Thank goodness, Qin Susu and Liang Yuchen, who had been trapped for a long time, finally waited for Qiu Ling'er to come to their rescue in a small boat.
As soon as Qiu Ling'er arrived, she saw Qin Susu and the other woman snuggling together, and couldn't help but laugh and tease them.
“Master Susu, we are frantically searching for someone, while you two are here, all lovey-dovey.”
"No, we just can't reach the shore," Qin Susu said awkwardly.
On the way home, inside the carriage,
Qin Susu felt sticky and uncomfortable all over.
Looking at Liang Yuchen again, his clothes were plastered to his body, making him look even more disheveled.
"Susu, will you come with me back to my hometown tomorrow to visit my grandmother?"
"Mmm." Qin Susu felt guilty.
Over the years, she had never paid attention to Liang Yuchen's closest relatives.
In the other carriage, Qiu Yan leaned on Gu Qian's shoulder, her mind filled with thoughts of her younger siblings' marriages.
Thinking about what she had witnessed today, she asked Gu Qian:
"What kind of character does Gu Qian, the daughter of Minister Sun, possess?"
"The Sun family's daughter?" Gu Qian couldn't recall what the Sun family's daughter looked like, and finally slowly shook his head.
"I don't know much about it."
"All the girls are eager to marry you, but you're just pretending to be clueless."
Qiu Yan's unintentional teasing caused Gu Qian's expression to change. He then covered her lips with his and gently bit her small mouth.
"Yan Yan, Qin Su Su speaks without thinking, don't take it seriously."
"Look at you, nothing's wrong, why are you so nervous?" Qiu Yan pushed Gu Qian away.
“Miss Sun, that’s the person who first greeted you on the cruise ship. I’ll ask around tomorrow.”
Her impression of Sun Wan was... a bit of a spoiled rich girl, but she was straightforward. That was all she knew.
"Inquire about what she's doing."
"I was just thinking that Ah Xu is not young anymore and has reached the age to get married."
Gu Qian continued:
"I do not know what kind of person Miss Sun is, but Minister Sun is an honest and upright official, a rare and good official."
"The woman Ah Xu has taken a liking to must be quite good too." Qiu Yan's words reminded her of Sun Wan's harsh words to her on the day of the coup.
It seems this girl is assertive, straightforward, and not very cunning.
………………
After today, everyone's life will continue as usual.
As for Xue Ning and the other four, Gu Qian didn't want his wife to be overworked, so he directly assigned them to serve as guards for the General's Mansion, specifically to protect Yan Yan's safety.
Otherwise, please leave.
The group exchanged glances, and finally accepted.
Being able to follow the lady is a wish fulfilled.
...Business has been going on as usual these days.
Qiu Yan and her aunt also opened a new wonton shop.
Qiu Yan only spoke; Jiang Liu took care of everything, including choosing the location.
The wonton shop is located in front of and behind the General's Mansion, just two streets away.
Jiang Liu also opened a clothing store in Shangjin.
In my spare time,
Qiu Yan hadn't seen her second uncle for a long time, so she went to the construction site.
Qiu Dafu built three sets of mansions in a row.
Qiu Yan looked at it and nodded in satisfaction.
"My second uncle's craftsmanship is getting better and better."
"It's all thanks to the craftsmen." Over the years, Qiu Dafu's skilled craftsmen have spread all over the country, numbering in the countless.
As Qiu Yan had previously thought, her second uncle actually succeeded in making the ancient-style property.
Thinking about how much money his second uncle would need to spend to build a house,
Qiu Yan pulled out a stack of silver notes from her bosom.
"Second Uncle, take this money."
She thought that once the courtyard was completed, she would start making arrangements for her younger brother's wedding.
"No need," Qiu Dafu politely declined.
“You and your siblings lost your parents too early, and your second uncle hasn’t been able to help you much over the years. This money should be paid by your second uncle. If you refuse, your second uncle will get angry.”
Qiu Dafu's properties are now scattered throughout the city; he is no longer the ordinary bricklayer he once was.
Most importantly, he can afford to give away this courtyard.
"Thank you, Second Uncle." Qiu Yan accepted the offer gladly.
Over the years, her second uncle has cared for them like a father, which warms Qiu Yan's heart.
Qiu Yan didn't need to contribute any money or effort, so she simply let her second uncle have his way, only thinking that she would take good care of him in the future.
Nowadays, everyone's days are busy and fulfilling.
He Jinran, even more so,
These days, having been preoccupied with state affairs, he has finally come to realize how hard his father works every day.
Fortunately, his father was there to help him; otherwise, he would have been in a terrible predicament.
That day, after finally finishing his official duties, he went to the Imperial Garden alone to relax. He lay down on a bench under the shade of a tree, feeling exhausted, and thought about when he could leave the palace again to unwind.
In the sweltering summer heat, he felt extremely hot, so he casually took off his outer robe and began to close his eyes for a short nap.
Blackie, who had followed him around at some point, lay down beside him, just like him, always guarding her owner.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of them.
He Jinran turned over and continued sleeping.
"Nineteen, don't stand here, don't disturb my rest."
Nineteen nodded and simply covered He Jinran's body with the clothes that He Jinran had just taken off.
He Jinran was awakened by the heat and tore off his clothes.
But I was woken up by the heat again.
He Jinran rubbed his sleepy eyes, lazily sat up, and looked annoyed.
"Nineteen, are you deliberately preventing me from resting?"
What exactly is this silly and adorable subordinate trying to do?
"Your subordinate knows he was wrong." Nineteen knelt down on both knees and sincerely admitted his mistake.
"Your Highness should return to the palace to rest." Nineteen-year-old Shijiu was born with a cold constitution and did not find the weather particularly hot.
In fact, in order to control their lives, the Lord forced them to take cold poison from a young age.
"Go over there, don't get in my way anymore." He Jinran said helplessly, pointing casually to the empty space in the distance.
As He Jinran got up and retreated, he turned over and continued sleeping, just like before.
When He Jinran woke up, he found that Nineteen was standing in the sun, his face flushed red, standing there blankly without moving.
What are you doing standing there? Haven't you left yet?
"Your subordinate..." Nineteen wanted to say.
Your Highness, didn't you tell me to stand here?
"Nineteen, come here." He Jinran beckoned to Nineteen.
It's both funny and infuriating.
He really wanted to crack open Nineteen's head and see what was inside.
The environment in which this person grew up shaped his stubborn and obedient personality.
He Jinran mischievously wondered what kind of scene he would be in when he got married at nineteen.
It's funny to think about.
"My name is not Nineteen," Nineteen said earnestly as he stepped forward.
Suddenly, he knelt down again and boldly requested:
"Your Highness, I request a name."
Everyone else had a name, even the black dog beneath His Highness had a name, but he didn't, and he was filled with anticipation.
"Bestow a name?" He Jinran chuckled, genuinely unable to think of a name for Nineteen.
"Why don't you just come up with one yourself?"
"Your Highness is my person, and it is only right that..." Nineteen hesitated, "...that Your Highness should bestow a name upon me."
His measured, deliberate manner of speaking caused He Jinran's lips to twitch slightly.
"Okay." He laughed heartily.
That smile was like the spring breeze in March, full of youthful vigor.
Upon hearing Your Highness's words, Nineteen stared blankly at His Highness's features.
With his wish about to be fulfilled, he still kept his eyes lowered.
At this moment, he longed even more to have a name of his own, just like any other normal person.
He Jinran: "Look at you, living in the shadow of the past all day long, how boring." Let him think about it.
"From now on, your name will be... Wangchuan. I hope that you can forget the past and start anew. Wangchuan, not everyone has the chance to start over."
The River of Oblivion? What kind of name is that? Nineteen was stunned, not knowing its meaning, but hearing His Highness say it meant he should forget the past and start anew...
His eyes were filled with a layer of mist.
His past was so unbearable that it left a deep impression on me.
He joined the Shadow Division at a young age, and all he remembered was that the Shadow Division back then wasn't as large as it is now.
There were only about five or six people at the beginning.
The assassins back then were all older than him.
Later, as more children joined him and he grew up, he forgot what had happened before.
All I remember is that the people around me died one by one.
His survival was entirely due to luck.
"Your Highness bestows the name 'Wangchuan' upon us."
Nineteen's face showed emotion, but as always, she didn't smile.
"Wangchuan, how old are you this year?" He Jinran's sudden question startled Nineteen.
He shook his head, "This subordinate does not know."
"I don't know your age, I don't know your name, and I don't even know where you live. You don't know any of these three things." He Jinran really wanted to know how much older Wangchuan was than him.
Looking again at Wangchuan's handsome face, he suddenly smiled and asked:
"You're not only thirteen or fourteen years old, are you?"
"I remember when I first went to the Shadow Division, I think I was about five years old. Five years old, that's right..." Wangchuan's misty eyes turned into tears.
The sudden memory left him in a daze.
"Father, Mother... they can't find me." Wangchuan knelt on the ground, burying his face in the earth, not wanting the Crown Prince to see him suddenly lose his composure.
"So, you were a victim of kidnapping." He Jinran also recalled the scene of being kidnapped when he was a child.
"Wangchuan, don't be sad. Starting tomorrow, I will make arrangements to find you a wife and give you a warm home."
"No, I dare not ask for that."
"You don't know the sweetness of a wife when you're young." He Jinran patted Wangchuan on the shoulder like an elder.
Wangchuan dared not dodge, "Your Highness is still so young, how do you already know... the taste of a woman?"
“Uh…” He Jinran’s expression changed. “I know, Your Highness grew up surrounded by girls.”
What he said was true.
Wangchuan remained silent, only clenching his fists.
"Wangchuan, I know how old you are." He Jinran recalled what he had learned from his father, the Emperor.
"The suicide squad has only been established for ten years. You say you were abducted when you were five years old, so you must be at most fifteen years old this year."
She was only fifteen years old, just one year older than him, yet she had to endure such inhuman treatment.
"...Fifteen years old." Wangchuan was overjoyed. Today, he not only had a name, but also knew his age.
"In the future, perhaps I can even help you find your home," He Jinran chuckled, seemingly thinking that if his wish were to come true, it would be a meaningful thing.
"Wangchuan dares not hope for anything." Wangchuan truly dared not hope for anything, as so much time had passed, and he only had a vague impression of his father and mother, remembering nothing else.
He was just saying it casually, referring to himself as His Highness.
………………
One summer morning, just after breakfast,
The main courtyard of the General's Mansion
Qiu Yan and Gu Qian sat together on the swing set under the shade of a tree, enjoying the refreshing coolness of the morning.
It's only during this time that you can sit still. Later, around mid-morning, the courtyard gets scorching hot every time, making it impossible to sit still.
"Gu Qian, tell me, which young master is worthy of entrusting one's life to?" For two months in a row, Qiu Yan had been searching for a suitable husband for her younger sister.
After looking around, I still can't find one that suits my taste.
“Ling’er isn’t in a hurry, Yan’an, you should take it slow. We’ll make proper arrangements after the baby is born.” Gu Qian truly believed that these things couldn’t be rushed.
"I'll take my time and see." Qiu Yan has been looking for a husband for several months now, and she feels that the baby in her womb will not affect her in choosing a good husband for her sister.
Gu Qian smiled faintly and looked towards Qiu Ling'er's courtyard. "Didn't you ask Ling'er what her opinion was?"
"Ling'er said that everything is up to me, her older sister, to decide. It's difficult, even more difficult than choosing my own husband."
Gu Qian's lips stiffened slightly, then he took a folding fan in one hand and gently waved it for Qiu Yan.
"Do you have a choice but me?"
"How could I not have a choice? You beat me to it, and Xiao Ran ruined my reputation first. It was as if you and your son were in cahoots from the beginning."
“Xiao Ran is looking for his mother.” Gu Qian recalled that scene from when Xiao Ran was a child, he had followed him around, living a life of hardship and displacement. “The child was pitiful when he was young, and he kept asking me where his mother was. Yan Yan, thanks to you, his childhood was not so lacking.”
Gu Qian was well aware of the impact his unpleasant childhood would have on him.
He was also grateful that he had met his master.
“Why be so formal between husband and wife? Besides, we weren’t familiar with each other back then, and I had my own selfish reasons for doing this for A-Xu.” Qiu Yan leaned on Gu Qian’s shoulder, her thoughts turning back to Qiu Ling’er.
“Even if you have selfish motives, this price is something most people can’t afford.” Gu Qian gently put his arm around Qiu Yan’s round waist. “When Yan Yan was Ling’er’s age, she was already Qian’s wife. It’s time to talk about marriage.”
He always thought Ling'er was still young, but now he realizes she's not young anymore and should have chosen a suitable husband long ago.
Qiu Yan: "Yes, she openly asked me to help her choose, but I picked out quite a few, and she wasn't satisfied with any of them."
“Ling’er is just like you, with high standards,” Gu Qian chimed in.
Qiu Yan chuckled. Was Gu Qian praising her, or was he indirectly praising himself?
"He's narcissistic."
Gu Qian: "That's right. Our Yan Yan has good taste, and of course, Brother Qian's taste is not bad either."
Qiu Yan nodded in agreement: "That's true."
Just as Qiu Yan and Gu Qian were joking with each other, suddenly, the old butler announced from outside the door.
"General, Madam, a matchmaker has come to see you."
"Please come quickly!" Upon hearing the word "matchmaker," Qiu Yan stood up reflexively.
Gu Qian also got up and accompanied Qiu Yan to the reception hall.
The two went together.
The matchmaker was already waiting here.
And it wasn't just one, but two.
Both matchmakers were around forty years old.
Besides the matchmaker, there were also their respective sons.
Upon seeing Gu Qian and Qiu Yan, they both bowed in greeting, but Gu Qian waved them off.
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