The book "Admonitions for Women" that used to be placed by my bedside has been replaced with books on mechanical arts and the like.
She had been looking forward to this test with great anticipation and had made many preparations for it. She had also been studying these books diligently recently.
But now, all those hopes have become unattainable; it's too difficult.
She wasn't afraid, nor did she not want to; it was just that she had promised her mother-in-law that she would never put herself in danger again, and she had to keep her promise.
My mother-in-law is quite old; just telling her how dangerous something I'm doing might scare her into fainting.
She walked dejectedly to the bedside and sat down, picking up the few books whose pages were slightly wrinkled from repeated reading, her eyes filled with longing and reluctance.
It is truly heartbreaking to have to bury something you love so dearly!
She put the books into the cabinet with a wry smile, let out a long sigh, then forced a smile and patted her face.
She wanted to forget about this incident and from then on, she would be the official blacksmith of the Yun Kingdom, only needing to focus on forging weapons.
Repeating this to herself, Chang Lili washed up, climbed into bed, and drifted off to sleep, exhausted.
But somewhere in my heart, I always feel empty, and I can never fill it.
In the underground palace beneath Feng'e Garden, the firelight illuminated the vast space.
Mengxin frowned and looked at Guo Yan with concern, saying, "Are you feeling better? I was so scared when you first came back, you were covered in blood..."
Guo Yan's pale face, which had been due to excessive blood loss, has finally regained some color in recent days.
She laughed and said, "It's not that exaggerated. I'm much better now. I'll be fine after a few more days of rest."
Mengxin retorted, unconvinced, "I'm not exaggerating, that's exactly how it is. Also, you'd better take good care of yourself. People say it takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone, but this is more than just a broken bone." Sensing that Guo Yan was really getting impatient, she exaggerated, "Let me tell you, if you don't rest properly, you might develop some serious illnesses later on. At best, you'll lose an arm; at worst... you might become completely immobile!"
Guo Yan chuckled. Meng Xin was about to say something when footsteps and a cold, stern voice came from outside the door.
"Mengxin, you go out first. I have something to say to Guo Yan alone," Aunt Xin said as she walked in.
Mengxin glanced at Guo Yan reluctantly, then had no choice but to leave.
Aunt Xin let out a sigh of relief, looking tired. She gestured for Guo Yan, who had gotten up to greet her, to sit down, and then sat down herself at the table.
"Is Aunt Xin worried about what Aunt Chang said?" Guo Yan asked with a worried expression.
"It's not that I'm worried, it's just that I'm a little sad. I thought she would be standing on this side outside, but I didn't expect..." Aunt Xin's face showed sadness.
Guo Yan said considerately, "Aunt Xin, don't think like that. Mother Chang is old and even if she wanted to help us, she wouldn't be able to. Besides, she probably doesn't want to hold us back. Although she didn't stand on our side, she didn't expose us either."
"Even so, I am not reconciled to the fact that Chang Lili's identity cannot be verified." Aunt Xin's voice was somewhat cold.
After a moment's consideration, Guo Yan asked, "Aunt Xin, is Chang Lili really an orphan girl that Chang's mother picked up?"
"Impossible!" Aunt Xin said decisively. "Since she's just an orphan, why would she be so nervous? I can tell she's lying."
Her eyes were slightly narrowed, her long, narrow eyes seeming to see through everything.
“But how can we confirm Chang Lili’s identity? We can’t find any other clues,” Guo Yan said with difficulty.
Aunt Xin smiled beautifully: "Don't worry, it's okay if she doesn't want to talk. I have other clues."
Under Guo Yan's surprised gaze, Aunt Xin stood up and paced back and forth, her thoughts wandering, and her voice became somewhat distant: "My sister treated me very well. I was there when she gave birth to the princess. I saw it. There was a cloud-shaped red spot on the princess's body."
Guo Yan understood immediately: "Then as long as we know whether Chang Lili has cloud-shaped red spots on her shoulders, we'll know whether she's a princess or not!"
As soon as she finished speaking, her expression turned somber. She looked at her injured hand and said unwillingly, "Unfortunately, I am injured and unable to move around easily, so I cannot investigate Chang Lili's identity for the time being."
Aunt Xin smiled kindly and gently, stroking Guo Yan's injured arm: "You took this knife for me, child, you've suffered so much."
Guo Yan quickly shook her head, saying that she went over it subconsciously, and that she should have blocked the knife in the first place. She was injured in the arm, and at most she would lose an arm. But if the knife had hit Aunt Xin who was not on guard, it would have been fatal.
Aunt Xin sighed and said with affection, "You should rest well and not worry about this matter for now. Getting better is the most important thing right now. As long as you're healthy, you can always make a comeback. I already have few people I can rely on. If I lose them, it will be like losing my left and right arms, and I won't be able to move an inch."
Guo Yan looked somber: "I don't know when my injury will heal. It's been such a long time, and I'm afraid I won't be able to help Aunt Xin with her troubles."
Aunt Xin reassured her, saying that this matter needed to be considered carefully. Meng Yuxiu had sent experts to escort Chang Lili day and night, so it wouldn't be easy to make a move. They couldn't alert him. She also said that even the best plans can have flaws, and they could wait for an opportunity.
Guo Yan nodded obediently.
In the general's mansion, Chang Lili continued to leave early and return late as usual, immersing herself in forging every day.
But for some reason, my mother-in-law always felt that she was somewhat absent-minded, and recently, she has been getting big and small cuts on her hands.
Today, the mother-in-law discovered a rather large new wound on Chang Lili's hand.
She cleaned Chang Lili's wound with alcohol and salt water, expecting Chang Lili to scream in pain, but she remained silent.
"If you feel pain, just cry out. No one will scold you." Looking at Chang Lili like this, her mother-in-law couldn't care less about scolding her and just said with heartache.
Chang Lili shook her head absentmindedly, forcing a smile as she said, "It doesn't hurt."
"How could it not hurt?" the mother-in-law frowned, knowing that Chang Lili was afraid of pain.
Seeing her like this, she felt anxious and distressed.
"Child, what happened? Why do you look so haggard? Did Meng Yuxiu bully you? Tell your mother-in-law, no matter what kind of general he is, your mother-in-law will stand up for you!" the mother-in-law said indignantly.
Her first few sentences were filled with sympathy, but as she spoke, her anger became barely contained.
Chang Lili leaned weakly against her mother-in-law's chest, forcing a smile as she said, "He didn't bully me."
The mother-in-law felt a surge of warmth in her heart, and she couldn't help but reach out and hug Chang Lili, gently patting her back.
"Tell your mother-in-law what's wrong. How can I be at ease with you like this?" The mother-in-law's voice trembled slightly.
“Mother-in-law,” Chang Lili couldn’t help but say, “If there’s something you really want to do, something you think about day and night, but someone tells you that if you do it, you might live or you might die, would you choose to gamble or give up?”
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