In the firewood room of the palace, after everyone left, only the people of the Chu family remained.

Chu Huan lowered his eyes and looked at Liu

Ruyan: "You don't have to attend the princess' birthday banquet today." He turned to the guards behind him and said: "Take her back and take good care of her." Liu Ruyan cried and knelt in front of Chu Huan: "Husband, I promise not to make trouble again, please... please don't lock me up!"

Chu Huan gently pinched her chin, and said in a faint voice: "Ruyan, you have made enough trouble. Now everyone in the capital knows that the concubine I, Chu Huan, took is arrogant and stupid."

Liu Ruyan no longer had the arrogance just now, and begged: "Husband, the peach blossom pimples on my face that day were caused by that bitch! Husband! She was the one who hurt me first! It was her!"

Chu Huan said coldly: "The fact that you have eczema due to pollen is only known to your close maid in the mansion. She has never met you before, how could she prepare pollen in advance and sprinkle it on you when you meet by chance?"

Liu Ruyan didn't know how to explain, and could only keep begging: "Husband, even if I did something wrong this time, I beg you, give me another chance..."

Chu Huan lowered his eyes and looked at him, his eyes like water: "Do you know what day it is today, and whose territory you are stepping on?"

Liu Ruyan's lips trembled, Chu Huan shook off her hand and strode out.

The guards beside him lowered their heads and pointed to the door: "Madam, please."

Liu Ruyan looked at Chu Huan's back, knowing that this time was different from any other time, Chu Huan would never forgive her again, never again. Thinking of this, she suddenly sat on the ground, holding her head and crying.

Liu Ruyan sat in the carriage on the way back home, wiping her tears with an embroidered handkerchief, thinking about how to win back Chu Huan's heart.

The carriage suddenly stopped, Liu Ruyan raised her eyes excitedly and pulled open the curtain, thinking that Chu Huan had changed his mind.

Before she could see the scene clearly, she screamed and fainted.

When she woke up again, it was dark in front of her, and there were many broken woods covered with spider webs all around. Looking up, there were several cloth curtains covered with dust and the original color could not be seen.

Liu Ruyan swallowed a few times and wanted to move her hands, but she found that her left hand was tied and her feet were also tied.

She spoke with a trembling voice: "...Who is it?"

A deep and laughing voice sounded: "Miss Liu, don't you remember me?"

The voice was somewhat familiar, but it was not clear.

Liu Ruyan struggled on the spot, looking around, and said sharply: "I tell you! If you dare to do anything to me, the Chu family will not let you go!!"

The wooden door in front of her was suddenly opened, and a dazzling white light suddenly poured in. Liu Ruyan squinted uncomfortably, and saw a tall figure standing against the light, followed by an attendant.

The man walked leisurely and stopped three steps away from Liu Ruyan.

Liu Ruyan raised her head and saw that handsome face, with a mocking smile on his lips.

Liu Ruyan shivered and said, "Xiao Tuo..."

Lian Fei quickly used his sleeve to help Xiao Tuo make a place to sit. Xiao Tuo walked over quickly, crossed his legs, and said lightly, "Miss Liu, do you know who you hit today?"

Liu Ruyan had already seen through his purpose, her face turned pale and she stopped talking.

Xiao Tuo smiled and said, "Miss Liu, are you playing dumb?"

Liu Ruyan asked, "What do you want?!"

Xiao Tuo said calmly, "You slapped her, return it tenfold."

He stood up and looked at her untied hand, "Hurry up. I really don't have patience for you."

Liu Ruyan wanted to stand up angrily, but she couldn't break free from the rope. She stared at Xiao Tuo with bloodshot eyes, "I'm Chu Huan's man! Xiao Tuo, don't bully me!"

Xiao Tuo laughed, "You're relying on Chu Huan to bully me. "If you use the power of the Duke's Mansion to bully her, then I will let you have a taste of what it feels like when I use the power of the Duke's Mansion to bully you."

He walked up to her, his eyes playful: "If you don't slap your ugly face into a pig's head, I will strip you naked and throw you on the street to see if Chu Huan can afford to lose this man."

Liu Ruyan's eyes widened in disbelief, her voice trembling: "Xiao Tuo! ! How dare you! ! "

Xiao Tuo raised his chin towards Lian Fei, and Lian Fei walked forward, put his hands on the woman's chest, and raised his hands to pull it off.

Liu Ruyan cursed at Xiao Tuo: "Xiao Tuo! You son of a bitch will not let you die a good death. If you do anything to me, I will never let you go!!"

"Don't forget your identity," Xiao Tuo frowned in disgust, his voice cold, "you are just a concubine."

Lian Fei had already taken off her coat and was about to raise his hand to take off her lower clothes when he heard the woman crying, "I'll slap her! I'll slap her!"

Lian Fei stepped back. Xiao Tuo looked at her impatiently: "Hurry up."

Liu Ruyan raised her hand tremblingly and slapped herself in the face. Xiao Tuo looked at her coldly: "Were you so weak when you hit her?"

Liu Ruyan looked at Xiao Tuo hatefully, raised her hand high, and slapped herself hard in the face. A red mark instantly appeared on her fair face.

Xiao Tuo sat down again and crossed his legs: "Go on."

The sound of slaps, louder and louder, rang out in the dilapidated house on the outskirts of the city. Xiao Tuo stood aside and watched with a cold smile on his face.

The woman's face swelled twice as big, and blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. Liu Ruyan stopped her numb hand and looked at him: "Is that enough?"

Xiao Tuo stood up and walked in front of her, his eyes concealed with coldness: "You can try, what will happen if you touch a strand of her hair next time."

His eyes were sharp, with undisguised disgust and cruelty. Liu Ruyan couldn't help but tremble all over, and after the figure disappeared at the door, she burst into tears.

After the farce, the long-prepared birthday banquet officially began. Led by the maids of the palace, the Jiang family walked to the side hall, where many female relatives were already seated. When they saw Jiang Yuanyi, they all looked at her, then lowered their heads and whispered.

Jiang Yuanyi sighed silently in her heart, and followed her mother to sit aside.

Today was the second time He Huilan saw Chu Huan since the engagement. She still felt that he was a banished immortal. If she married him, she would be a thorn in the eyes of many girls.

She also went to see the excitement just now. She felt that Jiang Yuanyi helped her solve a big worry.

Chu Huan is already 21 years old this year, and it is common for him to have concubines. But Liu Ruyan was born beautiful and didn't take her seriously. He Huilan had disliked her for a long time. After what happened today, Chu Huan must have grown tired of Liu Ruyan and would definitely ignore her.

As a result, He Huilan found Jiang Yuanyi more pleasing than before.

But this woman was too beautiful, and it was still eye-catching. Jiang Yuanyi was not as vulgar as she had imagined. When she took off her veil, it was as if the curse that sealed her beauty had been removed. Even with a slap mark, she was still so beautiful that people could not take their eyes off her.

With such a tangled mood, He Huilan walked over to Jiang Yuanyi and sat down, and asked with concern: "What's wrong with you, sister?"

Jiang Yuanyi sat upright and said softly: "Didn't Miss He see it just now?"

He Huilan pursed her lips embarrassedly and said: "There were so many people and it was noisy just now. I only stayed outside for a while and then left. I didn't see clearly what happened."

Jiang Yuanyi felt the gazes from all directions that seemed to see through her, and said slowly: "So many young ladies from aristocratic families are talking about it, Miss He should know it clearly after hearing a few words from everywhere."

The atmosphere around was awkward for a moment, and everyone turned their heads.

He Huilan could hardly hold back her smile. She looked at the red marks on Jiang Yuanyi's face and said, "I have a lot of ointments for treating redness and swelling. I'll send them to my sister's house someday."

Jiang Yuanyi nodded lightly, "Thank you, Miss He."

Maids dressed in uniform came in with red lacquer trays. The dishes were rich, bright, and exquisitely presented.

Each table had a maid dedicated to serving the dishes. The maid holding the tray bent her knees slightly, bowed her waist, and lowered her head, moving swiftly.

Soon, the dishes were full. The maid knelt down and bowed, and said softly, "Dear guests, please eat slowly." After that, she stepped back three steps, turned around and left.

Jiang Yuanyi had no appetite for big fish and meat, so she picked up some light dishes and ate a few bites. Then she saw her elder sister had put down her bowl and chopsticks, wiped her mouth gently, stood up and said, "Eat slowly, mother. Rong'er will go out to admire the flowers in the back garden first."

Jiang was eating happily and nodded, "Okay."

Jiang Yuanyi frowned, and seeing her elder sister's face flushed with peach blossoms and her charming appearance, she guessed roughly. She reached out and grabbed her elder sister's hand, saying, "There are many insects in the flowers today, elder sister, please be careful."

Jiang Xirong was stunned, nodded and agreed, "Thank you for reminding me, younger sister."

The woman turned around and left, her steps were still a little hurried.

Jiang Yuanyi sighed, still worried, but it was not easy to follow her elder sister and the man...

Hey...

The man ate in the main hall, Jiang Xirong walked through the corridor next to it, and then walked towards a path in the back garden.

The path was full of various flowers and plants, lush and flourishing. Jiang Xirong walked to the back of the rockery and stopped, then waited shyly.

A light footstep came on the stone steps on the path. Jiang Xirong carefully poked her head out and saw Yuan Jiaqi standing not far away, wearing a moon-white plain fine hemp cloth robe.

When he saw her, his gentle and handsome face blushed a little. Yuan Jiaqi took a few steps forward and the two stood behind the rockery.

The rockery was like a barrier. The thin and tall man stood only one step away from Jiang Xirong. The two had not seen each other for almost half a month. When they met at this time, they didn't know what to say for a while, and they blushed and hesitated.

Jiang Xirong was wearing an apricot-colored dress, with eyebrows drawn and lipstick painted, looking more gorgeous than usual. Her eyes were as bright as autumn water, her cheeks were rosy, and she was so beautiful that Yuan Jiaqi couldn't take his eyes off her.

Jiang Xirong also looked at him secretly. Although Yuan Jiaqi was wearing a simple white cloth dress, he had a cheerful temperament and looked very clean and comfortable.

The atmosphere around them became more and more ambiguous, and the two of them couldn't stay here for long.

Jiang Xirong looked at him in a soft voice, "Jiaqi, how are you preparing today?"

Yuan Jiaqi said in a clear voice, "I'm reviewing my lessons every day."

The girl raised her watery eyes, looking pitiful and lovely. Yuan Jiaqi couldn't help but gently hold Jiang Xirong's soft hand, and said firmly, "Rong'er, you must wait for me. After I pass the imperial examination, I will come to your house to propose marriage immediately."

His palms were warm and dry, and Jiang Xirong's face turned completely red, and she nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.

In the main hall, Yao Kang took a sip of wine, leaned on Gao Mingxuan, and said, "Didn't you see your daughter from the Jiang family just passed by the door?"

Gao Mingxuan took a sip of wine: "What does it have to do with me?"

Yao Kang snorted from his nose, shook his head, and said, "Are you stupid? Everyone knows that this main hall is full of men. She deliberately walked over here. Didn't she tell you to go find her? The girl has taken the initiative, and you are still pretending to be a hypocrite here."

Seeing Gao Mingxuan's face relax, Yao Kang continued, "Just think about the flowers and plants here, they are so pretty. If you go there, it will be so exciting..."

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