A life of ups and downs is pure joy

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Lin Qingyi, the legitimate daughter of the Lin family, was married in a grand ceremony. After all, she was the daughter of Duke Liehou and Lady Zhonglie. All the dignitaries in the city came to congratulate her. Lin Qingyi dressed up carefully and looked quite shy like a young girl.

Others wept bitterly when marrying off their daughters, but He Su smiled so hard when marrying off her daughter. There was not a single tear in the wedding ceremony. Lin Qinghuan looked at the tomboyish fourth sister wearing a red wedding dress, but the scene when she first met her came to her mind. The little velvet flower that kept shaking up and down had now turned into a head full of golden hairpins and step-shakes. They had indeed grown up.

The moment Lin Ancai stepped out of the Lin Mansion with Lin Qingyi on his back, the daughter of the Lin family who had always been difficult to marry off finally fell into the hands of the poor Li Duo.

"Sister, why didn't Xiao Qiannan come today?" Lin Ancai approached Lin Qinghuan and asked.

"The Queen has had a cough recently, so Nan'er went to the palace to serve her. She left last night." Lin Qinghuan said in a low voice.

"I haven't seen her for a long time. I always feel that she is too quiet when I walk next to you." Lin Ancai said casually.

Lin Qinghuan glanced at him and smiled secretly.

"I'm sure to annoy you to death in the future."

"I'm going to help, take care of yourself." Lin An scratched his head and left with a red face.

Lin Qinghuan looked at Lin Ancai's back and suddenly remembered that he wanted to find out Xiao Yi's opinion that day, but he had forgotten it. After the excitement died down, he would go back and ask him in detail. After all, it was a matter concerning his own brother, and many things needed to be prepared in advance.

Xiao Yi instructed two maids to take good care of Lin Qinghuan, and then he went to the East Palace first. Lin Qinghuan looked at his back and began to mutter about the annoying prince again.

"You occupy my husband every day, even during the annual leave. I hate it so much." Lin Qinghuan said as she sat beside Lin Qingyao's bed.

"It's just that he can't make his own decisions on matters big or small. He has been like this since he was a child." Lin Qingyao grew up with the Empress Dowager, so she naturally knew the Crown Prince Ning Jinyang very well.

"This is not a good thing either. When His Royal Highness the Crown Prince becomes the emperor in the future, my husband will have to live a life as miserable as living with a tiger. I really want to go to Luofeng with him and spend the rest of my life there." Lin Qinghuan said.

"This...how could you have such an idea?" Lin Qingwan asked in surprise. Lin Qingyao also handed the bowl in her hand to the maid next to her.

"It has always been my wish to live quietly in Luofeng with my beloved, away from the gossip and politics. It would be the happiest thing if I don't argue or quarrel." Lin Qinghuan said with a pout.

"Daddy shouldn't have agreed to your marriage to Xiao Yi. There's no way he can break away from the former dynasty. After all, he's the eldest son of the Xiao family." Lin Qingyao looked at her sister and shook her head helplessly.

"But my husband promised me that he would go to Luofeng with me after the prince succeeded to the throne safely." Lin Qinghuan said unconvinced.

Lin Qingyao looked at her in disbelief, "Did Xiao Yi really say that?"

"Yes, he promised me in person when we were in Luofeng." Lin Qinghuan nodded. Lin Qingwan looked at Lin Qinghuan's profile and couldn't help but tighten the handkerchief in her hand.

"It's shocking. I hope he can keep his word and not mislead you." Lin Qingyao said.

"He treats me well, and I trust him." Lin Qinghuan said confidently, then turned his head to look at Lin Qingwan next to him and smiled.

"Then we will feel more at ease, after all, Huan'er is with daddy." Lin Qingwan said.

The three sisters laughed together again.

When Lin Qinghuan returned to Qingbo Courtyard in the evening, she found that Xiao Yi had not come back yet, and she couldn't help but curl her lips.

After joining in the fun all day, she washed up and went to bed. She didn't know when Xiao Yi came back, but slept comfortably until dawn.

"I won't marry him!" Xiao Qiannan smashed everything that could be smashed in her Mo Shuang Pavilion.

"Miss." The personal maids Jinyun and Miaoyu could only stand by and worry.

Lin Qinghuan in Qingbo Courtyard was also stunned by the group of people from Duke Shen's Mansion who came to propose marriage in the morning. At this time, he was sitting on the couch with a frown in confusion.

"Why would the Shen family come to propose marriage?" Lin Qinghuan looked at Li Jiaxin who came to see her in confusion.

"It was a grand ceremony. The marriage proposal gifts filled the entire yard. I saw Duke Shen and his son, along with my father, come out smiling together. I guess both families agreed. They're a perfect match."

Li Jiaxin didn't know that Xiao Qiannan and Lin Ancai were in love with each other, so she just told Lin Qinghuan about it as a fun thing to do.

"Daddy and husband would actually agree to this?" Lin Qinghuan shouted in disbelief and anger.

Michelle Reis looked at Lin Qinghuan in shock and confusion.

"Young Madam, is there any conflict between you and the Shen family?"

"No, I don't know the Shen family. It's just that it concerns Nan'er's marriage. How could they agree to it without discussing it in advance?" Lin Qinghuan was a little angry and confused.

"The marriage of children is decided by their parents. Duke Shen has inherited the title for three generations. They are a good family. There is nothing wrong with it." Li Jiaxin didn't understand what Lin Qinghuan was dissatisfied with.

"Sister-in-law, sister-in-law." Xiao Qiannan's crying voice came from the outer courtyard.

When Michelle Reis saw Xiao Qiannan rushing in with swollen eyes, she stood there in shock, holding a handkerchief.

"Nan'er..." Lin Qinghuan stood up with the help of the soft couch, and Li Jiaxin quickly got up to help her.

"Sister-in-law, have you heard? Daddy and big brother are going to marry me to the Shen family." Xiao Qiannan cried and hugged Lin Qinghuan.

"I just found out that your elder brother hasn't come back yet." Lin Qinghuan hugged Xiao Qiannan, who was so sad that she couldn't stand.

Michelle Reis also anxiously supported the two weak women. Yun Xiang and Chu Xia also heard the noise and hurried into the house to help.

"Sister-in-law, I don't want to marry Shen Xin, I don't want to." Xiao Qiannan looked at Lin Qinghuan in despair and cried.

"This..." Michelle Reis stood aside at a loss, holding the handkerchief tightly in her hand.

"Why did this happen so suddenly?" Lin Qinghuan asked.

"It can't be like this. It must be big brother's idea from a long time ago. I hate him so much." Xiao Qiannan lay on the couch and started crying again.

"Then why didn't he tell me about it?"

"If he had told you, would the Shen family be able to come into the mansion and discuss things peacefully today? Sister-in-law, elder brother has been hiding things from you and lying to you... wuwuwuwuwuwuwuwu..." Xiao Qiannan cried even more sadly after she finished speaking.

Li Jiaxin stood aside, not knowing what to say. Lin Qinghuan glanced at her and said, "Sister Li, you should go back first. I think there will be a quarrel when your husband comes back."

"Then you two take care of yourself and don't get sick from anger. I'll come to see you tomorrow." Li Jiaxin patted Lin Qinghuan's hand and left Qingbo Courtyard first.

When Xiao Yi came back, both his aunt and sister-in-law were sitting on the couch, looking at him with resentment.

"You smashed the yard to pieces, and now you come to me to vent your anger, right?" Xiao Yi said to Xiao Qiannan.

"Big brother, was it your idea, daddy's, or aunt's?" Xiao Qiannan asked Xiao Yi hatefully.

Lin Qinghuan also frowned and looked at her husband. She still found it a little unconvincing.

"Nan'er, everyone wants you to marry into the Shen family." Xiao Yi said as he poured himself a cup of tea while sitting at the table.

Xiao Qiannan ran over, snatched the cup from Xiao Yi's hand and threw it to the ground, shouting loudly.

"Big brother, you clearly know who I want to marry, why don't you help me?"

Lin Qinghuan was startled by the sound of the cup being smashed, and quickly stood up and went to Xiao Qiannan.

"Huan'er is your sister-in-law, so you can't marry into the Lin family again. If your father-in-law or father goes to the palace to ask for marriage, it will only make the emperor suspicious and harm An Cai." Xiao Yi said, looking at his sister who was throwing a tantrum.

"Big brother, I want to marry Brother An Cai. Your Majesty, why should you be confused? He is not a general commanding a large army. He is just a young general of the fourth rank."

"An Cai is destined to inherit the title. It's only a matter of time before he commands a large army. He can't possibly marry you because your last name is Xiao." Xiao Yi picked up another cup and slowly poured himself some tea. "If you truly care about An Cai, then give up this idea."

"Are your words so nice as to sound good, or are you attracted by the Shen family's status in the literary world and their distinguished background of three generations of inherited nobility? Now even I will become a tribute in this court dispute?" Xiao Qiannan shouted angrily.

"You are still young, and you will understand in the future that we are doing this for your own good." Xiao Yi's voice was still as calm as ever, and did not change because of Xiao Qiannan's hysteria.

Lin Qinghuan looked at her husband and suddenly felt as strange as when she first met him.

"Is it for my own good, or is it all for the Crown Prince? It's like you guys planned to marry my sister-in-law to the loyal Xiao family." After Xiao Qiannan finished speaking, Xiao Yi looked at her coldly.

"The young lady is tired, send her back to the yard. She is not allowed to leave the yard without my permission." After Xiao Yi finished speaking, the maids beside him hurriedly lowered their heads and stepped forward to support Xiao Qiannan.

"You're going to ground me again? Big brother, I hate you. I'm not as loyal as you guys. I'd rather die than marry Shen Xin."

Xiao Qiannan looked at Lin Qinghuan aggrievedly again, and walked out of Qingbo Courtyard without looking back. When she walked into the yard, she kicked the two flower pots on the stairs, and heard the sound of them breaking into pieces in the yard.

"Aren't you tired of standing?" Seeing Lin Qinghuan still standing there, Xiao Yi stood up and walked over.

"Don't touch me." Lin Qinghuan pushed him away angrily.

"Huan'er, it's impossible for Nan'er and Tong'an to be together." Xiao Yi was not angry, but just pulled Lin Qinghuan's arm and hugged her and said.

"You treated me like a fool and lied to me. I planned the future of Nan'er and Ancai with you every day, but you never told me about your plans. It's interesting, isn't it?" Lin Qinghuan pushed him away for a long time but failed, so she started to slap him angrily.

"Huan'er, listen to me. Father had already discussed the matter of Nan'er and the Shen family with Duke Shen years ago, but both families have been waiting for Nan'er to grow up. Don't you want your family to live in peace and stability? If the Xiao and Lin families were to marry again, His Majesty would definitely not agree to it, let alone promote An Cai."

Xiao Yi held Lin Qinghuan's little hand and spoke patiently.

"But why didn't you stop Nan'er and Ancai from the beginning? Now they are already in love, and you treat them so cruelly. It's unacceptable!"

"Don't worry, Dad and I will go to your house tomorrow to explain everything to my father-in-law and grandmother. An Cai is sensible now, he will understand."

Lin Qinghuan thought of Xiao Qiannan's injured look, and her heart ached unconsciously. She must be feeling the same pain now as she did back then. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but shed tears.

"Huan'er, be good and don't cry. I was wrong and shouldn't have hidden it from you." Xiao Yi's heart softened when he saw Lin Qinghuan crying.

"I feel sorry for Nan'er. I know how she feels right now. She's truly desperate."

Xiao Yi didn't say anything after hearing this. He just reached out and wiped Lin Qinghuan's tears. "Nan'er will be fine. She is still young. Shen Xin will treat her well."

Xiao Yi called Yun Xiang and Chu Xia in again, and left Qingbo Courtyard and went to the East Palace.

Lin Qinghuan looked at Xiao Yi's back, knowing in her heart that the reason why he was suddenly unhappy was because of what she had said about empathizing with Nan'er.

"Miss, the eldest master doesn't seem happy." Chu Xia could feel that Xiao Yi left with a gloomy face.

"I know." Lin Qinghuan murmured in a low voice.

In the next few days, Xiao Qiannan went on a hunger strike in the yard, refusing to eat or drink. Liu Ji went to Mo Shuang Pavilion every day to cry and persuade her. Lin Qinghuan also went there several times, but could only watch anxiously as the child stopped crying, making a fuss, and refused to eat or drink. This went on for several days in a row, and when she returned home, her stomach felt uncomfortable.

Liu Xi came to take her pulse that night, and then said, "Cousin, you must stop being so depressed. Fortunately, there is only a slight redness today. This means the child is unhappy."

"Good boy, you don't have to worry about Nan'er's affairs anymore. I can persuade her. She is obedient and sensible." Liu Ji panicked after hearing this and said quickly.

"Mother, seeing Nan'er so depressed day by day, I really can't calm down." Lin Qinghuan said after wiping away tears.

"Be obedient and stop worrying. Think about the baby in your belly. What would you do if something really happened to him?"

Liu Ji held Lin Qinghuan's hand and said with heartache that this child was so empathetic to his own daughter. To be honest, Liu Ji was touched.

"Yier hasn't come back yet?" Liu Ji asked again.

"No, someone has been sent to the East Palace." The maid replied.

"Go and urge him again. If he doesn't come back, I won't be able to leave Huan'er alone." Liu Ji said angrily.

"It's okay. My husband has been going out early and coming back late these days. He must be very busy. I have so many people serving him. Mother, you should go back and have a rest early." Lin Qinghuan said.

"No, I can't let you down since you are so weak now." After Liu Ji finished speaking, the maidservant beside her went out to pass on the message.

In the East Palace, Crown Princess Su Yuefei was sitting alone in the hall, accompanied by Concubine Yang.

"That eldest princess comes to bother the prince every few days to listen to music and dance. It's so annoying." Yang Sizheng said unhappily.

"Hmph, she's not pestering our prince." Su Yuefei said unhappily.

Yang Sizheng looked at her cousin in shock.

"The cousin from the Xiao family already has a wife who is as beautiful as a fairy. What else can she expect?" Yang Sizheng complained in confusion.

In Qingbo Courtyard, Lin Qinghuan watched the candle burn out bit by bit, then stood up and replaced it with another one.