Chapter 16 Prince, please take your time.
"You child, you, you, you, get up first."
"We should discuss this matter slowly. I'm just afraid of causing you any trouble."
The empress immediately spoke up, giving the emperor a look.
However, Xie Qingran knelt down and took two steps back, then kowtowed heavily again: "This humble woman only asks to spend her life with Prince Xiao, please grant my request, Your Majesty and Empress!"
"Such devotion is truly rare. I cannot bear to see you so sad, Xiao Jue. What do you think?"
The emperor raised an eyebrow and looked at Xiao Jue, seemingly asking a question, but in fact, the matter was almost settled.
"I am only afraid that I will delay Miss Xie's future."
Xiao Jue sighed, feeling a bit of a headache. He had originally thought that the little girl would back down when faced with difficulties, but he never expected that she would be in such a hurry to finalize the matter.
"With such talent and good looks as Your Highness, it is I who am unworthy of you. How could Your Highness possibly hold me back?"
"Could it be that the Crown Prince dislikes me so much?"
Xie Qingran's eyes reddened with grievance, her gaze fixed on Xiao Jue, her eyes shimmering with tears.
Xiao Jue originally came to the palace to refuse this marriage proposal, but now, looking into those eyes, he could no longer bring himself to say the words of refusal.
"Your Majesty, don't you know how bad this child's temper is?"
"If he doesn't speak, it means he's willing."
Fearing that Xiao Jue might say something he shouldn't, the Empress immediately finalized the matter.
"Since that's the case, then I will act as the matchmaker. Empress, you must handle this matter well!"
The emperor slapped his thigh, and the matter was settled. Then the emperor got up and walked outside.
The Empress stared at the Emperor's retreating figure, knowing he must have gone to find the Imperial Concubine, and felt a deep sense of unease.
She looked at Xie Qingran: "You should understand His Majesty's meaning. So, you two should get along well for a while. I will issue another decree three months later."
The Empress was a woman, so she naturally knew what marriage meant to a woman, and she thought she should give Xie Qingran another chance.
Xie Qingran kowtowed to express her gratitude, then stood up and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, this humble woman would like to accompany the Crown Prince for a walk."
"Go." The Empress was exhausted after a long day and couldn't go on any longer.
Xie Qingran pushed Xiao Jue's wheelchair outside and pushed him directly to the edge of the pond. With just a little force, she could push him into the pond, making the location quite dangerous.
Even Xiao Jue was surprised. He never expected that this little girl, who had been so agreeable inside, would change her attitude so drastically after coming out and even put him in such a dangerous place to threaten him.
Why does the young master dislike this marriage?
"Am I so ugly that I'm beneath the prince's dignity?"
Xie Qingran walked around to Xiao Jue's front, frowning and looking at him with a puzzled expression.
"Your Highness, everyone knows the current situation of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. Doesn't Your Highness need someone like me to manage the inner quarters?"
"My younger siblings are still young, but they've reached the age where they should be studying and showing their faces to the world. Shouldn't someone in the family take care of these things?"
Xie Qingran kept asking questions, staring at Xiao Jue.
"Didn't you say you were in love with me, the young master?"
Xiao Jue seemed completely unconcerned about what Xie Qingran was saying, and simply asked a question with amusement.
These words left Xie Qingran speechless for once, her face turning bright red. Meeting Xiao Jue's teasing gaze, she decided to throw caution to the wind and sat down next to him, saying sullenly, "Your Highness, if I don't say this, how could the Emperor and Empress possibly agree to this marriage? If I don't say this, what will become of the face of the royal family, the Xiao family, and my Xie family?"
This surprised Xiao Jue somewhat.
He had thought Xie Qingran was a scheming person, but he never expected her to be such a straightforward person.
What do you want?
Xiao Jue's voice was hoarse and low, yet it carried an indescribable sense of oppression.
"I want peace and quiet. I'm getting old, and if I don't get married, I'll be punished and my family will be implicated. But I don't want to marry anyone else. I only want to marry the prince."
Xie Qingran spoke frankly. She had studied Xiao Jue carefully beforehand. He had been fighting on the battlefield since he was a child, so he must be a very suspicious person who sees enemies everywhere. Especially after falling from such a high position, he might have become somewhat twisted. Therefore, sincerity is the best way to deal with such a person.
She took a deep breath and looked up at Xiao Jue: "Your Highness, actually, I'm just like you, I didn't have a choice either."
At this moment, Xie Qingran looked at Xiao Jue with the eyes of a ghost from hell gazing at the human world, filled with longing, pleading, and an unwavering determination.
Upon seeing this, Xiao Jue's heart, which had been withered and dry, began to pound violently. He had never imagined that he would feel such excitement. His eyebrows furrowed tightly, and his eyes were filled with complex emotions as he stared at Xie Qingran.
"I'll think about it."
Xiao Jue spoke coldly.
He turned his wheelchair back and left.
Watching him effortlessly turn his wheelchair, Xie Qingran frowned slightly. Wasn't this person already a cripple? That movement just now didn't seem like something a cripple should do.
Xie Qingran quickly caught up and pushed Xiao Jue's wheelchair back to Chunqiu Palace. After greeting the Empress and promising to send Xiao Jue back to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, she took her leave.
She could tell that the Empress was exhausted, so before leaving, she gave the Empress's head maid a folk remedy that would help the Empress sleep soundly at night.
After leaving the palace gates, Xie Qingran stared at Xiao Jue, then looked at the carriage in front of her, took a deep breath, and then bent down and picked Xiao Jue up in her arms.
"You! You..."
How can you have so much strength?
Xiao Jue looked at Xie Qingran in disbelief. He never expected that this girl, who looked so thin, would have such explosive power.
“I do everything myself on the estate.”
"So I'm not the kind of delicate little girl that the Crown Prince thinks I am."
Xie Qingran opened the car door and saw two little kids sticking their heads out and looking in her direction.
"Brother...brother?"
Xiao Yu was so frightened that he stammered and subconsciously hugged his younger sister. If such a powerful and fierce woman really became his sister-in-law, would he and his sister still have a chance to survive?
"It's nothing," Xiao Jue replied calmly.
Xie Qingran gently settled Xiao Jue in, then handed two purses to the two children, one for each of them, each embroidered with a cute little rabbit.
"My name is Xie Qingran. Next time we meet, please call me Sister Xie, okay?"
After saying this, Xie Qingran jumped off the carriage and waved to Xiao Jue, saying, "Take care, Your Highness!"
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