Chapter 97 Preparation (Catching Bugs) At this moment, I indulge my emotions so much...
Chapter 97
Prince Consort...
Thinking of the person who had the audacity to dress up as a man but unexpectedly got what she wanted and fell in love with the princess who was also dressed as a man, Ye Changning was silent for a long time.
The faint fragrance of tea spreads, refreshing the heart.
His complicated emotions slowly settled. Before the secret guards arrived, Ye Changning stood by the window and asked casually, "Brother Xie, how are you feeling right now?"
Xie Junnuo smiled wryly and looked up. His usually calm eyes were filled with shock. "This is earth-shattering."
——There was actually a seventh prince hiding in the palace, hidden for nearly eighteen years. How could this not be shocking?!
Although he has always been known for his calmness and composure, this matter is of no small importance!
Compared with this incident, Young Master Lin dressing up as a man seems quite commonplace.
——The Lin family gave birth to five daughters in succession. For the sake of the title, it is understandable that they let the youngest daughter pretend to be a son to ensure that she could inherit the title and preserve the glory of the Lin family.
But... the prince pretends to be a princess?!
This is really unheard of.
There have been a few exceptions where princesses pretended to be princes to win favor.
At this time, Ye Changning and Xie Junnuo had calmed down. After careful consideration, they also figured out some of the truth -
That's right, the princess pretended to be a prince in order to win favor, and most likely even coveted the throne...
But why would the prince pretend to be a princess? It must be to escape the vortex of vying for favor and succession, and to escape unscathed.
Both are risky. No matter which one, once discovered, the emperor will punish and fear it.
I really can't tell which one is worse.
The former is caught in the vortex of conflict from the very beginning and is full of crises; the latter can indeed stay away from disputes at the beginning, but will immediately bring disaster upon oneself once discovered, and the suspicious emperor will suspect that you are lying dormant for ulterior motives.
Xie Junnuo poured the tea, stood up, carried two cups of tea to Ye Changning, and handed him one. "Brother Ye, I'm afraid you already knew about the prince consort, right?"
Ye Changning's hands trembled. He took the teacup with both hands and tried to cover it up by playing with the lid. But then he realized it was useless and said with a wry smile, "Nothing can escape Brother Xie's discerning eyes."
Xie Junnuo didn't laugh. He looked directly at Ye Changning and asked, "Brother Ye, you even have a crush on the Prince Consort and have fantasized about the chance to marry him in the future, right?"
Ye Changning's smile froze, and his eyes grew a bit colder. Xie Junnuo, unafraid, met his gaze.
A moment later, the steam from the teacup drifted up. Ye Changning lowered his eyes and whispered, "If the princess were a real princess, I would have fantasized about it. Waiting a few years wouldn't hurt. However... things are unpredictable."
Who would have thought that the princess was actually a prince? It just so happened that she matched Young Master Lin's gender.
Xie Junnuo sighed, "Brother Ye is so frank, I admire you."
Ye Changning smiled bitterly again. He turned slightly to look outside the study building. You San and You Qi were trying to get closer and were almost disappearing from his sight.
Ye Changning thought that he had already said the words he was most afraid of letting them hear. Next, if they wanted to eavesdrop, then let them do it.
So he retracted his gaze and winked at Xie Junnuo: "Brother Xie, what are your plans?"
Xie Junnuo was intelligent and wise. He understood everything with just one look. He certainly wouldn't say anything that would displease the princess or cause trouble for Ye Changning. He directly stated his feelings: "The princess and her husband have already married and are living a peaceful and happy life. Why should we disrupt this peace? Moreover, the crown prince is still alive, and the third and fourth princes are about to get married. Everything in the capital is under the control of His Majesty. As ministers, we must not act on our own and should just follow His Majesty's instructions as usual."
Ye Changning's heart trembled as he heard him speak. His years at the Dali Temple had honed his ability to think meticulously and maintain a flawless logic. Afraid the eavesdroppers would misunderstand that Xie Junnuo was about to tell His Majesty a secret before listening to His Majesty's orders, he quickly added, "So let's just pretend nothing happened today, and nothing happened, right?"
"Of course." Xie Junnuo looked into the distance, and another thought arose in his mind, but he thought about it carefully and did not say it out loud for the time being.
Ye Changning breathed a sigh of relief.
He lowered his head and drank his tea.
Xie Junnuo finished his thoughts and said something startling: "The current situation is very stable - Your Majesty is in the prime of life, the Crown Prince is young and promising, and with Lord Ye in charge in the capital, there won't be any chaos in the short term. But in the future... it's hard to say."
Ye Changning spat out a mouthful of tea.
He coughed twice and looked at Xie Junnuo in surprise.
Xie Junnuo looked him in the eye, his expression neither humble nor arrogant. "If the situation becomes chaotic in the future... I don't know what Lord Ye will do, but I, Xie, will always put the people first. Imperial power is merely a product of popular will, not a weapon that can manipulate it. Nor should it be used in this way."
He implicitly stated that if there ever comes a day of political unrest, he will support the prince who cares about the people and is supported by the people.
Including the one dressed as a woman.
And not just loyalty to the prince.
It was very bold of him to say these words in front of Ye Changning, who was apparently a princeling and the prince's closest cousin.
Ye Changning had always thought that Xie Junnuo was a gentleman who followed the rules, was loyal to the emperor and patriotic, but he never expected that he also had unconventional ideas.
This is similar to his "Shura behavior" of going beyond rules and laws to seek justice for the victims as much as possible.
Ye Shaoqing, who was regarded as a Shura by most people, curled his lips and showed a sincere smile of seeing a confidant: "Xie brother, you are worthy of being the most talented scholar in the capital. You are also worthy of being the most modest gentleman."
Xie Junnuo felt a little embarrassed by his praise. His righteous awe disappeared, and he became gentle as jade again. He smiled and praised him back, "Brother Ye, it's rare that you can keep a secret for such a long time. Come, I'll offer you a cup of tea instead of wine."
It is true that I accidentally uncovered a shocking secret, but I also unexpectedly gained a close friend with a more compatible temperament, and everything came to light!
"I just found out the biggest secret. Brother Xie, don't be surprised." Ye Changning raised his teacup and saluted from afar. The two of them drank solemnly, and the heavy stone in their hearts dissipated.
Regardless, they already knew the secret, and now they realized that the Seventh Prince must have let them know on purpose. In that case, the Seventh Prince would definitely not touch them lightly.
He probably just wanted to ensure the safety of himself and his husband.
Xie Junnuo smiled again and mentioned his second brother: "Junxing admires the fourth sister of the prince consort. It is very likely that the Xie family and the Lin family will be related by marriage in the future... What do you think about this, Brother Ye?"
Ye Changning knew he was giving himself a chance to prove his loyalty to the princess—not because he was the crown prince's cousin, which even the Xie family feared—so he said decisively, "Second Brother Xie and Fourth Miss Lin are a talented and beautiful couple, and both enjoy ingenious crafts. They are a rare and perfect match. I am naturally happy to see this marriage."
Xie Junnuo asked again: "Brother Ye, would you consider getting married?"
Ye Changning was in a complicated mood, and he used his usual excuse: "Not considering it for now. I only want to be Ye Changning, not the Queen's nephew or the Crown Prince's cousin. So... my wife can only be someone Ye Changning likes, and only someone who likes Ye Changning."
Xie Junnuo bowed in admiration: "Then I wish Brother Ye... to get what he wants."
His eyes were deep, but also full of sincerity. Ye Changning knew that he was worried about his romantic feelings for the prince consort, so he smiled and said, "Thank you. Brother Xie, don't worry. If it weren't for the right match, I wouldn't force myself with an innocent woman. Compared to these things, I prefer catching criminals."
Xie Junnuo breathed a sigh of relief: "Okay, I agree with Brother Ye. Please——"
They both drank another cup of tea, thinking it was wine.
They didn't want to drink at this moment, for fear of saying something wrong after drinking.
In the future, they will also be more careful in what they say and do, reduce the number of times they drink, and eliminate the possibility of getting drunk.
Both of them are famous men with strong self-discipline. Once they make up their minds, they will definitely do it.
In the afternoon, after Jing Yue listened to the monitoring intelligence that Youyi obtained from Yousan and Youqi, she had a clear idea about these two people.
In fact, the fact that he dared to reveal a clue in front of those two people showed that he trusted them.
When Master Kong Nian said that destiny fell on him and Pian Pian, he was actually full of anxiety about the future.
The second brother was under house arrest, the third brother was named King of Chu, and the fourth brother married a princess from the Western Regions... In just a few months, the situation has changed so much. There will probably be new changes at the end of the year and after the New Year. He can only take advantage of the fact that his father is still in the capital and the position of crown prince is stable, and try his best to test the two most talented people.
He admired Ye Changning and Xie Junnuo very much, and naturally hoped that they would become his trusted aides in the future.
As long as the two of them remain loyal to the emperor and loyal subjects, he will have two fewer powerful enemies.
Jing Yue would not be the kind of person who would intentionally stir up trouble, but it is also impossible for her to make no preparations at all and just wait for the so-called destiny to come.
So he established an intelligence agency, trained guards for the princess's mansion, kept an eye on the talented people and trusted officials in the capital, and also quietly paid attention to the movements of his several royal brothers.
Pian Pian is also like this. She is careful in her words and deeds. She works in the Ministry of Revenue while studying. She works hard to make money and tries her best to benefit the people...
Apart from anything else, the fact that it has improved people's income and happiness in life makes it very popular among the people.
...If their identities are exposed in the future, they should be protected by the people.
Jing Yue knew that she was guilty of a greater crime by concealing her identity. Pian Pian was protected by the Duke's Mansion, and coupled with her own accumulated achievements and talents, she should be able to save her life in the future when her identity as a daughter is exposed.
If Ye Changning and Xie Junnuo knew this secret in advance, they would probably take good care of Pianpian and plead for her...
No matter what, the most important thing is to keep Pianpian safe.
As for myself... I can only try my best to become stronger.
Try not to implicate Pian Pian, my mother, or the Duke's Mansion. The best outcome would be to still be able to protect them...
Xie Junnuo's words to Ye Changning, "the Xie family and the Lin family will become in-laws," touched his heart.
Pulling the Xie family of Yongsheng Marquis Mansion into the Lin family's allied camp can indeed make Pianpian and the Lin family safer.
Ye Changning is the Crown Prince's cousin. If the Crown Prince ascends the throne in the future, if his and Pian Pian's identities are exposed, with Ye Changning pleading with the Crown Prince, Pian Pian's safety should be guaranteed...
Jing Yue drank a glass of wine with a gloomy look on his face. He clenched the glass tightly, thinking bitterly in his heart, by then, perhaps Ye Changning would use the reason of marrying Pianpian to persuade the prince...
He admitted that he had included Ye Changning's special feelings for Pian Pian in his backup chips...
No matter what happens to me, as long as Pianpian is safe, that's all that matters...
Of course, this is all the worst-case scenario!
He will do his best to eliminate these worst possibilities!
It gets dark early in late autumn. Lin Zhiyi had originally planned to take a short nap, but when he woke up, it was already dark outside!
She jumped up, tied her chest and changed into her casual clothes in the bed curtains, then got out of bed, stepped on her comfortable deerskin boots and went out to look for someone.
Jing Yue is practicing sword.
He was dressed in green clothes, and was as tall and handsome as a bamboo.
There were no servants nearby, only Jingyue.
Lin Zhiyi watched quietly for a while, and suddenly found that Jing Yue's sword energy was more fierce and murderous than his usual sword practice.
Although she has not yet fully mastered the use of Qinggong, and her internal energy only appears in times of crisis, she can still feel the difference after practicing sword with Jingyue for a long time.
What happened? Or did someone make him angry?
Jing Yue has always been tolerant and good-tempered, and he is very good at pretending to be good. People who are not familiar with him can't tell his emotional changes at all.
At this moment, he is so unrestrained in incorporating emotions into the sword... It's scary to watch.
And... he didn't even notice my arrival.
Lin Zhiyi frowned and called softly, "Ayue."
Jing Yue's aura subsided, and his sword moves changed. After a few moves, he sheathed his sword. He turned around and gave Lin Zhiyi a harmless smile: "Pian Pian, are you awake?"
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