There is a small hill on the north side of the plum garden, on which grows a welcoming pine tree. Next to the welcoming pine tree stands a small pavilion, from which you can have a panoramic view of the entire plum garden.

Before arriving at the pavilion, Chaohua asked the maid for a pot of osmanthus wine and two wine cups, and immediately poured a cup for each of them.

She had just drunk the wine and was still craving it.

"The sweet-scented osmanthus wine brewed by my eldest brother is the most delicious. I see you didn't drink it just now, why don't you try it now?"

Shen Huaixu was worried about getting drunk, so he shook his head and said, "I can't drink much, so you should drink less."

Chaohua curled his lips, drank two cups of wine in each hand, then stood up and stood shoulder to shoulder with Shen Huaixu, looking at everyone in the garden. At a glance, he saw Fu Yin in white brocade clothes.

"I haven't seen you for a long time. Master Fu is even more graceful than before..."

Shen Huaixu glanced at her and moved aside. "You are not bad either. There is no need to belittle yourself. The world is so big, you need to see more."

Chaohua laughed, feeling slightly drunk.

In the garden, a servant carried four objects covered with red silk and placed them in the open space between the guests on both sides. Then Shen Huaixu could only see Prince Shouning saying something excitedly, and when the sound reached his ears, it was broken by the wind.

"Chaohua, the baby is here."

"Baby? What baby?" Chao Hua felt dizzy and her body couldn't help falling. She hugged the pillar beside the pavilion to support herself and said vaguely, "Help the young master..."

Shen Huaixu took the time to look at her and saw that she was sitting on the edge of the pavilion with her eyes closed. Feeling a little worried, he went forward and helped her sit on the stone bench. After seeing her sleeping on the table, he looked back at the plum garden.

Many female relatives came to the plum garden, and the precious objects covered by red silk revealed their true appearance. For a moment, everyone was captivated by the dazzling white lotus in it.

The lotus was carved to lifelike perfection, with two lotuses on each stem, as big as a washbasin, and it looked like something otherworldly.

Suddenly, Shen Huaixu's eyes fixed on one place, and she stared for a moment until her eyes were dazzled by the light. She looked towards the source of the light. The person was a man, with his back to her, his face invisible, and dressed like a servant.

This person seemed to be the one moving the lotus, and was very close to the lotus, so not many people saw the small movements of his hands.

However, Chen Huaixu knew that he was probably using something like a convex lens to draw the heavenly fire to the lotus, so as to help it break apart sooner.

Her gaze shifted to her father, and she saw that he was saying something loudly, while Fu Yin, who was sitting behind him, suddenly pulled down the curtain not far from his seat.

Chen Huaixu looked back at Chaohua and saw that she was still asleep. A crossbow appeared out of thin air in her hand, with the arrow already nocked. She aimed at the servant who was retreating without a trace. The moment the crossbow arrow was shot out, the extremely dazzling and somewhat weird lotus was also covered by the curtain in Fuyin's hand.

The crossbow arrow shot into the servant's flesh, and the lotus covering it also collapsed. Screams rose and fell throughout the plum garden, but in a relatively orderly manner.

Seeing from afar that Fu Yin was holding the servant she had shot, Shen Huaixu curled his lips slightly, put away his crossbow, and when he turned around, he saw a man standing beside Chao Hua with one hand strangling her neck.

The man was not short, but he was thin. From a distance he looked like a bamboo pole. He did not cover his face, and one foot was placed on the stone bench, looking as if he had not woken up yet.

The smile on his lips gradually disappeared, and Shen Huaixu looked at the man with a gradually cold gaze.

The man looked at Shen Huaixu and asked, "Are you the Mingyi County Master Shen Huaixu?"

Shen Huaixu nodded, "It's me."

"How did the crossbow in your hand appear, and how did it disappear?"

When asked about this, he became much more energetic.

Shen Huaixu stared at him intently, a Chi insect appearing in the palm of her hand. After selecting her target, she curled her lips and said, "Call me ancestor, and I'll tell you."

The man didn't expect that Shen Huaixu would be so arrogant even though he had a hostage in his hands. His face froze for a moment. He tightened his grip and narrowed his eyes slightly, "Aren't you afraid that I'll take her life?"

Chaohua, who was still sleeping soundly, frowned because someone pinched his vulnerable part. His eyeballs covered by his eyelids kept trembling, which was a sign that he was about to wake up.

Chen Huaixu whispered, "Hasn't your master told you that I'm a soft-hearted person?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the man hadn't reacted yet. His whole body twitched violently and the strength in his hands loosened.

Shen Huaixu didn't want the man's life, so he gave the man a ruthless blow and saw the right moment to snatch Chao Hua from him.

Such a loud noise woke Chaohua up no matter how soundly she was sleeping. As soon as she woke up, she fell on her butt. She sat on the ground, her mind dazed, and she had no idea what was happening.

Chen Huaixu did not comfort her, but took advantage of the situation and stepped forward to grab the man's wrist, turning it backwards, with only a crisp "click" sound.

The man who had just recovered from the severe pain was faced with the severe pain of broken bones again. He was in so much pain that he broke out in cold sweats. Just as he was about to fight back against the pain, he suddenly saw the little girl in front of him holding several silver needles in her hand with a faint smile on her lips.

He suddenly felt creepy, and without any hesitation, his knees softened and he knelt down.

"Spare my life—as long as you can spare my life, everything is fine!"

The hand holding the silver needle curled up, and she stretched out her hand again and casually sprinkled it on the man's face. The man was caught off guard and inhaled a lot of white powder, then fell to the ground.

Unexpectedly, someone was trying to grab her spot while she sat on the ground. Chao Hua tucked her legs in, her hair a little messy from being pressed down on her forehead. Still drunk, she asked dazedly, "Who is he? What's going on?"

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