Xiyan's stubborn personality was still better than hers. Haha!

Ming Yan felt as if her entire body was soaked in an ice cave. The last bit of warmth in her heart could no longer be retained and was slowly dissipating.

Leaning against the cold courtyard wall, Ming Yan's drowsy mind replayed the scenes in Duke Zheng's Residence.

Duke Zheng went to Guilin Residence more and more frequently. A month after Guilin Residence opened, he ate almost all of his meals at Guilin Residence except for the morning meal.

Chu Lian specially prepared a small courtyard in Guilin Residence for the Duke. As long as he went there during meal time, he could eat all of Guilin Residence's dishes without having to queue up.

Gradually, Duke Zheng began to feel that the dishes she made were not to his taste.

One day, the Old Duke returned from outside. That night, the Old Madam of the Duke of Zheng asked her husband what he wanted to eat. The Old Duke casually said, "First-grade Pot". He had eaten this dish at Guilin Restaurant at noon. It was the new dish that Guilin Restaurant was serving this month. He had only eaten it for lunch, but he didn't feel satisfied, so he subconsciously said it.

The previous chefs in Duke Zheng's Residence were completely useless. Moreover, the Duke's small kitchen was originally managed by Ming Yan. Once the name of the dish was announced, the task of cooking naturally fell onto Ming Yan's shoulders.

In addition, she usually had to chase everyone away when she cooked in the small kitchen, so the servants in the small kitchen had long been prejudiced against her.

When the Duke announced the name of a dish that had never been heard of, no one would speak up for her.

Ming Yan was very anxious. She did not know how to make this "first-rate pot" at all!

At that time, she began to resent Chu Lian. Why didn't she teach her a few more secret recipes in the past? If that was the case, she would not be in such a difficult situation in Duke Zheng's Residence.

In the end, the "first-rate pot" naturally did not succeed. Ming Yan was detained by Old Madam of Duke Zheng and scolded.

Only when she knelt in front of Old Madam did Ming Yan realize that she could not wait any longer.

Thus, she began to plan for herself in Duke Zheng's Residence.

Every morning, Heir Zheng would come to the old duke's courtyard to eat the morning meal. She took this opportunity to drug Heir Zheng. Before Heir Zheng could eat the drugged food, Ming Yan's actions were reported to the Lady of Duke Zheng by a servant girl.

The Duke of Zheng's Residence only had this one son. Usually, he was treated as if he was an eyeball. The Duke of Zheng's wife watched him closely. When she found out that her son was almost schemed against by a servant girl, she was furious.

As a result, Duke Zheng's wife personally made Ming Yan half dead and ordered someone to buy medicine to cripple her pair of cooking hands.

There was no lack of darkness in the backyard of a wealthy family. Those mistresses looked beautiful and graceful on the outside, but who knew how much blood they had secretly stained their hands with.

Duke Zheng's wife was not a softhearted mistress. Moreover, Ming Yan was just a servant. At most, she could only be considered a servant who could cook. In the eyes of most masters, she was no different from a dog.

When Ming Yan was punished, the old High Duke did not even plead for mercy. In the end, Ming Yan used all her wealth to bribe the servant girl who guarded the door, and only then was she able to escape from High Duke Zheng's Residence.

The first person she thought of asking for help was Chu Lian.

It was a pity that she would never see her again.

When the last bit of warmth in Ming Yan's heart disappeared, the warm sunlight above her head did not rise again.

The next day, Xiyan brought a few young servant girls out from the corner door to Guilin Residence. As soon as she raised her head, she saw the tattered figure outside the courtyard wall.

The old servant girl guarding the door saw Xiyan frown and hurriedly smiled apologetically. "Miss Xiyan, that is a madwoman. Yesterday, she made a ruckus and insisted on entering the residence, saying that she was our Third Young Mistress' head servant girl. In the end, she was beaten up by the guards in the front courtyard and thrown out. She crawled over there and squatted down. She might already be dead by now!"

Head servant girl?

Xiyan suddenly had a bad premonition.

She hurriedly called for two servants. When they went to check, she was indeed not breathing. When the servants brushed away the messy hair on the woman's face, Xiyan sucked in a breath of cold air. It really was Ming Yan!

Xiyan stood in front of the sisters who used to serve Chu Lian with her. Her heart was filled with complicated emotions. She stood there for a while before the servant next to her carefully asked, "Elder Sister Xiyan, what … what should we do?"

Xiyan took a deep breath and suppressed her surging emotions. She took out a silver ingot from her sleeve and gave it to the servant. "Buy a coffin and bury it!"

Ming Yan was a servant girl chosen by the duke to accompany Chu Lian when she got married. She was bought along the way and had no parents.

Xiyan took one last look at the cold corpse, then left with her people without any reluctance.

Ming Yan had chosen her own path in the beginning. She could only blame herself for this outcome.

On the day that Chu Lian left for the Northern Region, the Ying Dukedom was bustling with activity. Early in the morning, the Ying Dukedom opened the main gates to welcome guests. Even the servants and servants guarding the gates had changed into new clothes.

Xiao Bojian was holding a banquet to thank his teacher at Ying Dukedom. Ying Dukedom, which had already declined, once again stood in front of the nobles of Shengjing.

Ying Dukedom had never been this lively, not even when a legitimate son got married or a daughter married off to a rich family.

By the time it was close to noon, most of the guests had arrived. Everyone gathered in the hall to greet the old Ying Dukedom.

In a study in the front courtyard of Ying Dukedom, Xiao Bojian had already changed into a brocade robe and a white jade crown on his head. At this moment, his slightly slender peach blossom eyes had swept away the haze of the past. Instead, they were full of energy and sparkling brilliantly.

He was currently standing at the peak of the younger generation, looking down at the foot of the mountain. It was no wonder that he was in such a good mood and in high spirits.

Xiao Bojian adjusted the sash around his waist and solemnly placed the Ten Thousand Fortune Jade Pendant into the brocade pouch at his waist. Before putting the jade pendant away, he gently caressed it.

Once he was ready, Wei Jia knocked on the door and entered the study.

Wei Jia stood silently by his side with his head lowered, as if he didn't dare to look at him.

Xiao Bojian was happy today and didn't care about Wei Jia's emotions. He asked directly, "Is she here?"

Wei Jia was startled. He paused for a moment, then gritted his teeth and pretended not to know. "Who are you talking about, Master?"

Xiao Bojian's originally sunny mood instantly darkened. His eyes sharpened as he glanced at Wei Jia, who was standing to the side. "Wei Jia, you don't need to play dumb. Where's Lian 'er?"

Wei Jia knew he couldn't hide it anymore and said in annoyance, "Jinyi Village Lord didn't come today. Only Matriarch of Duke Jing 'an's estate sent a congratulatory gift."

"What?!"

Xiao Bojian's entire temperament became terrifyingly cold. "How is that possible? I especially had Second Elder Master send an invitation. How could Lian 'er not come?" Moreover, today was the day he was holding a banquet to thank his master, and it was at the Ying Dukedom!

Wei Jia was so frightened by Xiao Bojian's current situation that he didn't dare to hide anything. "Master, it's not that Jinyi Village Lord didn't come. It's that she went to the Northern Territory!"

The Northern Territory!

Xiao Bojian felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

When he was in middle school and high school, the emperor had summoned him, and then there was the Qionglin Banquet and the meeting with the newly promoted scholars … He hadn't paid attention to Chu Lian's movements for the past few days. Who knew that when he came back to his senses and was looking forward to meeting her, she had actually gone to the Northern Territory!

Xiao Bojian also knew that the Northern Territory was in chaos, but he was a newly promoted scholar and couldn't interfere with court affairs. After becoming an official, he still had to train in Hanlin Academy, so he couldn't make any decisions.

In fact, he was secretly happy. If the Northern Territory was in chaos and He Changdi happened to be in the Northern Territory, if the war didn't go smoothly and He Changdi died, then no one would be able to steal Lian 'er from him!

He never thought that Chu Lian would go to the Northern Territory!

She would rather take the risk to look for her heartless husband than come and see him, who was infatuated with her!

Xiao Bojian's good mood today was completely gone. He clenched his fists tightly. "Tell me, when did Lian 'er leave?!"

Wei Jia hung his head. "In reply to Master, Jinyi Village Lord left early this morning."

Xiao Bojian couldn't hold back his anger anymore. He slammed his palm on the desk. His palms turned red, but he didn't care at all. "Send people to chase after her!

Even if we have to steal her, we have to get Lian 'er back! "

Wei Jia immediately sucked in a breath of cold air. He hurriedly tried to stop him. "Master, you mustn't!

Jinyi Village Lord has Prince Jin's men with her. She went to reward the Northern Border Army under the Empress Dowager's orders. If we interfere and get discovered, then all our previous efforts will go to waste! "

Xiao Bojian forcefully bit his lip. In the end, he swept everything on the desk onto the floor as if to vent his anger. For a moment, the study was a mess.

Wei Jia stood in the corner, not daring to move. He tried his best to reduce his presence. After a long time, he finally heard Xiao Bojian, who had calmed down, order, "Send people to follow her. Don't beat the grass and alert the enemy …"

When Wei Jia heard this order, he immediately cupped his fists and quickly left the smokeless battlefield.

Xiao Bojian slumped into the chair behind the desk. His originally feminine face was a mixture of ruthlessness and heartache. At a glance, he looked like a bloodthirsty demon that had walked out of hell.

He screamed madly in his heart. Lian 'er, how could you abandon me and choose him!

Could it be that everything the two of them said before was a lie?!

When he thought of Chu Lian going to the Northern Border and living together with He Changdi, Xiao Bojian found it hard to suppress his heartache.

He tightly gripped the brocade pouch with the jade pendant at his waist.

He secretly swore in his heart that one day, one day, he would make Chu Lian regret it. Then, he would beg her to return to his side!

If Chu Lian knew Xiao Bojian's thoughts at this moment, she would definitely roll her eyes again. She would sigh at the fact that all the men around her were crazy.

The troops heading north seemed to be on a rapid march. In order to reach the Northern Border as soon as possible and get to the bottom of the situation, everyone's heartstrings were stretched taut.

This time, the family general accompanying Chu Lian was an old subordinate of the old Count Jing 'an's estate. He was in his forties and was extremely skilled in martial arts. When he was young, he had honed his skills in the army for more than twenty years. After the old Count Jing' an died on the battlefield, he returned to Shengjing and became the family general of Count Jing 'an's estate.

This old subordinate was called Mo Chenggui. Even in the eyes of Count Jing 'an, he was someone who had a lot of prestige.

This time, at a critical moment, he would be in charge of the rescue mission.

The family general of Count Jing 'an's estate didn't usually live in Count Jing' an's estate. Instead, they took shifts to guard the estate. The rest of the people lived in the manor on the outskirts of Shengjing.