Wrapped In Golden Branch - Chapter 32

Chapter 32
Is that young man in Yan Mountain him?

The next day, at the western part of the Imperial Garden. It was the 63rd birthday of the Empress’s mother, Duke Cheng’en’s wife, Mrs. Zhou. Although it was not a longevity birthday, Empress Kang still organized a small family banquet to celebrate her mother’s birthday and specially arranged for the opera troupe from the South Garden to perform. Magu’s Birthday Offering, The Celebration of Longevity by the Celestial Immortals, and other plays were performed in a row. The Crown Prince’s family, the Princess and her husband, the Second Prince and his wife, and all the grandchildren saluted and congratulated their grandmother, Mrs. Zhou.

Mrs. Zhou smiled and sat in the right after the Empress. She wore a five-pearl crown, a bright red Ruyi cloud-pattern shirt, and a crane-pattern shawl, typical of a first-cla$s lady’s dress. Especially now that her most caring granddaughter Ningning had started a family, the big stone in her heart finally fell to the ground.

Mrs. Zhou raised her eyes and set her sights on her grandson-in-law——
Tall and handsome, still young yet had outstanding military achievements, the more she looked at him, the more satisfied she felt.

Li Kangning also glanced at the handsome man beside her occasionally, with an expression that seemed hesitant to speak. The facial features of the young man she met in Yan Mountain that year looked very much like Pei Yizhi. However, the young man was skinny and tall, like a bamboo pole; while Pei Yizhi was robust and as sturdy as a mountain, it was hard for people to connect the two.

“Doesn’t Ningning look at the Prince Consort daily in the mansion? Why do you keep looking at him when you enter the palace?” Mrs. Zhou joked with a smile. She and the others present also noticed it and couldn’t help laughing.

Li Kangning’s face flushed instantly, and she weakly retorted: “I’m not looking at him. I’m watching the play.”

Pei Yizhi looked calm, but his ears were burning.

Mrs. Zhou asked teasingly: “Then Ningning, tell me which play is now?”

Li Kangning was stunned, blushing and hesitating to say anything.

Seeing that her daughter’s face was about to bleed, Empress Kang smiled and smoothed things over for her daughter, “Of course Ningning knows. It’s Man Chuang Hu.”

Crown Princess Xiao Mingxue was amused and couldn’t help but hold her handkerchief to cover her lips and laugh. The handsome man with a golden crown on her side moved his eyes slightly, holding her hand calmly and then pinching it as if playing. Now, it was the Crown Princess’ turn to blush. She was the most dignified person. How could she bear such intimacy with her husband in front of others? She pursed her lips and tried to pull her hand out of her husband’s hand. Unfortunately, the Crown Prince, who was once a head shorter than her, was now a hot-blooded man. She couldn’t break free, so she could only obey his wishes.

Man Chuang Hu was coming to an end. Guo Ziyi was celebrating his 60th birthday. His noble and prominent seven sons and eight sons-in-law came to celebrate.

Li Kangning had no intention of listening to the opera and glanced at the man next to her. Is he the young man accompanying her to paint in Yan Mountain that year? Coincidentally, he had just told her not long ago that Huai’an Marquis had sent him to Yan Mountain to be raised in a separate courtyard when he was young.

Pei Yizhi hesitated momentarily and couldn’t help but whisper: “Princess, what’s on my face?”

Li Kangning briefly fell into a trance and then shook her head. Her slightly gloomy expression meant something else in the man’s eyes—did he too presumptuous last night, and the Princess felt disgusted and wanted to divorce him? Thinking of this, Pei Yizhi lowered his head slightly as if he had suffered a blow.

After the banquet, the younger generations respectfully sent the Emperor, Empress, and grandmother away.

Li Kangning suddenly rem*mbered another thing and immediately walked up to her brother and stopped him—— “Li Kangyan, stop. You told Gu Yanheng, right?” Because she was walking quickly, she slightly panted. The beads held by the red gold silk hairpin on her bun and the red gem pendant on her earlobe kept shaking.

Hearing this, the Second Prince remained silent but did not deny it. His wife beside him was confused when she heard her third brother’s name for no reason. She asked cautiously: “Did the third brother do something wrong that made you angry?”

“It’s nothing. Don’t be afraid.” The Second Prince knew that his wife’s courage was as small as a needle hole and immediately spoke to comfort her gently.

Li Kangning was shocked by his actions and got goosebumps. Had the little nerd brother become so considerate after getting married?

She and the Second Prince were twins; their birth was only half an hour apart.

Li Kangning resembled their mother, while the Second Prince resembled their father. They were not alike in appearance, character, and other aspects. But they were twins, after all, so they had some telepathy. The Second Prince knew well that his elder sister had fallen in love with his third brother-in-law. His third brother-in-law was also deeply in love with his elder sister and had not married yet. Due to recent trivial matters at the Huai’an Marquis Mansion, he felt resentful towards Pei Yizhi, his brother-in-law. So he casually revealed to Gu Yanheng that his elder sister had anonymously founded dozens of girls’ schools. As for whether they could meet by chance, it had nothing to do with him.

Li Kangning glanced at her brother and scolded him, “Why are you so unreasonable?” After a pause, she said, “If you dare to do this again, I will tell Baoying about your embarrassing childhood!”

The Second Prince’s face changed when he heard this. Gu Baoying, the consort of the Second Prince, blinked, looking bewildered.

Pei Yizhi stood silently behind the Princess, motionless, like a small mountain. He vaguely sensed the Princess’s disdain for Third Gu, and he was secretly happy in his heart but didn’t show it on his face.

When they returned to the Princess Mansion, it was still early, and Li Kangning went straight to the studio. She had to use her restored memory to quickly draw the boy she had met in Yan Mountain. The corridors along the way were winding and crisscrossed, and clear springs flowed out from the stones, carrying a pleasant sound of water. Pei Yizhi followed her step by step. His dark eyes were bright, and he felt that his whole heart was filled with her, without any space.

?

At the other end, the Huai’an Marquis Mansion. The Imperial Guards examined every servant in the mansion swiftly and firmly several times. Finally, the target was set on Mrs. Jin. Several Imperial Guards held her on the left and right, trying to take her to the Northern Office.

Mrs. Jin panicked and immediately bluffed: “What do you mean? I am the Prince Consort’s biological mother and the Princess’s mother-in-law! Why do you arrest me!”

After learning that the two children were likely to be swapped, Huai’an Marquis was confused for several days, like a corpse, and had no time to care about Mrs. Jin.

Mrs. Jin asked Huai’an Marquis for help, crying: “Lord, save me.”

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