Yun Shu stood up and handed the painting to A'cha. "Put it away."
"Yes."
She pushed open the door and walked out.
Zhan Tianye was already sitting at the stone table.
The three little ones were gathered around him.
"Daddy is so amazing!" Yun Xiaojing praised Zhan Tianye for the first time. He wasn't one to praise lightly; he genuinely thought his father was remarkable!
Zhan Xiaofeng said excitedly, "Daddy, I want to learn!"
Zhan Xiaoli had seen it before, so he wasn't surprised, but he still thought his father was amazing.
Zhan Tianye picked up a small pebble and threw it towards a small puddle in the distance.
It had rained late last night, so there was a small pit in front of the door in the courtyard.
The pebble landed precisely in the puddle.
To be able to throw it accurately from that distance indeed required some skill.
It was good for coaxing children.
"You have to hold the pebble steady with your fingertips, then put the force into your arm..."
The three little ones listened intently.
Once they understood, the little ones were eager to try.
One by one, they picked up small stones and threw them towards the small puddle.
Since they were just starting, they missed a few times.
But they were having a lot of fun.
Because they had already begun practicing martial arts, they quickly grasped the method.
Yun Shu came and sat opposite Zhan Tianye, watching the three children play together.
Then she looked at him again.
After resting for a night, his complexion had returned to normal, and the effects of the Gu water had disappeared with the passing of the night.
Speaking of Gu water, she was curious under what circumstances he had been fed it.
The person who could make him drink Gu water must not be someone he usually guarded against.
"You unknowingly consumed the Gu water. This Gu water, combined with the illusion Gu technique, makes you very easy to control," Yun Shu explained.
Zhan Tianye's eyes deepened upon hearing this. "Yesterday, I drank a cup of tea given to me by the Emperor in the palace."
Yun Shu's expression also turned somber, and she was somewhat surprised. "The Emperor?"
Zhan Tianye nodded.
Yun Shu frowned slightly. "Are you sure?"
In her eyes, Zhan Tianhong was still that child who bore burdens beyond his years.
That young emperor who suffered day and night from poison.
The young man from months ago had placed all his hopes for survival on Zhan Tianye, and it was Zhan Tianye who had helped him reach this point.
If that cup of tea had truly been laced with Gu water.
Then.
What was Zhan Tianhong thinking?
The two fell silent.
...
Portraits were rapidly circulated through the streets and alleys.
At first, no one recognized the person in the portrait.
They only thought the woman in the portrait was beautiful, had a good figure, and was covered in injuries, as if tortured by those men.
Women who saw these portraits almost all scolded her for being shameless, while men stared at them with unblinking eyes.
Because they found the woman in the portrait to be too beautiful, many were very curious about who she was.
Before noon, the entire streets and alleys were abuzz with inquiries about the woman's identity, asking if anyone recognized her, or if she was a courtesan from a pleasure house.
Some even knocked on the doors of many pleasure houses, showing the portraits and asking the madams. Most madams marveled at the portraits, sighed in admiration, and then regrettably said she wasn't one of their girls.
No courtesan could be so bold as the woman in the portrait.
Soon, as everyone was asking who the woman in the portrait was, someone finally stepped forward, claiming the woman was the daughter of Prime Minister Jiang.
Everyone was shocked!
Prime Minister Jiang's daughter?
How could the Prime Minister's daughter do such a thing?
When the rumors reached the Prime Minister's mansion, Prime Minister Jiang was furious.
This was ruining his daughter's reputation!
His daughter referred not to Jiang Luoxi, but to the daughter born to him and his wife!
The Prime Minister's wife, in tears, rushed to Prime Minister Jiang, demanding an explanation.
Even their own daughter, upon hearing the rumors, came crying that her reputation was ruined and she didn't want to live!
In a fit of rage, Prime Minister Jiang immediately prepared to enter the palace.
He couldn't let a daughter from an extramarital affair ruin the reputation of the entire Jiang family!
At the same time.
Jiang Luoxi, after transmitting her whistle signal, successfully obtained clothes. After dressing and tidying up, she immediately took a carriage to the palace.
She couldn't recall at all who had plotted against her!
Soon after entering the palace, she arrived before the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager was very concerned about Jiang Luoxi. After all, she was someone she relied on. If she disappeared, she would have to find another suitable candidate.
"After dinner in the carriage last night, where did you go?" the Empress Dowager sternly questioned Jiang Luoxi.
Jiang Luoxi looked tired, her head still throbbing. Frowning, she absentmindedly replied, "Someone must have saved me. I was unconscious all night."
For some reason, she vaguely felt something was amiss.
However, due to the severe headache and the shock of seeing herself naked in the dilapidated temple, which had not yet subsided, she couldn't concentrate and think carefully about the matter.
But one thought kept surfacing: she had to order someone to act...
They must act...
The Empress Dowager didn't care much. Frowning, she expressed some dissatisfaction, and then finally noticed Jiang Luoxi's unusual state.
"What's wrong?" the Empress Dowager asked with a frown.
Jiang Luoxi pursed her lips and shook her head. "I was tortured yesterday, and the wounds are still painful."
"Someone, go and summon the imperial physician," the Empress Dowager immediately ordered.
Jiang Luoxi sat down on the side, but as soon as she sat, she bumped her wounds.
This was the first time she had suffered such a passive loss.
Seeing Jiang Luoxi's pale and gloomy face, the Empress Dowager sensed something and thought of it, saying sternly, "Don't even think about Prince Ye. I never expected Prince Ye to be so heartless. Aside from Yun Shu, he has no feelings for any other woman, and even treats you with such disregard. Any other man would not have done something like this."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Luoxi's expression grew even darker.
"Prince Ning seems to be interested in you. He came to visit me today, and when he saw you weren't here, he asked about you. I'm planning to arrange a marriage for you two. Prince Ning doesn't have a princess, so you can marry him and become his princess," the Empress Dowager had already made her plans.
Jiang Luoxi, upon hearing the Empress Dowager's words, suddenly looked up, her eyes showing no sign of retreat. Instead, there was determination. "Please give me some more time, Your Majesty. This is just the beginning. I believe I can still change Prince Ye's impression of me."
The Empress Dowager furrowed her brows. "Why can't you let go? I've already given up. Could it be... you've fallen for Prince Ye?"
Jiang Luoxi's heart trembled fiercely.
Love?
Only then did she realize that she no longer simply wanted to obtain Prince Ye to achieve her goals, but rather, under his increasingly indifferent treatment, she had actually fallen in love with him!