Chapter 89 Jealousy and rivalry
Early the next morning, Lin Xue'an received a summons and came to reply.
Perhaps they figured out Li Yuanzhao's preferences.
Today he wore a light green round-necked robe made of fine brocade, which made him look slender yet not frail.
That face was as beautiful as ever, with no sharpness in its eyebrows or the corners of its eyes, always carrying just the right amount of gentleness and obedience.
After casually finishing reading the memorial in his hand, Li Yuanzhao finally looked up at him.
Currently, she is actually quite satisfied with Lin Xuean.
When he first came to her for help, she simply gave him a sinecure of the eighth rank, not expecting him to amount to anything.
But he simply stayed at his post and did it flawlessly.
Besides, he never interfered in court disputes, nor did he ever actively seek higher positions from her.
Instead, he focused most of his attention on her.
Knowing that she didn't like overly sweet desserts, he made refreshing tea snacks every day and personally delivered them to her.
Seeing that she was bored with handling official business, he served her tea and played the zither to cheer her up.
What's even more remarkable is that he's quite skillful in bed, never being overly reckless and annoying, yet always able to sense her feelings at the right time, maintaining perfect boundaries and never crossing the line.
She liked this kind of man who didn't compete or fight, only knew how to do his job well, and knew how to please her.
Li Yuanzhao asked directly, "Have any officials or strangers recently visited the post station to see the group of Tibetan envoys?"
Yesterday, Trizan's words in the palace were clearly directed at her.
The phrase "the eldest princess's fame is far-reaching" seems like a compliment, but in reality, it places her in a position where her achievements overshadow the emperor's, deliberately arousing the emperor's suspicion.
Such precise and insightful words that struck at the emperor's defenses could mean either that the Tibetans themselves were trying to frame her, or that someone in the Great Qi court was secretly colluding with the Tibetans and wanted to use outsiders to deal with her.
However, she is now just a princess who participates in the court affairs. On the surface, she has a bad relationship with the Shen family and is not involved in border defense matters, so she poses no threat to Tibet.
The Tibetan prince's unprovoked targeting of her made her suspicious that someone in the court might have secretly contacted Trizin, intending to use this foreign prince to set this dangerous trap for her.
Lin Xuean bowed and replied, "Your Highness, I have been following the delegation closely these past two days. Apart from the Honglu Temple sending officials to receive them and provide them with food and supplies as usual, I have not seen them have any contact with any outsiders."
He paused, then added, "I even had the servants at the post station checked; they were all ordinary palace workers doing chores and cleaning, nothing unusual."
"Besides that, what does the Tibetan prince do at the post station on a daily basis?"
Lin Xuean thought for a moment and slowly said, "He doesn't seem to have anything special about him. Every day, besides discussing matters with the accompanying ministers, he practices martial arts in the courtyard."
"But that Tibetan prince seems to be interested in the military strategy of our Great Qi. Yesterday, I happened to see him reading 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu."
"Military strategy?" Li Yuanzhao raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Yes.” Lin Xue’an hesitated for a moment, then added, “Moreover… he seems to care about you a lot. The other day, I heard from a post station official who understands Tibetan that a Tibetan envoy had secretly inquired about you.”
Upon hearing this, Li Yuanzhao's gaze darkened slightly. "What are you asking about?"
"It seems to be about the assassin in the hunting grounds, and then they asked about the recent women's enke."
Li Yuanzhao tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, his thoughts racing.
Regarding the assassination attempt at the hunting grounds, Tibet had already publicly declared that it was "a matter of the subordinates acting on their own." Even if they discovered that the assassination target had changed, would they still dare to openly discuss the assassination plan in front of the emperor?
Besides, would anyone believe them if they told the truth?
But when she inquired about the women's enke, she was somewhat puzzled.
Li Yuanzhao had a gut feeling that the Tibetan prince was definitely not simple.
"Go down and keep an eye on things. Report any unusual activity immediately."
Lin Xue'an obediently withdrew, and just as she stepped out of the hall, she bumped into Chen Yanqing rushing over.
This guard Chen is always punctual, why is he late today?
Lin Xue'an was puzzled, but showed no sign of it on her face, and still nodded politely, "Guard Chen."
Chen Yanqing paused, a hint of smugness flashing in his eyes when he saw him, and then returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Lord Lin."
Just as the two were passing each other, Chen Yanqing suddenly turned to him and called out, "If Lord Lin is busy lately, there's no need to send those teas and snacks every day. I imagine His Highness must be tired of eating them every day."
He assumed that Lin Xuean was still coming to deliver tea and snacks today.
Lin Xue'an instantly sensed the provocation in his words, but simply retorted, "How would Guard Chen know whether Your Highness is tired of it?"
Chen Yanqing raised his chin slightly, his tone filled with undisguised pride, "I am Her Highness's bedmate, so I naturally know her preferences."
Once the words "the person beside you in bed" were uttered, how could Lin Xue'an not understand?
It seems that Chen Yanqing has finally managed to get into His Highness's bed.
This whole thing is just an attempt to force him to back down.
He clenched his fists slightly inside his sleeve, but his expression remained gentle and polite. "In that case, I will bring some new tea and snacks next time. Thank you for the reminder, Guard Chen."
These words were a mix of soft and hard, not taking his hint that he shouldn't come again, but instead responding with "change the style".
It's obvious they refuse to back down and want to compete with him for favor.
Chen Yanqing's smug expression froze for a moment, then turned somber.
He originally thought that by revealing his identity as her "bedmate," Lin Xue'an would tactfully back off.
After all, new faces always surpass the old, so who would want to steal the spotlight from the newcomers?
"Lord Lin is indeed persistent." Chen Yanqing's tone turned colder. "But His Highness's heart cannot be won over by simply sending some tea and snacks."
Lin Xuean looked up at him, the gentleness in her eyes had faded a little, but she was still not angry.
“What Guard Chen says is true. But I would never dare to presume to know His Highness’s intentions. I only need to do my duty and make His Highness happy.”
These words immediately revealed the difference in their strength compared to Chen Yanqing's jealousy and rivalry.
"I'll take my leave now." After saying that, Lin Xue'an left without waiting for Chen Yanqing's reaction.
Chen Yanqing was speechless with anger, and his fingertips trembled as he watched Lin Xuean turn and leave.
Although the conversation was conducted in very low voices, Li Yuanzhao inside the room could still hear it clearly.
But she just sat there quietly, watching with amusement as they fought over her.
She naturally wouldn't interfere; what high-ranking person would care about the intricacies of the "harem"?
It's not going to cause any major trouble anyway, so it's just something to pass the time. It's much more interesting than reading those tedious memorials.
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