Chapter 62: Crisis-Free

  Congratulations on getting a monthly ticket

  Yanling Jun hooked up the corner of his lips and did not commit either way.

  Tuoba Huai'an is not a fool. Perhaps at the beginning, he didn't think of this deep relationship, but after several days, it was enough for him to see through it.

  Yanling Jun has openly taken sides with Chu Muyang, which means that the relationship between them is not ordinary. Therefore, it is clear that his secret cannot be hidden from Chu Muyang.

  At this point, whether or not we can form an alliance with the Eastern Palace is no longer important; what's crucial is that this handle cannot be left behind.

  Tuoba Huai's temples bulged with blue veins, his fingers uncontrollably exerting force, and a fine crack had already appeared on the jade cup, wine silently overflowing from the gap, wetting his fingertips, but he was completely unaware.

  In the end, he barely restrained himself and forced a smile: "The atmosphere in this hall is gloomy, Lord Yanling, why don't you come with me to get some fresh air outside?"

  "Good!" Lord Yanling did not refuse, nodded slightly and followed him out.

  At that time, there were already groups of people walking around the square in front of the temple to sober up, so the appearance of the two was not particularly striking.

  Tuoba Huai'an's facial expression had already become somewhat difficult to maintain, so he turned aside and walked under the corridor nearby, stopping his footsteps in a place where no one was around.

  "How do you want it?" he asked directly, without beating around the bush.

  Yanling Jun heard the words and smiled, looking at the distant night scene with his hands behind his back. He let out a gentle sigh and said, "This is something I should be asking you instead. How do you plan to handle this matter?"

  "What do you think?" Tuoba Huai's eyes gleamed with a sharp, cold light, and if he hadn't been in the imperial palace at the time and had some scruples, he would have definitely lost control and struck to kill on the spot.

  Yanling Jun looked at the threatening color in his eyes and didn't see it, still looking calm and peaceful at the distant lights and shadows of the night: "Actually, you're not already agreed to cut off the possibility of intermarriage between each other? Since we are all outsiders to each other, this little thing, she knows about it, and there's nothing big deal."

  What he said was light and casual, but on Taoba Huai'an's face was a dense cloud of gloom, coldly smiling without speaking.

  Yanling Jun withdrew his gaze from afar and met his eyes, continuing: "Isn't what I said correct? You, Mo Bei, want to form an alliance with Xi Yue through marriage, seeking to establish a good relationship between Qin and Jin. The Crown Prince has the demeanor of a benevolent ruler, and even if he ascends to the throne in the future, he will still treat you, Mo Bei, with courtesy. There is no need for Your Highness to worry about this matter."

  That matter, if only Chuxu Yang knew about it, would not have been a big deal. However, Chuxu Yang's identity is too special, and in some sense, her attitude also represents the entire Dong Gong, represents Chu Yi An, or more accurately -

  He represents the future master of the Western Ou Kingdom!

  Tuoba Huai'an remained silent, while Yanling Jun spoke alone, but he didn't feel the slightest bit awkward.

  Tuoba Huai'an heard the last but was furious and laughed: "Lord Yanling, you have a heart for the world, can replace the Western Yue court's distant thoughts, a humble position as deputy envoy of the Imperial Hospital, is truly a waste of talent."

  "It's not necessarily so!" Yanling Jun smiled slowly and raised an eyebrow: "This position, I'm quite comfortable sitting in."

  "After a pause, he continued: 'Most importantly, others will also feel at ease seeing me in this position. As a person, one should always be proper and decent.'"

  Tuoba Huai'an's face changed slightly, and he naturally understood the implication of his words.

  Is he warning himself not to have any improper thoughts?

  The fingers hidden under the wide sleeves silently clenched into fists, and as Touba Huai thought about it more, he felt increasingly stifled. In the end, he couldn't help but laugh out loud and say: "What's this, are you warning me or threatening me?"

  "It's just a kind reminder." Yanling Jun said, with a smile in his eyes that blended with the night color and came out, as if it was even more brilliant. With a slow smile, those two eyes shone like stars, but in the dazzling light, there seemed to be an unspeakable depth and remoteness, making people dare not gaze for a long time.

  Tuoba Huai'an's eyes were coldly fixed on him.

  He had secretly observed Yanling Jun for a long time, but suddenly discovered that apart from this smiling and radiant face, he couldn't see through to his personality at all.

  No matter whether it's a masterful move or a struggle for power, the most feared thing is to be unclear about the enemy while being clear oneself. When encountering an opponent whose depth and shallowness are unknown, no one knows when he will suddenly make his move, striking you down with a crushing defeat.

  All the more

  This Yanling Jun in front of him was no longer just a question of depth or shallowness, and even his own trump card had not been revealed halfway.

  Yanling Jun seemed to be indifferent to his measurement, still with a carefree and unrestrained attitude.

  The awkward silence between the two people lasted for a long time, and eventually Tuoba Huai could only hold back, clenching his fist and flicking his sleeve before leaving.

  Marquis Yanling smiled and did nothing to stop him.

  Tuoba Huai'an took two steps forward, but still couldn't swallow this breath, and suddenly stopped again.

  "You can uncover my secrets, that's your skill, I'm not as good as you, willing to admit defeat! But where did you get this information from?" He turned back, his face cold and solemn, with a strong murderous intent, "Even the Emperor of Xi Yue may not know about it, but you, a mere deputy envoy of the Imperial Hospital who has just arrived, have such incredible abilities——Lord Yanling, do you really think your current position is secure?"

  "I have my own ways of getting information. If you have any doubts, Your Highness, you can investigate, and we'll each rely on our own abilities." Yanling Jun said with a raised eyebrow, his smile blooming radiantly once again.

  Tuoba Huai'an's half face was hidden in the dark shadow of the lantern behind him, and after hearing this, he let out a sigh of relief and muttered: "You indeed have an unseen trump card, then we'll just rely on our own abilities!"

  Having said that, he immediately turned around and strode back to the main hall without hesitation.

  The gentleman of Yanling stands in the wind without stirring.

  A little medicine boy dressed in blue came out from behind a pillar, stuck out his tongue and said: "Master, you're selling out Master Qing Shui like this? If someone takes over his Qianji Pavilion, won't they have to fight with you to the death?"

  Yanling Jun smiled and lightly tapped her forehead with his finger, causing Deep Blue to cover her head with both hands and cry out in distress.

  "What do you know? This is called 'borrowing a calamity from the east'! Have someone go and investigate him, it's better than letting them follow me like flies. I have to find something for this Fifth Prince to do." Yanling Jun said, taking steps towards the other end of the corridor, his voice already clear as water thrown over his shoulder, "Go back to the hall and give them a shout, just say that I'm not feeling well after drinking too much wine, and left first."

  Deep blue stood with his mouth ajar, staring at the back of his own master, who was walking away with an air of nonchalance. Before, he had only thought him to be elegant and refined, but now, somehow, there seemed to be a hint of slyness and cunning about him.

  How come she didn't discover it before? The master of her own house has the skill to deceive people, which is in no way inferior to that of the Marquis of Junyang.

  Then---

  That dragon-like man who appears and disappears suddenly, you'd better leave him alone!

  Deep blue shrugged and turned back into the palace to pass on a message to Prince Yanling.

  Until the figures on the corridor disappeared, Chu Qiyan and Chu Lingyun walked out from behind the pillars on the other side of the corridor, one after the other.

  "Do you understand?" Chu Qiyan said, her eyes coldly gazing in the direction where Yanling Jun had just left.

  Chu Lingyun furrowed her brow, staring thoughtfully at the lantern light spilling down from the grand hall entrance: "How did those two end up together? And with such a mysterious air about them... look at Tuoba Huai'an's expression, it's as if something big has happened."

  Chu Lingyun is unbearable with that arrogant temper, but overall, she's still not stupid.

  Chu Qiyan withdrew her gaze from afar, still expressionless as she looked at her and said: "Indeed, something big has happened. Didn't you notice that after the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet that day, Tuoba Huai'an's attitude towards the East Palace became very cold? From what I know, when he first came here, he had his sights set on Chu Yanran. What reason could there be for him to suddenly change his mind overnight? Don't you think it's strange?"

  Chu Lingyun's heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly turned her head to look at the empty corridor opposite her, exclaiming in surprise: "Could it be that you suspect Yanling Jun threatened him?"

  Yanling Jun, was it for Chu Nanyang's sake that you intervened? Was it because you didn't want her to marry into the Mengbei region?

  Chu Youyang's eyes flashed with anger, and two dark cold glints shot out from the bottom of his eyes.

  Chu Qiyan pretended not to see, and expressionlessly looked at her saying: "If you want to threaten him, you need to grasp enough handle, now what we should worry about is not who influenced Tuoba Huai'an's decision, but..."

  He said, taking another step forward, his smile cold and stern: "How did they manage to do it!"

  "Didn't you have someone investigate before? Weren't they saying that Tuoba Huai'an was spotless, with nothing to be found?" Chu Lingyun said impatiently.

  She was unwilling to bother with Chu Qiyan's schemes, but sometimes she had no choice but to get involved.

  "Since I couldn't find out no matter how hard I tried, what right does he have? I still have this much confidence." Chu Qiyan sneered coldly, "So now there's only one explanation, that the key to turning this matter around lies with this Prince Yun of Yan."

  Regarding Yanling Jun, Chu Lingyun also couldn't help but pay attention: "You suspect him?"

  "I've also sent people to investigate his background, but all we got was some superficial information. This leaves us with only two possible explanations: either he's really from a clean family background, or... " Chu Qiyan said, closing her eyes and slowly exhaling, the words that followed carrying an endless chill, "he's a master of manipulating intrigue and power, disguising himself so well that I'm at a loss for what to do."

  "It shouldn't be, right?!" Chu Lingyun instinctively didn't want to believe it: "If he's really like you said, belonging to the latter category, then there must be a strong backing supporting him from behind. There's no reason we've used all our connections and still can't get to the bottom of him. Are you overthinking?"

  Chu Qiyan gave her a glance, and there was an obvious disapproving look in her eyes, but she didn't argue with her verbally.

  Chu Lingyun's heart was also somewhat uneasy—

  Now that Yanling Jun is openly consorting with Chu Ziyang, it's already quite troublesome; if there are any other backgrounds that come to light, I'm afraid it will lead to endless trouble.

  Chu Qiyan saw that she was restless, so he took two steps forward to block her line of sight and said: "This matter is not urgent for the time being, it can be discussed later. However, you cannot continue to stay here now. I have already made arrangements, tomorrow morning you will pretend to be ill and return to Beijing first."

  "Why?" Chu Lingyun blurted out, her voice involuntarily rising.

  "If Ruo Tuo Huai An has already given up on the idea of entering the Eastern Palace, then you are in danger." said Chu Qi Yan.

  Chu Lingyun was shocked and suddenly retreated half a step, her face turned pale as she tightly grasped the handkerchief in her hand.

  Chu Qiyan didn't avoid her gaze, and said frankly: "Tuoba Huai'an is an ambitious man. He wants to form an alliance with our dynasty through marriage, so the woman he chooses must be one who can help him achieve his goals. Looking at the entire imperial court, only the Eastern Palace and our Southern River King's Manor have this kind of capital. However, during this trip to the temporary palace, neither of the two eligible princesses from the Eastern Palace appeared. This must be the Crown Prince's intention. It's clear that the Eastern Palace has already been excluded from this matter."

  Chu Yuanyan is too young, but Chu Nianyang, no one can do anything about her living situation, even if they come, it's all in vain.

  Chu Lingyun's face turned three shades paler, and a great sense of crisis suddenly arose in her heart.

  She forced herself to calm down, took a step forward and grabbed Chu Qiyan's sleeve, saying: "It won't happen, I have the Empress Dowager making arrangements for me—"

  "Your imperial grandmother can make decisions for you, but she cannot make decisions for the emperor!" Chu Qiyan said, word by word, using the most ruthless and straightforward language to shatter all her illusions. "So, to be on the safe side, it's better for you to stay away from this place of right and wrong for now, and avoid it temporarily."

  The emperor's temper was something beyond human control, and Chu Lingyun also knew this.

  "Good!" He nodded hastily, and Chu Lingyun also dared not to be careless again.

  Chu Qiyan saw that her intimidation had achieved its purpose, so she softened her tone and patted her shoulder: "This matter shouldn't have been said by me, but since it's come to this, you should settle your marriage soon after this time. Otherwise, dragging it on will always be a trouble."

  Chu Lingyun's heart was in a mess, but as soon as she heard this, her face immediately turned cold. She shook off his hand and said, "The Empress Dowager has already spoken, I will take charge of this matter myself, you don't need to interfere."

  "I didn't want to intervene, but what are you going to do about Su Lin's matter?" Chu Qiyan let out a cold hum from her nose and walked away indifferently.

  He still had the idea of marrying Rouling Yun to Mo Bei for the time being, but since they were already at odds with the Su family, it might not be a bad thing to cut through the chaos quickly.

  Chu Lingyun's face suddenly changed color in anger and he shouted: "What Su Lin? I never agreed to anything with him."

  "You shouldn't have taken advantage of him time and time again to get him to take the fall for you!" Chu Qiyan said, her face also unpleasant. "It was okay before, but now that Su Wei has suffered such a great loss because of this matter, do you really think the Su family will just let it go?"

  When he gets angry, his momentum is cold and stern, with a strong sense of oppression emanating from between his eyebrows.

  Chu Lingyun's scalp felt numb as he stared at him, biting his lip and remaining silent.

  Chu Qiyan had already been annoyed by him several times, and today he was still in a bad mood, so he didn't give him a good face. He said: "Take advantage of the fact that things haven't developed to an irretrievable point yet, you'd better go back and discuss it with the empress dowager as soon as possible. No one can grasp Taohu's pulse here for the time being, if you quickly settle the engagement with the Su family, maybe it will also be a guarantee."

  Chu Qiyan finished speaking and was about to turn around her and go back into the palace.

  Chu Lingyun's eyes were cold and piercing as she stared at him, her gaze venomous yet seemingly looking at her own arch-nemesis. As he walked past her, she suddenly spoke in a chilly tone, "Do you really think I don't know what you're thinking?"

  Chu Qiyan's footsteps came to an abrupt halt as she suddenly turned her head to look over.

  Chu Lingyun's lips curled up in a cold smile, saying: "You want to conquer the world? I'd be delighted to see you try. But using me as your stepping stone? Don't even think about it!"

  He snorted coldly and turned a deaf ear to Chu Qiyan, quickly walking down the stairs.

  Chu Qiyan stood there, staring at her lithe figure swiftly disappearing into the distance, and slowly clenched his fists, but only for a moment before loosening them again.

  Li Lin looked at the flickering light on his face and was secretly shocked, trying to persuade him: "Young Master, you know the temperament of the county master's daughter, why don't you go back and try to persuade her again?"

  "Let her go!" Chu Qiyan said, his face expressionless and devoid of any warmth, speaking slowly and deliberately: "The fate of the world is just a game of chess, once you're on the board, how can you simply withdraw?"

  Li Lin was stern in his heart and did not dare say another word, following him back into the palace.

  Here, Yanling Jun was originally an insignificant figure, and his early departure would not have much impact. The crowd was in the midst of a lively drinking session, and the banquet continued until midnight before the guests dispersed with satisfaction.

  That night, nothing happened in the quiet Yangtze River town, and he went to bed early. The next morning, he got up feeling refreshed and invigorated. Before sunrise, he took out a precious sword from his room for decoration and practiced some moves with it in the courtyard.

  Her swordsmanship was learned with Chu Qi Feng, practiced daily, and the marksmanship of her past life was also resumed in the military camp due to circumstances. After all, it was a habit that lasted for more than six years, now picking up the treasured sword again, although the movements were still agile, but somehow felt unaccustomed, so she thought about whether to ask someone to make a long gun and send it over another day. Even if she didn't plan to go on the battlefield this life, using it in the backyard to strengthen her physique would be good too.

  After practicing swordplay and working up a sweat, Chu Youyang returned to the house to bathe. By the time he finished, breakfast was already prepared in the Qingteng Pavilion.

  Chu Youyang finished his meal and thought the timing was about right, so he had Qing Luan bring the gifts they had prepared in advance to pay a visit to Chu Yijian.

  Chu Yi Jian had received special favor from the Emperor, and since the completion of this temporary palace, a separate palace was specially set aside for him. In these more than ten years, except for occasionally returning to Rui Wang Fu during the New Year's festival, he mostly lived here. However, this temporary palace was exclusively used by the Emperor and his harem, so it was inconvenient for him to stay here. Therefore, that palace was deliberately separated from the main palace group by a wall, and although he could come and go freely at ordinary times, during the two months when the Emperor came to avoid the heat every year, the palace gate would be locked to avoid suspicion.

  Chu Yi Jian's palace was called Ting Lan Shui Xie, located on the east side of the Imperial Palace. The front yard introduced living water, and more than half of the building was situated on the water. The main hall faced a large semi-circular artificial lake, with clear water and transparent blue color. Under the ripples, fish could be seen swimming in the aquatic plants. A boat was moored near the shore, probably for daily use to cruise around the lake.

  Chu Youyang walked quickly and lightly on the nine-turns eighteen-bends corridor, surrounded by water on three sides, with a slightly damp warm breeze brushing against her face, feeling warm and comfortable.

  Her lips curled into a smile as she strolled towards the waiting Prince Yeonling at the end of the path, taking in the scenery around her with great interest.

  "What are you doing here? You're not waiting for me, are you?" Chu Nanyang smiled and carelessly brushed his hand against the railing beside him.

  Yanling Jun's eyes followed her fingertips as she moved, and he teased: "I thought you'd forgotten about today's appointment, I was just about to go look for you!"

  After several contacts, he now seems to be able to behave freely in front of her, unlike the initial stiffness, but still with subtle differences compared to being in public, at least occasionally flashing a smile that is restrained and not too revealing.

  Chu Youyang didn't mind his tone and glanced around before asking, "Where's Little Wang? Is he inside the house?"

  "In the backyard." said Yanling Jun, "Let's go, I'll accompany you over there."

  "Hmm!" Chu Nanyang smiled and followed his footsteps to the backyard.

  Chu Yi Jian was here for the first time, and in the past, they would meet whenever he occasionally returned to Beijing, so Chu Yu Yang walked while looking around at the scenery.

  Passing through the corridor built by the water next to the main hall is the backyard with the "Ya Yuan" plaque.

  Benefiting from the geographical advantage of a natural hot spring in this courtyard, although it has already entered autumn, this courtyard is also a unique and beautiful scenery.

  Two people walked along the bluestone path through the garden, and from a distance they saw a slender figure under the eaves over there, suddenly...

  It is indeed easy and simple without doubt.

  The railing under the corridor was deliberately decorated, and an additional guardrail was added at a height of about an adult's waist, on which Chu Yi Jian was now holding with both hands, concentrating his attention and slowly moving forward step by step.

  His footsteps were a bit shaky, although his hands were supporting him with all their might, but he was still moving very slowly, yet he didn't get discouraged and continued to do it very seriously.

  Chu Youyang's footsteps suddenly came to a halt.

  Yanling Jun turned back and gave her an inquiring look: "What's wrong?"

  Chu Yi Jian has a leg disability and has been relying on a wheelchair for many years. As a result, he has been living a reclusive life and rarely comes into contact with outsiders.

  Chu Youyang hesitated for a moment, furrowing his brow as he looked at him and said, "I think... I'd better not go over and disturb him."

  Her character has always been decisive and straightforward, but this is the first time she's hesitated.

  Yanling Jun's heart was filled with doubts, and he stared at her steadily.

  "Xiao Wang Shu's leg, I remember that Chen Lao had predicted at the beginning that he would probably never stand up again in this life." Chu Jinyang's eyes flashed to the side and then looked back at him with a hint of mischievous smile, "I didn't expect you to have such a talent for turning decay into magic. You becoming the deputy envoy of the Imperial Hospital is indeed well-deserved. Perhaps in just a few more days, the chief envoy should also step down and yield to a better person."

  What she didn't want to say was that at the moment she saw Chu Yi Jian, she suddenly remembered Chu Qi Feng from her past life.

  That warm and elegant young man, even when he later sat in a wheelchair, always smiled calmly and talked with her about the world and its various phenomena. He never blamed her, nor did he ever lament his fate; in her memory, he was forever gentle and composed.

  Before she knew it, Hu Jing had been gone for over a month, and she had no idea how Qu Qi Feng was doing in Chu Zhou.

  "It's just good luck and a coincidence." Yanling Jun saw that her mind was elsewhere, although he didn't understand why she suddenly changed her mind, but he didn't pursue it either. He just said, "Then let's go ahead, today the weather is fine, boating on the lake is also not bad."

  "Good!" Chu Nanyang nodded, and the two turned around and went back to the front.

  That small boat was ready-made, not very large in size, with no cabin on it. The top was paved with smooth wooden boards, apparently cleaned by a dedicated person every day, spotless.

  Yanling Jun stayed here for a while, and it's not an exaggeration to say that he was half the master. He gave two orders, and immediately someone brought over a quilt and soft pillow, moved up a small bamboo table, and added a set of purple sand tea utensils.

  Chu Youyang watched as he instructed his men to prepare in an orderly manner, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily curled up slightly: "It's just a matter of sitting for a while, where did all these formalities come from?"

  "The guest follows the host, if the reception is not good, you will say I am slow." Yanling Jun said, waiting for the lower officials to bring up a few dishes of fresh fruit and then jumped onto the boat first.

  Chu Nanyang was about to follow up, but saw that he had already turned around and handed over a hand.

  His fingers were slender and long, reflecting the fine autumn day's sunlight, as if they were a work of art carved from beautiful jade, with a faint warm color rising.

  Chu Youyang looked at the hand in front of him, slightly stunned, and raised his eyes to pass over a questioning gaze.

  Yanling Jun's lips curled up with a faint smile as he looked back at her, saying calmly: "The boat is too small, it's a bit unstable."

  The reason she found was a bit far-fetched, and she wasn't one of those fragile thousand-gold misses.

  Chu Youyang couldn't help but smile, and it was a rare good mood that he didn't refuse, handing over his hand to let it fall into his palm.

  The girl's fingertips were warm and soft, and with a gentle press into the palm of her hand, it was as if a surge of excitement burst forth, spreading throughout her limbs and violently pounding against her heart.

  Yanling Jun lost his composure for a moment, then quickly held his breath and pulled Chu Jiu Yang's hand to bring her onto the boat.

  The attendants on both sides looked at each other and quickly lowered their eyes, doing their own things.

  Chu Youyang was never a reserved person, and she casually shook out her skirt and sat down on the floor.

  Qingteng's old home was Lingshan Shui Xiang, and he immediately rolled up his sleeves to follow the boat and help with rowing. Unexpectedly, Yanling Jun blocked him with a sideways arm: "No need, I'll do it myself!"

  Qingteng was taken aback and blinked his eyes, looking at Chu Jiu Yang.

  Chu Youyang glanced at Yanling Jun and saw the serious expression on his face, knowing that it was pointless to say more. He waved his hand at Qing Luan and said, "This lake is not very big, you can just stay on the shore and have some tea."

  "Yes, young mistress!" The two maidservants could only respond in assent.

  Qing Teng was still smiling, but Qing Luan had a deep and bitter look on his face, staring coldly at Yan Ling Jun.

  Yanling Jun looked but didn't see, and took the boat paddle to gently push off from the water.

  A small boat leaves the shore and drifts gently towards the middle of the crystal-clear lake.

  Yanling Jun's rowing movements can't be described as smooth, and can even be said to be a bit stiff and clumsy. Chu Mo Yang originally intended to mock him with a couple of sentences, but somehow didn't know why, perhaps it was the natural elegance and nobility that this person exuded, no matter how awkward he was, his movements still had an air of refinement, and were pleasing to watch.

  Chu Youyang held a cup in one hand and sipped tea, while supporting his cheek with the other hand as he gazed at the scenery on the lake. Unconsciously, his line of sight shifted back to Yanling Jun again.

  This person is truly an enigma, in her memory, no matter whether it's this life or the previous one, even when they met at the reed marsh and he was being chased to death, he seemed to do everything with ease, always able to unfold a picturesque scenery for people.

  She had seen many handsome men who were not common, such as Chu Yi'an in his youth, and now Chu Qi Feng and Chu Qi Yan. These people also didn't have the air of royalty, yet none of them could compare to this man in front of her, who was always acting out a role, constantly presenting himself as a picturesque painting for others to see.

  Chu Youyang was lost in thought, and before he knew it, his mind had wandered far away. He didn't even notice when the small boat stopped moving. It wasn't until Yanling Jun's soft, smiling voice whispered in his ear that he snapped back to reality: "What are you staring at me for? Is there something on my face?"

  He lifted his robe and sat down on the opposite side of Chu Zhiyang, casually raising his hand to touch his cheek.

  “Cough——” Chu Yan's face turned slightly red, and he quickly shifted his gaze to the side. He thought for a moment, then felt that his behavior was justified, so he smiled again with an air of confidence and said, "I was thinking, you always wear a mask in front of people, constantly changing faces in public and private, not to mention whether you're tired or not, I still can't see through you. Which one of your faces is the real one?"

  Yanling Jun didn't mind the sarcasm in her words, he poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, and then slowly said: "The world is full of complexities, who isn't wearing a mask to play their role? I'm just more easily immersed in it than others!"

  His words were somewhat profound, and Chu An Yang savored them carefully before bursting out laughing: "Indeed!"

  She raised her cup, with a smile at the bottom of her eyes: "With tea instead of wine, toasting the best actor in the world!"

  Yanling Jun lost his smile and raised his cup to clink with hers.

  Chu Youyang lowered her eyelids and pursed her lips, sipping tea. When she raised her head again, she saw that Yanling Jun was still sitting in the same position as before, motionless, staring at her with a thoughtful expression.

  Chu Youyang thought he had only spoken for himself and didn't mean to offend him, so he hastily said: "Don't mind me, I was just speaking casually, no other meaning!"

  She didn't even have time to finish explaining when Yanling Jun's expression returned to normal.

  "It's nothing, I just suddenly thought of something else." Yanling Jun said, and as he spoke, he flipped his wrist and pulled out the old flute from behind his waist, "What tune do you like? I'll play it for you!"

  Chu Xiangyang only slightly resembled him in terms of music, the four words "ten sides ambush" almost slipped out, fortunately, it was an unintentional glance that made me realize later, and this small boat had unknowingly drifted into the lotus flower cluster with the wind.

  This season, the blooming period of lotus flowers has passed. Looking around, there are only a few inconspicuous flower buds standing alone among the layered and wavy lotus leaves that resemble ocean waves. A gentle breeze stirs, and they sway with elegance.

  "Suit yourself!" Chu Youyang secretly felt relieved, glad that he hadn't ruined the atmosphere.

  Yanling Jun probably also thought that she was not good at this, so he didn't force her either, and started playing the flute horizontally.

  The melody is unfamiliar, with a light and brisk elegance that seems to carry a hint of gentle tranquility, which matches the scenery here very well.

  The space on this boat is limited. Zhuo Yu Yang sat tiredly, so he simply moved the small square table to the back of the boat and lay down on his back on the boat.

  The sky is a brilliant blue, clear and flawless, stretching out as far as the eye can see like an endless ocean, vast and magnificent.

  Such a peaceful and enjoyable day seems to have been experienced long ago, and at this time, reviewing it again, the feeling is even more unspeakably comfortable and beautiful.

  Chu Sunyang's lips slightly curled up, her eyes closed as she listened intently to the melody played by Yanling Jun. Unbeknownst to her, she drifted off to sleep. In her dream, she found herself back in the scene when she was six years old, following her father on a diplomatic mission to the south. On that day, it was drizzling lightly as they passed through Chu City. Her father took her and her brother through a small alleyway between merchant houses, where she held up her new oil-paper umbrella, running and turning back to see her father's warm and smiling eyes. Her father was a man of few smiles, but in her memory, there was only that one time when his entire being seemed to be infected by the gentle rain of Jiangnan, laughing out a few strands of lingering fragrance.

  That was the most beautiful time in her two-life memory, always unforgettable. But after a moment, the dream turned over, and she seemed to have blood on her hands, standing on the execution ground where the Dong Palace was slaughtered that day, listening to her father's so desolate and painful voice telling her

  Alive!

  Perhaps the contrast between the two dreams was too great, and even in his dream, Chu Jiu Yang could still clearly feel a sudden pain in his heart, and then he instantly woke up.

  She suddenly opened her eyes, and in the midst of her bewildered gaze, there was still a lingering fear that had not yet dissipated. She abruptly sat up with a start.

  She suddenly realized it was a dream, and the string on her body seemed to relax abruptly. She sat down on the deck with one hand covering her forehead.

  Yanling Jun, who was lying beside her, was startled and quickly got up to pick up the long shirt that had fallen to the ground and put it back on her, worriedly asking: "What's wrong? Had a nightmare?"

  "Hmm!" Chu Yan responded dully, and a gust of wind blew across the water's surface. Having just woken up from her nap, she suddenly felt a bit chilly, and subconsciously pulled the garment tighter around her. This time, she discovered that this robe was loose and wide, and to her surprise, it was exactly the outer shirt that Yanling Jun had worn previously.

  Chu Nanyang was taken aback, turned his head to look at Yanling Jun, and saw that he was only wearing his undergarments, feeling a bit embarrassed. He wanted to return the robe to him, but Yanling Jun pressed it down: "You wear it first, you just woke up, don't catch a chill."

  Chu Zhiyang's spirit was poor and he had no heart to exchange pleasantries with him, so he simply responded perfunctorily and closed his eyes for a while, trying to force himself to wake up.

  Yanling Jun had never seen her so out of control before, and he couldn't help but worry as he stood by and watched, unable to offer any words of comfort.

  Chu Youyang hung his head and was depressed for a while, until he calmed down, then suddenly asked: "Can Uncle Wang's leg be cured?"

  Yanling Jun was taken aback, his thoughts hadn't caught up, and he reacted after a moment to answer smoothly: "It's about the same, Prince Jian Xiao's leg disease is caused by toxin accumulation, and the meridians have not been damaged. When my Shibo said he couldn't be cured, it was actually because he had always followed the rules and studied orthodox medical prescriptions, but wasn't very familiar with the side doors and left paths of detoxification. Now that the toxins in his body have dissipated by more than half, and with the help of gold needle acupuncture to revive his meridians, after a period of exercise, although he may not be able to be like a normal person, standing up again should be no problem."

  This time, there were many royal relatives who came to the palace, but only Chu Youyang hurried over to visit Chu Yi Jian.

  Logically speaking, even if the two had a relationship, it could only be considered superficial. Therefore, Yanling Jun's move was suspicious in itself, and he just hadn't asked about it yet.

  At this moment, Chu Youyang was the first to speak up, and he couldn't help but express his doubts: "You seem to be particularly concerned about Prince Jian's leg disease."

  Chu Youyang sat there with his hands clasped around his knees, motionless, his head bowed and pressed against his knees. Upon hearing the words, he turned to look at him sideways with a glance.

  Her lips curled up into a smile, perhaps because of the shadow in that nightmare, so the smile looked a bit weak, unlike her usual bright and lively self.

  "You're a doctor who specializes in treating him, so shouldn't you also know the origin of his leg disease?" Chu Jinyang asked, but instead of answering, he countered with another question.

  "Hmm!" Lord Yanling nodded, "I have some idea!"

  Chu Youyang smiled, shifting his gaze from his face to the distant lake surface, and after a moment, slowly spoke up: "Let me tell you a story?"

  Marquis Yanling felt that her current state was somewhat abnormal, but he didn't dare to interrupt her abruptly, so he endured it and remained silent.

  Chu Nanyang saw that she didn't speak and wasn't paying attention, so he began to talk to himself, recounting the past events that were stained with blood and mixed with some unknown and moving stories.

  Digression

  Suddenly started live streaming, I'm still a bit unaccustomed to it, go ahead and scold me!