After she was done with the lamp, she stood up.

  In the distance, the river bank was brightly lit and filled with people. It was bustling with noise and excitement.

  She wanted to take Yan Yu to guess the riddle, but after a few steps, she suddenly stopped. She didn’t know if it was an illusion, but she felt that there was someone following them.

  However, when they thought about it carefully, they felt that it was impossible. They were standing in the dark, so who would be able to see them?

  She thought she was overthinking it. She stood at the intersection of the lake and the street, inadvertently raising her gaze to the second floor of a teahouse. Indeed, she met a pair of sharp and deep eyes.

  The teahouse was set up right in front of the street. People swarmed towards the door of the teahouse. The first floor had a storyteller telling the story. The second floor was a private room. The attic was exquisite. It was clear that this was not a place where ordinary people came and went. She saw the man sitting by the window with two men in the uniform of the guards standing behind him. The man greeted her with a smile.

  The First Prince?

  Xie Zhen did not expect to meet him here, after a moment of astonishment, a feeling of discomfort gradually welled up in her heart.

  She can’t say …. Instinctively, she did not like Yan Wen.

  Yan Yu noticed her abnormality and followed her gaze. When he saw the people on the roof, his expression didn’t change, but his fists under his sleeves tightened secretly.

  There were people blocking their way through the streets. Soon, the First Prince’s guards walked out of the teahouse and came up to them. “The Prince Ping invites the Sixth Highness to come down and take a seat upstairs.”


  The First Prince Yan Wen was bestowed the title of Prince by the Yuan Hui Emperor when he was eighteen years old. He was currently residing in the Prince Ping’s Mansion outside the palace. The ‘Ping’ that Yuanhui Emperor bestowed upon him contained many profound meanings. It was most likely meant for him to calm his heart and live a peaceful life. However, the Yuan Hui Emperor did not understand his own children, Yan Wen was the first born son of the former Empress, how could he be willing to be an ordinary prince?

  Now, the Yuan Hui Emperor was strong and healthy. Before the age of abdication, if anything happened to his body, perhaps the day of Yan Wen’s rebellion would come.

  His military strength was now on par with the Crown Prince’s, while Yan Yu was highly valued by the Yuan Hui Emperor, and he had control of the two hundred thousand soldiers at the border. If he could take Yan Yu under his command, it would be like adding wings to a tiger. Then, the outcome of the battle between Yan Wen and the crown prince would be decided.

  Unfortunately, Yan Yu belonged to the Crown Prince.

  He had tried his best to win him over, but to no avail.

  In addition to the irreconcilable contradictions between Yan Yu and him, there was still something he couldn’t resolve. He wanted to bribe Yan Yu, it was not that simple.

  Yan Yu paused for a moment, then tactfully declined, “The Prince’s Wife not feeling well, please help me inform Big Brother, we are preparing to return to our Mansion, so we will not go up.”


  The guard straightened up, glanced at Xie Zhen, nodded, and turned back to report.

  Xie Zhen stared in the direction he had left until the guard went upstairs to report to the First Prince. The First Prince raised his teacup and shook his head in regret. Only then did they leave.

  Xie Zhen noticed his displeasure and asked after they had left, “What kind of person is the First Prince?”


  When they stopped under a bridge and the lanterns floated past them, Yan Yu finally said, “Prince Ping’s methods are vicious and his schemes are complex. It’s best if you stay away from him.”


  He was not called Big Brother Yan Wen, but Prince Ping.

  There seemed to be something else involved.

  Xie Zhen nodded as if she understood.

  At the same time, there were a few familiar figures standing on the opposite shore.

  In the previous year, Madam Leng had asked Xie Rong to take Xie Xun around the streets and pick out some beautiful lanterns to bring back. During this period of time, the entire mansion had been rather depressed over the matter of Xie Liqing going to Wu Jiang. Since Madam Leng doted on the children, she intentionally made them go out on the streets to relax.

  Xie Xun didn’t like lanterns. She liked Mianren on the streets.

  Xie Rong let the seller draw a Xiao Xun, paid for her, and took her to the shore for a walk.

  There were many lanterns under the trees in front, and red lines were drawn on the trees. Beneath each red line was a scented sache. Inside the scented sachet, there were half of poetry. This tree was covered with scented sachet, but there was only one pair of compelet poetry. If someone could obtain the complete poetry with another person, then that was fate.

  Therefore, there were many girls and boys standing under the tree. One by one, they filled with hope, took down their scented sachets, and began to search for their fates.

  Both Xie Xun and Xie Rong were not interested in the tree. One of them was too young, while the other one felt that it was too unreliable. Just as they were about to walk around the tree, they heard a sound coming from behind them.

  “Seventh Miss!”


  Xie Xun turned around, biting on her sugar. Amongst the crowd, she saw Princess He Yi standing in the light.

  She was wearing a long skirt. She wore a silk cape with gold makeup, and a pearl green dress. She was very pretty. It was obvious that she had been carefully dressed up. Xie Xun saw a girl around her who was about the same height as her. She wore a brocade hairpin, a gold dress with a light red silk dress, and a yellow embroidered skirt. Her figure was slender and elegant, and although she was dressed in an eye-catching manner, her face was covered by a transparent silk veil, revealing only a pair of beautiful eyes and a pair of elegant willow leaf eyebrows.

  She followed the direction of Princess He Yi’s gaze. That glance was filled with the moving of the wind and the moonlight, which made people’s imaginations run wild.

  Xie Xun didn’t have a deep friendship with Princess He Yi, so when they got close to her, she shyly smiled: “Are you guys here to watch the lantern festival as well?”


  When Yan Yao’an saw Xie Rong, she usually straightforward young miss blushed and didn’t dare to look at him too much. She quickly looked away and said to Xie Xun: “Yes, I originally wanted to ask Sixth Brother to bring me here, but since he didn’t agree, I had no choice but to come out myself.”


  It was only at this time of year that the Yuan Hui Emperor allowed her to leave the palace.

  Saying this, Yan Yao’an introduced the girl beside her, “This is the fourth daughter of the Grand Secretariat Gu, Gu Ruyi.” With that, she introduced the two of them to Miss Gu. “Ruyi, this is the Second Young Master and the Seventh Miss of the Duke Dingguo’s Mansion.”


  Gu Ruoyi looked at the two and smiled.

  Even so, Yan Yao’an was an impatient person. Before she could say anything, she caught sight of the Marriage Tree hanging behind her. “What’s that?”


  Xie Xun had just known it, so she could explain it to her. “There is a scented sachet hanging on the tree, and within the scented sachet is written a poem. If two people’s poems could be combined, it would be a kind of fate.”


  Hearing this, Yan Yao’an’s interest was piqued, and she led Gu Ruoyi forward, “Let’s go take a look as well!”


  She had not taken two steps when she saw Xie Xun and Xie Rong standing there motionless. She thought for a moment before turning around and bringing Xie Xun along with her. “Ah Xun, come as well.”


  Xie Xun would not refuse someone, so she had no choice but to follow them.

  She turned to Xie Rong for help, and he actually followed her.

  They stood under the tree. The one below had already been picked up by the others. Yan Yao’an wanted to reach the top one. She stood on tiptoe for a long time, but still couldn’t reach it. She was not convinced, so she asked the guards behind her to help her take it off. She did not open it, and encouraged Gu Ruoyi to take a scented sachet as well.

  Gu Ruyi picked the one closest to her.

  The two of them opened it at the same time. Yan Yao’an’s note was written in calligraphy: “How does your jade face look like? Plum blossoms, snow in the spring, body is covered by clouds in morning sunlight.” They looked at Gu Ruoyi’a note, it was a simple sentence: “Wishing you well and a long time.”


  Yan Yao’an read the note over and over again, feeling very depressed, “What does this mean? How easy is your note to understand,” Wishing you well and a long time, we can see the beautiful moon together!”


  Gu Ruoyi’s eyes held a smile as she comforted her: “It’s just joining in for the fun of it, there’s no need to take it seriously.”


  She thought for a moment before feeling much more at ease. However, when she turned her head to see Xie Rong holding a scented sachet in his hands, her hope was rekindled. “What did Second Young Master’s note?”


  Xie Rong folded the note with a normal expression and put it back into his sleeve. “It’s just a casual poem.”


  Yan Yao’an pursed her lips in disappointment. It would be great if she could form a pair with him.

  She turned around to speak to Gu Ruoyi, who was standing in a brightly lit area. Her face was tranquil, and her eyebrows were like moths in the ocean. She tilted her head and smiled at Gu Ruoyi, revealing the splendor of her surroundings. Xie Rong looked away, and just in time to see Xie Xun join in the fun. She pulled down a scented sachet from the tree, and mysteriously untied it in front of him. “Suddenly looking back, that right person was in a place with no lights? What’s that?”


  Xie Rong rubbed her head and led her away.

  After a few steps, he saw Yan Yu and Xie Zhen approaching from the other side. He immediately forgot about the note and called out from afar, “Sister!”


  Xie Zhen and Yan Yu had originally planned to return to the Mansion but they didn’t expect to meet them. Now, they couldn’t even think of returning.

  “Ah Xun! Brother!”


  When sisters met, they would inevitably have a lot to say.

  C80part2

  C80: Birthmark (part 2)

  Wu Ze and Wu Bin found a teahouse nearby. The first floor was the main hall, while the second floor was a private room. The room was neat and tidy, and it was a good place to talk.

  There were no outsiders, so there was no need to worry about so much.

  In the private room, there was a small wooden table with red lacquer, which could seat eight people. Xie Zhen and Yan Yu were originally sitting on one side, but Xie Xun insisted on sitting with Xie Zhen, forcing Yan Yu to the side. Yan Yu sat alone on one side, Xie Rong on the other, and Yan Yao’an and Gu Ruyi on his right.

  Yan Yu looked at Xie Zhen with a dark expression.

  But what can he do? He can’t drive her away. She smiled back, pretending she didn’t understand anything.

  He snorted and placed the two Mianren on the table.

  Yan Yao’an gave a cry of surprise when she saw this. Holding it in her hand, she looked left and right, “It sure looks like you, especially this face that’s exactly the same as my Sixth Brother’s!”


  The waiters served tea and snacks one after another. The tea,Tie Guanyin, was new of this fall. The tea was rich and the tea soup was sparkling. Before the tea even entered his mouth, he could smell a rich and delicate fragrance. Other than tea, all sorts of other snacks were brought up one after the other. Although they were not as good as the Babao building, they were still among the top snacks in the capital.

  The waiter put down the pastries one by one. There was the Jujube Paste Cake, Baked Lotus Cake and Hibiscus Cake, etc. Xie Xun was the first to take a bite out of a Jujube Paste Cake. The inside was sweet and full, but it had just come out of the oven, so it was a bit hot. She carefully blew on it to let everyone have a bite.

  Yan Yu had finally finished the bag of Nest Candy from Xie Zhen. His mouth was filled with sweetness, and he had no interest in any of these things. He only glanced at them for a moment before he went back to drinking his own tea.

  Xie Zhen had never seen Gu Ruyi before, so she asked Yan Yao’an in confusion, “This is?”


  Yan Yao’an introduced her again, “This is Ruyi, the fourth daughter of the Grand Secretariat Gu.”


  Xie Zhen smiled and nodded at her. “I’m …”


  Yan Yao’an interrupted, “She is my Sixth Sister-in-Law!”


  Xie Zhen paused, embarrassed.

  Gu Ruyi did not seem like any other rich and powerful girl who loved to put on airs. She seemed very amiable, and her smile was even more intimate: “I’ve seen the Sixth Prince’s Wife in General of Agile Cavalry’s Mansion.”


  They had seen each other before?

  Xie Zhen felt a little embarrassed. “That time, Ah Xun slipped and fell into the water. I didn’t pay attention to my surroundings. I don’t remember that time when I had a meeting with Fourth Miss Gu …”


  Gu Ruyi shook her head, not wanting her to mind, “I just met you from a distance and didn’t greet you. so behoove you don’t remember. ”


  After speaking, she revealed a pair of curved and smiling eyes, looking through a thin layer of silk. It seemed one could see the smile on her face.

  Only now did Xie Zhen realize that she was wearing a veil from beginning to end. If it was outside, then it would be alright. Why didn’t she take it off when she arrived at the house? Gu Ruyi had most likely noticed her confusion. She smiled lightly and lowered her head, an unnoticeable awkwardness flashing across her eyes.

  However, she did not explain any further.

  When Xie Zhen realized it was strange, she couldn’t help but notice.

  She hadn’t taken off her veil from beginning to end. Xie Zhen had wanted to see if she would take it off when she ate dessert, but she didn’t touch the dessert on the table. She just sat there and talked to them occasionally.

  If she also wore a veil on the day of the General’s birthday party, it would explain why she had no impression of her.

  It took about an hour to finish the tea and snacks. Seeing the sky outside, it was already the nine o’clock at night. If he didn’t go back now, doors would closed. When Yan Yao’an left, she was still reluctant to part with it. Many times she wanted to steal the note from Xie Rong’s sleeve, but she was discovered by Xie Rong. She could only bitterly withdraw her hand.

  As they walked down the stairs, Xie Zhen turned around and saw her make a face at Xie Rong, but Xie Rong ignored her and calmly walked on his own path.

  Yan Yao’an stared at his back, not angry at all.

  Xie Zhen seemed to understand something and calmly turned around, pretending that she didn’t see anything.

  Princess He Yi should have interest for her brother? First Brother would go to Wu Jiang next spring, she didn’t know when he would return, and Yan Yao’an was the favorite princess of the Yuan Hui Emperor. Even if she was really interested in her First brother, His Majesty wouldn’t agree to this marriage, would he?

  First brother would be 20 years old this year, and when he reached the age of marriage, Xie Zhen had never known what kind of girl he liked. She always felt that he was indifferent to everything.

  If it was Princess He Yi … Xie Zhen shook her head, trying not to think too much. What if she misunderstood? After all, Yan Yao’an always had a carefree attitude towards everyone.

  Walking out of the teahouse, the group of people stopped by the roadside.

  Yan Yu and Xie Zhen returned to the Prince’s Mansion, Xie Rong and Xie Xun returned to the Duke Dingguo’s Mansion, coincidentally going with Gu Ruyi, while Yan Yao’an herself returned to the Palace.

  It was late, and she was afraid that the road would be unsafe. Xie Zhen wanted Gu Ruyi to go with her brother, Ah Rong, but after thanking her for her kindness and saying that her carriage was here, she said goodbye and went to the carriage. The Gu Mansion’s carriage stopped in front of the teahouse. She held onto the servant girl’s hand as she prepared to step on the carriage, but a drunkard suddenly jumped out from the roadside and dashed towards her.

  Gu Ruyi was frightened and hurriedly dodged to the side.

  With the stimulation of the alcohol, the drunkard took advantage of Gu Ruyi and the maidservant’s unguarded moments. With a wave of his hand, he removed the muslin covering her face and said with a smile: “Beautiful girl …”


  Before he could finish his sentence, he saw the look on her face and his expression changed. he steadied himself and left with a curse that was unpleasant to hear.

  Gu Ruyi stood blankly where she was, the muslin cloth falling to the ground. Her body trembled slightly, and her eyes were slightly red.

  Xie Zhen and Xie Xun were also stunned.

  Her skin was like snow, and her nose was exquisite. However, there was a birthmark under the corner of her eye. The birthmark was not big, but it was enough to affect the beauty of the entire face. Under the colorful lanterns, it was especially eye-catching. The servant girl from the Gu family angrily stomped her feet and pointed at the drunk’s back as she cursed. Ruyi came back to her senses, bent down to pick up the muslin on the ground, and once again put it on her face, blinking the soreness in her eyes. With a relaxed smile, she said to them, “I had a birthmark on my face when I was born, I wear a muslin in order not to scare you ,so hope you don’t mind it.

  Xie Zhen quickly waved her hands and said, “Miss Gu is too formal …”


  Before she could finish her words, she saw that her First Brother had disappeared.

  Not long later, the drunkard who had offended Gu Ruyi earlier was brought back with a swollen nose and bruised eyes. He knelt in front of Gu Ruyi and kowtowed in apology, “This lowly one deserves to die, this Miss is magnanimous. Forgive me this time …”


  He kowtowed several times.

  Gu Ruyi looked at Xie Rong gratefully, but didn’t say anything. She got into the carriage and headed home.

  After they left, Xie Zhen and Yan Yu got into the carriage to return home.

  She thought of the scene she had just seen and held her chin in regret. “Miss Gu is so beautiful. If she didn’t have the birthmark on her face, what kind of beauty would she be …”


  Yan Yu sat at the side and listened to these words more than ten times along the way.

  Why did she care so much about other people’s faces? Can’t she pay more attention to him?

  Yan Yu did not say a word as she continued to blabber on, “Brother Xiao Yu, do you think there is any way to treat this birthmark? Is there a secret recipe in the Palace? ”


  He looked at her and said he didn’t know.

  She sighed in frustration and finally let the subject drop.

  The horse carriage drove along the street. Most of the shops by the roadside were closed, and only a few doors were lit up with lanterns. The whole street was quiet and peaceful, in contrast to the hubbub from before. The moon was like a silver plate in the sky, and the hooves of the horses could be clearly heard clattering on the street.

  Not long after, the carriage suddenly stopped.

  Yan Yu asked the coachman outside, “What happened?”


  The coachman said, “Your Highness, the wheel seems to be broken.”


  He frowned slightly.

  After a short while, Wu Ze, who was sitting outside, said, “Your Highness, please wait here for a moment. I will go to another place to borrow a carriage.”


  “How can it be bad?” Xie Zhen asked uneasily, sitting in the carriage.

  Yan Yu told her to wait in the carriage while he went down to take a look.

  It turned out that the wheel of the carriage had been broken, so the carriage could no longer move forward. Therefore, it had to stop by the roadside for the time being.

  “After checking, Yan Yu lifted the curtain and went back into the carriage.” “It’s …”


  When he saw it, he felt cold all over.

  The carriage was empty. Xie Zhen who was still sitting on before had already gone.