grandfather to
When Xie Ling informed Xie Sili to return to Chang'an, he vaguely suspected that something must have happened on Xie Zhun's side, which was why he thought of bringing Xie Sili, his eldest daughter, back to the mansion. He did not expect that it would be to marry Prince Yan, Jun Qiyu, in place of Xie Siyao.
He had originally planned to return to Chang'an for the New Year this year, but after learning about this by chance, he had his wife pack her bags and rush back to Chang'an from Yuzhou City.
They traveled along the way, stopping frequently to enjoy the local scenery. From Xie Jingche and Xie Jingyan to Lvzhu, only the two of them have not yet returned to Chang'an.
Xie Ling was still preoccupied with Xie Sili's matter, and even when she stopped to rest, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
Ever since Xie Sili fell ill when she was five years old, she has been favored by the current sect leader of the Xiaoyao Sect, who insists on taking her as his last disciple and says that if she does not become his disciple, she will not live much longer.
During the fifteen years from age five to twenty, Xie Sili was rarely by their side. He spent most of his time traveling with the leader of the Xiaoyao Sect. Although they said he was traveling, they all knew that Xie Sili was actually recuperating from an illness.
She didn't want them to worry.
That's precisely why they cherish Xie Sili so much and pamper her.
But his son actually wanted Xie Sili to marry Jun Qiyu in place of Xie Siyao. How could he do that? How dare he!
"How dare he!" Xie Ling's voice rang out from inside the carriage. "Ali is his own daughter, how could he do such a thing!"
"Don't be angry," the lady said gently, "Ah Li is a child with her own ideas. If she knew how worried you were about her, she would feel remorseful and guilty." As she spoke, she patted Xie Ling's back.
“She’s just too opinionated!” Xie Ling retorted without thinking. “You still don’t understand his personality after all these years. If it were really her personality, she would probably agree to the boss’s request too.” His face was filled with anger. “Ah Li is just too kind.”
Xie Ling's words brought a slight smile to the lady's lips. "Yan'er and A'che will also protect him. Under the training of A'ze and others, the two of them have made some progress."
Xie Ling finally calmed down a little when the topic of her two children came up.
Although Xie Ling did not know the origin of the two children, there were too many similarities between their features and those of his deceased friends.
When Xie Sili brought them back, he thought they were the posthumous children of his sworn brother. Over the years, he has raised them under his care, which can be considered as fulfilling their dream of having children and grandchildren.
“Grandpa, don’t worry, Si Ze has always been by the young lady’s side.” Ying San said reassuringly as he drove the carriage. “The young lady’s personality is as you all say, she is kind-hearted, but not just anyone can bully her.”
Xie Ling responded with an "Mmm" to Ying San's words.
"There have been rumors about His Highness Prince Yan all along the way. Do you think he's really a spoiled brat?" Madam Qin looked at Xie Ling with worry in her eyes. "What if Ali really has to marry His Highness Prince Yan?"
“Our Ali is kind-hearted and not good at scheming. When His Highness Prince Yan’s mansion has so many concubines and beauties, she will be devoured until there is nothing left.” Madam Qin’s eyes reddened as she spoke. “Eldest son, how can you treat your own daughter like this?”
"Don't worry, I will absolutely not let Ali marry His Highness Prince Yan, much less let her marry in his place!" Xie Ling slapped the low table next to him with a cold expression.
Xie Ling and Qin Shi's conversation was clearly heard by Ying San outside.
The thought of Xie Sili being bullied made him shudder.
He felt that such a scene was completely unimaginable.
You can imagine Xie Sili committing murder, but the scene of her being bullied is completely impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
"Shadow Three, how much longer until we reach Chang'an?" Xie Ling asked.
“It’s at least two days’ journey. Does the old man intend to travel at night?” Shadow Three asked. “Even at the fastest pace, it will take a day and a half.”
“Let’s hurry back to Chang’an. I’ve been feeling uneasy these days, like Ali is being bullied in Chang’an.” He said, clutching his chest. “Thank you for your hard work, Shadow Three.”
“We’re worried about the girl too.” Shadow Three said, quickening his pace, but the carriage continued to move smoothly.
At noon on the second day, they finally arrived at the gates of Chang'an.
After entering the city, Xie Ling heard the people discussing the Fang and Zhao families. Fang Ye and Fang Yuanchao were both imprisoned, but Fang Ye was only kept in a cell and was being well taken care of because someone was protecting him.
Before they even arrived at the Prime Minister's residence, Green Bamboo appeared before Shadow Three. She knelt down in front of the carriage with a thud and cried out, "Master, please save our young lady!"
When Xie Ling lifted the curtain, she saw Green Bamboo kneeling in the middle of the road.
Xie Ling's worry intensified, and she immediately got out of the car to help Lü Zhu up. "Lü Zhu, what happened? What happened to Ali?"
“Grandpa, the young lady has been imprisoned in the Jingzhao Prefecture.” Green Bamboo’s eyes reddened as she spoke. “The young lady was tortured into confessing by those people in the Jingzhao Prefecture while trying to save the girl who was being bullied by Fang Yuanchao.” She gripped Xie Ling’s arm tightly. “Grandpa, the young lady is weak. How can she withstand such torment?”
“The young lady was just standing up for someone else, and that’s why they made things difficult for her.” As Green Bamboo spoke, tears streamed down her face. “I went to see the young lady before, and she was almost gone.” Her voice choked with sobs. “Grandpa, let’s go see the young lady quickly.”
Xie Ling turned her gaze to the green bamboo, trying to compose herself after hearing the news.
After his mood improved, he turned his gaze to Ying San beside him. "Green Bamboo, take Madam to the Jingzhao Prefecture to check on Ali's condition. If necessary, call a doctor. I'm going to the palace now."
Green Bamboo nodded to Xie Ling, and Shadow Three reached out to help the old lady out of the carriage.
"Green Bamboo, how is Ali? How did she suffer such a great injustice?" Madam Qin said, her eyes also reddening. "Take me to see her quickly."
"Madam, I'll take you there now." Green Bamboo said as she helped Madam Qin walk toward the Jingzhao Prefecture, while Shadow Three led Xie Ling into the palace.
Upon arriving at Jingzhao Prefecture, Cheng Yunfan discovered that Lvzhu had brought the old lady with her.
Thinking of the arrangements already made, he nodded to Green Bamboo.
"Lord Lu." Madam Qin looked at Cheng Yunfan and spoke in a loud voice, her previous sadness gone, replaced by confidence.
"Madam," Cheng Yunfan bowed respectfully to Madam Qin, "Madam must have come to visit Miss Xie." After saying that, he personally led the way to the dungeon.
With each step, Qin felt terrified. The stench and blood mingled together, making her want to vomit. She maintained her composure and did not let her emotions show at all.
Xie Sili was imprisoned at the far east end of the dungeon, while Fang Ye and Fang Yuanchao were imprisoned at the far west end.
The moment Qin saw Xie Sili, her eyes immediately welled up with tears, and she told Cheng Yunfan to quickly unlock the door.
"Ah Li, my Ah Li!" Qin's eyes reddened as she looked at Xie Sili. "How could you force a confession out of me?" She looked at Cheng Yunfan with an imposing aura.
"Grandmother, you're back." Hearing the voice, Xie Sili looked up at the person squatting in front of her. "I'm fine, Grandmother, don't worry."
"Your health is already weak, what should we do?" Qin said, taking Xie Sili's hand in hers, only to find that her hand was ice-cold.
"How can you say it's nothing? It's already like this, and you still say it's nothing." As Qin Shi spoke, tears streamed down her face. "We all know what happened in Chang'an along the way. You are also the eldest son's biological daughter. How could he let you marry His Highness the Prince of Yan, especially in place of Xie Siyao!"
Xie Sili tried to wipe away Qin Shi's tears, but she gently held his hand.
"Grandmother, don't cry. Just bear with it." Xie Sili smiled at Madam Qin. "I've been following my master all these years, and he's only taught me one thing: always protect the weak. Although I'm not strong enough, I've protected that girl very well."
As soon as Xie Sili finished speaking, Qin Shi tapped his forehead and said, "Look at what you're saying. If anything happens to you, what will your grandfather and I do? What will happen to Yan'er and A'che?"
"Grandmother, you don't need to worry about me." Xie Sili said, then closed her eyes tightly. The old lady wanted to speak again, but remained silent.
"Lord Lu, how could you force a confession out of her?" the old lady questioned Cheng Yunfan. "She's still a young girl."
"Reporting to Madam, it was the Fang and Zhao families who used torture." Cheng Yunfan said with a guilty expression, "Originally, Miss Xie was in good health, but the Fang and Zhao families kidnapped her to take revenge on her. After we found Miss Xie, she was in this state."
Seeing this, Qin Shi turned her gaze to Cheng Yunfan, "Have you called a doctor? What did the doctor say?"
"The doctor said the young lady is weak and needs proper care afterward," Cheng Yunfan told him, reciting the words he had prepared beforehand.
“This child has been frail since childhood. She was bedridden until she was five years old. A cold that year almost killed her. She has been recuperating by her master’s side all these years. Her master once said that this child would not live past the age of fifteen.”
As she spoke, Qin's eyes reddened. "Over the years, she has been traveling and enjoying herself with her master, but we all know that this child has been recuperating from an illness."
"And now I'm suffering such injustice." As she spoke, tears seemed to well up in her eyes, and she looked at Cheng Yunfan with a hint of apology on her face. "It will make Lord Lu laugh at us."
"What are you saying, Madam? We also believe that Miss Xie did nothing wrong, but the Fang and Zhao families are acting as accomplices to evil and are lawless." Cheng Yunfan sighed as he spoke.
Qin Shi watched as Cheng Yunfan patted her shoulder. She instructed Lüzhu to take care of Xie Sili here. Originally, she wanted to return to the manor alone, but Cheng Yunfan sent someone to take her back.
After Qin left, Green Bamboo quickly spoke up, "Miss, how did I do today? Wasn't I amazing?"
When Xie Sili sat up, there was no trace of the weakness she had shown earlier.
She pinched Green Bamboo's cheek. "Did Grandfather go to the palace?"
"yes."
"Although Xie Chun did not want to offend the Fang and Zhao families, his grandfather was no longer an official and did not care about such things."
"What about Prime Minister Xie?" Green Bamboo scratched his head as he spoke. "I don't understand these things."
"Do you think Grandfather would care about his son?" Xie Sili asked with a smile. "In all these years, when has Grandfather ever returned to Chang'an for the New Year?"
Seeing Green Bamboo's expression, she continued, "He has never returned to Chang'an. The reason he wants to come back this year is because of me."
“So the people the old master cares about are the young lady and the second madam,” Green Bamboo said with a look of sudden realization. “But the eldest master is, after all, the old master’s own son.” She scratched her face, still a little confused.
"So what if he's my own son?" Xie Sili retorted. "In all these years, how have I, this good father, ever fulfilled my filial duties? He has never been to Yuzhou City, nor has he ever visited my grandparents, let alone taken me back to Chang'an."
"My good father, who seemed to be a perfect match with Huang, actually loved no one. All he wanted was supreme power, and he was willing to pay any price for it." Xie Sili finished speaking and raised his hand to stroke Green Bamboo's head.
“None of them mentioned his mother, but the moment I saw him, I knew that his mother might not have died from postpartum hemorrhage. He probably felt that his mother’s status was not worthy of his position as prime minister.” Xie Sili revealed the truth in one sentence.
"I only wish that my mother could see his true nature before she died, so that her life would not have been in vain." Xie Sili sighed softly after saying this.
"Have you investigated anything these past few days, young lady?"
Xie Sili raised his hand to stroke Green Bamboo's face and shook his head. "Although we have investigated some things, they are just confirmations of our previous guesses. We can only find out more details through in-depth investigation."
"Miss, you will surely be able to clear Madam's name in due time," Green Bamboo comforted her. "With your abilities, Miss, you will definitely be able to make Madam and Prime Minister Xie divorce."
Xie Sili looked at the green bamboo but smiled without saying a word.
Meanwhile, inside the Imperial Study.
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