…

After a cup of tea.

Suddenly a black shadow appeared.

A man in black came out of the dungeon.

He walked in the night dressed in black. When he reached the palace gate, he stopped and gestured to the people inside.

The nanny who pretended to pass by happened to see it and nodded to him.

Then the troops split into two groups. The men in black disappeared into the night outside the palace, while the nanny hurried towards the central palace and returned to Empress Jiahe's Jinxiu Palace.

There were only two people in the room, and even the serving maids had been sent away. The Queen Mother and the Fourth Prince sat together, and she was stroking her jade ring anxiously.

The old nanny walked in quickly and whispered in the queen's ear, "It has been done, your majesty can rest assured."

Nanny Ji has served Empress Jiahe for a long time and is her confidant. The Empress trusts her immensely.

She let out a long sigh, but her brows were deeply furrowed.

The fourth prince observed her expression and asked, "Aunt, is there anything you are worried about?"

Empress Jiahe pinched her forehead and said in an irritable tone, "I think this matter is strange. How could Wang Zhou be found guilty all of a sudden?"

The local officials in Yecheng, from the county magistrate to the yamen runners, were all taken care of by the people she sent.

Those people took advantage of her, so even if they received Rong Ting’s complaint, they would just suppress it and not deal with it.

Rong Ting had no power, not even the money to see a doctor, let alone the spare money to buy people's hearts. Such an arrangement should have been foolproof, but unexpectedly, there were omissions.

Unless, there is someone helping Rong Ting behind him...

The Fourth Prince's thoughts coincided with hers. "Aunt, do you think someone is helping him?"

Empress Jiahe nodded slightly, then suddenly raised her head and looked at Nanny Ji with poison in her cold eyes.

Ji Ma Ma understood, and her eyes turned cold, as fierce as a seasoned hawk. She immediately said, "Don't worry, Madam. I will find someone to check it out right away!"

…

The next day.

Just before Wang Zhouyi's case was brought to trial, news came that he had committed suicide at night out of fear of punishment.

…

The lights are coming on.

Yecheng is particularly lively at night.

On the day of Spring Festival, the number of street vendors on Taoxi Road, the busiest commercial street in the district, is several times that of ordinary days. The lights in the night market are bright, casting a hazy golden hue on the new leaves of the willow trees, which are covered with unmelted snow but have sprouted new green leaves.

During the festive season, Mr. Jiang Si splurges on a rare occasion and books a

There was no sign of Jiang Rao in the entire pleasure boat, so I asked Jiang Qinshi, "Where is Niannian?"

Jiang Qin knew where Jiang Rao was and said with a smile, "She has been bored at home for a whole winter and is almost as bored as a mushroom. It's not easy to celebrate a festival, so just let her go out and play for a while. Don't worry, the maid and Jiang Ping are with her."

Fourth Master Jiang's expression changed to a sullen one.

Jiang Qin asked: "Are you angry about what happened today?"

"I'm not angry." Fourth Master Jiang retorted, "I just feel upset."

Not long after Nian Nian went out this morning, a guest came to visit the mansion. He was a wealthy family surnamed Yang in Yecheng. They had a relative who was a second-rank official in Jinling. They were a prominent family. Fourth Master Jiang originally thought that Mr. Yang came to take advantage of the festival to greet and socialize with him, but who would have thought that during the conversation, this man actually mentioned his Nian Nian.

He mentioned his eldest son who was about to come of age two years later.

It seemed as if they wanted the two children to get to know each other and have different surnames.

Fourth Master Jiang declined the invitation on the grounds that his daughter was still young. After seeing the guest off, his face remained gloomy for the entire day.

I'm so upset.

Fourth Master Jiang frowned, and even though he said he wasn't angry, he looked furious: "Don't those people have daughters at home? Don't you know how abrupt it is to ask to marry someone else's daughter when you first visit them?"

Jiang Qinshi also looked down on Mr. Yang who came today. It was just that he had a relative who was a second-rank official in the capital and his family was a little wealthy, so he seemed a little complacent. But his family property is nothing compared to the aristocratic Jiang family and her family.

What's more, Mr. Yang was not good-looking. If his son looked like him, it would be even worse.

But Jiang Qinshi didn't react as strongly as Fourth Master Jiang. She had also been approached by someone before she reached the age of 15. "If Mr. Yang wasn't such an impatient person and had made friends with you for a while before telling you that he wanted to marry into our family, I'm afraid you would think that he was trying to please you just to steal your daughter away, and you would be upset again."

Fourth Master Jiang was silent.

He felt that what his wife said was absolutely right.

"I see it clearly. No matter how you do it, anyone who wants to marry Nian Nian will make you unhappy." Jiang Qin said gently, "Nian Nian can't stay by your side forever. You will be anxious when she becomes an old maid. I think the kid from Chengxi is really good. If we let him marry into our family, wouldn't it be exactly what you, the fourth master, want to do without marrying your daughter?"

Jiang Siye has

Some hesitation: "But his legs..."

"His leg injury is treatable. It's not like it can't be healed."

"Not appropriate." Fourth Master Jiang frowned. "Even if you want to marry into the family of Nian Nian, you have to take a good look. I have never seen the boy from the west of the city in person. Besides, I heard that the boy is lonely and helpless, and his background is unknown. If I don't find out more about him, what if marrying into the family brings disaster..."

Although Jiang Qinshi was concerned about her husband's appearance, she agreed with what her husband said and said softly, "Send more people to inquire. If the family background is clean, we can discuss it further. Besides, the matter of marrying a son-in-law depends on whether the other family is willing."

…

Jiang Rao stopped at a small stall and bought two masks.

Behind her was Taoxi Road, a straight and wide street now crowded with pedestrians. The sound of stringed instruments from the tall buildings on both sides mixed with the voices and laughter of people on the street, making it extremely noisy.

Rong Ting sat in a wheelchair and waited until he reached the bluestone road beside the street. He saw Jiang Rao happily holding several masks in his hands. There were blue, red, black, and all kinds of colors. She turned her head and looked at him, "Which one are you wearing?"

All the kids along the way were wearing evil ghost masks on their faces. Jiang Rao thought about it and felt that Rong Ting might have never worn one before, so she wanted to buy one for him to try.

Although it’s a pity that I can’t see his handsome face anymore, but this time I’m out playing with him and his happiness is the most important thing.

Rong Ting, however, didn't seem to care much, "As long as it's the same as yours."

Jiang Rao chose two masks, one blue and one red, with fangs of evil spirits. He gave the red one to him and put the blue one on his own face.

She put it on herself and looked at Rong Ting, "Why don't you put on the mask?"

Rong Ting raised his eyes and said, "There are too many things in my arms, I can't get my hands out."

Jiang Rao: “…”

They arrived at Taoxi Road an hour ago and came across a circus vendor selling rare toys, so Jiang Rao wanted to buy some.

She has never had to worry about food and clothing since she was a child. Her family has more money than she can spend in several lifetimes. Although she doesn't spend money too lavishly, she won't compromise when she comes across something she likes.

I didn't think much of it when I bought them. I just bought one thing after another and when I put them all together, the number was quite considerable.

The changes are all in his arms.

Jiang Rao felt a little guilty. She didn't even remember when these things came into his arms. Now he was so sick and weak, but he had to bear so many things she bought.

It was as if this trip was not about her accompanying him to celebrate the holiday, but about him accompanying her to go shopping.

Jiang Rao felt guilty and wanted to throw the juggling toys in his arms

He took the child out and held him in his arms, but he heard him say in a calm voice: "I'll do it."

"That mask..."

Rong Ting raised his eyes and glanced at her.

Jiang Rao seemed to understand what he meant. She reached out to take the mask and asked tentatively, "Do you want me to help you put it on?"

There was a lot of uncertainty in her tone.

Rong Ting saw that timid look in her eyes again, like that of a little rabbit.

He nodded, but the timidity did not go away, as if she was a little afraid... afraid of being too close to him.

A slight look of displeasure and confusion appeared on his face, but was covered by the red ghost mask that was put on.

Jiang Rao carefully tied the string of the mask behind his head. The mask stuck to his cheeks, leaving only the clear line of his jaw to let people guess how stunning the face underneath the mask was.

Her act of possession brought her very close to him, just a breath away, with only two masks between them.

Rong Ting's cheeks felt slightly hot.

But he just looked at her, trying to figure out why she was like that, and was a little afraid of him.

Jiang Rao straightened his mask and quickly let go of his hand, "Okay."

Rong Ting watched her fingers quickly withdraw.

She was indeed afraid of him.

Jiang Rao twirled her fingers.

When she mailed the mask to him just now, her fingers were so tense and she was so obedient that they were a little numb.

After all, she had been his maid in his dreams for so long that she knew his habits.

In the dream, he only allowed her to serve him closely, to dress him and bathe him, and she was the only one who served him. He didn't allow her to touch his body. Every time she accidentally touched him, he looked at her with a horrible, gloomy look, as if he wanted to chop off her fingers...

Jiang Rao couldn't help but shrink her head when she thought about it.

Although she couldn't see his expression under the mask, she thought that she didn't touch his cheek at all just now. Although it didn't make him happy, at least it wouldn't make him angry.

She relaxed, but felt a little embarrassed when she saw him holding the things she bought. She said, "Ming Shao and Jiang Ping should have bought the Kongming lanterns. Let's go to Zhuque Bridge to find them and release the Kongming lanterns."

When we arrived at the Suzaku Bridge, we could see from afar the lights of the Kongming lanterns, like golden sparks, blooming in the night sky, so gorgeous.

Jiang Rao exclaimed "Wow" and pushed Rong Ting's wheelchair towards the bridge.

The bridge surface was not flat, but had a slope. Jiang Rao felt that pushing was much more difficult and even her breathing became faster. She took off her mask, wiped the sweat off her face, and continued to push upwards.

Rong Ting remained silent, but quietly held the

He pulled his hand out from under the pile of toys, secretly helped her, and pushed the wheels of his wheelchair.

Jiang Rao was just thinking that pushing the wheelchair had become much easier when a voice suddenly came from the side and a pair of hands were placed on the wheelchair. "Miss, do you need help?"

Jiang Rao glanced sideways.

The handsome and elegant young man in brocade clothes and jade crown turned to her with a gentle smile, "My name is Yang Tao, and my courtesy name is Xiuzhu. My father just met your father today."

He looked at Jiang Rao and smiled faintly, "My father came to your house to bother you today and took the liberty to talk about our marriage. It was my father's abruptness, and I want to apologize to you, young lady."

Jiang Rao was stunned.

Rong Ting's face darkened quickly.