three times

"Your Majesty." The beautiful woman who was concentrating on playing with the cat suddenly brightened up when she saw the person coming.

The empress waved her hand to signal the maids and eunuchs to leave, and then she skillfully took off the emperor's outer robe herself.

She asked in a low voice: "Your Majesty, is that done?"

As she asked, she watched the emperor's expression, but unfortunately she couldn't see any clues.

The emperor sat down calmly and said, "Huaizhi told me that he already has someone in his heart."

The queen's face froze when she heard this, and she couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Which girl is this?"

The emperor did not change his mind because of the queen's reaction. He still calmly picked up the teacup and said, "He never told me that he would marry anyone but her."

In fact, before summoning Gu Huaizhi today, he had already met Prince Anqing, who had politely declined a marriage proposal for his son.

Both father and son are as courageous as ever, yet it is hard to find fault with them.

If he forced a marriage on Gu Huaizhi, rumors that he was not a wise ruler would spread among the people the next day.

The queen couldn't help but frown, and her tone unconsciously carried a hint of suspicion: "From my point of view, the child doesn't look like a woman with a crush on him. Is this an excuse?"

She sent people to inquire, and found out that in all these years, apart from the girl from the Chongde Marquis family, there had been no other woman around Gu Huaizhi.

Now, Gu Huaizhi suddenly said that he had a lover, and she couldn't help but doubt whether it was true or not.

The emperor quietly observed his wife, whose face was ashen, and suddenly put down the teacup heavily: "Empress, why are you suddenly so concerned about Huaizhi's marriage these days?"

Originally, he also thought the Queen's suggestion was very good.

The Liu family has been behaving in a law-abiding manner over the years, making them the perfect people to control the Anqing Palace.

Therefore, even though the Liu family was the empress's maternal family, he simply turned a blind eye and did not comment too much.

The queen's eyes narrowed slightly, and she realized that she had said something wrong, but she quickly regained her composure and said with a gentle smile, "It's because of my niece, who likes Huaizhi very much."

The emperor looked at his wife without comment and said calmly: "The prince is about to get married, you should focus on him. Some things cannot be forced."

I'm afraid the world won't be at peace for much longer, so the most important thing now is to stabilize the Anqing King and his son to prevent them from having any ulterior motives.

*

It is the hour of Xu, the night is as dark as ink, and the bright moon is in the sky like a shining pearl.

When sisters Mu Anning and Mu Wan'er got off the bus and arrived at Wangjiang Street, the place was already bustling with the sound of gongs and drums.

Baoqin and Mu Wan'er's personal maid went back home to report, so only the two sisters were left on this busy street.

Mu Wan'er couldn't help but exclaim in amazement: "So many people!"

She had been feeling bored at home these past few days, and now it was a rare opportunity to see such a prosperous scene, and she couldn't help but feel excited.

Mu An Ning nodded in surprise and agreed with a "hmm".

She also didn't expect that there would be so many people on the street at midnight. The streets were filled with noise and laughter.

Just when the two of them didn't know where to go, they heard the voices of several young men talking.

"The dragon boat race is about to begin!"

"Come on, come on, it's really lively today. I heard that Mingyue Tower will give the winner a year's worth of food and lodging!"

"Really? Then I have to try it too!"

Upon hearing this, Mu Wan'er became very excited. She hurriedly grabbed Mu An Ning's arm and quickly caught up with the crowd.

As they walked, she suggested to Mu An Ning, "Sister, why don't we also participate in the dragon boat race!"

[Accommodation is not important, but the temptation of eating for free for a year is too great. That's Mingyue Tower! ]

[Although I probably won't be able to stay for a year, it's good to be able to get some benefits. ]

Mu An Ning thought about it silently for a moment, and after weighing the pros and cons, she still did not compromise: "Wan'er, I won't participate." She paused, raised the corners of her lips and smiled: "If you want to go, I can wait for you on the side."

Although dragon boat racing sounds fun and can be participated by both men and women, she decided to just watch from the shore.

Perhaps because of her frequent experiences of falling into the water, and the fact that she cannot swim, she now has a deep-seated fear of water.

Recalling the last time I took a boat, it seemed to be at that blind date party.

"Okay, then I won't go either..." Mu Wan'er curled her lips, obviously feeling quite disappointed.

[I originally wanted to experience some unforgettable memories with my daughter...]

【It's not fun to play alone. 】

As the two were talking, they followed the crowd to the riverside.

The lights on the river bank cast light on the water. The breeze blew, causing ripples on the river and glittering waves, like thousands of silver lights dancing on the water.

Mu Wan'er pulled Mu An Ning to the front of the crowd. When she saw the dragon boats, she suddenly became energetic.

On the river, the dragon boats are like giant flying dragons, waiting to flap their wings and dance in the next moment.

The dragon's head is held high as if gazing into the distance, its body is exquisitely carved, and its scales glow in the dark, making it look lifelike.

[Wow, this dragon boat looks kind of cool! ]

[I really want to try it, but is it dangerous for my daughter to stay here alone? ]

Mu An Ning listened to the voice of his heart coming to his ears, his heart moved slightly, and he couldn't help but look sideways at the people around him who were all paying attention to the river.

After a moment of silence, Mu An Ning turned around and said to the girl beside him seriously: "Wan'er, if you really want to try it, then go ahead. I'll wait for you here."

There are so many people coming and going here, there shouldn't be any danger. Even if there is, Mu Wan'er can't protect her.

At least she had the drug powder that could make people dizzy, but Mu Wan'er was unarmed.

If we talk about protecting, she is more like protecting Mu Wan'er.

Mu Wan'er heard this, and a hint of hesitation and confusion appeared on her face: "Actually, I don't think I want to play that much..."

[To go or not to go? This is a question worth pondering. ]

Mu An Ning saw that she was already wavering, so he smiled and pointed to the dragon boats that were about to be filled with people: "Wan'er, this opportunity is rare. If you don't go now, you will be too late."

The dragon boat race was held only once a year, and she didn't want to dampen Mu Wan'er's interest because of her.

Mu Wan'er pursed her lips and looked at the river again, but she suddenly rubbed her eye sockets, as if her attention was attracted by something.

【well?】

[Why does the woman on the river look a bit like Qiu Yueying? ]

Qiu Yueying?

Hearing the name of his brother's favorite person, Mu An Ning was stunned and looked in the direction Mu Wan'er was staring.

On the dragon boat at the back, there was indeed a woman in a purple long dress with a plump and graceful figure standing at the bow.

However, they were quite far away from the river, so it was difficult to see her face clearly.

[No, I have to go find out what's going on. What if the villain is here today and has some conspiracy?]

[Ahem, just trying out what it's like to row a dragon boat. ]

Hearing the big villain, Mu An Ning turned his gaze away without changing his expression and looked around, but there was nothing unusual.

At this moment, a woman on the first dragon boat suddenly shouted, "Is there any other girl willing to join us?"

Mu Wan'er came back to her senses in an instant and raised her hand hastily: "Me, me, me!"

She turned around and said to Mu An Ning, "Sister, wait for me here, I'll be back soon!" Then she ran away.

Mu An Ning couldn't help but nodded with a smile. It could be seen that Mu Wan'er really wanted to try it.

After Mu Wan'er's figure gradually disappeared into the distance, Mu An Ning slowly turned his gaze back to the river, but the woman who looked like Qiu Yueying was no longer visible.

Men and women are divided into two groups, and it seems that they should compete separately.

However, the number of men was obviously much greater than that of women, which was no wonder that the woman's boat was short of manpower.

Soon, Mu Wan'er appeared on the dragon boat filled with women, sitting at the front.

Following the command, everyone on the boat worked together and began to row the dragon boat.

In an instant, the oars split the water surface, leaving streaks of water, and the river water raised waves on both sides of the dragon boat like silver ripples.

When the people watching on the shore saw this scene, they couldn't help waving their arms and shouting loudly.

Cheers and shouts rose one after another, echoing in the night sky.

Mu An Ning was still very close to the river, standing at the front of the crowd, but was squeezed to a corner.

Looking around, the dragon boat that Mu Wan'er was riding was far ahead, and the boat was like a white egret soaring in the sky.

A smile appeared in Mu An Ning's eyes. It seemed that Mu Wan'er would be the first to win the one-year accommodation rights in Mingyue Tower that she had been dreaming of.

"Look, those two are almost here!"

"I bet the first one will win!"

"I'll bet on the second one!"

The competition is drawing to a close, but the enthusiasm of the people is growing, and their emotions are surging like a river.

As the sky grew darker, Mu An Ning felt inexplicably uneasy and wanted to move away from the river, but there was no way to retreat.

Just at this moment, the crowd suddenly started pushing and shoving, and she was actually pushed forward by a force.

The moment he fell into the water, Mu An Ning's mind went blank, but he couldn't say how desperate he was.

Perhaps, she and water really have an unspeakable origin.

Not only did I fall into the water once as a child, but I also fell into the water once when I grew up.

So, this is the third time today.

She closed her eyes tightly and could only feel her body sinking continuously, as if she was being dragged into a bottomless abyss.

In a trance, a voice came to my ears——

Completely different from the ethereal voices that had appeared before, this was a female voice filled with resentment and sadness, like a chilling wind.

"Mu Anning, today is the day you die!"

Before Mu An Ning could wonder, the river water seemed to become even more violent, and without any hindrance, it continuously poured into her mouth and nose, as if it wanted to swallow her completely.

Although she tried her best to hold her breath, she could still feel her whole body being soaked from the inside out by the rushing river water.

She struggled weakly with her hands and feet, but it seemed she was just sinking to the bottom of the river in vain.

That voice was right, today would be the day she died.

Although she couldn't swim, she was fortunately rescued by others the first two times she fell into the water.

But this time when someone fell into the water, it seemed that no one noticed.

But she was unwilling to just disappear in the dark water.

She still has too many unsolved confusions in her heart, many unfulfilled wishes, and many things she wants to do but has not yet done.

That voice filled with resentment came again, and along with the river water, it surrounded her completely.

"Mu An Ning, you have caused me to suffer eternal damnation, and now I am forced to be your sister!"

"You don't know how happy I am when I see you like this."

Mu An Ning's heart shuddered, as she originally thought it was just an auditory hallucination, but the woman became more and more excited as she spoke, as if she really knew her.

But she asked herself, she had never harmed anyone in her life, so why would she harm someone so much that he would never be able to be reborn?

She really wanted to ask who this woman was, and was also curious as to why she had stayed in the water for so long but was still conscious.

While she was thinking, she suddenly felt someone holding her waist tightly.

Could it be that someone came to rescue her?

Mu An Ning bit her lip, and not knowing where she got the strength from, she opened her tightly closed eyes in a daze.

She strained to open her eyes, but did not feel the stinging sensation she had imagined.

In a daze, she met a pair of gray eyes that were as silent as the river water.

But in the sparkling river water, she couldn't see the face of the person coming, she could only vaguely tell that it was a man.

While she was stunned, the man's face gradually approached her.