Chapter 044 Chapter 44
Just left the yard.
Lingji felt that the prince, who was originally walking slowly, suddenly quickened his pace. He was not aware of it and did not have time to catch up immediately. By the time he reacted, the prince was already several feet ahead of him.
This naturally made Lingji shocked and puzzled.
Shouting "Prince, wait for me", Lingji quickly quickened his pace and ran after him.
The master and servant walked quickly all the way to the screen wall.
Lingji saw from a distance that there was a carriage that had been prepared in advance, and several servants were waiting there.
Obviously waiting for the master to speak.
But suddenly there was nothing beside me.
Lingji turned around in surprise and discovered that the prince, who was walking quickly forward, suddenly slowed down and fell behind him in a short while.
Lingji was completely confused.
I wonder what happened to the prince?
He stopped and turned around to ask, "Prince, what's wrong?"
"Nothing."
The prince's cold reply came to my ears.
Lingji was still confused. He didn't understand why the prince suddenly slowed down his pace if there was nothing wrong and he was fine.
It was so fast just now.
But seeing the indifferent features on the prince's profile, he had been glared at by the prince twice in a row today. Fearing that he would be scolded if he said more, he naturally did not dare to continue asking questions. He could only slow down his pace inexplicably and follow the prince, walking forward slowly at a much slower pace than before.
The carriage was ready.
When the servants waiting there saw Xie Qingya coming, they hurriedly bowed and saluted.
However, Xie Qingya did not ask anyone to follow him. He only asked Lingji to drive the car, and the master and servant left the palace and went to Shiyongfang in the west of the city.
The Liu family is located in Shiyongfang in the west of the city.
At that time, Yongfang could not be compared with the Nan'an Prince's Palace and the Huguo Duke's Palace, but with the Five Armies Commandery behind it, it was also a place where many officials and families liked to build offices and houses.
This house was purchased by Liu Xunnian at the beginning of the year.
After all, the girl he wanted to marry was the jewel in the Huguo Mansion, so he naturally couldn't bring her to live in that small household.
Even with such a small house, it was looked down upon by many people in the Duke's Mansion.
I heard that Liu Xun spent a lot of money to buy this house.
However, no one except the Liu and Xiao families know whether there was any help from the Duke Protector's Office.
After leaving the palace, Xie Qingya looked at the darkness outside and could not help but scold Lingji: "Didn't you eat? Why are you so slow?"
Lingji felt very aggrieved after being scolded again for no reason.
I just felt that my master was really weird tonight.
He's not slow, is he?
Isn't it the same as usual?
Moreover, when he saw his master suddenly slow down his pace just now, he thought he was deliberately going slower.
Sometimes it's fast, sometimes it's slow, I don't know what the master is going to do.
Ever since he was called into the house by his master, Lingji felt that his master was acting a little strange tonight. It seemed that he had some thoughts in his mind that were about to come out, but there was still some opportunity missing, which prevented him from finding out everything.
As a subordinate, you have to share your master's worries.
Lingji whipped the chariot to speed up, and asked his master behind him with a concerned tone: "Master, are you unhappy tonight?"
Think about it.
Could it be because Aunt Deng insisted that the master go to pick up the princess?
Although I feel like there is something wrong with this timing.
But after thinking about it, Lingji couldn't think of any other possibility besides this.
He was thinking of a solution for Xie Qingya outside: "If you really don't want to go, why don't you go back first, or find a place to rest for a while, and I can go to Liu Mansion to pick up the princess myself."
Xie Qingya felt even more annoyed when he heard what he said.
He himself couldn't explain why he was so upset.
But hearing the concern in Lingji's words, Xie Qingya also realized that he was deliberately venting his anger tonight, and it was all because of himself.
He suppressed his bad temper, pressed his eyebrows and lowered his eyes and said, "No need, just hurry up."
Finished.
He apologized again.
"I'm in a bad mood tonight, I didn't mean to hurt you."
When Lingji heard this, he immediately got rid of his previous aggrieved mood and became happy again. He certainly didn't care about these things.
Now he smiled and said outside: "It's nothing, I'm glad you're okay."
"But my Lord, why are you in such a bad mood tonight? Is it because of the princess?"
Lingji's question came from outside the car curtain, but Xie Qingya remained silent this time.
It's because of her, but it has nothing to do with her.
In fact, just now, even if Aunt Deng didn't come, he was already prepared to find an excuse to go out.
But that's why he is so irritated.
It seemed like... he was increasingly unable to control his own heart.
He knew he shouldn't do this.
...but it seems that nothing can be changed.
…
The master and servant spoke in silence all the way to Liu Mansion.
Meanwhile, in Liu's residence, Xu Duanyi had no idea that Xie Qingya had come to pick her up.
She had just come out of her new house.
At night, she accompanied Xiao Baozhu to have dinner in the new house again. This time, Xu Duanyi waited for Xiao Baozhu to take a bath and wash up before saying goodbye to others and leaving.
It was late at night.
Xu Duanyi didn't want to stay here any longer, so he prepared to go back first.
But today, she came here with her sister-in-law, so it would not be easy for her to leave alone.
After asking Bixi where the women had meals, Xu Duanyi took Bixi there.
I was thinking about going to see if my sister-in-law is okay and whether we should go back together.
If her sister-in-law was not well yet, she would ask the servants of the Liu Mansion to prepare a carriage for her and she would go back first.
Unexpectedly, I met a few young people dressed as scholars on the way.
Liu Xun came from Hanlin.
He is the new top scholar last year.
The people he interacted with were either students or members of the Imperial Academy. At this time, these young people would gather together to recite elegant poems.
There is only this one road, and there is no way to avoid it.
Xu Duanyi didn't want to disturb them and planned to take Bixi with him.
Unexpectedly, someone discovered it first.
"The eldest princess?"
One of them had sharp eyes and saw Xu Duanyi first, so he shouted out.
The others were saying, "Where is she? Where is the princess?"
Then they all looked over.
Sure enough, I saw Xu Duanyi's figure not far away.
All of a sudden, the eyes of the group of young people who were talking loudly just now lit up and they walked towards Xu Duanyi. One of them, a scholar in gray, looked particularly excited.
When Bixi saw this scene, she frowned subconsciously.
She wanted to stand in front of her master and shout them away.
"It's OK."
Xu Duanyi patted Bixi's arm lightly, indicating that it was okay.
She originally wanted to leave immediately, firstly because she didn't want to cause any trouble, and secondly, she didn't want to disturb their good mood.
But now that I've been discovered, there's nothing wrong with just saying hello.
She stood where she was.
Seeing a dozen scholars swarming towards her and greeting her, Xu Duanyi also greeted them politely.
She didn't want to talk any more here, nor did she want to disturb their fun.
I wanted to leave after saying hello.
But a scholar in gray suddenly asked her excitedly, "Your Highness, do you still remember me?"
This sudden remark was indeed somewhat offensive.
Especially with so many people here.
If this gets out, there's no telling what kind of controversy it will cause.
But Xu Duanyi saw that although the scholar looked excited, there was no lustful look in his eyes. Instead, there was a hint of gratitude and admiration.
Xu Duanyi looked at his features carefully again, and felt that they looked familiar.
Looking at the scholar's attire and the people around him, Xu Duanyi had an idea in mind, so he said to the scholar, "Is it Mr. Li from the Hanlin Academy?"
Li Wengao never thought that Xu Duanyi actually still remembered him!
I was immediately overjoyed.
Normally he was a bit aloof, and in fact he didn't like to associate with people like Liu Xun. However, when his mentor discussed officialdom with him, there were a few words that made him very alert and he quite agreed with them.
My teacher once said, "You don't have to live without bad neighbors, and you don't have to meet without bad friends. Only those who can control themselves can achieve both."①
He also said, "To be able to keep silent is to be able to speak, to use obscurity is to be in the light, to blend in with the common people is to hide oneself, and to be at ease is to adapt to the environment."②
He learned a lot from this speech.
Not all people you meet in life are good people or friends. Instead of avoiding them and guarding against this and that, you might as well learn something that is beneficial to you. This book is exclusively compiled by the LK team for you. In this world, you will always encounter many things and many people.
Not to mention the ups and downs in officialdom.
If you want to get something done, you can't just be a lone official.
In addition to this reason, there was another reason why he came to Liu Mansion today -
He had heard in advance that the eldest princess would also come to the Liu Mansion for a banquet today.
Although Li Wengao knew clearly that there was a world of difference between himself and Princess Jiashun, and he did not dare to disturb her, he could not help but hope in his heart that he might have the honor to catch a glimpse of her from afar.
I thought the banquet would end soon.
He was feeling frustrated because he had no chance to meet the princess today, but unexpectedly, he actually had the chance to chat with her.
Still such a close distance.
What's more, I didn't expect that His Highness still remembered him!
How could he not be excited?
Li Wengao was so excited that even his face turned red.
The man who usually never lost in debates about character was so excited that he couldn't even finish his words.
"Yes, it's your humble servant!"
Li Wengao was so excited that he couldn't express it in words. His face was full of excitement and admiration, but he didn't dare to look directly at Xu Duanyi for fear of blaspheming her.
He still bowed slightly, lowered his eyes, and said respectfully in the direction of Xu Duanyi: "Thanks to your help that day, I was fortunate enough to pass the exam. I have never had the opportunity to thank you, Your Highness. Today, today..."
He stammered, and suddenly said, "Your Highness, please accept my humble respect!"
As Li Wengao said this, he was about to lift up his robe and thank Xu Duanyi.
Xu Duanyi would not accept such a great gift. She hurriedly said, "Master Li, a gentleman has gold under his knees. You can kneel to heaven and earth, to the emperor, to your teacher and parents, but not to me."
"I was just passing by to lend a helping hand that day. Your majesty's admission to high school is what you deserve after years of hard study. You don't need to bear it in mind, and you don't need to do me such a great favor."
"Your Highness is wrong. If it weren't for Your Highness, I would have been disheartened and left the capital. How could I be standing here now?"
"Your Highness is like a mentor to me!"
His words were powerful, but he looked like he was determined to stick to his guns.
At this moment, he did not care about the huge difference between them. He stood up straight and spoke to Xu Duanyi in a very solemn tone.
Xu Duanyi felt helpless when he saw Li Wengao's expression.
I heard earlier that among the three newly-appointed Jinshi who ranked first and second on the imperial examination list last year, Mei Zhuangyuan was well-informed and knowledgeable, and was greatly loved by the old officials of the Qingliu clan. He could quote from classics whenever he opened his mouth, and therefore was particularly valued by Your Majesty.
Liu Tanhua is eloquent, has a good mouth, loves to chat and make friends, but his personality is a bit too exaggerated...
As for this Li Bangyan, he is not as tactful as Mei Xuezheng, nor as eloquent as Liu Xun. He seems a little aloof and stubborn, but he really loves the people and serves the people, and he likes to do practical things. He is a good minister.
Such a gentleman, she certainly couldn't treat him lightly.
But the way this gentleman insisted on his own opinion was indeed a bit of a headache.
Xu Duanyi saw that he looked stubborn, as if he would not give up unless she accepted his thanks.
Xu Duanyi felt helpless.
Glancing at a servant serving wine, Xu Duanyi had an idea. He leaned over to Bixi's ear and asked someone to bring the wine over.
At this time, Xu Duanyi said to Li Wengao, "Sir Li, you are an official appointed by the court, and I am just a woman in the inner chamber. If I accept your gift today, I am afraid that tomorrow I will be reported to the emperor, saying that I abused my power and disrespected the scholars and officials."
When Li Wengao heard this, his expression suddenly changed.
He hurriedly said, "Who in the world doesn't know what kind of person the Princess is? If anyone dares to slander the Princess, I, Li Wengao, will be the first to disagree!"
The other scholars had not spoken at first.
At this moment, everyone responded and said that they would never let anyone frame her.
"I appreciate your kindness."
Xu Duanyi nodded slightly to them as a way of saying thank you.
Just then, Bixi came over with a wine pot and an unused wine cup.
"master."
Xu Duanyi took the wine cup from Bixi, raised it slightly, and said to Li Wengao in front of him, "Since Lord Li wants to thank me, why don't you drink this wine with me to express your gratitude."
She said that.
Then he looked at the rest of the people.
"I am not good at drinking, but I am happy to see all of you gentlemen, so I will just drink a cup. It can be considered as getting to know all of you gentlemen today."
"In the future, I will have to work for you in Daxia."
After Xu Duanyi finished speaking, without waiting for anyone to speak, he raised his sleeves to cover his face and drank the cup of wine.
As soon as her lips and teeth touched the wine, Xu Duanyi felt something was wrong. The wine was spicy and she could not bear it.
But it would be inappropriate to think of quitting now.
Xu Duanyi had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue drinking.
Didn't let others see it.
Xu Duanyi put down his sleeves without changing his expression, and tipped the wine cup to indicate that he had finished drinking.
Seeing her move, the others did not dare to delay and drank it all in one gulp.
This book is compiled exclusively for you by the LK team "Your Highness..."
After Li Wengao finished drinking, he wanted to speak.
Xu Duanyi spoke before him: "Since you have drunk this wine, please don't say thank you anymore. You have made great contributions to the country. You just need to serve the country and the people in the future. I did nothing wrong that day."
Li Wengao originally wanted to express his gratitude.
After hearing this, I didn't know how to start. I just felt that nothing I said would be enough and everything I said would be a little vulgar.
Finally.
He didn't say anything else, just took a step back and bowed solemnly to Xu Duanyi.
"I have taken note of what the princess said. I will not let her down!"
After that, he didn't dare to stop them anymore and stepped aside.
Xu Duanyi nodded to them again and left first.
After they walked away, Xu Duanyi couldn't help but frowned slightly.
Bixi also noticed that something was wrong with her and asked hurriedly, "Master, what's wrong with you?"
"That wine should be Xifeng wine." Xu Duanyi said in a low voice, and he felt his head starting to feel dizzy.
"What?"
Bixi widened her eyes: "I don't know..."
When she smelled the aroma of the wine, she thought it was the same as the sake and fruit wine that her master usually drank at banquets. She never imagined that it was the famous Xifeng wine.
Xifeng wine is certainly not comparable to ordinary fruit wine. Although the master can drink, he is not good at drinking.
Seeing that the master's face had turned red in just a moment, it was clear that this wine was not something the master could bear.
Bixi blamed herself so much that her eyes turned red with anxiety.
She hurriedly supported Xu Duanyi's arm and choked up as she walked, "It was my negligence that harmed my master."
"Okay, it's just a cup of wine." Xu Duanyi didn't mean to blame her. After saying this, he gently patted Bixi's arm to comfort her.
"Help me to the carriage first, and then go talk to my sister-in-law." Xu Duanyi was afraid that he would be really drunk and lose his composure in front of others, so he decided to go back to the carriage first.
Bi Xi naturally listened to her.
The master and servant went to the gatehouse first.
The banquet had not yet ended, and there was no one else at the gatehouse except some servants of the Liu Mansion.
The Liu family servant saw the master and servant coming from a distance.
I thought it was some noble person and was about to come over to greet him, but when I got closer, I found it was the eldest princess!
The servant's expression changed slightly, and he bowed and ran over quickly.
When he came closer, he asked with great trepidation, "Your Highness, why are you out now? Is there anything wrong with our hospitality?"
As she walked along the way, the effects of the Xifeng wine not only did not wear off, but made her brain even more dizzy.
Fortunately, he hasn't completely lost his mind.
Although she was dizzy, Xu Duanyi did not lose her composure. She still managed to speak in a gentle voice, "The hospitality was very good, but it's late at night and the palace is far away. I should go back now."
She said so.
The servant heaved a sigh of relief.
"Then Your Highness, please wait here for a while. There are many carriages outside today. I will ask someone to bring your carriage here first." After he said this, he was about to go over to prepare.
But Xu Duanyi thought of one thing, she came here with her sister-in-law.
But she hadn't said a word to her sister-in-law.
He opened his mouth to speak, but Xu Duanyi's brain's reaction this time was obviously much slower than before.
You can't tell just by looking at her face.
But if you look closely at her eyes, you can find that her usually bright black eyes have become as blank as a child's.
Fortunately, she has Bixi.
Bixi always understood her intentions, so she spoke for her: "Our prince came here with the wife of the prince of the Duke's Mansion today. Please go to the mansion and find a clean carriage. I will send someone to bring them back tomorrow."
When the servant heard this, he hurriedly said, "In that case, the girl will help His Highness to wait in the waiting room next door for a while. I will ask someone to clean up the mess. Your Highness will not be able to sit comfortably without turning around."
This book is compiled exclusively for you by LK team. Bi Xi turned back and asked Xu Duanyi what she meant.
"master……"
Xu Duanyi nodded.
She had a terrible headache and didn't want to talk anymore.
Even when I was dizzy, I still remembered to tell my sister-in-law so that she wouldn't worry.
When Bixi helped her to the waiting room to rest, she dazedly reminded others, "Remember to tell your sister-in-law."
Bixi hurriedly said, "I'll save that."
The waiting room was originally a place for people to rest and wait for the carriage.
Because the guests coming to the mansion today are either rich or noble, although this waiting room is small, it is kept very clean.
There were also maids serving inside.
The maid had never seen them before, and although she didn't know their identities, she knew that those who came to the mansion today were distinguished guests, so she didn't dare to neglect them.
Seeing the two people coming in, she quickly knelt down and greeted Xu Duanyi, and also called out "Your Excellency".
Xu Duanyi asked the man to get up.
Bixi asked someone to bring a cup of tea, thinking that strong tea would refresh the master, and maybe he would feel better after drinking it.
While waiting for the maid to pour tea, Bi Xi hurriedly helped Xu Duanyi and chose a clean place to sit down.
"My lord, please have some tea."
The maid brought the teacup over and saw Xu Duanyi leaning against the table with his forehead propped up by his hand, his eyes slightly closed and his brows furrowed. She couldn't help but ask hesitantly, "What's wrong with you, sir?"
Being drunk has a bad reputation.
Bixi didn't want others to know, so she just said, "My prince has been busy all day and is tired. I'll ask this girl to go to the inner courtyard for me and find the wife of the prince of the Huguogong Mansion. Just tell her that my prince is tired today and has to go back first, so that she doesn't have to worry."
One who can be addressed as Your Highness.
There are not many people like this in this whole world.
After hearing this, the maid realized that the beautiful lady in front of her was actually the eldest princess!
She was just an ordinary maid, and the most powerful person she had ever seen was their current lady.
Now I suddenly see a person of such status.
Her face turned pale almost immediately, and she knelt down tremblingly, almost bowing her head to the ground: "It is my fault that I did not recognize Your Highness. Please forgive me, Your Highness!"
Xu Duanyi was having a severe headache at this moment.
The wine was so strong that she felt a severe pain in her head and felt dizzy and as if the world was spinning around her.
The maid's shout made his temples throb several times.
I am speechless.
With her eyes still closed, she gently pulled Bixi's sleeve.
Bi Xi understood what she meant, and asked the maid to get up and do what she told her to do. As soon as the maid left, she couldn't suppress her anxious look and squatted in front of Xu Duanyi.
"Master, are you okay?" she asked, looking up.
Since there were no outsiders around, Xu Duanyi no longer tried to hide her feelings. She frowned and said vaguely, "...uncomfortable."
When Bixi heard this, she couldn't help but blame herself again.
Her eyes were red and tears were sparkling in them. She said guiltily, "It's all my fault for not asking clearly. I hurt you."
Hearing her tone, Xu Duanyi opened his eyes tiredly.
"It's not a big deal. I just need to go back and take a rest." He was also glad that he only drank this one cup.
I'm afraid she'll continue to blame herself like this.
Xu Duanyi looked at her again and said, "Go ask if it's done."
She was really worried that the Liu family would pack up some luxurious carriage, but that was unnecessary. She just wanted to go back to the palace, lie down, and have a good sleep.
Bixi also understood.
She quickly raised her hand to wipe her face and said yes.
"You take a rest first, I'll go out and take a look." After saying this, Bi Xi turned around and went out.
Xu Duanyi watched her leave. He originally wanted to close his eyes and sit quietly waiting for someone to come back, but he felt so dizzy that he felt as if all his strength had been drained away and he felt powerless.
Thinking of Yi Bixi's calmness.
After she went out, she would definitely tell others not to let anyone get close to her, so she didn't have to worry about being seen in such an inappropriate state.
Thinking of this, Xu Duanyi simply rested his face between his arms and leaned on the table.
I don't know how long I waited.
Maybe for a long time, maybe just for a moment.
Xu Duanyi vaguely heard a series of footsteps coming from outside.
The footsteps were a little chaotic and a little hurried.
Xu Duanyi just thought that Bi Xi had returned, and was afraid that there were other people around, so he didn't want anyone to see him like this.
She sat up straight with her tired body, and at the same time she half-heartedly straightened her clothes, making sure there were no wrinkles.
The door was opened.
Xu Duanyi looked in the direction of the sound.
But I saw a handsome young man in black clothes standing at the door.
And take a look at his face.
Xu Duanyi suddenly stopped what he was doing.
She looked ahead, and for a moment she didn't know whether she was dreaming or seeing things wrong.
Look at the person outside the door.
Xu Duanyi tried to open his eyes wide, but it was useless. He could only mutter, "Prince?"
Xie Qingya didn't reply to her.
He just frowned and walked in.
Following behind him were Lingji and Bixi.
Xie Qingya stood firmly in front of Xu Duanyi. His tall figure blocked most of the light in front of her. She looked up at him, with his beautiful and slender neck, fair and yet looking particularly fragile.
The beautiful lights shone on them, and Xie Qingya and she looked into each other's eyes.
"How much did she drink?"
He was asking Bi Xi, but it was Xu Duanyi who answered.
“…One cup.”
Xu Duanyi spoke in a daze and pointed a finger at others.
She kept her head tilted upwards, feeling that her dream was so real. Even Xie Qingya's expression and tone were so real.
She was certain it was a dream.
If it wasn't a dream, how could Xie Qingya appear in front of her?
"You're this drunk after just one drink?"
This time it was Lingji who spoke, with a look of disbelief on his face. When he wanted to say something else, his master turned around and gave him a cold look.
Lingji immediately shut his mouth, stood obediently at the back, and said nothing.
Bixi and the others calmed down before replying, "It was Master Li from the Hanlin Academy who wanted to thank the master. The master thought it was inappropriate and suggested drinking. It was my fault for letting the master drink it without checking that the wine was Xifeng wine."
After Bixi finished speaking, her eyes turned red again.
Not daring to cry at this moment, she wiped her eyes casually and said to Xie Qingya, "Prince, please don't say anything for now. The master must be feeling uncomfortable right now. Let's go back to the mansion first and let the master go back to have a good rest."
Xie Qingya didn't want to say more.
He asked Lingji to go out and hold the lights, and he looked at Xu Duanyi and asked, "Xu Duanyi, can you stand up?"
When Xu Duanyi was drunk, he was actually more obedient than when he was sober.
Especially in front of Xie Qingya.
She is always well behaved.
Xu Duanyi's brain was a little slow to react at this moment.
Under Xie Qingya's gaze, she continued to look at him, then looked into his eyes. She seemed to carefully distinguish what he said for a long time before nodding at him: "Yes."
Having said this, she prepared to stand up by holding on to the table.
Bixi naturally didn't dare to let her get up alone. She was about to go forward to help her, but she saw that her master, who was always capable and unwilling to show weakness to others, suddenly frowned and sat back.
Bixi didn't know what happened to her.
Just as he was about to ask, he saw the master looking at the prince and said aggrievedly: "Xie Qingya, I'm dizzy."
She was still staring at Xie Qingya with a pitiful and aggrieved look on her face that she had almost never shown to anyone.
She really regarded this as a dream.
She was well-behaved in her dreams, but also bold.
So Bixi saw that her master, while talking, actually took the initiative to reach out and hug King Nan'an's waist.
Seeing that he didn't seem to be trying to break away, she boldly leaned her face closer, and then with her eyes closed, she half-coquettishly and half-mumbled, "Xie Qingya, I can't get up."
Bixi widened her eyes.
But after all, she already knew her master's feelings towards Prince Nannan. Although she was surprised, she was not stupid enough to say anything at this time.
With the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Prince Nannan's stiff body and face.
Bixi simply lowered her curtains and quietly retreated.
Xie Qingya and Xu Duanyi were the only two people left in the room.
Xie Qingya's face stiffened a little and he lowered his eyes.
It was actually not difficult to break free from the hands around his waist. He only needed to take a step back to leave Xu Duanyi's embrace.
But Xie Qingya stared at Xu Duanyi's head for a long time, and finally did not do so.
He just looked at her and sighed helplessly.
"Xu Duanyi, I really lost to you."
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