Ties of Love, Ruan Wan

Xia Changfeng was bound by many rules, so he couldn't do many things, and his morals and ethics didn't approve of him doing so.

Therefore, Ruan Wan cannot; many of the things she does are outside the rules of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Xia Changfeng sighed and stood up. "I'm going to Hengzhi Courtyard tonight. After Aqing kills Sun Shishi, please don't get angry anymore; it's not good for the child."

Ruan Wan didn't look up or speak. Xia Changfeng then walked out, instructing Azi as he left, "If the Holy Maiden feels unwell in any way, report to me immediately."

Azi bowed to Xia Changfeng.

Inside Hengzhi Courtyard, Rong Yufen had made preparations early, bathing, incense burning, applying cosmetics, and dressing up to look exceptionally beautiful.

Lian Yu brought over a bowl of steaming hot medicine. Rong Yufen looked at the large bowl of medicine, frowned, picked it up, and drank it all in one gulp.

Immediately, Lianxin brought over a spittoon and teacup, and Rong Yufen quickly rinsed her mouth.

Lianxin offered her some candied fruit, and Rong Yufen picked up two and popped them into her mouth.

If it weren't for wanting to get pregnant as soon as possible, she wouldn't be drinking this terribly bitter fertility-inducing medicine every day.

"If I can't get pregnant again, I'll definitely chop that Su guy up and feed him to the fish."

Lianxin smiled and said, "Don't worry, Miss. I took the prescription to a doctor outside, and it is indeed an excellent formula for fertility."

Lian Yu chimed in, "Now that His Highness treats Miss as usual and visits her frequently, Miss will surely get what she wants."

Rong Yufen smiled triumphantly, her daily letter home, each stained with tears, had finally won back Xia Changfeng's heart.

Linglong is going to take the little princess with her. The Miao holy maiden is now five months pregnant. If she doesn't get pregnant now, when will she?

Rong Yufen craned her neck to look outside, "Why hasn't His Highness arrived yet?"

Lian Yu smiled and said, "Miss, His Highness sent Amu to deliver a message, so he must be coming."

A handsome and upright figure walked into the courtyard. Rong Yufen beamed with joy and rushed towards Xia Changfeng.

Xia Changfeng frowned as he looked at Rong Yufen, who was holding him tightly. Then, a strong fragrance wafted into his nostrils, and Xia Changfeng choked and sneezed several times.

"What did you put on? It smells pungent."

Rong Yufen looked at Xia Changfeng with a shy and affectionate expression. "I only took a bath and didn't apply anything. I guess it's just my body scent."

Xia Changfeng frowned as he looked at Rong Yufen's heavy makeup; she hadn't put anything on at all.

Rong Yufen pulled Xia Changfeng into the room. "Your Highness, it's still very hot outside. Let's talk inside."

Although Xia Changfeng still mostly stayed in Yaotai Courtyard, he couldn't completely neglect Linglong and Rong Yufen.

He's destined to be emperor, and Xiaozhu hopes he will too. Of course, an emperor has a harem, and Xiaozhu must know that too.

Meanwhile, inside Qingfang Courtyard, the little princess was already able to walk a few steps and babble.

Linglong looked at Xiaomingyue, who was playing happily with her maid and wet nurse, with a face full of affection.

At this moment, Yu Jie returned from outside, and Linglong instructed the wet nurse, "Take the little princess away and keep a close eye on her, making sure she doesn't bump into anything."

After the young princess left, Yu Jie replied with a smile, "A Qing from Yaotai Courtyard left the palace, but disappeared in the blink of an eye. Our people couldn't keep up."

Linglong laughed and said, "It's good that she took the bait. It wasn't in vain that I asked my father for the imperial decree to appoint Sun Shishi as the Grand Master of Ceremonies."

Yu Jie then added, "His Highness stayed at Consort Rong's place tonight."

Linglong was no longer concerned about this, and said indifferently, "His Highness still stays here with me for two days and goes to Rong Yufen's place for one day every night, which is to be expected."

Yu Jie smiled slyly, "That Rong Yufen, she drank the fertility-enhancing medicine that Doctor Su brewed again today."

Linglong chuckled lightly, "That idiot, even if she got someone pregnant, she couldn't keep the baby."

Linglong looked in the direction of Yaotai Courtyard. After tonight, whether you are a true saintess or a false saintess, once the seed of doubt is planted, it will take root and sprout.

After nightfall, there were no stars or moon in the sky, and the chirping of cicadas and croaking of frogs made Ruan Wan somewhat irritable.

Ruan Wan looked out the window and thought, "It's going to rain heavily in the latter half of the night."

Ah Zi laughed and said, "With Ah Qing's skills, he'll definitely be back before the rain starts."

As soon as the words were spoken, a figure scaled the wall and landed without making a sound, like a feather falling to the ground.

Ordinary people cannot hear or see, but Ruan Wan can both.

Ruan Wan looked up at the door and noticed that A Qing looked a little off. Ruan Wan quickly asked, "Is something not going well?"

Ah Qing shook her head. "Holy Maiden, I didn't do anything."

Azi hurriedly asked, "What happened? Did someone find out?"

Aqing shook her head. "It's too unusual. I easily climbed over the wall into the Lou family compound without seeing a single scout or guard."

Azi laughed and said, "She's just a Taoist nun appointed by the emperor, where would she get spies and guards?"

Ruan Wan suddenly realized what had happened, a chill ran down her spine, she had almost made a fatal mistake.

Ruan Wan looked at A Qing and asked, "Are you sure no one has noticed you, and no one is following you?"

Ah Qing laughed and said, "If someone follows me, the Gu worms on my body will react."

Aqing was confident in this.

Ruan Wan finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Very good, the mission to assassinate Sun Shishi is canceled. We'll spare her life for now."

Ruan Wan stepped outside and looked towards Qingfang Courtyard. "You really are a persistent ghost. It's a pity we can't deal with you right now."

As soon as Ruan Wan returned to her room, a torrential downpour began, splashing dust that dirtied her skirt. She glanced at it with disgust.

Ruan Wan lay on the bed, pondering the scheme Linglong had laid out. It was truly ingenious; she had almost fallen into its trap.

The helper Xia Changfeng mentioned must be Linglong's person; she must have made some kind of deal with Sun Shishi.

Poor Sun Shishi, she didn't know that Linglong was using her life as bait.

The next morning, Yu Jie rushed back to Qingfang Courtyard. Linglong was feeding the little princess breakfast. "Our little Mingyue, eat a few more bites."

Yu Jie stood at the door without daring to make a sound. After Linglong finished feeding her the last mouthful of porridge, the wet nurse immediately took the little princess away.

Yu Jie leaned close to Linglong's ear and whispered a few words.

After hearing this, Linglong frowned and looked at Yujie in disbelief. "Sun Shishi isn't dead? How is that possible?"

"Our spies saw Sun Shishi this morning; she's still keeping vigil for the Lou family's steward as usual."

Linglong squinted, pondering, "Could it be that she already knew all along, and this is a trap we set to scare her?"

Yu Jie said, "Perhaps this Holy Maiden really is just a Holy Maiden from Miao territory."

Linglong shook her head. "I still feel like something's not right. Continue to send people to watch Yaotai Courtyard. Record everything that anyone does when they go out."

"Yes, Princess"

Linglong couldn't understand how Sun Shishi could still be alive. The scattered shoes and the two strangulation marks on her neck—didn't Xia Changfeng already know?

Is it because they are still afraid of imperial power, because the emperor appointed Sun Shishi as the Grand Master of Ceremonies, and therefore dare not do anything to her?

However, given the arrogant nature of the Miao Holy Maiden, she wouldn't let Sun Shishi off the hook just because of a small title; she might want to wait for another day to take action.

It must be so.

Inside Hengzhi Courtyard, Xia Changfeng was already dressed and ready to leave. Rong Yufen, her face flushed with desire, wrapped her arms around Xia Changfeng's waist and said coquettishly, "Your Highness, why leave so early? At least have breakfast with me."

Xia Changfeng pried Rong Yufen's hands away and said with a perfunctory smile, "I have to attend the morning court today, I'll come see you another day."

Xia Changfeng left in a hurry, and Rong Yufen's face also turned cold. She put on her clothes and walked to the door, but Xia Changfeng was already gone.

"Is Your Highness heading in the direction of Yaotai Courtyard?"

Lian Yu and Lian Xin lowered their heads, not daring to speak. Rong Yufen bit her lip, glaring fiercely at Yaotai Courtyard, "That bitch."

Xia Changfeng rushed into Yaotai Courtyard. He had been worried all night about whether Aqing had handled Sun Shishi's situation well.

In the courtyard, Azi was tending to the flowers and plants, while the other servants were busy helping Ruan Wan wash up.

Xia Changfeng slowly walked to Azi's side and asked softly, "Has Aqing returned?"

Azi smiled and said, "I already came back last night."

Xia Changfeng was relieved. After the maids and servants left the room, Xia Changfeng went in.

Ah Qing was seen doing Ruan Wan's makeup in front of the mirror. Although Ruan Wan was seven months pregnant, her limbs were still slender.

She was even more charming and mature than before, with a captivating allure that left Xia Changfeng momentarily mesmerized.

Ruan Wan noticed Xia Changfeng first, turning around to look at him. "Why are you here so early? Don't you have to attend the morning court session today?"

Xia Changfeng then came to his senses and looked at A Qing, asking, "Have you dealt with Sun Shishi?"

Ruan Wan shook her head. "No, we have to spare her life for now."

Xia Changfeng asked in confusion, "Has something happened? Could it be that Aqing's whereabouts have been discovered?"

Aqing frowned and glanced at Xia Changfeng, but did not refute him.

Ruan Wan sighed and laughed, "Because this is a trap to lure me in, I naturally can't fall into it."

Xia Changfeng was puzzled and asked, "What was the purpose of setting up this scheme? Even if they know you killed Sun Shishi, it won't affect you at all. The evidence that she murdered Steward Li is irrefutable."

Ruan Wan laughed and said, "What's the reason? What's my reason for having to kill Sun Shishi?"

Xia Changfeng then suddenly realized, and belatedly felt fear: "Someone is still doubting that you are not truly the Holy Maiden."

Ruan Wan nodded. "She first spread rumors, pointing the finger at Sun Shishi, just to provoke me. Then she joined forces with Sun Shishi to kill Uncle Li, hoping to make me angry enough to kill Sun Shishi."

"I also suspect that it was someone from inside the Lou family who colluded with Sun Shishi. It seems that the person who colluded with Sun Shishi deliberately left a flaw, as seen in the shoes and the marks on the belt."

Ruan Wan said, "Last night, when A Qing scoured the Lou residence, she noticed there were no guards or spies, which seemed unusual, so she didn't take any action."

Xia Changfeng looked at A Qing and was surprised that this young girl was both brave and resourceful. He had really underestimated her before.

"That person even specially arranged for the emperor to bestow upon Sun Shishi the title of Grand Master of Ceremonies. Perhaps this was the promise she made to Sun Shishi. Now, Sun Shishi has achieved her wish and has truly become the master of the Lou family mansion."

Xia Changfeng said, "Xiaozhu, didn't you ask me to investigate the whereabouts of Sun Shishi's two maids?"

Ruan Wan looked at Xia Changfeng and asked, "Have you found them? Where are they? Are they at Lingquan Temple or have they escaped?"

Xia Changfeng frowned and said, "Two female corpses were found in the back mountain of Lingquan Temple. They had been decomposing for a long time. Based on their characteristics, they should be two maids named A Qiao and A Rui."

Ruan Wan closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and sneered, "What a cruel heart. This is the maid who grew up with her since childhood."

Ruan Wan opened her eyes and looked at Xia Changfeng, asking, "Can you tell how A Qiao and A Rui died?"

"The two men had dozens of slash marks on their bodies, and a rusty sickle was found nearby, indicating they were likely hacked to death."

Ruan Wan's mind conjured up images of A Qiao and A Rui, and then automatically imagined their corpses, which made her feel like vomiting.

Xia Changfeng quickly poured a glass of water and handed it to Ruan Wan, then stood up and gently patted her back, saying, "Don't worry about these things now, just focus on the baby being born."

Ruan Wan pushed Xia Changfeng away, "I'm fine. You should hurry up and go to the morning court session; it's getting late."

Xia Changfeng glanced at the sun outside, then hurried out, saying as he went, "Take good care of yourself and don't get upset or stressed."

Ruan Wan looked at her belly; she was due to give birth in two months, but to outsiders, it looked like she was only seven months pregnant.

She needed to come up with a reason for premature birth. A smile appeared on Ruan Wan's lips. How could she not return the favor when someone had set her up?

After breakfast, when the sun wasn't too strong, Ruan Wan tried to get up, supporting herself on the table, and A Zi immediately came to help her.

Ruan Wan smiled and said, "Having lived here for so long, it's time to go and meet the mistress of the Prince's mansion."

With Azi supporting them and Aqing holding an umbrella beside them, the three of them slowly walked to the entrance of Qingfang Courtyard.

Along the way, she attracted a lot of attention, and many people in the royal palace were seeing this legendary Miao holy maiden for the first time.

Aside from two summons by the emperor, Ruan Wan never left Yaotai Courtyard.

No one dared to look closely, for everyone knew that His Highness cherished this new concubine more than even the Princess Consort.

Ruan Wan did not go directly into the courtyard, but stood outside waiting. After all, she was a princess, and it was their first meeting, so she should give her some face.

The maid went in to announce her arrival, and Ruan Wan was getting tired standing in the sun, which was very hot.

Seeing the beads of sweat on Ruan Wan's forehead, A Zi advised, "Holy Maiden, she's deliberately keeping you waiting. Let's go back first; the sun is getting stronger."

Ruan Wan shook her head, glanced inside, and still no one came out. It seemed they wanted to give her a hard time.

Ruan Wan held A Zi's hand, squatted down, picked up a piece of dirt from the ground, and gently rubbed it between her thumb and forefinger.

Ruan Wan's lips curled into a mischievous smile. Instead of speaking properly, she would first give her a "meeting gift".

Ruan Wan stood up, and A Zi immediately took out a handkerchief and wiped Ruan Wan's fingers clean.

A moment later, a maid's scream echoed from the courtyard: "Ah, a snake! There's a snake here!"

"Where did this centipede come from? Help!"

The entire Qingfang Courtyard was thrown into chaos, with cries and screams filling the air.

Ruan Wan stood calmly at the courtyard gate, unhurried.

Yu Jie rushed out and bowed to Ruan Wan, saying, "Holy Maiden, our Queen invites you."

Ruan Wan didn't even glance at her, but reached out and pounded her lower back, frowning and looking impatient.

Yu Jie looked up and stared at Ruan Wan's stomach. A Qing glared at her, and Yu Jie immediately lowered her head.

Yu Jie bowed again. "Holy Maiden, the sun is scorching outside. The Princess Consort was just breastfeeding the young princess, which is why we were delayed. Please, Holy Maiden, move to the inner hall."

Ruan Wan then moved her foot, and Yu Jie immediately turned sideways and bowed, respectfully waiting for Ruan Wan to go in.

A miraculous scene unfolded: as soon as Ruan Wan stepped into Qingfang Courtyard, the snakes, insects, and rodents that had appeared out of nowhere receded like a tide.

Yu Jie, standing behind her, stared at all of this in disbelief, thinking to herself, "Could it be that the princess guessed wrong? The holy maiden really is the holy maiden."

As soon as Ruan Wan stepped into the room, Linglong immediately stood up with a smile, as if to help Ruan Wan, but she didn't move her foot an inch.

Ruan Wan had no time to save face for her. She came in, found a chair, and sat down directly. "Your Highness, please don't take offense. I'm quite heavy-hearted and have been standing outside for a while. I'm very tired."

Ruan Wan rubbed her waist, while Linglong looked embarrassed and said with an awkward smile, "It was my oversight. I forgot that my sister is pregnant and was only focused on Anle's crying, which made her stand for so long."

Ruan Wan looked up and smiled at Linglong, saying, "It's alright."

Yu Jie, standing to the side, was sweating profusely as she watched this scene unfold, wondering who the principal wife and the concubine were.

Yu Jie carefully observed Linglong's expression, and thankfully, Linglong did not show any anger.

Linglong asked, "Sister, what brings you to my Qingfang Courtyard today? The sun is so strong outside, aren't you worried about the baby in your belly getting burned?"

Ruan Wan lowered her head, looking at her belly with loving eyes, and stroked it with her hand. "I came here today for this child."