Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

The son-in-law praised her? The wronged Eighth Sister was instantly delighted.

Nanfei said, "Princess, you are a guest since you have come. Let's sit down and chat. Eighth Sister, bring some fruit, pastries, tea and wine to the pavilion."

Several people sat in the pavilion.

Duo Yi said excitedly, "Nanfei, I heard you're going to the palace to be the Grand Eunuch. I'm in the palace too, so it'll be so much easier to see each other in the future. The Crown Princess likes me, and she'll definitely be very happy if we're together..."

Yuan Feng's face darkened, and Duo Yi ignored her, her expression full of provocation.

Nanfei smiled and said, “Princess, rumors stop with the wise. I married into the Yuan family and am the head of the household. Wouldn’t it be a disgrace to Ah Feng to show my face in public to seek a job and become a eunuch? Besides, I’m used to sleeping early and getting up late and I have no intention of seeking a job. Ah Feng is a general and she can support me.”

"Ah Feng, Ah Feng," she called him so affectionately. Duo Yi frowned slightly: "Sister Yuan will be going to the army in a few days, and you'll be all alone in the mansion, which will be so boring. I told my sister that I'll move in with you then."

"Did she die?" Yuan Feng couldn't listen anymore: "You guys talk, I have to go."

Duo Yi smiled and waved her hand, "Take care, Sister Yuan."

Yuan Feng stood up and descended the steps, somewhat bewildered. This was her residence; should she leave now? Where was she going?

She ate with the same ease as the master of the house, as if she were the superfluous one.

"Ah Feng, you go..." Nan Fei wanted to tell her to go to her room to rest and wait for him.

Yuan Feng was startled by his voice. She quickly walked out, before Nan Fei could finish speaking.

Nanfei seemed about to get up and pull her up, but he lowered his hand halfway through and said to Ba Mei, "Follow the general."

After they left, Nanfei said, "Princess, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want."

Duo Yi said nonchalantly, "Why are you so serious? Didn't you break your leg? You're my only friend in Dongyang. You must be bored at home. Why don't we keep each other company like sisters?"

Nanfei looked at her, her mouth watering as she met his gaze, showing no fear whatsoever.

They were no longer the boy and girl they once were, but a general husband and a hostage from the northern desert, both carrying out a mission.

Nanfei said, "Princess, we are both married men with families..."

Duoyi interrupted him, her voice shrill: "I was married, but I have no family. He is dead."

Nanfei said, "If the princess doesn't want to return to the northern desert, why not find a good family in Bianjing..."

Duoyi interrupted him again: "I'll find you."

Nanfei said helplessly, "Princess, I have..."

Duo Yi said, "I don't mind..."

How can we talk about this? Nanfei sighed softly, "Princess, you've changed a lot in the years we've been apart."

"Yes, I've changed a lot. Don't you know why I've changed?" Duoyi grew increasingly agitated. "Do you know what happened to me when I returned to the Northern Desert? Batu married me off to a forty-year-old man, old, lecherous, and cruel. He tied me up, beat me, and abused me... Do you know how he died? I gave him drugs, and he died on top of me..."

Duo Yi's tears slowly welled up: "How old was I then? I was only fourteen. I saved you, I rescued you from the brothel, I abandoned everything to go to Dongyang for you. You said you would marry me, and I believed you would. What did you do?"

"You sent me back, you had Yuan Feng send me back. Don't you know what kind of person Batu is? You knew perfectly well that going back would be worse than death. How could you do this to me? How could you repay kindness with enmity? She's old and ugly, how can she compare to me?"

Nanfei said, "Princess, this is between the two of us and has nothing to do with her."

Duo Yi slammed her hand on the table, startling the cups and plates. She cried, "Why aren't you looking at me? Are you scared?"

Nanfei slowly raised his head: "Duoyi, I'm sorry."

Duo Yi wiped away her tears: "Sorry? Ha... You ruined me, and an apology is all it takes? Do you know why I didn't die? Do you know what kept me going? I want to go to Dongyang again, I want to see you die with my own eyes, I want to see her die, I want to kill you..."

Nanfei placed the soft sword in front of her: "Go ahead and do it!"

Duo Yi slowly took the sword in her hand: "I'm going to rip your heart out and see what it's like..."

Duo Yi stood up and swung the sword forcefully, the soft sword slicing straight across Nan Fei's chest.

Nanfei didn't move an inch.

The soft sword tore through Nanfei's clothes, but no blood was drawn. Duoyi bent down and pulled open the tear in his clothes, her hand running over the deep and shallow marks inside: "Weren't you supposed to be a eunuch because your leg was broken? What is this?"

Nanfei gently removed her hand and carefully straightened his clothes.

Duo Yi's eyes were red, and her tone was filled with resentment: "You pretended to have a broken leg because you were afraid I would pester you, right? From the past until now, you haven't changed at all. You've treated me like a fool, using and deceiving me. Nan Fei, are you even human? Do you have any conscience?"

Nanfei said, "Enjoy..."

Duo Yi said, "Call me princess. You are not worthy to call me by my name."

Nanfei lowered his head, the wine in his glass magnified in his pupils, reflecting the past:

After being humiliated by Batu, he was thrown into a brothel and chained by the hands and feet. The handsome and exquisite boy from Dongyang was quite famous and was the talk of the town among the soldiers.

One day, Batu's sixth son sent men to bring him to the camp. There he saw a girl with a necklace of agate beads hanging down to her chest.

The Doyan tribe forced Batu to surrender, and Batu bestowed the title of princess upon Doyan's princess, intending to marry her to Batu's sixth son, Borlente. He had heard rumors and guessed that she was Doyan.

Duo Yi heard about his heroic deeds and the soldiers' discussions, and became curious about what he looked like, so she wanted to see him.

He was thrown in front of Duoyi like a rag doll, and Duoyi squatted down and lifted his chin. He saw that Duoyi was in a daze.

Borrent was fat and had a hoarse voice; he was nowhere near as good as him.

Just then, Borrent was summoned by Batu to discuss some matters. Only Doyi and a few maids from the Doyan tribe remained in the tent.

His voice was as low as a whisper, but Duoyi heard it very clearly: "Save me. Save me and take me back to Dongyang, and I will marry you."

Unable to bear the humiliation, he resorted to any means to leave the northern desert. Duoyi was the same age as him, and at the time she was still a girl, easily fooled and deceived.

Nanfei was lost in his memories; the pavilion was so quiet it seemed deserted. A sparrow flew over and landed on Nanfei's shoulder.

After venting her emotions, Duoyi saw that Nanfei's face was ashen and his expression was dazed, as if he was struggling in the pain of the past and had not yet come to his senses.

Duo Yi reached out and shooed away the sparrow, her voice soft: "Nanfei, come with me for a walk. Consider it something you owe me."

"Okay." Nan Fei's voice was hoarse as he got up and walked down the steps to leave.

Duo Yi followed behind and pulled him back: "Nanfei...go change your clothes."

Most of the clothes in the closet were sandy brown, but a few bright red outfits had been added recently. Yuan Feng probably thought he looked good in red and had them delivered from the tailor shop.

Yuan Feng didn't understand him. She didn't understand how much he hated the color of sand, or how much he loathed the northern desert. He preferred clean, crisp white, like the uniforms of the Imperial Academy.

He stood in front of the cabinet, lost in thought, then pounded on the door and called out, "Nanfei, Nanfei..."

Nanfei changed into red clothes and opened the door.

Duo Yi was about to kick the door when she saw him stop in time. Her sharp expression turned aggrieved: "I thought you were lying to me again?"

Nanfei sighed, "Princess, Dongyang is my home. Where can I go?"