Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Confessing Love in Front of a Full House

Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Confessing Love in Front of a Full House

Xijiangyue.....

Xia Fu's drooping crow feathers trembled slightly, and her usually calm eyes were filled with emotion.

That was the last time they met.

It snowed heavily one day in mid-January.

Outside the house of Hongnong Chengjiabao, there was a field of dead bamboo. The bamboo poles were bent by the heavy snow and lay on the ground like a hill.

Her piano desk was facing the window. She had been practicing for the seventh time. It was almost midnight and she was reluctant to let go.

He was sitting beside her, wearing a thick tea-white robe with silver bamboo patterns embroidered on the edge, which made his cold pale face look extremely dignified and handsome.

In fact, she didn't dare to look at him. His dark eyes were so penetrating that it seemed that nothing could escape his gaze.

The fire in the charcoal basin at his feet was gradually dying down. Cheng Mingyu had no choice but to take out a few pieces of charcoal from the iron bucket beside him and put them in. The charcoal basin immediately made a sizzling sound and flames started to rise.

"More bullets?"

Xia Fu knew that he was impatient, but she smiled secretly without him seeing her, then nodded.

"Yes, I always feel like my playing is not quite right, something is missing..."

"Master," she suddenly turned her eyes away, staring at him with her clear eyes.

"Can you play a piece for me?"

Just now he just casually plucked a few notes, but they sounded particularly beautiful, with a kind of natural and unrestrained feeling. It was obviously the same set of strings, so why was there such a big difference? She wanted to listen to the whole piece, and of course she wanted to listen to the whole song, but she didn't dare to say it.

She bravely stood up, made room for him, and stood there, trying to "force" him to do so.

Cheng Mingyu took a look at her piano and secretly disdained it.

"If you like Xijiangyue so much, I'll bring you the strings next time and play it for you."

Xia Fu felt a warm wave of excitement in her heart when she heard this.

She had heard that the master of the family was very good at music and had a collection of a one-of-a-kind Jiaowei Qin. The thought of such a person using the best strings to play her favorite piece "Xijiang Yue" made Xia Fu feel like floating in the air.

She stood by the window, lowered her eyebrows, suppressed her joy and nodded gently at him, "Yes, I understand."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him standing there motionless. Xia Fu's eyes moved upwards secretly, and suddenly her gaze met his.

He looked at her clearly,

Asking her what she is still hesitating about.

Xia Fu's eyes rolled around before she remembered the "serious matter" between the two of them. She slapped her head hurriedly, picked up her clothes and went to the bed with a flushed face.

She was so obsessed with playing the piano that she forgot the time.

It’s so late and he still has to go back.

Xia Fu pinched herself secretly, walked to the bed, and saw that the room was brightly lit by the light. Her face suddenly felt hot, and she immediately turned back to blow out the light.

Cheng Mingyu, who was walking towards this side behind her, was almost bumped into by her when she turned back.

He turned away quickly and watched her blow out the light in a hurry. She looked so clumsy that it seemed as if she was having an affair.

He shook his head helplessly.

After turning off the lights, the room fell into darkness, and everyone felt much more comfortable. They were accustomed to the darkness and went up to the bed with ease.

This time he stayed there longer than ever before. It seemed as if the spring was endless. Streams of water flowed over her clothes and bedding. She covered her face in shame.

He could always get to the bottom of it easily. She wanted to control herself, but her throat wouldn't obey her. Thinking back on it later, she felt so ashamed. After he had been gone for a long time, she curled up in the quilt and thought, next time, next time I must be more reserved.

I woke up the next day feeling not very energetic.

I thought it was because I stayed up too late last night.

He practiced the piano late and took a long time, so it was after midnight.

The nanny came to urge her to get up, and Xia Fu just got up. She was still thinking about the appointment the day after tomorrow. She didn't eat much for breakfast and didn't notice anything unusual.

It was cold and the roads were slippery, so the old lady didn't let her go to pay her respects.

She rested in the yard for a day.

It was still snowing the next day, and she curled up in her quilt and didn't want to get up.

Looking forward to the arrival of the third day.

Fortunately, the sky cleared up that day.

When the nanny came to take care of her, she said something:

"The master of the family went out today. He said something happened in the farm and he wanted to go take a look."

She felt a little disappointed, thinking that he wouldn't break the promise.

This mood continued until the afternoon, when she suddenly vomited violently. Thinking she had caught a cold, she drank some hot water and warmed it up in her quilt. This finally alarmed her mother-in-law, who was a reliable person, and she came with the doctor from the mansion.

She looked at the doctor and was suddenly stunned.

Then, the doctor took her pulse, and she only heard the word "happy pulse", and her mind was a mess.

The old lady cried with joy, hugged her and cried to the sky.

"Good boy, we are finally pregnant, we are finally pregnant, you don't have to suffer anymore..."

No need to suffer anymore....

Xia Fu was stunned on the spot.

To this day she still cannot describe how she felt at that moment.

She was held in the old lady's arms, and she smiled slowly as she patted her thin shoulders. "It's a happy event."

The north wind blew all night.

She sat at the piano table, looking at the entrance to the moon cave. The bamboo strips bent by the snow blocked the way for her to come. She sat there from the appointed time of 12:00 to 15:00, her knees were numb. The old maid who always served her wrapped her in a blanket with a distressed look on her face and held her in her arms.

"No need to wait, the master won't come."

The boiling tears hit the piano table and shattered into water splashes.

"We will never see each other again until you get pregnant."

"Okay, now that I'm pregnant, I will definitely not bother the master anymore."

Nineteen years have passed.

The familiar yet unfamiliar melody, like silk thread, penetrated into her limbs and entangled her heart.

Xia Fu closed her eyes deeply.

Cheng Mingyu on stage has already done the sound check.

When the princess heard that he was going to play the piano, she turned around and faced the piano.

Putting aside her feelings for this man, Cheng Mingyu is a master of music, and his playing of the qin in public is a visual and auditory feast.

How could she miss such a grand event?

The female official lifted the food tray and changed direction. Cheng Yian could only turn around with her. For a moment, she glanced at Xia Fu opposite her. She and King Yunnan were sitting there without moving.

The tune starts with a few notes. The difference between a master and an ordinary person is that although they are just a few simple notes, when Cheng Mingyu plays them, the notes flow smoothly and the melody is like a wisp of smoke passing by the ears, easily hooking everyone's heartstrings.

Just from the beginning, he showed his unique skills.

It is truly the sound of nature.

This is a popular song, which has been named one of the ten famous songs by music masters throughout the ages. It tells the story of a pair of childhood sweethearts who secretly fell in love with each other. Before they had the chance to report to their parents and propose marriage, a conscription decree was issued by the court. The man packed his bags and rushed to the battlefield. Before leaving, the two talked to each other in a bamboo forest and promised to protect each other for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, three years later, news came that the man had died in the battle, and the girl married the girl off. Another five years passed, and the reckless and green boy had become a general who was superior to others.

When he returned home with success, he found that his wife had already married. The once graceful girl, wrapped in a gauze scarf, was working in the fields with a baby in her arms.

Looking at each other, they could only shed tears.

All regrets are told in the whirring wind and drizzling rain.

Cheng Mingyu did not describe this regret in a sad and mournful way. After he started, there was a string of gurgling music like flowing water, as if the green bamboos were shady in front of him, and a cup of precious tea was leisurely lingering around his fingers under the secluded window. There was sound of the piano coming through the mountains and rivers, carrying a touch of coolness and regret, and blowing away the scorching summer air in the palace.

The eldest princess's eyes were always on those hands.

Not listening to the music, not looking at the people, just these two hands, white and slender, with distinct finger bones, and the fingertips touching the strings so skillfully, like a banished immortal playing in the human world, who can bring springtime to the world with just a flick of a finger.

His eyes could not help but move upwards to the crimson collar, where a fairy crane patch was located. No one could wear an official robe so well. He must be a natural clothes hanger, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. The thin satin used for summer official robes fit him very well and clearly outlined his tall and handsome figure.

The wide sleeves moving with the strings are like the wind in the woods, the autumn rain, a vast cloud of smoke over the Fuchun River, and a leisurely stroll in the garden.

Recalling why I fell in love with Cheng Mingyu at first sight.

He has a natural beauty, not like any carving, restrained and abstinent, like the snow on the mountain top and the pine on the snow.

Many years have passed, and the charm of this man is like the wine in the deep alley, which is more and more fresh and fascinating.

His piano is like him, neither arrogant nor reckless, but it is precisely when his restraint reaches its limit that a gentle plucking is enough to move people's hearts.

Once I saw Cheng Lang, I was ruined for life.

The princess laughed at herself.

I don't know who lifted the pearl curtain, allowing the women to clearly see that beautiful figure.

The hot summer breeze swept in from the open hall, but it could not melt the frost between his brows. There was a kind of sorrow and calmness between his fingers as he plucked the strings, as if he knew that this was a lonely song that would receive no response, a belated love that had never been expressed, but he still couldn't help but retrace his steps and tell it all in this harp.

He plays so well that you can't even detect any of his skilled techniques, as if every note was born for him.

Shi Heng's wife, Mrs. Shi, who had always admired Cheng Mingyu's calligraphy, said to Mrs. Qin beside her,

"A man like Lord Cheng is only suitable to be worshipped. Which woman can be his wife with peace of mind?" It is no wonder that he is a wife-killer.

"Isn't it? As long as Mr. Cheng is alive, he is the only one who can bear the words 'unparalleled talent'."

Even Cheng Yiqiao, Cheng Mingyu's daughter who spent the most time with him, was still infatuated when she saw her father like this.

"Eldest sister, do you know what the greatest fortune in my life is? It is being reborn as Daddy's daughter."

Cheng Yixin smiled and said, "It is also my greatest pride."

Since Xijiangyue is a household song, it means that all the pianists present have played it before. Minister of Rites Kong Yunjie never closed his eyes from beginning to end, and even tapped his fingers lightly on the dining table as he played the song himself. However, he was thinking in his heart, what can his nephew do to compare with Cheng Mingyu.

In the past, Lu Xusheng disliked these behaviors of literati, but today he was really impressed by his father-in-law.

Just as those who practice martial arts have mastered their sword skills to the highest level, my father-in-law plays the zither to perfection.

Cheng Yiyan, who was behind him, tugged at his sleeve and whispered,

"How about Shenzhi? Do you feel stressed having a father-in-law like this?"

Lu Xusheng was calm and composed as he pointed at the equation.

"Look, everyone is listening to the piano, but she is the only one who is so nervous. It can be seen that my An An doesn't buy it. An An still likes me this way. But you are different, brother-in-law. With a father like this, I think you are under a lot of pressure."

Cheng Yiyan smiled bitterly, this was the first time he was defeated by Lu Xusheng.

After Lu Xusheng finished speaking, he looked at Cheng Yian. Even he was moved by his father-in-law's piano playing, but why did Cheng Yian look so distressed?

Cheng Yian was probably the only one in the audience who didn't listen to the music seriously.

Cheng Yian already had a sense of who this piece of music was about.

Daddy on the piano has become one with the piano, but what about mom?

She noticed that Eve's hands were folded together, her fingertips always covering the string of coral beads, and she never glanced at the stage.

It is clearly the mood of bright moon, fresh breeze, magpies startled by cicadas,

One of them sat at the piano, everyone else was drunk except me who was sober.

A man sat quietly on a high seat, staying out of the matter.

Cheng Yian felt a surge of sadness for no apparent reason.

King Yunnan had heard Xia Fu play the piano, and if he had only guessed before, when Cheng Mingyu played this song today, he suddenly understood everything.

Xia Fu also loves to play "Xijiang Yue".

Cheng Mingyu wasn't here to wish the emperor a happy birthday. He was expressing his hidden love for Xia Fu in the midst of the noisy crowd.

Such a person, with such a magnanimous character, holds a high position and holds power.

King Yunnan suddenly wanted to give up for a moment. He noticed from the corner of his eye that Xia Fu's knuckles were slightly white and tense. He reached over and held her cold and almost trembling hand, and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear,

"Afu, at worst you can take a mistress, and I'll accept it."

Xia Fu was startled, her face flushed as she pushed his hand away and turned away ignoring him.

The piece enters the last section with three accents, from the high-pitched and intense sound at the beginning to the majestic mood, slowly transitioning to forbearance and restraint. At the last closing, with a flick of the long fingers, all regrets return like the pulse of the moonlight to the depths of the sea of ​​clouds.

The song ends, and the lingering sound lingers.

No one spoke in the hall for a long time.

It was the prince who first extended a palm strike, and everyone except the clan members stood up and saluted Cheng Mingyu.

Cheng Mingyu placed his hands on the strings, his mind slowly calmed down, he put away the strings, and bowed to the emperor.

The emperor was still immersed in the melody just now, clapping his hands and smiling.

"What is this called? 'The guest's heart washes the flowing water, and the remaining sound enters the frosty bell.' Today's Cheng Gong is extremely elegant and charming, which really opened my eyes!"

Cheng Mingyu uttered a compliment and walked off the stage holding the Jiaowei Qin. When he handed the strings to the eunuch, one of the strings, probably because the Jiaowei Qin was very old, broke his finger, and a drop of blood slid down the back of his hand. The eunuch was startled and thought that he had not kept it properly. Cheng Mingyu calmly pressed the wound and signaled the eunuch to leave.

This move was seen by the King of Yunnan, who pouted and said:

"Why do you play the string on the back of your hand? Why not just rub it on your neck?"

Shaf glared at him.

King Yunnan smiled awkwardly, "I was just joking, just joking."

The female official rearranged the food tray, and Cheng Yian felt a little worried as she watched the princess in a trance.

"Your Highness?" She gently pulled the corner of the eldest princess's clothes.

The princess looked at her and laughed.

"An An, I have really let it go now."

Cheng Yian still couldn't believe it. Seeing how obsessed she was just now, he was afraid that her true nature would emerge and she would forget everything else and chase after her father again.

"Do you really want to open it?"

The princess glanced at Xia Fu inconspicuously and said softly to Cheng Yian,

"Because he has someone in his heart."

Cheng Yian was so shocked that he didn't even dare to look at his mother. He said dryly, "You can hear that?"

The princess didn't respond.

Only those who have experienced bitterness know what bitterness feels like.

There is a sense of pain in Cheng Mingyu's piano music that comes from not getting what you want.

In the past, the princess only thought that he was devoted to the country and the people, and had the world in his heart, without any love between men and women. She loved him openly. But now that she knows that he has someone in his heart, it is boring to continue to insist on him.

When the conch shell receives the sound and sends it to Northern Qi to Princess Mingyue, I believe Mingyue will be as relieved as she is.

The bright moon shines on the culvert, and the man's heart is not like the concubine's heart.

The banquet became lively again, and officials came in twos and threes to toast the emperor. Cheng Mingyu quietly stopped the bleeding in his room. An eunuch took the opportunity to pour him wine and whispered something in his ear. Cheng Mingyu's face changed and he glanced at the Empress Dowager above.

At this time, the Empress Dowager also symbolically raised her glass to the Emperor. The Emperor looked at the Empress Dowager's warm expression and became more and more uneasy. Sure enough, when the banquet was in full swing, an eunuch suddenly came to the door.

"Your Majesty, and the Queen Mother, the chief eunuch Huang Zheng of Dongchang requests an audience."

Huang Zheng is the Queen Mother's man.

The emperor frowned and said, "I am hosting a banquet here. Report to me later if you have anything to say."

The Queen Mother smiled and said, "Your Majesty, Huang Zheng is the most reliable person in handling affairs. He took this opportunity to enter the palace, so he must have important matters."

The emperor said unhappily, "Queen Mother, the envoy is still here."

But the Queen Mother refused to give in.

The look in her eyes clearly showed that if the emperor disagreed, don't blame her for turning hostile on the spot.

The emperor endured it and said, "Announce."

After a while, Huang Zheng led a group of people in, greeted them first, pointed to the Yunnan King Road,

"Your Majesty, the Prince of Yunnan deceived the emperor and stole someone else's wife. Please make a judgment on this matter."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was shocked.

The emperor glanced at the King of Yunnan and his wife, then at Huang Zheng, and his mind was clear as a mirror. He said seriously,

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

Huang Zheng picked up the person kneeling on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, the Princess of Yunnan is not called Xia Lan, but Xia Fu. She is the wife of Cheng Mingyou, not the Princess of Yunnan at all."

Cheng Mingyou raised his eyes amidst the bright lights, his gaze fixed with great precision on Xia Fu, who was standing beside King Yunnan, with an infatuated look in his eyes.

"Fuer..."

Cheng Mingyu, who was sitting in the audience, looked at Cheng Mingyou's thin face, which was frosty.

It turned out that someone from the East Factory had quietly raided Chengjiabao last night, and forcibly brought Cheng Mingyou back to the capital with the Empress Dowager's decree. The secret guards chased him all the way, and the news was just delivered when Cheng Mingyou entered the palace.

The Queen Mother's move was to, firstly, sever the ties between the Prince of Yunnan's Mansion and the Duke of Lu's Mansion, and secondly to deal with the Cheng family.

The Queen Mother saw this and said lightly,

"Your Majesty, let Cheng Mingyou come up and identify her. If he is wrong, it is just a misunderstanding and it is not a big deal. If it is true, you can't ruin someone's marriage, right?"

Cheng Yian was so angry that she gritted her teeth and looked at Xia Fu opposite her. Xia Fu's expression was relatively calm and she gave her a soothing look.

The Yunnanese king's assistant sneered and stood up to salute the Queen Mother.

"Your Majesty, I am really confused by what you said. My princess was born in Miaojiang and I have known her since childhood. How could she be someone else's wife?"

The Queen Mother laughed and said,

"That's why I have to recognize you. Cheng Mingyou, just come up and I will make the decision for you."

Cheng Mingyou received the Queen Mother's order, slowly stood up, and walked up the stairs step by step.

It has been more than twenty years since he and Fu'er were separated.

Her appearance didn't seem to have changed much, she was still as pretty as ever... Cheng Mingyou's eyes were red as he murmured as he stared at Xia Fu,

"Fuer, I'm sorry. It's my fault. I shouldn't have left you alone at home..."

Xia Fu sat upright and slowly shifted her gaze over there. She didn't know if it was because of age that the face was so blurry that she couldn't recognize any traces of the old days, or if she had already erased this person from her mind and couldn't remember what he looked like.

Cheng Mingyou was very unfamiliar to her.

Some fragmented images flashed through her mind, there were laughter and some sweet moments, but now there were no ripples in her heart.

Xia Fu looked surprisingly calm.

Seeing that he had crossed the first step and was approaching Xia Fu step by step, King Yunnan stood up with a full-length sword, a gloomy smile on his face, and was ready to block Cheng Mingyou's way.

The Queen Mother frowned immediately upon seeing this, "King of Yunnan, what do you mean? You dare to resist my order?"

The King of Yunnan turned a deaf ear to the Queen Mother's words and kicked Cheng Mingyou down without any hesitation.

Everyone was caught off guard and shocked by King Yunnan's boldness.

The Queen Mother looked extremely unhappy and stood up suddenly. "King of Yunnan, you are so arrogant!"

The King of Yunnan turned around slowly, bowed to the Emperor, and smiled at the Queen Mother.

"Empress Dowager, you are the Queen Mother, don't you understand the moral principles of the world?" He pointed at Xia Fu and said,

"What man in this world would be willing to allow others to spy on his wife?"

"I will tell the Queen Mother for the last time that my wife, Xia Lan, was born in Miaojiang and is my mother's niece. We grew up together and I took her as my concubine. After my late wife passed away, I made her my wife. If the Queen Mother doesn't believe me, she can go to Yunnan to investigate instead of confusing right and wrong here and interfering in the affairs of my subjects."

At this time, Cheng Mingyou below ignored the pain in his body and stood up, climbing up excitedly.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I am right. She is my wife, Xia Fu, not some Princess of Yunnan!"

"Fuer, look at me. We met at Minglan Bridge in Suzhou. It was raining that day and you forgot to bring your umbrella. I fell in love with you at first sight and wanted to escort you back home, but you refused and ran into the store to hide from me. Have you forgotten?"

Cheng Mingyu closed his eyes, stood up suddenly, and looked up.

Emperor Fang bowed.

"Your Majesty, I feel guilty for offending your Majesty's birthday banquet. Please hand him over to me for punishment. I will take him back and give him a good lesson."

The Queen Mother seemed to have been waiting for Cheng Mingyu to show up. After hearing this, she suddenly smiled.

"Oh, by the way, Patriarch Cheng, if I remember correctly, you should also know Xia Fu, why don't you come forward and recognize her?"

Cheng Mingyu's pupils shrank. The figure in his peripheral vision had been completely blocked by King Yunnan, who didn't want anyone to peek.

Cheng Yian couldn't listen any longer, so he stood up and saluted the Queen Mother.

"Your Majesty, even if my mother were alive, she would have nothing to do with Cheng Mingyou! My mother has divorced him."

This is what Cheng Mingyou hates the most. He pointed at Cheng Mingyu and shouted,

"Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, I am innocent. Cheng Mingyu has the power to force me to divorce my deceased wife..."

Before he could finish, a figure came quickly and stepped on his throat, forcing Cheng Mingyou to swallow his voice. Lu Xusheng stroked his clothes and said to the emperor,

"Your Majesty, this person roared in public, which is extremely disrespectful to Your Majesty. Please punish him."

The emperor was about to speak when he heard the empress dowager beside him shouting,

"I wonder who dares to touch him!"

The Queen Mother looked at the Emperor with gloomy eyes.

"Your Majesty, I think this matter involves the Prince of Yunnan's Palace and is a state affair. We must be cautious and investigate it thoroughly."

"If Princess Yunnan is really Xia Fu, then she should return to the fourth house of the Cheng family and become Cheng Mingyou's daughter-in-law."

Cheng Yian was so angry that he laughed and immediately knelt before the emperor.

"Your Majesty, Queen Mother, the divorce letter between my mother and Cheng Mingyou is still in the mansion. If the Queen Mother doesn't believe it, I will send someone to deliver it to you."

Could the emperor not see clearly that the empress dowager was deliberately using Cheng Mingyou to stir up trouble so that the imperial party would be in a state of panic and fall apart?

"Queen Mother, today is my birthday. You have made such a fuss about a little private matter. Do you really want to investigate the Prince of Yunnan's Palace, or are you deliberately making things difficult for me?"

The Queen Mother laughed and said, "Emperor, you are the ruler of all people. If your subjects are wronged and forced to divorce, shouldn't you intervene?"

At this time, Cheng Mingyu pointed out sharply,

"Empress Dowager, the divorce agreement between Cheng Mingyou and Xia Fu was drafted by his mother, the old lady from the fourth room of the Cheng family. All the members of the Cheng family can testify to this. Marriage is a matter of parents' orders and matchmaker's words. The old lady sent someone to propose marriage and ask for a date for the marriage, and the old lady also made the decision for the divorce. Do you mean that your son can disobey his mother's words?"

The Queen Mother was shocked.

"The Jin dynasty ruled the country with filial piety. Is your action today to tell us, the civil and military officials, that from now on all sons can disobey their parents?"

These words left the Queen Mother speechless.

Cheng Mingyou was about to struggle and refute, but was pinned down by Lu Xusheng's foot.

Cheng Yian looked at the tall man below, breathed a sigh of relief, and said to the Queen Mother,

"If the Empress Dowager still doesn't believe me, I will go to the fourth room of the Cheng family and ask my grandmother to be a witness."

The Queen Mother still refused to give up and said to the Emperor, "But please, Your Majesty, take a closer look at the matter of the Prince's Palace."

Xia Fu suddenly stood up and smiled when she heard this.

"Your Majesty and Your Majesty, there is no need to check. I will let you know the truth now."

The emperor was stunned and looked at her suspiciously, "What do you mean, princess?"

Xia Fu walked around the long case and came to the steps in front of the empress dowager and stood there to apologize to the emperor.

"May I ask, Your Majesty, if you would allow me to perform a variety show?"

The emperor was unsure what she was going to do, but he still nodded, "Okay."

Then Xia Fu pressed the ring on her finger, and instantly a very beautiful little green snake popped out from under her sleeve, twisting its body in an extremely agile dance in the air, and then entwined itself around the lamp above.

The empress was so frightened that she leaned against the court lady, and the empress dowager almost jumped out of her chest.

Xia Fu gave a light whistle, and the little green snake immediately came back and hid under her sleeve. Everyone present gasped.

Xia Fu looked at the Queen Mother with a smile, "I was born in Miaojiang. Do you believe it now, Your Majesty?"

The Queen Mother looked at her in surprise and doubt, pursed her lips and said nothing.

Although the Empress Dowager's behavior made the Emperor feel uncomfortable, he was still able to sense an opportunity and decided to punish the Empress Dowager's lackeys.

"Huang Zheng disrupted my birthday banquet, he deserves the death penalty, come, drag him away and lock him up, execute him in three days!"

"As for Cheng Mingyou, I'll leave it to you, Mr. Cheng, to deal with."

"I obey your command."

The empress dowager wanted to stop her, but the emperor left the table in anger.

As soon as he left, the Queen and Prince Ning cleaned up the situation, and Prince Ning led the envoys to continue the banquet next door. The Queen told the female relatives to go around and watch the fireworks and lanterns in the evening.

There are dozens of houses on Qionghua Island, with pavilions and terraces densely dotted along the pond. Outside the Guanghan Palace, there are dense trees and shady trees all around, making it a good place to enjoy the scenery and also cool off.

The King of Yunnan, however, refused to attend the dinner, saying that his wife was frightened.

He avoided the crowd and did not take the Taiye Bridge. Instead, he planned to go out of the imperial city from the Sheshan Gate to the north. There were a lot of people attending the banquet today. Even if he met some female relatives on the way, because of Xia Fu's display of skill just now, the female relatives avoided him from afar and no one dared to look at her appearance.

It was the afternoon, the sun was hot, and Xia Fu was frail and became out of breath after walking for a while.

The King of Yunnan sent her to a pavilion beside the Taiye Lake to rest.

There are few people here, so there is no need to worry about being disturbed.

After waiting for a while, King Yunnan saw Cheng Yian chasing after him, and he felt relieved. He pointed at Xia Fu and said to her,

"An An, I'll leave your mother to you. I have something to deal with."

Cheng Yian looked at his mother worriedly and quickly came over to hold her back, "Don't worry, go ahead."

Xia Fu frowned and asked the King of Yunnan,

"What are you going to do?"

King Yunnan didn't look at her, but walked forward with big strides, "An'an, wait until your mother has rested enough, then send her back, don't wait for me."

He was determined to skin Cheng Mingyou alive.

What kind of jerk dares to show up in front of Xia Fu, not afraid of embarrassing others.

King Yunnan returned to Guanghan Palace and asked a eunuch, "Where is Cheng Mingyu?"

The eunuch at the door was frightened by his ferocious appearance and pointed in the direction of Taiye Bridge, "It seems he went that way."

The Prince of Yunnan threw the eunuch away and strode towards the Taiye Bridge. He chased Cheng Mingyu all the way to Chongguang Palace. As expected, Cheng Mingyu ordered his men to take Cheng Mingyou away and planned to leave. The Prince of Yunnan called him back in time.

"Cheng Mingyu, hand him over to me for disposal."

Cheng Mingyu expected that King Yunnan would come, so he did not walk fast.

When Cheng Mingyou saw the King of Yunnan coming over, he spit out the cotton ball stuffed in his mouth. His eyes moved between the two of them, and he said hatefully,

"King of Yunnan, you can fool others but not me. Xia Lan is Fu'er. King of Yunnan, do you know what the relationship between Cheng Mingyu and Fu'er is? I tell you, Cheng Mingyu also covets Fu'er and wants to monopolize her. Don't be fooled by his hypocritical behavior!"

King Yunnan glanced at Cheng Mingyu, who had a blank expression on his face, without any fluctuation.

He first stepped forward and kicked Cheng Mingyou in the heart, then took him from the eunuch and slammed him to the ground.

"You bastard, with your character, are you worthy of marrying Afu? Let alone other things, Afu is at home mourning for you, but you are out there having affairs. How dare you say she is your wife?"

"If I don't teach you a lesson for Afu, I'll be sorry for your courage today!"

Cheng Mingyou's hands were tied, and he rolled on the ground in pain. His face was pale, and he was sweating profusely. He stared at the King of Yunnan in dissatisfaction.

"You idiot, why are you taking your anger out on me? Why don't you deal with Cheng Mingyu? Ask him what he's thinking. He hasn't married for so many years. Is he thinking about Fu'er?"

The King of Yunnan disliked his chatterbox and kicked him on the back of the head, knocking him unconscious. After his ear was clean, the King of Yunnan patted the dust off his hands, signaled the eunuch to take the people with him, and then glanced at Cheng Mingyu with a smile.

"Sir Cheng, you played "Xijiangyue" very well. It was touching and sad. Unfortunately, I think Afu played it better. What's more regrettable is that you can't hear it."

Cheng Mingyu stood with his hands behind his back, looking at him without any change in his expression, and only instructed, "Bring out the palace cuisine."

"Need you to tell me that?" King Yunnan snorted and left with his men.

Cheng Mingyu waited until he was far away, then immediately turned around and headed towards Sheshan Gate.

Cheng Yian sat with Xia Fu in the anteroom for quite a while.

"The prince must have gone to take care of Cheng Mingyou."

Xia Fu sighed, lowered her eyes and fiddled with the coral string, "That's just his personality."

Cheng Yian glanced at her wrist and said, "Mom, where is your snake? Did you hide it?"

Xia Fu teased her, "Are you scared?"

"Afraid." Cheng Yian said with a bitter face.

Xia Fu raised her hand to rub her little face, but Cheng Yian dodged with a smile and sat opposite her.

Xia Fu touched the silver and green pine bracelet on her wrist.

"It's hidden inside. If I don't let it out, nothing will happen."

Cheng Yian still didn't dare to get close and stuck out his tongue at her.

At this moment, a clear voice came from the water pavilion not far away.

"An An."

Cheng Yian recognized that it was Cheng Yiqiao, and immediately stood up, holding onto the pillar and poking his head over there.

"Second sister!"

It turned out that Cheng Yiqiao and Cheng Yixin were also planning to go back, but because the sun was strong, they stopped here to rest. Yaoyao saw Cheng Yian and Princess Yunnan together, and perhaps because they were afraid of snakes, the two sisters did not come over. Only Yaoyao knelt down to Xia Fu.

"I have met the princess."

There are other female relatives in the pavilion and it is not convenient for them to come over.

Cheng Yian waved to them, and Xia Fu smiled and said,

"You can go over and say hello. I'll just sit here for a while."

Cheng Yian hadn't seen his two sisters for a few days. It was rare that Cheng Yixin was willing to go out, so he had to go and meet them.

"Then wait, I'll be back soon."

Xia Fu nodded.

The sun was setting in the west, shining on the beauty couch facing the water. Xia Fu moved from the beauty couch to sit on a table in the middle of the pavilion. A warm breeze blew gently over the river, and the sunlight fell on the sparkling water, floating and dazzling.

The surroundings were too quiet. Xia Fu couldn't help but echo the song in her mind, and even the blurry figure seemed to be swaying in the afterglow.

Perhaps she was a little sleepy and her mind was a little confused. She vaguely heard a voice calling her, "Xia Fu."

It sounds just like the master's voice.

Xia Fu thought she was hallucinating until she heard a clear breath approaching. She turned around suddenly and met Cheng Mingyu's dark eyes.