All the members are good people, only the host is a pervert

After a long voyage, they finally arrived in Jiangnan, two months after their departure.

Even the guards couldn't help but show a hint of joy on their faces when they got off the boat, let alone Lin Ruan.

The last time Lin Ruan had experienced the ancient feeling of "long journeys and slow carriages" was when she returned to the capital from the northern border. Time flew by, and now nearly four years had passed. The scene at that time was already a blur to Lin Ruan, and she had even forgotten what the sour and refreshing feeling was.

Fortunately, however, this two-month boat trip had once again allowed her to deeply appreciate the immense conveniences of modern technology. If she hadn't chosen medicine, perhaps with her passion and talent for mechanical engineering, she could have built her own engine! Thinking of this, Lin Ruan couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

After getting off the boat, they made no further delay and headed straight for the villa purchased by Lin Ruan's father. As early as the end of last year, Lin Ruan had already sent people to clean and tidy up the villa inside and out, and assigned people to guard it. Now was the perfect time for everyone to move in.

However, before Lin Ruan had time to rest and tidy up, there was a slight noise outside the door. It was An Lan. She walked quickly to Lin Ruan and said in a low voice, "Princess, the Lin family sent an invitation."

Lin Ruan's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this, and he immediately asked, "Whose post is this?"

An Lan replied respectfully, "Princess, this is for you. The person who posted it is the old lady of the Lin family."

The old lady of the Lin family? Lin Ruan had some impression of her.

The Lin family's patriarch was a man of immense foresight. He understood that in the imperial court's power struggles, aristocratic families often became obstacles to those in power. To avoid tainting his family, he maintained a low profile, never allowing any of his family members to enter officialdom. Instead, he chose another way to consolidate his family's position: supporting children from humble backgrounds and cultivating talent. It's safe to say that at that time, no one dared to underestimate the Lin family.

However, with the passing of the Lin family's patriarch, cracks began to appear within the family. Lin Ruan's father had been the patriarch's chosen heir, poised to ascend to the position of provincial governor of Jiangnan and secure greater benefits for the family. However, with his older brother eyeing him covetously and his younger brother favored by their mother, he was framed and married off to the princess, effectively ending his career.

Thanks to his close friendship and shared interests with the Princess, the previously tense relationship between Lin's father and the Lin family eased somewhat. However, precisely because of Lin Ruan, the Lin family unexpectedly proposed that Lin's father adopt the third son of the Lin family as their own. This proposal infuriated the Princess and Lin's father, and the conflict between them instantly intensified. From then on, the Princess's residence severed all ties with the Jiangnan Lin family, and for many years there was no further interaction.

But now he is clinging to me again, which really betrays the noble family's character.

"Take the gift and go to the Lin family to report back," Lin Ruan said to An Lan while she sat on a stool and let An Lan untie her hair. "Just tell them that the emperor has issued an order not to allow me to have any contact with the Lin family. I have no other choice. I hope the old lady will bear with me."

An Lan nodded in agreement.

After a long while, Lin Ruan sneered, "The Lin family, you don't know what you're talking about."

Even if Lin Ruan was desperate for help, she wouldn't choose a family whose sole focus was on internal strife and nothing more than clinging to the powerful. It was destined from the day she traveled through time that the Lin family was just a pawn she could use to keep the emperor on guard and at ease.

"Jiangnan is much warmer than the northern border." Lin Ruan sighed.

"Yes, Princess, the snow hasn't stopped in the northern border yet."

"The Huns have been quite obedient in recent years." Lin Ruan sighed.

An Lan said, "He said he was honest, but he would have fought several times every year."

"An Lan, do you want to go back to Northern Xinjiang?" Lin Ruan asked.

An Lan said softly, "I will follow the princess."

Lin Ruan looked at her blurry self in the bronze mirror and said softly, as if to An Lan or herself, "Just wait a little longer."

Lin Ruan rested for two days. Early on the third day, she and Xie Yunze, accompanied only by a few maids and guards, quietly walked among the neatly arranged tea trees, accompanied by the chirping of insects in the bamboo forest in the distance.

In the tea garden, the newly green tea leaves swayed gently in the breeze, emitting a faint fragrance. Lin Ruan's eyes were gentle. She reached out and gently stroked a young bud on the tea tree, but did not pick it.

There was still plenty of time, so Lin Ruan decided to take Xie Yunze to the vast bamboo forest nearby.

This bamboo forest is incredibly vast and magnificent, stretching as far as the eye can see. Countless bamboos stand tall and lush, densely packed together, forming a vast sea of green. The bamboos here are incredibly sturdy, with even the slenderest ones barely larger than a baby's fist. Sunlight filters through the gaps between the leaves, creating dappled shadows and a mysterious and tranquil atmosphere. The wind rustles through the bamboos, whispering a secret to nature. The air is filled with the refreshing fragrance of bamboo, bringing peace and tranquility.

"I'm not afraid of being laughed at by my husband," Lin Ruan said, "When I was a child, my father mentioned this tea garden. He heard there was a bamboo forest nearby, so he said he would cut down a bamboo with his own hands and make two pen holders for my father and mother."

She smiled with her eyebrows curved and gestured with her hands, "I'm holding a small curved knife this big, less than two inches. My father made it for me."

Xie Yunze comforted her softly: "Princess, don't be sad. You can start making bamboo tubes now." However, Lin Ruan just shook her head gently.

She buried the small curved knife that originally belonged to the original owner in the tomb of the eldest princess and her husband. Lin Ruan knew that no matter what she did, she would never be the original owner.

Meaningless.

As the weather warmed up, Lin Ruan and the others returned to the tea garden. Naturally, a tea connoisseur brought out the tea sets and began an exquisite tea-tasting ceremony. The tea artist expertly boiled water, warmed the pot, and brewed the tea, each step meticulously executed, as if preparing for a grand banquet.

Xie Yunze lifted the teacup and took a sip. The clear, sweet tea slid across his tongue, bringing a subtle coolness that refreshed his soul. A rare sense of ease and joy flashed across his eyes. He looked around, observing the farmers diligently picking tea leaves, listening to the occasional bird song in the distance, and a strange emotion welled up in his heart. Here, he was no longer Xie Yunze, the second son of the Earl of Anning, with an unspeakable illness, the third place in the imperial examination, and the consort of Princess Changle. Even his gender no longer mattered. He was just an ordinary person, enjoying the beauty bestowed by nature.

Lin Ruan led Xie Yunze and others to appreciate the magnificent and beautiful waters of Qiantang Lake, tasted the famous "Qiantang Vinegar Fish" by the lake, and appreciated its unique flavor; afterward, they visited Wulin Temple, Linjiang Tower and other scenic spots and historical sites together, and witnessed with their own eyes the legendary mooring stone which was said to have been used by the King of Qin to tie his boat.

In this way, this group of people enjoyed themselves in the picturesque Jiangnan area. After staying there for more than a month, they reluctantly bid farewell to Jiangnan and boarded a ship to Jiangdu.

Ten days after arriving in Jiangdu, An Lan found Lin Ruan. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, An Lan quietly leaned close to Lin Ruan and whispered in her ear, "Princess, the Huns are marching south, and fighting has broken out in the northern border."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ruan simply nodded slightly, indicating that he already knew about this matter, and responded, "Don't be anxious, just wait."

I have worked hard to climb thousands of rocks and valleys, and only when I look from afar can I see how high it is.

How can you stay in a stream? It will eventually become waves in the sea.