I poured him some tea: "Guard Meng, have some tea now."
Meng Anshi took it and drank it all in one gulp, displaying the demeanor of a chivalrous hero.
"Yuan Cheng's temper is unpredictable, and I'm not very smart, so I'm in an awkward situation. Okay, let's not talk about these unpleasant things anymore. Guard Meng, tell me about Yuan Cheng's past, so I can understand him better and avoid misunderstandings." You little brat, I don't believe you won't tell me.
Meng Anshi raised his head slightly. "Alright, what does Madam wish to hear?"
I don't know either, I just want to know more about him so I won't feel anxious: "It's all good, let's start from when you met him."
I always thought Meng Anshi was just a quiet young man, but I never expected that once he started talking, he was almost as eloquent as a salesperson in a shopping mall, speaking with great knowledge and skill in using adjectives.
For an eighteen or nineteen-year-old boy like him, in modern times, he would still be under his parents' protection, not yet out of the world, his life simple and beautiful.
Whether in ancient or modern times, the principle remains the same. When Meng Anshi talked about his story with Xie Yuancheng, it was as if he were talking about a long-time friend. He both feared and admired Xie Yuancheng.
These two, master and servant, had known each other since they were very young. When the Ninth Prince got into trouble, Meng Anshi was fortunate to be in Linyang and escaped the calamity; otherwise, he would have been buried with him.
Over the years, he grew up alongside Xie Yuancheng and became his most loyal and capable assistant. Xie Yuancheng was sometimes childlike, probably because he had spent so much time with Meng Anshi and had picked up his energy.
He usually doesn't say anything, just stands aside, but once he starts talking, it's like a surging river.
Xie Yuancheng is a year older than him, and he has to bear things that ordinary people cannot imagine. Fortunately, he has an older sister, although I have labeled her as my first love.
We chatted more and more enthusiastically, even talking about how Xie Yuancheng used to cry a lot when he was a child. When he first arrived in Linyang, he would always squat under a tree in the Marquis's mansion, looking for his parents every night. It wasn't until one night he was frightened by a night owl that he stopped going out and stopped crying.
I felt both sorry for him and amused; it was a miracle that he could be frightened. But he was only five or six years old back then, and he had to be alone in Linyang at such a young age. Fortunately, he had his teacher by his side to help him, and the teacher managed Linyang very well.
People in ancient times had to shoulder a lot of pressure from a young age. No wonder everyone in the palace was so scheming and backstabbing. Even a favored person like Consort Ji had to try to maintain her position.
"Brother Anshi, tell me about your childhood trips to the mountains, it was so much fun." Once we got to know each other, I immediately started calling him brother.
“We all used to catch birds in the mountains before we were twelve years old. The Marquis was determined to catch the night owl that was scaring him, but he couldn’t catch it even after several years. So we stopped going. Now that I think about it, catching wild rabbits was more fun. We could chase after them and stay in the sky all day.”
Meng Anshi's eyes were full of longing; he seemed to miss that time.
I can guess what happens next without him saying it. Xie Yuancheng is besieged on all sides and has to deal with multiple forces. At the age of twelve or thirteen, he has become a cunning, scheming, and arrogant marquis.
I wanted to know more, but Xie Yuancheng came back, so it looks like we won't be able to finish talking today.
Meng Anshi saw him come in and then left. Xie Yuancheng looked at him with a suspicious gaze. This man had another problem: he was suspicious! I quickly snuggled into his arms. "Yuancheng, you must be cold since you just got back. Let me warm you up."
She knew he was easy to coax. He had been looking unhappy, but suddenly he beamed and said, "Ying'er, let's do this every day from now on."
I outwardly agreed, but inside I felt a pang of sadness. Oh well, we'll worry about the future later; cherishing the present is the most important thing.
He must be incredibly eloquent, otherwise how could he have kept the Prime Minister on his side for so many years? Perhaps he even has spies planted in the court, knowing even the excuses Li Zhaole and I gave each other.
It's snowing again outside. Xie Yuancheng sighed, "I was planning to take you out today and revisit all the places you and Lu Fengjun went, but you're not better yet, so we'll go next time."
I wanted to revisit all the places Lu Fengjun and I had been. Holding his hand, I said, "Yuancheng, I was out of my mind back then. Just pretend I didn't see it. I don't remember those places, and I can't recall how I felt at the time."
Xie Yuancheng took out a blue-covered book from the cabinet. When he opened it, he found that I remembered clearly which day, when, and where I went with Lu Fengjun, and what it was like at the time.
My hands were trembling as I turned the pages of the book. How could he do such a thing? "Yuan Cheng, you—" I didn't know what to say. How could he be so devoted to Ji Ying? I was so envious and jealous.
Xie Yuancheng put his hand on my shoulder, looking down at the books on the table: "These are all messages from my informants. They come out every day to check on things, urging themselves to become stronger so they can bring you home."
I leaned against him and said, "You're so mean. How am I supposed to leave you now?"
I really wanted to cry. Ever since I learned about his feelings and the responsibilities he had to bear last night, tears have been falling like they were falling uncontrollably, just like Ji's mother's.
I leaned against him; the room was so quiet that I could hear the snow falling outside.
Xie Yuancheng lay down next to me, propped himself up on his hands, and looked at me: "Ying'er, there's something else I need to tell you."
Even if he said he saw a real dragon when he was a child, I wouldn't be surprised.
"Back then, my father was protected by your father, the Great General, which allowed him to have his body intact. So, my teacher and I spent four years resolving the matter in Linyang. Then, I went to the capital on my own, intending to thank the Great General, but he wasn't there. I met you in the backyard. At first, I thought you were a girl, so I vowed to marry you when I grew up, hoping to strengthen our family ties. But then Madam Ji said you were her 'youngest son,' so I gave up the idea. However, after seeing you in the Imperial Garden, I changed my mind. I swore then and there that I would have you."
No way! Ji Ying's father even has connections with the Ninth Prince. What do you mean by marrying me when I was five? That's a complete lie.
I pretended to be angry and turned away, telling you to stop talking nonsense when you were little.
Xie Yuancheng hurriedly followed and whispered, "Ying'er, don't be angry. I'm just telling you all the secrets I've been keeping. Otherwise, I can't bear it if it happens again like this time."
"Of course you can't handle it," I said, touching his hand in return. "Then you're not allowed to hide anything from me from now on."
Xie Yuancheng became quite obedient at this moment, readily spouting curses and oaths. This man really thought he was lucky to be alive, so he quickly covered Xie Yuancheng's mouth: "Don't make oaths recklessly. I believe everything you say. Your life has already been full of hardships, why add more to your misfortune?"
Xie Yuancheng looks really good in this picture. It's a blessing from God that he can stand out like this in this kind of environment.
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