The Lord God is kneeling on the washboard again

At this time of night, the Prince Regent's Palace was serene. Moonlight shone like water on the vermilion gate and the high courtyard walls, adding a touch of softness and mystery to this majestic mansion.

The palace's patrolling guards marched in unison, their torches swaying in the night breeze, a play of light and shadow. The flowers, plants, and trees in the garden, shrouded in moonlight, cast shadows, as if telling an ancient story.

In the study, candlelight flickered softly. The Prince Regent sat at his desk, his brow furrowed as he focused on the documents in his hands, seemingly contemplating important matters of state. In the bedroom, the Princess had fallen asleep peacefully, a sweet smile still on her face, perhaps dreaming a beautiful dream.

The kitchen stove had gone out, leaving only a faint glow. The servants were all resting in their rooms, and the entire palace was immersed in silence, with only the occasional chirping of insects breaking the stillness of the night.

After Yun Mohan (Nangong Han) soothed the two children to sleep, he returned to his and Xing Xuanli's courtyard - Liyue Palace.

As he entered the courtyard, the fragrance of flowers filled the air, and moonlight cast a silvery frost on the path. He walked lightly into the house, but Xing Xuanli was nowhere to be seen. He only heard the faint sound of running water coming from the bathroom.

Yun Mohan (Nangong Han) raised his lips slightly, knowing that Xing Xuanli was in the bathroom. He sat down on the soft couch beside him and picked up a book, but he had no intention of reading it. His mind was completely on the person in the bathroom.

A moment later, the bathroom door gently opened. Xing Xuanli was dressed in a light bathrobe, her hair draped wetly over her shoulders. Her skin glowed charmingly in the candlelight. Her face was flushed from the bath, and her eyes were filled with laziness and charm.

Yun Mohan (Nangong Han) put down the book in his hand, stood up and walked towards her, his eyes full of love and admiration. "Li'er, you are so beautiful." He said softly, reaching out to smooth her hair.

Xing Xuanli asked Yun Mohan (Nangong Han): "Do you want to take a bath? I'll ask the servants to change the water for you."

Yun Mohan (Nangong Han) quickly waved his hands and said, "No need to waste so much water. You and I can just share a bucket of water."

Xing Xuanli's face instantly turned red, like a ripe apple. She glared at Yun Mohan (Nangong Han) coquettishly and spat, "You are so frivolous! How can a husband and wife bathe in the same bucket of water?"

Yun Mohan (Nangong Han) didn't care. He gently held Xing Xuanli's hand, his eyes full of affection and tenderness, "Li'er, between you and me, why should we care about these red tape? Sharing a bucket of water can make us closer.

Xing Xuanli frowned slightly and said softly, "The water is cold."

Yun Mohan (Nangong Han) felt a little cold after hearing this, but it was not a big deal.

Xing Xuanli said helplessly: "I'm worried that you will catch a cold."

When Yun Mohan (Nangong Han) heard this, a warm feeling welled up in his heart. He gazed at Xing Xuanli affectionately and said, "Li'er, I am so lucky that you always think of me like this."

Xing Xuanli sighed softly, "You are always so careless and don't know how to take care of yourself. How can I feel at ease?"

Yun Mohan (Nangong Han) held her in his arms. "With you by my side, I'm not afraid of anything. I just don't want you to be too tired and have to worry about changing the water for me."

Xing Xuanli leaned on his chest and said, "I'm not tired. As long as you are safe, I am willing to do anything."

Yun Mohan (Nangong Han) was deeply moved, "Li'er, with you in my life, what else could I ask for?"

The two of them hugged each other, enjoying this moment of warmth and tranquility. The moonlight shone through the window onto them, as if covering them with a layer of soft silver gauze.

"Don't be so willful in the future. What if you really catch a cold? What should we do then?" Xing Xuanli raised her head, her eyes full of concern.

Yun Mohan (Nangong Han) nodded, "I'll listen to you, Madam. I will take good care of myself and won't let you worry."

The room was filled with love, and their hearts were extremely warm in this slightly cool night.

On the other side, the Qingmu Sect of Lingxiao Sect came to reject the marriage, saying that either they wanted to change the person or the marriage would be called off.

The atmosphere within the Lingxiao Sect was solemn. The Sect Leader and the elders sat in the main hall with gloomy expressions. The Qingmu Sect's envoy stood in the hall with a haughty air, speaking forcefully and without any room for negotiation.

"Master Luo, my Qingmu Sect is not someone you can fool easily. For this marriage, you either change the person or call it quits. There is no room for negotiation!" The envoy snorted coldly, his eyes full of disdain.

Luo Nanyang suppressed his anger and said, "This marriage was originally decided by the two factions. How can it be changed just like that?"

The elder of the Qingmu Sect crossed his arms and sneered, "The woman your sect is betrothing is mediocre in talent. How can she be worthy of my Qingmu Sect's outstanding disciple?"

The elder standing nearby couldn't help but stand up and shouted angrily, "How dare you! How can we, the disciples of Lingxiao Sect, be slandered like this!"

The messenger was not afraid at all. "Hmph, the facts are before us. If you don't want this marriage to fall through, do as we say!"

The hall fell silent, the Sect Master frowning as he pondered a response. The Qingmu Sect was a powerful faction, and if they truly cancelled the engagement, the Lingxiao Sect would be humiliated. However, if they agreed to their unreasonable demands, how could they be worthy of their betrothed disciple?

Just as everyone was at a stalemate, a young disciple hurried over and whispered something in the master's ear. The master's face instantly became even uglier. How this incident would end was still unknown.

The elder of the Qingmu Sect said, "Everyone knows that your Lingxiao Sect's eldest daughter Luo Lingshan is worried about a married man, and he is also the husband of the Palace Master of the Sun and Moon Palace."

Upon hearing this, the faces of the Lingxiao Sect members changed. The Sect Leader glared at them and shouted, "Stop your nonsense and slander our disciples!"

The elder of the Qingmu Sect sneered, "Humph, this matter has already spread throughout the martial arts world. Could it be that I am just making it up? The Lingxiao Sect has poor discipline, and they have produced such a shameless woman. And she even dares to seek marriage with my Qingmu Sect. It's simply a foolish dream!"

The elders of the Lingxiao Sect were shaking with anger. "You, the Qingmu Sect, should go too far! Even if this is true, you cannot completely deny our eldest daughter, and you certainly can't use this as an excuse to break off the engagement!"

The elder of the Qingmu Sect put his hands behind his back, his face arrogant, "So what? With such a disgrace to our sect, how can your Lingxiao Sect still have the nerve to form an alliance with my sect?"

At this time, the disciples in the hall were also whispering and discussing. Some felt ashamed of Luo Lingshan's behavior, while others thought that Qingmu Zong's move was too aggressive.

Luo Nanyang took a deep breath, trying to calm his anger. "The truth of this matter has not yet been ascertained. I ask Qingmu Sect not to jump to conclusions based solely on rumors. My Lingxiao Sect will definitely give your sect a satisfactory explanation."

The elder of Qingmu Sect was not willing to give in. "Explain? Fine, then I'll wait and see how your Lingxiao Sect will deal with this scandal!" After saying that, he turned away.

Everyone in Lingxiao Sect fell into deep worry. Whether this marriage could be saved and how to restore Luo Lingshan's reputation, everything was full of variables.