"What's there to doubt? You might as well ask me. Aren't you ashamed to keep staring at other men..." Lu Huai pouted and rubbed his palm against hers, making Qin Qi feel a little ticklish, just like a little puppy.
Qin Xi smiled and said, "It's not that I wanted to keep staring at him, I was just really surprised."
"Um?"
Seeing his confusion, Qin Xi took her hand back. "When we went to Jinglin Temple to admire the plum blossoms last time, Zi Hui and I saw him."
Upon hearing this, Lu Huai's eyebrows twitched. "Him? Shangguan Jingci?"
"Hmm." Qin Xi hesitated for a moment, but decided to skip over Shu Hua's matter and focus on the important points: "At that time, I didn't know his identity. Later, I met him again at Yuxianzhai. He said his name was Chu Wangbei. Now it seems that he has entered the capital ahead of schedule."
Chu Wangbei?
Lu Huai frowned, as if he had thought of something, then slowly relaxed.
"So that's why you lost your focus?"
Qin Qi nodded.
Lu Huai exhaled a breath of stale air, pulled her into his arms, his expression unreadable, and said only, "So that's how it is. Perhaps it was just an excuse, a name he made up randomly. You kept looking at him, and I thought you had fallen for someone else."
Qin Xi chuckled and didn't pursue the matter any further.
I slept without any dreams.
Historical records state that in the fourteenth year of Yuming, an envoy from the Kingdom of Qing came to Yu to establish friendly relations. The welcoming banquet on the first day was handled by the Ministry of Rites, and the delegation from Qing was very pleased. Minister Lu Feng received a personal reward from the emperor.
The following day, the envoy personally led them on a tour of the capital, and then took the Crown Prince of Qing to the training grounds. It is said that he was astonished by the towering morale and perfectly synchronized movements of our Great Yu, and immediately ceded five cities to Yu, and a treaty of friendship began to be drafted.
On the third day, the Empress invited noble ladies from the capital to the Sunset Pavilion on the Yunjiang River to compose poems and paint with the Crown Prince of the Qing Kingdom. From royal princesses to daughters of merchants, everyone was filled with enthusiasm.
The Sunset Pavilion is located on the summit of Yuancang Mountain. Its name is derived from the two lines "The sun sets over the distant mountains, the sky is cold and the white houses are poor." The abbot of Jinglin Temple personally named and inscribed the pavilion.
The Sunset Pavilion is located near a maple forest and overlooks the Yunjiang River, hence it is also known by some poets as the Distant Cloud Sunset Pavilion or the Yunjiang Sunset Pavilion. The scenery here is absolutely stunning, making it a rare gem in the capital.
The Empress summoned them here to compose poems and paint, but in reality, it was to allow Shangguan Jingci to meet more women so that he could choose a suitable one to be his Crown Princess.
Shu Hua frowned as she looked at the man in black robes chatting and laughing with someone not far away, tightly gripping the silk handkerchief in her hand. "Yizhi, is this... not a good idea?"
Qin Qi patted her hand reassuringly, "There's nothing wrong with it. You should at least ask him. He should give you an explanation."
"But……"
"There are no 'buts'," Qin Qi sighed softly. "Go."
Shu Hua was silent for a moment before finally letting go of her arm, humming in agreement, then taking a deep breath and mustering her courage to walk towards the pavilion.
Qin Xi watched from behind, feeling somewhat worried. At the welcoming banquet the night before, Shangguan Jingci hadn't acknowledged her, nor had he shown even the slightest surprise; he was probably extremely shrewd.
I wonder what he will say to Zihui...
Qin Xi sighed softly, hoping that Shangguan Jingci wouldn't hurt this silly girl's heart.
...
"Your Highness has such insightful understanding that you can interpret this poem in this way!" Cai Yueshi's eyes lit up slightly as she praised him without reservation.
Shangguan Jingci smiled and said, "Miss Cai, you flatter me."
The sun was shining brightly today, and the Sunset Pavilion was also very bright. Suddenly, everything went dark. Shangguan Jingci looked up in confusion and saw Shu Hua standing in the light with slightly red eyes.
Shangguan Jingci frowned.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
