Chapter 12 A Sorrow That Doesn't Belong to Age
Your humble servant, Xie Qingran, pays respects to Her Majesty the Empress.
"Long live the Empress."
Xie Qingran spoke sincerely, and her movements were so precise that they seemed to have been measured with a ruler.
Even princesses raised in the palace are no better than this.
The Empress stared at Xie Qingran for a long while, then nodded in satisfaction: "Get up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Xie Qingran stood up and stood there properly.
During her years on the estate, these rules seemed to have seeped into her very bones. No one knew better than her where to put her hands and feet in such situations, and she even carefully adjusted her breathing.
She looked noble and elegant, yet exuded a hint of indescribable coldness. Even in front of the Empress, her demeanor was in no way inferior.
"I heard that it was the eldest young lady herself who proposed to marry the young master?"
The Empress got straight to the point, giving Xie Qingran no time to consider or react.
Xie Qingran had already anticipated this question. She immediately nodded and said, "Yes, it is my own choice. The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion has a distinguished military record and enjoys a life of luxury. It is truly a good match for him."
That's very true.
The Empress originally thought that Xie Qingran would say some empty and pretentious words to appease her, but she never expected that she would be so honest.
"That's all?"
The Empress looked at Xie Qingran in disbelief.
Xie Qingran hesitated for a moment, a slight blush appearing on her originally cold face. She lowered her head and said, "When I was a child, I saw you from afar and fell in love at first sight. I have kept it in my heart for many years. Now, I only want to marry my ideal husband. I beg Your Majesty to grant my wish!"
"Xie Qingran, how can you be so shameless? You're so despicable!"
"How could you beg the Empress to marry me? How could you be so shameless!"
A voice that was all too familiar suddenly entered Xie Qingran's ears.
She didn't even need to turn around to know who was behind her.
Her hands, hidden beneath her wide sleeves, clenched into fists. Her once cold eyes were instantly filled with hatred. Even though she used all her strength, she could only restrain herself from rushing forward.
"Your Majesty the Empress!"
Lu Jinzhi strode over and bowed directly to the Empress.
Then, he frowned and looked at Xie Qingran with disdain: "I've already said that I like Hanyue, not you, so why are you forcing me?"
Lu Jinzhi, a young master from a prestigious family and the Empress's own nephew, is aloof and ethereal, noble and distant, and the dream man of countless women in the capital.
But this is the very person who keeps saying he likes Xie Hanyue, but in reality, he's already rotten inside. He already has a mistress outside and even had a child with her!
They only thought of taking Xie Hanyue home to cover up the truth because they thought she was easy to bully.
However, the Xie family wanted Xie Qingran to marry into their family. Everyone knew that Xie Qingran was cold and hard-hearted, and had lived on the estate for more than ten years. If they had such a daughter-in-law, wouldn't they be laughed at by everyone in the capital?
Every time Lu Jinzhi saw Xie Qingran, he felt a sense of humiliation and even felt that all the whispers present were mocking him.
"What nonsense are you spouting, child?"
The Empress's expression changed, but she still couldn't hide her doting affection and gave a light reprimand.
"Empress Aunt, are you not even going to help me?!"
Lu Jinzhi seemed to have suffered a great injustice, frowning as he stared at Xie Qingran.
"What tricks and schemes did you use to make even the Empress speak up for you?"
Xie Qingran remained expressionless and cold-eyed, not even glancing at Lu Jinzhi. She simply bowed to the Empress and said, "Since Your Majesty has guests, I will take my leave."
"Go ahead, you've finally come out for a trip, you should enjoy yourself." The Empress waved her hand, dismissing Xie Qingran.
Xie Qingran took a few steps back before turning around and striding away.
He opened his palm, and it was already a deep red.
The moment she saw Lu Jinzhi, she wanted to die with this bastard, but she didn't want to let the other four scumbags get away with it, so she held back.
She didn't go directly to the front hall, but quietly found a corner to sit down. Having just dealt with the Empress, all she wanted now was to rest.
Inside the Spring and Autumn Palace, Lu Jinzhi was still nagging the Empress.
"Aunt, is she here to ask for a marriage proposal?"
"Aunt, I don't want her!"
Lu Jinzhi took the Empress's hand and began to act coquettishly.
Seeing this, the Empress wanted to explain, but considering that the marriage between the two families had not yet been finalized, she ultimately chose to remain silent.
She simply looked at Lu Jinzhi and said, "No matter what, you must give the Xie family face."
Now that the Xie family is willing to grant this marriage, it's a wonderful thing for them. Even for the sake of this marriage, they absolutely cannot embarrass the Xie family at this time.
What the Empress didn't know was that her words only made Lu Jinzhi more certain that Xie Qingran was after their marriage!
"Your Majesty, I shall take my leave now!"
Lu Jinzhi walked outside with a gloomy face.
He would never let Xie Qingran get away with this so easily; he was determined to teach her a lesson.
Once outside, he grabbed a servant standing nearby and asked, "Did you see where Xie Qingran went?"
"Miss Xie has gone to the front hall." The servant immediately replied, and seeing his master's appearance, he advised, "Today is a palace banquet, young master, you should be more careful. You should always consider each other's feelings."
These words stung Lu Jinzhi even more.
Lu Jinzhi's eyebrows furrowed tightly, and he gritted his teeth as he said, "What face? She has no shame herself, so why should I save her face? I'll teach her a lesson!"
With a cold snort, Lu Jinzhi strode towards the front hall.
The Imperial Garden, by the pond.
Xie Qingran sat alone on the shore, watching the small fish in the water, a slight smile on her lips, and a rare tenderness flashing in her eyes.
"Little fish, little fish, swim quickly, free in all directions."
Xie Qingran muttered to herself as she looked at the koi fish. Sunlight shone on her face, making her appear exceptionally gentle, even with an indescribable divine quality.
"Brother, is this Miss Xie?"
"Is someone who can talk to little fish crazy?"
Not far away, under a willow tree, Xiao Jue sat in a wheelchair, wearing a gold-threaded mask that revealed only his eyes, which were full of inquiry about the woman.
He had heard of this Miss Xie before and even investigated her in secret. There was nothing particularly special about her, except that she was said to have been a free spirit when she was young, which was very different from how she was now.
Beside him were two children, one tall and one short. The taller one was Xiao Jue's younger brother, Xiao Yu, and the slightly shorter one was his younger sister, Xiao Yanran. The two children were ten and seven years old, respectively, both innocent and naive, yet their eyes held a sorrow beyond their years.
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