Yincha

"Huaizhi is here." The emperor, who was standing in front of the desk in Yu's study with his hands behind his back, heard the footsteps but did not turn around.

Gu Huaizhi bowed his hands without changing his expression, and said to the back of the person in front of him, "Uncle."

When he entered the palace just now, he asked Eunuch Wang why the emperor wanted to see him today, but Eunuch Wang also knew nothing.

The air was silent for a while before the emperor slowly turned around, his brows and eyes serious: "I heard that you and the prince wiped out the Liang Kingdom gang yesterday."

"Yes," Gu Huaizhi noticed that the emperor seemed to be different from the past. He paused and raised the corners of his lips and said, "My nephew and my cousin caught all the thieves yesterday, but we failed to find the mastermind behind the scenes."

It was obvious that the group of people were determined to kill each other, and they were unwilling to reveal the identity of the person behind the scenes.

"I know what's going on. You two deserve to be rewarded." The emperor leaned over and picked up the memorial on the table. "However, Liang State is so rampant. Is Huaizhi willing to help me share my worries and solve the problem?"

Gu Huaizhi lowered his eyes slightly, then smiled calmly and said, "My nephew will do his best to relieve the worries of the emperor's uncle."

"Okay." The emperor nodded slightly, squinting his eyes to observe his nephew's expression, and laughed for a while, "Huaizhi is worthy of being the son of Prince Anqing. With your words, I feel relieved."

Hearing the emperor mention his father, the boy's forehead jumped involuntarily.

The emperor has been wary of the prince's palace over the years because Prince Anqing led his troops to win the great war with the State of Liang many years ago.

And now the emperor suddenly mentioned Prince Anqing, which obviously meant something else.

"As a citizen of the Great Chu, I will naturally be loyal to the Chu." Gu Huaizhi raised his eyes, looked directly into the emperor's eyes which were already somewhat sad, and said with a smile: "Uncle, if you have anything to say, please speak directly. I am listening."

The emperor looked at the high-spirited young man in front of him who looked 50% like his father, and did not speak immediately.

Back then, he and Prince Anqing were good brothers.

However, things have changed now. If the late emperor were still alive, he would probably scold him as a rebellious son.

The emperor looked far away, as if recalling the past: "Your father once brought the head of the Liang general to me in one fell swoop..."

Gu Huaizhi's eyes narrowed slightly, wondering what the emperor was up to.

He had heard about this matter since he was a child.

He didn't know it when he was a child, but he gradually heard some gossip when he grew up. It turned out that the people at that time said that compared with the emperor, Prince Anqing was more suitable to ascend the throne.

Perhaps this was one of the reasons why the emperor was jealous of the Anqing Palace.

Seeing his nephew remained silent, the emperor was not angry, but his eyes darkened: "I can see that Huaizhi has the shadow of your father in the past."

The boy pursed his lips and listened quietly.

"Are you willing, Huaizhi, to follow in your father's footsteps?" The emperor stared at the young man's face closely, as if he didn't want to miss even a single word of his expression.

Gu Huaizhi curled his fingers slightly, then smiled calmly and asked, "Forgive my ignorance for not understanding what the Emperor's uncle meant."

The emperor laughed loudly, then handed the memorial in his hand to the young man: "Take a look."

Gu Huaizhi reached out to take it, lowered his eyes and read carefully, the pitch-black words clearly appeared on the paper.

Before the young man could speak, the emperor said, "I had already chosen someone in mind, but after seeing you today, I suddenly changed my mind."

Gu Huaizhi's eyelids twitched unconsciously, and he heard the emperor continue: "Daliang has repeatedly provoked us, and Huaizhi is very skilled. Are you willing to lead troops to attack Liang like your father did?"

Gu Huaizhi straightened his back, and his slightly raised eyebrows were now tinged with solemnity: "My nephew is terrified and afraid that he will not be able to take on such an important task."

He didn't expect that the guess that had originally popped up in his mind would actually come true.

A war between two countries is no small matter. How dare the emperor entrust him with such an important task?

"You and your son are quite similar. Your father also answered me in the same way." The emperor laughed, but his smile never reached his eyes.

Gu Huaizhi's brows jumped again, then he cupped his hands and smiled, his eyes deep: "If the emperor's uncle is assured, my nephew will definitely do his best."

Since he was a child, he wanted to lead troops into battle like his father.

But the best thing is the peaceful and prosperous times.

If a war really breaks out, not only the soldiers will suffer, but also innocent civilians.

"Your words are enough." The emperor's wrinkled face smiled even more: "I will issue an order immediately. You and General Lu will set off the day after tomorrow. There is no time to lose."

Hearing the word 'the day after tomorrow', Gu Huai was startled, and a strange emotion flashed across his eyes, which were always full of confidence.

It's June.

She was going to get married with another man in half a month, but the emperor suddenly asked her to go to war.

In this case, can he and she...reunite?

Seeing the emperor raised his eyebrows as if waiting for his answer, Gu Huaizhi took a deep breath and said in a heavier tone: "Nephew, I obey your order."

*

The ancestral hall was dimly lit. A woman stood quietly in front of a group of tablets, wondering what she was thinking.

After a while, she finally spoke towards the two tablets: "Sister-in-law, An Ning looks a lot like you."

The person who was speaking was Aunt Fang, who was now finally able to enjoy a peaceful life at home.

Aunt Fang smiled with emotion and said, "She will come to Qiao's house later. I will bring her to you to have a look."

The child was 70% similar to her parents, but if it weren't for the peach-shaped birthmark on An Ning's neck, she would not have believed that such a coincidence could exist in the world.

"Now An Ning and... Wan'er are both engaged." Aunt Fang's eyes were blank for a moment, and then she smiled again: "Wan'er is about to become the Crown Princess, and An Ning is going to marry the man who won the third place in the imperial examination this year."

Although Mu An Ning's marriage was not as good as Mu Wan'er's, she had met the young master of the Tan family once, and found him to be a rare man with a gentle temperament. After marriage, he would naturally put his wife first.

It was thoughtful of the Chongde Marquis's family to find such a marriage for their adopted daughter. It seems that they still care about their past family ties.

But she couldn't understand why they didn't let An Ning return to the Qiao Mansion and reunite with their family.

Well, no matter what, she had to tell her niece everything about her life and meet her today.

Although Mu Wan'er had said before that now was not the right time, everyone knew about this and there was no reason to keep Mu An Ning in the dark.

Aunt Fang sighed inwardly, wiped her husband's tablet herself, and then wiped the tablets of her brother and sister-in-law: "You can rest in peace down there."

Now that Qiao Qingsheng's career is going smoothly, Mu An Ning is about to get married, and Fang Ziweng is studying hard, she has no regrets. It's just a pity that those below can't see it.

It’s strange to say, two living people suddenly disappeared.

Just when tears were gleaming in Aunt Fang's eyes, Fang Ziweng came running over and reminded her, "Mother, mother, Sister An Ning is here!"

Aunt Fang's eyes lit up with joy, and she immediately rebuked him softly, "I've told you so many times not to make loud noises in the ancestral hall."

Fang Ziweng didn't know yet that Mu Anning was his cousin.

I'm afraid her son will be ecstatic later.

Fang Ziweng shrank his neck, then pursed his lips tightly, indicating that he would not do it again.

Aunt Fang shook her head helplessly, then took Fang Ziweng and walked out of the ancestral hall quickly.

*

Mu An Ning was drinking tea when he was led to the front hall by a servant. When he saw the woman, he immediately stood up and said, "Auntie Fang."

The appearance of the Qiao Mansion now is slightly different from when she visited a few days ago, with a few more expensive calligraphy and paintings.

Aunt Fang responded with a smile on her face, carefully observing the girl's pale and thin face, and said distressedly: "Child, you didn't eat well again?"

Aunt Fang frowned and thought for a moment, then clapped her hands and said, "Starting tomorrow, I will deliver meals to Jishitang, okay?"

Looking at my niece's small body, she must be exhausted from staying in the clinic all day.

She had to prepare some medicinal food for her niece to nourish her body, otherwise she would not be able to bear the pain if she got married in the future...

The girl was pulled by the woman to sit down again. She was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Aunt Fang. But I have a good appetite these days, so I won't bother you."

She was right. In previous summers she had indeed lost her appetite, but this year was different.

Seeing the girl pinching her cheeks to show that she had really gained weight, Aunt Fang was amused and laughed.

But Fang Ziweng, who was ignored beside her, puffed up his cheeks in dissatisfaction: "Mother, you are too partial."

The two people who were talking were startled. They only heard the child snort and complain angrily: "I said a few days ago that the food in the school was too bad, but you refused to bring me food."

Mu An Ning and Aunt Fang looked at each other and couldn't help laughing out loud.

Aunt Fang turned around and poked her son's forehead: "You are eight years old now. You should learn to be self-reliant. You have to eat no matter how bad the food tastes."

Fang Ziweng looked at Mu An Ning in disbelief, then looked at Aunt Fang, and muttered, "Auntie, you are lying with your eyes open. Sister An Ning is much older than me..."

Although he said so, Fang Ziweng was not really dissatisfied.

Mu An Ning's heart warmed up, and he couldn't help but look at the smiling woman. The front hall was filled with joy, and Mu An Ning couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

She had once imagined that the atmosphere at home was so relaxed, rather than as oppressive as that in the Marquis' Mansion.

Aside from Mu Wan'er, everyone else was so aloof and distant, not daring to let anyone get even a little bit close to them.

This made her curious about what kind of people her biological parents were, to have raised Mu Wan'er to be so lively and lovely.

In fact, she was a little jealous.

While Mu An Ning was in a daze, Aunt Fang pushed a plate of watermelon brought by the servants in front of the girl and said, "Child, you must be tired after the journey. Have a piece of watermelon to cool down."

Although watermelon is expensive, the Qiao family can finally afford it now, unlike in the past.

If they could recognize Mu An Ning, she thought, they would be able to give her a life no less comfortable than that in the Marquis' Mansion.

Looking at the light pink, dripping melon, Mu An Ning hesitated for a moment before taking it with a smile: "Thank you, Aunt Fang."

This was her first time eating an uncut melon, and for a moment she had no idea where to start.

She was a little scared and lost her composure.

Just as she was thinking about how to eat it without dirtying her face, Fang Ziweng beside her had already started to chew it with relish.

Under Aunt Fang's scorching gaze, the girl finally took a bite.

"Eat more, don't be polite." Aunt Fang breathed a sigh of relief, turned around and took a piece of melon, then took a few bites of it from the plate.

In the past, they couldn’t eat watermelon, so this was the last time they bought one. They ate it directly like this.

Rich families are too particular about food, so it’s a bit tasteless if it’s cut into pieces.

Mu An Ning hummed, feeling awkward at first but gradually relaxing.

She could feel her face was a little wet, probably from the melon juice, but she inexplicably felt that the melon seemed sweeter and more delicious than before.

Seeing her son reaching out to grab the melon again, Aunt Fang quickly moved the plate away and said, "Zi Weng, this piece is for your sister An Ning."

Fang Ziweng knew that his mother would not give in, so he turned to the girl and said coquettishly, "Sister An Ning, I want to eat."

Mu An Ning was about to say that he was full when he heard the woman say, "First, memorize what the teacher taught you yesterday, and I'll have someone cut a piece for you."

Fang Ziweng's eyes widened, and he felt inexplicably guilty.

Mu An Ning laughed and nodded thoughtfully: "Well, what Aunt Fang said makes sense."

"Humph, you two teamed up to bully me!" Fang Ziweng puffed up his cheeks and said, "I'm going to tell my cousin!"

Aunt Fang couldn't hide her smile: "Your cousin will be back home soon."

Her son doesn't know yet, and it's not certain who his cousin is on now.

Thinking of this, Aunt Fang looked at the girl who was wiping her mouth with a handkerchief.

Under the confused gaze of the girl, she couldn't help but speak in advance: "An Ning, actually you are..."