Chapter 88 The commotion in the crowd stemmed from…
The commotion in the crowd naturally caught the attention of Xiao Yan Hui and his companions. Upon hearing people mention Miss Xie, Xiao He You looked at Xiao Yan Hui with some concern.
Xiao Yan Hui naturally noticed Xiao He You's gaze as well. She pointed to herself and asked, "You're not here to see me, are you?"
"Judging from this bell, the person coming should be Xie Miaoguo, the youngest daughter of Minister Xie. You are new to the capital and probably don't know yet, but these days the rumors in the capital are going around that His Majesty intends to bestow this Miss Xie Miaoguo as the sixth prince's principal wife."
After speaking, Xiao Heyou's gaze naturally shifted to Qin Ji. Although his father had already sent a letter saying that Qin Ji had already brought his younger sister into the Prince's mansion with great fanfare, treating her as a princess, and that Yan Hui was indeed the princess consort, both publicly and privately, this was a genuine title.
However, as Yan Hui's elder brother, at such a crucial moment, he still needed to personally confirm what his brother-in-law, the Prince, truly meant.
Upon hearing this, Qin Ji instinctively grabbed Xiao Yan Hui's hand. Even though he knew that Xiao He You was doing it for Yan Hui's own good and had no intention of sowing discord, he still couldn't help feeling displeased: "Brother is joking. My palace doesn't have any extra space. Don't bring up such things again."
Xiao Heyou looked at his usually gentle and polite brother-in-law, who was still smiling but whose eyes had turned cold. He had never seen Qin Ji like this before, and he was startled.
But seeing his sister's calm demeanor, while Qin Ji was so nervous, Xiao Heyou's initial surprise quickly turned into relief.
Xiao Heyou glanced casually at the two people who were clasping their hands together in public, seemingly unconcerned, before quickly looking away from their intertwined hands.
He felt a flush on his face and a bit embarrassed. Honestly, even young couples with a good relationship, and he and his wife with a good relationship, weren't this clingy. This... was still somewhat improper.
After coughing twice to cover his mouth, Xiao Heyou continued, "The two young ladies of the Xie family were once praised by His Majesty as 'jade pearls.' When the news of the arranged marriage spread, I inquired a little about this Xie Guo. It is said that... she has a bad temper."
He then seemed to feel that it was inappropriate to gossip about others behind their backs. The main reason was that these were all rumors he had heard, and as someone who had just entered officialdom, he had little opportunity to verify whether those unpleasant rumors were true or not. Bringing them up now would really be seen as spreading gossip.
Xiao Heyou pursed his lips and remained silent.
"Whether she's good or bad, she's someone else's daughter, and it has little to do with us." Seeing Xiao Heyou's embarrassment, Xiao Yanhui immediately changed the subject and talked about his posting to another place.
“Brother, your journey to Luochuan is long and you have brought plenty of people with you. You will need some time to adapt to the unfamiliar place. Your Highness, please select a few guards to escort my brother for the journey. We can send them back after he has settled down there, otherwise I will not feel at ease.”
"Wei Xun." Qin Ji called out to Wei Xun, giving him a look to indicate that he should select a few people as the princess had instructed.
Wei Xun immediately clasped his hands in a fist and replied, "Yes, Your Highness." He then quickly withdrew to select other people.
"Sigh..." Xiao Heyou reached out to stop him, but it was too late; Wei Xun had already disappeared.
"Third sister, I've brought enough people."
To put it bluntly, Xiao Heyou, the son who had just embarked on his official career, was one of the most important gems of the Xiao family. As the eldest son, Xiao Fuyan naturally poured all his resources into him, providing him with ample money and manpower.
However, Xiao Yan was concerned that no matter how many people her adoptive father had prepared, they were still far inferior to the secret guards that Qin Ji had carefully trained.
Qin Ji brought plenty of people with him on this trip back to Beijing, whether openly or secretly. Now that they have arrived safely, their personal safety should be guaranteed. So, it's not difficult to ask a few people to escort their elder brother for a while and stay in Luochuan for a few days until he is settled.
Seeing that Xiao Heyou seemed to want to postpone it, Xiao Yanhui directly reassured him by saying, "Brother, just consider this as reassuring me."
Xiao Heyou's face showed a helpless yet indulgent smile, but his eyes were filled with even more relief. The fact that his third sister could so easily ask the Sixth Prince to allocate his elite guards meant for her showed that she truly had influence with her husband.
Moreover, all the officials, guards, and servants in the Prince's mansion treated his sister with great respect, so it seemed that he didn't need to worry too much about her situation.
"Ring ring... ring..." The melodious and ethereal ringing sound, which was previously faint, was now ringing right next to my ear.
As they were talking, a very beautiful carriage was getting closer and closer.
As the two pure white steeds came to a stop, the jingling of bells emanating from the carriages gradually faded. A lavishly decorated carriage, surrounded by a group of guards and maids, pulled up near the carriage of Prince Cheng's residence. If it weren't for the guards on either side, the carriages would have been practically side by side.
But after the luxurious carriage came to a steady stop, it made no further moves.
Xiao Yan took a closer look at the carriage; it was indeed a magnificent and luxurious vehicle. Her gaze lingered on the bells for a moment; the sound was truly exquisite, and she felt a certain desire for them.
I'll find out who made these bells tomorrow, and then I'll get a few made myself. I can make them smaller; making a few wind chimes would be quite nice.
My thoughts drifted for a moment, then were quickly pulled back.
"Brother just said that the convoy is all set to go and is just waiting for us to come back for a quick visit before setting off. So let's not delay. I wish you a safe journey and that you will achieve great things and protect the region in Luochuan."
Seeing that Xiao Heyou was still hesitating, she simply said, "Why don't you wait until tomorrow to leave, and come back to the palace with us today? We can talk about everything when we get back. We can also have the welcome banquet and the farewell banquet together tonight?"
Xiao Heyou quickly waved his hand: "No, I've already delayed my departure time. Okay, okay, I'll go, alright?" He knew that his sister was worried that if she had any conflict with Miss Xie later, it would be bad for him, after all, her father was now the Minister of Personnel.
"Brother, write back if anything comes up. We're family, so don't be shy." Qin Ji smiled and said goodbye to Xiao Heyou, then pulled a letter from his sleeve and handed it to him.
"The capital is in turmoil; please be careful."
After watching Xiao Heyou leave with the two guards specially selected by Wei Xun, Xiao Yanhui glanced again at the luxurious carriage parked nearby, which made no sound except for the occasional tinkling of bells in the wind, and was filled with doubt.
What are we doing here? Why are we just stopping on the side of the road?
If the person who came was really Xie Miaoguo, then she shouldn't be so quiet! Xiao Heyou was right about one thing earlier: Xie Miaoguo had a bad temper. In Xiao Yanhui's memory of the novel, Madam Xie was the Empress's cousin, and the two Xie sisters had quite a bit of influence with both the Emperor and the Empress.
Unlike her gentle older sister Xie Miaoyi, Xie Miaoguo, as the youngest child in the family, has a somewhat spoiled and arrogant personality.
Could it be that Xie Miaoyi was in the carriage instead of Xie Miaoguo?
That doesn't make sense either. Xie Miaoyi should be staying at her maternal home temporarily, not in the capital. And the only members of the Xie family who could use this iconic carriage were the two sisters.
"Let's go, turn the car around, we should go home." Qin Ji patted Xiao Yan Hui's waist to bring her back to her senses.
"Ignore what's going on over there?" Xiao Yan winked at him.
"Didn't you just say that someone else's daughter is none of our business? Didn't you say you were tired? Hurry up and get in the carriage, you can rest when you get back." Qin Ji grabbed the person's hand again and pulled them toward the carriage.
"Your Highness Prince Cheng." Just then, the Xie family carriage, which had been very noticeable but had remained silent, finally stirred.
The reason Xie Miaoguo hadn't made a move wasn't because her temper had improved, but because she had been hesitating.
Rumors have been circulating in the capital lately that the Emperor is going to bestow a marriage upon her to the Sixth Prince. She herself is, of course, aware of this. Moreover, this isn't just a rumor, as the Empress has already privately hinted at it to her.
However, to Xie Miaoguo, to put it bluntly, she secretly looked down on the Sixth Prince. He was a prince whose maternal family was of lowly status and who had been banished from the capital long ago; previously, this prince was practically invisible in the capital.
His recent rise to fame was merely due to good luck, coinciding with the Yunzhou rebellion, from which he gained some merit for nothing. If those merits hadn't been earned for nothing, it would be even more terrifying. Marrying a husband who had killed without hesitation on the battlefield, Xie Miaoguo felt she would have nightmares.
So she came here today to make things difficult for the sixth prince, but after seeing him in person, she realized how handsome he was.
His posture was as upright as a pine tree, and his face was exceptionally handsome. His deep-set eyes, high nose bridge, and perfectly shaped lips combined to create an almost sharp, elegant and dashing demeanor.
He simply stood there quietly, his expression calm yet possessing an undeniable air of authority and composure, completely unlike the image she had of him as a good-for-nothing who coveted others' credit or a brute covered in blood!
So she... hesitated. If it was such a handsome man, it seemed like they could be a decent match for each other.
She hasn't come out yet because she hasn't had time to adjust her mindset or change her attitude.
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