Too many unexpected events happened last night. Although there were guards at the inn, the constant noise outside made Yun Qianmeng almost sleepless all night. She only took a short nap, put on her embroidered shoes, got out of bed, and called Mu Chun in to help her wash up!
"Princess, please lie down for a while! You almost didn't sleep all night yesterday!" Looking at Yun Qianmeng's slightly pale face, Mu Chun spoke worriedly!
Who would have known that so many things would happen last night!
First, the Regent Prince Nanxun delivered the imperial edict and discussed with the prince in the front hall for most of the night. Then, a fire broke out in the residence of Prime Minister Wan!
It was strange to say, it was raining heavily that day, but the fire in Prime Minister Wan’s residence illuminated the entire night sky with an eerie red color, covering the southern city!
Not to mention that there were always people coming in and out of the posthouse to report the news, even the people of Nanxun who had been hiding at home came out to find out what was going on!
The South City was crowded with people, and the faces of the people all had expressions of fear and despair. Chu Feiyang and Nan Yijun could only send troops to the Prime Minister's Mansion to put out the fire, and at the same time send troops to let the people go home and not cause trouble at this time!
"Is the prince not back yet?" Chu Feiyang has not returned since Nan Yijun came to the inn in the first half of the night last night. The fire in the prime minister's residence was really strange, but it made Yun Qianmeng puzzled. Since Nan Yijun had already delivered the imperial edict, why did such an "accident" happen!
"He never came back! The prince only ordered Xi Lin to guard the inn, and then he went out with the regent! What would the princess like to eat for breakfast?" Mu Chun asked softly after changing Yun Qianmeng into a light coat, skillfully tied her long black hair into a bun, and pinned it with a plain jade hairpin!
"Just something light will do! Has Yuandong packed everything? I'm afraid we will have to leave Nanxun in a few days, so don't be in a hurry then!" Raising her hand to push the hairpin into her hair, Yun Qianmeng stood up and instructed Mu Chun, but her eyes drifted to the window. Although the heavy rain had stopped, there was still a drizzle in between, and the sky was still overcast. I'm afraid it won't clear up for a while!
"Yingqiu and Yingxia are all ready! Don't worry, Princess!" As he spoke, Mu Chun had already prepared a breakfast that suited Yun Qianmeng's taste, and he even carefully removed some of the meaty and greasy food to avoid spoiling Yun Qianmeng's appetite!
Seeing that Mu Chun was becoming more and more thoughtful, Yun Qianmeng nodded with a smile, then sat down, picked up the bowl and spoon in front of her, gently stirred the hot porridge inside, and ate the breakfast on the table slowly!
Just as she was halfway through, she heard light footsteps outside the door. Mu Chun walked out quickly and saw Chu Feiyang walking in with a calm expression. She immediately saluted and said, "This servant greets the prince!"
Seeing Mu Chun coming out of the inner room, Chu Feiyang paused and asked, "Is the princess up?"
"Your Highness, the princess is having breakfast!" After saying that, Mu Chun stepped aside, not daring to block Chu Feiyang's way!
Upon hearing this, Chu Feiyang nodded slightly, then walked into the inner room. The first thing he saw was Yun Qianmeng, who was sitting at a small table with a bowl and spoon in hand. He then glanced at the breakfast on the table, and his originally relaxed brows couldn't help but frown slightly. He asked with a hint of disapproval, "Why is the food so simple?"
Yun Qianmeng saw that he had returned earlier than she had expected. She smiled and put down her now empty bowl of porridge. She picked up the handkerchief on the table and wiped the corners of her mouth. She smiled faintly and said, "It's hot, so it's better to have a light meal! Have you dealt with everything outside?"
However, Chu Feiyang did not immediately answer Yun Qianmeng's question. Seeing that she ate so simply and even dared to drink only half a bowl of porridge, he strode to the table and sat down next to Yun Qianmeng. He picked up the chopsticks she had just used and picked up some delicious side dishes. After chewing them slowly, he said, "Today's side dishes are good. Why did you only use half a bowl of porridge?"
As he spoke, Chu Feiyang put the side dish he had just tasted into a porcelain spoon, and then scooped some porridge to feed Yun Qianmeng's lips, his eyes fixed on her, not allowing Yun Qianmeng to make excuses not to eat!
Yun Qianmeng had no choice but to swallow a mouthful of porridge, then met Chu Feiyang's gaze, waiting for him to clarify his confusion!
Seeing her anxious look, Chu Feiyang chuckled for a moment. After feeding her three mouthfuls of porridge, he spoke, "The fire in the Prime Minister's Mansion must have been man-made! Otherwise, how could it have burned so fiercely in the heavy rain? When Nan Yijun and I rushed there, the entire mansion was completely destroyed, with only broken walls left! Although we cleared out many bodies, they had already been burnt. Plus, there were so many servants in the Prime Minister's Mansion, it was extremely difficult to tell who they were! But after Nan Yijun counted the number of people, the number was consistent with that of the Prime Minister's Mansion!"
However, the same number of people does not necessarily mean they are from the Prime Minister’s Mansion!
If this was a premeditated arson, perhaps the dead inside had already been replaced!
Seeing Chu Feiyang hurried back, with beads of sweat on his nose, Yun Qianmeng took out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat, then took the round fan at hand and gently waved it to fan him. Then she said, "How does Nan Yijun explain it? It was he who ordered the house arrest of Prime Minister Wan. Now that something like this has happened in the Prime Minister's Mansion, I'm afraid he can't escape the blame! What is the current controversy in the Nanxun court?"
"Now that the edict has been signed, it's useless for those ministers to oppose it! Besides, this was the decision made after Nan Yijun and Emperor Feng Jing had a private talk yesterday. I believe Emperor Feng Jing must have nodded in agreement. Otherwise, with Nan Yijun's personality, I'm afraid he would have thought of other ways to prevent Nanxun from becoming a vassal state before the very last moment! This time, Emperor Feng Jing asked him to come forward, probably because he wanted to make Nan Yijun a scapegoat! Regardless of whether Nan Hongye can support Nanxun in the future, Nan Yijun has probably lost the qualifications to compete for the throne, and the people of Nanxun will never let him become the emperor of Nanxun!" Looking at the empty bowl of porridge, Chu Feiyang's eyes showed a slight satisfaction, and then he poured himself a bowl of porridge again, and with the leftover side dishes of Yun Qianmeng, he finished his breakfast in just a few mouthfuls!
"Meng'er, we will go back to Youzhou tomorrow!" After calling Mu Chun in and asking her to clear the breakfast on the table, Chu Feiyang began to tell her the plan!
Seeing him leaving so quickly, Yun Qianmeng was slightly surprised and couldn't help but ask, "Is the matter settled?"
"The demands of Western Chu have been clearly written in the imperial edict. Since Emperor Feng Jing has affixed the imperial seal, it means that he has accepted our demands. The subsequent affairs in Nanxun will have nothing to do with us! Besides, I have left Lu Xin here, and I believe they will not dare to violate the terms of the imperial edict!" The details have been discussed with Nan Yijun last night, so they naturally don't need to waste time staying in Nanxun anymore!
Seeing Chu Feiyang speak so confidently, Yun Qianmeng nodded. Knowing that Chu Feiyang must be worried that Chu Pei and Chu Qingyang would cause trouble in Youzhou and Kyoto, she immediately decided to finish the matter of Nanxun and return to Xichu as soon as possible!
On the morning of the second day, under the escort of Nanxun Regent Nan Yijun, who led all the Nanxun officials out of the city to see them off, and General Huwei of Western Chu, the King of Chu and the Princess of Chu ended their Nanxun trip and left Nanxun in a carriage!
"Lu Xin's face looks quite ugly. I'm afraid he really doesn't want to stay in Nanxun!" He has been staying in the inn all these days. Although he has books to keep him company, it is still too monotonous. As soon as the carriage left Nancheng today, Yun Qianmeng couldn't wait to lift the curtain and opened her eyes wide to appreciate the beautiful natural scenery of Nanxun!
"As a minister, how can he have the qualifications to do whatever he wants? Even if he sits on the throne and becomes the emperor, I am afraid there will be countless things that he can't do anything about!" Chu Feiyang took advantage of this hard-earned rest time and sat in the carriage to quickly write out the memorials that needed to be submitted after returning to Beijing!
Following the scenery, Yun Qianmeng glanced at the sullen-faced Lu Xin in the distance. She slowly withdrew her gaze, then lowered the carriage curtain and picked up a scroll beside her to carefully peruse it. Not until she saw Chu Feiyang put down his brush did she speak, "Father is a high-ranking official on the frontier, yet he neglected his duty and allowed something like the Xie family to happen in Youzhou, under his jurisdiction. I'm afraid if we submit this memorial to the emperor, Emperor Yugan will surely seize the opportunity to cause trouble! If we leave his confidant in Nanxun at this moment, I'm afraid he..."
With Emperor Yu Gan's mind, he will definitely be suspicious and will take the opportunity to retaliate! Even if Chu Feiyang handles the matter between Chu Pei and the Xie family perfectly, Chu Pei is still Chu Nanshan's son and the son-in-law of the Xie family. This cannot be changed even if Chu Pei is killed. The Chu family will inevitably be implicated. I wonder if Emperor Yu Gan will be worried about the lenient sentence imposed on the Sea King, the King of Chen, and others, or will he plan to get rid of the Chu family first and impose a heavy sentence!
Chu Feiyang's right thumb and index finger gently twirled the brush, dipping the tip of the brush into ink. He then put the brush down, picked up the teacup beside him, and slowly spoke, "He originally only sent Lu Xin and Xia Ji, two people he trusted deeply! Now that Xia Ji is unconscious, I can only leave Lu Xin behind! Besides, although Han Shaomian is the Minister of War, he is a new official after all. Not only does he have no combat experience, but before he becomes Emperor Yugan's confidant, I'm afraid he won't be able to command any troops! Leaving him, a minister with only the title of Minister of War, in Nanxun will not be able to control those ministers in Nanxun! Could it be that if I leave my cousin in Nanxun, the emperor will think that the Chu family is colluding with Nanxun to seize his throne?"
Seeing Chu Feiyang's helpless expression when he mentioned Xiahou Qin, Yun Qianmeng chuckled softly, and the book in her hand lightly covered her raised lips, leaving only a pair of beautiful eyes with a smile revealed in front of Chu Feiyang!
"Meng'er, I'm so tired! I haven't written for a long time, and my right hand is sore from writing so many words all of a sudden!" Staring at Yun Qianmeng's smiling face, Chu Feiyang suddenly frowned. The teacup in his hand had already been put down. He shook his right hand with a painful look on his face, as if he was in great pain!
Yun Qianmeng glanced at him with a slight frown, but still put down the scroll in her hand, stood up and walked to Chu Feiyang's side. She was about to reach out to massage his right hand, but she didn't expect Chu Feiyang to move faster. In the blink of an eye, she was sitting on his lap, and his whole body was tightly held in his arms. His face was buried in her hair and he sniffed deeply. After a while, he whispered with satisfaction in his ears, "It's been a long time since I hugged you like this! It feels so good!"
Hearing this, Yun Qianmeng chuckled and then asked, "How can it be so long? Hurry..."
But before she could finish her words, her lips were kissed by two thin lips...
At this moment, the person Xie Yingping had been waiting for for a long time walked into the Youzhou government office!
"You're finally here!" Xie Yingping was taken into a separate room by the jailer. Looking at Chu Pei who was sitting behind the table and drinking tea, she sneered and spoke!
"Please sit down!" Chu Pei personally poured him a cup of tea and pushed it in front of Xie Yingping. He then spoke calmly, "Now the affairs of the Xie family have become a hot topic of conversation among the people of Youzhou. How can I show up right after something happens to the Xie family? If so, not only will I not be able to save the Xie family, I'm afraid I'll be implicated too!"
In front of Chu Pei, Xie Yingping was naturally not polite. He lifted up his skirt slightly and sat down in front of Chu Pei. He also picked up the teacup in front of him and smelled it carefully!
The prison life these days was completely different from Xie Yingping's previous life of luxury. Although he did not complain, he still felt somewhat resistant in his heart. At this time, he saw that Chu Pei was using the best tea to entertain him, but because he knew that Chu Pei would not appear for no reason, he just smelled it carefully and did not drink it rashly!
Chu Pei saw that his clothes looked a little disheveled because they had not been changed for many days, but his expression was still proud. He did not find fault for a moment, but just asked the housekeeper to bring the wine and food that had been prepared to the table. Then he waved his hand to let the housekeeper leave the room, leaving only himself and Xie Yingping inside. Then he picked up the chopsticks and picked up some of the still steaming hot food and put it into his mouth!
"What? Lord Chu, are you holding a farewell party for our clan leader?" Xie Yingping stared at Chu Pei opposite him with frosty eyes, but did not pick up his chopsticks. The alertness in his expression made him focus on staring at the cunning man in front of him. However, he had already determined in his heart that Chu Pei's appearance this time must be for some purpose!
Facing Xie Yingping's ridicule, Chu Pei calmly put down his bowl and chopsticks, then picked up the wine glass beside him and put it under his nose, sniffing the rich and mellow aroma of wine. Then he said, "Don't worry, since I brought you here in public, I will naturally not poison you! These are your favorite foods. I guess you haven't eaten well in prison recently, so you should eat more! Now that Han Shaomian is in charge of all affairs in Youzhou, if I keep going in and out of prison, it will definitely attract his attention, so I can only come occasionally! Eat quickly, the food is getting cold!"
As he spoke, Chu Pei drank a glass of wine, and then filled another glass for himself!
Xie Yingping watched Chu Pei's movements, but remained cautious and didn't move her chopsticks. She even placed the teacup she was holding back on the table. Then, she spoke coldly, "Since Lord Chu is worried about being implicated by my Xie family, why did you bring me here? Isn't Lord Chu afraid that Han Shaomian will investigate this matter?"
Seeing that even after saying so much, he still couldn't dispel Xie Yingping's concerns, Chu Pei didn't force him. He just ate his meal and spoke from time to time to tell him the news he had in his hands. "Did you know! Nanxun submitted an imperial edict to the King of Chu yesterday! Now, Nanxun is a vassal state of Western Chu!"
Upon hearing this news, Xie Yingping's eyes suddenly opened wide, her expression suddenly turning cold, and she immediately asked, "Is this true? Has the capital city already known about this?"
Seeing that Xie Yingping's words were no longer directed at him, Chu Pei smiled faintly. He put down his chopsticks and whispered, "The news hasn't reached the capital yet! The reason I know this is naturally because of my own means! But the fact that Nanxun is a vassal state of Western Chu is absolutely true! And the King of Chu and the Princess are on their way back to Youzhou right now!"
"What do you want to say?" Seeing Chu Pei's certainty, Xie Yingping knew that there was no need for him to lie about this matter. What's more, Chu Pei was probably the one who was most reluctant for Nanxun to become a vassal state of Western Chu. Now Chu Feiyang had shattered Chu Pei's dream, and I'm afraid Chu Pei would not let it go so easily!
Chu Pei, however, gave a shrewd smile. He then tilted his head back and drank the wine in his glass. After savoring it carefully with half-closed eyes, he spoke again, "I'm afraid he wants to wait until the Xie family's matter is resolved before submitting a petition to Kyoto together! Do you know why?"
Chu Pei's deep smile caused Xie Yingping to sneer, and he sneered, "Master Chu, you are not so naive as to think that the King of Chu did all this just because you are his father! If Chu Feiyang really believed that you were his father, why would he expose this matter? How could the Xie family end up in such a situation? In all this, is it the Xie family that implicated Master Chu, or was it Master Chu who implicated the innocent Xie family? I believe Master knows the answer!"
"But you can't deny that Chu Feiyang is the first to target the Xie family! He is now on his way back, and I'm afraid he will try the Xie family case as soon as he returns to Youzhou! And there are only two paths before the Xie family!" Having said this, Chu Pei paused for a moment, looking at Xie Yingping, observing his expression and emotions at this moment!
Seeing that Chu Pei had said this, Xie Yingping already understood what he meant!
Indeed, as Chu Pei just said, there was no need for him to poison the food and wine. Holding the bowl and chopsticks in front of him with his right hand, Xie Yingping enjoyed the exquisite delicacies in front of him with elegant movements. Only after he was 70% full did he pick up the wine glass at hand!
When Chu Pei saw Xie Yingping's actions, he knew that he had already figured it out. He then picked up his wine glass and clinked it with Xie Yingping in mid-air, drinking from each other's glasses...
"Your humble servant greets the prince and princess!" They marched forward and finally arrived at the Youzhou Posthouse at dusk!
Compared with the gloomy sky in Nanxun, the sun is setting in Youzhou, and the fiery red sunset glows all over the sky. It is very gorgeous and colorful, which makes people feel uplifted and sweeps away their previous boredom!
Before Chu Feiyang and Yun Qianmeng got off the carriage, they heard Han Shaomian and the Youzhou officials standing outside the carriage and saluting respectfully!
Chu Feiyang helped Yun Qianmeng slowly get off the carriage. His eyes first met Xiahou Qin, who was standing quietly in the Youzhou Inn. They both nodded slightly. Then Chu Feiyang turned his gaze to Han Shaomian. He saw that the boy, who had been a little immature before, seemed more steady and composed than when he left Youzhou. The hesitation and contradiction in his eyes when he looked at him were gone. The determined look made Chu Feiyang smile, and then he said loudly, "Thank you for your hard work!"
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