The Gao Mansion.
After watching Lin Qingwan being taken away by the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, the lame guard who had spoken earlier said again, "Young Master Shen Haiyan, let's talk things over. Why send her to prison? She's General Gao's sister-in-law. General Gao will be unhappy."
As he spoke, the others nodded in agreement.
Shen Haiyan was still seething with anger. He sneered, "Since what I did was wrong, why didn't you stop me just now? You just watched me force-feed the medicine and let the government take Lin Qingwan away."
The lame guard looked a bit surprised. He replied matter-of-factly, "We're just afraid General Gao will be unhappy. He's not in good health and can't get angry. Young Master, you're the daughter of the eldest miss and you've joined the Imperial Guards. You'll surely be the leader of our Mu Family Army in the future. Lin Qingwan is just an irrelevant person. Of course, we'll side with you."
The others chimed in, "Yes, yes. When will you leave the Imperial Guards and join our Mu Family Army, Young Master?"
"Don't worry, Young Master. We'll all follow your orders! I heard the Imperial Guards have unique training methods. Young Master, stay in the Imperial Guards for a while longer and learn from them!"
"What do you mean by 'learn secretly'? We're learning from others' strengths. Can you talk properly!"
"Young Master, I heard the eldest young master has gone traveling. When will he be back? I've learned how to write letters. I want him to take a look."
"Come on, your handwriting is so ugly. The eldest young master will need to wash his eyes after seeing it. If anyone's letter is to be seen, it should be mine. My handwriting is good."
"The eldest miss said the young miss praised the hard biscuits I made. Coincidentally, I brought some today. Can you help me give them to the young miss, Young Master?"
"What do you mean 'coincidentally'? You've been carrying them around every day and you're reluctant to eat them yourself. You've just been waiting to meet the eldest miss so you can give them to the young miss."
As they talked, they all burst out laughing. Then they all looked at Shen Haiyan in unison, waiting for his response.
The guards in the Gao Mansion all had some sort of disability to varying degrees. They were all over forty, and their eager looks at Shen Haiyan made the scene a bit strange. Shen Haiyan instinctively took a step back, and his anger dissipated a lot.
Shen Haiyan looked at the lame guard who had spoken first and asked, "Lin Qingwan is Zhao Qing's wife. You've never questioned her identity as Lady Gao. You didn't even ask Uncle Gao why. Why?"
The lame guard was stunned by the question. He also looked at Shen Haiyan and said, "Why what? If General Gao has agreed to something, why should we question it?"
Someone else chimed in, "Yes, yes. Lin Qingwan said General Gao had agreed and asked us to call her Lady Gao so that her two daughters could marry as General Gao's daughters and not be looked down upon by their in-laws."
"General Gao is quite pitiful. It would be too embarrassing for us to ask him face to face why he agreed to let his sister-in-law be his wife."
"Zhao Qing is also in the mansion. We can't ask why he would let his sister-in-law be his wife in front of her husband."
Shen Haiyan thought about it for a moment and also felt it would be embarrassing. He changed the subject, "I'm not mature enough yet. I still need to gain more experience in the Imperial Guards."
"Brother should be back by the end of the year, but the exact time is uncertain. I advise you not to let him read your letters. You'll get scolded."
"Is there only one hard biscuit? Baozhu has two good friends, and one of them is a foodie. One hard biscuit might not be enough to share."
Hearing that Shen Haiyan really intended to help him give the biscuits, the guard who wanted to give the biscuits lit up. "Yes, I made three more. Wait a moment, Young Master!"
Then he took out the biscuits he had made from the arms of his three friends and carefully handed them over along with the one in his own arms. "I just made them yesterday and only gave them to them this morning. Don't mind them, Young Master."
Shen Haiyan took the hard biscuits with a complicated look in his eyes. So that's why he made three more biscuits.
...
The Princess Mansion.
Shen Haiyan started packing things again. He was going to send Shen Baozhu and Gao Shan to the Xiangyun Kingdom so that father and daughter could meet.
Hearing that Shen Baozhu was going to the Xiangyun Kingdom again, the Fourth Prince was a bit reluctant. "I won't be able to see Baozhu tomorrow."
Since the hard biscuits were very hard, Yan Mingli was trying to break them into small pieces. He took the opportunity to persuade, "It's just one day. Just bear it. Tomorrow I'll take you to the embroidery workshop to play with Qiuqiu. How about that?"
The Fourth Prince didn't say a word and silently grabbed Shen Baozhu's hand.
Since they had brought a lot of things last time, Shen Haiyan's things today were much simpler. He quickly finished packing. He instructed Shen Baozhu to announce Gao Shan's identity as soon as they landed and to let Gao Shan spend as much time with Gao Guangying as possible.
Shen Baozhu listened attentively and agreed one by one.
When everything was ready, someone was reluctant.
Gao Shan shook off Xu Yutang's hand and stubbornly said, "I'm not going. I want to take care of the young master."
Shen Haiyan patiently explained, "You're Uncle Gao's daughter, General Gao's only daughter. You're no longer a maid, and you don't need to serve anyone."
"The young master saved me. I have to repay him! Besides, that Lady Gao said General Gao looked down on my mother. General Gao isn't my real father." Gao Shan stared at Shen Haiyan and wouldn't listen to any explanation.
Gao Shan was the child Gao Guangying had been longing for. Since she would rather die than go, Shen Haiyan couldn't force her. He could only feel anxious.
Shen Baozhu sat back at the table, picked up the hard biscuit, and imitated Yan Mingli by knocking it on the table.
The hard biscuit made a "bang, bang, bang" sound when it hit the table.
Yan Mingli had been struggling with it for a long time, but the hard biscuit remained intact. He complained, "What kind of biscuit is this? It's so hard."
Shen Baozhu had tasted the hard biscuit before and was looking forward to it eagerly. "Last time, mother broke it into small pieces and it was delicious when held in the mouth!"
Seeing Shen Baozhu staring straight at the hard biscuit, Gao Shan couldn't control her hand. She picked up the hard biscuit, broke it into pieces, and handed it back. "Now you can eat it."
Shen Baozhu happily took it, gave a piece to the Fourth Prince, and said gratefully, "Thank you!"
Looking at Shen Baozhu's happy face, Gao Shan felt warm in her heart. She had grown up in the mountains and this was the first time she had come into contact with a child. The child looked so small, and her soft face was extremely appealing, white and tender, as if tempting her...
"Wow, you're so strong." Yan Mingli came over with the hard biscuit.
Gao Shan's train of thought was interrupted. She reluctantly broke the hard biscuit for Yan Mingli and then reluctantly handed it back.
Yan Mingli held the broken pieces of biscuit and offered them to Chen Miaochun like a treasure. "Miaochun, try it quickly."
Xu Yutang wasn't interested in the dry hard biscuits, but since everyone around her was eating, she looked at the four hard biscuits left on the table. She quickly calculated in her mind. She and Shen Haiyan could share one, and they could still leave one for Qiuqiu. Perfect!
So when Gao Shan turned around, she saw Xu Yutang holding the hard biscuit and looking at her expectantly.
This time, Xu Yutang didn't even say a word. Gao Shan took the hard biscuit, broke it into pieces, and handed it back.
Xu Yutang wrapped the broken hard biscuit in a handkerchief and gave it to Shen Haiyan to eat.
The hard biscuits were so hard that even if Shen Baozhu and the Fourth Prince ate them slowly in their mouths, they couldn't finish a whole one.
Shen Baozhu pushed the remaining hard biscuits towards Gao Shan. "Sister Gao Shan, let's eat together."
Gao Shan was just about to refuse when her gaze fell on the broken hard biscuits in Xu Yutang's hand. The biscuits wrapped in the handkerchief looked so familiar that she reached out, picked up a piece, and put it in her mouth.
The hard biscuit was very hard but sweet. It could be held in the mouth for a long time.
This taste was Gao Shan's happiest childhood memory.
During festivals, her mother would take out the precious handkerchief and put a small piece in Gao Shan's mouth.
Later, the things in the handkerchief were all eaten, but Gao Shan remembered the taste. She always thought it was candy and had even bought several kinds of candy, but the taste was completely different.
Gao Shan thought, no wonder she couldn't buy it. It wasn't candy but a hard biscuit with sugar in it.