Since Zhao Xiheng has said so, Wei Li has no room to do anything even if he wants to. Besides, now that she knows his thoughts, if he makes any moves, Zhao Xiheng will suspect him first.

If he really dies, she will definitely be angry, and she probably won't even give him a kind look anymore.

Even the deepest feelings in the world cannot withstand the test of time. Zhao Xiheng probably has no love for him, let alone the ability to let time wear down.

Wei Li did his best to maintain this relationship and please her, so as not to let the current peace and warmth crumble and fall into dust.

At first, Wei Li was fearless and did whatever he wanted in front of Zhao Xiheng; later, he secretly did it without Zhao Xiheng knowing; now, he doesn't even have the courage to do it in places where Zhao Xiheng doesn't know, mainly because he can't bear the consequences if Zhao Xiheng finds out.

Even if he dislikes Xie Qingyu, he can't actually do anything to harm her.

No one deserves to ruin his current life.

Zhao Xiheng didn't stare at Wei Li; she knew that since she had spoken, Wei Li wouldn't make any further moves.

It's probably because the favored person is fearless and thinks that Wei Li wouldn't upset her just to vent his anger.

Shen Du'an was not left at the mansion, but was taken back by Chen Ruojiang.

According to Wei Li, "When I saw his gloomy face, I felt it was bad luck."

The idea was to let Chen Ruojiang lead the way first, and then, when the candidates from various prefectures came to take the exams, to include Chen Du'an in them.

Although it seems like a favor was given to Shen Du'an, when compared to others, he is no match for them and will be utterly humiliated.

Shen Du'an stayed at Chen Ruojiang's house. He cried for several days, not knowing whether he was crying for himself or for the dead skin-rendering master. He wouldn't eat or sleep, working while crying. He couldn't sleep at night if he wasn't allowed to work. Chen Ruojiang remembered Wei Li's teachings: as long as the person didn't die, it was fine, so he didn't bother him.

According to Zhao Xiheng, we need to give them some time to recover.

But his crying made Chen Ruonan unable to sleep, eat, or play properly. She was so angry that she went to confront him, but when she saw how thin he had become, she couldn't bring herself to yell at him anymore. Instead, she brought him a plate of peanut cakes, sat down by his kang (heated brick bed), and ate while muttering to herself.

Chen Ruonan heard about Shen Du'an from Chen Ruojiang. The ruthless Jiangdong governor used him and suppressed him, criticizing his writings as utter nonsense and driving him insane. In the end, he used his writings to reward and praise him.

"Eat something? You've been crying and not eating, I'm afraid you'll faint." Chen Ruonan stared at him and handed him the rice cake while he was wiping away his tears.

Shen Du'an trembled and shrank into the kang (heated brick bed). "I... I can't eat such good food." He didn't deserve it.

Oh no, I've really messed up. Chen Ruonan slapped her forehead, walked around the room, and suddenly grabbed his hand. "Let's go."

I went out for a stroll. I heard that he had been confined to the prefect's mansion since he was ten years old and had never left the house since.

Perhaps a stroll will refresh a person.

“Madam Chen, men and women should not touch each other…” Shen Du’an tried to pull his hand back as if he had been burned, but he was too thin and weak, and he was no match for the tomboyish Chen Ruonan. After struggling for a while, a blush appeared on his originally pale face.

Chen Ruonan let go of his hand, looked him up and down, and said, "Wipe your snot bubbles, they're filthy."

Shen Du'an's face turned even redder, and he shakily pulled out a handkerchief from his bosom to wipe his nose.

The two people went out the door one after the other.

Shen Du'an suddenly stopped, her eyes reddening. "Madam Chen, I haven't finished chopping the firewood for your family yet."

Zhao Xiheng has recently received several letters.

One letter was from Xie Qingyu, who also sent several nannies. The letter expressed his condolences and concern, and explained the purpose of the nannies.

Zhao Xiheng didn't know what to say about Xie Qingyu's guilt and kindness. He certainly liked her, but more than that, he felt guilty and resentful for not fulfilling his responsibilities and obligations.

Zhao Xiheng offered him her heartfelt blessings, hoping he would find a good partner soon. Amitabha, that was all she could do.

The other letter was from her cousin, the one Zhao Xiheng had mentioned long ago who kept more than twenty male concubines and was known as the Princess of Hezhao County. However, those were all scandals from nearly twenty years ago. Later, this cousin met her true love, dismissed her harem, and had a daughter who was the same age as her.

The contents of the letter greatly surprised Zhao Xiheng. The princess of Hezhao County was nearing her end and felt that she could no longer take care of her daughter, so she entrusted her orphan to Zhao Xiheng. Her tone was humble and sincere, full of pleading and despair.

The paper was covered in medicine stains and bloodstains, and the handwriting was slightly distorted, making it look like the last words of a terminally ill person on their deathbed.

A quick calculation revealed that the two hadn't seen each other for almost ten years. Zhao Xiheng couldn't understand why the Princess of Hezhao would entrust her daughter to her, since her husband was still alive. Besides, she and her cousin, whose whereabouts were unknown, were about the same age; why would she need to take care of her?

The letter was full of strangeness. Zhao Xiheng sent people to Hezhao County to inquire. The news that came back was indeed that the county magistrate of Hezhao County had just passed away last month, but her husband had given her a hasty burial and soon after married a new lover. The new lover was a widow with two children.

After thinking it over, Zhao Xiheng understood why Princess He Zhao had entrusted her daughter to someone else. But strangely, the people who were gathering information never encountered Princess He Zhao's daughter along the way.

After leaving Hezhao County, Qi Yan ordered her to change course, deviating from the route to Pingzhou.

"Madam, didn't the county princess entrust us to seek refuge with Princess Jingcheng before she passed away?" The maids asked anxiously, tugging at Qi Yan's sleeve and urging her to go to Pingzhou.

Qi Yan was born with a delicate and timid appearance, alluring yet soft to the bone. She won the heart of the beautiful Princess He Zhao. Such a person could live a very good life even if she were a parasitic vine without any opinions of her own. However, she was opinionated and stubborn.

She repeated it again, "To Lingcheng."

"Leave traces along the way, so that the assassins my father sent don't lose track of us."

Hezhao County is in Yongzhou, which is Xie Qingyu's territory. The Xie family's main residence is in Lingcheng, and Xie Qingyu is also in Lingcheng.

What she wanted wasn't simply to seek refuge with Zhao Xiheng and live a peaceful life. Her mother was obsessed with love and romance, and even after being murdered, she said she didn't blame the man, naively believing that because she was his daughter, he wouldn't harm her.

Dream on. In that father's eyes, she was nothing but an illegitimate child. Qi Yan couldn't swallow this insult. She wanted to stay in Yongzhou and then trample on her biological father.

Qi Yan couldn't understand why, since he had willingly abandoned his fiancée for wealth and status and was willing to throw himself into his mother's arms, his mother now felt that she had broken up his marriage. She not only secretly kept his fiancée outside and had her child, but also poisoned his mother and was now sending people to kill her.

His mother clearly asked him if he was willing, and if he was not, she would not force him.

Fearing for Qi Yan's safety, Zhao Xiheng sent people to search for her, but half a month later they received another letter from Yongzhou.

After reading it, Zhao Xiheng breathed a sigh of relief and summoned everyone back.

Lady Qi, the daughter of the He Zhao County Princess, is currently recovering from her injuries at Xie Qingyu's place.

When the Prince of Zhenbei was alive, he found Goguryeo troublesome and wanted to send troops to fight. However, he was getting old and fat and could no longer lead troops into battle. He was also unwilling to let his son gain experience, fearing that he would become unruly if he grew too big for his britches.

On the other hand, Qingzhou and Youzhou were eyeing him covetously. If he were to launch a military campaign against Goguryeo, he might suffer losses, so he persisted in his campaign.

The three parties maintained a stable situation.

But Zhao Mingjin gave it a push, and now this stable situation has been broken.

With Liu Huan of Youzhou weakened and internal strife continuing in Qingzhou, Wei Li was able to free up his resources and didn't need to worry too much about the rear.

The imperial examinations were to be held in Bhuhamseong in mid-June, and it was only mid-April now. He felt that if he went to Goguryeo, he could still make it back to watch the examinations.

Wei Li went to Zhao Xiheng to discuss the matter. It had been a long time since they had mobilized troops, and he was itching to do so.

The two sat talking in the small garden at night. The bright moon hung high, clear and bright. The surrounding vegetation was lush and green, creating a tranquil and charming atmosphere, reminiscent of a romantic rendezvous under the moon.

However, Wei Li kept chattering away, which really annoyed Zhao Xiheng. Couldn't they just look at the moon in peace? Why did he have to pick a time when they were looking at the moon to start talking about it, when there were so many other times during the day?

After Wei Li finished rambling on, he asked her, "What do you think?"

"I don't care, you decide for yourself."

“I think it’s fine, and even if I stay here I won’t understand it anyway.” Wei Li said seriously, playing with her fingers. “Besides, you’re here, so it’s the same whether I’m here or not.”

He looked up at the moonlight and thought that this scene was more suitable for being sentimental. Last time he said sweet words, he was scolded by Zhao Xiheng. He guessed that he didn't grasp the timing well and the atmosphere was not right.

Learning from his previous experience, Wei Li recited the love quotes he had copied several times with great feeling, his voice rising and falling in cadence: "You are me, and I am you; we will never be apart."

It is said that every couple should whisper sweet nothings to each other; this is a stepping stone to a stable relationship.

Even without a breeze, Zhao Xiheng suddenly shivered, her teeth chattering. It tasted even more sour than a basket of sour apricots. She disgustedly shook off Wei Li's hand, and when Wei Li tried to pull her back, she shook him off again, saying, "Don't come any closer!"

"It's so sour!" she complained.

Wei Li was both embarrassed and angry. She slammed her hand on the table, her ponytail swaying wildly behind her. "Zhao Xiheng, why are you so hard to please? You said you wanted a husband who was mushy and could say sweet nothings, and now that I've done that, you're complaining about me! Go find someone else if you want, I'm not going to serve you anymore!"

He stood up abruptly.

"Are you going to leave me now?" Zhao Xiheng blinked and looked at him.

"Let's go! I'm leaving you behind!" Wei Li said, his cheeks clenched.

"Oh, then you can go."

Wei Li, “…”

He glanced at Zhao Xiheng, tentatively took a step forward, but she didn't react. "I'm really leaving! Don't think you can win me back with a kiss. I'm not buying that anymore."

Zhao Xiheng ignored him, hugged her knees, nestled in the wicker chair, and continued to look at the moon.