Chapter 111

Song Minglang poured another bowl of almond juice for Jiu Yingying and placed it in front of her.

He said in a leisurely voice: "Of course, if the person the prince trusts always abides by his duties and does not make any mistakes, then I will also swear to be loyal to that person until death, just like I swear to be loyal to the prince."

Jiu Yingying looked at the second bowl full of almond milk in front of her and was speechless, "..." It turns out that all your elegance and grace are lies. You actually forced me to drink almond milk!

"I can't drink anymore." Jiu Yingying frowned. She had just drunk the almond milk and it tasted very sweet. But now after having a full meal and a drink, the almond milk seemed a little bland to her.

Song Minglang said, "You don't have to be polite, Crown Princess."

Jiu Yingying touched her full stomach, she couldn't help but suspect that Song Minglang wanted to use this method to torture her, warn her, and threaten her!

After Song Minglang finished giving those subtle warnings, he originally wanted to observe Jiu Yingying's reaction, but he saw that Jiu Yingying had been staring at the bowl of almond milk in front of her for a long time without moving, as if all her attention was focused on the bowl of almond milk.

Her eyebrows were drooped, and her eyes were filled with grievance and accusation, and she actually looked a little pitiful.

Song Minglang was stunned for a moment, and asked in surprise: "Crown Princess, is there anything wrong with the almond milk?"

He just saw Jiuyu drinking very happily, so there shouldn't be any problem.

Jiu Yingying raised her eyes and gave him an accusing look. She pursed her lips slightly and pushed the almond juice back. "I can't drink so much."

Song Minglang suddenly realized and shook his head, saying with a smile: "Crown Princess, I mistakenly thought you were the big eater Liu Xuru, and thought you could drink two bowls in one breath like her."

After Jiu Yingying knew that Song Minglang was not threatening her on purpose, she couldn't help but relax her shoulders and let out a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, fortunately, Song Minglang, this perverted good minister who was devoted to protecting his master, at least was not perverted enough to force her to drink almond milk.

Liu Xuru and Lu Chengfeng happened to walk back and were standing on the steps of the pavilion when they heard Song Minglang say her name.

She was slightly shocked and could not help but stop and secretly prick up her ears. When she heard Song Minglang say the word "big eater", her eyebrows suddenly stood up.

She bit her lower lip and shouted incoherently: "Song Minglang! How dare you say that I have a big appetite... burp..."

She burped and patted her chest mumblingly.

Song Minglang's whole body shook uncontrollably and he turned stiffly to look at Liu Xuru.

He thought Liu Xuru was not here, so he dared to speak without fear. He did not expect that Liu Xuru heard every word he said.

Liu Xuru reached out his hand and fumbled around his waist, as if looking for something.

After searching for a while, her brows furrowed even more tightly. She looked around and said anxiously, "Where's my knife? Where's my knife!"

Song Minglang looked at Liu Xuru cautiously. Liu Xuru had a gloomy face and was looking around for her knife.

Based on Song Minglang's years of experience, there is no doubt that Liu Xuru will be the first one to deal with him after finding the knife.

Jiu Yingying looked at the change in Song Minglang's expression opposite her in surprise. Every time she saw Song Minglang, he always looked elegant and at ease. This was the first time she saw Song Minglang so flustered.

Song Minglang looked at Liu Xuru and swallowed nervously, no longer the elegance and steadiness he had just shown.

He noticed that Jiu Yingying opposite him was looking at him, so he pretended to be calm, straightened his clothes, looked up and smiled at Jiu Yingying.

Jiu Yingying: "..." When you laugh, can your body not tense up?

Song Minglang coughed lightly, and said with a barely perceptible tremor in his voice: "Crown Princess, I suddenly remembered that I have some things to deal with in the mansion, and I am in a hurry to return home, so I won't wait for the Crown Prince to come back. Please tell the Crown Prince that I will go back first. If there is anything you want to tell me..."

Liu Xuru didn't find her knife, so she turned her attention back to Song Minglang. When she heard that Song Minglang was about to leave, she couldn't help but become anxious.

She shouted, "Song Minglang! Although you are one year older than me, I have beaten you since you were a child. How dare you be dishonest? You actually said bad things about me behind my back! I tell you, even though I haven't found my knife, my two fists are not vegetarians. I can still deal with you!"

Jiu Yingying: "..." It seems as if she accidentally found out something extraordinary.

She couldn't help but look up and glance at Song Minglang with sympathy.

She silently wiped away tears in her heart for Song Minglang, who was weak and suffered from bullying in his childhood. It turned out that he was a poor little boy when he was young.

No wonder Song Minglang grew up to be a perverted loyal minister. His growth process was really not easy!

When Song Minglang heard Liu Xuru's words, his hair almost stood up.

He could no longer care about anything else. He clasped his fists towards Jiu Yingying, then stood up in a hurry, quickly picked up the paper umbrella placed beside him, and quietly escaped along the wall. His steps were so fast that he was completely different from the elegant and calm man who came here.

Jiu Yingying looked at his disappearing figure in an instant and couldn't help but be surprised.

She opened her mouth, turned her head and looked at Liu Xuru with admiration.

Liu Xuru could even scare Song Minglang like this, which shows how Liu Xuru tortured Song Minglang when he was young.

When Liu Xuru saw Song Minglang running away, she wanted to chase him, but she had drunk too much and after running two steps, she felt dizzy and could not help but stagger.

Lu Chengfeng stood up hurriedly, with drunken eyes, opened his arms and tried to stop her.

Lu Chengfeng advised earnestly: "Just let Lord Song go! Lord Song is really having a hard time! The last time Lord Song and I were drinking together, he was talking in his sleep because you were chasing and beating him!"

Liu Xuru was stunned and stopped walking. She blinked lightly, and a faint blush appeared on her face. She raised her head and glanced at Lu Chengfeng and asked, "He...drew in a dream about me?"

Jiu Yingying couldn't help but look up at Liu Xuru. She was focusing on the wrong thing.

Lu Chengfeng said without thinking too much in his confused mind: "Yes, he dreamed that you chased him for several blocks with a knife."

Liu Xuru's eyes lit up, and there was a dreamy light in her hazy drunken eyes. In her mind, there were only four words "he dreamed of you", and everything else was automatically blocked out.

Lu Chengfeng didn't notice the change in her expression and continued to mutter, "Minglang kept mumbling in his sleep, 'Miss Liu, don't chase me... don't chase me...' His tone was so miserable!"

"Hey... look at you. I've never seen Minglang afraid of anyone in my life. You've definitely left a shadow on him. Doesn't your conscience hurt?"

"You're a woman, can you be more restrained? You're always fighting and killing. Do you know how tired I am every time I run away? It would be better if you could be gentler to us and speak softly."

...

Lu Chengfeng usually didn't dare to resist, but now that he was drunk, he couldn't help but mutter and enumerate his little dissatisfactions under the name of Song Minglang.

Liu Xuru ignored his words. She was still immersed in Lu Chengfeng's words "he dreamed of you".

She sat down at the table in a trance, holding her cheeks with both hands, and smiled foolishly, as if she had heard something happy and immersed in the joy.

Jiu Yingying was stunned for a moment, looking at her quietly, and suddenly understood something.

Liu Xuru looks carefree on weekdays, but unexpectedly, she has such little thoughts about Song Minglang.

This explains it. In his previous life, Song Minglang was framed by his cousin Liang Ping and sentenced to exile to the frontier. After Liu Xuru learned the news, she silently followed Song Minglang to the frontier and escorted him all the way to ensure that Song Minglang arrived safely. She originally wanted to stay there to continue taking care of him, but later returned to the capital for some unknown reason.

Jiu Yingying didn't have a good relationship with her at that time, so she didn't know what Liu Xuru was thinking in her heart. She just thought that Liu Xuru was escorting Song Minglang according to He Huailing's instructions, and she didn't expect there was such a reason behind it.

She only knew that when Liu Xuru came back from the frontier, she was in a very low mood and looked like a lost soul.

Now that I think about it, Song Minglang might have rejected Liu Xuru.

But based on the situation at the time, I don't know whether Song Minglang rejected Liu Xuru because he didn't want to drag Liu Xuru down or because he really didn't like Liu Xuru.

As for whether they had a good marriage in their previous life, she had no idea, because when Song Minglang was finally cleared of his grievances and was about to return to Beijing, she had been poisoned to death.

At that time, He Huailing not only stood up from his wheelchair, but also gradually gathered power. Emperor Jing's health was getting worse and worse, and he gradually transferred the power to He Huailing. He Huailing also upheld justice and cleared Song Minglang of the charges. Liang Ping was imprisoned, and when he confessed his crimes, Jiu Hongdou and He Huaijin were implicated. He Huaijin was reprimanded by Emperor Jing on the spot and his official position was removed. He was left with only an idle prince.

He couldn't stand this series of blows.

He Huaijin saw that there was no hope of seizing the throne.

Jiu Yingying recalled Song Minglang's attitude towards Liu Xuru just now and shook her head slightly. The time they had just met was too short, and she couldn't tell whether Song Minglang had such feelings for Liu Xuru.

However, judging by how much he feared Liu Xuru, he most likely didn't even think about it, let alone realize Liu Xuru's feelings for him.

Liu Xuru held her face in her hands and smiled foolishly for a while, then fell on the table with a "bang" and fell asleep heartlessly.

Jiu Yingying patted her face helplessly. She was sleeping soundly and showed no sign of waking up.

Jiu Yingying had no choice but to call two palace maids to help Liu Xuru down. Although Lu Chengfeng could help Liu Xuru up, he was a man after all. Liu Xuru was drunk now, which made it inconvenient for her. Jiu Yingying could not help Liu Xuru up by herself.

Jiu Yingying asked someone to send Liu Xuru back to the house to sleep. When she turned around, she found that Lu Chengfeng had also fallen asleep on the table, snoring loudly.

Jiu Yingying: "..."

She was silent for a moment, and had to call two more guards to help Lu Chengfeng down.

She was the only one left at the huge table. The small red clay stove was still boiling. She watched with a smile for a while, then sat on the stone railing bored, reaching out to catch the falling snow outside.

She also drank today. Although she was not drunk, she was a little tipsy. She sat there and didn't want to move. She just wanted to wait for He Huailing to pick her up.

She was like a person who had been lost for a long time and suddenly felt very tired. She was so tired that she didn't want to move a step. She silently hoped that He Huailing could come and take her back.

She leaned against the stone railing and looked up at the moon in the sky.

The night was really beautiful today. Snow was falling, but the moon in the sky was not covered by dark clouds. It was still shining brightly. She stared at the faint moonlight and couldn't help but smile softly.

A gust of cold wind blew by, and she couldn't help but shiver. She felt a little cold, but she didn't want to leave. She waited for He Huai Ling persistently. She looked at the warm wine on the table and couldn't help but take a sip. Her body warmed up a little.

Chapter 112

He Huai Ling finished dealing with the emergency report in the study when the eunuch in charge came in to report that everyone had drunk too much and had already dispersed, except for Jiu Yingying who was sitting alone in the pavilion drinking and refused to leave.

The eunuch in charge described Jiu Yingying's drinking in great detail, as if he wanted to copy the situation back then, and even added a lot of his own understanding to it.

In his words, Jiu Yingying was just a sad little girl who could only drown her sorrows in alcohol. She didn't drink a glass of wine because she was thirsty, but she drank to drown her sorrows.

He Huai Ling's face changed and he rushed to the pavilion as quickly as possible.

He walked to the cobblestone road outside the pavilion and saw Jiu Yingying from afar. Jiu Yingying was leaning on the stone railing, hugging her knees with her hands, staring blankly at the falling snow outside the pavilion.

He Huai Ling paused slightly and stood there looking at Jiu Yingying.

Jiu Yingying was already a little drunk, her eyes were moist, the snow reflected in her dark eyes, making her look even purer, like the bright moonlight, clear and shining. Her fair and flawless cheeks were faintly flushed because of the wine, her eyelashes were curved, and her lips were stained with wine, bright red and moist.

She looked up at the moon in the sky, looking somewhat lonely, all alone, as if she could leave at any time.

He Huai Ling's heart tightened for no reason. He pushed his wheelchair over, and the wheelchair made a creaking sound as it stepped on the snow pile.

Jiu Yingying heard the voice and turned around. When she saw it was him, her eyes seemed to light up instantly with countless stars, bright and joyful, and she stared at him intently.

He Huai Ling approached, couldn't help but gently touch the corner of her eye with his thumb, and asked softly: "Isn't it cold sitting here?"

"It's cold... but I want to wait for you to pick me up." Jiu Yingying spoke slower than usual after getting drunk. She smiled with curved eyebrows, stared at him with sparkling eyes, and asked joyfully: "He Huailing. Are you here to pick me up?"

He Huai Ling looked at the expectation that was about to overflow in her eyes, and his intuition told him that this answer was very important to Jiu Yingying, so he looked into Jiu Yingying's eyes and said solemnly, "Yes, I'm here to pick you up."

Jiu Yingying blinked her eyes, a strong light burst out from them, and she couldn't help but smile with surprise and joy.

She laughed for a while, then suddenly bent down and lay on He Huailing's legs.

She lowered her head and said in a muffled voice, "I heard that a person's soul can return to life on the seventh day after death."

She paused for a moment, "I often think that when I died, even if God gave me a chance to come back to life, there might not be anyone in that world who would want to see me again, let alone be willing to take me back."

He Huai Ling just thought she was drunk and talking nonsense, and wanted to laugh, but Jiu Yingying's depressed tone made him feel distressed for some reason.

He reached out and gently touched Jiu Yingying's hair, whispering comfortingly: "I will come to pick you up, no matter what time it is."

Jiu Yingying opened her eyes wide and her eyes turned red.

She blinked slowly and a tear fell without warning. As she listened to He Huai Ling's words, her heart felt sour and soft.

Seeing that she hadn't said anything for a long time, with only a little suppressed breathing sound coming from her throat, He Huailing couldn't help but reach out and wipe the corner of her eyes, frowning and asking, "Did you cry?"

He Huailing touched a little cool water stain, with only a little residual warmth.

Jiu Yingying reached out and wiped her eyes, then shook her head and said, "I didn't cry."

He Huai Ling did not expose her lie, but a dense pain spread in his heart. His voice became much softer. He looked down at Jiu Yingying and asked, "It's almost the New Year. Do you miss home?"

Jiu Yingying shook her head, sniffed softly, and said, "No."

As far as she could remember, this was already her fourth time celebrating the New Year in the East Palace. Although she would miss her family, she was not sad about it. After all, she often went back to the mansion to visit her grandmother and Jiuyu.

He Huailing asked again: "Are you thinking about your father-in-law?"

Jiu Yingying burst into laughter. He Huailing's worried look warmed her heart. She smiled and said, "I do, but I'm used to it, so it doesn't matter."

Jiu Yixing seldom goes home during the Chinese New Year. As far as she can remember, she has seldom seen her father during the holidays and has indeed become accustomed to this kind of life.

He Huai Ling frowned and looked down at her slightly red eyes, as if he couldn't think of what else she could be sad about.

Jiu Yingying, under the influence of alcohol, looked up at He Huailing. From this angle, He Huailing's face was angular, yet the lines of his face were unexpectedly soft. Although the corners of his mouth were slightly pressed down, they looked particularly beautiful when they were raised.

Jiu Yingying's fingers gently slid across He Huailing's jaw, looked at him and whispered, "He Huailing, I'm very happy that you are willing to trust me. I promise that I will not let you down this time."

He Huai Ling smiled slightly when he heard this, and reached out to gently tap her forehead, "You speak as if you have ever betrayed my trust."

"I did let him down," Jiu Yingying smiled bitterly, her voice very soft, as if she had no confidence.

Her fingers slid across He Huailing's nose, and she smiled suddenly: "He Huailing, I actually have the ability to predict the future."

He Huai Ling just treated her as a drunk cat and exclaimed in response.

"Do you want to know what will happen to you in the future?"

He Huai Ling stroked her smooth hair like soothing a small animal and asked in a low voice, "What will happen?"

Jiu Yingying looked at him with curved eyebrows and smiled, saying, "You have a full forehead, a high nose, thin lips, and earlobes close to your ears. Everything will go smoothly for you, and you will be safe and happy. You will be rich, prosperous, and powerful in this life."

He Huai Ling curled his lips and gently scratched her nose, "I'll give you some good wishes!"

Jiu Yingying smiled and closed her eyes gently.

He Huailing asked: "Since you can predict the future, have you ever told fortunes for yourself?"

"Yes." Jiu Yingying opened her eyes, and a bitter smile spread across the corners of her mouth. "I have done many evil things. After making up for all my mistakes, I will bear the retribution I deserve."

He Huailing was slightly stunned. He thought Jiu Yingying would say some auspicious words like she did just now, but he didn't expect her to suddenly say this.

Jiu Yingying bent her lower lip indifferently, reached out and patted his leg, lowered her voice, and said mysteriously: "I still know that you can stand up again!"

He Huailing was stunned for a moment, then asked calmly, "What happens after you stand up?"

"After you stand up..." Jiu Yingying pondered for a moment, then said with a smile: "You will beat He Huaijin so badly that he will have no chance to defend himself!"

He Huai Ling couldn't help but smile when he heard this, his eyes moved, "Do you hate He Huai Jin?"

"Yeah!" Jiu Yingying nodded vigorously and said with a frown, "He is a big bad guy!"

"Why do you say he is bad? Has he ever bullied you?" He Huai Ling's expression darkened and he asked in a deep voice.

"He lied to me!" Jiu Yingying couldn't help getting angry when she thought about it.

"What did he lie to you about?" He Huai Ling couldn't help but frown, his voice became anxious, and he had an urge to settle the score with He Huai Jin.

"He lied to me and said he was my savior." Jiu Yingying counted on her fingers, and became furious when she mentioned this matter.

This was the thing that made her most angry and hateful. If He Huaijin had not made her mistakenly believe that he was her savior, then perhaps what happened afterwards would not have happened.

He Huai Ling's heart tightened, and he suddenly thought of something. He was stunned and asked, "What lifesaver?"

He paused, and said with some difficulty: "Is it the benefactor you mentioned last time?"

Jiu Yingying said without hesitation: "Yes, it's that eunuch brother."

He Huailing: "..."

He was strangely silent for a while before asking, "How did He Huaijin lie to you?"

"He made me think he was my savior." Jiu Yingying frowned and said in a slurred voice after getting drunk: "I thought he was really my savior. I have been wanting to repay him all these years. I was satisfied and just wanted to treat him well, but I didn't expect him to lie! My savior was not him at all, but a eunuch."

He Huai Ling: "...Maybe this is also a misunderstanding. Your savior may not be the eunuch, but..."

"It's a eunuch!" Jiu Yingying said with certainty: "I have thought it through. According to the age of my savior, the only suitable candidate in the palace at that time was eunuchs besides He Huaijin. However, my savior must be a kind-hearted eunuch."

He Huailing's mouth twitched, and he decided not to dwell on the eunuch issue anymore.

He asked: "What did He Huaijin do to make you mistakenly believe that he was your savior?"

Jiu Yingying said, "On the day my eyes recovered, he gave me a crabapple flower."

He Huai Ling's breath was choked and his brows were furrowed even tighter.

Jiu Yingying said: "The people in Shuyi Palace colluded with each other and conspired to help him deceive me. I only recently found out that my savior was a eunuch brother."

He Huai Ling automatically ignored her last sentence. He was in mixed emotions and remained silent for a while. He couldn't help but recall the rumors he had heard over the years.

"Not only does the Jiu family support the Second Prince, Miss Jiu Yingying will also marry the Second Prince and become his consort in the future. The two families will definitely become even closer in the future."

"The Third Miss of the Jiu Family is infatuated with the Second Prince. It is said that she will not marry anyone but him. She treats the Second Prince wholeheartedly and sends him any good things as soon as possible. She even condescends to bring him food."

"Jiu Yingying is a little silly. She hasn't even gotten married yet, but she's already granted almost every request from the Second Prince. If you don't know her, you'd think she owes the Second Prince something."

...

A deep regret welled up in He Huai Ling's heart. This regret made the blood in his body seem to flow backwards. His fingers became cold and stiff, and many scenes flashed through his mind.

The well-behaved and cute little girl with a small bun was shouting for help in the water, and the lake water almost drowned her.

The little girl lay on his back, drowsy and unconscious, but her fingers were still tightly grasping his collar.

The little girl, with her eyes covered, sat obediently under the tree, holding the crabapple flowers he gave her in her hand, with a smile on her lips, looking innocent and pretty.

The maids looked at the little girl playing not far away, hiding in the corner and whispering, "You must serve this Ninth Miss well. I heard that when she grows up, she will marry the Second Prince and become his consort. That's why the Queen brought her to the palace to treat her illness."

He threw away the crabapple flowers in his hand and turned away.

When we met again many years later, the little girl had grown into an exquisite and beautiful girl. She stood on the stage and danced gracefully, her red skirt fluttering and her dancing moves moving, as if the Lady of the Nine Heavens was dancing to the song, graceful and radiant.

When the song ended, he couldn't help clapping his hands. The little girl looked back and saw flowers everywhere. He still had the vicissitudes of life and the hostility from the battlefield on his body, but at that moment, they all turned into the soft and fragrant scent of crabapple. The little girl was as beautiful as the crabapple.

...

He had never thought that there was a pair of eyes that had been watching them in the dark. When he threw away the crabapple flowers and turned to leave, she picked up the crabapple and walked towards the sunny and bright little girl with full of conspiracy and calculation.

He Huai Ling came back to his senses, with countless uncontrollable regrets flashing through his heart. If he had not turned away that year, would Jiu Yingying have not been infatuated with him for so many years?

He thought that Jiu Yingying would marry He Huaijin when she grew up and become his brother-in-law, which would be inconvenient for her. So after Jiu Yingying recovered, he did not contact her again. Was he wrong? If he had not left, if he had gotten along with Jiu Yingying as before, if Jiu Yingying knew that he was the one who saved her...

He Huai Ling suddenly had a lot to say. He opened his mouth at a loss and looked down at Jiu Yingying in his arms anxiously.

Jiu Yingying had already dozed off on his knees, her eyes gently closed with a tear hanging on her eyelashes. Because of anger, her fists were unconsciously clenched and resting on his legs. She was sleeping very soundly.

Chapter 113

Jiu Yingying felt a little bumpy in her daze, as if someone was carrying her on his back.

She tightened her arms unconsciously, and thought in a confused state that even if someone was really carrying her, that person must not be that bastard He Huai Ling. After all, that bastard was busy pretending to be lame, and it would be good enough for him to hold her in the wheelchair and become a pair of 'pretending to be lame couple' together.

After entering the house, she felt her body gradually warming up. Someone wiped her face with a handkerchief. The handkerchief was warm and wet, and she became a little more awake.

Jiu Yingying opened her eyes and saw the enlarged face of He Huailing.

He Huai Ling was stunned for a moment when he saw that she was awake. He avoided her gaze and slowly threw the handkerchief back into the basin. "You...are sober?"

"... Yeah." Jiu Yingying felt a little more sober.

She sat up from the bed and saw several large boxes in the room, which made her feel confused.

She asked in a hoarse voice, "What's in there?"

He Huailing took a look at the boxes and a hint of embarrassment flashed across his eyes.

He whispered, "These are some small things. I prepared them earlier. I wanted you to pick them out and see if there's anything you like. I didn't expect you to be drunk. Forget it. Let's talk about it later."

When Jiu Yingying heard that they were some little gadgets, she couldn't help but become interested. She didn't drink too much alcohol to begin with, so she was almost sober in just a short while.

She ran to the boxes with the clicking of her shoes and opened one of them. After the box was opened, her eyes narrowed slightly at the dazzle, and there was a box of glittering gold jewels inside.

Jiu Yingying couldn't help but twitch the corners of her mouth, "..." Is this the little gadget that He Huailing mentioned?

She looked up at He Huailing and pointed at herself, "You want me to choose?"

"Yes." He Huailing nodded, "If you like it, take it all."

Jiu Yingying was stunned. She didn't expect that He Huailing would actually give her a gift, which was prepared before drinking.

She tilted her head in confusion and opened another box. This box contained many antiques and porcelains, each of which was very valuable.

Jiu Yingying opened the third box and the fourth box as well, which contained calligraphy and paintings by ancient celebrities and a box of gold ingots respectively.

Jiu Yingying looked at the box of gold ingots in front of her and couldn't help but fall into silent silence.

She was stunned for a moment, then looked up at He Huai Ling in surprise, "Are you really going to give it to me?"

He Huai Ling nodded slightly, looking at her with a strange and deep gaze, as if he had a lot to say but didn't know how to start.

Jiu Yingying did not doubt him. She looked at the four large boxes in front of her for a while, and finally shook her head.

Although she really wanted to save more money, she couldn't sell the things He Huailing gave her, and she couldn't take such heavy things with her when she left. Even the gold ingots were official silver, and she wouldn't dare to use them if she ran away.

The most important thing is that He Huailing never owed her anything, and she couldn't accept He Huailing's gift so easily.

Come to think of it, in two lifetimes, she still hasn't given He Huailing a decent gift.

Seeing that she didn't choose anything, He Huai Ling couldn't help but frowned and said, "Pick a few to keep for fun, and I'll have someone put the rest in the warehouse for you. You can get them when you want to use them."

Jiu Yingying saw that he was frowning and looked like he would not give up unless she chose, so she had no choice but to nod.

She walked over and stood next to the box to pick things up. She had to admit that even though she had seen a lot of things, she had never seen anything so good.

Although they are both jade, the jade He Huailing has is free of any impurities.

Although they were all pearls, the ones He Huailing had here were brighter than any she had ever seen.

They were also rare items, but she had never even heard of the rare items that He Huailing had.

When she saw these things now, she realized that all the things she had seen before were nothing compared to them.

She couldn't help but look around to make sure there was no one else in the room, then she turned back to look at He Huai Ling, lowered her voice and asked carefully: "You are not taking bribes, are you?"

Wasn't He Huailing an unappreciated prince? Ever since he became lame, the ministers have all stayed away from him. It should be impossible for them to give him gifts. Could it be that he had embezzled some in the past?

Jiu Yingying was filled with doubt and confusion, and had even begun to think about how to destroy the evidence.

He Huai Ling's forehead twitched. He looked up and glanced at her, wanting to tell her to shut up.

But he thought of what Jiu Yingying had said when she was drunk just now, and he couldn't help feeling guilty, so he had to swallow the words "shut up".

He raised his hand, pinched his brow tiredly and said, "Everything here comes from a legitimate source, so feel free to choose."

Jiu Yingying nodded hesitantly and started to choose seriously this time. After looking for a while, she couldn't help being dazzled. She picked and chose in the box left and right, and it took her a long time to pick out two of her favorite, most novel and most interesting-looking rarities to save for later.

She continued to walk around the box and picked out a bracelet and an earring from the pile of gold and silver jewelry. The bracelet was made of red blood jade, which she didn't have, and the earring was made of emerald green water droplets, which could be used to match her newly made skirt.

She reluctantly took a last look at the glittering gold ingots, gritted her teeth and retracted her gaze. Holding the two items in her hands, she looked up at He Huai Ling with satisfaction and smiled, "I've chosen it."

He Huailing looked at the few things in her hands, frowned slightly, pushed the wheelchair over, bent down, took out a string of pearls from the box and handed it to Jiu Yingying.

The string of pearls was large and round, each one was the same size, and sparkled with a warm and smooth light.

He spent some time choosing in the box and picked out several strings of jade beads and red coral beads. Each string was extremely precious and priceless.

Jiu Yingying looked at the beads in her arms that she could hardly hold, and could not help but be stunned. Why was He Huailing so obsessed with the beads?

Although these small round beads are cute, she can't use so many of them!

He Huailing finally took out a brocade box and handed it to Jiu Yingying.

Jiu Yingying put the beads in her arms on the table and opened the brocade box to take a look. There were many black pearls in the box. Those black pearls were plump, round, crowded together, and full of luster.

She couldn't help but pick up a black pearl and look at it under her eyes. These black pearls were countless times better than the two she took out in the morning. They were smooth and delicate, warm to the touch, and twice the size of the two in the morning.

Jiu Yingying thought of the two black pearls in the morning, and then looked at the box of black pearls in her arms. Suddenly, she seemed to understand why He Huailing was so obsessed with the pearls.

Jiu Yingying: "..." She couldn't help but look up at He Huailing.

He Huai Ling coughed softly, avoiding her gaze, and said, "I can give you anything you want in the future."

Jiu Yingying looked at his evasive eyes and couldn't help but stare at him carefully for a while.

"Ever since I sobered up, you haven't dared to look me in the eye. Have you done something wrong?"

She recalled the situation when she was drunk just now. Did He Huailing take the opportunity to do something to let her down? Or did she act recklessly after getting drunk and do something to let He Huailing down?

She actually didn't drink much just now, but after drinking, she was exposed to the wind for a long time, so she was drunk and a little dizzy and confused for a short time, but she didn't lose all her memory.

She remembered that she didn't do anything excessive. She just couldn't help but talk nonsense and lied to He Huailing that she could predict the future. He Huailing obviously didn't believe it.

By the way...she couldn't help but scold He Huaijin.

She scolded He Huaijin, why did He Huailing dodge?

When He Huai Ling heard her words, his body stiffened slightly, and he raised his eyes and glanced at her quickly.

He pursed his dry lips, hesitated for a while, and spoke nervously: "You said He Huaijin lied to you, so you hate him, then if someone accidentally hides something from you, will you forgive him?"

Jiu Yingying hesitated for a moment and asked, "Did the things he concealed have any negative impact on me?"

He Huailing nodded hesitantly and said affirmatively, "Yes."

If he had told Jiu Yingying earlier that he was the savior, at least Jiu Yingying would not have been deceived by He Huaijin.

If Jiu Yingying had not been so kind to He Huaijin over the years because she misunderstood that he was her savior, she would not have been so good to He Huaijin. If she had not been so good to He Huaijin, there would not have been those rumors, and he would not have misunderstood her in the first place.

"Then I won't forgive him." Jiu Yingying said in a relaxed and nonchalant tone.

Since it is someone who has hurt her, why should she forgive him?

She will never forgive anyone except her savior.

Because she had forgiven too many times in the past, those who hurt her became emboldened and became more aggressive. She would never make the same mistake again.

When He Huai Ling heard her words, his heart sank. He looked at Jiu Yingying with a tight throat and was unable to utter a word for a long time.

Jiu Yingying was playing with the beads in her hand without noticing his expression. Those black pearls looked like they had been washed, black and shiny, and she couldn't help but like them.

She thought about it, took out all the black pearls that He Huaijin had given her before, and called Chun Xing in in front of He Huailing.

She handed the black pearls to Chun Xing and ordered, "Go to the pawn shop tomorrow and pawn all these black pearls."

She thought for a moment, then instructed, "You can use the silver you got from the black pearl to distribute to the beggars in the city. You don't need to bring it back."

The things He Huaijin gave her would be dirty even if they were exchanged for silver. She didn't want a single cent of them, and she didn't want the silver to enter the East Palace again, lest it pollute this clean place.

"Yes." Chun Xing responded without asking any more questions and simply retreated holding Black Pearl.

The room was quiet again. Jiu Yingying tossed the black pearl in her hand, looked at He Huailing, and said teasingly, "Is my husband satisfied with what I did?"

He Huai Ling didn't know what he was thinking, his face was a little pale. He looked up at her, staring at her for a long time, then opened his mouth and said, "...Satisfied."

After he finished speaking, he noticed Jiu Yingying's teasing eyes and the black pearls she had been throwing in her hand. His ears turned red and he looked away hesitantly.

He lowered his eyes to look at the boxes on the ground, looked for a while, then bent down and took out a crystal clear jade pendant from the box.

His fingers gently rubbed the jade pendant, and he reached out to pull Jiu Yingying in front of him, and gently put the jade pendant on Jiu Yingying's neck.

He said in a deep voice: "The ancients said that jade has spirits and can keep you safe. I just hope that you can be safe, live a long life, and live a worry-free life."

He paused and said, "Yingying, don't talk about life and death anymore. Since you said that everything will go well for me in the future, I will be safe and happy, and I will be rich and powerful in this life, then you, as my wife, will definitely live a long life and be safe and worry-free."

Jiu Yingying touched the jade pendant on her neck. The jade pendant felt warm and brought her an inexplicable sense of security.

After she gave her old jade pendant to Jiuyu, she always felt empty around her neck. Now after wearing this jade pendant, she felt more accustomed to it.

She looked up at He Huailing, smiled happily and nodded, "Yeah!"

If she hadn't been feeling sad after getting drunk, she wouldn't have mentioned things from her previous life. The past is gone with the wind. At least in this life, someone will come to take her home.

He Huai Ling looked at the bright smile on her face and was silent for a long time. In the end, he did not speak and decided to wait for a suitable opportunity.

Chapter 114

On New Year's Eve, although Jiu Yingying wanted to stay in the East Palace and celebrate the holiday simply, she and He Huailing had to go to the palace to accompany Emperor Jing. This had been the rule.

One contradictory thing about Emperor Jing is that he is wary of his sons, but at the same time he enjoys the happiness of having his children and grandchildren around him. So on New Year's Eve, according to his decree, all the princes and princesses in the capital must enter the palace to accompany him, and of course the same applies to the new Crown Princess Jiu Yingying.

When Liu Xuru sent them out, she couldn't control her emotions and couldn't help cursing a few times. Although she didn't dare to curse Emperor Jing directly, she still dared to say a few sarcastic words.

The Liu family members were not in the capital. After He Huailing and Jiu Yingying entered the palace, she was the only one left in the huge East Palace to celebrate the festival.

She was extremely contemptuous of Emperor Jing's behavior of snatching her nephew away every year, and she had been resentful for a long time. She was indignant about it. If the other party was not the emperor, she would have settled the score with him long ago.

He Huai Ling knew that his aunt was reluctant to leave them, so he comforted her gently, "I'll let Cheng Feng stay to spend New Year's Eve with you."

Liu Xuru immediately uttered a disgusted "huh", she turned her head to glance at Lu Chengfeng, pursed her lips and said, "I don't need him to accompany me."

Lu Chengfeng snorted while holding the sword in his hand: "I don't want to keep facing her face on New Year's Eve."

He Huailing raised his eyebrows, looked at Liu Xuru and said, "Is there anyone to spend the holiday with you?"

Liu Xuru: "..." Don't think that I won't hit you just because you are my nephew.

He Huailing turned to look at Lu Chengfeng again and repeated, "Is there anyone to spend the holiday with you?"

Lu Chengfeng: "..." He is a lonely man. Every year he hides in the house and drinks alone. Even if He Huailing gives him time to rest, he has nowhere to go.

Although Liu Xuru and Lu Chengfeng both refused clearly, when Jiu Yingying and He Huailing got on the carriage, one of them did not follow the guards into the palace and stayed where he was on his own accord, while the other did not drive them away and tacitly allowed the other to stay.

The two of them rejected each other tacitly, but also had to accept each other's existence tacitly.

Jiu Yingying and He Huailing looked at them, couldn't help but laugh secretly, and quickly got into the carriage.

The carriage swayed all the way and soon arrived at the palace. Red lanterns were hung everywhere in the palace. The palace maids and eunuchs had also changed into festive clothes. The whole palace was filled with joy. No matter whether everyone was really happy or not, at least they all looked very festive.

Jiu Yingying couldn't help feeling depressed when she thought that on such a festive day, she could neither be with her grandmother and Jiuyu, nor with Liu Xuru, and could only see people she didn't like in the palace.

Seeing her unhappy expression, He Huai Ling said to her in a consoling tone, "Let's stay a little longer, and after having New Year's Eve dinner with Father, we'll go back early."

"Yeah." Jiu Yingying nodded and followed He Huailing out of the carriage helplessly.

Although she had to keep pretending to be nice to a group of people she disliked tonight, at least He Huailing still looked very pleasing to the eye. Not only pleasing to the eye, but also pleasing to the eye. Every time she saw He Huailing's jade-like face, she felt as if her eyes had been cleansed.

Being able to be with He Huailing on the first day of the new year seemed like a good idea and it became my only consolation.

After Jiu Yingying and He Huailing paid their respects to Emperor Jing, they sat down together in front of everyone. This was the first time they appeared in front of everyone after their marriage. Everyone couldn't help but look at them a few more times out of curiosity, but no one dared to say much.

Sitting at the top seat was Emperor Jing, who was wearing a dark-red dragon robe today. Concubine Shu was sitting beside him, looking respectful and virtuous.

She has now been demoted to Shupin, but she has accumulated power in the harem for a long time, and no one dares to provoke her easily even though her position has been demoted.

After all, she still has her son He Huaijin, and no one knows whether He Huaijin will become a successful person in the future.

Although Emperor Jing reprimanded He Huaijin for the Qin Zhuangqi incident this time, the fact that he punished He Huaijin by sending him to the border to lead troops to fight was really puzzling.

No one could tell whether Emperor Jing was taking this opportunity to give He Huaijin a chance or was really punishing him, so no one dared to act rashly. After all, if they guessed Emperor Jing's thoughts wrongly, the consequences could be disastrous.

If He Huaijin succeeds in ascending the throne, Shufei, as his mother, must also ascend to a high position. At that time, the entire harem will belong to her, and anyone who offends her will surely suffer the consequences.

The people in the harem have witnessed Concubine Shu's treacherous tactics over the years. They feel terrified every time they think of it, and no one dares to retaliate until the very last step.

Jiu Yingying sat diagonally opposite to Concubine Shu. Concubine Shu's dress was not as charming and flamboyant as before, and her eyes were a little depressed, but she was still full of vigor and looked like the mistress of the harem. Today, like Emperor Jing, she changed into a pink dress very festively, looking much younger.

Shufei looked at Jiu Yingying, and Emperor Yan had an unpredictable expression, but his attitude was exceptionally warm, as if he had completely forgotten about Qin Zhuangqi's matter, and treated Jiu Yingying the same as before, with no grudges against him.

Jiu Yingying would naturally not be deceived by her superficial illusion.

Jiu Yingying knew clearly in her heart that Concubine Shu was a very vindictive person and would never tolerate any grudges. It was impossible for her to be as generous as she appeared to be.

Jiu Yingying could only respond to all changes by remaining unchanged. She looked at Concubine Shu but smiled without saying a word.

The dinner was very lively. No matter what everyone was thinking, they all had happy faces and vied with each other to take pride in entertaining Emperor Jing.

Emperor Jing was sitting at the top seat and laughing. He would reward whoever made him happy. Even Concubine Shu received two rewards. The smile on Concubine Shu's lips became bigger and bigger. These rewards were unimportant to her before, but they were crucial to her now.

Emperor Jing's attitude towards her shows that the matter of Qin Zhuangqi is over. As long as she behaves well in the future, Emperor Jing will not vent his anger on her again.

Emperor Jing was busy accepting all kinds of compliments. In comparison, He Huailing was much more relaxed. He had been playing the role of the gloomy and depressed lame prince for the past two years. Naturally, he didn't need to try to please Emperor Jing, and other people naturally didn't dare to try to please him. He just sat there quietly eating, feeling relaxed.

Jiu Yingying was not as relaxed as him. The East Palace was usually closed to visitors, and she didn't have much contact with the women in the palace, so many concubines and princesses were curious about her.

Among these people, there were those who exaggeratedly praised her, those who were sarcastic, and those who took the opportunity to test her...

She was tired of dealing with the concubines and princesses in the harem, and had to always be on the lookout for the vicious gaze from Concubine Shu. Compared to He Huailing's carefree life, she was really tired.

She looked at He Huai Ling silently, silently accusing him. He Huai Ling noticed her gaze, gave her a helpless look in return, then picked up a piece of pork tenderloin and put it on her plate.

Jiu Yingying: "..."

She picked up the tenderloin and put it in her mouth to chew it indignantly. Was it tenderloin that she wanted? Was it tenderloin that she wanted? The tenderloin made by Liu Xuru was ten thousand times more delicious than this!

Emperor Jing was eating the glutinous rice cake in his bowl. Seeing the little movements of He Huailing and Jiu Yingying, he suddenly said, "The Crown Princess has a rosy complexion and is in good health. If she can give birth to a grandson for me as soon as possible in the new year, I will be satisfied."

Jiu Yingying was suddenly called, and she looked up at Emperor Jing innocently: "..." You may not know that your son said he is not good enough.

When Concubine Shu heard what Emperor Jing said, she said in a neither-positive nor-negative way, "Crown Princess, since His Majesty has spoken, you must work hard, obey His Majesty's order, and fulfill His Majesty's wish as soon as possible."

Jiu Yingying: "..." It seems like you just sent two boxes of golden blood swallows to the East Palace yesterday.

With just a few words, Concubine Shu turned Emperor Jing's casual remarks into an imperial decree. If Jiu Yingying cannot give birth to a grandson next year, wouldn't that be disobeying the imperial decree?

Concubine Shu knew very well that Jiu Yingying could not conceive after "eating" her golden blood swallows, but she still forced Jiu Yingying to give birth to a grandson in such a high-profile manner. It was obvious that she was deliberately sowing the seeds of disaster so that she could wait for the disaster to be escalated in the future and wait for the show to begin.

He Huai Ling naturally understood the trick. His eyes were solemn. He looked up at Concubine Shu calmly and said, "Children also depend on fate. When fate comes, they will come naturally. If fate has not come, you can't force it."

When Concubine Shu saw He Huailing speaking for Jiu Yingying, she shut up awkwardly. After all, she didn't dare to be too presumptuous in front of Emperor Jing.

Emperor Jing smiled indifferently and said, "Although we cannot force it, we can do our best and leave the rest to fate. Come, give the Crown Princess a bowl of bird's nest so that she can nourish her body."

Emperor Jing's words helped Jiu Yingying out of the predicament. At least even if she didn't give birth to a grandson next year, no one would make a big deal about it. As long as she acted positively and took good care of her body to prepare for pregnancy, it would be fine.

He Huailing did not refute this time. He still supported Jiu Yingying's body recovery.

The palace maids nodded their heads in agreement, and quickly brought up the bird's nest, placing it respectfully in front of Jiu Yingying.

Jiu Yingying lowered her eyes and looked at the bird's nest in the bowl. She suspected that she might be unlucky with bird's nest recently, otherwise why did everyone want her to eat bird's nest?

But fortunately, she thought to herself, at least there was no "additive" in Emperor Jing's bowl of bird's nest, so she could eat it with confidence.

She thanked Emperor Jing reluctantly, picked up the spoon, and under the gaze of everyone at the table, put the bird's nest into her mouth one bite at a time.

She deliberately slowed down the pace of eating the bird's nest, which was a reward given to her by Emperor Jing himself. She was ordered to nourish her body, so when she was eating the bird's nest, no one came to disturb her, and no one would talk to her. She was happy and relaxed.

The royal chef stewed the bird's nest with rock sugar very well, and it tasted delicious and sweet, but as far as Jiu Yingying knew, it took a long time to stew the bird's nest.

She lowered her head and ate the bird's nest while thinking, after the imperial chef received the order, he was able to bring the bird's nest to her so quickly, and the temperature was just right. It was obvious that Emperor Jing had already instructed them to prepare the bird's nest early.

Today is New Year's Eve, the day when everyone goes to the palace to reunite with Emperor Jing. Despite his busy schedule, Emperor Jing still has the mind to instruct the imperial chef to prepare bird's nest for him. It can be seen that Emperor Jing really wants a grandson.

Jiu Yingying figured this out and couldn't help feeling a little pressured. As for why Emperor Jing was so eager to have a grandson, she had no idea.

She couldn't help but turn her head to look at He Huai Ling, then turned to look at Emperor Jing, silently accusing, it's your son who is not capable!

Chapter 115

Emperor Jing was particularly interested and in high spirits this year. He talked and laughed with everyone and drank happily.

Emperor Jing was in high spirits, which resulted in the New Year's Eve dinner taking unexpectedly long. Since he didn't put down his chopsticks, others naturally didn't dare to do the same. They could only eat and drink with him, and even though they couldn't eat any more, they still had to hold their chopsticks and pretend to eat.

After the New Year's Eve dinner, fireworks were set off in the palace. The fireworks were brilliant and dazzling, blooming wantonly in the night sky.

Emperor Jing drank too much and finally went back to rest. After he left, the lively scene immediately became cold.

Those who were smiling in front of Emperor Jing were too lazy to keep smiling. Those who usually argued with each other began to speak in a sarcastic manner, and some of them couldn't help but quarrel.

Concubine Shu's face turned cold almost as soon as Emperor Jing left. When Emperor Jing left, she wanted to stay by his side to serve him and sleep with him, but Emperor Jing refused in front of everyone.

She couldn't help but grit her teeth lightly, feeling annoyed and resentful. Ever since Qin Zhuangqi's accident, Emperor Jing had never summoned her to sleep with him, not even once. The only thing that comforted her was that Emperor Jing had not summoned anyone else to sleep with him, and she had been living alone in Jingyang Palace during this period.

She sat here, feeling extremely irritated. He Huaijin was far away at the border this year and couldn't come back to pay New Year's greetings. How could she be in a good mood? She was just forcing a smile.

What's more, the Qin family has fallen into decline, and her relatives are suffering in this bitter and cold land. She looked at the table full of food and felt unable to eat. What's more, Jiu Yingying, the culprit, was sitting opposite her, which was extremely annoying. She had just eaten a lot because Emperor Jing was here. Now her stomach was bloated and uncomfortable, as if there was a stone hidden in her stomach.

Jiu Yingying ignored the crowd's wonderful face-changing performances and pushed He Huailing away quietly.

After they walked away, He Huailing turned around and asked, "Are we going back to the East Palace now?"

Jiu Yingying looked up at the fireworks blooming in the sky and said, "Forget it. I wanted to go back early to accompany Xuru, but it's getting late now. Xuru always goes to bed early, so she must have gone to bed a long time ago. We won't be able to see her if we go back, so why not stay in the palace and watch the fireworks for a while."

He Huailing naturally had no objection and let Jiu Yingying push him forward.

They didn't see that after they left, a eunuch hurriedly walked to the table and whispered something in Concubine Shu's ear. After hearing it, Concubine Shu's face changed drastically and her whole body began to tremble uncontrollably. When she looked up again, she looked at them with extremely vicious eyes, like a snake or scorpion, and she wished she could tear them into pieces.

Jiu Yingying pushed He Huailing forward and unknowingly came to the lake where she fell into the water.

She recognized the lake, her eyes lit up, and she pointed at the lake and said excitedly: "Look! This is the lake where I fell into the water when I was a child!"

He Huai Ling looked at the calm lake with a complicated expression, and after a long silence, he asked in a dry voice: "You fell into the water here that year, and it was not a pleasant memory. Why are you so happy to see this lake?"

Jiu Yingying looked at the calm lake without caring and smiled: "Although this place has bad memories for me, it is also the place where I met my savior, so it is not too bad."

He Huai Ling was speechless and couldn't say anything for a while.

Jiu Yingying did not notice He Huailing's sudden silence. A cluster of fireworks suddenly bloomed in the distance, reflected on the lake, looking colorful.

Jiu Yingying stared at the reflection on the lake for a moment, and said depressedly: "It's a pity that I haven't found my savior yet. There are too many eunuchs coming and going in the palace, and there is no clue at all."

He Huai Ling said weakly: "Maybe you are looking in the wrong direction."

Jiu Yingying did not hear his whisper. She looked up at the colorful fireworks in the sky, smiled suddenly, and said in a brisk voice: "But I believe that we must be looking at the same night sky now. If we are lucky, we may still be looking at the same fireworks."

If her savior was still staying in the palace as a eunuch, he might be enjoying the fireworks in some corner right now. They might have passed each other and didn't know each other, but being well in their own corners was also a blessing.

He Huailing looked up at the fireworks in the sky and unconsciously looked into Jiu Yingying's eyes. The fireworks not far away were reflected in Jiu Yingying's dark pupils. Her beautiful eyes were like delicate colored glass, with a breathtaking beauty.

He unconsciously raised the corners of his lips, looked at Jiu Yingying and smiled softly: "I also believe that you must be looking at the same fireworks now."

Jiu Yingying nodded with a smile, feeling unconsciously much happier in her heart. She stood by the lake and admired the fireworks with He Huailing for a while before pushing He Huailing forward again.

The two of them walked around the corner and passed by a palace. Jiu Yingying looked up at the three words "Fengming Palace" on the plaque and couldn't help but pause.

This is where Queen Chunshan lived before she died. Queen Chunshan, just like her title, was a pure, kind, and non-competitive person. She liked quietness very much, so she chose this remote corner as the palace.

After Empress Chunshan passed away, Emperor Jing issued an edict to seal off this place. Over the years, the harem was ownerless and the palace has been abandoned.

He Huai Ling looked up at the Fengming Palace in front of him, his expression slightly stagnant, and asked, "Do you want to go in and take a look?"

Jiu Yingying looked at the lock on the door, "How do I get in?"

Emperor Jing has issued an order to seal off this place, and no one has entered or left Fengming Palace in these years.

He Huai Ling chuckled when he heard that, and he took out a key from somewhere, pushed his wheelchair over, unlocked the door in a few seconds, and then turned around to look at Jiu Yingying.

Jiu Yingying stood there in shock. She was silent for a moment, looked around guiltily, and then breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, this place had been abandoned for a long time, and there were no guards at the door and no patrols around.

She hurried over and pushed He Huailing into the palace quickly, and closed the door carefully like a thief.

Seeing her nervous look, He Huai Ling couldn't help but smile, "Don't worry, there are rarely people around here."

Jiu Yingying nodded slightly, indicating that she understood. If there weren't so few people coming here, she would not have been almost left without anyone to rescue her after falling into the water.

She looked up at Fengming Palace and was a little surprised. Fengming Palace was different from what she had imagined. Although it had been abandoned for a long time, it was not overgrown with weeds as she had imagined. Instead, the courtyards were well-arranged, with neatly arranged flowers and plants, maintaining the previous appearance of Fengming Palace, as if someone often sent people to clean it.

Jiu Yingying could tell who this person was just by looking at He Huailing's familiar action of opening the door.

Jiu Yingying stood at the door and watched for a while before pushing He Huailing step by step inside. This was her first time in Fengming Palace. When she entered the palace for treatment, Queen Chunshan had already passed away and this place had been sealed by Emperor Jing's decree.

Jiu Yingying could tell from the scenery in Fengming Palace that Queen Chunshan must have been a kind and gentle person when she was alive.

The scenery here is elegant, with pavilions, towers, flowers and green grass. It looks refined but not vulgar. Even on a winter day like now, the garden is still bright. There are not only many rare and precious plants planted here, but also many crabapple trees.

Jiu Yingying looked at the crabapple trees all over the yard and was slightly stunned. She had not seen so many crabapple trees for a long time. When Queen Chunshan was alive, the entire palace was planted with crabapple trees. If those crabapple trees had not been pulled out, they should now be as tall as the crabapple trees in this palace.

Jiu Yingying couldn't help but sigh: "The Queen Mother must be a very gentle person."

"Yeah." He Huai Ling smiled and said, "My mother has a very good temper. It's like nothing can make her angry. When I stay with her, my mood will become much calmer."

The image of Queen Chunshan gradually became more three-dimensional in Jiu Yingying's heart.

She thought of Liu Xuru's violent temper and couldn't help but sigh in her heart. Although they were sisters, their personalities were very different. One was gentle as water, and the other was hot as fire.

Of course she couldn't say these words to He Huailing. After all, she probably didn't know Liu Xuru's identity yet.

Jiu Yingying lowered her eyes to look at He Huailing and couldn't help asking, "Did you come here often before?"

"Yeah." He Huailing nodded, looked around the yard, and touched the little stone lion nearby with a somewhat melancholy look.

He whispered, "I come here occasionally. This is where I grew up, and it's where my mother left me. So during the Chinese New Year, festivals, or my mother's memorial day, I will try to find time to sit here for a while."

The reason why he happened to pass by the lake and saved Jiu Yingying was because he came here that day.

During that period, Emperor Jing ordered him to study with the Grand Tutor, so he basically did not live in the palace. He followed the Grand Tutor every day, observing the customs of the people with him and learning the Grand Tutor's way of dealing with the world.

That day happened to be his mother's birthday, so he returned to the palace secretly. It was also for this reason that he could not make it public or reveal his identity to Jiu Yingying.

After all, Jiu Yingying was living in Shuyi Palace at the time, and he couldn't let Concubine Shu know that he had returned to the palace, otherwise Concubine Shu would definitely take advantage of the situation and make a scene in front of Emperor Jing.

However, he did not expect that Jiu Yingying would misunderstand his identity because of this. If he had known this, he would rather be punished by Emperor Jing and would definitely reveal his identity to Jiu Yingying at the first opportunity.

When Jiu Yingying heard what He Huailing said, she nodded gently, thinking with some melancholy in her heart that the reason why He Huailing came to Fengming Palace so often must be because he missed Queen Chunshan very much.

She couldn't help feeling sad when she imagined He Huai Ling sitting here alone and missing Queen Chunshan.

She turned to look at He Huailing and couldn't help but say, "If you want to come here in the future, tell me and I'll accompany you."

After she finished speaking, she was slightly stunned, then smiled bitterly. After He Huailing ascended the throne, she didn't know where he would be, so how could she accompany He Huailing here?

What's more, this is the place that belongs to Queen Chunshan. It must be very precious to He Huailing. He would not want outsiders to disturb him here. He would only bring people who are important to him here to remember Queen Chunshan together.

She shook her head gently and was about to say "forget it", but He Huai Ling raised his head and smiled and said, "Okay, keep your word, you must come with me in the future."

Jiu Yingying was slightly stunned, and nodded after a while, repeating in a very soft voice: "Keep your word..."

This is the soft corner of He Huailing's heart, and He Huailing actually acquiesced to her arrival.