The moonlight was boundless. Chu Feiyang was left in the palace to have dinner to discuss something, while Yun Qianmeng had a simple dinner and then took Mu Chun and the other two to the courtyard to enjoy the cool air!
The pitch-black courtyard was particularly romantically illuminated by the palace lanterns hidden among the flowers. It presented a hazy beauty without making people fall in the dark. The perfect treatment made the maids stunned for a moment and fell in love with the beautiful scenery!
Yet, at this very moment, Yun Qianmeng was still sitting in the moonlight, clad in a long, silvery silk dress, gently waving a round fan, adding a sense of movement to this quiet corner. The silver moonlight showered upon her, shrouding her cold and otherworldly features in a lustrous glow. Her beauty was beyond mortal...
"Princess, there are a lot of mosquitoes outside, let's go back to the house!" Mu Chun saw a mosquito flying in front of her and was worried that Yun Qianmeng's delicate skin would be bitten, so she spoke with concern!
"Sit for a while! You've been sitting in the house for a long time today, so it's a good time to come out and get some fresh air at night!" Yun Qianmeng just shook her head, and her eyes, reflected by the moonlight, were like a clear spring flowing into people's hearts!
"Hey, that's a firefly!" At this time, the playful Yingxia had already noticed the fireflies hiding in the flowers and flashing with bright lights. She was in a good mood and immediately walked over on tiptoe, holding the round fan in her hand and wanted to catch the flying fireflies!
Seeing this, Mu Chun also became playful and he and Yingxia chased the shadows of fireflies in the small courtyard, having a lot of fun!
Yun Qianmeng saw that Mu Chun, who had just advised her to go back to the house, was actually playing with Yingxia, so she smiled and shook her head, picked up the teacup on the stone table, took a sip of tea, but her eyes kept looking towards the gate of the courtyard!
"Princess, Guard Xi is back!" At this time, Yuan Dong, who had been guarding the door, walked in quickly and whispered in Yun Qianmeng's ear!
"Bring him in!" After saying that, Yun Qianmeng stood up and walked towards the side room. Mu Chun and Ying Xia also put away their playful intentions and followed her closely!
"Your humble servant greets the princess!" After a while, Xi Lin, led by Yuan Dong, walked into the side room and respectfully saluted Yun Qianmeng!
"Get up! How's everything going?" Seeing Xi Lin stand up, Yun Qianmeng noticed beads of sweat on his forehead. Her cold eyes dimmed slightly, and she checked his body. "Are you injured? Mu Chun, bring the medicine box!"
However, Xi Lin knelt on one knee in front of Yun Qianmeng with a face full of shame, and denied it, saying, "I'm fine!"
"If you're fine, why are you sweating all over your face?" Yun Qianmeng didn't give him a chance to hide his true colors and directly pointed out Xi Lin's weakness. "Don't tell me, this is sweat from the heat! Even if the weather in Nanxun is hot, it shouldn't make your lips pale!"
As they spoke, Mu Chun hurried over, holding the medicine box. Yun Qianmeng glanced at Xi Lin with sharp eyes. Seeing that his right hand, which had originally held the sword, was now his left, she knew that he must have been injured in the arm. She ordered Yingxia to fetch a basin of water and asked Mu Chun to open the medicine box. He picked out the hemostatic ointment and prepared gauze. Then he poured a glass of water himself, took out an antidote pill from his purse and handed it to Xi Lin, "Take this pill! You're injured this time, and we don't know if the sharp weapon is smeared with poison. Just in case, we'd better be careful!"
How could Xi Lin have imagined that Yun Qianmeng would not only pour water for him personally, but also be so thoughtful. At that moment, he had a lot of insights in his mind. Just as he was about to speak, Yun Qianmeng stopped him with a look, indicating that he should take the pill quickly!
Mu Chun waited for Yingxia to bring some clean water, then carefully rolled up Xi Lin's sleeves. He saw that his right arm was wounded by an arrow, but fortunately the bone was not injured. He breathed a sigh of relief. However, even so, Xi Lin's arm was still covered in blood and flesh. Mu Chun and Yingxia worked together to apply medicine and bandage it for him!
"Princess, Prime Minister Wan's residence is equipped with traps! I was approaching Madam Wan's bedroom and wanted to open the window to take a look, but unexpectedly, a sharp arrow shot out from inside, forcing me to retreat temporarily! However, I clearly saw that no one lived in the bedroom, and it had not been cleaned in a long time. The room was full of dust and cobwebs!" Xi Lin lowered his sleeves and reported everything he had just encountered to Yun Qianmeng. "I did see the appearance of the third son of the Prime Minister's residence, and he looks very similar to Prime Minister Wan!"
Yun Qianmeng listened calmly to Xi Lin's report, but sneered in her heart. It seemed that the other party was well prepared. When he heard Nan Yijun mention his wife in the hall, he had already guessed that outsiders would be curious about Madam Wan who had never shown her face, so he ordered people to hide her and even set up a trap!
Or maybe, the nanny that Xi Lin bribed before was also under the instruction of Prime Minister Wan, and deliberately said some suspicious words to make people fall into the trap, and the house where Madam Wan lived was most likely an abandoned yard, and she lured her own people there just to make an example of her!
Of course, this does not rule out the possibility that there is no such person as Madam Wan in Prime Minister Wan's mansion, or that Prime Minister Wan and Nan Yijun are teaming up to get rid of the King of Chu who came to Nanxun this time. In this way, Western Chu will lose half of its pillars, and it will be easier for Nanxun to deal with Western Chu at that time!
However, compared to the last possibility, Yun Qianmeng believes in the previous hypothesis more!
After all, Nan Yijun has been dominating Nanxun for more than a day or two. It is very common for Nan Lan and Nan Hongye to be hostile to him!
Moreover, as the uncle of the Crown Prince and Princess, Prime Minister Wan will naturally side with his nephew!
Even in this ancient time when human relationships were so cold, I'm afraid that compared to Nan Yijun, Prime Minister Wan would trust Nan Lan and Nan Hongye more!
Between the two, if Prime Minister Wan chooses Nan Yijun and helps Nan Yijun ascend the throne successfully, I am afraid he will be the first person to be chopped to death!
And if Nan Lan and Nan Hongye were chosen, given the blood relationship between uncle and nephew, I believe that even for the sake of his own reputation as an emperor, Nan Hongye would not act against Prime Minister Wan too quickly!
However, no matter what conspiracy is hidden here, although Xi Lin failed in his attempt to find out the news, it is possible that the other party has already noticed something strange. But for them, it is not necessarily a bad thing. At least they know that there is a secret hidden in the mansion of Prime Minister Wan that he does not want to be known!
"Princess, why don't I go again at night? I think the other party will never expect that we will take two actions in a row!" Xi Lin felt guilty for not doing what Yun Qianmeng asked him to do, so he volunteered to explore again!
Yun Qianmeng smiled faintly and shook her head. "Go back and have a good rest! Let's put this night visit to the Prime Minister's residence on hold for now! If Prime Minister Wan doesn't want us to do it at night, can't we just go in openly? But before that, you should heal the wound on your arm first. I'll still need your protection then!"
There was no blame in Yun Qianmeng's words, and every word was full of concern, which touched Xi Lin deeply. However, he had no way to repay her, so he could only nod heavily and then leave the side room!
"Is the prince back?" After looking at the moonlight outside and seeing that it was already the hour of Xu, he asked Mu Chun!
"Princess, no!" Seeing Muchun carrying the medicine box to send Xilin out, and Yingxia carrying the copper basin out, Yuandong answered!
At this time, after a whole day of detailed discussions, the two countries still did not get to the point. Nan Yijun kept the topic staying on the issue of Lu Xin invading Nanxun, while Chu Feiyang turned the topic to the sensitive issue of Nanxun's internal affairs affecting the stability of the Western Chu Youzhou border. The two sides were arguing, and Emperor Feng Jing, who was recuperating in the harem, actually sent someone to deliver dinner!
"Your Highness, let's have our meal first!" Changing his unyielding attitude at the negotiation table, Nan Yijun smiled gently and politely, and invited Chu Feiyang to the side hall for his meal!
"It's already this hour! Your Majesty is really troubled to prepare dinner for me!" Chu Feiyang also changed his attitude of arguing in front of the Nanxun official just now. He smiled as if bathed in the spring breeze, humbly gave way to Nan Yijun for a while, and then took the lead to walk into the side hall!
However, the person who delivered the dinner was Princess Nanlan of Nanxun Kingdom!
"Nan Lan greets the King of Chu and his uncle!" She directed the palace maids to place all the necessary tableware. After hearing the footsteps approaching from afar, Nan Lan, in her aqua blue dress, drew a beautiful arc in the air, and then bowed to the two of them with a smile!
"Princess, why don't you stay in the harem? Why do you come to the former dynasty?" Nan Yijun looked at Nan Lan who was carefully dressed up. There was a hint of ice in his smiling eyes. He did not give her face just because Nan Lan was Nan Xun's princess!
On the contrary, in Nan Yijun's eyes, Nan Lan should stay in the harem just because she is the princess of Nanxun Kingdom, instead of showing up in public like she is now, and she even has evil intentions towards Chu Feiyang!
However, Nan Lan couldn't bear to see Nan Yijun talking face to face with Chu Feiyang all day long. Even though they were discussing the political affairs of the two countries, Nan Lan knew Nan Yijun's abilities very well. She was afraid that if he were to exclude his identity as an enemy, the King of Chu would also admire Nan Yijun!
This is what Nan Lan least wants to see. Even if the King of Chu cannot become her ally, she will never allow Nan Yijun to win over Chu Feiyang!
The curve of her mouth was perfect and dignified. Nan Lan did not show any embarrassment or sadness because of Nan Yijun's words. Instead, she took a few steps forward with grace and grace, then explained with a smile, "My father is not feeling well, and he is worried that my uncle and the King of Chu will be busy with government affairs and forget to eat, so he asked Nan Lan to come in his place. I hope my uncle will not blame Nan Lan!"
Nan Lan changed the subject, making people feel that she had only come on the emperor's orders. Even the regent Nan Yijun could not blame her for this matter!
At this time, Chu Feiyang glanced at Nan Lan coldly. He stayed in the palace all day, but it didn't mean that he didn't know what happened in the inn. He even knew every word she said to Meng'er. How could such a woman compare with Meng'er?
Chu Feiyang retracted his gaze and walked past Nan Lan with an expressionless face. He then sat down at the table with Nan Yijun. Only then did he see the officials behind them carefully sit down, leaving Nan Lan alone standing in the side hall!
"Yesterday was a palace banquet, so of course we couldn't drink to our heart's content. But today we have such a good opportunity, and I'm going to drink with the prince until we're drunk!" Nan Yijun seemed not to notice Nan Lan's displeasure, and he started talking to Chu Feiyang, raising the wine glass in his hand!
Chu Feiyang, however, simply picked up the teacup beside him and said with a faint smile, "Your Majesty the Regent is so kind, but I have come to Nanxun with an important mission, and I must not indulge in alcohol and do bad things. I hope Your Majesty the Regent can understand. I will use tea instead of wine. I offer you a toast!"
Chu Feiyang was so smart that no matter whether the other party had ulterior motives or not, he would not give any chance. He stated his position very quickly, then took a sip of the tea in the cup, leaving Nan Yijun no chance to take advantage of the situation!
Nan Yijun was not angry either. He generously clinked his wine glasses with Chu Feiyang, then raised his head and drank the wine in his hand. He then slowly said, "The prince is staying in the palace for dinner today. I'm sure the princess must be disappointed!"
After he finished speaking, Nan Yijun picked up the chopsticks at hand, picked up his favorite dish nearby and put it into his mouth, enjoying the imperial meal in the palace!
"The Regent ordered people to send fresh fruits during the day, and the princess went in person to accompany Meng'er to relieve her boredom. I believe Meng'er had a very fulfilling day!" Chu Feiyang put down the teacup in his hand and did not eat the delicacies in front of him!
But his seemingly casual answer made everyone understand that even if he was in Nanxun, he had a way to know everything he wanted to know, so don't try to get anything from him or use the people around him to achieve your goals!
Nan Lan's words fell into her ears, and her heart, which had already been chilled by Chu Feiyang's cold glare, became even more helpless. She just looked at the arrogant Nan Yijun, but she clenched her hands under her sleeves, smiled and sat down at the table, and said softly, "The princess is really patient. She can stay in the room all day! Although she is quiet and elegant, it's a little boring! If the prince doesn't mind, I can go and keep her company. After all, the princess is our Nanxun's princess, how can we neglect her!"
As he spoke, Nan Lan looked towards Chu Feiyang, and was surprised to find that the King of Chu was truly handsome!
If he had approached Chu Feiyang before because of the power he held, then now, seeing him from such a close distance, Chu Feiyang was indeed a handsome man. His sculptured profile showed a man's determination, his deep eyes were shining with a faint light, and his slightly raised thin lips revealed a touch of evil charm. Even Nan Yijun, who was regarded as the most handsome man by the Nanxun woman, would have to admit defeat in front of Chu Feiyang!
Chu Feiyang, however, stared calmly ahead, and after a moment, he spoke, "Meng'er likes quietness, and I don't want her to be overworked!"
With just a few words, he put an end to Nan Lan's intention that he had other intentions, and also made everyone understand his love for Yun Qianmeng!
"The love between the prince and the princess really makes me envious!" Hearing this, Nan Yijun laughed loudly, raised the wine glass in his hand to Chu Feiyang again, and then drank it first as a toast!
"Your country's Prime Minister Wan is also very caring towards the lady!" Chu Feiyang's thin lips moved slightly twice, and Prime Minister Wan, who originally just wanted to have a quiet meal, became the focus of everyone's attention!
"Your Highness is joking!" Prime Minister Wan put down his chopsticks and responded carefully to Chu Feiyang's words!
If they had only heard that Chu Feiyang was very powerful in the past, then after today's debate between the two countries, the people of Nanxun finally understood how powerful Chu Feiyang was. They also understood that every sentence and even every word spoken by the King of Chu contained profound meaning!
Just like what he said just now, he had two Madam Wans successively, but Chu Feiyang only praised how good he was to his wives without naming which one!
If others thought that Madam Wan referred to the later one, Chu Feiyang's words would be a compliment!
If someone misunderstands and thinks that this refers to the previous wife, and that he divorced his previous wife because of his later wife, then this sentence is obviously derogatory!
Therefore, Prime Minister Wan only responded very cautiously with an extremely conservative statement, so as not to be laughed at by the King of Chu and lose face for Nan Xun!
"Why doesn't Your Highness eat? Is it because you think my, Nan Xun's, food is not to your liking?" Nan Lan spoke up at the right time to rescue her uncle, but her bright eyes were fixed on Chu Feiyang's side, and she hoped in her heart that her words would make Chu Feiyang turn his head and look at her!
"Regent, I am tired today, so I will go back to the inn first! As for the matter of General Hu Wei, we will talk about it tomorrow!" But Chu Feiyang suddenly stood up, and then turned around and left the side hall with the officials behind him!
Nan Yijun had no intention of eating, so he stood up and followed Chu Feiyang and politely escorted him to the side hall!
Nan Lan looked at Chu Feiyang who was walking away. She had been holding back her gaze for a long time when a possessive desire suddenly appeared in her eyes. Then she smiled faintly. "Chu Feiyang, do you think Nan Xun is Xi Chu? Not everything can be done as you wish!"
"Someone, take away the dinner!" He said coldly, and the palace maids immediately walked forward with their heads lowered, and took away all the dinner that had only been eaten a few bites!
"What? The frustration you suffered today from the Princess of Chu wasn't enough? You won't give up until you embarrass Princess Nanxun in front of the officials of the two countries?" Unexpectedly, Nan Yijun, who had returned, blocked Nan Lan's way when she was leaving the side hall. The smile in Nan Yijun's eyes had been replaced by frost, and there was more disdain in the look he gave Nan Lan!
"Uncle, are you talking about yourself? When you saw me going to the post station, you eagerly sent Nanny Jin to deliver fruits and vegetables! Then you negotiated the affairs of the two countries with the King of Chu in the palace. By doing this, doesn't it make people think that you are trying to curry favor with the King of Chu? What position do you have to negotiate with the King of Chu? Or are you afraid that I will preempt you, so you want to place your own people in every corner of Nanxun? But Uncle, don't forget, this Nanxun is father's Nanxun, not your regent's! You are just acting as agent for state affairs during father's illness. After the crown prince is able to handle state affairs, uncle should also step down from the position of regent!" Nan Lan was also very angry!
If Nan Yijun had not sent Nanny Jin to disrupt the conversation between him and Princess Chu, perhaps Princess Chu would have already agreed to his request!
Whenever things reached the most critical moment, Nan Yijun's people would come out to make trouble, following her closely like a shadow, making Nan Lan hate Nan Yijun even more. If she did not have enough power now, she really wanted to kill this man who had seized power with her own hands!
"Retreat? If I retreat, you two will be able to shock those ministers below? Will you be able to resist the ambitions of Western Chu, Northern Qi, and Eastern Yu? Or do you want to rely on your uncle to shock everything for you? Princess, you are smart, why can't you see through your royal brother's intentions? If I could retreat, my royal brother would not have appointed me in the first place! Do you think that except for me, all the ministers of Nanxun are loyal and good people? Look further ahead, instead of staring at me, you might as well find other people with evil intentions!" Nan Yijun sneered, looking at the naive Nan Lan, and then thinking about the taciturn but extremely wise Yun Qianmeng. No wonder Nan Lan came back with a cold shoulder in front of the Princess of Chu. They are really not on the same level!
But the two's years of fighting had made Nan Lan's hatred for Nan Yijun seep deep into her bones. Hearing Nan Yijun's words, Nan Lan was full of sarcasm, "Why, Uncle Wang, are you scared so soon? It's a pity that there is still no man or woman in Uncle Wang's Regent Palace. Even if he wants to win over the King of Chu, I'm afraid he won't be able to do it! No wonder Uncle Wang is anxious and is trying to find ways to divert my attention! Unfortunately, the person with the most evil intentions in this Nanxun Kingdom is you, Uncle Wang! Compared to you, the others are really not to be feared!"
After saying this, Nan Lan wanted to walk back to the harem...
"The princess knows exactly how the young lady of the Zhu family made a fool of herself in front of everyone! You have seen clearly how the King of Chu treats his princess. Why rush in blindly? Be careful not to be like a moth to a flame and end up getting yourself into trouble!" But Nan Yijun said these words behind Nan Lan's back!
This made Nan Lan secretly resentful, and she stepped harder!
Yun Qianmeng waited for Chu Feiyang for a long time but he didn't come back, so she washed up and lay down on the bamboo couch, thinking about the whole thing while waiting for Chu Feiyang!
Chu Feiyang ran all the way back to the inn. At this time, the inn was silent. Except for the patrolling soldiers and the guards on duty, there was no one else in sight!
"Your Highness!" The guards guarding the gate of the courtyard immediately saluted when they saw Chu Feiyang coming back!
Xi Lin did not follow Yun Qianmeng's words and go back to his room to rest, but instead stood guard at the gate of the courtyard diligently. When he saw Chu Feiyang coming back, he immediately saluted!
Chu Feiyang frowned and glanced at Xi Lin, then ordered, "Go down and rest tonight! Don't let the princess down!"
Xi Lin was stunned for a moment, then he understood what Chu Feiyang was talking about, so he could only arrange for others to keep watch and return to his room!
A bright lamp and a book are the two things Yun Qianmeng needs to wait for Chu Feiyang!
Seeing her reclining on the bamboo couch, Chu Feiyang's eyes flashed with a hint of reproach. He immediately quickened his pace and in the blink of an eye he was in front of Yun Qianmeng. He reached out and snatched the scroll from her hand, saying with a distressed tone, "How can this be? Be careful not to hurt your eyes!"
As he spoke, Chu Feiyang had already closed the scroll and placed it on a small table beside him. He then half-knelt down, staring intently at his darling wife whom he hadn't seen all day!
"Oh my, just when I was about to see the crucial moment, you snatched it away from me!" Yun Qianmeng's eyebrows were furrowed, her pink lips slightly pouted, and she wanted to reach out for the book with an unhappy look...
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－－
Today and tomorrow we will update 6,000 words a day, and we will resume updating 10,000 words the day after tomorrow!
Because I updated 10,000 times in the past two days because I was afraid that you guys wouldn’t be satisfied, and as a result the manuscript was not revised. I stayed up late to revise it today, and it will be back to normal the day after tomorrow!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com