Old Madam Chu also seemed surprised: "It turned out to be the fourth and fifth girls?"

"Yes!"

Chu Jinyao couldn't help but turn around and look at Chu Jinxian. They both saw the surprise in each other's eyes.

Old Madam Chu in the room was also caught off guard. At this time, of course, she couldn't say that Chu Jinmiao would be kicked out by her soon. Old Madam Chu said carefully: "Since the county lord likes it, then we will naturally comply. After a few days, I will let them pack up and let them go out to accompany the county lord to study."

At this juncture, who would mention that Chu Jinmiao was going to the temple to cultivate her body and cultivate her character?

The crisis of Chu Jinmiao being sent to the nunnery was solved just like this.

Chu Jinmiao came out of her yard, freshly washed and radiant, not even close to the listless look she had in the past few days. Her eyes were still a little swollen, probably because she had been crying these days, but her expression was very proud: "There is a saying that a good horseman can recognize a good horse, and there is also a saying that all schemes are in vain. Some people have tried their best to bring me down, but unfortunately, in the end, they still failed. God has eyes."

Chu Jinmiao said this in front of all the sisters, with a proud and arrogant tone. The third girl rolled her eyes secretly, the sixth girl looked indifferent, like an old monk in meditation, and Chu Jinyao continued to do her own thing, pretending not to hear anything.

If God really has eyes, he will not let you go on.

Chu Jinyao thought unhappily in her heart.

After the fifteenth day, when the year-end gradually dissipated and most of the snow on the road melted, Marquis Changxing and Lady Zhao personally drove a carriage to visit the Prince Huailing's Mansion, and brought Chu Jinyao and Chu Jinmiao with them.

Chu Jinyao will stay in the Prince's Mansion for more than a month this time, and then stay at home for a few days before coming to the Palace again. Chu Jinyao didn't know how long this life of running back and forth would last, but it was foreseeable that because she had residences in both places, she couldn't take all her clothes, jewelry, maids, etc. away, and she had to leave some for backup. For various reasons, when Chu Jinyao went out this time, the people who followed her had to be capable and smart, but there had to be someone to look after the house. After deep thought, Chu Jinyao decided to take Gong Mammy, Linglong and Jiejing with her, and leave the honest and loyal Dingxiang to watch the door.

Before leaving, Chu Jinyao checked the private room in the west chamber again and again, and locked the door after confirming that everything was correct. She secretly left a key to the west chamber for Dingxiang, and took the rest away. Although Dingxiang had the key to the chamber, the box inside was locked separately. Chu Jinyao was not afraid of others playing tricks, and left the key to Dingxiang mainly just in case.

Chu Jinyao, Gong Mammy and Linglong packed their frequently used jewelry and clothes into two large boxes and took them in the car together. The palace has daily necessities, and it would not look good if they brought too many, so it would be best to act like guests. However, although she was going to visit a guest, the nature of the palace was special after all, and she had to prepare enough property. If something unexpected happened, Chu Jinyao would be short of money and show her weakness. Before leaving, Old Madam Chu called Chu Jinyao over and secretly gave him two hundred taels of silver. Including the two hundred taels in public, Chu Jinyao had four hundred taels of cash. Four hundred taels of silver could buy a large house with three entrances in Taiyuan. The old lady had her own plans, and she was afraid that Chu Jinyao would be looked down upon by the people in the palace, so she had to keep up appearances.

In fact, Chu Jinyao herself did not need these four hundred taels of silver notes. She received thousands of taels of dividends every month. But the old lady had already prepared everything. Could Chu Jinyao still refuse? At least all her future visible expenses would have to be counted into these four hundred taels.

"Miss, the boxes have been put away, and the exposed places in the house have been wiped. You can sit down inside and have a rest."

"Well, okay." Chu Jinyao got up reluctantly and walked towards the house arranged by the Prince's Mansion. Her house was arranged in the garden. The place was not big. There were three rooms in the front, an ear room under the eaves, and only a wall on the east and west sides. There were no side rooms. There were two back rooms at the southern end for servants to live in. This courtyard was far less spacious and bright than her own Chaoyun Courtyard, but fortunately the place was elegant. Not far from the outside was the lotus pond. The house was surrounded by trees and flowers, and the flowers bloomed all year round.

Chu Jinyao especially liked the two weeping crabapple trees in the yard, and there was also a tall purple jacaranda behind the house. They must be very beautiful when the spring comes.

Chu Jinyao fell in love with these trees as soon as she arrived, and she didn't even bother to go into the house to see them. Linglong and Platycodon took this opportunity to wipe the places in the house that they could touch with water again.

Chu Jinyao was reluctantly pulled away from under the tree by the maid and pushed into the house to rest. This small courtyard is not big, as if it was originally built for ladies, so the courtyard is very delicately decorated, and even the house is beautiful and exquisite.

After Chu Jinyao entered the house, the first thing he saw was the main room in the middle. On the central wall of the main room was a painting of a beauty. Below it were two armchairs, with a high-legged table in the middle. This was obviously where the host sat when entertaining guests. Further down were two rows of wooden chairs, with vases and fruits dotted in between. There was nothing to see, so Chu Jinyao continued to walk to the west. The main room and the west room were separated by a four-panel screen, on which was embroidered a painting of begonias, peonies, and beauties admiring flowers, which was extremely gorgeous and elegant.

In the innermost part of the west room was a step-out bed, and the pillows and quilts on it were replaced with those of the Changxing Marquis's own mansion. The step-out bed was expensive to build. It had a mahogany hollow column fence on the outside. Inside, it had everything you need, such as a footrest and a bedside table. Once the outermost bed curtain was lowered, it was like a small house. There was a step-out bed in the west room, and a dressing table. There was really not much space left, so the Luohan bed and a few small kang tables used for entertaining guests were all placed in the east room. When friends and relatives came to visit in the future, it would be too distant to entertain them in the central hall. This kind of intimate but not casual arrangement in the east room was just right.

Chu Jinyao took a tour from inside to outside and felt that the Huailing County Prince's Mansion had been very well prepared. Fortunately, the palace did not underestimate the sisterhood between her and Chu Jinmiao. If they were arranged in the same courtyard, it would be lively.

Chu Jinmiao's residence was not far away, and the small wooden pavilion next to the water across the lotus pond was her residence. It was still winter, and Chu Jinmiao's residence was not visible. If she waited until midsummer when the lotus flowers were in full bloom, she would live by the lotus, which would be extremely quiet and elegant.

When removing makeup at night, Jiegeng came back from outside after inquiring about the news and said to Chu Jinyao, "Miss, I secretly went to the fourth lady's room and saw that the furnishings in her room were extremely simple. In the middle was embroidered with plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum, on the west was a bunk bed, and on the east was nothing but a table and a couch. Their rooms looked empty everywhere, and the wind blowing in could make an echo. It's not as comfortable as here, miss."

Chu Jinyao chuckled. What could make an echo? Jiegeng was used to making bad comments. Chu Jinyao glared at her through the mirror: "You are good at saying, don't gossip about others outside."

"I know." Platycodon pouted and said, "But even so, the fourth girl still likes it very much. She also said that it is best to live next to the lotus flowers in winter. When you open the window, you can see the room full of withered lotus leaves. At night, you can hear the wind hitting the withered stems. It is extremely quiet and peaceful."

Chu Jinyao thought: "I remember there was ice by the lotus pond. Isn't she cold?"

Platycodon shook her head. Chu Jinyao looked at the furnishings in her room again at this time, and suddenly felt that the palace was worthy of being a palace. Not to mention the money, just talking about the way of controlling people's minds, their noble family is far inferior.

Chu Jinyao murmured, "I wonder if the ice in the pool is solid. It's such a large pool, flat and bright. It must be fun to skate on it."

Linglong was startled and quickly called out, "Girl!"

Chu Jinyao came back to her senses, waved her hand and said, "I just said it casually, I won't make it serious. You all have worked hard all day today, so go to bed early. Tomorrow morning you have to pay your respects to the old princess, and then you have to go to accompany the county lord to class. There are still many things to do."

"Yes."

Linglong and Jiegeng combed Chu Jinyao's hair, helped Chu Jinyao to bed, and closed the outermost fence. Chu Jinyao only saw the light outside suddenly become dim, and she seemed to be alone in an independent small space, and then the light outside the bed went out.

Chu Jinyao closed her eyes and thought to herself that it was time to go to bed. She habitually wanted to say good night, but suddenly remembered that she was alone now and no one would listen to her.

Chu Jinyao reached out her hand and touched the jade pendant that she had pressed under the pillow. The jade pendant felt warm to the touch, and it was hard to tell that it had once been able to speak human language and change its shape in broad daylight.

Good night, Qi Ze. Chu Jinyao whispered in her heart, and then closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Before Chu Jinyao fell asleep, a figure suddenly appeared in front of her. The other person was tightly surrounded by people, and only the ochre-red corners of his clothes and a pair of clear, bright, and slightly smiling eyes could be seen.

Chu Jinyao thought vaguely that she might be hallucinating. She thought about this matter every day, and thought about it too often, causing everyone she saw to look like someone she knew. The man and Qi Ze should only have a little resemblance, but she thought they were the same person.

Chu Jinyao secretly reflected on herself and fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, Chu Jinyao got up early and went to pay respects to the old princess in the palace.

Like all families, the old princess had the highest status in the palace. Whenever she paid respects, the old princess's room was always crowded with people, including the legitimate daughters and concubines of the grandson generation, Chu Zhu and the princess of the county from the daughter-in-law generation, as well as the maids and old women of the masters, all crowded together.

Now, there were two more people, Chu Jinyao and Chu Jinmiao.

Chu Jinyao arrived earlier than Chu Jinmiao. Chu Jinmiao hurried to the old princess's courtyard, lifted the curtain, and found that Chu Jinyao was already there. Chu Jinmiao's face suddenly became long, and Chu Jinyao didn't move her eyes, pretending that she didn't see it.

Anyway, after what happened last time, I'm afraid that the people in the Prince's Mansion are already aware of their relationship. In this case, why bother to keep family ugliness secret?

The old princess rarely saw so many young people, and she was so happy that she couldn't close her mouth. The county head Lin Baozhu was the most comfortable person in the room. She nestled in the old princess's arms and acted coquettishly: "Grandma, am I going to class today?"

"You, you are as naughty as a monkey, and you don't want to make progress!" The old princess touched the county head's nose and scolded her affectionately.

The county head immediately hugged the old princess's arm and acted like a fool. Chu Jinyao looked a little surprised. Old Madam Chu was always serious. The sisters, even the most favored Chu Jinxian and the youngest Seventh Sister, did not dare to pester Old Madam Chu like this. However, she did not expect that in other families, granddaughters and grandmothers would get along like this.

The old princess seemed to be annoyed and had to say, "Okay, since you haven't changed your mind yet, then relax for another day. Remember, you have to go to school tomorrow no matter what you say!"

The county lord immediately agreed sweetly. Chu Jinyao originally thought that the county lord had a big face. As long as the county lord asked, the old princess and the county princess would not refuse. But when she saw the visitor at noon, she knew that she thought too simply.

The Princess of the County introduced with a smile: "This is my niece from my mother's side, her name is Yang Qixia. You guys will go to school together in the future, so don't be estranged."

Chu Jinyao looked at the woman next to the Princess of the County. Her surname is Yang, and she is the Princess's niece. Logically, she should be the county lord's cousin and the prince's cousin.

Chu Jinyao immediately felt a strange sense of familiarity.

Yang Qixia was wearing a white silk blouse with a scarlet pleated skirt underneath. Like the Princess of the County, she had a round face and a short stature, and was very friendly. Yang Qixia came over with a smile and took Chu Jinyao's hand. She looked around for several times before she sighed, "This is the first time I've seen such a beautiful sister. Today, I realized that I've lived in vain all those years."

Chu Jinyao smiled awkwardly and said quickly, "I'm not worthy of the title. Miss Yang

, you're flattering me." "How come you still call me Miss Yang when we are in such a relationship?" Yang Qixia smiled and said, "I'm fifteen, how about you?"

"Fourteen."

"That's good. I have another sister." Yang Qixia held Chu Jinyao's hand affectionately and said a lot of affectionate words. Yang Qixia saw Chu Jinmiao standing aside and smiled and asked, "Where is this sister?"

Chu Jinmiao was left out for a long time and felt a little embarrassed. She tried to smile and said, "I'm fourteen too."

"Oh, what a coincidence!" Yang Qixia covered her mouth in surprise, and her expression was just right. But Chu Jinyao felt that her expression and tone were too exaggerated.

Yang Qixia asked: "You two are sisters from the same mansion, and you were born in the same year? What a coincidence!"

Since they are sisters from the same mansion, isn't it normal for

them to be the same age? Chu Jinyao could only smile with Yang Qixia: "It's a coincidence." Sure enough, the county lord brought up this topic: "Not only are they the same age, but their birthdays are also very close. When they were born, they happened to encounter a rebellion and were accidentally swapped. Chu Jinmiao was taken back to the Changxing Marquis Mansion, and Chu Jinyao was left outside. She was not found until last year."

This was the most bizarre thing the county lord had ever encountered. She wanted to tell everyone about it, and Chu Jinyao and Chu Jinmiao, the two parties involved, had a subtle look on their faces at the same time. Yang Qixia sighed in surprise. She covered her mouth lightly with her hands, looked back and forth at Chu Jinyao and Chu Jinmiao, and held their hands affectionately, placing them on her palms: "It's okay, meeting is fate, you two are so destined to be together, it seems you are natural sisters."

Chu Jinyao and Chu Jinmiao both smiled slightly, but did not say anything.

Chu Jinyao sighed secretly, she probably knew what the Princess meant.

The old princess said that there would be no class today, in fact, it was not because of the county lord. Because Yang Qixia had not come yet, even if the county lord did not plead, there would be no class today.

After the Princess and several girls introduced Yang Qixia, they gave the place to the girls and went outside first. Now, sitting in the warm room are Chu Jinyao, Chu Jinmiao, the county lord Lin Baozhu, Chuzhu's illegitimate daughter Lin Baoying, legitimate daughter Lin Baohuan, and the princess' niece Yang Qixia.

In the future, it will probably be these few people who go to school.

The county lord was bored sitting there, and insisted on dragging everyone out to play. Chu Jinyao had just arrived and was unwilling to talk easily, so Yang Qixia helped the maid to persuade her: "Baozhu, the weather hasn't changed yet, and the ground is frozen. What fun can you have going out? It's better to stay here and talk with the elders."

The county lord still looked unwilling, and Yang Qixia continued to persuade her patiently and carefully. Chu Jinyao quietly asked Lin Baohuan: "Sister Yang seems to be very familiar with the county lord?"

"Yes, she is the niece of the princess's inner family. She often stays in the palace. Even the people here at my grandmother are very familiar with cousin Yang."

Chu Jinyao understood. This made sense. The Huailing County Prince's Mansion was looking for playmates for the county lord from among the relatives. Since they had chosen the second daughter-in-law Chu Zhu's family, there was no reason to miss the princess's family, the Yang family. Although I don't know why the agreed two playmates became three, it's not a big deal. How many people to keep is just a matter of the old princess's word.

The county lord was very disappointed by Yang Qixia's persuasion. She said, "Okay, then we won't go outside. Grandma, it's too stuffy here. It's uncomfortable to sit here. Why don't we go to my room and play double six chess?"

Yang Qixia still didn't want to leave, but the others thought the suggestion was good, so Yang Qixia had to swallow the words in her stomach. After everyone had agreed on a good idea, they stood up and called their maids. For a while, those who put on cloaks and stuffed hand warmers in the warm room were busy.

The county owner couldn't sit still. He just tied the belt and ran out in a puff of smoke. The remaining maids hurriedly chased after him. Chu Jinyao smoothed the wrinkles on her cloak and followed closely. Yang Qixia was the last to go out. Lan Ze saw Yang Qixia and smiled, "Miss Xia, why are you going out too?" The

old princess had two capable people around her, Lan Ze and Xia Bo. Lan Ze was the best at talking and was very much liked by the old princess. Although Lan Ze was a maid, she was responsible for the delicate work of serving the old princess. She usually served tea and water, entertained the old lady, and never did rough work such as cleaning. So in detail, Lan Ze's food, clothing and daily expenses were not worse than those of young ladies. Her hands were white and delicate. If she was a young lady from a small family, she might not be as good as Lan Ze.

Because Lan Ze was respected by the old princess, everyone in and outside the palace had to stop and say a few words to Lan Ze. When Yang Qixia heard Lan Ze's question, she also stopped and replied with a smile: "The county master wants to go back to play backgammon. I won't be worried if he doesn't watch."

Lan Ze smiled and winked playfully: "Miss Xia is so dedicated to the county master, compared to her biological sister. That's bad! Even ordinary sisters-in-law don't care half as much as Miss Xia."

Yang Qixia pursed her lips and smiled: "Lan Ze is the right person beside the old princess. I don't know who will be lucky enough to have a good wife like you."

"Miss Xia, you are embarrassing me. I am just a servant, born to serve others. How dare I call myself a good wife?" Lan Ze said with a smile, "Only a decent person like Miss Xia can be called a good wife!"

Yang Qixia smiled, "You are insulting me again. Forget it, I won't say more to you. The county lord is probably far away. I have to go out and chase her."

Lan Ze personally opened the curtain for Yang Qixia and sent her out of the house. Before leaving, Yang Qixia pushed and shoved again. The two of them exchanged pleasantries for a long time.

On the other side, Chu Jinyao found that Yang Qixia did not catch up, and said, "Wait a minute, Sister Yang hasn't caught up yet."

The county lord and others had to stand there and wait. The county lord was so annoyed that he came over to ask Chu Jinyao: "I heard that you seemed to have left something at the palace last time. Did you find it later?"

When the others heard what the county lord said, they all looked in Chu Jinyao's direction. Chu Jinyao took this opportunity to deliberately say: "I found it. It was my fault for being so abrupt. I left something at home. I didn't remember it until I got to the palace. I thought I had left it at the palace. I'm sorry to bother you for so long."

Chu Jinyao's purse involved her reputation, and she didn't dare to take any risks. She asked someone to keep the purse and never use it again, but in order to prevent future troubles, Chu Jinyao still made up a new excuse, saying that she had left it at home, and said it in front of everyone to prevent others from making a fuss about it.

The county lord nodded, obviously not taking it to heart, but a sneer escaped from Chu Jinmiao's lips.

However, Chu Jinmiao herself was also afraid to mention what happened that day, so even if she knew that Chu Jinyao was lying, she couldn't jump out to expose it. I'm afraid Chu Jinyao also calculated this.

After Chu Jinyao explained the matter of the purse in a few words, she skipped the topic and led the county lord to talk about new things. As she spoke, she suddenly felt a chill in her heart.

No, Chu Jinmiao and the third girl both said that day that they met a servant at the gate of the dressing yard and thought he was very strange, so they held him and entangled him. Since Chu Jinmiao said so, then this servant was not arranged by Chu Jinmiao. The Sixth Lady just took advantage of the situation and did not interfere with Chu Jinmiao's plan, so this servant was not the Sixth Lady's man. He

could appear inexplicably at the gate of the courtyard where the women were changing clothes, and it was a courtyard that was obviously problematic. It can be said that this servant was definitely not passing by on duty by chance. If it was not Chu Jinmiao and the Sixth Lady, then this matter was a bit serious. Whose man was this servant?

"Chu Jinyao, what are you thinking about?"

Chu Jinyao was called back to her senses by the county lord's voice. She forced a smile and said, "I'm fine. I was just distracted by thinking about something."

"You can still be distracted while standing." The county lord pouted, "Okay, cousin Xia has caught up, let's go."

When they arrived at the county lord's house, they played chess enthusiastically, but Chu Jinyao was always distracted.

She seemed to have missed someone, a person who was hiding very deeply behind the scenes. The sixth girl fell into the trap and thought she had escaped unscathed, but in fact, someone else escaped unscathed.

The mantis stalks the cicada, but there is more than one oriole.

That day, the person behind the scenes arranged the servant in the yard, and when he saw that there was no one, he hurried out. So what did they want to do originally?

Chu Jinyao felt horrified just thinking about it.

The county lord lost another game of chess, and pushed the chess piece down in anger, saying angrily: "It's boring, I don't want to play anymore."

Others quickly gathered around to say nice things, but this time the county lord was not so easily appeased. Seeing Chu Jinyao sitting alone at the window, she simply ran over, climbed onto the couch, sat across from Chu Jinyao and said: "What are you doing here alone?"

"I don't know how to play double-six chess, so I don't want to go over and spoil the fun, so I'll just watch the game here." Chu Jinyao said, trying her best to smile flawlessly.

"It's so boring to watch. If you don't know how to do it, I'll teach you!"

Chu Jinyao quickly declined. Even if she didn't understand, she could tell that the county lord's teaching was very bad. Chu Jinyao didn't dare let the county lord teach her.

The county lord sat on the couch, swinging her legs and said, "It's already February now! It's just right. In a few days, I will prepare for my grandmother's sixtieth birthday. It will be really lively then!"

Chu Jinyao had also heard about the old princess' sixtieth birthday. This was a big event for the whole of Taiyuan, and even more so for the whole of Shanxi. Chu Jinyao could imagine that the scene must be full of guests and celebrities.

However... the class hasn't started yet, and the county lord has already started to think about the old princess' birthday. Did they really come here to accompany the county lord to study?

Chu Jinyao was right to worry. The palace's academy had only been open for a few days, and the entire Huailing County Prince's Palace was busy preparing for the birthday celebration. The maids and servants were in a hurry, and the palace was bustling with people coming and going. At this time, how could you expect the county master to let you study well?

Because the old princess's birthday was a top event, the entire palace was busy with this matter within a month. The palace was busy with construction and sheds. It was not until almost April that the movement in the garden calmed down a little.

At this time, the jacaranda behind Chu Jinyao's house had already blossomed with blue-purple flowers that looked like a clear dream, and the lotus pond had long since thawed, with soft spring waves. At the same time, the old princess's sixtieth birthday was also very close.

On the fifth day of April, all the guest rooms in the Huailing County Prince's Mansion were already full, and people were coming and going every day, making it very lively. The old princess was also in high spirits because of the good news. She could see many people coming to pay their respects every day, and she couldn't stop smiling. Today was still three days away from the official birthday, but the guests had already arrived. Those who lived too far away or couldn't leave asked their servants to send birthday gifts, and other guests who were close also sent people up to visit in advance.

The old princess and the princess of the county were very happy to have so many people. The old princess decided to prepare ten tables today to entertain the guests from afar, and they could also have a good time in advance. The ladies naturally applauded. The kitchen had already prepared the birthday banquet. The princess of the county gave an order, and the kitchen prepared ten tables overnight.

The female family members gathered at the old princess's place to have a good time, drinking and laughing, it was very noisy. The young girls like Chu Jinyao were not neglected either. They sat in the attic with the young ladies from other families and made three more tables. When there were

too many people, the county owner was ready to make trouble. She suggested at the table: "It's so shameless to sit here, let's go to the lake and row a boat. Anyway, they won't be able to finish here for a while."

Chu Jinyao was secretly shocked. How brave she was! Yang Qixia, who regarded herself as a good sister, immediately advised: "No, it's too dangerous to go to the lake. We might as well sit here, listen to the elders and learn more about how to deal with things. This is what a chaste woman should do."

The county lord immediately put on a sour face and said: "You just like to preach. Since you like to listen to their jokes after drinking, you can keep it to yourself." The county lord stood up and was about to leave without caring: " Get out of the way, I'm going to row the boat, you can go or not."

The news here soon reached the Princess of the County, who was very worried: "Keep an eye on her, don't expose her to the sun! Also, prepare a few more women who are familiar with water at the bow, and a good helmsman for each boat, and don't let them make any mistakes."

The servants agreed one by one, and the county lord walked to the garden as he wished and went boating in the lake. The boat in the lake had just been pulled out, and there were a lot of water plants tangled underneath, so it couldn't be started for a while. The county lord felt bored and pouted, saying, "Why is it so troublesome for me to row the boat? This is not allowed, and that is not allowed. Now, they don't even have a boat ready for me!"

Chu Jinyao felt that the county lord was being unreasonable. The boat had been unused for a whole winter, so how could he dare to go into the water without cleaning it? Yang Qixia was trying to persuade him again, but it was nothing more than what a woman should do, and the county lord was fed up with it. Chu Jinyao gently pulled the county lord's sleeve, pointed to a small building by the lake and said, "County lord, look at that small building over there. Since you are getting impatient waiting, why don't you go sit in the attic for a while, where you can enjoy the fresh air and see the scenery of the garden."

The county lord immediately agreed happily and pulled Chu Jinyao to the attic. Yang Qixia chased after them, calling out while thinking secretly, why didn't she think of inviting the county lord to sit in the attic for a while? This time, Chu Jinyao got there first, and she will definitely get it back next time!

Chu Jinyao and the county lord and his party went upstairs, and the county lord immediately cheered and ran to the window. The maid ran after her and shouted, "County Lady, please run slower, be careful of slipping!"

Linglong also whispered to Chu Jinyao, "Miss, please watch your step, this is a two-story building after all, it's always better to be careful."

Chu Jinyao nodded gently, indicating that she understood. Although this place is not high from the ground, it is a two-story attic after all. If someone pushes you from behind, it will be painful.

Chu Jinyao kept this in mind, so she stood not too far from the window. The county lady leaned on the fence and pointed outside.

The young girls who came to visit gathered around the county lady, trying to please her. Suddenly, there were heavy footsteps outside the building. A person who looked like an old woman ran up panting and asked loudly before she stood still: "Is the county master here?"

Chu Jinyao was standing outside. When she heard the question, she quickly replied: "Yes. What do you want to see the county master for, Ma?"

When the county master heard someone calling her, she curled her lips unhappily: "What else can it be? It must be to call me back."

"Oh my little ancestor!" The old woman slapped her thigh and shouted loudly, "You should go back quickly! The ancestor and the princess have just received a message from the prince saying that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is coming to the palace and is on the way now!"

"Crown Prince?"

Everyone was startled, and many women even stood up in fright. Even the county lord did not dare to be careless. She hurriedly withdrew her body, ran to the old woman, and even tugged at her skirt shyly: "Are you serious? Is it that prince?"

"Oh, county lord, who else could the crown prince be? I don't know what happened to this gentleman. He suddenly felt like going to the palace to give a birthday gift to the old ancestor. The prince and the prince just received the news. County lord, please go back with me quickly. Wash your face, comb your makeup, and change your clothes now. You can just catch up with the crown prince to the palace."

The county lord was really a little flustered. She was at a loss and stood there for a moment, then she woke up as if from a dream and quickly responded.

Not to mention the county lord, even the others were restless. The Crown Prince is coming. Who would still want to go boating at this critical moment? The female family members were all distracted and their eyes were wandering, but there was no doubt that no one wanted to stay here any longer. Everyone wanted to go back and pack up.

Linglong quietly pulled Chu Jinyao's sleeve: "Miss, let's go back too. You change into that flowery dress and re-do your hair."

Chu Jinyao heard this and wanted to tell Linglong that they were too different from the Crown Prince. There was no point for them to show up in such an occasion. Changing clothes and dressing up would be a waste of time. However, Chu Jinyao looked around and found that many people were as eager as Linglong and could not wait to leave first.

Chu Jinmiao was particularly obvious. She kept looking at the stairs and twisting her handkerchief with her fingers.

They were arguing in the attic, and they had no idea what to do. They were accompanied by their followers and gradually came from a distance. Because the county lord had to go back to change clothes, the other girls had no intention of staying to admire the lotus. The maids in the palace had already started to clean up the attic. A maid in a yellow coat stretched out her arm to close the window. Chu Jinyao watched her staggering, and the pitchfork in her hand was shaking. She couldn't help but step forward and said, "You're leaning out so far, be careful not to fall down."

The maid was a little unhappy when she heard this: "I'm holding the railing."

"Even if you're holding the railing, nothing will happen, but what about the people outside? What if you don't hold it firmly and drop the thing downstairs, and it hits passers-by?"

Before she finished speaking, the maid's hand slipped. Chu Jinyao was startled and hurried to take the pitchfork from her hand. Chu Jinyao held onto the support and turned to say to the maid: "Look, she almost fell down just now. If someone happened to pass by, they would be hit. How terrible would it be?"

However, the maid's eyes suddenly widened, she covered her mouth with one hand and pointed forward with the other hand in disbelief. Chu Jinyao was curious and turned around without any defense.

"Prince?"

Chu Jinyao was wondering why Lin Xiyuan came here. Then she realized something was wrong. Lin Xiyuan was the prince of the Prince's Mansion. The man next to him was about forty years old, dignified and noble. He should be his father, Prince Huailing. Prince Huailing had a high status in Shanxi. Even when facing the prefect, he would not accompany him. What kind of person could have Lin Xiyuan and the prince by his side?

The passers-by also heard their chattering. Prince Huailing raised his head with oppression in his eyes. The people following the prince waved their hands at them forcefully and slightly. Before Chu Jinyao understood what was going on, the people in the team noticed something was wrong. The person walking in the middle looked up at the sound and slowly looked up at the small building. The April sun was pouring down, and he was wearing an indigo-colored long dress with narrow sleeves, a slender figure, and bright eyes.

Chu Jinyao was caught off guard and met the other person's gaze. She was suddenly startled and the strength in her hands loosened unconsciously.

Qin Yi raised his eyebrows and immediately took a half step back. The wooden frame slammed in front of Qin Yi's clothes, stirring up a cloud of dust.

The face of the Prince of Huailing was completely unbearable. The eunuch beside Qin Yi was startled and rushed forward, shouting in a shrill voice: "How dare you!"

The accompanying officials were also shocked and angry: "How dare you hit His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

Chu Jinyao had completely lost the ability to speak: "I...he...this..."

The people in the Prince of Huailing's mansion glared at Chu Jinyao angrily, and then quickly surrounded Qin Yi and said something nice: "Your Highness the Crown Prince, this is the companion of our county master. She didn't know the Crown Prince, so she accidentally offended Your Highness."

"That's right, the Crown Prince, don't blame me..."

Qin Yi glanced upstairs with a smile. After not seeing each other for a few months, he was really brave. He saw him clearly, but he still dared to throw things at him.

Qin Yi actually saw Chu Jinyao from a distance. She was standing on the attic, talking to a maid with her head leaning over, with a precarious fence behind her. Then, she turned around, looked at him blankly, and then suddenly threw the thing in her hand down.

That moment was really unexpected, but Qin Yi vaguely felt that it was as expected.

The people around him were still chattering and begging for mercy, fearing that Qin Yi would anger the Prince's Mansion because of this. However, in fact, how could Qin Yi be angry with Chu Jinyao? Qin Yi said calmly: "It's okay, it's just a mistake."

The eunuch next to Qin Yi was originally very angry, but when he heard what his master said, his anger seemed to be suddenly blocked by a plug, and he could neither go up nor down. Even the Prince of Huailing was surprised. He asked tentatively, "Your Highness, do you really not care?"

Qin Yi glanced at the Prince of Huailing coldly and walked away first.

The eunuch was stunned for a moment and hurriedly followed him in small steps. He was puzzled as he ran. When did their prince become so good-tempered?

The Prince of Huailing also hurried forward and followed Qin Yi. After passing the attic, the Prince of Huailing turned around and warned the girls with his eyes.

When the prince and the others passed by just now, the girls in the attic also heard it. They didn't have the courage to come out, so they lay on the wooden wall and watched. Now that the people had left, they ran out quickly, touched Chu Jinyao, and asked, "Is that really the prince?"

Chu Jinyao looked confused, and didn't respond to the questions. From such a close distance, she was sure that it was Qi Ze. Or perhaps, he looked exactly like Qi Ze.

And this person, they called him the prince?

The prince?

It was like a bolt of lightning from the blue that hit Chu Jinyao's head, and she was completely confused. Seeing that Chu Jinyao ignored them, the other girls couldn't help but ask again: "What are you thinking about? Did you really almost hit the prince just now?"

Chu Jinyao finally came to her senses and smiled with difficulty: "Probably... yes."

"Ah!" The girls covered their mouths in unison and exclaimed, "Why are you so reckless? How can you bump into His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"

Although they said so, they were actually thinking, why weren't they the ones who were outside just now?

The county lord also grumbled to Chu Jinyao in dissatisfaction. She stretched her neck to look back, and hurriedly pulled the clothes of her personal maid: "What should I do, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is about to leave, and I haven't had time to change my clothes."

Chu Jinmiao also nervously grasped the corners of her clothes, wrinkling her lapels. She really didn't expect that the crown prince of the current dynasty would be so young and so... good-looking. There were so many people traveling with her, all of them were high-ranking officials and nobles, but when they stood next to the crown prince, they were just turned into the background, as if everyone else except the crown prince had lost their color and turned into a gray-white background.

The county lord hurried back to change into bright clothes, and the other beauties also found their own ways to tidy up their appearance. Only Chu Jinyao walked at the end with a distracted look. She held on to the wall and walked slowly on the stairs of the attic, and she was still thinking in her heart that the mysterious man she saw in the Prince's Mansion on Layue was indeed him! Unexpectedly, this person turned out to be the crown prince of the current dynasty.

It makes sense. The prince showed up at the Prince's Mansion without anyone noticing. Now he came to attend the old princess's 60th birthday. But Chu Jinyao didn't care what the prince wanted to do. She was just wondering why Qi Ze looked exactly like the prince.

The author has something to say: Small drama:

About hints

When they came.

People downstairs: crazy winking

Chu Jinyao upstairs: Huh? ? ?

About intentional murder

Chu Jinyao: Be careful not to hit the people downstairs with this pole. Forget it, give it to me, I'll hit it myself.

***

Add a note: Jacaranda is native to America and was only introduced to China in recent years. The time, origin and growth environment in the article are not correct... But it is so beautiful that I couldn't control my hand, so I forced it into the article.