That night, Pei Yan came to Yaoguang Palace, and Tao Ti told him about Zhuyuan Villa.

Pei Yan raised his eyebrows, but he didn't stop picking up food. He picked up a piece of cherry for Tao Ti, then he said slowly, "If you want to go with Qinghe, then go ahead. You can also go and have some fun. The scenery of Zhuyuan Villa is quite nice."

Tao Ti looked at him with dark eyes, "Your Highness, are you going or not?"

Pei Yan's face was as white as jade, with a bit of embarrassment on it. "Next month, the Rongdi delegation will come to Chang'an. My father asked me to prepare for the reception with the Ministry of Rites. I also have to keep an eye on the renovation of the Gu Mansion. I'm afraid I can't go with you."

"Oh, so..." Tao Ti was a little disappointed. It had been more than a month since they came back from Luoyang, and they didn't seem to have gone out to play. But seeing how busy he was, she was more worried that he was too tired.

After silently adjusting her mentality, she smiled at him faintly, "It's okay. Anyway, such a gathering shouldn't be very interesting. It's more important to focus on business."

Pei Yan did not miss the flash of disappointment in her eyes. He straightened the corners of his lips and said softly, "Ati, when I'm done with this period of work, I'll accompany you to visit Chang'an."

Tao Ti narrowed her eyes and responded, "Okay."

She scooped a bowl of Tremella and Lily soup and pushed it in front of him. "This Tremella soup has been simmered on low heat for an entire afternoon. It's sweet and thick. Try it."

Pei Yan tasted it gracefully, a hint of warm sweetness spreading on his tongue. He nodded slightly, "It tastes good."

Tao Ti stared at him drinking soup, holding her chin with one hand, and asked curiously, "Your Highness, what are the Rongdi envoys doing in Chang'an?"

Pei Yan curled his lips and said calmly, "In name, it is to promote the friendship between the two countries. In reality, he came to ask for the princess' hand in marriage and to eat and drink for free."

Taoti blinked, "Please marry the princess?"

Pei Yan hummed softly, "Fifteen years ago, Rongdi was defeated by Dayuan and signed a peace agreement. The two countries sent each other a princess for marriage and became friendly countries. At the end of last year, the princess that Dayuan married died of illness, and the Rongdi tribes are ready to move again, frequently harassing the border of Dayuan. However, the current Yelu Khan King of Rongdi is still in favor of peace, so this time he specially sent an envoy to Beijing to select another princess for marriage."

In Chinese history, sending princesses to marry was not a rare thing, but in Tao Ti's impression, princesses who were married seemed to be quite miserable.

Pei Lingbi is Queen Zhou's precious daughter, so Queen Zhou will not let her marry into the family. Then there are only four other princesses left in the harem...

Thinking of the bright and gentle faces of the four little princesses, Tao Ti frowned and asked, "If the princess really wants to marry, who will father marry?"

Pei Yan glanced at her and said softly, "She won't marry a real princess. She should choose a woman from the royal family and make her a princess."

Taoti nodded, "Oh, so..."

She then asked, "The princess who married before was also a member of the royal family?"

Pei Yan responded in a low voice, "Yes, I still remember the scene of her wedding that year."

She was dressed in red, with tears in her eyes, and she was only sixteen years old.

Fifteen years later, she was only thirty-one, and died in a foreign land, turning into a cold tombstone.

After dinner, the two took a walk together.

The flowers, plants and trees planted in March are now growing luxuriantly in Yaoguang Temple. Judging from their growth, many fruit trees will bear fruit next year.

When you like someone, you subconsciously want to know more about him. Under the quiet moonlight, Tao Ti held Pei Yan's hand and chatted about the Gu family.

Speaking of the Gu family, Pei Yan spoke in a gentle tone, "Not long after I was born, my uncle's family was banished to the northwest by my father. Since I can remember, I have only met my uncle a few times. But my uncle would send me a letter every three months. When my mother was still alive, he sent it to her. After she passed away, he continued to send it. By then, I could read, so I would write back to tell him that I was fine."

Tao Ti felt the loneliness beneath his calm mood and couldn't help but hold his hand tightly.

"The last time I saw my uncle was three years ago. I used to think he was very tall, but the last time I saw him I was as tall as him."

Pei Yan walked slowly and spoke slowly, talking about the few times he had met his uncle Gu.

Tao Ti felt a little sad when she listened, especially when she heard him say that when Queen Gu just passed away, Uncle Gu of the Gu family held him in his arms. A big man of 1.8 meters tall cried loudly and shouted, "Little sister, brother is late. Brother will take you home."

Of course, you can’t take it with you.

Emperor Zhaokang personally changed Empress Gu's ceremonial clothes, watched the coffin being nailed down with his own eyes, and even personally escorted her to the imperial mausoleum.

Tao Ti felt that adults were so sad, let alone Pei Yan who was only five years old at the time...

She looked up at him and smiled softly, "It's all right now. Uncle and his family are back. Let's go out more often in the future."

Pei Yan lowered his eyes and stroked her temples, "Okay."

——

Three days later, we will go to Zhuyuan Villa.

This Bamboo Garden Villa is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain outside Chang'an City. It is a private villa of the prime minister. It is beautifully built in the style of Suzhou gardens. Because the villa is close to a large bamboo sea and is planted with various varieties of bamboo, it is called Bamboo Garden Villa.

In this hot July, holding a gathering in such a quiet and cool place is both comfortable and elegant. Therefore, every year, when the Zhou family holds a gathering, many children from aristocratic families will participate, and it has gradually become a grand event in Chang'an City.

However, the trip would require staying in Zhuyuan Villa for three days, and Tao Ti was still a little worried before leaving.

"Your Highness, I'm not here for the past few days. You should eat well and don't overwork yourself. Remember to drink a cup of hot milk before going to bed and practice Ba Duan Jin in the morning..."

Tao Ti kept muttering on and on. She felt that she was being so long-winded and acted like an old mother, but she couldn't control herself.

Fortunately, Pei Yan always listened to her patiently, then smiled and rubbed her hair, saying softly, "Well, I will remember everything A Ti said."

On the morning of the day of departure, Tao Ti woke up very early.

She hugged Pei Yan's waist and said coquettishly, "Your Highness, what can I do? I'll only be away for three days, but I still can't bear to leave you."

Pei Yan liked her dependence on him. He hugged her soft and fragrant body, kissed her hair with his thin lips, and coaxed her, "I'll wait for you here."

Tao Ti buried herself in his arms and said lazily, "Let me hold you for a while longer, or I won't be able to hold you for three days."

Pei Yan let her hug him.

When she was about to let go of him, he leaned over and kissed her lips.

The kiss was very long, intimate and lingering.

The kiss ended only when Linglong's reminder came from outside the door.

Tao Ti's legs became weak from being kissed again, and her fair skin turned red. She leaned on him, too embarrassed to look into his eyes, but her heart was filled with sweet warmth.

Pei Yan kissed her eyebrows again, his voice was a little hoarse, his eyes were deep, "Okay, you have to leave."

Otherwise, he was afraid that he would be too reluctant to let her go and would not let her go.

Taoti nodded slightly and left his arms.

Pei Yan led her out. Linglong saw the Crown Princess' rosy cheeks and slightly swollen lips and lowered her head quickly, secretly regretting in her heart: If she had known that the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess were being affectionate in there, she should have called later.

After Pei Yan sent Tao Ti to the carriage, he called Linglong aside and gave her some stern instructions.

Linglong took note of it seriously, "Don't worry, Your Highness. I will definitely take good care of the Crown Princess."

Pei Yan still remembered what happened on the Luoyang pleasure boat, his eyes were cold, "You must not leave for a moment."

Linglong's heart shuddered. If there hadn't been so many people around, she would have almost kneeled down and kowtowed to express her determination.

Tao Ti lifted the curtain and asked in confusion, "Aren't you leaving yet?"

Only then did Pei Yan let Linglong follow.

The carriage was rippling with noise. Pei Yan stood tall and straight with a gentle look in his eyes, watching her leave.

Tao Ti stuck her head out of the car window and waved at Pei Yan until he was out of sight. Then she lowered the car curtain, held her chin in her hand, and thought gloomily:

It's over, it's over, she's really done for.

She clearly felt that she seemed to like him more than when she was in Luoyang.

——

This reluctance did not last long. When Tao Ti saw Pei Lingbi's sullen face, she was happy.

"Second Princess, you didn't sleep well last night. You don't look well."

Pei Lingbi's mouth twitched, and she said coldly, "Thank you for your concern, Crown Princess. I'm fine."

Two days ago, she knew that Qinghe invited Taoti to go to Zhuyuan Villa together. Although she was unhappy, she had no choice. Princess Jingyang ran to her mother and told her mother, who naturally agreed.

Seeing Qing He holding Tao Ti's hand, the two of them were as intimate as sisters, Pei Lingbi adjusted her facial expression and asked, "Sister Qing He, are you going to ride in the same carriage with the Crown Princess?"

Qing He nodded and said softly, "Well, I want to be with my cousin's wife."

Pei Lingbi smiled, "Okay then."

The Queen Mother asked her to chat more with Qinghe on the way to improve their relationship, but seeing Qinghe's unwillingness, Pei Lingbi was too lazy to say anything more.

Just like that, Pei Lingbi had one carriage, and Tao Ti and Qinghe had one carriage.

After the carriage drove out of the palace and stopped at Xianliang Pavilion, Pei Changzhou and Young Master Xie also went to Zhuyuan Villa together.

Several carriages went out of the city one after another. Along the way, they also met many carriages with gorgeous canopies and green curtains. They were all young men and ladies from noble families going to the villa.

While resting, Tao Ti encountered a carriage from the Dingbei Marquisate.

The carriage, which was ostentatious and exuded a strong aura of nouveau riche, was clearly in the style of the Dingbei Marquis Mansion.

Sure enough, as soon as the carriage stopped, Xu Wenchan, wearing an apricot-red dress, jumped down from the carriage.

Tao Ti smiled and called out to her, "A Chan."

Xu Wenchan looked over after hearing the sound. When she saw Tao Ti, she couldn't believe her eyes. After she came to her senses, she didn't care about her image as a noble lady at all and ran over happily, "Ati!"

Pei Lingbi, who was standing by, looked on and snorted softly, "Vulgar."

Xu Wenchan stood in front of Tao Ti, smiling so hard that his dimples were sunken. "Ah Ti, why are you here? Are you also going to the Bamboo Garden Gathering?"

Tao Ti smiled and nodded, then introduced Qinghe and the others to her.

After everyone exchanged greetings, a young man got off Dingbei Hou's carriage.

He was wearing a silk gown with a grapevine pattern, his black hair was tied up high, and his features were handsome. He was tall and strong, but he exuded a scholarly air.

At first glance, it seems to be very consistent with Young Master Xie's aura.

Tao Ti looked at Xu Wenchan and said with her eyes: You are so brave, you are hiding a man in a carriage? You are so brave!

Xu Wenchan immediately understood Tao Ti's look and waved his hand, "Don't let your mind wander."

As he said this, he pulled the young man over and said, "This is my seventh brother, Xu Guangji!"

Tao Ti was stunned, Wow!

When she heard Xu Wenchan talk about her seventh brother as a "young gentleman with a jade face", Tao Ti thought she was just using a "sister filter". After all, she had seen the couple of Dingbei Marquis. The Marquis's wife had pretty features, but they were not fair. The Marquis was even more so. He looked like a typical military commander, with dark skin, a big body and a voice like a bell.

Moreover, Xu Wenchan's skin was relatively dark, so Tao Ti thought that none of his family members were white. However, when she saw him today, she found that the seventh brother Xu Wenchan had fair and tender skin.

Well, he really doesn't look like a military commander at all, rather he looks like a scholar.

Xu Guangji politely bowed and greeted everyone. When his eyes fell on Qinghe, he paused slightly and then quickly looked away.

After drinking a cup of tea, everyone got back on the carriage and continued to head towards Zhuyuan Villa.

With her little sisters around, Xu Wenchan naturally didn't want to sit with her pretentious seventh brother anymore, and happily ran to Tao Ti's carriage.

While eating spicy beef jerky, she said, "When my mother pushed me and my seventh brother to come to this gathering, I was very unhappy. I can't even recite a few articles, so going to this gathering would be a joke. Because of this, I was angry with my mother for several days. Well, if I had known you would come, I wouldn't have quarreled with her!"

Tao Ti asked, "Since you don't want to come, why does your mother insist that you come?"

Xu Wenchan curled his lips and said, "My seventh brother and I haven't even settled our marriages yet, so she's just anxious."

As she spoke, she coughed twice, put her hands on her hips, and imitated the wife of Marquis Dingbei, saying, "Look at the two of you. After the Chinese New Year, one of you will be 21 and the other 17! At this age, other people would have become parents, but you two are still irritating me and making trouble with me all day long!"

She imitated it so vividly that Tao Ti and Qing He laughed.

Xu Wenchan sighed, "Isn't it happy for me to count money every day? Why do I have to get married?"

Qing He also echoed this, "Yes, why do you have to get married..."

Xu Wenchan was surprised, "County Master, you are so beautiful and noble, with such conditions, you can choose any man in Chang'an City."

Perhaps it was because Xu Wenchan looked cute and naive, giving people a sense of friendliness and trust; or perhaps it was because Xu Wenchan was Tao Ti's good friend, and Qinghe was not on guard against Xu Wenchan and told her about her difficulties with being frail and sickly.

After hearing this, Xu Wenchan looked at her with pity and comforted her.

Both of them were being urged to get married, so they found common ground and quickly became familiar with each other.

As the only married lady in the carriage who was in a sweet love, Tao Ti kept silent and just drank the milk tea silently.

…

Xu Wenchan was always talkative, while Qinghe was quiet, so the two of them complemented each other and had a pleasant chat all the way.

The carriage traveled for another half an hour and finally arrived at Zhuyuan Villa before lunch.

At this time, many people had arrived at the villa one after another, but Tao Ti and her group were the Crown Princess and the princes and princesses, so they were extremely noble and would not be neglected at all.

The Prime Minister's wife, Liu, led a group of people to greet them at the gate of the villa early in the morning.

The previous moment, Tao Ti and the other two were still laughing in the carriage. The next moment, the three of them got off the carriage one by one, looking like elegant ladies.

Liu didn't expect that there were several people sitting in the Crown Princess' carriage. She was stunned for a moment and then hurried forward.

After a brief greeting, Liu asked the villa's steward to take them to their respective residences.

Tao Ti and Xu Wenchan's residences are closer, but a bit far from Qinghe. On the contrary, Pei Lingbi's residence is very close to Qinghe.

When Qinghe saw that he lived so far away from Taoti, he felt a little depressed, with his eyebrows drooping.

Tao Ti comforted him, "It's okay, it's not too far away, you can come and play with me anytime."

On the way to Qingzhuyuan, Tao Ti looked at this gorgeous and elegant villa, and saw corridors, pavilions, red walls and green trees, which cast a shadowy shadow. The interweaving of grass and trees, the mixture of rich and light colors, had a unique charm. It was indeed a good summer resort.

Not long after we settled in Qingzhu Courtyard, servants brought us lunch, which was a rich variety of delicacies from land and sea.

After sitting in the carriage for a whole morning in the hot and humid weather, Tao Ti ate something quickly, washed, changed his clothes, and took a nap.

On the other side, inside the Xiangzhu Pavilion.

After lunch, Pei Lingbi slowly wiped the corners of her mouth, shyly glanced at Young Master Xie across from her, then quickly looked away and said to Qinghe with a smile, "Sister Qinghe, let's go to the garden together in the afternoon. My uncle's garden has been taken care of with great care, and it is not inferior to the famous gardens in Jiangnan."

After Qinghe learned about Queen Zhou's plan from Princess Jingyang, she became somewhat resistant to Pei Lingbi's overtures.

She really disliked this kind of flattery that was purposeful and utilitarian, and it made her feel disgusted.

She didn't want to marry into the Zhou family, and similarly, she didn't want Pei Lingbi to be her sister-in-law.

After a moment of silence, Qing He lowered her eyelashes and said softly, "Sister Lingbi, I'm a little tired..."

This is a polite refusal.

Pei Lingbi's smile froze. Considering that Young Master Xie was still here, she said considerately, "In that case, you should take a good rest. You have to stay here for two days anyway, so it won't be too late to go shopping after the gathering tomorrow."

Qinghe uttered a low "hmm".

Pei Lingbi quietly winked at Pei Changzhou, who immediately understood and turned to thank the young master, "Lianshi, there will be a polo match in the backyard later, shall we go and watch it together?"

Pei Changzhou had been quite polite and warm to Young Master Xie these days, and Young Master Xie didn't want to deny him, so he said, "Okay."

Pei Changzhou smiled and said to Pei Lingbi, "Lingbi, come along too."

Pei Lingbi was overjoyed, but she remained reserved and smiled shyly, "Okay."

Qinghe looked unhappy, but couldn't find a reason to stop her brother from going, so she just let them go.

On this side, just as Pei Changzhou and his sister and Young Master Xie left, Xu Wenchan came right after them and said, "County Master, let's go play with A Ti!"

Qinghe changed her initial tired look and agreed happily.

…

The afternoon sun is warm, and the village is surrounded by mountains and water, with pleasant scenery.

After Tao Ti woke up from her afternoon nap, she went out for a stroll with Xu Wenchan and Qinghe. The three of them chatted and laughed, feeling extremely happy.

The only regret is that there were no cameras in ancient times, otherwise I would definitely take some good photos as souvenirs.

As they were walking, they heard a loud cheer coming from the front, so they followed the sound and found themselves at the polo field by accident.

There were flags flying on the field, and young men and women in gorgeous clothes were riding their horses, chasing each other, and it was very lively.

Qinghe thought that Pei Lingbi and the others were also here, and subconsciously wanted to avoid them.

Xu Wenchan said, "What's the big deal? If she really asks you, just say you've had a good rest and want to go out for a walk again."

Before she finished her words, she suddenly cried out, "Oh my God, that's the Second Princess and your brother, right? How did the Second Princess get into your brother's arms!"

Tao Ti and Qing He were both startled and looked over quickly. Not far away, they saw Pei Lingbi leaning against Young Master Xie, who seemed to be in a difficult situation.

Qing He suddenly became anxious and stamped her feet like a little rabbit, "In front of so many people, she, she, she..."

Her face turned red but she couldn't swear, so she could only pick up her skirt and run over there.

Tao Ti and Xu Wenchan looked at each other and followed.

…

"elder brother!"

The crisp shout startled both Pei Lingbi and Young Master Xie.

Seeing Qinghe and Taoti coming together, Pei Lingbi's eyes flashed with disgust. It was so annoying! Why were they everywhere?

Young Master Xie hurriedly explained, "Sister Lingbi accidentally sprained her ankle."

Qing He frowned, took a step forward and said, "Then I'll help you."

Pei Lingbi was unhappy in her heart, but she kept smiling, "How dare you, Sister Lao Qinghe."

"Linglong, go help the princess sit down on the side." Tao Ti said at the right time, and then asked Pei Lingbi indifferently, "Second Princess, where is the maid beside you?"

Pei Lingbi said awkwardly, "I asked them to get something for me."

Tao Ti rolled her eyes in her heart and said "Oh" lightly.

Pei Lingbi was extremely unhappy, but under the circumstances, she could only let Linglong help her sit down next to the viewing stand.

She had a sullen face and cursed Tao Ti countless times in her heart. After scolding Tao Ti, she went on to scold Qing He.

I thought: Qinghe, Qinghe, I felt a little guilty for attacking you. But now you are the one who has no manners and is hanging out with that jerk Taoti, so don't blame me for being rude to you.

After Linglong helped Pei Lingbi sit down, Qinghe pulled Young Master Xie by the sleeve, and with a stern face, she lectured him in a low voice.

This fierce and ferocious look made Taoti very amused.

Not long after, the first half was over. Pei Changzhou got off his horse and saw Tao Ti and the others. His eyes darkened. He simply greeted them and went to Pei Lingbi's side.

Xu Guangji was also at the racecourse, wearing a jujube-red riding suit and sweating profusely. At this moment, he had something of the aura of a military commander's son.

Seeing Xu Wenchan there, he also came over.

Xu Wenchan took out a handkerchief and handed it to him, saying with disdain, "Hey, wipe it off quickly. You're sweaty and stink."

Taoti was not very interested in the polo match. In addition, the sun was shining brightly and her scalp was burning, so she wanted to go back and have a good rest.

In order to prevent Pei Lingbi from leaning on his brother again, Qinghe decided to stay by his brother's side.

Tao Ti and Xu Wenchan went ahead.

But before I took two steps, I suddenly heard Qinghe's scream from behind -

"ah!"

Tao Ti and Xu Wenchan turned back quickly.

Under the bright sunlight, Xu Guangji was seen bending his waist, holding Qinghe tightly in his arms with his tall body. He frowned, and a polo ball that had been hit by someone was lying on the ground. It rolled twice and then stopped.