Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

The teacup fell to the ground, and Pei Dingxuan snapped out of his reverie. "Atai told you everything?"

"Otherwise what?"

Liu Wenying's eyes were filled with anger and disappointment, and her tone was sharp.

"Pei Dingxuan, are you so cowardly that you only want to forget everything?"

"You run away from problems, use drugs to forget your feelings, and dare not face the entanglements of love and hate. I despise you from the bottom of my heart."

The word "coward" shattered all of Pei Dingxuan's forbearance and pretense.

His shoulders trembled slightly, aggravating the pain in his left arm. He lowered his head and gave a bitter smile, his expression one of utter helplessness and embarrassment: "I had no choice."

No one knew the torment and turmoil in his heart.

He spent half his life cold and lonely, decisive in killing, and even though his days were mundane, he was able to live a peaceful life.

But because of his obsession, he kept her by his side, spending half a month with her in this small courtyard.

He had tasted sweet words and tender caresses, seen her gentle eyes and brows, held her in his arms, and felt the warmth of close proximity.

The cruelest thing in the world is giving first and then taking away.

If you don't possess something, you can still be content with solitude.

Once you've tasted the sweetness of happiness, returning to solitude and loneliness is unbearable.

Since she left, he has been sleepless every night, and the ordinary pleasures of the world no longer catch his eye.

Without her, every moment is torture.

So he had someone deliver orders to the silk shop so he could secretly see her in his mansion every month.

But seeing him once a month wasn't enough, so he booked a private room in a teahouse and gazed at him from afar every day.

One meeting would be enough. If nothing unexpected happened, he would become like a shadow, never to enter her sight again.

"Yingniang, I can't take it anymore."

He looked up at her, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins, brimming with humility and madness.

"The only way for me to survive is to forget everything."

Pei Dingxuan, who was once aloof and composed, has now shed all his armor and lost all his sharpness.

He wanted to touch her, but his hand stopped in mid-air.

"Yingniang, please give me another chance, okay?"

Liu Wenying's breath hitched slightly; her emotions were a tangled mess.

Reason clearly told her that Pei Dingxuan was ruthless and had imprisoned her and disturbed her peace of mind. She should leave him as soon as possible and never see him again in this life.

But beyond reason, emotions are often beyond our control.

Time and again, I was bound by his silent protection and selfless rescue.

She resented him, feared him, yet ultimately cared for him and couldn't let him go.

It's a dilemma for people; choosing between two options is incredibly difficult.

Unable to decide, she simply left her fate to destiny.

Liu Wenying thought of the withered peach tree in the courtyard.

"If the peach tree we planted blossoms, I will accept you."

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of light appeared in Pei Dingxuan's lifeless eyes. He said, "Alright, I'll wait."

No matter how many years pass, even if the trees wither and flowers fail to bloom, he is willing to stay here, waiting for a magnificent peach blossom season, waiting for a journey home that belongs to him.

One month later, at Huiyin Palace.

The dragon inside the palace was burning well, keeping out the cold air.

As Liu Wenying followed the palace attendants into the hall, this was the scene she saw.

The eldest princess leaned against the chaise lounge, holding a baby in her arms wearing an apricot-yellow jacket. The baby babbled and reached for the pastries on the low table.

The other, slightly older child, was held on the prince consort's lap, the two of them head to head, looking at some novel thing.

Liu Wenying curtsied, and the Princess raised her hand to help her up, smiling, "No need for such formalities."

She handed the baby in her arms to the wet nurse and gestured for Liu Wenying to sit down.

"I invited you here today because I recently acquired some nice things, and I thought you might like them."

As he spoke, a palace maid brought over a brocade box.

Inside was a pair of mutton fat jade bracelets, the jade as smooth and lustrous as solidified fat, carved with lotus scroll patterns, the craftsmanship was exquisite.

There was another box of South Sea pearls, each one round and full, shimmering with a soft iridescence.

"Your Highness's kindness is too much for this humble woman to bear."

The eldest princess waved her hand and said, "Keep them. It's not easy for you to support those businesses now. I can't help you much. These little things are just to add some joy."

The prince consort, with great admiration, eagerly handed a cup of hot tea to the princess.

"Your Highness, please moisten your throat."

The princess took it, took a sip as usual, but her gaze remained fixed on Liu Wenying.

The prince consort wasn't annoyed; he chuckled, picked up the child, and stepped aside to continue teasing him.

Ever since the birth of these twins, his status with the princess has risen dramatically, truly a case of "husband gaining status through his children."

After exchanging a few casual words, the princess dismissed her attendants, leaving only her and Liu Wenying in the hall.

"I'm afraid we're about to get down to business," Liu Wenying straightened her back.

The eldest princess didn't mince words and asked directly, "There have been many events in court lately; have you heard anything about them?"

Liu Wenying: "This humble woman has lived in the marketplace for a long time and knows very little about the affairs of the imperial court..."

The eldest princess chuckled, "You're always so cautious."

"To be frank, before the palace coup, Xiao Chenlin knew that the situation was hopeless, so he secretly copied a map of the defense deployment in various parts of the Great Wei and sent it to the Northern Di."

On the day of the palace coup, she led a group to sneak into the prison to rescue Pei Yaojun. Xiao Yiheng didn't tell her, so she really didn't know the inside story.

I never imagined that Xiao Chenlin would be so heartless and depraved as to betray his country and collude with the enemy.

"That secret letter couldn't be stopped in the end. Although His Majesty changed the defenses as quickly as possible, the losses were still considerable. The war between the Northern Barbarians and the Great Wei is still going on, but the flames of war haven't reached the capital yet."

Pei Yaojun was once captured by Yelü Yuanjia, but was later released. His aim was to stir up the situation in the Great Wei, but in the end, Yelü Yuanjia still benefited from the situation.

Liu Wenying said softly, "That prince of the Northern Barbarians certainly has some tricks up his sleeve."

Ambitious people are ultimately not a blessing for the people.

The eldest princess turned to look at her, her tone softening: "However, His Majesty and the court officials will take care of these matters. We should just live our own lives."

Liu Wenying smiled faintly and said nothing more, but the princess changed the subject.

"Speaking of which, there is something I would like to ask you to advise His Majesty on."

Liu Wenying met the princess's meaningful gaze, and her heart skipped a beat for no reason.

"I am but a humble woman, my words carry little weight; what advice can I possibly offer Your Majesty?"

The princess picked up her teacup and slowly skimmed off the foam.

"Since His Majesty ascended the throne, the harem has been empty. The ministers in the court have advised him again and again, but he always uses the excuse of tight finances and unresolved war. Others may not understand, but I do. Those are just excuses."

Liu Wenying naturally understood that Xiao Yiheng had not been interested in women when he was still a prince, and after ascending the throne, he devoted all his energy to the affairs of the court.

Those petitions requesting the selection of imperial concubines were probably all dismissed by him with a nonchalant air.

Understanding something is one thing, but explaining it is another.

The eldest princess put down her teacup and said softly, "My nephew is quite stubborn. Once he's made up his mind about something, not even ten oxen could pull him back."

"But he is a monarch. A monarch can have favorites, but he cannot be without offspring. A throne without offspring is ultimately unstable."

These words tore away the unspoken understanding between them. Liu Wenying wanted to agree to the advice, but the words wouldn't come out.

The thought of him taking in a large harem of three thousand beauties made her feel uneasy and subtly resistant.

I agreed, but I felt wronged and couldn't let it go.

If they refused, they would be betraying the princess's trust, leaving them in a dilemma.

The eldest princess took in the struggle and confusion on her face and understood.

She had no intention of actually forcing her; her words were merely an attempt to personally confirm whether Liu Wenying had feelings for Xiao Yiheng.

The hesitation itself speaks volumes.

Unaware of the princess's thoughts, Liu Wenying stammered, "Your Highness, I will try to persuade her..."

The eldest princess gently interrupted, "That's enough. I was just saying it casually. You don't need to take it to heart. It's ultimately a private matter for the emperor, and no one can force it. There's no need for you to make things difficult for me."

Hey, it's just a test. If she really agrees, what will happen then? Won't my nephew cause trouble for her later?

"It's getting late, you should go back and rest."

"Yes."

Liu Wenying rose, curtsied, and took her leave, but her mind was heavy with thoughts as she left the Huiyin Hall.

The palace doors slowly closed, shutting out the light and shadows from inside and outside. The palace was silent except for the lingering fragrance of incense.

The eldest princess looked at the carved ink-wash screen in the hall.

"She's already gone. Since you heard the whole thing, there's no need to hide anymore. Come out."

Behind the screen, the fabric rustled softly.

Xiao Yiheng emerged, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, exuding unparalleled nobility, a smile playing on his lips.

…………