Chapter 102 Vinegar again, and then flavor! By Ji Jin

  "The heavenly street is moist with gentle rain like cream, the color of the grass looks distant but is actually near."

  At the beginning of summer that year, when I read this sentence while studying, I was facing a city made of steel and concrete, and could only imagine what kind of scene it was. Now sitting in the carriage of King Jin, I gently lifted the corner of the curtain with my finger, looking at the spring returning to the earth, the fine rain nourishing, feeling the green intention of the sprouting green shoots of grass transmitted through a thin layer of mist, that feeling is really too soothing.

  Far from modern civilization, she is now more and more adapted to life nowadays.

  "Is it cold?"

  A robust hand reached out, firmly grasping hers for a moment, and seemingly sensing the chill, he let out a soft sigh, took his own cloak, loosely draped it over her, and tied the sash.

  "You've become so thin you're nothing but skin and bones, can't you take better care of yourself?"

  Pfft!

  On the seventh day of summer, she felt great today, and rolled her eyes at him, but also snuggled up in his coat, leaning on his body, feeling warm and content all over. In fact, at this time of year in Ying Tian Fu, it wasn't that cold, and she was wearing three layers of clothing, so the cold couldn't penetrate, but even the strongest woman in the world would need a man's care, need someone who likes her to pay attention to whether she's warm or cold, and care about her joys and sorrows.

  Two people leaned against each other, silent for a while.

  The fine rain fell "patter, patter" on the hood of the carriage.

  Seeing him remain silent, Xia Chuyi blinked her eyes and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him tightly.

  "Ah, my hands, they're always cold no matter what season it is."

  "Your heart is also cold."

  "My lungs are cold, my spleen is cold, and oh, my toes are still cold. Grandpa, come on, warm up my toes for me."

  Giggling, she playfully lifted her foot, which was wearing soft-soled embroidered shoes, and mischievously leaned in towards him. To be honest, this move was particularly shameless, and she had used it to deal with many people before.

  However, others would avoid her feet as if they were afraid of them, but this man was not an ordinary person. He just glanced at her lightly, his face stern and expressionless, and actually took her joke seriously, grasped her foot, removed the embroidered shoe, held both small feet and stuffed them into his own bosom.

  “……”

  Xia Chuqi's body stiffened for a moment, and she was a little speechless.

  "Grandpa, aren't you disgusted by my smelly feet?"

  Zhao You lowered his head and looked at her faintly, "Ten taels."

  "Wow, isn't it, are you too ruthless when killing people?"

  At the beginning of summer, on the seventh day, a loud and mournful cry was heard. Thinking of the ten taels of white silver, she wanted to withdraw her foot, but Zhao Zun did not let go, saying in a low voice, "Don't move, it's really cool," and then fell silent.

  Helpless, she could only follow him, but her mouth was not inferior.

  "Alright, alright, old man, you can hug me if you like. But there's something I need to make clear: these two feet of mine were specially transported from Hong Kong and have powerful healing properties - just one sniff can cure all ailments. Hey, asking you to pay me fifty taels of silver isn't excessive, is it?"

  He glanced at her sideways and Zhao Zhuo simply didn't respond.

  On the seventh day of summer, she stared at him blankly, her eyes fixed on him in a daze.

  Normally, the two of them would bicker and fight over money, with Zhao Nineteen never willing to give in to her or let her off easily. But today, it seems he's lost interest in arguing? Especially when she even threw out a new term like "Hong Kong", and he didn't react at all?

  Something's wrong!?!

  Looking at his gloomy face, Xia Chuqi decided to temporarily give up the vibrant spring outside the carriage and pulled down the curtains. She giggled, rested her elbow on his knee, propped up her cheek, tilted her head back, and winked at him with sparkling eyes.

  "Hey, you've got something on your mind?"

  "It's nothing." Zhao Zun's voice was cold and clear.

  "What's wrong with you? Look at your face! It's so ugly it could be peeled off and sold as stinky tofu. What happened today, you look like you have a deep grudge against someone. Who made you angry? Tell me, I'll go take revenge for you. As long as they're under 10 years old, I guarantee I can beat them up."

  She thought she was being humorous, but Zhao Zhuo just gave her a brief glance and still didn't respond.

  Suddenly, Xia Qi's curiosity grew even stronger.

  A pair of big eyes rolled around, and she muttered to herself, "Oh", guessing, "Great Immortal, I'll calculate it for you. Hmm, today you went to court before dawn, but returned before noon. During this time, who could you have met? It must be something about the imperial court, right? Was it your old man, or one of your older brothers, or your nephew... Oh, it couldn't be that stupid guy bullying you, could it?"

  Looking at her smiling face, Zhao Zun's eyes deepened, one arm went across and wrapped around her waist, pulling her up and sitting her in his arms, but he didn't directly answer her words, still maintaining a serious expression.

  "A Qi, these days, stay well in Cheng Guo Gong Fu, don't run around blindly, wait for me to come and marry you."

  Xia Chuqi looked at her and hesitated for a moment before suddenly shouting, "Zhao Zhu!"

  She rarely called him seriously by his name, Zhao Zun slightly frowned, "Hmm?"

  Xia Chuqi's face was stern, "Do you know what it means to take a wife?"

  Zhao's lips curled up slightly as he gently pinched her face, "What do you say?"

  Xia Chuqi let out a cold snort and suddenly slapped his hand away, her face sternly set in a small scowl.

  "I thought you knew, but it seems you don't. In the end, it's still the same - there's a generation gap between us. You're a grown man, but I'm not a little woman. I don't like that you hide things from me and deceive me. To you, marriage is just about taking a woman home to have children with her, manage the household for you, and carry on your family line, right? But in my eyes, a man and woman's marriage isn't just about getting each other, it should be about sharing life and death, honor and shame together. If you really plan to marry me as your wife, then you need to understand that aside from giving me the title of Princess Consort, you should also let me share your worries and troubles... Zhao Zun, I know there may be things you're not convenient to say, but if you marry me, you should trust me, I'm not a woman who doesn't understand boundaries."

  The light in the carriage wasn't very bright, and Xia Qiuzi rarely spoke to Zhao Zhen with such a serious tone, word by word, sentence by sentence, as if she was lecturing a child in class. This version of her was completely different from her usual self, and on that gloomy little face, there seemed to be a mixture of disappointment, helplessness, and a resolute determination that if he didn't speak up, she would reject him without hesitation.

  After a moment of silence, Zhao Zhuo raised his hand and gently stroked her hair.

  "Today... something happened."

  At the beginning of summer, the clear and bright eyes narrowed slightly, and the tone slowed down.

  "What happened? Can you tell me?"

  He coldly pursed his lips, not responding immediately. But Xia Chuqi could clearly feel that the man holding her had tensed up, especially those deep and bottomless black eyes, which shone with a thin blade-like chill in the dim light.

  Her heart skipped a beat.

  It's hard to say why, but on the seventh day of summer, just by looking at his expression, it seemed as if she had seen the weight in his heart. It was like the dark and oppressive sky before a storm. Oppressed, low, and dim, yet somehow it seemed as if countless withering forces were blocking out the light.

  Thinking of this, it must not be a good thing. Thinking of his awkwardness in the imperial court, thinking of his struggle with his own father, and thinking of his complicated relationship with Dongfang Qingyun, she swallowed her saliva and leaned in tightly, her hands still circling his waist tightly.

  "I'm going to be your wife soon, are you still going to keep secrets from me? Zhao Zhu, I hope that in the future, no matter what happens, we can face it together. Is that okay?"

  "A Qi..."

  Zhao Zun lowered his head to look at her, and after a few awkward swallows, he finally opened her hand, held her face with both hands, and gently stroked it with his thumbs. He then lowered his voice and briefly told her about what had happened in the imperial court today.

  On the seventh day of summer, my heart feels like it has been twisted by a knife.

  "Your dad is also too damn useless, demolishing the bridge after crossing the river, it's not supposed to be demolished like this?"

  "I don't mind this." Zhao Zun glanced at her lightly, paused for a moment, as if he had made up his mind, and then told her about Empress Zhang's illness. He also told her that Empress Zhang wanted him to take Dongfang Amur as the concubine of King Jin, entering the palace on the same day as the main consort.

  Concubine? Entering the mansion on the same day?

  Xia was shocked on the seventh day of summer.

  It turned out that she had been preparing for her big wedding for two lifetimes, but it was a group purchase with someone else?

  She didn't dare to imagine what the scene would be like, all she could say was that if Zhao Zhu hadn't told her the truth today, she couldn't guarantee that after knowing the truth on their wedding day, she wouldn't slap him a few times.

  Her heart beats non-stop, revealing her inner emotions.

  She seemed calm, but her mind was racing with thoughts.

  After looking at Zhao Zhu's face for a while, her voice suddenly sank down.

  "Empress Zhang is very good to you, isn't she?"

  "Yes. When I was six years old...” Zhao Zun's voice trailed off, hesitating for a moment before quickly regaining his composure, “Something happened, and I almost didn't make it. It was Empress Dowager who took me to the Kun Ning Palace, raised me until I grew up, and only left the palace when I got married..."

  "So?" Xia Chuqi's eyes suddenly became desolate, "You didn't refuse her, did you?"

  Zhao Zun's eyes dimmed, filled with a bitter taste, "Yes."

  His heart suddenly felt like it had fallen into a deep abyss, the cliff was still bottomless, the wind blowing past his ears was fast and swift, making Xia Chuqi's blood flow faster, but at the same time, he felt frozen in place.

  "That's great!"

  After a long time, she finally said in a low voice, pulled open his hand, pulled off the cloak on her body that still had warmth, and threw it at him fiercely. She moved to sit opposite him, opening her mouth seriously as if negotiating.

  "Zhao You, when we went to the capital together, what did our three-year agreement say? Now that you're going to take someone else... Hmm, what is a secondary wife? Is it a concubine? Sorry, I don't quite understand the rules of you nobles. However, you know my character, I'm not a woman who can share a husband with others. If you don't want the Jin Wang Fu to hold a funeral on your wedding day, then please let me leave now?"

  Zhao's eyebrows were deeply furrowed, and he silently stared at her, his lips pursed into a very cold and hard arc, as if he was extremely displeased that she kept saying she wanted to "leave".

  "You are this king's rightful queen, the imperial decree has been issued, where else do you want to go?"

  Looking at his calm face, Xia Chuqi's emotions were like drawing water from a well.

  Fell down and then hung up again. Hung up again and fell down, so angry that I wanted to strangle him to death directly.

  It seems that despite her repeated mentions of this concept, Zhao Jin Yu's mind doesn't seem to have the idea of "one life, one lifetime, one couple". Just like how he didn't necessarily like those women in the palace before, but even if he didn't touch them, he would still keep them around for the sake of balancing the court's situation. Moreover, the woman who is now being offered to him as a concubine is none other than Dong Fang Ai Mu, the renowned beauty of the capital? A woman that any man with a pulse would dream of having? And also the woman he has known since he was young that he should marry as his main wife. She thought: even if Zhang Huang Hou hadn't fallen ill and arranged their marriage, he probably wouldn't have refused her anyway?

  Her temper flared up, but her desire to sulk went down.

  When she was angry, it wasn't that she had reached her limit. When she was truly at the end of her rope, she would calm down completely. With a cold smile, she looked at him, her tone laced with sarcasm and self-mockery.

  "Your Highness, King of Jin, I can understand your situation. Just now, I thought for a moment, although I don't want to admit it, but still have to say that if I were a man, I would also agree. After all, it's just taking in a concubine, the Jin Wang Fu is such a large estate, are you afraid of not being able to fit in another concubine? However, I hope Your Highness will fulfill our agreement... If you marry another wife or take a concubine, you must not force me to be your woman, this is what you personally promised, isn't it?"

  Zhao Zhu's eyes narrowed slightly, staring at her. He watched as her small face changed from shock to anger and finally to calmness, watching as she analyzed the situation in an orderly manner, without making a sound. It wasn't until she finished speaking with a loud "crackle" that he let out a sigh and patted the spot beside him.

  "Come sit down, I'll talk to you slowly."

  What's the point of saying anything now?

  On the seventh day of summer, his hair was about to smoke with anger.

  "Hmph, this is really laughable... You asked me to come over, so I have to come over? You, I've told you so many things, did you even understand any of it?"

  She was furious, but Zhao Zun opened his eyebrows lightly, as if he enjoyed her "jealous and angry" look. A pair of deep and profound black eyes slowly and faintly scanned her from head to toe before he reluctantly got up and sat beside her, putting his arm around her, not allowing her to struggle anymore, and every move was still elegant and noble.

  "What's your hurry? I haven't finished speaking yet."

  He struggled in vain, and Xia Qi's anger was great on the seventh day of summer. He elbowed him several times with force, and snorted viciously.

  "You don't need to finish, I'll take care of whether or not you can be a concubine, it's none of my business! Zhao Zun, don't think that I, Chu Qi, am someone who can't live without you. Let me tell you, there are many men better than you, not to mention the incomparably handsome Eastern Capital Commander, even Zhao Mianze is better than you."

  As soon as he heard Zhao Mianze's name, Zhao Zun's face suddenly turned dark.

  "What nonsense are you talking about?"

  Seeing his ugly face, Xia Chuyi indeed wanted to tease him, and the corners of her lips curved up even more brightly.

  "Now that it's come to this, Your Highness the King of Jin, we don't need to pretend anymore. You must know my identity, right? I am Xia Chu, Xia Chu is who? The legitimate wife of your nephew Zhao Mianze."

  Zhao Zun's eyes flashed with cold light, "Shut up!"

  "Go! I'm telling you, if I marry him, I can still become an empress in the future. Who wants to be just a princess of Jin?"

  "Say it again!"

  Zhao's face suddenly turned iron-green, and his words were almost spat out from between his teeth. The hand grasping her waist tightened, as if he wanted to crush her body, his face full of anger and unspoken annoyance.

  Ke Xia wasn't a softie either, and at this moment she was also extremely angry, her eyes blazing with fury, gritting her teeth as she thought about Ah Mu Er wanting to make her his concubine, her fighting spirit suddenly bursting forth, leaving no room for other considerations, her tone becoming even sharper and more biting.

  "What did I just say? Didn't you hear me? I said I'd rather marry Zhao Mianze and become the empress of the world than be your princess... What's more, isn't the old emperor trying to marry me off to him? Isn't Zhao Mianze always looking for me? If I were to stand at the East Palace gate right now, who knows, maybe I could even enter the palace before your big wedding? Heh, Prince of Jin, don't you ever think that a princess of Jin can compare to the future empress dowager?"

  She hadn't even finished yelling when Zhao Zhu finally couldn't take it anymore and covered her mouth, the person on top of her head was like he had eaten explosives, his eyes were on fire, staring at her intensely, his voice cold and piercing.

  "You're not Xia Chu."

  "Hmm..." She is.

  "If you were Xia Chu, would you know the outcome?" he asked coldly.

  "Mmm..." Her mouth was covered by him, Xia Chuqi couldn't say a word, she just stared at him.

  Two people have been together for so long, and indeed, they have never explicitly discussed the identity of "Xia Chu". Apart from both knowing the awkwardness in this matter, they also don't want to mention it and make things difficult for each other.

  But now thinking about it, July 7th is even more depressing.

  The two of them had an "unseemly" relationship, yes, that's true. But since the emperor couldn't marry his niece-in-law, why should his brother be able to marry his sister-in-law? Didn't the Great Yong Code have clear regulations about this? Didn't the old emperor detest the "barbarian customs" left over from the previous dynasty, detest the uncivilized phenomenon of "levirate marriage"? Didn't he issue a written decree forbidding these bad habits from continuing to spread? Why did everything change when it was his own family involved?

  Her eyes were filled with why, but she couldn't say a word.

  Zhao Zun's dark eyes were deep, but he seemed to have understood her meaning, and let out a low sigh.

  "Amur's mother was originally a Mongolian."

  Yesterday was the Mongolian people's world, and " inheritance marriage" is also a Mongolian custom. Suddenly enlightened, Xia Chui's heart had a burst of "heh heh", her body shook with excitement, and she got even angrier. Her eyes stared at him without blinking, waiting for him to slightly loosen his palm, then she opened her mouth and bit his hand.

  She bit down hard and all her anger was vented on his hand.

  Ke Zhao only slightly furrowed his brow, not moving at all. Until she herself was exhausted from biting, he pulled back his hand and tightly hugged her, just before she could scold him, he lowered his head and covered her mouth with his lips.

  "A Qi, don't make trouble with me, okay?"

  He kissed her for a while, softly calling out her name. As he called out, he continued to kiss, his words falling onto her lips along with the scorching heat of his own, his palm gently caressing her face as if she were the most precious treasure in the world, gentle and tender, ironing out the summer heat that had Xia Zhi and him pressed tightly together, causing her body to tremble slightly.

  "Damn... let go... bastard..."

  She muttered a few words, but couldn't overcome his strength.

  Gradually, there was no more strength to scold, and the body slowly softened, in his soothing kisses, her lips were half open, like a flower bud waiting to bloom, letting him pick, even unaware of when, her body had been put down on the soft cushion of the carriage, like a weakly swaying water grass...

  "Zhao Zhuo... you... are going too far..." She sobbed uncontrollably.

  He didn't respond, he just concentrated on kissing her.

  There was no skill at all, only a fiery passion and plundering, until she couldn't bear the teasing and let out low moans, he slowed down his strength, kissing deeper and longer, like a greedy ice wolf devouring its hard-won food.

  "Nothing... uh... anyway..."

  At the beginning of summer, Xia was heavily panting, her intermittent moans intertwined with his, making her blush and her heart skip a beat. Unconsciously, she fell into a state of infatuation, forgetting that they were in a carriage, forgetting that there were still guards and maids outside.

  After a while...

  She lost her mind.

  Loosening her lips, the person who tightly hugged her and sat up was him.

  At every critical moment, she is always the easiest to get drunk.

  And he, no matter when, seems to be able to recall his rationality in time.

  "Why do you always use this trick? Isn't it annoying?" Xia Chuiqi was dissatisfied, panting and staring at him fiercely, but found that his eyes had a hint of a smile, like a well-fed fox, intentionally pecked her lips again, before she got angry, he tightly pulled her into his arms.

  "A Qi, I will definitely fulfill the promise we made three years ago."

  She gave him a hard push and Xia Chuqi looked at his calm face with displeasure.

  "How are you going to put it into practice? Don't tell me, bring her back and keep her in the house without touching her? I can tell you that's also a breach of contract. My character isn't great, don't expect me to be like those women who are virtuous and obedient, all that is nonsense to me. I'd rather not get married for the rest of my life than let someone trample on my bottom line."

  Zhao Zun's mouth twitched slightly as he looked at the two rows of teeth marks on his hand.

  He lowered his head and looked at her, a pair of deep and mysterious eyes, like two stars embedded in them.

  "Today I didn't refuse, but neither did I agree."

  What kind of answer is this?

  Neither refusing nor accepting, what's going on?

  Panting heavily, Xia Qiuli stiffened her body and glared at him with her head raised.

  "What's wrong with you?"

  It was clear that Zhao Zun was not used to explaining things to others. He moved his mouth, hesitated for a long time, and then smoothed out her hair, saying lightly, "Aqi, the affairs of the imperial court are complex and far-reaching, not as simple as you think. It's not just about taking in a concubine. But don't worry, I'll handle it properly, Aqi only needs to wait quietly to become the new bride, okay?"

  It was unclear whether it was the deep kiss that made her heart skip a beat, or the resolute and sincere look in his eyes when they exchanged gazes that infected her. Xia Chuqi pouted and looked at him for a while, feeling both angry and annoyed, yet also helpless against him.

  Why does she always lose to him even after sharpening her claws?

  But Zhao Zun is not a man who speaks lightly, since he said he would solve it, she might as well believe him.

  Anyway, even if he enters the bridal chamber, if he really breaks his promise, she will also have a chance to regret it.

  The knot in her heart was suddenly loosened, and her expression looked a bit better.

  She hummed softly and glanced at him quickly, "Alright, I'll trust you this time. But before the big wedding, are we not allowed to see each other?"

  Zhao Zun furrowed his brow and murmured a response.

  Suddenly enlightened, Xia Qiuli raised an eyebrow and said, "Does that mean I won't have to see you for a long time?"

  Looking at her beaming with joy, Zhao Zun's face suddenly turned black.

  Because when she said "haven't seen him for a long time", it wasn't sorrowful, nor was it melancholic. Instead, it was exciting, just like the prey had finally escaped the hunter's pursuit. A pair of sparkling eyes opened wide, rolling around rapidly, full of anticipation.

  He gave her an unhappy glance and patted her face casually.

  "A Qi, don't worry, I'll find a chance to come see you."

  "Ah," Xia Chuqi's small face fell, "Why?"

  Zhao You pretended not to see her disappointment and said, "Look at how excited you are."

  She rubbed her forehead, and Xia Qi thought she had a headache. On purpose to provoke him, she said, "I'm telling you, Your Highness, haven't you heard? A woman should enjoy a comfortable single life before getting married. For example, go and have fun with some handsome guys, one last crazy time. Otherwise, once you're married, isn't everything over?"

  Zhao Zhu's eyes were slightly cold, and she seriously gave her a "sharp rebuke".

  "A Qi, wake up—"

  “……”

  It's just a dream after all...

  This is a feudal society, where can I go to pick up men?

  ……

  ……

  Chengguo Gongfu is not too far from Jinwang Fu, both are located in the southern part of the capital. Although it's slightly smaller than Jinwang Fu in terms of scale, as a current noble and first-class duke, the mansion still boasts long corridors, spacious halls, carved pillars, jade railings, embroidered door curtains, and cloud-patterned windows, showcasing the elegant aristocratic style of a prominent family in the gentle spring breeze.

  Before getting on the horse carriage, Xia Qi wore a gauze hat prepared by Qing Lian. The gauze hat was very delicate, with a layer of thin gauze hanging down over her face, making her entire face seem vague and unclear, without affecting her line of sight, but making it impossible for others to see her clearly.

  She didn't ask why, but she knew the reason in her heart.

  She used to be in men's clothing, now she is in women's clothing. When she was in men's clothing, she deliberately painted her face, looking a bit rougher, and when she was in women's clothing, she didn't wear makeup, and the whole person looked much more delicate. In fact, there is a big difference and change. However, careful people can still see that this Jingyi County Master is actually that Chu Medical Officer who was once famous in the capital.

  "Be careful, young lady."

  At the time of dismounting, Qing Lian helped her with a hand, and her eyes were always focused on her. It was clear that she didn't have her mind set solely on Master Zhao like most maids did. This small detail made Xia Chuqi feel satisfied, it seemed not every woman would be drawn to Zhao's elegant and refined demeanor after all?

  She patted Qinglan's arm with unparalleled sincerity.

  "Qing Lan, I love you."

  The sunny sky suddenly stiffened its back, and before it could respond, the face of a certain old man who was bending down to get off the car suddenly turned black. "What do you call her?"

  "What's wrong?" Xia Chuqi glanced at him casually, "What's going on?"

  "Change a name, what's the difference?" Zhao Zun's face turned even darker.

  "What's it to you? I'm a maid of the Duke of Chengguo, do you want Prince Jin to come and manage me?" Xia Chuyi smiled mischievously at him, feeling extremely pleased with herself. After speaking, she hummed a tune and took Qingxiao's hand, walking towards the vermilion gate of the Duke of Chengguo's mansion. Her carefree demeanor made Qingxiao sweat profusely, and Zhao Zhuojun's face turned icy cold, as if a layer of frost had formed that couldn't be thawed.

  "Grandpa... slow down..."

  Meizi cried out in distress and followed Zhao Zhu.

  Xia Qiuzi, who was walking in front, heard it and shook her head. She glanced back at Mei Zi with a hint of sighing in her heart. It seemed that there was no way to change this, Zhao Shiyi still had brainless fans like Mei Zi, who would always protect her master no matter what time or place.

  As soon as they entered the gate of Chengguo Gongfu, Chengguo Gongyuan received a message and the whole family came to greet them.

  However, the number of people in this family is somewhat small.

  Apart from serving as a servant girl, he was alone.

  It is said that the wife of Chengguo Gong has gone to An Tang for Buddhist rituals these past few days and hasn't returned yet. The concubines in the back courtyard of Chengguo Gong's residence naturally can't appear on stage, they don't have the qualifications to welcome the Junzhu and the Jin Wangye. But what is slightly strange today, the seventh day of summer, is that she has come home, so why wouldn't her Yuan You cousin be at home?

  What a pity, otherwise I could also go and see the beautiful woman he talked about in his backyard.

  "Where's Shaohong?"

  It seems that Zhao Zun and she have the same idea, and the first sentence asked about this.

  Yuan Hong Chou invited them into the house and sat down, then responded, "You went to your mansion yesterday and didn't come back? I was also wondering. However, this child often doesn't stay at home..."

  Yuanyou's moral character is well-known to everyone.

  They exchanged a glance, and Yuan Hongchou chuckled and ordered someone to serve tea.

  It was the first time she had come to someone else's house, and it was still such an "awkward" identity. Xia Chuqi felt a little uneasy. Fortunately, there were not many people in Chengguo Gongfu, and this Yuan Hongchou, although it was her first time seeing him, seemed to be a straightforward and open-minded person from his words and deeds, unlike those hypocritical feudal old men, she slightly put down some of her guard.

  Just as she was lost in thought, Zhao Zhu suddenly looked over and whispered a sentence to her.

  "A Qi, don't you hurry up and pay respects to your father."

  As soon as the word "father" entered her ears, Xia Chuyi felt like she had lice on her body, a little uncomfortable. She hadn't seen her father in her past life, and she hadn't seen him in this life either. This time, she finally got a father, but it was a cheap dad picked up from the street. Thinking about this life, she couldn't help but sigh. However, she also knew that Cheng Guo Gong was willing to acknowledge her as his daughter, which also took some risk. Just for this risk, even though he was old, if she called him "dad", she wouldn't be at a loss.

  Before, Yuè Róng taught her etiquette, she still remembers some of it.

  She slowly got up and walked to the front of Yuan Hongyu, although she knew that she should give him a big courtesy for the first time they met, but it was really a headache. She simply couldn't kneel down, only bowing her head to greet him.

  "Daughter pays respects to Father."

  It was clear that Yuan Hongyu had never thought that she would be doing great things for him. Upon hearing this, he burst out laughing and stroked his beard, looking very pleased.

  "Alright, alright. Hurry up and invite your daughter."

  After the ceremony, he handed her an intricately carved sandalwood box as a gift for their meeting, saying that it was something Madame Guo had prepared long ago. Inside was a set of exquisite and elegant hair accessories. It could be seen that Chengguo Gongfu also attached great importance to this "adopted daughter".

  On the seventh day of summer, after receiving the thing, he was about to sit back, but heard Zhao Zun whispering again.

  "A Qi is offering tea to your father."

  She wasn't quite familiar with the etiquette, but somehow, upon hearing Zhao Zun's order, she found it somewhat amusing. Since when did the King of Jin start playing the role of her "nanny"? Everything had to be taught by him. She secretly laughed to herself and glanced at him with a hint of mischief, not declining, took the tea from Qing Luan's tray and gently placed it on her head, half-kneeling in front of Yuan Hongchu.

  "Father, please have some tea. As a newcomer, I don't understand the rules, so please forgive me."

  Another loud laugh, Yuan Hongchou looked at her with great satisfaction and took over the tea.

  "This old man is already half in the ground, but thanks to your blessing, I've got another daughter. I'm overjoyed and haven't even had time to catch my breath, how could I possibly blame you? My daughter, as the emperor's personally appointed Princess of Jingyi, in this Chengguo Gongfu, you are also the only young lady of the house. From now on, no one can bully you, just act like you're at home and do whatever you want, don't bother with those dead rules."

  "Thank you, Father."

  Can't help but say, Yuan Hongyu's words are Xia Chuyi's favorite.

  What she is most dissatisfied with in this era, and what pains her the most, are the rules. If she were to be confined morning and night, it would be better to kill her off. Now that she has received the command of Chengguo Gong, how could she not be delighted?

  The basic courtesy over with, she sat back in her chair and they chatted for a bit longer.

  Cheng Guogong didn't have any other ideas, and just said that since the Emperor had given her the two characters "Jing Yi", these two characters were already very good, extremely noble, so she might as well be called Jing Yi. Zhao Zun was nonchalant about it, and Xia Chuyi even more so, thinking that names were just a label anyway, and this way of doing things was quite carefree.

  Just as they were speaking, a young servant in green uniform from the Ministry of Justice hurriedly came to report.

  "Master, young master... something's happened to him."

  Seeing his fiery appearance, Yuan Hongchu put down his teacup, somewhat displeased.

  "Mind your manners in front of guests."

  That man looked at Zhao Zun and Xia Chuqi for a moment, somewhat hesitant.

  Yu Hongchou hummed again, "You're all not outsiders, so it doesn't matter if I say it."

  He received the order from his master, and the little servant responded with a low voice, saying, "Master, Young Master has just returned... but he was carried back..."

  "What's going on?!"

  Yu Hong suddenly stood up from his chair, and even Xia Chuyi and Zhao Zhu were shocked. They looked at each other, but the little servant couldn't say a word of explanation. "Master, you'd better go take a look quickly, it's said that he's injured, injured..."

  He said a few "hurt" words, probably seeing the county master sitting there, that little servant didn't dare to speak out, and Yuan Hongchu was also rarely willing to listen again. He directly flung his sleeve, exchanged a glance with Zhao Zun, and then rushed out of the house first.

  On the seventh day of summer, I was worried about Yuan Xiaogong and followed Zhao Zun out of the main house in a hurry.

  Not yet out of the gate, he indeed saw Yuan Yu being carried in by two attendants from the main entrance.

  She slightly narrowed her eyes, observing that his complexion was not quite right, but there were no visible injuries on him, nor did he look like he had contracted a serious illness. His handsome face was full of strange expressions.

  "Yu'er, what's going on? Who hurt you?"

  After all, it's still a father's heartache for his son, and the first person to rush up was Yuan Hongyu.

  Yu Wei looked at his father, gritted his teeth, and had a slightly awkward expression on his face, but didn't immediately respond to him. He only used his eyes to instruct the servants to lead him into the house first, and after dismissing all the servants, he rubbed his nose, glanced over Xia Chuqi's face full of guesses, and his gaze fell on Zhao Zun's face, with a tone that carried some annoyance.

  "Tianlu, Laozi must have been plotted against by that Dongfang Qingxuan."

  Zhao Zun looked at his face which was swollen red and raised an eyebrow.

  "What's wrong with you?"

  Yuanyou snorted in anger, "Yesterday you rushed off and left me to deal with the aftermath. I was going to leave after scolding that Eastern guy a few times, but...I met a beautiful young woman on the way back, her carriage had broken down by the side of the road, and I...my heart skipped a beat..."

  He paused for a moment, looked at his father's dark face, and then gritted his teeth.

  "Damn it, that little girl is ruthless. I was careless for a moment and fell into her trap, getting tied up in the horse carriage... After spending the night there, I woke up this morning to find myself in severe pain, and, damn it, it's not working properly either... If I see her again, I'll definitely flay her alive..."

  Was it still because of being too charming?

  For a man, this is a serious matter of wounded dignity.

  Yuan You's backyard has many concubines, but he still hasn't married a proper wife and doesn't have any children. If something really goes wrong, then Cheng Guo Gong is actually an adopted son, and if it ends up with him, won't the family line be cut off?

  As soon as he heard this, Yuan Hongchu's face turned white.

  He knew his son's temperament all along, but who would have thought that he wouldn't take advantage of his youth and end up like this?

  "Someone come quickly and invite Dr. Liu over—"

  Xia Chui Qi let out a sigh, thinking that if Dongfang Qingxuan really designed revenge against Yuan Yu, this matter was more or less related to herself. Moreover, everyone was already in the mansion, and it would be convenient for her to take care of them while they were ill.

  "Dad, no need to go. Isn't your daughter a ready-made doctor?"

  Yuan Hong Chou was taken aback for a moment, his face turned awkward, but before he could speak, Zhao Zun's face had already darkened.

  "It's no good."

  Digression

  The monthly ticket is out, and the girl who drew the monthly ticket quickly threw it into my bowl. The bowl is empty and large, making it the most suitable for holding the monthly ticket!

  Haha, and also, whoever got the iPhone 6 or the SLR camera, hurry up and stand out, I promise I won't hit you...

  Acknowledgments:

  Dear [Dàn Dàn de Dàn Dàn] has been upgraded to become the top scholar of San Ding Jia - (the 15th champion of this book). By the way, who told me she is who?

  Dear [lunwen] has been upgraded to Ji Yuan (the 68th Ji Yuan in this book... hehe!)

  Also, cough, have I told everyone that I've already signed in? Of course, I definitely won't tell you guys that I missed signing in for many days (cries). So, I especially cherish the care, love and friendship you all give me. Signing in every day, I myself can't even do it, let alone you guys... Here, I want to say to the sisters who are fighting hard for votes on the front lines: Sisters, you're working hard, each and every one of you is awesome, I respect you - you're all heroes!