Repeatedly broken branches

The young ladies of noble families in the capital city, upon hearing that Wei Hao, who served General Zhou Tingxi, was handsome with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, was also imposing and courageous, had followed General Zhou on the battlefield for many years and made countless military achievements, and was not only good-looking but also extremely gentle in nature, which was rare for someone from the military, as most men from the military were mostly rough and uncouth.

Yu Yanjing valued Zhou Tingxi, and naturally also valued Wei Hao, who was by his side. In addition, he also had a good relationship with Deng Yizhi, so he directly appointed him as the deputy general of the Protectorate General, second only to the general.

This is another plus for those young ladies from prestigious families.

Xiao Mu and Yu Yanjing leaned against the couch, talking about Zhou Tingxi's mention of arranging a marriage for Wei Hao during the banquet. She was puzzled as to how Zhou Tingxi, a man, could be so thoughtful, even caring so much about his subordinate's marriage. No wonder Wei Hao was willing to follow him wholeheartedly to various places.

Yu Yanjing smiled and said, "You're the best at this kind of thing. I know you're a warm-hearted person and would be happy to do it, right?"

Xiao Mu said with dissatisfaction, "I am not happy at all. I originally wanted to give You or Shuangru to Wei Hao. He is so good, so naturally I should consider the people around me first. Who told you to say that you should look for someone from within the court? How can I bring it up now?"

With her head bowed, Mo felt a sharp pain in her heart when she heard what she said. She felt guilty, and the better she treated her, the more guilty she felt.

"What's so difficult about that? Just bestow the marriage upon Shuangru directly."

You looked at Yu Yanjing in astonishment, unsure whether he was serious or joking, for he was being so casual.

Xiao Mu shook her head and said, "Forget it. If they marry someone like Wei Hao, wouldn't they have to live in fear for the rest of their lives? It's better to let them marry someone who is stable and secure."

You breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that Shuangru hadn't been chosen, and then lowered her eyes again.

It's not just Shuangru; there are others, other women who are better than her and better to Wei Hao. Either in the future or tomorrow, she will witness Wei Hao choosing his future wife.

My heart aches, but so what? She's a person who's utterly wicked, yet she still hopes to be redeemed. Isn't that a contradiction? Anyway, she'll definitely go to hell after she dies.

What she cared about more was the Empress, whom she had hurt.

Back in her room at night, You didn't want to light a candle. It was better to be in the dark; the darkness made her more aware of her own heart, which was also dark. This was the kind of darkness that suited someone as sinful as her.

"Sister You, why are you sleeping here? Your Majesty the Empress is about to wake up. Please get up. We need to go to the Imperial Garden later. Today is the day General Wei is choosing his wife. Your Majesty the Empress needs to dress up nicely."

General Wei, Wei Hao.

You had a dream in which she realized that she was never a spy, but had a father, a mother, a younger brother and sister. Her father and mother were very loving, and the family had no worries about food or clothing. Her younger brother and sister were also in school, and she was a young woman waiting to be married. It was in this happy environment that she met Wei Hao.

Everything went so smoothly that she knew it was just a dream, but she didn't choose to wake up. In the dream, they got married, had children, and lived a peaceful and happy life together.

But a dream is just a dream. When I woke up, I felt extremely sad, so sad that I wished I could stay asleep forever and never wake up.

"Sister You. Sister You."

Shuangru's calls pulled her back to reality from her daze. The reality was that even if she were a spy, she could not possibly have such a happy family background.

"You can go out now, I'll be right there."

After Shuangru left, You looked up at the ceiling for a long time, two streams of hot tears streaming down her cheeks. She reached out to wipe them away, let out a long sigh, and straightened her clothes to go to work.

After putting on the heavy phoenix crown, Xiao Mu exclaimed, "Can I take it off? It's too heavy!"

Wei Lan stared at her from the side, her eyelids suddenly twitching. She said seriously, "Your Majesty, today you are choosing a wife for General Wei as the mother of the nation. You should appear in the regalia of an empress. You are required to dress like this every day. It is only because the Emperor is too indulgent that you can dress so casually every day. Today is different."

After tidying up Xiao Mu's exquisite and luxurious clothes, You left the room, her expression dazed as if she had seen Wei Hao.

Indeed, it was Wei Hao. He was dressed in a black robe and walked towards her with a gentle expression. However, he brushed past her and stopped in front of Xiao Mu behind him, respectfully saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress."

Today, Wei Hao truly looked handsome and dashing, even his hair was meticulously styled, and he was tall and strong, yet he wore a gentle smile on his face.

When he turned to look at himself, the smile on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by an indifference he had never seen before. This was the first time he had ever seen Wei Hao with such a cold expression.

He actually managed to look at himself with that kind of gaze.

You felt extremely bitter, yet there was nothing she could do.

Those who entered the palace today include Wan Qiaoying, the legitimate daughter of Scholar Wan Feng. She is seventeen years old and is the most talented among the noble ladies of the capital. She is skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, dancing, and embroidery. I also heard that she is a good cook. She is truly virtuous and kind.

She was of average appearance, dressed in a light blue shirt, with light makeup, delicate but not seductive, and her eyes exuded a scholarly air.

Xiao Mu had a good impression of Wan Qiaoying; she seemed easy to get along with.

Standing to Wan Qiaoying's left was a heavily made-up girl in an autumn-colored shirt. This was Liu Tingning, the legitimate daughter of Liu Xiang, the Imperial Censor. She was the only woman in the family, with two younger brothers born to her aunt. Both were illegitimate sons, so she was the only one who mattered in the family. Even her parents had to give her some leeway. She looked beautiful and charming, but her arrogance, which had been spoiled, would probably be hard for Wei Hao, with his gentle nature, to handle.

Gu Duwei's eldest daughter, Gu Mei, was not the legitimate daughter, but rather the daughter of a concubine. However, being older, she was naturally not as favored as the legitimate daughter of the principal wife in the family. Although the legitimate daughter was only four years old, she was more favored and held a higher status in the family than Gu Mei. Gu Mei, on the other hand, lost her mother at a young age and grew up with her grandmother. She was gentle and kind, always knowing how to be modest, and had the appearance of a girl from a modest family. She was very sensible, and although she was only eighteen years old, she seemed to know how to manage a household.

Xiao Mu is even more optimistic about Gu Mei this time.

And finally, there was Jiang Qi, the youngest daughter of Jiang Jie, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, who arrived late. Her round face made her look lively and cute, and her skin was fair and translucent. She had a youthful innocence and looked very much like Xiao Mu. They both had round faces and almond-shaped eyes that sparkled with starlight, giving them a sense of innocence and naivety.

Zhou Tingxi called Wei Hao, who was hiding in the back drinking tea, over, gave him a look, and whispered in his ear, "Which one have you taken a fancy to?"

A blush crept onto Wei Hao's face as he timidly said, "I don't know."

Xiao Mu sat back drinking tea, feeling tired. Seeing Wei Hao's shy appearance, she couldn't help but sigh. If he continued like this, he would be terrified of his wife in the future. Why didn't he learn from Yu Yanjing and Zhou Tingxi? They were never shy in front of women, so they were quite experienced.

Tsk, Yu Yanjing, just thinking about him makes Xiao Mu so angry she wants to grind her teeth.

But with such a handsome man by her side, coaxing her, any anger would surely dissipate. After all, she relies on her looks for a living. It's also her own fault; in this life and the last, she can't escape the clutches of handsome men. Otherwise, she wouldn't be sitting here leisurely drinking tea.

"Where's You? Why isn't You here?"

Only now did she realize that You was not there, only Shuangru was by her side. How could You not be there for such a fun thing? She could at least analyze it with You. Shuangru didn't like to talk, so she couldn't analyze it with Shuangru.

Shuangru pointed to a tree across the lake. There, Shangyou's petite figure leaned against the tree, gazing at the lake, seemingly doing nothing.

Xiao Mu was about to scare her, so she carefully walked towards the tree, but You still heard her footsteps. She quickly wiped her face with her sleeve and turned around to face the tree.

Even so, Xiao Mu still noticed that she was crying, her eyes were red and swollen, and there were tear stains on her face that she hadn't wiped away.

"You, you're crying. What's wrong? What happened?"

You choked back tears, "It's nothing, Your Majesty. I just missed home. I've been away for over a year and haven't seen my family in a long time, so... I lost my composure today."

Xiao Mu patted her shoulder and comforted her, "Then... how about we give you a few days off in a few days, and you go back to the Western Regions for a visit?"

You was so frightened that she stiffened up. If Bai Jiaoyu found out, she would definitely not treat her mother and younger siblings well.

"No need, Your Majesty. The journey back is long. I know my family is doing well, Your Majesty. I'm fine."

"Alright then, let's go back... I'm telling you, Wei Hao is really something, a grown man like him is so shy... Oh dear, why are you crying again... It's okay, you can write a letter back."

Xiao Mu didn't know that You was crying while watching Wei Hao's back.

Finally, it was decided that Jiang Qi would be Wei Hao's fiancée. Yu Yanjing had already drafted the decree, and the entire Jiang family was overjoyed, even setting off firecrackers to celebrate that night.

For some reason, Wei Hao didn't choose the dignified and virtuous Gu Mei, nor the talented and scholarly Wan Qiaoying, but instead chose the innocent, lively and cute Jiang Qi. Could it be that he likes this type?

The wedding date is set for half a month from now. Although it's a bit fast, it's because we're going to war in a month. Giving the young couple half a month to be lovey-dovey is Xiao Mu's idea, of course. How could Yu Yanjing and Zhou Tingxi, two grown men, understand?

Bai Jiaoyu hasn't been causing any trouble lately because she's been insisting on learning jewelry making from Xie Huai, and Xie Huai has agreed, saying it will help temper her temper.

Xiao Mu didn't believe it. With her temperament, how could she be so easily swayed? She was a ruthless female demon who killed without blinking an eye. Of course, only Xie Huai and she knew about this; how could anyone else know?

An official presented Yu Yanjing with several jugs of homemade plum blossom wine. She couldn't drink it, but she could smell the fragrance of plum blossoms. It was brewed last winter and was ready to drink this autumn. She could smell the fragrance of plum blossoms even before winter arrived.

This reminded her of the wine made by Green Plum, and also of Chen Lanhe, Xin Ning, and Yu Xue. They used to drink and make merry, how happy they were! Now, they are scattered all over the world, and she doesn't know when she will see them again.

Back then... she never imagined that she would become an empress and marry Yu Yanjing, because at that time she was Xia Yunzhi and Yu Yanjing was still Han Xingbai.

Everyone thought Jiang Qi was easy to get along with. After all, she was a lady from a respectable family and naturally knew how to behave properly. However, she looked a bit immature, giving people the illusion of being a child. In fact, in Xiao Mu's eyes, she was indeed a child, only a teenager.

This marriage contract completely brought Jiang Qi from his original circle to the circle of the palace. Because Wei Hao's residence outside the palace was not yet completed, Yu Yanjing pointed out a palace garden for him to get married in the palace.

Everyone considered this a great honor, after all, who else but the emperor would have the privilege of getting married in the palace?

They followed the traditions of the older generation and did not meet before their wedding, so... that day's meeting was practically their first time seeing each other.

With half a month to go, Jiang Qi felt an exceptionally long time.

She wasn't looking forward to the wedding date; she just wanted to know what it felt like to be a bride, what she would look like in a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe. She used to watch other people get married from the attic, and now it was her turn, so she was extremely nervous.

Standing next to her, Xiao Mu looked like two sisters, with very similar eyebrows and eyes, round faces, and equally fair and tender skin.

"Your Majesty, do you like the princess?"

Jiang Qi and Xiao Mu sat in the pavilion in the Imperial Garden, enjoying the rain and brewing tea. The last rain of autumn meant that winter was not far away.

By the time they get married, it will probably be winter. Unfortunately, Yu Yanjing said that it doesn't snow in Chaoyang Kingdom, so they won't be able to see the beautiful scene of white snow against the wedding dress. Xiao Mu felt particularly sorry.

Xiao Mu nodded and said, "Both the Emperor and I like the princess."

Jiang Qi smiled and said, "I guessed it right away. My parents said that people nowadays prefer daughters more because daughters are considerate and thoughtful. My parents also like me the most, saying that I am more sensible than my three older brothers."

Her smile is infectious and makes others feel comfortable. It turns out that she grew up in a loving environment, so she is easy to get along with and very confident. She was pampered by her parents and three older brothers, so she looks innocent and carefree, and her eyes are full of light.

"Your parents love you very much and have raised you very well," Xiao Mu said with heartfelt praise.

"Yes, who doesn't love their own child? If I had a child, I would naturally give her the best of everything. Your Majesty the Empress would feel the same way."

Faced with such a topic, she actually spoke frankly, which made Xiao Mu look at her in a different light. She liked Jiang Qi from the bottom of her heart and believed that such a woman had no bad intentions and would definitely get along well with Wei Hao.

"Hmm, Qi'er, what's your favorite food?"

Jiang Qi thought for a moment and said, "I don't really have any favorite foods. I'm not picky. If I had to say what my favorite food is, it would probably be braised pig's trotters. The skin is soft and chewy, and it's covered in sauce. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water!" She was drooling as she recalled her mother's braised pig's trotters.

Xiao Mu excitedly said, "I love it too! The best part is the skin! It tastes even better than lean meat. Unfortunately, I had morning sickness recently and didn't eat much of it! Now I'm suddenly craving it."

Jiang Qi's lingering expression successfully whetted Xiao Mu's appetite. Back in the Jiuguang Kingdom's palace, whenever she didn't know what to order, she would always order braised pig's trotters. It was a dish that never went wrong and was very appetizing!

“It’s not lunchtime yet, but my cousin took me to a place called Flower Pavilion. Their braised pig’s trotters are delicious. However, it’s outside the palace, and Her Majesty the Empress cannot leave the palace.” Jiang Qi glanced at Xiao Mu with great regret.

But little did she know that Xiao Mu was an exception. She wasn't the kind of empress who was confined to the palace her whole life; she was an empress who was free to go wherever she wanted.

"I'll tell you something in secret: the Emperor doesn't care whether I go out or not. As long as it's safe, I can go out anytime."

Jiang Qi's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Really? The Emperor is so good to you, just like my father, he never disciplines my mother!"

Hearing her remarks, Xiao Mu almost laughed.

You and Shuangru walked over with their umbrellas, stopped, put away their oil-paper umbrellas, and shook off the water droplets.

From afar, she saw the Empress sitting in the pavilion with a woman, enjoying the rain. You thought it was Ouyang Meixi, or at the very least, Bai Jiaoyu or Shen Shanshan. But she never expected it to be Jiang Qi, Wei Hao's fiancée, Jiang Qi.

She felt a bitter taste in her mouth. Why was the Empress so close to her, even when they were out together, she no longer invited her or Shuangru along? It seemed that the Empress trusted Jiang Qi.

Seeing how well they chatted, You felt as if the scars in her heart had been exposed to the public, causing her excruciating pain. Who could she blame but herself? She was the one who pushed Wei Hao away, and she would have to bear all the sadness herself.