Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

Yuan Feng shook his head: "Not yet. In October, General Yin, General Le, and I divided our forces into three routes and defeated Batu at the foot of Bugen Mountain, driving them back to the Kelu River, two thousand miles away. The northern desert is cold, and the Kelu River was already frozen in October. My deputy advised me to turn back, but I dared not advance rashly, so I returned."

For a time, the people of the southern desert were at peace, and there were no more provocations from the northern desert. I advised the emperor to open border trade, and the border region gradually prospered. At the end of the year, I returned to Bianjing, where the emperor bestowed upon me generous rewards and asked what I desired. I declined the rewards and made two requests.”

Nianyao interjected, "One is that his father was reinstated to his official position, and the other is that an imperial decree was issued to arrange the marriage."

Yuan Feng nodded: "Nanfei was still young at that time, so it was not appropriate for him to get married. We could only get engaged first."

Nianyao asked, "You are Nanhua's senior sister. Does the Nan family agree to your engagement?"

Yuan Feng hesitated for a long time: "...They all disagree..."

Nianyao's tone was full of praise: "Ah Feng's forceful marriage was domineering."

Yuan Feng was both amused and exasperated: "No...actually..."

Nianyao patted her shoulder: "I understand. Even forced relationships can be sweet."

After hearing the gossip, Nianyao retreated to Luo An's side, satisfied, hugged his arm, leaned on his shoulder, and closed her eyes to pretend to sleep.

The boat, like a sharp blade, carved a huge gash in the water's surface. The surrounding water surged and churned to fill the gap, and the surface quickly returned to calm, as if the wound had healed. Like a wild goose passing silently, or water leaving no trace, the uninformed would perceive everything as normal.

Nanfei returned with Duoyi. He had lost some weight, but he was still a radiant young man.

Nanhua hugged him and cried her eyes out, while she stood beside him wiping away her own tears.

Nanfei threatened, "If you cry again, I'll have your crying portraits painted and framed. After you get married, I'll take them to your husband's family to extort money. If they don't pay, I'll parade the portraits through the streets."

Nan Hua was furious and kicked him. Nan Fei turned around, grabbed a horse, and ran away. Nan Hua, of course, didn't let him go and chased after him all the way.

Before Yuan Feng could even host a welcome dinner for Nan Fei, he left Fengzhou with Nan Hua and Duo Yi, laughing and joking.

Later, in their correspondence, Duoyi always mentioned Nanfei when she spoke of him. Nanfei, for some reason, spoke to the school officials, and Duoyi was admitted to the Imperial Academy despite not meeting the usual requirements. The two went to and from school together and became very close.

Nan Hua was very anxious. His father had just been demoted, and his younger brother was getting close to a girl from the northern desert. What if Duo Yi was a spy? The emperor was very displeased.

Yuan Feng was usually busy, and when she had a moment to herself and read the letters, all she could think about were the images of Nan Fei and Duo Yi together. She had no time to reminisce or ask what Nan Fei had experienced during that month in the northern desert.

Batu didn't do anything to him? How could that be!

Nanfei said the first time wasn't quite right. He turned off the light and covered himself with the blanket—was it just because he didn't want to perform a sex act? He trembled slightly in the darkness, and Yuan Feng simply assumed it was his first time acting impulsively.

Was it because he listened to music and watched dances in the brothel, emphasizing his chastity?

Yuan Feng slowly turned around; Nan Fei was fast asleep, his hands behind his head. Luo An had excellent medicine for healing injuries, capable of removing scars and burns, so there was no visible injury on his body.

Nanfei was still a little dazed when Yuan Feng woke him up: "Ah Feng?"

Yuan Feng helped him up, her voice unusually gentle: "We'll land in Haidong County and travel overland back to Bianjing."

When Nanfei landed, he bumped into something and fell forward unsteadily. Yuan Feng, who had been watching him closely, immediately caught him and steadied him.

Nianyao and Luo An were already waiting for them on the shore. Nianyao commented, "Your limbs are weak, and your steps are unsteady... What happened to you?"

Nanfei said lazily, "Excessive indulgence."

Everyone stared at Nan Fei, then at Yuan Feng, who was supporting him. Despite being expected to be embarrassed, Yuan Feng was surprised to find herself surprisingly calm.

Nianyao was embarrassed: "In broad daylight, in front of everyone, don't you have any shame?"

Nanfei said, "Madam, you're an experienced woman. Why do you insist on asking questions you already know the answer to? Do you have any shame?"

Nianyao kicked him, and Nanfei hid behind Yuan Feng, looking pitiful: "Feng, she hit me..."

The people next to him got goosebumps: Is this a man?

Tiger drove the carriage over: "You who have indulged in excessive pleasures, get in the carriage."

Luo An boarded the carriage first, followed by Nian Yao.

Nan Fei raised his voice, "Young Master and Madam have indulged in too much pleasure and cannot ride horses. Ah Feng, we will have to make do with the carriage."

"Young master can tolerate this, but wife cannot." Nianyao, still holding onto the car door, jumped out with her hands on her hips and said, "Come here if you dare."

Nanfei hid behind Yuan Feng again: "Feng, she's insulting us for not having a son."

Nianyao rushed over, and Yuan Feng spread her arms to protect Nan Fei. The two chased after Yuan Feng.

Luo An said to Hu Zi, "Let's go."

Tiger obeyed and pulled on the reins and cracked the whip. By the time the three of them reacted, the carriage had already disappeared.

The three of them ran wildly for three miles before seeing the carriage parked by the roadside. Hu Zi and Luo An were nowhere to be seen.

The three were terrified and split up to search around the carriage, calling out as they went. They shouted until their throats were sore and they were exhausted. Just as they were filled with fear and dread, Luo An and Hu Zi slowly came down from the mountain.

The three of them stared blankly as the two passed by, stared blankly as Luo An got into the carriage, stared blankly as Hu Zi sat on the carriage shaft...

Nianyao snapped out of her daze, screamed, and rushed to the car: "Luo An, are you deaf or blind? Didn't you see or hear me...?"

Nianyao started crying as she spoke: "I was so scared... I thought you had encountered thieves... I was terrified..."

Luo An found it amusing to see them stunned, but panicked the moment he saw Nian Yao cry.

Nianyao would cry, but not in public. Her father died, Uncle Liu died, she was humiliated by Ji Kongming… she never cried in public…

Luo An immediately jumped off the carriage, opened his palm in front of her, and there were several yellow things in his palm.

With tears blurring her vision, Nianyao sobbed as she asked, "What is this?"

Luo An said, "Chestnuts."

They were frantic down the mountain, while Luo An was harvesting chestnuts up the mountain?

Nianyao slapped his hand hard, sending chestnuts flying to the ground. She wiped away her tears with her sleeve, pushed Luo An away, and turned to Hu Zi: "Are you deaf and blind too? Can't see or hear..."

Tiger was enjoying his meal when he saw Nianyao's aggressive demeanor. He immediately jumped off the carriage shaft, raised his hands, and cried out, "Chief, the young master won't let me speak!"

Nianyao said, "If he doesn't tell you to speak, you won't speak either. Are you my subordinate or his subordinate?"

Tiger hesitated.

Nianyao said, "Are you mute? Deaf, blind, and mute?"

Tiger took two steps back and said cautiously, "Chief, I am now the young master's medical apprentice."

Nianyao and Nanfei exclaimed in unison, "What?"

Tiger pointed to the medicine box: "I think I'm the one who carries the medicine box."

Nanfei said, "I'm not dead yet."

Tiger said, "Didn't you want to go home and have a son?"

Nianyao said, "Haven't I agreed yet?"

After stammering for a while, Hu Zi finally blurted out, "A good minister chooses his lord to serve."

Tiger saw Nianyao glaring at him and realized something was wrong, so he quickly said, "I...abandoned darkness for light..."