Chapter 14 Wei Jie Killed by Looking
Finally, Xie Yunman couldn't help but think of the Xie family patriarch and Xie Yunyu who had lived in Qingliang Mountain.
If it has nothing to do with politics, then the problem must lie here.
So Xie Yunman made a quick decision and turned around to go inside to write a letter to Old Master Xie.
The news that Xiao Ling had descended the mountain and entered the imperial court to become the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel spread like wildfire, reaching every household in the capital.
On that day, a row of horse-drawn carriages was parked in front of the Ministry of Personnel.
Each car was decorated with intricate carvings and colorful patterns, and the curtains were adorned with vibrant colors, making them exceptionally beautiful.
Even more extravagantly, the vehicles were adorned with jingling silver bells at the four corners and beaded curtains clattering, exuding unparalleled luxury.
When the officials from the Ministry of Personnel left their offices, they were all dumbfounded to see their daughters or sisters coming to pick them up.
After a while, I finally realized that they were all here to see Prince Shou'an.
One by one, they said to the family members with annoyance, "The Prince left long ago, go home."
The next morning, at the time of the official business, a row of carriages was parked at the entrance of the Ministry of Personnel again, all there to see the Prince of Shou'an.
After arriving at the yamen, the people from the Ministry of Personnel treated the matter as a joke and subtly told it to Minister Lu.
Minister Lu thought about it and realized that this couldn't go on forever.
However, the one who tied the knot must untie it. Since it was the prince who caused the trouble, let him resolve it himself.
So, on the second day after Xiao Ling started working at the government office, he had barely sat down in his office when Minister Lu called him away.
After listening to Minister Lu's lighthearted remark, Xiao Ling said:
"It was Xiao Wang's oversight that caused trouble for the Ministry of Personnel."
There were people waiting at the entrance of the Ministry of Personnel all day long. Xiao Ling originally wanted to leave early, but it seemed that he couldn't leave now.
He had no choice but to have Qingfeng drive the carriage into the Ministry of Personnel so he could get in and return home.
Seeing that Xiao Ling had been wearing a gloomy face since his return, the eldest princess asked Qingfeng:
"It's only his second day at the yamen, who's so blind as to offend him?"
Qingfeng recounted Xiao Ling's ordeal, and Princess Jinyang actually laughed upon hearing it.
"So what is your prince's idea about the current situation?" the princess asked.
The breeze shook its head.
The eldest princess entered Xiao Ling's courtyard with a smile, and seeing her son's extremely unpleasant expression, she said with a smile:
"Ling'er, this is not a bad thing. You are beautiful, so why can't people look at you?"
What, are you afraid to watch Wei Jie be killed?
Xiao Ling glared at her mother with annoyance.
Seeing that her son was unhappy, the eldest princess stopped smiling and then said:
"How about this, I'll have someone make a mask for you, and you can wear it when you go out. What do you think?"
After listening, Xiao Ling glanced at the Princess, who had finally come up with a serious idea.
"In that case, I'll trouble Mother to make a silver Zhong Kui mask."
The princess laughed again after hearing her son's request.
Seeing that Xiao Ling's expression was getting increasingly grim, he stood up and left.
On the third day, Xiao Ling wore a ferocious Zhong Kui mask when he went to the Ministry of Personnel in a carriage.
This has been the case for several days in a row.
Starting from the fifth day, the number of people at the Ministry of Personnel gradually decreased.
Since these young ladies waited and waited but Xiao Ling didn't appear, they naturally gave up on the idea.
However, young ladies from top-tier families like Wei Ningyan and Qin Yingying had met Xiao Ling since they were children.
He disdained to wait at the entrance of the Ministry of Personnel and instead sent a letter directly to the Princess's residence to pay his respects, but the Princess refused to see him.
The capital was originally a stagnant pool, but Xiao Ling's appearance stirred up a storm among the women and in the inner quarters.
The crown prince was delighted upon hearing the news from below.
The emperor shook his head repeatedly upon hearing this. He feared the child might become a monk while he was in the mountains, but returning to the capital would only bring so much trouble. It was truly...
The eldest princess also found several fierce-looking guards for Xiao Ling to serve as his coachmen when he went to the government office and to clear the way for his daily outings.
This resulted in the entire capital knowing that Prince Shou'an had returned to the capital, but apart from the court officials, no one else had ever seen Xiao Ling's true face.
On his day off, Xiao Ling, wearing a newly made wooden mask, rode in a carriage to the Xie residence.
Xie Yuntang was already waiting at the mansion.
Since that day, Xie Yunman had been feeling uneasy, a feeling that made him extremely uncomfortable.
He didn't know what Xiao Ling wanted; if it was about court affairs, he could just tell him.
But what I fear is that it has nothing to do with the imperial court...
Yesterday, he instructed his mother, Zheng, that the Prince of Shou'an would be visiting the residence today, and that she should keep the household members in check and prevent them from coming to the study in the east courtyard.
Anyone who dares to disobey and barge in will face his wrath.
When Zheng saw her second son's sinister gaze, her heart skipped a beat.
In the Xie residence, the old master is not here. Although she and her husband are the elders, Xie Yunman is the one who actually speaks and makes decisions.
Zheng looked at Xie Yunman with a panicked expression and asked:
"My son, what is the purpose of the Prince of Shou'an's visit to our residence?"
Xie Yunman sighed and said, "It is precisely because his purpose is unclear that we dare not act rashly, but I can see that he has great ambitions."
Upon hearing this, Madam Zheng exclaimed in alarm, "What should we do? Should we send a letter to your grandfather to ask him?"
Seeing that her mother seemed frightened, Xie Yunman softened her expression and said:
“I wrote to my grandfather the night before last, and I should receive a reply in the next day or two.”
Upon hearing this, Madam Zheng patted her chest and said, "That's good."
"Don't worry, I'll be in the manor tomorrow and no women will be allowed to go to the east courtyard."
Xie Yuntang and Xie Yunman personally led Xiao Ling to the study in the east courtyard.
The moment Xiao Ling saw Xie Yunman, he knew his identity.
There's no other reason than that Xie Yunman and Xie Yunyu are twins, and apart from their face shape, their eyebrows and facial features are very similar.
Xie Yuntang and Xiao Ling started talking about the Slender Gold style of calligraphy, chatting and exchanging ideas in a very harmonious atmosphere.
Gradually, Xie Yuntang discovered that the Prince of Shou'an was not as aloof as rumored, and was actually quite easygoing.
The initial awkwardness gradually disappeared, and the two began to chat more smoothly.
Xie Yunman didn't say anything, just sat quietly to the side and kept her company.
Occasionally, he would serve tea and water to the two of them and offer his own insights on the calligraphy and paintings.
At noon, Xie Yunman had a table full of Huaiyang dishes prepared. They looked green and white, but tasted delicious.
Xiao Ling seemed quite satisfied with the food.
"Does this taste like the cuisine of Jiangnan?" Xiao Ling said.
"My ancestors were from Wu County in Jiangnan Province. My grandfather loved Huaiyang cuisine."
It just so happens that my younger sister is a skilled cook, and she improved upon the original dishes, resulting in the flavor we know today.
Xiao Ling knew immediately that this was referring to Xie Yunyu.
Because he once ate a bag of delicious roasted pine nuts and a bag of sweet and sour plum candy.
"Oh, then your sister's cooking skills are almost on par with the imperial chefs in the palace," Xiao Ling said.
Once the topic turned to Xie Yunyu, Xie Yuntang began to talk non-stop.
"My younger sister and Erlang are twins. They were smart from a young age. They could learn anything quickly and understand things immediately."
However, being a woman, she was unfortunately ineligible to participate in the imperial examinations.
Xiao Ling echoed, "It is indeed a pity."
"Then you three siblings must all know how to write this slender gold script?"
Xie Yuntang's personality is the same as his father's: pragmatic, honest, and sincere.
Hearing Xiao Ling's words, he said, "To my shame, the first calligraphy copybook I found was actually picked up by my sister from a secondhand bookstore on the roadside."
Later, with my grandfather's further refinement, it became what it is today.
When the old man discovered that the calligraphy copybook was written by Xie Yunyu, he made a copy himself to cover it up for Xie Yuntang.
Xiao Ling replied, "Your younger sister is beautiful both inside and out."
To everyone's surprise, Xie Yuntang sighed and said, "She is intelligent, but her ideas are also different from ordinary people, and she often says things that are unconventional."
As they were talking, Xie Yuntang suddenly realized that the conversation was always going around his younger sister, so he smiled and changed the subject.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com