The Third Prince was trying to win people over.
The old lady continued, "She is Tang Shulan, and her father is the current Grand Tutor! He was previously the Emperor's teacher!"
"Grand Tutor Tang had his daughter late in life, so he has always doted on her all these years!"
"But Tang Taifu was good at teaching, and he did not raise his daughter to be arrogant, spoiled and barbaric."
"Miss Tang, she is learned and talented, and well-mannered. The reason you were able to get in touch with her is because your uncle is the prime minister in the court! And also because of the reputation of our Duke's Mansion!"
After saying that, he glanced at Su Yuexing, who was looking down, and said sarcastically, "Unlike some people, who are penniless."
Li Jinghe said unhappily, "Grandmother!"
The old lady knew that some things should be left unsaid, so she waved her hand and said, "Alright, you may all leave. I'm tired."
Li Jinghe and Su Yuexing stood up and left the room.
The old lady watched their retreating figures, her brows furrowed. No! For the sake of the Duke's mansion, I must ensure that He'er marries the daughter of Grand Tutor Tang.
Su Yuexing walked behind Li Jinghe and said, "She's quite outstanding."
Li Jinghe paused, turned around and looked at her, saying, "What do you mean by that?"
Su Yuexing continued, "You two are a perfect match, both in terms of social standing and appearance."
Li Jinghe gritted his teeth and said, "Su Yuexing! What exactly are you trying to say!"
Su Yuexing looked away from his face and said, "Divorce me and marry her."
"Ha!" Li Jinghe said with a mocking tone, "Do you think I'd listen to you?"
Su Yuexing remained silent, walked past him, and continued on her way.
Li Jinghe quickly stepped forward, grabbed her hand, and questioned, "Why do you always think about leaving me!"
Su Yuexing stopped and said, "I'll say it again, we were never meant to be." With that, she shook off his hand and walked away alone.
Li Jinghe angrily punched a wooden stake next to him, blood flowing down his hand. "So the Meng family is going to make a move against me so soon!"
Su Yuexing lay in bed, recalling her conversation with Liu Jin, wondering if she had missed anything.
As she thought about it, Li Jinghe's face involuntarily appeared in her mind.
She suddenly opened her eyes, patted her face, and sat up in bed. "Why did I suddenly think of him!" she exclaimed, shaking her head.
Li Jinghe stood on the windowsill, with Hua, Xue, and Yue kneeling behind him.
"How's the investigation going with what I asked you to do?"
Hua said, "After leaving the Duke's mansion, Sai Taxue has been staying in the palace."
"The second princess has been going to the palace every day these past few days."
“The old Duke…” she hesitated for a moment.
"What's wrong with him?" Li Jinghe asked with his eyes closed.
"The old Duke is very close to General Huang, the commander of the Imperial Guards!"
Li Jinghe opened his eyes, his pupils contracted, and asked, "Is there any other news?"
Hua shook her head and said, "No more."
Li Jinghe's hand slowly clenched. Why did his grandfather do this?
If the Emperor knew this, I wonder what he would think of the Duke's Mansion.
My maternal grandmother insisted on marrying Tang Shulan to me; could this also be part of their plan?
He rubbed his temples. Perhaps my coming to the capital was also part of their plan.
What exactly is their purpose? There is probably only one way to figure this out.
He slowly opened his eyes, looked in a certain direction, and said, "You may all leave."
"Yes!" the three said and then quickly left.
To make this seem less contrived, I need to figure out how to act with Su Yuexing.
Su Yuexing didn't sleep well all night and woke up with huge dark circles under her eyes.
During the meal, I noticed that she was listless. She moved her mouth as if she wanted to speak, but in the end she swallowed her words.
Su Yuexing found the food in front of her tasteless, ate a few bites casually, and then stood up and said, "I'm tired, I'm going back to sleep. You can eat slowly."
Li Jinghe gave a faint "hmm" and continued eating the food in his bowl.
Su Yuexing returned to her room, lay down on the bed, and found a comfortable position to fall asleep.
After finishing his meal, Li Jinghe left Meng Mansion and went to Xie Mansion.
However, he learned from the servants that Xie Xuanye was not at the mansion, so he had the servants tell him that he had come to see him.
He arrived at a restaurant, sat by the window, looked down at the bustling street, and took a sip of tea.
Knock knock knock!
Li Jinghe asked, "Who?"
"Young master, I am the waiter in this shop. Someone asked me to give you a letter," the waiter said.
"Come in."
The waiter pushed open the door and handed the letter in his hand to Li Jinghe with a smile.
Li Jinghe waved his hand, and the waiter withdrew.
He opened the envelope, carefully read the few short sentences on it, and then got up.
Li Jinghe walked to the room next door, opened the door without saying a word, and a man was sitting inside.
He was dressed in blue, with a chessboard in front of him. His fingers, holding the white flag, paused, and he looked up slightly at Li Jinghe. "You've come."
Li Jinghe carefully examined the person in front of him and asked, "Who are you?"
Ouyang Xiuzhu lowered his head and smiled slightly, saying, "Young Master Li, we met when we were children."
After listening, Li Jinghe frowned slightly and thought it through carefully, but still had no impression of the person in front of him.
Ouyang Xiuzhu reminded him, "At the imperial banquet, they secretly ate Yang Guifei's rabbit."
Li Jinghe instantly realized who the person in front of him was, and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Third Prince."
"Get up," Ouyang Xiuzhu said.
"Thank you, Third Prince," Li Jinghe said, standing up.
"I wonder if Young Master Li has time to play chess with me?" he said.
Since the Third Prince had personally invited him, if he refused, wouldn't that be disrespectful to him? So he had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "This humble citizen's chess skills are not good, and I hope the Third Prince will not find them offensive."
"I don't mind," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "Sit down!"
Li Jinghe sat opposite him, glanced at the chessboard, picked up a white piece and placed it on the board. Ouyang Xiuzhu glanced at him and the corners of his mouth slowly turned up.
The two played chess from day to night. Ouyang Xiuzhu put down the chess pieces in his hand and said, "It's getting late. Why don't we have dinner together?"
Li Jinghe respectfully replied, "I would rather obey your command."
Then the Third Prince's men brought out the food. Li Jinghe glanced at the food; it seemed they had prepared it beforehand.
Ouyang Xiuzhu poured him a glass of wine, but Li Jinghe waved his hand and refused, saying, "I am too weak to drink."
Ouyang Xiuzhu exclaimed in surprise, "Didn't Sai Taxue say that she had already cured your illness, young master!"
"Why can't we even drink a little wine now! Could it be that he deceived Father Emperor!"
Li Jinghe keenly grasped the information in those words: How could this be related to the Emperor!
Li Jinghe explained, "Thanks to the divine physician Sai, my illness has been cured, but I still need to take medicine, so I can't touch this wine."
Ouyang Xiuzhu looked understanding. "I see. Then let's toast you with tea instead of wine!"
"We haven't seen each other for a long time!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a perceptive subordinate brought over tea.
Li Jinghe took a sip and said, "Is Doctor Sai's willingness to treat me related to the Emperor?"
Ouyang Xiuzhu replied, "Of course!"
"How could someone who couldn't even afford to invite the Second Princess be persuaded by a mere Duke's mansion?"
Li Jinghe frowned after hearing this and asked, "But why would His Majesty do this?"
Ouyang Xiuzhu looked at him with a smile and said, "As your son, I cannot guess what Father Emperor is thinking."
"I only know that there are only two ways to cure Sai Taxue's illness: either he does it voluntarily, or it is by order of my father."
Li Jinghe drank a cup of tea. "Please enlighten me, Third Prince."
Ouyang Xiuzhu laughed heartily and said, "Young Master Li, don't be nervous. Since Father Emperor is willing to save you, he certainly doesn't want your life."
Li Jinghe looked at him and said, "So the Third Prince came all this way to tell me about this."
Ouyang Xiuzhu smiled and said, "Firstly, it's to catch up with old friends, and secondly, I want to sound out the Duke's Mansion."
Li Jinghe frowned and said, "You should ask Mengwang about the Duke's mansion."
Ouyang Xiuzhu shook his head and said, "No, no, no! I want to know your attitude."
Li Jinghe asked in confusion, "My attitude?"
Ouyang Xiuzhu continued, "My father is fifty-two years old this year and has two sons and one daughter, but the current crown prince has not yet been decided."
"The eldest prince was born to the empress, and in principle he was born of the legitimate wife. He should have been made crown prince long ago, but the emperor has not taken any action."
"As for me," he smiled and continued, "my mother is Consort Shu, and my uncle and maternal grandfather are also quite prestigious in the court."
"So I want to compete with him for that position!" he said with a serious expression.
Li Jinghe's heart skipped a beat. Ouyang Xiuzhu looked him up and down with a smile and said, "I know the old Duke dotes on you."
"So I'll need your help when necessary."
"Don't worry! Once I'm in that position, you'll definitely get your share of the benefits!" he said confidently.
Li Jinghe considered his words carefully before slowly saying, "I came to the capital for sightseeing and won't be staying long. The Third Prince has come to the wrong person."
Ouyang Xiuzhu snorted coldly, "Do you think this prince would believe what you say?"
Li Jinghe remained silent.
"I'll give you three days to consider. Come to this restaurant to see me in three days, and give me a satisfactory answer," Ouyang Xiuzhu commanded leisurely.
Li Jinghe slowly stood up, looking directly at him and said, "I don't need the Third Prince to give me time to consider. My answer remains the same."
"You!" Ouyang Xiuzhu slammed his hand on the table in anger, "Bang!" The tea spilled out.
"Don't be stubborn and refuse to listen to reason!" he threatened coldly.
Li Jinghe calmly replied, "If the Third Prince is willing to make me suffer the consequences of offending the Duke's Mansion, then I will."
Ouyang Xiuzhu gritted his teeth and said, "Li Jinghe! Do you know the consequences of offending me?"
Li Jinghe bowed respectfully and said, "Take care, Third Prince. I'll take my leave now."
Ouyang Xiuzhu watched him leave, then flung the food off the table onto the ground. No one around dared to breathe.
Throughout the journey, Li Jinghe pondered what Ouyang Xiuzhu had told him.
The Emperor? Could this matter also be related to the Emperor?
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