Repeatedly broken branches

You's body was dumped in a mass grave, and was hastily wrapped in a shroud.

Wei Hao was also demoted for this prison break and is now a minor official in charge of guarding weapons. However, Zhou Tingxi pleaded for him repeatedly, and Yu Yanjing still managed to keep his military rank.

Yu Yanjing kept You's death a secret, so even though the news was making a huge fuss that day, it didn't reach Zining Palace at all.

In five days, the army would set off, so Yu Yanjing became even busier, sleeping only two or three hours a day and sometimes not even having time to eat.

"Your Majesty, what would you like to eat today? I'll go to the kitchen and make it," Rou Rou said with a smile.

Rou Rou makes excellent pastries, both delicate and delicious. Xiao Mu had a good appetite today, and being in her second trimester, she gets hungry quickly, so Rou Rou often makes her small pastries as a snack.

"No, let's go for a walk in the Imperial Garden. Spring is coming soon, and the flowers outside should all be in bloom. I want to go and see them."

Xiao Mu was getting restless staying in the palace. The more she couldn't go out, the more she would think of the various places she went with Yu Yanjing before they got married. When all the flowers were in bloom, it must have been the Flower Festival.

The current Yu Yanjing is not the carefree Ling of the past. Can she still accompany her to the Flower Festival?

Xie Huai has been away from the palace for over a month. Where is he now? Is he still angry with me? Is he still making jewelry?

Is You doing well after returning to the Western Regions? Is she with her mother and family?

Despite having countless questions in her mind, she couldn't answer them all because she was currently physically unwell and not free.

The crabapple and peony blossoms in the Imperial Garden are in full bloom. Rou Rou said that the women there love to wear crabapple blossoms in their hair, they look so beautiful.

“Your Majesty, I heard that Madam Wei has rarely gone out since her marriage… Weren’t you on good terms with her before? Why don’t you go and see her?” Rou Rou said.

Xiao Mu was unaware of these things, and she rarely inquired about palace affairs. Yu Yanjing told her to focus on her pregnancy, as the palace affairs were handled by female officials.

Although there are no concubines in the harem now, it is much more complete. Wei Hao and the others live in the palace, making it more lively.

But she rarely set foot in other people's palaces.

"Jiang Qi hasn't come for some time. Which palace is she staying in?"

It's true that pregnancy makes you stupid for three years. She didn't organize the wedding. As the Empress, she couldn't attend the wedding banquet of her concubine, so she had never been to Wei Hao's palace. It's normal that she didn't know. But Yu Yanjing clearly told her that. How could she forget that?

Rou Rou patiently replied, "Your Majesty, Lady Wei is staying at Sihua Palace."

As they spoke, they walked to the gate of Sihua Palace. There were only two guards on duty, and only two or three servants. There was only one maid and one nanny sweeping the courtyard.

Upon seeing the Empress arrive, he immediately ran to her side, knelt down, and respectfully greeted her, "Your Majesty the Empress."

Xiao Mu smiled and gestured for them to rise. She then looked into the hall, pursed her lips, and asked in a low voice, "Where is Jiang Qi? Is he inside?"

Wang Mama nodded and said, "Your Majesty, Madam is inside, but she's probably practicing her sword in the backyard right now. Would you like to move to the backyard?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Mu smiled and said, "Practicing swordsmanship? Could it be that Jiang Qi wants to fight alongside Wei Hao?"

Upon arriving at the backyard, they indeed found Jiang Qi, dressed in a long, narrow-sleeved dress, practicing swordplay. She stood under a tree, the sword flashing slightly, her figure graceful and elegant, completely unlike her previous cute and innocent self.

"Jiang Qi."

Upon hearing Xiao Mu's voice, Jiang Qi immediately stopped what he was doing, looked in the direction of her voice, sheathed his sword, ran to her, took her hand, and said, "Your Majesty, what brings you here?"

"I've come to see you. I haven't visited you since you entered the palace. Are you unhappy?"

Jiang Qi was quiet for a moment, then smiled and said, "How could that be? I'm already very happy that Your Majesty came to see me. What does it matter if she comes early or late?"

Xiao Mu looked around and found that the courtyard was spacious and suitable for practicing swordsmanship. There was also a stone table, which would be perfect for drinking tea in autumn.

"Where's Wei Hao? Did he go off to work so soon after his wedding? Leaving you here alone?"

Jiang Qi said calmly, "He is currently in charge of guarding the weapons and is quite busy, but it doesn't matter. He will be coming back anyway. General Zhou's wife, Madam Ouyang, will come to see me occasionally."

“Ouyang is calm and gentle, you must get along very well with her, right?” Xiao Mu asked tentatively.

“No, I had nothing to say to her. I started practicing my sword as soon as she arrived, so she left after sitting for a short while.” Jiang Qi leaned against the peach tree, his eyes flickering slightly.

Xiao Mu looked at her with a questioning gaze and asked, "Why?"

Jiang Qi pursed his lips and said, "I hate people who are persistent and clingy. Wei Hao said that because Ouyang Shi refused to leave, Zhou Tingxi rarely came back... His relationship with Madam Xue is also very strained. Why stay with someone who doesn't love you? Isn't that ridiculous, Your Majesty?"

She wouldn't be trapped here if the engagement hadn't been irrevocable.

Fortunately, she and Wei Hao reached an agreement that they would only be husband and wife in public, and would not interfere with each other in private, treating each other as brothers.

Now that You is dead, Jiang Qi no longer feels guilty, because all she wants to do now is fight on the battlefield and forge a magnificent career.

Even as a child, she only wanted to be a chivalrous heroine. If her parents hadn't disagreed, she probably would have been a famous heroine in the martial arts world.

Xiao Mu admired Jiang Qi's ideas, but she also understood the plight of women in feudal society... If she were sent back to her mother's home, she would spend the rest of her life under public scrutiny. No one was Ouyang Meixi, and no one would know what she was thinking.

“The Ouyang family is so pitiful,” Xiao Mu said quietly.

Jiang Qi said dismissively, "What's there to pity? Does she think she can't live if a man doesn't want her? If it were me, I'd whip anyone who dared to say that!"

Xiao Mu chuckled, "No one can compare to you in that respect, because not all women know how to wield a sword."

Jiang Qi also laughed.

Seeing that she was still the same as before, Xiao Mu was relieved. She had been worried that something might have happened to keep her at home, but it seemed that she had been worrying for nothing.

Jiang Qi requested permission to accompany her husband on the expedition.

Before Yu Yanjing could make a decision, he received a memorial from Jiang Jie vehemently opposing it. Jiang Jie even knelt in the court with tears streaming down his face, begging him not to grant the request and repeatedly emphasizing that he loved Jiang Qi the most.

Jiang Qi spent the entire day pleading with his parents after leaving the palace, promising that he would return alive—no, he would return unharmed and safe.

Jiang Jie knew that he had a daughter late in life, and this daughter was destined to be different from his three sons. She had caused him a lot of trouble since she was a child, but she was extremely filial, only a little mischievous... But now she actually wanted to go to the battlefield to fight the enemy. He thought she couldn't leave her husband and wanted to follow him here.

But when his daughter knelt solemnly before him, Jiang Yuan knew that the daughter he cherished had grown up.

The Jiang family has been officials for generations, but has never produced a military general.

Now, a female general has emerged.

Wei Hao promised the Jiang family elders that he would protect Jiang Qi Zhou even at the cost of his life.

Even though they weren't a loving couple, just the moment Jiang Qi, dressed in red, let him go without hesitation on their wedding day, he made up his mind that even if they couldn't be husband and wife, he would protect Jiang Qi.

She is the best woman in the world.

Xiao Mu was very reluctant to let Jiang Qi join the army. Firstly, she regarded Jiang Qi as her own sister, and secondly, the battlefield was dangerous, and it was really unsafe for her as a woman.

But Jiang Qi held her hand and comforted her, "Wei Hao will protect me, and Zhou Tingxi also said he would protect me. Don't worry, Sister Xiao Mu, I won't put myself in danger. I still have my parents, my three brothers, and you. It's impossible for me to die."

Xiao Mu met Jiang Qi, who was wearing military armor, for the first time.

She was so dashing and had the air of a general. Her black hair was tied up high with a silver crown, which restrained her liveliness and naivety, making her more composed and aloof.

She sat upright on her horse, following behind Zhou Tingxi and Wei Hao, and smiled calmly at Xiao Mu standing on the city wall. She was not afraid of the dangers ahead, because this time, she was finally living the life she had always wanted.

The army set off on its expedition, and the emperor personally saw them off.

As Xiao Mu watched the mighty army leave the city gate, her heart felt completely empty.

Shuangru died, Xie Huai disappeared without a trace, You returned to the Western Regions, Jiang Qi followed the army, Zhou Tingxi went to the battlefield again, and she herself, she was no longer the free and unrestrained Xiao Mu, but Xia Yunzhi, who was bound by the various laws and regulations of Chaoyang Kingdom.

She arrived at Yu Yanjing's side under the stars and moon.

She didn't want him to repeat the same mistake, dying in an avalanche like in his previous life. By the time she realized that the person she loved was Yu Yanjing, he was already dead.

She was terrified. In her previous life, when she was imprisoned, Zhou Tingxi sent someone with news of Yu Yanjing's death. He said, "Didn't you love going out and about with that little emperor? Now he died in an avalanche on his way to find you. You should feel very guilty, right?"

Xiao Mu doesn't want to recall her past life, mostly because it's all things she's afraid of.

Fortunately, everything is different in this world.

Everything has been changed by history.

She didn't know if it was because of pregnancy-related sensitivity, but she kept thinking about bad things, and she didn't know what she was afraid of.

Xiao Shao and Ruan Cifeng have been staying in the palace to watch over her. Yu Yanjing said that they would stay until she gave birth safely before leaving.

The clinics and shops outside the palace were all being managed, but there was still no news of Xie Huai, as if he had vanished into thin air. Even though they had grown apart, Xiao Mu still couldn't help but think of him.

The old nanny, Xu, who was taking care of her, said that her pregnancy was going relatively smoothly, unlike those concubines of the previous dynasty, some of whom suffered from morning sickness until delivery, and some who couldn't even get out of bed to protect their pregnancy... She was doing well. Apart from some morning sickness in the early stages, she could eat and sleep well now, and her figure was very well-proportioned. She only gained weight in her belly, while her limbs remained as slender as a young girl's.

When the weather was nice, Xiao Shao and Ruan Cifeng would accompany her to climb the city wall and overlook everything in the imperial city. She loved watching the bustling streets and children running around with kite strings. She had imagined that her own children would fly kites like that.

Xiao Mu pointed to a small restaurant not far away and said with a smile, "The plum wine there is the best. You can go there when you have time."

Xiao Shao said with dissatisfaction, "Your Majesty, you forgot, I don't drink alcohol."

"It's okay, the alcohol there isn't very strong, and I don't drink it either, but..." She didn't want to tell Xiao Shao that she always got drunk.

Ruan Cifeng watched the two of them chatting enthusiastically, but he was unhappy. He was worried about the poison in Xiao Mu's body. She would give birth in three months, and the poison would take effect then. So he couldn't be happy.

Even though they are smiling so sweetly now.

The Western Regions army continued its advance towards Chaoyang Kingdom, led by Yao, the invincible general of the Western Regions, who was also the nephew of the King of the Western Regions.

The Western Regions are now caught in a dilemma. On one hand, they have to guard against being caught in the crossfire between the two countries, and on the other hand, they have to march on Chaoyang to seek justice for Bai Jiaoyu. Many officials have already begun to secretly plan to defect.

He defected from Hisamitsu and became an enemy of Asahi.

He defected to Chaoyang and became an enemy of Jiuguang in the Western Regions.

Emperor Hisamitsu is a cunning and ambitious man, a heartless and ungrateful wretch, but in the future, Hisamitsu will inevitably be the one to call the shots in the world.

Emperor Chaoyang was young and promising. Although he was only twenty-four years old, he had already been on the throne for six years. The officials of Chaoyang were all living a wealthy and carefree life, which was obvious to everyone.

"An envoy from the Western Regions requests an audience."

Shen Ruoxuan walked to Yu Yanjing's side and whispered.

Yu Yanjing put down the exquisitely embroidered little shoes in his hand, looked up at Xiao Mu and said, "I have something to do, I'll come to keep you company tonight." After saying that, he gently stroked her already swollen belly, pressed his hand against her belly and said affectionately, "Father will come to keep you company tonight, you have to be good and don't bother your mother."

Xiao Mu laughed out loud, "What are you doing? He can't understand it anyway."

"Then I have to tell him, otherwise what if he gets jealous and makes trouble for you in the womb?"

Yu Yanjing felt a deep bitterness in his heart. Looking at Xiao Mu, who knew nothing, he felt as if his heart was being torn apart.

After arguing with her for a while, Yu Yanjing left with Shen Ruoxuan. Whether it was a hallucination or not, Xiao Mu saw worry on his face.

For the past few months, it's been like this; a fleeting worry always crosses Yu Yanjing's face. What is he worried about? Is it the war?

Indeed, the war has been going on for three months, and it's still deadlocked, with no clear winner or loser, remaining in a stalemate.

How could Yu Yanjing not be worried?

"Now is the most sensitive time. What are the envoys from the Western Regions doing here?"

Shen Ruoxuan shook his head. "I don't know either. I arrived this morning. You've been staying at Zining Palace, so I didn't dare to bother you."

Shen Ruoxuan knew that the court was busy with state affairs, and it was rare for Yu Yanjing to find time to accompany the Empress. Those were the happiest days for him, and as his close friend, he was reluctant to break this beautiful moment.

Yu Yanjing and Shen Ruoxuan received the envoys from the Western Regions.

He was merely there to convey the message of the King of the Western Regions: to hand over Bai Jiaoyu's corpse and demand that Yu Yanjing pay with his life.

ridiculous.

The King of the Western Regions was just as willful. How could he have come up with such an absurd demand that a monarch pay with his life? Would he really pay with his life for killing an insignificant person?

No wonder Bai Jiaoyu has such a personality; it turns out she took after her maternal grandfather.

……

The series of misfortunes that befell the Chen family served as a constant reminder to the women in the harem that the massacre of the Chen clan was not without reason. First, Chen Lanhe's father, Chen Yuan, suddenly died at home, and then the family was massacred by bandits, with dozens of people, including Chen Lanhe's nephew Chen Jun, who was only three years old.

Heh, robbers.

Which robber would dare to touch an official appointed by the imperial court? If it weren't for Yin Fu'an's instructions, the government officials wouldn't have dared to investigate further.

The reason for the massacre of the Chen family was that Chen Lanhe's brother, Chen Zhuo, colluded with outsiders, and the robbers found many rare treasures in the Chen family's home. The government determined that these were stolen goods.

Chen Lanhe became the sister of a disgraced official overnight.

ridiculous.

That's utterly ridiculous.

Yin Fu'an did not convict her; she remained Consort Chen! She could still live in the palace without being implicated by her brother.

To outsiders, it seemed that the Emperor was only showing consideration for her pregnancy with the imperial heir. But she herself knew that her only value was the child in her womb. If she gave birth to the child, who would care whether she lived or died?

She used to be afraid of this and that because of her family, afraid that her family would be implicated because of her. Now that her family has nothing left, she is all alone.

First there was the Deng family, now there's the Chen family.

Because Liang Yuxue and Song Xinning's father spoke out in court on behalf of the Chen family, they were confined to their residences and forbidden from attending court.

Chen Lanhe felt guilty and didn't even dare to see the two of them.

She is now four months pregnant, and Yin Fu'an has not seen her for four months. She really wants to ask him face to face what his heart is made of and why he is so determined to kill her.

Chen Lanhe glanced at Yuan Yuan, who was wiping the table, and said calmly, "Go and invite the Emperor. Tell him I am not feeling well."

Yuan Yuan was slightly taken aback, and after a long pause, she said, "Your Majesty has forgotten, the Emperor... said that."

She understood what Yuan Yuan meant; Yin Fu'an had said that they wouldn't see each other before she gave birth.

But she just wanted to try, to see how Yin Fu'an would face her.