Chapter 793: Chapter 678, Claid_1 Chapter 793: Chapter 678, Claid_1 “Alright, alright, stop ssing around, if you keep this up, I really can’t guarantee I won’t get carried away!”
Overco with heat from the teasing, Xiao Yeyang embraced Daohua tightly, holding her firmly in his arms.
Feeling Xiao Yeyang’s breathing getting heavier, Daohua dared not move abruptly and just glared at him, puffed up with anger.
When Xiao Yeyang noticed she cald down, he regained his composure and then touched his neck, “Haven’t seen you in two years, and you’ve learned to bite, huh? Ouch, that really hurts!”
Daohua glanced at Xiao Yeyang and, seeing a clear bite mark on his neck, guiltily averted her gaze, “You asked for it.”
Xiao Yeyang tightened his arms upon seeing her reaction and said affectionately by her ear, “Next ti you want to bite, it’s better to bite sowhere hidden. Biting on the neck like this, if others see it, it’s not good.”
Hearing this, Daohua stiffened and quickly checked the location of the bite mark.
Uh… the spot is a bit too high!
“Well, you should wear high-collared clothes tomorrow!”
Xiao Yeyang imdiately continued the conversation, “I even have new high-collared sumr clothes. Could you make a couple for ?”
Daohua gave him a sidelong glance and remained silent.
Xiao Yeyang persisted, “I don’t care, I’ll be waiting. Just before I returned to Beijing, Uncle Emperor rewarded with a few bolts of Shu Brocade. Later I’ll have Defu take them to your villa, and we can make so new clothes together, let’s make… the couple outfits you ntioned before.”
Daohua snorted, “You sure are good at ordering around.”
Xiao Yeyang nuzzled against Daohua’s cheek and teased, “What, don’t you want to show everyone that I’m already yours?”
Daohua pursed her lips into a smile, looked at Xiao Yeyang with a playful sneer, and said nothing.
Afterward, the room fell silent, and they could only hear each other’s breathing and heartbeat.
After a while, Daohua felt the temperature in the air rising higher and higher, and being held tightly by Xiao Yeyang made her feel his burning heat, which made her feel even hotter.
Daohua twisted uncomfortably, “Xiao Yeyang, don’t you think it’s a bit hot in the room? Shall we go sit in the gallery below?”
Xiao Yeyang remained silent for a while before nodding, “Alright.”
…
The two reached the gallery and stood on the mountain top looking down at the serpentine corridor lit with lanterns, which appeared exceptionally splendid.
With the mountain breeze, Daohua imdiately felt cooler, “Xiao Yeyang, it’s getting late. Let’s walk down.”
Rembering the warning he had just given himself, Xiao Yeyang nodded and reached out to hold Daohua’s hand, “I’ll hold you as we go, so you don’t trip.”
Daohua countered, “When have I ever been so frail?” She said that, but she didn’t let go of Xiao Yeyang’s hand.
The two began to walk down the mountain slowly.
On the way, Daohua cheerfully said, “The emperor is quite generous, these two villas are really nice, especially that waterfall hot spring, I absolutely love it.”
Xiao Yeyang smiled, “Since you like it, then co soak more often.”
Daohua nodded enthusiastically, “After staying with the master here for a couple of days to get used to it, I’ll go ho and bring grandma here. Soaking in hot springs is good for health; I’ll let her soak more often.”
“Also, Jingwan ntioned before that she enjoys hot springs. I’ll find a chance to invite her and Yuanyao over next ti, it would be nice for us to get together.”
Looking at the excitable Daohua, Xiao Yeyang fell silent for a mont, “The Dong Family and the Zhou Family have both encountered so trouble.”
Upon hearing this, Daohua’s smile froze, “What happened?”
Xiao Yeyang took Daohua by the hand and seated her on the stone bench under the flower gallery, ticulously narrating the incident of the Dong Family being stripped of their noble titles and Vice Minister Zhou being locked up in the Ministry of Justice’s prison.
Daohua’s brow furrowed, “Are they truly guilty, or were they implicated?”
Xiao Yeyang replied, “For aristocratic families like Dong and Zhou, it’s difficult to ascertain whether they are completely clean or not. As far as I know, the Dong Family is anything but innocent in being stripped of their titles; in fact, they are quite lucky not to have been beheaded or exiled.”
“Of course, Yuanxuan’s branch of the family might be sowhat innocent, but even his father, when serving as Provincial Governor in Zhongzhou, benefited a lot from the Marquis Residence. It’s only fair that they share the punishnt.”
“Regarding Vice Minister Zhou… Your third brother is currently investigating the matter. It seems to have nothing to do with the Eight Princes Party, but that doesn’t an he is without guilt. There are quite a few officials who had been promoted through his patronage, secretly serving the Eight Princes. Perhaps he was used by others, but his imprisonnt in the Ministry of Justice’s dungeon is by no ans unjustified.”
Daohua knew clearly that in this era, a woman’s fate was bound to her family’s. Without the protection of her family, a woman would be like a rootless duckweed. She couldn’t help but ask anxiously, “How are Jingwan and Yuanyao doing now?”
Xiao Yeyang paused: “As for Miss Zhou, she’s still doing relatively well, for Vice Minister Zhou’s guilt has yet to be determined; but Miss Dong… it’s probably not so good. Before the Dong Family was stripped of their titles, she had already been sent back by the Duke Residence. Now she’s living with the Dong Family over in South City.”
Seeing Daohua’s furrowed brows, Xiao Yeyang reached out and smoothed them lightly, “Don’t wear such a worried expression. There’s nothing you can do about other families’ affairs.”
With a frown, Daohua said, “I’m just worried about Yuanyao and Jingwan.”
Xiao Yeyang soothed her, “Alright, stop worrying. Their lives now might not compare to before, but their family mbers are all safe and sound. Whether it’s Yuanxuan or Chengye, they are both capable n. Who knows, they might turn their fortunes around soday.”
“Let’s go, I’ll take you back. If we return late, your uncle will definitely scold again,” he said.
Xiao Yeyang led Daohua down the mountain. Hearing about the Zhou and Dong families’ troubles had dampened her spirits, and she fell silent for the rest of the journey.
“I shouldn’t have told you all this.”
“I would have found out sooner or later,” she replied.
The two strolled slowly down the flower gallery. All the while, people from the nearby estates caught sight of the dazzling scene at Sunflower Villa and could not help but voice their admiration.
The night was destined not to be calm. First, the master of Four Seasons Manor revealed herself, not the emperor as everyone had guessed, but instead the newly-titled Countess of Shengping bestowed by the emperor. Then, the usually quiet Sunflower Villa suddenly ca to life, leaving a vivid impression on everyone with its gorgeous lantern-lit galleries.
In Tangyu Mountain, where the estates were owned by the prominent families of Beijing, word spread quickly. By the next day, these two matters were the talk of the town.
…
Early the next morning, Xiao Yeyang arrived at Four Seasons Manor for breakfast with Gu Jian and Daohua.
After breakfast, Xiao Yeyang turned to Gu Jian and Daohua, “I’ll be entering the palace soon to request the emperor uncle to decree a marriage for .”
Daohua looked down, holding her teacup, and glanced at Gu Jian.
Gu Jian nodded and gave an affirming sound.
After sending Xiao Yeyang off, with uncertainty in her heart, Daohua turned to Gu Jian, “Master, do you think the emperor will agree?”
Gu Jian fell silent for a mont, “You and Yeyang pledged yourselves to each other before your sister. Your marriage cannot be changed by anyone.” Then he paused and added, “However, you should be prepared in your heart.”
Daohua’s heart imdiately raced with anxiety.
Seeing his disciple’s uneasy expression, Gu Jian explained, “While the emperor can make the final decision on Yeyang’s marital matters, he still has to inform Prince of Shengping and the Empress Dowager, and the Guo Family must be notified as well. With more people involved, complications arise, and your affair may not proceed smoothly.”
Daohua fell silent, “If that’s the case, then why did Master agree to let Xiao Yeyang seek an imperial marriage decree?”
Gu Jian gave his disciple a stern look, “You always seem so clever, yet you beco muddled at crucial monts? It is, of course, to signal to those coveting Yeyang that he is already spoken for, to prevent so from having designs on him.”
Reviews
All reviews (0)