Shangguan LingRan was stunned once again. The person in front of him smiled like an spirit amidst flowers. She was suddenly extremely charming and soul-sucking. He unconsciously and foolishly looked at Zi You.
There was no banter or charm in his eyes. There was only affection and love. In addition to his devilishly charming looks, Zi You’s heart finally jumped uncontrollably……
Zi You strongly suppressed the panic in her heart and rubbed off Shangguan LingRan’s makeup with a handkerchief. Then she quickly made him up into an ugly woman with drooping eyelids and thick lips.
Then she stood up and started walking outside. She feigned coldness and said, “Wait here. Someone will take you out of the fu.”
Shangguan Lingkan knew it would be difficult to see her again, so he held her. He almost implored, “You’er, promise me. Before imperial grandmother gives permission for me to marry you as my wife, don’t get engaged to anyone else, okay?”
Zi You’s face once again turned red. She kicked him and scolded fiercely, “Scram! You’re sick!”
She flew away and disappeared.
Shangguan LingRan smiled wryly at the direction she disappeared from until a woman and a bodyguard came over. They smiled and said, “We pay our respects to Shizi Ye! Please come with us, Shizi Ye.” That’s when Shangguan LingRan ran over to look in the mirror.
This look startled Shangguan LingRan. The maidservant in the mirror was ugly enough to frighten people. At this rate, no one would ever associate this maidservant with him.
Shangguan LingRan grinned. Even he was scared by his own appearance. He shook his head as he left the General’s Manor, depressed.
He wanted to turn around several times, but didn’t dare to do so. Only after he got onto the horse carriage did he brush open the curtain. That imposing and dignified General’s Manor was getting further away from him.
At this time, the Zi You in Hundred Herb Garden was not as calm as she looked.
In ancient times, an eleven- or twelve-year-old girl who knew about relationships could be found everywhere. Moreover, her soul was that of her previous life’s sixteen-year-old self.
But it was precisely because she had the memories of her previous life’s miserable and devastating experiences, she closed the door to her heart and the window to her feelings.
Shangguan LingRan using his life to protect her was like throwing a pebble in her calm heart. Only she knew how much ripples it caused.
She still remembered that her grandfather married her to Zhao HongXiang in her previous life because one, her grandfather understood Duke Yongnan. He thought that his character wasn’t bad. And secondly, it was to avoid the wangzis’ fighting.
The wangzis wanting to marry her in her previous life was certainly for her grandfather’s military power. But now? Zi You also knew that her outstanding performance in Duke Anguo fu had attracted a lot of attention.
It seemed that there was only way to avoid all the wangzis. That was to get engaged to Zhao HongXiang, like in her previous life.
But she wouldn’t stupidly marry that beast like she did in her previous life. In this life, she would rely on herself! She would definitely have Duke Yongnan fu and Zhao HongXiang fall from grace.
Thinking of her previous life’s deep hatred, Zi You gave herself a slap in the face. What time was it now? She had no big breakthroughs in martial arts or spiritual power recently. Yet she was still letting her imagination run wild.
Weren’t her previous life’s lessons enough? No matter what, you can’t believe in men’s feelings towards you. Therefore, close the door to your feelings and practice your martial arts and spiritual power and study medicine. What is so scary about not marrying anyone?
Thinking like that, Zi You finally became as peaceful as water. She immersed herself in the cultivation of her martial arts and spiritual power.
At this time, Shangguan LingRan and some elderly servants from the General’s Manor were buying food at the market. They blended into the crowd and soon disappeared.
After a while, a maidservant who was wearing the same clothes as Shangguan LingRan emerged. She and the servants got on a horse carriage and returned to the General’s Manor.
The Shangguan LingRan in the crowd was soon picked up by people from the Prime Minister fu. He changed into male clothing and went to the Palace.
The Palace was already in a mess. The Emperor was saying to the Empress Dowager, “Muhou, it’s not good. It’s been three or four days that we can’t find Ling’er. Erchen has sent several people to search for him everywhere, but they couldn’t find him. Erchen heard that there was a bloody fight on Yunwu Mountain four days ago. More than thirty assassins were sent to kill Old General Mu’s granddaughter Mu Zi You who was playing on the mountain. As a result, Mu Xiaojie and her guards were all injured and the thirty-odd assassins were killed.”
As the Emperor was speaking, he was closely observing the Empress Dowager’s expression. He feigned grief as he said, “Although Ling’er was not found among the corpses, but Erchen heard someone say that Ling’er went up the mountain that day. Erchen is afraid that Ling’er liked Mu Xiaojie. He wanted to snatch her and angered Mu Xiaojie. They got into a conflict and started fighting. As a result, to Ling’er, she accidentally……”
“Impossible, impossible!” The Empress Dowager was distressed and worried. No matter what, she wouldn’t believe that her favorite grandson would do such a muddleheaded thing.
However, she was a little afraid, because she knew that Ling’er actually did like that yatou Zi You.
She was not worried that Zi You and the guards wounded or killed Shangguan LingRan. She was afraid that Shangguan LingRan went to secretly meet Zi You and was followed by those assassins. That’s why those people would kill Shangguan LingRan.
She even knew that her son, the Emperor, in front of her was one of the people who wanted to kill her grandson. A few wangzis also wanted to kill him. That was because of Daoist priest Tianxuan’s prophecy. “I have observed the night sky. The Sirius star is descending. The Emperor’s empire will change masters within forty years. This person is also from the imperial family. I cannot calculate who he is. But I know that he is born in April and the year of the dragon, with two moles on the forehead.”
Carnage and terror followed Daoist priest Tianxuan’s words in the imperial family. Almost all people born April and in the year of the dragon were killed off.
In the end, An Wangfei was afraid that the Shangguan LingRan in her belly would be killed. She induced labor to give birth to the child on March 26th who would have originally been born on April 8th.
However, even if birth was induced, because he had two moles on his forehead, he was still guarded against. It was unclear how many times he had been harmed since he was a child. The Empress Dowager had cultivated him into a dandy to protect his life.
It was a pity that even if he was a dandy, someone still wouldn’t let him go and wanted his life.
The Empress Dowager felt her whole body turn cold. She couldn’t understand why her eldest son was so ruthless and suspicious.
Thus, she waved her hand. She didn’t want to look at him anymore. She sadly went to lie down. Tears started flowing down.
That was her biological grandson. How could she not be in pain? Moreover, Shangguan LingRan was a dandy in front of outsiders, but knew how to cajole and make her happy the most. She was closer to him than the Emperor’s wangzis.
Seeing the Empress Dowager sadly crying, the Empress Dowager’s confidant Leng momo [elderly palace lady, wet nurse] knew that the Empress Dowager was panicking. Thus, she rushed to advise, “Empress Dowager, it’s no good if you’re sad. Right now, you can only send people to find Shizi Ye. If he’s alive, you have to see his person. If he’s dead, you have to see his corpse. Don’t listen to the Emperor.” The Empress Dowager suddenly sat up and said to Leng momo, “Think of a way to send a letter to Duke Anguo fu. Say that it is Aijia’s intentions and tell Duke Anguo to go to Prime Minister fu. He has to find Ling’er.”
Leng momo quickly tried to stop her, “Empress Dowager, right now, you’re panicking in a crisis. Did you forget that you selected Fourth Xiaojie [Liu Ruixue] to be Taizi Ye’s cefei? Will Duke Anguo fu help Shizi Ye?”
The Empress Dowager was about to speak, but heard from outside, “Nubi pays respects to Shizi Ye. Wishing Shizi Ye good fortune!”
Leng momo immediately grinned from ear to ear. “Empress Dowager, Shizi Ye is back.”
Shangguan LingRan walked in crookedly and improperly. He suddenly rushed into the Empress Dowager’s bosom and tearfully acted spoiled. “Imperial grandmother, your grandson almost couldn’t come back.”
The Empress Dowager hugged him and cried. “Where have you been these past four days? We couldn’t find you anywhere.”
Shangguan LingRan shook his head. He looked extremely humiliated and angry. He said righteously, “I don’t want to talk about it. Grandson lost face. Grandson plays with people yearlong, but was played by someone. A rich landlord from Shanxi liked grandson and didn’t know grandson’s identity. He had someone knock grandson out and snuck grandson out of the capital to take grandson back to Shanxi.”
Rich ancient people loved keeping pets. And Shangguan LingRan was very good-looking. Otherwise, how could he be called the capital’s number one beauty?
The Empress Dowager was angered to death! She secretly swore. A mere landlord dared to kidnap an imperial descendant? This man had guts!
But then again, if her grandson didn’t spend all his time in the red-light district, perhaps this incident wouldn’t have happened? However, she was more than halfway responsible for her grandson turning out like this.
The Empress Dowager rubbed her grandson’s head. She guiltily asked, “Why didn’t you try to escape?”
Shangguan LingRan shook his head in depression. “Imperial grandmother, grandson thought about escaping, but that hallucinogen was too strong. Grandson felt weak all over. Also, that landlord had two manservants watching grandson. Grandson was afraid to escape.”
“Then what happened?” The Empress Dowager was frightened and couldn’t help but ask.
“Later, grandson could only use the beauty trap and knock out that landlord.” Shangguan LingRan acted disgusted as he cursed, “Bah…… that darned pervert! He dared to drug this Ye and fantasize about me.…… Ah, fortunately, this Ye also carries knockout drugs. Otherwise, this Ye would be dead.”
“Someone come……” The Empress Dowager was very angry. She shouted for her attendants, intending to chop up that fictitious Shanxi landlord.
