"Whoa, it's so hot!"
Song Jinyu was holding a sweet potato in her hand, rolling it around. Seeing that she got burned, Yan Fei quickly took it from her.
"You little glutton. Serves you right!" Yan Fei peeled it for her, put it on a plate and let it cool.
Jinyu dug out another sweet potato from the ashes for him. "Yan Feifei, come and have one too."
"I've told you so many times. Don't call me Yan Feifei!" Yan Fei glared at Jinyu and wiped the ash off the corner of her mouth.
"It's snowing so heavily. You probably won't be able to make it back to Liuzhou City."
Jinyu swallowed a mouthful of the sweet potato. "I've already sent a letter to Father. I'll be back home before the Lantern Festival."
"That's good. At least you have a home to return to. Unlike me, I only have Tianmen Mountain." Yan Fei took a bite of the sweet potato and lowered his eyes.
He had lost his parents since childhood. Miao Yunshen had adopted him. He was both a disciple and an adopted son. Seeing him fall silent, Jinyu stood up and walked over to him.
"My family is your family. What's mine is yours!"
In her heart, Yan Fei was as close as her master, an intimate family member.
Yan Fei looked into her shining eyes, his heart filled with gratitude.
"Last time in the Golden Water Palace..."
Jinyu suddenly looked up.
"Did you confirm that Lady Jinhua was the murderer when you took action?"
Yan Fei didn't want her to be haunted by the past, so he gently pried open her heart.
"Yes..." Jinyu lowered her head. The sweet potato tasted a bit bitter.
Yan Fei looked at her. "She has already received her retribution."
"Before I left, I felt her pulse."
"I found that she wasn't ill. She was poisoned." Yan Fei sighed and continued.
Song Jinyu understood. "The one who could poison Lady Jinhua must be someone close to her."
Yan Fei actually guessed that it was Ouyang Jinsè who had poisoned her mother, probably because Lady Jinhua had repeatedly tried to assassinate Jinyu.
"Whoever it is, it has nothing to do with me." Song Jinyu looked out at the snow. The strong wind blew the snow off the trees, and large patches of it fell rustling.
Afraid that she might think too much, Yan Fei comforted her, "Now she is suffering, which can be regarded as atonement."
He wiped the ash off the corner of Song Jinyu's mouth. "Your mother hopes that you can live happily and not be burdened by hatred."
"Little senior brother, are you afraid that I'll take it out on Ouyang Jinsè?" Song Jinyu looked at Yan Fei and walked over to the window on her own.
"She is her, and her mother is her mother."
Yan Fei let out a soft laugh. Jinyu was still his kind and innocent junior sister, always thinking of others.
In the Hanguang Palace, sandalwood was burning.
Concubine Shu was a bit tired from chanting Buddhist scriptures. She was getting ready to have lunch under the service of her maid Chunyu.
"Your Highness, the prince is here!" Shuyue came in to report.
Concubine Shu's face immediately lit up with joy. "Quick, quick... Invite him in."
"Son pays respects to Mother Concubine!"
After Zhongli Mingye returned to the capital, he first paid a visit to the emperor and the queen, and then came to the Hanguang Palace to have lunch with his mother.
Concubine Shu hadn't seen him for almost half a year. Seeing that her son had been granted the title of prince and had grown a lot, she was very relieved.
Now that his elder brothers were all married, only he was still single. Concubine Shu felt a bit regretful.
"Now that you've been granted the title of prince, do you have anyone in mind for your princess?"
Zhongli Mingye put down his chopsticks and chewed carefully the dish his mother had put into his bowl.
"Yes."
"Oh? Which family's daughter?" Concubine Shu was a bit surprised. She knew her son well. She knew how cold - hearted he was.
"She is the daughter of the governor of Liuzhou." Zhongli Mingye decided to tell his mother the truth.
"Her status is a bit low. She's not worthy of the position of Princess of Yu." Although Concubine Shu didn't pay much attention to family status, for the sake of her son's future, she still hoped that the family background of his future princess would be better.
"Mother Concubine..."
"She's very good." When Zhongli Mingye mentioned Jinyu, the tenderness in his eyes was almost palpable. Concubine Shu looked at him, a bit worried.
"Son doesn't need his wife's family background to protect him from the wind and rain. I only hope for a spiritual connection." Zhongli Mingye expressed his feelings in front of Concubine Shu.
Concubine Shu said, "It seems that the girl has something extraordinary about her. Since you're so satisfied, I'll grant your wish."
Zhongli Mingye was grateful for his mother's understanding, but he didn't expect his mother's next words to make him feel like he was falling into an ice cellar. "Madam Shen came to the palace the other day and talked to me about her youngest daughter."
Concubine Shu had met Shen Yingyun. That girl was very good, with excellent looks and character. "If you like, you can take Shen Yingyun as your main princess and the governor's daughter as a side princess. How about that?"
Zhongli Mingye put down his chopsticks.
He only said, "The Shen family already has a crown princess. Do they want to have a princess of a prince too?"
He talked to the concubine about the situation in the court and said, "Mother Concubine, son doesn't want to have any connection with the Shen family."
"Alright, then I'll follow your wishes!"
Seeing that he was determined, Concubine Shu didn't try to persuade him anymore.
She changed the topic. "However, Mother Concubine wants to hold her grandson soon."
After Zhongli Mingye had lunch in the Hanguang Palace, he left the palace directly. He "accidentally met" Shen Yingyun on the palace path.
Shen Yingyun was blushing shyly and extremely delighted in her heart. Her Shen family had informants in the inner palace and had known early on that Zhongli Mingye had entered the palace. Now, she had been waiting on this cold palace path for more than half an hour.
She stepped forward to salute. Just as she was about to talk more with Zhongli Mingye, she saw him simply nod slightly and leave with a flick of his sleeve.
Her heart sank instantly. Her face was covered with frost, and her hands tightened in her sleeves.
So, he didn't care about her at all.
Back at the Prince Yu's Mansion in the capital,
Zhongli Mingye told the steward to search for all the little curiosities, fashionable fabric and jewelry in the capital.
Qingfeng rubbed his forehead, looking helpless. His prince always searched for these things wherever he went.
All just to please a girl, and that girl was ungrateful.
"Get them ready quickly."
"… My prince, you've just returned to the capital!"
The implication was that he hadn't even greeted the crown prince and other princes yet, but was already packing his luggage to return to Liuzhou!
"Miss Song is not in Liuzhou at this moment."
Zhongli Mingye felt a bit embarrassed to be seen through by his subordinate. "It's the end of the year. Send a letter to Xing Jian. Tell him to remember to give New - Year gifts to the families of the officials in Liuzhou and Yuzhou."
"Yes, I'll surely deliver them!" Qingfeng shook his head and went out to make the arrangements.
What New - Year gifts? It was just an excuse to give rewards to the Song family openly.
At the Mingyue Tower in the capital, a beautiful foreign girl had just arrived and was dancing in the hall. In the private room on the second floor, Xiao Xueyi, the master of the Tingran Pavilion, was sitting on a chair listening to the music.
The young man on the chair had picturesque eyebrows and snow - white skin. His eyes were like the stars in the sky, as if they could wash away the dust of the world. Under his frail body, there was a powerful soul. He tapped his fingers slightly and closed his eyes, thinking about something. He didn't notice the charming and gorgeous beauty in the hall at all.
The Mingyue Tower was the most luxurious restaurant in the capital. Its behind - the - scenes boss was a mysterious person. There were rumors that it was run by a court official. It had a very powerful background, and no one could find out. The restaurant not only sold wine but also had beautiful dancing girls.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, what do you think of this girl?"