Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

Xiao Chen'an looked at the pile of Xuan paper on the table, then slowly walked back to his seat and sat down.

"My father is too busy to supervise me much. My three tutors usually arrange my studies, and when my father has free time, he will check my work."

As he spoke, he picked up his pen again.

"Three gentlemen?"

Ling Xi was slightly startled, never expecting that Xiao Chen'an, who was so young, would live such a tense life every day.

"Mr. Gu taught martial arts, Mr. Liu taught chess, and Mr. Mo specialized in poetry and literature."

As soon as he finished speaking, he pursed his lips, raised his hand and started writing again, his other hand firmly resting on the paper.

Ling Yue, who was standing to the side, stared blankly at Xiao Chen'an after hearing this, and stopped what he was doing.

"Xiao Chen'an, do you never have time to go out and play?"

Xiao Chen'an lowered his head and gently shook it, but his hands continued to move.

Ling Xi squatted down and looked at the six-year-old child in front of her. Seeing his neat handwriting and beautiful characters, she felt a pang of sadness in her heart.

"If you don't study hard and practice martial arts, will your father be angry?"

"I bet Uncle Rui will beat you up."

Ling Yu picked up where Ling Xi left off, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Xiao Chen'an quickly looked up at Ling Yu and hurriedly retorted:

"My father never hits me. Even if I slack off, he won't get angry. It's just... it's just that my father is always gloomy. I just want to study hard so that I can make him happier."

Ling Yu nodded repeatedly in agreement.

"That's right! I've seen Uncle Rui many times, and I've never seen him smile!"

He scratched his head again, looking completely confused.

Why does Uncle Ke Rui always seem so downcast?

"I know!"

Qin Xing quickly approached the desk and leaned over it.

"Father always tells me to make Uncle Rui happy. He says that the person Uncle Rui loves has left Jinling and will never come back, which is why Uncle Rui is always so sad."

"Never to come back? Then...why not just let Uncle Rui find someone else to like?"

"She can't be replaced. My father said that woman is as beautiful as a fairy, and that's the kind of woman Uncle Rui likes. There's no one else like her in the entire Liang Dynasty."

"How beautiful could she be? More beautiful than my aunt?"

Ling Xi listened quietly to the two children's back-and-forth conversation, her heart pounding. Ling Yue quickly realized that the woman Ling Yu and Qin Xing were talking about was his mother. He glanced at Ling Xi to his right and frowned deeply.

"I told you to let Uncle Rui marry my aunt! My aunt is so beautiful, she's definitely more beautiful than the person Uncle Rui likes. Wait a minute... Didn't Uncle Rui go to Night City specifically to see my aunt?"

As soon as Ling Yu finished speaking, all the children turned their heads and their eyes fell on Ling Xi. She suddenly felt a chill and broke out in a cold sweat from the shock of the children.

"Your Highness, it's time for martial arts practice. Master Gu has arranged archery practice for today and is waiting in the archery hall."

Suddenly, a respectful announcement came from the doorway. Xiao Chen'an's personal attendant had been standing at the door at some point, and his words immediately diverted their attention.

"Archery? I like that!"

Ling Yu had been sitting idly for most of the hour, but upon hearing that he was going to practice archery, he instantly perked up. Ever since Xiao Ce gave him that small bow and arrow, he had been playing with and practicing it every day, and this was the time when his interest was at its peak.

"Xingxing wants to go watch her brothers practice archery too!"

"Okay, Auntie will go with you."

Ling Xi led the children from the library toward the archery hall. As they reached the central corridor, they saw Steward Mu and Lu Baixu hurrying along at the end of the long corridor. Behind Lu Baixu was his attendant medicine boy, who carried a large, eye-catching black lacquered medicine chest on his shoulder.

Ling Xi abruptly stopped, a heavy sense of worry rising in her heart.

"Auntie, what's wrong?"

Xiao Chen'an turned his head and looked in the direction she was gazing, only to see a few figures turning into the corridor.

"Auntie, let's go quickly!"

Ling Yu, who was standing to the side, couldn't wait any longer. He tugged at Ling Xi's sleeve and urged her on.

"You guys go ahead first, your aunt has some other things to do."

Ling Xi barely suppressed the unease surging in her heart, and a faint, gentle smile appeared on her lips.

Ling Yue looked in the direction she had been gazing, his eyes flashing. He knew that it was clearly the direction of Chuixing Academy. He had a good memory and had been there twice, so he remembered it well.

......

Ling Xi was filled with anxiety and followed nervously to the gate of Chuixing Courtyard, but then stopped and hesitated to go any further.

She stood hesitating at the foot of the steps for a long time, and finally a self-deprecating bitter smile slowly appeared on her lips. In the end, she could not control her heart. When she saw Lu Baixu and Butler Mu rushing over, her first reaction was to worry about Xiao Ce, fearing that his health might deteriorate again.

Ling Xi closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, forcibly suppressed her turbulent emotions, and turned to leave.

"Princess?"

Butler Mu was clearly not expected to see her at the door, his eyes filled with sudden surprise.

"Why is the princess here?"

Ling Xi quickly concealed the hesitation in her eyes, and when she turned around, her expression was composed, and she had regained some composure.

"I saw you and Vice Minister Lu hurrying towards Chuixing Courtyard in the central courtyard just now, so I came over to check if Xiao Ce had encountered any problems."

Butler Mu frowned deeply, his face filled with unconcealed worry.

"Just now, the prince suddenly vomited several mouthfuls of black blood and fell unconscious..."

"Spitting blood? Unconscious?"

Ling Xi's heart trembled, and the image of Xiao Ce lying on the bed that night, his face ashen, flashed before her eyes, sending a chill down her spine.

"Yes, the Du family physician examined him and said there was nothing seriously wrong, but Young Master Qin was still worried, so he specially sent someone to invite Vice Director Lu over."

"Didn't they clearly say that he was no longer in mortal danger? How could he suddenly be vomiting blood again?"

Ling Xi was overwhelmed with emotion, and her breathing became somewhat disordered.

"This old servant has no idea either. I am on my way to the Zhengyang Courtyard to report this to the Dowager Consort."

Ling Xi suddenly recalled the haggard and listless face she had just seen, and her heart stirred slightly. She lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment before raising her eyes to look intently at Butler Mu.

"Uncle Mu, there's no need to report to Zhengyang Hospital yet. We can wait until Vice Director Lu has finished examining your pulse before we talk about it."

Butler Mu gazed at the woman before him, who had instantly calmed her panic and become composed and collected. For a moment, he was lost in thought and had a fleeting illusion that he was seeing the mistress of Chuixing Courtyard five years ago.

"Uncle Mu?"

Seeing that he was staring at her in a daze and did not respond for a long time, Ling Xi called out softly again.

"Alright... This old servant will obey the princess's orders."

Butler Mu snapped out of his daze, quickly bowed in agreement, and then hesitated before looking up to ask:

"Princess...would you like to go inside and see the Prince?"