Wansong Academy is right in front of us, but at this hour, we definitely can’t go back to the capital today, so we have to stay overnight.
Xu Yixing asked Yingwu and Siqin to find someone at the academy to arrange for him to stay in a house while he was studying, and he walked alone to Yiwen's cubicle. Seeing his eyes bright as he was furiously copying something, he couldn't bear to disturb him, so he just watched from the side.
It wasn't until the sunlight cast Xu Yixing's shadow on his paper that Yi Wen noticed there was someone in front of him.
"Sister? Why are you here!" After a brief moment of confusion, Xu Yiwen's eyes showed surprise, and he quickly stood up to greet her.
"Brother, you're really going to be the top scholar. You're working so hard!"
"You can't say that!" Yi Wen covered her mouth slightly and explained in a low voice, "There are many outstanding people in Wansong Academy. If you say that, they will inevitably hear it and think we have some inside story."
Xu Yixing looked him up and down and said jokingly, "I didn't realize this academy has taught you to be so cautious. I've really noticed you in three days."
"Let's go. It's time to eat. I'll take you to the dining room." Xu Yiwen took Yixing and walked towards the dining room. Along the way, there were students wearing academy uniforms, with faces showing either excitement or numbness. It was really a varied scene.
Seeing the women coming in, the students just glanced up briefly and continued to eat or think about something, not thinking it was strange.
Xu Yixing got the food, but instead of eating it in the dining room, he took the lunch box and took Xu Yixing directly to his room.
"Aren't we eating here?"
"It's inconvenient to talk here with so many people around." Xu Yiwen pushed open the door with a smile. Inside was a not very big bedroom. Apart from the bed and cabinets, there was a large desk, which was quite neat.
"Tell me, sister, what's the matter that brings you to me at this time today?" Xu Yiwen seemed to have become much smarter after studying in the academy for half a year. The arrogance of a playboy faded from his eyes, and instead gained some sharpness.
"Oh, there are so many things, I really don't know where to start. Well... Concubine Ying was demoted to a commoner by the emperor and placed in the cold palace." Xu Yixing decided to tell him a better one first, and then tell him about his father.
"Oh? What's the reason?"
"She caused the Fourth Princess to lose her child, and the Emperor punished her."
"That's what he deserves." Xu Yiwen's expression did not change. In any case, he didn't really care what happened to Concubine Ying.
"Also, after the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, Dad will marry the sister of the former Left Vice Minister. Dad wants you to go home then." Xu Yixing finished speaking quickly and then looked at his face, but Yiwen didn't seem to show any reaction.
"It's true." Xu Yiwen smiled bitterly, picked up a pen on the table and played with it in his mouth.
"You're so old, and you're still biting your brush!" Xu Yixing slapped Yi Wen's brush away with a slap, his face full of disgust: "But why do you say 'as expected'? Did you know it all along?"
"Well, the news came out in the capital during the Dragon Boat Festival, but they didn't mention the wedding date."
Dragon Boat Festival... Isn't that the time when I heard the news from the Fourth Princess? What a coincidence!
"So what do you think? Do you want to go home?"
Xu Yiwen shook his head. How could he possibly go back to see a stepmother again?
"Dad is very dissatisfied with you. If you still don't go back now, what if Dad really sends someone to break your legs?"
"Anyway, my life was given by my father, so he can take it away if he wants." Xu Yiwen's attitude towards his father has changed drastically. Now he is acting like a dead pig that is not afraid of boiling water, and he doesn't care about anything.
"Although I am also dissatisfied with Dad marrying Madam Zuo, he has his own considerations this time. As his children, we really can't say anything more."
"Well, I'll just not cause trouble, but attending the wedding banquet is absolutely not an option."
Xu Yixing sighed. She really couldn't understand where Lai Yiwen got the confidence to challenge his father. Although he was not at home now, all the expenses of the academy were paid by the mansion. He was really tough.
"How's your hand?" Xu Yixing was still worried about his broken finger.
Yi Wen raised his right hand and waved it in front of her: "It's already healed, look~"
"That's good. Don't break your champion hand!"
After everything that needed to be said was said, the brother and sister naturally had to eat and drink. Then Yiwen took her for a walk around the academy, and many of the students came over to say hello. It seemed that Yiwen was indeed living well here.
The moon rose and the clouds parted. Xu Yixing didn't want to disturb Yiwen's evening class, so he went to the guest room to rest. The mountain was cool and the wind carried the fragrance of grass and trees, which was very pleasant.
He was opening the window to enjoy the night breeze when he felt a dark shadow flash before his eyes. Xu Yixing subconsciously looked at Ying Wu who was standing in the corridor at the door. Seeing that he had no reaction, he felt relieved.
Then there was a knock on the door.
"Come in."
Yingqi was wearing a gray nightgown, and it was obvious that he had traveled a long way just to get back.
"Master, the Second Prince has returned to the capital!"
Shadow Six and Shadow Seven were the people sent by Xu Yixing to Qibei to monitor the Second Prince. Now that they returned at night, she knew that the Second Prince must have made some move.
"When did he leave from Qibei?"
"Seven days ago, news seemed to have arrived from the capital, and the Second Prince immediately set out on his journey, traveling day and night. I think he has already entered the city."
Ying Qi looked fine, but Xu Yixing knew that he must be trying his best to catch up with the Second Prince, and it had been unknown how long he hadn't rested.
"Okay, got it. Go and rest first. You don't need to do anything else here for the time being."
The seven days before that Ying Qi mentioned should be the time when the news that Concubine Ying was demoted to a commoner reached Qibei. It seems that the Second Prince did not, as Lu Anyuan thought, draw a clear line with Concubine Ying or write a letter to petition, but went straight back to the capital.
The Second Prince and Concubine Ying truly had a deep mother-son relationship. Upon hearing that his mother was in trouble, he didn't even care about the serious crime of leaving his fiefdom without permission. I don't know whether he was stupid or truly sentimental.
It’s a pity that the Second Prince is faster. Even if Xu Yixing goes back now, the city gate will have been closed long ago, and he won’t be able to see any good show. He can only wait until tomorrow morning to go back and listen to the news from the capital.
After thinking about all this, Xu Yixing turned around and found that Ying Qi had not left yet, just standing there stupidly.
"Anything else?"
"I've noticed that the Second Prince's whereabouts in Qibei are a little strange, but I can't explain it."
"Tell me about it."
"After the Second Prince took up his post in Weeping North, he neither took charge nor investigated matters. He simply followed a few of his followers around the mansion, mumbling things. Those people would wander around as soon as they dispersed, some even wandering endlessly through the Weeping North Mountains. Ying Liu and I followed them a few times, and we saw them wandering around the mountains. We couldn't tell if they were searching for something."
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