Just as Granny Zhang was angrily clearing away the soup bowls and preparing to leave, Xuan Yuanhan suddenly spoke to her with a serious expression: "Granny Zhang, I know what you want to say. Actually, I was just about to ask you, what do you think of the eldest daughter of the Yi family in the west of the city? When my mother was alive, you were the one who knew her preferences and feelings best."
Upon hearing this, Granny Zhang suddenly stopped and froze, unable to process where the sound that had been echoing in her ears for so long had come from.
After a long while, she heard that familiar voice calling her again and again, "Granny Zhang, Granny Zhang!"
Only then did she suddenly come to her senses, and as if deeply disbelieving, she asked in surprise, "What did Your Highness just say? This old servant did not mishear, did Your Highness say something about a girl?... In all these years, this is the first time Your Highness has spoken so seriously about a girl to this old servant! Who is Your Highness talking about? Oh, right, 'the legitimate daughter of the Yi family in the west of the city'... Miss Yi?"
Granny Zhang stared at his eyes in surprise, muttering to herself repeatedly. Xuan Yuanhan finally took a deep breath, looked at the sapphire blue sachet on the table in front of him, and nodded gently. A hint of tenderness, which he had never shown before, appeared in his bright eyes.
Upon seeing this, tears welled up in Zhang Mama's eyes. She wiped them away with her sleeve while sobbing with joy, saying, "Your Highness, you finally... finally... the Dowager Consort..."
Granny Zhang was so overwhelmed with emotion that she could no longer speak. All her words, in the end, amounted to nothing more than a choked cry for her mistress.
At this moment, it seemed that all the worries she had felt for this young master over the years had finally been relieved. Overjoyed, she repeatedly said, "Good, good, good... As long as Your Highness likes it, the Dowager Consort will definitely like it too. Miss Yi is a good girl, but also a pitiful child. Alas, that Lu Xian, I think he's really senile. I don't know how he's raised those two living devils in his family. Neither his son nor his daughter is any decent person. He doesn't even look down on such a good girl as Miss Yi, and he even indulges that rebellious son who is shameless and ungrateful, personally going to the Yi residence to break off the engagement. Not only has it caused a huge uproar in the city, but how is this unmarried young lady supposed to get married in the future?"
Upon hearing this, the gentle expression that had been on Xuan Yuanhan's face vanished instantly. Seeing this, Zhang Mama quickly slapped her mouth twice and hurriedly explained, "Your Highness, please don't be offended. This old servant didn't mean it. I just spoke rashly in a moment of panic. Your Highness, please don't take it to heart. Actually, although Miss Yi from the Yi family in the west of the city has a somewhat... background, reputation, and appearance... well, bringing her to the Prince's residence as a concubine is acceptable."
In truth, no matter how much she liked her, in the heart of the old-fashioned Zhang Mama, she still looked down on Yi Shangyun, a woman who had been jilted and came from a humble background.
After all, her young mistress was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She had been pampered and spoiled since childhood, and had been doted on by her mistress, the Dowager Consort, and the late Emperor. This was an encounter that was completely mismatched in terms of social standing and family background.
However, Zhang Mama, who had witnessed countless instances of love and romance between men and women in the world, was well aware of the details that had occurred between Xuan Yuanhan and Yi Shangyun.
But as long as this master can start living like a normal person, and the vast Qin Prince's Mansion can have a successor, what is there that she cannot compromise, accept, or fulfill?
Just as the rare heart-to-heart talk between the master and servant suddenly came to an impasse, Cheng Liang, who was carrying a map, stopped at the door and heard what Zhang Mama said. When he saw the colder and more chilling look on his master's face than usual, he secretly winked at Zhang Mama.
Upon seeing this, Granny Zhang was filled with anxiety and cautiously prepared to pick up the soup bowl and quietly retreat. Unexpectedly, Xuan Yuanhan suddenly raised his voice and solemnly declared, "No matter how the world treats her, or how people view her, I will not wrong her in the slightest. I am determined to have her in this life. Not only will I have her, but I will also formally marry her through proper channels, so that she can enter the Qin Prince's mansion openly and proudly, becoming my only Qin Princess, and holding my hand until we grow old together."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Liang, who had already approached him, and Zhang Mama, who was holding a soup bowl beside him, both widened their eyes and looked at each other in surprise.
However, Xuan Yuanhan took a deep breath and stared at Cheng Liang again. As soon as Cheng Liang was hit by this piercing gaze, he quickly took out the map scroll in his hand and spread it out on the dark, shiny wooden table in front of him.
At this moment, Xiao Ling'er, who had been hiding alone in the main hall, climbing up and down and finding her own amusement after entering and paying her respects, seemed to have long been bored and had lost interest in everything in Chenghua Hall. Suddenly, she turned around and shifted her gaze to a strange mark that Xuan Yuanhan was unfolding and looking at.
So, she wobbled her little body and quietly moved over to its side, standing silently opposite it and gazing at it with apparent interest.
After looking at it for a while, Ling'er suddenly stretched out a short, cute, and chubby finger, pointed at the map, and asked curiously in her childish voice, "Your Highness, what are you looking at? This is such fine paper, but you've drawn all over it. I heard people in the manor say that Your Highness is very knowledgeable, proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, martial arts, and military strategy, but this painting doesn't look good at all!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Mama suddenly came to her senses and quickly beckoned with her finger, calling out, "Ling'er, come here quickly, don't disturb His Highness's official duties."
"It's alright, Ling'er, come here." Unexpectedly, Xuan Yuanhan also raised his head instantly, looked into Ling'er's big, watery eyes, and stopped Zhang Mama.
It's rare to see him so patient with a child today. Actually, perhaps it's because Yi Shangyun has always doted on Ling'er, so it's a case of 'love me, love my dog'!
Whenever Xuanyuan Han had free time to stay in the manor, he would often pat Ling'er's head and ask her a few words of concern if he happened to meet her in some corner.
When Ling'er obediently moved closer to him, Xuan Yuanhan actually reached out and pulled her into his arms. Pointing to the various markings on the map, he carefully explained, "This is not a simple drawing; it's called a 'map.' It depicts rivers, lakes, seas, mountains, towns, and villages... Look: this is east, this is south, this is west, this is north. And here... is the location of my Western Qin Imperial Palace..."
In this joyful scene, Zhang Mama and Cheng Liang couldn't help but exchange meaningful glances once again.
Yes, given the King of Qin's age, if things hadn't been delayed, his child should already be as old as Ling'er. It's a pity that...
As Granny Zhang was secretly grieving, Ling'er suddenly blinked and pointed to the red circles on the map, asking, "Your Highness, what do these densely packed red circles that cover the entire map represent?"
Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuanhan was stunned by the blood-red and shocking circles, and remained silent for a long time.
Upon seeing this, Cheng Liang immediately stepped forward to pull Ling'er away, but Xuan Yuanhan quickly extended a hand, signaling him to step back. Then, he took a breath, as if gathering his courage, and said, "These red circles... are the marks left by your sister Yun. The places marked with red circles are the places that have been searched but not found."
"Your Highness, it seems like every place is marked with a red circle; there's nowhere left to look." Children speak without thinking, their words most genuine. But at this moment, it was like an incredibly sharp dagger, deeply piercing Xuan Yuanhan's most painful heart.
Yes, he searched everywhere he could, everywhere she might be, everywhere she couldn't be. He had expanded the search area again and again, meticulously searching countless times, until he found nowhere left to look. Yet, he couldn't give up. Wherever he went, he carried the map with him, leaving everyone who saw it deeply astonished!
Suddenly, Ling'er pointed to a large blank area at the top of the map and asked in confusion, "Your Highness, is this also part of our Western Qin territory? Why is it empty?"
Xuanyuan Han glanced at Ling'er's pointing finger and said, "No, this is currently still the northernmost territory of the Northern Lie Kingdom on the Lingkong Continent. The people sent here to search have yet to send back any news."
"So this is the Northern Lie Kingdom! That means Ling'er's father is here." Ling'er smiled and stared intently at the blank space.
Upon hearing this, the three people around him fell silent.
After a brief pause, Ling'er gently slid her finger down the map, finally stopping at a tiny area at the bottom that vaguely resembled a peach blossom petal, almost a dot. She asked again, "Your Highness, Your Highness, where is this? It looks like a peach blossom, but there are no words here, and it's not part of my Western Qin Kingdom's territory."
Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuanhan hurriedly looked over, also quite puzzled, towards the small dot that resembled a peach blossom, and stammered, "Here..."
But in just a moment, for some reason, he was startled and quickly called to his adjutant, "Cheng Liang, come quickly and see what this place is, and whether anyone lives here?"
Upon hearing this, Cheng Liang rushed forward, carefully looking around and recalling the details. After a while, he said, "This place... seems to be a small village called Peach Blossom Village. Because it is located on the border with Nan'an Kingdom, it is still undecided whether it belongs to my Western Qin or Nan'an."
Just then, Ling'er suddenly broke free from Xuan Yuanhan's embrace and ran towards Granny Zhang, hugging Granny Zhao's leg and saying, "Granny Zhang, Granny Zhang..."
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