26. Three-in-one 10,000 words
His Majesty specifically stated at the morning court that the murder in the downtown area must be investigated thoroughly. He had a frown on his face and seemed to be in a bad mood.
This matter was also handed over to Su Lin.
Yun Zhihe also had the merit of evacuating the crowd in time and saving the young master of the Su family. Many officials wrote letters to praise her, and the Su family also sent people to send many rare treasures.
Yun Zhihe's yard was bustling with people.
Prime Minister Wen and Master Wen have the same personality. Although he has worked under her for some time, he can tell that she is harboring evil intentions when he sees her raise her eyebrows and curve her eyes.
The imperial court was not a battlefield for a minor official like Yun Zhihe. Every morning during the court session, she would stand in a corner and listen to the high-ranking officials quarreling, cursing them without uttering a single curse word.
Especially Prime Minister Wen, who debated with the scholars and made witty remarks one after another, always making people angry.
Yun Zhihe laughed when he heard this.
"Lord Wen is so overreaching, taking over the laws of the lower classes and wanting his son to enter the court. It's truly absurd and ridiculous."
The cabinet scholar stepped forward, sneered coldly, and glanced at Prime Minister Wen.
"Your Majesty, let me tell you something. Young Master Wen is renowned for his talent and proficiency in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. What would happen if such a man had the same personality as Master Wen? It would be better for him to marry someone honestly."
The fire was directed at Wen Yanhe.
The situation in the court was tense.
The court was divided into two factions: one was the aristocratic family headed by the Xuanyuan clan, and the other was the common people headed by Prime Minister Wen.
Yun Qianli was born in a poor family and became the top scorer in the imperial examination outside Beijing. Now Yun Zhihe can be said to have inherited his mother's legacy.
Prime Minister Wen also looked up at her and snorted coldly.
"The imperial edict ordering my son to serve as an official is still enshrined in the Wen family's ancestral hall. Why is Lord Chen dissatisfied?"
"How could Lord Chen, a male official personally appointed by His Majesty, allow my son to go home and get married?"
The fire was directed at Xuanyuan Ying.
Xuanyuan Ying frowned and looked at Lord Chen, his expression deep and calm. Cold sweat suddenly fell from Lord Chen's body.
She lowered her head and defended, "Your Majesty... This is just that Young Master Wen is of marriageable age, and I am kindly giving Prime Minister Wen some advice."
Prime Minister Wen raised his eyes and looked at Xuanyuan Ying sitting on the high seat.
"Your Majesty, please don't blame Lord Chen for being tongue-tied. He must be jealous that I have a virtuous son in my family..." Her eyes curved slightly.
"Master Chen's youngest son has become famous lately."
He emphasized the word "renowned far and wide" with a look of mockery in his eyes.
"My son Wen Yanhe has a whimsical personality and is truly unworthy of the title of the Capital's No. 1 Young Master. I'll let Young Master Chen take over."
Lord Chen's face suddenly became particularly embarrassed. Everyone knew that his youngest son had an affair with a servant. If she hadn't stopped him, the clan members would have been thrown into a pig cage.
“You, you…”
She trembled her lips, unable to speak, and retreated with gritted teeth.
The morning court ended quickly, and as soon as she finished, she was stopped by Wen Yanhe.
He was smiling widely. The officials next to him who were badly criticized by Prime Minister Wen looked a little ugly when they saw the very similar expression. Especially Lord Chen, he glared at him fiercely and left angrily.
He cursed softly, "You unmanly bastard!"
The little fox looked at her back, raised the corners of his lips and sneered.
He took out the folding fan from his sleeve and habitually placed it against his lips. The tassels hanging on the side of his arm made him look particularly clear and bright.
He murmured slowly in his mouth.
"It's a pity that this should be said to one's own son."
Lord Chen staggered as he left.
Wen Yanhe opened his fan and sneered, like a cat that had stolen some fish.
He glanced at her again, as if he remembered something important, coughed lightly, and said.
"His Majesty is calling you."
Yun Zhihe nodded and left with him.
There were many court officials who spoke harshly to Wen Yan. Whenever he did something, some people would give him the cold shoulder, showing disdain for men serving as officials.
Wen Yanhe, on the other hand, was smiling and didn't take the initiative to cause trouble, but his words could make people feel embarrassed.
Your Majesty is the emperor because his surname is Xuanyuan, Lou Zhi is an official because he is just a tool who holds military power in name only but has no power in reality, so what about Wen Yanhe?
With my own knowledge and your majesty's appreciation.
He was well-read and eloquent. He answered the questions in the palace examination right under the nose of His Majesty and won His Majesty's favor.
Wen Yanhe was naturally not afraid, as he had his mother's support and the emperor's endorsement.
Yun Zhihe spoke to comfort her, "Don't worry about what others say."
He paused, as if pretending to casually shift his gaze away from the surrounding red walls and green tiles, and turned to look at her.
"Then you, marry me?"
Yun Zhihe was a little stunned, as if he didn't know why the topic had turned to this point.
Wen Yanhe continued to speak, but there was no emotion in his voice.
"Since I am a male official, no one will propose marriage to me in the next few years."
He turned his head, stroking the fan handle with his fingertips, his eyes met Yun Zhihe's, his thin lips curled slightly, and for a moment he was as unique as jade, his voice soft.
"I'm so beautiful... If I can't get married, wouldn't it be a pity for Madam Yun to see me?"
But isn’t he… a male official in order to avoid getting married?
Yun Zhihe hesitated before asking, "But aren't you going to get married?"
Wen Yanhe paused, pursed his lips, and said, "I really can't explain it to you..."
"I don't want to marry the one chosen by my parents, nor do I want to marry someone who comes to me and asks me to marry him, even though I don't know him."
He stopped and moved slightly closer to Yun Zhihe, his eyes clear and bright.
"I want to marry... the person I want to marry."
The meaning of this was unclear. He smiled and stared into Yun Zhihe's eyes.
The two looked at each other, and an unknown emotion flashed in his eyes, but he immediately lowered his eyes and pretended nothing had happened and continued forward.
Yun Zhihe followed behind him, pondering the deeper meaning and logic of the ambiguous statement, "I want to marry the person I want to marry."
Finally, it was concluded that Master Wen's academic level has declined recently.
Looking at Young Master Wen's back, I felt a little complicated.
I wonder if I can get him to sit in on a few of Madam Fu Ya's classes.
The road to the Shengchen Palace was quite long. Yun Zhihe lowered his eyes to look at his feet. Seeing him walking briskly, he frowned slightly and spoke.
"Your feet don't hurt anymore? Why are you walking so fast?"
Wen Yanhe paused. After talking with her just now, he had forgotten the grievances he had suffered at the hands of Qingzhu a few days ago.
After Yun Zhihe left that day, the two of them stared at each other, arguing with each other, neither of them giving in.
The man looked weak on the surface, but his words were full of thorns and he refused to give in even a little bit, worthy of being a young man from a brothel.
If that idiot Second Prince were to deal with Qingzhu, he would be so angry that he would whip her in no time.
That day, neither of them could determine the winner.
He stopped stiffly in an instant and spoke vaguely.
"Ah...yes...it still hurts if you think about it carefully."
He straightened his back instantly, his voice full of grievance and self-righteousness, "If His Majesty hadn't called you, would I have walked so fast in order to take you there?"
He stopped and raised his foot with a wronged look, one foot lifted up lightly, and supported his body with the other foot, trembling a little, and looked at Yun Zhihe again.
"Is everything alright? If you're feeling uncomfortable, I'll go by myself."
Yun Zhihe was a little worried and wanted to go up and hold him up, but just as he held his arm, he heard Ling Li say -
"Yun Zhihe!"
The voice was familiar, and it made people shudder.
Wen Yanhe frowned quickly, feeling unhappy, and felt a dull pain in his healed wrist.
Yun Zhihe turned around and saw the second prince standing not far away. Seeing the two of them together, he frowned and walked over quickly.
Perhaps it was because of his illness over the past few days that his waist became much thinner. He was wearing a waist belt and a dark black horse whip inlaid with gold, which made him look even more abstinent.
Still had that sour face on.
He raised his eyes arrogantly, glaring at Yun Zhihe with his strange-colored eyes, and suddenly stretched out his slender fingers with slightly calloused fingers to pull away Yun Zhihe's hand that was supporting Wen Yanhe.
...shameless vixen.
Wen Yanhe raised his eyebrows and said lightly, "His Royal Highness the Second Prince has been ill for a few days, but his voice still sounds strong."
He spoke the last few words slowly, blinking his eyes and using a teasing tone in his voice.
It is not a good word to describe a man as full of energy.
Qin Zhi understood the meaning behind his words, and his expression became annoyed. He snorted coldly, "Master Wen, ah...right."
"I haven't seen you for a few days and you've become 'Eunuch Wen', so I can't call you that anymore."
Eunuch is the name given to older male palace servants in the palace.
"What male official are you talking about? He's still the eunuch who serves you personally."
He mocked Wen Yanhe for being boycotted by officials.
The voice was mocking.
Wen Yanhe was not willing to be outdone, and the two of them started arguing with each other again.
Their eyes met, neither of them willing to give in. Yun Zhihe paused and sighed inaudibly.
If the two of them quarrel on the way, it will definitely delay His Majesty's time.
Besides, she... didn't really want to be caught between them.
Qin Zhi had been ill for a long time because of the day he knelt in the snow. Out of gratitude, Yun Zhihe went to the Second Prince's house almost every day to give him gifts of thanks and to say a few words to him.
He had to be coaxed into taking the medicine, and he would take a candied fruit with each mouthful of medicine.
All that Chunya couldn't feed was fed by Yun Zhihe.
She was restrained and polite, just quietly feeding the medicine and never looking over.
Now that he had just recovered from a serious illness and looked a little thinner, the usually strong Second Prince couldn't help but look at Yun Zhihe with a hint of pity.
"Your Highness, Second Prince, you have just recovered from a serious illness and it is not appropriate for you to stand in the cold wind for a long time. Why don't we leave quickly?"
Yun Zhihe hesitated for a moment, then made the suggestion.
Qin Zhi eased the unhappy expression on his face, reached out to the collar to adjust the position of his fur coat, and his neck sank into the fur, feeling a warmth.
He pursed his lips, glanced at her, and then responded softly.
"you……"
"No need to call me 'you'." He walked forward, biting his lower lip, his voice hoarse.
The word "you" is too unfamiliar.
Qin Zhi liked everything about her except her elegance and courtesy.
Yun Zhihe nodded in agreement.
Wen Yanhe, who was pretending to have a sore foot, had a darker expression on his face. He slowed down his pace, and Yun Zhihe also slowed down his pace without a word, following his lead.
Qin Zhi still followed her foolishly, lowered his head slightly and looked at the floor tiles, and glanced at her inadvertently, his ears blushing with embarrassment.
Finally, they arrived at the Holy Palace safely.
As soon as he arrived at the door, Eunuch Li came to greet him. He bowed to Qin Xing and then looked at Wen Yanhe.
"Master Wen, His Majesty asked you to go back first."
Wen Yanhe looked hesitantly at Yun Zhihe and Qin Zhi who was smiling beside him, pursed her lips and left.
Eunuch Li smiled kindly and turned to look at Qin Zhi, "Your Highness, Second Prince, His Majesty has something to say to you..."
Qin Zhi pursed his lower lip, his eyes filled with anticipation and joy, and took a deep breath.
"—so that you can learn the Three Obediences and Four Virtues well."
His voice was light, and he ignored Qin Zhi's face which turned pale.
"His Royal Highness the Second Prince has only been involved in horse racing, hunting, and wielding swords and spears in recent years. He has not yet fully learned the Three Obediences and Four Virtues. He should not worry about those things."
Qin Zhi's Adam's apple trembled, and he looked up at Eunuch Li's gentle and kind face.
Gentle, yet hiding a cold contempt.
"Father, did the Emperor really say this?"
"Oh, Your Highness, the Second Prince," Eunuch Li replied with a smile, his voice full of twists and turns. "How could this old servant deceive you?"
He ignored Qin Zhi's pale face, ignored him, and turned his gaze to Yun Zhihe.
"Madam Yun, please wait here for a moment. Queen Mother Cheng is inside discussing important matters with His Majesty."
Yun Zhihe didn't know why Eunuch Li was so... mocking and sarcastic towards Qin Zhi.
She frowned slightly, looking at Qin Zhi's incredulous and pale face, with a hint of worry.
Qin Zhi's eyes were red, and he looked up at Eunuch Li, "Father clearly said he would consider it!"
"Let this prince see his father!"
Eunuch Li frowned, "Your Highness, why are you so persistent? His Majesty has already said he won't see you."
"You are such a noisy person, how can you make others happy?
"How can you, a shameless old slave, talk to your master?!"
Qin Zhi was so angry that he gritted his teeth and his voice was choked with sobs.
Yun Zhihe paused and hurriedly grabbed Qin Zhi, who was crying angrily.
Eunuch Li's face turned cold.
"Do you really want me to say it so decisively?"
He snorted coldly, mockingly.
"Your Highness, your reputation has been completely ruined. You spend all day riding horses and shooting arrows with dandy ladies. How can a good woman in the capital marry you?"
"Your Highness, why don't you read the Man's Ethics before asking for marriage?"
“You, you—!”
Qin Zhi paused, drew his whip and was about to take action when he saw Yun Zhihe again. A line of tears fell from his handsome face. Before he could cry out loud, he glared at Eunuch Li and ran away.
He didn't want to cry miserably in front of Yun Zhihe.
Eunuch Li's words just now were full of mockery and sarcasm, which completely slapped him in the face.
He was indeed as Eunuch Li said, brandishing swords and guns and lacking the moral virtues of a man.
Qin Zhi has been spoiled by the empress since he was a child, with fine clothes and delicious food, and all kinds of love. How could he bear such injustice and humiliation?
If he hadn't seen that he was the emperor's personal eunuch, he would have whipped him in the face.
Yun Zhihe frowned and wanted to chase after him, but was suddenly stopped by Eunuch Li with a smile.
Eunuch Li's sarcastic attitude towards Qin Zhi seemed to be non-existent. He looked at Yun Zhihe, still gentle and humble, with lowered brows and a pleasing look, very gentle.
Yun Zhihe's face turned cold, perhaps a little aggrieved.
"Why is Eunuch Li speaking so harshly to me?"
Eunuch Li paused and sighed softly, "You don't know."
Yun Zhihe still frowned and looked at Eunuch Li coldly.
"...His Highness has a sweetheart and wants His Majesty to grant him marriage."
Yun Zhihe's expression did not change.
"But Your Highness has unrequited love, and the woman has no interest in him. The Second Prince is spoiled, and if he continues to pursue her, Your Majesty will be in a difficult position. How can it be considered a good thing to help a couple who are at odds with each other get together?"
"I can only pretend to say bad things to him to make him give up the idea."
"It is better for me, an old servant, to be a bad guy who breaks up a couple of lovers than for the Second Prince to be a couple of enemies."
He pretended to sigh slowly, and as he said this, his cloudy eyes carefully examined Yun Zhihe's expression.
Only when I saw her frown relax did I understand.
A few days ago, the second prince came to see Your Majesty. As soon as he entered the door, he knelt down and asked Your Majesty to grant him a marriage.
"I beg Your Majesty to grant me and Yun Zhihe a marriage!"
Xuanyuan Ying paused, and the fingertips holding the memorial suddenly tightened. It took a long time before he raised his deep eyes.
Hoarse voice.
“…Say it again.”
Qin Zhi's face was firm and his back was straight.
"I beg Your Majesty to grant me and Yun Zhihe a marriage!"
He took a deep breath.
"My son, I love her..."
Qin Zhi's voice trembled a little, with a hint of shyness, "She is also very good to me."
His fingertips were tugging at the hem of his clothes. It was rare for the arrogant and domineering Second Prince to have such an expression.
Xuanyuan Ying was in a daze for a moment, then lowered his eyes and pretended not to care and continued to read the memorial.
"I'll think about it, you step back first."
After the second prince left, he stared at the memorial in silence for a long time, his fingertips wrinkling it.
He saw that Qin Zhi had a tall and straight figure and a handsome face, with a look of boldness and unruliness between his eyebrows.
He is a young and passionate young man.
How can I not please my wife?
Just like his father who used to ride a horse with his hair tied up on the grassland, he was unrestrained, passionate and wanton, which won the late emperor's full love.
He thought of the lantern festival a few days ago. He touched Yun Zhihe's face, lowered his head, and looked into her eyes which were as clear as moonlight.
Like a moon covered with mist, clear and gentle.
Then she heard a scream, turned around and ran away without mercy, her clothes flying.
He couldn't catch her.
He couldn't catch her.
...His Jinniang is high and mighty.
Xuanyuan Ying remained silent until the night darkened, then he gently asked Eunuch Li a question.
"Am I old?"
His Majesty's expression was cold and noble, and his fingertips touched his face blankly.
However, before he got married, he was the most admired young master in the capital.
Countless people have sought to marry her, but Wen Yanhe's current charm is no match for his past.
Eunuch Li naturally felt sorry for His Majesty, whom he had loved since childhood. He sighed and spoke kindly for a long time.
As a result, he was filled with resentment when he confronted the second prince just now.
This is what happened.
He rejected Qin Zhi in accordance with Xuanyuan Ying's intention, and his words just now also tested the position of the second prince in Yun Zhihe's heart.
When Yun Zhihe heard that "the second prince has a lover", his expression did not change much.
Obviously, this means that Qin Zhi has no interest in this.
Eunuch Li smiled, feeling that there was one less obstacle for his Majesty to find his wife.
Yun Zhihe's expression relaxed.
Indeed, Qin Zhi has a spoiled personality, and women will not tolerate his temper if they don't like him. If he forces a marriage on her, they will only end up as a couple with resentment.
Just as he was thinking this, there was a sound of porcelain breaking in the imperial study.
"Get out of here!"
Yun Zhihe was stunned. She looked up and saw Mother Cheng coming out of the imperial study with a gloomy face. Seeing Yun Zhihe, she tried to conceal the gloom on her face, gave her an ambiguous look, and strode away.
Mother Cheng's steps were filled with great anger.
Eunuch Li was also stunned for a moment, his face looking somewhat reluctant.
"Madam Yun, please go in. His Majesty is in a bad mood... Please try to persuade him."
Probably because he couldn't bear it, he said something extra.
"Your Majesty and Queen Mother Cheng, although they are mother and son, have not been of one mind for many years."
There has been no news of any discord between Queen Mother Cheng and His Majesty...for many years, and even Yun Zhihe, who lives in the palace, was unaware of it.
...probably deliberately concealing the disagreement.
She stepped inside.
Then he saw Xuanyuan Ying sitting on a chair with an indifferent expression, but his cheeks were slightly red from anger, and he was looking at the ceramic fragments on the ground breathlessly.
Yun Zhihe walked around the broken porcelain pieces and stepped forward. After hesitating for a moment, he stood silently aside waiting for him to calm down his anger.
Xuanyuan Ying rubbed his forehead sleepily, and his breathing gradually calmed down.
He seemed to be talking to himself, but also seemed to be talking to Yun Zhihe.
"She wants the right to mint coins."
"I don't agree..."
Xuanyuan Ying closed his eyes and his voice trembled.
"She should have understood when she personally sent the fifteen-year-old me to the bed of that impotent old woman..."
He pursed his lips and his voice became even softer.
"——I no longer have any mother-son relationship with her."
Xuanyuan Ying muttered to himself, then sneered, covered his eyes, and chuckled softly. It was rare for him to lose his composure like this.
What's even more ridiculous is that the late emperor's foolish old woman who indulged in sensual pleasures hated Xuanyuan. When she saw him suffering from the aphrodisiac and mutilating himself in pain, she looked down on him and looked at his miserable appearance with disgust and distance.
Then he turned and left without mercy.
Xuanyuan Ying didn't know how he spent that night. He remembered that he locked the doors and windows, and bit his own flesh madly, with blood all over the floor. He cried and hurt himself, just to stay awake.
The effect of the medicine wore off on the second day, and I felt as weak as if I had been pulled out of the water.
Since that day, I have had a difficult-to-cure cold and it has become a problem for me to conceive.
He shuddered a few times, hiding the memories.
Xuanyuan Ying opened his eyes, still with that haughty and arrogant look. He looked at Yun Zhihe and chuckled softly.
"Jinniang, come here."
Yun Zhihe paused, bent down and lowered her head, allowing Xuanyuan Ying to touch her face.
The tip of his thumb rubbed the corner of her eye, his eyes full of infatuation.
He said again.
Low, dizzy in the ears.
"Jinniang, you can't leave."
…
Cui Mingyu and Li Miaomiao invited her to meet at a restaurant, and even brought Fang Li along.
This little Marquis Fang is a bit stupid, but he doesn't have any bad intentions.
She was unfamiliar with the capital, and since Cui Mingyu had beaten her several times, she naturally had to take care of her.
To be precise, Yun Zhihe has been busy running around investigating these days and has not seen Cui Mingyu for a long time.
Dangyu Pavilion sounds cold and quiet, like a teahouse.
But it is the most upscale restaurant in the capital, with carved railings and jade bricks, exquisite decorations, and towering pavilions. It should look like a building in the imperial palace.
Cui Mingyu was not as comfortable as before after becoming an official. It was a rare opportunity for him to relax, so he took the menu and ordered a lot of things.
This meal is not cheap, it will cost at least a thousand taels.
Cui Mingyu was quite generous. He smiled as he raised his phoenix eyes. "I've received my salary this month, so I'll treat you to this meal."
She was just a seventh-rank editor in the Hanlin Academy, and her salary was not even a fraction of the cost of this meal.
Yun Zhihe sighed at Madam Cui's extravagant and carefree behavior, but he continued to eat a lot.
After all, the food at Dangyu Pavilion is delicious and it is known as the best restaurant in the capital for a good reason. Many people from other places come here to eat at this restaurant.
They found a private room where they could see the man playing the piano downstairs. Madam Cui ate her food to the accompaniment of the music, and looked at the man's pretty face from time to time. She was very happy.
Fang Li buried his head in eating. He had already lost a lot of weight because of the incident at the Song Mansion, and now he had to eat it back no matter what.
"Madam Yun, come here."
Li Miaomiao smiled and toasted Yun Zhihe, holding the wine glass with her fingertips, looking particularly cheerful.
She had a baby face and already admired Yun Zhihe. After drinking a little wine, her eyes were filled with even more crazy worship.
Yun Zhihe was pestered by her and wrote a line of words and a poem after careful consideration. Li Miaomiao held the piece of paper and refused to let go.
Muttering to himself.
"Madam Yun, hehe, Madam Yun..."
Yun Zhihe glanced over and a barely audible smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
Why does it feel like she's even crazier than some of her male fans?
Cui Mingyu's handwriting had never been so cherished. Her handwriting was cursive, just like her unruly personality. At this moment, she said sourly and directly, "Li Miaomiao, are you good at polishing mirrors?"
It is said to be cursive script, but only the word "狂" is left, making it difficult to recognize.
"You are not as crazy about my calligraphy as this."
Li Miaomiao tilted her head and blinked her almond-shaped eyes, as if she couldn't understand why Cui Mingyu's calligraphy was worth collecting.
"Of course not." She shook her head, her face serious.
"But if I become a man, I must first marry Lady Yun."
Just as they were joking around, a noise came from downstairs.
"Hey, Miss Xuanyuan and Miss Yuan... please come in, please come in."
The shopkeeper hurried forward, bending down with a flattering smile.
There are many high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital, none of whom they can afford to offend. They can only work diligently to please them all and get along with everyone, and only then have the restaurant become what it is today.
Especially the Xuanyuan family, they are royal relatives, and the current emperor has the surname "Xuanyuan". How can they afford to offend the nobles of the Xuanyuan family?
The young lady downstairs was surrounded by a large group of people, all of whom were wealthy ladies in Beijing.
Xuanyuan Sui in the middle raised his neck, looking arrogant. "Hey, the same private room as usual."
"Okay."
Cui Mingyu looked at the grand scene downstairs and couldn't help but sigh.
“…It’s really unlucky.”
Li Miaomiao was not from Beijing and did not recognize them. She approached them with suspicion and asked, "Who are they?"
"Xuanyuan Sui and her lackeys."
Cui Mingyu was still mumbling, "Associated with the Xuanyuan family, even a nobody would feel emboldened, just like the guy downstairs."
Yun Zhihe recognized the young lady.
She is Xuanyuan Ying's niece.
But she seemed too ostentatious, wearing gold and silver jewelry, hanging out in brothels and pimping rooms all day, indulging in sensual pleasures, and no one knew how much money she spent in a day.
It's really shocking.
Yun Zhihe was stunned. Seeing her spending money like water, he casually gave her a thousand-liang silver note, which made the waiter thank him quickly.
She comes every day, and receives such rewards every day.
but……
From this perspective, the Xuanyuan family's finances are not tight, but rather quite wealthy.
Why do we need the right to mint coins?
Even if it circulated in Cheng Guomu's own fiefdom.
Yun Zhihe was puzzled.
Just as she was distracted, she glanced down and saw a familiar girl.
It’s… Atom Luo.
The woman that my brother brought back.
She seemed to be having a very pleasant conversation with Xuanyuan Sui, and a crowd of people surrounded the two of them.
How did this Lady Yuan get the ability to make that arrogant guy Xuanyuan Sui look at her as an equal?
Cui Mingyu obviously saw it too, and frowned, "I thought Yuanzi Luo was quite a man of integrity, rising from the eighth rank to the seventh rank, but I didn't expect him to become Xuanyuan Sui's lackey."
Yun Zhihe also frowned.
She was very familiar with her brother. Qin Duan had hated the Xuanyuan family since he was a child and was not very kind to Queen Mother Cheng. Why should the people she brought with her try to please the Xuanyuan family?
She looked at Yuanzi Luo and saw that she looked normal and even had a smile on her face when facing Xuanyuan Suini.
The two of them laughed and joked, obviously becoming familiar with each other.
Suddenly, Yuanzi Luo's gaze met hers, his eyes were deep and dark, which made Yun Zhihe pause.
The two of them looked at each other from a distance.
Then both of them looked away at the same time.
This person is not simple...
She shouldn't have gotten involved in this matter, but after thinking about it, she always felt that something was inexplicably wrong.
There were rumors in the capital that the eldest prince was having an affair with this woman, and that he was waiting for her to be promoted to a high enough rank to marry the prince before marrying her off.
It was said that Yuan Ziluo had lost both his parents, so he sought a position as a military advisor at the border and became an aide to the eldest prince, offering him many suggestions.
I heard that many military commanders at the border praised her highly.
But the look they just gave each other was filled with deep darkness.
The eldest prince wants to marry her...right?
Although Yun Zhihe knew that his brother was a smart man.
But after all, I'm still afraid that he will fall in love too much.
It would be inappropriate if this person took advantage of the prince's status and love to do something improper.
Yun Zhihe thought for a long time and did not join Cui Mingyu and the others in making jokes.
…
"Is that it?"
Qin Duan chuckled and then lowered his eyes to ask.
Yun Zhihe nodded and told Qin Duan in detail what he saw and heard in the restaurant that day.
"Although I have no evidence, I always feel that she is suspicious."
Yun Zhihe spoke hesitantly.
Qin Duan just smiled when he heard it, with the corners of his lips raised. He poured him a cup of tea, and his every move was full of gentleness and tenderness.
"I don't care what she does."
Doesn't seem to care.
"but……"
Qin Duan curved his eyes and met Yun Zhihe's, smiling widely, his eyebrows and eyes seemed to be drunken.
"Such a childish act of complaining... Is Jinniang jealous?"
"Ahem—"
The mouthful of tea that Yun Zhihe hadn't swallowed suddenly choked her, and the tea spilled onto the ground.
She looked up at Qin Duan in confusion and explained quickly, "No, brother, please don't misunderstand me. I'm just afraid that she might have bad intentions..."
I’m afraid he’ll fall in love.
Qin Duan poured her another cup of tea and leaned forward slightly. His inky hair slid down onto his white brocade clothes embroidered with gold, exuding a gentle, elegant elegance and serenity.
His voice was low, and even the ending tone seemed to contain a smile.
"Um?"
He doesn't seem to believe it.
He smiled and took Yun Zhihe's fingers, and carefully wiped the fingers that Yun Zhihe had spilled tea with Yun Shu's handkerchief.
His fingertips were slightly warm, jade-like and beautiful.
After he finished wiping, Yun Zhihe withdrew his fingers somewhat embarrassedly.
Yun Zhihe was afraid that he would misunderstand, so he continued to explain.
"Brother, if you trust me, I will help you investigate Yuanzi Luo and carefully observe whether she is someone worthy of entrusting your life to."
"... Entrust your life to me?"
Qin Duan was stunned for a moment, the smile on his face had not faded yet, and he muttered these words.
He suddenly stopped smiling, carefully played with the teacup in his hand, and asked in a low voice.
"...Why does Jinniang think she is the one I should entrust my life to?"
Yun Zhihe paused, thinking that it must be a misunderstanding. Just as he was about to explain, he heard his voice become light and emotionless.
"When we were little, Jinniang promised to marry my brother."
It's just a child's joke.
It should be said that he had the same temperament at that time, holding her and sleeping with her.
Every time when she was drowsy and about to fall asleep, he would ask her again and again, as if he had some obsession, and was extremely persistent.
Or perhaps only at this moment before falling asleep could he hear the answer he wanted to hear.
"You will always be with my brother, right?"
Yun Zhihe just buried his head in his chest and nodded silently. The child couldn't stand the sleepiness and only responded in a low voice in a daze.
"...Would it be okay if I married my brother in the future?"
"Um……"
"You must never leave your brother again."
"Um……"
"From now on, I will always love my brother..."
These words faded away as I fell asleep, but I could still feel his warm smile as he embraced me.
He was secretly delighted with his vague answer.
Like now, Qin Duan's fingertips stroked the teacup, and he looked up at her eyes, calm and persistent.
"Doesn't it count anymore?"
The atmosphere between the two quickly froze, and Yun Zhihe looked at him, not knowing what to say.
Those questions that should have been hidden in the corner of her mind suddenly hit her mind at this moment.
Like Qin Duan in his youth, he hugged her warmly and whispered his questions in her ear over and over again.
"I'm going to marry my brother..."
“Don’t leave…”
He hummed in a hoarse voice.
Qin Duan observed her expression, then quickly lowered his eyes, withdrew his thoughts, and chuckled softly.
"So, Jinniang is no longer a child."
"Brother was abrupt just now."
He retracted his question in a few words and finished his speech, obviously not wanting to continue.
His Jinniang is no longer as soft and fragile as she was when she was a child, and her heart is only with him.
His Jinniang is free and aloof, and all the young men in the capital are her admirers.
Qin Duan closed his eyes.
...It's no longer his alone.
There was still a smile in his eyes, concealing the darkness and uncertainty of the impending storm.
Yun Zhihe breathed a sigh of relief.
It's explained clearly after all.
……perhaps?
"Then I'll take my leave."
She wanted to get up and leave, but Qin Duan also stood up suddenly, stretched out his toes and tripped him, causing Yun Zhihe to stumble suddenly.
“Hmm—”
Embraced in his arms.
Qin Duan's clear and low smile could be heard in his ears.
"Ah... I'm hugging Jinniang again."
His embrace was warm and firm, and a light and elegant fragrance lingered around his nose. Yun Zhihe's hands were just around his waist.
Hearing his voice filled with gentle smile, Yun Zhihe knew that he did it on purpose.
He deliberately tripped her, hugged her, and then acted innocent and teased her.
Yun Zhihe was about to speak when she heard him lower his head and put his hand to the tip of her ear, his breath hitting her ear, and he said something in a soft voice.
"...little liar."
She lied to him that she wanted to marry him and lied to him that he couldn't leave her.
Yun Zhihe paused, then was suddenly pulled away by him.
“Hmm…”
His brother was still clear and noble. He looked at her with a smile and raised his eyebrows slightly. "Jinniang, aren't you going to leave? Then go ahead. Brother won't see you off."
Yun Zhihe was a little confused now, not understanding the meaning of the hug just now.
Is it intimacy or... revenge?
But he gritted his teeth and cursed him as a little liar.
She walked forward somewhat dazedly and said goodbye to him.
But... after all, no one has caught the moon yet, right?
Qin Duan concealed the darkness.
He can catch it.
He moves step by step carefully, and he always catches the prey in his net.
It must be his...Jinniang.
Qin Duan stood there and watched Yun Zhihe's figure gradually walk away.
He turned to the screen beside him and said, "Your Highness, I'm sorry to trouble you. Please come out."
Xuanyuan He came out with a serious face, and there was a bit of gloom on his delicate little face.
He sat down in Yun Zhihe's seat, looking at the teacup that Yun Zhihe had just drunk from, perhaps with a mocking look or something else.
"I didn't know that my brother the emperor was so eager to get married."
Qin Duan smiled lightly, but not much, and his eyes were deep.
"My royal brother didn't know that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was so thoughtful."
"...He doesn't seem like a simple child."
Xuanyuan He concealed his emotions and said in a cold voice, "Don't you know whether I look like a simple child or not?"
He looked at Qin Duan's eyes as if mockingly.
"Have you had enough of your hypocritical face? I'm here to make a deal with you, not to flatter you. It's better to hide that smile."
He has always hated Qin Duan's smile the most.
Pretending to be hypocritical and innocent.
Qin Duan also suppressed his smile, his voice becoming light and leisurely.
"That's really not cute..."
He looked at the trees outside the window. The sunlight outside was a bit dazzlingly bright. Qin Duan narrowed his eyes and spoke.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince said so, and my brother naturally agreed... We each get what we need. Since we are on the same page, there should be no other thoughts."
He seemed to be referring to something else.
"for example……"
He looked at Xuanyuan He again.
His expression suddenly turned cold.
"——Moving Clouds Knows Cranes."
Qin Duan sneered, "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. I don't care what you want to do, but don't touch her. The matter of the Song Mansion's investigation is over, so don't track down her every move."
"My royal brother, you don't know that you are so eager for women."
Xuanyuan He's expression froze, and he raised his eyes with a haughty yet concealed expression, "No, my royal brother's ability to slander people has improved. If she were useless, I would not touch her."
Qin Duan nodded lightly and stopped looking at him.
Yun Zhihe walked out of the eldest prince's mansion in a daze, and followed Azhi into the carriage.
Ah Zhi's eyes were filled with anticipation. "Miss, can we start reminiscing about the past?"
Azhi came here in recent years. She had never met Qin Duan before, but she had always heard about him from Yun Zhihe in the past few years.
I just carefully pictured in my mind the image of a gentle and elegant young man who was in a beautiful and moonlit night.
Yun Zhihe nodded, looked at the scenery outside the window, and sighed softly, "Hmm..."
But I feel like a lot has changed.
Whether it was them or him alone.
He had always kept many things in his heart, always hiding them and suppressing them in his heart, refusing to reveal a single thing and leaving her as if she were a child.
The author has something to say:
Trying to get them all focused on this chapter...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
