Dugu Jingyao is reborn as Li Chu's beloved

Li Chu said, "Your Highness, this is serious. After all, you are our elder. How can we make you wait for us?" Li Ruo, feeling that something was wrong with the conversation, got off the carriage and saluted Dugu Xin, "Uncle Dugu, how are you? Brothers and sisters, how are you?" Although Dugu Xin might have some hostility towards Li Chu, he couldn't be tough with a well-behaved and sensible baby like Li Ruo. He said to Li Ruo, "Good!"

Even Liu Jingyue and Li Ruo, the young girls who had just arrived, sensed something was amiss with Dugu Xin's attitude towards Li Chu. But since they were at the gate, they couldn't say anything. Dugu Jingyao wondered: Was Daddy's joining the An Lushan Rebellion a sign? Was he already at odds with the royal family? But that didn't make sense; this was his first time interacting with them.

There was no time to think about it. Dugu Moyan saw that the atmosphere was not right and broke the calm: "Uncle, Your Highnesses, let's go into the mansion first? It's not a good thing to stand here all the time!" Dugu Xin also realized that he had lost his composure, so he said: "Yes, let's go into the mansion first!" Only this group of people entered the mansion smoothly.

Arriving at the main hall, as soon as everyone sat down, maids filed in with fruits, snacks, and tea. After the maids left, Dugu Jingyao introduced: "This is a flower cake. Your Highnesses, please try it. It smells the best when it's fresh out of the oven." Li Chu and Li Ruo both took a sip. Li Chu said, "It really has the fragrance of roses." Li Ruo was even more amazed and said, "Although there are chefs in the palace who can make flower cakes, they taste nothing like this!"

The King of Yunnan had a natural fascination with Li Ruo. Li Ruo and Dugu Jingyue were about the same age, both beautiful and well-behaved. The King of Yunnan laughed heartily, saying, "Hahaha, if the princess likes it, take this with her when she leaves!" True, both praised the flower cakes, but Dugu Xin only mentioned Li Ruo and not Li Chu. Everyone sensed something was amiss... but they all tacitly kept silent.

After a while, Liu Jingyue also knew that they had to discuss serious matters today. National affairs were not something that a modern social animal like her, plus the original owner was just a little girl, could participate in. So Liu Jingyue said, "Father, can Ruo'er and I go out and play for a while?" Dugu Xin naturally agreed: "Okay, you take the princess for a walk around the mansion!" After that, he looked at Dugu Jingyao and said, "Jingyao, you should go with your two sisters!"

Dugu Jingyao originally wanted to refuse, but after thinking about it, she decided that since it was Li Chu's first visit, she should let him talk to his father first. Besides, he was a stranger after all, and it would not be convenient for her to stay here, so she agreed.

After the three men left, the three people in the hall finally got down to business. Dugu Xin, always direct, spoke first, "I wonder if the two of you have come here to receive His Majesty's orders?" Li Chu, though impressed by the King of Yunnan's directness, felt it was easy to talk to such a man, so he said, "It's not His Majesty's orders. My father and mother asked me and my sister to come and present a birthday gift to Princess Yi'an."

Dugu Xin wondered: "For all those years, no one from the royal family had come to bring gifts on Yao'er's birthday. Why are they here this time?" Seeing Dugu Xin's puzzled expression, Li Chu guessed that Jingyao had probably not informed the King of Yunnan about rescuing his mother, so he explained, "Originally, I was just thinking of sending an envoy, but I felt that coming in person would show more sincerity, and by the way, I can visit my aunt's family on behalf of my mother."

Dugu Xin said, "I see. Since you've already sent the gift, why are you here again?" Dugu Moyan felt a cold sweat break out upon hearing this. He thought, Uncle, aren't you being too direct? Fortunately, Prince Guangping is a junior and won't blame me, otherwise...

Li Chu was not annoyed, and simply explained: "It's nothing, it's just that you, the King of Yunnan, have been stationed in Yunnan for many years and have made great contributions to our Tang Dynasty. Since you are here, Chu'er feels that I should come to pay you a visit! What's more, I admire Princess Yi'an as a heroine. In addition, she was able to handle the crisis like yesterday with ease. It's no exaggeration to say that she is resourceful!"