Chapter 103 Chapter 103
Aunt Deng looked at the seriousness on his face and finally breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't say anything more, nor did she ask the prince how he was going to bring the princess back. She just patted his arm gently and said, "I'll ask someone to prepare some food for you. You can have a good rest after eating."
She also felt that Prince Wang had lost a lot of weight recently.
Of course, I want the kitchen to make more food to feed us.
After she finished speaking, she bowed and left, and Butler Sun also left first.
"Your Highness, are you going back to Linfeng Pavilion or the study?" Changfeng asked him from behind.
"Go call your cousin over here. I have something to ask him." Xie Qingya instructed.
Changfeng knew that he wanted to ask about Quan Fangtong, so he didn't say much. He agreed and took Lingji to the study first.
Xie Qingya himself did not follow him to the study, but went to Linfeng Pavilion first.
Xie Qingya came back tonight, and the entire Nan'an Palace was very lively and happy, but no one went out of Linfeng Pavilion.
Their master has not returned yet.
Although Bixi was relieved, she would not go out casually when her master was not around.
I was thinking in my heart that when I give my master a message one day, I will tell him about this.
The master will surely be happy to know that the prince has returned.
But what she didn't expect was that the prince actually came to Linfeng Pavilion on his own initiative.
When she received the news, she was in the corridor with Xiu Yu making shoes for her master.
Although both the palace and the master's family had several embroiderers, some personal items were made by Bi Xi herself.
Talking to Xiuyu.
Suddenly I heard a few greetings coming from the front.
Bixi looked in surprise and saw a familiar figure.
I didn't expect the prince to come here at this time.
Logically speaking, the people in the palace should have told him that the master had not returned yet.
I don't know why he came here this time.
But this is his mansion after all, and this is also his old residence.
Although surprised.
But Bixi still stood up with Xiuyu and went over to greet people.
"The prince is back."
Xie Qingya hummed lightly.
He didn't know why he came here.
Xu Duanyi is obviously not here.
But for some reason, I wanted to come over and take a look.
"I'll go in and take a look."
After Xie Qingya finished speaking, he walked in first without waiting for Bi Xi and the others to say anything.
Bixi frowned and watched him walk in.
She heard several voices coming from her side, "Sister Bixi, what is the prince doing here? His Highness hasn't come back yet," "Will the prince stay here tonight?"... She retracted her gaze and said to them calmly, "It's okay, you guys go do your own things first, I'll go in and ask the prince."
"Xiuyu, go pour a cup of tea and I'll bring it in for the prince."
Everyone agreed, dispersed, and went back to doing their own things.
After Xiuyu finished pouring the tea next door, Bixi asked someone to guard the door and went in carrying the teacup.
When I entered, I saw the prince looking at the painting hanging in the house.
That was painted the day after Xu Duanyi came in.
Now the peach blossoms have faded, but the fruits have ripened and are hanging heavily on the branches, waiting to be enjoyed.
"That was painted the day after the master entered the mansion." Bi Xi put down the teacup and explained to others. She thought Xie Qingya didn't know.
But Xie Qingya actually knew about this from Changfeng a long time ago.
But now is the first time that I can truly stop and appreciate it.
He stared at the painting while asking Bixi, "How is she doing at the villa? Has she said when she will be back?"
Bixi lowered her eyes and replied, "I haven't contacted my master recently."
"So..."
Xie Qingya thought he could get some information from her, but he didn't expect Bixi didn't know either.
I felt a little empty inside for a moment.
He turned his eyes away from the painting. Since his master was not here, he was not going to stay here any longer. He was about to say goodbye to Bixi, but heard her say, "But I think the master must miss you and is worried about you."
Xie Qingya paused before he could finish his words.
He looked towards Bixi.
He knew that none of the maids around Xu Duanyi liked him.
Shi Yu has put it out in the open.
Although the maid named Bi Xi never revealed anything, Xie Qingya knew in his heart that she was the same as Shi Yu.
It's just that she is better at dealing with people than Shi Yu, and is better at concealing her emotions and dislike.
He didn't expect Bixi to say such a thing.
He looked at Bixi and asked, "Do you have anything to say to me?"
Bixi raised her head and looked at him with a little surprise.
But soon, she retracted her gaze, continued to lower her eyes, and said in a respectful and gentle manner: "I do have something to say to you, Your Majesty."
She was the first one to know her master's thoughts, and a few days ago, she learned about her master's plan from Shi Yu.
She knew that to her master, whether it was the prince or the queen mother, they were people she was reluctant to let go of, nor was she willing to hurt.
So she chose to hurt herself, to suffer, and to take everything on herself.
But on what basis?
Why should her master endure all this pain alone?
She couldn't interfere with her master's decision, nor did she dare to really destroy her plan, but she really couldn't bear to see her master suffering like this, and the King of Nangan knew nothing!
"Does your Highness know why the master painted this peach blossom?"
An unexpected opening remark. Xie Qingya didn't seem to expect that Bi Xi called him and wanted to talk to him about this.
He subconsciously glanced at the peach blossoms again.
But because of his pause, Bi Xi thought he didn't know. She didn't expect that he still remembered what happened that year.
"Because you gave her a basket of peaches that year, she fell in love with the peach tree."
"The Empress Dowager saw that she liked it, so she moved several peach trees in the Yu Garden to her courtyard, but she didn't know that the one that the mistress liked from beginning to end was only the peach tree in Linfeng Pavilion."
There were some things she had been holding back for too long.
She is usually calm and taciturn, and looks very introverted, just like her master.
Just some words.
Xu Duanyi might never tell Xie Qingya about this in her lifetime.
But Bixi doesn't have to care.
At this moment, she seemed unable to control her emotions. If she hadn't been concerned about the people outside, she would probably have lost control of her voice.
But even though she was forcing herself to hold it back, her voice was still a little sharper than usual.
"She likes you. She has liked you for a long, long time. Over the years, she has often gone to several places in the palace. Others may not know, but I know very well... Those places are where you and she have been together."
"She couldn't herself see you, and she didn't dare let others know her feelings for you. She could only rely on those memories to make happy."
"My master has no choice. The Queen Mother has great affection for her and has raised her. She cannot refuse what she gives her, and she dare not refuse."
"She can only accept it silently."
"When she was engaged to Prince Wen Zhao, she didn't dare to say anything. Later, when she saw you being arranged to marry, she didn't dare to say anything either."
"In the first year after you left to join the army, the master often came to the palace to visit the princess, but in the second year, she stopped coming, and later she rarely appeared in front of you."
"Some people say that the master stopped coming here because the Nan'an Palace was defeated. What do you think?"
"…Is it because I'm engaged to Xiao Baozhu?"
When Xie Qingya finished speaking, he realized that his voice had become a little hoarse again.
But he had no time to pay attention and just continued to look at Bixi.
Because of his answer, Bixi's expression softened a little and she was no longer as aggressive as before.
She glanced at Xie Qingya, and then replied, "Yes."
"She is the most disciplined and polite person."
"Because my cousin has arranged a marriage with you, it has become a luxury for the master to even come to the palace."
"Over the years, she has not dared to step out of line, for fear of causing inconvenience to others. If it weren't for the fact that my cousin broke off the engagement with you, and Cao Da had set his sights on the master, I'm afraid she would still be thinking about you silently like before, and would not dare to let you know her feelings for you."
"No, even if the master married you, she would never have thought of telling you this."
"She knows she's not welcome, and she doesn't want to bother you."
"If she hadn't thought you were suffering from an epidemic, she would have spent the rest of her life quietly being the Princess of Nan'an and not causing you any more trouble."
"For her, as long as she can marry you and be closer to you, it will be enough to make her happy."
Bixi looked at the emotion in King Nan'an's eyes.
She continued to lower her eyelids and said to him, "I am telling you this only to tell you that my love for you has never changed over the years."
"I don't know what you think of my master, but I beg you to be nice to her, especially don't misunderstand her. She is the last person who will hurt you or betray you."
Xie Qingya was not unaware of Xu Duanyi's feelings for him.
Even if he didn't know it before, the days in the courtyard were enough for him to see Xu Duanyi's feelings for him.
But this was the first time he saw Xu Duanyi's love for him from a third-party perspective.
More profound.
And more thorough.
During the time they were in the courtyard, he also asked Xu Duanyi about her life over the years, but she never showed any sign of being wrong from beginning to end.
She always said everything was fine and her aunt took good care of her.
Her cousin and his wife were also very nice to her.
It's just a bit boring.
Xie Qingya couldn't tell what he was feeling at the moment.
The satisfaction and fullness of being wrapped in Xu Duanyi's complete love, and the sadness and grief for her past, all these complex emotions came all at once and blocked his throat, making him want to hug Xu Duanyi.
It's a pity she's not here.
After a long, long time, he finally uttered a few words in a heavy voice.
"……I see."
He knew why Bixi said this.
Before Bixi could say anything else, he lifted the curtain and looked at her and said, "Don't worry, I won't betray her, let alone deceive her."
"In the future, I will treat her well and repay her for everything I owe her."
"Whatever happens."
After hearing the last sentence, Bixi finally breathed a sigh of relief. She said no more, lowered her head and bowed to the person.
When Xie Qingya returned to the study, Mei Xuezheng had already arrived.
After all, they have been brothers for many years.
Looking at the expression on Xie Qingya's face when he came in, Mei Xuezheng felt something was wrong.
"What's wrong?"
He put down the tea bowl in his hand with a serious look. Guessing a possibility, Mei Xuezheng immediately stood up and asked with an unpleasant expression: "Did something happen to the princess?"
"not."
"Then why do you look like that?"
Mei Xuezheng naturally wouldn't believe what he said, he still asked with a frown.
Xie Qingya knew that if he didn't say anything, he would definitely ask something.
But he didn't want to tell everyone about his relationship with Xu Duanyi, so he simply said, "Her maid told me some things from the past, which have nothing to do with our situation."
After saying this, he walked straight back to the seat opposite him and sat down, and asked about the main business of today's meeting.
"Have you arranged everything for Quan Fangtong?"
Mei Xuezheng glanced at him again after hearing this, then sat back down and said to the others, "It's all arranged."
"Who arranged it?"
Xie Qingya asked him.
This is asking who Quan Fangtong is related to.
Mei Xuezheng looked at him and uttered a name: "Xiao Yuanfu."
As soon as the words fell, Xie Qingya frowned. Mei Xuezheng said to others without waiting for anyone to ask, "This is none of my business. It was Quan Fang who connected me with this connection. I just told him what I think of him. I think he has done a good job in Jiangning over the years and is very suitable for the position of Salt Patrol Officer."
After saying this, he sneered: "They say that the brave will die of their courage and the timid will die of their hunger. Quan Fangtong looked so timid, but I didn't expect him to be so bold when it comes to money."
"At this moment in the limelight, she dared to get in touch with Xiao Yuanfu. Cao Da would be furious if he knew about this."
But this is much more convenient for them.
Originally, Cao Da and the Xiao family had been at odds with each other for a while. Quan Fangtong's decision to go to Xiao Yuanfu was a direct slap in Cao Da's face.
It would be even better if we could take this opportunity to create a bigger rift between Cao Da and the Xiao family.
Mei Xuezheng said, "It would be great if Xiao Yuanfu could be brought down as well this time. I have disliked him for a long time."
"With the evidence we have collected, we should be able to solve the case of Xiao Yuanfu this time, right?" Mei Xuezheng asked Xie Qingya.
This man is neither good at literature nor martial arts, but just because he was born into a good family, he can sit in the position of Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and give orders without any ability.
They investigated Xiao Yuanfu privately.
This person's ability to save money is just as good as Quan Fangtong's, so the two of them are teaming up together this time, and they can be said to be birds of a feather.
The Ministry of Revenue is the most important of the Six Ministries, and its status is similar to that of the Ministry of Personnel.
Moreover, the Ministry of Revenue also manages the national treasury. This book is exclusively sorted out by the LK team for you. Whoever holds the money has the right to speak.
If they can bring down Xiao Yuanfu this time, they may be able to get one of their own into the Ministry of Revenue, so that they won't have to rely on others so much in the future.
Mei Xuezheng is dreaming of a bright future.
Suddenly I heard this sentence: "I plan to find Xiao Yuanxing."
Mei Xuezheng was a little slow to react for a moment, but when he saw the hesitation on Xie Qingya's face, his mind suddenly became clear.
Having known each other for many years, he almost immediately understood what Xie Qingya meant.
He put down his unfinished teacup again, rested his hands on the table, looked at the person and asked in a low voice, "Are you planning to use Xiao Yuanfu's case to cooperate with Xiao Yuanxing?"
Xie Qingya met his gaze and raised his head.
He didn't hide it from him this time: "Yeah."
This book is compiled exclusively for you by the LK team "Are You Crazy?"
Mei Xuezheng was unable to control his voice for a moment.
The noise was so loud that even Changfeng and Lingji, who were outside the door, heard it. They looked at each other and asked, "Prince, are you okay?"
Mei Xuezheng also knew that he had lost his composure.
Although there were people inside and outside, and he didn't have to worry about being overheard by someone with ulterior motives, Mei Xuezheng still tried to calm himself down. After Xie Qingya said "nothing" to the outside, he continued to frown and said in a low voice: "Do you know who Xiao Yuanxing is? He is the head of the Xiao family and the nephew of the one in Shoukang Palace!"
"He is not Princess Jiashun, and he will not consider your past relationship! Tell him, are you really not worried that the one in Shoukang Palace will know? They have been investigating your background, you know that!"
As Mei Xuezheng was talking, he began to get angry.
He tried to slow down his tone and said in a gentle voice, "Qingya, I know you are anxious and I know you want to live a good life with the princess, but that's not how things should be done. What's the difference between you and self-destruction? I don't care whether Xiao Yuanfu lives or dies. Even if he can't get out of that position this time, I don't care, but you can't get into trouble."
"If something happens to you, how can I face my mother in the future? How can I save my face..."
Before he finished speaking, Mei Xuezheng heard another sentence: "Xiao Yuanxing has been to my courtyard."
The words that were not yet fully uttered suddenly got stuck in the throat.
"What?"
He asked in a daze.
After a while, he blinked a few times and asked him, "...When did it happen?"
Xie Qingya did not hide the truth from him and answered truthfully: "On the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival, he came to the courtyard and wanted to take her back."
This was something Mei Xuezheng had not expected.
He did not speak immediately. After a while, he said in a deep voice, "It seems that this Prince Xiao is really good to your eldest princess."
"but--"
He frowned, still worried.
Even if the person is nice to the princess, there is no guarantee that he will really cooperate with Qingya.
They kept it a secret for so many years.
If something goes wrong at this time, then Qingya...
Mei Xuezheng was really worried, but he didn't dare to be worried. He tried to have a good talk with Qingya and make a long-term plan.
He was interrupted again by Xie Qingya's words.
"cousin."
Xie Qingya looked at him and said, "Between Xu Duanyi and I, I can't always let her make the sacrifices."
"You and I both know the difficulties of her identity."
"I can't be so selfish."
"She has done enough for me, now it's my turn."
This book is exclusively compiled for you by the LK team. Mei Xuezheng looked at him and suddenly fell silent.
He was indeed aware of that person's predicament. It was because he was aware of it that he was so shocked by her decisiveness.
He was indeed moved by their love.
But--
After Qingya said this, there is no turning back...
Seeing that his expression had softened, Xie Qingya softened his tone and said to him, "Your Majesty, the situation between you and the Xiao family is not a dead end. If we can convince Xiao Yuanxing, he will only be a help to us."
"That's what I said, but..."
Mei Xuezheng looked at Xie Qingya with a frown on his face, still worried.
He looked at the people and began to talk about the worst possible outcome: "What would you do if Xiao Yuanxing didn't care about the relationship between you and the princess, and didn't care about these things, and directly told the person in Shoukang Palace?"
It's not like Xie Qingya hasn't thought about it.
He also knows that it will be better if he takes it step by step.
Resolve the problem of Quan Fangtong and bring down Cao Da. When you have the confidence, you can discuss it with the person from Shoukang Palace.
But he couldn't wait any longer.
Besides, Xiao Yuanfu is a member of the Xiao family after all.
Even if Xu Duanyi didn't recognize him, she still hated him.
But hate is hate...
In theory, she would always call him "cousin".
If something really happened to Xiao Yuanfu, and it was because of him, how would she deal with herself in front of the Xiao family and Empress Dowager Zhaoyu in the future?
He knows.
If she knew this, she would definitely ask him to put the overall situation first.
Don't worry about her.
But precisely because he knew this, he couldn't just ignore her.
She would risk her life for him, and so would he.
He wanted her to know.
To him, she was as important as his parents, his brother, and the great cause he had been planning for many years.
She was never his choice.
She was his must.
"Ever since I contacted Your Majesty, I have been in danger all the time." Xie Qingya looked at Mei Xuezheng and said.
How could Mei Xuezheng not understand the hidden meaning behind his words?
As early as when Qingya was preparing to embark on this journey, he had already become indifferent to life and death.
Why not him?
Seeing that he looked calm and composed, Mei Xuezheng knew that he could not persuade him. He opened his mouth to speak several times, but finally remained silent.
Finally, he looked at Xie Qingya and said helplessly: "Remember to tell me if there is anything. Don't take it all on yourself."
Xie Qingya knew that he had agreed, and finally smiled.
Thinking of something, he put away the smile on his face and whispered to his friend, "Don't tell His Majesty about this first. If I succeed, everyone will be happy. If I fail, His Majesty doesn't have to suffer any trouble because of me. He is the emperor after all. No matter whether it is the Xiao family or Cao Da, they dare not really do anything to him..."
"He just needs to pretend he knows nothing."
He was not really sure about this matter in the first place.
The only thing he could guarantee was not to involve Mei Xuezheng and His Majesty.
Naturally, I wanted to tell him a few more words.
I thought that if something really happened to him, my cousin would be able to continue to assist His Majesty and take over the handling of the Battle of Nagano.
Although he has been doing very well over the years.
Better than him.
But before Mei Xuezheng could finish listening to what he was about to say, he was so angry that he interrupted him and said, "Shut up!"
He stared at Xie Qingya and said, "When people go to war, the generals know to encourage the people first, but you are different. You haven't even left yet, but you are already thinking about your funeral arrangements!"
Xie Qingya was touched when he saw him like this, but he still replied with a smile: "Weren't you the one who was badmouthing first? I'm just following your words."
"I..."
Mei Xuezheng was choked by his words and was speechless for a while. After a long while, he looked at the man, not knowing what to say, and said, "I will report you to the princess sooner or later."
After Xie Qingya heard him say this, the smile on his face faded a little.
He suddenly looked at the candle in front of him and said softly, "I hope you can go and complain to her sooner."
There really is such a day.
Then the things they wanted to do must have been solved.
At that time, my cousin would no longer have to hide his identity and could enter the Nan'an Palace openly. He and Xu Duanyi would definitely be able to be together happily.
Mei Xuezheng looked at his suddenly depressed mood and couldn't help but feel a little annoyed at what he had just said. He didn't know what else to say to comfort him. He could only raise his arm and pat him on the shoulder gently: "It will be fine."
Xie Qingya smiled at him.
"Um."
He also looks forward to this day coming soon.
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