The Sun Mansion is located in the center of the west of Liangzhou City. It is not far from the market, but not too noisy. The houses are all large and beautiful. Xiao Jue doesn't like to ride in a car, so the two of them rode on horses. Fei Nu didn't follow and didn't know where he was. He didn't protect Miss Song like Chiwu, nor did he go to the banquet with Xiao Jue. He Yan guessed that he was probably helping Xiao Jue with something.

Without Fei Nu, only He Yan and Xiao Jue were left. Although Fei Nu was usually taciturn, He Yan could still talk to him. Being alone with Xiao Jue, He Yan became inexplicably nervous. Fortunately, they rode fast and didn't have to say anything. In about three incense sticks, they had arrived at the gate of Sun's mansion.

The servant at the gate of the Sun Mansion saw the two of them. He must have received a greeting from Sun Xiangfu in advance, and immediately came forward warmly and said, "This should be Commander Xiao, right? This is Master Cheng? The master is already waiting in the front hall." He took the horses of Xiao Jue and He Yan, and instructed another maid, "Yingyue, take Commander Xiao and Master Cheng in."

The maid named Yingyue was also very beautiful. It was already September, and the autumn nights had already become cool, but she was only wearing a thin gauze dress. If she said she was not wearing anything, she still had one more layer. If she was wearing anything, what could it cover? He Yan almost couldn't control himself and put a coat on the girl. The men in their barracks once said that when they were young, they often went shirtless, and when they were old, they would inevitably have leg and waist pains. Why bother?

Yingyue spoke, her voice as sweet as a yellow oriole singing in a valley, "Governor, please follow me." As she spoke, her affectionate eyes stared into Xiao Jue's, so tender that tears could come out of them.

Even though He Yan was a fool, he understood that the maid had taken a fancy to Xiao Jue. Well, there were not many girls as extraordinary as Song Taotao in this world, and everyone in the world was ordinary. Xiao Jue's face was quite intimidating, and there were countless girls who were in love with him. He Yan should have expected this.

However, Xiao Jue did not even look at the maid, but glanced at He Yan and said coldly, "What are you daydreaming about?"

"Ah?" He Yan came back to her senses and saw that he had already walked forward, so she hurriedly followed him. She thought to herself that this man was really sick, why was he picking on such a beautiful girl instead of looking at her?

The two of them followed the maid into the gate of Sun Mansion.

The Sun Mansion was very luxuriously renovated.

He Yan had seen the houses of officials in the capital before, but they were just like that. Although the He family was not as powerful as the Xiao family, they were also officials and were well-known in Shuojing. The Sun Mansion was as well-renovated as the He family. But this was not Shuojing, but Liangzhou, and Sun Xiangfu was not an official in the capital, but just a county magistrate.

Three years as a county magistrate, 100,000 silver coins. This is true. He Yan looked at the rock bonsai and glazed jade tiles and couldn't help but sigh in his heart. How could a county magistrate afford all these? I don't know how much of the people's blood and sweat Sun Xiangfu has extorted. Yes, looking at Sun Ling's behavior, the Sun family father and son did a lot of evil in Liangzhou, almost like a local emperor.

She was thinking in her heart, not knowing that her appearance was also seen by the people around her.

Xiao Jue's eyes moved slightly.

The young man wore Cheng Lisu's clothes, but he was not as lively and innocent as Cheng Lisu. Although it is said that clothes make the man, but a low-level recruit pretending to be a young master of a wealthy family will be exposed no matter what. The things you have done and the people you have met will be engraved in your body and become clear traces.

Everyone's traces are different.

There was emotion and contemplation in He Yan's eyes, but there was no shivering or nervousness. If this was the first time he did this and went to this place, such a reaction would be unreasonable.

At this moment, Yingyue had already stopped and said, "Master, Commander Xiao and Master Cheng are here."

Suddenly, Sun Xiangfu's exaggerated voice rang out from inside: "General Xiao is here! I was worried that the general and the young master would not come, it's good that they are here, it's good that they are here!"

He Yan looked up and saw that the man looked extremely timid and fearful. There was no trace of the dignity he had when he first met him in the inn a few days ago. Being an official like this, he was not afraid of being laughed at.

Without waiting for Xiao Jue to speak, Sun Xiangfu turned around again, revealing the person behind him, and said with a smile: "Master Yuan has also arrived."

Is this Yuan Baozhen? He Yan looked towards him. He saw a middle-aged man with a white face and no beard smiling at them amiably. In an instant, he looked exactly like the man in He Yan's memory.

The first time she saw Yuan Baozhen was outside the study of the He family. At that time, He Rufei had already gone to claim his merits, took off his mask, and truly became a "Flying General". As the daughter of the second branch of the He family, she was waiting for the day to marry into the Xu family. When she saw this person, she was stunned for a moment. She didn't expect that He Rufei would make friends in the court so quickly.

She later asked He Rufei who that person was, and He Rufei said it was the current Supervisory Secretary Yuan Baozhen.

"Are you doing something by being with him?" He Yan just said casually at the time.

He Rufei looked at her and smiled strangely. He said, "What you need to do now is to embroider your wedding dress instead of worrying about these things. He Yan," he moved closer, his tone containing an unpredictable tone that He Yan could not understand, "You must remember that you are now the daughter of the second branch of the He family. You are a woman."

He Yan didn't take it seriously. She didn't know how to embroider, and she didn't embroider the wedding dress. But she understood what He Rufei meant. He Rufei was warning her not to get involved with General Feihong again.

Was she afraid that the truth would be discovered? He Yan sneered in her heart. It was ridiculous that she didn't realize the murderous intent in He Rufei's words at that time.

Now that she has suddenly met this friend of her cousin, how should she get the information she wants?

Before He Yan could think clearly, Yuan Baozhen had already stepped forward and bowed to Xiao Jue, "Commander-in-Chief." Then he looked at He Yan and said, "Is this Master Cheng?"

He Yan stared at him and smiled in surprise: "Master Yuan."

"I've heard that Master Cheng is a brave and handsome young man. Now that I see him, it's true." Yuan Baozhen said with a smile, "It's true that heroes emerge from youth!"

He Yan: “…”

Isn't Cheng Lisu a famous "waste prince" in the capital? Thanks to this man, I understand that if you want to be an official in Wei, the first thing you need to do is to learn the ability to "speak the truth to people and lie to ghosts".

He Yan had no choice but to say, "Thank you, thank you. I am so ashamed."

The two of them were talking politely here. Sun Xiangfu rubbed his hands and said awkwardly: "Governor, I have an unwelcome request."

Xiao Jue: "What's the matter?"

"Didn't my son offend the governor and the young master some time ago?" Sun Xiangfu seemed very uneasy. "Although I have taught him a lesson, he feels very guilty and wants to personally apologize to the governor and the young master. I thought that since he knows he was wrong, I should shamelessly come to the governor to ask for help, so that this unfilial son can have a chance to apologize."

"No one is perfect," Yuan Baozhen said with a smile, "Besides, this is just a misunderstanding. Just clear it up. The governor won't mind. Tell Young Master Sun to come over and clarify things with Governor Xiao."

"Really?" Sun Xiangfu excitedly ordered the servant: "Go and call the young master over!"

He Yan saw that the two of them sang the same tune and finished the show without even asking Xiao Jue, so he knew that the two of them must have discussed it beforehand. This Yuan Baozhen seemed to be of the same kind as Sun Xiangfu. Also, how could someone who was close to He Rufei be a good person?

Sun Ling seemed to be waiting outside the hall. Not long after he finished speaking, he came in with the maid. As soon as he came in, he knelt down in front of Xiao Jue with a "thump". He Yan almost bit his tongue.

This man used to be so arrogant and domineering, but now, in just a few days, he looks so haggard, as if he had been seriously ill. He was dressed very simply, bowed to Xiao Jue, and said weakly, "Before, I was ignorant and had an argument with Master Cheng. Now I know I was wrong. I hope the governor and Master Cheng can forgive my youthful recklessness. I will make amends and never make the same mistake again."

Is this how you should be young and reckless? He doesn't look young anymore. He Yan didn't believe that this man could really never do it again in a few days. She looked at Xiao Jue, who looked indifferent. He didn't say yes or no, and the atmosphere froze for a moment.

He Yan still had to fight to smooth things over. After all, it was a play. If the play didn't go on, wouldn't it be awkward at the banquet? She stared at Sun Ling's head with a smile and said, "What are you talking about? It was just a misunderstanding that day. Young Master Sun, don't take it to heart. But don't make the wrong person again in the future. It's okay if you met me and my uncle this time, but if you met someone who is arbitrary, even if you apologize a hundred times, it will be useless."

As soon as he said that, Sun Xiangfu breathed a sigh of relief and quickly scolded Sun Ling, "Why don't you thank Master Cheng quickly? Master Cheng is younger than you and has a much better future than you!" He probably had nothing more to brag about, so he said dryly, "Learn more from Master Cheng in the future!"

Sun Ling quickly said a bunch of nice things to He Yan, and He Yan almost vomited the food she had eaten the night before. She really didn't like hearing these words. They were fake. How could they really fool anyone?

After finishing the play of "the young master of the county magistrate carrying a thorn tree to apologize for his crime", Sun Ling went back to his room. According to his father, the last time Sun Ling came home, he was punished by the family and became seriously ill and could not get out of bed. Today, he came here to apologize to Xiao Jue. Now that he has apologized for his crime, he has to go back to bed.

He Yan smiled and said, "Then Master Sun, go quickly, don't hurt yourself."

This was because he was afraid that something strange might happen at the banquet. After all, his son looked like a troublemaker.

After Sun Ling left, Sun Xiangfu said, "Commander Xiao, please take a seat, and Master Cheng, please take a seat as well. When it gets a little later, there will be singing and dancing in the mansion, and we can go to the banquet and enjoy the dance together then."

He Yan sat down next to Xiao Jue, and then it was Sun Xiangfu who did all the talking. There was nothing special about what he said, he just asked He Yan and Xiao Jue if they were used to living in Liangzhou City, and the weather in Liangzhou City recently... In short, it was just some meaningless greetings.

He Yan's thoughts, however, have always been on Yuan Baozhen.

Yuan Baozhen and He Rufei should be considered friends, right? At least she saw Yuan Baozhen going in and out of the He family more than once. And his attitude towards He Yuansheng and his son did not seem like a nodding acquaintance. So did He Rufei know that Yuan Baozhen came to Liangzhou this time? Of course she knew. If he was a good friend, she might have visited him before leaving. Yuan Baozhen should also know what the situation was like in the He family recently and what He Rufei was planning to do in the next few days.

But how could Yuan Baozhen say so much to her, "Cheng Lisu"?

He Yan was lost in thought and forgot to hide his gaze. Yuan Baozhen was not an ordinary person either. He noticed that He Yan had been staring at him. He didn't say anything, but continued to listen to Sun Xiangfu's words with a smile on his face, occasionally saying a few words. At first glance, he seemed very normal.

After a while, when it was completely dark, Sun Xiangfu stood up and said with a smile, "I think it's almost time, let's go to the hall for the feast."

Naturally, there was no objection to this. Sun Xiangfu walked in front to lead the way, He Yan and Xiao Jue followed behind, and Yuan Baozhen was on her right. He Yan was thinking about He Rufei, and her eyes could not help but fall on Yuan Baozhen.

She was thinking about something when suddenly, Yuan Baozhen turned his head. He was a government official and was very cunning. He stopped smiling and his eyes flashed with a dazzling light. It was really scary. He actually caught He Yan red-handed.

He Yan was startled, thinking that she had been discovered. Before she could say anything, she felt someone gently pulling her arm, and the next moment, someone stood in front of her.

Xiao Jue's cold voice fell into her ears: "Watch the road carefully."

She looked in surprise. Xiao Jue was taller than her, so Yuan Baozhen's terrifying gaze was completely blocked by him and could not be seen at all. Xiao Jue also looked at the other party and curled his lips, "Master Yuan, why are you staring at my nephew?"

Yuan Baozhen was stunned for a moment, then he laughed and said, "No, the governor probably saw it wrong." He turned around and stopped looking at He Yan, as if what had just happened was just an insignificant joke.

Xiao Jue continued to walk forward. He Yan was stunned for a moment and followed him. But she felt a little strange in her heart. Although the word "my nephew" referred to Cheng Lisu, it was her that was being protected. She hadn't felt this way for a long time, as if someone was protecting her from above.

Or perhaps, never.

When they arrived at the hall, the banquet was already set up, with low and long seats set up in all four places. He Yan sat down next to Xiao Jue. The empty space in the middle of the hall was probably for the singing and dancing that was to come. He Yan didn't really understand why such a banquet would invite beautiful women to sing and dance to liven up the atmosphere. You have to know that only the real masters would disdain such things.

But Sun Xiangfu was not a real master after all.

Looking at the dishes on the table again, He Yan couldn't help but be amazed. There were flying dragons, golden Buddha's hand rolls, phoenix tail shark's fins, and dried sea cucumbers. This was what a third-rank official's family would have at a banquet in the capital. It seemed that the Sun family lived a very comfortable life.

She turned her head to look at Xiao Jue again. It must be said that Xiao Jue usually had a cold face, and he couldn't do this or that. But when he was at the banquet, he sat there lazily, and he became less indifferent, and the idleness in his bones was all drawn out. He Yan suddenly remembered that this man was a real young master in the capital. When he was young, he also went to a cocktail party today and a banquet tomorrow. He behaved like a real young master. So, at the banquet, he immediately had the shadow of the young master of the Xiao family when he was young.

"What are you looking at me for?" Young Master Xiao raised his lips and whispered to He Yan, "Be careful not to show your true colors."

He Yan coughed lightly, "I was shocked by my uncle's demeanor and was distracted for a moment."

She was used to flattering people, and she kept saying inexplicable things. Xiao Jue was too lazy to pay attention to her. At this time, Yuan Baozhen spoke up and said, "The relationship between Governor Xiao and Master Cheng is very good."

"Of course it's good to be one of our own." Xiao Jue replied in a neutral tone.

Yuan Baozhen was just looking for something to talk about, so he certainly didn't care about Xiao Jue's attitude. He picked up the wine cup on the table and said with a smile, "I have never understood why Governor Xiao came to Liangzhou, a bitterly cold place, to guard it when he was in Shuojing, which is much better than here?"

He Yan was moved when she heard this. She was also curious about this question. Xiao Jue was now the commander of the right army. The entire Southern Army was under his control. He didn't need to bring any new soldiers here. At first, He Yan thought he was demoted, but seeing how arrogant he was in front of Sun Xiangfu, it didn't seem like he was demoted.

Xiao Jue glanced at Yuan Baozhen and did not answer his question. Instead, he smiled and asked, "What does Yuan Yushi think I am?"

Why did this guy kick the ball back?

Yuan Baozhen was also a formidable man. He kept smiling and immediately used the skill that every official must have, to tell lies. He said, "I think the governor must be worried that the new soldiers are difficult to lead. If another general were to lead them, he might not be able to do it well. The governor has never been afraid of hardship, so he took the initiative to ask to stay in Liangzhou to guard it."

After a long while, Xiao Jue finally said, "Really?" He asked casually, "Master Yu Shi means that you think it's a good thing for me to go to Liangzhou?"

"Of course."

Xiao Jue glanced at him and smiled indifferently: "I thought that was not what Yuan Yushi wanted to say."

"Oh?" Yuan Baozhen asked with a smile, "What does Commander Xiao mean by this?"

"If the end is too big, it will break. If the tail is too big, it will not fall off." He said meaningfully, "Isn't it because of this that Lord Yuan personally went to Liangzhou?"

The atmosphere froze immediately. Sun Xiangfu didn't dare to say a word and acted in a very cautious manner. Yuan Baozhen's smile almost couldn't be maintained. He Yan looked at Xiao Jue and couldn't help but praise Xiao Jue in his heart.

There is really no point in saying "You compliment me, I compliment you". It's all lies. Nothing useful can be achieved at the end of a banquet. Look how powerful Mr. Xiao is. He can make others speechless with just one word.

The hidden secrets of this banquet should have been laid out openly long ago!

Yuan Baozhen paused for a moment before he smiled and said, "Commander Xiao is really a joker. I came to Liangzhou only to inspect as ordered."

Xiao Jue did not comment.

"I wonder how the new soldiers in the Duduwei are being trained?" Yuan Baozhen asked again, "Are there good soldiers and a strong formation?"

Xiao Jue looked at him with a half-smile: "Is this also part of Yuan Yushi's inspection?"

Although Yuan Baozhen had heard of Xiao Jue's reputation and met him in person before, this was the first time he had actually sat down and talked with him. Therefore, it was the first time that he truly experienced the unruly nature of this young assassin. No wonder no one's words could have helped him in killing Zhao Nuo. Just sitting down and talking with this young master had already exhausted him physically and mentally.

For the first time, he couldn't hold on to his usual smile, and he just said, "I care about you, too."

"I'm afraid Yuan Yushi is concerned about more than just the Liangzhou recruits," Xiao Jue said slowly, "Southern Palace soldiers and the Nine Banners Battalion, why don't you also pay attention to them?"

Yuan Baozhen couldn't respond to this.

Sun Xiangfu looked left and right. He could not afford to offend the two people, but he could not let such a good banquet be filled with such swordplay. He came out nervously to smooth things over. "I say, the two adults are tired, why don't you stop and enjoy the singing and dancing? Eat something. This wine is Grape Spring, newly brewed, everyone, have a taste." He also ordered the maid beside him, "Hurry up and call Yingyue over."

Soon, several beautiful girls entered the hall. The one leading them was the maid who had just led He Yan and the others in. She had changed her clothes again, with clusters of plum blossoms embroidered on her red skirt, long sleeves, and new makeup. She was just a delicate beauty just now, but now she had a dazzling and stunning appearance. However, she still looked at Xiao Jue affectionately.

There are so many people sitting here. Let alone He Yan, Yuan Baozhen is also an official. Why is this girl staring at Xiao Jue alone? Isn't this target too clear? He Yan thought to himself and looked at Xiao Jue. He saw that his eyes were as cold as ice and he was not moved at all.

He Yan felt that the way he looked at Fei Nu was softer than when he looked at this girl. Did Xiao Jue have some problem, like he hated women?

As she was thinking this, Yingyue had already brought the other maids and bowed gracefully, saying, "We are sorry for our humiliation."

The girl playing the zither was playing "Longing for You". The lingering music, paired with the stunning girl, was a beautiful scene. Here, He Yan was a girl, Xiao Jue had no interest in singing and dancing, and Yuan Baozhen's mind had already flown to other places after Xiao Jue's words. The most satisfied person was probably Sun Xiangfu himself.

Sun Xiangfu himself probably had great affection for this dancer, but this Yingyue girl might also judge people by appearance. Her long sleeves were all swung in the direction of Xiao Jue. Her seductive eyes were so charming that they could melt people's bones, but they were always directed at the second young master Xiao.

He Yan was so bored that he counted. Yingyue had thrown five glances at Sun Xiangfu, three at Yuan Baozhen, seventeen at Xiao Jue, and none at himself.

She is actually still at the bottom, why does she look down on others?

Just go to the banquet, why bring something that would undermine people's confidence like this. He Yan thought, maybe it's not her fault, who told her to wear the wrong clothes today? This color makes her look dark.

She picked up a piece of snack with her chopsticks. This was Sun Xiangfu's family dinner. Perhaps Sun Xiangfu didn't have the guts to poison the food. He Yan tasted it and it tasted good.

The song was over. Glittering beads of sweat oozed out of Yingyue's forehead. The sweet sweat of a beauty made her even more charming. Her face was flushed as she saluted everyone.

"Good, good, good!" Sun Xiangfu was the only one watching the dance seriously. He clapped his hands and said, "Wonderful, wonderful! What do you think?"

Xiao Jue naturally didn't answer him, and Yuan Baozhen just smiled. He Yan then said, "It's true that it's hard to catch up with a beauty like her, a beauty with a heavenly fragrance!"

"Young Master, do you think this is a good idea?" Sun Xiangfu looked excited as if he had found a bosom friend, and asked, "How about giving Yingyue to Master Cheng?"

Is this even possible? He Yan's body froze, and he waved his hands, "No, no, I already have a fiancée, I'm afraid it's not appropriate."

"Ah." Sun Xiangfu immediately felt regretful and said, "That's such a pity."

Now when officials attend banquets, they are still in a fashion of giving beauties to each other at any time? Are they sick? He Yan was just wondering why this happened when he heard Sun Xiangfu laughing and saying, "Yingyue, then you go and serve Commander Xiao."

He Yan: “…”

She suspected that Wanhua Pavilion might not be opened by Sun Zhixian, otherwise why did the tone and demeanor of the man speak so much like a brothel owner. Even if she was a brothel owner, she should have good eyesight. Could it be that ordinary people could not see that every inch of Xiao Jue's body was written with rejection?

Some people are blind, but their minds are clear. Some people can still see, but they are actually blind.

Fortunately, this Miss Yingyue knew her limits and did not do anything stupid like touching or getting close to him. She just stood beside Xiao Jue and served him food.

There was also a maidservant beside He Yan, serving her food. She raised her head and saw Yuan Baozhen sitting opposite her. However, the person serving her food was not a maidservant, but a man who looked like a guard.

That's strange, is he the one who hates women?

He Yan looked at the guards behind him. He was originally bored, but at first glance, he felt that his blood almost froze and he froze in place.

The guard was not very tall, and even among the guards, he was considered thin and short, and his facial features were extremely mediocre. He hid behind Yuan Baozhen and almost disappeared into the darkness, making it difficult for people to detect such a person. He had been silent the whole time, and He Yan had not noticed him since he saw Yuan Baozhen. When he saw him this time, he was immediately struck by lightning.

In an instant, all the banquet dishes on the table disappeared, and the scene was like a fleeting view of flowers, quickly regressing to that day. She was sitting in the Xu family mansion, and her personal maid brought her a bowl of soup, saying that it was specially brewed by the kitchen to nourish her body, hoping that she could get pregnant soon and add a child to the Xu family.

The scenery was just right, the sun was shining brightly, she was sitting at the table, looking out the window, she saw a man who looked like a servant passing by, the maid smiled and explained that the herbs for making soup today were brought by this servant.

This is He Rufei's servant, and a member of the He family.

He Yan was newly married at the time, and although she was occasionally disappointed because of Xu Zhiheng, she didn't take it to heart, and still had a little warmth towards the He family. She never expected that the herbal medicine sent to her for her health was for her eyes.

That was the last time she saw sunlight in her previous life. The next day, she had a high fever and then she went blind.

It was just a very brief glance, but she had already memorized this man's face and recalled it over and over again. Now, even though he had changed into a guard's outfit and was following Yuan Baozhen, she could still recognize him at a glance.

"Let's have a drink together." Sun Xiangfu raised his glass and said with a smile.

Crystal clear wine was poured into the white jade cup. She saw the man beside her raise the cup to his lips. In an instant, all the past events appeared before her eyes. He Yan was extremely frightened and felt that the previous scene was about to be repeated. In anger, she smashed the wine cup in Xiao Jue's hand with one palm.

“Don’t drink!”