A bystander sees more clearly
Song Tiaotiao looked at Song Zhaozhao's expression and made up her mind.
Her eyes flickered and she chuckled softly, "Why are you panicking, elder sister? I just heard that the young prince was attacked, and I'm worried about him. The young prince is kind and gentle, and he's very beautiful. It's a pity that he has been in poor health since childhood, and now he has encountered such a thing... In the past, everyone said that he would not live past the age of twenty..." Having said this, she raised her eyes slightly, and her lips were still open.
The Song Zhaozhao in front of her was just as she expected. She frowned and interrupted in a hurry, "Who said Chengcan will not live past his twenties? He has been doing good deeds and accumulating virtues in his life, so he will live a long and blessed life..." As soon as she finished speaking, she raised her eyes as if she had realized something, and saw Song Tiaotiao smiling. She felt that she had been tricked, and she secretly regretted it for a moment. She bit her lower lip and kept silent.
Seeing this, Song Tiaotiao squatted down in front of Song Zhaozhao and sighed with regret, "Elder sister does have high expectations for the young prince. But it's no wonder. After all, every time the young prince came to the mansion, he would bring elder sister his favorite peach cakes, the most satisfying poems and songs, and even begged His Majesty for the rare Thousand Music Collection as an engagement gift for elder sister. Unfortunately, I vaguely remember that night, the young prince left in tears..."
Song Zhaozhao's eyes were already slightly tearful when she heard this, but she didn't show any of it. She continued to say hatefully, "Song Tiaotiao, between the two of us, he was clearly engaged to someone else first. What right does he have to cry? Don't say anymore. I don't want to hear anything about him anymore."
But when Song Tiaotiao recalled the whole details in the book, Song Zhaozhao fell seriously ill when she learned of the death of the young prince.
Song Zhaozhao did not recover from that injury for a month, but it was mentioned in the book in a gloomy manner.
So when Song Tiao Tiao first read it, she always thought that Song Zhaozhao was exhausted because she could not bear the cruelty of the succession of imperial power.
But after recovering from a serious illness, she became a thoroughgoing power-seeker who would do anything to achieve her goals.
Although she didn't understand it before, Song Tiaotiao now understands it.
After all, in a story never mentioned in the books, she had personally witnessed a man who, during a sudden downpour in early summer, secretly sent someone to bring an umbrella to her elder sister, yet, out of consideration for both their reputations, he watched silently from the sidelines, just so they could exchange glances as they passed by.
And when the eldest sister suddenly wants to cultivate flowers and plants, rare and priceless flowers and plants will be given to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion in an endless stream.
When the eldest sister wanted to eat special desserts, the man would personally go thousands of miles to find them for her, just to make her happy.
When she wanted to read out-of-print poetry and books, all the treasured poetry books in his library would be presented to her like timely rain for her to choose from.
When she was young, she had heard her elder sister's disdain for this.
At that time, Song Zhaozhao thought that the young prince was weak and foolish, and his undisguised flattery only embarrassed her.
Later, the young prince, facing a cold reception, figured out the principle of equal protection. But she also felt that the young prince treated everyone the same way, so she returned all the gifts she had received, except for the food.
But after that, the little prince did not give up.
As the days passed, the eldest sister's complaints gradually became less common, and instead she was filled with joy when she received the gifts.
Thinking of this, Song Tiaotiao lowered her eyes and asked, "Eldest sister, ask yourself, do you want the little prince to live?"
Song Zhaozhao's nose felt sore, and she said with difficulty, "He...his life and death are determined by fate. What does it have to do with me?"
Song Tiaotiao blinked and said, "What if I am sure I can rescue him?"
Hearing this, Song Zhaozhao's eyes flashed as if she had grasped a life-saving straw. But soon, the hope in her eyes dimmed.
She lowered her eyes and laughed at herself: "You...? Why do you think you can?"
The past events were vivid in her mind, and for a moment, she couldn't think of what price she would have to pay to make Song Tiaotiao let go of her hatred and help her.
Song Tiaotiao looked directly into Song Zhaozhao's eyes and said seriously, "Now that I've said this, there's no need for you to worry about it. Just answer whether I want to or not. Right now, I'll give you some time to think about it. How about I finish this cup of tea?"
Looking at Song Tiaotiao's confident look, Song Tiaotiao couldn't help but recall the various rumors involving Song Tiaotiao along the way.
She culinarily mastered the art of cooking, restored dry land, and provided porridge to refugees... But what concerned her most was the miraculous medicine that had cured the malaria that had first appeared in the northern border.
As Song Zhaozhao thought about this, the hesitation in her eyes had gradually faded. After she and Song Tiaotiao looked at each other for a long time, she saw the sincerity in her eyes. She faced her inner desire and said in a trembling voice, "I... I want to." At this point, she closed her eyes tightly and asked, "What are your conditions?"
Seeing that her goal had been achieved, Song Tiaotiao smiled and said, "Let's not discuss the conditions yet. Why not first see what sincerity my elder sister can show."
Song Zhaozhao's face darkened slightly at the thought of her taking advantage of her situation, but she had expected this, so after much thought, she knitted her brows and muffledly said, "I came here for the title of Crown Prince's Consort, and secondly, to seek medical advice."
Song Tiaotiao saw her eyes flickering and knew she had something else to say: "Where's the third one?"
Song Zhaozhao bit her lip and said, "Three, it's to deliver a letter to my father. There's no four!"
Song Tiaotiao crossed her arms and tilted her head to ask, "Seeking medical treatment? Who did my elder sister plan to seek medical treatment from?"
Song Zhaozhao's mood darkened slightly: "If there is no doctor in the Southern Dynasty, there is still the Northern Dynasty."
Song Tiaotiao narrowed her eyes slightly and nodded: "Eldest sister is really affectionate and thoughtful. Where is the letter?"
Song Zhaozhao looked up at her and said, "Father, let me give the letter to Gu Chengjue, saying that only he can understand its meaning."
Song Tiaotiao propped up her chin and asked, "In that case, what on earth did my eldest sister act out last night?"
Song Zhaozhao glanced at her and snorted coldly, "When I approached your courtyard, I heard from my personal guards that your courtyard is surrounded by assassins. Although we have not made any moves, in this situation, it is obvious that we are in the open and the enemy is in the dark. If anything happens to you two ladies, how will I explain it?"
Song Tiaotiao's eyes flickered slightly: "Eldest sister is on this long journey, and the secret guards she brings with her are not of the same quality. This is not the level that should be expected of a national martial arts master."
Song Zhaozhao's eyes dimmed slightly. "The capital is in chaos right now. Ever since my father got involved in the Ning Wang Mansion's unjust case, he's been struggling to protect himself. Under the emperor's feet, thieves are stirring, and assassinations have become commonplace. Countless personal guards have been killed, and he himself is often seriously injured. It's not easy for me to have all these people around me."
Song Tiaotiao frowned slightly: "The situation in the capital has become so tense? Then Your Majesty..."
Song Zhaozhao's eyes tightened, and he sighed softly, "I'm just holding on. I just hope you can come back soon. I wanted to wait here a little longer to get the medicine, but now the situation is difficult. If you can do it, I won't go far to find that person."
Hearing this, Song Tiaotiao's eyes flashed: "How did elder sister know about that person's existence? How could he be so sure that you would come?"
Song Zhaozhao lowered her eyes and gave a bitter smile, "He can accurately control my feelings and deliver the elixir to Cheng Can at the right time. I'm sure he's not a pure and honest person. Maybe he's part of this mess and wants to use me for something."
Song Tiaotiao's eyes flickered: "Did he reveal any information about himself to you? Otherwise, how could you find him?"
Song Zhaozhao pondered, "The letter only mentioned that I should come to Songbai Village to meet him in July, along with the code and location for the meeting. Apart from that, there was only the single character 'Wu' at the end."
Wu...?
Upon hearing this, Song Tiaotiao's eyes flashed.
The Wu from the Northern Dynasty...could it be the Wu that my brother uses as his nickname?
Song Tiaotiao's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she continued to ask, "Then where is the meeting place?"
"It's the food store you opened, and according to the time, it should be the days when you were going back to Beijing..." At this point, she frowned slightly, raised her eyes and glanced at Song Tiaotiao, with a trace of scrutiny in her eyes: "If you put it this way, it's really a strange coincidence. If you weren't so confused at this moment, I would have thought that this was a conspiracy between you and others to set me up."
Song Tiaotiao's heart tightened, but she waved her hands and chuckled, "Sister, why bother overthinking it? Since I can negotiate the deal with you myself, why would I let someone else handle it and make a profit?"
Hearing this, Song Zhaozhao was already irritated by the smell of money in her words, and she let out a light click of her tongue, so much so that the look she gave her now contained a hint of disgust.
But then her expression took on a new complexity and heaviness. "I'm sure the suffering of exile is too much for most people to endure. It's utterly transformed both of you. If not, I'd doubt you two are still the same people you once were."
After hearing the last part, Song Tiaotiao's eyes flickered and she chuckled dryly, "Eldest sister, people change. Just like when we were little, you saw me taking the punishment for you. When you sent someone to deliver the ointment at night, they would also bring me some desserts. And later, when I was sent to the bridal sedan that night, it was the magic meal that your maid brought me that made me mad."
Hearing this, Song Zhaozhao's eyes darkened slightly, and she said coldly, "I wouldn't do such a stupid thing. I already knew that Gu Chengjue liked you, so how could I be so stupid as to give you to him?"
Hearing the sound, Song Tiaotiao was stunned. And the sound she heard in her ears was not pure either.
Besides Song Zhaozhao's voice echoing in her ears, what was becoming increasingly stronger was the heartbeat resonating between her chest and ears.
But as Song Zhaozhao deliberately pulled back, the deafening heartbeat had taken over. The rising and falling waves swallowed up Song Tiaotiao's stranded consciousness, which gradually drowned in the deep sea in the buzzing sound and tended to disperse.
Her lips, like a drowning person desperate to survive in the water, opened and closed for a long time, but she couldn't say a word.
After a while, when the mixed emotions in her heart, like a tangled weed, were sorted out one by one like peeling off the silk threads of an onion, her ups and downs in her heart also surfaced along with the most extreme joy, and the clouds were cleared to see the sun.
Song Tiaotiao finally uttered a cheerful tone as she regained consciousness: "What did you say...?"
Seeing her like this, Song Zhaozhao sighed softly, "Back in the mansion, besides asking the teacher for advice, the rest of your time was spent gesturing with a broken wooden stick. You really don't know anything else. What? You want to know? Show some sincerity and come and trade with me, your sister."
Seeing that Song Zhaozhao had the determination to turn the situation around, Song Tiaotiao smiled and said, "It's not that I don't know everything. For example, the young prince secretly asked me what kind of poetry and songs I like, and the young prince hesitated for a long time and didn't send it to me..."
Song Zhaozhao blushed slightly and asked shyly, "Why do you stare at us all day long, without caring about yourself?"
Song Tiaotiao chuckled: "Isn't this what they call a bystander seeing more clearly?"
Hearing this, Song Zhaozhao was stunned for a moment. After a moment, she lowered her eyes and sighed, "Do you still remember the first time you saw Gu Chengjue at home when you were a child?"
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