Ning Dao Covered with Snow

Chapter 61 There is something wrong in my heart
The King of Xizhou has no sons, only two daughters.

Everyone thought that the King of Xizhou had no successor and that his throne, fiefdom and military power would be given to outsiders.

The King of Xizhou would naturally not let those who were watching the show get what they wanted.

He had decided a long time ago to train his youngest daughter Yan Ciwan to be his heir.

He took his daughter to various important occasions, taught her step by step how to use troops in battle, and let her participate in sacrifices as the young master of the palace and accept the kneeling worship of the subjects.

Of course, some people will express dissatisfaction with this, thinking that the King of Xizhou’s move is too absurd.

The rhetoric they used at that time was exactly the same as Chaofu's at this moment.

They all think that girls should abide by the code of conduct for women, stay in their boudoirs honestly, not go to places they shouldn't go, and not covet power they shouldn't have.

They constantly reinforced the importance of morality, using invisible looks and inaudible words to keep her firmly in place.

Yan Ciwan saw through their intentions and naturally would not do as they wish.

She looked up at the second floor and smiled meaningfully: "You don't want me to go upstairs, is it because there is something shameful upstairs? If so, I have to go up and take a look."

After saying that, she lifted her skirt slightly and walked up the stairs.

Chaofu was afraid that she had the support of the Grand Chief of the Inner Guards, so he didn't dare to do anything to her. He could only follow her like a fly, buzzing non-stop, trying to brainwash her into changing her mind.

As a result, Yan Ci Wan didn't even look at him and treated him as air the whole time.

Yan Ciwan pushed open the bedroom door and walked in. He found the room clean and tidy. Everything was brand new, with almost no signs of anyone living there.

Yan Ciwan turned and pushed open the door of the study next door. It was the same here. All the books were new, and the pens, ink, paper and inkstone on the desk had basically never been used.

She turned to look at Chaofu and asked.

"Is this really where Chao Yue lives?"

Chaofu had to explain: "On weekdays, the young master rarely stays at home."

"Don't you care about joining the army?"

"The young master likes to make friends. He often goes out to party with friends. It's okay if he doesn't come back. The master doesn't need to control everything he does."

Yan Ciwan did not comment on his words.

She noticed a picture of a lady hanging on the wall. In front of the picture was an incense burner with some incense sticks that had not yet been completely burned out.

Upon closer inspection, one can discover that the eyebrows and eyes of the woman in the painting are somewhat similar to Chao Yue.

Yan Ciwan pointed at the painting of the lady and asked, "Who is this person?"

This was not something that could not be said, so Chaofu answered truthfully, "It was the master's original wife, Fang, and the young master's biological mother. She died when the young master was three years old. The young master often missed his biological mother, so he painted this portrait based on his memory of her appearance, and specially ordered people to burn incense and worship her every day."

Yan Ciwan looked at the woman in the portrait with a thoughtful expression.

The woman in the painting appears to be in her early twenties, with a plump figure and fair skin. She is wearing a green shirt and red skirt, and her black hair is tied up like clouds.

She stood under the pine tree, her brows furrowed, her red lips pursed, and her eyes seemed to be filled with a myriad of worries, as if she was about to cry at the next moment.

There is an ancient well next to her, and behind her is the dark night sky with a bright moon hanging in the sky.

This scene and situation has a kind of sentimental and broken beauty of a beauty under the moon.

Yan Ciwan glanced at the signature and saw that the painting was created in the ninth year of Qianyuan.

Chao Yue should have been fourteen years old at that time.

A fourteen-year-old boy should already understand a lot of things.

Yan Ciwan suddenly asked, "Has General Chao seen this painting?" This question was asked out of the blue, and Chao Fu was obviously stunned. He said uncertainly, "Probably not. The master is usually very busy and usually has no time to come here."

Yan Ciwan felt that her trip was not in vain, and she left Qionghua Tower contentedly.

After that, she left the palace.

As soon as I walked out of the gate, I saw a carriage parked on the side of the road and Xiao Wang standing next to the carriage.

He had been waiting here for a long time. When Yan Ciwan finally came out, he immediately went up to her and asked, "How is Madam Chao's condition? Did she say anything?"

Yan Ciwan said that they should leave here first.

Uncle Jiu immediately brought a horse stool, and Cha Bingliang helped Yan Ci get into the carriage at night.

When she entered the car, she saw Li Chengge dozing off while leaning against a soft pillow.

Seeing someone coming, Li Chengge just raised his eyelids slightly, then closed his eyes again to continue resting.

After Xiao Wang came in, the carriage started moving slowly.

In the car, Yan Ciwan roughly recounted the content of her conversation with Liu. Finally, she spread out her right hand, revealing a small ball of paper lying in her palm.

She unfolded the paper ball, and there were only four words on it:

The first year of Qianyuan.

Xiao Wang took the note and examined it carefully: "It looks like a corner torn off from a book."

Liu deliberately stuffed it into Yan Ciwan's hand, there must be a purpose. Yan Ciwan frowned and thought, trying to recall if any major events happened in the first year of Qianyuan?
She was only a little over one year old at the time and couldn't remember anything yet. Everything she knew came from books or what other people said.

The first year of Qianyuan was the first year after the current saint ascended the throne. Apart from some normal transfers of officials, nothing particularly important happened.

So she thought about it over and over again but couldn't figure out what the note was trying to tell her?
The Xiao family and the Chao family are considered aristocratic families. When Chao Yuanzhi was an official in Chang'an, he often interacted with the Chao family. Therefore, Xiao Wang knew something about the Chao family's past events.

He quickly remembered one thing: "The original wife of the military officer, Fang, died in the first year of Qianyuan."

Yan Ciwan immediately thought of the painting of a lady in the study in Qionghua Tower.

She asked, "Why did Fang die?"

"I heard that he died suddenly of a serious illness."

"Another death from illness..." Yan Ciwan murmured to himself.

She remembered the strange precognitive dream in which someone said that Liu died of illness three days before the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Both of them were Chao Yuanzhi's wives, and both died suddenly of illness.

This can't be just a coincidence, right?

Xiao Wang looked at her thoughtfully and asked, "Is there anyone else who died of illness?"

Yan Ciwan frowned, "Madam Chao is also ill now. I am afraid that she will be like Fang, and suddenly..."

She didn't finish what she said, but everyone understood her meaning.

Xiao Wang comforted her, "It shouldn't be that serious. Didn't you just meet Madam Chao? She just caught a cold. As long as she takes good care of herself, she will recover in a few days."

Yan Ciwan pursed her lips and said, "You also said that it was just a common cold. You wouldn't lock Madam Chao in the room and not even allow her to go out. I just wanted to say a few words to Madam Chao, but Army Officer Chao was so worried that he had to stay by our side and stare at us. It's obvious from his expression that he has something to hide."

"Are you suspicious that Madam Chao's illness is strange?"

Yan Ciwan nodded: "Yeah."

(End of this chapter)