Xiao Zhenting and Master Xiao Wu had met in the military camp. At that time, Master Xiao Wu was only an inconspicuous soldier under Xiao Zhenting. However, gold could always shine, and Master Xiao Wu’s talent gradually obtained Xiao Zhenting’s attention. Once, when they were destroying the rebel army, Master Xiao Wu had only brought five brothers to raid the rebel army’s rations. Without rations, the rebel army was in chaos and was defeated. In terms of martial arts, Master Xiao Wu was not considered an outstanding person, and he was not outstanding in arranging troops. However, Master Xiao Wu had a pair of sharp eyes. Almost as if the enemy had sneezed, Master Xiao Wu could guess what move they would make next.

Thanks to Master Xiao Wu, the general, there were fewer detours on the way to suppressing the rebels. This not only meant a large number of military achievements, but also meant that the bloodshed and sacrifice of the soldiers could be reduced.

The two of them had the same surname, they were family five hundred years ago. They drank by chance. When Xiao Zhenting found out that the other party was born on the same month and same day as him, he immediately decided to be sworn brothers with him.

Master Xiao Wu was a few years younger than Xiao Zhenting, and his status was much lower. To be honest, Master Xiao Wu was stunned that he could become his sworn brother. After being stunned, he became even more loyal to Xiao Zhenting.

On the day the Xiao Army disbanded, Master Xiao Wu personally saw this unyielding man cry like a child on the hill in the camp.

There were many things in this world that could not be controlled by oneself. For example, the disbandment of the Xiao Army, and the entry of Master Xiao Wu’s sister into the palace.

Master Xiao Wu’s sister had long reached the age of marriage. However, she was proud and arrogant and always looked down on the men outside. However, she could reject everyone except the Emperor. If Xiao Zhenting had been willing to agree to her marriage back then, she naturally wouldn’t have had to enter the palace selection.

During the selection, Lady Wan of Bright Deportment dressed herself up to be extremely ugly. However, the Emperor had the intention of winning over Master Xiao Wu and did not care about her ugly appearance as he appointed her to the harem. The Emperor also had something that he could not do, which was Master Xiao Wu’s loyalty to Xiao Zhenting.

What was done was done. He could not send Lady Wan of Bright Deportment back. If Lady Wan of Bright Deportment wanted to live in a harem that ate people, she had to win the Emperor’s favor.

There were some things that Shangguan Yan had always understood, but she had never said it out loud. Not long after she married into the family, Eldest Mrs. Xiao had made things difficult for her, both openly and secretly. When she was angry to the extreme, she would still use old matters to stab her. For example, if you hadn’t seduced Second Brother, would Second Brother have married a widow as his wife? Linlang was so good. She was a virgin, so everyone in the Xiao family had long treated her as the Second Madam!

Xiao Linlang was Lady Wan of Bright Deportment’s maiden name.

This was not the first time Eldest Mrs. Xiao had angered her with such words, but she did not take it to heart at all. Firstly, she married Xiao Zhenting to repay his kindness and also for the medicine primer in the Xiao family’s forbidden area. As for who Xiao Zhenting had in his heart and who he had almost married, she did not care much.

Seeing that she could not provoke her, Eldest Mrs. Xiao was too lazy to say this again. Gradually, she forgot about this. To be honest, she was dumbfounded when she suddenly saw that scene today.

“Yan’er, stop walking. It’s raining heavily. Listen to me!” Xiao Zhenting took off his outer robe and covered her head. He was drenched all the way. Even so, her clothes were still quite wet.

The thunder stopped.

Xiao Zhenting pulled her under a big tree. Shangguan Yan was very angry. She did not understand why she was angry, but she was not a young lady anymore. She could not throw a tantrum.

She forced herself to calm down and asked Xiao Zhenting, “Did… did you hug her?!”

“I didn’t!” Xiao Zhenting swore to God!

Shangguan Yan actually saw it. Lady Wan of Bright Deportment had pounced on him. He immediately pushed her away, but she just wanted to hear it from his own mouth.

Shangguan Yan continued, “Aren’t-aren’t you picking dates for the Ninth Princess? Why did you meet her?”

“She got separated from her emissary. I would be worried about you guys if I were to escort her back to the temple, so I brought her to look for you. Unexpectedly, it rained halfway and she fell and sprained her ankle. Coincidentally, there was a straw hut nearby, so I helped her over to hide from the rain.” Xiao Zhenting explained everything in detail.

Shangguan Yan originally wanted to say, “Why are you still helping her? What’s there to help that kind of woman? She might have deliberately fallen!” But how could she say this at her age?

“I really didn’t know she would be like this!” Xiao Zhenting said solemnly.

“I think you’re pretending not to know.” Shangguan Yan could not calm down. Although she had repeatedly warned herself to be rational, there was an uncontrollable voice in her mind. “Do you know about the marriage between the two of you back then?”