Chapter 70
Xiao Jie was having a great time and wouldn't be able to come back for a while. Huan Tong brought over a table, chairs and a heater: "Master, please sit down and wait."
Lin Qingyu ordered: "Move another chair to Butler Xi."
"You are too polite, Madam." Xi Rong lowered his eyebrows and said submissively, "Xi Rong is just a servant, how can I sit with the general's wife."
Lin Qingyu said calmly: "Your Highness doesn't regard Butler Xi as a servant, so Butler Xi doesn't have to mention the word 'servant' all the time."
No matter what Xi Rong was thinking, he remained humble on the surface: "Your Highness is like this. He often plays with the servants in the mansion. Your Highness does not know the rules, and Xi Rong dare not not understand."
Lin Qingyu smiled slightly, but a hint of coldness rose in his eyes: "It seems that Butler Xi is unwilling to drink my cup of tea no matter what."
"Madam, you are so beautiful and charming, and there is no one like you. How can a coarse person like me have the honor of drinking with you?"
Lin Qingyu no longer forced himself and said calmly, "It's up to you."
Xi Rong stood behind Lin Qingyu, silently looking at this beauty who was famous in the capital. Lin Qingyu's appearance is impeccable. Just by sitting quietly and sipping tea, she can turn the cold training ground into a beautiful painting.
However, the more breathtakingly beautiful a woman is, the more dangerous she is. Lin Qingyu first married Marquis Lu and then General Gu. She was once a close minister to the emperor, but now she can enter and leave the palace even though she has no official position. How could such a person not have any scheming or cunning intentions?
Lin Qingyu noticed Xi Rong's gaze and said, "Butler Xi, why don't you look at His Highness carefully and see what I am doing?"
Xi Rong was exposed by Lin Qingyu, but he remained calm: "I was looking at the tea in Madam's hand. Just now, His Highness praised your tea and said it tasted better than the tea in the palace. I wonder if Madam can reveal the secret so that I can learn more."
Lin Qingyu put down the teacup in the book and said, "Butler Xi really thinks of Your Highness in every way. When Your Highness goes to the fiefdom in the future, you will also go with him, right?"
“It’s natural.”
"Are you willing?"
Xi Rong's narrow eyes shrank in shock: "I don't understand what Madam means."
Lin Qingyu caught the slight change on Xi Rong's face, and the corner of his mouth twitched intriguingly: "If you stay in the capital, stay in the palace, Steward Xi may become the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department; but once you follow the prince to the fiefdom, you can only be a eunuch steward forever."
The word "eunuch" pierced deeply into Xi Rong's bones. But he had been stabbed so many times that he could always keep his distance no matter where he was: "Eunuch holding the seal... Madam, do you know what these four words mean?"
"The eunuch who holds the seal of the Imperial Household Department is also known as the 'Prime Minister'. He is the most powerful person in the inner court. What do you think this means?"
Xi Rong's face darkened. He was born feminine, and his gloomy look made Huantong, who was standing beside him, feel a chill down her spine. "Madam General, aren't you afraid of some minor misunderstandings when you say these things?"
Lin Qingyu asked back: "Then you misunderstood?"
When speaking to a smart person, be brief. Xi Rong obviously understood what he meant, but remained silent, pretending not to understand.
His reaction was within Lin Qingyu's expectations. Although Gu Fuzhou and Xiao Jie had some friendship, it could only be said that they were casual acquaintances. Xi Rong and he only met twice. As Gu Fuzhou said, it is indeed too early to conspire for big things now. Lin Qingyu said this just as a slight test, and Xi Rong's silence had already given him the answer.
Since Xi Rong doesn't trust him, just give him some sweetness first.
"By the way, His Highness has moved out of the palace and established his own residence, but he is still only the 'Fourth Prince'. I remember when His Majesty was the Crown Prince, his brothers were first conferred the title of Prince. After His Majesty ascended the throne, these princes went to their fiefdoms one after another." Lin Qingyu said, "His Majesty is very busy and ill, so he may have forgotten about this. It would be great if someone could remind him of this."
Xiao Jie's biological mother was just a palace maid in another palace. She gave birth to Xiao Jie after being favored by the emperor overnight. The emperor didn't like this son very much, and Xiao Jie had no outstanding qualities in either literary or military skills. The emperor seldom thought about his son on weekdays. Other ministers would not be so bored as to remind the emperor to give him the title. If they displeased the prince, it would be a waste of time and effort. As a result, the matter of Xiao Jie being crowned king has been delayed until now, and has become a concern for Xi Rong.
Xi Rong also wanted to use this incident to see how capable the general and his wife were, so he smiled and said, "I also hope that Your Highness can be crowned king soon." After responding positively, he added, "So that we can leave the capital, a place of trouble, sooner."
While the two were talking, Xiao Jie had already finished a walk and came back with Gu Fuzhou. Lin Qingyu handed Gu Fuzhou the tea that he had prepared in advance: "General, please have some."
Gu Fuzhou smiled and said, "Thank you, ma'am."
On the other side, Xiao Jie excitedly shared with Xi Rong his feelings about riding the Ferghana horse: "Xiao Bai looks hot-tempered, but he is very well behaved in front of General Gu. He goes wherever the general tells him to go, and he goes fast or slow when the general tells him to go."
Xi Rong said: "It seems that ordinary horses can do this."
"It's different." Xiao Jie waved his hands and explained seriously, "I can clearly feel the difference. Alas, I don't know how to describe it..."
Xi Rong smiled and said, "We have seen the guns and horses. It is getting late. Your Highness should return home."
Lin Qingyu and Gu Fuzhou saw them off. Xiao Jie got on the carriage first. Xi Rong once again apologized for coming uninvited, and thanked them for their hospitality. Finally, he said, "Then we'll take our leave first."
"Wait." Lin Qingyu stopped him, "I'll write down the secret of tea later and give it to Butler Xi next time. Okay?"
Xi Rong bowed and said, "Thank you, Madam."
As soon as the carriage left, Gu Fuzhou rubbed his face and complained, "Why is it so tiring to pretend to be paralyzed?"
Lin Qingyu turned and entered the mansion: "What is it that you don't feel tired doing?"
"Go to sleep." Gu Fuzhou followed behind Lin Qingyu, his hand casually placed on his shoulder, "How was your conversation with Xi Rong?"
"You're right, he's an ambitious man."
Gu Fuzhou smiled and said, "How could I be wrong? I have read the entire book."
"Great, great." Lin Qingyu praised him perfunctorily, "And he should be very concerned about his physical defects. It's understandable that the person he likes smiles innocently in front of him all day long, but he can only watch him get married and have children. If it were me..."
"Wait a minute." Gu Fuzhou frowned, "Someone you like? Who are you talking about?"
"Of course it's Xiao Jie."
Gu Fuzhou was shocked: "Why do you think Xi Rong likes Xiao Jie?"
Lin Qingyu was puzzled: "Didn't you write it? Xiao Cheng and Shen Huaishi, Xiao Jie and Xi Rong."
"Then I also wrote about Xiao Li and the Queen. You don't think there can be anything between this mother and son, do you?" Gu Fuzhou said with a sigh, "I can't believe you are so accepting, Doctor Lin! I am ashamed of myself, ashamed of myself!"
Lin Qingyu was rarely speechless. After hearing what Gu Fuzhou said, it seemed as if his thoughts were very dirty. "It's not love, then what's the relationship." He said coldly, "Don't tell me that Xi Rong is just loyal to Xiao Jie and obeys his orders."
Gu Fuzhou said: "Before Xiao Jie's biological mother was favored by the emperor when she was drunk, she had an affair with a guard and got pregnant. There were few people in the palace and no proper masters. The maid concealed the pregnancy for seven or eight months and successfully gave birth to a baby boy."
Lin Qingyu was surprised and asked, "You mean... Xiao Jie and Xi Rong are half-brothers?"
Gu Fuzhou nodded. "After the palace maid gave birth to Xi Rong, she asked someone to send him out of the palace and give him to a distant relative to raise. The distant relative raised Xi Rong until he was nine years old and then sent him back to the palace. After Xi Rong was castrated, he became a little eunuch beside Xiao Jie. However, the two of them are only supporting characters after all, and they don't have much space in the book. How Xi Rong really views Xiao Jie, only he knows."
"Does Xi Rong know his identity?"
"I know. It is precisely because he knows that he protects Xiao Jie. As he protects him, he becomes ambitious. Why are some people princes and others eunuchs, even though they are born of the same mother? If his prince brother ascends the throne one day, wouldn't he be the elder brother of the ruler of a country?" Having said that, Gu Fuzhou thought that there were some things that he must tell Lin Qingyu in advance. "Qingyu, in the ending of the original book of "Huai Bu Shi Jun", Xi Rong protected Xiao Jie and finally went to the fiefdom with him. I told you before that Xi Rong is a smart man and will not be easily controlled by others. A monarch without any scheming and a eunuch who craves power, and the two of them are brothers, this is not a good thing."
Lin Qingyu knew what Gu Fuzhou wanted to express. He asked: "In the original book, is Xiao Cheng a good emperor?"
Gu Fuzhou smiled sarcastically: "The author didn't write it in detail, but just mentioned it briefly, saying that after Xiao Cheng made Shen Huaishi the queen, Dayu's national fortune prospered and all nations came to pay tribute. Qingyu, if you are a person with a broad mind, you should let him go, so as not to ruin Dayu's national fortune."
Lin Qingyu said indifferently: "According to what you said, Jing Ke should not have gone to assassinate the King of Qin, so as not to delay the unification of the Qin Dynasty?"
Gu Fuzhou raised his eyebrows: "I didn't say that."
Lin Qingyu sneered: "If I can really support Xiao Jie to take the position, I will take good care of the two brothers. If they are unwilling to obey, then I will replace them with someone who is obedient. There are more than one person with the surname Xiao."
"Then you might as well ascend the throne and become emperor yourself." Gu Fuzhou said leisurely, "How does the saying go, are kings, princes, generals and ministers of different species?"
Lin Qingyu glanced at Gu Fuzhou, his eyes shining: "As an emperor, there will be no pleasure in doing bad things - it's meaningless."
Lin Qingyu returned to the study and called Huantong: "Send a name card to Nan'an Marquis's Mansion and tell him that the death anniversary of Young Marquis Lu is approaching and I want to go and burn some incense for him."
Huan Tong was stunned: "Has the young marquis been gone for a year?"
"Um."
Huantong said sadly: "Time flies by so fast."
In addition to Lin Qingyu, Hua Lu also remembered Lu Wancheng's death anniversary and prepared rich offerings early on. When she was preparing dried fruits, she was seen by Gu Fuzhou. When Gu Fuzhou saw so many things, he thought that guests were coming to the house.
Hua Lu was unsure whether to inform the general that the young marquis' death anniversary was approaching, and looked at Lin Qingyu hesitantly. Lin Qingyu asked: "Have you forgotten?"
Gu Fuzhou asked: "Did I forget something?"
Lin Qingyu hesitated for a moment: "Nothing."
Lu Wancheng had a very difficult last period of his life. He was so ill that he was unconscious and naturally couldn't remember the days. Even if the last burst of light lasted for half a day, I couldn't see anything.
It doesn’t matter if Gu Fuzhou doesn’t remember it. This is not something that will make people happy.
The day before Lu Wancheng's death, the first snow of this winter fell in the capital. The snow was falling heavily, and the snow was blowing down in large flakes. In just half a day, the courtyard was covered with snow.
Gu Fuzhou returned to his house after court, and before he had time to change into his official uniform, he found Lin Qingyu in the study: "Qingyu, the snow outside is already very thick, let's go build a snowman."
Lin Qingyu was not interested: "It's not the first time it snows, why build a snowman?"
"It hardly snows in my hometown. For me, it's a waste of life if I don't make a snowman on a snowy day." Gu Fuzhou put his hand in front of Lin Qingyu to prevent him from reading. "Come on, Qingyu, have some fun with your husband today, okay?"
"Let Huantong play with you."
Gu Fuzhou refused to leave even after being driven away: "Doctor Lin is so cold, what happened?"
Lin Qingyu paused: "No."
Gu Fuzhou asked worriedly, "Am I annoying you? Then I'll leave?"
Lin Qingyu was slightly startled, then forced a smile: "Why do you bother me? I just... don't like snow."
Gu Fuzhou seemed to be thinking: "You are because of me..."
Lin Qingyu interrupted him: "If it snows, I don't know when the medicine I dried will be able to dry. For doctors, rainy and snowy days are not as good as sunny days."
Gu Fuzhou did not force him, nor did he go to Huantong to make a snowman. He took a storybook from the bookshelf and read quietly with Lin Qingyu.
The snow fell from day to night, and it felt like there was a layer of frost under the quilt. Perhaps because it was too cold, Lin Qingyu had no desire to sleep. I finally fell asleep, but was suddenly awakened from my dream in the middle of the night.
There was no light in the room, but the outlines of the furniture could be vaguely seen in the moonlight and snow. Lin Qingyu's heart was beating like a drum. He got off the bed barefoot and looked towards the upper bunk.
——The bed was empty.
Lin Qingyu's limbs felt cold, and the scenes in his dream and reality were intertwined. He stood in front of the bed, forcing himself to remain calm, telling himself over and over again that it was just a dream, but his body still froze in place uncontrollably and he couldn't move at all.
It was not until the sound of a door opening creaked behind him that Lin Qingyu turned around abruptly and saw the tall figure of the man.
"Qingyu?" Gu Fuzhou asked in surprise, "Why are you awake too?"
Lin Qingyu opened his mouth and wanted to speak, but couldn't utter a word.
Gu Fuzhou lit the lamp with a tinder, met Lin Qingyu's eyes, his face changed, and he walked quickly to him and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Where have you been?" Lin Qingyu forced himself to speak, only to find that his voice was frighteningly hoarse.
"I woke up hungry in the middle of the night, so I went out and asked Hualu to make me a bowl of noodles." Gu Fuzhou held his cheek, "Why are your eyes red? Are you mad at me for eating alone and you want to cry?"
Gu Fuzhou's palms were warm, making Lin Qingyu's eyes feel even more sore. Lin Qingyu shook his head, lowered his eyelashes, and said softly: "I want to... see if you are still there."
Gu Fuzhou was silent for a moment, then suddenly picked him up and walked towards the bed. Then, he put him on the bed.
Lin Qingyu felt dazed for a moment, feeling that this scene was familiar, and suddenly he had the illusion that he was in a dream.
Gu Fuzhou knelt in front of the bed and looked up at him: "It snowed on the day I died, right?"
Lin Qingyu asked: "Didn't you see it?"
Gu Fuzhou smiled: "Yes, I saw it."
Lin Qingyu's breath was choked, and he gritted his teeth and said, "...liar."
Gu Fuzhou did not comment: "Don't think about the past, I'm fine now."
"I don't think about it often." Lin Qingyu hesitated and said what was in his heart, "I... am a little scared."
He never shows his vulnerable side in front of others, not even in front of Lu Wancheng and Gu Fuzhou. This is the first time.
"Don't be afraid. Think about it, I am using General Gu's body this time. General Gu is so strong, he will definitely not die of illness like last time. I am not going to the battlefield now - even if I go, I will just give bad advice in the account, and I will not die in battle." Gu Fuzhou smiled. Even though he looks like a 30-year-old man, his smile is as bright and clear as a sunny day, "So, I will always be here."
But Lin Qingyu was still worried: "Is it true or not?"
"Really? I swear - I'll write you a letter of guarantee?" Gu Fuzhou said, and really went to the table, spread out paper, and started writing. As he wrote, he laughed again: "But after all, I am twelve years older than you. I guess you will have to send me off in fifty years."
Lin Qingyu turned his head and smiled softly.
Gu Fuzhou heard the laughter and looked up.
The ruthless beauty sat on the bed, with a faint smile on her lips and a deep pool in her eyes, looking at him tenderly.
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