Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen

  Thank you for the rewards from: Dance, who overturned the world with a peach blossom fan; Dazed Cat; Happy Autumn; zaiying; Brother Fanfan; hayayao's pink votes; Thank you to Windy 01 and Hot Love^^2, Book friend 130302034742105, and WaWaCuoYin's safe and sound charm...

  Murong heard Le's words and fell silent for a moment, then nodded at Le and said: "What you said is right, I, the imperial concubine, cannot be soft-hearted, cannot retreat. Behind me are my family, my clan, and the fate of the dynasty. I absolutely cannot retreat!"

  "Princess, you're absolutely right!" La Jia said in agreement with Murong.

  "Mother, will this matter...?" Murong asked, turning to Le Mother and asking with some concern.

  Upon hearing Murong's words, Le Jie immediately spoke with confidence: "Your Highness can rest assured, this is a secret method that has been passed down in the palace and will definitely not be discovered. Besides, so many people saw it, and the tea you drank at the time, Your Highness, and Concubine Gu were poured from the same teapot. Even if it's investigated later, it won't implicate Your Highness."

  "No one will notice, right?" Upon hearing Lao Tai Tai's words, Mu Rong's gaze shifted towards the direction of Qing Jin's courtyard.

  Ler's gaze at Murong's eyes immediately understood the meaning of "someone" in Murong's words, and she opened her mouth to say: "This Wang Fei doesn't need to worry, it's just a legitimate daughter who grew up in a small family, how can she have so many thoughts? Even if her family is now favored by the emperor, she still can't change her humble origins." The last sentence couldn't hide a few hints of disdain.

  Upon hearing Granny's words, Murong said somewhat disapprovingly: "A humble household? Granny mustn't say that; how could the Anji Marquis Manor, which has been passed down for generations, be an ordinary humble household?"

  "Anji Marquis Manor? I, a humble servant, dare to say something presumptuous. If it weren't for the kindness of Ning Wangfei's father in saving our lives, what would we be now? What kind of manor could we call our own?" Lai Qiangqiang said with undisguised disdain.

  When he heard this, Murong Yu couldn't help but shake his head and say nothing.

  "By the way, Princess. Are you really going to let those cheap women in the backyard climb into the king's bed?" Le Jiaojiao thought of what Murong Shi would say and asked straightforwardly.

  When Mu Rong heard this, her face turned bitter and she said: "What can the concubine do? At least it's better than if the child was born to a new concubine who just entered the manor. It's better than those with a good background who are easy to control. Without family or background, even if they're favored... If they have children and want to continue being favored, they'll have to rely on me. If they get too arrogant..." Mu Rong stopped speaking here.

  Ler's mother had already understood what Murong didn't say.

  There was an awkward silence between the master and servant for a moment.

  "Mother. Don't you think... that something was strange about last night's events?" After a pause, Mu Rong asked with furrowed brows and a thoughtful expression.

  Lao Tai Tai heard Mu Rong's words and instantly thought of the news brought by the maid early in the morning, tapping her head with her hand, then continued Mu Rong's words: "Speaking of this, I have something to report. This morning, a maid came over and told me that last night when Master entered the bridal chamber, his personal bodyguard stood guard outside, ordering no one to approach until Master left the Chui Ge courtyard."

  "Is this really happening? Nanny, why did Master ask someone to guard the outside?" Murong asked Lai Yiyi in confusion.

  Lao Lao heard Murong's words and thought for a moment before saying, "This is hard to say, but having someone guard outside is really not normal."

  "Mother, I'm a bit worried, will Father... towards Consort Guo..."

  "The slave thinks it won't happen, Master isn't that kind of person." Le Jiao said to Murong.

  Upon hearing the old lady's words, Murong seemed to let out a sigh of relief. "I've been married to you for so many years, but I've never really seen through you. Although I also felt that this possibility was extremely small, however..."

  "The princess can rest assured, I will make sure someone is watching."

  Cloudy Temple

  Qingjin ate dinner and then took out a new book from the dowry box, walked to the desk in the room, sat down lazily, and began to flip through the new book.

  Yuan Yang saw Qing Jin leave the dinner table, and gently waved her hand at the two little maids standing beside her. The two little maids saw Yuan Yang's action and walked over without looking up, starting to quietly clean up the dinner table.

  Quick and nimble, lightly picking up and putting down, without making a single sound.

  The mandarin duck looked at the two little maids with satisfaction, and without making a sound, they finished cleaning up the dinner table and walked out.

  After watching the two little maidservants walk out, Yuanyang turned around and walked to Qingjin's side, who was reading a book, and softly opened her mouth: "Master, you just finished eating and sitting still is not good for you. Yuanyang will accompany Master to take a stroll in the courtyard to help digest your food and also show Master the new courtyard."

  Upon hearing Yuanyang's words, Qingjin raised her head from the book and said to Yuanyang: "What is there to see? We already live here, so we'll have plenty of chances to visit later. When did you become so curious?"

  "I knew you'd say that, Master. Yaya isn't curious at all. Yaya is just thinking of the master's well-being. Since the master has just finished eating, he should take a walk..."

  "Alright, alright, I know you're doing this for my own good, but there's no need to go all the way to the courtyard. I can just walk around in my room," Qingjin said as she stood up and walked over to the window, stretched her waist, pushed open the window, and leaned against it to gaze out at the scenery.

  Yuanyang saw Qingjin get up from the desk, although she didn't agree to go for a walk in the courtyard, but also didn't sit down, so there was no need to force her. With some dissatisfaction on her face, she said: "Master is right, after dinner you should take a walk, it's what Master told Yuanyang before, and Yuanyang has been remembering it for you!"

  Upon hearing Yuanyang's words, Qingjin was left speechless. This could be considered as "asking for trouble". Hearing Yuanyang's muttering, she leaned against the window and looked over at her, opening her mouth to say: "You remember these things so clearly... what I told you before..." Don't follow me into Jingwang Fu, how come you don't remember? The latter half of her sentence was ultimately left unspoken.

  "What did you say to me just now?" asked Yuanyang, puzzled by Qingjin's sudden pause.

  "Never mind, it's nothing." Qingjin dropped the subject.

  Yuan heard Qingjin say this, and didn't ask any further. Instead, she suddenly thought of something and spoke to Qingjin: "Master, should the prince stay overnight at our Flowing Clouds Mansion tonight?"

  Qing Jin's body stiffened upon hearing Yuanyang's words, and her facial expression also turned cold. Yuanyang saw Qing Jin's expression and knew she had asked something she shouldn't have. Just as she was about to say something to make amends, she heard Qing Jin's faint voice, "The prince... won't be coming."

  "Why, how can this be? The master and Wang Ye just got married yesterday, shouldn't Wang Ye have been resting in our Flowing Clouds Pavilion for the past three days?" Yuanyang asked with some indignation upon hearing Qingjin's words.

  Qingjin didn't say anything.

  Yingying suddenly thought of her conversation with Qingjin that morning, “...Master, are you still thinking about...thinking about Young Master Bao?” Yingying spoke cautiously.

  "How could you think that?" Qing Jin asked with some speechlessness after hearing Yuanyang's words.

  "Isn't that right? Master and Young Master Wang used to get along so well, yesterday was supposed to be Master's and Prince Wang's wedding night, but Prince Wang suddenly left, this morning Master told me that although the swans will always stand by Master's side, Master, what are we going to do next? And what about Young Master...Master, should we or shouldn't we with Young Master..."

  "There is no Young Master Ye." Qing Jin interrupted Yuanyang.

  Upon hearing Qingjin's words, Yuanyang fell silent. She had always followed Qingjin and naturally knew that the so-called "Young Master" was not actually a young master. "...Water Young Master said it too, he is also Master's cousin."

  "Who knows what's true or false, I haven't even seen my aunt's face, most importantly, he isn't Junmu Xi." Yes, the only maternal cousin she could marry was Junmu Xi, but someone told her that Junmu Xi was already engaged and had married into the Jing Wang Fu.

  "Then... Master and Shuigongzi's feelings are always true, right?" Yuanyang asked uncertainly upon hearing Qingjin's words.

  Upon hearing Yuanyang's words, Qingjin turned her head and smiled at Yuanyang, asking: "Yuanyang, what kind of person do you think this 'Water Boy' of yours is?"

  "The Water Boy should be gentle and elegant like bamboo..." As she said this, Yuanyang looked at Qingjin.

  "What you said is very right, as elegant as bamboo. But have you heard a saying: 'Bamboo has no heart'?" Qingjin said to Yuanyang.

  Yuan heard Qingjin's words and originally wanted to refute her, but thinking back to that day when Shui Wuqing said she was going to ask the Emperor for permission to marry and then disappeared until their master married into the Jing Wang Fu.

  Originally wanting to comfort the master on behalf of Yu Wuqing, but after hearing the master's words, Yuanyang couldn't say anything. This morning, she had heard the master's unwillingness and thought that the master still held hope for Yu Wuqing, so she also hoped that Yu Wuqing could come and rescue the master. But at this moment, after hearing the master's words, she finally understood that the master had never expected Yu Wuqing to begin with.

  Also hearing the master's words just now, Yuanyang only understood that before she always felt that there was something indescribable about Shuigongzi's temperament, such a perfect person, which always made her feel like something was missing. Now hearing the master's words, she suddenly realized that yes, Shuigongzi indeed had a celestial quality, lacking just a bit of human touch. Was it because of Zhugeng's carelessness? Shuigongzi really liked bamboo!

  Yingying suddenly felt a little flustered. If the master didn't have any hope for Shuigongzi, then... She suddenly wanted to say some good things about Shuigongzi, not for his sake, but for the master's. If the master didn't have any expectations at all, then... Yingying dared not think further, but after turning it over in her mind a few times, she couldn't come up with any words of rebuttal or denial.

  Her mind was racing, wanting to tell Qingjin that it wasn't like that, but the more anxious she became, the less she could think of anything to say. She could only stare blankly at Qingjin.