an, do you"Sun Chengjian coughed and mumbled, "That's... Siyuan, you know our family is really burdened. Adding two more mouths would be difficult, and I'm also afraid it would put the children at a d...Fortunately, Li Lao Si reacted quickly, raising his stick and knocking the stone away.

This stick was originally intended to beat through bushes and scare away snakes and insects, but the snakes and insects weren't encountered, and it ended up being used for self-defense first!

Shuiling almost implicated her master, her eyes were red with anger. She threw the basket to Shuicun and ran ahead.

Everyone hurried to catch up and saw that Shui Ling was already fighting with a young man.

Suiling was small, her head only reaching a man's shoulder, yet she fought him evenly.

They went back and forth, it was clear they weren't going all out, but neither of them held back either.

Jia Yin sat on her father's shoulder, her small mouth wide open in surprise.

Although she knew that the two maids her stepfather had found for her were skilled in martial arts, she spent her days cooped up at home, doing nothing but eating and sleeping, occasionally sneaking a lazy nap. She hardly ever encountered any danger.

The two maidservants had no opportunity to display their skills, and she almost forgot they even possessed them.

Most importantly, she had never seen Shui Ling Shui Yun practice martial arts before!

Instead, they followed Old Madam He, cooking in the kitchen, sewing clothes and shoes, running errands, and laughing every day…

Just then, someone in the grass hut shouted, "Guan Fei, come back!"

The young man retracted his hand, cast a cold glance at Shuiling, then vanished like a shadow.

Li Laosi guessed that the stone Shui Ling had just thrown was definitely aimed at the direction of Caoting, so it was considered a threat and was retaliated against.

He quickly called out to Shuiling, then stepped into the grass pavilion in a few strides.

Li Lao Er and Mr. Wen followed suit, and upon looking up at the person sitting in the middle of the pavilion, their faces turned pale with shock. "Emperor…"

The Lord promptly held up his hand, stopping them. He said in a low voice, “Today my cousin is here to visit and admire the flowers!”

Li Lao'er and Mr. Wen understood each other, the two quickly changed their words and said in unison: "Huang Gongzi is well!"

The once resplendent young emperor, who sat regally on the Golden Dragon Throne, now wore a sapphire blue robe, adorned with a jade belt. His dark hair was neatly combed and held in place by a jade hairpin.

It lacked a bit of solemnity, but gained a touch of clear and elegant charm.

He smiled and waved, saying, "Come sit down, everyone. Today I'm the guest, and you are the hosts."

"No! I dare not!" Li Lao Er bowed again, then retreated to the side with Mr. Wen.

The Emperor glanced at the detained Shui Ling with a smile and asked the Marquis, “Is this from Zheng Family Estate”

The Lord nodded, "Indeed, quite clever. Send her to take care of little Funiu."

"Your skills are indeed not bad." The Emperor praised, causing Shui Ling and Shui Yun to both kneel and kowtow. Then they quickly served tea, refreshments, and fruits.

Originally, Jia Yin wanted to run to her godfather's side and hug his arm. But then she thought about it and toddled over to Li Lao Er and Mr. Wen, pushing two small wooden stools. "Second Uncle, sit! Master, sit!"

The Emperor didn't speak, how could Li Lao Er and Mr. Wen dare to sit

Li Lao'er could only rub his niece's hair and smiled, "Funiu'er is good, Second Uncle isn't tired."

Jia Yin shook her little head, pointing to the sea of flowers behind them, and said, "Uncle Two and Master are too tall, they're blocking Huang BoBo from seeing the flowers!"

Li Lao'er and Mr. Wen were stunned, but the Emperor burst into laughter. "No wonder my cousin likes this little girl, she's a truly clever child!"

He motioned for Lao Er Li and Mr. Wen to sit down, then called Jia Yin forward, reaching out to pinch her chubby cheeks and smiling: "Little girl, do you still recognize me"

"Of course I know you, you're Emperor Uncle!" Jia Yin casually climbed to the position beside the emperor and sat down, smiling and asking: "Emperor Uncle, during the New Year, I still gave you New Year's gifts! So many fruits and vegetables, do you like eating them"

"Excellent!" the Emperor chuckled, nodding. "You wouldn't want to return the favor, would you Your adoptive father robbed me of so many good things for you, I feel like the one who lost out!"

Jia Yin blushed and quickly said, "Then I will send more good things to Emperor Uncle in the future so that Emperor Uncle won't be at a loss!"

The emperor couldn't help but laugh again and casually asked, "I'm younger than your godfather, how come you call me Imperial Uncle instead of Imperial Uncle"

Jiao Yin's head was shaking like a tambourine, her little face full of seriousness. "My godfather said that Huang Bo is the most powerful person in the world and cannot be anyone's younger brother. So, even if Huang Bo is the younger brother, we have to call him Huang Bo!"

This was a roundabout way of saying it, but the Emperor understood, and was even more pleased.

Now the military power of the dockside defense line is all in my cousin's hands.

His ears would constantly be filled with reminders from people, for fear that his cousin would grow ambitious and powerful.

But they didn't know, his cousin was determined to reclaim his lost territory and had sworn off marriage. He even gave both the Hou Mansion and Zheng Family Manor to his adopted daughter.

If even this is not credible, then who can be trusted!

The lord looked at the giggling chubby girl, his heart filled with immense satisfaction.

Everyone thought the little girl was lazy and greedy.

Only he knew how intelligent and perceptive this child was, always protecting everyone in her own subtle way.

Could these innocent words outweigh his countless declarations of loyalty Could they surpass the victories achieved by the soldiers defending the border!

In the thatched pavilion, a gentle breeze rustles through the leaves, and flowers fragrance fills the air. As far as the eye can see, the mountains are covered in vibrant blooms.

Here, no matter how many worries you have, they will completely vanish.

The Emperor didn't speak of state affairs, but only chose to recount some amusing anecdotes from the new capital.

Mr. Wen, who had just gotten married, was teased a few times.

Mr. Wen didn't decline the offer and took the opportunity to ask for another ten days of leave. He planned to visit the grave of Yue Zhang, who was also his mentor, Grand Scholar Cui, to pay his respects and comfort the old man's spirit in heaven.

The Emperor readily agreed.

With many Imperial Historiographers in the court, even if one were missing, it wouldn't cause any major problems.

Soon, Tao Hongying brought He Mamá to deliver the food. Seeing the Emperor, she was also startled and then stepped forward to greet him, "If I had known it was a distinguished guest coming, I would have added an extra bowl of chicken soup noodles. Last time, you enjoyed the flavor very much. My mother remembers clearly that every time you eat chicken soup noodles, you mention it several times."

The Emperor nodded and smiled, "I hear your restaurant's private dishes are very popular It's a pity I can't try them."

"Rest assured, sir/madam. Though I didn't know you were coming today, the dishes prepared are all popular at the restaurant. Please try them and see how they taste"

Tao Hongying spoke, putting the lunchbox in her hands onto the table, and then went to take He Mam's. As a result, He Mam had already knelt on the ground.

The Emperor took another look at He MaMa and recognized she was from the palace. He said, “Rise, since you’ve left the palace, take good care of the County Princess. You are a lucky one, having arrived at the Li family.”

Grandma He excitedly hurried to kowtow, then nimbly helped Tao Hongying set the table.

Spring days are easy to get dry and hot, with strong internal heat. Therefore, Tao Hongying didn't cook too much heavy food today.

There are only two main courses, roast duck and water boiled meat slices, the rest are light-flavored side dishes.

For example, there's Longjing shrimp, stir-fried cabbage with chili sauce, garlic oil Chinese broccoli, blanched pig ear beans, and a plate of golden silver steamed buns.

The table was full of vibrant green and bright red, which greatly whetted the Emperor's appetite. He invited Li Lao Er, Li Lao Si, and Mr. Wen to sit down and eat together.

The guard named Guan Fei still wanted to step forward and test the poison. Jiayin was already holding a small bowl and bringing it to the emperor, shouting, "Uncle Emperor, help me get some meat, I don't want vegetables."

The Emperor laughed and, picking up his chopsticks, gave her only vegetables, instructing, "Children shouldn't be picky eaters, it's easy to not grow tall!"tions. Now, thanks to Liu Zhiheng being bestowed with a fourth-rank official position by the emperor, they were hosting a grand banquet that drew a multitude of guests.As the sun climbed high in the s...