“Her.” Yuan Chengyu paused for a moment, unsure of where to begin.

"Do you know the first time I saw her?"

Yuan Chengyu enthusiastically recounted the scene of his first meeting with Pei Zhi.

"She caught a venomous snake without even blinking, and it was so long that I was terrified just looking at it."

Xie Qi's eyes lit up when he saw Yuan Chengyu talking about Pei Zhi.

“I wanted to befriend her, but when I found out she was a princess, I left.”

Yuan Chengyu then told Xie Qi that he had asked the Fifth Prince to send a letter to Pei Zhi, asking her to refuse the arranged marriage.

"Later, I learned that she had gone into the city alone and was determined to live and die with the people."

“I was very shocked at the time.” Yuan Chengyu suddenly laughed: “But when I think back carefully, I realize that from the first time I met her, she was such a decisive person, and this is the kind of thing she would do.”

"But I also ask myself, if it were me, would I dare? Perhaps I wouldn't. I would consider many things, after all, I am an only child, and my parents still need me to take care of them in their old age and see them off in their final days."

Xie Qi just watched Yuan Chengyu quietly. Yuan Chengyu would be happy from time to time, his eyes would light up and then dim.

Xie Qi picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Are you...?"

Yuan Chengyu looked at Xie Qi: "Is it something?"

Xie Qi shook his head. Never mind, Princess Chang Le is already married.

It seems that Yuan Chengyu is still unaware of this, so why should he point it out and make Yuan Chengyu uncomfortable?

"So, what kind of person do you think the princess is?"

Yuan Chengyu went on and on, but still didn't answer Xie Qi's initial question.

"She is a courageous and resourceful person."

"She is a compassionate person."

"She is a person who can do great things."

Yuan Chengyu used very high praise to describe Pei Zhi.

Xie Qi had known Yuan Chengyu since childhood, and he understood Yuan Chengyu.

Xie Qi asked with a hint of scrutiny, "You describe her as so amazing?"

“Aqi, if you go to the North yourself, you will be just like me.”

Yuan Chengyu recalled those days in the North, "When I went to the North, the epidemic had already been brought under control."

"But the princess is still in the city, living and eating with those people. She is a woman of noble birth, sleeping on the floor every day and only able to get enough to eat."

"Moreover, those who are sick have very horrible faces, bodies, and hands. Even I, a grown man, feel disgusted when I look at them."

"But when the princess entered the city, she didn't know if she would come out alive; she was gambling with her life."

Yuan Chengyu looked at Xie Qi and said, "So, she is a compassionate person."

"Okay." Xie Qi nodded, he took Yuan Chengyu's words to heart.

"Then why do you think the princess did this?"

Xie Qi couldn't understand: "Why would a princess, a woman of such noble birth, make herself suffer like this?"

Xie Qi had previously thought that the princess might be kind-hearted, though of course, she also had her own selfish motives.

Perhaps his selfish motive was to enhance the reputation of the Fifth Prince.

However, Xie Qi discovered that the princess treated the Fifth Prince one way in public and another way in private, so he dismissed this idea.

Yuan Chengyu paused slightly, then looked at Xie Qi incredulously, "Why must there be a reason?"

"The princess couldn't bear to see the people of several cities starve to death in the city, so she went to save them. Is that not allowed?"

Why must everything have a reason in your eyes?

Xie Qi was questioned by Yuan Chengyu for no apparent reason, and he gave a helpless laugh.

"Yuan Chengyu, have you forgotten the lesson your father learned?"

“The princess is different from His Majesty.” Yuan Chengyu paused for a long time before repeating, “They are different.”

Xie Qi leaned back in his chair. "The princess has lived in the deep palace for so long, how could she know how to treat illnesses? Is it really as the princess says, that she has become a doctor through long illness? Did she learn a little from the imperial physicians in the palace and then put it to good use?"

Xie Qi did not believe that the epidemic could be so easily cured.

Are all those doctors in the north incompetent? Or are they all dead?

"The princess tried the medicine several times before finalizing it."

Yuan Chengyu slammed his hand on the table. "The princess risked her life to win the bet, so why do you make it sound like everything she does is purposeful?"

Yuan Chengyu questioned Xie Qi, "Did the princess offend you in some way? Is that why you suspect her like this?"

Xie Qi scoffed. He finally understood. He realized he had come to the wrong person today to see Yuan Chengyu.

Yuan Chengyu was completely deceived by Pei Zhi, and it was impossible to get anything out of him.

"No wonder, the princess just said she didn't like you. The princess is right to judge people."

Xie Qi was so angry at Yuan Chengyu that he almost laughed. He looked down on him?

He is Xie Qi, the eldest son of the Xie family, a family with a history of over 100 years. How dare others look down on him?

"Alright, I have other important matters to attend to, so I won't discuss this with you any further."

Xie Qi was afraid that if they continued talking, Yuan Chengyu would drive him crazy.

"That's perfect, I also think that we two don't see eye to eye and it's pointless to say another word to each other."

Xie Qi stood up, thought for a moment, and then offered a reminder.

"Think more about what happened to King Cheng now, and be more wary of people."

These words can be considered Xie Qi's final advice to Yuan Chengyu.

Xie Qi feared that Yuan Chengyu would become the second King Cheng.

When people in the capital mention Yuan Chengyu, they always say, "Why would someone as powerful as Prince Cheng have such a child?"

Moreover, Yuan Chengyu was the only son of King Cheng, which is truly a pity.

Only Xie Qi knew that Yuan Chengyu had been exceptionally intelligent since childhood.

Later, King Cheng lost a leg and suffered severe internal injuries.

His Majesty ascended the throne and treated the court officials who had helped him with great kindness.

After Yuan Chengyu's father was made a king, Yuan Chengyu began to become ignorant and incompetent.

When asked, Yuan Chengyu said that his father was already a king of a different surname, so why was he still working so hard?

Xie Qi knew that the King's injury was caused by His Majesty.

At that time, King Cheng was the youngest military general, and he had countless talented men under his command.

When he helped His Majesty ascend the throne, His Majesty worried that after he ascended the throne, King Cheng would become too powerful and overshadow His Majesty.

Therefore, he bribed the people under King Cheng and appointed a majestic general.

He became a prince who was lame and riddled with injuries.

King Cheng believed that he and His Majesty were brothers, and he wholeheartedly supported His Majesty's ascension to the throne.

He never imagined that Emperor Pei would harm him.

Yuan Chengyu's father is already a prince. If Yuan Chengyu becomes too outstanding, the prince will worry that Yuan Chengyu will follow in his footsteps.

He didn't want Yuan Chengyu to live such a hard life, so he could just eat, drink, and have fun every day, which would put Emperor Pei at ease.

The emperor's suspicion never disappears.

Xie Qi reminded Yuan Chengyu that he believed Pei Zhi was even more terrifying than Emperor Pei.

Xie Qi did not want his childhood friend to suffer an even worse fate than his father.