129 Chapter 129
◎ It wasn't like Xu Qinghe hadn't thought about what it would be like to raise a child with him.◎
On the surface, the emperor of Nanyi Kingdom has only three princes.
But few people know that when the Southern Emperor was still a prince, he was sent to the border to guard the territory when he was frustrated. He went there without his royal family, but there he met a woman from the Jianghu and lived a fairy-tale life with her.
The Southern Emperor was frustrated at that time and did not reveal his identity. Later, when the court urgently summoned him back to the palace, he revealed his identity. Unexpectedly, this aroused the woman's anger, and she left and never saw her again.
The temporary concealment ultimately resulted in the eternal loss of his beloved. In addition, the woman was already pregnant with Nan Di's child when they parted, which made Nan Di regretful. He had been searching for the woman for many years, but to no avail.
Among the three princes in the court, there was no doubt that the crown prince would inherit the throne. However, the crown prince died of illness a few years ago, and the eldest prince has become increasingly sick and weak in recent years. Many people in the court placed their hopes on the third prince, who had made many military achievements.
Unexpectedly, not long ago, the Southern Emperor was assassinated while on patrol outside the palace, and was rescued by a young man in the moment of danger.
The young man blocked a knife for the Southern Emperor, and blood gushed out of his chest, but he still did not forget to hand the blood-stained jade pendant in his hand to the Southern Emperor with trembling hands.
The Southern Emperor looked at the jade pendant and was shocked.
That jade pendant was exactly what he had given to that woman from Jianghu many years ago.
It turns out that the young man who was seriously injured in order to save her is her only flesh and blood left in this world.
It's her bloodline and his.
After the young man was rescued, the Southern Emperor immediately changed his mind and wanted to give the young man the perfect opportunity to go to Da Ling to celebrate his birthday and make friends with Da Ling, and to use this opportunity to announce his identity as the Fourth Prince.
This news was like a huge rock dropped into a river, causing ripples in the already turbulent court.
Naturally, there were people who opposed this and still pushed for the Third Prince to go. However, the Southern Emperor refused and still insisted on letting the Fourth Prince take this opportunity to restore his status.
The two sides were deadlocked for a month before the Southern Emperor was forced to give in under the embarrassment and pressure.
But this matter was kept secret, even the common people of Nanyi Kingdom were not aware of it. How could this romantic prince who was far away in Daling know about it?
Wei Che stood with his arms folded, seeming to see the confusion in Nan Mingzhao's eyes, so he said, "Your Highness, you want to know why I knew about this incident less than two weeks ago?"
He smiled and said, "I believe that the Third Prince has not forgotten the principle of knowing oneself and knowing the enemy."
The spring night breeze is still cool.
The night wind blew across the roof, passed by the willow branches, and finally blew into the alley.
Nan Mingzhao, however, smelled a hint of the past in this unfamiliar scene.
At this moment, the demeanor, tone, and intonation of the man in front of him made him feel as if he were back on the battlefield.
At that time, he was defeated due to carelessness and was shot down by Xie Qi.
Amidst the rising smoke and the neighing of horses' hooves, the young man in silver armor seemed to have the same expression.
He raised his chin, looking extremely proud. "Know yourself and the enemy, and you will never be in danger in a hundred battles; but if you don't know yourself and the enemy, you will be in danger in every battle. How could Your Highness have forgotten this principle?"
When his thoughts came back to him, Nan Mingzhao was shocked.
The man in front of him had actually extended his hand into the court of Nanyi Kingdom!
No, maybe it wasn't him, but his former enemy.
"Where is Xie Qi? I want to see him."
"Forget it, Third Prince."
Wei Che ignored his sudden outburst of anger and simply said, "When the truth about the Third Prince aiding the Southern Border Army comes to light, everything will become clear."
**
When foreign countries came to pay their respects, envoys dressed in various costumes and speaking strange languages often walked through the streets and alleys, adding a bit of liveliness to the already prosperous Kyoto that was different from the past. Many Kyoto locals also rushed out to catch a glimpse of the foreign envoys.
"Hey, have you heard that the mastermind behind the Southern Border War where the Nan'an King and his wife died a few years ago wasn't Xie Huaiyuan."
"Hasn't this matter been decided long ago? Who else could it be if not Xie Huaiyuan?"
"It's the current Duke of Fuguo! I heard that the Duke of Fuguo and General Xie were sworn brothers, but later General Xie was gradually favored by the King of Nan'an, and he became extremely jealous. Later, he secretly contacted the people of Nanyi and planned to lure the King of Nan'an and his wife to Mengyuan Valley and annihilate the 50,000 Southern Border troops!"
"But is there any evidence for this?"
"Why do you think Princess Qinghe gave up the perfect match with Young Master Wei and instead agreed to marry the ill-reputed Prince of the Fuguo Mansion? It was so she could get inside the Wei family and search for evidence! It's a shame the Princess was discovered by Prince Wei one day, and ended up being thrown into the lake."
"Did the princess gather any evidence? If not, wouldn't it be a waste of a year to acknowledge the thief as her father? Well, forget it. The princess is dead now anyway. Even if she did gather evidence, it would probably have disappeared or been found by the Wei family long ago. What's the point?"
"Then you underestimate the princess. She has been on guard for a long time. I heard that the evidence she found has already been sent to Lord Xu."
"Master Xu? But he's the one who joined the Imperial Academy after winning the top spot in the imperial examination last year. I heard he's going to marry the Seventh Princess in a few months, the future consort, Master Xu?"
"Of course it's him. Lord Xu comes from a humble background, unconnected to the complex networks of aristocratic families in the capital. He's truly a disciple of the emperor. Now that he's about to become your majesty's son-in-law, handing the evidence to him is a wise move!"
"This...you speak so convincingly, could it be that there really is something else behind that incident?"
…
In the small courtyard behind the Nianxiangju South Branch, Lin Xiao told the princess everything he had heard in recent days word for word.
The sun was shining brightly at that time, and Xu Qinghe was walking back and forth in the yard, holding his waist.
The doctor said that walking properly during pregnancy is beneficial for women to regulate qi and blood and promote fetal nourishment.
Ever since she unexpectedly met Wei Che in Nianxiangju last time and almost caused trouble, she has reduced the number of times she goes out and just stays in the yard to rest.
He would walk around the yard a few times after dinner every day, and in his spare time he would either do his accounts or paint. His life was quite leisurely.
Although she stayed indoors, she still had Lin Xiao report the latest developments in the capital every three days, to ensure she was kept in the dark about what was happening outside. Lin Xiao was eloquent and told stories with such vividness that it was as if he were playing two roles in front of her, allowing her to hear the rumors in the city clearly.
"Can you find out where this news came from?"
Lin Xiao sighed and said in embarrassment: "The person behind this is so secretive that we really can't find out."
This wasn't actually good news, but Xu Qinghe smiled softly: "If it really could be easily found out, then I must have overestimated him."
After she said this, even without asking, Lin Xiao would know who did it.
Isn’t he the prince who has been indulging in sensual pleasures recently?
But regarding the Prince Wei, Lin Xiao suddenly remembered that he was still hiding something from the princess.
"Princess..."
Under Xu Qinghe's sudden cold gaze, Lin Xiao quickly changed her address: "Madam, I...actually, I have been hiding two things from you these days!"
Xu Qinghe then noticed that the girl suddenly looked as if she was ready to die.
Just at this time, she was already sweating slightly, and thinking that she had walked enough steps today, she simply sat down on the swing set up in the yard.
"Then tell me, what are you hiding from me?"
Lin Xiao said frankly, "In fact, I already knew the identity of the prince before I was sent to the palace to be with the princess. It was the prince who asked Lin Xiao to report the princess's news to him in a timely manner..."
"There's no need to mention this matter again."
The past is gone, and Xu Qinghe doesn't want to think about it again and add to his troubles.
If it was just Wei Che, it would indeed make her feel creepy if he inquired about her for no reason, but it was different if it was Xie Qi.
She knew that he was worried about her, but did not want to reveal his identity, so she asked someone to secretly eavesdrop and pass on the message secretly.
She sat on the swing, swaying gently, her eyes passing over the magnolia tree outside the wall, straight towards the boundless, azure sky.
"What's the second thing you're hiding from me?"
Lin Xiao then said, "...a few days ago, the prince came to see me again and asked about my wife's recent situation."
"...How did he ask it, and how did you answer it?"
Xu Qinghe gripped the thick ropes on both sides of the swing.
When she first moved in here, there was no swing in the yard. It was just that Nanzhi saw that she was depressed and getting thinner due to morning sickness, so he tried to find a way to cheer her up.
She remembered that the Prince of Nan'an had a swing made specifically for the princess in his Nan'an Palace, and later the Prince of Fuguo's Mansion also had one made by him personally in Fenghe Courtyard, so she ordered people to build one in the current courtyard.
Afraid that the princess's delicate palms would be hurt by the rope, Nanzhi specially wrapped several layers of soft and sticky fabric on them, so when Xu Qinghe put his hand on them, he didn't feel any roughness.
During the time when Xu Qinghe was in love with Wei Che, she had thought about what it would be like to raise a child with him.
She thought that if she was diagnosed with pregnancy, that person would be so happy that he would be speechless. If she couldn't eat due to morning sickness, that person would find ways to find her all kinds of appetizers. If she felt sleepy and listless every day, that person would stay by her side all the time and not dare to slack off...
But she thought a lot, but she never imagined that the person in front of her was the lover she had buried deep in her heart.
Forget it, the past is gone, it’s better not to look back.
"What exactly did you answer? You're still silent, but you don't want to confess to me?"
Lin Xiao shrank her neck and said quickly that it was not true. At this time, she finally organized her words and began to tell the story.
She has been frequenting Nianxiangju. Except for hiding when she sees the prince from afar, she always acts in a swagger and does whatever she feels comfortable with.
However, everyone has their own mistakes. She didn't have time to avoid it that day and was caught by the prince who came to Nianxiangju for "entertainment".
In the quiet and elegant room, the prince stood in front of the window with his hands behind his back, playing with a jade pendant in his other hand.
Lin Xiao stood quietly behind him, having already thought of the countermeasures clearly in his mind.
If the prince asked her why she was there, she would answer that she was working here to earn some money for food.
If the prince asked her where the princess was, she would answer that she had been separated from the princess for a long time and knew nothing about it. Besides, she is your wife, don't you know it yourself?
If the prince asked her to take him to find the princess, that would be absolutely impossible...
She had imagined thousands of possibilities in her mind, but she didn't expect that the questions she heard were completely different from these.
"Is she doing well these days?"
"ah?"
Lin Xiao looked up and saw the prince's back in the cool breeze rustling in front of the window. He looked extremely lonely and pitiful.
But now she is the princess's person, so naturally she has to stand on the princess's side.
Forcefully swallowing the word "very good," Lin Xiao replied, "This... Lin Xiao really doesn't know. The last time I saw the princess was last year. She gave me a lot of expensive fabrics to make clothes, but I secretly resold them all for silver. I also wanted to ask the prince about this: did the princess really drown as the rumors spread?"
When she said the last sentence, her eyes turned red with cooperation.
But the prince didn't seem to believe her.
He chuckled softly and said casually, "She is such a soft-hearted person, would she leave you alone in Kyoto where you are unfamiliar with the place? Well, if she doesn't want you to talk, I will naturally not ask any more. But there is one thing -"
He turned around, his brows and eyes looking extremely solemn under the sunlight behind him.
"Take good care of her for me. If you encounter difficulties in the future, even if she can't save face, you must come to me."
【Author’s words】
Some very bad things happened in my life some time ago. Although I got through it with difficulty, I didn't have enough manuscripts in stock at the beginning, so I stopped updating for a long time.
My life is basically stable now. Although I am still very busy recently, I will work hard to become a qualified online writer and try to update my works every day. No matter what happens in the future, it would be best not to stop updating my works.
All in all, I'm really sorry for the hiatus. Thank you for meeting me, thank you for stopping by, and I also belatedly wish you all a happy Dragon Boat Festival and Children's Day.
**
The previous chapter was slightly revised. If you are too lazy to read it all again, you can directly read the summary at the bottom.
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