Chapter 177

Lv Zhi actually felt grateful to Gu Ying in her heart. At least in this manor, the Crown Prince's wife had helped her own mistress a lot, "Yes, Mistress. Yin Lan sister said it was the Crown Prince's wife herself who ordered people to grab the medicine, saying it was extremely effective in treating wind-chill."

Huo Qiyun's thoughts were chaotic. In a trance, she recalled the small and cute little medicine pouch Du had tightly grabbed back then. It also contained a medicinal herb called honeysuckle.

She later specially asked about it. Due to Bianjing's poor climate, this herb was very rare in Bianjing. It often grew in the Haizhou region. Almost every household there would plant honeysuckle herbs.

This herb also had another name, called love vine, and had extremely high medicinal value.

Even the imperial doctors in the Duke's manor would habitually use herbs like baizhu, chenpi and chishao to grab wind-chill medicine instead when in Bianjing. The only ones still used to using love vine in Bianjing were the Ye family from Haizhou...

The Ye family had many boys and only one daughter who married the son of the Earl of Dongping, Gu Boqing.

Calculating the ages and dates, that three or four-year-old little milk dumpling...

Turned out to be the young Gu Ying?!

Huo Qiyun's whole body tensed up, her heart panicked all of a sudden. How could it be? How could the little girl who saved Du be the young Gu Ying?!

The two of them were worlds apart!

She was not worthy of Du at all!

No matter how hard she racked her brains, she could not have thought of the fact that the child from back then would be Gu Ying.

After Lin Shi died, Du only wanted to die. If not for that child, where would he have gotten the will to live?

If Du knew Gu Ying had once saved him... Would he then only love Gu Ying and never help her again?

She panicked so much her whole body shook, not daring to think further. Her eyes suddenly looked sharply at Lv Zhi.

Lv Zhi was startled, "Mistress, could there be something wrong with this medicine?" Huo Qiyun's fingers turned white from force, her eyes looking at the love vine were suddenly pulled up at the corners of her lips, "Lv Zhi, look, doesn't this honeysuckle look like another type of medicinal herb?"

Lv Zhi concentrated her gaze. Her slender eyebrows knitted together, "This slave sees it looks similar to Cynanchum otophyllum..."

Huo Qiyun didn't say anything more, just held those herbs in a daze, but her heart was slowly making plans.

...

At this moment in Changfeng Pavilion, outside the picking window, the scent of plum blossoms drifted in.

Specks of white snow landed on the flower branches.

The Crown Prince's government duties were increasing day by day. He didn't return last night, Huai An came to report that His Majesty kept the Crown Prince overnight in the palace, and estimated he wouldn't be back tonight either.

Gu Ying reflexively asked, "May I ask which palace is it?"

Huai An laughed, "I knew you would ask, so the Crown Prince said to tell you not to worry. He's staying at Cuiyu Palace where His Majesty often keeps his subjects. It's an outer palace, not the inner rear palace."

Gu Ying held her forehead, "I was just casually asking..."

Yin Lan brought in hot tea, placing Huai An's usual white tea by his side.

Seeing Yin Lan dressed in a purple robe today, the squirrel fur collar framing her exquisite face, Huai An's ears turned red as he turned to Gu Ying to say boldly, "Mistress doesn't need to explain, Huai An understands in his heart. Princess Yueyan has always coveted our master. Mistress is worried master would be seduced away by the Princess, right?"

Gu Ying wanted to say, what do you understand...you understand nothing.

She wasn't worried at all!

As for her husband's character, she understood very clearly that if he wanted a woman, he would just tell her directly instead of hiding it.

She was only worried there might be some accident in the palace. After all, in her previous life when she was of low status and unable to attend this palace banquet, she still heard that at the banquet, Princess Yueyan had almost embarrassed herself publicly because of the Crown Prince.

"I'm not worried...about anything else."

Huai An laughed merrily, "Mistress, don't worry. Master knows his limits. Since he married you, his whole heart belongs to you. He won't even glance at other women. All of us men in the Qilin Army were taught this way by master - when treating the woman you love, you must be faithful for life! Otherwise, it's the military law for you!"

When saying this, his eyes kept drifting.

Glancing at Yin Lan from time to time.

Seeing a smile emerge from the corner of Yin Lan's mouth, he scratched his head in embarrassment and got up, "This subordinate shall take his leave first, still have to return to the palace to guard master. Be careful of any mishaps at tomorrow's palace banquet."

Yin Lan put the prepared pastries in a package and chased him out, "General Huai, take these pastries with you."

Under the corridor eaves, Yin Lan called Huai An to a stop. His handsome, fair face blushed slightly, "This is..." "I made them myself, very clean. Take them to eat when you get hungry at night." "Alright, then I'll gladly accept!"

"Mm."

"After eating your pastries, is there anything you need my help with?" Huai An wasn't one to owe favors to others, so he stared into Yin Lan's eyes and asked directly.

Yin Lan was surprised. She was only being polite to the Crown Prince's people for her mistress's sake.

So these pastries were not only for Huai An, the other Qilin Army guards protecting this residence also each got one.

But with Huai An's question, she instead felt a little embarrassed.

"I've nothing else that requires help, General Huai. Just go ahead and eat them."

Huai An looked at the girl's beautiful face, feeling a subtle excitement in his heart. His spring was finally coming! Master said with his temperament he would never marry in this lifetime.

Look, master was wrong!

There were still girls willing to like him!

After sending Huai An off,

Gu Ying stood in front of the desk, giving her a look and smiling gently, "Yin Lan, what do you think of Huai An?"

Yin Lan was surprised. "This slave feels General Huai is quite good."

Gu Ying smiled, "I checked earlier. Huai An isn't married yet at 24 this year, quite old already. He doesn't have much family, they all died in the wars, it's just him alone with no commitments. And there's no one to arrange his marriage for him either. Also, look at how he looks. I heard when following the Crown Prince to battle, he was always charging ahead. Rose to Captain in just a few years. Strong as steel. A good lad."

Hearing this, Yin Lan raised her head and said earnestly, "Mistress, this slave has never thought of remarrying."

Gu Ying's writing brush paused. Recalling her previous failed relationship, she asked gently, "Is it because of what happened previously?"

Yin Lan gave a self-deprecating laugh, "This slave knows her own status, so never dared to wish for anything. Regarding matters between men and women, this slave has completely given up hope for this lifetime. Just wishing to serve by Mistress's side for life, nothing else, no other thoughts."

Gu Ying pursed her lips, staring at her stubborn, serious little face, laughed and patted her shoulder, "Alright, I was just joking. If you don't like Huai An, let's pretend I never said anything, okay?"

"Mm..."

Gu Ying understood best how bitter a woman who had suffered heartbreak could be for life, so she respected Yin Lan's choice.

Right now Huai An only had good feelings for Yin Lan, feeling she was thoughtful and smart, and close to him in age unlike young clueless girls.

If he knew of Yin Lan's past, knew she had married before and given birth, he might not even be willing to accept that.