Chapter 545

just humming.

In the evening, Chen Yan returned home humming a little tune all the way. Seeing this, Li Lizhi smiled and said: "Husband, what's the matter? You look so happy."

Chen Yan, Li Lizi, Champa rice, Tang dynasty, Weinan county

There was nothing to hide from Li Lizhi; Chen Yan's lips curled into a pleased smile, he took a sip of the hot tea his wife had brought, and continued humming a little tune that others could hardly understand.

Li Lizhi gazed at him quietly; the light in her eyes softened bit by bit, gentle as spring meltwater, murmuring and slow, flowing only around him.

The person before him, having enjoyed fine clothes and food since childhood and been pampered by many important figures, was always proper and well-behaved, never arrogant or overbearing, never bullying men or women, never spoiled, never looking down on others with his nose in the air, never feeling superior.

He (referring to Chen Yan) but not a named entity

On the contrary, when famine struck and masses of displaced refugees fled to Chang'an, he gave away all the family wealth he had painstakingly accumulated, distributing porridge to the refugees and treating their illnesses; sitting on the ground chatting with them, his face was full of smiles.

He (Chen Yan), holding a fourth‑rank post, but not a named entity; he was about to become the immensely powerful Minister of Revenue

Now, upon hearing that the auspicious Champa Rice had been brought back, he came back hopping and skipping all the way, humming a little tune, happy as a child.

You say, how could such a man not be liked?

Looking back on the past, Li Lizhi always felt grateful.

Grateful that she had once let go of everything and firmly pursued it.

Li Lizi

If I hadn't persisted back then, even if it was because of blood relations, and hadn't married Chang Sun Chong but married someone else instead, would I regret it now?

Whenever this thought surfaced in her mind, she would feel a suffocating sensation in her heart.

If she hadn't persisted back then and had instead tried hard to marry the person before her, Li Lizhi was certain she would definitely regret it.

"Big brother, big brother!"

Upon hearing that Chen Yan had returned, Xiao Sizi rushed over eagerly, skillfully planting her little feet and scrambling into his arms.

"What's wrong?"

Chen Yan was in a great mood; he swept her up in his arms and let her sit on his thigh.

"I'll whisper it to you, okay? Don't tell anyone else."

Xiao Sizi's eyes darted around from time to time, but then she trailed off.

Chen Yan raised his eyebrows, his expression strange.

Li Lizhi couldn't help but raise her brows, "What? Am I not considered family?"

"Or are you just going to badmouth me again?"

"No, no, how could I possibly?"

The little one acted coquettish, ignoring Lizhi, her gossip‑ready mouth practically bursting; she leaned into Chen Yan's ear, lowered her voice sneakily, and said, "I saw Princess Jinyang again today calling Xiao Sui An 'mother,' and Xiao Sui An answered her many times, but she wasn't satisfied and kept calling."

"Big brother, how can Princess Jinyang be so playful? She calls her own daughter 'mother'."

Chen Yan: "......"

Li Lizhi: "......"

To be honest, when the bandits ambushed and tried to kill him earlier, Chen Yan had never panicked.

Now, however, he suddenly felt a bit flustered.

Chen Yan hastily grabbed the little one's head and asked seriously, "Tell me, how many people still know about this?"

As for this human-shaped gossip pager, he was utterly helpless.

Once a bit of gossip surfaced at home, the whole manor knew by the same day; once back in the palace, the entire imperial palace knew as well.

Xiao Sizi blinked her eyes, counting on her fingers: "Cheng Yang big sister, Xiao Shunzi, Qing'er Xiao Xiao Niangzi, Xiang Lan, Chan er... Xiao Xie and Xiao Qu Er all know too."

Her little mouth rattled off a long string of names, and the more she listed, the darker Li Lizhi and Chen Yan's faces grew.

At the end, Chen Yan could no longer hold back, "Xiao Xie, Xiao Qu—those damn aren't just the two gatekeepers outside, are they?"

Since their status rose and visitors increased, the Duke of Wei's manor naturally could no longer be as casual as before, hiring many servants, guards, and gatekeepers.

Xiao Xie and Xiao Qu are precisely the two gatekeepers outside.

Do those two damn know about it too?

"Mm-hmm~"

Xiao Sizi nodded firmly, "Big brother, I'm telling you, you need to keep your wife in check—I think she's got a bit of a mental issue; you know medicine, don't you? Hurry up and treat her—what's with calling her own daughter 'mother'?"

"The key is that Xiao Sui An answered her so many times, yet she isn't satisfied and keeps calling without getting tired."

Chen Yan: "......"

I'm fucking......

Li Lizhi slapped her forehead, her exquisite, picture‑perfect face already as black as a pot bottom, "This time you'd better not interfere, or I'll get angry with you!"

Having said that, amid Chen Yan's silence and Xiao Sizi's bewildered stare, she grabbed Xiao Sizi's ear and dragged her all the way out.

"Hey hey hey, older sister, older sister, what are you doing? It hurts, it hurts, it hurts... yah! Don't hit my butt!"

"It hurts—I'll make you know what pain is!"

"Waa, waa waa~"

The scolding voice and the pitiful crying faded away, Chen Yan twitched the corner of his mouth, took a sip of tea, remained silent for two breaths, then let out a long sigh to the heavens.

"Day after day, how can there be no moment of peace?"

He couldn't help but recall a sentence Princess Jinyang had once said to him.

"Don't you feel that Sizi has become all pretentious and affected? My originally obedient and cute little sister has been completely corrupted by you."

As he continued to recall the records about Princess Jinyang from his previous life and then thought of Sizi now, Chen Yan began to doubt his life for the first time.

"Is that right?"

"Bang——"

Suddenly, the door was kicked open with great force, and Princess Jinyang stormed in, fuming, gritting her teeth as she scanned the room; seeing that her target was nowhere to be found, she glared at Chen Yan and demanded, "Where is Li Mingda? Just now Qing'er told me she came here—where is she?"

Chen Yan's lips moved slightly, he didn't utter a word, scratched his head again, and tried to make his speech as gentle as possible: "Um... Tang'er, since things have already happened, we should first think about how to make amends, then consider punishment..."

After all, we need to distinguish priorities, understand what's important and what can be set aside temporarily!

Heh... Gao Yang laughed angrily, panting, he said: "If I tell you that the entire Imperial Palace, from the Father Emperor and Mother Empress down to the palace maids and eunuchs, even the guards of Cheng Tian Men, all know your reputation as the impotent young master, right?"

"......"

"Hit!"

"Hit me hard!!!"

How does that saying go? 'Uncarved jade is not a vessel; an unpunished child does not understand.' I must give you a hard beating!!!

"......"