Repeatedly broken branches

Xiao Mu didn't go back. She had only been out for less than a morning, and if she went back now, the banquet in the palace would probably still be going on. She didn't want to see those people's faces.

She disliked seeing others gloating.

"Miss, would you like to come in and sit down?"

I passed by a tavern, and the proprietress was very beautiful and charming; she was the kind of woman who would want to take a second look at you.

The proprietress was very charming, and her voice was captivating, but Xiao Mu had no intention of going in.

The proprietress continued, "Young lady, my newly brewed plum wine is delicious. Would you like to try some?"

It seems that the fragrance of plum blossoms can be smelled, which makes one think of a garden full of plum blossoms.

Xiao Mu stepped into the tavern, where all sorts of people were sitting: some dressed in luxurious clothes, some in tattered clothes, some women, some married women, some porters, and some scholars.

The proprietress gave her a private room and lit the bronze incense burner next to her. She didn't know what kind of fragrance it was, but it made her feel calm and at peace.

The proprietress brought over a pot of plum blossom wine and some pastries, saying that these were savory and perfect for drinking with the wine.

This must be the tavern Zhou Tingxi mentioned. I never expected him to come to such a mixed place. Could it be that he's also taken a liking to the proprietress's looks?

Xiao Mu took a sip of the wine, the fragrance of plum blossoms lingering in her mouth and nose. The wine was smooth and sweet, perfect for someone like her who never drinks a drop of alcohol.

The proprietress said her name was Lümei, and she had fled from the desert. She learned the art of making plum blossom wine from her mother, who died on the way. When she arrived in Chen Kingdom, penniless and on the verge of starvation, she met a man who gave her some money, and she opened this tavern.

The tavern was called Erjin Tavern, but she didn't explain why she chose that name.

Green Plum is twenty-five years old this year and is not married. As for why those people call her "boss lady", she initially said that she had a husband, but he had gone to join the army. However, she only did so to protect herself.

After that, people came to ask her every day where her husband was, and why they had never seen him. She had no choice but to say that her husband had died in battle.

Now she's become a hot commodity again. As a widow, she's often the target of gossip and trouble. People frequently come to her tavern to cause trouble, but her benefactor always manages to smooth things over for her.

Xiao Mu didn't know why she was telling her these things. Maybe she had to tell everyone she met?

It was her first time drinking alcohol, and even though it wasn't very strong, she felt her head was hot and she was dizzy. She slumped onto the table and fell asleep unconscious.

Zhou Tingxi stepped out from behind the screen, picked up Xiao Mu, and smiled at Lü Mei, saying, "Thank you. Come to my wedding with her someday."

Green Plum smiled bitterly and said softly, "General Zhou, your fiancée has a really low alcohol tolerance. Next time, Green Plum will try to make the wine a little milder."

Zhou Tingxi said, "I will not let her drink anymore."

After seeing Zhou Tingxi off, Lümei stared sadly at the unfinished bottle of plum blossom wine. She simply picked up the bottle and started drinking, muttering, "I... although I'm older than you... but... I truly... love you... hehehehe..."

Yu Yanjing saw Zhou Tingxi carrying her out with his own eyes. His heart felt like it had been stabbed, and the pain was so intense that it almost suffocated him.

He didn't know how he got back to the palace, and he couldn't hear what the people around him were saying. He walked on in a daze.

He stumbled and almost fell on the steps, but luckily Xiaoshao, who was out getting water, caught him. Xiaoshao let go of him and gave him a good scolding.

"Han Xingbai! How did you take care of the princess? You actually let her drink! Why is she so sad! Tell me!"

Yu Yanjing was annoyed by her scolding. His eyes were gloomy, and he said coldly, "Why don't you go ask her yourself? Do you want to die? If you treat me like this again, I'll snap your neck."

After saying that, Yu Yanjing dragged his tired body back to his bedroom.

Xiao Shao stood there trembling with fear, covered in cold sweat. Han Xingbai's eyes were as terrifying as a vengeful ghost, like a blade that could kill without drawing blood.

Zhou Tingxi stayed by Xiao Mu's bedside without changing his clothes. Her eyes were closed, her eyelashes trembled, and her forehead was covered in sweat.

It felt like I was having a nightmare.

In her dream, she married Zhou Tingxi. She wore a bright red wedding dress, the color of which was as chilling as blood. Just as they were about to complete their wedding ceremony, Yu Yanjing came out carrying a sword, dripping with blood. Yu Yanjing killed everyone and ran away with Xiao Mu. They ran and ran until they reached the edge of a cliff. Suddenly, Yu Yanjing looked at her with terrifying eyes and said, "Let's die together!"

"That way, we can be together for all eternity!"

Xiao Mu murmured, "No... Brother Jing... I called you brother, will you stop acting like this... Brother Jing..."

Zhou Tingxi frowned. "Brother Jing, who is it again? Han Xingbai left, and now Brother Jing has come. Xia Yunzhi, how many men are in your heart?"

Zhou Tingxi stayed by Xia Yunzhi's side all night, and every night he could hear her talking in her sleep. In her dreams, she saw Brother Jing and Han Xingbai, which made Zhou Tingxi very unhappy.

After instructing Xiaoshao to stew a bowl of hangover porridge for her in the morning, he hurriedly returned to the military camp. The plan was imminent and could not be delayed for a moment, after all, those imperial troops were not to be underestimated.

When she woke up, she felt so tired, with a sore back and aching waist. She didn't even know how she got back. Was it Yu Yanjing?

Xiao Mu learned that Yu Yanjing had resigned from his official post, saying that there was an urgent matter at home and that he had resigned from his post to the head of the guards the night before and returned to Chaoyang overnight.

What exactly happened that made him return overnight? Did he not want to see me again, or did something happen to his court?

They saw each other every day for the past month, had a meal together, and went out for walks every day. Now that she can't see him anymore, she feels a little empty inside.

He didn't want to go back either. Last night, Shen Ruoxuan arrived in Chen Kingdom. Shen Ruoxuan said that the Fifth Prince was causing trouble in the city all day long, burning, killing, looting, and committing all kinds of evil deeds. He destroyed the people's farmland, caught poultry, cooked them, ate a bite, and then threw them away. Many people couldn't even bear to eat a single chicken during the New Year.

The Fifth Prince sent people throughout the city every day to hurl insults at Yu Yanjing, saying that he was an ominous figure, a reincarnation of a demon, a harbinger of disaster, that he was tyrannical and unworthy to be a monarch, that he had harmed his own siblings and imprisoned Consort Jing, who had raised him.

It is true that he killed his own brothers, but the Fifth Prince himself knew that if he did not kill them, the nine of them would kill him. Yu Yanjing never had any intention of killing them before they made their move. As for Consort Jing, he made her Empress Dowager, but she refused to go to Cixi Palace and locked herself in her room, never going out.

To outsiders, these actions are seen as utter disloyalty and filial impiety.

Now that the Fifth Prince had escaped from his sword, he never again considered killing him. In name, the Fifth Prince, Yu Yanxu, was his only family.

He wanted to recruit Yu Yanxu, but Yu Yanxu looked down on him and hated him intensely.

Yu Yanjing led a troop of personal guards to the city gates, surrounding Yu Yanxu and his men in the bustling city. The people were so frightened that they fled in all directions and locked their doors tightly.

Some say that the emperor has become restless again, even wanting to kill his only brother, which is worse than that of a beast.

Some say that the fifth prince was burning, killing, and looting in the city, and the emperor could not stand idly by, so he came to capture the fifth prince.

This man was one of the people robbed by Yu Yanxu. His pet dog, which he had raised for many years and relied on for survival, also died under Yu Yanxu's knife. He was eighty years old, had lost his wife and son, and even his only grandson had died of illness.

He was left with only a dog for company, and that day was almost a nightmare.

Yu Yanxu sat on his horse, still neither humble nor arrogant. He looked down on Yu Yanjing, and a shadow fell over his peach blossom eyes, which were just like his own.

"You bastard, if you have the guts, kill me, just like you killed the other eight princes."

Yu Yanjing drew his sword, his eyes sharp and fixed intently on Yu Yanxu. In his hand was the Silver Serpent Dance, a sword bestowed upon him by the late emperor, which could kill without drawing blood and was extremely sharp.

Yu Yanxu carried a reed on his back, and each of the ten men carried a different sword, all of which were personally selected by the late emperor. He said, "You brothers must work together to govern the country well, no matter who becomes the king of Chaoyang."

But now, some are dead, and some have gone mad.