~~~
Ling Qiuyun had already guessed what he was about to face.
Sure enough, as soon as I got home, my mother sat in the room and cried.
Ling Qiuyun felt upset.
That's it again! always like this!
"Mom, I'm back." He tried his best to appear patient.
"Qiuyun!" Shen Ning immediately became energetic when she heard the voice. She wiped her tears and complained: "The Liu family has gone too far. They are lawless and look down on others just because they have a backer in the capital."
Without thinking, Ling Qiuyun knew what his mother was going to say next.
"People are snobbish! The Liu family bullies others and is domineering, but there are always a lot of people who fawn over them. My mother has been honest and law-abiding her whole life, but she is always bullied by others."
Speaking of this, Shen Ning felt that her life was even more miserable. She looked at her son and begged: "Qiuyun, mother only has you. You must make a difference so that you can give mother a chance."
Shen Ning only talked about his misfortune, but didn't care whether his son wanted to hear it or not.
"What happened?"
"Today when I went out, I happened to meet the housekeeper of the Liu family. Just because of a trivial matter, he sneered at me. He said that you are just General Li's follower, don't think you are so great! He also told me to recognize my identity and not to push myself too far! In fact, he said He is just a servant, and the reason why he dares to be so rampant with me is not because of his master! We have no money and no power, so we are destined to be looked down upon by others, but the days are still long, and when you become rich in the future, my mother will be able to feel proud in front of them. .”
Ling Qiuyun couldn't help clenching his fists.
The Liu family was originally an ordinary family in the Western City. Later, a relative became a protégé of Prime Minister Sun, and their family became more powerful and their behavior became more and more arrogant.
The Liu Ling family were neighbors and there was no conflict at first. However, a few years ago when the Liu family rebuilt their house, they suddenly wanted to expand the area, so they tried to encroach on the Ling family's land and tried every means to force them to move.
Thanks to General Li's intervention, the matter was settled.
Even if you are unwilling to do so, you will always have to give face. However, since then, the feud between the two families has been completely forged.
Although the Liu family did not do anything particularly outrageous, they were often rude to their mother and son, and would say unpleasant words every now and then to upset them.
Ling Qiuyun knew that the other party didn't take him seriously at all. Butler Liu was right, he was just a follower, it was no big deal.
"Qiu Yun, for the sake of General Li, they don't dare to do anything now, but we can't always rely on the general. Only when your status rises, will they really not dare to bully us anymore. The Liu family is so domineering now, why not All because of that relative?" Shen Ning said angrily.
Now his son is his only hope, "The general values you, you must seize the opportunity to succeed in the future, my mother depends on you!"
Ling Qiuyun had heard similar words countless times, and he replied numbly as before: "I know."
"Your father abandoned us two for wealth. My mother suffered all the looks and ridicule. If it weren't for you, my mother would have died a long time ago." Shen Ning began to choke again, "Qiuyun, it's really hard to raise you as a aunt." It’s not easy, you must never let down your mother’s expectations of you!”
"Yeah." Ling Qiuyun said expressionlessly.
He had long been tired of hearing these words. In fact, he really didn't want to go home and face his mother who would only cry and tell her how miserable he was all day long.
Home, not only did not make him feel warm, but it made him even more tired.
Ling Qiuyun had never met his father. He had only heard about that man from his mother.
He was handsome, so he was spotted by a local rich girl while doing business in other places.
The father did not resist the temptation of money. He promised the young lady that he would go back and marry her after the matter in the Western Region was settled.
Marrying her meant abandoning his wife and infant son, but he was still ruthless for the sake of his future.
My mother recalled that she had been crying when he left, crying so sadly, as if she was trying to retain her father who was about to leave with heartbreaking cries.
Sadly, my father was so determined to leave, and he didn't relent, let alone change his mind.
Perhaps because of the remaining guilt in his heart, his father left the house to them, but this could not compensate for the harm caused to them by his selfishness.
In a childhood that should have been full of joy and laughter, Ling Qiuyun was used to her mother's tears and complaints.
Mom had always said that if she had been born into a famous family, her father would not have abandoned them, she would not have become a joke in the eyes of others, and her son would not have lost his father soon after he was born.
At a young age, he became worldly.
He often heard his mother say those words, coupled with all the things he had experienced, made Ling Qiuyun try his best to escape from this life of humiliation and poverty.
Yes, power is the most important. Only when you are powerful can you be respected by others. Otherwise, no one will care about your feelings at all.
The hardship of life made her mother nagging more and more. She repeated several things back and forth every day, and Ling Qiuyun was no longer tired of it.
But at the same time, his desire for power became more and more urgent.
If he gains status, no one will dare to disrespect the two of them anymore.
If he gains status, he will no longer have to listen to his mother complain.
Perhaps only then will the mother bring him no longer sadness and tears, but a sincere smile!
~~~
Zheng Zhen lay on the bed tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep no matter what.
She gave up the idea, got up, put on her clothes, and prepared to go for a walk in the yard.
As soon as I went out, I saw Yin Tianxing standing not far away, his back was so lonely.
Zheng Zhen felt a little distressed. She wanted to accompany her brother Tianxing.
When Yin Tianxing heard the footsteps, he immediately turned around.
"Brother Tianxing, what are you thinking about?"
"Why aren't you sleeping yet?"
They both asked at the same time.
Zheng Zhen was stunned and said with a smile: "I can't sleep. I was very tired when I was on the road. I complained a lot in my heart and wanted to find a comfortable place to have a good sleep. Now I finally feel relaxed and I don't feel sleepy anymore. Oh my god. Brother Xing, do you think it’s strange?”
A faint smile appeared on Yin Tianxing's face, "You may feel a little uncomfortable when you first arrive in the Western Region, but you will get better soon."
Zheng Zhen suddenly shouted happily: "Brother Tianxing, you laughed! You have been keeping a straight face this whole time. People who don't know think you can't laugh!"
The smile on Yin Tianxing's face did not disappear, "Really?"
"of course."
Zheng Zhen's excitement touched Yin Tianxing very much. She might be the only one in the world who would talk to him like this.
"Brother Tianxing, don't always be cold and make people hide in fear when they see you."
"Aren't you afraid of me?" Yin Tianxing asked.
"Why should I be afraid of you? You are not as fierce as you look."
"Really, actually they are not avoiding me because they are afraid." Yin Tianxing suddenly laughed at himself.
Zheng Zhen understood the meaning of Tianxing's brother's words. She said unconvinced: "No matter, I just think they are afraid of you. Why are you so powerful! Besides, they can think whatever they want, and it doesn't matter, right?"
"Thank you."
"Since you want to thank me, can you promise me something?"
"What?"
"It's very simple. It doesn't matter what you do to others in the future, but never do this to me. Brother Tianxing, we are friends!" Zheng Zhen said very seriously.
"Okay, I promise you." Yin Tianxing solemnly promised.
He is not indifferent by nature. After all, who wants others to avoid him like the god of plague when they see him?
After the accident, everything around him changed, and in the end, even he himself changed completely.
But during the most difficult days, Zheng Zhen did not avoid him like most people.
The words "We are friends" brought both of their minds back to that day ten years ago.
~~~
There was a dinner party held in the palace that day, and her grandfather took her into the palace. Zheng Zhen was a child and couldn't sit still at all, so she begged her grandfather to let the maid take her around.
While walking, Zheng Zhen saw an elder brother squatting by the river. There were many stones in front of him, and the elder brother was counting back and forth without getting bored.
Zheng Zhen wanted to talk to his elder brother, but he was stopped by the maid.
It turns out that the eldest brother is the son of the former queen. The former queen interceded for Su Ling and was suspected of having an impure relationship with Su Ling. This angered the emperor and sent her into the cold palace.
Later, something happened. Not long ago, the queen committed suicide by drinking poisonous wine in the cold palace.
At the same time, the status of the former queen's children also plummeted, and even the maids around her talked about the prince with a bit of contempt.
Zheng Zhen ignored all this. She still walked over and chattered a lot to Yin Tianxing.
She also begged him to play with her, and the two of them became familiar with each other.
The talkative maid actually complained to her grandpa when she got home. Fortunately, grandpa didn't get angry. Instead, he hugged her and said her granddaughter was great.
Zheng Zhen went to the palace more and more often. She and her brother Tianxing often counted stones together, as if they had met for the first time.
But within two years, the emperor ordered brother Tianxing to go to the Western Region. She was extremely sad at that time.
But soon her mood calmed down, and Zheng Zhen met brother Tianxun again. At that time, she was at the age when she first fell in love, so she no longer missed her playmate as much as she did at the beginning.
It was five years before brother Tianxing came back. Zheng Zhen was so excited when she heard the news that she ran to find him, but was disappointed to find that brother Tianxing had changed.
He is more withdrawn and arrogant than before.
Even if they can no longer count stones together like before, they are still very good friends. Zheng Zhen always believes this in his heart.
"By the way, Brother Tianxing, you haven't told me why you are standing here so late?" Zheng Zhen calmed down and asked again.
"It's nothing. I just came back after being away for three years, and I can't help but feel a little emotional."
"So that's it. The Western Region must be very important to you, right?"
Yin Tianxing nodded.
Zheng Zhen felt this way in the study today, but she didn't have a good impression of the Western Region at all.
After all, it was the one who stole his childhood friend and made Brother Tianxing change so much.
"I must protect this place and cannot allow others to do things that are detrimental to it." Yin Tianxing clenched his fists and said firmly.
Zheng Zhen often listens to his grandfather talking about border issues, and sometimes his grandfather will show similar worries on his face.
But she believed that things would definitely develop for the better, and she comforted brother Tianxing like this: "With you and General Li, the Western Region will be fine!"
"Um."
They chatted for a while. When Yin Tianxing saw that Zheng Zhen was sleepy, he asked her to go back and rest quickly.
"Don't stay too long, and don't forget what you promised me just now."
"good."
~~~
After Zheng Zhen entered the house, Yin Tianxing said softly: "Come out."
"Brother."
It turned out to be Lin Zai.
She accidentally met the two of them chatting and planned to walk away, but her feet seemed to be stuck there, unable to move.
"Little sister, I'm back." Yin Tianxing's voice was no longer calm.
Only in front of a very few people did they call each other this way.
"Eldest brother, adopted father and mother, and me, we all miss you very much," Lin Zai paused, then added: "And brother Yue."
"I haven't had the chance to ask you since yesterday, do you still have that jade pendant with you?" Yin Tianxing suddenly asked.
"Jade pendant?" Lin Zai was a little confused.
She gently touched the purse around her waist. Because of her father's instructions, she always carefully carried it with her.
Yin Tianxing noticed Lin Zai's movements. He looked at his purse and said in a serious tone: "For some reason, that person asked Tian Xun and I to come to the west to look for you. The other jade pendant is with Tian Xun. You must be careful not to let him Discover."
Yin Tianxing repeated what the man said in the hall, and Lin Zai couldn't help but sneer after hearing this.
If her father hadn't told her, she would have thrown away the jade pendant long ago. Unexpectedly, this man would still try to find her with it.
Talking about wanting to repay the favor of my father's life, oh, it's so ridiculous!
Although one was a civil servant and the other was a military attaché, the adoptive father and father regarded each other as confidants. Later, the adoptive father was sent to the Western Region, and then she and her mother were sent to the Western Region as exiles.
Thanks to the secret help of their adoptive father, they did not suffer too much abuse.
It's a pity that my mother missed my father too much, and she was in poor health, so she went to accompany my father not long after.
Before her death, her mother begged her adoptive father and mother to take good care of her daughter.
A year later, riots broke out in the Western Territory, and fires broke out in many places in the city, including the place where they, the exiled prisoners, were imprisoned.
The scene was chaotic for a time, many people were burned to death, and some people took the opportunity to escape.
But she was already frightened and could only stand there stupidly, not knowing what to do.
Fortunately, my adoptive mother, who was still in the city, came over.
The people present were either focused on putting out the fire or just escaping, and no one paid attention to her. The adoptive mother took this opportunity to quietly bring her back to the Li Mansion.
No one in the house knew her origins, and her adoptive mother lied that she had been rescued from thieves and that her parents had been brutally murdered.
From then on, there was an extra Lin in the world.
Only a handful of people know her true identity.
After five years of companionship, Lin Zai thought she knew Yin Tianxing. She was silent for a moment and finally asked what she had always cared about: "Brother, do you like Miss Zheng?"
Yin Tianxing did not answer directly. He just told his younger sister another fact, "Zheng Zhen likes Tianxun."
"What kind of person is the fifth prince?"
"Tianxun is different from his uncle. Zhenzhen and his fifth brother are simple and kind. They are a perfect match."
Yin Tianxing said this from the bottom of his heart. Tianxun respected him very much, but despite this, they could not be brothers with deep brotherhood.
Lin Zai likes her eldest brother, but she also feels guilty about him.
If Empress Chu had not interceded for her father, she would not have angered the emperor, nor would she have been framed, nor would she have committed suicide in the cold palace with hatred.
The Su family owes her eldest brother, and she wants him to be happy more than anyone else!
