The 98th grain of rice that saved my life!

  These days, many people have asked about the publication of "御宠医妃" in private messages on Weibo. I'll say something about it. "御宠医妃" is being prepared for publication. These days, Er Jin is going crazy over the book title. The standards for publishing books are much stricter than online, and words like "宠" and "妃" have already been banned and cannot be used again. Yesterday, my editor gave me a temporary name, which I think is also very intoxicating: 《且把似锦年华赠天下》…… Ahhh, does anyone have any good suggestions? You can leave a message, let's gather our thoughts and ideas, and take the best from everyone...

  Digression

  "His Excellency, the King of Jin has arrived..."

  But before she could say the word "ying", a neighing sound suddenly came from behind the big ship, followed by the sound of the brocade-clad guards on the ship shouting in high-pitched voices.

  "Good." Xia Chuqi's weak smile seemed to indicate that she had understood, "I'll answer..."

  "I've saved you again. You'd better think about how to repay this life-saving favor."

  Seeing her staring at herself in a daze, Dongfang Qingxuan's lips curved slightly upwards.

  And she... actually many times is willing from the heart, right?

  Yes! He is not the black-hearted Zhao Shi Jiu, he can still get some silver from her after a month of things, and every day he calculates how to spend the silver she has worked hard to earn.

  A sentence "ben zuo" made Xia Chuqi's mind clear up at once.

  "Not taking it." He said coldly, the usually calm and composed Dongfang Dazhu, now seemingly in a bad mood, his tone also becoming stiff. "I am the most generous..."

  "Thank you......" Xia Chuqi wrapped her arms around Dongfang Qingxuan's neck, sniffled a little, and then asked him another question out of nowhere, "Sir, you saved me, do you want to be paid?"

  He fell silent for a moment, then Dongfang Qingyun clenched his fist, "I won't let you die..."

  "I thought I was going to die."

  On the seventh day of summer, a strange smile appeared on her face. She felt as if someone's hand was grasping her and there was a man speaking beside her ear. As for what he said, she couldn't hear very clearly. All she saw in front of her were white flowers everywhere, and the sky was filled with that man's face.

  "What's wrong with the moon?" The water droplets on Dongfang Qingxuan's face made his complexion even more delicate.

  "Why is there no hairy moon today..."

  "Uh-huh." Xia Qiuli responded dazedly, probably because she had been soaking in cold water for too long, and her period was coming again. Her body and mind were both weakened, allowing Dongfang Qingxuan to carry her away. She gazed at the dark sky with half-closed eyes, feeling weightless and devoid of any strength.

  "Hold on."

  Dongfang Qingyun's arm stiffened for a moment.

  "Take me back..."

  "It's... I'm so tired, so tired..." Xia Chuyi's stomach suddenly cramped with pain, and her mind was a bit unclear. Dazed, she thought it was still Qingling River, and that fiery chest. She slightly closed her eyes, leaned against his shoulder, buried her head in his arms, and didn't think about anything else...

  "It seems Miss Qi has really gotten tired from traveling this time..."

  Dongfang Qingxuan's expression changed slightly as he swiftly stroked across the dark water, quickly embracing her waist that was continuously sinking. In the water, one hand supported her while the other hand forcefully stroked towards the shore. On his stunningly handsome face, a smile still lingered, exuding an air of wickedness to the extreme.

  "Grandpa..."

  Xia Chuqi struggled for a while, her head feeling a bit dizzy...

  Someone was calling her, and the voice brushed past her ears, very familiar.

  "Miss Qi..."

  Watching her struggle, watching her sink until the water covered her head. For a while, there was no movement at all, and he only furrowed his brow, changed his expression, and didn't have time to take off his clothes. With a "splash", he fell from the deck of the boat...

  Not far away on the boat, Dongfang Qingyun was quietly watching her.

  Is she going back today? She thought.

  No wonder they say that those who drown are good swimmers. If it had been in the past, she wouldn't have believed it even if you beat her to death - that one day she could be drowned. But the water came pouring down from everywhere, hitting her body with icy pain, and as she fainted, she found herself without the strength to struggle...

  Slowly, she began to sink down...

  She struggled in the water for a few times and swallowed several mouthfuls of water. Her legs began to cramp.

  The pain was intense and sudden, causing her immense suffering. For a moment, she felt shocked, tense, worried... all sorts of emotions mixed together, making her legs and arms feel even weaker. She felt like she was drowning in the water, her whole body cold, her hands and feet numb, her entire strength gone, her ears buzzing, and even her brain started to spin...

  Her periods were never very regular to begin with, and she was also lazy and didn't remember the exact date. In her impression, it wasn't supposed to be so soon, probably because of a cold shower, which led to an unexpected situation.

  What's wrong with you, coming at this time?!

  A buzzing sound in her ear, and her foot twitched slightly.

  Immediately afterwards, between the two legs, a hot flow surged out.

  She didn't look at the expression on Dongfang Qingyun's face anymore, and with a snort, she turned around and swam back. However, after paddling for not far, her face suddenly changed color, and she stopped moving. What was going on? Her lower abdomen suddenly started to ache as if it were cramping, and the pain came so quickly and fiercely that her belly felt like it was sinking down.

  "It was comfortable swimming, but I also have to swim back to sleep!"

  On the seventh day of summer, he stopped on the surface of the water, wiped off the water droplets on his face, and hummed uncomfortably.

  "Miss Qi, you can come up now."

  Dongfang Qingxuan smiled lightly and took a soft-haired cloak from Rufeng's hand, unfolding it.

  With a snort, Xia Chuqi spat out the water in her mouth and coldly rebuked him, "Who said the young lady was going to run away? I thought so too, the water quality here is quite good. Anyway, I couldn't sleep, so I came out for a swim to relax my muscles and feel comfortable. I didn't expect to disturb the great commander's pleasure of listening to music."

  "I couldn't sleep, I knew you were going to run, and have been waiting for you here all along."

  Taking a glance at her in the water, Dongfang Qingyun smiled condescendingly from above.

  She tightly closed her eyes, Xia Chuqi gritted her teeth in hatred, "Are you playing me?"

  "Miss Qi is indeed a rabbit in disguise. Oh no, now that I think about it, she should be a fish instead?"

  She crept closer to the ship, thinking about how to get past it, but saw that the deck of the ship suddenly burst into flames, and several Jin Yiwei holding torches appeared in front of her. The man surrounded by the Jin Yiwei was Dongfang Qingyun, with a faint smile on his face.

  She admits she's a bit toxic now and gets jealous when others are having fun.

  Hmph, who is it? You really know how to enjoy yourself.

  The closer you get, the clearer it becomes. The banks along the shore are very high and difficult to climb up, except for one place that looks like a landing dock, where a boat is moored. Late at night, there are still lights on the boat, and the sound of silk and bamboo instruments can be heard faintly coming from inside.

  Before long, they were getting closer and closer to the shore.

  Fortunately, she was quite skilled and rowed quickly.

  Rowing alone in the dark night, she indulged in wild thoughts, and the feeling was unbearable.

  Still thinking of leaving this place, where should she go? She must first think of a way to find Li Mo... also don't know how her cheap sister-in-law is doing, would she also think that she's already been burned to death?

  She shook her wet head and calmed down.

  No, no, she said never to see him again.

  In the icy cold water, she struggled to move her arms, and for some reason, after scolding Dongfang Qingxuan, she also scolded Zhao Zhu's head. If it weren't for him, would she have suffered so much? When she saw him, she must have skinned him alive and pulled out his tendons.

  Zhao Nineteen you despicable person, it's all your fault that I'm suffering.

  Mom, the water is so cold, it's piercing!

  Suddenly shivering...

  She raised an eyebrow, looked at the skirt and ribbon on her body, suddenly felt a bit annoyed, thinking that men's clothing was more convenient. After measuring the distance, she gritted her teeth, lifted up her skirt and tied it around her waist, tore off a piece of sleeve to tie up her scattered hair, and with a "splash", she dove into the calm water under the moonlight.

  The Eastern Bird People of the First Board

  It's settled then, she can't escape, and must become Xia Chu again?

  No wonder there aren't many guards.

  Damn it, the Eastern Birdman is indeed wicked and sinister! This place was originally built on a small island surrounded by water on all sides. At first glance, it's all ripples of water, she searched around in circles but didn't see a single small boat.

  Before long, she was dumbfounded again.

  She hummed silently to herself, but then heard the sound of guards chasing after her from behind. However, she was very experienced and skilled at escaping, and quickly ran away along a narrow winding path.

  No matter what reason it is, she was unwilling to be used by Dongfang Qingyun.

  What kind of spy is she? She's not serving anymore.

  No matter what, she has to leave here.

  She was overjoyed, and in the flower stand, she touched a green brick, walked over and rushed to the guard, chopping it on the back of his neck. The man let out a short "ah" and fell down softly. Seizing the opportunity, she quickly slipped out of the door like a kitten.

  She crouched down and hid her body behind the trees, soon there was a firelight coming over, she threw another stone at the gate. Then the firelight retreated again, the originally closed gate was pulled open, only two guards were left, one went to patrol, and the other looked around curiously.

  The guard is at the gate.

  "Who?"

  She was silent for a moment, then like a night cat, she crept over, holding two stones in her hand, crouching down and straining her voice to throw one of the stones out of the wall, and indeed someone shouted in surprise.

  The walls all around were very high, she was not Li Ma, and could not turn over.

  The garden seemed quite large, she walked along the wall for a while without finding anyone guarding it, and slightly put her mind at ease, letting out a breath. Nowadays she lives here, but doesn't know where this place is after all. Feeling her way along, she followed a small path and finally saw a vermilion-painted gate.

  She silently calculated the time, quietly got dressed and out of bed, tidied herself up, didn't go out the door, but carefully pushed open the window, saw that there was no one outside, smiled cunningly like a fox, then lightly jumped out.

  The night outside is very dense and nothing can be seen.

  Xia Qi didn't know what time it was as she hadn't heard the sound of the night watchman's rattle.

  ……

  ……

  Yuanyou followed closely behind, but saw him heading directly towards the stable.

  "Hey, where are we going?"

  "Go!"

  Yuan You gave him an inexplicable expression, hesitated slightly and asked, "How come you're carrying it, no one is by your side?" He had just finished speaking, when he saw Zhao Zhuo suddenly stand up, lower his voice, and only utter a single word before rushing out.

  Zhao You put the mirror into his bosom, his eyes cast down, "I will take her to Beiping Prefecture."

  Reincarnation? Yuan You looked at him with a strange gaze, "Tian Lu, have you gone mad?"

  "Shaohong, do you believe in reincarnation?"

  As soon as he mentioned Xia Chuyi, Zhao Zun's calm face turned serious again. He pursed his lips and thought for a moment before suddenly pulling out a small carved peach wood mirror from his sleeve. After examining it carefully for a while, he slowly asked Yuan Yu.

  Yuan You raised an eyebrow and scrutinized his face, "Then what about my little sister? Who are you going to marry now that the wedding period has arrived?"

  Zhao Zun's eyelids didn't even flicker, "Must go."

  Yuanyou helplessly waved his hand, "Alright alright, I won't say anything. Are you going to Beiping Prefecture?"

  "There's no need to say more."

  He saw him talking again, and Zhao Zun's hand was propped up on his forehead.

  Yuan Youdan narrowed his eyes, "Nineteenth Uncle, Empress Zhang may have a virtuous name and is my birth mother's own mother, but I must say something. Since ancient times, what true feelings has the imperial family ever had? She is just pretending to retreat in order to advance, controlling you. Whether it's Prince Qin, Prince Ning or Zhao Mianze, they are all her children and grandchildren. Once they ascend to the throne, Heaven's Luck will...what then?"

  Now Empress Zhang herself has found Zhao Zhuo, isn't it for the sake of his sons and grandsons?

  Crown Prince Zhao Ye, Second Son Qin Wang Zhao Gou and Third Son Ning Wang Zhao Xi were all born to Empress Zhang. These past few days, due to the Crown Prince and Ning Wang's affairs, Empress Zhang who was originally ill with worry, became even more bedridden. The old Emperor had always loved his first wife dearly, and in addition to feeling heartache, he saw which way the wind was blowing on court and seemed to be considering releasing Ning Wang Zhao Xi from his imprisonment in the Imperial Clan Office.

  Although he was the nineteenth uncle born to Empress Dowager, he was taken in by Empress Zhang at the age of six. Empress Zhang was the emperor's first wife and had a reputation for being kind, loving her people like her own children, gentle and warm. She treated Zhao Zhen like her own son since childhood, and Zhao Zhen always respected her.

  Yuan You looked at the unruly silk threads, but he was also a clever person, and he understood in an instant.

  A few simple words, yet profound in meaning.

  "The Queen summoned me yesterday."

  Zhaoyou understood his thoughts, but his eyebrows were furrowed.

  Because the imperial edict has been issued, Zhao Zun and "Jingyi County Princess" have formed a marital alliance. Regardless of whether Jingyi County Princess exists or not, in the eyes of the courtiers and the old emperor, both the Jinwang Fu and the Chengguo Gong Fu are considered to be relatives. Therefore, in the turmoil of the imperial court, they will inevitably "share honor and shame together". Since Chengguo Gong does not consider others, he should consider his only son Yuan You.

  Of course, Yuan You's father had very simple plans for him.

  No one wants to be the fish on the chopping board, and the old emperor's favoritism towards Zhao Mianze is plain for all to see. Although Zhao Mianhuan has returned, he is a fool and has no support, and cannot even bear the weight of responsibility. Once the old emperor passes away, if Zhao Mianze becomes emperor, will they be able to tolerate them? In recent days, those in the court who have not supported Zhao Mianze as the crown prince have been trying every means to curry favor with Zhao through various opportunities, openly and secretly testing the waters or showing loyalty.

  Since ancient times, one day the emperor and one day the minister, today is a high-ranking official, tomorrow may become a prisoner of the lower level. Especially those "old subordinates" of Ning Wang, after Ning Wang was imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court and Su Wang was sent to Xiaolingwei, one by one, their eyes were all aimed at Jin Wang.

  Nowadays, there is a saying that "the country has no reserve king, and the world is not peaceful". After the death of the crown prince, the atmosphere in the imperial court became tense. Although the crown prince had been gone for only a few days, the high-ranking officials in the court had already begun to plan for their own future.

  The current court situation is becoming increasingly complicated.

  The meaning of "all the way" is very simple, how could Zhao Zhuo not understand?

  Yuan You furrowed his brow and thought for a moment, then suddenly got up and went to open the door. He looked left and right outside before returning and sending Zheng Erbao out to keep watch. Only then did he close the door and sit down in front of Zhao Zhuo, lowering his voice as he continued, "My father said that he is willing to go with you all the way, just waiting for your order."

  Withdraw your gaze, Zhao You tightened his hand on the pearl and raised an eyebrow, "What?"

  "Tianlu, let's talk about serious matters. Today I came over, and my father also asked me to pass on a message to you."

  He took a very quick glance at him, and Yuan Yu rarely seriously changed the subject.

  Yu Wei was choked for a moment, glanced at him, and finally spat out the turbid air in his mouth, "Alright, alright. In front of you, I, your junior, will never dare to call myself 'the Saint of Love' again. You can do whatever you want!"

  "Ah Qi, she can only be mine."

  Ke Zhao seemed to have no intention of answering, and in that pair of deep eyes, there seemed to be many emotions hidden, with ripples floating on the surface, as if there was hesitation, loss, and confusion. After a while, those calm black eyes finally stopped moving, but his Adam's apple slid slightly, and he suddenly blurted out a sentence.

  He asked many questions in one breath.

  "What does that mean? I don't understand." Yuan You raised an eyebrow, his tone full of doubt. "Whatever Dongfang can give her, you can't? She's just a little woman, what else could she want? Don't say it, but I really don't dare to believe there's something that the King of Jin can't provide?"

  "Dongfang Qingxuan gave it to her, perhaps it was what she wanted."

  Zhao Zun furrowed his brow tightly, lowered his eyelids, and took a sip of tea.

  Another silence later, Yuan Yu looked at his brilliant and majestic nineteen uncle, thought for a moment, and then retracted his smiling eyes. He said seriously, "Tian Lu, how big is your heart to let your own woman fall into another man's hands? Are you too confident or do you have too much faith in my little cousin?"

  Sun Zhengye changed the medicine on his arm, and then instructed a few more sentences, carefully carrying the medical box down. Zheng Erbao hurriedly came forward to help the master of the house put on his clothes, tied his belt, and added water to the tea cups of the two people, before respectfully retreating to the side.

  "Alright, Dad."

  Today he just glanced at Yuan Yu with a faint glance, without making any noise.

  Zhao Zun was defeated and retreated with heavy losses.

  "In my opinion, you are not lustful, but rather lustful without being showy. You are not cheap, but rather cheap without being obvious."

  Zhao Zun did not respond, and Yuan You continued to fan the flames with sarcastic remarks.

  Yu Wei sneered, "I think the most shameless person is you. If you're not shameless, why did you make my father prepare those dowries? You can continue to suffer then? If you can endure for three to five years, I'll really admire you."

  "Despicable!"

  Zhao Zun furrowed his brow, his gaze burning onto his face like a branding iron.

  “….” Yuanyou looked at him with a silly expression, looking at the letter back and forth several times. This time he finally showed approval, nodding and smiling, "Nineteenth uncle, you two are really in sync, aren't you? Wow, this is really strange... How did you manage to figure it out? Cough, anyway, I don't understand what's going on in your minds. In my opinion, it's just a habit, if they're used to it, even giving her wings won't make her fly.”

  Unexpectedly, Zhao Zun sighed and said, "Right."

  Yuan You couldn't help but chuckle and said, "You wouldn't say that he also told you that she ate the lunch you brought for him, would you?"

  Zhao Zun gave him a "you don't understand" look and didn't respond at all.

  He chuckled and shifted his chair, moving closer to the desk, picked up a letter that he had read many times before, raised an eyebrow with a hint of amusement, and asked with a sly smile, "How come I didn't notice? Where did she tell you?"

  "In the letter."

  Yuanyou shouted in a loud voice, slapping his forehead, "When did she tell you?"

  "Hey..."

  "She didn't owe anyone money, she just pawned her pearls."

  "What does it mean? I don't understand."

  "She asked me to return the silver, actually she wanted me to bring back the pearl."

  Zhao Zun gave him a cold glance, and after a moment, he lowered his eyelids again, looking at the pearl in his hand.

  He rubbed his chin, and Yuanshuo said it was particularly meaningless. He let out a sigh, and his gaze still fell on the South Red String of Beads in Zhaozun's hand. Thinking about it, he found it funny and raised an eyebrow, "But to say, Tianlu, you really are silly enough to send 100 taels of silver to someone? That was obviously my little cousin fooling you?"

  Ke Zhaozu was like a sculpture, motionless.

  He spoke with a loud and clear voice, as if he wanted to pour all his "Bible of Women" into this nineteen-year-old uncle who didn't understand women at all.

  Yuanyou glared at him and hummed softly, "I think you're stupid. Haven't you heard the saying 'a woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the ocean'? Of course, I guess you haven't, I also learned it from my little sister. Let me tell you, the more powerful a woman appears on the outside, the weaker she is inside. You can rest assured and listen to my 'romantic' words, these are all experiences summarized from among women...Ordinary people, I wouldn't bother telling them."

  "This king will give her some time to vent her anger."

  Zhao's throat cleared with a slight rustle, and after a long while, he finally spoke.

  Yu Wei sees the situation and goes over, "Nineteenth uncle, it's not what I said. Women, sometimes they don't mean what they say. They say no, go away, I never want to see you again, but actually it's all fake. You, just don't leave any way out for her, directly grab her back and put her in your own bed, how steady is that? Why make things so complicated?"

  Even the hand playing with the southern red string of pearls stopped moving.

  Zhao Zun's face sank, and his complexion became even more unpleasant.

  "I'm telling you, Tianlu, what's the point of this? People say they never want to see you again, and you really disappear? Let me tell you, based on my understanding of that little cousin of mine, she's promiscuous and flirtatious, shameless and lewd, always hanging out with Dongfang Qingxuan. It's too dangerous. Ah, it wasn't me who said this, but Dongfang Qingxuan is indeed handsome, even if he is sinister and cunning. You'd better be careful, or you might get your wall cornered and have nowhere to cry."

  When she heard this, Yuan Yu's beautiful phoenix eyes were about to narrow into a line.

  The Jin Wang Fu Cheng De Yuan, Zhao Zun Duan sat on the chair, with his shirt half untied and his left arm injured, letting Sun Zhengye apply medicine to his wound. His eyes were dimly looking at the young master in front of him, as if he had said something like this.

  "In this world, no one can force her to do something she doesn't want to do."

  ……

  ……

  After a long while, in the silence where one could hear a pin drop, Xia Qi Qi finally swallowed the food in her mouth and slowly put down her bowl. "General, there is no one in this world who can force me to do something I don't want to do. Let alone you, even if it were the Emperor himself, it would be impossible."

  Inside the house, except for Xia Chuqi's murmurs, there was nothing else.

  Dongfang Qingxuan glanced at her and said, "Seventh Miss, I'm looking forward to our collaboration."

  Looking at the bowl in front of him, Xia Qiuzi didn't respond.

  "No, I'm not picky about food." Summer 17th tasted the deliciousness in her mouth with a sly and cunning expression, looking nothing like a noble lady. Dongfang Qingxuan was slightly stunned before smiling shallowly, "Being unpicky about words or being unpicky about food, as long as Miss Seven is happy, that's all that matters."

  Eastern Blue Mystic's eyes flickered slightly, "Seventh Miss, you really are reckless with your words."

  “……”

  "Your ancestors."

  Xia Zhong Qi glanced at him with a slanted eye, picked up her chopsticks again and stirred the bowl before picking up a piece of fragrant crispy pork ribs, nibbling on it, and slowly told him.

  The Eastern Blue Mystic smiled with a hint of mischief in his eyes, "Who is God?"

  She rubbed her belly, let out a rather unbecoming belch, and gazed at the seductive Eastern Grand Commander in front of her. She finally puckered up her mouth and spoke calmly, "Well, it's true that everything is complicated, only God is simple... Now, I've finally figured it out."

  Xia Zhiqi felt that this was the most satisfying meal she had ever eaten.

  Savoring delicious food quietly is enjoyment.

  Or, she had never seen him lose his temper. Even when he was killing someone, he would bring the most beautiful smile in the world to the person about to die, and it could be said that they died peacefully. It's not hard for a person not to lose their temper, what's hard is never losing their temper. But perhaps because of this, Xia Chuqi felt even more that under his smiling appearance, those cruel, poisonous, treacherous, and evil aspects had all doubled.

  It was rare for Dongfang Qingyun not to get angry.

  In the early summer, I didn't even bother to glance at him, too lazy to look at him with one eye.

  "Is it delicious?" Dongfang Qingxuan asked.

  Now nobody takes care of her. She eats and eats nonstop.

  This treatment is much better than when she was in the Jin Wang Fu, right? Zhao Shi Jiu always only knew how to let her gain some weight, but his own life was very disciplined, and he also required her to be so, basically rarely giving her big meals, and always saying that children eating too well was not good for their body...

  She rubbed her hands together and then brought them up to sniff the air with her index finger twitching, before burying her head in the table in front of her as if in a trance.

  But she also doesn't care about face-saving things.

  She sat lazily in her chair, watching the exquisite dishes being brought up one by one, and felt that the aroma had entered her bones. Probably because she was too hungry, her stomach growled loudly, not giving her any face.

  No matter where a person goes, he must first fill his belly.

  Xia Zhiqiu would never get along with her belly.

  "Set the table."

  "A big trumpet!" Before he could finish, Xia Chuqi took over the conversation. Her originally gentle voice was like a firework exploding towards him, making Dongfang Dazong, who was dressed in red, feel like his brain was scrambled. His angelic face fell, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses. He adjusted the corner of his mouth, and his gaze lightly floated away from her body.

  "Remaining silent is a lovely daughter-in-law; speaking up is..."

  Dongfang Qingxuan was taken aback for a moment before bursting into a soft laughter.

  "Stop being so annoying, I'm starving, are you going to give me food or not?"

  Dongfang Qingxuan looked her up and down, seemingly smiling as he recited a string of sarcastic words, but in reality, he had said something that made Xia Chuyi's eyebrows furrow, and she shot him a sharp, piercing glare.

  "Eyes like autumn water, eyebrows sweeping spring mountains, precious hair high and adorned with green clouds, embroidered skirt low and fluttering with emerald ribbons. Pitiful willow waist, lovely peach blossom face. Brilliant beauty, indeed the golden house's Chuan Juan..."

  That little maid was a skilled hand, and she easily coiled her mistress's hair into a simple bun, securing it with a hairpin adorned with a sparkling gemstone. This instantly brightened up her entire person. Additionally, the high-quality, pale green, ancient fragrance satin skirt she wore made her look naturally pure and innocent, like a green bud waiting to bloom, without needing any makeup or powder. In an instant, she outshone several other beautiful maids standing nearby, making them seem dull by comparison.

  Indeed, people rely on clothes and horses rely on saddles; women have to rely on dressing up.

  Eastern Qing Xuan's eyebrows slightly furrowed as she gazed at her straight back, and the calm little face reflected in the mirror, her line of sight deepened significantly.

  From great anger, to great sorrow, and then to calmness, she had gone through all these emotions in just an instant.

  "Come and comb my hair."

  Then, calmly sat down, turned sideways, and looked at the little girl without emotion.

  Many questions swirled in her mind, she swallowed hard a few times, suppressing the strange and unpleasant emotions, and stared at Dongfang Qingxuan's smiling eyes for a long time. Suddenly, she let out another snort, laughed coldly, and bent down to pick up the things that had fallen to the ground during her previous outburst of anger, carefully placing them back on the dresser one by one.

  Not a single word was changed, did he tell Amur everything?

  It seems even her own words were like this.

  She had only told Zhao Zhu about this matter.

  Her ears were ringing nonstop, sometimes positive, sometimes negative, sometimes good, sometimes bad. From the beginning to now, she had been wanting to find a reason for Zhao Zhuo, to convince herself to believe him, and tried to believe him, just before seeing that mark, she actually believed him too. But Dongfang Qingxuan was really too cruel, just one small thing, and he ruthlessly cut open her heart...

  Every word he spat out was pounding on Xia Chuqi's eardrum.

  "Seventh Miss, why are you so angry? Shouldn't you be clearer about this? Look at yourself, carrying the deep grudge of hundreds of people's blood on your shoulders, and yet you're a woman who doesn't even let her eyebrows show. It's really not worth getting entangled in that illusory romantic love, wasting your life."

  She suddenly burst into anger, scaring the little maids to lower their heads. Dongfang Qingxuan, however, looked at her as she approached, with a faint smile on his face that was unmatched in elegance, and only stopped when he reached her front, slightly lowering his head to look at her and speak.

  "You son of a bitch, you're cheating! How could your sister possibly know this secret?"

  As if struck by a thunderbolt, she stared at Dongfang Qingxuan in disbelief. After a moment of stunned silence, her blood suddenly surged and she became violently agitated. With a sweep of her hand, she sent everything on the dressing table crashing to the floor. Amidst the ear-piercing sound of objects hitting the ground, her eyes reddened and tears she couldn't hold back flooded her eyes.

  On the seventh day of summer vacation, the jewelry box in her hand fell to the ground with a "bang".

  It was as if Dongfang Qingxuan suddenly remembered something, and he curved his enchanting phoenix eyes, with a tone of "it's nothing" sarcasm, "At first, it really stumped me, but this method was told to me by Amur - use soapberry, radix sophorae, stone alkali, jade bamboo, Szechuan lovage, winter melon seeds, Clematis chinensis, and white atractylodes... Grind them into a fine powder, mix with water to form a paste, apply it to the scar for a moment, and then wash it off. It seems that you girls are more familiar with these tricks..."

  Her face was full of doubts, Xia Qiuli clearly didn't believe it, "Impossible, how could they possibly wash off my...my specially made skin wax?"

  Looking at her lazily, Dongfang Qingxuan smiled, "Naturally, she is my maid."

  "Who washed it away for me?"

  She slowly turned her head and looked towards Dongfang Qingyun.

  Those scars really exist...

  Her mind was momentarily confused and she didn't dare believe her eyes.

  "How could this be? I clearly covered it."

  The maid who was serving her was startled and stopped what she was doing. But Xia Chuqi obviously hadn't heard her question, and slowly got up, slowly moved her face closer to the mirror, lifted the hair on her forehead, and looked at the scar where the tattooed character had been burned off on her left temple.

  "What's wrong, miss?"

  Xia Chuqi was playing with a jewelry box when she suddenly caught sight of herself in the mirror and let out a startled cry.

  "Wait a minute—"

  Each maid had a moderate smile on her face, not too much or too little, polite and measured. Some held basins, some held clothes, and some held jewelry... Without waiting for Dongfang Qingxuan to give another order, a maid about 15 or 16 years old walked over, smiling and calling out "Miss", then attended to washing her face, rinsing her mouth, and then attending to her sitting in front of the mirror, preparing to comb her hair.

  Soon, a large group of beautifully dressed and slender maidservants walked into the house with elegant steps.

  Eastern Qing Xuan smiled slightly, "Got to wash up..."

  Upon hearing this, Xia Chuqi laughed and said, "Hehe, why bother washing your face? I'm not particular, can't we eat first?"

  "Someone come and help Miss Qi wash up."

  His piercing eyes stared at her, hesitated for a moment, and then he lightly slapped his palm.

  Looking at her smiling face, Dongfang Qingxuan's expression was unclear.

  So, the woman in the plum blossom was just a misunderstanding too.

  In fact, she had also tentatively probed Dongfang Qingyun before, and the annoyance that had been accumulating in her heart was dispelled. Of course, those things were still there, and as an outsider, it was hard to tell what was true and what was false, who was good and who was bad. But Dongfang Qingyun's answer at least gave her a reason to convince herself - Zhao Zun had nothing to do with that matter, he had not colluded with Dongfang Qingyun to harm the crown prince.

  It's as if the originally gloomy mood had suddenly lifted.

  She laughed very brightly and happily, as if she had no more worries at all.

  "Haha" dryly laughed two characters, Xia Chuqi got up and walked over, patted his arm, "Because I know that Director Dongfang must come to save me? You can't bear to see me die? If I die, then the 'great value' you want won't be gone?"

  "Why?" Dongfang Qingyun's eyes fluttered slightly.

  "Do you know why I didn't run away at that time?"

  A pair of eyes smiled like a new moon, Xia Qiuzi stared at him, blinking her eyes.

  Her words and actions were unpredictable, her behavior had always been strange, and for a moment, Dongfang Qingyun was really unsure of her intentions. He slowly opened his mouth to smile, and asked tentatively, "You also get hungry? In the Heavenly Prison, even when fire is burning towards you, you don't know how to run away, logically speaking, you shouldn't know what hunger feels like?"

  Xia Chuqi glanced at him, seemingly unwilling to say anything more. With a sudden movement, she stood up straight and looked at him, "Alright, I've asked all my questions. I know everything I wanted to know now. Commander Dongfang, can you spare some food? My stomach is almost empty."

  "This tune is really new to me, it's so refreshing!"

  A faint, almost imperceptible look of surprise flashed across Dongfang Qingxuan's face, and he narrowed his eyes slightly as he gazed at Xia Chuqi's large, sparkling eyes that seemed to be gleaming with mischief. In the end, he couldn't help but broaden his smile.

  Xia Chuqi slightly raised the corners of her lips, smoothed out her hair, and smiled lazily, "An ally who is too easy to be sold out, must not be your true ally. So... I want to know, you must understand?"

  "Miss Qi, what do you mean by this?"

  He lightly said "oh", and Dongfang Qingxuan's lips curled up into a fatal smile.

  With a faint hum of disdain, Xia Chuqi snorted and patted the bedside, letting out a slow sigh. The tone suddenly shifted, "The Great Eastern Governor really doesn't understand me at all. I think in this situation, it's unlikely that we can cooperate."

  "In front of wise men, I need not hide."

  The Eastern Blue Mystic's red sleeves slightly lifted, and he poured himself another cup of tea to drink.

  "Good heavens, this remark is treasonous! General, do you know the law and yet break it? What crime is this?"

  A strange feeling flashed through her mind, but Xia Qi's face broke into a smile.

  "Miss Qi is right, don't you think that Prince Jin of the Imperial Court is the most suitable to ascend to the throne? And my sister was born to be a woman who should be revered by all under heaven. The two of them were originally a match made in heaven, and no one can separate them... including you."

  Looking at her big watery eyes, Dongfang Qingyun thought for a moment and suddenly chuckled lightly.

  "On the seventh day of summer, she sized him up, with a hint of a smile, and spread her hands out, 'Am I wrong? Commander, if these things aren't cleared up, not to mention being your Brocade Guard spy, even if you asked me to be your ancestor's grandma, I'd have no interest.'"

  Eastern Qing Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly, "Seventh Miss's reasoning is quite strong..."

  She snorted softly, and Xia Chuqi thought for a moment before curling up the corners of her lips again, a bitter smile spreading across her face. "Governor, is it that you're not good at answering questions, or is that person actually you yourself? If I'm not mistaken, then this matter must also involve Zhao Zun, right? You want me to regain my status and say something about helping me avenge and clear my name, but in reality, you're using me to help deal with Zhao Mianze, and also to support Zhao Zun's rise to power. Then you can become the uncle of the nation, with one person below you and ten thousand people above you. Your sister can also be the empress, and your nephew can become the emperor in the future, right?"

  Does he want to play Tai Chi with her?

  Looking at her unwavering clear eyes, Dongfang Qingxuan smiled slightly and raised his phoenix-like eyes, "Everyone says it was you who killed him, why are you asking me instead?"

  In a flash of an eye, Xia Chuqi's eyes swept over with a cold glint, "Who exactly killed the Crown Prince?"

  Dongfang Qingxuan looked over, his smile unchanged, "Seventh Miss, feel free to ask."

  "Great Commander, may I ask you a question?"

  Her fingers tapped back and forth on the bedside a few times before she finally looked straight at Dongfang Qingyun.

  So she was very clear that once she resumed her identity as Xia Chu, in this era where family ties were highly valued, she would thoroughly miss Zhao Zhu for the rest of her life...

  Unfortunately, she still had some memories of Xia Chu and some feelings for Xia Chu, but deep down, she was still Xia Chuyi.

  Actually, what Dongfang Qingxuan said earlier was not bad. Now she wants to investigate the case of Wei Guogong and wants to clear his name, but all roads are blocked. It can be said that he threw her a glittering golden bait, if she is really Xia Chuben herself, it's impossible for her not to take the bait.

  On the seventh day of summer, she really wanted to agree with him.

  How could Dongfang Qingyun be so foolish and still hold the positions of Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guards and Left Army Governor?

  Yes!

  With a faint smile, Dongfang Qingxuan said, "What do you think, Seventh Miss? You can't before you recover your identity as the Seventh Miss of the Wei State Duke's Manor. The token is for you to use later, not now. Ha! How would I do something that would be like throwing stones at my own feet?"

  "With this token, I can move freely?"

  On the seventh day of summer, she suddenly raised her head, savored the previous two lines of dialogue, and involuntarily rolled her eyes. She casually put the token into her sleeve, sat idly, with both hands propped on the bed frame, and smiled insincerely at him.

  The Eastern Qing's lip corner slightly raised, maintaining good manners on his face, but the tone was enough to kill someone, "Is Seventh Miss a dog?"

  "As the saying goes, 'No good deed goes unpunished.' You're actually daring to give me something like this so easily, aren't you afraid I'll turn around and bite you?"

  He had been staring at the token upside down and sideways since the beginning of summer, without ever looking up.

  They are secretly part of the Brocade Guard, but they do not wear the uniform of the Brocade Guard. They also have different identities in real life, and except for their superiors, no one knows their true identity and purpose.

  That's right, rely on espionage then.

  Transferred to the Imperial Guards of the Da Yan Dynasty, this secret agent's identity is equivalent to a military special agent in later generations. The Imperial Guards were the emperor's eyes and ears, so as "eyes and ears", in an era where technology was not advanced, what did the Imperial Guards rely on to grasp a large amount of military and political intelligence to present to the old emperor?

  According to the interpretation of "Shuowen Jiezi", Jian refers to counter-espionage in the military.