Chapter 254
Xi Quan obediently walked over, glanced up and inadvertently saw the person in front of her, then lowered her head slightly in a fluster.
Like a shy young lady.
But she was a little excited and thought he was there to serve the princess, so she didn't hear what Tao Tao had just said.
Suddenly, he heard the person in front of him say, "Raise your head."
Xi Quan slowly raised her head upon hearing this, revealing what she thought was a gentle smile, letting the princess's scrutinizing gaze linger on her face.
As Qi Roufu examined her, he said, "This person looks delicate and graceful, yet possesses a more masculine quality than the average young woman. She does seem quite good."
Upon hearing this, he was immediately disappointed, thinking that the princess had recognized him, but she hadn't.
Mingming knew that every time she went to Chufeng Pavilion to find Gongzi Qinglin, he was there too.
"If you're talking about the most handsome man in the entire capital, it has to be at Chu Feng Pavilion. It's just a pity that Duan Gan, the one I like, has already taken him in."
Her expression darkened slightly when she mentioned this, and there was a hint of apprehension in her eyes.
"The most handsome man?" Tao Tao repeated, "Shouldn't the most handsome man be Duan Gan?"
As for Qinglin, she thought of the head Duan Gan was carrying that night and remained silent.
Qi Roufu was speechless for a moment when asked the question. “He is good-looking, but don’t you think he is terrifying? He has killed many people, and his heart is colder than ice and harder than iron.”
When she first returned, she tried to get close to him and happened to see him dealing with a fugitive. Although he didn't do it, he was sitting in a chair watching with great interest.
She would never forget that indifferent expression and cold gaze.
Upon hearing this, Tao Tao simply smiled and remained silent.
"By the way, today is your wedding day. Your husband has been demoted to the Prince of Yong and is now imprisoned in the Prince of Yong's mansion. Don't you want to find a way to save him?"
"Also, it seems there are rumors that you and Duan Gan have some kind of relationship. The Grand Councilor has never worn red before, but he wore it at the Crown Prince's wedding banquet and even flirted with you. What is that if not a provocation?"
"And they've come to deliver an imperial decree, so they'll immediately throw your groom into jail."
As soon as she finished speaking, a hint of worry appeared in her eyes, but she quickly smiled and said, "Fortunately, you haven't had your wedding ceremony yet, so you're not officially a member of the family."
"Couldn't it be for the Crown Prince? You said he brought Xiao Guan back from Chu Feng Pavilion, maybe he's into men."
"Huh?" Qi Roufu stared wide-eyed at Tao Tao, who was resting her chin on her hand and looking at her with astonishment.
She had never thought of this before, but after hearing her say it, it seemed somewhat possible.
Seeing her shocked expression, Tao Tao chuckled, "You've reminded me. I have a letter here; could you give it to him for me?"
She took out a letter from her sleeve, on which were written the four large characters "To Yanli".
Qi Roufu took it suspiciously, looked it over, and asked, "Why didn't you give it to him yourself? Actually, Qi Heng is a decent person, with a gentle nature, it's just that his mother isn't very good."
"Don't tell me you went to test him?" Tao Tao glanced at her sideways, sensing something else in her words.
It turned out to be true. She bit her lower lip, avoiding her gaze, and looked somewhat guilty.
After all, the person in front of her almost became her niece-in-law, and she had previously thought of using this to get revenge on the Empress.
"You really are..." she said, somewhat speechless.
"Qi Heng is upright and polite, a true gentleman. He certainly wouldn't have seen through my intentions. I felt that such a person couldn't possibly be tempted, which is why I gave up..."
Qi Roufu tried to explain, but the more he talked, the stranger it seemed.
Ignoring her strange gaze, she smiled ingratiatingly, "Oh, that's all in the past. You two didn't become husband and wife, which means you were destined to be apart."
Tao Tao: "I don't blame you. I just want to let you know that I won't be in the capital for a while. Once I get there, I'll send someone to contact you."
She frowned: "Where are you going? Aren't you coming with me to take them down?"
Defeated?
Tao Tao raised an eyebrow and tapped her cheek with the finger supporting her chin.
She didn't have any deep-seated hatred for them, at most she had a grudge against the Empress, but after Qi Roufu's antics, the Empress would be crippled even if she didn't die.
Furthermore, she had heard the news that the Qiu family had also suffered in the afternoon, so Qi Heng must be under a lot of pressure now.
She stood up and said, "I'm leaving now. Please be careful."
“His name is Xiquan,” Tao Tao said, pointing to the person standing not far away.
Xi Quan panicked, thinking about who would give him the antidote after she left. He said, "Princess, where are you going? What about my antidote?"
Tao Tao took out a palm-sized porcelain bottle from her purse and handed it to Qi Roufu. "He has a kind of poison in his body. He needs to take an antidote every fifteenth of the month to suppress the poison. This is a three-month supply."
Qi Roufu only realized why Tao Tao was so comfortable letting this person go to the emperor's side when she saw the white porcelain bottle in her hand. It turned out that she had a way to control him.
Her actions indirectly answered Xiquan's question and told him that even if she wasn't there, she could still control him.
After speaking, Tao Tao turned and left. Qi Roufu stood there watching her figure disappear into the night, feeling a pang of melancholy.
She looked at Leng Qiao, who was standing at the gate of the courtyard, and said, "Let's go."
Before long, Tao Tao stood in the mountains outside the city, looking up at a white line breaking free from the dim sky. A colorful parrot flew over from afar and landed on her shoulder.
Soon a horse-drawn carriage sped along the dirt road, gradually moving away from the city gate.
She lifted the curtain behind the carriage and gazed silently at the receding city gate until it was no longer visible before turning her gaze away.
"Miss, according to the current travel schedule, we will arrive in Luzhou this evening. You can rest at the inn then."
Leng Qiao looked back as she spoke.
Soon, the curtain was lifted from the inside, revealing Tao Tao's sleepy and drowsy face. She rubbed her eyes and asked, "What did you say?"
Seeing this, she suddenly pursed her lips and shook her head, "It's nothing, Miss, you can continue sleeping."
Tao Tao gave an "oh," and before even going inside, she yawned again, resting her head on her shoulder, her voice sticky, "If you're tired, just pull over and stop for a bit. We're already out of the capital."
Leng Qiao froze, her hand holding the reins trembling. Hearing her voice, she mechanically nodded, "Yes, yes, Miss."
Suddenly, the carriage seemed to run over a stone and lurched violently. Tao Tao was caught off guard and almost fell headfirst, but luckily Leng Qiao caught her head in time.
Tao Tao stared at the sharp stones scattered on the road, her pupils contracted, her heart pounded wildly, and all her sleepiness vanished.
"Miss, be careful."
As the carriage gradually slowed down, Tao Tao quickly grabbed the edge of the carriage and patted her chest, saying, "Thank goodness you were here; I was really scared to death just now."
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