After seeing off Gu Tingyuan and Li, Zhixia breathed a sigh of relief.
After returning, Chu Qingluan first dismissed the servants, then stared at Zhixia seriously and asked: "Zhixia, now that your background has been clarified, you..."
Unexpectedly, before he could finish his words, Zhixia knelt on the ground with a thud, her little face full of stubbornness.
"Your Highness, please don't chase me away. I don't care about the identity of a daughter of a prime minister. I just want to stay by your side and protect you for the rest of my life."
Chu Qingluan was stunned at first, then she couldn't help laughing and reached out to help Zhixia up.
"Silly girl, who said I'm going to drive you away?" She gently wiped away the tears on Zhixia's face with her fingertips, "You are no longer suitable to be my maid.
I want to ask you, are you willing to be included in my Chu family tree and become a royal princess?"
Upon hearing this, Zhixia dropped the teacup in her hand to the ground with a bang, breaking into several pieces.
The next second, she suddenly grabbed the hem of Chu Qingluan's skirt, and her voice changed: "If Your Highness insists on driving me away, then I would rather not have the position of Princess."
Chu Qingluan was stunned by her fierce and decisive reaction.
Zhixia's eyes were red, like an abandoned little animal: "When I got lost in the mountains during the autumn hunt, it was you who shared the last half of your steamed bun with me. And when I was chased by the prince's men, it was you who stayed with me and caught me at the last moment..."
She was choking with sobs and couldn't continue speaking. She rested her forehead on Chu Qingluan's knees, "No matter what kind of princess you are, she is not as good as your Highness Zhixia..."
"Silly girl."
Chu Qingluan sighed softly and stroked Zhixia's hair: "Who said that the princess can't live in the princess's mansion?"
Zhixia was stunned and looked up in surprise.
Chu Qingluan reached out and took out a blueprint from the drawer. It was the topographical layout of the princess's mansion.
Chu Qingluan pointed at a certain place and said, "My father originally allowed me to expand the princess's mansion, but the garden next door has been bought by someone. Tomorrow I will send someone to ask if the owner of the garden next door is willing to sell it."
He pointed at a spot on the edge of the map and said, "If we make an arch here and connect the Princess's Mansion with the garden next door, wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"
Zhixia's eyes lit up, and she leaned in to look at the picture carefully: "Your Highness, this is a great idea. If we can buy the garden next door, we won't have to expand it, and it will also allow the princess to live comfortably. It's simply the best of both worlds."
She suddenly thought of something and said hesitantly, "But I heard that the mansion next door is owned by an old man from the previous dynasty. I wonder if he is willing to sell it."
Chu Qingluan seemed to be thinking about something, "Whether it will succeed or not, we have to try it to know."
Zhixia thought about it and agreed. At the same time, she planned to visit the neighbor next door tomorrow and buy it back as soon as possible.
Little do we know that sometimes things just don’t go as planned. Or, in other words, luck is just a little off.
——
At the same time, Xie family.
As soon as Xie Yunqi stepped into the old lady's yard, he heard a muffled cough coming from inside.
The maids came in and out carrying bowls of medicine, their expressions solemn.
Xie Yunqi frowned and walked in quickly, only to see Old Lady Xie sitting on the couch with a bowl of hot tea in her hand. Xie Rou and his mother, Madam Xie, were sitting on both sides. When they saw him come in, the three of them looked at him in unison.
Xie Yunqi paused and understood instantly.
He walked forward slowly, bowed, and said hello: "Greetings, Grandma, Mother."
The etiquette is so thoughtful that no one can find any mistakes.
Then, he straightened up, a faint smile on his face: "Grandma's headache is getting better quickly."
The old lady snorted coldly and put down the teacup heavily: "If I wasn't pretending to be sick, would you be able to come back so soon?"
Xie Yunqi could not deny it.
Madam Xie sighed and said softly, "Yun Qi, your recent behavior has made your grandmother and I a little worried."
Xie Yunqi's expression remained unchanged. He walked to the side and sat down, then asked calmly, "What do you mean by mother?"
Xie Rou was anxious and said directly: "Brother, are you still pretending to be confused? It has spread all over the outside world now. At today's piano meeting, you helped Princess Zhaoyang win over those children of noble families, and Qin Jiuge helped win over those daughters of rich families. I saw it all.
Also, this morning in the court, someone impeached the princess's choice of husband, and you actually spoke up for Chu Qingluan?"
Xie Yunqi raised his eyes and said calmly, "The princess's choice of husband is ridiculous. If she really wanted to choose a husband, why would she wait until today? It's just that someone is taking advantage of the situation."
The old lady narrowed her eyes and said, "You are really protective."
Madam Xie was worried. "Yun Qi, you have always been steady, but the situation in the court is delicate now. The Xie family should not get too close to the princess, lest people speculate about our stance..."
Xie Yunqi was silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled: "Grandmother, mother, what do you want to ask?"
The old lady stared at him with a sharp gaze: "Well, let me ask you--"
"Do you have other thoughts about Princess Zhaoyang?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the room suddenly became quiet, as if even the air had frozen.
Xie Rou widened her eyes, and Mrs. Xie also held her breath, staring at Xie Yunqi, not missing a single expression on his face.
After a while, Xie Yunqi slowly raised his eyes and said calmly: "Grandmother, you are worrying too much. It is natural for a minister to be loyal to the royal family."
"Of course?"
The old lady sneered, "Then why haven't you shown such loyalty to other princes? After all, the crown prince is your cousin, so shouldn't he deserve your loyalty even more?"
Xie Yunqi remained silent.
Seeing this, Madam Xie was quite distressed: "Yun Qi, you are confused! The princess is of noble status and is deeply loved by the emperor. If you really have the intention but it doesn't work, it will only add to your troubles."
Xie Rou couldn't help but interrupt: "Brother! Are you really in love with the princess?"
"How can that be possible? Have you forgotten the ancestral motto of our Xie family? 'It is better to support a tyrant than to establish a female emperor', have you forgotten it?"
Facing the accusations from his family, Xie Yunqi finally raised his eyes, his gaze was deep and unfathomable.
"yes!"
"I am in love with the princess, but so what?"
He spoke slowly, his voice low and chilly.
"But this is just my personal wish and has nothing to do with the Xie family."
Mrs. Xie was stunned, while Xie Rou took a breath and covered her mouth.
The old lady suddenly opened her eyes and scolded, "You are confused! You are the legitimate son of the Xie family, how can your marriage have nothing to do with the Xie family?"
"What if I'm not the legitimate son of the Xie family?" Xie Yunqi suddenly asked.
When these words were spoken, all three people in the room were stunned, including the old lady.
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