Chapter 035 Chapter 35
Night.
Xie Qingya returned to the study.
He came back a little late tonight. When he entered the yard and saw Lingji coming towards him anxiously, he had some vague guesses in his mind.
At this time in the study.
After listening to Lingji's report of what happened today, Xie Qingya held the teacup, closed his eyes and said nothing.
Chang Feng, who was standing by, frowned and asked, "You said that the girl named Shi Yu who was with the princess took the suspicious maid away on the way?"
"And then?"
"And what happened?" he then asked Ringgit.
Lingji did not dare to hide anything, and told everything he knew: "Our brothers saw that the maid came out of Linfeng Pavilion and sneaked around to avoid people, trying to go to the prince's study, but before she got close to the study, Shi Yu suddenly came and took her away."
"Because the prince had warned us in advance, our brothers did not dare to get too close, fearing that Shi Yu would notice. I do not know what they said at the time. We only know that Shi Yu took the maid back to Linfeng Pavilion, and the maid has not appeared since then."
"But Shi Yu waited until dark and waited for the princess at the screen wall. It was obvious that he had something to say."
"Half an hour ago, the princess returned, and the master and servant went back to Linfeng Pavilion... We have no way of finding out what happened inside."
"I have asked someone to continue guarding there. If anything happens, someone will report it in time."
After Lingji finished speaking, he looked at Xie Qingya.
Changfeng also turned his head to look at the man beside him who had been silent the whole time: "Prince..."
He whispered to him.
Changfeng frowned, looking unhappy: "What should we do now?"
They have already discovered the person with the problem, but they don't know what the princess means by doing this... But obviously, the princess also knows that there is something wrong with the maid beside her.
I just don't know what role the princess plays in this?
Why did she take him back halfway?
Thinking about what the princess and the prince said at the wall that day, it is still fresh in my mind. Now that something like this has happened, I really don't know what to say.
That day, Changfeng was thinking, if one day it was discovered that there was something wrong with the princess, what would the prince do then...
I didn't expect this day to come so soon.
Xie Qingya never spoke a word.
Lingji was about to speak, but Changfeng grabbed his arm and shook his head at him.
Although he didn't know what it meant, Lingji still closed his mouth in confusion.
After a while, Xie Qingya put down the teacup in his hand and said, "Since we already know who the person in question is, let's keep an eye on him. As for—"
As for what.
Xie Qingya was silent for a moment, and finally said nothing. He only said to the two people in a low voice: "Don't make trouble for now."
The two of them naturally accepted the order and answered "yes".
After Lingji agreed, he turned around and went out, planning to instruct the secret agents to keep an eye on the maid in question.
Unexpectedly, as soon as I went out, I saw a man in black coming in.
The man in black is one of the secret agents.
These spies are the secret guards left behind by the Grand Princess Liu Yi.
These secret guards have been divided into several groups over the years. Some stayed in the mansion to protect the three siblings, while the other part was sent out by Xie Qingya to work in various industries and gather information. For example, Furong was bumped into by Xu Duanyi that day... Outside, she was not only Xie Qingya's "close friend", but also an intelligence expert.
The spy who appeared in the yard at this time was one of the people ordered by Xie Qingya to watch over Linfeng Pavilion.
Lingji was very surprised to see him coming.
"Why are you here?" Lingji said, "It's just right. The prince wants me to tell you something."
The spy said, "If it's about that maid, then that's great. I'm here for her."
"So fast?" Lingji was shocked.
Just as he was about to speak, Changfeng heard the noise outside and came out.
He said to the spy, "The prince wants you to come in."
Although there were people guarding outside and would warn people if anything happened, after Changfeng finished speaking, he still took a look outside and immediately let the spy in first.
The spy did not dare to delay, nodded to Changfeng, and went in immediately.
Lingji was waiting outside.
Changfeng accompanied the spy in.
Xie Qingya had just heard the noise outside. When he saw the man in black coming in, Xie Qingya didn't know what to feel, but he instinctively clenched his hands.
He was afraid that he would say something he didn't want to hear.
This grasp.
Xie Qingya found that his palms were sweating without him noticing.
He frowned at this realization.
The spy and Changfeng saw this scene but did not think much about it. They just thought that the prince was unhappy about what happened today.
"My Lord."
After the spy entered, he first bowed and greeted Xie Qingya.
Xie Qingya hummed calmly, and put his palms on his knees, so that the two of them would not notice his abnormality. After the spy got up, he asked, "What did you find?"
The spy dared not hide the secret.
He told Xie Qingya what had just happened in Linfeng Pavilion: "Today we found that the maidservant with a problem suddenly left Linfeng Pavilion and went to Fushuiju."
"Floating Water Residence?"
Xie Qingya frowned, not knowing where this place was.
This book is compiled exclusively for you by the LK team. Changfeng had done some research beforehand, so he had some impression of it. He then added, "Is this where the princess keeps her dowry?"
The detective nodded: "Exactly."
"Why is she here so late at night?" Changfeng was puzzled.
Although Xie Qingya didn't say anything, his eyes were on the spy, waiting for him to continue.
The spy did not dare to hide the truth and answered truthfully: "I followed and inquired for a while and learned that the maid was sent away by the princess. It seems that the maid will stay in Fushuiju in the future and will not serve in Linfeng Pavilion. As for why she was sent away, I don't know, but the maid's eyes were red, as if she had cried, and the girl named Xiuyu beside her kept comforting her."
This is even more confusing.
Chang Feng frowned and thought, but couldn't figure it out. He could only look at Xie Qingya: "Master..."
As soon as he finished speaking, a bronze bell rang in the house.
The sound is particularly clear at night.
And there is only one person who can cause this bell to ring.
Chang Feng put his thoughts aside for a moment and whispered to Xie Qingya, "My Lord, it's Master Mei."
Xie Qingya naturally knew who the visitor was.
But instinctively, he didn't want to see Mei Xuezheng tonight, and he didn't want him to know what happened in the mansion tonight.
The hands on the knees suddenly became clasped tightly.
The five fingers with distinct joints now appear tense.
But Xie Qingya only remained silent and evasive for a moment before loosening his fingers, lowering his eyelids and saying, "Go open the door."
"yes!"
Changfeng took the order and went forward.
The spy also knew Xiaomei Xuezheng's identity, so he did not hide his whereabouts, but turned to Xie Qingya and asked: "Prince, what should we do now?"
Xie Qingya hasn't answered yet.
Then I heard footsteps coming from behind.
"I thought you should be here by now." Mei Xuezhen said this casually after coming out.
Just about to look where Xie Qingya was.
Suddenly, my eyes caught sight of a figure.
When he suddenly saw the man in black, Mei Xuezheng's face, which had been relaxed and smiling, suddenly froze.
When the spy turned towards him, he bowed and called out "Master Mei".
Mei Xuezheng seemed to have suddenly woken up.
"Why are you here? You found something wrong, right? Who was it?" Mei Xuezheng asked anxiously as he walked.
The spy first glanced at Xie Qingya.
Seeing that he did not say anything to stop her, she did not hide anything and told Mei Xuezheng what happened today.
After hearing this, Mei Xuezheng's panic turned into confusion. Just like when they first learned about this, he frowned and said, "He was taken away halfway and assigned. What is the purpose of the princess doing this?"
"Is there any other news?" Mei Xuezheng asked the spy.
The spy shook his head in embarrassment.
"The prince has told us that Miss Yu's martial arts skills were quite good at that time. We were afraid that if we approached Linfeng Pavilion rashly, we would be discovered..."
Mei Xuezheng said nothing more.
He just sat down opposite Xie Qingya in silence.
After a while, he looked up at Xie Qingya: "What do you think?"
Xie Qingya said: "Just keep watching."
This is the only way for now. Mei Xuezheng has no other good solution.
Seeing that there were no other instructions, the spy said, "Then I will go back first and have someone continue to keep an eye on Linfeng Pavilion and Fushui Residence to see if we can find any more clues later."
Xie Qingya nodded. This book is compiled exclusively for you by the LK team. The spy did not stay any longer, bowed to the two people, and left.
After he left.
Changfeng also poured a cup of tea for Mei Xuezheng.
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard Master Mei ask, "What do you mean by the eldest princess?"
Changfeng paused.
But he did not dare to look back, for fear that Lord Mei would notice something and cause Lord Mei and Prince Wang to argue about it.
He continued to walk out in silence.
"have no idea."
The prince's voice came from behind.
Mei Xuezheng didn't realize anything was wrong at this moment.
I just thought that Xie Qingya really didn't understand.
So does he.
"No matter what she means, one thing is now clear: our eldest princess is not completely ignorant."
"Qingya, you have to be careful."
When Mei Xuezheng said this, he suddenly raised his head. He looked at Xie Qingya with deep eyes and obvious alertness.
Xie Qingya's hands, which were on his knees, tightened unconsciously again.
He looked at his tense fingers and said "hmm" softly. After a while, he turned his eyes away and changed the subject, asking Mei Xuezheng: "What brings you here so late?"
They said so beforehand.
If there is nothing important at the moment, we won't meet privately.
After he reminded her, Mei Xuezheng finally remembered the reason why she came here today.
"I was so scared by what happened just now that I almost forgot about it." After Mei Xuezheng finished speaking, he told Xie Qingya the reason for his visit today, "Quan Fangtong is already preparing to come to Beijing. It is estimated that he will be able to officially arrive in Beijing in half a month."
"I have already told His Majesty about your plan in advance, and His Majesty has no objection. I will then contact Quan Fangtong and tell him that His Majesty would like him to be the inspector of the Salt and Welfare Department."
"Um."
Xie Qingya nodded.
"But Qingya——"
Mei Xuezheng suddenly changed the subject and said with a frown, "Do you really think this will work? Quan Fangtong has always been afraid of Cao Da. Will he really go against Cao Da's wishes?"
"Cao Da has given him a lot of things over the years."
Mei Xuezheng was afraid that this would be useless.
If it is useless, can they control Quan Fangtong, make them turn against each other, and make Quan Fangtong tell the truth?
Xie Qingya was not as worried as Mei Xuezheng. He said, "Quan Fangtong has always been greedy. How could he be satisfied with the little thing Cao Da gave him?"
All are with those who have him.
He knew Quan Fangtong's virtues, and he also knew his greed.
He never worried about this.
Although Quan Fangtong and Cao Da are brothers, they are not from the same mother.
Even brothers have their own grudges, let alone these two. The two of them have never been so close.
"What's more——"
Xie Qingya suddenly changed the subject and said in a deep voice: "Whether he is willing to disobey or not is not important. What is important is to alienate the relationship between the brothers and let Quan Fang realize that he is not important to Cao Da. Then we can learn the truth from him and who faked the scene back then."
Four years ago.
It was also the year after the Battle of Nagano.
That year, after experiencing the deaths of his father, brother and mother one after another, he was in a daze all day long, living a life of drunkenness and dreaming. Suddenly, one day, a masked man in black found him and told him the unknown truth of the Battle of Nagano that year.
At that time, he was taken by the man in black to meet an old veteran with burns all over his body.
The old general's face was completely disfigured and his vocal cords were injured, so he could no longer speak.
It was only through the reminder from the man in black that he realized that this veteran was actually a subordinate of his father.
Back then, when his father and brothers led the troops out, this old general was among them.
He knew it then.
There was a reason why his father, brother and so many soldiers died in the Battle of Nagano.
And the fatal reason came from the armor they were wearing!
Throughout history, the most important things for soldiers in battle are armor and weapons.
Jizhou Camp and Liaodong Camp are the two most powerful and important camps in Daxia.
Because their generals, one was the King of Nan'an and the other was the Marquis of Wu'an, were well-known and had high status, so the things they received every year were also the best.
As long as they were fighting, they never ran short of supplies.
But the armor that Quan Fangtong sent at that time were all defective products.
Good armor can resist sharp weapons and save lives on the battlefield; but these defective armors can take lives!
At that time, his father and brother were afraid that he, due to his youth and impetuosity, would fall into the enemy's trap, so they had no choice but to lead their troops to chase him. Unfortunately, the armor they were anxious to replace was brought by Quan Fangtong as a replacement.
As time was of the essence, they rushed to the battlefield without even taking the time to get checked.
Later, when fighting the enemy.
This armor that was supposed to save your life has become a life-threatening thing.
No matter how powerful my father and brother were, they could not defeat so many people, and just like that, they died on the battlefield.
When he found out about this, he led his troops in pursuit.
Not only were my father and brothers dead, they were also trapped in a sea of fire.
At the time, he thought that the enemy had set the fire in order to humiliate his father and brothers and provoke them afterwards.
He saw that scene at that time.
Besides feeling completely hopeless, anger and murderous intent also filled his entire body.
He went to war like a madman.
They captured batches of enemy soldiers and interrogated them to find out who had set the fire.
But no one admitted it.
Since no one admitted it, he killed them one by one.
But even after the killing, no one admitted who set the fire.
He thought at the time that those people were afraid of him and therefore did not dare to admit it.
It was not until a year later when the man in black brought the injured veteran to him that he learned that there was a hidden story behind what happened that year.
The veteran also had a narrow escape from death at that time.
However, because the injuries were not vital, he escaped and finally fought his way out of the sea of fire.
Although he was rescued by the man in black when he was dying, he remained in a coma due to his severe injuries.
It was a year later when he woke up.
He was brought before him by the man in black, who wrote a letter in his own handwriting, telling him what happened that year.
It was then that Xie Qingya realized that it was their own people who had set the fire. Even the defective armor on them had been stripped off and replaced with normal ones after their death. After waking up, the old general felt something was wrong, so he secretly hid a few pieces of armor. Later, when the fire started, he patiently waited for them to leave before crawling out of the sea of fire.
It’s a pity that the veteran didn’t see clearly who did this.
All we know is that he is one of their own and his official position is probably quite high.
It can’t be low.
If he had not worked together with Quan Fangtong to cover up the matter of the armor, the matter would have been exposed long ago. How could Quan Fangtong still be alive today?
Quan Fangtong was a doctor in the Ministry of Revenue and was doing well, but he was suddenly sent to Jiangning by Cao Da. How could it be possible that Cao Da had nothing to do with this matter?
It is possible that this was instigated by Cao Da.
However, Xie Qingya still has no idea who the person who is colluding with Quan Fang in the Jizhou camp is.
There were a total of seven generals under my father's command. Excluding Deputy General Cen who passed away with my father and brother that year, there were six left.
Now, of these six deputy generals, one has become the current Jizhou general, two are still serving as deputy generals in the Jizhou camp, and the other three have retired and returned home.
It's not like he hasn't seen them over the years.
Even those who have dealt with him before, some of them shook their heads and sighed at his current situation, while others were disappointed with him...
These uncles who had once been very close to him, now Xie Qingya did not dare to trust any of them.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have had any contact with them over the years.
If Cao Da is hateful and deserves to be killed, then the person who helped Quan Fangtong cover up the truth also deserves to be killed!
Whenever he thought of this man, he was once his father's right-hand man, but in order to cover up the truth, he watched his father and brother trapped in the sea of fire.
If he hadn't gone there in time...
I'm afraid his father and brother would have been burned to ashes long ago, without even a complete body left.
Think of this.
Xie Qingya's expression uncontrollably became gloomy and even distorted, and his hands under the table clenched tightly again.
He must find out the truth of that year and avenge his father and brother!
When Mei Xuezheng saw his expression, he knew that he was immersed in the memories and pain of the past again. He knew that what happened in the past had always been a pain in Qingya's heart.
He also wanted to find out what happened as soon as possible to comfort the spirits of his uncle and his family in heaven.
So he naturally wouldn't stop it.
He came here today to discuss future arrangements with Xie Qingya.
"Cao Da is a smart man. He has been on guard against you all these years. After Quan Fangtong returns to Beijing, he will definitely send someone to keep a close eye on you."
"If he finds out that Quan Fangtong intends to betray him, he will definitely not let Quan Fangtong go."
"……I know."
Xie Qingya pulled himself out of his pain and said hoarsely, "When the time comes, I will send someone to protect Quan Fangtong. I will not let anything happen to him before the truth of what happened back then is revealed."
Mei Xuezheng believed in Xie Qingya's ability.
He also knew that Cao Da was not the only one who had been preparing for him all these years; Qingya was the same, he had also made some preparations all these years.
"Leave Quan Fangtong's affairs to me. As for your mansion—"
At this point, Mei Xuezheng couldn't help but frown. He knew that Qingya didn't want to take action against their eldest princess because of the relationship between Prince Wenzhao and Marquis Wu'an.
But they are in the midst of this torrent, and any little trouble will change the direction of the river.
Besides, if there really was something wrong with this princess, it wouldn't be just a minor inconvenience.
Rather, it is the fatal flaw that will cause them to lose everything.
"Qingya, I don't know what that person wants to do by doing this? And why? Maybe she is not what we think, maybe she is kind, but there is also a possibility that she did it on purpose for us to see..."
Mei Xuezheng could see the handsome young man opposite him. After he said this, his eyes flickered several times under the light of the candle.
Mei Xuezheng knew.
Qingya must be aware of these things.
How could Qingya not think of what he could think of?
But he always has a sense of morality and responsibility in his bones.
This book is exclusively compiled for you by the LK team. This seemingly indifferent person who cares about everything except revenge is actually softer than anyone else and values feelings.
But morality and responsibility——
Sometimes, it just hurts them.
"Qingya, we can't afford the risk." Mei Xuezheng said, patting Xie Qingya's arm gently, and then without waiting for him to say anything, he walked towards the secret passage alone.
The door to the secret passage was closed again.
For a moment, Xie Qingya was the only one left in the room.
The lights flickered.
Xie Qingya sat alone beside the lamp, head lowered, and said nothing.
"Master, what happened?"
Outside, Lingji looked around quietly and wanted to go in, but Changfeng grabbed him and asked him this question.
Changfeng said nothing.
…
late at night.
All was silent.
Xie Qingya couldn't sleep tonight as usual.
In the past, he would do a set of boxing, sweat a lot, get tired, and fall asleep easily.
I just can't sleep tonight.
I tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
All the candles in the house had been extinguished, and only a little moonlight shone in through the window covered with white gauze.
Xie Qingya put his hands behind his head, closed his eyes silently, and looked up.
suddenly--
He threw back the quilt, stood up and walked out.
Near midnight.
At this time, there was no sound in the palace.
Xie Qingya shuttled through the darkness, like a shadow, walking towards Linfeng Pavilion.
It was very quiet outside Linfeng Pavilion.
In order to avoid being discovered by Xu Duanyi and Shi Yu who was beside her, there were actually no spies near Linfeng Pavilion.
Xie Qingya climbed over the wall and entered the yard.
Except for a few lanterns in the corridor, there was no light in Linfeng Pavilion.
Xie Qingya stood under the peach tree, looking at the house in front of him.
He didn't know why he came here.
At that moment, I just came here uncontrollably.
Now that I'm here, I don't know what to do.
I stood there in a daze for a long time.
Xie Qingya frowned and held his forehead. He knew he should turn around and leave, but his steps were uncontrollable as he walked towards the window step by step.
The place where I grew up.
No one knows this place better than Xie Qingya.
Walking to a window, Xie Qingya stretched out his hand and gently opened the window.
Sure enough, this broken window has not been repaired yet.
Xie Qingya quietly opened the window and jumped in.
Xie Qingya had long been accustomed to the darkness. He scanned the house through the moonlight. The layout of the house was still the same as before, and nothing that belonged to him was missing.
Nearly half a month has passed, but the situation here has not changed.
But it's not that there hasn't been any change.
This room, which originally belonged to him alone, now has many more objects in it. Even if the people who use it have tried their best to avoid it, how could there be no traces of it in their daily life?
Xie Qingya could smell a fresh, light fragrance in the room.
After standing quietly for a while, he suddenly walked towards the bed.
The bed curtains are still the same as that day.
The bright red mandarin ducks are playing in the water, looking very vulgar and vulgar.
Xie Qingya lifted a corner and looked inside calmly. What caught his eye were first two pillows and then a familiar face.
It was such a big bed, but she was curled up alone, taking up only a small space.
For some reason, those beautiful eyebrows were wrinkled, and his lips were tightly bitten. He looked even uglier than the day when he was sleeping on the recliner.
The quilt on my body was only half covered.
It was on their wedding night that Xie Qingya realized that Xu Duanyi was far less dignified when she was asleep than when she was awake.
That night, he didn't know how many times his quilt was picked up by others.
In the end, he even wanted to take a rope and tie up the person and the blanket together.
The same is true today.
Xu Duanyi was curled up like a kitten, with only half of her body covered. Her feet, including those above the ankles, were not wearing socks and were completely exposed.
After all, it's only April and the nights are still cold.
She didn't know how long it had been like this.
Xie Qingya could only see that she was getting colder and colder. She tried to hide her feet, but she couldn't hide them under the quilt that had fallen on her feet.
Xie Qingya did not pick up the quilt immediately.
He looked at her so calmly, even indifferently.
Let her struggle in the cold.
It was like looking at a stranger and not caring whether she lived or died.
Xie Qingya's ears seemed to still be ringing with Mei Xuezheng's previous words.
Of course he knew.
But what he had thought before was that maybe Xu Duanyi didn't know, maybe she sent the maid away for other reasons, and they were worrying too much. He even...he had thought that maybe Xu Duanyi was helping him?
This is the most secret wish in his heart.
But Mei Xuezheng was right.
...They can't afford the risk.
If there is any problem with Xu Duanyi, everything they are doing now will become in vain, and even become a sharp blade stabbing them.
He didn't dare to gamble.
So I didn't dare to ask.
I should stay away from her, really treat her as a stranger, avoid her from a distance, and not give her any chance to get close to her or influence her.
Or... kill her.
If Xu Duanyi died, he wouldn't be so troubled now.
He shouldn't have been so upset.
There are enough things to consider, there shouldn't be one more.
It's like being bewitched and haunted by a nightmare.
Xie Qingya suddenly reached out his hand to Xu Duanyi. His fingertips rested on Xu Duanyi's slender neck. He could even feel the beating pulse there.
If he could just close his hands around that neck, he could kill her.
From then on, no one in this world could affect his mood.
Thanks to Qingya——
Finally, I closed my eyes.
His fingers left Xu Duanyi's neck, he opened his eyes, remained silent, looked at Xu Duanyi again, then bent down and picked up the half-fallen quilt for him.
The pair of jade feet that had been hiding from the cold finally found a warm place.
Xie Qingya noticed that she was no longer curled up like before.
He looked at it for a while and prepared to leave.
But just as Xie Qingya was about to leave, he suddenly heard a soft sobbing sound.
The steps stopped immediately.
Xie Qingya frowned and looked back in disbelief. Sure enough, he saw a string of crystal clear tears falling from the corners of Xu Duanyi's eyes.
Even when Xu Duanyi cried, she did so in a low voice.
If he hadn't been so close, he wouldn't have noticed that she was crying.
Xie Qingya didn't know why she was crying in her sleep.
Haven't you grown up?
Aren't you already independent and fearless?
I didn't cry when he humiliated me in public, so why am I crying now?
Xie Qingya didn't know.
But he knew he couldn't leave.
He could never leave when she was crying.
Xie Qingya sat on the edge of the bed.
The faint light that shone in enabled him to see her face clearly.
There was no expression on Xie Qingya's face, but he reached out his hand to her and gently wiped away the tears on her face.
But I don't know what happened to my tears, the more I wiped them away, the more they shed.
Xie Qingya finally looked at her, sighed, and said, "Xu Duanyi, why are you crying?"
He just said it casually.
He never thought of asking the person who was sleeping to answer his words.
He had never thought that she would wake up.
Therefore, when Xie Qingya saw Xu Duanyi open his eyes, he froze.
He didn't dare to move, his mind was numb, and he looked at her.
What shocked him even more was that the next moment, Xu Duanyi hugged him with red eyes.
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