Chapter 50 Is he planning to lock himself up here? ...
A resounding voice instantly echoed throughout the quiet bedroom.
Fu Huaiqing: "..."
He looked down at Biezhi, whose almond-shaped eyes sparkled. She would occasionally peek up at him, their eyes meeting briefly before she looked down again, but he could still catch the thirst for knowledge emanating from the depths of her eyes.
Fu Huaiqing looked helpless: "No."
Upon hearing this, Biezhi breathed a sigh of relief.
She knew it; how could her master order people to hunt her down while simultaneously ordering others to protect her? But... as she thought about it, a sudden chill ran down her spine.
"Senior brother—" She looked up, frowning, and saw the turmoil in the man's deep eyes. Her voice hesitated, even trembling slightly: "Betrayed his master?"
"A spy." Fu Huaiqing didn't hide it from her. He walked to the table, picked up the teapot, poured a cup of water, and handed it to her. "An arrest warrant has been issued."
Biezhi's pupils contracted sharply, and his lips parted slightly for a long time, but no sound came out.
How could my senior brother be a spy?!
“He was adopted by a couple from Xilan Kingdom when he was young, and then infiltrated our dynasty, where he happened to meet Ling Feng.” Fu Huaiqing was not in a hurry when she did not take the cup, and held it in his palm for her to come back to her senses. “The reason why he brought people to hunt you down has not yet been found out.”
"Does Master know?" Bie Zhi's voice trembled.
Fu Huaiqing patiently replied, "I have already sent someone to inform them."
Biezhi opened her mouth, then fell silent.
If my master knew, he would be very sad.
Fu Huaiqing looked at her suddenly slumped shoulders, the air thick with a dull atmosphere, devoid of her usual vitality. He subtly changed the subject: "Don't you doubt that what I said is true?"
"Huh?" Biezhi was taken aback by his question and shook her head: "No."
If things were going well, she would naturally be suspicious, but her senior brother was clearly on the verge of losing control. Recalling his last words, "When he told me to leave, he told me to remember never to show my true face to the world..." She paused, raised her chin to meet the man's eyes, and a question arose in her heart: "Is there something wrong with my face?"
His fingertips tightened slightly as he placed them on the cup. Fu Huaiqing's gaze swept thoughtfully over the girl's bright and clear face, finding nothing amiss. After a moment of solemnity, he said, "I will have someone investigate this matter."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a knock on the door.
Jiang Yue, who was waiting outside the door, walked in and leaned in to whisper something in his ear.
Fu Huaiqing's gaze gradually hardened, and she glanced at him indifferently from the side.
In an instant, Jiang Yue felt immense pressure.
However, as Lord Qin himself said, if His Highness does not see him tonight, he will not leave and will wait outside the Prince's residence. The guards outside are really finding it hard to bear.
Jiang Yue had just gone out to persuade Qin Xiao that they could talk about it tomorrow, but he still refused to leave, clearly because he was here for something else.
Fu Huaiqing withdrew her gaze and looked at the petite figure under the candlelight. She was not as energetic as usual; she seemed to be exhausted.
After a moment of silence, he said, "I have other things to take care of. You will stay here from now on. If you need anything, just tell Jiang Yuecheng and Jin, and they will make the arrangements for you."
Biezhi was stunned.
What do you mean by "living here from now on"?
A storm raged through her heart, a surging wave crashing down on her, leaving her dizzy and speechless as she watched the man leave.
Is he going to lock himself in here?
Biezhi blinked several times and hurried forward to catch up, but before she could even step out of the bedchamber, the guards standing on both sides suddenly reached out and blocked her way.
It was obvious that she had received orders and was not allowed to come and go as she pleased.
Normally, he would have taken advantage of the situation, but now he was under someone else's roof and had no choice but to submit. Moreover, the other party was the current regent. He had barely taken half a step away from this place before he was brought back.
Being locked up here is a thousand times better than being locked up in jail.
After thinking for a moment, Bie Zhi nodded heavily, telling herself that she should be grateful!
In less than half a breath, the high spirits that had risen halfway down plummeted back down.
Someone please save her!
He's a magnanimous person, he probably won't bring up past grievances, right?
But if he doesn't bring up past grievances, why did he scare her just now? It's obvious he just wants to slowly torture her. Biezhi has lost count of how many bad things she has said about him.
He's so free!
Isn't the affairs of the court busy enough for him? Not only can he take care of the affairs of Xianyun Tower, but he can also pretend to be Jiran from time to time and watch himself jump around.
Recalling her arrogant words over the past two years, Biezhi felt that his temperament was actually quite good; he hadn't killed her on the spot, which was somewhat different from the rumors.
I heard that when he personally executed the relatives of the empress, blood splattered everywhere, but his eyes did not move at all.
Footsteps sounded in her ear, and Biezhi subconsciously straightened up. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Huachao carrying a wooden table into the room, looking at her with disbelief.
Hua Chao bowed and said, "Miss."
"How did you get here?" Biezhi stared blankly, her gaze trembling as she followed her figure. Before she could answer, she understood. "Did the Prince arrange for you to come to my side?"
"Hmm." Hua Chao put down the wooden table in his hand, picked up the food and placed it on the table, and explained to her, "I am a secret guard in the Prince's mansion. I heard that Madam Qin is planning to find someone outside to stay by your side, Miss. Guard Jiang ordered me to go there to make things easier for you."
The branch fell silent.
No wonder the Qin family has so many servants, and no one ever speaks out when she disappears from time to time. Now I realize that someone is pulling strings behind the scenes.
His spies were already everywhere around him.
It was as if a net had been cast, falling upon her without her knowledge, gradually tightening until it reached this courtyard, leaving her no chance of escape.
The deeper Biezhi thought about it, the more goosebumps began to rise on his skin.
She spends nine and a half out of ten days angrily venting her dissatisfaction with him. It's not like she'll lose a piece of flesh by hurling insults; why bother going to such lengths to deal with him?
If all else fails, just yell back!
A gentle aroma wafted into her nose, and Bie Zhi's gaze shifted slightly, slowly landing on the steaming fish soup.
Since things have come to this, let's eat our fill first and then talk about it.
Otherwise, they wouldn't even have the strength to run away.
Inside the Prince's study, the cool scent of sandalwood wafted through the air. Fu Huaiqing, who was walking slowly, glanced at the man standing in the center of the study. Hearing the sound, the man turned around, bowed, and then walked past him unhurriedly to sit down behind the desk.
He casually flipped open one of the folded documents without looking up: "I heard that Lord Qin will not leave until he sees me tonight. Is there something important you have to report that makes you come here at night?"
"I went to my younger sister's grave tonight." Qin Xiao knelt down, his back straight and his eyes fixed on the ground. He said, "I committed the crime of disrespect by prying open my younger sister's coffin, but I did not find her body. I wonder if something went wrong. I have come here to report to Your Highness."
Fu Huaiqing put down his pen and looked at him with a deep gaze.
Su Ci, who rushed over after receiving the news, happened to witness this scene. The coldness deep in the man's dark eyes almost emanated from him. His heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly stepped over the threshold, bowed, and greeted him.
"Get up," Fu Huaiqing said calmly.
Su Ci stood up, glanced sideways at Qin Xiao who was still kneeling on the ground, and frowned: "What happened? Why are you so serious?"
Fu Huaiqing turned to the next memorial, speaking casually: "Our Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review is incredibly audacious. He went to the cemetery in the dead of night and pried open his own younger sister's coffin."
Su Ci: "..."
He stared at his friend in astonishment: "Are you crazy? Today is only the seventh day after her death, and you're already trying to pry open her coffin after only half a day? Don't you intend to let her rest in peace—"
“There is no body in the coffin.” Qin Xiao interrupted him, raising his eyes to look at the figure behind the desk reviewing memorials. Others may not know, but he knew perfectly well that the first person to arrive on the day Biezhi had the accident was Fu Huaiqing. If he did not know Biezhi’s whereabouts, no one else could have known. He withdrew his gaze and said, “She is not dead.”
Su Ci suddenly fell silent and subconsciously looked at the man behind the desk.
“She’s not dead,” Fu Huaiqing glanced at him, then looked back at the memorial, “What do you want to do?”
Qin Xiao cupped his hands again, saying neither humbly nor arrogantly, "If she is not dead, then of course I will take her home."
Upon hearing this, the strokes of his pen on the memorial paused slightly, and a faint smile flashed across Fu Huaiqing's eyes as he looked up at him. "She's not your sister, so why did you bring her home?"
Su Ci felt that the name sounded somewhat familiar.
His gaze quickly swept over the two of them, and he slowly understood why they had argued that night. For a moment, he didn't know who to side with, so he waved his hand and said, "You two can argue it out yourselves."
"Regardless of whether she is my sister or not, that's what everyone thinks now," Qin Xiao said.
"A zombie?" Fu Huaiqing laughed coldly. He leaned back in his armchair, his long, thin fingers tapping the table slowly. He said, "She has her own life. You don't know her at all. Your so-called love at first sight is just wishful thinking on your part. Why bother her life?"
Qin Xiao's face paled slightly.
Standing to the side, Su Ci shook her head and clicked her tongue silently, thinking to herself that his words were really too harsh, blatantly stabbing people in the heart.
Fu Huaiqing did not want to say more about this matter to him. "She is indeed not dead. There are more important things to deal with right now, so it is inconvenient for her to show herself. To the outside world, you need to insist that she is the second daughter of the Qin family and died in the murder seven days ago. The Dali Temple is conducting a thorough investigation into this matter."
The coldness in his voice was clearly not out of jealousy towards a rival, but rather the solemnity of discussing serious matters. Su Ci and Qin Xiao exchanged a glance, understanding the meaning behind his words and realizing that there must be something they were unaware of behind it all.
After a moment of silence, Qin Xiao asked, "Is it Xu Wenche?"
Su Ci suddenly understood that the scene of Bie Zhi's incident that day was precisely the back mountain of the Xu family. However, it was said to outsiders that she was murdered while traveling on a secluded path around the capital. "They had no enmity between them, so how could—" He stopped abruptly as he realized something, "She appeared at the Xu family because she was following Xu Wenche?"
Fu Huaiqing's eyes flickered slightly. "Hmm."
Hearing his voice, neither too loud nor too soft, Qin Xiao understood perfectly well that he and Biezhi must have known each other for a long time and had a trustworthy relationship.
Thinking of this, Qin Xiao's eyes darkened, and he let out a sigh.
The study fell silent, with only the soft scratching of the brush on the memorial remaining.
Having obtained the answer he sought, Qin Xiao had no other requests. From the very beginning, he had never expected that Prince Su would inform him of Biezhi's whereabouts; he had only come to confirm that she was indeed safe and sound.
He still had cases to handle at the Dali Temple, so he didn't linger and took his leave with a bow.
Only after the man's figure disappeared into the academy did Fu Huaiqing slightly raise his eyes, glancing at the empty courtyard for a moment, before turning to Su Ci, who stood silently, and asked, "Why are you staying here? Do you have something to ask me?"
"No, I didn't." Su Ci poured herself a cup of tea, took a sip, and said, "I was summoned by the guards of the Prince's mansion in a hurry, and they won't even let me have a sip of tea before I leave?"
"Take it back and drink it if you want." Fu Huaiqing took out the new memorial without even lifting his eyelids.
Su Ci chuckled, immediately picked up the teapot and headed out, but was stopped before he reached the door. He turned back: "You know me—"
"Where is Fang Tingzhi?" Fu Huaiqing asked.
Su Ci hesitated slightly, "Why ask her something that's perfectly fine?"
Upon hearing this, Fu Huaiqing thoughtfully raised his eyes and looked into the courtyard, guessing that she must have come disguised as a man tonight and was waiting outside. "When you have time in the future, bring her to the Prince's Mansion for a visit."
"What do you want to do?" Su Ci's eyes narrowed, her gaze quickly sweeping over the man behind the desk who remained silent with a smile. She felt a little displeased. "She's been placed by my side now, so she must have a mission to perform. She can't just wander around."
With just a glance, Fu Huaiqing could tell what he was thinking.
He looked at him silently. "Get lost."
Su Ci was more than happy to oblige and quickly left.
He walked into the courtyard, and Fang Tingzhi, who was waiting under the treetops, hurriedly ran over.
Su Ci stopped and waited, his eyes scrutinizing her. Fang Tingzhi was tall enough that, apart from her slightly delicate features, she looked exactly like a man when she wasn't speaking.
Fang Tingzhi, who hadn't had a proper rest for several days, ran up and yawned, "Young Master."
"Your hair is getting darker now, where did you wander around last night?" Su Ci asked as they walked.
"I wasn't wandering around. I've just been drinking too much tea lately, and I can't sleep at night," Fang Tingzhi denied outright, but inwardly she couldn't help cursing. If he hadn't made her dress as a man and accompany him in and out of the mansion every day, how could she have to sneak into his study at night to look for information, causing her to have trouble sleeping every night? She couldn't help but ask, "Why does Young Master make me dress as a man?"
Su Ci glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, "I heard you're good at destroying things in the house, so I'm taking you out for a walk to cool you down."
Fang Tingzhi: "...?"
Who is this shameless person spreading rumors about her!
and……
Does this sound a bit like a description of some kind of animal?
Seeing her eyes widen in anger, Su Ci smiled slightly and slowed his pace, waiting for her to come up.
After watching the two figures disappear into the academy, Jiang Yue and Cheng Jin went inside.
Cheng Jin cupped his hands in greeting: "Master, a messenger from Qinghe Courtyard reports that the young lady has already retired for the night."
Fu Huaiqing raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled silently.
She's timid, yet she's also very bold; she's bold, yet at first glance she seems timid. Her courage fluctuates wildly depending on the situation.
However—as Fu Huaiqing thought about it, the smile in his eyes faded slightly.
She was indeed somewhat afraid of herself.
Fu Huaiqing put down his pen and stared intently at one spot.
The two hadn't heard a sound for a long time. When they opened their eyes, they saw their master staring intently at a certain spot. After a moment of eye contact, Cheng Jin tentatively asked, "Is Master thinking about Miss Biezhi?"
Fu Huaiqing glanced at him indifferently.
Cheng Jin understood, and then asked, "Is it because you don't know how to win her heart?"
Hearing this blunt question, Jiang Yue took a deep breath, fearing that the prince might throw them both out at the slightest provocation. Unexpectedly, his master remained silent for a long time.
Clearly, Cheng Jin's guess was correct.
However, the two of them were helpless in this regard. Most of the hundred guards in the Prince's mansion did not have families. He and Cheng Jin had been following the Prince for many years. The Prince often dealt with government affairs until late at night, and the two of them followed him around. Not to mention families, they had never even touched a woman's hand.
"Women in the capital often enjoy reading novels." Jiang Yue suddenly thought of something and felt that this was a good starting point. "I just don't know if Miss Biezhi likes them. If she does, Your Highness can start from here and learn from the methods men use to pursue women."
Fu Huaiqing recalled that he had visited the courtyard where she was staying more than half a month ago, and there were indeed traces of novels there.
He calmly picked up the pen he had put down and said, "Go and find some storybooks."
Cheng Jin hurriedly accepted the order.
Seeing that their master had no further instructions, the two exchanged a glance and silently withdrew into the courtyard. Cheng Jin immediately said, "I will take men to search now. If anything happens..."
Jiang Yue: "She might not like the methods of the men in the novels you find."
Hearing this, Cheng Jin's initial excitement faded, and he frowned, asking, "Then what should we do?"
"Are you stupid?" Jiang Yue glanced at him helplessly, then looked towards Qinghe Courtyard not far away and said, "The answer is right there in the courtyard. Why don't we just go and ask?"
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