Chapter 004 Chapter 4

Mei Xuezheng has been waiting for the young emperor to come back.

He was also a little uneasy, so he asked someone to refill his tea for two more times. He looked at the time again. As time went by, the young emperor had not returned yet, and he became more and more worried.

He was not worried that his secret dealings with Qingya would be known to others.

This matter was done without a trace, and if you really want to get to the bottom of it, it has nothing to do with them. He is just afraid that the young emperor is young and can't keep his temper, and that the Empress Dowager Zhaoyu will see through it, and then their years of planning will be really over!

"His Majesty."

As Mei Xuezheng was pacing hurriedly, he heard a noise outside. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw the young emperor coming over with the support of the young nobleman!

Mei Xuezheng felt relieved, but he didn't dare to show it on the surface. He greeted the man respectfully, "Your Majesty is back."

Suddenly, someone grabbed my arm tightly.

"Lord Mei——" The young emperor's panicked voice rang in his ears.

Mei Xuezheng seemed to sense something in his heart, and when he looked up, he saw that the young emperor's face was extremely pale.

In the court and around the young emperor, I don't know how many people are Cao Da's people, and how many are Empress Dowager Zhaoyu's people.

When Mei Xuezheng saw this scene, he knew something had happened.

He winked at the nobleman, and when he went out, he sent everyone outside away, while he stood outside to keep watch while they talked.

Mei Xuezheng helped the young emperor sit down.

"Your Majesty, what happened?" He also saw the imperial edict tightly held in the young emperor's hand.

Mei Xuezheng's eyebrows twitched slightly, and the ominous premonition reached its peak at this moment. He couldn't help but lower his voice: "What did the Queen Mother order?"

"My queen mother, my queen mother..." The young emperor's eyes were red, and he said anxiously, "My queen mother wants to marry Sister Yi to my cousin!"

"What!"

Even if one were as calm and composed as Mei Xuezheng, at this moment one would not be able to help but cry out in surprise.

He took the imperial edict from the young emperor, as if to confirm whether this person was the one he knew. After taking a look at the imperial edict, it was indeed her!

"How could it be..."

Mei Xuezheng was dumbfounded, and his tone was also puzzled: "Why would the Queen Mother be willing to marry Princess Jiashun to Qingya?"

This move completely disrupted their plans.

They had guessed countless plans, but never thought that Princess Jiashun would be involved in the game.

Who doesn't know that Princess Jiashun is the favorite of Empress Dowager Zhaoyu? How could the Empress Dowager be willing to marry her to Qingya?

I also thought of those people who spoke at the court today.

Mei Xuezheng had felt something was wrong before, but now thinking back, it seemed that many of those people were following Cao Da.

So it was Cao Da's idea to arrange for Princess Jiashun to move into Prince Nan'an's Palace?

"Lord Mei, what should we do now?" The young emperor was at a loss, sitting in the chair. Where was the happy look he had before?

All that remains is panic.

"My mother has made up her mind. I dare not persuade her."

Mei Xuezheng was also a little flustered at this time, not knowing what to do. However, the emperor was timid and didn't want him to worry too much, so he could only advise him, "Your Majesty, please don't worry. I will leave the palace first to discuss this matter with Qingya, and then we will see how to proceed."

"Whether this succeeds or not, Your Majesty does not need to say anything, lest you disobey the Queen Mother and she gets angry with you again."

Although the young emperor was timid, he was obedient.

Hearing Mei Xuezheng say this, he nodded repeatedly.

The imperial edict would have to be issued by the Ministry of Rites, which would take some time. Mei Xuezheng comforted the young emperor with a few words, instructed him on what to do next, and then asked to leave the palace.

It was freezing cold, and the snow had not stopped yet.

If you go to that deserted place and step down, half of your boots might be submerged.

Although Mei Xuezheng was anxious, he did not dare to be noticed. He walked slowly all the way out of the Meridian Gate and got on the carriage. Only then did he put on a gloomy face and asked someone to return home immediately.

He now lives in Nanjuxianfang in the south of the city.

Nanjuxianfang was a gift from the young emperor. Although the house consisted of only one entrance, it had a quiet environment and he was served by only a few loyal servants who followed him all year round.

Mei Xuezheng is a person who lives alone, so it doesn't matter whether he is big or small.

After returning home, he told everyone around him to rest.

The servants beside him knew what he was going to do and nodded repeatedly.

Mei Xuezheng went into her room.

He had chosen this place because it was the closest to the Nan'an Palace. Long before the young emperor gave him the house, he had people dig a tunnel leading to the Nan'an Palace to facilitate his travel with Xie Qingya.

Mei Xuezheng did not change his clothes. He only took off his cloak, changed into a black cape and hung it outside, then entered the secret passage and walked towards the Nan'an Palace.

…

Nan'an Palace.

Xie Qingya was in his study reading the letter that had been sent from the south this morning.

The letter described Quan Fangtong's recent actions. After reading it, he set fire to it.

There were three sounds from behind the wall.

"master."

The person following Xie Qingya today is Ringgit.

It was snowing outside and it was still early, but there was only a ray of daylight inside the house. Now the firelight shone on Xie Qingya's extremely handsome face, outlining his sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes.

He looked at the burning letter quietly, with only two clusters of jumping flames reflected in his dark pupils.

"Go open the door."

"yes!"

Lingji took the order and went.

Xie Qingya casually threw the unburned letter paper into the pen-washing pool. The black ashes instantly broke into pieces and floated into the water.

"Something happened!"

Mei Xuezheng came running all the way, and when he saw Xie Qingya, he could no longer hold back.

Xie Qingya was pouring tea for him.

Having experienced a lot of things over the years, he has long lost the impatience he had when he was young.

"What is it?"

His expression did not change.

Mei Xuezheng hurried to Xie Qingya and said to him in a low voice, "The Empress Dowager Zhaoyu has offered you the Princess Jiashun in marriage."

Lingji originally wanted to go outside to guard, but when he heard this, he was so shocked that he stopped.

He turned around quickly.

Xie Qingya was still pouring tea when the sound of running water suddenly stopped. He raised his eyes to look at Mei Xuezheng sitting opposite him. Seeing his anxious expression, he knew that this matter was a done deal.

Xie Qingya finally frowned.

"Whose idea was it?"

He put the teapot aside.

Mei Xuezheng sat across from him. "The Empress Dowager Zhaoyu issued the order herself, but I think Cao Da was also involved."

"When those people impeached the Xiao family in the morning court this morning, I realized something was wrong."

"In addition to the people we arranged, there were also many voices from the old ministers and censors who were dissatisfied with Empress Dowager Zhaoyu... But at that time, I didn't care to think too much."

"It's my fault. If I had noticed it earlier..."

"Even if you noticed it earlier, what can you do?" Xie Qingya interrupted him.

"Go out and guard it."

He asked Ringgit to go out.

Then he pushed Mei Xuezheng's tea in front of him, took a sip from the cup, and continued, "Since she has made up her mind, can you change her mind with just a few words?"

"only--"

Xie Qingya looked puzzled: "How could she be willing to marry Xu Duanyi to me?"

Mei Xuezheng had been thinking about this all the way here, and now he said, "I guess it was Cao Da's idea. When I left the palace earlier, I heard from the young nobleman that Cao Da went to Shoukang Palace a few days ago, and then Shoukang Palace sent out a pile of broken porcelain pieces."

Xie Qingya groaned: "It seems that these two people are now having conflicts."

"My dear brother, is this the time to think about this? Why aren't you in a hurry at all?" Mei Xuezheng interrupted him anxiously.

My mouth is dry.

After he finished speaking, he picked up the teacup and took a few big gulps.

Then he pressed the teacup and said, "The most important thing now is how to end this marriage!"

Seeing Xie Qingya's calm expression, as if he wasn't worried at all, he couldn't help but ask, "Or have you already thought of a solution?"

Xie Qingya lowered his eyes and drank his tea: "No."

"No, how dare you be so calm? Do you know that the imperial decree for marriage is about to come down!" Mei Xuezheng was extremely anxious.

"We have been struggling for so long and finally managed to cancel your marriage with the Xiao family. We were able to immediately damage the reputation of the Xiao family and the Xiao family. I didn't expect that now..."

"Why not—" he murmured.

Xie Qingya looked at him and knew what Mei Xuezheng was thinking, so he interrupted his thoughts: "Xu Duanyi is not Xiao Baozhu."

Mei Xuezheng certainly knew.

Although he had only been in Beijing for a few years, he had already heard of Princess Jiashun.

He knew that Princess Jiashun was the favorite of Empress Dowager Zhaoyu, and that she was well-known and very beloved...

But even so, he became even more worried.

How could a person who could serve Empress Dowager Zhaoyu and be cared for by her be a simple person?

If this person really enters the Nan'an Palace, Qingya will be completely exposed to her in the future!

Not to mention that it would be inconvenient for them to act in the Nan'an Palace in the future, they were also afraid that she could see through everything and find out something and report it to Empress Dowager Zhaoyu.

Then their years of planning would be completely ruined!

"If I had known this would happen, I would have let that idiot Xiao Baozhu marry me. After all, she's easier to control!" Mei Xuezheng felt sorry and regretful.

Before today, who could have expected this outcome?

Xie Qingya said nothing.

"Why not——"

Mei Xuezheng was silent for a long time, and suddenly brought up the old topic again, but his meaning was not the same as before.

Planning is not easy.

The struggle for power is like walking on the edge of a knife, and you cannot make a single mistake.

He had murderous intention in his heart.

"Since the previous method doesn't work, then--"

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Xie Qingya's sharp voice: "Mei Xuezheng!"

This shout startled Mei Xuezheng's body. He looked up in a daze and saw Xie Qingya looking at him with a frown.

Xie Qingya said nothing, but under his gaze, Mei Xuezheng suddenly felt ashamed and cold sweat broke out on his back.

He was terrified by his sudden thought and could not help but lower his head. His voice became weak because of his self-pity: "Sorry, I... was impatient for a moment."

He also regretted it.

When did he become the kind of person he once hated the most?

In order to achieve the goal, he would do anything, even taking a human life, regardless of whether she was innocent or not...

Xie Qingya looked at him with a complicated look: "It was me who got you into this. You didn't have to come here."

Mei Xuezheng reacted immediately after hearing what he said. He calmed down and said, "There's no need to talk about this between you and me."

"I am not here just for you."

He changed the subject: "Princess Jiashun, what are you going to do?"

Xie Qingya looked at the ray of light in the sky and said, "Once it has happened, it can't happen again. Xiao Baozhu fell in love with Liu Xun, and it can't be checked, but if Xu Duanyi has any changes again... I will be suspected."

"Since they want to let her into the mansion, then let her in."

"Just be careful in the future."

Mei Xuezheng didn't know what to say after hearing what he said, so he just sighed, "But this will only make your situation even more difficult."

Xie Qingya did not comment.

His situation had become extremely difficult three years ago.

"As for His Majesty, tell him not to worry and just say that I will be careful and won't be noticed."

"As for Xu Duanyi, you don't have to interfere."

"After all, she is General Xu's daughter and was once the fiancée of Prince Wen Zhao."

...If Prince Wen Zhao were still alive, he should have called her sister-in-law.

But if Prince Wen Zhao was still alive, then things wouldn't have turned out like this, Empress Dowager Zhao Yu wouldn't have become what she is now, Cao Da wouldn't have been able to cover the sky with one hand... and his father and brother wouldn't have died on the battlefield!

Thinking of his father and brother, Xie Qingya could no longer maintain his calm expression.

The two hands on the table, which had once held rifles and pulled bows and arrows, now had clearly visible veins, like winding little snakes.

Mei Xuezheng had known him for many years and naturally knew why he was in such a state.

How much can words comfort a feeling of grief?

He could only keep silent.

Even when Lingji came outside to say that an imperial decree had come down from the palace, Xie Qingya still had no intention of getting up. He just said, "Just say I'm drunk."

Anyway, the reputation of Prince Nan'an being drunk all the time has long spread throughout the streets and alleys of Kyoto.

Even if the palace was dissatisfied, they could not carry him out.

Lingji took the order and went out to report. Mei Xuezheng saw that Xie Qingya was in a better mood, so he asked him, "I know that Princess Jiashun is General Xu's daughter, and I also know that you and Crown Prince Wenzhao have a deep relationship. Since you said so, I will naturally not do anything."

"But I also want to ask you a question—"

"If Princess Jiashun really finds out something in the future, what will you do?"

Xie Qingya frowned.

He looked at his hands for a moment, then said emotionlessly, "Then I will deal with her myself."