The Duke's Daughter is Reborn

The vermilion lacquered palace door slowly closed behind him, making a dull sound.

The figures of Concubine Hua and Yuan Ruiyin completely disappeared outside the palace gate. The heavy door seemed to block the undercurrent outside, and the atmosphere in the palace suddenly became much more relaxed.

The queen slowly withdrew her gaze from the outside of the palace, and gently stroked the peony pattern embroidered with gold thread on the cuffs with her fingertips. The layered peony petals seemed like the intricate situation in the palace at the moment.

She glanced at Yang Qi and Yuan Ruiyuan standing beside her with a half-smile, her eyes moving between the two of them as if there was something meaningful in her eyes.

I have to say that this light blue dress is really well made. I can ask the Clothing Bureau to make a few more of them in the future.

Yang Qi was standing quietly with her head down when she suddenly felt the Queen's gaze. Her heart skipped a beat, the tips of her ears turned red instantly, and she subconsciously clutched the hem of her skirt.

The queen raised her lips slightly, a hint of understanding flashed across her eyes, and then she turned to Yuan Ruiyuan and asked casually, "I just came back from your father's visit. Did he say anything?"

Yuan Ruiyuan stood with his hands behind his back, his sleeves slightly moving, the cloud pattern embroidered with gold thread on the cuffs glowing in the candlelight. A hint of obscure emotion flashed through the depths of his eyes, and he replied with a half-smile: "Now that Jiangnan is becoming more stable, my father is a little... worried."

The queen sighed and slowly sat down on the main seat. Her fingertips gently tapped the jade carvings on the armrests, making a crisp sound. Her tone was full of emotion: "Old Five and the Bai family have occupied Jiangnan for so many years, and they have squeezed the people's fat and blood. It's the soldiers of Xihu who are short of food and clothing and go to the battlefield hungry."

She suddenly paused, shook her head and laughed: "Forget it, let's not talk about the past."

After a pause, her eyes lit up slightly and she looked at Yuan Ruiyuan: "Fortunately, A Yuan has already dealt with the matter in Jiangnan. This is a very good thing for both the Huo family and Tianyuan."

Yuan Ruiyuan couldn't help but chuckle when he heard his mother's undisguised disdain.

After so many years, in private, my mother is still so straightforward and never beats around the bush.

The queen saw him smile, raised her eyebrows slightly, and then waved her hand: "Okay, let's not talk about this anymore."

She changed the subject and her tone returned to calm: "Have you dealt with Pei'er's matter?"

When mentioning Pei'er, Yuan Ruiyuan's eyes suddenly darkened.

He never expected that the person who had been by his side and protected him for so many years was actually a vicious wolf with evil intentions.

He said calmly: "Don't worry, mother, everything has been arranged."

However, only he himself knew that it was not an easy task to get rid of Pei'er, a person who knew too many secrets, without causing any trouble.

Pei'er knew a lot of things over the years, and hiding things from him was indeed a very difficult problem.

Yuan Ruiyuan turned around and looked at Yang Qi who had been standing quietly beside him, his eyes soft, "Speaking of which, this matter is also thanks to Fang Hua."

If Fang Hua had not been extremely alert and noticed the abnormality in time, the situation would have become extremely passive.

Yuan Ruiyuan couldn't help but recall the scene when he first met Fang Hua. At that time, Fang Hua was still a poor little beggar in Bibo Lane, with ragged clothes and a haggard face.

However, this seemingly insignificant little beggar has now become a key figure influencing the entire situation.

Seeing Yang Qi's understanding look, the Queen's eyes flickered and the corners of her lips curled slightly: "It seems that there are still many secrets between the two of you."

Yuan Ruiyuan smiled faintly, his tone calm but with a hint of teasing: "If you have any questions, mother, you can ask me directly."

If the mother continues to tease the girl like this, I'm afraid her face will get even redder.

The queen looked at his calm demeanor, shook her head and chuckled, saying no more.

Let the children handle their own affairs.

The palace door was pushed open again, and a breeze rushed in, bringing with it the fragrance of flowers outside the palace. Princess Yuanyi walked in lightly, lifting the hem of her skirt. The golden hairpin in her hair swayed gently with her steps, making a subtle and pleasant sound.

She walked briskly with a smile on her face, and when she saw the Queen, she smiled brightly. When she saw the Prince, her smile became even wider. She then walked quickly forward and affectionately took the Queen's arm.

"Mother!" Her voice was clear and full of joy. "If it weren't for my brother's order to study hard with Mr. Li, I would have been waiting for him in the palace."

She turned to Yuan Ruiyuan and said with a playful complaint, "Look, as soon as Mr. Li finished his get out of class, I hurried over here."

The queen reached out and touched her forehead, smiling and scolding: "You are always so reckless."

Yuan Yi stuck out her tongue, but her eyes involuntarily fell on Yang Qi. They smiled at each other, with tacit understanding in their eyes.

Yuan Ruiyuan stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes swept over his sister calmly, and the corners of his lips rose slightly: "My sister arrived just after my fifth brother left. What a coincidence."

Yuan Yi snorted and curled her lips deliberately, with a little dissatisfaction in her voice: "Brother, what are you talking about? Could it be that my sister is deliberately avoiding me?"

After that, Yuan Yi quickly turned her gaze to the Queen. The dissatisfaction on her face was instantly replaced by tenderness. She said coquettishly: "Mother, the Hundred Flowers Banquet is coming soon. There are many new and exotic flowers in the palace recently. It shows that Sister Yang Qi has been working hard recently."

Seeing this, Yang Qi handed over a cup of freshly brewed tea and said softly, "Thank you for the compliment, Princess. This is what I should do."

Yuan Yi took the teacup lightly, her eyes instantly lit up with brilliance: "Sister Yang Qi is still the most considerate."

She took a sip, the fragrance of tea lingering between her lips and teeth, and suddenly stopped smiling, saying seriously: "Speaking of which, my brother will be busy again when he returns to the palace this time."

She put down the teacup, folded her hands on her knees, and said with unconcealed worry: "Mother, you must persuade my brother not to overwork him."

Over the years, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Majesty the Queen have kept all the storms out of Yuan Yi's world.

They carefully built a gentle barrier so that the little princess could grow up carefree in the sunshine.

Even so, Yuan Yi is not a child who is ignorant of the world after all.

Although she had no idea what her brother and mother had been worrying about recently, she had grown up in the palace, and whether it was the subtle changes in the atmosphere in the palace or her understanding of her fifth brother, she had already vaguely sensed the signs of impending storm.

The queen felt a warm feeling in her heart as she looked at her little daughter's serious and concerned expression.

The worry in those eyes that were very similar to Yuan Ruiyuan's made her feel distressed and relieved. She reached out and gently stroked the top of Yuan Yi's head, saying softly, "Silly child, you don't have to worry about these things."