The younger ones glanced at Shen Jiahao, then at Shen Zhongzheng who was eating calmly, and silently moved their chairs away from Shen Zhongzheng.

That's terrifying.

Learning martial arts from Uncle Shen is terrifying.

After dinner, Lili was going to take Gu Ziyi somewhere.

Gu Ziyi's carriage was parked at the village entrance. Lili took a couple of steps and then suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Gu Ziyi asked.

"nothing."

Lili ran back and pulled Shen Jiawen, who was watching Shen Lao Er do carpentry, out of the room.

"Third brother, let's go."

Confused, Shen Jiawen followed her small steps and asked, "Isn't Lili going out with His Highness the Crown Prince? Can I go too?"

Lili smiled mysteriously: "Brother, you'll find out when you get there. Lili also wants to give brother a gift!"

"ah?"

Gu Ziyi, who was waiting in front of the carriage, turned around when he heard the noise. He was slightly surprised to see Lili coming out with Shen Jiawen, but he didn't say anything.

Shen Jiawen greeted him, "Your Highness."

Gu Ziyi smiled faintly: "Mm."

Zhui Feng had already pulled the carriage along, and Li Li used her free right hand to grab Gu Ziyi, pulling the two of them into the carriage.

"Quick, quick, Pear is freezing!"

The carriage was understated yet luxurious, the same one that had been used when I first met Gu Ziyi. However, compared to that time, the current carriage had plush cushions on the seats on both sides and a thick carpet underfoot.

A bronze oil lamp hangs at each of the four corners of the carriage. Its design is simple and exquisite, and the flickering light casts a soft glow, illuminating the entire carriage.

A beautiful incense burner hangs from the ceiling of the carriage, wisps of smoke rising and emitting a delicate fragrance that brings peace to the mind.

Seats were set up on three sides, and the spacious center could even accommodate a table. A thick blanket was laid on the square table, and there was a heater under the table, where you could stretch your legs out and feel cozy.

Several hand warmers were placed on the table; they had just been prepared by Zhui Feng.

Lili climbed to the very back, opened the small window on the carriage wall, and said to Zhuifeng, who was driving the carriage in front, "Brother Zhuifeng, let's go to the village of scholars!"

"Yes, Miss."

The carriage slowly started moving onto the road. I pulled back the curtain, stretched out my legs, and felt great.

Gu Ziyi picked out a hand warmer with just the right temperature and handed it to Lili, then took another one and handed it to Shen Jiawen.

The hand warmer is small and exquisite, made of pure gold, and its surface is engraved with beautiful cloud and floral patterns. The craftsmanship is superb and the lines are smooth.

Lili clicked her tongue and silently bit the lid on top of the hand warmer.

The bite mark left a slight indentation and faint teeth marks.

Lili: ...It's confirmed, it's true.

Is this the young prince's power? Even his hand warmer is made of pure gold.

Gu Ziyi was amused, half helpless and half indulgent: "Lili likes this hand warmer and deliberately wants to leave some mark?"

Lili's eyes widened: "No, Lili just wanted to confirm if it's pure gold!"

Lili glanced at the teeth marks on the table and said somewhat embarrassedly, "It's alright, Lili can afford to pay for it. Lili can just exchange it with His Highness."

"It's alright."

Gu Ziyi switched the hand warmer in Lili's hand with the one in his own, and wiped the saliva off the teeth marks with his sleeve.

"These are also prepared for you to use, it's alright."

Gu Ziyi's expression was calm and gentle, as if he could accept everything about her.

The heavy cloak was placed aside, revealing the dark robe underneath.

Lili then remembered that when she saw the young prince before, he usually wore bright colors, and this was the first time she had seen him wear black.

Surprisingly, the black color didn't make him look dull or boring at all; instead, it gave him a mysterious and luxurious feel.

Lili sighed once again, "Indeed, what you wear doesn't matter; your face is the best asset."

Shen Jiawen knew that Juren Village was the village where Yang's maternal family lived. Why was Lili taking him along when she was going to visit her maternal grandfather?

"Lili, are you going to see Grandpa Yang and the others?"

"Yes! Mother won't be able to go home to see Grandpa and the others for a few days. Lili can't wait, Lili will go see them for Mother first." Lili smiled.

Shen Jiawen has always been intelligent. Although Lili said she was going home to see her grandfather, when she pulled him away, she said she wanted to give him a gift, and she used the word "also".

This means that originally, when Lili and His Highness went out, Lili was going to give him a "gift".

But what does this gift have to do with the village of scholars?

Or rather, what is its connection to the Yang family?

Shen Jiawen rested his hand on the heater and suddenly remembered the day his third uncle passed the imperial examination and held a banquet in the village.

Mr. Liu, a highly respected figure from the Moxiang Academy in Liucheng, also came that day.

Shen Jiawen loved reading, and when he occasionally read with Shen Laosan, he often heard him mention this old gentleman. Naturally, he knew how formidable Mr. Liu was, and when he met Mr. Liu that day, he took a few extra glances at him.

He remembered when Mr. Liu met Old Master Yang...

As Shen Jiawen pondered the matter more deeply, his intuition grew stronger.

Mr. Liu must know Mr. Yang!

Gu Ziyi's eyes were closed, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

The carriage arrived at the village of the successful candidates in no time.

Zhui Feng pulled back the carriage curtain, and Shen Jiawen and Gu Ziyi jumped down one after the other. Gu Ziyi then pulled Lili's cloak up before carrying her down.

Zhui Feng waited for the group at the village entrance but did not follow them.

Gu Ziyi and Shen Jiawen followed quietly behind Lili, neither of them saying a word.

Gu Ziyi felt the same way as Shen Jiawen.

When he first met Grandpa Yang, he knew that Grandpa Yang's gaze fell on him several times.

He didn't pay attention at the time.

Did Lili bring him here specifically to visit the Yang family?

As for why he was specifically taken to visit the Yang family, Gu Ziyi guessed that it might be related to Old Master Yang.

Lili hadn't been to Juren Village for a long time, but the "good results" of Xinghua Village had already spread far and wide.

Many villagers from the village of Juren greeted Lili from Xinghua Village with even greater enthusiasm than before, and even asked her about Xinghua Village, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Lili just smiled without saying a word, while Gu Ziyi and Shen Jiawen behind her also smiled, but their eyes always seemed to hide a chill.

Especially Gu Ziyi's clothes and appearance, it's clear that she's not an ordinary person.

The villagers asked a few questions but couldn't get any information out of them. They were also afraid of offending some unknown important person, so eventually no one dared to come forward.

Lili teased, "Your Highness is truly a walking talisman."

The three arrived at the Yang family's house without incident. Like other houses, the Yang family's door was decorated with the character "福" (fortune), and there were still remnants of firecracker debris on the ground.

The gate was ajar. Lili pushed it open and went in, bumping right into Yang Ji, who was exercising in the yard, carrying two buckets of water.

"Grandpa!"

Yang Ji was taken aback, then picked up the little dumpling who had rushed over and spun her around in the air: "Oh my Lili, what brings you here? Why aren't you at home on the second day of the Lunar New Year?"

Lili giggled as she experienced the joy of "flying on an airplane," then hugged Yang Ji's neck and said, "Lili missed Grandpa."

"Oh, our Pear has such a sweet tongue."

Yang Ji happily pinched her little nose and looked at the two little boys standing quietly behind her.

The two quickly greeted each other.

Yang Ji smiled and nodded, but his gaze fell on Gu Ziyi, and his smile faltered.

There was no other reason than that Gu Ziyi's manners clearly indicated that he was from the palace.

Yang Ji's smile faded slightly, his expression gradually becoming somewhat complicated. In fact, due to his shock and surprise, a hint of barely concealed hatred flashed in his eyes.

People from the capital?

And she's from the palace?

How could someone from the palace be here!

The capital city... a place you'll never forget!

Gu Ziyi also took in Yang Ji's changing expressions, and her curiosity grew even stronger.

What's going on? He's certain he's never been here before and has never seen him before, so why does he feel any hatred?

Could he have misread it?

No, he couldn't possibly be mistaken.

Yang Ji's behavior was so obvious that even Shen Jiawen noticed something was wrong.

Shen Jiawen frowned, somewhat confused about the situation.

Yang Ji then noticed that the cloak Lili was wearing was made of exquisite material and was obviously very valuable.

As a member of the once-powerful Yang family in the capital, Yang Ji naturally recognized that only a few people in the palace were qualified to obtain such fabric!

Gu Ziyi remained neither humble nor arrogant, allowing Yang Ji to sized him up.

Until Lili struggled to jump to the ground and circled around Yang Ji a few times, she said, "Grandpa, your legs look much better now."

Yang Ji snapped out of his daze and smiled: "Yes, thanks to Doctor Sikong, my grandfather's legs are now able to help him walk a little."

“That’s great! Our new house is finished! Grandpa Sikong is staying with us now. In a few days, when Mom comes over, I’ll bring Grandpa Sikong along so Grandpa can take a look at it again.”

"Lili, you're so kind." Yang Ji rubbed Lili's head, smiling as he spoke, but there was an undeniable hint of reluctance in his voice.

The events of that year cast a long shadow over him, causing him to have mixed feelings when he saw someone who was very likely a noble person in the palace.

Fortunately, Guo came out at this moment. When she saw the people in the courtyard, she was surprised and happy, just like Yang Ji.

"Pear?"

Lili tilted her head back and sweetly called out, "Grandma!"

Mrs. Guo looked at Lili carefully, then hugged her with eyes full of heartache: "You've lost weight, you've lost weight. You must have been exhausted these past few days. Grandma knows you've been doing great things. It's really been hard on our Lili. Your little face has become so thin."

Shen Jiawen: "..."

Are you sure... your face has become more pointed instead of round?

Lili was overjoyed. She knew it! How could she possibly have a round face? It's pointy!

"I'm not tired at all. My brothers all say I've gotten a bit rounder." That's what she said, but she couldn't hide her smile.

"Don't listen to them, Lili is too thin!"

After saying that, Guo noticed the two people standing in front of her, and they also called for help.

Guo was once the daughter-in-law of the Yang family. She was familiar with Gu Ziyi's etiquette more than Yang Ji was when she moved around among noble ladies.

Guo was also stunned.

Before Guo could think it through, Lili pulled the two of them inside, one in each hand: "Grandpa and Grandma, let's go inside and talk. It's freezing outside."

Gu Ziyi's eyes darkened as he pondered the reactions of the two people just now, and the gentle smile on his lips faded a bit.

Gu Ziyi and Shen Jiawen exchanged a glance, both seeing the doubt in each other's eyes.

After hesitating for a long time, Shen Jiawen observed Gu Ziyi's expression and asked, "Has Your Highness met with Grandpa Yang and his companion?"

Gu Ziyi shook her head slightly: "Never."

Shen Jiawen lowered her eyes, clearly unaware of what was going on.

The two walked slowly into the house. Suddenly, Gu Ziyi spoke, his eyes deep and serious.

"Third Young Master, have the Yang family members been here from the very beginning?"

Shen Jiawen frowned and thought for a moment: "I don't know much about it. I only met the Yang family once when my third uncle and aunt got married. But my grandmother said that the Yang family seemed to have returned to Nanlin County more than 20 years ago, and had been living in other places before that."

Do you know why the Yang family suddenly returned to Nanlin County?

"I don't know."

Gu Ziyi nodded, and the two stepped into the house, tacitly ceasing their conversation.

Guo poured three cups of hot tea. Lili took a sip, and her stomach felt warm, so she squinted.

"Grandma, where are your great-grandfather and great-grandmother?"

Guo glanced at Gu Ziyi subconsciously. "She took a nap after lunch. I reckon she should be waking up soon."

Coincidentally, just as Madam Guo finished speaking, the curtain on the door connecting the main room and the inner courtyard was lifted, and Old Master Yang, who still looked a little tired, stepped out.

"Why is it so noisy?"

The voice was deep and powerful, like muffled thunder rolling across the sky, carrying the majesty accumulated over the years.

The moment the old man spoke, it was as if the entire space was enveloped by his aura. His voice was slightly hoarse, but it did not diminish his dignified presence in the slightest.

Gu Ziyi looked up, and upon seeing that, a voice echoed in her heart.

This person is not simple.

"Father," Yang Ji and Madam Guo said in unison.

Gu Ziyi and Shen Jiawen both stood up from the tea table. Lili ran over and grabbed his sleeve, saying, "Great-grandfather, great-grandfather, it's Lili!"

Grandpa Yang was taken aback, and his solemn voice carried a hint of helplessness: "So it was you. No one else could be so mischievous."

The weariness on his face faded, and after speaking, his sharp eyes swept over the two people in the room.

They were all handsome and refined, calm and composed.

He knew the one on the left; he was the son of the second son of the Shen family.

The one on the right...

Old Master Yang narrowed his eyes and immediately understood the whole story.

Grandpa Yang looked down and saw Lili smiling mischievously, her lips pursed. She met his gaze and winked at him.

Grandpa Yang smiled and pulled Lili over to sit down.

No one spoke, so Madam Guo had no choice but to take on the responsibility and said to Old Master Yang, "Father, this is Jiawen, the one you've met before, Lili's third brother. And this is..."

Guo paused, because she realized that she didn't know who he was either.

Old Master Yang took a sip of tea and replied, "Yes, I have met His Highness the Crown Prince."

Yang Ji and Guo Shi paused, their eyes fixed on Gu Ziyi, who remained neither humble nor arrogant throughout, displaying extraordinary composure.

Your Highness the Crown Prince?

After their initial surprise, the two were about to bow when Gu Ziyi stopped them.

"I have already troubled you all with my visit today. Here, we only distinguish by seniority, not by rank."

Old Master Yang chuckled, his voice deep and authoritative.

"sit."

Seeing that things were about right, Lili directly stated the purpose of her visit.

"Great-grandfather, great-grandfather, Lili has been memorizing a lot of books recently. Great-grandfather, let's test Lili."

Several pairs of eyes in the room were fixed on her. Old Master Yang had a half-smile, Yang Ji and Madam Guo hesitated and were puzzled, while Gu Ziyi and Shen Jiawen vaguely sensed something.