“Put it there first.” Shuo Ling glanced at it and said to Qiao Shu.
Qiao Shu held the pastry that she raised halfway and got frozen up. She didn’t know whether to give it or not.
Mo Li, who was standing aside saw this, hurried up and came forward to relieve the situation, “Miss Qiao, give it to me.”
“Well, okay.” Hearing Mo Li’s words, Qiao Shu smiled and put the pastry on the plate. Then she gave it to Mo at his convenience.
“My lord, I would like to….”
Qiao Shu was interrupted by Shuo Ling before she could finish, “I still have some things to deal with. Qiao Shu, you could leave first.”
“Since you are busy, I will not disturb you.” Qiao Shu forced a smile at the moment.
Then she walked out of Shuo Ling’s yard. Qiao Shu felt that her heart seemed to fall into a bottomless chasm. How could Shuo Ling be so indifferent to her now!
Qiao Shu just walked out of Shuo Ling’s yard and saw Yang Zijin come on this side. Qiao Shu couldn’t help but impute Shuo Ling’s indifference to her to Yang Zijin.
When Yang Zijin approached her, she suppressed her hatred in her mind and smiled at Yang Zijin. She needed to maintain her fair maiden in front of Shuo Ling all the time.
Watching Shuo Ling and Yang Zijin enter the room together, her hands were clenched tightly. Her nails had penetrated deeply into the flesh, as if she couldn’t feel the pain!
Since Yang Zijin appeared, Shuo Ling, who never let a woman approach himself, had such a close relationship with her.
“Am I really not as good as Yang Zijin who grew up in a brothel? No, it’s impossible.” thought Qiao Shu.
Thinking of this, Qiao Shu was so jealous that there was homicidal intent in her eyes.
“Yang Zijin, you asked for this. It seems that the dose of medicine should increase.” thought Qiao Shu.
Obviously, Qiao Shu did not know that Yang Zijin was no longer poisoned. These days, Yang Zijin did not refuse to have Qiao Shu do the decoction, and she also would pretend to have a headache in front of Qiao Shu all the time.
In the room.
Shuo Ling entered the room, sat down, and looked at Yang Zijin, squinting his eyes, “Zijin, do you know why I called you in?”
“There must be nothing good!” Yang Zijin whispered.
Seeing Yang Zijin open her mouth without any sound made, Shuo Ling asked, “What are you saying?”
“Uh… I mean, I don’t know why you call me in!” Yang Zijin said quickly.
Then Shuo Ling said, “You don’t know? Then I tell you. Since much time has been passed, when are you going to restore your identity?”
“Never think about it!” Yang Zijin replied without thinking.
Hearing Yang Zijin’s answer, Shuo Ling was not surprised. He continued saying, “I have discovered that It was not an accident for Princess Royal in that year! Didn’t you want to go back to the mansion and figure it out?”
“Do you mean that someone did it on purpose? Didn’t the emperor investigate thoroughly?” After hearing Shuo Ling say so, Yang Zijin couldn’t help but feel confused.
“The emperor has also conducted an investigation, and finally found out that a group of mountain bandits did it, and these mountain bandits also candidly confessed. So, this matter ended up with nothing definite as the bandits were beheaded.”
Seeing Yang Zijin was lost in contemplation, he continued saying, “But who gave these mountain bandits the courage to kill all of them? Perhaps, these mountain bandits are just scapegoats!”
After listening to Shuo Ling, Yang Zijin thought again, “If the truth was what Shuo Ling has said, this matter was obviously planned long ago.” She didn’t know that before. Now she knew it, so she would definitely figure it out. She wouldn’t let any of those who hurt them go.
Seeing that Yang Zijin was so worried at this moment and walked out of the room without a word, Shuo Ling knew that she would be back sooner or later!
The next day, Yang Zijin was looking after the children in the backyard of the Blossoming Peach.
Xian was running here in a hurry, looking anxious, “Young Master, that… Duke of Mu comes here again.”
“Well, I see. Take him to where I rest!” Yang Zijin acted as nothing had happened.
Xian saw that Yang Zijin’s reactions were different from the past. So, he thought that maybe his Young Master had encountered something unexpected. He was stunned for a while, but he still went to the front yard and called Duke of Mu to come to the back yard.
After tossing and turning for the whole night, Yang Zijin decided to restore her identity as soon as possible. Duke of Mu came just at the right moment.
Yang Zijin returned to the room and filled the teacup with the water, and wait quietly for the Duke of Mu.
At this moment, Duke of Mu walked into the room. Yang Zijin motioned for Xian to leave.
“Duke of Mu, sit down please.” Yang Zijin changed her former attitude and got up to pull out the stool beneath the table.
Seeing Yang Zijin’s actions today, Duke of Mu was flattered.
Since he knew that Yang took in the examinees in distress and built a school, he felt that he had misunderstood Yang Zijin previously. He had thought that she could only do improper business. He could not help feeling that his words were too mean in the past.
He came here this time just to ease the relationship between them. He couldn’t let the conflict be increased, and he didn’t expect Yang Zijin to go back to the mansion now.
Seeing Duke of Mu staring at her and being stunned, Yang Zijin said first, “Duke of Mu came this time to get me back home?”
“Zijin, Dad’s words have been a little bit mean before, but I really wanted to reunite our family. Maybe I was too eager. Let’s stop continuing the trouble. Could we not be like enemies?” Duke of Mu opened his mouth several times. He finally said these words.
Hearing Duke of Mu say so, Yang Zijin was also very surprised. At first, he spared no arm to burn their Spring Breeze to make her go back. Now he would actually say words like this, which was really rare for Duke of Mu.
Perhaps they were both too tough before, so Yang Zijin said, “I agree to restore my identity!”
“What… what did you say? You agreed to go back to the mansion of the duke?” Duke of Mu suddenly stood up from the stool and stepped forward to grab Yang Zijin. He didn’t believe what he had heard and confirmed again.
Yang Zijin pushed away from the hand that Duke of Mu had put on her shoulder, and then said, “However, I have a request.”
“What’s your request? Just tell me.” The fact that Yang Zijin pushed him away, but didn’t reduce his excitement at all.
As long as Yang Zijin agreed to return to the mansion, he would accept any of her requests. In recent years, he had always dreamed of Yang Zijin ‘s appearance as a baby. Now he not only had found her, but he could make up for his guilt over the years!
Yang Zijin said, “After restoring my status, I will continue taking over the businesses I have now!”
As soon as she said so, Duke of Mu frowned.
“What’s wrong? You can’t accept it?” Yang Zijin asked when Duke of Mu didn’t talk.
“If I let Yang Zijin give up her business at once, she would surely not agree. After all, she had lived on it these years.” Duke of Mu felt that he should let her take her time.
So, he said, “It’s up to you.”
“However, because of the place where you lived before, restoring your identity directly will not only embarrass the prestige of the royal family, but also there will inevitably be some harsh words that came out. Let me report this matter to Empress Dowager first. Then we will discuss with her about the countermeasure, and decide when you are going to return home. How about that?” Then Duke of Mu told her his concerns.
She had always known that if she wanted to restore her identity, everything about her in the past must be erased, including the people close to her!
At the time when Duke of Mu found her, she had known that. So she didn’t agree to restore her identity. However, it was unexpected that Duke of Mu would use fire to burn people who were closely associated with her. This was also the start of the conflict between Duke of Mu and her and the reason why she led the girls of Spring Breeze to a legitimate business.
Thinking of this, Yang Zijin said, “As you say, Duke of Mu.”
“Zijin, why are you still calling me Duke of Mu? It’s time to change the appellation,” Hearing Yang Zijin call him Duke of Mu, again and again, he felt awkward in his mind. So, he reminded her.
Yang Zijin couldn’t help but feel that Duke of Mu was a bit too insatiable. So she said, “Of course I will change the appellation when I return to the mansion of the duke.”
“You are right. I am too impatient.” Duke of Mu had to give up, but he was more than happy that Yang Zijin promised to return home!
After coming out of the Blossoming Peach, Duke of Mu walked towards the palace.
Head straight for the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility!
“Empress Dowager! Empress Dowager! Good news! Good news!” Duke of Mu said quickly when he saw Empress Dowager. He was too happy, so that he forgot to salute.
Empress Dowager looked at Duke of Mu’s excitement and couldn’t help but wonder, “What is it that makes Duke of Mu so happy?”
“Empress Dowager, infanta promised to return home.” Duke of Mu said immediately.
After listening to Duke of Mu, Empress Dowager also sat up, “You mean, my granddaughter is coming back?”
“Yes, Empress Dowager, your granddaughter promised to restore her identity.” Duke of Mu nodded quickly when he saw that Empress Dowager’s excitement was also shown in facial expression.
“Good. Good. Well, I will have someone to talk with in the future.”
Then Empress Dowager asked again, “Has infanta said when she will return to the palace? At that time, I will hold a grand feast.”
“Empress Dowager, because of the place where infanta used to live, if we restore her identity directly, surely there will be some rumors. It will damage the prestige of the royal family. I come here today for this case.” Duke of Mu raised the questions that he worried about in his mind.
Empress Dowager nodded, “I am so happy for the moment that I forgot this matter.”
Empress Dowager was thinking about it. It was time to tell the emperor about it. Empress Dowager called Eunuch Liu outside and told him, “Go and call the emperor and say that I have something to tell him.”
“Yes, Empress Dowager.” Eunuch Liu retreated after hearing the words.
Imperial Study.
Chushi Youtian had just finished reviewing the memorials. He was about to get up, and Eunuch Li walked to him, “Your Majesty, people close to Empress Dowager said that Empress Dowager invite you to go to Palace of Compassion and Tranquility, saying that they have something to tell you.”
“I see.” As he said, Chushi Youtian rubbed his temples. Then he got up and walked towards the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility.
As soon as he entered the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility, he heard the laughter of Empress Dowager. Chushi Youtian couldn’t help but wonder, “what actually made her so happy?” He moved faster as he thought.
“Empress Dowager, what kind of happy news do you have? Oh, Duke of Mu is also here.” Chushi Youtian hurried into the room.
Seeing the emperor coming in, Duke of Mu immediately saluted, “Your Majesty.”
“It’s okay. Duke of Mu, sit down please.” Then, Chushi Youtian sat down next to Empress Dowager.
Then Empress Dowager temporarily put away her excitement and mentioned to Chushi Youtian, “Do you know that the corpse of the little infanta was not found where Suhan was killed.”
“It has happened for many years. Empress Dowager, why do you mention this today?” Chushi Youtian heard Empress Dowager talk about the incident of that year. He couldn’t help but frown, and his feelings were low.
Suhan was his elder sister. When he was little, the elder sister loved him the most. In that year, when he heard that the elder sister was killed, he thoroughly investigated the case and found out that it was the mountain bandits who did it. With great hatred, he killed all these mountain bandits.
After this incident passed, he dared not think about it. He felt unbearably painful every time he thought about it.