Chapter 69 She wanted to fall deeply in love with him little by little, from sparks to heartbeats.
Gu Guan didn’t have anything complicated for breakfast. Since he was out, he just went straight to the steamer in the kitchen and took out two big buns to eat. There was a shortage of manpower at the moment, so he didn’t want to trouble everyone.
Xu had already cheered up and was helping in the kitchen. Qin Ying was with her. Gu Guan comforted her with a few gentle words and then helped with the work together. They waited until the work in the big kitchen was almost done, sent Xu back, and then returned to her courtyard.
After returning, he found out that Xie Ci had been there and had been waiting eagerly for a long time. Finally, Qin Guan came to find him, and he left reluctantly.
When Gu Guan heard him, he chuckled.
She said "oh", kicked off her boots and went into the room with a smile, then rolled over on the bed, lying on the pillow and laughing a few times. She was really laughing to death.
Dead, dead, what should I do? It feels mostly funny.
It’s all Xie Ci’s fault.
But in fact, we can’t really blame Xie Ci. It’s mainly because the two of them are too familiar with each other.
After Gu Guan finished laughing, she rubbed the muscles on her cheeks, sat up, took off the hairband and tied her hair up again. Ah, it was too familiar, too familiar. The feelings were deep but not that kind of thing. It was strange and familiar, but she felt a little unable to move her legs. Coupled with Xie Ci's funny beginning, the laughter that she had been trying to build up seriously suddenly burst out.
Gu Wan was a little worried. She had never been in such a serious relationship before. Would she suddenly enter emotional old age?
She couldn't help but think about Xie Ci's mouth. She couldn't imagine kissing him. As for French kissing, she suddenly thought of the expression of her grandfather on the subway looking at his phone.
Oh no, that doesn’t work. How can I jump to the love channel?
Just as she was thinking about it, she heard two knocks on the window. She turned around and saw that it was Xie Ci. This guy was holding the top eaves of the side window with one hand and sticking half of his head out of the windowsill.
The house has a platform, no corridors on both sides, and the side windows are quite high from the ground. However, Gu Wan said to keep a low profile, so he remembered it. There were Xie Zi and others guarding the front and back of the yard, so he quietly sneaked in from the side and secretly lay on the side window.
Xie Ci had an embarrassed and hopeless expression on his face, but he was still like a magnet, and he came again, with his useless hand behind his back.
When Gu Guan saw him, his eyes narrowed.
Thanks: "..."
The blush on his face deepened, and he was so embarrassed that he could hardly stay any longer.
Gu Wan walked over. There was a desk in front of the side window. She picked up the flute and knocked him on the head. "What are you doing here? Why don't you go to bed? Don't you have a lot of things to do in the afternoon? Hurry up and go."
Xie Ci hardly had any deep sleep during the fourteen days in the palace, and the same was true for the two days after that. His physique was now slightly blue and black. The most important thing for him last night and this morning was to rest and recover, and to regain his spirit first.
Xie Ci was a little reluctant. He hesitated for a while, and finally whispered, "Wanwan, am I stupid?"
He had too many expectations and cared too much, and then he messed it up. He was extremely anxious and upset. He lay on the windowsill, his eyes red and tears welling up.
Gu Wan suddenly didn't want to laugh at all because of his behavior. She was so soft-hearted that she also lay on the desk and wiped his tears, "Why are you crying? You fool."
"I'm not going to run away, why are you so anxious?"
She whispered to him, what a fool he was. "I'm sorry, I was wrong. I shouldn't have laughed at you."
She apologized and told him: "Isn't it that I haven't thought about it this way before? My feelings are different from yours, and I haven't changed my mind for a while?"
His emotions were so sincere that they were touching, so Gu Wan didn't want to just let it go. She had to take it seriously so as not to let him down.
She scratched her head and told him how she felt, "I can't seem to find the feeling. I can't get into the mood."
Her soft fingers wiped the corners of her eyes, and Xie Ci's sadness and grievance disappeared in an instant. He grabbed her hand and said anxiously, "When will you find the feeling and be able to switch over? Can tomorrow be okay?"
Gu Wan rolled his eyes: "Do you think this is harvesting vegetables from the field? You can harvest whatever you want and move whatever you want?!"
Love is not easy to come by. The two of them started over in an alternative way. Gu Wan not only did not want to let him down, but also did not want to let herself down. She did not want to enter into the kind of familiar family love from the beginning.
I finally figured out that if I were to fall in love, it would last a lifetime unless there were any unexpected events, so I had to make sure there were sparks.
Otherwise it would be so frustrating!
To be honest, she was a little empathetic towards Xie Ci at the beginning. She saw the shadows of herself and her brother in him, the resentful and helpless self back then.
When we first met, he was so much younger than me.
She kind of treated him as a younger brother.
Xie Ci's feelings were so passionate and sincere that she was moved, and finally accepted him under the influence of fate.
But from family affection to deep love, for her, this is a new emotional experience.
She was willing to move the soil over bit by bit and compact it again. She thought that when she looked back after the years passed, this would be a very beautiful process and memory.
So she decided that she had to have a serious relationship, from sparks to a little affection, to truly falling deeply in love with him.
Otherwise it would be unfair to him and it would be a lifelong regret for yourself.
She looked at him with a smile. In the sunlight, her large brown almond-shaped eyes reflected two little versions of him. Gu Guan whispered, "You know, you're very important to me, so I don't want to let this go so hastily."
Xie Ci looked at her with bated breath, the corners of his lips gradually curled up, he was so happy that he felt like flying.
His eyes sparkled.
Gu Wan smiled, "Don't worry, I'm not in a hurry either. We still have a lifetime to go!"
She wanted to find a heart-pounding feeling.
Just a spark of love between a man and a woman.
As the starting point of a new beginning for the two.
The word "lifetime" is so sweet that Xie Ci felt as if his heart was filled with a bucket of honey, so sweet that it was about to overflow.
I'm not in a hurry.
He tapped the stone base with his feet and turned a little, but I still wanted to go a little faster!
…
The sky was at the junction of night and day. Dawn was breaking in the east, and a faint glow of light enveloped the mountains and the earth, while the streets and alleys of the towering capital city in the west were still immersed in the darkness of the night.
As the Emperor's birthday was approaching, the curfew was suspended for half a month. At dawn, the whole capital had woken up. Some people were burning midnight oil, some were going out to buy groceries, some were going to work, some were selling food at street stalls, pushing carts and driving donkeys, and some were opening their doors to do business in the street shops.
Lanterns were hung under the eaves in front of the gate, and clusters of red or yellow lights swayed gently on both sides of the street in the autumn wind.
The wheels of the two horse-drawn carriages rumbled along the bluestone street as they moved in a low-key manner. Inside the huge carriage, the thick gorilla wool carpet reduced the vibration to a minimum. Feng Kun lay diagonally on the beauty couch, his faint smile faded. His pair of slanted, gorgeous and sharp eyes were opened, staring at the slightly shaking carriage curtain, wondering what he was thinking about.
Huang Xin, who was kneeling on one side, asked softly, "Prime Minister, are the Xie family still investigating?"
They had actually already completed half of the investigation. They began to search for the hiding places of other members of the Xie family from the moment Feng Kun left Beijing for Qingshui Pass.
Feng Kun said calmly, "Let's pause."
He ordered them not to investigate further.
Feng Kun sat up slowly. The carriage with green curtains passed through the long street. The cold wind blew up the curtains on the windows. The outline of the huge former Duke Zhongyong's Mansion was half-fading and half-visible in the darkness of dawn. Feng Kun stared at it for a while, then moved his eyelids and looked away.
Feng Kun knew everything that happened in the palace a few days ago. Because of Xie Ci's amazing tenacity and mental ability, Feng Kun re-evaluated him.
This is also the fundamental reason why he slightly adjusted his policy on thank-you speeches.
"I didn't expect that both Li Yi and Xie Ci would stay."
The night was quiet, and Feng Kun curled his lips. He originally thought that only one of the two could survive, but he didn't expect that both of them survived.
It turned out that he had two plans, and he would use whichever one he could keep. If he didn't want to keep both, he would choose the best one.
Anyway, there is only one goal, starting from the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace and pointing the sword at the Emperor.
Thinking of the old emperor, his face immediately turned gloomy. Feng Kun's feminine and sharp brows were filled with a kind of bone-piercing bloodthirsty look. He asked coldly: "Is Kou Chong ready?"
Huang Xin immediately said, "A letter has just been sent back from the Eastern Palace. Kou Chong said that the Crown Prince is eager to take action after hearing the thanks."
Feng Kun couldn't help but sneer coldly. What a confident prince! "Then let Zheng Shoufang add fuel to the fire!"
The mansion at the exit of the tunnel was very close to the Duke of Qi's Mansion. As they were talking, they had arrived silently. The side door opened and the carriage was welcomed into the mansion.
As soon as Feng Kun got off the car, the eunuch came to announce: "Master, the Fourth Prince is here."
The wind was cold in the early morning of late autumn, fluttering Feng Kun's large green cloak.
Hearing this, the sharp and piercing look in his brows immediately relaxed. Feng Kun adjusted himself and his expression became gentle. He walked quickly towards the large study in the front yard.
In this world, the only person who can soften Feng Kun's heart is Concubine Mu.
Because of Concubine Mu, let’s add the Fourth Prince.
The Fourth Prince looks very much like Concubine Mu, with a pair of clear eyes, a round face with a bit of baby fat, a slightly pointed chin, and a bright and gentle appearance. He is only fifteen years old today, and has been raised in the deep palace for several years. He is very thin and shy.
He was here to deliver a letter for the Imperial Concubine, but to avoid any gossip, he didn't use any paper. The messenger, the Fourth Prince's name was Li Rong. The young man said, "Foster Father, Mother said she's fine. She's been attending to her less lately and isn't having a hard time."
Let the child pass on the message, there is no sweet talk, just a simple account of the recent situation and saying that he is doing well.
Fifteen-year-old Li Rong tried hard to cheer himself up and relayed his mother's words in a light tone.
But the child felt sorry for his mother, and his eyes turned red for a moment, but he tried hard to suppress it and pretended nothing had happened.
In fact, Feng Kun knew all about Concubine Mu's affairs. A shrewd man like him could see through the Fourth Prince's pretense of indifference at a glance, but he pretended not to know, nodded, and said happily, "That's great."
Li Rong knew his mother's intentions and pretended that everything was peaceful. Feng Kun seemed to believe it and gave her the most silent comfort and consideration.
Li Rong was very happy. He had never been cared for since childhood and had to depend on Concubine Mu for everything. He had not enjoyed much of the honor that a prince should have. It was only because of Feng Kun that he began to have enough food and clothing. However, he also suffered a lot because of the affair between Feng Kun and Concubine Mu. But generally speaking, his father was aloof and indifferent, but Feng Kun was the only male of his father's generation who cared for and taught him. He had never rejected Feng Kun because of rumors and his eunuch status. He was very close to Feng Kun.
Li Rong said, "Foster father, I'm almost done reading the 'Enlarged Collection of Essays' that you brought me last time!"
Feng Kun smiled and said, "Those are all unique copies. However, the Changxian Sushu has also been found and is being sent back from Huainan. It will arrive in two days and I will send it to you in the palace."
Li Rong had to study early in the morning and did not dare to stay long. He sat for a while and then went back. Feng Kun personally saw him out.
The sky was gradually brightening, and the faint morning light fell on the steps and gate in front of the courtyard and the flower beds on both sides. Li Rong's eyebrows and figure were very similar to those of Concubine Mu in her youth. Feng Kun stood where he was, watching the back of the handsome and slender young man in light blue walk out of the threshold, jump on his horse, and disappear outside the gate.
After Li Rong left, Feng Kun stopped smiling. He raised his eyes and turned towards the imperial city. The imperial city, which had been sleeping all night, was now bathed in the morning light. He watched expressionlessly as the first ray of morning sun fell on the golden glazed tiles on the top of the highest Yuquan Palace, reflecting a dazzling golden light.
Huang Xin then resumed the previous topic, "Prime Minister, what about the Duke Zhongyong's residence?"
Feng Kun suddenly turned around and returned to the study. He quickly picked up a pen and wrote a short message, "I can help you get revenge!"
Feng Kun's calligraphy is just like him, with sharp strokes and powerful force that can be felt through the paper.
He said, "I'll give it to you as a token of my gratitude."
Of course the old emperor wanted to restrain Li Yi and Xie Ci, but these two people were not so easy to coerce and restrain.
Feng Kun said, "Withdraw all the people who are investigating the Xie family."
He threw the paper to Huang Xin, who quickly sealed it, opened the door and asked someone to send it out.
It is better to loosen than to block. Coercion is not the best solution. The best way to drive them is to give them what they want.
"However, our Majesty does not think so."
Feng Kun sneered, "He always thinks that the emperor has the final say in life and death, and that it's natural for him not to die. He would be disloyal!"
It's really disgusting and hateful to the extreme!
…
The weather in late autumn was sunny all day, followed by a sudden rain at night. The cool wind wet the window sill, and it suddenly felt cool.
All the important buildings in the Duke's Mansion had been thoroughly checked. Xie Ci leaned on the desk, with Feng Kun's short message spread out on the table in front of him. He stared at it for a long time, without making any comment, then picked it up and threw it into the small secret compartment.
This secret compartment was so small and hidden that it wasn't found even during the house search. Some of the little gadgets and letters he had put in it were still there.
Things that I thought were very secretive back then, like dice, now seem like useless gadgets. On the contrary, the letters I wrote to my childhood friends back then seem to have some meaning, even if they only contained trivial gossip and plans to cause trouble.
He flipped through the pages a few times and put the letters from Zhang Ningyuan on the top - Zhang Ningyuan was the childhood friend who had threatened to starve himself to death after escaping from prison and finally asked his uncle Zhang Shangshu to mediate for the Xie family members who were still in Tiekan Temple Prison. In the end, he ensured that the Xie family maintained their original exile sentence and secretly passed messages to him in code on the yellow notice paper.
After many years, everything has changed. He finally returned to the capital today, but it is a pity that it is not suitable to contact and meet Zhang Ningyuan.
Xie Ci breathed a sigh of relief, cleared out all the garbage, and put the letters from Zhang Ningyuan and Feng Kun back.
Gu Wan climbed up the stairs and called out to him, "Xie Ci, are you ready? Time to go!"
"alright!"
Xie Ci immediately closed the secret compartment, turned over, picked up the horsewhip, and walked out quickly.
Gu Guan was wearing a dark blue riding suit, his hair was tied up with a small silver crown like a man, and he wore small riding boots. He looked heroic and unrestrained.
As soon as Xie Ci went out, he immediately smiled at her.
Gu Wan tapped his forehead with a horsewhip: "Hurry up and stop making a mess."
Xie Ci said, “I didn’t.”
Gu Guan's "a lifetime" really gave him great sweetness and peace of mind. Gu Guan also said that now is the familiar yet unfamiliar period of transition from the old to the new, and it is the best time to find the feeling. If you miss it, you may never see it again in the future, so he asked him not to make trouble.
Xie Ci was actually very smart. He could probably understand the feeling that Gu Wan was talking about. He felt a little disappointed, but that was also expected. After all, if it weren't for this, the two of them wouldn't have been arguing for so long.
He was at peace, happy and sweet, but it would be a lie to say he was not in a hurry. He was looking forward to it, wishing he could fall in love with Gu Wan in an instant.
The two of them brought Xie Yun, Xie Ping and the others and quickly arrived at the stables. Qin Guan and the others were already there. They all jumped on their horses, jumped out of the large side door with the threshold removed, and galloped out of the city.
Qin Xian and others had selected a large number of personnel, including civil servants, military generals, and other staff from inside and outside the General's Mansion, as well as those from Xie Jiawei. As soon as they received the news of the imperial edict, they set out from the north, crossed the Yellow River at a rapid march, and rushed to Zhongdu. They have already arrived.
The so-called Kaifu Yitong Sansi, but Xie Ci is now granted the title of General of the Cavalry, and does not need Yitong. It is one of the three departments that has the right to establish a government and appoint subordinates.
Chen Yan even came in person.
The reason Xie Ci went out of the city to greet him personally was precisely because of Chen Yan.
Qin Xian, Chen Yan, Su Zhen, Kou Wenshao, and others all had connections within the court. In fact, they were considered members of the Xie family back then. After all, Chen Yan and his companions were Xie Xinzhong's trusted aides and trusted advisors. Although Xie Xinzhong never formed a clique for personal gain, he naturally had close followers due to relationships with his mentors, gratitude, ideals, and his resume.
Moreover, Chen Yan, Kou Wenshao, Su Zhen and the former Zhao Heng are all more capable than the hot-tempered Qin Xian. They have always attached great importance to maintaining relationships in the past.
Otherwise, they wanted to put their strength into the center. Although they were not strong enough, there must be a point for connection and exertion.
Now the entire Shuofang has become one. Qin Xian and others are busy helping Xie Ci. However, after some discussion, they finally decided to let Chen Yan go to prevent him from encountering some things from the past. Xie Ci would suffer if he didn't know the past.
Galloping along the official road, they could see billowing yellow dust in the distance, and the sound of horses' hooves as rapid as drumbeats in the autumn wind. Both sides halted their horses, and Chen Yan and others could see Xie Ci, who was becoming increasingly tall and majestic from a distance. His brows were firm and his emotions were restrained. He had an imposing aura honed on the battlefield, with a wasp waist and ape arms, and was extremely majestic. He was now exactly like his father and brother!
"Major General!"
"master!!"
Everyone shouted, dismounted, and knelt on one knee to greet them. Their shouts resounded throughout the field, their excitement and joy beyond words.
Xie Ci also dismounted and immediately helped Chen Yan up. Chen Yan had drunk less poisonous wine and gradually recovered. He was able to mount the horse, but he still needed two personal guards to protect him on both sides and half-support him, as his legs and feet were not very flexible.
Xie Ci quickly helped him up.
Then there were Su Wei, Liang Wenhuan, Qin Xian, Chen Yan and others who specially assigned their trusted aides, including Fang Xinlin Yin and others, as well as Xie Hai and other people of Xie Jiawei.
Behind them were carefully selected personal guards, not many, only a few hundred, but elite soldiers who had fought their way through the battlefields, riding black-armored warhorses, and looking imposing.
In the old days, the Xie family had "wind, cloud, mountain and sea", and the previous generation's Xie Wen, Xie Wu and Xie Shan were the leaders. Xie Wen, Xie Wu and Xie Shan had already followed Xie Xinzhong and his son, and the only ones left were Xie Yun, Xie Feng and Xie Hai.
Xie Hai had been packing up the remaining properties and things from his fiefdom and old village outside, and now he has come too.
Everyone was very excited to reunite this time. After paying their respects to Xie Ci, Qin Guan and others behind Xie Ci also came forward and everyone hugged each other excitedly.
Chen Yan looked up at Zhongdu and breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhongdu, he is back!
This time it's either you die or I die!
Xie Ci gently asked about Chen Yan's health, as well as Su Wei, Liang Wenhuan, Fang Xin, and others. Finally, he pulled up the crying Xie Hai and patted him on the shoulder, "Okay, let's go back!"
"yes!"
The shouts shook the sky. Everyone took a deep breath, tidied themselves up, and got on their horses. Su Wei and Qin Guan took their personal soldiers to report first and then entered the city in two batches.
Among those who returned this time was Chen Lang. He went back to pick up his father, but Chen Lang discovered that along the way, the master, the Major General, had stared at him several times.
At first he thought there was something wrong with his attire, so he quickly lowered his head to examine it and felt around, and lo and behold, there was nothing wrong.
When he returned to the Duke's Mansion, Chen Lang found that Xie Ci was staring at him again.
At this time, everyone went to wash up and wait for the family dinner. Xie Ci stood in the corridor. Chen Lang sneaked over and said, "Master, master, is there something wrong?"
Originally, he should have called him "Major General", but he shamelessly called him the same as Xie Yun and the others. But you know what, as he kept calling him that, Xie Ci treated him no less intimately than his elder brother.
Xie Ci hesitated for a moment. He had no experience. He originally wanted to ask his second sister-in-law, but Qin Ying was a little sad recently. Besides, Qin Ying had been accompanying Xu on behalf of Gu Wan recently, so it was not appropriate to ask his second sister-in-law.
So Xie Ci thought of Chen Lang.
Although Chen Lang is always thinking about Chen Yan's mansion and saving money, he is actually very popular in Yunzhou City. He has a pair of sparkling peach blossom eyes, is handsome and heroic, and is young and romantic. He is also Chen Yan's biological son, so he is willing to talk about love. After all, he was single before marriage. No matter whether he is working in brothels or those unrestrained ladies from wealthy families, there are many people who like him. He has developed many relationships. He is a man of good manners and never cheats.
So although the breakup is regrettable, he still has a very good reputation.
Xie Ci thought about it and felt that Chen Lang, who was so experienced, should be able to offer some good ideas. He hesitated and was about to speak when Chen Lang jumped onto the corridor, stretched his head out, and his sparkling peach eyes came into view first.
Thanks: "..."
Xie Ci had an expressionless face and pushed his face away. "It's okay. Go change your clothes quickly and join the banquet later."
Looking into Chen Lang's eyes, he suddenly lost all desire to speak. With a look of disgust as if he had eaten a fly, he pushed Chen Lang away and turned away.
Never mind, he should do it himself.
Xie Ci thinks that giving gifts is the easiest way for couples to express feelings, right?
In the past, my brothers often gave gifts to their sisters-in-law, no matter if it was a small flower picked on the way home or a carefully customized hairpin. The sisters-in-law were always surprised and happy, and smiled like flowers.
The most important thing about a gift is the heart. What can truly reflect his unique thoughts?
Xie Ci waved, turned around and left, quickly disappearing at the end of the corridor.
Chen Lang blinked: "???"
Why do you suddenly dislike me?
…
Xie Ci decided to make the welcoming banquet a family dinner because he said seriously that everyone present was like his family.
Many of Chen Yan and others shed tears on the spot and toasted each other with three glasses of wine.
On that day, the personal guards who had reported in entered the city and the palace. They were all loyal elite soldiers who had followed Xie Ci through the bloody battles in the Northwest War. There were also seventy or eighty returning foreign soldiers. He Yuan wrote a letter specifically to select the people. Their facial features were not that deep, and they looked very much like Han people, so they could not be distinguished from each other.
Xie Ci held dozens of banquets in his house to welcome them.
However, the atmosphere in the capital was as tense as the air pressure on the eve of a storm. After Li Yi and Xie Ci appeared like thunder and lightning, the atmosphere suddenly reached its peak.
The lively joy in this small world did not last long.
They arranged shifts, with each person on duty in their own courtyard, and conducted a thorough search of the entire mansion, discovering another tunnel.
After two days of busy preparations for the interior, the fourth day of September, the Wanshou Festival, arrived.
Xie Ci and Li Yi, as the characters who made a brilliant debut and were pushed to the top, will officially appear today.
Xie Ci put on his inner armor, spread his arms, and wore a purple silk gauze with a round collar and large floral patterns, the robe of a first-rank official. The hem had a crimson pattern of sea and river cliffs. He wore a gold and jade belt, a silver hairpin to tie his hair, and a black gauze and leather crown.
The formal attire for the farewell ceremony included both civil and military styles. He wore the military officer's uniform of the General of Cavalry.
Gu Guan was also dressed, wearing a strapless phoenix coronet and bridal robe, a royal blue long gown and bridal robe, a palm-wide waist belt, a vermilion knee-length apron, and a golden crown with a kingfisher bird inlaid with kingfisher feathers, which sparkled and shimmered.
Gu Wan specially put on some dark makeup. She was very beautiful and young, and she looked stunning in this dress. However, attracting attention was not her original intention. She quickly made her skin tone darker, as well as her eyebrows and eyes. In short, her only goal was to make herself less noticeable.
However, her waist is as slender and flexible as a willow. No matter how much she tries to fade her makeup, as long as it is not a high-end imitation makeup, she is still very pretty and pretty.
She stood gracefully under the corridor, even leaning casually against a pillar, she was still very beautiful.
As soon as Xie Ci heard that she was fine, he quickly put on his boots and rushed out.
In the sunlight, he first looked at Gu Wan's face, and then he couldn't help but move his eyes down to take a look at the large area of snow-white skin above her tube top dress.
Gu Guan was not nervous, but he was. He held his breath and clenched his fists. He glanced at her but didn't dare to look and quickly looked away.
"Where are you looking?"
Gu Wan hit him on the head.
The two of them got back together as before. Xie Ci was very happy, but at the same time he was also very worried that the best time to find his feelings had been missed. In short, he was extremely conflicted.
Xie Ci quickly said, “I didn’t see it!”
Gu Guan curled his lips and didn't bother to pay attention to him.
The two hurried out to board the carriage. They had actually hesitated for a moment as to whether Gu Wan should go with them or if it would be better for him to go in disguise. But after much thought, they concluded that the old emperor was certainly not someone who was unprepared. He must have known what Gu Wan looked like.
Finally, Gu Wan said, "That's it!"
It’s better not to make yourself look bad. You can’t let this shiver ruin you at the critical moment.
So, in the end, Xie Ci could only accept it.
The wheels rumbled as they headed towards the imperial city of Zhongdu. There were many convoys and horses on the road, and all kinds of gazes and looks were cast at them.
After leaving the gate, Xie Ci's expression became dull, his look indifferent and cold, his eyes like cold lightning and his mind introverted, no trace of his emotions could be seen.
About a quarter of an hour later, Li Yi's team also arrived. The two met on Suzaku Street, looked at each other, and headed towards the palace gate.
Finally they arrived at the palace gate and the two men dismounted. The guards stayed there, while the personal guards took off their weapons and could accompany them for a while.
This was the precedent set by Lin Guojiu and Feng Kun.
Gu Guan also got off the car, and so did Princess Yu Manzhen of Xiaoshan. She was also wearing a long gown with kingfisher feathers, but it was obvious that she was more nervous than Gu Guan.
After Yunbeicang broke the news last time, I don’t know what happened to Li Yi and her, but judging from the situation, it seems okay.
Gu Wan raised his eyebrows and smiled.
The person Yu Manzhen least wanted to see was Gu Wan, so she pursed her lips and turned her head away.
Xie Ci and Li Yi walked side by side in front of them. They looked straight ahead at the majestic imperial city. Li Yi's gaze was deep, "Let's go."
I won't go into detail about the process of the Wanshou Palace Banquet. We walked along the red carpet all the way inside, Xie Ci and Li Yi walked side by side, ignoring all gazes, all the way to the Taihe Hall and climbed the stairs.
The colorful tent extended from the front of the main hall all the way to the vicinity of the palace gate. There were banquet tables underneath, and looking around, there were probably more than a thousand tables.
At the head of the nine-tiered jade throne sat the two ministers, Feng Kun and Lin Guozhang, the leaders of their respective factions. Feng Kun, dressed in a scarlet robe embroidered with a kirin and a winged hat, had a pale complexion and rosy lips, a feminine and sharp demeanor. He reclined slightly on a newly upholstered emerald green armchair.
Lin Guozhang was a skinny little old man with white hair and beard. His face was small and slightly pointed. He looked like an ordinary old scholar, but his eyes were sharp. Behind him sat Lin Guojiu.
Gu Wan also saw Queen Lin, now Royal Concubine Lin, who was demoted to Royal Concubine in order to suppress Father-in-law Lin.
There was also Concubine Mu, a woman with gentle and kind features. She wore a green palace skirt and was very low-key. She rarely raised her head throughout the whole process.
There were also the third and fourth princes. The third prince smiled cheerfully and came down to greet his grandparents and uncles, and even toasted them with wine. He didn't seem to have any ulterior motives.
The fourth prince was a handsome and shy boy. He sat quietly in his seat and didn't even go to the toilet during the whole process, probably because he was afraid of causing trouble for Concubine Mu and Feng Kun.
Gu Guan had only seen him look up slightly at Concubine Mu, Feng Kun, and the old emperor.
The old emperor was carried up. The imperial carriage was replaced with a golden nanmu sedan chair, similar to a very low Luohan couch. The whole thing was connected with a bright yellow gauze curtain and placed behind the imperial desk.
After the roar of applause, the old emperor laughed heartily: "Here they are! Our Great Wei has gained two more pillars of state. Thank you, my dear minister Li! Stand up and let me show you the power of civil and military prowess!"
Lin Guozhang coughed from time to time and watched with a smile, as if this was a very happy thing.
Feng Kun held a glass of wine, curled his lips, and smiled.
Xie Ci and Li Yi were seated just below Feng Kunlin, the father-in-law of the state, on the topmost level of the jade steps of the entire Taihe Hall, where there were four long tables. They had officially stepped onto the bloody stage of power in Zhongdu. Following the old emperor's opening remarks and gesture, civil and military officials came forward one after another to toast, each with their own thoughts.
Xie Ci lowered his eyes, put the cup to his lips and drank it all in one gulp.
The three-year mourning period had arrived, and he had already finished mourning the day before yesterday, taking Chen Yan and others with him.
Today, there is no taboo in drinking.
Of course, his and Li Yi's hearts were not on the wine glass in their hands.
Finally, the banquet came to an end.
Xie Ci and Li Yi, who had gone to sober up, had just washed their faces when they were summoned by the old emperor.
A middle-aged eunuch in a silver-purple gauze robe quietly appeared and stood outside the palace door behind Xie Ci.
"Thank you, General. His Majesty has summoned you."
Xie Ci stepped out of the hall door, and Li Yi came out at the same time. The two looked at each other calmly.
He was led into the main hall of Yuquan Palace through the side door.
The huge palace was not brightly lit today. The old emperor was ill and could not drink much, so he only touched the rim of the wine cup three times.
His face was a little red, and his cloudy single eye moved slower than usual, with some bloodshot and a hint of scarlet.
More than half of the lights on the branch-shaped lanterns were extinguished, and the lights on both sides of the jade steps were not lit, leaving the hall half dark and half bright.
The old emperor looked down from above, his voice old and somewhat hoarse, and said with authority, "Prepare Xie Ci's wife, Gu, and Li Yi's wife and daughter, and send them to the palace within three days."
Finally, the old emperor lightly reminded Li Yi: "Li Yi's eldest daughter is in Anping Village in the northern suburbs of Gu County, right?"
Li Yi's face changed drastically in an instant!
He prepared two substitutes for his daughter, one in the palace, now the "Grand Princess", and one moved to a farm outside Beijing.
But his daughter actually lived in Anping Xiaozhuang, Gu County, Jingji.
——The old emperor noticed Li Yi earlier than Xie Ci. In the capital, under the old emperor's nose, if he wanted to pay attention to him, perhaps only Feng Kun and Lin the King's uncle could hide it from him.
Li Yi at that time couldn't do that.
Li Yi froze.
He and Xie Ci slowly leaned forward and said, "Thank you, Lord, for your grace."
…
He gritted his teeth and spoke each word with a bloody taste.
Even though he was mentally prepared, when things really happened as Feng Kun described, Xie Ci used all his self-control to control himself.
After returning to the mansion, he clenched his fists, drew his long sword with a "clang", and chopped the desk with one blow. With a "clang", the desk broke into two pieces and flew apart with a bang, then fell to the ground with a bang.
Xie Ci's face was extremely gloomy and tense.
Instead, Gu Wan comforted him: "Don't worry, you'll be out after a walk." She shrugged, "Even if Feng Kun doesn't help, I can still come back. It's not necessary to go back right away. Be quiet for a year or two, and then take action in three to five months. I guarantee you will be able to get out smoothly."
Since there is a tunnel, she doesn't believe that she can't figure it out. She used to do this, and there is more than one way.
Gu Guan was actually quite relaxed. Compared to her previous refusal, she really didn't think this was a big deal.
With Feng Kun's advance warning, she was well prepared and accepted it very well.
But Xie Ci couldn't do it.
The night was as dark as water. He tried to force a smile in response, but failed after trying twice.
Xie Ci pursed his lips tightly.
The author has something to say:
With such an immature Xie Ci, of course I have to flirt with her properly. Haha, don’t worry, Wanwan will be able to enter the new mode soon.
Today is a super fat chapter! Yeah~ See you tomorrow, babies! Love you~ (づ￣3￣)づ
Finally, I also want to thank "Fuer Maoguangli" for throwing the mine! Pen refills~
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And to the big babies who are irrigating Wenwen with nutrient solution, chirp chirp!
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