The redness on his earlobes faded, and Zhou Huaichuan stood up straight: "Su Shi will not marry you."
Chu Xinxin was taken aback: "Why? He clearly said he admired me that day."
"Appreciation is not the same as liking."
"I'm going to find him and get to the bottom of this!"
Chu Xinxin's eyes were red at the corners, and her lips were tightly pressed together, as if she was trying her best to suppress her tears.
Zhou Huaichuan stopped her: "He's not in the capital."
Yun Gui, the honest man eavesdropping, said, "Young Master Su is in the capital..."
Yun Zheng quickly covered her mouth: "Shh."
The conversation in the courtyard continued, and Chu Xinxin did not believe Zhou Huaichuan's words: "Then why did he accept the purse I embroidered and tell me that he likes bamboo?"
"Out of courtesy, I'm afraid it would embarrass you if I refused you to your face."
"Then why did he still ask me to go to Lingshan Temple with him?"
Zhou Huaichuan shifted his gaze from the distance back to Chu Xinxin, his brow twitching slightly: "He invited you to Lingshan Temple?"
Su Shi's feelings for Chu Xinxin are clearly not romantic, so why did he still invite her to Lingshan Temple?
"Yes, he even complimented me on how good I looked in apricot." Chu Xinxin lowered her head and sniffled. "Zhou Huaichuan, I'm so sad. Do you think Young Master Su doesn't like me because of my face?"
Zhou Huaichuan didn't expect that he had touched on Chu Xinxin's most painful memory. He hesitated for a moment before answering, "No, it's not because of your appearance. He... he actually had someone he liked before he met you."
Chu Xinxin was even more heartbroken: "Who is it? Tell me so I can give up."
Zhou Huaichuan quickly went through the list of unmarried noble ladies in the capital in his mind and picked one whose family background matched his: "Zhou Yin, the granddaughter of Prince Xianfu."
Although Zhou Yin is not as famous as Chu Yun, she is still a rare woman who is both talented and beautiful.
Chu Xinxin pouted: "That's because I'm not pretty enough."
Tears the size of pearls fell one by one.
Zhou Huaichuan reached out to take it, but Chu Xinxin got up and threw herself onto her knees, her shoulders shaking with sobs.
Zhou Huaichuan's heart clenched: "Shen Shen, the eldest son of Grand Tutor Shen, he..."
Chu Xinxin interrupted him with a sob in her voice: "Why should I go and make people dislike me with my appearance? Zhou Huaichuan, thank you, you can go now."
"You don't like Shen Shen or the Imperial Censor's family..."
"Zhou Huaichuan." Chu Xinxin looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, her voice trembling with sobs: "You don't even think you can accept me, yet you push me onto someone else. Do you think that person will like me?"
Zhou Huaichuan felt as if his heart was being squeezed, and even his voice became strained: "I didn't..."
Chu Xinxin ignored her and called out to Haitang outside the courtyard.
"Miss, what's wrong... Prince An, what are you doing in our young lady's courtyard?" Haitang turned around and saw, oh my god! Their young lady was crying!
Chu Xinxin: "Haitang, please see Prince An off for me."
Instead of calling Zhou Huaichuan, they called him Prince An. I don't know if they were heartbroken or angry.
Haitang immediately carried out the task: "Your Highness, please."
Zhou Huaichuan wanted to explain, but considering his identity and situation, he only said, "I'll come see you again next time."
Haitang looked at him with a disdainful expression and said, "Then Your Highness, please remember to send an invitation first."
"Begonia," Qi Yi's voice rang out.
It was easy for Zhou Huaichuan to enter the Prime Minister's residence, but it was difficult to do so without alerting the Qi family.
After all, the Qi family still had a group of secret guards left behind by Old Master Qi.
Qi Yi was waiting outside the door, but when he heard Haitang's impolite words, he had no choice but to show himself.
“Your Highness Prince An, Haitang is young, but she is only acting out of concern for her master. Please forgive her.” Qi Yi bowed to Zhou Huaichuan.
Zhou Huaichuan wasn't embarrassed when he got caught climbing over the wall: "It's alright."
Qi Yi: "I have important matters to report to Your Highness Prince An. Would Your Highness please move to the study?"
"good."
Zhou Huaichuan glanced at Chu Xinxin again, but Chu Xinxin turned her face away, clearly still angry.
Zhou Huaichuan had no choice but to go to the study with Qi Yi.
"I wonder what brings Prince An here to see Xinxin this time?"
Qi Yi cut to the chase and asked directly.
Zhou Huaichuan: "These past few days, rumors have been spreading in the capital. Miss Biao saved my life, so I wanted to see her."
Qi Yi's heart skipped a beat: "A life-saving grace?"
“Hmm.” Zhou Huaichuan paused. “Last time, when I was on a southern tour for His Majesty, I was ambushed in Xuzhou and hid in the Xu family mansion. Fortunately, I was protected by Miss Xu.”
Qi Yi breathed a sigh of relief: "So that's how it is."
He was terrified; he thought the two of them were having a secret rendezvous...
Hmm? That's not right!
Qi Yi secretly sized up Zhou Huaichuan. His eyes had a hint of blue, he was handsome, and his physique was as imposing and robust as the guards'...
What did Xin Xin say back then...?
He said he would marry no one but me in this lifetime.
"Clang—"
Qi Yi's teacup fell to the ground.
Zhou Huaichuan: "Lord Qi?"
"Sorry, I was just lost in thought."
Qi Yi inwardly cried out, "Oh no, this is a secret rendezvous!"
Zhou Huaichuan: "What does Lord Qi wish to say to me?"
When it came to business, Qi Yi's expression changed: "Prince An, I have received news that the Prince of Huainan will arrive in the capital no later than the day after tomorrow."
Zhou Huaichuan's expression also turned serious: "His Majesty has not summoned him back to the capital."
“The King of Huainan is up to no good. Although His Majesty has not issued an edict, he will definitely use the Liu Xin matter as an excuse.”
Zhou Huaichuan then analyzed, "The Southern Barbarians are currently stirring up trouble. His Majesty will probably just give them a reprimand and fine them a little, and their trip to the capital will be a thing of the past."
“The Prince of Huainan has long harbored rebellious intentions. If he stays in the capital for too long, it will likely be detrimental to His Majesty and the political situation,” Qi Yi said.
This was not originally something that Qi Yi, a mere Vice Minister of Revenue, should have been concerned about. However, due to Liu Xin, the grudge between Liu, the younger sister of the Prince of Huainan, and Chu Xinxin, he had to make plans in advance.
Zhou Huaichuan lowered his head in deep thought.
Currently, only the Prince of Huainan can hold the southern barbarian lands; there are not many generals in the court who can lead troops into battle.
He already has troops and defenses in the northwest and the capital. Even if he can get rid of the King of Huainan, the Zhou Emperor will not hand over the southern barbarians to him.
The southern barbarians are poor, but we can't just hand them over to others.
Zhou Huaichuan thought and thought, but still couldn't find anyone more suitable than the Prince of Huainan.
If only Grandpa Qi were still here.
etc.
Zhou Huaichuan turned to look at Qi Yi, whose breathing was steady and whose complexion was rosy.
Last time, Emperor Zhou appointed him as an imperial envoy to Xuzhou, and he returned without showing any signs of illness...
As far as he knew, Qi Yi had been learning military strategy from Old Master Qi since childhood, and had also served as a staff officer in the army in several victories in previous years...
"Lord Qi, has the poison in your body been cured?" Zhou Huaichuan asked.
Qi Yi heard it, but it had a different meaning.
The mysterious person who sent him the secret letter and pills knew not only Chu Xinxin's whereabouts and situation, but also his physical condition.
Furthermore, Zhou Huaichuan admitted today that he met Chu Xinxin in Xuzhou...
Qi Yi was convinced that the mysterious person was most likely Zhou Huaichuan.
He immediately made no attempt to hide anything: "I'm fully recovered, but with His Majesty..."
Zhou Huaichuan understood.
Emperor Zhou was too suspicious. He gave Zhou Huaichuan military power because of his inability to touch women.
In Emperor Zhou's mind, Zhou Huaichuan could not touch women, which would be tantamount to having no heir and being ineligible for the throne.
During the last assassination attempt in the outskirts of the capital, he shook Chu Xinxin's hand in front of the eldest prince.
Afterwards, he had to find a way to develop a rash all over his body so that he could smooth things over in front of the eldest prince and the Zhou emperor.
We need to find a way to both openly and legitimately eliminate the King of Huainan and put military power in Qi Yi's hands.
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