"Qing'er, now you are the Princess An Ning, you should call me sister-in-law!" The Queen Mother hurried forward and helped her up.
Dong Qing'er blushed and bowed slightly, "Thank you...sister-in-law!"
"It's my fiftieth birthday, and I didn't want to be lavish, but I didn't expect you and Chengning to come back. You are so thoughtful!" The empress dowager stroked her little hand and pulled her to sit aside.
"It's the prince's respect for his sister-in-law. The prince once said that the emperor's sister-in-law is like a mother!" Dong Qing'er bowed again.
The Queen Mother smiled slightly, "Yes, when I first entered the palace, Chengning was only six years old. I watched him grow up!"
He sighed again and said, "These children have grown up. Although the emperor likes to play, he has important responsibilities on his shoulders and is considered stable in the court. What worries me most is Chen'er. He has too strong a murderous heart. Even if I eat vegetarian food and chant Buddha every day, I can't eliminate his evil karma! Qing'er, he always listens to you. If you have time, go and persuade him!"
Dong Qing'er was stunned. The Queen Mother's words seemed to have touched the most private secret in her heart, and her expression suddenly became a little flustered.
When the Queen Mother saw that her expression was strange, she immediately realized something, smiled faintly, and patted her hand gently to comfort her.
"Qing'er, I know something about you and Chen'er. After all, it's all in the past. You don't have to worry about it. Now you've married someone else, and Chen'er has started a family. You both have found your home."
Dong Qing'er lowered her eyes and was about to nod when a man's loud laughter came from the Jade Bridge. She quickly raised her little face, her eyes full of tenderness and joy, staring at the man who was striding towards her on the Jade Bridge.
That was her husband, the current emperor's younger brother, Prince Changning. He was wearing a silver-white shirt that made him look like
He was a pale-faced scholar with a tall and handsome figure, and unusually high cheekbones that perfectly set off his aristocratic nose.
He came with a loud laugh, then knelt before the Empress Dowager and bowed deeply, "Greetings, Sister-in-law. I wish you happiness as vast as the East Sea and a life as long as the Southern Mountains!"
The Queen Mother quickly stood up and helped him up, "Chengning, why do you need such a grand gift? Besides, my birthday hasn't arrived yet..."
Prince Changning interrupted the Queen Mother with a faint smile, "This is what I really think. I don't have to say it on the Queen Mother's birthday!"
These words hit the heart of the empress dowager very well. She smiled happily, and sat down with Prince Changning and Dong Qing'er to chat about family matters.
Dong Qing'er lowered her head and smiled softly, occasionally looking up shyly at Prince Changning.
Two men walked over on the stone road beside the green lake. The one in front was dressed in black, with a hint of impatience in his sinister and bloodthirsty eyes.
The one behind him was wearing a golden dragon robe. He kept muttering something and kept trying to pull the person in front of him.
"My dear brother, can't you be more restrained in your killing methods? If you hang the corpse on the city gate, the image of a wise ruler that I have worked so hard to establish will be destroyed in an instant. People from other countries who come to our country will think that our country is hell. There are more than 30 corpses hung on the city gate!"
Yue Nanchen stopped coldly, and the man behind him couldn't stop in time and bumped into him with his nose.
"Brother, if you were going to stop, you should have told me in advance. You clearly know... Huh?" He followed Yue Nanchen's gaze and finally understood why the man stopped.
In the pavilion not far away, the woman's shy and lowered head is like a beautiful
Every stroke of the scroll was engraved in his heart.
She, is back? Why didn't he get any news?
Turning his head and seeing the object of the girl's shyness, Yue Nanchen's thin lips curled up coldly, unable to hide the sarcasm.
She came back with Prince Changning!
His eyes blurred, and Yue Nanxuan's handsome face blocked all his sight, "Don't look at it, it will only make you sadder!"
Yue Nanchen stared at him coldly until Yue Nanxuan felt a chill all over his body. He automatically hid aside and said, "I am doing this for your own good. It's been three years, and you..."
In the pavilion in the distance, Prince Changning seemed to say something, which made her laugh softly.
Although he couldn't hear her laughter from a distance, he was so familiar with her gesture of lowering her head and covering her lips. Once upon a time, she belonged to him alone, but now...
"Royal brother, I will come back for the Queen Mother's birthday!" he said in a low voice.
"Huh?" Yue Nanxuan was stunned. Ever since the Queen Mother arranged a marriage between Dong Qing'er and Prince Changning three years ago, Yue Nanchen always found excuses not to attend every time the Queen Mother's birthday came. He was either inspecting the border or eliminating rebels. This time...
Yue Nanxuan looked at the three people in the pavilion worriedly, and broke into a cold sweat because of the Queen Mother's birthday.
In the study, Qianhun had already been waiting, and the first thing he said was, "Prince Changning and the Princess have returned to the palace!"
Yue Nanchen's eyes darkened, "I know!" And he had already seen her, she was indeed living a good life!
"I have finally figured out what Master asked me to investigate. Lan Shuiyao is the daughter of Lan Mu and his concubine. Because she is a concubine, she does not have a high status in the mansion and is often bullied. There is nothing special about her."
"That's all?" Yue Nanchen turned his eyes, "You
Are you sure you didn't miss anything?"
Qianhun shook his head, "Absolutely not! The reason why Lan Mu asked her to marry the prince was simply to win over the prince and consolidate his power."
"She has never learned martial arts?" Yue Nanchen will never forget the numbness in his arm. At least, Lan Shuiyao knows how to press acupoints!
"No, Lan Shuiyao grew up in the Lan Mansion since she was a child. Before she got married, she rarely left the mansion, let alone learned martial arts!" Qian Hun's tone was very certain.
Yue Nanchen frowned in confusion, waved his hand and let him go.
Although Yue Nanchen didn't say anything, the gloomy aura emanating from him made Qian Hun understand that the master was unhappy.
He left the study without staying for too long, but he couldn't help his curiosity and secretly went to the side yard to take a look at what kind of woman could make him so interested.
The garden behind the side house had long been abandoned, the walls were dilapidated, and even Aunt Zhang, who cleaned the yard, rarely came here.
Lan Shuiyao flattened the weeds in the middle, laid a mattress on it, and facing the last rays of light from the setting sun, she placed her right foot on the knee of her left leg, placed her palms together, raised her arms above her head, and did yoga as she exhaled and inhaled.
This body was too weak and could not keep pace with her at all. She could only start with yoga to increase the flexibility of this body.
She searched all over the palace, but only this place was the most suitable, not only because it was quiet and remote, but also because the corrosive smell and dark atmosphere constantly reminded her of her former identity and stimulated her to find survival in this unfamiliar environment.
She was wearing a homemade yoga outfit that was close-fitting, soft, and comfortable, showing off her curvaceous figure.
Qianhun sat on the roof, looking at the woman with relish
, there was a gleam of curiosity in his silver eyes.
Smelling the scent of a stranger, Lan Shuiyao turned her head and met his eyes.
"Hey!" Qianhun raised his hand and gave her the brightest, most childish and most beautiful smile to greet her.
She turned away calmly, as if she hadn't heard or seen anything. Her beautiful eyes were calm and composed. The afterglow of the setting sun slowly flowed across her pointed chin, covering her whole body in a layer of golden color.
Qianhun's smile froze on his face. He scratched his hair and touched the facial features that he was proud of. It was the first time in so many years that he received such cold treatment and he was really a little uncomfortable with it.
But is this really Lan Shuiyao? It really doesn't match the information he got. No wonder the master has such an expression.
Maybe he really missed something.
"Third Madam, Third Madam!" A maid's voice suddenly came from the distance. It was Cherry. Ever since she was beaten by the princess, she has been truly used by Lan Shuiyao.
Putting down her arms, taking the towel beside her and wiping the sweat off her face, Lan Shuiyao slowly walked out of the backyard.
"What's the matter?" She asked calmly, draping the towel over her shoulders.
"Uh..." Yingtao was stunned. She seemed a little surprised by Lan Shuiyao. She was used to her evil charm, but she didn't expect...
"The prince ordered that tonight's dinner should be served in the hall, and asked me to come and invite Madam. Madam, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You must dress up well and outshine the princess and the concubine. You are so beautiful..."
Cherry kept talking, the most important thing was that now that she had taken refuge with the Third Madam, she wanted those maids who had beaten and scolded her to see that she had not followed the wrong master!