The eldest daughter's scheming, the crown prince's exclusive favor to the venomous concubi

Jian Yue smiled and said, "Nothing much, I just came over to take a look, and then I witnessed a war between people and noodles."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Guyuan blushed and lowered her head in embarrassment, while Bai Xiaowan held her head high and said nonchalantly, "In the end, didn't the people still win? Look at this bowl of noodles, Yueyue, don't you think we're amazing?"

After descending the mountain, since she was no longer a bandit, Jian Yue asked everyone to change how they addressed her. So, most people called her Miss, while Bai Xiaowan preferred to call her Yueyue.

Jian Yue smiled and said, "You're amazing. I admire you the most."

Bai Xiaowan's feigned surrender successfully gained Qiu Lingyu's trust, which gave everyone the opportunity to eliminate all the armored soldiers. Jian Yue's words were well-deserved.

Knowing what Jian Yue was talking about, Bai Xiaowan smiled and said seriously, "Of course, don't you know who I am? I am Bai Xiaowan, Master Rong's eldest disciple."

After saying that, she looked around and said, "This place is a mess right now. If we stay here, we'll only delay Aunt Yuan's work. Let's not make things worse and go outside to talk!"

Jian Yue nodded: "Okay, let's go outside and talk. Yuan Ma, call us when you're done making them. Even though my skills aren't great, it's always nice to eat something you make yourself."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Guyuan's eyes lit up immediately: "Yes, I want one too! I've never made one of these before, it must be so much fun!"

Bai Xiaowan smiled and said, "That's for sure. Many hands make light work. Once we're done, we'll have every household take some. If they can eat the glutinous rice balls made by me, they'll be incredibly lucky."

Yuan's mother was amused and laughed along with her. While laughing, she kneaded the dough and mixed the filling evenly. She said, "Alright, you can go out and play first. You can call me when it's time. I had the loudest voice back at the General's Mansion."

The three of them left the kitchen together, but before they had gone a few steps, Bai Xiaowan suddenly stopped. Jian Yue and Cheng Guyuan looked at her in confusion, only to see her nod ahead and say with dissatisfaction, "We've been cornered again. Yueyue, is your husband too idle? Has he been sidelined by the Qilin Pavilion? Is he only here to freeload?"

Jian Yue looked up in surprise, and Bai Jianan was already in front of her. He said, "I have some news about Hua Xiangrong."

"What did you say?"

Jian Yue stepped forward almost immediately, and Bai Jianan continued, "There's news, but it's not certain yet that it's her, because there was a slight mishap. We'll talk about it on the way."

As Bai Jianan spoke, he pulled Jian Yue away. Bai Xiaowan was stunned for a moment, then quickly chased after him, saying, "I'm going too, I'm going too."

Cheng Guyuan immediately said, "Then what should I do?"

However, after she finished speaking, she had already disappeared from sight. Seeing this, Cheng Guyuan sighed, pounded her head, and muttered to herself, "It's such a hassle not having martial arts skills. I can't go anywhere. Why didn't my father have the foresight to let me learn martial arts too?"

"What's so good about learning martial arts? That's something only brutes do. Look at me, I'm so handsome and refined, all thanks to not learning that damned martial art."

Cheng Guyuan rolled her eyes, not even glancing at Bai Haitang who was leaning closer, and turned to walk towards the kitchen. Seeing this, Bai Haitang waved her fan and sighed, "Why doesn't anyone appreciate my good looks... Ouch, ouch, ouch! What are you doing? Let go of me? Are you trying to murder your husband?!"

Cheng Guyuan grabbed Bai Haitang's ear and dragged her straight to the kitchen, saying with disdain as they walked: "You're always waving that broken fan around. It's the middle of winter and all I see is you pretending. Hurry up and come help me and Aunt Yuan make glutinous rice balls. If you dare say another word, I'll send you to keep the little pony company."

"What did you say? Sister Hua is actually on Mount Riliang? How is that possible? We didn't find anything when we retreated. I had people check every place."

Jian Yue could hardly believe her ears.

Bai Jianan said that three days ago, their people saw a woman who looked very much like Hua Xiangrong near Riliang Mountain. She was also very skilled in light-footed martial arts. Their people chased after her for a while but lost her. The location was at the foot of Riliang Mountain.

But how could this be? If Hua Xiangrong really returned to Riliang Mountain, where there was no one, she would definitely go to the village that had been prepared long ago to find them. But now she is hiding from everyone on the mountain. What is going on?

Bai Jianan shook his head and said, "That's why it's a bit strange. Ever since we found her, we've been searching the mountain, and we've put people on guard at all the exits at the foot of the mountain, just in case we missed anything. We even wrote a message at the gate of the village on the mountain, but no one responded."

Especially just now, she appeared again, stealing the prey our men had hunted. After a formal confrontation with our men, it was confirmed that she was indeed Hua Xiangrong.

"Stealing prey?"

Jian Yue frowned, puzzled, and turned to look in the direction of the mountain, asking, "Do you know where they are now?"

"Our people saw her go into the cave on the west slope, but because her behavior was too strange, they were afraid something might happen, so they didn't dare to go in and just kept watch and sent messages back."

Jian Yue nodded and walked towards the West Mountain, saying, "In that case, I'll go and take a look myself."

Bai Jianan stopped her, saying, "But she might not recognize you now. Your martial arts are not as good as hers, and it will be very dangerous for you to go. In particular, I can't go with you. The messenger who came back said that she is very perceptive now. As long as something faster than her appears, she will run away desperately. There may even be other ferocious beasts along the way that will block our way."

Upon hearing this, Jian Yue's eyes lit up with joy, and she said, "If there really is a ferocious beast that has just entered, it must be Sister Hua. I haven't told you before, but she can communicate with animals, she just rarely uses it. Then I must go even more. I believe that even if she forgets everything, she will not forget me."

"Can……"

"I go."

Jian Yue and Bai Jianan turned around at the same time. Shangguan Hanque jumped off his horse and walked to their side in a few quick steps, saying, "I'll go."

Jian Yue paused and exchanged a glance with Bai Jianan, who then asked, "Are you really going?"

Shangguan Hanque nodded firmly: "I have to go. She is my wife, and I have to take her home. Yueyue, you don't need to go. Stay home with Grandfather, otherwise he will worry again. I can manage on my own."

Jian Yue hesitated for a moment before nodding and saying, "Then be careful in everything, and be sure to bring Sister Hua back."

Shangguan Hanque nodded: "Yes."

Then, he looked at Bai Jianan and said, "I'm leaving everything at home in your care."

This was the first time Shangguan Hanque had spoken to Bai Jianan in a pleading tone. Bai Jianan was immediately flattered and quickly nodded, saying, "Brother Shangguan, rest assured, Yueyue's family is my family. I will definitely protect them well."

Shangguan Hanque nodded, seemingly relieved, and continued, "I used to have many opinions about you, but now that I see how you protect Yueyue, I am relieved. I just hope you won't do what you did last time and put her to death."

The Hongmeng Bridge became everyone's nightmare, and Shangguan Hanque was no exception. The reason he was making a solemn request to Bai Jianan was because Jian Yue had accepted him once again.

Watching Shangguan Hanque walk step by step into the mountains, Jian Yue's heart also tightened. She asked, "I wonder if brother will be able to bring Sister Hua back safely on this trip. What happened to Sister Hua?"

Bai Jianan said, "Apart from Lu Zhe, no one else who has been with us along the way has the ability to cause Hua Xiangrong any harm. If this person really is Hua Xiangrong, then she escaped from Lu Zhe's clutches but was accidentally injured."

And you don't need to worry. You know your brother better than I do. His relationship with Hua Xiangrong, like ours, is unbreakable. His appearance might even be better than yours.

Jian Yue nodded and sighed, "Brother likes Sister Hua, it was love at first sight, and Sister Hua likes Brother, it was love that lasted until today. But these two kinds of feelings are incomprehensible to outsiders. As long as they are together, they can recognize each other at a glance. I believe that even if Sister Hua forgets everyone else, she will never forget Brother."

Upon hearing this, Bai Jianan felt a pang of jealousy and said, "Is my wife envious of others? Didn't I fall in love with you at first sight? Or did you fall in love with me at first sight, not over time? If so, I am overjoyed."

Jian Yue immediately said with disdain, "The two of us are like a lecherous man breaking into a house and harassing a respectable woman, with a lot of testing and struggle involved. How can that be compared to their simple love?"

Bai Jianan felt a little wronged and explained, "No matter what the relationship is, my heart is now completely captivated by you. Even if I was once powerless to do so, now I am powerless to do so. My wife, when can we get married?"

Jian Yue paused, glanced sideways at Bai Jianan, and sneered, "Marriage? I remember the heir apparent of the Marquis of Qingyan hasn't even finished his hundred-day mourning period yet. If you marry me, wouldn't I become a second wife? Do you want me to be a second wife?"

Bai Jianan's heart skipped a beat, and he knew something was wrong. He quickly said, "No, not as the heir of the Marquis of Qingyan. The heir of the Marquis of Qingyan died in the last succession struggle. There is no one named Bai Jianan in the court now. If I were to marry you, it would definitely be as the head of the Qilin Pavilion, to marry my mistress."

As he spoke, Bai Jianan said with anticipation, "Madam, the phoenix coronet and wedding robes have been sewn, and the 160 betrothal gifts are ready to be sent. Now we are just waiting for your nod, and the eight-bearer sedan chair will come to fetch you."

"My wife, please have pity on me! Have I truly had enough of these days spent alone in this empty room, yearning for you day and night, unable to sleep?"

Jian Yue was taken aback upon hearing this, only then remembering the mess in the capital. She completely forgot about Bai Jianan's subsequent cutesy marriage proposal and quickly asked, "You mean the matter in the capital is over? So who is the emperor now? What was the outcome for the other side?"