There was a knock on the door, and Qingying went out herself to bring in the brewed tea.
She stood by the table, slightly bowing her head as she poured tea, her hair hanging down gently.
Wei Huaixu could only see half of her face in the shadows, but he was reluctant to look away. "When I came here just now, you seemed to be deep in thought about something."
"Liu Chenglin is back too."
"Liu Hui's son?"
"Um."
Why are you so sad that he's back?
Qingying sighed, sat down opposite him, cupped her face in her hands, pouted slightly, and said, "I was closest to him when I was young."
“He was about the same age as me. In the first two years after I returned to the manor, before he went to Medicine King Valley, we often played together. His mother was bedridden after giving birth to him. He didn’t have any friends, and neither did I.”
“Actually, the older brother didn’t want to play with us before. He was four years older than us, but it was like we were from different generations. In his eyes, we were just little kids.”
“Liu Chenglin used to treat me very well. He would share anything good with me. In the first few years after he went to Medicine King Valley, he would bring me some novel things that I had never seen before whenever he returned to his residence.”
“I was born weak and could not travel far. He said he would go to explore the mountains and rivers on my behalf and tell me about them.”
"But... he seems to have forgotten." At this point, Qingying frowned slightly, her expression a mixture of helplessness and sadness.
Since Luo's death, Liu Chenglin seems to have become a different person, cold and indifferent to everyone.
Wei Huaixu raised his hand and gently patted her head, saying softly, "The past cannot be changed. You've both grown up, and it's difficult to be as close as before. That's perfectly normal. Just take it easy."
At this point, he suddenly laughed, his tone laced with sarcasm. "You might not believe it, but I had a very close relationship with Wei Huaichong when I was young. Look, now when we meet, we can't wait to kill each other."
"This is truly unexpected." Qingying pursed her lips, puzzled. "I've been separated from Liu Chenglin for many years, which is why our familial bond has weakened. What about you and the Seventh Prince?"
"There are too many things standing between us: power, status, the grudges of my mother's clan, and so on... Jiaojiao, I was born into the royal family. Compared with these, family ties are the least important."
Qingying felt that something was wrong with what he said, but she couldn't find the words to refute it, so she just frowned and remained silent.
Wei Huaixu smiled and said, "You don't need to worry about this. Many things are better left to their own devices. Forcing things will only backfire."
Qingying nodded obediently, "I understand."
It was getting late, so Wei Huaixu coaxed her to go to bed and rest. He tucked her in, and after she closed her eyes, he waited patiently for a while before leaving.
...
The palace banquet was held in the Xuanqing Hall.
Entering the palace required undergoing multiple searches. Qingying was waiting for the palace servants to inspect the carriage when she casually glanced to the side and saw a woman in a green dress take a string of darts off her body and toss them onto the search officer's table. She reached for her waist, felt around, and then pulled out a soft sword with a "snap."
Everyone present was stunned, but the person involved remained calm and composed. She spread her hands and said, "There really aren't any left this time. Why don't you touch them and see?"
The investigators hesitated to take action, and instead greeted them with smiles, saying, "General Chu says there's nothing there, and we all trust your character."
This person was none other than Chu Lingyu.
Qingying had only ever heard of him, and this was the first time she had ever seen him in person.
She was indeed unlike any other woman.
Chu Lingyu seemed to sense her gaze, turned her head to look at her, paused for a moment, and then gave her a bright smile.
Qingying was dazzled by the laughter and momentarily lost her composure.
Chu Lingyu's appearance was indeed outstanding. Her skin was much darker than that of the pampered girls in the capital, but she had the advantage of bright and bold features and an extraordinary temperament, like a blooming red peony.
Qingying smiled at her too.
She then left.
After the search was completed, Qingying also entered the palace gate.
Before long, the banquet officially began. The palace was bustling and peaceful. After the king gave a brief speech, the ministers below toasted each other, and the palace maids carried trays and moved among them.
Qingying's seat was quite close to the front, and the elegant and noble Consort Yan sat at the head of the table. Whether it was her imagination or not, she always felt that the other woman's gaze was intentionally or unintentionally falling on her, making her dare not relax her vigilance in the slightest.
Just then, the Emperor's voice was heard from next door: "Today, in addition to celebrating the return of the Grand General, there is another joyous occasion: I will bestow a marriage upon Prince Xuan."
The fourth prince was recently bestowed the title of Prince Xuan.
Although Qingying had known this would happen, she still couldn't suppress the turmoil in her heart when it actually happened.
She immediately looked at Chu Lingyu, who was sitting not far away opposite her.
The other person happened to be looking at her, their eyes filled with a puzzled and inquisitive gaze.
Soon the Emperor sent someone to invite Chu Lingyu over.
The previously quiet group of women suddenly began to chatter amongst themselves.
Xie Jiaoying swallowed a mouthful of food, took a sip of water, and then leaned closer to whisper, "Could it be that His Majesty intends to pair Prince Xuan with General Chu?"
Qingying pretended not to know, "Is that so? Perhaps."
"I think it's pretty much true. Xuan Wang is honest, and even with the help of the Chu family, he won't be able to cause any trouble."
Is Prince Xuan honest? Qingying shook her head; she didn't believe there were any honest people in the royal family.
Even the usually quiet Princess Anyang suddenly spoke up: "Even if they wanted to stir up trouble, they probably couldn't. The Chu family is not what it used to be; each generation is worse than the last."
The Chu family has only produced one female general in this generation, Chu Lingyu. The men are all useless. Although women have a relatively high status in the Eastern Lin Kingdom, they only make up 10% of the court officials, and it is much more difficult for female officials to be promoted than for male officials.
A family cannot survive on women alone; it is a cruel but irreversible reality.
"Even so, the Emperor will not allow the Chu family to be associated with the Yan family." These words were whispered by Xie Jiaoying to Qingying.
She glanced instinctively toward the head of the table, just as Consort Yan looked over. Their eyes met briefly, and she quickly looked away.
Qingying couldn't help but feel a little frightened.
This is terrifying; Consort Yan's eyes were filled with murderous intent...
Is it true, or is it just her imagination?
Just then, Chu Lingyu returned with the imperial decree, and everyone congratulated her.
Xie Jiaoying said, "I didn't expect the Emperor to announce the decree in public. It seems he had planned this all along."
Qingying glanced at the yellow scroll she had casually placed on the table, her eyes twitching slightly: "Her handling of imperial edicts so casually, isn't she afraid of being punished?"
"She's only relying on the fact that the Emperor won't easily touch her now, and judging from her attitude, she doesn't seem very satisfied with this marriage."
"Is that so?" Qingying raised an eyebrow. "Could it be... that she has someone else she loves?"
Xie Jiaoying shrugged. "Who knows?"
She neither confirmed nor denied it.
Perhaps, the Seventh Prince's feelings weren't just wishful thinking.
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