Chapter Sixteen: The Prestigious Bell and Cauldron Jade Horse Hall

  The early morning sunlight is excellent, with the warmth and dryness of early autumn, unobstructed and pouring down, falling on the still lush branches and leaves, splashing everywhere.

  You rode Cloud Gallop early in the morning, galloping in the royal shooting range, feeling as comfortable as the autumn sun's golden light. You couldn't help but open your arms and shout towards the blue sky. Cloud Gallop was infected by her excitement and followed with a neigh, running lightly and spiritedly.

  One person and one horse circled the arena several times, Qing Chen smiled brightly as he turned his horse around, but suddenly found Ye Tian Zhan standing alone on the side, smiling at this side.

  His blue shirt was like water, his jade crown like the moon. The autumn sun shone softly, blurring the contours of his handsome face. All that could be seen was a hint of a smile, more carefree than the wind and more leisurely than the clouds, hanging from the corner of his brow and lips. It was as if the vast blue sky had appeared before one's eyes, causing one to lose their soul for a moment.

  He accompanied Shirak Khan to the Proclamation Palace yesterday and did not return to the house. At this time, he appeared in the shooting field, obviously rushing back early. He dismounted and asked: "Has Shirak Khan left? How did you come back?"

  Ye Tian Chen didn't answer her question, his gaze fell on Yun Feng: "You always surprise me, but what I do know is that Yun Feng has injured eight horse trainers, three of whom were seriously injured and couldn't be saved. What if something went wrong yesterday?"

  You suddenly remembered what he said when he left last night, and quickly glanced at him under his eyelashes, after all, he had to be taught a lesson.

  He saw her not making a sound, a pair of handsome eyes narrowed and fixed on her: "What?" She smiled slightly: "It wasn't until later that I thought it was quite dangerous."

  At night, Tian Zhan didn't want her to admit her mistake so quickly, and there was nothing more to say. Unexpectedly, she added another sentence: "But it's very exciting." He suddenly felt like crying and laughing at the same time: "Next time I won't spare the twelfth brother!"

  "You were taken aback for a moment, and hastily said: 'Don't blame him, it was I who secretly rode. Spare him, and I'll accept whatever punishment you give me.'"

  "Really?"

  "You'll see, I'm a man of my word."

  Ye Tian's mouth curled up into a faint smile, his voice drawling: "Alright... copy out 'Admonitions for Women' ten times as punishment!"

  "Ah?" Qing Chen was shocked and said with a bitter face: "That's too much! Can't we change to something else? I'd rather copy 'Guoyu' a hundred times!"

  Ye Tian Zhan looked at her and suddenly burst out laughing: "You really plan to copy? However, 'Guoyu' is more than twice as long as 'Nüjie', you'd better think carefully."

  You only realized you'd been played, and shot him a fierce glance. Having boasted earlier, he couldn't refute it now, so he could only stand there, pouting and staring at him.

  It's rare to see Ye Tian laughing so heartily, although he often wears a smile on his face, there's always a hint of detachment in his warm and elegant demeanor. At this moment, he exudes an air of confidence and vitality, the soft golden sunlight casting a heroic glow on him, making him look particularly dashing. She can't help but feel a sense of admiration, as if heaven has bestowed upon him all the blessings of wealth, nobility, talent, and virtue, and that he's achieved success at such a young age, leaving one to wonder what in this world could possibly not meet his expectations?

  Yè Tiān Zhàn smiled enough, seeing Xiǎng Fǔ's dust was just raised, looking at himself with a gentle gaze in his eyes: "The people from the Xiang family are waiting outside, I'll go with you and Jìng Huì."

  "You don't have to go to so much trouble, do you?"

  "Father is still in Xuan Sheng Palace. Since there are no court affairs, let's consider this a day of leisure for me. Let's go."

  The horse-drawn carriage of the Marquis's mansion is spacious and exquisite, with soft screens and purple silk curtains, and a faint scent of fragrant osmanthus wafts from within, carrying an air of noble elegance that calms the mind.

  Outside the window, cars and horses are galloping, with a prosperous crowd. Along the way from Shangjiu Fang to Yilu, there is a row of elm trees that divides the nearly 100-step-wide road into three paths. The middle one is flat and wide, which is the imperial road, specially used for the emperor's outing. In the golden autumn sun, it appears high above, with the majesty of the heavenly family stretching far away, until it disappears beyond the city gate that cannot be reached.

  Arriving at the Feng Xiang Fu, the attendants in the gate saw Ye Tian Zhan from afar and hastily rushed into the mansion to report. Ye Tian Zhan smiled and turned around to personally help Jing Hui down from the carriage, then naturally took Xun Chen's hand and led her down.

  Feng Yan and Feng Luan flew out from inside to welcome them, but no one expected that King Zhan and Queen Ce would come together. Seeing this scene, their expressions changed slightly, and they realized that the woman beside King Zhan was not an ordinary person. In their hearts, they had already made up three-tenths of their minds.

  She raised her eyes to look at the phoenix-like official who dominated the court, and felt that he had a deep and steady air, with a hint of sharpness in his seemingly calm gaze. His ambition was deeply hidden, and it was no wonder that he was the first among the officials who had been through two dynasties. In that instant when their eyes met, she knew that she had been thoroughly scrutinized by the official from head to toe, and suddenly felt a sense of mutual probing. She calmly cast her gaze back at him, like a quiet autumn moon on a still lake, neither of them gaining the upper hand.

  The vermilion gate of the Marquis's mansion was deep and secluded, with a spacious courtyard that could accommodate carriages and horses. As she stepped into it under the starry night sky, she suddenly stopped in her tracks and said, "Isn't there a large fish pond here?" The moment she spoke, she herself was startled, as if her thoughts had strayed for an instant, escaping the control of her mind.

  Everyone around her looked at her, and Luan Fei glanced at the empty courtyard: "Since I can remember, this place has been planted with trees on all sides, leaving a vacant space in the middle, and there has never been a fish tank."

  "Oh." Qing Xun's mind was elsewhere as he responded, but then heard Feng Yan ask: "Do you know what kind of fish tank it is?"

  "You smiled and said, 'I don't know why, but I suddenly feel that there should be a fish tank here. It's very large, with one side white and the other black, separated in the middle like a Tai Chi diagram. How strange, where would you find such a fish tank?'"

  Feng Yan's eyes moved slightly as he said, "The white one inside raised black fish, and the black one inside raised white fish. It was originally a Taiji Yin Yang Bagua diagram. At that time when this Taiji aquarium existed, Luan Fei was still in swaddling clothes, and only some old servants in the mansion knew about it." His eyes were calm and composed at this moment, but couldn't hide a hint of excitement: "Do you remember anything else?"

  You shook your head, and the phoenix flew to say: "Father, when my sister was deceived by the evil slave, she was less than three years old. I'm afraid she can't remember many things, but the silver butterfly on her body is exactly the same as my daughter's. This point will never be wrong."

  Phoenix returned to face Night Sky and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for saving Qingchen that day. If it weren't for you, our family wouldn't be reunited today. I'm eternally grateful." The implication was clear: he had truly accepted Qingchen as his lost daughter. Qingchen subconsciously furrowed her brow and looked at Night Sky.

  Ye Tian Zhan smiled slightly and said, "Feng Xiang's words are heavy, it's better to take Qing Chen to see the lady first." As he spoke, he glanced at Jing Hui, who was holding Qing Chen's hand and said, "I'll accompany you there together."

  You had no reason to refuse, and together with Jing Hui, you followed Feng Yan into the inner chamber. The room was filled with a faint scent of medicine, and in front of your eyes was a screen with a peony flower pattern, behind which a woman lay sleeping under a green silk canopy. She seemed to have been well taken care of before, but it was clear that she had suffered from illness for a long time, and her face had lost its luster.

  Ying Fei invited her elder brother to stay overnight and talk with Tian Zhen, while she followed later. Qing Xun walked to the bedside, carefully looked at Feng's wife's face, and out of a doctor's instinct, stretched out his hand to feel her pulse. His heart skipped a beat as he turned back to ask: "Is this... heart disease?"

  Feng Yan said in a low voice, "The imperial physician in the palace also said so. It has been many years since it started, but these days have become even worse. Your sister Xian Wu also suffered from the same illness and was beyond cure long ago."

  Qing Chen subconsciously raised her hand to touch her chest, Jing Hui saw her expression change slightly, as if she had thought of something, and asked: "Qing Chen, isn't this the same as yours?"

  Feng Yan and Luan Fei looked at each other in surprise, Qing Chen nodded lightly with a faint smile, and said to Luan Fei: "May I try feeling your pulse?"

  Luan Fei hesitated and sat down beside the bed, handing her hand over to her. After a detailed examination, she said: "It seems that there is no problem now. Although it's not certain whether your illness will affect all of your children, you should also be careful yourself. As for your body...your heart has been depressed for a long time, and the disease has been lingering, probably only to ensure that you can live for a few more years without any problems."

  "Years?! The imperial physician said that if she could make it through this winter, it would be a blessing. Mother's condition has been worsening these past few days, and we've all..." His voice cracked slightly as he spoke.

  "You should take medicine with golden needle to regulate your body, but you must take good care of yourself and avoid any stimulation. You should be careful not to get angry, worried, or sad, and even excessive joy or laughter is not advisable."

  "Feng Yan sighed, 'I didn't think you were also well-versed in medicine. This life of hers has been spent worrying about her children, previously she was heartbroken and fell ill after dancing, now if she can get your brother and sister to dote on her, perhaps there will be some improvement.'"

  You looked back at the patient on the bed with a weak breath, and couldn't bear to deny it. With a gentle smile, you didn't say whether it was good or bad, but instead carefully instructed Ruan Fei about some matters. The faint expression on your face fell into Feng Yan's eyes, and she couldn't help but notice her hesitation. As they walked out the door, Feng Yan lagged behind a step and walked alongside her. When Ruan Fei and Jing Hui were far away, Feng Yan seemed to be chatting casually: "As for me, I know that I owe you a lot in these few years. Today, it seems that Wang Ye has a good heart. After you recognize your ancestors and return to the clan, I will arrange a good marriage for you, and at that time, it will be a double happiness."

  You didn't expect him to say such things, and almost stopped in his tracks, thinking for a moment before realizing what he was saying. The situation seemed to suddenly depart from imagination.

  When she was about to raise her head to respond, they had already arrived at the outer chamber. Ye Tian Zheng was talking to Feng Jia's eldest son, Feng Jing Shu. His smiling eyes were as clear as a bright moon, and his gaze gently fell on her, with a warm expression in his eyes that didn't avoid looking at her.

  For a moment, she was speechless, and Qīng Chén quietly lowered her head. Fèng Yuàn saw this scene and thought it was like a daughter's shy and awkward behavior, so he smiled deeply with profound meaning.