Chapter 143 Xie Guanlan is so hard to appease

The carriage drove along the official road.

Wen Xingluo lifted a corner of the curtain and saw that Xie Guanlan's army was escorting a lot of spoils of war, including food, fodder, gold and silver, and the most eye-catching thing was the carts full of iron and bronze utensils.

She lowered the curtains and suddenly looked at the young man drinking tea, wanting to say something but stopping herself.

Xie Guanlan didn't even raise his eyes. "What does Ningning want to say?"

"I've always wondered if the Crown Prince secretly forged weapons, but today it seems he didn't. Because... the Crown Prince's weapons are 'temporarily placed' with the bandits."

Xie Guanlan slowly and methodically skimmed off the foam from the tea.

Wen Xingluo's gaze rested firmly on his face. "Could it be that the Crown Prince is deliberately letting these bandits go? Once they grow and develop on the border, the Crown Prince will capture them all, seize their food and weapons, and use them for himself. This way, year after year, he will be able to accumulate a considerable amount of war supplies while concealing the truth from the imperial court."

Xie Guanlan sneered, "Am I that kind of person in Ningning's eyes?"

Wen Xingluo whispered, "'Justice does not command wealth, and kindness does not command the army.'"

Xie Guanlan looked at her.

The girl's expression was rather solemn.

She actually suspected that he was an unforgivable person who cared nothing for the people.

He put down his teacup and sneered, "Most of these bandits are vagrants and evil people from the border countries. Their strongholds are not built in Shu County, but in the neighboring Yelang Kingdom. They only dare to target Yelang when they rob houses. I send troops once a year to help Yelang eliminate the bandits. I admit that I have selfish motives to plunder iron and copper artifacts, but for Yelang, what I do is a favor, not an obligation. They should be grateful to me, not regard me as..."

He looked directly at Wen Xingluo, "You have no regard for the people, you are a wicked and evil person."

"I don't think of the prince as that kind of person." Wen Xingluo immediately retorted, "Even if you are, I believe you must have a bigger problem."

Xie Guanlan ignored her, his eyes and brows as cold as water.

Seeing that the atmosphere in the carriage had become stagnant, Wen Xingluo rubbed his brows in annoyance.

She shouldn't talk too much.

But this matter cannot be blamed entirely on her. Who knew that those bandits were actually from Yelang Kingdom?

Who could have imagined that the commander-in-chief of the southwest army of the Great Zhou Kingdom would actually be suppressing bandits from another country?

He himself was a fool, and he didn't allow her to speculate out of curiosity.

She thought about it, took the initiative to sit next to Xie Guanlan, gently pulled his sleeve, and softened her tone, "I'm sorry, don't be angry..."

Xie Guanlan lowered his eyes and played with the black jade ring indifferently.

Wen Xingluo bit her lip secretly.

It seems that this guy is really angry.

She racked her brains and praised him profusely, "I was overthinking it. Your Highness has a kind heart. You would never do such a thing as supporting bandits and treating the lives of ordinary people like worthless grass! Just now, I was judging you by my own standards!"

Xie Guanlan had a blank expression and remained indifferent.

Wen Xingluo had a headache.

Compared to Xie Yanchen and Xie Shian, this guy is really hard to appease.

She coughed lightly and tugged at his sleeve again, "Brother Ziheng..."

Xie Guanlan slowly turned the black jade ring with a sneer on his face, "I have a kind heart but a dark means and I have always loved to kill people. I don't deserve to hear you call me brother."

Wen Xingluo's words choked him.

This person is so hard to appease!

…

After returning to the palace, Wen Xingluo first went to report his safety to the old queen dowager and Wei Si, and then returned to Xiejinyuan to rest.

She wanted to apologize to Xie Guanlan again, but he was busy cleaning up the bandit suppression these days, and he was living and eating in the government office, so she had no chance to see him.

In addition, she had to make up for the lessons she had missed at Baihe Academy, so she forgot about the apology for a moment.

Official office.

Xie Guanlan spent several days and finally completed the task of suppressing the bandits.

He changed into a dark blue satin casual suit, leaned back in the bamboo rocking chair behind the screen, closed his eyes and rested, and asked calmly, "Has anything happened in the mansion these days?"

Fushan reported everything in detail, "The Concubine Dowager has been in excellent health these past few days, practicing the Five Animal Exercises every morning and evening. The Prince has been accompanying Madam Wei, spending the entire day collecting all sorts of gadgets to amuse her, but she still ignores him. The Second Young Master has recently developed an elixir that's said to allow people to speak the truth, and it's still in the testing phase."

After he finished speaking, the study fell into silence.

The late autumn sun shone through the window panes, casting shadows on Xie Guanlan's gorgeous, yet cold face. The bamboo rocking chair swayed gently, and his dark green satin uniform exuded a gorgeous and noble luster, like pine and cypress moss.

He rarely wears robes of this color.

He bent his fingers and tapped the armrest of the rocking chair slowly and methodically.

As if waiting for something.

Fushan coughed lightly, "That's all, nothing more."

Xie Guanlan opened his eyes and stared at him.

After a long pause, Fushan lowered his head and said, "Ahem... As for the young lady, I heard she's been very busy lately, but I don't know what she's been busy with."

As he was speaking, a young general came in hurriedly, "Commander-in-chief!"

Xie Guanlan straightened the hem of his robe and asked, "What?"

"It's like this," the general smiled shyly and scratched his head. "My mother said I'm old enough to get married, and asked if there's a girl I'm interested in. I'm in love with Miss Wen, so I told my mother and asked her to go to your house today to ask for my hand in marriage. Do you think I can be your brother-in-law?"

Xie Guanlan stared at him expressionlessly.

The young general went on incessantly, "You know my family's situation. It's considered a prominent family in the southwest. Three of my ancestors were dukes, and we even had a concubine. I'm a clean-handed person and have no bad habits. I'm eight feet tall and have a very handsome appearance. There are no problems in any aspect, including sex—"

"roll."

Xie Guanlan spat out a word coldly.

"Ahem..." The young general's legs felt weak. "Okay, okay!"

He ran away like a mouse seeing a cat.

Xie Guanlan rubbed his eyebrows.

Suddenly I want to go back to the palace.

The palace study.

Wen Xingluo finished her homework at the academy and began to open the letter sent to her by Chen Lezhi.

Chen Lezhi has been very worried recently because her father has started to arrange to choose a princess for her brother.

In the letter, she said that she did not want her brother to get married, so she repeatedly disrupted the concubine selection banquet and drove away several young ladies who admired Chen Yushi, causing her reputation in Hanzhong County to plummet during this period.

She said that she had special reasons for stopping her brother from choosing a concubine, but she couldn't say it out loud, so she was suffering every day now.

Wen Xingluo gently stroked the words on the letter paper.

She understood Chen Lezhi's difficulties.

Chen Yushi is a girl, and the truth will be revealed once the concubine selection banquet is held. Chen Lezhi loves her sister very much, so she repeatedly disrupts the concubine selection banquet. She is protecting her sister in her own way.

As Wen Xingluo wrote back to her, strange thoughts came to his mind.

Since the King of Hanzhong favors his concubine over his wife and prefers his illegitimate son, and will even kill his wife in the future, can he instigate Chen Yushi to rebel and conspire with Xie Guanlan?

She suppressed the thought, wrote her reply, and then opened Xie Shian's letter.

Xie Shian spoke with pride, claiming that he was doing very well in the army and had won military ranks. He also told her about Wen Rulei's recent situation.