Chapter 126 Chapter 126

Chapter 126 Chapter 126

Xiao Yuanxing sent his personal guards to the Dali Temple's prison, and he immediately rushed to the palace with Xie Qingya.

An hour later.

They actually found a secret passage in Cao Da's house.

When Xiao Yuanxing saw the secret passage, his face suddenly darkened. He asked people to check where the secret passage led to.

A quarter of an hour later.

There was movement in the secret passage.

Xiao Yuanxing's bodyguards walked out from inside.

He reported to Xiao Yuanxing, "Sir, the secret passage leads to a house. I have checked it and there is no one in the house. However, it looks like it was once occupied. The things displayed are also very nice. It should be the house of Cao the bandit outside."

Xiao Yuanxing looked unhappy, and he exchanged glances with Xie Qingya.

Xie Qingya looked at him and said, "I guess it's the same in the Dali Temple prison. He must be trying to cover it up so that we don't discover the secret of the tunnel."

"What do you think?"

Xiao Yuanxing asked him in a deep voice.

Xie Qingya did not refuse. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Don't make a fuss. Since that house is where Cao Da lives permanently, he will definitely go there when he comes back."

"The premise is that he doesn't know yet, but we already know this place." He looked at Xiao Yuanxing and said.

Xiao Yuanxing knew what he meant and asked the guard he had just sent out, "Did you touch that place just now?"

The guard said hurriedly: "Without your order, I dare not act rashly."

These were his carefully selected personal guards, and Xiao Yuanxing naturally trusted them.

He didn't say anything more, only said to Xie Qingya: "I will be here later, and I will also place some people near that house. If Cao Da dares to show up, I will make sure he can't escape!"

Xiao Yuanxing said in a low voice.

Although we failed to find Cao Da, discovering such a secret passage was a pleasant surprise.

Now we need to search the entire palace to see if there is any trace of Cao Da.

If there is one, we can take the person down; if not, we can also take precautions in advance.

However, he and Xie Qingya were both foreign officials after all.

At this point, I also learned that I had to contact my aunt and let her handle it.

"I'm going to Shoukang Palace now. Would you like to come with me?" Xiao Yuanxing took the initiative to ask Xie Qingya.

Xie Qingya said without hesitation: "Let's go, I'll go pick up Zhao Zhao."

Otherwise, that person might want to keep her by his side and refuse to let her go.

Xiao Yuanxing also had no objection.

He sent someone else to guard here, and then went to Shoukang Palace with Xie Qingya.

The Silijian, which was once the most lively one, has now fallen apart without Cao Da.

Many people who were close to Cao Da were now taken to the Ministry of Punishment and punished according to their crimes. As for those who had no status, they were also dispersed to various places in the palace.

No matter how arrogant they were in the past, they now have to be humble and behave themselves.

The two walked in silence.

When we were almost reaching Shoukang Palace, we saw a group of people coming ahead.

——It turned out to be Liu Xie's carriage.

In addition to Liu Xie, he was surrounded by some veteran officials such as Qu Boyuan, Shen Fu, and Sun Hongde.

Seeing the unconcealable joy on the faces of those old ministers, Xie Qingya knew that the matter that Xiao Yuanxing had talked to him about had been settled.

At least I have told His Majesty.

Xie Qingya's heart sank.

He originally thought that the woman would not act so quickly, but he did not expect that she had informed His Majesty so quickly and even called the old man and the others over.

Looking at the expression on His Majesty's face, it was obvious that he was not as happy as the people around him.

Xie Qingya knew that His Majesty did not like this marriage.

Only sometimes, when you are in such a position, it never matters whether you like it or not.

What's more, he is the emperor.

But looking at the expression on the young emperor's face, Xie Qingya still felt sorry for him and sighed silently.

"Your Majesty, I would like to ask how you are doing." Xiao Yuanxing was the first to greet Liu Xie.

Liu Xie looked in the direction of the sound, and when he saw Xie Qingya standing next to Xiao Yuanxing, his originally gloomy face immediately brightened up. If there were no other officials around him, Liu Xie would have jumped off the imperial carriage at this moment.

He saw his cousin also bowing and greeting him.

Liu Xie tried his best to suppress his inner excitement. He pretended to be calm and let the two people get up. Then he looked directly at Xie Qingya and said, "Prince Nan'an has come at the right time. I just happen to have something to discuss with you."

He then asked the young nobleman to ask someone to put down the imperial carriage.

After coming down, he asked Qu Boyuan and others to go back first.

Several old ministers did not notice his mood at the moment. They just thought that the young emperor was satisfied with today's decision just like them. At this time, they just thought that he really had something to discuss with King Nannan, so they bowed to him and left first.

I plan to go to the Ministry of Rites first to arrange this matter.

Then they can find Qin Tianjian and pick a good day nearby. On the day of the Emperor and Empress' wedding, they will be able to completely take back the seal that belongs to Your Majesty from the Empress Dowager.

This group of old ministers were very happy about this.

At this time, everyone was invited to leave here first.

Xiao Yuanxing saw what they were going to say, so he left first. However, before leaving, he still glanced in the direction of Xie Qingya.

For a moment, the only people left here were the people brought by Liu Xie and Xie Qingya.

"cousin!"

Seeing that everyone else had left, Liu Xie could no longer hold back and immediately walked towards Xie Qingya.

He almost wanted to speak as soon as he saw Xie Qingya.

Xie Qingya first held his arm and whispered, "Your Majesty, follow me."

Liu Xie knew the seriousness of the matter and was afraid that someone might be listening, so he followed Xie Qingya obediently. When they reached a quiet and deserted place, he saw that his cousin had stopped. He could no longer hold back and said to him anxiously, "Cousin, my mother asked me to marry the daughter of the Xiao family!"

Xie Qingya knew what he was going to say.

At this moment, I looked at his anxious face for a long time before I said, "...I know."

When Liu Xie heard this, he was slightly stunned.

The words that were about to come out suddenly stopped at the back of my throat.

"My cousin knows?" Thinking that my cousin had come with Xiao Yuanxing, he asked, "Did Prince Xiao tell my cousin?"

Xie Qingya did not deny it, and hummed: "We met today and talked about Cao Da's matter, and he mentioned it to me."

Finished.

Xie Qingya looked at him again and asked, "You don't want to marry her, do you?"

"I..."

Liu Xie wanted to admit it as soon as he opened his mouth.

But looking at my cousin's face, which was obviously much thinner, I knew that he must have learned the news about Cao Da and immediately rushed back from Liaoning.

Suddenly, I couldn't say "I don't want to".

"I have no idea..."

He finally said this hesitantly.

He lowered his head and said softly, "I know this is the best. My mother said so. The teacher and Mr. Sun are very happy. On the way back just now, they were discussing contacting the Qintianjian and the Ministry of Rites, but I..."

"But you are unhappy. You feel that even your wedding is a place where others will do things for you. You are afraid that even if you take back the power, you will still be at the mercy of others for the rest of your life." Xie Qingya continued his words.

Liu Xie's eyelashes trembled slightly when his thoughts were exposed.

He bit his lip silently and looked at the young man in front of him, whom he had trusted since childhood.

Under Xie Qingya's gaze, his eyes couldn't help but turn red.

"yes......"

He admitted it timidly.

"Cousin, what should I do?" He couldn't control himself and grabbed Xie Qingya's arm. "I, I'm afraid. I'm afraid that if I marry the daughter of the Xiao family and have a child belonging to the Xiao family, they will not want me anymore and I will be useless."

Xie Qingya looked at the boy in front of him, he looked at the boy who had grown up.

The innocent child in childhood can no longer find the former brightness after experiencing so many things.

He is very cautious.

Even though he was wearing a dragon robe that only an emperor could wear, he was still timid, even more timid than when he was a child.

Xie Qingya has always known that his cousin is not suitable to be an emperor. He is only suitable to be a carefree prince in a peaceful and prosperous era, living an idle and miserable life.

But things don't always go as planned.

He was put in this position and he could not escape easily for the rest of his life.

This is also why he feels sorry for his fate.

There was a hint of sadness in Xie Qingya's eyes.

If there was any way, he didn't want to be stuck in this position.

He raised his hand.

After hesitating for a moment in mid-air, she finally placed it on his head and patted it gently.

Liu Xie's eyes became even redder because of his actions.

He knew, he knew very well, that his cousin could not help him this time.

He knows everything.

Xie Qingya looked at him and said hoarsely, "Axie, I can't persuade you, and I don't want to tell you those big truths."

"You understand all those principles."

"But I can promise you that I will protect you for the rest of my life and will never let anything happen to you."

"As long as I live, you will always be the only emperor of our Great Xia, and no one can bully you."

Liu Xie lowered his head and couldn't help crying.

But he only cried for a while, then he wiped his face and raised his head.

"...I know. I will marry her."

Liu Xie spoke to Xie Qingya in a hoarse voice. As he spoke, his eyes fell on his cousin's worried and concerned face. Liu Xie took the initiative to smile at him: "Cousin, don't worry, I won't do anything stupid, and I... won't bully her."

"I know that she is just like me, a poor person who is manipulated by others."

In fact, he didn't dislike Xiao Xinyi.

He had heard from Lord Mei about her background before, which was even more miserable than him.

He just couldn't accept this arrangement for the time being, fearing that he would be manipulated by others for the rest of his life, but he also knew that some things had to be left to this way.

He can't stay ignorant and make his cousins ​​​​worry about him.

For his sake, Lord Mei did not receive a promotion this time, just to show his loyalty to the Queen Mother and make their attitude clear.

He couldn't let his cousin be influenced by him.

Thinking of this, Liu Xie took the initiative to smile at Xie Qingya: "Really, cousin, don't worry."

Xie Qingya looked at his smiling face, but felt even sadder.

But he didn't say anything in the end. He didn't know what to say. He could only tell people about the situation in Cao Da's room and remind them to bring someone with them wherever they go, especially to their own bedroom, and to pay special attention to guarding it and not to stay alone.

Because of Cao Da.

Liu Xie was unable to take care of the matter for the time being as he was about to marry the daughter of the Xiao family.

My mind was filled with the possibility that Cao Da might be in the palace, so I was naturally very nervous.

Xie Qingya entrusted the matter to Xiao Guizi again, asking him to be more careful and send someone to report to him and Mei Xuezheng immediately if there was any unusual movement.

Afterwards, Liu Xie left here first in the imperial carriage.

Xie Qingya stayed where he was, watching him leave in silence until he was out of sight, then he looked away.

I was just about to move forward and go to Shoukang Palace to look for someone.

Before he could think, he turned around and saw Duan Yi walking towards him.

Their eyes met, and Xie Qingya's stunned look, when he saw the smile on Xu Duanyi's face, he couldn't help but reveal a bright smile.

He looked at Duanyi running towards him with a smile and took the initiative to extend his hand to her.

When he held her hand in his palm, Xie Qingya looked at her, with a lot to say, but in the end he just reached out and hugged her silently.

I don't care if someone else shows up here.

Xie Qingya, feeling exhausted, buried his face in Xu Duanyi's shoulder, just like he usually did when they were together in private.

Xu Duanyi didn't ask him what was wrong.

When she met her cousin just now, her cousin told her that His Majesty had called Qingya.

Knowing his mood at that moment, it must be because of the marriage proposal.

There were just some things that were never up to them, so she just patted Xie Qingya's back silently, comforting him in this way.

"Let's go home first."

After a while, Xie Qingya spoke to her in a hoarse voice.

Xu Duanyi naturally would not object.

The two held hands and left the palace wall first.

A few days later.

The imperial decree for the marriage between Xiao Xinyi and Liu Xie came down.

There was a lot of discussion about this matter outside, and no one thought that the Duke of Protectorate actually had a daughter, but the court and the public were very quiet.

Those who hold high positions all know what is going on.

Those who hold low positions, once they see which family the future empress comes from, will know what the matter is about and will not dare to comment on it.

The wedding of the emperor and empress was scheduled for more than a month later.

There was still no news about Cao Da. There was no sign of him inside or outside the palace.

I don't know whether he has left the capital or is hiding somewhere quietly and has not been discovered yet.

But because of this unstable element.

Patrols and guards were strengthened both inside and outside the palace.

The guards around Xie Changning and Xie Pingan were also strengthened.

Not only does it happen openly, it also happens secretly.

The same goes for Xu Duanyi.

Time flies. In the blink of an eye, the end of July has completely passed and August has arrived.

Although there are undercurrents in the capital, they have not stopped.

But on the ninth day of the eighth month, Xu Duanyi still had a good birthday accompanied by the three brothers and sisters of the Xie family.

In those troubled times, she did not make a big deal.

I only went to the palace to have lunch with my aunt at noon, and at night I didn't call anyone else. I just had a home-cooked meal with the Xie brothers and sisters.

The secret tension did not affect the life of the young couple.

You have to live your life the same way you have to live your life.

Xu Duanyi has now completely taken over the power of the palace, and all affairs in the inner court must be approved by her.

But she followed Empress Dowager Zhaoyu since she was young.

In the past, not to mention the accounts of Shoukang Palace, even the accounts in the palace were often calculated and coordinated by her.

Now these are naturally not a problem for her.

When she had time, she would also bring Xie Changning along and teach her.

The eldest princess passed away early, and Xie Changning now only has two older brothers left, so they naturally wouldn't think that much.

But Xu Duanyi couldn't help but think more about her.

This is to prevent her from being looked down upon because of these things when she gets old and gets married, or from being deceived and bullied because of these things.

After Mid-Autumn Festival.

The wedding of the Emperor and Empress had not yet arrived, but another incident occurred in the city.

It also concerns the Xiao family.

Xiao Baozhu's always loving husband actually had another woman outside.

Xiao Baozhu had never suffered any injustice since she was born. She thought she had found a perfect husband and was very proud.

This book is exclusively compiled for you by the LK team. Especially when you go out on weekdays, you see that others are not doing well, and you always hear others say that they have a new concubine in their house. What's worse, your belly is not even moving, but your husband has a child with someone else outside.

She always felt that she had married well.

Although there was a period of time before, after Xie Qingya regained power, many people used this matter to criticize her, saying that if she had not broken off the engagement, she would now be the famous Princess Nan'an.

How come now, she is still just a lady who does not show her face and does not stand out?

She was indeed unhappy for a while because of this.

But every time she saw Liu Xun being so considerate and gentle towards her, she felt that no matter how high their positions were, they could not compare to Liu Xun's love for her.

Who would have thought that while Liu Xun was so gentle to her, he actually had a house outside and kept a woman in it secretly, and he even made her pregnant!

When Xiao Baozhu knew about this, she was extremely angry.

He brought people to smash the house and beat Liu Xun severely. As for the pregnant woman, she was nowhere to be seen. No one knew whether she was hidden by Liu Xun or what.

Xu Duanyi heard that the woman with Liu Xun was not an unknown person, but the daughter of an official in the court.

There is a long history with the pearl.

Baozhu accidentally hurt a woman's face. Later, the family won a good official position because of the woman, with the help of her uncle. However, the woman had not been seen in public for a long time... She did not expect that her appearance would cause such a big incident.

If she said she didn't mean it, I'm afraid no one would believe it, but even if she didn't mean it, it has already happened.

At this moment, Xie Qingya was drawing eyebrows for Xu Duanyi.

Originally, he had planned to take Xu Duanyi for a horse ride outside the city today as it was a day off. After entering autumn, the weather was not as hot as before.

Perfect for horseback hunting.

I never thought that such a trouble would arise.

Due to his status, Xu Duanyi naturally had to visit the Duke's Mansion.

"I said at the beginning that Liu Xun was not a good person, but she was determined to marry him. Now things have turned out like this..." Xu Duanyi couldn't help but feel a headache when he talked about this.

Xie Qingya thought that the success of these two people was actually due to his help.

At first, he only wanted to get rid of the marriage with Xiao Baozhu, and when he saw that Liu was looking for a marriage with the Xiao family, and the two of them seemed to be attracted to each other, he simply created many opportunities for the two to meet in private...

But Xie Qingya didn't expect that Liu Xun would be so brave.

Nothing happened in the Duke of Huguo's Mansion yet, but he dared to look for someone behind Xiao Baozhu's back.

He is really shameless.

In fact, he was too lazy to care about the Xiao family's affairs, but after all, it was a matter of urgency and it was partly because of him, so Xie Qingya said, "I'll have someone beat Liu Xun up later."

Xu Duanyi had always known him, so seeing him like this, she was naturally a little suspicious.

I couldn't help but look up.

Xie Qingya felt a little uneasy when she looked at him, but he still tried to remain calm and said, "Why are you looking at me?"

"You look a little strange." Xu Duanyi looked at him and said.

Xie Qingya became even more frightened when he heard this.

After hesitating for a while, he finally gave in and told the man honestly, "I admit that I did want to bring the two of them together so that I could get rid of my marriage with Xiao Baozhu, but I promise—"

"At most, I just asked someone to pass on some information to Liu Xun about where Xiao Baozhu appeared. I didn't do anything else!"

He was almost about to swear to heaven.

Xu Duanyi had only guessed it before, but he didn't expect it to be true.

"you……"

"I didn't know Liu Xun would be like this."

"Besides, you know your cousin likes sweet talk." Although he said so, Xie Qingya's confidence weakened a lot under Xu Duanyi's gaze.

He put down the rouge in his hand, squatted in front of her, put his arm around her waist, and raised his head to flatter her: "Xu Duanyi, don't be angry with me. At worst, I'll go and apologize to her later."

"Just stop making trouble."

Xu Duanyi pressed his brow helplessly.

Although he only contributed to the incident, it would have been fine if nothing happened. But now that something happened, regardless of whether it was Liu Xun and the others' fault or not, if his uncle and the others knew that Qingya was involved, they would definitely not treat him well.

His uncle and aunt didn't like him in the first place.

"I'll go by myself today." She decided to let Qingya avoid meeting them.

Xie Qingya naturally had no objection to this.

As for the Xiao family's place, there was no normal person there except Xiao Yuanxing's family, so he was too lazy to go there.

"Then I'll take you there."

Xie Qingya said, "It's a good time to go back. I'll go visit Uncle Chen. Uncle Chen...is not doing well."

After hearing the previous words, Xu Duanyi originally wanted to refuse.

But when I heard him say the last sentence and saw his expression become depressed, I knew that he must be feeling bad, so I didn't refuse anymore.

Putting her hands on his face and stroking it gently a few times, Xu Duanyi looked at him and said softly, "Okay."

When Xu Duanyi arrived at the Duke of Huguo's Mansion, he met Xiao Baozhu on the way before he went to her room to see her.

Also met at the same time was Xiao Xinyi.

Her wedding is imminent, and she now has to wait in the Duke's Mansion.

When Xu Duanyi passed by, Xiao Baozhu was having an attack on Xiao Xinyi.

Because of the Liu Xun incident, she had completely lost face recently. Her reputation had been trampled on by others. When she returned home, there was still a so-called twin sister.

This sister——

Others may not know what is going on, but how could the people inside the Xiao government not know?

Xiao Baozhu doesn't understand that much.

She didn't know why her aunt did that, nor did she know why her mother remained silent and condoned this incident.

She just knew that she was unhappy.

No one knew whether she was really unhappy with Xiao Xinyi's existence or just wanted to take advantage of the situation, but Xiao Baozhu looked at Xiao Xinyi with disgust.

When Xu Duanyi arrived.

She even raised her arm and wanted to slap someone in the face.

The maid behind Xiao Xinyi was blocked by someone and could not go forward to stop it. Just as she was about to speak out to beg Xiao Baozhu, a voice came from behind: "Baozhu, stop!"

This palace maid was also given to Xiao Xinyi by Empress Dowager Zhaoyu, so she was naturally familiar with Xu Duanyi.

When she saw Xu Duanyi appear, she felt like she had found a life-saving straw and hurriedly shouted, "Your Highness!"

When Xu Duanyi saw this scene, his face became very ugly.

She looked toward the orb.

When Xiao Baozhu saw her, her expression became a little embarrassed. She put down her hand and greeted Xu Duanyi with courage: "...cousin."

"Tell your people to step back." Xu Duanyi looked at the people and spoke.

Although Xiao Baozhu was reluctant, she did not dare to go against her wishes, so she could only wave her hand and let the person go first.

Xu Duanyi walked over and asked Xiao Xinyi first: "Are you okay?"

This was not the second time they met.

But Xiao Xinyi was a girl of few words, and she knew that she was not popular. Whenever she went to Shoukang Palace, she would not show up. Occasionally, if she was seen, she would just nod and say hello from a distance.

So to be honest, this was the first time they had spoken.

Xiao Xinyi looked at her with some surprise, as if she didn't expect her to come forward to help her.

She shook her head and said, "It's okay."

She did not complain, nor did she interrupt their conversation. She bowed to Xu Duanyi and then said goodbye and left.

Xu Duanyi watched her leave.

Not long after watching, Xiao Baozhu's dissatisfied voice came from behind: "Cousin, why do you care so much about her? I have suffered such a great injustice, but you don't comfort me, but only help others."

When Xu Duanyi heard this, he frowned and turned around.

"Just because you've been wronged, you can bully others? Baozhu, you're so old, and you still don't have any sense of propriety!"

Seeing her angry and aggrieved expression, Xu Duanyi knew that this incident had dealt her a heavy blow. She sighed and said, "Even if you don't like her anymore, she will be the Empress soon. Have you thought about the future if you treat her like this now?"

Xiao Baozhu glared: "How dare she!"

But she is just an illegitimate daughter, just like the one in the palace. She doesn’t look like an emperor even if she puts on a dragon robe!

She just didn't believe she dared to do anything to her!

Xu Duanyi didn't say anything either, just looked at her indifferently.

Under her calm gaze, Xiao Baozhu felt as if she was being looked at by her always strict aunt. Her arrogance seemed to be deflated and she subsided little by little.

Xiao Baozhu finally turned her face away under Xu Duanyi's gaze.

"...I got it. I won't bother her anymore. As long as she doesn't mess with me." Xiao Baozhu didn't want to say anything more. She took Xu Duanyi's arm again and said unhappily, "Cousin, don't talk about her. I'm still bothered by her!"

"I will never let Liu Xun, that scoundrel who eats his own food and eats his own, and Luo Rong, that damned bastard, go!"

Xu Duanyi knew that it would be useless to say more to her, so he didn't say anything more.

After comforting Baozhu, Xu Duanyi met with Ming again and told her what had happened before.

Ask my cousin's wife to help keep an eye on things so that no one gets hurt here.

It just adds to the resentment.

Afterwards, Xu Duanyi had lunch at the Duke's Mansion and prepared to leave.

Unexpectedly, before she went out, she ran into Xiao Xinyi again. She had never had a good talk with her before. Seeing her standing alone under a magnolia tree, Xu Duanyi thought about it and decided to let Shi Yu stay and went over to talk to her.

"Why is it called that?"

Xiao Xinyi was startled by the sudden sound in her ear.

She came back to her senses and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the familiar face.

"The eldest princess."

She whispered hello.

Xu Duanyi looked at her and said, "Don't be so polite, you can call my cousin."

Xiao Xinyi looked at her again, pursed her red lips, and didn't shout out.

Xu Duanyi didn't care and just stood under the tree with her.

This season.

The magnolia flowers are long gone.

"My mother gave it to me." Xiao Xinyi's voice came to her ears, and Xu Duanyi knew that she was answering her earlier question.

She originally thought she wouldn't answer.

Look back.

Xiao Xinyi's face is not outstanding, but she has a unique temperament.

"Is your mother still alive?" she asked Xiao Xinyi.

Xiao Xinyi shook her head: "It was gone a few years ago."

Xu Duanyi didn't know about this beforehand and just said "sorry" to others.

Xiao Xinyi heard this and smiled: "There's nothing to be sorry about."

"Do you want to ask me why I went to Beijing?" She suddenly turned around and asked Xu Duanyi.

Xu Duanyi really wanted to know, so he didn't deny it.

Xiao Xinyi looked at her for a moment, then looked away. She no longer looked at her, but only at the magnolia tree in front of her and said, "My mother brought me to Shanxi, and within a few years, she married my stepfather."

"She has a burden like me, so naturally the man she can marry won't be a good one."

"But my stepfather was actually quite nice. At least he was pretty good to us and never hit or scolded me."

"It's just that his family didn't like us. After my mother left, they wanted to sell me... For me, it doesn't matter where I go. Since I'm going to be sold to someone else anyway, I might as well choose a good buyer for myself."

Xiao Xinyi turned around and looked at Xu Duanyi beside her again: "At least this one still has status, right?"

She thought she would see contempt or frowns on the faces of people around her.

But no.

She just looked at her calmly.

There was no mockery, nor any other expression.

Xu Duanyi had been listening quietly until she finished speaking, then he looked at her and said, "Your Majesty is actually very good. He has been kind since he was young, and he has a long future ahead of him. Even if he was not good at the beginning, it does not mean he will not be good in the future."

Under Xiao Xinyi's stunned gaze, Xu Duanyi nodded to her.

She left a message saying, "I will come to see you off on the wedding day. Your name is nice, and Xinyi has a good meaning." Then Xu Duanyi said goodbye.

Xiao Xinyi stared at her leaving in a daze.

A few days later, it was the wedding of Xiao Xinyi and Liu Xie. As Xu Duanyi had said that day, she went to the Duke of Huguo's Mansion the day before to see her off.

However, not many people in the Duke of Huguo's mansion were really happy about this marriage, especially the Chang mother and daughter. If it weren't for Empress Dowager Zhaoyu's prior words, they probably wouldn't have let Xiao Xinyi enter the mansion.

But whether you are happy or not, the matter is a foregone conclusion.

Xiao Xinyi married Liu Xie on a sunny day.

After the Emperor and Empress' wedding.

Chen Xing's health became worse and worse.

He had been in the army for half his life and had no children. Xie Qingya knew that he did not like to trouble others, and did not want to die in someone else's house and cause trouble to others, so he asked for a reward for him.

Liu Xie personally bestowed on him the title of Earl of Yingyong and also gave him a house in the city.

These days.

When Xu Duanyi has time, he will go to the Yingyong Marquis's mansion with Xie Qingya, and take Changning and Ping'an to visit Chen Xing.

Have a meal and chat, it's lively.

This day.

They had just returned from visiting someone.

Bi Xi then presented a letter, saying that the doorman had delivered it to the prince this morning.

Ever since returning from Liaodong, Xu Duanyi and Xie Qingya have been sleeping in the same place. Apart from meeting people, Xie Qingya would do all his work in Linfeng Pavilion.

When Xu Duanyi heard that it was for Xie Qingya, he didn't care.

While Xie Qingya was reading the letter, she stood by and wiped her hands with a handkerchief. After she had finished wiping her hands, she took off her coat with Bixi's help and was about to talk to Xie Qingya.

He was seen holding the letter in his hand, remaining silent.

Looking at his expression, Xu Duanyi could tell something was wrong. He couldn't help but ask, "Whose letter is it?"

Xie Qingya didn't even raise his head and said, "It was sent from Jizhou."

As soon as he heard these words, Xu Duanyi's eyebrows couldn't help but twitch.

She knew what these words meant.

Let Bixi and the others go down first. Xu Duanyi walked over and asked him softly, "What did you say?"

"The letter from Lou Gaohan said that they already knew about the Battle of Nagano and the existence of Uncle Chen. They plan to go to Beijing soon to visit us and pay their respects at the tombstone of my father and others."

"It's been several months, and you only received it now?" Xu Duanyi frowned.

It has been more than two months, almost three months, since the expedition against Cao Da in Huangji Palace.

Xie Qingya said: "There was a war going on in Jizhou before, so it took some time to contact people."

What he said, of course, was what was said in the letter.

Xu Duanyi did not comment on this answer, but continued to ask: "Which ones are they? All of them?"

All of these naturally refer to the six people that Qingya had mentioned to her before.

"Except Lou Gaohan and Ding Xiu, the remaining four people will come together when the time comes." Xie Qingya said as he put down the letter in his hand.

Xu Duanyi knew that Lou Gaohan was cold.

He has now taken over his father-in-law's previous position and is the commander of the Jizhou Camp.

It's normal for him to be unable to leave given his status.

As for Ding Xiu——

Xu Duanyi had heard his name from Qingya before.

After they came back, those people who were originally assigned by Qingya also sent people to report the news.

At that time, the man in black appeared in the capital.

Among the six people, four of them were always within their surveillance range and could be seen from time to time, so they could be cleared of suspicion.

There is one person, that is, Commander Lou Gaohan, who is also within their supervision range.

His wife and children are dead.

Now he is single and has never remarried. Every June, when his wife and children pass away, he goes to the old house to spend some time alone.

It is believed that the probe reported back.

When the man in black appeared, Lou Gaohan was at home. Although he did not go out, he did not leave either.

There is another one, that is Ding Xiu.

I don't know where he went.

In addition, when Qingya was in Liaodong, he once asked his father who was good at using the plum blossom dart.

My father then mentioned the name of Ding Xiu.

Now, when Xu Duanyi heard that Ding Xiu didn't come, he immediately frowned: "Why didn't Ding Xiu come?"

Xie Qingya looked up and said to her, "He's dead."

"What?"

Xu Duanyi was surprised by this answer and her eyes widened.

Xie Qingya handed the letter in his hand to Xu Duanyi.

After Xu Duanyi reached out to take it, he began to read it at a glance.

This book is compiled exclusively for you by the LK team. The letter was written by Lou Gaohan.

It mentioned the news of Ding Xiu's death.

Ding Xiu has never married and has lived alone since leaving Jizhou Camp. He is a solitary person and often goes out alone.

In addition, his martial arts skills are extremely high.

The spies sent by Xie Qingya were afraid of alerting the enemy and did not dare to get too close to him, so they were unable to accurately capture his whereabouts.

In the letter, Lou Gaohan said.

After he knew the truth of the Battle of Nagano, he immediately sent people to contact his brothers. Only Ding Xiu did not respond. So he sent people to his home and found his dead body in the cellar.

There was also a bottle of poisoned wine beside him.

Due to the urgency of the matter, they needed to deal with Ding Xiu's funeral first and then come to the capital to visit them.

End of the letter.

Lou Gaohan also expressed his apologies for not being able to come, and said that as soon as he had time and could come to the capital, he would come to visit them immediately.

After Xu Duanyi finished reading, he looked towards Xie Qingya.

"So that man in black was really Ding Xiu? He committed suicide by taking poison?" Xu Duanyi still found it unbelievable.

Xie Qingya said hoarsely: "I don't know either."

"It seems like every piece of evidence proves that he is the man in black, but..." He looked hesitant.

Xu Duanyi took over his words and said, "What a coincidence, isn't it?"

"yes."

Xie Qingya looked up at her and continued her words: "What a coincidence."

"I have always felt that the man would not commit suicide by taking poison. If he felt ashamed and repented, he should have committed suicide long ago, instead of going to the capital to kill people and silence them now."

"He values ​​his reputation more than anyone else. How could he commit suicide by taking poison?"

"But if he isn't, then..." Xu Duanyi looked at him, but before he finished speaking, his brows furrowed a little.

Xie Qingya naturally knew what she meant.

If Ding Xiu is not the man in black, then there is only one possibility left for the man in black.

But they don't have conclusive evidence yet.

No matter who it is.

Xie Qingya would not feel good either.

But if it was that person, he would only feel worse.

The reason why Lou Gaohan can reach his current position, in addition to his own abilities, is that among these six people, he is the one his father values ​​the most.

Otherwise, when his father and brother passed away, Lou Gaohan would not have taken over the Jizhou Camp so easily.

Among these six people, Xie Qingya and Lou Gaohan have the best relationship...

His clenched fist was gently wrapped by Xu Duanyi.

Xie Qingya's eyelashes trembled slightly, and he looked to the side, and saw that she was looking at him with concern.

The turmoil in Xie Qingya's heart was soothed by her gaze. After he let out the anger in his heart, he gently held her hand back.

"I'm fine."

"No matter who it is, it's all the same to me."

Xu Duanyi asked him: "So what are you going to do now?"

Xie Qingya held her hand and after a long silence, he said in a hoarse voice, "Wait."

"Jizhou cannot be in chaos."

"As long as it's done, there will definitely be clues left. It's been so long, I don't mind waiting a little longer."

Xu Duanyi naturally wouldn't say anything.

Just thinking of Chen Xing, he couldn't help but hesitate and asked: "What about Uncle Chen..."

Xie Qingya knew what she meant.

But he knows Chen Xing better.

The people in Jizhou Camp were all brothers who had fought side by side with him, whether it was Lou Gaohan or Ding Xiu... no matter who it was, he would only feel pain if he knew.

“…I’m not going to tell him.”

"It has not been easy for him to bear all these things over the years. Rather than going through this with pain, it is better to know nothing."

So he did not tell Uncle Chen about the encounter with the man in black.

Uncle Chen thought that the plum blossom dart on his body was made by Cao Da's men.

Xu Duanyi had no opinion on his decision.

…

Early September.

Xie Qingya personally received these brothers of his father.

They didn't know about the man in black or the plum blossom darts, and Xie Qingya didn't tell them about these things. He just reminded them not to tell Chen Xing about Ding Xiu.

They just thought that he was afraid of making Chen Xing sad, so they tacitly kept silent.

This book is exclusively compiled for you by LK team. On the Double Ninth Festival, Chen Xing suddenly felt like he had a last burst of energy. He was originally bedridden, but suddenly he was full of energy and wanted to climb high.

When people saw him suddenly become energetic, they all knew in their hearts that his life was almost over.

When I heard him say he wanted to climb a high place, I naturally had no objection.

Several people accompanied him to the top of the mountain, and they drank some wine on the mountain and reminisced about the past.

The next morning, when Xie Qingya and Xu Duanyi went to visit him, Chen Xing had already passed away in his sleep.

When he left, there was a smile on his face.

Although he had a rough life for many years, he finally enjoyed himself for a while before leaving and met with old friends.

No regrets.

Xie Qingya and Xu Duanyi personally presided over his funeral, and Shen Fu also came with his son to help.

The funeral was a lively one.

Now that the young emperor is in power, the Xiao family is still as prosperous as ever.

Both Xie Qingya and Xu Duanyi represented power. With them in charge and the young emperor speaking, many officials in the court came over.

Can be reheated.

After a while, it won't cause any commotion anymore.

People have a very short memory.

Not long ago, people were still talking about the Battle of Nagano and Soda on the streets, but a few months have passed, and apart from the people involved, how many people still remember it?

The same is true in the court.

Originally, those officials were afraid that Cao Da would take revenge on them.

But now, although I heard that the person had run away, I haven’t seen him for a long time, so I don’t take it seriously anymore.

Just think of Cao Da as a turtle curled up in one place, living out his days.

Time flies.

After September, winter begins.

Today's winter seems to have come especially early and is especially cold.

Xu Duanyi, who had never liked going out, became even more reluctant to go out. She would only go to the palace to visit Empress Dowager Zhaoyu when the weather was good. She usually stayed in the prince's mansion.

Until the end of the year——

Suddenly, news came out from the palace that Empress Xiao was pregnant.

The news was brought by someone sent by Ming.

Because the pregnancy was not yet three months and the fetus was not stable, it was not announced. But now that Xu Duanyi knew about it, there was no reason not to congratulate her.

So the next morning.

When Xie Qingya took a day off, the couple went to the palace together.

Xu Duanyi originally wanted to pay her respects to her aunt first, and then go to the Weiyang Palace to visit Empress Xiao, but the palace maid who led the way smiled and said to her, "The Empress Dowager is also in the Weiyang Palace now."

Xu Duanyi didn't say anything when she heard it, but she knew in her heart that her aunt should be very happy now.

I just don't know how the two parties involved feel now.

The couple looked at each other at the same time, but said nothing.

The weather is getting colder.

There had been two or three snowfalls earlier, and although the snow had stopped now, the snow was still on the roof, and it was still freezing even though the sun was shining overhead.

When the couple arrived at the Weiyang Palace, before they even entered, they could hear the voice of Empress Dowager Zhaoyu instructing the palace servants.

That one sentence encompassed everything, showing how much she valued this child.

When the palace servants outside reported that Xu Duanyi and Xie Qingya were coming to see the emperor, Empress Dowager Zhaoyu immediately let them in.

Watching Xu Duanyi come in.

Empress Dowager Zhaoyu still showed her concern. She waved to the people and said, "It's so cold. What are you doing here?" It was obvious why she came. Empress Dowager Zhaoyu asked her, "What did your sister-in-law tell you?"

Xu Duanyi smiled and said yes.

She did not go over immediately, but asked the palace maid to take off her shawl and warm her hands. Then she and Xie Qingya greeted the three people present.

Empress Dowager Zhaoyu sat in the middle.

Xiao Xinyi and Liu Xie were sitting on either side of the table. They were listening to what Empress Dowager Zhaoyu was saying.

After Xu Duanyi passed away.

Xiao Xinyi wanted to give her her seat so that she could talk to Empress Dowager Zhaoyu.

Xu Duanyi smiled and held her arm: "You are a married woman now, you can't stand for too long."

Xiao Xinyi glanced at her, then looked at Empress Dowager Zhaoyu behind her.

Empress Dowager Zhaoyu did not say anything against this, but only said to Xu Duanyi: "It just so happens that you two sisters are of similar age, so you can talk more about personal matters. I will go back first."

After Xu Duanyi helped Xiao Xinyi back to her chair, she took the initiative to help Empress Dowager Zhaoyu up and said to her, "I will go with the prince to pay my respects to you later."

If she were alone, Empress Dowager Zhaoyu would naturally be happy to welcome her.

But there is also Xie Qingya.

Empress Dowager Zhaoyu still disliked him and did not welcome him. Upon hearing this, she only glanced indifferently in the direction of Xie Qingya. Even though he behaved very respectfully, she was still too lazy to look at him any more, so she just glanced at him and then looked away.

"It's freezing cold, you should go back early and come back after New Year's Eve."

Xu Duanyi understood what she meant and did not force her aunt and Qingya to ease their relationship.

Now this is good.

"Then I will stay with you for a few more days." She said to Empress Dowager Zhaoyu with a smile.

Empress Dowager Zhaoyu was truly happy now.

She held Xu Duanyi's hand and patted it gently, not letting her see her off. She just gave Liu Xie and Xiao Xinyi a few more words of advice, and then Dan Feng helped her leave first.

After she left.

The atmosphere in Weiyang Palace had obviously eased a bit.

Liu Xie had been silent before, but now he breathed a sigh of relief and sat back in his chair.

His eyes fell on Xiao Xinyi.

Seeing her looking over, he glanced at her unpregnant belly, then retracted his gaze, lowered his eyes and said, "You talk to your cousin's wife, my cousin and I will go play chess over there."

As he spoke, he got up first.

Xie Qingya said nothing, but just glanced at Xu Duanyi. When she nodded, he said nothing more. He bowed to Xiao Xinyi and followed Liu Xie to the side hall.

Xu Duanyi watched Xie Qingya leave, and when she turned around she saw Xiao Xinyi with her hands on her belly, her eyes looking in the direction they were leaving.

Xu Duanyi's heart was as clear as a mirror, but he didn't say much.

"Let me help you sit next door. The sun is shining brightly over there, and it will keep you warm."

Xiao Xinyi followed her voice and looked towards her.

She was still as gentle as before, with a calm and gentle expression on her face, which made people feel calmer just by looking at her.

She murmured yes.

The palace maids behind him wanted to help him, but Xu Duanyi said softly, "Let me do it. I'll go and have a private conversation with the queen. You don't have to follow me."

Naturally, no one dared to question her words, and all the palace maids stopped walking.

Xu Duanyi extended his hand toward Xiao Xinyi.

"No need for help." Xiao Xinyi stood up on her own without asking anyone to help her.

When Xu Duanyi saw her get up, he withdrew his hand.

The two went inside to talk.

Without instructions, the palace maids did not dare to come in. Xu Duanyi saw that the tea in the teapot was tea suitable for pregnant women, so she poured a cup for the maid first.

"Have you always been like this?"

Just as she placed the teacup in front of Xiao Xinyi, Xu Duanyi heard these words.

This statement is incoherent.

Even someone as knowledgeable as Xu Duanyi didn't quite understand at first.

"What?" Xu Duanyi looked at the person and asked.

Xiao Xinyi looked into her eyes and said, "You can make everyone feel comfortable anytime and anywhere, and make people fall in love with you unconsciously."

Xu Duanyi widened his eyes in surprise.

She seemed surprised by her words, but soon she started laughing again.

"How is that possible?"

Xu Duanyi smiled and said, "In this world, there is no one who is liked by everyone, and I am the same."

Xiao Xinyi looked at her, thought for a moment, and shook his head: "I can't think of anyone who would dislike you."

"Thank you, this is a great compliment, I'm very happy." Xu Duanyi narrowed his eyes and poured himself a cup.

She didn't talk about her past, she just looked at her and asked, "How have you been these days?"

It's actually hard to tell from Xiao Xinyi's expression.

This girl is obviously the same age as Baozhu, but it is impossible to tell whether she is happy or disliked. Only earlier, when she saw His Majesty leaving, an expression different from usual appeared on her face.

"Good."

Xiao Xinyi still looked neither happy nor unhappy: "Better than before."

She has always been accustomed to being brief and to the point.

Or maybe, not many people talked to her before.

But she still said one more thing to Xu Duanyi: "You are right, His Majesty is a very kind person."

"His Majesty is good to you, right?" In fact, Xu Duanyi could tell from the double sets of utensils in the inner hall that the two of them must be getting along pretty well these days.

"Um."

Hsin-Yi Hsiao did not deny: "He is very clean and simple."

Xu Duanyi had never seen her smile before, but at this moment he could see a faint and soft smile on her face.

But that smile was fleeting, and disappeared in an instant.

"In fact, I don't want this child to come. This child will scare him. He hasn't slept well for a long time."

While Xiao Xinyi was speaking, she lowered her eyes and looked at her lower abdomen.

Her hands were placed on her belly, which was not yet visible. Xu Duanyi could notice that she was exerting some force uncontrollably.

"My queen——"

She called her in a deep voice.

Seeing Xiao Xinyi looking at him blankly.

Xu Duanyi looked into her eyes and said, "Don't do anything stupid. Even if the child is gone, it won't change the status quo between you and him."

Xiao Xinyi looked at her.

After a while, she looked away and said in a hoarse voice, "...I know."

“Unless I don’t plan to have children in my lifetime.”

She was silent for a long time before she continued, "Actually, he likes it too. When he found out I was pregnant, his initial reaction was happier than anyone else. Sometimes when I fell asleep, he would secretly touch my belly carefully with his hands."

When Xiao Xinyi talked about this, the corners of her lips twitched upwards unconsciously: "He is just that kind of person. Even if he hates someone, he can't bear to really hurt him."

Xiao Xinyi said this and looked outside.

“He is the kindest person I have ever met.”

Xu Duanyi listened quietly.

She waited until she finished speaking before she spoke: "If I say that your aunt will not do anything, you will definitely not believe me, but it is still unknown whether it is a boy or a girl. Even if it is really a prince, he is still young... You can talk to His Majesty. Between husband and wife, the most taboo thing is that you hide it from me and I hide it from you. After hiding it for a while, the two of us will break up."

Xiao Xinyi looked at her and suddenly asked, "Is this what brought you and Prince Nan'an to where you are now?"

"We?"

Xu Duanyi's eyes softened: "Our story is very long, and it cannot be told in just a few words."

"If your majesty wants to listen, I can come to the palace more often to accompany you in the future."

In another side hall, Xie Qingya looked at Liu Xie, who was obviously not in good shape, and suddenly put down the chess piece in his hand.

"No more."

Liu Xie raised his head because of this sentence, but his eyes were still a little confused: "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong with you?"

There were no outsiders here, so Xie Qingya did not treat them with politeness and did not even use honorifics when addressing them.

Liu Xie felt a little overwhelmed under his bright gaze.

He turned his face away: "I'm fine."

Xie Qingya looked at him and said directly, "Do you look like you're okay?"

Liu Xie knew that he couldn't hide it from him, so he rubbed the chess piece in his palm with his fingers and whispered to the person, "I don't know..."

"cousin--"

Liu Xie finally raised his head, looked at Xie Qingya, and said softly: "I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm happy and scared at the same time."

Suddenly someone patted my head.

This action was only done to him by his cousin when he was a child.

Now that he was suddenly patted on the head, Liu Xie couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise.

"What did I tell you before?" Xie Qingya asked him.

Liu Xie's eyes were filled with astonishment, and his mind was blank.

His cousin had talked to him so many times that he had no idea what "before" his cousin was talking about. Which "before" was it?

Xie Qingya obviously saw it too.

Without waiting for him to think for long, she looked at him and said, "Didn't I tell you before, and asked you to believe me, that as long as I am here, no one can do anything to you."

"It's a baby that hasn't been born yet. We don't know if it's a daughter or a son. Even if it's a son, it's still your own. What are you afraid of?"

"Are you afraid of him, or are you afraid that I don't have the ability to protect you?"

Liu Xie finally came to his senses. He said hurriedly, "Of course I believe in my cousin. In my heart, my cousin can do anything."

"Then what are you afraid of?"

Xie Qingya still stared at him and said, "Are you afraid that I will be seduced by the Xiao family because of Xu Duanyi and give up on you in the future?"

"No--"

Liu Xie's eyes widened: "I, I don't think so."

But Liu Xie couldn't explain why he was so scared.

He closed his eyes and thought for a long time, but couldn't figure it out. He could only look at the man and lower his head: "... Sorry, cousin, I'm drunk again."

"You should be sorry."

Xie Qingya looked at him and said, "But you shouldn't apologize to me, but to your wife and children."

Liu Xie's eyes turned red.

He didn't cry. He raised his hand to wipe his face, and then he assured Xie Qingya in a hoarse voice: "I know. I will treat them well and won't have any more crazy thoughts in the future."

Xie Qingya heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this.

He raised his hand and gently rubbed his head, his voice also slowed down a lot: "If you have anything in the future, just tell me, don't let your imagination run wild."

Liu Xie's eyes were still red.

But looking into his eyes, I could see trust.

He looked at Xie Qingya without hesitation and nodded.

Noon.

The four of them had dinner together in the Weiyang Palace.

During the dinner, everyone could sense that Liu Xie's mood had obviously improved a lot.

Wait until lunch is finished.

Xu Duanyi and Xie Qingya left first.

It was rare that Liu Xie did not leave immediately, but sat with Xiao Xinyi for a long time before going to Huangji Palace to work.

When we arrived at the Huangji Palace.

However, he did not go to handle official business first, but went to the inner hall alone.

This inner hall is where Liu Xie usually rests.

But no one knows that there is a tablet for his biological mother here.

His biological mother died in an ignominious manner, and Liu Xie did not dare to hold a public memorial service. Even though he now holds power, he still does not dare to disobey Empress Dowager Zhaoyu and do so.

Therefore, he could only place a tablet and a Buddhist quilt in this small inner hall to worship his biological mother, hoping that she would ascend to heaven soon.

He used to be in the palace when no one spoke.

Whenever he is sad or happy, he will tell it to the tablet of his biological mother.

Today he wanted to tell people something happy.

He wanted to tell her that he was going to have a baby.

Liu Xie went to the inner hall happily and opened the door. Just as he was about to burn a stick of incense for his biological mother, he saw a familiar yet frightening face appear inside the secret room.

Continue read on readnovelmtl.com