Chapter 89 Chapter 89 The Duke is a Good Talker

Chapter 89 Chapter 89 The Duke is a Good Talker

Cheng Yian asked him, "Why did His Majesty suddenly reward you with so many gold bars? Is it to reward you for your contribution to Pingche Khan?"

"Yes." Lu Xusheng moved from the armchair to the bed and sat next to her.

Cheng Yian also knew that a tall tree attracts the wind, and pointed at the box of gold, "Did you get it so blatantly?"

Lu Xusheng shook his head and told Cheng Yian about the incident with the Sichuan Governor. Cheng Yian smiled when he heard it.

"Xusheng, I'm sorry for wronging you."

Seeing her eyes redden, Lu Xusheng rubbed her eyebrows and said, "Silly girl, this is the way to survive in the court. For you and your child to live a safe and stable life, I must look ahead and behind and not seek the limelight for a short period of time."

Cheng Yian thought for a while and said to himself, "Well, I understand. This is called making a fortune in silence."

"That's right!" Lu Xusheng laughed and lay down with her. The glass palace lamp on the dressing table reflected a warm bed. Cheng Yian kept looking at him. The wind and frost on the plateau were very tough. His originally handsome face became even deeper and thinner after being cut by the wind and snow. Cheng Yian covered his cheek and held him in his arms. "Did you eat enough at the border?"

Lu Xusheng lay flat on his back, while Cheng Yian knelt beside him. When he hugged him like this, his chest pressed against his face, squeezing him uncomfortably. Lu Xusheng moved aside with difficulty.

"How come you've gained so much weight?"

Cheng Yian suddenly panicked, "Am I really fat?"

Lu Xusheng's hand was on her waist, and he touched it. "It's very slender, but it's plump in that area."

Cheng Yian glared at him, "Don't stare at that. Look around. Have you really gained weight?"

Cheng Yian put his face in front of him.

She is almost seven months pregnant. During this time when Lu Xusheng was away, her mother took very good care of her. She was able to eat and sleep well, and her breasts had grown noticeably bigger. She tried to control her diet, but she was so hungry at night that she had to eat.

Lu Xusheng looked at her, her face was still so pretty that it could squeeze water out of it, "Except for your belly, I can't tell that you are pregnant."

Cheng Yian was satisfied and took the initiative to kiss him, "My Lord, you are really good at kissing me."

Lu Xusheng's smile suddenly deepened, and he pressed his lips against hers, "Is it really just your mouth that will do?"

Hugging her through her round belly, Lu Xusheng felt for the first time that the child was a little bit ugly.

The moonlight was bright outside the window, and there were slight noises coming from the bed. Nanny Li was really worried. The young lady was so tall and a veteran, and the young mistress was pregnant. Could she withstand his torture?

In the past, the couple had been very noisy and it took a long time, which always made her suffer. But tonight, even if it was just suffering, every time Cheng Yian made any sound, Nanny Li's heart would skip a beat, hoping that it would stop soon.

When Lu Xusheng came back, Cheng Yian decided to marry Rulan to Qiu Qing, and chose the best courtyard in the skirt house for the couple to live in. Dingxiang and Dan'er were also officially promoted to head maids, taking over the responsibilities of Ruhui and Rulan. On Rulan's wedding day, Cheng Yian prepared several tables of banquets for her at Lu's house, gave her a headdress, 500 taels of silver from the bottom of the box, and the rest of the dowry, which was no less than that of a young lady from a small family. This was a sum that Rulan could never earn in her lifetime. When she left the house, she hugged Cheng Yian and cried for a long time.

As for Ruhui, she was busy managing the treasury and was not really interested in getting married. "Just let me help you." Cheng Yian could only agree to her.

After getting married, Rulan came to work in the mansion as usual, and began to take charge of purchasing matters, gradually gaining real power.

When the official stationed in Chechnya was chosen, Lu Xusheng went to Sichuan again. During this period, the Lu family also had a happy event. The third wife's son Lu Xisheng married a daughter-in-law, the third daughter of the Imperial College's chief priest family. Her surname was Wei and her personality was particularly lively. Cheng Yian could hear her clear voice every day when he went out of the yard. She was a warm-hearted and outgoing person, and the Lu family became lively.

Four daughters-in-law sat at one table, and compared to the older generation who were all fighting, the four younger daughters-in-law got along very well. Whenever Cheng Yian was bored, he would go to the meeting room and call up a few sisters-in-law to play mahjong. At the end of the year, each daughter-in-law was given a task, and Cheng Yian was in charge.

The people live in peace and contentment, and there are no more criminals. It can be said that the Lu government is thriving.

The eighth day of the first lunar month is the Laba Festival, which is actually the Crown Princess's 22nd birthday. The Queen Mother heard from some eminent monk that holding a grand birthday banquet would be good for the Crown Princess' fortune, so she hoped to have a great-grandson and let the Crown Princess celebrate her birthday. Cheng Yian was pregnant, so the Lu family planned to let the Second Wife, Wang, take charge. Unfortunately, on the evening of the seventh day, the Second Wife accidentally fell and her butt was so painful that she couldn't walk. There was no other way, so Cheng Yian had to come forward.

It is said that the Second Wife has been in a bad mood recently. Originally, the head of the Wang family was going to Beijing to celebrate the New Year with his family, but later he became unwell and postponed the trip. The Second Wife was very disappointed and has been in a bad mood for a while.

Early in the morning of the eighth day, Cheng Yian brought his fourth brother and his wife into the palace for a banquet.

Cheng Yian was pregnant, so she walked slowly and didn't join the crowd. She let her lively fourth brother and sister-in-law go first, and she walked slowly to the East Palace. The banquet was set up in the Ciqing Hall in front of the East Palace. When Cheng Yian arrived at the platform in front of the hall, a hearty laugh suddenly came from behind her.

"Sister An An, is that you?"

Cheng Yian looked back and saw Princess Ning Zheng Ying holding the hand of a palace maid and walking into the palace.

Cheng Yian bowed to her from a distance, "I pay my respects to Princess Ning."

Zheng Ying quickly stepped over to meet her, his eyes passing over her bulging belly, and said in surprise, "Oh my God, when I saw you from behind just now, you were still slim and tall. I thought it was someone else. You didn't look pregnant at all. If I can be like you, I will burn incense and pray to Buddha."

Cheng Yian smiled happily.

The two of them went inside together. Princess Ning was the first one to arrive before the Crown Princess arrived. Zheng Ying was very dignified and generous in front of others, but she was not very careful when she was talking to Cheng Yian in private. She quietly covered Cheng Yian's earlobe,

"An An, I'm pregnant too."

Cheng Yian was surprised at first, but didn't dare to say anything. He asked her quietly, "When did it happen?"

"The Grand Master discovered it day and night, but I didn't let Your Highness make it public. I only told the Empress quietly." As she spoke, Zheng Ying nodded in the direction of the East Palace.

Cheng Yian understood that although the Crown Prince and Prince Ning were at loggerheads, the Crown Princess and Princess Ning had a good relationship. The Crown Princess' birthday was approaching, and Zheng Ying did not want to steal her limelight by announcing the good news.

"You came out openly today, which was really careless."

Zheng Ying looked relaxed, "It's okay, I'm fine, don't worry. By the way, I'll visit you at your house later, and you can teach me some of your experience."

"My mother gave me a set of recipes. I'll give them to you later."

At this moment, a man strode in from the front gate of the palace. He saw the two of them whispering to each other and pretended to be angry, "What are you two whispering about?"

Cheng Yian raised his eyes and saw that it was the eldest princess, and immediately came over, "Your Highness, where have you been these days?" Cheng Yian would go to the eldest princess's mansion to visit the eldest princess every once in a while, but he hadn't seen her recently.

"I went to Yanshan Hot Spring Resort and returned yesterday."

The princess looked at her with a smile, her eyes falling on her belly, "You are already so pregnant, come, let me take a look."

The two of them sat on the left and right of the princess and talked to her.

"I had someone bring you a crib from Jiangnan. It's made of the best mahogany and stuffed with silk satin, which won't hurt your skin at all."

Cheng Yian was overwhelmed by this. "Why did they transport the bed from Jiangnan? How can I afford it?"

"I won't let you bear it," the princess pointed at her belly, "I'll give you this one in your belly."

Cheng Yian said, "Your Highness, please don't spend money. I don't plan to raise a child. The bed in the west room of the house is not big, just right for the child."

The princess said to herself, "I have prepared about a hundred sets of clothes for you, all embroidered by Su Hangming's family, from birth to five or six years old, and they are all ready for you. They will be sent to the Lu Mansion before the New Year."

Cheng Yian: “…”

I was jealous and said, "I don't have this blessing, how can I have a child?"

The eldest princess laughed out loud.

Zheng Ying asked, "Aunt, you don't know whether it's a boy or a girl, what if you make the wrong preparation?"

The princess was a bit troubled by this matter. "I see that An An is beautiful, and I always feel that she will give birth to a girl. I only prepare clothes for the girl. So, I have to prepare some small shirts for the young man."

"Your Highness, no need, no need, my house is ready."

The embroidery is deliberately done in some colors that are neither too delicate nor too bright, so it can be worn by both men and women.

The princess ignored her.

At this time, a young woman came up to the Princess Royal, knelt down and kowtowed to her.

"Greetings to my mother, wishing her a long life, good health and endless blessings."

Cheng Yian had never seen her, and her face turned red when she heard the word "mother". She had never heard that the eldest princess had any children.

The princess looked at the woman indifferently, but did not correct her. She just ordered, "Get up."

The woman stood up and stepped aside as she was told, but she did not intend to leave.

The princess asked her, "Is your father in good health?"

The young woman knelt down and said, "Thank you mother for your concern. She is in good health, but she is a little worried. I heard that it is winter and she is worried that you will have a headache. She has been visiting you several times a day and asked her daughter to pay her respects to you."

The princess said, "As long as you're feeling well." She didn't ask any more questions.

When the woman saw that the princess was silent, she took out the child beside her and asked her to kowtow to the princess. The little girl was a little scared when she saw that the princess was a little scared and hid behind her mother without saying a word. The woman became anxious and tried to pull the child away.

The eldest princess couldn't bear to watch it any longer, so she waved her hand and said, "The Crown Princess will be here soon, please go and have your meal." The woman had no choice but to retreat in embarrassment.

As soon as she left, Cheng Yian asked the princess, "Your Highness, when did you have a daughter?"

The princess said, "The daughter of the former Prince Consort Kong."

"I see. No wonder I haven't seen it before."

How can you be so shameless to call the eldest princess "mother"? Where is your own mother?

The princess said calmly, "They came for my private property."

"So that's how it is..." Cheng Yian smiled bitterly.

"Unfortunately, they miscalculated." The eldest princess' tone was still indifferent. Cheng Yian smiled in his heart. The eldest princess was quite interesting. She looked casual, but in fact, she could see things more clearly than anyone else.

Soon the hall was full, but unfortunately the Crown Princess was late. The eldest princess was puzzled and sent a female official to invite her. When the Crown Princess showed up, Cheng Yian was surprised to find that she was skin and bones, and her heart suddenly sank.

Could it be that the Crown Princess cannot escape the misfortune of her previous life?

Next, the Crown Princess forced a smile and hosted the birthday banquet. After the banquet, she left in a hurry, only instructing the female officials to entertain everyone with a play. The eldest princess also left soon after, but it was not easy for a woman from outside the palace like Cheng Yian to leave early. After all, she had to watch a play before she could use it as an excuse to leave the palace.

As a woman of lower rank, the princess had no right to bring maids into the palace. Zheng Ying could only accompany Cheng Yian, thinking that she was pregnant and had no one to take care of her.

As her belly grew bigger, Cheng Yian had to go to the toilet more frequently. After sitting for a while, she felt the urge to go, so she went with Zheng Ying to find the toilet. There was a screen wall between the Ciqing Hall and the East Palace, and there was a row of rooms in the northwest corner of the screen wall. The last room was the toilet, which was prepared for the wives of officials to go to the toilet. There was also a screen outside the toilet. After passing the screen, Cheng Yian found a three-story brocade tower on the east side. The terrace was decorated very richly, with glittering glazed tiles and red and green corridors. It looked like it had just been renovated.

Cheng Yian's eyes moved from the Jinlou to the Fengtian Palace in the west and found that the Jinlou was as high as the red wall outside the Fengtian Palace. This was against etiquette and looked like an attempt to spy on the emperor. "Why is there such a Jinlou in the East Palace?"

Zheng Ying knew the reason and explained, "Do you remember that during the Mingguang period, a prince was deposed?"

Cheng Yian glanced around and nodded softly, "That was a matter of the previous dynasty."

"Yes, the reason why the prince was deposed was because he built this Jinlou to spy on the Huangtian Palace. After the prince was deposed, the emperor at that time did not demolish the Jinlou, but used it to warn the East Palace. Therefore, this Jinlou is also called the Siguo Tower and has been passed down from dynasty to dynasty."

After the East Palace was settled, Cheng Yian stopped asking questions and was about to leave when a white dress suddenly flashed in his peripheral vision. Cheng Yian came back to his senses and stared at a corner on the second floor of Jinlou. Why did that figure look so much like the Crown Princess? Cheng Yian had a bad feeling in his heart. Jinlou was only ten steps ahead. As Cheng Yian walked towards it, he asked Zheng Ying,

"Can I go up and take a look?"

Zheng Ying was startled, pulled her wrist, and whispered, "What are you doing up there?"

This is not a good place.

Seeing that no one was around, Cheng Yian leaned over to whisper something in her ear. Zheng Ying's heartstrings suddenly shrank.

"Let's go up."

There was no one on duty here. It was an empty building and no one came here on weekdays. The prince seemed to be very wary of this place. He had surrounded it with a wall and no one from the East Palace dared to come here.

But there is no deliberate blockade.

Cheng Yian and Zheng Ying entered the Jinlou easily. They first went up to the hall. The hall was not big and all corners could be seen at a glance. They went up the stairs. Zheng Ying signaled Cheng Yian with her eyes not to go up. Cheng Yian's belly was too big and it was dangerous to climb the stairs. Zheng Ying was also pregnant, so Cheng Yian was worried about her going up. In the end, Zheng Ying's two palace maids each helped one of them up the stairs.

There was no one on the second floor. When he came to the third floor, he suddenly saw the Crown Princess standing in the middle of the platform in a white shirt. In front of her was an open window. The Crown Princess stared at the window with a hint of desire in her eyes. Cheng Yian's heart suddenly tugged.

“Your Highness!”

The Crown Princess seemed not to hear anything and did not move.

Cheng Yian immediately walked around to her front and saw that she was in a daze, with protruding cheekbones, sunken cheeks, and cloudy eyes. She couldn't hear anything. Cheng Yian said with a sad heart,

"Your Highness, what are you doing?"

The Crown Princess finally responded. Her eyes gradually moved from the window to her. She paused and said softly, "Don't make a sound."

Cheng Yian held her belly and walked forward, "Your Highness, it's windy here, please come with me."

The Crown Princess's eyes fell on her round belly, and she suddenly lost herself in thought, "That's great, you're pregnant, you don't have to be criticized like me."

His eyes were filled with envy and sadness of not being able to get what he wanted.

"Your Highness, it's not your fault. It's not your fault that the Eastern Palace has difficulty in having an heir."

Cheng Yian almost said explicitly that it was the Crown Prince's problem, not the Crown Princess'.

Unfortunately, the Crown Princess no longer cared about these things. She shook her head and said, "It doesn't matter. It's all in the past. Soon, nothing will happen."

Cheng Yian saw her looking out the window again, her eyes gradually showing determination, and he immediately understood what she was going to do.

How desperate the Crown Princess must have been to choose to commit suicide on her own birthday.

"Your Highness, please don't be confused. This is absolutely not allowed."

The Crown Princess lowered her eyelids and looked distracted. "Nothing is impossible. This way everyone is freed."

"It's impossible to get rid of it. Look, Zheng Ying and I are here today. If something happens to you, we can't escape the responsibility. Can you bear to watch us and the baby in your belly suffer because of you?"

The Crown Princess was kindhearted after all. After hearing this, her eyes ached and she hurriedly urged her,

"Then leave quickly and don't tell anyone you've seen me."

"I've seen..."

The Crown Princess glared at her angrily.

What a good girl, to be forced to this point.

Cheng Yian couldn't bear to watch her disappear, so he gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice,

"Your Highness, I will help you escape from the East Palace!"

The Crown Princess' body shook violently. This was something she had never dared to imagine in her dreams.

She is the Crown Princess, destined to live and die with the Crown Prince, and she cannot leave.

"Impossible. There are spies everywhere in the East Palace. Did you know that the Queen Mother replaced the two female officials beside me? Now they follow me day and night. I spent a lot of effort to get rid of them and quietly came to Jinlou. Yi'an, you go. Everything here has nothing to do with you. If you delay any longer, they will find out and will definitely come looking for you."

When Cheng Yian heard that she had gotten rid of the Queen Mother's lady-in-waiting, she felt that this was a perfect match of time, place and people.

"Yes, you have gotten rid of them. This is the biggest opportunity. Go now. Don't hesitate."

The Crown Princess almost didn't dare to think, "Are you crazy? How can we get there? How can we get there? Do you know how many checkpoints we have to go through to get to Donghua Gate?"

Seeing that she couldn't make up her mind, Cheng Yian cursed in a low voice,

"You have the courage to die, why don't you have the courage to leave? You're going to die anyway, so what if you take a chance? You won't lose anything!"

The Crown Princess suddenly calmed down and looked at Cheng Yian in silence. But it was only a moment of hesitation. She shook her head and said,

"No, I can't let you get involved. If we are discovered, neither you nor I will be able to save our lives."

Cheng Yian smiled, "Silly Prince, if you are really discovered, you have to hold me."

She really admired her own quick wit. If she and the Crown Princess were in the same camp, this matter would be difficult to handle. But since she and the Crown Princess belonged to the Crown Prince's Party and the Emperor's Party respectively, if the Crown Princess left the palace and was discovered, using her as a support would not only save the Crown Princess, but also her.

"Think about it. The worst case scenario is that we are discovered by His Majesty's people. When we get to His Majesty, who will His Majesty decide for us?"

The Crown Princess looked at her in surprise, tears welling up in her eyes, and for the first time, a glimmer of hope flashed in those withered eyes.

At this time, Zheng Ying, who had been silent all this time, came over decisively, looked at the Crown Princess and said,

"Sister-in-law, change clothes with my maid now. You and An An go first, and I will take care of the rest."

This is the only and best way, but Cheng Yian is also worried about Zheng Ying.

"What do you do?"

Zheng Ying met her gaze and said, "You don't have to worry about me. Just think of it as me helping Prince Ning." As long as the Crown Princess leaves the palace, the relationship between the Qin family and the Crown Prince will be completely severed. Without the Qin family, the Crown Prince will be like a bird with broken wings, unable to fly again.

Zheng Ying's maid was also very courageous. She took off her clothes and exchanged them with the Crown Princess. She also said to Zheng Ying,

"Miss, please follow the princess and the crown princess, I will stay here."

Zheng Ying refused without hesitation, "No, we grew up together. We are not sisters but better than sisters. I will never abandon you."

The Crown Princess refused to change, "Don't worry about me, just go..."

Unfortunately, Zheng Ying did not give her a chance to hesitate and forced her to change her clothes.

"Sister-in-law, why are you worried? Who can do anything to me? I have my own way to deal with it."

After a while, Cheng Yian let the Crown Princess hold her, went down the Jinlou, and walked around the Ciqing Hall to the East Palace Gate. The Crown Princess lowered her eyes and hugged Cheng Yian's arms tightly. Cheng Yian frowned and pretended to have a stomachache. When they passed the palace gate, there were two eunuchs and four guards guarding the place. These people were all palace maids who had seen the Crown Princess. As soon as Cheng Yian stepped onto the steps, he kept groaning.

"I have a stomachache. Princess Ning's maid sent me out of the palace. Someone, please go to the government office and inform my father to pick me up at Donghua Gate..."

After Cheng Yian said this, the palace maids in the East Palace panicked.

This lady is the most beloved one in the whole capital. She has numerous powerful forces behind her, and no one can afford to offend her. If something happens to her in the East Palace, Cheng Mingyu and Lu Xusheng will definitely find trouble with His Highness. So the leading palace maid immediately said,

"Someone, go to the Wenzhao Palace next door to inform the Prime Minister. Another person, go to the Imperial Hospital to ask for the imperial physician."

Because Cheng Yian was in a critical condition, they didn't have time to look at the maid beside her. Princess Ning brought two maids into the palace. Everyone witnessed it with their own eyes, and they didn't think about anything else for a while.

One of the guards saw how uncomfortable Cheng Yian was and suggested,

"Why don't you just stay in Ciqing Palace and wait for the imperial physician to see you before leaving?"

Before he could finish his words, he was glared at by the chief eunuch opposite him. If Cheng Yian stayed in the East Palace, who would be responsible if something went wrong?

As long as he leaves the East Palace, Cheng Yian, whether good or bad, has nothing to do with them.

When the guard saw him glaring at him, he immediately shut up.

The Crown Princess walked forward with Cheng Yian by her side, without any hesitation. She lowered her eyes and half of her face was resting on Cheng Yian's arm. Fortunately, Zheng Ying's maid had brought some rouge for Zheng Ying to touch up her makeup. After a little touch-up on the corners of her eyes and cheeks, she looked refreshed, which was very different from her usual self.

More importantly, no one would have thought that the Crown Princess would escape from the Eastern Palace on her birthday.

I got through the most difficult stage without any trouble.

The East Palace is adjacent to Donghua Gate, with a white jade bridge in front of it. After crossing the white jade bridge, turn east and you will reach Donghua Gate. As long as you exit Donghua Gate, everything will be fine.

Cheng Yian broke out in a cold sweat. He had not thought it would be so easy to leave the Eastern Palace. He tried to quicken his pace and move forward. But at this moment, a sudden noise came from the Ciqing Palace behind him. The Crown Princess was startled.

"What should we do? Did something happen to Ying'er?"

At this time, Cheng Yian's mind was extremely clear and decisive.

"Don't look back, go, hurry out of Donghua Gate!" It has come to this point, going back would be a waste of all efforts.

The Crown Princess had no choice but to listen to her.

It turned out that the two female officials beside the Queen Mother found that the Crown Princess was missing, and hurriedly chased her from the back hall to Ciqing Hall. Unexpectedly, they met Zheng Ying coming down from Jinlou. It was cold in winter, and Zheng Ying was wearing warm clothes today. She first took off her inner jacket and gave it to the maid, then put on the Crown Princess's white shirt inside herself, and finally put on the princess's rank shirt, and came down with her maid in such a dignified manner.

The Empress Dowager's female attendant saw Zheng Ying coming down from the Jinlou and asked if she had seen the Crown Princess. Zheng Ying cried out, pointing at the two female attendants and claiming that they had pushed her. The female attendant was frightened and denied it. Unfortunately, there were so many officials' wives gathered in the Ciqing Hall, including Zheng Ying's mother. She immediately surrounded Zheng Ying with her wives and asked people to invite the Empress and the imperial physician. The scene became chaotic and the Empress Dowager's female attendant was caught.

Wait until the two of them chased out of the East Palace.

Cheng Yian and the Crown Princess's compartment have arrived at Donghua Gate.

As luck would have it, there was a strong wind in the corridor, which lifted up the hair on the side of the Crown Princess's face. When the guard who was questioning her saw her, his face froze instantly.

Cheng Yian was groaning, and when he saw him discover the clue, his heart jumped to his throat, and he shouted,

"Sir, what are you looking at?"

The guard pointed at the Crown Princess in surprise, "This is not..."

"What is it?" Cheng Yian interrupted him with a cold face, and acted like a princess.

"Why are you talking nonsense like that in front of His Majesty? I just felt unwell, and Princess Ning ordered her maid to escort me out of the palace." Cheng Yian winked at him vigorously.

Cheng Yian carried the emperor out to tell the guards that this was what the emperor wanted to see.

The guard was suddenly in a dilemma, not knowing what to do.

Seeing this, Cheng Yian secretly pinched the Crown Princess, hinting that she should pretend to hold him. At this moment, a steady voice came from the corridor behind him.

"Captain Li, my daughter is not feeling well. I would like to ask Princess Ning's people to escort her out of the palace. Does the captain have any objection?"

When the guards saw Cheng Mingyu coming out of the palace, they immediately breathed a sigh of relief and pointed at the Crown Princess, "But Lord Cheng, this is..."

"Who is it? Who does Captain Li think she is?" Cheng Mingyu walked up slowly. "I said she is a female official. Captain, don't you understand?"

Captain Li shuddered immediately. Cheng Mingyu was telling him that he would take care of the matter. If he did it again, he would inevitably be punished later. It would be better to take a gamble now.

"Yes, yes, I didn't see anything!"

Release him immediately.

Cheng Yian no longer cared about anything else and quickly walked out with the Crown Princess. The Crown Princess could feel a thick layer of sweat on her palms.

"An An, are you okay, An An..."

Cheng Yian kept shaking his head, and finally, he came out of the corridor, and a large area of ​​daylight poured in.

The Crown Princess was stunned as she bathed in this warm light.

Cheng Mingyu escorted them out of the corridor. Qiu Qing had already driven over. Cheng Yian let the Crown Princess get in the car first. She turned back to look at her father. Meeting his reproachful eyes, she began to act coquettishly, "Daddy..."

Cheng Mingyu knew what she was going to say, and said helplessly, "Send her back to Duke Qin's Mansion first, and leave this to me."

Cheng Yian smiled, "Thank you, Dad."

Cheng Mingyu personally lent a hand and escorted her to the carriage. Cheng Yian got in and sat on the soft couch, leaning against the pillow and breathing heavily. The Crown Princess saw the sweat on her forehead and said worriedly,

"An An, are you feeling unwell? If you are, let's go see a doctor first..."

Cheng Yian gave her a weak smile, holding his belly and said, "It's okay, I'm just a little nervous, I'll be fine after a rest."

"Your Highness, it's okay, let's go home..."

Going home?

The Crown Princess was stunned. It had been seven years, and the word "going home" seemed like an unattainable dream to her.

She really left the palace, she can go home...

Bean-sized tears fell one by one, gradually forming a tear line. She held Cheng Yian's shoulders and trembled.

"An An, am I really going home?"

"Yes, home!"

The carriage arrived at the gate of Duke Qin's mansion. The guards of the Lu residence had informed in advance, and Duke Qin came out with all the family members to greet them.

Soon, the Crown Princess and Cheng Yian got off the carriage one after another.

The Crown Princess looked at the gate she had been away from for a long time, tears welled up in her eyes.

"Grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, I...I'm home..."

Even though today is the Crown Princess' birthday, the Queen Mother has not allowed anyone from Duke Qin's residence to enter the palace, saying that a high monk has said that they must stay away from her mother's family. In fact, she is afraid that the Qin family will see the Crown Princess' current condition and feel unhappy.

The old lady of the Qin family, the Crown Princess' mother, felt so distressed when she saw the emaciated Crown Princess that she came forward and hugged her in her arms.

"Child, you have suffered, you have been wronged!"

The mother and her children hugged each other and cried bitterly.

Duke Qin came forward and showed great respect to Cheng Yian.

"Mrs. Lu's kindness is so great that the entire Qin family will never forget it."

Cheng Yian avoided his gift and said, "I was just in a haphazard way, and I didn't expect that God would be so kind and it would work out like this. Her Highness has suffered too much in the palace, please, old Duke, make the decision for her."

Duke Qin stood up, with a fierce look on his face.

"Someone, prepare some clothes for me. I want to go to the palace to see the emperor!"

After Duke Qin left, the Qin family carried Cheng Yian and the Crown Princess into the inner hall. When the Crown Princess returned home, she became lively and looked around.

"Has the osmanthus tree in the yard grown so tall? Why is the pomegranate tree gone?"

Madam Qin took her daughter's hand and explained everything to her with tears in her eyes.

Old Lady Qin accompanied Cheng Yian to drink tea.

"Child, thanks to your courage and wisdom, you rescued Zhen'er. I see that your face is a little pale, so don't worry about the miscarriage."

He turned around and told the nanny beside him, "Ask the doctor in the mansion to check the young lady's pulse."

Cheng Yian was so tired that he was speechless.

"I just need to take a break."

The Crown Princess's departure from the palace caused a sensation in the entire court. The Duke of Qin proposed a divorce to the Emperor on the grounds that the Crown Prince was harsh on his daughter. The Emperor decisively issued an edict to return the Crown Princess's freedom. No matter how the Crown Prince argued, she had already left the palace and would never come back, so he knew that the situation was hopeless.

After Cheng Mingyu dealt with the matter of Donghua Gate, he chased to the Qin Mansion and personally took his daughter back to the Lu Family. Upon hearing the news, Xia Fu also rushed from the Wang Mansion to the Lu Family to look after her daughter. The two bumped into each other in the main hall of the Lu Family. As the Lu family was present, they had no time to talk. Xia Fu was concerned about her daughter's health, nodded slightly to Cheng Mingyu, and then passed him to the backyard. Cheng Mingyu sighed and left with his people.

The Crown Prince lost an arm and cried bitterly that night, sitting in the empty bedroom all night.

The Qin family was not in a position to thank Cheng Yian openly, so they secretly prepared several cars as gifts. The female members of the Qin family all treated her as their savior, and the closeness between the two families went without saying.

Afterwards, Cheng Yian sent someone to the palace to inquire, and was relieved to learn that Zheng Ying was safe.

Lu Xusheng returned five days later. After hearing about this, he came to Cheng Yian's bedside and glared at his wife.

"You are so brave. What if you get yourself involved?"

Cheng Yian was calm and composed.

"I'm not afraid. If I'm really discovered, the Crown Princess will hold me captive. I'm an innocent person and I've done nothing wrong."

Lu Xusheng looked at this incredibly beautiful face no matter when or from any angle, and rubbed her earlobe helplessly.

"This will not be an example for others."

Cheng Yian crawled into his arms, thinking of the catastrophe in her previous life, and she still felt a little scared.

"Now that the Qin family has broken away from the Eastern Palace, I'm worried that the prince will take a risk. Xusheng, are you ready?"

As long as the prince is removed, the nightmare of the Cheng family's demise will not happen again, and the people of the capital will not be displaced.

Lu Xusheng gently stroked her back and said, "Don't worry, leave it to me."

As the saying goes, the Chinese New Year comes after Laba. All governments are busy preparing for the New Year, and government offices are also at their busiest.

The marriage between the Cheng and Pei families is imminent, and Chengjiabao has been very lively recently. On the 18th day of the 11th month, Cheng Yiyan took Cheng Yian and Cheng Yiqiao back to the eldest house to help Cheng Yixin prepare for the wedding. In fact, sister-in-law Lu has already arranged everything, so Cheng Yian and her sister only need to accompany Cheng Yixin.

Pei Ji was a steady man, and as the eldest son of the Pei family, he usually took care of the family's affairs. He had acquired a lot of skills, and he was reliable and efficient in his work, so he never gave Cheng Yixin any worries.

Everyone in the Cheng family was happy for Cheng Yixin, but she herself was very calm.

Having been married once, I knew all the ceremonies by heart, and I knew what to do when I went to Pei's house. I had been married for several years, and I had seen all kinds of things, so I felt embarrassed to make such a big fuss for my second marriage.

Cheng Yian didn't agree. He covered his chest and said, "I'm nervous for you."

Pei Ji didn't touch Cheng Yixin last time, and Cheng Yian breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that this man was a gentleman and reliable. At the same time, he was worried. What if he failed? What if he was a fake?

I have been looking forward to my eldest sister's wedding for a long time. Everything will be revealed tonight.

Cheng Yixin, on the other hand, looked relaxed and comforted her,

"It's okay. I've let it go. Compared to He Qingyun, Pei Jishi is much more capable. It's not bad to have someone like him around. Marrying into the Pei family as a matron of honor will also help.

In order to enhance the reputation of my Cheng family, I will treat it as a family marriage."

Pei Ji did not feel wronged by Cheng Yixin because of his second marriage. Instead, this wedding was held extremely grandly. The Pei family was even more excited because they were marrying the eldest daughter of the Cheng family than the previous daughter-in-law. It seemed that as long as Cheng Yixin was married, the Pei family would prosper. The whole family gathered in the new house early, happily waiting for the bride to come in.

At the beginning of the You hour, at dusk, with wine and toasts clinking, Pei Ji welcomed the bride into the house as scheduled, bowed to her parents, and sent her to the bridal chamber.