After the mind-reading and gossip-eating incident, officials in the imperial city were demoted one a

After a long day at the girls' school, Ye Yaoyao finally looked forward to the end of the school day.

"Sister, congratulations on graduating."

I thought I'd have to come here every day from now on, but I never expected that the Master would announce today that outstanding students are graduating.

Haha, I won't need to come here anymore.

Ye Xiyao graduated, and Ye Yaoyao didn't want to study such a boring course by herself.

Ye Xiyao chuckled upon hearing her thoughts, gently tapped her forehead, and teased:

"I've already graduated, you're still a long way off!"

"Sister, I won't come anymore."

Ye Yaoyao raised her chin, her face resolute.

Of the four arts—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—Ye Yaoyao is only good at calligraphy, which her grandfather taught her when she was young.

"Okay!" She didn't want to learn, and her family wouldn't force her to.

Back at the Ye family home, Ye Yaoyao ran into Chunnuan Pavilion and happily shared the good news with Liu Yunshu.

"Mom, I have good news for you. My sister graduated."

"You're happier than anyone else about your sister graduating."

How could Liu Yunshu not understand her little scheme?

"Mother, I don't have to go to girls' school anymore, right?" Ye Yaoyao looked at her mother expectantly.

"If you don't want to go, then don't go," Ye Jingyang said loudly as he entered.

"Thank you, Second Brother. Girls' school is so boring, and you even have to run into unpleasant people."

"Little sister, who bullied you?"

Ye Li'an was curious about which unlucky guy had offended her.

"I'm fine with that Mu Ningyan, but she's been in trouble these past few days."

Seeing that the children had all returned, Liu Yunshu had someone serve the meal. One delicious dish after another was brought to the table, steaming hot and fragrant.

When Ye Yaoyao had almost finished eating, she looked at Liu Yunshu and asked:

"Mother, do you have any grudge against the Princess?"

"No!"

Liu Yunshu was completely baffled by the question. The eldest princess had a bad reputation, and she had no dealings with her.

[Mother didn't even know that the Princess hated her. So it means that Mother and the Grand Prince Consort didn't like each other when they were young.]

Or does Mother not know that the Grand Prince Consort likes her?

Hearing her daughter's heartfelt words, Liu Yunshu almost spat out the soup she was drinking.

When did she and the Grand Prince Consort fall in love with each other? Didn't the Grand Prince Consort like the Grand Princess since childhood?

I just don't know how they ended up becoming a bitter couple.

The triplets all looked at their mother. Ye Xiyao had heard Ye Yaoyao's analysis, and judging from her mother's reaction, it shouldn't be what her younger sister thought.

"Yaoyao, where did you hear that the Princess has some grudge against your mother?"

"I'm guessing that Mu Ningyan has been targeting my sister for no reason."

[I learned from Mu Ningyan that the Eldest Princess hates Mother, but Mother didn't know? Aren't they rivals in love? Then why does the Eldest Princess hate Mother?]

Liu Yunshu frowned, lost in thought, trying to recall her past interactions with the Princess.

She recalled occasionally seeing the eldest princess, and she would indeed make a few sarcastic remarks to her, but she didn't know why she had offended the eldest princess.

I really didn't expect it, and I don't want to think about it anymore. Some people's hatred may come from so inexplicably.

Ye Yaoyao remembered something else, and her expression became serious.

"Mother, do you have a girl you like?"

"The girl you've got your eye on? What for?" Liu Yunshu didn't understand for a moment.

"She is the candidate for daughter-in-law."

"Pfft!" This time, the two brothers were no longer calm.

"Little sister, what kind of trouble did you encounter during your day at the girls' school?"

Ye Jingyang wiped his mouth, his face still showing surprise, and his voice carrying a hint of amusement and exasperation.

There's always gossip among women. How much gossip has this little sister been catching up in? It even involves her brothers!

"It's not much, Mother. I overheard someone admiring my elder brother. That girl is of bad character. It's best if my elder brother doesn't get engaged before taking the imperial examination."

[Tang Xue's father arranged her eldest brother's marriage with her scumbag father before the imperial examinations. After her brother's accident, the engagement was broken off, and her father even insulted him. Mother, please don't let that scumbag father arrange a marriage for your eldest brother.]

Ye Jingyang looked at Ye Li'an, whose face was full of black lines, with sympathy.

"Alright, Mother won't let your eldest brother get engaged?"

She remembered the Tang family. Liu Yunshu was well aware of the situation and wouldn't let her children's marriages be arranged haphazardly.

"Mom, I'm finished eating. I'm going out now."

"it is good."

After Ye Yaoyao left, Liu Yunshu began to ask Ye Xiyao about what had happened to her daughter.

Ye Yaoyao walked through the winding path and came to a lush peach tree. There she saw Ji Xiao lying on a thick branch, holding a wine pot in his hand.

"Uncle Ji."

"Pull him along."

Ji Xiao lay still, reaching out to let down a slender branch. The branch swayed gently in the wind, as if beckoning to Ye Yaoyao, who could just catch it by standing on tiptoe.

Ji Xiao pulled her up, and Ye Yaoyao sat on a branch to the side.

"That's quite bold."

"Uncle Ji, I believe you won't let me fall." Ye Yaoyao's eyes sparkled with trust.

"You are just like him."

"Ah! Who do I look like?"

This was the second time Ye Yaoyao had heard that she looked like someone else. Waaah, she cupped her face in her hands, thinking that her face really was a generic one.

"Like someone who said they believed in me, just like you, ha! I don't even believe in myself."

"I believe you can protect her." That's what that person said.

Ji Xiao gave a self-deprecating laugh, tilted his head back and gulped down a mouthful of wine, the liquid running down his chin and wetting his clothes.

[Sigh! Uncle Ji's wife says she believes him; it seems he can't get over the grief of losing his wife and son!]

"Uncle Ji, has my scumbag father made any moves?"

"You dare to shout that?"

With a hint of surprise in his eyes and a half-smile playing on his lips, he had never seen a daughter call her father a scumbag.

"Who told him to be such a jerk!"

Ye Yaoyao didn't take it to heart.

Ye Mian has been recuperating in his courtyard for the past few days, and Ye Yaoyao doesn't believe he hasn't taken any action.

“A man in black appeared in the middle of the night last night.”

"And then?" Ye Yaoyao asked impatiently, leaning forward slightly.

"I haven't seen him come out."

"Didn't come out?"

Ye Yaoyao fell into thought. Should she take the secret passage? Or switch the items? Various possibilities flashed through her mind.

"When did that scumbag father come out this morning, or did any servants come out of his courtyard?"

"Before dawn, a servant-dressed man came out; he looked like your scumbag father."

"Where did he go?"

Ye Yaoyao unconsciously gripped the tree branch tightly with both hands, her eyes fixed on him.

"To the east, there is a brothel called Peony Pavilion."

"The Peony Pavilion? Looks like I'll have to go there." With a clue, Ye Yaoyao was going to investigate.

"You're going?" Ji Xiao looked at the bold Ye Yaoyao.

"Go ahead, Uncle Ji! Come with me!"

Ye Yaoyao looked at Ji Xiao with anticipation.

"It's best for girls not to go there," Ji Xiao said, taking a sip of his drink.

“But I have to go.” Ye Yaoyao said firmly.

The same unwavering determination as "So similar!"

"Uncle Ji, what did you say?"

"nothing."