The Cloud Feather of the Red Chamber: A Marriage Arranged with Gong Yuanzheng at the Start

Although the lunch was delicious, Shangguan Qian still couldn't taste it.

The servants didn't keep her waiting long; they quickly brought Han Yaqi over.

Han Yaqi had obviously also washed up. Although her face was a little pale, it was clear that she was not seriously injured.

The servants brought tea and pastries, and Han Yaqi didn't stand on ceremony. She picked up a pastry and stuffed it into her mouth.

"Your life is pretty good. These snacks are much more delicious than the ones you buy outside."

Seeing that he was like this, Shangguan Qian was relieved that he hadn't suffered any harm.

As she spoke, she poured tea for Han Yaqi, "I didn't expect you to come to this palace gate. I thought we would meet in the Old Dust Valley."

Han Yaqi ate several pastries and drank several cups of tea in one go, only stopping when she burped.

Shangguan smiled faintly but frowned, "Look at the way you eat!"

Han Yaqi glanced at her sideways, "Do you think I'm as lucky as you, sitting comfortably in the palace gates, eating and drinking well?"

Shangguan Qian's smile remained unchanged, and she had no intention of telling Han Yaqi about her ordeal.

Han Yaqi carefully observed her face and suddenly asked, "Why are you crying?"

Shangguan Qian raised her eyes and stared at him intently, her gaze revealing no emotion.

She looked at Han Yaqi and said only one sentence, "Han Yaqi, you will save me, right?"

Han Yaqi lowered her eyes, toying with the teacup in her hand, a hint of cold mockery in her eyes. "Did I have a choice?"

Shangguan smiled faintly, her smile tinged with tears. "Yes, you can pretend to agree to the palace gate's conditions, and after you leave, explain everything to Wufeng directly."

"With such a great achievement, Dianzhu will definitely entrust you with important responsibilities. As for me, I'll just end up as a victim of the palace gates."

Han Yaqi stopped playing with the teacup and looked up at Shangguan Qian.

This little girl was raised by me.

She was still young then and knew nothing. It was I who taught her martial arts and how to kill, and it was also I who taught her how to seduce men.

It was he who sent her onto the wedding boat that led to the palace gates.

Han Yaqi sighed, "Do you really trust the palace gates that much? What if they don't provide the antidote when the time comes?"

Shangguan Qian was still smiling. "I believe in Gong Zishang, and I also believe in Gong Shangjiao."

Shangguan Qian certainly didn't believe it, but she knew how deep the hatred between Gongmen and Wufeng was; they were bound to fight to the death.

On her own, it would be impossible to take revenge, but the palace gates could help her fulfill this wish.

As for other things, let's talk about them after Dianzhu dies.

Han Yaqi stared intently at the girl before him; he simply couldn't bear to watch her die.

"I promise you that."

Shangguan Qian's eyes trembled slightly, and a tear silently slid down her cheek.

They sat facing each other, wearing cloud-patterned robes and amidst the ravenous crows.

The aroma of tea filled the air, and the snacks looked delicious, but neither of them had the appetite to taste them.

"Miss Yun, do you look exactly like me?"

Han Ya Si trembled. He looked at Yun Wei Shan with a deep gaze, "You knew everything?"

"What do you think I should know?" No matter how turbulent her heart was, Yun Weishan's expression remained calm and composed.

"The young lady from the Yun family is indeed your younger sister."

Yun Weishan lowered her eyes, concealing her thoughts. "What about the leader? What is her relationship with me? Or rather, what is her relationship with my sister?"

Han Ya Si looked puzzled. "Do you have a relationship with the leader?"

Yun Weishan realized she had asked a stupid question; a crow could never know about such a subtle relationship.

"Han Ya Si, have you seen the leader?"

"No, but Situ Hong has seen her. According to her, the female prisoner in the dungeon looks exactly like the chief."

He paused here. Han Ya Si was no fool. Once all the events were connected, he could roughly guess some of the reasons.

His eyes, when he looked at Yun Weishan, held shock and confusion, which eventually turned into calm.

Yun Weishan ignored his gaze, lowered her head, and looked at the tea on the table.

It turns out she still has relatives alive—her mother and sister. They're all alive. That's wonderful.

"Han Ya Si, I hope you will agree to the palace gate's request."

Han Ya Si had already guessed what Yun Wei Shan would say, and he simply smiled without the slightest hesitation.

"Okay, I agree."

A year ago, he failed to protect Yun Que; a year later, he is determined to protect Yun Weishan.

If they fall into the hands of the leader, regardless of whether they have betrayed him or not, once they enter the dungeon at the palace gates, they will all face certain death.

Having achieved his goal, Jin Huai stepped forward and gestured for the guards to take Han Ya Si away.

He looked at Yun Weishan and asked, "Miss Yun, are you going to the dungeon or to Miss Shangguan's place?"

Yun Weishan lowered her eyes. She wasn't ready yet, and she didn't know how to get along with her mother.

"Take me to Shangguan Qian's place."

"Alright, Miss Yun, if you wish to go to the dungeon, you can tell me anytime."

Shangguan Qian seemed to have anticipated Yun Weishan's arrival, and at this moment she was concentrating on brewing a pot of tea.

"Sister Yun is here. Please have a seat and try this tea brewed by Mei Xue."

------

Inside a side hall of the Corner Palace, Lin Qingyue held a brush and made numerous revisions to the blueprints.

Gong Yuanzheng held her long hair and used his inner strength to dry every inch of it.

"All done." In less than the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, the hair in his hands was completely dry.

"So fast!" Lin Qingyue was a little incredulous; this was comparable to the hair dryer from her previous life.

“What I hate most is washing my hair. It takes me half a day to dry it every time.” She looked at Gong Yuanzheng, her brush lightly touching her cheek, with a touch of coquettishness.

"I never knew practicing martial arts had such benefits. Why don't you teach me martial arts?"

Gong Yuanzheng sat beside her and gently advised, "Your physical constitution is already fully developed. If you start practicing martial arts now, you'll probably suffer a lot."

He couldn't bear to see Lin Qingyue suffer like this, but he also couldn't bear to refuse her request.

"I wasn't thinking about any advanced martial arts, just lightness skills, please teach me." Lin Qingyue grabbed his arm, looking at him with longing in her eyes.

Gong Yuanzheng chuckled, reaching out to put his arm around her waist. "Lightness skill isn't exactly a high-level martial art, but if you insist on learning it..."

"How about this, Yue'er, you take good care of your health, and then I'll prepare some medicinal baths for you. When the time is right, I'll teach you lightness skills."

"Thank you, Yuanzheng!" Lin Qingyue's face blossomed into a bright smile, like the warmest sun in winter, dispelling all the darkness in his heart.

Gong Yuanzheng felt a tingling sensation in his heart, and the hand holding her waist tightened involuntarily.

Lin Qingyue took the blueprints in front of her and placed them between the two of them. "Yuanzheng, this is the layout of the Zheng Palace that I planned. Take a look and see if you like it."

Gong Yuanzheng glanced casually at the blueprints in front of him; he didn't care about these changes.

"As long as you like."

Lin Qingyue, however, said with a serious expression, "This is your home too. How can it be done just according to my preferences? It has to be something you like as well."

Gong Yuanzheng thought to himself, "You've always been by my side, and that's what I love."

Seeing that Lin Qingyue insisted on giving his opinion, he pondered for a moment and pointed to a spot in the courtyard, "Here, I'll plant some of the flowers and plants I'm currently cultivating."

"Flowers and plants?" Lin Qingyue's interest was piqued. "Don't you only cultivate medicinal herbs, but also flowers and plants? What kind of flowers and plants do you cultivate?"

Gong Yuanzheng smiled, his eyes and brows radiating pleasure. "Yue'er will know when the time comes."

Lin Qingyue nodded, asked no more questions, and continued to talk about her plans.

“Zheng Palace has naturally formed hills, and we left the plants on them untouched, letting them grow freely.”

“I’d like to replace the windows in this corridor with crackled stained glass windows, so that people can see the scenery in the courtyard as they pass by. What do you think?”

"Yue'er is right."

No one knew when it started, but Lin Qingyue had already snuggled into Gong Yuanzheng's arms, with Gong Yuanzheng's head resting on Lin Qingyue's shoulder as she earnestly explained the various changes in Zheng Gong.

Under the lamplight, their shadows had merged together.

When Jin Huai arrived with the calming tea, he saw this scene. He paused and quietly withdrew from the side hall.