Chapter 61 If the man is impotent, it's because there's no one else...
It's not surprising that someone has feelings for Fu Huaiqing.
Whether in terms of status or appearance, she's top-tier in the capital. It's only suspicious if no one is interested. He absentmindedly ran his fingers through the bushes beside him. "Does he know?"
he?
Hua Chao hesitated for a moment before realizing who she was referring to. "I heard that he knows about it." If she could hear about it herself, how could His Highness not know? "I heard that His Highness clearly rejected Miss Lin, but because His Highness has always been a loner, Miss Lin has never given up. In the past three years, when she returned to the capital, she would occasionally come to the Prince's residence with the Princess."
She nodded slightly, and after a moment, a faint hiss escaped her lips. She lowered her eyes, and a thorn pierced her fingertip, drawing a tiny bead of blood. The blood clung to her fingertip for a moment before drifting away and falling into the soil.
She looked at the wound, which was almost healed, with mixed feelings.
It's all Fu Huaiqing's fault! He distracted her, otherwise she wouldn't have been stabbed.
After a brief silence, Biezhi snorted and waved her hand: "Let's go, let's go cause him trouble."
Hua Chao stared in astonishment at the girl's unwavering figure. Just as she was about to follow, Cheng Jin arrived carrying a food box. Bie Zhi also saw him and stopped in her tracks, puzzled.
"Miss." Cheng Jin handed the food box to Hua Chao and said, "His Highness asked me to bring this for you."
Bie Zhi's gaze followed the movement of the food box, and she looked at Cheng Jin: "What is it?"
Cheng Jin smiled mysteriously, "It's what the girl likes."
Hearing him say that, Biezhi's curiosity was suddenly piqued and reached its peak.
The food box was opened, and wisps of smoke accompanied by a fragrant aroma rose up. When she saw the bowls and chopsticks that Hua Chao had brought out, her eyelids twitched violently, and she looked at Cheng Jin in surprise, "What do you mean?"
Dumplings the size of gold ingots float on the steaming soup.
Biezhi recognized it at a glance.
Five Flavors Shop's soup dumplings.
Cheng Jin was confused. What else could it mean?
He scratched his head, recalling Jiang Yue's words, and said, "Remind the young lady to remember the past?"
Biezhi: "..."
Her lips twitched, and she asked, feigning ignorance, "What happened in the past?"
Cheng Jin was also stumped by the question.
He thought for a moment and figured his master probably wasn't going to bring up old grievances, so only one thing remained: "Remind the young lady not to forget to steal a kiss—"
As she listened, Biezhi's eyes widened suddenly. She wished she could find a shovel, dig a hole, and bury herself in it. She quickly raised her hand to stop him: "Don't say any more. It would be impolite to say anything more."
What is meant by stealing a kiss?
She is openly and honestly related to them.
Besides, he didn't lose out, did he?
He should be grateful that others can't even get a kiss.
Seeing her ever-changing expression, Cheng Jin silently shut his mouth and stood quietly to the side.
Having finally calmed herself down, seeing that he showed no sign of leaving, Biezhi sensed something was amiss and, driven by curiosity, asked, "Is there something else?"
"Hmm." Cheng Jin nodded, afraid of being interrupted again, and said very quickly, "His Highness asked me to tell you, Miss, not to forget to take responsibility for him."
In an instant, Biezhi gasped.
Her almond-shaped eyes widened slightly, her lips opening and closing as she glanced at Cheng Jin, hesitant to speak, then looked down at the still steaming dumplings, and couldn't help but ask, "How does he plan to make me take responsibility, to welcome him in with an eight-bearer sedan chair?"
The girl's spirited expression was reflected in Cheng Jincheng's bright eyes, as if she would pounce on her master and have a proper 'talk' with him if he were here.
He paused for a moment, then asked, "When?"
"What?" Biezhi was stunned.
Cheng Jin felt that it would be better to go back and report to his master sometime later. He was worried that he might not be able to answer his master's questions. Thinking this, he hesitated for a moment and then asked, "When does Miss plan to welcome His Highness into the house in a grand sedan chair carried by eight men?"
Biezhi: "..."
She stared at him quietly, realizing that he really intended to go back and report his 'decision' to Fu Huaiqing. A breath caught in her throat, almost suffocating her.
After a long pause, Biezhi took a deep breath and said, "In my lifetime."
Cheng Jin opened his mouth, then nodded thoughtfully.
Biezhi knew he would definitely go back and report his answer to Fu Huaiqing, so she wasn't surprised at all when she saw the man step into Qinghe Courtyard. Calculating the time, she even felt he seemed a little late.
The soup dumplings on the table had lost their heat, and the dumplings floated on the surface, small and exquisite.
The girl lay on one side, her gaze filled with a hint of sorrow.
Fu Huaiqing's eyes flickered slightly, a faint smile appearing on them.
He stepped forward calmly and said, "I heard that someone is planning to welcome me in with a grand sedan chair carried by eight men."
Upon hearing this, Biezhi, who had been sitting up straight, glanced at Cheng Jin, whose eyes were wandering, and said without hesitation, "You misheard. It's fake news, a rumor."
“Fake news can be made true.” Fu Huaiqing had already guessed that she would say this. He picked up the spoon on the table and swirled the dumplings on the soup. “It seems that someone once said that the money they earned was more than enough to support me.”
The branch suddenly raised its head.
Not only did they have their eyes on her, they also coveted her money.
"A swindler!"
Fu Huaiqing's expression froze for a moment.
"A ruthless and unscrupulous merchant." Biezhi didn't know where he got the courage from. He could just close his eyes and be done with it, but he couldn't stand this humiliation. "Others go to the mountain retreat to buy information for no more than two hundred taels of silver, but me!"
She was furious just thinking about it. Her round, grape-sized eyes blazed with anger as she fumed about being ripped off. "Both times you bought information for five hundred taels of silver. You made a clean profit off me, and now I have to return half of the silver I finally got. You might as well not have given me that much in the first place." Biezhi glared at Fu Huaiqing, whose thin lips were slightly upturned, and said, "Give me back the money!"
The righteous words echoed above the quiet courtyard, and the guards all around couldn't help but turn their heads to look. Even Hua Chao couldn't help but open her mouth wide in astonishment. Some of the secret guards who had followed Fu Huaiqing, who was disguised as Ji Ran, in and out of the area were not surprised at all. They just felt that it was really not easy for Bie Zhi to endure until now.
After holding back for many days, he finally voiced his dissatisfaction. If it were any other day, if he had been offended by his master half an hour ago, he would have gone to 'Jiran' half an hour later and vented his anger on his master. His words were so sharp and his tone so indignant that they made their eyelids twitch.
“It’s clearly your fault.” Bie Zhi got more and more excited as she spoke, feeling that she hadn’t done anything wrong at all, and was even stunned by him. “If you weren’t pretending to be Ji Ran, would you have heard me scolding you?” She noticed that Fu Huaiqing’s mouth was slightly open, but she didn’t give him a chance to speak and said, “Of course not.”
If Ji Ran really heard himself complaining, wouldn't everything be fine?
"Besides, if you hadn't gone too far, would I have scolded you?" Not only did he hear her, but she also had to endure his 'threat'. She felt a little wronged. It wasn't good to talk about her master behind his back, so she went to find Ji Ran, who couldn't hear or speak. How could she have imagined that this would be discovered? "There's a cause for every effect. I scolded you, so you should reflect on yourself."
Fu Huaiqing: "..."
His expression was so confident, as if everything was his problem.
Fu Huaiqing's lips curved into a smile as he looked at her, unable to suppress a laugh. "Is it all my fault?"
"Of course!" Biezhi glared at him, pondered for a moment, gritted her teeth, and said again, "You're the one who made me risk my life, you're the one who cheated me out of my money, you're the one who tormented me back and forth, everyone else's voice change is fine, but yours is a water buffalo's voice, and I'm not the one who spread rumors that you can't have sex. You should be glad I told you, so you can at least ask the imperial physician if it's really not possible."
In an instant, veins bulged on Fu Huaiqing's forehead as he looked at her with a complicated expression.
Mentioning this matter, the fire that had been burning in Biezhi's heart subsided a little. After hesitating for a long time, the light in her eyes slowly turned into reluctance. Her gaze seemed to fall slightly downwards, landing on the man for a moment before she looked up again and said earnestly, "If it doesn't work, then it has to be treated."
Fu Huaiqing's face was ashen. "I didn't—"
“This matter cannot be avoided by seeking medical help.” Biezhi had heard that no man would admit to being impotent, but it was indeed urgent and couldn’t be delayed. She gave him an idea: “If you’re too embarrassed to show yourself, you can disguise yourself as someone else and ask the imperial physician to take a look. That’s not out of the question.” Fearing he might refuse, she paused and added, “If a man is impotent, no one will want him.”
Fu Huaiqing: "..."
He clenched his teeth slightly. "Deliberate?"
Biezhi is innocent!
It's almost as if I'm swearing to God, "Heaven and earth bear witness, I'm giving you advice with the utmost sincerity."
She lowered her gaze slightly by half an inch, secretly glanced at him a few times, and then looked up again.
The girl made no attempt to hide her regret, as if he were truly impotent as the rumors suggested. Fu Huaiqing's brow throbbed violently, almost bursting out. He stared at her quietly for a long time before saying in a deep voice, "How do you know it's impossible if you haven't tried?"
Biezhi, who was secretly wondering where a divine doctor could cure this hidden ailment, blinked upon hearing this. Without even thinking for a moment, she understood his meaning, and her cheeks flushed red.
She pursed her lips, glanced at the man whose eyes exuded a dangerous aura, like a leopard eyeing its prey, silently turned away, swallowed hard, and said, "I think I'll pass."
"Why not?" Fu Huaiqing raised an eyebrow slightly, staring at her. "Didn't you say I'm incapable of sexual intercourse?"
"It wasn't me." Biezhi waved her hand slightly. She had only heard it from someone else; it couldn't be blamed on her. Besides—
She was quiet for a moment, then muttered softly, "It's precisely because it won't work that I shouldn't try."
What if it really doesn't work out? Wouldn't my whole life be ruined?
Bie Zhi spoke very softly, but Qinghe Courtyard was so quiet that Jiang Yue and the others dared not make a sound, and even their breathing was deliberately made to be much softer. Fu Huaiqing could not help but hear her muttering.
His forehead veins throbbed as he said, "You have to try."
Biezhi: "..."
Sure enough, no man can accept the fact that he is impotent, not even the most powerful regent.
At this moment, Biezhi belatedly realized that she was the one questioning him, but now she was the one being threatened by him. She coughed lightly, tapped the table, and said righteously and confidently, "Don't deny other people's advice. You should learn to reflect on yourself."
Fu Huaiqing laughed in anger.
His dark, deep eyes shimmered with a unique light and shadow, and he pursed his lips tightly.
He needs to reflect on his actions.
We need to carefully reflect on which step went wrong.
Fu Huaiqing took a breath, and his expression gradually calmed down.
"Your Highness." Having heard the whole story, Jiang Yue stepped forward with a stiff upper lip, his head bowed even lower than usual, and said with clasped hands, "Xiang Lin requests an audience."
Upon hearing that Xiang Lin was requesting an audience, Fu Huaiqing's eyes darkened.
Not long ago, Xiang Lin personally led a team out of the capital to thoroughly investigate the massacres in Suzhou and Hezhou. Only five days have passed, and now he has suddenly returned to the capital—
His expression hardened slightly, and he said, "Summon."
Xiang Lin, who was waiting at the entrance of Qinghe Courtyard, hurriedly went inside. Before he even got close, he saw two figures sitting in the courtyard. The moment he saw the girl's face, he was momentarily stunned. He had followed Jing Qing and had naturally seen Bie Zhi before.
Seeing Jiang Yue nod slightly out of the corner of his eye, Xiang Lin finally understood why his master hadn't agreed to his suggestion to use another branch to lure Jing Qing away. His master had already shown leniency by not sending anyone to drag him away.
Xiang Lin quickly stepped forward, "Master."
Fu Huaiqing glanced at him sideways, picked up the teapot from the table, and poured a cup of tea slowly. "What is it?"
Xiang Lin slightly raised her eyes and noticed that her master pushed the teacup beside her towards another branch. It seemed that he did not intend to avoid her. After pausing for a moment, she said, "I was ordered to go to Suzhou. I had only been in Suzhou for half a day when I heard that the Bian family had searched for a wet nurse for their young daughter. The reason why there are rumors in Suzhou is precisely because Lord Qin's investigation into the Bian family a few days ago caused quite a bit of discussion."
Qin Xiao had just mentioned the matter of the Bian family's wet nurse, and Fu Huaiqing gave a faint "hmm," saying, "The Bian family's wet nurse escaped a disaster."
"Yes." Xiang Lin knew that Qin Xiao should have already reported this matter. However, he brought accurate information. "To be precise, the Bian family only had 127 people, and all of them perished. However, according to the recollections of some elderly people in Suzhou who still remember the Bian family, the wet nurse of the youngest daughter of the Bian family was also in the courtyard at the time of the incident."
Fu Huaiqing raised the teacup to his palm in mid-air, then slowly lowered it, signaling him to continue.
“I have reviewed the files in the prefecture. No fewer than ten children were massacred that night, including a girl who was only six months old. The name of the wet nurse was even recorded.” Xiang Lin’s eyes narrowed for a moment. He had seen countless tragedies and his hands were stained with blood, but he still had difficulty breathing while reviewing the files. “Even if you include the wet nurse, the list of casualties only includes 127 people, one of whom is missing.”
"Is there any news about the wet nurse's husband?" Fu Huaiqing ran his fingertips along the floral pattern on the teacup. If she could be the wet nurse of the Bian family, her child must be about the same age as the youngest daughter of the Bian family. "Where is her child?"
Xiang Lin had also investigated. "The day after hearing about the Bian family's misfortune, the wet nurse's husband hurriedly moved his entire family away from Suzhou and never returned. His subordinates ordered people to search along the way, and finally found the news in Xiyun Town, which is only a hundred miles away from Suzhou. Four days after the Bian family's massacre, the wet nurse's husband and his family were found dead outside Xiyun Town. A butcher who went hunting discovered their bodies." He paused and said, "There is no record of any children aged six months to two years old in the case file."
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