Old Man Chu Yening's Adam's apple bobbed, and he gestured to him with his eyes...

"Thank you. I can do it myself." She lowered her eyes, took the handkerchief with both hands, and quietly wiped her mouth. It was as if she wanted to hide the countless turbulent waves quietly rising in her heart.

It was a fine spring evening. After dinner and a short rest, they climbed together onto the rooftop to look at the stars, just as they had done in their youth on Little Penglai.

But there were very few stars today, so the group took a leisurely stroll around Xiaguang Lake.

Tao Qingyun was using binoculars to observe a flock of geese swimming in the lake. Everyone knew that his carriage, belonging to the Marquis of Chengyi, contained all sorts of treasures.

In his words, "Never compromise yourself when you're away from home."

Having heard that this mirror was introduced from the West, he had traveled all over the country and seen a lot of the world during his youth.

Reading on the road while enjoying the scenery.

I stumbled upon this treasure by chance. It is said that as long as you cover your eyes with those two translucent pieces, you can see things in the distance clearly.

Tao Qingyun called this thing "Thousand-Mile Eye".

When this treasure was brought to the palace, Emperor Kangxi played with it greatly and was very fond of it. In the end, Tao Qingyun somehow managed to put it into her own treasure bag.

He was the Empress's nephew, whom Emperor Kang Le watched grow up as if he were his own son. He enjoyed immense favor and privilege from birth, and was the only one in the capital to receive such treatment.

Jiang Yuanfu muttered from the side, "Big cousin, what's so interesting about swimming geese?"

Tao Qingyun withdrew her gaze, snorted, and said, "What do you know?" She then beckoned to Qin Weixi and handed her the clairvoyant device. Just then, Jiuqu, appearing out of nowhere, stood like a ghost behind a patch of grass. Chu Yening suddenly reached out and beckoned to him.

She jogged over and came within arm's reach of him.

Chu Yening said coldly, "Do you even know what a conspiracy is? Why don't you go into the lake and I'll talk to you on the shore?" As she spoke, she was about to kick him into the lake.

Jiuqu subtly dodged to the side, seemingly unintentionally. He chuckled and quickly leaned closer to listen. After a moment, his expression shifted from frowning to surprise, then to feigned confusion, and finally to undisguised excitement. Then he quietly slipped away.

Qin Weixi took the telescope and covered his eyes with it, looking into the Xiaguang Lake.

Two swans, one black and one white, were cuddling on the shimmering water, with several fluffy little black swans behind them.

Qin Weixi blinked and looked away, quickly moving the two transparent lenses elsewhere. The light then fell on a pair of black boots with gold thread.

She moved up to a relaxed face, the moonlight illuminating his dark eyes, which shone brightly as he looked at her with raised eyebrows.

A mischievous smile lingered at the corners of her slightly upturned lips.

She paused, then quickly shifted her gaze elsewhere. Jiang Yuanjun stood upright by the lakeside railing, hands behind her back, gazing at the opposite shore. Jiang Yuanfu stared blankly at the shimmering lake, seemingly burdened with unspeakable thoughts. Tao Qingyun, like a child, picked up pebbles from the grass and tossed them idly into the lake. Luo Ling stood quietly under a flowering tree, watching them with a smile.

A warm feeling washed over Qin Weixi. She wanted to return the Thousand-Mile Eyes to Tao Qingyun, but suddenly she saw a small green snake at her feet, flicking its tongue and staring at her, as if it were provoking her and laughing at her—look, we meet again.

In the past, Qin Weixi feared nothing but snakes.

Everyone has a weakness.

She was immediately terrified and threw the telescope far away. Tao Qingyun caught it with lightning speed from a distance, exclaiming, "My little darling!"

With her left foot and right foot, she hopped and skipped as if she had stepped into a pot of boiling oil and dared not put her feet down. Without thinking, she hid behind the person in front of her, grabbing his shirt on the back and twisting it in her hand.

"Quick! Get it away!"

Chu Yening hurriedly pulled her behind him, a clear smile on his lips. Then, he grabbed the small green snake and said to Jiang Yuanjun by the fence, "Go and deal with it."

Jiang Yuanjun was puzzled.

Chu Yening's Adam's apple bobbed, and she gestured to him with her eyes: "I'm about to be strangled to death."

Upon hearing this, Qin Weixi realized that the ball in her hand had been twisted into a pretzel shape, and the person in front of her was Chu Yening, whom she hadn't seen for many years and was speechless upon seeing him again.

Suddenly, his hand loosened.

The group gathered around and saw that it was a small snake. When they saw Qin Weixi's deathly pale face, they all burst into laughter.

Qin Weixi gave an awkward smile.

Tao Qingyun said, "I thought it was something else."

Jiang Yuanfu leaned closer to her: "Eighth Sister? How can you be afraid of such a thing? Were you frightened? Ever since you scared Pei Qing with that arrow in the palace that day, I haven't seen her for quite some time." She couldn't help but laugh.

Upon hearing this, Tao Qingyun immediately retorted, "She's incredibly bold! Calling her a heroine wouldn't be an exaggeration."

Jiang Yuanfu asked in surprise, "What do you mean?"

Just then, a palace maid came to report: "Your Highness, Princess, a large basket of March Red lychees has been sent from the palace. Aunt Baozhu only kept a small portion for Her Highness, and the rest has been sent to the rooms of the young masters and ladies."

It was getting late, and there wasn't much to do by the lake. So, the group took the opportunity of eating lychees and went their separate ways.

Inside the waterside pavilion, Jiang Yuanfu looked at a plate of washed lychees on the table, pursed her lips, and then said to her personal maid, Zishu, "Go and get some ice."

She laughed and said, "Iced lychees are the best."

Zi Shu said, "Princess, it's late spring and not yet summer, so it's best not to eat anything too cold."

Jiang Yuanfu remained unmoved and added, "While you're at it, ask Aunt Baozhu for some of my grandfather's calligraphy."

Every time she came to Xiaguangding, she would copy her grandfather's calligraphy to calm her mind.

Zi Shu knew that this princess, who was favored by the nation, always kept her word, so she respectfully agreed.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Yuanfu called her back and said, "There's no need to keep watch tonight. I'm tired and want to get a good night's sleep. You should go and rest too."

Zi Shu bowed and withdrew.

At midnight, the candle in the west wing was blown out, and the wind seemed to blow open the small window, making Jiang Yuanfu feel a chill run through her body.

from head to foot.

Before dawn, Zi Shu got up to light a candle and noticed that Jiang Yuanfu's face was flushed and her forehead was covered in sweat. She touched her forehead and found that the princess was burning up and had a high fever.

One after another, candles lit up the top of Xiaguang Peak, illuminating the entire courtyard.

Before long, dawn broke, and the first rays of sunlight appeared.

Despite her illness, the Empress Dowager, who insisted on visiting her granddaughter, entered the waterside pavilion behind Wansong Pavilion with Baozhu's help.

Hearing that Jiang Yuanfu was still fast asleep on the bed, the Empress Dowager reached out and tucked the blanket in, sighing, "Poor thing, she was fine yesterday, how come she has developed a high fever today?"

She asked Baozhu, "Could it be that you ate too many lychees?"

Zi Shu knew that this old lady was the kindest and most compassionate person, so she told the truth: "Yesterday, the princess asked me to find some ice. This morning, before dawn, I came in to light a candle and found the window open, and there was a large puddle of water on the ground, as well as many lychees. I guess the princess accidentally knocked over the plate and got chilled by the wind."

Zi Shu didn't dare to raise her head.

The Empress Dowager said, "You may leave! Afu's stubbornness sometimes reminds her just like the late Emperor."

“I know her.”

Zi Shuxin breathed a sigh of relief and bowed as she retreated.

The Empress Dowager pondered for a moment: "Did you send Eunuch Chen away?"

Yesterday, Emperor Kangxi suddenly heard that the Empress Dowager had vomited blood, and immediately ordered Chen Guiyi to bring several imperial physicians to Xiaguang Peak. However, before they could even enter the gate in front of the mountain, Ding Wei, acting on the Empress Dowager's orders, drove them all down the mountain.

Baozhu nodded.

She then asked, "Did the children sleep well?"

Baozhu said, "This servant saw that everyone had gone to bed early. Just now, Young Master Yun and Young Master Ling sent someone over. Your Highness seemed to have not slept a wink last night. You just saw off the imperial physician. This servant said that the old lady would be worried if she saw you. Your Highness went back to sleep after hearing that."

"It seems Ah Jun has something on his mind. He and Ah Fu have always been close, and with Ah Fu running a high fever, how can he sleep peacefully?" The Empress Dowager then asked with a smile, "What about the two children?"

Baozhu said helplessly, "I don't know. I heard that the young master went to the big forest behind the mountain last night and didn't go to sleep until four in the morning. Miss Xiaoxing, her roommate said that she didn't sleep all night and only went to sleep at dawn. I thought it would be better to let her sleep a little longer."

The Empress Dowager nodded, her eyes smiling. "Yes. Don't disturb her. After she wakes up, have the kitchen prepare some delicious meat dishes. I want to eat with these children."

Baozhu laughed: "Grandmother is really biased. When Your Highness eats, the kitchen has to prepare a few light dishes, but when the young masters and ladies come, we have to prepare delicious food? But Imperial Physician Qian said that you should eat something light."

The Empress Dowager chuckled, then sighed softly, "A-Jun has a heart ailment; she should eat more light food. I won't eat; I want to watch the children eat. If they eat well, then the meat will also be in my belly."

The candles on the summit burned brightly, and the palace maids and imperial physicians were so busy that their feet barely touched the ground. Some people tossed and turned, working from dawn till dusk.

Decades ago, when Emperor Taizu established the Great Xia Dynasty and declared himself emperor, he bestowed official titles and ranks upon most of the civil and military officials who had followed him in conquering the land. Among them were the grandfather of Chu Yening, a founding hero, who was granted the title of Marquis of Jingning by Emperor Taizu. And the ancestor of the Qin family, the father of the late Qin Heng, who was granted the title of Duke of Dingguo by Emperor Taizu.

It can be inherited indefinitely and will never be abolished.

Some people say that among the dozens of generals under Emperor Taizu, the Qin, Chu, and Luo families were the most favored.

The four men had lived as neighbors since infancy, were friends in their childhood, and became bosom buddies in their youth, as close as brothers. On New Year's Eve of the first year of the Wantai reign, the Emperor Taizu, who was never a heavy drinker, got drunk that night and chatted and laughed with his beloved ministers.

He then bestowed three cups of wine upon the Chu family.

It is said that this can comfort the seven heroic souls of the Chu family who died in battles in more than ten places, all of whom were uncles of General Chu Lanze, the father of Chu Yening.

He also posthumously conferred upon the wife of the Duke of Dingguo the title of First-Rank Imperial Lady. Years ago, when the generals followed Emperor Taizu Jiang Zhongting on his campaign against Chizhou, Chu, Qin, and Luo used themselves as shields to protect Jiang Zhongting as he broke through the encirclement. Qin He's wife, Lady Ye; Chu Boling's wife, Lady Ling; and Luo Yifang's wife, Lady Xu, accompanied Zhao Fucheng to defend their hometown of Fengchi. However, facing enemies on three sides, they had no time to care for their wives and children at home. Taking advantage of this, the enemy forces hastily arrived at Fengchi, intending to use Zhao Fucheng as a hostage to force Jiang Zhongting to surrender.

At the time, both Zhao and Ye were pregnant; one was three months pregnant and almost settled in, while the other was ten months pregnant and about to give birth.

The enemy only knew that Jiang Zhongting's wife was three months pregnant, but had never seen her.

In the dead of winter, Ye wore a thick cotton coat to conceal her large belly, and covered herself with the silks, satins, pearl hairpins and jade rings given to her by her husband, disguising herself as Zhao's wife. She stayed in Fengchi with Ling and the guards.

By the time Zhao's wife realized what was happening, the carriage that had been escorting her and Xu to the farm had already gone quite a distance. Then, Ling and Ye split into two groups, taking the opportunity to mislead the enemy and buy time for reinforcements.

When Duke Qin He of Dingguo returned to Fengchi with his eleven-year-old eldest son Qin Heng and a troop of men, his wife had already been hanged by the enemy under the city gate, and his young son was born amidst the flames of war.

He is Qin Heng's younger brother and Qin Weixi's uncle.

Qin He's wife, Ye, died in childbirth, and their young child also perished a few days later in the war. Ling, too, died soon after, consumed by grief.

This war also severely damaged Luo Ling's grandfather, Luo Yifang, who resigned from his official post early and devoted himself to returning home.

Thus, decades ago, when Taizu became emperor, all the generals who had fought alongside him to conquer the country were granted titles of duke, marquis, and other official ranks.

Born in the sixteenth year of the Wantai era, Chu Yening had also witnessed in private the Emperor Taizu's favor towards the three great families during those ten years, though not openly or overtly. He only planted a magnolia tree in a corner of the southern part of the Imperial Garden.

The grandfather of the Chu family once told them: "A ruler is a ruler, and a subject is a subject. There has always been a distinction between ruler and subject."

"Now that the country is settled, we should step back and serve as loyal subjects, doing our own jobs."

"As for my children, they should not become arrogant because of the favor bestowed upon them by the royal family."

It wasn't until their grandchildren were born one after another that the founding emperor and the late empress bestowed upon them this supreme honor.

Chu Yening wondered if his three grandfathers, if they were alive today, would be heartbroken to see their once prosperous clan in such a state. Perhaps it would be better to forge a new path while still young and strong, and then return to the countryside to live a carefree life as a farmer in his old age.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Thank you to the lovely sqwFJ for the generous ticket!