Chapter 56 What a coincidence that a great thing happened in the car!
Xie Xuanlan carried the betrothal gifts back intact, still clamoring for music. The onlookers were puzzled, so he frankly explained, "The Jiang family's Fourth Lady is a deeply filial person. Although the marriage was arranged by the old Censor Jiang during his lifetime, she still insisted on remaining faithful to her grandfather for a full year before accepting the betrothal gift. I admire her for her respect for etiquette and chastity, and naturally I respect her."
He spoke in a high-sounding and authoritative manner, and passers-by nodded in agreement.
When they reached Wenqu Hall, they were stopped by someone. Xie Xuanlan lowered his eyes and glanced at the person with a smile: "Zi Su, are you here to block the carriage and ask for money?"
Zi Su didn't want to offend either side, so she started by saying something auspicious: "I only hope that you will marry your beloved. How dare I stand in your way? It's His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin who invites the Third Young Master to come upstairs for a chat."
Xie Xuanlan looked up at the sign of Wenqutang, dismounted, and walked up to the second floor.
The Prince of Jin leaned against the window, flipping through an old book. His desolate demeanor contrasted sharply with the eighty-eight bearers of red-wrapped betrothal gifts downstairs. He didn't bother to look at Xie Xuanlan's vibrant red dress, and wouldn't even offer him a cup of tea. He simply asked him directly, "Why haven't you sent the betrothal gifts? Have you offended her again?"
Xie Xuanlan folded his arms and sneered, "Even the bookstore she frequents is your territory. Is there anything you don't understand?"
The Prince of Jin said indifferently, "This isn't my territory. Du Rupan often comes here to wait for her. You usually don't study hard, so you just don't know."
Xie Xuanlan said, "It's none of your business whether I study or not. My wife, Aying, will urge me to study from now on. There's no need to come to this useless bookshop anymore. The Xie family has a vast collection of books. I will bring her whatever she wants."
Prince Jin curled the corners of his lips in disapproval.
Xie Xuanlan: "If you don't have anything serious to do, I won't waste my time with you. If you have time, take more medicine and see a doctor, and stop nagging about our husband-and-wife matters."
However, despite his outwardly reserved and aloof demeanor, His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin was actually a kindhearted person. Despite this barrage of sarcastic remarks, he kindly reminded Xie Xuanlan, "You shouldn't have spoken of her like that in front of everyone just now."
Xie Xuanlan paused slightly.
The King of Jin said, "Aying is very respectable. You said she was filial. If this gets out, it will put her on the line because of this reputation. She will never do anything 'unfilial' in the future... Do you know what her relationship with Zhao is like?"
This question stunned Xie Xuanlan, he really didn't know.
The King of Jin asked him, "Didn't Ah Ying tell you to ignore Zhao's request for favors from the Xie family for her son?"
Mentioned.
Xie Xuanlan then remembered that Ah Ying had hesitated to accept his proposal at the mountain banquet for this very reason. At the time, his mind was preoccupied with her affair with the Prince of Jin, so he had dismissed her refusal as an excuse, letting it slip past his ears.
...Could it be that she has a very bad relationship with her mother? Could it be that the family affairs she was talking about are related to her mother?
The moment the Prince of Jin saw his stunned expression, he knew what he was thinking. He gently reprimanded him, "Jealousy is human nature, but you shouldn't let it get to your head. You must know that there are more people who admire Ah Ying than just you and me. If you keep doing this and embarrass her, how can you still call yourself a good match?"
Xie Xuanlan originally wanted to ask why he knew everything Aying said, but after hearing this, he silently swallowed the question back into his stomach.
After a while, he actually bowed his head to the King of Jin, a rare gesture. Although his movements were a little stiff, his tone was unheard of, humble: "Your Highness, thank you for your guidance."
The King of Jin waved his hand at him with the back of his hand. Before he could utter the word "step back", he suddenly covered his lips and coughed violently. The cough sounded like someone stabbed him in the chest. Although he tried his best to suppress it in his throat, he could still feel the pain trembling in his throat.
Then, bright red blood flowed down between his slender pale fingers, slowly dripping onto the pages of the ancient book, soaking it into a pool.
Zi Su was no longer surprised and promptly handed over the handkerchief. Prince Jin took it but went to wipe the blood stains off the pages of the book first. Seeing it was too late, he said "what a pity" with regret.
Somehow, Xie Xuanlan understood the meaning of "what a pity" and suddenly felt a sense of empathy, feeling uncomfortable.
＊
The weather gets warmer day by day in spring, and today is especially warm with a gentle breeze and a cloudless blue sky.
While Xie Xuanlan was inspecting the city gates, a member of the Yan Banner Guard came forward to report the whereabouts of the Prince of Jin: "The Prince of Jin traveled light and with a small entourage, heading towards the Xuandu Temple on Qinglu Mountain. He refused to pay his respects at the Tongtian Temple in the city, and traveled so far after such a tiring journey. There must be something fishy going on."
Xie Xuanlan had no intention of sending anyone to follow him, so he just nodded and said, "Got it."
After half an hour, the Yanqi Guard came again to report: "Mrs. Jiang Si is also leaving the city, and she is heading towards Xuandu Temple."
Xie Xuanlan suddenly raised his eyes: "Stop her."
Standing beneath the tower's arched columns, Cong Ying politely declined the armchair offered by the Yanqi guards. She patiently gazed at the sun, waiting for the search to conclude. A moment later, the guards brought tea again, humbly and respectfully muttering nonsense: "...This bandit is truly formidable. He's even shrunk himself to attach himself to a carriage. That's why we need a thorough search, and for Madam Jiang's safety."
"That's all right." Cong Ying didn't suspect anything and cooperated very good-naturedly, but she asked worriedly, "Can't we even catch the Third Young Master? Is he worried about this?"
Just as he finished speaking, he heard a clear voice behind him: "He's been caught."
Xie Xuanlan changed his clothes and rushed over. He dismounted in front of Cong Ying and said with a warm smile, "What a coincidence, Si Niang, you are leaving the city too?"
In order to make this "coincidence" come true, the Yanqi Guards had searched Cong Ying's carriage three times, and finally they were able to wipe off the cold sweat and retreat.
Cong Ying said, "I have something to do and need to go to Xuandu Temple."
Xie Xuanlan tossed the black jade cicada in his hand and said, "My mother calculated an auspicious day for me and told me to go to Xuandu Temple to have it opened and divined. I didn't expect to meet you at the city gate. Today is indeed a very auspicious day."
Hearing this, Cong Ying pursed her lips and smiled, and asked him in a low voice: "Then... Sanlang will go with me?"
"I couldn't ask for more."
Xie Xuanlan finally got on Cong Ying's carriage and felt relaxed. Everywhere was filled with traces of Cong Ying's presence. He wanted to touch this and look at that. In front of Cong Ying, he took off the scented bag she had hung on the wall of the carriage, put it to his nose and said it smelled good. It was very similar to the scent on her body. He said meaningfully, "This scent will help you have good dreams. Give it to me."
Cong Ying glared at him and reached out to grab it, but he grabbed her wrist with two fingers.
It was the time of their youthful vigor, and the cramped carriage was filled with her delicate fragrance. Xie Xuanlan felt that the hypocritical etiquette of a gentleman from an aristocratic family was crumbling in his heart, while her increasingly rapid pulse was like a cluster of flames, burning along his fingertips, igniting waves of tenderness.
Both of them suddenly fell silent.
After a long while, Xie Xuanlan called her softly, "Aying?"
The temptation and enticement were too obvious, and Ying's heart trembled, but she bit her tongue and dared not respond. She was just regretting having invited this lunatic to ride with her, when the next moment, her jaw was gently lifted up.
She had to look at him, had to gaze into those eyes as black as ink jade.
At this moment, Cong Ying finally understood why saints regard color as a great fear. In the face of the dazzling colors of the ten directions and the telepathic emotions, all the mantras for purifying the heart and the words of saints became increasingly pale and hopeless.
His lustful and demanding eyes were stripping away her rationality, and her heart was gradually becoming corrupt and her manners were being destroyed.
He called out again, "Aying?"
Cong Ying finally closed her eyes in despair and uttered an almost inaudible "hmm".
A chill breath approached, and she felt his pounding heartbeat first, then a cool kiss brushing across her lips. It was hard to describe the feeling, as if her entire soul was captivated. As his kiss deepened with each kiss, his tongue trying to pry open her teeth, she subconsciously clasped his hand.
At this moment, the carriage suddenly stopped and Cong Ying pushed him away in fright.
No one knew where she got the strength from, but the back of Xie Xuanlan's head hit the carriage with a "bang".
"Sanlang!" Cong Yinghua's face turned pale.
Xie Xuanlan, who was concentrating on his studies, was nearly knocked out by this sudden blow. After a long pause, he said weakly, "I'm fine... What happened outside?"
The Jiang family's coachman said outside: "A young man's carriage broke down. I looked and it turned out to be the same man who had given my wife a ride before. Hehe, what a coincidence!"
Cong Ying was feeling dizzy and didn't come back to her senses for a moment: "Have you ever ridden my young master?"
Xie Xuanlan screamed in his heart: "Don't open it——"
Cong Ying had already opened the carriage door and was meeting the eyes of Prince Jin, who was slowly getting dressed and getting out of the carriage. Prince Jin first saw her, then saw Xie Xuanlan, who had a gloomy face. He raised an eyebrow in surprise and said, "A Ying, what a coincidence?"
…
The three of them sat in the east, south and north directions, and the already cramped carriage moved even slower.
Prince Jin cleared his throat innocently and said to Xie Xuanlan, who was staring at him sinisterly, "You look so gloomy, you're so tired that the horse can't even run. Why don't you go out and drive the carriage?"
Xie Xuanlan sneered: "First come, first served, why don't you go?"
The King of Jin raised his jade crutch and tapped his leg: "Cripple, you can't ride a horse."
The King of Jin wouldn't know, and Congying wasn't familiar with it. This plan was clearly aimed at Xie Xuanlan, Yunjing's top horseback rider. Xie Xuanlan gnashed his teeth in hatred and turned to Congying, saying, "This horse is so tired, I'll replace it with a strong horse from the Western Regions later."
Cong Ying didn't dare to object. She half covered her face with a fan and nodded.
Prince Jin's gaze fell on the silk fan in her hand.
As far as he could remember, she never used a silk fan, except when attending banquets with ladies of high rank. In the summer heat, she preferred a cattail leaf fan with a cool breeze. Now, she was using the silk fan to cover her face, but it only made it more obvious. The Prince of Jin frowned and asked, "What's wrong with your face?"
"Ah, nothing..." Cong Ying felt guilty and quickly put down the fan.
Prince Jin immediately noticed her overly red lips.
He had lingered there a hundred times in his past lives, recalled it a thousand times in his dreams, so how could he not understand what this expression meant? No wonder Xie Xuanlan treated him like an enemy. What good thing had he just done in the car?!
The Prince of Jin's gentle expression suddenly turned cold, and whether it was due to a cough or something else, his eyes gradually turned red. He almost forgot his identity and subconsciously reached out to touch her, but Xie Xuanlan swatted him away with his silk fan.
Xie Xuanlan's warning look was filled with more hostility, but his tone remained lazy, as he was concerned about Cong Ying's face. "It's just a stink bug that flew in. Your Highness, Prince Jin, don't bother with it. If you're disgusted, you can leave on your own."
Prince Jin's thin fingers slowly tightened in his sleeves.
After a while, he finally calmed down, his tone still a little stiff: "No need."
If the silence of two people is beautiful, then the silence of three people is like the flashing of swords. Cong Ying's ears and nose were itching from being stared at by the two of them. She secretly glanced at the scenery outside the window - and this torturous journey was only halfway completed.
Finally, she pulled out two chess baskets from under her seat. The small table in front of her also served as a chessboard. She glanced at one person and then the other: "How about we play chess?"
Xie Xuanlan was the first to grab a chess basket, ending the possibility of Cong Ying and the King of Jin playing chess. The King of Jin glanced at him lightly and did not move, as if he disdained to play against him. Seeing this, Cong Ying said, "Then I will start a game with San Lang."
Although Xie Xuanlan didn't study, he had a good mind and was renowned in Yunjing for his chess skills. Cong Ying had previously asked Ji Caibing to purchase his chess records at a high price, using his underhanded tactics to defeat her grandfather. Playing chess against him was something she had also dreamed of, but she had been so caught up in her lust that she had forgotten about it for a moment.
Cong Ying played black first, and Xie Xuanlan followed with white.
Different from Cong Ying's cautious style of play, Xie Xuanlan's style of play is like an assassin, wielding a dangerous knife and taking a narrow path. In order to kill the opponent's spirit, he would rather have his own chess pieces separated. From time to time, he would set up a barrier that would lead to mutual destruction, and he has a strong murderous spirit.
It was rare for Cong Ying to encounter such an opponent, and he was stumped for a moment, sitting on the chess pieces, frowning and thinking.
The King of Jin simply glanced at the chessboard and said, "A calamity lasting ten thousand years, a collision of stars can trigger a calamity."
He provided a new idea, and Cong Yingdai raised her eyebrows slightly, and immediately realized: "So that's it!"
The black spot landed on the star position with joy.
The disadvantage of Xie Xuanlan's playing style was immediately apparent. If he lost one move, he would lose the whole game. Cong Ying found the right method and chased him to kill him. Soon, he crushed him with unstoppable force and won the game.
Xie Xuanlan lost.
Losing to Congying wasn't a big deal, but Congying turned around and flattered Prince Jin: "Your Highness can actually see the key to the game at a glance. Your chess skills are so much higher than ours. You are truly an unparalleled player, Yiqiu!"
Xie Xuanlan found this jarring and scoffed, "A true gentleman watches chess without saying a word, while a chatterbox by the riverside without grass is a donkey."
Prince Jin did not argue with him. Instead, he said modestly and contentedly, "My chess skills are ordinary. I just happen to know a few of his tricks. If I were to play against someone as calm and serious as Ah Ying, I would have no chance of winning."
Cong Ying was slightly moved: "Then could you please, Your Highness——"
Before he could finish his words, Xie Xuanlan suddenly covered his head with his hands and hissed, his long eyebrows furrowed.
The King of Jin knew what kind of Liao Zhai he was going to play at a glance, but Cong Ying took him seriously and asked with concern, "What's wrong with Sanlang?"
Xie Xuanlan: "I think I bumped my head and it's swollen."
Hearing this, Cong Ying immediately looked embarrassed and asked guiltily, "Does it hurt a lot? Is it serious?"
Xie Xuanlan said shamelessly: "It hurts a lot, it would be better if I could rub it."
From Ying: "..."
Xie Xuanlan leaned on her, while Prince Jin turned his head to look out the window, his heart clear as he turned a blind eye. As the carriage moved slowly, the golden bell hanging from his waist jingled softly, almost drowning out the whispers of the two people.
"Don't be angry. I also know the solutions he knows. Your mother-in-law taught me how to play chess. I'll ask her to teach you in the future..."
King Jin thought coldly in his heart, why didn’t his mouth get cut?
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