Chapter 115 Returning to the Capital and Seeing It with My Own Eyes

Qingling wasn't so afraid of the heat before, but she couldn't stand it after she got pregnant. She would sweat if the temperature was even slightly high.

I wonder if other pregnant women experience this too.

Qingling subconsciously touched her stomach, and when she saw Lin Shiyuan's gaze, she twirled her little hand halfway down, pretending to fan herself: "Yes, a little."

The two stood side by side, both looking ahead; one fanned the other, while the other fanned himself. The scene was somewhat strange, yet it seemed quite harmonious.

Like... Phoenix Seeking Its Mate.

Zhan Xingzhuo was summoned back to the capital to report on his duties, and the rumored gathering of all directions took place.

He didn't need to search deliberately; he spotted the man and woman standing on the balcony at a glance in the crowd.

The man was dressed in a long black robe, his hair tied back with a simple cloth ribbon, yet he possessed a cold and arrogant air, exuding authority without anger, while gently fanning himself.

His cool and aloof expression somehow conveyed a sense of doting affection.

The woman was wearing a red ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with a light green summer blouse over it, a very vibrant color combination; she was a bit plump, which made her appear even more elegant and noble.

She was composed, yet also lively and playful, with a smile on her lips, appearing to get along well with the man, relaxed and natural.

She wasn't like this when she was with Zhan Xingzhuo.

She always wore a blank expression, spoke with a barbed tongue, was extreme and cynical, disliked everyone, and felt that everyone owed her hundreds of taels of silver.

At that moment, Zhan Xingzhuo stared straight at the woman, his fists clenched.

This woman appears in his dreams almost every night, keeping him awake.

In every letter from Prince Xin, he mentioned Yao Qingling and talked about her relationship with Lin Shiyuan. Now that he had seen it with his own eyes, Zhan Xingzhuo could no longer convince himself that Yao Qingling could not live without him.

On the contrary, she seemed like a completely different person; so different that he didn't recognize her at all.

When they first got married, Yao Qingling was gentle and naive. She often smiled, a smile tinged with reserve, her eyes shining with happiness. But back then, Yao Qingling lacked sharpness; she was obedient and devoted, her heart and eyes entirely to Zhan Xingzhuo. She possessed the charm of a girl transforming into a woman, a charm that lay between naivety and maturity.

Later, Yao Qingling became indifferent, her eyes devoid of emotion; though compliant, she treated him as if he were her superior. At this point, she no longer possessed her sharp thorns, but instead donned a layer of cold, aloof armor.

Later, Yao Qingling suddenly became flamboyant. She even acted like a shrew, baring her teeth and claws, covered in thorns, showing no respect for men. Zhan Xingzhuo thought jealousy had driven her mad.

Looking at her now, her eyes are so bright and lively; she has the charm of a mature woman, yet she doesn't lower her head or act submissive. She has a powerful aura, but she also keeps that aura under control.

She is confident and composed, no longer relying on anyone.

Just by standing upstairs and glancing down, one seems to look down upon the world with an air of composure, as if "the world is in my hands."

Ha, such a small place as Hui Ba Fang has given her this kind of illusion?

Zhan Xingzhuo then turned his gaze to Lin Shiyuan.

He originally thought that Yao Qingling was close to Lin Shiyuan because Lin Shiyuan had some powerful backer, but it turned out that Lin Shiyuan had turned to her.

Haha, a general of such stature, actually working as a waiter, groveling before a woman, it's utterly ridiculous!

Any man knows what this means.

But Yao Qingling is just a divorced woman!

Zhan Xingzhuo looked down on Lin Shiyuan, but he felt a pang of inner turmoil.

His eyes were red.

He didn't know how long he stood there or how long he watched.

Until a young shop assistant saw him: "Sir, what would you like to buy? Regular goods are on the first floor, high-end goods are on the second floor. You—"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhan Xingzhuo gave a heavy "humph," flicked his clothes, and left.

The young waiter was baffled: "What's wrong with this person...?"

Yao Qingling was delighted as she watched the guests arrive and depart.

She sold so many shops and poured all the money she raised into this one; it was the right gamble.

Her eyes were focused on the customers, but all she could think about was the money flowing in.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to catch a glimpse of a familiar figure.

When she looked over again, the area was empty.

“…Could I have misread it? I must have misread it,” Yao Qingling muttered to herself.

Zhan Xingzhuo should be in Luozhou right now, how could he possibly be in the capital?

Then, she suddenly remembered that Lian Chengtai seemed to have said that Zhan Xingzhuo had made meritorious contributions to the governance of Luozhou and was about to return.

Is it him?

Yao Qingling looked at the shop entrance, lost in thought.

Lin Shiyuan noticed her dazed expression and looked at her: "What's wrong?"

Qing Ling said, "I think I saw Zhan Xingzhuo."

Lin Shiyuan's expression was indifferent: "Is he still important to you?"

Yao Qingling shook her head: "Of course it's not important."

She has a bright future, and any obstacles that hold her back should be kept as far away as possible.

But what she was worried about was that Zhan Xingzhuo would come to retaliate against her because of Zhou Zhining.

"By the way, is Zhou Zhining still at the Sinong Temple?"

Since Zhou Zhining went to the Sinong Temple, Yao Qingling has stopped paying attention to her.

There were simply too many things to do on Qingling's side. She hadn't fully trained her own staff yet, but she had to open shops one by one, and her energy was limited.

Lin Shiyuan said, "I'll go and inquire about it."

...

Zhan Xingzhuo returned to the Duke's Mansion.

Princess Deyang felt very sorry for her youngest son, who had become darker and thinner. However, she did not show it on her face.

She said, "This trip to Luozhou was tough, but it broadened my horizons, which is a good thing. I've always said that my son can't be mediocre."

"Your governance in Luozhou has been effective, and the Emperor has ordered other places to follow your example; now, you have caught the Emperor's eye."

The court re-examined the Zhou family's crimes, and with Zhou Zhining also demoted to a slave, the court officials had no reason to prevent Zhan Xingzhuo from being promoted.

With the support of the Grand Princess of Deyang and the Duke of Zhan, Zhan Xingzhuo will soon receive a promotion and transfer order, and return to the capital.

Princess Deyang thought to herself: It seems I still need to stay away from Zhou Zhining; as long as she's not around, my son will achieve great things.

The family hadn't eaten together for a long time. This time, even Duke Zhan Guo gave Zhan Xingzhu a friendly look and personally served him food.

Zhan Xingzhuo looked at the food in his bowl but didn't eat it.

There seems to be a rift between father and son.

Zhan Guogong said, "The court will probably promote you to Vice Minister of Revenue and you will no longer serve in the Ministry of Personnel."

The eldest son, Zhan Xing'ao, glanced at Zhan Xingzhuo and raised his wine glass: "Then I must congratulate my younger brother."

The woman surnamed Lu beside him also raised her glass in celebration.

Zhan Xingzhuo's eyes were indifferent as he raised his wine glass in return, saying, "Thank you, Young Master and Young Master's Wife."

Everyone says that his mother favors him, but isn't the one who is truly favored the eldest?

Even though the eldest son is older than him, he sent the young boy to be a hostage; please appoint the eldest son as the heir apparent and let him inherit the Duke's mansion!

What abilities does the eldest son have? He's just lucky; because he's favored, he never has to suffer. He lives in fine clothes, eats and drinks the best food, and is served by a bunch of servants.

Luozhou is not a good place; it's a desolate wasteland.

As soon as he stepped into the mud, leeches would cling to him, wriggling and twisting, utterly disgusting. Yet, he went from being terrified to eventually picking up the leeches with his bare hands, saying he would turn them into medicinal herbs to generate revenue.

The place is swarming with mosquitoes and flies. These things may have bitten the carcasses. If you're not careful, you might drink the water or food where they laid their eggs and then vomit, have diarrhea, and get a high fever.

He went from not being able to eat or sleep well to becoming indifferent.

He went out to survey the new terrain, where there were countless hidden ditches on the ground.

He narrowly escaped danger several times, but luckily survived and made it back here.

He was also a member of the Duke's mansion. If they were willing to protect him and help him, he wouldn't have been forced to volunteer to go to Luozhou.

But now it has become what they call "experience".

It seems like all they did was travel and enjoy the scenery.

Zhan Xingzhuo harbored resentment towards the eldest brother and ignored his questions without responding.

Zhan Xing was arrogant and didn't think there was anything wrong with the title. He had been the heir apparent for over a decade.

He didn't care what Zhan Xingzhuo's attitude was; wasn't this younger brother always so awkward?

However, Madam Lu felt that the address was distant and cold, and that Zhan Xingzhuo's attitude was too arrogant.

The eldest son of Deyang glanced at Zhan Xingzhuo and pursed his lips.

Rong Mama, who was behind her, also cast a worried glance at her.