Chapter 41
◎What if I already have someone else in my heart?◎
Wei Ming knew that Xu Qinghe would definitely come to see him today, so he asked his great aunt for mercy and went straight to her courtyard.
"With the imperial decree, you will be engaged husband and wife. What's wrong with meeting in my palace? Go quickly." Queen Mother Wei took a sip of hot tea and said with a kind smile.
Wei Ming came to Xu Qinghe's courtyard but did not go in. Not long after he was informed, the girl in the cloud-blue dress walked out with light lotus steps.
She just looked at him calmly, then left the yard again and turned to walk to a wide rockery in the Queen Mother Wei's palace.
Wei Ming followed without saying a word, ready to bear all her anger.
But who would have thought that the other party just stood there motionless, looking up at him, and asked very calmly: "Wei Ming, I remember I once told you that I don't have you in my heart, and I will never have you."
Wei Ming lowered his eyes, was silent for a moment, then raised them again and said sincerely:
"I know, but I don't care! Sister Qinghe, I don't care whether you have me in your heart or not. As long as you marry me and can be with me all the time, that's enough."
The girl in front of him frowned, as if she was meeting him for the first time today, and looked at him with a puzzled look.
Wei Ming knew that he was being too stubborn, but he still said:
"When I entered the palace at a young age, my biological mother died young, and your parents also passed away. We are the only two people in the palace who depend on each other. In the future, we can also support each other like this all the way."
Xu Qinghe shook his head, as if disappointed: "But I've already told you, I don't want to."
"I don't care!" Wei Ming suddenly took two steps forward and reached out to hold her thin shoulders:
"I just want you to marry me, marry me! Whether you are willing or not, whether you have me in your heart or not, I don't care!"
Xu Qinghe didn't dodge, but raised his head and said cruelly:
"Even if I already have someone else in my heart, don't you care? You don't care about my opinions or my thoughts, so do you care that there is someone else in my heart?"
Wei Ming was struck by lightning.
He stood there in a daze, his hands pressing heavily on Xu Qinghe's shoulders, not knowing what to do.
"You...you like someone else? Who is it?" Wei Ming seemed to have remembered something, and suddenly realized it, with some joy on his face:
"You mean your ex-fiancé, right? Don't be silly, Qinghe, he's dead. What was his name, Xie Qi, right?
"He's dead, buried in the sea of fire. You'll never see him again, so you can only marry someone else. And the only person in the entire capital who's worthy of you is me, Wei Ming. You have no other choice except me!"
The strength in his hands grew stronger, causing Xu Qinghe to frown.
Seeing this, Wei Ming quickly let go, his anxious expression gone, and asked her softly, "Qinghe, I'm sorry. Did I hurt you? Don't worry, it won't happen again."
Xu Qinghe took the opportunity to step back a few steps to distance himself from him, and replied in a deep voice: "It's not him, it's not Xie Qi."
Wei Ming frowned slightly.
Who else could it be but Xie Qi? She had been living in the inner palace since she came to Beijing, and when she went out, she was always under guard. How could she have the opportunity to interact with other men?
What's more, my great-aunt had already spread the news in the capital that Xu Qinghe would sooner or later become the wife of the Wei family. Who in the capital would dare to covet her?
...No, maybe there is.
He suddenly remembered what happened in the teahouse that day and suddenly grinned: "If it's not your fiancé, who else could it be? Could it be that Wei Che?"
He was being sarcastic, but after seeing the calm expression on the face of the person in front of him, the smile on the corner of his lips gradually faded.
"Could it be... really Wei Che?"
Xu Qinghe: "So what if it is? So what if it isn't? If you want to force me to marry you with the imperial decree—"
She looked up, her expression remaining calm as she spoke these words.
"—There's nothing but death."
After saying that, he didn't even look at Wei Ming again. He just walked past him and left.
Wei Ming was left alone standing there in a daze.
How could it really be Wei Che? They clearly had barely met each other!
He raised his head and took a deep breath.
Even if it was Wei Che, so what? He wouldn't give him a chance.
He had known her since childhood. They were the perfect match, envied by everyone in Beijing. They were childhood sweethearts and a perfect match.
Xu Qinghe could only be his wife, and this had been determined since they first met five years ago.
**
Xu Qinghe walked quickly out of the Queen Mother's palace and came to the garden.
The garden in April was already filled with the fragrance of various flowers. The soil in the garden had just been turned a few days ago, and the fragrance of flowers mixed with the smell of soil penetrated into her nostrils.
She took a deep breath and exhaled heavily, looking at the colorful flowers and the blue sky above her head, and finally recovered from the sudden imperial decree granting her marriage.
"Princess, what should we do?" Nanzhi spoke cautiously.
Xu Qinghe rubbed his forehead, a look of worry between his brows, but soon he became determined again, "Go to Concubine Zhao's palace."
Nanzhi sighed. Although she had already caught up with the princess, she couldn't hide her worry. "Princess, you must think carefully. Once you step into the Imperial Concubine's palace, you will completely break off relations with the Empress Dowager."
Xu Qinghe sneered: "They both pushed me like this, am I really going to just sit there and do nothing?"
When they arrived at Concubine Zhao's palace, she was shocked at first, but then she understood everything in an instant.
The Empress Dowager Wei's decree granting marriage had spread throughout the palace within just one hour, and would spread throughout the capital in another day. It was not surprising that Xu Qinghe came to see her at this time.
Xu Qinghe got straight to the point: "I would like to ask for your help in granting the marriage."
The person who once opposed her suddenly came to ask her for help. Concubine Zhao was secretly happy in her heart and did not hide it on her face.
"What are you talking about, Princess? When did you actually ask me for help? This is truly unheard of."
Xu Qinghe looked up at her and said, "If the Imperial Concubine is unwilling to help, then so be it. I'm sure the Imperial Concubine is also unwilling to pursue the matter of Prince Yong's assassination last year."
She only said this and turned to leave.
"What do you mean?" Concubine Zhao quickly stopped the person.
Xu Qinghe turned around to look at her. Concubine Zhao was still wearing a brightly colored palace dress, but her face showed the concern of a mother for her son.
The current emperor has five sons and nine daughters. The eldest prince, Prince Yong, was born to Concubine Zhao. As the eldest son, he has always been sensible and well-mannered, and was canonized as a prince at a young age.
Last year, the eldest prince's wife gave birth to a grandson, and the emperor promoted him to prince.
However, just two months after Prince Yong's enthronement ceremony, an assassination attempt suddenly occurred in Prince Yong's mansion.
Prince Yong was stabbed in the chest and was finally saved after the joint treatment of dozens of imperial doctors.
However, Concubine Zhao was never able to find out the mastermind behind this.
She always suspected that it was someone sent by the Wei family who did it, and wanted to ask the emperor for an explanation, but she had no evidence.
She has no evidence, but Xu Qinghe does.
She has been in the Empress Dowager's palace for many years, how could she be unaware of the means behind her?
Therefore, even if Wei Che had not reminded her last night, she would have come to find Concubine Zhao with this clue today.
Concubine Zhao really stopped being so polite and invited the person back to sit in the flower hall. She accepted her request for help and asked her about the incident in detail.
**
Wei Che picked up Mr. Wei, who had fallen ill due to the fatigue of the journey, so he didn't want to rush the journey.
The group walked for five full days before finally arriving at dusk at the temporary camp where the army had set up camp on its way back to the capital.
Not all the southern border troops returned to Beijing this time. Most of the troops naturally remained in the southern border and were under the command of military generals.
Most of those who were able to return to the capital with the Duke of Fuguo were people who had made significant contributions. In addition, there were also the Duke of Fuguo's personal soldiers.
Outside the tent, a soldier quickly recognized Wei Che and quickly brought him into the main camp.
Wei Che lifted the curtain and went in. Duke Wei Yiqun was looking through the list of people entering the capital under the lamp.
He was a big man, and although he had taken off his armor, he exuded a murderous aura just by sitting there. The scar on his eyebrow made him look even more majestic.
He looked up after hearing the sound, and saw that the person coming was his son who was supposed to be waiting for him to return home in Beijing.
He looked at Wei Che and narrowed his eyes: "You..."
"My son greets his father!" Wei Che immediately lifted his robe and knelt down, with a few tears in the corners of his eyes.
As a military general, Wei Yiqun has long been able to hide his emotions.
Facing his son whom he hadn't seen for two years, he only uttered a deep "hmm" and asked, "Why are you coming here instead of staying in Beijing to accompany your mother?"
Wei Che stood up and wiped the tears of longing from the corners of his eyes. He had long been accustomed to his father's indifferent attitude.
"Father, please take a look first. Who is this?" He stepped aside to let Master Wei behind him come out.
Wei Yiqun narrowed his eyes again, and the expression on his face finally changed. He quickly stood up and went to meet him.
"Greetings, Duke..." Master Wei was about to bow down, but Wei Yiqun quickly supported him.
"Brother, what are you talking about? You are really embarrassing me."
When they were young, Wei Yiqun had a close relationship with Master Wei. Later, one of them joined the battlefield and entered the official career, while the other moved his family to Yuzhou and embarked on the path of business.
The two exchanged a few pleasantries about the past, and then Master Wei wiped his tears and begged, "Please, Duke, make the decision for me..."
Then, he tearfully recounted how Cen Chuan went to Yuzhou to control the flood, but cut corners, causing the dam to be washed away by the water, and how his only grandson was swept into the flood and died.
Wei Yiqun slammed the table in anger, "How can this be! It is precisely because of these parasites in the court that the people have suffered so much and cannot live and work in peace!"
Then he comforted Master Wei and said, "Don't worry, brother. When I return to the capital, I will report him and seek justice for you!"
Mr. Wei agreed gratefully. The two chatted for a while, and then Wei Yiqun arranged for someone to take him downstairs to rest.
But Wei Che was still in the tent, obviously he had something to say.
Wei Yiqun glanced at his son. Now that only the father and son were left in the tent, he smiled a little and asked, "Did you find this person?"
Wei Che walked over with a smile, poured his father a cup of tea, and said flatteringly: "No one knows a son better than his father. Father is so brave, I really can't hide it from you."
"Tell me, why are you doing this?" Wei Yiqun took the tea and took a sip, a smile in his eyes.
Just as Wei Che said, no one knows a son better than his father. Unlike everyone else in the capital, Wei Yiqun knows best that his son is not an incompetent fool.
Since ancient times, heroes have loved beauties. In his opinion, loving beautiful women is not a serious shortcoming, and he does not think that his son is a mediocre person who only knows how to eat, drink, gamble and have sex.
Otherwise, he would not have found the person from Yuzhou and brought him all the way into his tent.
When his father asked about this, Wei Che blushed and confessed sheepishly, "Father, I want to get married."
Wei Yiqun nodded: "You are indeed already old enough."
His wife had already mentioned her son's marriage in her letters home, and she had always valued a girl from the Zhao family.
But Wei Yiqun felt that this matter was inappropriate, so he just replied and asked her to wait and discuss the matter in detail after he returned to Beijing.
He asked, "Your mother has chosen a girl from the Zhao family for you. What do you think?"
Wei Che shook his head: "My son doesn't want to marry a girl from the Zhao family."
Wei Yiqun: "So you already have someone in mind? Which girl?"
Wei Che: "Princess Xu Qinghe."
"..." Wei Yiqun's hand holding the cup paused slightly and he frowned.
After a long silence, he finally asked, "Xu Qinghe, the orphaned princess of the Nan'an Palace?"
Why did my son fall for her?
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