Cui Ling looked at the jade pendant in his hand and remembered what his grandfather had said when he gave it to him during the New Year.
"... Ling'er, if your grandfather passes away, keep this safe; it might come in very useful in the future."
His grandfather said a lot to him, and he remembered it all.
The items are of no use to the Cui Family; they never really belonged to the Cui Family.
However, if given to Yanran and put to use, it might be another path for the Cui Family.
Cui Ling closed her eyes, her mind filled with the lively and cheerful image of Yanran.
He was frail from childhood, yet exceptionally intelligent, and his mother always doted on him.
His eyeballs, of course, couldn't be moved, so he didn't have many friends.
Yanran wasn't from the Cui Family, yet she was so bright and fearless, which is why she became his only friend.
On the day they first met, she climbed onto the top of the wall, and the maid below was so anxious she was about to cry.
"Don't be afraid, I'll go down after I get the kite."
As Cui Ling measured the Cui Family courtyard with her footsteps for the umpteenth time, she looked up and saw a bright and cheerful smiling face.
Yanran saw him too, "Hey, chubby boy, how are you?"
And that's how our paths crossed later.
As the future pillar of the Cui Family, Cui Ling received personal guidance from Old Master Cui, so he knew more about important matters than his father.
Old Master Cui was actually not very satisfied with any of his sons.
He had privately told Cui Ling long ago that he had the highest hopes for the Cui Family Cui Ling in the future.
Although it was regrettable that Cui Ling's father was not the eldest son and Cui Ling was not the eldest grandson—a good-for-nothing son who was born into a family that was not good for anything—the only thing that could make the old man feel gratified was that he had given him a promising grandson, so that his son was at least somewhat useful. However, most of what Old Master Cui owned was left to Cui Ling.
When Old Master Cui heard that Cui Ling and Yanran were on good terms, he did not object and even revealed some plans for their marriage.
Of course, it's not as simple as just settling on Yanran.
Old Master Cui wouldn't arrange a marriage for him so early; he believed that Yanran might be a suitable candidate.
Cui Ling simply agreed.
He was happy at the thought of being with Yanran for a long time.
But if I were to harbor any ulterior motives, I would feel I would be betraying Yanran's complete trust and unguarded protection.
His grandfather's tacit approval was the real reason he was able to maintain a long-term relationship with Yanran.
However, his grandfather had told him two weeks earlier to reduce his contact with Yanran, but not to make it too obvious.
Cui Ling... agreed, but she was thinking of a solution.
Unexpectedly, another incident like this has occurred.
He wanted to help, but he was still just a child.
Cui Ling clenched her uninjured left hand, feeling utterly powerless for the first time.
For the first time, the young boy truly understood the meaning of hard work.
It wasn't about bringing glory to his ancestors; after all, those cold, lifeless memorial tablets were still too abstract a concept for him.
Rather, it means being able to protect those you want to protect, so you don't feel so powerless.
So, on his sickbed, Cui Ling began to read, which made Old Master Cui even more gratified.
Indeed, this is the future of the Cui Family.
Old Madam Cui was very worried and tentatively expressed her concerns to him, mainly about being implicated by the Prince of Prince of Jin.
Old Master Cui waved his hand. "Don't think so much. It's like gods fighting. No matter the outcome, even a tiger won't eat its own cubs. Our dealings with the Prince of Prince of Jin's Residence are nothing."
What he didn't say was that if the Prince of Jin gained power, he would not forget Cui Ling's life-saving grace to his daughter.
In this sense, the Cui Family has a good balance between advancing and retreating.
Old Madam Cui then fell silent.
Inside the Prince's residence, Tang Zhuyun waited until late at night for the Prince of Jin to return.
"Have a bowl of soup first," Tang Zhuyun said. "Lotus root and pork rib soup. Yanran drank two bowls before going to sleep."
"She's certainly carefree," the Prince of Jin chuckled.
"There's nothing I can do, it's just like me," Tang Zhuyun joked. "I wasn't bothered at all by the mistreatment I received at the Cui Family's place today. It's good for a girl to be like that; it's better than being sensitive and easily hurt."
Prince of Jin: "Are you praising yourself?"
"There's nothing I can do, I can't wait for your praise anyway," Tang Zhuyun said, pouting.
The Prince of Jin chuckled at her words: "Do I need to praise you with words? Haven't I always shown my affection for you through my actions?"
Tang Zhuyun: "Shameless!"
"I don't care about saving face anymore, I just want you."
Tang Zhuyun thought he was just saying it, but she didn't expect that he wouldn't even drink the pork rib soup and would carry her directly to the bed.
"Hey, hey, hey, are you crazy?!"
"Don't speak." The Prince of Jin kissed him and closed his eyes.
Tang Zhuyun gave up resisting in an instant; her struggle turned into submission.
It's not that Prince of Jin is good at stirring things up—the two greenhorns are still deeply in love with each other. They're not experienced yet. Although there are times of physical and mental pleasure and harmony, most of the time they're still green and even make silly mistakes.
Tang Zhuyun reacted because she suddenly sensed that Prince of Jin was acting strangely tonight.
In their private moments, the Prince of Jin actually listened to her more.
He also respected her, and rarely acted impulsively like that.
Most importantly, these two newbies from the village kept their eyes open while kissing... staring at each other with wide eyes, which was quite funny.
But today, the Prince of Jin wouldn't let her see it.
He didn't drink the soup, nor did he eat the rice; he just wanted to do something. This man was acting very strangely today.
Clothes were scattered all over the floor. Tang Zhuyun struggled to get up and said, "I'll reheat your food."
The Prince of Jin, shirtless, sat on the bed and pressed her down, saying, "I'm not hungry."
"What's wrong?" Tang Zhuyun tidied her disheveled hair and asked calmly, "Did the Golden Scale Guard find out something?"
She guessed that it was nothing more than Yanran's assassination attempt, which was related to the Xiao Family.
She now harbors absolutely no goodwill towards the Xiao Family.
To be precise, he had absolutely no good feelings towards Xiao Wu.
Regardless of her personal morality, she manipulates people at will, even scheming over her own daughter's marriage. She despises Xiao Wu!
Tang Zhuyun believes that no matter what situation she is in, even if she dies without a burial place, she would never use her own child to fill a pit.
She wouldn't be surprised if Xiao Wu, that lunatic, did anything.
But that last statement was immediately proven wrong.
Prince of Jin bent one leg, placed his hand on his knee, looked at Tang Zhuyun, and spoke in a calm voice.
"A-Yun, the Golden Scale Guard has been taken back by Father Emperor."
Tang Zhuyun: "Why?"
"A few days ago, I used the Golden Scale Guard to investigate matters in the inner palace, which was a grave mistake."
"Why use the Golden Scale Guard?" Tang Zhuyun asked, puzzled. "Your palace must have plenty of people, right?"
You know your own man best.
The Prince of Jin was a cunning man with multiple burrows; it was impossible for him not to have his own power base within the palace.
In particular, given his ambition to become emperor, it was impossible for him not to make preparations in advance.
The Prince of Jin did not answer directly, but continued, "It was reported from the Huaishang."
Tang Zhuyun: "... It's not because you gave Song Jingyang a house but not him, is it? It can't be that serious!"
"As for his stinginess, that reason alone is convincing enough."
Tang Zhuyun: Oh, it's fake.