Chapter 51 Childhood Connection
"Let me go first, I'll go explain to my little sister," Ye Mingzhu coaxed.
“Okay.” Sheng Yunche nodded, then added, “Benefits.”
Ye Mingzhu: "..."
She lowered her head and kissed the man's handsome face.
He glanced at her with his phoenix eyes, seemingly somewhat dissatisfied, but ultimately released her.
...
To Ye Mingzhu's surprise, when she found Ye Baozhu, the little girl was shy, but her eyes were full of joy.
"Sis, you said before that you and your husband had a good relationship, and I was worried that you would only tell me the good news and not the bad. Now it seems that it really is very good, hehe."
Ye Mingzhu paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Yes, we are doing well, but you mustn't talk about it when you get back."
"Mmm-hmm." The little girl nodded hurriedly, covering her mouth, "I listen to my older sister the most, I definitely won't say anything nonsense."
Ye Mingzhu affectionately patted her head, her heart melting.
Her marriage to Sheng Yunche was merely a partnership. Now, he was lusting after her body and was willing to put on a show for her, but she didn't know how long it would last.
Perhaps because Baozan and the others were afraid that her marriage wouldn't last, they still haven't changed their way of addressing her and continue to call her "Miss".
She could never tell these things to her family, and Ye Baozhu's "misunderstanding" was exactly what she wanted to see.
Once Ye Baozhu is won over, it's even easier to persuade the little brat Ye Cheng.
I gave him a bag of pine nut candy and explained that his aunt and uncle were playing a game, and he happily went off to play with his little wooden sword.
Ye Mingzhu breathed a sigh of relief.
Suddenly, Baozan led the quiet and refined Sheng Wan'er over.
Sheng Wan'er gave a curtsy and said shyly, "Sister-in-law, I heard that your younger sister and nephew from your family have come. I made some pastries myself. I wonder if they will like them."
Ye Mingzhu smiled and took her hand: "You'll definitely like it. Both of them are gluttons. Come on, I'll take you there."
She then instructed Baozan to prepare more fragrant drinks and snacks in the small kitchen, and to bring over the chilled bird's nest soup that she usually used.
Sheng Wan'er quickly said, "Sister-in-law, there's no need to be so polite."
"Don't mention it. This is your first time visiting." Ye Mingzhu smiled, pursing her lips.
She agreed to Princess Ronghua's request and would take Sheng Wan'er to banquets more often in the future, so that people would know that the Duke of Wei's mansion had a good girl waiting to be married.
At the same time, she also wanted to take Ye Baozhu out to see more of the world.
Both girls are clever and lovely; it would be even better if they could become close friends.
...
On this day.
The first rays of dawn were just beginning to break through the sky, and the dew on the grass blades was still wet.
Five carriages slowly drove out of the side gate of the Duke of Wei's mansion, heading towards Yunxi Shangbieyuan in the suburbs of the capital.
In the lead carriage sat Sheng Yunche and Ye Mingzhu, while behind them were several blue cloth carriages carrying maids and servants, as well as some travel luggage.
The journey was smooth until they were almost at the villa, when suddenly a series of rapid hoofbeats came from outside.
Ye Mingzhu lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside, only to see a group of Imperial Guards galloping towards them on horseback.
They were all tall and strong, exuding a fierce aura. The hems of their dark robes billowed like dark clouds pressing down on the city, causing pedestrians on the official road to turn their heads and avoid them at all costs.
Upon seeing the black iron masks on the faces of the Imperial Guards, Ye Mingzhu blurted out, "Wei Ji's Ghost Mask Army."
"You know Wei Ji too?" Sheng Yunche suddenly asked, his voice, full of interest, was particularly clear in the quiet carriage.
Ye Mingzhu turned to look at him and couldn't help but ask, "How could I not know Wei Ji, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who is known as one of the 'Black and White Duo' alongside you?"
Sheng Yunche chuckled and raised an eyebrow, asking, "Then who do you think is more ruthless, me or him?"
You know you're vicious?
Ye Mingzhu said helplessly, "I only know you, and I've never had any dealings with him, so how can I make a comparison? But..."
"But what?" Sheng Yunche pressed.
Ye Mingzhu really wanted to say, "Anyway, you're not a good person," but then she thought about it again and realized that Sheng Yunche was treating her quite well for the time being.
He then changed the subject, saying, "Actually, I had a little connection with the Ghost Face Army when I was young."
"Speak." Sheng Yunche sat up straight, seemingly intrigued.
Ye Mingzhu said with a smile, "When I was six years old, I went out with my family to see the lanterns. When we got to Huang'en Bridge, there were so many people that the servants were scattered. My father was holding me and was pushed to the side of the bridge. He was bumped and lost his balance, so I fell into the water from his arms."
“I was terrified at the time, and I cried loudly and choked on water several times. My father can’t actually swim, but because he was worried about my safety, he jumped into the water to save me, which scared my mother and older brother so much that they also cried loudly.”
“Back then, a young man from the Imperial Guard wearing a mask saved me and my father. He was a very kind person. When he saw me crying so badly, he gave me a mint candy. The candy was cool and refreshing. At that time, I was soaking wet, cold, and scared. It gave me a shiver, and I still remember it vividly.”
After saying this, Ye Mingzhu's eyes were full of gentle smiles. She turned to look at Sheng Yunche, only to find him staring at her in a daze.
"Lord Duke? Are you listening to me?"
“…Hmm.” Sheng Yunche coughed lightly and then asked, “Because you were saved by the Ghost Face Army, everyone says Wei Ji is bad, but you think he’s a good person?”
Ye Mingzhu smiled and said, "I don't know if they are good people or not, but they are certainly not bad people, right? The Embroidered Uniform Guard has a terrible reputation, but they also work for the Emperor."
"Hmm," Sheng Yunche responded indifferently.
Ye Mingzhu suddenly asked him curiously, "Lord Duke, you and Wei Ji served in the same court, so you must have had dealings with him, right?"
"Not familiar with it."
"Oh..." Ye Mingzhu asked again, "So everyone says that Wei Ji was granted special permission by the Emperor to form the Ghost Face Army, the personal guard, because he saved the Emperor's life. Is that true?"
Sheng Yunche said, "Really."
"That……"
Before Ye Mingzhu could ask any more questions, Sheng Yunche's gaze fell on her rosy lips. He pulled her into his arms and lowered his head to seal her lips with his.
Chattering is not good.
It's better to keep things quiet.
...
Yunxi Mountain Villa.
Before coming, Ye Mingzhu only thought the name of the villa was nice, but after arriving, she realized that the name of the villa was not only nice, but also very fitting.
Because this is a hot spring resort.
There were two hot springs, one inside and one outside, in the courtyard where she and Sheng Yunche lived.
The hot springs inside are in the bathhouse.
The hot spring outside is hidden in a rockery, surrounded by lush greenery, creating a private and quiet environment.
In winter, the white steam rising above the hot spring pools looks just like white clouds resting on the water.
Add to that the pristine white snow, the glistening icicles hanging upside down, and the distant, misty mountains, and the scenery must be breathtaking.
Ye Mingzhu stood in front of the carved wooden window, gazing longingly at the hot spring pool in the artificial hill.
Sheng Yunche seemed to be able to read her mind, and chuckled softly, saying, "Come again in winter, it has a different flavor."
"Mm." Ye Mingzhu smiled and looked back at him.
After agreeing, she suddenly realized that his health would only need a month or two to recover, and her revenge against Sheng Huai'an and the other two was progressing smoothly; perhaps she could close the net in a few months...
When winter came, neither of them knew what the situation would be like.
"What are you thinking about?" Sheng Yunche looked down at her.
"No," Ye Mingzhu said with a smile. "I was just worried about whether I could put on a good show for the Qixi Festival, so as not to disappoint my mother or be laughed at by outsiders."
"Go for it," Sheng Yunche said calmly. "Your mother won't be disappointed in you. If any outsiders dare to say anything, I..."
"Kill them?" Ye Mingzhu tilted her head and asked playfully, "After all, you're one of the 'Black and White Duo,' you certainly won't let them off easily, right?"
Sheng Yunche smiled faintly, then raised his hand and pinched her cheek: "You've got some nerve, daring to make fun of me."
Ye Mingzhu suppressed a laugh and slapped his hand away.
I felt a little relieved.
...
We've had lunch.
Sheng Yunche did not rest, but went directly out in a carriage to inspect military affairs at the military camp in the southern suburbs.
Ye Mingzhu was worried that he would come back too late to take his medicine, so she prepared a bottle of pills for him to take with him when he went out.
Although pills are not as good as decoctions, they are still better than nothing.
She took a nap at noon, and in the afternoon she met with the manager of the villa and began to arrange the Qixi Festival banquet.
Her marriage in her previous life didn't bring her only pain. After three years of managing the household, she had accumulated enough experience to handle all kinds of banquets with ease.
She intended to give Ye Baozhu and Sheng Wan'er more experience and to work with them on the affairs of the government.
Eleven-year-old Ye Baozhu was still somewhat naive and didn't quite understand her intentions. Thirteen or fourteen-year-old Sheng Wan'er, however, was very grateful to her and often looked at her with admiration and respect, studying very diligently.
In the blink of an eye, it's the Qixi Festival.
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