Chapter 37: Recruiting a Prince Consort? Why not go to heaven?

Xihe howled loudly and was restless in his arms, struggling to run away.

How could Xiao Mingxuan really let him go in this icy and snowy weather? "Shut up! If you howl again, I'll throw you into the lion and tiger park!"

Xihe understood Xiao Mingxuan's temper and cried even harder, her words full of accusations. "You are so heartless! I brought you cakes, I stole hairpins for you, and I even let you bully me, and you actually want to sell me off? Wuuuuuu, that doesn't make sense, you are so mean! You wanted to sell me off and didn't even let me say it! You have no humanity!"

Xiao Mingxuan felt a throbbing headache and felt like it was about to explode, so he found an abandoned palace nearby and brought the little girl inside.

"Everyone wait outside, don't come in!" Xiao Mingxuan shouted, and Yun Hui and Shishu stopped outside the hall.

"What are you doing! Do you want to cut me up and sell my body?" Upon seeing the dark palace, Xihe immediately used both hands and feet to tightly hold Xiao Mingxuan, "You, you, you... you made a mistake!"

The little girl cried sadly, and Xiao Mingxuan was so angry that his chest was beating fast, but he could do nothing about her, so he found a clean place and put the girl there.

"Dismemberment? What's in your head?" Xiao Mingxuan sneered, sat down and breathed heavily.

"Then why did you bring me here?" Xihe asked.

"How can you go out after crying like this?" Xiao Mingxuan's chest heaved violently, and there was a hint of helplessness in every word he said.

Although it was winter, there were still many palace servants on the road. If the little girl was allowed to cry like this all the way back, who knows how much gossip would arise.

"You're so good! You didn't even comfort me when I cried like this! You've changed!" The little girl stood up and jumped off the couch, rushing towards the door. Before she took two steps, she was tightly held by a big hand.

Xiao Mingxuan's gloomy voice came from my ears, "Where do you want to go?"

"I'm not going anywhere! I'm going to open the door and let everyone see how you bully me!" Xihe pretended to struggle, revealing her rogue nature. "I want Sister Yunhui! What if you cut me into pieces? Sister Yunhui will cry if she can't find me!"

This is what the little girl’s new storybook said: the little girl was deceived by the big bad wolf and her family couldn’t even find her body. She cried so sadly.

Xiao Mingxuan sighed, feeling like he would be pissed off to death in the next second. "Don't open the door! Stay here!"

"I won't!" the little girl continued to rebel. "You're about to sell me out! I'm going to sue you for your crimes!"

Xiao Mingxuan couldn't stand it any longer, so he turned the man upside down on his legs and slapped him in the face.

“Bang!”

Xihe was stunned and did not move for a long time.

She got spanked!

"Are you still talking nonsense? Huh?" Xiao Mingxuan raised his hand again, but he didn't have much strength.

Every time Xiao Mingxuan hit her, Xihe howled.

"Asshole."

Xiao Mingxuan put the man aside, supporting his head with one hand, with a hint of fatigue in his eyes, "You are my ancestor!"

You can't hit him, and you can't scold him either.

The little girl shrank into a corner, sniffing and trembling, and asked, "Then will you still sell me?"

Xiao Mingxuan closed his eyes impatiently and said weakly, "I won't sell it anymore."

Before the little girl could cheer, he added another sentence.

"I tried, but I couldn't sell it, so I might as well keep it."

Xihe: "..."

The big bad wolf is still evil and I am in danger!

Yun Hui listened to the little princess's roar like a pig being slaughtered, and tried to break in several times, but was stopped by the attendant. After about a cup of tea, the palace door slowly opened.

The two of them were the same as before, without a trace of filthiness.

But the little princess' eyes were red, as if she had been bullied.

"Little brother, let's go to the Xining Marquis' Mansion together tomorrow to pick up my aunt, okay?"

After this happened, Xihe was somewhat worried about Princess Yuanyang.

"The eldest princess doesn't live in the Xining Marquis' Mansion. You should go to the Princess' Mansion next door."

The two of them were physically together but spiritually distant. Unless absolutely necessary, the eldest princess had not returned to the Xining Marquis's Mansion for a long time. However, the news was kept secret and the two mansions were close to each other, so no one noticed.

"Aunt Yuanyang is so pitiful. That ugly man must be blind." Xihe became angry when he mentioned this.

Xiao Mingxuan wanted to laugh it off, but suddenly his expression changed slightly, and he asked tentatively, "Xiao Xi'er, was the title of Princess Yuanyang proposed by the Ministry of Rites?"

"It doesn't seem so." Xihe pondered for a moment and said, "I remember Mother told me once that it was Father who drafted the title for Little Aunt."

The titles of princesses were mostly drawn up by the Ministry of Rites at the time of marriage, and Emperor Jingyuan only had to choose one.

"When was the title of Princess given?" Xiao Mingxuan stopped and looked somewhere behind him.

"It seems like a long time ago, I don't know exactly."

Xihe was only five years old and she was not even born when Princess Yuanyang was conferred the title.

Xiao Mingxuan did not ask any further questions, but just glanced at the Yuanyang Palace not far away.

Is it really such a coincidence?

*

I had intended to go to the princess's residence to look for someone the next day, but I heard that something had happened to the Red Eagle Army in the northern suburbs, and the eldest princess had rushed over to deal with it. She wouldn't be back for a day or two, so I had to give up the idea.

In the past two days, there have been more and more rumors about Xihe in the capital, and they have become more and more outrageous. In the end, the little girl was even accused of being arrogant and domineering.

When Concubine Chen heard about it, she was furious. After checking, she found out that it was Princess Yinghua of Anyuan Palace who sent someone to spread the news.

The next day, Princess Anyuan was called into the palace and severely reprimanded. The words "bad parenting" brought shame to all the women in the Anyuan Palace.

After inquiring, each family found out that the princess of his family not only offended Princess Zhaoyuan and Princess Yuanyang, but also spoke rudely to Emperor Jingyuan.

In addition, Emperor Jingyuan had a subtle attitude towards kings of different surnames.

No one wanted to go against the emperor's will, and over time, families stopped inviting guests to Prince Anyuan's palace for their banquets.

"I heard that Prince Anyuan's descendants are in a huge turmoil over this matter, and each one is threatening to split up the family line." Mu Hua often traveled outside the palace and knew more. "I heard that Prince Anyuan refused to agree, and his anxiety caused his old illness to flare up."

Concubine Chen fed Xihe a mouthful of soup and wiped the soup stains from the corners of her mouth. Her tone rose slightly, "Don't make a scene. After all, Prince Anyuan has more than one child, Su Yinghua."

Prince Anyuan was a playboy by nature, and he had more than a dozen concubines. Princess Anyuan did not stop him in order to gain a good reputation as a virtuous woman. He probably had more than a dozen children, and the older ones were probably ready for marriage.

At this critical juncture, Su Yinghua's scandal happened, and she couldn't afford to worry about her own children.

Since he cannot inherit the throne of the crown prince anyway, it is better to separate it completely. At least he can get a reputation of being righteous.

"If King Anyuan doesn't give in, this family will be difficult to separate." Mu Yuan has always been steady and sees things more deeply.

"Of course he won't agree." Concubine Chen sneered, "But now that this hole has been opened, it won't be so easy to restore."

Concubine Chen glanced in the direction of Yuanyang Palace and said, "Someone is more anxious than me."

The king of a different surname was always a source of worry for Emperor Jingyuan.

Mu Yuan also thought of this and said with a lowered brow, "Your Majesty is indeed far-sighted. I am ashamed of myself for not being as good as you."

Concubine Chen raised her beautiful eyes, said "tsk", and turned around to bully her sleepy baby daughter again.

Xihe was still sleepy after lunch, and her eyelids kept drooping, causing Concubine Chen to pinch them several times.

"Mom, what are you doing? You're pinching me again!" Xihe's sleepiness was driven away. She pouted and turned her head away, not looking at Concubine Chen.

Concubine Chen took advantage of Xihe's unpreparedness and pinched her little butt again, then turned her head away contentedly.

"I originally didn't want to touch Prince Anyuan's palace for the time being, but Prince Anyuan gave birth to a fool who actually dared to touch my Xihe."

Concubine Chen's eldest brother was tricked by Prince Anyuan when he went to the battlefield to quell a rebellion. If his brother had not been lucky enough, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

She always remembered this grudge.

I just have no reason to provoke it.

Now, let’s settle both the old and new accounts together!

Xihe suddenly became energetic, "Mother, did Xihe do a good deed?"

"Yes~" Seeing Xihe like this, Concubine Chen simply loved him from the bottom of her heart, "Xihe is really my little lucky treasure. With Xihe, many troubles have been solved!"

Xihe smiled, leaned over, pressed her lips against Concubine Chen's cheek, and kissed her, "Xihe loves mother the most, too!"

The mother and daughter played for a while, and seeing that Xihe was sleepy again, Concubine Chen planned to hold the child and go to sleep for a while.

Before leaving, she instructed, "Keep an eye on the movements of Prince Anyuan's Palace. Once they separate, summon those illegitimate sons and daughters to the palace. This will be my way of comforting them for being abandoned."

Didn't Su Yinghua claim to be a legitimate daughter and acted tyrannically in the capital? But Concubine Chen insisted on elevating the status of those illegitimate children, which disgusted the mother and daughter to death.

She made no loss in this business of hurting the enemy by a thousand without hurting herself.

Mu Yuan and Mu Hua looked at each other and retreated.

*

In the inn outside the palace, a faint sound of sobbing could be heard from a closed room, adding a bit of chill to the silent night.

A woman in the room was kneeling on the ground with her hands tied behind her back and a cloth stuffed in her mouth. She was struggling constantly and her hair was messy.

Several burly men stood behind her and held her down tightly.

There was a veil hanging in front, and a figure was hidden behind the veil. The shadowy figure could not be seen clearly.

The attendant stood aside and asked, "Master, the person has been kidnapped. What should we do with him?"

Xiao Mingxuan flipped through the letter in his hand, and the sneer at the corner of his lips became more and more obvious.

Su Yinghua held a grudge and bribed the storyteller and the beggars on the street to discredit Xihe.

"If you can't control your mouth, then there's no need to speak."

Xiao Mingxuan then threw a cup, and the moment the cup hit the ground, it turned into pieces.

The secretary winked outside, and soon someone collected the broken porcelain pieces and walked towards Su Yinghua.

Su Yinghua's eyes suddenly widened, full of disbelief. She struggled to shrink back, but the person behind her held her tightly, preventing her from retreating even a bit.

The cloth strips were removed and Su Yinghua shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Please! Let me go! My father is the King of Anyuan! My mother is the Princess of Anyuan! I can give you anything you want! Don't kill me, don't..."

Before he could finish his words, his chin was pinched and broken porcelain shards were poured into his mouth.

Su Yinghua struggled desperately, and the broken porcelain pieces flowed into her mouth and slid down her throat. Soon she started bleeding. Every breath she took was filled with pain, and two lines of clear tears flowed down the corners of her eyes.

Su Yinghua fell to the ground when she was suddenly released. Her hairpins and rings scattered all over. She kept clutching her throat but could only make a "wuwu" sound.

The beautiful face is gone, and it is just a poor creature lying on the ground.

Xiao Mingxuan was too lazy to listen to the hoarse roar and waved his hand.

The subordinates knocked Su Yinghua unconscious and took her out through the secret passage. The secretary handed her a letter at the right time.

"My Lord, there's a letter from over there."

Xiao Mingxuan paused in turning the pages of the book and looked up at the familiar floral lacquer on the envelope. "You still dare to send a letter? It seems you haven't given up yet."

His calm eyes became a little more emotional the moment he opened the letter. He tapped the table slowly, as if thinking about something.

After a moment, he looked up and asked, "Is the cake for Xiao Xier ready?"

The secretary was stunned for a moment, not following her master's train of thought, and quickly replied: "I bought it. It's new from Kuixingzhai. The little princess will definitely like it."

"That's good."

Xiao Mingxuan took the lantern beside him, and the flame licked the letter paper inch by inch until it turned into nothingness.

"Master, do you want to go back?" asked the secretary tentatively.

Xiao Mingxuan shook his head. "No rush. I'm also curious about what he cares about when he sees me, a powerless hostage."

*

The princess was away for four days. With the annual exams approaching, the National Academy simply gave the students a holiday, allowing them to study on their own. With Concubine Chen's permission, Xihe rushed to the princess's residence early in the morning, encountering Zhao Jinyuan, who was patrolling the city with his troops.

"Second brother!" A little head popped out of the carriage and looked at Zhao Jinyuan who was riding on the horse with a smile.

Zhao Jinyuan thought his hands were cold, so he turned the hand that was caressing his cheek and placed it on top of his head. "Why are you out in this cold weather?"

The little girl was not afraid of the cold at all. She grabbed one of Zhao Jinyuan's hands and placed it in her palm to warm it. "Daddy wants to summon my aunt to the palace today. I'm afraid she'll be wronged, so I came with my brother to pick her up!"

Only then did Zhao Jinyuan realize that there was another person sitting in the carriage.

"Ninth Prince." Zhao Jinyuan nodded.

"Second Prince." Xiao Mingxuan replied indifferently.

"What injustice?" Zhao Jinyuan asked with a frown.

Xihe hurriedly repeated to Zhao Jinyuan what he had told Emperor Jingyuan yesterday.

The Second Prince's cold face was suddenly covered with frost.

"He doesn't know what's good for him. Who the hell does he think he is? How dare he treat my aunt like this!"

Zhao Jinyuan admired Princess Yuanyang very much, not only because of her courage in regaining lost territory, but also because of her gentle concern for the younger generation.

Every time the eldest princess went to the camp outside the capital, she would give him some guidance and treat all princes and princesses equally.

"That's right! The ugly guy is the big bad guy, so Xihe had to rush here to prevent the big bad guy from bullying my aunt!" Xihe waved her little fists a few times, looking eager to try.

Xiao Mingxuan supported half of her body to prevent her from falling, and said, "You really have your father's temper."

"Is it bad?" Xihe asked, "With this temper, will it be difficult to find a prince consort?"

Xiao Mingxuan's mouth twitched, revealing a calm and harmless smile, "It's fine, no problem, keep working hard, you can be a little more arrogant, I'll take care of it."

Recruiting a prince consort? Why not go to heaven?