Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Good Baby
"Chase him!" Jiang Hexue screamed in shock.
This is Su Miner's lover, and also the person Fu Wang frequently meets in Zuileju.
But the gray-robed man wore an iron mask, revealing only a pair of sharp eagle eyes. He held a dagger across his chest and retreated from the corridor as light as a swallow.
Chen Qingchen scooped up Jiang Hexue and flew up, but did not chase after her. Instead, he went in the opposite direction to find Xue Lan and Xue Zhu who were about to leave. "Escort the princess back to Yuehua Palace."
"Your Highness, I will follow you." Xue Lan pulled Jiang Hexue out, but Xue Zhu gestured.
“No need.”
"But your injuries haven't healed yet..."
"Is this king's order difficult to understand?" Shen Qingchen said coldly.
Xuezhu had no choice but to step back and follow Jiang Hexue.
-
In Yuehua Palace, Jiang Hexue paced and thought.
Su Min'er's lover is the prince, the fourth...
She kept thinking about the half-voice in her throat at that time.
How could it be the Fourth Prince? Prince Jing, Shen Zelan?
This was a completely unexpected result for her.
Although Shen Zelan, as a half-geographer, traveled extensively, it was not surprising that he knew Zhenbei Hou and Fu Wang...
But no matter how you look at him, he is a clear, pure and innocent young man. Moreover, Shen Qingchen would visit him privately, so they must have a good personal relationship. Why would he act like this?
Jiang Hexue held his chin and couldn't help but sigh in frustration.
First there was Ah Cheng, and then perhaps Shen Zelan. Is her judgment of people so inaccurate?
The window made a slight sound when it was pushed open, and the young man in white climbed in by holding onto the window frame.
"Are you hurt?" Jiang Hexue stepped forward.
Shen Qingchen paused in dusting off his palms, then reached out his hand to her after a moment.
"Where?" Jiang Hexue held his hand worriedly, looked left and right, but did not see any wound.
Shen Qingchen bent his fingers and whispered: "Here."
Jiang Hexue squinted her eyes and saw that there was a tiny crack on his fingertip.
It was about half the length of his nail edge.
"...I thought it was a serious injury." Jiang Hexue's heart dropped, and she couldn't help but laugh. "Now you're asking me to check even such a minor injury?"
“You asked.” Shen Qingchen whispered.
"It will heal if you don't check it now." Jiang Hexue muttered softly.
Shen Qingchen was a little embarrassed and wanted to retract his hand, but she held his wrist again, and he couldn't break free, so he raised his eyelashes and looked at her.
"Does it hurt?" Jiang Hexue looked at him with a smile.
Shen Qingchen shook his head.
How could such a small and shallow wound hurt?
But Jiang Hexue held his hand to her lips and breathed softly.
A soft breath fell, and her soft lips touched his fingertips vaguely. She raised her head again and smiled: "Blow it and it won't hurt, dear baby."
Shen Qingchen's whole hand was stiff, unable to retract it, staring at her in shock.
Her phoenix eyes were bright, and her purple pupils held a sly and charming smile.
Even though the disguise smeared all over her face had not been wiped off, her eyes were so beautiful and clear, like Beixuan's finest purple teeth black.
No matter what, it can be recognized at a glance.
"Qiong Qiong." Shen Qingchen called her in a low voice, her ears red.
She is always like this. There is nothing wrong with accusing her of course, but it is just that it is hard to cope with her and I don't know what to say.
"It's good that he has no other injuries. Did you see who he is?" Jiang Hexue let him go.
Shen Qingchen shook his head: "That person's Qinggong is comparable to mine. And he has helpers to stop him."
"Then why didn't you arrest and interrogate him?" Jiang Hexue was puzzled. "Is he a death squad? Or are we outnumbered?"
"Neither." Shen Qingchen's eyelashes trembled slightly, and after a while, he explained in a low voice. "His helper is Fu Wang."
The scene just now appeared in my mind again.
It was a dark and windy night. He chased the man in gray straight into a dark alley. Just as he was about to capture him alive, Fu Wang suddenly jumped down from the wall and swept away the feather arrow with his long whip.
"Your Highness, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed today." He smiled, revealing his white teeth. "I'd like to have a discussion with Your Highness."
With just this one block, the gray-robed man had already retreated halfway down the alley. Shen Qingchen didn't want to waste words with him, so he went around him, picked up the arrow and chased after him.
But Fu Wang refused to give in and stopped him.
"Your Highness can only chase after me over my corpse." He cracked his whip, laughing. "But, Your Highness, do you dare to kill me?"
Shen Qingchen pulled open the dragon tongue bow and set another feather arrow on it.
"I am the eldest son of Marquis Changping. If I die here, I don't know how the royal family will explain to Marquis Changping." Fu Wang said hurriedly when he saw that he didn't seem to care.
The feather arrow shot out and he quickly waved his whip to block it. The huge impact force paralyzed half of his body and he retreated repeatedly.
"Your Highness, have you thought it through?" Fu Wang's lips were bleeding, his brows were fierce, and his smile was ferocious. "If you kill me today, even if Your Majesty can explain it to my family, how will you explain it to Hexue?"
"Do you think... He Xue will forgive you?"
Shen Qingchen's hand pulling the bow suddenly tightened.
A feather arrow whistled out at the side, and Fu Wang leaned sideways to block it, but in the blink of an eye, another feather arrow shot straight towards the gray-robed man at the end of the alley.
The gray-robed man cried out in pain, covering his injured right arm and disappeared at the fork.
Shen Qingchen put away the bow and glanced coldly at Fu Wang, who was grinning and covering his painful arm.
"The palace examination will be held at the end of the month," he said in a cold voice. "I wish you, Master Fu, success in the imperial examination."
After thinking for such a long time, Jiang Hexue beside him remained silent.
Shen Qingchen didn't know how to start, and didn't mention any details of what happened to Fu Wang. She just said, "The man injured his right arm."
"In two days, it will be my brother's birthday. Everyone in the royal family will be there. You'll know immediately."
Jiang Hexue then nodded gently: "Where's Su Min'er?"
"...buried." Shen Qingchen did not tell the truth.
He went to the Heavenly Prison once before he came back.
The jailer of the Heavenly Prison is the most licentious, so it’s better not to tell her about it.
He simply soaked the towel Xuemei had just brought him in water and carefully wiped off the makeup on Jiang Hexue's face, revealing her porcelain-white cheeks. Then he softly said, "Go to bed early, my dear."
"Tomorrow, we'll go home."
-
Emperor Hengshun's methods were swift and decisive.
The next day when Jiang Hexue woke up, he heard that the Zhou and Su families were completely convicted of corruption. The Minister of Revenue was beheaded, the rest of the men were exiled to the frontier, and the women were enslaved.
Empress Dowager Su temporarily stayed in the Lizhou Palace in the name of self-cultivation and set off that day.
Jiang Hexue accompanied Shen Qingchen to see her off for the last time.
The sky is clear and the sun is bright and warm.
The hand wearing golden armor lifted the carriage curtain. The Empress Dowager Su looked as dignified as ever, as if it was really as said, that she was only going to stay temporarily in the Lizhou Palace, and not that the Su family, as the only powerful family in Kyoto, had lost everything and had to withdraw from the court.
"Emperor, Empress, please send her here." She said to Emperor Hengshun and Empress Xie, then turned to look at Shen Qingchen and Jiang Hexue behind them. "I want to talk to Hexue alone again."
Emperor Hengshun nodded and led Empress Xie back to the palace first.
But Shen Qingchen did not turn around: "The Queen Mother does not need to talk to He Xue alone."
Empress Dowager Su looked at him calmly.
Shen Qingchen did not retreat at all: "This king is here to accompany you."
"The Su family was wiped out in your hands. What can I say to you?" Empress Dowager Su's eyes were sharp.
Shen Qingchen remained silent and protected the girl beside him even more strictly.
"Husband." Jiang Hexue spoke as the little white horse beneath her crotch flicked its tail unhappily. "It's okay."
"After all, it's not convenient for the imperial physician to check the Empress Dowager's pulse right now."
Queen Mother Su's expression was slightly stern, while Shen Qingchen looked at her deeply and finally nodded.
He took her hand, placed a golden bell in her palm, and led Zhuixue back to the intersection where she could still see him.
Jiang Hexue couldn't help but curl her lips and turned to look at Empress Dowager Su: "What does the Empress Dowager want to see Hexue about?"
Empress Dowager Su's gaze fell lightly on her ivory and gold embroidered silk dress, to the gorgeous and exquisite purple and black collar around her neck, then to her bright and charming face, and finally met her clear and charming purple eyes.
"You are the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Zhenbei who died young due to illness," she said firmly. "Your biological mother was also a princess who was married to a foreign prince. Can't you understand me?"
"Marriage is the responsibility of princesses and county ladies."
"If the peace and prosperity of the country depends on the marriage of princesses and county ladies, Hexue believes that this simply demonstrates the weakness of the army and the decline of the generals, and the incompetence of the king."
"Childish," Queen Dowager Su scoffed. "The manpower and resources lost in war are far more valuable than sending away a princess."
"But is Zhaohua's biological mother the princess of Longlin?" Jiang Hexue raised her eyelashes and asked softly.
"I eventually made her a princess and built the Renshu Temple for her, where people can worship her and leave her name in history."
"But is that her real name?" Jiang Hexue asked slowly. "Is she really a daughter of the Su family's branch?"
"Titles and status are far more important than one's real name!" Empress Dowager Su frowned and spoke sternly. "She was originally a lowly tribute girl from a foreign country, but she was favored by chance and bore the late emperor a son. Now, the status I have bestowed upon her is far more noble than her original birth!"
"Besides, have I ever treated Zhaohua unfairly over the years? The emperor has many brothers, but he is the only one still alive, enjoying all the glory and wealth!"
Jiang Hexue narrowed his eyes. "Zhaohua is the biological son of the late emperor. Even though his mother was of humble origin, he should be granted the title of prince. Everything he has is not a gift from you."
"The Empress Dowager values her reputation very much. If the Emperor's brothers are really not allowed to live, I'm afraid that is not what the Empress Dowager wants." She stroked the little white horse that had lost its patience soothingly, and enunciated each word clearly.
"From the beginning, you were the one who used Zhaohua first."
"You showed Zhaohua no kindness in giving birth or raising her. You harmed Princess Renshu, erased her past, bestowed upon her a title that sounds like 'surrender,' and humiliated her by building the Renshu Temple, a place for seeking marriage. How can you stand tall and accuse Zhaohua of being heartless and disloyal?"
"According to Hexue, the Empress Dowager really—" She parted her red lips slightly, pausing each word. "Hou, Yan, Zhi, You."
Queen Mother Su's face turned pale: "I am the Queen Mother, how dare you speak so rudely?!"
Jiang Hexue raised his eyebrows slightly and admitted his fault frankly: "Hexue was unfilial and rude. I know my crime."
"The accompanying medical officer has arrived at the post station outside the capital. Your Majesty, please stay calm and don't get angry, as it will harm your health." She added considerately.
Empress Dowager Su pulled the curtain of the carriage tightly.
"The Empress Dowager has finished speaking, Hexue will take her leave." Jiang Hexue kicked the horse's belly, and the white horse galloped away as ordered.
The spring breeze blew on her face, and she raised the golden bell in her hand. The clear and pleasant sound was carried by the warm spring breeze into the ears of Shen Qingchen who was waiting beside her.
He shook the reins, spurred his horse into a gallop, stopped in front of her horse, and dismounted: "Are you frightened?"
Jiang Hexue shook her head: "I'll give her a good scolding."
Shen Qingchen laughed dumbly.
"I named Xiao Ma." Jiang Hexue looked up, her eyes bright as stars. "The same way you named Zhuixue."
In the bright spring scenery, Shen Qingchen saw her smile as beautiful as a flower and heard her voice as soft as the wind.
"Go to China."
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