Chapter Seventy: Sidestepping

  On the day of departure, because Lin Zhao's three sisters were still young and needed an adult to accompany them, Lu was finally released by Old Lady Lin, but she was scolded in front of everyone at the Hou residence. The implication was that if anything happened to Lin Ruoyan, she would be fully responsible.

  Lu was deeply grieved by this and yet could do nothing about it.

  Lin Zhaoyan still didn't let Man Shuang and Man Hua accompany her.

  Lin Jinming and Lin Ruoyan each brought Yunzhui and Shi Liu.

  Pomegranate looked unwell before departure, making Lin Ruoyan think she was ill and letting her stay in the mansion to rest.

  "Pomegranate clenched her fists, a resolute glint flashing in her eyes, accompanied by a hint of guilt. 'Miss, let me follow you, I will definitely protect you this time.'"

  Lin Ruo Yan had no choice but to agree.

  Sitting in the carriage, Lin Ruoyan was different from the last time's aggressive tone, her eyes hidden with concern, "The marriage between Li's family has been blown off, are you okay?"

  She also knew that the content of the letter was fake and felt guilty in her heart.

  Lin Zhaoyan smiled and said, "As you said, if this doesn't work out, there's always the next one."

  Lin Ruoyan saw her smiling as usual, and she felt a little relieved in her heart. These days, she had been looking for an opportunity to apologize to her, but was afraid that she would ignore her like last time.

  "This spring search isn't supposed to have many young masters participating, right? Let's secretly take a look later, we won't be afraid of not finding good ones."

  Lin Zhaoyan still smiled and didn't respond.

  Her purpose for entering the palace this time is to keep a close eye on Lin Ruoyan, not to go on a blind date. Besides, those who can enter the palace to participate in the spring search are all princes and nobles, every family has a high status, which household's inner courtyard is not chaotic?

  In this era, she may not hope for a lifelong partner, but she also wouldn't want her husband to bring home another woman to cause trouble.

  How many men can be as noble and passionate as Lin Chen? Even he has a Wan Niang.

  Lin Ruoyan didn't know what she was thinking. Seeing that she wasn't speaking, he thought she was boring and started talking loudly and boastfully, chatting nonsense with her.

  Lin Zhaoyan listened and listened, then burst out laughing, "You're not angry with me anymore?"

  Lin Ruoyan choked, and after a long while, she said: "The matter of Wen Xuan's older brother is indeed in the past. You're right. People should look forward." Her eyebrows were somewhat despondent.

  She smiled again, wiping away the tears from her eyes. "Besides, what happened to Wen Xuan is indeed none of your business. I'm just unable to accept the fact and took it out on you, but you didn't get angry with me, that's the truth."

  Thinking of Liu Wenyuan, Lin Zhaoyan's heart wasn't feeling well either.

  "After a moment of silence, he said: 'I will never forget him. He is the only person in this world, apart from my father, who has been that good to me. I will remember him for the rest of my life.'"

  She seemed indifferent and faced everything strongly, but in fact Liu Wenxuan had already deeply rooted in her heart. It will never be erased.

  Lin Ruoyan smiled again. The smile was set off by the tears rolling down her cheeks, exceptionally sad and touching.

  She opened her lips and said word by word: "And I will not forget the person who killed Wen Xuan's brother, nor will I ever forget. And I want them to pay the price."

  Lin Ruoyan's hatred and Liu Wenyuan's love are both obsessions.

  This obsession can sometimes make a person, and sometimes destroy a person.

  "She didn't know how to talk to Lin Ruoyan, whose obsession had taken deep root and couldn't be swayed by a few words."

  But hopefully, what Lin Ruoyan has exchanged for is achievement.

  The palace arrived soon, still following the same procedure as last time, and needed to go to Empress Dowager to pay respects first, then gather together to go to the back mountain of the palace.

  Apart from His Majesty and a few princes, the men had been waiting in the back hills for some time.

  Lin Zhaoyan saw Jing Fei, whom he had only seen in his childhood and dreams.

  She is stunningly beautiful, the kind of beauty that makes your eyes light up at first sight.

  High nose and snowy skin, deep and mysterious eyes, slightly raised, captivating and enchanting, although wearing a loose and gorgeous palace dress, it cannot hide her curvaceous and slender figure.

  Such a beautiful beauty, like a delicate work of art, should be pleasing to the eye, but in Lin Zhao's eyes, it sends out waves of cold air from the bottom of his heart.

  She would never forget that day when she pushed Sixth Princess down, with an expression so resolute yet twisted and cold.

  How can someone be so inhumane as to harm their own biological daughter?!

  "Now that your sister's body is fully recovered and you've seen so many nieces from your mother's family, shouldn't you be very happy?" The voice of Princess Duan Gui brought back Lin Zhao Yan's train of thought.

  She raised her head and saw Jing Fei wiping away tears from the corner of her eyes, choking with sobs: "Jin'er looks exactly like Xiao Liu, I just can't help but..."

  As she spoke, she couldn't help but feel a surge of grief and immediately covered her face and wept.

  The queen thought of the crown prince and her eyes also welled up with tears.

  Everyone present held their breath and remained silent.

  The empress dowager waved her hand impatiently, "What day is today? Can't you say something that won't sadden people?"

  "The Empress Dowager is right, I was remiss." Jing Fei hastily wiped away her tears and apologized, but the corners of her eyes still held tears, looking pitiful.

  If Lin Zhao hadn't had that dream, she would have thought that Jing Fei loved Liu Gongzhu very much and couldn't bear to part with her.

  Lin Zhaoyan shook his head disdainfully, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shi Guli's eyes full of hatred, a gaze that seemed to want to destroy everything.

  And her line of sight was exactly where Shizuka was standing.

  Lin Zhaoyan's heart skipped a beat, and she focused her gaze again to find that the pomegranate had calmly lowered its eyes, as if it was just her own illusion.

  Who is she, pomegranate?

  Everyone arrived, and the empress dowager ordered that they could set off.

  The queen said: "Isn't it time for Consort Wan yet?"

  The empress dowager said calmly: "What is she waiting for?"

  Consort Duan smiled and said, "Since Her Majesty is not feeling well, the Emperor has specially decreed that she doesn't have to attend today. Such special treatment, I'm afraid even Your Majesty, the Empress, hasn't had before?"

  The queen's face turned red.

  The Empress Dowager glared at Consort Duan but did not blame her and did not speak up to defend the Empress, only saying: "Let's set off!"

  The noble consort's face showed disdain.

  The queen's expression was somewhat dejected.

  Lin Ruoyan whispered in Lin Zhaoyan's ear, "You've never been to the palace, so you don't understand. The Wanfei they're talking about is formidable! It's said that she was married before and has the emperor completely under her spell. All the imperial concubines except for the empress dowager dislike her."

  Lin Zhaoyan responded with an "oh" and didn't seem very interested.

  A group of people slowly came out of Cining Palace.

  Lin Zhaoyan heard someone calling her from behind.

  Turning back, I saw a clean and pretty little face.

  But a seven or eight year old boy at this moment stared wide-eyed and looked straight at her.

  Look at his attire, which prince is he?

  "Are you the Fourth Miss of Jian'an Marquis Manor?" he asked, his thin lips pursed tightly, looking very tense.

  Lin Zhaoyan suddenly found it interesting. Smiling and nodding. "I am."

  "That day, thank you for saving me." He quickly said a sentence, his small face blushing bright red.

  Lin Zhaoyan was taken aback for a moment, "Save you?"

  His eyes, innocent and wronged, suddenly enlightened him. "Are you the Seventh Prince?"

  That day he fell into the water, and she was in a hurry to leave, without noticing his appearance.

  "You can just call me Xiao Qi." He lowered his head and spoke in a low voice, then quickly added: "My mother also wants to thank you for saving me, but she's not feeling well today. She said that if there's an opportunity, she'll definitely want to thank you in person."

  Lin Zhaoyan couldn't help but laugh at this, Little Qi who was so easily embarrassed really didn't seem like an imperial prince.

  "Seventh Brother, what are you saying to Miss Lin Si?" came the voice of Fourth Princess Qianqiu from behind.

  Xiao Qi listened and her face changed. After bidding farewell to Lin Zhaoyan, she hastily ran forward.

  Lin Zhaoyan watched him leave with her eyes, then withdrew her gaze, only to collide with the unfriendly stare of the Fourth Princess.

  "That day was when you interfered and saved Seventh Brother? You really are capable of enduring a lot!" The Fourth Princess Qianqiu's tone was filled with thick hostility.

  Lin Zhaoyan was not afraid of her at all. "As for what Princess Si said, it's true that Xiaonü saved the Seventh Imperial Prince."

  "Hmph!" The fourth princess Qianqiu looked up with disdain. Coldly, she said: "You have skills! Alright, let's see about that!"

  After she left, Lin Ruoyan said: "Qianqiu Gongzhu and the Seventh Prince have never gotten along, you should be careful."

  Lin Zhaoyan smiled indifferently and didn't take it to heart.

  The wind is warm and sunny, with a bright spring light. A group of people are driving a light carriage, heading out to the Hou Shan Villa.

  Lin Zhao and Lin Ruo sat in a horse-drawn carriage.

  They were all attending such an event for the first time, Lin Ruoyan's heart was filled with joy, constantly opening the curtains to look outside, and sighed: "I have entered the palace several times, always thinking that inside the imperial palace is either oppressive or majestic, never thought there would be such a beautiful place!"

  Lin Zhaoyan was relatively calm and reminded her, "Don't you remember what your mother said before she left? Be cautious in all things and avoid being rash. If people see you like this again, they will criticize you."

  "Anyway, I don't want to enter the palace, what's the point of being so particular!" Lin Ruoyan responded nonchalantly.

  Lin Zhaoyan shook her head, "There are many ways to not enter the palace, and damaging your own image like this is the most unacceptable."

  "Alright, I know." Lin Ruoyan impatiently put down the curtain and was about to turn around and sit properly when she suddenly let out a "hiss" of pain and furrowed her brow.

  "Are you all right?" Lin Zhaoyan asked anxiously.

  "My stomach hurts." Lin Ruoyan gritted her teeth and said, constantly pressing her abdomen with her hand, cold sweat dripping from her forehead.

  Lin Zhaoyan saw that something was wrong and hastily went forward to pull open her hand. "Where does it hurt? Here?" Her hand pressed down on her lower abdomen.

  Lin Ruo Yan cried out in pain, "Don't touch! It hurts so much!"

  Lin Zhaoyan was called by her and his heart was already hanging up.

  What's going on here?

  "How did you get sick? Didn't eat anything wrong?" Liu's family had always been particular about their diet, and Lin Ruoyan wasn't a glutton either.

  Lin Ruo Yan shook her head, "No, I just had breakfast."

  Breakfast is uniformly made in the large kitchen, it's a light millet porridge with eight delicate side dishes, and a stack of pine nut pastry, there shouldn't be any problem.

  Lin Zhaoyan carefully observed Lin Ruoyan's reaction, seeing her press her hand tightly against her lower abdomen, constantly twisting her body, a thought flashed through her mind, and her face suddenly became solemn.

  "When did you come to Kui Shui last month?" she said slowly.

  This spring is going to be an eventful one!