What was the prince doing suddenly at the Huailing County Prince's Mansion?

After Chu Jinyao "accidentally" hit the prince, she was taken to the front hall by the panicked servants before she had time to think too much. The old lady had been entertaining guests here not long ago, but now all traces of eating and drinking have been completely wiped out, and new incense has been replaced in the hall, suppressing the atmosphere of the banquet. Old Madam Chu was wearing a forehead guard and had changed her clothes. She brought her two daughters-in-law and many other ladies who were guests, and respectfully and tremblingly bowed to Qin Yi: "I have seen His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Following the old princess's action, the other female relatives also bowed to the ground. Chu Jinyao and several other girls had just returned from the garden. Seeing this scene, they could only hurriedly follow the greetings.

Everyone shouted long live the emperor and knelt down one after another. From the outside, one could only see a sea of ​​heads, among which there was even an elder who was old enough to be Qin Yi's grandmother. However, Qin Yi was not restrained in the face of these. He stood calmly in front of the kneeling crowd, his eyes were calm, and his posture was as straight as a bamboo. The old princess and the princess of the county both changed into formal imperial robes. The county prince, the prince and others behind them also wore rank clothes with patches. Only Qin Yi was wearing casual clothes. Even so, Qin Yi's momentum was not weak at all. On the contrary, because of his nonchalant attitude, he revealed a kind of aloofness of a superior.

It was as if he was born to stand in that position.

Qin Yi nodded gently and said, "Old Princess, there is no need to be polite. Please stand up quickly."

As soon as Qin Yi finished speaking, the eunuch behind him immediately stepped forward and helped the old princess up with great tact. The princess of the county and others behind him also stood up slowly with the help of the maids. After everyone stood up, the old princess said, "Your Highness, how can the Han family be so worthy of your Highness's carriage? When your Highness arrived, why didn't you notify us in advance so that we could go out of the house to welcome you. Today's behavior is really neglectful to your Highness."

Qin Yi said, "The old princess is polite. I heard about the old princess' birthday and came to congratulate her. If I disturbed the old princess and the county prince from preparing for the birthday banquet, it would be a sin."

The old princess was naturally very humble and humble. To be honest, Qin Yi's sudden attack really caught her off guard. Who could have thought that the crown prince would actually go on a tour incognito? It was not until the group entered Taiyuan that someone was sent to pass the news. When the Prince of Huailing heard the news, he was so scared that he didn't even have time to go home. He just hurriedly sent a servant back to report the news, and he went out in his official uniform. When he finally caught up with the prince, the prince refused to make a statement, just said not to disturb the people, and quietly entered the city.

The Prince of Huailing's mansion was not far from Taiyuan. Qin Yi said that he came to celebrate his birthday and didn't want to alarm more people, so he didn't go to Taiyuan to meet the prefect, but went directly to the prince's mansion. What could the Prince of Huailing do? He could only follow the Prince's instructions and enter the palace almost silently without whipping or shouting from the eunuchs.

If the Prince was wearing the Crown Prince's uniform, he would have to be welcomed at the main gate of the palace with great ceremony. However, Qin Yi was traveling incognito, so he didn't care about that. So he went directly from the side door, walked through the garden, and arrived at the main house in front. Prince of Huailing was still comforting himself on the way. It happened that their garden had a good view and few people, so there would be no rude collision. But Prince of Huailing never expected that they would meet a young lady who was visiting the garden on the way, and someone almost hit the Prince!

Prince of Huailing didn't know whether he should be angry or afraid!

Fortunately, the prince did not seem to care much. After the Prince of Huailing and the old princess consort showed some humility to the prince, they respectfully invited the prince to take the main seat. The Prince of Huailing and the old princess consort sat on the side, and the accompanying officials sat below. The Crown Prince Lin Xiyuan stood behind the Prince of Huailing, and the Princess of the County stood respectfully behind the old princess consort. Everyone else followed quietly with their hands in hand and their heads slightly lowered.

In this situation, even the Crown Prince and the Princess of the County were not qualified to sit down, let alone a young girl like Chu Jinyao who had not yet left the palace. They stood at the end, and in front of them were many ladies and wives, and all they could see when they looked up were colorful dresses. But standing at the back also has its advantages. Chu Jinyao lowered her head slightly, letting the ladies in front of her block her firmly, and then she walked away with peace of mind.

Although it is said that men and women should be separated, Chu Jinyao, as an unmarried girl, is not suitable to meet men other than her father and brothers, but a noble of the prince's level obviously cannot be restrained by etiquette. It is a fatal crime that the whole mansion did not come out to greet the prince when he arrived.

Qin Yi sat at the top, listening to the old princess carefully saying some flattering words, he was a little distracted, he just saw Chu Jinyao vaguely, where is she standing now? How come she disappeared in the blink of an eye.

At this time, Chu Jinyao turned around and secretly glanced at Qin Yi from the gap between the ladies. No one noticed her sight through the heavy sleeves.

Chu Jinyao looked at him carefully for several times, but she was thinking in her heart, why are there people in the world who look so similar?

A bold idea suddenly popped up in her mind. Could it be that Qi Ze and the prince are the same person?

Chu Jinyao was shocked by her own thoughts and her face turned pale uncontrollably. She quickly looked around and found that everyone's eyes were focused on the prince in front of her, and no one noticed her. She breathed a sigh of relief.

After calming down, Chu Jinyao was in the mood to think about the truth of this guess.

She pondered carefully for a long time, but still felt that it was unlikely. The prince is a descendant of the dragon and is blessed by the dragon's energy. How could such a living person appear silently in Taiyuan, thousands of miles away, and really end up in the Changxing Marquis' Mansion? Qi Ze appeared at the end of the first lunar month and the beginning of the second lunar month. At that time, the prince was still fighting the enemy at the border. So many people saw it, and the prince didn't have the ability to clone himself, so how could he appear in two places at the same time?

Moreover, Chu Jinyao looked at these two people as an outsider, and felt that Qi Ze and the prince did not have similar personalities. The prince was noble and aloof, and looked aloof from dignity. He was obviously a natural son of the dragon, and he was completely different from Qi Ze's rude and annoying personality.

The most important thing is that the prince is a human being. How could he be a spirit when he is sitting in front of everyone?

Chu Jinyao thought about it for a long time, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that his guess was right. That's it. As for Qi Ze and the current crown prince look alike... maybe the crown prince is a dragon son, born with the blessing of gods, so Qi Ze, the jade pendant spirit, was reincarnated to look like the crown prince.

This idea instantly conquered Chu Jinyao, and she felt relieved and her mood quickly brightened. Chu Jinyao secretly laughed at herself, thinking about nothing and thinking that her jade pendant spirit would be the crown prince. It was really a fantasy, a fool's dream.

Chu Jinyao put down her burden and was in a good mood to observe the people around her. The Princess of the County took the County Mistress to the front, and all the other girls stood at the back, being tightly blocked. Only the County Mistress had the opportunity to show her face in front of the

Crown Prince. The other ladies could not help showing envy and jealousy. Chu Jinmiao kept stretching her neck to look forward. I don’t know what she wanted to see. The Crown Prince sat for a while with the old Princess and the Prince of Huailing. Soon, the accompanying officials suggested that the Crown Prince should rest early because he was tired from the long journey. The old Princess agreed immediately and invited the Crown Prince to stay at the Prince’s Mansion. The Crown Prince declined a few times and then agreed.

When everyone in the Prince’s Mansion heard the news, they couldn’t hide their joy. The Princess of the County was especially happy. She couldn’t hide the pride in her eyes.

The Prince of Huailing and the Crown Prince personally accompanied the Crown Prince to the residence arranged at the back. The old princess wanted to go with them, but was persuaded by the Crown Prince and everyone else.

After the prince and his entourage left in a grand manner, the old princess wiped her sweat, and with the help of a maid, she sat on the bed, panting. Seeing the old princess like this, the other ladies left tactfully. The prince's sudden arrival disrupted the pace of many people, and the ladies also needed to hurry home to prepare.

After only the family members were left in the house, the old princess asked the princess of the county: "Is that courtyard really ready? Don't miss anything and neglect His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"Don't worry, mother. As soon as I received the news, I sent someone to clean up Huazhang Courtyard in the back. We built this courtyard originally to prepare it for the crown prince. Although the crown prince later sent a message saying that he could not come, I did not delay the repair of Huazhang Courtyard. Now it is ready, and finally my effort was not in vain."

The old princess nodded: "You did a good job. If you hadn't prepared it in advance, we would have been rude today." The princess

of the county smiled happily. She cared so much about Huazhang Courtyard in the beginning, wasn't it because she wanted her daughter to become the crown princess, that's why she was so devoted to everything for the crown prince. Originally, according to the rumors last year, it was impossible for the prince to come to Taiyuan for a temporary stay. Unexpectedly, the prince really came to their Prince's Mansion and stayed here for a few days.

It really was a piece of cake. Although the Princess of the County was standing here, her mind had already flown back. The Princess of the County could not help but wonder, how should she dress Baozhu to attract the attention of the prince? Too light would be embarrassing, and too bright would seem deliberate. Now, even the Princess of the County was in a dilemma. While the

old princess and the Princess of the County were talking, Chu Jinyao and the other girls stood outside the partition and listened. The old princess and the Princess of the County discussed eagerly for a while, and the more they talked, the more they felt that it was urgent. The Princess stood up herself, came out and pulled the County Master into the house. She held the County Master's hand, saw them, and smiled perfunctorily: "You are still standing. You have been busy all day and you are tired. Go back and have a rest."

Chu Jinyao wanted nothing more than that. She immediately put her hands down and said goodbye, then walked out with her maid. But Chu Jinmiao was very unhappy. She was hesitant and refused to leave.

She didn't want to leave! On weekdays, they were always detained and made to accompany the County Master all day. Now that they have to discuss serious matters, they are driven away? Chu Jinmiao was very reluctant and hesitated for a long time without moving. However, she didn't dare to openly disobey the Princess. In the end, she pouted and followed everyone out.

The Princess of the County watched them leave with a smile on her face. The Princess of the County had lived for so many years, how could she not understand Chu Jinmiao's little thoughts? She was just too lazy to point it out. The old princess originally disagreed to let Chu Jinmiao come in as a companion, but it was the Princess of the County who insisted, and Chu Zhu tried her best to guarantee that it was successful. The Princess of the County knew that Chu Jinmiao was a girl with evil intentions and many tricks, but so what? With the Princess of the County around, how could a little girl like Chu Jinmiao turn the world upside down? Instead, it would be better to put such a whetstone next to the county lord to sharpen his claws.

The Princess of the County glanced at Chu Jinmiao's back with a little sarcasm, and inevitably, her eyes swept over Chu Jinyao.

The princess' smile froze for a moment. Unlike her mother-in-law, she liked Chu Jinmiao, but she had never wanted to keep the fifth girl with her daughter. They entered the mansion at the same time, and not long after, Baozhu preferred to be close to Chu Jinyao, and even the servants in the mansion had a good opinion of Chu Jinyao. Such behavior, coupled with Chu Jinyao's face, could not help but make the princess feel uncomfortable.

"Mother, what are you looking at?" The county lord pulled the princess' sleeve and asked in confusion.

The princess came back to her senses and smiled at her only daughter, "It's nothing, mother is thinking about something. You don't have to worry about these, mother will arrange everything for you." The

county lord was relieved when he heard it, and thought about how he would have fun. The Princess looked at her carefree daughter and thought to herself, it's okay, Zhu'er is still young, let her be happy for a while, it's not too late to teach her later.

After Chu Jinyao returned to her own yard, she calmly asked Kikyo to bring her a cup of hot tea. Today's events were one after another, and she stood for a long time, her waist was sore.

Platycodon replaced the hot water, Linglong offered the new tea to Chu Jinyao. Seeing Chu Jinyao drink half a cup, she couldn't help but asked, "Miss, don't you have any thoughts about what happened today?"

Chu Jinyao looked up at Linglong: "What should I think?"

Linglong was speechless for a moment: "That's not what I meant... But, we met the prince today!"

"So what." Chu Jinyao thought, I even looked at the prince and almost threw something at him.

Naturally, Chu Jinyao would not mention this matter on her own initiative. The old princess had a lot of things to do today and forgot about it for a while. If she mentioned it again, wouldn't she be asking for trouble?

"Miss, the prince is here, we..."

"Linglong." Chu Jinyao slightly raised her voice, her eyes as if with substance, staring at Linglong, "It's good to have ambition, but if you only have ambition but don't have the means and status to match it, that's a joke."

Chu Jinyao put down the teacup, not only talking to Linglong, but also to the palace nanny and Kikyo in the room: "What is our status, what grandma asked us to do, you should know better than me. The old princess and the princess of the county are good to us, probably because of the status of the county master's companion. Once we cross this line, what do you think the princess of the county will do?"

Linglong had understood, she knelt down and kowtowed, saying: "I understand, it was the ghost that bewildered me and almost went astray. Thank you for reminding me, Miss."

"It's good that you understand." Chu Jinyao didn't plan to punish Linglong severely. Seeing that she had figured it out, he let Linglong stand up. When you are out, it is most important for your people to be united. Moreover, two fists cannot beat four hands. Chu Jinyao still has to rely on Linglong, so he will not make trouble for his own people at this juncture.

After Chu Jinyao criticized Linglong, he never mentioned this matter again. The excitement outside in the past few days also made Chu Jinyao forget about this little episode. Originally, the old princess of Huailing County Prince's Mansion's birthday celebration was a big event, and now the prince has arrived, and the whole Taiyuan is boiling because of this. From the second day after the prince arrived, the number of people who came to give gifts to the old princess has risen a level. This time, it was not the housekeeper who came, but all the head of the family. After putting down the gifts and saying a few birthday greetings to the old princess, the old masters would always go to the prince's residence to pay their respects to the crown prince.

Even Chu Jinyao's acquaintances came, and the big shopkeeper Wei of Yunzhixiu Manor also visited in person with his son. Shopkeeper Wei had almost no contact with the Huailing County Prince's Mansion, and he came to congratulate the birthday at this time, and his intention was really obvious.

Because he knew that Chu Jinyao was also in the Huailing County Prince's Mansion, Shopkeeper Wei brought this month's dividends with him, and he also came with a completely unexpected person.

Chu Jinyao received the message from the servants and almost thought she had misheard. She couldn't help asking again: "What did you say?"

"Fifth Miss, Wei, the shopkeeper, said he had something for you. Because of limited time, he couldn't come to see you in person, so he asked a lady named Su in the store to come over."

Chu Jinyao stood up and her voice was trembling with excitement: "Where is she?"

"She has come in from the west gate and is probably on the way now."

Chu Jinyao was overjoyed. She hurriedly said: "Linglong, prepare some loose change for this sister and treat her to some fruits." She didn't even have time to stay and say anything polite. She ran out with her skirt lifted.

Chu Jinyao ran all the way out and really met Su Hui on the way. When Chu Jinyao saw the familiar figure, her eyes immediately became wet.

"Sister!"

Su Hui also saw Chu Jinyao. She took two quick steps, held Chu Jinyao's hand and looked at her for a moment, then scolded her: "Why did you run out? There are people coming and going here, and you don't know the way. Aren't you afraid of being kidnapped?"

"How could it be!" Chu Jinyao knew that Su Hui always had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. She didn't get angry. She held Su Hui's hand and said with a smile, "I heard that you came with Manager Wei. I couldn't wait, so I came out to find you. It just so happened that I found you."

Su Hui smiled and said, "Since I have come from so far away, I must see you before leaving. Okay, let's go back first. Others have to walk here. We shouldn't stand here."

Chu Jinyao happily took Su Hui's arm and walked towards the courtyard. On the way, she whispered to Su Hui about the situation. Last winter, Chu Jinyao asked Wei the shopkeeper to look for Su Hui. Later, Su Hui's husband came with Wei Liang. After confirming the truth of the news, Su Hui's family moved from the countryside to Taiyuan. Chu Jinyao knew that Su Hui had come, but she was in the Changxing Marquis's mansion, and it was not easy for her to go out or let Su Hui in. Later, she was sent to the Huailing County Prince's mansion to accompany her to study, and it was even more difficult for them to meet.

Unexpectedly, this time, Wei the shopkeeper was so thoughtful that he even brought Su Hui with him. It has been more than a year since Changxing Marquis took Chu Jinyao away, and this is the first time the sisters have met.

Chu Jinyao sometimes sighed that although she had a poor relationship with her parents, the two sisters she met were very good to her. Her biological sister Chu Jinxian was gentle and dignified, and had the demeanor of a noble family, which helped her gain a foothold in the Changxing Marquis's Mansion. However, her adopted sister Su Hui had a hot temper and was unreasonable, but she was a person with a hard mouth and a soft heart. Chu Jinyao truly trusted and liked these two sisters.

Chu Jinyao and Su Hui met again after a long separation, and they became happier and happier as they talked. They talked and laughed all the way and were in a very good mood. When they just walked to the gate of the yard, they suddenly saw a person coming towards them.

Seeing the newcomer, Chu Jinyao's smile faded immediately. Only Su Hui asked in confusion: "What's wrong? Who is this girl? Aren't you going to say hello to her?"

Behind Chu Jinyao, Platycodon bowed: "Hello, Fourth Miss."

Fourth Miss? Su Hui was a little puzzled. Why did Chu Jinyao's expression suddenly become ugly? Since they were sisters from the same mansion, how could she be so cold to him? She had returned to her original family. She should have a good relationship with her family. How could she offend others casually?

Su Hui was about to pinch Chu Jinyao secretly, but suddenly Su Hui remembered that Chu Jinyao was the Fifth Miss.

Fourth Miss, Fifth Miss.

At this time, Su Hui couldn't help but turn her head to look at Chu Jinmiao's face, and immediately understood.

This must be the girl that the Su family secretly swapped, and also her biological sister.

Su Hui was embarrassed now, and didn't know what to say. After Chu Jinmiao saw the two of them, her face was contemptuous and cold, and she walked away without even saying hello. After they walked away, Chu Jinmiao asked: "Who is the person wearing servant's clothes? Why did they let such a person into the backyard?"

Chu Jinmiao did not lower her voice when she spoke, and it was obvious that she was talking to them. The maid whispered something in Chu Jinmiao's ear, and Chu Jinyao and Su Hui both heard Chu Jinmiao sneer, and then walked away without looking back.

Su Hui felt cold in her heart. Chu Jinyao was afraid that Su Hui would be embarrassed, so she quickly said, "Sister, don't bother with her."

Su Hui held Chu Jinyao's hand and said, "Let's talk inside. This is not the place to talk ."

After entering the house and sitting down, Chu Jinyao looked at Su Hui and said carefully, "Sister, Chu Jinmiao is like that. Her words are always sharp. She is uncomfortable unless she is sarcastic. You don't have to pay attention to her."

"I know." Su Hui looked at Chu Jinyao and seemed to sigh. "To be honest, the Su family didn't do anything except give birth to her. For so many years, other people have provided her with food and clothing. She didn't recognize me. I actually expected it a long time ago." She

just didn't expect Chu Jinmiao to be so repulsive to her biological family.

Chu Jinyao didn't know what to say. She was in a delicate position in this matter. It would be inappropriate to say anything. She simply kept silent and silently held Su Hui's hand. Su Hui was sad for a while, but soon cheered up: "Forget it, let's not talk about her. She doesn't want to see us, her commoner relatives, and thinks we are embarrassing her. Then I will just pretend that I don't have this sister. In the first place, we haven't been together for a day, so why force any relationship?"

Chu Jinyao was surprised by Su Hui's openness, but after thinking about it carefully, today was the first time Su Hui and Chu Jinmiao met. Chu Jinmiao actually said such words in front of Su Hui. Who wouldn't be chilled? Originally, they were strangers with no feelings. Chu Jinmiao was unwilling to acknowledge her, and Su Hui might not be willing to do so. How could one expect Su Hui to tolerate Chu Jinmiao's behavior unconditionally like Zhao Shi did?

Chu Jinmiao severed the fate between herself and her biological sister with her own hands. Who knows, Chu Jinmiao herself might even wish for it. Chu Jinyao

was too lazy to pay attention to such a person and affect her mood for no reason. She and Su Hui talked about what happened after they broke up, Yunzhi Embroidery Shop, and whether selling ready-made clothes would work. The two sisters had so many topics to talk about, why should their mood be ruined by Chu Jinmiao, this ungrateful person?

Later, when the conversation got excited, Chu Jinyao took out all the dresses she made in her spare time and showed them to Su Hui one by one.

Su Hui carefully looked at the stitches and the direction, and finally said: "Your method of sewing ribbons and tassels on the pleats is novel. Although it is more troublesome to make pleats this way, it can be done with more effort. I roughly remember how to do it. I will try it with scraps of fabric when I go back. If it works, it will definitely sell well."

Both of them were used to it when they were young, and they were particularly enthusiastic about making money.

Chu Jinyao casually asked, "Sister, how are you doing recently? Do you have enough money?"

Su Hui was slightly startled and trembled a few times. Su Hui secretly looked at Chu Jinyao's profile and found that her skin was fair and her eyes were clear. It was obvious that she was doing very well. Su Hui's heart settled down. Chu Jinyao finally returned to her family and now she is doing so well with her own efforts. Don't tell her these troubles.

Su Hui finally shook her head and said, "Nothing, everything is fine. What does the needlework you just mentioned look like?"

Chu Jinyao wanted to ask in detail, but when she heard Su Hui asking about business, she did not dare to be careless and immediately demonstrated it carefully again. In this way, the topic was naturally changed.

Chu Jinyao and Su Hui discussed enthusiastically for a long time, until it was getting dark and Su Hui would not be able to return to the city in time if she did not leave, so they said goodbye reluctantly. Chu Jinyao

accompanied Su Hui and waited in the aisle until Wei, the shopkeeper, came over and they harnessed the carriage to return to the city together. Chu Jinyao stood for a while and couldn't help asking, "Sister, why did the big shopkeeper Wei come this time? To be honest, it's always the small shopkeeper Wei Liang who comes to deliver things, and I haven't seen the big shopkeeper yet."

"To celebrate the princess' birthday, shouldn't the big shopkeeper come?" Su Hui wasn't quite sure either. She said, "In fact, I haven't seen the big shopkeeper Wei very much. I heard that he has a lot of industries, and he disappears every day. I just hang around in the embroidery manor every day. If it weren't for meeting you today, I'm afraid I wouldn't have seen the shopkeeper Wei."

Chu Jinyao nodded, and felt that this man was more mysterious: "Shopkeeper Wei is really strange. But it's not surprising that he can do such a big business and act strangely."

Su Hui nodded. She only helped in the store and came out to entertain female customers. Even so, she could feel the horror of the Wei family's wealth. Chu Jinyao received dividends every month, and he felt it more and more intuitively.

Su Hui didn't know the relationship between Chu Jinyao and Wei the shopkeeper. She thought that this was a share of the Changxing Marquis's Mansion, and it was finally distributed to Chu Jinyao, so she didn't think it was strange. The two of them chatted while waiting, and stood for a long time, but there was still no sign of Wei the shopkeeper. The servants who were sent out ran several times, and they all said that Wei the shopkeeper was busy and could not be seen.

"What is he busy with? I can't even see him?"

Su Hui said, "Wait a little longer. If you are tired of standing, go back first. I can wait by myself."

"How can I do that?" Chu Jinyao insisted on accompanying Su Hui. She secretly muttered in her heart, "Shopkeeper Wei has no dealings with the Huailing Palace. What is Shopkeeper Wei doing here? And why is he staying here for so long?"

Fortunately, Shopkeeper Wei may have realized that it was getting late. Not long after, he hurried over and took Su Hui and the others back. Chu Jinyao watched them leave the second gate before reluctantly walking back.

The next day was the old princess's official birthday. The Huailing Palace was extremely lively. The banquet lasted for three days. There were servants at the front and back doors throwing candy and silver coins to passers-by. The crowd was noisy and the opera troupe sang from morning to night. Because the prince was present at this birthday banquet, more and more important people came to congratulate. There was a servant at the door who was responsible for reading the gift list. His loud and long voice rarely rested during the day. This is what it means to have a real crowd of guests.

There were so many people that no matter whether they were guests or hosts, they were dazzled and naturally had no time to pay attention to who was there. During this time, the prince received many people in the name of birthday congratulations.

On the last day of the banquet, in the afternoon, a stage was set up in the back garden, and the old princess brought a group of guests to watch a play on the stage. The stage was set up in the center, surrounded by pavilions. The prince, the crown prince and other male guests sat on one side, and the old princess and the ladies sat on the other side.

Chu Jinyao was not very enthusiastic about these. She sat in her seat, daydreaming as usual to pass the time, and suddenly someone nudged her elbow.

"Why are you still daydreaming!" The county lord stared at Chu Jinyao unhappily.

Chu Jinyao came back to her senses and felt puzzled: "What's wrong?"

The county lord moved his lips, but finally said nothing. He directly grabbed Chu Jinyao's arm and pulled her out: "I want to go out for some fresh air, you come with me."

"If you want to go out, let Sister Yang accompany you. I'm too lazy to walk."

"No, you have to go if I tell you to."

Chu Jinyao frowned and didn't like the county lord's attitude. Among the three study companions, Chu Jinyao didn't know how she got the favor of the county lord. The county lord liked to pull her along. Chu Jinmiao and Yang Qixia were jealous of this, but Chu Jinyao herself felt uncomfortable. The county lord did this, probably mostly because of her life experience, right? There are rich girls everywhere, but a girl who was born by mistake and grew up in a peasant family is a rare commodity. The county lord treats her like a rare toy most of the time.

But this lady is the princess's treasure, so who cares if the county lord is not a good person? Chu Jinyao had no choice but to stand up with the force of the county lord, and said, "Okay, don't talk anymore, I'll go out with you."

Chu Jinmiao had been paying attention to Chu Jinyao vaguely. She saw Chu Jinyao stand up from the corner of her eyes. On the surface, she was calm. As soon as Chu Jinyao went out, she immediately leaned over to ask Yang Qixia, "What did the county lord and Chu Jinyao go out for?"

Yang Qixia glanced and said casually, "I don't know. I think I saw the prince go out just now. The county lord and the others may also feel bored and go out for some fresh air."

Chu Jinmiao said "Oh", but in her heart, she said that they followed the prince out.

Chu Jinmiao sat patiently for a while, and then quietly got up and went downstairs.

After Chu Jinmiao walked away, Yang Qixia glanced at her back expressionlessly.

Chu Jinyao was pulled by the county lord, and the more she walked, the more she felt something was wrong. Later, she simply stopped and looked at the county lord vigilantly: "County lord, what are you going to do?"

"I came out to get some fresh air and some fresh air."

"The garden is so big, you can go anywhere to get some fresh air, why are you walking in this direction?"

Chu Jinyao's eyes were stern, and the county lord was frightened by her eyes, and said weakly: "I just saw the prince came out, don't you want to see what kind of person the prince is? Let's sneak over and take a look, just one look is enough!"

"You're crazy!" Chu Jinyao exclaimed, "Do you know what crime you'll be charged with if you're discovered?"

The county lord pouted nonchalantly, "No one will find out anyway, I just took a look, what's wrong?"

Chu Jinyao was so angry that she grabbed the county lord's wrist and tried to pull her back, "I can't reason with you anymore, so let the princess come." The

county lord was furious and shouted in a coquettish voice, "How dare you!"

"Do you think I dare?"

The county lord was so angry that she jumped up and down. She held on tightly and refused to leave. She turned around and scolded the maid who was accompanying her: "Are you all blind? Can't you see that she is committing treason? Be careful, I will tell my mother and let her buy you all into the kiln!"

Chu Jinyao became even angrier when she heard this. What kiln? Is this something a young girl should say? A maid who looked like a head maid behind the county lord said: "County lord, what Miss Chu Wu said makes sense. It is not in accordance with the rules for you to secretly meet with a man outside the family. Go back first."

"How dare you!" The county lord was so angry that she trembled all over. "Who are you? How dare you lecture me?" As she said that, she suddenly lowered her head and opened her mouth to bite Chu Jinyao's hand.

Chu Jinyao was caught off guard and felt pain in his wrist. The strength in his hand loosened immediately. The county lord took the opportunity to run out, spat at Chu Jinyao angrily, then turned around and ran forward.

The county lord's maids were all shocked. Since the county lord ran far away, how could they care about Chu Jinyao's life or death? They immediately ran after their master.

Chu Jinyao was furious. Linglong really didn't expect that the county lord could do such a thing. She held Chu Jinyao's hand distressedly. There were two rows of teeth marks on Chu Jinyao's white and tender wrist, and some edges were still bleeding. Linglong was so angry that she wanted to scold Lin Baozhu: "What kind of person is this? You are so old, and you still bite people?"

"Linglong, stop talking." Chu Jinyao frowned and endured the pain in her wrist, shaking her head, "If people hear us, we will suffer. Don't say such things."

Linglong couldn't understand this truth, but she was so angry to see that her own girl was bitten by the arrogant and brainless county lord of the palace for trying to persuade others. Linglong said: "Girl, bear with it for now. I will go back to get the medicine, and then accompany you to find the old princess. The old princess is sensible and will not sit idly by."

Chu Jinyao smiled and shook her head. Even if the old princess was sensible, could she help outsiders? A lady of high rank actually bit someone. How embarrassing it was. Would the old princess help her? I'm afraid the first person to suppress the news and keep the peace would be the old princess.

Chu Jinyao did not respond, but said: "You go to the theater first and report the matter of the county lord to the princess or the old princess. If the prince is offended, things will get out of hand. The county lord is willing to die, we can't die with her."

Linglong hesitated: "But, young lady, your injury..."

"It's okay, just a superficial wound." Chu Jinyao said, "You go find the old princess or the princess of the county first, no matter who it is, the most important thing is to stop the county lord first."

Linglong still hesitated, and finally she made up her mind and said, "Miss, you sit here first, don't move, just bear it for a while. This is not far from our yard, I will run back to inform Kikyo, let her come to apply medicine for you, and then I will go to the theater to inform the old princess."

This is the only way, Chu Jinyao nodded and said, "Okay, be careful on the road."

Linglong helped Chu Jinyao sit in the pavilion, and then ran away quickly. Chu Jinmiao followed secretly behind, and had already sent a maid to ambush in front to see Chu Jinyao's whereabouts.

The little maid hid behind the grass and looked around for a long time. Before she could figure out what was going on, she saw Linglong running over. The little maid was startled and quickly retreated.

When the little maid ran back, Chu Jinmiao hurriedly asked: "What's the matter? What happened in front?"

The little maid panted and said: "I didn't see the county lord, I only saw the fifth lady sitting in the pavilion, and her hand seemed to be injured. Her maid took care of the fifth lady and ran out by herself."

Chu Jinmiao's mind moved, and she guessed that Linglong probably ran out to seek medical treatment. Chu Jinmiao sneered and said, "What a loyal maid! She ran away when her master was injured. Let's go and deal with this ignorant maid for our fifth sister."

Linglong was worried about Chu Jinyao who was alone, and wanted to go back quickly to call Jiegeng out. Unfortunately, the more anxious she was, the less she could do. When she was still some distance away from the yard, Linglong was stopped by Chu Jinmiao.

"Hey, isn't this Linglong next to the fifth sister?" Chu Jinmiao said with a smile, "Why are you here? Where is the fifth sister?"

Linglong was not happy to see Chu Jinmiao, but she still lowered her head and said politely, "The fifth sister is a little tired, so she will take a rest in front. I will come back to get something for her."

Linglong did not dare to tell Chu Jinyao that her hand was injured, for fear that Chu Jinmiao would have bad intentions after hearing it. But Linglong did not know that Chu Jinmiao had already known it.

Chu Jinmiao smiled and said, "I thought it was something serious, but it turns out I just came back to get something. By the way, the princess wants to take the county lord with her, so take me to see the county lord."

Linglong immediately raised her head and bit her lip angrily, "I'm afraid I can't obey your order, the fifth lady is still waiting for me to report back."

"Hey, you don't even listen to me?" Chu Jinmiao said without giving in, "How dare you disobey the princess' order?"

Linglong was so angry that she kept looking into the yard, but even at this short distance, she had no way to do anything. In the end, Linglong could only say in secret hatred, "I dare not."

At this time, Chu Jinyao didn't know that Linglong had been forcibly taken away. She sat in the pavilion. After a while, the sky darkened. A flash of lightning passed through the dark clouds, followed by thunder.

Chu Jinyao looked at the sky outside and murmured, "It's going to rain."

She sighed, "I don't know where Linglong has gone. Don't let the rain stop her. According to the time, she has already arrived at the yard. I think Jiegeng will be here soon."

Chu Jinyao could only sit in the pavilion and wait. The spring rain came as soon as it came. A cool breeze filled with moisture blew by, and soon the rain poured down.

Chu Jinyao was getting colder and colder. She couldn't help but stand up and look at the rain curtain: "Why hasn't Kikyo come yet? Did she encounter an accident on the way?"

She was getting anxious when she suddenly heard a voice coming from outside the rain curtain: "Master, there is a pavilion here. Please take shelter here for a while."