Chapter 123 King Qing
As Xu Rong had said before, there was nothing in Pingliang that could be hidden from Prince Qing, and neither could Prefect Zheng.
With chaos imminent, it's impossible for Prince Qing not to have people keeping an eye on Prefect Zheng. Whether he has escaped or is hiding in some corner of Pingliang, Prince Qing's mansion must have a grasp of his whereabouts.
Even a more extreme speculation—that he might have hidden in Prince Qing's mansion—is not entirely impossible.
Thinking of this, Xu Rong's heart stirred, and he wanted to test her again. However, at this moment, Princess Shu'an's expression had returned to normal, but her eyes were cold and displeased: "You're new here, yet you dare to speak so arrogantly. What does that Zheng fellow's abandonment of his official post have to do with my father? It's none of your business to question him!"
She didn't mention Prince Qing at all. Xu Rong knew what was going on, so she didn't refute it, but only said, "Princess, please forgive me. I was anxious when I saw those people outside before I entered the manor, and I misspoke."
"What's the use of your anxiety?" Princess Shu'an said bluntly. "Do you think that finding Prefect Zheng will give you enough food to fill their stomachs? This place is far from the emperor's reach, and these corrupt officials are incredibly audacious. They've already emptied the granaries by deceiving their superiors and subordinates. Otherwise, Zhou Xuan would only be wandering around the city and its outskirts, stalling for time!"
Xu Rong naturally knew that if Prefect Zheng could produce grain, he wouldn't need to run away. However, even if he couldn't, Prefect Zheng still held an irreplaceable and important position.
"Xu, have I been too polite to you?" Princess Shu'an's icy voice interrupted her thoughts. "When I asked you a question, you pretended to be stupid and stalled for time. Are you deliberately trying to oppose me and cover for that slut?"
"I wouldn't dare." Xu Rong came back to her senses, smiled and sighed, "I am no longer a member of the Xiao family, why would I do such a thing? Concubine Ruan and her daughter are just two weak women in the deep mansion, controlled by the head of the household and the mistress of the house their whole lives, and have never left the inner gate. How can they compare to someone like the princess who knows the suffering of the people, hates officials who harm the people, and is of noble status and character?"
Princess Shu'an had received no shortage of flattery in her life, but she had rarely encountered such natural and effortless flattery as Xu Rong, and she was momentarily stunned: "..."
Then he sneered, "I think you've been fooled by that slut. What kind of weak woman would dare to commit adultery in her boudoir and give birth to an illegitimate child?!"
...
The old woman beside her opened her mouth slightly, then slowly closed it again as if giving up. Her heavily wrinkled eyelids drooped down, and she looked as if she were half asleep.
Princess Shu'an's words had torn away the last veil that was about to fall, leaving Xu Rong with no choice but to remain silent. However, the most crucial certification could not be uttered by her at this point.
According to Lord Xiao, the eldest daughter was someone he secretly took in at the request of an old friend.
She revealed a bit of information, though she phrased it lightly, it was nonetheless true.
Princess Shu'an listened intently, and immediately sneered: "An old friend, what a fine old friend!"
“Princess.” The nanny was forced to look up again and reminded her.
Princess Shu'an may be able to kidnap people at will, but criticizing her father is something she cannot bear, given her status.
Princess Shu'an sneered repeatedly.
The old woman had no choice but to say, "Princess, time is running out. Please ask whatever you wish to ask as soon as possible."
They didn't bring the person into the mansion.
Princess Shu'an was taken aback, her expression shifting before she finally managed to calm down a little and said to Xu Rong, "You—"
"Your Highness, the Prince has sent me to escort the guests to the Tranquil Hall."
Xu Rong looked out in the direction of the sound and saw a man in blue standing bowing outside the threshold with his hands hanging naturally at his sides. He was able to enter Princess Shu'an's territory without being stopped by the servants outside, which showed that he had an unusual status with Prince Qing.
Princess Shu'an's reaction confirmed her guess. Although her face darkened again, she did not argue, but glared at Xu Rong with resentment.
Xu Rong: "..."
To be honest, she was a little reluctant to leave. No matter how arrogant Princess Shu'an was, she was much easier to deal with than Prince Qing. The more information she could gather here, the better it would be for the situation to unfold.
But she could only stand up and smile in response to Princess Shu'an's glare: "Please sit down, Princess. I will come to pay my respects to you another day."
**
On her way to Jingxin Hall, Xu Rong couldn't help but imagine several scenarios for meeting Prince Qing, but she never thought of this one—
Are you alright?
Lin Xin hurriedly came out to greet her, his eyes scanning her up and down nervously.
Xu Rong was surprised but pleased to let him hold her hand. Although they hadn't been apart for long, this moment felt like a reunion, and a tender feeling welled up in her heart: "It's nothing. Why did you come?"
Lin Xin wasn't gentle; he glared at her slightly and said, "That's exactly what I was going to ask you."
She dared to come to such a dangerous place!
"I told you to leave before, why didn't you leave quickly?" he accused again.
Xu Rong smiled and said, "I was worried about you."
"..."
Lin Xin's remaining words were cut off, and he could no longer maintain his cold and ruthless aura, looking at her speechlessly and helplessly.
Their eyes met, until the man in blue couldn't help but cough lightly: "Lord Lin, the Prince is still waiting inside."
Xu Rong gave a perfunctory "Oh," and as she walked inside with Lin Xin, she whispered, "Did you come here to see me?"
"I inquired about the inn where you were staying, and the innkeeper told me that you were captured by the Prince of Qing's mansion," Lin Xin replied in a low voice.
After escaping the crowd in front of the prefectural government office, he immediately went to inquire about Xu Rong's whereabouts based on clues from outsiders. However, he arrived too late and hurriedly went to Prince Qing's mansion.
After saying these two sentences, the two entered the hall. Inside, there was a middle-aged man dressed in a linen Taoist robe, standing with his hands behind his back, gazing at a plaque hanging on the wall.
The plaque bears two large characters: Tranquility.
The strokes are slender and the characters are unrestrained. At first glance, they seem to have a leisurely and otherworldly air. But upon closer inspection, the strokes are shaped like arrowheads, shooting straight into one's eyes, bringing a sense of coolness even in the hot summer.
Xu Rong didn't have time to look again and exchanged greetings with Lin Xin.
Hearing the noise, the middle-aged man slowly turned around.
He appeared to be in his forties, with a broad forehead, sharp eyes, and a slender build. His imposing presence clearly indicated that he had long held a high position.
Xu Rong had long admired this prince. If he had come to see him before, he would have been somewhat nervous and apprehensive. But now that he had someone by his side, he felt much more relaxed and took the opportunity to look around the room.
It can only be said that it lived up to Prince Qing's reputation for being extravagant and fond of spending money, with all its furnishings surpassing those of Princess Shu'an's residence.
Lin Xin was not as calm as her. He was not a local official and did not need to pay homage to Prince Qing upon taking office. This was also the first time he had met Prince Qing. If he were alone, he would naturally take the opportunity to find out some of Prince Qing's strengths and weaknesses because of the imperial order. However, he came to find Xu Rong and only wanted to send her out as soon as possible. Even if he missed this opportunity, he could not let her be trapped here.
He then cupped his hands and said in a deep voice, "I have come here presumptuously and have disturbed Your Highness. Now that I have found my wife, I will take my leave with her. Please forgive my rudeness, Your Highness."
Prince Qing neither agreed nor disagreed. He strolled to the left seat at the head of the table, sat down slowly, and then spoke: "The top scholar is an imperial envoy. He can come and go as he pleases, and I cannot make things difficult for him. However, Madam Xu is a guest I invited. It is not my way of treating guests to leave without a word of explanation."
Prince Qing's voice was not domineering, but rather casual, just like the plaque in the middle. However, the implied meaning in his words clearly indicated his intention to detain Lin Xin, which, like the strokes of those two characters, made Lin Xin's heart sink.
“My wife has been living in the inner quarters for a long time and is unaware of many things happening outside. If Your Highness has any instructions, just tell me.” He straightened up.
Prince Qing said, "If I tell you, can you make the decision?"
Lin Xin cautiously replied: "I am free to make decisions regarding all matters at home."
Prince Qing's gaze shifted between him and Xu Rong, and after a moment, he chuckled and said, "I don't think so."
Xu Rong: "..."
What a noble prince! How could he start by trying to sow discord between a married couple?
Despite her inner grumbling, she raised her level of vigilance towards Prince Qing. As the saying goes, appearances reflect the heart, and Prince Qing didn't seem like the type to joke around. What he really wanted to show was his understanding and control over them.
"Your Highness is too kind. I rarely go out, and this trip was truly out of necessity. I have a few servants who do some business outside to supplement the family income. I don't really understand those business matters, and I've never asked them much. I just tell them to make money peacefully and avoid causing trouble."
Xu Rong spoke slowly, making her intentions clear—since Prince Qing had already mentioned the word "explanation," she didn't need to beat around the bush. "They've been quite obedient and reliable, and haven't caused any trouble over the years. Until recently, they started wandering all over the country, getting further and further away, and eventually ended up in the Prince's territory."
Prince Qing listened with an inscrutable expression.
Xu Rong dared not be careless and continued, "They did not know Your Highness's rules and dared to offend Your Highness. This is all due to my poor discipline. Therefore, I have come to apologize in person. I will listen to Your Highness's teachings. I only ask Your Highness to spare their lives."
“They have not offended me.” Prince Qing finally responded, asking calmly, “Didn’t Bai Quan send a letter back? I saw that he was capable and simply told him to switch allegiance to me.”
Xu Rong cautiously retorted, "But Bai Quan still has relatives in the capital. People always find it hard to leave their homeland. Your Highness is magnanimous and should be able to understand—"
She didn't mention that Bai Fu had actually come along and was right outside the door. It seemed that no matter how good Prince Qing's intelligence work was, it wouldn't have reached a mere maid like Bai Fu.
"Oh, right, and then there's that Xiao Liu," Prince Qing said, ignoring him. "He's quite handy to use. I didn't know their origins, but no matter where they came from, following me meant they wouldn't be disgraced, so I kept them all."
Xu Rong: "..."
Well, this is blatantly being unreasonable. When a prince decides to act unreasonably, there's really no reasoning that can be used against him.
But she wouldn't give up, and argued, "But now that Your Highness knows, they are all from my family—"
Prince Qing lifted his eyelids: "By the way, you, as their master, are able to command so many servants who are more capable than the others. They should be even more efficient in their work—"
Xu Rong: "..."
For a moment, she was bewildered. What did this mean? Did they intend to bring her under their wing as well?
This prince is truly open-minded and unconventional in his use of people, and he is also eager to find talented individuals!
She had the leisure to think of three idioms in a row, but Lin Xin, who was standing to the side, could no longer bear it: "Your Highness, please watch your words!"
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