Qi Yuning felt warm in her heart when she heard what Lu Ze said, and she hugged Lu Ze tightly.

Lu Ze smiled softly, lowered his head, and gently placed his forehead against Qi Yuning's. He said, "When I return from North City, I will ask His Majesty for permission to marry me."

Qi Yuning could feel Lu Ze's lips only an inch away from hers. While Lu Ze was still testing her...

Qi Yuning raised her head and kissed Lu Ze on the lips.

This time, neither of them wanted to just touch upon the subject like last time.

Just as she was about to take a step further, Lingling sat up from the bed and said drowsily, "Daddy, tell Lingling a story before you go to sleep."

Qi Yuning was so scared that she pushed Lu Ze away, "Lingling! Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Lingling said, "If Daddy doesn't tell me stories, I can't sleep. I want to hear Daddy tell me stories."

Qi Yuning blushed and urged Lu Ze, "Go tell Lingling a story."

Lu Ze heaved a sigh of relief and whispered in Qi Yuning's ear, "I think we should let Lingling sleep on her own. She's already over three years old."

Qi Yuning smiled and said, "It's all thanks to Lingling that Master Lu can sleep here. If Lingling sleeps alone, you have to go back and sleep by yourself!"

Lu Ze chuckled. Indeed, the only reason he could be in the palace now was because of his daughter's status as a father. He then went to the bed and told a story to Little Master Lingling.

…

In Prince Qi's Mansion in the North City.

Qi Yuan'an planned to take A Ping back to the Shengjing Palace, so he naturally had to explain the matters concerning the New Year in the army.

It was almost the evening when he returned to the palace. He didn't expect that A Ping was still awake and waiting for him in the front yard.

"A Ping, you are pregnant, why are you still not sleeping at this time and standing in the wind?"

Qi Yuanan held A Ping's hand, which was very cold.

Ah Ping took out two silver notes and said, "These are the jewellery the princess gave me earlier. I don't usually like to carry these, but since I'm going to Shengjing City, I asked Madam to exchange them for silver."

Qi Yu'an frowned and said, "My sister gave you the jewelry as a token of her love, and the palace is not short of silver. Even if you leave those jewelry alone, it is better than exchanging them for silver."

Ah Ping said, "Then I'll ask Madam to buy it back tomorrow?"

Qi Yu'an said, "No need. Just keep this silver. When we get to Shengjing City, I'll take you to a jewelry store to pick out the jewelry you like. To be honest, I haven't given you much jewelry in the past few years."

A Ping followed Qi Yu'an into the room. She seldom came to the house in his front yard and had only stayed overnight once.

Qi Yuan sat on the edge of the bed, holding Ping in his arms and said, "Pingping, did the baby bother you again today? Your eyes are swollen. Are you crying because of morning sickness again?"

Ah Ping said, "I still feel a little nauseous, but it's nothing serious."

Qi Yu'an reached out and touched A Ping's belly and said, "Could such a naughty child be a son? When my mother was pregnant with my sister, she didn't vomit so easily."

"When the prince's mother was pregnant with the princess, the prince probably didn't remember anything, right?"

Qi Yu'an said: "I should have had a younger sister, but she was not born yet."

Qi Yu'an looked at Ah Ping's belly and said, "It seems like this baby really could be a son."

Ah Ping touched her belly and looked at Qi Yu'an, "Your Highness, since we have to go to Shengjing City, the journey is long. I want to go to the Taoist temple tomorrow and pray for a safe journey."

Qi Yu'an said: "Okay, if I'm free tomorrow, I'll go to the Taoist temple with you."

Ah Ping said, "No need, my aunt and I can go together."

Qi Yu'an added: "Bring the Spring Equinox with you."

Ah Ping smiled and said, "Chunfen is, after all, a maidservant beside the princess. I dare not really ask her to serve me. After all, I have no status at all now. I am called a concubine, but there are no concubine's etiquette. In fact, Chunfen and I are the same. I am not as good as her..."

Qi Yu'an did not marry, so the so-called concubines did not receive any formalities.

Ah Ping stood up, poured two cups of tea, handed one to Qi Yu'an, and said, "Your Highness, how about we drink a cup of wedding wine with tea instead of wine? It will be considered that I have married you in this life."

Qi Yu'an didn't take the teacup. He looked at Ah Ping and said, "Ah Ping, the wedding wine is drunk between husband and wife. I will only drink it with the princess."

Ah Ping lowered her head and said, "I understand, Your Majesty, do you like me?"

Qi Yuan looked at A Ping and felt that she was a little weird today.

Ah Ping looked into Qi Yu'an's eyes and said, "I did like the prince."

Qi Yu'an was stunned when he heard the word "liked before". "Like before? What about now? Don't you like it now?"

Ah Ping looked at Qi Yu'an, tears in her eyes, and said, "The prince will eventually marry a princess. I am no longer qualified to like the prince."

Qi Yu'an looked at A Ping's tears and said irritably, "You've always been obedient. Why does the princess make you so jealous? Ping Ping, the mistress of the Qi Palace can't just be a peasant girl from the mountains. When I choose a princess, I will naturally choose someone who is virtuous and kind. I won't treat you unfairly."

Ah Ping looked at Qi Yu'an and said, "Your Highness, you don't understand women at all. Only when a woman doesn't love you will she be virtuous and generous enough to tolerate other women.

Whatever you say to me is fine, I don't want to see you being affectionate with another woman. The human heart is one and the same."

Ah Ping bit her lip and said, "If Your Highness is unwilling to give me one of his hearts, then I will not give you my whole heart either. It's getting late, Your Highness, take care of yourself. I'm going back first."

After saying this, Ping left the front yard.

Qi Yu'an was very annoyed when he saw Ah Ping's back. He didn't understand why Ah Ping had been making a fuss for the princess. She should have known when she followed him that he couldn't have only her as a woman.

Qi Yuan'an wondered if A Ping was the only woman in his life for the past three years, which gave her an illusion.

How could A Ping not even tolerate the princess?

I think after she returns to Shengjing and sees more of the wealthy families in Shengjing with their wives and concubines, she will understand.

Qi Yuan'an couldn't sleep all night and went to the military camp early in the morning.

Since he was not in Beicheng during the New Year, the salary for the Qi family army had to be registered and distributed as soon as possible.

"Your Majesty..."

"Your Highness, this is bad, Miss Ping! Miss Ping's carriage caught fire on the way. All that's left is the burnt-out frame and the bodies of Miss Ping and Mammy..."

When Qi Yuan heard this, he froze as if his soul had been taken away.

"Butler He, what nonsense are you talking about? Ah Ping, how could this happen?"

"It's true, my Lord!"

Steward He said, "The carriage is halfway up the mountain to the Taoist temple..."

Qi Yuanlian found a horse and rode it up to the halfway point on the mountain leading to the Taoist temple.

All I saw was a carriage that was almost burned to ashes and two charred corpses.

From the cloth that had never been completely burned, it could be seen that it was Ah Ping's clothes.

The gold bracelet in the charred corpse's hand was also the one Pingping had always worn.

Qi Yu'an was heartbroken, looking at the charred corpse in front of him, his heart was torn apart...

How could Ping, who was so full of life yesterday, become a charred corpse?