Dongfang Ruoxue looked at her back and turned around and said, "How come Princess Ning has aged so much? It's only been half a year."
An Qingran shook her head: "Don't worry about her, let's talk about ours. Look at you, it's only been a few days since we last met, and you seem to have grown up a lot. You can tell from your body that you are a woman..."
"Hate you, why are you so hateful? I knew you would make fun of others, so I didn't dare to come to the palace to see you!" Dongfang Ruoxue's face was as red as clouds, but it made her beautiful face even more beautiful.
An Qingran pulled her hand and looked him up and down: "It seems that my cousin is to your liking?"
"He...he's fine." Dongfang Ruoxue couldn't stand An Qingran's jokes like that, so she waved her hand and said, "If you keep teasing me, I'll leave."
"Don't go, I haven't seen you for a long time. I didn't even attend your wedding properly. I feel so regretful."
"It's not your fault. How can you go to the bathroom with such a big belly? I forgive you."
"Okay, then come to see me with a big belly someday, and I will forgive you." An Qingran said quickly.
"What? What did I do that I need you to forgive me?" Dongfang Ruoxue was dizzy because of An Qingran.
"What did you do? You secretly liked my cousin but didn't tell me. You only came to me when you needed me. Shouldn't I blame you?" An Qingran deliberately made it difficult for her to predict the outcome.
Dongfang Ruoxue lowered her head, twisting the bright red handkerchief in her hands, her face red all the way to her neck.
An Qingran smiled when she saw this: "Okay, okay, I'm just talking, don't take it to heart, you did it."
She turned around and walked away with heavy steps. When she was far away, Honeysuckle spoke first: "This blow seems to be more serious than the pain of losing her child last time. Why does she feel so old and has no energy at all? It seems that exile is really torture."
"Torture? How would you know what torture is? It's not a bad thing that they have been living quietly like this. In fact, it's their blessing to be able to live out their lives in their fiefdom. I don't know if it's God's will that they have returned to this place of conflict..."
An Qingran stopped talking here. There were some things she didn't want to tell Rendong. First, she didn't quite understand them, and second, she was afraid that she would be too worried and start to worry about nothing.
*****
That night.
An Qingran mentioned the palace banquet: "I saw Princess Ning, she was like a completely different person, her eyes were pale, I think the kidnapping incident was too much of a blow."
Dongfang Jin nodded after hearing this: "Don't mention it, Prince Ning has changed a lot. I heard that he is very low-key and very humble when meeting people. If he really behaves like this from now on, it is not a bad idea to stay in the capital and not return to his fiefdom."
An Qingran couldn't help but recall the scenes of her previous life. King Ning was so arrogant. Would he stop here and live his life in a different way?
Seeing that she didn't speak, Dongfang Jin understood her worries and couldn't help but hold her hand tightly: "Qingqing, don't worry about me, I will take care of it."
"What are you dealing with?" An Qingran smiled. "Everyone is fine now. I really hope it can stay like this forever. It would be so nice to be quiet and peaceful."
"If it could really be like this, the years would be peaceful, and I would grow old together hugging Qingqing. I wouldn't have anything else to ask for." Dongfang Jin was a little emotional. He held An Qingran in his arms. He always felt that things were not that simple. He always felt that undercurrents were surging and the shadow of a conspiracy was approaching.
An Qingran thought so too.
Anfu.
In the courtyard, the peach blossoms and willows are green, and the spring scenery is in full swing. Under the peach tree, a woman in pink is flying a kite. An Mingxuan beside her jumps and shouts from time to time: "Auntie, a little higher, a little higher..."
The woman nodded: "Okay, Xuan'er, how about you come..."
She handed the shiny silk thread to An Mingxuan, who was yelling and pulling the kite here and there. At this moment, the pink-dressed woman shouted, "Mingxuan, come over here. Be careful not to fall..."
As he spoke, he reached for his kite string, pretending to help. He clenched his fist, hid his fingernails in his palm, and scratched the string. The string broke immediately. An Mingxuan jumped up and shouted, "Aunt Banxia, the kite is lost, what should I do?"
Banxia smiled and stroked his head: "It's okay, Auntie will make another one for you, how about that?"
"Okay, okay." An Mingxuan clapped his hands.
Banxia suddenly sighed, "But the colored silk and thread are all in the upper courtyard, and your mother has been in a bad mood these days, so who can we ask for them?"
"Just go find the housekeeper. I'll go find my father and tell him, okay?"
"No, you can't go. If you go, your father will say that you don't study and only know how to play. Why don't you go and review your lessons? When you have reviewed the four books, I will take you to see your father and let him check it out."
"I have memorized the Four Books. If you don't believe me, Auntie, just test me at will. I can handle it." An Mingxuan said confidently with his chest puffed out.
"Okay, then shall we go find your father now?" Banxia said with a smile.
An Mingxuan didn't understand why his aunt treated him differently today than usual, but he didn't care and just nodded.
study.
Banxia knocks on the door.
A voice came from the room asking them to come in. They went in lazily and saw An Zhongtao reading a book boredly, leaning on a sandalwood chair. When he saw them come in, he raised his eyelids and asked, "What's the matter?"
"The son pays his respects to his father." An Mingxuan bowed very respectfully.
An Zhongtao put down the book: "Where are you from?"
"General, I was flying a kite with Mingxuan just now, and the kite string broke, so I brought Mingxuan here... Of course, I'm not asking for the string, but to present a treasure. Mingxuan has finished reading the Four Books, and I'm in a hurry to ask the general to inspect it." Banxia's tone was very happy. She was wearing a green silk palace dress embroidered with forsythia and had her hair in a ruyi bun. There were no gold or silver ornaments on her mane, but a tender yellow magnolia flower. Her whole body exuded the breath of spring from the inside out. Looking at her, it was as if a gust of spring breeze was blowing, and she was very pleasant.
An Zhongtao nodded slightly: "Okay, Banxia, you are thoughtful. Mingxuan has grown a lot taller recently. It's all thanks to you. You have worked hard."
Banxia didn't expect the general to say this, and tears immediately filled her eyes: "General, I'm not tired at all. I'm just afraid that I haven't done well enough. Please give me your instructions."
An Zhongtao stood up and said to An Mingxuan, "Since you have learned the Four Books, then you can talk about Yiqiu in Mencius, who is the best chess player in the country. Let Yiqiu challenge two people to play chess. One of them is concentrating and only listens to Yiqiu's words. The other one, although listening, thinks that a swan is coming and wants to shoot it with a bow and arrow. Although he learns together, he is not as good as the other. Is it because his wisdom is not as good as the other? I said: No, what do you mean?"
When Banxia heard that An Zhongtao could actually speak such a long paragraph, and that although he was a military general, he was so talented, her eyes were like water, and there was even more admiration in her eyes as she looked at him.
When An Zhongtao met her eyes, he couldn't help but feel his heart beating fast. Lian Jinyu herself was well-read and would not be moved to the point of admiration by his words. He couldn't help but feel satisfied.
The way he looked at Banxia was a little different.
How could An Mingxuan tell the difference in his expression? He just wanted to show off in front of his father, so he couldn't help but start explaining. However, the two people in the room didn't listen at all. Finally, An Zhongtao nodded: "Not bad, you have improved a lot compared to the past few days. Did you listen to your aunt?"
An Mingxuan nodded immediately: "Father, my aunt has always taught me to respect my teachers and put filial piety first, so I always go to you to show my filial piety."
"Well, you have memorized this book so well. As a reward, go to the housekeeper to get some colorful silk and thread, and then ask your aunt to make a kite for you." An Zhongtao was calm and composed, which was rare.
When An Mingxuan heard this, he immediately turned around and walked out. When he reached the door, he turned back and said, "Aunt Banxia, the child will come to see you in a while."
Banxia nodded: "Okay, come back later."
After An Mingxuan left, Banxia glanced at An Zhongtao shyly, half lowering her head: "General, this child is growing up so fast. In the blink of an eye, he is almost as tall as me... Speaking of which, I am already 27 years old, and I have been married to you for nearly ten years..."
As she spoke, her tone became increasingly low and a little sad. She stood there looking weak, like a young willow with dew on it, very pitiful.
"Yes, it's been almost ten years. I remember that you were about the same age as Qingran is now when you first entered the mansion..." An Zhongtao was a little emotional when he recalled the past. Most people in middle age would feel emotional and beautiful when they think of things from their youth.
Banxia couldn't help but raise her hand to wipe her eyes when she saw his tone was unprecedentedly gentle. "I still remember that time when the general was on the battlefield for many years and there was no one to be seen at home. Often, when the general returned triumphantly, we were the last ones to be seen by others..."
The more she spoke, the more choked up she became. Seeing her face tear up, An Zhongtao stepped forward, put his arm around her shoulders, and gently patted her back: "You people, following me is also suffering."
Banxia threw herself into An Zhongtao's arms, grabbed his clothes, and cried uncontrollably: "General, how could you know our hardship? I don't ask for anything else, I just want to see you from afar, and know that you are safe, I will be satisfied. As for other things, I dare not dream. I know that it is impossible for me to serve you in this life, I only hope that in the next life, even if it is just to be your war horse..."
An Zhongtao was holding a beautiful woman in his arms, and it was difficult for him to control himself. He could not help but hold the beauty tightly in his arms. Banxia raised her head, stood on tiptoe, and pressed her delicate lips against An Zhongtao's stubbled chin. Seeing that he did not refuse, Banxia could not help but become bolder, and moved all the way up to kiss the corner of An Zhongtao's lips...
Half an hour later, An Mingxuan came back. He pushed open the door, but found that the atmosphere in the room was obviously not right. He didn't understand what was wrong, so he stepped forward to show the silk cloth and thread to Banxia and An Zhongtao, but he didn't expect that Aunt Banxia would pull his hand directly, her palm was very hot: "Mingxuan, let's not disturb your father. Aunt will make it for you when she goes back, okay?"
"Okay." An Mingxuan didn't ask for anything else but to get the kite and for his aunt to play with him.
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