Chapter 98 Question: If you were my daughter, that would be fine.

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The Queguan Tower became smaller in the back, and the streets seemed to be pulled by time. Yan Siqing in the carriage rested his arm on the soft sleeper armrest, but his fingertips pressed his forehead several times, his brows thoughtful, but there was a look of silence and fatigue.

Xiaoyun didn't come in. She was on the carriage with the guards because she realized that it was not appropriate to disturb Yan Siqing at the moment.

This matter is too strange.

The new adult prince is granted marriage.

Yes, this arranged marriage is simply weird beyond words.

How could Lechen? How could His Majesty agree?!

But no matter how many questions she had, it was not appropriate to ask them now. If she were in the carriage, she would definitely not be able to hold back.

Xiaoyun leaned against the door, looking up at the drizzles floating over Chang'an City, and thought that every time something happened to Yan Siqing, it seemed like the weather was not on his side.

There are always people who restrain, hinder, and even threaten us.

It feels a bit... fatalistic.

It seemed to be foreshadowing that she would be trapped in Chang'an for the rest of her life, tied to this city with supreme power.

How strange.

Putting aside Xiaoyun's heartfelt admiration for Yan Siqing, judging from the world's clear class divisions, she is clearly just a merchant, and the daughter of a doctor whose family was wiped out.

Even the mother and daughter have never mentioned the murder of their own family. Since no case has been filed, there is no threat.

how so?

Is it for money?

——————

Lechen didn't seem to care about what people in the world said about his bizarre life experience, nor did he care how a highly respected monk could become so obsessed with women after becoming a prince.

The prince's mansion had been tidied up and the servants were busy. When they saw Queen Chen, they all bowed.

As the newly appointed deputy commander of the Imperial Guards, Chen Cangyu received the emperor's order to escort Chen out of the palace and back to the prince's mansion. He also checked on Chen to see if the mansion cleaned up by the Ministry of Rites was in good condition...

Entering the courtyard, the servants carefully avoided the tea room for guests.

The eaves and tiles of the pavilion were also dripping water, falling onto the surface of the fish pond in the courtyard.

Ripples appear one after another.

Lechen invited Chen Cangyu to have tea, but the latter declined, saying that he had to return to the palace to report to the emperor and could not be delayed.

Lechen: "Why do I feel that General Qi seems a little dissatisfied?"

Chen Cangyu paused, "Your Highness has misunderstood. I dare not do that. It is truly because of Your Majesty's generosity that I was able to be appointed to this position. Otherwise, based on my previous interactions with Prince Lie and his men, even though Your Majesty was able to make a clear judgment and scheme to uncover the truth, and to send me undercover in order to find you, Your Highness, Prince Lie and his men are, after all, descendants of the royal family. They hate me to the core now in the Heavenly Prison."

"Now that the dust has settled and Your Majesty has not pursued the matter, I am deeply grateful."

Lechen: "That's right. Lord Yan has made such great achievements, but my father, the emperor, has never been very tolerant. Whatever benefits he gave you, you have benefited from it all."

The hidden jade is quiet and silent.

It seems that the new prince is not very satisfied with his new favorite.

This is very different from the outside world's speculation that this favorite minister is trying to get close to the "future crown prince."

Lechen didn't stop him and let him go.

Outside the house, a servant working in the flower garden in the backyard hunched over, felt his way across the ditch, and continued to work hard in the flower garden, but soon a secret letter left the palace.

Arrival at the palace.

Emperor Heng saw the words and handed the secret letter to Wei Tingzhong beside him.

The latter frowned, but still looked, and became more silent as he looked.

Emperor Heng continued reviewing the memorials, sighing, "Now we can be sure that he and Chen Cangyu are not colluding. This doesn't seem to be a series of schemes they devised."

Wei Tingzhong folded the secret letter and said slowly, "The King of England is Your Majesty's biological son, with extraordinary talent. He lived among the people for many years and became a monk, but he still couldn't hide his elegance. And this General Qi... is not worthy of such an elegant figure as His Majesty the King of England."

Emperor Heng glanced at him, seemingly noncommittal about the judgment of his old friend. Or perhaps, he knew that this was because of the emperor's family affairs, and no one dared to tell the truth to anyone except himself.

To be honest, I may not like to hear it.

"Before, you used the same description when talking about my other sons - descendants of the royal family, noble and extraordinary, with outstanding moral character and talent..."

Now what?

One was executed, one was made a commoner, and one was imprisoned.

There is also a boss who is ready to go to war with him at any time.

Wei Tingzhong was speechless.

Emperor Heng was not an erratic and incompetent ruler. He was the founding emperor who had only been on the throne for a dozen years and still had some of the aura of a hero.

Anyone who competes for supremacy in the world still has a cruel and vicious spirit and is ready to take action at any time.

Therefore, the three princes met their current miserable end, and King Lie was only one day away from being beheaded.

Wei Tingzhong was not in a position to comment on this, and he just remained silent for many years. While cooperating in grinding ink, he watched the emperor personally write the edict to execute King Lie again, and set the date.

The writing was very steady, without any shaking at all.

He felt a chill in his heart, but he heard the emperor's distracted words, "Aren't you curious why I agreed to the marriage that the fifth brother requested?"

Wei Tingzhong paused as he ground the ink with his slender fingers, then continued grinding. "Your Majesty knows that Miss Yan will not agree."

Emperor Heng: "You should admire his elegance. When you mentioned "unworthy" just now... you were actually mocking the three-surnamed servant I treat so well. The one who is least worthy of him is Yan Siqing, right?"

The emperor's insight into people's hearts is better than the sharpest sword.

But the one being mocked was only Qi Wuhui, not Liaochen, so Wei Tingzhong was not so frightened as to confess his guilt.

Wei Tingzhong: "Actually, I admire him."

Emperor Heng didn't know what he was thinking about, his eyes were a little deep, and he said in a low voice: "I admire you too."

"So, when do you think Yan Siqing will come to see me?"

"Will it be before the rain stops? Or..."

Wei Tingzhong: "No ordinary person would come without an imperial decree, Your Majesty."

Emperor Heng: "She knows I am waiting for her."

The marriage was granted because it was known that she would definitely refuse. If she refused, she would be charged with disobeying the order, but the reason for her refusal was also made clear - she had secretly arranged her marriage with someone in advance and claimed that she was not a match for the King of England. If she did not tell the truth and it was discovered in the future, it would be a serious crime. So she told the truth, but she still needed to apologize to the emperor and inform him about the marriage with the people of the Arab Kingdom.

So she had to come.

Wei Tingzhong knew that this was the emperor's purpose, and he was also gradually creating a desperate situation where Yan Siqing could not use the help of Prince Yan's Mansion - disobeying the emperor's order. Yan Siqing would not put such a big responsibility on Prince Yan's Mansion, she could only do it herself.

This is exactly what Your Majesty wants, to avoid conflict with Prince Yan and let her come to him on her own.

Suddenly, a palace maid came to report.

Yan Siqing is here.

——————

There are many gardens in the inner courtyard of the palace.

Emperor Heng did not choose a private palace to summon Yan Siqing, but chose an open, open-air garden.

Although it was a light rain, there was still the leisurely and elegant feeling of watching the flowers in the rain.

This garden was not originally a small garden that ordinary palace ladies could visit. It had a place of origin and was even located in the inner courtyard area where the emperor and empress's bedrooms were located.

Yan Siqing walked through the palace and saw the words engraved on the huge stone tablet at the entrance of the garden. He paused without saying anything. Led by the palace servants, he arrived here and saw Wei Tingzhong.

After both sides nodded in agreement, Yan Siqing looked inside and saw a majestic man in a dragon robe.

The emperor is over fifty years old, almost sixty, but he has a strong physique. Because the Jiang family has been tall for generations, he still looks tall and heroic, and his hair is only mixed with some gray.

Binocular.

The three generations of a family seem to have a similar heritage, they are awe-inspiring and noble, and they look at people with a deep understanding of them.

But it depends on the person. She remembered that the way Prince Yan looked at his mother was very different from the way he looked at others.

At first, she thought Jiang Hui was a jerk, a cunning and treacherous person, but then he became like a deer in the forest or a flame in the fire...

People change, everything changes.

Nothing is constant.

This is true for ordinary people, and even more so for emperors.

But he is still a supreme figure that makes people's hearts palpitate with fear.

He can change in any way he wants.

Others can't.

She wants to salute.

The emperor raised his hand, "No need."

Wei Tingzhong, who was standing beside the pillar and looking around, was stunned. Yan Siqing, who lowered his head, could not see his expression clearly.

But when she looked up, she saw the King's scrutinizing gaze, which was at her height...

She explained her purpose, mentioned the arranged marriage, and the reasons why she could not accept the engagement.

It was not suitable in the first place, not tolerated by the royal family, and not a proper marriage.

Emperor Heng: "Hai Fugui, the one from the Kingdom of Daqin, how long has it been?"

Yan Siqing: "Many years."

After a pause, she added, "Before I came to Chang'an from Yancheng."

That is, he knew Jiang Hui earlier.

Wei Tingzhong knew that Yan Siqing was trying to distance himself from Jiang Hui.

Because everyone knew that it was impossible for her to be entangled with Jiang Hui after she had fallen in love with someone.

Emperor Heng was silent for a moment, then said, "It's normal for a young man to be like this. I don't think this is a big deal."

He did not mention his plan of arranging the marriage, but only spoke slowly after examining Yan Siqing.

"You don't look much like your mother."

Wei Tingzhong: “….”

Yan Siqing: "I am probably more like my father."

Now that you put it that way, it’s true.

Xu Junrong has a darker appearance, is charming, and has a bright and strong look.

She is cold.

Yan Siqing has a kind of cold and dignified air, like a flawless jade, yet also a perfect form of cultivation.

High intelligence is almost demonic and cold.

Yan Que also had a good-looking appearance that was cold and beautiful. She was very popular in Chang'an at that time. Many noble ladies from aristocratic families would go to the Imperial Hospital to find this new director whenever they had a minor illness.

Emperor Heng: "I remember that year when he returned from an inspection tour of the Imperial Medical Bureau, you must have been still young... Life outside is not as convenient as in the big city. You were so young, traveling around with your parents. It must have been hard, right?"

Yan Siqing: "I was very young at that time and I can hardly remember it."

Emperor Heng: "How small?"

Yan Siqing: "You can't even walk steadily."

Emperor Heng said, "That's a shame. Since I came to rule the world, I'm no longer as free to travel as I once was. I could explore the scenery of every corner of the world. I wanted to hear about the scenery of my hometown from you, but I didn't realize that you were very young back then, so how could you remember some bad things?"

Yan Siqing: "I'm sorry to disappoint Your Majesty, but children really can't remember things around them. They just think that their parents are around and protecting them, so they don't think much of it."

If you weren't protected later, you would have died.

There's nothing much to say.

Emperor Heng: "The scouts I sent out investigated all the places Yan Que had visited. It seems that when you were two years old, you fell seriously ill. He searched everywhere for medicine, but the area he was inspecting was remote and backward, with no proper pharmacies. Even though he was a famous doctor, it was very difficult for him to find medicine. Now I think it was my fault for giving him such a ruthless task. I wonder if that illness had any adverse effects on you."

Yan Siqing was stunned for a moment, then recalled carefully: "It seems not, Your Majesty, don't blame yourself, but mother later mentioned that if there are any remote places, father has responsibilities and can go, and she and I don't need to follow. It has always been like this since then."

Emperor Heng said casually, "Have you ever suspected that it was I who exterminated your entire family?"

Wei Tingzhong, who was pouring tea for them, had his eyes lowered and his expression unchanged.

My hands never shook while pouring the tea.

Yan Siqing sat there, looking into each other's eyes.

It was quiet for a while.

Wei Tingzhong curled his fingers, unsure how the extremely intelligent Lord Yan would answer this fatal question.

Should I deny it outright, or...

She said: "The Yan family is just a medical officer. If they can make His Majesty angry and destroy the family and clan, it must be a serious crime. According to the law, the result will not be any different. The only difference is whether they will be convicted or not."

"If what I say is true, and if Your Majesty really wants to destroy the Yan family, then the result back then would have been good for my mother and me."

It's simply against heaven and extremely treasonous.

If the news gets out, she will be impeached and executed, and those old fogies will drown her with spit.

Filial piety is the most important thing.

Emperor Heng's eyebrows twitched and he looked at her strangely.

Yan Siqing lowered his eyebrows and said in a very calm tone, "If His Majesty orders that the Yan family be confiscated and their property be exterminated, then even if my mother and I survive, I'm afraid we will only end up in a very humble situation."

"Life is worse than death."

"Your Majesty must have observed me for a long time. He must know that I am still a businessman at heart. Weighing the pros and cons is my instinct. If everything has cause and effect, I will not turn back and tie myself up in knots."

She is not an ordinary person, and her thoughts and ideas are different from others.

Otherwise, she wouldn't be alive today.

Emperor Heng drank his tea and said, "The only thing that can be implicated in your family is that your grandfather helped me take care of the King of England's biological mother."

"In that fire, my beloved died tragically, and the newborn King of England disappeared. After much investigation, I discovered that your grandfather helped rescue the child. So, who could have destroyed the Yan family, me or the culprit from that time?"

Mother of Prince Yan, Empress Yuan.

The sword is pointed at King Yan.

Emperor Heng stared at Yan Siqing, his eyes dark. "Will you use your wealth, which rivals that of a nation, to serve as a sharp weapon for them and their son?"

The problems are more vicious than each other.

Even more vicious than an arranged marriage.

And there are deep hidden problems in every question.

So, in the final analysis, the reason for Yan Siqing's fickleness and temptation is because of the money she has and her own talents?

Are you worried that she will be used by Prince Yan's Mansion?

Wei Tingzhong always felt something was wrong.

Yan Siqing said, "Your Majesty, I am just an ordinary person. I make money to eat and live. Secondly, I want to ensure that people all over the world can have enough food and live a good life without affecting myself."

"There's nothing else."

She sometimes speaks too frankly, and because of her extreme frankness, she is almost sharp.

Nor does it mention whether he believed the emperor's statement that "it was Empress Yuan's party that wiped out the entire Yan family."

King Heng nodded, "That's great."

"As an emperor, this should also be my goal."

"Except for the eldest son, it's okay. My sons didn't keep up. If you were my daughter, that would be fine."

Yan Siqing: "......"

Her expression finally changed, and she seemed speechless and unable to speak.

Wei Tingzhong couldn't help but turned his head to look outside.

The emperor really is... She didn't admit it and tried to deny suspicion, but how could they not know about her affair with Jiang Hui?

They just didn't admit it and didn't mention it.

The atmosphere is really weird.

Wei Tingzhong was not sure what the emperor was thinking, so he simply remained silent.

After a while, Emperor Heng said, "You haven't eaten yet, stay for dinner."

It wasn't a question, it was a direct order.

Wei Tingzhong's heart skipped a beat.

And in this weather, if I want to stay for dinner, I might not be able to leave after nightfall.

Yan Siqing bent his fingers but didn't say anything.

The palace maid came to report.

Prince Yan came to report to the emperor about the war on the border.

——————

Yan Siqing saluted Prince Yan and passed by him. The latter was dignified and saw that she was fine, so he strode inside.

Yan Siqing was led out by a palace maid.

The drizzle was already hitting the umbrella. The palace maid knew who she was, guessed something, and walked to the corridor on the other side to avoid getting wet.

The road here is a little longer, but you don't have to face the wind and rain.

However, they didn't expect to see the deputy commander of the imperial guards coming towards them to report to the emperor.

This is a garden. Unless there is a special order to see someone other than the emperor as soon as possible, outsiders are rarely allowed to enter.

One is the commander of the imperial guards, the other is the emperor's order.

Shen Zangxin narrowed his eyes, looked around, and suddenly said, "It's Madam Shen, may I delay you for a moment?"

He walked up without waiting for her answer.