Chapter 167 Covered
That was an imperial edict. Once the edict arrived, Ling Qingyan had to go back whether she was willing or not.
But Ling Zhuoan's words could comfort her uneasy heart a little.
"Your son accepts the order." Ling Qingyan's voice was clear as she took the imperial edict that asked her to return to Kyoto.
After Ling Qingyan left, there was no need for these men who came for the girl to stay in Yizhou.
Cui Huailang's mood was depressed for a moment, but it was only for that moment. The next moment, the young man pursed his lips, looked up at Ling Qingyan, and said with a smile: "Sister Qingxi, I want to go to the capital with you."
"Sister Qingxi?" Ling Zhuo'an's voice suddenly turned cold. "Second Master Cui, do you think it's appropriate for you to call me your Imperial Sister?"
"Yes." Ji Yanxing also looked at him, his tone unfriendly, "Brother Cui, you should take it easy. Thank you for your hospitality these days, but the capital is not Yizhou. It's not a place where anyone can get along."
"Brother Cui, you are living such a comfortable life in Yizhou, so you'd better not go to the capital to suffer." Ji Yanxing smiled and gave a kind reminder.
"No, I believe that His Highness will protect me. How bad can it be?" Cui Huailang smiled heartlessly.
He was not annoyed at being forced to change his address. It was just a name. His relationship with Sister Qingxi was not something this group of people could compare to.
"Your Highness, please take me with you. I will go to the capital with you, and together we will expand our business territory and make it bigger and stronger."
"Of course, these are secondary. The most important thing is that I can't bear to leave Your Highness. I will be lonely without you. I want to be with Your Highness."
"Qing...Your Highness, you know I hate separation the most."
Ling Qingyan's eyes moved slightly. Cui Huailang was her confidant from another world. She was also reluctant to leave him and didn't want to be separated from her friend. It was the best thing that he was willing to come to the capital to find her.
"Okay." Ling Qingyan said cheerfully, patting his shoulder. "When we get to the capital, this princess will protect you."
"Don't worry, I won't let you go hungry as long as I have something to eat." Ling Qingyan joked.
Ling Yu looked straight at Cui Huailang. It was really interesting. This little brat who came out of nowhere wanted to follow him to Beijing?
"Second Master Cui, right?" Ling Yu turned his head to look at him. Cui Huailang responded eagerly. Ling Yu's voice was filled with a hint of mockery and doubt as he said:
"You said you hated separations. Well, separation from His Highness is separation, but separation from your own family is nothing."
"Then you are unfilial and lack moral integrity." Ling Yu accused him of moral flaws and turned to look at Ling Qingyan:
"Niece, we can't play with people who have moral issues like this."
"How can they be the same?" Cui Huailang immediately retorted, "Your Highness Prince Yong, you have wronged me. I am determined to leave my hometown. I am going to a wider place to make a living. My parents will be happy for me."
"According to what His Royal Highness Prince Yong said, those who left their hometowns to go to Kyoto to take the imperial examinations are considered unfilial. Having said that, although I am a businessman, I have done a lot to punish evil and promote good, so I am worthy of making friends with me." Cui Huailang opened the fan and looked at Ling Qingyan with a smile.
What a joke! He even got a certificate for being a "Three Good Students" in elementary school.
Ling Qingyan nodded at him, indicating that she understood. She turned her head and looked at Ling Yu: "Uncle, Cui Huailang is my friend. He is also going to the capital. Come back with me, okay?"
The girl looked at him with sparkling eyes. Ling Yu had not seen the girl's eyes like this for a long time.
The girl was asking him on the surface, but in fact, Cui Huailang would go with him whether he agreed or not.
"Okay, my little niece has made a new friend. I'm happy for you." Ling Yu touched her head with a slight smile on his lips.
&
Ling Qingyan took Shang Rulan away as well. Most of the people and things in Yizhou were not good to her. She asked Alan if she was willing to go back to Beijing with her.
Shang Liu helped her manage Furong Manor as a way of thanking Ling Qingyan for helping him take care of his sister.
When they had almost packed their luggage, Cui Huailang quickly got into Ling Qingyan's carriage. The carriage was provided by Cui Huailang on his own initiative and was quite spacious. He brought a lot of tea for His Highness and even some poker cards he made himself, ready to play Landlord with His Highness and Shang Rulan when they were free on the road.
He had a good idea, but he immediately received many unfriendly looks.
Ling Yu sat on a tall brown horse, holding up the carriage curtain with his sword. Seeing the happy scene inside, his brows furrowed. "Mr. Cui is indeed worthy of being raised in Yizhou City for a long time. He has no manners at all."
Ji Yanxing was wearing red clothes and riding a white horse. She was standing beside Ling Yu, also looking into the carriage, with her horsetail flying high. She smiled and waved to Ling Qingyan, watching the fun from the side.
He had disliked Cui Huailang for a long time, but he was too confident because of his status.
"Mr. Cui's behavior is called usurpation. In the capital, you will be beheaded." The man's voice was cold, as if it really contained some murderous intent.
Ji Yanxing nodded beside him, "Indeed, it's really rude."
So chop his head off quickly.
Ji Yanxing looked at Ling Yu expectantly.
Cui Huailang touched his neck and swallowed. Before he could organize what to say, he heard the voice of the girl next to him.
"When did the Emperor's uncle become so old-fashioned? Don't scare my friend." Ling Qingyan looked at him with a smile, "I was the one who asked him to get on the carriage. It's not an overstepping of my bounds."
"I'm old-fashioned?" Ling Yu sneered, "Kids really are grown up and can say anything."
"My little niece has found a new love and has forgotten about her uncle. It makes me jealous that she protects him so much." Ling Yu was quite frank and did not hide his feelings for the girl or his dislike for Cui Huailang.
He let down the curtain, out of sight, out of mind.
Ling Zhuoan was riding towards this side, and Ling Yu stopped him.
"Crown Prince, nephew." Ling Yu stood in front of him, blocking his way. "His Majesty has another oral message for the Crown Prince. His Majesty said that he really likes the paintings of the Lishan hermit. He wants you to go to Lishan in person to help him get one. You don't have to return to the capital with us."
Ling Yu's eyes were filled with smiles as he met the prince's gaze.
Whenever Ling Zhuoan caused trouble for him, he would stand beside his good brother the emperor and remind him how crazy his son was, so crazy that he forced Tang Ning into a desperate situation and even resorted to faking his death to deceive the emperor.
They have to separate. What if Tang Ning resists Ling Zhuoan and doesn't want to come back after fighting to the death?
So we have today’s oral instruction.
Ling Zhuo'an's expression remained calm, and he didn't seem to be inclined to follow suit. "Father already has quite a collection of calligraphy and paintings; this one wouldn't be a big deal."
The man's tone was light and he didn't take the oral instruction seriously at all. His eyes were fixed on the luxurious carriage.
"The imperial edict is above, Your Highness cannot disobey His Majesty's will." Mu Xianzhi's voice sounded from behind, with an undisguised gloating look.
Ji Yanxing also agreed with a smile: "Yes, the imperial edict is here, Your Highness should go to Mount Li, otherwise you will be criticized."
The two of them were in sync in a line, forming a natural barrier.
When the imperial edict came down, these loyal subjects must of course uphold the emperor's will. His Majesty asked the prince to go to Mount Li, so the prince should not go with His Highness.
The three of them looked at Ling Zhuo'an with a smile, their attitudes very respectful. The fact was that it was this reliable title of the imperial edict that made Ling Zhuo'an stay away from His Highness.
After the last fake death, everyone hated Ling Zhuoan even more.
Ling Zhuoan certainly understood the intentions of these people. They used a chicken feather as a token of authority, as if they could fight him at any time for the emperor's order.
The three of them are all very skilled in martial arts, and Ling Zhuoan, together with the few East Palace guards he brought this time, may not be able to defeat them.
He scoffed, not knowing whether he was laughing at himself or at the others. "Alright, it's nothing more than a request for a painting. I will do my best to complete what my father has instructed me to do."
"Don't worry, I won't be a few days later than you. You'd better behave yourself." Ling Zhuoan said in a deep voice.
"Are you going or not?" Ling Qingyan lifted the car curtain and a crisp voice sounded, breaking the strange atmosphere between these people.
Ling Zhuo'an looked at the girl with a smile on his face: "Royal sister, I have something to do these days and can't accompany you. Yanyan, remember to take care of yourself and wait for me to come back."
"Okay." Ling Qingyan raised her eyes to look at him, thinking he had something important to say, and said with a smile: "Then be careful and have a safe trip."
Ling Zhuoan responded with a smile, then turned around and walked away.
Ling Qingyan and others also rode their horses and set off.
Ling Yu, Ji Yanxing, Mu Xianzhi, and Chen Chuo were all riding horses, only Ling Qingyan and the other two were in the carriage.
The carriage was not in a hurry, stopping and starting along the way, mainly for Ling Qingyan's comfort and rest. Laughter could be heard frequently in the carriage, making people outside quite envious.
The summer sun is scorching and it is blinding in places without shade.
Ji Yanxing listened to the joking voices of the girl behind the curtain and Cui Huailang, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
The next moment, the sword fell to the ground and Ji Yanxing fell off the horse.
Ling Qingyan heard the noise and immediately lifted the curtain of the car, "What happened?"
She saw the unconscious young man lying on the ground, jumped out of the carriage, and trotted over in her peach pink skirt.
"Ji Yanxing, Ji Yanxing?" The girl patted the man's face, but he didn't wake up.
She touched his forehead and felt it was a little hot. The sun was very strong outside and it was baking him.
She looked at Ling Yu and Mu Xianzhi and said, "It's so sunny, you should get a carriage too. You'll get heatstroke, right?"
"My dear niece, I am also a soldier who has fought in battles. I am not so weak." He glanced at Ji Yanxing, "If you can't even endure this little hardship, then General Ji's military achievements are fake."
"He doesn't look like a general who has been in the frontier for several years at all. He looks like those pampered young men in the capital." He looked at Mu Xianzhi again, "Master Mu of the Moonlight and Wind is fine."
Ji Yanxing was lying on the ground, secretly complaining that Mu Xianzhi's grandfather knew martial arts, what an idiot.
I cursed him a lot in my heart, but Ji Yanxing still looked unconscious.
Mu Xianzhi smiled and looked at Ji Yanxing: "Who knows, maybe General Ji is pretending."
Originally, Mu Xianzhi wanted to pretend to faint, but who knew that Ji Yanxing fell so quickly.
Mu Xianzhi thought he must be pretending.
Ling Qingyan really felt that it was a bit tiring for them to run under the scorching sun.
No hardship, no suffering.
She took the kettle and poured water into his mouth. It tasted sweet. Ji Yanxing choked and coughed a few times before he woke up slowly. He slowly opened his eyes and rubbed his temples.
"Your Highness?" Ji Yanxing asked in confusion, his peach blossom eyes dazzled by the sun.
"How are you? Are you feeling better? Let me help you to the carriage?" Ling Qingyan said.
"This...is it convenient for Your Highness?" Ji Yanxing suppressed the smile on his lips.
Ling Yu took a breath of cold air, and Mu Xianzhi also sneered.
"It's convenient. Brother Cui's carriage is very spacious." Ling Qingyan stated the facts.
Although Ling Qingyan had his doubts in his heart, he was indeed very hot, and if it was an act, it must have been quite painful for him to fall off the horse in order to get into the carriage.
She is not the kind of person who is unsympathetic.
Turn a blind eye.
Cui Huailang also got off the carriage and said with a smile, "Let me help your highness help General Ji get on."
He is quite kind.
Who knows if Ji Yanxing will take advantage of the heatstroke to attack His Highness.
Where Ling Qingyan couldn't see, Ji Yanxing glared at Cui Huailang with a malicious look.
Cui Huailang was also tactful and pretended not to see anything even though he saw it.
Ji Yanxing got on the carriage and sat next to Ling Qingyan, watching Ling Qingyan and the other two playing cards.
He had never seen this style of play before, but he was a quick learner and almost understood it after watching a few games.
Ji Yanxing provided enough emotional value from the side.
"Your Highness is truly amazing."
"Your Highness is very lucky."
"A comeback? Your Highness is truly amazing."
She played cards and he watched her.
The group laughed and chatted, and finally arrived in the capital.
Ling Qingyan went to the imperial study to see her father immediately.
The moment the emperor saw his daughter, tears welled up in his eyes.
He picked up the memorial and held it in front of him, saying "Everyone go away", and the other palace servants retreated one after another.
Only the father and daughter were left.
The emperor still did not put down the memorial in his hand, as if he did not see Ling Qingyan, and was stubbornly sulking.
"Father?" Ling Qingyan called out, but the emperor ignored him.
"Father." Ling Qingyan called out again, this time with a hint of coquettishness.
The emperor finally put down the memorial in his hand.
"You still remember that I am your father." The emperor looked up at her with a loving gaze. "Do you know how distressed I was when the crown prince brought back that corpse?"
"Tang Ning, you're really getting bolder and bolder. It's fine if you could just lie to Ling Zhuo'an, that inhuman creature, but how come you even lied to our father?"
God knows he didn't dare look at Lan'er when he dreamed of her these days.
"I was wrong, father." Ling Qingyan admitted her mistake with a wronged look and an extremely sincere attitude.
The emperor's heart softened all of a sudden.
"There won't be a next time. My father's body can't bear this kind of torture." The emperor finally smiled. "Come, tell me if there is anything interesting that happened in Yizhou."
“…”
The father and daughter chatted for a long time, and finally the emperor said to her, "I have made up my mind. I will open a residence for you. Your brother has been temporarily sent away by me and will not be back in the short term. I plan to give you the former Prime Minister's Mansion as your princess residence, the one in the south of the city, and assign you a thousand elite soldiers to protect you. Even the crown prince would have to think twice about this."
"How about another three thousand fiefs?" the emperor said with a smile.
Ling Qingyan's eyes widened. You have to know that the fief of a normal princess in Ling State is only 800, and the most Princess Luoxia has is no more than 2,000.
My father actually planned to give her three thousand fiefs.
Not to mention that the princess's mansion allocated to her was the residence of a famous prime minister of the previous dynasty.
"Thank you, father." Ling Qingyan naturally would not refuse. That was three thousand fiefs and a thousand elite soldiers.
"Tang Ning, please stop scaring your father." The emperor said, looking at the memorial to the side, his smile faded.
"By the way, Tang Ning, you have an old friend who will be arriving in the capital soon."
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