Chapter 75 You're spying on me? If you want to find him, you should come find me instead. ...
Jihengfu (Imperial Household Department)
Unable to resist his "enthusiastic" invitation, Yu Nie gritted her teeth and agreed.
When the group entered, she walked in front, while Xiao Chengyan deliberately slowed down to walk alongside Huan Xun.
Xiao Chengyan put his arm around his shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Brother Huan has always disliked outsiders bothering you. When you returned to Jian'an before, so many people wanted to visit you, but you turned them all down on the grounds of illness. Why are you taking the initiative to invite Qiqi in today?"
He deliberately lowered his voice, but the end of his tone carried a hint of disbelief and solemnity, as if confirming something very important: "Brother Huan, could it be that you've fallen for Miss Qiqi because of her beauty and charming personality?"
Xiao Chengyan's worried expression was exactly the same as Zhao Yuntuan's when he was worried that Xiao Chengyan would have inappropriate thoughts. In fact, Xiao Chengyan's anxiety was even greater, as if he was afraid that he had guessed something terrible.
Huan Xun glanced at Yu Nie's back as he walked ahead of him and casually said, "I heard people from the Imperial Clan Court talking privately that a few days ago, Prince Guangning went to the temple overnight to check Princess Shunhe's imperial genealogy."
He turned his gaze, casually looking at the person beside him: "A fox sees a halo around the moon and knows rain is coming; a raccoon hears the wind and tells autumn is near. When a wolf has its eye on meat, it always feels that other wolves are eyeing it too...is that right?"
He was adept at observing people like an animal, and his words were straightforward, naked, and sharp.
Startled by the words that hit the nail on the head, Xiao Chengyan paused for a moment, but showed no intention of denying it.
He could naturally tell that Huan Xun had seen through his thoughts.
He immediately looked up at the other person and sighed, "Zijing really understands people's hearts. As expected of a veteran of many battles, his military strategy is exquisite, and his ability to read people's minds is also so amazing."
He glanced at the graceful figure turning the corner of the corridor, then moved closer to Huan Xun and lowered his voice even further.
"Since Brother Huan has already seen through my thoughts, I hope you will keep this secret for me." He said earnestly, his voice unconsciously tightening at the end, as if afraid that his secret might be revealed and disturb the people ahead.
Huan Xun remained silent. He had already clearly seen through Xiao Chengyan's intentions when they went to Hongzheng Pavilion that day.
Although he had only known Xiao Chengyan for a short time, Huan Xun knew that this man would never be so attentive to other women.
Moreover, the thoughts between people of the same sex are often the easiest to see without each other's notice; a single action is enough to reveal eight or nine parts of their thoughts.
Xiao Chengyan was someone who couldn't hide his emotions; his joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness were all written on his face, and his thoughts were crystal clear, so that one could see them without even looking closely.
Yu Nie was led by a woman to the reception hall. The woman appeared to be in her early thirties, petite in stature, with a gentle smile in her eyes and a soft tone in her voice, seeming to be a very easy person to get along with.
As Yu Nie walked through the corridors and courtyards, he discovered that although the Jiheng Mansion was magnificent, with four courtyards, everything in sight was luxurious, with carved railings, jade steps, and jade terraces and silver palaces.
The woman who led the way led them into a side hall.
Stepping inside, Yu Nie noticed the simple furniture in the hall. Apart from tables, chairs, and calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls, there were no other decorations. Beneath the open hinged windows, a pebble path led into the back garden, and in the distance, bamboo tips swayed in the breeze, casting lush green shadows.
Even with the bamboo grove, she saw very few living things. Apart from the clump of bamboo outside the window and two lonely pine and cypress trees in the second courtyard, there were no other plants or trees. The courtyard was empty, and the occasional gentle breeze passing through the corridor only added to the desolation.
As the host, Huan Xun invited them to take their seats.
The maids in the mansion brought out some fruits and tea, but he then dismissed them all.
Seeing no sign of Lu Jinshi, Yu Nie was curious but didn't pay much attention.
Xiao Chengyan picked up a yellow orange from the fruit plate, peeled it, and looked up at Yu Nie with a hint of reproach in his voice: "If Qiqi wants to give me something, she can just send someone to deliver it. Why make you come all the way here yourself?"
As he spoke, a hint of curiosity appeared in his eyes: "Speaking of which, what exactly is this prickly pear juice you mentioned? I've never seen it before." He leaned forward: "Could you show it to me now?"
Just as Yu Nie was about to refuse, a voice suddenly came from the side.
The man, unusually, continued the conversation: "This humble subject is also quite ignorant. I wonder if I could, with the princess's help, broaden my horizons today?"
This sudden support made Yu Nie swallow back the refusal that was on the tip of his tongue.
He could only say, "It's just a drink to cool off in the summer. Since Lord Huan and my cousin want to see it, I can only make a fool of myself."
After speaking for a moment, she instructed Song Ai to bring up the two bottles of prickly pear juice and place them on the table.
Xiao Chengyan picked up one of the jars, opened it, and brought it close to his nose to smell it. The fresh scent of prickly pear mixed with the sweet aroma of propolis wafted up to his nose.
Xiao Chengyan praised, "Qiqi has such skill; it smells even better than the osmanthus syrup from the Imperial Kitchen."
He turned to his attendant and said, "Quickly fetch a spoon; I want to taste the prickly pear juice that Qiqi made herself."
The attendant accepted the order and left. A moment later, he brought three gleaming white porcelain spoons and three small white porcelain bowls, which he placed in front of the three people.
Xiao Chengyan was the first to scoop up a spoonful and put it in his mouth. The sweet and slightly sour taste had just touched the tip of his tongue when he suddenly opened his eyes wide, as if he had tasted a rare delicacy. He exclaimed in admiration:
"How could there be such a refreshing taste in the world! The sweet and sour flavors are just right, and it makes your mouth water. Even the chefs in the imperial kitchen can't compare to Qiqi's skill."
His praise was sincere and heartfelt, revealing an undisguised earnestness that made Yu Nie's cheeks flush slightly. She couldn't help but lower her eyelashes, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Xiao Chengyan urged Huan Xun to try it quickly, but the latter didn't touch the spoon. He glanced at him and said, "His Highness Prince Guangning likes this prickly pear juice so much. If I touch the spoon, it would be as if I were to steal His Highness's favorite. I dare not be presumptuous."
Xiao Chengyan was completely absorbed in the joy of receiving the gift from her, and did not hear the unspoken meaning in his words: "Brother Huan, what are you saying! Qiqi made a lot, please feel free to try as much as you like, there's plenty for you."
Yu Nie didn't understand his meaning, nor could she fathom his thoughts.
In order to escape this "sea of suffering" and leave his home as soon as possible, he then pretended to persuade him, "Cousin is right, Lord Huan, please try it."
He looked at her with a calm smile, casually toying with the teacup in his hand, and replied, "Since the princess has spoken, then this subject... will respectfully comply."
Only someone as easygoing as Xiao Chengyan, coupled with the fact that most people around him weren't perceptive enough, could not see anything amiss.
If it were someone with a sensitive mind, someone who is good at understanding human relationships, they would definitely notice that beneath his seemingly respectful appearance lies a certain disregard for ordinary rules and a tendency to be disrespectful to superiors.
This was an expression she recognized very well. Yu Nie thought to herself, this person is definitely plotting against her again.
He said this while taking a small sip.
Xiao Chengyan was about to ask him how it tasted, since he knew him a bit; he was a picky eater.
Before he could finish speaking, someone outside came to report: "Your Highness Prince Guangning, Princess Linchuan is waiting for you outside."
Xiao Chengyan asked as if facing a formidable enemy, "Hua Ruo? How did she know I was here?"
The person who came to report shook his head.
He gestured to dismiss the guards who came to report, and turned around with a helpless smile on his face, explaining to the two of them: "That girl Hua Ruo insisted that I teach her archery. But Consort Gao has never liked her to do these kinds of martial arts, and has repeatedly told me not to teach her. I really had no choice, so I have been avoiding her all this time."
Now that they've chased him all the way here, he can't just keep pretending to be dead and not leave.
He could only say to Yu Nie and Huan Xun, "I'll be right back. You two sit and wait for me."
Having said that, he immediately got up and left.
Suddenly, only the two of them remained in the side hall, and the surrounding air seemed to quiet down.
Yu Nie stared at the leaf stems floating on the tea, when she suddenly noticed a gaze falling on her profile.
She turned to look, but Huan Xun did not look away.
“There are no outsiders here now.” He stroked the rim of the teacup, his gaze sweeping over her tense fingers. “Princess… you can tell the truth now.”
His meaning was clear; he obviously didn't believe that her return gift was as simple as she described.
She feigned ignorance: "What truth?"
He chuckled, not giving her a chance to play games, and glared at her sharply.
He asked in a direct and unambiguous tone, "You want Xiao Chengyan to act as an intermediary between you and the Jie people?"
Yu Nie's heart skipped a beat, and when she looked up, her eyes were filled with vigilance: "You're spying on me?"
"You're not worthy of my effort." His words were utterly disrespectful to her.
Upon hearing this, Yu Nie breathed a sigh of relief, a glimmer of hope appearing in his eyes. He tentatively asked, "In that case, Lord Huan is willing to let me go?"
She tries to run away whenever she gets a chance.
He saw through her thoughts and scoffed, "I advise you to give up these dangerous ideas as soon as possible."
Immediately, he changed the subject and explained why he had guessed the answer: "You don't have many people you can rely on, and it's inconvenient for you to negotiate directly with the Jie people. Apart from finding a breakthrough among your acquaintances, you have no other way to go."
"Gu Xiangzhi, Xiao Chengyan, and those people in your household, who else besides the kind-hearted Prince Guangning can truly get along with the Jie people and make you feel at ease?" He had thoroughly understood the people around him.
After a brief pause, he turned to look at her: "But Xiao Chengyan is not capable of fulfilling the task you entrusted to him." He then exclaimed in a startling tone: "If you want to find him, you might as well come to me."
"Looking for you?" Yu Nie raised her eyebrows in surprise, thinking she had misheard. "You'd be so kind as to help me?"
He wasn't really that kind-hearted. But a voice inside him told him that it would be better for him to take over this matter rather than handing it over to Xiao Chengyan.
In addition, he saw the military report yesterday, and now the Northern Army and Xuan Ce Army's deployment in the northern frontier is nearing completion, so he can't delay any longer.
The situation on the battlefield is constantly changing, and he needs to resolve the Jian'an matter as soon as possible.
“I’m not trying to help you,” he said. “It’s just that the sooner this is resolved, the better. You’re still very useful to me, and I don’t want to waste my time on this kind of thing.”
Yu Nie knew perfectly well what was going on. He only made a move because he felt he still had some use to him, something she had known since that very night.
For some reason, even though she already knew the truth, thinking about it still made her heart feel a strange, indescribable bitterness, like being pricked by a fine needle—a slight pain that was hard to put into words.
But then she thought about it again and couldn't help but feel a little relieved.
At least, she's still useful.
This little bit of "usefulness" is her most real reliance right now.
She lowered her eyes to hide the complex emotions within them.
After a moment of silence, she looked up at him and asked, "Lord Huan, are you really willing to help me?"
Huan Xun poured himself a cup of tea: "Tell me your plan."
Anyway, since she was useful to him, even if he regretted the plan after hearing it, he wouldn't betray her.
She pondered for a moment, then told him her entire plan.
After listening, Huan Xun tapped his fingers lightly on the table a few times and remained silent for a long time.
Seeing that he hadn't responded for a long time, Yu Nie grew increasingly anxious and couldn't help but ask, "How is it? Have you been able to contact the Jie envoy?"
He didn't answer her directly, but said, "Have someone bring me a few bottles of this by the end of Shen Shi (3-5 PM), and I will send you a message by the beginning of Yin Shi (3-5 AM) at the latest tonight."
"How are you going to deliver it so late?"
She didn't get an answer, but following his gaze, she noticed the little falcon on the eaves.
As the falcon looked increasingly familiar, she suddenly opened her mouth wide and stammered, "This...this falcon, it's yours?"
Before anyone around her could utter a word, Xiao Chengyan had already entered from outside.
He rushed into the hall, picked up the iced tea on the table, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.
"Is the matter resolved?" Huan Xun asked casually.
“It’s resolved. Hua Ruo has already returned to the palace. That girl is definitely angry with me again, but it doesn’t matter…” His face showed no worry at all, but rather a confident smile: “I’ll send her some of her favorite things later, and she’ll forget about it as soon as she turns around.”
Xiao Chengyan's confident demeanor clearly showed that he had a thorough understanding of the little princess's temperament, and his words were full of indulgent pampering.
After saying that, his eyes lit up with joy:
"It's almost noon, Qiqi probably hasn't been to Chongyue Tower yet, has she? Huan and I often go there. Their squirrel-shaped mandarin fish is absolutely amazing—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, sweet but not greasy. Qiqi, would you like to try some?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Nie felt a faint rumbling in his stomach.
To be honest, she was quite hungry at the moment.
Even the most important things need to be addressed first, so she didn't refuse Xiao Chengyan's offer and nodded in agreement.
Huan Xun, however, did not go along, citing "unfinished worldly affairs."
On the way to Chongyue Tower, Xiao Chengyan enthusiastically told her about the tower's specialties, which dishes could only be eaten at that time, which desserts were new and exciting, and even described the chef's specialties in a vivid and detailed way.
Listening to his endless chatter, Yu Nie vaguely thought of Saibei Tower, far away in Huaiyuan. She had planned to go back from Longdao and treat Langxi, Ahui, Aunt Liu and the others to a good meal.
Now that I have the money, I still can't go back.
And then there's the matter of gunpowder. Without the best saltpeter, when will she ever be able to successfully refine it? She can't just wait for the chaos to truly arrive and still not even have a glimpse of gunpowder; wouldn't that be like sitting and waiting to die?
Her thoughts were in turmoil when she thought of her uncle Cui Miaochang, who was far away in Lingnan. Judging by the days, her uncle should be returning to the temple soon.
I wonder... I wonder how my martial uncle will react when he finds out she's gone?
A hint of melancholy flashed across Yu Nie's eyes. Judging from his uncle's temperament, he would probably first be so angry that he would want to beat her with a ruler, then punish her by making her copy scriptures a hundred times, and finally deduct all of her monthly allowance so that she would never dare to run around like this again.
As she was lost in thought, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the car window, accompanied by sounds of pushing and shoving.
Upon hearing the sound, Yu Nie looked up, subconsciously reached out and lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, peering out.
Xiao Chengyan also leaned out to look and saw a simply dressed man supporting an old woman outside a vermilion gate. A five or six-year-old child was being led by the hand. The three of them were being pushed and driven away by several servants dressed in silk. The old woman staggered and the child shrank behind the man in fright.
Several people knelt on the ground, begging the other party for something.
Yu Nie frowned slightly and called out, "Song Juling, go and ask what happened over there."
Song Ai stepped forward and bowed, accepting the order: "Yes, Princess."
After saying that, Song Ai walked towards the vermilion gate. Seeing this, Xiao Chengyan gave a wink to his attendant, signaling him to follow and take care of her.
Xiao Chengyan raised his eyes, saw the plaque above the gate, and said, "Isn't this the residence of the Li Huang family?"
"Li Huangmen?" Yu Nie asked in surprise.
Xiao Chengyan nodded: "Yes, it's normal that Qiqi doesn't know about the residence of Li Xing, the Yellow Gate Attendant of the Secretariat, since she just returned."
Yu Nie said, "Li Xing, that's a good name."
As they were talking, Song Ai returned from the other side and walked to Yu Nie's car, quietly recounting the things she had asked.
Upon learning that it was the young master of the Li family who had forcibly taken the old woman's daughter, and that the old woman had now come with her son-in-law and grandson to demand her release, the group not only refused to release her but also ordered their servants to beat them up.
"This is outrageous!" Yu Nie was furious and lifted her skirt to get out of the car.
Xiao Chengyan quickly reached out to stop her: "Qiqi, wait in the car first, I'll go check the situation."
Yu Nie shook his head, his tone resolute and leaving no room for argument: "Cousin, I'll go with you."
Seeing her stubborn attitude, Xiao Chengyan knew he couldn't persuade her otherwise, so he could only go with her.
Xiao Chengyan got out of the car first and waited by the car.
As Yu Nie was lifting the side of her skirt, preparing to step down onto the footstool, a shrill scream suddenly rang in her ears.
She looked in the direction of the sound, and her pupils dilated in shock.
Just then, a man who looked like a manager walked out of the vermilion gate, holding a bloodstained dagger in his hand. The old woman who had been crying and pleading just moments before now clutched her neck and collapsed limply, blood gushing from between her fingers and staining the floor tiles in front of the gate red.
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