Chapter 75: New love, under the moon and in front of the flowers, everyone looks beautiful. ...

At the next court meeting, King Jing was absent again due to illness.

I don't know why this minor cold took five or six days to heal. When leaving court, Xie Tingchen said, "Is he trying to scam me? My father will blame me later!"

In the emperor's view, although Prince Jing's fall into the water was an accident, the cause was still a conspiracy set by the fifth prince.

This man will be thirty in a few years, and he can't concentrate. He has not done the tasks assigned to him recently. He was in the mood to travel with his friends during his vacation, but in the end he didn't take good care of the horse and almost hurt the emperor's brother, so he scolded him a few words.

Xie Tingchen was indignant, but Yu Qing did not comment.

She was also a little skeptical and didn't know what was going on with Xie Jing.

Later that evening, Duan Zhirui came to the Beichensi. Yu Qing discussed official business with him for a while. Halfway through, he asked about the time and said, "It's getting late. I have to go first. I have to go to Prince Jing's Mansion to exchange money later."

Yu Qing was startled and said, "I remember General Duan was always in the palace, wasn't he?"

Although the Golden Feather Guards were responsible for guarding the royal family, including the prince, Duan Zhirui was the deputy envoy, and he was personally on duty guarding the palace.

Duan Zhirui said: "Well, I changed my shift recently."

Yu Qing paused. She had already guessed that Duan Zhirui was Prince Rui's man; it was a tacit understanding. She suspected that three years ago, when Duan Zhirui had clung to the deposed Crown Prince and joined the Golden Feather Guard, he had already been secretly working for Prince Rui. Even after his predecessor's downfall, his connections remained relatively secure.

His transfer to Prince Jing's mansion must have been arranged by Prince Rui. Duan Zhirui was quite capable, and with him around, Xie Jing's safety could at least be guaranteed.

Yu Qing asked, "Oh, General, are you getting used to your new job?"

"It's not bad. I'm on duty everywhere, and it's not easy to earn a salary..." Duan Zhirui sighed, "But I've been quite free these past few days. Prince Jing is ill and can't leave the house, so I can just stay in the palace."

Yu Qing said: "Is he not well yet?"

Duan Zhirui sighed and said, "Yeah, I don't know what happened. It's been a few days. The imperial physician hasn't left yet."

"..." Yu Qing always felt that Duan Zhirui was being particularly talkative today, and said, "Maybe he was born with a weak constitution."

Duan Zhirui choked softly, stood up, and said, "Then I'll take my leave first."

Yu Qing nodded, but Duan Zhirui didn't move for a moment. Instead, he looked at her. Yu Qing: "?"

Duan Zhirui: "...Commander, see you later."

Yu Qing saw him turn around and leave, and suddenly said, "Wait."

Duan Zhirui turned around.

"The Xuanlin Guards are changing shifts right now, so I'll take a look," Yu Qing said slowly, picking up his sword. "It's a good opportunity for us to go out together."

Duan Zhirui said happily, "Okay, how about Commander, come with me to Xuanwu Street?"

Yu Qing: “…”

She was actually still hesitant, but after Duan Zhirui said that, she went along with it and nodded calmly.

·

The two men rode towards Xuanwu Street. Yu Qing's mind was not on the road. At this time, he vaguely heard some noise a few streets away. He looked up with a stern expression and saw black smoke coming out from over there.

This was a prosperous area, and there might be casualties from the fire, so Yu Qing led people to check it out. The fire was in a very bright pavilion, burning on the top three floors. People below had already evacuated, so she was about to ask about the situation when several people came running over in a hurry, followed by a small team of Xuanlin Guards.

"Oh no, the princess is still inside!" one of them shouted anxiously.

Yu Qing was stunned: "What princess?"

"Your Highness! Your Highness, be careful!"

Yu Qing looked up and saw a young girl appear at the edge of the smoking fence. She had escaped but was at a loss. Seeing that the fire around her was about to burn her, Yu Qing shouted, "Girl, jump down!"

The girl hesitated. After all, it was still two or three feet high. Yu Qing rode away, holding out his hand. "It's okay. I'll take it."

The girl made up her mind and jumped down. She was not very heavy, so Yu Qing caught her steadily. The horse under her could bear some of the force of the fall, so she didn't feel too reluctant.

The people nearby came over and called her "Your Highness" in unison. Yu Qing couldn't help but wonder, when did such a princess appear in the capital?

The girl looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a pretty face and dust on her body. Only then did she feel scared and burst into tears.

Yu Qing was not good at dealing with this situation, and his arms suddenly stiffened.

·

Dusk, Prince Jing's Mansion.

"In fact, we almost brought him here," Duan Zhirui said, "Really, the prince promised to come to Xuanwu Street..."

Xie Jing said quietly, "Forget it. I'll figure it out myself next time."

Duan Zhirui is not very reliable either.

He was actually almost fully recovered, and apart from a slight cough and being a little weak, he was fine.

The main reason for taking a leave of absence from today's court meeting was that the memorial to the Ministry of Revenue hadn't been completed. He was constantly thinking about Yu Qing and had no mood to write. Furthermore, this was something that couldn't be rushed. His pen was sluggish, and after half an hour, he had only written a few sentences. Xie Jing didn't want to embarrass himself any more.

The last time he submitted a memorial, it received a good response, and it was inevitable that it would be mentioned at this court meeting. If they asked him about the subsequent progress, he would stammer and be unable to explain clearly in front of all the civil and military officials in the court. The thought gave him a headache, so he simply continued to feign illness and put off the matter until next time.

Duan Zhirui explained: "It was indeed an accident. I didn't expect a princess to appear and kidnap the prince."

Xie Jing was stunned and frowned, "Princess? Which princess?"

Duan Zhirui told him the whole story.

The girl Yu Qing rescued was from Lanzhou, a southeastern island annexed by the current dynasty. Born into the Lanzhou royal family, she had suffered some injustice, and had run away from home with several attendants and clerks, drifting across the ocean to the other side. She had recently arrived in the capital from the coastal region.

But she was accompanied by few people, and she accidentally showed off her wealth too much, which made her the target of thieves. Later, she fell into a trap and was detained. At first, they said that they would release her after paying enough compensation. Later, they changed their minds and asked her subordinates to continue to raise money. After transferring the subordinates away, they wanted to molest the princess. The princess was young but very courageous. She directly lit a jar of wine, which attracted people from all directions. In the end, the two thieves were burned half to death, and the princess was rescued. There were no other casualties.

"After all, they are of noble status, so we must be more careful," Duan Zhirui said, "The commander will take that group of people to Beichen Division first..."

After he finished speaking, he looked up and saw that Xie Jing had a blank expression on his face. He didn't know if he was listening or not.

Duan Zhirui was about to ask when Xie Jing murmured, "...Princess?"

"Yes," Duan Zhirui said, "What a coincidence. By the way, Your Highness, you were also a princess back then!"

Xie Jing raised his eyes, his gaze dark, and said, "Yes."

Duan Zhirui had known Xie Jing for a long time, but he was not very familiar with him.

I've been working in his mansion recently and have discovered that the Ninth Prince is a bit sentimental. He often sits in a daze alone, not knowing what he's thinking about. After thinking for a while, he'll fall into a very strange atmosphere, which makes people feel uncomfortable.

He thought that Xie Jing must be doing this for Yu Qing. He had heard before that he had cried all night for Commander Yu and was deeply in love with him.

He then told His Royal Highness Prince Rui about it, mainly because he felt that Xie Jing had a hard time too, and hoped that Prince Rui would stop trying to break up the couple. Unfortunately, Prince Rui was still old-fashioned and conservative, and he would sigh whenever he mentioned Xie Jing and Yu Qing.

After all, King Rui is over thirty years old and there is a gap between him and young people like them, so it is difficult to persuade him.

"Don't worry, Your Highness. There will be another chance next time," Duan Zhirui said. "Actually, two years ago, I thought you and Commander Yu were made for each other, and it's almost the same now. Although Your Highness Prince Rui is not very optimistic, I am honestly quite touched. It's not easy to go through so many twists and turns. I traveled a lot in my youth and saw everything. In this world, true love is the most important thing. There are many people who are just gay..."

When he finished speaking, Xie Jing's face turned even paler.

"I have a headache," Xie Jing said, holding his forehead. "General Duan, you should shut up for a while."

·

It didn't take long before the story of Yu Qing heroically saving the beauty spread throughout the capital the next day.

The incident happened on the street, with many onlookers. The leader of the Xuanlin Guard, Lord Yu, rode up on his steed, fearless and dignified. He took the distressed woman into his arms, and the girl leaned against him, tears streaming down her face...

The people of the capital are numerous and leisurely, and they especially like to listen to rumors on the streets. If it is about a famous handsome man or beautiful woman, they will talk about it with great relish.

Yu Qing has always been quite eye-catching. He rose to prominence in his twenties and has a handsome and fair appearance. Since he took over the position of leader of the Xuanlin Guard, he occasionally went on patrol with the guards, and many people stopped to watch.

After the commander lost his wife, he never remarried, and it was unknown who would become the Crown Prince's wife. As soon as this incident came out, it immediately became a popular story, with people saying that perhaps this was fate sent from heaven.

The good news reached Prince Jing's mansion, and Xie Jing almost cut off half of the branch with a pair of scissors.

Why are people in the capital so quick to believe everything they hear?

He just happened to be passing by and saved her. Three years ago, General Yu and Princess Qingjia went on a trip together. How could he have forgotten so quickly?

Poor Princess Qingjia has passed away, but she is not even shown any respect.

Xie Jing put down the silver scissors and propped up his forehead.

He finally managed to cheer himself up and felt a little better from his previous gloom, but then new worries arose.

There had been rumors before, and he was worried, so he specifically asked Dong Li about it. That time, he had done something that backfired. Although the identity of the sachet was solved, the secret guard was caught and dragged off his horse.

But at the time, he and Yu Qing were still together day and night, and she was right in front of him, so he wouldn't be too anxious.

Now... Yu Qing broke up with him, and he couldn't do anything.

Moreover, I heard that she was a... princess?

The princess in distress, homeless, bullied, and without anyone to rely on, how similar.

No one knew better than Xie Jing how much Yu Qing loved and cared for Princess Qingjia.

Yu Qing had always been popular with the girls, and he knew that. She was also very kind to women, whether they were princesses, daughters of noble families, or maids.

Xie Jing used to be afraid that someone else would replace his unique position, but now he finally thought about it more deeply and was shocked to realize that he had never considered this possibility.

With the same appearance and personality, Yu Qing was so fond of Qing Jia, yet he couldn't get her to favor him. Besides her aversion to deception and deception, perhaps there was another reason?

Could it be that she... is only interested in women?

Xie Jing suddenly became restless. If this was true, he would not be facing many difficulties, but would be at his wit's end.

Since Yu Qing had taken the initiative to say that she did not want to consummate the marriage with Qing Jia, and had never done anything particularly amorous, Xie Jing had not noticed anything wrong.

Now he began to recall the past with Yu Qing, wondering if there was any clue in what she had said and done to him.

Yu Qing had hugged him, kissed him, liked holding his hand, and especially liked looking at him... did this count?

He thought about himself so much that his face turned red and his heart beat fast for a while. He analyzed it with difficulty and felt that even if they were intimate, it was very innocent and it didn't seem like there was anything else in his mind.

But he wasn't sure. He had no other experience, and at most he'd read a lot of storybooks.

Xie Jing didn't dare to think about it too much, fearing that he would not be able to accept it after recovering from a serious illness.

But he couldn't help but think that if he had married another princess instead of himself, Yu Qing would still treat her just as well. Yu Qing would treat any wife well. He was just lucky, just happened to run into her. It was all thanks to a fake identity and a marriage contract that they became husband and wife. After that, he was left with nothing.

Her sword was not actually danced for him. Under the moon and in front of the flowers, everyone looked beautiful, and Yu Qing could love anyone.

Now the princess of unknown origin is in Yu Qing's Beichensi, where he originally had a position.

In her hallucination, Xie Jing seemed to have seen Yu Qing affectionately holding her hand, softly speaking to her, hugging her, and even kissing her forehead. Those were all his things.

He felt difficulty breathing and his chest was very sore. He stood up in panic, thinking: This is absolutely not possible.

Xie Jing picked out his clothes and combed his hair. He hadn't taken good care of himself in several days. Now, looking in the mirror, he found that he had not yet recovered from his illness. His face was pale and his lips were pale.

He felt lost. How could he go to see Yu Qing like this? Should he find some makeup to cover it up?

...Never mind. He probably doesn't have the patience to paint right now.

Xie Jing hurried out of the mansion with his guards, impulsively arriving at the gate of Beichensi. He gazed at the vermilion lacquer gate and the imposing guards on either side, and regained his composure. The last time he'd left this place, it had been so tragic that he didn't need to do it again. The thought of this road to the north again broke his heart.

"Your Highness Prince Jing!"

Everyone saluted him, and the guard asked, "Your Highness, why have you come in person?"

He had been at the Beichen Division for quite some time, so the guards weren't too rude to him. Others, unaware of the reason for his departure, assumed it was just a routine transfer.

Xie Jing smiled and said, "I left some calligraphy and paintings in the government office. I have some free time today, so I want to come and pick them up."