When the imperial edict and the imperial decree were delivered to the foreign residence next to Chunfeng Tower, the place was already deserted.
Standing in front of the tightly closed gate, Grandpa Shen glanced at the guests who had come to visit on either side, then strode forward and knocked hard on the gate.
No one responded.
Xiao Shen cleared his throat and shouted loudly into the courtyard, "Lord Tang, are you home?"
Still no one responded.
A man standing nearby glanced at Eunuch Shen and said, "I heard that Lord Tang passed away recently with his family."
"Left? Went for a stroll around the capital?"
The man shook his head. "No, they said that Lord Tang has packed a lot of luggage, as if he is about to leave. Many people have said so, so I came to check. A whole hour has passed, and no one has come or gone from the mansion. It may be true."
Grandpa Shen sighed helplessly; he knew this might be true.
When he came to receive the imperial decree, he also heard that Lord Tang would be returning to Qihuai County soon and would not come to the capital until the spring of next year.
He had originally planned to say goodbye properly, since he had received quite a bit of benefit from Lord Tang during this time, but who knew that the lord would leave in such a hurry and disappear in the blink of an eye.
Left with no other choice, Eunuch Shen had to re-enter the palace with the imperial edict and the iron certificate.
He needed to consult His Majesty whether this item should be retrieved from Qihuai County and delivered to Lord Tang, or sent again after the spring.
Meanwhile, on the carriage returning to Qihuai County, Tang Huan sat with Qin Yuyang and Xue'e on either side, while opposite him was Gongyang Tingbai, whose expression was indifferent.
Tang Huan held Qin Yuyang's hand, but her gaze remained fixed on the woman opposite her.
Is it pretty?
Gongyang Tingbai asked.
Tang Huan nodded. "You look good, but I still prefer how you looked when you first arrived in the capital. Now you have such a cold face, it's not as interesting."
Gongyang Tingbai raised an eyebrow. "What, you prefer women who are wilder and more unrestrained?"
"No, no, no, I don't just like this kind of woman, I like all beautiful women."
Gongyang snorted coldly at Bai, dismissing the suggestion with disdain.
Tang Huan laughed and said, "You might not believe it, but when I went to the palace to see His Majesty today, she was planning to bestow a marriage upon me. However, I refused the granddaughter of the Prince of Taiping that she introduced to me. After all, the granddaughter of the Prince of Taiping would have to call her aunt. If I agreed, wouldn't I also have to call her aunt?"
"Didn't you say you like all beautiful women? Does that mean you have no feelings for that Empress of Daqing? She's naturally beautiful and stunningly gorgeous," Gongyang Tingbai teased.
"That's true, I'll play the role of Guo'er for once..."
"What?" Gongyang Tingbai frowned in confusion, not understanding Tang Huan's words.
Tang Huan immediately laughed and said, "That's His Majesty. I'm afraid I'm not fortunate enough to have such a wife. If I had one, I wouldn't be able to find any other women. It would be too much of a loss."
Gongyang Tingbai scrutinized Qin Yuyang and Xue'e. His focused gaze made Xue'e slightly embarrassed, and she lowered her head. Qin Yuyang, however, remained unmoved and even met her gaze for a few moments.
"You refused the Empress's arranged marriage, yet you flirted and fawned over your two maids? Although your two maids each have their own charm, they can't compare to the imperial relatives, can they?"
Tang Huan sat up straight and reached out to pat Qin Yuyang's hand.
“This is no ordinary maidservant. A princess of a fallen kingdom serving me is a blessing that can only be earned in several lifetimes. It’s rare.”
"A princess of a fallen kingdom?"
Gongyang Tingbai looked at Qin Yuyang more intently, trying to discern something from his face.
The suspicious look displeased Qin Yuyang. She said in a deep voice, "A few years ago, the Northern Region formed an alliance with us."
"You are Qin Yuyang!"
Gongyang Tingbai's voice became serious, directly revealing Qin Yuyang's identity.
Seeing that no one objected, Gongyang Tingbai suddenly laughed and said, "No wonder this guy kept calling you 'Little Qin' the whole way. It's unbelievable that you're still alive."
"I was just lucky to survive." Qin Yuyang's attitude didn't change just because the other party recognized him.
The alliance between the two countries did exist at the time, but the two princesses had no interaction whatsoever, and this was even the first time they had met.
"Aren't you afraid of being accused of treason and rebellion if you keep a princess of a fallen kingdom by your side?"
"To die beneath the peony is to die a romantic death. If this can win the heart of this princess of a fallen kingdom, then I am naturally willing." Tang Huan smiled. "In the past, perhaps someone could use this as a reason to cause me trouble, but after this, such a small crime can no longer harm me."
Gongyang fell silent upon hearing Bai's words.
This was all thanks to the gifts sent by the Northern Region; such a generous gift was enough for Tang Huan to deflect the opinions of many enemies.
"If someone really does this, I'll use the conflict in the Northern Regions as a reason to get the Empress to agree to let me retire in Qihuai County. Anyway, I promised Xiao Qin that I would settle their people in Qihuai County."
Gongyang Tingbai retorted, "Do you think Wu Lanxi will let you return to Qihuai County? The remnants of the Great Qin are all here. Won't she worry that you will lead these people to rise up in rebellion? At that time, it will be legitimate, and Qihuai County will be the new Great Qin. She will not allow such a thing to happen."
Tang Huan sighed softly, "Yes, if she did that, she would be a fool. I have no reason to serve such a fool. At worst, I could just seize the throne and sit on it myself."
After saying that, Tang Huan closed her eyes and gave up on continuing.
Gongyang listened intently, his mind filled with suspicion.
She couldn't quite tell whether the other person's words were a joke or a heartfelt expression of emotion.
He clearly doesn't care about power, so why did he refuse the invitation to be the Prime Minister of the Northern Region? Was the position too unattractive to him?
It's not that they lack ambition, but rather that their ambition is too great?
Gongyang also fell silent upon hearing Bai's words.
The carriage bounced and swayed as it headed towards Qihuai County.
After traveling for most of the day, the carriage slowed down as night fell.
Li Daikui's cursing voice came from outside the carriage: "The city tax revenue is going to me and you, sir. I think we should gouge out your eyes and wash them so you can open your eyes."
Amidst Li Daikui's shouts and curses, the carriage was ushered into the city.
The news of Tang Huan's return caused a huge stir in Qihuai County late at night.
At the same time, Tang Huan also learned some bad news from his subordinates in the government office.
During the time they were away from Qihuai County, some people in Yingzhou joined forces to cut off Qihuai County's trade routes to the outside world. This happened in the last few days.
"They've got some nerve! How dare they bully Qihuai County like this? What kind of work is Xie Wu doing?"
Tang Huan cursed loudly inside the government office, showing no regard for his image.
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