The man left and trouble came knocking on the door.

  That thin layer of fat is so soft and elastic.

  "What's your task this time?" As far as she knew, this guy had been following Old Master Wang since he was a child, couldn't recognize many characters, but was good at martial arts and sword fighting. Letting him assist in handling official duties wouldn't be a problem if he didn't drag his feet. But sending him with Yang Qitai to kill those Taoist priests wasn't realistic either.

  Li Xiao fell silent for a moment before responding, "My task is very simple, and it's as easy as can be." He gazed into Jing's eyes, "However, it involves state secrets..."

  "Since it's like that, then don't say anything more. I...I believe you."

  Li Xixin's heart was moved, and he tightly grasped her hand. "I'm sorry, you're pregnant now, I shouldn't go out again." Especially with this task of his, although it looked comfortable on the surface, in reality, it hid many dangers.

  She said with a hint of melancholy: "If I had to choose between a vigorous and untamed eagle, and a tame and gentle canary, I would choose the eagle." She gazed at the man's eyes, her own eyes shining with determination as she continued: "I couldn't bear to clip the eagle's wings for my own selfish desires, depriving him of his ambition and passion." For men, one must give them a vast sky to soar in; keeping them tied down by your side every day is not the way.

  Li Xixin was deeply moved, but his way of expression was to hold her tightly in his arms.

  ……

  The efficiency of the Wang Fu was still very high, and within two days, Li Xiong's luggage had been packed. Ruan Qing carefully checked the luggage and felt a bit depressed, thinking that she couldn't even pretend to be virtuous anymore. So, she spent the whole night making a small pouch, tied it with silk strings, and personally hung it on Li Xiong's waist. As she did so, she muttered to herself, "I spent two days making this, although it's a bit rough, but it's my heartfelt gift. I won't let you take it off privately. Inside, I've put some fragrant herbs and medicine that can repel mosquitoes and prevent them from biting. Every ten or half months, have Xiao Shunzi buy some wormwood, peppermint, and seven-fragrance flowers to put inside, and I guarantee that mosquitoes won't come near you." She also warned him, "You're going on official business, don't wear anything flashy to entice young girls...". As she said this, Ruan Qing reminded him, "I've told you, you already have a wife, and children are about to be born. You should put away your peacock tail. If you encounter someone selling their body or burying their father, it's best to let Xiao Shunzi take care of it. Keep a distance from me. Also, if you encounter a woman in distress, don't intervene personally, just let the servants rescue her. And those women who want to repay you with their bodies after being rescued, stay far away from them." She added, "Oh, and if officials try to curry favor with you, it's fine to accept some jewelry or gold bars, but absolutely do not accept beautiful women. And...and..." Suddenly, she looked at Li Xiong and said, "What am I doing?"

  Li Xiang hugged her no longer slender waist, "No, just suddenly didn't want to leave." He had always been impatient with women's nagging and irrational jealousy, even more so with the fierce and violent River East Lion. But for some reason, he didn't dislike his little wife's nagging, instead feeling a sweet sensation in his heart.

  "But suddenly found that you can't bear to part with me?" The tone was quite pleased, but he lightly patted his face, pretending to be mature, "Don't be a hero for a short time, go early and come back early, try to return before I give birth."

  Li Xue smiled, lowered his head and kissed her pink lips, then tightly hugged her into his arms. "I'll be back as soon as possible."

  Just like the emotions that wrapped around him, the unique sandalwood scent on the man's body made her infatuated, she sniffed and nestled in his arms, really not wanting to leave this familiar and gradually dependent embrace.

  "Did you hear what I just said?"

  "...I may have to disappoint you," Li Xiang's piercing gaze locked onto hers, his face filled with deep remorse. "This time, going to Jiangxi, do you know what my mission is?"

  "Or are you going to let him go sightseeing and have fun with courtesans?" She was just joking, but seeing Li Xiao's silence, her heart tightened, and her face changed color. "Is the Emperor asking you... to lure the snake out of its hole?"

  Li Xiang's face flashed with surprise, "You even guessed this?"

  "No way, who made me so smart?" Then with a tone of concern, "Really no other way?"

  Li Xiang continued to remain silent, only muttering a low "sorry", but his heart was already stirred up, and he couldn't help but say angrily: "Who the hell came up with this stupid idea?" He then saw Li Xiang's strange expression and involuntarily took in a breath of air, "My brother?"

  Li Xian hastily explained, "Knowing the rules is just a proposal, and it's just to get through the young master's life, eating, drinking, playing, and then...and..."

  "Again, you will bring disaster to the people, bully and oppress your neighbors, forcibly take women, and even kill some. Then, you will cheat men and bully women, be corrupt and unjust, and do whatever you want. And as if that's not enough, you are a prince, after all, a dignified prince. This will surely provoke public outrage, and this way, the White Lotus Sect will see you as a thorn in their side and concentrate their firepower to eliminate you for the people's sake. However, there are many skilled fighters around the prince, making it impossible to get close easily. Therefore, the White Lotus Sect must launch an all-out attack to eliminate you, this scourge of the people. At that time, the Marquis of Qingchang will lead his troops to suppress the uprising. And as for the prince, isn't he just a clear bait?"

  Li Xuan let out a deep sigh, "You've got everything right." He gazed into her loving eyes, feeling extremely comforted. "Marrying such an intelligent wife is truly a blessing from three lifetimes. However, I still worry..."

  "What is the king worried about?" As she spoke, she looked up at Li Xiong with her clear and bright eyes, which were filled with deep concern and trust. She stared at him and said word by word: "I believe you won't do anything that would make me sad. I also believe you can control yourself and not be swayed by external temptations. I'm just worried that the White Lotus Sect has many skilled fighters who come and go as they please, and I'm afraid that while you are in the light, they will be in the dark, and what if..."

  Li Xiu's heart warmed, and he comforted him, saying: "Don't worry, it's just a show. Besides, the emperor has assigned me three hundred imperial guards this time. The Marquis of Qingchang also gave me his most elite guards, and the Wang Mansion will also send one hundred and twenty imperial guards to follow us. I will also have eighteen personal bodyguards by my side, each of whom has been through a hundred battles and is loyal to me, so nothing will happen."

  "But when you went to do something bad, did you have to bring so many elite soldiers with you?" Otherwise, how could you attract the enemy?

  Li Xiao said in a low voice, "Don't worry, although I only brought eighteen iron guards with me, those imperial guards are all disguised as ordinary people and following us from the surroundings. If there's any sign of trouble, they will definitely come forward to support us."

  Ru Jing shook her head, "Although the imperial guards have high martial arts skills, they have been living in luxury and comfort for many years and have no experience in fighting against enemies. How can they defeat the brave White Lotus Sect disciples?"

  "Don't worry, I'll take good care of myself."

  "As if still shaking her head, 'In order to deceive the cult followers and make them think you're a real scourge of the nation, you must do some things that will anger heaven and men, but this way, you'll be in danger... I'm so afraid...'"

  Li Xiao lightly kissed her hair, "I promise you, I will definitely come back safely and won't let you become a widow."

  As her emotions sank, she knew that men and women think differently, have different ideas. In a man's world, women and children only occupy a small corner, but for women, men are the entire sky... The more she thought about it, the more sorrowful she became, but she didn't want to cry in front of him, so she could only hold back her tears, her eyes sour, and whispered, "You'd better remember, I don't want to be a widow, nor will I mourn for you."

  Li Xiang Zheng buried his head in her chest, holding her tightly, and gently bit her lower lip. He complained to her: "Since you want to do such a dangerous thing, why didn't you tell me earlier?"

  Li Xiu fell silent for a moment, "This matter, not even my parents know... apart from Zhi Li, Qing Chang Hou Ye, and the Emperor, no one else knows."

  "You didn't want to tell me either, did you?"

  Li Xue's mouth opened and closed again, then lowered his head, "Sorry, I..."

  "Sighing, 'Forget it, you don't need to explain, I understand that most men prioritize their careers. I'm just disappointed, if I had known you'd be doing something so dangerous, I should have made a few old cowhide shoes for you first.' She grasped the front of his garment, the smooth silk was very slippery, with golden thread embroidery of four-clawed flying dragons on top, vivid and majestic. 'The queen's throne is still warm, I don't want to become a widow so soon.'"

  Li Xiu was both angry and amused, unable to help but soften her gaze, "Don't worry, when I come back, I'll let you be a glorious queen again."

  "Then you should come back earlier." Ru Jing gazed at him, this man had always been sloppy and didn't care about his appearance. He rarely shaved his beard, and these past two days he had been going out early and coming back late, so there was a lot of stubble on his chin. It was actually quite prickly to the touch, and she couldn't help but complain: "Don't shave your beard, let it grow, cover up that handsome face of yours. You'll look more mature and steady." Most men didn't look good with beards, but he was an exception, and she believed that his appearance could captivate a large number of young girls who were easily infatuated by good looks.

  Li Xiu couldn't help but laugh and rubbed her delicate hands, "Didn't you always say that I shouldn't grow a beard because it's prickly?"

  Ru Qing's face turned red as she said, "Just keep it on anyway," since he had already left, even if she didn't take a shower for a month, she wouldn't care.

  ……

  On the twenty-seventh, Zhi Li brought He Shi to visit, and as soon as she knew he had received the emperor's edict, formally appointing him as the Governor of Jiangxi, and would set out immediately. Thinking that her relatives and husband were all going to that place of great danger and uncertainty, full of unknowns, Zhi Li couldn't help but feel a surge of sorrow. He Shi quickly comforted her, saying: "Sister, don't be sad. The emperor has dispatched over a hundred elite soldiers to escort your brother-in-law on his way to Jiangxi. I believe nothing will happen. Moreover, your sister's husband is also going with him. Your sister's husband is highly skilled in martial arts, and the guards of the Wang mansion are all battle-hardened veterans. With their protection, I'm sure there won't be any major problems. Sister, just focus on taking care of yourself during your pregnancy, and don't worry about anything else."

  As if with tears in her eyes, "Sister, how can you not worry? Brother is my own flesh and blood, but I have no power to bind a chicken. What if something unexpected happens..."

  Zhili patted his face and said: "Don't worry. I and Sanmei's husband, Sima's husband will return safely, don't think too much."

  With a choked feeling, she felt both resentful and angry. She only wanted to express her fraternal love for her brother, so she pouted and asked: "When are you leaving, Brother?"

  "Tomorrow."

  "So soon? Eh, Third Brother-in-law is also going together?" Isn't it just going to Yang Qitai?

  Zhilai replied, "Third Brother-in-law selected 500 brave warriors from the Twelfth Battalion, half of whom were assigned to Fourth Brother-in-law and the other half to Duke Qingchang. He himself led the new troops to protect me closely."

  As she spoke, she suddenly sighed and said: "Third Brother-in-law's martial arts are strong, and the people around him have all experienced a hundred battles. With Third Brother-in-law and others protecting Brother, that would be for the best. However, Brother, after arriving there, please remember to write me a letter so I can send some protective leather armor to you according to the address." She looked at Zhiyi with a tone of slight reproach, "Brother mustn't disdain it, being cautious is always better in all things."

  Zhī lǐ diǎn tóu, dào: "mèi mèi hǎo yì wéi xiōng xīn lǐng, zhǐ shì nǐ rú jīn shēn zǐ bù biàn, hái shì bù yào tài guò láo lè le."

  English Translation:

  Zhili nodded and said: "Sister, thank you for your kindness to brother, but now that you're not feeling well, don't overexert yourself."

  "Never mind, but brother, you must take good care of yourself on your way to Jiangxi. Sister wishes you a successful journey and a safe return."

  Zhī lǐ hán hàn, wàng zhe rú qíng zuì ba zhāng le zhāng, dàn zuì zhōng què shì yī gè zì dōu méi shuō chū kǒu, zhǐ tí xǐng rú qíng yào hǎo shēng wù bì bǎo zhòng shēn zi.

  When he learned that He's family was also going to Jiangxi, Zhang opened his mouth, "Sister-in-law is also going?"

  He nodded, with a hint of a smile on his lips, "Yes, wanting to be a virtuous wife, one must naturally follow the husband's lead."

  "But, Brother Wen is so young, can Sister bear to abandon him?"

  He smiled warmly, "With Grandma and Grandpa around, nothing should happen. Moreover, Wen's wet nurse is also a steady one." She turned her face, looking at Zhi Li, her eyes warm and gentle, with a soft glow in them, "Moreover, husband this time to Jiangxi, wholeheartedly devoted to official business, I may not be able to help, but taking care of food and clothing is still possible."

  Zhī Lǐ also gazed at her, and in his usually clear and cold eyes, a hint of warmth was added. He nodded solemnly, "With a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for."

  He smiled warmly and said, "With a husband like this, I have nothing more to ask for."

  As if seeing it all clearly, she suddenly felt extremely envious, her eyes grew hot, but her mouth smiled and said: "Oh my, how cheesy, wanting to show affection in their own home is fine, but they had to drag me into the water, and now I'm covered in goosebumps."

  He's face turned red, a flush of cloudiness flew across his face, and he glared at Ruoxi with a mixture of anger and amusement, laughing and scolding: "This mouth of yours, sister, I really want to tear it off."

  Li Bai's face showed no reaction, but he cleared his throat uncomfortably and scolded, "No respect for elders, even teasing your older brother. You must have been spoiled by your sister's husband."

  ……

  On the twenty-ninth, early in the morning, Qing'er suppressed her drowsiness and got out of bed to personally help Li Xiu get dressed. She put on a sky-blue straight-collared robe with a matching outer garment, a hat adorned with red gemstones, and a shallow blue-green jade belt with a purple jade pendant hanging from his waist. He also wore a three-foot-long precious sword with a large red gemstone on the hilt, and held an ivory-made sandalwood fan in his hand, waving it elegantly. He was dressed like a refined and elegant young nobleman.

  He glanced around, "Huh, indeed a dashing young master's appearance." If paired with an evil gaze and a flirtatious look in his eyes, he would be on par with those playboys in the capital.

  Li Xiao wrapped his arms around her waist, with a look of concern on his face. "I shouldn't have let you get up early, I exhausted you last night."

  Last night, although his movements were gentle, when he saw the dark circles under her eyes, he was extremely self-reproachful. He had always lacked self-control, and in front of her, he was even more unable to hold back. Every time he touched her smooth body, he felt an intoxicating fragrance that made him lose all sense of reason. Usually, he would devour her wildly, but ultimately, he had to consider her physical well-being and didn't dare to truly indulge himself.

  Suddenly, Li Xue started to dislike this unborn child. If it weren't for him, he and his young wife would still be living a carefree life.

  As if she didn't know the thoughts in his mind, she just blushed slightly and said: "It doesn't matter, anyway I can still sleep a bit later. But you must be careful, I've already instructed Wang Hu and the others to follow you closely no matter what, even if you try to drive them away."

  Li Xiu's face was mischievous as he hooked her chin up, "Did you instruct them to keep a closer eye on me?"

  "As if opening his hand, 'That's natural, if you really dare to pretend to be real, I will definitely not forgive you.'"

  The man stroked his chin, a look of surprise on his face. "Could it be that I've actually married a shrew?"

  She leaned into his arms, embracing his neck, her voice as gentle and charming as possible. "What kind of wife does the prince want? Gentle and virtuous, or bold and unconventional? Don't worry, there's plenty of time ahead, one day I'll definitely make the prince see a different side of me."

  Li Xiao pinched her small nose with a smile, "I hope this time back, don't lose me a wife who is as fierce as He Dong's roar."

  "Whenever I try to talk seriously with you, you always make jokes."

  Li Xiao said seriously: "Don't worry, I will definitely take good care of my lower body and resolutely not let the wife become a mother-in-law."

  She burst out laughing and patted him a few more times. "It's best to put your words into action. Otherwise, I won't go around you."

  ……

  Waving goodbye with a handkerchief, she pretended to be calm as she saw the man off at the gate. But her emotions eventually got the better of her, and tears fell down in torrents. Yet even as she cried, after shedding just a few tears, she felt that they were wasted, since the man couldn't see them anyway. So she held back her tears once more and continued with her life as the pampered princess who had everything done for her.

  The time in the daytime was easy to pass, but once it came to evening, she was used to having a solid chest by her side. This time, she suddenly felt empty and didn't get used to it. After several days of dark circles under her eyes, she gradually got used to not having a man by her side. However, the fact remains that her mood is not as light and calm as before. She scolded several maids for some small things one after another, and later was muttered by the maids, which made her realize that she couldn't go on like this. The man was just out for work, not gone forever. Putting on a resentful face all day was really annoying, so she had to cheer up again.

  Then, as expected, he had someone go to the countryside to find old cowhide in a village, and after disinfecting, improving, cutting, and making several simple soft armors, he tried them with a knife countless times, barely able to remove most of the sword's killing power. He was finally satisfied, and then had someone bring out python skin from the palace's treasury, which was carefully added on top. The python skin was hard and solid, impervious to knives and guns, making it perfect for use as armor. Unfortunately, there was too little of it, and after searching all the warehouses, they only found three intact pieces of snake skin. After careful calculation, they managed to make only three soft armors: one for Li Xiao, one for Zhi Li, and the remaining one...

  As Yu Mei acknowledged, she was a selfish person. Apart from her closest relatives, who else could enjoy her efforts? Yang Qi Tai, although he was Zhi Mei's husband and her brother-in-law, let her give him the soft armor that took great effort to make, but in her heart, she still couldn't bear to part with it. However, thinking about Yu Mei's recent days at the Yang residence and this time Yang Qi Tai's mission, she endured the pain and sent out the last remaining soft armor, one piece per person.

  ……

  The weather in Wangyueli was cool and pleasant, around the middle of the month, she received a letter from Li Xiao, in front of her maid, she tried to show an indifferent face as much as possible, but her urgent movements couldn't be controlled. When Xiangxiang took out the scissors, Yueli had already torn up the letter, her mouth opened and closed, and finally she quietly retreated to the side and pretended to be dead.

  After reading the letter, she couldn't help but laugh. This man writes family letters in such a pretentious way, even adding two lines of poetry. Unfortunately, he didn't study well and wrote some characters incorrectly - either missing a stroke or adding an extra one. After struggling to read the letter, she became furious and scribbled three long passages. However, they were all trivial matters, not worth mentioning. He wrote about how the weather in Jiangxi is warmer than in Beijing, how the scenery here is beautiful, how Ning Wang Shu was very polite and friendly, how the officials here need to be rectified, and how there are too few beauties here. This guy's writing was quite pretentious, unlike hers which was straightforward and laughable. However, she felt that something was missing, so she looked carefully again and finally understood - this guy had written three long passages without asking about her well-being or expressing any longing for her. She couldn't help but feel suffocated. Although she knew that in the man's world, women were insignificant, how could he be so blind? She sank into a gloomy mood and ordered: "Xiangxiang, prepare ink for me."

  ……

  Because Li Xiang was not in the Wang Mansion, the aunts had no one to rely on and became more subdued. Ping He didn't need to be mentioned, but she looked lackluster. As for Ping Lan, Ru Qing asked Zhou Mama to go to the laundry room to take a look several times. Zhou Mama came back and said: "Although this girl has had that inappropriate thought, looking at her being ordered around by those women every day, enduring humiliation and swallowing her anger, it's also quite pitiful." Then Zhou Mama also told Ru Qing that because Ping Lan was wronged and expelled from Long Xian Mansion, those women mostly looked down on her and often used words to bully her. And Ping Lan had been silently enduring.

  As if moved by a silent emotion, he only asked: "What about Pinhua? They were so close as sisters, has anyone gone to take care of her?"

  Zhou's mother curled her lip, "Pinhe? That day, Chen Xiang led two women to take Pinlan away, crying and begging for mercy all the way. But Pinhe was hiding in the house."

  As the young master thought carefully, "Pinlan has always had a thief's heart but not a thief's courage. Punishing her would only be used to intimidate other maids. In fact, this maid didn't commit any serious offense, she just had some improper thoughts." Then he said to Zhou Mama, "Wait for a while and find an excuse to let her out later."

  Mother Zhou nodded, "But what kind of errand should we assign to her?"

  As she thought about it, "After all, it was the mistress who gave me the dowry, and it's not good to lose face in front of her, so let her do the sweeping. She'll be responsible for sweeping the outside of Longxianju." Although sweeping requires getting up before dawn, they only work three or four times a day, and there are still breaks in between. It's better than washing clothes all day long in the laundry room.

  ……

  After several days, Mother Zhou found an excuse to take Pinlan out of the laundry room and arranged for her to do sweeping work. After observing for a few more days, she privately told Ruqing: "This time she's finally learned her lesson, and she does things quite diligently."

  "What about Pin He?"

  Zhou's mother curled up the corner of her mouth, "She is a lazy and idle person. Yuan Fulaimei scolded her several times but it didn't work. Why did Princess Wang heavily punish Pinlan but indulged Pinhe?"

  As if smiling faintly, "Didn't Pinlan and Pinhe come into contact?" Pinhe was guarding the entrance of Longxian Gate in the embracing hall, while Pinlan was doing sweeping work outside the gate, it's unreasonable that they wouldn't have come into contact.

  "Ah, I see," said Madam Zhou, suddenly enlightened. "I had forgotten about this matter, but now that the princess mentions it, I remember. That Pinhe is indeed a sly and cunning person. Pinlan had spoken to her several times before, but was always brushed off by Pinhe's impatient attitude. Pinlan resented her for this, and it seems she was right to do so. Pinhe didn't bother with her either, and when Pinlan scolded her, saying 'You're a deceitful person who pretended to be kind to me, but actually had ulterior motives! You kept pushing me to get close to the main house, and now that you've been kicked out of Longxian House, your true nature is revealed!' Pinhe retorted, 'What are you talking about? What true nature or false intentions? You snuck into the main house on your own accord, what does that have to do with me? Did I force you to go?' Pinlan was furious and scolded her, saying she had been deceived by Pinhe's intentional manipulation."

  As if holding a needle in her hand had moved down, she tilted her head and said: "So to speak, Pinlan broke into the main house, or was it Pinhe who provoked her?"

  "Almost certainly," Mother Chou nodded. "She must have been deceived by Pinhua."

  Qing nodded slightly, and coldly smiled: "Pinlan is beautiful in her elegance, Pinhuo is charming in her tenderness. But when it comes to beauty, Pinlan has a slight edge. Very good, I didn't expect Pinhuo to be so clever at such a young age, using me to get rid of rivals. Truly impressive."

  Madam Zhou's heart skipped a beat, and she said in a soft voice: "The princess is right, this servant girl can no longer be kept. The princess should have sent her away long ago, lest one rat turd spoil the whole pot of porridge."

  "Wait, let's keep her for now. By the way, is there any new movement from the Yang family?"

  Mrs. Zhou shook her head, "The two Yang brothers have gone to Jiangxi together, and Mrs. Yang has also recovered from her illness. It's said that she often accompanies the Empress Dowager in the palace these days."

  "As for Yang Tai's wife, she indeed loves socializing." Compared to her, I am far inferior.

  Mrs. Zhou also nodded in agreement, "Madam Yang was widowed at a young age and single-handedly raised three children to make the Yang family prosperous, which is not something an ordinary woman can do."

  As the saying goes, in ancient times, when a man died, his property could not be divided among his wife and children like it is today. When Yang Lao Houye passed away, all of the Hou Mansion's assets were left to his young children, but before they came of age, they had no say in the matter. At that time, the family elders and uncles would take over as guardians, but many of them would secretly divide up the property among themselves. Yang Tai Furen, however, was different. Although she had been stripped of her power and was only left with the title of Hou Mansion's lady, she relied on her intelligence and cunning to clean up the Yang family's internal conflicts and help her two sons achieve success. This was partly due to the brothers' own abilities, but also because Yang Tai Furen was a force to be reckoned with. She was skilled at socializing and had built relationships with many of the noblewomen in the capital city, some of whom were even her die-hard fans.

  It's unbelievable that such a fierce and formidable old woman could have given birth to a daughter like Yang Qining.

  Old Lady Zhou said: "Miss Yang has also been entering the palace frequently recently, and it's said that she is extremely favored by Empress Dowager."

  "What about the Empress Dowager?"

  "The Empress Dowager? Of course, the Empress Dowager is delighted. She kept praising Miss Yang for being sensible and clever, with a particularly sweet mouth." Mother Zhou fell silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice: "To be frank, this person in the palace, to all the young ladies from noble families, seems kind and gentle, like a living Bodhisattva... but once she makes up her mind, she can turn against you without hesitation. The late Consort Su, who was buried with the Emperor, was one of her masterpieces."

  As the situation was silent, Su Gui Fei was the birth mother of the current Qi Wang. By reason, a concubine with such high status and having given birth to an imperial son would not be buried with the emperor, but this Gui Fei, whose status was second only to the empress dowager and had produced offspring, became the first to be buried as a sacrifice after the previous emperor's death. Of course, the official version was that it was the will of the late emperor, but those who were discerning knew clearly that it was actually the Empress Dowager who wanted her dead.

  However, apart from this, the empress dowager had a relatively high reputation among both officials and common people. She was kind-hearted and benevolent to the young ladies of noble families, rewarding one with a headdress today and another with delicious food tomorrow, making these proud young ladies of noble families feel ashamed.

  "It's been said that Empress Dowager has long since retired from worldly affairs, so Yang Qining must have an ulterior motive for going to curry favor with her."

  "It's certain, nowadays, this person not only tries to curry favor with the Empress Dowager, but also with the Queen and even Consort Lu. Among all the young ladies from noble families, she is the most diligent in visiting the palace."

  ……

  During pregnancy, I was bored and had nothing to do. At this time, doing some needlework could pass the time. At this moment, Linglong came back from outside, "Your Highness, San Gu Niang has arrived."

  As soon as she heard the knock, Ru Xiang's head popped up from her needlework, startled. "Third Sister? At this hour, you've actually come to visit?" Ru Mei had never been to the Wang estate before, not even during Chinese New Year when they would exchange visits with the Yangs, and Ru Xiang hadn't been followed here either. Now that she was visiting at this hour, something must have happened. Hurriedly, she ordered someone to change into proper attire, first having someone escort Ru Mei to the flower hall and serve her tea, while she herself would arrive shortly.

  Like beauty today wore not spirited, only simple willow color pinched ivory color lace edge jacket, head on loose hairpin flying fairy bun, hairpin branch green jade peach heart pearl buckle, red agate drop earring, whole person looking also luxurious, but hair is a bit scattered, presumably is hastily come.

  "Third sister, what wind is this that has blown you here?" Yu Ru wore a light green feather-trimmed jacket with embroidered plum blossoms on the lapels, her hair styled in a peach-shaped bun, without any pearl decorations, only adorned with a simple crystal-studded coral bead phoenix pin, and a ruby forehead band. She stepped forward quickly, smiling as she grasped the hand of Yu Mei, who had also risen from her seat: "It's been over two months since we parted on the fifteenth, and sister is still the same, doing things with such haste."

  Her face didn't look too good, but she still had a smiling expression. She scolded angrily: "You can still smile? What's going on now, something earth-shattering happened in the palace, and Jing Wang Fu is so close to the imperial palace, haven't you heard anything?"

  "What's wrong? What happened in the palace?"

  Ru Mei stomped her foot, "What a big deal! It's closely related to you too." Then she angrily told Ru Qing about what had happened, "My little sister-in-law actually dared to barge into the palace early this morning and knelt down in front of the Empress Dowager, asking Her Majesty to take charge for her."

  Digression

  Recently, express delivery has been slow. These two days have been dealing with after-sales issues that have made me miserable. This morning, I encountered two orders that were returned due to express delivery refunds, which made me so angry that I wanted to hit the wall. I don't even want to do business anymore, my temper is a bit big, and my husband keeps a distance of three steps from me. I don't even want to send out goods, focus on writing, and update tomorrow.