Chapter Seven, the cunning Yan Mo Yu

Bai Hanqing nodded again: "Yes!"

Kneeling on the ground, Bai Han lightly knocked his head towards Xia Gao, joyfully expressing his gratitude: "I, as a humble subject, thank Your Majesty for your great kindness on behalf of my daughter! Long live the Emperor, long live, long live for ten thousand years!"

Xia raised her eyebrows: "So you really have a pair of daughters who are not yet married?"

Sir! Suddenly, Yin Du felt a sweat break out on his forehead as he looked at Yan Mo Yu's cold face, and then he dashed out of the study like the wind. "I will go to the Bai residence right away"

Seeing him still standing there in a daze, Yan Mo Yu added, "If you do not obtain the Bai family genealogy before dawn, starting tomorrow, you will serve beside the old lady!"

Yin Du deftly dodged and quickly pinched the Bai family genealogy with two fingers, flashing a triumphant smile at the man sitting down: "Hehe!"

Upon hearing this, Bai Han not only breathed a sigh of relief but was also filled with great joy. This was precisely the marriage he had longed for but could never obtain, and now it was personally proposed by the Emperor; how could he possibly refuse

Xia Gao was quite satisfied and said: "Let’s hear what you have to say."

Before dawn? With such a large Bai residence, how could he know where the family tree is kept? At the very least, give him some time to investigate the situation of the Bai residence first

"Your Majesty, I respectfully report that after returning home yesterday, I contemplated your words and found them to be quite reasonable. Matters of marriage should indeed be based on mutual suitability. Furthermore, my mother holds a great fondness for the young lady from the Bai family. I have met this young woman, and she truly aligns with my sentiments. Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty to take this matter into consideration and grant me this marriage proposal." Yan Mo Yu's expression did not change much; he remained cold and distant, showing no signs of joy. However, his deep voice conveyed a sense of seriousness and determination.

Yin Du was momentarily taken aback, and immediately wore a look of distress. This time, he said nothing and directly tucked the Bai family genealogy under his arm before jumping out of the window

Having concluded his personal matters, Xia Gao then shifted to official business

"Yes, Your Majesty." Yan Mo lowered his gaze with a serious expression and spoke slowly, "From my understanding, most of the villagers in Maoshan Village are unaware of the location of the weapon smelting site, and they know nothing about the smuggling of weapons. Everything is being orchestrated by someone in the shadows, using the terrain of Maoshan Village to conceal the weapons workshop. I have not sent anyone to conduct a large-scale search in Maoshan Village; I have only instructed people to monitor each household in the village. Currently, Maoshan Village is completely surrounded by the Feather Forest Army, with all roads blocked, preventing anyone from entering or leaving. Thus, apart from the villagers of Maoshan who can sustain themselves without being affected, others will inevitably expose their whereabouts due to food shortages in the near future. The weapons workshop will surely fall without a fight."

After dawn

I obey the command

Seeing this, Xia Gao no longer beat around the bush. Since it was confirmed that the Bai family had such a legitimate daughter and that she was favored by the Crown Prince, this marriage naturally became a settled matter in his mind. He then spoke directly to Bai Han: "I intend to betroth your legitimate daughter to the Crown Prince as his wife. I wonder what your thoughts are on this matter, Bai Qing?"

When Yan Mo Yu quickly flipped to the last two pages of an old and thick family genealogy, searching for the last two generations of the Bai family, he was instantly captivated by a large 'X' that drew all his attention

Mother, why does your portrait seem to be the work of that person

Not long after, in the Imperial Study, the Grand Secretary Bai Hanqing was summoned to the palace for an audience.

What perplexed him the most was that if she was Bai Hanjing's daughter, Bai Xinran, how could she speak, and be so perceptive and articulate?

Without any reluctance, Yan Mo gave a slight nod and walked towards the direction of the Imperial Study with his hands clasped behind his back

Mother, why do you not favor peach blossoms as in the painting, but instead prefer pear blossoms? And books

Isn't this change of heart too quick

Upon hearing this, Xia Gao nodded in satisfaction. Now that makes sense! If he were to insist on marrying that rustic village girl, he would truly feel a headache.

Yesterday, he finally confessed to himself about his romantic interest, and this morning he formally requested a marriage grant, with the other party being the daughter of a Grand Secretary. ... Logically speaking, the legitimate daughter of the Bai family could be considered a somewhat suitable match for the Prince of Cheng, but ...

Bai Han cautiously asked with a hint of tension: "Your Majesty's great grace is a blessing for my family... I hope Your Majesty will forgive my boldness in asking, which family has Your Majesty chosen for my daughter?"

Looking at these few simple yet ruthlessly worded sentences, Yan Mo Yu suddenly slammed his fist on the desk, and his tightly narrowed deep eyes released waves of chilling coldness

Xia Gao took the memorial presented by Yan Mo from the eunuch's hands, glanced at it briefly, then closed it, a look of confusion spreading across the dragon's countenance: "What does Prince Cheng mean by this?"

His gaze swept over the intact legs, and Yan Mo politely greeted the guest: "It has been a year since we last met, and I am truly delighted to see that King Fengde's leg ailment has healed. Congratulations."

There is less than one hour until dawn, and it is clear that he is deliberately making things difficult for him... How infuriating...

Xia Lixun, dressed in a python robe, exudes elegance and nobility. Her narrow, elongated eyes are often half-closed, giving people a sense of aloofness and arrogance.

Grandfather? Grandfather? What has happened to you? What do you intend to do with the Bai family's genealogy?" Yin Du looked at the man behind the desk, who had his eyes lowered and wore a cold expression, with a face full of confusion and worry.

"This is very good." Upon hearing this, Xia Gao nodded in satisfaction, his deep eyes filled with profound appreciation. "You may go to Maoshan Village once more in the near future. Be sure to supervise the Yulin Army well, and do your utmost to avoid causing difficulties for the innocent villagers. As for the participants, they must be severely punished. If there are any public dissenters, they shall be executed. There is no need to return to report to Chen!"

Regaining his senses, Yan Mo raised his eyelids slightly, glanced over, and lightly tapped his fingers on the table. Suddenly, he said, "This king personally selects the candidate for the matriarch for you, how about that?"

Furrowing his brows, Yan Mo felt increasingly perplexed, as if he had wandered into a thick fog. The only explanation he could come up with was that Bai Xinran had suddenly returned to normal one day

Yan Mo performed a respectful bow and said, "Then I shall first express my gratitude to Your Majesty."

Suddenly, Yan Mo slammed his palm on the table, and the Bai family tree shot straight towards Yin Du's forehead

The genealogy provides a brief explanation for the exclusion of 'Bai Xinran'—due to being born deaf and mute, he was considered an inauspicious person, and thus was expelled from the Bai clan, exiled outside, with his life and death left to fate

Living in the Bai residence with a life of abundance, she would be a fool to pretend to be deaf and mute

Bai Xindran

In the imperial study

Looking at the gentle-eyed woman in the painting, he felt an inexplicable warmth. However, when faced with a real person, he felt an inexplicable aversion in his heart

"Why aren't you going yet?" Yan Mo shot a cold glare over, unable to tolerate a subordinate who talked more than a woman, "Before dawn this morning, I want to see the Bai family genealogy!"

Watching the departing figure, Xia Lixun could not help but grind his teeth, his hands clenched into tight fists behind him

After the morning court session, Yan Mo was just about to head to the Imperial Study when he encountered the Third Prince, King Fengde, Xia Lixun, who had just returned from outside the capital, coming from the other end of the garden. It seemed that he was also heading to the Imperial Study.

Bai Hanqing has always wanted to curry favor with himself, and now he has even persuaded his mother, wishing to marry Bai Xinbi into the Cheng Wangfu. Since he wants to curry favor with himself, then let it be as he wishes. As for the person he intends to marry...

Lady Bai Qing, I have heard that you have a legitimate daughter in your household, who is at the age of twenty, possessing extraordinary beauty and exceptional talent. Is this true?

He appeared to smile, yet Yan Mo Yu still caught a fleeting glimpse of coldness in his eyes

Return the family tree to the Bai residence and come back before dawn

Bai Han lightly nodded and humbly replied, "Your Majesty, my daughter is clumsy; those are merely the erroneous praises from outsiders."

Is King Fengde also going to the imperial study? Why not go together?

Damn the Prince Cheng

Bai Xindran was expelled from the Bai family at the tender age of 2. One must ask, how could a child of two possess such heavy scheming to feign deafness and muteness?

Beneath the mark 'X', the three characters 'Bai Xin Ran' are written, surprisingly placed before 'Bai Xin Bi' in order of seniority.

If he is not mistaken, the woman from Maoshan Village is Bai Xinran, the twin sister of Bai Xinbi

Suddenly, he almost understood certain matters, but upon turning his gaze and deep in thought, he realized something was amiss

Is there any way to expedite the matter regarding Maoshan Village

Sitting in the grand master's chair, Yan Mo reached under the desk and accurately retrieved a scroll of painting, placing it on the table and unfurling it.

Setting down the ink brush, he reopened the memorial from King Cheng and nodded at the names written within the document

Putting down the memorial in his hand, a hint of affection appeared in his eyes as he said: "I have a very favorable view of your marriage to Miss Bai from the Bai family. However, I cannot force the Bai family to marry off their daughter. I need to consult Bai Qing on this matter before I can give you a response"

Xia Gao's eyes carried a hint of joy, yet his expression remained serious: "Then if the Emperor were to arrange a marriage for your daughter, would you agree?"

Then how can 'Bai Xindran' speak? If that woman is not 'Bai Xindran', why does she resemble Bai Xinbi so much?

The woman in the painting, holding an oiled paper umbrella, gazes up at a cluster of peach blossoms. Her serene and pure gaze is filled with delight, and the smile at the corner of her mouth is as gentle as water

After Bai Han lightly departed, Xia Gao instructed the palace maid to grind the ink and was just about to put pen to paper when he suddenly realized that he had forgotten to ask the name of the Bai woman

Yin Du's lips curled into a sneer: "... ..." What is it that you intend to do, sir?

It is reasonable to say that such occurrences have happened, to varying degrees, in many families. A child with disabilities is often regarded as a harbinger of misfortune, leading the family to shun them. In some extreme cases, the child may even be drowned at birth as a means to escape the impending disaster

Yan Mo replied: "Your Majesty, I have already begun to address this matter."

Upon hearing this, Xia Lixun suddenly ceased to smile, slightly raised his chin, and declined, saying: "No, since the Crown Prince has matters to discuss with Father Emperor, I shall not disturb him. It is the same to pay my respects to Father Emperor later. Please, Crown Prince, go ahead."

Yet for some reason, thinking of the life that woman leads, which is even worse than the pigs and dogs raised in ordinary households, his heart inexplicably felt sour and heavy

Yin Du was taken aback, pointing at the Bai family genealogy in his master's hand, trembling, "Sir, please do not jest with your subordinate. In this generation of the Bai family, there is only one adult woman, Bai Xinbi. What is there to choose from? Are you really considering raising a young girl from the Bai family as a child bride in your household? Moreover, you are well aware that Bai Hanqing's intentions are not pure, yet you still wish to marry a woman from the Bai family. Sir, it is not that I am being meddlesome, but you are simply asking for trouble!"

At the hour of the fourth watch that night, Yin Du appeared in the study, having rushed back almost in a tumble, fearing that if he were even a moment late, he would be sent to the pear courtyard to serve as a lowly attendant

Looking at the elegant figure before her, whose grace was not at all inferior to her own, the Crown Prince, Xia Lixun suddenly smiled and said: "Thanks to the Crown Prince, my leg ailment has improved so quickly."

Moreover, that woman is not a fool

Grandfather always uses this trick!

The elongated fingertips gently glide across the canvas, tracing the exquisite features of the woman, akin to a tender caress