu Niaoniao still had a straight face and asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you still angry? Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°How can I not be angry? It¡¯s clearly all your credit. Why should you give it to others? What¡¯s the difference between them and bandits? Shameless! Too shameless!¡± Xiao Juan raised his index finger and reminded her to keep her voice down. Although there was no one in sight, this was the pce after all. What if the walls had ears? Yu Niaoniao could only shut up, her eyes still burning. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Forget it, don¡¯t be angry.¡± Yu Niaoniao could not take this lying down. She questioned, ¡°Did you already know about this?¡± Xiao Juan admitted frankly, ¡®Yes, the emperor told me about this before leaving the pce.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Did you agree?¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Can I not agree?¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. The other party was the emperor. If Xiao Juan did not agree, he would be defying the decree. Xiao Juan raised his hand and gently ced it on the top of her head tofort her. ¡°At this point, it¡¯s useless no matter how angry you are.¡± ¡°Its just an empty title. I didn¡¯t care about it.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me that? No matter what others do, we don¡¯t need to mind as long as we have a clear conscience.¡± Yu Niaoniao said hatefully, ¡°The thing I regret most in my life is telling you this.¡± His conscience was clear! She was only angry and aggrieved. Xiao Juan smiled helplessly. ¡°Let me tell you something that would make you happy. The emperor promised me that he won¡¯t send anyone to take over the Eastern Expedition Army for the time being, which means that Tang Guixi can continue to be in charge of the Eastern Expedition Army.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately reacted. ¡°Is this an exchange for stealing your credit?¡± Xiao Juan did not deny it. Yu Niaoniao was even angrier. ¡°He let Guixi manage the Eastern Expedition Army to protect the safety of Liaodong County. He actually used this as a bargaining chip?!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°No matter what, at least there won¡¯t be any changes in the Eastern Expedition Army in the next few years. This is a good thing for the citizens of Liaodong County.¡± Yu Niaoniao said angrily, ¡°This is his territory and his people. What has it got to do with us? Why are we so idle? It¡¯s strenuous and unrewarding!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Dont say such angry words.¡± Yu Niaoniao wanted to say something else, but she was interrupted by Xiao Juan. ¡°Someone¡¯sing.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately shut up. A team of patrolling imperial guards walked out from the corner ahead. When they saw Duke Lang and his wife, they stopped and greeted them. After they were far away, Yu Niaoniao spoke again. ¡°I¡¯m not going to stop here.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You¡¯ll know tomorrow.¡± Tomorrow was the opening day of Qirui Garden, and it was also the official opening day of Duke Lang in Liaodong. The Emperor thought that Liaodong County was far from Mount Yujing. Themoners of Liaodong County would not know what had happened in the capital, and themoners in the capital would not know the real situation in Liaodong County. It did not matter if he took all the credit for Duke Lang. Anyway, he had the final say. The old thing¡¯s n was really good! Tomorrow, Yu Niaoniao would let everyone in the Imperial Capital know the truth. When they arrived at the Crystal Spring Pce, Xiao Juan was stopped outside the door. The nanny said respectfully, ¡°The Empress Dowager only wants to see the County Princess. Please wait outside, Your Highness.¡± Xiao Juan could only stand on the spot and watch her walk in. Not long after, the eunuch¡¯s shout sounded outside. ¡°His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!¡± Shen Zhuo, who had just been conferred the title of Crown Prince, crossed the threshold and walked into the Crystal Spring Pce. The pce servants went forward and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± Xiao Juan had no choice but to cup his fists and bow. Shen Zhuo gestured for everyone to dispense with courtesy. He smiled and said, ¡°I heard that my grandmother was sick, so I specially came to visit. I didn¡¯t expect to meet Duke Lang here. Are you also here to visit my grandmother?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for the Princess Consort here.¡± Shen Zhuo looked surprised. ¡°Niaoniao is also in the pce?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since west met. I have a lot to tell her. It¡¯s a coincidence today.¡± Xiao Juan replied indifferently. At this moment, in the bedroom, Yu Niaoniao had alreadyposed herself. She hid all her dissatisfaction and resentment. She bowed to Empress Dowager Deng. ¡°Greetings, Empress Dowager.¡± Empress Dowager Deng leaned against the soft nket. Her legs were covered with a nket, and the hairpin on her head had been removed. She frowned slightly and her face was pale, looking a little depressed and weak. She looked at Yu Niaoniao and asked, ¡°Where did you get the bracelet on your wrist?¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her right hand, revealing the emerald jade bracelet. ¡°Are you talking about this? I bought this from a peddler on the way back to the Imperial Capital from Liangzhou.¡± Empress Dowager Deng asked, ¡°What peddler?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°He¡¯s just an ordinary peddler walking the streets. I once asked him where he got such a good bracelet. He said that an old schr in his fifties sold it to him. He said that old schr didn¡¯t look too well and was coughing and limping.¡± After hearing her description, Empress Dowager Deng was stunned for a long time before speaking. ¡°Is that all?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all I know. After that, I never saw that peddler again.¡± Empress Dowager Deng seemed to have thought of something. Her fingers involuntarily retracted and her lips pursed tightly. Yu Niaoniao pretended to be ignorant. ¡°Do you like this bracelet?¡± Empress Dowager Deng forced a smile. ¡°I just think this bracelet looks familiar. I seem to have seen it before. Bring it here for me to take a closer look.¡± Yu Niaoniao obediently took off the bracelet and offered it with both hands. Empress Dowager Deng took the bracelet and looked at it carefully under the sunlight outside the window. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Have you seen this bracelet before?¡± Empress Dowager Deng put down the bracelet. ¡°Yes, this belongs to Consort Meng. I didn¡¯t expect it to fall outside the pce. It must have been stolen by some little thief.¡± Yu Niaoniao understood. ¡°I see.¡± Empress Dowager Deng said, ¡°I remember that there¡¯s a pair of this bracelet. Why did I only see one? Where¡¯s the other?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. This is the only bracelet that the peddler sold to me.¡± Empress Dowager Deng muttered, ¡°If we can find another¡­¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at her curiously. ¡°Is there anything special about the other bracelet?¡± Empress Dowager Deng shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Since this bracelet was left behind by Consort Meng, I¡¯ll keep it for her. Aspensation, I¡¯ll give you another pair of high-quality suet jade bracelets.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked happy. ¡°Thank you, Empress Dowager.¡± ¡°You can leave. Don¡¯t tell outsiders about what happened today.¡± ¡°Aye. ¡± After Yu Niaoniao turned to leave, the bedroom door was closed. Empress Dowager Deng¡¯s expression suddenly darkened. She instructed the nanny beside her, ¡°Send a message back to the Deng family and ask them to send someone to check if the Princess Consort of Lang County is telling the truth.¡± ¡®Yes!¡± Chapter 531 - 531: Marriage Chapter 531: Marriage Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Facing Shen Zhuo, who had just been conferred the title of Crown Prince, Xiao Juan did not change his attitude towards him. He was still cold. Shen Zhuo had his own interpretation of this. ¡°I know that you¡¯ve made a great contribution in Liaodong County. All of this should be your credit. Now that they have all been credited to me, you must feel very ufortable. This is normal. Anyone would not feel good.¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re thinking too much. I¡¯m not dissatisfied.¡± Shen Zhuo smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not a petty person. Since I¡¯ve received benefits from you, I¡¯ll definitely give you a corresponding return. Tell me, what do you want? Money or power?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I don¡¯t want anything.¡± Shen Zhuo said seriously, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be polite to me. I don¡¯t like to owe others a favor. Tell me what you want. Only by returning this favor will I feel better.¡± Xiao Juan felt that he had already made it very clear. He did not want anything. However, Shen Zhuo in front of him seemed to not understand humannguage and spoke to himself the entire time. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao came out. She happened to hear Shen Zhuo¡¯sst words and immediately said to him bluntly. ¡°Then please continue to feel ufortable, Your Highness!¡± When Shen Zhuo saw her appear, his eyes immediately lit up. ¡°Niaoniao, long time no see. I heard that you were injured in Liangzhou.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been worried and want to see you.¡± ¡°However, I was afraid that others would misunderstand our rtionship so I thought it would be inconvenient to look for you directly.¡± ¡°How are you now? How are your injuries recovering?¡± Xiao Juan lowered his eyes, his thick eyshes hiding the coldness in them. Because they had lived together for a few years when they were young, Yu Niaoniao already treated him as half a family. Even though she knew that he had set her up and used her, she was only disappointed, but she did not hate him. But now, she really hated him. Yu Niaoniao did not hide her disgust at all and frowned. ¡°My business has nothing to do with His Highness the Crown Prince.¡± Shen Zhuo frowned slightly and the eunuch beside him immediately scolded sternly. ¡°How dare you! How dare you speak to the Crown Prince like this?!¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at Shen Zhuo and said neither humbly nor arrogantly. ¡°If Your Highness feels that I¡¯ve offended you, you can punish me. You can kill me or torture me!¡± The eunuch wanted to say something, but Shen Zhuo raised his hand to stop him. Shen Zhuo was very sad. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say such things to me. I can¡¯t hurt you.¡± Yu Niaoniao sneered. ¡°Yes, you just know how to use me.¡± Shen Zhuo looked hurt. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for what happened before. I apologize to you. How can you forgive me?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°My request is very simple. Just rify it to the world and tell them the truth.¡± ¡°What truth?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s the truth in Liaodong Countyst year. The person who caught the spy of the enemy was Duke Lang. The person who saved the kidnapped women was also Duke Lang. The person who ordered the return of themoners¡¯nd was Duke Lang. All of this was done by Duke Lang. It has nothing to do with you!¡± Shen Zhuo sighed helplessly. ¡°So you were throwing a tantrum because of this.¡± ¡°I know that my father did something wrong, but at this point, it¡¯s impossible for my father to take back his words.¡± Whatpensation do you and Duke Lang want? As long as it¡¯s within a reasonable range, I can satisfy you.¡± Yu Niaoniao became even angrier. ¡°Who do you think we are? Did you think I said so much just to ask you for benefits?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not that low! We don¡¯t need anypensation. We only want justice!¡± Shen Zhuo smiled gently, his tone as if he was coaxing a disobedient child. ¡°After so many years, I didn¡¯t expect you to still be so innocent. The world is not as ck and white as you imagined.¡± ¡°Only a fool would be obsessed with justice. Smart people think about how to obtain the greatest benefit for themselves.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Can benefits represent everything?¡± Shen Zhuo asked, ¡°What else?¡± Yu Niaoniao seemed to have really recognized the man in front of her for the first time. So this was his true appearance. She suddenly lost the desire tomunicate with him. Because no matter what she said, she was still whistling in the wind. They were not from the same world at all. ¡°We have different paths, so let¡¯s leave it at that. Your Highness, please take care. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± With that, she held Xiao Juan¡¯s hand and strode out without looking back. Shen Zhuo called her twice, but he could not stop her. The eunuch beside him asked, ¡°Do you want me to get someone to stop them?¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°Forget it.¡± There was still a long way to go. There was no hurry. When he became the emperor in the future, no matter what Niaoniao wanted, he could satisfy her. At that time, she would know how good he was. The eunuch could not help but say, ¡°You¡¯re the Crown Prince. How dare they speak to you like this? Especially the Princess Consort of Lang County. She doesn¡¯t take you seriously at all.. Before he could finish, he was stuck under the Crown Prince¡¯s cold gaze. Shen Zhuo said, ¡°You talk too much.¡± The eunuch hurriedly knelt down. ¡°I deserve to die!¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°Go and get 20 strokes yourself. If there¡¯s a next time, I¡¯ll beat you to death.¡± The eunuch kowtowed hard. ¡°Yes!¡± The nanny walked out and bowed to Shen Zhuo. ¡°Your Highness, the Empress Dowager invites you in.¡± Shen Zhuo walked into the bedroom and saw Empress Dowager Deng leaning against the soft couch, resting with her eyes closed. ¡°Greetings, Grandmother.¡± Empress Dowager Deng opened her eyes and looked at him. ¡°It¡¯s Ah Zhuo. Today is your day. Congrattions.¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°Fame and fortune are just external things. Grandmother¡¯s health is what I care about the most. Are you feeling better? What did the imperial physician say?¡± Empress Dowager Deng smiled in relief. ¡°You¡¯re a filial child. This is an old problem. There¡¯s no big problem. I¡¯ll be fine after resting for two days.¡± Shen Zhuo said with concern, ¡°Even if it¡¯s a small illness, you have to recuperate well. Don¡¯t neglect it.¡± Empress Dowager Deng said, ¡°I know. You¡¯re even more long-winded than that old imperial physician.¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°This concerns your health. It¡¯s not too much to be cautious. Even if you despise me for being noisy, I have toe to your ear every day.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, alright. From your filial piety, I didn¡¯t dote on you for nothing.¡± At this point, Empress Dowager Deng changed the topic and suddenly asked. ¡°You¡¯re not young anymore. Logically speaking, you should have gotten married and had children long ago. However, because you were sent to the temple since you were young, you were only brought backst year, which dyed your marriage. Now that you¡¯ve be the Crown Prince, why don¡¯t you celebrate? I¡¯ll arrange a marriage for you.¡± The smile on Shen Zhuo¡¯s face faded a little. ¡°I don¡¯t have any intention of getting married for the time being.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. Being unfilial is the most important. You have to father children for our royal family. Only then will you not let down the emperor and me.¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°Marriage is not a small matter. I have to discuss it with Mother and Father.¡± Empress Dowager Deng said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. As long as you nod your head in agreement, I will settle it with them..¡± Chapter 532 - 532: A Year’s Promise Chapter 532: A Year¡¯s Promise Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios At this point, Shen Zhuo understood that the Empress Dowager was determined for him to get married. ¡°Since Grandmother is so kind, it¡¯s not good for me to dampen your spirits. May I ask which girl you¡¯re talking about?¡± Empress Dowager Dengughed. ¡°It¡¯s a little girl from the Deng family. Her name is Deng Tingxue.¡± ¡°ording to seniority, she should call me Grandaunt. You have to call her Cousin.¡± ¡°This girl is about the same age as you. She is beautiful and knew when to advance and when to retreat. She would definitely be a virtuous wife in the future.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with you marrying her. ¡± What else did Shen Zhuo not understand? Empress Dowager Deng wanted to push a daughter from the Deng family to the position of the Crown Princess. When he inherited the throne in the future, Deng Tingxue would be the Empress Dowager. In this way, the Deng family¡¯s status in the royal family could be further stabilized. Shen Zhuo said, ¡°The Deng family¡¯s girl is definitely very good. I appreciate your kindness, but to be honest, I was already engaged to someone ten years ago.¡± Empress Dowager Deng¡¯s expression changed. ¡°There¡¯s actually such a thing? Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? Who is the other party?¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°I once went out to study and was lucky to be under a great teacher. That teacher taught me and wanted me to propose marriage. He wanted to betroth his daughter to me.¡± Empress Dowager Deng hurriedly asked, ¡°You agreed?¡± Shen Zhuo lowered his eyes and lied without changing his expression. ¡°I agreed.¡± Empress Dowager Deng was furious. She raised her hand and patted the soft cushion. ¡°You¡¯re confused ! ¡± ¡°The other party was just the daughter of a viger, but you are the precious crown prince. ¡± ¡°The difference in status between the two of you is like heaven and earth.¡± ¡°How could you marry such an unpresentable countryside woman? Are you trying to anger me to death!¡± Shen Zhuo hurriedlyforted her. ¡°Grandmother, don¡¯t be angry.¡± ¡°At that time, I was just a little prince that no one cared about.¡± ¡°I had grown up in a temple and had never seen my father and grandmother. I thought that I would never be able to return to the pce.¡± ¡°At that time, my teacher taught me carefully and treated me like family. I felt the warmth of home from him and couldn¡¯t help but agree to my teacher¡¯s marriage proposal.¡± ¡°This matter was my fault, but I do not regret it.¡± ¡°Grandmother, you can punish me however you want. I have no objections!¡± With that, he knelt down and bent down to kowtow. Empress Dowager Deng could not be angry anymore. Back then, they were the ones who sent Shen Zhuo, who was not even a year old, to the temple. They all thought that it was impossible for this child to grow up safely. They only treated him as a child the royal family never had. In the end, they had let Shen Zhuo down. They owed him. Queen Mother Deng let out a long sigh. ¡°Although I want to facilitate your marriage with Tingxue, I¡¯m unwilling to be such an evil person.¡± ¡°Forget it, go back first. Bring that girl over for me to seeter. The rest can be discussed at length in the future.¡± ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Grandmother. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± After Shen Zhuo left the Biquan Pce, he went to the Fengyi Pce. He told Empress Wen about Empress Dowager Deng¡¯s intention to marry the eldest daughter of the Deng family to him. Empress Wen¡¯s expression was indifferent and she did not react much to this. ¡°The Deng family¡¯s appetite is too big.¡± Not only did the Deng family have an Empress Dowager, but they also wanted another crown princess consort. At this rate, the Deng family would probably be the number one rtive of Dayan. Shen Zhuo said, ¡°I felt that this was inappropriate, so I found a reason to reject it.¡± Empress Wen said, ¡°The best way to resolve this matter is to help you settle the marriage. Do you have anyone you like? If not, I¡¯ll help you choose one from the many daughters of the aristocratic families.¡± She also wanted to select a girl from the Wen family, but there were only two girls in the Wen family¡¯s direct line of descent. One was ten years old, and the other was eight years old. They were still children. Neither was suitable. As for the daughters of concubines and coteral rtives, they were naturally not worthy of the position of the Crown Princess. Empress Wen could not even be bothered to mention them. Facing his mother, who had raised him, Shen Zhuo did not hide his true thoughts. ¡°The person I like is Niaoniao.¡± Empress Wen frowned. ¡°You know that it¡¯s impossible between you and her.¡± Shen Zhuo lowered his head and fell silent. Empress Wen advised earnestly. ¡°Although you¡¯re already the Crown Prince, there are still many voices opposing you in the court.¡± ¡°This means that your status was not firm.¡± ¡°If you could choose a marriage that is helpful to you, it would be equivalent to having an additional power of your own in the court.¡± This will be very helpful to your future path. Do you understand?¡± Shen Zhuo naturally understood. But he was still indignant. ¡°Mother, can you give me a little more time? A year will do. If Niaoniao still won¡¯t marry me after a year, I¡¯ll listen to your arrangements.¡± Empress Wen did not think that a year would change anything, but looking at Shen Zhuo, she knew that he would not change his mind. Forget it, she would give him onest chance to be willful. ¡°You said it yourself. You only have a year. You can¡¯t go back on your word.¡± Shen Zhuo smiled. ¡°Thank you, Mother.¡± Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan rode the carriage home. In order to appease Yu Niaoniao, Xiao Juan took the initiative to ask. ¡°Shall we eat out tonight? What do you want to eat?¡± Yu Niaoniao said without thinking, ¡°Qian Shanxue.¡± She could go and see if her recipe hade in handy. Xiao Juan agreed without changing his expression. ¡°Okay.¡± The carriage stopped at Qian Shanxue¡¯s door and the waiter led the two of them into the private room. Soon, Gongsun Yuan came over. He was still dressed in blue and bowed elegantly. ¡°Greetings, Duke Lang and the Princess Consort.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°How¡¯s the research on the new dishes here?¡± Gongsun Yuan said, ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯ve already developed several new dishes. The customers¡¯ response is very good.¡± Yu Niaoniao was filled with anticipation. ¡°Then what are we waiting for? Serve those new dishes.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll arrange it now.¡± Not long after, the food was served. Yu Niaoniao turned her anger into appetite and picked up her bowl and chopsticks to eat. Xiao Juan advised, ¡°Slow down. No one is snatching it from you.¡± Yu Niaoniao chewed the braised hoof tendon hard, looking murderous. ¡°To think that I used to call him Brother Junzhi. I didn¡¯t expect him to be such a despicable person. I¡¯m blind. I¡¯m so angry!¡± Because she ate too quickly, she choked. Xiao Juan hurriedly patted her back. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Yu Niaoniao gradually caught her breath. She picked up the teacup in front of Xiao Juan and took a sip of tea. Xiao Juan was about to say that it was his cup. He had already drunk it, but seeing that she had already drunk it, he could only shut up silently. Yu Niaoniao put down her cup. ¡°Ah Juan, fortunately, you¡¯re the one I married.¡± If Shen Zhuo had agreed to the marriage proposal back then, she would definitely have been angered to death after the marriage. Fortunately, that big idiot rejected her back then. Yu Niaoniao raised her cup again. ¡°Thank you for not marrying me!¡± Chapter 533 - 533: Qirui Garden Opens Chapter 533: Qirui Garden Opens Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After eating and drinking, Yu Niaoniao was in a much better mood. She touched her bulging stomach and sighed sincerely. ¡°The ancients said that delicacies have the power to heal people¡¯s hearts. They didn¡¯t lie to me!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard of this ancient saying? Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard it now?¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. Fine, she was good-looking. Anything she said was right. Yu Niaoniao was amused by his helpless expression. She took his arm and asked. ¡°Shall we go back to Bashu after the new year? Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± He had already applied for leave from the emperor. Three months was enough for them to make a trip to Bashu. Yu Niaoniao immediately smiled. Xiao Juan looked down at her. She was not wearing a veil now, and the scar on her face was obvious. It should have been a regretful face, but he could not look away. Seeing this, Yu Niaoniao suddenly felt evil. She reached out and pinched his chin, pretending to be frivolous. ¡°Little Brother, why are you looking at me? Do you have any thoughts about Xiao Juan still looked at her without blinking. He stretched out his right hand and gently stroked the scar on her face. Yu Niaoniao inexplicably felt her heart race. She immediately retracted her ws. ¡°I¡¯m not teasing you anymore. Leave after eating.¡± With that, she stood up and skipped away. Xiao Juan followed unhurriedly. The two of them left Qian Shanxue and rode the carriage back to the Regional King¡¯s Mansion. The conferment of the Crown Prince was a big deal to the Imperial Court, but it did not affect themoners in the Imperial Capital much. As long as they could survive, it did not matter who was the emperor. The next morning, Qirui Garden opened. The sound of firecrackers, gongs, and drums resounded throughout the entire street. There were also children helping to distribute flyers everywhere. Themoners who lived near Qirui Garden and some rich, idle, and interested people in the city were attracted over. Yu Niaoniao had already arrived at Qirui Garden. However, she did not show her face directly. Instead, she stood by the window of the private room on the second floor and looked at everyone downstairs. Liu Qirui stood on the stage and gave a simple speech. He mainly introduced the characteristics of Qirui Garden and the discounted content of its opening. Then, it was the ribbon-cutting ceremony. He and Yu Pingping cut the red satin together. At the same time, the red cloth hanging above the que fell off, revealing a que with the words ¡°Qirui Garden¡±. Liu Sixing and the others from Qirui Garden immediately took the lead and apuded. The others also apuded. At this moment, a waiter walked in and shouted. ¡°Who¡¯s in charge here?¡± Liu Qirui hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s me. What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°A young master surnamed Wei bought a decoration in our shop. He said that it was for your Qirui Garden as an opening gift.¡± After saying that, the waiter turned around. Then, two burly men carried a goldenrge Pixiu ornament in. This Pixiu was almost the height of a person. The workmanship was very exquisite and looked lifelike. It was obvious that it was expensive. Everyone present was shocked by it. Liu Qirui couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is this made of gold?¡± The clerk exined, ¡°It¡¯s gilded. Only the surface is covered in gold foil, but the inside is brass.¡± Liu Qirui heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± If it was pure gold, he did not even dare to ept it, afraid that he would be targeted by strong bandits and cause chaos hereter. The shop assistant asked where to put it? Liu Qirui looked around and pointed at the empty space beside the stage. ¡°Just leave it there.¡± After the golden Pixiu was ced, the waiter left Chery Garden with his men. Yu Niaoniao looked at the Pixiu ornament. Such a big item was definitely not cheap. Wei Liao was quite generous. The strange thing was, why didn¡¯t he show up today? Where did he go? At the city gate of the Imperial Capital, Wei Liao was wearing a crimson round-cored brocade robe with a ck leather belt around his waist. The ck cloak behind him fluttered in the wind. Behind him were dozens of Heavenly Wolf Guards. The group looked like they were going out, but they did not set off for a long time. They waited for a while before a Heavenly Wolf Guard rode over. Then, he stopped in front of Wei Liao, dismounted, and knelt on one knee. ¡°Vice General, I¡¯ve already followed your instructions and got someone to send the Golden Pixiu to Qirui Garden.¡± Wei Liao looked in the direction of Qirui Garden. Originally, he nned to personally send the Golden Pixiu to Qirui Garden and see the opening scene with his own eyes. He wondered how it would feel when the troupe performed. However, the emperor had recently learned that in a county under Changze County, someone had dug out the Grand Duke from the mountains. It was rumored that this thing could revive the dead and wasparable to immortal pills and spirit medicines. The emperor was seriously ill and did not have much time left. He was unwilling to wait for death. After knowing that the Grand Duke had appeared, the emperor immediately ordered Wei Liao to go to Changze County. No matter what, he had to bring the Grand Duke back. Wei Liao knew that his father had told the emperor this news. It was also his father who had suggested sending him to Changze County to transfer him out of the Imperial Capital so that he could calm down. He knew in his heart that his father was right. The most important thing for people like them was to know their limits. If he couldn¡¯t get it, he should let go and cut the losses in time. Wei Liao retracted his gaze and mounted his horse. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He would definitely be gone for a long time. He hoped that by the time he returned, he would have already extinguished all those thoughts that he should not have. The group rode out of the city without looking back. In Qirui Garden, the new scene had already begun. Logically speaking, there should not be many people in the new theater, but strangely, it was filled today. Liu Qirui hid backstage and saw the crowded scene outside. The excitement that he had not felt for a long time surged into his heart, making him unable to help but feel excited. It was a good start. Next was the main event. The new drama that they had rehearsed for half a year was about to go on stage. Whether they could make aeback or whether Qirui Garden could leap through the dragon gate from now on depended on this! Liu Qirui pinched his cheek hard to calm himself down. Then, he turned around and asked Liu Sixing and Ye Yin. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Seeing that both of them had nodded, Liu Qirui gestured to the musicians, indicating that they could start. Yu Niaoniao stood on the second floor and saw a familiar figure enter Qirui Garden. That person lowered his head and even covered his face with his hands. His facial features could not be seen clearly, but from his round figure, she could tell that this guy was the young master of the Sky Oriole Garden, Zheng Changle. When Zheng Changle reached the second floor, Yu Niaoniao walked out of the private room and called out to him. ¡°Young Master Zheng!¡± When Zheng Changle saw that it was her, he was overjoyed. ¡°Master Wang!¡± He had originally reserved a private room, but now, he only wanted to stay with Master Wang at the Vige Entrance, so he squeezed into the private room where Yu Niaoniao was. There was no one else here. Zheng Changle finally lowered his hand, revealing his bruised face. Yu Niaoniao was stunned. ¡°What happened to your face? Who hit you?¡± Chapter 534 - 534: Seduction Chapter 534: Seduction Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Zheng Changle said bitterly. ¡°My father beat me up.¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why else? Isn¡¯t it because of your poster?¡± ¡°I did as you said and pasted the publicity poster for Chery Garden¡¯s opening at the entrance of our theater.¡± ¡°My father found out about this. He chased me for two streets about the feather duster.¡± ¡°Although my face was swollen from the beating, my butt was actually even more swollen. I don¡¯t even dare to sit for the past two days. It hurts so much!¡± As Zheng Changle spoke, he reached out and touched his butt. From his pained expression, it was obvious that he had been beaten up quite badly. Yu Niaoniao wanted tough. But she held back. She said with a touched expression, ¡°Thank you. If not for your help, our Qirui Garden wouldn¡¯t have so many guests today. I¡¯ll cover all your expenses here today.¡± With that, she got someone to bring over a thick cushion and ced it on the chair so that Zheng Changle could sit. Zheng Changle carefully sat down. Although his butt still hurt, it was still tolerable. He stuck his head out of the window and looked downstairs. Seeing that the stage was covered tightly with a red curtain, he couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Why did you cover the trick table? How would the audience watch the show?¡± Yu Niaoniao poured him a cup of tea. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. You¡¯ll knowter.¡± Just as she finished speaking, gongs and drums sounded from downstairs. The new show was finally about to start! Yu Niaoniao and Zheng Changle looked downstairs. The red curtain was slowly pulled open, revealing the carefully arranged stage. The first scene featured Duke Lang being ordered to go to Liaodong County. Along the way, he saved a beautiful woman. The beautiful woman tried to seduce Duke Lang with her beauty. The woman on the stage tried her best to approach Duke Lang. She had charming eyes and an enchanting figure. Coupled with the lights and the design of the dance, the atmosphere had the effect of doubling the charm of her beauty! The male audience below the stage could not take their eyes off her. They wished they could rush onto the stage to rece the unromantic Duke Lang and enjoy this rare luck with the beautiful woman for him. The bait failed, and Duke Lang was unmoved. Seeing that one n did not work, the female assassin thought of another. She secretly poisoned Duke Lang¡¯s food in an attempt to poison him. This n naturally failed again. Duke Lang tore off her disguise in public and forced her to expose her identity. Both sides drew their swords and fought on the stage. At this moment, the female assassin was no longer flirtatious. Every move was filled with cold killing intent. The male audience who had been drooling over her beauty earlier were terrified. What did it mean to not judge a book by its cover? This was a living example. They originally thought that she was a cute little white flower, but they did not expect it to be a man-eating nt that ate people without spitting out bones! The fighting scenes were personally designed by Liu Qirui. Every action was very beautiful. Coupled with the hurried soundtrack, this scene was very intense. Whether it was upstairs or downstairs, the audience could not take their eyes off it. From time to time, they would erupt with excited cheers. In the end, the female assassin¡¯s death led to the subsequent plot. It turned out that there was a huge conspiracy behind her. The first scene came to an end. The actors left the stage to rest, and the red curtain fell again. The audience below the stage was not satisfied and asked when the next scene would start. Liu Qirui asked everyone to calm down. Fifteen minutester, the second scene began. During the break, the audience gathered in groups to discuss the plot just now. ¡°Why do I feel that the Duke Lang in the show is the living King of Hell?¡± ¡°So you think so too? When the character first appeared, I felt that he was very simr to Duke Lang. Be it his clothes or his age and identity, they¡¯re almost identical.¡± ¡°Could it be that this show was created with Duke Lang as the model?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Duke Lang is a living King of Hell who kills without batting an eyelid. He¡¯spletely different from the upright and brave Duke Lang in the show. I think it¡¯s just a coincidence.¡± ¡°I remember that Duke Lang went to Liaodong Countyst year. Is there really such a coincidence in the world?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. As long as the show is good, it¡¯s fine. The rest has nothing to do with us.¡± Zheng Changle, who was sitting in the private room on the second floor, naturally heard everyone¡¯s discussion. He could not help but turn to look at Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Are you really not afraid that something will happen?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°What can happen?¡± Zheng Changle said, ¡°As long as it¡¯s anyone, they can tell that the protagonist in the opera is Duke Lang. If Duke Lang finds out about this, he will definitely not let it go. Duke Lang is not a person to be trifled with. Have you thought about how to deal with the aftermath?¡± Not only was Yu Niaoniao not afraid, but she also smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already thought of what to do. It will definitely be fine.¡± Zheng Changle was curious. ¡°Can you tell me what you¡¯re going to do?¡± Yu Niaoniao flipped her hair and blinked. ¡°Guess.¡± Zheng Changle trembled at her wink. A thought appeared in his mind. He looked at her with wide eyes and asked in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re not trying to use a honey trap, are you?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded seriously. ¡°A honey trap? Yes, that¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯ll consider it.¡± Zheng Changle believed her and was afraid that she would really seduce Duke Lang, so he hurriedly advised. ¡°Prince Lang is famous for not being close to beauties. It¡¯s not that no one has given him beauties in the past, but he hasn¡¯t touched any of them. On the other hand, those who wanted to curry favor with him didn¡¯t end up well. Don¡¯t court death!¡± From the looks of it, Yu Niaoniao in front of him was a young girl who was about to go astray. He had to pull her back from this path of no return. After all, he was still waiting to see Master Wang¡¯s new work! If she died, wouldn¡¯t the Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation be a lost cause? No! Zheng Changle could not ept that rotten ending! Yu Niaoniao was amused by Zheng Changle¡¯s anxious expression. She burst outughing. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t tease you anymore. I have connections in the Justice Department. I¡¯ll talk to some of themter. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± Zheng Changle was relieved. ¡°That¡¯s good. If youck money, you can tell me. I¡¯ll lend it to you, but don¡¯t do anything stupid. A person like Duke Lang is not someone we can afford to provoke.¡± As soon as she heard the word money, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°How much can you lend me?¡± Zheng Changle touched his pouch and poured out all the silver inside. ¡°That¡¯s all I have. Take it all if you want.¡± Yu Niaoniao stretched out her fair fingers and fiddled with the silver. ¡°Is this all you have? I remember that you were quite rich before. You gave me banknotes worth more than a thousand taels.¡± Zheng Changle said in embarrassment. ¡°My father knew that I had secretly helped your Qirui Garden do publicity. Not only did he beat me up, but he also took away all the banknotes on me. I¡¯m only left with this little silver.¡± He was already so pitiful. Yu Niaoniao was really embarrassed to take advantage of him again. She put the silver back into the pouch and stuffed it into his chubby hand. ¡°I appreciate your kindness. You should take this money back. If you¡¯re hungry, buy something to eat. Don¡¯t lose weight from hunger..¡± Chapter 535 - 535: Trouble Chapter 535: Trouble Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios On the first day of the new scene in Qirui Garden, it was filled with praise from the audience because of its exciting plot and ingenious stage design. Their reputation spread throughout the capital. The next day, the tickets were quickly sold out. Their powerful rise quickly attracted the attention of their peers. As the troupe head of the Sky Oriole Acting ss and the owner of the Sky Oriole Garden, Zheng Zaizhou naturally knew about this very quickly. He couldn¡¯t help but pick up the feather duster and beat up his traitorous son again. After beating him up, he did not forget to ask his son to write a thousand words. Zheng Changle held his swollen butt and asked with tears in his eyes. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zheng Zaizhou said angrily. ¡°What else can it be? Of course, it¡¯s the review of Duke Lang in Liaodong!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been running to Qirui Garden every day for the past two days and watching their new scene from beginning to end. I can¡¯t let you watch it for nothing, right?¡± Zheng Changle said, ¡°But I thought you don¡¯t like to watch Uncle Liu¡¯s shows!¡± Zheng Zaizhou raised his hand and pped his forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t like to watch his shows, but I can¡¯t stop the audience from liking it! Now that Qirui Garden¡¯s new show is famous, can our Sky Oriole Garden only watch?¡± ¡°You have to write your review well. You have to write it in real detail. I¡¯d like to see what¡¯s so special about their new y. We might be able to use it when we practice our new dramater.¡± Zheng Changle¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Dad, are you giarizing!¡± Zheng Zaizhou was almost angered to death. He pped his son¡¯s head again. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? This is called borrowing. It¡¯s a normal spar between peers!¡± Zheng Changle did not dare to refute and could only shut his mouth aggrievedly. Although Zheng Zaizhou was angry, he did not have any other thoughts. After all, he knew very well that with Liu Qirui¡¯s powerful strength, he could easily take off as long as there was a suitable opportunity. There was nothing difficult to ept. However, the other theaters were not so open-minded. They watched helplessly with red eyes as the audience surged towards Qirui Garden. Some of them really couldn¡¯t take it anymore and secretly ran to the Marquis of Yining¡¯s Estate to find the heir of the Marquis¡¯ Estate, Zhu Kui. Back then, the noble Liu Qirui identally offended was Zhu Kui. The reason was that Zhu Kui had taken a fancy to Liu Qirui¡¯s daughter, Liu Sixing, and wanted to take her in as a concubine, but Liu Qirui rejected him. As the heir of the Marquis¡¯s Estate, how noble was Zhu Kui? He was willing to take in the daughter of the troupe head as a concubine. It was a blessing that she had umted for three lifetimes. However, Liu Qirui actually did not know what was good for him and rejected him. This made him aughing stock in the eyes of the second-generation heirs in the capital, causing him to very angry. He also spread the word that as long as he was around in the future, Qirui Opera Troupe could forget about operating in the Imperial Capital. After that, Zhu Kui sent people to Qirui Opera Troupe every day to cause trouble. The audience was afraid of getting into trouble and did not dare to watch shows put up by the opera troupe again. Even if Liu Qirui reported it to the officials, the Imperial Capital could only give a symbolic warning because of Zhu Kui¡¯s status as the heir. Soon, Qirui Opera Troupe couldn¡¯t continue and was forced to close down. After more than a year, Zhu Kui had almost forgotten about this. Now that he suddenly heard someone mention it, Zhu Kui finally knew that Qirui Opera Troupe had made aeback. He happened to have nothing to do and immediately went straight to Qirui Garden with a group of servants. He had to let those lowly actors know how miserable the consequences of offending him were! When they arrived at Qirui Garden, they were stopped outside the door. Because all the tickets had been sold out recently, they, who had not bought tickets, naturally could not enter. Zhu Kui was here to cause trouble, so he immediately blocked the door with his men. If they blocked the door, the audience would not be able to enter. How could Qirui Garden do business? The shop assistant hurriedly ran to look for Liu Qirui. When Liu Qirui found out that Zhu Kui was looking for trouble again, his face turned pale. The others in the theater were also extremely afraid. Even Liu Sixing, who was usually the most talkative, felt uneasy. The originally lively backstage instantly fell silent. Everyone was waiting for the troupe master to make a decision. At this moment, Yu Pingping ran backstage. Seeing that everyone was standing still, she hurriedly reminded them. ¡°It¡¯s almost time. Why aren¡¯t you starting the show?¡± Liu Qirui squeezed out a smile that was uglier than crying. ¡°Miss Yu, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to act today.¡± He told her about the grudge between the opera troupe and Zhu Kui. Yu Pingping was not afraid of Zhu Kui, but she also knew that her status alone could not suppress that bastard. She thought about everyone she could ask for help. In the end, she could only look for her sister. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Don¡¯t let Zhu Kui enter the theater. I¡¯ll get someone to help.¡± Liu Qirui hurriedly said, ¡°Then hurry up ande back!¡± The front door was blocked by Zhu Kui and his men. Yu Pingping could only leave through the back door. She hurriedly ran to the Regional King¡¯s Mansion. Coincidentally, she bumped into a team of Eagle Guards halfway. If it were any other time, Yu Pingping would definitely not dare to provoke the Eagle Guards. She had to take a detour when she saw them on the way. However, perhaps because she had watched too much the show these past two days, she had been convinced by how the Eagle Guards in the show risked their lives to save Deoole. Their affectionate and righteous image was engraved in Yu Pingping¡¯s mind, making her feel that the Eagle Guards were not so scary. Coupled with the urgency of the situation, Yu Pingping actually rushed up. ¡°Brother Eagle Guards, someone is causing trouble in Qirui Garden. Can you help chase away those bad people?¡± Lo Pingsha had been ordered to bring a team of Eagle Guards out on an errand today. It was unknown if it was their imagination. Over the past two days, when they walked on the road, there would often bemoners looking at them strangely. In the past, themoners would hide far away as long as they saw them. They avoided them like snakes and scorpions and did not dare to take another look. Although Lo Pingsha was puzzled, he did not think too much about it. Unexpectedly, a youngdy suddenly rushed out halfway. Coincidentally, Lo Pingsha had seen this girl before. She was the half-sister of the Princess Consort of Lang County. After hearing what she said, Lo Pingsha said calmly. ¡°The Imperial Capital is in charge of harassment. You should report it to the Imperial Capital.¡± Actually, she regretted it after Yu Pingping shouted the first sentence. She shouldn¡¯t have been so impulsive. What if these Eagle Guards found her in the way and shed her? In the end, not only did the other party have no intention of attacking her, but he also calmly reasoned with her. This immediately gave her some courage. Yu Pingping begged, ¡°I know, but the person who caused trouble is Zhu Kui. He¡¯s the heir of the Marquis of Yining¡¯s Estate. Even if I go to the Imperial Capital to report the case, no one will care. I can only beg you for help. Please save us!¡± As she sped her hands together, her eyes were filled with begging. Lo Pingsha looked at her steadily. Just as she thought the other party would refuse, he suddenly said, ¡°Lead the way.¡± Yu Pingping¡¯s eyes lit up. Her gaze was filled with surprise as if she had seen her savior.. Chapter 536 - 536: Seeing Is Believing Chapter 536: Seeing Is Believing Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios When Yu Pingping returned to Qirui Garden with the Eagle Guards, she realized that Zhu Kui and the others had already forcefully barged into the theater. They overturned all the tables and chairs in the theater, and teapots and cups fell to the ground. The audience was trembling in fear. They wanted to escape, but because the door was blocked by the people Zhu Kui had brought, no one could escape. Liu Qirui knelt down and begged for mercy. ¡°Lord Zhu, please be magnanimous and spare us!¡± Zhu Kui admired his anxious appearance and smiled proudly. ¡°It was your honor that I took a fancy to your daughter back then, but if you don¡¯t know how to appreciate kindness, don¡¯t me me for being rude.¡± With that, he ordered loudly. ¡°Men, take off his pants and beat him up until I¡¯m satisfied!¡± Liu Qirui was a normal man. If his pants were taken off in public and he was beaten up, how could he face anyone in the future? He would rather die! The servants of the Duke Mansion walked towards Liu Qirui. At this moment, the servants blocking the door were all sent flying. They fell to the ground and screamed. Seeing this, Zhu Kui immediately looked angry. ¡°Which reckless thing dares to ruin my ns?¡± The next moment, he saw a team of Eagle Guards striding in. The person in the lead was Lo Pingsha. He first scanned the situation in the theater and had a general idea. Although Zhu Kui was not a small fry, he was still a little afraid of the Eagle Guards. He subconsciously restrained his aura. Lo Pingsha said expressionlessly, ¡°We received a report that someone was looking for trouble here.¡± Zhu Kui immediately denied it. ¡°It wasn¡¯t us!¡± Yu Pingping immediately rushed out from behind the Eagle Guards and said loudly. ¡°It¡¯s you! You brought a group of people to our ce to cause trouble. Everything here was broken by you. With so many eyes watching, don¡¯t even think about denying it!¡± Zhu Kui was not afraid at all. He looked around and sneered. ¡°Did any of you see me cause trouble just now? If you do, stand up.¡± These words were clearly a threat. Due to his status, everyone was angry but did not dare to say anything. Zhu Kui spread his hands and was very shameless. ¡°Look, no one can prove that I did it.¡± Yu Pingping was so angry that her face turned red. ¡®You!¡± Lo Pingsha was used to such scoundrels and said without changing his expression. ¡°Since you don¡¯t admit it,e back to the Justice Department with us. After we investigate this matter and confirm that you¡¯re innocent, we¡¯ll let you go home immediately. But if you lie¡­ Heh, you know the consequences.¡± Thatst sneer scared Zhu Kui so much that his scalp went numb. What kind of ce was the Justice Department? If he entered that kind of ce, he would either die or lose ayer of skin! He immediately did not dare to be shameless and hurriedly defended himself. ¡°Don¡¯t! I brought people here to cause trouble. I got someone to overturn these tables and chairs, but I¡¯m doing this to protect Duke Lang¡¯s reputation!¡± Lo Pingsha thought he had misheard. ¡°Protect whose reputation?¡± Zhu Kui said quickly. ¡°You guys don¡¯t know yet, right? There was a show called Duke Lang in Liaodong ying here every day. The protagonist in the scene was called Duke Lang, but it is actually about Duke Lang of the Justice Department. They are deliberately making things up about Duke Lang and destroying his reputation in the hearts of themoners!¡± Lo Pingsha did not expect such an inside story. He looked at Yu Pingping and asked. ¡°Is it true?¡± Yu Pingping felt uneasy. Liu Qirui and the others in the theater were also nervous. Moreover, she had been with Nangong Jue the whole time. He didn¡¯t even say anything. Could it be that He Rong didn¡¯te over to visit her son? Then what was she doing in Xiling? She immediately shook her head. She couldn¡¯t guess what a woman like He Rong would do. Yu Pingping said with difficulty, ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Zhu Kui immediately said, ¡°Look, she admitted it! Hurry up and arrest everyone here. Kill those who deserve to be killed and beat up those who deserve to be beaten. Don¡¯t let them ruin Duke Lang¡¯s reputation.¡± Lo Pingsha ignored Zhu Kui and questioned Yu Pingping. ¡°Who gave you the guts to arrange an opera with Duke Lang?¡± Yu Pingping stammered, ¡°It¡¯¡­it¡¯s my sister.¡± Lo Pingsha¡¯s expression went nk for a moment. Was this actually instigated by the County Princess? Seeing that the other party was silent, Yu Pingping was afraid that he would not believe her. Then, right on the heels of that, she said, ¡°This theater is also my sister¡¯s.¡± Zhu Kui did not know who Yu Pingping¡¯s sister was. He was still shouting. ¡°Now that even the mastermind has been exposed, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and arrest him!¡± Lo Pingsha said expressionlessly, ¡°Arrest these troublemakers.¡± No matter what the Princess Consort¡¯s intentions were, it was a family matter between her and Duke Lang. The couple could resolve it in private. However, since this was the Princess Consort¡¯s business, no one could have designs on it. The Eagle Guards immediately swarmed forward and captured Zhu Kui and the others. Zhu Kui never expected that he would be the one caught in the end. He was exasperated. ¡°Are you blind or deaf? The Qirui Opera Troupe maliciously framed Duke Lang. Instead of nabbing them, you actually came to capture me? Do you know who I am? I¡¯m the heir of the Marquis of Yining!¡± Lo Pingsha said coldly, ¡°Countless royal families have been locked up by our Justice Department. Not to mention that you¡¯re the heir of the Marquis Manor, even if your father, Marquis Yining, broke thew, we¡¯ll still arrest him!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Pingping pped hard. p, p, p! She looked at Lo Pingsha with admiration. ¡°Well said!¡± Lo Pingsha was stunned. In the past, every time he went out on an errand, he would either face cold looks or cries and pleas. This was the first time someone had apuded him. Liu Qirui knelt down and kowtowed to him. ¡°Thank you for your help, Official. I can¡¯t thank you enough!¡± At this moment, the others in the theater also knelt down and kowtowed to Lo Pingsha to thank him. Although the audience did not move, they looked at the Eagle Guards withplicated gazes. They were all residents of the Imperial Capital and had long heard of Zhu Kui¡¯s actions. That guy relied on his status as the heir and often bullied men and women. Just now, when they saw Zhu Kuiin to the Eagle Guards, they thought that the Eagle Guards would collude with Zhu Kui and bully the people from the Qirui opera troupe. Unexpectedly, this group of Eagle Guards actuallywfully captured Zhu Kui. As the saying went, seeing was believing. In the past, themoners often heard about how the Eagle Guards bullied others, but that was only hearsay. Now that they had seen it with their own eyes, they realized that the Eagle Guards were different from what they had expected. Could it be that what was depicted in the show was true? Could it be that the Eagle Guards were not as terrifying as the rumors said? Lo Pingsha did not know what themoners were thinking. He took a pouch from Zhu Kui and weighed it. It was heavy and must have contained a lot of silver. He casually handed the pouch to Liu Qirui. ¡°These arepensation for what Zhu Kui broke with his men. Take them.¡± Liu Qirui held the pouch with both hands and hurriedly thanked him. Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Lo Pingsha led the Eagle Guards to escort Zhu Kui and the others out of Qirui Garden.. Chapter 537 - 537: She Wanted Such Immortal Love Too! Chapter 537: She Wanted Such Immortal Love Too! Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Lo Pingsha escorted the captured people back to the Justice Department. Logically speaking, there was no need to tell Duke Lang about such a small matter. However, since it concerned the Princess Consort, Lo Pingsha hesitated for a while before finally looking for Duke Lang. He told him about his experience in Qirui Garden. Xiao Juan did not understand why Niaoniao suddenly started the business of a theater. He only felt that this was Niaoniao¡¯stest hobby, so he did not think too much about it. When it was time to leave, Xiao Juan left the Justice Department and rode back to the Regional King¡¯s Mansion. On the way, he heard someone mention Qirui Garden¡¯s new show and how good it was. The person praised it so much that her saliva flew everywhere. On a whim, Xiao Juan suddenly changed direction and decided to go to Qirui Garden to take a look. He knew that his identity was special. If he went directly, it would definitely cause amotion and affect the business of Qirui Garden. Therefore, he specially changed his clothes before going. Recently, Qirui Garden had been performing Duke Lang in Liaodong every day. The scene was full. Almost every day, as soon as the door opened, all the opera tickets were sold out. Xiao Juan did not have tickets and could not enter Qirui Garden. He could only give up and prepare to leave. However, just as he turned around, he was stopped. ¡°Brother-inw!¡± Xiao Juan stopped in his tracks and looked in the direction of the voice. He saw Yu Pingping walking out of the theater. When she saw Duke Lang¡¯s back just now, she was still a little uncertain. She only called out to him tentatively. Seeing him turn around and look at her, she confirmed his identity. Yu Pingping quickly ran down the steps. ¡°Brother-inw, why are you here?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯m just walking around.¡± Yu Pingping¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°You¡¯re here for our new show, right?¡± Xiao Juan had already learned about the new scene from Lo Pingsha. He knew that the protagonist of Qirui Garden¡¯s new scene was based on him. He was indeed a little curious and wanted to see what kind of image he had in the show. He said calmly, ¡°I didn¡¯t get a ticket.¡± Yu Pingping immediately said, ¡°You¡¯re my brother-inw and the owner of our Qirui Garden. Why would you need to buy a ticket to watch a show here? Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll bring you in.¡± Xiao Juan silently followed her into the theater. Not only did the assistant at the door not stop Xiao Juan this time, but he also appeared especially enthusiastic. ¡°Pleasee in.¡± Seeing this, the people at the door who could not enter the theater because they could not buy tickets were very indignant. Someone couldn¡¯t help but shout. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t they say that all the tickets for today were sold out? Why can the two of them still enter? Could it be that you still have hidden tickets and are unwilling to sell them to us?¡± This shout immediately attracted many people to agree. ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯re differentiating treatment. It¡¯s unfair!¡± The assistant at the door hurriedly exined, ¡°Miss Yu is our boss¡¯s sister and our manager. She doesn¡¯t need a theater ticket to enter or leave.¡± The person immediately pointed at Xiao Juan. ¡°What about him? Why doesn¡¯t he have to buy a ticket?¡± The shop assistant did not know Xiao Juan and could not answer. He could only look at Yu Pingping for help. Yu Pingping immediately said, ¡°This is my brother-inw. My sister is the boss here. We¡¯re all family. Why does he need a ticket? Do you have to pay to eat at your wife¡¯s house?¡± That person was immediately speechless. The others also shut up resentfully. The assistant couldn¡¯t help but take a few more nces at Xiao Juan. He didn¡¯t expect this man to be the boss¡¯s husband. He was really imposing! Xiao Juan followed Yu Pingping into the theater. He nced at the people still guarding the entrance of the theater from the corner of his eye and asked softly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sell more tickets?¡± Yu Pingping exined, ¡°Look at our ce. It¡¯s only so big. There¡¯s a limit to the number of customers we can receive. There¡¯s no choice but to sell so many tickets. ¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Then let¡¯s change to a bigger ce.¡± Yu Pingping said, ¡°How can we have so much money? Just renting this garden almost emptied my sister¡¯s savings. If she hadn¡¯t made some money selling recipes recently, we wouldn¡¯t even have the money to buy costumes and essories.¡± As she spoke, she led Xiao Juan to the private room on the second floor. Xiao Juan said, ¡°I heard that someone came to cause trouble here today?¡± Yu Pingping was angry when she mentioned this. ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s that guy called Zhu Kui who bullied others and smashed our tables and chairs. Fortunately, your Eagle Guards appeared in time to uphold justice for us, so we didn¡¯t let them destroy Qirui Garden.¡± ¡°The troupe master already added new tables, chairs, and cups. In order to appease the frightened guests, all the tea today is free.¡± At this point, her heart ached. If they lost so much money for tea, it was equivalent to their business today being wasted. Xiao Juan walked into the private room and sat down by the window. He nced downstairs and saw that thenterns had all been extinguished. Only thenterns and candlesticks around the stage were still lit. The audience, who were still chatting happily, stopped talking and looked at the stage quietly. Yu Pingping said as she poured tea, ¡°Brother-inw, you came at the right time. The most exciting scene is about to start.¡± With that, she quickly sat down and craned her neck to look downstairs, her eyes filled with anticipation. The red curtain on the stage was slowly pulled open. This y was about Duke Lang discovering that there were spies from an enemy country hidden in the army and fighting with them. During the process, Duke Lang did not hesitate to risk his life and almost died. Fortunately, at the critical moment, the County Princess appeared with her men and helped him deal with the bad people. Yu Pingping looked at the male and female leads who fought hand in hand on the stage and did not leave each other. Her eyes were filled with envy. She also wanted this kind of immortal love! Xiao Juan was stunned. This was something he had experienced personally. He had thought that no one would know about all of this. Unexpectedly, it actually appeared in front of everyone in this form. Ye Yin was indeed a famous actor. The Duke Lang he yed was one against a hundred. The long saber in his hand was swung in a myriad of ways. His movements were beautiful and neat, causing the audience below the stage to cheer and p like thunder. Facing the siege of the enemy, he did not give in at all. He pressed forward with passion just to protect the people of thisnd. Yu Pingping pped hard. Although this was not the first time she had seen it, she still felt very affected. In the end, the spy was captured and the enemy¡¯s plot was destroyed. The county governor ordered the return of thend, and themoners returned home happily in the most perfect oue. However, the background on the stage changed. Duke Lang and the Princess Consort were assassinated on the way back to the capital with the Eagle Guards. Because they had asked for thend back for themoners, they had seriously vited the interests of the local powerhouses. Wave after wave of killers attacked them. They had just finished dealing with a group of assassins, but they could not stop to rest. They had to force themselves to continue traveling. The Princess Consort yed by Liu Sixing asked, ¡°This path is dangerous. It¡¯s unknown if you¡¯re dead or alive. Do you regret it?¡± Prince Lang, yed by Ye Yin, replied without hesitation in his powerful voice. ¡°No regrets..¡± Chapter 538 - 538: It’s All For You Chapter 538: It¡¯s All For You Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Ever since Shen Zhuo was listed as the crown prince, his prince¡¯s residence had been changed to the crown prince¡¯s residence. Not only had the residence doubled in size, but the number of servants and guards in the residence had also increased several times. Today, Shen Zhuo entered the pce to greet the emperor and the empress dowager as usual. Then, he went to the study to deal with government affairs with the old ministers. When he returned to the crown prince¡¯s residence, it was already evening. As soon as he entered, he heard the steward in charge of the carriage say, ¡°Your Highness, when I went out to buy grass today, I heard someone say that a new theater has been opened in the capital. It¡¯s called Qirui Garden.¡± Originally, Shen Zhuo did not take it to heart. It was only when the steward mentioned the content of Duke Lang in Liaodong that Shen Zhuo reacted. ¡°Who wrote this script?¡± The steward said truthfully, ¡°I heard that it¡¯s the owner of Qirui Garden, but I don¡¯t know who it is.¡± Shen Zhuo immediately called the guardmander in. ¡°Go and find out who the owner of Qirui Garden is.¡± ¡°Aye.¡± Although Yu Niaoniao deliberately hid her identity, she could not hide it from the crown prince¡¯s spies. Soon, Shen Zhuo knew the truth. It turned out that the real boss behind Qirui Garden was Yu Niaoniao. He ced his hands behind his back and paced back and forth in the house, his expression solemn. The appearance of Duke Lang in Liaodong was equivalent to pping his face. This had an extremely bad impact on him, who had just ascended to the position of Crown Prince. He could not ignore this matter. Shen Zhuo took out the silver earring from his sleeve and rubbed it gently, muttering, ¡°Why do you have to go against me?¡± This silver earring had fallen from Yu Niaoniao. After Shen Zhuo picked it up, he treasured it. He held the silver earring in his hand. An inanimate object was naturally unable to give any response. Shen Zhuo clenched his silver earring. It seemed that some things had to be made clear in person. He walked out. ¡°To Duke Lang¡¯s Mansion.¡± The servants hurriedly set up a carriage and sent the Crown Prince to the Langjun Imperial Pce. In Qirui Garden, the lights on the stage gradually dimmed. Prince Lang and the Princess Consort looked at each other and smiled before leaving hand in hand. When they disappeared from the stage, the audience stood up spontaneously. A wave of enthusiastic apuse washed over them. Xiao Juan watched this scene in a daze, his emotions surging with iparableplexity. Yu Pingping¡¯s voice reached his ears. ¡°Brother-inw, is the story on the stage true? Did you really save so many people?¡± Xiao Juan turned to look at Yu Pingping, who was sitting opposite the table. She looked a little nervous but she was looking forward to his reply. There was a long pause before he spoke. ¡°Would you believe me if I said it was true?¡± Yu Pingping said without hesitation, ¡°Of course! You¡¯re my brother-inw. We¡¯re family. Who else can I believe?! In the past, I thought that my sister had no choice but to marry you. From the looks of it, my sister has good taste and chose a hero!¡± Xiao Juan could not help but ask. ¡°You think I¡¯m a hero?¡± Yu Pingping nodded vigorously. ¡°That¡¯s right. You led the Eagle Guards and risked your lives to save so many people. If not for you, Liaodong County would have been upied by the enemy and the citizens there would have been ughtered. You saved them. You and Sister are heroes!¡± Xiao Juan did not know what to say. Yu Pingping immediately began to praise how difficult it had been for them to rehearse this show and how much they had suffered. Everyone did not think highly of them and felt that their show was not good. Only Yu Niaoniao was unwilling to give up and change the male lead no matter what. She insisted on rehearsing the plot ording to the original work. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t understand my sister¡¯s choice back then. I even suspected that the plot was fabricated by my sister like everyone else.¡± Yu Pingping could not help but feel embarrassed. ¡°Later on, I gradually understood her intentions. She actually wanted to use this show to change your image in the hearts of themoners. Everything she did is for you.¡± Xiao Juan lowered his eyes. Scenes of the past shed through his mind. While he listened to the rumors and suspected that she was keeping an actor outside, she was working hard to earn money so that she could bring his story to the stage and let everyone know the real him. His fingers curled up bit by bit. As he clenched his fists tighter, his nails were almost digging into his flesh. Regret and self-me surged in his heart. At this moment, he really wanted to stab himself. He was really unworthy! Yu Pingping straightened her expression and said solemnly. ¡°My sister has done so much for you. She¡¯s so good to you. You must treat her well. ¡± ¡°If you lose her, you won¡¯t be able to find anyone as good as her in your life.¡± Xiao Juan replied softly, ¡°I know.¡± With that, he stood up. He wanted to go home. He desperately wanted to see Niaoniao. He wanted to hold her tightly in his arms. He wanted to give her everything he had. Xiao Juan strode downstairs. He heard the audience still discussing unsatisfied. ¡°Tell me, is the Duke Lang in the show really Duke Lang?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think so in the past, but now I think it might be true. After all, it was the Eagle Guards who appeared this morning to punish the heir of the Marquis of Yining. ¡± ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that those Eagle Guards would actually uphold justice for usmoners. It¡¯s unbelievable.¡± ¡°Perhaps we really misunderstood Duke Lang and the Eagle Guards in the past.¡± Xiao Juan silently walked past those people. No one knew that the Duke Lang they were talking about was actually beside them. When Xiao Juan walked out of the theater, YO Pingping suddenly called out to him. ¡°Brother-inw.¡± Xiao Juan turned to look at her. ¡°What else?¡± Yu Pingping did not know what she was thinking, but she shouted in a fit of excitement, ¡°You and Sister must be happy!¡± Xiao Juan was stunned. When he came back to his senses, Yu Pingping had already run away. As he rode back to Langjun Imperial Pce, his mind was filled with thoughts. His heart was filled with love for her. That love was still growing crazily and unscrupulously, as if it wanted to devour him. He rode faster and faster and couldn¡¯t help but call out¡ª ¡°Niaoniao.¡± In the Regional King¡¯s Mansion, Yu Niaoniao was painting in the study. She had been soaking in the study for the past two days and working hard to draw, wanting to submit the manuscript sessfully before the end of the year. This way, she and Xiao Juan could spend the New Year quietly. After the new year, they could pack their luggage and go to Bashu. Granny Xiu Yan knocked on the door. ¡°County Princess Consort, His Highness sent someone over. He said that he has something to ask you to go to his residence for a chat.¡± Yu Niaoniao paused and replied without thinking. ¡°Just say that I¡¯m sick. I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll pass my illness to the Crown Prince, so it¡¯s not convenient for me to go to the Crown Prince¡¯s residence for the time being. Ask him to forgive me.¡± ¡°Aye.¡± Granny Xiu Yan turned around and left. In the end, she returned after a while. Her expression was very ugly. ¡°Princess Consort, His Highness the Crown Prince is here personally. He¡¯s in the reception hall. He said that he¡¯s here to visit the Princess Consort..¡± Chapter 539 - 539: Persuasion Chapter 539: Persuasion Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao was stunned. ¡°He came so quickly?¡± From the time Shen Zhuo sent someone to invite her to the residence for a chat until he personally appeared, less than ten minutes had passed. Granny Xiu Yan frowned. ¡°The Crown Prince was here long ago, but he didn¡¯te in.¡± Yu Niaoniao was enlightened. It seemed that Shen Zhuo had long known that she would not see him, so he deliberately asked someone toe and put on an act first. Regardless of whether she would see him in the end, he woulde personally. She put down her paintbrush. ¡°If it¡¯s a blessing, it¡¯s not a disaster. If it¡¯s a disaster, I can¡¯t avoid it. Lead the way.¡± Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°Should we send someone to invite His Highness back?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at the sky outside. ¡°He should be back soon. There¡¯s no need to send someone just to look for him.¡¯ ¡°Aye. ¡± In the flower hall, Shen Zhuo was looking at the banana tree outside the window in a daze. When he saw Yu Niaoniao appear, his eyes immediately lit up. Yu Niaoniao looked rosy and her eyes were bright. She did not look sick at all. However, Shen Zhuo still asked with concern. ¡°Niaoniao, I heard that you were sick, so I specially came to visit. How¡¯s your condition? Do you want the imperial physician to take a look at you?¡± Yu Niaoniao bowed. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness. May I know why Your Highness hase personally?¡± Seeing that she was so distant, Shen Zhuo could not help but feel a little sad. ¡°I came to see you. Are you still angry with me?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°His Highness is of noble status. How would I dare to be angry with you?¡± Shen Zhuo took a step forward. ¡°Niaoniao.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately retreated. ¡°This is Duke Lang¡¯s Pce. I¡¯m the Princess Consort, and you¡¯re the current Crown Prince. If you don¡¯t want rumors of the Crown Prince bullying the wife of a subject, please respect yourself and don¡¯t forget your status.¡± Shen Zhuo had no choice but to stop. ¡°Niaoniao, do we have to go to this extent?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Isn¡¯t this what the Crown Prince wants?¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°You have to believe me. No matter what I do, I¡¯ve never thought of hurting you. You¡¯re the person I want to protect the most!¡± ¡°Protect?¡± Yu Niaoniao seemed to have heard a funny joke. The corners of her mouth twitched as she smiled. ¡°Is your so-called protection deceit and exploitation?¡± Shen Zhuo begged, ¡°I apologize for my previous mistakes. Yu Niaoniao looked at him steadily. In the past, she treated him as family and trusted him from the bottom of her heart. But now, he had be a stranger in her eyes. She asked slowly, ¡°At this point, don¡¯t you know what you did wrong?¡± Shen Zhuo remained silent. Yu Niaoniao took a deep breath and said what she had suppressed in her heart. ¡°Your concealment and deception have indeed disappointed me, but you had your reasons. Although I couldn¡¯t ept it, I could understand.¡± ¡°What I really can¡¯t ept is that you took the credit for Duke Lang. It was clearly not your achievement, but you took it for yourself.¡± ¡°Your actions were really despicable.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t even believe it.¡± ¡°Brother Junzhi, who was once glorious, gentle, and humble, could actually do such a shameless thing. Every time I think of it, I feel embarrassed for you.¡± Shen Zhuo was extremely embarrassed by her words, and his pale face turned even paler. He said with difficulty, ¡°In the end, you¡¯re still doing it for Xiao Juan.¡± Yu Niaoniao felt that he was really hopeless. ¡°Even if it¡¯s not Xiao Juan, even if it¡¯s just an ordinary citizen, you shouldn¡¯t have done such a thing. You¡¯re the Crown Prince. You should be open and aboveboard, not like a thief who steals others¡¯ things!¡± Shen Zhuoughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°So in your heart, I¡¯ve already be a thief.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m just stating the facts.¡± ¡°What a good saying!¡± Shen Zhuo stopped smiling. ¡°Since you want to talk about the matter with me, I¡¯ll talk to you about serious matters. Qirui Garden is a business under your name, right? You created Duke Lang in Liaodong, right? This show reflects the important ministers of the Imperial Court. Your reckless discussion of the country¡¯s politics has already caused an extremely bad influence on the people. I can order someone to seal your theater at any time!¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned for a moment beforeughing. ¡°Heh, after talking for so long, His Highness the Crown Prince is here for Qirui Garden. You said that it reflects the important ministers of the Imperial Court. Do you have evidence? I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve personally seen Duke Lang in Liaodong, right?¡± As she spoke, she took out an opera ticket from her sleeve and ced it in front of Shen Zhuo. ¡°Your Highness, please take a look. What¡¯s this line on the opera ticket?¡± Shen Zhuo looked down and saw a line of small words on the bottom left corner of the opera ticket¡ª This story is purely fictional and, if there are simrities, they are purely coincidental. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Do you see that? If there¡¯s a simrity, it¡¯s purely a coincidence!¡± Shen Zhuo was not frightened by her methods and said coldly. ¡°It¡¯s just a word game. This kind of cleverness can¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re talking nonsense about the government.¡± ¡°I order you to close the Qirui Garden immediately. If you don¡¯t obey, I can only send someone to capture everyone in the theater. I believe you don¡¯t want to see that happen, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao clenched her fists and her expression turned extremely ugly. She didn¡¯t think she had done anything wrong, but in a feudal society, imperial power represented everything. The other party was the Crown Prince. Once the other party made up his mind to seize Qirui Garden, she could not stop him. Shen Zhuo looked at her face and softened his tone. ¡°I specially came to look for you today to talk to you calmly. As long as you¡¯re willing to stop running the show and promise not to interfere in politics in the future, I can pretend that nothing happened.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Is this a threat?¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°No, this is just persuasion.¡± Yu Niaoniao let out a disdainful sneer. ¡°As expected of the Crown Prince. Dream on.¡± Shen Zhuo did not mind and advised unhurriedly. ¡°Those people in Qirui Garden are different from you.¡± ¡°You are the Princess Consort of Lang County. Ordinary people can¡¯t touch you. You have the right to be willful.¡± ¡°However, those people in Qirui Garden are onlymoners. They do not have the ability to protect themselves. A casual sentence from me could take their lives.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kind by nature. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want them to be implicated and imprisoned, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao could not speak. Although she was angry, she could not implicate the innocent. At this moment, a low voice came from outside the door. ¡°What right does His Highness have to arrest and imprison them?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked in the direction of the voice and saw Xiao Juan striding into the flower hall. She immediately forgot her anger and ran over happily. ¡°You¡¯re finally back!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I was dyed on the way just now. I came back a littlete.¡± At this point, he looked at Shen Zhuo, who was standing not far away. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect His Highness to suddenly visit.¡± ¡°I heard that you wanted to capture the people from Qirui Garden just now. May I know the reason? I¡¯d juste back from Qirui Garden. I¡¯d watched their new y.¡± ¡°It was acted well. Although it¡¯s exaggerated, it¡¯s basically in line with the truth..¡± Chapter 540 - 540: Forbearance Chapter 540: Forbearance Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios These words basically matched the truth. They came out of Xiao Juan¡¯s mouth casually, but to Shen Zhuo¡¯s ears, they sounded indescribably sharp. Shen Zhuo pretended not to understand the meaning of the other party¡¯s words and said calmly. ¡°Duke Lang is an important minister of the Imperial Court. They¡¯re looking down on the Imperial Court by referring to you in an opera. If we let this prevail, won¡¯t everyone be able to discuss the government in the future?¡± Facing the Crown Prince¡¯s question, Xiao Juan replied unhurriedly. ¡°I understand Your Highness¡¯ concerns.¡± ¡°However, the mouths of themoners are like riverbanks. It is better to let go. The more we chase and intercept, the more it will stimte the rebellious mentality of themoners.¡± ¡°Instead of suppressing it blindly, it was better to rx the restrictions appropriately. Let themoners be our mirrors. If we do anything wrong, themoners can immediately point it out.¡± ¡°Not only could this reflect the tolerance of the Emperor and the Crown Prince, but it would also be beneficial to the long-term development of the Imperial Court.¡± ¡°What do you think, Your Highness?¡± The other party was reasonable, and Shen Zhuo could not refute him. As he regarded Xiao Juan steadily, his eyes were filled with coldness, as if he would re up at any moment. Yu Niaoniao thought that Shen Zhuo would be angry and felt very uneasy. She was afraid that Xiao Juan would suffer. However, in the next moment, Shen Zhuo suddenly smiled gently. His brows were filled with gentleness, and his tone was very humble. ¡°Duke Lang is right. We should be as tolerant as possible to themoners.¡± ¡°I was too anxious about today¡¯s matter. I only cared about the immediate benefits and forgot about the long-term development.¡± ¡°Fortunately, Duke Lang reminded me. Thank you.¡± With that, he cupped his hands at Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan immediately dodged. ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s no need to do this. These are all my responsibilities.¡± Shen Zhuo straightened up and smiled. ¡°Father told me that Duke Lang is the pir of the Dayan Dynasty. In the future, I still have many things to rely on Duke Lang. I hope that Duke Lang can still guide me like now.¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°Your Highness is too polite. It¡¯s the blessing of the people of the world to have a tolerant leader like you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll leave first. I¡¯ll treat you to tea another day when I¡¯m free. At that time, let¡¯s sit down and have a good chat.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send you off.¡± Xiao Juan sent Shen Zhuo out of the royal pce. After he got into the carriage, the smile on Shen Zhuo¡¯s face instantly disappeared. His eyes turned extremely cold. Thinking of what had just happened, Shen Zhuo retracted his fingers bit by bit and clenched them tightly. He read the names of the two persons. ¡°Xiao Juan, Yu Niaoniao.¡± These two people did not give him any respect at all and did not take him, the Crown Prince, seriously at all. But he couldn¡¯t be angry. He was still only a Crown Prince. He still needed to maintain a gentle and harmless image. He could not leave anyone with anything to say. Just wait. When he ascended the throne in the future, he could slowly settle scores with those people. None of them could escape! Shen Zhuo slowly released his fingers. The silver earring that was originally held in his palm had already been pinched out of shape. In the Regional King¡¯s Mansion, Yu Niaoniao pressed her chest and heaved a long sigh of relief. ¡°I thought he would be angry with you just now. Fortunately, nothing happened. ¡± Xiao Juan was not as optimistic as her. He said with a dark expression, ¡°If he was really angry just now, it would have been fine.¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xiao Juan exined slowly, ¡°The Crown Prince has just ascended the throne and urgently needs to stabilize his status.¡± ¡°Duke Lang in Liaodong happened to appear at this time. Those who oppose him in the court would definitely take this opportunity to seize on and make an issue of it.¡± ¡°It is impossible for him not to be angry, but he held it in. This meant that he is tenacious and could tolerate what ordinary people could not.¡± ¡°He will definitely remember what happened today. When he ascends to the throne in the future, he will definitely return it to us double.¡± Yu Niaoniao was immediately speechless. As the legitimate son of the Empress, Shen Zhuo was the most respected among all the princes. However, he was sent to the temple at a young age and grew up with the monks. The suffering of the greenmp, the rough tea, and the cold words of the surrounding people was definitely not something ordinary people could imagine. However, not only did he endure it, but he was also doubly filial to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager after returning to the pce. From this, it could be seen how powerful his temperament was. Shen Zhuo was different from the other spoiled princes who had never suffered setbacks. He had suffered, and he had experienced the coldness and warmth of human nature. His ambition and determination superceded those of the other princesbined. Provoking such a person was equivalent to nting a huge hidden danger. Yu Niaoniao suddenly regretted it. ¡°Did I provoke someone I shouldn¡¯t have?¡± Xiao Juan raised his right hand and ced it on her head, rubbing it gently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. After investigating the Feng family¡¯s case, we¡¯ll resign and go into seclusion in a ce no one knows. At that time, even if the Crown Prince wants to take revenge on us, he won¡¯t be able to find us.¡± Although she said that, Yu Niaoniao was still a little worried. ¡°Will the Crown Prince secretly trip you up? Xiao Juanforted her. ¡°No, the new show in Qirui Garden has caused him a lot of trouble. Recently, he has to think of a way to stabilize his status and eliminate the doubts of the ministers in the court. He doesn¡¯t have time to bother with me for the time being.¡± Hearing him say this, Yu Niaoniao heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Then, she remembered that Xiao Juan had just said that he had been to Qirui Garden. She hurriedly asked, ¡°You¡¯ve seen the new show at Qirui Garden?¡± Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao was a little embarrassed, but she was a little expectant. ¡°What do you think? ws it good?¡± She had carefully rehearsed this show just for Xiao Juan. She did not care what the others thought of this show. She only cared about Xiao Juan¡¯s opinion. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao waited for a moment. Seeing that he did not continue, she could not help but ask. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Xiao Juan racked his brains for words. ¡°I don¡¯t know any opera. I don¡¯t know what kind of lyrics and songs are good. I only know that this drama is very good. It has extraordinary meaning to me. I like it very, very much.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled and her eyes were shining. She raised her chin and said proudly. ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Xiao Juan endured it and could not help but ask the question he wanted to ask the most. ¡°Why did you rehearse this show?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If I said I was doing it to earn money, would you believe Xiao Juan shook his head. ¡°There are many ways to earn money. You can sell recipes and sketchbooks. These are all very easy for you, but you chose the most difficult endeavor. You can¡¯t just be doing it for money.¡± Yu Niaoniao ced her hands behind her back and shook her head. ¡°Since you already know, why do you still ask?¡± Xiao Juan looked at her. ¡°I want to hear it from you.¡± Yu Niaoniao deliberately teased him. ¡°Then beg me.¡± Xiao Juan lifted his clothes and knelt on one knee. ¡°Please..¡± Chapter 541 - 541: Unsettled Chapter 541: Unsettled Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao jumped back. ¡°Aiya, why is it such a big gift?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Because you¡¯re worth it.¡± Yu Niaoniao pursed her lips and smiled, pretending to sigh helplessly. ¡°Alright, alright. Seeing that you¡¯re so sincere, I¡¯ll be merciful and tell you.¡± Xiao Juan looked up at her and waited quietly for her answer. Yu Niaoniao ced her hands behind her back and bent down to him. ¡°You¡¯re too stupid. You¡¯ve clearly done so many good things. Not only did no one appreciate it, but someone even took credit.¡± ¡°I just want to help you clear your name so that everyone can recognize the real you.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Is that all?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°What else?¡± Xiao Juan did not know what to say. Granny Xiu Yan walked in and was about to speak when she saw Duke Lang Imeeling on one knee and looking up at the Princess Consort standing in front of him. The Princess Consort bent down. The two of them were extremely close, as if they would kiss at any moment. This scene was too charming. Granny Xiu Yan was so frightened that she hurriedly covered her eyes with her hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I came at the wrong time. I didn¡¯t see anything. I¡¯ll leave now. Please continue.¡± With that, she turned to leave. Yu Niaoniao quickly stopped her. ¡°We were just talking. It¡¯s not asplicated as you think.¡± Granny Xiu Yan lowered her hand and looked at them skeptically. ¡°If you were just talking, was there a need for His Highness to kneel?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s because there¡¯s a little dust on my shoes. He was helping me to wipe it off.¡± As Yu Niaoniao spoke, she pulled Xiao Juan up. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t you agree?¡± Xiao Juan did not answer. He looked at Granny Xiu Yan and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Only then did Granny Xiu Yan remember her intentions. She hurriedly said, ¡°Dinner is ready. I¡¯m here to remind you that it¡¯s time to eat.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s time to eat.¡± With that, he pulled Yu Niaoniao out. Seeing that the two of them were about to leave, Granny Xiu Yan hurriedly followed. The small interlude just now was hurriedly ounted for by Xiao Juan. Lo Pingsha was originally a little worried that Duke Lang would be dissatisfied with the Princess Consort opening the theater without permission. When they were eating, he saw that the couple was harmonious and did not seem to be having a conflict. He could finally rx. After dinner, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan returned to their room to rest. Xiao Juan changed the dressing for Niaoniao as usual. Yu Niaoniao consciously took off her clothes and sat on the bed, letting Xiao Juan apply medicine for her. In the past, she would still blush shyly. After a few times, she would get used to it. Because she knew that Xiao Juan was a gentleman. In the past, when she took the initiative to snuggle into his arms, he could sit still. Now, he naturally would not take the opportunity to take advantage of her. However, what she did not know was that Xiao Juan was a little distracted. Previously, he thought that Niaoniao had no feelings for him, so he tried his best to control himself and not have improper thoughts about her. But it was different now. He already knew how Niaoniao felt about him. She had sacrificed so much silently, so she must have feelings for him. Since they were willing, there was naturally no need to worry so much. Xiao Juan gently spread the ointment on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s skin. He looked down at her fair and beautiful back and couldn¡¯t help but lower his head, wanting to kiss her. However, ne Still n It ln. After applying the medicine, Xiao Juan got up to wash his hands. When he returned, he saw that Niaoniao had already put on her clothes andy down. Xiao Juan lifted the nket andy down. He reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist. He leaned over and called out. ¡°Niaoniao. ¡± His voice was low and hoarse, making him even sexier than usual. Yu Niaoniao did not think too much about it. She adjusted her posture slightly and leaned into Xiao Juan¡¯s arms at the mostfortable angle. ¡°Why did you call me?¡± Xiao Juan wanted to ask her if she wanted to consummate the marriage, but the restrained personality he had developed over the years made him unable to say such explicit words. He silently simmered in his heart for a long time before speaking. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to consummate the marriage previously? I think we can try tonight. What do you think?¡± He waited for a long time, but there was no response. Xiao Juan could not help but look down, only to see that Niaoniao had already closed her eyes and fallen asleep. He could only sigh. Previously, when Niaoniao took the initiative to throw herself at him, he pushed her away again and again. Now that he wanted it, she might not be willing. This was probably retribution. Because the old emperor was bedridden and could not attend the morning court session, the memorials of the ministers were sent to the cab and handed over to the elders to discuss and resolve. Crown Prince Shen Zhuo would also participate in the discussion, but because he was still young and inexperienced, he could only listen most of the time and rarely had the chance to express his opinion. In the past two days, the officials had a total of two goals¡ª One was Duke Lang, Xiao Juan. The officials suspected that Duke Lang had ordered people to arrange Duke Lang in Liaodong to improve his reputation. This move was akin to fishing for fame. The other was Crown Prince Shen Zhuo. Regardless of the motive for the appearance of Duke Lang in Liaodong, its description was basically true. Outsiders might not know, but many officials in the court knew very well that the person who had escorted Prince Min to Liaodong County was Duke Lang. At that time, Shen Zhuo was only an unknown prince. He was not even qualified to enter the pce to meet the emperor. What right did he have to order Duke Lang to do so many things? This did not make sense at all! However, since the emperor insisted on giving Shen Zhuo the credit for Liaodong County, no one could say anything and could only pretend to be oblivious. Now that Duke Lang in Liaodong was popr in the capital, its contentpletely restored what Duke Lang had done in Liaodong County. This was equivalent to telling the world that the Crown Prince had faked his contribution! The officials naturally could not let this go. They wrote about this matter in the memorial and strongly requested the Crown Prince to give an exnation! Shen Zhuo was already mentally prepared for this. He looked at the troubled expressions of the elders and said calmly. ¡°I was wrong this time. Tomorrow, I will take the initiative to admit my mistake in front of the civil and military officials and apologize to Duke Lang in public.¡± Regarding this, the elders were naturally very relieved. They praised him one after another. ¡°Your Highness is really magnanimous. It¡¯s really the blessing of the country!¡± Soon, this matter reached the old emperor¡¯s ears. He ordered someone to summon Xiao Juan to the pce. Shen Zhuo hurriedly said, ¡°Father, at this point, there¡¯s no need to make things difficult for Duke Lang. After all, he didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± With that, he knelt down and pressed his forehead to the ground. The more he was like this, the more the old emperor pitied him. ¡°It was my idea to let you rece Xiao Juan. What has it got to do with you? I know you¡¯re kind, but you don¡¯t have to take all the me. I can differentiate between right and wrong..¡± Chapter 542 - 542: Punishment Chapter 542: Punishment Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Shen Zhuo wanted to say something else, but the old emperor did not give him a chance to speak. ¡°You can leave first. I will settle this matter. I won¡¯t let you suffer this grievance for nothing.¡± ¡°Aye. ¡± Shen Zhuo stood up and left obediently. After leaving the bedroom, he looked humble. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty. What instructions do you have?¡± The old emperor was helped to sit up. He leaned back on the cushion and looked at Xiao Juan, who was standing upright in front of him. He asked weakly. ¡°Did you get someone to rehearse Duke Lang in Liaodong?¡± Xiao Juan said without hesitation, ¡°Yes.¡± He could not expose her, so he could only bear this matter alone. The old emperor¡¯s face was haggard, and his eyes were turbid, but his gaze was sharp. ¡°Do you think that I¡¯ve mistreated you and are indignant, so you¡¯re using this method to seek justice for yourself?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯ve never had such thoughts.¡± The old emperor said, ¡°Then you hate the Crown Prince for taking credit and want to use such a method to embarrass him?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯ve never hated the Crown Prince.¡± The old emperor stared at him and continued to interrogate him. ¡°Then what on earth are you doing?¡± Xiao Juan was silent for a long time before speaking. ¡°Because I also want to be recognized by others.¡± The old emperor clearly did not expect such an answer. He was stunned at first, then smiled disdainfully as if he had heard a funny joke. ¡°You want to be recognized? Have you forgotten your status?¡± Xiao Juan lowered his head and said nothing. The old emperor said, ¡°You¡¯re just a dog I raised. The only meaning of your existence is to listen to your master¡¯s orders. You have to remember that no one in this world will acknowledge the existence of a dog.¡± Xiao Juan knelt on one knee. ¡°I know my mistake.¡± The old emperor softened his tone. ¡°You haven¡¯t had a father since you were young, and your mother, Princess Ni Yang, has the same personality.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t care if you lived or died. If I hadn¡¯t sent someone to bring you to the pce to take care of you, you would have died long ago.¡± ¡°I have high hopes for you. Don¡¯t disappoint me, understand?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I will remember Your Majesty¡¯s kindness to me and never forget it.¡± The old emperor continued. ¡°Eldest Princess Ni Yang hasmitted a great crime of rebellion. You¡¯re her son. Logically speaking, you won¡¯t be able to escape death.¡± ¡°However, on ount of your loyalty over the years, I specially let you off.¡± ¡°If someone in the court impeaches you, I will suppress it for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been so kind to you. You should be satisfied. Don¡¯t forget that you were able to have your current status because of me.¡± ¡°Without me, you¡¯re nothing.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯ve let Your Majesty down. I deserve to die. Your Majesty, please punish me!¡± After saying so much in one breath, the old emperor¡¯s voice became hoarse, and his breathing became uneven. ¡°Since you know your mistake, go and receive your punishment yourself. Fifty court staves can be considered a small lesson for you. If there¡¯s a next time, it won¡¯t be so simple.¡± ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty.¡± Xiao Juan left. Wei Huai¡¯en walked forward with the medicine and carefully fed it to the old emperor. After taking the medicine, the old emperor¡¯s aura returned to normal. Wei Huai¡¯en helped him lie down. ¡°Your Majesty, rest well.¡± The old emperor looked at him and asked, ¡°Has Wei Liao already set off?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s on his way to Changze County. He¡¯ll bring the Grand Duke back soon to offer to His Majesty.¡± The old emperor thought of the legendary Grand Duke that could revive the dead and could not help but feel indefinite. Even though he had already listened to the opinions of the ministers and appointed the crown prince, there was still ast trace of hope in his heart¡ª What if the rumors were true? What if the Grand Duke could really cure his illness? If he could recover from his condition and could continue to rule the world and not have to endure the helpless torture of lying in bed. The news that Xiao Juan had been hit by 50 court staves spread to the Fengyi Pce. At this moment, Shen Zhuo was ying chess with Empress Wen. The two of them sat opposite each other with a chessboard between them. Empress Wen held the ck chess piece and said calmly. ¡°The emperor punished Duke Lang for you. Duke Lang will definitely hate you. You have to be careful in the future.¡± Shen Zhuo smiled and said gently, ¡°Thank you for your advice, Mother. Although Duke Lang is powerful, he¡¯s just ackey raised by Father. When I seed the throne in the future, I can take his wretched life at any time.¡± With that, he gently ced a white chess piece on the chessboard. Empress Wen looked at the chess game in front of her and said as she thought, ¡°Duke Lang is a good knife. If you use it well, it will have a miraculous effect. Shen Zhuo said nothing. Empress Wen ced a piece down and looked up at him. ¡°You¡¯re doing this for Yu Niaoniao, right?¡± Shen Zhuo ced a white piece right on the heels of Empress Wen¡¯s move and remained silent. Empress Wen picked up the ck piece and gently ced it down, persuading sincerely, ¡®You¡¯re not fated with her. Why are you asking for trouble?¡± Shen Zhuo ced a white piece on the chessboard and said calmly, ¡°I won this round.¡± Empress Wen looked at the chessboard in front of her and smiled helplessly. ¡°In terms of chess, I¡¯m still inferior to you.¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if we¡¯re fated. As long as I be the final winner, everything will belong to me, including her.¡± Empress Wen was speechless. On this day, Yu Niaoniao spent the entire day painting. In the evening, Granny Xiu Yan came to remind Yu Niaoniao to eat dinner as usual. Yu Niaoniao walked into the dining room and saw that Lo Pingsha was alone at the table, so she asked. ¡°Where¡¯s Duke Lang?¡± Lo Pingsha lied without changing his expression. ¡°His Highness is busy and won¡¯t be back until veryte. He asked us to eat first.¡± In fact, Xiao Juan had been beaten up 50 times today. He had returned to the Justice Department with injuries. He did not want Niaoniao to know about this, so he stayed in the Justice Department and did not go home. He specially instructed Lo Pingsha to help deal with the lie. Yu Niaoniao did not suspect anything and muttered softly. ¡°No matter how busy he is, he can¡¯t not eat. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to recover. What if he starves again?¡± She asked Granny Xiu Yan to distribute a portion of food and heat it on the stove. She could heat it when Xiao Juan returned. Yu Niaoniao picked up her bowl and chopsticks to eat. She looked at Lo Pingsha beside her and suddenly thought of something. ¡°Little Lo, have you seen my sister?¡± Lo Pingsha nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What do you think of my sister?¡± Lo Pingsha answered truthfully, ¡°Pretty good.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± It seemed that Lo Pingsha had a good impression of Yu Pingping. She would ask Yu Pingpingter. As long as the two of them had a good impression of each other, there would be a chance to matchmake them. Lo Pingsha was at a loss, not understanding why the princess consort suddenly asked this. After dinner, Yu Niaoniao returned to the house to wash up and sleep. It was not untilte that Xiao Juan returned. At this moment, everyone was already asleep. He specially instructed the concierge not to wake everyone up. He quietly returned to the bedroom alone and looked at the sleeping Niaoniao. Then, he took the medicine box to the study, took off his shirt, and applied medication for himself under the dim candlelight.. Chapter 543 - 543: Covering Chapter 543: Covering Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios That night, Xiao Juan slept in the study. The next day, he woke up just as it was bright. The maidservants walked in and helped him take off his changed clothes to wash them. They were shocked to find that their clothes were stained with blood. Xiao Juan reminded in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone know about this, especially the County Princess.¡± The maidservants hurriedly nodded. ¡°Yes!¡± They carried their dirty clothes out of the study and bumped into Granny Xiu Yan. Granny Xiu Yan couldn¡¯t help but frown when she saw their panic. ¡°What happened?¡± The maidservants did not dare to tell the truth and could only say vaguely, ¡°Nothing. ¡± Seeing that they were hugging their clothes tightly as if they were carrying some shameful treasure, Granny Xiu Yan couldn¡¯t help but wonder if these two had stolen something. Granny Xiu Yan reached out. ¡°Bring the clothes over for me to see.¡± The maidservants were naturally unwilling. Seeing this, Granny Xiu Yan became even more suspicious and her face immediately darkened. ¡°Do you want me to do it the hard way? The maidservants were so frightened that their faces turned pale. They hurriedly knelt on the ground. ¡°Nanny, spare me!¡± Xiao Juan heard themotion outside and walked out of the study. He said to Granny Xiu Yan, ¡°I was the one who didn¡¯t let them tell anyone. Nanny, don¡¯t make things difficult for them.¡± Hearing this, Granny Xiu Yan did not say anything else. She turned around and let the maidservants leave. As soon as they left, she immediately walked up to Xiao Juan and asked. ¡°Is Your Highness hiding something from me?¡± Xiao Juan only replied calmly, ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter. I¡¯ve already resolved it myself. Nanny, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Seeing that he was unwilling to say anything else, Granny Xiu Yan could only ask about something else. ¡°Why did Your Highness sleep in the studyst night?¡± Xiao Juan casually replied, ¡°I came back toote. I didn¡¯t want to disturb Niaoniao.¡± Granny Xiu Yan felt that this was not the truth. In the past, Xiao Juan had also returnedte, but no matter howte it was, he would sleep with Yu Niaoniao. This was unless he had quarreled with Yu Niaoniao again. Thinking of this, Granny Xiu Yan couldn¡¯t help but have a headache. Young people were impatient and liked to bicker at the drop of a hat. She advised earnestly, ¡°The Princess Consort cares about you very much. She even specially asked someone to leave food for youst night. Don¡¯t neglect the Princess Consort because of a small matter. The most important thing for a couple is to learn to tolerate and understand each other.¡± Xiao Juan knew that she had misunderstood, but he had no intention of exining. He replied calmly, ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you know. Ott is ready.¡± Xiao Juan ate something briefly and rode to the Justice Department with Lo Pingsha. When Yu Niaoniao woke up, it waste in the morning outside the window. She saw that the space beside her was empty. There was no sign of Xiao Juan. This was not something she was used to. She got off the bed and looked around, seeing that there were no traces of Xiao Juan returning. Chun Feng and Ye Yu walked in with hot water and skillfully helped Yu Niaoniao wash up and change her clothes. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Duke Lang? Didn¡¯t hee backst night?¡± Chun Feng replied truthfully, ¡°His Highness returnedst night. He slept in the study for the entire night and left at dawn today.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately frowned. ¡°It¡¯s fine if he came backte, but he actually went to sleep in the study? Could it be that he¡¯s throwing a tantrum with me again?¡± She recalled carefully that she had been very honest recently and had not done anything to offend him. Chun Fengforted him, ¡°His Highness likes you so much, so how can he bear to be angry with you? He probably came back toote and chose to sleep in the study because he was afraid of disturbing your sleep. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask him in person when His Highness returns.¡± Yu Niaoniao had the same thought. When Xiao Juan returned, she would definitely ask him clearly. What couldn¡¯t he say in person? Why did he have to hide? Granny Xiu Yan personally brought breakfast. Ye Yu hurriedly took the heavy food box from her. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°In the future, just let the servants do things like delivering food. There¡¯s no need for you to run around personally.¡± Granny Xiu Yan was old and her stamina was inferior to that of a young person. What if she identally fell with the food box? It was a big deal for an old person to fall. Granny Xiu Yan smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for your concern, Princess Consort. It¡¯s not far. I can do it.¡± Yu Niaoniao sat down at the table and asked. ¡°Nanny, have you eaten? If you haven¡¯t, sit down and eat with me.¡± Granny Xiu Yan politely declined. ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten. Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness.¡± Yu Niaoniao took a sip of soup. Seeing that Granny Xiu Yan was still standing at the side, she guessed that the other party had something to say, so she asked Chun Feng and Ye Yu to go down. After everyone left, Yu Niaoniao said. ¡°Nanny, if you have anything to say, just say it. We¡¯re all family, so you don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡± Granny Xiu Yan said hesitantly, ¡°Eat first. It won¡¯t be toote for me to say anything after you¡¯re done.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can say your piece. It won¡¯t affect me.¡± Granny Xiu Yan could only tell the truth. ¡°This morning, I saw two maidservants secretly hugging His Highness¡¯s clothes.¡± ¡°The servants looked suspicious and I felt that something was wrong. However, His Highness did not allow me to ask further, so I could only give up.¡± ¡°After that, I thought about it and still felt uneasy. I went to look for the two maidservants in private and happened to see them washing clothes for Duke Lang. ¡± At this point, her expression turned very ugly. Yu Niaoniao was curious. ¡°Is there a problem with washing clothes?¡± Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°There¡¯s no problem with washing clothes. The problem is that there¡¯s blood on those clothes.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s expression changed. She pressed, ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s blood?¡± Granny Xiu Yan said firmly, ¡°Although I¡¯m old, my eyes are still useful.¡± ¡°The clothes that Duke Lang had changed out of were indeed stained with blood. It was impossible for me to be wrong.¡± ¡°I questioned the two maidservants. They did not know where the blood came from. They only said that Duke Lang had instructed them not to spread this matter, especially not to the County Princess.¡± Logically speaking, she should not have told the County Princess about this, but she was really too worried. She had watched Duke Lang grow up and knew that he was not good with words. No matter what happened, he would shoulder it alone. Even if he suffered, he would not say a word to anyone. She did not want Duke Lang to face this alone. She wanted the Princess Consort to help Duke Lang. At the thought that Xiao Juan might be injured, Yu Niaoniao immediately lost the appetite to continue eating breakfast. Granny Xiu Yan hurriedly said, ¡°Eat more. It¡¯s not toote to go out after you¡¯re full. Yu Niaoniao waved her hand. ¡°No need. Just do as I say.¡± Granny Xiu Yan was helpless and could only retreat.. Chapter 544 - 544: It’s My Fault Chapter 544: It¡¯s My Fault Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao strode out. She originally thought that Xiao Juan was throwing a tantrum with her. Now that she thought about it, he must have been injured and did not want her to worry after knowing, so he chose to sleep in the studyst night. He had always been like this. No matter what he encountered, he would keep it to himself. Yu Niaoniao pushed open the study door and walked across the threshold. She looked around. The arrangement in the study was still the same as usual. Yu Niaoniao refused to give up. She opened the closet door and rummaged through it. Then, she opened the drawers beside the bed one by one and finally found the medicine box in the bottom drawer. This medicine box was originally ced in the bedroom for emergencies, but now it appeared in the study. It must have been ced here after Xiao Juan applied medicationst night. Yu Niaoniao opened the medicine box and took out the bottle of ointment specially used to treat external injuries. She opened the lid and took a look. There was less ointment inside than she remembered. Clearly, Xiao Juan had used it. In addition, there was less gauze. Yu Niaoniao closed the medicine box and walked out of the study with a dark expression. At this moment, she was already 100% sure that Xiao Juan was definitely injured, and he was quite heavily injured. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have to cover up like this, looking afraid that she would find out. Yu Niaoniao rode the donkey to the Justice Department apanied by Ling Hai. This was the first time Ling Hai hade to the Justice Department. He had heard many rumors about the Justice Department, most of which were about how sinister and terrifying it was. As long as one stepped into the Justice Department, they would either die or suffer ayer of skin. The exaggeration wasparable to hell on earth. When he approached the door of the Justice Department, Ling Hai could not help but feel a little nervous. He followed closely behind Yu Niaoniao and dutifully acted as her sidekick, not daring to look at her. The two Eagle Guards on duty at the door immediately cupped their fists and bowed when they saw the County Princess appear. ¡°Greetings, Princess Consort.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Are Duke Lang and Little Lo inside?¡± The two of them nodded. Yu Niaoniao brought Ling Hai into the Justice Department. Ling Hai could not suppress his curiosity and could not help but secretly sized up his surroundings. He realized that the Justice Department was not as terrifying as the rumors said. The rooms looked very ordinary, and the Eagle Guards passing by were very normal. The fear and uneasiness in Ling Hails heart eased a lot. It seemed that the rumors were all lies. Yu Niaoniao asked around and learned that Lo Pingsha was interrogating the prisoners in the torture chamber, so she brought Ling Hai outside. She was afraid that the scene in the torture chamber would be too bloody and scare Ling Hai, so she instructed him. ¡°Wait for me outside. I¡¯ll be back soon. Ling Hai nodded obediently. ¡°Yes!¡± Yu Niaoniao pushed open the door and walked into the torture chamber. Ling Hai took a nce and saw someone hanging in the torture chamber. To be precise, it was not a human anymore. Its entire body was covered in blood. Not a piece of intact flesh was left. It was more like a piece of fresh meat that had been peeled off. Ling Hai was so frightened that his face turned pale. The terrifying rumors about the Justice Department in his memory attacked him again. So the rumors were not all lies. This ce could really skin someone alive! In the torture chamber, Lo Pingsha was interrogating a criminal who hadmitted multiple rape and murder cases, forcing him to tell him the exact killing process. Unexpectedly, Yu Niaoniao appeared at this moment. Lo Pingsha hurriedly stopped the interrogation. He brought Yu Niaoniao to the small room next door. ¡°County Princess Consort, why are you suddenly here?¡± Yu Niaoniao was still thinking about something and was not affected by the bloody scene in the torture chamber. She asked solemnly, ¡°Tell me honestly, why did Duke Lang return to the Duke¡¯s Mansion sote yesterday? Did something happen to him?¡± Lo Pingsha subconsciously avoided her gaze and said vaguely, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you yesterday? Duke Lang has something to do.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. I know everything.¡± Lo Pingsha asked, ¡°What do you know?¡± Seeing that he was still pretending to be stupid, Yu Niaoniao was a little angry. ¡°Little Lo, Duke Lang is injured, right?¡± ¡°You clearly knew the inside story, but you didn¡¯t tell me. You even helped Duke Lang lie to me. Aren¡¯t you letting me down by doing this?¡± ¡°To think that I treat you as family. No matter what good things there are, I won¡¯t forget your share. Is this how you repay me?¡± Lo Pingsha was already feeling guilty, but after being scolded by her, he could not raise his head. ¡°Duke Lang didn¡¯t want me to tell you. He was afraid you would be worried.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°He¡¯s always like this. In the name of being afraid that I¡¯ll be worried, he won¡¯t tell me anything. He never asked me what I thought. You men are too self-righteous!¡± Her eyes turned red as she spoke, as if she would cry at any moment. Lo Pingsha immediately panicked and hurriedlyforted him. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. It¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have lied to you. Please don¡¯t cry.¡± Yu Niaoniao choked and asked, ¡°Why was Duke Lang injured?¡± At this point, there was no point in hiding it. Lo Pingsha said truthfully, ¡°Yesterday, Duke Lang was summoned to the pce by the emperor. When he returned, he was injured. Although he didn¡¯t say how he was injured, from the injuries on his waist and back, he should have received at least 50 blows.¡± Lo Pingsha hurriedly supported her. ¡°Duke Lang practices martial arts all year round and is much stronger than ordinary people. Although he suffered the strokes, it¡¯s only a flesh wound. His bones and tendons are not injured. He can recover after resting for a few days.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked. ¡°Why was he flogged?¡± Lo Pingsha shook his head. ¡°Duke Lang refused to tell me. I don¡¯t know the inside story.¡± Yu Niaoniao ran through everything that had happened today and quickly thought of a possibility¡ª Could it be due to the performance of Duke Lang in Liaodong in Qirui Garden? The more she thought about it, the more she felt that it was possible. Back then, in order to increase Shen Zhuo¡¯s reputation, the emperor let Shen Zhuo take credit for Xiao Juan¡¯s contribution. The appearance of the show not only pped Shen Zhuo¡¯s face, but also embarrassed the emperor. The emperor was furious and took it out on Xiao Juan. Logically, everything made sense. Yu Niaoniao muttered, ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± She thought that as long as she did not let Xiao Juan participate in the rehearsal of the show, Xiao Juan would not be implicated. Even if there was troubleter, she would bear it alone. Unexpectedly, the emperor did not care about the truth behind the scenes. He was certain about his judgment of culpability. He didn¡¯t need any evidence. Lo Pingsha looked at the pale Yu Niaoniao and was very worried. ¡°County Princess, are you alright?¡± He wanted to take Yu Niaoniao¡¯s pulse, but she pushed him away. Yu Niaoniao walked out the door. Lo Pingsha hurriedly followed. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Do what you need to. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Outside the torture chamber, Ling Hai stood rooted to the ground, not daring to move. He saw the County Princess walk out in a daze and hurriedly went up to her. ¡°County Princess Consort, you don¡¯t look well. Are you feeling unwell?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Go back..¡± Chapter 545 - 545: Red Bean Soup (1) Chapter 545: Red Bean Soup (1) Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After Lo Pingsha sent the County Princess away, he felt uneasy. After thinking about it, he decided to look for Duke Lang. Xiao Juan couldn¡¯t help but frown when he heard Lo Pingsha finish what happened. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to tell Niaoniao about this?¡± Lo Pingsha knelt on one knee. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I¡¯m willing to be punished.¡± Now was not the time to pursue this. Xiao Juan stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go back first. We¡¯ll talk about the restter.¡± He was very worried about Niaoniao now, afraid that she would let her imagination run wild and take all the responsibility. He had to go back and talk to Niaoniao. However, when Xiao Juan returned to the Lanjun Imperial Pce, he was told that Niaoniao had not returned. Xiao Juan was anxious. If Niaoniao didn¡¯t go home, where else could she go? He first went to Qirui Garden and did not see Niaoniao in the theater. Then, he rode to the Yu Residence. Yu Kangtai happened to be at home. When he heard that his son-inw was here, he hurriedly brought his son out to wee him. However, before they could greet him, he heard Xiao Juan ask hurriedly. ¡°Is Niaoniao at home?¡± Yu Kangtai and Yu Sheng were stunned. They looked at Xiao Juan in confusion. ¡°Isn¡¯t Niaoniao in the Langjun Imperial Pce?¡± As soon as he saw them like this, Xiao Juan knew that Niaoniao had definitely not returned to her parents¡¯ house. He turned to leave, but Yu Kangtai stopped him. ¡°Your Highness, did something happen to our Niaoniao?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Niaoniao is gone. I can¡¯t find her anywhere.¡± Yu Kangtai said, ¡°Could she have gone out to y? She used to run out to y. When she was done, she would naturally go home.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s different this time. It¡¯s impossible for Niaoniao to go out to y.¡± With that, he got on the horse. Because his movements were too big, the wound on his back was affected and the pain suddenly came. He couldn¡¯t help but stiffen, and his expression turned even uglier. However, he had no intention of finding a physician o take a look. He flicked his horsewhip as if nothing had happened and rode away. Yu Kangtai and Yu Sheng stood there looking at each other. Yu Sheng was a little uneasy. ¡°Did something really happen to Sister?¡± Yu Kangtai felt that nothing would happen to Niaoniao. That girl was very smart and had a lot of evil ideas. Only she could cheat others. Very few people could cheat her. However, Duke Lang¡¯s expression just now was really terrifying, as if something big had really happened. Yu Kangtai could not make up his mind for a moment. Yu Sheng suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t I go out and help look for her?¡± Yu Kangtai thought for a moment before saying. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to do today. Bring more people and we¡¯ll look for her together.¡± Yu Sheng immediately agreed. ¡°Okay.¡± Yu Kangtai instructed, ¡°Keep a low profile when we look for her. Don¡¯t let anyone know that we¡¯re looking for Niaoniao, lest outsiders make an issue of something. ¡± The Imperial Capital was only so big, and Yu Niaoniao¡¯s identity was so special. If others found out that she was missing, they would definitely spread this matter to the entire city. At that time, even if nothing happened, it would be a big deal. Wasn¡¯t this how Yu Niaoniao¡¯s marriage with Xuao Juan came about? Yu Sheng nodded to show that he understood. Yu Pingping was originally settling the ounts in her boudoir when she suddenly heard amotion outside. She put down the ount book and quickly walked out of the door. When she saw her brother running out with arge group of people, she hurriedly stopped them and asked. ¡°Where are you going in such a hurry?¡± Yu Sheng replied truthfully, ¡°Sister is missing. We went out to look for her.¡± Yu Pingping immediately panicked. She picked up her skirt and ran over. ¡°What do you mean missing? What happened?¡± Yu Sheng said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the details. Just now, Duke Lang suddenly ran to our house to look for Sister and said that she was missing. He left quickly without finding her at our house. Father and I n to look outside to see if we can find Sister.¡± Yu Pingping hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Yu Sheng was a little hesitant. ¡°As a girl, it¡¯s not good for you to go out and show your face, right?¡± Yu Pingping ced her hands on her hips and said aggressively. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t underestimate me!¡± Yu Sheng was in a hurry to find Yu Niaoniao and did not have the time to chat with her. He could only do as she wished. ¡®You can go with me, but you¡¯re not allowed to run around. You have to follow me closely.¡± Yu Pingping said perfunctorily, ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I understand. You¡¯re so long-winded. Hurry up and leave!¡± After the group left the Yu Residence, they began to search the city. Xiao Juan could not find her himself, so he could only disperse the Eagle Guards and ask them to help find her. The two sides happened to meet in the city. Yu Kangtai hurriedly asked, ¡°Your Highness, have you found Niaoniao?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s face was dark and ashen. ¡°Not yet.¡± This time, everyone felt even more uneasy. Could something have really happened to Niaoniao? At this moment, Meng Xizhou hurriedly ran over and cupped his fists at Xiao Juan. ¡°Your Highness, a spy saw the County Princess leave the city near the east city Yu Sheng was puzzled. ¡°Why did Sister leave the city?¡± Yu Pingpings imagination ran wild. ¡°Could she have been kidnapped?¡± Duke Lang had so many enemies. It was possible that they could not deal with him, so they kidnapped the Princess Consort. This was very likely to happen. Xiao Juan looked at Meng Xizhou and asked. ¡°Did Niaoniao leave the city alone?¡± Meng Xizhou replied truthfully, ¡°The Princess Consort was riding a donkey with a half-grown child beside her. From the description of the spy, it should be Ling Hai.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a case of kidnapping.¡± Yu Pingping asked, ¡°If it¡¯s not a case of kidnapping, why did Sister leave the city? Could it be that she had an appointment with someone outside the city?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Yu Kangtai red at her. Yu Kangtai scolded angrily, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Niaoniao is already married. Who can she ask out? How ugly would it be if word got out!¡± Yu Pingping curled her lips. ¡°Who said you have to ask a man out? Can¡¯t it be a friend?¡± Yu Kangtai said, ¡°You¡¯re still talking?!¡± Yu Sheng looked at Duke Lang and asked seriously. ¡°Brother-inw and Sister are husband and wife. You should know her best. Do you know any pls ed outside the city that Sister often goes to?¡± Xiao Juan fell into deep thought. Yu Kangtai muttered softly, ¡°She grew up in Bashu and has only been in the Imperial Capital for two years. She¡¯s unfamiliar with this ce. Other than her maiden family and the Langjun Imperial Pce, where else can she go?¡± Xiao Juan suddenly said. ¡°Ten Thousand Buddha Temple.¡± They all looked at him. Xiao Juan said, ¡°If we head out of the east city gate and go straight along the official road, we can reach the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple.¡± Yu Kangtai was puzzled. ¡°Why did Niaoniao go to the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple? She doesn¡¯t believe in Buddhism.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°She lit longevitymps for her mother and stepfather in the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple and set up longevity tablets for them.¡± Yu Kangtai was stunned on the spot. He was maaam mes Ill-st nusoana ana actuany ma nor Know aoouc rms. Before he could ask again, Xiao Juan had already ridden away.. Chapter 546 - 546: Red Bean Soup (2) Chapter 546: Red Bean Soup (2) Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios In the Changming Hall of the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, Yu Niaoniao knelt on the futon and kowtowed to Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan. Then, she stood up and offered three incense sticks to the two of them. At the same time, she ced a sum of money into the merit box beside her. After doing this, she stood quietly on the spot and looked at Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan¡¯s memorial tablets in a daze. Actually, after leaving the Justice Department, she should have returned to the Langjun Imperial Pce. But how should she face Xiao Juan next? Should she apologize to him? Or should she pretend that nothing had happened? If she apologized, it meant that everything she had done before was wrong. But if she pretended that nothing had happened, she felt guilty. She really didn¡¯t know what to do and could onlye here. Yu Niaoniao muttered softly. ¡°Dad, Mom, what should I do?¡± Outside Changming Hall, Ling Hai ced his hands in his sleeves and paced back and forth, trying his best to move his body to avoid being frozen. The winter was already cold. Coupled with the fact that the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple was built halfway up the mountain, the temperature was even lower. Ling Hai turned to look into the hall and saw that the Princess Consort was still in a daze at the memorial tablet. Other than many longevitymps and longevity tablets, Changming Hall only had a small brazier. It was almost impossible to rely on that small fire to warm up. He wondered if the Princess Consort would be frozen. Ling Hai rubbed his hands hard, wondering if he should ask the monks in the temple for a bowl of hot soup so that the Princess Consort could warm up. At this moment, an old woman wrapped in a rough cloth headscarf walked over with two baskets. She stopped in front of Ling Hai and asked in a hoarse voice. ¡°Gentleman, do you want a bowl of red bean soup? I made this myself. It¡¯s still hot. It only costs one copper coin a bowl.¡± Ling Hai hurriedly said, ¡°I want a bowl.¡± He took a copper coin from his pouch and handed it over. The old woman reached out with her calloused rough palm and took the copper coin. Then, she removed the rough cloth covering the basket and revealed the y urn inside. She untied the y urn and scooped out a bowl of red bean soup. ¡°Here you go.¡± Ling Hai took the red bean soup with both hands. He could still feel the temperature through the thick porcin bowl. This red bean soup must have just been boiled. He immediately walked into Changming Hall with the red bean soup and brought it to the County Princess. ¡°Have some soup to warm yourself up.¡± Yu Niaoniao was surprised. ¡®Where did the red bean soupe from?¡± Ling Hai pointed at the old woman standing outside the door. ¡°I bought it from her. ¡± The old woman noticed their gaze and bowed slightly to them as a greeting. Yu Niaoniao took a sip of the red bean soup. The red bean was boiled until it was delicate and smooth. There was also some osmanthus honey and lilies in it. The sweetness was just right. After drinking a bowl of soup, her body was much warmer, and her depressed mood improved. Yu Niaoniao walked out of Changming Hall and personally returned the empty bowl to the old woman. ¡°Granny, thank you for the soup. It tastes very good.¡± The old woman took the thick porcin bowl with both hands and asked, ¡°Youngdy, do you want another bowl?¡± Yu Niaoniao could tell from her ent. ¡°Are you from Bashu?¡± The old woman said, ¡°I¡¯m not from Bashu, but I¡¯ve lived in Bashu for many years. I¡¯m considered half a Bashu citizen.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked. ¡°Then why did youe to the Imperial Capital?¡± The old woman sighed. ¡°Everyone in my family is dead. As an old woman, I have nowhere to go and can only drift around.¡± ¡°Recently, I happened toe to the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple. The abbot of the temple was kind. Seeing that I was pitiful, he allowed me to borrow the kitchen in the temple to cook some soup for money.¡± Yu Niaoniao felt sympathy. She opened her pouch and took out thergest piece of silver. ¡°This money is for you. I¡¯ll buy all your red bean soup.¡± It was already very difficult for a young man to carry a basket and sell soup on such a cold day, not to mention that the other party was a thin old woman with white hair and a hunched figure. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s ability was limited, so she could only help her buy all the red bean soup so that she could close the stall early today and rest. The old woman hurriedly refused. ¡°How can that do? Even if I sell all my red bean soup to you, it will only be 50 copper coins at most. You gave too much money. I can¡¯t ept it.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then treat it as my advance payment. If I want to drink red bean soup again in the future, I¡¯ll buy it from you. You can just deduct it from this money.¡± With that, she stuffed the silver into the old woman¡¯s hand. The old woman held the silver in her hand and looked at Yu Niaoniao with grayish-white eyes. Her gaze was indescribablyplicated. Yu Niaoniao said to Ling Hai. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The old woman hurriedly stopped her. ¡°What about this red bean soup?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled at her. ¡°Keep it for yourself to drink slowly. If you can¡¯t finish it, give it to the monks in the temple.¡± With that, she left with Ling Hai. The old woman stood on the spot and watched them leave. After a long time, she muttered. ¡°She¡¯s a good child. What a pity¡­¡± Just as Yu Niaoniao and Ling Hai reached the entrance of the temple, they saw Xiao Juan striding over. Both sides bumped into each other and were stunned. Xiao Juan was the first to speak. ¡°Why did youe here without saying gooc1Dyef¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I wanted to offer incense to Father and Mother. Why are you here?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t find you anywhere and was very worried, so I came here to try my luck. I didn¡¯t expect you to really be here.¡± Yu Niaoniao lowered her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong when you came to offer incense to Dad and Mom. You don¡¯t have to apologize. However, if you want to leave the city in the future, remember to inform your family in advance so that everyone won¡¯t worry about you.¡± However, Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m apologizing to you for what happened previously. I was the one who asked the troupe to rehearse Duke Lang in Liaodong, but I caused you to be punished. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her steadily and suddenly asked. ¡°If you were given another chance, would you still get someone to rehearse the show?¡± Yu Niaoniao said without hesitation, ¡°Yes!¡± Although she felt guilty, she had never regretted it. It was a fact that Shen Zhuo had taken credit for his achievements, and it was also a fact that Xiao Juan had been misunderstood. She was just telling the truth to everyone. Even if she had to do it again, she would still insist on her choice. Xiao Juan seemed to have expected this answer and said calmly, ¡°In that case, why do you need to apologize?¡± Yu Niaoniao pursed her lips. ¡°But I caused you to be punished.. Xiao Juan bent down slightly and approached her face. He looked into her eyes and said word by word seriously, ¡°Niaoniao, you¡¯ve never harmed me. On the contrary, you like me better than everyone else. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have done so much behind my back.¡± ¡°The reason why the emperor punished me was to better control me. The fault is his, not yours. You don¡¯t have to apologize, let alone feel guilty.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly covered his mouth. ¡°You¡¯re crazy. How dare you say such things. If anyone hears you, you¡¯re dead!¡± After saying that, she looked at the visitors who walked past her, afraid that someone would hear what Xiao Juan had just said. It was a capital crime to nder the emperor! Xiao Juan grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no one heard it..¡± Chapter 547 - 547: You I ve Turned Bad Chapter 547: You I ve Turned Bad Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Since he had already arrived at the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, Xiao Juan went in to offer incense to Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan. When he knelt down and kowtowed, he identally pulled on his wound, causing him to gasp in pain. However, he quickly returned to normal. After kowtowing, he stood up without changing his expression. He guessed that the wound on his back should have opened. Fortunately, he was wearing ck clothes. Coupled with the cloak, no one could discover it. When they went down the mountain, Yu Niaoniao gave the donkey to Ling Hai. She rode the same horse as Xiao Juan. When they returned to the Langjun Imperial Pce, Granny Xiu Yan finally heaved a sigh of relief when she saw them return safely. Xiao Juan was about to return to the Justice Department when he was stopped by Yu Niaoniao. She wanted to see Xiao Juan¡¯s injuries. Xiao Juan said, ¡°I still have something to do. I¡¯ll show you when Ie back tonight.¡± Yu Niaoniao knew him too well. The fact that he was so secretive and refused to show her his injuries proved that he was definitely seriously injured. She grabbed Xiao Juan¡¯s hand and refused to let go, threatening him shamelessly. ¡°If you don¡¯t show me, I¡¯ll cry.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I really have something on¡­¡± Yu Niaoniao pouted and tears began to well up in her eyes, as if they would burst in the next moment. Xiao Juan immediatelypromised. ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s evil n seeded. She immediately put away her crying expression and pulled Xiao Juan towards the bedroom. After walking into the bedroom, Yu Niaoniao closed the door and said to Xiao Juan. ¡°Take off your clothes.¡± Xiao Juan had no choice but to do it himself and begin to undress. Although the 50 court staves had not injured his foundation, they had alsocerated his flesh. Coupled with the fact that he had ridden back and forth just now, his wound opened again, and his injuries became even more serious. The clothes he had taken off were stained with blood, and the gauze was already dyed red. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s temples throbbed. Her heart ached and she was angry. ¡°You¡¯re already so injured, but you¡¯re still running around. Do you want to die?¡± Xiao Juan did not argue and admitted his mistake. ¡°Sorry.¡± Yu Niaoniaoined angrily, ¡°All you know is to apologize. What¡¯s the use of being sorry? Can¡¯t you think about yourself first?¡± Xiao Juan looked at her and fell silent. Yu Niaoniao asked someone to bring the medicine box over. She helped Xiao Juan remove the gauze. Looking at the badly mangled wound, she couldn¡¯t help but start nagging again. ¡°You¡¯re just relying on your youth to be flippant about your body. Let¡¯s see what you can do when you fall ill in the future. I¡¯ll tell you in advance that I won¡¯t serve you when you¡¯re old.¡± Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°You don¡¯t have to serve me.¡± Yu Niaoniao soaked the cloth towel in hot water. Hearing this, she paused and said angrily, ¡°Yo, you want someone else to serve you!¡± The jealousy in her words was about to make her die of jealousy. Xiao Juan smiled silently. ¡°When we¡¯re old in the future, I¡¯ll serve you.¡± Yu Niaoniao was immediately satisfied. Sheined as she wrung out the cloth towel. ¡°Look at how you don¡¯t take your body seriously. I don¡¯t dare to count on you in the future. ¡± She used a cloth towel to wipe the blood near Xiao Juan¡¯s wound bit by bit. Afraid of hurting him, her movements were extremely gentle. Xiao Juan sat on the stool with his back straight and his muscles tensed. He couldn¡¯t see the scene behind him and didn¡¯t know Niaoniao¡¯s current expression, but he could feel the touch of her fingers gently brushing past his back. He involuntarily held his breath, his Adam¡¯s apple bobbing. ¡°Niaoniao. ¡± Her voice was low and hoarse, with an indescribable ambiguity and attachment. Yu Niaoniao was focused on treating his wound and did not notice his abnormality. She replied without looking up when she heard him call her name. ¡°What?¡± Xiao Juan did not know what he wanted to do. He suddenly wanted to call out her name. This feeling came very strangely, even to himself. Yu Niaoniao threw the blood-stained cloth towel into the basin, opened the medicine bottle, wet the medicine with cotton gauze, and gently wiped the wound. Xiao Juan involuntarily clenched his fists and tensed up even more. Yu Niaoniao paused. ¡°Does it hurt very much?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Yu Niaoniao bent down and breathed into his wound. Xiao Juan felt that the wound on his back was cold, but his heart was warm. He couldn¡¯t help but call out again. ¡°Niaoniao. ¡± Yu Niaoniao looked up. ¡°Yes?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I hope we can be like this in the future.¡± Yu Niaoniao said angrily, ¡°Do you still want to be injured every day in the future? Can¡¯t you hope for something good?¡± Seeing that she did not understand the meaning of his words, Xiao Juan was very helpless. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡¯ Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then do you want me to serve you like this every day in the future?¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. She had killed the conversation today. Yu Niaoniao took out the bottle of Golden Creation medication and sprinkled the powder inside evenly on the wound. Then, she gently covered the wound with the folded gauze and wrapped it around his body. Yu Niaoniao asked him to raise his hands. Her hands passed through his sides, crossed the gauze in front of him, and circled back to his back. This went on and on. Every time her hands passed through from behind, Xiao Juan felt like she was hugging him. His heart involuntarily beat faster, and every touch of his body became especially sharp. When Yu Niaoniao was done, Xiao Juan was still in a daze. Why did it end so quickly? Yu Niaoniao took out clean clothes from the closet and shook them gently. ¡°Reach out.¡± Xiao Juan obediently reached out. However, because she was shorter, he had to bend his knees slightly to put his hands into his sleeves. She looked almost clumsy and cute. Yu Niaoniao reminded him as she helped him tie his belt. ¡°I know you¡¯re busy. You definitely don¡¯t want to rest at home, but you can¡¯t ride anymore. You¡¯re not allowed to do anything that will affect the healing of your wound. ¡± Xiao Juan stood rooted to the ground and looked down at her face as he replied softly, ¡°Okay.¡± Yu Niaoniao lowered her hand. ¡°Alright, you can leave.¡± Xiao Juan was puzzled. ¡°Where am I going?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that you had something to do and had to rush back to the Justice Department as soon as possible?¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. He had almost forgotten about this! Yu Niaoniao looked at him suspiciously. ¡°You were not fooling me, were you?¡± Just now, Xiao Juan deliberately found an excuse to leave in order not to let Niaoniao see his wound. In fact, he had nothing to do at the Justice Department today. Coupled with the fact that it was alreadyte, he would have nothing to do even if he returned to the Justice Department. He replied vaguely, ¡°It¡¯s almost dark. I¡¯ll do those things tomorrow.¡± Yu Niaoniao snorted angrily. ¡°Alright, you were indeed fooling me just now! Xiao Mozhu, you¡¯ve be bad. You¡¯re starting to lie!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± With that, he walked out the door. Yu Niaoniao immediately chased after him, still shouting. ¡°You clearly do!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°No.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I really didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You clearly did!¡± Chapter 548 - 548: Seal Chapter 548: Seal Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The next morning, Yu Niaoniao was eating breakfast when she saw Ling Hai rush in. ¡°County Princess Consort, something bad has happened!¡± Yu Niaoniao had to put down her bowl and chopsticks. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ling Hai panted. ¡°Early this morning, the soldiers of the Imperial Capital rushed into Qirui Garden aggressively. They said that they wanted to seize Qirui Garden and arrest everyone in Qirui Garden to be sent to the border.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s expression changed. ¡®What right do they have to arrest them?¡± Ling Hai shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not even bother to eat breakfast. She put on her cloak and quickly ran out. Ling Hai hurriedly chased after her. Because she was in a hurry, Yu Niaoniao did not ride a donkey this time. She and Ling Hai rode separate horses and went straight to Qirui Garden. When they arrived at Qirui Garden, they saw that the entrance of the theater had been sealed. Liu Qirui and the people in the theater were all shackled. The soldiers of the Imperial Capital were about to take them away. ¡°Wait!¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped them. Everyone looked at her. The moment Liu Qirui and Liu Sixing saw her, their eyes lit up, like dying people who had caught a life-saving piece of driftwood. ¡°Boss!¡± Yu Niaoniao dismounted and asked the soldiers of the Imperial Capital. ¡°What right do you have to arrest them?¡± The leader looked Yu Niaoniao up and down and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m the boss here. If you want to arrest someone, there has to be a reason, right?¡± The official avoided her question and said, ¡°Since you¡¯re the boss, arrest them all ! ¡± The soldiers of the Imperial Capital were about to go forward to arrest her when Ling Hai, who had followed closely behind, shouted. ¡°Stop! How dare you attack our County Princess?!¡± The soldiers were stunned. They were not the only ones. Everyone in Qirui Garden was stunned. Did they hear wrongly? Ling Hai had just mentioned the Princess Consort? Their boss was actually the Princess Consort? The soldiers did not dare to move anymore, and the officials were a little hesitant. ¡®May I ask which residence you are the Princess Consort of?¡± Ling Hai jumped off the horse. ¡°Duke Lang¡¯s Pce!¡± Everyone was even more surprised. Liu Qirui had long guessed that his boss was extraordinary, but he did not expect her to be the legendary Princess Consort of Lang County. He looked at Yu Niaoniao in disbelief, as if he had not really known her until this moment. No wonder she could take out 3,000 taels of silver in one go. No wonder she insisted on using Duke Lang as the protagonist in the show. No wonder she was so confident and was not afraid of the Eagle Guards looking for trouble. All of this was because she was the Princess Consort of Lang County! The official asked cautiously. ¡°How can you prove your identity?¡± Yu Niaoniao pointed at the horse beside her. ¡°Do you see the symbol on the saddle? Even if you don¡¯t know me, you should know this symbol, right?¡± The horses in the county king¡¯s residence were all equipped with special saddles. Every saddle was engraved with the county king¡¯s emblem. The official leaned over to take a closer look and immediately recognized that it was the emblem of the Regional King¡¯s Mansion! At this moment, a soldier leaned over to the official and whispered to him. ¡°Lord, she¡¯s really the Princess Consort of Lang County. I¡¯ve seen her before.¡± The official was surprised. ¡°You¡¯re just an ordinary soldier. How did you meet the Princess Consort of Lang County?¡± The soldier¡¯s expression became strange. ¡°You were only transferred to the Imperial Capital this year, so there are some things you don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Two years ago, Assistant Minister Yu¡¯s eldest daughter ran away from home.¡± ¡°That night, I was patrolling the city with mypanions and bumped into her. We didn¡¯t know her identity, so we arrested her.¡± At this point, his voice involuntarily lowered, looking very guilty. ¡°After that, Duke Lang personally came to the cell to take her away. After that, she entered the cell twice, so I have a deep impression of her. It¡¯s impossible for me to mistake her for someone else.¡± The official felt like he was listening to a heavenly book. The eldest daughter of the dignified Assistant Minister actually ran away from home in the middle of the night and was thrown into jail three times in a row. This was too ridiculous! Although the soldier deliberately lowered his voice, Yu Niaoniao still heard their conversation. She did not expect to meet someone she knew who would even dig up her glorious history. Yu Niaoniao upheld the principle that as long as she was not embarrassed, others would be and said righteously, ¡°If you still don¡¯t believe me, you can send someone to the Justice Department or Duke Lang¡¯s Pce to ask immediately. I¡¯ll wait for you here. How about that?¡± How could the officials dare to doubt him anymore? He immediately took a step back and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Princess Consort!¡± Seeing this, the soldiers knelt on one knee. The people of Qirui Garden naturally did not dare to stand anymore. In the blink of an eye, everyone knelt on the ground. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Now can you tell me why you arrested them?¡± The official looked troubled. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Why? Do you think I¡¯m not worthy of knowing the reason?¡± The official hurriedly said, ¡°No, no! I actually don¡¯t know what crime Qirui Garden hasmitted. It¡¯s an order from the pce to seal Qirui Garden immediately.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately understood. It must be an order from the old emperor! Not only did he punish Xiao Juan, but he also wanted to seal Qirui Garden. He waspletely cutting off Xiao Juan¡¯s escape route and would never give him a chance to clear his name. Seeing her expression turn extremely ugly, the official spoke carefully. ¡°Although the people in the pce didn¡¯t say it explicitly, I can actually roughly guess the reason. It¡¯s nothing more than for the show Duke Lang in Liaodong. The main character in the show is Duke Lang. This is really a little taboo.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Everyone in Qirui Garden is innocent. You can¡¯t arrest them!¡± The official looked helpless. ¡°The emperor has said that it¡¯s useless even if they¡¯re innocent. We still have to arrest them. Otherwise, we won¡¯t be able to report it.¡± Yu Niaoniao was so angry that her face turned pale. In this era where the imperial power was supreme, the emperor would do whatever he said. Even if he used a deer or horse of heinous crimes, no one dared to say anything. So what if there was no evidence? He could use someone with a word. He was rude and shameless. The official knew that Duke Lang was not to be trifled with. He was afraid that the Princess Consort of Lang would go back andin to Duke Lang. When that happened, he would be the one to sufferter. He did not want to offend either side, so he lowered his voice and said to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°The Princess Consort should know very well that this matter is not big or small. As long as you change the content of the show, this matter will be over.¡± Yu Niaoniao suppressed her anger and asked, ¡°How do you want to change it?¡± The official said, ¡°It¡¯s not how I want to change it, but how the person in the pce wants to change it?¡± Yu Niaoniao wanted to refuse. However, when her gaze swept across everyone in Qirui Garden, she could not reject them. She could take the risk for Xiao Juan, but she could not let the others suffer with her. Everyone was born and raised by their parents. Why should they be sent to the border for an unrted person? Yu Niaoniao took a deep breath and tried her best to suppress the anger and unwillingness in her heart. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll change it!¡± The official immediately beamed. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good! As long as you¡¯re willing to give in, this matter will be easy..¡± Chapter 549 - 549: Non-existent Chapter 549: Non-existent Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The soldiers of the Imperial Capital removed the seal and left Qirui Garden. Seeing that Liu Qirui, Liu Sixing, and the others were still kneeling on the ground, Yu Niaoniao said to them. ¡°Get up, all of you.¡± Everyone got up from the ground. Liu Qirui said carefully, ¡°Boss¡­ Princess Consort, what should we do next?¡± Yu Niaoniao nced at the surroundingmoners and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go in first.¡± Everyone followed Yu Niaoniao into Chery Garden. Usually, Qirui Garden was already full at this time, but today, it was cold and empty. There were no guests. Yu Niaoniao asked someone to bring the y over. Wasn¡¯t it just changing the script? She would change it! In front of everyone, Yu Niaoniao raised her pen and drew a horizontal line on the script. She crossed out the word ¡°Prince Lang¡± and wrote three words beside it. Liu Sixing leaned over curiously and whispered, ¡°King Zixu, what do you mean?¡± Yu Niaoniao put down her pen andughed ambiguously. ¡°Since the name of Prince Lang has vited a taboo, let¡¯s change his name.¡± Then, she crossed out Liaodong County and changed it to Wuyou County. Liu Sixing finally understood. ¡°Zixu Wuyou! Non-existent!¡± Liu Qirui said, ¡°Are you clearly telling everyone that this story is fake? But can everyone believe it?¡± Yu Niaoniao spread her hands and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already changed it ording to the requirements. As for whether others believe it or not, it¡¯s none of my business. ¡± Liu Qirui was speechless. He kept feeling that this name was filled with sarcasm. Liu Sixing asked a question. ¡°Then should we change the name of our show?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Of course we have to change it! Let¡¯s change it to King Zixu and Wuyou County.¡± Seeing that no one was saying anything, she asked, ¡°Do you think this name is bad?¡± Liu Sixing hurriedly shook her head. ¡°No, no. This name is quite good.¡± Liu Qirui was a little worried. ¡°I wonder if the audience can ept such a change?¡± No one could give a definite answer to this. They could only say that they would know when the time came. Yu Niaoniao reminded, ¡°Remember to put up a sign beside our stage and tell everyone that our show is purely fiction. If there¡¯s a simrity, it¡¯s purely a coincidence. In the end, we have to add the words ¡®Don¡¯t discuss state affairs¡¯.¡± Liu Qirui nodded and agreed, his mood veryplicated. He felt that she was mocking someone! As for who it was, he did not dare to say. Anyway, everyone knew very well. Seeing that everyone was drooping their heads and looking very depressed, Yu Niaoniao pped her hands and said loudly. ¡°It¡¯s almost the new year. After we finish acting for thest few days, we¡¯ll give everyone a break during the new year and let them go home to rest.¡± Everyone was immediately happy when they heard that it was possible. Liu Qirui said, ¡°We can¡¯t have a holiday during the new year.¡± Yu Niaoniao thought that he could not bear to part with the money for the theater tickets for the new year, so she advised, ¡°Everyone has worked hard for a year. You should rest at the end of the year. Only by bncing work and rest can youst.¡± Liu Sixing exined on behalf of her father. ¡°It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t want everyone to rest.¡± ¡°It is because the City God Temple is holding a temple fair on New Year¡¯s Eve.¡± ¡°ording to tradition, all the theaters in the capital have to prepare programs, and our Qirui Garden is no exception.¡± ¡°When the temple fair ends, they will evaluate every program. Whichever program won would be the first in ranking. Although it¡¯s not much money, it¡¯s a good sign.¡± Yu Niaoniao was enlightened. ¡°I see.¡± The temple fair these days was equivalent to the Spring Festival G in modern society. For their theater to be on the Spring Festival G, they had to seize such a good opportunity. She asked with interest, ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Liu Qirui said, ¡°Of course it¡¯s still Duke Lang in Liaodong. This is a scene unique to our Qiuying Garden.¡± Liu Sixing reminded him, ¡°It¡¯s King Zixu and Wuyou County. Don¡¯t refer to it by the wrong name in the future.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s because King Zixu and Wuyou County have already been yed many times. There¡¯s nothing new. I¡¯ll write another scriptter. You guys can rehearse a new scene ording to the script. Don¡¯t worry, the plot won¡¯t be long. It¡¯s just enough to perform at the temple fair.¡± Hearing this, Liu Qirui and Liu Sixing immediately became nervous. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°What kind of expression is that?¡± Liu Qirui said with difficulty, ¡°Please forgive me for asking, but is your new show rted to Duke Lang again?¡± Yu Niaoniao said without hesitation. ¡°Of course not!¡± Liu Qirui and Liu Sixing immediately felt relieved. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Duke Lang¡¯s theme was indeed very attractive, but there was a risk of being sent to the border at any time. They would rather earn less than take that risk. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Liu Qirui and Liu Sixing sent her to the door respectfully. Because of the change in the scene, they had to rehearse. Qirui Garden could only suspend operations today. The customers who had bought tickets previously could choose to refund the tickets or postpone it to the next day to watch the show. Inpensation, Qirui Garden gave each of them a hand warmer. Not only were the words Chery Garden engraved on the hand warmer, but there were also portraits of several main characters in King Zixu and Wuyou County. After the originally dissatisfied guests received the hand warmer, their dissatisfaction immediately turned into surprise. They were all loyal fans of this show. Otherwise, they would not have bought tickets to support Qirui Garden. The portrait on the hand warmer had an extraordinary meaning to them. The guests returned happily with the hand warmer. Liu Sixing closed the door of the theater and heaved a long sigh of relief. ¡°We¡¯ve finally dealt with this matter.¡± They had long ordered that batch of hand warmers to be given to the old customers who came to support them at the end of the year as repayment for the most care they had taken of Qirui Garden since it opened. They hoped that they could continue to support them next year. Now that this matter had happened, in order to smooth things over, Liu Qirui could only take out the batch of hand warmers in advance and give them away. Liu Qirui called Liu Sixing and Ye Yin over and began to discuss how to change the word. When Zheng Changle heard that Qirui Garden was about to be sealed by the government, he immediately set off from home and rushed to Qirui Garden. When he reached Qirui Garden, he saw arge group of people walking out of it. All of them were smiling and looked very happy. Zheng Changle was puzzled and went forward to ask. ¡°Why are you all out? Why aren¡¯t you listening to the show inside?¡± Those people exined to him at once. When Zheng Changle heard that Cherui Garden was safe, he heaved a long sigh of relief. Then, he was told that customers who bought tickets today could obtain a special custom-made hand warmer. There was nothing special about a hand warmer but it was a custom-made version! Zheng Changle stared at the hand warmer in their arms with longing. ¡°Can you sell one to me? I¡¯m willing to pay double the entrance fee..¡± Chapter 550 - 550: Making a Mountain Out of a Molehill Chapter 550: Making a Mountain Out of a Molehill Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan heard that Qirui Garden had almost been sealed. Although the seal was finally removed by the Imperial Capital, Yu Niaoniao was forced to ept the conditions for changing the show. Actually, he didn¡¯t care if the show was changed. In any case, he had already gotten over it. No matter what others thought of him, as long as Niaoniao could understand him, it was enough. He was worried about Niaoniao. She had put in a lot of effort to prepare for Duke Lang in Liaodong. Back then, everyone had advised her to change the protagonist, but she refused topromise. Now that she had no choice but to agree to change the show, this must be a huge blow to her. When he was sad, she apanied him. Now that she was in trouble, he naturally had to be with her. Xiao Juan temporarily put down his work and left the Justice Department. He was worried and wanted to rush back to keep herpany as soon as possible, but he had promised her yesterday that he could not ride a horse before his wound healed, so he could only choose to ride on a carriage, which was slower. When he passed by a candied plum shop, he got the carriage to stop and personally got out to buy tworge boxes of candied plums. When he carried the heavy candied plums into Langjun Imperial Pce, Granny Xiu Yan was very surprised. ¡°Why is Your Highness here so early today?¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°I came back to see Niaoniao. Where is she?¡± Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°The Princess Consort is in the study.¡± Before walking into the study, Xiao Juan imagined many scenes, such as Nianiao smashing things to vent her depression, curling up in the corner to sulk alone, or silently crying at something¡­ In short, Niaoniao would definitely not be in a good state. However, when he pushed open the door and walked into the study, he saw the scene of her lying on the desk and writing furiously. She was so engrossed in writing that she didn¡¯t even notice anyoneing in. Until Xiao Juan called her. ¡°Niaoniao. ¡± Only then did Yu Niaoniao look up. She looked a little confused and surprised. However, there was no anger or sadness. Xiao Juan was surprised by this. ¡°Aren¡¯t you sad?¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°I¡¯m alive and well. What¡¯s there to be sad about?¡± ¡°But I heard that Qirui Garden was almost sealed by the Imperial Capital. You were even forced to ept the conditions to change the show.¡± Yu Niaoniao was enlightened. ¡°You¡¯re talking about this? It¡¯s not a big deal. Isn¡¯t it just a matter of changing the name? I¡¯ve already changed it.¡± Seeing that she was so open-minded, Xiao Juan doubted his life for a moment. Could it be that he was making a mountain out of a molehill? Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°What are you carrying? Xiao Juan ced the box on the desk. ¡°These the candied plums I bought for you.¡± Originally, he wanted her to eat something sweet to improve her mood, but from Niaoniao¡¯s reaction, there was no need. She was in a good mood without having eaten candied plums. Yu Niaoniao was overjoyed. ¡®Wow! I¡¯m a little hungry. Baby, you¡¯re so considerate.¡± She opened the box, picked up a plum, put it in her mouth, and ate it with relish. Xiao Juan looked at the pen and paper in front of her and asked. ¡°What are you writing? As Yu Niaoniao ate, she said, ¡°There¡¯s a temple fair in the city during the new year. Our Qirui Garden has to participate. I have to write a new script.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Can I see it?¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her hand and said heroically, ¡°We¡¯re all family. Don¡¯t stand on ceremony. Take a look.¡± Xiao Juan smiled silently. He picked up the paper and flipped through it. Because of the limited time, Yu Niaoniao did not draw this time. Instead, she used words to express the story. At the moment, she had only written the outline of the story. The details had to be refined. In addition, she also drew a few important scenes in the game in the form of a simple brush stroke. The scenes were vivid and interesting. The protagonists were also written interestingly by her. It was the kind of feeling that made people unable to help butugh. This kind ofedy was indeed very suitable to watch during the new year. The story revolved around andlord¡¯s house. The master of thendlord married a pair of sisters. The elder sister was his wife, and the younger sister was a concubine. The Old Master thought that he was enjoying the blessings of everyone, but little did he know that the sisters wereining about him in their hearts. The content of theseints would be presented through the opera, and every sentence would make peopleugh. Unfortunately, his concubine was not lucky and unfortunately died in childbirth. At the same time, his first wife sessfully gave birth to a son. Not long after, Old Master took in a new beautiful concubine and fathered a son. The entire family was in a tizzy. Old Master¡¯s sons met with idents one after another. In the end, only his wife¡¯s son was still fine. He had no choice but to hand over all his assets to his legitimate son. It was not until he was about to die that the main wife told him the truth. It turned out that her biological son had died long ago. Her current son was actually born by her sister. Old Master was so angry that he kicked his legs and died on the spot. Outsiders did not think anything of this story, but Xiao Juan immediately sensed something amiss and asked. ¡°Your story is about Empress Wen and the Crown Prince?¡± The protagonists in the story were ordinary farmers. They were worlds apart from the royal family. Normal people would not associate them with the empress and the crown prince. However, Xiao Juan was different. Back then, he was the one who investigated the Moon Concubine case thoroughly. He knew very well the roles of Empress Wen and the Crown Prince. The truth that had not been presented in the dossier was all written in this story. Yu Niaoniao admitted frankly. ¡°¡®rnars ngnt.¡¯ Xiao Juan frowned and disagreed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this. It¡¯s too risky.¡± Yu Niaoniao picked up another date and said slowly. ¡°They provoked me first. Everyone could clearly get along peacefully, but they wanted to pretend to take credit for it. Not only that, but Shen Zhuo even instigated the emperor to punish you. I can¡¯t take this lying down. Even if I can¡¯t hit them, I have to disgust them. I want them to understand that we are not pushovers and will not be controlled by them. If we¡¯re really forced into a corner, I¡¯ll do anything.¡± With that, she threw the date into her mouth and bit down hard. She actually looked a little fierce. Xiao Juan¡¯s heart was indeed soft. So she was doing all this to avenge him. Xiao Juan put down the paper. ¡°Since you¡¯ve made up your mind, do it.¡± No matter how Empress Wen and the Crown Prince dealt with them in the future, he would take care of them and not let Niaoniao be harmed. Qirui Garden reopened the next day. The customers who had bought tickets swarmed over. When they entered the lobby, they realized that there was an additional sign beside the stage with two lines of words on it. Immediately, someone who could read read it. ¡°This story is purely fiction. If there¡¯s a simrity, it¡¯s purely a coincidence. Note, don¡¯t talk about state affairs!¡± No one understood what this meant. When the curtain on the stage slowly pulled open, the protagonist went on stage and began to perform. The original Prince Lang became Prince Zixu, and the original Liaodong County became Wuyou County. It was all nonsense. Coupled with the words on the sign about not talking about state affairs and the rumors that Cherry Garden had almost been sealed yesterday, How could everyone not understand? Wasn¡¯t this because someone was anxious and forced him to change his scene, not wanting others to know the truth! Initially, some people were skeptical about the content described in the show. In this way, theypletely believed that the truth was described in the show.. Chapter 551 - 551: Temple Fair Chapter 551: Temple Fair Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the year. Yu Niaoniao brought Ling Hai to work overtime to rush the manuscript and finally handed the second draft of The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation to the booksellers before New Year¡¯s Eve. The booksellers were all excited. They did not even n to celebrate the new year and prepared to pay more for the craftsmen to print books. On the night of New Year¡¯s Eve, there was a temple fair in the city. Yu Niaoniao specially changed into a red jacket dress and went out to y with Xiao Juan. Luo Pingsha and Ling Hai apanied her. Originally, Yu Niaoniao wanted to bring Granny Xiu Yan along, but Granny Xiu Yan said that she was old and had limited energy. She wanted to rest early, so she did not go with young people like them. Starting from New Year¡¯s Eve, the Imperial Capital would cancel the curfew and would not resume the curfew until the Lantern Festival was over. During this period, themoners could alsoe out to y at night and enjoy the lively atmosphere brought about by the Spring Festival. When Yu Niaoniao, Xiao Juan, and the others rushed to the City God Temple, the temple fair had yet to begin. The people from the various theaters were preparing backstage. Yu Niaoniao asked Xiao Juan, Ling Hai, and Lo Pingsha to stay where they were. She went backstage and found the people from Qirui Garden. Liu Qirui was urging everyone to put on their makeup. When he saw Yu Niaoniao arrive, he immediately wanted to kneel and bow, but he was stopped by Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Don¡¯t kneel for no reason. There¡¯s no need. Let¡¯s just get along like before.¡± Liu Qirui replied, ¡°Yes.¡± However, looking at his terrified expression, Yu Niaoniao knew that he definitely did not listen to her. Forget it. This matter could not be changed overnight. They could only slowly adapt. She looked at the others and hurriedly said when she saw that everyone had stopped and was about to bow to her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Just do your work.¡± Everyone went back to their work. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°How¡¯s the preparation for the new scene?¡± Speaking of his professional field, Liu Qirui immediately became confident. ¡°County Princess Consort, don¡¯t worry. Everything is ready.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked again, ¡°Which session is ours?¡± Liu Qirui said, ¡°The first.¡± Yu Niaoniao was slightly stunned. ¡°So soon?¡± Speaking of this, Liu Qirui was a little embarrassed. ¡°The order of the show¡¯s performance is decided by drawing lots. I was unlucky and drew first ce at once.¡± As everyone knew, it was a loss to be the first to go on stage. This was because the audience had yet topletely enter the state of watching. If the effect of the program was not outstanding enough, it was very likely that the audience would ignore it. Yu Niaoniaoforted him. ¡°The first one is quite good. The sooner we finish acting, the sooner we can get off work. Everyone can go back and have a good gathering with their families.¡± Liu Qirui was caught betweenughter and tears. Whoforted people like this? Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°In short, just do your best. Happy is still the most important during the new year.¡± Liu Qirui nodded. ¡°We will definitely do our best to act well and not embarrass you.¡± Yu Niaoniao took out the red packets she had prepared in advance and gave one to everyone in Qirui Garden. It was considered a New Year benefit for her boss and employees. After receiving the red packet, everyone became very happy and rxed. Seeing that she had nothing else to do, Yu Niaoniao left backstage to look for Xiao Juan and the others. There were especially many people at the City God Temple tonight. The surrounding businesses were brightly lit, and the roadside was filled with vendors. All kinds of vendors shouted. On this special day, even families with poor family backgrounds would spend money to buy snacks for their children tonight. The children were naturally overjoyed to have delicious food. There wasughter everywhere. It was really a DrosDerous scene. Yu Niaoniao looked at the group of children chasing and fooling around with candied hawthorn. She couldn¡¯t help but recall that when she was young, she and her parents went to the temple fair in Jinguan City. After she said that she wanted to eat candied hawthorn, her stepfather waved his hand and wrapped an entire haystack of candied hawthorn for her. The other children could not buy candied hawthorn and could only look at her eagerly. Yu Niaoniao raised the candied hawthorn proudly and asked them to call her boss. As long as they were willing to acknowledge her as their boss, they could immediately obtain a stick of candied hawthorn. Therefore, on New Year¡¯s Eve that year, she took in dozens of underlings in one go and became a tyrant in Jinguan City. Yu Niaoniao was immersed in her memories when a hand suddenly reached over from the side. He was holding a string of red and shiny candied hawthorn. She turned around and saw that it was Xiao Juan. Seeing her staring at the children, Xiao Juan thought that she was craving the candied hawthorn in those children¡¯s hands, so he bought her a stick. Yu Niaoniao took the candied hawthorn and bit off one. It was sour and sweet. The taste was different from the candied hawthorn in her memory, but it was still delicious. She couldn¡¯t help but smile. Although she had lost her stepfather and mother, who loved her the most, she met Xiao Juan. This man would also apany her to the temple fair and buy her candied hawthorn. If her stepfather and mother were in heaven and saw that she was not alone, they would probably be relieved. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°What are you smiling at?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Guess.¡± The temple fair was about to begin, and themoners had all gathered in the square in front of the City God Temple. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan met many acquaintances here, including the Zheng father and son of the Sky Oriole Garden, Yu Kangtai, Yu Pingping, Yu Sheng, and many people in the Justice Department, such as Meng Xizhou, Yan Nanguan, Pan Dafu, and the others. They were all apanying their families to join in the fun. As soon as everyone saw Duke Lang and his wife, they were about to greet them when Xiao Juan stopped them. ¡°We¡¯ll skip all this red tape tonight.¡± Meng Xizhou and the others already knew that the owner of Qirui Garden was the Princess Consort and asked expectantly, ¡°What¡¯s Qirui Garden ying tonight?¡± Yu Niaoniao deliberately kept them in suspense. ¡°You¡¯ll know when the timees.¡± Yu Kangtai already knew that his two daughters had joined forces to open a theater. He did not agree that it would be bad for his family¡¯s reputation if a girl got involved in such a business. However, since Duke Lang did not say anything, he could not say anything. Yu Pingping asked curiously. ¡°How many of our programs are going on stage? Yu Niaoniao said that it was the first. Yu Pingping couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. ¡°Then won¡¯t they be under a lot of pressure?¡± Yu Niaoniao was very rxed. ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as we perform normally. With our acting troupe¡¯s strength, no matter how bad we are, we won¡¯t fall behind.¡± Yu Pingping was speechless and expected better from someone. ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got?!¡± Even if she didn¡¯t fight for first ce, she should at least fight for the top three. Her sister, on the other hand, was fine as long as she wasn¡¯tst! Her sister was really capable! Yu Niaoniao said calmly, ¡°The higher the hope, the greater the pressure. It¡¯s better to rx. Do you know the joys of having no desire?¡± Yu Pingping curled her lips and refused to be fooled by her sister. A stage was built in the square. The magistrate of the Imperial Capital first went on stage to say a few words, then the dragon and lion dance team went on stage to perform. The lively dragon dance, coupled with the loud gongs and drums, instantly heated the atmosphere. The various theaters began to take turns performing. The first was a new show in Qirui Garden called ¡°Double Beauties¡±.. Chapter 552 - 552: Lucky Chapter 552: Lucky Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The protagonist of Double Beauties seemed to be thendlord, but it was actually his main wife and concubine. The sisters pretended to be at odds on the surface. Every day, they would use various methods to fight for favor, resulting in humorous situations. In fact, the two of them had a good rtionship and oftenined in private about thendlord, saying that he was old and conceited. However, thendlord did not suspect anything. He even felt that he was super powerful. Because there were many interesting memes added to the lines, coupled with the actors¡¯ good performance, theughter was very dense. The audience below the stage could not stopughing. Even Yu Pingping, who had already seen the rehearsal, could not help butugh. Sheined to Yu Niaoniao as she smiled. ¡°Thisndlord is too stupid. They are just coaxing him for fun, but he actually believed them. Hahaha!¡± Yu Niaoniao also smiled. ¡°He¡¯s quite stupid.¡± Everyone present wasughing, except for two people who did not react. One of them was Xiao Juan. He was silent the entire time. Everyone watching the show thought that this was just a show. Only he and Niaoniao knew that these were all things that had really happened. If everyone knew that thendlord who was mocked by everyone was the current emperor, the scene would be unimaginable. The other was Shen Zhuo. Tonight was New Year¡¯s Eve, and there was also a banquet in the pce. However, because the emperor was lying in bed and the Empress Dowager Deng was old and weak, and Empress Wen liked peace, the three big bosses only showed up at the banquet and left. Hence, this year¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve banquet ended especially early. Seeing that it was still early, Shen Zhuo changed into the clothes of ordinary people and brought a few followers out of the pce to shop. Unexpectedly, just as he arrived at the temple fair, he bumped into the stage performing ¡°Double Beauties¡±. At first, he could still smile along with the content of the scene. When the concubine gave birth to a twin son and died in childbirth, the smile on his face gradually faded. One of the twins died, and the other was hidden by his first wife and raised as the eldest son. The more Shen Zhuo watched, the colder his expression became. In the end, there was only coldness in his eyes. ¡°Go and find out who¡¯s performing on stage.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The follower behind him immediately left and returned after a long time. ¡°Young Master, they¡¯re from Qirui Garden.¡± Shen Zhuo said expressionlessly, ¡°Qirui Garden again.¡± He knew that Qirui Garden was established by Yu Niaoniao. As one of the people who knew about the case of Imperial Concubine Yue, she naturally knew his true background. She must have written the story between Imperial Concubine Yue and Empress Wen into a y. This was her revenge and also her warning. She was warning him and Empress Wen that she had something on them and told them to be careful! If it were anyone else who did this, Shen Zhuo would definitely not let them off. However, the other party just had to be Yu Niaoniao. Shen Zhuo closed his eyes and asked silently in his heart, ¡°Niaoniao, you clearly know that I can¡¯t do it to you. Why do you still provoke me again and again?¡± Shen Zhuo was no longer in the mood to watch what else was going on on stage. He turned around and left the City God Temple with a dark expression. As a show on stage, ¡°Double Beauties¡± received enthusiastic apuse from themoners. Among them, the people from the Justice Department shouted the loudest. Meng Xizhou and Yan Nanguan were afraid that the atmosphere would not be lively enough, so they pped so hard that their hands turned red. From the scene of the audience cheering loudly, it was obvious that the performance of ¡°Double Beautiesl¡± was very sessful. This made Liu Qirui very happy. He had even begun to n. He was prepared to expand the script of ¡°Double Beauties¡± when he returned and turn it into a big show simr to ¡°Duke Lang in Liaodong¡±. If nothing went wrong, this new drama would make their Qirui Garden popr again. Seeing this, the other theaters were disappointed and nervous. Originally, when they saw that Qirui Garden was the first to go on stage, they thought that Chery Garden would perform abnormally under too much pressure. Unexpectedly, not only did they stabilize their performance, but they also won the love of the audience with their interesting new script. With ¡°Double Beauties¡± ahead of them, themoners¡¯ expectations of tonight¡¯s temple fair were raised greatly. Once the following program did not meet their expectations, it would be equivalent to telling the entire Imperial Capital that their theater was inferior to Qirui Garden. Regarding this, the troupe leaders of the various theaters were uneasy and under immense pressure. In order not to appear especially lousy, the drama ss did not dare to hold back anymore. They all used their best skills. The performances on the stage were each more hardworking than thest. Therefore, themoners below the stage were dazzled and shouted in satisfaction. In the past, during the new year, they had alsoe to visit the temple fair, but no temple fair had been as exciting as tonight. Even Yu Pingping was stunned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them? All the celebrities in the various theaters are out. It¡¯s usually difficult to get a ticket for their shows. They actually can watch them tonight without buying tickets.¡± Meng Xizhou sighed. ¡°Is this something we can see without spending money?¡± Yu Niaoniao had never attended the temple fair in the Imperial Capital before. She did not know what programs were performed at the temple fair in the past. She thought that it was about the same every year. Hearing the sighs of the surrounding people, Yu Niaoniao realized that the standard of the temple fair tonight seemed to be higher than those in previous years. She was d to see it. After thest performance ended, they began to evaluate all the programs. Yu Niaoniao originally thought that it was the audience at the event location voting. Only now did she know that it was a few famous schrs and officials discussing the final ranking. She wondered what was going on. They discussed for a long time before ending. As expected, Qirui Garden won first ce. Everyone in Qirui Garden was naturally overjoyed. Liu Qirui went on stage on behalf of Qirui Garden and took the que for first ce. There was thunderous apuse from the audience. At this moment, Liu Qirui was excited. Back then, he fell from the peak of his career and fell into the mud, almost in despair. He thought that his acting career would be cut off and there would be no hope of revival in the future. But now, he, Liu Qirui, had made aeback! All the hard work and sweat he had put in had been repaid tonight. At this moment, he was extremely d. He was d that he had persisted and met the Princess Consort of Lang County. After leaving the stage, Liu Qirui found Yu Niaoniao and said sincerely. ¡°Thank you.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should rest. Those who should apany their families should apany them. Tomorrow will be the annual leave and we will reopen for the Shangyuan Festival.¡± Liu Qirui brought everyone to Qirui Garden. Yu Niaoniao was a little hungry and nned to find a ce to eat with Xiao Juan. When the two of them walked to the river , they saw many people putting on rivermps. Many rivermps floated on the river, looking like a gxy from afar. There was still a small boat slowly moving forward on the river. The boatman shook the paddle hard and pushed the small boat forward. At this moment, the boatman suddenly eximed. ¡°There¡¯s a dead person!¡± Chapter 553 - 553: Unnecessary Chapter 553: Unnecessary Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Be it the people on the boat or the people on the shore, they were all frightened by this shout. Xiao Juan immediately asked Lo Pingsha to call someone. Soon, more than ten Eagle Guards rushed over. They jumped into the river and swam in the direction the boatman pointed. Soon, a female corpse came out of the cold river. Lo Pingsha was already prepared. After the female corpse was ced, he immediately squatted down and began the preliminary examination of the corpse. Xiao Juan nced at the surrounding onlookers and ordered the Eagle Guards to temporarily seal the event location to prevent themoners from getting too close to the corpse. The boatman who discovered the female corpse first was also called ashore for questioning. Yu Niaoniao leaned over curiously. When she saw the female corpse clearly, she was stunned for a moment before blurting out. ¡°It¡¯s actually her!¡± The female corpse looked to be in her seventies or eighties. Her hair was white and her face was filled with wrinkles. There were a few terrifying scars on her cheeks. She was short and thin. She was wearing a patched rough cloth dress and her hands were covered in calluses. There were many wounds on her arm, abdomen, and heart, and she looked very miserable. Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha looked at her at the same time. ¡°You know her?¡± Yu Niaoniao answered truthfully. ¡°Not really. I had seen her once before at the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, where she sold red bean soup.¡± ¡°I thought it¡¯s not easy for an old woman like her toe out to make a living in the cold and paid for all her red bean soup. Little Hai was also present at that time. He had also seen this granny.¡± Ling Hai, who was beside her, immediately nodded. ¡°Yes, what the County Princess said is the truth.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Ten Thousand Buddha Temple?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°At that time, I chatted with her for a while. She said that she came to the Imperial Capital from elsewhere and was alone. She temporarily lived in the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple. The abbot might know her background.¡± Xiao Juan looked at Meng Xizhou, who was standing beside him. Meng Xizhou understood. ¡°I¡¯ll bring people to the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple now.¡± Logically speaking, they should not disturb the peace of the Buddhist Sect during the new year. However, human lives were at stake. Meng Xizhou did not dare to dy. He asked his family to return first while he left the city with a team of Eagle Guards and went straight to the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple. Lo Pingsha quickly ended the first autopsy. ¡°The victim looked old, but from her teeth and bones, she should be around 60 years old. She worked all year round and had serious physical injuries. She had a total of four knife wounds, one of which was a stab to the heart. However, the real cause of her death was drowning and suffocation.¡± Yu Niaoniao frowned. ¡°You mean she was shed four times before she was thrown into the river and drowned? How much hatred is there?¡± Xiao Juan was deep in thought. ¡°A thin old woman has already been stabbed four times. She definitely won¡¯t live. Why did the murderer throw her into the river? Why didn¡¯t he just find a hidden ce to bury her?¡± Yu Niaoniao reacted. ¡°That¡¯s right. Isn¡¯t the murderer doing something unnecessary?¡± Logically speaking, after killing someone, the murderer would definitely think of a way to destroy the evidence and not let anyone discover his crime. However, this murderer threw the victim into the river and let her flow down the river. This river ran through the entire Imperial Capital. Countless people came and went by the riverbank every day. It was only a matter of time before the corpse was discovered. It was impossible for the murderer not to have thought of this! Lo Pingsha also said, ¡°This matter is indeed very strange.¡± Xiao Juan ordered, ¡°Bring the corpse back first. Little Yan, bring a few people to the upper reaches of the river and see if you can find any useful clues.¡± Yan Nanguan cupped his fists and replied, ¡°Yes!¡± After everyone left, Xiao Juan asked Niaoniao where she wanted to eat supper. She had just discovered that someone had died and the deceased had even met Niaoniao once. No matter how carefree she was, it was impossible for her to have the appetite to eat now. She expressed that she wanted to go home. Hence, Xiao Juan brought Niaoniao and Ling Hai back to the Langjun Imperial pce. Tonight was New Year¡¯s Eve. They did not sleep early as usual. Instead, they sat around the stove and drank tea and chatted while guarding the New Year. The topic of their casual conversation was naturally the female corpse they had discovered tonight. Yu Niaoniao could not understand. ¡°A lonely old woman with no money or beauty. Why did someone kill her?¡± Xiao Juan had seen many murders and replied casually. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a revenge killing. The other party shed her four times, and every sh was not fatal. It¡¯s very likely to vent his anger.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Now that you mention it, that¡¯s very possible. In that case, we have to figure out her identity and background first.¡± Only by knowing who she was could they know whom she had a grudge against. Xiao Juan said, ¡°We should know when Little Menges back.¡± Meng Xizhou returned after midnight. He knew that Duke Lang was a workaholic. After returning to the city, he did not dare to dy at all and immediately ran to the Duke¡¯s Mansion. Xiao Juan heard a knock on the door and immediately woke up. He had just sat up when Niaoniao, who was sleeping beside him, woke up. She rubbed her eyes and asked in a low voice. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Little Meng should be back. I¡¯ll go see him. Go back to sleep.¡± Yu Niaoniao replied obediently, ¡°Oh.¡± Xiao Juan got out of bed, casually pulled on his clothes, pulled open the door, and walked out. In the warm pavilion, Meng Xizhou was pouring hot tea into his mouth. On a winter night, the wind was so cold that it drilled into the bones. He rode his horse back and forth between the Imperial Capital and the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple. His cheeks and ears were almost numb from the cold. After drinking a bowl of hot tea, his body felt a little warm. He had finally recovered. Xiao Juan got someone to move the brazier in front of him. ¡°How¡¯s the investigation going?¡± Meng Xizhou squatted beside the brazier and ced his hands on the fire to bake. He sniffed and said in a voice that was a little distorted by the cold. ¡°The abbot of the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple said that the deceased¡¯s name was Granny Li. As for her surname, she had never mentioned it, and no one in the temple knew.¡± ¡°Granny Li arrived at the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple two months ago. She said that she came to the Jade Capital to look for her family, but she had never been able to find them.¡± ¡°Seeing that she was old and weak and alone, the abbot felt pity. He allowed her to stay in the temple for free and even lent her the kitchen. It allowed her to survive by selling food.¡± ¡°During this period of time, Granny Li had been staying in the temple.¡± ¡°Until this morning, when she suddenly said that she had found her family and was leaving the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple. Ever since then, they lost contact with her. ¡± ¡°I brought people to her residence to search. There¡¯s nothing in the house.¡± Xiao Juan looked at him. ¡°Is that all?¡± Meng Xizhou suddenly smiled mysteriously. ¡°Although I didn¡¯t find any clues in her residence, the abbot in the temple gave me something.¡± He took out a small pouch and handed it over. ¡°This was left for the abbot by Granny Li before she left. She said that if an Eagle Guard came to the temple to look for her in the future, the abbot should hand this thing to the Eagle Guard.¡± ¡°If no Eagle Guardse looking for her, this thing will be considered the rent for her staying at the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple. The abbot will deal with it himself..¡± Chapter 554 - 554: Another Bracelet Chapter 554: Another Bracelet Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios When Xiao Juan returned to the bedroom, he realized that she was sitting on the bed, wrapped in a thick nket. She kept yawning, looking very sleepy but unwilling to sleep. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asleep?¡± Seeing him return, Yu Niaoniao immediately perked up and hurriedly said. ¡°I was waiting for you. Did Little Meng find anything?¡± Xiao Juan briefly repeated what Meng Xizhou had said before taking out the pouch. Yu Niaoniao eagerly took the pouch and opened it. There was an emerald bracelet inside. She took out the bracelet and looked at it carefully. Her eyes widened. ¡°Isn¡¯t this my mother¡¯s bracelet?! ¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Yu Niaoniao pointed at the inside of the bracelet and said, ¡°Look here. There¡¯s a pattern carved here. The jade bracelet you pulled out of the charred corpse¡¯s hand earlier also has this pattern inside.¡± Then, she turned the bracelet and pointed at a small crack. ¡°When I was young, I was naughty and identally knocked down my mother¡¯s make-up box. The jade bracelet inside fell to the ground. This crack had appeared at that time. My mother even scolded me for this. It¡¯s impossible for me to remember wrongly.¡± The jade bracelet was a tribute. There was only one pair in the world. One of the bracelets had already been taken away by Empress Dowager Deng. The other bracelet was buried with Madam Xie. But now, it appeared in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand. Yu Niaoniao could not help but ask. ¡°Who is that Granny Li? Why does she have my mother¡¯s bracelet? Could it be that someone dug up my mother¡¯s grave¡­¡± Thinking of this, she couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. She lifted the nket and was about to jump out of bed. ¡°I want to go back to Bashu. I want to see my mother¡¯s grave!¡± Xiao Juan quickly hugged her. ¡°It¡¯s sote. The city gate is already closed. You can¡¯t get out.¡± Yu Niaoniao was so anxious that she was incoherent. ¡°My mother¡¯s grave might have been dug up by someone. Could it be tomb robbers? Did they destroy my mother and stepfather¡¯s remains? I want to go back and take a look. I can¡¯t let their corpses be exposed in the wilderness!¡± Xiao Juan hugged her tighter. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. When Ie back from the pce tomorrow, I¡¯ll leave the Imperial Capital with you. Let¡¯s go to Bashu together.¡± ¡°If there are really tomb robbers who dare to touch my parents-inw¡¯s grave, I will definitely catch them even if I have to go to the ends of the world.¡± Yu Niaoniao gradually calmed down. As she held the iade bracelet tightlv, her heart was filled with worrv and uneasiness. Usually, no matter how big the problem was, it would not affect her sleep, but tonight, she could not sleep. As long as she closed her eyes, she would see the scene of Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan¡¯s remains being dug up by grave robbers and thrown into the wilderness. Back then, she had failed to protect Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan. This was already the greatest regret in her life. If she could not even protect Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan¡¯s remains, how could she have the face to live? Xiao Juan could sense the uneasiness in her heart. He didn¡¯t sleep either. He stayed with her quietly for the entire night. The next day, at dawn, Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao changed into their gowns and rode the carriage into the pce. Today was the first day of the new year. ording to tradition, all the nobles, officials above the fourth-grade in the capital, and their main wives had to enter the pce to pay their New Year greetings to the emperor, Empress Dowager Deng, and Empress Wen. Yu Niaoniao was in a low mood, but on such an asion, she had to force a smile. When Xiao Juan saw this, his heart ached. Under the cover of his wide sleeve, he quietly held her curled hand and silentlyforted her. Yu Niaoniao prayed silently that time would pass quickly, faster¡­ Empress Wen brought a group of women to Biquan Pce to wish Empress Dowager Deng a happy new year. The women tried their best to make Empress Dowager Deng happy. The atmosphere was very lively. Among them, only Yu Niaoniao remained silent the entire time. In the past, when she encountered such an asion, she could still eat some tea and snacks to relieve her boredom. However, today, she was not in the mood to eat or drink. She only wanted to end it quickly and go home. Madam Yang suddenly called her name. ¡°I heard that the Princess Consort of Lang County opened a theater. I think it¡¯s called Qirui Garden. The opera there is very good. The Princess Consort of Lang County is so talented, and it¡¯s such a good day today. Why don¡¯t you sing something for Empress Dowager and the Empress to liven things up?¡± Her words immediately turned everyone¡¯s attention to Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao replied without thinking. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to sing.¡± Madam Yang pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°Princess Consort Lang, don¡¯t be humble. It¡¯s just a few lines. Are you not even willing to give Empress Dowager Deng and Empress Wen this bit of face?¡± Then, she looked at the other women and asked inquiringly. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so?¡± The women did not mind watching themotion and nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao was already in a bad mood. After being provoked by Madam Yang, her tone was naturally not good. ¡°ording to Madam Yang¡¯s logic, the person opening the theater must know how to sing. I remember that there is a teahouse in Madam Yang¡¯s business. There should be storytellers and singers in the teahouse.¡± ¡°Madam Yang, do you want to give us a story or a song?¡± Madam Yang¡¯s face was red and pale from her words. She wanted to retort but couldn¡¯t. She was so angry that she was like a big hen that had exploded. She turned to look at Empress Dowager Deng and Empress Wen andined angrily. ¡°Your Highness, Her Majesty, take a look. I just want the Princess Consort of Lang to sing a scene to liven things up.¡± ¡°It was fine if she was unwilling to give the two empresses respect, but she actually used words to mock me!¡± ¡°How could a woman who sings the song be a respected person?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a third-grade Madam conferred by the emperor. What right does she have to humiliate me like this?!¡± As she spoke, she covered her eyes with a silk handkerchief and sobbed. Empress Dowager Deng had always been gentle. Today was the first day of the new year, so arguing was not a good sign. She was about tofort Madam Yang and persuade her not to cry anymore. Yu Niaoniao stood up and took two steps forward before kneeling down. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Everything is my fault. I spoke nonsense and hurt Madam Yang¡¯s dignity. I¡¯ll go home and reflect on my mistakes.¡± With that, she got up and turned to leave. Her speed could be said to be quite fast. By the time Empress Dowager Deng reacted, Yu Niaoniao had already walked to the door. Empress Dowager Deng quickly stopped her. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Yu Niaoniao sighed secretly. She was still too slow. She had no choice but to retract her foot and turn to look at Empress Dowager Deng. ¡°What other instructions does the Empress Dowager have?¡± Empress Dowager Deng said, ¡°You can¡¯t be med for this. Madam Yang is also responsible. If she hadn¡¯t taken the initiative to provoke you, you wouldn¡¯t have said such things.¡± Empress Wen echoed, ¡°The Empress Dowager is right.¡± Madam Yang was speechless. How did it be her responsibility? Empress Dowager Deng said to Madam Yang, ¡°Apologize to Niaoniao and this matter will be over.¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her hand to indicate that there was no need. She was willing to bear all the responsibility alone. Let her go back and reflect on her mistakes! Empress Dowager Deng was very relieved. ¡°Niaoniao has really grown up and is bing more and more sensible.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. She was tired, really! Chapter 555 - 555: Harmony Makes Wealth Chapter 555: Harmony Makes Wealth Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Since Empress Dowager Deng had spoken, it was impossible for Madam Yang not to give her respect. Madam Yang could only lower her head and bow to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°I didn¡¯t think too much just now and offended the County Princess. Please don¡¯t lower yourself to my level.¡± Her tone was low and filled with grievance. Yu Niaoniao did not want to give up just like that. She was still trying to take the me. She said sincerely, ¡°No, it has nothing to do with you. It¡¯s all my fault. I don¡¯t have the face to stay here any longer. Empress Dowager, please allow me to go home and reflect.¡± Unexpectedly, it made Empress Dowager Deng praise her even more. ¡°What a sensible child.¡± Then, Empress Dowager Deng said to Madam Yang, ¡°Look at how sensible the Princess Consort of Lang County is. Learn from her.¡± Madam Yang was powerless to refute. She could only nod in agreement as she spat at Yu Niaoniao in her heart. This hypocritical white lotus! All the women present also thought highly of Yu Niaoniao. They originally thought that this woman was just an empty vase who didn¡¯t Imow how to socialize and was not tactful. They didn¡¯t expect her to know how to retreat at the critical moment and beat Madam Yang to the ground. Most importantly, her acting was especially realistic. Even Empress Dowager Deng and Empress Wen who were used to the battles in the harem could not tell and believed her. Based on this alone, not many women present couldpare to her. In short, there was only one word¡ª Awesome! Yu Niaoniao did not notice the subtle change in the gazes of the surrounding people. She was still begging. ¡°Your Highness, please let me go home. I really don¡¯t have the face to stay in the pce anymore!¡± She was so anxious that she was about to cry. She really wanted to go home quickly so that she could set off for Bashu quickly. Empress Dowager Dengforted her gently. ¡°Alright, alright. Madam Yang has already apologized to you. For my sake, let this matter be over. Harmony should be the most important during the new year.¡± Yu Niaoniao said anxiously. ¡°No, no, no. Madam Yang didn¡¯t do anything wrong. She doesn¡¯t need to apologize to me. It was me who did not know the etiquette and spouted nonsense. I was too ashamed to face Madam Yang again. Empress Dowager, please let me go home and reflect.¡± Empress Dowager Deng looked helpless and troubled. Madam Yang could not hold it in anymore and said to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°I¡¯ve already apologized to you. Why aren¡¯t you giving up? What do you mean by being too ashamed to face me? You just want the Empress Dowager to chase me out.¡± ¡°As the saying goes, its better to leave a way out for others so that you could each other in the future. Everyone lives in the Imperial Capital. Don¡¯t go too far!¡± Yu Niaoniao looked confused. ¡°When did I want to chase you out? Did you misunderstand me?¡± Madam Yang gritted her teeth and used angrily, ¡°Keep pretending. Do you think everyone is a fool? Who doesn¡¯t know your thoughts?¡± ¡°Previously, you caused my daughter and husband to be reprimanded by the emperor and lose all their face. Now, you want to harm me. Do you have to force our entire family to death? You¡¯re so vicious!¡± The more she spoke, the angrier she became, and her tone became higher and higher as if she had vented all the resentment that had been umted in her heart for a long time. Yu Niaoniao really felt wronged. Madam Yang took the initiative to cause trouble a few times, but she did not take it to heart. Unexpectedly, Madam Yang did not know how to restrain herself and even yed the me game. This person was too unreasonable! Before Yu Niaoniao could defend herself, Empress Wen spoke first. Her voice was cold and filled with the dignity of a superior. ¡°Madam Yang, have you forgotten where this is?¡± Madam Yang met Empress Wen¡¯s cold and sharp gaze and subconsciously shivered. Her mind, which had been overwhelmed by anger and hatred, suddenly woke up. Regret and fear suddenly assaulted her heart. She thought of what she had just said and really wanted to p herself. How could she quarrel with someone in Biquan Pce in front of Empress Wen and Empress Dowager Deng? Moreover, it was the first day of the new year. It was the first day of the new year. It was taboo to say those inauspicious words in the pce, but she had just mentioned death. Wasn¡¯t she bringing bad luck to the empress dowager and empress?! The more Madam Yang thought about it, the more afraid she became. Her legs went weak and she knelt on the ground. ¡°I spouted nonsense on impulse just now and begged the Empress Dowager and the Empress to show mercy and spare me this time.¡± Empress Wen couldn¡¯t be bothered to listen to her exnation and ordered. ¡°Today is the first day of the new year, so it¡¯s not appropriate for there to be blood. I¡¯ll waive your court cane and send you home directly. Reflect on your mistakes behind closed doors for three months. If you do it again in the future, you¡¯ll be stripped of your title.¡± Madam Yang hurriedly kowtowed to thank her. Soon, she was dragged down. Yu Niaoniao watched her leave, her heart filled with envy. Why wasn¡¯t she the one being dragged down? Boohoo, she really wanted to be sent home too! The warm pavilion was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. All the women held their breaths and did not dare to make a sound. They were afraid that they would be dragged down like Madam Yang. Although Madam Yang was not punished, what happened today would definitely spread throughout the Imperial Capital quickly. At that time, everyone would know that Madam Yang had been reprimanded by Empress Dowager Deng and Empress Wen and was chased out of the pce. To an official¡¯s family, this was equivalent to social death. In the future, Madam Yang would be too ashamed to go out and see anyone for a long time. Empress Dowager Deng called Yu Niaoniao in front of her and sized her up with a kind gaze. ¡°Don¡¯t take what Madam Yang said just now to heart. You¡¯re a sensible child who knows when to advance and when to retreat. I like it very much. In the future, you have to enter the pce to talk to me.¡± Although Empress Dowager Deng was old and her vision was not good, her heart was like a mirror and she understood everything. She could see very clearly that Yu Niaoniao¡¯s words just now were from the bottom of her heart. There was no actingponent. It was precisely because of this that Empress Dowager Deng admired her even more. There was no shortage of smart people in this world. What theycked were smart and kind people. Yu Niaoniao was very embarrassed by the praise. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Empress Dowager.¡± Empress Dowager Deng suddenly remembered. ¡°You¡¯ve been married to Duke Lang for two years, right? Why haven¡¯t I seen you pregnant? Could it be that there¡¯s something wrong with your body? Imperial Physician Liu in the pce is very good at gynecology. Let him take a look at you.¡± With that, she was about to get someone to call Imperial Physician Liu. Yu Niaoniao was shocked and hurriedly declined. ¡°There¡¯s no need! There is a physician in the Regional King¡¯s Mansion. He often asked for a safe pulse and my body had always been very healthy and there is no problem. The reason why I¡¯m not pregnant is probably because of fate. As you know, fate is also important when ites to pregnancy and childbirth. As long as it¡¯s fated, the child will naturallye.¡± She and Xiao Juan had yet to consummate their marriage. It would be strange if she could get pregnant! However, this was a secret. She could neither say it nor let Imperial Physician Liu take her pulse.. If Imperial Physician Liu saw that she was still a virgin, she would be finished! Chapter 556 - 556: Trap Chapter 556: Trap Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Empress Dowager Deng was a Buddhist, to begin with. There was a saying of fate in the Buddhist Dharma. She agreed with Yu Niaoniao. ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s the fate between mother and son. I could enter the pce then and even get pregnant with the emperor¡¯s heir. All of this is because of fate.¡± The topic of children was like a switch that opened the mouths of the women. Everyone agreed and began to recount their pregnancy and childbirth. Empress Dowager Deng listened with relish. Seeing that press Dowager Deng¡¯s attention had finally shifted away from her, Yu Niaoniao heaved a sigh of relief. She silently retreated to her original position. It seemed that her n to go home early would not seed. Now, she could only sit obediently and try to reduce her presence. After Xiao Juan and the other nobles and civil and military officials paid their respects to the emperor, they followed the crown prince to the Zhengde Hall. In the past, they had to apany the emperor to talk in the Zhengde Hall. However, now that the emperor¡¯s health was very poor, it was difficult for him to even sit up, so the crown prince could only do this for him. Shen Zhuo first chatted warmly with a few respected elders before changing the topic and suddenly asking Xiao Juan. ¡°I heard a female corpse was fished out of the Imperial Riverst night. Coincidentally, your Justice Department was nearby. I wonder how¡¯s the investigation of this case?¡± Everyone turned to look at Duke Lang. Xiao Juan stood up and replied calmly, ¡°The female corpse has been brought back to the Justice Department. It¡¯s confirmed that she was killed, and the identity of the deceased has been confirmed. As for who the murderer is, we¡¯re still investigating further.¡± Shen Zhuo smiled. ¡°As expected of Duke Lang. He found out the background of the female corpse in just one night.¡± ¡°I believe you should be able to find the real culprit soon, give justice to the dead, and calm the hearts of the people in the city, right?¡± These words seemed to be apliment, but they were actually a trap. Xiao Juan did not answer and replied cautiously, ¡°I will definitely do my best.¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°Since everyone is present, why don¡¯t we make a bet on how long it will take you to solve this case?¡± With that, he looked at everyone present. Immediately, many people echoed, expressing their desire to participate in this bet. Xiao Juan nced at those people. They were all from the Crown Prince¡¯s party. Many people did not say anything, but they had no intention of speaking up for Duke Lang. They clearly did not want to get involved in this matter. Shen Zhuo smiled and said, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything, Duke Lang? With your ability, it should be very simple to solve such a case.¡± At this point, Xiao Juan had no room to refuse. However, Xiao Juan said, ¡°Your Highness, you might not know this, but I¡¯ve already applied for a three-month long leave from the emperor.¡± ¡°When I leave the Imperial Capital tomorrow, the Yuhe Female Corpse Case can only be handed over to others in the Justice Department to investigate.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t make this bet with you. Please forgive me, Your Highness.¡± Shen Zhuo did not expect him to say that. He was stunned at first, then sighed regretfully. ¡°In that case, I can¡¯t force you anymore.¡± Then, he seemed to have suddenly thought of something and asked right on the heels of that. ¡°You¡¯ll be away for so long. There¡¯s no leader in the Justice Department. What if something happens?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat. He had a bad feeling. He said in a low voice, ¡°Although I¡¯m not around, there are still many capable people in the Justice Department. They can help me take care of the Justice Department. ¡± Shen Zhuo expressed his disapproval. ¡°No matter how capable those people are, they can only handle some small matters. If they really encountered any urgent matters, there had to be an authoritative person in charge.¡± ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll send someone to help you manage the Justice Department. I guarantee that in the three months since you left the Imperial Capital, the Justice Department will be well-organized.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s heart sank. The Crown Prince wanted to nt people in the Justice Department when he was not in the Imperial Capital and take away the power in his hands. The princelings spoke up one after another in agreement with the Crown Prince¡¯s suggestion. Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°Since it¡¯s His Highness the Crown Prince¡¯s good intentions, I¡¯ll ept it.¡± With that, he cupped his fists at Shen Zhuo without any resistance. Now it was Shen Zhuo¡¯s turn to feel uneasy. With his understanding of Xiao Juan, he was not the kind of person who would let others interfere in the Justice Department, but Xiao Juan agreed to his suggestion without a word. This did not make sense! There must be something wrong with this abnormality. Shen Zhuo was secretly vignt and asked with a smile, ¡°Who do you think is better to send to help you manage the Justice Department?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯ll listen to His Highness.¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°You¡¯ve always been in charge of the Justice Department. You¡¯re the most familiar with it. You should be the one to choose the right person.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°But you¡¯re the Crown Prince and the future master of the Dayan Dynasty. I should listen to you.¡± These words sounded like ttery to the Crown Prince, but in Shen Zhuo¡¯s ears, it was like cold water, making hime to a realization. He knew his father¡¯s temper very well and thetter was extremely suspicious. Even if he had already been conferred the title of Crown Prince, and even if his father was already sick in bed and would not live long, his father was still notpletely at ease with him. Xiao Juan listened to him and even said that he was the future master of the Dayan Dynasty. If this matter reached his father¡¯s ears, he could guess his father¡¯s reaction without thinking. His father would definitely think that he had secretly roped in important ministers of the Imperial Court and wanted to take over the Justice Department for his own use. He could not wait to rece his father. Shen Zhuo was secretly vexed. He had underestimated Xiao Juan. This guy seemed to be silent and unsociable, but he was notcking in schemes. Shen Zhuo quicklyposed himself and said calmly, ¡°Prince Lang, don¡¯t say such things. I have just be the Crown Prince and don¡¯t know many things. I still need the help of the ministers.¡± ¡°As for who to send to help you manage the Justice Department? Since you can¡¯t give me a suitable candidate, let the elders discuss it together. If there¡¯s really no other way, I can only thicken my skin and ask Father for advice.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Your Highness is wise. I¡¯m convinced.¡± Shen Zhuo immediately changed the topic and talked about something else. This small episode passed just like that. No one seemed to take it to heart. But in fact, everyone was guessing who the Crown Prince would send to temporarily manage the Justice Department. As for Shen Zhuo, he was secretly thinking about how to exin this to his fatherter. After lunch, everyone could finally leave. Yu Niaoniao stood up almost impatiently. Just as she was about to follow the other women out, she heard Empress Wen suddenly speak. ¡°Princess Consort Lang, wait a moment. I have something to tell you.¡± Yu Niaoniao had no choice but to suppress her anxiety and stop where she was. Empress Wen stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going back to the Fengyi Pce. Let¡¯s talk on the way.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Aye.¡± The two of them walked out of the Biquan Pce and sat in their respective carriages. Originally, the two carriages were one after another, but in order to make it easier to speak, Empress Wen specially allowed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s carriage to move beside hers. The distance between the two sedans was very close. Empress Wen asked unhurriedly with the heater in her hand. ¡°I heard that Qirui Garden put up a new yst night called ¡®Double Beauties¡¯?¡± Chapter 557 - 557: Bashu Chapter 557: Bashu Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Before entering the pce, Yu Niaoniao had already guessed that Empress Wen might mention ¡°Double Beauties¡±. She smiled and said, ¡°We did perform Double Beautiesst night. I didn¡¯t expect the Empress to be interested in opera.¡± Empress Wen looked at her steadily. ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten what I told you, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not answer and asked, ¡°I wonder what you mean?¡± Empress Wen said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to act stupid. You know very well what I mean.¡± Yu Niaoniao pretended to be troubled. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand. I hope the Empress can exin more clearly.¡± Empress Wen¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Are you determined to go against me?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked back at her neither servile nor overbearing. ¡°Aren¡¯t the Empress and the Crown Prince the ones who made things difficult for us first? Originally, we didn¡¯t interfere with each other in peace, but the Crown Prince wanted to take Duke Lang¡¯s credit for himself. Ask yourself, is this so kind?¡± Empress Wen said in a low voice. ¡°This was the emperor¡¯s idea. If you have the ability, go and reason with the emperor.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°No matter whose idea it was, the Crown Prince was the one who benefited in the end.¡± Empress Wen closed her eyes and tried to soften her tone. ¡°Alright, consider this a debt, but this is not a bad thing for you. If you help the Crown Prince, he will definitely repay you in the future.¡± ¡°As long as you endure this for a moment, you will be able to exchange for greater benefits in the future. In the end, you will still earn it.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. This is indeed a good opportunity to curry favor with the Crown Prince. If it were anyone else, they would definitely be happy to make this deal. However, I¡¯m not willing, and neither is Duke Lang.¡± Empress Wen frowned. ¡°You¡¯re a smart person. You shouldn¡¯t fight for a moment. ¡± Yu Niaoniaoughed. ¡°Then you¡¯re very wrong. Not only am I not smart, but I¡¯m also stupid and stubborn.¡± ¡°There is only one principle in my mind¡ª What should be ours, we won¡¯t give in, What shouldn¡¯t be ours. We won¡¯t touch it.¡± Empress Wen realized that there was a gap between her and Yu Niaoniao. It was impossible for her to convince Yu Niaoniao, and Yu Niaoniao could not change her. It would be a waste of breath to say anything else. Empress Wen said, ¡°That¡¯s all I have to say. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t listen.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Yes, people of different paths can¡¯t work together.¡± Empress Wen looked ahead and said calmly. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t regret it in the future.¡± The two carriages parted ways. Yu Niaoniao rode the sedan to the vicinity of the pce door. Xiao Juan had been waiting here for a long time. When he saw Niaoniao finally appear, he immediately went up to her and reached out to help her out of the carriage. ¡°I heard that the Empress called you over. Nothing happened, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go back.¡± When the two of them returned to the Regional King¡¯s Mansion, Lo Pingsha had already prepared his luggage and horses and could set off at any time. The three of them did not say anything and immediately packed their bags, preparing to head to Bashu. Just as they walked out of the door, they saw Ling Hai kneeling in the snow with a bag on his back. ¡°Please take me with you, Your Highness.¡± With that, he kowtowed heavily. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°We¡¯re going out to do something this time, not go sightseeing. It¡¯s inconvenient to bring you along.¡± Ling Hai raised his head with an extremely serious expression. ¡°I know you¡¯re going to do serious business. I can be at your beck and call. I can do any rough work. I¡¯m not afraid of hardship. I just hope you won¡¯t abandon me.¡± Yu Niaoniao sighed. ¡°Do you ride?¡± Hearing this, Ling Hai was overjoyed and hurriedly nodded. ¡°I will!¡± Yu Niaoniao got someone to prepare a horse for Ling Hai. Because they were in a hurry, they traveled light this time. Other than the necessary clothes, money, and dry food, they did not bring anything else. The four of them mounted their horses and left the Imperial Capital in the snow, walking quickly along the official road. Along the way, they tried their best to rest and travel as quickly as possible. Even so, it took them more than a month to reach Bashu. After more than three years, Yu Niaoniao returned to Jinguan City and realized that everything here was the same. The scenes in her memory assaulted her heart, making her involuntarily stop. The two children chased each other on the street and identally bumped into Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao had no choice but to stop. Before she could speak, a middle-aged woman rushed over and pulled the child over, reprimanding him with a straight face. ¡°How many times have I told you not to run around on the streets? Why can¡¯t you remember? If you continue like this, I¡¯m going to beat you up!¡± The woman then looked up and was about to apologize to the person who had been hit by the child, but she was stunned when she saw Yu Niaoniao¡¯s appearance. ¡°Niaoniao, why are you back?!¡± Yu Niaoniao also recognized her and replied with a smile, ¡°Aunt Wang, I just returned today.¡± Auntie Wang sized her up and clicked her tongue. ¡°It¡¯s been three years since west met. You¡¯re getting prettier, especially your eyes. They¡¯re exactly the same as your mother¡¯s¡­¡± At this point, she stopped. Everyone in Jinguan City knew how tragically Madam Xie had died. As her daughter, Yu Niaoniao was naturally extremely sad. Auntie Wang¡¯s words were equivalent to poking the other party¡¯s sore spot. Aunt Wang¡¯s expression became awkward. She said awkwardly, ¡°Look at me. I spoke too quickly. Don¡¯t me me.¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s all in the past.¡± Auntie Wang hurriedly nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. It¡¯s all in the past. We have to look forward.¡± She looked at the three people following Yu Niaoniao and could not help but be curious. ¡°These are?¡± Yu Niaoniao introduced them one by one. ¡°This is my husband. The other two are my friends.¡± Auntie Wang immediately perked up. ¡°You¡¯re already married! Your husband is really good-looking. It¡¯s obvious that he¡¯s capable. If your parents knew in theherworld¡­ Uh, sorry, I¡¯m talking too much again.¡± Yu Niaoniao knew Aunt Wang¡¯s personality. She was a straightforward person and often quarreled with others because she said the wrong thing. However, she was a kind person, so Yu Niaoniao only smiled. ¡°I came home this time to bring my husband to pay respects to my parents so they can rest in peace.¡± Seeing that she was not unhappy, Aunt Wang heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly said. ¡°Old Master Feng and Madam Feng doted on you so much when they were alive. Now that you¡¯re married, you should tell them. Originally, I wanted to weed your parents¡¯ graves during Qingming Festival this year. Now that you¡¯re back personally, we don¡¯t have to worry about this.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She asked, ¡°Did you visit my parents¡¯ graves?¡± Auntie Wang nodded. ¡°Yes! Every year during the Zhongyuan Festival and Qingming Festival, someone will clean up the weeds on your parents¡¯ graves and burn some paper money for them. Your parents are good people. When they were alive, they umted merit and helped many people.. Even if they¡¯re no longer around, everyone misses them.. Chapter 558 - 558: Glory Chapter 558: Glory Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao interrupted her and asked. ¡°Then did you notice anything wrong with my parents¡¯ grave?¡± Aunt Wang was very confused. ¡°No, aren¡¯t tombs all like that? What can be wrong? Why do you ask?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°Nothing. I was just asking. Thank you for the past few years. ¡± Aunt Wang smiled again and said warmly, ¡°We¡¯re all fellow vigers. Why are you thanking me? It¡¯s rare for you toe back. Do you want to go home with me? I¡¯ll make you spicy rabbit heads.¡± Yu Niaoniao politely rejected the other party¡¯s kindness. After they left, Yu Niaoniao introduced them to Xiao Juan. ¡°Aunt Wang used to be our tenant farmer. Later on, after what happened to my parents, I sold all the family¡¯s farnd to the tenant farmers at a low price.¡± ¡°Auntie Wang and her man took advantage of that time to buy two acres ofnd. From the looks of it, their lives should be not bad.¡± Along the way, they encountered a few more acquaintances. When they saw Niaoniao return, they were both shocked and happy. They stopped to greet her. Xiao Juan looked at her catching up with the vigers and realized that she was always smiling. Clearly, she was in a good mood. After everyone left, Yu Niaoniao turned to look at Xiao Juan. Seeing that he was still staring at her, she could not help but touch her cheek. ¡°Is there something dirty on my face?¡± Xiao Juan did not answer her question. ¡°I¡¯m thinking that my parents-inw must be very good people.¡± Even though he had never seen Feng Lianghan and Madam Xie with his own eyes, being remembered by so many people after their deaths was enough to show how good they were. Yu Niaoniao immediately smiled even more brightly. ¡°Of course! My father and mother are well-known for being good people. Not only did their family open a charity hall and school, but they also opened their warehouses and distributed food every winter to help the poor people in Sichuan.¡± ¡°The local county governor still wanted to erect a memorial for my father, but my father rejected him. He said that rather than spending money to build a useless archway, it was better to use this money to repair the roads everywhere.¡± At the mention of her stepfather, her face was filled with pride. Xiao Juan said sincerely, ¡°Father-inw cares about the world. I¡¯m very impressed. ¡± At this moment, Lo Pingsha interrupted. ¡°I¡¯ve also heard of Mr. Feng¡¯s name in the capital. The Imperial Court even sent someone to invite him to be an official, but he rejected them.¡± ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s really a pity. With Mr. Feng¡¯s character, if he can be an official, he will definitely be able to benefit the people.¡± From his expression, he really felt sorry about this. Yu Niaoniao smiled and said, ¡°My father said that he¡¯s used to being a carefree crane and can¡¯t stand the rules of the officialdom. Actually, my father is afraid of trouble and wants to bezy.¡± Xiao Juan raised his hand and patted her head. ¡°Don¡¯t say that about Father-inw.¡± Yu Niaoniao stuck out her tongue. ¡°My mother couldn¡¯t stand him for this. She urges him behind him every day. My father listens to my mother very much. As long as my mother asks, even if he doesn¡¯t want to move, he will settle the matter as soon as possible¡­¡± The more she spoke, the more despondent she became, and her voice became lower and lower. Her past life was too beautiful. Thinking about it now was like an illusory dream, leaving her with endless disappointment. Xiao Juan raised his right hand and gently ced it on her head. ¡°Niaoniao. ¡± Yu Niaoniao came back to her senses. The sadness on her face quickly dissipated and she regained her smile. She said energetically, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past. We still have to look forward. Let¡¯s go quickly.¡± The Feng family was originally the first family in Jinguan City, but the Feng family¡¯s house was built on the outskirts of the city. They had to leave the city first and walk for a while before seeing the Feng residence. The suburbs were much colder than the city. There were almost no families along the way. Other than the forest, there were only endless fields. Ling Hai looked around carefully, indicating that he could not understand. ¡°Why did the Feng family build a house in such a ce?¡± With the Feng family¡¯s financial resources, they could totally build a house in the city. There were many people in the city, so it was convenient to buy anything. Wasn¡¯t it much better than living in the wilderness?! Yu Niaoniao exined, ¡°The Feng family has an old residence in the city, but my father and mother like peace and quiet, so they built a new house outside the city. Usually, our family lives in the new house in the suburbs.¡± At this point, she could not help but sigh. If their family had not lived in the suburbs back then but in an old house in the city, the moment their house caught fire, their neighbors would to help put out the fire and save the people. In that case, perhaps Feng Lianghan and Madam Xie would not have died. But there were no ifs in this world. Such assumptions were meaningless. The group passed through the fields and forest and arrived near the Feng residence. The courtyard wall was still there, but the courtyard door had already copsed. Standing at the door and looking in, one could clearly see that the entire residence had been burned to ruins. It had been three years since the fire started. Many weeds grew on the ck ruins. It was winter now, and the weeds were withered and yellow, making this house look even more deste. Lo Pingsha and Ling Hai walked into the courtyard and looked around. Xiao Juan was about to enter when he saw Niaoniao standing beside the courtyard wall in a daze. He walked over and asked. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked up at the top of the high wall and muttered. ¡°I climbed over the wall from here back then.¡± ¡°It was my stepfather who knelt on one knee and supported me with his body, letting me step on his shoulder to climb out.¡± ¡°I escaped, but when I turned around to look for them, they¡­¡¯ Towards the end, her eyes inevitably turned red. Xiao Juan listened to her description and could imagine the scene. At the moment of life and death, Feng Lianghan and Madam Xie gave Niaoniao the chance to escape. In this world, there were selfish mothers like Princess Ni Yang, but there were also mothers like Madam Xie who could sacrifice everything for their children. Xiao Juan was even a little d that Niaoniao could meet a mother as good as Madam Xie. Yu Niaoniao wiped her eyes andposed herself. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. Let¡¯s go in and take a look.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Xiao Juan apanied Niaoniao into the house. The houses inside were already in ruins, and the garden that had once been exquisite and beautiful was already dpidated. They searched everywhere they could but did not find any useful clues. This was expected by Yu Niaoniao. After the fire back then, the officials searched carefully. All the clues they could find had been found. Even if there were any clues that they had missed, after three years of wind and rain, they no longer existed. Lo Pingsha could not help but ask. ¡°County Princess, are you sure that the fire back then was really man-made? What if it was really an ident?¡± Yu Niaoniao said without hesitation, ¡°It was definitely premeditated!¡± Xiao Juan looked at her steadily.. ¡°Do you know something?¡± Chapter 559 - 559: Exhumating the Grave and Opening the Coffin Chapter 559: Exhumating the Grave and Opening the Coffin When Yu Niaoniao thought of that memory, her expression became heavier. She took a deep breath and tried to speak calmly. ¡°Back then, when there was a fire at home, I heard a scream. Someone must have broken into the house in an attack.¡± ¡°My parents brought me to the backyard. After I climbed over the courtyard wall and escaped, I heard the voice on the other end.¡± ¡°A man was saying, kill them all. Leave no one alive.¡± In the past three years, every time she thought of that cold and heartless voice, her back would break out in cold sweat. That was the biggest nightmare of her life. As long as they could not find out the truth, this nightmare would not disappear. Xiao Juan frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell the local authorities about this clue?¡± Speaking of this, Yu Niaoniao felt very aggrieved. ¡°I told them, but no one believed me. Even my grandfather and grandmother thought that I was agitated and had auditory hallucinations.¡± Lo Pingsha could not help but ask, ¡°How can you be sure that it¡¯s not an illusion? Do you have any evidence?¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. She smiled bitterly and said, ¡°I have no evidence.¡± It was precisely because she could not produce conclusive evidence and the inability of the government to find any clues left behind by the arsonists at the event location that they did not believe her. Xiao Juan had read the dossier of the Feng family¡¯s destruction back then and knew some details. He said slowly, ¡°Back then, the official in charge of this case thought that you couldn¡¯t take the blow and wasn¡¯t clear-headed. Moreover, you were still sick at that time and your entire body was hot. Even the doctor felt that you were probably talking nonsense.¡± Yu Niaoniao pursed her lips. ¡°I was indeed running a fever and felt a little dizzy, but I¡¯m sure I didn¡¯t hear wrongly. You have to believe me.¡± For the past three years, no one believed her. She could only pursue the truth alone. Now that she had finally found someone who was willing to apany her in her investigation, she desperately wanted to obtain the other party¡¯s trust. Facing Yu Niaoniao¡¯s sincere gaze, Xiao Juan said without hesitation, ¡°As long as it¡¯s something you say, I believe it.¡± It was clearly afternoon, and the sky was gray, but she felt like she was at dawn. The sunlight was filled withyers of clouds, and everything in front of her was illuminated by golden light. She couldn¡¯t help but smile, her heart swelling and feeling extremely at ease. ¡°Thank you.¡± At this moment, Lo Pingsha and Ling Hai said in unison. ¡°We believe in you too.¡± After interacting with her for this period of time, they knew the Princess Consort very well. Although she usually liked tough and joke, she was never vague when it came to serious matters. Since she was sure that she had not heard wrongly, there was no mistake. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes heated up slightly. She was very moved. It was good to meet these people! In order topletely search this time, Xiao Juan decided to clean up all the copsed sections in the house, but this was a huge project. He definitely could not do it this afternoon. So they decided to go to the cemetery first. They would deal with the ruins tomorrow morning when the tools were ready. The four of them rode up the mountain and arrived at the Feng family¡¯s cemetery. On the surface, the tomb was intact. It didn¡¯t look like it had been dug up. Yu Niaoniao took out the incense paper money and fruit tributes that she had prepared in advance. She arranged the things and bowed to Feng Lianghan and Madam Xie¡¯s tombstone. ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯m back to see you. I¡¯ve been to many ces in the past two years and met many people.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m doing well. Ah Juan has always taken good care of me. He especially took a long leave to apany me back.¡± Xiao Juan also knelt down and kowtowed to his inws¡¯ tombstone. Yu Niaoniao continued to chatter, ¡°Other than visiting you this time, we have something else to trouble you with.¡± ¡°Mother¡¯s bracelet appeared in someone else¡¯s hand. I¡¯m worried that your tomb has been robbed, so I can only dig up your grave and open the coffin to check. We have no choice. Dad and Mom, you¡¯re both reasonable people. I believe you can understand. If you¡¯re unhappy, you can visit me in my dreams. I¡¯ll kowtow and apologize to you.¡± When the paper money was almost burned, the four of them took out their tools and prepared to start work. There were many weeds around the tomb. They had to clean up the weeds before digging the grave. During this process, Xiao Juan discovered something unusual. ¡°Look here! ¡± The other three immediately stopped and leaned over to take a look. They realized that there was a strange area beside the tomb. There were fewer weeds here than elsewhere. Yu Niaoniao reached out and peeled open the withered grass leaves to take a look. The color of the bricks under was lighter than the ones elsewhere, and the color of the mud used to hold the bricks together was slightly different from elsewhere. Xiao Juan said, ¡°The bricks in this area should have been dug up and repaired.¡± That was why there was such a color difference. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Could there really be tomb robbers?¡± The four of them hurriedly sped up and quickly dug up the tomb, revealing the coffin buried under it. At this moment, the sky was already dark. There were no stars or moon in the sky, so they could only rely on torches to light up. Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha jumped into the pit and carefully opened the coffin, revealing the two corpses lying inside. After three years of corruption, Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan¡¯s bodies had long turned into a pile of bones. Yu Niaoniao slid down the wall of the pit. Under the light of the torch, she checked carefully and realized that the burial items that had been ced in the coffin were all there. Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan¡¯s remains were still intact. There were no traces of them being moved. The only thing missing from the entire coffin was the jade bracelet. Yu Niaoniao pointed at the wrist of one of the remains. ¡°Before my mother was buried, I specially put the jade bracelet on her wrist, but it¡¯s gone now.¡± Xiao Juan analyzed, ¡°If they¡¯re really tomb robbers, they won¡¯t only steal one bracelet.¡± Lo Pingsha agreed, ¡°There¡¯s still a lot of gold and silver in the coffin. It¡¯s impossible for them not to take it.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°But if it¡¯s not a grave robber, who can it be?¡± No one could give an answer. Since he was already here, Lo Pingsha naturally wouldn¡¯t waste this opportunity. He took out the toolbox he carried with him and performed an autopsy on the two remains at the event location. Yu Niaoniao felt terrible when she saw her mother and stepfather¡¯s bones being moved around. However, she didn¡¯t say anything and silently followed beside him to help. Lo Pingsha was very efficient and soon ended the autopsy. He picked up a rib and said sternly, ¡°This is a rib at the human heart. There are traces of a sharp weapon on it. From the location and depth of the scratch, the murderer should have stabbed the victim¡¯s heart and the victim died on the spot. His attack could be said to be very clean.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly leaned over to take a look and indeed saw a scratch on the ribs. Right on the heels of that, Lo Pingsha picked up the skull of another skeleton with both hands and continued. ¡°Look here. There are deep scratches on the neck bone. The murderer must have cut the victim¡¯s neck with force, causing him to bleed to death..¡± Chapter 560 - 560: The Most Beloved Family in the World Chapter 560: The Most Beloved Family in the World Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°In that case, Mother and stepfather were killed first before being set on fire to destroy the evidence? Lo Pingsha carefully put down the skull and nodded. ¡°From the current autopsy results, that should be the case.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes turned even redder. She muttered distractedly, ¡°They were indeed killed. This isn¡¯t an ident. This is murder.¡± Ling Hai could not help but ask, ¡°If both of them died under a knife, why didn¡¯t the coroner find out when he did the autopsy back then?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Back then, the coroner only took a few nces to confirm that my parents died in a fire.¡± Lo Pingsha had seen many cases of this. He took the initiative to exin. ¡°The surface will turn pitch-ck after the body is charred. The wound will be hidden. Unless you cut open the body, it¡¯s very difficult to discover the real cause of death. Many coroners don¡¯t go that far.¡± If the coroner had been more careful during the autopsy back then, he might have been able to discover the real cause of the death of Feng Lianghan and Madam Xie. The Feng family¡¯s extermination would not have been decided to be an ident. There was no point in making these assumptions now. At this point, Yu Niaoniao could only think of a way to make up for it. She asked, ¡°Can you verify what the murder weapon was like?¡± Lo Pingsha shook his head. ¡°If the corpse hasn¡¯t dposed, I can determine the murder weapon by the shape of the wound. But now, only bones are left of the corpse. With just these two scratches, I can only deduce that the murder weapon should have strength like a sword or something. I don¡¯t know more.¡± Yu Niaoniao pursed her lips and fell silent. Lo Pingsha opened his mouth a few times and closed it again, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated. Xiao Juan noticed his strange behavior and took the initiative to speak. ¡°If you have something to say, just say it. There are no outsiders here.¡± Lo Pingsha hesitated again and again before speaking. ¡°Does the Princess Consort know that Madam Feng was pregnant when she was alive?¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. ¡°Pregnant?¡± Seeing her like this, Lo Pingsha knew that she did not know about this. He regretted saying this, but he had already spoken. Even if he regretted it, he could only bite the bullet and continue. ¡°From the width of the opening and closing of the pelvis, it can be inferred that Madam Feng should be two months pregnant.¡± Yu Niaoniao froze in ce, her body cold, and her face turned pale. ¡°You mean my mother was two months pregnant when she died?¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao suddenly remembered that she had seen Madam Xie touching her stomach once. She asked Madam Xie if her stomach was not feeling well. Madam Xie had a strange expression. She said that she was fine, but she had eaten a little too much lunch and her stomach was a little full. Yu Niaoniao did not think too much about it and believed Madam Xie. From the looks of it, Madam Xie must have long known about her pregnancy, but for some reason, she did not tell Yu Niaoniao about it. If Lo Pingsha had not learned of this through the autopsy, Yu Niaoniao would probably never have known that Madam Xie was pregnant. Shock, grief, regret, and other emotions surged into her heart, causing her vision to darken and her head to spin. She swayed involuntarily twice. Just as she was about to fall, Xiao Juan reached out in time to hold her waist and let her lean on him. ¡°Are vou okay?¡± Yu Niaoniao choked. ¡°My mother knew that she was pregnant, but she still gave me the chance to escape.¡± Xiao Juan did not know how tofort her and could only silently hug her tighter. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯ve let my mother down. I¡¯ve let my stepfather down. Without me, my mother and the child in her stomach wouldn¡¯t have died. I killed them¡­ Xiao Juan interrupted her. ¡°Don¡¯t say such things. The murderer killed them. As long as we catch the real murderer, we can avenge them. You¡¯re also a victim. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong!¡± Yu Niaoniao muttered, ¡°If the person who escaped back then was Mother¡­¡± Xiao Juan interrupted her again. ¡°Even if it happens again, I believe my father-inw and mother-inw will still choose to sacrifice themselves to let you live.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s tears flowed even more fiercely. She had always felt that she loved Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan very much. She treated them as her favorite family in this world. Only now did she know that Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan loved her far more than she had imagined. Yu Niaoniao reached out with trembling fingers and gently stroked the scratch on the ribs. ¡°Dad, Mom, I will definitely find the real murderer and avenge you.¡± They closed the coffin, filled in the soil, and restored the tomb to its original state. At this moment, the sky waspletely dark. The four of them rode down the mountain and returned to Jinguan City. Back then, Yu Niaoniao had only sold all the Feng family¡¯s farnd, but the Feng family¡¯s old residence was still in the city. There were still a few old servants living in the house. They had lived with the Feng family since they were born and were already used to everything in the Feng family. Even though Niaoniao returned the indentures to themter, they were still unwilling to leave the Feng family. Yu Niaoniao asked them to stay in the old residence and help take care of the house to prevent it from being abandoned. When the servants saw that Eldest Miss had returned with her husband, they were naturally extremely surprised. They hurriedly tidied up the room and prepared dinner. The dishes they prepared were all Yu Niaoniao¡¯s favorite. Yu Niaoniao did not have much of an appetite, but in order not to let these old servants down, she still perked up and took a few bites. After dinner, they returned to their rooms to rest. The old servants especially boiled hot water for them to wash up. Yu Niaoniao took a hot bath. After soaking her body in the warm water, the fatigue in her body lessened a lot, and her mood recovered a little. This was not the time to be sad. She could not be trapped by those low emotions. She had to pull herself together and catch the real culprit as soon as possible to seek justice for her parents! Seeing that she had be a little more energetic after taking a shower, Xiao Juan was slightly relieved. She didn¡¯t say much the entire night and was very depressed. Everyone could tell that she was very sad. No one knew how tofort her. They could only quietly apany her and take care of her more carefully. The two of them went to bed to rest. As the night deepened, Yu Niaoniao closed her eyes and fell asleep after a long time. In her dream, she returned to three years ago. Madam Xie was doing embroidery. She was making a cloth tiger doll. Yu Niaoniao leaned over and asked with a smile, ¡°This doll is so cute. Was it made for me?¡± Madam Xie did not answer and asked, ¡®What if I say no?¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately pouted. ¡°I¡¯m your only daughter. If you¡¯re not giving me the doll, who else can you give it to?¡± Madam Xie pursed her lips and smiled. She asked jokingly, ¡°What if I give birth to another child?¡± Yu Niaoniao said without hesitation, ¡°No! ¡± Her mother was already in her thirties and was definitely an old woman. The risk of giving birth was extremely high. If she was not careful, two lives could be lost. Madam Xie¡¯s hand that was holding the embroidery needle paused, her expression uneasy. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you want a brother or sister?¡± Chapter 561 - 561: Regret Chapter 561: Regret Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao did not know how to exin the risk of an old mother to Madam AIC. After all, she was still a 13-year-old little girl. Her knowledge of conception and birth was definitely not something she could know. She could only pretend to be arrogant and rude as she pouted. ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t want it!¡± Madam Xie asked again, ¡°Isn¡¯t it good for you to have a brother or sister?¡± Yu Niaoniao hugged her arm and said coquettishly, ¡°No, no. It¡¯s enough for Mother to have me as a child. I¡¯ll be filial to you and stay by your side for the rest of my life.¡± Madam Xie sighed softly as if she was very helpless. ¡°Fine. ¡± When Yu Niaoniao woke up from her dream, the house was still dark. She felt her eyes sting and had the urge to cry. Everything in the dream had really happened. Madam Xie was married twice. Although Feng Lianghan treated Yu Niaoniao as his own, they were not biological father and daughter after all. Madam Xie inevitably had to consider more. She was afraid that Niaoniao would let one¡¯s imagination run wild and mistakenly think that she and Feng Lianghan would not love Niaoniao anymore once they had a biological child. Therefore, Madam Xie did not dare to say that she was pregnant. She could only hint at Niaoniao indirectly, wanting to see her attitude. Out of consideration for Madam Xie¡¯s safety, Niaoniao directly expressed that she could not ept another brother or sister. Now that she thought about it, Madam Xie must have been very disappointed when she heard her words. This also exined why Madam Xie did not tell her about the pregnancy directly. Madam Xie was probably worried that she would not be able to ept that she was about to have a younger brother or sister, so she could only choose to hide it for the time being, thinking that she would think of a way to let her slowly ept it in the future. Unexpectedly, the heavens did not give them this chance. The sudden arrival of death separated them forever, and they no longer had the chance to clear the air. Strong guilt filled her heart, making Yu Niaoniao feel extremely ufortable. It was not that she did not like her siblings, but she did not want Madam Xie to take the risk of giving birth at an old age. If she knew that Madam Xie was already pregnant, she would definitely not say that. She would think of a way to help Madam Xie reduce the risk of giving birth. She would haveforted Madam Xie and pat her chest to guarantee¡ª ¡°I like my younger siblings very much. With me protecting them in the future, no one in Jinguan City will dare to bully them!¡± But these words could no longer be said. Yu Niaoniao turned around and faced the wall. Tears rolled down the corners of her eyes. Afraid of being discovered by Xiao Juan beside her, she did not dare to make a sound. She could only try her best to breathe softly and silently wipe her tears with her sleeve. What she didn¡¯t know was that when she turned around, the man beside her was already awake. Xiao Juan looked at her trembling back. Even though she tried her best to hold it in and had already lowered her voice to the lowest, he could still hear the intermittent sobs with his naturally abnormal sharp hearing. Xiao Juan knew that she had turned her back on him because she did not want him to see her fragile appearance. He shouldn¡¯t disturb her at this time. However, his hand seemed to have lost control. He raised it involuntarily and gently hugged Niaoniao from behind. He could clearly feel the little girl in his arms stiffen and her sobs disappear. Xiao Juan neither said anything nor had any intention of letting go. That feeling was both stubborn and clumsy. After a long time, Yu Niaoniao rxed bit by bit. As she faced the wall, her vision was already blurred by tears, and her voice was clearly filled with grief. ¡°I regret it so much.¡± Xiao Juan followed her words and asked, ¡°Regret what?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Mother was so good to me, but I said that to her. She must be in a difficult position. If I could do it all over again, I definitely wouldn¡¯t, wouldn¡¯t say that¡­¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Then what do you really want to say?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°1 actually want a brother or sister very much. This way, there will be a blood bond between me, my stepfather, and my mother. We will be a real family.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°You are a family now. A real family.¡± Yu Niaoniao cried harder. At first, she could still hold back her tears, butter on, she really couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. Her cries gradually became louder and finally turned into loud wails. Xiao Juan said nothing and silently hugged her tighter. His silentpanionship told her that although Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan were no longer around, she still had him. He would always apany her and walk through this long night. The next morning, Ling Hai and Lo Pingsha saw that Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes were red and swollen, and there were two dark circles under her eyes. It was obvious that she had not slept wellst night and had cried. The two of them were very worried, but it was not good to ask further. They could only work harder. They brought their tools out of the city again and went to the Feng residence in the suburbs. They moved the burned beams and bricks away and cleaned up the weeds. The Feng residence was very big. The four of them worked hard for the entire day but could not clean up the ce. They had to continue the next day. When they arrived at the Feng residence in the suburbs again, they were surprised to find more than ten people gathered here. Among them was Aunt Wang, whom they happened to meet two days ago. Aunt Wang held a hoe in her hand and said with a smile. ¡°We all know that you¡¯re back and guessed that you would definitelye here to clean up the ruins. Anyway, there¡¯s still some time before spring plowing. We have nothing to do at home, so we came to help you.¡± The others echoed. ¡°That¡¯s right! There¡¯s strength in numbers. It¡¯s faster to do work.¡± For a moment, Yu Niaoniao had mixed feelings. She said sincerely, ¡°Thank you.¡± Aunt Wang smiled and said, ¡°We¡¯re all on the same side. There¡¯s no need to thank us!¡± With the addition of so many people, the speed of clearing the ruins increased greatly. At this moment, a team of soldiers suddenly appeared near the Feng residence. ¡°What are so many of you doing here?¡± Yu Niaoniao straightened her back and raised her hand to wipe the sweat off her forehead. ¡°This is my house. We want to clean this up.¡± The leader looked Yu Niaoniao up and down, narrowed his eyes, and looked skeptical. ¡°This is your house? As far as I know, this family is all dead.¡± When Yu Niaoniao heard the words ¡°all dead¡±, her heart felt like it had been pierced by a needle. It hurt. She pursed her lower lip. ¡°My name is Yu Niaoniao. Madam Xie is my mother, and Feng Lianghan is my stepfather. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can check the household register. If you really can¡¯t, you can ask around in the city. Many people in the city know me.¡± Aunt Wang and the others immediately chimed in. ¡°That¡¯s right! We can all testify for Niaoniao!¡± The low-ranking official said angrily, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you. Don¡¯t interrupt!¡± He turned to look at Yu Niaoniao and said with a straight face. ¡°We¡¯ll verify your identity, but you can¡¯t touch the things here.¡± Yu Niaoniao frowned. ¡°Why?¡± The low-ranking official said, ¡°There was a murder here. Without the permission of the government, no one is allowed to touch the things here.. This is the rule!¡± Chapter 562 - 562: Complaint Chapter 562: Comint Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao was so angry that sheughed. ¡°What murder? Didn¡¯t you say that all of this was an ident back then? The Feng family died in an ident. Since it was an ident, how could there be a murder?¡± The low-ranking official was embarrassed by her words and his expression immediately turned ugly. ¡°Why are you so sharp-tongued?!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Why? You can¡¯t argue, so you started to attack me personally?¡± The petty official pointed at her. ¡°You¡¯d better watch your attitude!¡± Just as he finished speaking, his outstretched finger was hit by a stone, causing him to scream in pain. The bailiffs beside him immediately became vignt and quickly looked around to see who had thrown the stone. At this moment, Xiao Juan put down the hoe in his hand and said coldly to the official. ¡°You¡¯re the one who should be mindful of attitude.¡± The low-ranking official covered his swollen finger and scolded angrily, ¡°How dare you attack an official? You¡¯re really rebelling.¡± He shouted at the bailiffs beside him. ¡°Why are you still standing there stupidly? Hurry up and arrest these people and throw them into jail. Let¡¯s see if they still dare to go against the government in the future!¡± Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha were about to attack when they saw themoners led by Auntie Wang rushing over aggressively to stand in front of Yu Niaoniao. They widened their eyes in anger and roared at the top of their lungs. ¡°If anyone dares to move, we¡¯ll fight them to the death! Come if you¡¯re not afraid of death!¡± They looked murderous, as if he was really going to fight to the death. The guards shrank back in fear. Even the low-ranking official was a little afraid, and his arrogance became smaller. This time, it was Xiao Juan, Lo Pingsha, and Ling Hai who were surprised. They had heard that the people of Bashu were valiant in the past, but they did not expect that the people here were not even afraid of the soldiers and even dared to fight them head-on with weapons. Such a thing was unimaginable elsewhere. The low-ranking official said weakly. ¡°This has nothing to do with you. All of you, walk away. It won¡¯t end well for you to go against the government.¡± Auntie Wang retorted angrily, ¡°We¡¯re helping Niaoniao clean her house. What has it got to do with you? Stop being an eyesore here. Get lost!¡± With that, she picked up the broom and threw it at the official! Seeing that she really dared to attack, the low-ranking official hurriedly retreated in fear. ¡°You, you shrew!¡± Auntie Wang swung the broom and chased after him. ¡°I¡¯ll ssh your face! You short-lived child, if you don¡¯t get lost, I¡¯ll break your legs!¡± The low-ranking official could only cover his head and flee. The bailiffs beside him wanted to help, but as long as they moved, themoners would rush over. Although this group of bailiffs wore official uniforms and had sabers at their waists, they had actually not learned martial arts for many days and did not even know how to use knives. If they really fought, they would definitely be injured. As bailiffs, they only wanted to make a living. They did not have any fearless spirit, let alone sacrifice themselves for this. Therefore, Xiao Juan, Lo Pingsha, and Ling Hai were forced to watch a scene of Aunt Wang chasing after a small official. Not to mention that it was quite interesting, the three of them wanted tough. Not long after, the vige head in charge of managing this area was rmed. He rushed over on an ox cart with a family of old and young. When the low-ranking official saw the vige head arrive, he pounced on him as if he had seen his savior andined loudly. ¡°Old Master Zhang, you¡¯re finally here! Control this shrew. How dare she hit me with a broom in broad daylight? She¡¯s simplywless!¡± Vige Head Zhang had white hair and was walking slowly with a walking stick. Not only was he senior, but he was also well-known. When Aunt Wang saw him, she immediately put down the broom and obediently called him Uncle Zhang. The othermoners also shouted. Vige Head Zhang frowned and said to Auntie Wang in disapproval. ¡°That¡¯s right. Which one of you hit someone in broad daylight? It¡¯s not good. If you want to hit someone, you should find a private ce to do it.¡± The low-ranking official, who had been nodding in agreement, was stunned when he heard thest sentence. He turned to look at Vige Head Zhang in disbelief. Old Master, listen to yourself! Aunt Wang looked like she had been taught a lesson. ¡°Uncle Zhang is right. I didn¡¯t do this well.¡± Vige Head Zhang said, ¡°You have to be careful in public, lest outsiders think that the people here are especially fierce. They¡¯ll scare those traveling merchants so much that they won¡¯t dare to do business here.¡± Auntie Wang hurriedly replied, ¡°Yes, yes, yes. I¡¯ll definitely pay attention next time.¡± The official couldn¡¯t take it anymore and raised his voice. ¡°Old Master Zhang, are you blind? I¡¯m the one who was beaten up now. As the vige head, aren¡¯t you going to uphold justice for me?!¡± Vige Head Zhang frowned and said slowly, ¡°Lower your voice. I can hear you.¡± He narrowed his eyes and nced at everyone, as if he was looking for someone. ¡°I heard that Niaoniao is back. Where is she?¡± Yu Niaoniao quickly stood up. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Vige Head Zhang immediately smiled when he saw her. ¡°My little girl has grown up and is slender and elegant. Like your mother, you¡¯re a beautiful child. Come,e, I have candy here. Take it and eat it.¡± With that, he took out an oil paper bag from his sleeve and stuffed it into Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand. Seeing this, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes stung and she quickly reached out to catch it. ¡°Thank you, Grandpa.¡± When she was young, her favorite elder was Vige Head Zhang because every time she saw him, he would give her candy. His sleeve was like a Doraemon pocket, where he could take out candy at any time. After so many years, Yu Niaoniao was past the age where she needed candy to be coaxed , but Vige Head Zhang still maintained this habit of giving her sugar when they met. Vige Head Zhang was very happy. ¡°Of all the dolls, you¡¯re the most polite. You say thank you every time. The other dolls take the candy and leave.¡± Yu Niaoniao was embarrassed by the praise. She called Xiao Juan over and introduced him to Vige Head Zhang. ¡°Grandpa, this is my husband. His surname is Xiao and his name is Juan.¡± Xiao Juan tidied his clothes and cupped his hands at Vige Head Zhang as a junior. ¡°Grandpa.¡± Vige Head Zhang saw that his tall figure and handsome eyes matched the way he stood up and could not help but nod repeatedly. ¡°Not bad,d. You¡¯re not from around here, are you?¡± Xiao Juan replied truthfully, ¡°I¡¯m from Liangzhou and live in the Imperial Capital.¡± Vige Head Zhang said, ¡°The Imperial Capital is good. It¡¯s a big ce with everything. Niaoniao will definitely be able to live a good life with you. It¡¯s rare for you toe back. You muste to my house for a meal today so that you can try the most authentic specialty dishes in Sichuan.¡± Seeing that their topic was getting further and further away, the low-ranking official could not help but remind them loudly. ¡°Vige Head Zhang! Can you stop chatting? Now is the time to do serious business!¡± Vige Head Zhang sighed. ¡°Is there something wrong with your ears? Why is your voice so loud?¡± The lowly official was speechless.. Chapter 563 - 563: Promise Chapter 563: Promise Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After Vige Head Zhang asked about the entire matter, he looked at the low-ranking official helplessly. ¡°This is someone else¡¯s house. They don¡¯t want it to be abandoned. Isn¡¯t it reasonable to prepare to clean it? Do you have to get the approval of the officials to clean your house first?¡± The low-ranking official retorted, ¡°But there was a murder here!¡± Vige Head Zhang asked, ¡°If it¡¯s really a murder case, has your government found anything?¡± The low-ranking official¡¯s expression became awkvvard. ¡°Not yet.¡± Vige Head Zhang said, ¡°It¡¯s been more than three years, but you still haven¡¯t found anything. Not only are you not ashamed, but you also came here to make things difficult for her. Do you think it¡¯s appropriate?¡± The low-ranking official was speechless. Vige Head Zhang sighed again. ¡°Niaoniao¡¯s family passed away in that fire. Now, she¡¯s the only one left in the Feng family. What a pitiful girl. Your government should be magnanimous and let her off. Don¡¯t disturb her life anymore.¡± The lowly official tried to defend himself. ¡°That¡¯s not the case. Our original intention was to protect the crime scene so that the authorities could investigate the case. We never thought of making things difficult for anyone.¡± Vige Head Zhang frowned. ¡°Since you¡¯re not making things difficult for her, why did you bring so many bailiffs here? Aren¡¯t you trying to bully a weak woman with numbers?¡± The low-ranking official opened his mouth, wanting to continue exining, but he could not find a suitable reason. In the end, he could only scold angrily,¡±You¡¯re deliberately biased towards her. You¡¯re all in cahoots!¡± Vige Head Zhang waved his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t stand here and be an eyesore. If you think I didn¡¯t do well, you can tell the county governor about this. I¡¯ll bear any consequences.¡± The low-ranking official gritted his teeth. ¡°Alright, since you¡¯re determined to protect this little girl, let¡¯s see how you exin yourself when the county governor holds you ountableter!¡± With that, he flicked his sleeve and turned to leave with the bailiffs. Yu Niaoniao was a little worried. ¡°Grandpa, will this cause you trouble?¡± Vige Head Zhang replied indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s fine. They won¡¯t do anything to me. Anyway, I¡¯m already one foot in the grave. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You¡¯ll live to a hundred years old!¡± Vige Head Zhang smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll take your blessings and live a long life!¡± Everyone continued to work until the sun set. The entire residence had not been cleaned up. They had searched everywhere they could. Even the soil in the garden had been searched, but they still could not find any clues. Yu Niaoniao could not help but feel disappointed. However, she quickly pulled herself together. Three years ago, this ce had been thoroughly searched by the soldiers. It was normal not to be able to find any clues now. Since she couldn¡¯t find any clues here, she would consider investigating from another angle. Vige Head Zhang was warmly inviting Yu Niaoniao and the others to his house. ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte. You should have missed dinner when you return to the city. Why don¡¯t you eat at my house? My house isn¡¯t far from here.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Vige Head Zhang¡¯s house was not far from here. Perhaps she could find some useful clues from him. Hence, she readily agreed. ¡°That¡¯s great! I haven¡¯t eaten your food in a long time. I have to eat my fill tonight.¡± When they arrived at Vige Head Zhang¡¯s house, it was already dark. When Vige Head Zhang¡¯s two daughters-inw learned that there were guests visiting, they quickly started the fire and cooked. Soon, the rich fragrance of food wafted out of the kitchen. Yu Niaoniao, Xiao Juan, Lo Pingsha, and Ling Hai sat in the central room. Zhang Li was asking his son to serve them hot tea. They drank tea and chatted. Yu Niaoniao told him some interesting things she had encountered in the Imperial Capital, making Zhang Liugh. Vige Head Zhang sighed. ¡°The Imperial Capital is indeed a big ce. There are so many fun things.¡± Yu Niaoniao took the opportunity to ask, ¡°Although the Imperial Capital is good, I still like this ce better. I wonder if anything has happened here in the two years I¡¯ve been away? For example, has anyonee to ask about our family?¡± Vige Head Zhang could hear the underlying meaning in her words and knew that this might be the main reason why she came back, so he recalled carefully. Yu Niaoniao did not rush him and waited quietly. Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan¡¯s tomb had been opened by someone. The burial items inside were all there, except for a jade bracelet. The possibility of it being a case of grave robbery was very low. Thinking of the special nature of the jade bracelet, Yu Niaoniao suspected that the other party was here for the bracelet. Moreover, the other party should be sure that the bracelet was in Madam Xie¡¯s grave. Yu Niaoniao put herself in the shoes of the person who wanted to steal the bracelet. Before she did anything, she must have asked about the location of the Xie family¡¯s mausoleum. And this might be a useful clue. Zhang Li thought for a long time before speaking. ¡°A year ago, someone dide to ask about your family. At that time, my family had all gone out to do farm work, leaving me and a few insensible children at home.¡± At this point, he waved at the child squatting at the door and ying with the stones. ¡°Niu,e over.¡± The child was strong and had dark skin. He looked very strong. He ran to Vige Head Zhang¡¯s side and called him Grandpa. Vige Head Zhang asked, ¡°Do you still remember a year ago, you said that an olddy came to our house to ask for water?¡± Ah Niu tilted his head and thought for a moment. ¡°Yes, I remember.¡± ¡°Then tell this sister in detail about the situation at that time.¡± Ah Niu said obediently. ¡°That day, I was sweepin the courtyard with my younger brother.¡± ¡°Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. I ran to open it and realized that there was an olddy standing outside the courtyard door.¡± ¡°She said that she was from another city and had traveled a long way. She was very thirsty and wanted to ask me for a bowl of water.¡± ¡°I returned to the kitchen, scooped adle of water with a gourddle, and brought it to her.¡± ¡°She thanked me after drinking the water and even gave me a straw grasshopper as a thank-you gift.¡± ¡°That grasshopper made it up especially well, as if it was real. I liked it very much, but Big Brother ruined itter¡­¡¯ Vige Head Zhang interrupted him. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about the grasshopper. Talk about that granny.¡± Ah Niu replied resentfully and returned to the main topic. ¡°That granny even asked me about Uncle Feng¡¯s family. After asking, she left.¡± Vige Head Zhang continued, ¡°At that time, I didn¡¯t even know that there was a guest at home. It wasn¡¯t until Ah Niu quarreled with a few other children because of that straw grasshopper that I found out about the olddy.¡± Ah Niu exined softly, ¡°That granny didn¡¯t let me tell anyone. I promised her, so I have to do as I say.¡± Vige Head Zhang lectured earnestly, ¡°It¡¯s a principle to keep your word, but this depends on the situation. The other party is a stranger you don¡¯t know at all. What if the other party is a bad person? What if she wants to plot against our family? If you help her protect her whereabouts, it¡¯s equivalent to helping the evildoer. It will cause very bad consequences.¡± Ah Niu was frightened and his face turned pale. ¡°I didn¡¯t think so much. Grandpa, I was wrong. I won¡¯t dare to do it again.¡± ¡°If you encounter strangers asking you for anything in the future, you have to tell the elders immediately, understand?¡± Ah Niu hurriedly nodded.. ¡°I¡¯ll remember!¡± Chapter 564 - 564: Not Spicy At All Chapter 564: Not Spicy At All Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After Vige Head Zhang finished educating his grandson, he softened his expression and said to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°After the Feng family¡¯s incident, many people who had once received your stepfather¡¯s kindness came to pay their respects.¡± ¡°They had also asked about the location of your parents¡¯ tomb, but I had seen those people with my own eyes. They didn¡¯t look like bad people.¡± ¡°Only the olddy who came to ask for water was someone I had never seen.¡± ¡°Her actions were a little strange. I was really worried at that time, afraid that she was up to something bad. Later on, I specially got someone to take a look at your parents¡¯ tomb and didn¡¯t find anything abnormal.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at Ah Niu and asked seriously,¡±Do you remember what the olddy looked like?¡± Ah Niu said as he recalled, ¡°She¡¯s a little hunched and thin. Her clothes are very old, and her head is wrapped in a cloth towel.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Was there a scar on her face? She gestured twice at her face with her fingers. ¡°It¡¯s here. And here. Was there a scar?¡± Ah Niu nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Although the granny was wrapped in a headscarf and most of her face was covered by a cloth towel, she pulled it down a little while she drank water. It was at that moment that Ah Niu saw the scar on her face. Fortunately, he was born bold and was not afraid. Instead, he took the initiative to ask how the scar on the other party¡¯s face came about. Thinking of this, Ah Niu hurriedly added. ¡°At that time, I asked her why there was a scar on her face. She said that it was bitten by a dog, but I don¡¯t understand. Why would a dog bite her face? I have a dog at home too. The dog is very obedient and never bites.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled and said, ¡°The granny was joking with you. The scar on her face was definitely not bitten by a dog. A dog is a friend of a human. Treat it well, and it will treat you well.¡± She was not lying. She had seen the olddy before. The scar on the olddy¡¯s face was definitely not caused by a dog. It was more like a scar left behind by something else. At this point, she suddenly realized that Vige Head Zhang¡¯s expression was a little strange and could not help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Vige Head Zhang hesitated for a moment before speaking. ¡°I heard you say that the olddy has a scar on her face just now. This reminds me of an old matter many years ago. That must have been more than forty years ago. A young woman hade to the vige. She was quite good-looking and well-mannered. It was obvious that she had been raised by a rich family. Unfortunately, there were a few scars on her face. Her good face was destroyed just like that. ¡°By the way, she was still pregnant at that time. It looked like she was at least seven months old. She was about to give birth.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly asked, ¡°Then what? Was the child born?¡± Vige Head Zhang let out a long sigh. ¡°I heard that she gave birth, but it was a stillborn. That woman suffered a huge blow and quickly left this sad ce. I haven¡¯t seen her since.¡± Yu Niaoniao was surprised. Did the child actually die? She thought that the appearance of the olddy and the jade bracelet were rted to that child. At this moment, Xiao Juan, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke. ¡°Grandpa, do you know that woman¡¯s name?¡± Vige Head Zhang frowned and pondered. ¡°It¡¯s been more than 40 years. I really don¡¯t remember. What¡¯s it called?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked nervously, ¡°Was she called Li Niang?¡± Vige Head Zhang was stunned for a moment before he suddenly remembered and hurriedly said. ¡°Yes, yes, yes! She was called Li Niang!¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s guess was confirmed. The mysterious granny with the scar on her face was the young pregnant woman who had appeared in Jinguan City more than forty years ago. Li Niang hade here more than forty years ago, given birth to a child, and disappeared. Forty yearster, she returned here and secretly stole the jade bracelet. Half a year ago, she brought the bracelet to the Imperial Capital and lived in the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple. Not long after that, she died. These things seemed unrted, but Yu Niaoniao kept feeling that there was a connection. Xiao Juan was very experienced in investigating cases and could easily grasp the key points of the case. He continued to ask, ¡°Grandpa, do you still remember who delivered Li Niang back then?¡± Yu Niaoniao came to her senses. This was indeed a very important clue! It was impossible for Li Niang to deliver her child. Someone must have helped her. As long as she found the midwife, she might be able to know if the child Li Niang gave birth to was alive or dead. This time, Vige Head Zhang blurted out without thinking. ¡°It¡¯s the olddy of the Sun family. She often delivered babies and was enthusiastic. She couldn¡¯t bear to see Li Niang die, so she asked Li Niang to stay at her house. She was also the one who helped deliver Li Niangs child.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart sank. She Imew Old Madam Sun. She was a very hearty and enthusiastic granny. When she was young, she often came to her house as a guest. However, Grandma Sun died of illness eight years ago. It was already impossible to ask her about Li Niang. Vige Head Zhang could tell that she was disappointed and gave her a suggestion. ¡°Although Old Madam Sun is no longer around, her son and daughter-inw are still around. When she delivered Li Niang¡¯s child back then, her eldest son was already ten years old. Perhaps he can still remember some of the things that happened back then.¡± At this point, any clue was extremely precious to Yu Niaoniao. She hurriedly nodded and replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll visit the Sun family tomorrow.¡± Actually, she wished she could go to the Sun family now. However, her rationality made her hold it in. More haste less speed. She shouldn t be anxious but investigate slowly. Hot food was served. In the middle was a basin of red boiled fish. The bottom was made of soybean sprouts and cabbage, and the top was filled with thin slices of fish. Thick red oil floated in the soup, and there were some peppers, sesame seeds, and spring onions sprinkled on the surface. After being stimted by the hot oil, the fragrance became especially rich. Today , the eldest daughter-inw of the Zhang family specially whipped out her best dishes to entertain guests today. Other than that, there was also spicy chicken, dried intestines, hairy blood curd, tiger skin, phoenix ws, and so on. They were all very famous local specialties and were also hometown dishes that Yu Niaoniao had eaten since she was young. Faced with so much delicious food, she immediately put aside the matters rted to the case and sniffed hard, revealing an intoxicated expression. ¡°It smells so good!¡± Lo Pingsha also looked eager. He was looking forward to these delicacies. However, Xiao Juan and Ling Hai did not feel good. Xiao Juan¡¯s stomach was not good and he could not eat spicy food. Ling Hai simply did not like spicy food. However, other than the bowl of Sanxiang soup without chili, all the other dishes on the table were filled with chili. Xiao Juan had no choice but to scoop himself a bowl of soup. When everyone began to eat, only Ling Hai refused to eat for a long time. Seeing this, Vige Head Zhang said to him happily. ¡°Kid, don¡¯t be afraid. Hurry up and eat. These dishes are not spicy at all.¡± Ling Hai was skeptical. ¡°Really?¡± Vige Head Zhang said, ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. If you don¡¯t believe me, look at us. No one thinks it¡¯s spicy.¡± The rest of the Zhang family echoed. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not spicy at all.¡± Seeing that all of them were eating with relish and no one showed any signs of being spicy, Ling Hai was a little swayed. Perhaps these dishes really only seemed spicy? Chapter 565 - 565: Coincidence Chapter 565: Coincidence Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Ling Hai picked up his chopsticks and picked up a piece of fish. The fish meat wrapped in red oil looked rosy. He mustered his courage and ced the fish in his mouth. The moment he bit down, a strong spicy taste exploded in his mouth, right on the heels of which was a strong numbness. He felt his tongue and the inner walls of his mouth tremble. His face immediately turned red. He hurriedly put down his chopsticks, picked up the teacup, and poured water into his mouth. After drinking the water, he still felt that it was spicy. He took a deep breath and did not dare to close his mouth. How was this not spicy? This was explosively spicy! Seeing this, Vige Head Zhang was very worried. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ling Hai cried from the spiciness. He said with difficulty, ¡°It¡¯s too spicy. It¡¯s really too spicy.¡± What Vige Head Zhang had said just now was the truth. This bit of spicy taste was indeed nothing to them. What he did not expect was that Ling Hai could not even withstand a little spicy taste. He asked his youngest son to scoop a bowl of soup for Ling Hai and got his eldest daughter-inw to cook fragrant yam and steamed pork ribs. In addition, he cut a te of cured sausages made by his family. Neither of these dishes was filled with chili. Xiao Juan and Linghai could eat them at ease. He even felt almost in awe of the Bashu people. To be able to eat such spicy food without changing his expression, they were really heroes! Before they left, Vige Head Zhang told Yu Niaoniao Old Lady Sun¡¯s address and reminded her that if she encountered any trouble, she could look for him at any time. Yu Niaoniao and the others left the Zhang family and rode back to the city. Because she had met an old friend she had not seen for a long time and had eaten food filled with nostalgia, her mood became much more rxed. She finally did not dream again tonight. She leaned into Xiao Juan¡¯s arms and slept soundly. The next morning, they decided to split up. Lo Pingsha brought Ling Hai out of the city. They nned to search the surroundings of the old Feng residence to see if they could find any useful clues. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan prepared to go to the Sun family. The Sun family lived in a small vige under Jinguan City. They had to leave the city first and ride for two hours before finding the vige. They got off the horse and entered the vige to find someone to ask how to get to the Sun family. Unexpectedly, the viger looked at them strangely and asked, ¡°Where are you from? Why are you asking about this?¡± He seemed very vignt. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m Feng Lianghan¡¯s daughter. I used to know Old Madam Sun. I came back this time to pay my respects to Old Madam Sun and meet her descendants.¡± Feng Lianghan¡¯s name was very useful in the entire Bashu. As expected, after the viger learned Yu Niaoniao¡¯s identity, his attitude immediately became much friendlier. ¡°So you¡¯re the daughter of Feng Dashan¡¯s family! The Sun family you¡¯re looking for lives at the east end of the vige. If you walk along this road, you¡¯ll see his house. However, it¡¯s useless even if you find his house.¡± At this point, the viger heaved a long sigh, looking very regretful. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She had a bad feeling and hurriedly asked. ¡°Did something happen to the Sun family?¡± The viger sighed. ¡°This is really unlucky. During the new year, Sun Dng apanied his wife back to her parents¡¯ house to pay a visit. At that time, he brought their children over. Unexpectedly, halfway through, the donkey suddenly ran around crazily and the cart flipped down the hill. When they were discovered, the corpses of their family were already rotten.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart sank. They were a step toote. The only clue was cut off just like that. But even so, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan still decided to go to the Sun family to take a look. The Sun family¡¯s courtyard door was locked from the outside. Yu Niaoniao went to the vige chief to get the key and opened the courtyard door. Weeds had already grown in the courtyard, and the furniture in the house was already dusty. It looked very cold. No matter how they looked at it, this was just an ordinary small courtyard. They could not find any clues. Yu Niaoniao stood in the deste courtyard and muttered. ¡°I followed Li Niang¡¯s trail and found out that Sun Dng¡¯s family was dead. Is all of this really a coincidence?¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Yu Niaoniao retracted her fingers bit by bit and clenched her fists. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a coincidence. Someone must have been afraid that we would find out the truth and deliberately killed them to silence them.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°If you want to know if it¡¯s a coincidence, you¡¯ll know after checking.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him. ¡°How?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Something happened to Sun Dng¡¯s family because the donkey suddenly went crazy. Why did the donkey go crazy and run around?¡± Yu Niaoniao suddenly remembered that she had seen a dpidated cart rack in the backyard. She immediately turned around and ran towards the backyard. Xiao Juan followed closely. The two of them found the broken cart in the cowshed in the backyard. The cart was covered in damage, and the wheels had deformed. It looked like it had been hit violently. This should be the donkey cart that Sun Dng¡¯s family was riding. The donkey had been disposed of, but the cart was still here. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan leaned over to take a closer look, but they did not find anything unusual. They did not give up. Then, they went to look for the vige chief and asked about the details of Sun Dng¡¯s family¡¯s ident. When the vige chief learned that Yu Niaoniao was Feng Lianghan¡¯s daughter, he was very cooperative and answered almost every question. After his description, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan realized that no one had personally witnessed Sun Dng¡¯s family encounter an ident. Everyone had inferred the cause of death from the situation at the event location when they discovered Sun Dng¡¯s family¡¯s corpse. After that, the government also sent a coroner to check the remains of Sun Dng¡¯s family, proving that they had died from falling down the hill and being seriously injured. All of this did not seem to be a problem. Yu Niaoniao could not help but feel disappointed. Could it be that she was thinking too much? At this moment, Xiao Juan suddenly asked. ¡°What happened to Sun Dng¡¯s donkey cartter?¡± The vige chief said truthfully, ¡°The donkey has already fallen to its death, and its carcass was rotting. It was definitely not edible and can only be buried on the spot. As for the cart, it was sent back to Sun Dng¡¯s house and left in his backyard.¡± Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan looked at each other. The two of them did not say anything, but they tacitly decided to go to the crime scene to take a look. They asked the vige chief for the exact location of the crime scene and left the vige. The two of them rode for a long distance. After a fewparisons, they finally found the location of the crime that the vige chief had mentioned. It was spring now, and the hillside was filled with tender green weeds. Xiao Juan tied the horse up and walked down the hill with the shovel in one hand and Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand in the other. The two of them searched as they walked and found many traces left behind by the donkey cart. In the end, they arrived at the ce where the donkey¡¯s carcass was buried. Xiao Juan used the shovel to dig open the soil and quickly saw the rotten donkey carcass. Yu Niaoniao endured nausea and took out a donkey bone. She quickly wrapped it in fabric. Then, Xiao Juan filled the soil back in.. Chapter 566 - 566: Nothing Chapter 566: Nothing Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan suspected that the reason why the donkey suddenly went crazy was that someone had secretly done something to it. They wanted to bring the donkey bone back for Lo Pingsha to test. When they returned to Jinguan City, it was already night. Logically speaking, Lo Pingsha and Ling Hai should have returned by now, but Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan did not see them in the Feng family¡¯s old residence. Yu Niaoniao was a little worried about their safety. Xiao Juan suggested, ¡°I¡¯ll go out of town to look for them. Stay at home and wait for news.¡± Yu Niaoniao was unwilling. ¡°You¡¯re unfamiliar with this ce. If anything really happens, it won¡¯t be easy for you to deal with it. It¡¯s better for me to do it.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s heart ached. Ever since she left the Imperial Capital, she had been tense and busy every day. Xiao Juan was afraid that she would tire out and wanted her to stay at home to rest. However, since she was unwilling, he could not force her. He could only follow her wishes. Before leaving, Yu Niaoniao specially wrapped the donkey bone and brought it along. This bone emitted a strong rancid smell. Yu Niaoniao ran with it. At first, she could not stand the smell. After a long time, she became inured to it. At this moment, she could already carry the donkey bone on her back without changing her expression. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Xiao Juan couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you going to leave with it?¡± Yu Niaoniao knew that it was a little strange, but she was still very insistent. ¡°It¡¯s better to be prepared. What if a thief sneaked in when we weren¡¯t at home? It¡¯s safer to carry this bone with us.¡± In any case, it was not heavy. It was just a little smelly. It would pass if she endured it. Xiao Juan could not help butugh. ¡°Which thief would steal a stinky bone?¡± Although he said that, he respected her thoughts. The two of them went out together and rode out of the city. As soon as they left, a person in ck night clothes quietly infiltrated the Feng family¡¯s old residence. He went straight to the bedroom where Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan lived and could not find anything. Then, the man in ck went to the study and storeroom, but he still found nothing. In the end, he could only leave the Feng family¡¯s old residence empty-handed. The man in ck quickly passed through the city and entered a very ordinary small courtyard. The moment he pushed open the door, an oilmp suddenly lit up in the originally dark room. There were more than ten burly men standing in the room, all with sabers on their waists. The person in the lead was called Qin Jun. He was the tallest and was more than nine feet tall. Even though it was cold in spring, he still rolled up his sleeves, revealing his muscr arms. The outline of his face was hard and his skin was bronze. A portion of his left eyebrow was broken. Coupled with his sharp eagle-like eyes, he looked especially fierce and dangerous. The man in ck who had just entered immediately knelt on one knee and lowered his head to report. ¡°Boss, I didn¡¯t find any bones or bracelets.¡± Qin Jun frowned slightly. ¡°Looks like they have everything.¡± He deliberately got someone to dy Lo Pingsha and Ling Hai so that the two of them could not return for the time being. Out of worry for them, Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao might look for them. Originally, Qin Jun thought that Yu Niaoniao would leave the donkey bone at home. After all, that thing was dirty and smelly. A delicate youngdy like Yu Niaoniao probably wouldn¡¯t carry that thing with her. Unexpectedly, Yu Niaoniao was so cautious that she really kept the bone with her. Qin Jun asked, ¡°Where did they go?¡± The man in ck replied truthfully, ¡°They went in the direction of the city gate. It seems that they are nning to leave the city.¡± Qin Jun ordered in a low voice, ¡°Go find them and snatch the thing.¡± The man in ck asked carefully, ¡°What if they¡¯re unwilling to give it up? Qin Jun spat out a word coldly. ¡°Kill! When Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan found Lo Pingsha and Ling Hai, they realized that the two of them were surrounded by a group of soldiers. The leader was the low-ranking official she had seen yesterday. The low-ranking official said that Lo Pingsha and Ling Hai¡¯s origins were unknown and their whereabouts were suspicious. iming that they must be up to no good, he ordered someone to capture these two people and bring them back to the government office. Lo Pingsha and Ling Hai were naturally unwilling to surrender, but they did not dare to expose their identities. After all, they had been reminded by Duke Lang on the way to Bashu. Their investigation this time was private. They had to keep a low profile the entire time and try their best not to be discovered. Lo Pingsha and Ling Hai wanted to leave, but they were surrounded by soldiers. The two sides were in a stalemate until this moment. Xiao Juan could already tell that this official was purely looking for trouble and deliberately looking for trouble with them. He could not be bothered to waste his breath on the other party. He ced the scabbard of the No Return Saber on the lowly official¡¯s head and said coldly. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, get lost immediately.¡± The low-ranking official was so frightened by his terrifying aura that he trembled and stuttered. ¡°You, you actually dare to threaten the officials of the Imperial Court? Are you trying to rebel?!¡± Yu Niaoniao sneered. ¡°You¡¯re just a small official. You can¡¯t even be considered an official. You actually call yourself an official of the Imperial Court? Who gave you the cheek to do so?¡± Usually, everyone said that they were officials, but real officials were actually different. ording to the system of society, officials were considered proper civil servants. The low-ranking official was akin to a temporary worker in the modern day. The low-ranking official¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Even if I¡¯m just a low-ranking official, I¡¯m much better than you bumpkins! You offended me today, but I can put you in jail tomorrow!¡± Xiao Juan replied indifferently, ¡°Is that so?¡± The low-ranking official was totally angered and instructed the bailiffs to arrest them. They thought that with their numbers, they would definitely be able to capture them easily. Unexpectedly, Xiao Juan and Lo Pingsha were strong in martial arts. Although Ling Hai was young, he had learned a tew moves. More than ten bailitts were no match for them. In just a few moves, all the bailiffs were knocked down. In the end, only the low-ranking official was left standing. He looked at Xiao Juan, who was walking towards him step by step, and was so frightened that his face turned pale. He was no longer as arrogant as before and ran away without thinking. Xiao Juan was just scaring the other party. He had more important things to do and did not have the time to waste with this small official. Seeing that the other party had left, Xiao Juan did not chase after him. He spoke to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The four of them mounted their horses and walked back the way they came. On the way, Yu Niaoniao told Lo Pingsha what had happened to Sun Dng¡¯s family and expressed her hope that he would help test the donkey bones. Lo Pingsha naturally agreed. ¡°My tools are all in the Feng family¡¯s old residence. I can start the test immediately when I get back. I should be able to give you an answer tomorrow morning. ¡± Yu Niaoniao was filled with anticipation. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± Unexpectedly, at this moment, Xiao Juan¡¯s expression suddenly changed. He turned to look at the forest by the road and held the hilt of the No Return Saber with one hand as he shouted. ¡°Who¡¯s there? Come out!¡± The other three reined in their horses and looked at the dark forest. They did not see or hear anything, but they knew that Xiao Juan¡¯s five senses were naturally sharper than those of ordinary people. They all trusted Xiao Juan¡¯s judgment. Yu Niaoniao also raised her right hand, revealing the crossbow hidden in her sleeve, ready to fight at any time.. Chapter 567 - 567: Pursuit Chapter 567: Pursuit Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios In the next moment, they heard an ear-piercing cat cry from the forest¡ª Meow!!! Right on the heels of that, a wild cat darted out of the forest and quickly ran away. Yu Niaoniao lowered her hand and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°So it¡¯s a cat.¡± However, at this moment, a group of men in ck suddenly rushed out of the forest. They were all shrouded in ck and wore masks that revealed only their eyes. Moreover, each of them was holding a weapon. Their actions were extremely agile, and it was obvious that they were experts. Yu Niaoniao was shocked. She hurriedly raised her right hand and aimed the crossbow at them. The men in ck surrounded Yu Niaoniao and the other three. The tallest person took a step forward. This person was Qin Jun. He raised his head slightly and said to Xiao Juan, who was on horseback. ¡°Hand it over.¡± Xiao Juan asked calmly, ¡®What is it?¡± Qin Jun pointed at the bag on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s back with the tip of his knife. ¡°What¡¯s inside.¡± Yu Niaoniao subconsciously tensed up and quickly calcted. This group of people was here for the donkey bone. What did they want the donkey bone for? Or were they the real murderers who killed Sun Dng¡¯s family? Did they want to retrieve the donkey bone to destroy the evidence? Xiao Juan asked Yu Niaoniao¡¯s guess. ¡°Did you kill Sun Dng¡¯s family?¡± Qin Jun sneered. ¡°If you want to live long, don¡¯t know too much. As long as you hand over the item, we can consider leaving you a way out. Otherwise¡­¡± Xiao Juan asked calmly, ¡°Otherwise what?¡± Qin Jun¡¯s gaze suddenly became fierce, like a bloodthirsty wolf. ¡°I¡¯ll kill all of you!¡± Facing the threat, Xiao Juan was neither angry nor flustered. He continued to ask calmly. ¡°Why did you kill Sun Dng¡¯s family? Who instructed you?¡± Qin Jun scolded, ¡°It seems like you want to do this the hard way!¡± With amand, he pounced at Xiao Juan and the other three with his men! Xiao Juan and the others naturally would not surrender. The two sides began an intense battle. Xiao Juan stood at the front. He was holding the No Return Saber and fighting ten alone. Lo Pingsha was slightly behind. His main mission was to protect Yu Niaoniao and Ling Hai from being injured by the men in ck. Yu Niaoniao held the crossbow and tried to aim at the man in ck in the lead. Unfortunately, the night was too dark, and the other party moved too quickly. His figure kept swaying, making it impossible for her to aim. She was afraid that she would identally hurt Xiao Juan, so she could only suppress her anxiety and not dare to pull the trigger easily. She had been waiting for the right time to shoot. Xiao Juan could be said to be the man with the highest martial arts in the entire Dayan, but these men in ck were also rare experts, and they cooperated well. After a few rounds of fighting, Xiao Juan was identally injured and had a cut on his arm. He had no choice but to retreat, and his movements became slow. Seeing this, Qin Jun seized the opportunity to sh at Xiao Juan! However, just as he was about to hit Xiao Juan, a small crossbow arrow shot out from a diagonal and hit his arm! His expression changed drastically from the pain, and he stopped in his tracks. Blood flowed out of the wound. However, he still endured the pain and did not let go of his saber. He didn¡¯t even look at his wound. He wanted to raise his saber and sh again. However, Xiao Juan had already dodged. At the same time, he quickly waved the No Return Saber. His movements were extremely fast and did not slow down at all. Qin Jun was shocked and afraid. At this moment, he already understood that Xiao Juan had deliberately revealed a w just now to injure himself and pretend to be no match for him. Qin Jun had been tricked. He wanted to pursue the victory, but he did not expect the other party to suddenly counterattack. He was caught off guard and could only dodge awkwardly. However, the speed of the No Return Saber was too fast. He could only barely dodge to prevent his vital points from being hit, but his shoulder was still shed. The wound was so deep that his bones could be seen. It was so painful that he let out a fierce groan and almost could not stand. Xiao Juan retracted the No Return de without hesitation and made a move to attack again. Qin Jun gripped the hilt of his saber tightly and nned to fight to the death. Unexpectedly, in the next moment, Xiao Juan used his qinggong, got on the horse, turned around, and ran! As for Lo Pingsha, Yu Niaoniao, and Ling Hai, they had long ridden far away. It turned out that all the men in ck were focused on Qin Jun and Xiao Juan. When they saw their boss being injured by Xiao Juan, they were prepared to rush forward to help. Yu Niaoniao and the other two seized this opportunity to quickly escape. Qin Jun was exasperated. He held his bleeding shoulder and gritted his teeth. ¡°You bunch of useless things actually let them all escape!¡± The men in ck lowered their heads and did not dare to make a sound. Qin Jun stared in the direction where Xiao Juan and the others had left with a dark gaze and a fierce tone. ¡°Do you really think you can escape?¡± Xiao Juan and the others rode back to the city. They did not go home. Instead, they went straight to the local county governor¡¯s residence and called him out. He had just washed up and was about to sleep. The local county governor¡¯s name was Yuan Jin. He was a middle-aged man in his forties. He was a little fat and his hair volume was very worrying. When he heard that a big shot from the capital was looking for him, he was so anxious that he did not even have time tob his hair. He only put on his coat and hurriedly ran out. When he saw Xiao Juan and the other three in the hall, he recognized them at a nce. Wasn¡¯t this the famous Duke Lang?! Back then, when Yuan Jin entered the capital to report his work, he had seen Duke Lang once in the morning court. Duke Lang was not ordinary-looking and had a terrifying aura. It was difficult to forget him. Yuan Jin raised his head with both hands and bowed deeply. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness!¡± He was still guessing the reason for Duke Lang¡¯s sudden appearance when he heard him say in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯m here to investigate a case. I encountered a group of assassins outside the city just now. Quickly send someone to capture them.¡± Yuan Jin was shocked and subconsciously looked up. Only then did he realize that Duke Lang¡¯s arm was injured. He hurriedly said, ¡°Your Highness, sit down. I¡¯ll get someone to call the doctor over to treat you.¡± Duke Lang had been assassinated and injured in the territory under his jurisdiction. If Duke Lang wanted to take his anger out on him, he would be in deep trouble! Xiao Juan was in no mood to care about his injuries and urged Yuan Jin to quickly send someone to capture the assassin. Yuan Jin had no choice but to arrange for people. After everyone left, Yu Niaoniao helped Xiao Juan sit down. Then, Lo Pingsha went forward and bandaged his wound simply. Looking at the bleeding wound, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart ached. Xiao Juan did not even look at his wound. His back was straight, and his expression was cold. ¡°Those assassins are not ordinary people.¡± Lo Pingsha did not stop moving and replied, ¡°Yes, their skills are superb and they cooperate well. They must have undergone long-term training. This means that the mastermind behind them is even more extraordinary.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°They¡¯re here for the donkey bone, which means that they Imow that we went to the event location where Sun Dng¡¯s family encountered an ident. They also know that we dug out the donkey bone.. They must be following us secretly again! ¡° Chapter 568 - 568: Suicide Chapter 568: Suicide Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan¡¯s expression darkened as he reflected on what had transpired. To think that he was confident in his extraordinary five senses. In the end, he did not even notice that they had been followed. He pursed his thin lips and said coldly. ¡°They could have been hiding in the dark all along. Now that they suddenly appeared to snatch the donkey bone, it means that our investigation direction is not wrong. We are approaching the truth step by step.¡± Although that was the case, no one felt rxed. Instead, their mood became even heavier. They had only found a little, but there were already so many experts chasing after them. If they continued to investigate, their future situation would definitely be even more dangerous. Yuan Jin returned quickly. He bowed and promised again. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent someone to chase after the assassins outside the city. Your Highness, don¡¯t worry. As long as they¡¯re still in Bashu County, I¡¯ll definitely capture them and give you an exnation!¡± Hearing this, Yu Niaoniao revealed a strange expression. ¡°Duke Lang and I had no intention of leaving the city tonight. It was because our people had encountered some trouble and were dyed. That was why we had to decide to leave the city at thest minute to look for them.¡± ¡°However, we were attacked by an assassin on the way back to the city. County Governor Yuan, do you think all of this is a coincidence?¡± Yuan Jin looked at her in a daze. ¡°You are?¡± Before Yu Niaoniao could answer, Xiao Juan spoke first. ¡°She¡¯s my County Princess. Answer her question.¡± Yuan Jin hurriedly cupped his hands and bowed to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Greetings, County Princess. If you have any doubts, feel free to say them. I¡¯ll definitely investigate.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You have a low-ranking official under you who has brought people to cause trouble for us time and time again. Originally, I didn¡¯t take him seriously, but tonight, it was because of his pestering that we decided to leave the city at thest minute. Moreover, not long after we separated from that official, we were assassinated.¡± Yuan Jin broke out in cold sweat. ¡°Was there actually such a thing? May I ask, Princess Consort, what¡¯s that lowly official¡¯s name? I¡¯ll definitely investigate him!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°1 don¡¯t know his name.¡± Yuan Jin said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll call all the low-ranking officials in the residence over and let you recognize them one by one.¡± However, Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to go through so much trouble. I remember his appearance. I can draw it for you to see.¡± Yuan Jin immediately ordered someone to bring over pen, ink, paper, and inkstone and personallyid out paper and ink for the princess consort. He had seen many portraits and knew that there was a huge difference between portraits and real people. Therefore, he did not have much hope for the County Princess¡¯s work, but he did not dare to dampen the County Princess¡¯s interest and could only stand at the side and watch silently. However, when he saw the County Princess outline a vivid face on the paper with just a few strokes, he could not help but be stunned. ording to the image in her memory, Yu Niaoniao kept drawing. Her facial features became clearer and clearer, and the entire figure became more and more real. It was so real that it seemed like it woulde to life at any time. Yuan Jin was surprised by the County Princess¡¯s exquisite painting skills and could not help but praise. ¡°This painting is wonderful!¡± Yu Niaoniao put down her paintbrush and asked, ¡°Have you seen this person?¡± Yuan Jin looked at the portrait carefully. ¡°He looks very familiar, but I can¡¯t remember who he is.¡± There were many small officials in the residence. As a county governor, he was very busy every day. How could he have the time to remember an unknown official? Yuan Jin called the head official over and pointed at the man in the portrait. ¡°Do you know this person?¡± The head official was in charge of the personnel changes in the county governor¡¯s residence. He knew everyone in the residence, so he recognized them at a nce. ¡°This is a small official under Official Gao. His name is Li Jia, and he¡¯s in charge of the security of an area in the east of the city.¡± Yuan Jin immediately said, ¡°Bring him over!¡± Seeing that the county governor¡¯s mood was not good, the head official did not dare to ask further and hurriedly agreed. ¡°Yes!¡± The head official hurriedly retreated. He left for a long time. Yuan Jin was nervous. From time to time, he would steal a nce at Duke Lang and the Princess Consort, afraid that they would be unhappy. Just as Yuan Jin was about to ask someone to look for the head official, he saw the head official hurriedly barge in. Before Yuan Jin could ask, the head official knelt on the ground and told him everything. ¡°County Governor, I went to look for Li Jia when I was informed that he was not in the residence. Therefore, I brought someone to his house, only to discover that he had already died at home!¡± Yuan Jin¡¯s expression changed and he hurriedly asked, ¡°How did he die?¡± Guardian: ¡°He¡­ he hanged himself. When we arrived at his house, he was already dead.¡± If he wasn¡¯t guilty, why would he havemitted suicide? Yuan Jin could not help but feel nervous. Could it be that Li Jia had really colluded with an assassin to assassinate Duke Lang? However, Li Jia was only an unknown official. He had nothing to do with Duke Lang. Was there a need to take the risk to go against him? Li Jia¡¯s death was very sudden, but Xiao Juan did not react much. He asked calmly. ¡°Where¡¯s Li Jia¡¯s corpse?¡± The head official did not know the identity of the person in front of him, so he did not answer. Instead, he looked up at Yuan Jin. Yuan Jin said angrily, ¡°Why are you looking at me? Just say what you know!¡± Since the County Governor had said so, the head official naturally had nothing to worry about. ¡°The corpse has been brought back to the County Governor¡¯s Mansion.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Carry it in.¡± The head otticial looked at Yuan Jin again. Yuan Jin red. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going?!¡± The head official hurriedly got up and went outside to get someone to carry the corpse into the house. Lo Pingsha stepped forward and untied the white linen covering the corpse. Li Jiay straight on the stretcher. His face was gray and his eyes were closed. There was a deep strangtion mark on his neck. Lo Pingsha put on his gloves and carefully checked the ligature mark on Li Jia¡¯s neck. He quickly came to a conclusion. ¡°There are two strangtion marks on the victim¡¯s neck. One of the strangtion marks is facing back, and the other is facing up. The victim should have been strangled with a hemp rope first and hung high to create the impression that he hanged himself.¡± Yuan Jin hurriedly said, ¡°In that case, Li Jia didn¡¯tmit suicide?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Yes.¡± Before Yuan Jin could heave a sigh of relief, he heard him continue right on the heels of that. ¡°Li Jia must have been killed by his aplice.¡± Yuan Jin was stunned. Yu Niaoniao turned to look at Xiao Juan, who was sitting beside her, and asked softly. ¡°Could it be that group of assassins just now? Xiao Juan said, ¡°That¡¯s very possible.¡± Lo Pingsha stood up. ¡°From the temperature and stiffness of the corpse, the time of death should have been an hour ago.¡± The head official muttered, ¡°An hour is the time to go back and forth to Li Jia¡¯s house. In that case, he stopped breathing as soon as we arrived at Li Jia¡¯s house. This is too much of a coincidence. If we had arrived earlier, Li Jia might not have died.¡± Yuan Jin said, ¡°That¡¯s right. As long as you arrive a step earlier, you could have met that group of assassins head-on.¡± The head official immediately shrank his neck and did not dare to say anything else. He was only a civil servant. If he really met an assassin face to face, he would definitely die.. Chapter 569 - 569: Investigation Chapter 569: Investigation Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The troops Yuan Jin sent to chase after the assassins finally returned empty-handed. Regarding this, Yuan Jin was uneasy, afraid that Duke Lang would me him for not doing his job well. However, in fact, Xiao Juan had already expected this oue, so he did not say anything. The group of assassins was all experts and their whereabouts were secretive. After the assassination failed, they must have quickly fled. Xiao Juan ordered to issue a wanted order for those assassins in Bashu County. As long as they could provide the whereabouts of the assassins, not only could they guarantee the safety of the person who reported the case, but they could also provide a thousand taels of silver as a reward. When the head official took the wanted order from the county governor, he could not help but be tempted when he saw the amount of the bounty on the wanted order, let alone those ordinary citizens. The next day, Lo Pingsha gave the test results. ¡°This donkey was poisoned when it was alive. This is a rather special poison.¡± ¡°After taking it, it would not act up immediately. It would only act up after an hour or so.¡± ¡°On the way, the donkey¡¯s poison acted up and it ran off crazily, falling down the hill with the family in the cart. This led to the tragedy.¡± This result further confirmed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s guess. Sun Dng¡¯s family had indeed been silenced. First, it was Li Niang, then Sun Dng¡¯s family, and Li Jia¡­ These people died one by one. The people who killed them were trying to silence them. Obviously, someone did not want Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan to continue investigating. Yu Niaoniao clenched her fists. No matter who the mastermind was, she had to find that person! Not only was it to give Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan an exnation, but it was also to give justice to Sun Dng¡¯s family, which had been innocently implicated! After the arrest warrant was posted, it immediately caused a heated discussion among themoners. They were all coveting the reward of a thousand taels of silver. Manymoners would never see so much money in their lives. If they could obtain this bounty, it was equivalent to not having to worry about food and drink for the rest of their lives! Money talks was amon principle since ancient times. In order to obtain the bounty, as long as themoners were free, they would look for traces of assassins everywhere. The wanted poster had the appearance of assassins. Although those assassins were masked, the author had drawn their eyes vividly. As long as one searched carefully with his eyes, one might be able to find the assassin. Soon, someone provided clues to the county governor¡¯s residence. Someone had seen the assassin on the wanted list in the city. Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao immediately received the person. The person who came was a middle-aged woman. She looked fair and chubby. She shook the embroidery handkerchief and said vividly. ¡°I have several unused houses in the city that I usually rent out.¡± ¡°A foreigner came to me not long ago. He imed to be here to do business in Bashu and wanted to rent my house.¡± ¡°He was very generous. Not only did he not bargain with me, but he also doubled my rent.¡± ¡°His only request was that no one should disturb him usually because he liked peace and quiet and hated being disturbed by people he did not know.¡± ¡°At the time, I thought it was strange. How could a businessman have such a quirk?¡± Didn¡¯t business involve dealing with all kinds of people? Otherwise, how could he earn money?¡± ¡°However, the rich man was the boss. He had given so much money. As long as the house was not damaged, he could do whatever he wanted. Until this morning, when I saw the wanted order posted on the bulletin board. Only then did I realize that the strange man who rented the house looked very simr to one of the people on the wanted poster.¡± With that, she took out the wanted order she had taken off the noticeboard and pointed at the portrait of the man on it, indicating that it was him. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not mistaken?¡± The fat Madam said without hesitation. ¡°I have very sharp eyes. I can¡¯t be wrong. It¡¯s these eyes. It¡¯s definitely him!¡± They quickly found the small courtyard the fat Madam had mentioned. On the surface, this small courtyard was very ordinary. There were even shops doing business around it. There were peopleing and going on the road in front of the courtyard door. No one would expect a nest of assassins to be hidden here. Xiao Juan ordered someone to kick open the courtyard door and rush in with his men. Yu Niaoniao brought another team to guard the courtyard door in case there was a trap inside. Not long after, Yu Niaoniao saw Xiao Juane out again with his men. She asked hurriedly, ¡°Did you find him?¡± Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°No.¡± Just now, he had searched the house and its surroundings with his men, but he did not find any traces of the assassin. Yu Niaoniao frowned. ¡°Could the information be wrong? The assassin doesn¡¯t live here at all?¡± At this moment, Xiao Juan took out a medicine bottle. The cap had been opened. There was still blood on the bottle. ¡°I found this in the house. There were also the night clothes that had been changed out. They were stained with blood.¡± Yu Niaoniao took the medicine bottle and looked at it to confirm that it was a Golden Creation potion used for treating external injuries. She took the opportunity to specte. ¡°So this is indeed where the assassins stayed. They came backst night and bandaged their wounds here, but then they ran away.¡± Xiao Juan nodded slightly in agreement with her guess. Yu Niaoniao wiped the bottle with her fingertips and caught a little blood. ¡°The blood hasn¡¯t dried yet. They might not have run far.¡± In the name of the county governor, Xiao Juan ordered more people to strictly investigate everyone who left the city. The reason he didn¡¯t seal the city gate was to give the assassins a glimmer of hope that they might be able to escape. Only then would the assassins walk into a trap. The truth was indeed as Yu Niaoniao had guessed. After the failed assassinationst night, Qin Jun brought people back to the small courtyard in the city. Qin Jun was seriously injured, but he could not go to the medical center. Fortunately, they had prepared medicine to treat external injuries. He treated his wounds himself in the small courtyard. At the same time, he instructed his subordinates to kill Li Jia to prevent him from revealing their whereabouts. He had thought that when he was done, it would be fine. They could continue to hide in this small courtyard. Unexpectedly, the government suddenly issued a wanted order, and there was a portrait of them on it. When Qin Jun saw himself in the portrait, he felt terrible. Even though the man in the portrait was masked, his eyes were too recognizable. One could recognize him at a nce! He was so angry that he tore the wanted order into pieces. However, he quickly calmed down. He could not stay here for long. He had to leave immediately! Qin Jun could not care less that he had yet to recover from his serious injuries. He did not even have time to pack the things in the house before quickly leaving the small courtyard with his subordinates. They disguised themselves as a funeral procession and nned to sneak out of Jinguan City without anyone knowing. In the end, when they approached the city gate, they realized that there were arge number of soldiers standing next to the gate. Anyone who wanted to leave the city, no matter their identity, had to be strictly interrogated.. Chapter 570 - 570: Severed Chapter 570: Severed Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The funeral procession was very eye-catching. As soon as they appeared, they attracted the attention of the soldiers. Qin Jun knew that if he turned around and left now, it would be equivalent to telling everyone that they were very suspicious. So he could only suppress the uneasiness in his heart and carry on walking with the memorial tablet. Behind him, ten people carried the heavy coffin. The others were dressed in mourning and crying as they scattered paper money. Since everyone had to be interrogated, they could only be allowed to leave the city after confirming that there were no problems. This process was slower, so there was a long line of people leaving the city. When it was the funeral procession¡¯s turn, it was an hourter. Qin Jun¡¯s eyes were red and swollen, and his face was covered in a beard. He hugged the memorial tablet tightly with both hands. His voice was hoarse and filled with tears. ¡°I came here from elsewhere to do business. I didn¡¯t expect my father to suddenly contract an evil illness and die. His onlyst wish when he was alive was to return to his roots. I have to send him back to his hometown. Please let us pass quickly. I¡¯ll kowtow to you!¡± With that, he knelt down and his head hit the ground. The soldiers were not buying it. Not only did they have to check all their travel passes and luggage, but they also had to open the coffin to check. Qin Jun¡¯s dissuasion was useless. In the end, he could only pretend to be extremely angry and let the soldiers open the coffin. There was only the cold corpse of an old man in the coffin. The soldiers found nothing. They did not stop there. Then, they took out the wanted posters and began topare them to the people in the funeral procession. Qin Jun was the first. Qin Jun stood rooted to the ground and cried until he was out of breath. He kept calling out for his father. Originally, his eyes were identical to the assassin¡¯s eyes on the wanted poster. But now his eyes were red and swollen andpletely out of shape. They were very different from the man in the wanted poster. The soldiers looked left and right but could not recognize him. The others in the funeral procession were the same. Their eyes were red and swollen from crying. The soldierspared them but could not find anyone simr. Qin Jun thought that he had bluffed his way through. Unexpectedly, one of the soldiers said, ¡°The higher-ups have instructed that, in the next two days, if more than ten persons want to leave the city, no matter their identity, they have to be detained first. They can only be released after capturing the real assassin. Everyone, I¡¯m sorry. I have to trouble you to stay in the government office for a few days.¡± Qin Jun was so angry that he almost vomited blood. He did not hesitate to use chili to make his eyes red and swollen Such a hard-working performance was all useless! If he had known earlier, he wouldn¡¯t have wasted his time! It was impossible to beg the government office. It was impossible to leave in this life! Qin Jun suddenly threw the memorial tablet at the soldier closest to him. Then, he pulled out the short dagger hidden in his sleeve and stabbed it into the soldier¡¯s heart! Instantly, blood sttered. Themoners screamed in fear and fled with their heads in their hands. At this moment, Qin Jun hadpletely torn off his disguise and revealed his ferocious appearance. He led his assassins and rushed forward. Whether the people blocking his way were soldiers or ordinary people, he would kill anyone he saw! Fortunately, Xiao Juan was nearby. When he heard themotion, he immediately rushed to the city gate. His gaze swept past the chaotic crowd and quickly locked onto Qin Jun. He immediately pulled out the No Return Saber and flew over with Qinggong. The de was wrapped in a biting cold killing intent as it approached Qin Jun! Qin Jun reacted quickly and turned around to block. The des collided. There was a ng and sparks flew. It was a battle of strength. In the end, the No Return Saber was superior. The de of the short knife in Qin Jun¡¯s hand gradually bent, and with a crack, it broke into two! Xiao Juan still wanted to know the mastermind from Qin Jun and could not take his life for the time being. Therefore, he restrained his strength in time the moment the No Return Sabernded. The No Return Saber suddenly stopped. At this moment, the de was less than an inch away from Qin Jun¡¯s face. Qin Jun looked at the sharp de in front of him. This was the first time he had faced death so close. His heart involuntarily beat faster, and his breathing quickened. When the other assassins saw that their boss had almost been killed, they stopped moving and did not dare to act rashly. The soldiers took the opportunity to evacuate the people and then surrounded the assassins. Xiao Juan looked at the pale and stiff Qin Jun and asked coldly. ¡°Who instructed you to kill us?¡± Qin Jun spoke with difficulty. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°You¡¯ve been secretly following us. You killed Sun Dng¡¯s family and Li Jia because you didn¡¯t want us to continue investigating.¡± Qin Jun said, ¡°If you want to kill, kill. You don¡¯t have to tell me this.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I know you¡¯ve all been professionally trained. You¡¯re not afraid of death. It doesn¡¯t matter. Our Justice Department specializes in cracking tough nuts, especially ones like you. There¡¯s no mouth in this world we can¡¯t pry open.¡± With that, he gave the order to bring all these assassins back! The soldiers were about to kidnap him when at a critical moment, an arrow suddenly shot out from the dark and pierced through Qin Jun¡¯s heart! The soldiers were frightened by this sudden change. The other assassins seized the opportunity and slit their own throats. In just a moment, everyone fell into a pool of blood. Xiao Juan was the first to react. He rushed forward and squatted beside Qin Jun. ¡°The mastermind has already wanted to silence you Qin Jun was already prepared to die, but he did not expect to die at the hands of his own people. This made him very indignant. He opened his mouth and struggled to make a sound. ¡®Wait¡­¡¯ Xiao Juan immediately leaned over and listened carefully. However, before Qin Jun could say a second word, he had already died. When Yu Niaoniao and Lo Pingsha rushed over, they saw corpses all over the ground. This bloody scene stunned them for a moment. Xiao Juan had already ordered someone to search the vicinity, wanting to find the person who had hidden in the dark and shot the arrow just now. In the end, he found nothing. This made Xiao Juan¡¯s heart sink and his expression turned ugly. He spoke to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Our leads are cut off again.¡± Every time they felt that they were one step closer to the truth, the clues would be forcefully cut off. It was as if an invisible hand had blocked their way. Yu Niaoniao did not give up and asked, ¡°Did the assassin leave any clues before he died?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Before he died, he said the word ¡®wait¡¯. I don¡¯t know what he meant.¡± Yu Niaoniao pondered carefully. A blurry thought shed across her mind, but she could not grasp it. At this moment, Lo Pingsha walked over. He was still holding the arrow he had pulled from Qin Jun¡¯s heart. The arrowhead was stained with blood. ¡°It¡¯s just an ordinary arrow. There¡¯s no mark on it..¡± Chapter 571 - 571: Coincidence Chapter 571: Coincidence Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The soldiers brought all the corpses back and handed them to Lo Pingsha to examine one by one to see if he could find any clues from their corpses. Ling Hai stayed behind to help him. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan could not help and could only go back for the time being. When the old servants saw that they were back, they hurriedly prepared hot food for them. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan were a little distracted. No one spoke at the dining table. Seeing this, the old servant standing at the side thought that the couple had quarreled, so he began to find something to talk about, wanting to help the two of them ease the atmosphere. ¡°The residence bought cinnamon today. This is the first batch of cinnamon this year. It¡¯s very tender. In the past, when Master and Madam were still around, they had to eat cinnamon scrambled eggs every spring.¡± Thinking of the past, Yu Niaoniao felt wistful. She was even less in the mood to eat and asked casually. ¡°When did you arrive at the Feng family?¡± The old servant recounted the past. ¡°I¡¯m the son of the family. My father used to serve the Old Master. Back then, the Old Master and the Matriarch were out of town doing something and bought two servants locally. My father was one of them.¡± ¡°Later, my father followed the Old Master and Matriarch back to Jinguan City and got to know the maidservant at home.¡± ¡°They had a good impression of each other. When Matriarch Lu found out, she arranged a match for the two of them and facilitated this marriage. Then they gave birth to me.¡± Xiao Juan, who was originally eating quietly, suddenly asked. ¡°Old Master and Matriarch have been overseas? The old servant nodded and answered honestly. ¡°That¡¯s right. He was gone for a full three years. Matriarch Lu was pregnant at that time. When the two of them returned home, Young Master was not even a month old.¡± Xiao Juan was deep in thought before asking. ¡°What did they go out of town for?¡± The old servant hesitated. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°We¡¯re all family. There¡¯s no need to have any scruples. Tell me what you know.¡± The old servant thought about it and agreed. Missy and Young Master were not outsiders. It did not matter even if those things were said. ¡°I heard this from my father. The Old Master and Matriarch were a young couple and had a deep rtionship. However, for some reason, she had not been pregnant after being married for many years.¡± ¡°There were many rumors outside that the Matriarch could not give birth. I won¡¯t mention the details. In short, it wasn¡¯t very pleasant.¡± ¡°The Old Master brought Matriarch out to look for a physician and saw many of them. ¡°In the end, the heavens did not disappoint those who worked hard. They finally found the divine physician. Matriarch sessfully got pregnant and gave birth to a child, who became Master and your father.¡± Yu Niaoniao could not help but guess¡­ Perhaps the Old Master and Matriarch did not find any divine physician back then, and the Matriarch did not get pregnant as she wished. The child they had brought back was not their biological child either. She turned to look at Xiao Juan and saw that he was also looking at her. Their eyes met. They said nothing, but they already understood each other¡¯s thoughts. Yu Niaoniao knew that Xiao Juan¡¯s thoughts coincided with hers. After dinner, they went back into the room. Closing the door, they were alone in the room. Only then did Yu Niaoniao speak. ¡°I want to go to the Zhang family again tomorrow. I have something to ask Vige Head Zhang.¡± Vige Head Zhang was the oldest person in a hundred miles. He definitely Imew more about those ancient things than others. Xiao Juan hugged her and gently patted her back. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you tomorrow. Go to sleep.¡± ¡°Yeah. Lo Pingsha and Ling Hai were busy until the next morning. As Xiao Juan had expected, they could not find any useful clues on the assassin¡¯s corpse. Those assassins were death warriors who had been trained for a long time. They were prepared to sacrifice their lives for their master at any time. They would never expose their master¡¯s identity, let alone leave clues on them that might expose their identity. Because they had been busy all night, Lo Pingsha and Ling Hai were very tired. Yu Niaoniao asked the two of them to eat something and rest. Then, she instructed the servants in the residence not to disturb their rest unless necessary. Then, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan rode out of the city. Vige Head Zhang naturally weed them warmly and poured tea for them enthusiastically. He even asked his daughters-inw to quickly bring out the melon seeds and peanuts they had fried at home. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said, ¡°You¡¯re wee, Grandpa. We¡¯re here today to ask you something.¡± Vige Head Zhang asked what it was about. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°When did Li Niange to Jinguan City when she was pregnant?¡± Vige Head Zhang thought carefully. ¡°It should have been thirty-nine years ago.¡± If Feng Lianghan was still alive, he would be 39 years old this year. Could this be a coincidence? Yu Niaoniao continued to ask, ¡°I heard that my grandparents went overseas for three years and came back with a child. Do you still remember this?¡± Vige Head Zhangughed. ¡°Isn¡¯t that your father they brought back?! Of course, I remember this. My father and I even went to the Feng family to celebrate your father¡¯s one-month-old celebration! At that time, your grandmother was not in good health and didn¡¯t have enough milk to feed the child. It was Grandma Sun who helped her find a nanny.¡± Hearing Grandma Sun¡¯s name again, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She tried to remain calm and asked. ¡°Was Li Niang still in Jinguan City at that time?¡± Zhang Lizheng was not very sure about this. ¡°She should still be around. She had just given birth at that time and was still very weak. She couldn¡¯t leave even if she wanted to. As for when she left Jinguan City, I didn¡¯t know.¡± She usually stays at Auntie Sun¡¯s house and rarely shows her face in front of outsiders. Other than Auntie Sun, no one knows about her.¡± These things seemed to tell Yu Niaoniao that her guess was probably true. Vige Head Zhang was very puzzled. ¡°Why did you suddenly think of asking about these things?¡± Yu Niaoniao pretended to smile casually. ¡°Nothing. I just want to know more about my father¡¯s past.¡± Before Vige Head Zhang could ask again, she pleaded right on the heels of him. ¡°Can you describe Li Niang in detail when she was young? I want to draw a portrait of her. ¡± Although Zhang Lizheng still felt puzzled, he agreed readily out of trust in her. ¡°Okay.¡± The descendants of the Zhang family were all studying and had pens, ink, paper, and inkstones at home. Zhang Li was asking his eldest son to help him get a pen and paper. Then, Zhang Lizheng dictated, and Yu Niaoniao drew ording to his description. Because too much time had passed and Zhang Lizheng was very old, his memory was inevitably a little blurry. He often got stuck as he spoke and had to think for a long time before he could continue. Yu Niaoniao was very patient and tried her best to help him recall the past. It took more than four hours to finish this painting. After that, Yu Niaoniao held the portrait in front of Vige Head Zhang. ¡°Do you think it looks like it?¡± Zhang Lizheng followed the light outside the door and looked over. He saw that the woman on the paper had long eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, a beautiful nose, and cherry lips. Her skin was as fair as snow, and her ck hair was like clouds. It was not an exaggeration to say that she was as beautiful as a fairy. The only pity was the scar on her face. Her beautiful face was greatly affected, making people sigh. Zhang Lizheng nodded hurriedly. ¡°Yes, yes, yes.. She looked like this when she was young!¡± Chapter 572 - 572: I Remember! Chapter 572: I Remember! Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan declined Vige Head Zhang¡¯s enthusiastic invitation to stay. The two of them left the Zhang family with the portrait. On the way back, Xiao Juan saw that Niaoniao was troubled, so he advised. ¡°Don¡¯t put too much pressure on yourself. I¡¯m here for everything.¡± Yu Niaoniao turned to look at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you think the young Li Niang looks a little familiar?¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Do you think she looks simr to Feng Lianghan?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± Objectively speaking, Li Niang and Feng Lianghan were indeed a little simr, but the reason why Yu Niaoniao found her familiar was not because of Feng Lianghan. However, Yu Niaoniao could not remember who it was for a while. This blurry feeling made her very anxious. She kept a straight face, her lips pressed tightly together. She had to remember who it was. Xiao Juan was worried that she would split hairs, only to go down a dead end. After returning to the city, Xiao Juan specially found a popr restaurant, wanting to bring Niaoniao in to eat something delicious and help her divert her attention. This move was indeed effective with Niaoniao. Looking at the dazzling array of delicious snacks, Yu Niaoniao temporarily threw those messy thoughts to the back of her mind and could not wait to follow Xiao Juan into the restaurant. The restaurant was filled with people. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan had no choice but to share a table with others. The old couple and a child shared the table with them. The old grandfather and grandson were discussing what they wanted to eat. The olddy took out a handkerchief she carried with her and carefully wiped the bowls and chopsticks of the three of them. Seeing this, the old grandfather could not help but mutter. ¡°Why are you so particr about going out for a meal?¡± The olddy nced at him sideways and said slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve been so particr since I was young. Back then, I was also a famous beauty in our family¡±. ¡°My parents even spent money to hire a female teacher to teach me zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. They wanted me to marry a schr in the future.¡± ¡°Unexpectedly, I have bad eyesight and actually liked you ¡®You were a schr when I married you.¡¯ ¡°Now that our grandchildren are running around, you¡¯re still a schr. I¡¯m old with white hair. Without youth and beauty, this is all that¡¯s left.¡± ¡°And you¡¯reining about me? Are you letting me down?¡± The old grandfather¡¯s head swelled from her nagging and he hurriedly admitted his mistake. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. It¡¯s my fault. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Xiao Juan looked at the wooden sign hanging on the wall. The wooden sign was filled with the names of the dishes. He did not know what was delicious here, so he wanted to ask Niaoniao, a local. Unexpectedly, he called out twice but did not receive a response. He turned around and saw her staring straight at the olddy sitting opposite the table. She had heard the conversation between the olddy and the old man. Those words sounded ordinary, but like a bolt of lightning, they dispelled all the fog in her mind. Her blurry thoughts suddenly became clear. The old granny clearly noticed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s gaze and took the initiative to ask. ¡°Little girl, why are you looking at me? Have we met before?¡± However, Yu Niaoniao did not seem to hear the olddy¡¯s question. She suddenly grabbed Xiao Juan¡¯s wrist and said excitedly. ¡°I remember!¡± Xiao Juan was puzzled. ¡°What did you think of?¡± Yu Niaoniao said quickly, ¡°I remember now. It¡¯s the Empress Dowager. When Li Niang was young, she looked a little simr to the Empress Dowager!¡± Hearing her say this, Xiao Juan also felt that Li Niang¡¯s nose was indeed a little simr to the Empress Dowager¡¯s. However, the Empress Dowager had taken good care of herself. Even though she was old, she still had some beauty from her youth, but Li Niang had experienced destruction. Time had left countless marks on her face,pletely changing her appearance. If the scar on Li Niang¡¯s face was removed and the Empress Dowager became younger, their appearance would definitely be even more simr. Initially, Yu Niaoniao did not think of this. It was the olddy opposite the table who reminded Niaoniao, making her think of the Empress Dowager. The three of them sitting across the table were stunned. They thought they had misheard. The youngdy opposite them actually knew the Empress Dowager! That was a big shot they did not even dare to mention! Yu Niaoniao ignored the surprised gazes of the others and continued. ¡°Do you remember thest word the assassin said before he died? He actually didn¡¯t mean wait. He meant Deng instead of ¡°wait¡±!¡± It was Empress Dowager Deng! Xiao Juan noticed the gazes of the surrounding people. He held Niaoniao¡¯s hand and whispered. ¡°This is not a ce to talk. Let¡¯s go.¡± There were too many people here. It would not be good if someone with a heart sat beside them and heard their conversation. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao was no longer in the mood to eat. She stood up impatiently and left the restaurant with Xiao Juan. The two of them rode back to the Feng family¡¯s old residence. After returning home, Yu Niaoniao plunged into the study. She first drew Li Niang¡¯s young appearance again. This time, she deliberately did not engrave a scar so that Li Niang¡¯s appearance could bepletely disyed. Then she drew a portrait of the Empress Dowager when she was young. She had never seen the Empress Dowager when she was young and could only push it back ording to her facial features and the outline of her face. However, after both paintings werepleted, Xiao Juan helped herpare the two paintings together. From the looks of it, not only were their noses simr, but even their mouths were simr. If anyone who didn¡¯t know better saw this, they would think that they were sisters! Yu Niaoniao muttered, ¡°This can¡¯t be a coincidence. There must be a rtionship between Li Niang and the Empress Dowager.¡± This development was really beyond Xiao Juan¡¯s expectations. For a moment, he did not know what to say. If their guess was true, then the Empress Dowager was probably behind the Feng family¡¯s annihtion. But why did she do it? Even if there was really some grudge between the Empress Dowager and Li Niang, it was a matter of the previous generation. Besides, the Empress Dowager was already the mother of the country and had an extremely respected status. She really did not have to make things difficult for a fewmoners. No matter how he looked at it, this matter was very strange. Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°Looks like we have to go to Luzhou.¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°Luzhou?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The Deng family¡¯s main family is in Luzhou, which is also Empress Dowager Deng¡¯s hometown. We can go there and ask. Perhaps we can find out what the rtionship between Empress Dowager Deng and Li Niang is.¡± Yu Niaoniao said impatiently. ¡°Let¡¯s set off now!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Luzhou is far from here. We have to spend some time preparing the carriage and luggage. Moreover, Little Lo and Little Hai were busyst night. Let them rest well today. It¡¯s not toote to set off tomorrow morning.¡± Yu Niaoniao could only suppress her eagerness and answer honestly. ¡°All right, then.¡± Lo Pingsha and Ling Hai slept all day and only woke up at night. After sleeping well, the two of them were much better. Yu Niaoniao told them that they were leaving for Heron State tomorrow morning. Although they were surprised, they quickly epted this n and prepared to have a good night¡¯s sleep to recuperate so that they could travel tomorrow. Just as everyone fell asleep, Xiao Juan suddenly received a secret letter from the Imperial Capital.. Chapter 573 - 573: Taking Over the Magpie’s Nest Chapter 573: Taking Over the Magpie¡¯s Nest Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Hearing the knock on the door, Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao woke up at the same time. The old servant¡¯s voice came from outside the door. ¡°Young master, someone has something urgent to tell you. They said that they rushed over from the Imperial Capital.¡± Xiao Juan let Niaoniao continue sleeping. He put on his clothes and strode out of the bedroom. He saw the person in the central room. The other party was wearing the clothes of an ordinary citizen. He was actually an Eagle Guard from the Justice Department. As soon as the Eagle Guard saw Duke Lang appear, he immediately knelt on one knee and took out a secret letter. ¡°This is a letter Lord Meng asked me to give you.¡± Xiao Juan took the secret letter with both hands and quickly opened it. He pulled out a thin letter. This letter was written by Meng Xizhou. He said that the Crown Prince had nted a trusted aide in the Justice Department and wanted to divide the power in Duke Lang¡¯s hands. It was worth mentioning that this matter had been approved by the old emperor. In other words, the old emperor and the crown prince were on the same side. They both wanted to squeeze Duke Lang out of the Justice Department. Meng Xizhou was very indignant. Duke Lang had done so much for the old emperor. After risking his life for so many years, not only had he been reviled, but he even had to give up the Justice Department. The old emperor was really bullying him! Meng Xizhou begged anxiously, hoping that Duke Lang would return to the Imperial Capital as soon as possible. The Crown Prince¡¯s trusted aide had just arrived at the Justice Department and his foundation was unstable. If Duke Lang could rush back, he could chase the Crown Prince¡¯s trusted aide out of the Justice Department. This was not only Meng Xizhou¡¯s hope, but also the hope of all the Eagle Guards. None of them wanted the Justice Department to fall into the Crown Prince¡¯s hands. They were only loyal to Duke Lang. Xiao Juan read the contents of the letter and did not react. He walked to the table and ced the letter on the candle me. The letter was ignited. The mes kept jumping and quickly turned to ashes. The Eagle Guard looked up and said eagerly, ¡°Your Highness, when are we leaving? Xiao Juan replied indifferently. ¡°I still have something to do. I can¡¯t go back for the time being.¡± The Eagle Guard was shocked and looked at him in disbelief. ¡°But Lord Meng said that if you don¡¯t go back, the Justice Department will.. ¡® Xiao Juan had already seen through it and said unhurriedly. ¡°Even if I go back, I can¡¯t change the situation. The Crown Prince had already received the His Majesty¡¯s support; even if I could temporarily keep my power, what about the future? The Crown Prince will ascend the throne sooner orter. ¡± He let out a very, very low sigh at the end. The Eagle Guard was speechless. This world was still the emperor¡¯s alone. The Eagle Guard was indignant. ¡°Are we just going to sit around and wait for death?¡± The Eagle Guards had followed Duke Lang for many years. They had risked their lives with him and experienced many storms. They were already in the same boat. If Duke Lang lost his power, his subordinates would definitely not have an easy time. The best oue was to be reced by a newbie and go home to retire. The worst oue might be death. The Eagle Guard in front of him was unwilling to ept such an oue, and so was Meng Xizhou, who was far away in the Imperial Capital. Xiao Juan naturally did not want these loyal old subordinates to end up miserably. He immediately wrote a letter and sealed it with wax before handing it to the Eagle Guard. ¡°Send this to Meng Xizhou and tell him to do as the letter says.¡± The Eagle Guard perked up. It seemed that Duke Lang already had a way to deal with it. He took the secret letter with both hands and carefully pocketed it. Xiao Juan said, ¡°It will be a while before I return to the Imperial Capital. Go back first.¡± The Eagle Guard cupped his fists. ¡°Goodbye!¡± He turned around and walked out of the central room, striding out of the Feng residence in the cold wind. Xiao Juan sat alone in the central room for a while before returning to the bedroom. As soon as he entered, he saw Niaoniao sitting up in bed. Yu Niaoniao asked with concern. ¡°Did something happen in the Imperial Capital?¡± Xiao Juan took off his coat and casually ced it on the screen. ¡°Nothing. Go to sleep. It¡¯s gettingte. We still have to set off for Luzhou tomorrow morning.¡± He lifted a corner of the nket andy down beside Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao did not believe him. Her face was tense. ¡°It must be something important for them toe to you in the middle of the night. Don¡¯t try to fool me.¡± Xiao Juan said helplessly, ¡°It¡¯s really nothing serious. I¡¯ve been away from the Imperial Capital for so long. The Crown Prince was worried that the Justice Department would be leaderless, so he sent someone to help me manage it.¡± When Yu Niaoniao heard this, she exploded. She propped up her upper body and said angrily. ¡°The Crown Prince wants to upy the Imperial Capital while you¡¯re not around!¡± Xiao Juan pulled her into his arms and lifted the nket to prevent the cold wind from blowing in. ¡°Not really. After all, he¡¯s the Crown Prince and the future emperor. The entire world is his, let alone a mere Justice Department.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Although that¡¯s the case, you ran the Justice Department single-handedly. You also nurtured the Eagle Guards. He didn¡¯t do anything and wanted to take away your hard work. What right does he have?¡± The more she spoke, the angrier she became. She gritted her teeth so hard that they almost shattered. Xiao Juan patted her back to calm her down. After Yu Niaoniao was angry, she was deeply worried. ¡°If the Crown Prince treats you like this before he ascends the throne, won¡¯t he skin you alive when he bes emperor in the future?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree that we would find a ce to live in seclusion in the future? If he can¡¯t find us, he naturally can¡¯t do anything to us.¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her face. ¡°But are you really willing?¡± After so much blood, sweat, and infamy, it was not easy for him to obtain his current status. But he had to give up everything. To go from a high and mighty duke to amoner with nothing, any man would feel unbnced. Xiao Juan¡¯s gaze was calm as he said slowly. ¡°The emperor sent someone to bring me to the pce and raised me. Regardless of his true goal, he had raised me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve risked my life for him for so many years and helped him do so much. It can be considered repayment for raising me.¡± ¡°He gave me the title of Duke and the power of the Justice Department. After returning it all to him, I no longer owed him anything. In terms of unwillingness, there might have been in the past, but it has long been worn down.¡± Yu Niaoniao could hear an indescribable loneliness in his words. Her heart ached and she could not help but hug Xiao Juan tightly. ¡°You still have me.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Xiao Juan lowered his head and kissed the top of her head. In the future, the only person who could make him risk his life would be Niaoniao. The next morning, Yu Niaoniao and the other three set off from Jinguan City for Luzhou. They left quietly, without disturbing anyone. When County Governor Yuan Jin wanted to visit Duke Lang and his wife in the Feng Residence, he was told that they had already left. He could not help but feel extremely regretful. He had missed a great opportunity to build a good rtionship with Duke Lang. Ten dayster, Yu Niaoniao and the others sessfully arrived at Luzhou. As the most famous aristocratic family in the area, it didn¡¯t take long to find out where the Deng family lived.. Chapter 574 - 574: Deng Family in Luzhou Chapter 574: Deng Family in Luzhou Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan originally nned to ask around about the Deng family in Luzhou and see what outsiders thought of the Deng family. Unexpectedly, not long after they arrived in Luzhou, they were targeted. After Xiao Juan discovered it, he pulled out the stalker. After asking, he found out that the other party was from the Deng family. The four of them were alreadv consDicuous. When thev were asking around about the Deng family, it was impossible for the Deng family not to notice them. Since their whereabouts had been exposed, Xiao Juan might as well visit them. From the results of the current investigation, the Deng family¡¯s position was unclear. Just in case, Xiao Juan asked Lo Pingsha and Ling Hai to stay outside the residence to receive them. He brought Niaoniao into the residence to see the head of the Deng family. On the way here, Xiao Juan had already roughly introduced the Deng family to Niaoniao. The Deng family was a famous family second only to the Wen family in the entire Dayan Dynasty. Their history was long and deep, and almost every emperor would marry someone from the Deng family. The current Queen Mother Deng was from the direct line of descent of the Deng family. The family head who was in charge of the entire Deng family was Empress Dowager Deng¡¯s biological brother, Deng Yuchuan. When Deng Yuchuan was young, he was a general who had been stationed at the border for decades. Later, when he became old, he retired and returned to Luzhou. The butler led Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan into the reception hall and served refreshments. His attitude was very respectful. ¡°Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll inform Master now.¡± However, the butler did not return. Even after Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan finished the tea in their cups, they still did not see Deng Yuchuan appear. Yu Niaoniao pursed her lips. ¡°Looks like he doesn¡¯t want to see us.¡± Xiao Juan stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± As soon as the two of them reached the door, they saw a group of people walking over. The leader was Deng Yuchuan. His hair was already white. It was obvious that he should have been tall when he was young, but now that he was old and weak, his figure was little hunched. He held a walking stick in one hand and walked slowly. A young man held him up, afraid that he would identally fall. Deng Yuchuan¡¯s eyesight was not good. He narrowed his eyes for a long time before confirming Xiao Juan¡¯s identity. ¡°Where are you going, Your Highness?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°We waited for a long time and didn¡¯t see him. We thought that Old Master Deng was busy and didn¡¯t have time to see us, so we nned to visit another day.¡± When the young man beside Deng Yuchuan heard this, he was very unconvinced and exined for his grandfather. ¡°My grandfather is old and not in good health. He has just caught a cold these few days. The doctor originally did not let him go out in case he caught a cold.But he still forced himself to meet you. ¡°It¡¯s a little slow. Please forgive me, Your Highness.¡± Deng Yuchuan gestured for the young man to say less before introducing him to Xiao Juan. ¡°This child is my youngest grandson, Lu Yun. He¡¯s usually spoiled by his family, but his temper is very good. I hope Your Highness won¡¯t lower yourself to this child¡¯s level.¡± He was talking about a child. If Xiao Juan really wanted to argue with him, he could not help but look too petty. Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Deng Luyun helped his grandfather into the house and let him sit down at the main seat. He was very patient the entire time. It was obvious that this kid was really filial to his grandfather. Deng Yuchuan noticed that the tea on the table was gone and immediately got someone to change Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao¡¯s tea. Xiao Juan said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble yourself. We¡¯re only here to ask some questions. We¡¯ll leave after that. It won¡¯t take too much time.¡± Deng Yuchuan was very easy to talk to. ¡°Your Highness, feel free to ask. I¡¯ll definitely answer everything.¡± Xiao Juan turned to look at Niaoniao. Niaoniao took out the drawing paper from her sleeve and unfolded it. She raised it so that Deng Yuchuan could see the woman in the painting clearly. ¡°I wonder if Old Master Deng knows the person in the painting?¡± Deng Yuchuan narrowed his eyes and stared at the young woman in the painting for a long time. His expression didn¡¯t change. She couldn¡¯t tell if he knew him or not. ¡°I wonder where you got the portrait?¡± Faced with his question, Yu Niaoniao immediately had an affirmative answer. She kept her expression neutral and replied calmly. ¡°I drew this myself.¡± Deng Yuchuan seemed surprised. He stared at Yu Niaoniao for a while longer. ¡°The Princess Consort looks very young. How has she seen the person in the painting?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°In that case, Old Master should know the person in the painting.¡± Deng Yuchuan neither admitted nor denied it. He looked away and said coldly, ¡°There¡¯s no need to mention the past. If Your Highness and the Princess Consort are here today for the person in the painting, please forgive me for not being able to receive you.¡± With that, he picked up the teacup beside him. This was what it meant to serve tea and send the guest off. Yu Niaoniao was unwilling to give up just like that. She took a step forward with the portrait and said. ¡°The person in the painting is called Li Niang. She was killed three months ago and her corpse was ced in the Justice Department. If you know her, please tell us about her. This way, we can find out the truth and arrest the murderer to give her justice!¡± Deng Yuchuan¡¯s hand trembled slightly as he held his teacup, and the tea almost spilled out. But he quickly regained hisposure and said expressionlessly. ¡°Send the guest out!¡± Before Yu Niaoniao could say anything else, Deng Luyun began to chase her away. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen the woman in the painting. She has nothing to do with our Deng family. Princess Consort, please don¡¯t make things difficult for us anymore. butler, send the guest off!¡± The butler immediately walked in and gestured for Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan to leave. ¡°Pleasee this way.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at Deng Yuchuan onest time. Seeing that he was ignoring her, no matter how unwilling she was, she could only leave with Xiao Juan. After walking out of the Deng family¡¯s door, Yu Niaoniao immediately said to Xiao Juan. ¡°Old Master Deng must know Li Niang!¡± Although Old Master Deng did not admit it, from his reaction, it could be seen that there was definitely a connection between him and Li Niang. Xiao Juanforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. We¡¯ll think of something else.¡± Lo Pingsha and Ling Hai, who had been waiting outside, walked over quickly. They were relieved to see Duke Lang and the Princess Consort safe and sound. Seeing that it was gettingte, Xiao Juan and the others went to a nearby restaurant to eat and discuss things. Yu Niaoniao was very indignant. ¡°Old Master Deng clearly knows Li Niang, but he still pretended not to know her. He must have something on his mind!¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°But he doesn¡¯t want to admit it. There¡¯s nothing we can do to him.¡± As the saying went, a strong dragon could not suppress a local snake. Luzhou was the Deng family¡¯s territory. They were extremely powerful here. Even if Xiao Juan was Duke Lang, he could not touch Deng Yuchuan without full confidence. Xiao Juan picked up a piece of braised deer tendon and whispered. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first. Tonight, I¡¯ll take a look at the Deng family and see if I can find their genealogy.¡± If Li Niang was from the Deng family, she would definitely leave her name on the genealogy. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes lit up.. This was a good idea! Chapter 575 - 575: Attack Chapter 575: Attack Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios When the night deepened and everyone fell asleep, Xiao Juan changed into his ck night clothes and prepared to go out. Yu Niaoniao instructed softly, ¡°Be careful on the way. If you really can¡¯t find any clues, forget it. Safety is the most important.¡± Xiao Juan looked at the worry in her eyes and lowered his head slightly to kiss her forehead. ¡°Wait for me toe back.¡± Yu Niaoniao watched him leave. When he was gone and could no longer be seen, she returned to the bedroom and closed the door. The oilmp on the table was still burning quietly. She sat down by the bed. Logically speaking, she should be asleep at this time, but she was still worried about Xiao Juan and was not in the mood to sleep at all. Until there was a Imock on the door and the voice of the inn clerk came through it. ¡°Sir, are you asleep?¡± Only then did Yu Niaoniaoe back to her senses. She hurriedly said, ¡°Not yet. Why?¡± The clerk said, ¡°Nothing. I saw that the oilmp in your room was still lit. I was afraid that you would forget to turn it out before you went to bed. Not long ago, a guest fell asleep without turning it out and almost caused a fire. For safety¡¯s sake, don¡¯t forget to turn it out before you go to bed.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I understand.¡± She stood up and walked to the boat. She bent down and blew out the oilmp. The room immediately fell into darkness. The footsteps outside the door faded. The clerk must have walked away. Yu Niaoniao fumbled back to the bed. She lifted the nket andy on the bed. Her eyes closed, but she still couldn¡¯t fall asleep. She opened her eyes and nned to get up and go out for some air, but at this moment, she saw a shadow sh past the window. Shocked, she immediately sat up and took the crossbow out from under her pillow. She aimed the crossbow at the window and snapped. ¡°Who¡¯s out there?¡± He waited for a moment, but there was no reaction. Only the shadows of trees swaying in the wind could be seen through the window paper. There was no figure. Yu Niaoniao could not help but wonder if she was mistaken just now. But to be on the safe side, she decided to look for Ling Hai and Lo Pingsha next door. She tied the crossbow to her forearm and got out of bed in the dark. In an instant, Yu Niaoniao felt her scalp tingle and rm bells rang in her heart. Her strong survival instinct made her throw herself forward and fall to the ground. She turned her head and looked back. When she saw the arrow whose tail was still trembling slightly, intense fear welled up in her heart, almost freezing the blood in her body. If she hadn¡¯t bent down just now, she would have been pierced by that arrow. She had almost died. Yu Niaoniao did not dare to make a sound. Her body was tightly pressed to the ground as she crawled towards the door. Right on the heels of that, several more arrows pierced through the window. However, because there were no lights on in the room, it was dark. No one outside could see what was happening in the room. They could only shoot arrows in the direction of the bed ording to their understanding of this inn. More arrows appeared on the bed. Yu Niaoniao did not dare to look back. She crawled to the door on all fours. She raised her upper body slightly and straightened her arms to reach the wooden bolt behind the door. During this time, a few more arrows shot in. It was unknown if it was a coincidence, but one of the arrows actually shot in the direction of the door. Fortunately, Yu Niaoniao reacted quickly and retracted her hand in time. She looked up and saw the arrow nailed right above her. If she had reacted a little slower just now, her arm would have been crippled. Yu Niaoniao was so frightened that her heart was pounding. This house was too dangerous. She couldn¡¯t stay any longer. She took off one of her shoes and threw it in the direction of the screen. The shoe hit the screen door with a snap. When the killers outside the house heard themotion, several arrows immediately pierced the window and shot in the direction of the screen. At the same time, Yu Niaoniao suddenly stood up and pulled open the wooden bolt as quickly as possible. She pulled open the door and rushed out. Then, she bent down and squatted. She rolled on the ground behind the left wall. A series of movements flowed like water, so fast that they almost left afterimages. At this point, she couldn¡¯t be bothered about techniques. Her desire to live outweighed stylistics. When she opened the door just now, it creaked. The killers outside heard the sound and knew that the people in the room had fled. They didn¡¯t shoot again. Instead, they broke through the window and barged into the guest room, preparing to use force. When Yu Niaoniao heard the window break, she hurriedly got up and ran towards the guest room next door. At the same time, she shouted. ¡°Help! Murder!¡± Ling Hai and Lo Pingsha, who lived next door, were the first to rush out. They were shocked to see that Yu Niaoniao was not even wearing a coat and had a bare foot on the ground. ¡°Princess Consort, what happened?¡± Yu Niaoniao said quickly, ¡°There are assassins. They¡¯re catching up. Run!¡± Lo Pingsha and Ling Hai looked behind her and saw indeed assassins in ck. There were at least a dozen of them, and each of them was holding a weapon. At this moment, Xiao Juan was not around. Yu Niaoniao did not know martial arts, and Ling Hai only knew a few simple moves. The onlybat strength was Lo Pingsha. He immediately drew his saber and took a step forward, protecting Yu Niaoniao and Ling Hai behind him and whispered. ¡°Leave quickly. I¡¯ll cover the retreat.¡± However, Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Why should we leave? We don¡¯t know if there are any aplices lying in ambush outside. If there are, it¡¯s equivalent to a sheep entering the tiger¡¯s den if we run out.¡± Lo Pingsha thought about it and agreed, so he did not mention letting them leave on their own anymore. The three of them retreated together. Yu Niaoniao continued to shout. ¡°Help! Someone¡¯s going to kill. Is anyone going to care?!¡± The doors of a few guest rooms were opened. The guests in the room stuck their heads out. When they saw a group of fierce killers with weapons, they were immediately frightened out of their wits. They hurriedly shrank back into the rooms and locked the door from the inside. In the end, no one helped them even after Yu Niaoniao shouted her lungs out. Yu Niaoniao was speechless. The world was cold, and the hearts of people were not ancient! There was not even a brave man willing to do anything. Forget it. One couldn¡¯t rely on others. They should escape quickly! Lo Pingsha held a saber to deal with the killers who pounced on him. Yu Niaoniao and Ling Hai hid behind him and looked for an opportunity to finish him off. The three of them fought and retreated. Soon they were out of the long corridor and in the backyard. They sped up and ran forward. However, when they passed by the woodshed, they suddenly saw the door of the woodshed being pushed open. Immediately after, a hand reached out from inside, grabbed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s arm, and dragged her into the woodshed. Lo Pingsha and Ling Hai were afraid that the Princess Consort would be in danger, so they hurriedly chased after her. As soon as the three of them entered, the door to the woodshed was closed. The killers who followed closely behind realized that they were gone. Naturally, they were indignant and began to search the backyard. In the woodshed, Yu Niaoniao then saw the person who pulled her in through the window.. It was actually the clerk of this inn! Chapter 576 - 576: The Only Way Out Chapter 576: The Only Way Out Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The clerk gestured for them to keep quiet. There were killers everywhere outside. They would lure the killers over if they made the slightest sound. Yu Niaoniao, Lo Pingsha, and Ling Hai could only shut their mouths and swallow their doubts. The clerk squatted on the ground and brushed away the dust, revealing a ring handle. He grabbed the handle and pulled it up. The secret door was pulled open, and a secret passage appeared in front of them. ¡°Come with me.¡± Then he led the way into the secret passage. Yu Niaoniao, Lo Pingsha, and Ling Hai looked at one another. Although the clerk had just saved them, they were notpletely sure that the clerk could be trusted. What if the clerk had hidden a trap in the secret passage? If they went in further, wouldn¡¯t they be walking into a trap? But the killers outside were still looking for them everywhere. A few of them had already noticed the woodshed and were walking towards it. Listening to the approaching footsteps, Lo Pingsha steeled himself and decided to take a chance! He squatted down, ced one hand on the ground, and jumped into the secret passage. After confirming that there was no danger in the secret passage, he looked up and gestured to Yu Niaoniao and Ling Hai, indicating that they coulde down. Hence, Yu Niaoniao and Ling Hai jumped down too. The clerk climbed thedder to close the secret door. Right on the heels of that, they heard footsteps above their heads. It was obvious that someone had walked into the woodshed. The men searched the woodshed. From time to time, a few whispered words came. ¡°Did you find them?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Search again. Look carefully.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The clerk took out the match he carried and lit the torch. With the dim firelight, Yu Niaoniao saw the interior of the secret passage clearly. This was a narrow secret passage only wide enough for one person to pass through. On both sides werepacted earth walls. Because there were no doors or windows, the air could not circte and was very stuffy. The clerk led the way with a torch. Yu Niaoniao followed closely behind. After Ling Hai, Lo Pingsha fellst. Yu Niaoniao looked at the back view in front and could not help but ask. ¡°Little brother, I still don¡¯t know what to call you.¡± The clerk neither turned nor answered her. Yu Niaoniao continued to ask. ¡°Why did you save us?¡± The clerk still didn¡¯t answer. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she suddenly asked. ¡°Did you expect an assassin to kill me tonight? The reason you especially came to remind me to turn off the lights was that you were afraid that the assassin hiding outside would discover my location.¡± ¡°From the looks of it, you shouldn¡¯t be in cahoots with that group of killers, but you definitely know their background.¡± ¡°This secret passage could not be dug out in a short time. It meant that you had lived here for many years. ¡°Digging tunnels was not something a single person could do. It meant that you had aplices, more than one. You have a lot of power locally. I wonder how youpare to the Deng family?¡± This time, the clerk finally reacted. He stopped and turned to her. He opened his mouth slightly. Instead of making a sound, he whippd out a thin silver needle. There were walls on both sides. Yu Niaoniao did not dodge and was stabbed in the heart by the silver needles. Before she could make a sound, she felt her vision go dark. Her body swayed and she fell backward. Ling Hai hurriedly held her. ¡°Princess Consort!¡± Lo Pingsha hurriedly reached out to take Yu Niaoniao¡¯s pulse. When he realized that she had only fallen asleep and was not poisoned, he felt a little relieved. He looked at the clerk warily and questioned him. ¡°Why did you hurt her? Who the hell are you?¡± The clerk looked helpless. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hurt the Princess Consort. She can only me herself for being too smart. I¡¯m afraid that if she continues to guess, she¡¯ll guess everything about us.¡± Lo Pingsha keenly caught the keyword. ¡°Us? You really have an aplice?¡± The clerk didn¡¯t answer. He turned back. ¡°Don¡¯t waste time. Let¡¯s go.¡± Ling Hai and Lo Pingsha refused to move. The clerk said without looking back, ¡°Don¡¯t me me for not reminding you. The air here is bad. If you stay here forever, you¡¯ll suffocate to death quickly.¡± They would meet those killers if they went back. They would suffocate to death if they stayed here. It seemed that their only way out now was to walk forward. It waste at night and everyone in the Deng Mansion was asleep. The courtyard was silent except for the rustling of leaves as the night wind stirred them. Xiao Juan, who was wearing a ck night suit, jumped down from the roof and silentlynded on the grass. He looked around to make sure no one was around and strode up the steps to the study door. With a gentle push, he pushed open the study door. He crossed the threshold and walked in. When he walked to the bookshelf and was about to search for the Deng family tree, he suddenly stopped. As if sensing something, he turned to the right and asked in a low voice. ¡°Who is it?¡± On the right was an arched carved door with gauze curtains hanging under it. Behind the door was an inner room with a low couch and coffee table. It was usually used for lunch break. The night wind stirred the gauze curtain, and it fluttered with it. A momentter, a slightly hunched voice appeared behind the gauze curtain. He lifted the gauze curtain with one hand and walked out slowly with his walking stick in the other. It was the head of the Deng family, Deng Yuchuan! He looked at the man standing nearby and asked unhurriedly as if he had seen an old friend. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s only been half a day since we parted. Why are you here again? Did somethingnd in our Deng family?¡± Seeing him like this, Xiao Juan knew that he had been waiting here for a long time. Deng Yuchuan must have expected him to visit the Deng family at night and had specially waited for him here. In that case, there was no need for him to beat around the bush. He exined his intentions. ¡°I¡¯m here for Li Niang.¡± Deng Yuchuan asked, ¡°Why do you have to investigate Li Niang?¡± Xiao Juan was silent. Deng Yuchuan said, ¡°It seems that Your Highness is still wary of me. Why don¡¯t I give you a gift as a token of my appreciation?¡± He raised his walking stick slightly and knocked on the ground three times. The red sandalwood walking stick collided with the white marble ground, producing a crisp sound. A momentter, one of the white marble tiles slowly sank. A narrow secret passage appeared in front of them. Right on the heels of that, the clerk crawled out of the secret passage with a torch, followed by Ling Hai and Lo Pingsha. Yu Niaoniao was still sleeping. Lo Pingsha carried her. When they saw Xiao Juan, they could not help but be stunned. ¡°Your Highness, why are you here?!¡± Xiao Juan was also very surprised. He had never expected Yu Niaoniao and the other two, who were supposed to be sleeping in the inn, to appear in the Deng family¡¯s study! Deng Yuchuan ced his hands on his walking stick and smiled. ¡°Your Highness, are you satisfied with my gift?¡± Chapter 577 - 577: Deng Family’s Past Chapter 577: Deng Family¡¯s Past Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan strode over. After confirming that Niaoniao had only fallen asleep and that there was nothing wrong with her body, he was relieved. Then, he took Niaoniao and held her in his arms. He asked Lo Pingsha. ¡°Why are you guys here?¡± Lo Pingsha recounted how they hade here. Xiao Juan thought for a moment and guessed that someone wanted to kill Yu Niaoniao when he was not around. The Deng family saved Yu Niaoniao and the others in time. In that case, the Deng family did not seem to be an enemy. Deng Yuchuan turned his body slightly, revealing the low couch behind him. ¡°You can put the Princess Consort on the couch to rest.¡± Xiao Juan stood still. Although Deng Yuchuan had sent someone to save Niaoniao, Xiao Juan still had doubts about him. Deng Yuchuan said helplessly. ¡°This is the Deng family. If I really want to harm you, I just have to shout. There¡¯s no need to go in such a big circle.¡± Although he had already retired, he still had a group of private soldiers under him. It was at least a thousand people. If he really fought head-on, it would be very difficult for Xiao Juan to escape unscathed. The reason why he did not use force directly was because he wanted to have a good talk with Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan naturally knew this. He strode over and ced Niaoniao on the low couch. He pulled the nket over her. The clerk lit the candle in the inner room and finally retreated out the door. Xiao Juan turned to look at Deng Yuchuan and asked the question in his heart. ¡°Why did you pretend not to know Li Niang during the day and chase us out of the Deng family only to secretly meet me at night?¡± Deng Yuchuan sat in the armchair and spoke slowly. ¡°There were too many people during the day to talk.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°This is the Deng family. As the head of the Deng family, you actually have concerns?¡± Deng Yuchuan sighed. ¡°The Deng family is arge family. There are many people in the family. Even if I¡¯m the head of the family, I can¡¯t guarantee that everyone is reliable.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Then can you tell me now what your rtionship with Li Niang Deng Yuchuan asked instead. ¡°You haven¡¯t answered me. Why are you investigating Li Niang?¡± Between questions and answers, they seemed to be back to square one. Xiao Juan was silent. Deng Yuchuan spoke unhurriedly, ¡°From the moment you entered Luzhou, you were targeted.¡± ¡°You have already be prey in the eyes of others, but you are still ignorant.¡± ¡°If I hadn¡¯t sent someone to the inn to protect you, your Princess Consort would probably have fallen into the hands of evil people. Isn¡¯t that enough to show my kindness to you?¡± Xiao Juan was unmoved and asked calmly, ¡°Since you have no ill intentions towards us, why can¡¯t you answer my question first?¡± Deng Yuchuan could not help butugh. ¡°Forget it, let me speak first.¡± He closed his eyes as if remembering something. It was a long time before he spoke again. ¡°Li Niang is my sister.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, not only Xiao Juan, but even Lo Pingsha and Ling Hai were stunned. Before they could ask further, Deng Yuchuan continued. ¡°Li Niang and I were born to the first wife. After our mother died of illness, Father married a second wife. The current Empress Dowager Deng was born to the second wife.¡± In other words, he and Li Niang were biological siblings from the same mother. Empress Dowager Deng was only his half-sister. The rtionship between them was very clear. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Since Li Niang is the legitimate daughter of the Deng family, why did she appear alone in Jinguan City?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve followed my uncle to the border since I was young.Because the border is far from Luzhou Mountain, I can only go home once every few years.¡± ¡°Usually, I could onlymunicate with his family through letters.¡± ¡°In the past, Li Niang would send me a letter every month. ¡°She didn¡¯t want me to worry, so she only reported the good news in her letters. So I thought she was having a good time at home.¡± ¡°Until thirty-nine years ago, I hadn¡¯t heard from Li Niang for a long time.¡± ¡°I was very worried, but the border battle was tight at that time and I could not escape. By the time the battle stabilized slightly, two years had passed.¡± ¡°I rushed back to Luzhou, but I was told that Li Niang had died of illness and her body had been buried.¡± At this point, Deng Yuchuan slowly opened his eyes, his gray eyes filled with sadness. ¡°Li Niang has always been in good health. I don¡¯t believe she will suddenly die of illness.¡± ¡°I wanted to open the coffin and perform an autopsy, but my father wouldn¡¯t allow it.¡± ¡°Because of this, I quarreled with my father and almost severed ties with him.¡¯ ¡°In the middle of the night, I sneaked out of the house in the dark and quietly went to Li Niang¡¯s grave to dig it up.¡± Xiao Juan, Lo Pingsha, and Ling Hai were all entranced. Lo Pingsha could not help but ask. ¡°And?¡± Deng Yuchuan said, ¡°There was a skeleton lying in the coffin. Although there was no flesh and I couldn¡¯t see his facial features clearly, I was sure that the skeleton in the coffin wasn¡¯t Li Niang.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Do you have any evidence?¡± Deng Yuchuan said, ¡°Li Niang once told me in her letter that she identally fell once. The small toe of her left foot hit the stone.¡± ¡°Although the injury waster treated, the little toe was a little deformed. It was usually impossible to tell when she walked. Not many people knew about this.¡± ¡°The bones in the coffin were intact. There are no signs of deformation, so I concluded that she was not Li Niang.¡± Xiao Juan epted his exnation and continued to listen to his narrative. ¡°After I returned home, I told Father about this, hoping that he would investigate this matter thoroughly and find the missing Li Niang.¡± ¡°In the end, Father locked me up and ordered me not to spread this matter.¡± Ling Hai could not understand and could not help but say. ¡°Doesn¡¯t he care about his biological daughter at all?¡± Deng Yuchuan said, ¡°I once asked him that.¡± ¡°He said that he was not only Li Niang¡¯s father, but also the head of the Deng family. He had to think for the entire Deng familAs for Li Niang, she can only me her bad luck.¡± The more he went on, the softer his voice became. His fingers tightened involuntarily on his walking stick, and the veins on the back of his thin hand bulged. Clearly, he was not calm at all. ¡°For so many years, I¡¯ve been thinking of ways to investigate Li Niang¡¯s whereabouts. However, everyone in the family kept their mouths shut. ¡°No matter how I questioned them, no one told me the truth.¡± ¡°When my father and stepmother passed away, I inherited the position of head of the family. Those who knew back then were no longer alive.¡± ¡°What if Li Niang wasn¡¯t dead? What if she was still alive? Perhaps she was waiting for me somewhere in the world to save her. I could never give up searching for her.¡± ¡°Until you suddenly appeared. Not only did you bring a portrait of Li Niang, but you also brought news of her death.¡± When he said thest sentence, Deng Yuchuan could not hold it in anymore. His eyes were red and his voice was filled with grief. The heavens had even cut off hisst hope. Ling Hai also had a sister, so he could empathize with Deng Yuchuan. If something had happened to his sister, he would definitely break down in grief.. Chapter 578 - 578: I Knew It Was Her! Chapter 578: I Knew It Was Her! Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Deng Yuchuan took a deep breath and tried to calm down. ¡°Now, I¡¯ve told you everything I know. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you tell me how you met Li Niang?¡± Xiao Juan said truthfully, ¡°The people who really saw Li Niang were Niaoniao and Little Hai. When I saw Li Niang, she was already a corpse.¡± Niaoniao was still unconscious and could not speak for the time being, so she could only let Ling Hai do it for her. When Niaoniao saw Li Niang, Ling Hai was also present. As an observer, he heard the conversation between Niaoniao and Li Niaoniao clearly. He repeated their conversation word for word. Deng Yuchuan listened carefully and felt even worse. His sister was already gray-haired, but she still had to sell red bean soup alone in the temple. It was obvious how difficult her life had been all these years. She was the eldest daughter of the Deng family and had never done anything since she was young. She should have been pampered and raised by a noble person, but she ended up like this. How could Deng Yuchuan ept this? He suppressed the grief in his heart and asked. ¡°How did Li Niang die?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Her body was salvaged from the Imperial River. After examination, she died from drowning. Before she died, she had four knife wounds.¡± Lo Pingsha added, ¡°There are scars on her face and body. They¡¯re old. From the color of the scars, they¡¯re at least forty years old.¡± In other words, the scar on Li Niang¡¯s body had been there before she left the Deng family. Deng Yuchuan gripped his walking stick tightly and gritted his teeth. ¡°Who harmed her?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°We¡¯re still investigating Li Niang¡¯s case. She left us a clue when she was alive.¡± With that, he bent down and reached out to take Niaoniao¡¯s left hand. He lifted her sleeve, revealing the jade bracelet on her wrist. In order to prevent the bracelet from being lost or damaged, Niaoniao had always worn it on her hand and would not take it off easily. Deng Yuchuan stood up and walked over with his walking stick. He studied the bracelet in the dim candlelight. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this bracelet in the residence. It shouldn¡¯t belong to the Deng family.¡± Xiao Juan exined, ¡°It was originally an offering from the pce and was given to Imperial Concubine Meng by thete emperor, but it finally appeared in Li Niang¡¯s hands.¡± Hearing him mention Imperial Concubine Meng, Deng Yuchuan immediately remembered. ¡°In thest letter Li Niang wrote to me before she disappeared, there was a mention of Imperial Concubine Meng.¡± ¡°She said that Imperial Concubine Meng was going to hold a flower appreciation party in the capital and had invited many nobledies.¡± ¡°Li Niang and Luo Niang also received the invitation. Coincidentally, the talent show that year was about to begin.¡± ¡°They n to enter the capital to participate in the talent show and take a look at the flower appreciation fair.¡± Deng Yuchuan paused and exined in a low voice. ¡°Luo Niang is the current Empress Dowager¡¯s maiden name. Li Niang¡¯s full name is Deng Yuli. The Empress Dowager¡¯s full name is Deng Yuluo.¡± Xiao Juan had a guess in his heart. Back then, after the Deng sisters went to the Imperial Capital, they saw Imperial Concubine Meng at the flower appreciation banquet. Perhaps it was at that time that Imperial Concubine Meng gave her bracelet to the sisters. After Li Niang left the Deng family, she was still wearing the jade bracelet. After she gave birth and gave the child to the Feng couple, she left the bracelet for the child as a memento. That child should be Feng Lianghan. When he grew up, he married and gave the bracelet to his wife, Madam Xie. This would exin why Madam Xie had that bracelet. Seeing Xiao Juan¡¯s thoughtful expression, Deng Yuchuan asked. ¡°Did Your Highness think of anything?¡± Xiao Juan hesitated for a moment before telling him his guess. ¡°These are all my guesses. There¡¯s no actual evidence. It might not be true.¡± Deng Yuchuan believed most of his guess and asked right on the heels of that. ¡°I wonder where Li Niang¡¯s child is now?¡± Xiao Juan said in a low voice, ¡°The entire Feng family has been silenced. Even the fetus in Madam Xie¡¯s stomach was not spared.¡± Deng Yuchuan felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His vision darkened, and his body involuntarily swayed twice, as if he was about to fall in the next moment. Xiao Juan reached out to help him. Deng Yuchuan hurriedly held his walking stick and stabilized himself. Then, he waved at Xiao Juan, indicating that he did not need anyone to help him. His lips trembled slightly as if he wanted to say something, but something seemed to be stuck in his throat. It was a long time before he forced a sound through his teeth. ¡°Who did it?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°We¡¯re still investigating this case. We still don¡¯t know who the real culprit is.¡± Deng Yuchuan¡¯s eyes turned red and his voice trembled. ¡°Is it Deng Yuluo?¡± He did not even refer to her respectfully and called her by her maiden name. Xiao Juan said cautiously, ¡°There¡¯s no evidence. I can¡¯t confirm it.¡± Deng Yuchuan said, ¡°In other words, Deng Yuluo is very suspicious, right?¡± Xiao Juan nodded slightly and gave an affirmative answer. Deng Yuchuan tightened his grip on his walking stick, his knuckles turning pale. His chest was filled with hatred. ¡°I knew it was her! I knew it was her!¡± Xiao Juan reminded him, ¡°Everything is just a guess. There¡¯s no substantial evidence. If we¡¯re wrong¡­¡± Deng Yuchuan interrupted him. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to be wrong. It must be Deng Yuluo! She had been jealous of Li Niang since she was young and often snatched her things.¡± ¡°When we were young, I felt that she was still young, so I did not take it to heart about the conflict between her and Li Niang.¡± ¡°I thought that it would be fine when they grew up. Unexpectedly, Deng Yuluo became even worse.¡± ¡°She bullied Li Niang when I was not at home and forced her to leave her hometown. Now, he did not even let go of Li Niang¡¯s child.¡± ¡°You vicious woman, you¡¯ll die a horrible death!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°We have to have conclusive evidence to convict the Empress Dowager. ¡± Deng Yuchuan said without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ll follow you to the Imperial Capital. As long as I can see Li Niang¡¯s body, I can confirm her identity.¡± ¡°At that time, I¡¯ll bring Li Niang¡¯s body into the pce to confront the Empress Dowager and see what else she has to say!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°If she insists on not admitting it¡­¡± Deng Yuchuan said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll die with her! Even if I die, I¡¯ll drag her to hell with me and make her apologize to Li Niang!¡± Xiao Juan wanted to persuade him again, but Deng Yuchuan was determined. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to arrange a guest room for you to rest. We¡¯ll set off for the Imperial Capital tomorrow morning.¡± With that, Deng Yuchuan walked out with his walking stick. His back seemed even more hunched than before, and he looked even older. The death of his biological sister had dealt him a huge blow. Soon, a steward walked in and said respectfully. ¡°Your Highness, please follow me.¡± Xiao Juan could only carry Niaoniao. Lo Pingsha and Ling Hai followed closely behind. The four of them were brought to the guest room to rest for the time being. Yu Niaoniao only woke up at dawn the next day. She opened her eyes and found herself in an unfamiliar bed. She immediately sat up and looked around warily. Xiao Juan walked over with her clothes. ¡°How do you feel? Do you feel ufortable anywhere?¡± As soon as Yu Niaoniao saw him, she immediately released a lot. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Where are we?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°This is the Deng family.¡± Then he roughly exined what had happenedst night.. Chapter 579 - 579: Trap Chapter 579: Trap Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios From the clues they had so far, Empress Dowager Deng was very likely the real culprit who killed the entire Feng family. However, Yu Niaoniao still had many doubts. ¡°Why did Li Niang leave the Deng family back then? Who¡¯s the father of the child in Li Niang¡¯s womb? And that nameless charred corpse. Who is he? Why does he have an emerald bracelet?¡± Xiao Juan could not answer and could only say. ¡°Maybe when we see the Empress Dowager, we¡¯ll understand all these things.¡± The two of them were talking when there was a knock on the door and Ling Hail s voice came in. ¡°Your Highness, Princess Consort, Old Master Deng said that the carriage is ready. He asked me to ask when you can set off.¡± Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan pushed open the door and walked out. They arrived at the central room. He realized that other than Deng Yuchuan, the rest of the Deng family had also arrived, including Deng Yuchuan¡¯s son, daughter-inw, and grandchildren. Deng Luyun, whom they had met yesterday, was among them. When they found out that Old Master Deng was going to the Imperial Capital, they were very worried. After all, Old Master Deng was already old and his health was no longer as good as before. What if he tired himself out from traveling back and forth? However, Deng Yuchuan had already made up his mind. No one could change his decision. Helpless, the Deng family could only choose one of the juniors to apany Old Master Deng. This chosen person was Deng Luyun. When the Deng family saw Duke Lang and his wife appear, they went forward to greet them. As the eldest son of the first wife, Deng Huai was about to exchange a few pleasantries with Duke Lang to use this opportunity to close the rtionship between the two sides so that Duke Lang could take care of his father more along the way. Unexpectedly, before Deng Huai could speak, Deng Yuchuan beat him to it. ¡°You¡¯re finally here. Go!¡± With that, he walked out with his walking stick, looking eager. Deng Luyun hurriedly reached out to help him over the high threshold. Deng Huai had no choice but to swallow his words and send Duke Lang, his wife, and his Old Master out. They sent them all the way out of the Deng residence. In the end, Deng Huai could not help but worry. He quickly ran over before Xiao Juan could mount his horse. ¡°Your Highness, my father is old and impatient. I hope you can take good care of him along the way.¡± Xiao Juan replied, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Although I don¡¯t know why my father is going to the Imperial Capital, something that my father would do anything for must be very important to him. However, there has to be a head at home. I really could not leave.¡± ¡°If my father encounters any trouble in the Imperial Capital, please help him if you can. If you can¡¯t help, please send someone to give us a message. Please.¡± With that, Deng Huai took a step back, raised his head with both hands, and bowed to the end. His attitude could be said to be very sincere and solemn. Xiao Juan replied again, ¡°I will.¡± Deng Yuchuan saw this scene through the carriage window and immediately urged. ¡°Alright, stop talking. Let¡¯s go!¡± Xiao Juan mounted his horse and mped his long legs around the horse¡¯s stomach. The horse dashed off. The convoy moved down the long street. Deng Huai bowed to his father¡¯s carriage. He hoped that his father would be safe and return early. Not only did Deng Yuchuan bring his grandson, Deng Luyun, but he also brought nearly a hundred private soldiers. These private soldiers were dressed as guards and rode on horses with swords. They were in charge of protecting Deng Yuchuan and Deng Luyun. The group passed through the city gate and officially left Luzhou. Themoners looked at the long line and whispered to each other. ¡°Those look like the Deng family, but who¡¯s the man riding at the front? Why haven¡¯t I seen him in Luzhou before?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. He doesn¡¯t look like an ordinary person. He might be an important guest of the Deng family.¡± ¡°The Deng family is making such a big scene. Where can we go?¡± ¡°Who knows? Maybe he just wants to go out and have fun.¡± There were more than ten men standing at the back of the crowd. They were wearing ordinary rough clothes and carrying bows and arrows. They were dressed like a group of hunters who hade to the city to sell goods. But in fact, they were the killers who had assassinated Yu Niaoniaost night. At this moment, they were watching Xiao Juan and the others leave and discussing softly. ¡°Boss, they¡¯re all gone. What should we do?¡± ¡°Master has ordered us to get the bracelet back. If we don¡¯t, we¡¯ll all die.¡± ¡°Then we can only take a chance.¡± The group quietly left Luzhou and secretly followed Xiao Juan and the others, waiting for an opportunity to make a move. When the night darkened and Xiao Juan and the others stopped to rest, the assassins attacked when they were unprepared. But when they rushed into the carriages, they found it empty. The assassins immediately realized that they had been tricked! They wanted to retreat, but it was toote. Deng Luyun surrounded the assassins with the guards. Looking at the masked assassins in front of him, Deng Luyun shouted imposingly. ¡°If you want to live, surrender obediently!¡± On a small hill not far away, Deng Yuchuan could not help but sigh when he saw this scene under the moonlight. ¡°He¡¯s still too young.¡± Xiao Juan understood what Old Master Deng meant. Those were all death warriors. It was impossible for them to surrender. The correct way was to capture them as soon as possible and not give them a chance tomit suicide. In the end, it proved that Deng Yuchuan and Xiao Juan were right. When those assassins realized that they had nowhere to escape, they made up their minds and slit their throats. Seeing this, Deng Luyun hurriedly got someone to stop them. Unfortunately, it was toote. These assassins were extremely ruthless. In the blink of an eye, they were dead. Ling Hai helped Deng Yuchuan down the hill. Yu Niaoniao, Xiao Juan, and Lo Pingsha also walked down. When they reached the carriage, they saw a pile of corpses. Deng Luyun stood at the side, sword in hand. He wanted to say something, but he did not know what to say. He looked a little at a loss. He was extremely talented in martial arts. In addition, under the guidance of a great teacher, he had good martial arts at a young age. No one in his generation was his match. When others came to the Deng family as guests, they would praise him as a young hero when they saw him. He would definitely be a great person in the future. He had originally thought that he would only capture a few assassins. With his strong martial arts and numbers, he would definitely be able to take them down easily. Unexpectedly, it ended like this. Now everyone was dead. No one was left alive. As for who the mastermind was, they still knew nothing. Deng Luyun felt extremely stupid. He didn¡¯t even dare look up at his grandfather. He was afraid of seeing the disappointment on his grandfather¡¯s face. Seeing him like this, Deng Yuchuan sighed. ¡°Take this as a lesson. Be careful next time.¡± Only then did Deng Luyun dare to look up. His childish face was filled with frustration and self-reproach. ¡°I¡¯m sorry..¡¯ Chapter 580 - 580: Uneasy Chapter 580: Uneasy Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Actually, when they first left Luzhou, Xiao Juan sensed that someone was following them, but he pretended not to notice anything and continued on his way. It was not until after dark that the group stopped to rest. Only then did Xiao Juan secretly tell the others that they were being followed. They pretended to be asleep, deliberately giving themselves away. As expected, the assassins appeared. It was originally a good n. As long as they could capture the assassin alive, they could ask who the mastermind was. In the end, Deng Luyun messed up. This was the first time he had suffered a setback in his life. The young man¡¯s confidence fell and he wilted. Yu Niaoniao walked over and squatted down. She reached out and pulled off the mask on an assassin¡¯s face. She saw that the other party¡¯s face was unfamiliar. Seeing the quiver on the assassin¡¯s back, she took out an arrow and looked at it. She immediately recognized it. ¡°This is the assassin who ambushed mest night.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Why do you think so?¡± Yu Niaoniao waved the arrow in her hand. ¡°This arrow is identical to the one that was shot at mest night. They should be the same group.¡± Xiao Juan looked at the assassin¡¯s corpse on the ground and then at the carriage beside him. He frowned slightly. ¡°This group of assassins came for you twice, but you don¡¯t know them. Is there something on you they want?¡± Yu Niaoniao reacted quickly. ¡°It¡¯s that jade bracelet!¡± Xiao Juan agreed with her guess. ¡°The reason Li Niang died back then was very likely rted to that jade bracelet. Now that the bracelet is in your hands, the mastermind has targeted you again.¡± Hearing him mention Li Niang, Deng Yuchuan could not help but speak. ¡°Empress Dowager Deng must have sent someone to do it. She didn¡¯t want anyone to know about the bracelet. She¡¯s afraid that her crime of murdering her own sister would be exposed.¡± Xiao Juan felt that it was not that simple. ¡°Assuming you¡¯re telling the truth, the Empress Dowager would not have sent someone to kill Li Niang if she was really afraid of the crime being exposed.¡± ¡°Anyway, she was the Empress Dowager. Even if Li Niangined, she could not do anything to the Empress Dowager.¡± ¡°There was no need for the Empress Dowager to do anything unnecessary. There must be a bigger secret hidden here.¡± This was a secret that the mastermind had to hide even if he killed everyone. There was too little evidence. If they relied on spection, they would never be able to confirm the truth. The guards dug a hole and buried all the assassins¡¯ corpses. At dawn the next day, they set off to continue their journey. Yu Niaoniao sat in the carriage and looked at the jade bracelet on her wrist in a daze. Seeing this, Ling Hai could not help but ask, ¡°Did you think of something?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°So many people have died for such a small bracelet. First, my mother and stepfather, then Sun Dng¡¯s family, and Li Niang. Now that this bracelet is in my hands, will I also¡­¡± Ling Hai hurriedly interrupted her, ¡°No! You¡¯re blessed. You¡¯ll definitely be fine!¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. She lowered her hand. ¡°Thank you for your kind words. Let¡¯s hope I survive until the truthes out.¡± As it turned out, her worries were not groundless. Along the way, assassins kept attacking them. The assassins¡¯ goals were surprisingly the same¡ª They were alling for Niaoniao. Once the assassination failed, they wouldmit suicide without hesitation. Even if Xiao Juan took precautions in advance and stopped them frommitting suicide on the spot, they would still die from the poison before long. It turned out that these assassins had taken the poison before they took action. Once the mission seeded, they would immediately take the antidote. However, if the mission failed, they would die from the poison. This almost suicidal assassination method was enough to show the mastermind¡¯s determination to kill Yu Niaoniao. Xiao Juan suggested, ¡°Give me the bracelet.¡± If those assassins were really after the bracelet, he would take all the risks. Yu Niaoniao did not want Xiao Juan to take the risk for her, but she knew her limits. She did not have the ability to protect herself, so the bracelet was even more safe in Xiao Juan¡¯s hands. Hence, she obediently handed the jade bracelet to Xiao Juan. Soon, they were attacked again. The assassins¡¯ targets this time were two¡ª Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao. Even though Niaoniao did not have a bracelet on her, those assassins still did not let her off. After a fierce battle, the assassins were defeated. Deng Luyun reacted quickly this time and did not give the assassins a chance tomit suicide. He captured them immediately and dislocated their chins and limbs, making them lose their ability tomit suicide. Unfortunately, it was useless. After a while, the assassins twitched all over and spat out ck blood. Then, right on the heels of that, they kicked their legs and stopped breathing. It was obvious that they had already taken the poison and had died from it. Deng Luyun gritted his teeth in hatred, but he was helpless. Yu Niaoniao walked up to Xiao Juan and looked at him. ¡°Just give me the bracelet.¡± Xiao Juan stood still. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°As you saw just now, their target is not just the bracelet, but me. No matter who has the bracelet, they wouldn¡¯t let me off.¡± ¡°Instead of having one more person take the risk, why don¡¯t you put the bracelet on me?¡± Xiao Juan knew that she had a point. But he couldn¡¯t ept it. ¡°I won¡¯t let you face danger alone. Even if I have to die, I¡¯ll stay with you.¡± When the man said this, his tone was extremely low, like a de stabbing into the ground, exuding a determined aura. Yu Niaoniao smiled, looking both helpless and happy. ¡°Well, since you insist on sharing my troubles, I have no reason to refuse you.¡± At this point, Niaoniao did not mention asking for the bracelet back. But when she was alone, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she was being too selfish. She wanted to pursue the truth and avenge her mother and stepfather. For this, no matter the risk, she was willing. However, Xiao Juan did not need to avenge anyone. He could have chosen not to intevene.Now he was going to put himself in danger for her. The days passed. They were getting closer to the Imperial Capital. The assassins seemed to know that there was not much time left. Their attacks became crazier. Once, Xiao Juan was unfortunately injured. Although it was only a light injury, it made the uneasy feeling in Niaoniao¡¯s heart intensify. Niaoniao bandaged Xiao Juan¡¯s wound very carefully. Seeing that she was silent, Xiao Juan took the initiative tofort her. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just a small injury. I¡¯ll be fine in two days.¡± Yu Niaoniao opened her mouth, wanting Xiao Juan to stop investigating. She could investigate the Feng family¡¯s case alone. She did not want Xiao Juan to be injured for her. But she swallowed the words. Because she knew that Xiao Juan would not agree. If she were in Xiao Juan¡¯s shoes, she would definitely not leave him. Xiao Juan looked at her steadily and suddenly said in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯ll always be by your side. Don¡¯t even think about getting rid of me.¡± Yu Niaoniao became a little flustered. She quickly lowered her head. ¡°Why are you talking about this? Don¡¯t ride for the next two days. Take the carriage or the wound will open.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Okay..¡± Chapter 581 - 581: Take It One Step at a Time Chapter 581: Take It One Step at a Time Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan left the Imperial Capital on the first day of the Lunar New Year. At that time, the Imperial Capital was still covered in snow. Now that they had returned to the Imperial Capital, it was already autumn and refreshing. Golden osmanthus hung on the branches by the road, and a rich fragrance wafted far away. Yu Niaoniao looked out of the carriage window and saw rednterns hanging at the entrance of the shops on the street. She guessed that it should be a joyous asion in the capital. Xiao Juan invited Deng Yuchuan and Deng Luyun to stay in the Langjun Imperial Pce for the time being. Deng Yuchuan politely declined. ¡°Our Deng family has a residence in the Imperial Capital. It¡¯s cleaned all year round and can be lived in at any time. We¡¯ll just stay there. When we¡¯re settled, we¡¯ll discuss entering the pce.¡± Although Deng Yuchuan could not wait to know the truth, he was still someone who had experienced many storms. He knew that not everyone could enter the pce. He had to find the right time. Xiao Juan did not force him. After traveling for a while, the carriage finally stopped in front of the Langjun Imperial Pce. Yu Niaoniao jumped out of the carriage and looked up at the familiar door of the Langjun Imperial Pce. After this chase, she was finally home safely. She felt her suspended heart rx and she rxed. The door of the Langjun Imperial Pce opened and Granny Xiu Yan quickly weed her. She looked at the safe and sound Duke Lang and the Princess Consort and was overjoyed. ¡°You¡¯re finally back. I was worried sick!¡± Yu Niaoniao stretched out her arms and hugged Granny Xiu Yan. ¡°Nanny, I miss you so much.¡± Granny Xiu Yan said sincerely, ¡°I miss you too. I¡¯m worried about how you ate and slept outside every day. I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll be bullied. Fortunately, you¡¯re all safe. Come in and sit down to rest.¡± The group walked into the Langjun Imperial Pce. Yu Niaoniao asked as she walked. ¡°I saw many families hanging rednterns in the city. Could it be something happy? Granny Xiu Yan smiled and exined, ¡°In ten days, it will be Empress Dowager Deng¡¯s sixtieth birthday. The emperor is preparing to hold a big party. Many foreign envoys havee to the Imperial Capital to congratte the Empress Dowager. You guys came back in time just in time for the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. It was the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday. This might be a good opportunity. She immediately said to Xiao Juan, ¡°The Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday is not a small matter. We have to prepare well.¡± Xiao Juan immediately understood what she meant and nodded slightly. ¡°Okay.¡± Granny Xiu Yan did not know the hidden meaning of their words and followed them. ¡°I¡¯ve already prepared some birthday gifts. I¡¯ll invite Your Highness and the Princess Consort to take a lookter and see if they¡¯re suitable. If not, I can change as soon as possible.¡± The group chatted as they walked and bumped into Meng Xizhou on the way. They cupped their fists and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness, Princess Consort.¡± Seeing their expressions, Yu Niaoniao knew that they had been waiting here for a long time. They probably had something to tell Xiao Juan, so she said tactfully. ¡®You guys chat first. Granny and I will go into the house and sit for a while.¡± Xiao Juan nodded in agreement. Yu Niaoniao brought Granny Xiu Yan and Ling Hai into the house, while Lo Pingsha stayed where he was. Meng Xizhou could not wait to report. ¡°Not long ago, someone in the court submitted a memorial to impeach our Justice Department for being too rough in investigating cases, causing many wrongful cases. The Crown Prince ordered someone to investigate the previous cases of the Justice Department. The entire Justice Department was in a mess.¡± Lo Pingsha still did not know what had happened in the Justice Department. When he heard Meng Xizhou¡¯s words, he could not help but frown. However, Duke Lang did not speak, so Lo Pingsha naturally did not dare to speak. He could only listen silently. Meng Xizhou became angrier and angrier. ¡°The Crown Prince used the excuse of investigating cases to dig up many old cases. ¡®l¡¯ney spouted nonsense and Insisted tnat tnere was sometnlng wrong with the dossier. Then, he threw caution to the wind and dismissed the Eagle Guards who were investigating the case back then.¡± ¡°Some Eagle Guards were even flogged for this. In just two months, everyone in the Justice Department had been changed. Now, the people in the Justice Department with real power were all people nted by the Crown Prince.¡± ¡°Even Pan Dafu, who was in the kitchen, was chased away. They said that we did not follow the rules andcked substantial evidence. But what about them? They didn¡¯t even have any evidence. They convicted us with just a few words. Aren¡¯t they even more unruly than us?!¡± Xiao Juan knew in his heart that the so-called impeachment should have been secretly instructed by the crown prince to make it easier for him to eliminate dissidents and take over the Justice Department faster. He had expected this, so he did not react much. ¡°Where¡¯s Little Yan?¡± At the mention of this, Meng Xizhou immediately restrained his anger and replied truthfully. ¡°Per your instructions, we¡¯ve already asked all the Eagle Guards. Anyone who¡¯s willing to follow us has been taken away from the Imperial Capital by Yan Nanguan. They should be on their way to Liaodong County now.¡± Hearing this, Lo Pingsha could not help but speak. ¡°Are we going to Liaodong County?¡± Meng Xizhou said angrily, ¡°That¡¯s right! Since the Imperial Capital can¡¯t amodate us, let¡¯s go to Liaodong. The world is so big. I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s no ce for us!¡± He then stared at Lo Pingsha and asked. ¡°Little Lo, do you want toe with us?¡± Lo Pingsha gave an affirmative answer without thinking. ¡°Of course!¡± He no longer had any family in the Imperial Capital. Duke Lang, his wife, and everyone in the Justice Department were equivalent to his family. Wherever his family was, he would be there! But Lo Pingsha was still worried. ¡°If we leave just like that, will the crown prince send someone after us?¡± Regarding this, Xiao Juan had already calcted. ¡°I¡¯ve already despatched someone to send a letter to Prince Min and Tang Guixi. Liaodong County is their territory. Tang Guixi still has 300,000 troops in her hands. With them blocking for us in front, the crown prince won¡¯t dare to use force.¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°But this is not a long-term solution. When the Crown Prince ascends the throne in the future and really takes power, he will definitely think of a way to force Tang Guixi to return her military power. At that time, what should we do?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Then we can only think of a way when the timees.¡± Lo Pingsha sighed. In the current situation, they could only take it one step at a time. Meng Xizhou had had enough of being cowardly in the Justice Department recently. He wished he could grow wings and fly out of the Imperial Capital immediately. He couldn¡¯t care less. He asked impatiently, ¡°Your Highness, when are we leaving? Xiao Juan said, ¡°We still have to wait a little longer. I still have something to deal with.¡± Meng Xizhou had no choice but to agree. ¡°Fine.¡± Xiao Juan crossed the threshold and walked into the central room. He saw Niaoniao flipping through the gift list. Seeing that Xiao Juan had arrived, Yu Niaoniao immediately handed over the gift list. ¡°Take a look. These are all birthday gifts for the Empress Dowager.¡± Xiao Juan took the gift list and scanned it briefly. He did not think there was any problem and handed it to Granny Xiu Yan. ¡°Let¡¯s prepare ording to the gift list.¡± ¡°Yes.. ¡° Chapter 582 - 582: Too Much Chapter 582: Too Much Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After traveling for so long, logically speaking, Yu Niaoniao should be very tired, but she was focused on the case. She didn¡¯t sit long before she stood up, wanting to go to the Justice Department to see the charred corpse and figure out his background. Xiao Juan stopped her. ¡°There¡¯s no need to go to the Justice Department. I¡¯ve already ordered someone to move the charred corpse to the Langjun Imperial Pce.¡± Yu Niaoniao was very surprised. It was not an ordinary piece of evidence. It was a charred body. Why would someone move the body into their house? Wasn¡¯t he afraid that Granny Xiu Yan would be frightened? Yu Niaoniao asked the question in her heart. ¡°Why did you move the charred corpse into the house for no reason?¡± Xiao Juan originally did not want to tell Niaoniao about the change in the Justice Department lest she worried for nothing. But at this point, she would find out sooner orter. Instead of letting others spout nonsense at her, he might as well take the initiative to exin the matter to her. Xiao Juan quickly prepared a script in his heart and finished what had happened in the Justice Department in a few words. His tone was t as if this was no big deal. However, Yu Niaoniao was furious. ¡°Shen Zhuo is too much!¡± At first, she thought that Shen Zhuo wanted to divide the power, but he wanted to take the entire Justice Department for himself. This method was equivalent to not giving Xiao Juan a way out at all! If Shen Zhuo was standing in front of her now, she would definitely not be able to control her hands and rush forward to give him a hard time! Xiao Juanforted her. ¡°Since he wants the Justice Department, I¡¯ll just give it to him. Later, we¡¯ll leave the Imperial Capital with our men and go to Liaodong County to join Prince Min and Tang Guixi. Liaodong County is far from here. Shen Zhuo¡¯s hand can¡¯t reach there. At that time, we can live our lives in peace behind closed doors.¡± Yu Niaoniao was coaxed by him until her anger dissipated a little. ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as you make it sound.¡± Shen Zhuo could not even amodate a Justice Department, let alone such a huge Liaodong County. In the future, he would definitely think of a way to deal with Tang Guixi and Prince Min, just like how he was dealing with Xiao Juan now. Xiao Juan said, ¡°There is always a way out. There will always be a way.¡± Then, he brought Niaoniao to the ce where the charred corpse was stored. This was originally a guest room. Because no one had lived here for a long time, it had been idle. Now that a guest had finally lived in it, it was a charred nameless corpse. Yu Niaoniao studied the charred corpse for a long time, but she still could not figure out anything. She could only call Lo Pingsha over and they studied it together. Xiao Juan still had to enter the pce to meet the emperor, so he could only leave first. After entering the pce, Xiao Juan saw the old emperor. The old emperor looked in good spirits. He could even sit up. His face still had a rosy sheen. He smiled and asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been out for so long. Did you go anywhere good?¡± Xiao Juan replied concisely, ¡°I apanied Niaoniao back to Bashu County to pay respects to her mother and stepfather. At the same time, I went elsewhere to shop.¡± The old emperor sighed. ¡°I really envy you, young people. You can go wherever you want, unlike me, who can only be trapped in this pce and can¡¯t go anywhere.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°You look much better. You should recover soon. In the future, it won¡¯t be a problem for you to go anywhere.¡± Clearly pleased, the old emperorughed. ¡°Haha, ever since I ate the Grand Duke meat, I do feel much better. Looks like the rumors are not groundless. That Grand Duke meat really has the miraculous effect of reviving the dead!¡± At this point, he turned to look at Wei Huai¡¯en and praised him happily. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Wei Liao. If he hadn¡¯t helped me find the Grand Duke from afar, my condition wouldn¡¯t have improved.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en replied expertly, ¡°Wei Liao was just following your decree. This is what he should do. Your condition improved because you¡¯re the Son of Heaven and are blessed by the heavens.¡± These words were clearly to curry favor but the old emperor fell for it. He felt even more carefree. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t mistreat Wei Liao. I¡¯ve already ordered someone to draft a decree to confer Wei Liao as General Huaiyuan and give him a residence.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en immediately knelt on both knees and kowtowed to thank the emperor for his adopted son. General Huaiyuan was a third-grade subordinate. Although it was only a fake title, it meant that Wei Liao already had a ce in the court. In addition, he was still young, so his future was limitless. The old emperor said some unimportant matters again and did not mention anything about the changes in the Justice Department. It didn¡¯t take long for him to feel tired. He closed his eyes and wanted to rest. Xiao Juan tactfully retreated. He calmed the internal strife of the Eastern Expedition Army and destroyed Princess Ni Yang¡¯s scheme. He saved many innocent people and made so many contributions, but he could only be rewarded with some gold, silver, and jewelry. Wei Liao could be conferred the title of general just by helping the old emperor find Grand Duke meat. Anyone would feel unbnced by such favoritism. Xiao Juan naturally felt ufortable. But soon he threw this matter aside. In any case, he was already prepared to take Niaoniao far away. The old emperor could use whoever he wanted. Everything had nothing to do with him. In the Langjun Imperial Pce. Seeing that the Princess Consort and Lo Pingsha had been staying in the guest room and did note out, Granny Xiu Yan was worried that the Princess Consort was so busy that she would not even bother to eat lunch. She had no choice but to look for them with the food box. She had no choice but to look for them with the food box. When Granny Xiu Yan walked into the guest room and saw the charred corpse on the bed, she was shocked and almost dropped the food box in her hand. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly pulled over the white cloth to cover the charred corpse. ¡°Nanny, don¡¯t be afraid. This is just an ordinary corpse.¡± Granny Xiu Yan ced the food box on the table and stroked her heart, looking like she had lingering fears. It wasn¡¯t that she hadn¡¯t seen a dead person before, but she had never seen a charred one. It was terrifying. She tried not to look at the charred body on the bed. ¡°No matter how busy you are,¡± she advised, ¡°don¡¯t forget to eat.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Got it.¡± She and Lo Pingsha washed their hands and sat down at the table. They picked up their bowls and chopsticks and prepared to eat. Yu Niaoniao asked casually. ¡°Have you eaten, Granny?¡± Granny Xiu Yan said that she had eaten as she scooped rice for them. Yu Niaoniao took the bowl and suddenly remembered that Granny had lived in the pce for many years. She should know a lot, so she asked. ¡°Did Granny know that the Empress Dowager had a sister?¡± Granny Xiu Yan thought about it carefully and really remembered. ¡°I¡¯ve heard someone mention that the Empress Dowager has an elder sister. Back then, the two sisters were both in the selection range. Initially, everyone thought that her sister would be chosen. They did not expect her to be the one chosen in the end.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly asked, ¡°Why do you think she should be the chosen one? Is there anything extraordinary about her?¡± Granny Xiu Yan tried harder to remember and gradually remembered some details. ¡°The elder sister¡¯s looks are even more outstanding. I heard that she¡¯s the most beautiful girl in that batch. In terms of looks, no one couldpare to her. In addition, she was the eldest daughter of the Deng family, and her background was impable. Most importantly, Imperial Concubine Meng likes her very much and praises her endlessly..¡± Chapter 583 - 583: Two Letters (Part 1) Chapter 583: Two Letters (Part 1) Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao expressed her confusion,¡±Since the eldest is so outstanding, why did they choose the younger sister in the end?¡± Granny Xiu Yan shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Yu Niaoniao thought of the scar on Li Niang¡¯s face and tried to ask, ¡°Could it have something to do with the eldest sister¡¯s disfigurement?¡± Even if Li Niang was too beautiful when she was young, once her face was destroyed, she would never have the chance to enter the pce again. Granny Xiu Yan was very surprised. ¡°Eldest Miss Deng was disfigured? I¡¯ve never heard of this.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly remembered. ¡°By the way, I did hear some rumors back then. It was said that the eldest daughter of the Deng family had contracted an evil illness and could not see anyone. She had to be sent back to Luzhou to recuperate. However, these were just rumors and I could not tell if they were true. I just listened and did not take them to heart. Later, the two daughters of the Deng family were even invited by Imperial Concubine Meng to the pce to drink tea, which confirmed that the rumors were nonsense.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Are you sure the two daughters of the Deng family have entered the pce?¡± Granny Xiu Yan was not sure. ¡°I¡¯ve only heard about this and haven¡¯t seen it with my own eyes. It shouldn¡¯t be wrong.¡± Seeing Yu Niaoniao¡¯s solemn expression, she could not help but ask. ¡°Is this very important?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°Very important!¡± Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°Please give me some time to think about it.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Please.¡± She had lunch with Lo Pingsha and continued to study the charred corpse. This time, they prepared to start from the beginning and carefully examine every part of the charred corpse. In the end, they really discovered something unusual¡ª The charred corpse had six toes on its left foot. Because the body had been burned by high temperatures and was severely carbonized, the fingers and toes showed a tendency to curl and stick tightly together. If they hadn¡¯t examined it carefully from beginning to end, they might never have discovered that the charred corpse had one more toe on its left foot than ordinary people. Yu Niaoniao immediately recorded this discovery in the autopsy report. From the current clues, the charred corpse had suffered from serious rheumatism and heart and lung disease when he was alive. He had six toes on his left foot. These were his personal characteristics and could be important clues to verify his identity. At this moment, Granny Xiu Yan came looking for her. She looked apologetic. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m still not sure if the Deng sisters entered the pce back then.¡± Yu Niaoniaoforted him gently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯ve already helped me a lot.¡± Granny Xiu Yan asked, ¡°Really?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°What you said indirectly confirmed some of my guesses. It¡¯s indeed very helpful to me.¡± Granny Xiu Yan smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good. By the way, Old Master Deng sent someone to the Regional King¡¯s Mansion just now. He said that he has something very important to discuss with you and His Highness and wants to invite you to the Deng Mansion as soon as possible.¡± Hearing this, Yu Niaoniao immediately said. ¡°Prepare the carriage. I¡¯m going to the Deng residence.¡± Lo Pingsha followed closely. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Granny Xiu Yan hurriedly said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going with His Highness?¡± Yu Niaoniao could not wait anymore. Deng Yuchuan suddenly called them over in a hurry. He must have found clues about Li Niang. She had to go over immediately. ¡°When His Highness returns, tell him that we went to the Deng family.¡± With that, she hurried out with Lo Pingsha. The two of them rode to the Deng residence. The Deng Residence¡¯s door was closed, and it was cold and empty. Lo Pingsha stepped forward and pounded on the door. Soon the door was pulled open from the inside. The door was opened by a guard. When he saw that it was the Princess Consort of Lang County and Lo Pingsha, he immediately said, ¡°My master has been waiting for a long time. Pleasee in.¡± Yu Niaoniao and Lo Pingsha strode across the high threshold and in. The guard led them across the front yard and straight to the study. Deng Luyun was like a door god who was quietly guarding the door. He spoke solemnly, ¡°Grandpa said that we can only let the Princess Consort in.¡± Yu Niaoniao turned to Lo Pingsha, who was following behind. ¡°Wait for me outside.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao pushed open the door and walked into the study. She saw Deng Yuchuan sitting in a chair. On the desk in front of him was a dirty mahogany box. Deng Yuchuan looked like he had just cried. His eyes were red. He looked at the mahogany box in front of him in a daze. His gaze seemed to prate it and see people or things from a long time ago. It was filled with nostalgia and reluctance. Yu Niaoniao did not stand on ceremony with him and asked, ¡°Why did you call me here?¡± Deng Yuchuan raised his right hand and pointed at the mahogany box in front of him. ¡°This is the box I dug out from under the cinnamon tree.¡± Yu Niaoniao walked over and saw that the mahogany box had been opened. Two folded pieces of papery quietly inside. She nced at Deng Yuchuan. Deng Yuchuan said, ¡°Princess Consort, please help yourself.¡± Only then did Yu Niaoniao reach out and pick up the thin rice paper. She unfolded the paper and saw the first line of words. It said¡ª It has been many years. How is my brother? Yu Niaoniao was stunned for a moment before she realized that Deng Yuchuan only had two sisters. One of his sisters was Empress Dowager Deng. She would definitely not write to Deng Yuchuan in this way. In that case, the only remaining possibility was that this letter was written by Li Niang! Before she could ask, Deng Yuchuan took the initiative to give an answer. ¡°This is a personal letter from Li Niang.¡± Back then, when Deng Yuchuan was about to leave the Deng family for the border, Li Niang cried very sadly. Her biological mother had passed away early, and her brother had be the person she was closest to at home. She could not bear to let her brother go. She did not want to be separated from him. In order tofort his sister, Deng Yuchuan nted a pear tree sapling behind her boudoir. And promised his sister that he would be back when the pear tree bore fruit. Li Niang treasured that pear tree very much. Every time she wrote to her brother, she did not forget to mention the growth of the pear tree at the end of the letter. Deng Yuchuan knew in his heart that his sister was reminding him not to forget his promise. Unfortunately, he broke his promise in the end. The pear trees bloomed and bore fruit year after year, but his return was out of reach. As soon as Deng Yuchuan arrived today, he realized that there was a pear tree in the courtyard. It reminded him of his sister, whom he had not seen for years. Back then, Li Niang hadined to her brother in her letter and asked him why he wasn¡¯t home yet. She even said in a fit of pique that if she died one day, she would bury her will under the pear tree. She asked her brother not to forget to look for letters under the pear tree when he returned home. Scenes of the past assaulted him. For some reason, Deng Yuchuan suddenly had the urge to get his grandson to dig up the soil under the pear tree. In the end, he really dug out a mahogany box. There were two letters in the box. Even after so many years, Deng Yuchuan could still recognize Li Niang¡¯s handwriting on the letter. A joke from back then had now be true. Intense grief surged, making the gray-haired old man cry. He choked. ¡°I¡¯ve let Li Niang down. If I had returned home earlier, she wouldn¡¯t have suffered so much, let alone died tragically at the hands of others..¡± Chapter 584 - 584: Two Letters (2) Chapter 584: Two Letters (2) Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The first letter was not very long. In the letter, Li Niang said¡ª ¡°When my brother sees my letter, I would have died long ago.¡± ¡°After so many years, you haven¡¯t forgotten me. I¡¯m very happy that you can still remember our agreement.¡± ¡°The reason I hadn¡¯t contacted my brother over the years was because I knew a secret.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let anyone know my whereabouts. I don¡¯t want to implicate my brother. I can¡¯t let you and the rest of the Deng family be involved in danger.¡± ¡°I originally wanted to bring that secret to the grave to end all my grudges. I was prepared to die. Before I died, I went back to Bashu to see my child. But when I got there, I found out that my child was dead.¡± ¡°I know they did it. They had killed the entire Feng family!¡± ¡°I also knew that there was a survivor from the Feng family. That child had gone to the Imperial Capital.¡± ¡°She was a smart and filial child. I left the bracelet to her.¡± ¡°I believe that she would definitely find out the truth and give the Feng family justice.¡± ¡°Brother, when she finds you, please help her.¡± Li Niang was superb. Yu Niaoniao eagerly unfolded the second piece of paper. The paper was covered in words. In this letter, Li Niang revealed the secret¡ª It turned out that the talent show back then was not just to choose a concubine, but also to choose an empress. Thete emperor¡¯s first wife, the empress, had passed away from illness and there was a need for the emperor to marry another empress. As the most experienced person in the pce, Imperial Concubine Meng had a good character and morals, so thete emperor entrusted this matter to her. The matter of establishing an empress was no small matter. In order to avoid causing unnecessary disputes, Imperial Concubine Meng did not make it public and kept an extremely low profile. Therefore, very few people knew about this. Imperial Concubine Meng took a fancy to Li Niang at a nce. She felt that be it her looks, background, or moral talent, she was the best choice to inherit the Empress. However, the day before the talent show began, Li Niang suddenly fell down the stairs. Although the rescue was not life-threatening in time, there would definitely be scars on her face and body. In this way, she could no longer participate in the talent show, so the position of the empress was naturally out of her reach. Then, her sister, Deng Yuluo, reced Li Niang and was brought into the pce by Imperial Concubine Meng, bing the candidate for the empress. Everyone thought that Li Niang had identally fallen and injured herself. Only Li Niang knew very well that she had been pushed down the stairs. The person who had harmed her was her half-sister. Li Niang could not take this lying down. She was determined to take revenge. She knew that Deng Yuluo had interacted with a young and handsome schr in private. Deng Yuluo had a good impression of that schr. Originally, she had nned to let that schr propose at her house after she failed. However, when she found out that this talent show was not only about choosing a concubine, but also about choosing an empress, Deng Yuluo immediately cut ties with that schr and focused on the talent show. Being thrown out for no reason, the schr felt resentful. When Li Niang looked for him, he agreed to help her almost without thinking. Li Niang entered the pce under the pretense of visiting her sister. She had two maidservants with her. One of the maidservants was a schr in disguise. She took advantage of the situation and drugged Deng Yuluo¡¯s food. When the drug took effect and Deng Yuluo was infatuated, Li Niang called the schr over. Then, Li Niang walked out of the room. At the end, she did not forget to close the door and hand Deng Yuluo to the schr. Li Niang thought that as long as Deng Yuluo¡¯s body was broken, it was impossible for her to be conferred the title of empress. What she could not obtain, Deng Yuluo could forget about it! Coincidentally, the emperor suddenly visited that night. He wanted to see with his own eyes what the talented and beautiful eldest daughter of the Deng family looked like. Li Niang did not want the emperor to see her ugly appearance, so she deliberately extinguished all the candles in the room. When the emperor came in, he could only vaguely see Li Niang¡¯s slender figure under the hazy moonlighting in through the window. The emperor wanted someone to light the candle and take a closer look at Li Niang¡¯s face. Li Niang was desperate. Such times call for desperate measures and a drowning man will clutch at a straw. Using the excuse of toasting, she secretly poured thest of the unused knockout powder into a wine ss. After a ss of wine, the emperor began to feel groggy and hot. Li Niang wanted to take the opportunity to leave, but she was stopped by the drugged emperor and pressed to the cold ground. Li Niang did not dare to make a sound. If she attracted the attention of the pce maids and eunuchs outside, her n would be exposed. At that time, not only her, but the entire Deng family would suffer. She could only grit her teeth and endure it. It was not easy for her to make it to the end. The emperor was so tired that he fell asleep. Li Niang endured the pain and humiliation and got up. She dressed and quietly left. At dawn the next day, Li Niang hurriedly left the pce with two maidservants. When they returned to the Deng residence, Li Niang gave the schr a sum of silver and asked him to leave the Imperial Capital as far as possible. It was also then that she found out that the schr had taken the jade bracelet on Deng Yuluo¡¯s wrist. He said that he would never see Deng Yuluo again and wanted to keep it as a souvenir. At that time, Li Niang did not think too much about it and quickly sent him away. She originally thought that Deng Yuluo would definitely fail after her body was broken. In the end, it proved that she had underestimated Deng Yuluo. Deng Yuluo used some methods to hide from the physical examination in the pce and was sessfully chosen as the empress. Li Niang watched helplessly as Deng Yuluo ascended to a high position and took the phoenix seal that represented her status as the empress from the emperor. In that moment, Li Niang knew that she had lost. Deng Yuluo, who had be an empress, would definitely not let her off. She could only disguise herself and leave the Imperial Capital quietly. Initially, she wanted to return to the Deng family, but on the way, she identally realized that she was pregnant. This time, she could not even return to the Deng family. She could not exin the origin of the child in her stomach. She could only hide and drift. After a few turns, she finally arrived at Jinguan City and gave birth to a son with Grandma Sun¡¯s help. She knew that she was powerless to raise her son, and she was even more afraid that her existence would implicate him. Hence, she could only trouble Grandma Sun to find a good family for her son. Coincidentally, the Feng couple wanted a child very much at that time, so Grandma Sun sent the child to their house. After confirming that the Feng couple could take good care of the child, Li Niang quietly left Jinguan City and continued her wandering journey. That was the end of the letter. There was no need for Li Niang to say anything else. Yu Niaoniao knew everything. Li Niang could not ept her son¡¯s tragic death. She did not hesitate to take the risk to return to the Imperial Capital and use herself as bait to lure the real culprit out. She had deliberately jumped into the Imperial River on New Year¡¯s Eve to attract the attention of the authorities. She knew that Yu Niaoniao would definitely pursue the truth. So she left the jade bracelet as a clue. She also knew that her brother woulde all the way to the Imperial Capital for her. So she buried two letters under the pear tree. Even if she had to give up everything, she wanted the truth to be revealed and the real culprit executed! Yu Niaoniao held the light rice paper, but she felt that it weighed a thousand pounds. Some of these truths were what she had expected. But there were some things she hadn¡¯t expected.. Chapter 585 - 585: Battle Report Chapter 585: Battle Report Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios At this moment, a messenger rushed to the city gate of the Imperial Capital. The city guard was about to stop him when he saw the messenger take out his token and shout at the top of his lungs. ¡°Urgent battle report for 800 miles!¡± Baixin, who was near the city gate, hurriedly made way. The city guards also retreated, not daring to stop him. They looked at the back of the messenger as he sped away and discussed softly. ¡°Where did the battle reporte from?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s going to be a battle?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I hope it¡¯s a false rm. Don¡¯t fight.¡± The messenger rode wildly through the city. By the time he reached the pce gate, the horse was so tired that it could not stand steadily and fell to the ground. The messenger fell. Ignoring the pain, he got up on all fours, raised the token that represented his status, and roared at the imperial guards in front of the pce gate. ¡°Battle Report! Urgent Battle Report for 800 miles!¡± Because he shouted so hard, his voice changed. The imperial guards checked the token and hurriedly opened the pce door. At this moment, Xiao Juan was walking out of the pce. He paused as the messenger ran past him. He had heard the messenger¡¯s roar too. He had a bad feeling. Could there be a battle at the border? Thinking of this, Xiao Juan immediately quickened his pace. After leaving the pce, he rode back to the Langjun Imperial Pce. Niaoniao was not in the residence. After asking, he found out that she had gone to the Deng residence. Hence, Xiao Juan immediately went out and rode to the Deng Residence. When he arrived at the Deng residence, the sun had already set and the sky was gradually turning dark. In the study, Yu Niaoniao ced the two letters back into the mahogany box. Seeing Deng Yuchuan¡¯s grief, she knew that now was not the time to say these words, but she still asked. ¡°Since you already know the truth, do you still n to enter the pce to see the Empress Dowager?¡± Deng Yuchuan was silent. He had traveled thousands of miles to the Imperial Capital to confront Deng Yuluo and figure out why Li Niang had died. Now that the truth was in front of him, his goal had been achieved. There was no need for him to confront Deng Yuluo again. But he was unwilling to stop. Li Niang had died so tragically. He wanted justice for her. But the other party was the Empress Dowager. Although the emperor was guilty of the same crime as themoners, that was just talk. Deng Yuchuan knew very well that reality would not be so beautiful. The Empress Dowager was the biological mother of the emperor and a woman standing at the peak of power. If he wanted to convict the Empress Dowager, it was no different from taking chestnuts from the fire. If he was not careful, he would attract trouble. Moreover, this matter involved the emperor¡¯s background. Once the Empress Dowager¡¯s crimes were proven, everyone would know that the emperor was not legitimate. The emperor would never allow this to happen. Deng Yuchuan was already half-buried. He was not afraid of death, but the entire Deng family was standing behind him. If Deng Yuluo was convicted of confusing the royal bloodline, the Deng family would definitely suffer. The hundred-year foundation umted by their ancestors might be destroyed in his hands. At this moment, Deng Yuchuan understood many things. His father should have known the truth. The reason why Deng Yuluo could sessfully pass the examination during the talent show back then was because of the Deng family. Otherwise, it would not exin how a weak woman like Deng Yuluo could pass theyers of screening. His father knew everything. He had even been Deng Yuluo¡¯s aplice. He tied the future of the Deng family and Deng Yuluo together to stabilize the Deng family¡¯s foundation. It was not that he did not want to care about Li Niang¡¯s life, butpared to the entire Deng family, Li Niang¡¯s fate alone did not seem so important. This was cold, but this was reality. That was why his father said that he was not only Li Niang¡¯s father, but also the head of the Deng family. He had to take into ount the future of the entire Deng family. And ?ctnndino in hic fathor¡¯e He had to face the same choice as his father. Was he desperate to seek justice for Li Niang? Or should he pretend that nothing had happened to preserve the Deng family¡¯s long-term prosperity? After a long time, Deng Yuchuan spoke slowly, his voice difficult. ¡°What do you n to do, Princess Consort?¡± Yu Niaoniao said without hesitation, ¡°I want to fulfill Li Niang¡¯sst wish and let the truth be revealed to the world. I want the mastermind to be executed. I have to make the perpetrator pay!¡± Deng Yuchuan said, ¡°Have you ever thought that you might put the people around you in danger? For example, Duke Lang is already in a difficult situation in the court. If you insist on revealing the truth, not only will Duke Lang¡¯s future be ruined, but he might even lose his life.¡± Thinking of Xiao Juan, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s emotions wereplicated, and her voice became much softer. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to keep him safe.¡± Deng Yuchuan said, ¡°It¡¯s impossible for you to achieve the best of both worlds. Are you going to swallow your anger for the living or uphold justice for the dead? You can only choose one of the two.¡± Yu Niaoniao was silent. This choice was too difficult. The atmosphere in the study became extremely oppressive. At this moment, there was a knock on the door and Deng Luyun¡¯s voice came in. ¡°Grandpa, Duke Lang is here.¡± The atmosphere in the room eased a little. Yu Niaoniao found her voice. ¡°I should go back.¡± Deng Yuchuan ced his hands on the arms of his chair and prepared to stand up to send the guest off. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to send me off.¡± However, Deng Yuchuan insisted on sending her out of the study. When Deng Luyun saw his grandfathere out, he hurriedly went forward to help him. The grandfather and grandson bowed to Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan nodded slightly at the two of them before holding Niaoniao¡¯s hand and leaving the Deng Residence. After the two of them left, Deng Yuchuan locked himself in the study and read the will left behind by Li Niang. He could not fall asleep for the entire night. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan returned to the Langjun Imperial Pce. At this time, Granny Xiu Yan had already gotten someone to prepare a sumptuous meal for them. But Niaoniao had no appetite. Xiao Juan looked at her troubled expression and took the initiative to ask. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Yu Niaoniao hesitated before telling him the contents of the will left behind by Li Niang. After Xiao Juan heard that, he was naturally very surprised. Although he had long guessed that Feng Lianghan was Li Niang¡¯s child, he did not expect Feng Lianghan¡¯s biological father to be thete emperor. No wonder Feng Lianghan was killed. Regardless of whether Feng Lianghan knew the truth back then, just his background was enough to be a huge problem for Empress Dowager Deng. She definitely had to eliminate him. Yu Niaoniao poked the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks and said slowly. ¡°I want the truth to be out. I want justice for Mother and my stepfather, but I¡¯m worried that doing so will put you in danger.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°From the moment I married you, I was already prepared to live and die with you. You just have to do what you want. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± Yu Niaoniao felt a lump in her throat. She quickly lowered her head and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She murmured something. ¡°Thank you..¡± Chapter 586 - 586: Military Power Chapter 586: Military Power Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Ever since the old emperor was seriously ill, he had not attended the morning court session. But today, he suddenly announced that he wanted to hold an early court assembly. All officials above the fourth-grade in the capital had to participate, including Xiao Juan. He left the Langjun Imperial Pce at dawn and rode to the pce. When the morning court assembly began, the old emperor was helped out and slowly sat on the dragon throne. The Crown Prince led the civil and military officials to kneel and kowtow. Just a dozen steps from the gate to the dragon throne made the old emperor pant with exhaustion. He sat and rested for a long time before his breathing calmed down. ¡°I summoned all my beloved ministers to the pce today because I have something to discuss. Last night, I received an urgent battle report from Liaodong County. ¡± Wei Huai¡¯en unfolded the urgent battle report and read the contents to everyone. The content was very short. The general content was that the Chen Nation¡¯s army was pressing down on the border and wanted to invade Liaodong County. County Lord Xiangtai led the Eastern Expedition Army to fight. However, because the food was burned, the 300,000 Eastern Expedition Army was in danger and asked the Imperial Court to quickly send food support. As for why the food was burned? It was only because back then, County Lord Xiangtai and Prince Min forced the local powerhouses to return thend and severely damaged the interests of the local powerhouses that these people held a grudge and joined forces to stop the food supply. In addition, the spies of the Chen Nation interfered, causing the food to be burned. The old emperor asked everyone if this matter should be resolved. The ministers began to strategize. Putting aside the details, it was certain to send food support. That was 300,000 soldiers. If they really starved to death, it would be a huge loss to the Imperial Court. Moreover, the war was imminent. If they abandoned the Eastern Expedition Army and let the Chen Nation¡¯s army march in, they would endanger the entire Dayan in the future. Neither the emperor nor the Crown Prince nor the civil and military officials wanted to see that situation. But how much food should be sent? Who should deliver it? These had to be considered carefully. The old emperor listened quietly for a while before suddenly asking. ¡°Crown Prince, why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Shen Zhuo, who had been called out, stood up and said respectfully. ¡°I have a suitable candidate in my heart. This person is on good terms with County Master Xiangtai and Prince Min and has been to Liaodong County before. He¡¯s quite familiar with the situation in Liaodong County. It¡¯s most suitable for him to lead the team and send food.¡± Although Shen Zhuo did not name him, everyone present already understood who he was talking about. They all looked at Duke Lang. The old emperor said, ¡°Are you talking about Xiao Juan? He¡¯s indeed a good candidate.¡± Xiao Juan had a bad feeling. The Crown Prince suddenly suggested that he go to Liaodong County with ill intentions. But he couldn¡¯t refuse. He had no choice but to step forward and bow slightly. ¡°It¡¯s my honor to be trusted by the emperor and the Crown Prince.¡± The old emperor said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll leave the task of escorting the provisions to you. I hope you won¡¯t disappoint me.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°As youmand.¡± Then, Shen Zhuo said, ¡°Although County Lord Xiangtai is a heroine, she¡¯s still a woman.¡± ¡°The military was filled with men, so it must be inconvenient.¡± ¡°If General Tang was still alive, he would probably not want his daughter to risk her life every day. It was safer to leave things like protecting the country to us men.¡± ¡°Therefore, I ask Father to issue a decree and summon County Lord Xiangtai back to the capital.¡± ¡°In addition, send a suitable general to Liaodong County to take over the Eastern Expedition Army.¡± As soon as he said this, he immediately received the support of many ministers. ¡°Your Highness is right. There¡¯s a difference between men and women. Women shouldn¡¯t appear in the military camp.¡± ¡°The reason why the food was destroyed is still rted to County Lord Xiangtai. Although she has good intentions, she has already developed a grudge against the powerhouses in Liaodong County. It was fine during the peaceful years. Now that the battle is imminent, this grudge might breed more danger.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Now that they¡¯re only burning the rations, they might do something even worse in the future. Before it happens, I suggest changing generals as soon as possible and recalling County Lord Xiangtai to the Imperial Capital.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s resolve the internal problems first before dealing with the external enemies. Only then can we achieve twice the results with half the effort!¡± The old emperor hesitated. ¡°With the current war, if we suddenly change generals, I¡¯m afraid it will shake the morale of the army.¡± Shen Zhuo was prepared for this and said unhurriedly, ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. Duke Lang is on good terms with County Lord Xiangtai. If Duke Lang goes to negotiate with County Lord Xiangtai, I¡¯m sure County Lord Xiangtai will understand our good intentions. As long as County Lord Xiangtai has no objections, the soldiers of the Eastern Expedition Army naturally won¡¯t have any thoughts.¡± Hearing this, Xiao Juan finally understood Shen Zhuo¡¯s goal. This fellow was deliberately digging a hole for him! Shen Zhuo knew that he had a good rtionship with Tang Guixi and deliberately let him be this evil person because he wanted him to have a conflict with Tang Guixi. As long as he and Tang Guixi fell out, it was equivalent to cutting off one of his arms. In the future, when Shen Zhuo ascended the throne, it would be even easier to deal with him. Xiao Juan¡¯s emotions were in a mess, but he could not show it on his face. In the end, the old emperor epted the Crown Prince¡¯s suggestion and decided to let Xiao Juan bring the imperial edict to Liaodong County. While distributing food, he would take back the military power in Tang Guixi¡¯s hands and send other generals to Liaodong County to take over the Eastern Expedition Army. As for who to send? This matter had to be discussed again. After the court session, the civil and military officials walked out in groups. Among them, only Xiao Juan was alone. He wondered what to do next. A familiar voice came from behind. ¡°Your Highness, please wait.¡± Xiao Juan stopped and looked in the direction of the voice. He saw Wei Liao, who was wearing a military official¡¯s uniform. Wei Liao had just been conferred the title of General Huaiyuan. His favor was strong and he was very proud. He strode up to Xiao Juan and smiled slightly. ¡°Your Highness, long time no see. How have you been?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s expression was cold. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Wei Liao smiled gloatingly and said in a tone as if he was watching a show. ¡°I heard that County Lord Xiangtai has a deep rtionship with the Princess Consort. If you force County Lord Xiangtai to hand over her military power now, it¡¯s equivalent to falling out with County Lord Xiangtai. Have you thought about how to exin it to the Princess Consort when you go back?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°This is my family matter. It has nothing to do with you.¡± With that, he turned around and left. Wei Liao said to his departing figure. ¡°If I were you, I would go to the emperor and cry. I would pretend to be pitiful. On ount of our past rtionship, the emperor might soften and send someone else to Liaodong County.¡± Xiao Juan ignored him. The focus now was not on who to send to Liaodong County, but the fact that emperor was already determined to take back Tang Guixi¡¯s military power. This was actually not difficult to predict. Previously, the emperor could tolerate Tang Guixi being in charge of the Eastern Expedition Army because the situation in Liaodong County was unstable at that time. Tang Guixi was the only daughter left behind by Tang Pei. Tang Pei had sacrificed his life for the country and was extremely famous in the army. If he forcefully took back the military power in Tang Guixi¡¯s hands, not only would it leave a topic of conversation, but it would also easily cause a mutiny. But now that the battle was imminent, 300,000 Eastern Expedition troops were waiting for food to save their lives. In order to obtain food, no matter how unwilling Tang Guixi was, she could only obediently hand over her military power. Xiao Juan had to think of a way to stop this from happening.. Chapter 587 - 587: The Hands of Fate Chapter 587: The Hands of Fate Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan returned to the Langjun Imperial Pce. He learned from the servants that Niaoniao was in the guest room. When he pushed open the door and walked into the guest room, he saw Niaoniao sitting in a chair, quietly looking at the charred corpse lying on the bed. He wondered how long she had been looking at the corpse like that. Xiao Juan called out, ¡°Niaoniao.¡± Yu Niaoniao turned to look at him with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Xiao walked to her side and squatted down. He looked into her eyes and asked. ¡°What were you thinking just now?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m wondering what to do to make the truthe out.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve thought of something?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± She looked at the charred corpse again with an unprecedented calm. ¡°It¡¯s been many years since the incident. Many clues no longer exist, and none of the people in the know survived. A suicide note from Li Niang alone can¡¯t convict Empress Dowager Deng. But it doesn¡¯t matter. The dead can still speak. I once heard of an autopsy secret technique called Blood Examination. The method is very simple. Drop your blood into the dead person¡¯s bones. As long as the blood can be absorbed by the bones, it means that this person is the closest rtive of the dead.¡± Xiao Juan quickly reacted. ¡°You want to prove that this charred corpse is the emperor¡¯s biological father in this way? Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± As long as it was proven that the old emperor was not the orthodox lineage of the royal family, he and Empress Dowager Deng would lose the protection of their privileges. When the truth came out, Empress Dowager Deng would also pay for her crimes. Xiao Juan said, ¡°The emperor won¡¯t agree to a blood test.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°The day after tomorrow is the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday. If I expose this matter in public in front of the civil and military officials and foreign envoys. If the emperor wants to prove his innocence, he has to agree to a blood bone test. Otherwise, he will be guilty. How will the world look at him in the future?¡± Xiao Juan was silent. This was indeed a solution, but it was extremely dangerous to implement. The other party was an emperor with the power to decide life and death. If one was not careful, one would lose his life. Yu Niaoniao sensed Xiao Juan¡¯s abnormality and took the initiative to ask. ¡°Do you think my method is too risky?¡± Xiao Juan thought for a moment and finally decided to tell the truth. ¡°In the current situation, if we want the truth to be revealed, we can only take risks. No matter what, I¡¯m willing to apany you. However, something happened in the morning court today. The Imperial Court received a battle report from Liaodong County.¡± He told her that the Chen Nation¡¯s army had attacked and that he had to set off immediately to escort the provisions to Liaodong to support them. ¡°The emperor wants to take this opportunity to take back Tang Guixi¡¯s military power. I can¡¯t let the emperor have his way. I¡¯m going to Liaodong this time partly to escort the food and partly to tell Tang Guixi not to return to the capital. ¡± Although the emperor had already issued a decree to order Tang Guixi to return to the capital, he would not obey the orders of the emperor. As long as Tang Guixi insisted on noting back, the emperor would not dare to force her. After all, she still had 300,000 troops in her hands. If he really forced her into a corner and caused the Eastern Expedition Army to defect, the internal and external problems might shake the foundation. Yu Niaoniao did not expect a sudden battle at this juncture. She was very worried about Tang Guixi¡¯s safety. ¡°Will Guixi be fine?¡± Xiao Juanforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s fine for the time being.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Why did the Chen Nation suddenly start a war at this time?¡± Xiao Juan had previously sent someone to send a letter to Tang Guixi and told her about the situation in the Imperial Capital. As a form of courtesy, Tang Guixi also replied to him and exined the situation in Liaodong County in the letter. The Chen Nation was adjacent to Liaodong County, so Tang Guixi had some understanding of the Chen Nation. Xiao Juan told her everything he knew. ¡°I heard that it¡¯s because the old emperor of the Chen Nation is seriously ill. Logically speaking, a crown prince should seed him after he passes away, but the Ninth Prince also has the intention to fight for the throne. The Ninth Prince used a honey trap to coax the old emperor into agreeing to send troops to Dayan. As long as the Ninth Prince can break through the Dayan this time and sessfully take down Liaodong County, the position of crown prince will be his.¡± Yu Niaoniao had a good memory. When she heard him mention the Ninth Prince of the Chen Nation, she immediately remembered that long-lost name¡­ ¡°Han Chengxi?¡± Xiao Juan nodded slightly. ¡°It¡¯s him.¡± Yu Niaoniao still remembered that when Han Chengxi fled the Dayan, he even took Princess Tao Ran away. She couldn¡¯t help but have a thought. ¡°Could the honey trap the Ninth Prince used be Princess Tao Ran¡­ Xiao Juan gave a positive answer. ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. Back then, Princess Tao Ran was sent to the Chen Nation to marry the emperor. However, Princess Tao Ran was unwilling no matter what and almost killed Xiao Juan. In the end, after going around in circles, she finally married the emperor of the Chen Nation. Could this be fate? Xiao Juan continued. ¡°I heard that Princess Tao Ran changed her identity in the Chen Nation. She¡¯s no longer a princess, but a dancer raised in Han Chengxi¡¯s residence. She was sent to the emperor of the Chen Nation by Han Chengxi. Although she was favored, she was not fated to be the empress because of her lowly background and only entered the pce to be a concubine.¡± Xiao Juan knew this very well. He knew that Princess Tao Ran had been raped by Han Chengxi. In addition, Han Chengxi¡¯s scheme to collude with Shen Rui had been exposed, and the alliance between the two countries was ruined. Princess Tao Ran¡¯s identity as Princess Dayan could definitely not be used anymore. Han Chengxi had arranged a new identity for her. On the one hand, it was to make it easier to send her to the pce, and on the other hand, it was topletely cut off her contact with Dayan. In this way, she was far away in the Chen Nation alone and had no one to help her. She could only rely on Han Chengxi. Naturally, she had to do whatever Han Chengxi asked her to do. Yu Niaoniao only hated Princess Tao Ran. She knew that she had fallen into such a situation, but she did not hit her when she was down, nor did she have any sympathy. In the end, she deserved it. She could not me anyone else. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Han Chengxi is definitely determined to get Liaodong County this time. You have to set off quickly. The sooner you send the food to Liaodong, the sooner Guixi and the others can chase the enemy out of Liaodong.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°But if I leave, I¡¯ll miss the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday. Your matter will¡­ Yu Niaoniao looked like she did not care. She waved her hand and deliberately said in a rxed tone. ¡°It¡¯s fine. After the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday, there¡¯s still the emperor¡¯s birthday. Anyway, there¡¯s still a long way to go. There¡¯s no hurry. We¡¯ll find another opportunity.¡± Xiao Juan stroked her head. ¡°I¡¯m going to Liaodong to fight this time, so I can¡¯t bring you there. Wait for me toe back at home and don¡¯t go anywhere. When the situation in Liaodong stabilizes, I¡¯ll rush back immediately to help you.¡± Yu Niaoniao acted exceptionally obedient. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± It had been a long time since Xiao Juan had seen her so obedient. His heart tightened and he could not help but lean over and kiss her forehead.. Chapter 588 - 588: Hidden Chapter 588: Hidden Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The next morning, Xiao Juan left the Imperial Capital with his troops. They escorted the provisions to Liaodong County. This time, Lo Pingsha did not follow Xiao Juan to Liaodong County. He was left in the Langjun Imperial Pce to protect Niaoniao. Early this morning, he saw that the people from the Langjun Imperial Pce were busy moving things out and could not help but ask. ¡°Where are you guys going?¡± A servant answered truthfully, ¡°The Princess Consort said that she wants to stay in the courtyard outside the city for a while tomorrow and asked us to follow. There will be more things with more people. We have to move quickly to avoid dying our time out of the city.¡± With that, he carried arge box out. Lo Pingsha still remembered Duke Lang¡¯s instructions before he left. Duke Lang had specially asked him to keep an eye on the Princess Consort and try not to let her go out. He immediately ran to find Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao was sorting out the draft with Ling Hai. Seeing Lo Pingsha arrive, Yu Niaoniao said quickly. ¡°We¡¯re leaving this afternoon. Little Lo, hurry up and pack. Don¡¯t forget to bring anything you usually need.¡± Lo Pingsha was puzzled. ¡°Why do you suddenly want to live in a courtyard outside the city?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°His Highness is not at home. I¡¯m bored alone and want to go out of the city to get some air.¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°But Duke Lang instructed me not to let you out¡­¡± Yu Niaoniao put down the draft and ced her hands on her hips. ¡°I¡¯m the Princess Consort, not a prisoner of your Justice Department. Why shouldn¡¯t I go out?¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. Duke Lang is worried about your safety. He¡¯s afraid that you¡¯ll encounter an ident when you go out.¡± Yu Niaoniao retorted righteously. ¡°I¡¯m not going out alone. There are so many of us. What ident can happen? Taking a step back, even if we really encounter bad people, can¡¯t so many of you protect me?¡± Lo Pingsha thought about it and agreed. In addition to him, there were almost a hundred guards in the residence. With so many people around, it was definitely not a problem to protect the Princess Consort. Besides, they were not going to a remote ce. They were just going to a courtyard outside the city. That ce was considered the territory of the Regional King¡¯s Mansion. Everyone was very familiar with it. So Lo Pingsha said nothing else and obediently went back to pack his luggage. After lunch, the entire residence boarded the carriages and left the Imperial Capital majestically for the courtyard outside the city. With such a hugemotion in the Langjun Imperial Pce, it definitely could not escape the attention of the emperor. In the pce, the old emperor leaned against the soft couch to rest after taking his medicine. When he heard that the Princess Consort of Lang County had brought arge group of people out of the city, he could not help but open his eyes. ¡°Where are they going?¡± Wei Huai¡¯en bowed slightly and replied respectfully. ¡°Your Majesty, after the people from the Duke¡¯s Mansion left the city, they went to Duke Lang¡¯s courtyard outside the city. I heard that they¡¯re going to stay there for a while.¡± Knowing that they had only gone to a courtyard outside the city, the old emperor rxed. Wei Huai¡¯en had served the old emperor for many years. When he saw the old emperor¡¯s reaction, he knew what the old emperor was worried about and took the initiative to speak. ¡°Your Majesty, do not worry. I¡¯ve already gotten someone to keep an eye on the people from the Regional King¡¯s Mansion in secret. I won¡¯t let them be too far from the Imperial Capital.¡± Now that Duke Lang had escorted the food to Liaodong County, in order to prevent him frommunicating with Tang Guixi, he had to keep a close eye on the people from the Duke¡¯s Mansion. If necessary, he could still use them as hostages to restrain Duke Lang. The old emperor nodded slightly. ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en waited. When the old emperor did not speak for a long time, he thought he was asleep and prepared to retreat silently. Unexpectedly, in the next moment, he heard the old emperor suddenly speak. ¡°Call Wei Liao over. I have something to ask him.¡± ¡®Yes.¡± Not long after, Wei Liao arrived at the bedroom. He knelt on one knee and cupped his fists. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± The old emperor asked, ¡°Did anything happen on the way back to the Imperial Capital from Liangzhou?¡± Wei Liao answered truthfully, ¡°Everything went smoothly. Nothing happened.¡± Then the old emperor stopped talking. He closed his eyes as if he were recuperating, but he didn¡¯t say a word about telling Wei Liao to leave. Wei Liao was anxious. He quietly raised his head and looked at Wei Huai¡¯en. Wei Huai¡¯en was indeed an old man who had served the emperor for many years. He knew the old emperor¡¯s temper very well and secretly winked at Wei Liao to let him think carefully. Wei Liao could only speak as he thought. ¡°My journey back to the capital was indeed very smooth. We¡¯ve never even encountered bandits. We did encounter pirates, but those pirates were long dead. Even the entire pirate vige was burned down. Other than that, there¡¯s really nothing else.¡± The old emperor slowly opened his eyes. ¡°Pirates?¡± Seeing this, Wei Liao knew that he had finally hit the nail on the head. He immediately exined how they had encountered the pirates from beginning to end. The old emperor¡¯s expression became very strange. ¡°You¡¯re saying that not only did Xiao Juan take the jade bracelet, but he also took the charred corpse with him?¡± Wei Liao didn¡¯t understand why the old emperor cared about this small matter, but he still nodded. ¡°Right.¡± The old emperor asked, ¡°Where is the charred corpse now?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°He should be in the Justice Department.¡± The old emperor immediately decreed that Wei Liao should go to the Justice Department to transport the charred corpse into the pce. However, when Wei Liao rushed to the Justice Department with the Sky Wolf Guards, he realized that the charred corpse had already disappeared. After asking, he found out that the charred corpse had long been taken away by Duke Lang. Wei Liao could only return empty-handed. When the old emperor found out about this, his expression became even more unfathomable. ¡°He¡¯s hiding.¡± Wei Liao didn¡¯t understand. It was just a nameless charred corpse. What was there to hide? But from the looks of it, the old emperor seemed to have an extraordinary background. Just as Wei Liao was thinking in his heart, he heard the old emperor speak unhurriedly. ¡°Go to the courtyard outside the city and bring the Princess Consort of Lang County over. I have something to ask her. ¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Liao was about to leave when he suddenly heard the old emperor add. ¡°Remember, bring her alone.¡± Wei Liao immediately had a bad feeling. If it was just an ordinary question, the old emperor would not have specially instructed him to only bring Yu Niaoniao. Coupled with what had happened before, Wei Liao guessed that this matter was very likely rted to that charred corpse of unknown origin. However, he really could not guess what their rtionship was. After Wei Liao retreated, the old emperor ordered someone to call over a trusted general. ¡°Take a team and catch up to Xiao Juan¡¯s team as soon as possible.¡± The general asked, ¡°Your Majesty, do you have any orders that you need me to convey to Duke Lang?¡± The old emperor narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve raised Xiao Juan for many years and treated him as my own. Now that it¡¯s time for him to repay me, I need what he has. I hope he can hand it over.¡± ¡°May I ask what it is, Your Majesty?¡± The old emperor spat out the words unhurriedly¡ª ¡°His life.¡± He had long been suspicious of Xiao Juan, but because he still needed him, he had been enduring it. But now, his greatest secret had been known by Xiao Juan. In that case, he could only send Xiao Juan on his way as soon as possible. In this world, only the dead would not talk nonsense.. Chapter 589 - 589: Entering the Palace Chapter 589: Entering the Pce Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao brought arge group of people to the courtyard outside the city. The servants were about to unload the luggage from the carriage when Yu Niaoniao stopped them. ¡°This luggage stays in the carriage. We don¡¯t have to move it for the time being. ¡± Granny Xiu Yan did not understand and could not help but remind her. ¡°It¡¯s dark now. We have to settle down quickly. Otherwise, we won¡¯t have anywhere to rest tonight.¡± Yu Niaoniao instructed the servants, ¡°Chase the carriage to the backyard first.¡± After everyone left, Yu Niaoniao brought Granny Xiu Yan, Lo Pingsha, Ling Hai, and the others into the courtyard through the main door. The courtyard was taken care of all year round. Even though no one had lived there for a long time, it was still orderly. After Ling Hai closed the door, Yu Niaoniao spoke to them. ¡°You¡¯re leaving tonight. ¡± Granny Xiu Yan looked puzzled. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Yu Niaoniao exined quickly. ¡°The Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday is in six days. At that time, I¡¯m going to do something big. You don¡¯t have to know what it is. The less you Imow, the better. Now, set off for Liaodong quickly. If you¡¯re fast enough, you might be able to catch up to Duke Lang¡¯s team.¡± Although she had promised Xiao Juan to temporarily give up on the n to expose Empress Dowager Deng, But in fact, she had already decided to implement her n on the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday. She wanted to expose the fact that the old emperor was not of royal blood in front of the civil and military officials and foreign envoys. She wanted to make the murderer pay the price! This matter was very dangerous. If she was not careful, she would be crushed. Initially, she did not n to let Xiao Juan get involved, but because she knew Xiao Juan¡¯s personality very well, it was impossible for him to let her take the risk alone, so she did not dare to mention this. Now that he had gone to Liaodong, this could not be better for her. When she said that she wanted to stay in the courtyard for a while, she actually wanted to find an excuse to bring everyone from the Langjun Imperial Pce out of the city. When she settled everyone in the Langjun Imperial Pce, she could do what she wanted without any worries. Granny Xiu Yan did not know what she was going to do, but Lo Pingsha and Ling Hai could roughly guess her thoughts. Lo Pingsha spoke firmly. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re going to do, we can¡¯t leave you alone!¡± Ling Hai nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes!¡± Granny Xiu Yan looked from one to the other. ¡°What exactly do you want to do? Can you make yourself clear?¡± Yu Niaoniao said earnestly, ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡± ¡°On the one hand, I asked you to leave first because I didn¡¯t want to implicate the innocent. There are so many people in the Langjun Imperial Pce. Everyone was born and raised by their parents. There was no need to risk their lives for me alone.¡± ¡°On the other hand, it was to leave me an escape route. If anything happens to my n, you can still pick me up.¡± ¡°If you all stay here, you¡¯ll easily be captured. At that time, there won¡¯t even be anyone to help deliver the message.¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°Can¡¯t you wait until Duke Lang returns?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°No, his current situation is very sensitive. If he¡¯s implicated by me again, he¡¯ll probably lose his life.¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°But what if something happens to you? What will Duke Lang do? Have you thought about his feelings?¡± Yu Niaoniao closed her eyes and tried her best to suppress the indescribable bitterness in her heart. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best toe back alive. If¡­ if I really can¡¯t live, let him forget me.¡± Lo Pingsha asked, ¡°If it were you, could you forget?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not answer the question. ¡°Time can dilute everything.¡± Lo Pingsha could not help but say something offensive. ¡°You¡¯re being selfish.¡± Yu Niaoniao replied self-destructively, ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m that selfish. Leave quickly while there are fewer people outside when it¡¯s dark.¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what others think, but I¡¯m not leaving.¡± Yu Niaoniao was about to say something when she suddenly heard a knock on the door. Bang, bang, bang! The crisp sound was exceptionally clear in the night. Ling Hai went forward to open the door and saw a team of Sky Wolf Guards standing outside. The leader was Wei Liao, whom she had not seen for a long time. Wei Liao was wearing the official uniform of a crimson general and had two sabers at his waist. His posture was straight. The two Sky Wolf Guards behind him held torches. The bright firelight shone on his face, making his originally flirtatious eyes look heroic. He asked Ling Hai. ¡°Where¡¯s your Princess Consort?¡± Ling Hai asked, ¡°Why are you looking for our Princess Consort?¡± Wei Liao said slowly, ¡°I¡¯m under the emperor¡¯s orders to invite the Princess Consort to the pce for questioning. I hope she can follow me to the pce immediately.¡± When Ling Hai heard that it was the emperor¡¯s decree, he did not dare to dy and hurriedly said. ¡°Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll inform the Princess Consort now.¡± Wei Liao reminded him, ¡°Hurry up. Don¡¯t let the emperor wait. By the way, the emperor specially instructed that only the Princess Consort should enter the pce. Let her know what to do.¡± Actually, there was no need to say thatst sentence. But he said it anyway. As for the various reasons, he already knew them in his heart. During the time Wei Liao left the Imperial Capital, he had thought a lot. At first, he would try his best to find an excuse for himself, wanting to prove that it was impossible for him to like Yu Niaoniao at all. However, as time passed, he realized that he could not help but think about things rted to Yu Niaoniao. The woman kept appearing in his mind, like a ghost. He could not shake it off. In the end, he could only give up and ept his fate. Ha, didn¡¯t he just take a fancy to a married woman? It was not a big deal. Anyway, no one else knew about this. As long as he hid it well, he would not be embarrassed. Ling Hai hurriedly turned around to look for the Princess Consort and told her about what Wei Liao said. After Yu Niaoniao heard this, she had a very bad feeling. It was already sote, but the emperor suddenly summoned her to the pce and specially asked her not to bring anyone with her. It must not be anything good. However, Wei Liao had alreadye looking for her with his men. She had no choice but to go. Yu Niaoniao emphasized. ¡°Little Lo, after I leave, leave through the back door immediately with your men and chase after Duke Lang overnight.¡± Lo Pingsha was naturally unwilling. He wanted to apany the Princess Consort to the pce, but the emperor had instructed her not to bring anyone. He was conflicted. What should he do?! Yu Niaoniao went forward and hugged Granny Xiu Yan; her heart was filled with reluctance. ¡°Nanny, you have to take good care of yourself. If we¡¯re fated in the future, we might meet again.¡± Granny Xiu Yan asked anxiously, ¡°What exactly do you want to do? Why are you sending us all away? Are you in danger?¡± Yu Niaoniao let go of her and took a step back. ¡°That¡¯s right. I might encounter danger when I enter the pce this time, so please catch up to Duke Lang as soon as possible and tell him about this.¡± In Granny Xiu Yan¡¯s heart, she had always felt that Xiao Juan was extremely powerful. Any problem could be solved as long as Xiao Juan was found. Therefore, she did not think too much about it and hurriedly replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll definitely find Duke Lang as soon as possible and get him to save you!¡± Chapter 590 - 590: Bad Outcome Chapter 590: Bad Oue Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios No matter how hard Lo Pingsha racked his brains, he could not think of a suitable solution for the time being. Now there was only one way in front of him¡ª They would do as Yu Niaoniao said. They would find Duke Lang as soon as possible and let hime back to save her. Yu Niaoniao took the cloak from Grannv Xiu Yan and Dut it on herself. Seeing that everyone¡¯s expressions were ugly, she smiled gently and pretended to be rxed as she teased, ¡°Why are you all crying? I¡¯m just going to the pce to meet the emperor. I might be back soon. Don¡¯t forget to leave me some food for supper.¡± Granny Xiu Yan smiled reluctantly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely save some food and drinks for you. I guarantee that you won¡¯t starve.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m relieved.¡± As Yu Niaoniao spoke, she walked towards the door. The night was cold and a cold wind blew. She suddenly felt some ice on her face. She looked up and realized that it was snowing. At that moment, Lo Pingsha caught up quickly. He handed over an oil-paper umbre. ¡°Princess Consort, be careful. You must protect yourself. We¡¯ll save you as soon as possible. ¡± Yu Niaoniao opened the oil-paper umbre to cover the falling snow. She said softly, ¡°When you see Duke Lang, tell him for me that I¡¯m very lucky to be able to marry him in this life!¡± Lo Pingsha¡¯s eyes stung. ¡°When you see him, tell him this yourself.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°I hope there¡¯s still such a chance.¡± Lo Pingsha¡¯s voice became choked. ¡°Princess Consort¡­¡¯ Yu Niaoniao sighed, feeling extremely reluctant, but she still spoke calmly. ¡°You¡¯ve followed Duke Lang for so many years and have always been loyal. I believe you don¡¯t want him to be in danger. ¡°When you see Duke Lang, don¡¯t mention me. In the future, when he brings you to Liaodong, take root there and never return to the Imperial Capital.¡± This was the best choice for Xiao Juan and the others. Lo Pingsha shook his head. ¡°No¡­¡± Yu Niaoniao continued to persuade him. ¡°It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s just me and Duke Lang, but there are so many people. Think about the old Granny Xiu Yan and the young Ling Hai. They can¡¯t withstand this back and forth. The best solution is to find them a ce to stay as soon as possible.¡± Lo Pingsha looked at her. ¡°What about you? What will you do?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°I can only do my best and leave it to fate! ¡± She turned to leave with the oil-paper umbre. Lo Pingsha could only stand and watch her go. The ck night sky and the white snowkes seemed to form a scene in a thick ink painting. The painting was empty. Only Yu Niaoniao¡¯s back was real. Yu Niaoniao walked out of the courtyard and saw Wei Liao standing on the steps, as well as nearly a hundred Sky Wolf Guards behind him. Snowkes fell, causing the torches in their hands to flicker. The light became dazed. Yu Niaoniao asked half-jokingly, ¡°What a huge scene! I¡¯m alone. Is there a need for so many people?¡± Seeing that she had reallye alone, Wei Liao¡¯s emotions were ratherplicated. ¡°We¡¯re all under orders.¡± In other words, he had no choice. Yu Niaoniao smiled briskly. ¡°I know. Fortunately, you came tonight. We¡¯re so familiar with each other and can still talk on the way. If it were anyone else, I would have suffocated to death along the way.¡± She looked too rxed as if she was going on an outing. Wei Liao couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°What am I afraid of?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Xiao Juan is not in the Imperial Capital now. If anything happens to you, no one can protect you.¡± He thought that if Yu Niaoniao was willing to beg him, he might be willing to take the risk to help her. Yu Niaoniao was very optimistic. ¡°I¡¯m going to see the emperor. What can happen? Can the dignified Son of Heaven make things difficult for a little girl like me?¡± Wei Liao sneered. ¡°The toughest feature on you is your mouth.¡± He asked someone to bring the horses. Yu Niaoniao mounted her horse and followed the Sky Wolf Guards toward the Imperial Capital. The winter night was already cold. In addition, the snow was swaying, and the cold seeped into the bones, making the hostage shiver. Wei Liao turned to look at Yu Niaoniao, who was following behind. She looked small on the back of a tall horse. Although she was wearing a thick cloak, it was wet because of the increasing snowstorm. Her face was red from the cold. Wei Liao subconsciously reined in and slowed down. The others slowed down. Wei Liao asked Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Can you still do it?¡± He was clearly concerned, but because of his provocative expression, these words sounded more like he was looking for trouble. Yu Niaoniao gathered her cloak with one hand. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Wei Liao secretly regretted it. If he had known it would snow, he would have brought a carriage out of the city. He deliberately said in a cynical tone, ¡°You¡¯re a woman. You should show weakness when you have to. Don¡¯t force yourself like a man.¡± Yu Niaoniao followed his words. ¡°If I cry now, will you let me go back?¡± Wei Liao immediately stopped talking. Yu Niaoniao chuckled. ¡°Look, showing weakness is useless.¡± Wei Liao thought that was not necessarily the case. If Yu Niaoniao really cried at him, he might really do something irrational. But he said nothing as if he was tacitly agreeing with Yu Niaoniao. The group braved the snow and wind through the city gate and walked along the silent street. Finally, they stopped in front of the pce gate. The Sky Wolf Guards stayed outside the door. Only Wei Liao and Yu Niaoniao walked into the pce. At this moment, there was already a thinyer of snow on the road. They walked along the pce path, leaving two sets of footprints behind them. Yu Niaoniao was thinking about how to deal with the emperorter when she suddenly heard the man beside her ask. ¡°What¡¯s the background of that charred corpse?¡± Yu Niaoniao turned to look at Wei Liao and asked, ¡°Why did you suddenly think of asking this?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°The emperor asked me to go to the Justice Department to look for that charred corpse today, but I didn¡¯t find anything. Then, he asked me to bring you to the pce.¡± These words should not have been said to Yu Niaoniao. But Wei Liao still told her everything. Yu Niaoniao understood. It seemed that the emperor already knew about the charred corpse. She was indeed doomed to enter the pce this time. Seeing that she was silent, Wei Liao had no choice but to reach out and block her way. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done in private, but if you want to live now, the only way out is to hand over the charred corpse. You have to remove yourself from this.¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped. She looked steadily at the man in front of her and suddenly smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± Wei Liao¡¯s heart was in a mess from her smile. He deliberately looked fierce. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you about serious business. What¡¯s so funny?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I appreciate your kindness, but I can¡¯t turn back anymore.¡± From the night Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan were killed, it was impossible for her to be carefree. Wei Liao asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not answer the question. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the emperor have something to ask me? Coincidentally, I have something to ask him too..¡± Chapter 591 - 591: Better to Believe It Than Not Chapter 591: Better to Believe It Than Not Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Wei Liao watched Yu Niaoniao walk into the room. The front door opened and closed,pletely cutting off his vision. However, he still stood rooted to the ground, having no intention of moving. After a moment, Wei Huai¡¯en walked out of the bedroom with the pce servants. Wei Huai¡¯en frowned when he saw Wei Liao¡¯s distracted expression. He waved his hand to dismiss the pce servants. After everyone left, Wei Huai¡¯en asked, ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Wei Liao asked, ¡°What does the emperor n to do with her?¡± Wei Huai¡¯en warned solemnly, ¡°This is not something you should ask.¡± If it were any other time, Wei Liao would definitely listen to his father¡¯s teachings. However, at this moment, he seemed to have been bewitched by something. His heart was filled with worry for Yu Niaoniao. He pressed stubbornly, ¡°Is the emperor nning to take her life?¡± Wei Huai¡¯en¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Wei Liao, have you forgotten your identity?!¡± Wei Liao¡¯s expression was bitter. ¡°I know I have no right to interfere in the emperor¡¯s matters.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en said, ¡°Then why did you ask?¡± Wei Liao was speechless. Wei Huai¡¯en continued to stab him in the heart. ¡°Even if you know everything, what can you do? Do you dare to snatch her back from the emperor?¡± Wei Liao¡¯s originally straight back gradually bent, as if all his energy had been sucked out. Yes, he was just ackey raised by the emperor. If he could not even control his life, what could he use to protect Yu Niaoniao? Forget it. He shouldn¡¯t embarrass himself again. Wei Huai¡¯en watched as the light in Wei Liao¡¯s eyes dimmed. He couldn¡¯t bear it, but rationality made him swallow hisforting words and reprimand him with a straight face. ¡°Stop standing here and go back!¡± Wei Liao turned around silently and strode into the snowy night without an umbre, lettingrge snowkes fall on his head and face. The bone-chilling cold wrapped around him, but he did not react. Wei Huai¡¯en watched him leave and let out a long sigh. In the end, he was still too young and was easily affected by his feelings. He hoped that he could calm down when he returned and not make any more mistakes. After Wei Liao left the pce, he rode his horse along the empty and silent street. His heart was in turmoil. Reason told him not to interfere in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s business, but feelings prevented him from really letting it go. When they reached the crossroads, Wei Liao reined in and the horse stopped. He closed his eyes, wanting to clear his mind and regain hisposure. However, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s figure could not help but appear in his mind. She smiled at him¡­ ¡°Thank you.¡± Wei Liao opened his eyes and cursed inwardly. He gave up struggling as if he had given up on himself. With a flick of the reins, he turned his horse around and sped toward the right fork. Tap, tap, tap! The sound of hurried hooves drifted through the silent snowy night. On the way, he encountered patrolling soldiers. When they saw someone riding a horse in the city at night, they were about to go forward and arrest him when they realized that the person riding a horse was actually the Vice General of the Sky Wolf Guards, Wei Liao. They immediately dispelled the thought of arresting him and hurriedly stepped aside to make way. Wei Liao rode to the vicinity of the Crown Prince¡¯s residence. He jumped off the horse and looked around to make sure no one was following him. Then, he used his qinggong to climb over the wall and silently entered the crown prince¡¯s residence. Shen Zhuo had just finished bathing, but he was not asleep yet. He was wearing loose snow-colored pajamas. He was seated behind the desk and was quietly reading the book in his hand in the bright candlelight. There was a sudden knock on the study window. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Shen Zhuo immediately put down the book and looked warily at the window. With a creak, the window was pulled open from the outside. Wei Liao was standing outside the window. His hair and shoulders were covered in snow, and his face was snow-white from the cold. In the dark night, he did not look like a living person. An outsider suddenly appeared in front of him, but Shen Zhuo was not flustered at all. He frowned and asked, ¡°How dare you barge into the Crown Prince¡¯s residence in the middle of the night? Are you trying to rebel?¡± Wei Liao exhaled hot air, his voice changing from the cold. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The situation was urgent and I had no choice but to do this. I hope Your Highness can forgive me.¡± Shen Zhuo had met Wei Liao a few times, but the two of them had almost no interaction, let alone friendship. Shen Zhuo had no intention of letting him in and asked calmly. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Yu Niaoniao was summoned to the pce by the emperor. I guess the emperor wants to kill her.¡± Shen Zhuo¡¯s expression immediately changed drastically. ¡°How is that possible?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the exact reason. I guess Yu Niaoniao knows something she shouldn¡¯t. The emperor wants to silence her. If you don¡¯t want her to die, enter the pce as soon as possible to save her.¡± Shen Zhuo asked, ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Believe it or not.¡± With that, he turned around and left. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Shen Zhuo hurriedly pulled open the door and chased after him. Unfortunately, he was toote. When he ran out, he was gone. The courtyard was silent as if no one had ever been there. Only a string of footprints left under the eaves proved that everything just now was not an illusion. Shen Zhuo repeated what Wei Liao had just said in his heart a few times. In the end, his worry for Niaoniao prevailed. What if Wei Liao was telling the truth? This concerned Niaoniao¡¯s life. He would rather believe it than not! Shen Zhuo shouted, ¡°Someone!¡± Soon, two eunuchs rushed over. When they saw that the Crown Prince was only wearing thin pajamas, they hurriedly found a cloak to put on him. Shen Zhuo pushed them away and said in a low voice. ¡°Prepare the horses. I want to enter the pce!¡± All the eunuchs and pce maids left the room, leaving Yu Niaoniao and the old emperor alone. The brazier in the room was burning very brightly. Not long after Yu Niaoniao entered, she began to sweat. She had been riding on horseback and was quite cold. Her clothes were still wet. She was cold for a while and hot for a while. The change was too great, so her body could not help but feel a little overwhelmed. Yu Niaoniao felt a headache and her nose was a little blocked. These were all signs of a cold. The old emperor leaned against the soft couch, his lower body covered by a thick and soft silk nket. He looked at Yu Niaoniao and asked, ¡°Do you know why I want to see you?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The old emperor was not angry when he saw her pretending to be stupid. To him, a mere Yu Niaoniao was like an ant under his feet. As long as he casually raised his foot, he could easily trample her to death. So the old emperor couldn¡¯t be bothered to guess what she was thinking. He went straight to the point. ¡°Where did you hide the charred corpse?¡± He thought that Yu Niaoniao would continue to y dumb or deny it. In the end, she replied calmly, ¡°So Your Majesty wants that charred corpse. Since Your Majesty has asked, I naturally don¡¯t dare to hide it.. However, before I answer your question, can you answer a few questions too?¡± Chapter 592 - 592: Extermination Chapter 592: Extermination Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The old emperor really did not take Yu Niaoniao seriously. At the same time, he really did not intend to spare her life. He was prepared to end her life after asking for the whereabouts of the charred corpse. After tonight, Yu Niaoniao would no longer exist in the world. The old emperor only smiled gently at Yu Niaoniao¡¯s words. His gaze was as if he was looking at amb struggling on the verge of death. ¡°Very few people dare to talk to me like that. You¡¯re quite bold.¡± Yu Niaoniao said neither servile nor overbearing, ¡°I hope Your Majesty will allow it.¡± The old emperor did not mind letting her talk a little longer before she died, so he said. ¡°Ask away. ¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Does Your Majesty already know your true background?¡± She asked the sharpest question as soon as she spoke. The old emperor¡¯s smile quickly faded. ¡°I thought you would ask who the real culprit who killed Feng Lianghan¡¯s family back then was.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°1 really want to know about this.¡± The old emperor said, ¡°Do you think it will be me?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I originally suspected that the Empress Dowager was the real culprit, but if all of this was done by the Empress Dowager, then when the Empress Dowager saw the jade bracelet, she wouldn¡¯t have reacted in shock and confusion. On the other hand, Your Majesty¡¯s reaction after knowing about the charred corpse was more like that of an insider, so I had a new hypothesis.¡± The old emperor leaned back slightly and looked at her calmly. ¡°Tell me about it.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Your Majesty must have known long ago that you are not of royal blood. In order to hide this secret, you sent someone to kill my stepfather and mother. Later, you silenced everyone who knew. In the end, even your biological father was not spared. You¡¯re really ruthless.¡± The words biological father agitated the old emperor. His face darkened as he emphasized each word. ¡°He¡¯s not my father!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If he wasn¡¯t your father, why would you kill him? You even burnt his corpse.¡± The old emperor¡¯s gaze became more and more dangerous. ¡°Looks like you don¡¯t want to live anymore.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him calmly. ¡°Your Majesty never wanted me to live to see the sun tomorrow, did he?¡± The old emperor stopped talking. This was tacit agreement with her. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Actually, Li Niang had already given up on taking revenge when she was alive. My stepfather had never thought of fighting for the throne. As for your biological father, he had already hidden his identity for many years. These people only want to live a peaceful life. As long as you don¡¯t tell anyone, no one will know your secret. Why do you have to be so ruthless?¡± In the end, she couldn¡¯t help but reveal hatred in her tone. The old emperor said coldly, ¡°Only the dead can keep secrets.¡± At this D0int. he could not be bothered to hide it and admitted everything frankly. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You even killed your biological father. Aren¡¯t you afraid of retribution?¡± The old emperor sneered as if he had heard a funny joke. ¡°Retribution? If there¡¯s really retribution in this world, then let the heavens strike me to death now.¡± Looking at his fearless appearance, Yu Niaoniao was filled with hatred and unwillingness. ¡°It¡¯s just not time yet.¡± The old emperor was a little tired. He could not be bothered to waste his breath on her and said, ¡°Tell me quickly. Where did you hide that charred corpse? As long as you tell me the truth, I can leave you an intact corpse.¡± The truth was out. He had stopped hiding his malice towards her. Yu Niaoniao slowly walked forward. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you now. That charred corpse is hidden¡­¡¯ Her voice trailed off. In order to hear thest few words clearly, the old emperor had to prick up his ears and concentrate. At this moment, she actually raised her right hand and expanded it ording to her motive. The crossbow hidden in her wide sleeve was immediately activated! An exquisite and small arrow was suddenly shot at the old emperor¡¯s heart! The old emperor was weak and slow. It was impossible for him to dodge. He watched as the arrow approached him. The next moment, a figure fell from the roof and stood in front of the old emperor. The man was dressed in ck. He was tall and strong, and his figure was as fast as a ghost. It was obvious that he was an expert. He drew the saber at his waist and blocked the arrow with the back of it. There was a ng as the arrow bounced away. Seeing this, Yu Niaoniao shot two more arrows. In the end, they were all blocked by the man in ck with a saber. Yu Niaoniao pressed it a few more times. Unfortunately, the crossbow was empty and could no longer shoot. The old emperor was indeed frightened just now. He gently stroked his heart, his tone filled with killing intent. ¡°How dare you assassinate me? How dare you?¡± Yu Niaoniao had long known that she would not be able to escape death tonight, so she wanted to take ast gamble. She saw that she and the old emperor were alone in the bedroom. The old emperor was weak. If she suddenly attacked, it would definitely be difficult for him to dodge. In the end, she was too naive. How could someone as cautious and suspicious as the old emperor put himself in danger? There had always been secret guards hidden by his side, but outsiders could not see them. Yu Niaoniao lowered her hand. She Imew she had lost the bet. The resentment and unwillingness in her heart intertwined, making it impossible for her to ept this ending. It did not matter if she died, but how could the murderer in front of her live well? He had killed so many innocent people. He was the one who really deserved to die! The old emperor looked at her as if she was a corpse and ordered coldly. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re not going to tell the truth. Since you want to die so badly, I¡¯ll fulfill your wish. Take her down and don¡¯t let her die too quickly.¡± The secret guard went forward to grab Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao tried to resist. She used all the self-defense techniques Xiao Juan had taught her and almost escaped. However, before she could touch the door, two more secret guards appeared. The three of them attacked together. This time, Yu Niaoniao could not resist at all and was knocked out and taken away. Those who had made mistakes in the pce were usually sent to the Punishment Division. However, the old emperor did not want others to know of Yu Niaoniao¡¯s existence. He asked the secret guards to send her to the dungeon. When they brought Yu Niaoniao to the dungeon, before they could wake her up, Shen Zhuo suddenly barged in. The secret guards Imelt down and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± Shen Zhuo first looked at the sleeping Yu Niaoniao. After confirming that she was safe, he heaved a sigh of relief. He wanted to pick Yu Niaoniao up and take her away. Themander of the secret guards hurriedly went forward to stop him. ¡°His Majesty has already ordered the Princess Consort of Lang County to die. If you take her away, I won¡¯t be able to report to His Majesty.¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, only you and I know what happened tonight. Later, find another female corpse with a simr figure to Niaoniao to rece her. Leave the rest to me. I promise I won¡¯t implicate you.¡± The secret guardmander hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. ¡°Then we¡¯ll do as you say.¡± Although he was themander of the secret guards by the old emperor¡¯s side, he was actually a spy nted by the Wen family. Other than Empress Wen and the current head of the Wen family, only Shen Zhuo knew about this.. Chapter 593 - 593: Protect You Chapter 593: Protect You Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao originally thought that she would definitely die this time. She was already prepared to reunite with Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan in theherworld, but she did not expect to wake up again. She sat up on the bed and looked down at herself first. There were no injuries on her body. Then she looked around and realized that she was in a bedroom. But theyout of the bedroom was very unfamiliar. She was sure she had never been here. Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. Where was this ce? And how had she gotten here? What had happened while she was asleep? She rubbed the back of her neck, which was sore, lifted the nket, and got out of bed. At this moment, the door was suddenly pushed open from the outside and a maidservant walked in with food. She was not surprised to see Yu Niaoniao awake. ¡°The doctor said that you should be awake by now. You should be hungry. This is food I specially prepared for you. Try it and see if it suits your taste.¡± As she spoke, she ced the food on the table. Yu Niaoniao did not lean over. She asked warily. ¡°Who are you? Why am I here?¡± The maidservant said, ¡°My name is Huan¡¯er. His Highness sent you here. His Highness has gone out to do something and should be back soon. Eat something first. ¡± Yu Niaoniao frowned. How was this rted to Shen Zhuo? She touched her stomach. She was indeed a little hungry, but the situation was unclear, so she did not dare to eat casually. Huan¡¯er saw through her thoughts and took the initiative to pick up a pair of chopsticks to taste every dish on the table. ¡°Look, these dishes are not poisonous.¡± Yu Niaoniao still did not move. Huan¡¯er was very helpless and advised painstakingly, ¡°Your body is your own. If you starve, you¡¯ll suffer in the end.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at the closed door and window and asked coldly. ¡°What time is it?¡± Huan¡¯er could not follow her train of thought. She was stunned for a moment before answering. ¡°There¡¯s still a quarter of an hour to noon.¡± Yu Niaoniao was very surprised. It was already noon the next day. She had been asleep for too long! Hopefully, Lo Pingsha had already led the people from the Langjun Imperial Pce far away. Yu Niaoniao asked right on the heels of that, ¡°Is this the Crown Prince¡¯s residence?¡± Huan¡¯er shook her head. Yu Niaoniao wanted to know what this ce was. But Huan¡¯er refused to tell her anything. Yu Niaoniao could only change the question. ¡°Can I go out?¡± This time, Huan¡¯er answered straightforwardly, ¡°Of course! Before His Highness left, he instructed that if you¡¯re bored, you can go out for a walk. As long as you don¡¯t leave this courtyard, you can go anywhere.¡± Yu Niaoniao walked towards the door without hesitation. Huan¡¯er quickly picked up her cloak and chased after her. ¡°Eat before you go out!¡± The snow had stopped outside, and the snow on the stone path had been swept clean. However, the flowers and trees in the courtyard were all covered in snow. From time to time, a snowball or two would slide off the eaves and smash into the snow. Yu Niaoniao walked quickly along the wet stone path. Huan¡¯er chased after her with her cloak, shouting as she chased. ¡°Slow down. The ground is slippery. Be careful not to fall.¡± This courtyard was veryrge. Yu Niaoniao walked for a long time but could not find an exit. In the end, she was really tired and could only stop to rest. Huan¡¯er took the opportunity to catch up to her and put the cloak on her. ¡°It¡¯s cold outside. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s breathing eased a little, and her body regained some strength. She walked on without hesitation. Huan¡¯er had no choice but to ept her fate and follow behind. Yu Niaoniao searched for a long time before she finally found the location of the door. Ignoring Huan¡¯er¡¯s obstruction, she ran towards the door. She had to leave this ce as soon as possible! Huan¡¯er shouted for help anxiously. When the servants who were warming themselves by the fire in the gatehouse heard themotion, they hurriedly ran out and stopped Yu Niaoniao from approaching the door. At that moment, the sound of hooves suddenly sounded outside the door. Right on the heels of that, there was a knock on the door. A servant hurriedly went forward to open the door. When he saw the person standing outside clearly, he hurriedly knelt down and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± Everyone in the courtyard looked in the direction of the door. The front door was pushed open from the outside. Shen Zhuo led his followers over the threshold and walked in. The servants in the courtyard knelt down and bowed. Only Yu Niaoniao remained where she was. A follower stepped forward and reprimanded, ¡°How dare you! Why didn¡¯t you bow to His Highness?¡± Shen Zhuo raised his hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine. All of you, leave.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When everyone retreated, only Yu Niaoniao and Shen Zhuo were left near the projection wall. Shen Zhuo had probably juste out of court and was still wearing the ceremonial robe that represented his status as the Crown Prince. He slowly walked up to Yu Niaoniao. There was a faint smile in his long phoenix eyes. The words he said were as gentle as water, making it easy to have the illusion that he was holding her in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s cold outside. Let¡¯s go in and sit down and talk slowly.¡± With that, he reached out to hold Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand. Yu Niaoniao took a step back to avoid his hand. ¡°Your Highness, where is this ce? Why did you get me here?¡± Shen Zhuo¡¯s hand paused in midair, and his expression became even more helpless. ¡°I mean you no harm. You don¡¯t have to be so wary.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Since there¡¯s no malice, why don¡¯t you let me leave?¡± Shen Zhuo exined gently, ¡°I wanted to protect you. Last night, Father wanted to take your life. I secretly saved you from the pce and reced you with another corpse. Father thought you were dead. You¡¯ll hide here for a while. When this period passes, I¡¯ll let you out.¡± Whatever the other party¡¯s motives, it was a fact that he had saved her. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s expression softened a lot. ¡°Thank you.¡± Shen Zhuo smiled. ¡°There¡¯s never a need to thank me between us.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You¡¯re very thoughtful, but I¡¯m sorry. I still have very important things to finish. I have to leave here immediately.¡± The smile on Shen Zhuo¡¯s face froze before he rejected her without hesitation. ¡°No, as long as you leave here now, you¡¯ll be discovered. At that time, Father won¡¯t let you off. If he can get someone to kill you the first time, he can kill you the second time!¡± Yu Niaoniao was very stubborn. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, but I have to Shen Zhuo sighed. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what to do with you.¡± He reached out again and grabbed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s wrist with a powerful force that allowed no resistance. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll send you back to the room myself.¡± Yu Niaoniao struggled hard. Although Shen Zhuo looked gentle and refined like a weak schr, he had actually practiced martial arts since he was young. Be it riding, archery, or sword techniques, he was very good. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s strength was nothing in front of him.. Chapter 594 - 594: Hard to Disobey an Emperor’s Order Chapter 594: Hard to Disobey an Emperor¡¯s Order Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao was forcefully sent back into the house. As soon as Shen Zhuo let go, she ran for the door. However, he was stopped by the guards guarding the door. Shen Zhuo sat down at the table leisurely. ¡°You should be hungry after such a long time, right? Coincidentally, I have not had lunch. Come and eat with me.¡± Yu Niaoniao took a deep breath and silently told herself that she had to remain calm at a time like this. She walked to the table and sat down. Huan¡¯er wanted to go forward and serve them, but Shen Zhuo stopped her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to serve me here. You¡¯re dismissed.¡¯ Huan¡¯er could only retreat silently. Shen Zhuo personally scooped a bowl of chicken soup and ced it in front of Yu Niaoniao. Ever since he became the Crown Prince, he had never curried favor with someone so much. Facing such an honor, Yu Niaoniao was not happy at all. She asked stiffly without looking at the chicken soup in front of her. ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°I¡¯ve just said that I just want you to live well. That¡¯s all.¡± Yu Niaoniao begged seriously, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but I really can¡¯t stay here. I still have very important things to do.¡± Shen Zhuo asked, ¡°What¡¯s more important than your life?¡± Yu Niaoniao opened her mouth, wanting to talk about revenge. But she swallowed the words. She said in a low voice, ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± Shen Zhuo smiled. ¡°Why don¡¯t I understand? Don¡¯t you just want to find out the truth behind the Feng family¡¯s destruction? You¡¯ve been thinking about this for so many years.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not speak, tacitly agreeing with him. Shen Zhuo looked at her steadily and promised seriously. ¡°In the past, I was just a powerless and downtrodden prince, but it¡¯s different now. I¡¯m the Crown Prince and will be the emperor in the future. The entire world will belong to me. No matter what you want to do, I can help you, including finding out the truth and taking revenge for you.¡± Yu Niaoniao lowered her eyes and asked in a barely audible voice. ¡°What if the person who killed my mother and stepfather was your father?¡± Shen Zhuo was stunned. He thought he had misheard. ¡®What did you say?¡± he asked. Yu Niaoniao looked up at him and enunciated each word. ¡°The person who ordered the murder of the entire Feng family is the current emperor, your father. Can you avenge me?¡± Shen Zhuo was in disbelief. ¡°Are you mistaken? How could Father do such a thing? He has no grudge against the Feng family. There¡¯s no reason for him to kill anyone.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Let¡¯s not care about the reason first. You just have to answer me. Can you avenge me?¡± Shen Zhuo pursed his thin lips and did not speak for a long time. Yu Niaoniao suddenly chuckled. ¡°Huh. ¡± Thisughter fell into Shen Zhuo¡¯s ears, filled with mockery. Involuntarily, he folded his fingers and clenched his hands into fists. ¡°Father is not the kind of person who will kill the innocent. If he really killed the entire Feng family, he must have a reason to do so.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You mean my mother and stepfather are both people who deserve to die?¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then what do you mean?¡± The atmosphere between the two of them had already stiffened. There was no room for reconciliation for a while. Shen Zhuo simply stood up. ¡°Calm down. The past is the past. People should look forward. If Mr. Feng is still alive, he definitely doesn¡¯t want you to split hairs or go down a dead end for revenge. I¡¯ll leave first and see you tonight.¡± With that, he turned around and left. Yu Niaoniao looked at his back and said. ¡°If my stepfather were still alive and he knew that the student he had carefully taught could not even distinguish between right and wrong, how disappointed and sad would he be?¡± Shen Zhuo stopped in his tracks. ¡°Mr. Feng is well-read. I¡¯m sure he knows that it¡¯s difficult to disobey a ruler¡¯s orders.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Even if this monarch¡¯s orders are wrong?¡± Shen Zhuo turned his head slightly and looked back at her. ¡°As long as it¡¯s an order from an emperor, it can¡¯t be wrong.¡± Even though she had long seen the reality, Yu Niaoniao could not help but feel a chill in her heart because of his cold words. Sheughed at herself. ¡°So I¡¯m the one at fault?¡± Shen Zhuo did not say anything else and walked out. The door was quickly closed again. Yu Niaoniao was left alone in the room. She looked quietly at the food in front of her, her stomach gurgling. In the end, she couldn¡¯t help but pick up her bowl and chopsticks to eat. Since she was still alive, it meant that she was not destined to die. She had to fill her stomach before she had the strength to escape. After eating and drinking her fill, Huan¡¯er came in to help clean up the dishes. Seeing Yu Niaoniao stand up, she quickly asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Yu Niaoniao said without looking back. ¡°The toilet.¡± Huan¡¯er followed her closely. When she entered the toilet, she immediately closed the door. She looked around and saw a small window to the side. She immediately pushed it open and climbed out on all fours. Unexpectedly, just as shended, she saw Huan¡¯er standing at the side and looking at her. Huan¡¯er asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled awkwvardly. ¡°Hehe, I¡¯ll stretch my muscles after eating.¡± With that, she pretended to wave her arm. Huan¡¯er did not expose her clumsy lie and continued to ask. ¡°Can you go back now?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯ll walk around again.¡± She began to walk around the residence to see where there was a chance to escape. Huan¡¯er followed behind her the entire time and saw her actions. In the end, she could not help but take the initiative to remind her. ¡°Give up. As long as His Highness doesn¡¯t relent, it¡¯s impossible for you to get out.¡± Yu Niaoniao said casually, ¡°Oh.¡± Huan¡¯er continued, ¡°Although there are not many people in this mansion, there are actually many guards hidden in the dark. Your every move is under their surveince. It¡¯s impossible for you to escape.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s expression finally changed. Huan¡¯er thought she had finally intimidated her. However, she asked with a terrified expression¡ª ¡°Then did they see me go to the toilet just now?¡± Huan¡¯er was dumbfounded. She asked with difficulty, ¡°Is that the point?¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the point? Don¡¯t you mind having men watching you when you go to the toilet?¡± Huan¡¯er was speechless. It was a long time before she spoke again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, His Highness¡¯s guards know their limits. They will avoid you when you go to the toilet or take a bath and change.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then you just said that my every move is under their surveince cameras. There are loopholes in your words. They¡¯re not rigorous.¡± Huan¡¯er was dumbfounded. She shut up and swore fiercely to herself¡ª If she said another word to this stubborn person, she would be a puppy! Yu Niaoniao had searched every part of this mansion, but she could not even find a dog hole to crawl out of. This disappointed her. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°I really want to go home!¡± Huan¡¯er¡¯s heart softened and she could not help but ask, ¡°Do you miss your family?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I miss the dog hole at home.¡± Huan¡¯er was dumbfounded. Okay, she was now a puppy! Woof! Chapter 595 - 595: Envy Chapter 595: Envy Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios No matter what Yu Niaoniao asked next, Huan¡¯er refused to answer. As a result, Yu Niaoniao felt she could only talk to herself. As time passed, she felt very bored. She shut up and walked up the steps to the rockery. Huan¡¯er thought that she was going to the octagonal pavilion on the rockery to y, so she did not stop her and just followed behind her silently. When Yu Niaoniao reached the octagonal pavilion at the top of the mountain, she did not sit down to rest. Instead, she rolled up her sleeves, lifted her skirt, and tucked it into her belt. Then, she hugged the big tree beside the octagonal pavilion and climbed up. Huan¡¯er was shocked and hurriedly dissuaded her. ¡°What are you doing? It¡¯s too dangerous. Come down!¡± Yu Niaoniao turned a deaf ear and climbed up. Soon, she reached the top of the tree. The snow on the tree fell on her head, wetting the ends of her hair. She didn¡¯t care about this. She stepped on the tree branch and carefully moved towards the cornice of the octagonal pavilion. Huan¡¯er was frightened. If Yu Niaoniao fell from such a high ce, she would be paralyzed even if she did not die. She hurriedly shouted down the mountain, ¡°Someone! Someone!¡± The servants in the residence rushed over when they heard the news. When they looked up and saw this scene, they were all frightened. Even the guards hiding in the dark had no choice but to appear. They wanted to use Qinggong to fly up, but Yu Niaoniao discovered them first. Yu Niaoniao deliberately said in a threatening tone, ¡°It¡¯s very slippery up here. If you scare me, I might fall off it. When the Crown Prince pursues it, all of you will have to watch the show.¡± Her words sessfully frightened everyone present. The guards did not dare to act rashly. They could only stare at her without blinking, ready to fly up and save her at any moment. The tree branch was slightly pressed down by Yu Niaoniao¡¯s foot, and the snow fell. She bent down and reached out to grab the cornice of the octagonal pavilion. She moved over on all fours and sessfully climbed to the top. This should be the tallest ce in the entire mansion. From here, not only could she see the entire mansion, but he could also see the terrain near it. As Yu Niaoniao had expected, there were forests nearby. It was very quiet. Yu Niaoniao was a little tired from standing. She squatted down and tucked her hands into her sleeves. She looked in the direction of the door, deep in thought. What should she do next? She thought about it all afternoon. The sky gradually darkened, and Shen Zhuo arrived at the mansion again. As soon as he entered, he was told that Yu Niaoniao had climbed to the top of the octagonal pavilion and immediately rushed to the vicinity of the rockery. Although it was already dark, thenterns in the courtyard were all lit. In addition to the reflection of the snow, as long as Shen Zhuo looked up, he could see a small person squatting on the eaves of the octagonal pavilion. His heart tightened as he called gently, ¡°Niaoniao, what are you doing up there?¡± Yu Niaoniao sneezed loudly. She rubbed her nose and spoke in a slightly hoarse voice. ¡°I¡¯m here admiring the scenery.¡± Seeing that she was not going tomit suicide, Shen Zhuo rxed a little. He gave the guards a look and walked up the steps. ¡°It¡¯s dark. Come down. It¡¯s not toote to look at the scenery tomorrow.¡± He originally thought that it would take some effort to convince Niaoniao, but she agreed readily. ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± Shen Zhuo stopped in his tracks. Even though he was smart, he could not figure out Niaoniao¡¯s thoughts. He wanted the guards to fly up and catch Niaoniao. However, Yu Niaoniao rejected him. She had her own thoughts. ¡°Find adder.¡± Shen Zhuo was very afraid that she would jump down from the eaves of the octagonal pavilion and not dare to go against her wishes at all. He immediately ordered someone to find adder and ced it beside the octagonal pavilion. Yu Niaoniao slowly climbed down thedder andnded sessfully. Shen Zhuo¡¯s hanging heart rxed. He was about to say something when he saw Yu Niaoniao sneeze hard. She had spent the afternoon in the cold wind on the eaves of the octagonal pavilion. Her nose was red from the cold, and her face was pale. Coupled with the fact that she had to sneeze from time to time, it was obvious that she had caught a cold. Shen Zhuo hurriedly sent her back to the house and ordered someone to invite a doctor to treat her. As expected, Yu Niaoniao was indeed sick. Shey groggily on the bed, feverish and coughing. The doctor left the prescription and left. Shen Zhuo took the wet towel from Huan¡¯er and gently covered Yu Niaoniao¡¯s forehead. Looking at Niaoniao¡¯s sickly appearance, Shen Zhuo was both worried and sympathetic. He could not help but reach out and gently stroke Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hot cheek. ¡°Niaoniao. ¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her eyelids slightly and did not move at all. Shen Zhuo smiled. ¡°You¡¯re only obedient at this time. You¡¯re usually wary of me and won¡¯t even let me touch you.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s lips parted slightly, as if she was saying something. But it was too soft to hear. Shen Zhuo thought she was calling his name. Delighted, he hurriedly bent down and put his ear to her lips. But he heard her call¡ª ¡°Ah Juan.¡± The joy in Shen Zhuo¡¯s heart instantly dissipated. He felt like he was in an icehouse. His entire body was cold. His gaze suddenly turned fierce. Hisrge hand grabbed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s neck and questioned her word by word. ¡°Why? Why are you still thinking about him at a time like this? What¡¯s so good about him that you miss him so much?¡± Her neck was pinched hard, and the suffocating feeling became even more ufortable. She managed to make a sound. ¡°Ah Juan, save me¡­¡± Shen Zhuo suddenly approached her and stared into her eyes. ¡°Xiao Juan will nevere back. You¡¯ll never see him again.¡± Yu Niaoniao could not breathe from the pinch, and rational tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. Even so, she was still calling Xiao Juan¡¯s name. Shen Zhuo wished he could strangle her. In the end, rationality prevailed. He released his fingers and propped up his upper body. Yu Niaoniao panted heavily, then coughed non-stop. Her pale cheeks flushed abnormally. Shen Zhuo gradually regained hisposure. She was a patient now. Her brain was fried. He couldn¡¯t lower himself to her level. Anyway, they still had a lot of time. He would slowly warm her heart. One day she would know that he loved her the most in the world. Only he could be with her forever. Only he could protect her. Shen Zhuo ordered someone to bring warm water and personally fed it to Yu Niaoniao. After drinking the water, Yu Niaoniao felt her throat ease. She asked with difficulty, ¡°You just said that Ah Juan will nevere back.. What do you mean?¡± Chapter 596 - 596: Bet Chapter 596: Bet Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Today, after Shen Zhuo heard Yu Niaoniao say those things, his heart was filled with doubts. After he returned to the pce, he contacted themander of the secret guards in private. He handed a female corpse that looked extremely simr to Yu Niaoniao to the other party and asked themander of the secret guards to scratch her face. Then, thetter carried the head to the old emperor. The truth was as Shen Zhuo had expected. The old emperor was blind and could not see the abnormality of the female corpse¡¯s head. In addition, he firmly believed in themander of the secret guards, so he thought that Yu Niaoniao was really dead. ¡°Send it out of the pce for burial.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Themander of the secret guards left the bedroom with the head. He heaved a sigh of relief that he had sessfully bluffed his way through. Right on the heels of that, he saw the Crown Prince appear in front of him again. He quickly looked around to make sure there was no one around before speaking. ¡°There are many people in the pce. It¡¯s safer for Your Highness not to meet me.¡± Usually, unless it was necessary, Shen Zhuo would not interact with themander of the secret guards. However, he had too many doubts today. These doubts were suppressed in his heart. If he did not get an answer, he would probably not be able to sleep all night. Shen Zhuo whispered, ¡°I¡¯m here to ask you something. I¡¯ll leave after that.¡± Themander of the secret guards said, ¡°Please tell me.¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°I know. Father silenced Niaoniao because she knew one of his secrets. What¡¯s the secret she knows?¡± Themander of the secret guards was speechless. Shen Zhuo stared at him. ¡°You must know.¡± Themander of the secret guards said, ¡°It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t know these things.¡± His attitude confirmed Shen Zhuo¡¯s guess. Shen Zhuo¡¯s voice was a little unstable. ¡°Father¡­ he¡¯s actually not of the orthodox royal blood, right?¡± Themander of the secret guards was speechless. His silence was tantamount to a tacit agreement. Even though he had expected this, Shen Zhuo could not help but be shocked. It was a long time before he found his senses and continued to ask. ¡°Who else knows about this other than Yu Niaoniao?¡± Themander of the secret guards said, ¡°Her Majesty.¡± Shen Zhuo asked, ¡°Who else?¡± Themander of the secret guards hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Those who knew back then have been silenced.¡± Shen Zhuo had just heaved a sigh of relief when he heard themander of the secret guards speak again right on the heels of that. ¡°But in the process of investigating the truth, Yu Niaoniao learned this secret. Duke Lang was also investigating this with her.¡± Shen Zhuo¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°In other words, Xiao Juan also knows this secret?¡± Themander of the secret guards said, ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t worry. The emperor has already sent someone to hunt down Duke Lang. It¡¯s impossible for him to return alive.¡± Only then did Shen Zhuo rx. He instructed, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this. Not even my grandfather.¡± Themander of the secret guards nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± At this moment, facing Yu Niaoniao¡¯s questioning, Shen Zhuo did not want to tell the truth. However, when he thought of how worried she was about Xiao Juan just now, there was a nameless fire burning in his heart. The corners of his mouth lifted in a mocking chuckle. ¡°Didn¡¯t I make it clear enough? Xiao Juan touched Father¡¯s reverse scale. Father has already sent someone to take his life. It¡¯s impossible for him to reach Liaodong County alive. You won¡¯t see him again in your life.¡± He thought that Yu Niaoniao would definitely be anxious and even break down and cry after knowing this news. However, in fact, after a short moment of shock, Yu Niaoniao quickly calmed down. She said firmly, ¡°Ah Juan won¡¯t die.¡± Her reaction disappointed snen znuo. At tne same time, It made tne anger In his heart burn even stronger. His tone was filled with malice. ¡°No matter how strong Xiao Juan¡¯s martial arts are, it¡¯s impossible for him to escape the pursuit of so many experts. He¡¯s dead this time.¡± Yu Niaoniao still said the same thing. ¡°He won¡¯t die.¡± Shen Zhuo did not understand. ¡°Where did you get your confidence? What makes you think he won¡¯t die?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Because he¡¯s Xiao Juan.¡± Shen Zhuo was furious at her attitude. ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s make a bet and see if Xiao Juan cane back alive.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If I win the bet, let me go.¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°If I win, you have topletely forget Xiao Juan.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Okay.¡± Shen Zhuo deliberately provoked her. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t deny it when the timees.¡± Yu Niaoniao retorted, ¡°I should be the one saying that to you.¡± With that, she closed her eyes and looked like she was going to sleep. Shen Zhuo stood up and walked out. He stood under the porch and looked at the snow-covered vegetation in the courtyard. After thinking for a moment, he called over a guard and instructed. ¡°Take someone to Duke Lang¡¯s Mansion and see if everyone is there.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The guard quickly disappeared into the vast night. Shen Zhuo ced one hand behind his back and had a bad feeling. Just now, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s confident appearance made him suspect something. Could it be that Xiao Juan had already expected this day? If that were the case, Xiao Juan would definitely have been prepared. Shen Zhuo had never dared to underestimate Xiao Juan. Not only was this person¡¯s martial arts powerful, but his thoughts were also deep. If he was already prepared, it would not be so easy to take his life. The next morning, Shen Zhuo received a report from his guards. ¡°Your Highness, everyone in Duke Lang¡¯s Mansion is gone.¡± Shen Zhuo¡¯s heart sank. As expected! He pressed, ¡°Do you know where they went?¡± The guard reported truthfully, ¡°I heard that they apanied the Princess Consort out of the city to the courtyard two days ago, but they didn¡¯t return.¡± Shen Zhuo asked, ¡°Have you checked the courtyard outside the city?¡± The guard said quickly, ¡°I¡¯ve already checked. The courtyard is empty. The luggage and carriages are gone.¡± Shen Zhuo ced his hands behind his back and said nothing for a long time. It seemed that he was right. Yu Niaoniao had already made arrangements. It was probably that as soon as she was taken away by the Sky Wolf Guards, those people from the Langjun Imperial Pce ran away overnight with their luggage. As for the direction they fled, it was obvious that they had gone after Xiao Juan. There were so many people in the Langjun Imperial Pce. When they met Xiao Juan, he would Imow what had happened in the capital. He would definitely raise his guard. The assassins sent by the emperor would most likely return in failure. Thinking of this, a n appeared in Shen Zhuo¡¯s heart. A perfect n that could make Niaoniao loyal to him and get rid of Xiao Juan. He instructed quietly. ¡°Pass down the order. From today onwards, send more people to the various city gates to investigate the people who entered the city.¡± The guard asked tentatively, ¡°Is Your Highness investigating someone?¡± Shen Zhuo looked up at the blue sky. It was not snowing today. The sky was blue. ¡°If Duke Lang returns, send a message to me immediately.¡± The guard was very surprised. ¡°Your Highness thinks Duke Lang will return to the Imperial Capital?¡± Shen Zhuo smiled and said slowly, ¡°How can he note back when the woman he loves is in danger?¡± Chapter 597 - 597: Receiving the Decree Chapter 597: Receiving the Decree Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The team transporting the provisions had been traveling day and night for four days. Be it humans or horses, they were already tired. Seeing that it was dark, the apanying inspector took the initiative to suggest to Duke Lang. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m afraid the horses won¡¯t be able to take it if this continues. Why don¡¯t we set up camp tonight and rest? It won¡¯t be toote to travel tomorrow morning.¡± Xiao Juan looked at the dark sky and then at the horses, which were trembling with exhaustion and panting heavily. He nodded slightly and agreed to the inspector¡¯s suggestion. Knowing that they could finally rest tonight, everyone was very happy. They hurriedly set up camp and started a fire to cook. In the dead of night, other than the few soldiers on night duty, everyone was sleeping soundly. The camp was silent except for the rustling of leaves as the cold wind stirred them. At this moment, Xiao Juan suddenly opened his eyes. He heard footsteps approaching outside the tent and immediately sat up. He looked in the direction of the door and asked in a low voice. ¡°who?¡± A momentter, the inspector¡¯s voice came in. ¡°Your Highness, someone from the pce hase. They said that the emperor has something to instruct you. Please receive the decree immediately.¡± Xiao Juan casually pulled on his outerwear, picked up the No Return Saber by the bed, and strode out of the tent. The cold wind blew in his face, fluttering the hem of his shirt. He looked at the respectful inspector and asked. ¡°Did he say what it was about?¡± The inspector said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is exactly, but from the looks of those people, it should be something very important. I hope you can go over quickly and not dy.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Where are they?¡± The inspector said, ¡°They¡¯re just ahead. Please follow me.¡± Xiao Juan instructed the two shadow guards standing beside the tent. ¡°Go wake everyone up and follow me to receive the decree.¡± The inspector hurriedly said, ¡°No, the person who sent the imperial edict specially instructed me to keep this imperial edict a secret and not let outsiders Imow. I hope Your Highness won¡¯t tell anyone.¡± Xiao Juan looked at him deeply. The inspector felt a chill run down his spine and subconsciously shrank back. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t take offense. I¡¯m just following orders.¡± Xiao Juan turned to the two shadow guards and instructed, ¡°Call Meng Xizhou over.¡± ¡®Yes!¡± The inspector wanted to say something, and his lips parted. When he met Xiao Juan¡¯s cold and sharp gaze, he shut his mouth resentfully and swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue. In just a moment, Meng Xizhou rushed over. Because he hade in such a hurry, he had not even fastened his clothes and his hair was messy. ¡°What can I do for you, Your Highness?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The emperor sent someone to send an imperial edict. Follow me to receive it.¡± Meng Xizhou did not think too much about it and quickly replied, ¡°Okay.¡± As he straightened his clothes and hair, he followed Duke Lang. The three of them walked through the night and through the cold wind. Seeing that they were about to leave the camp, Meng Xizhou could not help but ask. ¡°If they¡¯re sending an imperial edict, why don¡¯t they enter the camp?¡± The inspector led the way,ntern in hand. He exined without looking back, ¡°This is a secret decree. The fewer people who know, the better. There are many people in the camp. It won¡¯t be good if the news gets leaked. They¡¯re waiting for His Highness near the camp. They¡¯ll leave after delivering the imperial edict.¡± Meng Xizhou muttered in his heart, feeling that this matter was strange. However, seeing that there was no change in Duke Lang¡¯s expression, he did not say anything and followed obediently. The three of them walked out of the camp and through the forest for a while before seeing the person the inspector had mentioned. There were more than twenty people on the other side, all wearing armor and carrying weapons. The leader was a burly general. Xiao Juan knew the general and said, ¡°General Dou, how have you been?¡± General Dou cleared his throat. ¡°Time is tight. It¡¯s not toote to exchange pleasantries after we¡¯re done with business. Is Duke Lang going to kneel down to listen to the decree?¡± With that, he took out a thin piece of silk from his sleeve. Xiao Juan and Meng Xizhou knelt on one knee and lowered their heads. General Dou unfolded the silk and slowly read, ¡°Someone reported that Duke Lang abused his power, used his official position for personal gain, and framed a loyal person. After investigation, the situation is true. He hasmitted an unforgivable crime. I specially ordered him to be killed on the spot!¡± Meng Xizhou suddenly looked up and shouted in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! Without evidence, what right does the emperor have to convict Duke Lang?! ¡± General Dou sneered. ¡°Are you questioning the emperor¡¯s decision? Don¡¯t tell me you want to resist the decree?¡± Meng Xizhou wanted to say something, but Xiao Juan raised his hand and suppressed him. Xiao Juan¡¯s expression was calm. ¡°If you want me to die, I have no choice. Since the emperor is determined to take my life, I can only ept my fate.¡± General Dou said, ¡°I hope Duke Lang can hand over your saber.¡± With that, he winked at the two soldiers beside him. The two soldiers immediately strode forward and walked up to Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan took off the No Return Saber at his waist and handed it over with both hands. Just as the soldiers reached out to take the saber, Xiao Juan suddenly unsheathed it. A snow-white cold light shed. There was a deep wound on the necks of the two soldiers. Blood sttered! Before either soldier could scream, his eyes widened and he fell straight down. They were no longer breathing. General Dou was shocked. ¡°Xiao Juan, how dare you?!¡± Xiao Juan stood up, his eyes condensed with ice. ¡°You were the ones who kept assassinating me along the way, right?¡± General Dou avoided his gaze and denied loudly, ¡®What nonsense are you talking about? Why would I do such a thing?!¡± In fact, he had indeed assassinated Xiao Juan several times along the way, but he had always failed. He could not be med for being ipetent. Xiao Juan¡¯s martial arts were really too good. The people he sent could not even touch the corner of Xiao Juan¡¯s clothes, let alone kill him. Later, he even thought of using a scheme like poison. However, other than the dry food and water he brought, Xiao Juan did not eat anything else, so General Dou could not find an opportunity at all. There was really no choice. General Dou could only change his n. Since it couldn¡¯t be done in the dark, he would do it openly. He used the excuse of epting the decree to lure Xiao Juan here, nning to get rid of him here. General Dou knew that this was hisst chance. If he still could not kill Xiao Juan tonight, the mission given to him by the emperor would be aplete failure. When he returned to the Imperial Capital, the emperor would definitely not let him off easily. He gritted his teeth and steeled himself. ¡°Xiao Juan, not only did you resist the decree, but you also killed someone in public. You¡¯re really bold andwless! I must take your life tonight!¡± With that, he swung his saber and cut the rope tied to the tree trunk beside him. The rope suddenly broke, and the hanging from the branch fell, covering Xiao Juan and Meng Xizhou! Chapter 598 - 598: Counterattack Chapter 598: Counterattack Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan raised his hand and waved his saber, and the de of the saber shed fiercely at the! Seeing this, General Dou looked smug. ¡°This is woven from special iron wire and is extremely flexible. Ordinary swords can¡¯t cut it¡­¡± Before he could finish, he heard a sizzling sound. The de of the No Return Saber made a long cut in the. A huge hole immediately appeared in the huge. Xiao Juan and Meng Xizhou flew out of the cave and the wire ttered to the ground. General Dou was stunned. ¡°How is this possible?¡± Meng Xizhou chuckled. ¡°As you said, ordinary des can¡¯t break your, but our Duke Lang¡¯s No Return Saber is not an ordinary de. It¡¯s a peerless good weapon in this world. It¡¯s indestructible!¡± Seeing Xiao Juan rush towards him with his saber, General Dou hurriedly raised his saber to block and ordered everyone to attack. He wanted to take down Xiao Juan with their advantage in numbers. As it turned out, he had underestimated Xiao Juan¡¯s martial strength. Even if all of them rushed forward, they were still no match for Xiao Juan. After an intense battle, all the soldiers under General Dou were killed, leaving General Dou standing alone. But he was also an arrow at the end of its flight. His grip on the knife was trembling. Blood kept flowing down the wound in his leg. His body was on the verge of copse as if he would fall at any moment. As he looked at Xiao Juan, who was approaching him step by step, his eyes were filled with fear, and he stuttered, ¡®ID-don¡¯te over. I¡¯m here on the emperor¡¯s orders. If you kill me, the emperor will definitely not let you off!¡± Hearing this, Meng Xizhou could not help but worry. General Dou was here on a decree. If they really killed him and others found out, the team escorting the food might very well riot. It had to be known that Tang Guixi and the others were still waiting for the food to save their lives. They had to send the food to Liaodong County as soon as possible. There could not be any idents on the way. Just as Meng Xizhou was hesitating if he should persuade Duke Lang to think twice, he heard him speak slowly. ¡°You faked an imperial edict. You deserve to be executed. I¡¯m enforcing thew. It¡¯s only right for me to kill you.¡± General Dou hurriedly argued, ¡°The imperial edict is real! I didn¡¯t fake it. If you don¡¯t believe me, look for yourself!¡± As he spoke, he pulled out the cloth. Xiao Juan picked up the cloth with the tip of the No Return Saber and brought it close to take a look. ¡°It¡¯s fake.¡± General Dou was so anxious that his eyes turned red. ¡°Impossible! The emperor personally handed this to me. There¡¯s even the emperor¡¯s personal seal on it!¡± Xiao Juan extended his hand to the inspector. ¡°Let me borrow thentern.¡± The inspector¡¯s legs went weak from fear and he fell to the ground. He had originally thought that Duke Lang would definitely die this time, but it waspletely the opposite of what he had expected. Not only was Duke Lang fine, but he had also defeated General Dou and the others. At this moment, in the inspector¡¯s heart, Duke Lang was scarier than a ghost. He didn¡¯t dare ask. He got up on all fours and handed over thentern, trembling. Xiao Juan ced the cloth on thentern. Candlelight lit a corner of the cloth. The tongue of the fire quickly spread and devoured the cloth in the blink of an eye. Xiao Juan casually threw it away. The cloth fell to the ground and was already burned to charcoal. General Dou¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°How dare you burn the imperial edict? Do you know what kind of crime this is?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s just a fake imperial edict. So what if it¡¯s burned?¡± General Dou said, ¡°This is clearly real¡­¡± Xiao Juan suddenly raised the No Return Saber and swung the de at lightning speed. General Dou stopped talking. He subconsciously raised his hands to touch his neck. In the end, his hand fell just as he raised it. His neck was severed. His head slid off and hit the ground with a dull thud. In the next moment, General Dou¡¯s body fell with a bang, and blood quickly spread in the snow. The fear in the inspector¡¯s heart rose to the extreme. His pupils trembled violently. He wanted to scream but did not dare to. He could only cover his mouth with both hands. Xiao Juan flicked the No Return Saber, and the blood bead flew out along the tip of the saber. He looked coldly at the decapitated General Dou and said expressionlessly, ¡°If I say this imperial edict is fake, it¡¯s fake.¡± At this moment, Meng Xizhou had already understood Duke Lang¡¯s intentions. Whether the imperial edict was real or fake, as long as they insisted that it was fake, it was fine. Even if someone questioned them, they could not produce decent evidence. As long as they could sessfully reach Liaodong County, other matters would not be a problem. Thinking of this, Meng Xizhou walked toward the inspector with his saber. General Dou and the people he had brought were all dead. Only the inspector was still alive. Keeping him was a hidden danger. It was best to deal with him immediately. When the inspector saw Meng Xizhou approaching step by step, the fear in his heart soared. He hurriedly retreated, crying and pleading. ¡°Please, don¡¯t kill me. I don¡¯t know anything. I¡¯m innocent!¡± Meng Xizhou sneered. ¡°Are you trying to deceive a three-year-old child? You deliberately lured us to this godforsaken ce. Do you dare to say that you don¡¯t know anything?¡± The inspector couldn¡¯t answer. He struggled to defend himself. ¡°I was forced. General Dou insisted that I do this. He even brought up the imperial edict. I didn¡¯t dare to disobey the edict, so I could only do as he said.¡± Xiao Juan asked coldly. ¡°So you were the one who secretly drugged my food?¡± Meng Xizhou was stunned before he flew into a rage. ¡°How dare you poison His Highness?!¡± They had eaten at the courier station when they passed it yesterday. At that time, Xiao Juan sensed that his food had been drugged. But he didn¡¯t show it. He just got someone to remove the food and eat the dry ration he had brought. Xiao Juan had wondered who the person who drugged him was. Now it seemed that the answer was obvious. The inspector hurriedly defended himself. ¡°General Dou asked me to do this. He said that the emperor has already ordered that you have to die. If you don¡¯t die, we¡¯ll all die. I was forced to have no choice but to drug your food. I already Imow my mistake. I won¡¯t dare to do it again. Please forgive me this time!¡± Xiao Juan could not be bothered to say another word to him. After giving Meng Xizhou a look, he turned around and left. Seeing Meng Xizhou raise his saber at him, the inspector knew that he was doomed, so he shouted for help at the top of his lungs and ran. However, he had never practiced martial arts. Even if he tried his best, he could notpare to the agile Meng Xizhou. In the blink of an eye, Meng Xizhou caught up to him and ended his life. Meng Xizhou returned to the camp and called over a team of Eagle Guards to bury all these corpses and clean up the blood on the snow. At the same time, Lo Pingsha finally caught up to therge convoy escorting the provisions tonight after traveling day and night with the people from the Langjun Imperial Pce.. Chapter 599 - 599: Entering the Tiger’s Den Chapter 599: Entering the Tiger¡¯s Den Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios When Lo Pingsha led the people from the Regional King¡¯s Mansion into the camp, he caused quite amotion. Everyone in the camp woke up. Torches lit up one after another. In the blink of an eye, the entire camp was illuminated as brightly as day. Meng Xizhou was the first to walk out of the crowd. He was very surprised. ¡°Little Lo, why aren¡¯t you staying in the Imperial Capital? Why are you here?¡± Because they had been traveling day and night for several days, Lo Pingsha looked travel-worn. He was not the only one. The others from the Regional King¡¯s Mansion were also very tired. All of them did not look good. Lo Ping Sha spoke hoarsely. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. You want to help me settle Granny Xiu Yan and the others. Where¡¯s His Highness? I have something very important to report to him.¡± Meng Xizhou pointed at the tent behind him. ¡°His Highness is talking to someone inside. Why don¡¯t you¡­¡± Before he could finish, Lo Pingsha had passed him and strode toward the tent. Meng Xizhou looked at his anxious back and scratched the back of his head. ¡°What exactly happened? Why is Little Lo so anxious?¡± Lo Pingsha did not even wait for the news to spread before he lifted the curtain and rushed into the tent. In the tent, two civil officials were questioning Duke Lang. ¡°It¡¯s already sote and there are deep mountains and forests around. Where can the inspector go? Did something happen to him? Why isn¡¯t His Highness willing to send someone to look for him? Aren¡¯t you worried about the inspector¡¯s safety at all?¡± Xiao Juan had already changed out of his bloodstained clothes. This time, he was wearing a loose ck inner shirt. He sat down and wiped his No Return Saber, as if he had not heard the two civil servants¡¯ questions. Xiao Juan¡¯s gaze immediately changed greatly. ¡°Why are you here? Didn¡¯t I ask you to stay in the Imperial Capital to protect Niaoniao?¡± Lo Pingsha nced at the two civil servants, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated. Xiao Juan understood and immediately asked the two civil servants to leave. The two civil officials were already very dissatisfied with Duke Lang¡¯s cold attitude. Now that they saw that he wanted to chase them away, they were immediately even angrier. ¡°Prince Lang, the inspector¡¯s whereabouts are still unknown. Are you really indifferent?!¡± ¡°If anything happens to the inspector, who will bear the responsibility? You?!¡± Xiao Juan nced at them coldly and said in a cold voice, ¡°Since you want to know where the inspector is so badly, I¡¯ll tell you the truth. The inspector has been killed by me.¡± The two civil officials were shocked. ¡°What?! How dare you kill an official of the Imperial Court? Do you want to die?!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The inspector and the bandits faked an imperial edict and wanted to kill me. Shouldn¡¯t he be killed?¡± The two civil officials refused to believe Xiao Juan. ¡°What right do you have to say that the inspector faked an imperial edict? What evidence do you have?¡± Xiao Juan narrowed his eyes slightly, his eyes revealing a hint of danger. ¡°You¡¯re so biased towards the inspector. Are you in cahoots with him?¡± The two civil servants subconsciously blurted out, ¡°Of course not!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Then shut up and get out!¡± The two civil officials were about to argue when the No Return Saber in Xiao Juan¡¯s hand swept over. They felt a chill on their heads and subconsciously raised their hands to touch them. Their neat buns had been cut off, and their hair fell. The two of them were shocked and afraid. They trembled and could not even say aplete sentence. Xiao Juan said, ¡°If you say another word, I won¡¯t cut off your hair next time, but your heads. Get lost!¡± The two civil servants were frightened out of their wits and almost scrambled out of the tent. Seeing that there were no outsiders around, Lo Pingsha spoke. ¡°Something happened to the Princess Consort!¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s gaze immediately darkened. ¡°Tell me in detail.¡± Lo Pingsha exined how the old emperor had sent someone to take Yu Niaoniao away in the middle of the night. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know why the emperor took the Princess Consort away, from the looks of it, nothing good will happen. The Princess Consort seems to know that she¡¯s doomed this time, so she specially asked me to bring people from the Regional King¡¯s Mansion to join His Highness.¡± Outsiders might not know the reason, but Xiao Juan knew very well that the old emperor must have sensed that his secret had been known, so he sent someone to kill him. At this moment, something had probably happened to Niaoniao. The more Xiao Juan thought about it, the more anxious he became. He immediately ordered someone to call Meng Xizhou over and instructed. ¡°Next, you¡¯ll lead the team and continue to escort the food to Liaodong County.¡± Meng Xizhou hurriedly asked, ¡°What about you? Where are you going?¡± Seeing Meng Xizhou¡¯s confused expression, Lo Pingsha exined concisely what had happened in the Langjun Imperial Pce. Meng Xizhou was worried. ¡°The emperor has already wanted to kill you. You¡¯ve just settled those guys who tried to kill you. If you return to the Imperial Capital, won¡¯t you be walking into a tiger¡¯s den?¡± Lo Pingsha also said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go back with you?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s attitude was very settled. ¡°No, you have to send the food to Liaodong County as soon as possible. Tang Guixi and the others are still waiting for this batch of food to save their lives. If you don¡¯t deliver the food in time, the 300,000 Eastern Expedition Army will be trapped to death. This matter cannot be dyed. You will set off tomorrow morning!¡± Meng Xizhou and Lo Pingsha were still a little hesitant. They all understood the logic, but they were really worried about letting Duke Lang return to the Imperial Capital alone. Xiao Juan emphasized, ¡°Now, the only people I can trust are the two of you. If you don¡¯t help me send the food to Liaodong County, I really don¡¯t know who to count on.¡± This was the first time Duke Lang had spoken to them in such an almost pleading tone. Meng Xizhou and Lo Pingsha could no longer refuse and could only reply with red eyes, ¡°I promise you.¡± Xiao Juan instructed, ¡°When others ask tomorrow, tell them that I have something to do and have to leave for a while. The route to escort the food has already been decided. You just have to continue ording to the predetermined route.¡± Meng Xizhou and Lo Pingsha nodded in unison. ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao Juan quickly packed his luggage, carried his bag, and strode out. Meng Xizhou and Lo Pingsha sent him off eagerly. They all Imew very well that the road ahead was dangerous. Duke Lang was taking a risk. They did not know if they would see each other again in the future. Xiao Juan mounted his horse and said to Meng Xizhou and Lo Pingsha. ¡°All of you, go back.¡± Meng Xizhou wiped his tears. ¡°Your Highness, you must save the Princess Consort safely.¡± Lo Pingsha said, ¡°After we send the food to Liaodong County, we¡¯ll rush to meet you immediately.¡± Xiao Juan nodded slightly. ¡°Yes, goodbye!¡± As soon as his voicended, he raised his whip. Dark Cloud immediately raised its hooves and rushed out.. Chapter 600 - 600: Threat Chapter 600: Threat Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniaoy in bed for three days, but her condition did not improve. At first, Shen Zhuo thought that the doctor¡¯s medical skills were not exquisite enough. He changed several doctors for her, but it was useless. Almost every doctor said that she had caught a cold and that it was not serious. As long as she took medicine on time and rested well, she would recover in three to five days. But tne trutn was tne opposite ot wnat tne doctors nad said. Not only did Yu Niaoniao not show any signs of getting better, but her illness also became worse. This made Shen Zhuo suspicious. He called Huan¡¯er over and asked her carefully about her words and actions over the past three days. Huan¡¯er told him everything she knew. Shen Zhuo said, ¡°Are you saying that every time she takes medicine, she lets all of you out?¡± Huan¡¯er nodded. ¡°Yes, Miss Yu said that she didn¡¯t like anyone watching her when she drank the medicine, so she asked us all to go down. When I entered the house again, she had already finished the medicine in her bowl.¡± Hearing this, Shen Zhuo had an idea. He ordered someone to boil a bowl of medicine, then personally carried it into the bedroom. Yu Niaoniaoy weakly on the bed. Her face was as pale as paper and looked very thin. Shen Zhuo sat down by the bed and helped Yu Niaoniao up with one hand. ¡°Come, drink your medicine.¡± Yu Niaoniao turned her head away. ¡°Put the medicine down. I can drink it myself. ¡± Shen Zhuo did not force her and followed her instructions to ce the medicine bowl on the small table by the bed. Yu Niaoniao reached out and picked up the medicine bowl, but she did not drink it. Instead, she said to Shen Zhuo. ¡°Get out.¡± Shen Zhuo said warmly, ¡°I¡¯ll stay here with you. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± Yu Niaoniao put down her bowl. ¡°I can¡¯t drink like this.¡± Shen Zhuo smiled and picked up the bowl of medicine again. ¡°Let me feed you.¡± Yu Niaoniao frowned. ¡°What do you want?¡± Shen Zhuo¡¯s expression was still gentle, but his words were very domineering. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. I want you to drink medicine. You can only get better after drinking medicine.¡± Yu Niaoniao pursed her lower lip. ¡°You don¡¯t have to pretend in front of me. I know what you want to do.¡± Shen Zhuo pretended to be interested and asked, ¡°Oh? Then tell me, what do I want?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You spent so much effort treating me. You¡¯re afraid that I would die, because you wanted to know where the charred corpse went from me, right?¡± Shen Zhuo asked, ¡°What if I say no?¡± Yu Niaoniao clearly did not believe him. ¡°Can you swear that you don¡¯t want to know where the charred corpse went from me? That charred corpse concerns your father¡¯s status. If you don¡¯t find that charred corpse, you and your father won¡¯t be at ease for a day.¡± Shen Zhuo let out a long sigh, looking helpless. ¡®Yes, I do want to know the whereabouts of that charred corpse, but I really want you to recover.¡± The corners of Yu Niaoniao¡¯s mouth twitched as she sneered. ¡°If I die of illness, you¡¯ll never know where that charred corpse is hidden.¡± Shen Zhuo frowned slightly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t want to say it. I won¡¯t force you. You don¡¯t have to joke about your health.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll still believe you?¡± Shen Zhuo felt very powerless. ¡°I¡¯ve lied to you before, but I¡¯ve never thought of hurting you. My feelings for you have never changed. Can¡¯t you trust me a little more?¡± Yu Niaoniao thought of the past when she was young. The memories of them being childhood sweethearts really existed. Except that everything had changed. She said slowly, ¡°In my heart, the old Brother Junzhi is long dead. The person in front of me now is the Crown Prince of the Dayan Dynasty, Shen Zhuo.¡± Shen Zhuo¡¯s hand trembled slightly as he held the medicine bowl. The medicine in the bowl rippled. He felt bitter. A deep sense of powerlessness wrapped around him, as he was clueless about what to do with the woman in front of him. He closed his eyes and suppressed the chaotic emotions in his heart. When he opened his eyes again, they were clear. Shen Zhuo enunciated each word clearly. ¡°I took the risk to save you. Your life already belongs to me. Without my permission, you can¡¯t die even if you want to.¡± Yu Niaoniao turned her head away and looked elsewhere, ignoring his words. Shen Zhuo said, ¡°You only have two choices now. Either you drink the medicine obediently, or I¡¯ll tap your acupuncture points and feed you mouth to mouth.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately turned her head around and red at him fiercely. ¡°Aren¡¯t you disgusting?!¡± Shen Zhuo was not angry at being scolded. In fact, he was a little happy. Compared to her hopeless look, she was a little livelier when she was angry and looked more vivid. Shen Zhuo handed over the medicine bowl and asked again. ¡°Which one do you choose?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°From the moment I stepped into the pce, I was prepared to die. There was no need for you to save me.¡± Shen Zhuo did not like to hear her say such things. He frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you still want revenge? If you die, what will happen to your parents¡¯ grudge? Are you going to give up just like that?¡± Yu Niaoniao said coldly, ¡°This is my business. It has nothing to do with you.¡± Shen Zhuo sent the medicine bowl to her again. ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to forcefully feed you medicine, drink it yourself.¡± Yu Niaoniao took the medicine bowl. ¡°I can drink the medicine, but you have to agree to one condition.¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°Other than letting you go, you can name any other conditions. ¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If I remember correctly, it¡¯s the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday the day after tomorrow. At that time, the pce will hold a grand birthday banquet. I want to join in the fun.¡± Shen Zhuo looked at her inquiringly. ¡°What are you thinking now?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked innocent. ¡°I¡¯ve already been captured by you. What else can I do? Besides, there are so many imperial guards in the pce. I¡¯m a weak woman who doesn¡¯t know martial arts at all. I¡¯m no match for them at all. I just want to join in the fun. I promise I won¡¯t do anything.¡± Shen Zhuo did not believe a word she said. Although this girl did not know martial arts, she often had unexpected ideas. Not only would the civil and military officials be present on the day of the birthday banquet, but there would also be foreign envoys. If anything went wrong at the birthday banquet, no one would be able to clean up the mess. Shen Zhuo rejected Yu Niaoniao¡¯s request. ¡°No, just stay here obediently. You¡¯re not going anywhere.¡± Yu Niaoniao pretended to pour out the medicine in her bowl. Shen Zhuo quickly grabbed her wrist. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Since you don¡¯t agree to my conditions, I won¡¯t drink the medicine. Let me die of illness.¡± Shen Zhuo reprimanded in a low voice, ¡°Stop fooling around!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t you know martial arts? You can tap my acupuncture points, but I can promise you that as long as you dare to tap my acupuncture points, I¡¯ll immediately bite my tongue andmit suicide. If you don¡¯t believe me, try it!¡± After saying that, she deliberately bit her tongue with her teeth, clearly threatening him. Shen Zhuo was really helpless against her now. ¡°Father thinks you¡¯re dead. If Father finds out that I brought you to the pce for a banquet, the consequences will be very serious.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then I don¡¯t care. Anyway, I know you must have a way.¡± Shen Zhuo sighed helplessly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll promise you..¡± Chapter 601 - 601: You Can ‘t Escape Chapter 601: You Can ¡®t Escape Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Two days passed in a sh. On the day of the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday, Yu Niaoniao specially woke up early. Huan¡¯er helped her wash up and dress up. Then, she followed Shen Zhuo out. Before leaving, Yu Niaoniao secretly stuffed a small note into her sleeve. She had to find an opportunity to send the note outter so that Xiao Juan would know her current situation. Although she had already told Lo Pingsha to follow Xiao Juan to Liaodong County and repeatedly reminded him not to return to the Imperial Capital, However, she knew very well that Xiao Juan would not do as she said obediently. Once he knew that she was in danger, even if he knew that there was a mountain of des and a sea of mes ahead, he would still jump in without hesitation. Therefore, she guessed that he would definitely return to the Imperial Capital. She had to be prepared in advance, in case Xiao Juan really believed that she was dead after returning to the capital. After boarding the carriage, Shen Zhuo took out a small porcin bottle from his sleeve. He took a small pill from the porcin bottle and handed it to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Eat it.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not move. ¡°What is this?¡± Shen Zhuo had no intention of hiding anything and said directly, ¡°This is the Bone Softening Pill. After you take it, you¡¯ll feel weak all over. This is to prevent you from causing trouble during the birthday banquet. After the birthday banquet ends and you leave the pce, I¡¯ll give you the antidote.¡± The reason he did this was partly to be safe and partly to test Yu Niaoniao and see if she was really up to no good. If she really had ill intentions, she would definitely not be willing to take the Bone Softening Pill. Under Shen Zhuo¡¯s gaze, Yu Niaoniao took the pill and threw it into her mouth without hesitation. Seeing her being so straightforward, not only did Shen Zhuo not rx, but he also became even more puzzled. What was the woman thinking? Yu Niaoniao appeared to be amenable. ¡°What other requests do you have? Tell me everything.¡± Shen Zhuo took off the veiled hat hanging on the wall of the carriage and instructed solemnly. ¡°Put this on. Don¡¯t take it off before you leave the pce. If anyone sees your appearance, the news that you¡¯re still alive will leak. At that time, Father will definitely want to kill you again.¡± Yu Niaoniao took the veiled hat and put it on her head. Long white gauze draped down, covering her face tightly. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Is that okay?¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to follow you. After entering the pce, you have to be obedient. Don¡¯t think about running. You can¡¯t escape.¡± Yu Niaoniao chuckled. ¡°Heh.¡± Her voice was filled with mockery. Shen Zhuo was not angry. His expression was still gentle. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know why you insist on entering the pce today, as long as it¡¯s what you want, I¡¯ll try my best to satisfy you. I hope you won¡¯t let me down.¡± Yu Niaoniao ignored him. She turned her head and reached out to push open the car window. The cold wind blew in with snow. The gauze curtain under the veiled hat fluttered in the wind. Shen Zhuo reached out and closed the carriage window with a force that allowed no resistance. ¡°You¡¯ve just recovered. You can¡¯t stand the cold wind anymore.¡± Vil Niaoniao chuckled again- The carriage moved slowly, swaying slightly. Shen Zhuo looked at her and asked. ¡°I¡¯m concerned about you. What¡¯s so funny?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You¡¯re always like this. In order not to let me be killed by the emperor, you put me under house arrest. In order not to let me fall sick from the cold, you didn¡¯t allow me to open the window. You think you did everything for my own good, but you never asked me what I really wanted.¡± Shen Zhuoshun questioned, ¡°Then what do you really want?¡± ¡°Freedom.¡± Shen Zhuo looked helpless. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me before why I chose Xiao Juan? How are you worse than Xiao Juan? Now I can tell you that Xiao Juan will respect my wishes. Even if what I do might make him unhappy, he will still choose to endure for me. This is because he cares more about my feelings than his own emotions.¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°That¡¯s because he already has you. He knows that your heart is firmly tied to him. Even if he lets go, you won¡¯t leave. But I¡¯m different. Once I let go, I might lose you forever.¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. If it were Xiao Juan, he would be sad if he knew that the person I loved was someone else, but he would never force me, let alone put me under house arrest and force me to take any Body Softening Pills.¡± Back then, when Xiao Juan found out that she had a motive for deliberately approaching him, he mistakenly thought that she had no feelings for him. He was very disappointed and angry, but he did not take any extreme measures against her. He even took the initiative to retreat, keeping a distance from her at all times and never crossing the line. This was the greatest difference between Xiao Juan and Shen Zhuo. No matter what Xiao Juan thought, he would never force Yu Niaoniao. It was not the case with Shen Zhuo. Compared to Niaoniao¡¯s feelings, he was more concerned about his gains and losses. Shen Zhuo did not know the past between Niaoniao and Xiao Juan. He felt that the reason Niaoniao said this was because she liked Xiao Juan, so in her heart, Xiao Juan was good no matter what. And whatever he did, it was bad in her eyes. Shen Zhuo said slowly, ¡°If you can treat me like you treated Xiao Juan, I¡¯ll naturally let you go. At that time, you can go wherever you want. I¡¯ll never restrain you.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t like you at first¡­¡¯ Shen Zhuo¡¯s gaze changed at this moment. His thin lips moved slightly as if he wanted to say something. However, he was interrupted by Yu Niaoniao¡¯s next words. ¡°But that good impression was personally destroyed by you. You used me first, but now you want me to be loyal to you.¡± ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve gone too far?¡± Every word stabbed urately into Shen Zhuo¡¯s heart like a knife. Shen Zhuo¡¯s thin lips pursed into a straight line and he could no longer speak. A long silence hovered in the carriage. The carriage drove for a long time before finally stopping in front of the pce gate. At this moment, many officials had already gathered in front of the pce gate. It had snowed all nightst night. Although the snow on the ground had been swept clean in advance, it was still a little wet and slippery when stepped on. Shen Zhuo entered the pce first, and Yu Niaoniao was left in the carriage. After the officials in front of the pce gate left, the carriage carried Yu Niaoniao along the pce wall and entered the pce through another side door. When she got out of the carriage, she found herself being sent backstage to the opera troupe. Behind her was a eunuch and a pce maid. Shen Zhuo had specially arranged these two people. They were both hidden experts. Not only did they have to protect Niaoniao¡¯s safety, but they also had to monitor her every move and not let her cause trouble. Today was Empress Dowager Deng¡¯s birthday. The pce had specially invited a famous opera troupe, nning to perform at noon. There were many people in the theater, and they were all unfamiliar faces. Shen Zhuo arranged for Yu Niaoniao to be among them, so it was very difficult for anyone to notice anything unusual.. Chapter 602 - 602: What a Coincidence! Chapter 602: What a Coincidence! Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao stood up and wanted to walk, but the Bone SofteningPill had already taken effect. All the bones in her body felt as if they had been soaked in vinegar all night. They were sore and soft. Not to mention walking, even standing up was a problem. She could only sit obediently in her chair. This was a small cubicle backstage. The cubicle had no door and was only covered by a curtain. There was a table in front of her. There were some fruits, refreshments, and a small window beside it. She could see the situation on the stage through the window. There was still some time before noon. It was empty, and there was no one below the stage. Yu Niaoniao still refused to give up. It didn¡¯t matter if she couldn¡¯t see. She could still listen. At this moment, there were people everywhere backstage. The opera troupe was busy putting on makeup and dressing up, preparing for the various matters before the performance. Among them were voices, footsteps, and various sounds of moving things. Yu Niaoniao pricked up her ears and carefully distinguished the voice. Soon, she found a familiar voice among the many voices¡ª ¡°Today is the time for our troupe to be famous. Everyone, you have to act wellter. If you act wellter, you will definitely benefit!¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Wasn¡¯t this the voice of that little fatty, Zheng Changle?! So it was Zheng Changle¡¯s opera troupe who came today! She was immediately amused. What a coincidence! Yu Niaoniao was constantly paying attention to themotion outside. When she heard footsteps outside, she pretended to drink tea, but when she picked up her teacup, she deliberately tilted her hand and the tea poured out. She immediately cried out, ¡°Ah! It¡¯s so hot! It hurts!¡± The people passing outside the cubicle immediately stopped when they heard this voice. This person was none other than the young master of the Sky Oriole Opera Troupe, Zheng Changle. Originally, his father should have brought the opera troupe into the pce to perform today, but unfortunately, his father had been sick recently, so he could only take over. Just now, the Crown Prince had sent someone to add a cubicle backstage and even instructed everyone not to approach it, let alone enter it. Although Zheng Changle was curious, he did not dare to ask further. He had just happened to pass by the cubicle and did not expect to hear a woman¡¯s cry from inside. The voice sounded more and more familiar. Zheng Changle involuntarily stopped and wanted to hear more when he saw a eunuch run out of the cubicle. Zheng Changle was shocked and was about to run off when he was stopped by the eunuch. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Zheng Changle could only stop and say respectfully, ¡°What can I do for you, Eunuch?¡± The eunuch raised his chin slightly. ¡°Go prepare a clean dress.¡± Zheng Changle took the opportunity to ask, ¡°Do you want to change your Miss¡¯s clothes?¡± The eunuch said coldly, ¡®You shouldn¡¯t ask so much!¡± Zheng Changle shrank his neck resentfully. ¡°Yes.¡± He turned dejectedly and walked away. After a while, he returned with a clean dress. He raised his hand and wanted to knock on the door frame of the cubicle first, but on second thought, he retracted his hand and lifted the curtain to stride in. ¡°Eunuch, I brought you the dress!¡± The eunuch and pce maid in the room were shocked. The pce maid hurriedly took a step forward and stood in front of Yu Niaoniao. The eunuch scolded Zheng Changle angrily. ¡°How dare you barge in without permission? Do you know your status? You¡¯re just amoner. If you offend a noble, can you bear the responsibility? Get out!¡± Zheng Changle was still young and thin -skinned. After being scolded like this, he immediately blushed. He wanted to retort, but he could only hold it in. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. I¡¯ll leave now.¡± He ced the dress on the table and prepared to turn around and leave. Yu Niaoniao suddenly stopped him. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Hearing this familiar voice, Zheng Changle was finally sure that the other party was the Princess Consort of Lang County! He looked up instinctively. Yu Niaoniao reached out and nudged the pce maid in front of her. ¡°I haven¡¯t even spoken. Why are you arguing?¡± The pce maid apologized, but her body still stood rooted to the ground, unwilling to move. Yu Niaoniao could only put her hands on the arms of the chair and twist her body with difficulty. She craned her neck and stuck her head out from behind the pce maid. She looked at the stunned Zheng Changle and smiled. ¡°Little fatty,e here for a moment. I have something to tell you.¡± Zheng Changle really wanted to ask why the Princess Consort of Lang County was here. However, he sensed that the pce maid and eunuch beside him had strange expressions, so he tactfully chose to shut up and obediently walk up to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Yu Niaoniao pointed at the teacup on the table. ¡°I identally spilled the tea just now. Make me another cup. Also, prepare a few books to relieve my boredom.¡± Zheng Changle hurriedly replied, ¡°I¡¯ll do it now.¡± With that, he left the cubicle. The eunuch then left, leaving the pce maid in the cubicle to help Yu Niaoniao change her clothes. Soon, Zheng Changle returned. He put the hot tea and storybook he had just made on the table and asked, you have any other instructions?¡± Yu Niaoniao pointed at the clothes on the stool beside her. ¡°That¡¯s my clothes that I identally wet just now. Please take it down and help me clean it up.¡± The pce maid suddenly said, ¡°You should take your clothes back and let your own people wash them.¡± Yu Niaoniao nced at her. ¡°Are you teaching me how to do things?¡± The pce maid lowered her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking for you.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Even your Crown Prince can¡¯t control me. What right do you think you have to control me? Do you think you¡¯re stronger than His Highness?¡± The pce maid turned pale with fear and hurriedly knelt down. ¡°I definitely didn¡¯t mean that!¡± Yu Niaoniao snorted softly, then looked at Zheng Changle. ¡°Why are you still standing there?¡± Zheng Changle hurriedly reached out and picked up the stack of dresses. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± He hugged the dress and quickly ran out of the cubicle. He didn¡¯t stop until he had run a long distance. Recalling what had happened in the cubicle just now, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that something was wrong. The Princess Consort of Lang County clearly knew him. Why did she pretend not to know him? At that moment, a small note fluttered down from the dress in his arms. Zheng Changle immediately bent down and picked up the small note. There were only two lines written on it¡ª There was a change in the pce. Leave the pce quickly and inform Duke Lang about this! Zheng Changle was shocked. Was something about to happen in the pce? Was she serious? After thinking about it, he decided to believe the Princess Consort of Lang County for once. The troupe was ordered to enter the pce to perform. It was impossible to cancel the performance at thest minute. Zheng Changle could only leave the opera troupe in the pce to perform as usual, while he found an excuse to leave the pce alone. At the same time, Xiao Juan finally returned to the Imperial Capital after traveling day and night.. Chapter 603 - 603: Looking for Her Chapter 603: Looking for Her Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan had disguised himself and sneaked into the city without attracting anyone¡¯s attention. He quietly returned to the Langjun Imperial Pce and found that it had been searched haphazardly. Even the soil in the garden had been dug up. From the looks of it, someone was looking for something. Xiao Juan thought for a moment and guessed that the emperor was probably looking for the charred corpse. However, Yu Niaoniao had not hidden the charred corpse in the Langjun Imperial Pce at all. The person sent by the emperor could only return empty-handed. Then, Xiao Juan secretly went to the Yu Residence. Today, the pce was holding a birthday banquet. Yu Kangtai had entered the pce early in the morning, leaving only Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping at home. They were shocked to see Duke Lang suddenly appear. Yu Sheng said, ¡°Your Highness, didn¡¯t you go to Liaodong County? Why are you here?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I came back secretly to do something. I hope you won¡¯t tell anyone.¡± After seeing the siblings nod in agreement, Xiao Juan continued to ask. ¡°Have you seen Niaoniao recently?¡± The siblings shook their heads, indicating that they had never seen him. Yu Pingping could not help but ask, ¡°Why do you ask? Did something happen to Sister?¡± Xiao Juan did not want them to worry, so he lied, ¡°It¡¯s fine. She¡¯s fine now. Have there been any strange things going on in your family recently?¡± Yu Sheng thought for a moment and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing special recently. The emperor once sent someone to our house and said that he was looking for something very important. Those people searched our house, but they didn¡¯t find anything. I asked them what they were looking for, but they told me not to ask too much. Brother-inw, what¡¯s going on?¡± Xiao Juan knew very well that the charred corpse was a thorn in the emperor¡¯s heart. As long as he did not find the charred corpse, the emperor would not bepletely at ease. The emperor could not find the charred corpse in the Langjun Imperial Pce, so he sent someone to the Yu Residence to look for it. Unfortunately, he still returned empty-handed. Xiao Juan had no intention of exining. Instead, he reminded him in a low voice. ¡°Hurry up and pack your luggage. When your father returns, leave the Imperial Capital with him. The farther the better.¡± With that, he turned around and left. Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping hurriedly chased after him, wanting to ask for rification. But when they chased him out of the house, they realized that the courtyard was empty. Duke Lang was long gone. After Xiao Juan left the Yu Residence, he was about to enter the pce to take a look when he happened to meet Zheng Changle, who was in a hurry, near the pce. Zheng Changle lowered his head, his legs moving quickly, and he kept muttering. ¡°Duke Lang, where can I find Duke Lang? Princess Consort, you¡¯re making things too difficult for him¡­¡± In the end, because he ran too quickly, he identally bumped into someone. When he looked up and saw his face clearly, he eximed. ¡°Your Highness!¡± Xiao Juan was also very surprised. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Zheng Changle thought to himself that this was too much of a coincidence. It was simply impossible for this to happen! He did not even care about etiquette and hurriedly grabbed Duke Lang¡¯s forearm. ¡°I was just about to look for you! I saw the Princess Consort in the pce just now. She said that there was an ident in the pce and asked me to quickly leave the pce to look for you. Do you know what happened in the pce? Our opera troupe won¡¯t be implicated, right?¡± When Xiao Juan heard this, his heart skipped a beat and he immediately had a bad feeling. He pulled him behind arge tree and lowered his voice. ¡°Calm down. How did you meet the Princess Consort? How is she now? Tell me in detail.¡± Meeting Duke Lang¡¯s dark and deep eyes, Zheng Changle calmed down a little. He recounted his encounter with Yu Niaoniao in detail. Xiao Juan listened carefully and already had an idea. It seemed that Niaoniao had been held hostage by the Crown Prince and would not be able to leave for a while. Fortunately, she was still safe and shouldn¡¯t be in any danger for the time being. Xiao Juan felt a little relieved. As long as she was fine. He instructed solemnly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about the Princess Consort when you get back.¡± Zheng Changle still had a stomach full of questions, but because he was afraid of Duke Lang¡¯s aura, he could only nod obediently. ¡°Yes.¡± Although meeting Zheng Changle was unexpected, this did not change Xiao Juan¡¯s n to enter the pce. He looked up at the towering pce wall with unparalleled determination¡ª ¡°Niaoniao, wait for me.¡± ¡®I¡¯lle and get you home soon!¡¯ When it was almost noon, there were gradually more people below the stage. The old emperor, Empress Dowager Deng, Empress Wen, and the others sat steadily on the main seat in the middle. The others sat down ording to their identities. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s position was very ingenious. From her angle, she could see the entire scene below the stage, but the people below the stage could not see her. She nced over and quickly found the old emperor among the many people. Because she was a distance away, she couldn¡¯t hear what he was saying, but from the looks of it, he seemed to be in good spirits. She had thought that he was terminally ill and incurable. She did not expect his body to improve. This was really in line with the old saying¡ª A good person did not live long, but a scourge lived for a thousand years! Yu Niaoniao suppressed the indignation in her heart and turned to look at Empress Dowager Deng, who was sitting beside the old emperor. As the protagonist today, Empress Dowager Deng was naturally the focus of everyone¡¯s attention. After carefully dressing up, she was really graceful and elegant. Unfortunately, she had not been feeling well recently and did not seem energetic. Other than saying a few words to the old emperor asionally, she barely made a sound. Empress Wen still looked calm and gentle. She was not overly outstanding, but it was impossible to ignore her existence. Further down was Crown Prince Shen Zhuo. He was wearing the ceremonial robe that represented his status as Crown Prince today. He looked even more luxurious and solemn than usual. Even his every move looked exceptionally dignified. He seemed to notice that someone was looking at him. He suddenly turned his head and looked in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s direction. Yu Niaoniao subconsciously dodged to the side. However, she quickly realized that she had done something unnecessary. Shen Zhuo could not see her from that angle. When the auspicious time arrived, the birthday banquet began. First, the dancers went on stage to dance, making the atmosphere warm. Fine wine and delicacies were served like flowing water. The tempting fragrance of food and wine spread in the air, apanied by the melodious sound of bamboo. It was really intoxicating. When the atmosphere was about right, it was time for the birthday gifts to be presented. From the princes and princesses to the civil and military officials, to the foreign envoys, and even the representatives of the aristocratic families everywhere, they all had to go forward to offer birthday gifts. In order to take this opportunity to please the Empress, everyone racked their brains to search for all kinds of rare treasures. Therefore, the birthday gifts presented today were of all kinds. But without exception, they were treasures that money could not buy. The long gift list made Yu Niaoniao sleepy. When the official from the Ministry of Rites read the name Duke Jing, Deng Yuchuan, Yu Niaoniao instantly woke up.. Chapter 604 - 604: Without Looking Back Chapter 604: Without Looking Back Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios She quickly sat up straight and leaned over the window to look forward for a better look. Deng Yuchuan walked slowly to the emperor and Empress Dowager Deng with his walking stick. Usually, Deng Luyun would follow him, but today, he entered the pce alone. There was no one beside him. He knelt down shakily. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty and Empress Dowager.¡± Empress Dowager Deng smiled and said, ¡°Brother, please stand up. We¡¯re all family. There¡¯s no need to be so polite.¡± The old emperor also said, ¡°Someone, take a seat for Uncle.¡± Someone immediately brought a chair over and ced it behind Deng Yuchuan so that he could sit and talk. Deng Yuchuan did not sit down. He was still standing there with his walking stick. His body was a little hunched because of his age. Although the outline of his face was still very firm, his face was already covered in wrinkles of varying depths, and his hair was already gray. He said unhurriedly, ¡°Time passed. I didn¡¯t expect that in the blink of an eye, the Empress Dowager and I had already reached the age of sixty.¡± Queen Mother Deng sighed. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re all old.¡± Empress Wenforted her at the right time. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t say that. You look very young.¡± The others echoed, praising the Empress Dowager for still being very young. Empress Dowager Deng knew in her heart that everyone was coaxing her, but she still smiled. Who in this world didn¡¯t like to hear good things? She was naturally no exception. The guards walked up with a heavy mahogany box. They ced therge box on the ground and stood it up ording to Deng Yuchuan¡¯s instructions. The official from the Ministry of Rites read the words on the gift list slowly. ¡°From Duke Deng Yuchuan, a Jade Buddha!¡± Empress Dowager Deng was a Buddhist all year round. At this moment, she still had a string of green jade prayer beads on her wrist. Hearing this, she could not help but look expectant. ¡°So Brother gave me a jade Buddha. ¡± The old emperor looked at therge mahogany box and smiled. ¡°Looks like this jade Buddha should be quite big. Open it quickly and let me broaden my horizons.¡± Deng Yuchuan declined the help of others. He walked over with his cane and used the key he carried to open the copper lock. Then he slowly opened the lid of the box. The contents of the mahogany box were revealed to everyone. Tm The atmosphere of the birthday banquet froze. It turned out that what was in the mahogany box was not a jade Buddha, but a charred corpse! Shen Zhuo was the first to react. He stood up and shouted sternly, ¡°Someone, move this thing down!¡± Deng Yuchuan reached out and pressed his hand on the mahogany box. His voice was very loud. ¡°Seeing how anxious His Highness is, I¡¯m sure you already know the background of this charred corpse. ording to seniority, you should call him grandfather.¡¯ As soon as these words were spoken, the entire venue was in an uproar! The old emperor¡¯s face turned ashen. ¡°Deng Yuchuan, do you know what you¡¯re doing?!¡± Empress Dowager Deng looked at the charred corpse in a daze, her expression gradually turning to panic. She couldn¡¯t believe she would see that man again in this situation after so many years. The scenes from back then appeared in her mind again. Those were nightmares she would never want to remember. Yu Niaoniao watched this scene quietly, recalling what had happened six days Before she left the Imperial Capital with everyone from the Langjun Imperial Pce, she secretly ordered someone to send the charred corpse to the Deng Residence and handed it to Old Master Deng. She had originally nned to disguise herself and sneak into the Deng family¡¯s team to attend the banquet after sending everyone from the Langjun Imperial Pce away. Unexpectedly, something unexpected happened. The emperor suddenly found out about the charred corpse and she was urgently summoned to the pce. What happened after that was beyond her control. She could no longer follow the n and could only ce her hopes on Deng Yuchuan. Before this, Yu Niaoniao had made many assumptions. The worst oue was that Deng Yuchuan gave up on taking revenge for his sister and chose to destroy the evidence to protect himself and the entire Deng family. Everyone was selfish. If Deng Yuchuan really did that, Yu Niaoniao had noone to me. She had no choice but to ept her fate. What transpired did not disappoint her. Deng Yuchuan did not retreat, let alone give up. Even though he knew that there was a dead end ahead, he still did not hesitate. As Yu Niaoniao looked at Deng Yuchuan¡¯s slightly hunched figure, her heart surged. Even if time was heartless, even if the dead had long turned to bones, there were still people in this world who remembered them. There were still people who would bravely advance for them. The imperial guards rushed towards Deng Yuchuan aggressively, nning to take him down on the spot. Deng Yuchuan took out the lighter unhurriedly and blew gently. Sparks flew. He moved the match closer to the mahogany box and nced at the Imperial Guard. ¡°Thepartment in this box is filled with gunpowder. As soon as I light the fuse, the gunpowder will explode immediately. Everyone present will be blown away.¡± The imperial guards took a closer look. There was indeed a thin fuse at the corner of the mahogany box. As long as Deng Yuchuan¡¯s hand moved forward a little, the match would ignite the fuse. Immediately, everyone retreated in fear, not daring to act rashly. The old emperor was furious. ¡°Are you crazy?! Not only was Deng Yuchuan not crazy, but he was even calmer than ever. He realized that someone was trying to sneak away and immediately spoke loudly. ¡°Now, please do your best and listen to a story quietly. When the story is over, I¡¯ll naturally leave you here. However, if anyone acts rashly before that, I¡¯ll immediately light the fuse.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, those who wanted to escape immediately did not dare to move and could only sit back obediently. Empress Wen barely maintained herposure. ¡°If the explosives are detonated, you won¡¯t be able to escape.¡± Deng Yuchuan said, ¡°Since I¡¯ve done this, I¡¯m prepared to die.¡± Shen Zhuo endured it again and again, but in the end, he could not help but turn to look at Yu Niaoniao again. From his angle, he could only see a small window and not Yu Niaoniao at all. At this moment, he finally understood why Yu Niaoniao insisted on entering the pce to attend the birthday banquet today. She must have known Deng Yuchuan¡¯s n long ago. Perhaps she was part of this n! Shen Zhuo pursed his lips and clenched his fists in his sleeves. He tried his best to suppress the anger in his heart. After a long time, Queen Mother Deng found her voice with difficulty. ¡°Brother, why are you doing this? We¡¯re clearly family. Can¡¯t we sit down and talk things out? Why did you make things like this? If something happens to me and the emperor, not only you, but the entire Deng family will suffer. Even if you don¡¯t think for yourself, you should think for your descendants.¡± Deng Yuchuan asked, ¡°Do you really treat me as family?¡± Empress Dowager Deng said, ¡°Of course¡­¡± Deng Yuchuan interrupted her. ¡°What about Li Niang? Did you treat her as family again?¡± Hearing the name Li Niang, Empress Dowager Deng¡¯s face instantly turned pale.. Chapter 605 - 605: Life and Death Chapter 605: Life and Death Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios At this moment, a prince suddenly asked. ¡®Who¡¯s Li Niang?¡± Crown Prince Shen Zhuo immediately looked in the direction of the voice and realized that the person who spoke was his uncle, Prince Jia. This time, the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday was very grand. Not only did many envoys from the neighboring countriese, but even many princes far away came. Prince Jia was one of them. Deng Yuchuan seemed to be waiting for Prince Jia¡¯s question. Almost as soon as Prince Jia finished speaking, Deng Yuchuan quickly gave an answer. ¡°Li Niang is the biological sister of my mother. She and the current Empress Dowager are also sisters. Back then, the sisters entered the capital together to participate in the talent show. In the end, Li Niang was disfigured and forced to leave her hometown. She drifted for many years and finally died in a foreign ce. Before she died, she left a letter and told the entire truth about her being plotted against by her biological sister.¡± Everyone present was shocked. Many guesses involuntarily appeared in their minds. In an instant, everyone¡¯s expressions kept changing. As one of the parties involved, Empress Dowager Deng felt like she was in an ufortable situation, and her expression became even uglier. Prince Jia looked puzzled. ¡°In your words, could it be that Li Niang¡¯s death is rted to the Empress Dowager? That¡¯s unlikely. The Empress Dowager has always been very benevolent. How can she be so ruthless to her own sister?¡± The old emperor mmed the table. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?! ¡± The cups, bowls, and tes on the table trembled. Even the hearts of everyone present skipped a beat. Prince Jia also seemed frightened and bent down in fear. ¡°Your Majesty, calm down. I spoke nonsense.¡± Then, he turned to look at Deng Yuchuan and reprimanded with a dark expression. ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense without evidence. The Empress Dowager is the mother of a country. Everyone knows that she¡¯s benevolent. How can you nder her with a few words?!¡± Deng Yuchuan said loudly, ¡°Who said I don¡¯t have evidence? This charred corpse beside me is evidence! Back then, the first person Imperial Concubine Meng liked was Li Niang. After she wanted Li Niang to enter the pce, Deng Yuluo was jealous and deliberately plotted to disfigure Li Niang and snatch her chance to enter the pce. Li Niang was unwilling to be schemed against just like that, so she plotted against Deng Yuluo and plotted for her to have an affair with another before she got married¡­¡¯ ¡°Shut up!¡± The old emperor stood up angrily and roared at the top of his lungs. ¡°Nonsense! It¡¯s all nonsense! Someone, drag this lunatic down and tear him into pieces!¡± However, the imperial guards did not dare to move. They were all afraid of the box of gunpowder. Deng Yuchuan looked like he had really risked everything. He could not be afraid of death, but the others had to be. Empress Dowager Deng seemed to recall the scenes back then. Her hands hidden in her wide sleeves were clenched into fists, and her lips, which had been smeared with lip fat, were pursed into a straight line. She was clearly the legitimate daughter of the first wife. Be it looks or talent, she was not inferior to her sister. However, outsiders felt that her sister¡¯s status was more precious than hers and their attitude towards her was clearly more respectful. Even her father valued her sister more, let alone her brother. He only had Li Niang in his eyes and did not take her seriously at all. She hated such a sister. She even hoped more than once that she would not have such a sister! Actually, she had a man she liked back then, but in order topete with her sister, she took the initiative to abandon that rtionship and follow her sister to the Imperial Capital. She wanted to use this opportunity to prove to everyone that she was more outstanding than her sister and deserved to be valued! She tried her best to perform, but Imperial Concubine Meng seemed to be blind and fell for her sister at a nce. Once her sister entered the pce, she would be a high and mighty empress. And she could only go home with her tail between her legs as a loser. How would she face her parents then? And the lover she had abandoned would definitelyugh at her, right? If she took a step forward, she would be rich. If she took a step back, she would have nothing. Who could resist such temptation? Deng Yuluo could not resist. In the end, she still used the most despicable method to disfigure her sister. When she saw her sister crying in despair while covering her unrecognizable face, she actually felt guilty. She thought that when she became empress, not only would she bring glory to the family, but she would also find a good family for her sister. It did not matter even if she lost her beauty. Her sister was the legitimate daughter of the Deng family and had a sister who was the empress. Her husband¡¯s family would probably not dare to underestimate her. She could still live well for the rest of her life. Deng Yuluo thought about it again and again. After thinking too much, she believed in her own rationalization. Even thest bit of guilt disappeared. Unfortunately, reality did not go as nned. Li Niang did not admit defeat obediently as she had expected. Not only that, but Li Niang also schemed against her. She had underestimated Li Niang¡¯s temper. Even if she had to fight to the death, Li Niang would let her have a taste of living a life worse than death. What happened that night became a nightmare that Empress Dowager Deng did not want to remember for the rest of her life. Even though her parents had sent someone to smooth things over and help her bribe the people in the pce tasked to check the concubines¡¯ bodies so that she could bluff her way through, she still felt afraid. She was afraid that the matter would be exposed and the truth would be known. Especially on the night of the wedding. She was trembling with nervousness and almost couldn¡¯t hold back from telling the truth. Fortunately, in the end, logic prevailed. She gritted her teeth and endured. Perhaps God was helping her too. The emperor was in a good mood that night. He had drunk a lot before entering the bridal chamber and was no longer sober. Deng Yuluo took the opportunity to pour him a few more sses of wine. While he was drunk, she pretended to consummate her marriage with him. The next day, the emperor woke up and forgot most of what had happened on his wedding night. He thought that he had already slept with the empress, so he did not think too much about it. The matter was closed. All these years, Deng Yuluo had been careful with her words and actions. She took every step in the pce. Not only did she stabilize her position as the empress of the Central Pce, but she also let her son inherit the throne. And she had also be Empress Dowager Deng, the most respected woman in the entire Dayan Dynasty. Now that she had gray hair, her life hade to an end. She thought she would have no regrets in her life, but the secret that had been sealed for years was suddenly revealed. The past she had deliberately forgotten came flooding back. The intense uneasiness and fear almost engulfed her. Empress Dowager Deng stared fixedly at the charred corpse, thinking that the secret she had hidden for many years was about to be made public. She felt her vision darken and a fishy sweetness well up in her throat. She opened her mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood. Then, she closed her eyes and fainted. The old emperor was anxious. He wanted to rush over, but because he moved so much, he identally bumped into the corner of the table. The cups on the table were knocked over, and tea spilled all over the ground. ¡°Imperial physician! Call the imperial physician!¡± Chapter 606 - 606: Echoing Each Other Chapter 606: Echoing Each Other Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The imperial physicians rushed to the event location. They were all shocked by the situation at the event location, but they tacitly chose to shut up and not ask. After an emergency rescue, Empress Dowager Deng slowly woke up. The old emperor called anxiously, ¡°Mother!¡± Empress Dowager Deng, however, seemed unwilling to face reality. She closed her eyes again and remained silent. The old emperor immediately said, ¡°Send the Empress Dowager back quickly. Today¡¯s birthday banquet is over!¡± How could Deng Yuchuan let him have his way? He immediately said. ¡°Are the Empress Dowager and the emperor trying to escape?¡± The old emperor red at him. ¡°I¡¯m upright. Why should I escape?!¡± Deng Yuchuan said, ¡°In that case, Your Majesty, please cooperate with me to verify. This charred corpse is the person who slept with the Empress Dowager back then. Although he¡¯s dead, his corpse is still there. There¡¯s an ancient saying that blood can be used to test one¡¯s family. This method can also be used on bones. If Your Majesty is really a descendant of the orthodox royal family, the blood will definitely not seep into the corpse. However, if Your Majesty and this charred corpse are father and son, Your Majesty¡¯s blood can seep into the corpse.¡± The old emperor tly refused. ¡°It¡¯s all nonsense! With my status, how can I listen to your orders? Don¡¯t lie to the public anymore!¡± Prince Jia looked at the imperial physicians and asked curiously. ¡°Is it true that kinship can be tested with a drop of blood?¡± The imperial physicians looked at one another. No one dared to answer. Seeing this, what else did everyone not understand? A blood test should be true, but the imperial physicians did not dare to say anything because of the emperor¡¯s might. Prince Jia pondered for a moment as if he had made up his mind. He rolled up his sleeves to reveal his forearm and spoke like a generous warrior. ¡°The emperor¡¯s dragon body is noble. How can it be tested casually? Why don¡¯t you let me try it first and see if the blood test is true?¡± With that, he picked up the knife used to slice meat on the table and gently cut his forearm. Blood slowly overflowed and dripped into the bowl. He handed the bowl of blood to Deng Yuchuan. Deng Yuchuan did not hesitate. He immediately cut the skin of the charred corpse with a knife, revealing the bones inside. Then, he slowly dripped the blood onto the bones in front of everyone. Viscous red bloodnded on the bones and slid down them. There were no signs of integration. Seeing this, Prince Jia said half-jokingly, ¡°Looks like I¡¯m not rted to this charred corpse!¡± Then, he looked at the Crown Prince, the Third Prince, and the Fourth Prince. Finally, his gaze stopped on the Fourth Prince. Ever since he broke his head from drinking too much, the Fourth prince had be a fool. In order not to let him embarrass himself outside, the emperor did not allow him to go out. He could only stay in the prince¡¯s residence forever in an nrrnnopnnpnt that nn diffprpnt frnn-n nrrpct Today was the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday. The emperor wanted to gather the family for a reunion, so he made an exception and got someone to bring the Fourth Prince into the pce. Seeing Prince Jia look at the Fourth prince, the hearts of the old emperor and Shen Zhuo skipped a beat. Anyone with a brain would not get involved in Deng Yuchuan¡¯s matter at this time. However, the Fourth prince was now a brainless person. As expected, in the next moment, they heard Prince Jia speak amiably. ¡°The emperor¡¯s dragon body is precious and is indeed not suitable for a blood test. However, Deng Yuchuan is certain and has brought evidence. If we can¡¯t give a clear exnation, I¡¯m afraid it will tarnish the emperor¡¯s reputation. In more serious cases, it might shake the foundation of the country. The Fourth Prince has always been very filial. I believe the Fourth Prince will be happy to take the emperor¡¯s ce in the blood test, right?¡± The Fourth Prince grinned foolishly. ¡°Hehehe, sure.¡± Shen Zhuo immediately stopped him. ¡°Fourth Brother¡¯s situation is special now. Prince Jia is an elder. Why bully an insensible junior?¡± Prince Jia looked at him. ¡°Your Highness, do you mean you¡¯re willing to set an example and test your legitimacy on behalf of the emperor? Actually, it¡¯s fine. Anyway, you¡¯re all the emperor¡¯s biological sons. Any one of you can test this on behalf of the emperor. As long as you can tell everyone with actual evidence that you have nothing to do with this charred corpse, everything Deng Yuchuan said will be nonsense.¡± Then, he looked at the civil and military officials present. His gaze paused on the older cab ministers and he said meaningfully. ¡°The royal orthodoxy can¡¯t be confused. I¡¯m sure you want the truth, right?¡± The elders quietly exchanged nces. After a long time, they spoke vaguely. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not impossible to try. Treat it as an exnation to the world, in case anyone talks nonsense about this in the future.¡± The old emperor stared hard at Prince Jia. All these years, Prince Jia had not been well-behaved. He had secretly umted money and trained his troops. His ambition was not small. But because he was far away in his fief, the old emperor could not touch him. This time, the old emperor used the excuse of the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday to recall Prince Jia to the Imperial Capital so that he could take this opportunity to detain Prince Jia in the capital and prevent him from returning to his fief. He would then send someone else to take over his money and troops andpletely take him over. Unexpectedly, before the old emperor could do anything, Prince Jia attacked first. When Prince Jia and Deng Yuchuan echoed each other just now, it was obvious that they had alreadymunicated. These two must have connected in private. Deng Yuchuan wanted to seek justice for his sister, and Prince Jia wanted to take this opportunity to stab the old emperor. Both sides took what they needed. The old emperor was so angry that his heart ached. His condition, which had already improved, seemed to show signs of being aggravated again. He endured his illness and tried his best to maintain hisposure. The more tumultuous it was, the calmer he had to be. He was no longer the young boy who had just be emperor. After so many years in a high position, he understood many things. Deng Yuchuan and Prince Jia¡¯s alliance was for benefit. Then as long as he offered greater benefits, the alliance between them would be broken. Without Prince Jia¡¯s help, Denz Yuchuan could only rely on one arm. The Fourth Prince sat foolishly on the spot and let Prince Jia roll up his sleeves. When the knife cut through the flesh, the pain made the Fourth Prince struggle. Prince Jia coaxed him kindly, ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯ll be done soon. Uncle will give you candyter.¡± Hearing that there was candy to eat, the Fourth Prince¡¯s struggles decreased slightly. At this moment, the old emperor called Shen Zhuo in front of him and whispered in his ear. Shen Zhuo nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± He quietly left the birthday banquet event location and rushed to the study. He wrote an imperial edict ording to his father¡¯s instructions and stamped it with a jade seal that represented imperial power. After doing this, he folded the imperial edict and stuffed it into his sleeve. When he rushed back to the birthday banquet event location, he happened to see Prince Jia give the porcin bowl containing blood to Deng Yuchuan. Shen Zhuo immediately whispered a few words to the young eunuch beside him and handed over the imperial edict hidden in his sleeve. A momentter, the young eunuch carried the tray to Prince Jia and knelt on both knees. He raised the tray over his head with both hands and spoke respectfully. ¡°His Highness¡¯s wound is still seeping blood. There¡¯s fabric and medicine here.. Do you need me to bandage it for you?¡± Chapter 607 - 607: Extinguished Chapter 607: Extinguished Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Prince Jia was on guard. ¡°No need.¡± The young eunuch continued, ¡°This is a handkerchief specially prepared for you by His Highness. Please use it.¡± Only then did Prince Jia notice that there seemed to be something pressed under the handkerchief on the tray. Deng Yuchuan sensed themotion here. He stopped what he was doing and turned to look at the young eunuch. Seeing that there was a basin of clear water and a handkerchief on the tray and nothing special, he looked away and continued with his business. Prince Jia looked at Deng Yuchuan, who was focused on dripping blood, and hesitated for a moment. In the end, he extended his hands and soaked them in a basin of water. He casually washed them with warm water and picked up a handkerchief to wipe his hands. After the handkerchief was picked up, the bright yellow silk cloth hidden under it was revealed. Prince Jia recognized at a nce that this was the tribute silk used by imperial edicts. He subconsciously nced at the old emperor in the high seat, only to see him staring at him unblinkingly. He looked like he was expecting him to open it quickly. Prince Jia was also really curious. He wanted to know what the old emperor was up to. Therefore, he pretended to be fine and calmly picked up the bright yellow silk handkerchief. He turned around and turned his back to Deng Yuchuan. He unfolded the silk and nced at it. Soon, he finished reading the description. This was an imperial edict for a reward. The person rewarded was Prince Jia. The pmernr was willing in allocate all the areas north of the river in Prince Tia Prince Jia could recruit soldiers at will in his fief and the Imperial Court would no longer question. This was arge river that ran through the middle of the Dayan Dynasty. If he gave the area north of the river to Prince Jia, it would be equivalent to giving a Dayan Dynasty to him. Without a single soldier or blow, he could take down half of the country. The temptation was too great. Even Prince Jia, who was mentally prepared, could not hold it in. He had hoarded a lot of troops, money, and food over the years. Actually, it was mainly to protect himself. The older the old emperor got, the more suspicious he became. One prince after another was killed by him in various ways. Prince Jia was very worried that it would be his turn in the next moment. He thought of ways to station troops and build up his strength in secret. If the old emperor wanted to attack him, he would fight him to the death. When he found out that the emperor had issued a decree to summon him to the capital to celebrate the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday, Prince Jia guessed that the old emperor probably wanted to take the opportunity to attack him. He might not return this time. However, he could not openly resist the decree. He could only instruct his eldest son before he left. Once something happened to him in the capital, Prince Jia¡¯s Mansion would immediately mobilize. Prince Jia was prepared for the worst. Unexpectedly, not long after he entered the capital, Deng Yuchuan came looking for him. The two of them used to be old acquaintances. The two families had even had a marriage alliance and were quite familiar with each other. When Deng Yuchuan told him his n, Prince Jia agreed to join almost without hesitation. To Prince Jia, this trip to the capital was a narrow escape. Instead of waiting for death, he might as well take a risk. If he was lucky, he might be able to turn the tables. The two of them clicked and decided to deal with the old emperor together. But now, Prince Jia had received an olive branch from the old emperor. That was the temptation of half a country! Who wouldn¡¯t be tempted? Prince Jia resisted the urge and weighed the pros and cons in his heart. Now there were two choices before him. Firstly, he could ept the emperor¡¯s reward. He could easily obtain half a country without spending a single soldier. From then on, he could be on equal footing with the old emperor and no longer have to endure the distress of being afraid. Secondly, he would reject the emperor and continue to cooperate with Deng Yuchuan. When the truth was exposed, the Imperial Court would definitely be in chaos. The old emperor would not be able to protect himself and would definitely not have time to care about anything else. Meanwhile, he could take advantage of the chaos to leave the Imperial Capital and return to his fief. Then, he would mobilize his troops in the name of protecting the orthodox lineage of the royal family and seize a ce in the chaotic world. No matter how one looked at it, the former was more attractive. Not only was fighting a war expensive, but it also took time and effort. It was thest resort. It was a desperate choice. Now that he had a better choice, there was no need for him to take this risk. Unknowingly, the scales in his heart had been tipped to one side. At the same time, Shen Zhuo ordered someone to send a secret letter to the old cab ministers. Deng Yuchuan was so focused on the blood test that he did not notice the subtle changes at the scene. When he saw the blood slowly seeping into the bones, the weight in his heart was suddenly lifted. It seemed that what Yu Niaoniao said was true. A blood test was indeed feasible! Their n had worked. Deng Yuchuan immediately shouted at Prince Jia, ¡°Look, the Fourth Prince¡¯s blood has seeped in!¡± Prince Jia quickly crumpled the imperial edict into a ball and stuffed it into his sleeve. He quickly walked to the charred corpse. He craned his neck over and squinted at it for a long time, his face uncertain. ¡°Did it really seep in? Why can¡¯t I see clearly?¡± Deng Yuchuan was stunned. He hurriedly said, ¡°It clearly seeped in. Take a closer look!¡± Prince Jia replied, ¡°Then I¡¯ll take a look again.¡± After a moment, he still shook his head, looking very helpless. ¡°Aiya, I¡¯m old. My eyes really can¡¯t take it anymore. I can¡¯t see clearly. Why don¡¯t you get someone else to take a look?¡± With that, he retreated with his hands in his sleeves. Deng Yuchuan looked at him in disbelief. ¡°How did you¡­¡± This was different from what they had agreed on! Previously, Prince Jia had clearly promised him that he would help himplete today¡¯s n. But why had Prince Jia¡¯s attitude suddenly changed? Deng Yuchuan had a bad feeling. Shen Zhuo took the opportunity to stand up and say, ¡°Since Prince Jia can¡¯t see clearly, let the elders take a look. The elders are highly respected and are the trusted aides of our Dayan. Their words will definitely be reliable.¡± The elders were pushed out and could not refuse. They could only brace themselves and walk forward. Deng Yuchuan tilted the body slightly so that they could see the blood seeping into the bones. However, the elders seemed to be blind and shook their heads. When Yu Niaoniao, who had been sitting backstage and watching, saw this scene, she finally could not help but stand up. ¡°They¡¯re lying through their teeth to tell bald-faced lies!¡± She wanted to rush out and confront the lying men. In the end, she was stopped by the eunuch and pce maid who had been watching her. Deng Yuchuan was angry and anxious. ¡°How can you lie through your teeth? The Fourth Prince¡¯s blood clearly seeped in!¡± The elders were a little embarrassed. But at this point, that was all they could do. Deng Yuchuan turned to look at the others present and saw that everyone was looking at him as if he was a liar. Shen Zhuo said unhurriedly, ¡°You insisted on a result. Now that it¡¯s out, it turns out that everything you said is fake. Father has nothing to do with this charred corpse. ¡± Deng Yuchuan trembled with anger. ¡°You¡¯re in cahoots and deliberately distorting the truth! I won¡¯t let you seed. The heavens are clear. You¡¯ll all suffer retribution!¡± With that, he was about to light the fuse. However, just as he extended the lighter, countless sharp arrows shot over from above. They pierced through Deng Yuchuan¡¯s body urately. Deng Yuchuan did not even have time to make a sound before he fell straight into a pool of blood. The match in his hand fell to the ground, soaked in spreading blood. Thest me waspletely extinguished. Along with them was the hope in the hearts of Deng Yuchuan and Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao struggled desperately, but she was weak. She could only be pressed to the ground by the pce maid and was unable to move. Her mouth was also tightly covered by the pce maid¡¯s handkerchief.. Chapter 608 - 608: For Her Own Good Chapter 608: For Her Own Good Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Deng Yuchuan¡¯s corpse was dragged down and the blood on the ground was quickly cleaned up. As for the charred corpse that made the old emperor feel like a fishbone was stuck in his throat, it was also pulled away by the Imperial Guards to be destroyedpletely, leaving no trace. Although the farce was over, no one was in the mood to continue drinking. The birthday banquet had to end hastily. When Xiao Juan arrived, Yu Niaoniao was already gone. Before he could be disappointed, he saw a small pearl by the foot of the table. He picked up the pearls and looked at them. They must be the beads on the woman¡¯s head. For some reason, one of the small beads fell. Although the pearls were small, from the color and shape, they should be tributes from the South Sea. As long as it was a tribute, there would definitely be a record in the Internal Affairs Department. Xiao Juan gripped the pearl tightly and rushed to the Imperial Attendant Province. In order not to be discovered, he disguised himself as the Imperial Guards and carefully avoided the gazes of others. He quietly sneaked into the Internal Affairs Province. As he had expected, he quickly found records on the South Sea pearls in the register. These pearls were all rewarded to the concubines in the harem. The empress took the lion¡¯s share, and the empress rewarded the crown prince with the portion of pearls she had obtained. Xiao Juan paused for a moment at the word Crown Prince, already having an idea. He reced the register, turned, pulled open the window, and jumped out. As soon as hended, he saw an acquaintance standing under the porch. Wei Liao crossed his arms and leaned against the pir, looking boneless andzy. He looked at Xiao Juan with a faint smile and asked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Duke Lang be on his way to Liaodong County at this time?¡± Xiao Juan frowned slightly and asked, ¡°When did you arrive?¡± Wei Liao teased, ¡°I just arrived and happened to see Duke Lang sneak into the Internal Affairs Division. Why? Is Duke Lang nning to be a thief?¡± Xiao Juan did not know what the other party¡¯s attitude was, so he did not answer and only looked at him warily. Wei Liao stood up slightly. ¡°What are you looking for here, Duke Lang?¡± Xiao Juan was silent for a moment before telling the truth. ¡°Niaoniao is gone. I¡¯m looking for her.¡± Hearing Niaoniao¡¯s name, the smile on Wei Liao¡¯s face faded. ¡°She¡¯s not here. Duke Lang is in the wrong ce.¡± Xiao Juan keenly found the key point in his words and quickly asked. ¡°Do you know where Niaoniao is?¡± Wei Liaoughed at himself. ¡°How can I know where she is?¡± Then, he sized Xiao Juan up and said in a gloating tone. ¡°If the emperor sees Duke Lang like this, guess what his reaction will be?¡± Xiao Juan was silent. Of course he knew. If the emperor found out that he had quietly returned to the Imperial Capital, he would definitely fly into a rage and take this opportunity to punish him severely. At that time, not to mention his status, even his life would be lost. Wei Liao pretended to be thinking seriously. ¡°How about this? If you promise to give Niaoniao to me, I won¡¯t leak the secret that you returned to the capital on your own. How about that?¡± Unexpectedly, just as he finished speaking, the No Return Saber in Xiao Juan¡¯s hand was unsheathed. The sharp de cut through the wind and arrived in front of him in the blink of an eye! A sharp killing intent attacked like an avnche. Wei Liao retreated in fear. He touched his head, which had almost been struck by the No Return Saber. A strand of cut hair slowly fell. Wei Liao eximed with an exaggerated expression of lingering fears, ¡°No way? I was just joking. Do you have to be so ruthless?¡± Xiao Juan held the No Return Saber in his hand and looked at him coldly. ¡°Was it really just a joke?¡± Wei Liao put down his hand and sighed. ¡°Do you have to be so straightforward? No wonder so many people in the court hate you. With your bad temper, who can like you?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°As long as Niaoniao likes it.¡± Wei Liao choked hard. He gritted his teeth and said hatefully, ¡°She was blind!¡± There were so many good men in the world. Why did she have to like this stubborn bastard in front of him? Xiao Juan was still thinking about Niaoniao¡¯s safety and was not in the mood to waste time with him. He sheathed his saber. ¡°Let me ask you onest time. You really don¡¯t know where Niaoniao went?¡± At the mention of serious matters, Wei Liao¡¯s expression became a little more serious. ¡°It¡¯s useless even if we know where she is. It¡¯s impossible for you to snatch her back alone.¡± ¡°Taking a step back, even if you could snatch it back, you could not protect her. If you really want what¡¯s best for her, let go. Don¡¯t let her take any more risks with you.¡± Towards the end, he sounded more serious than ever. It was obvious that he meant it. However, Xiao Juan did not seem to understand what he meant. He said expressionlessly, ¡°Is she at the Crown Prince¡¯s ce?¡± Wei Liao frowned. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already guessed it, you should know I¡¯m right.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Xiao Juan said this and turned to leave. Seeing that he did not know what was good for him, Wei Liao was furious. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m scaring you. With your current situation, you can¡¯t even protect yourself, let alone protect Niaoniao. Now, only the Crown Prince can protect her in the entire Dayan Dynasty. I¡¯m doing this for her own good!¡± Xiao Juan stopped in his tracks. He said without looking back, ¡°The emperor killed Niaoniao¡¯s stepfather. Shen Zhuo is the son of the person who killed her father. Do you really think she¡¯ll be willing to live with Shen Zhuo?¡± Wei Liao couldn¡¯t answer. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Besides, how do you know I won¡¯t be able to protect her?¡± With that, he strode away. Wei Liao stood rooted to the ground and watched him quickly leave. He held back for a long time before saying something. ¡°Fool! It was unknown if he was scolding Xiao Juan or himself. Yu Niaoniao was sent back to the courtyard. She sat motionless in her chair and stared nkly at the corner. Her usually bright and pure eyes were gray at this moment. It was as if her entire world had lost its color. Huan¡¯er specially asked the kitchen to make many delicious dishes and ce them in front of Yu Niaoniao, but it was useless. Yu Niaoniao did not even look at them. After that, Huan¡¯er thought of many ideas, but she still could not make Yu Niaoniao say a word. When Shen Zhuo returned, Huan¡¯er quickly went up to him as if she had seen her savior. ¡°Your Highness, Miss Yu hasn¡¯t spoken or eaten since she returned. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± Shen Zhuo waved his hand. ¡°You can leave first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Huan¡¯er obediently retreated. Only Yu Niaoniao and Shen Zhuo were left in the dim room. Shen Zhuo walked to the table and fiddled with the wick of the candle, making it brighter. Even the room was much brighter. He looked at Yu Niaoniao¡¯s pale face and reached out to touch her hand. But she dodged. Shen Zhuo looked helpless. ¡°I¡¯ve already done what I promised you.. Why are you still angry with me?¡± Chapter 609 - 609: Winner Takes All Chapter 609: Winner Takes All Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Shen Zhuo looked like he was coaxing a petnt child. But Yu Niaoniao was not a child. She was not throwing a tantrum. She enunciated each word. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Shen Zhuo sat down in front of her and smiled. ¡°What don¡¯t you understand?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Why did Prince Jia change sides on the spot? And why did a few cab ministers help you refer to a deer as a horse?¡± There were no outsiders here. Shen Zhuo did not hide anything and generously gave an answer. ¡°Father gave Prince Jia an imperial edict and allocated all the areas north of the river to him. As long as he epted the imperial edict, he would be able to obtain half of the Dayan Dynasty.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°I see. What about those old cab ministers?¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°Gave them what they wanted. If they want money, we¡¯ll give it to them. If they want power, we¡¯ll give it to them.¡± Yu Niaoniao mocked, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me everyone is blinded by greed?¡± Back then, the reason why she nned to reveal the truth at the birthday banquet was because she knew that although not all the officials in the court were reliable, there was nock of loyal and straightforward people. As long as that portion of people knew the truth, they would not let the old emperor continue to fool the world. Shen Zhuo smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right. There are two stick-in-the-muds. Threats and temptations are useless against them. Compared to their personal interests, they care more about the livelihood of the world. Therefore, I told them that if Deng Yuchuan exposes the truth in front of everyone, it will definitely cause chaos in the court. At that time, the nobles everywhere will take the opportunity to rise up, and the neighboring countries will take the opportunity to invade. Internal and external problems will erupt at the same time, and the entire Dayan Dynasty will copse. The mes of war will be smeared, and the people will live in misery. This is a result that no one wants to see.¡± Yu Niaoniao said hoarsely, ¡°So theypromised?¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°In order to protect the peace of the world, they¡¯re willing to be evil people for once.¡± Yu Niaoniao seemed to have heard a funny joke andughed softly. ¡°Heh, in that case, I look more like an evil person. I ignored the world for my personal grudge. How detestable am I?¡± Shen Zhuoforted her gently. ¡°You¡¯ve actually done very well. I almost fell into your trap.¡± He was telling the truth. He really did not expect Niaoniao to do that at the birthday banquet. Unfortunately, she had miscalcted the human heart. Everyone had seven emotions and six desires. Even those loyal and straightforward people would have things they cared about. Yu Niaoniao clenched her fists. ¡°The winner takes all. I lost this time. You can kill or torture me as you please.¡± Shen Zhuo smiled. ¡°Let this matter go. We¡¯ll forget about it and start over.¡± As he spoke, he wanted to hold Niaoniao¡¯s hand again. However, Yu Niaoniao shook him off again. Shen Zhuo did not stop there. Instead, he ignored Yu Niaoniao¡¯s resistance and held her hand tightly. ¡°I know you¡¯re indignant. I promise you that there will be a reasonable exnation for the deaths of your mother and stepfather. I won¡¯t let you suffer for nothing. You just have to wait a little longer.¡± Yu Niaoniao would not believe a punctuation mark of what he said. No matter how hard she tried, she could not break free from Shen Zhuo¡¯s hand. She was angry and anxious, and her eyes were filled with hatred. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for us! Not in this life, not in the next! Give up!¡± Her words pierced Shen Zhuo¡¯s heart like a knife. Shen Zhuo was furious and could not help but raise his right hand. ¡°Shut up!¡± Yu Niaoniao did not dodge. Her red eyes were wide open in anger, like an injured little beast that had been forced into a corner and still refused to admit defeat. Shen Zhuo¡¯s hand stopped in midair. In the end, he could not bear to hit her. He retracted his hand weakly. ¡°Niaoniao, why can¡¯t you be more obedient? As long as you¡¯re obedient, I can promise you anything.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Including letting me go?¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°You know this won¡¯t do.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him cynically. Shen Zhuo said, ¡°But I can help you do other things, such as protecting your family. Although you didn¡¯t appear directly this time, Father can guess that you were the mastermind. Now that Deng Yuchuan is dead, Father won¡¯t do anything to the Deng family for the sake of the Empress Dowager, but your family won¡¯t be so lucky. Father will definitely vent his anger on your family.¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped talking. She had originally thought that the n would seed. The emperor could not even protect himself. He should not be in the mood to cause trouble for the Yu family. But now that the n had failed, the oue waspletely different. After a long time, Yu Niaoniao spoke. ¡°What are your conditions?¡± Shen Zhuo said warmly, ¡°I said that I just want you to be obedient.¡± Yu Niaoniao took a deep breath and tried her best to suppress the hatred and unwillingness in her heart. She squeezed out a word with difficulty. ¡°Okay.¡± Shen Zhuo smiled, his eyes filled with tenderness. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely do what I promised you.¡± When Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping heard Duke Lang¡¯s words, they immediately began to get someone to pack up. As soon as their father returned home, they pulled him away. However, Yu Kangtai was unwilling to leave. He felt that Duke Lang¡¯s words could not be trusted and strongly condemned his unauthorized return to the caDital. If not for the fact that Duke Lang was his son-inw, he would have personally entered the pce toin! The siblings could not persuade their father. Just as they were feeling anxious, they saw a group of masked people rush into the Yu Residence. Without a word, they knocked Yu Kangtai, Yu Sheng, and Yu Pingping out and carried them away. Not long after they left, the imperial guards arrived at the Yu Residence with the emperor¡¯s order. They were here on orders to capture Yu Niaoniao¡¯s family. In the end, they were told that they were toote. Yu Kangtai, Yu Sheng, and Yu Niaoniao had already been abducted. Night fell. In the courtyard, Yu Niaoniao looked at the table full of delicacies, but she had no appetite. Shen Zhuo picked up a piece of fresh fish and ced it in her bowl. ¡°Eat quickly. It won¡¯t taste good when it gets cold. Be good.¡± He emphasized thest word ¡°good.¡± When it stopped in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s ears, there was a hint of threat. She had no choice but to pick up her chopsticks, pick up the fish, and put it in her mouth. The fish was delicious, but it tasted like chewing wax in her mouth. She repeated the chewing mechanically. Shen Zhuo said as he picked up some food for her, ¡°After dinner, I¡¯ll take you to see someone.¡± Yu Niaoniao was not interested in what he said and did not respond. After dinner, they walked along the promenade for a while before stopping at the door of the tea room. Shen Zhuo pushed open the door and walked in with Niaoniao. There was a teapot sitting on the small stove, gurgling hot steam. There was a familiar man sitting at the table. Yu Niaoniao could not help but be stunned when she saw that person. ¡°Father?¡± Yu Kangtai had been waiting here for a long time. When he saw the Crown Prince appear, he hurriedly stood up and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± Then, he looked at Niaoniao, unable to hide the surprise in his eyes. ¡°Why are you here?¡± His gaze paused on the Crown Prince¡¯s hand holding Niaoniao¡¯s, and his expression became even stranger.. Chapter 610 - 610: Real Father Chapter 610: Real Father Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios At the tea table, Yu Niaoniao and Shen Zhuo sat side by side. Yu Kangtai sat opposite them. Shen Zhuo reached for the teapot and poured tea into a cup. He pushed the first cup of hot tea in front of Yu Niaoniao. ¡°This tea has a calming effect. Drink some. You can have a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± Yu Niaoniao picked up her teacup in silence and took a token sip. Yu Kangtai watched their interaction and looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated. Actually, when they were sent to this courtyard, someone had already exined the situation to Yu Kangtai. Yu Kangtai, who had just found out the truth, was naturally shocked. He even suspected that he was dreaming. Otherwise, why would there be such a ridiculous thing in the world? But now that the Crown Prince was sitting in front of him, he had no choice but to believe it. Shen Zhuo finished his tea and gently put down his teacup. ¡°I know you must have a lot to talk about. Coincidentally, I have something to do. Take your time.¡± With that, he stood up and left the tea room. As soon as he left, Yu Kangtai asked impatiently. ¡°Niaoniao, what¡¯s going on between you and the Crown Prince? Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re a married woman now. You can¡¯t do anything against the rules!¡± Yu Niaoniao said expressionlessly, ¡°I have nothing to do with the Crown Prince.¡± Yu Kangtai was unconvinced. ¡°Really?¡± He had been there before, so he could naturally tell that the Crown Prince¡¯s attitude towards Niaoniao was very unusual. Yu Niaoniao did not want to say this. She forcefully changed the topic. ¡°Are Yu Sheng and Pingping okay?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all fine.¡± Speaking of this, Yu Kangtai could not help but feel a lingering fear. ¡°Initially, I heard from Duke Lang that there was a change in the pce and he wanted us to leave the Imperial Capital quickly. I didn¡¯t expect it to be true. Fortunately, the Crown Prince sent someone to take us away in time. Otherwise, we would probably be dead now.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly asked, ¡°You saw Duke Lang?¡± Yu Kangtai answered truthfully, ¡°No, Ah Sheng and Pingping met Duke Lang. He came to our house this morning, but he left not long after. I was attending the birthday banquet in the pce at that time and did not meet him.¡± Yu Niaoniao pursed her lips, as her heart was filled with worry. Xiao Juan had indeed returned. What an idiot! He hade back knowing that he would put himself in danger. Yu Kangtai was also worried. However, what he was worried about waspletely different from Niaoniao. He looked at his daughter in front of him and spoke sternly. ¡°Do you know how much trouble you caused today? You made the Empress Dowager vomit blood and turned the entire pce upside down. Even our family was almost implicated by you!¡± Yu Niaoniao lowered her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She did not think she had done anything wrong, but she had indeed almost implicated the rest of the Yu family. She felt guilty for not thinking it through carefully. Seeing that she was admitting her mistake with a good attitude, Yu Kangtai softened his tone slightly. ¡°It¡¯s good that you know your mistake. Don¡¯t do such a stupid thing again. Now that Deng Yuchuan is dead, this matter is over. Forget about the past.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked up at him quietly. Yu Kangtai felt ufortable under her gaze. He touched his cheek. ¡°Why are you looking at me? Is there something on my face?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Does Father think I did something wrong too?¡± Yu Kangtai said without hesitation, ¡°Of course you were wrong! It¡¯s simply a huge mistake. It¡¯s ridiculously wrong! Since ancient times, no woman has been as bold as you. You actually dared to cause a scene at the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday banquet. Do you know that the Dayan Dynasty almost had a war because of your willfulness!¡± Yu Niaoniao was silent for a long time before saying those words. ¡°My mother and stepfather died in vain. I want justice for them.¡± Yu Kangtai said, ¡°They¡¯re already dead. The dead can¡¯t be revived! So what if you get justice? Don¡¯t be too naive!¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him in a daze. ¡°But that¡¯s my biological mother and your former wife.¡± It didn¡¯t matter if others didn¡¯t understand her, but why didn¡¯t her father understand her either? Could it be that he really had no feelings for Madam Xie at all? Yu Kangtai subconsciously avoided her gaze. ¡°Niaoniao, you can¡¯t live in the past forever. You have to look forward.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°I can¡¯t do it. They¡¯re my closest rtives. I¡¯ll never forget how they died.¡± Yu Kangtai could not take it anymore. He pped the tea table and reprimanded sternly. ¡°Yu Niaoniao, wake up! They¡¯re already dead! Are you going to ignore our lives for two dead people?!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°But they¡¯re my mother and father¡­¡± Yu Kangtai roared angrily, ¡°I¡¯m your father! Feng Lianghan is just your stepfather. He¡¯s just an outsider. We¡¯re the family connected by blood. You should really care about us!¡± Yu Niaoniao slowly shook her head. ¡°No, in my heart, Feng Lianghan is the real father.¡± Yu Kangtai was stunned. He thought he had misheard and could not help but ask. ¡°What did you say?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Although I¡¯m not Feng Lianghan¡¯s biological child, he treats me as his own. He gave me all his fatherly love. In order to protect me, he and Mother even sacrificed their lives. In my heart, he¡¯s the greatest father in the world.¡± Yu Kangtai looked at her as if she were crazy. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not answer the question. ¡°I don¡¯t think I did anything wrong. If I could do it all over again, I would still choose to expose the truth.¡± Yu Kangtai pointed at her and muttered, ¡°Crazy. You¡¯re really crazy.¡± Yu Niaoniao said stubbornly, ¡°Just pretend I¡¯m crazy.¡± Yu Kangtai was angry and hateful. He was afraid that if he stayed here any longer, he would not be able to help but p this unfilial daughter twice. He suppressed his anger and stood up. ¡°If the Crown Prince hadn¡¯t sent someone to take us away, your siblings and I would have been dead by now. If that was the case, do you think you¡¯re wrong?¡± Yu Niaoniao was silent. Yu Kangtai said, ¡°You only see the dead in your eyes, but you don¡¯t think about us, the living people, at all. With a cold-blooded and heartless daughter like you, I might as well not have one.¡± With that, he left with a dark expression. When he reached the door, he suddenly heard a voice behind him. ¡°Mother was pregnant before she died.¡± Yu Kangtai stopped. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°She was burned alive with a child. I often think about how much Dain she was and how indignant she was before she died.¡± Yu Kangtai did not turn around. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You can forget her, but I can¡¯t.¡± Yu Kangtai left. In the end, only Yu Niaoniao was left in the quiet tea room. She looked at the cold tea in front of her and suddenly felt lonelier than ever. Everyone felt that she had done something wrong. Even her biological father was not on her side. Was she really wrong? Should she pretend like everyone else that nothing had happened? Chapter 611 - 611: Don’t Worry, I’m Her Chapter 611: Don¡¯t Worry, I¡¯m Her Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Creak¡ª It was the door being pushed open. Yu Niaoniao thought it was Shen Zhuo. She lowered her head and wiped her tears. ¡°Can you leave me alone for a while?¡± Footsteps approached slowly, and a hand rested gently on her shoulder. ¡°Niaoniao, it¡¯s me.¡± The familiar voice made Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart flutter. She looked up sharply at the man standing in front of her, her eyes wide and round. She eximed in disbelief. ¡°Ah Juan! ¡± Xiao Juan raised his right hand and ced his index finger to his lips, shushing her. ¡°Shh, lower your voice.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly stood up and threw herself into his arms. She hugged his waist tightly and pressed her face against his chest, like a tired bird returning to its nest, greedily absorbing the warmth of his body. She had never needed him as desperately as she did now. Xiao Juan did not say anything and hugged her quietly. After a long time, Yu Niaoniao found her senses. She took a small step back and lowered her voice. ¡°How did you find this ce?¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s whereabouts were not especially secretive. It did not take Xiao Juan much effort to discover this ce. He took Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Let¡¯s get out of here first. We¡¯ll talk about the restter.¡± Yu Niaoniao was worried. ¡°This is Shen Zhuo¡¯s territory. Can we leave?¡± With her understanding of Shen Zhuo, if he discovered Xiao Juan, he would denmtelY not let go ot tms opportumty to Kill mm. Xiao Juan¡¯s voice was filled with determination. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here.¡± This simple sentence was like a calming pill to Yu Niaoniao, making her heart calm down. She held Xiao Juan¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Okay!¡± After experiencing so much, Yu Niaoniao hadpletely lost hope in the hearts of people. Now, the only person she could still trust and rely on was Xiao Juan. Yu Niaoniao had already memorized the terrain of this courtyard. She was in charge of pointing the way, and Xiao Juan was in charge of protecting her. The two of them carefully avoided the patrolling guards. If they really could not avoid them, Xiao Juan would knock them out. Just like that, they sessfully escaped the courtyard. Although it was already night, there was still some time before curfew. There were still vendors setting up stalls on the street. The shops on both sides were still open and looked very lively. It had been a long time since Yu Niaoniao had felt such vigor. She was still in a daze as Xiao Juan led her forward. ¡°Did we really escape? That was too easy.¡± Xiao Juan looked back at her. Under the lights, his face looked exceptionally gentle. ¡°Now we¡¯re free.¡± For some reason, Yu Niaoniao still felt a little uneasy. ¡°Shen Zhuo will soon find out that I¡¯m gone. At that time, he will definitely send people to look for us everywhere. Let¡¯s leave the city as soon as possible.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The city gate is closed now. Let¡¯s stay in the city for the night and leave tomorrow morning. ¡± Although Yu Niaoniao was uneasy, she had no better way. She could only nod in agreement. She originally thought that they were going to stay in an inn, but she did not expect Xiao Juan to bring her to the door of a courtyard. Under the hazy moonlight, Yu Niaoniao saw two words written on the que above the door. Pan Residence. Xiao Juan went forward and knocked on the door. Soon, someone ran to open it. When she entered the courtyard and saw Pan Dafu¡¯s fair and fat face, Yu Niaoniao realized that this was actually Pan Dafu¡¯s house. Pan Dafu and his family were very enthusiastic. Not only did they prepare sumptuous food and wine, but they also tidied up the best room in the house for the two of them to stay. The night deepened. The Pan family was asleep, and the residence became very quiet. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juany on the bed. Xiao Juan told her how he had found her from beginning to end. When Yu Niaoniao heard this, she was both touched and angry. She buried her head in Xiao Juan¡¯s arms andined softly. ¡°I told you not toe back. Why did you run back here stupidly? Do you know how dangerous it is to do this?¡± Xiao Juan hugged her and whispered, ¡°I can¡¯t leave you alone.¡± Yu Niaoniao hugged his waist tightly, like a drowning person hugging a life-saving piece of driftwood; she was unwilling to let go for a moment. Although she was angry at Xiao Juan for running back despite the danger, she was actually very d. Fortunately, he came to her at that moment. Otherwise, she would really have to give up struggling and let herself fall into the abyss, bing a numb puppet controlled by Shen Zhuo. Without realizing it, Yu Niaoniao closed her eyes and fell asleep. In her dream, she returned to the Feng family¡¯s old residence. Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan risked their lives to send her out. She was lucky enough to escape, but Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan were left in the sea of fire. In the monstrous firelight, she could vaguely see twisted figures. Yu Niaoniao wanted to rush over to save them. However, when she rushed into the sea of fire, she saw Yu Kangtai, Yu Sheng, and Yu Pingping. They were covered in blood and struggled to crawl towards Yu Niaoniao, shouting in pain. ¡°Niaoniao, save us!¡± ¡°Niaoniao, we¡¯re also your family. Why did you kill us?¡± ¡°Niaoniao, why are you so selfish?!¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t!¡± Yu Niaoniao woke up from her dream with a shout. Xiao Juan, who was beside her, immediately woke up. He hugged Yu Niaoniao and asked. ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at the top of the bed with wide eyes. At this moment, she already knew that she was dreaming. Those were all fake, but her body was still trembling uncontrobly. Xiao Juan hugged her tighter. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here.¡± After a long time, Yu Niaoniao spoke with difficulty. ¡°I really want to seek justice for Mother and my stepfather, but everyone thinks I did something wrong. They used me of destroying the stability of the world for my own selfish desires.¡± ¡°If one is dead, there is nothing left. I shouldn¡¯t drag everyone down with me for the sake of two dead people.¡± ¡°Ah Juan, did I really do something wrong? Was I really too selfish?¡± Toward the end, her voice had already be choked. Warm hot water rolled down, wetting Xiao Juan¡¯s clothes. There were no lights on in the house, so the light was very dim. Xiao Juan could not see Niaoniao¡¯s expression clearly, but he could clearly feel that the woman in his arms was on the verge of breaking down. Her revenge n, which she had prepared with all her might, ended in failure. Deng Yuchuan, the only one who had stood on the same side as her, died tragically. The evidence was destroyed. Nobody would believe what she said. Even her biological father thought she had done something wrong. She was like a traveler who had trekked a thousand miles on a long snovvy night. There was darkness ahead. The cold and loneliness kept gnawing at her body and mind, making her more and more tired. She really couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Xiao Juan gently stroked her back and whispered in her ear. ¡°Niaoniao, you¡¯re not wrong.¡± His voice was soft, but his tone was extremely firm. ¡°It¡¯s this ruthless world that¡¯s wrong..¡± Chapter 612 - 612: Elimination Chapter 612: Elimination Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao snuggled into Xiao Juan¡¯s broad and warm arms and fell asleep. In the darkness, Xiao Juan raised his hand to her cheek and carefully wiped her tears. Perhaps Niaoniao had already forgotten, but Xiao Juan still remembered that two years ago, on such a night, he had wavered in his actions. He wanted to Imow if what he had done was right. Niaoniao told him without hesitation that he was not wrong. No matter when or where, it couldn¡¯t be wrong to uphold justice. And now he had to convince her that she was right. The truly selfish ones were those who disregarded thews and distorted the truth for their own desires. Xiao Juan got up quietly, put on his clothes, and walked out of the bedroom silently. There were some things he had to exin to Pan Dafu. Usually, everyone would be asleep at this time, but tonight was different. The courtyard was still brightly lit. Everyone in the courtyard was silent. Huan¡¯er knelt on the ground, her face pale and trembling. ¡°I was ipetent and did not take good care of Miss Yu. Please punish me, Your Highness.¡± Shen Zhuo sat in a chair. The stove beside him kept emitting warmth. He did not even look at Huan¡¯er. He looked down at the silver earring in his hand. This was the earring that Niaoniao had identally dropped back then. After he picked it up, he had always carried it with him. Every time he thought of Niaoniao, he could not help but take it out to take a look. Huan¡¯er kept kowtowing and apologizing. Her forehead was bleeding, but the Crown Prince still did not speak. She didn¡¯t know what he meant, but she didn¡¯t dare stop. She could only continue to kowtow. A guard strode in and cupped his fists. ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯ve found them.¡± Only then did Shen Zhuo look away from the silver earring. He said indifferently, ¡°Stand down.¡± Huan¡¯er retreated with the other maidservants as if she had been pardoned. After everyone left, the guard continued. ¡°I followed His Highness¡¯s instructions. Ever since Duke Lang and the Princess Consort left the courtyard, I¡¯ve been secretly following them. I saw them enter the Pan Residence with my own eyes. They¡¯re in the Pan Residence now.¡± Shen Zhuo narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°The Pan residence?¡± The guard exined, ¡°The residence of Pan Dafu. He was originally a chef in the Justice Department. I heard that he has a good rtionship with the Princess Consort.¡± Shen Zhuo understood. ¡°I see.¡± The guard sized up the crown prince¡¯s expression as he spoke carefully. ¡°Your Highness, do you want me to send someone to wipe them out all at once?¡± If he attacked now, he would definitely be able to capture all the people from Unexpectedly, Shen Zhuo rejected his suggestion. ¡°Don¡¯t act rashly for the time being.¡± The guard did not understand. ¡°What if Duke Lang escapes? Duke Lang is really cunning. If I hadn¡¯t received your instructions long ago and had been secretly monitoring the Princess Consort, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to discover his whereabouts. If he escapes, it will be difficult to catch him in the future!¡± Shen Zhuo had a n in his heart. He said calmly, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Let¡¯s wait and see.¡± The guard couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are you waiting for, Your Highness?¡± Shen Zhuo did not answer. Instead, he instructed. ¡°Continue to keep an eye on them. I¡¯ll tell you what to do tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The guard hurried away. It waste, but Shen Zhuo had no intention of going to bed. He changed his clothes, went out, boarded the carriage, and went straight to the pce. As soon as Shen Zhuo walked into the bedroom, a heat wave hit him. The brazier in the room was burning very brightly. In addition, the doors and windows were closed and the aura was not circting. The room was filled with the bitter smell of medicine, making people feel very ufortable. Shen Zhuo only frowned slightly when he entered and returned to normal in the blink of an eye. He did not even have time to take off his cloak before he hurried into the inner room and saw the sick old emperor in bed. Shen Zhuo knelt on one knee by the bed and asked with concern, ¡°Father, isn¡¯t your condition getting better?¡± Wei Huai¡¯en helped the old emperor sit up and exined. ¡°Ever since the birthday banquet ended, His Majesty¡¯s old illness has rpsed. The imperial physicians have already prescribed medicine, but it hasn¡¯t improved.¡± Shen Zhuo hurriedly asked, ¡°What about the Grand Duke from before? Didn¡¯t they say that he would be fine after eating it?¡± Wei Huai¡¯en still shook his head. ¡°He has already eaten it. It¡¯s still useless.¡± Shen Zhuo was anxious. ¡°How could this be? How could this be?¡± The old emperor spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse and weak. ¡°Junzhi, where¡¯s Prince Jia?¡± Shen Zhuo answered truthfully, ¡°As soon as the birthday banquet ended, he left the Imperial Capital at full speed. He should be on his way back to his fief now.¡± The old emperor said, ¡°Send someone to intercept him. Don¡¯t let him return to his fief alive.¡± Although he had already given the imperial edict to Prince Jia, as long as Prince Jia died, the imperial edict would not count. As for Prince Jia¡¯s family, if they dared to cause trouble, they would all die. Shen Zhuo lowered his head and agreed. ¡°I understand.¡± The old emperor panted and continued, ¡°And those old things in the cab, find an opportunity to resolve them all. Other than me, only the dead can know my secrets.¡± Shen Zhuo replied respectfully, ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± The old emperor sneered. ¡°I sent someone to the Yu family, but I was toote. Yu Kangtai and his children had already run away. Did they think that was all right?¡± ¡°Although I can¡¯t find Yu Kangtai for the time being, I know where Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan are buried.¡± ¡°Since they don¡¯t let me have it easy, I won¡¯t let them rest in peace. Send a team to Bashu and dig out the corpses of Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan. I want to burn them to ashes!¡± Shen Zhuo lowered his head even more. ¡°Yes.¡± The old emperor nced at him. ¡°Are you afraid?¡± Shen Zhuo said nothing. The old emperor thought he had tacitly agreed and educated him earnestly. ¡°Junzhi, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless. When you sit in this position in the future, you will understand.¡± ¡°If you wanted to achieve great things, you cannot be soft-hearted, let alone leave something in others¡¯ hands. Anyone who obstructs us has to be eliminated.¡¯ ¡°Leave none alive!¡± Shen Zhuo said seriously, ¡°Thank you for your teachings, Father. I¡¯ll definitely remember it. I¡¯ll send someone to Bashu tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll let everyone remember that anyone who goes against Father will not have a good ending!¡± The old emperor was gratified. ¡°You¡¯re promising.¡± Shen Zhuo begged sincerely, ¡°The country can¡¯t live without a ruler for a day. I can¡¯t live without Father. Please recuperate as soon as possible.¡± No matter how indignant he was, the old emperor had no choice but to recognize the reality. Now, he was no longer able to control the court. If he wanted political stability, he could only give up his power. He said slowly, ¡°I¡¯m old. This country will be yours sooner orter. You have to learn to take charge alone. You can make your own decisions about the court in the future. ¡± With that, he closed his eyes and looked tired.. Chapter 613 - 613: Farewell Chapter 613: Farewell Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Shen Zhuo hurriedly said, ¡°Father, don¡¯t say that. I¡¯m still young. I still have to rely on Father to make decisions for many things.¡± The old emperor sighed. ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± Shen Zhuo tactfully shut his mouth and left obediently. Wei Huai¡¯en walked him to the door of the bedroom. ¡°Take care, Your Highness.¡± Shen Zhuo nced at him. ¡°Take good care of Father. I¡¯ll visit him tomorrow.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en said, ¡°Yes.¡± Shen Zhuo took two steps before suddenly stopping. ¡°By the way, how¡¯s the Empress Dowager¡¯s health?¡± Wei Huai¡¯en answered truthfully, ¡°The Empress Dowager¡¯s condition isn¡¯t too good now. The imperial physician has already tried his best to treat her. Whether she can survive this, in the end, depends on fate. The Empress is currently taking turns with the concubines to take care of her in the Biquan Pce. I hope the Empress Dowager can be safe.¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll go to the Biquan Pce to take a look.¡± He got into the sedan and rode the night to the Biquan Pce. In fact, Wei Huai¡¯en¡¯s words were more optimistic. Empress Dowager Deng¡¯s current situation was already very weak. She could not even say a word. From the heavy expressions of the imperial physicians, it could be seen that Empress Dowager Deng would probably notst long. Shen Zhuo looked at Empress Wen¡¯s red eyes and his heart ached. ¡°Mother, go back and rest first. There are others here to watch. Nothing will happen.¡± Empress Wen took a sip of strong tea and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. You came at the right time. I have something to ask you.¡± The mother and son went to the side hall. When there was no one else around, Empress Wen asked solemnly. ¡°Junzhi, are you hiding something from me?¡± Shen Zhuo lowered his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what Mother is talking about.¡± Empress Wen¡¯s gaze was sharp. ¡°You don¡¯t have to pretend to be stupid. For today¡¯s birthday banquet, you secretly brought Yu Niaoniao into the pce. Do you really think no one knows about this?¡± Shen Zhuo immediately stopped talking. Empress Wen reprimanded in a low voice, ¡°Junzhi, you¡¯re muddle-headed! Now that the emperor and Empress Deng are sick, no one will notice your cheap shots for a while. That¡¯s why you managed to get away with it. However, there are many spies in the pce. This matter might be exposed soon.¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. This matter will pass quickly.¡± Empress Wen frowned. ¡°Why are you so confident?¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°You¡¯ll know soon.¡± Empress Wen looked at the calm Shen Zhuo and suddenly realized that this child had really grown up. He was no longer the young child he had been. He was bing more and more like a real king. She could not even tell what he was thinking. The next morning. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan prepared to leave. Pan Dafu insisted on sending them out of the city personally. They could not refuse and could only agree. Pan Dafu drove the carriage, with Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan sitting in it. When she passed by the city gate, Yu Niaoniao saw that there were many people gathered around the noticeboard. She looked over and immediately saw the notice stuck in the middle of the noticeboard. The notice said that Feng Lianghan and the descendants of the Xie family had rebelled and were unforgivable. The emperor ordered to dig them out and whip their corpses, before burning their bones and scattering their ashes as an example! Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart tightened. The wretched emperor did not even let the dead off! She wanted to jump out of the carriage and tear up the notice, but she was stopped by Xiao Juan. ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s useless even if you tear up the notice.¡± Yu Niaoniao was angry and hateful. ¡°Isn¡¯t he afraid of retribution?!¡± Xiao Juan hugged her andforted her in a low voice. ¡°He¡¯ll have retribution soon. ¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. ¡°I can¡¯t let them disturb my parents¡¯ rest. I want to go to Bashu. I want to hide my parents¡¯ bones before they do anything.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Alright, leave everything to me.¡± The carriage sessfully drove out of the city gate. No matter how reluctant he was, there would always be a farewell. Pan Dafu could only send him off here. He jumped out of the carriage and waved his arm at the departing carriage. ¡°Have a safe trip, Teacher!¡± The carriage pulled into the official road and moved steadily forward. For some reason, Yu Niaoniao suddenly felt dizzy and her vision became blurry. She did not want to dy their journey, so she endured it and did not say anything. However, Xiao Juan quickly sensed it. Fortunately, there was a guest house beside the official road. Xiao Juan stopped the carriage and helped Niaoniao into the guest house. He let Niaoniao lie down on the bed and covered her with a nket. ¡°Rest well. I¡¯ll get you a doctor now.¡± Yu Niaoniao took his hand. ¡°I¡¯m fine. There¡¯s no need to see a doctor. Let¡¯s continue our journey.¡± She had to rush to Bashu quickly. She had to move the corpses of Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan and hide them in a ce no one knew. She could not let the wretched emperor disturb her parents¡¯ rest. Xiao Juan touched her cheek. ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about. Don¡¯t be anxious. I¡¯m here. I won¡¯t let anyone disturb my parents-inw. I¡¯ll help you continue what you want to do but can¡¯t finish.¡± Yu Niaoniao felt that something was wrong with his words. But she couldn¡¯t think carefully because her mind was getting groggy. Her thoughts were falling uncontrobly, and her eyelids closed bit by bit. Xiao Juan bent down and kissed her forehead gently. ¡°Have a good sleep. I¡¯m leaving.¡± As soon as Xiao Juan left the guest house, the people from the Crown Prince¡¯s residence surrounded the entire guest house. A luxurious carriage stopped in front of the guest house. The emblem representing the crown prince¡¯s residence hung on the carriage. The curtain was lifted, and Shen Zhuo stepped out of the car on a low stool. A guard knelt on one knee. ¡°Your Highness, Duke Lang has already left. I sent someone to follow him and confirm that he has returned to the Imperial Capital.¡± Shen Zhuo smiled. ¡°Continue following him. No matter what he does, there¡¯s no need to stop him.¡± ¡®Yes.¡± Shen Zhuo walked into this inconspicuous guest house. Everyone in the guest house had been gathered and watched. Shen Zhuo walked in unimpeded. The guard was in charge of leading the way. Finally, they stopped in front of a guest room. The guard said ingratiatingly, ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± Shen Zhuo nced at him. ¡°Are you sure she¡¯s here?¡± The guard hurriedly said, ¡°I saw Duke Lang bring the princess into this guest room with my own eyes. Duke Lang left on his own just now. The princess must still be in this room.¡± Shen Zhuo raised his chin slightly. ¡°Open the door.¡± The guards immediately pushed them away. Shen Zhuo crossed the threshold and walked in unhurriedly. The nket on the bed bulged slightly. Niaoniao should be lying on the bed. From the way she didn¡¯t move, she must be asleep. Shen Zhuo raised his hand, indicating for the others to leave. He walked gently to the bed and reached out to lift the nket. ¡°Niaoniao, good to see you again¡­¡± Before he could finish, he stopped. Because he realized that there was a pillow stuffed under the nket. From afar, it looked like someone was lying under the nket, but there was actually no one on the bed! He had been tricked! Chapter 614 - 614: Unpardonable Chapter 614: Unpardonable Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios When Yu Niaoniao woke up, she realized that she was in the carriage. The carriage was moving, and even she swayed a little. She rubbed her temples and tried to remember what had happened before she fell asleep. Soon, she remembered that she had been brought to a guest house by Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan said that he wanted to help her find a doctor, but from the looks of it, he was clearly lying. The reason why she suddenly felt dizzy and fell asleep was probably because of Xiao Juan. She trusted him so much and was defenseless against him. It was a very simple matter for him to put some knockout powder in her food. But why did he do it? Where is he now? Yu Niaoniao ced one hand on the ground and pulled open the curtain in front. She saw Pan Dafu sitting on the shaft. Pan Dafu was driving when he heard amotion behind him. He quickly turned around and nced at her. ¡°Teacher, you¡¯re awake!¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Duke Lang?¡± Pan was vague. ¡°He has something to do. He wants us to leave first.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°What is he going to do? Why didn¡¯t he bring me along?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. Anyway, Duke Lang said he¡¯ll be back soon. Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯lle to us when he¡¯s done.¡± Yu Niaoniao was not so optimistic. With her understanding of Xiao Juan, he would not abandon her unless he had no choice. He was definitely going to do something very dangerous! Yu Niaoniao recalled what Xiao Juan had said to her before he left. He was going to finish what she wanted to do and couldn¡¯t. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°That idiot, don¡¯t tell me he wants¡­¡± Could it be that he wanted to kill the emperor to avenge her parents? Pan Dafu was still nagging. ¡°Before His Highness left, he specially instructed me to send you to Liaodong safely. The money and dry food are all prepared and ced in the car. If you¡¯re hungry, you can take them out at any time¡­¡± Yu Niaoniao interrupted him. ¡°Stop the car!¡± Pan Dafu did not understand. ¡°Why are we stopping? We¡¯re still a long way from the next stop.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I want to return to the Imperial Capital. Stop the carriage and let me down!¡± ¡°But the Duke Lang said that he must send you to Liaodong. He must have his reasons for arranging this. Don¡¯t do anything rash.¡± Yu Niaoniao said loudly, ¡°If you don¡¯t stop the carriage, I¡¯m going to jump out!¡± Pan Dafu was in a difficult position. ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. I won¡¯t be able to exin it to the Duke Langter.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a thud behind him! It was as if something had hit the ground. Pan Dafu hurriedly turned around and saw that Yu Niaoniao had really jumped out of the carriage! She fell to the ground. It looked like it hurt badly, but without a word, she quickly got up and limped back. Pan Dafu could only stop the car and chase after him. ¡°Teacher, where are you hurt? Did you sprain your ankle? I¡¯ll take you to a doctor now.¡± Yu Niaoniao turned a deaf ear to his words. She gritted her teeth and endured the pain as she continued walking. Seeing that her forehead was sweating from the pain, Pan Dafu was anxious, but he could not do anything to her. In the end, he could onlypromise. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you back.¡± Hearing this, Yu Niaoniao immediately stopped and looked straight at him. ¡°Would you keep your word?¡± Pan Dafu let out a long sigh. ¡°Definitely.¡± Only then did Yu Niaoniao obediently return to the carriage. Pan Dafu steered the carriage around and led her back the way they hade. In the bedroom, the old emperor had another nightmare. He dreamed that his secret had been exposed in public. Everyone in the world knew that he was not from the orthodox line of the royal family. He was stripped of his dragon robe and condemned. He wanted to defend himself, but no one listened to him. He was forced into a corner. In his despair, he suddenly woke up from a nightmare. In the warm yellow candlelight, he saw the interior of the bedchamber clearly and knew that he was still the emperor. Nothing in his dream had happened. He heaved a sigh of relief. He felt a dry cough in his throat and opened his mouth to make a weak sound. ¡°Water¡­¡¯ The door was pushed open and a eunuch walked in. He knelt on one knee at the bed and raised the tray with both hands. There were teacups on it. The old emperor turned to the side with difficulty. From this angle, he could not see the eunuch¡¯s face. But the old emperor still recognized at a nce that this person was not Wei Huai¡¯en. The old emperor asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the Huai¡¯en?¡± ¡°Eunuch Wei has something on and will leave for a while. I¡¯ll serve His Majesty for the time being.¡± When the old emperor heard this familiar voice, his eyes immediately widened and he shouted in shock, ¡°You¡¯re Xiao Juan!¡± The eunuch looked up, his cold face revealed in the candlelight. It was Duke Lang, Xiao Juan! He looked at the old emperor darkly. ¡®Your Majesty, long time no see. How have you been?¡± rm bells rang in the old emperor¡¯s heart. He raised his hand to pull the ribbon hanging at the head of the bed. As long as the ribbon was pulled, the copper bell would ring. The secret guards would know that the emperor was in danger and immediately rush in to protect the emperor! However, before he could touch the ribbon, his hand was stopped by Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan brought the teacup to his mouth. ¡°Isn¡¯t Your Majesty thirsty? This is tea specially made for you. Please drink.¡± The old emperor opened his mouth to shout for help. However, just as he opened his mouth, Xiao Juan grabbed his chin and forced the entire cup of tea into him. The old emperor struggled desperately to resist. However, his strength was useless to Xiao Juan. After he finished his tea, his already weak body became even weaker. His limbs were so sore that he could not even raise a finger. What was worse was that he could not make a sound in his throat! No matter how hard he tried, he could not say a word! Xiao Juan put down his empty teacup and looked down at the old emperor lying on the bed. He still remembered that he was only eight years old when he was brought to the pce and saw the emperor for the first time. At that time, the emperor was in his prime and in high spirits. He had to look up to see the emperor¡¯s face. Not only had the emperor given him a ce to stay, but he had also ordered someone to teach him how to read and write and how to ride and shoot. He was grateful to the emperor from the bottom of his heart. In order to repay him for raising him, he was willing to be the knife in the emperor¡¯s hand and be condemned by everyone. Today, this saber was out of his control. It stabbed at the emperor himself. Xiao Juan said slowly, ¡°Your Majesty, do you remember what you said to me the day you handed the Justice Department to me?¡± He looked at the old emperor¡¯s stricken face and his lips curled. ¡°After so many years, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve forgotten, but I still remember.¡± ¡°You told me then that justice and the preservation of thew were the meaning of the existence of the Justice Department.¡± ¡°No matter who it is, as long as they break thew, they will be punished.¡± The old emperor remembered. He had indeed said those words back then. However, that was because he suspected that someone from the royal family had ill intentions. He was afraid that Xiao Juan would not dare to attack those royal rtives, so he said those words. Xiao Juan pulled out the dagger hidden in his sleeve and pressed the tip of it against the old emperor¡¯s neck. ¡°You¡¯ve killed so many people.. Did you ever think that you would be punished one day?¡± Chapter 615 - 615: Bait Chapter 615: Bait Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The moment the de cut through the neck, the fear of deathpletely drowned the old emperor. He opened his mouth as wide as he could to shout. In the end, he could only make a sound like a broken bellow. He looked at Xiao Juan with pleading eyes. Xiao Juan increased his strength expressionlessly, and the de dug into his flesh. Blood flowed out continuously. The old emperor¡¯s body twitched uncontrobly. A momentter, he waspletely dead. He stared at Xiao Juan with wide eyes. The remaining bedsheets had already been soaked in blood and turned bright red. Xiao Juan wiped the blood off the dagger and put it back into his sleeve. Then, he picked up the candlestick on the table and casually threw it on the bed. The candlelight ignited the bed curtain, and the fire spread. In just a moment, the old emperor was engulfed by mes. Back then, he ordered someone to kill Feng Lianghan and Madam Xie and even burned the Feng family¡¯s residence to ruins. And now, he wanted to have a taste of being burned. After doing this, Xiao Juan did not look at the old emperor again. He used his qinggong to fly up the beam. Smoke seeped out through the crack in the door. The people outside the house sensed the abnormality and hurriedly pushed open the door to rush in. When they saw the fire in the house, everyone was frightened to death. Some people pounced on the bed, wanting to save the emperor, while others rushed out to get water and put out the fire. People came and went in the bedroom. Xiao Juan mixed in the crowd and silently left the bedroom. When he arrived near the pce gate and prepared to sneak out as an imperial guard, his true identity was exposed. ¡°Stop him! He¡¯s Duke Lang, the murderer who assassinated the emperor!¡± The person who shouted was a guard from the crown prince¡¯s residence. The guard followed Xiao Juan secretly under the crown prince¡¯s orders. He saw Xiao Juan sneak into the pce in disguise and sneak into the bedroom. Not long after, the bedroom caught fire, and right on the heels of that, the news of the emperor¡¯s assassination spread. He knew that this was definitely done by Xiao Juan! The Crown Prince had instructed him not to let Xiao Juan leave the pce alive. Therefore, he exposed Xiao Juan¡¯s identity in public just before he was about to step out of the pce gate. The imperial guards pulled out their sabers, nning to take Xiao Juan down. Xiao Juan naturally would not surrender. The two sides fought near the pce gate. Xiao Juan¡¯s martial arts were strong and his skills were extraordinary. Even though the Imperial Guards had many people, they could not take Xiao Juan down for a while. Seeing that the pce door was about to be closed, Xiao Juan made up his mind. If the pce door closed, he would have no hope of escaping. Although he was mentally prepared for the worst before he came, Xiao Juan was still a little unwilling. He was still worried about Niaoniao. He wanted to see her again. He wanted to hug her again and say goodbye to her properly. Xiao Juan shed at the imperial guards in front of him and rushed out of the pce gate without care. The archers on the pce wall immediately drew their bows and nocked arrows, all aiming at Xiao Juan, who was running below. Arrows rained down. Even though Xiao Juan¡¯s Qinggong was at its peak, he could not dodge all the arrows. He was shot twice in the back. However, he still did not stop. He gritted his teeth and ran out of the archers¡¯ range while enduring the pain. By the time Shen Zhuo arrived at the pce, the fire in the bedroom had been extinguished. The old emperor¡¯s body was burned beyond recognition. Empress Wen and a group of concubines knelt on the ground and cried. Shen Zhuo went forward to help Empress Wen up andforted her gently. ¡°Mother, sit down and rest. Don¡¯t cry yourself to death.¡± Empress Wen wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with a silk handkerchief. She saw that although Shen Zhuo looked sad, he was not surprised and could not help but ask. ¡°Junzhi, why aren¡¯t you surprised? Do you know that your father was killed?¡± Shen Zhuo nced at the people beside him. Evervone understood and silentlv retreated. Only the mother and son were left in the room. Shen Zhuo said, ¡°I know. Father was harmed by Xiao Juan. I¡¯ve already ordered someone to capture him. I definitely won¡¯t let Father die in vain.¡± Empress Wen could tell that something was wrong from his calm expression and suddenly had a bold guess. She lowered her voice and asked, ¡°Tell me the truth. Did you already know that Xiao Juan would harm your father?¡± Shen Zhuo did not give a positive answer. ¡°It was Xiao Juan who killed him. It has nothing to do with me.¡± It really had nothing to do with him. He had only deliberately asked someone to rx the surveince in the pce when Xiao Juan sneaked into the pce, giving Xiao Juan an opportunity. This matter had been done by Xiao Juan alone from the beginning to the end. Xiao Juan was the only one who should be cut into pieces. Empress Wen involuntarily grabbed Shen Zhuo¡¯s voice tightly and deliberately lowered it. ¡°Junzhi, he¡¯s your father.¡± Shen Zhuo asked calmly, ¡°Back then, Mother died in childbirth and my twin brother was forced to die young. At that time, did Father ever think about the father-son rtionship between him and me?¡± Empress Wen could not help but remind him, ¡°The person who killed Imperial Concubine Yue was Noble Consort Shu.¡± Shen Zhuo continued to ask, ¡°But without Father¡¯s tacit approval and indulgence, how could Noble Consort Shu harm Mother alone?¡± Empress Wen was stunned. From a young age, she had told Shen Zhuo that Noble Consort Shu had killed his mother and did not mention the emperor. Unexpectedly, Shen Zhuo had already thought through the reason. The child actually understood everything. It was because he understood that he hated his father. With this hatred, he had worked hard to be stronger and carefully nned for today. Shen Zhuo held Empress Wen¡¯s hand and said softly, ¡°Isn¡¯t this good now? Father is dead, and Xiao Juan will be executed for regicide. Niaoniao¡¯s revenge has been avenged. Mother, you don¡¯t have to suffer anymore to please Father. Mother will rest in peace in theherworld. Everything is great.¡± At the end, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly in a faint smile. He looked like he was really in a good mood. For a moment, Empress Wen did not know what to say. She looked at Shen Zhuo¡¯s eyebrows and felt that this child had changed a lot. He was bing more and more shrewd, making it harder to see what he was thinking. At this moment, a guard rushed over. ¡°Your Highness, Duke Lang broke through the siege of the imperial guards and escaped from the pce through Deyang Sect. He¡¯s gone!¡± Shen Zhuo¡¯s expression changed, and a ruthless glint appeared in his usually gentle eyes. ¡°Can¡¯t so many of you even capture Xiao Juan? The guard knelt on the ground, trembling. ¡°I didn¡¯t do my job well. I deserve to die!¡± Shen Zhuo sneered. ¡°Does he think he¡¯ll be fine after escaping the pce? Pass down the order. From today onwards, send heavy troops to guard the various city gates. Everyone who leaves the city has to be strictly interrogated. In addition, send someone to search the entire city. As long as anyone can capture Xiao Juan, they will be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold!¡± The guard obeyed and left. Empress Wen looked at Shen Zhuo and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you seal the city gate directly?¡± Shen Zhuo said meaningfully, ¡°When hunters hunt, they prepare bait in advance.¡± To Xiao Juan, the hope of leaving the city was equivalent to the best bait.. Chapter 616 - 616: Holding Her Own Chapter 616: Holding Her Own Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After escaping from the pce, Xiao Juan headed straight for the city gate. He wanted to leave the Imperial Capital before anyone reacted. However, he was still toote. When he arrived near the city gate, he saw that there were heavy troops guarding it. It was impossible for him to rush out with his serious injuries. He could only retreat silently, nning to find a ce to hide for the time being. Unexpectedly, just as he turned around, he saw soldiers searching house to house not far away. Xiao Juan lowered the bamboo hat on his head to cover most of his face and turned to walk in the other direction. At this moment, a child¡¯s cry suddenly sounded beside him¡ª ¡°Uncle, your back is bleeding!¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s heart tightened. The arrow on his back had been pulled out, but because of the time constraint, he did not have time to apply medication. He only bandaged it with a strip of cloth. From the looks of it, the wound had split open. The surrounding pedestrians stopped in their tracks and looked at Xiao Juan together. Indeed, they saw blood seeping out of the clothes behind him. The soldiers not far away also sensed the abnormality and walked over. Xiao Juan did not dare to stay here any longer. He immediately used his Qinggong and rushed out of the crowd at an extremely fast speed, escaping into the alley beside him. Seeing this, the soldiers immediately chased after him. ¡°Stop!¡± Wind blew under Xiao Juan¡¯s feet as he quickly shuttled through the alley. But he could not shake off the pursuers behind him. Because the wound on his back was seeping blood. Blood dripped to the ground, bing the best indicator of his whereabouts. As long as the pursuers followed the blood, it was impossible to lose them. More and more blood flowed. Xiao Juan began to feel light-headed and subconsciously slowed down. Just as he was about to be caught up by the soldiers, a courtyard door beside him suddenly opened. A hand reached out and grabbed Xiao Juan¡¯s forearm. ¡°Follow me!¡± Xiao Juan wanted to break free, but he stopped when he heard this familiar voice. He let the person drag him into the doorway. Then the courtyard door was quickly closed. Xiao Juan looked at the woman in front of him, unable to hide the surprise in his ck eyes. ¡°Niaoniao, why are you here?¡± Yu Niaoniao was filled with anger. She originally wanted to scold him after meeting him to vent her anger, but when she saw his pale face, she immediately stopped. As soon as I returned to the Imperial Capital, I heard that an assassin had appeared in the pce. Now, all the soldiers in the city are capturing the assassin. ¡± ¡°I guess this has something to do with you.¡± ¡°You should be thinking of a way to get out of the city, so I waited near the city gate. In the end, I really bumped into you.¡± ¡°Why do you look so pale? Are you injured?¡± Xiao Juan subconsciously took a step back, not letting her see his back. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Yu Niaoniao noticed the blood on the ground and her heart tightened. She was about to ask him where he was injured when she heard hurried footsteps outside the door. The soldiers must have caught up. She immediately shut her mouth and quickly took off her cloak. She put it on Xiao Juan and helped him cover the blood on his back. Then she ran to the water tank and scooped up clear water with a cbashdle to wash the blood off the ground. After doing this, the two of them hurriedly left the small courtyard. There was a carriage parked at the side of the road. Pan Dafu was standing on the edge of it, craning his neck to look around, looking worried. He saw Yu Niaoniao help a man in a bamboo hat out and hurriedly opened the carriage door. The two of them helped Xiao Juan into the car. After they were seated, Pan Dafu drove the carriage away. There was a medicine box in the carriage. Yu Niaoniao found gauze and medicine and began to treat Xiao Juan¡¯s wounds. There were many wounds on his body, most of them superficial. Only the two arrows on his back were very serious. Looking at the deep wound where the bones and flesh were exposed, Yu Niaoniao¡¯s fingers that were holding the medicine bottle could not help but tremble. From the situation, it was obvious that the arrowhead had a barb. This guy pulled the arrow very roughly, pulling out even the flesh. Just thinking about that scene made one¡¯s scalp tingle. However, this guy was still silent. Yu Niaoniao resisted the urge to cry and deliberately cursed in a rxed tone, ¡°Were you a tortoise in your previous life? You¡¯re so tolerant.¡± Xiao Juan was puzzled. ¡°What does the two have to do with each other?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°There¡¯s a kind of turtle called the Divine Ninja Turtle. They¡¯re best at ninjutsu.¡± Xiao Juan asked humbly, ¡°What is ninjutsu?¡± Yu Niaoniao sniffed. ¡°A skill for someone like you, who can still endure the pain and not say anything.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Yu Niaoniao wanted to call him an idiot, but before she could say anything, tears fell. She bandaged him as she cried. Xiao Juan wanted to turn around and look at her, but she scolded him. ¡°What are you looking at? Sit still!¡± Xiao Juan could only sit obediently and not move, like a clumsy bear. Yu Niaoniao wiped her tears with the back of her hand. ¡°Why did youe back?¡± At this point, there was nothing to hide. Xiao Juan answered truthfully, ¡°I want to help you.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Help me with what? I can settle my own matters myself. You don¡¯t have to take the risk!¡± Xiao Juan did not know how to exin and could only remain silent. Yu Niaoniao gently poked the back of his waist with her finger and choked. ¡°Say something! ¡± Xiao Juan felt an itch and wanted to dodge, but he was afraid that Niaoniao would be angry, so he sat obediently and did not move. He lowered his head slightly and spoke softly,¡±l know. You can hold your own, but I still want you to rely on me a little more.¡± In the past, he was a knife in the emperor¡¯s hand. From now on, he was only willing to be her knife. If she couldn¡¯t take revenge, he could help her. He could help her kill someone she couldn¡¯t. From now on, she no longer had to hold her own because he was everywhere for her. Yu Niaoniao gently ced her forehead on his back and scolded in a sobbing voice, ¡°You big idiot. You¡¯re already so injured. How can I rely on you in the future? If anything happens to you, I won¡¯t be a widow for you. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll find someone to remarry and anger you to death!¡± Xiao Juanughed softly. Yu Niaoniao looked up and red at the back of his head with red eyes. ¡°You¡¯re stillughing?!¡± Xiao Juan stopped smiling. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°1 heard everything. Don¡¯t lie to me!¡± Then the carriage stopped and Pan Dafu¡¯s voice came in. ¡°Teacher, we¡¯re here.¡± Yu Niaoniao quickly wiped her tears and took out a set of clean clothes to throw to Xiao Juan. When he was dressed, they pushed open the door and got out. He realized that this was the back door of Qirui Garden. Xiao Juan did not understand why they were here. Yu Niaoniao went forward and knocked. Soon, the courtyard door was pulled open. When Liu Sixing saw that it was Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan standing outside, she immediately turned around and let them in. Yu Niaoniao turned around and looked at Pan Dafu. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about what happens next. Go back quickly. Don¡¯t let your family worry.¡± Pan Dafu looked at her reluctantly. ¡°Teacher, will we see each other again?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled brightly. ¡°Of course we can!¡± Pan Dafu cupped his fists and bowed onest time to Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan. ¡°Teacher, Your Highness, take care!¡± Chapter 617 - 617: Interrogation Chapter 617: Interrogation Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Today, Qirui Garden was closed for business. Liu Qirui had long cleared out all the unrted people. The few people who could still stay in the theater could be trusted. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Is everything ready?¡± Liu Sixing quickly replied, ¡°I¡¯m ready. Look!¡± Yu Niaoniao looked in the direction she was pointing and saw a dark coffin in the backyard. Liu Qirui stood beside the coffin with his three disciples. They were all dressed in mourning clothes, looking like they were about to mourn. In order to make their performance more realistic, they had even smoked their eyes with chili in advance. Now their eyes were red and swollen. They looked like they had cried out of grief. Liu Sixing pushed open the coffin lid. ¡°Time is limited and I can¡¯t custom-make a coffin. I can only ask you to make do first.¡¯ Seeing this scene, Xiao Juan already understood that they nned to disguise themselves as a funeral procession and sneak out of the city. This was a good idea, but it was hard to say if it would seed. Now that they had no better idea, they could only try their best. Xiao Juan did not hesitate and crawled into the coffin with Yu Niaoniao. Liu Sixing said to them, ¡°After the coffin is closed, it should be very stuffy inside. Bear with it for the time being. You¡¯ll be fine when you leave the city.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°I know. Thank you so much this time.¡± Liu Sixing smiled in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you that our opera troupe can make aeback. Previously, you were the ones protecting us. Now, it¡¯s our turn to help you.¡± She carefully closed the coffin. Liu Qirui carried the coffin with his disciples and left the theater through the back door. Liu Sixing was wearing white linen clothes and walking in front with the memorial tablet in one hand. She covered her mouth with the other and cried until she was out of breath, performing the role of a widow who had just lost her husband vividly. In order not to be recognized by an acquaintance, the five of them had dressed carefully. They looked very different from usual. There were many pedestrians on both sides of the street who stopped to watch, but no one recognized them as the people from Qirui Garden. Many soldiers could still be seen by the roadside. They were searching around with portraits. Some soldiers noticed the funeral procession. They took the portraits forward topare them and realized that the five people who were in the procession were not the people they were looking for, so they released them. The funeral procession arrived near the city gate safely. Because everyone who left the city had to be strictly interrogated, the speed at which they left the city was greatly reduced. At this moment, there was already a long line in front of the city gate. The funeral procession stood at the end of the line. They moved slowly forward with the line. Seeing that they were getting closer and closer to the city gate, Liu Sixing, Liu Qirui, and the others could not help but worry. Especially when they saw the person standing in front of the city gate clearly, they became even more panicked. In order to capture Xiao Juan, not only were the people from the Imperial Capital and the city defense camp transferred away, but even the Sky Wolf Guards had no choice but to help. Coincidentally, the people on duty at this city gate were the Sky Wolf Guards. The leader was the Vice General of the Sky Wolf Guards, Wei Liao. He sat in his chair, crossed his legs, and sipped his tea leisurely. He looked rxed. The Sky Wolf Guards were not as free as him. All of them were fully armed and were 120% focused as they carefully interrogated everyone who left the city. Not only did everyone who left the city have to take out the citations, but they also had topare the portraits one by one. Anyone who was found to have resemnce to the portrait had to be taken down on the spot. Liu Sixing was not afraid of anything else, but that Wei Liao would bump into her. If Wei Liao discovered their identities, they would be finished! Liu Sixing was filled with regret. If they had known that they would meet Wei Liao here, they wouldn¡¯t have walked through this city gate! But turning around and leaving now would definitely arouse suspicion. She could only pray silently that Wei Liao wouldn¡¯t recognize them. The people in front left the city one by one. Finally, it was the funeral procession¡¯s turn. In the coffin, Yu Niaoniao could not help but hold Xiao Juan¡¯s hand. Xiao Juan held her tightly andforted her silently. The conversation outside kepting into the coffin. ¡°What are your names? What are you doing out of the city? Take out your travel passes.¡± ¡°My surname is Liu. This is my travel pass. Although my husband came to the capital to buy goods, he suddenly contracted an evil illness and unfortunately died. I could only buy a coffin at thest minute and bring my husband¡¯s corpse back to my hometown with my servants for a good burial. Only then can I be considered to have returned to my roots. I hope you can make it easy for me.¡± Liu Sixing cried as she spoke. As she handed over the pass, she also handed over a banknote. When the Sky Wolf Guard took the banknotes, he quickly nced in Wei Liao¡¯s direction. Seeing that Wei Liao was looking elsewhere and did not notice his movements, the Sky Wolf Guard familiarly put the banknotes into his sleeve and his attitude softened slightly. ¡°We¡¯re all under orders. We didn¡¯t mean to make things difficult for you.¡± Then, he took out the portrait and walked forward with another Sky Wolf Guard topare Liu Qirui and his three disciples. The four of them were not simr to Xiao Juan in the portrait at all. The Sky Wolf Guards put away the portrait. Liu Sixing secretly heaved a sigh of relief. She thought that would be fine, but Wei Liao stood up at this moment. He walked slowly to Liu Sixing and looked her up and down. Liu Sixing¡¯s heart jumped into her throat. She lowered her head, her body stiff. She didn¡¯t even dare breathe. The Sky Wolf Guard beside him hurriedly asked, ¡°Sir, do you know this woman?¡± Wei Liao didn¡¯t answer directly. He ced his hands behind his back and strolled to the coffin. He spoke suddenly. ¡°Open it and take a look.¡± Liu Sixing immediately panicked. She wanted to stop him, but she was afraid that Wei Liao would see through her identity, so she did not dare to speak rashly. Liu Qirui and his disciples were also frightened. They froze in ce, afraid to move. The Sky Wolf Guards immediately surrounded them, nning to open the coffin on the spot. At the critical moment, Liu Qirui suddenly shouted. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to do anything. Leave such rough work to me.¡± With that, he rolled up his sleeves and took the initiative to push open the coffin lid. When Wei Liao heard his voice, he looked at him twice. A corner of the coffin was pushed open. Liu Qirui bowed and said, ¡°My master died of illness. He didn¡¯t look good when he died. Please forgive me if I frightened you.¡± Wei Liao took a step forward and looked down. Two living peopley in the coffin. Xiao Juan hugged Niaoniao tightly in his arms. The two of them were staring at Wei Liao without blinking. Their eyes met. Wei Liao could not help but be stunned. He subconsciously wanted to call someone over, but he saw Niaoniao¡¯s eyes fill with tears and her lips open and close slightly. Although she didn¡¯t make a sound, it was obvious from the way her mouth moved that she was saying¡ª ¡°Please..¡± Chapter 618 - 618: Unreliable Chapter 618: Unreliable Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan secretly tightened his grip on the No Return Saber at his waist and was on guard. As long as Wei Liao called for help, he would immediately attack. Although he was seriously injured now and it was very disadvantageous for him to tight head-on, at this point, he could only go all out. It did not matter it he died. At least he had to send Niaoniao safely out of the city. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart was in her throat, and her body trembled slightly. Now, both their lives were all on Wei Liao. What would he do? With his disgust for Xiao Juan, he would definitely not let go of such a great opportunity to kill Xiao Juan. And her. She had never treated Wei Liao well. Wei Liao wouldn¡¯t disobey the Crown Prince¡¯s orders for her sake, right? Liu Sixing¡¯s limbs went weak and she could barely stand. There was only one thought in her mind now¡ª Oh no! Duke Lang and his wife had been discovered. They were all finished! Inparison, Liu Qirui was still rtively calm. He still had thest hope that Wei Liao would let them off. Although Wei Liao usually looked like he did not care about anything and often quarreled with Yu Niaoniao, and the two of them did not seem to get along, Wei Liao was also a part of the reason why Qirui Opera Troupe could make aeback. With Wei Liao¡¯s wealth and status, he probably wouldn¡¯t care about the ie of a small opera troupe. He could only be willing to help for Yu Niaoniao. Pushing aside his pretenses, it was hard to tell what he was thinking about Yu Niaoniao. Liu Qirui just wanted to take a gamble. In any case, he had no better choice in the current situation. The worst oue was death. He might as well take a gamble. If they were lucky enough to win the bet, they would all be able to leave the Imperial Capital alive. However, if he lost, at least he could take this opportunity to deny that he and his daughter did not know the situation in the coffin. He might even be able to save their lives. Liu Qirui carefully raised his head and observed the change in Wei Liao¡¯s expression, secretly guessing what he was thinking. Wei Liao ced one hand on the coffin and his gaze wandered to Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan¡¯s faces before finallynding on Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao was really too nervous. Tears rolled down her face. Crystal tears rolled silently down the corners of her eyes. Wei Liao¡¯s fingers tapped the coffin gently, again and again. His face was thoughtful, as if he was thinking about something. A Sky Wolf Guard tried to ask, ¡°Sir, is there anything unusual in the coffin? Do you want me to open the whole coffin and examine them carefully?¡± Wei Liao suddenly smiled at Yu Niaoniao and retracted his hand. ¡°There¡¯s only the body in the coffin. It stinks. Cover it up.¡± Hearing this, Liu Qirui hurriedly closed the coffin lid as if he had been pardoned. At the same time, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan in the coffin heaved a sigh of relief. Liu Sixing was stunned for a moment before she reacted. She resisted the urge tough and said in a choked voice, ¡°Thank you, sir. Thank you!¡± Wei Liao sat back in his chair, leaned back, and waved his hand. ¡°Hurry up and leave. Don¡¯t block the way.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll leave now.¡± Liu Qirui lifted the coffin with his three disciples and hurried through the city gate. The Sky Wolf Guards continued to interrogate themoners behind the team. Wei Liao supported his chin with one hand and quietly looked in the direction the funeral procession had left. His thin lips were slightly parted as he muttered in a low voice. ¡°You didn¡¯t even thank me. You heartless thing.¡± The funeral procession walked for a long time. After confirming that there were no pursuers behind them, Liu Qirui and the others slowed down. They found a moment when no one was looking and ducked into the forest beside them. Under the cover of the trees, Liu Qirui and Liu Sixing opened the coffin lid. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan could finallye out of the depressed coffin. Liu Sixing pressed her chest and looked like she had lingering fears. ¡°I was really scared to death just now. I almost thought I was going to die here today.¡± Liu Qirui echoed, ¡®Yes, yes. Fortunately, we¡¯re all safe and sound.¡± He realized that Duke Lang was looking at him with a deeper meaning and his heart skipped a beat. Could it be that his thoughts had been discovered by Duke Lang? He didn¡¯t dare say, let alone ask, so he lowered his head guiltily. In the end, Xiao Juan did not mention what had just happened. He said calmly, ¡°Thank you for your help today, but the Imperial Court will definitely not stop chasing me. If you still act with me, it¡¯s very likely that even you will be wanted. Why don¡¯t we part ways here and meet again in the future?¡± Liu Sixing hurriedly said, ¡°How can that do? How can we disregard you for our own safety?¡± Yu Niaoniao first nced at Liu Qirui before saying. ¡°Sixing, if you don¡¯t think for yourself, you should think for your father. He¡¯s too old to hide with us.¡± Liu Sixing was immediately speechless. Her father only had her as his daughter. She had to consider her father¡¯s well-being. Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°When there¡¯s a chance in the future, you cane to Liaodong County to perform. At that time I¡¯ll treat you to delicious food!¡± Liu Sixing pursed her lower lip, feeling very guilty. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I.. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to say this. I helped you before. Now that you¡¯ve helped me, we¡¯re even. We¡¯ll part ways today. Everyone, take care.¡± Liu Sixing said reluctantly, ¡°Take care too.¡± When the two sides separated. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan carried their luggage along the mountain path. They chatted as they hurried. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°When we were interrogated at the city gate just now, Liu Qirui probably wanted to sell Wei Liao a favor.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°You can tell too. Don¡¯t you hate him?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m disappointed. I don¡¯t hate him to that extent. After all, in a situation where life and death are at stake, normal people will prioritize themselves. Moreover, he¡¯s a father. He definitely doesn¡¯t want his daughter to lose her life.¡± Xiao Juan had the same thoughts. Although he could not ept it, he could understand. Yu Niaoniao smiled at him. ¡°You deliberately suggested leaving separately because you don¡¯t trust Liu Qirui, right? YOu¡¯re afraid that he¡¯ll sell us out again.¡± Xiao Juan replied indifferently, ¡°Yes.¡± Since he had already seen that Liu Qirui was unreliable, he naturally would not keep this hidden danger by his side. It was safer to send him away early. Yu Niaoniao stretched. ¡°That¡¯s good too. Only the two of us are left. Seeing her rxed appearance, she did not look like she was on the run. Instead, she looked like she was on an outing. Xiao Juan could not help but sigh. ¡°You¡¯re really carefree.¡± Yu Niaoniao corrected him. ¡°This is not being carefree. This is being optimistic! Anyway, things have alreadye to this. It¡¯s meaningless to be sad. I might as well calm down and ept everything in front of me..¡± Chapter 619 - 619: Convinced Chapter 619: Convinced Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Because the emperor had passed away, the entire country mourned. Whitenterns were hung on all the streets and alleys in the Jade Capital. Themoners in the city also changed into in clothes, and ces like brothels and pleasure houses were temporarily closed. The entire city became cold and solemn overnight. In the pce, the emperor¡¯s body had already been ced in a coffin. Empress Wen and Crown Prince Shen Zhuo knelt in front of the memorial tablet with a group of concubines and princes. The eminent monks who had been specially invited from the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple were reciting the Reincarnation Scripture. Chanting, crying, and the knocking of the temple block intertwined like a gloomy cloud. The atmosphere was extremely oppressive. It was already time for dinner, but Empress Wen and the Crown Prince were still kneeling and not moving. The others naturally did not dare to mention this. In the end, it was Wei Huai¡¯en who reminded them. ¡°Your Majesty, His Highness, it¡¯s time to eat.¡± Empress Wen wiped the corners of her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t have an appetite. Junzhi, go eat something.¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°If Mother doesn¡¯t eat, how can I eat?¡± Empress Wen had no choice but to stand up with the help of others. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Everyone, go eat something to fill your stomachs. The night is still growing. Don¡¯t let your bodies burn out.¡± Everyone agreed. When Shen Zhuo walked out of the mourning hall and saw themander of the Imperial Guards and Wei Liao waiting outside, he stopped and asked. ¡°Have you captured them?¡± Themander of the imperial guards lowered his head and replied, ¡°Not yet.¡± Shen Zhuo frowned. ¡°You haven¡¯t found any clues in a day?¡± Themander of the imperial guards said, ¡°Our people once found traces of a suspected Duke Lang near the city gate, but that person ran very quickly. Our people chased for a while before he shook them off.¡± Shen Zhou cursed coldly. ¡°Trash. ¡® Themander of the imperial guards knelt on one knee. ¡°We¡¯re still investigating. I believe we¡¯ll find Duke Lang soon!¡± Shen Zhuo reminded him, ¡°He¡¯s not Duke Lang anymore. He¡¯s a traitor who assassinated the emperor.¡± Themander of the imperial guards immediately changed his words. ¡°We will definitely catch that traitor, Xiao Juan, and bring him to justice tofort the emperor in heaven!¡± Shen Zhuo turned to Wei Liao and asked. ¡°You have no clues on your side either?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°We checked everyone who left the city, but we didn¡¯t find Xiao Juan¡¯s whereabouts.¡± Shen Zhuo was very dissatisfied with this oue. However, the current situation was a time to use people. He could not re up. He instructed calmly. ¡°I¡¯ll give you two days. If you still can¡¯t find Xiao Juan, issue a sea arrest document to all ces. As long as one can help us capture Xiao Juan, one can get a reward of a thousand taels no matter if he is dead or alive. If it¡¯s an official, he can can advance two levels at one. If you discover that Yu Niaoniao is still following him, try your best to capture her alive. Don¡¯t hurt her.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Wei Liao and themander of the imperial guards lowered their heads and sent the Crown Prince off. After they were gone, Wei Liao looked up. He saw Wei Huai¡¯en standing nearby. Wei Huai En looked at him quietly, his gaze veryplicated. Wei Liao walked forward and bowed. ¡°Father.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en said calmly, ¡°Follow me. I have something to ask you.¡± With that, he turned around and left. Wei Liao immediately followed. The father and son walked for a long time before finally arriving at Wei Huai¡¯en¡¯s residence in the pce. Wei Huai¡¯en retreated, leaving only the father and son in the room. There was only one oilmp lit in the room, and it was rtively dim. Wei Huai¡¯en stared at his adopted son, who was taller than him, and suddenly spat out two words coldly. ¡°Kneel!¡± Wei Liao lifted the hem of his clothes and knelt down without a word. Wei Huai¡¯en said, ¡°Take off your clothes.¡± Wei Liao took off his shirt in a few moves, revealing his well-defined upper body. Wei Huai En took out the branch in the vase and asked expressionlessly. ¡°You brought people to guard the city gate today. Did you find anyone suspicious among themoners leaving the city?¡± Wei Liao lowered his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the branch in Wei Huai¡¯en¡¯s hand pped his back hard, immediately leaving a deep red scar. Wei Liao couldn¡¯t help but tense his muscles, but he gritted his teeth and didn¡¯t make a sound. Wei Huai¡¯en looked at him and continued to ask. ¡°I¡¯ll ask again. Did you find anything?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°No.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en raised his hand and the branch whipped down again. With a p, another wound appeared on Wei Liao¡¯s back. p! Another blow. Next, Wei Huai¡¯en kept asking the same question over and over. But no matter how he asked, Wei Liao insisted on answering no. The branch as thick as a thumb pped Wei Liao¡¯s back again and again. In the end, because he used too much strength, the branch broke. Wei Huai¡¯en threw the broken branch to the ground and looked at Wei Liao with disappointment. He had raised Wei Liao himself. It could be said that he knew Wei Liao the best in the world. When the Crown Prince asked Wei Liao a question just now, Wei Huai¡¯en was watching from afar. He could tell at a nce that Wei Liao was not telling the truth. That was why he had interrogated Wei Liao in private. He wanted to give Wei Liao a chance to confess, but Wei Liao would rather be punished than change his words. Wei Huai¡¯en red at him and scolded him in expected better from someone. ¡°Xiao Juan killed the emperor. He¡¯s a traitor, but you actually helped him hide his whereabouts. Do you want to be an aplice of a traitor?!¡± Wei Liao lowered his head for a long time before speaking. ¡°I¡¯m not helping him.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en said, ¡°Then who are you helping?¡± Then he quickly reacted and blurted out. ¡°Are you helping Yu Niaoniao?¡± This time, Wei Liao did not refute. Wei Huai¡¯en took two steps back and fell into a chair. He pointed at Wei Liao and cursed. ¡°You¡¯re really muddle-headed! If you really like Yu Niaoniao, you should have thought of a way to keep her.¡± ¡°Now that they have run away and left you alone in the capital, what are you going to do? What you¡¯re doing is thankless!¡± Wei Liao naturally knew this. However, when he saw Yu Niaoniao cry, he immediately lost his mind. His eyes were filled with love for her. In that instant, not to mention letting Yu Niaoniao go, even if she wanted the moon in the sky, he had to think of a way to pluck it for her. This was probably what ordinary people meant by being blinded by lust. It was toote to regret it now. Wei Liao almost gave up on himself. ¡°It¡¯s good that she¡¯s gone. It saves me the trouble of seeing her again.¡± Wei Huai¡¯en scolded with a dark expression, ¡°Useless thing, do you have to do this for a woman? If you really like her so much, think of a way to snatch her back.¡± Wei Liaoughed at himself. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s quite good for her to follow Xiao Juan. ¡± Although he was very annoyed with Xiao Juan, he could not help but admire his courage. He had the courage to give up all wealth, power, and even his life for the sake of the person he loved. This was something neither he nor Shen Zhuo could do. So he was convinced of his defeat.. Chapter 620 - 620: The Only Choice Chapter 620: The Only Choice Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The emperor¡¯s funeral was held seven dayster. The Crown prince led the civil and military officials to send him off. All the citizens in the city knelt down along the streets. The white banner fluttered in the wind, and paper money fell like snowkes. Amidst everyone¡¯s cries, a dynasty ended. The next day, Crown Prince Shen Zhuo held the coronation in the Imperial Capital and officially ascended the throne. Empress Dowager Deng was respected as the Grand Empress Dowager, and Empress Wen was acknowledged as the Empress Dowager. However, before Shen Zhuo could stabilize the throne, Prince Jia¡¯s Mansion far away in Jiangbei suddenly mutinied. Prince Jia was killed on the way back to his fief. His family guessed that the emperor had done it. In order to protect himself and take revenge, Prince Jia¡¯s eldest son took the handwritten order left behind by his father and summoned his troops. First, he killed the local provincial governor and used his head to force the other officials to surrender. When this matter spread to the Imperial Capital, it immediately caused a hugemotion. Shen Zhuo issued a decree to send troops to suppress it, but the Ministry of Revenue said that Liaodong County was still fighting. There was not enough money and food in the treasury to support two wars at the same time. Hence, Shen Zhuo issued another decree and suspended the reinforcements to Liaodong County. Even the food that had been sent to Liaodong County had been recalled. Empress Dowager Wen was very worried. ¡°This is equivalent to giving Liaodong County away. Not only will this damage our Dayan¡¯s reputation, but it will also make those with ill intentions seize on this matter and make an issue of something. You have to think twice.¡± Shen Zhuo had already made up his mind about this matter. He only smiled at his mother¡¯s persuasion. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. This is just a temporary measure. After the rebellion in Jiangbei is calmed, I will send troops to take back Liaodong County. It belongs to our Dayan and will definitely not be taken advantage of by outsiders.¡± Empress Dowager Wen was still a little hesitant. ¡°But what about the 300,000 troops of the Eastern Expedition Army?¡± Shen Zhuo spoke his considerations unhurriedly. ¡°Those 300,000 people are indeed very important to us Dayan, but most of them follow Tang Guixi¡¯s lead. No matter how much money and food I send over, I¡¯m just supporting Tang Guixi. Why don¡¯t I take this opportunity to let the Chen Nation help us deal with a portion of the Eastern Expedition Army? It can be considered helping us clean up the mess. When the Chen Nation kills Tang Guixiter, I¡¯ll send someone to take over the Eastern Expedition Army. Wouldn¡¯t that be killing two birds with one stone?¡± Empress Dowager Wen thought about it carefully and felt that he was quite meticulous in his thinking, so she nodded slightly. ¡°Since you know what to do, I won¡¯t say anything else.¡± She looked at Shen Zhuo¡¯s increasingly calm appearance and sighed softly. ¡°Now that you¡¯re the emperor, you¡¯re getting more and more organized. It¡¯s just that you look thinner. You probably didn¡¯t rest well, right? I have to take care of the Empress Dowager every day during this period of time and don¡¯t have time to take care of you. You¡¯ll have to bear with it for a while. When I¡¯m freeter, I¡¯ll choose an empress for you. With the empress taking care of you in the future, you¡¯ll be much easier.¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°I¡¯m very good now. Mother, you don¡¯t have to worry about me. As for helping me choose an empress, it¡¯s still early. We¡¯ll discuss it at length in the future. ¡± Empress Dowager Wen looked at him deeply. ¡°Are you still thinking about Yu Niaoniao?¡± Shen Zhuo neither admitted nor denied it. Empress Dowager Wen frowned slightly and advised painstakingly, ¡°You know very well that she¡¯s not suitable to be the empress. Her thoughts are not on you at all. You can lead a horse to water but you can¡¯t make it drink. Let go.¡± Shen Zhuo lowered his eyes, looking very respectful, but his words were stubborn ¡°She was just blinded for a moment. I have a way to make her realize that I¡¯m her only choice in this world.¡± Empress Dowager Wen wanted to say something else. However, Shen Zhuo spoke first. ¡°Mother, you¡¯re tired these few days. You should go back and rest early. I still have some memorials to review, so I won¡¯t send you off.¡± Empress Dowager Wen looked helpless and could only leave silently. As soon as the Empress Dowager left, Shen Zhuo called themander of the imperial guards and instructed in a low voice. ¡°Take 200 elite soldiers and search along the route from the Imperial Capital to Liaodong. Once you find any traces of Xiao Juan, kill him without mercy!¡± Although he had already sent out the arrest warrant for Xiao Juan, eight days had passed, but there was still no news. Now that Xiao Juan was like a street rat, there was no ce for him in the Dayan Dynasty. If he did not want to leave Dayan, he could only go to Tang Guixi. As Tang Guixi was in Liaodong, Xiao Juan was most likely going to Liaodong County. Themander of the imperial guards hesitated. ¡°My duty is to protect the pce and His Majesty¡¯s safety. If I leave the Imperial Capital, what will happen to His Majesty¡¯s safety?¡± Actually, he was more worried that once he left the Imperial Capital, his official position would be reced. After all, this emperor had just ascended the throne and needed people. Many people were racking their brains to get in front of the emperor. Shen Zhuo understood what he was thinking and said calmly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this. I¡¯ll get someone to temporarily rece you. If you can sessfullyplete the mission, the position ofmander of the imperial guards will still be yours. But if you can¡¯tplete the mission, you don¡¯t have toe back.¡± Themander of the imperial guards trembled and hurriedly knelt down to show his loyalty. ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t worry. Even if I have to climb mountains of des and seas of mes, I will definitely take Xiao Juan¡¯s head!¡± Shen Zhuo suddenly reminded her. ¡°If you meet Yu Niaoniao, tell her for me that as long as she cane back obediently, I¡¯ll let bygones be bygones.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Themander of the imperial guards epted the order and left. Shen Zhuo looked at the scenery outside the window, his gaze bing deeper and deeper. He knew that with Niaoniao¡¯s personality, even if Xiao Juan became a traitor that everyone had to kill, she would not abandon him and leave on her own. However, he also knew that with Xiao Juan¡¯s personality, he would definitely not let Niaoniao suffer with him. Shen Zhuo ced one hand on the windowttice and tapped his index finger gently. ¡°You love her so much, you must know what¡¯s best for her, right?¡± Although Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan had sessfully escaped the Imperial Capital, the Imperial Court¡¯s arrest warrant for them had not stopped. In order to cover their tracks, they changed their appearances and disguised themselves as an eloping couple. Seeing that night was approaching, the two of them found a guest house to stay at. Thedy boss of the guest house was sharp-eyed. When she saw Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan¡¯s cautious appearance, she revealed an ambiguous smile. ¡°Are you two hiding from someone?¡± Yu Niaoniao blushed and pretended to be shy as she defended herself weakly. ¡°We¡¯re not hiding from anyone. We¡¯re just going out to join our rtives. Please get us a guest room.¡± Thedy boss¡¯s smile became even more ambiguous. ¡°Get a guest room. Looks like the two of you are husband and wife.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face immediately turned even redder. Xiao Juan took out a piece of silver and threw it on the counter. ¡°Please boil some hot water. My wife wants to take a bath.¡± Thedy boss epted the silver and sized Xiao Juan up. She saw that had broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His posture was straight and his bearing was very extraordinary. Even though he had deliberately lowered his bamboo hat and used the brim of it to cover most of his face, she could still tell that this person¡¯s appearance and temperament could be said to be excellent.. Chapter 621 - 621: Unsettled Chapter 621: Unsettled Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios As the saying went, the hedonistic love food and sex. Thedy boss was naturally no exception. She covered her mouth and smiled coquettishly. ¡°Not only are you handsome, but you¡¯re also very considerate to your wife.¡± Then, she winked at Yu Niaoniao. ¡°You have good taste. You chose a good man.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face was so red that it was about to bleed. She hid behind Xiao Juan, looking like an extremely embarrassed wife. Thedy boss could not help butugh. ¡°Haha, you¡¯re so cute.¡± She sashayed and led the way, leading them to the guest room. ¡°Rest well. Hot water will be sent overter.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°The chef has already gone home. If the two of you want to eat, you can only go to the kitchen to cook yourself. The money for the ingredients will be calcted with the room feeter.¡± After exining this, thedy boss looked at the two of them again. She had been running the shop for so many years and weed them every day. She had also seen eloping couples, but in terms of looks, none of them couldpare to the couple in front of her. She couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s no one living in the guest room next to yours. Even if you make any noise tonight, no one will hear you.¡± With that, she closed the door and walked away humming a tune. Yu Niaoniao heaved a sigh of relief. She had finally sent her away. It was very tiring to pretend to be shy! The guest room was not big. There was a bed against the wall and a cab beside it. There were tables and chairs by the window. There was nothing else. Xiao Juan ced the bag on the table. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who should feel wronged.¡± As Yu Niaoniao spoke, she walked over, opened the bag, and took out gauze and a medicine bottle. ¡°Sit down and take off your shirt.¡± Like arge canine, Xiao Juan obediently followed her instructions and took off his shirt, revealing his strong chest wrapped in gauze. Yu Niaoniao said as she helped him remove the gauze. ¡°You could have continued to be your Duke Lang in the Imperial Capital and lived a luxurious life every day. Now, you¡¯ve be a wanted criminal for my sake. Now, you have nothing. If I were you, I would definitely feel wronged.¡± Xiao Juan sat on a stool with his hands on his knees and his back straight. He said softly, ¡°I don¡¯t feel aggrieved.¡± Yu Niaoniao gently wiped the edge of the wound with gauze. The edge of the wound was a little swollen and looked a little inmed. She couldn¡¯t help but worry. There were no antibiotics these days. Inmmation could kill. When the ointment touched the wound, Xiao Juan involuntarily tightened his muscles and curled his index finger slightly. Yu Niaoniao became even gentler. ¡°If it hurts, tell me.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Yu Niaoniao thought to herself, How could such a deep wound not hurt? If it were her, she would definitely cry from the pain. Knock knock! There was a knock on the door. Right on the heels of that, thedy boss¡¯s voice came from outside the door. ¡°Sirs, the hot water you wanted has been delivered.¡± Xiao Juan wanted to get up to open the door, but Yu Niaoniao stopped him. ¡°Sit still. I¡¯ll open the door.¡± Yu Niaoniao casually took a shirt and put it on Xiao Juan. She quickly walked to the door. She pulled open the door and saw thedy boss standing outside with a bucket. She immediately reached out to take it. Thedy boss said warmly, ¡°How can I let you do it yourself? Let me carry it in for you.¡± Yu Niaoniao declined. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Thedy boss nced into the house and saw Xiao Juan sitting on a stool. He was wearing a coat, and his firm chest muscles could vaguely be seen. She immediately imagined many inappropriate scenes and could not help but chuckle. Yu Niaoniao looked at her in confusion, not understanding why she wasughing. Thedy boss patted Yu Niaoniao¡¯s shoulder and said meaningfully. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so yful. Teach me when you¡¯re freeter. I want to find a handsome man like your husband too.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately blushed. This time, she wasn¡¯t pretending to be shy. She was really shy. She did not even dare to answer thedy boss. She quickly thanked her and hurriedly closed the door. Xiao Juan¡¯s hearing far exceeded that of ordinary people. Even though Yu Niaoniao and thedy boss¡¯s voices were not loud, he still heard them. He could not help but feel a little embarrassed. He wanted to say something, but he did not know where to start. Yu Niaoniao pretended that nothing had happened and walked to his side to continue changing his dressing. It was unknown if it was because of thedy boss¡¯s words just now, but the two of them, who were originally focused, were a little distracted at this moment. Even the atmosphere became romantic. Although the two of them had been married for more than two years, they had yet to consummate their marriage. This matter did not make sense no matter what. Yu Niaoniao bandaged his wound again. Xiao Juan put on his clothes, stood up, and walked towards the door. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly stopped him. ¡°It¡¯s sote. Where are you going?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Take a bath. I¡¯ll wait outside.¡± Yu Niaoniao hesitated before saying, ¡®You haven¡¯t bathed for a few days. Why don¡¯t¡­ you bathe with me?¡± By the time she finished, her face was flushed and her heart was pounding. She said it so bluntly that even a blockhead would know what she meant. Xiao Juan looked at the closed door in front of him and was silent for a long time before speaking. ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± Yu Niaoniao felt as if someone had poured a basin of cold water on her head. She immediately felt cold from head to toe. He had actually rejected her! He didn¡¯t want her! Yu Niaoniao had never been so embarrassed in her life! She felt ashamed and angry. She wanted to rush forward and bite him. ¡°Say that again if you have the guts!¡± Xiao Juan did not say anything else. He silently opened the door and walked out. Soon the door was closed again. Yu Niaoniao was left standing there sulking. She angrily undressed and sat in the bathtub. As she scrubbed her body hard, she cursed fiercely. ¡°You cowardly bastard, how dare you reject me? Just you wait. Don¡¯t even think about touching me for the rest of your life. Let¡¯s see who canst longer!¡± Outside the room, Xiao Juan stood quietly under the porch, the cold moonlight falling on him. Ahead of him, all he could see was darkness. He did not know where this path would eventually lead, nor did he know how many days he could protect Niaoniao. The faint pain on his back kept reminding him that he was guilty of regicide. He could not give Niaoniao the future she wanted. In that case, he could not hope for more. The door behind him was pulled open. Yu Niaoniao red at him angrily. ¡°I¡¯m done!¡± Xiao Juan walked into the house in silence. He washed his face with the remaining hot water andy side by side with Yu Niaoniao on the bed. The bed was not big. It was just enough for two adults to lie on. Although she was still very angry, Yu Niaoniao was too tired after running around for so long. Soon, she closed her eyes and fell asleep. She unknowingly leaned on Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan silently reached out and hugged her. He knew that was wrong, but he couldn¡¯t bear it. It was just a hug. He could only do it for a moment.. Chapter 622 - 622: Wanted Person Chapter 622: Wanted Person Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Just as Yu Niaoniao was in a daze, she suddenly heard someone talking outside the house. ¡°I¡¯m really not lying. We really didn¡¯t see the man in your painting in our shop today. Please be kind and spare our shop. This is a little tea money. Please ept it.¡± This was the voice of thedy boss of the guest house. Yu Niaoniao immediately woke up from her sleep. She turned around and realized that Xiao Juan was already awake. Xiao Juan put his index finger to his lips and gestured for her to keep quiet. Yu Niaoniao could only shut up obediently and swallow the words on the tip of her tongue. Xiao Juan lifted the nket and quietly got out of bed. He threw the clothes to Niaoniao and gestured for her to quickly put them on. Outside the house, no matter how thedy boss begged, the soldiers refused to stop. The leader said coldly, ¡°Someone saw foreign guests in your guest house today. For safety¡¯s sake, we have to check them one by one. Hurry up and call them out!¡± Thedy boss said awkwvardly, ¡°That¡¯s not good. They¡¯re all resting. In the middle of the night¡­¡± The officer pushed her away. ¡°Since you¡¯re unwilling, we¡¯ll go in and look for it ourselves.¡± With that, he rushed into the backyard aggressively with his men and began to check the rooms one by one. The guests, who were originally sleeping soundly, were woken up and forced to be searched by the soldiers. The entire guest house was filled withints. The footsteps outside the door were getting closer and closer. Yu Niaoniao became even more nervous. She quickly put on her clothes, shoes, and socks and jogged to Xiao Juan¡¯s side. ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Xiao Juan carried the bag on his back and held the No Return Saber in one hand and Niaoniao¡¯s hand in the other. ¡°Follow me.¡± They pulled open the door and ran out, only to see people on both sides of the corridor. No matter which way they left, they would bump into the soldiers. Xiao Juan did not panic at all. He hugged Niaoniao¡¯s waist and used Qinggong to fly up the eaves with her. They ran a few steps over the eaves, then jumped to the big tree beside them. At this moment, it waste at night. Coupled with the cover of the leaves, it was difficult for outsiders to notice two people hiding on the tree. Yu Niaoniao looked down through the gaps in the leaves. She saw the soldiers rush into the guest room they had just upied. The guest room was empty. No one was there. A soldier turned to ask thedy boss. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there were two people living here? Where are they?¡± Thedy boss was at a loss- ¡°T don¡¯t know- They were here before- Why are they gone? Did they go to the toilet?¡± Two of the soldiers ran towards the toilet, but they naturally returned empty-handed and found nothing. Faced with the interrogation of the soldiers, thedy boss had no choice but to say her guess. ¡°Although they won¡¯t admit it, I can tell that they¡¯re probably young couples who eloped behind their families¡¯ backs. They might have heard themotion and thought that their families had sent someone to arrest them. That¡¯s why they sneaked away.¡± She became anxious as she spoke, pping her legs and shouting, ¡°Oh my! They haven¡¯t paid for the room yet. They¡¯re leaving!¡± The soldiers were impatient to hear her nonsense. They took out the portrait and spoke to thedy boss. ¡°Take a closer look. Do those two look like the man in this portrait?¡± Thedy boss stared at the portrait again and again. To be honest, the man in the portrait was a little simr to the man of the eloping couple, but because the man had been wearing a bamboo hat with the brim lowered, and the night was hazy, she could not see his entire face. She could only see his mouth and jaw. That alone was impossible for her to confirm. The officer urged, ¡°Have you seen him or not?¡± Thedy boss followed the principle that it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble and quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him!¡± After turning the entire guest house upside down, the soldiers still could not find the person they were looking for and could only give up. The soldiers pped the portrait on the table before leaving and instructed thedy boss. ¡°This person hasmitted regicide and is a wanted criminal by the Imperial Court. He¡¯s very dangerous. If you discover his whereabouts, you must inform the authorities immediately.¡± Thedy boss hurriedly replied, ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll remember. Take care, sirs. Come to our shop for a drink another day.¡± She smiled with him as she escorted the soldiers out the door. As soon as they left, she quickly closed the door and pressed her chest to heave a sigh of relief. ¡°We¡¯ve finally sent this group of pestilence away.¡± She picked up the portrait and looked at it again. The more she looked at it, the more she felt that the man in the portrait looked like the man in the bamboo hat. After thinking about it, she decided to go to that guest room to take a look. If that man was really a wanted criminal, she had to quickly inform the authorities. The guest room was empty. The young couple had not returned. But there was a small piece of silver on the table. There were two words written on the side¡­ Room money. The water had not dried, which meant that they had not gone far. Thedy boss hurriedly picked up the silver and ran out of the guest room, only to see no sign of the couple. She smiled. ¡°At least you still have a conscience and know how to make up for the room.¡± With that, she put the portrait and the silver into her sleeve. Then, she yawned and returned to her room to rest. As for whether the man in the bamboo hat was a wanted criminal, it had nothing to do with her. After Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan left the guest house, they did not stay in the city anymore. They traveled through the night. It was not until five dayster that they saw people again. They came to a small town. Today was the day of the market. Almost all the vigers living nearby had gathered here. They took out their goods to sell and hawked. It was very lively. After days of running around, the two of them had tanned a lot. A thinyer of green stubble appeared on Xiao Juan¡¯s chin. He still had a wide bamboo hat on his head, and the brim of the hat was pressed very low. He was wearing gray rough clothes. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing his strong forearms, and the straw shoes on his feet were almost worn out. Yu Niaoniao was wearing a patched rough dress and tied her hair with branches. Her face was bare, and her lips were a little peeling. Her face was dirty, and her straw shoes and skirt were stained with a lot of dust. The two of them stood in the crowd and immediately blended into the surroundingmoners. Yu Niaoniao craned her neck and looked around, overwhelmed. She smelled the fragrance of meat buns and turned to Xiao Juan. ¡°I¡¯m hungry and want to buy something to eat. Wait for me under the shade in front.¡± Xiao Juan was worried about her and said, ¡°I¡¯ll buy it with you.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°No need. You¡¯re still injured. Sit down obediently and rest for a while. I¡¯ll buy a few buns from the bun shop over there. It¡¯s just a few steps. It¡¯ll be done soon.¡± Xiao Juan looked in the direction she was pointing and saw that the bun shop was across the street. It was indeed not far, so he followed her wishes. He walked silently to the shade, his eyes still on Yu Niaoniao. From this angle, he could clearly see what was happening in front of the bun shop.. Chapter 623 - 623: Meat Bun Chapter 623: Meat Bun Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Business at the bun shop was very good. There were many diners gathered in front of the shop. Yu Niaoniao finally squeezed in. She asked the boss, ¡°How much are the buns?¡± The boss said as he busied himself selling buns, ¡°Three copper coins for the meat filling and two copper coins for the vegetable filling.¡± Yu Niaoniao opened the pouch and poured out the copper coins inside. There were exactly ten copper coins. She handed over all ten copper coins. ¡°Two for the meat and two for the vegetable.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± The boss epted the copper coins and quickly picked up four buns. He wrapped them in oil paper and handed them to her. ¡°Youngdy, here are your buns.¡± Yu Niaoniao held the hot buns and turned to Xiao Juan. ¡°Let¡¯s go sit in the shade in front.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The sun was quite hot today, but the vigers were busy doing business and did not have time to rest. Therefore, the shade of the tree was empty, making it convenient for Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan. They found a random ce in the shade and sat down. Yu Niaoniao carefully opened the paper bag and handed two buns to Xiao Juan. ¡°Two each. This is yours.¡± Xiao Juan took the bun and lowered his head to take a bite. The soft skin was wrapped in delicious meat filling. When he took a bite, hot soup overflowed. It tasted very good. As Yu Niaoniao ate, she said, ¡°These buns are so delicious!¡± Xiao Juan looked up at her and saw that the bun in her hand had vegetable filling. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why is that a vegetable bun?¡± Yu Niaoniao chuckled. ¡°I want to eat something vegetarian recently.¡± With that, she opened her mouth and took another big bite of the bun. Her cheeks puffed up as she ate, looking like she was enjoying herself. Xiao Juan seemed to have thought of something. He picked up another bun and gently opened it. It was also filled with meat. So his two buns were stuffed with meat. He looked at Yu Niaoniao again and asked. ¡°How many meat buns did you buy?¡± As Yu Niaoniao ate, she said, ¡°Why are you asking? Hurry up and eat. The buns won¡¯t taste good when they get cold.¡± Xiao Juan took the other bun from her hand. Yu Niaoniao immediately panicked. ¡°What are you doing? You haven¡¯t finished your own buns. How can you snatch mine? Return the buns to me!¡± With that, she reached out to snatch it. When a passerby saw this scene, he could not help but look at Xiao Juan disdainfully and mutter softly. ¡°Who is he? He actually wants to snatch his wife¡¯s bun. He¡¯s really not a man.¡± When Yu Niaoniao heard this, she was immediately embarrassed. On the other hand, Xiao Juan looked calm and did not care what others thought. He broke open the bun he had just snatched. As expected, there were only cabbage and carrot shreds inside. There was no meat at all. There were a total of four buns. She ate the ones with vegetable filling herself and gave him two with meat fillings. Xiao Juan¡¯s hand trembled slightly as he held the bun, his heart aching. Meat buns were not worth much, but she still left the best for him. ¡°Niaoniao, I¡¯m sorry.¡± When they got married, he had promised to take good care of her. But now, she had to sleep in the open with him. She couldn¡¯t even eat a meat bun. Yu Niaoniao sighed. ¡°Why are you sorry? I gave you all the meat buns because I was worried that you were injured and needed something good to nourish your body. When you recover, you can earn money and bring me to eat all the delicacies in the world.¡± Xiao Juan did not say anything and silently reached out to hug Niaoniao. He hugged her hard as if he wanted to rub her entire body into his. Yu Niaoniao felt a little out of breath. She cried exaggeratedly, ¡°Alright, alright. There are still people watching. Let go of me.¡± Xiao Juan did not care what others thought. He hugged Niaoniao and refused to let go. His voice was muffled. ¡°I don¡¯t like meat buns. Help me eat them.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Liar! The meat buns smell so good. How can anyone not like them?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t like them. From now on, all my meat buns are yours.¡± Xiao Juan paused and added. ¡°You can have everything I have.¡± Yu Niaoniao was caught betweenughter and tears. ¡°It¡¯s just two meat buns. Do you have to do this?¡± To the previous Duke Lang, two meat buns were indeed nothing, but to the current Xiao Juan, two meat buns were a rare delicacy in this world. No matter how many years passed in the future, he would never forget what was happening now. After obtaining Yu Niaoniao¡¯s agreement, Xiao Juan let go of her. Yu Niaoniao held the half-eaten meat bun and said in amusement. ¡°You¡¯ve already eaten this. Why don¡¯t you finish it?¡± Xiao Juan looked at her steadily. ¡°Are you despising me?¡± Yu Niaoniao denied it. ¡°How can that be? No way!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Then eat.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. Under the man¡¯s burning gaze, Yu Niaoniao obediently ate both meat buns. Xiao Juan took out the water bag from his bag and handed it to her. Then, he picked up the two vegetable buns and finished them in two or three bites. After eating and drinking his fill, Xiao Juan asked Niaoniao what she wanted to do next. Yu Niaoniao wanted to buy some medicinal herbs for treating injuries. The arrow wound on Xiao Juan¡¯s back was inmed. The inmmation had not subsided, and they were about to run out of medicine. They had to replenish it as soon as possible. Previously, Yu Niaoniao had mentioned buying medicinal herbs, but Xiao Juan had rejected her. When the authorities found out that he was injured, they would definitely set up spies in various pharmaceutical shops and medical centers in advance. As long as they appeared, they would be arrested. To them, the pharmacy and medical center were like traps set by hunters. Xiao Juan could not let Niaoniao take the risk. Yu Niaoniao naturally knew Xiao Juan¡¯s scruples, but if the medicine was cut off, the injuries on Xiao Juan¡¯s body would be even more serious and might even endanger his life. She was going to die either way. She might as well take a gamble! She raised her hand to her forehead as if she was blocking the sun. ¡°It¡¯s too hot today. Go buy me an oil-paper umbre. I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡± Xiao Juan looked at the market in front of him. There were indeed shops selling oil paper umbres. He said to Yu Niaoniao, ¡°I¡¯ll be back. Stay here and don¡¯t move.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded obediently and said. ¡°It¡¯s quite tiring for you to run around with the bag. Why don¡¯t you give it to me? Anyway, I don¡¯t have to move when I sit here.¡± Xiao Juan did not think too much about it. He immediately took off the bag on his back and handed it to her. ¡°When I get back, don¡¯t run around.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Got it.¡± Xiao Juan pressed down the brim of his bamboo hat and strode towards the shop selling oil-paper umbres. After he left, Yu Niaoniao immediately jumped up. She dashed towards the nearest pharmacy with her bag. There were too many people in the pharmacy. The two clerks were busy. Yu Niaoniao looked around and did not find anyone suspicious in the medicine shop. She leaned over the counter and asked one of the clerks. ¡°Do you have medicine for external injuries here?¡± Chapter 624 - 624: Lucky Chapter 624: Lucky Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Hearing this, the clerk looked up at her. ¡°What external injuries?¡± Yu Niaoniao lied without changing her expression. ¡°My child identally fell when he went to cut pig grass and broke his head. He bled a lot. I want to buy him some medicine.¡± The clerk took a booklet from under the counter and spoke as he opened it. ¡°The authorities have ordered that anyone whoes to buy external injuries medicine recently has to leave their name and address. ¡®We can only sell you the medicine when the authorities confirm that there¡¯s no mistake.¡¯ ¡°Please tell me your name and address. I¡¯ll help you register.¡± Yu Niaoniao casually made up an address. ¡°My husband¡¯s surname is Zhang. He lives a little far away. It¡¯s toote to go back and forth. Forget it, I¡¯ll look elsewhere. If there¡¯s really no other way, I¡¯ll get some local prescriptions for my child to try.¡± With that, she let out a long sigh, looking very disappointed. The clerk said, ¡°It¡¯s the same everywhere else. To be honest, it¡¯s not just our town¡¯s pharmacy. It¡¯s the same everywhere else. Recently, the Imperial Court has been tracking down wanted criminals and controlling the use of medicine for external injuries very strictly. Yu Niaoniao heard something else in his words. She decided to test him. ¡°My child is in a hurry to use the medicine. He really can¡¯t wait that long. As long as I can buy the medicine now, it doesn¡¯t matter if the price is doubled.¡± With that, she took out a shiny silver ingot from her bag and ced it on the counter. As soon as the clerk saw the silver ingot, his eyes lit up. He quickly picked up the silver ingot and put it in his sleeve. Then, he ced one hand on the counter and leaned out with his upper body. He lowered his voice and spoke to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°My rtive often goes up the mountain to pick herbs and then sells the herbs he picks at our pharmacy. He has what you want.¡± ¡°His house is not far away. It¡¯s the first family in Apricot Flower Alley.¡± ¡°Give this to him and say that Ah Shu from the pharmacy asked you to look for him. He naturally knows what to do.¡± As the clerk spoke, he took out a small bamboo skewer. He stuffed the bamboo skewer into Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand and quickly retracted it. He pretended that nothing had happened and continued to organize the herbs. Yu Niaoniao stuffed the bamboo skewer into her bag and turned to walk out of the medicine shop. In the end, just as she went out, she saw Xiao Juan. He held the oil-paper umbre in one hand and a bowl of tofu pudding in the other. Yu Niaoniao met his dark eyes and could not help but stop. She cursed in her heart. He had seen her! Xiao Juan looked at the pharmacy behind her and then at her guilty expression. In the end, he did not say anything and turned to leave. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly chased after him. ¡°Ah Juan, wait for me.¡± Xiao Juan slowed down slightly. When Yu Niaoniao caught up, he handed her the tofu pudding. ¡°I saw someone selling tofu pudding on the way just now, so I bought you a bowl. Eat it quickly.¡± As he spoke, he took the bag from her back and carried it on his back. Then, he opened the oil-paper umbre with one hand and helped her block the piercing sunlight. Yu Niaoniao held the tofu and hesitated before speaking. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I lied to you. I went to the medicine shop just now. We¡¯re almost out of medicine. I wanted to buy more.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Don¡¯t do such a thing again. It¡¯s dangerous.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at his cold expression and asked carefully. ¡°Are you angry? Xiao Juan said, ¡°No.¡± Yu Niaoniao pursed her lower lip. ¡°You¡¯re angry.¡± Xiao Juan was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯m indeed angry, but I¡¯m angry at myself. It¡¯s because of my injuries that you didn¡¯t hesitate to take the risk to buy medicine. If anything happens to you, it¡¯s my fault.¡± The more he said that, the worse Yu Niaoniao felt. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You¡¯re not at fault.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Niaoniao, I implicated you.¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped and said angrily, ¡°If you say that again, I¡¯ll really be angry! ¡± Xiao Juan also stopped. He looked back at her, wanting to apologize, but not Imowing how to say it. His guilty and clumsy gaze made Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart ache. Yu Niaoniao sighed and said helplessly, ¡°If you really want to calcte, I was the one who implicated you. I¡¯m the one who should apologize.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Everything was my choice. You don¡¯t have to apologize.¡± ¡°But the cause is with me. If you hadn¡¯t met me, you would still be the mighty Duke Lang in the Imperial Capital. You wouldn¡¯t have to hide every day like now. You wouldn¡¯t even dare to see a doctor when you are injured.. As Yu Niaoniao spoke, her eyes could not help but turn red. Xiao Juan reached out his right hand and gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. ¡°But the luckiest thing in my life was meeting you. ¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him in a daze. ¡°Really?¡± Xiao Juan said seriously, ¡°Of course it¡¯s true.¡± In the past, although he held power, he was scolded by the world. Even he fell into doubt about himself. Fortunately, he met Niaoniao. She supported him firmly and did her best to clear his name. No matter when or where, as long as she was by his side, he would feel warm and at ease from the bottom of his heart. Yu Niaoniao smiled through her tears. ¡°Me too.¡± When no one understood her and she was at her most helpless, it was Xiao Juan who told her firmly that she had done nothing wrong. He did not hesitate to bear the crime of regicide and put himself in eternal damnation to seek justice for her. She had probably saved the world in her previous life to be lucky enough to meet him in this life. In the noisy market, there were peopleing and going. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan could only see each other. An untimely voice suddenly sounded¡ª ¡°Please make way! The couple in front!¡± Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan quickly came back to their senses. They turned around and saw a farmer walking over with these tworge wicker baskets. The two of them stood there in a daze, blocking someone else¡¯s way. They took two silent steps to the side. ¡°Looking at you guys, you must have just gotten married, right? If you want to be intimate, go home. It¡¯s not good to have a public influence in broad daylight.¡± Yu Niaoniao retorted, ¡°We¡¯ve been married for more than two years!¡± The farmer looked surprised. ¡°Really? You can still be so intimate after more than two years? You are quite close!¡± Yu Niaoniao looked up with a smug expression. ¡°Of course!¡± The farmerughed at her. ¡°Hahaha, youngdy, you¡¯re so interesting. If your husband marries you, his life will definitely be very happy.¡± Xiao Juan, who had been silent, suddenly replied, ¡®Yes.¡± The farmer froze for a moment, thenughed even louder. ¡°You two are interesting!¡± Seeing that he was in a good mood, Yu Niaoniao took the opportunity to ask, ¡°Brother, do you know where Apricot Flower Alley is?¡± The farmer raised his chin in front of him and replied, ¡°Go straight that way. Turn right at the second intersection and you¡¯ll see Apricot Flower Alley.¡± ¡°Thank you! ¡° Chapter 625 - 625: Trap Chapter 625: Trap Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After separating from the talkative farmer, Yu Niaoniao ate the tofu pudding as she walked toward Apricot Flower Alley. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Why are you going to Apricot Flower Alley?¡± Yu Niaoniao obediently told him her goal. Unexpectedly, Xiao Juan firmly disagreed. ¡°What if this is a trap? We can¡¯t go.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately panicked. ¡°But we¡¯re almost out of medicine. If we don¡¯t think of a way to buy medicine, your injuries will never recover!¡± Xiao Juan appeared very calm about this. ¡°My injuries are fine. It doesn¡¯t matter if I don¡¯t use medicine.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°How can it be fine? Your wound is inmed. You have to use medicine!¡± Xiao Juan turned around and walked in the opposite direction from Apricot Flower Alley. He said, ¡°I know my body very well. I¡¯ll be fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Yu Niaoniao red at his back and stomped her feet. ¡°Alright! You refuse to go, right? Then I¡¯ll go alone!¡± With that, she turned and ran in the direction of Apricot Flower Alley. Xiao Juan had no choice but to change direction and chase after her. He grabbed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything rash! ¡± Yu Niaoniao turned her head and red at him with red eyes. ¡°Do you know that if the wound is seriously inmed, you might die? If you die, what do you want me to do? Are you going to leave me alone?¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to die. I want you to stay with me forever. Just stay with me and never be separated. Boohoo!¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s heart ached and softened. He reached out and sped the back of her head, pressing her into his arms. ¡°Alright, stop crying. I won¡¯t die.¡± The pedestrians passing by turned to look at them. Countless gazes fell on the two of them. Yu Niaoniao continued to cry as if no one was around. ¡°Wuwuwu!¡± Xiao Juan tilted the oil-paper umbre at her, blocking the gazes of the pedestrians. He whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s go to Apricot Flower Alley together to buy medicine.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s cries immediately stopped. She raised her head and looked at Xiao Juan with watery eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t go back on your word.¡± Xiao Juan was very helpless. ¡®Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled through her tears again and immediately pulled Xiao Juan forward. Xiao Juan reminded him, ¡°Slow down. Be careful not to spill the tofu pudding in the bowl. I still have to return the bowlter.¡± Yu Niaoniao handed over the remaining half bowl of tofu pudding. ¡°I can¡¯t finish it. Help me.¡± Xiao Juan could only take the bowl and eat the remaining tofu pudding in two or three bites. When he passed by the stall selling tofu pudding, he returned the empty bowl to the boss. The two of them arrived at Apricot Flower Alley. Yu Niaoniao was about to knock when she was stopped by Xiao Juan. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll go in alone.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll meet you outside. If there¡¯s a problem inside, shout.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°If I don¡¯te out, leave.¡± Yu Niaoniao pursed her lower lip, very unhappy. ¡°Can you not say such a thing?¡± Xiao Juan touched her head. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stop.¡± He took out the small bamboo skewer and hid it in his sleeve. Then, he handed the bag and the oil-paper umbre to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Xiao Juan did not knock. Instead, he used his Qinggong to climb over the courtyard wall and quietly sneaked into the house. The alley was very quiet. There were high courtyard walls on both sides, preventing sunlight from entering. Yu Niaoniao put away the oil-paper umbre and stood against the wall, feeling very nervous. She hoped that everything would go well for Xiao Juan. Unfortunately, the heavens refused to let her have her way. The crisp sound of weapons colliding suddenly sounded behind the wall, mixed with chaotic footsteps and shouts. ¡°Quick! Stop him! Don¡¯t let him escape over the wall.¡± Yu Niaoniao was shocked. She immediately looked up and saw Xiao Juan flying up the wall. But in the next moment, pursuers appeared on the wall. Xiao Juan held the No Return Saber and killing intent appeared in his eyes. ¡°Niaoniao, hold the umbre!¡± Yu Niaoniao did not understand, but she still subconsciously listened to him and quickly opened the oil-paper umbre. At the same time, the No Return Saber in Xiao Juan¡¯s hand cut the neck of the pursuer in front of him. Dark red blood sttered and fell like rain, dripping onto the oil-paper umbre. The originally in white umbre was stained with a dazzling blood color. Right on the heels of that, the pursuer¡¯s corpse fell off the courtyard wall and fell heavily to the ground. Yu Niaoniao took two steps back in fear, her hand trembling slightly as she held the oil-paper umbre. After dealing with the two pursuers following closely behind, Xiao Juan jumped down the courtyard wall and grabbed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± They left the town as quickly as possible. When it rained, it poured. The originally sunny sky was suddenly covered in dark clouds and was about to rain. Xiao Juan sped up and ran forward with Yu Niaoniao. Soon, rain fell. Fortunately, Yu Niaoniao did not throw away the oil-paper umbre. The rain fell on the umbre, diluting the remaining blood on it. The two of them ran along the mountain path for a long time until it was dark before they found a mountain temple that had been abandoned for a long time. The Mountain Temple was badly damaged, but at least it could block the wind and rain. Xiao Juan found some dry wood in the temple and lit it with the lighter he carried with him. The fire emitted an endless warmth, diluting the cold brought by the rainy night. Yu Niaoniao took off her wet coat and ced it by the fire to roast. She said to Xiao Juan, ¡°Take off your clothes and roast them too.¡± Xiao Juan leaned against the pir and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll rest for a while. I¡¯ll roast themter.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Were those people chasing us just now soldiers?¡± Recalling the scenes just now, Xiao Juan¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°No, they were not.¡± Yu Niaoniao was a little surprised. ¡°Then why were they chasing us?¡± Xiao Juan spat out two words indifferently. ¡°Bounty.¡± Yu Niaoniao understood. ¡°They came to hunt us down to get a thousand taels of gold?¡± Xiao Juan exined unhurriedly, ¡°They should be in cahoots with the clerk from the pharmacy. The clerk from the pharmacy used his identity to find a target and lure him to the agreed location. If the person being lured over is really a wanted criminal, they can naturally take the head to collect the bounty. Taking a step back, even if it¡¯s not a wanted criminal, they can take the opportunity to extort a sum of money. It¡¯s not a loss.¡± Yu Niaoniao lowered her head. ¡°So it was a trap from the beginning to the end. I almost harmed you.¡± Xiao Juanforted her. ¡°They¡¯re meticulous. Clearly, this is not the first time they¡¯ve done such a thing. Leaving such scum alive will only harm more people. Today, I severely injured them. In the future, they won¡¯t dare to harm anyone for a long time. We¡¯re indirectly getting rid of evil for the people.¡± Yu Niaoniao clenched her fists. ¡°I¡¯ll be even more careful in the future.¡± Seeing that she quickly perked up, Xiao Juan was relieved. He closed his eyes and prepared to rest. With the help of the fire in front of her, Yu Niaoniao realized that something was wrong with his expression and hurriedly asked. ¡°Ah Juan, are you feeling unwell?¡± Xiao Juan opened his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Yu Niaoniao was not so easy to fool and said directly. ¡°Take off your clothes. I want to see the wound on your back..¡± Chapter 626 - 626: Fever Chapter 626: Fever Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan did not move. ¡°My injuries are the same. There¡¯s nothing to see. It¡¯s gettingte. Go to sleep.¡± The more he avoided her, the more Yu Niaoniao felt that something was wrong. She leaned over and reached for his belt as she prepared to undress him. ¡°No, I have to see it.¡¯ Xiao Juan pressed her hand down. ¡°I¡¯m really fine.¡± Yu Niaoniao frowned and immediately held his hand. ¡°Why is your hand so hot?¡± She held his hand as if it were a piece of red-hot iron. It was frighteningly hot! Xiao Juan immediately retracted his hand. ¡°Really? Why don¡¯t I feel anything? Perhaps you¡¯re hallucinating.¡± Yu Niaoniao reached out to touch his forehead. It was equally hot. She was anxious. ¡®You have a fever! It must be from the inmed wound. No, you have to show me the wound, or I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll¡­¡± In the end, she really could not think of anything she could threaten Xiao Juan with. After stuttering twice, her eyes suddenly turned red and she choked. ¡°I¡¯ll cry for you to see!¡± When Xiao Juan saw her crying, he immediately panicked and hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± Yu Niaoniao cried even louder. She could tell that this guy was amenable to coaxing but not coercion. As expected, Xiao Juan could not resist her tears and quickly disarmed and surrendered. ¡°Stop crying. I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately stopped crying and looked at him with teary eyes. ¡°Then take it off quickly.¡± Xiao Juan was helpless and could only obediently take off his clothes. His rain-soaked shirt was thrown aside, revealing his muscr chest. Yu Niaoniao wiped her tears. ¡°Turn around and let me see your back.¡± Xiao Juan obediently turned around, revealing his back. The wound that was originally wrapped in gauze had already cracked open. Threads of blood seeped out, dying the gauze red. Yu Niaoniao was filled with worry as she carefully helped him remove the gauze. As she had expected, the inmmation of the injury became even worse. The wound, which had only been swollen, was now showing signs of festering. She hurriedly opened the bag and took out the ointment and gauze, but she realized that the ointment in the porcin bottle was almost empty. She dug with her fingers for a long time and scraped the inner wall of the porcin bottle clean before barely getting some ointment. She gently applied the ointment to the wound. The stabbing pain from his wound made Xiao Juan¡¯s body stiffen and he subconsciously tightened his muscles. No matter how Yu Niaoniao plundered, she could not scrape out any more ointment. She had no choice but to bandage Xiao Juan¡¯s wound again with gauze. ¡°Ah Juan, how do you feel now?¡± Xiao Juan felt dizzy. His body alternated between cold and hot, making him feel very ufortable. But he didn¡¯t show it on his face. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just a little tired.¡± Yu Niaoniao took out a clean shirt and put it on him. ¡°Then sleep. You should feel better after a nap.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Xiao Juan sat on the ground with his back against the pir and one leg bent. He ced one hand on his knee and the other on the hilt of the No Return Saber. He closed his eyes to rest. He was really tired. Coupled with his fever, he quickly fell asleep. Yu Niaoniao helped him hang up his wet clothes and dried them. over a fire Then, she touched Xiao Juan¡¯s forehead. It was still terrifyingly hot. His eyebrows were furrowed and his face was pale. His lips were bloodless. It was obvious that he was ufortable. Yu Niaoniao took out her handkerchief and ran to the door of the Mountain God Temple. She used the rain to wet the handkerchief and ran back to Xiao Juan. She ced a wet handkerchief on Xiao Juan¡¯s forehead. When the wet handkerchief was not so cold, she took it and ran to the door to catch the rain. After getting it wet again, she ran back to apply it on Xiao Juan. She ran back and forth like this countless times. It rained all night, and Yu Niaoniao worked all night. The sky had unknowingly brightened. Xiao Juan slowly opened his eyes. He looked at Yu Niaoniao and asked hoarsely. ¡°Didn¡¯t you sleep all night?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I was just taking care of you.¡± She reached out and touched Xiao Juan¡¯s forehead again. It was still very hot. Yu Niaoniao pursed her lower lip. She could not continue like this. She had to find the medication as soon as possible! She stood up. ¡°Rest well here. I¡¯ll find something to eat outside.¡± Although Xiao Juan¡¯s head was dizzy, his intelligence was still there. He asked, ¡°Don¡¯t we still have dry food in the bag?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You¡¯re so seriously injured. How can you just eat dry food? I¡¯ll go outside and look for it. Perhaps I can catch a pheasant to nourish your body. At the same time, I can go nearby to investigate the situation and see where this ce is. It¡¯s convenient for us to decide which direction to go next.¡± Xiao Juan looked out the window. ¡°It¡¯s still raining outside. Don¡¯t go out.¡± Yu Niaoniao picked up the oil-paper umbre and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have an umbre. It won¡¯t drench me.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her fake rxed smile and knew that he could not change her decision no matter what he said. After hesitating for a while, he could only say, ¡°Be careful on the way.¡± Yu Niaoniao waved at him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± She opened the oil-paper umbre and ran quickly out of the Mountain Temple. Her slender figure quickly disappeared into the rain and fog. Xiao Juan endured the pain from the wound on his back and gritted his teeth as he stood up. His head was spinning. His body swayed twice involuntarily. He hurriedly grabbed the pir beside him and steadied himself in time. Xiao Juanposed himself and took a deep breath. He endured the pain and bent down to pick up the coat and bamboo hat on the ground. He put on his coat and arge bamboo hat. He left the Mountain God Temple in the rain and chased after Niaoniao. Since he could not change Niaoniao¡¯s decision, he could only follow her silently and quietly protect her. With her photographic memory, Yu Niaoniao sessfully found the way down the mountain. After a night of rain, the mountain path became muddy. Yu Niaoniao was anxious and identally slipped to the ground. Her dress was stained by mud and water, and the oil-paper umbre in her hand fell to the ground. Xiao Juan, who was following behind, felt his heart tighten and wanted to go forward to help. However, in the next moment, he saw Yu Niaoniao quickly get up. She picked up the oil-paper umbre, lifted her skirt, and tucked it into her belt. She casually wiped the mud off her face and continued her way. Xiao Juan could only suppress the worry in his heart and continue to follow her silently. Yu Niaoniao walked back along the route from yesterday. After rushing through the rain for half a day, she finally returned to the county city yesterday at noon. It was unknown if it was because Xiao Juan had killed someone in the city yesterday, but there were many soldiers in the city today. A wanted order appeared on the noticeboard at the city gate. Yu Niaoniao stopped when she passed the noticeboard. She saw Xiao Juan¡¯s portrait on the wanted poster. Next to the portrait, there were soldiers shouting at the illiteratemoners. ¡°Open your eyes wide and see clearly. The man in this portrait is a wanted criminal by the Imperial Court. His name is Xiao Juan, and he¡¯s an extremely ferocious fellow! There is a young woman with him. If any of you see unfamiliar men and women, you must report it to the authorities in time. Anyone who provided clues about them would be heavily rewarded! ¡°But if you dare to not report it, you¡¯ll be harboring fugitives and will lose your heads!¡± Chapter 627 - 627: Getting Medicine Chapter 627: Getting Medicine Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Someone in the crowd asked curiously, ¡°Why is there only Xiao Juan¡¯s portrait on the wanted order? Where¡¯s the woman with him? Why didn¡¯t you post her portrait too?¡± The others nodded in agreement, indicating that they had the same doubts. The soldier exined gruffly, ¡°Xiao Juan was the one whomitted the crime of regicide. That woman was coerced by him and had no choice but to act with him. The emperor specially instructed me to try my best to protect that woman and not hurt her. It would be even better if she could take the initiative toe back. The emperor would let bygones be bygones.¡± Themoners secretly clicked their tongues. It seemed that that woman¡¯s rtionship with the emperor was not simple! Someone could not help but joke, ¡°Looks like the emperor likes that woman very much. For the dignified emperor to be so concerned about her, she must be beautiful!¡± The officer immediately scolded with a straight face, ¡°How dare you make things up about the emperor? I think you don¡¯t want to live anymore!¡± The man immediately shrank back and shut his mouth resentfully. More and more people gathered on the noticeboard for money. Even the rain could not stop themoners¡¯ enthusiasm to watch the show. Yu Niaoniao retracted her gaze from the noticeboard and continued through the crowd. Xiao Juan had been following her at a distance. He had heard what the soldier had said just now. Shen Zhuo did not post Niaoniao¡¯s portrait to protect her reputation. This proved that he really cared about her. As long as Niaoniao could return, Shen Zhuo could let bygones be bygones. From now on, she no longer had to hide with Xiao Juan and worry about him. She could live the rest of her life without worry. Yu Niaoniao especially looked for a pharmacy yesterday and found Rejuvenation Hall, a a medical center. Because of the rain, not many people came to see the doctor and get medicine. Yu Niaoniao stuck her head out of the door and looked into the medical center. There were two clerks and an old doctor inside. The old doctor was sitting at the table drinking tea and looked very rxed. She looked around but could not find anything suitable. She could only grit her teeth and bang her head against the wall when no one was paying attention! Her head was hurt, and blood slowly flowed out. Yu Niaoniao endured the pain and covered her wound with her hand. She quickly ran into the medical center. Not long after she left, Xiao Juan appeared where she had been standing. There was still a little blood on the wall. After the rain washed away, the blood faded a lot. Xiao Juan raised his right hand and gently wiped the blood with his finger. The intense guilt almost engulfed him. It was all because of him that Niaoniao harmed herself. Not only did he fail to protect her, but he also became a burden to her. He faced the wall and muttered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± In the medical center, the old doctor helped Yu Niaoniao clean her wound and apply medication. ¡°How did you get this wound?¡± Yu Niaoniao said weakly, ¡°I identally hurt my head while walking on the mountain path.¡± Seeing that she was covered in mud and in a sorry state, the old doctor asked the waiter to bring hot water and let her wash her face and wipe the mud off her body. Yu Niaoniao was very grateful. ¡°Thank you.¡± The old doctor wrote a prescription and handed it to the clerk. ¡°Get three sets of medicine ording to this prescription.¡± The clerk hesitated. ¡°But the authorities specially instructed that anyone whoes to our medical center to buy medicine has to be registered and verified, especially since this girl is an outsider¡­¡¯ Hearing this, Yu Niaoniao immediately covered her head and forced a smile on her pale face. ¡°To be honest, I sneaked out of my house and met human traffickers on the way. I was in a panic and identally knocked my head. Thank you for just now. I know I¡¯ve caused you trouble. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll leave now.¡± With that, she put down a silver ingot and turned to walk out. The old doctor hurriedly stopped her. ¡°I just bandaged your wound. It wouldn¡¯t cost so much!¡± Yu Niaoniao turned to look at him with tears in her eyes, looking pitiful. ¡°It¡¯s rare for me to meet a good person. Take the extra money as gratitude to you.¡± The old doctor was a warm-hearted person, to begin with. How could he not soften when he saw this scene? He sighed and turned to the clerk. ¡°Go get the medicine.¡± The clerk still hesitated. ¡°But¡­ The old doctor said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the wanted poster says that there are two people, a man and a woman, but this girl is alone. It¡¯s different from what the wanted poster says. Besides, if she¡¯s really the woman mentioned in the wanted poster, she¡¯ll definitely report it to the authorities immediately after escaping the coercion of the evil person. Why would shee to us to treat her injuries? You must be thinking too much. Hurry up and get the medication.¡± The clerk felt that what he said made some sense, so he suppressed his doubts. He took the prescription with both hands and obediently went to get the medicine. Soon the clerk was done grabbing the medication. The old doctor specially found an old food box and ced the medication bag inside. Then he covered it so that it was impossible to tell what was inside from the outside. He handed the food box to Yu Niaoniao and instructed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone you bought medicine from me when you get out.¡± Yu Niaoniao was grateful. ¡°Thank you so much. You¡¯re my benefactor.¡± With that, she was about to kneel down to him. The old doctor hurriedly held her up. ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. It¡¯s not good to be seen. Go.¡± Yu Niaoniao wiped her tears and begged, ¡°Can you give me another prescription to reduce the fever? I heard that external injuries are prone to fever, so I want to prepare some first to prevent a possible illness.¡± The government only controlled the use of medicine for external injuries, but there were no restrictions on treating medicinal herbs like fever. The old doctor agreed readily. ¡°That¡¯s good. It¡¯s always better to be prepared.¡± He immediately wrote another prescription and asked the waiter to grab two packets of medicine ording to it. Yu Niaoniao carried the food box in one hand and an oil-paper umbre in the other as she hurriedly left the medical center. As she passed the restaurant, she smelled the fragrance of fooding from inside. She turned around and walked in to buy a roast chicken. The roasted chicken was wrapped in oil paper and ced in the food box. Yu Niaoniao carried the heavy food box, but she felt very happy. Not only did she buy medicine, but she also bought roasted chicken. When she returned, she would definitely give Xiao Juan a big surprise. With this anticipation, she quickened her pace. It took half a day to get to the city, so it was the same when they returned. By the time she saw the Mountain Temple, the sky had darkened and the rain had eased. At this moment, Yu Niaoniao was very tired. But she was eager to return and did not slow down at all. When she ran into the Mountain God Temple excitedly, she saw that the temple was empty. There was no sign of Xiao Juan. The fire had turned cold. It must have been out for a long time. The coat and bamboo hat that belonged to Xiao Juan were also gone. ¡°He didn¡¯t sneak away alone, did he?¡± Yu Niaoniao felt very uneasy. She put down the food box and looked around the Mountain God Temple with the oil-paper umbre, but she still could not find Xiao Juan. The sky was getting darker, and the wind and rain at night were as cold as ice. Yu Niaoniao looked around in confusion, not knowing where to go. ¡°Ah Juan, where did you go?¡± Chapter 628 - 628: Confession (1) Chapter 628: Confession (1) Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Rain pattered down, and a cold wind brushed her cheeks. Yu Niaoniao felt cold and hungry, and her footsteps became heavier. She called the man¡¯s name over and over. ¡°Ah Juan, Ah Juan¡­¡± In the deep night, only the shadows of trees swaying in the wind and rain could be seen. That person never appeared. After walking for an unknown period of time, thest strength in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s body had been exhausted. The ground was wet and slippery. She staggered and fell, the oil-paper umbre tumbling to the side. This time, she did not get up as quickly as she had during the day. She almost gave up on herself andy on the ground, letting the rain wet her. Tears rolled down her face and rolled into the mud. ¡°Ah Juan, don¡¯t leave me behind.¡± Her eyes filled with tears, and her vision blurred. Her choked voice was mixed with the sound of the rain. The rain that had been falling suddenly disappeared. Yu Niaoniao thought that the rain had stopped. However, when she looked up, she saw Xiao Juan standing in front of her. He had arrived at some point, holding the oil-paper umbre with one hand. The umbre blocked the wind and rain above Yu Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniao looked at him in a daze. She wondered if she was dreaming. ¡°Ah Juan, is it really you?¡± Xiao Juan bent his knees and squatted down. He turned his back to her. ¡°Come up. I¡¯ll carry you back.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not move. ¡°Didn¡¯t you leave?¡± Xiao Juan had indeed left. He did not want Niaoniao to be injured because of him again. He did not want to be a burden to her. Only by leaving him could Niaoniao live a stable life. But he didn¡¯t get far before he turned back. Because he was worried about Niaoniao. She was alone in the deep mountains and forests. What if she encountered wild beasts or bad people? He had originally nned to quietly hide in the shadows and protect Niaoniao until he was sure that she was really safe. When he returned to the Mountain God Temple and saw Niaoniao¡¯s sad appearance, intense heartache and regret instantly welled up in his heart, causing him to temporarily forget the thought of leaving. Facing Niaoniao¡¯s question, Xiao Juan did not know how to answer. Just as he was debating whether to tell the truth, he felt a weight on his back. Niaoniao was already hugging him while on his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck. The tears on her face had yet to dry, but she was smiling. ¡°That¡¯s great. You didn¡¯t leave. You didn¡¯t abandon me.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s heart softened. He thought he was leaving for her own good, but in her eyes, it was abandonment. Was he protecting her? Or hurting her? Xiao Juan fell into deep self-me and guilt. Yu Niaoniao let go of him and raised her hand to wipe the tears off her face. ¡°Get up. I don¡¯t need you to carry me.¡± Xiao Juan thought that she was angry at him for leaving. He was about to say something when he heard her continue. ¡°The wound on your back hasn¡¯t healed yet. If you really carry me back, you¡¯ll probably have to lie on the ground halfway.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I can carry you back.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t want to bully the injured. You can carry me after you recover.¡± Xiao Juan had no choice but to stand up. He held the oil-paper umbre and walked back with Niaoniao. At this moment, Niaoniao¡¯s footsteps were brisk and she looked like she was in a good mood. ¡°I thought you were gone just now and would nevere back. You scared me to death.¡± She sounded relieved. Xiao Juan said softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Yu Niaoniao recalled how worried she was just now and could not help but feel a little angry. She turned to re at the man beside her and used angrily. ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise me before? You have to stay in the temple and wait for me toe back. Why did you run out without a word? Do you know that you¡¯re still running a fever? What would I do if you had an ident?¡± Xiao Juan did not dare to look into her eyes. He looked down at the ground. ¡°I was worried about you and wanted to look for you.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly asked, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you went down the mountain? You weren¡¯t discovered, were you?¡± Xiao Juan shook his head, indicating that he did not. Yu Niaoniao was relieved. ¡°That¡¯s good. You don¡¯t know, but the authorities are looking for you everywhere now. You have to hide well. Don¡¯t be discovered by them.¡± Xiao Juan replied softly, ¡°Okay.¡± Yu Niaoniao touched the back of his hand. It still felt hot. She couldn¡¯t help but speed up. She had to get back quickly. When they returned to the Mountain God Temple, Yu Niaoniao lit the fire again and took out the herbs she had bought.. Chapter 629 - 629: Confession (2) Chapter 629: Confession (2) Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Fortunately, she had bought a casserole when she bought the medicine today. She ced the herbs in the casserole, added water, and boiled them on the fire. Soon, a strong bitter medicinal smell wafted out. Yu Niaoniao took out the new ointment and smiled proudly as if she was taking credit. ¡°Look, I bought medicine!¡± Xiao Juan did not look at the ointment in her hand. His gaze remained on her forehead. Her torehead was wrapped in gauze. Because she had fallen in the mountains, there were some muddy spots on the white gauze. Coupled with her dirty dress, she looked like a little beggar. She was in such a sorry state, but she was still smiling, her eyes sparkling. Xiao Juan felt his heart ache and soften. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± If not for him, she would not have suffered so much, let alone fallen to this state. Yu Niaoniao urged, ¡°Don¡¯t always be sorry. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Why are you always apologizing? Take off your clothes. I¡¯ll apply medicine for you.¡± Xiao Juan did not move. He was silent for a long time before telling the truth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I actually left you just now.¡± The smile on Yu Niaoniao¡¯s face froze. She looked at him nkly, her eyes puzzled and stunned. ¡°Why did you leave me? Did I do something wrong?¡± The medicinal soup in the casserole was gurgling. Hot steam rose, and the bitter smell of medicine filled the tip of his nose. The bitterness seemed to seep through his skin and into Xiao Juan¡¯s heart. ¡°You¡¯re very good. I¡¯m the one who dragged you down. As long as I leave you, you won¡¯t have to hide anymore.¡± ¡°But I couldn¡¯t bear to part with you. I hadn¡¯t gone far when I came back.¡± ¡°Niaoniao, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m too selfish. Even though I knew it would harm you, I didn¡¯t want to let go of you. A despicable fellow like me is not worth being so good to me.¡± His voice faded, and even the light in his eyes dimmed. He just sat there quietly, silent and weak, like a criminal waiting to be judged. Whether he lived or died depended on what the person in front of him said. Yu Niaoniao knew that Xiao Juan liked to think about nonsense, but she did not expect him to view their rtionship like this. She sighed softly. ¡°Ah Juan, did I never tell you that I like you? Xiao Juan was stunned. He had imagined many oues before confessing. The only thing he did not expect was such an answer. Yu Niaoniao ced her hands on his knees, raised her head, and leaned over to kiss him on the lips. ¡°If I didn¡¯t tell you before, you should know now. Ah Juan, I like you. It¡¯s the kind of love that would keep me with you for the rest of our lives.¡± ¡°As long as I¡¯m with you, I¡¯ll feel at ease. You¡¯re extremely important to me.¡± ¡°Now I have nothing. I only have you. If even you leave me, what do you want me to do?¡± With that, she kissed him again. Xiao Juan was already feverish and dizzy. He was even more confused by her kiss. Unknowingly, hispels were pulled open and Yu Niaoniap¡¯s palms pressed against his chest. He was wide awake in an instant and took her hand. ¡°Enough.¡± He was happy because of her confession, but it was really not appropriate to do those things now and here. Most of all, he was afraid she was acting on impulse now. He was afraid she would regret it in the future. Yu Niaoniao blinked and said innocently, ¡°I just want to help you take off your clothes so that I can help you apply medication.¡± He let go of Niaoniao¡¯s hand and whispered, ¡°I can do it myself.¡± Yu Niaoniao moved back a little and watched calmly as he undressed. Her gaze was too heavy, making Xiao Juan feel inexplicably shy. Although this was not the first time he had undressed in front of her, she had never stared at his body without blinking before. Especially since he still had the smell of her on his lips. It felt even more ambiguous. Xiao Juan wanted her to stop looking, but he felt that this was too feminine and could only endure it. Silently, he took off his shirt, revealing his gauze-wrapped upper body. Yu Niaoniao leaned over and helped him remove the gauze on his body. When the medicine was applied, she helped him wrap the gauze again. Coincidentally, the medicine was ready. Yu Niaoniao poured the medicine from the casserole into a bowl, cooled it a little, and handed it to him. ¡°Drink up.¡± The medicine was very bitter, but Xiao Juan did not seem to be able to taste it. He drank half a bowl without changing his expression. He handed the remaining half bowl of medicine to Niaoniao. ¡°You have a head injury. You have to take medicine too.¡± Yu Niaoniao deliberately cheated. ¡°Feed me.¡± She reached out her fair finger and tapped Xiao Juan¡¯s lips. ¡°You have to feed it with your mouth.¡± Xiao Juan felt that Niaoniao was too enthusiastic this night. He was very afraid that he would do something to her if he could not control himself. Although Niaoniao said that she liked him, he was still worried. Now that he had nothing, he was afraid he wouldn¡¯t be able to give her the future she wanted. If the two of them really consummated their marriage, she would not even have a chance to go back on her word in the future. This concerned her lifelong happiness. Xiao Juan wanted her to think about it again and not be in a hurry to make a decision. Xiao Juan forced himself to harden his heart and whispered, ¡°Drink it yourself.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If you don¡¯t feed me, I won¡¯t drink it. At most, my wound will fester and I¡¯ll die of pain.¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. His heart, which had just hardened, softened again. He poured medicine into his mouth, then bent his head and pressed his lips to hers. Yu Niaoniao immediately wrapped her arms around his neck. The bitter medicinal juice was diverted into her mouth. After she swallowed the medicine, Xiao Juan wanted to let go of her, but she clung to him like an octopus. Yu Niaoniao leaned over and kissed his chin. ¡°Do you like me?¡± This was obvious. There was no need to lie. Xiao Juan replied gloomily, ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled like a demon. ¡°Don¡¯t say yes. Do you like me or not?¡± like¡­.¡± Yu Niaoniao kissed him again and coaxed, ¡°Be clear. Who likes who?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡­¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him expectantly. Xiao Juan held it in for a long time before finally spitting out the words he had suppressed in his heart. ¡°I love you.¡± He wasn¡¯t talking about liking. He was talking about love. Like was possession, but love was restraint. He would rather be hurt so that the other party to live well. Yu Niaoniao could not help but kiss him again. He had been so insecure because he could not be sure of their rtionship. In that case, she wouldpletely confirm their rtionship as husband and wife. Chapter 630 - 630: Cherish Chapter 630: Cherish Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios It was a night of passion. When Niaoniao woke up, it was already the next day. The fire had long been extinguished, and messy clothes were scattered on the ground. She sat in Xiao Juan¡¯s arms, wearing his coat. His steady heartbeat was in her ears. After a while, Yu Niaoniao gradually woke up. She ced her hands on Xiao Juan¡¯s chest and sat up slightly. It was just a small action, but it made her ache, especially in her waist and legs. Xiao Juan woke up. He immediately opened his eyes and saw Niaoniao frowning slightly. ¡°What happened?¡± Yu Niaoniao snorted. ¡°My waist hurts.¡± Xiao Juan touched her waist. ¡°Is it here? I¡¯ll rub it for you.¡± He didn¡¯t dare rub too hard. He rubbed it very gently. Yu Niaoniao felt itchy and could not help butugh. ¡°Haha, forget it, forget it. Stop rubbing.¡± Xiao Juan was a little embarrassed by her giggle, but he could not bear to let go of her. He pulled her back into his arms and lowered his head to her neck. He gently bit the back of her neck. A faint red mark was left on her originally fair skin. Yu Niaoniao took a deep breath in pain. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Her voice was soft and nasal. Xiao Juan then kissed the red mark. His thick eyshes lowered to hide the uneasiness in his eyes. He asked in a low voice, ¡°Niaoniao, you won¡¯t regret it in the future, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao originally wanted to tease him, but when she thought of the worry he had shownst night, she held back. This guy looked quite big, but he was actually very sensitive. Especially when it came to rtionships. He couldn¡¯t take any jokes. Yu Niaoniao could only patiently give a serious answer. ¡°I won¡¯t. ¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Then do you really like me? Not because of guilt or anything else, right?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s heart settled. Last night¡¯s Niaoniao was too enthusiastic, making him feel unreal. He was afraid that it was all a dream, and even more afraid that it was a moment of impulse. Fortunately, his worries did note true. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Do you have any other questions?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°No.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then I have a question.¡± Xiao Juan let go of her a little and looked at her seriously. ¡°Ask.¡± Whatever the problem, he would tell her everything. Yu Niaoniao touched his t and strong abs and asked with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel hungry?¡± Xiao Juan was speechless. He thought that Niaoniao was going to ask an important question rted to their future. He did not expect her to ask such a question. Yu Niaoniao felt that it felt good, so she touched his abs again. Her soft fingers circled his body. ¡°I ran around all day yesterday and didn¡¯t eat much. I spent the night with you. I¡¯m starving now.¡± Xiao Juan did not notice that he was being taken advantage of. His mind was filled with the many discordant images of his time with Niaoniao the night before, and the tips of his ears quietly turned red. ¡°I¡¯ll find you something to eat.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I bought roast chicken yesterday. It can be eaten when it¡¯s hot. ¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± They dressed. Xiao Juan lit the fire again and roasted the chicken on it. The chicken skin was sizzling with oil, and the fragrance drilled into her nose. Yu Niaoniao squatted beside the fire and stared at the roasted chicken without blinking. She was drooling. When the roasted chicken was hot, Xiao Juan tore off one of the drumsticks and gave it to her. ¡°Eat.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not stand on ceremony with him and ate the drumstick in big mouthfuls. This roasted chicken tasted good, to begin with. In addition, she was extremely hungry, so the deliciousness was doubled! After she finished the drumstick in her hand, Xiao Juan handed her the other drumstick. Yu Niaoniao licked her fingers. ¡°I don¡¯t want chicken drumsticks anymore. I want chicken wings.¡± Xiao Juan tore off both chicken wings and gave them to her. The two of them finished the entire roasted chicken. Yu Niaoniao took out her water bag and poured tworge mouthfuls of water into her mouth. She could not help but sigh. ¡°It feels so good to eat and drink my fill!¡± Xiao Juan took the water bag from her and took two sips. A small hand suddenly reached over and covered his forehead. Xiao Juan stopped holding the water bag. He looked at Niaoniao in confusion. Yu Niaoniao retracted her hand and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s great. It¡¯s not so hot Xiao Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you.¡± Yu Niaoniao said proudly, ¡°I saved you this time. You have to be grateful forever. In the future, you have to be good to me. You have to listen to me about everything. I have to decide everything at home.¡± Facing her unreasonable request, Xiao Juan epted itpletely. ¡°Okay.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Also, I¡¯m the only one in your heart. There can¡¯t be anyone else.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Okay.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Most importantly, you¡¯re not allowed to run away without a word again. You¡¯re mine now. No matter where you go in the future, you have to report to me first.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Okay.¡± He looked serious and strict. Every promise came from the bottom of his heart. Yu Niaoniao liked him like this the most. He was extremely cute. She couldn¡¯t help but lean over and give him a big bear hug. She rubbed her cheek against his chin, but it itched and hurt from the stubble on his chin. She bit his lip as if in a fit of pique. The bite hurt a little. However, not only did Xiao Juan not dodge, but he even hugged her to prevent her from falling off him. Yu Niaoniao hugged his neck and kissed him from time to time. It tickled his heart like a cat. Xiao Juan could not help but want to kiss her back, but she retreated and deliberately parted his lips. When he gave up helplessly, she leaned forward to continue kissing him. Xiao Juan was like a big cat being teased by a kitten. He was very helpless and willing, and filled with indulgence. Outside, the rain had stopped. The ground was still wet, but the sky was surprisingly clean. The vegetation was emerald green and lush, and sparkling dew dripped from the petals. asionally, birds would fly past, and a breeze blew into the Mountain God Temple. It had the peace and beauty of a paradise. At first, Yu Niaoniao only wanted to tease Xiao Juan, but unknowingly, sparks flew. Although she had already caused a ruckus all nightst night, it was far from enough for a young man who had just tasted it. Their bodies pressed together again. They expressed their love for each other without restraint. The Imperial Court¡¯s arrest warrant for them had not stopped. Countless people were looking for them. The future path was filled with thorns. No one knew what their tomorrow would be. For them, was already an honor to meet in this life. They did not dare to ask for more. The only thing they could do now was cherish every moment they had.. Chapter 631 - 631: Thousands of Dangers Chapter 631: Thousands of Dangers Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Although Xiao Juan¡¯s fever had subsided, his injuries had yet to recover. Yu Niaoniao nned to stay in the Mountain God Temple for two more days. At the very least, she would wait for Xiao Juan¡¯s wound to scatter before setting off again. Her intention was for Xiao Juan¡¯s own good. But for some reason, as long as the two of them were together, the scene would gradually be discordant. They were like two skin-hungry patients who could not help but touch each other; it was as if this was the only way tofort each other. They spent three shameless days like this. Xiao Juan¡¯s wound finally began to scab. Yu Niaoniao could not wait to pack up and continue on her way. Before leaving, Xiao Juan could not help but turn around and look at the Mountain God Temple. He actually felt a little reluctant. Although the past few days had been bitter, it was enough for him to remember happy memories for the rest of his life. The two of them could not take the official road and could only take the winding and rugged mountain road. There were many snakes, insects, rats, and ants in the mountains. asionally, they could even encounter ferocious beasts. Fortunately, Xiao Juan¡¯s Qinggong was impressive. He shuttled through the forest with Niaoniao and quickly escaped the pursuit of the ferocious beasts. They traveled through the mountains for four days before finally seeing people again. Ahead was a small town. Logically speaking, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan should not go to such a crowded ce again. However, they were almost out of dry food in their bags. They had to replenish it. The two of them sneaked into the town and realized that although this town was small, there were many people. There were often soldiers patrolling the streets, and there was even Xiao Juan¡¯s wanted order stuck on the noticeboard. However, because Xiao Juan was too down and out now, he was almost a different person from the portrait. Even when he brushed past the soldiers, no one recognized him. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan sat down at the teahouse by the roadside. ¡°Two bowls of Yang Chun noodles with an egg each.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± The boss was busy at the stove. The diners at the other tables were focused on their food. Yu Niaoniao looked at Xiao Juan, who was sitting opposite the table, and suddenly had a naughty intention. She quietly stretched out her foot and reached under the table to rub against his calf. Xiao Juan sensed her small actions and cheap trick. He wanted to wrap his legs around her restless little foot. Yu Niaoniao quickly retracted her foot, causing him to miss. She propped her chin on one hand and deliberately gave him a provocative smile. Xiao Juan really wanted to kiss the corners of her mouth. However, there were people everywhere now. They could not be too intimate in public. He could only sit still, as he missed his days in the Mountain Temple. At that time, they could be intimate with each other without restraint. And now he could only watch her silently. He could do nothing. Yu Niaoniao could not help but raise her butt and move to the stool beside him. She grabbed Xiao Juan¡¯s hand under the table and ced it in herp. Then she scratched his palm with her fingers. Xiao Juan immediately held her hand and rubbed the back of it with his fingers. His movements were secret and intimate, filled with an indescribable love. Yu Niaoniao patted the back of his hand with her other hand, indicating that he should let go. Xiao Juan obediently loosened his fingers. Yu Niaoniao turned his palm over and threaded five fingers through his. Then she sped them tightly. Their fingers intertwined, as their palms touched. Xiao Juan could not help but call out. ¡°Niaoniao. ¡± His voice was low and a little hoarse, making Niaoniao¡¯s ears itch. She felt sweet and helpless. Oh my, what a clingy big fellow. At this moment, the boss brought tworge bowls of hot Yang Chun noodles to the table. ¡°Please enjoy.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s attention was immediately attracted by the fragrant noodles. She quickly withdrew her hand and picked up her chopsticks to eat. Xiao Juan looked down at his empty palm and felt his heart empty. Then, he looked at Yu Niaoniao. Seeing that she was focused on the noodles, he could not help but feel a little helpless. Yu Niaoniao picked up the sunny-side up egg in her bowl with her chopsticks. The eggs were fried until both sides were golden. When she took a bite, they were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. They were very fragrant! Yu Niaoniao could not help but sigh. ¡°This sunny-side up is really delicious!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, there was a sunny-side up in her bowl. She looked up and realized that Xiao Juan had given her the sunny-side up in his bowl. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Eat it. If there¡¯s not enough, add more.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not stand on ceremony with him and ate the sunny-side up in two or three bites. After a bowl of Yang Chun noodles each, the two of them felt warm. Xiao Juan took out the water bag he carried with him and filled it with water. After paying the bill, he brought Yu Niaoniao to the bun shop to buy a bag full of steamed buns. The two of them nned to leave the town, but not long after, they saw arge group of soldiers appear in front of them. The soldiers were chasing a man. The two sides raced down the street, one after the other. The stalls on the street were knocked askew, andints and shouts filled the air. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan could not even protect themselves, so they naturally did not want to cause trouble. Just as they were about to turn around and leave, they caught a glimpse of the man from the corner of their eyes and stopped in unison. That person was actually Meng Xizhou, whom she had not seen for a long time! What was he doing here? No matter the reason, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan could not sit back and do nothing. Yu Niaoniao looked around and quickly locked her gaze on the gpole not far away. She tugged at Xiao Juan¡¯s sleeve and pointed at the gpole. Xiao Juan immediately understood. Meng Xizhou ran like the wind. Even so, he could not shake off the pursuers behind him. If this continued, he would definitely be caught. At this moment, a gpole standing beside him suddenly broke and fell straight toward Meng Xizhou! Meng Xizhou sped up and rushed over. The gpole fell close to his back. The soldiers in hot pursuit stopped in fear. The distance between the two widened. Meng Xiuzhou was about to run forward when a hand from the crowd suddenly grabbed his arm urately and pulled him away. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the crowd. The soldiers naturally refused to give up. They immediately spread out and began to search the entire town. The people who saved Meng Xizhou were naturally Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan. They were also the ones who broke the gpole just now. When Meng Xizhou saw the two of them, he was shocked and happy. He spoke incoherently. ¡°Your Highness, Princess Consort, that¡¯s great! You¡¯re still alive! I finally found you!¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Meng Xizhou panted and said quickly. ¡°Little Lo asked me to look for you. He said that you would definitelye to Liaodong County. This is the only way to Liaodong County. I was waiting for you here. I didn¡¯t expect the Imperial Court¡¯s pursuers to arrive first.¡± ¡°From the looks of it, they should also know that you¡¯re going to Liaodong County and set up an ambush here in advance.¡± Xiao Juan was not surprised. With Shen Zhuo¡¯s methods, he would definitely not let him reach Liaodong County alive. His journey must have been filled with danger. Chapter 632 - 632: Surrounded Chapter 632: Surrounded Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The entire town was surrounded by soldiers. No one was allowed to leave the town. Originally, Xiao Juan was prepared to leave this ce as soon as possible. In this situation, they definitely could not leave. They could only find a ce to hide in the town for the time being. However, soon, the soldiers began to search the town. The town was only so big. It was only a matter of time before they were found. The three of them hid in a grocery store. The owner of this shop had gone overseas to visit his rtives. He had not been at home for the past few days and the shop had been empty. It was convenient for the three of them to hide. Xiao Juan looked out through the crack in the door. Themoners had already been ordered to stay at home and were not allowed to go out again. Now, the street was empty and only the figures of the soldiers could be seen. Meng Xizhou paced back and forth uneasily. ¡°What should we do now?¡± Xiao Juan turned to look at him and asked, ¡®Why did Little Lo ask you to look for us? Did something happen in Liaodong County?¡± He had to admit that Duke Lang was indeed Duke Lang. His intuition was really sharp. Meng Xizhou said bitterly, ¡°The Eastern Expedition Army was defeated, and Liaodong County fellpletely.¡± Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao were stunned at the same time. Yu Niaoniao asked in disbelief, ¡°How did this happen?¡± Meng Xizhou said, ¡°The Imperial Court stopped providing support to Liaodong and even took back the rations that were sent to Liaodong previously. There was nothing to eat for the 300,000 Eastern Expedition Army. They could only fight on the battlefield on an empty stomach. In the end, they could only¡­¡± At this point, his eyes turned red. His hands were clenched into fists, and he had nowhere to vent his anger. The Eastern Expedition Army was united and fought the enemy with all their might. They could clearly win. As long as they had food, they could chase the Chen Nation¡¯s enemy out! However, because of an imperial edict from the emperor, all the provisions were taken back, causing the soldiers to fall into an isted situation. In the end, they suffered heavy casualties. As a result, themoners in Liaodong County were ughtered by the enemy. Their once calm and peaceful home was now covered in blood and corpses. Meng Xizhou wanted to rush into the pce and grab the emperor¡¯s cor to question him. Were those soldiers andmoners that perished not his people? Why did he give them up? Why did he leave them in the lurch? Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°What about Guixi and Prince Min? Are they okay?¡± Meng Xizhou said, ¡°General Tang is injured. Fortunately, her life is fine. Prince Min and the heir are still fine. They led the remaining Eastern Expedition Army to hide in the forest. Little Lo guessed that the emperor would harm His Highness, so he came with me to pick you up.¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Little Lo is here too?¡± Meng Xizhou told them their n. ¡°Yes, he was the one who asked me to wait for you here, but he was afraid that there would be an ambush here, so he separated from me. He agreed with me that if I didn¡¯t go back before dark today, it meant that something had happened to me. At that time, he would think of another way to receive His Highness.¡± Xiao Juan looked thoughtful. A momentter, he spoke to Meng Xizhou. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here for long. Later, I¡¯ll think of a way to distract the soldiers. Take the opportunity to leave with Niaoniao. After you find Little Lo, wait for me downstream of the Heron River.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately protested. ¡°You want to leave me behind again!¡± Xiao Juan exined, ¡°It¡¯s not convenient for me to bring you along. Leave with Little Meng first. I promise I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not believe his words at all. She held Xiao Juan¡¯s hand tightly and said angrily. ¡°You promised me that you would be wherever I went in the future. We would never be separated again. Are you going back on your word?¡± Xiao Juan looked at her stubborn expression and sighed softly. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re with me.¡± He did not want her to take the risk, so he asked her to leave with Meng Xizhou. But she was unwilling. In that case, he could only bring her along and do his best to protect her. If they were really at their wits¡¯ end, they would die together. This could be considered to have fulfilled their rtionship as husband and wife. Yu Niaoniao immediately beamed with joy. The three of them agreed on the details of the escape n and then began to split up. The soldiers searched the town door to door. They quickly found the grocery. When they pushed open the door of the grocery store, two figures suddenly rushed out, scaring them so much that they hurriedly drew their sabers. When they looked over, they realized that the people who rushed out were Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao! The soldiers immediately chased after the two of them. As soon as they left, Meng Xizhou slipped out of the provision store. When the soldiers searching elsewhere heard that they had found the fugitive, they immediately swarmed toward the ce where the fugitive had appeared. This way, the number of guards at the town¡¯s entrance greatly decreased. Meng Xizhou seized the opportunity to escape. He ran as fast as he could to find Lo Pingsha. The entire town fell into an unprecedentedly tense atmosphere because of Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao. The soldiers surrounded the two of them from all directions. Xiao Juan brought Yu Niaoniao through the streets and alleys quickly. In the end, they were pincered from the front and back and had no way to escape. Xiao Juan used his qinggong to fly up to the roof with Niaoniao. They continued to escape on the tiles. These soldiers had been mobilized from the nearby government office. Although they usually practiced martial arts, they knew nothing about Qinggong. They could not fly to the roof as easily as Xiao Juan and could only carrydders. However, by the time they brought thedder over, Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao had already run away. Themander of the Imperial Guards, who had been observing in the dark, could not help but curse. ¡°Useless things!¡± Initially, he thought that he could take Xiao Juan down with numbers. In the end, he still had to do it himself. Themander of the Imperial Guards ordered, ¡°Go!¡± More than 200 Imperial Guards flew up to the roof in unison and chased after Xiao Juan. They were all experts carefully selected from more than 20,000 Imperial Guards. They were far from what those ordinary soldiers couldpare to. Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao were quickly caught up by the Imperial Guards. A fierce battle was inevitable. He unsheathed the No Return Saber in his hand. The sharp de reflected a terrifying cold light under the sun. Themander of the Imperial Guards said in a low voice, ¡°Xiao Juan, I know you¡¯re extraordinary, but it¡¯s difficult for two fists to fight four hands. Moreover, you have a weak woman by your side. It¡¯s impossible for you to escape. I advise you to put down your weapon and surrender obediently. Only then can you suffer less.¡± Xiao Juan ignored him. He held the No Return Saber in one hand and Niaoniao in the other and asked in a low voice. ¡°Are you afraid?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°With you around, I¡¯m not afraid.¡± Xiao Juan curled his lips slightly. ¡°Then follow me closely.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he rushed towards themander of the Imperial Guards like an arrow leaving the bow, the tip of the No Return Saber heading straight for his heart! The fierce killing intent swept over like a tide. Themander¡¯s expression changed drastically and he immediately raised his saber to block. The weapons collided with a crisp ng, making one¡¯s eardrums tremble.. Chapter 633 - 633: Cliff Chapter 633: Cliff Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan used all his strength to force their way out of the encirclement, but he was also injured. The arrow wound on his back had not healed, to begin with. Now that he was injured again, his condition could be said to be very bad. But he couldn¡¯t stop. The Imperial Guards were still in hot pursuit. Once they caught up, Xiao Juan would definitely die. At first, Xiao Juan could still use Qinggong. Later on, because he had bled too much, his stamina was exhausted, and his hand holding the No Return Saber was trembling. He no longer had the strength to use Qinggong. Seeing that they were about to be caught by the enemy, Yu Niaoniao pulled Xiao Juan and suddenly turned into a fork at the side. There was a carriage parked quietly on the side of the road. When Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan were shopping in the town just now, Yu Niaoniao had noticed this carriage. She followed the route she remembered and returned here smoothly. Yu Niaoniao took the No Return Saber from Xiao Juan¡¯s hand and swung it to cut the noose. Then, she pulled Xiao Juan onto the horse. Xiao Juan¡¯s situation was not good at this moment. In order to prevent him from falling off the horse, Yu Niaoniao asked him to sit in front. She hugged his waist from behind and pulled the reins with the other hand. The horse galloped forward with the two of them. The imperial guards chased after them, but how could a person¡¯s two legs outrun a horse¡¯s four? Seeing that the two of them were about to escape from the town, themander of the imperial guards shouted sternly. ¡°Archers!¡± The archers immediately stepped out of line. They flew to the roof, drew their bows, and nocked arrows. The arrows were all aimed at Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan. Next, as long as themander of the Imperial Guards gave the order, they could shoot the two of them off the horse. But they waited for a long time, but there was no order to shoot. They could not help but look at themander of the Imperial Guards. Themander of the Imperial Guards had an ugly expression. He knew that as long as he gave the order to shoot, he could kill Xiao Juan. However, Yu Niaoniao was sitting behind Xiao Juan now. If he wanted to shoot Xiao Juan, he had to kill Yu Niaoniao first. However, before setting off, the emperor had specially instructed him not to hurt Yu Niaoniao. He had to bring her back to the Imperial Capital alive. If he killed Yu Niaoniao, the emperor would definitely me him. He weighed the pros and cons in his heart before finally withdrawing all the archers. However, this did not mean that he would let Xiao Juan off. The Imperial Guards rode out of the town and chased after Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao. Not long after, they saw a string of bright red blood on the ground. It should be the blood on Xiao Juan¡¯s body. Themander of the Imperial Guards sneered at the string of blood. ¡°Let¡¯s see where else you can run?!¡± They continued their pursuit along the blood trail and quickly reached the foot of the mountain. There were dense forests on both sides and endless winding mountain roads ahead. Themander of the Imperial Guards was vignt and asked, ¡°Where does this road lead?¡± They had brought a local official as a guide on this trip. The official immediately stood up and answered respectfully. ¡°General, this path should lead to the top of the mountain.¡± Themander of the Imperial Guards did not understand why Xiao Juan would go to the top of the mountain, so he asked again. ¡°What¡¯s so special about the mountaintop?¡± The official answered truthfully, ¡°This is an ordinary mountain. If there¡¯s anything special, it¡¯s that there¡¯s a cliff at the top. There was once a hunter who identally lost his life by falling off the cliff. Since then, very few people have gone to the top of the mountain.¡± Hearing this, thest doubts in themander¡¯s heart disappeared. He sneered disdainfully. ¡°Heh, they chose a dead end out of so many paths. How stupid The group followed the mountain path. On the way, they saw a few more bloodstains and hoofprints beside the blood. All of this proved that they were in the right direction. The imperial guards increased their speed and sessfully arrived at the top of the mountain. However, they only saw a lonely horse and did not see Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao. The imperial guards immediately scattered to search carefully. Soon, they found Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao at the edge of the cliff. Xiao Juan was seriously injured. At this moment, his face was pale and he was on the verge of copse. He could only rely on Yu Niaoniao to barely stabilize himself. Themander of the Imperial Guards looked at the two people who had been forced into a corner like a hunter seeing his prey that he had been chasing for a long time. A smug smile appeared on his face. ¡°You finally have nowhere to run, don¡¯t you?¡± Xiao Juan said weakly, ¡°Let us go. Otherwise, we¡¯ll jump down from here.¡± Themander of the Imperial Guardsughed. ¡°Haha, you still want to threaten me when you¡¯re about to die? Do you think you¡¯re still Duke Lang? You¡¯re just a fugitive who deserves to die.¡± ¡°Even if you jump to your death from here, I can still bring your corpse back to report. ¡± At this point, he specially nced at Yu Niaoniao, his tone filled with coaxing. ¡°Miss Yu is still young and has a good life in the future. There is really no need to sacrifice your precious life for a fugitive.¡± ¡°Come over to me now. I¡¯ll take you back to the Imperial Capital. The emperor is still waiting to see you.¡± At this moment, Yu Niaoniao was sweating profusely and her hair was messy. She looked very disheveled, but her demeanor was very firm. She said neither servile nor overbearing, ¡°Then please help me pass a message to Shen Zhuo. I¡¯ve already cut ties with him. Even if I die in the future, I won¡¯t see him again on the road to hell!¡± She could understand Shen Zhuo¡¯s desire to fight for the throne. In his position, he could only be stepped on if he could not rule the world. However, she could not ept it. Shen Zhuo had set a trap to lure Xiao Juan into the pit, causing Xiao Juan to bear the crime of regicide. He also sent people to hunt Xiao Juan down and abandoned the people of Liaodong and the 300,000 Eastern Expedition Army. Such a method was too sinister and vicious! Themander of the Imperial Guards¡¯ face immediately darkened. ¡°Miss Yu, it¡¯s your good fortune in your previous life that the emperor likes you! Such a heaven-sent opportunity to be a phoenix is something many people can¡¯t even dream of!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I don¡¯t care. If you want such good fortune, take it. If you can achieve good things with Shen Zhuo in the future, don¡¯t forget to treat me to a wedding banquet.¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Themander of the Imperial Guards flushed with agitation. ¡°How dare you insult the current emperor? Do you want to die?!¡± Yu Niaoniao clicked her tongue. ¡°You¡¯re so protective of Shen Zhuo. Looks like you¡¯re really devoted to him. Such deep love is really touching. Tsk, tsk, tsk. A guard has a deep crush on the handsome emperor. You can only hide your deep love in your heart and go to the ends of the earth to get a smile from your sweetheart. Aiyaya, you really love him!¡± Themander of the Imperial Guards exploded in anger. From the corner of his eye, he saw that the guards¡¯ expressions were very strange. Could it be that they really believed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s nonsense?! No, he could not let Yu Niaoniao continue talking nonsense. Otherwise, when these words reached the emperor¡¯s ears, he would definitely die with an iplete body. The exasperatedmander of the Imperial Guards ordered, ¡°Catch them!¡± Chapter 634 - 634: Survival Chapter 634: Survival Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Although Xiao Juan threatened that they would jump down, themander of the Imperial Guards thought that he was just threatening. If he really wanted to die, he would not have escaped here with so much difficulty. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to just wait for death in the town? In the end, he would not want to die. As long as there was a chance of survival, it was impossible for him tomit suicide. Therefore, themander of the Imperial Guards did not take Xiao Juan¡¯s threat seriously at all. The imperial guards pounced on Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao. Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao had no choice but to retreat. However, the cliff was behind them. They looked at each other. Xiao Juan asked in a low voice, ¡°Do you trust me?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded without hesitation. ¡°I trust you!¡± ¡°Then jump with me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The two of them turned around together and jumped off the cliff under everyone¡¯s stunned gazes! The expression of themander of the Imperial Guards changed drastically. He hurriedly rushed forward to stop her. Unfortunately, it was toote. When he rushed to the edge of the cliff, Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao had already jumped down. The two of them fell straight down like kites with a broken string. In just a moment, they were gone. Themander of the imperial guards was in disbelief. ¡°Are they crazy? They actually jumped down!¡± Then, he grabbed the apanying official and asked fiercely, ¡°What¡¯s under this cliff?¡± The official replied with trepidation, ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s the Heron River.¡± Themander of the Imperial Guards gave the order loudly with hisst hope. ¡°The river water is deep. They might not die if they fall. Go down and look for them. Remember, I want to see them whether they¡¯re alive or if they¡¯re dead!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The elite guards quickly descended the mountain and headed straight for the Egret River. At the same time, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan had already fallen heavily into the Heron River. Xiao Juan hugged Yu Niaoniao tightly. He used thest bit of his internal energy to protect their bodies from the sudden powerful water pressure. The cold river surrounded them, and the intense weightlessness made them dizzy. When his internal energy was exhausted, Xiao Juan could no longer hold on and fainted. Yu Niaoniao gripped his arm tightly and swam up desperately. The two of them had just surfaced a little when they were washed away by the rapid river. Water poured in through her ears and nose. It was ufortable. Even so, Yu Niaoniao did not dare to rx at all. She held Xiao Juan with one hand and paddled desperately with the other. But it was useless. The river was really too fast. The powerful water current did not allow her to struggle at all. She and Xiao Juan were washed further and further away. After an unknown period of time. Yu Niaoniao was about to run out of stamina. If this continued, she would sink too. Yu Niaoniao could not help but call out in her heart. Meng Xizhou and Lo Pingsha, where are you? It was as if God had heard her call. She vaguely saw a small boat floating in front of her. There was a person standing on it. From the way he was dressed, it seemed to be Meng Xizhou, who had not been separated from them for long. Yu Niaoniao seemed to have grabbed thest straw to clutch at and shouted with all her might. ¡°Help! We¡¯re here!¡± Meng Xizhou was standing at the bow and craning his neck to look. He muttered anxiously, ¡°Why aren¡¯t they here yet? Did something happen?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he heard someone shout for help. He looked in the direction of the voice and saw Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan struggling in the river. He hurriedly took off his coat, shoes, and socks and plunged into the water, quickly swimming to their side. Lo Pingsha and Xia Haisheng paddled hard, and the small boat leaned towards Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan were pulled onto the boat. They slumped to the deck, breathing hard. Lo Pingsha noticed the injuries on Xiao Juan¡¯s body and immediately said, ¡°Hurry up and carry Duke Lang in. He¡¯s seriously injured. He has to be treated immediately.¡± Meng Xizhou and Xia Haisheng worked together and carried Xiao Juan into the cabin and ced him on the bed. There were spare medicine boxes in the cabin. Lo Pingsha rolled up his sleeves, opened the medicine box, and began to treat Xiao Juan. Yu Niaoniao was worried, but she knew that she could not help much now, so she did not cause trouble at the side. She went to the next room to change into clean clothes. When she came out, she saw Meng Xizhou and Xia Haisheng rowing desperately. Although they had already met up with Duke Lang and the Princess Consort, the pursuers might not stop here. To be safe, they had to leave immediately. Yu Niaoniao was extremely tired. She found a seat and sat down. ¡°Aren¡¯t you in the Xia family vige? Why are you here?¡± Xia Haisheng was pleasantly surprised. He did not expect her to still remember him. He quickly exined, ¡°The Chen Nation¡¯s army attacked Liaodong, and our Xia family vige was not spared. Many people in the vige were killed by the Chen Nation. I fled into the mountains with the remaining vigers and happened to encounter General Tang and the others, who were also hiding in the mountains. When I heard that they wereing to pick you up, I took the initiative to help.¡± Meng Xizhou immediately said, ¡°Haisheng is very familiar with the terrain in Liaodong. With him leading the way, it saved us a lot of trouble.¡± Yu Niaoniao said sincerely, ¡°Haisheng, thank you.¡± Xia Haisheng was very embarrassed. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. If you hadn¡¯t saved us back then, everyone in our Xia family vige would have died long ago. You¡¯re our savior. It¡¯s only right for us to do anything for you.¡± Yu Niaoniao did not expect that those people would remember this kindness until now just because she had saved some people on the way to find Xiao Juan. She had recognized the selfishness and cruelty of human nature in the pce and had been deeply shaken. But now she felt the warmth of human nature. Not everyone in this world was evil. There were also many good people who were kind and knew how to repay kindness. Lo Pingsha came out of the cabin. Yu Niaoniao immediately stood up and ran over to ask. ¡°How¡¯s Ah Juan¡¯s injury?¡± As Lo Pingsha rolled down his sleeve, he said, ¡°The wound has been bandaged. His life is not in danger for the time being. He needs to recuperate for a while.¡± Hearing this, Yu Niaoniao heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯ll go see him.¡± With that, she hurriedly ran into the cabin. Yu Niaoniao pushed open the door and entered the room. She saw that Xiao Juan was already awake. ¡°Ah Juan, how are you feeling?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s face was pale and his voice was very weak. ¡°I¡¯m much better.¡± Yu Niaoniao held his hand tightly and smiled. ¡°We all survived.¡± Xiao Juan held her hand. ¡°Yes, we all survived.¡± Along the way, they experienced many pursuits and narrowly escaped death several times. They had almost lost their lives just now. At this moment, they could finally rest for a while. Yu Niaoniao leaned over to kiss him and pressed her cheek against his chest, rubbing against him. She said briskly, ¡°It¡¯s said that we¡¯ll be blessed after surviving a disaster. We¡¯ve experienced so much and survived. We¡¯ll definitely live happily in the future.¡± Xiao Juan looked down at her with an extremely gentle gaze. ¡°Yes..¡± Chapter 635 - 635: Choose One of Two Chapter 635: Choose One of Two Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Lo Pingsha walked in with the freshly brewed ginger soup and happened to see Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan snuggling intimately. He immediately stopped. For a moment, he could neither advance nor retreat. Xiao Juan looked up at him, and the gentleness in his eyes faded. In an instant, he returned to his usual unsmiling appearance. ¡°What is it?¡± Lo Pingsha said dryly, ¡°You¡¯ve just soaked in the river for a long time. You should drink a bowl of ginger soup to dispel the cold.¡± Yu Niaoniao stood up and walked over, taking the tray from him. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Lo Pingsha turned to leave, but Xiao Juan stopped him. ¡°Wait a minute. I have something to ask you.¡± He obediently stood where he was. Seeing that he was a little pitiful, Yu Niaoniao said to him, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Sit and talk.¡± Lo Pingsha obediently found a seat and sat down. Xiao Juan finished the ginger soup in his bowl and asked, ¡°Are Granny Xiu Yan and the others okay?¡± Lo Pingsha answered truthfully, ¡°They¡¯re with General Tang now. They¡¯re safe for the time being.¡± Xiao Juan turned to ask about the situation in Liaodong County. Lo Pingsha told him everything he knew. This battle caused more than half of the Eastern Expedition Army to die. The remaining Eastern Expedition Army hid in the forest, but this was only a temporary measure. The Chen Nation¡¯s army was burning, killing, and plundering in Liaodong County. The Eastern Expedition Army could not ignore it. More importantly, the Eastern Expedition Army had no food now. The entire army could only tighten their belts. If this continued, they would starve to death, if not be trapped. In short, the current Liaodong County was no longer safe. Even if Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao escaped to Liaodong County, they might not be able to survive. Xiao Juan looked at Lo Pingsha and asked. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± Lo Pingsha had taken a risk toe so far to pick them up. He must have done more than worry about their safety. As expected, Lo Pingsha did have his own ns. ¡°The reason why Your Highness and the Princess Consort want to go to Liaodong County is because Liaodong County is safer for you.where you could be protected by General Tang and Prince Min.¡± ¡°But now, they can¡¯t even protect themselves, let alone protect you. This way, you will lose the meaning of escaping to Liaodong County.¡± ¡°I specially came to see you to tell you this information in advance so that you can think carefully before making a decision.¡± Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao understood what he meant. If they insisted on going to Liaodong County, it meant that they would be involved in the war between the two countries. No one knew if they would live or die. If they were unwilling to participate in the war, they would immediately change direction and continue to escape at the risk of being hunted. Choosing one of the two was a major decision that could change Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao¡¯s lives. Xiao Juan turned to look at Yu Niaoniao and asked. ¡°What do you think?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already make a decision? Why are you still asking me?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°No matter what my decision is, just tell me what you think.¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped smiling and said solemnly, ¡°Guixi and I are as close as sisters. I definitely won¡¯t abandon her.¡± Xiao Juan smiled. ¡°Then let¡¯s go to Liaodong. We¡¯ll go together.¡± Instead of being chased around like a stray dog, it was better to fight those bandits from the Chen Nation to the death openly! Even if he unfortunately died in battle in the future, it would be a worthy death! Lo Pingsha got the answer he wanted and left silently with his empty bowl. Only Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan were left in the room. Today, they had repeatedly gone to the edge of life and death. Now that they were finally safe, their tense nerves rxed, and their bodies became exhausted. Yu Niaoniao yawned. She really wanted to sleep. Xiao Juan consciously moved inside. Yu Niaoniao took off her coat, shoes. and socks, lifted the nket, and crawled in. She hugged Xiao Juan¡¯s arm and adjusted her posture to the mostfortable position. Then, she closed her eyes and quickly fell into a deep sleep. Xiao Juan looked down at her sleeping face. He looked like a dragon protecting its beloved treasure, and his eyes were filled with her. Unknowingly, he closed his eyes and fell asleep. The boat sailed along the Heron River for three days before finally docking in the morning of the fourth day. They changed to and route and continued on their way in a carriage. The closer they got to Liaodong County, the tighter the inspection of the various towns. In the end, Yu Niaoniao and the others did not dare to enter the city to replenish their supplies. They could only rely on hunting and picking wild fruits to fill their stomachs. It was difficult for them to move forward in this way. More than ten days passed. They crossed the mountains and bypassed the search of the officials of the Imperial Court and secretly sneaked into Liaodong County. However, they could not let their guard down. Although the Imperial Court¡¯s pursuit of them hade to an end, the mes of war were raging in Liaodong County. The figures of the Chen Nation¡¯s enemies could be seen everywhere. Yu Niaoniao and the others had to be doubly careful and try their best to avoid the eyes and ears of the Chen Nation. Xia Haisheng slid down the tree trunk and said, ¡°If we go further, we¡¯ll reach the Li family vige. We passed by there on our way here. Because that vige is remote, it hasn¡¯t been discovered by the Chen Nation for the time being. We can go thereter to ask for food.¡± The five of them had not eaten a hot meal for many days. When they heard Xia Haisheng¡¯s words, they were immediately excited. They perked up and sped up. But before they could reach the Li family vige, they heard shoutsing from afar. The five of them were immediately wary. Could it be that the Chen Nation¡¯s enemy had discovered this ce? What they were afraid of really happened. It was a small team from the Chen Nation. Yu Niaoniao and the others had no choice but to stop and hide in the dense forest. They looked out through the gaps in the leaves and saw the Chen Nation people barge into the Li family vige. Immediately after, heart-wrenching cries came from the vige. The voice was heart-wrenching. A man held his daughter¡¯s hand and fled the vige. However, before they could run far, they were caught by the Chen Nation. The man¡¯s ear was cut off and he immediately bled. However, he could not care less about the pain. He knelt on the ground and kept kowtowing, begging the other party to let his daughter go. But it was useless. The two Chen Nation people pressed his daughter to the ground and roughly tore her clothes. The man¡¯s eyes almost popped out. He wanted to rush forward to protect his daughter, but he was beaten even more fiercely by the Chen Nation. He was beaten until he could not fight back. He could only lie on the ground and watch his daughter be vited. Seeinq this scene, Yu Niaoniao could not take it anymore. Even if her whereabouts would be exposed because of this, she could not sit back and do nothing. She pulled an arrow from the quiver behind her and pulled back the bowstring. The arrowhead was aimed at the two Chen Nation people who were pressing against the little girl. Xiao Juan, Lo Pingsha, Meng Xizhou, and Xia Haisheng did not stop her. Whoosh. The arrow flew out and hit the neck of one of the soldiers! Immediately, blood sttered in all directions, spraying in the face of the Chen Nation soldier beside him. He screamed in fear and dodged back on all fours.. Chapter 636 - 636: About to Die Chapter 636: About to Die Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios In the past, Yu Niaoniao would definitely feel a little ufortable when she saw the arrow she shot kill a living person. But now, looking at the Chen Nation soldier lying in a pool of blood, her heart was as calm as water. She was terrifyingly calm the entire time. Because she understood something¡ª Not everyone in this world was worthy of being a person. At this moment, she was not killing a person, but an animal. She didn¡¯t need to feel any guilt. Yu Niaoniao shot a few more arrows. Every arrow could urately take a life. When thest person from the Chen Nation who tried to escape was also shot and fell, Yu Niaoniao finally put down her bow. She turned around and wanted to say something to Xiao Juan, but she saw the other three looking at her strangely. She was puzzled. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Her archery was personally taught by Xiao Juan. Seeing her calmly shoot the enemy just now made his heart ache. He was gratified by her growth and his heart soared for her. Lo Pingsha, Meng Xizhou, and Xia Haisheng were sincerely impressed. This was especially the case for Xia Haisheng. The admiration in his eyes was about to overflow. The Princess Consort¡¯s archery was too powerful! Every arrow she shot just now seemed to have hit his heart. It was ridiculously dashing! Xiao Juan said without changing his expression, ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s go.¡± With that, he stood up and strode towards the Li family vige. Yu Niaoniao and the other three quickly followed. Yu Niaoniao was a little worried that her actions would cause trouble for everyone. As she walked, she said, ¡°I was a little impulsive just now.¡± Although she said that, she had no intention of regretting it. Even if it happened again, she would still do it. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t attack just now, I would have.¡± Meng Xizhou, Lo Pingsha, and Xia Haisheng said right on the heels of that, ¡°The same goes for us!¡± They wanted to keep a low profile and travel, but this did not mean that they had to lose their conscience. In tnat situation just now, It was Impossible tor anyone witn tne guts to Sit back and do nothing. Hearing this, the worry in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart immediately dissipated. She was even a little touched. Back then, when she was in the Imperial Capital, she desperately wanted to seek justice for her family who had died tragically, but no one was willing to support her. Everyone thought that she was crazy and that the entire world was standing against her. Now, in order to save two strangers, she had rashly shot the Chen Nation¡¯s soldiers. This nosy behavior received the unconditional support of herpanions. Comparing the two, only she knew the difference. The five of them arrived at the vige entrance. The little girl almost scrambled to her father¡¯s side. Father and daughter hugged each other and cried until they were out of breath. When they saw someoneing, they thought that it was the Chen Nation again and hurriedly got up to escape. Xia Haisheng hurriedly stopped them andmunicated with them in the local dialect of Liaodong County. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, it¡¯s me! I¡¯m Xia Haisheng from the Xia family vige. We came to your vige not long ago. We shot the arrows just now. We¡¯re here to save you.¡± Hearing this, the father and daughter stopped. They saw Xia Haisheng¡¯s appearance clearly and confirmed that he was a friend and not an enemy. Only then did they lower their guard. The man¡¯s ear was still bleeding. Lo Pingsha took gauze and medicine from his bag and simply treated his wound. The cries in the Li family vige had yet to stop; the wails were mixed with the excitedughter of the Chen Nation. Xia Haisheng said to the father and daughter. ¡°Leave quickly.¡± The man did not leave. Instead, he asked hopefully, ¡°You just said that you¡¯re here to save us. Are you nning to save the entire vige? Xia Haisheng did not dare to make this decision. He turned to look at Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan gave an affirmative answer without hesitation. ¡°Yes.¡± Since he had already made a move, he might as well save them all. The man was at first delighted, then worried. ¡°There are more than a hundred people from the Chen Nation, but there are only five of you. Can you defeat them?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I have my ways.¡± The man seemed to have thought of something. He gritted his teeth and made up his mind to speak to his daughter. ¡°Go into the mountains and find a ce to hide. I¡¯ll help them save the people.¡± Xia Haisheng was surprised. ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± The man choked. ¡°My father, mother, and my wife are in the vige. I can¡¯t leave them alone. I have to go back and save them.¡± He had no choice just now. He could not save the entire family alone. He could only escape with his daughter. But now that someone was willing to help save him, he naturally had to do something. Although the little girl was trembling and disheveled, she was still thinking about her grandparents and mother. She knew that she could not help much. If she followed, she would only be a burden. She could only suppress the fear in her heart and say in a trembling voice, ¡°Father, you have to be careful.¡± Yu Niaoniao bent down and took off the scimitar from the waist of a Chen Nation citizen. She handed the scimitar to the little girl. ¡°Take it for self-defense.¡± The little girl took the heavy scimitar with both hands and choked. ¡°Thank you, Sister.¡± After the little girl left, the man introduced himself briefly. His name was Li Deyi. He was an ordinary farmer and would enter the mountains to hunt when he was free. At this moment, he was carrying a homemade bow, but his quiver was empty. Previously, in order to escape, he had used all his arrows. Yu Niaoniao looked at the corpses of the Chen Nation people on the ground and said ambiguously, ¡°No more, no less. There are exactly six of them. Could this be fate?¡± There were originally five of them. Now that Li Deyi was included, there were exactly six. Xiao Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s indeed fate.¡± Even the heavens were helping them. It was obvious that their operation would definitely go smoothly. The six of them quickly took off all the clothes on the Chen Nation¡¯s soldiers and reced them with their own. Then, they hid the corpses in the bushes. Among them, only Xiao Juan could speak some simple Chen Nationnguage. Hence, Xiao Juan led the way and ran into the vige with the other five. Xiao Juan pretended to be flustered and shouted in the Chen Nationnguage. ¡°The Eastern Expedition Army is here! They¡¯re about to kill their way in. Run!¡± His shout immediately shocked the Chen Nation soldiers who were still doing evil. A few of them did not even have time to pull up their pants before they hurriedly ran out of the house. After the Chen Nation¡¯s people plundered the vige, it had already be a mess. Corpses lying in pools of blood could be seen everyvvhere. Even though Yu Niaoniao was already mentally prepared, she could not help but feel shocked. Li Deyi¡¯s eyes turned red as he clenched his fists. The veins on the back of his hand bulged. He had to do his best to suppress the urge to kill. Soon, all the Chen Nation soldiers ran out, led by a young general. This young general must have drunk some wine. His face was red and he was not dressed properly. He shouted at the top of his voice, ¡°Who said the Eastern Expedition Army was here? Where is the Eastern Expedition Army?¡± Xiao Juan walked forward. ¡°I was the one who saw the Eastern Expedition Army. ¡± The general¡¯s mind was not clear at this moment. Although he looked at the unfamiliar person in front of him, he did not think too much about it. After all, the other party was speaking the authentic Chen Nationnguage. He was clearly from the Chen Nation. ¡°Come here and tell me what happened in detail.¡± Xiao Juan walked up to him and lowered his voice. ¡°It¡¯s like this. I happened to encounter two soldiers from the Eastern Expedition Army just now. They said¡­ The general was dissatisfied. ¡°What did they say? Speak up!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Juan suddenly unsheathed the No Return Saber in his hand. Before anyone could react, the de had already cut the general¡¯s throat. Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°They said that your death is imminent..¡± Chapter 637 - 637: Saving Someone Chapter 637: Saving Someone Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The sudden death of the general caused all the Chen Nation soldiers present to fall into a panic. They subconsciously retreated, then hurriedly drew their sabers and prepared to counterattack. However, without anyone tomand them, these people were like to be in a state of disunity. They did not know which direction to attack, so they simply surrounded Xiao Juan. Meng Xizhou and Lo Pingsha protected Xiao Juan from both sides and helped him share the firepower. Li Deyi and Xia Haisheng also wanted to rush up, but Yu Niaoniao stopped them. Yu Niaoniao whispered, ¡°Follow me!¡± The three of them took advantage of the chaos to retreat and find a high ce as quickly as possible. They hid behind cover and shot at the Chen Nation soldiers. Every time they hit someone, they would immediately move elsewhere to continue shooting. The Chen Nation soldiers kept being shot by the arrows and fell screaming. There were also archers among the Chen Nation soldiers. They wanted to draw their bows and shoot back, but the positions of Yu Niaoniao and the other two kept changing. They could not find the two of them at all. Every arrow they shot missed. Li Deyi saw through Yu Niaoniao¡¯s intentions. Relying on his familiarity with the Li family vige, he took the initiative to take on the task of finding suitable positions. The three of them cooperated well. But soon the problem came¡­ They were almost out of arrows. Li Deyi was anxious. ¡°What should I do? I¡¯m out of arrows.¡± Xia Haisheng said, ¡°Me too!¡± Yu Niaoniao only had onest arrow left. Although they had already killed nearly twenty Chen Nation soldiers and Xiao Juan, Lo Pingsha, and Meng Xizhou had also dealt with a portion of them, there were still more than forty people left. Yu Niaoniao noticed the firewood piled in the corner beside her and suddenly had an idea. She led the way into a neighboring house, followed by Li Deyi and Xia Haisheng. The house was in a mess. Two corpsesy on the ground. An old man and a child were tied up in the corner. When the old man saw that someone had barged in, he thought that the Chen Nation soldiers had returned. He was both hateful and afraid, and his body could not help but tremble. The child cried until his voice was hoarse and kept calling his parents. When Li Deyi saw that it was them, he hurriedly said, ¡®Vige Chief, it¡¯s me!¡± The old man heard a familiar voice and looked over. Only then did he realize that it was an acquaintance. ¡°Deyi, why is it you? Why are you dressed like this?¡± There was no time for small talk now. Yu Niaoniao interrupted and asked, ¡°Is theremp oil?¡± The old vige chief was a little dumbfounded by her question. He did not know what was going on with this girl in the Chen Nation¡¯s soldier¡¯s clothes. Li Deyi cut the ropes on them with his scimitar and urged them. ¡°Vige Chief, tell me quickly! They¡¯re all good people who came to save our vige. They¡¯ve already killed half of the Chen Nation¡¯s soldiers outside.¡± Knowing that they had killed many Chen Nation soldiers, the old vige chief immediately crawled to the bed and stuck half of his body under it. He straightened his arm and pulled out a pot. ¡°Here you go. All ourmp oil is here.¡± Yu Niaoniao casually pulled a shirt off the ground, tore it into strips, wrapped it around the arrowhead, and inserted it into the pottery jar. When she pulled it out again, the arrowhead was wrapped inmp oil. She picked up the pot and threw it to Xia Haisheng. ¡°I have a mission for the two of you. It might be more dangerous.¡± Xia Haisheng and Li Deyi hurriedly said, ¡°Tell us, we¡¯ll definitely do as you say!¡± After exining, Yu Niaoniao turned to look at the old vige chief and said. ¡°Pack up some dry food and water, then think of a way to inform the others in the vige to meet up at the vige entrance. You can¡¯t live here anymore. You have to leave.¡± The old vige chief quickly asked, ¡°Where can we go?¡± Now that Liaodong County was filled with people from the Chen Nation, the entire Liaodong County was no longer safe. Yu Niaoniao thought for a moment and quickly said, ¡°How about this? You guys go into the mountains and hide for a while. When we get rid of these Chen Nation people, we¡¯ll look for you. At that time,e with us.¡± The old vige chief hurriedly replied, ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± Li Deyi could not help but say, ¡°Vige Chief, please help me find my family. If they¡¯re still alive, please bring them out of the vige.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will.¡± After leaving, Yu Niaoniao, Xia Haisheng, and Li Deyi split up. Xiao Juan, Meng Xizhou, and Lo Pingsha were still fighting the Chen Nation soldiers. The Chen Nation soldiers surrounded the three of them with their numbers. At this moment, they could not care less about moves and cooperation. They only waved their weapons at the three of them. The three of them were more or less injured. As they dealt with the enemy, they searched for a chance to escape. At this moment, they suddenly heard the sound of wheels crushing the ground, right on the heels of Xia Haisheng¡¯s roar¡ª ¡°Come this way!¡± Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Xia Haisheng rushing over with a handcart. There was a mountain of firewood on the handcart. Xia Haisheng ran for a distance before suddenly letting go. Under the influence of inertia, the handcart rushed straight at the Chen Nation soldiers! The Chen Nation soldiers were so frightened that they dodged to the sides. Xiao Juan, Meng Xizhou, and Lo Pingsha seized the opportunity to break out of the encirclement. How could the Chen Nation soldiers let the three of them off? They immediately wanted to chase after them. Li Deyi, who was hiding on the roof, raised his pottery jar and smashed it at the Chen Nation soldiers with hatred. ¡°Go to hell!!¡± The pot exploded in the crowd, andmp oil sttered with broken porcin. Many Chen Nation soldiers were stained withmp oil. Right on the heels of that, Yu Niaoniao, who had already pulled the bowstring, suddenly loosened her fingers. The bowstring suddenly flicked, and thest arrow was shot out! The arrowhead of this arrow burned with mes and drew a long golden-red arc in the air. In the end, it hit a Chen Nation soldier squarely. This person was covered inmp oil. As soon as he was shot, the mes soared. He wailed in pain and ran wildly, wanting to call for help from hispanions around him. As a result, the other Chen soldiers whose clothes were stained withmp oil were also burned. The sparksnded on the ground and immediately spread along themp oil. Even the firewood on the handcart was burned. The fire grew stronger, and the surrounding houses were unfortunately implicated. Fortunately, the surviving vigers had been moved away in advance. The Chen Nation soldiers could no longer care less about chasing after Xiao Juan and the others. They all fled crazily. Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao sessfully met. The six of them did not leave just like that. They first picked up the arrows and weapons that could still be used on the ground before taking away all the horses of the Chen Nation¡¯s soldiers. Afterpleting the aftermath, they left the vige. Almost as soon as they appeared, the old vige chief emerged from the forest with arge group of vigers. Li Deyi found his parents and daughter among them at a nce. He asked hurriedly, ¡°Where¡¯s the child¡¯s mother?¡± Father Li choked and said, ¡°Your wife didn¡¯t want to be bullied by the Chen Nation, so she knocked her head against the wall and died.¡± Li Deyi stood rooted to the ground as if he had been struck by lightning. After a while, he suddenly cried. ¡°Mother of the children, I¡¯ve let you down!¡± Chapter 638 - 638: Meeting Chapter 638: Meeting Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After the Chen Nation soldiers barged into the Li family vige, they immediately killed all the young men in the vige. Most of the people still alive were old, weak, women, and children. They did not have the ability to protect themselves. In this chaotic world, if they were left alone, it was equivalent to sending them to their deaths. Hence, Xiao Juan agreed to Yu Niaoniao¡¯s suggestion and brought these vigers along. The team, which originally only had five people, became ten times stronger in the blink of an eye. Fortunately, Yu Niaoniao had reminded the vigers to bring dry food and water, so they did not have to worry about starving to death for the time being. But the vigers were still in low spirits. Among them was the young women. Although they had already changed into clean clothes, from their numb expressions and the wounds on their necks and wrists, it could be imagined that they had definitely been bullied by the Chen Nation soldiers previously. That night, they rested in the forest. Yu Niaoniao asked Lo Pingsha to boil some medicine and bring it to these women. She told the women that it was contraceptive medicine. Hearing this, the women picked up the medicine and drank it without thinking. Being bullied was already a great misfortune. If they had to get pregnant and have children for those beasts, it would be even worse than killing them. After drinking the medicine, they all heaved a sigh of relief. Yu Niaoniao fiddled with the fire in front of her more vigorously. She said gently, ¡°The more you care about this, the more smug those dogs will be. Why don¡¯t we treat it as if they bit us? In the future, we¡¯ll capture those dogs and chop off their things to feed them.¡± A little girl whispered back, ¡°Dogs don¡¯t eat that stuff.¡± Yu Niaoniao could not help but chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s right. The dog didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Why did you harm it?¡± These words made the othersugh. The atmosphere softened a lot. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Sleep well tonight. Tomorrow morning will be a new beginning. You still have a good life in the future.¡± The other little girl muttered, ¡°Do we have a future?¡± Yu Niaoniao said firmly, ¡°Of course, we all have a better future.¡± Along the way, they encountered some viges that had been attacked by the Chen Nation¡¯s soldiers. As long as they could be saved, they would do their best. So their team grew. By the time they saw Tang Guixi, their team had more than 300 people. As soon as Tang Guixi saw them, she knew what they had experienced along the way. She did not say anything else and ordered someone to settle themoners. This ce was located in the deep mountains and old forests. There were few people around. Unless one was very familiar with this ce, they would usually not be able to find this ce. The 100,000 -strong Eastern Expedition Army was hidden here. They knew that they were going to stay here for a while, so they used the trees in the mountains to build wooden houses. Along the way, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan could see nearly a hundred wooden houses. Tang Guixi led them into thergest wooden house inside. ¡°The conditions here are simple. There are no tea leaves, only mountain spring water. Make do with it.¡± With that, Tang Guixi ced two bowls of water on the table. Yu Niaoniao looked at the thick gauze wrapped around her head and asked worriedly. ¡°How are your injuries? Are they serious?¡± Tang Guixi touched the gauze on her forehead and smiled indifferently. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was grazed by a stray arrow. It¡¯s just a superficial wound. It¡¯ll heal quickly.¡± The thought of an arrow grazing her scalp was terrifying. To think she could make it sound so casual. Yu Niaoniao could not help but say, ¡°You¡¯re really careless.¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°I taking a leaf from you.¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her eyebrows. ¡°You actually learned to shift the me?¡± Tang Guixi scratched her head. ¡°I¡¯m clearly telling the truth.¡± Hearing this, Yu Niaoniao could not help butugh. Seeing herugh, Tang Guixiughed too. The two of them had been separated for more than a year. Now that they saw each other again, their situation and appearance had changed greatly¡ª One was the down and out Princess Consort who was on the run, and the other was a female general who had been forced into a corner. Although their appearances had changed, they were still the same. They were still good sisters who could hand over their lives for each other¡¯s sake. Yu Niaoniao suddenly walked forward, stretched out her arms, and hugged Tang Guixi tightly. ¡°I missed you so much.¡± Tang Guixi patted her back. ¡°Me too.¡± Xiao Juan watched this scene quietly and was silently happy for Niaoniao. Ever since Niaoniao left the Imperial Capital, there had been a string in the depths of her heart that had been tense. Even when they met Lo Pingsha and Meng Xizhouter, that string still did not loosen. It was not until this moment that she faced her best sister that the tension in her heartpletely rxed. Niaoniao¡¯s mother and stepfather had passed away, and her biological father did not want her anymore. As for Yu Pingping and Yu Sheng, there was a high chance that she would never be able to see them again. Now, Tang Guixi was her only family. The reverse was the same. When the two of them were done talking, they changed the topic to serious business. Tang Guixi said, ¡°I¡¯m very happy that you can think of me at a critical moment ande thousands of miles to seek refuge with me, but you¡¯ve all seen the situation here. Now that I can¡¯t even protect myself, I don¡¯t know what the future will be.¡± She sighed at the end, looking very depressed. Now, she was not the only one. The morale of the entire Eastern Expedition Army was very low. Not only because they had been defeated, but also because the Imperial Court had given up on them. They had risked their lives for the Dayan Dynasty for so many years. They did not expect to be abandoned by the emperor in the end. How could this be reconciled? Yu Niaoniao held her hand and encouraged, ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged! Since Shen Zhuo has given up on Liaodong County, let¡¯s bring it over. We¡¯ll take over thisnd and themoners living on it.¡± Tang Guixi was stunned at first, then she looked stunned and asked in disbelief. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you thought of a rebellion?¡± To the ancients who were born and raised in subservience to the ruler, rebelling was an extremely treasonous thing. They did not even dare to think about it, let alone practice it. However, for Yu Niaoniao, who had a modern soul, there was no psychological burden in doing such a thing. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Shen Zhuo is narrow-minded. In order to satisfy his selfish desires, he can ignore the lives of the people of Liaodong. He¡¯s definitely not a wise ruler. Since he¡¯s heartless, there are no problems with you being unjust! He doesn¡¯t give us food and let the Eastern Expedition Army be ughtered. If you still want to serve him, won¡¯t you be a fool?!¡± Tang Guixi was a little tempted by her words, but logic still prevented her from agreeing. ¡°A rebellion is not a small matter. If you¡¯re not careful, you¡¯ll die without a burial ce.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s already like this. Even if we don¡¯t rebel, will Shen Zhuo let us off? I bet even if you can defeat the Chen Nation¡¯s army in the future and snatch Liaodong County back, Shen Zhuo won¡¯t give you a way out. Because he wants the military power in your hands. He wants the entire Eastern Expedition Army and Liaodong County to listen to him alone..¡± Chapter 639 - 639: Useless Chapter 639: Useless Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Tang Guixi understood that Yu Niaoniao was right. Even if she tried her best to win this battle, Shen Zhuo would not let her off. In that case, why should she work for him anymore? In any case, the worst oue was death. She might as well take a chance. Tang Guixi quickly made a decision. ¡°Damn the emperor. In the future, we¡¯ll do it alone!¡± Only then did Xiao Juan speak, ¡°Even if we want to mobilize, there¡¯s no need to be in a hurry. Our top priority now is to chase the Chen Nation¡¯s army out.¡± At the mention of this, Tang Guixi could not help but frown. ¡°We don¡¯t have any food now. The soldiers don¡¯t have enough to eat and can¡¯t fight at all.¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her idea. ¡°There are still 100,000 people left in the Eastern Expedition Army. In addition to themoners who came to hide, there are enough people to farm. As long as we can farm, there will be food.¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°But we don¡¯t have anynd to farm now.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°There is plenty ofnd. There are many fields near the Xia family vige alone. Those are good fields that their ancestors worked hard to cultivate. They¡¯re perfect for growing food.¡± Tang Guixi looked helpless. ¡°I also know that those are good fields. The problem is that those fields have already been upied by the Chen Nation. If we want to snatch the fields back, we have to fight them. However, we don¡¯t have any food now. The soldiers are all hungry. How can we go to the battlefield?¡± Xiao Juan said coldly, ¡°The Chen Nation has food, right?¡± Tang Guixi was stunned. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to¡­¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°Since they like to snatch other people¡¯s things so much, let¡¯s snatch some food from them too. That¡¯s not too much, right?¡± Yu Niaoniaoughed. ¡°This is what it means to reciprocate!¡± Tang Guixi was deep in thought. ¡°That¡¯s not impossible. I know they ransacked the granaries of many county offices. There must be a lot of food stored. I wonder where they hid it?¡± The people of the Chen Nation would definitely hide an important resource like food. Xiao Juan said, ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for the Shadow Guards to investigate this matterter. ¡± Tang Guixi¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Thank you!¡± She had almost forgotten that investigating information was the specialty of shadow guards. The door was pushed open and Prince Min and his son strode in. Although they were both smiling happily, there was deep worry and exhaustion in their eyes. Prince Min smiled and greeted, ¡°Xiao Juan, Niaoniao, I¡¯ve long heard that you wereing, but I haven¡¯t seen you. I waited for a long time before you came.¡± Yu Niaoniao stood up. ¡°Prince Min, long time no see.¡± Shen Xu sized her up and deliberately teased, ¡°From the looks of it, you must have suffered a lot along the way, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at the bruises under his eyes and clicked her tongue. ¡°Tsk, you don¡¯t look like you¡¯re having a good time either. You probably couldn¡¯t sleepst night, right?¡± Shen Xu said angrily, ¡°We¡¯re trapped here and don¡¯t know if we can walk out alive. Anyone will be worried, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled and said, ¡°What are you worried about? You were born with a golden spoon. You¡¯ve been living in luxury since you were young. You¡¯ve eaten all kinds of delicacies and worn silk. You have nothing to regret in your lire, SO let It go.¡± Shen Xu muttered, ¡°Who said I have no regrets? I¡¯m not even married.¡± At this point, he secretly nced at Tang Guixi. However, Tang Guixi did not notice his little action. She said to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°It must have been hard on you all. Go and rest first. I¡¯ve already gotten someone to tidy up the room next door. You can live in it straight away.¡± Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan were indeed tired. The two of them greeted Tang Guixi and went out together. As soon as they left, Prince Min asked, ¡°Guixi, we can only rely on picking wild fruits and hunting to fill our stomachs now, but this is not a long-term n. Do you have any good ideas?¡± Although he was a prince, it had only been an empty title ever since the day he fled. The reason why he and his son were still alive was because of Tang Guixi. Now, Tang Guixi was their backbone. Tang Guixiforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Duke Lang and I have already thought of a solution. Wait a few more days.¡± Hearing this, Prince Min could not help but look forward to it. It seemed that Duke Lang was really capable. He had thought of a way as soon as he arrived. Shen Xu coughed lightly and pretended to say, ¡°If you need me for anything, just let me know.¡± Tang Guixi looked at him and scanned him, as if she was weighing something. Shen Xu was inexplicably nervous. He subconsciously straightened his back and puffed out his chest. He even tiptoed quietly to make himself look as tall as possible. After a while, he heard Tang Guixi say, ¡°You¡¯re too thin to do hard work.¡± Shen Xu was immediately unconvinced and straightened his neck to defend himself. ¡°I lost weight because I haven¡¯t eaten much recently. I¡¯m very strong. If you don¡¯t believe me, look!¡± With that, he raised his right arm, rolled up his sleeves, and squeezed his biceps hard. ¡°Look, I have muscles. Don¡¯t underestimate me. I¡¯m very strong! I can do any hard work!¡± Tang Guixi looked at his biceps; he could only squeeze out a little arc with all his might, and Tang Guoxian wanted tough. However, she probably held back to preserve his pride as a man. She asked, ¡°Then can you farm?¡± Shen Xu was stunned. He thought he had misheard and couldn¡¯t help but ask again, ¡°What did you Tang Guixi exined patiently, ¡°Farming the fields. It¡¯s very difficult. Can you do it?¡± If there was really a field, all of them would have to go to the fields to farm. Only then could they collect the first batch of food before winter came. Shen Xu widened his eyes like an angry cat and said angrily, ¡°I¡¯m the heir of Prince Min. Are you asking me to farm?¡± Tang Guixi knew this would be the oue. She said helplessly, ¡°Forget it if you don¡¯t know how to do it. I still have things to do. Help yourselves.¡± With that, she walked out. Shen Xu was still angry. Heined to Prince Min. ¡°Father, she¡¯s bullying us!¡± Prince Min, however, was all smiles and looked happy. Seeing this, Shen Xu was very puzzled. ¡°What are you smiling at?¡± Prince Min ced his hands behind his back and said as he walked out, ¡°What Guixi meant just now was that we¡¯ll have fields soon. With fields, we¡¯ll have food. We won¡¯t have to starve in the future. Isn¡¯t this worth a smile?¡± Only then did Shen Xu realize that Tang Guixi¡¯s words had this meaning. Then he said, ¡°But she asked me to farm.¡± Prince Min nced at his disappointing son. ¡°Then farm. It¡¯s a good opportunity for me to see that you¡¯re not really useless.¡± Shen Xu was speechless. He felt that his father was encouraging him, but for some reason, he felt that something was wrong.. Chapter 640 - 640: Ambush Chapter 640: Ambush Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan¡¯s room was beside theirs. They only had to turn left and take a few steps. Two acquaintances stood at the door. It was Granny Xiu Yan and Ling Hai, whom they had not seen for a long time. As soon as they saw Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan, their eyes immediately turned red. Granny Xiu Yan looked much older. Her hair, which was originally only mixed with traces of white hair, had turnedpletely white and she had lost a lot of weight. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness and Princess Consort.¡± With that, she knelt down shakily. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly reached out to support her. ¡°We¡¯re all family. There¡¯s no need to be so polite.¡± Granny Xiu Yan first looked at Yu Niaoniao, then at Xiao Juan. There were tears in her eyes, but a gratified smile appeared on her face. ¡°That¡¯s great. You¡¯re all fine. That¡¯s great!¡± During this period of time, Granny Xiu Yan had been worried about Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao every day. She was so worried that she could not sleep at night. She could not do anything but pray for the two of them day and night, hoping that they would be safe. Now that she saw with her own eyes that they were all fine, Granny Xiu Yan could finally rx. For a moment, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan felt rather guilty. Granny Xiu Yan was already so old and should be at home enjoying her life, but she still had to be implicated by them and live in fear all day. Yu Niaoniaoforted her gently for a while before asking Granny Xiu Yan to stop crying. Granny Xiu Yan wiped her tears. ¡°Don¡¯t stand here. Go in and rest. Little Hai, boil water for the Duke and Princess Consort to bathe. I¡¯ll get some food. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped her. ¡°Stop working. We¡¯re not hungry.¡± Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°You¡¯ve been running around for so long. How can you not be hungry? Don¡¯t worry, my old bones can¡¯t do anything else, but I can cook.¡± Ling Hai added, ¡°I can help Granny. I won¡¯t tire her out.¡± Seeing their insistence, Yu Niaoniao could only let them be. The small wooden house was very simple. There was a bed against the wall and a cab beside it. There was a set of tables and chairs in the middle of the room. There was nothing else. Fortunately, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan were not picky people. They were used to the current conditions. The bed was covered in bedding. It looked old. Fortunately, it had been washed clean and had been exposed to the sun for almost two days. It was soft to the touch. Soon, Granny Xiu Yan and Ling Hai returned. They brought food and hot water. The food was very simple. There were only cornmeal steamed buns and stir-fried wild vegetables. There was also a pot of wild chicken soup. Granny Xiu Yan was originally a little worried that Xiao Juan would not be able to eat. After all, his stomach had always been weak. It was not until she saw that Xiao Juan had finished a cornmeal steamed bun in two or three bites and did not look ufortable that she was relieved. As Yu Niaoniao ate, she asked, ¡°Have you eaten? If not, eat together.¡± Granny Xiu Yan hurriedly said, ¡°We¡¯ve all eaten. Take your time. Let us know if you have any instructions. We¡¯ll go out and get busy first.¡± With that, she left with Ling Hai. After Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan ate and drank their fill, they wiped their bodies with hot water from the bucket, changed into clean clothes, andy on the bed to rest. They slept exceptionally peacefully. Under Xiao Juan¡¯s arrangements, the shadow guards disguised themselves and sneaked into the city. After figuring out the nearest military camp of the Chen Nation, they sneaked into the military camp at night and found the exact location of the granary. The next day, Xiao Juan and Tang Guixi led 100,000 Eastern Expedition troops to raid the enemy camp, catching the Chen Nation¡¯s army off guard. Because Yu Niaoniao could not help, she could only stay in the camp with the other old, weak, women, and children. She was bored, so she practiced archery on the drill ground. Although it was called a drill ground, it was actually an empty space temporarily opened up by the Eastern Expedition Army. There were dozens of targets erected in the empty space. This was where the soldiers usually trained. Today, they had all gone out to fight. The sky above the drill ground was empty and very quiet. Yu Niaoniao drew her bow and nocked an arrow, aiming at the distant target. Releasing her index finger, the arrow flew out with a whoosh and hit the bullseye. She shot more than ten arrows in a row. The sound of arrows could be heard clearly on the quiet drill ground. She felt her arm ache, so she put down her bow and arrow, nning to move her arm before continuing to practice. At this moment, two youngdies carefully leaned over. When Yu Niaoniao heard footsteps, she looked over and recognized the two girls from the Li family vige. The taller one was called Li Hongye, and the shorter one was called Li Xing¡¯er. Li Hongye was bolder. She spoke first. ¡°Princess Consort, I¡¯m Hongye from the Li family vige.¡± With that, she elbowed the girl beside her, hinting at her to speak quickly. The other girl whispered, ¡°My name is Xing¡¯er, Li Xing¡¯er.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°I know. I still remember you.¡± They were both delighted to hear that. She had thought that the Princess Consort would not take it to heart about small fries like them. She did not expect her to remember them. This was a great encouragement to them. Both of them looked excited. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± Li Hongye rubbed her hands in embarrassment. ¡°We saw you shooting arrows here just now, so we came over to take a look out of curiosity. I didn¡¯t expect your archery to be so good. I know our request might be a little presumptuous, but I still want to ask you if you can teach us archery?¡± Yu Niaoniao was stunned. Yu Niaoniao was stunned. She had not expected such a request. Seeing that she was silent, Li Hongye and Li Xing¡¯er were very uneasy. Li Xing¡¯er wanted to beat a retreat, but Li Hongye refused to give up. She bit her lower lip and gritted her teeth to kneel down to Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Please teach us. We¡¯re willing to work for you!¡± Yu Niaoniao helped her up. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this. It¡¯s not impossible for me to teach you archery, but you have to tell me why you want to learn archery.¡± Hearing that she was willing to teach, Li Hongye¡¯s eyes immediately lit up and she hurriedly replied. ¡°Almost all the men in our Li Vige are dead. Almost all the young people who are still alive are girls. If we don¡¯t want to be bullied, we can only think of a way to learn some life-saving skills.¡± Li Xing¡¯er nodded vigorously in agreement. Yu Niaoniao understood. ¡°I see. When do you n to start learning?¡± Li Hongye looked impatient. ¡°Can I do it now?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled again. ¡°Sure.¡± She pointed at the bamboo basket with bows and arrows beside her and said, ¡°Go and choose a suitable bow and arrow yourself.¡± They obeyed. It was their first time using bows and arrows. They didn¡¯t even know how to put their hands. Yu Niaoniao could only teach them from the most basic posture. Li Hongye and Li Xing¡¯er studied extremely seriously. Shen Xu hade over. ¡°Yu Niaoniao, I want to ask you something.¡± Yu Niaoniao nced at him. ¡°What did you call me?¡± Shen Xu was speechless. He took a deep breath and endured the humiliation before changing his words. ¡®Cousin-inw, can I ask you something?¡± Chapter 641 - 641: Peerless Delicacies Chapter 641: Peerless Delicacies Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Ask.¡± Shen Xu looked at the two girls and coughed lightly. ¡°Can we talk in private?¡± Yu Niaoniao straightened the postures of Li Hongye and Li Xing¡¯er and asked them to maintain them. Then, she said to Shen Xu. ¡°Let¡¯s talk over there.¡± They walked under arge tree beside the drill ground. Shen Xu scratched his head and stammered, looking like he wanted to say something but did not know how to say it. Seeing that he was in such a difficult position, Yu Niaoniao could not help but be serious. Could it be that he really had something important? Just as she was thinking about it, she heard Shen Xu ask dryly. ¡°Can you farm?¡± Yu Niaoniao was immediately stunned. ¡°What did you say?¡± Since he had already said it, Shen Xu might as well go all out and pretend to be enl m ¡°It¡¯s farming. Didn¡¯t you grow up in the countryside? You must know how to farm.¡¯ Yu Niaoniao was speechless. ¡°Even if I grew up in the countryside, it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean I know how to farm.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t farm, what will you eat?¡± Yu Niaoniao was defeated by his young master¡¯s thinking. She exined patiently, ¡°My family has some assets in Bashu. The fields in my family are rented out for others to nt. Besides, my family has a business other than fields. My stepfather is a calligrapher himself. Even if he has nothing, he can support arge family by selling calligraphy and paintings.¡± Shen Xu understood. So the countryside people were not as poor as he had imagined. He looked disappointed. ¡°So you don¡¯t know how to farm.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Although I¡¯ve never farmed personally, I¡¯ve followed my parents to the fields to y and seen how farmers farm.¡± Shen Xu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Then can you teach me how to farm?¡± Yu Niaoniao thought that she had misheard and raised her hand to rub her ear. ¡°You want to learn to farm?¡± Shen Xu was a little embarrassed. ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°Why?¡± Although their lives were tough now, as the heir of the Prince¡¯s Mansion, Shen Xu had been living in luxury since he was young. The word ¡°farming¡± should not exist in his dictionary. Shen Xu stammered, ¡°I-I just want to learn. Teach me.¡± Yu Niaoniao crossed her arms and said calmly, ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me the reason, I won¡¯t teach you.¡± Shen Xu had no choice but to tell the truth. ¡°Tang Guixi asked me to farm, but I didn¡¯t know how to. I came to ask you.¡± As Yu Niaoniao looked him up and down, her tone was filled with suspicion. ¡°Why are you so obedient to Guixi? Tell me the truth. Do you have ill intentions toward her?¡± Shen Xu denied it. ¡°My father said that Tang Guixi¡¯s words made sense and asked me to listen to her more.¡± Yu Niaoniao was skeptical. ¡°Is it really that simple?¡± Shen Xu asked, ¡°What else? Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild. I just treat Tang Guixi as my sister!¡± Seeing that he refused to admit it, Yu Niaoniao could not ask further. She continued on to the previous topic. ¡°Although I¡¯ve seen others farm, I¡¯ve never actually done it myself. I can only talk about it theoretically. If you really want to learn how to farm, you can consult them.¡± With that, she raised her chin at the old men and women in the distance. Shen Xu looked over and saw the uncles and aunties sitting together weaving straw shoes. They were all ordinary people who hade to hide. Because they were old, they could not do heavy work. Usually, they could only make straw shoes and mend clothes. In the past, Shen Xu would definitely not be able to bring himself to ask themoners for advice. But now that time had passed, he no longer had the capital to put on airs. He could only bite the bullet and walk towards the uncles and aunties. Seeing this, Yu Niaoniao could not help but smile. She returned to the drill ground and continued to teach Li Hongye and Li Xing¡¯er archery. They practiced for an entire day. When they returned, Niaoniao felt that her arms were very sore. If she was like this, the conditions of Li Hongye and Li Xing¡¯er must be even more serious. Yu Niaoniao thought that they would rest for a day the next day, but when she arrived at the drill ground, she realized that Li Hongye and Li Xinger had been waiting there for a long time. In addition to the two of them, there were more than a dozen young girls. Yesterday, after Li Hongye and Li Xing¡¯er returned, they told the others about learning archery from the County Princess. This made the other girls eager to try. Hence, they were all here today, wanting to learn archery with him. They did not expect to practice well. However, they had hopes that they could have a life-saving ability in this chaotic world. To Yu Niaoniao, chasing a flock of sheep was the same thing. So she agreed without much hesitation. The day passed quickly. The next morning, Xiao Juan and Tang Guixi returned with the Eastern Expedition Army. Their surprise attack had been aplete victory. Not only had they destroyed the enemy¡¯s camp, but they had also snatched all the food in it. The morale of the entire army soared. The soldiers, whom they had not seen for a long time, got busy and kneaded the dough especially vigorously. Soon, the fragrance of steamed buns filled the camp. The soldiers sucked in their breaths hard as they drooled. During this period of time, they had wild fruits and wild vegetables every day and asionally added some wild animals. They had not eaten a proper meal for many days. They could finally eat to their heart¡¯s content today! When the white steamed buns were brought out, the soldiers were so touched that they cried. Even Prince Min and Shen Xu were no exception. They took a bite of the white and soft steamed bun and felt so happy that they were about to float. In the past, they would not even look at such dry steamed buns. But now, they really felt that white steamed buns were the best food in the world! They could be said to be peerless delicacies! Then, Tang Guixi waved her hand and sent a lot of food to themoners living in the camp so that they could eat. It was like celebrating the New Year. Everyone¡¯s faces were filled with joy. The haze that had suppressed everyone¡¯s hearts for the past few days dissipated a lot. After eating and drinking their fill, the soldiers slept soundly. After everyone rested, Xiao Juan and Tang Guixi set off again. This time they split up, but the goal was the same ce¡ª Xia Family Vige. This was the method provided by Yu Niaoniao. They would start with the Xia family vige and attack all the viges in that area. Because it was only a small vige, the Chen Nation would definitely not send many soldiers to guard it. The sess rate of the attack by the Eastern Expedition Army would naturally be much higher. After snatching back all the viges in that area, they would advance towards the nearest Heng City. If they attacked step by step like this, they would be able to take back the entire Liaodong County sooner orter. Knowing that the Eastern Expedition Army was going to take back the Xia family vige, all the men in the Xia Family Vige stepped out and volunteered to be the vanguard. Hence, Xia Haisheng formed the captain of this vanguard team. Relying on their familiarity with the terrain, they went through the forest and opened up a new route. The Eastern Expedition Army followed this route and approached the Xia Family Vige without the enemy knowing.. Chapter 642 - 642: Turning Point Chapter 642: Turning Point Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The truth was as Yu Niaoniao had expected. There were very few Chen Nation soldiers guarding the Xia family vige. The Eastern Expedition Army easily took down the Xia family vige. Right on the heels of that, they began to advance toward the surrounding viges and towns with the Xia family vige as their stronghold. Battle after battle, more than a month passed in the blink of an eye. The viges near the Xia family vige were recovered one after another. The soldiers of the Eastern Expedition were energetic. Tang Guixi struck while the iron was hot and attacked Heng City in one go. Although Heng City was small, it was by the mountains and rivers and had a geographical advantage. It was an important ce with abundant resources, easy to defend, and difficult to attack. There were many soldiers stationed here in the Chen Nation¡¯s army. This also meant that the next battle of the Eastern Expedition Army would definitely be very difficult. Tang Guixi led her troops across the river and attacked from the front. Xiao Juan led another group over the mountain ridge and attacked from behind. They attacked from the front and back, cooperating with each other. After fighting for half a month, they still could not invade the city. The battle was in a stalemate. If this continued, the rations of the Eastern Expedition Army would not be able to sustain them. However, if they gave up now, all their previous efforts would be in vain. Tang Guixi was so anxious that she could not sleep for several nights. However, things changed. The turning point happened in the wee hours of the morning. At dawn, the city gate of Heng City suddenly opened by itself! A Chen Nation scout walked out with a schr. The Chen Nation scout ced a knife to the schr¡¯s neck. The schr trembled and shouted at the Eastern Expedition Army in front of him. ¡°There¡¯s no need to kill envoys when two armies fight! We¡¯re here to negotiate!¡± Xia Haisheng looked at Tang Guixi. After receiving her permission, he ran forward with his shield. The two sides negotiated from a distance of ten feet. Xia Haisheng said, ¡°We have nothing to talk to you about!¡± The schr had clearly been instructed. He spoke as if memorizing a lesson. ¡°The general of the Chen Nation said that their people have already found your nest and are attacking now. They will soon be able to wipe out your nest at once. You only have two choices now. Either rush back immediately to save them, or continue to stay here and waste time with them.¡± Hearing this, Xia Haisheng¡¯s expression immediately changed greatly. This expedition had almost exhausted all the troops of the Eastern Expedition Army. Now, the camp in the mountains was filled with the old, weak, women, and children. Most importantly, the Princess Consort was still there! If the camp in the mountains was attacked, those people would definitely not survive. Xia Haisheng forced himself to be calm. ¡°Why should we believe you?¡± The schr said, ¡°They said your nest is hidden deep in the Mang Mountains.¡± Xia Haisheng was really flustered now. Their camp was indeed hidden in the depths of the mountain! What Chen Nation Army said was true. They were not lying! Xia Haisheng hurriedly ran back and told Tang Guixi about this. Tang Guixi was also anxious. But she knew that she could not panic at a time like this. She forced herself to calm down and quickly analyzed the situation. ¡°Since they already know where our camp is, there¡¯s no need to tell us about this. But now, they¡¯ve made this matter public and even forced us to retreat immediately. This could only mean one thing¡ª The situation in Heng City was even worse than we had expected. The Chen Army should not be able to hold on much longer. They were forced to negotiate with us. This is a rare opportunity for us. We can¡¯t let it go.¡± Xia Haisheng asked, ¡°But what about the Princess Consort?¡± Tang Guixi quickly made a decision. ¡°Go and tell Duke Lang about this and ask him to bring people back to save her. I¡¯ll stay here and continue to attack. I have to take down this Heng City!¡± After fighting for so long, they were almost out of ammunition and food. If they retreated, it would be equivalent to wasting all their previous efforts. Not only would this be a huge blow to their morale, but it would also cause the Eastern Expedition Army to fall into a crisis of running out of food again. The only way to resolve all the dangers facing the Eastern Expedition Army was to take down Heng City. Xia Haisheng led the vanguard team through the night and bypassed Heng City to find Xiao Juan and the others hidden in the forest. When Xiao Juan found out that Niaoniao might be in danger, he immediately ordered the troops to retreat. They hurried back without stopping. When they rushed back to the camp in a hurry, they saw wooden houses that had been burned to ruins. The ground was messy with footprints and blood, and there were many corpses lying by the roadside. Seeing such a tragic scene, Xiao Juan felt that the blood in his body was almost frozen. His brain was buzzing. He couldn¡¯t hear what the people around him were saying. He walked towards his residence with Niaoniao. As he walked, it became a run. Initially, he still had hope, but when he saw that the wooden house where he and Niaoniao lived had also been burned to ruins, thest hope in his heart was extinguished. ¡°Niaoniao, Niaoniao!¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s eyes were red as he strode into the wooden house that had already be ruins. He searched it desperately, wanting to find traces of Niaoniao. Lo Pingsha, Meng Xizhou, Yan Nanguan, and the others also scattered and searched the camp carefully to see if they could find anyone alive. The corpses were also gathered by them. In the end, he realized that these corpses were all from the Chen Nation. Lo Pingsha told Xiao Juan about this. Xiao Juan immediately felt great hope. If the people who died were all from the Chen Nation, it meant that not only did the Chen Army not seed in ambushing the camp, but they were also killed by Yu Niaoniao and the others. Then Yu Niaoniao should still be alive! They were not in the camp now. They were probably hiding. Xiao Juan immediately took out the quiver he carried and lit the fuse. A small arrow suddenly jumped out and exploded in the sky with a loud bang. This sound was especially abrupt in the silent forest. The nearby birds were so frightened that they pped away. In a cave not far away, hundreds of people were crowded together. If one were to look carefully, one would see that they were all old, weak, women, and children. They were originally living in the camp as usual. They did not expect the Chen Army to suddenly attack two days ago. Fortunately, Yu Niaoniao reacted quickly. She gathered everyone immediately. She led everyone to fight and retreat. The girls who had been learning archery from her yed a huge role at this moment. They carried all the bows and arrows they could use. They did not care if they could hit. In short, they would shoot first. Finally, they fled the camp and hid in this cave. They had been hiding here for the past two days. They ate wild fruits when they were hungry and drank mountain spring water when they were thirsty. The others were fine, but Niaoniao felt especially ufortable. She did not know why, but her appetite had been bigger recently and she had eaten much more than usual. However, for the past two days, she could only rely on wild fruits to fill her stomach. It was really ufortable. But she couldn¡¯t say what was bothering her. She could only grit her teeth and endure it. Shen Xu realized that her expression was ugly and asked with concern, ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her hand to indicate that she was fine. At that moment, they suddenly heard a loud bang. Everyone was shocked. They thought that the Chen Army was here again! Only Yu Niaoniao jumped up and shouted in surprise. ¡°Ah Juan is back!¡± Chapter 643 - 643: Severe Illness Chapter 643: Severe Illness Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao rushed out of the cave like a gust of wind and ran towards the camp. Because she ran too quickly, she identally tripped over the vines. Fortunately, there were thick weeds on the ground, so it did not hurt her much to fall on them. Ling Hai, who had caught up, hurriedly helped her up and asked with concern. ¡°Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her hand to indicate that she was fine. When they rushed to the camp, they happened to see Xiao Juan and the others preparing to go out to look for them. The two sides met at the entrance of the camp, both shocked and happy. Yu Niaoniao ran over and threw herself into Xiao Juan¡¯s arms, shouting excitedly. ¡°Ah Juan! I knew it was you! I knew it!¡± Xiao Juan hugged her tightly and lowered his head, greedily absorbing the warmth from her body. When he saw the burned wooden house just now, he felt like his world was spinning. It was as if the entire world had copsed. He thought he would never see Niaoniao again. Fortunately, the heavens were not that cruel. Niaoniao was still alive. She returned safely to him. Everyone looked at the two of them hugging tightly and smiled kindly in unison. Shen Xu still felt indescribable envy. He wondered when he would be able to hug the woman he loved without any worries like Xiao Juan. When the two of them separated, Shen Xu walked forward and asked. ¡°Why are you the only ones back? Where¡¯s Tang Guixi?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°She¡¯s still leading troops to attack Heng City.¡± Shen Xu could not help but worry. ¡°Will she be fine?¡± Xiao Juan was very calm about this. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she will definitely win this battle.¡± Hearing this, Yu Niaoniao hurriedly asked for the reason. Xiao Juan exined patiently. ¡°The Chen Army sent someone to negotiate with us and even used your lives as a bargaining chip to threaten us. It must be because there¡¯s a problem in Heng City. They can¡¯t hold on anymore and can only use this n. I retreated with my troops first. Then, Tang Guixi pretended to retreat from Heng City. When the Chen Army in Heng City sees that we¡¯ve all left, they will definitely rx their vignce. Once they rx, they will expose themselves. At that time, Tang Guixi can attack Heng City unprepared.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked enlightened. ¡°No wonder the Chen Army attacked us. They wanted to use us to disturb your morale.¡± Hearing this, Shen Xu, Ling Hai, and the others could not help but rejoice. Fortunately, Yu Niaoniao reacted quickly and escaped with them. In this way, not only did they protect their lives, but they also destroyed the Chen Army¡¯s evil n, causing the Eastern Expedition Army to have no worries. The two sides were reconciled. The crisis was temporarily resolved. Everyone could rest well for a while. They buried the pot and cooked. Soon, smoke curled up. Smelling the fragrance of the food, Yu Niaoniao felt even hungrier. But this was not the time to eat. She had serious things to do. Previously, when the Chen Army attacked the camp, Yu Niaoniao organized everyone to counterattack and escape. Many people were injured in the battle. She gathered all these injured people and asked Lo Pingsha to treat them with the military doctors. Xiao Juan found Yu Niaoniao and handed her a bowl of hot soup. ¡°Nanny Xiu Yan just cooked it. Eat it while it¡¯s hot.¡± As soon as Yu Niaoniao smelled the fragrance, her stomach growled. Ignoring the heat, she picked up the bowl and ate. There were some wild vegetables added to the soup. The soup was cooked with wild chicken and was very fragrant. Therge bowl of soup quickly bottomed out. She licked the bottom of the bowl reluctantly and asked expectantly, ¡°Is there any more?¡± Xiao Juan said that there was more and asked her to wait. He left with the empty bowl and soon brought back arge bowl of soup. Yu Niaoniao ate a little slower this time. Seeing that Xiao Juan had been standing quietly at the side and looking at her, she asked him, ¡°Have you eaten?¡± Xiao Juan said that he had already eaten and told her to eat at ease. Granny Xiu Yan had cooked a lot of soup. If it was not enough, there was more. Yu Niaoniao immediately smiled. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Xiao Juan was puzzled. ¡°Huh?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s good to be alive to see you again and eat such delicious food!¡± It was not that she was not afraid of the Chen Army¡¯s surprise attack. She just did not want to die. If she died, she would never see the person she loved again, never taste delicious food, and her life would be hastily ended. How regretful. She did not want to ept such an ending. No matter how afraid she was, she had to grit her teeth and remain calm. She had to live with courage. The second bowl of soup was wiped clean again. Yu Niaoniao still felt that she had not had enough. She returned the empty bowl to Xiao Juan and said boldly. ¡°Another bowl!¡± Xiao Juan brought her another bowl of soup without a word. Seeing this scene, Shen Xu could not help but say, ¡°Yu Niaoniao, aren¡¯t you eating too much?¡± Yu Niaoniao nced at him sideways. ¡®What did you call me?¡± Shen Xu changed his address aggrievedly. ¡°Cousin-inw.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I didn¡¯t eat your rice. Why do you care how much I ate?¡± Shen Xu said angrily, ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered with how much you eat. I¡¯m worried that your stomach won¡¯t be able to digest it. You haven¡¯t looked well for the past two days. You should be feeling unwell. Now that you¡¯re suddenly eating too much, it¡¯s not good for your health. You really don¡¯t know how to appreciate good intentions!¡± Yu Niaoniao was quite surprised. She did not expect this rash heir to know how to care about people. Xiao Juan immediately asked, ¡°Niaoniao, are you feeling unwell? Are you sick?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I haven¡¯t eaten much in the past two days, so my expression naturally won¡¯t be too good. I¡¯ll be fine now that I¡¯m full. Don¡¯t worry.¡± She did look a little rosy now. She didn¡¯t look sick. However, to be on the safe side, Xiao Juan still called Lo Pingsha over. Since he was already in front of her, Yu Niaoniao had no choice but to put down the soup reluctantly and extend her right hand. She did not forget to mutter softly, ¡°I¡¯m really fine.¡± Lo Pingsha ced two fingers on her wrist and carefully felt the pulse. For some reason, he took much longer than usual to take her pulse. Seeing this, Xiao Juan had a bad feeling¡ª It was just a pulse check. With Lo Pingsha¡¯s medical skills, he would usuallye to a conclusion quickly. Why did it take so long this time? Could it be that it was a bad diagnosis? Yu Niaoniao was still thinking about the bowl of unfinished soup and was very anxious. Seeing that Lo Pingsha had not made a sound, she could not help but ask, ¡°Are you not ready yet?¡± Lo Pingsha frowned slightly, his expression unprecedentedly serious. ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± Seeing him like this, Xiao Juan¡¯s heart sank again.. Could it be that he had guessed correctly that Niaoniao was really seriously ill? Chapter 644 - 644: Happy Pulse Chapter 644: Happy Pulse Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao was also frightened by Lo Pingsha??s serious appearance. Involuntarily, she straightened her demeanor. ??Ask away.?? Lo Pingsha deliberately lowered his voice. ??May I ask when youst had your period Yu Niaoniao could not help but be stunned. Why would he ask such a question for no reason? But soon she had a guess and couldn??t help but feel nervous. She tried her best to maintain herposure and recalled seriously. ??It must have been almost two months.?? Lo Pingsha could not help but ask, ??Don??t you think there??s something wrong with not having your period for so long??? Yu Niaoniao scratched her head. ??I??ve had a situation where it would be irregr in the past. I thought it would be the same this time, so I didn??t take it to heart. Anyway, I don??t feel ufortable.?? Lo Pingsha was once again amazed by her carelessness. He withdrew his hand. ??Have you had anything else happen to you recently, other than not having your period??? Yu Niaoniao blinked. ??Does eating a lot count??? Lo Pingsha was someone who had seen many storms. At this moment, he still maintained his calm appearance. ??I guess so.?? Then he asked, ??Have you ever felt nauseous??? Yu Niaoniao shook her head no. Lo Pingsha nodded slightly. ??It??s good to eat and sleep.?? Xiao Juan listened to their conversation and became even more confused. He could not help but ask, ??Little Lo, what??s wrong with Niaoniao??? Lo Pingsha cupped his hands at Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao. With a smile on his race, ne sma onsKIY, ???ongrauuauons, your rngnness ana me yrmcess Consort. It??s a happy pulse. The Princess Consort is pregnant.?? Xiao Juan was stunned by this sudden good news. He was stunned on the spot, like a stone statue. With her guess confirmed, Yu Niaoniao was naturally overjoyed. She raised her hand to her t stomach. She did not expect to have a small life in his stomach. Lo Pingsha straightened up and instructed carefully. ??The Princess Consort has just been pregnant for a month. It??s the most important time. You have to take special care. Don??t do too intense movements and try not to run around and jump around. You have to be careful about your food. I??ll make a list for youter. Other than that, the most important thing is to rx and maintain a rxed and happy mood.?? Yu Niaoniao agreed. ??Yes, yes, I??ll remember. I??ll take good care of myself and the baby. Thank you.?? Unexpectedly, Shen Xu suddenly spoke and exposed her in public. ??You were running so fast in the mountains just now that you identally fell on the way.?? Yu Niaoniao was speechless. She turned her head and gave Shen Xu a death stare. ??You talk too much!?? Shen Xu pointed behind her and smiled as if he was watching a good show. Yu Niaoniao knew that something was wrong. She turned around and saw Xiao Juan frowning at her solemnly. He asked in a low voice, ??Did you just fall??? Yu Niaoniaoughed guiltily. ??Haha, I just fell gently. It didn??t hurt at all. Haha?? Sheughed until her voice trailed off and her head drooped. ??I didn??t mean to.?? Xiao Juan said helplessly, ??It??s my fault for not being attentive enough to realize that you??re pregnant. If I had known that you??re pregnant, I definitely wouldn??t have left your side, let alone let you fall.?? The more he said that, the more ashamed Yu Niaoniao became. She leaned over and hugged Xiao Juan??s arm. She pressed her head against his chest and rubbed it gently. ??I??m not a child anymore. Why would I need you to take care of me? I??ll be careful in the future. I definitely won??t fall again. Don??t worry.?? Xiao Juan hugged her. ??But I think you??re like a child sometimes.?? Seeing the two of them being intimate as if no one was around, Lo Pingsha tactfully left silently. Shen Xu originally wanted to see Yu Niaoniao being taught a lesson, but he did not expect to be forcefully fed a mouthful of PDA. He left angrily with a heart full of envy. Yu Niaoniao still remembered her unfinished bowl of soup. She picked it up to continue eating. Xiao Juan took the bowl away from her. ??It??s a little cold. Get Granny Xiu Yan to warm it up. Tell her about the pregnancy and make her happy.?? Yu Niaoniao nodded in agreement. Like two children, the couple held hands and went to look for Granny Xiu Yan. When Granny Xiu Yan heard that the Princess Consort was pregnant, she was immediately overjoyed. She sped her hands together and kept muttering. ??Blessed Bodhisattva, His Highness finally has an heir. We??re about to have a little heir.?? Yu Niaoniao reminded her, ??It doesn??t have to be a son. Maybe it??s a daughter.?? Granny Xiu Yan smiled until her face was covered in wrinkles. Her eyes were shining, and she became younger. She said happily, ??It??s good to have a daughter. A daughter is a little sweetheart. She??s even more considerate.?? With that, she helped Yu Niaoniao sit on the tree stump beside her and instructed seriously. ??This is your first pregnancy. You must be careful. Don??t move around usually. If there??s anything you want to do, just tell us. Tell me what you want to eat. I??ll cook for you.?? Yu Niaoniao sat obediently. ??I want to have some more soup now.?? Granny Xiu Yan hurriedly replied. ??Alright, alright. Princess Consort, wait for me. I??ll cook for you now.?? Yu Niaoniao looked at her busy figure around the stove and said warmly, ??Ah Juan and I are no longer Duke and Princess Consort of Lang County. In the future, you don??t have to call yourself a servant anymore. Call us by our names. ?? Granny Xiu Yan hurriedly said, ??That won??t do. No matter what outsiders think of you, you will always be His Highness and the Princess Consort in my heart.?? Yu Niaoniao looked at Xiao Juan. Xiao Juan understood. He walked over and squatted down, reaching out to help Granny Xiu Yan heat the fire. Granny Xiu Yan quickly stopped him. ??That won??t do! You have a noble status. How can you do such rough work??? Xiao Juan said, ??Duke Lang was given a title by the emperor so that I could work for him better. This title is like a shackle to me. Now that I want to break free from this shackle, I want to only be myself. In the future, I??m no longer Duke Lang. I??m just Xiao Juan.?? Granny Xiu Yan sighed. She watched Xiao Juan grow up. She knew better than anyone how difficult it had been for this child. She understood and unconditionally supported all his decisions. Granny Xiu Yan said, ??Alright, I??ll listen to you.?? Xiao Juan??s eyes were gentle. ??Let me help you start the fire.?? Granny Xiu Yan said, ??Be careful not to burn your hands.?? She was originally a little worried that Xiao Juan would not be able to do such rough work. It was not until she saw him do it well that she was relieved. Yu Niaoniao could not sit still anymore. She stood up and said eagerly. ??Let me help too!?? Xiao Juan and Granny Xiu Yan turned their heads at the same time and said to her in unison, ??Don??t move.?? Yu Niaoniao could only sit back down resentfully. Granny Xiu Yan brought the hot soup to her. ??Princess Consort???? Yu Niaoniao corrected her. ??I??m not the Princess Consort anymore.?? Granny Xiu Yan could only change her words. ??Niaoniao, be careful not to burn yourself.?? Yu Niaoniao took the soup with a smile and ate happily.. Chapter 645 - 645: Victory Chapter 645: Victory Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After Xiao Juan left, Tang Guixi pretended to retreat and hid in the forest near Heng City with her troops. That night, a small team quietly left Heng City. They rushed in the direction of Xingning City. However, before they could run far, they were caught by the Eastern Expedition Army, who had been lying in an ambush by the roadside. Tang Guixi ordered someone to interrogate them. After a few rounds of torture, the Chen Nation soldiers cried and confessed everything. It turned out that there was not much food stored in Heng City. After being surrounded by the Eastern Expedition Army for a month, the food in the city had been exhausted. The Chen Army was extremely hungry. They even had designs on themoners in the city and began to kill and cook them. In this way, it aroused intense anger among the citizen. The city kept erupting with riots where themoners resisted with their lives. Coincidentally, at this moment, the Chen Army heard the location of the Eastern Expedition¡¯s military camp, so they sent troops tounch a surprise attack, wanting to use this opportunity to disrupt the morale of the Eastern Expedition Army. Unexpectedly, the raid failed, and the Chen Army could only change their ns at thest minute. They deliberately revealed the n to raid the camp and forced the Eastern Expedition Army to retreat. Then, they sent someone to Xingning City to ask for help. When they heard that they actually dared to eat human flesh, Tang Guixi and the soldiers present were so angry that their faces darkened. Ignoring the pleading of the Chen Nation soldiers, Tang Guixi waved her hand and dragged them down to kill. Tang Guixi ordered someone to put on the clothes of the dead Chen soldiers. They disguised themselves as Chen soldiers and rushed out of Heng City in the dark night. They blew the horn hanging at their waists. When the Chen Nation soldiers guarding the city wall heard the horn, they knew that theirpanions who had been sent out to ask for help had returned. They immediately lowered the city gates and opened them. Not far away, the scout hiding in the dark saw the city gate open and immediately rushed back as quickly as possible to tell Tang Guixi this news. Tang Guixi immediately ordered an attack! After those ¡°Chen Nation Soldiers¡± entered the city gate, someone from inside immediately came forward to ask for help. Without a word, they pulled out the scimitars at their waists. The sharp de refracted a cold glint in the night. It cut the enemy¡¯s throat. Warm blood sttered. At the same time, the shocked and furious shouts of the Chen soldiers sounded. On the city wall, a general of the Chen Nation saw the figures rolling over not far away and hurriedly roared down. ¡°The enemy is attacking. Close the city gate!¡± The smoke signals were ignited, and horns sounded. The originally silent Heng City exploded like hot oil poured into cold water. The Chen Nation soldiers tugged the chain hard, wanting to quickly pull the city gates up. Tang Guixi rode her horse and rushed to the front of the team. She threw the spear hard. The red-tasseled spear shot out like an arrow and stabbed into the chain hanging from the city wall. The chain was stuck, and the axle could no longer turn. The city gate could not be pulled up and was stuck in midair. The few Eastern Expedition soldiers disguised as Chen soldiers seized the opportunity to take out the gunpowder bag hidden in their arms. After lighting the fuse, they threw it at the mechanism that opened the city gate. There was a loud bang. The mechanism was blown up, and the city gate fell heavily,nding above the moat. The Eastern Expedition Army rushed forward in one go, and the hooves of their horses stepped on the city gate to sessfully cross the river. The General of the Chen Nation on the city wall shouted to shoot and arrows rained down. They did their best to stop the Eastern Expedition Army from entering the city. The two sides engaged in a fierce battle. The battlested a day and a night. In the end, it ended with aplete victory for the Eastern Expedition Army. The citizens in the city were saved. The separated families hugged each other and cried tears of joy. The Chen Nation soldiers who were still alive were captured. They were hung in the open space in front of the county office. Every day,moners came and threw stones at them. The Chen Nation¡¯s g on the city wall was cut down. By the time Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao rushed to Heng City with everyone, new gs had already been erected on the city wall. Arge red g with the symbol of fire had the word Tang written on it. It was Tang Guixi¡¯s Tang! When Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan saw the g, they knew that Tang Guixi was really nning to set up her own stronghold. Knowing that Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao wereing today, Tang Guixi had been waiting near the city gate early. As soon as she saw Yu Niaoniao arrive, she immediately jumped off the horse and strode forward, nning to give her a big bear hug. However, she was stopped by Xiao Juan. ¡°You haven¡¯t washed the blood off your body. Don¡¯t scare Niaoniao and the child in her womb. Tang Guixi was stunned at first, then her eyes widened and she cried out, ¡°Niaoniao, are you pregnant?¡± Yu Niaoniao held her lower abdomen and smiled happily. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m more than a month pregnant.¡± Tang Guixi danced with joy and jumped on the spot a few times. She did not look like a great general who had just won a battle at all, but more like a three-year-old child. ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m going to be a godmother!¡± Yu Niaoniao deliberately teased her. ¡°Did I agree to let you be the child¡¯s godmother?¡± Tang Guixi was shocked. She held her heart and took two steps back, as if her heart had been seriously injured. She questioned pitifully. ¡°Niaoniao, have you forgotten our many years of sisterhood?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten how I sent you the storybook when you were punished to kneel in the ancestral hall?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten that I was the one who stayed with you when you were locked in a cell?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten that I was the one who apanied you when you crawled through the dog hole in the middle of the night to escape from your marriage¡­¡± Yu Niaoniao covered her mouth. ¡°Alright, alright, stop talking.¡± If Tang Guixi continued, her dark history would be exposed. Tang Guixi pulled her hand down and asked persistently, ¡°Then do you still want me to be your child¡¯s godmother?¡± Yu Niaoniao epted her fate and nodded in agreement. Tang Guixi immediately beamed with joy. She wanted to touch Niaoniao¡¯s belly, but she retracted her hand when she remembered that she had just killed someone and was still murderous. She raised her head and puffed out her chest, pointing ahead. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll show you the city I took down!¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± Many ces in Heng City had been damaged in the battle. The Eastern Expedition Army was organizing themoners to repair Heng City. Next, they were going to use Heng City as a stronghold, which meant that they were going to live here for a long time. Although this ce looked dpidated, everyone was full of energy, making people involuntarily look forward to the future. After visiting Heng City, Tang Guixi got someone to send Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan to their temporary residence to rest. She still had something to do. Yu Niaoniao looked around as she walked. Suddenly, she heard the man beside her ask coldly. ¡°What did Tang Guixi say about escaping the marriage just now?¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped in her tracks. She turned to look at Xiao Juan and met his deep and dark eyes. Just now, she thought that Xiao Juan did not hear her. She did not expect him to have heard everything. He had just been holding it in and only asked now. Yu Niaoniao smiled awkvvardly. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s not what it looks like. Let me exin..¡± Chapter 646 - 646: Looking at You in a New light Chapter 646: Looking at You in a New light Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios As Yu Niaoniao walked, she told him about her experience of wanting to escape. She did not think much of it when she did those things back then. Now that time had passed, she could not help but think of it as ridiculous. She was a little embarrassed at first, but as she spoke, she couldn¡¯t help butugh. She looked ahead and sighed sincerely. ¡°At that time, a rumor about you was circting in the whole Imperial Capital. It described you as being especially scary. I was very afraid that you woulde looking for trouble with me, so I could only escape through the dog hole. I didn¡¯t expect to fall into your hands in the end. That dog hole was for nothing.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°You didn¡¯t go through the dog hole for nothing.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him in confusion. Xiao Juan looked down at her and said seriously, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t escaped through the dog hole that night, I wouldn¡¯t have met you.¡± In that case, they might have missed each other. Yu Niaoniao shook her head and said, ¡°In that case, we have to thank that dog hole.¡± Xiao Juan said seriously, ¡°I have to thank it properly.¡± Yu Niaoniao pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°Unfortunately, that dog hole has been blocked.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°If you like it, we¡¯ll make a dog hole in our courtyard in the future.¡± Yu Niaoniao deliberately teased him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll crawl out of the dog hole and meet someone else in private?¡± Xiao Juan was very sure. ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then what if our child discovers the dog hole and likes to crawl out and y? Aren¡¯t you going to care?¡± Xiao Juan thought about it seriously. This was indeed a problem that needed to be treated seriously. It would be fine if it was a stinky son, but if it was a precious daughter who secretly ran out and was molested by someone else¡¯s pig, it would definitely not work. After weighing the pros and cons, Xiao Juan made a decision. ¡°Then let¡¯s not have a dog hole.¡± Yu Niaoniaoughed at his serious expression. Why was he so cute? Yu Niaoniao extended her pinky and hooked his finger. She shook it gently and asked curiously. ¡°Do you want a son or a daughter?¡± Xiao Juan said without hesitation, ¡°Daughter.¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong with a son?¡± ¡°A son is not bad either, but I want a daughter like you.¡± Yu Niaoniao threw out a new problem. ¡°But daughters have to get married when they grow up. Can you bear to?¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t let her get married. We can find her a live-in son-inw.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to find a live-in son-inw.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take our time. You¡¯ll find one eventually.¡± They held hands and chatted as they walked. As the sun set, golden light fell on them, coating them in a warm gauze. They had just won a huge battle, so they naturally had to celebrate. That night, Tang Guixi held a celebration party in the city to celebrate their sessful recapture of Heng City. They had taken the first step for the Eastern Expedition Army to recover their lostnd! Due to the limited conditions, there were no good wine or dishes, but at least everyone could eat their fill. Everyone ate to their hearts¡¯ content. Tang Guixi was the happiest. She had drunk a little too much and was a little drunk. When the banquet was over and everyone had left, she was still sitting thereughing foolishly. Yu Niaoniao went to wake her up. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. We should go back and rest.¡± Tang Guixi hugged her and chuckled. ¡°Niaoniao, do you think my father can see me from the sky? If he finds out that I won the battle, will he be happy for Yu Niaoniao looked up at the dazzling starry sky and said gently and firmly. ¡°I¡¯m sure he will. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s happier than anyone.¡± Tang Guixi suddenly looked up and shouted at the starry sky above. ¡°Father, I¡¯m not embarrassing you!¡± ¡°So, rest in peace.¡± The Eastern Expedition Army took root in Heng City. Even the viges and towns near Heng City were included in their sphere of influence. Among them was the Xia Family Vige. Xia Haisheng and the vigers of the Xia Family Vige were able to return to their homes. They packed their luggage early in the morning and returned to the Xia Family Vige in high spirits. Although the houses in the vige had been emptied and the chicken coops, cowsheds, and other ces had been destroyed, fortunately, their fields were still fine. They could still farm. As long as food grew in the fields, they could resume their old lives. There was still hope! In order to make more effective use of the fields, Tang Guixi calcted the fields near Heng City and divided them ording to the number of heads. Be it themoners or the soldiers of the Eastern Expedition Army, every adult could obtain two acres ofnd. Of course, these fields alone were far from enough. They had to let the soldiers of the Eastern Expedition Army lead their men to reim the wastnd. There was also a performance evaluation every month. The team that reimed the most fields could receive additional rewards. The entire army was extremely busy. Even Shen Xu, the heir, could not stay idle. He rolled up his sleeves and farmed with Xia Haisheng and the others under the sun. Before this, he had suggested asking the aunts and uncles in the vige for advice on farming. He was mentally prepared, but when he really got into thend, he realized that farming was far more tiring than he had expected. After only a day of work, he was so tired that his back ached. When he returned home, he looked at the blisters on his hands and almost cried. He had never suffered like this in his life. Prince Min brought the ointment to apply on him. His heart ached as he looked at his precious son¡¯s blistered hands. ¡°This is only the first day and you¡¯re already like this. Are you still going tomorrow?¡± At this moment, Shen Xu¡¯s temper red up. He said with a vicious cycle, ¡°Whoever wants to go can go. Anyway, I¡¯m not going! I¡¯ve had enough!¡± At this moment, a servant rushed in and reported, ¡°Your Highness, Prince, General Tang is here.¡± Prince Min and Shen Xu were shocked. Right on the heels of that, they saw Tang Guixi stride in. Tang Guixi had probably just finished work in the fields and her forehead was covered in sweat. She was wearing a round-necked narrow-sleeved robe that men often wore. Her hair wasbed into a high ponytail. Because she often bathed in the sun, her skin was a little darker than that of ordinary girls. However, because her eyes were bright and her words and actions were suave, she had an extraordinary valiant temperament. Prince Min stood up. ¡°Guixi, why are you here?¡± Tang Guixi said generously, ¡°I heard that Shen Xu worked in the fields all day today and thought it was quite rare, so I came to see him.¡± At this point, her gazended on Shen Xu and she saw the blister on his hand. ¡°Yo, you have blisters! Looks like you¡¯ve really been busy all day. You¡¯ve really impressed me.¡± Shen Xu switched from his anger and grievance just now. His heart was filled with pride and joy. To be able to make Tang Guixi look at him in a different light meant that his hard work today had not been in vain. The corners of his mouth curled up hard, and his smugness was obvious. If he had a tail behind him now, it would definitely wag especially happily. Tang Guixi lifted the hem of her shirt and sat down at the table. She casually picked up the medication bottle on the table and looked at it. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with applying ointment to your blisters but you have to break them to recover quickly.¡± The smile on Shen Xu¡¯s face froze. W-what? She actually wanted to break them? That would hurt to death! Chapter 647 - 647: Regretful! Chapter 647: Regretful! Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Shen Xu said with difficulty, ¡°No need. I¡­¡± Before he could finish, Tang Guixi grabbed his hand and dragged it to her. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I¡¯ll pick it out for you.¡± Shen Xu was not being polite. He was really afraid of pain! But he couldn¡¯t bear to pull his hand away. After all, the person holding his hand was Tang Guixi. The two of them sped their hands. Such an intimate action was something he had never experienced before. This kind of opportunity was too rare. If he gave it up, who knew when the next opportunity would be? Tang Guixi did not know about the messy thoughts in Shen Xu¡¯s heart. As she gripped Shen Xu¡¯s hand tightly, she picked up the silver needle. The thin needle quickly fell and pierced into a blister. Shen Xu immediately shivered in pain, and the imagination that ran wild in his mind dissipated. Tears welled in his eyes and were about to fall. But no. As a dignified man, he could not cry over such a small matter. Especially since the woman he had a crush on was sitting opposite him. He gritted his teeth and used all his endurance to force back his tears. Tang Guixi¡¯s movements were fast and urate. One blister after another was broken. Not to mention Shen Xu, even Prince Min, who was a spectator, could not bear to watch anymore. He looked away and sighed inwardly. ¡°Son, you¡¯re on your own!¡± The blister was quickly ttened after being pricked. Tang Guixi picked out the ointment and applied it evenly on Shen Xu¡¯s palm. It was not until this moment that Shen Xu was in the mood to look at Tang Guixi. Her facial features were beautiful, especially her eyes, which were big and bright. Her eyshes were long, and her nose was straight. Her hair was allbed into a ponytail, revealing her full forehead. Her skin was a healthy honey color. His gaze moved down her face. Her shoulders were very straight and her sitting posture was straight. Even though she was dressed tightly, it was obvious that she did not have any fat on her. She was tall and had long legs. The only shoring might be that her chest was tter than most. But no one was perfect. She was already very good like this. Shen Xu looked at Tang Guixi in a daze, his thoughts drifting further and further away. Tang Guixi called him a few times but there was no reaction. She Rimnlv raised her hand and flicked him nn the forehead Only then did Shen Xu suddenlye back to his senses. ¡°Ah! What was that for?¡± Tang Guixi looked at him speechlessly. ¡°What were you thinking about just now? You looked like you had lost your soul.¡± Shen Xu felt guilty. ¡°N-nothing.¡± Tang Guixi stood up. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Shen Xu hurriedly said, ¡°Do you want to stay for dinner before leaving?¡± Tang Guixi waved her hand to indicate that there was no need. ¡°I still have things to do, so I won¡¯t be having dinner with you.¡± Shen Xu could only suppress his reluctance and say, ¡°Then I¡¯ll send you off.¡± He walked her to the front door. Before leaving, Tang Guixi suddenly asked. ¡°Are you still going to work in the fields tomorrow?¡± Shen Xu had already decided that he would never plow again, but now he had changed his mind. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll definitely go!¡± It was not easy for Tang Guixi to see him in a different light. He could not give up halfway. He had to persevere until the end! Tang Guixi raised her eyebrows in surprise. ¡°I originally wanted to help you do the work in the fields tomorrow, but it seems that there¡¯s no need. Then continue to work hard. See you another day.¡± With that, she waved and strode away. Shen Xu was left standing there in a daze. If he had said that he could not do it just now, Tang Guixi would have been able to help him. At that time, the two of them would have a chance to interact again. He had actually given up such a good opportunity. The tears he had painstakingly held back just now suddenly flew out. Boohoo, he regretted it so much! In addition to farming and remation, the Eastern Expedition Army had to build fortifications. Sentry towers rose from the ground, and earth walls connected to each other. By the time Xingning City found out that Heng City had been captured, it was already a monthter. As the prefectural city of Liaodong County, Xingning City had once been the most prosperous ce in the entire Liaodong County. Now, it had be deste. The goods of the merchants in the city had long been looted and they could no longer do business. The homes of the ordinary people had been plundered clean. Even the once high and mighty local powerhouses were not spared. The entire Xingning City had almost be a dead city. The Chen Nation Army, who was entrenched here, was happily dividing the spoils. Unexpectedly, the news of the Eastern Expedition Army attacking Heng City suddenly came. Marshal Chen was naturally iparably furious. He immediately ordered troops to attack the Eastern Expedition Army and take back Heng City! When the Chen Nation Army arrived near Heng City in a mighty manner, they were immediately discovered by the sentries on the sentry tower. The sentry immediately blew the horn hard. The sound of the horn spread from one watchtower to another and quickly reached Heng City. The soldiers andmoners who were still working immediately stopped working. All the soldiers put on their armor as quickly as possible and prepared their weapons. Themoners listened to the arrangements and quickly retreated to the city. Tang Guixi and Xiao Juan had both left the city to fight. All the matters in the city were temporarily handed over to Yu Niaoniao. Although Xiao Juan had promised Yu Niaoniao before he left that he would definitely return safely, Yu Niaoniao was still very worried. There were several times when she wanted to go up the city tower to take a look at the battle outside the city, but she was stopped by the people around her. Granny Xiu Yan advised, ¡°There¡¯s a battle outside the city. As the saying goes, swords have no eyes. What if a stray arrow hurts you? Just wait in the city in peace. ¡± Perhaps because she was overly worried, Yu Niaoniao suddenly began to vomit. She had to vomit no matter what she ate. Even if she didn¡¯t eat anything, she would vomit. In the end, she really couldn¡¯t vomit anything and could only vomit bile. Granny Xiu Yan¡¯s heart ached. She tried her best to make delicious food for her. Although she did not have an appetite, for the sake of the baby in her stomach, Yu Niaoniao could only bite the bullet and eat. As soon as she finished eating, she started vomiting again. Granny Xiu Yan patted her back to calm her down. When she was almost done vomiting, Granny Xiu Yan got someone to bring warm water. ¡°Have some water.¡± However, Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I want cold water.¡± Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°Cold water is bad for the body. Warm water is better.¡± Yu Niaoniao insisted, ¡°Give me cold water.¡± Granny Xiu Yan had no choice but to change her cup of cold water. Yu Niaoniao picked up the cup of cold water. The cold liquid flowed into her body along her esophagus, and the disgusting feeling was suppressed a little. She finished the cold water in her ss in one gulp and finally felt better. At this moment, Ling Hai ran in quickly. ¡°Madam, Li Hongye requests an audience.¡± Ever since Yu Niaoniao stopped them from calling her the Princess Consort, everyone had switched to calling her Madam. Yu Niaoniao wiped her lips with a handkerchief. ¡°Let her in.¡± Granny Xiu Yan hurriedly took the spittoon away. Soon, Li Hongye arrived with a basket full of arrows. ¡°Madam, please take a look. My sister and I made these arrows ourselves.. Do you think they can be used? If they can be used, can they be sent to the soldiers in front?¡± Chapter 648 - 648: Change of Strategy Chapter 648: Change of Strategy Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The weapons used by the Eastern Expedition Army were distributed uniformly, including bows and arrows. However, unlike other weapons, arrows were consumables. Every battle consumed arge number of arrows. There were people in the military camp who were in charge of making arrows. They usually umted a lot of arrows. However, in such a tense battle, the more arrows, the better. Yu Niaoniao took out an arrow from the bamboo basket and looked at it carefully. It was done very carefully. Be it its length or weight, it was almost the same as the standard arrows in the military. She smiled at Li Hongye. ¡°These arrows are very good. Can you make more?¡± Li Hongye was very happy that the arrows she made had been recognized. She nodded vigorously. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll talk to my sister now. We¡¯ll make more arrows.¡± Because there was a battle outside the city, they could not farm in the fields. They had nothing to do in the city every day, so they might as well find something to do. Not only could making arrows kill time, but they could also help the Eastern Expedition Army. It was killing two birds with one stone. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯ll pay you five copper coins for an arrow. There are about a hundred arrows here. Granny, please get five hundred copper coins for Miss Hongye.¡± Li Hongye hurriedly waved her hand. ¡°No, no! You don¡¯t have to give me money. I¡¯m already very happy that I can help you. How can I ask for your money?!¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to refuse. When you get back, you can tell the others that no matter who it is, as long as they can make arrows of good quality, they can sell them to me for five copper coins per arrow. Before this battle ends, I¡¯ll buy an unlimited number of arrows.¡± Li Hongye immediately understood what she meant. ¡°You want themoners in the city to help make arrows.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± She did this not only to replenish the arrows for the Eastern Expedition Army, but also to find something to do for the idlers in the city to prevent some people from having crooked thoughts when they had nothing to do. Granny Xiu Yan handed over a heavy cloth bag. ¡°There¡¯s a total of five hundred copper coins here. Count them.¡± Li Hongye did not refuse this time. She had to bring this money back for everyone to believe that Madam was really willing to pay for the arrows. She hugged the cloth bag with both hands and said gratefully, ¡°Thank you, Madam. Thank you, Granny.¡± Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°I¡¯ll send you out.¡± The original county magistrate of Heng City had already been killed by the Chen Nation Army, and the county office had been destroyed. After this period of repair, the county office had mostly recovered. The county office had been temporarily changed to the General¡¯s Mansion. Usually, Tang Guixi, Yu Niaoniao, and Xiao Juan lived here. Now that Tang Guixi and Xiao Juan had gone out to fight, Yu Niaoniao was in charge of the General¡¯s Mansion. She asked Ling Hai to set up a straw shed at the entrance of the county office and hang a sign saying, ¡°Five copper coins for an arrow.¡± After Li Hongye¡¯s hard work in publicity, many people in the city knew about the General¡¯s Mansion buying arrows. There were constantly people who came to the General¡¯s Mansion with arrows they had made to sell. Not everyone could make excellent arrows like Li Hongye and her sister, and there was nock of crude works. Any unqualified arrows would be rejected by Ling Hai. The arrows bought would be registered and sent to Yu Niaoniao for her random inspection. At first, Granny Xiu Yan was worried that Yu Niaoniao would be tired because of this. Later, when she saw that when she was focused on checking the quality of the arrows, her morning sickness reaction decreased a lot. Instead, she became a little more energetic, so she let her do whatever she wanted. Thepleted arrows were transported out of the city in batches and into the hands of the Eastern Expedition Army. Without anything to worry about, the Eastern Expedition Army fought even more fiercely. Initially, Marshal Chen did not take a mere Heng City seriously. With the strength of their Chen Nation¡¯s army, he thought they could definitely take down Heng City quickly. In the end, they ran into obstructions. No matter how they attacked, they could not break through the defense of the Eastern Expedition Army. The two sides fought back and forth for half a month. Not only did the Chen army fail to take down Heng City, but they also lost a lot of troops. He could not continue like this. Marshal Chen could only change his strategy. He still remembered that when he fought the Eastern Expedition Army previously, it was also the Eastern Expedition Army who had the upper hand at first. Later on, because the Eastern Expedition Army¡¯s rations were in short supply and the Dayan Emperor had cut off the rations support to the Eastern Expedition Army, the Eastern Expedition Army fell into a crisis and retreated. The reason why the Eastern Expedition Army could make aeback was because they had raided the Chen military camp and snatched arge amount of food. In the end, food was the most important! Marshal Chen gathered the generals he had epted for a meeting overnight. In the end, he decided to pause the attack. They were prepared to surround Heng City and cut off themunication between Heng City and other ces, trapping the Eastern Expedition Army in Heng City. This way, the Eastern Expedition Army would be alone and helpless. The Eastern Expedition Army had limited food. When they finished their food, they could only starve. In the end, they only had two paths¡ª They would either starve to death or leave the city to surrender. On the Eastern Expedition Army¡¯s side, Tang Guixi and Xiao Juan realized that the Chen Army had stopped attacking. They sent scouts to investigate and realized that the Chen Army had not retreated. Not only that, but the Chen Army was also setting up camp, looking like they were preparing for a long battle. Tang Guixi and Xiao Juan calcted and guessed that the Chen Army should be nning to use a consumption strategy to surround and not attack. This was exactly what they wanted. They could not wait for a truce. This way, the Eastern Expedition Army and the citizens in the city would have more time to recuperate. The battle had temporarilye to an pause. Themoners carried their farming tools and went straight to the fields. The fields were bustling with activity again. Spring passed and summer came. Flowers bloomed and fell. The wheat seedlings in the fields grew higher day by day. In autumn, the wheat seedlings finally bore heavy ears. Themoners and the soldiers of the Eastern Expedition Army were extremely excited. They rolled up their sleeves and immersed themselves in the fields. They nted the wheat day and night and worked extremely hard. On the other side, Chen Army was still craning their necks in anticipation, wanting to know when Chen Jun could not take it anymore and took the initiative to surrender. They even deliberately roasted meat in the open space and fanned hard. They used the wind to send the fragrance of the roasted meat to the sentry tower, wanting to tempt the Eastern Expedition Army sentinel on the sentry tower. They had meat buns that the cook had just sent over. The dough was flour ground from thetest harvest of wheat, and it tasted delicious. They chatted as they ate. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the Chen Nation people below?¡± ¡°Who knows about them? They¡¯re sick!¡± The Chen Nation soldiers spent a long time sweating from exhaustion, but they still did not see any movement on the sentry tower. They could not help but curse. However, because they were speaking in the Chen Nation¡¯snguage, the sentries on the sentry tower did not understand a word.. Chapter 649 - 649: Violence Chapter 649: Violence Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios After the autumn harvest ended, themoners entered a rare free time. Seeing that the weather was getting colder day by day, Yu Niaoniao got someone to put up the sign in front of the General¡¯s Mansion again and began to buy winter clothes for the soldiers of the Eastern Expedition Army. Themoners happened to be bored. Making winter clothes could kill time and they could take the opportunity to earn some money to supplement the family. It was killing two birds with one stone. Many people participated enthusiastically. After more than half a year of recuperation, the city gradually regained its vitality. The shops on both sides of the street reopened one after another. There would be a market on the 15th of every month. Compared to the prosperity and revival in Heng City, the other ces in Liaodong County were much worse. Arge number of young men were injured. Countlessmoners left their hometowns and no one farmed them, causing all the fields to be abandoned. In the beginning, the Chen Army could still rely on robbery to obtain food. However, as time passed, the things they could snatch became fewer and fewer. It was almost winter, and the environment they would face would be even harsher. Marshal Chen looked at the terrain map of the army in front of him with an extremely solemn expression. They originally thought that they could trap the Eastern Expedition Army in Heng City, but after waiting for more than half a year, they did not see any signs of surrender. On the other hand, the Chen Nation Army had spent a lot of time and food here, but they achieved nothing. The emperor of the Chen Nation had already sent several secret letters over to ask him why he had yet to take down Heng City. There was faint dissatisfaction in the secret letter. He couldn¡¯t waste any more time. Marshal Chen pped the map. ¡°Pass down the order. All troops, get into formation! We must take Heng City at all costs!¡± The day before winter, the Chen Nation Army suddenlyunched arge-scale attack on Heng City! Xiao Juan and Tang Guixi had already expected this day. They methodically stopped the troops from fighting back. Unlike tne previous attack, tneen Nation Army was clearly going all out tn1S time. They used all their troops toe aggressively, and the battle was especially intense. Themoners in the city continued to live as usual. They gathered in groups and chatted as they made winter clothes and arrows. It was obvious that they were very confident in the strength of the Eastern Expedition Army. They believed that as long as the Eastern Expedition Army and General Tang were around, the Chen Army would not be able to attack. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s belly was already very big. Because her delivery date wasing up, her body was getting heavier and heavier. She had not gotten out of bed much for the past few days. Granny Xiu Yan guarded her day and night with two maidservants and served her daily life. Yu Niaoniao looked at the blue sky outside the window. If she listened carefully, she could vaguely hear the sound of a battle outside the city. She trusted the strength of the Eastern Expedition Army very much, but swords had no eyes on the battlefield. She could not help but worry for Xiao Juan and Tang Guixi and hope that they would not be injured. Granny Xiu Yan walked in with a stack of clothes and said with a smile. ¡°Madam, look. These are children¡¯s clothes sent by themoners in the city.¡± She unfolded the small clothes one by one for Yu Niaoniao to see. The colors and styles of the clothes were different. They looked a little old. Fortunately, the texture was very soft and felt veryfortable. Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°Although these clothes are old clothes that other children have worn, it¡¯s precisely because they¡¯ve been worn that they¡¯re even softer. They¡¯re very suitable for newborn babies. They carry everyone¡¯s blessings for the baby. The baby will definitely grow up healthy in them.¡± Yu Niaoniao gently stroked the small clothes. ¡°Thank you, everyone. Please thank them for me.¡± Granny Xiu Yan said, ¡°I¡¯ve already gotten someone to send them gifts. I¡¯ll boil these clothes in boiling water and wash them carefully before putting them on for the baby.¡± At this point, she could not help but look at Yu Niaoniao¡¯s bulging abdomen. Her eyes were filled with anticipation and love. ¡°We have to let the mother and child be safe.¡± Yu Niaoniao gently stroked her stomach. She did not know if Xiao Juan coulde back to apany her when she gave birth. She really hoped the the war would end quickly! In the blink of an eye, more than ten days passed. The Chen army tried everything but still could not take down Heng City. The earth walls looked rough, but they were made of triad soil and were abnormally strong. Winter came, and the temperature dropped with each passing day. Even though he was wearing a thick jacket under his armor, Marshal Chen still felt a little cold. If he was already like this, the soldiers charging at the front line would feel even worse. Their limbs were trembling from the cold, and it was even harder for them to fight. Marshal Chen Jun gritted his teeth. In this situation, he could only use some special methods. The next day, the Chen Army suddenly stopped attacking Heng City. The Eastern Expedition soldiers hiding behind the earth wall did not let down their guard because of this. Xiao Juan and Tang Guixi stood on the tall sentry tower and looked at the Chen Army below from afar. They were both thinking what bad ideas they were up to. Right on the heels of that, they saw the Chen Army appear in front of the earthen wall with a group of people. Taking a closer look, they were all ordinary people who were weak. They were trussed up, looking terrified. The Chen Nation soldiers stood behind them with scimitars in hand. Seeing this scene, Xiao Juan and Tang Guixi¡¯s hearts sank to the bottom. A Chen Nation soldier who could speak Dayan officialnguage shouted at the top of his lungs. ¡°Bastards of the Eastern Expedition Army, listen up. I¡¯ll give you a day. If you don¡¯t open the door and surrender before the sun sets, we¡¯ll kill all thesemoners!¡± Behind the earth wall, the soldiers of the Eastern Expedition Army were livid with anger. These bastards from the Chen Nation were too despicable! On the sentry tower, Tang Guixi looked at themoners who were kneeling down. She wanted to rush down and save them, but logic told her she couldn¡¯t. She was themander of the Eastern Expedition Army. Not only did she have to be responsible for the Eastern Expedition Army, but she also had to be responsible for themoners living in Heng City. There was no way she would open the city gate and let the Chen Nation Army in. Time passed bit by bit. The sun gradually set in the west. At first, themoners who were taken hostage could still cry for help. Later, their throats were hoarse from shouting and their strength was exhausted. The moment the sun set, thest hope in their hearts was destroyed. The Chen Nation soldiers had ruthless sneers on their faces. They raised their scimitars high and shed at the kneelingmoners in front of them. Their arms rose and the knife fell. The heads fell to the ground. Instantly, blood flowed like a river. When the Eastern Expedition Army behind the earth wall saw this scene, they trembled with anger. Tang Guixi gripped the wall tightly with both hands, her eyes filled with hatred. Sooner orter, she would cut these beasts into pieces! Xiao Juan closed his eyes silently, unable to bear to watch anymore. It was getting dark. The Chen Nation soldiers dragged the corpses away, leaving only blood on the ground. This was the end of the matter. However, Xiao Juan knew that this was only the beginning. As it turned out, he was right. The next day, the Chen Army used the same trick again. They captured another group ofmoners. This time, they were all old, weak, women, and children. The oldest was already gray-haired, and the youngest was only four or five years old.. Chapter 650 - 650: Mixing Fish Eyes With Pearls Chapter 650: Mixing Fish Eyes With Pearls Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Thesemoners knelt on the ground. The Chen Army deliberately frightened them, forcing them to cry. The miserable cry passed through the earth wall and entered the ears of the soldiers of the Eastern Expedition Army. They could only watch helplessly as those innocent people died tragically, they could not help. This was no different from the most painful mental torture for the Eastern Expedition Army. The wailingsted all day. The moment the sun set, the Chen Army raised their swords again. All the cries stopped. The world fell silent. There was dead silence. Tonight, the Chen Army did not even deal with the corpses. They let the silk-like miserable corpses be thrown on the empty ground and pecked at by crows that smelled of blood. Every day after that, the Chen Army would capture a group of Liaodongmoners and force them to cry for help. Then, they would cruelly end their lives at sunset. Thissted until the fifth day. The soldiers of the Eastern Expedition Army became very dispirited. They could risk everything on the battlefield to fight the enemy to the death, but they could not ept watching ordinary people be killed helplessly. Some soldiers with poor psychological tolerance had already begun to show symptoms of being in a daze. They began to fear the sun rising. They did not dare to face the eyes that yearned to live. Xiao Juan knew that this was the goal of the marshal of the Chen Nation Army. They had done all this to destroy the morale of the Eastern Expedition Army. Now it seemed that their scheme had seeded by more than half. Next, as long as there was onest dose, the soldiers of the Eastern Expedition Army wouldpletely copse. This strong medicine came quickly¡ª Today, the Chen Nation Army proudly showed off to the soldiers of the Eastern Expedition Army behind the earth wall. ¡°Come out and take a look. See what good things we brought you today?¡± On the sentry tower, Tang Guixi watched as the Chen Army dragged out a group of ragged people. Although those people were all covered in injuries and some of them even lost arms and legs, Tang Guixi still saw a few familiar faces inside. Those were actually all soldiers of the Eastern Expedition Army! In the previous battle, the Eastern Expedition Army lost more than half of their troops because they did not have enough food. Many of them were unfortunately captured. Tang Guixi originally thought that the captives had been killed. Unexpectedly, the Chen Army did not kill them. At this moment, Tang Guixi watched as they knelt on the ground. The Chen Nation Military Scimitars were pressed against their backs, forcing them to lower their heads. There were also Chen Nation soldiers who deliberately stepped on the ces where they were injured and watched as they were in pain. The Chen Nation soldiersughed maliciously. A Chen Nation soldier brought a horse. He grabbed a captive with a broken leg and put the rope around the captive¡¯s neck. Then he rode across the clearing. The captive could only chase after him desperately, but he only had one leg. How could he catch up to the horse? Soon he fell to the ground in a sorry state. Seeing this, the Chen soldier flicked the reins hard, and the horse under him ran even faster. The captive was dragged forward. His flesh was scraped, and his already broken body became even more mutted. Seeing the captive lying on the ground like a dead dog, the Chen Nation soldiers beside himughed even more enthusiastically. This scene deeply stimted the spirits of the Eastern Expedition Army soldiers. Although themoners who had been killed a few days ago were pitiful, they were unrted to the soldiers of the Eastern Expedition Army. But it was different now. The people who were being humiliated and abused now were their formerrades who had lived and died with them. How could they endure the pain? Many people in the Eastern Expedition Army could not help but cry. They wanted to rush out to save them, but they were quickly stopped by theirpanions. They were soldiers, soldiers who valued military orders more than their lives. As long as General Tang did not speak, none of them could move. On the sentry tower, the emotions and rationality in Tang Guixi¡¯s heart were pulling desperately. She knew this was an enemy trick. She couldn¡¯t fall for it, but she really couldn¡¯t watch her former subordinates be tortured to death! What should she do? At this moment, an arrow tore through the air and hit the Chen soldier on the horse. The arrow pierced his chest. Before the Chen Army could react, he died on the spot. His eyes were wide as he fell straight off the horse. The horse stopped. At the same time, theughter of the surrounding Chen soldiers stopped. Tang Guixi suddenly turned her head and looked in the direction where the arrow had been shot. She saw Xiao Juan appear behind the earth wall. He held a bow in his hand. The bowstring was still trembling gently. Xiao Juan ignored the gazes of the surrounding people and continued to draw his bow and aim at the Chen soldiers. Everyone¡¯s hearts skipped a beat. Those Chen soldiers stood very close to the captives. As long as the arrowhead was slightly tilted, it would injure those captives. This was also why the archers of the Eastern Expedition Army did not dare to attack. They were afraid that if they shot an arrow, not only would they not kill the enemy, but they would also kill theirrades. Xiao Juan did not have so many worries. He released his fingers and shot another arrow. This arrow urately hit a Chen soldier again. This time, all the Chen soldiers were afraid. They hurriedly retreated and shot out the range of their bows. The captives were thrown into the open. Seeing this, Tang Guixi and the soldiers of the Eastern Expedition Army heaved a sigh of relief. No matter what, those captives did not have to suffer inhumane abuse for the time being. They did not have to face cruel mental torture anymore. However, this was not over. When the sun set, those Chen soldiers would still aim their butcher knives at the captives. Xiao Juan threw the bow to Meng Xizhou, who was following beside him. He turned to leave and strode up the sentry tower to find Tang Guixi. ¡°This can¡¯t go on.¡± Tang Guixi¡¯s expression was ugly. ¡°Of course I know I can¡¯t let them continue like this, but I can¡¯t stop them.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I have an idea.¡± Tang Guixi gestured for him to speak. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Do you remember when we captured Heng City and captured those Chen Army captives?¡± Tang Guixi naturally remembered. She frowned. ¡°But most of those prisoners are dead.¡± Most of those captives had done many evil things. Tang Guixi had never thought of recruiting them. She dealt with them ording to the crimes they hadmitted. Anyone whomitted rape and murder was executed. But there were always exceptions. There were a few honest people among the captives. They were left behind to perform hardbor in the military camp. Tang Guixi said, ¡°The remaining prisoners who are still alive are also insignificant soldiers. The Chen Army might not be willing to let our people off for them. ¡® Xiao Juan said, ¡°Have you heard of the saying about mixing fish eyes with pearls?¡± Tang Guixi thought for a moment before her eyes widened. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to¡­ But this is too dangerous! If the other party finds out, you¡¯ll definitely die!¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Do you have a better idea?¡± Tang Guixi was immediately speechless.. Chapter 651 - 651: Trap Chapter 651: Trap Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios In the end, Tang Guixi epted Xiao Juan¡¯s suggestion. She wrote the letter herself, then tied the letter to the arrow and shot it into the open space in front of the earth wall. Seeing this, the Chen Nation Army scout, who had been hiding nearby, immediately raised his shield and ran over. He bent down to pick up the arrow and ran away. The arrow was handed to Marshal Chen. He unfolded the letter and saw that it was filled with Dayan writing. He could barely recognize a fewmonly used words. He could not understand the entire text even with guessing. He could only get someone to call over an aide who understood the Dayannguage. The advisor quickly read the content in his heart and tranted it into the Chen Nationnguage for Marshal Chen. ¡°Tang Guixi wrote this letter. She said she has fifty Chen Nation prisoners. She wants to make a deal with us and exchange prisoners for prisoners.¡± Marshal Chen ced his hands behind his back and took two steps back and forth. He quickly made a decision. ¡°Get someone to tell the Tang woman that I ept this deal.¡± The aide frowned. ¡°This could be a setup¡­¡± Marshal Chen raised his hand and interrupted him. ¡°Let me finish first.¡± The aide obediently shut up. Marshal Chen Jun said, ¡°I can exchange prisoners with them, but in order to prove that they¡¯re not cheating, they have to let Prince Min bring the prisoners over to trade with us.¡± The aide immediately understood what he meant. ¡°Are you trying to take the opportunity to capture Prince Min?¡± Marshal Chen said unhurriedly. ¡°Prince Min is the uncle of the Dayan Emperor. His status is precious.¡± ¡°If we can capture him, we can use him to ask the Dayan Emperor for benefits in the future.¡± ¡°No matter what the rtionship between Emperor Dayan and Prince Min was, as long as the Emperor Dayan still cared about his reputation, it was impossible for him to disregard Prince Min¡¯s life.¡± ¡°In that case, when we return to the court and the emperor asks why we were dyed so much in Heng City, we will have an exnation.¡± The advisor praised, ¡°Marshal is so thoughtful.¡± At the same time, the Chen Army captives were all brought to Xiao Juan. There were a total of three of them. For the past half a year, they had done the dirtiest and most tiring job in the military camp. They were exhausted every day, and the food they had been given could barely keep them from starving to death. At this moment, they were hunched over, their eyes numb, their faces sallow, their clothes tattered, and they smelled bad. Xiao Juan got someone to bring over a te of white steamed buns and ced it in front of them. ¡°Eat.¡± The moment the three of them saw the white steamed bun, their eyes lit up in unison. They first looked at Xiao Juan to confirm that he was not joking with them before they pounced forward, grabbed the steamed buns, and stuffed them into their mouths. When they were almost done eating, Xiao Juan said to them in the Chen Nationnguage. ¡°I¡¯ll send you backter.¡± Seeing that they did not react, Xiao Juan specially added, ¡°I¡¯m sending you back to the Chen Nation¡¯s military camp.¡± All three of them looked stunned. How was that possible? Xiao Juan continued, ¡°But you have to think carefully. What will your marshal think if we take the initiative to send you back safely? Tell him that you¡¯ve only done some rough work in our Eastern Expedition Army for the past half a year and haven¡¯t suffered at all before we let you back. Will your marshal believe you?¡± All three of them were speechless. Although they were very tired in the Eastern Expedition Army¡¯s camp, the Eastern Expedition Army had indeed not deliberately abused them. There were no other scars on their bodies except those from idental injuries while working. How could they exin it if they went back like this? One of them mustered his courage and asked, ¡°Can I not go back?¡± Although it was hard to stay here, at least he could live. If they were sent back to the Chen Nation¡¯s military camp for no reason, what awaited them might very well be all kinds of doubts and interrogation. The final oue would definitely not be good. Xiao Juan looked at their uneasy expressions and continued to guide them patiently. ¡°You can stay if you want, but you have to do as I say. I¡¯ll give you a missionter. As long as you canplete the mission, not only can you continue to live in Heng City in the future, but you can also remove your status as a military ve and be a proper citizen of Heng City. I heard that your Chen Nation¡¯snds are barren and it¡¯s difficult for crops to survive, so you gathered the army to invade our Liaodong County. How were your lives in the Chen Nation in the past? Can you eat such white steamed buns every day?¡± All three shook their heads in unison. It was because they could not eat enough that they had no choice but to enlist. If their families had a better life, they would not have risked their lives to be soldiers. Xiao Juan gently knocked on the te used to store steamed buns. ¡°As long as you¡¯re from Heng City, you can getnd. At that time, you¡¯ll be the same. Each of you will have two acres ofnd to farm well. I guarantee that you can eat white steamed buns every day next year. How about that?¡± The three of them looked at each other. The lingering fragrance of steamed buns in their mouths had yet to dissipate. They saw the longing in one another¡¯s eyes. The temptation of eating and drinking their fill every day was too great. In the next moment, they knelt. ¡°It¡¯s our honor to serve you, sir!¡± Next, Xiao Juan began to exin the details of the entire operation to them. On the other side, Tang Guixi received a reply from the marshal of the Chen Army. The other party expressed his willingness to ept the deal, but they had to get Prince Min toe forward and carry out this deal. Otherwise, they would not be able to believe the sincerity of the Eastern Expedition Army. Tang Guixi instructed the deputy general beside her. ¡°Go to Prince Min quickly and give him this letter.¡± The deputy general took the letter and hesitated. ¡°Will Prince Min be willing to help?¡± Tang Guixi was not confident about this. Those Eastern Expedition prisoners were her subordinates. They had to save them, but Prince Min was not from the Eastern Expedition Army. This matter had nothing to do with him. There was no need for him to take the risk. Moreover, Prince Min was not the kind of person who would sacrifice himself for others. Tang Guixi could only do her best and leave it to fate. The deputy general hurried away with the letter. It didn¡¯t take long for him to return. And he had brought back someone. This person was not Prince Min, but his heir, Shen Xu. Tang Guixi was clearly stunned when she saw Shen Xu. ¡°Why are you here? Where¡¯s your father?¡± Shen Xu raised his head and puffed out his chest. ¡°My father is old and can¡¯t do such a dangerous thing, so I came on his behalf.¡± Tang Guixi frowned. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Shen Xu defended himself firmly. ¡°I¡¯m not messing around. I know you want to save people. I can help you.¡± ¡°They wanted Prince Min. As the heir of Prince Min¡¯s Mansion, I am the future Prince Min. I can totally represent my father to make the deal.¡± Tang Guixi said in a low voice, ¡°Do you know how dangerous this matter is?¡± Shen Xu straightened his neck and said, ¡°I know!¡± Tang Guixi asked, ¡°Then aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± Shen Xu said, ¡°No!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not afraid, why are you trembling?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trembling!¡± Tang Guixi looked at his trembling legs and was both angry and amused.. Chapter 652 - 652: Come Home With Me Chapter 652: Come Home With Me Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios When the sun set, Shen Xu walked out of the earth wall with a team of 50 people. Not far away, the Chen Nation¡¯s army was watching covetously. There was an empty space between them. In the open space, more than twenty Eastern Expedition prisoners were still kneeling. They sensed footsteps approaching and raised their heads with difficulty. When they saw that it was Shen Xu, their eyes widened. Someone said hoarsely, ¡°Prince, leave quickly.¡± These words touched Shen Xu. He looked at the injured soldiers in front of him. They were clearly about to die, but they still wanted him to leave quickly. Previously, he was willing to take the risk to not disappoint Tang Guixi, but now, he hoped to bring these soldiers back. Shen Xu took out a small knife from his sleeve and helped them cut the ropes. ¡°Get up ande home with me.¡± Hearing the word home, their eyes turned red. After so much inhumane torture, going home had be an unattainable wish in their hearts. And now, their wishes were about toe true. The Chen soldiers raised their shields and quickly approached. They surrounded Shen Xu and the captives. Shen Xu immediately stood up and questioned, ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise to exchange prisoners with us? I¡¯ve already brought your people here. You should let me bring our people back!¡± A momentter, a chariot slowly approached. A schrly-looking aide stood in the chariot. He asked haltingly in the Dayan officialnguage. ¡°Where are our people?¡± Shen Xu kept walking behind him. ¡°They¡¯re all here!¡± The advisor gave him a look and immediately, a Chen Nation soldier walked forward to check. He first pushed aside the hair of the three captives standing at the front and identified them carefully. They looked a little familiar. Then, he interrogated the other party in the Chen Nationnguage. The three of them answered each other fluently and he couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with them. They also wanted to examine the other prisoners. Shen Xu urged impatiently. ¡°Can we hurry? We¡¯re in a hurry to get back!¡± The advisor was originally looking at the captives. When he heard this, he looked at Shen Xu and asked unhurriedly. ¡°Our marshal specifically asked Prince Min to do the deal. Why don¡¯t I see him?¡± Shen Xu replied loudly, ¡°I¡¯m Prince Min¡¯s only son and his future heir. Today, I¡¯m here to make a deal with you on behalf of Father.¡± The advisor said, ¡°The heir is really filial, but unfortunately, our marshal wants to see Prince Min. If you don¡¯t fulfill the agreement as requested, we naturally can¡¯t make a deal with you.¡± With that, he gestured. Immediately, a Chen Nation soldier walked forward and prepared to grab Shen xu. Shen Xu blocked the knife in front of him in a defensive posture and asked fiercely. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± The advisor smiled and said, ¡°Since the heir is already here, we can¡¯te for nothing. Marshal Chen wants to treat you to a ss of wine. Please give him the courtesy.¡± Shen Xu naturally knew that the other party must have ill intentions. He spat angrily, ¡°How can you lowly bandits be worthy of drinking with me?!¡± The smile on the aide¡¯s face disappeared, and his expression darkened. ¡°Prince, listen to my advice. It seems like you want to do this the hard way.¡± Shen Xu said sternly, ¡°If you know what¡¯s good for you, let us go immediately!¡± The aide looked at him coldly. ¡°To tell you the truth, it¡¯s not just you today. All the captives you brought have to stay. After that, we¡¯ll kill all the prisoners of the Eastern Expedition Army. We¡¯ll leave none alive!¡± Thest four words were spoken slowly by him, revealing deep malice. Shen Xuughed in anger. ¡°So you never nned to fulfill the agreement from the beginning. As expected of jackals, tigers, and leopards from the Chen Nation. You¡¯re all a group of shameless beasts who don¡¯t know etiquette!¡± Without another word, the aide gave the order to act. When the Chen Nation soldiers pounced at Shen Xu, the archers hiding behind the earth wall let go of their bowstrings. Countless arrows shot at the Chen Nation soldiers. The Chen Nation soldiers hurriedly raised their shields in front of them. Xiao Juan, who was disguised as a Chen soldier captive, and the other forty or so Eagle Guards seized the opportunity to pull out the saber hidden under their clothes. Among them, Xiao Juan used his Qinggong and jumped up. He stepped on the shoulder of the person in front of him and flew forward. He pointed the No Return Saber in his hand at the aide¡¯s vital point! The aide was shocked and hurriedly dodged back. He shouted, ¡°Save me!¡± However, before the Chen Nation soldiers around him could react, he had already been pierced through the chest by Xiao Juan. The scene fell into chaos. The Eagle Guards took advantage of the chaos to carry the captives of the Eastern Expedition Army and quickly retreat in the direction of the earth wall. On the sentry tower, Tang Guixi ordered loudly when she saw this scene. ¡°Archers cover them!¡± The archers behind the earth wall drew their bows and nocked arrows again. They kept shooting, forcing back the Chen Nation soldiers who wanted to catch up. Shen Xu retreated with the Eagle Guards. But before he could run far, he heard a rumbling behind him. They turned around in unison and saw that the Chen Nation Army had actually brought out the catapult. The Chen Nation soldiers stepped on the pedal hard, and the basin-sized stones were thrown high. They drew a parab in the air and headed straight for Xiao Juan and the others. Shen Xu¡¯s pupils clearly reflected the stone. They closed in quickly. When Tang Guixi saw this scene from the sentry tower, her eyes widened and she roared, ¡°Shen Xu, run!¡± However, Shen Xu stood rooted to the ground as if he had been frozen. At the critical moment, Xiao Juan appeared in time and pushed Shen Xu away. The rock flew between the two of them andnded heavily on the ground, creating a small pit. Before they could heave a sigh of relief, another stone had already flown in front of Xiao Juan. At this moment, he was toote to dodge. Yu Niaoniao suddenly opened her eyes and woke up from a nightmare. Granny Xiu Yan, who was sitting by the bed doing needlework, immediately put down the needle and thread in her hand and asked with concern. ¡°Why do you look so pale? Did you have a nightmare?¡± Yu Niaoniao panted softly. ¡°I dreamed that Ah Juan was in danger on the battlefield. Granny, will something happen to him?¡± Granny Xiu Yanforted her gently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Ah Juan is a person with great fortune. God helps good people. He¡¯ll be fine.¡± Yu Niaoniao was still very uneasy. She did not know if her mood had affected the fetus in her stomach, but she suddenly felt pain in her abdomen. She clutched her stomach and frowned. ¡°My belly hurts. ¡± Granny Xiu Yan was shocked. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s giving birth? Logically speaking, she should have to wait another two days.¡± To be safe, she still got someone to invite the midwife over. The midwife arrived quickly. She lifted Yu Niaoniao¡¯s skirt for a closer look and gave an affirmative answer. ¡°The amniotic sac has broken. She¡¯s indeed giving birth.¡± Granny Xiu Yan hurriedly got someone to bring over all the things needed for delivery and then called Ling Hai over. ¡°Go out of the city immediately and think of a way to find Xiao Juan. Tell him that Niaoniao is about to give birth.¡± ¡®Yes!¡± Chapter 653 - 653: Wish Chapter 653: Wish Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The moment the rock smashed over, Xiao Juan circted his internal energy and waved the No Return Saber. The sharp de shed. Sparks flew as the rock was forcefully cut in half. Shen Xu, who was closest, was shocked by this scene. He did not expect Xiao Juan¡¯s internal energy to be so deep. Xiao Juan grabbed his cor and dragged him up from the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± They ran with all their might and finally hid behind the earth wall before the second batch of stones smashed over. Lo Pingsha had been waiting here with the military doctors for a long time. They hurriedly took the injured persons over to treat them. Shen Xu was not injured, but he was frightened. He fell weakly to the ground, breathing hard. In all his life, this was the first time he had run so fast. Meng Xizhou also sat on the ground to rest. He chuckled. ¡°Prince, was it exciting just now?¡± Shen Xu said weakly, ¡°It¡¯s enough to go through this kind of stimtion once. I won¡¯t have such an experience again.¡± Seeing that Xiao Juan was about to leave, he knew that Xiao Juan was probably going to look for Tang Guixi. He gritted his teeth, got up, and staggered after him. The two of them met Tang Guixi at the foot of the sentry tower. Seeing that the two of them were safe and sound, Tang Guixi heaved a long sigh of relief. ¡°Fortunately, you¡¯re both fine. This way, I can exin it to Niaoniao and Prince Min.¡± Shen Xu switched from being fearful. He raised his head and puffed out his chest, grinning widely. ¡°I told you that you could leave this to me!¡± Tang Guixi said sincerely, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you this time. I¡¯ll remember this favor. If you need any help in the future, just let me know. I¡¯ll definitely do my best.¡± Shen Xu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. This might be a good opportunity to express his feelings. Even if she didn¡¯t want to, on ount of how much he had helped just now, she should be able to give him a way out without embarrassing him too much. But if she was willing, he would make a killing! Shen Xu made up his mind and mustered his courage. ¡°I do need your help.¡± Tang Guixi hurriedly said, ¡°Tell me.¡± Shen Xu was nervous and his face was hot, but because his face was covered in dust and sweat, he looked dirty. It was impossible to tell that his face had turned red. ¡°It¡¯s that¡­ I¡¯m not young anymore. Father has been urging me to get married quickly recently. I want¡­ I want to¡­¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°Do you want me to help you find a good girl to be your wife? Alright, I¡¯ll get someone to find all the matchmakers in the cityter. I must find you a wife that you¡¯re satisfied with in all aspects!¡± Shen Xu said anxiously, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± Tang Guixi was puzzled. ¡°Then what do you want me to help with? You don¡¯t want me to be your wife, do you?¡± After saying that, she felt that this matter was too ridiculous and could not help butugh. She stoppedughing. Because she realized that Shen Xu looked coy as if she had really hit the nail on the head. Tang Guixi¡¯s mouth widened in disbelief. ¡°No, no way? Are you serious?¡± Shen Xu took a deep breath and mustered his courage to nod and say that it was true. But before he could say anything, he was interrupted. ¡°Master! Master!¡± Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Ling Hai rushing over. Xiao Juan, who had been quiet just now, spoke at this moment. He asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay in the city and take good care of Niaoniao? Why are you here?¡± Ling Hai was sweating profusely and panting. ¡°Master, Madam is giving birth!¡± Hearing this, the expressions of everyone present changed. Xiao Juan¡¯s reaction was the greatest. He changed his calm appearance from when he was facing thousands of troops and asked anxiously, ¡°When did this happen?¡± Ling Hai said that it had been four hours. Xiao Juan said to Tang Guixi, ¡°I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Then, he strode towards the city gate. Tang Guixi quickly stopped him. ¡°Are you really nning to run back with your legs? At least ride a horse. Isn¡¯t a four-legged horse faster than you?¡± Only then did Xiao Juan remember to ride a horse. He had been in such a hurry just now that he had forgotten that he could still ride. He and Ling Hai each rode a horse and rushed back as quickly as possible. Tang Guixi still had to preside over the situation and could not return to the city for the time being. She sped her hands together and muttered softly. ¡°Amitabha. Bodhisattva, please bless us. We must let Niaoniao and her child be safe.¡± Shen Xu looked at her uneasy expression and was about tofort her when he heard her say right on the heels of that. ¡°Buddha, Bodhisattva Guanyin, Jade Emperor¡­ In short, no matter who it is, I¡¯m willing to exchange ten years of my life for the safety of Niaoniao and her child¡­ Shen Xu hurriedly interrupted her. ¡®What nonsense are you talking about? Who curses themselves like that?!¡± Then, he sped his hands together and bowed to the heavens. ¡°God, don¡¯t take it seriously. She was talking nonsense just now. It doesn¡¯t count. Don¡¯t take it seriously.¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°As long as Niaoniao and her child are safe, so what if my lifespan is reduced by ten years?¡± Shen Xu said angrily, ¡°I can understand your concern for Yu Niaoniao, but there¡¯s no need to pay the price with ten years of your life. If Yu Niaoniao finds out, she¡¯ll definitely feel guilty. Why don¡¯t you change it to something else? It¡¯s best if it looks very important, but it¡¯s actually not that important to you. It¡¯s better to pay a price that won¡¯t cause any harm to you.¡± Tang Guixi felt that his words made sense. She thought about it seriously for a moment, then her eyes lit up. ¡°I got it!¡± Shen Xu was very curious. ¡°What is it?¡± Tang Guixi sped her hands together and prayed seriously, ¡°Bodhisattva, God, Jade Emperor, I¡¯m willing to exchange my marriage for the safety of Niaoniao and her child.¡± Shen Xu was speechless. Tang Guixi said, ¡°As long as you can bless Niaoniao and her son¡¯s safety, I¡¯m willing to never touch men in my life, not break the lust taboo, and not marry anyone¡­¡± Shen Xu could not stand it anymore and interrupted her again. Tang Guixi frowned. ¡°Why not? Isn¡¯t this what you just said? You have to use something that looks very important but is actually not very important as the price of making a wish. Marriage seems very important, but it¡¯s not that important to me. Even without it, I can live very well. It¡¯s very suitable to use it as the price of making a wish!¡± Shen Xu could not argue. He really wanted to p himself for talking nonsense just now! Shen Xu was angry and anxious. After holding it in for a long time, he could not say anything. ¡°But if you don¡¯t get married, who will take care of you when you¡¯re old in the future?¡± Tang Guixi had already nned this. ¡°Although I¡¯m not married, it doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t have children. Niaoniao¡¯s child can acknowledge me as her godmother. There shouldn¡¯t be a Droblem letting that child take care of me in the future, right?¡± Shen Xu was speechless again. He actually could not even provide the value of having children.. How sad! Chapter 654 - 654: Family Reunion Chapter 654: Family Reunion Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Xiao Juan returned to the General¡¯s Mansion as quickly as possible. He jumped off the horse and casually threw the reins to the concierge. He ran all the way to the backyard. When he entered the backyard, he vaguely heard Niaoniao¡¯s cry before he approached the bedroom. Xiao Juan stopped in his tracks and sped up toward the bedroom. Niaoniao¡¯s shouts came from the room again and again. Every shout was filled with intense pain. Xiao Juan¡¯s heart tightened. He walked straight towards the bedroom but was stopped by the servant guarding the door. ¡°Master, this is the delivery room. The smell of blood is very strong. You can¡¯t go in. It¡¯s inauspicious!¡± Xiao Juan pushed him away. ¡°I just came down from the battlefield. In terms of the smell of blood, who can be stronger than me? Not to mention that it¡¯s a delivery room inside, I¡¯ll definitely rush through mountains of des and seas of mes!¡± With that, he pushed open the door and strode in. When Ling Hai, who had followed closely behind, saw this scene, he was very anxious. However, he was not Xiao Juan. He did not dare to barge into the delivery room rashly and could only wait outside anxiously. Yu Niaoniaoy on the bed. Her face was pale and she was sweating profusely. Her lower body was in so much pain that she could not feel anything. Granny Xiu Yan gripped her hand tightly and encouraged her. ¡°Quick, use more strength. The child¡¯s head is out. Use more strength!¡± The midwife was also shouting, ¡°Madam, use more strength!¡± However, Yu Niaoniao was really weak. She could not hold on anymore. At this moment, she heard Xiao Juan¡¯s voice at the door. He was back! Yu Niaoniao turned her head with difficulty. In her blurry vision, a familiar tall figure came to the bed. Granny Xiu Yan let go of her hand. Right on the heels of that, another broad and warm hand held her. Xiao Juan leaned over to her and said gently, ¡°Niaoniao, I¡¯m back.¡± It was not only his voice that was too gentle, but the delivery process was too painful. Yu Niaoniao could not help but cry. She cried as she said, ¡°I dreamed that you fell on the battlefield covered in blood. I was so afraid. I thought you would nevere back. What would happen to me and the child? Boohoo!¡± Xiao Juan lowered his head and kissed her sweaty forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine.¡± Yu Niaoniao could not stop crying. Xiao Juan¡¯s heart ached. He wished he could rece her. Granny Xiu Van stood at the side and watched this scene- She could not help but wipe her tears. At that moment, they suddenly heard the midwife cry out in surprise. ¡°She gave birth! The child is born!¡± Everyone was shocked. Xiao Juan and Granny Xiu Yan turned to look at the midwife in unison and saw her bend down to cut the umbilical cord. When she stood up again, there was already a small baby in her arms. The midwife washed the child¡¯s bloody body with warm water and wrapped him in a soft nket. She smiled and said, ¡°Congrattions, Master. Congrattions, Madam. You have a cute little daughter!¡± At this moment, Yu Niaoniao could not care less about crying. She said hoarsely, ¡°Show me the child.¡± The midwife gently ced the child on the bed. Beside her, Granny Xiu Yan immediately took out the pouch she had prepared long ago. She handed it to the midwife. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you today. I hope you can ept this small gift.¡± The midwife happily epted the pouch. Granny Xiu Yan immediately asked, ¡°Don¡¯t children cry when they¡¯re born? How can she not cry?¡± The midwife exined, ¡°Not every child cries at birth. Some don¡¯t like to cry. If you¡¯re worried, you can spank the child. She¡¯ll naturally cry when she feels the pain. ¡± Granny Xiu Yan understood. ¡°I see. Thank you. I¡¯ll send you out.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at the baby in swaddling clothes and felt very strange. Just now, she thought she might not be able to give birth. She did not expect this child to suddenlye out. It was as if this child was deliberately waiting for Xiao Juan to return. As soon as Xiao Juan arrived, this child came out. As Yu Niaoniao thought this, she could not help but feel a little jealous. ¡°You heartless thing. You value your father over your mother.¡± Xiao Juan was looking at the baby in a daze, wanting to distinguish which part of her face looked like her mother, when he heard Niaoniao suddenly say this. He could not help but look up at her and ask. ¡°What?¡± Yu Niaoniao said what she was thinking, ¡°She wouldn¡¯t havee out if you weren¡¯t here. She came out as soon as you did. She¡¯s biased towards you!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I think she saw that her parents were around and that she was the only one missing. She also wanted her family to reunite, so she did her best toe out.¡± Granny Xiu Yan, who had returned, was caught betweenughter and tears when she heard the couple¡¯s conversation. The newborn baby couldn¡¯t even open her eyes. What could she know? These two adults were actually discussing so seriously. They were really more childish than children. Granny Xiu Yan got someone to bring hot water, wanting to help Niaoniao wipe and change. Xiao Juan took the handkerchief from her. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. You guys go out.¡± Granny Xiu Yan hesitated. ¡°You just came back from the battlefield. You should be very tired. Do you want to rest first?¡± Xiao Juan shook his head to indicate that there was no need. Seeing his determined attitude, Granny Xiu Yan had no choice but to retreat with the maidservants. Xiao Juan soaked the handkerchief in hot water and walked to the bed, nning to help Niaoniao take off her clothes. However, he saw that she had already tallen asleep beside the swaddling clothes. She was really too tired. Previously, she had been trying her best to stay awake because she was worried about Xiao Juan and the child. Now that the child had been sessfully born and Xiao Juan had returned safely, she had nothing to worry about anymore. She could finally rest. Xiao Juan quietly took off Niaoniao¡¯s clothes and wiped her body with a wet handkerchief. Because he was afraid of waking Niaoniao up, his movements were exceptionally gentle and careful. After helping Niaoniao clean up, he was also drenched in sweat. He covered Niaoniao with the nket and walked out of the room with the dirty water. Granny Xiu Yan quickly got someone to pour the dirty water away. Then, she got someone to bring new hot water so that Xiao Juan could take a good bath. He returned to the bedroom, nning to have a good sleep. Unexpectedly, just as hey down beside Niaoniao, the baby, who had been quiet just now, suddenly cried. Xiao Juan immediately panicked. He did not know why his precious daughter was crying. He wanted to coax her, but he did not know how. He wanted to hug her, but he did not know how to carry such a small child. He was afraid that he would hurt the child clumsily. The child¡¯s cries woke Niaoniao from her sleep. She opened her tired eyes and asked, ¡°What happened to the baby?¡± At this moment, Granny Xiu Yan pushed open the door and walked in. She asked nervously, ¡°Miss, why are you crying? Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan expressed that they did not know. This was their first time being parents. They had no experience raising children. Granny Xiu Yan picked up the child and took a look. Seeing that she was crying loudly, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief. It was good that she could cry. It meant that this child was not mute.. Chapter 655 - 655: Little Fortune Star Chapter 655: Little Fortune Star Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The baby cried because she was hungry. After Yu Niaoniao fed her milk, the child stopped crying. She stayed quietly in her swaddling clothes. Her two small ws were curled in front of her chest, and her small mouth was slightly open. She looked so cute that Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart was about to melt. Yu Niaoniao gently pinched the baby¡¯s meaty ws. The baby¡¯s little fingers moved, and she held his mother¡¯s hand tighter. Xiao Juan asked softly, ¡°It¡¯s still early. Do you want to sleep a little longer?¡± Yu Niaoniao replied softly, ¡°Yes.¡± With that, she yawned loudly. She closed her eyes and prepared to sleep. She suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Xiao Juan. ¡°There¡¯s still a war on the front line. Is it okay for you toe back suddenly?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± She asked again, ¡°Have you thought of a name for the baby?¡± Previously, he had thought of many names and felt unsatisfied. But just now, when he saw the quiet scene of Niaoniao sleeping with the baby, a name suddenly appeared in his heart. ¡°How about calling her Yining? Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Yining?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°It means mountains and rivers are peaceful with the blessings of the heavens!¡± Yu Niaoniao thought about it carefully and felt that Yining was a good name. ¡°Xiao Yining is not bad. I hope her arrival can really bring peace to the mountains and rivers and end this war as soon as possible.¡± Xiao Juan said warmly, ¡°Definitely.¡± Yu Niaoniao fiddled with the baby¡¯s fingers and smiled. ¡°Did you hear that? From now on, your name will be Xiao Yining.¡± The baby was in a daze. She gently kicked her short legs, as if telling her mother to stop fooling around and not disturb her sleep. Unknowingly, the family of three fell asleep again. At this moment, no one knew that an urgent secret letter had been sent to Marshal Chen. That night, a huge change happened in the Chen Nation¡¯s military camp. Right on the heels of that, they began to pack their luggage and retreat overnight. All of this happened too quickly. By the time Tang Guixi learned the news, the Chen Nation¡¯s army had already retreated more than 30 miles. Tang Guixi was at a loss, not understanding what the Chen Army was doing. Yesterday, the Chen Nation Army was clearly fighting the Eastern Expedition Army in full swing. Why had the Chen Nation Army disappeared in just a night? The deputy general was excited. ¡°General, the Chen Army has withdrawn. Does that mean that we won this battle? Are we going to guard Heng City in the future?¡± Tang Guixi raised her hand, indicating that he should not be happy too early. Something was wrong! She suspected that this might be a trap set up by the Chen Nation Army. For the sake of safety, she asked the entire army to hold back for the time being. In addition, she sent out another team of scouts to chase after the Chen Army. She wanted to see what the Chen Nation Army was up to. The scouts went for more than ten days. The Chen Nation Army did not return. Tang Guixi was still worried about Yu Niaoniao¡¯s safety. In any case, the Chen Nation soldiers had disappeared. No one would be able to fight for a while, so she took this opportunity to return to Heng City. After returning to the General¡¯s Mansion, she especially changed into clean clothes before running to visit Niaoniao and the baby. Unlike the red and wrinkled appearance when she had when she was first born, the baby had already be fair and tender, like a soft white dough. Her eyes were very simr to her mother¡¯s, round and sparkling. Tang Guixi liked her very much and asked expectantly. ¡°Can I hug her?¡± Yu Niaoniao handed over the child in her arms and patiently told her how to carry it. Tang Guixi carefully carried the baby over. Such a young child was soft and cute. Tang Guixi hugged the child lovingly. After a while, she returned the child to Niaoniao. ¡°Have you named this child?¡± Yu Niaoniao wiped the drool from the baby¡¯s mouth with a handkerchief and said, ¡°We shall call her Xiao Yining. Ah Juan gave her a name.¡± Tang Guixi repeated the name a few times and felt that it was not bad, so she asked again. ¡°What about nicknames? Do you have nicknames?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it yet. Why don¡¯t you give your goddaughter a nickname?¡± Tang Guixi had been waiting for this sentence! She rubbed her hands together, looking eager. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to think about it.¡¯ At this moment, Xiao Juan walked in with a letter in his hand. ¡°Tang Guixi, this is a letter just sent back by the scouts. They said that they have already found the whereabouts of the Chen Nation¡¯s soldiers.¡± Tang Guixi could only reluctantly look away from her goddaughter. She took the letter. Other than her, there were only Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan in the room. They were all on the same side, so there was nothing to avoid. She opened the letter in a few moves and unfolded it. Her expression immediately became very strange. When Yu Niaoniao saw her expression, she immediately thought of the emoji of Grandpa Metro looking at his cell phone and could not help but be curious. ¡°What did the letter say?¡± Tang Guixi handed the letter to her. ¡°See for yourself.¡± Yu Niaoniao put down the child and took the letter. Her expression became strange. Xiao Juan sat down by the bed and leaned over to read the letter. In the letter, the scout said that they chased in the direction the Chen Nation Army had retreated and realized that the Chen Nation Army was not pretending to retreat. Instead, they were really not prepared to fight anymore. The marshal of the Chen Nation gathered all the troops scattered across Liaodong County. They were in a hurry and rushed straight to the Chen Nation. It looked like they had really encountered something important. While retreating, the Chen Army did not forget to steal and plunder all the towns along the way. Just as Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan were thinking about what was going on, Tang Guixi suddenly pped her thigh and said excitedly. ¡°The Chen Nation Army ran away as soon as our little darling was born. This means that our little darling is a natural lucky star. In the future, her nickname will be Fubao (Lucky baby)!¡± Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan were stunned. They did not understand how this matter had anything to do with their precious daughter. These two clearly had nothing to do with each other. Yu Niaoniao could not help but say, ¡°This should just be a coincidence.¡± Tang Guixi said righteously, ¡°How can there be such a coincidence in the world? This is clearly the credit of our Little Fubao!¡± With that, she picked up the baby and kissed her. Xiao Yining was dumbfounded by the kiss. Her eyes were wide and she looked even cuter. Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°Fubao is fine, but there should be another reason why Chen Nation Army suddenly retreated. You should get someone to investigate again.¡± Tang Guixi did not care so much. She hugged Little Fubao and was overjoyed. ¡°Little Fubao is really too powerful. Xiao Yining opened her small mouth and smiled toothlessly. She waved her small ws twice. It was as if she was echoing his godmother¡¯s grand n. Yu Niaoniao held her forehead. She was suddenly a little worried about what the child would be when she grew up.. Chapter 656 - 656: Armistice Chapter 656: Armistice Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Since she knew that Niaoniao and her daughter were safe, Tang Guixi couldpletely rx. She asked Xiao Juan to stay in Heng City while she led her troops to chase after the retreating Chen Army. During the pursuit, Tang Guixi captured some Chen Nation soldiers. One of them happened to be an advisor under Marshal Chen. After some interrogation, the aide told the truth about the reason for their sudden decision to evacuate. The emperor of the Chen Nation was already old, but he had yet to appoint a crown prince. The princes fought to the death for the throne. Among them, the Ninth Prince, Han Chengxi, was the most likely to ascend. Back then, he had offered Princess Tao Ran to the emperor of the Chen Nation. After Princess Tao Ran entered the pce, she was doted on by the emperor of the Chen Nation. She even got pregnant and sessfully gave birth to a little prince, the sixteenth prince half a year ago. The emperor of the Chen Nation was extremely happy to have a son at an old age. He ignored the dissuasion of others and decreed that Princess Tao Ran would be conferred the title of Imperial Noble Consort. With the Imperial Noble Consort whispering pillow talk into the emperor¡¯s ear every day and putting in good words for the Ninth Prince, Han Chengxi, the emperor ended up having a good impression of Han Chengxi. Just as the emperor of the Chen Nation was about to issue a decree to make Han Chengxi the crown prince, the other princes could not take it anymore. The brothers joined forces to initiate a revolt and forced the emperor to kill Han Chengxi. Han Chengxi was not easy to deal with. He had already expected that his brothers would not give up their hopes of fighting for the throne easily. He had nted spies around the other princes in advance. Through the news sent back by his spies, Han Chengxi had long known that the other princes were preparing to initiate the revolt. He had set up an ambush in advance. When the princes barged into the pce with their troops and tried to threaten the emperor to kill the Ninth Prince, he rushed over with his troops to save him. In the chaotic battle, Han Chengxi pretended to be anxious to save people and ¡°identally¡± killed all the princes. Due to the shock, the emperor of the Chen Nation suffered a stroke and became a vegetable. A spectacr pce upheaval came to an end. Everyone thought that the final winner of this power game was the Ninth Prince, Han Chengxi. However, things were unpredictable. No one expected Han Chengxi to suddenly die in the pce three dayster. It was said that he had contracted an evil illness and died. No one knew the real reason. Right on the heels of that, the emperor of the Chen Nation issued a decree to make the Imperial Noble Consort the empress and the sixteenth prince she gave birth to was named the Crown Prince. Because the emperor of the Chen Nation was paralyzed in bed and could not move, only the empress could take care of him. All matters in the court had to be conveyed to the emperor of the Chen Nation through the empress. In other words, the actual person in charge of the Chen Nation¡¯s court was the empress. She was worried that someone in the Chen Nation would still want to harm the emperor, so she ordered someone to send a secret letter to the Marshal of the Chen Army and asked him to immediately withdraw his troops and stop fighting and retreat to the Chen Nation as soon as possible. And this was the real reason why the Chen Nation suddenly withdrew its army. Tang Guixi led the Eastern Expedition Army in pursuit. The Chen Nation Army was not in the mood to fight and ran quickly. In less than ten days, Tang Guixi chased the Chen Nation Army out of Liaodong County. At this point, the war that hadsted for more than a year came to an end. Tang Guixi cut off the g representing the Chen Nation Army on the city wall of Xingning City and solemnly inserted the g representing the Eastern Expedition Army. The bright red g fluttered in the wind, and the ¡°Tang¡± word on it was extremely eye-catching. Far away in Heng City, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan were very happy to know about this. Themoners ran around telling the news as they cried tears of joy. Coincidentally, it was Xiao Yining¡¯s full month. Xiao Juan waved his hand and set up a three-day banquet in the city to celebrate his precious daughter¡¯s full month. This made the already jubnt Heng City even livelier. Tang Guixi rushed forward and finally caught up to her goddaughter¡¯s one-month-old celebration. She took out a small and exquisite silver lock and put it around Xiao Yining¡¯s neck. ¡°This is my gift to Little Fubao.¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled and said, ¡°We¡¯ve made you spend money.¡± Tang Guixiughed. ¡°Little Fubao has brought us a great blessing. It¡¯s all thanks to her that our war with the Chen Nation stopped so quickly. What kind of expense is a small lock?¡± Yu Niaoniao said excitedly, ¡°Haven¡¯t you already figured it out? This has nothing to do with our Fubao. Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± No matter what she said, Tang Guixi was certain that this was thanks to Fubao. Later, for some reason, this saying spread. Word spread like wildfire. Themoners actually believed this. On New Year¡¯s Eve, Yu Niaoniao, Xiao Juan, Prince Min, and the others moved out of Heng City, preparing to shift to Xingning City with Tang Guixi. The citizens of Heng City reluctantly sent them out of the city gate. Many of them were shouting Little Fubao¡¯s name. ¡°Fubao must be well. It will bring more blessings to our Liaodong County in the future!¡± ¡°As long as Fubao is around, our Liaodong County will definitely be safe.¡± ¡°When Fubao grows up, she will definitely be an impressive figure like General Tang.¡± ¡°Fubao, Fubao! You must protect us!¡± In the carriage, Little Fubao was sleeping soundly in her mother¡¯s arms, unaware of everything outside the carriage. Yu Niaoniao looked out of the carriage window and saw that themoners were still following behind, unwilling to leave. They called out Fu Bao¡¯s name one after another. This made Yu Niaoniao sigh. ¡°Didn¡¯t I already get someone to exin it to everyone? The Chen Nation¡¯s sudden retreat has nothing to do with Fubao. Fubao is just an ordinary child. She¡¯s not as magical as everyone says.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I did exin, but themoners didn¡¯t believe me.¡± Seeing that Yu Niaoniao was very troubled, he exined softly, ¡°Actually, there¡¯s nothing bad about this. The war has just ended and there are still a lot of things to do. Many discedmoners are confused about the future and need spiritual sustenance at this moment. Tang Guixi specially attributed the credit to Fu Bao. She should have considered this. Themoners believe that Fu Bao can bring blessings. They feel that the heavens still care about them, so they have the confidence to rebuild their home.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°What I¡¯m worried about is that if everyone finds out in the future that Fu Bao is not as powerful as they expected, they will definitely be extremely disappointed. At that time, what will Fu Bao do?¡± Xiao Juan smiled gently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. After a long time, everyone will gradually return to their previous peaceful life. Everything will return to the right track, and they will gradually forget the saying of a lucky star.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°1 hope so.¡± Seeing that she was still frowning and looking worried, Xiao Juan could not help but ask, ¡°What else are you worried about?¡± Yu Niaoniao hesitated for a moment before saying the worry she had hidden in her heart. ¡°I¡¯m worried about the Chen Nation. Although they¡¯ve already retreated, don¡¯t forget that Princess Tao Ran has a deep grudge against us.. Now that she¡¯s be the empress of the Chen Nation, do you think she¡¯ll order another attack on Liaodong County to take revenge on us?¡± Chapter 657 - 657: Proposal Chapter 657: Proposal Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Actually, Xiao Juan had a simr worry. Based on his understanding of Princess Tao Ran, that woman was paranoid and would do anything unscrupulous to get what she wanted. When she was taken away by Han Chengxi, her heart was filled with hatred. Now that she had power, she might take the opportunity to take revenge. Xiao Juanforted her softly, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here. I won¡¯t let her hurt you and Fubao.¡± The convoy sessfully arrived at Xingning City. The Prince Min¡¯s Mansion and the General¡¯s Mansion in the city were still there, but all the valuable items inside had been looted. Now, only an empty shell was left. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan originally nned to buy a house in the city to live on their own, but this was strongly protested by Tang Guixi. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you want to move out, but Fubao can¡¯t leave. I want to live with my goddaughter.¡± With that, she hugged Little Fubao tightly in her arms and refused to let go. Seeing how clingy she was, Yu Niaoniao could not help but tease her, ¡°Fubao will grow up too. When she gets married in the future, she¡¯ll still move out.¡± Tang Guixi immediately said, ¡°No! Fubao is so cute. No young brat in the world is worthy of her!¡± Yu Niaoniao pretended to be surprised. ¡°Then are you nning to let Fu Bao be single for the rest of her life? In the future, when we¡¯re old and no longer around, Fubao will be lonely.¡± Tang Guixi looked conflicted. She couldn¡¯t bear to be separated from Fubao, but she didn¡¯t want her to live alone for the rest of his life. In her dilemma, she suddenly had an idea and blurted out, ¡°If I give birth to a son and let him marry Fu Bao, Fu Bao won¡¯t have to move out and will have someone to apany her. It¡¯s the best of both worlds!¡± Yu Niaoniao could not help butugh. ¡°You¡¯re not even married. How can you have a son?¡± Tang Guixi snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me. Isn¡¯t it just getting married? Just you wait. I¡¯ll get someone to send you a wedding invitation tomorrow.¡± With that, she put down Fu Bao and ran away. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan looked at each other, not understanding what Tang Guixi was doing. After Tang Guixi left the General¡¯s Mansion, she rode to Prince Min¡¯s Mansion. She grabbed Shen Xu¡¯spel as soon as she entered and said solemnly. ¡°Let¡¯s get married!¡± Prince Min, who was drinking tea, spat out a mouthful of tea and coughed violently as he held the table. Shen Xu was dumbfounded. He looked at Tang Guixi in a daze, wondering if he was dreaming. Did she actually say she wanted to marry him? Was that true? Had she drunk too much and was talking drunkenly? But she didn¡¯t look drunk. Tang Guixi grabbed him and shook him twice. ¡°Say something! Are you willing or not? Tell me.¡± Shen Xu stammered, ¡°This, this is too sudden. I¡¯m not prepared.. Tang Guixi interrupted him. ¡°Are you trying to reject me?¡± Shen Xu said, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡¯ Tang Guixi said, ¡°If you¡¯re unwilling, forget it. I¡¯ll ask someone else.¡± She let go of Shen Xu and prepared to turn around and leave. Shen Xu hurriedly grabbed her hand and shouted without thinking. ¡°I¡¯m willing! I¡¯m especially willing! I¡¯m ten thousand times willing!¡± Tang Guixi smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Very good. From now on, you¡¯re my husband.¡± Happiness came too suddenly. Shen Xu was in a daze. No matter what Tang Guixi said, he smiled foolishly and nodded. Prince Min could not stand it anymore and reminded her, ¡°It¡¯s my son¡¯s honor that General Tang likes him. I¡¯ll choose an auspicious dayter and personally go to propose marriage. At that time, we¡¯ll discuss the wedding date.¡± Logically speaking, the parents of both parties should arrange the wedding date. However, Tang Guixi¡¯s parents were no longer around, and there were no proper elders at home. Tang Guixi could only manage these things herself. Unexpectedly, Tang Guixi waved her hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need to go through so much trouble! The wedding date is set for tomorrow. I¡¯lle to your residence to pick him up tomorrow.¡± Prince Min thought he had misheard. Hic ?in Richali¡¯?f Tang Guixi said, ¡°I¡¯m just very anxious! The sooner I get married, the sooner I can give birth to a child. Time is tight. I have to be fast!¡± Hearing the word ¡°birth¡±, even the thick-skinned Shen Xu could not help but blush. He stammered, ¡°M-marriage is a big marriage. You can¡¯t be rash.¡± Tang Guixi looked at him seriously. ¡°Do I look rash and sloppy?¡± She really wanted to have a child quickly. Fu Bao was already one month old. Even if she got married now, it would take her at least a year to have a child. And she could not guarantee that her first child would be a son. If it wasn¡¯t a son, she would have to give birth again. All of this would take time! She could afford to wait, but Fubao could not! Shen Xu thought that she was unhappy and hurriedly exined, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to criticize you. I just think that marriage is a big deal and needs to be done step by step ording to the rules. Only then can I show my respect for you.¡± Prince Min nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, yes! Marriage can¡¯t be taken lightly.¡± Tang Guixi frowned. ¡°Why are you guys dawdling? Forget it, I¡¯ll find someone else to marry.¡± With that, she turned to leave. Shen Xu grabbed her hand tightly and roared at the top of his lungs, ¡°No! You can¡¯t find anyone else! Isn¡¯t it just getting married tomorrow? I¡¯ll do it!¡± Prince Min pped his forehead. It was over! The Prince¡¯s Mansion had not been tidied up yet. It was a mess everywhere. How could they hold a wedding? Tang Guixi was satisfied. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow. Pack your luggage today.¡± Prince Min was puzzled and could not help but ask. ¡°Guixi, are you mistaken? You¡¯re the woman. Shouldn¡¯t we pick you up from the General¡¯s Mansion? You should be the one packing your luggage now, right?¡± Unexpectedly, Tang Guixi said matter-of-factly, ¡°After Shen Xu and I get married, Shen Xu will move to the General¡¯s Mansion to live with me. If Prince Min feels lonely, he can also move to the General¡¯s Mansion to live with us. Anyway, the General¡¯s Mansion is big enough to amodate us.¡± Prince Min immediately objected. ¡°No! Aren¡¯t you just asking Xu to live in? I don¡¯t agree!¡± No matter how useless his son was, he could not be a live-in son-inw. Tang Guixi scratched her head, looking very troubled. ¡°How troublesome. ¡± Prince Min wanted to persuade her to change her mind, but before he could say anything, he saw Tang Guixi sigh helplessly, ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do about that. I¡¯ll have to get married to someone else. I¡¯m sorry to disturb you.¡± With that, she forcefully broke free from Shen Xu¡¯s hand, turned around, and strode out. Shen Xu was immediately anxious. He shouted, ¡°Tang Guixi, don¡¯t go! I won¡¯t allow you to find anyone else! I can move to the General¡¯s Mansion to live with you. I¡¯ll listen to you!¡± Tang Guixi stopped and looked back at him. ¡°Really?¡± Shen Xu nodded vigorously. ¡°Really!¡± Prince Min was furious. He hit his son in disappointment. ¡°Why did I give birth to a worthless bastard like you!¡± Chapter 658 - 658: Sense of Ritual Chapter 658: Sense of Ritual Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan looked at the big red wedding invitation in front of them and were stunned. Previously, when Tang Guixi said she was getting married the next day, Yu Niaoniao thought that she was joking. She did not expect her to be serious. In such a short time, she had even made a wedding invitation. Yu Niaoniao could not help but admire her. ¡°As expected of a great general. You¡¯re so efficient.¡± Tang Guixi crossed her arms and was very proud. ¡°Of course!¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°You¡¯re getting married tomorrow, but you and Shen Xu haven¡¯t made your wedding clothes or prepared the ingredients needed for the banquet. Are you sure you can make it?¡± Tang Guixi waved her hand. ¡°These are all small matters. It doesn¡¯t matter if there¡¯s a wedding gown. I¡¯ll just wear a red shirt. There¡¯s even less of a need for a banquet. I n to set up a table at home and let the few of us sit together for a meal.¡± Even someone as carefree as Yu Niaoniao could not stand it anymore. ¡°Marriage is a big deal. You¡¯re too sloppy.¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Shen Xu and I are not the kind of people who care about such a small matter. As long as the two of us can live well, isn¡¯t it better than anything?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Although that¡¯s the case, you still have to have the necessary ritual. When you¡¯re old in the future, this will be an important memory.¡± Tang Guixi stroked her chin thoughtfully. ¡°You have a point. Alright, I¡¯ll prepare now.¡± With that, she ran away again. Yu Niaoniao watched her leave. For some reason, she had a bad feeling. ¡°Ah Juan, will Guixi mess things up? Xiao Juan patted her shoulder andforted her silently. Although Tang Guixi expressed that she wanted everything to be simple, it was still a wedding. Yu Niaoniao was still worried. She specially got someone to buy arge number of rednterns and red satin and decorated the General¡¯s Mansion overnight. She also bought the necessary dragon and phoenix candles, fruits, and snacks. Only the wedding dress was more troublesome. It would definitely be toote to make it now. Yu Niaoniao could only get someone to buy a ready-made red dress from the ready-made clothes shop and ask Granny Xiu Yan for help. She embroidered the hem of the dress with the pattern of a dragon and phoenix. The night passed quickly. Yu Niaoniao looked at Tang Guixi in the red wedding dress and realized that the dress length was still a little short. However, Tang Guixi was very satisfied. ¡°That¡¯s good. If it¡¯s too long, I can¡¯t move.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. ¡°You¡¯re getting married, not fighting a war. There¡¯s no need for you to move around. You just have to sit quietly in the carriage.¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°That won¡¯t do. I¡¯m going to ride to pick Shen Xu upter.¡± Yu Niaoniao was in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re riding a horse dressed like that?¡± Tang Guixi asked, ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡± Yu Niaoniao was furious. ¡°Of course not! Who wears a red wedding dress to ride a horse? That¡¯s too ugly!¡± ¡°I see. Then I¡¯d better change.¡± With that, Tang Guixi began to undress. Yu Niaoniao quickly stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t change! It wasn¡¯t easy to put it on. If you take it off, won¡¯t it be a waste of effort? Besides, we only prepared this wedding dress. If you take it off, what are you going to wear to get marriedter?¡± Tang Guixi was very innocent. ¡°You were the one who said that riding a horse like this is too ugly.¡± Yu Niaoniao held her forehead in pain. ¡°Forget it, forget it. Just pretend I didn¡¯t say anything. Stop fussing and wear it like this.¡± Tang Guixi was very happy. ¡°Then I¡¯ll pick him up now.¡± Yu Niaoniao quickly stopped her. ¡°Wait, your hair isn¡¯tbed yet!¡± Tang Guixi touched her bun. ¡°Isn¡¯t it alreadybed?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just wearing a bun. You¡¯re not wearing a hair essory.¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her hand and pointed, looking very imposing. ¡°Go sit there. Hurry!¡± Tang Guixi could only sit obediently beside the dressing table. Originally, the bride should wear a phoenix crown, but Yu Niaoniao really could not find a suitable phoenix crown for the time being, so she could only rece it with a peacock golden hairpin and a hibiscus flower. Tang Guixi felt her head sink. She could not help but turn to look at Yu Niaoniao and ask pitifully. ¡°Do I have to wear so many things?¡± Yu Niaoniao pinched her chin and forcefully turned her face back. ¡°Yes!¡± Granny Xiu Yan walked in with a tray. ¡°It¡¯s still early. Eat something to fill your stomachs.¡± Yu Niaoniao and Tang Guixi happened to be hungry. They thanked Granny Xiu Yan and picked up the pastries to eat. Granny Xiu Yan looked at Tang Guixi and smiled. ¡°General Tang is so beautiful today.¡± Tang Guixi chuckled. ¡°Thanks to these clothes and essories you prepared for me.¡± However, Tang Guixi¡¯s situation was too special, so Yu Niaoniao and Granny Xiu Yan did not mention these words. They only reminded Tang Guixi to drink less water in case she had to go to the toilet during the weddingter. Tang Guixi not only thought of something, but she suddenly said. ¡°By the way, remember to help prepare some raw glutinous rice balls.¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°Why do you want to raw glutinous rice balls?¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°For me to eat. When we enter the bridal chamberter, bring me the raw glutinous rice balls and ask me if they are raw (where I want to give birth). I¡¯ll say yes. Isn¡¯t this the custom for wedding nights?¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. ¡°Where did you hear all this strange customs?¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°It¡¯s in the books.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You can¡¯t take what¡¯s in the book seriously!¡± Tang Guixi was very disappointed. ¡°I see¡­¡± Granny Xiu Yan smiled and said, ¡°Since General Tang wants it, I¡¯ll prepare some raw glutinous rice ballster.¡± Tang Guixi immediately became happy again. ¡°Thank you, Granny!¡± Yu Niaoniao sighed. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what to do with you. Hurry up and do your makeup.¡± Tang Guixi finished thest pastry and sat down obediently. She did not forget to remind her, ¡°Don¡¯t put too much makeup on me. I don¡¯t like heavy makeup.¡± Yu Niaoniao replied, ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I understand.¡± Tang Guixi had rtively healthy honey-colored skin which Yu Niaoniao found to be quite good-looking. In addition, her skin was smooth and there were no ws to cover. Yu Niaoniao did not apply powder for her and only applied a thinyer of rouge to her. Then, she traced her eyebrows and applied red lip gloss. However, this made it seem like there were too many decorations on Tang Guixi¡¯s head. Yu Niaoniao simply helped her take off the hibiscus flower and those extra hair essories, leaving only the peacock golden hairpin and golden bead hairpin for her. This entuated Tang Guixi¡¯s facial advantage. Tang Guixi herself felt that this was easier. Coincidentally, it was almost time. Tang Guixi stood up and prepared to go out to pick her husband up.. Chapter 659 - 659: Marriage Chapter 659: Marriage Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Before leaving, Tang Guixi was worried that the embroidered shoes on her feet would not be easy to ride in, so she temporarily changed them to boots. When Yu Niaoniao sent Tang Guixi out of the General¡¯s Mansion, she saw arge group of ck heads. Looking closely, weren¡¯t these the soldiers of the Eastern Expedition Army? They were dressed in armor and stood upright. Their aura was fierce, as if they could go into battle in the next moment. Yu Niaoniao was shocked. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is there going to be another battle?¡± Tang Guixi exined, ¡°There¡¯s no battle. These soldiers are apanying me to Prince Min¡¯s Mansion to pick up the groom.¡± Yu Niaoniao was dumbfounded. ¡°You¡¯re bringing the Eastern Expedition Army to pick up the groom?¡± With their formation, those who were in the know would know that they were going to pick up the bridegroom. Those who did not know would think that they were going to bathe in blood to kill the enemy. It was simply out of character! Tang Guixi was very proud. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that a wedding needs a sense of ceremony? Look, the soldiers of the three armies are apanying me to pick up the groom. No one¡¯s wedding can be more ceremonial than ours, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao held her forehead. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean by a sense of ceremony.¡± Tang Guixi was puzzled. ¡°Then what do you mean?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not know how to exin. She felt deeply powerless. Xiao Juan reminded them, ¡°Leave quickly. Don¡¯t miss the auspicious time.¡± Yu Niaoniao waved at Tang Guixi. What Tang Guixi didn¡¯t know couldn¡¯t hurt her. ¡°That¡¯s it. Go, go. Go get your groom.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Tang Guixi walked down the steps with her head held high. Granny Xiu Yan suddenly shouted, ¡°Wait, I haven¡¯t put on the red veil!¡± She wanted to put the red veil on Tang Guixi. Tang Guixi was unwilling. ¡°You can¡¯t ride with this. Forget it.¡± With that, she walked to the horse. She thought her dress was in the way and lifted it up and tucked it into her belt, revealing the red silk pants underneath. What was revealed was her out-of-ce ck boots. Yu Niaoniao, who had witnessed this scene, was speechless. She covered her eyes. She couldn¡¯t stand it. Tang Guixi raised her arms and shouted, ¡°Boys of the Eastern Expedition Army, follow me to pick up the groom!¡± The soldiers of the Eastern Expedition Army shouted in unison, ¡°Okay! !!¡± Their loud voices shot into the sky and resounded throughout Xingning City. Yu Niaoniao looked at the mighty Eastern Expedition Army and could only pray for Shen Xu in her heart, hoping that he would not be frightened by this scene. When the citizens in the city saw the Eastern Expedition Army appear, they were shocked. Like Yu Niaoniao, their first reaction was to think that there was going to be another war. After asking around, they found out that today was the day of General Tang¡¯s marriage. The Eastern Expedition Army was going to pick up the bridegroom. Manymoners followed behind the Eastern Expedition Army, nning to watch themotion. The mighty team passed through several streets and finally stopped in front of Prince Min¡¯s Mansion. When Prince Min heard that the bridal escort team had arrived, he hurriedly ran out to wee them. In the end, as soon as he went out, he was shocked by the majestic Eastern Expedition Army. He held the door frame and asked nervously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there going to be another war?¡± Tang Guixi dismounted and casually pulled out her skirt. She raised her hand and bowed to Prince Min. ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s no war. We¡¯re here to pick up the groom.¡± Prince Min heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯m d there¡¯s no war.¡± He stood up straight and wanted to say something to admonish his daughter-inw, such as abiding by the rules of a woman and helping her husband and children, but when he saw the murderous Eastern Expedition Army behind her, he swallowed the words. ¡°Forget it, forget it. Let¡¯s not talk about this nonsense.¡± Anyway, she wouldn¡¯t listen. Prince Min cleared his throat and spoke seriously, ¡°General Tang, please sit inside.¡± Tang Guixi waved her hand. ¡°No need. We¡¯ll leave after taking the groom. Also, you¡¯re an elder. Just call me by my name in the future.¡± Prince Min stammered, ¡°T-then alright.¡± After a while, Shen Xu walked out. He was wearing a bright red round-necked brocade robe today. He had a golden crown on his head and a jade belt at his waist. He walked with his head held high, his eyes bright, and he looked high-spirited. Shen Xu was stunned when he saw Tang Guixi and blurted out a question, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use a fan or put on a veil?¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to ride with that thing.¡± Shen Xu looked behind her and realized that she had note in a bridal sedan but on horseback. How should he put it? It was as expected of his wife. Even her wedding style was exceptionally different. However, Shen Xu was still a little disappointed. ¡°If there¡¯s no veil, I won¡¯t be able to lift it for youter.¡± In the end, itcked the joy of marriage. Tang Guixi said casually, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal! When we return to the General¡¯s Mansion, I¡¯ll get someone to bring a veil over.¡± Shen Xu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Prince Min, who was listening to their conversation, was speechless. ¡°The bride wore a red veil to express her shyness. Why did it change when it came to you? You could actually put the veil on during the wedding. The two of you are smart enough to think of such a smart move. It¡¯s simply unprecedented!¡± Prince Min suppressed his stomach full ofints and forced a smile. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Leave.¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°Come with us.¡± Prince Min was puzzled. ¡°Why?¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°We still have to serve you tea during the weddingter.¡± Prince Min was very surprised. He had always thought that Shen Xu had married into the family. ording to the rules, he could not follow his daughter-inw to her house, let alone be served tea. Prince Min suppressed the excitement in his heart and asked, ¡°Why are you still serving me tea?¡± Tang Guixi said matter of factly. ¡°My parents are no longer around, and Ah Xu¡¯s mother has long passed away. Now that you¡¯re the only elder between the two of us, who else can we serve tea to if not you? Let¡¯s go. Niaoniao and the others are still waiting for us.¡± Prince Min replied forcefully, ¡°Okay!¡± Then he said, ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯ll get something. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± With that, he quickly ran into the prince¡¯s residence. Shen Xu shouted at him, ¡°Just get someone else to get it. Why do you have to get it yourself?¡± Prince Min did not turn around and ignore him. In the blink of an eye, he had disappeared. It took a while to see Prince Min run back. Dantinz. He was carrying something in his arms. Shen Xu recognized it at a nce and blurted out, ¡°Isn¡¯t this Mother¡¯s memorial tablet?¡± Prince Min hugged the memorial tablet like a baby and smiled. ¡°Today is your wedding day. You have to let your mother witness it.¡± Then, he looked at Tang Guixi and asked nervously, ¡°Is this okay?¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°Of course! ¡± The firecrackers at the entrance of the Prince¡¯s Mansion were lit. Amidst the crackling sounds, the bridal escort team changed direction and returned majestically. By the time they reached the General¡¯s Mansion, everything was ready. Tang Guixi and Shen Xu walked into the General¡¯s Mansion under the blessings of everyone. Prince Min was invited to the main seat. He carefully ced his wife¡¯s memorial tablet on the table beside him. There were also two memorial tablets on the table. They belonged to Tang Guixi¡¯s father and mother.. Chapter 660 - 660: Have a Child Soon Chapter 660: Have a Child Soon Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Before the wedding, Tang Guixi expressed her desire for a red veil. Granny Xiu Yan quickly took out the red veil again. As she put the red veil on Tang Guixi, she smiled and said, ¡°That makes her look more like a bride.¡± The witness today was an old general in the Eastern Expedition Army. Although he was old, his voice was very loud. ¡°Bow to the heavens and the earth!¡± Tang Guixi and Shen Xu knelt down at the door and kowtowed. ¡°Second bow!¡± After Shen Xu got up, he wanted to reach out to help Tang Guixi, but she had already stood up deftly. The red veil and long dress did not affect her movements at all. The two of them turned around and knelt down to kowtow to Prince Min. Prince Min went forward and helped the two of them up. He casually took out an exquisite pouch and opened it. He poured out a red jade bracelet. He handed the bracelet to Tang Guixi. ¡°This is the dowry of Ah Xu¡¯s mother when she was alive. She once said that she wanted to leave this to her future daughter-inw. Now that I¡¯m giving it to you, I hope you and Ah Xu can grow old together and have children early.¡± Tang Guixi took the bracelet solemnly, then took the teacup from Granny Xiu Yan and offered it with both hands. ¡°Father, please have tea.¡± Prince Min took the teacup and took a sip. He had drunk many top-grade teas in his life, but none of them tasted as good as the cup of tea in his hand. He smiled until his teeth were visible. ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Prince Min then looked at Shen Xu and instructed seriously. ¡°You¡¯ll be an adult after you get married. An adult should act like an adult. You have to bear the responsibility of being a husband.¡± Shen Xu nodded and replied, ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. I will.¡± Next was the nuptial bow between husband and wife. They faced each other, knelt, and bowed. With that, the ceremony wasplete. Amidstughter, the couple was sent to the bridal chamber. When Tang Guixi sat on the bed, she felt something under her butt. She reached under the nket and found a handful of cinnamon and peanuts. Granny Xiu Yan exined, ¡°These express well-wishes for a child. It¡¯s a good sign. ¡± Tang Guixi liked to hear things like having children early. She happily stuffed the peanuts and cinnamon back in. Shen Xu went forward and lifted the red veil. Tang Guixi looked up and smiled at him. Although he had already seen her outfit today, Shen Xu could not help but be stunned. It was not until Yu Niaoniao reminded them that it was time to do the bridal toast that Shen Xu came back to his senses. They picked up their sses, inteced their arms, and raised their heads to finish their wine. Shen Xu thought that it was done, but he did not expect Granny Xiu Yan to bring over two bowls of glutinous rice balls at this moment. ¡°The bride and groom will now have glutinous rice balls. Your life will be beautiful and reunited in the future.¡± Tang Guixi picked up the bowl happily and scooped a glutinous rice ball into her mouth. Seeing this, Shen Xu also picked up his bowl and ate. In the end, he had just taken a bite when he spat out the glutinous rice ball. ¡°Why is this raw? Granny Xiu Yan asked with a smile, ¡°Is it raw (Do you want to give birth?)?¡± Tang Guixi and Shen Xu said in unison, ¡°Yes!¡± The difference was that Tang Guixi was smiling happily when she said this, but Shen Xu frowned in confusion. Granny Xiu Yan deliberately asked again, ¡°Are you really giving birth?¡± Tang Guixi said impatiently, ¡°Yes! Definitely!¡± Granny Xiu Yan smiled and said, ¡°Then I wish the two of you a child soon.¡± It was not until this moment that Shen Xu connected the meaning of giving birth to glutinous rice balls. He could not help but be caught betweenughter and tears. After the bridal ceremony, the unrted people left, leaving Tang Guixi and Shen Xu alone in the room. Shen Xu could not help but feel a little nervous. He was brewing emotions in his heart, wanting to say something gentle and sweet to create the atmosphere that should pervade their wedding night. Unexpectedly, before he could brew it, Tang Guixi began to undress. She urged him as she took it off. ¡°Why are you still sitting there stupidly? Take it off. Everyone says that a moment of passion is worth a thousand gold. We have to hurry up and get down to business!¡± Shen Xu was stunned. Why was she even more anxious than him? Tang Guixi took off her undergarment and silk pants in a few moves. Seeing that Shen Xu was still not moving, she pushed him onto the bed and reached for his belt. ¡°You¡¯re really slow. Let me help you take it off.¡± Shen Xu hurriedly pressed down on his clothes and stammered, ¡°W-Wait a minute! Don¡¯t be in such a hurry!¡± Tang Guixi stopped and frowned at him. ¡°Are you unwilling to consummate your marriage with me?¡± Shen Xu hurriedly denied it. ¡°No! I really want to consummate our marriage, but¡­ Tang Guixi interrupted him. ¡°There¡¯s no but. As long as you¡¯re willing.¡± With that, she continued to pull Shen Xu¡¯s clothes. Shen Xu was not as strong as her. He could not resist and was quickly stripped down to his thin inner clothes. His face flushed, but he pretended to be calm. He was a dignified man. He could not be inferior at a time like this. Shen Xu wanted to make things right for himself. ¡°Do you know how to consummate the marriage?¡± He thought that Tang Guixi would be embarrassed, but he did not expect her to reach under her pillow and take out two books. She smiled proudly. ¡°Of course, I know how to consummate the marriage. It¡¯s all clear in these books.¡± Shen Xu picked up the two books and took a look. They were both booklets of female demons and male schrs falling in love at first sight and having sex. The process of the protagonists having sex was described in detail in these booklets. There was even a considerate illustration beside them. It could be said to be abination of pictures and text, simple and easy to understand. Shen Xu could not help but ask, ¡°Where did you get these notebooks?¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°Of course, I paid for them. In the past, Niaoniao and I often collected all kinds of novels to read. I even hid many good things. If you¡¯re interested, I can lend them to youter.¡± Shen Xu blushed and denied, ¡°I¡¯m not interested!¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s not talk about this. Let¡¯s get down to business.¡± With that, Tang Guixi strode forward and sat on Shen Xu. Shen Xu wanted to say something else, but Tang Guixi grabbed his hand and ced it on her chest. Shen Xu was speechless. Shen Xu¡¯s face turned red. He tried to withdraw his hand, but it wouldn¡¯t obey him. Tang Guixi leaned forward and bit his lips. ¡°Hurry up. Don¡¯t waste time.¡± At a time like this, no man could tolerate it. Therefore, it was normal for Shen Xu to not be able to help it. He tore off the ribbon and the bed curtain fell, covering their bodies in each other¡¯s arms. The dragon and phoenix pearls on the table were still burning quietly. The candlelight shone on the bed curtain, and their figures kept swaying. During this period, someone messed up the nket, and the peanuts and cinnamon balls pressed under it rolled down. They didn¡¯t stop until midnight. Her body was sweaty and ufortable, so Shen Xu let his wife continue sleeping. He put on his clothes and got out of bed, nning to get someone to get some hot water. Unexpectedly, he stepped on a peanut and lost his bnce, falling backward. When hended, the back of his waist was on the footstool. He immediately grimaced in pain.. Chapter 661 - 661: Imperial Edict Chapter 661: Imperial Edict Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The next morning, Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan went to the dining hall for breakfast as usual. Soon, Tang Guixi arrived. Tang Guixi was wearing a simple apricot-colored dress and no makeup. There were only two simple silver hairpins on her head. Other than the red jade bracelet on her wrist, she had no other essories. She strode to the table and sat down. Her face was rosy and lustrous, and she was in a good mood with a smile on her lips. She looked like she should have had a happy wedding nightst night. Yu Niaoniao was about to ask where Shen Xu was when she saw him limp in with his hand on his lower back. He frowned and looked pained. He looked ufortable. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s gaze darted back and forth between Shen Xu and Tang Guixi. She could not help but make a bold guess¡ª Could it be that Tang Guixi¡¯s performancest night was too brave and squeezed Shen Xu dry, causing him to be like this? Tang Guixi noticed Yu Niaoniao¡¯s gaze and could not help but ask. ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± Yu Niaoniao ced one hand on the table and leaned over with her upper body. She lowered her voice and reminded him. ¡°Shen Xu¡¯s body is weak. Take it easy. Don¡¯t scare him away.¡± Tang Guixi nodded. ¡°He¡¯s quite weak. I¡¯ll get the kitchen to stew some chicken soup for himter.¡± Yu Niaoniao nced at Shen Xu¡¯s hand on the back of his waist and said meaningfully, ¡°I¡¯m afraid chicken soup alone is not enough. I think we can get some other supplements.¡± Tang Guixi asked humbly, ¡°What supplement do you think is better?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I think anything that can strengthen the Yang and nourish the kidneys should be fine.¡± A question mark slowly appeared above Tang Guixi¡¯s head. ¡°Enhancing Yang and nourishing the kidneys?¡± Shen Xu, who had heard their conversation, was speechless. He gritted his teeth hard. ¡°My kidneys are very good. I don¡¯t need nourishment!¡± Yu Niaoniao was very surprised. ¡°You heard everything?¡± Shen Xu said, ¡°I¡¯m not deaf!¡± Yu Niaoniao chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was just saying. Don¡¯t take it to heart. Come,e, let¡¯s eat!¡± The more she tried to gloss over it, the angrier Shen Xu became. ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me. I¡¯m serious. I don¡¯t need to nourish my kidneys! The reason I held my waist was because I identally fellst night and happened to fall where my waist was.¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, I understand.¡± Shen Xu said, ¡°Be serious!¡± Yu Niaoniao blinked innocently. ¡°I¡¯m very serious.¡± Shen Xu was speechless. Ahhh, he was so angry! He turned to look at Tang Guixi. ¡°You can help me prove that I¡¯m telling the truth, right?¡± Tang Guixi had a meat bun in her mouth and was reaching for the porridge. When she heard this, she nodded and made a muffled sound in her throat. ¡°Yes, yes, it¡¯s true.¡± only tnen did snen Xu reel better. He said to Yu Niaoniao as if he was showing off his might. ¡°Did you hear what Guixi said?¡± Yu Niaoniao replied casually, ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Then, she said to Xiao Juan, ¡°Help me roll a spring pancake. Put more vegetables and less sauce.¡± Xiao Juan agreed and skillfully rolled a spring pancake before handing it to Niaoniao. Niaoniao took a big bite and smiled happily. Seeing this, Shen Xu was not to be outdone. He also rolled up arge spring pancake and handed it to Tang Guixi. ¡°Wife, eat.¡± Xiao Juan was not the only one in this world who knew how to dote on his wife. He knew how to do so too! Tang Guixi had just finished eating the meat bun and was about to eat porridge. When she heard this, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll roll it up myself if I want to eat it. You can eat it yourself.¡± Shen Xu looked straight at her and stubbornly refused to put down the spring pancake. Tang Guixi could see a pitiful expression on his face. She sighed and resigned herself to it. Forget it. After all, he was her man. It did not matter if she doted on him a little. Hence, Tang Guixi revealed a doting expression and took the spring pancake. ¡°Thank you, Xu. ¡± Shen Xu was speechless. Why did he feel like their roles had been reversed? After breakfast, Tang Guixi ran to see her precious goddaughter. As the new godfather, Shen Xu naturally had to follow. Granny Xiu Yan found a nanny for Xiao Yining, but most of the time, Yu Niaoniao was still breastfeeding the child herself. At this moment, Granny Xiu Yan and the nanny were ying with Xiao Yining. When they saw Yu Niaoniao and the others arrive, they immediately went forward to greet them. Tang Guixi picked Xiao Yining up from the cradle and kissed her fair and tender face. ¡°My little Fubao, godmother is here to see you. Are you happy? Xiao Yining waved her short arms and smiled. Her eyebrows looked like Yu Niaoniao¡¯s to begin with. When she smiled, they looked even more simr. Tang Guixi eximed exaggeratedly, ¡°Wow, wow! Little Fubao is smiling. Looks like Little Fubao is very happy!¡± She carried Xiao Yining to Shen Xu and introduced him seriously. ¡°Little Fubao, do you see that? This is your godfather. He¡¯ll love you well with me in the future.¡± This was not the first time Shen Xu had seen Xiao Yining, but it was the first time he had seen her as her godfather. He took out a small purse from his sleeve. Inside the purse was a pair of silver bracelets specially made for children. The workmanship was very exquisite and small. ¡°Come, this is a greeting gift from Godfather to Little Fubao.¡± Yu Niaoniao epted the greeting gift for Xiao Yining. In order to express his gratitude, Xiao Yining spat arge saliva bubble at Shen xu. Granny Xiu Yan quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe Xiao Yining¡¯s mouth. Tang Guixi looked at her precious goddaughter and liked her more and more. She could not let such a cute goddaughter end up with outsiders. She and Shen Xu had to work harder and strive to have a son as soon as possible so that he could marry Little Fubao in the future. A group of people surrounded Little Fubao and teased her. As they chatted andughed, a general knocked on the door. He stood at the door and said respectfully, ¡°General Tang, there¡¯s an imperial edict from the Imperial Capital.¡± Everyone in the room was stunned. Tang Guixi¡¯s smile gradually disappeared. It was definitely not a good thing to receive an imperial edict at this time. She returned Little Fu Bao to Yu Niaoniao and asked, ¡°Where is he?¡± The general answered truthfully, ¡°He¡¯s waiting in the front hall.¡± Tang Guixi strode out, followed by Shen Xu. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan looked at each other and decided to follow and take a look. They handed the child to Granny Xiu Yan and quickly followed. When they arrived at the front hall, they realized that the person escorting the imperial edict was actually an acquaintance. It was the Vice General of the Sky Wolf Guards, Wei Liao, whom they had not seen for a long time. Wei Liao was sitting and drinking tea. When he saw them arrive, he slowly put down his teacup and stood up with a smile. ¡°Duke Lang, Princess Consort, long time no see. How have you been?¡± Yu Niaoniao could not help but ask, ¡°Why is it you?¡± Wei Liao asked, ¡°Why can¡¯t it be me?¡± Yu Niaoniao was silent. She had thought that she would never see Wei Liao again after they parted in the Imperial Capital. She did not expect to see him again. Wei Liao¡¯s gaze lingered on her face. She didn¡¯t look much different from before, but if one looked closely, one would notice that she had changed a lot. Come to think of it, after all, she¡¯d been through, anyone would have changed. Tang Guixi asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there was an Imperial Edict?¡± Wei Liao took out an imperial edict from his sleeve. ¡°The Imperial Edict is here. County Lord Xiangtai, please ept it..¡± Chapter 662 - 662: Resistance Chapter 662: Resistance Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios When the previous emperor was still alive, he conferred Tang Guixi as the County Lord and divided Xiangtai into her fief. Ever since the war with the Chen Nation, everyone had called Tang Guixi General Tang. It had been a long time since she had heard the title of County Lord Xiangtai. At this moment, Wei Liao called her County Lord Xiangtai to remind her not to forget her original identity. After Wei Liao finished speaking, he waited for Tang Guixi to kneel and listen to the decree. In the end, Tang Guixi had no intention of kneeling at all. She extended her right hand, her expression normal. ¡°Give it to me.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°That¡¯s against the rules.¡± Wei Liao looked at her steadily for a moment. Just as Yu Niaoniao thought that they would fall out, Wei Liao suddenly smiled. ¡°Alright, since County Lord has said so, we¡¯ll do as you say.¡± He handed over the Imperial Edict. Tang Guixi took the Imperial Edict with one hand and unfolded it on the spot, reading everything at a nce. There were many words written in the imperial edict, most of which were useless nonsense. In the end, there were three points¡ª First, the emperor was grateful that Tang Guixi had led troops to defeat the Chen Nation Army and rewarded her with two thousand taels of gold. She was conferred the title of princess and asked to return to the capital as soon as possible for the reward. Secondly, she was a woman after all, so it was not appropriate for her to wield military power. The Imperial Court would send someone to take over the Eastern Expedition Army and Liaodong County and ask her to prepare for the handover in advance. Third, Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao were wanted criminals by the Imperial Court. Tang Guixi should have been severely punished for hiding fugitives, but on ount of Tang Guixi¡¯s contribution in leading troops to stop the enemy, the emperor could let bygones be bygones as long as she could send the two fugitives to the Imperial Court. Wei Liao clearly already knew the contents of the Imperial Edict. He cupped his fists and said politely. ¡°Congrattions, County Lord. You¡¯re going to be a princess soon. When you reach the Imperial Capital, the emperor will reward you even more.¡± ¡°From now on, you will enjoy all the glory and no longer have to take the risk to fight on the battlefield. If Old General Tang was still alive, he would definitely be relieved for you.¡± Unexpectedly, Tang Guixi casually threw the Imperial Edict at Wei Liao¡¯s feet. ¡°I appreciate the emperor¡¯s kindness, but I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m already used to living in Liaodong County and don¡¯t n to move. Please go back with the Imperial Edict and don¡¯te again.¡± Wei Liao couldn¡¯t help but frown and remind her in a low voice, ¡°County Lord, this is an Imperial Edict. Resisting it is a capital crime!¡± Tang Guixi seemed to havee back to her senses and said in realization, ¡°That¡¯s right. As a subject, you can¡¯t disobey the emperor¡¯s decree.¡± Wei Liao bent down and picked up the Imperial Edict. He brushed off the dust on it and offered it again with both hands. ¡°Since County Lord knows, please do as I say.¡± Tang Guixi smiled. ¡°Then I won¡¯t be a subject.¡± Wei Liao was stunned. ¡°What did you say? Tang Guixi took a step forward and enunciated each word. ¡°Back then, Shen Zhuo took the initiative to give up the Eastern Expedition Army and Liaodong County. Now, he wants to take them back with an Imperial Edict? Dream on. Go back and tell him that since he has already decided to give them up, don¡¯t think about taking them back. From now on, Liaodong County is my territory. I have the final say here.¡± Wei Liao¡¯s expression turned ugly. ¡°You want to rebel?¡± Tang Guixi imitated Yu Niaoniao and spread her hands. ¡°If you insist on thinking that way, there¡¯s nothing I can do. Wei Liao had already expected that this trip would not go smoothly, but he did not expect Tang Guixi to be so unyielding. Not only did she resist the decree, but she also wanted to rebel. Wei Liao continued to pressure her. ¡°You have to think carefully. Even if you have the military power of the Eastern Expedition Army, you only have slightly more than 100,000 troops left. If the Imperial Court wants to send troops to suppress you, can you really withstand Not onlv was Tang Guixi not afraid. but she also smiled confidentlv. ¡°Then fight. Let¡¯s see who wins in the end.¡± Her attitude made it clear that she would not look back. It was useless to say anything else. Wei Liao put away the Imperial Edict and prepared for the worst. ¡°County Lord probably won¡¯t let me return to the Imperial Capital alive if she tells me such an important thing.¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. You let Niaoniao and Xiao Juan off previously. They owe you a favor. I won¡¯t kill you today. Treat it as repaying you on their behalf. Leave. Go back and tell Shen Zhuo on my behalf that Liaodong County won¡¯t be under Dayan¡¯s control in the future.¡± At this point, she paused. Since Liaodong County had already been separated from the Dayan, it could no longer be called a county. She turned to look at Yu Niaoniao and asked, ¡°Let¡¯s change the name of Liaodong County. What do you think it should be called?¡± Yu Niaoniao recalled the red g fluttering on the city wall. On the g was the word ¡°Tang¡±. ¡°The word Tang is very good. Our ce is on the east side of the Dayan. Let¡¯s call it East Tang.¡± Tang Guixi¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s call it Eastern Tang!¡± Then, she looked at Wei Liao again. ¡°Did you hear that? In the future, this ce will no longer be Liaodong County, but the Eastern Tang Empire. It¡¯s my territory.¡± Wei Liao was dumbfounded At this moment, his emotions were veryplicated. He did not know if he should be angry at Tang Guixi¡¯s rebellion orin about their childish naming method. Tang Guixi sat on the main seat and raised her right hand. ¡°Lord Wei, please leave.¡± Wei Liao knew that he couldn¡¯t stay here for long. But he didn¡¯t move. He looked at Yu Niaoniao and asked, ¡°Can we talk in private?¡± Xiao Juan frowned. ¡°Can¡¯t you say anything here?¡± Wei Liao ignored him and looked at Yu Niaoniao steadily. Yu Niaoniao did not want to cause unnecessary misunderstandings, so she said, ¡°It¡¯s the same here.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know how your father and siblings are doing?¡± Yu Niaoniao pursed her lower lip and hesitated. She really wanted to know how Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping were doing now. Tang Guixi interrupted, ¡°If you really want to say it, it¡¯s the same if you say it here. Why do you have to pull Niaoniao elsewhere to talk? Aren¡¯t you deliberately making things difficult for the couple?¡± Yu Niaoniao nodded, indicating that Guixi was right. ¡°Just say it here.¡± Wei Liao¡¯s lips twitched as heughed at himself. ¡°You really don¡¯t give me any hope. Alright, I¡¯ll tell you. For you, the emperor sent someone to monitor the Yu family, but he didn¡¯t harm them.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Actually, the emperor didn¡¯t want to send me to Liaodong County this time. I took the initiative to do it. I just wanted to see you and ask you if you had any regrets for a moment after going through life and death from the Imperial Capital to Liaodong.¡± Yu Niaoniao gave an answer without hesitation. ¡°No.¡± Wei Liao exhaled softly as if he had been relieved of a burden. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± With that, he took a step back. ¡°My mission ispleted. Farewell. Goodbye.¡± Wei Liao turned around and left, striding out of the front hall. Yu Niaoniao seemed to have thought of something and quickly chased after him. ¡°I forgot to tell you. Thank you!¡± Wei Liao stopped in his tracks, but he didn¡¯t turn around. He waved an arm to show he had heard, then continued striding forward.. Chapter 663 - 663: Title Chapter 663: Title Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios A monthter, Tang Guixi officially changed the name of Liaodong County to Eastern Tang at the Heaven Worshipping Ceremony in Xingning City. She became the founding empress of the Eastern Tang. Xiao Juan was conferred the title of Founding Duke. Yu Niaoniao became the Madam of the Duke and was specially conferred a first-grade order. Everyone in Eastern Tang epted this well. Be it the soldiers of the Eastern Expedition Army or themoners, they all knew that when they needed help the most, it was Tang Guixi who stood in front of them without hesitation. They had lived and died together and had a deep friendship. Inparison, Emperor Dayan¡¯s actions of cutting off the provisions and abandoning Liaodong County were too heartless. The news of Liaodong County¡¯s independence quickly reached the Imperial Capital. Shen Zhuo was furious! Coincidentally, the rebellion in Prince Jia¡¯s Mansion was about to be suppressed. He prepared to send troops to Liaodong County to eliminate the rebels. In the end, he was dissuaded by the elders. ¡°We just ended a civil strife. It¡¯s really not appropriate to make a big fuss in the short term! ¡± ¡°Although we¡¯ve suppressed the rebellion of Prince Jia¡¯s Mansion, our casualties are also very heavy. If there¡¯s another war, be it the treasury or the soldiers, I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t be able to hold on.¡± ¡°After fighting one battle after another, I¡¯m afraid there will be resentment!¡± ¡°A mere Liaodong County is not a threat. Let¡¯s ignore them for the time being and recuperate for a while. It won¡¯t be toote to go to war when we have enough money and food.¡± ¡°Yes, yes! Your Majesty, please think twice!¡± No one supported Shen Zhuo. He stormed off. In the Fengyi Pce, Empress Dowager Wen could not help but ask when she saw Shen Zhuo walk in with a dark expression. ¡°What happened?¡± Shen Zhuo told Empress Dowager Wen what had happened in Shang¡¯s study just now. In the end, he could not help but snort heavily, ¡°All of them made it sound dignified, but they¡¯re actually very shrewd! The reason why they don¡¯t want to fight is that they¡¯re afraid that I¡¯ll reward those generals again. They¡¯re afraid that their status will be reced by the generals. What a group of sly old foxes!¡± Because he had sessfully suppressed the rebellion of Prince Jia¡¯s Mansion, Shen Zhuo had rewarded arge number of outstanding generals, including many trusted aides he had nurtured. This made many civil officials in the court feel a sense of crisis. They were afraid that Shen Zhuo¡¯s emphasis on martial arts and literature would affect their status in the future. Therefore, the civil officials in the court did not want to go to war. Empress Dowager Wenforted her. ¡°Since you know it in your heart, there¡¯s no need to be angry with them.¡± Shen Zhuo took a deep breath and tried to suppress the anger in his heart. ¡°I¡¯m not angry because of their thoughts. I¡¯m angry because¡­¡± It was because no one stood beside him and supported his decision at the critical moment. Empress Dowager Wen got someone to pour him a cup of chrysanthemum tea. ¡°Drink some tea to clear the fire. There¡¯s still a long way to go. Everything has to be done step by step. Those people in the cab were very cunning, but they were also humans. As long as they were humans, they would have weaknesses. As long as you can grasp their weaknesses, you can naturally restrain them.¡± Shen Zhuo took a sip of tea andpletely calmed down. ¡°I understand. Thank you for your advice, Mother.¡± Empress Dowager Wen ordered someone to bring over a stack of portraits and said softly. ¡°You¡¯ve been on the throne for almost a year, but the harem is still empty. This is too ridiculous. I got someone to draw portraits of all the youngdies of prestigious families in the capital who were ready to marry. Take a good look and pick.¡± Shen Zhuo put down his teacup and stood up. ¡°I suddenly remembered that there are still some memorials that haven¡¯t been approved. I have to leave first. Mother, rest well. I¡¯ll visit you tomorrow. ¡± With that, he was about to leave. Empress Dowager Wen had expected this and said unhurriedly. ¡°Since the emperor is so busy, I¡¯ll bring these portraits to the study. I¡¯ll show you these portraits when you¡¯re done reading the memorials.¡± Shen Zhuo had no choice but to stop and beg, ¡°Mother, please spare me.¡± Empress Dowager Wen said, ¡°I know that you still can¡¯t forget Yu Niaoniao, but it¡¯s impossible for her toe back. Taking a step back, even if she reallyes back, I¡¯ll never let her enter the harem. Give up.¡± Shen Zhuo was silent, exuding a silent stubbornness. Empress Dowager Wen sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a big deal to have children. You can¡¯t stay single forever, right? Even if I can agree, the ancestors of the Shen family won¡¯t. ¡± Shen Zhuo naturally knew this. He was the emperor. He had to have a prince as his heir. But he was indignant. He already had the world. Logically speaking, he should be able to do whatever he wanted. But why couldn¡¯t he have Yu Niaoniao? Empress Dowager Wen said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you promised me before that if Yu Niaoniao hasn¡¯t married you in a year, you have to listen to my arrangements to choose a concubine. Now that the one-year deadline is up, it¡¯s time for you to fulfill your promise.¡± After a long silence, Shen Zhuo suddenly said as if he had made up his mind. ¡°But I¡¯m still indignant. Mother, give me a little more time. I¡¯ll confirm it onest time, just once, okay?¡± Towards the end, he was pleading. Empress Dowager Wen¡¯s heart softened in the end and she was willing to give him onest chance. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t be disappointed when you get an answer.¡± In the end, Shen Zhuo temporarily gave up on the idea of sending troops to attack Liaodong County. But that didn¡¯t mean he was giving in. He just needed some time to deal with the sly old foxes in the cab. At the same time, Tang Guixi excitedly found Yu Niaoniao to discuss conferring Xiao Yining as a princess. ¡°Take a look. This is the princess title I want for Little Fubao. What do you think?¡± Yu Niaoniao had once declined the conferment of a princess. After all, Xiao Yining was not Tang Guixi¡¯s biological daughter. It was a little against the rules to make her a princess without any merit. However, Tang Guixi insisted on doing this. Yu Niaoniao really could not persuade her, so she simply let her be. Yu Niaoniao picked up the rice paper and looked at it. There was a long string of titles written on the paper¡ª Princess Sheng¡¯an Jiashun Dexian. Yu Niaoniao was speechless. In her life, this was the first time she had seen such a long title. In her previous life, she had only seen such a long name for the female lead of a ridiculous nov. She couldn¡¯t help butin, ¡°I might as well call Mary Sue Zibing Princess Meng Cuishuang.¡± Tang Guixi immediately took a brush and asked excitedly. ¡°That¡¯s a good title. Say it again. I¡¯ll make a note.¡± Afraid that she would take it seriously, Yu Niaoniao quickly advised, ¡°Don¡¯t you think these titles are too long? Most people won¡¯t remember them. They might bite their tongues when they read them. Let¡¯s change to a simpler title.¡± Tang Guixi disagreed, ¡°Little Fubao is a natural lucky star and can bring good fortune to our Eastern Tang. How can an ordinary title highlight her distinction? I think the name you just mentioned is very good. It¡¯s pleasant and special. Quick, repeat it for me to remember.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. ¡°Girl, I¡¯m sorry.¡± she muttered an apology her daughter couldn¡¯t yet understand.. Chapter 664 - 664: Meeting Chapter 664: Meeting Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao did not want her daughter to grow up with the name Princess Mary Sue. She decided to take a step back. ¡°The title I¡¯m talking about just sounds okay, but it is far less meaningful than the one you chose. Let¡¯s choose Princess Sheng¡¯an.¡± Tang Guixi emphasized, ¡°It¡¯s Princess Sheng¡¯an Jiashun, Fuya, Shu, Shou, Zhaoyang, Yongrou, Ningkang, Changle, Hua Renhui. You have to read the full names.¡± ¡°Say that again. What princess is it?¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°Princess Sheng¡¯an Jiashun, Zhaoyang, Changle, Huaren, Yongrou, Kangfu, Yade, Shuhouhui.¡± Yu Niaoniao said calmly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice that the title you read every time is different?¡± Tang Guixi was very surprised. ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t even notice.¡± Yu Niaoniao took the opportunity to guide her patiently. ¡°Look. If even you can¡¯t remember, how can ordinary people remember? Let¡¯s change the name.¡± Tang Guixi felt that her words made sense and immediately pped the table to make a decision. ¡°Then let¡¯s call her Princess Mary Sue!¡± Yu Niaoniao sweated. ¡°There are so many words. Why do you have to remember Mary Sue?¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°Because it¡¯s the easiest to read.¡± Yu Niaoniao tried to struggle. ¡°I think the title of Princess Fn is more convenient. Moreover, the meaning is good. Happiness and health. Let¡¯s choose this. ¡± Tang Guixi shook her head. ¡°The title of Princess Fu¡¯an is too ordinary. Many princesses in history have been given this title. I think Princess Mary Sue is better.¡± Yu Niaoniao really could not persuade him anymore. She simply said, ¡°Then let¡¯s draw straws.¡± Tang Guixi stroked her chin. ¡°We can draw straws, but we have to let Little Fubao catch it herself. After all, this is her title.¡± Yu Niaoniao agreed. Tang Guixi immediately ordered someone to bring a pen and paper and wrote the titles of Princess Fn and Princess Mary Sue on two pieces of paper. Then, she crumpled the two pieces of paper into a ball and ced them in front of Xiao Yining. ¡°Little Fubao, which one do you want?¡± Xiao Yining was only two months old and did not understand what his mother and godmother were doing at all. She was in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s arms, her small arms waving wildly. Finally, she grabbed the ball of paper on the right. Under Yu Niaoniao¡¯s gaze, Tang Guixi slowly unfolded the paper. On it was written Princess Fu¡¯an. Yu Niaoniao immediately heaved a long sigh of relief. Fortunately! Tang Guixi was very disappointed. ¡°Why did you choose this title?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled and said, ¡®We agreed that you would use whichever Fubao chose. You can¡¯t go back on your word.¡± Tang Guixi could only ept her fate. She personally wrote the title of Princess Fu¡¯an into the Imperial Edict and ordered someone to officially announce it to the world. From then on, Princess Fu¡¯an was introduced to Eastern Tang. Two dayster, Tang Guixi suddenly received a secret letter from the Chen Nation. After reading the contents of the letter, she got someone to invite Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan over Tang Guixi handed over the letter. ¡°This is a letter sent by the empress of the Chen Nation. Take a look.¡± Yu Niaoniao hesitated. ¡°Can we read such an important letter?¡± ¡°You¡¯re mentioned in this letter. Look.¡± Hearing this, Yu Niaoniao no longer hesitated. She took the letter and read it with Xiao Juan. In the letter, the empress of the Chen Nation expressed that the Chen Nation wanted to fight Eastern Tang again, but on ount of her old rtionship with Xiao Juan, she was willing to reconcile with Eastern Tang, but the prerequisite was for Xiao Juan to meet her. If Tang Guixi did not want to start a war, she would let Xiao Juan go to the top of the Tiger Mountain in three days. The empress of the Chen Nation would wee him there. Yu Niaoniao frowned. ¡°She¡¯s clearly threatening us!¡± If Xiao Juan did not attend the appointment, the Chen Nation would go to war with Eastern Tang. Once the battle started, people would be plunged into misery and suffering again. Tang Guixi looked at Xiao Juan steadily and said seriously, ¡°The other party is here for you. You should make this decision.¡± Yu Niaoniao also turned to look at Xiao Juan, feeling very nervous. Personally, she really did not want Xiao Juan to go to the appointment. But one could not be too selfish. She could not only care about herself. She had to think for Tang Guixi and the people of the entire Eastern Tang. Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Can I consider it?¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°Of course. You can tell me anytime after you make a decision.¡± She paused and said a few more words, ¡°The empress of the Chen Nation deliberately threatened to start a war because she was sure that you would not dare to not agree to the appointment.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t actually have to be too afraid of her threat. Be it our Eastern Tang or their Chen Nation, it would require a lot of manpower and financial resources to start a war.¡± ¡°If she really dared to start a war for her own selfish reasons, the history books would definitely scold her to death. Her position as empress probably won¡¯tst long.¡± Xiao Juan nodded slightly. ¡°I understand.¡± Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan returned to their residence. Xiao Yining was still sleeping. Her face was red and her pink lips were slightly open. She looked extremely cute. Xiao Juan helped her lift the small nket and gently stroked her face. Yu Niaoniao said worriedly. ¡°I think Guixi is still too optimistic. Normal people indeed don¡¯t dare to start a war between the two countries for their own selfish reasons, but Princess Tao Ran¡¯s personality is very extreme. She will do anything to achieve her goal.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her. ¡°So you still want me to see her, right?¡± Yu Niaoniao told the truth, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to have anything to do with her anymore, but if this causes a war between the two countries, you and I will both be sinners.¡± Xiao Juan sighed softly. ¡°We can live a little selfishly sometimes.¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head. ¡°This concerns our country. We can¡¯t tolerate the slightest bit of selfishness.¡± Xiao Juan reached out and pulled her into his arms. ¡°I understand.¡¯ Yu Niaoniao looked up at him eagerly. ¡°You¡¯ll definitelye back. You won¡¯t abandon me and Fubao, right?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Of course. Even if I die, I want to die beside you and Fubao¡­¡± Yu Niaoniao interrupted him. ¡°Don¡¯t say such inauspicious things! Spit three times in a row.¡± Xiao Juan obediently did as he was told and spat three times. Only then was Yu Niaoniao satisfied. Three dayster, Tang Guixi, Xiao Juan, and Yu Niaoniao arrived near Tiger Mountain under the escort of the guards. Tiger Mountain was located at the border between Eastern Tang and the Chen Nation. Because it looked like a tiger, it was called Tiger Mountain. In case the empress of the Chen Nation got agitated again when she saw Yu Niaoniao, thetter did not go up the mountain. She and Tang Guixi stayed at the foot of the mountain. Xiao Juan led a team of guards up the mountain path. Soon, their backs disappeared into the forest. Tang Guixi could not help but ask when she saw Yu Niaoniao looking in the direction of Tiger Mountain. ¡°Are you worried that Xiao Juan will never return?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°1 believe he¡¯ll definitelye back. I¡¯m worried that the empress of the Chen Nation will do him harm.¡± Tang Guixiforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already agreed with Xiao Juan that once he¡¯s in danger, he¡¯ll immediately pull the quiver he carries with him. When we hear the sound, we¡¯ll immediately go up the mountain to save him..¡± Chapter 665 - 665: Demon Concubine Chapter 665: Demon Concubine Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios A temporary pavilion was built at the top of Tiger Mountain. bamboo curtains hung down on the four sides of the pavilion, and many guards stood around. When Xiao Juan appeared with his men, a guard immediately stopped them. ¡°The empress will only let Xiao Juan in.¡± Xiao Juan instructed the Eagle Guards following behind, ¡°Wait here.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The Eagle Guards took two steps back in unison. Seeing this, the guard turned around and gestured. ¡°Her Majesty is inside. Pleasee in.¡± Xiao Juan bought the steps and the pce maid standing at the side rolled up the bamboo curtain. In the pavilion, a gorgeous woman was leaning against a soft couch. She was wearing an exquisite pce dress with a white background and gold. Her long skirt fell to the ground along the edge of the couch. Her ck hair was curled high on her head, decorated by golden hairpins. She was the former Princess Tao Ran and the current empress of the Chen Nation. She looked at the man who walked in and raised her red lips into a charming smile. ¡°Brother MO Zhu, I knew you would definitelye to the appointment.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her expressionlessly. ¡°Tao Ran, why did you call me here?¡± The empress of the Chen Nation raised her arm, and her wide sleeves fluttered in the wind. ¡°Princess Tao Ran is my title, not my real name.¡± At this point, she looked at Xiao Juan with a faint smile. ¡°Brother MO Zhu, do you remember my name?¡± Xiao Juan was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Shen Luqing.¡± His answer clearly pleased the woman. Her eyes lit up. ¡°Luqing is tall and elegant. MO Zhu describes bamboo. My name happens to match your name, MO Zhu. Doesn¡¯t this mean that the two of us are a match made in heaven?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°If you insist on thinking that, I¡¯ll change my name.¡± Shen Luqing was speechless. The smile quickly faded from her face. ¡°Brother MO Zhu, do you really hate me so much?¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t like you or hate you. You¡¯re just an unimportant stranger to me.¡± Shen Luqing raised her eyebrows. ¡°You really dare to say that. Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m no longer the young Princess Tao Ran. I¡¯m now the empress of the Chen Nation. Now, I have the final say in everything regarding the Chen Nation. If you anger me, I can order the Chen Nation to send troops to Eastern Tang at any time.¡± Facing her threat, Xiao Juan¡¯s expression was still indifferent. ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± Shen Luqing said, ¡°Oh? You¡¯re so confident?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°The Chen Nation has just ended a civil strife. The hearts of the people are unstable. If you send troops to Eastern Tang at this time, it¡¯s equivalent to giving someone a handle. It¡¯s harmful to you.¡± Shen Luqing ced one hand on the couch and slowly sat up straight. ¡°So what? I don¡¯t care what others think. I just want Brother MO Zhu.¡± Xiao Juan looked at her steadily. Shen Luqing subconsciously raised her hand and gently stroked her cheek. ¡°What is Brother MO Zhu looking at?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°You look much different.¡± Shen Luqing said, ¡°Really? How have I changed?¡± ¡°In the past, you might have ignored everything and just wanted to be happy, but not now.¡± Shen Luqing smiled gently. ¡°Anyone will change after experiencing so much.¡± Xiao Juan was silent. Shen Luqing reached out her slender hand, picked up the teapot, poured a cup of tea, and gently pushed it in front of Xiao Juan. ¡°It¡¯s rare to meet. Sit down and have a cup of tea and a good chat.¡± Xiao Juan sat down at the table, but he did not touch the teacup in front of him. Shen Luqing asked, ¡°Are you afraid that I¡¯ll poison the tea?¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°You have to be wary of others.¡± Shen Luqing smiled again. ¡°You¡¯re really straightforward. This is the best tea in our Chen Nation. It¡¯s priceless. You didn¡¯t even drink it when I treated you. What a waste.¡± At this point, she picked up her teacup and took a sip. Xiao Juan said, ¡°You didn¡¯t call me here just to drink tea, right?¡± Shen Luqing put down her teacup. ¡°Brother MO Zhu, I¡¯ve missed you for the past two years. Have you ever missed me for a moment?¡± Before Xiao Juan could answer, she spoke first. ¡°Okay, there¡¯s no need to say anything. I know you¡¯re going to say no.¡± Xiao Juan did not speak, which was a tacit agreement. Shen Luqing asked, ¡°Do you know what I¡¯ve experienced in the past two years?¡± Xiao Juan continued to be silent. Shen Luqing continued. ¡°Han Chengxi is really a piece of trash. After he kidnapped me to the Chen Nation, he treated me as a ything and raised me in the residence.¡± ¡°He even used unorthodox methods to train me and forced me to learn those dirty things. After training me, he packed me up as a gift and sent me to the emperor of the Chen Nation.¡± ¡°That emperor was even older than my father, an old man covered in wrinkles. Every time I got close, I could smell the bad old man smell on him. I wanted to vomit.¡± ¡°But I still had to do my best to please him. Only by gripping his heart could I have a chance of turning things around. Everyone called me a shameless demon concubine. But so what? There¡¯s no turning back. I can only climb up unscrupulously.¡± At this point, she could not help but close her eyes. All kinds of things from the past appeared in his mind. There were schemes from the harem, curses, and nder from the officials of the previous dynasty, and threats from Han Chengxi again and again. She was deeply involved in the harem of the Chen Nation. No matter how desperate she was, no one would not help her. Her once sharp personality had been forcefully worn down. She had learned to hide her strength and bide her time. She had learned to be humble. Logically speaking, at the emperor¡¯s age, it should be very difficult to get concubines pregnant again. But she did. It was not because she was lucky enough, but because while serving the emperor of the Chen Nation, she had to please Han Chengxi like a pet in private. The person who really got her pregnant was Han Chengxi. But this secret was only known to her and Han Chengxi. The emperor of the Chen Nation thought that the child was his and that he would have a son when he was old. He thought that he was strong and virile when he was old, so he went against everyone¡¯s wishes and conferred her the title of Imperial Noble Consort. With her pillow talk, the emperor of the Chen Nation indeed had the thought of making Han Chengxi the crown prince. Han Chengxi also thought that victory was in his grasp and that he was confident in the crown prince¡¯s throne. Little did he know that while he was using Shen Luqing, she was also using him. After a few princes who had the greatest hope ofpeting for the position of crown prince were all killed by Han Chengxi, Shen Luqing secretly drugged his wine when he was not on his guard. While he was in a daze, Shen Luqing pushed him down the stairs. He happened to break his neck when he fell to the ground and died on the spot. After that, she coaxed the emperor of the Chen Nation into conferring her the title of the empress and her son was made the crown prince. Now that the emperor of the Chen Nation had a stroke and was paralyzed, he was lying on the bed and could not move. She was in charge of everything in the court. As for the people who had hurt her, they were either dead or half-dead.. Chapter 666 - 666: Marriage Chapter 666: Marriage Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The unbearable memories of the past gradually dissipated. Shen Luqing slowly opened her eyes. Her mood had already calmed down. ¡°Brother MO Zhu, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ve indeed changed a lot. In the past, I naively thought that you were my world. Every time I was stepped on in the mud, I expected you to appear but you didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Gradually, I understood a principle. I¡¯ve always been alone in my world. I can only rely on myself. Only by making myself strong will no one dare to bully me.¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°You¡¯ve indeed grown.¡± Shen Luqing said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve grown.¡± But the price of growth was too high. She had almost destroyed all her dignity and pride in exchange for her epiphany. Xiao Juan said, ¡°Since it wasn¡¯t easy for you to have everything you have now, you should manage it well. Even if you don¡¯t think for yourself, think for your own son. It¡¯s not good for anyone if the two countries go to war.¡± Shen Luqing suddenly thought of something and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re right. I really should think about my son. I heard that you and Yu Niaoniao had a daughter and were conferred the title of Princess Fu¡¯an by the empress of Eastern Tang. Why don¡¯t you send Princess Fu¡¯an to the Chen Nation for marriage when she grows up? Let her be my son¡¯s empress. This way, our two countries can be inws and not have to worry about war. How good would that be?¡± Seeing that she actually had designs on Little Fubao, Xiao Juan¡¯s face immediately darkened and he said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it! Eastern Tang will never have a marriage alliance!¡± Shen Luqing was stunned at first, but then sheughed. Sheughed so hard that tears came to her eyes. ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s really well said! When Dayan asked me to marry, no one said anything like that to me. Father told me that as a princess, I have to fulfill my duty as a princess after enjoying the treatment of a princess. But why? Why do I have to fulfill this obligation?¡± Xiao Juan was silent. Shen Luqingughed for a long time before gradually stopping. The corners of her eyes were slightly red, and her eyshes were wet. She looked dazed. ¡°Why did it have to be me?¡± Xiao Juan said firmly, ¡°I don¡¯t care what happens to Dayan, but Eastern Tang will never send a princess to another country for marriage in the future.¡± Whether it was his daughter or Tang Guixi¡¯s own daughter, it was impossible to give them to another country as a bargaining chip. Shen Luqing sat there in a daze for a while before graduallying back to her senses. But she was no longer in the mood to continue the conversation. ¡°I¡¯m tired. Go.¡± Xiao Juan stood up without a word. ¡°Goodbye.¡± When he was about to walk out of the pavilion, he suddenly heard Shen Luqing¡¯s voice behind him. ¡°Actually, I just wanted to chat with you from the beginning. I¡¯m already the Empress of the Chen Nation. I can do whatever I want now. Why would Ipromise and beg you to give me some love?¡± ¡°Xiao Juan, I still love you. But I don¡¯t need you anymore.¡± Xiao Juan stopped and looked back at her. At this moment, Shen Luqing had already wiped her tears, leaving only calmness on her gorgeous face. She was the empress of the Chen Nation. Shen Luqing looked at him steadily. ¡°I hope you can remember what you just said. Eastern Tang will never send a princess away.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Of course.¡± Shen Luqing took out a letter from her sleeve and ced it on the table. ¡°Take this to Tang Guixi.¡± Xiao Juan returned and bent down to pick up the letter. Shen Luqing leaned back and saidzily, ¡°Alright, you can get lost.¡± Xiao Juan turned around and left without hesitation. At the foot of the mountain, Yu Niaoniao craned her neck to look up. Her neck ached. She could not help but feel a little nervous. Why was he not back yet? Could it be that Xiao Juan was in danger? Just as she was about to call someone up the mountain to take a look, she heard the sound of hooves. Right on the heels of that, a familiar figure appeared at the end of the mountain path. It was Xiao Juan who had returned with the Eagle Guards! Yu Niaoniao was overjoyed. Great, they were all safe and sound! Tang Guixi heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Xiao Juan was fine. Otherwise, she would not know how to exin it to Niaoniao. Xiao Juan dismounted and strode to Niaoniao. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± Yu Niaoniao gave him a big bear hug before asking. ¡°The empress of the Chen Nation didn¡¯t do anything bad to you, right?¡± Xiao Juan shook his head and said no. Tang Guixi stroked her chin thoughtfully. ¡°Did she really go through so much trouble to call you over just to see you?¡± Xiao Juan took out a letter from his sleeve. ¡°She asked me to pass this to you on her behalf.¡± Tang Guixi took the letter and unfolded it on the spot, quickly reading it. Sheughed. ¡°The empress of the Chen Nation said in the letter that the Chen Nation wants to form an alliance with the Eastern Tang. As long as this alliance is reached, there will be no more war for at least ten years.¡± Yu Niaoniaoughed too. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing!¡± Ten years was enough for Eastern Tang to recuperate. Tang Guixi clicked her tongue. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. I didn¡¯t expect our Duke to be so powerful. He brought back such good news as soon as he set off.¡± Xiao Juan said calmly, ¡°This letter was prepared by the empress of the Chen Nation long ago. It means that she has already decided to ally with Eastern Tang. It has nothing to do with me.¡± Tang Guixi still said, ¡°But if you didn¡¯t go to the appointment, you won¡¯t be able to get this letter back.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°Even without this letter, the Chen Nation won¡¯t dere war on us in the short term. The Chen Nation has just ended a civil strife and needs to stabilize people¡¯s hearts. It¡¯s not appropriate to fight anymore. Geographically, our Eastern Tang happens to be between the Chen Nation and Dayan. If the Dayan wants to harm the Chen Nation, it have to pass through our Eastern Tang. In other words, we¡¯re a natural barrier. The benefits of the Chen Nation being on good terms with us outweigh the disadvantages.¡± Tang Guixi could not help but say, ¡°But didn¡¯t you say that the Empress of the Chen Nation used to be the princess of the Dayan? She¡¯s also from Dayan. She should be on good terms with Dayan. Why is she so wary of the Dayan?¡± Xiao Juan told them what Shen Luqing had just said. After hearing this, Tang Guixi finally understood the reason. ¡°Thete emperor of Dayan was really ruthless. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t bear to give my daughter to such an old man as a wife.¡± Yu Niaoniao sighed. ¡°Back then, thete emperor of Dayan sent Princess Tao Ran to the Chen Nation to be the empress. I didn¡¯t expect her to be the empress in the end. Could this be fate?¡± Tang Guixi stretched. ¡°Who knows! Let¡¯s not care about this. Let¡¯s go back first.. With a load off our minds, we have to have a good drink tonight!¡± Chapter 667 - 667: Lantern Festival Chapter 667: Lantern Festival Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios A yearter, the emperor of the Chen Nation died of illness. The little crown prince, who was only a year old, ascended the throne. As the empress, Shen Luqing sessfully advanced to the be the empress dowager. Because the new emperor was too young to govern himself, Shen Luqing listened to politics as the empress dowager. During the first morning court assembly, the young new emperor was wearing a dragon robe and sitting on a dragon chair that was too wide for him. He did not know anything yet and had to move from time to time. The pce servants standing at the side had no choice but to lower their voices to coax him, hoping that he would sit obediently and not move. Behind the dragon throne hung a gauze curtain. Behind the gauze curtain was the empress dowager¡¯s seat. Shen Luqing sat upright in a wide chair. Her gaze pierced through the thin gauze curtain and watched as the civil and military officials knelt down and bowed. ¡°Long live the emperor and the empress dowager!¡± Shen Luqing raised her right hand, and her wide sleeve swayed. The breeze caused the gauze curtain to sway gently. ¡°Ministers, rise.¡± After a year of recuperation, the lives of themoners finally got on track. The destroyed houses were rebuilt, and the abandoned fields were revitalized. As for the lives that had unfortunately passed away, they would stay in people¡¯s hearts forever. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan had paid to open many Juan Niao schools all over Eastern Tang. Not only did the school not ept tuition fees, but it also did not have any restrictions about gender and epted male and female students at the same time. If they were students with especially outstanding academic results, they could even receive schrships to subsidize their families. It was said that not only did studying not cost money, but one could also earn money. Manymoners sent their children to the Juan Niao School. As long as it was not a busy farming season, the school would always be filled with people. Tang Guixi was prepared to open an imperial examination and take this opportunity to recruit talents. She often heard Yu Niaoniao mention the Juan Niao School and knew that many girls in the school had outstanding academic results, but she felt that it was a pity that they could not be officials. Therefore, Tang Guixi waved her hand and crossed out the rule restricting females from taking the imperial examination. She changed it to a rule that was gender agnostic and anyone with both virtue and talent could obtain a positon. As soon as this matter was out, everyone in the court protested. In the morning court assembly, the officials argued with Tang Guixi, wanting her to change her mind. But Tang Guixi did not listen to them at all. No matter how others spat, she always said those words¡ª ¡°I¡¯m the emperor. I have the final say.¡± ¡°You have the right to make suggestions, but I also have the right to refuse to listen. ¡± ¡°Do you look down on women? Coincidentally, I¡¯m a woman. Which one of you looks down on me? Stand up and let me take a look.¡± The ministers were exasperated, but they did not dare to do anything to her. In the end, they could only suppress their anger and go home. After the new imperial examination system was officially enacted, it caused a huge reaction among the people. Everyone was shocked by this matter. It was unprecedented for a woman to participate in the imperial examination. However, when they thought about how the emperor of the Eastern Tang was a woman and how she could govern the country, being well-versed in martial arts and was not inferior to men at all, themoners felt that this matter was not so difficult to ept. On the day of the imperial examination, many women entered the examination hall. Under Yu Niaoniao¡¯s encouragement, Ling Hai also participated in the imperial examination. Unfortunately, Ling Hai did not make much progress in his studies and could not pass the examination. After failing the examination, he could not help but be disappointed. This aroused his fighting spirit. He was determined to study hard and be on the rankings the next time he took the imperial examination. If he could get into the civil service, he could even bring his family to Eastern Tang to stay. Even for his family, he had to work harder. The first imperial examination since the founding of the Eastern Tang finally ended. Afteryers of screening and examinations, in the end, there were 99 male and female students. They entered the royal court of the Eastern Tang and became the new batch of pirs. Today happened to be the Mid-Autumn Festival. There would be antern festival in Xingning City at night. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan nned to bring their daughter to thentern festival. When Tang Guixi found out, she insisted on following. Since she wanted to go, Shen Xu naturally had to follow. Hence, the five of them changed into the clothes of ordinary people and secretly sneaked into thentern festival. Lanterns of various shapes hung on both sides of the street. Eachntern had a note hanging on it. The note had a riddle written on it. Those who guessed the riddle could take thenterns for free. During this period, there were also many vendors who sold all kinds of things, including food, necessities, and entertainment. Xiao Juan bought a rattle drum for his daughter. Xiao Yining clearly liked this rattle drum very much. As long as Xiao Juan shook it, she would dance with excitement andugh. Xiao Juan handed her the rattle drum. ¡°Take it well.¡± Xiao Yining hugged the rattle drum tightly, and an even brighter smile bloomed on her fair and rosy face. Seeing that there were many people gathered in front, Tang Guixi squeezed in curiously and realized that an opera troupe had built a stage there. They were singing now. She immediately squeezed out again and shouted at Yu Niaoniao and the others. ¡°Come quickly. Someone¡¯s singing here. It¡¯s very good!¡± Yu Niaoniao was very surprised. ¡°Is it a foreign troupe?¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°That¡¯s right. I heard that it¡¯s an opera troupe from the Imperial Capital. I think its name is Qi¡­ Qi something?¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart skipped a beat and she blurted out, ¡°Is it Qirui Opera Troupe?¡± Tang Guixi nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes, yes, yes! It¡¯s them! Have you heard of them?¡± Yu Niaoniaoughed. ¡°I¡¯ve more than heard of them. We¡¯re old acquaintances.¡± She turned to Xiao Juan and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and join in the fun.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± There were too many people gathered around the stage. Some of them really could not squeeze in and could only climb into nearby trees or even the roof to watch. Tang Guixi led the way and forcefully squeezed out a path. Shen Xu followed closely behind. Xiao Juan hugged his daughter with one arm and Niaoniao with the other to prevent her from being pushed away by the crowd. It wasn¡¯t easy for them to squeeze into the front row. Yu Niaoniao looked up and realized that the person performing on the stage was Liu Sixing. She looked like she had grown a little taller, and her figure had be even slimmer. Her melodious singing voice drifted out, winning waves of cheers. At this moment, she was singing ¡°Duke Lang in Liaodong¡±. The plot was turbulent and captivating. The setting on the stage was also unique and very different from ordinary opera troupe. When the song reached its climax, Tang Guixi could not help but p and cheer with everyone. Yu Niaoniao also shouted, ¡°Sixing, that¡¯s awesome!¡± On the stage, Liu Sixing heard someone call her name. She nced down the stage from the corner of her eye and saw Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan in the crowd. She didn¡¯t stop. She continued to sing smoothly. When the plot ended, the onlookers threw rewards and shouted for en encore. Liu Qirui went on stage to thank everyone for their support and said that the night¡¯s performance was over. They had toe back the next for another show. Seeing that there was no good show to watch, the onlookers reluctantly dispersed. Liu Qirui jumped off the stage and bowed to Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan. ¡°Greetings, Duke Lang and the Princess Consort.¡± Yu Niaoniao reminded him, ¡°We¡¯re no longer Duke Lang and the Princess Consort of Dayan.¡± Tang Guixi crossed her arms and said proudly, ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. They already have nothing to do with Dayan. Now, they¡¯re the Founding Duke and Madam of our Eastern Tang. Don¡¯t call them by the wrong address.¡± Liu Qirui hurriedly bowed again. ¡°Greetings, Founding Duke and Madam..¡± Chapter 668 - 668: Missing Chapter 668: Missing Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Liu Qirui and Liu Sixing specially brought the opera troupe here to perform and visit Yu Niaoniao because they knew that she was in Eastern Tang. Yu Niaoniao was naturally very happy with their intentions. They went to a nearby restaurant and sat down, preparing to catch up as they ate. Yu Niaoniao suddenly realized that her purse was gone. She guessed that it had been identally squeezed out while she watching the show. She wanted to go back and look for it, but Xiao Juan stopped her. ¡°Stay here. I¡¯ll help you find it.¡± Yu Niaoniao considered that she was the most familiar with Liu Qirui and Liu Sixing. If she left, the others would probably not be able to talk to the Liu father and daughter. It was better for her to stay where she was, so she nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Xiao Juan handed their daughter to Niaoniao and stood up to leave. Yu Niaoniao said to him, ¡°If you really can¡¯t find it, forget it. Come back early.¡± Xiao Juan nodded in understanding. He left the restaurant alone and went to look for Yu Niaoniao¡¯s lost purse. Liu Sixing smiled and teased, ¡°The Duke is so considerate to Madam. It wasn¡¯t in vain for Madam to apany him through life and death.¡± Yu Niaoniao was not stingy with her praise for Xiao Juan. ¡°Although he doesn¡¯t like to talk, he¡¯s really good at taking care of people. He¡¯s good at everything at home and abroad.¡± Liu Sixing¡¯s smile widened. ¡°We¡¯re relieved to see that you¡¯re doing well.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°How have you been all these years? Is the opera troupe doing well?¡± Liu Sixing told her about the opera troupe¡¯s experience in the past two years. Ever since they left the Imperial Capital, they had been wandering around and performing everywhere. They would change ces after two or three days. They were good singers, to begin with. In addition, Duke Lang in Liaodong, and the Double Beauties that Yu Niaoniao had left for them helped to grow their reputation. There were also some local squires who invited them to perform at a high price. Liu Sixing said, ¡°Although we earned a lot of money from the tour, we still want to find a ce to settle down. After thinking about it, we¡¯ve decided toe to Eastern Tang to join you. I wonder if Eastern Tang can ept our opera troupe? At this point, she and Liu Qirui looked at Yu Niaoniao with anticipation. Before Yu Niaoniao could speak, Tang Guixi replied impatiently. ¡°Of course, you can! You guys stay here. In the future, I¡¯ll listen to you perform every day. What else can you do?¡± Liu Sixing smiled. ¡°We¡¯re naturally best at Duke Lang in Liaodong, and the Double Beauties. These two ys were written by Madam Duchess. The plots are very exciting. Those who have watched them say that they are good.¡± Tang Guixi and Shen Xu turned to look at Yu Niaoniao in unison. ¡°Do you have such an ability?¡± Yu Niaoniao raised her chin. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m very powerful.¡± Liu Sixing smiled and echoed, ¡°That¡¯s right. Not only is Madam¡¯s ybook written well, but she also draws well. The books she drew previously were in short supply in the Imperial Capital. Every day, there are people queuing up to buy the books.¡± As the collector of stories, how could Tang Guixi sit still when she heard this? She rubbed her hands together, her eyes shining. ¡°What kind of books are these? I want to see them too!¡± Shen Xu raised his hand in agreement. ¡°Me too. I want to see them too!¡± Liu Sixing said, ¡°Coincidentally, I brought two books here. They¡¯re especially for collection. I¡¯ll lend them to you to take a look.¡± With that, she took out two books from the bag she carried. Tang Guixi and Shen Xu could not wait to take the books. As soon as they opened one of the books, they were attracted by the lifelike images. Wow! It was all drawings. It waspletely different from the scripts they had read before! At this moment, there was a knock on the door of the private room. A clerk walked in and asked carefully. ¡°May I ask which one is the Duchess?¡± Yu Niaoniao turned to look at him. ¡°It¡¯s me. What is it?¡± The clerk did not expect there to really be a Duchess. His legs went weak from fear and he knelt down. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Madam Duchess is here. Please forgive me, Madam.¡± Yu Niaoniao gestured for him to stand up. ¡°We just want a quiet meal. Don¡¯t make a fuss.¡± The clerk nodded hurriedly. ¡°I understand.¡± Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± The clerk said, ¡°It¡¯s like this. Someone outside said that he saw your purse and wanted to invite you to see if it was yours.¡± Yu Niaoniao nced at Tang Guixi and Shen Xu, who were still engrossed in the scripts. She knew that it was impossible for the two of them to get up for a while, so she said to Liu Sixing and Liu Qirui. ¡°I¡¯m going out to take a look. Help me take care of Fu Bao. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± The Liu father and daughter nodded in agreement. Yu Niaoniao stroked her daughter¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. Be good.¡± Xiao Yining waved her arms, and the rattle drum made a Ding-Dong sound. The sound rmed Tang Guixi and Shen Xu, who were still reading. Tang Guixi took the time to look up at Yu Niaoniao. ¡°Are you going out?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Someone picked up my purse. I¡¯ll go out and take a look.¡± Tang Guixi asked, ¡°Do you want me to go with you?¡± Yu Niaoniao shook her head to indicate that there was no need. It was just a few steps. She would be back soon. Tang Guixi was still concerned about the plot in the book, so she did not insist. She only said, ¡°Thene back quickly.¡± Yu Niaoniao stood up and walked out of the private room alone. She followed the clerk all the way to the backyard of the restaurant. The backyard was empty. No one was in sight. The clerk scratched his head. looking nuzzled. ¡°Where is he? I clearly asked him to wait here just now.¡± Yu Niaoniao was about to ask him if he had made a mistake when she suddenly felt a pain on the back of her neck. Then, her vision darkened and she fainted. In the private room, Xiao Yining, who had been quietly waiting, suddenly opened her mouth and cried. Her cry immediately shocked everyone in the private room. Liu Sixing hurriedly coaxed, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry, Miss Fubao. Don¡¯t cry.¡± Liu Qirui asked, ¡°Could she be hungry? Tang Guixi immediately threw the script aside. She scooped a bowl of chicken soup and wanted to feed it to Xiao Yining. But Xiao Yining refused to drink. She cried louder and louder. This time, even Tang Guixi panicked. Was this child feeling unwell? She picked Xiao Yining up and pressed her forehead against his. Her temperature was normal. There were no signs of fever. Tang Guixi hugged her and shook her gently as she asked, ¡°Fubao, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Shen Xu asked, ¡°Could she be missing her mother?¡± Tang Guixi felt that it was possible. ¡°I¡¯ll take her to Niaoniao now.¡± She carried Xiao Yining and searched the entire restaurant, but she could not find Yu Niaoniao. In the end, she found the restaurant clerk who had fainted in the backyard. ording to the clerk, he took Yu Niaoniao to the backyard. In the end, not only did he not see the person with the purse, but he was also knocked out from behind. As for Yu Niaoniao, she was nowhere to be found. Tang Guixi immediately ordered, ¡°Seal the city gate immediately and don¡¯t let anyone enter or leave. Send someone to inform Xiao Juan that Niaoniao is gone and tell him toe back quickly..¡± Chapter 669 - 669: Privacy Chapter 669: Privacy Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios When Yu Niaoniao woke up, she realized that she was lying on an unfamiliar bed. She got up quickly and looked around. She saw a familiar figure sitting at the table. The window was half open. The candlelight flickered gently as the evening wind blew in. The man was looking down at a tree. When he heard themotion, he looked up and met Niaoniao¡¯s eyes. Yu Niaoniao jumped out of bed. ¡°Shen Zhuo? Why are you here?¡± Shen Zhuo was wearing a light green long robe and a white crane-patterned feather cloak. His face was as fair as jade, and his eyebrows were delicate. He had the posture of a gentleman. ¡°Niaoniao, you¡¯re awake.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked wary. ¡°You kidnapped me here? What¡¯s your goal?¡± Shen Zhuo put down his book and gently patted the chair beside him. ¡°Come and sit for a while. We haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time. I want to have a good chat with you.¡± Yu Niaoniao ignored him. She walked quickly toward the door, wanting to bolt. But the door was locked from the outside and could not be opened. Yu Niaoniao was angry and anxious, but logic made her calm down. The sky outside the window was still dark. In the distance, they could still see the night sky illuminated bymps, which meant that they should still be in Xingning City. When Xiao Juan and Tang Guixi found out that she had disappeared, they would definitely seal the city gate and search the entire city. As long as they searched door to door, it was only a matter of time before they found this ce. What she needed to do now was to stabilize Shen Zhuo and not let him do anything out of line. Shen Zhuo looked at her quietly, taking in the change in her expression. Seeing that she was no longer pulling the door open, he knew that she had figured it out. Shen Zhuo said again, ¡°Come and sit.¡± Yu Niaoniao hesitated for a moment before finally walking over obediently. She sat down opposite Shen Zhuo. Shen Zhuo poured a cup of hot tea and ced it in front of her. ¡°Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?¡± How could Yu Niaoniao have the appetite to eat now? Moreover, she was worried that Shen Zhuo would drug the food. She did not dare to eat what he would give her. She said with a tense face, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Shen Zhuo picked up the book he had not finished just now. ¡°I¡¯ve read this Seven Treasures Record many times and have been waiting for the second book. I wonder when you can draw it?¡± When Yu Niaoniao saw that he was reading seriously just now, she thought that he was reading some rare book. She did not expect him to be reading aic book. She pursed her lower lip. ¡°As the ruler of a country, you shouldn¡¯t read such unorthodox books.¡± Shen Zhuo smiled. ¡°A book is a book. The so-called orthodoxy is just a prejudice of humans. As long as I like it, it¡¯s the best book in the world. The same applies to people.¡± These words had a double meaning. Yu Niaoniao did not answer and said bluntly, ¡°This is Xingning City, the territory of the Eastern Tang. As the emperor of Dayan, aren¡¯t you afraid of losing your life here?¡± Shen Zhuo gently stroked the page. ¡°I¡¯ve already left an edict before I set off. If I don¡¯t return in ten days, the 500,000 troops guarding the border of Dayan will attack Eastern Tang.¡± Yu Niaoniao could not help but clench her fists and pretend to be rxed. ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool me.¡± Shen Zhuo spoke unhurriedly, ¡°A year ago, Liaodong County announced that it was separating from the Dayan and changed its name to Eastern Tang. At that time, I wanted to send troops to take back Liaodong, but for some objective reasons, I couldn¡¯t do it. Now, I¡¯ve already cleaned up the stumbling blocks that would hinder me. I¡¯ve already prepared my troops and am just waiting for the battle.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve already decided to go to war, why did you take the risk toe here to look for me?¡± Shen Zhuo¡¯s gaze lingered on her. ¡°I want you toe with me.¡± The corners of Yu Niaoniao¡¯s mouth twitched as she mocked, ¡°In your dreams?¡± Shen Zhuo gently put down his book. ¡°There will be war here soon. You really don¡¯t have to stay here and suffer. As long as youe with me, I promise to let you live as freely as you did when you were young.¡± Yu Niaoniao seemed to have heard a funny joke. ¡°Free and easy? If you take me back, won¡¯t you control me like a canary? Why coax me with the nonsense that even three-year-olds won¡¯t believe?¡± Shen Zhuo said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m not coaxing you. As long as you want it, I¡¯ll try my best to satisfy you. Back then, didn¡¯t you want to seek justice for your parents? I¡¯ve already helped you do it.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°The person who helped me do it is Ah Juan, not you!¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°But if I hadn¡¯t gone easy on him, how could he have sneaked into the pce so smoothly? I only did this on your ount.¡± Yu Niaoniao endured it again and again, but in the end, she could not help but mock. ¡°Forget it! You were clearly doing it for yourself! Back then, the deaths of your mother and brother were rted to your father. ¡± ¡°Since you were young, your father sent you to the temple and you lived a life worse than ordinary people. As a prince, you have never enjoyed the preferential treatment of a prince for so many years.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you didn¡¯t feel resentment! Now that your father is dead, not only can you take revenge, but you can also naturally ascend to the throne. You¡¯re doing this for your own selfish reasons. Don¡¯t use me as a cover!¡± When Shen Zhuo heard her finish, not only was he not angry, heughed. ¡°As expected of Niaoniao. Your guess is really urate. I¡¯m indeed hiding my selfishness. ¡± ¡°Ever since I was young, my mother had strictly taught me to work hard. Because I don¡¯t just represent myself. I represent the entire Wen family. No matter what I do, I have to think more than others. This is my responsibility and my destiny.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°In that case, you should continue to fulfill your destiny and not look for me again.¡± Shen Zhuo sighed softly. ¡°Niaoniao, that position is too high. It¡¯s lonely at the top. I hope to have you by my side.¡± Yu Niaoniao could tell that this person was greedy. Before he became emperor, he was focused on seizing the throne. Now that he had finally ascended the throne, he felt that this position was too cold and wanted someone by his side to apany him for a long time. He had to take all the good things in the world. Yu Niaoniao asked, ¡°What if I don¡¯t agree?¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll personally lead the troops to attack Eastern Tang. When Eastern Tang is captured, you still have to return to my side.¡± He was calm andposed, as if he had everything in hand. Yu Niaoniao looked at her steadily. She suddenly thought of something and softened her tone. ¡°Brother Junzhi.¡± Shen Zhuo, who had not heard this title for a long time, could not help but be stunned. Then he looked happy. ¡°You¡¯re finally willing to call me Brother Junzhi again.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Do you remember why you came to my house when you were young? Speaking of the past, Shen Zhuo¡¯s eyes were filled with nostalgia. ¡°Mr. Feng is both virtuous and talented. He¡¯s a rather famous literary master in the southwest. Mother secretly sent me to Bashu and asked me to be Mr. Feng¡¯s disciple to learn from him. That¡¯s where I met you..¡± Chapter 670 - 670: Killing Intent Chapter 670: Killing Intent Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios The three years in the Feng family were the most rxed and happy time in his life. Even after so many years, that memory still did not fade in his heart. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I remember my father once said that as a ruler, you have to prioritize the people of the world. Did you do it?¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°Of course.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°When the Chen Army attacked Liaodong County, the Eastern Expedition Army urgently needed food support. What was your choice?¡± Shen Zhuo immediately stopped talking. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°You chose to give up the Eastern Expedition Army and the entire Liaodong County.¡± Shen Zhuo exined, ¡°That¡¯s because of the rebellion in Prince Jia¡¯s Mansion. I have to calm the rebellion as soon as possible. The money and food in the national treasury are limited. I can only calm the internal strife first before dealing with the external trouble.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him pratingly. ¡°What you¡¯re saying is only part of the reason. The reason why you gave up Liaodong County was that Tang Guixi was in Liaodong County.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want me and Xiao Juan to rely on Tang Guixi. You don¡¯t want Tang Guixi to continue controlling the Eastern Expedition Army.¡± ¡°You want to use the Chen Army to get rid of Tang Guixi. What you want from the beginning to the end is personal.¡± Shen Zhuo could not refute. That was indeed what he had thought back then. Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes were cold. ¡°To you, protecting the throne is more important than anything. For this, you can even sacrifice the entire Liaodong County.¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°When I take back Liaodong County, I can exempt it from taxes for the next five years. Consider itpensation for the people of Liaodong.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Five years of taxes in exchange for so many lives of the people of Liaodong. Let¡¯s see if they will agree.¡± Shen Zhuo was silent again. Liaodong County did not pay a lot of taxes every year, but it was not a small amount either. Five years of taxes were already the limit of what he could concede. The Ministry of Revenue would definitely not agree to anything more. Yu Niaoniao exined the current tax system of the Eastern Tang to Shen Zhuo in detail. Then, she exined the tax system of the Dayan. Shepared the two tax systems. Inparison, the taxes on Eastern Tang were clearly much lower. Themoners still had a lot of surplus food after paying the taxes. In addition, Eastern Tang had a system of distributingnd ording to the number of people. Everymoner could be distributed two acres ofnd, regardless of gender. Every year, the government would distribute food seedlings to the farmers for free. If Eastern Tang was annexed by the Dayan, it meant that thend in the hands of themoners would be taken back. Even if the Imperial Court was willing to reduce taxes for them for five years, what would happen after five years? In the future, they would still have to live a hard life after paying taxes. Shen Zhuo became more and more silent. Actually, it was not that he did not know the benefits of these systems to themoners. He was also willing to reform like Eastern Tang. However, Dayan was not the Eastern Tang. The Eastern Tang was small and Tang Guixi had just finished the war. She was held in very high regard among themoners. Her words were very influential. Even if some people in the court were dissatisfied, they did not dare to say anything. They controlled most of the fields and would never allow the Imperial Court to undergond reform. No matter how ambitious Shen Zhuo was, he did not dare to touch the interests of those powerful people easily. Yu Niaoniao looked at him and said calmly. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid to tell you.¡± ¡°From the moment you gave up Liaodong County, your image in the hearts of the people of Liaodong had beenpletely destroyed.¡± ¡°Especially themoners who were unlucky enough to have their families destroyed in the war. They hate you to the core.¡± ¡°If you want to send troops to Eastern Tang, I can guarantee that the entire Eastern Tang will work together to fight you to the death. If you don¡¯t believe me, try it!¡± Towards the end, her expression had be stern and fierce. Shen Zhuo knew that it would be very difficult to take down the Eastern Tang, but if they really had to fight to the death, the price that Dayan would have to pay would be much greater than he had expected. After all, fighting a war depended on aura. If Eastern Tang really burned their bridges, it meant that they would fight this battle at all costs. As the saying went, there was nothing to be afraid of. Eastern Tang could risk everything to fight Dayan, but Dayan could not. Once the expenditure on the war exceeded expectations, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of War, and the Cab would protest. In order to make up for the expenditure, the Imperial Court could only increase taxes. In this way, themoners would resent them. Themoners would not analyze the reason. They would only be more and more dissatisfied with the Imperial Court and the emperor. It was a vicious circle. As the ruler of a country, Shen Zhuo had to be cautious. Yu Niaoniao continued, ¡°Taking a step back, even if you¡¯re lucky enough to win this battle, it will definitely be a tragic victory. At that time, the people andnd of Eastern Tang will be almost destroyed. You spent so much manpower and financial resources to obtain such a dpidated Eastern Tang. Do you think this deal is worth it?¡± Shen Zhuo was silent for a long time before speaking. ¡°Liaodong County is our Dayan¡¯s territoryu If I give up just like that, where will the national prestige of Dayan be?¡± Yu Niaoniao said coldly, ¡°When the Chen Nation Army invaded Liaodong County and waved the butcher¡¯s knife at the innocent people here, the prestige of the Dayan no longer exists.¡± ¡°The only way you could have restored the might of the country was to chase the Chen Nation Army out of Liaodong County and protect the people living here from the pain of war. ¡°But you gave up this opportunity. Brother Junzhi, you have already lost the right to talk about national power with the people of Liaodong.¡± Every word seemed to be sharp. Even that seemingly soft ¡°Brother Junzhi¡± was filled with mockery in Shen Zhuo¡¯s ears. No matter how much Shen Zhuo could tolerate it, he could not help but be angered. He grabbed Niaoniao by the neck, his eyes filled with hostility. ¡°Do you know who you¡¯re talking to now? Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll kill you now?¡± Outside the door, Wei Liao and themander of the Imperial Guards stood on both sides. There were also many Sky Wolf Guards and Imperial Guards scattered around this room. They were meant to protect the emperor. He heard the conversationing from the room and knew that Shen Zhuo wanted to kill Niaoniao. He subconsciously stood up and ced his hand on the hilt of the saber at his waist. Seeing this, themander of the Imperial Guards immediately became vignt. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you discover any abnormal movements?¡± Wei Liao said nothing. He pricked up his ears to listen carefully for movement in the house. If Shen Zhuo really wanted to attack Niaoniao, he could only take the risk to rush in to save her. Fortunately, Shen Zhuo quickly regained hisposure. He quickly released Yu Niaoniao. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was rash. I didn¡¯t hurt you, right?¡± She had clearly just walked on the line between life and death, but Yu Niaoniao could still smile. ¡°Look, even if it¡¯s me, as long as I offend you, you still can¡¯t help but want to kill me. This is also why you feel lonely at the top. Not because the seat is too high, but because you think too highly of yourself..¡± Chapter 671 - 671: Leave Chapter 671: Leave Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Yu Niaoniao¡¯s words rendered Shen Zhuo speechless. Admittedly, he thought too highly of himself, but he didn¡¯t think it was wrong. Because he was the emperor, the ruler of a country. The entire Dayan belonged to him. He should be above all living beings. This was a privilege given to him by virtue of royal power. Shen Zhuo was silent for a long time before saying. ¡°Are you really not afraid of death?¡± Yu Niaoniao said frankly, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m afraid of death.¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°Then why can¡¯t you say something to make me happy? Even if it¡¯s a lie.¡± Yu Niaoniao said calmly, ¡°If you want to hear pleasant lies, you can return to the Imperial Capital. With your status, I believe countless people will rush to curry favor. You can hear any lie you want, but a fake is a fake. You know this better than me.¡± Shen Zhuo finally could not speak. Yu Niaoniao said rudely, ¡°I can¡¯t give you what you want. Give up.¡± Shen Zhuo was still unwilling to give up. ¡°You weren¡¯t like this in the past. You used to like to pester me and would think of ways to make me happy. You wouldn¡¯t be as cold and heartless as you are now.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times that the past is in the past. Now that you¡¯re the emperor of Dayan and I¡¯m the Duchess of Eastern Tang, you have your territory and I have my husband, child, and friends. We¡¯ve long parted ways and there¡¯s no possibility of us interacting.¡± Empress Dowager Wen had said these words to Shen Zhuo before. But he wouldn¡¯t listen. He had been holding on to thest hope. He hoped that Niaoniao could still soften. He hoped that there was still a possibility of them reconciling. But now that he was seeing her in person, he realized that reality was far colder than he had expected. Yu Niaoniao carefully noted the change in his expression. Seeing that he seemed to be considering, she continued to persuade him. ¡°Xingning City should have been sealed off now. Ah Juan and Guixi must be looking for me everywvhere with their men. If you let me go now, I can pretend that nothing happened and let you leave Eastern Tang.¡± Shen Zhuo asked, ¡°What if I don¡¯t let you go?¡± Yu Niaoniao emphasized, ¡°Xingning City is only so big. Sooner orter, they will find this ce. At that time, none of you will be able to escape.¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°If anything happens to me here, Dayan will immediately send troops to Eastern Tang.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Then let¡¯s fight. At most, we¡¯ll fight to the death!¡± Shen Zhuo was speechless. He looked steadily at the woman in front of him. She clearly did not know any martial arts and had no ability to protect herself, but at this moment, she was unyielding and refused to give in. Who gave her so much confidence? Was it Xiao Juan? Or Tang Guixi? Just as the atmosphere was in a stalemate, there was a sudden knock on the door. Knock knock! Shen Zhuo asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Wei Liao¡¯s voice came through the door. ¡°Your Majesty, the troops of the Eastern Tang are searching the entire city. They¡¯re almost here. We can¡¯t stay here for long. For your safety, please evacuate as soon as possible.¡± Yu Niaoniao immediately turned to look out the window and saw arge group of people approaching from afar. Those people were holding torches in their hands. The mes illuminated the night sky which became as bright as day. Even from afar, they could still see clearly. Shen Zhuo¡¯s eyes never left Yu Niaoniao. ¡°You really don¡¯t want toe with me?¡± Yu Niaoniao said without hesitation, ¡°No.¡± Shen Zhuo¡¯s voice deepened, and his tone sounded almost threatening. ¡°Even if I send troops to tten Eastern Tang, you still won¡¯te with me?¡± Yu Niaoniao still shook her head. Thest hope in Shen Zhuo¡¯s heart waspletely extinguished at this moment. The light in his eyes dimmed, and his expression turned cold. ¡°Do you believe I¡¯ll kill you now?¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at him neither servile nor overbearing. ¡°Brother Junzhi, do you really want to kill me?¡± Shen Zhuo was silent again. Brother Junzhi was such an intimate title. All these years, he had often heard Niaoniao call him that in his dreams. Her voice was sweet and crisp. Now that he heard her call him that in reality, he only felt strong mockery. The huge difference between his ideals and reality made him feel as if a piece of his heart had been dug out. He felt empty. Shen Zhuo knew that he could not bear to kill her. He had been abandoned by his father since he was born, and his mother was extremely strict with him. The people around him constantly reminded him to remember the responsibility he had taken. While the other children were ying carefreely, he was learning to endure. In order to make himself better than the other princes, he had to work twice as hard. He had been improving since he was young. His life seemed to have turned grayish-white, dull and boring. Niaoniao was the only color. It was also because of this that he especially cherished this hint of color. If even this bit of color was erased, there would be no happy time in his life to remember. Shen Zhuo seemed to have resigned himself to fate. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you. Leave.¡± Yu Niaoniao could not help but be stunned. She did not expect Shen Zhuo to suddenly change his mind and let her go. Happiness came so quickly that she couldn¡¯t believe it. Shen Zhuo looked at her andughed at himself. ¡°Why? Can¡¯t bear to leave?¡± Yu Niaoniao stood up. ¡°Goodbye!¡± With that, she strode towards the door. Shen Zhuo looked at her quick footsteps and felt even more bitter. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll send troops to Eastern Tang in a fit of anger?¡± Yu Niaoniao stopped. She turned back to the man sitting at the table and spoke calmly. ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± Shen Zhuo asked, ¡°Where did you get your confidence?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°It¡¯s impossible for you to send troops to Eastern Tang for my sake. Brother Junzhi, perhaps you didn¡¯t realize it yourself. Every time you face a choice, you won¡¯t choose me.¡± Seeing that Shen Zhuo was stunned, Yu Niaoniao spoke unhurriedly. ¡°Back in Bashu, my father proposed to you. He wanted to marry me to you. You chose to refuse without hesitation at the time. This is because you were focused on returning to the pce to take back everything that belongs to you. I¡¯m the extra one in your life n.¡± ¡°Later, in order to make the truth of Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯s murder public, you used me and Juan. You knew it would make me feel bad, but you chose to do it. Because your n is more important to you than I am.¡± ¡°After that, you knew the truth behind my parents¡¯ murder, but you still chose to help the perpetrator. You even med me for being willful and reckless. This is because you knew that once the truth is made public, you won¡¯t be able to keep your position as crown prince.¡± ¡°Compared to your position as Crown Prince, I seem so insignificant. Every time, you will not choose me, So I guess this time will be no exception.¡± ¡°The war between the two countries is not a small matter. You have just ascended the throne and needed to stabilize your status and the hearts of the people.¡± ¡°Fighting a war will do you more harm than good. Fighting for a beauty was just a story told by the storyteller. You¡¯re not the kind of person to do such a thing. ¡± ¡°Perhaps one day, you will send troops to attack the Eastern Tang, but the goal should be for your own ambition. It can¡¯t be just for me.¡± With that, she pulled open the door and walked out without looking back.. Chapter 672 - 672: Esteemed Guest Chapter 672: Esteemed Guest Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Shen Zhuo was left sitting alone at the table. It turned out that every time he made a choice, he subconsciously chose the oue that was more advantageous to him. He couldn¡¯t help butugh at himself. No wonder Niaoniao didn¡¯t want him. Outside the door, Wei Liao heard the conversation between the two of them clearly. When he heard that Yu Niaoniao was not afraid of death and fought Shen Zhuo head-on, he could not help but break out in a cold sweat for her. Others might not know, but people like him, who often followed Shen Zhuo, knew very well that Shen Zhuo only looked gentle and easy to talk to on the surface, but his methods were actually more ruthless than anyone else¡¯s. If she really angered him, Yu Niaoniao would definitely suffer. Fortunately, Shen Zhuo let her off in the end. When Wei Liao saw Yu Niaoniao walk out of the house safely, he silently heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯ll walk you out.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Thank you.¡± They walked out along the corridor. This should be a courtyard. There were many chrysanthemums nted in the courtyard, and there was a stream beside the corridor. The night was hazy and the stream was gurgling. The scenery was very elegant. But neither of them was in the mood to admire the beautiful scenery. Yu Niaoniao was focused on returning quickly and walked quickly. Wei Liao walked unhurriedly beside her. He remembered what he had just heard from the conversation and asked. ¡°Weren¡¯t you afraid he¡¯ll really kill you?¡± Yu Niaoniao did not expect him to suddenly ask and subconsciously stopped in her tracks. Although he didn¡¯t name anyone, they both knew who he meant. Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°If I wasn¡¯t harsh, he would take me away by force. Instead of that, why don¡¯t I take a gamble?¡± Wei Liao said, ¡°Do you know? He hasn¡¯t appointed an empress or taken a concubine yet because he has been waiting for you. As long as you go with him, you can be the empress of Dayan.¡± Yu Niaoniao was unmoved. ¡°So what? Bted love is cheaper than grass.¡± Wei Liao couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°As expected of you.¡± Afterughing, he regained hisposure slightly. ¡°When we return to the Imperial Capital this time, he should take a concubine. This is yourst chance. Are you really not going to regret it?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s great. When he gets married, give him a big red packet on my behalf. I wish them a happy marriage.¡± Wei Liaoughed again. But as he smiled, he couldn¡¯t smile anymore. Because he thought of himself. Perhaps in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s heart, he was the same as Shen Zhuo. As much as she did not care about Shen Zhuo, she did not care about him. Unknowingly, the two of them had reached the courtyard door. A Sky Wolf Guard stepped forward and pulled open the courtyard door. Wei Liao stopped. ¡°This is as far as I can send you. Just leave this door and walk straight ahead.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Yu Niaoniao walked out briskly. Wei Liao watched her leave, thinking that this might be thest time they would see each other. From now on, they would be far apart and would never have the chance to meet again. Just as he was feeling sad, he suddenly saw Yu Niaoniao stop. She turned to him and smiled brightly. ¡°If you¡¯re free in the future, you¡¯re wee toe to Eastern Tang.¡± Wei Liao was slightly stunned. When he came back to his senses, Yu Niaoniao was already far away. She disappeared into the vast night. The courtyard door was closed again. Wei Liao curled his lips and smiled gently. In that case, he was still different from Shen Zhuo. Niaoniao did not want to see Shen Zhuo again, but she looked forward to himing to Eastern Tang as a guest in the future. ¡°I¡¯lle if I get the chance.¡± In order to find Niaoniao, Xiao Juan and Tang Guixi almost turned the entire Xingning City over. They led arge group of people to search everywhere, but they still could not find any traces of Yu Niaoniao. Meng Xizhou said, ¡°Only the street in front hasn¡¯t been searched. If we can¡¯t even find Madam Duchess there, we can only dig three feet into the ground.¡± Xiao Juan did not speak. He strode forward with dark clouds in his ck eyes. It was as if a thunderstorm could fall at any moment. As they turned the corner, they bumped into someone. Both sides were stunned. Yu Niaoniao cried out in surprise, ¡°Ah Juan!¡± She spread her arms and threw herself into Xiao Juan¡¯s arms. Xiao Juan hugged her in disbelief. Niaoniao had actually returned. He had thought he would never see her again. Meng Xizhou, Yan Nanguan, and the others were also pleasantly surprised. ¡°Madam, why are you here?¡± Yu Niaoniao hesitated for a moment before telling them the truth. Meng Xizhou was furious. ¡°Isn¡¯t Shen Zhuo staying well in Dayan? How dare hee to Xingning City to kidnap Madam? Isn¡¯t he looking down on us Eastern Tang people too much?! Isn¡¯t he afraid that we¡¯ll kill him?!¡± Although Xiao Juan did not say anything, it could be seen that he really wanted to kill Shen Zhuo from his gloomy expression. Yu Niaoniao hurriedly advised. ¡°Don¡¯t be rash. Since Shen Zhuo dared toe here personally, he must be fully prepared. He said that he had already left an edict. If he doesn¡¯t return safely, Dayan will immediately send troops to Eastern Tang. We can¡¯t kill Shen Zhuo unless we have no choice.¡± Although she had acted tough in front of Shen Zhuo just now, the truth was that she did not want to fight. Themoners of Eastern Tang had just experienced a huge battle and had finally returned to normal life. No one wanted to ruin their hard-won peaceful life. Xiao Juan naturally knew this. However, he did not want to let Shen Zhuo off so easily. He asked Yan Nanguan to bring people to surround the courtyard where Shen Zhuo was to prevent him from secretly running away. Then, he brought Niaoniao to look for Tang Guixi. Tang Guixi was sweating profusely over Niaoniao¡¯s disappearance. She was naturally surprised and happy to see Niaoniao return safely. Xiao Juan told her about Shen Zhuo. She was the master of Eastern Tang. She had to make the decision now. Tang Guixi gritted her teeth. ¡°He actually dared to kidnap someone under my nose. How dare he? Does he really think our Eastern Tang doesn¡¯t dare to do anything to him?!¡± Yu Niaoniao advised her to calm down. Tang Guixi snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t kill him.¡± With that, she waved her hand and shouted. ¡°Go get my armor!¡± Yu Niaoniao was puzzled. ¡°It¡¯ste at night and there¡¯s no war. Why do you want your armor?¡± Tang Guixi gritted her teeth. ¡°It¡¯s rare for the Dayan emperor toe to Eastern Tang. He¡¯s an important guest of our Eastern Tang. Of course, I have to put on my armor and bring everyone to wee him formally!¡± Yu Niaoniao looked at her fierce expression and felt that she was not weing an important guest. Instead, she looked like she was going to fight in the street. Xiao Juan reminded her, ¡°Remember to sharpen your swords.¡± Yu Niaoniao was shocked. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything rash.¡± Xiao Juan exined expressionlessly, ¡°It¡¯s too dark. Grind the swords until they¡¯re snow-white so that they can illuminate the way for the Dayan esteemed guests, in case they¡¯re blind and mess around in the future..¡± Chapter 673 - 673: I Believe You Chapter 673: I Believe You Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios When he found out that Xiao Juan and Tang Guixi had brought people to look for him, Shen Zhuo was not surprised. He had already expected this moment. At the same time, he knew very well that Xiao Juan and Tang Guixi would not dare to do anything to him. Like him, they did not want another war for the time being. Shen Zhuo stood up slowly. ¡°Let¡¯s go out and meet them.¡± Wei Liao and themander of the imperial guards turned to the side to make way. When Shen Zhuo walked out, they followed him silently. When the courtyard door was pulled open, there were hundreds of people standing outside. They held torches in one hand and weapons in the other. The firelight shone on the des, refracting a terrifying cold light in the night. Xiao Juan and Tang Guixi stood at the front of the team with murderous expressions. When Shen Zhuo appeared, the corners of Tang Guixi¡¯s mouth twitched into a fake smile. ¡°Yo, if it isn¡¯t the emperor of Dayan. Why are you in a small ce like ours?¡± It was very sarcastic. Shen Zhuo ced his hands behind his back and said calmly, ¡°I was traveling incognito and came here for a stroll. I didn¡¯t expect to rm so many people.¡± Tang Guixi faked another smile. ¡°Heh! You strolled from the Imperial Capital to Eastern Tang. You¡¯ve wandered far enough.¡± Shen Zhuo nced at the group of murderous soldiers behind her and said, ¡°You don¡¯t look like you wee me.¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°How can that be? Those whoe are guests. We Eastern Tang people are the most hospitable.¡± She especially turned to look at the soldiers behind her and asked loudly. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so?¡± The soldiers shouted in unison, ¡°Yes!!¡± The sound was deafening as it echoed through the night. It could be said to be very imposing! It made people feel inexplicably nervous that they were on the battlefield where a battle could be started at any time. Shen Zhuo¡¯s eyelids twitched. If not for the fact that he had long asked about Tang Guixi¡¯s personality and knew that she valued the livelihood of the people how to escape. He remained calm. ¡°I¡¯ve already felt Eastern Tang¡¯s enthusiasm, but I still have something to do and don¡¯t n to stay here for long. I¡¯ll leave at dawn tomorrow.¡± Tang Guixi had never thought of keeping him, but she did not intend to let him go so easily. ¡°It¡¯s rare for the Dayan emperor toe to Eastern Tang, and I didn¡¯t have time to do my best as a host. Why don¡¯t we do this? Tomorrow, Founding Duke will bring troops to send you out of Eastern Tang. Don¡¯t worry, with Founding Duke around, your journey will definitely be smooth.¡± She turned to look at Xiao Juan and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Xiao Juan cupped his hands. ¡°I will definitely not let you down. I will definitely send the Dayan emperor out of Eastern Tang smoothly.¡± Tang Guixi pped her hands happily. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled!¡± Shen Zhuo wanted to refuse. However, Tang Guixi did not give him a chance at all. She said directly, ¡°Aiyaya, it¡¯s already sote. You still have to travel tomorrow morning. You have to rest well tonight. I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. Goodbye!¡± With that, she left with Xiao Juan without looking back. As for the hundreds of soldiers who came with them, they were left behind. They surrounded the small courtyard. It was called protection, but it was actually surveince. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan returned to the Duke¡¯s Mansion with their daughter. Usually, Little Fubao slept alone in the small bed with the nanny and maidservant watching over her all night. However, tonight, Little Fubao refused to sleep alone. She clung to Yu Niaoniao. As long as Yu Niaoniao let go of her, she would cry. She had no choice. Yu Niaoniao could only sleep with her daughter tonight. Fortunately, the bed was big enough. There was still more than enough space for a little Fubao between Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan. Little Fubao snuggled in her mother¡¯s arms and grabbed her mother¡¯spels with her small hands. Her two ck grape-like eyes stared at his mother without blinking, as if she was afraid that her mother would disappear in the next moment. Yu Niaoniao hugged her and gently patted her back, humming a luby gently. Her mother¡¯s breath and voice made Little Fubao feel at ease. Before she realized it, the little fellow closed her eyes and fell asleep. Yu Niaoniao stopped humming. She looked past Little Fubao and met Xiao Juan¡¯s eyes. She lowered her voice and asked, ¡°When are you leaving tomorrow?¡± Xiao Juan also lowered his voice. ¡°Five o¡¯clock. We have to set off at dawn.¡± Yu Niaoniao wanted to get up. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to prepare your luggage.¡± This trip would take at least ten days. They had to prepare food and clothes. Xiao Juan reached out to hold her down. ¡°No need. I¡¯ve already asked Granny to prepare. ¡± Granny Xiu Yan was still very reliable, so Yu Niaoniaoy back down in peace. There was a long silence. Just as Xiao Juan thought that she was already asleep, he suddenly heard her ask, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me?¡± Xiao Juan asked, ¡°Ask you what?¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Ask why Shen Zhuo kidnapped me. What did he say to me after I met him? And why did he let me back in one piece?¡± Xiao Juan naturally wanted to know very much. But after a moment of silence, he said, ¡°I want to hear what you want to say. If you don¡¯t wish to say it, I¡¯ll pretend none of this happened.¡± Yu Niaoniao became even more curious. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to care what happened between Shen Zhuo and me.¡± Xiao Juan said, ¡°I care.¡± He sounded certain and did not hesitate. Yu Niaoniao smiled and said in a low and soft voice, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you ask? Aren¡¯t you afraid that something would happen between me and Shen Zhuo behind your back?¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°You won¡¯t do that. I believe you.¡± Although he said that, the intimate scene of Yu Niaoniao and Shen Zhuo still involuntarily appeared in his mind. He immediately had the urge to kill. After experiencing so much together, Yu Niaoniao had a deep understanding of Xiao Juan. Even if he didn¡¯t say it, she could guess what he was thinking through the subtle changes in his expression. In order to prevent his imagination from running wild, Yu Niaoniao simply told him everything she had said to Shen Zhuo. Xiao Juan suppressed the surging jealousy in his heart andmented without changing his expression, ¡°Shen Zhuo came all the way to Eastern Tang to look for you. He¡¯s indeed sincere to you.¡± Yu Niaoniao nced at him. ¡°You seem to support him very much?¡± Xiao Juan immediately said, ¡°He¡¯s not worthy of you.¡± Putting everything else aside, just from the fact that Shen Zhuo had used Yu Niaoniao again and again and did not care about her feelings at all, he was not worthy of her. Yu Niaoniao smiled again. She, on the other hand, asked knowingly, ¡°Then who do you think is worthy of me?¡± Xiao Juan opened his mouth and the word ¡°I¡± circled on the tip of his tongue, but he could not spit it out. Yu Niaoniao looked at his hesitant expression and felt that it was very cute. If not for the fact that there was a little Fubao sleeping between the two of them, she would definitely have gone up to kiss him. Xiao Juan seemed to read her thoughts from her eyes. He propped himself up on the bed with one hand, reached past his precious daughter, and kissed his dear wife on the lips. It was a light kiss without any lust. There was the calmness and beauty of the years.. Chapter 674 - 674: Forever, Never Separated (1) Chapter 674: Forever, Never Separated (1) Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Tonight, some people could not sleep for a long time, while others slept peacefully. The next morning, Yu Niaoniao opened her eyes and woke up to find that Xiao Juan had already left. After breakfast, Yu Niaoniao carried her daughter to the pce. As soon as Tang Guixi left the court, she was pestered by a group of ministers. There was also a mountain of memorials on the desk. Although Eastern Tang was a small country, there were many things to do. Tang Guixi had a headache from all kinds of government affairs every day. When she heard that Yu Niaoniao and Little Fubao had arrived, she felt as if she had been pardoned. She took the opportunity to shake off the chattering ministers and ran to see Yu ??? and her daughter. Without the nagging of the ministers, Tang Guixi felt that the air had be fresh. She picked up Little Fu Bao and ced her on her knee. Little Fubao had learned it from someone. She had liked shiny things since she was young. She saw the golden hairpin on Tang Guixi¡¯s head and reached out to pull it. The hairpin was a lifelike golden dragon. The dragon¡¯s mouth held an east pearl, and there was a long golden tassel hanging at the end. It looked golden and luxurious. But that was a hairpin that represented the identity of the empress of the Eastern Tang. Yu Niaoniao wanted to stop Little Fubao, but Tang Guixi casually pulled out the golden hairpin. She deliberately shook the golden hairpin. Little Fubao¡¯s eyes followed the golden hairpin, and she waved his small meaty ws up and down, looking extremely excited. Tang Guixi smiled and said, ¡°Little Fubao, you like it? Then I¡¯ll give you this hairpin.¡± Yu Niaoniao hurriedly said, ¡°Little Fubao can¡¯t afford such an expensive thing.¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°Little Fubao is a natural lucky star. There¡¯s nothing in this world that she can¡¯t afford. Not to mention this hairpin, even the entire Eastern Tang¡­¡¯ Yu Niaoniao quickly interrupted her. ¡°Tang Guixi!¡± Ever since Tang Guixi became the empress, Yu Niaoniao had never called her by her full name. Now that she suddenly called her by her full name, she was clearly really anxious. Tang Guixi chuckled. ¡°Alright, alright. I was just joking.¡± Yu Niaoniao was speechless. ¡°How can you joke like that?!¡± Fortunately, there were no outsiders in the room. If someone with ill intentions heard what Tang Guixi had just said, who knew how much trouble it would cause? Although the golden hairpin was good, it was too heavy for a baby. In addition, one end of the golden hairpin was very sharp. Little Fubao might stab herself if she held it. In the end, Tang Guixi did not give the golden hairpin to Little Fubao. She broke off the east pearl on the golden hairpin and stuffed it into little Fubao¡¯s hand. ¡°Take it and y with it. I¡¯ll give you the hairpin when you grow up.¡± The east pearl was the size of an adult¡¯s thumb. It was round and smooth, shiny, and warm to the touch. It was obvious that it was priceless. Although little Fubao was young, she knew her stuff. She held the east pearl lovingly. Yu Niaoniao stared at little Fubao¡¯s actions, afraid that she would foolishly stuff the east pearl into her mouth. She heard Tang Guixi say, ¡°Niaoniao, can you do me a favor?¡± Yu Niaoniao had already expected this. Someone who was unountably solicitous was hiding evil intentions. Tang Guixi suddenly gave little Fubao an east pearl. She must have a request. Yu Niaoniao looked at Tang Guixi and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Tang Guixi rubbed her hands and smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°There have been more memorials recently. I really can¡¯t finish them alone. Can you help me share the burden?¡± Yu Niaoniao ??refused. ¡°No, how can a woman like me interfere in a national matter?¡± Yu Niaoniao continued, ¡°I¡¯m different from you. You¡¯re the empress. I¡¯m just a Madam.¡± Tang Guixi said, ¡°I can give you an official position.¡± Yu Niaoniao said, ¡°Thank you, but no.¡± Now, other than eating, drinking, and walking her child every day, she could even go out to y with Xiao Juan from time to time. Her days were extremely happy. She did not want to be a nine-to-five worker! Tang Guixi refused to give up and hugged her. ¡°Niaoniao, my good Niaoniao! Please help me share some government affairs on ount of us being sisters!¡± Yu Niaoniao imitated her tone. ¡°Guixi, my good Guixi! Please let me off on ount of us being sisters!¡± Tang Guixi looked at her pitifully with tears in her eyes. Yu Niaoniao wanted to escape. Tang Guixi hugged her arm tightly. In terms of strength, Yu Niaoniao was definitely not Tang Guixi¡¯s match. Yu Niaoniao could not break free and said word by word, ¡°Your Majesty, please respect yourself! ¡° Chapter 675 - 675: Forever, Never Separated (2) Chapter 675: Forever, Never Separated (2) Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Tang Guixi pressed her face against her arm. ¡°If you don¡¯t agree to help me, I won¡¯t let you go.¡± Yu Niaoniao gritted her teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t forget your current identity. You¡¯re the empress, not a scoundrel!¡± Tang Guixi was very single. ¡°As long as I can get you to help me, I don¡¯t mind being a scoundrel for once.¡± Yu Niaoniao really could not shake off this sticky candy. She was forced topromise. In any case, Xiao Juan was not at home during this period of time. She had nothing to do, so helping Tang Guixi deal with government affairs was just to pass the time. Tang Guixi had followed her father to the military camp since she was young and was very experienced in using troops and martial arts, but she was clueless about studying. In other words, she was an out-and-out bottom feeder. Recently, the court was preparing to revise thews of the Eastern Tang. Tang Guixi looked a the various regtions and almost went crazy. At this moment, she returned all the amendments to Yu Niaoniao and said ingratiatingly. Yu Niaoniao moved her arm. ¡°My shoulder seems a little sore.¡± Tang Guixi leaned over and massaged her shoulders solicitously. ¡°Is there anywhere else that doesn¡¯t feel well? You can tell me.¡± Yu Niaoniao moved her legs again. ¡°My legs seem to be a little sore too.¡± Tang Guixi immediately squatted down to massage her legs. When Yu Niaoniao wasfortable, she reached out to pick up the draftw drawn up by the ministers and read it seriously. Unlike Tang Guixi. that bottom feeder. Yu ??? had a DhotograDhic memory. She read the draft quickly and memorized all the regtions. Next was to revise it article by article. This was a veryplicated job and required a lot of patience. At the same time, Xiao Juan led the Eastern Expedition Army to escort Shen Zhuo and the others out of Eastern Tang. The Eastern Expedition Army still remembered Shen Zhuo¡¯s withdrawal of food support and the hatred of disregarding the lives of the 300,000 soldiers. All of them held their breaths. Along the way, they red at Shen Zhuo with hatred at all times. The dense killing intent was almost about to materialize. When Xiao Juan was practicing archery, he ¡°identally¡± shot an arrow to Shen Zhuo¡¯s side several times and almost pierced his head. Themander of the imperial guards following Shen Zhuo questioned angrily, ¡°Xiao Juan, what do you mean by this? Do you want to murder our emperor?!¡± Xiao Juan waved his hand and said slowly, ¡°Sorry, my hand slipped.¡± His tone was slow and perfunctory. Themander of the imperial guards was furious. However, he was under someone else¡¯s roof. This was still Eastern Tang¡¯s territory. In addition, Shen Zhuo was not injured, so he could only suppress his anger. Apart from that, every time Xiao Juan arrived at an area, he would get the Eastern Expedition Army to spread the news locally and let the localmoners know that the emperor of Dayan was there. Back then, the Chen Nation¡¯s army burned, killed, and plundered the territory of Eastern Tang, but the dayan Emperor did not save them. This debt had always been remembered in the hearts of themoners of Eastern Tang. This was especially true for those who had lost rtives and friends in the war. They were even more vicious to the Dayan emperor. Because the Eastern Expedition Army was watching from the side, themoners did not dare to attack the Dayan emperor. They could only follow behind the emperor¡¯s carriage and curse. The curses entered the carriage and Shen Zhuo heard them clearly. Involuntarily, he closed his eyes, his hands clenched into fists in his wide sleeves. So what Yu Niaoniao said was true. Everyone in Eastern Tang hated him. Even if he could send troops to tten Eastern Tang, he could not erase the hatred in the hearts of the people of Eastern Tang. Because of this resentment, Eastern Tang was twisted into a rope and was impregnable. It was far more difficult for Dayan to take back the Eastern Tang than Shen Zhuo had expected. At this moment, Shen Zhuo finally felt a trace of regret¡­ If he had known earlier, he would not have given up on Liaodong back then. Xiao Juan sent him to the border of the Eastern Tang. There was no rtionship between love rivals. Afterpleting the mission, Xiao Juan did not want to look at Shen Zhuo anymore and nned to leave with the Eastern Expedition Army. Shen Zhuo suddenly stopped him. ¡°Xiao Juan.¡± Xiao Juan rode on the horse and looked at him expressionlessly. ¡°What else?¡± Shen Zhuo said, ¡°Tell Niaoniao that her parents¡¯ graves are still fine. I didn¡¯t let anyone disturb them. If Niaoniao is free in the future, she cane back to visit them anytime.¡± Xiao Juan was impatient to hear his nagging and casually replied, ¡°Alright.¡± Shen Zhuo hesitated for a moment before taking out the small silver earring from his sleeve.. Chapter 676 - 676: Forever, Never Separated (3) Chapter 676: Forever, Never Separated (3) Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios ¡°This is Niaoniao¡¯s. Please bring it back to her. Please take good care of her in the future. If she¡¯s not doing well in Eastern Tang, she cane back to Dayan to look for me at any time.¡± Xiao Juan rode forward and reached out to take the silver earring. He did not know that Shen Zhuo still had something that belonged to Niaoniao. That made him feel even more jealous. ¡°Niaoniao is my wife. I treat her like a treasure. There¡¯s no need for outsiders to say anything. I¡¯ll also take good care of her for the rest of my life.¡± He deliberately emphasized thest four words. Shen Zhuo felt lonely. He had once had a chance to marry Niaoniao, but unfortunately, he did not seize it well. Now that she was someone else¡¯s wife, it was useless for him to regret it. Seeing that he could no longer say anything, Xiao Juan pulled the horse to change direction and led the Eastern Expedition Army away. Shen Zhuo lowered the curtain and a calm voice came from the carriage. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± As the carriage moved along the road, the Eastern Tang behind it seemed to get further and further away. Compared to when they came, Xiao Juan and the Eastern Expedition Army were much more rxed when they returned. They retraced their steps back to Xingning City. It had been a long time since hest saw her. Xiao Juan was anxious to return. He went straight to the Duke¡¯s Mansion, but when he entered, he didn¡¯t see Niaoniao. After asking, he found out that his wife and daughter had been kidnapped to the pce. So he rushed to the pce without even changing. When Yu Niaoniao found out that Xiao Juan had returned, she immediately pushed the draft aside and ran out with her daughter. ¡°Ah Juan! ¡± Xiao Juan strode over and scooped his wife and daughter into his arms, hugging them tightly. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± Little Fubao had not seen her father for many days. When she suddenly saw him today, she did not know why, but her mouth opened and he called out vaguely. ¡°Aiya, Father¡­¡¯ At more than a year old, she had long learned to call her mother, but she had not yet known how to call her father. Xiao Juan told himself not to take it to heart. After all, Fubao was still young and would learn to call him father sooner orter. With that being said, he was still a little disappointed Unexpectedly, he suddenly heard little Fubao call them father today. Xiao Juan and Yu Niaoniao were stunned. Xiao Juan was overjoyed and hurriedly said, ¡°Fubao, what did you call me just now?¡± Little Fubao seemed a little shy. She arched in Yu Niaoniao¡¯s arms before shouting again. ¡°Father.¡± The pronunciation was not standard. It sounded childish. The corners of Xiao Juan¡¯s mouth curled up involuntarily. The haze brought by Shen Zhuo was swept away. He was overjoyed now. He picked up his daughter and stood up. ¡°Good baby, call me that again.¡± Little Fubao called him father again. Xiao Juan feltfortable all over and was about to fly. He held Niaoniao¡¯s hand with one hand, and a rare smile on his face. ¡°Let¡¯s go home!¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Xiao Juan said as he walked, ¡°I bought a lot of things on the way back. I brought them for you and Fubao.¡± Yu Niaoniao was filled with anticipation. ¡®What did you buy? Is there anything delicious Xiao Juan said, ¡°Of course. You must like it.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Wow!¡± Tang Guixi¡¯s shout came from behind. ¡°Niaoniao, don¡¯t go. You haven¡¯t finished what you¡¯re supposed to do today!¡± Hearing this, not only did Yu Niaoniao not stop, but she also pulled Xiao Juan away even faster. ¡°Go, go.¡± Xiao Juan could not help but be curious. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Yu Niaoniao told him about being captured by Tang Guixi these few days. ¡°I¡¯ve already helped her revise most of the draft, but she¡¯s still not satisfied. She even wants me to help her ount for the taxes for the first half of the year. Do you know how many ledgers there are to record the taxes? They fill a house!¡± As she gestured with both hands as she spoke, her expression was extremely exaggerated. ¡°Even if I have a photographic memory, you can¡¯t squeeze me dry like this, right? I¡¯ve decided that we¡¯ll leave Xingning tomorrow morning!¡± Xiao Juan smiled and asked, ¡®Where do you want to go?¡± Yu Niaoniao waved her hand. ¡°I want to go out and have fun. Our family of three will go wherever we want to go!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Although Little Fubao did not understand what the adults were talking about, she could feel that her parents were in a good mood, so she waved her small ws and shouted. ¡°Yiya, okay¡± Therefore, early the next morning, Xiao Juan left Xingning City with his wife and daughter. They weed the bright morning light and began the long-awaited trip. By the time Tang Guixi found out about this, the family of three had already fled.. Chapter 677 - 677: Forever, Never Separated (4) Chapter 677: Forever, Never Separated (4) Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios Her n to capture rare talents was ruined. She could only ept her fate and deal with the endless memorials herself. After being busy every day, Tang Guixi had to write a letter and ask the messenger to bring it to Yu Niaoniao, who was traveling. In the letter, she cried about her hard work and tried to use the ruse of self-injury to move Yu Niaoniao and lure her back to share the government affairs with her. Unfortunately, Yu Niaoniao was heartless. Not only was she not moved, but she also did not want to return to Xingning. Perhaps the heavens were really looking out for Eastern Tang. Over the past year, the weather in Eastern Tang had been smooth and the crops in the fields had grown gratifyingly. During the autumn harvest, there were even more fruits. In the carriage, Yu Niaoniao looked at therge golden wheat fields outside the car window and was very happy. At this moment, Little Fubao was already asleep. Xiao Juan ced her on the soft cushion and gently covered her with a soft nket. He looked up at the side of her face and hesitated for a moment. In the end, he took the silver earring out of his sleeve. Shen Zhuo had given it to him before he left and asked him to pass it to Niaoniao. He felt awkward and had never taken it out. But he knew very well that he would have to face this sooner orter. If he kept hiding it, it would only make the knot in his heart grow. ¡°This is yours, right? I¡¯ll return it to you.¡± Yu Niaoniao turned around and looked at the silver earring in his hand in surprise. ¡°Why is it with you?¡± Xiao Juan pursed his thin lips. ¡°Shen Zhuo asked me to give it to you. He also said that your parents¡¯ graves are still in ce. You can go back and visit them anytime.¡± Yu Niaoniao reached out and took the silver earring. ¡°This is indeed mine.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s heart tightened, and his fingers subconsciously curled up. Did she still care about Shen Zhuo? Then, he saw Yu Niaoniao raise her hand and throw the silver earring out of the car window. The small silver earring drew a parab in the air and silently fell into the wheat field,pletely disappearing. Xiao Juan was stunned. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yu Niaoniao pped her hands with a rxed expression. ¡°That earring was originally a pair. Now that there¡¯s only one left, it¡¯s useless for me to keep it. I might as well discard it.¡± Xiao Juan¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved, and his curled fingers slowly rxed. ¡°Can¡¯t you bear to?¡± Yu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just an earring. If I like it, I can buy it again anytime. What¡¯s there to be reluctant about?¡± Hearing this, Xiao Juan finally rxedpletely. He took off the pouch at his waist and handed it to her. ¡°It¡¯s all for you. You can buy as many earrings as you want.¡± Yu Niaoniao¡¯s smile widened, and her eyes were as bright as the sun. ¡°You said it.¡± Xiao Juan smiled too. ¡°Yes, I said so.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t feel sorry if I spend all your moneyter.¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy, anything is fine.¡± ¡°Xiao MO Zhu, I realize that you¡¯re getting better at talking.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± ¡°Then I have to be honest with you. Actually, I¡¯m hiding a secret. Do you want to know?¡± ¡®Yes, 1 do.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you yet. When we¡¯re old and can¡¯t walk anymore and we¡¯re about to die, I¡¯ll tell you what that secret is.¡± ¡°Alright, as you wish.¡± The couple got used to saying meaningless things every day. The carriage swayed gently, and the golden wheat waves in the fields rolled with the wind. A warm breeze blew into the carriage. The sun was bright and warm. Little Fubao, who was sleeping soundly, dreamed of something. She smacked her lips and her small face was filled with a sweet smile. Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan¡¯s voices gradually lowered. They sat next to each other and quietly looked out the window at the gradually setting sun. Xiao Juan suddenly took out something and stuffed it into Yu Niaoniao¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s for you.¡± Yu Niaoniao looked down and realized that it was a square jade pendant. There was an auspicious beast totem engraved on it and a green silk ribbon below. She immediately recognized it. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the jade pendant you identally lost back then?¡± Xiao Juan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Back then, he had identally lost the jade pendant at the pce banquet. Yu Niaoniao had picked it up and wanted to sell it for money, causing a series of ridiculous rumors. It was also because of this that Xiao Juan could possibly know Niaoniao. Yu Niaoniaoughed. ¡°This jade pendant can be considered our matchmaker. I have to cherish it.¡± Xiao Juan also smiled. Yu Niaoniao put the jade pendant into her pocket. ¡°If there¡¯s a next life, let¡¯s rely on this jade pendant to acknowledge each other.¡± These words made no sense. How could they still hold the same jade pendant after reincarnation? However, Xiao Juan did not care about this. He replied seriously, ¡°Okay.¡± Yu Niaoniao extended her pinky. ¡°Pinky promise.¡± Xiao Juan obediently extended his pinky and twined it with hers, shaking it up and down. He knew he couldn¡¯t be so greedy. He should be satisfied with Niaoniao for the rest of this life, but he couldn¡¯t help but pray that he could still be with her in his next life. They would never be separated. -The End- The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!