Time flies, and in the blink of an eye another year has passed.

If there were any twists and turns and obstacles during Wen Ye's time at the Duke's Mansion, it could be said that it was Duke Xu who caused them.

Everything started from Lu's previous two birthdays.

Wen Ye had no intention of backing down. In her eyes, she was clearly an assisting force.

Besides, life can’t always remain the same. It’s actually quite interesting to have someone making trouble in it.

I don't know when Duke Xu will realize this.

After all, even Lu saw through it.

At the beginning of this year, the eldest aunt returned from Lingcheng with her daughter-in-law Yao and her half-year-old grandson and officially reunited with her son Shen Tingxuan.

Although Shen Jung-xuan's official position in the court was not high, he was still in an important position. As long as he was fair and made more achievements, it would not be long before he was promoted.

The eldest aunt no longer had any worries and often came to the Duke's Mansion to visit Wen Ye.

And Xu Yuejia also got promoted.

Minister Jiang of the Ministry of Justice once again proposed to the emperor to retire, and this time the emperor did not refuse.

As soon as the position of Minister of Justice became vacant, the emperor promoted Xu Yuejia.

After Wen Ye found out, he was more concerned about: "Is the salary also higher than before?"

Although the court's salary was insignificant compared to the profits from those shops and farms, the two had different meanings. Wen Ye had never cared about how much the monthly salary of an official of Xu Yuejia's rank was.

Xu Yuejia looked at her and said helplessly, "Yeah."

Wen Ye said happily: "Congratulations, sir, on your promotion."

I don't know whether she was happy because of his promotion or because of the salary increase.

Xu Yuxuan, who was practicing calligraphy nearby, heard this and leaned over to ask, "Did father get a promotion?"

Wen Ye heard the voice and continued, "Yes, when your father gets his salary, I'll ask him to buy you a roast chicken."

The four-year-old Xu Yuxuan was no longer as easy to fool as before. He snorted and muttered, "It was obviously my mother who wanted it."

He is not stupid!

The study was so small that the child's murmurs naturally reached Wen Ye's ears. She smiled and said, "Then your father will buy it back. Don't eat it."

Xu Yuxuan was not willing at all, and immediately said, "I want to eat!"

No matter how stupid you are, you still have to eat roast chicken.

After the beginning of autumn, Lu chose a pony for Xu Yuxuan. The year before last, when Xu Yuxuan went to Xiquan Mountain to escape the summer heat, he had always wanted to learn how to ride a horse, and now he could finally fulfill his wish.

The foal was not in the mansion, but on a farm in the suburbs.

Originally, Lu was going to accompany the group and check on the farm affairs. However, before they set out, there was a disturbance at another farm and someone was seriously injured. The head of the farm reported it to her.

The farm where the trouble happened was in the south of the city, and the farm where the pony was raised was in the north of the city; they were not in the same direction at all.

There was no other way. As matters had different priorities, Lu could only deal with the troublemaker first.

Lu didn't want to disappoint Xu Yuxuan, so she asked Wen Ye if he could do it alone.

As for teaching horse riding, they don't need to teach themselves. There are so many guards in the Duke's Mansion that they can always pick out the careful ones.

Wen Ye had no objection.

They set out early and arrived at the village a little after noon.

Wen Ye had lounge chairs and bamboo tables placed nearby for refreshments.

From afar, I watched Xu Yuxuan, led by his guards on a rein, riding his pony in circles on the flat wasteland.

Occasionally, she could hear Xu Yuxuan calling out to her, "Mother!"

Wen Ye usually waves in response.

The wind at this time was still a little cool, so Wen Ye didn't look for too long before lying down, covering his face with the notebook, and sleeping peacefully.

When Taozhi and Yunzhi saw this, they immediately stepped forward in tacit understanding to block Wen Ye on the left and right.

During the morning, Wen Ye was sleeping while Xu Yuxuan was learning to ride a horse. When Xu Yuxuan went to the field to dig potatoes, Wen Ye woke up, had a snack and drank tea, then picked up the storybook and continued reading.

After digging potatoes, Xu Yuxuan ran to the mill on the farm to watch the donkeys turning the mill. Wen Ye had also finished reading the storybook by now and began to think about lunch.

This was the first time Xu Yuxuan had seen a donkey in his life. After watching the donkey pulling the millstone, he ran back excitedly and told Wen Ye about it.

Nanny Ji and a few others followed behind, panting with exhaustion.

Xu Yuxuan is now like a little rascal. After he becomes agile, no one, except Wen Ye and Xu Yuejia, can catch him, not even the Lu family.

Xu Yuxuan shook Wen Ye's arm and begged: "Mother, I want to buy a donkey~"

Wen Ye raised her eyes, looked at him and said, "Don't you already have a foal?"

Xu Yuxuan was not very straight and said: "But, but Xuan'er doesn't have a donkey yet!"

Wen Ye neither agreed nor refused, but asked: "What do you want the donkey to do?"

Xu Yuxuan thought about it but couldn't come up with any idea.

Finally, he scratched his hair and said, "Being with the pony, the pony is too lonely~"

After hearing this, Wen Ye couldn't help but think, and then give birth to another idiot?

"Mother?" Xu Yuxuan tilted his head and shouted.

"Buy it if you want." Wen Ye said.

Xu Yuxuan said sweetly: "Mother is so nice~"

Wen Yesi was not fooled by him at all: "Mother has no money. If she wants to buy a donkey, you have to pay for it yourself."

Xu Yuxuan chuckled, he still had enough money to buy the donkey.

"Mammy, did you bring the silver?" Xu Yuxuan looked at Mammy Ji beside him.

Nanny Ji nodded lovingly, "I brought it."

The entire manor belongs to the Duke's Mansion. Xu Yuxuan wants the donkey, so he asks the manor head to keep a record and bring one over.

But since he is willing to spend the money, let him spend it.

......

After the matter of the south city manor was resolved, Lu returned to the Duke's Mansion.

After a morning of running around, she felt a little tired. She had originally wanted to go to the village in the north of the city to watch Xu Yuxuan learn horse riding, but now she didn't want to do that anymore.

Duke Xu and Xu Yuejia had gone to court early in the morning and had no idea that something had happened in the manor in the south of the city. They thought that Lu had gone to the manor in the north of the city.

Seeing that only Lu was getting off the sedan chair, Duke Xu asked in confusion, "Where are Xuan'er and his sister-in-law?"

Lu looked at Duke Xu first, but she didn't feel much at the moment. After explaining to him, she met the gaze of Xu Yuejia at the side. Somehow, she felt a flash of guilt in her heart.

In the afternoon, Xu Yuxuan continued to learn horse riding, and Wen Ye continued to lie on the recliner.

The autumn weather is clear and refreshing, so pleasant.

Just as she was about to fall asleep, she suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves approaching.

She turned around subconsciously and saw that it was Xu Yuejia, who was wearing a rare brocade robe.

It adds a different color to this deserted horse farm.

Wen Ye's expression also changed.

Xu Yuejia came over on horseback, and also led another horse.

After he dismounted, Wen Ye also sat up and asked, "How come you have time to come here, sir?"

Her eyes were always fixed on his face, which looked bright and vivid because of the brocade robe.

Xu Yuejia explained: "My sister-in-law asked me to come here to teach Xuan'er how to ride a horse."

Wen Ye said "Oh" and said without any doubt: "Xuan'er is just in front."

In the distance, Xu Yuxuan had gotten off the foal's back at some point and was now battling wits and courage with the newly bought donkey.

Xu Yuejia took a quick glance and then looked away, staring at her quietly and said, "I know there's a beautiful view nearby, do you want to go and see it?"

Wen Ye was bored at the time, but he became interested as soon as he heard it: "Is it far?"

Xu Yuejia shook her head: "Not far, it only takes a quarter of an hour to ride there."

Seeing that he was ready, Wen Ye had no hesitation and immediately put down the book in his hand and said, "Go."

She didn't care much about the scenery, but she found Xu Yuejia today rare.

In the past, he always looked solemn and serious when wearing official robes, but today he was wearing an ordinary black robe, and the look was different.

Wen Ye stretched his body slightly, took the reins handed to him by Xu Yuejia, and climbed onto the horse.

Xu Yuejia also climbed back onto the horse.

Wen Ye stared at him and said, "After the fun, would you like to go to the hot springs?"

The hot spring villa is not far away.

Xu Yuejia knew what she was planning, so she raised her lips and said, "Okay."

At this moment, Xu Yuxuan finally climbed onto the donkey's back and tried to drive it like a foal.

He looked up and saw two familiar figures on horseback in the distance. His eyes lit up and he began to shout, "Mother! Father!"

Wen Ye heard the child's voice coming from behind him and said to Xu Yuejia with a smile: "My dear, let's run first."

Xu Yuejia found it hard not to agree and nodded slightly.

Wen Ye waved the reins: "Drive!"

Xu Yuejia followed closely behind.

Seeing that his father and mother had both ridden away on horseback, Xu Yuxuan quickly imitated the people in the mill and shouted at the donkey, "Work!"

As a result, the donkey did move, but it just circled in the same place.

Xu Yuxuan shouted in the direction of Wen Ye and Xu Yuejia: "Wait for me! Wait for Xuan'er!"

But no one answered.

Xu Yuxuan held the donkey's neck and let it spin in the same place, as if they were trying to see who could hold on longer.

In the distance, two horses were galloping away against the wind, and two figures were always walking side by side.

——End of text——