After leaving the palace, Xiao Ziwu first escorted Tianyun back to the Siye Mansion.
As night falls, the veil of moonlight drifts down from the clouds, and the scattered stars are reflected on the shimmering lake surface, creating a dazzling and rich spectacle.
The Mustard Seed Garden of the Duan Family Mansion.
Xiao Ziwu lay on the soft couch where his beloved child had lain during the day. On the silver silk pillow with its hundred butterflies and flowers, a faint fragrance from the woman still lingered.
He closed his eyes in blissful intoxication, as if lost in a beautiful dream, breathing softly.
Then, another noisy sound broke out in the quiet study.
It was Duan Ximu's deep, thunderous voice: "When did Your Highness get involved with that old fox Yuwen Yi?"
Yuwen Yi, that old codger who wouldn't do anything without a profit, would never have spoken before His Majesty and recommended His Highness to succeed the Second Prince without some substantial incentive.
Xiao Ziwu closed his eyes and said calmly, "I promised him the position of Right Chancellor."
Yuwen Yi is ambitious. If he joins Xiao Ziyan's faction, he will always be trampled underfoot by the Left Chancellor Mu Chengye and will never amount to anything in his life.
If he were willing to take the risk and walk on the edge of a knife, he would support Xiao Ziwu as the crown prince.
Only then would he have a chance to become the Right Chancellor, second only to the emperor!
Duan Ximu stroked his chin and sighed, "He really values power over life! If His Highness doesn't reveal his strength, in his eyes, the odds of him winning against Xiao Ziyan are zero to ten, and he still dares to take that risk?!"
Zero to ten open!
The words may be crude, but the principle is sound; it certainly seems so to outsiders.
Xiao Ziwu finally opened his eyes, his deep, dark eyes revealing a hint of dissatisfaction. The fragrance lingering around his nose was fading and becoming almost undetectable.
He turned away reluctantly, his arms behind his head. "Everyone has to die eventually. It just depends on whether you want to die without regrets or in a peaceful way..."
In the first half of his life, Xiao Ziwu chose a simple and uneventful life, letting things take their natural course until death. But in the second half, when Shangguan Tianyun came into his life, he decided to take a gamble and leave without regrets.
All living beings are like this, and he is no exception.
No regrets...
Duan Ximu seemed stunned by his words—
After a moment of silence, Duan Ximu murmured to himself, "...His Highness is truly insightful."
※※※※
Shangguan Tianlin sat imposingly in his armchair, his face a forcedly serious expression that held no intimidation whatsoever. He said, "Tell me the truth. When did you and the Third Prince get together?"
He woke up to find that his parents had already accepted their future son-in-law's gift!
This is outrageous!! My own precious little sister! I haven't even had enough time to pamper her yet!!
Lingqi stood behind her daughter, trying hard to suppress her laughter.
Hearing the girl weakly say, in order to match the domineering aura of the eldest young master, "It was...it was when my grandmother first came to the capital."
My grandmother had just arrived in Beijing... wasn't that when I had just been imprisoned?
The second prince took advantage of the situation at that time and proposed to take his sister as a concubine.
What a coincidence that my sister and the Third Prince also established their relationship around that time?
Shangguan Tianlin frowned and pondered.
Suddenly he clapped his hands together, as if he had figured out something, and said with a little excitement, "Was it His Highness the Third Prince who saved me from prison?"
During that period, the whole family was shrouded in gloom and misery. Then, the Second Prince proposed to take Yun'er as a concubine, and the grandmother wanted to send Yun'er to Yuqing Palace. All sorts of troublesome things came one after another, but he did not delve into the hidden story behind the matter.
Later, when witness Yu Xiaozuo was arrested and brought to court, he escaped being stabbed in the abdomen with thousands of silver needles!
It can be said that he was saved from dire straits!
Looking back now, how could Old Man Shangguan have the ability to find out the direction of Yu Xiaozuo's escape when he had no way to ask for help?
They were able to apprehend him before the mastermind could act.
This matter was probably also the work of the Third Prince.
He hadn't originally thought of Xiao Ziwu.
The Third Prince had been unknown for many years, and his real power was probably not even as great as that of his father, Shangguan Tianlin, who was just a minor official. But when Shangguan Tianlin heard that the Third Prince had filled the ballot box for the Hundred Flowers Banquet, he was shocked!
His established way of thinking was overturned!
Shangguan Tianlin concluded: The Third Prince is definitely not an ordinary person; he is just a powerful figure who knows how to hide his strength!
Under his gaze, which was filled with admiration and gratitude, Tianyun smiled and nodded slowly.
"His Highness stayed up for two nights to bring Yu Xiaozuo back, and he personally escorted Yu Xiaozuo to the government office."
Shangguan Tianlin's eyes grew brighter and brighter. After hearing the definite answer, he stood up excitedly, "Where's the gift my brother-in-law prepared for me?"
My parents have both, so I, as their brother-in-law, definitely have one too!
Tianyun: "..."
Say it again, who are you?
Lingqi: "Pfft—" The eldest young master is so funny!
The game starts with the third prince, but after a while... it's surprisingly good...
My brother-in-law!
※※※※
Lingqi placed a clean white cloth and a pot of warm tea on the stone table, rested her elbow on the table, and looked at her, saying, "Miss, I really understand you less and less."
The girl herself, dressed in a dance costume, struck a bizarre pose, standing on one leg like a golden rooster.
Hold your left foot with your hands and raise it high above your head, keeping it still.
The girl's breathing became very slow, yet she was still able to maintain her balance!
That's amazing.
Lingqi stood up eagerly, clumsily trying to lift her foot like the girl, but before she could even lift it to waist height, she stumbled.
He plopped right down on the ground!
She didn't care, quickly got up, dusted herself off, and then heard her daughter reply, "What don't you understand?"
She was a little puzzled: "The girls only start practicing their dance after the first round of the Hundred Flowers Banquet has already passed. Isn't that putting the cart before the horse?"
The next round won't be a dance competition.
The girl's behavior is getting stranger and stranger. Before, when she was going to perform a dance, she would eat and drink well every day but never practice. Now that the Hundred Flowers Banquet is over, she has started to study and practice diligently. Doesn't she think it's too late?
Tianyun lost her balance and took a deep breath, struggling to maintain it.
"Foolish Spirit Chess, is the Hundred Flowers Banquet really worth all this trouble?"
Besides, with His Highness here, no matter how cringeworthy her dancing is, she's already firmly at the top of the rankings.
Even Mu Yaozhi could only grit her teeth and bitterly accept second place.
Is there a problem?
No problem!
She had promised to dance a private dance for her "sugar daddy," so naturally she wanted to be in top form.
Lingqi nodded as if she understood, "This servant understands. The Hundred Flowers Banquet is not worth Miss's trouble. The only one worth Miss's trouble is the Third Prince."
Tianyun lazily raised the corners of her lips: "You've made some progress."
Her straight back was almost giving way from exhaustion, so she said again, "Quickly, feed me some water."
Lingqi readily agreed, "Okay!"
But a large hand patted his shoulder.
Someone had silently appeared behind her without her noticing.
Lingqi turned around and found that the expression on that person's face was as gentle as water.
He had clearly overheard the entire conversation between the master and servant.
The man snatched the teacup from Lingqi's hand and silently ordered her to leave.
Lingqi smiled, covered her mouth, nodded to the person who came, and then withdrew.
"Hurry up!" she said, her tone slightly affectionate.
She was almost dying of thirst, and this little girl was still dawdling.
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