Chapter 203 My little girl is impatient, sorry for the joke
Cao Dejiang just felt that Xiao Yan was particularly approachable today and could even make jokes. He laughed and was led by Tang Ning to sit down.
Only Fu Laiqing felt a chill on his back. Half of his buttocks were touching the edge of the stool, his hands were on his knees, his back was straight, and he looked particularly well-behaved.
However, Cao Dejiang misunderstood that he was nervous because he saw the girl he liked, and secretly thought that he was a loser.
"I have heard something about what happened last night. It was said to be very dangerous. Are the county lady and Princess Cheng safe?" Cao Dejiang asked with concern.
Tang Ning said softly, "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Cao. My aunt and I are doing fine."
Only those in Prince Cheng's mansion knew that Princess Cheng was pregnant. Now that she had a miscarriage, Tang Ning didn't want to spread the news any further. She said to Cao Dejiang, "Prince Cheng's mansion had sent me letters repeatedly saying that the old concubine was seriously ill and that my aunt was being sent back to tend to her. Who could have imagined that Prince Cheng was so vicious that he would actually kill the old concubine and frame my aunt, and even try to silence her."
"Luckily, I was worried about my aunt's safety, so I begged my brother to go with me. Coincidentally, I ran into the Second Prince and Lord Wu who were visiting the Imperial Patrol Camp to request troops for a murder case. Otherwise, my aunt, my brother, and I would have all been killed by Prince Cheng last night."
This was the unanimous statement made by Xiao Yan and others to the outside world, and it was also tacitly approved by Emperor An.
The Second Prince's confession last night made Emperor An feel protective of his son, and he even acquiesced to the Second Prince's "coincidence" in running into Prince Cheng's mansion.
Cao Dejiang's expression remained unchanged, as if he didn't hear any loophole in the words: "That's really dangerous."
Fu Laiqing, standing beside him, was genuinely moved and terrified as he listened. "How could Prince Cheng be so vicious? The old Concubine Dowager is his biological mother, yet he actually used her life to plot against the Princess. Luckily, the Second Prince and Marquis Wenxin happened to be there. If anything had happened to you, I'm afraid he would have put the blame on you all."
"So, God has eyes, and good deeds will be rewarded and evil deeds will be punished. The County Princess and Governor Xiao are both good people, which is why they can get help from Marquis Wenxin and others."
Tang Ning looked at Fu Laiqing and realized that he actually believed that Wen Xinhou and the others were just a coincidence, so he remained silent.
Xiao Yan glanced at Cao Dejiang meaningfully.
Cao Dejiang: “…”
Even though Xiao Yan didn't say anything, he felt his face swelling. He raised his hand and slapped Fu Laiqing in the face, then said, "Shut up!"
Fu Laiqing: “?”
He stumbled, covering his head with his hands, his face full of confusion: "Uncle?"
What happened to him?
Tang Ning looked at Fu Laiqing, who had a confused look in his eyes and had no idea what was going on, and couldn't help but burst out laughing.
The last time I saw him, I felt that this young man from the Fu family was a little silly, but I didn't expect him to be so naive. He actually believed what everyone knew was just a perfunctory statement.
The people in the court were all shrewd people. Even the young men she had met in the past were mostly deep-minded. It was rare to find someone like him.
Seeing Fu Laiqing looking back at her, Tang Ning quickly concealed her smile and coughed lightly, but the dimples on the corners of her mouth did not disappear, which made Fu Laiqing, who was originally a little embarrassed, blush. He rubbed the back of his head in a silly way and then grinned.
Xiao Yan: “…”
With a snap, the cup in his hand cracked.
"Brother?"
Tang Ning turned around and saw the tea spilling onto Xiao Yan's hand. She immediately ignored Fu Laiqing and quickly turned around to reach out to grab the cup.
Xiao Yan moved aside and placed the two halves of the cup on the table: "These cups are not good. I'll ask someone to replace them later."
Tang Ning glanced at the shattered cup and frowned. "It's time to replace it. How can it crack just by pouring some water on it?" She hurriedly handed a handkerchief to Xiao Yan and saw that the area around his palms was red. She immediately became anxious. "It looks like you've been burned. I'll get some cold water."
She stood up and hurried out. Xiao Yan sat there, reaching out with a handkerchief to cover the burned area. He glanced at the two people in the hall with a distracted look.
"My little girl has a quick temper, sorry for the joke."
Cao Dejiang was fine, he didn't think much about it, he just felt that Xiao Yan and Song Tangning's relationship was as harmonious as the rumors said. Only Fu Laiqing, looking at the broken teacup on the table and Xiao Yan's vague gaze on him, his originally blushing face froze and he was at a loss.
It seemed like his future brother-in-law wanted to kill him.
Song Tangning hurried back with cold water and placed it in front of Xiao Yan, soaking his hand in it. Seeing that the redness of the scalded area had subsided a little, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing her nervous expression, Xiao Yan said gently, "It's okay. I've been burned countless times when I first entered the palace and was on duty. My skin is thick and tough, so I'm used to it."
Song Tangning's heart suddenly tightened. "How can I get used to this kind of thing? I'll go ask Sister Qin for some burn ointment later."
She pressed down Xiao Yan's hand as he tried to pull it away.
"Let it soak for a while longer to prevent bubbles."
Seeing this, Xiao Yan could only follow her lead. He rolled up his sleeves and continued to soak his hands in the water. At the same time, he looked up at Cao Dejiang and asked, "Lord Cao just said that Tang Ning had asked you to find a clue about the deputy headmaster of the academy. I wonder who this expert is?"
Cao Dejiang replied, "I'm afraid many people haven't heard of his name, but he's incredibly talented. Most importantly, he doesn't value fame or gain, and he clearly distinguishes between gratitude and resentment. If Yiyang County Lady can invite him to the academy, she won't have to worry about him turning against you for personal gain in the future."
Tang Ning became interested after hearing this: "May I know his last name?"
"His name is Shi Changan."
Shi Changan...
Tang Ning muttered the name softly, feeling completely unfamiliar. He looked at Xiao Yan beside him, who also shook his head: "I have never heard of this person."
"Of course you haven't heard of Governor Xiao, but you should have heard of his senior brother named Xiahou Ling," said Cao Dejiang.
Xiao Yan's expression paused slightly: "The Imperial Master of the Beiling Dynasty?"
"Yes, that's him."
Xiao Yan perked up instantly. Seeing Tang Ning's bewildered expression, he explained, "Beiling was originally a nomadic, scattered tribe, bordering the Chengjie River of the Great Wei. In the past, Beiling consisted of dozens of independent tribes. But about thirteen years ago, a powerful Khan emerged from the Zongyan tribe of Beiling. With the help of a military advisor named Xiahou, he gained control of over half of the tribes in Beiling within just five or six years."
"That military advisor is Xiahou Ling?" Tang Ning asked.
Xiao Yan nodded. "This man is said to be a genius, and even more unpredictable in military affairs. He holds an extremely high position in Beiling. After the Khan of the Zongyan tribe came to power, he appointed him as Beiling's Imperial Preceptor. His power is second only to the Khan. However, I have never heard that he even has a junior fellow apprentice."
Cao Dejiang said, "I also found out by chance. Xiahou Ling was originally from Southern Qi and was a fellow disciple of Shi Chang'an. However, he violated the sect's taboo and defected. He later killed everyone in the sect, even Shi Chang'an, who was almost killed by him."
"Shi Chang'an once served in the Northern Frontier Army, intending to take advantage of the conflict between Wei and Beiling to seek revenge on Xiahou Ling, but his plan was wrong and he nearly died in the Northern Frontier."
"I happened to save his life at the time, and that's when I learned about the feud between him and Xiahou Ling. Shi Chang'an has visited Beiling several times over the years, but each time he returned empty-handed. Two years ago, he even had one of his arms crippled in Beiling Imperial City."
"After returning that time, he probably gave up the idea and never went to Beiling again."
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