"The Crown Prince is really fast; I had to hurry to catch up."

Just then, outside the courtyard, the wise prince, while speaking, had already entered with his guards without any politeness.

He appeared to be smiling, but his gaze was directed towards the inside of the house.

Xie Lingqin looked at Yuwen Xian and really wanted to chase him away immediately. Yuwen Xian, you are the person I most want to kill.

However, he remained calm and very polite, asking, "What brings you here, Your Highness?"

"Oh, I just heard that the Crown Prince wanted to play chess with you. I didn't know that you could play chess, Lingqin. And the Crown Prince has quite a high opinion of you, so I came to see for myself."

The wise king said this without batting an eye.

If Xie Lingqin hadn't known that the two brothers were not on good terms, she probably would have thought that the two had a deep friendship.

but……

"Oh, the Crown Prince just said..."

"I feel a bit hungry and don't want to play chess anymore. I plan to have lunch at Qingshui Pavilion."

The Crown Prince interrupted Xie Lingqin as she was about to say that he was leaving, and glared at her fiercely.

Xie Lingqin...

We still need to have lunch.

Your Highness, why don't you go to heaven?

“Is that so? In that case, it will take some time to get back to the manor anyway, so why don’t we go together?” Yuwen Xian actually wanted to stay as well.

Xie Lingqin looked at the two of them and thought, "They're just unbelievable."

"Is that so?" Yuwen Yao took the tea from Zihe, looked up from the swirling tea steam, and uttered only two words.

This was enough to make Yuwen Xian's smile fade somewhat.

He had lunch with the Crown Prince here, but he could never see through the Crown Prince's heart.

If he were to do something underhanded, then...

He can't be ruined here.

Xie Lingqin quickly discerned the contest between the two, and it was obvious that Yuwen Xian was at a disadvantage. A plan formed in her mind, and she hurriedly stepped forward in a harmless yet extremely obsequious manner, saying, "The Crown Prince wishes to dine here. Zihe, go quickly and cook the best and freshest ingredients from our Qingshui Pavilion for the Crown Prince to enjoy." As she spoke, she even picked up a teapot and poured tea for the Crown Prince, asking, "Your Highness, is this tea pleasant?"

Crown Prince...

His gaze swept from Xie Lingqin's hand to her face, his expression unchanged, and he uttered a single word, "Rough."

Clearly, Xie Lingqin's efforts were met with indifference from the Crown Prince.

However, Xie Lingqin was not discouraged. She smiled and instructed the giant clam outside the house, "Giant clam, go and see if there are any better teas in the storeroom. Bring them all to the Crown Prince."

Seeing her young mistress's overly attentive manner, Tridacna couldn't help but feel dizzy. She blankly responded and went downstairs.

And Yuwen Xian...

He stood in the courtyard for a long time, but Xie Lingqin didn't invite him in to sit down, nor did she give him a second glance. Instead, she focused all her attention on the Crown Prince.

That obsequious and smug demeanor is truly distasteful.

But ironically, the angrier he got, the more uncomfortable he felt; the more he wanted to leave, the less he wanted to leave, and the more irritating it became.

However, in this situation, it would be too dangerous for him to stay and dine with the Crown Prince.

and……

"Your Highness, have you forgotten Father's meaning?"

Yuwen Xian suddenly said meaningfully.

Yuwen Yao glanced at him, expressionless, "It seems that in the General's Mansion, the Prince Xian runs around more frequently than I do."

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Xian's expression turned ugly.

He had previously spoken to the Emperor about Xie Lingyu's matter. The Emperor was clearly disappointed in him but did not blame him, which was entirely due to his favor towards him.

However, how can I discuss Father Emperor's attitude toward the General's Mansion here?

Whew, Yuwen Xian thought to himself, and suddenly breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He had actually lost his composure just now.

She's just Xie Lingqin, a woman he divorced before she was even married. What's so special about her?

"In that case, I shall take my leave."

"Please take care, Your Highness. We won't see you off any further."

Xie Lingqin's clear and bright tone instantly shattered Yuwen Xian's carefully constructed self-comfort and self-hypnosis.

But he could only leave Qingshui Pavilion without looking back.

"Your Highness, you're leaving just like that? What was the reason for the Crown Prince's sudden visit to the General's Mansion today?"

They hadn't gone far when Qingyi inquired.

Yuwen Xian's face was gloomy. He raised his hand and pinched the space between his eyebrows. "Qingyi, do you think Xie Lingqin is different from usual today?"

Qingyi was taken aback. Wasn't they talking about the Crown Prince?

"Your Highness, I feel that Miss Xie is more confident than usual, but her fawning attitude towards the Crown Prince is truly..."

“It looks glaring, doesn’t it?” the wise king said.

Qingyi nodded, "I think Miss Xie is probably trying to get close to the Crown Prince so he can support her."

“Yes.” Yuwen Xian tightened his grip on his hands behind his back. “The key point is that although the Crown Prince did not show any joy, he did not show any displeasure either.”

Yuwen Xian couldn't understand it, couldn't see through it.

“However…” Yuwen Xian suddenly gave a cold laugh, “The Crown Prince’s open contact with Xie Lingqin will likely be difficult for Father to explain to him.”

"Your Highness, we're about to leave the General's Mansion. Would you like to go see the Second Miss?" Qingyi whispered a reminder from behind, looking at the lush greenery in front of them.

Yuwen Xian paused, pondered for a while, and before he could speak, Xie Lingyu and her maidservant approached gracefully.

"Lingyu greets Your Highness."

"Lingyu, there's no need for formalities. Please rise." The Prince Xian stepped forward and helped her up, his fingertips brushing against the back of Xie Lingyu's hand, seemingly casually.

Xie Lingyu's heart skipped a beat. "Today's events have made the Prince a laughingstock, Mother..."

Yuwen Xian showed no sign of surprise and said gently, "As I said, this matter was done by your mother and has nothing to do with you. You should take good care of your mother these next few days. I'll be leaving now."

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