Chapter Seventy-One Analysis

  Two updates seeking fans, a large wave of handsome men is approaching~

  Lin Ruoyan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly understood her meaning, and her face turned white in an instant.

  "Impossible!" She looked flustered, her voice clearly trembling, "It's only the eighth, I'm always on the sixteenth of every month, it's so regular!"

  "Don't panic yet, I'm just guessing." Lin Zhaoyan lightly patted her hand in comfort.

  Lin Ruoyan was clearly frightened, her face not only didn't calm down, but instead turned even paler.

  She grasped his hand tightly, "You, you take a look for me."

  She thought that today was a hunt, even if it wasn't her turn to go out, she wouldn't be able to stay in the inner courtyard like a fool with untidy and dirty clothes, so she didn't prepare any spare clothes.

  If it's really Kui Shui who has come...

  Lin Ruoyan couldn't even bear to imagine being seen making a fool of herself in front of everyone!

  Lin Zhaoyan listened to what she said and walked around behind her to take a look.

  Lin Ruoyan said in a flustered tone: "No, no way?"

  "Not yet."

  Lin Ruoyan let out a sigh of relief.

  Lin Zhaoyan did not put his heart at ease, but said: "Although there is none now, it's hard to say if this is an omen."

  Lin Ruoyan wore a pale blue, thin, long dress with folds today. The color is light and faint. If the rain really comes later, it will soon seep out and be dazzling.

  "Have you ever had such a stomachache when you came to Qishui before?" Lin Zhaoyan instinctively felt that it wouldn't be the case, because large families placed great emphasis on nurturing women's bodies. Women were destined to carry on the family line and give birth to children, so even if they had a slight illness, they would go see a doctor.

  Lin Ruoyan had her first period last March and in the past year or so, she has never heard of any problems with it.

  "No." Lin Ruoyan shook her head, her face flushed red with suppressed emotions, and her voice was tinged with a hint of tears. "What should we do? What if it's really Huishui who has come?"

  Lin Zhaoyan didn't know what to do either.

  The most frustrating thing about this era is the handling of women's menstruation. Without ubiquitous stores to buy necessities, women have to accurately calculate the arrival time of their period and prepare in advance.

  Like Lin Ruo Yan's sudden situation, plus there were so many people on the scene, it really was...

  "I want to go back! I want to go back now!" Lin Ruoyan suddenly shouted, tears streaming down her face.

  "Calm down first, I'll help you think of a way." It's impossible to go back now. They were in the middle of the procession. To turn around, they would have to inform the empress in front, and then the troops behind would have to stop, which would be too much trouble. This reason was also hard to mention.

  The maid outside the screen heard the noise, hastily pulled open the partition and asked: "What's wrong? I heard the young lady's cry." Her face was filled with obvious worry and anxiety.

  "It's nothing." Lin Zhaoyan said to her with a wave of his hand, "Don't mind it, go outside and sit well."

  The pomegranate seemed to be hesitant, its eyes darting back and forth between Lin Zhaoyan and Lin Ruoyan before nodding slightly and closing the partition door.

  "Why didn't you tell Pomegranate? She might be able to help me!" Lin Ruoyan subconsciously trusted Pomegranate and thought she was very capable.

  "She's just a little maid. What can she help you with? The fewer people who know about this, the better." Lin Zhaoyan replied indifferently.

  She didn't actually trust Pomegranate. From the beginning, she suspected that Pomegranate had ulterior motives for approaching Lin Ruoyan, but after several observations, she didn't find anything unusual until just now, when in the grand hall, Pomegranate's eyes filled with hatred as he looked at Jingfei.

  She finally figured it out. Pomegranate, far from being as simple as it looks on the surface.

  It's possible that Lin Ruoyan is related to this sudden arrival of Kui Shui.

  This can't be just an accident.

  No matter what, the empress dowager will definitely find out about this. How can Lin Ruoyan, who can't even handle her own menstrual affairs properly, still enter the empress dowager's eyes? If news of Lin Ruoyan's irregular periods spreads again, it will be difficult for her to get married in the future, after all, this affects a woman's future fertility.

  Which wealthy family is willing to take risks?

  The person behind this must be proficient in the art of medicine and have a very close relationship with Lin Ruoyan.

  Pomegranate didn't know whether she had medical skills or not, but her relationship with Lin Ruoyan was exceptionally close, and giving her medicine would be as easy as turning over one's hand.

  It's just that from her previous observations, Pomegranate hopes Lin Ruoyan will enter the palace.

  What benefits can she gain from framing Lin Ruoyan and preventing her from entering the palace this time?

  "Lin Zhao Yan, what should I do now?" Lin Ruo Yan's anxious voice called back Lin Zhao Yan's thoughts.

  She steeled herself, grasped her hand and said after a moment of deliberation: "Alright, let's follow the procession first. Once we arrive, you stay in the carriage and don't get down. I'll go find Auntie and have the maid secretly take you down to deal with it later."

  Lin Ruoyan's six senses were in disarray, and she could only nod her head in response.

  At this time, a group of young masters in brocade clothes were already waiting at the Weiyuan.

  They gathered in threes and twos, either engaged in lofty discussions or competing in horseback riding and archery, exuding an air of elegance and refinement, filled with the unrestrained boldness that only exists among men.

  Lu Yan was also there, chatting and laughing with three or four young men in brocade robes at this moment.

  "Zi Pei, you've finally deigned to return from Jiangnan? It's been years since we last met, and you're looking more and more enchanting." One of the young men wearing a dark blue brocade robe spoke up with a teasing tone.

  He was the son of General Xue Yiping who resisted the Northern Expedition, Xue Pingnan.

  Lu Yan curved his lips and smiled lightly, but didn't say much.

  "Brother Xin, your words are quite off the mark. This young man's appearance is not called 'bewitching', but rather 'overturning cities and countries'." Another green-robed gentleman chimed in, even flirtatiously brushing against Lu Yan's arm, "Tell me honestly, how many women did you captivate in Jiangnan? Now that you're in Shengjing, I'm afraid there will be even more women secretly pining for you!"

  "During my time in Jiangnan, I followed Xu Ge's eldest disciple Xue Shen to study, and all I faced every day were books and paintings. What women?" Lu Yan still smiled, but his eyes hid a bitter taste.

  These young princes and nobles are still in their early teens, around 14 or 15 years old, at an age when they are prone to indulgence and recklessness. Their words are frank and straightforward, but it won't take a few years for everything to fall apart. The struggle for power will turn brothers who are now laughing together into sworn enemies, killing each other.

  Xue Pingnan, the eldest son of General Xue, will help the Second Prince plot a rebellion in the future. In the bloodbath at Jiayuguan, he will be shot dead by this green-robed Jingren Gong Er Gongzi with a single arrow and hung naked on the city wall, exposed to the rain, wind, and scorching sun.

  Thinking that in a few years, these young people present would gradually drift apart and even become enemies due to entanglements of interest, Lu Yan felt an inexplicable feeling in his heart.

  Reborn once more, he cherished his current friendships even more dearly.

  Although he won't go soft. When benefits are at stake, he will still sacrifice what can be sacrificed, but at least now he will enjoy this rare and carefree time.

  "I heard that Xue Shen was a strange person, after Xu Ge Lao was forced to leave the cabinet, he also followed and retired. The emperor sent people to invite him several times but it all ended in vain. It's just that you happened to run into him."

  Fourteen years ago, something happened in the imperial court. Xu Ge Lao, who was originally favored by the emperor, was found to have accepted bribes and practiced favoritism in the imperial examination, and was subsequently dismissed and investigated. He eventually died in prison with a grievance.

  As a proud disciple of Xu Ge Lao, Xue Shen's career was going smoothly when he immediately quit the cabinet and vowed that if his teacher's reputation was not cleared, he would never enter the imperial court again.

  He then disappeared from view, but in recent years there were rumors that he had opened a private school in the Jiangnan region and was working as a teacher. Later, the emperor invited him to teach, so he closed his school and there has been no news of him since.

  Unexpectedly, Lu Yan Zhi was fortunate enough to become his student.

  Lu Yan heard this and finally showed a genuine smile on his face, "Although the gentleman is eccentric, as long as you find his key point, everything will be fine."

  He talked about some things that were difficult for him during his apprenticeship with Xue Shen, which amused everyone.

  "Let's just forget it, I'm not going to bother with this kind of trouble, and you're the only one who can play smart and get away with it." Xue Pingnan said with a wave of his hand.

  Lu Yan smiled slightly.

  He is not clever, he just has several decades more life experience than others, which even Xue Shen can't match.

  In his previous life, he also worshiped Xue Shen as a teacher, but that was later, and everything had already been irretrievable.

  In this life, the first thing he did after rebirth was to find Xue Shen and ask him to be his master, in order to reverse the situation of his previous life.

  "I wonder what actually happened 14 years ago that led to the downfall of Xu Ge, who was once so famous. The curious mind of a 14 or 15-year-old boy quickly shifted his attention elsewhere."

  "I also find it strange, I even heard some folk rumors that at that time there was a brilliant young prime minister who was also implicated and eventually disappeared."

  This involved a royal secret, and several people exchanged glances before tacitly falling silent.

  Lu Yan's eyes were slightly dim.

  Fourteen years ago...

  Fourteen years ago was the beginning of all tragedies, and it will spread in an irreversible trend over the next five years.

  He can't stop the tide of history, he can only try his best to protect himself and the people he loves.

  "Hey, it's Xiao Da Shao, how did he end up here?" Xue Ping Nan suddenly spoke out, pointing at Xiao Qi who was strolling in the distance with a look of surprise on his face.

  Xiao Qi's reputation for being a ladies' man had spread far and wide, and he was usually either in the arms of a woman or on his way to find one. He would often sneak out of the palace's banquets and gatherings whenever possible, and even the Emperor and Empress Dowager had grown accustomed to his ways and didn't bother to intervene. Who would have thought that today he would surprisingly make an appearance?

  "It's really him, I thought he would be in some gentle village with a woman. Didn't expect him to come." The second son of Jingren Gong spoke with disdain and even a hint of hostility.

  Earlier it was said that the eldest son of Duke Jing had three ribs broken by Xiao Qi, and this second son is his younger brother, who is still lying in bed recovering from his injuries.

  At this moment, I suddenly saw the culprit strolling leisurely, just like taking a stroll in his own backyard, and naturally, he was not worried at all.

  "Is it the land of Shu that produces talented and beautiful people? I think he looks even more handsome now." Cai Guogong's son spoke up, even comparing him to Lu Yan, laughing: "Zi Pei, if you really stand together with Xiao Da Shao, it would be a feast for the eyes. If those famous young ladies come later, who knows, they might all fall in love with you two, and we'll be the ones who suffer!"

  Lu Yan's eyes involuntarily looked towards Xiao Qi, and his pupils suddenly constricted.

  But he quickly regained his composure, and his tightly clenched fists gradually loosened.

  Tonight has three shifts, 7 o'clock in the evening ~

  Xiao Da Shao is going to start scheming against people~

  The next chapter is going to be wonderful!