Chapter 59 Xue Han's Curiosity

Qiu Heng watched as Xue Han said something to the leading patrol inspector, and then the Imperial City Guard took over the task of arresting the people from the patrol inspectorate.

The old lady also witnessed all of this and shook her head slightly: "This Imperial City Guard is truly—"

The old lady didn't say what it really was, but the angry but silent looks on the faces of the people on the street were enough to show the world's dissatisfaction with the arrest of the righteous man who posted the hemp paper.

If a righteous person could eliminate the traitor Yuan who is harming the people, it would be a great relief to the people.

Indeed, nowadays, the people of Beijing privately refer to the person who pasted the hemp paper as a righteous man, while Yuan Chenghai is a scoundrel.

There was also a treacherous minister. Even though the soldiers had won a battle, the result was that the Great Xia gave the Northern Qi a large sum of money. This was all the work of the treacherous minister!

"Put the curtain down, you're such a show-goer." The old lady had just scolded Qiu Heng when she saw Xue Han walking in this direction.

The old lady's heart skipped a beat.

Could they be after them?

Originally, the Yongqing Marquis's Mansion had no connection with the Imperial City Guard, so normally such thoughts wouldn't arise. But since the Sixth Sister had just been found, this Imperial City Guardian personally came to their door.

The old lady's lips twitched as she glanced at Qiu Heng, who remained calm.

This girl is quite composed.

The carriage stopped, and a young man's voice came in: "Excuse me, are you the old lady of the Yongqing Marquis's Mansion?"

The elderly lady, seated inside, had no choice but to lift the carriage curtain and politely say, "It is I."

"Is Miss Qiu Liu with you?"

The old lady's expression stiffened slightly.

What trouble has that brat gotten into now?

"I'm here." Qiu Heng peeked out from next to the old lady.

The old lady tugged at Qiu Heng from behind and gave Xue Han a forced smile: "I wonder what business Master Xue has with my granddaughter?"

“It’s the same as telling you.” The tall, straight young man leaned down slightly and lowered his voice. “The rumors about Miss Qiu Liu outside were spread by Yuan Chenghai.”

As he said this, he was looking at the girl whose face was only half visible.

She seemed unsurprised, and smiled at him, saying, "Thank you for informing me, Lord Xue."

Xue Han straightened up, nodded slightly, and turned to leave.

The old lady abruptly pulled down the curtain and looked at Qiuheng.

Qiu Heng quickly comforted her, "Grandmother, don't worry. Since Princess Kang has recognized me as her goddaughter, Yuan Chenghai's plan has failed."

The family reunion banquet is scheduled for five days from now, and the news will spread throughout the circle at that time.

"That's not what I meant." The old lady's gaze was intense. "Why would Lord Xue of the Imperial City Guard investigate this matter, and even come specifically to inform you?"

What exactly is your relationship?

The old lady wanted to go crazy, but she held back.

Qiu Heng frowned at the question and hesitated before replying, "Perhaps it was Lord Xue who pitied the poor and weak and saw injustice on the road—"

The old lady slammed her hand on the cart floor: "Speak like a human being!"

The people in charge of the Imperial City Guard were compassionate towards the poor and weak, and they would right injustices whenever they saw them.

Qiu Heng thought to herself that these were indeed Xue Han's words, and no one would believe them.

“That time my granddaughter went to Dafu Temple outside the city to burn incense. When she returned to the city, she encountered strict checks. The city gate guards were deliberately making things difficult for her. It was Lord Xue who helped me out of the predicament… Perhaps Lord Xue had seen me at our house before and was looking after an acquaintance.”

The old lady: "..."

What nonsense about taking care of acquaintances! That kid must have ulterior motives towards Sixth Sister!

The old lady felt a pang of distress upon seeing her beautiful granddaughter.

He's good-looking but knows little, and he's there to antagonize her.

What exactly did that Fish Granny teach? Did she just laze around fishing all day?

Hu Si, standing beside Xue Han, said, "Sir, why don't you just say it in front of the old lady of the Yongqing Marquis?"

Why not?

"That won't do! It would cause misunderstandings!"

"What misunderstanding?" Xue Han asked.

"Misunderstanding—" Hu Si blinked.

Oh, it's not a misunderstanding, the adults are just thinking about Miss Qiu Liu.

But aren't you being a bit too direct?

"Don't think about anything else." Xue Han glanced at his subordinate and strode forward.

Did he misunderstand and think he had feelings for Qiu Liu?

If that's the case, it's not a bad thing for Qiu Liu, who has such a grandfather. At least in the future, Yongqing Bosheng will have more reservations about selling his granddaughter.

As the boy pondered these thoughts, the image of the girl's serene features unconsciously surfaced in his mind.

She looked like an autumn pool, bright and serene, completely undisturbed by malicious words.

He doesn't care about a bad reputation, acts as he pleases, and is so unconventional that he seems out of place in this world.

Such people, especially women, are either ignorant and fearless or have a strong sense of self-confidence.

After several encounters, he felt that she was definitely not the former.

So what gives her confidence?

He originally thought she was a timid young girl who had missed out on ten years of noble upbringing, and that he needed to do more to make her early days less difficult.

Now, he finds that he can't see through her at all.

She was like a mystery, piquing his curiosity and prompting him to try and find the answer.

But the boy instinctively felt it was dangerous, so he walked faster and faster, trying to get as far away from the carriage carrying the girl as possible.

Upon returning to the Earl's residence, the old lady immediately summoned the Earl of Yongqing and told him about the Princess Consort of Kang's desire to adopt Qiuheng as her goddaughter.

The Earl of Yongqing was stunned: "Does the Kang Prince's Mansion have some kind of leverage that Sixth Sister has over it?"

That girl is so weird!

The Earl of Yongqing suddenly agreed with what the old lady had said about Qiuheng.

Seeing Yongqing Earl's reaction, the old lady felt inexplicably pleased: "If we're talking about leverage, there really is."

Yongqing Earl: ?

"I think Princess Consort Kang is particularly worried that Sixth Girl and Prince Kang's son might have something going on. Taking Sixth Girl as her goddaughter is a way to get rid of this hidden danger."

The Earl of Yongqing was dumbfounded, and a sudden thought struck him: "What if Sixth Sister knew the Crown Prince—"

The old lady rolled her eyes: "The Empress is gone."

The Earl of Yongqing sighed, "That's true."

The old lady: "..."

Why was she chatting with that old man about such outrageous topics?

"In short, the Yuan family's wishful thinking has failed, so Lord, you shouldn't even think about it anymore."

The Marquis of Yongqing was furious: "How many times have I told you? I never intended to do this!"

Why do you assume he has such intentions? If he were truly willing to swallow his pride and let his granddaughter become a concubine, he wouldn't have chosen Yuan Chenghai.

The maid standing outside, having heard the old master and old lady arguing, remained completely calm.

Five days later, the Yongqing Marquis's family went to the Kangjun Prince's Mansion for a banquet, and the family reunion was completed with both sides as witnesses.

When the news reached Yuan Chenghai's ears, his face immediately darkened.

He secretly spread the news that Miss Qiu had come to his house, just to leave her with no way out. In the end, he might not even need to hint to Uncle Yongqing; the old man would just offer his granddaughter to him on his own initiative.

Unexpectedly, the Prince Kang's mansion interfered and ruined everything.

Is there something wrong with the Kang Prince's Mansion? They don't pick and choose their adopted daughters at all.

Yuan Chenghai was unhappy and went to Nie Siniang's place.

Nie Si Niang's residence was located deeper into the courtyard than Li Niang and Hui Niang's, and a fragrant aroma wafted in as soon as one stepped inside.

Yuan Chenghai took a deep breath, and the annoyance in his heart eased slightly.

This is also why he has been going home early lately.

In the capital, incense is indispensable in taverns, teahouses, entertainment venues, and private residences, but none of them smell as good as the incense at home.

The incense in Li Niang's room is invigorating, the incense in Hui Niang's room is relaxing, and the incense in Si Niang's room is calming.

I have to say, that little girl is quite capable.

(End of this chapter)