A life of ups and downs is pure joy

The next morning, just as the sky was getting light, the Hehuan Hall was already filled with busy figures.

The palace maids who got up early wiped every corner of the palace with nimble hands. In a short while, the entire Hehuan Palace was cleaned spotlessly.

Su Jin, who was slowly waking up in the warm and comfortable big bed, was completely unaware of all this. She rubbed her still sleepy eyes and slowly sat up.

My eyes inadvertently swept past me and I found that the person who was supposed to be lying there was nowhere to be found, and that place was already empty.

However, seeing this scene, Su Jin was not angry at all. Instead, the corners of his mouth rose slightly, revealing a faint smile.

At this moment, there was a sound of soft footsteps outside the door, and then the door was gently pushed open, and it was the maid Wandong who walked in.

She walked to the bedside, bowed respectfully to Su Jin, and then spoke softly.

"Princess, the Lord said he was busy today and might not be back until later. He specifically instructed you to have breakfast first."

It's interesting to say that Wan Dong was very good at changing his words every time. Hearing this, Su Jin nodded to show that he understood.

Meanwhile, the other two maids, Xing'er and Yue'er, had already arranged all the necessary items for washing. After they finished, they quickly stepped forward and carefully rolled up the bed curtains.

After everything was packed up, Su Jin could finally get out of bed and start a new day. She sat down at the table, ready to enjoy her first meal of the morning.

However, when she saw the food on the table, she couldn't help but frown, her little mouth pouted unconsciously, and she muttered softly.

"It's okay to have a simple sleep, but I didn't expect the food I'd eat this early in the morning would be so bland..."

It turned out that the dishes on the table were all vegetarian, without even a trace of meat.

Wan Dong, who was stewing blood bird's nest with three immortal herbs for Su Jinsheng, heard her complaint and quickly responded, "Princess, what did you just say? I didn't hear it clearly."

The two little palace maids Xing'er and Yue'er standing by looked at their master with innocent and confused expressions, as if they had no idea what was going on.

Seeing this, Su Jin had no choice but to speak again, with a hint of resentment in his tone and eyes.

"I mean, why are the dishes today so simple and light?"

"Princess, before the emperor came to court today, he specifically instructed you to have a unique recipe in the future."

Wan Dong said with a smile, squinting his eyes.

"I have a bad feeling after listening to this."

Su Jin frowned, his eyes fell on the table full of vegetarian dishes and pastries, and he muttered with disgust.

She was a meat lover, and the plain and elegant food on the table really didn't interest her at all.

Seeing this, Wandong, who was standing by, hurriedly whispered to comfort him.

"Princess, the Lord is doing this for your own good! Just like this medicine, although it tastes bitter, it is a good remedy for the disease."

As he spoke, Wan Dong gently placed the bird's nest in his hand on the table, then picked up an exquisite narrow-mouthed cup with a gold-rimmed jade belt and carefully poured half a cup of freshly boiled medicinal soup for Su Jin.

Su Jin stared expressionlessly at the things in front of him that he neither wanted to eat nor drink, and couldn't help but groan inwardly.

It is really unbearable to face such "torture" early in the morning.

However, when she recalled the handsome and gentle Lord's heartfelt confession to her last night, a warm feeling rose in her heart.

After all, His Majesty's good intentions are simply to hope that the original owner can recover soon.

Moreover, he took care of her meticulously. Even before he recovered from his illness, he was reluctant to have sex with her. He just held her gently in his arms until she fell asleep all night. Such deep affection was truly touching.

Now that I have occupied Miss Zhuang's body, I should obey the king's wishes.

Thinking of this, Su Jin took a deep breath, slowly reached out his hand, picked up the bowl and chopsticks and started to eat breakfast...

In Yinan County, Dasheng State, the sun was exceptionally bright, as if the entire sky were shrouded in golden light. A gentle breeze caressed the earth, bringing a hint of fresh and pleasant air.

The news of a fierce battle that had just ended and a victory spread quickly to every corner of the city like a spring breeze. Joy rippled through the hearts of every county resident and was expressed in their brilliant smiles.

The people walking along the streets, though dressed simply, do not appear shabby. Men and women, young and old, are all dressed in neat and well-fitting clothes, some plain and elegant, some bright and colorful, showcasing the unique style of this ancient frontier county.

The street vendors were full of energy, hawking their wares with vigor and vitality. Their clear, loud, and rhythmic calls echoed one after another, weaving into a lively symphony of the marketplace.

Some vendors hold fresh and juicy fruits in their hands and enthusiastically sell them to passers-by; others display exquisite handicrafts, attracting customers to stop and watch.

This noisy and orderly scene makes people feel the prosperity and vitality of Yinan County.

In the Yinnan Palace, He Su took an expedited letter from Jin Han with a serious expression. She gently opened the seal and sighed helplessly.

"Ah, Yi'er's matter, I guess my in-laws are really worried, they even sent an expedited letter."

Xiao Qianwen was sitting next to He Su, concentrating on fiddling with medicinal herbs. Upon hearing this, she stopped what she was doing and said worriedly.

"Yes, my brother is now relying on my aunt's medicine to barely keep himself alive. He is in a state of semi-awake and semi-conscious all day long. This is not a solution after all! I wonder how Sister Mo and the others are doing."

Lin Qingyi counted on her fingers and said after thinking seriously for a moment.

"According to the date, they should have arrived in Dayan's Tokyo City by now. I guess we'll receive letters from them in a few days."

Lin Qingyao, who was leading a group of maids, walked in from outside. She curiously reached out to pick up a herb in front of Xiao Qianwen and put it to her nose to smell it. She smelled a fresh fragrance of grass leaves, which she liked very much.

So she took the herb and kept it under her nose, sniffing it. Then she blinked her big eyes and looked at He Su, asking anxiously, "Mother, what did the letter say?"

He Su's bright eyes scanned every line of the letter with lightning speed, the speed was astonishing. In the blink of an eye, she had taken in the entire letter.

However, as I read deeper, my originally relaxed brows seemed to be slowly tightened by an invisible hand, gradually wrinkling into a ball.

She gently closed the letter in her hand, her movements slow and steady, as if the letter weighed a thousand pounds.

Then, she slowly raised her head, her gaze like a cold wind, sweeping across the people sitting around her. Her lips moved slightly, and she deliberately lowered her voice, as if afraid that her words would disturb others, as she muttered softly.

"The Lord Commander is coming to Yinan."

Before he finished speaking, Lin Qingyi's face darkened instantly, as oppressive as the sky before a storm. She suddenly frowned, not concealing her inner dissatisfaction and confusion, and asked impatiently.

"Why is she here? Isn't this place messy enough?"

Lin Qingyao, who was sitting next to Lin Qingyi, replied unhappily.

"Don't forget, the noble man lying in my house now is also her husband!"

His words were full of disgust towards this uninvited guest and dissatisfaction with Xiao Yina's decision to take a concubine.

Xiao Qianwen quietly watched the Lin sisters in front of her express such strong resistance to Tao Baiwan, and naturally understood the reason.

The Lin family had long harbored resentment towards the Xiao family's decision to establish a concubine, and now that the eldest princess was about to arrive, it added fuel to the fire, making the atmosphere even more tense.

As the daughter of the Xiao family, she was quite embarrassed in this situation. In desperation, she raised her head and looked to He Su for help. Because she knew that He Su, as the wife of the Duke of Gonglie, would definitely consider the overall situation and handle the matter properly.

He Su didn't seem to notice Xiao Qianwen's gaze. She just casually put the letter on the table next to her, making a slight noise.

Then, she slowly raised her head, her eyes swept over the beautiful girls in front of her one by one, shook her head gently and said.

"You're already pregnant, why don't you stay home and take care of the baby instead of coming all the way to Yinan to mess around? In my opinion, we should just pretend we didn't see the letter at all and just close the city gates. Out of sight, out of mind."

After saying that, she frowned slightly, seeming quite dissatisfied with this matter.

At this moment, Lin Qingyao, who was standing aside, couldn't help but burst out laughing. The clear and pleasant laughter instantly attracted everyone's attention.

Then, she turned her gaze to Xiao Qianwen, who was lowering her head and remaining silent on the other side, and teased with a smile.

"Mother, I wouldn't dare make the decision on something as serious as closing the city gates. How about this? I'd have to trouble you to go to my father and borrow the city gates from him."

After saying that, she winked mischievously, looking very cute.

Hearing this, Lin Qingyi, who had been silent all this time, suddenly seemed to be enlightened. She raised her head with excitement, looked at her mother and sister stupidly, and asked impatiently.

"Wow, are you really planning to close the city gates? That would be so fun!"

Looking at her innocent and silly look, everyone couldn't help but burst into laughter again.

Among them, Lin's mother stretched out her finger and gently poked Lin Qingyi's forehead, scolding her.

"Look at you, girl. You're the dumbest of all!"

He Su glared at her own daughter with anger and said unhappily, "Wan'er said we should go back to Jinhan tomorrow, so why don't you go back with us?"

Lin Qingyi said with an innocent look, "Why should I go back? Li Duo said before that if I stay at home, it will only make him feel upset. I'd better stay by your side, mother. That way, he will feel at ease."

As she spoke, she winked at He Su mischievously.

"Besides, the reason why Third Sister rushed back was because she wanted to take care of Lele. She said that the child had been away from his mother all day and was homesick and sick."

As Lin Qingyi spoke, she turned her head to look at her son Li Baibai who was laughing and playing with his brothers and sisters outside the house.

At this moment, Xiao Qianwen, who was sitting next to him, couldn't help but frowned slightly when she heard this, but soon her eyebrows returned to normal and relaxed.

Everyone was silent for a while, and then they heard Lin Qingyi mutter softly, "It's really strange. Lele looks like neither Third Sister nor Brother-in-law."

Although the voice was soft, it was still caught by Xiao Qianwen who was nearby.

However, before he could finish half of the sentence, he was suddenly slapped on the arm by He Su, neither light nor heavy.

"What are you mumbling about for no reason?"

He Su smiled at Xiao Qianwen with a bit of embarrassment, and quickly shouted to stop Lin Qingyi.

As the wife of Duke Shen, Xiao Qianwen held a distinguished and prominent status. However, when she saw the little girl named Lele, her heart was moved.

Others might not be able to notice it, but with her many years of familiarity with her husband Shen Xin, Xiao Qianwen could clearly see at a glance that this child was a replica of Shen Xin.

Over the years, various rumors about Shen Xin and Lin Qingwan had already spread from the Music Hall in Kuihua Lane and gradually spread.

As a member of the Xiao family, Xiao Qianwen naturally knew all about the things that happened between the two of them. However, faced with such a situation, she could only choose to turn a blind eye and pretend not to know.

After all, in this deep mansion, it is better not to take some things too seriously.

But now, there are two things that always make Xiao Qianwen worried.

The first is his brother Xiao Yi, who is bedridden and in declining health; the second is Hong Qi, who has been out looking for Lin Qinghuan for three years but still has no news.

Whenever she thought of this, Xiao Qianwen couldn't help but frown and become worried.

At this moment, Lin Qingyi beside him spoke softly.

"It would be great if Tao Baiwan could bring Jian'er with her this time. I heard that she has treated Jian'er like her own daughter over the years."

Hearing this, the expression on He Su's face changed slightly, and then he retorted.

"What do you mean by treating him like one's own? He's the child our Huan'er risked his life for! When your father and I return to Luofeng City, we will definitely bring my darling grandson home and take care of him personally!"

He Su's face turned cold, and she snorted loudly. Then, with a stern face, she said, "Back then, when Tao Baiwan wasn't pregnant yet, she thought it was okay for Jian'er to stay in the Xiao family. But now, if her family gives birth to a boy, then Jian'er will be alone and helpless in the Xiao family. No matter how you look at it, it's definitely not a long-term solution!"

Hearing this, Xiao Qianwen looked puzzled and couldn't help but ask, "But...but he is the eldest grandson of the Xiao family after all?"

As soon as she said this, she realized that what she said was inappropriate. She felt embarrassed and looked at He Su with a red face.

He Su sighed slightly, gently patted the back of Xiao Qianwen's hand, and slowly said, "This matter is indeed complicated. If I forcibly snatch Jian'er back now without regard for reason, I am afraid that our always upright Marquis will definitely not agree."

"But Yi'er personally agreed to this matter."

At this point, He Su couldn't help but have tears in her eyes, and she continued with a slightly trembling voice.

"My poor Huan'er, no matter what, I must make sure that Jian'er grows up safely and healthily. Every year I will go to his mother's burial place and respectfully burn a stick of incense."

"He is not only a child of the Xiao family, but also the flesh and blood of our Lin family!"