Chapter 197 The Prince Finds the Antidote, the Scumbag Waks Up and Delivers a Letter
Xie Ming'an was stunned, not understanding why the Queen Mother suddenly asked this question.
He suppressed his doubts and put on a submissive look:
"Yes, my mother and I tortured Madam Su severely. Madam Su said that Xu gave birth prematurely and the baby was stillborn. She found an abandoned baby in the Chengfo Temple. That abandoned baby was Xie Yao. As for the month, I remember... it was summer."
Xie Mingan observed the Queen Mother's expression and asked cautiously, "Why does the Queen Mother ask this?"
The Queen Mother did not answer, but looked at her trusted eunuch, Eunuch Jiang.
Eunuch Jiang was an old man who served the late emperor. The eldest princess was pregnant before she was sent to Yong State. The empress dowager did not know about this royal secret, and it was he who told her.
Eunuch Jiang nodded and said, "Empress Dowager, the eldest princess was pregnant at Chengfo Temple and was born in the summer..."
The Queen Mother's expression grew even darker.
So, if Li Xiangyi's baby didn't die, Xie Yao is most likely her biological daughter.
"Princess, take care of the baby?!"
When Xie Mingan heard this, his eyes widened suddenly.
"The eldest princess actually has a child... Could it be that you mean that Xie Yao is the eldest princess's daughter? How could this be possible!" He was extremely shocked.
Xie Mingan couldn't believe that Xie Yao, whom he regarded as a shame and hated to the core, could have such a life experience!
"Why, are you surprised?" The Queen Mother glanced at him and her tone turned cold.
"Li Xiangyi was shameless back then. Before she was sent to Yong State, she secretly became pregnant with a bastard by some unknown man. To save face, the late emperor sent her to Chengfo Temple, claiming it was for prayers. Later, she gave birth to a stillborn baby, and the matter was dropped."
Now it seems that something was done to the palace maid or midwife, or the late emperor had some secret decree.
The Queen Mother grew more hateful as she spoke, with murderous intent in her eyes.
Eunuch Jiang: "Empress Dowager, if the Princess knew that Xie Yao was her daughter, the mother and daughter would join forces and turn the court upside down..."
"So Xie Yao must die, and as soon as possible." The Queen Mother whispered to herself.
Xie Ming'an's shock gradually faded, and he quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, you are wise! But Xie Yao is very cunning, so please be careful."
"You don't need to teach me how to do things. You have been greedy over the years. This time, I just need you, a fool, to pay me some money." The Queen Mother said coldly.
Then, she whispered something to Eunuch Jiang.
A moment later, two guards came in, carrying Lu Shenyan.
He was covered with old injuries and new ones, and walked with a limp, but he was in good spirits.
"What is this?" Xie Mingan asked in confusion.
As soon as Lu Shenyan entered the door, he saw him and a trace of disgust flashed in his eyes.
"Junior Lu Shenyan greets Earl Wenchang."
He murmured a salute.
Xie Mingan tsk-tsk'd twice, "So it's you, the one who slandered King Jingbei in the street and got beaten to a pulp by Xie Yao. I've seen you before, but now... you're different."
Lu Shenyan retorted, "Wenchang Bo is not the same as before. He looks like a sixty-year-old man."
Xie Mingan: “…”
"Lu Shenyan," the Queen Mother interrupted them, her voice cold, "Xie Yao has ruined your future. Because you took the blame for Yu'er, I'm willing to give you a chance for revenge. Are you willing?"
Lu Shenyan shuddered all over and clenched his fists.
"I am willing."
Unable to refuse, he lowered his head, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
These days, Lu Shenyan had been imprisoned in the dungeon by Marquis Anping, and was whipped whenever he had nothing to do. Until two days ago, the empress dowager remembered him and brought him out.
He woke up completely from his dream.
The Queen Mother was waiting for Lu Shenyan to say a few more words of loyalty, but after waiting for a while, the man said nothing.
The corners of her mouth twitched as she asked, "I heard that you and Xie Yao were childhood playmates. If Xie Yao hadn't gone to the Northern Territory, you might have been childhood sweethearts?"
Lu Shenyan was stunned for a moment, and said in a low voice: "Yes, if... if those things hadn't happened, we would still be childhood sweethearts."
"Okay, you go home and heal your wounds first, and then listen to my instructions." The queen mother said lightly.
Lu Shenyan responded and stepped back, walking out of the room. He suddenly turned around and looked at the two figures in the room.
Two people... destined to fail.
He raised the corner of his lip sarcastically.
Xie Mingan wanted to urge the Queen Mother to not forget that he would be leaving the capital in six days, but Eunuch Jiang stepped forward and said, "Master Xie, the Queen Mother is tired. You should leave."
"I will take my leave."
Xie Mingan closed his eyes obediently and let Eunuch Jiang continue to blindfold him.
Through Lu Shenyan and the furnishings here, he has already guessed where this place is.
It’s the Anping Marquis Mansion!
The Empress Dowager came out of the palace and met him in the Marquis' Mansion. She was completely disappointed with the Emperor.
The Queen Mother looked at Xie Mingan's back and said, "Is Yu'er still the same?"
Eunuch Jiang: "Yes, he drank all day long. The emperor was completely relieved of him and even gave him a sinecure position in the Honglu Temple."
"This child is too sentimental."
The Queen Mother sighed.
"But this is fine, at least... it's much better than his heartless fifth brother. The emperor has grown up and is too disobedient. If it were Ai's Yu'er, everything would be different."
Eunuch Jiang: "The Empress Dowager is wise and virtuous. I am willing to go through fire and water for her, without hesitation."
Prince Jingbei's Palace, Fuguangyuan.
Early in the morning, Bai Su returned with a report: "Princess, as you expected, Xie Ming'an returned home and went to look for Zhi Dai in the middle of the night. He was then taken to the Anping Marquis's residence by the Queen Mother's men. The Queen Mother herself also went to the residence to meet him. After they talked for half an hour, they left."
"However, the Marquis' Mansion is heavily guarded, and I don't know what they talked about."
Last night, Xie Mingan was blindfolded and stuffed into a carriage, but he obeyed the princess's orders and followed behind.
"What we talked about is no longer important," Xie Yao said. "The emperor ordered Xie Ming'an to take up his post in Lingbei within seven days. He finally couldn't hold back anymore and decided to take action."
"Princess, I saw another person." Bai Su looked towards Liuxiayuan next door, wanting to say something but stopping himself.
Xie Yao: "Just say whatever you want to say."
Bai Su thought that since his own prince was not around, he gritted his teeth and said, "I saw Lu Shenyan coming out of the Marquis of Anping's mansion. He must be heading towards his home."
Xie Yao raised an eyebrow: "I thought it was something else. Lu Shenyan blocked an arrow for Anping Hou. Isn't it normal for him to appear in the Hou Mansion? He didn't appear in front of me and the prince."
"What in front of this king?"
Xiao Yizi's voice came from outside the courtyard gate.
The old butler pushed the prince in. Xie Yao glanced at him casually, but was stunned.
The prince's pale face looked much rosier than usual, and his peach blossom eyes were gentle and bewitching.
The most important thing is that he was dressed very gorgeously today, with a jade crown and hair tied up, wearing a crimson robe, and the sleeves and hems of the clothes were embroidered with swastika patterns in gold thread, which made him look noble and ostentatious.
He was so handsome and unruly that Xie Yao couldn't take her eyes off him.
"Guard Xiaobai said that he saw Lu Shenyan appear at the Anping Marquis Mansion." She replied.
Bai Su quickly agreed: "Yes, Your Highness, Lu Shenyan is now a lost dog. I have something else to do, so I'll leave first."
He thought to himself, every time he saw Lu Shenyan before, the prince was there and he was there too. This time, he finally saw Lu Shenyan alone, so why should he say anything more?
Bai Mi slipped away, and the others also retreated, leaving only Xie Yao and the prince in the courtyard.
She stared at the prince, her eyes moving from his handsome face to his pale crimson lips. She couldn't help but ask, "Does the prince seem to have any happy events today?"
Xiao Yizi tightened his grip on the wheelchair armrest, and suddenly felt uneasy.
Early this morning, he found the last medicinal ingredient needed for the antidote to his leg injury.
Although the poison has been removed, it does not mean that he can recover as usual, but at least he has the possibility of standing up again.
Knowing that the princess likes his face, the prince dressed up better today to make her happy.
However, Xiao Yizi was afraid that this hope would eventually be dashed.
Thinking about what the princess had suspected before and asked him directly, he was unwilling to hide it.
"The Shangsi Festival is coming in a few days. How about you go to Qifeng Mountain for an outing with me after the princess's troubles have settled down?" Xiao Yizi asked.
Xie Yao has no objection.
However, before the Shangsi Festival, two days later, Rendong went out to buy some things and brought back a letter.
"Princess, I met Lu Shenyan's servant on East Street. He asked me to give this to you."
Xie Yao took the letter, and on the envelope were four words: "From Xie Yao personally."
Her pupils narrowed slightly.
This handwriting is Lu Shenyan's.
At the same time, it's hers.
In her previous life, she had taught Lu Shenyan calligraphy, so that Lu Shenyan's handwriting was 80% to 90% similar to hers.
He once revealed that he relied on his handwriting to write letters to his mother every month to curse her and deceive her into being heartbroken.
Xie Yao frowned slightly and opened the letter. There was only a short line of words on it:
Tomorrow at 9:00 PM, at the foot of Qifeng Mountain, I would like to meet you, and only you, regarding your life experience.
The signature is Lu Shenyan.
But in this life, she had never taught Lu Shenyan calligraphy, and a person's handwriting could not be practiced overnight.
Unless, he also...
A new life.
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