"Grandmother...I..." Qingying didn't know how to lie to Madam Wang, and stammered for a long time without being able to utter a complete sentence.

Seeing her like this, what else could Wang not understand?

Madam Wang held her fair and delicate hand, gently stroking it. Looking into her eyes, she asked, "Do you admire the gentle and refined Crown Prince, or the dashing and romantic Prince Yu?"

Before Qingying could answer, she continued, "It must be His Highness the Crown Prince. You disregarded your illness and kept the cat he gave you by your side, but you refused to accept the tonics sent by the Prince Yu's son."

"No, Grandmother, I begged His Highness the Crown Prince to give me that cat, but he initially refused."

Wang smiled and said, "You see, you're still so naive. I only asked you one question and you already told me everything."

Qingying lowered her head, feeling a little guilty and embarrassed, and muttered softly, "Grandmother just loves to make fun of me."

“How could it be a joke? Your grandmother is genuinely happy for you. I was young once too, and I know that it is extremely difficult to meet someone you love and to receive their true affection in return.”

Qingying blinked in confusion, "Grandmother doesn't object to my liking for His Highness the Crown Prince?"

"What's the point of objecting? If I object now, will you cut off all contact with him?"

Qingying shook her head.

Wang sighed softly and said, "I'm afraid that not only will she not give up on this relationship, but she will become even more determined to marry him, just like just now, when I said something casually and you immediately defended him."

"But His Highness the Crown Prince is truly a very good person."

"But you also know very well that he is the crown prince and will ascend the throne as emperor in the future. His harem will not only consist of you."

Qingying smiled slightly and said, "I have thought about these issues. There are so many princes and nobles in the capital, and many men have three wives and four concubines. Only our Liu family ancestors set a rule against taking concubines. But you can control a person but not their heart. If the man I marry is likely to fall in love with someone else in the future, why don't I choose one that I like?"

Her words left Wang speechless.

She continued, "Grandmother, do you remember when I was seven years old I was sick and almost died? The doctor said I probably wouldn't live past the following spring, but I'm still alive and well."

"That's because your father spent a lot of money to hire Doctor Qin."

"Yes, look, isn't this a turning point?"

Seeing her resolute and determined expression, Madam Wang understood her attitude and said helplessly, "You don't need to do this. I have no intention of breaking you up. Your grandmother is old, but not senile. Even if I can persuade you now, I have no confidence in persuading His Highness the Crown Prince."

Qingying squatted down beside her legs, rested her head on her lap, and said with a smile, "I knew Grandmother loved me the most."

Wang stroked her hair affectionately, "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. I only hope that you, Shushu, can be healthy and happy."

"Yes, I also hope that my grandmother can stay healthy and live a long life."

"good."

Madam Wang asked her to write a letter to Wei Dongchen, explaining her feelings and saying that it was inappropriate for a daughter who was not yet married to receive too many gifts.

She thought it made sense, so she had the things he had given her returned unopened, along with a handwritten letter.

After that, Wei Dongchen really stopped putting anything into the General's Mansion.

It seemed he had given up, and Qingying finally felt relieved.

...

Another month has passed in the blink of an eye.

That day, Qingying was sitting on the chaise longue reading a book when a dark shadow suddenly flashed past the window. She looked over and saw a stack of papers on the window, weighed down by a large snow pear.

She walked over and picked it up. The golden pear was much larger than her hand, exuding a faint sweet fragrance. The paper underneath was covered with densely written words.

Judging from this behavior, it's obvious that it was Ashu.

She brought everything in and laid them out one by one on the table, examining them carefully.

These are all charges against Lu Xingli for privately oppressing his servants, and they bear his fingerprints.

Lu Xingli had tried to harm her before, and although she didn't succeed, she held a grudge. She disdained to use underhanded methods like Lu Xingli did, so she could only try her best to find fault with her.

If Lu Xingli truly had no one to choose from, she might have felt troubled. However, this person usually appeared proper and generous in front of outsiders, but in private, he was extremely petty and narrow-minded. He would often beat and scold his servants for making small mistakes, and had even caused someone's death once.

However, it's not surprising. She was willing to frame Wei Huaixu because he was in love with another woman. Her magnanimity was hardly that great.

Collecting these charges was no easy task; Wei Huaixu spent over a month working on it.

Now we are approaching the ninth day of the ninth lunar month—the day for the autumn hunt set by Emperor Taizu.

With the royal family leading the way, all the noble families in the capital will send people to the hunting grounds outside the capital. Lu Xingli will naturally go as well, and she will be able to find a suitable opportunity to expose Lu Xingli's true colors in public.

After looking at them one by one, she tidied them up and put them into a small wooden box.

Tongxia came in to announce, "Miss, the eldest young master has arrived."

Qingying put on a cloak and went to the outer room.

Liu Chengfeng sat in a chair, sipping tea, with a food box on the table beside him. He seemed to be in a good mood, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Actually, he seems to be in a good mood lately, which is probably related to that girl, Ayan.

Qingying walked over and sat down opposite him, raising an eyebrow slightly, "What pastries did you buy today, big brother?"

"Everyone says that Fangyue Pavilion's mung bean cakes taste good, so I brought them back for you to try."

"Someone else again?" she teased with a light laugh. "You always say 'someone else,' but I'm afraid that 'someone else' refers to the same person all the time."

Liu Chengfeng was unusually embarrassed. He scratched his head and quickly changed the subject: "Try it and see if it tastes good. It might go bad if you leave it for too long."

Qingying opened the food box and saw several exquisite and beautiful yellow pastries on a white porcelain plate inside. She took a silver spoon, scooped out a piece, and put it in her mouth.

Actually, she found it a bit too sweet, and wondered if there was too much honey in it, but when she met Liu Chengfeng's gaze, she still smiled and nodded, "It's quite delicious."

Liu Chengfeng smiled and said, "You girls should all love to eat these things. Since you can't go out often, just tell me what you want to eat in the future, and I'll bring it to you."

"But there is food in the manor."

"How can that be the same? Some things just taste better outside. Tomorrow, Dongchen and I are going to go up the mountain to hunt some pheasants. We'll roast them and bring them back for you to try."

"Brother hasn't been to the academy for several days. Aren't you afraid that Mother will find out and punish you again?"

"Anyway, I don't plan to take the imperial examination. I'll be going to fight alongside my father in the future, so it doesn't matter whether I study the Four Books and Five Classics or not."

Qingying didn't quite agree with this, but she had advised Liu Chengfeng more than once over the years, but he had never listened to her. So she simply stopped trying to persuade him.