Chapter 72: I’m sorry, I can’t respond to your feelings...
In Wenfengxuan, Xie Yuting and Qu Qianyi sat opposite each other, with a round nanmu table in the middle, on which was a teapot with a handle and petal-shaped teacups.
Qu Qianyi was wearing a Tianshui green skirt and sitting quietly. Her watery eyes stared at Xie Yuting opposite her, quiet and focused.
"Miss Qu has come specially to visit me, I'm afraid she's not just here to visit me and the Crown Princess." Xie Yuting held the teacup and took a sip slowly.
"Your Highness is wise. Qianyi did have selfish motives in coming to your house this time. I hope Your Highness will not blame me." Her expression remained calm, and her voice was clear and pleasant.
"Miss Qu, if you have anything to say, please speak frankly."
Qu Qianyi smiled and said, "Then I'll be frank. Your Highness, have you ever thought about marrying a concubine?"
Xie Yuting drank his tea calmly, as if expecting something. He asked, "The concubine Miss Qu was talking about, are you yourself?"
"Exactly."
"With Miss Qu's family background and status, she could definitely become the prince's principal wife. Why did she have to come to the Eastern Palace and be a concubine?"
Qu Qianyi chuckled: "Your Highness may think this is an injustice, but I feel it is an honor."
Xie Yuting put away his distracted expression and suddenly asked a question he didn't want to ask: "The Crown Princess was kidnapped at Mingquan Temple. Was it you who sent me a pigeon to rescue her?"
“…It’s me.”
When Qu Qianyi said this, it was equivalent to admitting that she knew Xie Yuting's hidden strength.
Outside the small pavilion, Jiang Yueying squatted in the corner, fearing that the small pavilion with ventilation on all sides would expose her figure. At the same time, her eyes widened when she heard these words. The person who reported the news was actually Qu Qianyi!
Then, she frowned slightly. Since Miss Qu loved Xie Yuting, why did she save her? If she died, wouldn't the position of Crown Princess be vacant again? Then...
No, no, Jiang Yueying shook her head vigorously, Miss Qu is not such a cruel person.
The other party could be considered her savior, so Jiang Yueying naturally wanted to repay her, but the person she wanted was Xie Yuting...
Jiang Yueying was confused and her mind was in a mess.
Two thoughts were fighting madly. On one hand, he said that Miss Qu saved you, but she just wanted a concubine position, so why not give it to her? On the other hand, he said that Xie Yuting was his and he alone, and he couldn't give her up just because of a favor!
Woo woo, so annoyed, Jiang Yueying covered her head and continued to eavesdrop by sticking to the wall.
Xie Yuting said seriously, "Thank you, Miss Qu. I am very grateful."
Qu Qianyi said, "Your Highness, the Crown Princess wanted to find me to thank me, but I said I hoped that one day when I needed help, the Crown Princess would help me."
"Is what you want to ask for related to me?"
"It's not important anymore. Qianyi came here today just to ask, Your Highness, are you really not planning on having a concubine?"
Xie Yuting said firmly, "I have made up my mind about someone and will not change. I am afraid that I will disappoint Miss Qu."
Hearing the expected words, Qu Qianyi still smiled and sighed softly: "I shouldn't have expected that..."
Her eyelashes drooped, and her dense eyelashes trembled slightly. There was still a faint smile on the corner of her lips, as if she had suppressed all her emotions in her heart, without showing any on her face.
"Miss Qu, I don't seem to be familiar with you. Why are you so obsessed with me?" Xie Yuting was really confused. His impression of Qu Qianyi was only that they were classmates in Chongwenguan for a few years, but they had hardly spoken.
Since I have the opportunity today, I might as well ask for clarification.
"Your Highness has a bad memory."
Qu Qianyi picked up the hot tea at hand and talked about an experience from her childhood.
When she was eight years old, the wife of the marquis held a banquet outside the palace and invited many noble ladies from aristocratic families to learn from her in playing the zither.
Unfortunately, she happened to sprain her wrist, so when it was her turn to play the piano, the sound was hoarse and unpleasant, causing many people to cover their mouths and laugh.
When she was young, she was very thin-skinned and was too ashamed to look up.
Just when she was feeling down, she heard the sound of applause from not far away. She looked where the sound came from and saw the little Crown Prince lazily leaning against a tree, clapping and praising the piano for its wonderful sound.
Someone asked His Highness if he had heard it wrong, saying that the piano music was not pleasant at all.
Little Xie Yuting raised his eyebrows and said, "If I think it sounds good, then it sounds good. The music of the zither is nothing more than entertainment. The best music is the one that makes the listeners feel comfortable. How can there be any absolute criteria for judgment?"
The people around him said yes.
After His Royal Highness the Crown Prince made such a fuss, no one dared to criticize her piano skills anymore.
"When I was little, I loved sneaking out of the palace to play and wanted to get involved in everything. I never expected to have such a fate with Miss Qu."
Qu Qianyi nodded: "Perhaps it is just a trivial matter to Your Highness, but it has left an indelible mark on my heart.
Later, the children of prominent families had the opportunity to study at Chongwenguan. I wanted to see you again, so I went there without hesitation.
Your Highness must be very curious about how I discovered your disguise. It's not that I'm exceptionally intelligent or perceptive, but because I've been secretly watching you, I noticed that your grip on the pen was perfect at first, but then it changed in an instant, as if you were deliberately not writing properly. There are many more..."
Xie Yuting didn't expect that he would reveal his flaw at this time. Fortunately, the other princes did not have the habit of staring at him all the time, otherwise he would have been exposed long ago.
"Miss Qu is famous in Kyoto, talented, and has no shortage of suitors. There's no need to be obsessed with being alone."
Qu Qianyi suddenly laughed: "Later, I asked my father how I could always stand beside His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and he said that I could become the Crown Princess.
I was young at that time and didn't know how to become a princess. Later I heard that to be a princess, one must be both virtuous and talented, have a kind heart, be talented and have a broad mind, and be a role model of a noble lady in Kyoto.
So I began to learn the manners of a noble lady, playing the zither and composing poetry, restraining my emotions, and diligently studying the demeanor of a noble lady, just to carve myself into the image of a princess."
Xie Yuting raised his brows slightly, looking surprised.
"What do you mean by the most talented lady in Kyoto? If it weren't for Your Highness, how could she have so much fame and praise?" She gently placed it on the teacup.
Finally, she whispered, "Actually, I don't like playing the piano at all. I just... admire Your Highness."
Outside the pavilion, Jiang Yueying was completely stunned and stood there. She slowly covered her mouth with her hand, and an inexplicable bitterness surged in her heart.
She had guessed that Miss Qu was in love with Xie Yuting, but she had never expected that in the distant past, she had been working hard to learn everything just to become the Crown Princess.
However, a marriage arrangement completely shattered her dream, but she was not heartbroken and still wanted to fight for the position of concubine.
Is it worth it?
Jiang Yueying thought silently, it’s worth it. If she were in his place, she would make the same choice as Miss Qu.
Because Xie Yuting is truly someone worthy of entrusting your life to.
"I'm sorry, Miss Qu, I can't respond to your feelings." Xie Yuting sighed softly, feeling that he had done a lot of evil.
"It's okay, Your Highness. I'm not trying to force you to do anything. I just want to give myself an explanation." Qu Qianyi smiled gently.
Xie Yuting also put down the teacup in his hand, raised his eyes, stared at her seriously, and said in a pleasant voice:
"But I still want to remind you of one thing: your talent and fame are not due to me, but because you are outstanding in your own right.
So, live more comfortably in the future. There's no need to set strict standards for yourself. Just do what you like and say what you hate. If you're unhappy, don't force yourself to smile.
As soon as he finished speaking, the corners of Qu Qianyi's lips slowly dropped until they were flat.
"I believe that Miss Qu will meet someone who is better than me and who loves you."
Qu Qianyi stood up and bowed to him: "Then Qianyi will wait for the day when His Highness personally chooses my ideal husband for me."
The profound meaning of the words is self-evident.
Xie Yuting smiled and said, "Of course, I will personally judge for you."
"It's getting late. I should go back home," Qu Qianyi looked out at the sunset. "Finally, I wish Your Highness and the Crown Princess a lifelong love and a long life together."
"good."
Before leaving, Xie Yuting took out the music score and handed it back to her.
Return the property to its original owner.
Qu Qianyi took a deep breath and stepped out of Wenfengxuan. Outside the pavilion, the sky was filled with red clouds, brilliant and continuous, so beautiful that it seemed as if it would never fade away.
After walking for a while, she saw her personal maid waiting by the hanging flower gate. When she saw her, the maid hurried to greet her.
Seeing her unhappy face, the maid couldn't help but ask.
Qu Qianyi looked up and met the concerned gaze of the maidservant, recalling Xie Yuting's words in her heart. She felt unhappy, but she didn't force herself to smile.
She hugged the little maid in her arms, rested her forehead on her shoulder, clenched the music score in her hand, and suddenly burst into tears.
The ladylike demeanor she had maintained for many years, dignified and calm, was now completely discarded.
She sobbed so hard that her tears wet the maid's clothes. It was the first time in the little maid's life that she saw her master crying so unruly and without regard for her manners. She couldn't help but shed tears as well.
"Miss, don't cry, don't cry..." She patted Qu Qianyi's back gently.
Behind me, the sky is filled with sunset glow, the setting sun is melting into gold, and a breeze blows, melting the dim twilight.
At Wenfengxuan, Xie Yuting slowly drank the last sip of tea.
He suddenly smiled and said in a sly voice, "A certain eavesdropping little princess, your legs must be numb from squatting, right?"
Jiang Yueying, who had originally planned to slip away quietly: "..."
Damn, when was it discovered?
She straightened up, walked into Xiaoxuan with a guilty look on her face, and tried to argue: "I was just passing by, I didn't hear anything..."
Xie Yuting sat in the armchair and opened his arms towards her.
Jiang Yueying slowly moved over and sat in the man's arms, her calves swinging gently.
"How did you find me?"
Xie Yuting lowered his head and sniffed it, and said deliberately: "Osmanthus is too fragrant, it's hard not to notice it."
"Nonsense, I'm hiding outside, how could you possibly smell it inside?"
"Then tell me first, what does it mean to hide outside?"
Jiang Yueying's momentum instantly weakened, her eyes darting around, she stammered, "I don't distrust you, it's just... I'm a stingy person, so I couldn't help but come over..."
Xie Yuting chuckled, rubbed the girl's furry head, and nuzzled his nose against hers, their breathing tangled. "So you heard everything, but are you still feeling at ease?"
Of course she felt relieved. She had long known that Xie Yuting was not a fickle person, but she did not expect him to be so determined and not waver at all.
What a terrible man.
She had always been the one abandoned, but she never expected that one day she would be firmly chosen by someone.
There is a warm feeling in my heart, sweetness in my soul.
"Don't you really feel regretful? Miss Qu is such a good woman..." Jiang Yueying snuggled into his arms and stared at her smooth jawline.
"Miss Qu is a very nice person, but she's not someone who falls in love alone," Xie Yuting lowered his eyes, his gaze deep and focused, "In this life, I've only ever been in love with one person."
Jiang Yueying's cheeks flushed, and she asked knowingly, "Who is it?"
Xie Yuting said mischievously: "Who knows? I need to think about it carefully."
"Think about it!" Jiang Yueying said angrily, "Isn't it me?"
"That depends on your performance." Xie Yuting smiled nonchalantly.
"Humph, I won't fall for your trick."
If she followed his lead and asked what the performance was, he would definitely make many unreasonable demands, and in the end, it would be her waist that would be sore.
"I haven't kissed you for several hours. I can't hold on any longer." He pretended to be pitiful.
Jiang Yueying never thought that a crown prince could be so clingy. If he ascended the throne in the future, he would probably run to the harem to ask for a kiss after the morning court session, otherwise he would not have the energy to handle government affairs.
...It really seems like something this guy would do.
As she thought about it, she couldn't help but smile, raised her head and closed her eyes.
"Kiss me if you want, I won't push you away," she said softly.
Xie Yuting hugged her tightly, sealed her lips, held the back of the girl's head, and kissed her passionately.
In Wenfeng Pavilion, a gentle breeze passed through the pavilion, ruffling the entangled strands of black hair of the two people.
…
The next day, the truth about the twin princesses of Jiang Kingdom being married off as substitutes spread throughout Kyoto.
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