After reading my mind, Daddy, why don't you smile?

However, the next second, he suddenly held her in his arms and said in a muffled voice: "But I can't do it..."

"I can't bear to see you sad, can't bear to see you hurt... Yue'er said that I treated you like that before, so I deliberately avoided and endured it. I was afraid that I would repeat the same mistake in a moment of impulse. Even though I knew you wanted to leave me, even though I knew Wei Fu wanted to take you away, I endured it."

"In the past, I have never been able to figure out what I was thinking, because I have never felt this way about Huai'an, but now, I think I understand."

Shangguan Shu took Zhao Ying out of his arms, placed his warm palms on her face, and said solemnly and firmly: "I, have fallen in love with you..."

The man stared at her without blinking, the dark swirl in his eyes seemed to suck her in.

There was a flash of emotion in Zhao Ying's eyes, but it was fleeting.

She lowered her eyes and whispered, "But..."

Shangguan Shu looked at her sadly, his pupils were so red that they seemed to bleed, "But... I can't have you anymore..."

"I can't take you home as promised." Shangguan Shu said, tears already dripping from the corners of his eyes.

With a snap, it shattered into flowers on the wrist.

It was as if his entire body was about to fall apart.

"Don't worry, I won't marry another woman..."

Zhao Ying saw through his intentions and frowned, "You want to atone for my sins?"

Shangguan Shu explained: "I am willing to atone for your sins. You don't need to owe her anything. I can help you pay off all your debts to Huai'an. I will take care of her until the end of her life and make sure she doesn't cause any trouble to you and the children again..."

The more Zhao Ying listened, the more she felt something was wrong. "Why do I feel like you're trying to... have a secret relationship with me?"

"On the surface, he takes care of Zhao Yao, but behind my back, he flirts with me..."

Shangguan Shu denied, "That's not what I meant..."

"Then can you bear not to see me again?"

"Or...I will marry someone else?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Shangguan Shu's eyes, which were originally full of affection, suddenly turned cold again.

Zhao Ying expected this.

Shangguan Shu said viciously: "Zhao Ying, you are such a bad woman!"

Zhao Ying smiled noncommittally, then said: "Don't worry, no matter what you want to do, I will wait for you..."

Shangguan Shu was at a loss but also moved as he murmured, "Ying'er..."

"Can you give Zhao Quan to me now?"

Shangguan Shu said sternly: "If you want to silence me, I can help you..."

Zhao Ying shook her head, "No need."

Seeing Zhao Ying's insistence, Shangguan Shu, although he did not agree, still gave Zhao Quan to her.

Zhao Ying was about to take everyone away, but suddenly remembered and asked, "Are Wan'er and Bai Lin with you?"

Shangguan Shu shook his head.

Zhao Ying's expression suddenly changed.

Shangguan Shu saw this and asked quickly, "What's wrong?"

"Wan'er and Bai Lin went out early in the morning and haven't come back yet..."

Shangguan Shu frowned, "Don't worry, I'll send someone to look for it right away!"

"I'm coming with you too!"

Shangguan Shu stopped her, "No, you should go back to the palace to check, just in case they have gone back! The capital is not big, there are not many places they can go. I can turn around in a few hours, you don't have to worry."

Zhao Ying nodded and returned to the palace.

As a result...these two naughty kids really came back.

They all had bruised faces and noses, and were having medicine applied to them by the palace maids.

When they saw Zhao Ying coming back, the two children burst into tears and threw themselves into Zhao Ying's arms for comfort. Zhao Ying was furious and asked who did it. Shangguan Qingwan told the truth, but she didn't know Jiang Cheng, so she only said that Huyan Xue brought a young man from another ethnic group.

When Zhao Ying heard the name Hu Yanxue, his face darkened.

He sat down slowly without saying a word.

After a while, she called Nanny Li and asked her to take people to bring Hu Yanxue over at night, and also tell Shangguan Shu that the child had been found.

Nanny Li took the order and left.

As a result, the next morning, Nanny Li returned empty-handed.

Zhao Yao refused to hand over the person.

Moreover, Nanny Li told Zhao Ying privately that Zhao Yao had used her background as a threat again.

Upon seeing this, Nanny Li came back in a dejected and dusty state.

Zhao Ying took a sip of tea and could almost imagine the smug faces of Zhao Yao and Huyan Xue.

Nanny Li also said that she told Shangguan Shu about Shangguan Qingwan and Shangguan Bailin being beaten by Huyan Xue, but Shangguan Shu just nodded lightly and let her leave.

After Nanny Li finished speaking, she observed Zhao Ying's expression and found that he was neither angry nor sad. She thought that His Highness was becoming more and more calm.

Nanny Li said unwillingly, "Your Highness, are you going to allow His Highness Huai'an to threaten you?"

Zhao Ying glanced at Nanny Li calmly, but smiled meaningfully, "What's that? There will be more trouble in the future!"

"Just wait and see..."

……

In a teahouse in the capital.

Zhao Yao looked at Zhao Quan who was kneeling on the ground and asked, "What did Shangguan Shu interrogate you about?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, I have already told the prince everything Your Highness instructed, and it seems that he believes it."

Zhao Yao smiled and asked again, "Besides these, you didn't say anything else, right?"

Zhao Quan shook his head decisively. "I can't say more. Even though he threatened my woman and child, I have many women and children... I was just pretending to be scared."

Zhao Yao was very satisfied with Zhao Quan's approach.

Then, Zhao Yao took out a bottle of medicine and placed it on the table. "On the day of the celebration banquet, you only need to put this medicine into the Yin-Yang wine pot and then pour it to Zhao Ying... I will take care of the rest. After the matter is completed, the emperor will sentence you to death, but I will rescue you from the death row and give you more money than you can spend in several lifetimes so that you can escape."

"I have already told you that if you don't do it, I will kill you immediately, and your Prince Duan's mansion will be confiscated due to debts..."

Zhao Quan kowtowed, "I'll do it, I'll do it!"

"Don't worry, as long as Princess Cheng Qian is tripped, Da Chu will be under my control sooner or later. I can make anyone I want to rise to prominence..."

A glimmer of greed flashed across Zhao Quan's eyes.

Zhao Yao was completely relieved.

Zhao Quan took the medicine and left.

Zhao Yao was the only one left, and the system spoke, [Host, Shangguan Zhaolu has spread the news throughout the court and the country. As long as the heroine is caught having sex with someone else that day, she will never be able to turn over. I am sure that after this incident, the hero's heartbeat value for the heroine will at least decrease...]

"How much?" Zhao Yao was curious.

【Five...】

Zhao Yao: ...

The day of the celebration banquet.

Hundreds of officials gathered together, making it a grand event.

It was the first time that Shangguan Qiyou met Wei Fu. He was very curious after hearing about him from his brothers and sisters last time. So before the banquet even started, he dressed up brightly and went to play.

When he met his second uncle, Shangguan Zhu waved at him, "Qi You!"

Shangguan Qiyou walked over, Shangguan Zhu bent down and hugged him, said a few words of greeting, and then let him go out to play.

When he turned around, he happened to meet the little granddaughter of Duke Dingguo, who looked at him curiously.

Shangguan Qiyou was puzzled, "Why are you looking at me?"

The little girl said innocently, "I'm curious...why do you call it ball?"

Shangguan...Qiu: ...