Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

Chapter 157 The Prince's Mansion

After working day and night, the Yuan Mansion was finally completed before Prince Ming and his entourage arrived in Bianjing. Looking at the three golden characters of "Prince Ming Mansion," Nan Fei felt a pang of emotion: this mansion was ultimately not meant for them.

Luo An accompanied Nan Fei from the front gate to the backyard. The land was still the same, but the pavilions, towers, carved railings, and painted beams inside were now beautiful and exquisite, incomparable to the previous Yuan Mansion.

The back garden was still a peach and plum grove, but a pond had been dug in the middle of it. The two walked along the pebbles to the edge of the pond. The water was clear, and carp swam to and fro.

Beside the pond is a landscape stone with An Liangchen's calligraphy: Phoenix Pond. Directly opposite the pond is a small hexagonal pavilion: Phoenix Pavilion.

Nanfei shook his head: "Young master, men who marry into families really have no status whatsoever, they don't even get to write inscriptions."

Luo An smiled and said, "You can change it to Phoenix Pond and Phoenix Pavilion. The Crown Prince won't mind."

Nanfei said, "If Prince Ming is a phoenix, he'd better stay put and not fly around recklessly. If they cause trouble, the Crown Prince will blame me for making arbitrary changes. Literary inquisitions have existed since ancient times, so let's just forget about it."

Luo An was puzzled: "Why are you so wary of him?"

Nanfei said, "Perhaps serving a ruler is like serving a tiger. Young master, I am not comparable to you after all..."

Luo An paused for a moment: "Did you discuss the matter of changing the Yuan residence to the Ming Prince's residence with General Yuan?"

Nan Fei shook his head: "No, after the war, Yuan Feng and I will go to Chongming Island with you. Young master, will you still reserve the courtyard on Chongming Island for me?"

Luo An wasn't guilty at all and answered readily, "Of course."

As Nanfei and Luo An emerged from the Ming Prince's Mansion, their eyes lit up. A woman in a pale yellow jacket stood gracefully in the square before them. The delicate, bright color, like a newly opened forsythia, pierced the winter's chill.

Nanfei murmured, "Is spring coming?"

Nianyao turned around, sword in hand, the movement so sudden that the lily-of-the-valley tassel from her hairpin stung her face. She put down the sword, touched her face, walked up to Luo An, and greeted Nan Fei: "Young Master Nan, long time no see."

Nan Fei glanced at Luo An and laughed, "A day apart feels like three autumns. If you think about it that way, it really has been a long time."

Nianyao felt that Nanfei's words had a hidden meaning: "If that's the case, it's been almost a hundred years since Young Master Nan and General Yuan last saw each other. Young Master Nan, if you're lonely, go to a brothel by yourself, don't drag Yunting along."

Nan Fei immediately protested his innocence: "Madam, please don't wrong an innocent person. It was the young general who insisted on hosting the dinner, saying that if I didn't go, it would be disrespectful to him and to you. I had no choice but to be forced into it."

I live far away from Yuan Feng, so out of sight, out of mind, it doesn't bother me at all. It's different for the young general; he can see and touch his wife but can't have her, and that's what makes him anxious, frustrated, and suffocated.

Seeing that Nian Yao's anger seemed about to erupt, Nan Fei quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "Young Master, Madam, Crown Prince, please wait for me. I'll be leaving now."

After walking a distance, Nanfei turned back and called out, "Madam, the palace is hosting a banquet for the nobles of Beirou tonight. You must keep a close watch on the young master and prevent him from going."

Luo An's gaze was deep, and he hadn't looked away from her since he saw her.

Nianyao finally looked at Luo An directly, but instinctively jumped in fright. Luo An's eyes were like deep pools, and she felt inexplicably panicked as she looked into them. She stammered, "He...what...why..."

Luo An reached out his hand to her, and Nian Yao slowly placed her hand in his palm.

Luo An tightened his grip on her hand slightly. Nian Yao bumped directly into his arms. Luo An released her hand and wrapped it around her waist, then used his other hand to gently lift her chin and kiss her.

Nianyao completely forgot where she was. She instinctively tried to grab onto Luo An, but her hand slipped and the sword fell, about to hit her foot. Luo An kicked it away and caught the sword in his hand.

Nianyao clutched his collar, her face flushed. She glanced around, relieved that no one was nearby. She looked at Luo An again; aside from slightly unsteady breathing, he appeared perfectly normal.

Nianyao took a step back and touched her arm: "It's so cold, let's go back."

Luo An took off his cloak and draped it over her shoulders, tied the strap with one hand, and then took her hand: "Okay, let's go back."

Luo An walked rather quickly, and Nian Yao was pulled along by him the whole way: "Luo An?"

Luo An hummed in agreement, and after a moment of silence, asked, "What?"

Nianyao said, "You can multitask at any time?"

Was there some dissatisfaction in his tone? Luo An smiled: "There are exceptions."

Nianyao asked, "When is it an exception?"

Xi Zhai was just ahead. Luo An thought for a moment, then turned and led her through the back door, heading straight to the hot spring room.

Luo An tossed the sword onto the table and removed Nian Yao's cloak. The steaming hot spring blurred Luo An's face, making his voice even clearer: "At this time..."

That evening, the palace indeed sent someone to invite Luo An. Luo An was holding her as she slept, his voice sleepy: "I'm not going."

After the person behind the screen withdrew, Nianyao slowly opened her eyes in his arms: "Your Majesty and the Empress have returned. Shall we not go?"

Luo An paused for a moment before saying, "There's nothing wrong with it. I don't have the surname An."

Nianyao couldn't help but laugh: "You, when you're taking advantage, you're like royalty, but when you're being willful, you're not An anymore."

Luo An's voice was muffled: "What advantage did I gain?"

Nianyao said, "Giving you such a nice courtyard, isn't that taking advantage of you?"

Luo An slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with blatant threat: "You..."

Nianyao, quick-witted, immediately closed her eyes tightly: "I was wrong... I fell asleep..."

Luo An gave a satisfied yet arrogant hum.

Not only in the hot spring, but he also did it after carrying her back to the room and onto the bed. Nianyao waited a while, then opened her eyes, looked at the face in front of her, and muttered to herself, "Beast..."

Luo An smiled and said, "You dressed like that just to seduce beasts?"

Nianyao said, "No... I thought you would like it..."

The last time at Xi Zhai, she wore a pale yellow dress, and Luo An stared at her intently.

Seeing that she couldn't sleep, Luo An opened his eyes and chatted with her. Luo An kissed her on the cheek: "I like you no matter what, you don't have to force yourself or force yourself."

Nianyao felt a warmth in her heart and whispered, "Deliberate, but not forced. A woman dresses up for the one she loves..."

Luo An chuckled softly, his chest heaving. Nian Yao felt her heart race and her cheeks flush. So, even she could speak sweet nothings so naturally.

Luo An whispered, "Nianyao is so good."

Nianyao said, "You're the one who's good. I feel like I'm not good enough for you."

Luo An stroked her hair: "No. We're a match made in heaven."

There were no grudges, no cold wars, we hugged each other and chatted gently and slowly, it felt so good.

Nianyao recalled Nanfei's words: "Why wouldn't Nanfei let you go to the banquet held in the palace?"

Luo An corrected her: "He didn't stop me from going, it was you who stopped me from going, to spend the night in the warm embrace of the emperor..."

Nianyao called out softly, "Luo An!"

Luo An quickly reassured them, "Prince Ming and his men are certainly uneasy about surrendering to Dongyang, so they will definitely try to marry their daughters off to Dongyang, as a kind of peace treaty..."