Chapter 52 Peaceful Years

Although Wen Zhiming was very well-behaved in front of Meng Lingge and rarely had any episodes of his illness, he was still childlike most of the time and inevitably prone to rashness and impulsiveness. As his mother, she felt exhausted after spending so much time with him. But Meng Lingge truly always spoke softly and tenderly to Wen Zhiming.

With a daughter-in-law like that, what could she possibly worry about when she went to see the man she had previously broken off the engagement with? Especially since she was going with An'er.

Wen Zhiming was the first to state his opinion, "I will listen to my wife."

Meng Lingge smiled faintly, "Let's do as Mother Consort wishes."

Princess Anshun felt a pang of pity for the two men who were so docile.

"Your mother has said so much, so don't feel burdened. If you feel embarrassed, or simply don't want to see that boy from the Guan family, it's fine for your mother to refuse the invitation. If anything really happens, your mother and father will be there to support you."

Meng Lingge placed her other hand above Princess Anshun's hand and patted it gently, her tone slightly coquettish.

“Mother, you can’t bear to see my husband and me suffer even the slightest grievance, so how could I bear to let you and Father be in danger? We are family, and family should work together. Besides, I’m not afraid of embarrassment, and there’s nothing I’m afraid to do to see Guan Yi’an. Since he wants to see me, I’ll go openly and honestly. He wants to see me regret it, but I want to see his disappointed face.”

Half of what she said was a joke, and half a promise, but Princess Anshun was very pleased to hear it. "Yes, Lingge is right. Guan Yi'an became a third-rank official, and he thinks he can make my daughter-in-law regret it? Dream on! Let's go in style and let him know how well my daughter-in-law, Princess Anshun, is doing. Let that Guan brat regret it."

The family laughed and joked around until noon when Meng Lingge and Wen Zhiming finally left.

Halfway there, Wen Zhiming suddenly had a whim to make a flower wreath out of peach blossoms for Meng Lingge. Meng Lingge couldn't refuse him, and the two went to the peach garden again.

While the man was diligently weaving under the peach tree, Meng Lingge quietly retreated to the side of the path and summoned Dongqing.

"Tell Zhang Luo not to investigate anything else recently, but to keep a close eye on Guan Yi'an and see who he is in contact with."

Dongqing asked, puzzled, "Does the Crown Princess suspect that Young Master Guan's promotion to Vice Minister of Rites is due to the secret help of a powerful figure?"

Meng Lingge said in a deep voice, "The officialdom is a place where people compete for fame and fortune. It's not uncommon for people to help recommend someone for personal gain. However, Guan Yi'an has a bad reputation and no family background. I suspect that he may have done something illegal to get help from others. In addition, as Mother Consort just said, Father has been fighting for the country for many years, but the Emperor is suspicious. In order to prevent Guan Yi'an from spreading rumors and slandering Father behind his back, we also need to have someone keep a close eye on him."

One should not have the intention to harm others, but one must be wary of others.

But she not only had to be wary of Guan Yi'an, but also harbored malicious intentions towards him. From the moment Guan Yi'an and Meng Huanyan framed her and her mother, she never thought of letting the two of them go.

An attempted crime cannot be easily forgiven; the life of Lingzhi is also a life.

Blood debts must be repaid with blood.

She was just worried about not being able to find fault with these two, but now it seems they are clearly restless and might even try to run into her.

"My wife, my wife..."

Meng Lingge was lost in thought when Wen Zhiming, who had finished weaving the flower wreath, ran up to her and placed the wreath, adorned with peach blossoms, on her head. "My wife is so beautiful, my little Ling'er is the most beautiful in the world..."

He couldn't find any other words to describe it; he only felt that his wife was incredibly beautiful, and the more he looked at her, the more he cherished her. He couldn't help but bend down and pick Meng Lingge up, running back and forth deep in the peach orchard. Seeing his wife's face flushed redder than peach blossoms, he ran even faster, his strength seemingly inexhaustible.

When Meng Lingge looked up, her gaze fell upon Wen Zhiming's handsome face, as clear as the moon, yet his smile was excessively radiant. Above him were layers upon layers of blooming peach blossoms.

All that could be heard, besides the sound of the wind, was Wen Zhiming's clear voice.

The air was filled with the fragrance of flowers, and occasionally one could catch a faint scent of agarwood from Wen Zhiming's body.

Despite Wen Zhiming's constant laughter and loud noise, Meng Lingge felt a sense of tranquility amidst the passing years.

Relaxed and joyful times always pass by too quickly, and before they knew it, it was time for Guan Yi'an's promotion banquet.

Early in the morning, Princess Anshun sent over two sets of magnificent purple robes. The women's dresses featured jewels on the sleeves and exquisite embroidery on the hem, creating a graceful and elegant effect with every step. The men's robes were simple and flowing, with embroidery that perfectly complemented the women's dresses.

After Meng Lingge and Wen Zhiming put them on, the man looked incredibly handsome, and the woman was elegant and graceful.

They were a perfect match, a golden couple.

Actually, even without these clothes, Meng Lingge believed that she and Wen Zhiming would not lack presence if they dressed as usual. However, she could not let down Princess Anshun's concern for her children, so she had no choice but to dress up for the occasion with Wen Zhiming.

Officials had to be on duty during the day, so the banquet was scheduled for the evening.

It is unclear what Guan Yi'an's intentions were, but the banquet was held at the most magnificent and luxurious restaurant in the capital, the Nanyanguan.

When Meng Lingge and Wen Zhiming arrived at the foot of the South Opium Pavilion, the waiters knew they were distinguished guests from their carriage and attire, and hurriedly came to greet them.

Upon learning that they were attending a banquet hosted by Vice Minister Guan, they specially arranged for someone to escort the two to the third floor.

After the waiter politely left, Meng Lingge and Wen Zhiming looked up and saw the jewel-encrusted Meng Huanyan.

She wore no fewer than ten headdresses alone, including hairpins, hair ornaments, and floral decorations, filling her hair completely. She also wore a colorful floral dress, and when she moved, she looked like a walking peacock.

The weather wasn't very cold today, but Meng Huanyan's neck was wrapped up tightly, and her sleeves were too long, completely covering her slender white hands.

It's not ugly, but it's a bit strange.

It is luxurious but lacks elegance.

Guan Yi'an originally didn't want to bring Meng Huanyan to this occasion, but Meng Huanyan begged and pleaded, even threatening to spread the news that he had sadistic fetishes, so Guan Yi'an had no choice but to allow her.

She initially sat next to Guan Yi'an, but in front of all the officials, she asked them to support her husband as his wife, which made Guan Yi'an very uncomfortable. So he sent her to the door to greet the guests.

Meng Huanyan had no idea that Meng Lingge would come. When she saw Meng Lingge and Wen Zhiming, she was stunned by their outfits. Although she was not good at dressing up, she could still appreciate it. She knew that Meng Lingge was usually more eye-catching than her, and now her outfit was several levels above hers.

Despite showing off all her best possessions today, she was easily outshone by Meng Lingge.

Standing together, she looked like Meng Lingge's maid.

No, Meng Lingge's maid seems to be dressed more presentably than she is.

Thinking about this, Meng Huanyan became even more jealous of Meng Lingge. How could that brat be so lucky? Her groom was stolen, yet she still managed to find someone so wonderful.

Guan Yi'an appears normal, but he is actually ill.

Meng Lingge found a sick man, but she didn't get sick herself. What's the reason for this?

If only there were something that could trigger Prince On's illness.