Liu Shiyun listened to Master Liu's words, trembled her lips, and finally said: "Okay, I promise you."

"If I can marry him," Liu Shiyun looked at Master Liu with a calm gaze: "From now on, I will no longer blame you for my mother's affairs."

Master Liu said nothing, closed his eyes, nodded, and sighed.

After a few days, Liu Shiyun was silent, and Qin Peng felt a little strange. She felt that the matter would not end there. She felt uneasy, so she called Lu You and asked, "What is the situation in Beiyan?"

"There is no special news, but the envoys from Northern Yan are on their way."

Since Zhao Yu and Qin Shuhuai signed the contract, the Xiliang army withdrew and there was no movement from Beiyan. Qin Peng nodded and asked, "Where is Liu Shiyun?"

"Except for shopping, I haven't been out for a long time."

The women of Qi were more restrained than those of Northern Yan, but the Liu family seemed to be particularly tolerant of Liu Shiyun. Not only did they teach her poetry and books from a young age, and allowed her to attend gatherings of famous women, but they also had much looser control over her going out than ordinary families. As far as Qin Peng knew, the reason why Liu Shiyun had such a high reputation was related to her good communication skills. She even opened a teahouse and set up a poetry club in the teahouse. With her literary talent, there were many students and scholars in the poetry club, and she was quite famous in Xuanjing.

Liu Shuyan had told her in the past that the Liu family was quite partial to Liu Shiyun, and she was also very opinionated. She even participated in some of the Liu family's affairs of state.

Qin Peng once thought that no matter how much Liu Shiyun was involved, it had nothing to do with her. But now she found that her two deaths were inextricably linked to Liu Shiyun, and she no longer dared to underestimate this woman.

"What about the rumors outside?"

Qin Peng added that what happened between her and Liu Shiyun that day was witnessed by everyone. It was impossible to suppress the news that a lady from a prominent family was pregnant before marriage.

Lu You looked worried: "The Liu family has tried their best to suppress it, but such news cannot be suppressed. Now the outside world is spreading rumors that Liu Shiyun is pregnant with the prince's child. They are accusing the prince of being a sinner. I think you..."

"What about me?"

Qin Peng took a sip of tea, her face calm. Lu You looked up at her, then lowered his head and said, "She is jealous and cruel, and she is obstructing you."

"Liu Shiyun is a talented person," Qin Peng couldn't help but laugh, "She is very good at creating momentum."

"After all, she has been doing business in Beijing for many years." Lu You was a little worried: "Princess, if this continues, the situation will be very unfavorable to you. We..."

"Don't do anything." Qin Peng raised his hand to stop Lu You from speaking. "She is so bold, we must not provoke her. Now if she really has a child, we just need to keep a close eye on her and find out who the father of the child is. Let Qin Shuhuai find a way to set a trap to trick the father out, and then this matter will be fine. If she is talking nonsense, then the child will definitely not be born. If we get hit by her, the child will definitely be 'miscarried', and we won't be able to explain it clearly."

"Why is she going to such great lengths?"

Lu You was a little confused: "If the prince doesn't want to marry her, can he really be forced to do so?"

"If I wasn't here, Qin Shuhuai would have been indifferent to whom he married, and if she had pressed him like that, he might have really married her."

Qin Peng knocked on the table, and his tone made Lu You feel a little cold. He knew that Qin Shuhuai would not have an easy time tonight.

Lu You was very happy to see this. Qin Peng thought about it and felt a little worried. He said to Lu You, "Give me a pen and paper. I will write a letter."

While Qin Peng was writing the letter, Qin Shuhuai sat in his room and quickly reviewed the memorials. In recent days, he would review the memorials, go to Wei's house at night, and come back quietly in the morning. Every day when he reviewed the memorials, he was in a good mood and was looking forward to finishing his work and going home.

In the past, he didn't feel like he was going home when he returned to the palace every day, but now when he sneaked to the Wei family, he felt like he was going home.

Zhao Yi and Jiang Chun watched Qin Shuhuai writing quickly. Jiang Chun couldn't help but joked, "Prince, please read slowly. Can you read the words clearly?"

Qin Shuhuai gave him a cold look and Jiang Chun immediately shut up.

Zhao Yi leaned against the beam and ate some melon seeds. He slapped Jiang Chun in the face and said, "Stupid."

Qin Shuhuai was listening to the two people's quarrel and was about to get up when the housekeeper came up with a letter and said respectfully, "Prince, Lord Zhou gave you a letter saying that there will be a banquet on the pleasure boat tonight and asked you to go over."

"I'm not going." Qin Shuhuai took the cloak from the side, tied it on and said, "Tell Zhou Yu that I will invite him another day."

The butler seemed to have guessed what Qin Shuhuai would say, and said calmly, "Master Zhou said there is something important, so please go."

Qin Shuhuai paused. Although Zhou Yu was usually unreliable, he was a person who knew the importance of things very well. He said that he must go, so it must be no small matter.

Qin Shuhuai thought about it, and finally told Zhao Yi: "Tell Peng Peng that I will be back later."

Jiang Chun sneered: "My Lord, the princess is definitely not thinking about you."

"Is your skin itchy?" Qin Shuhuai glanced at him coldly. Jiang Chun immediately said, "My Lord, I was wrong. The princess missed you so much."

Qin Shuhuai was too lazy to argue with Jiang Chunqian, so he went out, got on the carriage, and headed out of the moat.

Zhou Yu has a private pleasure boat, and he likes to discuss important matters there to avoid being overheard.

When Qin Shuhuai hurried away, Zhou Yu had already docked the pleasure boat in the middle of the lake. Qin Shuhuai took a small boat to the pleasure boat and saw the guards beside Zhou Yu standing at the bow from a distance. When the guards saw Qin Shuhuai coming, they hurriedly opened the door and let Qin Shuhuai get on the boat.

"Why did your master call me here?"

As soon as Qin Shuhuai entered, he asked the guard directly. The guard lowered his head and said, "I'm afraid it's about Miss Liu."

As he spoke, the guard had already rolled up the cabin curtain and said respectfully, "Please."

Qin Shuhuai looked up and saw two people sitting in the cabin, Zhou Yu and Liu Shuyan's father, Liu Shixuan.

He looked quite tired. As a veteran of three dynasties, Liu Shixuan was not old, but just in his 50s. In the past, whenever Qin Shuhuai saw this man, he always had a calm expression and looked elegant. However, when he saw him today, he seemed to have aged ten years overnight.

He stood up, and together with Zhou Yu, he saluted Qin Shuhuai and said respectfully, "Your Majesty."

"Master Liu, you are so polite."

Qin Shuhuai also had to give Liu Shixuan some face. He stepped forward and respectfully returned the greeting: "When we are meeting privately, it is the younger generation who should pay respect to the Grand Tutor."

Liu Shixuan smiled bitterly. Zhou Yu asked Qin Shuhuai to sit down and then explained, "The Grand Tutor was my teacher in the past. Now he has something to ask of me. As his student, I would like to ask Your Majesty to grant me a favor and come to discuss a few things. I'm sure Your Majesty knows what we need to discuss. It's a burden for me to be here, so I'll leave first."

Having said that, Zhou Yu stood up and stepped back.

Qin Shuhuai already had an idea in his mind, so he sat opposite Liu Shixuan and poured him some wine.

Liu Shixuan looked bitter: "I think Your Majesty has understood why I came here. I don't care whether there is anything between you and my daughter. Now, no matter whether there is or not, it must be there."

As he spoke, Liu Shixuan sighed and said, "The betrothal gift can be paid privately by my Liu family. If you need any help in the future, my Liu family will not object. If the prince marries Shiyun, he will marry someone else he loves later, whether it's a co-wife or a concubine, Shiyun will never say anything."

Qin Shuhuai said nothing. He pushed the wine glass in front of Liu Shixuan and looked up at him: "I remember that you always loved your children."

Liu Shixuan nodded: "When I was young, I was too radical in my actions. Now that I am old, I know that wealth and glory are fleeting. What is most important is that my children can live a safe life."

"Then," Qin Shuhuai said calmly, "If you love your daughter so much, why do you push her into such a deep pit? I have married three wives, and none of them ended well. What's the point of marrying someone who doesn't love me and living a life of grievance?"

"Miss Liu and I have nothing to do with each other," Qin Shuhuai looked up at Liu Shixuan with a calm expression, "If you want me to recognize a child who is not mine, no matter how much I give, I will not give Miss Liu happiness. Do you understand?"

"Whether the child is yours or not," Liu Shixuan took a deep breath and suppressed his anger: "You know it in your heart. Shiyun does sometimes do things with ulterior motives, but she is still a girl after all. Are you saying that she is using this thing to frame you?

"It doesn't matter whether you believe it or not," Qin Shuhuai took a sip of wine and said calmly, "Let me be honest, I won't marry her."

"Qin Shuhuai," Liu Shixuan looked up at him, "If I can help you become emperor, you won't marry me?"

Qin Shuhuai paused in pouring the wine and looked up at Liu Shixuan. Liu Shixuan looked calm and said, "The late emperor left me an edict, which gave you the throne. It said that if you have a dispute with the prince in the future and it endangers the country, I will select someone to assist you."

Liu Shixuan looked at Qin Shuhuai and said seriously: "With this edict, you can ascend the throne and become emperor."

Qin Shuhuai didn't say anything. After a long while, he laughed out loud: "The emperor's uncle is really blind."

Liu Shixuan's lips trembled, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't say it. Qin Shuhuai drank the wine, stood up, and looked down at Liu Shixuan.

"Lord Liu, I am here to give face to Zhou Yu and you. You have devoted yourself to Daqi since you became an official. This glass of wine is my toast to you."

As he spoke, Qin Shuhuai raised his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Then, he continued, "You know better than me why the emperor's uncle gave you this edict. The emperor's uncle, you, Lord Zhang, and many old officials in the court have created the prosperity of Daqi today. You have experienced humiliation and worked hard to get to this day. Compared with the throne, the future of Daqi is more important to the emperor's uncle. He welcomed me back instead of killing me because of this. Later, he left the edict because he was afraid that Daqi would be destroyed by the chaos in the palace one day. But what are you doing now?"

Liu Shixuan's face turned pale. Qin Shuhuai looked at him with pity in his eyes: "For your own selfishness, for the sake of your daughter's private wishes, are you going to betray your old friend and master like this?!"

As he said this, he put down his wine glass and said seriously, "If the emperor's uncle is so sincere to Daqi, why shouldn't I, Qin Shuhuai, be the same? If I only coveted the throne and ignored other things, how could it be Qin Ming's turn to sit on this position now? Lord Liu," he sighed, "go back. You are no longer suitable for this position."

After saying that, Qin Shuhuai turned around and was about to leave. Liu Shixuan tightened his clothes and suddenly said, "I have done enough for this country!"

Qin Shuhuai paused, turned around, and looked at Liu Shixuan. His face flushed and his body trembled: "I only have this one wish, Qin Shuhuai, I beg you, please marry her."

As he spoke, Liu Shixuan staggered to his feet and knelt in front of Qin Shuhuai. Qin Shuhuai frowned and pulled him, saying, "Master Liu, why are you doing this?"

"She has been waiting for you for so many years, and she has always refused to marry. I know her thoughts very well. Please marry her for my sake..."

"Lord Liu!" Qin Shuhuai raised his voice: "I can't possibly marry her!"

"You married Jiang Yi and Dong Wanyi for power!" Liu Shixuan said suddenly, "Why can't you marry Shiyun now? How much worse is my Liu family than them? Do you think that I am a civil official and therefore weak and can be bullied?!"

"Qin Shuhuai," Liu Shixuan stood up and said angrily, "This time, you have to marry me whether you want to or not. If you insist on not marrying me, then you can give it a try! I know you are now fully grown, but my Liu family is planning to perish together with you. I want to see whether you and Qi can withstand such a turmoil with Zhang Ying here and Beiyan outside!"

"Liu Shixuan!" Qin Shuhuai shouted coldly: "Do you know what you are saying?!"

"I know," Liu Shixuan calmed down and said calmly, "I have devoted half my life to Qi State. I have ruined my lover's life and my own life for it. I have paid enough. If Qi State is in chaos, it is only because of you! You married her, what a big deal? If you have a sweetheart, you can still marry again. I just ask you to give her a thought. She has spent most of her life on you. Now it has come to this. If you don't marry her, her life will be over. Do you really want to force her to death?"

Qin Shuhuai said nothing, he just looked at Liu Shixuan coldly.

After a long time, he slowly smiled.

"Are you going to fight me to death?"

Liu Shixuan said calmly: "This is what a father can do for his daughter."

"Liu Shixuan, you may have forgotten how I got to this position," Qin Shuhuai put his hands into his sleeves and turned around calmly: "I have never been afraid of fighting to the death."

While Qin Shuhuai was talking to Liu Shixuan, Qin Peng had already received the message from Zhao Yi.

She thought she didn't care, but she didn't want to wait until she finished reviewing the memorials and Qin Shuhuai didn't come back, so she felt a little uneasy. She always felt that something was not put down, and she always wanted to see what that person was doing.

She was thinking about that person, and she didn't hold back, so she put on her cloak and went to find Qin Shuhuai. When she reached the shore, she saw Zhou Yu boating and drinking in the middle of the lake. She took a boat over, passed by Zhou Yu's boat, and said with a smile: "Master Zhou is hosting a banquet for the prince, why are you drinking alone here?"

Zhou Yu's face froze: "Why is the princess here?"

"He didn't come back so late," Qin Peng raised her hand to put her hair behind her ears. She looked at Zhou Yu's expression and knew that it was not as simple as Zhou Yu inviting Qin Shuhuai to a banquet today. She smiled slightly and said, "I was worried, so I came to pick him up. Lord Zhou, who is the host today and is inviting the prince to drink?"

Zhou Yu did not dare to respond. At this moment, Zhao Yi had quietly moved behind Zhou Yu and put his sword against his neck. Qin Peng waved his hands and said gently, "Master Zhou, drink well."

After saying that, she led the boat closer to the pleasure boat. The people on the pleasure boat looked at Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu waved his hands helplessly. The people on the pleasure boat did not say anything and made way for Qin Peng.

Qin Peng walked to the door of the pleasure boat and heard the argument between Qin Shuhuai and Liu Shixuan. She stopped and did not move forward. Instead, she retreated to the bow and stood on the deck waiting for Qin Shuhuai.

Not long after, Qin Shuhuai came out. Liu Shixuan wanted to chase him, but when he saw Qin Peng, Liu Shixuan was stunned. Qin Shuhuai was also stunned, and then wanted to explain. Qin Peng raised his hand to stop Qin Shuhuai and said to Liu Shixuan: "Master Liu, is Miss Liu in good health? Master Liu should find a doctor to take a good look. If there is really a child, it must be taken good care of. What do you think?"

Liu Shixuan looked a little unhappy. Qin Peng raised his hand and pulled Qin Shuhuai over, saying gently, "Let's go. I'll take you back."

Qin Shuhuai's eyes lit up. Liu Shixuan didn't want to argue with a woman like Qin Peng, so he just said coldly, "Prince, please think it over carefully."

"Yeah." Qin Shuhuai nodded: "Don't think about it."

After saying that, Qin Shuhuai boarded the boat with Qin Peng. Lu You rowed the boat away, Qin Shuhuai lowered his head, using a curtain to cover the little joy in his eyes: "Why are you here?"

"Qin Shuhuai," Qin Peng looked up at him with a serious expression: "I am warning you about one thing."

"You tell me." Qin Shuhuai saw her serious expression and became serious. Qin Peng saw his serious look and couldn't help but pursed his lips: "If you want to fight with others in the future, you must apply to me in advance."

Qin Shuhuai was stunned and didn't say anything. He opened his mouth and looked at Qin Peng in the moonlight. The girl had a smile on her lips and light in her eyes.

She looked at Qin Shuhuai's dazed look, somewhat puzzled: "I thought you would be moved?"

Qin Shuhuai slowly came back to his senses and frowned: "I was just wondering... when were you willing to take my life?"

Qin Peng was stunned by what he said this time. Her ears felt a little hot. She turned her head and tucked her hair behind her ears. This action calmed her down, as if it suppressed her slightly panicked heart.

"Qin Shuhuai, not all emotions need to be expressed. Not everyone can act like a rogue in front of me and keep pestering me. I have to allow that."

As she spoke, Qin Peng lowered her head and looked at his slightly open palm, which was defenseless in hers.

There was a coop on the hand, and some scars that had long since healed, as if foreshadowing the cruel years in the past.

"I know you risked your life like this in the past, but promise me in the future to take better care of yourself, okay?"

Qin Shuhuai looked at Qin Peng, who was looking down at him. He couldn't see her eyes, but only saw the moonlight falling on her forehead, flowing down her body in an arc, like a long skirt, all the way into the water. The only sound around him was the sound of the oars paddling into the water. He felt like something was stuck in his throat, and his eyes were a little sore. He made a nasal sound and responded.

"Um."

He didn't tell her that he had been waiting for these words for many years.

After Qin Peng finished speaking nicely, he continued, "But there is one more thing that I am very dissatisfied with."

She was smiling when she spoke, but Qin Shuhuai felt his heart skip a beat.

"Do you know why the Liu family is so obsessed with you?"

Qin Shuhuai was a little uneasy. Qin Peng looked at him with a smile on his face. He said softly and sweetly, "Because you married two wives in a row, both of which were quite casual. Shouldn't you give me an explanation, Qin Shuhuai?"

"You...you listen to me..."

Qin Shuhuai looked up in panic. Qin Penghuan crossed her arms and looked at her blankly, but said nothing.

Qin Peng pushed him and said, "Go ahead."

After a long time, Qin Shuhuai lowered his head and said calmly: "I was wrong, I have nothing to say."

Qin Peng didn't expect this answer. She looked at him in surprise. She thought he would find some excuses to explain. But he said directly: "If you die, I just want to climb up. I know it's not just the Jiang family who killed you, so I'll investigate all the way. If you die, I can't protect that position and I'll be forced to marry Jiang Yi. Then marrying Dong Wanyi doesn't seem to matter to me."

"I was wrong, I admit it."

He looked up at her and said, "You can punish me however you want."

Qin Peng didn't say anything. After a long while, she said calmly, "In fact, you never thought about me being alive, and you didn't really want to wait for me, did you?"

"What I'm thinking," Qin Shuhuai said calmly, "is that after I've avenged you, I'll die with you. You're the one waiting for me. The dead can't be resurrected, I've always believed this. Looking for your reincarnation everywhere and missing you is just to find some hope so that I don't feel so sad."

Qin Peng looked at him quietly.

In fact, she didn't mind that much. Maybe she felt uncomfortable, but she understood that there was no such thing as perfection in life. Back then, Qin Shuhuai didn't even think life and death were important. As long as he could get revenge, he probably wouldn't mind who he married.

She sighed softly and held his hand. His hand trembled slightly, as if he was afraid. Qin Peng stood on tiptoe and rested her forehead against his.

"Don't be afraid," she said gently, "I don't really blame you."

"I just feel bad for my Qin Shuhuai. How did he end up like this?"

【Small Theater】

Qin Dagou: "The boat is rocking, my wife is feeding me candy."

Lu You: "Have you ever considered how I feel while rowing the boat?"

Zhao Yi: "Have you considered me who is still on Zhou Yu's boat? Are you just going to leave like this? Without me?"

Jiang Chun: "Once you're on Zhou Yu's boat, don't come back."

Zhao Yi: "I'll smash you to death with a handful of melon seed shells."