Jiang Rao's face was burning and her mind was confused. She just listened to the sound of rain, worried about his leg injury and didn't want him to get tired. At the same time, she thought about her shallow knowledge and that she couldn't even recognize the tea that was good for health and pregnancy. There was a hint of anger and resentment in her tone, which was a result of not wanting to be looked down upon.

But she only had backbone and courage. At that time, the booklet felt like a hot potato in her hands. The nanny came to give her guidance and instruction, but she was unable to even talk about it on paper, let alone put it into practice.

Jiang Rao gave up before she had done half of it. In the current situation, she could not move and tears welled up in her eyes. When she thought that she had forced herself into this situation, she was so angry. She just felt pity for him and wanted to love him, but she never thought that she would be so clumsy.

From childhood to adulthood, she has only been teased by her parents and called lazy, but never called stupid.

Jiang Rao didn't hear anyone calling her stupid, but she felt so ashamed that she couldn't even do the smallest thing right. The word "stupid" kept lingering in her mind and she couldn't get it out of her head. She took two breaths, her nose turned red, and she hiccupped and cried. The ends of her eyelashes were stained with wet tears, and she whimpered aggrievedly that she couldn't do it.

Rong Ting couldn't bear to see her cry.

What I hate most is seeing her cry.

He was careful not to show his true nature that she would be afraid of, and he never made her cry. Other people who made her cry… He realized this when Jiang Xingzhou was framed by Chen Que and she cried in his arms. He couldn't even make her cry, let alone others.

To find out what was going on behind the scenes, he dug up the grave of Shen Que's daughter and searched all the servants of the Shen family who had returned to their hometown, and investigated the matter clearly.

Shen Que was executed in the autumn, his house caught fire, his wife and children all died, Zhang Liuyuan was exiled to Ningguta, but the exchange was not enough. The Xu family helped in this matter. A maidservant of the Shen family disappeared... He remembered the debt owed by the Xu family to her, and also remembered what was wrong, and sooner or later he would settle it bit by bit.

You could say he was stingy or vindictive, that was just his nature. As long as it wasn't in front of her, he never felt there was anything wrong.

Those people who made her cry are still alive and well in this world. When he thought about this, he found it a little unbearable.

If he saw her crying normally, he would definitely comfort her gently.

But she was driving him crazy.

The raindrops outside were getting bigger and bigger, creating whirlpools in the mud when they hit the ground.

Rong Ting's eyes flushed red,

His jaw tightened at the sound of the soft sobs from the side.

He was a little out of control, and the cruelty and tyranny in his nature leaked out a little. He pinched her waist with his tiger's mouth, and the ferocious force made it impossible for her to escape even if she had wings, and he pressed her down.

…

Not long after the rain stopped, Jiang Rao slowly woke up.

The rain stopped the next day and the sky was just beginning to brighten.

When Jiang Rao first woke up, she stretched out her arms, pulled the bed curtain a little, and took a look outside through the gap.

She looked at the sky outside and roughly estimated the time in her mind.

It was about the middle of the morning.

Normally, she should go to pay respects to her mother-in-law at this time. However, although the house was very empty, it was not like other families where several generations lived together. Jiang Rao felt relaxed and comfortable. In addition, her body was sore and she was very lazy, so she did not rush and did not call the maid over. She just curled up in the quilt and stayed in bed for a while.

At this time, Rong Ting had most likely already left the house.

The memories of last night slowly came back to her, and Jiang Rao's face gradually turned red. She shook her head, trying to get those things out of her head.

She suddenly paused, thinking about what he said last night, "I want a child", and as if possessed, she lifted the quilt and took a look at her belly.

Given how much she was tormented last night, she really felt like she was pregnant.

She couldn't help but reach out and touch her belly. The white fabric of her shirt covered the skin of her lower abdomen, and the coolness slowly seeped down.

Jiang Rao frowned, lifted her shirt, looked at the two red marks on her waist that had been covered with medicine, stretched out her fingers to touch them, feeling both sore and painful, and frowned, not knowing what to say.

He wants children...

It's a bit too much effort.

When Rong Ting came back at noon, Jiang Rao looked at him frequently during the meal.

Although he looked at her frequently, his eyes were somewhat evasive. Thinking about what happened at night, it was like lifting the lid of a pot of boiling water. The heat enveloped his face, and it was hot from eating the whole meal.

Rong Ting looked calm on the other side, and Jiang Rao had no way to deal with him.

It's also strange that he doesn't feel ashamed of doing something that two people do together.

She bit the tip of her chopsticks and forgot to pick up any food.

Why was it that every time after that, when daytime came, she would wilt like a dried cabbage baked by the sun, while he would be as energetic as if he had drunk a dozen bowls of nourishing soup?

It was to nourish him with tonic soup, but now he was using her to nourish him?

He looks so handsome that he doesn't look like a human. Could he really be a demon?

Although she got up late in the morning, it took her another hour to apply makeup to cover the red marks on her body. She didn't have breakfast and was a little hungry, but she didn't have much thought about food at the moment. Her mind was completely occupied by these messy thoughts.

She herself had thought about children before. He was so good-looking. If the child looked just 70% like him, no matter whether it was a boy or a girl, it would be very good-looking.

She could also see what he looked like as a child.

But the matter of children...it's not like planting crops, you will definitely get a harvest just by planting them.

After her mother married her father, she sought medical treatment for four or five years before she became pregnant with her.

Although she had a younger brother later, she had heard her aunt say several times that she shouldn't have had a younger brother.

Her mother was frail and gave birth to her in a very dangerous way. Her father, a grown man, knelt outside the delivery room and cried for the entire day, completely losing all his composure.

Her aunt had few opportunities to interact with her father, but she was not particularly hostile to him. She was particularly ruthless when she spoke to Jiang Rao, and her tone was harsh when she mentioned that Jiang Xingzhou only wanted a daughter.

"Your father is very ostentatious and proud. He lost face once when your mother gave birth to you, and he didn't want to lose face again. If your mother hadn't insisted, I'm afraid you wouldn't have a brother."

Jiang Rao could tell which was a joke and which was the truth. She knew that her aunt couldn't stand her father's romantic ways when he was young and was somewhat dissatisfied with the man who married her cousin, so her tone sounded a little harsh.

Since Concubine Yun told Jiang Rao these things, she knew that childbirth was not an easy thing for women.

To say that it is extremely dangerous is not an exaggeration at all.

Jiang Rao was secretly looking forward to having her own child, but at the same time she was a little afraid... But she couldn't give Rong Ting much, and since he wanted her to give it to him.

She ate absent-mindedly, her mind wandering everywhere, and she couldn't help but ask Rong Ting on the other side, "Do you really... want a child?"

Rong Ting paused for a moment while holding the chopsticks, lowered his eyelids, and said "hmm".

He doesn't want children.

He just wanted the bond a child could bring.

There is no other bond deeper than that of a child. He knows that this method is despicable, but he is tempted by the results that this method can bring.

If they had a child, even if she was afraid of him and was willing to abandon him, given her soft-heartedness, she would not be willing to abandon the child.

Even the son of County Magistrate Zuo could make her happy for so long, let alone her own child.

As long as she had a child, she would stay with him forever - no matter what kind of person he was.

He put the chopsticks on the table and looked up at Jiang Rao. His eyes flickered, revealing the look of a child craving for candy. He repeated in a very soft voice, "I want it."

Jiang Rao was stunned for a moment.

She had actually been hiding just now, not daring to look him in the eye.

Because the look he gave her that night was still lingering in her mind.

Crazy, cruel, and eager, as if he could crush her bones with just his eyes.

Now it's completely different.

Last night he told her on the couch that he wanted a child, his voice was hoarse and deep, as if he was tempting her. Today he said softly, his brows slightly furrowed, his voice slow and hesitant, as if he was afraid to embarrass her and was a little hesitant to say it.

After being married for so long, Jiang Rao has become accustomed to this man's two different faces during the day and at night. She suspects that all men may be like this. When desire takes over, they can't think of anything else. Although I can't empathize with him, I can at least show some understanding for him.

This can be considered as finding something he likes.

It's just a bit hard for her...

Rong Ting's appearance at this moment made her let go of the discomfort she had brought from last night. When she heard him say this, she thought in her heart that he might really want a child.

The Prince Qi's Mansion is such a big place, but it seems a bit empty without a child.

It would be better if the child is not like her, who is lazy and has no other advantages except running a bank and a shop. It would be better if the child is like him, with outstanding appearance and talent. Let her father teach the child to paint, and ask Hu Tang or General Hu to teach the child kung fu. However, as for kung fu, the child's father can do it himself. As for her brother with a bad temper...she must teach the child to stay away from his/her uncle early.

Jiang Rao picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip of tea. When she thought of the scene of Jiang Jinxing leading her child astray, her expression became solemn and serious.

Rong Ting glanced at her, taking in the subtle expression on her face, then suddenly lowered his eyes and said in a low voice: "If you don't want to..."

There was no displeasure in his tone, and a light shadow fell on his eyelids when he lowered his eyes.

He should be living a naive life at an age where he lives a humble life. He has always been patient and will not rush to get what he wants immediately.

"If you don't want to, I won't mention it again."

Jiang Rao was originally thinking about how many children she would have, and how she would beat her brother if he led her children astray. She forgot that she was talking to Rong Ting. When she realized what Rong Ting had said, she suddenly came back to her senses, "You... say it again?"

"I didn't hear it." She raised her hand, a little embarrassed, and touched her face with the palm of her hand. She had just blushed from thinking about the child, and her face felt a little hot to the touch.

"I'm talking about the child." Rong Ting smiled faintly, looking extremely patient.

Being ignored by her was something he couldn't stand.

He moves

He tapped the table twice with his fingers, looking at Jiang Rao with a smile that never faded. "If you don't want to have a child, I won't think about it or mention it again."

The child is not the only means to tie her down. If she really doesn't want to, then he won't use this method.

Jiang Rao was stunned, and the maid serving beside her was also stunned. They turned their heads and exchanged glances, each of them with astonishment in their eyes.

In this world, which man doesn't value his bloodline inheritance? What’s more, they are princes and nobles.

Jiang Rao also realized this, and her eyes shook slightly.

Where did she pick up this divine husband?

She quickly lifted the lid of the purple clay teapot on the table and showed Rong Ting what kind of tea was brewed in the teapot.

"I didn't say I didn't want it."

She tilted the teapot towards him so that he could see the angelica and jujube slices in the tea.

“I’m trying.”

She couldn't help laughing after she finished speaking.

Fortunately, he realized that she was drinking something that would help her conceive after hearing her mention several medicinal herbs yesterday. She was sitting opposite him and had drunk two or three cups of tea, but he had no idea what kind of tea she was drinking.

Rong Ting's eyes passed through the pot and he was stunned for a moment.

He raised his hand to cover his eyebrows, lowered his head slightly and chuckled, but he didn't know what to say.

Jiang Rao rolled her eyes and looked behind his ear.

She was sitting on his opposite side and couldn't see the whole picture behind his ear. She could only see a little bit of the blush spreading out.

His ears turned red.

I'm shy.

Jiang Rao held the teacup, sucking on the rim, with a faint smile still on her lips.

She had finally gotten over the shame of last night's clumsiness, of having to rely on him in the end.

Even though he was better than her at that time, he was actually not that good at being teased.

…

According to the laws of Dazhao, anyone who kills someone must pay with his own death. Because the seventeenth prince failed to succeed, he was stripped of his title, his salary was reduced by more than half, and he was exiled to the Dongyi area. He was not allowed to return to the capital for two years unless there was an emergency.

The outcome of the seventeenth prince's case was certain, so Pei Songyu sent people to deliver the news to the Ning'an Marquis's Mansion and the Qi Wang's Mansion.

The message he delivered to the Ning'an Marquis's Mansion smoothly reached Jiang Xingzhou's ears, but when the servant who delivered the message ran to the Qi Wang Mansion, he told the gatekeeper the news from the Dali Temple, and the gatekeeper did not run to Jiang Rao at all.

Instead, he told the news to Rong Ting who was in the study first.

Rong Ting had long known Pei Songyu's feelings for Jiang Rao.

He noticed it before Pei Songyu noticed it himself.

Mingming was a dull scholar who only liked to read. Whenever someone in the academy talked about girls from aristocratic families, he would look over when he heard Jiang Rao's name.

Although he seems to have given up now, he and he are fellow disciples and they still run into each other quite often.

Pei Songyu was frank and natural when he met him, but there was always a thorn in his heart.

Today, Pei Songyu sent a servant to deliver the news from the Dali Temple. This thorn in his side again stung him, and he said, "I know," and let the servant who came to tell him the news go away.

He tapped his temple, thinking about how Jiang Rao had been holding on to the angelica tea recently. His eyes gradually relaxed, and he gradually stopped wanting to use the bloodthirsty methods he had thought of in his mind.

However, we still have to take care of Pei Songyu.

Try to find a marriage for him.

With my own wife taking care of me, I won't have to think about disturbing other people's wives all day long.

He went to tell Jiang Rao in person what happened to the Seventeenth Prince in the end.

Jiang Rao was slightly surprised when she learned that the seventeenth prince would be escorted to Dongyi in half a month.

If she didn't put herself in the position of a victim, to be fair, the sentence would be a bit too heavy.

Exile... this is more serious than beheading.

The murderer must pay with his life, but the seventeenth prince was exiled to Dongyi. Even though his status as a prince allowed him to barely keep his fiefdom, it was estimated that his fiefdom would eventually become Dongyi. Many people were exiled to such a remote and desolate place and never returned.

She weighed the pros and cons in her mind, and couldn't help but tell Rong Ting everything she was thinking, and quietly asked, "Is this sentence too heavy?"

Rong Ting did not mention his role in this at all. He stood up to get tea leaves, intending to personally make a pot of Angelica tea for Jiang Rao. He said lightly, "Father must be trying to suppress the Xu family."

He pinched the cold body of the teacup, and his brows suddenly furrowed.

In her eyes, the Seventeenth Prince was a younger brother who grew up with her. Even though she knew a little about his childhood, if he acted too cold, he would seem heartless and chilling.

The tone he used just now... was a little inappropriate.

Rong Ting paused and was about to say something to make amends when Jiang Rao bumped into him from behind.

Jiang Rao followed behind him and walked in his steps. When he took his left foot, she also took his left foot. When he took his right foot, she also took his right foot.

She was not walking fast, so it didn't hurt when she bumped into him, but she was a little surprised. He was so alert, and she followed him blatantly without stopping her footsteps, but he didn't notice it at all. She liked this very much. Her nose was sore, but her heart softened. She stretched out her arms and hugged him from behind. She rubbed her face against him unconsciously twice, and said with a soft smile in her voice, "Father did a good job on this point."

Rong Ting turned around and lowered his eyes slightly. Jiang Rao smiled heartlessly, with dimples in her crescent eyes, looking cheerful. "This is a good verdict."

"It can be regarded as a compensation for the crime he once committed against you."

Seeing that Rong Ting didn't say anything, she paused and stammered, "Plus..." After hesitating for a moment, she suddenly felt that she was right and spoke faster, "Plus what his mother had done before, he can bear such a heavy punishment."

What happened so many years ago cannot be traced back to the past, and I'm afraid no one will give him justice and fairness.

Although one thing is one thing, and it is a bit unreasonable for a son to pay for his mother's debt, but the person who bullied him and wanted to harm her became so miserable... She was unreasonable.

The more miserable the person who wants to bring misfortune upon her is, the happier she will feel.

But although she was determined to be unreasonable, she wanted Rong Ting to agree with her unreasonable words. She looked up at him with her watery eyes, her speech speed sometimes fast and sometimes slow, and she became hesitant again, "Isn't it?"

There was a deep light in Rong Ting's eyes. He lowered his head, and Jiang Rao was always in his pupils.

She's just a little girl who seems like she never grows up, but she can be quite reckless when it comes to protecting her children.

It's really unreasonable.

Quite handsome.

He suddenly laughed, raised his hand, and touched Jiang Rao's slender nose with his fingers. The back of his long knuckles touched Jiang Rao's eyelashes, causing Jiang Rao to blink twice quickly and finally close her eyelids.

Rong Ting took this opportunity to bend down and gently kissed her forehead, smiling lightly with a hint of affection, "Yes."

"Then why did you ask just now whether the sentence in this case was too severe?"

"He's afraid that the case was wrongly judged and someone short-sighted will come and overturn the verdict for him." When saying bad things, one should speak softly. The more Jiang Rao spoke, the softer her voice became.

Rong Ting suddenly laughed even harder, his chest was shaking, Jiang Rao could feel the trembling when she was close to him. She raised her head from his arms and glanced at him. She rarely saw him laugh so brightly and beautifully. She blinked and lost herself for a moment, then continued in a low voice: "But since it is your father's intention, overturning the verdict... shouldn't be necessary."

Rong Ting tapped her forehead again and confirmed, "It won't happen if I'm here."

"Nian Nian, Nian Nian." There was a lingering smile in his voice. He called her by her nickname twice in a row. His intimate tone seemed to want to melt her whole body on the tip of his tongue. He answered her initial question, "You are right."

"Whatever you say is right."

Even if it is not right, it will always be right to him.

…

On the ninth day of May, the scenery in Jinling was beautiful everywhere.

Xu Guozhang bribed the jailer and allowed himself to see his grandson.

His daughter was detained and his grandson was exiled to western Zhejiang; the successive blows made his face look haggard.

"Don't be discouraged when you go to Dongyi. God will give you a great mission, and he will make you suffer setbacks first. Here in the capital,"

The seventeenth prince lowered his head and said nothing.

"General Dongyi, his daughter is about your age."

The seventeenth prince still kept his head down.

He understood what Xu Guozhang meant.

I just feel a little disdainful in my heart.

He is just a small military governor. It would be enough to serve him tea and water... Just because he was temporarily exiled to western Zhejiang, he has to marry his daughter?

He doesn't want to marry, no matter how many benefits there are, he doesn't want to marry.

"If you marry the daughter of the governor of Dongyi, you will be taken care of by the governor in Dongyi." Xu Guozhang said briefly, "When you get there, I will arrange for you to meet her."

The seventeenth prince looked grim, and was silent for a long while. Finally, he nodded and said, "Grandpa, I understand."

Xu Guozhang spent a lot of money to bribe the jailer, but he only had one stick of incense to spare. He was afraid that he would be too loud and his words would be overheard by others, and he was also afraid that the stick of incense would burn out. He spoke in a light and quick tone, "What are you worried about in Jinling?"

The seventeenth prince's eyes flickered slightly, he bit his lip and hesitated. Xu Guozhang urged him, "Hurry up and speak."

The seventeenth prince gritted his teeth, but he didn't dare to say the name in his heart. He raised his head and said, "Is it true that there is nothing you can do to my ninth brother now?"

He would rather have his power and the throne taken away by another brother than have that person be Rong Ting.

People who live in the palace like weeds, without any dignity, and cannot change hands even if they are beaten or scolded.

This kind of person is not even worthy of being competed with, so why is he the one who gets the upper hand in the end?

The fire of anger and jealousy almost set him on fire.

Xu Guozhang looked at him with a gloomy look in his eyes. He could no longer show the expression of not taking Rong Ting seriously as he did before when he mentioned Rong Ting. He pinched his palm and said with a frown, "Grandpa will find a way."

His tone was difficult, and there was a hint of urgency in his eyes.

After so much hard planning

For many years, we have maintained an honest attitude to the outside world. Now, when the time comes to reap the fruits of our labor, we are faced with the situation of failure. Who can bear this?

The seventeenth prince leaned over and whispered to Xu Guozhang, "Ninth brother has accumulated connections and power too quickly. Is there something fishy going on?"

"He fought in Lingnan. Rumor has it that Prince Jing fled there." He hinted, "Is there someone helping him behind the scenes?"

After listening to the Seventeenth Prince's words, Xu Guozhang did not take them to heart.

The method is indeed a method.

But... now there is no chance to find out the news in the palace. I don’t know how the emperor is feeling, nor do I know what the emperor is thinking...

If it was only when the emperor respected him as his teacher, he would listen to him. But now he can't even get a glimpse of the emperor's face, let alone listen to him.

He did not agree to the Seventeenth Prince's request. "No, the current situation is unclear. If you shoot yourself in the foot, it will be bad."

The seventeenth prince, however, was like a possessed man, and kept this matter in mind.

Until the day he was escorted to Dongyi, he could not stop thinking that if only he had gone forward, even if it was a frame-up, his mother and grandfather would always find a way to persuade his father.

When they were a hundred miles out of the capital, the carriage stopped by the roadside to rest.

The seventeenth prince was taken by his guards to the bushes beside a ditch to relieve himself. When he had finished, the guard had disappeared.

The seventeenth prince frowned and turned back to look for him. Seeing that he was indeed unattended, his heart began to beat fast.

I want to escape, but I don’t know whether I should escape or not.

He hadn't made up his mind yet and had already lost his way.

When I finally walked back to the wide road, I saw a man in white blocking the middle of the road. The man was riding a horse, and when he looked at me, there was a warm smile on his face.

"I wanted to come and see my Seventeenth Brother off, but I didn't expect to meet you here." He asked slowly with a faint smile, "Seventeenth Brother, where are you going to escape to?"

"It is really sad that our Seventeenth Brother has violated the law so many times." The man on the horse sighed and waved his hand, signaling the guards following behind him to move.

When the Seventeenth Prince saw those people coming towards him, his pupils suddenly contracted.

Thinking back to the fact that the person who had been guarding him was gone, he suddenly realized that he had fallen into a trap.

He roared at Rong Ting: "You are slandering me!"

Being banished to Dongyi was already enough of a crime for him. If he were to be punished with an even more serious crime, he would probably have no chance of turning things around.