After hearing this, Qi Yuning leaned her head on Lu Ze's shoulder.

When Qi Yu'an saw Qi Yuning being affectionate with Lu Ze outside, he frowned slightly and coughed heavily as he passed by.

Qi Yuning even stepped out of Lu Ze's arms.

Lu Ze regretted why he didn't ask for permission to get married before coming to Beimo, which would have made it more legitimate.

Qi Yuning followed Qi Yu'an's steps and asked, "Did Ping lose her last pregnancy because of the Wen family's actions?"

Qi Yu'an said: "The doctor said that she was too weak and worried and didn't have a child. She really couldn't eat for a while at that time, so no matter what her status is, you should not force her."

Qi Yuning said: "Even if I don't force her, she may be more worried when she returns to Beijing this time."

"Hmm?" Qi Yu'an asked puzzledly, "What is her identity? You have been hiding it from me until now?"

Qi Yuning said: "If she doesn't want to tell you, I can't tell you."

…

On the way back to Beijing, Qi Yuning was more anxious than on the way to Beimo.

If Lingling wasn't so young and Aping wasn't still pregnant and couldn't travel quickly, Qi Yuning would have wanted to ride a horse back to Beijing.

In the carriage.

Lingling was practicing calligraphy beside Ah Ping and said, "Aunt, can you teach me how to write?"

Ah Ping said to Ling Ling ashamedly: "In fact, I can't recognize a few words, let alone write a few words."

Qi Yuning looked at Ah Ping and said, "Didn't Aunt Qin teach you calligraphy?"

"No." A Ping blurted out.

After saying that, Ah Ping realized that she had let something slip and said, "No, I don't know who the Qin Madam the princess is talking about is."

Qi Yuning smiled softly and did not expose A Ping.

Lingling then said to Qi Yuning: "Then mother and aunt, please teach me calligraphy together!"

Qi Yuning said: "Okay."

Ah Ping lowered her eyes and said, "I am really stupid, Princess, please don't despise me."

Qi Yuning chuckled and said, "You are so smart, how can you be stupid?"

Ah Ping said: "That's what the prince said to me. He once taught me to write a few words, and then he despised me for being stupid..."

Qi Yuning said: "He is stupid, so he deserves to be sad for so long. If you were not in a hurry to return to Shengjing City, you would not have tricked you out so early and waited for him to be sad for a few more days."

Ah Ping said, "Is the prince really very sad? But when I left, he was still upset with me because of the princess who didn't even exist. Did the princess tell the prince about your random guesses about the identity..."

Qi Yu'an's attitude towards her changed, and A Ping couldn't help but wonder if it was because they guessed her identity.

Qi Yuning chuckled and said, "My brother really doesn't know your identity. You are the only woman who has been with him for the past three years, which shows that you have a different status in his heart.

In fact, even if you hadn't faked your death, I don't think my brother would have had another princess. He already had true feelings for you."

Aping blushed.

Lingling raised her eyes and looked at Qi Yuning and said, "Mother, what is true love? Is there false love?"

Qi Yuning nodded and said, "Of course there are fake feelings. Men in the world are used to coaxing people. Some men will be false to women in high positions in order to have a smooth official career, hoping to get help from their wives' families."

Qi Yuning looked at Ah Ping and said, "But my brother is definitely not that kind of person. You can trust him completely. Tell him your identity. It's so tiring to keep it a secret."

Ah Ping still said: "I don't have any identity! None!"

Qin Feng and Lu Ze were both in a hurry to return to the court to take up their posts. The large army was moving too slowly, so they rode back to Beijing in advance.

Qi Yuning was worried about Lingling, so he could only follow the convoy back to Beijing slowly.

By the time we arrived in Shengjing City, it was already the 25th day of the first lunar month.

In the palace of Shengjing City, Xiaoman had already received the letter to tidy up all the courtyards.

Qi Yuning opened the carriage curtain and said to Ah Ping, "Sister-in-law, we have arrived."

Ah Ping lifted the curtain and looked at the magnificent mansion in front of her. There were three steps in front of the vermilion gate. The main door was wide open and the threshold was almost a foot high.

Lingling's little head also popped out of the carriage, and at a glance she saw Princess Pingrou, Prince Consort Lu, and Lu Baozhu waiting at the gate of the palace.

"Grandma! Grandpa!"

Lingling didn't let the maid carry her, and jumped off the carriage by herself, scaring Qi Yuning so much that he also got off the carriage.

"Lingling, how can you jump down from such a high place?"

Lingling trotted over to Princess Pingrou, who picked her up and said, "After a year, Lingling is still the same. She hasn't grown up at all!"

Lingling was not convinced and said: "Lingling has grown up a little bit!"

Lu Baozhu touched Lingling's little head and said, "Do you still remember me?"

"Aunt, Lingling brought you a gift!"

Qi Yu'an dismounted, came over and saluted, saying, "Princess, Duke Lu."

Princess Pingrou smiled and said, "I haven't seen you for a long time, Yu'an. You are getting more and more handsome. It is said that my Ze'er is the most desirable man in the hearts of the girls in Shengjing City. Once you return to the capital, you will be the most desirable man in the hearts of the girls in Shengjing City. It's a pity that I didn't give birth to another good daughter, otherwise I would have made you my son-in-law."

Lu Baozhu said, "Mother, what are you talking about? Am I not your good daughter?"

"You are my good daughter." Princess Pingrou said with a smile, "But you can't go and cause harm to the Qi family!"

Lu Baozhu said unhappily, "What do you mean by 'harm'? I am good-looking, good-tempered, kind, and intelligent, so why am I not worthy of being the daughter-in-law of the Qi family? If it weren't for the fact that I would have to serve Qi Yuning as her sister-in-law after becoming her, I would have to marry Brother Yu'an."

Qi Yuning said: "Does being kind and intelligent have anything to do with you?"

Lu Baozhu said: "Lingling, is my aunt okay?"

Lingling nodded and said, "Aunt is the best!"

Lu Baozhu asked, "How about I be your aunt?"

Lingling shook her head and said, "No, Lingling already has an aunt! Aunt is aunt, and auntie is auntie!"

Qi Yu'an walked to the carriage, helped Ah Ping down from the carriage, and whispered, "The one holding Lingling is her grandmother, Princess Pingrou, and the one beside her is Lu's consort, the current Duke Lu. The young girl is their daughter Lu Baozhu, who has always been at odds with my sister, but she is kind-hearted."

Ah Ping stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings to the Princess, the Duke, and the Princess."

Pingrou looked at Ah Ping in front of her and said with a smile: "Lingling's aunt is so beautiful. You are so lucky, Yu'an, to have found such a beautiful woman who looks like a fairy."

Duke Lu looked at Ah Ping in front of him and said, "She looks familiar."

Ah Ping looked up at Princess Pingrou in front of her. She was also her elder sister, who was dressed gorgeously. She was nearly forty years old but looked like she was less than thirty. The Prince Consort Lu beside her also looked very young and did not look like a grandparent at all.

Lu Baozhu looked Ah Ping up and down, and said, "You two siblings look at each other in the same way. How come she looks more like my elder brother than I do? Mom, did you give birth to twins?"

Princess Pingrou smiled and said, "You really look a bit like my daughter Ze'er. When were you born?"

"I was born on the seventh day of the third month in the seventeenth year of the Yuan Dynasty."

Princess Pingrou smiled and said, "What a coincidence! My daughter Ze'er is also the same age, a few days older than you. We are destined to be together. How about I take you as my goddaughter? Our two families will be even closer now."

Qi Yuning watched A Ping's embarrassed expression from the side, but had no intention of helping her out.

Qi Yu'an was very happy that Princess Pingrou adopted Aping as her goddaughter, as Aping's family background was, after all, low.

A Ping's parents died young. If Princess Pingrou can recognize A Ping as her goddaughter, it will be easier to ask His Majesty to grant A Ping the title of princess. (End of this chapter)