Chapter 088 Chapter 88
"What did you say!"
In Shoukang Palace, Empress Dowager Zhaoyu had already learned the news from Yutian.
After hearing this from Yingxue, Empress Dowager Zhaoyu, who had stood up suddenly earlier, couldn't hold back, swayed twice and fell back down.
Aunt Dan Feng, who had been stunned by the news, turned around to look after hearing this.
"Empress Dowager, are you okay?" This book is exclusively compiled for you by the LK team. Seeing Empress Dowager Zhaoyu sitting down, Aunt Danfeng's face changed immediately and she came over to ask.
Yingxue, who had answered earlier, also looked worried and asked a question.
But how could Empress Dowager Zhaoyu care about such a small matter? She quickly brushed Danfeng's arm away and calmly told Yingxue: "Go to the Imperial Hospital right now and ask them to send someone to Yutian. No matter what kind of medicinal herbs are not available in the palace, I will collect them from the public!" This book is exclusively compiled by the LK team for you. "Whoever dares not give them, I will put them in jail!"
If it was just an epidemic, Empress Dowager Zhaoyu wouldn't be so anxious.
But thinking that Zhao Zhao was there right now, and it was very likely that something might happen to her, how could Empress Dowager Zhaoyu not be anxious? me!"
"But Queen Mother..."
Dan Feng looked embarrassed: "If His Highness is really infected with the plague..."
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu glared and scolded, "I don't care if she is infected or not, she can't stay in that damn place! If something happens to her, how can I explain it to A-Yuan in the future?"
"I said I shouldn't let her go. Now it's over! If I had known this would happen, I should have asked Yuan Xing to bring her back today."
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu regretted not falling.
If Yuan Xing had been sent there earlier, perhaps Zhao Zhao would have returned by now.
Why stay in that damn place?
Fortunately, Empress Dowager Zhaoyu did not really lose her mind.
She also knew the severity of the epidemic and did not dare to bring Zhao Zhao back to the capital: "Have someone take Zhao Zhao back to the hot spring villa in the suburbs of Beijing and let her recuperate there. Then call Sun Chengqi over to me. I remember that he has been studying this thing for many years. If Zhao Zhao gets into trouble, he will not be able to survive!"
Dan Feng knew that she had made up her mind and did not dare to say anything more.
She was also worried about the eldest princess's situation, afraid that something might happen to her there. It would be better to bring her back to take care of her.
I didn't dare to delay any longer.
"I will go and give the order right away." Dan Feng said and went out first.
Just as she went out, she ran into a palace maid who came in to answer a question. After asking who it was, Dan Feng looked outside in surprise.
"I'll go talk to the Queen Mother." Dan Feng said, and then went back.
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu was originally leaning on the throne, with her fingertips lowered between her brows, trying to calm the anxiety in her heart.
Hearing footsteps outside, Empress Dowager Zhaoyu opened her eyes and looked over. When she saw Dan Feng coming back, she frowned and asked, "Why didn't you go?"
"Queen Mother, the prince is here." Dan Feng said.
"Yuanxing?"
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu was surprised.
Guessing that he came so late probably because of Zhao Zhao's matter, she sat up and said to the others, "Let him in."
Dan Feng responded and gave the order.
Not long after, Xiao Yuanxing came over in casual clothes.
"aunt."
As soon as Xiao Yuanxing came in, he bowed to Empress Dowager Zhaoyu.
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu asked people to stand up.
Seeing his outfit, she asked directly, "Do you already know?"
Xiao Yuanxing nodded.
He did not hide anything and told the truth: "Today I told the people at Tzu Chi Hall to come home and report immediately when they get the news that Zhao Zhao has returned."
But he and Tang'er were at home today and had not received any news from the Tzu Chi Hall.
It was getting darker.
He was really worried, so he planned to go to Nan'an Palace in person to take a look.
Unexpectedly, I ran into Bi Xi who was going out.
From her, Xiao Yuanxing learned about what happened in Yutian. Knowing that his aunt also knew about it, he went to the palace overnight to see what his aunt was planning.
"We don't know what Yutian's current situation is. What does my aunt think?" Xiao Yuanxing was already very mature when he was young, not to mention that he is now a father.
He shoulders the honor and disgrace of the Xiao family, so it is impossible for him to be unstable.
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu did not hide the fact about her nephew.
She has few family ties.
Not to mention her brother, even her own mother, the old ancestor of the Duke of Huguo's Mansion, she doesn't have much affection for her.
She and her sister were both born in the exile area.
She had been accustomed to seeing her parents quarreling and reminiscing about the prosperous days in the past. They flattered outsiders but vented their anger by beating and scolding them.
And her brother is extremely lazy and gluttonous.
But their mother doted on her only son very much. She gave all the work to her and Ayuan, and never showed any sympathy for the fact that they were girls.
Although Ayuan is younger than her, she is very well-behaved.
In their family, the only ones who truly depended on each other were actually her and Ayuan.
Even when she was nearly raped that year, it was A-Yuan who blocked the attack for her.
And what about her parents and brother?
Her father is a coward.
Perhaps he was frightened by the beatings by the yamen runners, so not only did he not want to report to the authorities, he also did not want her to go, for fear of causing trouble and offending others.
Her mother even wanted to take the opportunity to sell Ayuan to that family as a concubine.
As for her brother, there is even less to say.
Not only was he nowhere to be found all day long, but he also allowed his wife to clamor for Ah Yuan to wipe it clean with a rope so as not to bring shame upon herself.
If Emperor Ming had not later ordered them to be recalled to the capital, she would have already decided to run away with Ayuan.
Therefore, there has always been a clear idea in the heart of Empress Dowager Zhaoyu.
Which is more important?
She knew the difference very well.
The most important things to her are, of course, A-Yuan and her Qi'er.
This book is compiled exclusively for you by the LK team. But Ayuan and Qier are already dead, so the only important ones left are Zhaozhao and Yuanxing.
"I plan to send someone to secretly bring Zhao Zhao out and send her to live in a hot spring villa outside Beijing, and then send Sun Chengqi over to take care of her." She said to Xiao Yuanxing.
Xiao Yuanxing had already guessed it when he came.
He looked at Empress Dowager Zhaoyu and said, "Aunt, I'll do it."
When Empress Dowager Zhaoyu heard this, she couldn't help but frown.
Zhao Zhao is important to her, but Yuan Xing is also her beloved child who grew up, and is the next head of the Xiao family.
At first, fearing that her brother and sister-in-law would not be able to teach him, Empress Dowager Zhaoyu specially brought him into the palace, let him live with her own son Qi'er, and let them study together as cousins.
The palms and backs of your hands are all made of flesh.
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu was naturally worried about letting people go to Yutian.
"What are you going to do in Yutian's current environment? If something really happens, I will still have to worry about you." Empress Dowager Zhaoyu did not agree. She looked at Xiao Yuanxing's eyes, which were a little softer than before. "Yuanxing, you have good intentions, but Zhaozhao is already like this. How can I let you get into trouble?"
"Don't worry about it. I will send someone reliable."
"Of course I believe in aunt's ability, but Zhao Zhao is like my own sister to me. I don't know how she is doing in Yutian now. How can I sit in the capital with peace of mind?" Before Empress Dowager Zhaoyu could say anything else, Xiao Yuanxing bowed to the others and then continued, "I will act carefully and not let anything happen to me. After sending Zhao Zhao to the manor, I will immediately return to the capital to take care of myself. After the matter is over, I will come to pay my respects to my aunt."
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu looked troubled and clearly still hesitant.
"Ming, do you agree?"
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu simply moved out of Mingtang.
Xiao Yuanxing said: "I went there with Atang before."
"Atang already knows about Yutian's matter. Auntie knows it. She and Zhaozhao are more than just aunt and sister-in-law. They are like sisters. If something happens to Zhaozhao, she will be more worried than I am."
"She regretted not being able to stop Zhao Zhao from going to Yutian in time this time."
"My husband and I must go there in person to see Zhao Zhao is fine. Only then can we feel at ease. Atang has children to take care of, so he can't go with me, but he feels the same way as I do."
"Don't worry, Auntie. Atang will be uncomfortable because of this. There are many dangerous things in this world, but we all have a sense of what is important and what is not."
"The most important thing now is to bring Zhao Zhao back safely."
When Empress Dowager Zhaoyu heard him say this, she was speechless for a moment.
She had indeed blamed Ming before, thinking that she had failed to stop Zhaozhao.
If something really happened to Zhao Zhao, she couldn't treat Ming Shi the same way she treated others, but she would never treat others the same way in the future.
But now I hear Yuan Xing say this.
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu looked at the man in silence for a moment, and finally gave up.
"Go early and come back early, and come back safely." She looked at Xiao Yuanxing and reminded him in a deep voice.
Xiao Yuanxing naturally bowed and agreed.
He did not choose to go with Bi Xi and the others tomorrow, but planned to go to Yutian tonight while no one would notice him.
Therefore, after talking to Empress Dowager Zhaoyu, he did not delay here any longer.
I planned to go home, say hello to Atang and leave.
…
This night.
It is destined to be a sleepless night for many people.
＊
The next morning.
Xu Duanyi hadn't woken up yet, but Xie Qingya woke up first.
He woke up at the same time as usual, and as soon as he opened his eyes, he felt the heat beside him.
When Xie Qingya first saw Xu Duanyi lying in his arms, he thought he was dreaming. But when he was stunned, he remembered what happened yesterday.
Recalling what happened yesterday, Xie Qingya unconsciously raised the corners of his lips.
He habitually buried his face in the person's neck.
Since yesterday, he has fallen in love with this action. No matter what, he likes to bury his head like this.
Very comfortable.
But he didn't dare to move too much, for fear of waking the person up.
Just bury it gently, feeling the warmth and fragrance of Xu Duanyi's body.
Bury and bury.
Xie Qingya began to feel distracted again.
He was already a little out of control this morning. Normally, he couldn't help but react just by smelling her fragrance, let alone now, with such a warm and soft beauty in his arms.
Struggled for a while.
He was struggling between continuing to carry the pain of holding the person in his arms and leaving first.
In the end, I gritted my teeth and let the person go.
Making porridge is troublesome, and you have to light a fire, which takes a lot of time.
He thought that he could eat after Xu Duanyi woke up, so he decided to get up first and go to the kitchen to get busy.
But before getting up, Xie Qingya still stole a kiss on the person's face before he was willing to get up with satisfaction.
Although the damn reaction was still there, he was obviously in a good mood at this time.
A good sleep is hard to come by.
Although someone started to behave like a nobody yesterday, feeling hot and wanting to run away, he finally held her tightly in his arms, patted her on the back and she stopped running.
Obviously, there is a solution.
Xie Qingya was very pleased with himself, thinking that he was indeed quite capable.
It was still early in the morning and the sky was just getting a little bright.
For fear of waking the person up and disturbing his sleep, Xie Qingya carefully got out of bed and put on his clothes.
But his eyes were always fixed on Xu Duanyi lying on the bed, unwilling to look away.
It's like I've never seen it before.
During this period, Xu Duanyi showed no signs of waking up. She was sleeping soundly on Xie Qingya's pillow.
The more Xie Qingya looked at her, the happier he became. He couldn't help but move closer and kiss her face again.
But this time Xu Duanyi was a little annoyed.
Perhaps it was because Xie Qingya's falling hair happened to fall on her neck, making her feel a little itchy and uncomfortable.
She groaned twice.
Xie Qingya immediately felt guilty and glanced at the person.
Although she was frowning, she showed no signs of waking up. She just avoided his hair and moved a little to the side.
Xie Qingya breathed a sigh of relief, but poked her cheek with some dissatisfaction and muttered softly, "Saucy."
The sound was so soft, like that of a mosquito.
Not to mention that Xu Duanyi was still asleep at this moment, even if she was awake, she wouldn't be able to hear clearly.
Xie Qingya finally agreed to leave, and he walked towards the kitchen in a good mood.
Cooking skills were learned in the past.
There is no such thing as a gentleman staying away from the kitchen in his family.
His father and his brother both knew how to do it, so Xie Qingya followed suit and naturally learned how to do it too.
Originally he was picky.
Military life is not easy, and he has been accustomed to the luxury since he was a child.
I have never been afraid of being physically tired, but I am very picky about the food I eat.
Therefore, when he had nothing to do, he loved to learn how to cook from the cook in the barracks, thinking that he could cook for his mother and others when he returned home, so that his mother would not always complain about him being too extravagant.
It’s a pity that they were not in the mood during those years.
Later...
Then there was no chance.
But the idea of cooking for Xu Duanyi has now come true.
It’s not a complete letdown.
As for the kitchen, they had roughly cleaned it up yesterday and had already put away all the seasonings that could be used. Xie Qingya first boiled a pot of hot water and cleaned the pot.
Then he put a handful of washed rice in it.
The ringgit for all the vegetables and the like has not been brought in today, so the only thing we can use now is the bacon that this family left behind.
Xie Qingya specially cut a dozen slices and put them aside, thinking that he would put them in when the porridge was almost ready.
During this period.
Xie Qingya went outside to clean up the weeds.
The weeds outside are too thick.
Not only is it painful to look at, it's also really inconvenient to walk in. Xu Duanyi has such delicate skin, don't go back and scratch her.
The tool he used to cut the grass was his sword.
This sword was a birthday present given to him by his father when he was twelve years old.
I witnessed his youth and followed him into battle.
Although he had almost no chance to use it in recent years, he would always carry it with him wherever he went.
I didn't expect that this precious sword would be used by him to cut weeds.
But Xie Qingya had no regrets in cutting the meat and was very happy about it.
When the golden light completely covered the earth, he had almost cleared up the large patch of weeds, except for the one near the master bedroom, which he had not yet cleaned up.
He was afraid that his noise would be too loud and would disturb Xu Duanyi's sleep.
Xie Qingya thought about waiting for the people to wake up before he went to clean up.
Busy morning.
Xie Qingya didn't feel tired either.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead, looked at the smoke rising from the kitchen, and thought it was almost time, so he went back to the kitchen.
Opening the lid of the pot, the porridge was already cooked and was still bubbling with boiling bubbles. Xie Qingya put the bacon that he had cut earlier into the pot and stirred the porridge with a spatula.
The original color of the bacon makes the white porridge less white.
But its own fragrance soon spreads as the temperature rises, and the smell makes people very hungry.
Bacon itself has a salty taste.
Xie Qingya did not add any extra seasonings to the porridge. He just covered the pot and let it simmer for a while. Then he found a clean large bowl specially used for porridge and soup and put the cooked porridge in it.
He did not delay afterwards.
Taking the porridge bowl, he found two clean soup bowls and a spoon, placed them on the tray, and then carried them together to the master bedroom.
Close to the master bedroom.
Xie Qingya first pricked up his ears and listened a little.
Not hearing any movement coming from the master bedroom, Xie Qingya guessed that Xu Duanyi might not have woken up yet.
He pushed the door open gently and walked in.
I took a look inside first, and sure enough, someone was still sleeping there.
You can tell from her appearance that she is sleeping soundly.
Xie Qingya looked at this scene and couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips, with a soft smile in his eyes.
He carefully closed the door behind him.
It didn't disturb anyone.
Put the tray on the table first.
I was sweating and my clothes were dirty.
Xie Qingya had no plan to go see Xu Duanyi right now. He thought about changing his clothes and washing up first before going to see Xu Duanyi.
But when he finished washing up, there was still no movement outside.
Xie Qingya went out with a handkerchief, wiping his wet hair, and saw Xu Duanyi still lying on the bed, even his lying position had not changed.
There was no timer in the house, so he couldn't tell what time it was. But seeing the golden light all over the ground outside, Xie Qingya guessed that it must be the morning hour.
He had no intention of waking anyone up for dinner.
He sat down on the edge of the bed while wiping his hair, then lowered his head and looked at Xu Duanyi who was still sleeping.
He had intended to let the person fall asleep like this.
The porridge is still hot anyway. If it gets cold, I can go back and heat it up. It’s not a big deal.
But this was the first time for him to watch someone sleep so leisurely.
There's no need to worry about what will happen if she wakes up, and it's okay even if she finds you.
The more you look.
The more he watched, the softer Xie Qingya's heart became.
As he watched, Xie Qingya felt a little itchy again. He wanted to touch her hair and then touch her cheek, as if he couldn't sit still.
Although he has been careful enough.
But Xu Duanyi still showed signs of waking up.
It was indeed time for her to wake up.
She usually gets up at about the same time, so today she got up late.
When he saw her eyelids twitching slightly, as if she was waking up, Xie Qingya nervously withdrew his hand, wondering whether he should get away from here first to avoid being caught.
It's embarrassing again.
But in the end, Xie Qingya still did not leave.
He also wanted Xu Duanyi to open her eyes so that she could see him.
So when Xu Duanyi opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Xie Qingya's face.
Suddenly saw.
Just like Xie Qingya when he just woke up, Xu Duanyi was also a little dazed.
But soon, she came back to her senses. Before she was fully conscious, she smiled at the man subconsciously, her voice soft as if she had just woken up: "When did you wake up?"
Xie Qingya's heart softened when he heard her voice.
He didn't know how many times he had imagined this scene, but he never thought it would actually come true.
"Not long after awakening."
His voice was also very gentle, a gentleness that he himself was not aware of.
Xie Qingya didn't say much, but still asked her softly, "Are you still sleepy? If you are, go back to sleep. It's nothing to worry about anyway."
Xu Duanyi shook his head: "I've slept enough."
She slept very well last night, probably because she was finally able to let out all the things that had been pent up in her heart.
She slept soundly this time and didn't have any dreams the whole night.
"I still have to cook porridge."
She thought Xie Qingya had just gotten up, so she wanted to get up first and cook porridge.
They didn't eat much last night, so they still have some sweet potatoes.
She usually ate little, so she didn't feel anything, she was just worried that Xie Qingya was hungry now.
Unexpectedly, Xie Qingya replied: "It's already cooked."
"Um?"
Xu Duanyi, who had just sat up, was stunned again.
She was still smoothing her hair which was messed up after sleeping, her stunned eyes fell on Xie Qingya's face. She realized belatedly that she could smell the aroma of bacon.
Xu Duanyi asked him helplessly: "Why didn't you wake me up?"
"It's not a big deal." Xie Qingya looked calm as he handed her the clothes beside the bed, then stood up and said, "Get up and wash up first. I'll go get the porridge."
Xu Duanyi looked at him and said okay.
When Xie Qingya went to serve the porridge, Xu Duanyi got up and put on his clothes first. The two of them were busy with their own things and no one disturbed each other.
However, outside, a faint sound was heard at this moment.
Xu Duanyi could not hear this sound, but Xie Qingya had been practicing martial arts since he was a child, so his hearing was much better than that of ordinary people.
He was originally serving porridge.
I was still thinking in my heart, what should I do with Xu Duanyi today?
When Xie Qingya heard this sound, he stopped what he was doing and the cheerful smile on his face gradually turned serious.
"Xie Qingya."
Xu Duanyi called him from inside.
She was thinking that the weather was good today and she could go back and help Xie Qingya clean up the weeds outside.
After all, I don't know how long I will stay here.
She hoped that no matter whether they had a future or not, they could live the present life well.
But after shouting, there was no sound from Xie Qingya.
I don't know what happened.
Xu Duanyi walked out from inside.
Just when I was about to speak, I saw him looking outside with a serious expression.
I don't know what happened.
But seeing Xie Qingya's solemn expression, Xu Duanyi's heart also tensed up.
The handkerchief was tightly clenched in his hand.
Xu Duanyi held his breath and said nothing, just walked towards the person with light steps.
Xie Qingya also turned around at this time.
Seeing Xu Duanyi coming over, he didn't say anything, but just held her hand to comfort her.
Then he put down the spoon in his hand.
He let go of Xu Duanyi's hand, picked up the sword beside him, walked towards the door with light steps.
This moment——
Many thoughts flashed through his mind.
Lingji had his orders and it was impossible for him to just climb over the wall and come in.
Cao Da had already called away Chai Shou and others, so it was naturally impossible for him to send someone specifically to assassinate him.
Could it be some big-name thief who came here to steal?
This notorious bandit is so bold that he dares to come here in Yutian, despite the current environment.
Xie Qingya was thinking as he approached the door. Just as he was about to open it and take a look outside, he heard a familiar, low male voice from outside: "Zhao Zhao, are you in there?"
This sound——
Both Xie Qingya and Xu Duanyi are very familiar with each other.
The two looked at each other, and they could clearly see the surprise in each other's eyes.
But compared to Xu Duanyi's surprise.
When Xie Qingya heard Xiao Yuanxing's voice, he was only briefly startled but not too surprised.
He had expected this.
Whether they are Marquis Wu'an's people or Empress Dowager Xiao's people.
They couldn't possibly let Xu Duanyi stay here in Yutian under the current situation.
They would definitely take her away.
But Xie Qingya didn't expect that the person who came would be Xiao Yuanxing.
He was speechless for a moment.
He could only remain speechless at this moment.
Xie Qingya silently put away the sword in his hand and stopped standing at the door, but he did not dare to look in Xu Duanyi's direction.
He didn't know what she would choose.
Even though she had rejected his proposal last night, the person who came now was her most respected cousin.
Will she really stay?
Xie Qingya didn't know.
He just got started suddenly.
He didn't expect that he would feel hesitant when thinking about these things.
Shouldn't he agree with both hands that they should take Xu Duanyi away? Didn't he always hope that she could leave here?
Why did he hesitate?
How could he hesitate?
When Xie Qingya thought of the hesitation and reluctance in his heart, he couldn't help but felt a deep disgust towards himself.
He felt deeply disgusted with his selfishness.
Xu Duanyi didn't know what he was thinking.
Xie Qingya lowered his head. She couldn't see the expression on his face at the moment, and naturally she didn't know what he was thinking at the moment.
Besides, she was indeed surprised that her cousin would come.
At this moment, her thoughts were all focused on this matter.
After reacting, Xu Duanyi immediately walked towards the door and wanted to open it, but then he thought about the current situation and could only ask through the door: "Cousin? Why are you here?"
Before Xiao Yuanxing could say anything, Xu Duanyi frowned again and said to others, "Yutian is in danger now, you should go back quickly."
"I came to take you away because I knew Yutian was in danger." Xiao Yuanxing's voice came from outside the door.
Before Xu Duanyi could say anything, he continued, "I have already prepared your clothes. The carriage is waiting outside the city. Don't worry, my aunt and I have already made up our minds. We will send you to the hot spring villa outside Beijing. Even if something really happens, we will definitely not let anything happen to you."
Xiao Yuanxing never thought that she would refuse.
So after he finished speaking, he immediately urged others: "Zhao Zhao, time is urgent, we have to leave here immediately."
If other people find out, it will inevitably be inappropriate.
Not only would it affect Zhao Zhao's reputation, it would also cause others to talk about my aunt and the Xiao family.
He had already inquired about it when he came.
Now only a few officials know about this, and the rest of the people in Yutian don't know about it yet.
Now is the best time to take Zhao Zhao away from here.
If it is delayed for a while, when more people know about it, it will be inconvenient.
"cousin--"
Xu Duanyi was about to refuse.
At this moment, there was another noise outside. It was the ringgit that had arrived.
He shouted in a loud voice outside the gate: "Prince, Princess, I'm here to bring you something!"
There was silence for a moment.
Just as Xu Duanyi was about to reject Xiao Yuanxing again and ask him to go back first, Xie Qingya, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up: "I'll go out first."
These words were spoken to both Xu Duanyi and Xiao Yuanxing.
When the door opens.
Xie Qingya stopped again and whispered to Xu Duanyi: "...Go back with your cousin, don't let them worry about you."
After Xie Qingya finished speaking, he opened the door first.
I was afraid that if I walked a step slower, the suppressed reluctance in my heart would surge up again and I would not want to let go.
The door opened.
Xie Qingya avoided Xu Duanyi's gaze and walked out.
Xu Duanyi looked at him as he left. She did not call him at this time. When Xiao Yuanxing's voice was heard again outside, Xu Duanyi withdrew her gaze and said to Xiao Yuanxing outside, "Cousin, let's go talk to the side."
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