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

The meal was quite enjoyable, and it would have been even more perfect if an outsider hadn't suddenly barged in while Shangguan Hanque was cooking noodles—and this outsider turned out to be his own grandfather.

Shangguan Ting knew something unusual had happened as soon as his grandson returned, acting suspiciously and with a silly grin on his face. After thinking it over, he realized that the silly boy's gloomy appearance these past few days must be related to Hua Xiangrong.

So, he followed his grandson through the back door late at night, feeding on mosquitoes all night long, before finally seeing Hua Xiangrong enter. He was just about to be happy when he was shocked by the two's cringe-worthy interaction.

Shangguan Ting wasn't old-fashioned; he could understand the interactions between young people. After all, it wasn't easy to meet a woman as extraordinary as Hua Xiangrong, especially one who could be so blind as to fall for his blockhead grandson.

Isn't this a bit too open-minded? And what did his grandson say? He actually wanted to cook for him.

He had never eaten a meal cooked by his grandson in his entire life.

Thinking about it, he couldn't help but feel sad, so he followed her. But was this future daughter-in-law's ears too sharp? She noticed him as soon as she made the slightest noise and was even invited out to freeload a meal.

Shangguan Ting was initially quite embarrassed, but seeing his grandson's shocked expression as if he had just eaten shit made him feel much better. He then calmly sat down to the side and waited for his grandson to finish.

Hua Xiangrong had never seen such a mischievous old man before, and she couldn't help but chuckle. She said, "General, it's late and the dew is heavy. Are you sure you can handle coming out like this?"

Shangguan Ting immediately patted his chest and said, "I'm in good health. Back in the day, I was a great general who took up Guan Dao on the battlefield and killed hundreds of enemies. Even now that I've retired from the army, my body is still the same as before. How could I easily get sick?"

"But aren't you a bit too bold, young lady? Although no one in my household seeks death without reason, my household is heavily guarded. Your repeated intrusions are far too blatant."

Hua Xiangrong immediately raised an eyebrow, her face full of surprise: "Twice and again?"

Shangguan Ting immediately said smugly, "Haha, little girl, don't think I don't know. Although your ability to hide is not very good, it is quite unique. The guards in my manor are all veterans. How could your figure escape the sharp eyes of my guards? Of course they recognized you."

Hua Xiangrong remained calm and smiled, "The old general has a sharp eye."

Shangguan Ting said, "Heh heh! Don't you even know what I do? As a general, how can I manage without some ability? If there's an enemy spy infiltrating my ranks, how can I win battles? This is all experience. The guards in my mansion have all been through life and death with me; their eyes are all sharp."

Hua Xiangrong nodded in approval. Indeed, if the Shangguan family were so easily defeated, they wouldn't have been feared by the Emperor, nor would they have been kept alive until now because of such fear. How many could resist the temptation of the armored soldiers? They would probably have already taken action.

Shangguan Ting and Hua Xiangrong chatted enthusiastically, recounting their youth and their battles in the north and south. Hua Xiangrong listened with great interest, while Shangguan Hanque, who was cooking noodles, felt a pang of jealousy.

He also wanted to talk to Rong'er and see her admiring gaze and smile, but when he met Rong'er's teasing eyes, he didn't know what to say. He could only manage to say, "I want to marry you," and he probably couldn't think of anything else.

Two bowls of noodles turned into three bowls. As Shangguan Ting ate the noodles cooked by his grandson, Hua Xiangrong sighed, "This is the first time my filial grandson has ever cooked for me. My dear girl, I am truly honored by your kindness today."

As he spoke, he snorted coldly at Shangguan Hanque and muttered, "Sure enough, boys are like dogs, once they grow up, they're gone. I raised you with my own hands, and this is the first meal I've eaten that you cooked, only after you got a wife. Sigh! I..."

Shangguan Hanque immediately interjected, "Grandpa, from now on, I'll cook for you whenever you want to eat."

Hua Xiangrong covered her face and laughed so hard she could hardly breathe. This fool fell into the old general's trap so easily. Is he really cut out to be a general?

After Shangguan Hanque finished speaking, Shangguan Ting immediately looked at him and smiled: "You said it yourself, so don't say that I'm bullying you, young man. Humph, these noodles are cooked well, but they're a bit bland. I wonder how they'll be when stir-fried."

Sigh! Since your grandmother passed away, I haven't eaten a meal cooked by my family in a long time. The cooks are good, but it just doesn't taste like home. I'm getting old, and I'm so nostalgic. Back in the day..."

Shangguan Hanque couldn't hold back any longer. He fell into a pit once and promised, "Grandpa, don't worry. Even if I don't know how to cook, I will definitely learn more from the cook and make more of the things you want to eat for you."

Shangguan Ting nodded in satisfaction, raised his hand to wipe away non-existent tears from the corner of his eye, and said, "Indeed, my grandson has grown up and become sensible. I am very gratified. Let's eat noodles."

Hua Xiangrong held her bowl and watched Shangguan Hanque smile gently because of Shangguan Ting's words of relief. She suddenly felt that such a family was really happy. If she hadn't been raised in that kind of place, could she also enjoy such a life?

Harmony and tranquility, with unexpected surprises and fun everywhere?

After eating the noodles, Shangguan Hanque sent Shangguan Ting back to rest. As he was getting old, he couldn't sleep if he stayed up too late. Especially today, Shangguan Ting was extremely excited and kept talking to Hua Xiangrong. Hua Xiangrong also talked to him about modern training methods from time to time, which Shangguan Ting listened to with great interest. He was reluctant to go back for a long time.

This made Shangguan Hanque, who was enjoying his time alone with his wife, quite jealous. However, he was still most worried about the old man's health. After exchanging a glance, the two sent him back.

Shangguan Ting went to rest, and the two returned to Shangguan Hanque's room. Suddenly, Shangguan Hanque couldn't find his feet again. When he got to the door, he stood there staring blankly at the door.

Seeing this, Hua Xiangrong reverted to her old ways, hopping and skipping, hooking her arms around his neck and blowing air into his ear, making it ticklish and slightly tingling.

"Young General, it's late at night, and we're alone in your bedroom. Do you want something to happen between us?"

Shangguan Hanque blushed instantly and turned his head away, saying, "No, I didn't mean it, I..."

He didn't know if he was thinking about it or not, but at this moment, his mind was automatically filtering out Hua Xiangrong's long legs under her red dress every day, and he was in a daze.

Seeing this, Hua Xiang couldn't help but feel a surge of lewdness. She pulled Shangguan Hanque's hand and pushed the door open, then closed the door and pressed Shangguan Hanque against the door panel, saying, "Little General, having such a lewd thought in your head is not good. I just want to have some peace and quiet today, so it's not a good time for sex."

After saying that, while Shangguan Hanque was still in a daze, she smiled and went to the bedside, flirtatiously lifted the bed curtains, gave Shangguan Hanque a flying kiss, and whispered, "Goodnight."

Immediately, the curtain was drawn, and the person inside began to undress and go to sleep. Shangguan Hanque could see her graceful figure very clearly. He immediately squeezed his legs together and clenched his fists, but he still couldn't help but bleed from his nose.

The next day, Hua Xiangrong felt refreshed. She couldn't help but laugh when she thought of Shangguan Hanque's appearance. She got out of bed and saw two plates on the table, but Shangguan Hanque was nowhere to be seen.

She walked to the table and saw a piece of paper next to the plate. It said that he was going out to patrol the streets and that she should eat breakfast when she woke up and wait for him to return.

Hua Xiangrong smiled slightly and looked at the plate. There was another plate on top of the first plate, probably to keep the food from getting cold. She lifted the plate and her eyes widened in surprise, followed by a surge of happiness.

This fool must have figured out all the things she likes to eat through their daily interactions. How could there be another person in the world who is so meticulous?

Just marry a good man, as long as you have him in your heart.

Perhaps. Her choice was right. What good would going back do? Wouldn't she still be living the same killing day after day? How could she not feel bored and weary when seeking thrills? But life had already been set, and there was no escaping it no matter what.

Here, things are different. No one cares about her past. In this society where even murder is not illegal, if someone truly loves her deeply, then perhaps she can escape that endless, tedious life and enjoy a real life.

After enjoying her meal, before she could even let out a satisfied burp, the door was gently pushed open, and Shangguan Hanque walked in. Seeing Hua Xiangrong sitting at the table with her plates empty, he immediately smiled and said, "Have you finished eating? If not, we can go out to eat again."

Hua Xiangrong nodded and asked, "You're back so soon?"

"Yes, I came back a little faster than usual while patrolling the streets because I didn't want you to worry."

He would never say that in order to get back sooner, he rode his horse to patrol the streets, leaving the guards following behind far behind, who were all exhausted and unable to catch up.

This is the first time I've been so lax at work. Perhaps this is the perfect illustration of "with a beauty by one's side, the emperor no longer attends to court in the morning"!

But he still doesn't regret it. In his whole life, there may only be one person who can make him treat them this way, and he is willing to accept the infamy.

Shangguan Ting ignored this. In the past, when he was asked to skip work to make the royal family ignore him, he never agreed, saying that a real man should be true to himself, to heaven and earth, and have a clear conscience. Now, he has met his nemesis, which makes Shangguan Ting extremely happy.

After all, Hua Xiangrong's intentions were clearly unusual, and he could sense how much this future granddaughter-in-law had sacrificed for their family. He was deeply moved and silently prayed that the two of them could truly get married.

There's nothing I can do. My grandson is disappointing, and my future granddaughter-in-law is unpredictable. If she ever decides she doesn't like my grandson anymore, he'll probably cry his eyes out.

"So, my grandson, you must hold on for me and never lose your granddaughter-in-law."