Chapter Ninety-two: Until Death Do Us Part

  The next day, Xu Mingjin went to see Yu Zhi again.

  By the afternoon, Xuan Yuan Jinglin had already found her and directly said: "My second brother wants to see you. He wants to hear your opinions on how to handle the matter of his cousin."

  Xu Mingjin said: It's precisely because I don't know how to deal with it that I handed this hot potato over to your brother. However, she also finds it strange why Xuan Yuanze didn't send her back to the Lin family yesterday. The Lin family has lost such a big daughter-in-law, and they can't be anxious? But the other party is the Second Prince, with great power and influence, so even if the Lin family knew about it, they could only swallow their anger and remain silent.

  "This time it's not you looking for me?" Xu Mingjin said.

  She said that, Xuan Yuan Jing Lin's face became somewhat uncomfortable, and she smiled awkwardly: "Ming Jin, I didn't want you to meet my second brother either. You don't know, my brother asked me many times before, wanting me to invite you out, but I didn't agree. If it weren't for the fact that he had a legitimate reason this time, I wouldn't have come."

  "Oh, you won't come, huh? How is it that you don't want to come see me?" Xu Mingjin said with a hint of a smile.

  Xuan Yuan Jinglin hastily said: "I didn't mean it that way! You've been quite busy lately, right? I also wanted to come, but was afraid of disturbing you."

  Xu Mingjin finally decided to let the matter drop, she smiled slightly and said: "Alright, let's not mention this again. I'll ask you, what does your brother plan to do with Lin Shao? Where is she now?"

  Xuan Yuan Jinglin said: "My brother didn't do anything to her, he just locked her in a separate courtyard, serving her three meals a day. He hasn't figured out what to do with her yet!"

  Xu Mingjin couldn't help but laugh at this: "This sounds like 'a beauty in a golden house' to me!"

  Xuan Yuan Jing Lin saw that Xu Ming Jin's face didn't show any displeasure, knowing that her words were purely a joke, and only then did she put her mind at ease. She also smiled and said: "Golden house hiding a beauty? That should be you instead! My brother would be delighted to do this thing."

  Xu Mingjin blushed and said, "Even if he wants to, it's up to me whether I'm willing or not! Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. The topic is getting further and further away. Are you here to call me or chat with me? If we're going to chat, then let's go to my courtyard and have a good chat! It's more comfortable there!" As she spoke, Xu Mingjin made as if to leave.

  "Come back!" Xuan Yuan Jing Lin hastily said. In fact, Xu Ming Jin didn't have any intention of leaving at all, and upon hearing her shout, the foot that had just been lifted fell back to the ground again. Xuan Yuan Jing Lin stepped forward and grabbed hold of her, scolding, "My good second aunt, let's hurry up and go! Look, it's almost dark!" As she spoke, she pointed with her hand.

  Xu Mingjin listened to Xuan Yuan Jinglin's words, raised his head and looked at the sky, only to see a bright sun hanging above his head, completely speechless.

  The horse-drawn carriage, carrying Xu Mingjin and Xuan Yuan Jinglin, turned seven or eight times before entering a small alley, finally stopping in front of the gate of a very quiet courtyard.

  Getting off the car, Xu Mingjin saw that the door in front of her was peeling with paint, and she didn't know how many years it had been. The big gate was tightly closed, and there wasn't even a little servant at the entrance. Did she still need to knock on the door to enter? For a moment, Xu Mingjin thought that Xuan Yuanze was waiting for her in one of the rooms behind this door, and her face slightly flushed.

  Xuan Yuan Jinglin ordered the young servant to go forward and knock on the door, without noticing Xu Mingjin's abnormality. However, Yu Zhu, who was standing beside her, had been paying attention to her own mistress all along. This scene was naturally seen clearly by her. The little maid stood there with no expression on her face, but in her heart, she was overjoyed. It turned out that the mistress also had her master in mind. Great! However, in the next second, she remembered what her master had warned her last time: since she had already become the mistress's maid, she shouldn't always think of him as her master. From now on, she only had one master, and that was the mistress!

  Yu Zhu quickly adjusted her attitude, Miss is her master, and from now on the Second Prince will just be the Second Prince, no longer her master. However, Yu Zhu thought of another question, after this, Miss would marry the Second Prince, does it make a difference who's the master between them? They're husband and wife! Is it necessary to distinguish so clearly? Yu Zhu couldn't understand.

  The old wooden door creaked open from the inside, and a young servant came out. As soon as he saw Xuan Yuan Jing Lin, his face was filled with smiles as he knelt down to pay his respects: "Your humble servant greets Your Highness!" Then, his eyes shifted, and he caught sight of Xu Ming Jin. This little servant was quite clever; although it was the first time he had seen Xu Ming Jin, he realized that she had come with Xuan Yuan Jing Lin. In the capital city, even the most ignorant person knew that among those closest to Princess Jing Lin was none other than Miss Xu Liu from the Shangshu Mansion - Xu Liu, who was the fiancée of their master and future imperial concubine! How could he not try to curry favor with her? He hastily knocked his head again: "Your humble servant greets Miss Xu Liu!"

  Xu Mingjin was somewhat surprised and delighted, she actually enjoyed the same treatment as Xuan Yuan Jinglin!

  Xuan Yuan Jinglin didn't even look at him and said, "Get up and lead the way!" As she spoke, she grabbed Xu Mingjin's hand and stepped into the courtyard. The little servant hastily scrambled to his feet and stood aside.

  Xu Mingjin curiously sized up the small courtyard, seeing that it was spotless and tidy everywhere. In the yard, there was a large Chinese parasol tree, its canopy almost covering half of the yard. However, it was still early spring and had not yet sprouted, but in the corner of the wall, a large cluster of winter jasmine had been planted, which was now blooming brightly. From afar, it looked like a golden patch, and it was quite lovely. Xu Mingjin's gaze was drawn to the flowers, and her footsteps slowed down. Yu Zhu hastily pulled her forward, thinking to herself, why did her mistress get so captivated by such an insignificant flower that she couldn't take her eyes off it? Besides, other people's mistresses were all admiring plum blossoms or peonies, but only her mistress was so different! She actually liked this kind of unremarkable, ubiquitous little flower! Could it be more captivating than the Second Prince? Yu Zhu was very perplexed.

  Xu Mingjin was pulled by Yu Zhu and had to quicken his pace. He liked the tightness of the flower in his heart. The little servant on the side saw it with his eyes and remembered it in his heart. After a while, they arrived at the main house, Xu Mingjin looked up and took stock, seeing that it was a spacious and bright three-room house with open doors. No one could be seen inside. On both sides of the courtyard were two wing-rooms each, this style, didn't look like any other courtyard, but rather an ordinary person's residential courtyard! Xu Mingjin guessed in his heart, could it be that Xuan Yuanze was tired of the luxurious and grand palace and suddenly became interested in this commoner residence? Or did he want to hide in plain sight?

  "Don't guess anymore, this is where one of my subordinates lives." Unbeknownst to him, Xuan Yuan Ze had already walked out of the house and was standing on the steps, smiling at Xu Ming Jin.

  Xu Mingjin was shocked, thinking to himself: When did this guy learn how to read minds? He even knows what she's thinking! Meanwhile, Xuan Yuan Jinglin had already stepped forward and winked at Xuan Yuan Ze, saying: "Second brother, I've brought the person here for you. There's nothing else I need to do, so I'll go out for a stroll. Can I borrow your Flame Horse to ride for a couple of rounds?"

  Xuanyuan Ze raised an eyebrow and said, "I can lend it to you, but if even a single hair of Lianyue's is missing when she returns, be careful or I'll come after you for revenge!"

  "You're still a prince! You even begrudge your sister a single horse hair, how petty!" Xuan Yuan Jing Lin coldly snorted and said: "Don't worry! I absolutely won't deprive you of a single hair!" As she spoke, she didn't even bid farewell to Xu Ming Jin and happily headed towards the rear courtyard stable.

  On this side, Xuan Yuan Ze looked at his sister leaving, then turned around to look at Xu Ming Jin, with a gentle gaze that could drip water. Yu Zhu on the side saw it and felt a bit overwhelmed, thinking: Why is the second prince so sentimental? No wonder Miss's heart is tied to him! Thinking about it, she subtly took a step back.

  Xu Mingjin said straightforwardly: "Second prince, aren't you going to invite me in?"

  Xuan Yuan Ze was taken aback, having known each other for so long, Xu Ming Jin had never called him Second Prince. At first, she called him Ze Gongzi, and even after knowing his identity, she didn't call him that way. After their engagement, it was even more impossible to call him that, since the relationship between them had already been established, they were going to be husband and wife in the future, how could they still be so formal? Xuan Yuan Ze thought back on the events of the past few days, feeling that he hadn't offended Xu Ming Jin. Why was she calling him like that? It was just a form of address, but it didn't matter what others called him, when Xu Ming Jin did, his heart couldn't take it.

  Xu Mingjin did not expect that his casual remark would make Xuan Yuanze's face change greatly, and he was very puzzled in his heart. Did he say something wrong? He didn't say anything! Fortunately, Xuan Yuanze quickly recovered his composure, and smiled: "Miss Xu Liu has arrived, of course, she is welcome, please!"

  Xu Mingjin looked at him suspiciously for a moment, then lifted his foot and walked into the house. Xuan Yuanze followed Xu Mingjin's back and also entered the house.

  The decorations in the house were very simple and plain, but very clean and tidy. Xuming Jin sat down beside the tea table, and Xuanyuan Ze walked over and actually personally picked up the teapot to pour water into Xuming Jin's cup. Then he smiled and said: "Jin'er, you've traveled such a long way, you must be thirsty? Have some tea." The strong tea aroma wafted up, and Xuming Jin actually felt a sense of being pampered, was this still the high-and-mighty Second Prince? He was actually acting like a servant, pouring tea for himself. Although Xuanyuan Ze had always been without airs in front of Xuming Jin, today he was really too unusual. It couldn't help but make Xuming Jin think more about it.

  Xu Mingjin's mind turned, and he said: "You wouldn't be letting it go because Lin Shao is your cousin, would you? Are you too embarrassed to tell me about this, so you're trying to take Yu Zhuo's job?"

  Xuan Yuan Ze was somewhat crying and laughing, his own heart's blood today, wanting to experience the feeling of serving others. Of course, the only person who could make him serve like this is Xue Ming Jin alone. But he didn't expect that in Xue Ming Jin's eyes, it became a case of making a fuss over nothing! He even joked that he had taken Yu Zhu's job away. Xuan Yuan Ze was truly at a loss for words and on the verge of tears.

  Jade bamboo hid to the side, laughing so hard she was shaking. She suppressed herself with all her might, barely managing not to burst out laughing. The young lady's words were just too ridiculous - wasn't the second prince trying to curry favor with her? If it were someone else, they would have been moved to tears by now. But the young lady didn't even seem moved, and instead said that the majestic second prince had stolen her thunder. It was truly baffling what she was thinking.

  Xu Mingjin glanced at Yuzhu and said kindly: "Yuzhu, you can go down now, your service is not needed here."

  "Yes." Yuzhu bowed to the two of them and walked out of the house in a dignified manner, then hid in an empty place and burst into loud laughter.

  In the house, Xu Mingjin pretended to be nonchalant and slowly picked up the cup of tea that Xuan Yuanze had poured for her, took a sip, and praised: "Good tea!" But in her heart, she was thinking with relish, how many people in this world could get the second prince to pour tea for them? Probably not many, right? Who would have thought that she was one of them! On the side, Xuan Yuanze saw the thick smile in Xu Mingjin's eyes and felt a little better.

  After finishing the tea, the two people started talking about serious matters. Xuan Yuan Ze first said: "Jin Er, yesterday I have already invited Lin Gongzi over and told him everything about this matter. I also took Lin Gongzi to see the corpses of those assassins brought by your cousins. Lin Gongzi was so angry that he begged me not to expose this matter because the assassination attempt on the future second imperial princess would lead to the extermination of his entire family. He promised me that from now on, he will never let your cousins leave the house and will absolutely not harm you." As he spoke, his face turned a few shades colder: "If it weren't for the sake of Uncle's family, anyone who dares to hurt you, I would absolutely not let them live in this world!"

  Xu Mingjin listened and was moved in his heart, but he said with his mouth: "After all, everything is because of you."

  Your cousin is like that because of you, so she repeatedly harbored murderous intentions towards me. As long as she still has you in her heart, she won't stop hating me. The Lin family is nothing, how can they withstand the Qin family?" By this point, a hint of ridicule appeared on Xu Mingjin's face.

  Xuanyuan Ze fell silent after hearing this. Xuming Jin saw him like this and also stopped speaking, slowly sipping his tea.

  It took a long time, but Xuan Yuan Ze finally spoke up: "I have no way to deal with this matter either. She's too stubborn. I couldn't persuade her. All I can say is that from now on, I'll do my best to protect you and absolutely won't give her any opportunity to take advantage of you. If she still doesn't change her ways next time, I definitely won't let her live again!" His face was full of determination.

  Xu Mingjin was moved by these words, but in her heart she thought: Let's talk about this later! Who can predict what will happen in the future? She believed his words, but didn't take them seriously. This is also a common problem for women who have crossed over - they would rather believe that ghosts exist than trust a man's mouth. Without a doubt, Xu Mingjin had Xuan Yuanze in her heart, but this couldn't change her modern personality at all.

  Xuanyuan Ze saw the expression on Xu Mingjin's face and knew that she didn't completely believe him, so he secretly thought to himself: Jin'er, I won't deceive you with empty words, I will speak with facts.

  "Where is she locked up? Can I take a look at her?"

  Xuanyuan Ze sank into thought for a moment before saying, "Since you want to go, I'll accompany you."

  Leaving the main house, the two of them came to a side room in the backyard. The door and windows were tightly closed, with two guards standing at the entrance. On the ground was a plate with some food on it, which hadn't been touched at all.

  Xuanyuan Ze's eyebrows were tightly furrowed as he asked the guard, "Hasn't she eaten yet?"

  The guard nodded and replied: "Yes!"

  Xuanyuan Ze looked at those dishes and frowned, after a while he said: "Open the door!"

  The guard got the order and quickly took out the key to open the door, then stepped aside. Xu Mingjin curiously looked inside the house, but there was no movement or sound. Xu Mingjin wondered if Lin Shao had not eaten for two days, was she on a hunger strike? Xu Mingjin sneered, another Xu Mingxia! But when Xu Mingxia went on a hunger strike before, someone cared about her well-being, whereas here, no one worried about her health, they just feared that she would die. After all, she was the young lady of the Qin family, and dying here wouldn't be good.

  Leng Buding's hand was grasped by Xuan Yuanze, and Xu Mingjin turned his head to see that he had a sideways face, with no expression on it, and his lips were tightly pursed. Xu Mingjin felt depressed: You're going to see your own cousin, not some enemy, why are you making yourself look like this? Won't Lin Shao be scared to death by this appearance? Xu Mingjin's mind was a mess of thoughts, but he was being led by Xuan Yuanze, slowly walking into that room.

  Because the curtains were pulled down, the light in the house was not as bright as outside. Xu Mingjin searched around the room and finally saw Lin Shao's wife sitting stupidly on the couch by the window. He couldn't help but sigh, it had only been a day and a half since he last saw her, and this person was completely different from before. The day before yesterday, Xu Mingjin was still amazed by Lin Shao's wife's beauty, but today he felt a sense of regret in his heart, a beautiful woman like her was now completely unrecognizable.

  Mrs. Lin's eyes slowly rotated, and she saw her beloved Xuan Yuanze walking into the room with Xu Liu, the woman she hated most, side by side, standing in front of her. This scene was both harmonious and infuriating! He was her heartthrob, how could he hold another woman's hand? How could he smile warmly at another woman? How could he marry another woman and spend his life with her? That person should be her! She wouldn't allow it, absolutely not! In an instant, Mrs. Lin's eyes turned a terrifying red, and she let out a sharp cry, charging towards Xu Mingjin.

  Xu Mingjin did not expect that Lin Shao would react so greatly upon seeing her, as if she had gone mad.

  She was thinking of hiding behind Xuan Yuan Ze, when she saw Xuan Yuan Ze take a big step forward and stretch out his right hand to grab Lin Shao's neck. His palm exerted force, causing Lin Shao's face to turn beet red, her mouth wide open but unable to make a sound. Her hands flailed wildly in the air. Xu Ming Jin saw that each of her fingernails was an inch long and was so frightened that he took a step back, shouting: "Mother! Nine Yin White Bone Claw!"

  Xuanyuan Ze heard Xu Mingjin's shout and looked down, but it wasn't. Those long fingernails were no wonder why Xu Mingjin was afraid. If he scratched Xu Mingjin's face...

  Xuanyuan Ze didn't dare to imagine it, he just clenched his fists tighter, and Lin Shaonai's hands had no strength to wave anymore. Her two arms went limp and hung down, her eyes rolled back, and she completely lost the momentum from before. Xuanyuan Ze really wanted to squeeze her to death right then and there. But he knew he couldn't. So, just as Lin Shaonai was about to suffocate to death, he loosened his grip. Lin Shaonai's entire body went limp and fell to the ground.

  Mrs. Lin gasped for breath in big gulps, coughing violently for a long time before anyone reacted.

  Xu Mingjin watched this scene, although she hated Lin Shao in her heart, but just seeing her almost dying of hunger, there was still a thread of mercy in her heart. If Xuan Yuanze hadn't let go of Lin Shao just now, she would have definitely asked him to release Lin Shao, not to mention anything else, that was his cousin, it wouldn't be good for her to die at his hands. Shouldn't she die at someone else's hands instead?

  Xuanyuan Ze never wanted to see Lin Shao again, this person would never change their nature even if they died. He pulled Xu Mingjin's hand and the two of them walked away without looking back.

  Behind her back, Lin Shao's wife lay on the ground, sideways, watching the two people walking away together in the distance, with tears streaming down her eyes...

  At this time, Xuan Yuan Jinglin had ridden the Flame Horse back and saw her second brother and Xu Mingjin walking hand in hand from the backyard. She originally wanted to tease them a couple of sentences, but who knew that as she walked closer, the expressions on their faces didn't look too good. Her heart skipped a beat, and she hastily asked: "Second Brother, what's wrong? What happened?"

  Xuanyuan Ze let out a sigh, shook his head and said to Xu Mingjin in a gentle voice: "The young master of the Lin family will come to pick up your cousin soon. Do you want to continue playing? If not, I'll ask Jinglin to send you back."

  Xuan Yuan Jinglin immediately disagreed, saying: "Second brother, you and second sister-in-law are already affectionate enough, yet you're in a hurry to have me send second sister-in-law back. Second sister-in-law hasn't even had a chance to play with me properly yet!" Then she turned her head to give Xu Mingjin a flattering smile: "Second sister-in-law, don't you think so?"

  Xu Mingjin had just gone through that scene, and her heart was heavy with sorrow. She really didn't have the mood to continue playing. Moreover, Xuan Yuan Jinglin kept calling her "Second Aunt", but she wasn't even married yet, and Xu Mingjin couldn't bear being teased like this all day long. Xuan Yuan Ze looked at Xu Mingjin's expression and knew that she didn't want to play anymore, so he scolded Xuan Yuan Jinglin: "Jinglin, even if she is your second aunt, it's not official yet! You're already calling her that so eagerly, what will others think when they hear it? An unmarried woman like her would be too embarrassed to show her face. Besides, Jin'er is in a bad mood now, can't we play another day?"

  Xuan Yuan Jinglin was scolded by her second brother, and her mood wasn't good. Her smile instantly fell. She turned to look at Xu Mingjin and indeed saw that his face didn't look well, with a heavy heart. Thinking that what her second brother said also made sense, she didn't get emotional either. She said to Xu Mingjin: "Jinglin, I'll send you back?"

  Xu Mingjin nodded. Together with Xuan Yuan Jinglin, they walked outwards. Xuan Yuan Ze stood in the courtyard, watching their backs disappear until he couldn't see them anymore, and still stood there. A nearby guard said: "Young master, go inside!" Only then did he return to the house, but immediately ordered someone to invite Lin Gongzi.

  Xu Mingjin got on the carriage and suddenly saw a big bunch of winter jasmine in it. He couldn't help but ask, "Who brought this?" Xuan Yuan Jinglin also saw it and smiled, "Unlike those large and gorgeous flowers in the palace, these small yellow flowers are quite interesting." Xu Mingjin gave her a white eye: "Uncultured, this is winter jasmine."

  Xuan Yuan Jinglin smiled and said: "Of course I know what kind of flower this is, it's just that I like to call it little yellow flower, do you mind?"

  Xu Mingjin smiled and said: "I'm not idle with nothing to do, what's it to you? Besides, can I control you?"

  Yu Zhu smiled and said, "You two don't need to quarrel anymore. Miss, these are the flowers from that courtyard just now. The young servant in the courtyard saw you liked them, so he picked them. Originally, they were given to me to put in the house, but since I saw you didn't go back to that room, I took it upon myself to bring them onto the carriage."

  Although it can't be brought back to the mansion, it's also good for the young lady to take a look in the carriage.

  Xu Mingjin lowered her head and looked for a moment, then smiled: "The peach blossom is the earliest flower to bloom every spring, I just want to see something new." As she said that, she reached out to touch it gently. Xuan Yuan Jinglin looked at Xu Mingjin's expression, seeing that her mood seemed better now, but couldn't help but ask out of curiosity: "Mingjin, what did you and my brother do just now? Your face looks so terrible?"

  Xu Mingjin let out a sigh and told Xuan Yuan Jinglin about what had just happened in the backyard, from start to finish. In the end, Xu Mingjin sighed and said, "This person's hatred for me will never die."

  Xuan Yuan Jinglin gritted her teeth, making a "kaka" sound: "I didn't expect Second Brother to be here, she actually dared to treat you like that!" She apologized to Xu Mingjin with a hint of regret: "Mingjin, I'm sorry, it's all my fault! If I hadn't tricked you into coming out last time, you wouldn't have met her and wouldn't have provoked such endless hatred from her! It's all my mistake!" Her eyes were filled with remorse.

  "This has nothing to do with you." Xu Mingjin shook his head and comforted Xuan Yuan Jinglin: "She hates your second brother's fiancée, whoever is in this position, she will hate whoever it is. If you hadn't tricked me out that day, she would also be staring at me without letting go, and sooner or later she would come to my door. At that time, the result would not be much different from now. So, you don't have to blame yourself. Besides, if you hadn't protected me with your life that day, I might have suffered a poisonous hand long ago. They were well-prepared, and I didn't know anything was wrong. If you hadn't told me she was the daughter-in-law your mother had chosen for you, I wouldn't even know why she hated me so much!"

  Xuan Yuan Jinglin shook her head and said, "Although it's true what you say, I also have a responsibility. I only told you that she was the one my mother had chosen after I saw her, but I should have told you from the beginning."

  "Qinglin, don't blame yourself. You've already told me, and that's good enough. After all, she is your cousin, isn't she? When you go back, be sure to advise your brother well. I saw it with my own eyes, he really had the intention of killing Lin Shao just now! No matter what, she is still your brother's and your cousin, she can't die at his hands."

  Xuan Yuan Jinglin finally stopped blaming herself. She smiled and said, "Why didn't you go persuade him? Logically speaking, he should listen to you more."

  Xu Mingjin said: "You want me to go beg for mercy from someone who wants to kill me? Has my brain been squeezed by the door?"

  Xuanyuan Jinglin: “......”

  Back at the Xu residence, Xu Mingjin didn't even have an appetite for dinner and went straight to bed after washing up.

  On the second day, Xuan Yuan Ze sent her a message: Mrs. Lin had been taken back by Young Master Lin and was directly placed under house arrest as soon as she returned.

  Xu Mingjin never put this matter in his heart again.

  But in just a few days, Xu Mingjin heard another disturbing news, that is, Xu Mingxia's fetus was finally miscarried. Xu Mingxia herself almost went with it. Although she was rescued and saved one life, the doctor said that in the future, having children might be more difficult. As soon as Li Yushi heard this news, he didn't care that Xu Mingxia was still recovering from childbirth, and hastily gave Li Minzhi two concubines. However, fortunately, Li Minzhi's attitude was unusual this time, and she firmly refused to accept the people her father had arranged for her. This actually moved Xu Mingxia, because Li Minzhi guarded her day and night, and her body recovered quite well.

  Xu Mingjin did not go to the Lin residence to visit Xu Mingxia. Although last time Xu Mingxia wanted to harm her but failed, and only slightly moved her fetus, Xu Mingjin was afraid that Xu Mingxia would cling to this tightly, so she just sent some supplements over when Madam Xu went to the Lin residence to visit Xu Mingxia.

  。

  But soon, Xu Mingjin knew why Xu Mingxia didn't hold on to him tightly.

  It turned out that Xu Mingxia's life in the Li family was not very smooth either. Li Minzhi originally had many concubines, and this time her child was not protected, it was two concubines who were involved. After the incident, they were immediately beaten to death by Li Yushi. The original concubines were also driven away by Li Minzhi, now in Li Minzhi's courtyard, only Xu Mingxia is left.

  Xu Mingjin saw that it had nothing to do with him, so he didn't bother to pay attention to Xu Mingxia anymore.

  Time flies quickly, and May has arrived before you know it.

  In two months, Xu Mingjin is going to get married. Now, she has really become a lady who doesn't go out of the main gate or step into the second gate. Xuan Yuan Jinglin has been confined in the palace by the empress dowager for days and met one noble son after another from the capital city. The purpose of the empress dowager is simple: Xuan Yuan Jinglin is not young anymore, it's time to find a husband. As a result, Xuan Yuan Jinglin didn't sell her account at all, she looked at so many but didn't take a liking to any one of them.

  The queen was helpless and did not want to force her to marry someone she didn't like, so the matter was put aside.

  May 8th was Xu Mingjin's 15th birthday, also her hairpinning day. This is a sign that a woman can get married. It marks that she can get married now. Xu Mingjin was somewhat unhappy about this, but didn't know that Xuan Yuanze had been waiting for this day for three whole years.

  A long time ago, Mrs. Xue had already started preparing for Xu Mingjin's hairpinning ceremony. She has now taken back the power of the Guan family from Old Lady Xue. Therefore, she is generously preparing everything needed for Xu Mingjin. When Xu Ruoyi sees this, he is very satisfied in his heart. He is delighted to see that Mrs. Xue is being good to Jin'er.

  The day before the capping ceremony, Mrs. Xue specially carried Seventh Young Miss Xu Mingcan to the Emerald Garden to find Xu Mingjin, and slowly told her about all the things needed for the ceremony the next day, as well as the people who had already been invited, and other trivial matters. Seventh Young Miss sat obediently in her mother's arms, not crying or making a fuss, but using her clear and bright big eyes to curiously size up Xu Mingjin.

  "Mother, Xu Mingcan is now over nine months old, right?" Xu Mingjin smiled and looked at Xu Mingcan in Mrs. Xu's arms.

  Mrs. Xu was telling Xu Mingjin about who she had invited for the next day, but unexpectedly Xu Mingjin asked such a nonsensical question, and she was taken aback, subconsciously saying: "Yes! It's almost been a year!"

  Xu Mingjin asked excitedly: "Mother, is Cuan still breastfeeding?"

  Madam Xü said in surprise: "Eat? Of course she's drinking milk. There are many wet nurses in the mansion anyway. What else would she eat?"

  Xu Mingjin thought of many modern sisters getting married and having children, and the knowledge about that aspect was something a few people could discuss together in just one afternoon. So she thought for a moment and said to Mrs. Xu: "Last time I heard several imperial physicians chatting casually, they said that babies can be weaned at half a year old. Mother, Cuan is so big now, she should be weaned already. Besides, even if the wet nurse still has milk, it's not nutritious anymore, and drinking it is no better than not drinking it!"

  Mrs. Xü was extremely surprised, not expecting that Xü Míngjǐn would understand so much about this aspect either. However, she is about to get married soon, and knowing a bit more wouldn't hurt. Mrs. Xü didn't think much of it, assuming that Xü Míngjǐn only knew because he had asked the imperial physician due to his upcoming marriage. She said: "Did the imperial physician really say that? But which child doesn't eat until they're two or three years old?"

  Xu Mingjin shook his head and said, "That won't work. The child's body is definitely not very good, and he's particularly picky about food, right?"

  Mrs. Xu's eyes lit up: "Jin'er, what you said is really true! Is it because of poor health? You say, all this is due to the milk?"

  Xu Mingjin smiled and said: "Mother, I don't care about others, let's just hurry up and wean Chan'er now."

  However, don't be too impatient. Take it easy. Eating more food is always good."

  Mrs. Xue was overjoyed when she heard Xu Mingjin say "our Cuan'er" and nodded repeatedly, saying that she would think of a way to wean Cuan'er off milk as soon as she got back. The two of them continued their conversation from earlier about Xu Mingjin's upcoming hairpinning ceremony.

  "Mother will take care of it tomorrow! However, Jinglin is definitely coming tomorrow, don't forget to give her the invitation. As for other things, you can handle them yourself, I trust Mother."

  Mrs. Xu was very satisfied with Xu Mingjin's words and her attitude, so she became more meticulous in handling things.

  At night, Xu Mingjin lay in bed, thinking that tomorrow was her coming-of-age ceremony, and she couldn't describe the feeling in her heart. Was it excitement? Maybe a little. However, in modern times, she had lived to almost thirty years old without ever having such a ceremony. So, she didn't have any expectations for this coming-of-age ceremony, just inviting relatives and friends, then letting the guest of honor style her hair with a hairpin and declare her an adult. What was there to look forward to? Xu Mingjin thought that tomorrow she would probably have to wear formal attire, three layers inside and out, and couldn't help but worry.

  There were others who couldn't sleep, including Xuan Yuan Ze. As soon as he thought that his Jin Er would be having her hairpinning ceremony the next day, he was overjoyed and couldn't express it in words. He lay on his bed, tossing and turning like a pancake, unable to fall asleep no matter what. He might as well not sleep, so he got up and climbed onto the rooftop to admire the moon. Unfortunately, there was only a small silver hook hanging in the sky tonight. But he didn't feel discouraged at all, took out a flask of wine that he had been carrying with him, and suddenly gulped down a mouthful.

  His servant stood far away, trying to persuade him, but didn't dare, thinking that once he had enough to drink, he would take him down.

  Xuanyuan Ze shook his head and smiled wryly: People usually drink alone under the moon when they're feeling down, but he's about to bring home a beautiful woman soon. What's with this gloomy wine? No, this is celebratory wine. He's drinking because he's happy. Xuanyuan Ze thought to himself, wondering if Jin'er was asleep by now, and if she was thinking of him.

  In another place, in the Ping Xi Wang Fu, Xuan Yuan Qi also drank glass after glass of wine. Tomorrow, Jin Er would be married and become someone else's wife. Xuan Yuan Qi was truly filled with unspeakable anxiety and sorrow.

  Far away, the Crown Prince's consort Yang Lian walked over with a frown. Xuan Yuan Qi saw her and in his drunken daze, mistook her for Jin'er. He excitedly threw down his wine jug and rushed over to hug Yang Lian tightly, muttering: "Jin'er, is that you? Have you come to see me?" As he spoke, he smiled wistfully and said pitifully: "You're going to marry someone else, why have you come to see me?"

  Yang Lian smelled the strong smell of wine on Xuan Yuan's body, which made her feel nauseous. Holding back her discomfort, Yang Lian comforted him: "Young Master, you're drunk, come, I'll send you back to your room." As she spoke, she pulled up Xuan Yuan with the help of a small maid and stumbled back to his room. Along the way, Xuan Yuan kept humming and muttering to himself, the two small maids couldn't understand what he was saying, only Yang Lian knew that Xuan Yuan was calling out "Jin Er".

  Xuanyuan Qiyue was, after all, a grown man, and Yang Lian was just a delicate woman from the inner chambers. What experience did she have with supporting drunk people? She hastily called over two little maids to help. When they finally managed to throw Xuanyuan Qiyue back onto the bed, Yang Lian and the two little maids were panting heavily. They could only stand there for a moment to catch their breath. Meanwhile, the person in question was lying on the bed, snoring loudly.

  Yang Lian took a deep breath, dismissed the two maids and personally helped Xuan Yu Xi to take off his outer clothes. Then she ordered someone to bring in water for washing face and wiped his face herself. Only after that did she cover him with the quilt again. Remembering that he had drunk a lot of wine tonight, she thought he might throw up at night, so she ordered someone to bring a spittoon and put it on the floor beside Xuan Yu Xi's bed. After thinking for a moment, she also prepared a teapot of boiling water and placed it on the table.

  Yang Lian did all this, and looked at Xuan Yuan Qi with a lingering gaze. She then got up to leave, but as soon as she moved, she felt her hand being firmly grasped by someone.

  Yang Lian turned around and saw that Xuan Yuan Qi had woken up at some point, staring at her in a daze, his mouth murmuring: "Jin Er, please don't go"

  ！”

  Yang Lian's heart softened instantly. She sat back on the bed and looked at Xuan Yuan Qi with a gentle expression, saying: "I won't leave. I'll stay here with you."

  Xuanyuan Qiyue was overjoyed when he heard the words, saying "Great!" As he spoke, he sat up with a whoosh, embracing Yang Lian and pressing his face against hers, saying "Jiner, don't marry him, you are mine..." As he spoke, his lips extended to cover Yang Lian's. His two hands firmly grasped her occipital bone, not allowing her any resistance. The quilt on his body silently slid down.

  Yang Lian's mind suddenly exploded, her face flushing bright red, wanting to struggle, but a voice in her heart said: Are you prepared to continue being the nominal princess for the rest of your life? Today is a great opportunity, otherwise, who knows when the next chance will come. Besides, the queen has been expecting someone from the Ping Xi royal family to give her a grandson, only by having a child can you stand firm in the royal family! No! Another voice said: Isn't this taking advantage of someone's misfortune? What if he wakes up and doesn't acknowledge it? He clearly has someone else on his mind, why are you pretending to be that person? He took you as another woman, do you want to be treated like that? Don't you want to wait until the day he willingly accepts you? But another voice said: Children don't wait for people...

  But before Yang Lian could come up with a plan, she felt dizzy and fell onto the bed. Then, Xuan Yuan's lips covered hers, drowning out her cry of surprise...

  Xuanyuan Ze sat on the rooftop, blowing in the cold wind, then swayed down from the roof, ready to go back to sleep. He had drunk a bit too much wine today, and his walk was unsteady. A follower supported him all the way. As they walked, a young woman with an extremely beautiful face suddenly appeared in front of them. Xuanyuan Ze was stunned at first sight, and the wine woke him up by half. How did this woman look so much like Xuming Jin? Was it... had Jin'er come to see me?

  Xuanyuan Ze couldn't believe his eyes, rubbed them again, and looked once more. It was still Xu Mingjin! He hadn't expected that Xu Mingjin would be having her hairpinning ceremony the next day, so why had she suddenly appeared in the palace in the middle of the night? Was it just a coincidence, or did Jin'er know he was thinking of her at this moment and had come to alleviate his longing? With these thoughts in mind, Xuanyuan Xizhi let go of his attendants and called out "Jin'er" as he grabbed onto Xu Mingjin's hand. But immediately afterwards, he felt suspicious - his Jin'er never grew long fingernails or wore red nail polish, so why did this hand not seem like hers? However, in an instant, he was smiling again. Jin'er must have intentionally grown out her nails and worn red nail polish to surprise him! He had forgotten that Xu Mingjin had once said that having such long fingernails was unsanitary, full of bacteria...

  Xuanyuan Ze grasped the girl's hand, and she bashfully lowered her head, as gentle as a sleeping lotus. Xuanyuan Ze was almost stunned by the sight.

  Xuanyuan Ze spent a moment with the girl in his palace, then said: "Thank you for coming to see me. Since it's getting late today, I'll send you back now!"

  The woman was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said: "You forgot, the palace gate has already been locked, I can only wait until tomorrow to leave the palace."

  Xuanyuan Ze listened and thought for a moment, then said: "Well, you can rest in this palace today. I'll send you back early tomorrow morning. I'll go to another palace to rest for the night." After finishing speaking, he was about to leave.

  The woman hastily reached out and pulled him close, resting her head on his chest and whispered: "I'm scared, I want you to stay with me."

  Xuanyuan Ze was somewhat perplexed, Jin'er had never been so afraid before, what's wrong? Is it because of her first time entering the palace? Thinking of this, Xuanyuan Ze was about to say that's okay, when suddenly a wave of intoxication surged up, and he felt dizzy. The woman hastily said: "Second prince, let me support you inside!"

  Xuanyuan Ze's attendants had long since retreated to the side, but he was also very puzzled in his heart. Not to mention that Miss Xu Liu usually gave people a feeling of being proper and dignified, and she had never been so frivolous before. How did she enter the palace? Was it Princess Jinglin who secretly brought her in? It didn't seem like it either. Princess Jinglin hadn't returned to the palace today, after all.