The Longevity Festival was approaching, and a banquet was held in the palace. The Shen family was not wealthy, and Shen Er's official position was not high enough, so they were not qualified to enter the palace to present gifts.

Old Master Su got the last seat, and the banquet was set outside the main hall. He sat behind a low table, stretched his neck to look into the distance, and felt dazzled. Not to mention the emperor's face, he couldn't even see whether the emperor was sitting on the dragon throne.

"What are you doing, brother Su?" Someone beside him was puzzled.

Old Master Su laughed and laughed, but he was moved in his heart. The royal family was so magnificent and majestic. Who would have thought that he would soon become a relative of the emperor.

The gifts from the officials had already been presented. The only thing presented to the emperor was a gift list. The chief eunuch read it out loudly in front of the palace. If he heard someone agree with him, the emperor would say "appreciate". If he was really pleased, he would ask the eunuchs to present it and enjoy it.

But this emperor has always been strict with himself. In order to avoid the officials from comparing themselves with each other, he rarely showed any preference.

Therefore, when the emperor suddenly asked to present it, not only those sitting at the back, but also the officials in the front, did not react for a while. They looked at each other secretly, wondering: whose gift was just reported? What kind of gift could arouse the emperor's interest?

Everyone's eyes were focused on one place, and then they saw a colorful bird, with its head held high and chest puffed out, pacing in the bird cage with great fanfare, and being carried in by the eunuchs. All

the officials were confused for a moment. Didn't His Majesty hate to see toys lose their minds? When did he develop such a liking for it?

The emperor looked at the bird, and his eyes twitched slightly. He would rather the Su family really presented a steamed bun, rather than a bird that shook its head and tail and only showed off its wings.

But what can be done? No matter how much he couldn't bear to watch, he could only say with a lenient face: "This little bird looks quite clever. Where is Minister Su?" As

the messenger's voice spread, Old Master Su quickly stood up from the last seat, straightened his clothes, walked quickly, and kowtowed in front of the emperor.

The officials were talking about it. The Anguo Mansion had been forgotten for many years since the death of the old Anguo Duke. How come there was a chance today?

Looking at Old Master Su kneeling in the hall, many ministers touched their beards subconsciously.

Thinking back to the past, they were all made into wooden lumps under the contrast of the young Anguo Duke. It can be said that there were as many young men in the capital who were obsessed with the Anguo Duke's sister as there were girls who could not forget the Anguo Duke.

Even now, there are still countless ministers’ wives who blush and act coquettishly when the name of Duke Anguo is mentioned.

The ministers did not think that it was because of their own incompetence that their wives saw other men. They only thought that Duke Anguo was either a decent man or a monster.

Looking at him again many years later, it was not the case. He was neither good at literature nor martial arts. A real man should be upright and upright. How could he be like him?

Humph, he just has a face that pleases women, he is young and tender, he knows some unconventional ways, but he is good-looking but useless. He is just a woman with long hair and short knowledge, so she is blinded by his appearance. Superficial

, how superficial!

It must be said that Master Su had some capital to charm the princess into marrying him. Just like now, he was among a group of court officials of similar age. The others had wrinkles and beards on their faces, like dried bacon, which made him look fresh and fresh.

The emperor saw him kneeling there, and he did look a bit like the bird showing off its feathers. No wonder people say that animals resemble their owners.

The emperor spoke and said something about missing the old Duke of Anguo and lamenting his youth.

Everyone couldn't help but look at Old Master Su with envy. No matter how His Majesty suddenly became interested in a bird today, and wanted to invite Duke An to meet him, and then began to reminisce about the past, they all knew that after His Majesty finished reminiscing, he would definitely reward the descendants of his old ministers. If Duke An could seize the opportunity, he might even get a leisurely job, which would be a godsend.

However, Master Su was only half-concerned about this, and the other half was wondering: the bird he got had bright and beautiful feathers, but more importantly, the bird could speak. He had trained it for a long time in his mansion before, just to let it say a few auspicious words on the Longevity Festival to make His Majesty happy, but now this stupid bird just fluttered its tail and showed off, without saying a word, which made him very anxious. While

no one was paying attention, he secretly made a gesture to the bird to hit it.

Others did not see it, but the emperor saw it clearly from above, and not only did his eyes twitch, but even the corners of his mouth twitched.

Such a person, he wanted to be the brother-in-law of Prince Rui?

But then he thought again, it is better for Duke Anguo to have a toy that has lost its will than some people with big hearts who may have some unreasonable ideas in the future and provoke Prince Rui to be at odds with the other princes.

Anyway, with Prince Rui's ability and current status, he doesn't need the powerful Yue family to add icing on the cake.

Many thoughts went through his mind. On the surface, the emperor still said a set of

polite words and then said a reward. When Master Su heard that Eunuch Dehai offered a reward, he immediately knelt down and didn't care about the bird. Anyway, he already knew that the emperor just wanted a cover.

Even so, thinking that the efforts of these days were in vain, he couldn't help but cursed the stupid bird in his heart.

Just after the scolding, the bird pecked twice on the cage, and the sound attracted everyone's attention. Then it said in a loud and melodious voice: "My dear, I will feed you meat."

Just as Eunuch Dehai finished his speech, the bird's voice slowly fell, and the lingering sound lingered in the air.

The hall was so quiet that not even a breath could be heard.

Old Master Su almost choked to death with his own saliva, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He quickly thanked the emperor loudly: "Long live the emperor!"

The veins on the emperor's forehead jumped, and he secretly put the blame on Prince Rui, and said without changing his expression: "Well, my dear Su, please go back to your seat."

Eunuch Dehai quickly winked and asked the eunuch to take the bird away.

The court officials did not dare to speak, but they thought in their hearts that His Majesty was so tolerant of the Duke of Anguo. It seems that the Su family is really going to turn over.

Old Master Su returned to his seat. The people around him didn't know what happened in the hall. They only saw that he was summoned by the emperor and received rewards. They were all envious, "Brother Su is so happy!"

Happy for you guys.

Old Master Su's legs were still trembling. He made up his mind that as soon as he left the palace, he would go to settle the score with the owner of the rare bird garden.

What a shitty bird, how dare it call His Majesty's sweetheart in the hall, I'm afraid it will scare his sweetheart out and eat him!

After the Wanshou Festival, the Su family, which had always been deserted, suddenly became lively. Apart from other things, the fact that His Majesty only mentioned three rewards at this palace banquet, two of which were given to the princes and the remaining one was given to Duke Anguo, shows that he has not forgotten the meritorious officials. Who knows, someday, the Su family will take advantage of the situation and rise again?

During this period, even the servants of the Shen Mansion were much more polite to the people in Su Yi's yard.

After a few days, Liu came to the Shen Mansion, not to visit Su Yi, but to see Old Lady Shen.

Her purpose was very clear. As the eldest sister-in-law, she talked to Old Lady Shen about Su Yi's divorce.

After she left, Old Lady Shen called Shen Er to her room.

"...You are obsessed with her, but do you think she has you in her heart? Before she got married, she was flirting with others. After she got married, she didn't think about taking care of her husband and children. Instead, she caused unrest in our Shen family, and you and I are not in harmony. In my opinion, such a woman should have been divorced back then!"

"Mother..." Shen Er's voice was full of displeasure.

"Hmph, you still want to say something good for her, but now her family has risen up, and the first thing they want is to divorce you."

Shen Er frowned and said, "Mother, don't mention this matter again. I don't agree."

"You have to agree even if you don't agree!" Old Lady Shen slapped the tea table, "Because of her, the second wife is not like a wife, and the concubine is not like a concubine. You are already thirty years old, and you don't have a legitimate son or even a legitimate daughter. How do you want me to explain to your father a hundred years later?"

Shen Er remained silent.

Old Lady Shen slowed down her tone and said, "Listen to your mother and divorce her. It is good for you and her. Mother has already picked a candidate for you. Your cousin from your uncle's family is just sixteen years old this year. She is gentle and beautiful, and has a kind heart——"

"I only recognize Yi Yi." Shen Er interrupted her.

Old lady Shen's face turned red with anger immediately, "You rebellious son! You are deliberately trying to piss me off to death! Well, in that case, I'll put it this way, this time, you have to leave whether you agree or not, or I will bang my head against the ancestral tablets and let the court punish you, the rebellious son who forced my mother to death!"

Shen Er's face turned extremely ugly, he knew that Old lady Shen could do what she said, and if something really happened, his career would be over just for being unfilial and disobedient.

"Mother, are you really

going to force me?" Old Lady Shen was furious: "You are forcing me!"

Shen Er closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened his eyes again, his eyes were full of bloodshot. He nodded slowly and said word by word: "Okay, I'll do as you say. I am willing to divorce, but please don't interfere with my remarriage."

As long as he was willing to divorce, Old Lady Shen would have nothing to disagree with. As for whether to remarry, she believed that as long as that monster was gone, her son would always accept another woman.

After writing the divorce letter, Su Yi immediately packed up her belongings and left the Shen Mansion.

The night before she left, Shen Er got drunk and wandered outside the courtyard all night. Later, he was helped back by someone around him at some point.

The next day, Shen Er did not show up. Only Shen Shuyao came to see her off. She looked at Su Yi with eyes like a bird watching its companion leave the bird cage, and from then on, the sky was high and the sea was vast, free and unfettered.

Su Yi saw her envious and lonely look, which was strange and pitiful, so she said: "If you are free, come to the Anguo Mansion to find me."

"Yes, Madam--" Shen Shuyao said subconsciously, and soon stuttered and changed her words, "Su, Miss Su."

Su Yi smiled, didn't care, touched her head again, said goodbye, got on the sedan chair and left.

"Goodbye." Shen Shuyao said softly, even though she knew in her heart that there was almost no chance for the two of them to meet again.

She was rarely allowed to leave the house. At most, she could go outside the city to burn incense. If the old lady knew that she dared to go to the Su Mansion, she would have to kneel in the ancestral temple when she returned.

But this did not affect her good mood. Living a new life, today was the day she felt the happiest. Although her current situation was still difficult, seeing people who had the same miserable ending as her in the previous life now running towards a completely different and beautiful future, it was as if her own destiny had also been changed.

She suddenly had unprecedented confidence. This time, she must live differently from before.

Su Yi moved back to the Su Mansion. The place was large, but there were few people. It was much more comfortable than the small courtyard of the Shen family before.

The people who served her all had smiles on their faces. After all, it was a place where her family lived. When she returned here, even her back became straighter.

The divorce of the sister of Duke Anguo and her husband's family is a big deal in the whole capital. Not to mention that the Duke Anguo's mansion has been blessed by the emperor recently, her title as the most beautiful woman in the capital is enough to attract the attention and curiosity of many people.

Some people have seen Miss Su after she came out again after several years, but many people have never seen her again. They only heard that her face has not changed, and she is even more charming. Many people are skeptical about this, but full of expectations, but have never had the opportunity to see her beauty.

Su Yi has not been busy these days. She has not responded to any invitations to banquets. It's just that she finally moved to a bigger place to live. She had been worried about not being able to hire a troupe before, but now she can finally hire one. She dragged Liu to listen to the opera for several days.

This caused some people who didn't know the reason to secretly wonder what kind of dragon's den and tiger's lair the Shen Mansion was that after Miss Su escaped from the sea of ​​suffering, she could even listen to a few days of opera to celebrate?

The weather was getting hotter, and the Dragon Boat Festival was approaching, so Su Yi went out with Liu.

There was a gathering and lion dance today, and the Su Mansion had booked a private room in a teahouse on the street, just right for watching.

When they arrived at the teahouse, many women from other mansions were also there. Seeing that they were all acquainted with them, Liu simply asked someone to remove the screen between the private rooms and change it into a large open room, so that everyone could sit together in a lively and noisy manner.

Although everyone was chatting and greeting each other, Su Yi was obviously the focus of attention, but not many people came to talk to her.

Firstly because of her appearance, and secondly because of her divorced status.

The female relatives envied her beauty, and even felt jealous, but when they thought that she was a divorced woman, they felt an inexplicable sense of superiority and did not want to be associated with her.

Su Yi was happy to be idle, sitting by the window, looking at the bustling crowd downstairs. Not far away, the lion dance team was slowly moving towards this side.

Suddenly, she heard a noise, and Su Yi looked up. Across the street, there was a restaurant. At this time, there were several scholars staring at her blankly. When they saw her looking over, their faces flushed.

She ignored them and just focused on the lively lions below.

"Who is that?" The scholar opposite guessed her identity.

The others shook their heads and said, "When did such a beauty appear in the capital?"

A few people sent a servant to ask. The servant ran to the teahouse and bribed the waiter a lot of money before finding out which women were in the private rooms.

The men were eliminated one by one, and just as they were wondering if they could match the names, someone suddenly asked, "Could it be Miss Su?"

"Which Miss Su?"

"I don't know. Brother Zhang really doesn't care about what's happening outside the window. He only reads the books of saints and sages."

Brother Zhang said anxiously, "Brother Li, please stop making fun of me. Tell me now."

"Some time ago, the news of the divorce between the sister of Duke Anguo and the Shen family spread throughout the capital. This Miss Su was famous for her beauty in the past. It's a pity that you and I were born too late and didn't get to see her. Now, seeing her again, she really lives up to her reputation as the most beautiful woman. She is truly stunning."

While these disciples of the saint who were well-read in poetry were praising her, they were all thinking in their hearts: This Shen Er is probably a fool. He let such a beautiful lady run away. Is he still a man?

Some people in the teahouse also noticed the movement opposite.

Someone whispered, "Miss Su is really pretty."

Another person said, "Girls should be more virtuous. No matter how pretty they are, they will still get divorced. What's the point?"

The voice was loud enough for people nearby to hear. Liu was about to speak up for Su Yi when a commotion was heard on the street.

"What's going on?" a lady asked.

Her maid ran to the window and took a look. She said in surprise: "Madam, it seems that Prince Rui has returned from outside the capital and is meeting the lion dance team downstairs." As

soon as these words came out, almost all the unmarried girls in Yunying rushed to the window, and some ladies also came to join in the fun. Su Yi's seat, which was originally occupied by one person, was squeezed to a small space. She couldn't help but complain to Qinglian in a low voice: "This is the first time I know that Prince Rui is so popular."

Qinglian smiled helplessly: "Miss, you didn't care about these things before, no wonder you didn't know. Prince Rui is a god of war with great military achievements, handsome appearance, and good family background. He is unattainable. Why don't you Admirable? "

Su Yi pointed with her finger and said jokingly: "Look at him, he doesn't even smile, how did he deceive the little girl?"

Before Qinglian could speak, a girl next to her said in a dissatisfied tone: "Miss Su's words are unpleasant. Prince Rui is of noble status and a favored son of heaven. How can you and I casually comment on him?"

She deliberately emphasized the word "girl". Even a rough man like Su Yi could hear the sarcasm. And from the voice, this is the person who just said that no matter how good-looking a woman is, it is useless to get divorced. She originally thought that the person who said this should be at least older, but she didn't expect that the other party was only fourteen or fifteen years old.

Although in this era, fourteen or fifteen years old is already the age to get married, but in Su Yi's eyes, she is really a little girl.

The girl suddenly covered her face with her hands and cried out in surprise, her face flushed. Su Yi looked down and saw that it was the King Rui who looked up and saw them.

"Ling Shuang, the prince is looking at you!" A female companion beside her said with envy, "The prince must have noticed you!"

The girl named Ling Shuang looked coquettish and said shyly, "The prince must have seen you accidentally."

Her female companion said with a slightly sour tone, "Maybe the prince heard you defending him, so he saw you at first sight? Among us, you have the best family background and you are also good-looking. Maybe after we go back, the prince will come to your house to propose marriage."

"Oh, naughty girl, what are you talking about? I don't want to listen!"

Su Yi was beside her and listened with a cold face. Aren't these little girls too dramatic? They can think so far with just one glance.

And wasn't this girl named Ling Shuang criticizing her just now? She didn't even start to refute, and she was abandoned. This is very depressing.

She looked down again. There were many people on the street, and King Rui didn't ask people to clear the road like last time, so it took a long time to get out. He was not in a hurry at all, riding on a strong warhorse, with a black cloak fluttering behind him.

He was still looking up, his eyes met Su Yi's, and then he reached into his arms, not knowing what he was touching. Suddenly, he kicked his feet, and amid the shouts of the crowd, he landed steadily outside the window where Su Yi was. He climbed the windowsill with one hand, and the other hand finally stretched out from his arms, took out a wooden box and gave it to her.

"What is it?" Su Yi was not very surprised.

King Rui said, "Here's your weapon."

The voice was not loud, so only the two of them heard it.

Su Yi saw the size of the box and thought it should be a dagger, but it would be easy to be misunderstood if the other party gave it to her like this.

She had heard the little girl named Ling Shuang scream in disbelief, and then ran out crying.

As for the others, they were staring at the scene in amazement.

Prince Rui left the box behind and got back on his warhorse, this time riding away quickly.

There was a flurry of discussion in the teahouse, and everyone looked at Su Yi differently. Even those who had previously disdained to associate with her and Li now hid their jealousy and began to talk to her enthusiastically.

On this day, many people in the capital saw with their own eyes that Prince Rui fell in love with Duke Anguo and Li's sister at first sight, and even gave them a token of love on the spot! Many girls

were heartbroken, and many men who had seen Su Yi's appearance and were ready to make a move were secretly sad.

But almost everyone was thinking: Shen Er is a fool!

The two protagonists at the center of the topic were in the backyard of Su's mansion at this time.

Su Yi raised her eyebrows slightly, looked at Prince Rui who was climbing over the wall like a pervert, and stood still waiting for him to speak.

As always, King Rui never beats around the bush and hands Su Yi a stone, "Throw it at me."

It seems that this guy has been hiding somewhere to practice martial arts recently. He hasn't appeared for a while, and when he shows up, he wants her to throw the stone at him.

Since Su Yi has decided to practice martial arts with him in the future, of course she won't refuse. She happily took the stone, stepped back two steps, and then threw it with skill.

King Rui's body was faster than last time, and his footwork was more varied, but the stone thrown by Su Yi seemed to have eyes, and it would turn halfway, and it would not let go once it was aimed, and finally hit his leg steadily.

King Rui was not frustrated, but nodded slightly and said, "I am not as good as you."

After that, he was about to leave the same way. Su Yi said, "Don't leave in a hurry."

King Rui turned around and saw Su Yi standing in the night, raising a white and delicate hand, with fingers spread out, and a small stone in each of the five fingers. She smiled at him with ill intentions, "Since you are here, have fun."

The seventh cat was under the wall of the Su Mansion, keeping watch for their prince while being bitten by mosquitoes.

He looked up at the sky for a while, and then looked up again, and he was sighing in his heart: Should I praise the prince for his bravery? He hasn't come out for so long, and start praising Miss Su for being amazing, and being able to keep the prince until now?

That night, the emperor got the news that his nephew had gone to climb someone's backyard and finally limped back.

The emperor was so angry that he slammed the table and said, "Go stew that bird for me!"

The author has something to say: Bird: My dear, I am innocent.