Xifeng looked at his master with a strange expression, and after wanting to say something for a while, he finally carried the body away. Having followed his master for so many years, he still couldn't figure out what the other party was thinking.
The cold wind was blowing, and the leaves were falling in the orderly courtyard, giving it a slightly desolate feeling. The servants were busy with their own affairs, whispering to each other, until the tall and slender figure came into their sight, and they all knelt down in panic to salute.
Ignoring the group of people, the man walked to the door. When he was about to push it open, his big hand suddenly stopped in mid-air and his brows were slightly frowned.
Silver charcoal was burning in the house, making it as warm as spring. The table was filled with various dishes. Although simple, the appearance made people hungry. A pretty woman was supporting her small, fair chin with one hand, with a look of annoyance on her fair face.
"Who do you think stole this evidence?"
While preparing the meal, Fang Yu frowned and said in a deep voice, "There is something I don't know whether I should say or not."
"Why not?" Xia Tong glanced at her. The issue of evidence had always been a thorn in her heart, and she was always worried about it.
Fang Yu leaned forward and whispered, "Master, you have always overlooked one thing. That is, apart from me and Qing'er, Hongxue would not be suspected when she entered and left your room. She followed you closely all day long, never letting you go for a moment. Why didn't she follow you when you first went to the prison to visit the master and his wife?"
After saying this, Xia Tong looked thoughtful and was thinking about something. In fact, she had the same idea, but she rejected it because Hong Xue was absolutely loyal to the villain. How could she give the evidence to the Grand Tutor's Mansion?
As if she had guessed her thoughts, Fang Yu could only whisper, "Think about it, why is there no map in the evidence this time?"
Speaking of this, Xia Tong's expression became more solemn. This was also what puzzled her. This was obviously the most important evidence, but why didn't the people from the Grand Tutor's Mansion present it?
"It is indeed very suspicious, but even if I tell the prince, he will not believe me. I asked him to transfer Hong Xue away before, but he refused. In fact, he sent her here to monitor me. And you see, it is already this hour and she has not come yet. If she doesn't want to come, then don't come. If you can't finish it, you can give it to the beggars outside. Don't waste it."
Seeing her master starting to eat, Fang Yu was about to say something, but when she saw the person coming outside the door, she was so scared that she immediately bowed and saluted, "This servant greets the prince."
The chopsticks almost fell to the ground. Xia Tong's body froze and she just bit her lower lip with a look of sorrow. She forgot that this man never made any sound when he walked.
Glancing at the dishes on the table, Gu Qin walked closer step by step, looking down at the woman, his voice slightly lowered, "So in your eyes, I am the same as those beggars."
Fang Yu retreated quietly and gently closed the door. The atmosphere in the room suddenly became weird. Xia Tong's eyes rolled and she suddenly stood up. She blinked her big eyes and held the man's arm innocently. "I just said it in anger. It's your fault that the prince is not punctual."
He shook her hand away and stopped eating her poor outfit. The man seemed very unhappy. When he sat down, he glanced at the dishes on the table and said, "None of them is to my taste. It shows that you have never put your heart into it."
Xia Tong: “…”
This boss has a very picky taste, even the butler can't explain it, so how can I know what he likes to eat?
"So what does the prince like to eat?" She held the chopsticks and looked up at the man opposite her.
There were many dishes on the table. The latter tasted the fish without changing his expression and said in a low voice, "I have raised you for so long, but you have never paid any attention to me."
Even though she was used to the other party not treating her well, Xia Tong still lowered her head guiltily, counting the rice grains with a pair of chopsticks in one hand, seeming to feel a little embarrassed.
"In a few days, a famous doctor will come to take care of your body. You are so weak that a three-year-old child is stronger than you." Gu Qin suddenly glanced at her indifferently.
"Of course, the prince and I are different. If the prince were to compete with me in playing the piano and dancing, he might not be as good as me..."
As he was talking, Xia Tong suddenly realized the hidden meaning in the other person's words. The next moment, her face suddenly turned red. She remembered what she had said before. Now that her parents were fine, was that why he wanted to take care of her body?
Although the dishes didn't look rich, they tasted delicious. The man didn't attack her again, but just glanced at her quietly, "What do you think you can do?"
His words clearly showed that he doubted himself, but Xia Tong also felt a little guilty. The original owner was good at playing the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. Although she inherited the original owner's memory, she was only half-baked, but it was better than knowing nothing.
"Don't look down on me, my Lord. My chess skills are no match for my father. I will have time to learn from you."
Xia Tong said this with confidence. The original owner's attainments in chess were average, but she herself had won the runner-up in the National Youth Go Competition. If her parents had not prohibited her from becoming a professional chess player, she might have had more room for development.
Gu Qin chuckled and continued eating without saying anything. His stern features softened a lot.
It was rare to see the villain smile, and although it looked very nice, Xia Tong felt only indignant. The other party was clearly laughing at her. Very well, she must slap the villain in the face and let him know what it meant to not judge a person by his appearance.
After lunch, Gu Qin went to do something, while Xia Tong played chess with Fang Yu to see if her chess skills had become rusty. However, it was obvious that Fang Yu was no match for her.
There was no one in the house to spar with, so Xia Tong felt a little itchy and anxious to know what her level was, in order to avoid failing to slap the villain in the face but getting slapped in the face by herself.
Early the next morning, Xia Tong took some tonics to Xiahou Mansion. Now that Xiahou Mansion had been stripped of its hereditary title and could no longer be called Hou Mansion, the old lady and others must be very upset.
When Xia Tong arrived at the Xia Mansion, she didn't expect that Xia Ning and the Prince were also there. They were probably going back to Shanxi to take up their new post and came to say goodbye.
When they saw Xia Tong, everyone had an attentive smile on their face, even the aunts who disliked her, not to mention the old lady, who held her hand and asked her about her well-being with a kind face.
Xia Ning, who was standing by, didn't want to see her anymore, so she bowed slightly and said, "It's getting late, granddaughter and the prince should set off. Grandmothers, please take good care of yourselves. If you have any questions, please write to Ning'er."
The woman's black hair was tied behind her head, and a gilded flowery and pearly hairpin swayed in front of her temples, making her pretty face even more delicate. She was wearing a pink and red dress with pearls, which made her look graceful and charming. Lin Yi couldn't take his eyes away at first sight, and it took him a long time to look away, and he nodded slightly to the old lady.
"Go, and be careful on the road. I hope I can hold my great-grandson in my arms next year." The old lady glanced at the two of them with a loving face.
Xia Ning blushed and stopped talking, but she felt a little bitter in her heart. The prince had never touched her, so where did this child come from?
After the two men left, Xia Tong immediately went to her mother and asked about her health.
Seeing the mother and daughter talking and laughing, the old lady narrowed her eyes, but Xia Lin in the hall suddenly said, "Tong'er, has the Regent mentioned anything about our Xia family?"
I know these people can't forget these things, but Xia Tong is too lazy to deal with them, so she just perfunctorily said a few words, "Now the court is tense and everyone is in danger. Our Xia family has just had such an incident, so we naturally have to keep a low profile. After this storm is over, I will talk to the prince about other things."
They also knew that the Xia family should not be in the spotlight at this time, so they didn't say anything. Instead, they asked about other things. Xia Tong was a little impatient. These things involved confidential information. Her uncles really looked up to her and thought she knew everything.
Perhaps seeing her impatience, the old foxes naturally stopped talking. After all, the future of the Xia family now depended entirely on this fourth girl.
After returning to the room with her mother, Xia Tong couldn't help complaining, "Look at those people of your aunt, they pretend to obey you but actually disobey you. In the past, they relied on you to bully them and did whatever they wanted. Now you don't need to be nice to them. Just do what you have to do. Don't wait until your daughter leaves and you are still bullied by them. It would be better to just separate the family."
"What are you talking about?" Liu tapped her forehead, with a look of reproach on her face, "The mansion is in a critical moment right now. Although your aunt and her family did some wrong things in the past, we are still a family after all. After something like this happens, everyone in the mansion can only rely on your father. How could they do anything to me again?"
She knew that her mother had a strong sense of family, but Xia Tong didn't care. To put it in a positive way, they were a family, but to put it in a negative way, they were parasites who wanted to squeeze out the last bit of value from her father every day. However, these people should not be so blatant now.
"By the way, I heard Qing'er say before that you have not yet consummated your marriage with the prince. How could this happen? But did you anger the prince in any way?" Liu suddenly said with a serious face. This was a big deal.
Although there are no other concubines in the palace now, there is no guarantee that there will be no other concubines in the future. If my daughter does not gain a firm foothold, it will be more difficult to wait for new people to come in in the future.
The room was warm as spring. Xia Tong sat on the couch with her ears slightly red. She stammered, "You can't force this."
"Nonsense! Since you've married into the palace, you naturally have to carry on the prince's family line. How are you going to survive in the future without an heir?" Liu frowned, with an unprecedented heaviness on her face. To her, this was the most important thing at the moment.
Knowing that her mother would say this, Xia Tong didn't know how to explain it, so she could only quickly stand up and say, "I... I have something else to do with my father, I'll come to see you next time!"
"stop!"
Hearing the slight shout from behind, Xia Tong still didn't dare to stop. She picked up her skirt and hurriedly ran out of the study, scolding Qing'er for being a traitor. She decided to deduct half a month's salary from her when she got back. She must teach her a lesson. How could she say such a thing casually?
When Xia Tong arrived at her father's study, she really had something to ask her father, which was to practice chess.
Her father's chess skills are unmatched among all the officials in Suzhou. If she can win, it means she still has hope of defeating the villain.
Xia Zhian had never thought that his daughter's chess skills would improve so rapidly. He just thought it was the prince's training. The two played for a full half hour before the winner was decided, and Xia Tong won in the end.
This time Xia Tong didn't use her best, but she still won. Her self-confidence soared and she couldn't wait to see how she would slap the villain's face. The villain had a poker face all day and never had a good face to her. Xia Tong must clear her name.
After chatting with her father about some affairs in the court, Xia Tong returned to the palace. Her father said that there was a large-scale purge in the court this time. Many officials were dismissed and investigated, and replaced by some children from poor families. Even the people in the Grand Tutor's Mansion suffered a lot. At this time, some officials jointly requested to see the emperor, but the emperor refused to see them.
Of course not. The existence of the aristocratic family is a cancer. The old emperor hopes that the villain will be the bad guy and get rid of this cancer. However, Xia Tong suddenly felt that the villain was a little pitiful. He had taken so many blames over the years, but he never explained. I guess his bad reputation came from this.
After returning to the palace, having dinner and taking a bath, Xia Tong went to the study with a chessboard full of ambition. The night was pitch black, and the cold wind was blowing outside. There was a dim candlelight in the house, and the man inside was still wearing a thin black robe. He seemed not to feel the cold and was talking to Xifeng at the moment.
"I greet the princess."
Looking at the chessboard brought by the other party, Xifeng couldn't help but flash a hint of doubt in his eyes.
Xia Tong asked Fang Yu to put her things down, and then came to the desk excitedly, "I'm here to play chess with the prince."
The man at the table raised his eyes and looked at her quietly, slowly putting down the wolf hair brush in his hand.
Xifeng on the side looked at the princess with a strange expression. To be honest, he had never seen such an arrogant person. She wanted to play chess with their prince?
The man's eyebrows moved slightly, and he glanced at her calmly. He tapped the table with his index finger, making a "knock knock" sound. "I am not like you who does nothing all day long. I don't have time to fool around with you."
"How is that nonsense? Didn't the prince say that I have no strengths at all?" Xia Tong frowned, paused, and then said with a desperate look: "If the prince wins, in the future, if you tell me to go east, I will never go west."
It’s the same now anyway.
After he finished speaking, the man seemed to be more interested. A gleam of light flashed in his bottomless eyes, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, "Xifeng, go get that white jade chessboard."
Xifeng: “…”
After silently glancing at the princess, he went downstairs to get the things.
After everyone left, Xia Tong came over and said eagerly, "If I win, how about the prince agreeing to one condition of mine?"
The candlelight flickered, and the fair little face was filled with confidence. The man smiled and opened his thin lips slightly, "Okay."
When Xifeng brought the things, Xia Tong couldn't let go of the white jade chessboard. As expected, all the villains' things were good things. She must take it away later.
Sitting on the couch, Xia Tong tightened her fox fur coat and timidly glanced at the man opposite her, "I'm cold."
After taking a sip of tea, the man said nothing more, but asked someone to bring charcoal fire. He was used to her "weak" body.
After the room warmed up, Xia Tong asked Qing'er to get her a thin blanket to cover her before she started playing chess with the man.
The house was silent, with cold wind blowing in through the cracks in the window. The dim candlelight flickered. The woman's bare face had a serious expression on it. She was staring at the chessboard with burning eyes. The white jade chess pieces made crisp clashes when they fell.
Gu Qin glanced at the woman opposite him, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes. This woman's method was different from that of ordinary people.
Less than a cup of tea had passed before Xia Tong was sweating with anxiety. She was moving the chess piece in her small hands over the chessboard uncertainly. She suddenly felt that she was asking for trouble.
"If you are afraid of the cold, once I have dealt with the things on hand, I will take you to the Jiangnan area to take shelter." The man took a sip of tea calmly.
Xia Tong didn't hear what he said at all. After she put down the chess piece tremblingly, she quickly picked it up as if she remembered something, "I... my hands were shaking just now, and I put it in the wrong place."
Gu Qin did not say anything. After the other person regretted his move, he placed a piece slowly. However, Xia Tong on the opposite side suddenly changed her expression, as if she had encountered a bolt from the blue. Cold sweat broke out on her palms.
Xia Tong suddenly began to doubt herself. She knew that she was not on the same level as the villain, but she still wanted to put up a last-ditch struggle. However, it didn't take long before the villain cornered her. She was the third runner-up in the national youth competition!
Xia Tong clenched her sweaty palms, took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She held a pill in her hand and was reluctant to drop it, with a conflicted look on her face.
After half a cup of tea, the seed still hadn't fallen. Gu Qin was not in a hurry. He looked at the bamboo slips. The sharp outlines seemed slightly softened under the candlelight, and the quiet atmosphere was full of warmth.
"I... I'm sleepy. How about we play tomorrow?" Xia Tong pinched the chess piece and secretly glanced at the man opposite.
The man didn't even raise his head, but just said "hmm" softly.
Xia Tong's eyes changed slightly, and she blinked her big eyes and looked at the cold-looking man opposite her with a complicated look. Suddenly, a strange feeling arose in her heart. He had obviously won, so why did he let her go?
Putting down the chess piece in her hand, she crawled from one end of the couch to the other, kneeling beside the man, blushing, and boldly put her arms around his waist, saying softly, "Why is the prince so nice to me?"
A wisp of fresh fragrance surrounded his nose. Gu Qin lowered his head slightly, only to see a pretty little face buried in his arms, blinking her big watery eyes at him. When their eyes met, the rosy little mouth seemed to be glowing, and the man's eyes couldn't help but darken.
"Then how do you plan to repay me?" He stroked the woman's black hair that was scattered on her robe with a sharp gaze.
After exchanging a glance, Xia Tong's eyes shifted unconsciously, and her ears began to turn slightly red. She tried to get away from the man, "I... I'm sleepy. I'll continue with the prince tomorrow."
Before she could finish her words, she was suddenly pressed down on the couch, a pair of bottomless eyes staring at her closely, making her feel like there was nowhere to hide.
"I want you." There was a devouring storm in his eyes.
He didn't want to wait any longer.
As their eyes met, Xia Tong held her breath unconsciously. It was as if a string had broken in her mind. She had never thought that the other party would be so straightforward, and he called himself...
"I...I..." Her mind went blank and she became panic-stricken. "I...am not ready yet..."
The man stared at her closely, a barely visible disappointment flashed across his deep eyes, his lips were tightly pursed, and his hand on her wrist loosened.
Xia Tong's heart moved, her five fingers tightened, and she suddenly stretched out her arms to wrap around the man's neck, her eyelashes trembling slightly, "If...if the prince wants..."
Before she finished her words, the man suddenly blocked those bright red lips, biting and prying open the loose teeth and going straight in. His big hands gradually fell to her waist and roughly tore at the cumbersome belt.
Xia Tong didn't know what she was doing. She just got excited and suddenly felt that she must like him, otherwise she would be disgusted by his contact.
The candlelight swayed enchantingly, casting two intertwined oblique shadows on the ground, filling the air with a hazy mist...
"Um……"
Her mind was blank until she felt a chill in front of her. When she came to her senses, she saw a head buried in her neck, with only a loose bellyband on her body. She shyly wanted to pull over the thin blanket beside her, but she felt a sudden pain under her body and tears instantly seeped out of the corners of her eyes.
“No… no more…”
Her voice was hoarse and her eyes were red as she tried to push the man away, but her little hand was grabbed tightly by someone and pulled to the top of her head, and she felt a tingling sensation on her neck.
"I won't move..."
His voice was extremely hoarse, and veins on his forehead were even visible because of his endurance. He could only lower his head and kiss the snow-white neck gently, and beads of sweat gradually dripped down to his jaw along the angular contours.
But at this moment, Xifeng's anxious voice suddenly came from outside the house, "Master, there is news from the palace that the emperor has suddenly fallen into a coma and his condition is critical."
"roll!"
The violent voice made the people outside change their expressions. They couldn't help but take a deep look at the study room where the candle was still on. As if they understood something, they ordered the secret guards around them to retreat.
The candlelight in the room flickered, outlining the oblique shadow on the wall. The woman put one hand tightly on the man's shoulder, and her sparkling eyes were full of the man's reflection. She panted slightly: "Your Majesty..."
"Are you still thinking about others at this moment?" The man's forehead was covered with sweat due to his forbearance, and his dark eyes were filled with unshakable desire, as if he wanted to eat people alive.
At this time, I still have the mind to think about other people. It seems that the pain is no longer there.
Xia Tong's heart skipped a beat. She blushed and turned her head to the side. She couldn't help but secretly glance at him and said in a soft voice, "Then, Your Majesty... do you like me?"
Although what men say in bed cannot be trusted, she just wanted to ask.
Taking a deep breath of the fragrance from her neck, the man couldn't help but move gently, his voice hoarse, "I can even give you my life."
There was a cold wind outside, but inside the house there was a beautiful spring scene...
The author has something to say: Female protagonist: Haha, what men say in bed is always nice →_→
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