Too high to reach

Chapter 418 Extra: Princess and Prince
At the banquet in the outer courtyard, everyone was toasting and exchanging drinks.

Dongfang came today too. As long as he's around, the atmosphere is never a problem... The laughter is so loud it's practically lifting the roof off!
Young Master Zheng may seem gentle and naive, but in reality, he is also someone who enjoys good food.

Fortunately, I only had a couple of sips, so my alcohol tolerance is pretty good.

But today... I don't know if it's because I'm too happy, I'm a little tipsy.

He had been disrespectful to the prince and the crown prince, so he quietly went out to the courtyard to get some fresh air and dispel the smell of alcohol.

Suddenly, a young maidservant, whom they didn't know, whispered, "Young master, my young lady has a few words to say to you. Please come over."

"Oh?! Perfect, I also have something to tell her." Young Master Zheng was quite pleased. "Is it in the flower hall?"

Yes... This way, please.

"What's your name, little girl? I've never seen you before," Xiao Zheng asked casually, walking with an uneven gait, feeling dizzy.

"The other older sisters are all serving her in the dining room..."

In the back dining room, Liu Siwan also got up and came out.

Standing in the courtyard, looking up at the sky... my thoughts are in turmoil.

Actually, what she valued was more than just the position.

The Crown Prince himself... also captivated her greatly.

Over the years, she has indeed taken good care of Liu Nian. It's not just the care an older sister has for her younger brother... but also the fact that Liu Nian, despite being under her mother's strong pressure, is still so clever, cunning, and quick-witted, and has such a strong inner strength... These qualities deeply touched her and made her love and cherish him.

A smile would appear on her lips whenever she recalled their previous interactions.

When they are siblings... that is family affection.

We're no longer siblings; those past memories have become a bittersweet taste.

This feeling was something Xiao Zheng, who was like a cup of lukewarm water, had never experienced...

At this moment, the night sky is dotted with stars... A fleeting thought in my mind, like a shooting star, streaks across the sky. It appears unexpectedly, leaving a beautiful trail, but ultimately... it vanishes.

He turned to his maid and said, "Go in and ask Mother to come out for a moment."

"Wanwan?" Madam Hu immediately followed. She was worried about her daughter...

"Mother, please send someone to invite Xiao Zheng over. I have something to discuss with him."

"Daughter...you?" Looking at her daughter's appearance, Madam Hu couldn't figure out what she was thinking.

“Mother…” Liu Siwan looked around, then leaned closer to Madam Hu and said, “A-Nian already has someone she loves, and I’ve come this far too. No matter how much hope, resentment, or regret I have, it’s all in vain. We can’t act rashly anymore!”

Although her mother didn't tell her the specifics, she could guess what it was...

Upon hearing this, Hu was filled with resentment! It was one thing that it had absolutely nothing to do with her.

But it's right here beside me.

Success or failure makes a world of difference, so it's totally worth taking the risk.

“Mother, think of Grandfather, Father, and Grandmother… We can’t face this! If we can’t get through this, let’s not have anything else happen… Let’s hurry.”

Madam Hu panicked, shook her head helplessly, called over the maid, and gave her a few instructions.

"Ah Wan!" At the entrance of the flower hall, a little maid lifted a curtain, and Young Master Zheng stepped inside.

It was completely dark outside, and only a dim lamp was lit in the flower hall, but there was a strong fragrance.

Under the lamplight, there was a shadowy figure, and Xiao Zheng squinted to see it.

A woman, wearing a wide-sleeved gauze dress with the front open, revealing a strapless, fitted long skirt underneath... her figure was curvaceous, and the scene was incredibly erotic.

Young Master Zheng blinked, trying to control his dizziness. "A-Wan? No...it's not you, is it?" He unconsciously swallowed.

The woman walked towards him, seemingly unsteady, and reached him in two steps. Xiao Zheng smelled fragrance and the aroma of wine...

Before he could react, a warm, fleshy body collapsed onto him...

First, there were those two large, tough things pressed against Xiao Zheng's chest.

The woman let out a soft moan...

Young Master Zheng had never had such an experience before. He was immediately dumbfounded, "You, you, you..."

The woman suddenly wrapped her arms around Xiao Zheng's waist.

This time, Xiao Zheng recognized it: "Hu Hu Hu, Hu... Hua'er?"

"It is this servant..." Hu Hua'er's breath tickled Young Master Zheng's ear.

"You, let go!" Xiao Zheng blushed crimson, his heart pounding. He began to struggle...

"Young master... I feel so dizzy, could you help me to sit over there for a moment..." "Come here, someone!" Young Master Zheng was terrified and whispered, "Let me go!" He swayed from side to side to get rid of him.

However, Hu Hua'er is not thin; in fact, she looks stronger than Xiao Zheng.

Especially since she was pressed against his body...

Xiao Zheng reached out and pushed him away, but his hands, which were fleshy, were quickly released. A rush of blood to a certain spot made him extremely embarrassed…

"Shh...Young master, please don't shout! If you call the girl here...what will we look like? Will the marriage still be possible then..."

"No, no, no!" Xiao Zheng sobered up considerably in an instant. "I didn't do anything! Why did you try to frame me?!"

"Young master... if you have no interest in me, why did you come when I asked the maid to call you?"

"No, no, no! It's not..."

"Alright... my heart is beating so fast, young master, please feel it..."

"Oh my god..." Young Master Zheng was desperate but unable to break free.

"Sigh..." A soft sigh came from the shadows, followed by a sudden movement. Hu Hua'er collapsed silently to the ground...

"Huh!?" Xiao Zheng's eyes widened. "Y-you, who are you?"

"Young Master Zheng...you stutter?" The figure in the shadows was Meng San. He had been stalking this young Master Zheng for quite some time now out of boredom...

I also find this person truly boring!

Even when faced with such a sensual and thrilling situation, he panicked like a rabbit, completely indifferent...

Compared to the Crown Prince's wild and unrestrained nature... hey, no wonder he looks down on him!

"I...I only stutter when I'm flustered...I don't usually stutter! Who are you? And...and why are you here? Yes, yes, you've been watching, haven't you? You have to help me explain...I, I really didn't do anything! I'm innocent!"

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face, and she stepped forward to hold Meng San tightly, refusing to let go.

"Tsk! Alright, that's all. Don't worry about this anymore. Go back and have your drink. Look at how little you can drink!" Meng San looked down on him.

A calculated scheme vanished without a trace.

Xiao Zheng stumbled back, drenched in sweat, with no appetite or desire to eat or drink, and unable to even sit still. Even when the maidservant behind him said that the madam requested his presence, he resolutely refused to enter the inner courtyard again…

Fortunately, Li Jing and the Crown Prince didn't stay long either. As soon as they left, Young Master Zheng immediately wanted to leave as well, not understanding what was going on, and decided to go home first.

The guests have all left...

It was very late when Liu Yue finally returned to his room, exhausted.

Madam Hu had been nervously waiting inside the house for half a day. After talking with her daughter, she sent a maid to call Xiao Zheng, but the maid came back saying that Xiao Zheng was not at the banquet.

She was so startled that she rushed to the flower hall herself... Her legs were so weak that she had to be supported by the old woman beside her all the way...

But when they arrived, there was no one in the flower hall!
Hu Hua'er had also vanished without a trace. They immediately ordered people to search... but couldn't find her.

And just like that, the matter ended inexplicably...

At this moment, she looked into her husband's cold, brooding gaze.

"I..." Mrs. Hu broke out in a sweat.

……

During this time, Mo Yi and Fan Hongying became very close, and her letter to the Duke was out of respect... How could such a thing be refused?

So, they decided to make Hongying their future niece-in-law... Coincidentally, she was handing over her property to the Crown Prince's residence at the time.

Granny Zhao clearly liked this kind of girl very much, and time flew by as they talked.

The Duke of Pingguo's reply has arrived.

The Crown Prince, holding the letter, came bounding and skipping along...

Mo Yi looked at him with a smile, just like she had back then... when she saw the boy in the persimmon tree!

……

Two months later, the emperor, who had struggled with illness for many years, finally passed away.

When the grandson of the emperor ascended the throne, he named Fan Hongying as empress.

He appointed Yi Jing as regent.

A year later, the new emperor got married.

From then on, the two couples lived happily together!
　The full text is over!

　　(End of this chapter)