Tangli Fried Snow

Princess Duan watched as the young couple respectfully kowtowed several times, and then looked Xu Sangning up and down before gently helping them up, saying, "Good children, no need for such formalities. The ground is cold; be careful."

Xu Sangning slowly got up and cautiously glanced at her mother-in-law.

Princess Duan had a beautiful face, radiant complexion, clear eyes, and an extraordinary temperament. Her external and internal beauty blended together to create a unique mature and beautiful aura.

She smiled and took Xu Sangning's hand, helping her to her feet while slipping a beautiful jade bracelet onto her wrist. Princess Duan patted the back of her hand with a smile and said, "The situation is dire, and these are extraordinary times. It is our Duan family's fault that we cannot give you a decent wedding. When things are peaceful again and Yu'er becomes a prince, I will make sure he gives you a grand coronation ceremony as a princess."

Xu Sangning was flattered and took her mother-in-law's hand, saying softly, "Ning'er thanks Mother."

Although this woman came from an ordinary background, she was exceptionally beautiful. With her head bowed, she revealed a long and graceful neck like a swan. When she raised her head, her expressive eyes sparkled and were extremely attractive. She was truly a stunning beauty.

Princess Duan smiled and led the two of them to sit down. She pulled her daughter-in-law aside and asked in a low voice, "Is that brat good to you? If he does anything wrong and makes you unhappy, just tell me, and I'll teach him a lesson for you."

Xu Sangning thought to herself, who would speak ill of her precious son in front of their mother-in-law? But on the surface, she acted like a quail, shyly whispering, "My husband treats me extremely well..."

Princess Duan smiled with satisfaction, glanced at her son, and said with a smile, "This daughter-in-law is very good; you have excellent taste. Now that she is pregnant, you are going to be a father, so you must be more cautious in your actions from now on and not put yourself in danger. You must be careful in everything you do."

Duan Jingyu replied respectfully, "Mother is right, I will definitely pay attention to my safety."

Princess Duan then shared some of her experience and knowledge on protecting the pregnancy with Xu Sangning, and instructed Duan Jingyu to take her back to her room to rest. "Pregnant women need to be careful about what they eat and sleep. It's too late now, so take Ning'er back to her room to rest. Don't let her get tired."

After thanking her mother-in-law for her care and love, Xu Sangning was led back to her room to rest by her husband.

Duan Jingyu personally escorted his wife to bed, kissed her forehead, and said, "Sweetie, you go to sleep first. My mother and I still have some things to talk about, and we'll be back to keep you company in a little while."

Xu Sangning obediently nodded and said, "Go quickly."

As soon as Duan Jingyu returned to the small reception hall, he was startled by a low shout from Princess Duan, "Why aren't you kneeling down?" His mother was no longer the gentle woman she had been just moments before; she had completely transformed into a different person.

He hurriedly knelt on the ground, not daring to say anything more, and quietly waited for his mother to reprimand him.

"How dare you! You actually took it upon yourself to marry Xu Dao'an's daughter! I ask you, do you know that Xu is not an easy person to deal with?" Princess Duan asked coldly.

Duan Jingyu said earnestly, "Mother, the situation was critical at the time. If Xu Daoan hadn't opened the city gates, we would have been surrounded and slaughtered by Jin Yan and his men outside the city. I could only get his help by marrying his daughter. Now that I have taken Benliu City, as long as I take Xiang City, I can use Xiang City as a base to attack the capital."

"You're confused. You only see the immediate benefits and not the long-term development. Xu Daoan became your father-in-law and, under the banner of the Duan family army, did so many things under the guise of power. He has no affection for his wife and shamelessly uses her dowry to support a concubine. Who in the world doesn't laugh at him? His father was the Grand Tutor of the previous dynasty and was entitled to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, but apart from being this minor city lord, he hasn't made any progress in decades."

"You have a lot of children and grandchildren, but apart from your eldest son, none of them are any good. They are all pleasure-seeking types who can't help you and will only cause trouble and hold you back. No matter how many military achievements and territories you gain, unless you become emperor, they will only be hostile and suspicious of you and will never be of one mind with you."

Duan Jingyu smiled and said, "Mother, there's no need to worry. Although my father-in-law has many brothers, it doesn't affect me much. While I'm fighting on the front lines, they're eating, drinking, and having fun in the city. As long as they're given enough money, they can't cause any trouble."

Princess Duan coldly threw a letter on the ground and said in a low voice, "Read it yourself. You are really too confused."

Duan Jingyu picked up the letter from the ground and examined it closely. A layer of white sweat immediately broke out on his back. The letter clearly revealed his next battle plan. If it got out, he would be doomed.

"Your backyard is on fire, and you didn't even notice. If it weren't for the hidden agents I planted before, you wouldn't even know how you died, and who knows if you'd even live to see your son born."

Looking at her dejected son, Princess Duan felt a pang of pity. She helped him up and sat him down on a chair. She looked at him and said, "I'm afraid if one plan fails, they'll come up with another. They'll definitely try to stab you in the back. We also have to be wary of that old fellow Jin Yan."

Duan Jingyu said, "I've only been able to defend him, and I haven't won a single game against him."

Princess Duan said coldly, "I have a vague feeling that something is wrong. I think he is playing a big game."

"He must be taking advantage of your youth and arrogance, letting you win a few battles and become complacent, only to deliver a heavy blow when you're feeling smug. You must not let your guard down."

Duan Jingyu didn't speak, but respectfully replied, "Yes."

The mother and son talked about some things that happened on the front lines.

Princess Duan changed the subject abruptly, saying, "I heard that you found a girl who looks exactly like Xueyao and sent her to the palace, planning to deceive everyone and switch Xueyao back?"

A look of surprise and uncertainty flashed in Duan Jingyu's eyes. His mother's eyes and ears were indeed sharp; she even knew this.

Princess Duan asked in a low voice, "Does that girl look like Xueyao?"

"Hmm, she looks about five or six parts similar. I had my stepmother find a strange and extraordinary person to fix her facial bones. I heard that she now looks about eight or nine parts similar."

Princess Duan's eyes flashed with surprise and uncertainty as she looked at her son and said, "Do you know?"

"What?" Duan Jingyu asked in confusion.

“I look a lot like your aunt.”

"Yeah. I know."

"We both look a lot like your maternal grandmother. So our children should look a lot like her too..."

"More than ten years ago, your aunt's daughter went missing and was never found. She searched for more than ten years and passed away two years ago, heartbroken. Before she died, she was holding my hand and calling out for her daughter. But all these years, I have been sending people to look for that child. If, and I mean if, that child really looks like Xueyao, me, and your aunt, what if...?"

Duan Jingyu said hurriedly, "No, that girl said she was fifteen years old, and her lost sister was sixteen. The ages don't match!"

Princess Duan said softly, "She has been wandering since she was a child, and I don't know what kind of turbulent life she has led. It's normal for her to be a year or two younger than Yao Yao. The key is that she looks like Yao Yao, and that's enough."

"Send someone to investigate her background. Try to save her life; don't let her die easily. If it's true... if she really is your cousin... you must protect her..."

. . . .