Chapter 54: She peeked at him for a while, then couldn't help but cover her mouth and giggle...
After this farce, Qi Jingxuan finally stepped into the Shen family's gate.
The wedding arrangements went smoothly afterward. Shen Yan bid farewell to her parents and, surrounded by neighbors in Yangliu Hutong, boarded the bridal sedan chair, heading to the Prince Ping's mansion amidst music and fanfare.
Since the Emperor and Consort Shu could not attend in person, all wedding arrangements were handled by the Ministry of Rites, and the process went smoothly.
After the wedding ceremony, Qi Jingxuan led Shen Yan into the bridal chamber and, amidst the cheers of the crowd, lifted her veil. The woman under the veil had heavy makeup, which made him feel somewhat unfamiliar for a moment, but when she raised her head and revealed her bright eyes, a sense of familiarity welled up in his heart, and he unconsciously grinned and laughed.
He finally married Aci, and from then on, he would never have to be separated from her again.
Seeing his simple-minded expression, everyone burst into laughter again. Qi Jingxuan didn't care at all. After drinking the nuptial wine and performing the hair-tying ceremony, he invited everyone to go out for a feast.
Since the incident at the Marquis of Cheng'an's residence, Qi Jingxuan hadn't drunk much, and he forbade himself from getting drunk. But today was his and Shen Yan's wedding day, and with so many guests present, he couldn't help but drink a few more cups.
His alcohol tolerance was average; he was fine if he controlled himself, but once he started drinking freely, he would easily get drunk. Gu San and the others knew what kind of person he was, and they also knew that today was his big day. Although they joined in the fun and made him drink a few glasses, they stopped when they saw that he was really showing signs of getting drunk, and they all started to help him avoid drinking.
After drinking around like this, Qi Jingxuan was a little slurred and his feet were slippery, but he wasn't so dizzy that he couldn't walk.
He was still clear-headed. When he saw people following him to make a ruckus in the bridal chamber as he was about to return to the new house, he immediately stopped them. He was happy to drink with the guests outside, but he didn't want these people to disturb Shen Yan.
Some people jokingly insisted on going along, but Qi Jingxuan's face immediately darkened, his previous playful demeanor vanishing: "Go...what do you mean go? You bunch of...roughnecks, reeking of alcohol...you'll scare Aci away! Get out, get out, get out!"
The man thought he was joking and put his arm around his shoulder to lead him inside, but he pushed him away, and that's when he realized the man was serious.
Seeing that Qi Jingxuan was about to lose his temper, Gu Sanshuang and the others quickly stepped in to smooth things over, putting their arms around the shoulders of the people who had led the wedding night pranks and pulling them away.
If it were anyone else, people would inevitably say something, saying that it's unacceptable for the groom to lose his temper with the guests during a wedding.
But since the groom was Qi Jingxuan, it didn't really matter. He was always capricious, giving face to whomever he wanted, and if he didn't want to give face to someone, even the emperor couldn't do anything about it.
Thus, Qi Jingxuan successfully evaded the guests who wanted to cause trouble and returned to the bridal chamber with unsteady steps.
In the bridal chamber, Shen Yan had changed out of her wedding dress and phoenix crown, and into a casual outfit. Because of her new marriage, this outfit was also red, though not as striking as her wedding dress.
Qi Jingxuan walked to the door, subconsciously straightened his clothes, and then pushed the door open, saying, "Aci, I'm back," as he stepped into the house.
As a result of drinking, he was a little unsteady on his feet. When he lifted his leg, he took a step too low and tripped on the threshold, nearly falling over.
The servants rushed forward to help him up, but Qi Jingxuan had already swayed a few times and regained his balance.
He coughed awkwardly twice, waved his hand to dismiss the servants, and walked up to Shen Yan.
Shen Yan had already removed her makeup, revealing her fair face. Looking at this familiar face, he grinned even wider: "Aci, you're so beautiful."
Shen Yan smiled, pursing her lips, not taking his words to heart. She put away the book beside her and asked, "Your Highness was forced to drink quite a bit of alcohol earlier, would you like someone to make some hangover soup?"
Qi Jingxuan thought she had misunderstood that he had drunk too much, so he quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no, I didn't drink much. Gu San and the others helped me drink most of it. I just... I just tripped by accident."
Seeing that he was still relatively sober, Shen Yan did not force him, and said, "Then Your Highness, please rest and then go wash up. Hot water has been prepared in the washroom."
Qi Jingxuan nodded. He wanted to talk to her for a while before going, but then he hesitated for a moment because he was smelling of alcohol. He decided to go wash up and change first.
When the servants tried to follow, he quickly waved his hand and said, "No need, I'll go myself. You all stay here and take good care of the Princess."
After the incident at the Marquis of Cheng'an's residence, most of the servants in the Prince's mansion were replaced, especially those who served Qi Jingxuan closely; almost all of them were replaced.
The maids serving in the room were all personally selected by Consort Shu and released from the palace. Among them were a pair of round-faced twins named Qingtuan and Chidou, and two others named Tianxi and Tianyuan.
At this moment, the servants in the room were Qingtuan and Chidou. The two had already been told by Consort Shu that Prince Ping did not like women to serve him closely. Seeing that he refused, they took the opportunity to step aside.
The moment Qi Jingxuan uttered the words "Princess Consort," he felt a surge of joy, his intoxication deepening, and his steps faltering slightly. Fortunately, this time he regained his balance, unlike the disheveled state he had when he entered the room.
He took a thorough bath in the washroom, making sure he was free of the smell of alcohol before returning to the inner room. Just as he was about to speak to Shen Yan, who had been sitting at the table, he found that she was no longer there. A new set of bedding had been laid out on the daybed, and the missing figure was now sitting on it reading a book.
Qi Jingxuan walked over, puzzled. He looked at the pillow on the table, then at the blanket draped over Shen Yan's legs, and asked, "Aci, what are you doing?"
If you want to read in bed, just go to the bed directly. Why bother making another set of bedding here?
Shen Yan raised her eyes and said gently, "The prince and I are not a real couple, so it is not appropriate for us to sleep in the same bed. I will sleep here."
Qi Jingxuan was taken aback upon hearing this and stood there speechless for a long time.
From the very beginning, he genuinely wanted to marry Shen Yan. Although his initial purpose was to save his life, he truly wanted to be her husband, to be together for life and never be separated. But now, although Shen Yan had agreed to the marriage and married into the family as promised, she still didn't take the marriage seriously.
Qi Jingxuan was torn between mixed feelings. He felt wronged, yet knew he had no right to feel wronged. What did his life or death have to do with Shen Yan? If it weren't for him, Shen Yan wouldn't have encountered those terrible things, nor would she have had to marry him.
He opened his mouth, but after a long pause, he managed to stammer out, "Sleeping here is so uncomfortable, how about... you sleep in the bed with me?"
Realizing his words were inappropriate, he quickly explained, "That's not what I meant, no... I didn't mean anything by it, it's just... that bed is so big, even if the two of us sleep in it, it won't be crowded, and I'm a very quiet sleeper at night, I definitely won't bump into you!"
Shen Yan just smiled and shook her head, saying, "No need, this is fine. This daybed is no smaller than my bed at home, I'm used to sleeping on it."
Her tone was gentle, but her attitude was firm; she clearly insisted on sleeping alone and did not want to share a bed with Qi Jingxuan.
Qi Jingxuan couldn't refuse, so he said, "Then you sleep on the bed, I'll sleep here."
He then reached out to help Chen Yan up.
Shen Yan pulled her hand back slightly and repeated, "No need, I'll sleep here. Your Highness is the host, I'm the guest. How can a guest occupy the host's bed?"
"You're not a guest!" Qi Jingxuan exclaimed urgently, "We're already married, you..."
Halfway through his sentence, he remembered that Shen Yan didn't take the marriage seriously, so he had to change his words: "So many guests are watching today, and the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Clan Court have already given their approval. Even if you think this marriage is fake, others see it as real, and in my eyes too..."
"Anyway...anyway, you are now the mistress of the Prince's mansion, not a guest. As long as we are husband and wife, you are the Princess Consort of this mansion. A Princess Consort should naturally sleep on the bed, not here!"
Shen Yan chuckled: "Then the prince is also a master, how can he let you sleep on a daybed?"
Qi Jingxuan choked, then his eyes suddenly lit up, and he became righteous again: "I am a man. If one of us has to sleep here, it will definitely be me. Don't those stories and rumors all say that so-and-so and so-and-so had a fight and the husband was kicked out to sleep in the study? I have never heard of any real man making his wife sleep in the study."
"If I sleep in the bed myself but let you sleep here, wouldn't I be even worse than the men in those storybooks?"
This argument was so far-fetched that Shen Yan naturally wouldn't take it seriously, simply laughing it off: "Alright, Your Highness, please stop arguing with me, I..."
Before she could finish speaking, the man standing to the side suddenly bent down, put one arm around her from behind and the other under her knees, picked her up horizontally, and quickly walked to the bedside.
Qi Jingxuan gently placed Shen Yan on the bed, and after making sure she wasn't hurt, he nodded in satisfaction, clapped his hands, and said, "That's more like it, you can sleep here!"
He walked back and moved Shen Yan's shoes over before lying down on the daybed.
Shen Yan was speechless for a moment. She looked at Qi Jingxuan, who was already lying on the daybed, and decided not to say anything more about switching places with him.
Qi Jingxuan used to dislike being alone in a room with others, but he didn't feel uncomfortable at all when he was with Shen Yan. On the contrary, he felt like his wish had been fulfilled.
He adjusted to the daybed for a while and found that after the bedding was laid out, it was no different from his usual bed. So he moved around to find a comfortable angle and turned to look at Chen Yan.
"Aci, there's something I want to tell you."
Shen Yan was about to continue reading when she heard this. She looked up from the book lying on her lap and turned to look at him in response.
Qi Jingxuan lay on his side, propping his head up with one hand and unconsciously picking at the corner of the blanket with the other, and spoke of an idea that had just come to him at the banquet.
"Didn't you say there would be an earthquake in Yingzhou this winter? I thought about it for a long time but didn't know how to solve the problem. But when I saw Shuanglu and his father just now, I suddenly thought of a way."
What method?
Shen Yan put down the book in her hand, her expression becoming noticeably more serious.
She had thought about the earthquake many times, but couldn't think of any solution.
The earthquake occurred in October of this year, nearly five months ago. Because she experienced it firsthand, she knew it was bound to happen, but how could others, who hadn't experienced it, believe such a disaster would occur five months later based solely on her words?
If she were to honestly tell others that she was reborn and knew the future, people would not only not believe her, but would also think she was crazy.
Qi Jingxuan chuckled a few times, his expression somewhat sly: "We can't really talk about earthquakes, but the Imperial Observatory can. All those mysterious things that are hard to explain can be explained by handing them over to the Imperial Observatory and having them say that they were observed from the heavens."
The main duties of the Imperial Observatory were to calculate the solar terms, formulate laws, and, when needed, to help imperial relatives, high-ranking officials, and powerful figures by divination for auspicious days. However, since ancient times, many mysterious and mystical matters have originated from the Imperial Observatory. These included predictions of celestial shifts foretelling war, the descent of the Purple Star (Ziwei Star) to earth as a wise ruler, and even the appearance of auspicious omens in certain places—the Imperial Observatory could sometimes "divine" these events in advance.
Some of these might be true, but most are simply fabricated. In any case, those mysterious and inexplicable matters are best left to the Imperial Observatory.
"Shuanglu's father was the Director of the Imperial Observatory, and Shuanglu is currently working at the Imperial Observatory as well. Don't let his unserious demeanor fool you; he's quite skilled in astronomical observation and divination."
"I'll tell him later to go to Yingzhou and send a message back saying that they observed signs of an earthquake there last night and asked the Imperial Observatory to report it to the court. The court will definitely have the Imperial Observatory verify it carefully. Then, we can have Shuanglu 'calculate' the date of the earthquake. In October, the court can then order the people to move out of their homes on the day of the earthquake. That way, we can avoid casualties."
Shen Yan only arrived in the capital at the end of last year and knew little about court affairs, so she naturally hadn't considered this matter from this perspective.
After thinking for a moment, she felt that Qi Jingxuan's method might be feasible, but there were still many issues to consider.
"What should we say to Young Master Lu? Why would we suddenly send him to Yingzhou and tell him there will be an earthquake there in October? Do you think he'll believe us?"
"Also... although I know the exact date of the earthquake, I don't know if other villages and towns in the surrounding area, besides Ganning City, have been affected. Should they be moved out together or left at home? If so many people are forced to leave their homes at the same time, how should they be resettled?"
"Leaving aside whether there will be any aftershocks after the earthquake, even if everyone is just asked to spend the night outside, in the dead of winter with wind and snow, they could easily freeze to death."
Shen Yan remembered it clearly: the earthquake happened on a snowy day, and the snow was already above her ankles in just two hours.
Earthquakes can be deadly, and so can blizzards. How can we ensure everyone's safety during this combined disaster?
Qi Jingxuan grunted: "Shuanglu is easy to deal with. I'll just tell him I had a dream, or make up some other reason, and ask him to go to Yingzhou to check it out. He'll definitely go."
"As for how to resettle the people... I have never done this before, and I don't know the specifics. Let's wait until Shuanglu goes to Yingzhou first, reports the news to the court, and then let the officials in the court think about it."
"If those people in the court don't believe me and are unwilling to make preparations in advance, I will go to my father and plead for him or throw a tantrum. In any case, I will make him find a way to issue an edict to the officials in Yingzhou, ordering the people to move out of their homes on the appointed day. As for all the expenses... if the Ministry of Revenue is unwilling to pay, I will pay for them myself. Anyway, I have plenty of money, more than I can spend."
Shen Yan was seriously thinking along with him when he said the first part, but she couldn't help but chuckle when she heard the last sentence.
Qi Jingxuan smiled and said, "Actually, I won't lose out. At most, I'll just have to pay some money out of my own pocket upfront. Once the earthquake actually happens, those officials will definitely want to take credit for it, so they won't make me pay for everything. They'll make up for the money I spent."
Both he and Shen Yan knew very well that this earthquake was not a "prediction," but something that had actually happened before, and it was bound to happen again this time.
Shen Yan couldn't think of a better solution for the moment, so she nodded and said, "Let's do as Your Highness says. Let's try it first, and if it doesn't work, we'll think of another way."
Qi Jingxuan nodded: "Then I will go to Shuanglu tomorrow and ask him to go to Yingzhou as soon as possible, so that it won't be too late."
Yingzhou is far from the capital, and even a fast horse would take a month or two to deliver a message. If the court were to send someone to investigate further during that time, it would delay things for quite some time. If things drag on like this, it's uncertain whether everything will be ready before October.
After the two had discussed it, Qi Jingxuan glanced out the window and said, "It's getting late. Aci, why don't you read that book tomorrow? You'll hurt your eyes."
Shen Yan didn't want to read any more, but upon hearing this, she put the book away and got up to extinguish the candles in the room.
Upon seeing this, Qi Jingxuan jumped off the bed first and blew out most of the candles with a few puffs, leaving only two dragon and phoenix wedding candles.
These are the candles for the wedding night; they must burn until dawn, as it is considered bad luck if they go out halfway through.
Although Shen Yan believed their marriage was a sham, Qi Jingxuan took it seriously. He went over and carefully adjusted the wick of the candle, waiting for it to crackle a few times and the light to brighten before returning to the daybed with satisfaction.
He pulled the blanket over himself to lie down, but saw Shen Yan on the other side lowering the bed curtains.
Qi Jingxuan sighed and leaned forward: "Aci, why did you lower the bed curtains? We're married now... No, I mean... I won't offend you if I sleep here. With the bed curtains down, it's not convenient for us to talk, right?"
Before they were married, he would often wake up in the middle of the night, worried that something might happen to Shen Yan. Now that they were finally married, it was bad enough that they couldn't sleep in the same bed, but why did they have to draw the bed curtains to separate them?
He had no other thoughts than wanting to see her as soon as he opened his eyes. Whether it was day or night, seeing her put his mind at ease.
Shen Yan had no idea what he was thinking. He had been sleeping on the daybed earlier because there were no bed curtains, so he couldn't put them up even if he wanted to. Now that there were, he naturally wanted to put them up.
"It's just a bed curtain; it won't interfere with our conversation."
She spoke gently, and with a slight release of her grip, the bed curtains fell down.
Qi Jingxuan's shoulders slumped down with the bed curtains, and he lay down helplessly, kicking the blankets a few times in frustration.
He lay on the daybed, tossing and turning for a while, glancing at the bed every now and then. He didn't know how much time had passed, but the room fell completely silent, save for a soft, even, long, and very light breathing sound.
Qi Jingxuan was certain that the voice was not his own. He listened intently for a while, then his gaze fell back on the hanging bed curtains.
Thinking that Shen Yan was lying inside, he couldn't help but smile happily, and the slight annoyance he felt earlier vanished without him even realizing it.
A cool summer night breeze swept across the windowpane, and Qi Jingxuan was in a better mood than ever before. Perhaps because he was too excited, he couldn't fall asleep for a long time. After tossing and turning for a while, he tiptoed out of bed and walked barefoot to the bedside.
The dim candlelight cast his shadow. He reached out and lifted the bed curtains a crack, peeking through the gap to see the person lying inside. It was indeed Shen Yan.
He watched for a while, then couldn't help but cover his mouth and chuckle. He turned around and went back to the daybed, lying down again. But after a short while, he got up again and went to the bedside to take a sneak peek.
He didn't know how many times he had secretly peeked at her that night, and the last time, the sky outside the window was already faintly bright. Shen Yan turned over, which startled him. He hurriedly lowered the bed curtains and walked back, but he accidentally tripped over his own foot and fell face down on the ground with a thud.
The commotion startled the servants on night duty outside the door, and Shen Yan, who was on the bed, was also instantly awakened, lifting the bed curtains to look outside.
"Your Highness," she said, walking over to Qi Jingxuan, who was lying on the ground, with a look of surprise and uncertainty. "What happened to you?"
Qi Jingxuan covered his nose and sat up: "No, it's nothing. I was just thirsty and wanted to get a glass of water, but I accidentally fell."
Then he raised his voice to the servants outside and said, "No need to come in, I'm fine."
Shen Yan frowned and helped Qi Jingxuan up from the ground. She made sure he was alright, except for a slightly red nose, before she breathed a sigh of relief.
She glanced at the overturned teacup on the table, knowing he hadn't drunk any water, so she poured him a cup and handed it to him: "Walk slowly, what if you accidentally bump into a table or chair?"
Qi Jingxuan hummed in agreement, pretended to drink a few sips, and said awkwardly, "I'm fine now, go to sleep, go to sleep."
He then pushed her toward the bed and returned to the bedside himself.
After all that, he finally didn't toss and turn all night and got a good night's sleep before dawn.
…………
The next morning, Qi Jingxuan and Shen Yan went to the palace to pay their respects.
Although he hadn't slept much all night, Qi Jingxuan was still full of energy and showed no signs of fatigue.
The Emperor was holding the morning court session, and only Consort Shu was in Zhaohua Palace. As soon as Qi Jingxuan entered, he happily ran to Consort Shu and called out "Mother Consort" in a light tone. Anyone could tell that he was in a very good mood.
Consort Shu smiled and looked the two of them up and down. Seeing that Qi Jingxuan was happy but no different from usual, with no shyness on his face, and that Shen Yan was also bowing to her generously, she knew that the two had not consummated their marriage.
She had guessed this would be the outcome, but seeing her son still so happy and excited, she felt somewhat conflicted.
Ah Xuan took this marriage seriously, believing that even if Miss Shen didn't want to be with him now, he could persevere through persistent effort. Little did he know that Miss Shen never intended to be his queen, and had already prepared to leave.
As a mother, she naturally hoped that her son could have a happy life, but Miss Shen was an innocent victim, and she could not go against her conscience and let her sacrifice her own life for the sake of her son.
Consort Shu sighed inwardly, hoping that in their future interactions, Miss Shen would feel Ah Xuan's sincerity, let go of her grudges, and walk with him for a long time.
If not, I hope Ah Xuan won't be too sad when Miss Shen leaves...
Today was the first time the two had entered the palace since their marriage. After a moment of reflection, she cheered herself up, glared at Qi Jingxuan, and said, "You're married now, yet you're still so frivolous and not steady at all."
Then he reached out his hand to Shen Yan: "Aci, come and sit down."
She pulled Shen Yan to sit down beside her and, like a true mother-in-law, began to talk about some of Qi Jingxuan's past anecdotes and daily habits. She also asked Shen Yan if she was getting used to living in the Prince's mansion and whether the maids sent to serve her were taking good care of her.
Shen Yan answered each question, saying that everything was fine at the Prince's residence and that she had no trouble getting used to it.
The three chatted and laughed, and time passed quickly. Before they knew it, the court assembly of the previous dynasty had ended.
The emperor knew that Qi Jingxuan and Shen Yan would be entering the palace today, and he valued them highly. During the court session, he acted as if he wanted to dismiss the court and go back to the inner palace.
The court officials were sensible enough to keep quiet after discussing the more important matters, and the court session ended smoothly.
The eunuchs carrying the palanquin nearly kicked up sparks as they rushed the emperor, who had just finished court, to Zhaohua Palace.
Laughter and chatter filled the Zhaohua Palace, creating a pleasant atmosphere. As the emperor approached the entrance, a smile appeared on his face. He straightened his robes and walked in with steady steps.
Upon hearing the announcement from the palace servants, Qi Jingxuan and Shen Yan quickly rose to their feet and bowed. Consort Shu also curtsied slightly.
The Emperor hurriedly went over to help Consort Shu up, and then gestured to Qi Jingxuan and Shen Yan: "We're family, no need for formalities, please sit down."
Qi Jingxuan and Shen Yan sat down as instructed, and Consort Shu also sat back down. After the palace servants served tea and then left, the Emperor asked with a smile, "What were you talking about just now that made you so happy?"
Consort Shu didn't respond, but Qi Jingxuan quickly recounted what they had just talked about, and finally said, "My mother told me about how I wet my pants when I was three years old, without giving me any face at all."
Upon hearing this, the emperor laughed loudly: "You're not just three years old, you even wet your pants once when you were five. Your mother didn't mention it, which is already showing you some decency."
Qi Jingxuan had only meant it as a joke, but the emperor had unexpectedly exposed his past. His face flushed red, and he stamped his foot, saying that nothing of the sort had happened, while turning to look at Shen Yan.
Shen Yan smiled slightly, and Consort Shu also smiled, making the room seem harmonious and joyful for a moment.
After chatting for a while longer, seeing that it was getting late and they should leave, Qi Jingxuan asked, "Father, how is Lin Si doing? Have you gotten any results from the interrogation?"
The emperor, who had been all smiles just moments before, stiffened slightly upon hearing this, but quickly masked it and replied gently, "We haven't found anything yet. I'll send someone to inform you when we have news. You've just gotten married, and this is a joyous occasion, so let's put these matters aside for now and avoid bringing bad luck."
Qi Jingxuan didn't see anything wrong and nodded upon hearing this: "Alright, then I'll take Aci back first. Father, if you find anything out, be sure to tell me immediately."
The emperor nodded in agreement. Qi Jingxuan then gave Consort Shu a few more instructions, telling her to take care of herself, before leaving Zhaohua Palace with Shen Yan.
After the two of them left, the smiles on the Emperor's and Consort Shu's faces simultaneously froze. Consort Shu said, "Lin Si is dead. When does Your Majesty intend to tell them?"
The emperor frowned slightly, raised his hand to pinch his brow, and said with a headache, "In a few days, in a few days. Ah Xuan just got married and is very happy."
He knew that Consort Shu would not be able to tell Qi Jingxuan this news at this time, otherwise she would have said it earlier.
The room fell silent, the laughter and chatter from before gone.
After a long silence, Consort Shu finally spoke again: "Does Your Majesty believe that Consort Hui was the one who did those things?"
The emperor sighed softly, turning to look at her helplessly: "A-Ning, do you really think I'm such a muddle-headed person?"
Consort Shu did not respond to this, but said in a low voice, "I don't care about anything else, I just want Ah Xuan to be safe."
"I know, I know."
The emperor held her hand and comforted her gently, "Don't worry, I will definitely find out the real mastermind and never let him harm Ah Xuan again."
…………
After leaving the palace, Qi Jingxuan first sent Shen Yan back to the Pingjun Prince's Mansion, and then went straight to Yafeng Garden, where he pulled Lu Heng, who was having a good time, out and told him his plans.
Lu Heng reached out and touched Qi Jingxuan's forehead, his brows furrowed: "He doesn't have a fever, so why is he acting strangely?"
Qi Jingxuan spat and slapped him away: "I'm talking to you seriously."
“I’m being serious,” Lu Heng said. “If you weren’t out of your mind, how could you have such a bizarre dream about an earthquake happening in Yingzhou in a few months, and even the exact date?”
"Leaving aside how unreliable this dream is, you're not the kind of person who worries about the country and its people. Even if you dreamed that the Sixth Prince was demoted to a commoner, you wouldn't dream of something like this."
Qi Jingxuan opened his mouth to refute, but couldn't find the right words.
He had always been a carefree prince, and the words "concern for the country and its people" seemed to have nothing to do with him. Indeed, he had never done anything that could be described as concern for the country and its people.
If Shen Yan hadn't told him about the earthquake, if she hadn't been so determined to protect the people there from disaster, would he have bothered to get involved? Would he have just listened and thought it over, like before? Yingzhou was so far away, and he had no relatives or friends there; he couldn't help it, and he didn't need to, and so… he just let it go.
This was the first time Qi Jingxuan had this thought, and he even found it somewhat inexplicable.
He was born a carefree prince, and no one ever had any expectations of him. It was best if he were mediocre, without any talent, neither good at literature nor martial arts, and remained a good-for-nothing playboy for life. No matter how much a playboy or a good-for-nothing is favored, he will not pose a threat to anyone. He can live a peaceful and smooth life, and others can confidently vie for power and profit without having to take a good-for-nothing seriously.
He was used to this kind of life and didn't feel anything was wrong with it, but these sudden thoughts gave him a strange feeling.
This feeling was fleeting, and he said somewhat impatiently, "Stop with the nonsense, just tell me if you're going or not."
Seeing that he was serious, Lu Heng also put away his joking expression.
"You can go, but you have to tell me the truth. Dreaming is too absurd. What's the difference between this and that historical account of 'the Purple Star entering the womb, the Emperor Star descending to earth'? You...you wouldn't..."
He pointed towards the palace and said, "You wouldn't be having any inappropriate thoughts, would you?"
Although Lu Heng and Qi Jingxuan were close friends, he knew very well that Qi Jingxuan had no chance of taking that position. It was precisely for this reason that the clan felt comfortable letting him associate with Qi Jingxuan, without fear of any suspicion of forming cliques or engaging in favoritism.
As a friend, Lu Heng naturally hoped that Qi Jingxuan could live a good life and was willing to do his best to help him, but this absolutely did not include seizing the throne.
Since ancient times, the struggle for the crown prince has been accompanied by bloodshed. He was just an incompetent junior in the family and did not want to drag the entire family into it.
What are you thinking about?
Qi Jingxuan slapped him on the head: "Am I crazy? Why would I be thinking about those things?"
Lu Heng cried out in pain, clutching his head: "If you don't care, why did you send me to Yingzhou? You... you really seem to want me to cause some kind of mysterious disturbance for you, and then use that as proof that you are the true Son of Heaven."
Qi Jingxuan rolled his eyes at him: "What kind of bullshit evidence is this? If I really had such an idea, wouldn't it be better to make up some auspicious omen? Why bother predicting an earthquake? What if nothing happens? It would all be for nothing."
"You could say that the person who predicted it averted the disaster. That's what those fake monks and Taoist priests in the stories did. If something went wrong, it proved they were right; if nothing went wrong, it proved they had great magical powers and averted the disaster, saving everyone from suffering."
"You've been reading too many romance novels," Qi Jingxuan said irritably. "Does anyone believe me, a notorious person, who jumps out and claims to have averted a disaster for everyone?"
Lu Heng thought for a moment and said, "That's true. Maybe some people would actually believe it if it were someone else, but it's you..."
He stopped there, not continuing the conversation, and instead said, "So...did you really have such a dream, and after waking up, you were so worried about the country and its people that you wanted me to help you, and even willing to pay out of your own pocket to cover the expenses of resettling the people?"
This sounds rather strange, not much better than those storybooks.
"Just tell me if you'll help or not," Qi Jingxuan said directly. "Yingzhou is Aci's hometown. If something happens to her in Yingzhou right after she marries me, it will be bad for both my and her reputation. If you make a trip there, consider it as helping me avert disaster."
Upon hearing this, Lu Heng slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "I knew it! So that's why you sent me to Yingzhou just because of a dream!"
"Don't worry!" He patted Qi Jingxuan on the shoulder and said, "Although this matter sounds a bit unreliable, since you asked, I'll make the trip. I'll go back and pack my things later, and leave the capital tomorrow. I'll send you a message when I get to Yingzhou."
"Actually, I have some knowledge of astronomy and geography. Generally, the landforms of places where earthquakes occur frequently are different from other places, and this is also recorded in historical books. If Yingzhou is located in such a place, it is not difficult to convince the local government and people to believe my words, after all, everyone values their lives."
Qi Jingxuan didn't know much about this, so he just nodded and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you. If we can find some detailed records in historical books or local chronicles, the court should be more easily persuaded."
If the imperial court believed it, they would take preventative measures against earthquakes and disasters in advance, which would be better than him having to pull strings everywhere.
Lu Heng chuckled and said, "Why are we brothers being so polite? I heard that His Majesty has bestowed a hot spring resort outside the city upon you as a wedding gift. When winter comes, could you lend me a courtyard from your hot spring resort? My mother's legs get uncomfortable in winter, and your resort is warm, so I can borrow it to recuperate."
“No problem,” Qi Jingxuan waved his hand. “There are so many courtyards on the estate, you can let your aunt choose whichever she wants. She can move in whenever she wants. In a few years, when I go to my fiefdom, I will give the estate to you directly.”
Anyway, he might not return to the capital for three to five years, so the manor would just sit empty anyway. It would be better to give it to Lu Heng, which would be making the best use of it.
Lu Heng's eyes lit up: "I'm going to take your word for it."
"I was just being honest; when have I ever gone back on my word?"
Lu Heng laughed loudly and immediately stood up: "I won't wait until tomorrow, I'll go back and pack my things now, and head to Yingzhou right away!"
He then waved to Qi Jingxuan and strode away.
After finishing this matter, Qi Jingxuan felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his heart. Although it was only a temporary relief, he felt much more relaxed.
He went back and told Shen Yan the good news. Shen Yan was relieved to hear this and said, "Then the next step is to find out who is behind this and who framed us."
That person hasn't made any moves lately, and the palace hasn't been able to extract any useful information from Lin Si. They can't just keep waiting like this; they have to think of some other way to get to him.
"I remember you said that once I ran over and died on the stone lion in front of the Dali Temple."
Shen Yan said.
Qi Jingxuan nodded, his expression turning somber: "Although I didn't see it in person, that's exactly what the chief clerk in the prefecture said at the time. I even asked him then why the Court of Judicial Review summoned you for questioning."
"You are the victim, and a woman at that. Lord Shen... your father-in-law is also an official. If the Dali Temple had any decency, they shouldn't have summoned you there. Instead, they should have sent someone to the Shen family to question you privately. But they went against common sense and summoned you to the Dali Temple, which led you to hear many rumors on your way there. Perhaps... perhaps they were very rude when they questioned you and said some unpleasant things, so after you came out of the Dali Temple... you bumped your head into a stone lion."
Shen Yan had no memory of this; she had already vented her sadness and pain when she first heard it, so she was calm now. After he finished speaking, she asked, "Does Your Highness know who summoned me?"
“I know, it’s Wang Zhao, the head of the Dali Temple. I also sent people to investigate him, but we didn’t find anything. A sixth-rank official like him can’t possibly be in charge of the Dali Temple. He’s probably been pushed out as a pawn. Either someone fanned the flames and urged him to take the lead, or someone above him pushed him out.”
“Once I told my father about my repeated rebirths, and my father told Lin Chengfeng... who is also the Imperial Censor Lin. At first he didn’t believe it, but later many things matched up one by one, and he became vigilant. When the Dali Temple wanted to summon you, he stopped you. At that time, the one who wanted to summon you was Wang Zhao.”
"But as soon as Lin Chengfeng spoke up to stop him, Wang Zhao immediately backed down and didn't dare to utter a word. No one else from the Dali Temple insisted on letting him pass."
"After Wang Zhao, no one else came forward, so there were no clues pointing to the Dali Temple. We could only follow his trail and investigate further. But this guy was very shrewd and had good relationships with everyone. He flattered every superior and it was hard to say who he was closer to."
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