Chapter 33: The Kings Farewell

But it was only for a moment, and her eyes drooped. When the veil fell with the wind, she bowed and saluted him from a distance.

This gentle and dignified look brought Xiao Ji back to his senses suddenly. He immediately withdrew his gaze, but there was an inexplicable sense of emptiness in his heart.

The twin sisters were indeed similar, and for a moment, he actually thought it was her.

Qingwu under the fence also breathed a sigh of relief. When they looked at each other just now, she felt that she was recognized by him. It was all her fault for forgetting etiquette and forgetting that she had to imitate the twin sisters' every move.

But this cannot be entirely blamed on her. In just less than half a decade, Xiao Ji has changed so much.

When he first met him, he was still a young general in fine clothes and riding a horse. Qingwu still remembered that he was as clean as a spring willow that day, with shy and lively eyes. But now he was leaning on a wheelchair, his face was pale, his expression was tired, his eyes were indifferent and depressed, and even the soft flesh on his cheeks was gone. He seemed to have been forced to grow up. In just a dozen days, he had shed the immaturity of a boy and grown into the appearance of a young man.

After changing husbands yesterday, in order to avoid exposing any flaws, Madam Zheng and Xi Qingtong told her some things about the deposed crown prince. She then learned that this young man was half a year younger than her and was not yet eighteen years old, while his five older brothers had all reached adulthood.

The emperor is old, the princes are young and strong, and the crown prince is still young... According to grandma, this is a sign of chaos.

Witnessing this transformation, Qingwu felt a surge of pity. It was enough that he had been deposed as crown prince, but even his concubine had abandoned him. However, thinking of his own situation, Qingwu chuckled to himself. How could this not be considered sympathy?

We sympathize with each other when we are in trouble and help each other when we are worried.

Whether it was simply out of pity or because the two of them had become closely related after exchanging husbands, Qingwu felt that she needed to help the young man in front of her. After thinking about it, Qingwu walked towards the door of the palace.

Xiao Ji naturally noticed that Qing Wu had been looking at him for a long time, but he didn't care. Looking at Yu Guangzhong's slender figure getting closer and closer to him, he felt a little annoyed, fearing that she would cry to him again.

However, the graceful figure walked up to him with light lotus steps without showing any abnormality. After bowing politely, she called out "My dear" again, which made Xiao Ji's body tremble slightly. He looked up involuntarily at the concubine in front of him whose face was covered by the curtain.

The white veil under the curtain was hazy, and the face of the woman behind the curtain was vague, which made people more curious. Zhao Tong saw that his master was staring at him, and he couldn't help feeling a little happy in his heart. It was true that a friend in need is a friend indeed. The master was finally interested in his wife.

However, Xiao Ji was just confused in his heart. When he couldn't see her face and expression clearly, the word "My dear" seemed to sound like someone else.

Qing Wu, unaware that her unusual behavior had been noticed, mimicked her twin sisters' words and actions, gently admonishing, "I know you're feeling down, my dear, and don't want to be reminded of me by the sight of things. But times are different now. Living in the temporary palace might be inconvenient, and I can't pack everything right away. Please... take whatever you can."

Qingwu turned his head and glanced at the carriage parked in front of the main hall. It was obvious that he only brought a few sets of clothes. If he went to the palace like this, he would have to spend dozens of taels of silver to buy more things.

She used to be the head of the household when she and her grandmother were practicing medicine. She was even more stingy back then. She even had to calculate carefully when to buy a roast chicken after receiving medical fees, which often made her grandmother complain about her being "unfilial". It was only after she returned to the Xi family and lived a good life for three years that she became much better.

But back then they spent silver and copper coins, but now they have plenty of gold. When Qingwu thought about spending gold, he felt even more distressed and reluctant.

Everyone could hear the hesitation in her words. Xiao Ji couldn't help but look at her carriage. The two maids were still diligently stuffing things into it. The carriage was packed inside and out, with quilts and copper basins all packed in. Xiao Ji couldn't help but wonder whether the three of them, master and servant, would be able to get in later.

Perhaps Qingwu also knew that his carriage was much less respectable than that of the nobles. His cheeks flushed and he hurriedly explained, "Common people move like this. They take all their belongings with them..."

This sentence woke Xiao Ji up again. His eyes sank again, and then he raised his head to look at Qing Wu, his eyes were different from before.

"You're right, we are already civilians."

He originally thought that his concubine could only cry, but now it seems that she is more insightful than him, and can take it and let it go. Xiao Ji couldn't help feeling ashamed.

Thinking of the word "whole family", a faint ripple appeared in his heart and bitterness welled up between his lips.

The whole family, the whole family, it turns out that the new concubine is his family... The father he has been with for eighteen years is not...

Qing Wu took a look and saw Xiao Ji's face was disappointed, so he quickly made an excuse to escape, "I still need to keep an eye on that side, I'll go first."

After she left, Zhao Tong praised her, "Madam, you are indeed very thoughtful. What's the point of saving face? We must always think about the future. Master, shall we?"

Xiao Ji was awakened from his emotions. He looked at the girl busy giving orders back and forth, and finally nodded.

Zhao Tong immediately smiled. After Qingwu's advice, he felt that it would be a waste not to take advantage of the opportunity. Since His Majesty could be so cruel to his master, why should he be angry and make his master uncomfortable? He glanced at the things on Qingwu's carriage, called his little apprentice Fugui into the inner hall, and started to clean up again.

Then Xiao Ji was left outside the hall door, watching the two eunuchs go back and forth again and again. In the end, his carriage became the same as the one behind it, with large and small packages, and even more things piled on the roof of the carriage.

At this moment, a group of people came towards them in a mighty procession. Xiao Ji looked up and his eyes darkened instantly.

There was a huge commotion over there, and Qingwu and others soon discovered that they were all young people in gorgeous clothes and with extraordinary temperament. Even Qingwu guessed their identities.

As expected, the leader stopped four or five steps away from the carriage and said loudly, "Sixth brother, we heard that you will be going to the palace today, so the brothers have come to see you off."