Chapter 73: She stole a peek and saw Jiang Yueying giving the Hanyi Swordsman a sachet! ...
For a time, the streets and alleys were full of discussions, merchants and peddlers talked about it with relish, and there were even storytellers who adapted the story and talked about this legendary tale in teahouses and restaurants.
Jiang Yueying took Qingge out and heard a lot of interesting discussions while walking on the street.
"I was wondering why those two in the East Palace didn't fight. Turns out she wasn't Princess Anyi at all!"
"The previous emperor of Jiang State was such a jerk! He actually abandoned his daughter in the cold palace and ignored her. When she grew up, he sent her to marry off in place of her sister..."
"Alas, life must be tough."
"If you ask me, the current Crown Princess is better. Wasn't the previous Princess Anyi a murderer? It's better for people like that not to bother our foolish Crown Prince."
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince isn't a good person either."
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is just a bit of a dandy, a jerk who knows how to tease cats and dogs, but he doesn't kill people!"
"And I heard that the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess have a very good relationship. He wasn't angry when he found out she wasn't the real Princess Anyi, and he even told His Majesty that he wanted this daughter-in-law."
"Yeah, I heard that His Majesty got really mad and wanted to settle accounts with the Emperor of Jiang, but then, Jiang just replaced the Emperor! Oh my, I was laughing so hard I almost fell over."
"If nothing else, I never realized His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was such a sentimental person. For this reason alone, I admire him."
"I'm a noble prince, why should I be admired by an old man like you? Pah!"
"I'm so envious. It's rare for a royal family to have true love."
Hearing this, Jiang Yueying smiled knowingly and took Qingge and took a few quick steps.
Qing Ge rarely smiled. She tilted her head slightly and found that the Crown Princess' ears were already red.
After all, I am just thin-skinned and shy.
"Isn't the Crown Princess going to listen?" she asked.
Jiang Yueying blushed and shook her head, feeling a little secretly happy in her heart. Now everyone in Kyoto knew that Xie Yuting was in love with her. This feeling was like walking on clouds, light and soft.
The two left the bustling crowd and continued strolling along the long street.
Jiang Yueying feels relaxed now. Losing her identity as the Princess of Jiang State is like removing shackles from her body. Now she can be herself freely, not only in the East Palace, but also outside. She doesn't have to pretend all the time. She feels so free.
They came to a shop selling sachets. It was almost summer, and the shop had new mosquito repellent sachets. They were finely crafted and had clever patterns, which were very attractive.
Jiang Yueying lowered her head and scanned each sachet carefully.
Among them, there is a sachet embroidered with ginkgo leaves, with golden threads shining and leaves stretched out, giving off a noble and refreshing scent.
Perfect for a guy.
He picked up the ginkgo leaf sachet, picked one for himself, and asked Qingge to go to the shopkeeper to pay the bill.
She was strolling around the shop when someone suddenly came in from outside the door, and then a light sneer floated into her ears.
Jiang Yueying raised her eyes and met the gaze of the newcomer. Unexpectedly, it was the Fourth Prince's consort, Qin Wangyou, who had been under house arrest by the Fourth Prince for a long time.
What a narrow road for enemies to meet.
Qin Wangyou rarely went out, and she met someone she disliked, so she naturally didn't look happy. Now that she knew that she was just a princess who had been staying in the cold palace for many years, she looked down on her even more.
How could such a person become the prince's concubine and be on equal footing with her?
She rolled her eyes and went in to pick out the sachets.
Jiang Yueying was too lazy to pay attention to Qin Wangyou. After all, she had already taken revenge, and it would be best if they had nothing to do with each other from now on.
Qingge came back quickly after paying the bill, and the master and servant walked out of the shop together.
"By the way, I heard that a lot of refugees have come near the city gate, and the Hanyi Swordsman and his subordinates are settling them down." Qing Ge reminded.
Today, Qing Ge and Pu Ling have become Jiang Yueying's confidants, so Xie Yuting did not hide his other identities from them.
Jiang Yueying thought for a moment and said, "Let's go and take a look."
They left as soon as they said they would, and headed towards the city gate.
Qin Wangyou in the sachet shop stared at their backs with deep eyes and frowned. That direction was not heading to the East Palace, so where were they going?
Without hesitation, she put down the sachet in her hand and quickly followed.
Feng Maimai, when they arrived at the place, Jiang Yueying was stunned for a moment.
The city gate was wide, and looking around, one could see a dense crowd of refugees with tattered clothes and pale faces.
They all came from Xiqi Prefecture, which is close to Kyoto. This year, there was a locust plague in the southern part of Xiqi. The locusts all over the mountains destroyed the fields that the people had worked hard to cultivate. The farmers had no harvest and suffered heavy losses. They had no choice but to come to Kyoto together, hoping that the officials in the capital would take a look at them and allocate some relief food.
In fact, the disaster relief grain funds had already been distributed by the Ministry of Revenue, but they were deducted at various levels and officials pocketed the money, so very little actually reached the farmers.
Jiang Yueying walked forward slowly. A child of seven or eight years old was squatting on the ground, staring at the city gate.
He saw Jiang Yueying and suddenly asked, "Sister, can I go into the city?"
The child was short, thin, and spoke with a hoarse voice.
Jiang Yueying shook her head helplessly. No one was allowed to let refugees into the city without permission. This was stipulated by the law.
"There are disaster relief workers over there. If you follow them, you'll have something to eat." Jiang Yueying pointed to the men in black not far away. They were all Xie Yuting's men.
The child nodded and said, "I know, those older brothers are all good people... But why doesn't the emperor care about us? My hometown has suffered a locust plague and we still have to pay taxes. My parents can't even afford to eat. Is the emperor good or bad? Can't we change the emperor?"
Jiang Yueying's eyes widened, and she quickly leaned over and whispered, "Don't say that carelessly, it's easy to get into trouble."
"Oh, okay then..." the child muttered obediently, "I'll say it secretly in my heart."
Jiang Yueying rubbed his head with gentle eyes.
Soon, Xie Yuting's people came to take the child away and took him to a safe place.
She stood there and looked around, searching for a familiar figure until her eyes settled on a tall man. He was as tall as a pine tree, wearing a conical hat, a black sword at his waist, and his temperament was cold and intimidating.
Even when serving porridge to people, he still couldn't get rid of the aura of keeping strangers away.
I have to admit that when Xie Yuting put on the winter-clothed swordsman costume, there was a huge contrast. It was hard to imagine that this intimidating swordsman was always clinging to people and acting like a spoiled child behind their backs.
Jiang Yueying walked around the porridge stall for a few times, and Xie Yuting naturally saw her, so he quietly made a gesture and pointed to the big stone pillar next to him.
Jiang Yueying asked Qingge to stay where he was, and she pretended to be calm and hid behind a big rock pillar, covering herself tightly.
Not long after, Xie Yuting came to the stone pier and met her.
"The wind is so strong at the city gate, why are you here?"
Jiang Yueying said: "I just wanted to come and see you."
Xie Yuting chuckled: "So you missed me?"
"I'll bring you something by the way." She took out a ginkgo leaf mosquito repellent sachet from her bosom and handed it to him.
When Xie Yuting saw this thing, he immediately smiled.
He took out a sachet from his arms. The scent was exactly the same as the one in Jiang Yueying's hand, except that the one in his hand was embroidered with osmanthus.
"I bought one for you, too."
Jiang Yueying couldn't help laughing. It turned out that they bought the same thing for each other.
Is this considered telepathy?
Some shameless fellow said, "Why don't you tie it for your husband?"
Although his face was covered by a black veil and a bamboo hat, she could still imagine the other person's smug look. He was so frivolous that his cool and neat outfit was a waste.
She reached out and tied the sachet around his waist, but His Royal Highness was still not satisfied, thinking she was too far away.
Jiang Yueying let him go and moved forward. The two of them were very close. Xie Yuting lowered his head and kissed the girl's fair and tender cheek through the veil.
"I knew you had bad intentions..." Her cheeks flushed and she muttered softly.
"It's all because of you spoiling me." Xie Yuting also took out an osmanthus sachet and tied it around her body.
Each of them hung a sachet, with the tassels fluttering in the wind, making them look particularly well-matched.
"There are too many people here, you should go back to the East Palace," Xie Yuting said, pretending to be disgusted. "Alas, you can't leave me for a moment, you clingy person."
Jiang Yueying: "..."
I have no idea who is the clingy one.
Without staying for too long, Jiang Yueying turned and left.
After a while, Xie Yuting also slowly walked out from behind the big stone pillar and continued to go to the porridge shed to help the refugees.
At this moment, a pair of slender eyes were staring at their direction.
Qin Wangyou hid in the dark. She had been observing Jiang Yueying since she arrived at the city gate, until she saw her hiding behind a large stone pier. After a while, the legendary swordsman in cold clothes also went in the same direction.
But I couldn't get close and could only watch from afar.
After Jiang Yueying left, the swordsman in cold clothes also walked out from behind the stone pillar. The most important thing was that the man had an exquisite sachet on him!
She and Jiang Yueying had just walked out of the sachet shop and saw that the other party had indeed bought a sachet.
Doesn't that mean that the sachet was given to the Hanyi Swordsman by Jiang Yueying?!
A sinister light flashed in Qin Wangyou's slender eyes. Well, Jiang Yueying was seeking her own death by having an affair with a man outside. No wonder she exposed her true face.
Just wait, she will definitely ruin Jiang Yueying's reputation!
…
Summer is here and the weather is getting hotter and hotter.
Recently, the Fourth Prince Xie Yufan has carried out several important tasks and received the emperor's approval. The incident of him embezzling tributes has gradually been forgotten, and he seems to be regaining the emperor's favor.
The harem, Qixiang Palace.
Concubine Qiu leaned on the green jade couch, pinching a cherry with her slender fingers, listening to the palace maid report the news she had heard.
A gloomy haze appeared on Concubine Qiu's pretty face, and her eyebrows knitted together: "Your Majesty has been showing favor to the Fourth Prince recently? Hasn't he been disliked for a long time..."
The maid shook her head: "The king's heart is hard to predict. After all, they are father and son. How can they really hate each other?"
Hearing this, Concubine Qiu couldn't help feeling depressed. Ever since Sui'er passed away, His Majesty had been more considerate to her, as if compensating for his own heartache. He also doted on Tong'er, and no one could surpass his limelight.
In her opinion, Tong'er being appointed as the crown prince was a foregone conclusion and there would be no changes.
However, I couldn't feel at ease until I saw the edict to appoint the crown prince.
Seeing the imperial concubine's worried look, the maid offered a suggestion: "Your Majesty, if you are really concerned about this matter, why don't you ask the servants around His Majesty?"
Among the people serving His Majesty, the one closest to him is the chief eunuch Fuxi. Concubine Qiu shook her head slowly. No, the chief eunuch has followed His Majesty since he was a child, and he will definitely not sell out information easily. If the news gets to His Majesty's ears, she will be in trouble.
However, Fuxi has an apprentice named Xiao Zhongzi, who is young and simple, and maybe we can get some information from him.
Concubine Qiu rolled her eyes and said to the palace maid, "Take some valuable gold, silver and jewelry to Xiao Zhongzi and ask him indirectly whether His Majesty has any intention of appointing a crown prince."
The palace maid bowed and left.
That night, the young palace maid came to Concubine Qiu and whispered, "Your Majesty, I have asked Xiao Zhongzi, and he said that he is not favored in the imperial court. He doesn't know much, but he knows that His Majesty wrote an edict some time ago and sealed it. He also specifically instructed that Your Majesty is not allowed to enter the study when he is not around."
"Is this really true?"
Concubine Qiu suddenly felt panicked. His Majesty had always doted on her, but now he was secretly appointing a crown prince without telling her. Could it be that... the name on the edict was not Tong'er?
She would never allow this to happen.
But as a concubine, what can she do for her children?
Concubine Qiu sat on the green jade couch, thinking deeply for a long time.
Since ancient times, in order to ensure the stability of the country, the emperor, regardless of whether he was the legitimate son or not, had to observe the celestial phenomena and predict good and bad luck before establishing the foundation of the country.
If the director of the Imperial Observatory could give a hint in front of His Majesty, it would be more effective than any amount of pillow talk from her.
But will that person really help her...
…
In the South Garden of the East Palace, cicadas chirped.
The windows of the bedroom were covered with several layers of moon-colored gauze, and the gauze swayed gracefully like flowing water in the breeze.
At this moment, a soft white hand was loosely grasping the gauze. The girl's cheeks were flushed, her eyes were misty, and her plump lips were slightly open. If you look closely, you can see that she was holding a crystal grape in her mouth.
Jiang Yueying turned sideways to get farther away from the window. Xie Yuting was tall and gently supported her waist, covering her naked body.
His voice was hoarse: "Don't be afraid, no one can see."
Jiang Yueying whimpered softly, raised her watery eyes, and stared at the man weakly, looking pitiful and cute.
Xie Yuting admired her for a moment, then pinched her waist with both hands to lift her up, and then suddenly pushed her down.
!
With just a low moan, the tears in Jiang Yueying's eyes fell like a broken bead curtain.
Even so, she still held the grape firmly in her mouth, neither spitting it out nor swallowing it.
Xie Yuting reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear, chuckling softly: "I'm willing to accept the loss. Ah Ying won't regret it, right?"
Jiang Yueying glared at him again.
"We agreed not to bite the grapes. If the upper mouth is too sharp," Xie Yuting stroked the corner of her mouth with his slender fingers, wiping away the saliva, "you'll have to eat it with the other mouth."
"Wuwu..." She wanted to speak, but was afraid of biting the grapes and looking pitiful.
Xie Yuting deliberately delayed and got down to business: "In two days, the dog days will begin. Father, the concubines, the princes, the ministers, and their families will all go to the temporary palace to escape the summer heat. We can't mess around every day when we're on someone else's territory."
Jiang Yueying was in tears and spoke with her eyes: So you bullied me in advance, because you were afraid that you wouldn’t have a chance when you went to the palace, right!
"Aying is so smart." Xie Yuting saw through her thoughts.
"Since my Ah Ying is so smart, I'll waive the punishment for losing the sword fight," Xie Yuting tapped her lips, "Let Grape take a break."
Jiang Yueying felt as if she had been granted amnesty. She bit the grape in her mouth and crushed it. The fresh grape juice burst out and the sweet fragrance filled her mouth.
She finally spoke: "Don't waste time, just give me a quick death..."
Xie Yuting smiled and said, "That won't do. Ah Ying isn't complaining that I'm not gentle enough. This time, I must be gentle and slow, savoring it carefully."
Jiang Yueying's hand climbed up his shoulder, pinched his bare shoulder blade, and said with a look of resentment and anger: "I will never bet with you in a sword fight again..."
A low chuckle reached my ears.
The moonlight is leisurely and penetrates the veil.
Under the dim moonlight, the girl whispered: "Let's go back to the couch first..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
