Yin Hua was lying on the bamboo deckchair in his yard. He crossed his legs swaying as he hummed a scattered tune. On the damaged stone table next to him was a broken bowl with a pair of chopsticks on it. From the looks of it, the guy had just finished his meal.Cai Sang stood at the door and looked at Yin Hua’s sleazy posture with aversion. Pouting, she simply didn’t want to step in. Murong Zhining nudged her in from behind. The movement startled Yin Hua who turned to look and saw two beautiful village girls standing at the entrance.Yin Hua completely turned to look carefully. Upon realizing his daughter, he instantly switched to a bitterly crying face. “Oh goodness, my child has returned, my child hasn’t forgotten this father!”Yin Hua strode over, wanting to grab Cai Sang’s hand. Cai Sang evaded with disgust. Yin Hua pretended to wipe his tears. “Are you still resenting father for selling you and your mother that year? But father really didn’t have a choice back

Qiao Bin carefully felt Murong Zhining pulse for a long time, his head started sweating. “Miss Murong, is your period still normal?”Murong Zhining flushed beet red. “Not recently. It hadn’t come according to my usual schedule, and I haven’t seen it at all in the last two, three months.”Qiao Bin nodded repeatedly. “It’s a happy pulse . Congratulations, Miss Murong.”Cai Sang instantly grabbed the doctor’s sleeves tightly. “Doctor Qiao, please recheck. It can’t really be a happy pulse?!”Qiao Bin said with a stern face. “I had served in the palace for more than ten years and treated many concubines. What I understand most are women diseases, how can I mis-diagnose it? Miss Murong indeed has a happy pulse.”Qiao Bin hastily took his leave as he was in a hurry to report this to Chiyun Yuexuan. He only knew that Murong Zhining was Chiyun Yuexuan’s beloved concubine from the others’ discussions, so he didn’t know of the inside details.After Qiao Bin

In a blink, Murong Zhining had stayed in Chongde County for five months. During this time frame, Chiyun Yuexuan never had anyone arrive to take her to Fuling. The vice general still visited on schedule to give Luo Siyao the money for their living expenses.Today, Murong Zhining brought Cai Sang and Luo Siyao and happily strolled around the market. Cai Sang bought a bouquet of lilies and held it in her arms. According to her plan, the bouquet would be arranged in the flower vase in Murong Zhining’s room. Cai Sang smiled brightly, “It’d be great if that beast never bothers us again. Maybe we can return to the capital after a while.”Murong Zhining fluttered the round silk fan embroidered with magnolia flowers in her hand. “You can return there whenever you want. But, I can’t. I can only stay here as a hostage for now, and perhaps for the rest of my life.”Cai Sang smiled sweetly at her. “I and Yaoyao will follow you wherever you are. I don’t believe that brute can ke

Outside Zhaogan Hall, eunuchs and maids lined up on both sides of the white marble steps. The maids each stood with a lantern in hand and their heads bowed. The eunuchs held their horsetail whisk as they respectfully bent their bodies in a slight bow.On the first nine stone steps, all of the court officials arranged neatly according to their ranks, military officials in the left and civil officials in the right. Under the following nine steps were rows of guards standing at both sides with sharp weapons hanging on their waists. After the last twenty-one steps and on the vast field, the team sent by Shangxia Country to escort Murong Zhining were lined up in a proper formation.Yan Feng led Murong Zhining out of Zhaogan Hall, her delicate white hand lightly settling on his palm. Behind them were two palace maids holding two big pheasant-feathered palace fans .Today, Yan Feng wore the Tongtian Crown and dressed in a crimson dragon robe. He wanted to send Murong Zhin

Cai Sang draped a soft fur blanket on a big stone and carefully supported Murong Zhining to sit down on it. In front of Murong Zhining was a small river flowing quietly, the water so clear that one could see through to the bottom. Cai Sang washed the towel in the river and gently wiped Murong Zhining’s delicate face, then helped her fix the slightly messy hair bun. Murong Zhining had changed from the flamboyant costumes and luxurious ornaments into a plain white dress, her hair tied simply in a bun with a ribbon, the tails of the long ribbon fluttered behind her in the wind. Murong Zhining looked weak and pale, but her sickly face didn’t affect her at all and instead it made her look like an otherworldly goddess. Luo Siyao picked a large bouquet of wildflowers on the river bank and handed it to Murong Zhining. Murong Zhining held it to her chest. With drooping eyelids, she gently sniffed the faint fragrance of the wildflowers.On the other side of the river, an armored man arr