Chapter 42: A kiss from family to satisfy your craving?
Hearing this, Xie Yuting laughed muffledly.
"Jealous?" He raised the corner of his lips.
Jiang Yueying retorted shyly: "Don't be so self-indulgent, I'm just asking casually!" A touch of peach blossom crimson spread from her ears, staining her jade-white neck all the way.
"Then why did you mention Madam Mengxiang specifically?"
"I can't bring it up. Are you feeling guilty?"
Xie Yuting stared at her intently. Jiang Yueying avoided his gaze and said half-seriously, "I ran into Madam Meng Xiang in the parade today. She smiled at me, so I asked..."
"Well, she's saying hello to you," he said.
Jiang Yueying was even more confused. She was not her master, so it was strange for her to ask about peace.
Could it be that she wanted to enter Xie Yuting's backyard, so she greeted the mistress?!
The girl's eyes suddenly widened. Xie Yuting knew that she had misunderstood again and couldn't help but poke her head.
Then Xie Yuting answered her doubts. It turned out that Madam Meng Xiang was his secret agent planted in Chunfeng Tower. Chunfeng Tower was the most famous brothel in Kyoto, with many officials coming and going. It was inevitable that men would let slip when they were drunk, so he could take the opportunity to gather a lot of information.
There are spies throughout the Eastern Palace in the brothels of Kyoto, forming an intelligence network from point to line. Among them, Madam Mengxiang is their leader. She arranges and coordinates all matters, compiles the information into a book, and hands it over to the prince.
In the past, Xie Yuting often frequented brothels and pavilions to meet with his spies.
After hearing the whole story, Jiang Yueying's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she couldn't help but admire Xie Yuting even more. He pretended to be ignorant but was still able to plan so carefully, taking every step carefully, and not wasting a single opportunity. Such a strong character is beyond the reach of others.
"So you were pretending to visit the gambling house, and you were pretending to hang out at the brothel. And what else," Jiang Yueying touched her chin, "you were also pretending not to listen to Master Bai's lectures?"
Xie Yuting: "I'm not pretending. I know everything that Master Bai said. There's no need to listen."
“…”
"You haven't even heard of it, how could that be?" Jiang Yueying frowned. Could Xie Yuting be a child prodigy?
"When I was in Chongwenguan, I liked to take naps on my desk. Actually, it was just a pretense. I could remember everything the teacher said after just one listen."
I'm not exaggerating, but Xie Yuting has had the ability to remember everything he sees since he was a child. He can recite even the most obscure classics by heart after reading them once.
"The most important thing is that I still have a Taifu, who is my mentor. He is not in Kyoto now. I will take you to Liuzhou to meet him when there is a chance."
Jiang Yueying nodded. So that’s how it is.
The only use of Master Bai is to make him so angry that he can confuse other princes.
Alas, poor Master Bai was played around by a certain Crown Prince.
After listening to Xie Yuting's explanation, she suddenly felt that she had hope for the future.
At this moment, a weight suddenly fell from his shoulders. Xie Yuting, with the look of a lazy cat, asked, "I have proven myself to be a virgin. When will the little princess consummate her marriage with me?"
How did he get from pretending to be a pig and eating the tiger to here?
...How can I have the nerve to describe myself as pure as ice and jade.
Jiang Yueying muttered softly, her cheeks suddenly hot and red.
"I've never held a young lady's hand, much less kissed her, since I was a child. How about this, I give her a kiss to satisfy my craving?"
"..." Jiang Yueying found that Xie Yuting was as difficult as ever, and said with a stern face, "You've been holding it in for so many years, just wait a little longer."
"I'm not a cuckold, why should I keep holding it in?" Xie Yuting started to make a fuss. "Do you believe I'll force myself on you?"
Jiang Yueying covered his mouth with her hand and asked him to be quiet.
What nonsense are you talking about? You have no shame.
Xie Yuting was dissatisfied and pinched her waist. The ticklish girl immediately let go and walked out. He took big strides to catch up with her.
The snowflakes gradually weakened and the wind blew slowly.
In the back garden of the East Palace, a pretty girl in a snow-white cloak was hurrying back and forth, followed by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who was walking leisurely, waving a gold-sprinkled folding fan in the cold weather, his face full of smiles.
In the world of ice and snow, the two of them seemed like a vivid scene, printed on the white scroll, colorful and brilliant.
…
"Who spread the rumors?"
The third prince, Xie Yusui, stood in front of the desk with a gloomy face, and the rice paper in his hand was crumpled into mud.
The staff in the mansion looked at each other, and no one responded.
There have been rumors circulating in Kyoto recently that a huge rock washed ashore in the South China Sea with the words "Success and Fame" engraved on it. As a result, people began to spread the rumor that the third prince was destined to be the heir to the throne and had great luck, and would soon inherit the throne.
Emperor Liang has always been wary of people using celestial phenomena to create mystery, so he never allowed the princes to interfere in the affairs of the Imperial Observatory. Now, someone is directly fabricating the will of heaven that the Bodhisattva appeared. If this were to reach the ears of the emperor, it would probably arouse suspicion.
Xie Yusui considered himself the most favored prince. The more widely this rumor spread, the more disadvantageous it would be to him. His father would inevitably think that he was impatient and wanted to replace him.
Who is behind this?
Xie Yusui clenched his fists, his fingertips dug deep into his palms, his eyes flickering.
Seeing his anger brewing more and more, several officials looked at each other, their brows furrowed so tightly that they could pinch a fly to death.
Finally, Lord Feng stood up and said, "Don't be angry, Your Highness. It's just a rumor. There's nothing to be afraid of."
"Do you think it could be the second child?"
Lord Feng weighed his words carefully: "Whichever prince it is, they are all jealous of Your Highness's favor. Therefore, they fabricate rumors and wantonly smear Your Highness. This just proves that Your Highness is the one who has the most favor in His Majesty's heart."
Xie Yusui felt relieved and asked, "I asked you to win over the Hanyi Swordsman. Have you made any progress?"
"This..." Lord Feng was sweating profusely, and he hesitated. "I'm afraid we'll run into some trouble."
"Is it possible that the silver he gave me is not enough? I have enough for him."
He had recently earned a lot of silver, which was just right for recruiting talented people. He didn't believe that there was anyone in this world who remained unmoved by gold, silver, and jewelry. If there was, it must be because he didn't have enough money.
He's just a common swordsman, wouldn't it be easy to capture him? Xie Yusui acted confident of victory.
"That's not the case," Lord Feng said cautiously, fearing he would be implicated. "This swordsman in cold clothes is truly ungrateful. He said he would rather serve the Second Prince."
When Xie Yusui heard the words "Second Prince", his face instantly became gloomy.
Damn it.
The second brother was indeed against him.
The candlestick's light suddenly exploded, and a dazzling flash of fire illuminated his sinister profile, making it gloomy and unpredictable.
"I call him Second Brother because I respect him. Since he insists on being my enemy, don't blame me for not caring about our brotherly love."
The staff in the room followed the Third Prince's lead and offered suggestions one after another, with gleams in their eyes, planning to cause trouble for the Second Prince.
The staff members are either court officials who are determined to be loyal to the Third Prince, or talented people who have not yet entered the officialdom. They all have a common goal, which is to assist the Third Prince to ascend to the throne and become the confidants of the new emperor in the future, with a smooth official career.
The reason why the third prince Xie Yusui was chosen was because he was the most ambitious. Compared with the second prince who advocated gentlemanly conduct all day long, Xie Yusui obviously had more imperial spirit.
Even though he now discovered that the Third Prince was not a stable person, he was in a difficult position and could only bite the bullet and give him advice.
Everyone was planning until midnight, and it was already late into the cold night outside the window.
After they dispersed, Xie Yusui only left behind Lord Feng and told him to deal with all the people in Liuzhou.
When this matter was mentioned, Lord Feng was terrified and asked the third prince to think twice before acting.
Xie Yusui said coldly, "Since I can't have it, I'd rather destroy it."
Lord Feng shuddered: "If this gets to Kyoto, it'll probably cause a huge uproar..."
"Liuzhou is a long way from Kyoto. If you can't even keep this little bit of information secret, what use are you?"
Lord Feng's back was covered in sweat, and he could only bow his head and respond: "I obey your command and will definitely eliminate the root of the problem for Your Highness."
The lamp sparks splashed and the wax mist filled the desk.
…
When Jiang Yueying woke up, she was lying in Xie Yuting's arms.
She had no recollection of how she ended up in his arms. She thought it was Xie Yuting who had come to her in the middle of the night, but their positions couldn't be faked. Her quilt was empty. She reached out and touched the mattress, which was cold. It was obvious that no one had slept there.
We agreed to keep out of each other's way, but she ended up crossing the line first.
"Xie Yuting?"
She called him softly, but seeing no response, she quietly raised her head and arched her body, trying to slip back into her bed before Xie Yuting noticed and pretend nothing had happened.
Just as she raised her head, it suddenly felt tight on her head. She lowered her eyes and saw that most of her hair was pressed down by Xie Yuting's arm.
“…”
Jiang Yueying took a deep breath, lifted his arm gently, and pulled out her hair, being careful not to touch it. When she was done, the man's lazy voice suddenly sounded in her ears.
"Little princess, what are you doing in my arms?"
She suddenly looked up and met Xie Yuting's clear peach blossom eyes, and her face suddenly turned red.
"It's not what you think!" She pretended to be fierce to boost her courage.
"What?" Xie Yuting raised his eyebrows and spoke slowly.
Jiang Yueying gritted her teeth and told the truth: "I was lying here when I woke up. Maybe I was dazed from sleeping last night. I didn't mean to come here."
Hearing this, Xie Yuting said meaningfully: "I see."
She was about to get up and get dressed when she heard the guy add another sentence.
"So the little princess even remembers crawling into my bed in her dreams. Such kindness, I really am - ugh!"
Before he could finish his words, Jiang Yueying had already pounced on him and covered his mouth tightly. One hand couldn't hold it in, so she had to put both hands together to hold it in, causing her pretty little face to turn red.
"How dare you slander me."
Xie Yuting blinked and put on an innocent expression.
"snort."
It was a day off today, so the two of them made some noise early in the morning and didn't get up until the sun had completely climbed over the roof.
After breakfast, Xie Yuting talked about visiting his relatives.
If we don't mention this, we would almost forget it. There have been princesses who were married off for diplomatic purposes or for peacekeeping in all dynasties. Logically, they should return home three days after the wedding. However, the journey for a princess who married far away in another country would take more than three days. Therefore, there is an unwritten rule that those who marry into a foreign country should return home to visit their parents three months later.
If the bride finds the long journey inconvenient, she does not have to go back to her parents' home.
Jiang Yueying's mood instantly plummeted. Princess Anyi has always been favored. If she said that she didn't want to return home, it would probably arouse suspicion.
But she really didn't want to go back.
It wasn't her home to begin with, and she had no relatives who cared about her, so how could she save on relatives?
Besides, the journey to Jiang State is long, and it might be spring by the time I get back.
Jiang Yueying had a sad face, holding the teacup in her hand and rubbing it constantly. Her mind was already wandering and her eyes were empty.
"I'll go back with you." Xie Yuting said suddenly.
"ah?"
Jiang Yueying was confused. As the prince of Northern Liang, how could Xie Yuting leave Liang at will? Isn't this nonsense?
The crown prince's departure is a big deal. Even if he wants to go, Emperor Liang and his ministers may not agree.
She expressed her concerns, but Xie Yuting dismissed them: "What are you afraid of? Not many people really consider me the crown prince. If the second or third son wanted to go on a long journey, they would worry and stop me."
Having said that, Jiang Yueying still couldn't help but feel a little distressed. The other party seemed to be accustomed to this kind of obvious favoritism.
"Don't you want me to go with you?" Xie Yuting held his cheek with his hand and smiled brightly.
Of course she hoped, she was really afraid of going back alone.
But she couldn't show it openly. Jiang Yueying snorted, "If you want to be a follower, come on. I can't tie you up in the East Palace."
Hearing this, he stood up immediately, intending to go to the palace to report to Emperor Liang and go back with her to visit her relatives.
Xie Yuting acted very quickly and decisively. He put on his cloak and left the East Palace. He seemed to be more concerned than she was.
After everyone left, Jiang Yueying strolled to the back garden, followed by Pu Ling, who seemed to be hesitant to speak.
Jiang Yueying walked slowly and pondered the troubles she might encounter when she returned to Jiang Kingdom. How should she get along with her father? If Xie Yuting went with her, would they have to pretend to have a deep father-daughter relationship?
It sounds ridiculous.
She was afraid that when the truth was revealed, it would not be her but her biological father who wished she would never see him again.
I don't know what happened to the real Princess Anyi after she left. Where will the emperor hide her? Will he hide her forever?
No matter what, it's impossible for me to stay in the cold palace like her...
However, how could Princess Anyi, who was extremely favored, be willing to lose her status as a princess?
Jiang Yueying looked at the pale sky in the distance, feeling uneasy.
By chance, he glanced at her and saw that Pu Ling seemed to have something to say, so he let her speak.
Pu Ling immediately asked, "Crown Princess, are we really going back to Jiang Kingdom?"
"Don't you want to go back?"
She shook her head silently, which aroused Jiang Yueying's curiosity, so she asked her the reason.
"I'm telling you the truth, Crown Princess, can you please stop scolding me?" Pu Ling whispered, looking at her eagerly, "and don't hit me..."
Jiang Yueying was a little helpless and nodded in agreement.
Pu Ling scratched her head. "I don't know why, but I feel like the Crown Princess has become much gentler since arriving in Liang. Although she's still fierce in her words, at least she doesn't whip me anymore."
"Every time you bicker with His Royal Highness, you seem so happy. I can't describe that feeling, but it's just... a joy that comes from the heart, completely different from before..."
"I like the current Crown Princess very much, so I am very afraid that once I return to my homeland, you will change back..."
"My words have been presumptuous. I hope the Crown Princess will forgive me."
Jiang Yueying understood. It turned out that Pu Ling felt that after she arrived in Liang State, she was influenced by the people or things here, and her personality changed drastically, so she was afraid that she would return to her original appearance if she returned to Jiang State.
Well, it’s a good thing that the other party thinks so, at least he doesn’t question her identity.
"It's good to go back and visit. Don't you miss your family?" Jiang Yueying changed the subject abruptly.
Pu Ling's eyes were dim, and she only whispered, "I have no family."
Hearing this, Jiang Yueying fell silent.
What a coincidence, me too.
How can a homeless person miss home?
The cool breeze from the garden hit my body, causing a slight pain. The coldness blew into my eyes, adding a hint of red to the corners of my eyes.
In silence, footsteps were heard behind them.
Turning around, I saw Qing Ge. Her expression was still cold, but today there was a hint of indescribable tension in her.
Rarely seeing Qing Ge with such a serious expression, Jiang Yueying asked carefully, "What happened?"
Qing Ge said something lightly, and it was like a thunderclap.
"The Kingdom of Jiang has just crowned a new princess, named Anle."
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