Chapter 294 Perhaps he was still doing it for someone else
Listening to the emperor's heartfelt pride, Prince An felt a complex mix of emotions. The difference between being favored and being unfavored was truly immense. However, he didn't feel jealous of Prince Rui. Firstly, Prince Rui was the kindest person in the world to him. Secondly, parental ties were predetermined, and he was destined to have no parents in this life.
The emperor didn't see anything wrong with his pride. He praised Prince Rui again before saying to Prince An, "I know about this matter and will consider it carefully. It's quite good that you are so meticulous."
He casually praised Prince An and then dismissed him. The emperor sat there, tapping his fingers on the table in thought. The plan to lure the enemy out was proposed by Jiang Yu. Now that Prince An had raised the possibility that the Prince of Lingnan might have other plans, hadn't Jiang Yu considered that?
Today, Prince An and Jiang Yu went to the camp outside the capital together. Have they had any further contact in private?
The emperor pondered for a moment, when Zhao Fuquan brought over a cup of tea. The emperor looked at him and asked, "Jingwei doesn't want to take a concubine; is it truly because he doesn't want to be controlled by his maternal relatives?"
Zhao Fuquan was taken aback, then smiled and said, "How did this servant know?"
The emperor glanced at him again, sighed, and said, "Perhaps it's because of someone else."
Zhao Fuquan lowered his head, not daring to speak, sensing a hint of danger emanating from the Emperor. Meanwhile, a dangerous thought arose in the Emperor's mind, but he quickly suppressed it.
Thinking of all the things Jiang Yu had done since entering officialdom, and recalling the help the old Duke of Chu had given him, his heart calmed down. He muttered to himself, "Perhaps I'm overthinking it, or perhaps it's just wishful thinking on his part."
He tapped his fingers on the table a few times and said, "Go and inform the Duke of Chu that I wish to see her tomorrow."
Had he considered that Jiang Yu had been gaining too much attention lately, and he should try to curb her influence? For a fleeting moment, he did think of it. Even those who wanted to keep Jiang Yu in check had thought of it, but he suppressed the thought.
Having reigned as emperor for many years, his heart was long since unfathomable. Yet, in his interactions with Jiang Yu, he could sense Jiang Yu's purity. He wasn't a particularly wise man, but he knew that once a person's heart was wounded, it was difficult to repair.
Jiang Yu, a woman, did something even men couldn't do. She was no ordinary person, and the emperor couldn't treat her with the usual checks and balances. The emperor didn't know if his actions were right or wrong, but he wanted to take a gamble.
...
Jiang Yu was unaware of the complex emotions swirling in the Emperor's mind, nor did she know that he had connected her with Prince An. Upon receiving the news that the Emperor would be seeing her the next day, she smiled.
The current emperor certainly has many flaws, but he is certainly not a foolish ruler. The emperor has placed his trust in me, and I will repay him in return.
.........
Xie family
Xie Ning'an sat in his study, holding two letters. One was from Jiang Yu, and the other from Mr. Chai, an advisor to the King of Lingnan. Looking at the two letters, he gave a bitter smile. Born into the Xie family, he had no right to choose.
Jiang Yu's gentle yet spirited face flashed through his mind. She had said that only when the King of Lingnan fell could the Xie family truly break free from their shackles. She always hit the nail on the head. The emperor spared his life not out of kindness, nor because he trusted him, but to keep him to stabilize Jufeng Money Shop and the trading company.
It should be said that the emperor's suspicion of him had always existed. He should thank the Duke of Chu for giving him a chance to survive in the cracks. He lit the two letters on the fire, watched them burn completely, then cleaned them up hand in hand before getting up and going back to his room to rest.
The next day, after having breakfast, he went out alone and walked to a secluded street, entering a teahouse called Songfeng Pavilion. After announcing his name, he was led to a private room by a waiter.
The room was empty. He walked to the tea table, sat down, and waved for the waiter to leave. He opened the window and began to slowly brew tea. In a room on the second floor of another street, Mr. Chai watched Xie Ning'an brewing tea and said to a woman beside him:
"His tea-brewing is elegant and refined, like a spring breeze caressing the willow branches. The eldest son of the Xie family is indeed extraordinary. What do you think? Such a person will not be overlooked, will he?"
The woman covered her lips with her hand and smiled shyly, "It is because of my humble appearance that I am unworthy of Young Master Xie."
Mr. Chai glanced at her and said, "I don't care whether you're a good match or not. Just focus on doing your own thing."
This time, the woman replied solemnly, "Yes."
Mr. Chai hummed in agreement and stepped downstairs, the woman quickly following behind him. A short while later, the two appeared at Songfeng Pavilion. The waiter, seeing them, asked no questions and led them directly to Xie Ning'an's room.
There was a knock on the door. Xie Ning'an put down her teacup and said calmly, "Come in." Then the door was pushed open, and Mr. Chai walked in with a smile, followed shyly by the woman.
Xie Ning'an sat there, glanced at them casually, then turned back to pick up her teacup and sip her tea. Mr. Chai, who was about to greet him, paused upon seeing this, waved for the waiter to close the door, and walked to sit down opposite Xie Ning'an, with the woman sitting beside him.
Xie Ning'an glanced at them again, but didn't speak, her face expressionless, as if she didn't care about anything. Seeing this, Mr. Chai lowered his eyes and chuckled, saying, "Young Master Xie, I have met your grandfather many times."
A single sentence made the atmosphere in the room awkward. Xie Ning'an looked at him with a sharp gaze, "So, you've come to threaten me?"
Mr. Chai remained silent. Xie Ning'an withdrew her gaze, turned to look out the window, and said indifferently, "However, your threat is useless against me. The Emperor knows what my grandfather did, and he has already been punished."
Mr. Chai did not expect to receive such a response. He had indeed intended to use Xie Yun to threaten Xie Ning'an, but now it seemed that this strategy was useless.
He poured himself a cup of tea, took a small sip, and said, "Young Master, you are overthinking this. I didn't mean it that way. I just regret what happened to Elder Xie, and His Highness is also very saddened by it."
Xie Ning'an seemed not to hear what he said, her gaze fixed outside, appearing indifferent to everything. Mr. Chai frowned, thought for a moment, and then said, "I suppose the eldest young master is not content with the status quo, otherwise he wouldn't have accepted the invitation to meet me here."
Xie Ning'an turned around and looked at him, saying, "Didn't you ever think that I accepted the invitation because I was cooperating with the imperial court to arrest you, this spy from Lingnan?"
Mr. Chai was startled. The woman sitting next to him panicked and tried to get up and run away. At this moment, Xie Ning'an chuckled lightly, with a hint of disdain. This greatly angered Mr. Chai, but he was also a man of patience.
He smiled and said, "I didn't expect the eldest young master to be such a witty person."
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