"What do the southerners think of Xie Yi?"

"Virtuous."

After hearing this, Xia Xiao shook his head slightly and didn't like this word very much.

Virtue is too mediocre, even useless. It covers too many aspects and is not representative. As long as a prince or princess does not go too far and cause public outrage, who is not virtuous? But whether they really have such qualities can only be known by getting to know them in depth.

"In fact, I'm not that familiar with him. We weren't in the same class or dormitory at the academy, so we didn't socialize much. If it weren't for the alliance between Daxia and the South Country, we probably wouldn't even have said hello. The first time I really noticed him was when he told me about the engagement."

It is said that people in the academy are the most genuine, so they wanted to hear whether Xie Yi was the same person as the one they heard. They all hoped so, because this marriage could not change anything at this point.

"After I knew my second sister was going to marry him, I asked about him. This prince completely inherited the gentleness and humility of the southerners. He is quite honest in dealing with people and is not very scheming. But I am curious, if he is really that kind of person, why would the emperor give him the opportunity of this marriage?"

"Xiao Er, do you suspect there is a trick?"

"I can't say for sure, but it's definitely not that simple."

Although marriage is not a good thing, no matter Xia Wan or Xie Yi, they have become tools since the moment they were chosen. The meaning of tools is to be used, but Xie Yi is a student of the academy, so such a person is naturally impossible to be used as a transaction object. This leads to another theory that Xie Yi was chosen for this marriage in order to protect his position in Yu Valley.

As long as the marriage is completed, even if Xie Yi is not in Yu Valley, his position will be maintained by Xia Wan as a representative. And because of the latter's identity, the Southern Kingdom will not hurt Xia Wan in order to maintain the Great Xia Covenant and protect its own safety. In this way, it is equivalent to proving that Xie Yi has the appearance of an emperor. Invisibly, the emperor of the Southern Kingdom has chosen him and started to pave the way for him.

This bold guess could not be confirmed, but the five people from the Xia family felt that it was almost certain. However, they made a wrong calculation!

Xie Yi's talent is indeed one of the best, but he is a little soft-hearted and is not suitable to be an emperor. However, the King of the Southern Kingdom has a special opinion on the marriage. At this time, Xie Yi came, and the thoughtful king told everything. Xie Yi needed an explanation, so the King of the Southern Kingdom said:

"Do you blame me for disturbing your practice?"

"Father, it is my duty to share the country's worries."

Xie Yi bent down, with the demeanor of a modest gentleman, but in the eyes of the emperor, he still lacked some temper. The emperor of the Southern Kingdom was not tall, but his eyes were like a flowing river, as if he could see through everything in the Southern Kingdom. He was not a cultivator, which made him look so strange.

"Then do you know why I want you to marry me?"

"I don't know."

At first, when the marriage came to Xie Yi's ears, he thought of the term "starting a family and building a career". The principles left by our ancestors have always been full of wisdom, but he is still in the academy, is it too early? The Southern King supported the dragon head on the dragon throne, and his voice was like drizzling rain, with a little sadness, washing over Xie Yi's body and mind.

"According to common sense, you should not be disturbed by any outside interference when you are practicing in the academy, and you should concentrate on your studies. However, the situation in the Southern Palace is a bit biased."

"Father, are you talking about... Concubine Mei?"

Xie Yi looked at the emperor, who nodded and stood up. He walked down the steps, walked to Xie Yi, and walked around him.

"I am the monarch. I must know the hearts of my ministers and distinguish between loyal ministers and treacherous ministers. Loyal ministers can be rest assured. They can be used by me or follow their hearts. It is all for the good of the Southern Kingdom. As for the treacherous villains who are opportunistic and have no opinions of their own, they must be gathered together. Otherwise, they will form factions privately and fight with each other, which will be a big trouble. The Southern Kingdom is too small to withstand the turmoil. It is precisely because of this that Concubine Mei intervenes in the government. All of this is arranged by me."

Xie Yi could guess these things, but for many reasons, he did not delve too deeply into them. Since he had seen through the emperor's methods, he should just avoid them. If he understood them too deeply and intervened, there would be no benefit. In such matters, he did not need to prove his intelligence, otherwise he would be outsmarted.

Xie Yi acted as if he had no idea and seemed very surprised, and the emperor continued to speak.

"Empress Mei is steady, decisive, and good at finding people's weaknesses. I gave her power, and within a year, she had gathered all the mentally ill people in the court under her command. Many officials were afraid at first, but in the court, without the support of a group, one person can easily be targeted and killed. Most of the tricks played by villains are like this."

"Most of the ministers can guess the reason why Concubine Mei is in power, so they are all quiet and quiet. No matter which side they are on, they are unprecedentedly efficient. In the past two years, the Southern Kingdom has made a lot of progress and can be said to be strong and powerful. But the matter is caused by Concubine Mei, and the matter also comes from her. As the Prince of Rong, Xie Helin has been reorganizing the army for many years, and now his position in the army is comparable to mine."

"Father, are you worried that Concubine Mei and the others will harm you?"

"As an emperor, who wouldn't be afraid of someone stealing his power and usurping his throne, leaving behind a name that will be remembered for eternity? They are not disloyal to me, but I must be on my guard, because I can no longer take back the power they hold, and I cannot do so, otherwise it will only make things even more chaotic."

Xie Yi understood, nodded and asked:

"Is this marriage just a warning to them?"

"Yes! After the marriage, Xia Wan will become another you. She will live in Yu Valley to remind everyone that there is a prince studying in the academy and will return at any time. The two of you will become the weight that balances the scales of King Rong."

The emperor's face showed some fatigue. If he were an ordinary person, who would be suspicious of their own children? But this is the sadness of the emperor. If he is a little suspicious, everyone around him will not trust him.

"Xie Helin wants to become the crown prince, but you are almost surpassing him. Do you understand what I mean?"

"I understand."

A eunuch came into the study. The emperor saw him and closed his eyes and said:

"Go down and rest."

Xie Yi turned around and heard his father say:

"Don't forget my teachings."

Xie Yi nodded silently and walked out of the study. At the door, he saw Xie Helin. The two of them just glanced at each other without saying anything, but nodded to show their friendship. Although they had the same father but different mothers, they were strangers, and even less friendly than strangers. The hostility in each other's eyes explained everything.

Seeing Xie Helin coming, the emperor said meaningfully:

"Xie Yi has been in the academy for a year and has achieved some initial results. After three years, his strength will definitely be higher than yours."

Xie Helin's face turned slightly cold. He knelt on the ground and said:

"Whether I am in the court or in the rain forest, I am willing to dedicate everything I have to the South Country."

A few cold lights flashed in the corners of his eyes, and Xie Helin was unwilling. It was remarkable that Xie Yi entered the academy, but he was only two years behind. Two years ago, he was stronger than Xie Yi now.

"Compared to Xie Yi, I am more optimistic about you. He is a typical southerner. He can be one of the few famous figures in the South, but it is difficult for him to become an emperor. You know that emperors have to be cruel and lonely for the rest of their lives. From the moment they sit on the throne, they have cut off trust and affection with many people."

The words were full of hints. When Xie Helin stood up, he looked at his father. When the father and son looked at each other, there was hope and expectation, but more importantly, there was an unfathomable deep meaning. That deep meaning seemed to be a lie, but Xie Helin was still very excited. This was the first time that his father said it so clearly, he couldn't be lying to him.

The drizzle was still falling. Xie Yi was holding an umbrella and walking along the red-walled corridors, like a lonely ghost in this palace.

What his father said was just for apprehension, and not to be believed completely. This was what his mother had taught him since he was young. As for the position of the emperor, Xie Yi was not interested.

After staying in the academy for a long time, the most obvious change was that his personality had improved. He could choose not to do many things he didn't like, and not to say many things he didn't like. He didn't want to bother with some of the complicated etiquette in the palace.

The changes that the academy has brought to people are so subtle that Xie Yi feels that he has not changed. But when he returns to Yugu, he finds that his resistance to this place has become so much stronger. If he were an ordinary family, perhaps going home would be a kind of destination, but when he returns to the palace, he is just back in the cage.

After walking for a long time, Xie Yi stopped in front of the Golden Pavilion building where guests were received. He did not go to find the Xia family. It was already night, and after traveling for so long, it was time to have a good rest and not be disturbed. But he found the steward. From the steward's words, Xie Yi felt the joy of the Xia family meeting each other, and then explained:

"The weather is a little chilly, prepare the brazier and bring it in anytime if they need it. Also, apply mosquito repellent on the gaps between doors and windows."

The steward agreed to all of them. He had done all of these, but he still needed to do better.

"Your Highness, is there anything else you want to tell me?"

After shaking his head, Xie Yi left. His figure was seen by Xia Xiao and the other two.

On the rooftop, Xia Xiao and Xia Xu stood on both sides of Xia Wan, holding up a special vitality umbrella for her. The rain could not wet her dress at all, but Xia Wan was slightly moved.

"Xie Yi seems to be okay."

This was the first time Xia Wan gave an evaluation of Xie Yi. There was a special tenderness in her eyes that had read countless books, as if she was looking forward to the next story. She had read a lot of books and other people's stories. Although she had experienced a lot, in comparison, love was just a blank sheet of paper.

Although Xia Wan likes a plain life, she also looks forward to a grand life. That kind of yearning exists in the heart of almost every woman. The plain life after a grand life is the most peaceful.

Xia Wan now is a bit like Shu Shuang in the past, whose life was doomed for no apparent reason. They both planned for the worst, but fortunately, the result was not bad. At least now it seems that everything will not lead to the black abyss.

Today is the first night of the Xia family in the Southern Kingdom. Xia Xiao and Xia Xu are very reluctant to part with Xia Wan. Even if the journey is tiring, they will wait until Xia Wan is sleepy before leaving. Three days later, the wedding will be held. At that time, Xia Wan will not only be their sister, but also the consort of the prince of the Southern Kingdom.

The air in the south was moist, giving Xia Wan a relatively comfortable feeling. She slept very soundly, and when she woke up, the rain had stopped and the sky was clear.