Chapter 100 Yunxi, you've developed feelings for them.
"Why didn't you say these things back then?" Yunxi asked.
Xiao Shenjing asked bluntly, "If I tell you, will you believe me?"
This time, Yunxi did not answer.
Obviously, they won't believe it.
Xiao Shenjing held back for a long time, but still couldn't help but complain, "You even mock me, and you take my kindness for granted."
Yunxi did not answer immediately this time.
It is obviously the default.
Upon seeing this, Xiao Shenjing suppressed a sarcastic laugh.
Yunxi turned her head and looked at the side room behind her.
She no longer likes him.
Therefore, it was impossible for her to become his empress.
What he planned was insignificant to her.
Even without her, Yuanxiao is Xiao Shenjing's offspring, and he should make proper arrangements for him.
Finally, she calmly asked him, "Even if what you're saying is true, so what?"
Like the calm after a thousand sails have passed, there will be no more waves.
Xiao Shenjing's heart tightened. "Yunxi"
He instinctively reached out to hold her hand, but his knuckles twitched, and he didn't move.
"We'll take it slow, I won't force you anymore."
It's like talking to yourself.
“Xiao Shenjing, I will find some time to ask my elder brother and Lu Xiuran for their opinions on those plans you just mentioned.” Yunxi looked at him solemnly and said, “This concerns their future path, and they should make their own choices.”
"No need," Xiao Shenjing said directly. "Go and ask now, I'll accompany you."
"If you were to stay with me," Yunxi's forehead vein throbbed, "how could they tell the truth?"
The emperor pondered for a moment, then said, "You're right."
Yunxi was about to speak.
He then said, "Then I'll stand further away."
"Xiao Shenjing!" Yunxi felt that this person was doing it on purpose, and her tone became more forceful.
"This is the limit of what I can do."
He was already quite dissatisfied with Fan Zishi and Lu Xiuran, so how could he possibly want Yunxi to meet and have a detailed discussion with these two in private?
They refused to back down no matter what.
When the two of them were called in, Xiao Shenjing was standing with his hands behind his back under the corridor not far away.
He glanced at the two of them sideways before abruptly looking away.
"Yunxi, how are you?" Fan Zishi didn't show any worry on his face, but his tone betrayed his concern.
Lu Xiuran was also looking at her.
"I'm fine." As if afraid they wouldn't believe her, Yunxi turned around and said with a smile, "I have all four limbs, and my head is still on my neck."
Lu Xiuran and Fan Zishi exchanged a glance.
The emperor was still nearby, so it was clearly not the right time for a detailed discussion.
"Don't worry, it's really nothing," Yunxi explained. "I called you in here today because I want to ask you something."
"Um."
The two nodded in unison.
In the deep shadows of the eaves, Xiao Shenjing leaned against a cold, vermilion pillar. His gaze pierced through the sparse light and shadow in the courtyard, but he couldn't help but fix it on the three people not far away.
The autumn sun shone brightly, casting a soft golden glow on the three people in the center of the courtyard. Yun Xi stood gracefully, tilting her head slightly, and whispered something to the two people in front of her.
Standing to her left front was Lu Xiuran.
With a handsome face, calm eyes, and a tall and straight figure like a bamboo grove, he wore official robes and resembled a cool mountain spring.
At this moment, he lowered his head slightly, listening attentively to Yunxi's words. The lines of his profile were clean and sharp, and his demeanor was refined and elegant.
Standing to Yunxi's right front was Fan Zishi.
Compared to Lu Xiuran's aloofness, he was more like a piece of warm jade, elegant and refined, with a strong presence. At this moment, he was also listening to Yun Xi speak with his head bowed.
Each of them is a rare and outstanding young talent, and each of them is a perfect match for Yunxi, who stands among them!
Xiao Shenjing's gaze grew deeper and darker, his jaw tightened, and his thin lips pressed together, revealing an expression of restraint and forbearance.
He could clearly see that when Yunxi spoke to them, the focused look in her eyes, the barely perceptible concern deep within them, was something she had never shown him before! She even moved slightly closer to Lu Xiuran, as if explaining the deeper meaning behind the honorary title of "Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince," her soft voice meant for him alone!
The emperor wished he could rush over immediately and drag Yunxi back to his side.
In the end, however, he had to suppress the impulse.
The brush repeatedly swept across Lu Xiuran's handsome face, Fan Zishi's flamboyant eyebrows and eyes, and Yun Xi's focused profile.
He couldn't go over there. He could only stand there, like a caged beast bound by invisible chains, watching helplessly as Yunxi was surrounded by two "guardians" he had personally chosen, yet who were incredibly obstructive to his view.
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the suffocating feeling, but his gaze grew even deeper and colder, like a bottomless icy pool, fixed firmly on the glaring scene in the center of the courtyard.
Every breath of patience was building up in his heart.
"Elder Brother" Yun Xi first looked at Fan Zishi and said, "If you had the opportunity to be the Crown Prince's tutor during the Lantern Festival, would you be willing?"
Fan Zishi was stunned for a moment.
Yunxi then looked at Lu Xiuran and asked, "Lord Lu, would you be willing to serve as the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor?"
Lu Xiuran seemed to have guessed something, but his expression didn't change much.
But his gaze towards Yunxi deepened for a moment.
“You have every right to choose.” Before they could speak, Yunxi immediately explained, “It absolutely cannot be a forced choice. Of course, this is no small matter; you should…”
She took a deep breath, trying to articulate her heavy worries and complex sense of stake: "Think it over carefully, weigh the pros and cons. This is absolutely not..."
Before the rest of the words could even be spoken, the two young adults answered with the exact same word, "Okay."
Lu Xiuran and Fan Zishi spoke almost in unison, their eyes fixed on her face. One was calm as a deep pool, the other gentle as jade, yet both carried an undeniable certainty.
Yunxi was stunned. The long speech she had prepared caught in her throat, turning into utter bewilderment. She even subconsciously took a half-step back, looking at them incredulously: "You...you have to reconsider! This is no small matter!"
Her voice rose slightly, tinged with obvious anxiety, "The Crown Prince's Grand Tutor and Grand Preceptor hold high positions and great power, but they are also at the forefront of danger. Instructing the Crown Prince is of paramount importance; the slightest mistake could lead to utter ruin! Moreover..." She paused, finding it difficult to continue, especially since these were the ropes that would completely bind them to the Eastern Palace's chariot.
Her worried gaze darted anxiously across their faces, trying to find even the slightest trace of reluctance.
She hoped they would refuse, or at least refuse with caution, rather than jump into this obvious vortex without hesitation.
Lu Xiuran looked at the undisguised worry in her eyes, her clear, spring-like eyes reflecting his own image. His fingers, hidden beneath his wide sleeves, twitched slightly, and his heart felt a gentle, aching pain, as if something had gently pierced it.
"No need to worry." His handsome face remained calm and expressionless, only his eyelids were slightly lowered to conceal the turbulent emotions surging deep within his eyes, and his voice was so steady that it betrayed no emotion whatsoever:
He said calmly, "It is the duty of us scholars to teach the crown prince and uphold the right path. I, Lu, have no choice but to do so."
He spoke the words "an inescapable duty" very lightly, yet with immense weight, as if all his feelings and resolve were weighed down by this grand and righteous reason.
After speaking, he turned slightly to the side, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over the shadows under the corridor in the distance before quickly looking away, as if he hadn't seen anything.
"This matter is no small affair." Fan Zishi's voice remained gentle and calm, like the mutton-fat jade pendant at his waist, which possessed a restrained luster and carried the composure and maturity characteristic of a scion of a noble family.
He paused for a moment, and when he spoke again, his gentle voice was a little lower. "However, this matter involves the foundation of the Eastern Palace and the future of His Highness, as well as the stability of the nation and the well-being of the people. This is a matter of great righteousness, and we have no choice but to do it!" He took a slight breath, and his fingers under his official robes unconsciously clenched and then slowly relaxed, as if he was gathering some kind of determination.
When he raised his eyes again to look at Yunxi, it seemed as if molten lava was surging deep within his gentle, jade-like eyes, yet he suppressed it in an instant. "Protecting the Crown Prince is to secure the fate of the nation; assisting His Highness is to stabilize the court, protect the country, safeguard the people's well-being, and ensure the eternal stability of our Jing Kingdom, sparing the common people from the suffering of chaos. This is the responsibility we, as descendants of noble families, are born to bear, and we cannot shirk it!"
This impassioned speech, every word of which came from a public-spirited perspective, fully demonstrated the loyalty and responsibility of this prominent family to the nation.
However, beneath the resounding echoes of that grand vow, only he himself knew that deep within that heart of "protection" lingered an unspeakable, more private longing, which only revealed a barely perceptible, almost resolute tenderness when his gaze swept across a certain empty space.
Yunxi was rendered speechless by their contrasting responses, one silent and one dynamic. Their arguments were both so reasonable and undeniable.
She watched them, one as aloof as the moon, the other as gentle as jade, both throwing themselves headlong into this unknown and perilous game. Behind every single word, "good," lay a heavy weight.
She opened her mouth to say "you," but ultimately couldn't utter a word. All her worries and attempts to dissuade her seemed pale and powerless in the face of their unwavering resolve.
Deep within the eaves, Xiao Shenjing's icy gaze was fixed on Fan Zishi and Lu Xiuran. His fists clenched slightly, and the darkness in his eyes surged, clearly indicating that he had reached the limit of his tolerance.
so.
fed up.
Why should he, the emperor, have to endure this?
So he strode forward, his long, tall voice like a shadow approaching Yunxi step by step.
"Your Majesty," Fan Zishi said, bowing first.
Xiao Shenjing squinted at Yun Xi and said decisively, "Now that you've finished speaking, I'll send you back."
Then, with a long stride, he stood directly between the three of them.
Sheng Sheng used his extremely tall stature and broad shoulders to block Yun Xi's view.
His jaw was taut, his brows were low, and his expression was cold and stern.
Clearly, a storm is brewing.
Although Yunxi was dissatisfied, she did not refute him.
He simply said, "Xiao Shenjing, step aside, I have something to say to them."
Xiao Shenjing did indeed move, shifting it by half an inch.
“Yunxi”
Seemingly realizing that his action was indeed too detrimental to the emperor's dignity, Xiao Shenjing finally took a step to the side with a stern face.
"Big brother, Lu Xiuran, no matter what, you should reconsider," Yunxi said, still worried.
Yunxi finally felt relieved after seeing the two nod.
As soon as Yunxi stepped out of the side courtyard, she was about to turn around and look at the two of them when she realized that Xiao Shenjing was staring at her from the side.
They are really watching.
His phoenix eyes were dark and deep.
It was as if turning around would drag her straight into an abyss.
Yunxi stopped herself from moving.
I don't want to get entangled with him at this moment.
To avoid affecting others in the future.
Xiao Shenjing's carriage was parked right by the door, but Yunxi walked past it as if it were nothing.
Although the Mid-Autumn Festival festivities have faded, the lingering, lazy atmosphere of the holiday seems to still cling to the air before noon.
It was nearly noon, and the autumn sun was shining brightly, generously bathing the main streets of the capital with a gentle warmth that had faded from its intense heat.
All the shops were already open, their colorful signs fluttering in the cool autumn breeze. The shop assistants were calling out enthusiastically, and the air was filled with the aroma of freshly baked sesame cakes, the rich savory smell of braised meat from the meat stalls, and the steaming heat wafting from some unknown restaurant.
Xiao Shenjing was tall and slender, and with a single stride, he easily reached Yun Xi's side. He was still dressed in dark casual clothes, his noble bearing standing out like a crane among chickens in the bustling crowd, attracting many respectful and curious glances, but he seemed oblivious. Sunlight fell on his sharply defined profile, softening his usual coldness.
“Walking together would be wonderful,” he said to Yunxi, his voice not loud but clear enough to cut through the surrounding noise, with a rare hint of leisurely smile. “Then I will not take the carriage.”
Yunxi walked slightly behind him, half a step behind, and could feel the space around him unconsciously opening up as he approached, as well as the gazes cast upon him, some open and some hidden.
The sunlight cast their shadows on the ground, short and clear.
Passing by a dough figurine stall, the stall owner was skillfully sculpting a lifelike colorful phoenix, attracting several children to watch and marvel. Xiao Shenjing's gaze lingered on the colorful dough figurine for a moment, and the corners of his lips twitched upwards almost imperceptibly.
“This bustling city noise,” Xiao Shenjing suddenly spoke, his voice sounding somewhat deep amidst the noise, yet carrying a peculiar penetrating power, clearly reaching Yun Xi’s ears, “is much more vibrant than the bells, drums, and ritual music of the palace.”
He paused, his gaze sweeping over a burly man carrying a sack of rice, sweating profusely but with a determined stride, before looking at the flags fluttering atop the distant city gate. A hint of barely perceptible emotion lingered in his voice, “My empire is seen more clearly under this sun.”
At this point, the emperor changed the subject and exclaimed, "Yunxi, this seems to be the first time you and I have stood side by side like this."
Some things seem ordinary at the time.
Yunxi followed his gaze and glanced at him.
She didn't respond to his question, but instead stopped and looked at him in the bright autumn sun, saying, "Xiao Shenjing, you said you wanted to promote my elder brother and Lord Lu, what are you planning to send them to do?"
When Fan Zishi cut down the mulberry trees to restore the rice paddies, he was the target of everyone's criticism and almost faced death.
If, like last time, becoming the Grand Tutor or Grand Preceptor of the Lantern Festival is a matter of life and death for them.
Yunxi would absolutely not agree.
Seeing the emperor looking at her with his eyelashes lowered, Yunxi pursed her lips and asked, "Will the task you assigned be dangerous?"
"You've been thinking about them all this way?" A fire suddenly ignited in Xiao Shenjing's heart, and his throat felt like it was burning with charcoal. "Yunxi, have you really developed feelings for them?"
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