Chapter 114 Marry Me
When Chi Yuan sent Qu Ling back to the Marquis' Mansion, dusk was already falling.
The lanterns hanging on the red gate of the Marquis' Mansion lit up.
"You've worked hard today. Why don't you have a cup of tea before leaving?" Qu Ling invited Chi Yuan into the house.
Chi Yuan had been to Dingxiang Marquis' Mansion several times, but each time it involved human lives.
"You are so polite, my princess."
Only then did he have a chance to see the girl in front of him clearly.
Qu Ling was still in mourning. She had changed out of her usual elaborate dresses and was wearing a plain white dress. Silver hairpins hung lightly in her hair, and when her clothes fluttered, they brought out a faint fragrance.
Chi Yuan was very familiar with that smell.
The smell is almost the same as the incense in front of the Buddha in Guoqing Temple.
"Master Chi, please come in." Qu Ling smiled with a hint of laziness in his eyes.
Chi Yuan's Adam's apple moved slightly, and he bowed and said, "So, I'm sorry to bother you, Princess."
It happened that there was an autumn rain yesterday, and the sky is clear today.
Under the corridor, there were osmanthus flowers blown down by the wind, fluttering down and scattering their fine stamens all over the ground.
"I should go visit the Marquis first." Chi Yuan said.
Qu Ling raised her eyebrows slightly and waved her hand nonchalantly, "No need. Father is still in mourning and he's already indulging in alcohol and sex. If you saw him, it would only make you laugh."
Such absurd behavior was discovered by the censor, and he received a lot of memorials.
Chi Yuan understood in his heart, and realized one thing: the princess was now in charge of this marquis's mansion.
He couldn't help but recall the girl's mumblings in front of the Buddha when they first met in Jiangzhou.
In just half a year, the Dingxiang Marquis's Mansion fell into decline.
Chi Yuan was not shocked, but instead felt a bit of admiration.
Suddenly I sighed again.
If there was such a person in the Marquis Jingwei's Mansion, there wouldn't be so much chaos.
The weather was getting cooler, so tea was brewed in the warm room.
The maid had already prepared tea and snacks. When she saw her master come in, she retreated quietly, leaving only the aroma of tea in the room.
"Please take a seat, sir," Qu Ling poured the tea himself. "This is the new tribute tea this year, a gift from the princess."
Chi Yuan took it, the tea soup was clear and the aroma was refreshing.
He took a sip and said, "Good tea."
When my grandfather was alive, the Jingwei Marquisate also had such rewards.
My father is not an ambitious man.
Neither the civil nor the military is proficient.
He neither learned the martial arts from his grandfather nor the economic knowledge from his grandmother.
He stayed in the Marquis' Mansion and got a casual job in the Guanglu Temple, living his life in a muddle.
The Marquis of Jingwei's Mansion gradually fell into disuse in the capital city, which was full of powerful people.
"My tea is naturally good, but you look much more haggard," Qu Ling looked at him with bright eyes. "Chi Yuan, have you been having a bad time lately?"
The sudden calling of his name made Chi Yuan feel hot behind his ears and his cheeks slightly heated.
He didn't dare look at Qu Ling, didn't dare look at the undisguised concern in her eyes.
"It's okay," he put down the teacup and said with a wry smile, "but my mother has become more and more anxious recently."
Qu Ling's eyes darkened. "For the position of Crown Prince?"
Chi Yuan nodded, his eyes slightly cold, "These days, when I returned home from the government office, I found that my study had been ransacked."
He said, "My mother complained to my father that I was neglecting my duties, judging the case with partiality, and even preparing fabricated evidence."
A cold light flashed in Qu Ling's eyes.
"Father naturally won't believe it, but he can't stand Mother's repeated mischief, which has disturbed the peace of our home." Chi Yuan's brows were cold.
If this happens too often, my father will become shaken.
Chi Yuan recalled those words, "Your mother also has her difficulties. Ah Yuan, you are more promising than your father and Ah Che. The Marquis' Mansion is just icing on the cake for you. It's better to give the position of Crown Prince to your younger brother."
He didn't agree.
It's his stuff, why should he give it away?
The mother was furious when she knew that her father had failed to convince him.
The usually dignified and elegant Lady Jingwei threw another set of tea sets in front of him.
"Your father and I didn't need to ask for your opinion. The request to confer the title of Crown Prince only required your father to submit a memorial."
Her face gradually twisted, "A Yuan, do you really have to quarrel with mother to this extent?"
Chi Yuan thought it was ridiculous.
From what his mother said, it seemed as if he should be grateful.
"In that case, let father submit the memorial directly," Chi Yuan said without giving in. "If His Majesty allows the Marquis of Jingwei to appoint the second son as the Crown Prince, the imperial order is difficult to disobey. I must agree even if I don't agree."
Resentment flashed in the eyes of Marquis Jingwei's wife.
"I should have divorced your father and taken Ah Che away, so I wouldn't be mad at you."
When Chi Yuan was very young, whenever she said this, he would be scared and cry.
Then he would give away what Chi Che wanted.
He was afraid of being abandoned by his mother.
The wife of Marquis Jingwei knew what he was afraid of, and she would always use this to scare him, and it always worked.
Then, he felt complacent in the face of Chi Yuan's fear and retreat.
But she forgot that Chi Yuan had grown up.
Chi Yuan's heart still felt a prick of pain, but it couldn't hurt him anymore.
After the falling out, his mother would only use more extreme methods to help Chi Che.
He worked in the government office during the day, and had to be on guard everywhere when he returned home.
Days like this are really tiring.
"Marry me." Qu Ling said with a smile.
"What?"
Chi Yuan looked up suddenly, thinking he had misheard.
Qu Ling smiled, his eyes serious, "If you marry me, no one will be able to take the position of Crown Prince away from you."
Chi Yuan couldn't describe how he felt.
He looked at the woman in front of him who was as bright as the morning sun, and an indescribable burning sensation surged in his chest.
If I marry her...
No.
no.
The burning flame was quickly extinguished.
"Chi Yuan is unworthy of the princess's kindness," he said. "Marquis Jingwei's residence is not a place of good fortune, and my mother is not easy to get along with."
He didn't want to drag her into the abyss.
"Are you afraid your mother will harm me?" Qu Ling asked, "You underestimate me."
She stood up and opened the window. Outside the window, a hibiscus was in full bloom.
She leaned against the window and turned back to meet Chi Yuan's gaze, which was still as warm and clear as it was in the Dali Temple prison in her previous life.
"I know exactly what your mother did to you over the years," Qu Ling said, his voice growing colder. "She hid needles in your saddle, drugged your food, and more. I don't even bother to tell you."
After she returned to Beijing, she asked the eldest princess to help her investigate.
As a mother, she actually used a famous actor and a skinny horse to seduce her son into indulging in alcohol and sex.
It's simply outrageous.
Chi Yuan was shocked, "How do you know?"
Qu Ling walked up to Chi Yuan and leaned over to look him in the eye. "Because I've been watching you."
"I'm not a delicate flower kept in seclusion. Marrying me is your best choice."
"Then what use am I to you?" Chi Yuan asked seriously.
Pulling her into the abyss, but what can he do for her?
Qu Ling stood up and laughed.
She took out the amulet that Ji Yuan gave her when she first encountered an assassination attempt.
"Your amulet can't protect me," Qu Ling said, "Marry me and take me home, and protect me with your own hands."
"You block the swords and sabers outside, and I will kill the evil spirits in the inner house."
Qu Ling refilled the teapot and pushed it in front of him. "If you have made up your mind, go and ask the Princess for help."
Amidst the lingering aroma of tea, Chi Yuan was unable to recover for a long time.
When he spoke again, he heard himself say, "Do you know what you will face once you enter the Marquis' Mansion?"
Qu Ling said lightly, "She's just a paranoid and biased lady."
A sharp gleam flashed in her eyes, and a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. "She is not worth mentioning."
The faint smile blew away the gloom that had been lingering in Chi Yuan's heart for a long time.
At this moment, Tingqin's voice came from outside the door, "Second Master, you can't go in."
"Get out of my way," Qu Yu said angrily. "In broad daylight, Xiaozhong actually brought a man from outside the family home and kept him alone in a room. My eldest brother doesn't know how to teach his daughter, so I'll do it for him."
The footsteps are getting closer.
Qu Ling smiled brightly at Chi Yuan, "I will let you know that I am the most suitable wife for you."
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