threaten
As the sunlight faded, Liu Xu turned his head away and secretly clenched his sleeves—no, rather than saying that he had angered Yan Ji, it was more accurate to say that Yan Ji had deliberately provoked him, causing a lot of trouble and making people unhappy.
Yan Ji is a madman.
Since returning from Fragrant Hills that day, Liu Xu went home, but the Fifth Prince relentlessly came to his door again, his strength so great that he broke the door knocker.
He rented this yard, so he has to pay for anything he damages!
Liu Xu almost lost his composure, took a deep breath and looked at him: "What does Your Highness want with me?"
The Fifth Prince, gentle and refined, said, "Chengzhi, I heard that you were attacked on your way home, so I came to see you."
Upon hearing this, Liu Xu subconsciously touched his injured left arm. This injury was not something he could hide. He and Xie Lingxi had discussed it and specially invited a few spoiled brats to put on a show on South Street, but they hadn't expected to attract this thing.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. My injuries have fully healed."
Yan Ji was just being polite, but seeing that Liu Xu remained unmoved, he smiled and said, "Chengzhi, won't you invite me in for a seat?"
"Your Highness, please speak here if you have something to say."
"Alright, I'm very curious. When did Chengzhi meet San Niang? Although you haven't been in Chang'an for long, you should have heard that San Niang and I grew up together and have a very close relationship. It's just that I've been too busy with things these days and have neglected her, and she's been throwing a tantrum at me."
If Xie Lingxi heard this, he would probably slap him on the spot.
What mischief is His Highness up to now?
Even though the erotic poem had been circulated and the rumors had been heard, Liu Xu simply gave up and said, "I don't know about Your Highness and Third Sister, but it's not Your Highness's place to talk about my affairs with Third Sister."
Yan Ji chuckled lightly, “I’m here to remind Chengzhi that the Xie family is a noble family, so why would they want a son-in-law from a poor background with no official rank? I heard that the Emperor recently appointed you as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. But I think Fei Yun, Chen Liufang and others are upright and cultured, and they should be able to take on this position.”
This is a blatant threat!
He was just a scholar, and he came to the capital with no support. Even if you were the top scholar appointed by the emperor, what could you do in the face of power?
But he was the top scholar appointed by the emperor, a shackle between the emperor and the powerful families. Could the words of a fifth prince with little real power really shake the emperor in the slightest?
Liu Xu remained calm and replied, "Is Your Highness threatening me?"
Yan Ji: "No, I'm here to help you."
"I have heard that Chengzhi has great ambitions, which coincide with my concern for the country. The Third Prince is arrogant, the Sixth Prince is timid, and the Seventh Prince is ignorant of politics. Their ideas are not practical. I want to make the Great Yan strong. Would Chengzhi be willing to help me?"
The "Sanlang, Liulang, and Qilang" mentioned here refer to Yan Ji's brothers. The emperor has not yet granted them permission to establish their own palaces and residences. The crown prince has not yet been appointed, and wolves are waiting for them. Yan Ji was telling the truth; among his brothers, he was indeed the tallest among the short ones, the most outstanding one.
For some reason, Liu Xu felt a strange sensation when he first met this prince, as if a voice was telling him to stay away from Yanji.
So he simply said, "I came to Chang'an just to beg for a living. Your Highness has misjudged me."
...
Another day, when he met Xie Lingxi at the Orchid Pavilion, he brought up the matter. Xie Lingxi comforted him, saying, "His Majesty wants to use your strength to suppress the aristocratic families. How could he let Yan Ji just talk and then abandon you?"
Liu Xu: "What about the rumors circulating in the capital recently?"
Isn't this not only harming the Xie family but also trapping Liu Xu?
Xie Lingxi smiled, but then spoke of something completely unrelated: "The other day, the Empress summoned me to the palace, and guess what she said to me?"
The Empress was born into the powerful Lu family of Boyang, and she was not someone to be trifled with despite her gentle appearance.
That day, an imperial edict arrived at the Xie family. Just like in a previous life, the sun shone brightly, not a breath of wind was blowing, and their father had not returned from court. Only the Xie siblings and their father were at home. Even more strikingly, two eunuchs, one fat and one thin, arrived, their steps trembling, their high-pitched voices proclaiming—"The imperial edict has arrived!"
Xie Lingxi was sketching the spring scene painting by the window when he heard a commotion in the front hall. He went out into the courtyard and saw this scene.
The images from my past life are etched in my mind, like a blank sheet of paper buried deep underground. At this moment, the weather is fine and sunny, but it seems as if a swallow has lowered its head to peck at an insect and accidentally pulled up one end of the paper. I can see that it is already covered with countless inescapable prophecies.
Xie Lingxi was led by her brother to receive the imperial decree. She looked up in deathly silence, and her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.
"...Xie Lingxi, a woman of noble birth, has been specially chosen to be the princess's study companion, and will enter the palace to receive instruction on a chosen day..."
"Study companion?"
Xie Lingxi: "Father never reported my name."
Xie Heng took it and looked at it. "Who added your name... How dare you scheme against my Xie family."
“However,” Xie Heng changed the subject, “a personal decree from the Empress is better than the roundabout ways of the previous dynasty. At least there’s no danger to my life. I’ve already accepted the decree, so what do you think…”
Xie Lingxi snatched the imperial edict and said without turning her head, "Then I shall respectfully obey."
She returned to Zhuozhi Garden, not troubled by being a princess's companion, but thinking about her past life.
It seems that the part about Yan Ji requesting an imperial decree to marry has been put behind us.
She returned to Chang'an, where she met Liu Xu. The two were trapped together on Fragrant Mountain, escaping unscathed, and were then bound together by rumors after descending the mountain. Everything in this life seemed to involve Liu Chengzhi, as if they were tied together by a red thread, inseparable.
wrong.
How can you call it a red line?
Xie Lingxi recalled the divination Zhang Liaoran had performed for her. Now that she thought about it, it was entirely a Taoist practice. He said that after the tribulation of becoming a phoenix, she would enjoy happiness and longevity. Could it really be as he said?
However, Zhang Liaoran is clearly a young man of not that old. In order to pretend to be a high-ranking monk in Xiangshan, he somehow managed to apply wrinkles and a gray beard to his face. This shows that his words, like his face, are not entirely true.
The next day, Xie Lingxi traveled lightly into the palace.
Hearing that the princess born to the Empress was extremely arrogant and loved to compete for attention, Xie Lingxi rummaged through her wardrobe and found a dress with only a few simple water ripple patterns to wear. She didn't wear the exquisite embroidered silk sash at her waist, but casually tied a dull gray brocade belt around her waist, hoping that the princess would not give her a second glance.
The palace tutors were fierce-looking and harsh. If a girl's posture was slightly off, they would grab a stick and whip her waist.
The old teacher who taught poetry and literature was much kinder, but I don't know if he knew my father and brothers or what, because he called my name every time, so I couldn't even daydream.
It's clear that the person behind this has malicious intentions!
In her spare time, Xie Lingxi idly admired the flowers and plants, unaware that several young women had gathered around her. The leader walked up to her and chuckled, "Oh, isn't this Third Sister Xie?"
"Your love poems with that top scholar are flying everywhere. You usually despise associating with us, so why are you here today? Do you really think you can become a study companion to secure a good marriage?"
This girl, named Xu Yuan, was one of Princess Qingping's usual playmates.
Xie Lingxi looked up and sized her up. "What kind of marriage do you think is a good marriage?"
Xu Yuan glanced at her sideways in surprise: "Did you hit your head or something? The other person must naturally come from a prominent family, be elegant, and have achieved some success."
Xie Lingxi smiled: "So, in what way does Liu Xu not fit?"
Whether it was because she appeared too calm or because her words were inappropriate, Xu Yuan raised her voice after hearing this: "How can a country bumpkin like him have such a noble status?"
Even on the day the results were announced, when many girls went to pursue the top scholar, Xu Yuan was certainly not among them. She had vowed since childhood that she would marry the most distinguished man when she grew up. Therefore, seeing Xie Lingxi protecting Liu Xu like this, she felt that the exceptionally intelligent Xie San Niang must have lost her mind.
A gentle breeze blew around, and the Empress's palanquin slowly approached, accompanied by a group of palace maids and eunuchs dressed in colorful and gold-trimmed robes.
Empress Lu propped her head up with her delicate, white fingertips adorned with cardamom, listening to the warbling of orioles among the flowers, when she happened to hear Xie Lingxi's clear, cool voice, neither too loud nor too soft: "Since Pangu separated heaven and earth, all people have been bathed in thunder and rain, and eaten the fruits of nature. At the beginning of this holy dynasty, we are all blessed by the emperor's grace. Under the emperor's feet, how can we distinguish between high and low, noble and lowly?"
As soon as Xie Lingxi finished speaking, she saw the young ladies suddenly bow in one direction as if they were at a loss. She immediately turned around, curtsied, and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress."
Although Empress Lu had given birth to two sons, she still had a graceful figure and few wrinkles on her face, making it impossible to tell her age. Only her pair of dignified eyes revealed her ruthless methods as the head of the six palaces.
She clapped her hands slowly: "What a wonderful thing it is that under the emperor's feet, there is no distinction between the noble and the lowly."
Xie Lingxi felt a pang of unease and lowered her head, saying, "Your Majesty flatters me."
Empress Lu chuckled lightly, "How did you know I was praising you?"
Xie Lingxi: "May I make a guess?"
When Xie Lingxi was young, this empress was just the fourth daughter of the Lu family. Later, the late empress died in childbirth, and the emperor wrote a touching eulogy for her before welcoming the new empress.
He then married another woman from the Lu family, who is the woman he is now.
After hearing this, the Empress shook her head and pointed at Xie Lingxi with her fingertips, "Third Sister Xie, I have something to discuss with you."
She turned and left, with a palace maid carefully supporting her. On the other side, a clever little maid led Xie Lingxi: "Madam, please come with me."
Surrounded by soaring eaves and palaces scattered about, with carved beams and painted rafters, green willows and white pear trees drooping, and swallows flying in pairs in the rain, one can see an exquisite octagonal pavilion after crossing a small bridge and flowing water.
Unlike the wild pavilion in the mountain stream, this pavilion is magnificent and grand, covered with glazed tiles. Standing on the pavilion, one can see the lotus pond swaying in the breeze.
The palace servants then added pastries and berries, arranged the food, and slowly retreated to the side.
Empress Lu stared at Xie Lingxi's attire, chuckled in disbelief, and then handed her something. "Do you know that Yan Ji once came to ask His Majesty for help?"
Xie Lingxi opened it and saw her birth date and time clearly written in vermilion ink. Upon hearing this, she was even more surprised: "This humble woman does not know. This humble woman has never met the Fifth Prince before. May I ask what he seeks?"
I desire to be married to you.
Xie Lingxi frowned, pondering for a moment: "The Emperor won't allow it?"
The Empress laughed and said, "It was before I could even inform His Majesty that Sheng'er had already intercepted it."
"However, nothing stays hidden forever. This note is what I saw in Changming Palace."
Yan Sheng, I never imagined he would be of such use in this life. It must have been Liu Xu's appearance that spurred him on, and Xie Lingxi was also caught up in this favorable wind.
The Empress continued, her voice becoming serious: "I will be frank with you, Sheng'er's principal wife can only be a daughter of the Lu family. Since you and Liu Xu are in love, you should get married as soon as possible and put an end to his thoughts."
Xie Lingxi was about to explain, "Liu Xu and I are not..."
Before he could finish speaking, the Empress interrupted him, her voice leaving no room for argument: "Does it really matter whether it's true or false?"
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