♂?，，

  "Apparently brother already knew..."

  She suddenly raised her head and burst into a smile, saying in a light tone, "If one doesn't take care of oneself, heaven and earth will be destroyed. But this isn't anything, my wish is simple, as long as brother lives safely and soundly, takes the place of father to hold up the sky for the three houses, that's enough."

  It's fine... It's fine if it allows her to face the deceased spirit with dignity and not shame the body she occupies.

  She paused slightly and asked anxiously, "I heard that brother refused the emperor's offer of marriage in front of the imperial court?"

  Gu Yuanjing smiled lightly, "It's not that serious, the Emperor only asked if I had a marriage arrangement, and whether the Princess of Lin Nan was suitable for me. I just replied that a humble military officer like myself is not worthy of a noble princess, and the Emperor didn't mention it again. It can't be considered as refusing a royal decree to marry."

  He glanced at Pei Jingchen, who was silent and didn't make a sound, and said in a low voice, "The eldest daughter of the King of Lin Nan, the mistress of Ziteng County, is said to be not only beautiful but also talented. She's someone that many noble young masters in Shengjing can't get, no matter how hard they try. I'm just a humble son born to a concubine, and getting this marriage should be something I'd laugh at even in my dreams."

  Even my uncle advised me to accept this marriage proposal, so as to establish a relationship with the powerful Prince Lin'an. Alas, my uncle has been in the imperial court for many years and yet he can't see through it at all. If I really accepted the proposal and became the son-in-law of Prince Lin'an, that would be slapping him in the face. Brother-in-law, is that right or not?

  That marriage was arranged by Yu Huifei, wasn't it?

  The Yu family and the Lin'an Wangfu are intricately connected. Even if Gu Yuanjing really marries the Zi Teng County Princess, in the future when the Yu and Gu families have conflicting interests, the Lin Nan Wangfu will definitely stand on the side of the Yu family, and Yongning Hou will not get any benefits, and may even lose his nephew Gu Yuanjing, who has a promising future.

  It is worth noting that if one digs deeper into the tragic case of the three houses of the Gu family in those years, it would be hard to avoid seeing the shadow of the main house of the Gu family. If Gu Yu Jing had children with the princess, then at that time, who was close and who was distant would be clear at a glance. Even if he still adhered to his loyal thoughts towards the Gu family, just his identity alone would be enough to make the Marquis Yongning uneasy.

  Pei Jingchen's eyelids fluttered slightly, and he immediately understood all the connections. His lips curled up slightly. "It was Uncle Renhou."

  He paused, "However, Brother's move is correct. The Emperor is in his prime, let alone the imperial harem has not yet given birth to an imperial son, even if there is one, it's a bit too early to fight for these things at this time."

  Let's talk about Lin Nan Wang again. Although he is now a powerful vassal king with a strong army, occupying a region, the current situation is that the four seas are calm and the emperor's power is stable, so withdrawing the vassals is inevitable. When the time comes, it will be difficult to avoid another disturbance, but after four years of bloody battles, brother-in-law has finally managed to defend his territory and see a clear sky. It's really not necessary to get involved again.

  Ming Xuan was slightly surprised, she knew that her husband was not an ordinary weakling with an empty stomach, and also knew that he had secretly nurtured a lot of power, but what she did not expect was that he dared to express his views on the court situation in front of Gu Yuanjing without any concealment.

  Was it just three days after their marriage that he trusted her and her brother so much?

  Is he not afraid that these remarks will be leaked out and ruin his years of endurance and hard work?

  Gu Yuanjing clapped his hands and laughed loudly, "Good!"

  The appreciation in his eyes was evident, "My brother-in-law's idea coincides with mine. The Emperor is the supreme ruler of the nine regions and the master of the world. He wants to take back power into his own hands, it's only a matter of time. When that happens, not only will the vassal kings who hold heavy military power have to hand over their military authority, but also those great generals who occupy the borders will have to return all their military power."

  So, in that year, Han Xiucould give up the title of Ningguo General and request to enter officialdom.

  He also asked for a similar way out after rewarding the troops this time.

  Due to this sincere conversation, Gu Yuanjing's scrutiny of Pei Jingchen in his heart was reduced by more than half. On the contrary, he felt that although this brother-in-law was born in the Pei family, he was not as cunning and hypocritical as Pei Xiang. With Pei Jingchen's reputation in the streets, he still dared to reveal his true heart in front of him, which was treating others with sincerity, and did not regard himself and his sister as outsiders.

  Ming Xuan saw the two men who were closest to her in this world chatting happily, with some surprise and more joy. She just sat on the side, listening to them analyze the situation in the court, discussing countermeasures, and feeling satisfied in her heart.

  It's great, brother doesn't mind her husband being surnamed Pei!

  But she immediately thought that Gu Yuanjing, although he had been tempered on the battlefield and added a few strands of strong will, was still a simple and honest person at heart. Even in that matter, the emperor could not shirk his responsibility, but he still held a firm loyalty to the emperor in his heart, and not a single bit of it shook his loyalty to the emperor.

  He was generous, even if Pei Xiang was the mastermind, he didn't want to direct his anger at other innocent Pei descendants, so why did he accept Pei Jingchen as his brother-in-law after their initial disagreement?

  It was just past four o'clock when a voice came from the second gate saying that the horse carriage had been harnessed.

  Ming Xuan then bid a reluctant farewell to Old Lady Zhu, gently wiping away the tears from her grandmother's eyes and smiling as she said, "But it's just a distance of several streets apart. If Grandmother misses me, just have someone come call for me. Now that I've married out, going out is actually more convenient than before. What are you afraid of?"

  She supported old Mrs. Zhu's arm and continued, "In a few more days, isn't it not a good day for Wu Jie? My granddaughter must come back to see her off, and at that time, can't the two of us meet again?"

  Although that's the case, after four years of being together day and night, her granddaughter was no longer by her side, and Mrs. Zhu felt empty in her heart, as if something was missing.

  She turned her face, secretly wiping away tears and said, "A married woman who often runs back to her mother's home will be ridiculed by her husband's family. My grandmother doesn't expect me to visit often either. As long as I'm living a good life, and Brother Cheng treats me well, I'll be at peace."

  Whether willing or unwilling to admit it, a man's respect and pampering are related to a woman's whole life.

  Madam Zhu is a conservative woman, even if she has a strong and resolute character, she still lives by the doctrine of "husband as heaven", she's not afraid that the Pei family won't get along with Ming Xuan, nor is she afraid that Ming Xuan will suffer at the hands of Yang Shi, what she cares most about in her heart is still the harmony between her husband and wife.

  Ming Xuan glanced at Pei Jingchen, who was not far away, bidding farewell to Gu Yuanjing. Her eyes moved slightly, and she smiled lightly at Old Lady Zhu, saying, "Grandmother, rest assured, I will live a good life."

  No matter in life and emotions, they need to be managed. As long as she works hard and the other party doesn't resist, there's no reason why they can't have a good day. She is good at managing, Pei Jingchen also works very hard, in the future... they will definitely live well, right?

  Madam Zhu held onto Ming Xuan's hand reluctantly, seeing her off all the way to the gate before finally letting go. As she gazed at the distant carriage, she spoke to Nanny Gu with a mix of emotions, "When I saw Lan Niang off on her wedding day, I felt the same way - hoping she'd marry into a good family, yet unable to bear parting with her."

  She shook her head, "Xuan sister is married nearby, and we can still see each other during the New Year's festival, but it's hard for me to even catch a glimpse of my Lan daughter."

  "Master Jia's wedding is on the fifth of September, and your aunt has written to say she'll come in person to see you off. How could you have forgotten? In less than three months, Old Madame will be reunited with your aunt."

  Madam Zhu's eyebrows curved, "Right, how could I have forgotten this? When Linxiao gets married and moves in, this old woman will have someone to accompany her again, and it won't be so lonely in my old age."

  She had just finished speaking and was about to turn around and leave, but suddenly saw a majestic black horse rushing out of the Han Mansion opposite, with a man in a dark blue brocade robe riding on its back, galloping swiftly against the wind, like lightning flashing by.

  The old woman whispered, "It looks like that Ping Zhang Zheng Shi Han Gongzi, but why the hurry? Could it be that something urgent has happened in the imperial court?"

  Madam Zhu paid attention to the direction Han Xiu left in, her eyebrows tightly furrowed, with a somewhat bad premonition in her heart. That wasn't the route to the palace, but rather the direction Ming Xuan and Pei Jingchen's carriage had just departed in.

  Her face was uncertain, but she was powerless to do anything else. She could only clench her fists tightly and instruct in a low voice, "Support me back to the An Tai courtyard, and send a little maid to call Fourth Master over for me. I have something to say to him."

  In the gently swaying carriage, Ming Xuan curiously lifted the curtain to gaze at the bustling street scene. The prosperous Shengjing had every main road lined with rows of shops, each one unique and offering everything imaginable. She was momentarily dazzled by the sights, her eyes lingering for a long time before she could tear them away.

  Pei Jingchen saw her being so absorbed and also leaned over, "What are you looking at?"

  Naturally, intimate gestures occurred, and unconscious physical contact took place. He greedily savored the fresh scent on her body, and before he knew it, his neck was resting on her shoulder. The warmth of his lips as he spoke seemed to caress her earlobe, sending a faint shiver down her spine.

  At first, the body of a person who had just experienced something was extremely sensitive. As soon as Ming Xuan's hand shook, the car curtain fell with a rustling sound.

  Her face was slightly red, and her tone was like a mixture of shyness and playfulness, "Don't tease me, it's just that I haven't seen the scenery outside for a long time, so let me take a few more glances."

  She was so charming, Pei Jingchen only felt his throat tighten, and his arms held her deeper. "From now on, I'll have nothing to do at home, whenever you want to go out shopping, I'll accompany you, okay?"

  He held her from behind, gently rubbing his cheek against hers, and at the same time, he opened a gap and pointed outside, saying, "I heard from Changgeng that Shengji is the best winery in Shengjing City, with good wine and dishes. Because of health reasons..."

  Pei Jingchen's good-looking face couldn't help but reveal a smile, "Because I have to pretend that my body is not well, except for some unavoidable banquets, I basically never appear in front of people, so the Shengji Wine House that Changgeng praised as 'the best under heaven and unparalleled on earth', I've actually never been there before, only had a few signature dishes brought back by Changgeng, which were delicious, and I've always wanted to go there once in a grand manner."

  He leaned over and pressed his lips to Ming Xuan's ear, "When we have time, let's go once!"

  With such a gentle offensive, Ming Xuan couldn't help but defend herself, her face flushing as she said, "Okay."

  As soon as her words fell, she only heard a "thud" sound, the neighing of frightened horses, and immediately felt the carriage tilting. The streets around responded with cries and shouts, and she realized that they had probably encountered another accident. Her heart was somewhat panicked, at which point the arm wrapped around her waist tightened even more, almost pulling her entire body into his embrace.

  As soon as he heard the words "don't be afraid" in his ear, the carriage came to a complete stop.

  Outside the car, a man in black clothes stood still and asked, "Is anyone injured inside the car?"

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