My Darling, Coax Me.

CHAPTER 43: After Traveling Thousands Of Miles, He Finally Found Her. 

　　Xie Jue returned to his room with a splitting headache, his temples throbbing. It was just a pair of similar eyes, yet they had managed to daze him.

　　Over the years, he'd apprehended hundreds of women, yet none of them were her.

　　Three years.

　　He hadn't gotten a single piece of information about her, north or south of the Yangtze River. She was truly good at escaping.

　　He swept his hand across the table, sending a teacup crashing to the floor with a sharp, shattering sound.

　　Seeing this, Grand Eunuch An quickly poured out some medicine. It was a specially prepared concoction from the imperial physician, given to the prince before he left the palace.

　　The winter cold often triggered the prince's headaches.

　　“Your Highness, perhaps you should take your medicine first?”

　　Xie Jue took the medicine and drank it down, his brows furrowed. “That Zezhou prefect is more foolish than ambitious. He was used as a scapegoat and remains completely unaware.”

　　Two hundred thousand taels of silver vanished within his jurisdiction, and the officials sent to investigate were murdered not far from Zezhou.

　　And not only was he not vigilant, but to curry favor with the Imperial envoys, he was frantically collecting gold and silver treasures, offering gifts and beauties – anyone would suspect him.

　　Fool! 

　　That such a man was actually a prefect… Xie Jue closed his eyes, his brows furrowed. He sensed something far more complex was at play.

　　News of Lord Chen's arrival in Zezhou quickly reached the ears of officials in the surrounding prefectures. Aside from that, there was no unusual activity; it seemed as if everything had been meticulously planned.

　　Pei Yuan presented reports from various regions to the crown prince, then added, “We've discovered that bandits were active near where Minister Zheng was killed. After the murder, these bandits scattered, their final tracks leading to Meiyang County.”

　　Perhaps we can uncover something from these bandits.

　　To swallow two hundred thousand taels of silver and then brazenly murder imperial envoys… the local officials of Yunze must be completely out of control!

　　Xie Jue rubbed his aching temples, pondered for a moment, then raised his eyes. “You will take a contingent and remain in Zezhou, continuing to play the part of Chen Zhan's party, pretending to investigate the prefect and others.”

　　He would borrow the name of his eighteenth uncle to investigate Meiyang County.

　　The magistrate of Meiyang County is diligent but lacks ability; a man of neither significant merit nor fault.

　　Pei Yuan: “Yes.”

　　……

　　Madam Liu, to better facilitate Silan's studies in etiquette, specially set aside a study in the courtyard.

　　The room is airy and bright, offering a view of the garden from its windows.

　　Yun Ling teaches Liu Silan there.

　　Yun Ling wrote her own textbook on how to teach Silan. Since she agreed to teach, she wouldn't be perfunctory about it.

　　In the past few days, she'd taught some etiquette, such as how to greet a prince, how to speak, how to stand—Yun Ling had covered almost everything.

　　Silan is a bright student, quick to understand and dedicated to her studies. She is also very respectful to her teacher, never acting superior because of her status as the magistrate's daughter.

　　Madam Liu has raised all her children well.

　　Although Silan is still young, she is intelligent and understands what she wants. As the daughter of a minor official, the position of a princess is perhaps the best marriage she could hope for—far better than marrying a humble scholar in Meiyang County.

　　Therefore, she studies diligently.

　　Yun Ling, willing to give her all, put down her book and said, “We won't study etiquette today.”

　　Liu Silan looked puzzled. “Then what will we study?”

　　Yun Ling had someone bring in two vases and some winter branches that hadn't been pruned. “You should know that aristocratic young ladies don't just excel at etiquette; poetry, flower arranging, tea tasting, and tea ceremony are also important aspects of their accomplishments. I'm not very skilled in poetry, but I can teach you about flower arranging and the tea ceremony.”

　　Liu Silan immediately said happily, “I want to learn! Thank you, teacher.”

　　Yun Ling nodded, letting Silan arrange a few branches first. After Silan had finished one vase, Yun Ling carefully corrected her arrangement. “Flower arranging is very meticulous. The choice of vase, the flowers selected, which flowers complement each other, the occasion—all are aspects to consider. There are techniques and principles involved.”

　　“For example, plum blossoms use sweet olive, daphne, and camellia as their ‘attendants.’ Peonies use roses, rambler roses, and mock orange as their ‘attendants’...”

　　Outside the room, Madam Liu and the nanny overheard a bit of the lesson and became increasingly pleased. Turning to the nanny, she smiled and said, “Lady Mu truly is someone from the Prince's household. I didn't make a mistake in choosing her as a tutor.”

　　“Make sure everyone in the household treats Lady Mu with the utmost courtesy and respect. No one is to slight her in any way.”

　　After the lesson, Madam Liu warmly invited Yun Ling to stay for dinner, but Yun Ling politely declined.

　　As soon as she got home, she saw Mrs. Zhang waving to her, beckoning her over.

　　As soon as Yun Ling approached, Mrs. Zhang grasped her wrist. “Lady Mu, to be frank, I called you over to ask you something. I have a nephew, twenty-four years old. He's been delayed by mourning obligations and has been involved in business outside the home, and his family is quite well-off. He happened to return to the countryside a couple of days ago, and I ran into him. I thought, you two sisters, being women traveling alone, are bound to attract unwanted attention. It would be best to find a good husband for you and settle down. That way, you can avoid things like beauty pageants in the future. It's for the best for both of you sisters.”

　　“I know your sister has no intention of marrying, so I told my nephew about your circumstances—that you're twenty-five, a year older than him, and I explained your family situation. He's traveled extensively, and he's far more open-minded than some of those stuffy scholars. He said that as long as you're a good person and it's a suitable match, he doesn't care about the rest. My nephew, I'll be honest with you, has always been a filial son, and he's a kind person. Anyone in the village who's in trouble goes to him for help. He's kind-hearted, and he's also very handsome and upright. So, would you like to meet him?”

　　“I'm truly doing this for you and your sister. If he were some kind of scoundrel, believe me, even I would be disgusted, and I wouldn't even mention him to you.”

　　Yun Ling listened to Mrs. Zhang's explanation, and she was surprised to hear that her nephew didn't mind that she was a widow and a businesswoman who wasn't confined to the home. Such a man must be very open-minded.

　　From what she'd heard, he seemed like a good match. And Mrs. Zhang wasn't the type to exaggerate or boast.

　　If he truly was a suitable match, Yun Ling hadn't planned on refusing. After considering it for a moment, she agreed. “I'll take your advice, ¹Sister-in-law.”

　　……

　　Mrs. Zhang's nephew's name was Zhang Ren, and he was even taller and more handsome than Yun Ling had imagined. They met at Mrs. Zhang's house.

　　Upon seeing Yun Ling for the first time, Zhang Ren's face flushed, and he scratched his head. “My aunt didn't tell me Lady Mu was so beautiful. I'm not worthy of you.”

　　Yun Ling smiled. “There's no such thing as being ‘worthy’ or ‘unworthy.’ If it's a good match, that's all that matters.”

　　Zhang Ren quickly said, “Lady Mu is right.”

　　Then, he took two gifts from his bag—local specialties from his travels. Knowing Yun Ling had a sister, he thoughtfully prepared a gift for Mu Dong as well.

　　“These cakes are quite delicious. Lady Mu, please take them home and try them. If you like them, I'll bring you some more next time.”

　　Mrs. Zhang burst out laughing. “You silly goose! Those are local specialties – you don't know when you'll be going back there next!”

　　With that, everyone laughed.

　　After leaving Mrs. Zhang's house, Mu Dong looked extremely pleased. “Ah Ling, I've met so many men, and believe me, this one is good. He's suitable for marriage.”

　　Yun Ling also thought Zhang Ren was a good person.

　　She just wasn't sure if she was ready for marriage right now.

　　But there was no rush; they had only met once. They could take things slowly.

　　……

　　Late at night, when all was quiet…

　　A group of people arrived in Meiyang County under the cover of night. Liu, the magistrate, had been waiting outside the county office for quite some time.

　　Seeing Xie Jue dismount, he quickly rushed forward to greet him with a bow. “Your subordinate greets His Royal Highness, the Prince of Linze.”

　　Looking up, he saw that the Prince of Linze was incredibly handsome and possessed an air of nobility that filled him with delight.

　　He'd heard that the Prince of Linze was bored and had come to Meiyang County to relax, and would even be staying at his house! For his daughter Lan'er, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

　　If she could just catch the Prince's eye and win his affection… then wouldn't she be a shoo-in for next year's selection of concubines?!

　　Heaven be praised! Such good fortune had actually fallen upon his Liu family!

　　“Your Highness, I've already had someone prepare a guest room. Your journey must have been tiring; please rest well.”

　　Xie Jue merely responded, “I came here to relax, not to cause trouble. Don't make a big fuss about my arrival.”

　　Magistrate Liu repeatedly agreed, “Yes, yes.”

　　……

　　While Yun Ling was in the palace, she was responsible for evaluating the noble ladies at the flower-viewing banquet, assessing their virtues, conduct, speech, and accomplishments—flower arranging, tea tasting, etc. She couldn't possibly be in charge of such things without possessing the necessary skills herself, lest the noble ladies feel disgruntled. Therefore, she secretly put in a lot of effort, poring over numerous books, until she had mastered these skills.

　　She wasn't exceptionally talented, but she was proficient enough to avoid making mistakes—more than sufficient to teach Silan.

　　However, Meiyang County was small and remote, lacking even the basic reference books she needed. Last night, she had no choice but to stay up late, recording the key details and compiling them into a small book. She planned to leave the county in a couple of days to buy some books.

　　Arriving at the Liu residence, Silan was already waiting attentively.

　　Yun Ling handed her the booklet, telling her to practice with it whenever she had free time. Silan excitedly accepted it, “Thank you, teacher.”

　　Yun Ling noticed that the flowers Silan had arranged today were already much improved compared to yesterday.

　　Seeing Silan's bright and cheerful face, Yun Ling felt happy as well. However, she couldn't shake the feeling that Silan seemed unusually happy today, as if something good had happened.

　　Furthermore, she sensed something different about the Liu residence upon arrival, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

　　When she asked, Silan simply smiled, her lips pressed together slightly. “Nothing, I'm just happy that Teacher helped me compile this booklet. Silan is very happy.”

　　Yun Ling let it go.

　　……

　　“The Prince of Linze?” Madam Liu's hands trembled with excitement. “Oh my goodness, the Prince is actually at our residence?!”

　　Liu Qingsong gestured for her to keep her voice down. “The Prince specifically instructed us not to make a fuss. Don't let anyone else hear you!”

　　Madam Liu's smile was so wide, her mouth could barely close. “Yes, yes, yes.”

　　Still reeling from the shock, she bowed before a Buddha statue. “It's truly the Buddha's blessing, the Buddha's blessing! The Prince... the Prince actually came to our house!”

　　Her eyes suddenly lit up. “My husband, this is a wonderful opportunity!”

　　……

　　After dinner, Silan, along with her siblings, was brought by their father to meet the Prince of Linze. She was both excited and nervous along the way, clutching her father's sleeve. “Father, the Prince is only temporarily staying at our residence. Wouldn't it upset him if we went to see him?”

　　Magistrate Liu patted his daughter's hand reassuringly. “What's there to be afraid of? Since the Prince is staying at our house, he'll surely give us some face. We're just going to pay our respects as family; it's only proper etiquette, and we haven't made a public announcement about it.”

　　“It's a good chance for you to meet the Prince as well.”

　　Silan felt reassured.

　　The other two siblings were also about to meet the Prince, and their excitement was palpable!

　　Liu Dai, carefree and unburdened, exclaimed, “Wow! A Prince is actually staying at our house!!!”

　　He repeated over and over, “It's unbelievable! He's a Prince!!!”

　　Magistrate Liu hushed his son.

　　Upon reaching Prince Linze's room, two burly guards with stern faces stood with arms crossed, blocking their way.

　　Magistrate Liu nervously swallowed, bowing low at the door and saying, “I am Liu Qingsong, and I have brought my children to pay our respects to His Highness, Prince Linze.”

　　“Upon learning of Your Highness's arrival, my entire family was overwhelmed with awe and trepidation. We've come to pay our respects.”

　　The entrance remained silent for a long moment before a sharp voice echoed, “Let them in.”

　　It was Eunuch Zhong, the Prince's loyal eunuch. (T/N: Fake name for An Zhong too. 😅)

　　The door swung open, and Liu Qingsong and his family entered. In the brightly lit room, a young man in a dark brocade robe sat in a high-backed chair. His brow bones were prominent, his nose high-bridged. Even in the dim candlelight, his handsome profile and sharply defined jawline remained uncompromisingly austere, radiating a chilling coldness.

　　After Liu Qingsong and his family had paid their respects…

　　Silan didn't dare raise her head.

　　She thought to herself, “They said Prince Linze was a very gentle person, but why does he look nothing like the rumors described?”

　　Xie Jue leaned on the table, his inky black hair falling over his shoulders. His unruly phoenix eyes were deep and heavy, exuding an overwhelming pressure that made others instinctively want to retreat.

　　Her brother and younger sister were speechless.

　　Silan remembered her father's words: no matter what, since they were already here, she had to show her face before the Prince.

　　Forcing herself to suppress her fear, Silan curtsied deeply, saying, “Silan greets Your Highness. Mother prepared some specialties from Meiyang County upon hearing of Your Highness's arrival, and wishes to offer them as a humble gift.”

　　Only after she finished speaking did Xie Jue raise his eyes. His tone was flat. “This Prince accepts. You may leave now.”

　　Seeing this, Magistrate Liu nodded repeatedly. Silan, not daring to say anything more, clutched her handkerchief, curtsied, and turned to leave.

　　Xie Jue suddenly frowned, his thin lips parting slightly. “Wait.”

　　Liu Qingsong and his family hastily stopped and turned around.

　　Xie Jue's gaze fell upon the handkerchief in Silan's hand. It was embroidered with an orchid, nothing particularly unusual. Yet, for some reason, he found it strangely familiar.

　　Orchids, by nature, withstand wind and rain. The orchid on her handkerchief, however, seemed to have a particularly resilient quality in its embroidery.

　　Though he knew little about embroidery, he inexplicably felt it resembled the pomegranate sachet someone had once embroidered for him.

　　Xie Jue lowered his eyes, suspicion growing. “Who embroidered this handkerchief for you?”

　　Silan, surprised by the Prince's sudden question about the handkerchief—and knowing she hadn't embroidered it herself—didn't know what to make of it. In her fluster, she unconsciously replied, “Your Highness has keen eyes. This handkerchief was a gift from the teacher who instructs me in etiquette. I quite like it, so I always carry it with me.”

　　Xie Jue: “Teacher?”

　　Silan thought this was a good opportunity to impress the Prince. “Yes, Your Highness. My family hired a female tutor to teach me etiquette, virtue, flower arranging, and tea ceremony. My teacher is a former member of the Prince's household, so she's very skilled in these areas. She often praises my progress.”

　　Magistrate Liu was overjoyed to see the Prince taking an interest in Lan'er's etiquette.

　　“From the Prince's household…”

　　Xie Jue's eyes remained serious. After a moment of silence, he asked, “How old is she?”

　　Silan replied, “Reporting to Your Highness, my teacher is twenty-five years old.”

　　Twenty-five years old... Grand Eunuch An thought, that's five years older than Lady Yun! It couldn't possibly be her.

　　Moreover, why would Lady Yun be in such a remote little county?

　　Seeing that Prince Linze remained silent, Magistrate Liu thought his daughter hadn't explained clearly enough and quickly added, “Although Lady Mu is a widow, her etiquette is impeccable, and she teaches very diligently.”

　　A widow…

　　Xie Jue pressed his hand to his forehead, his expression suddenly turning cold.

　　For the past few years, that woman had made his life miserable, and now he found himself suspecting everyone he met of being her.

　　He closed his eyes tightly. “All of you, leave.”

　　……

　　Silan felt a wave of relief wash over her once she was outside.

　　Prince Linze was far more intimidating than her mother had described; her mother had called him kind and gentle!

　　Liu Dai, still visibly shaken, stammered, “Th-that Prince... he was truly terrifying…”

　　——

　　The next morning, Fei Ying reported, “I privately investigated the area where that group of bandits disappeared, but no one has seen them. Additionally, I heard from the villagers here that there is indeed a Black Bear Stronghold on the mountain about ten miles from Meiyang County. Although those ruffians often engage in robbery, they are merely local thugs. However, given that Minister Zheng was killed with a single precise strike, it suggests that the attacker was trained.”

　　Xie Jue closed the book and said, “Someone has set up a trap, pretending that bandits committed the murders and framing Wu Ming for it. These so-called ‘bandits’ didn't disappear; they returned after carrying out the killings to report back.”

　　Fei Ying asked, “Since they've left, what should we do now?”

　　Xie Jue rose and headed for the door, “Let's go to the murder scene. They'll have left something behind.” A slight curl appeared at the corner of his lips. “And if they left something behind... then the person will return.”

　　“Yes”

　　“What about Pei Yuan's end?”

　　“Everything is normal.”

　　……

　　Yun Ling opened her door early in the morning and found Zhang Ren standing there, holding two fish. Seeing Yun Ling, he said happily, “A villager gave me some fish from their pond harvest, and I have more than I can eat, so I thought I'd bring some to Aunt and Lady Mu. I didn't want to disturb Lady Mu, though.”

　　That's why he was hesitating at the door.

　　Yun Ling saw the fish still flopping around in his hands, clearly showing he'd come early. Before she could speak, Mu Dong peeked out from behind her, teasing, “Oh, they're still fresh! How about a fish head tofu stew today? It'll be delicious.”

　　Yun Ling smiled at Zhang Ren, “Then I'll accept them. Thank you.”

　　Zhang Ren scratched his head sheepishly, “You're welcome.”

　　Yun Ling said, “I need to go to the Liu residence, so I'll be going now.”

　　“Of course, of course. Don't let me delay you.”

　　Yun Ling nodded.

　　Remembering Silan had eagerly wanted to try Wang Da Niang's steamed buns a couple of days ago, Yun Ling brought some over today.

　　Carrying the buns, she entered the Liu residence. A familiar-looking maid greeted her, and Yun Ling responded with a smile.

　　The Liu residence's back garden looked the same as always, everything appeared normal.

　　But for some reason, Yun Ling felt a strange undercurrent in the air, a subtle difference in the atmosphere.

　　Shaking her head to dismiss the inexplicable feeling, Yun Ling walked into the study.

　　Silan was already sitting in her usual place, waiting.

　　Yun Ling handed her the buns, “Didn't you say you liked these? Try them.”

　　Silan immediately took them with a delighted expression. “Thank you, Teacher! Lady Mu is always so kind to me!”

　　Yun Ling smiled and shook her head.

　　The next moment, she noticed Silan's absentmindedness. Although she was eating the buns, her thoughts seemed to wander elsewhere.

　　“What's wrong?” she asked.

　　Liu Silan hesitated, stammering.

　　Glancing out the window to make sure no one was around, she finally made up her mind and whispered in Yun Ling's ear, “An important person has come to our house.”

　　“An important person?” Yun Ling was puzzled. Meiyang County was a remote place; where would an important person come from?

　　Liu Silan said, “Teacher, please don't tell anyone else. This is a secret. I'm just telling you. The Prince of Linze is at our house!”

　　Yun Ling's eyelids twitched. “The Prince of Linze?”

　　Why on earth would the Prince of Linze come to a place like Meiyang County? The Prince of Linze had been secluded for years and hadn't been to the capital. Yun Ling had never met him, and he wouldn't recognize her either.

　　“What does the Prince of Linze look like?”

　　Liu Silan: “I didn't really get a good look, but he's handsome.”

　　Yun Ling felt a strange unease. “Didn't Magistrate Liu say why the Prince of Linze suddenly came to Meiyang County?”

　　“Um... I heard he came to relax. My father said he might be here to choose a consort, and told me to behave myself,” Liu Silan said worriedly. “But I saw the Prince of Linze yesterday, and he didn't seem as gentle as the rumors say.”

　　She was so scared to even talk about it, which is why she's so worried now.

　　Although the Prince of Linze is indeed very handsome, still... she prefers someone gentler.

　　Choosing a consort…

　　Yun Ling pondered for a moment, then came to a conclusion.

　　Impossible.

　　Since the Prince of Linze has been faithfully mourning his wife for three years, he wouldn't secretly come to choose a consort.

　　As for relaxing... she doesn't know the Prince of Linze well enough to determine if he has such leisure. But Silan also said he wasn't as gentle as the rumors say. If one person says it's false, that's one thing, but if everyone says it, then it must be true. Why wouldn't he be gentle?

　　The more she thought about it, the more things seemed off.

　　Why would the Prince of Linze suddenly come to Meiyang County, and why would his temperament change? The reason for choosing a consort didn’t seem valid!

　　“Silan, has Magistrate Liu been busy with any official business lately?”

　　Liu Silan didn't know why her teacher suddenly asked that, but after thinking carefully for a moment, she said, “I'm not entirely sure, but Father has been very busy these past few days. It seems to be something about thoroughly investigating the finances from the past two years or something. I don't really know the specifics.”

　　Thoroughly investigating the finances…

　　The magistrate of Zezhou is a mediocre person; he wouldn't suddenly start managing such things. That means some kind of Imperial Inspector or high-ranking official from the capital must have arrived, forcing him to investigate.

　　With these two things mixed together, Yun Ling couldn't figure it out.

　　But she strongly suspected that this ‘Prince of Linze’ wasn't the real person, perhaps just using his name as a cover.

　　This imperial inspector from the capital, using the name of the Prince of Linze to come to Meiyang County... How many people would dare to borrow the name of the Prince?

　　She had seen many important officials from the capital in the Crown Prince's study; they would definitely recognize her!

　　The conclusion formed quickly in her mind.

　　If her guess was correct... the more Yun Ling thought about it, the more anxious she became.

　　Suddenly, she stood up.

　　Regardless of whether this ‘Prince of Linze’ was the real person or not, she couldn't stay at the Liu residence any longer.

　　Making a decisive decision, she wrote a letter and asked Silan to give it to Madam Liu. “Silan, I suddenly remembered some urgent business at Yunyi Workshop. I need to travel far for a few days and I'm afraid I can't continue teaching you. I'm truly sorry. Please tell Madam Liu for me.”

　　Liu Silan was completely bewildered. Why would she suddenly leave? It was fine if she didn't teach her etiquette anymore; she was actually hesitant about continuing the lessons anyway. “Teacher... when will you be back?”

　　“I'm not sure, maybe three months, maybe six. If you still need me when I return, I'll come and teach you again.”

　　After leaving the letter, she left hastily.

　　……

　　Yun Ling was in such a hurry she couldn't even wait a moment. Just as she reached the doorway, she bumped into a maid rushing in carrying something, sending a scattering of charcoal from the maid's arms across the floor.

　　“I'm so sorry, so sorry,” Yun Ling quickly knelt down to help her pick it up.

　　Xie Jue, who had just returned from outside and was entering the east wing, suddenly paused and asked, “Who is that?”

　　Fei Ying behind him said, “A maid and a female teacher bumped into each other.”

　　“Mm,” Xie Jue responded casually and continued walking forward.

　　After taking two steps, Liu Silan and the maid walked out of the study, muttering, “What's wrong with the teacher? I just mentioned the Prince of Linze, and then she suddenly left in such a hurry.”

　　Xie Jue's brow furrowed sharply, his expression changing. He quickly turned and walked back.

　　He strode quickly through the corridor to the moon gate. His eyes suddenly stopped.

　　A woman in light-colored clothes, slender, quickly picked up the charcoal that had fallen on the ground and put it into the basket. She smiled apologetically at the maid, her eyes curving. Her hair was as black as ink, her nose delicately shaped, and even the slightly upward curve of her eyes was the most familiar sight to him.

　　The warm, gentle smile fell into his gaze, and he stood still, as if the surrounding wind had come to a halt.

　　Yun Ling quickly helped the maid tidy up the things, not daring to waste a moment, and hurriedly turned to leave.

　　Her figure vanished behind the door.

　　Xie Jue stood in place, expressionless, for a long time.

　　The late winter snow had begun to fall, drifting down lightly onto his cold, hard brow, only to quickly melt away.

　　Cold droplets of water trickled down from his long eyelashes.

　　After traversing countless rivers and mountains, he had finally found her.

________________

Glossary: 

¹Sister-in-Law (嫂嫂 - Sǎosǎo) 

In ancient China, the term ‘嫂嫂’ (sǎosǎo) held a more nuanced meaning than a simple familial relationship. While literally translating to ‘sister-in-law,’ its usage extended to polite address in social contexts, particularly among neighbours. A stranger calling a female neighbour ‘sǎosǎo’ wasn't necessarily implying a blood or marital connection, but rather demonstrated respect and deference. This was especially common in rural communities or amongst individuals of lower social standing.

Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter