The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Second Prince: ...

He had considered the possibility of a similar scenario one day, but he never imagined that he would be the one being driven away.

He spun around in place: "Do I look like a conman to you?"

He was not short of money, and although he didn't have many ornaments, they were all genuine.

The two gatekeeper disciples stroked their chins and sized him up for a long time.

"It's quite similar."

"Brother, your outfit is really realistic! I'll give you ten taels of silver to get me one too!"

At this moment, a man in blue robes, holding an umbrella, slowly ascended the steps from the foot of the mountain.

The two gatekeepers seemed to recognize him, and smiles appeared on their faces even when they were still some distance away.

"Young Master Jing!"

"Young Master Jing is back!"

The gatekeepers clasped their hands in a respectful greeting, their manner as warm as if they were family.

The second prince looked up at the bright, sunny sky, a genuine look of confusion on his face.

Zheng Xun could tell what he was thinking without even having to think.

[Isn't it just a question about why someone is using an umbrella in the bright sunlight?]

[Hehe, isn't it because Shen Canglan likes fair-skinned girls? To win the favor of the Hidden Sword Manor Master, I have to put in a lot of effort, right?]

[I hope Second Brother will step up his game and get along well with Master Shen. Only if we have a good relationship can I confidently make deals with him.]

The emperor's brow twitched slightly: A deal? What kind of deal?

Could this be the reason why Yuan Jia decided to tell the second brother the assassin girl's true identity?

The other ministers, unaware of the prior events, were completely bewildered.

They were all on high alert, thinking the light screen was about to reveal something big, but this was all it was.

Meanwhile, in the light screen...

Young Master Jing nodded to the gatekeeper, then his gaze shifted to the Second Prince.

"This young man is..."

The second prince seemed unsure how to introduce himself, and hesitated for a moment before finally speaking: "My surname is Zheng..."

The gatekeeper quickly said, "He's a swindler who suddenly showed up at the door."

Young Master Jing chuckled: "This man's attire doesn't look like that of a conman."

He turned to the Second Prince, adopting the air of a host: "Young Master Zheng, you've come to find Canglan, haven't you? I'm ignorant and apologize for any offense I may have caused."

"nothing."

Young Master Jing raised his hand slowly forward with his palm facing up, saying, "Young Master Zheng, please follow me."

The second prince nodded and followed with his hands behind his back.

The interior of Hidden Sword Manor is not particularly exquisite, but it has a unique, unrestrained charm, which reveals the character of the manor's owner.

The Second Prince became increasingly certain that he did not truly understand Shen Canglan, and that "Xiu Nian," who had left a mark on his heart, was nothing more than a dream she had created for him.

Young Master Jing led him to the main hall for receiving guests. Shen Canglan was not in a hurry at the moment. Upon hearing the message from his servants, he changed into presentable clothes and came out to greet the guests with his child in his arms.

She has a naturally elegant appearance, but holding a little girl in red and with a gentle smile on her face, her temperament is somewhat contradictory yet just right. She could easily charm several young boys if she went out.

Upon seeing her, the second prince sprang to his feet.

However, someone was faster than him.

Young Master Jing not only stood up, but also took a few steps forward: "Canglan, give me the child first."

The little girl obediently called him "Uncle".

The little girl is almost two years old, but she speaks very clearly. Her chubby face is adorned with a sweet smile, making you want to take a bite out of her.

Young Master Jing spoke gently and moved gracefully, like a male bird courting a mate, eager to display all its most beautiful feathers.

Shen Canglan was pleased and replied affectionately, "Okay."

Young Master Jing naturally took the child, glancing at the Second Prince as if it were an unintentional gesture.

His eyes seemed to hold no particular meaning, but the Second Prince seemed to sense a provocation.

I had a strange feeling that I was witnessing a power struggle within the inner quarters of the house.

The next moment, he suddenly saw Young Master Jing give him a smile.

Sixth Prince: !

It wasn't a misperception; he really was provoking us!

He couldn't hold back, and his expression momentarily became somewhat distorted.

Shen Canglan's attention was drawn, and he asked in surprise, "What's wrong? Little Sweetie?"

Upon hearing this address, Young Master Jing paused in his act of adjusting the child's collar, glancing at the Second Prince with a puzzled look, as if to say: I didn't expect you to have this kind of taste.

The second prince's face instantly turned bright red.

There are outsiders here, how can she say anything?

The ministers outside the light screen all looked as if they had suffered a severe blow, their expressions more varied than the last.

Zheng Xun got goosebumps all over his body and couldn't help but shiver.

She felt she might never understand how these young couples came up with such cloying nicknames.

Shen Canglan was also a little embarrassed.

She didn't intend to rekindle their relationship, but she didn't know his name and didn't want to reveal his identity. As a result, the name she used when she was deeply in love just slipped out.

She coughed lightly and looked at Young Master Jing: "Ah Jing, why don't you take the child downstairs and let him play for a while?"

Young Master Jing nodded obediently and led the little girl out the door.

The second prince couldn't help but take a step forward, his gaze unconsciously following his daughter until they disappeared from sight. Only then did he say wistfully, "She's very cute."

Shen Canglan paused in her steps, and after sitting down in the main seat, she gestured for the Second Prince to sit down as well: "You know?"

The second prince nodded.

Shen Canglan nodded and fiddled with the lid of his teacup: "I won't let you take her away."

"I know, I just came to see you."

Shen Canglan shrugged indifferently: "You can see her if you want, but you'd better not reveal your relationship with her."

Her words were harsh, and just as Zheng Xun had said, she was not willing to have anything to do with him.

The second prince felt a little uncomfortable: "If you don't want to be associated with the royal family, why did you choose me?"

Shen Canglan laughed and said, "I just made a mistake that all women in the world would make. I was bored at the time because I was all alone, and it just so happened that it was you. Besides, your royal family has no shortage of children. You only have one daughter, so you can just pretend you don't know anything."

Of course, she also hoped to find a layer of protection for Cangjian Manor, so that her daughter could inherit her manor and move freely in both the imperial court and the martial arts world, and that Cangjian Manor could grow stronger and stronger.

The second prince sulked for a while, but since he really couldn't do anything about her, he deliberately put on a stern face and threatened, "Aren't you afraid I'll use force?"

Shen Canglan wasn't angry; in fact, he was quite tolerant, as if he were dealing with an unreasonable child.

"However, our Hidden Sword Manor is not a pushover. If you try to use force, the price will be high, and besides, you can't beat me."

If she wasn't confident, she would provoke people she shouldn't.

However, she changed the subject, lowered her head and smiled faintly, "Besides, is the Second Prince such a petty and domineering person?"

Zheng Xun: !!!

She said that girls should use power and strength to adorn themselves.

See? As long as you are strong enough, gender is never a shackle that binds you.