Duan Lan, you underestimate me too much!
He did understand her very well, knowing how high her loyalty to love and marriage was, and how she couldn’t tolerate even a bit of grit in her heart. So this move might not mean much to other women, but for her, it really hit the nail on the head.
But as time passed, he seemed to have forgotten one thing: the one thing she hated the most in her life was being manipulated by others!
What made him think that she, Ji Xinhe, was so weak that she could just obediently wait for her fate to toy with her? She never believed in fate; she only believed in controlling it!
—
As Mu Houchu came out of the room, his eyes suddenly turned cold, and the chill around him almost spread. Ling Feng was guarding the door, and the news the scouts from the capital had brought was already known to him. It was precisely because he knew that he became even more frightened.
He felt wronged in his heart. Just as he had finally managed to calm down their master’s temper by sending Duan Lan away, another big trouble came. There really wasn’t a single day to live well for the subordinates!
"Master." Ling Feng lowered his head and bowed with a clenched fist.
Seemingly calm, his forehead was already sweating.
With an icy voice, Mu Houchu asked, "Has half of Duan Lan’s power in the Imperial Court been removed?"
Ling Feng hurriedly replied, "It has been removed. The Song family of the capital took advantage of the three months Duan Lan was in Yu State and removed half of his trusted aides according to the information provided by the master. Now he has a mess in the capital and it will be hard to recover in less than three to five years."
Mu Houchu’s voice grew even colder: "I see that he’s still jumping around vigorously. It seems that this loss doesn’t mean much to him."
Upon hearing this cold voice, Ling Feng felt a shiver run down his spine. He swallowed and managed to say, "What does the master mean..."
Ling Feng knew it very well. In Yu State, not only did Duan Lan not get any benefits, but he was also played by Mu Houchu and had half of his trusted aides removed. How could that not be considered a loss? It was a heavy loss!
Perhaps it was precisely because of such a heavy loss that Duan Lan tried to retaliate with such a despicable tactic against Mu Houchu.
And now, Mu Houchu probably knew what Duan Lan was thinking and still claimed that it was probably because he didn’t suffer any losses, which meant that he was going to hit Duan Lan even harder.
Seeing his master’s dark expression, Ling Feng knew that Duan Lan had really angered him this time, and it was highly likely... that he would really deal a heavy blow to Duan Lan.
Though, in Ling Feng’s opinion, removing half of his aides in one fell swoop was already a heavy blow...
Mu Houchu coldly commanded, "Has Li Junyan gone back to the capital with Duan Lan?"
Ling Feng hesitated slightly, seemingly not understanding Mu Houchu’s intention. Why bring up that woman?
As Ling Feng spoke, "I heard she was escorted directly back to the capital by Duan Lan."
Mu Houchu lifted his lips with a chilling smile that sent shivers down people’s spines: "Check her current situation for me."
"Yes."
Mu Houchu continued, "Also, carefully investigate the relationship between the Song family in Yu State and Duan Lan in secret. I want to know every detail, and I want the results by tomorrow morning."
Where would Ling Feng dare to delay for even a moment? He readily agreed, "Yes!"
Secretly thinking to himself: This time, Duan Lan, I’m afraid you’re in big trouble!
—
Ever since Xin He learned that the Emperor was granting her marriage, she had been restless. She hardly had the patience to coax Ah Guai, who was very well-behaved, knowing that her mother was upset and not causing a fuss, quietly poking at the fruit in the fruit plate.
Ah Guai had a big appetite and wasn’t picky about food. She would eat anything, and once she started eating, she couldn’t stop. If they wanted to coax her, it was really too simple; just serve her a plate of pastries or even a steaming bun, and her wronged little face would instantly light up.
However, Xin He was also worried that eating too much would make her fat. When she was young, it might not matter, but when she grew up and started to care about her appearance, she would be very uncomfortable looking at the fat on her body. So, she tried not to feed her too much, and on ordinary days, if she wanted snacks, she would give her more fruits instead.
She could quietly nibble on a big apple for half an hour.
Xiao Bei excitedly ran into the pavilion: "Sister! Sister! Some classmates invited me to a poetry gathering. Shall I take Ah Guai out to play?"
Ah Guai loved excitement and wasn’t shy, so Xiao Bei always wanted to take her to join the fun whenever there was an event like this.
Who could have known that as soon as Xiao Bei entered the pavilion, he sensed that something was off. Xiaoyu subtly shook her head, seemingly hinting to Xiao Bei that Xin He’s mood wasn’t good.
Xiao Bei, puzzled, asked, "Sister, what’s wrong?"
Xin He leaned against the balcony railing, rubbing her temple: "It’s just a small matter; it’s nothing. You want to take Ah Guai out? Just watch her closely and don’t let her get lost."
Only then did Xiao Bei laugh and say, "Don’t worry. There are both males and females at this poetry gathering, and Ah Guai is not the only girl. Besides, isn’t our little princess well-known throughout the entire Yu State? She won’t get lost, but sister, why do you always think I’m unreliable?"
Xin He smiled helplessly, "Ah Guai, do you want to go out and play with your little uncle?"
At first, Ah Guai’s eyes lit up, but then she hesitated and said, "Ah Guai will stay with my mother. If my mother is unhappy, Ah Guai will cheer her up."
Xin He pinched her little face, "No matter how unhappy I am, Ah Guai can’t cheer me up. Go out and play with your little uncle."
Ah Guai seemed to understand and nodded, "Right, only daddy can cheer up my unhappy mother!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Bei frowned and asked, "Sister, did brother-in-law make you angry?"
Xin He laughed, "Don’t listen to this little girl’s nonsense. How can he make me angry? Alright, alright, are you going out or not?"
Only then did Xiao Bei feel relieved. As long as it wasn’t her brother-in-law who made her angry, it must be a small matter!
Xiao Bei grinned, "Just wait for brother-in-law to come and cheer you up. Ah Guai, let’s go out and play."
With that, he directly picked up Ah Guai: "Let’s go!"
Ah Guai was overjoyed, "Go play!"
Watching the retreating figures of the tall and the small, Xin He couldn’t help but smile and shake her head, "These two, both children."
Such enviable children.
Xin He couldn’t have such pure and simple thoughts and could only do her best to protect the best world for Ah Guai, not letting her be tormented by wind and rain, and not letting her grow up for a lifetime.
Wasn’t everything she did now for Mu Houchu and Ah Guai?
Thinking of this, her previously gloomy heart brightened considerably. She had never been greedy.
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