Chapter 443 You seem to care a lot about him.

Consort Rong was furious when she saw Xie Yunchuan pour himself a cup of tea as if nothing had happened, and she snatched the teacup away.

"Why are you drinking tea? We're about to eat!"

Xie Yunchuan found his hand empty, knowing that Consort Rong was just looking for an excuse to vent her anger on him. He raised an eyebrow and obediently replied, "Oh."

Seeing him humiliated, Sheng Sheng secretly chuckled. Torn between protecting Xie Yunchuan and trying to smooth things over between the two, she chose to side with Consort Rong, sharing their grievances: "That's right, brother! You promised to come to Jinxiu Palace with me, but you abandoned me halfway there. Have I been gone too long and you don't even care about your sister anymore?"

Consort Rong chimed in, "That's right, that's right."

The mother and daughter sang in unison, their eyes and brows lively, striking a pose as if they were "gathering an apology" for Xie Yunchuan.

Xie Yunchuan looked at the mother and daughter singing in unison, unable to hide the smile in his eyes, but deliberately put on a serious face and sighed in a deep voice: "Injustice, Mother Consort, injustice, Sister Consort."

He raised his hand in a bow, his tone tinged with grievance, "Just now, I passed by the flower room on the west side of the Imperial Garden and saw Chief Eunuch Li directing the palace servants to pick osmanthus flowers, saying that he was going to send some to each palace. I thought that my mother usually likes the fragrance of osmanthus, so I stayed and personally picked a few branches that were in full bloom, afraid that the palace servants would be clumsy and damage them, which is why I was delayed for a while."

Upon hearing this, Consort Rong paused, her hand holding the handkerchief. The anger in her eyes faded almost entirely, replaced by a subtle tenderness.

She looked up at Xie Yunchuan, but her tone still carried a hint of aloofness: "Oh? That's quite thoughtful of you."

Despite saying that, the corners of her mouth had already relaxed a little. "That osmanthus is very delicate. The palace servants don't know their own strength when they handle it. If you can keep an eye on it for me, then it's not a waste of my love for you."

Xie Yunchuan repeatedly agreed.

Sheng Sheng knew that Xie Yunchuan was just making things up about osmanthus, but she naturally wouldn't expose him. She just smiled silently and said, "The golden osmanthus that brother chose must be the best! When I was in Jin, I also saw a kind of osmanthus tree in the capital of Jin. It is said that the flowers that bloomed were not golden yellow like the ones here, but a pale white color. It's just a pity that it was not the season for osmanthus trees to bloom then, so I didn't get to see it."

"Osmanthus flowers that are mostly white?" Consort Rong imagined for a moment, "They are quite elegant and rather unique."

The topic was thus casually dropped, and the three of them enjoyed a meal together at the Jinxiu Palace, their first such meal in over a year, and had a very pleasant time.

During the banquet, Consort Rong, taking advantage of Sheng Sheng's presence, repeatedly tried to inquire about Xie Yunchuan's relationship with Li Manyan, but Xie Yunchuan always brushed her off with various excuses.

Consort Rong had no choice but to secretly pull Sheng Sheng aside and give her instructions before the two left.

"I don't know if your brother had some kind of falling out with someone, he even refused the marriage decree." Consort Rong said worriedly. "You should try to talk to your brother more often, otherwise, with his personality, and always busy with this and that, he might really drive her away. As for Manyan, she's a really nice person, your mother likes her quite a bit. You and Manyan are also close, so if you have the chance, besides trying to win her over, understand?"

Only then did Sheng Sheng realize that Consort Rong had always thought this way, which made her both amused and exasperated, and she sighed inwardly.

Mother, my brother is quite the charmer when it comes to coaxing people. Otherwise, he wouldn't have managed to get Sister Yan Yan to write to her for help when she had only been gone for a few months.

But on the surface, Sheng Sheng still obediently said, "Don't worry, Mother, I know."

Consort Rong then felt relieved and let them go.

The brother and sister walked back to Yuqing Palace, partly to digest their food, and partly because it had been a long time since they had walked side by side and chatted under the moonlight like this.

Looking at Xie Yunchuan's sharp profile, she smiled knowingly and asked, "Oh, did you really go to choose osmanthus branches for Mother this afternoon, brother?"

Xie Yunchuan replied without changing his expression, "Hmm."

"Oh, so it's true that brother and sister Yan Yan had a fight."

"..." Xie Yunchuan paused for a moment, then said, "This is not it."

Sheng Sheng laughed uncontrollably, mercilessly mocking him: "Sister Yan Yan even wrote me a letter before, asking me what gift I should give you in return. She also said that she felt you were a little different from the person she knew before, and she didn't know how to get along with you. Sigh, it seems that you were too hasty back then and scared Sister Yan Yan. I wonder what happened after that?"

Xie Yunchuan was surprised: "She really said that?"

"yes."

"Cough cough."

Xie Yunchuan's ears turned pink, and as if he had thought of something, he pushed her head back with his large hand: "Kids shouldn't always be studying these things."

"……oh."

Sheng Sheng pouted and had no choice but to ask another question: "What about Brother Pei Ji? When will Brother Pei Ji come back?"

She had already sent someone to Jingyue Pavilion, but only Afu was there; Pei Ji and Xiao Jiuzhu were not there.

From Afu, she learned that Pei Ji had been telling everyone that he was ill and unable to go out. Fortunately, he was not particularly noticeable to begin with, and when he went out, he only went to Wenhua Hall to study. With Xie Yunchuan helping to cover it up, no one had noticed that Pei Ji had disappeared from Jingyue Pavilion for a while.

Sheng Sheng wasn't interested in asking what agreement Xie Yunchuan and Pei Ji had reached; it was their business. If she wanted to know everything, it would only seem deliberate and noisy.

Sheng Sheng has always been insightful, knowing that the hearts of people in the deep palace and court are like a game of chess, with everyone having their own secrets and plans. She doesn't need to get involved in everything, nor does she need to keep asking questions.

Just like she herself has her own little secrets and things she secretly wants to do.

Moreover, since the states of Song and Jin are also involved, Sheng Sheng is even less likely to be presumptuous enough to meddle.

Xie Yunchuan knew roughly what Sheng Sheng had done along the way.

Xie Yunchuan gave her a meaningful look, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction: "You seem to care a lot about him."

"Of course, isn't Brother Pei Ji doing something important?" Sheng Sheng said seriously, "It concerns the people of a country, and even the peace between several countries. I am also concerned about the affairs of the world."

"Heh." Xie Yunchuan was a little annoyed. "Kids should worry about things that are their own business. As for other things, don't worry about them."

"Oh, okay."

"Also, I heard from Huang Ying that you are leaving the palace tomorrow?"

"Yes, that's right!"

Xie Yunchuan frowned: "You just got back and you're already leaving the palace? Why don't you rest for a few more days?"

"Isn't the Mid-Autumn Festival just a few days away? It wouldn't be good to leave the palace again. With only two days left, I definitely want to hurry up and have a meal at Zui Xiang Lou. After being away for so long and eating so many delicious foods, I still miss the taste of the capital the most."

Sheng Sheng acted as if nothing was different from usual, and even asked him, "Brother, do you want to come with me?"

Xie Yunchuan really didn't notice anything wrong. He just felt that she knew he was busy, but she was deliberately asking him this question.