This time, it was Chu Qingluan's turn to be stunned.
Her pupils shrank slightly, as if she had not expected Xie Yunqi to react like this.
After a while, she retracted her gaze and straightened her back. "Thank you, Prime Minister, you are joking. If a person like you really appeared at the piano concert, I'm afraid you would scare away those 'talented scholars and beautiful ladies'."
The smile on Xie Yunqi's face widened. "Princess, you are wrong. When I was young, I was also known as 'the best in both music and swordsmanship'."
His voice was very low, and seemed to carry a hint of danger.
Chu Qingluan paused for a moment, "What are you doing, Prime Minister Xie? Are you offering yourself for my bed?"
Xie Yunqi did not get angry but laughed: "What if I say so? Then would the princess dare to agree?"
This time, Chu Qingluan really couldn't understand him.
She didn't understand why the old Master Xie, who was so self-disciplined and rite-loving, had become like this after not seeing him for three years.
Chu Qingluan has always known that the Xie family, as the head of the aristocratic family, has always taken it as its mission to divide the imperial power. It can be said that there is a natural chasm between her and Xie Yunqi, and they are opposed to each other.
This time, he actually lowered his status and acted like a worthless person, which made Chu Qingluan unable to figure out his intentions for a moment.
Just as Chu Qingluan was about to speak, there was a sudden sound of hurried horse hooves in the distance, and then two palace maids dressed as eunuchs were seen riding towards them.
"Princess! His Majesty has an urgent decree! Please return to the palace immediately!"
The man who came was the eunuch who served the emperor, Yao Jinzhong.
Chu Qingluan's expression changed: "Eunuch Yao, what happened to my father?"
Yao Jinzhong dismounted and bowed to her, then said, "Princess, three years ago, when His Majesty heard the news of the princess' disappearance, he was heartbroken and his old illness relapsed. He has been busy with government affairs for the past three years and has not had a rest. This time, when he heard that the princess had returned to the capital, he was very happy and could not wait to see the princess, so he ordered this old servant to come and summon you to the palace as soon as possible!"
When Chu Qingluan heard this, instead of feeling relieved, her heart tightened.
Of course, she didn't really think that Yao Jinzhong would say in front of all the officials that his father was in poor health.
But the emperor specially summoned her back to the palace this time, so something must have happened in the palace.
So, Chu Qingluan didn't delay any longer, turned around quickly, grabbed the white horse closest to her, and jumped on it swiftly.
As she moved, the wide red skirt drew a graceful arc in the air. When everyone looked again, she was already sitting upright on the horse, her black hair like ink and her red skirt like fire, outlining a breathtaking silhouette in the sun.
"drive!"
Chu Qingluan let out a clear sigh and rode away immediately. Before leaving, she did not forget to order Pei Yuan: "Pei Yuan! Follow me into the palace!"
Pei Yuan jumped on his horse without hesitation and followed Chu Qingluan...
Behind him, all the officials came to their senses and looked at each other.
However, soon after, everyone tacitly discovered a fact - the horse that the princess had just snatched away seemed to be Prime Minister Xie's vehicle.
As everyone knows, Xie Yunqi is a civil official and rarely rides a horse when traveling, but not riding a horse doesn't mean he doesn't know how to ride one.
On the contrary, he also has excellent riding skills. As the successor carefully cultivated by the Xie family since childhood, Xie Yunqi has received the most rigorous political and martial arts training, which is why he has his current position in the court.
Xie Yunqi stood where he was, watching the red figure rushing away like an arrow, his eyes dark and unclear.
"Sir..." The guard asked cautiously, "Let's..."
"Prepare the sedan chair." Xie Yunqi retracted his gaze and returned to his calm demeanor. "I also want to go to the palace to see the emperor."
At the same time, Chu Qingluan rode his horse through Zhuque Street. The sound of horse hooves was like thunder, scaring the people on both sides to get out of the way.
She felt vaguely uneasy - her father had always been a steady and prudent man, and if it wasn't extremely urgent, he would never have sent Yao Jinzhong here in such a hurry.
"Princess!" Pei Yuan shouted behind him, "There's a market ahead!"
Chu Qingluan did not slow down her horse at all, but whipped the horse even more urgently: "Get out of the way! Everyone, get out of the way!"
The people hurriedly made way for her. Someone with sharp eyes recognized the cinnabar mole on her forehead and exclaimed, "It's Princess Zhaoyang! The princess is back!"
In a flash, the white horse arrived at the palace gate. The guards were about to stop them, but Chu Qingluan held up the jade pendant and said, "I am here by imperial decree. Anyone who stops me will die!"
Seeing this, the guards did not dare to delay and hurriedly opened the palace gate to let the two enter.
The palace gate burst open and she rode straight in. Her red skirt fluttered like a raging flame, leaving a bloody trail between the vermilion walls and green tiles.
Pei Yuan followed closely behind, secretly surprised in his heart - the princess was so anxious, could it be -
"drive!"
Pei Yuan also whipped his horse whip and followed closely.
"Father!"
Arriving at the Yangxin Palace, Chu Qingluan didn't bother to tidy up her messy dress and rushed in. However, she was blocked by a whisk in front of the door.
"Princess, please stay!" Eunuch Cao Zhengxiang said sternly, "Your Majesty has just taken medicine and has gone to bed..."
“Get out of the way!”
Chu Qingluan pushed Cao Zhengxiang away, but froze in place the moment she pushed the door open.
Inside the palace, the Emperor of Chu was lying on the dragon couch with a pale face and a weak look on his face. Kneeling in front of the couch and offering medicine was Concubine Xie in plain clothes.
“Qingluan…” Emperor Chu waved his hand weakly, “Come… cough… cough cough…”
Just after saying a few words, a violent coughing sound suddenly came, as if it was going to shake out the entire chest cavity.
Chu Qingluan hurried forward to help him calm down. As she got closer, a strong bitter smell of medicine filled the hall.
Concubine Xie put down the medicine bowl and saw Chu Qingluan coming back safe and sound. A hint of barely perceptible resentment flashed in her eyes, but she quickly put on a kind smile.
"The princess is back? His Majesty has been missing you for a long time..."
Concubine Xie wiped the corner of the emperor's mouth with a handkerchief, her tone gentle but with a hint of reproach: "The princess has been gone for three years, and your majesty is busy with all kinds of affairs, and there is no one around to help. Although the prince is filial, he is still young after all..."
She glanced at the emperor on the dragon couch with a hint of meaning, and sighed, "It's not so easy to handle the affairs of state."
Chu Qingluan took the handkerchief handed over by the palace maid, carefully wiped the cold sweat from the forehead of the Emperor Chu, and replied without raising her head: "Your Highness, what you said is wrong. The Crown Prince is already over the age of coming of age, and he needs the personal instruction of Prime Minister Xie. If he can't even handle a little government affairs well..."
She paused and met Concubine Xie's eyes: "Wouldn't it be a waste of my father and the Xie family's painstaking cultivation?"
Concubine Xie's expression changed slightly and she tightened the handkerchief in her hand.
“Qingluan…” Emperor Chu weakly held Chu Qingluan’s hand: “Don’t…don’t make noise…”
"Don't worry, father." Chu Qingluan gently shook his hand back, but her eyes were still fixed on Concubine Xie: "I am just curious. Since the Crown Prince has been the regent for a long time, why would he make father work so hard? Could it be..."
She sneered, "Is there another problem in the court that even Prime Minister Xie can't solve?"
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