Spring Drunk Chang'an

Princess Nanweng is well-known in the capital for her toughness and tyranny. She is the top of the inner court of Duke Qi's Mansion, and even Shi Lin seems to be superior to her.

However, in reality?

Shi Lin has quite a few illegitimate children.

Shi Xiaoyue, born to the original wife, does not count, and the two legitimate sons born to Princess Nan Weng do not count.

As for the rest, Shi Lin had three concubines in his inner house who were listed in the family tree and gave birth to four sons and two daughters for him.

Besides, he seemed to have a few pet concubines, all of whom were alive and well and had not been beaten to death by anyone!

Princess Nanweng appears to be domineering and overbearing on the surface, but in the Duke of Qi's Mansion, Shi Lin has the final say after all.

Can Shi Xiaoyue, a daughter abandoned by Shi Lin for more than ten years, really help win him over?

Xiao Chuo thought it was useless.

So, originally he had never thought of taking action, but the little girl kept talking about it so many times that he began to have some thoughts and was ready to intervene a little.

After all, just stopping the Prince of Yan from trying to win over Shi Lin, which had little effect on her, was of little significance to Xiao Chuo and was dispensable. But if she could please the little girl and see her sweet smile...

This is a heavy weight.

Xiao Chuo had originally planned to meet Xiong Zhen in private when she had the chance, but now they had met by chance.

Well, it’s better to meet by chance than to invite each other!

"Summon the guard."

Xiao Chuo turned around, walked to a place where there were no people around, and gave instructions to the guards who were accompanying her.

"As you command." The guard naturally took the order and walked behind the tree.

He quickly went to Xiong Zhen and spoke a few words to him. Xiong Zhen looked surprised, his expression became more serious, and he tugged at his clothes a little awkwardly.

He put down the knife at his waist, followed the guards, and came to Xiao Chuo.

"Well, I pay my respects to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. May His Royal Highness live a thousand years, a thousand thousand years, and a thousand thousand years."

Xiong Zhen knelt down and kowtowed.

When Shi Xiaoyue was playing with Liu Changan, he was always by their side and had met His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

I knew Xiao Chuo.

"Guard Bear, please stand up!"

Xiao Chuo raised her hand to support him, her voice flat.

"I thank Your Highness." Xiong Zhen lowered his head, stood up very respectfully, and stood five steps away from the prince, with his hands hanging down and his back slightly bent.

Even though he was tall and strong, with extraordinary martial arts skills, and was a guard of the Duke's Mansion, he chatted and laughed with Miss Shi Xiaoyue as if there was no difference in status, but...

In fact, he held no official position.

The guard of the Duke's Mansion is just a job with a monthly salary. The only difference between him and the servants in the mansion is that he is a free man with good status. If he wants to leave, he can resign at any time.

Xiong Zhen was a commoner.

Moreover, he didn't have a house, a piece of land, or even much private money. After all, he had been practicing in seclusion with Shi Xiaoyue in Yuantan Temple for many years.

Princess Nanweng hated Shi Xiaoyue and only gave her the monthly salary of a lady in the mansion, five taels of silver a month, and a few small allowances.

Xiong Zhen received even less. As a guard, his salary was only two taels.

Most of the supplies were returned to Shi Xiaoyue.

Xiong Zhen was not penniless, but he didn't even have enough money saved up to be worth a hundred taels.

This is also one of the reasons why he dared not reveal his true feelings to Shi Xiaoyue even though he felt like dying.

Oh, he revealed his true feelings, Shi Xiaoyue also loves him, and then what can he do?

He couldn't even do the most basic and desperate thing, which was to elope with Shi Xiaoyue!

Xu Yuan ran away with Xu Ruyi, and at least they had plenty of money. They ran to the south and instantly became a rich man, living a life of luxury and freedom!

What about him? With only a hundred or so taels of silver and his own strength, he could only take Shi Xiaoyue and live in seclusion in the mountains as a hunter!

After all, apart from his strong body and extraordinary martial arts skills, Xiong Zhen really doesn't have any other special abilities!

He was in a very depressed state.

He stood silently in front of Xiao Chuo, like a stone pillar, without saying a word.

Xiao Chuo looked at him coldly and felt a slight headache.

He has always been an arrogant person, who regards himself as the only one in the world. If anyone makes him unhappy for a moment, he will make that person unhappy for the rest of his life. Otherwise, even if the King of Yan interfered, he would not be described as "moody and unpredictable".

Whatever he hates will disappear from his sight, and whatever he loves must be obtained.

But there is no such thing as weighing the pros and cons and giving up with reluctance.

Just like Liu Chang'an, when she had not yet been recognized and was still a slave maid, Xiao Chuo realized her sincerity and without hesitation, she immediately started to find connections by digging holes in the door.

He even used all his resources to turn Liu Wang'er into Liu Chengjin, just so that Liu Chang'an could stand beside him openly and with dignity.

Xiao Chuo could not understand Xiong Zhen's pain.

He just thinks he is being pretentious!

However, there are many different kinds of people. Not everyone has the same good taste as his little girl and falls in love with someone as outstanding as herself.

Shi Xiaoyue and Xiong Zhen grew up together in a cold temple and a lonely house, relying on each other, and some of them even had their eyes covered.

Anyway, he and Shi Xiaoyue had no friendship, so he just did what the little girl wanted.

"Guard Xiong, I know that you and Shi Xiaoyue are having an affair!"

Xiao Chuo did not hide anything and went straight to the point.

Xiong Zhen: ...

His eyes were bigger than a real bear's, he was stunned, his mouth opened, "Your Highness, I dare not, I dare not..."

I dare not say that!

"Your Highness, please be careful with your words and don't..."

Slandering my daughter's reputation.

Xiong Zhen's body tensed, his hands clenched into fists, his face serious. He wanted to say this without fear of power, but...

Before he could finish his words, Xiao Chuo, expressionless, interrupted him directly, "The Shouning Marquis's Mansion has already started preparing the betrothal gifts!"

"Shi Lin has already arranged everything. When Shi Xiaoyue enters the palace, she will be eliminated in the first round. After that, the two mansions will come to exchange engagements, and Shi Xiaoyue will marry into the Shouning Earl's Mansion and become the young lady."

"Do you approve?"

He raised an eyebrow, his voice cold.

A look of confusion and deep emptiness suddenly appeared on Xiong Zhen's rough and handsome face.

His pupils trembled and his eyes shook. He seemed to have endured some great pain. He lowered his head fiercely for a long while and said, "My girl deserves to be treated well."

Although the Shouning Marquis's Mansion is in decline and is nothing compared to the capital, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. They have a large house with seven courtyards and several farms in the suburbs. The eleventh son is the youngest son and is very favored at home. When the family is divided in the future, he will also have a private property.

Shi Xiaoyue listened to Shi Lin and Princess Nan Weng and went to the marriage proposal obediently. The two of them did not treat her too badly and prepared a very generous dowry for her.

I dare not say it is worth a ten-mile red wedding dress, but it is also of upper-middle quality. Adding what Shi Xiaoyue's mother left behind, it is worth eighty or ninety thousand taels of silver.

After Shi Xiaoyue got married, she held on to the dowry tightly, which was enough for her to live a rich life.

As for Young Master Zhao Shiyi, although he was a dandy, a playboy, and had no talent, Xiong Zhen had secretly observed him and found him to be quite good-looking...