As he spoke, he walked to Qin Kou'er's side and gave her a slight helping hand.
Qin Kou'er nodded and smiled as she stood up, subtly taking a step back.
Lan Xiuyuan seemed oblivious, still smiling warmly and politely: "Sect Master Qin..."
"Call me Ke'er!"
Qin Kou'er smiled slightly, "Kou'er is now a suspect personally named by the Emperor. In front of the prince, I really dare not presume to call myself a Pavilion Master."
Lan Xiuyuan lowered his head and smiled slightly, then nodded: "Alright! Then call her Miss Qin. Why don't we talk as we walk? The Crown Prince's residence is not a place to be underestimated!"
"yes!"
As she spoke, Qin Kou'er bowed slightly again, and then followed Lan Xiuyuan slowly out of the garden.
Qin Kou'er knew that this was just the beginning of her showdown with Lan Xiuyuan.
Looking at the pavilions, terraces, rockeries, and flowing water of Lanting Garden, Lan Xiuyuan couldn't help but nod in admiration. "No wonder the Crown Prince stayed at Lanting Garden as soon as he entered Yangzhou. It is indeed exquisite and unparalleled, a scene straight out of a painting. The arrangement of this mountain and water is so ingenious and lively, revealing a glimpse of Miss Qin's profound wisdom! It truly broadens one's horizons!"
Qin Kou'er smiled slightly, "Fifth Prince is teasing Kou'er! Jiangnan is a land of natural beauty and spiritual energy, and Kou'er has only captured a fraction of its charm. Compared to the scenery of the capital, ours is still too enchanting and not broad and magnificent enough!"
Lan Xiuyuan smiled and nodded. "The capital city is crisscrossed by dragon veins, and it does indeed have a much more imposing atmosphere than the scenery in Jiangnan. However, I always thought that my brother never liked anything too beautiful or gorgeous, but I never expected that he would choose the Lanting Garden, the most prestigious garden in Yangzhou. I suppose Miss Qin must have put in a lot of effort and thought?"
Lan Xiuyuan's gaze was gentle, but Qin Kou'er clearly saw a sharp blade in its depths.
"The Crown Prince is of noble status, and although Yangzhou is a wealthy and prosperous place, there are very few things that can truly catch the eye of the Crown Prince and the princes. Fortunately, the Orchid Pavilion Garden is still relatively quiet and elegant, and the Crown Prince can barely condescend to stay there. Otherwise, Lord Jiang would probably be in tears!"
Qin Kou'er understood that Lan Xiuyuan was testing her and Lan Linxue's past, but she absolutely could not tell him the truth. Instead, she went along with it and pinned the blame on Jiang Ming.
Lan Xiuyuan turned to look at Qin Kou'er, his eyes flickering slightly.
Qin Kou'er looked at him calmly.
Soon, the two of them laughed together.
"Miss Qin is indeed intelligent and wise; no wonder Fei Fan highly praises her!"
"Your Highness flatters me! Young Master Hu and Kou'er have known each other for a long time!"
Lan Xiuyuan nodded and continued walking forward slowly. "Being able to befriend a leader like Pavilion Master Qin in Jiangnan has always been something Feifan is very proud of. The Pavilion Master's righteous act a few days ago made Xiuyuan look at you with even greater respect. However, there is something I don't quite understand, and I hope Miss Qin will tell me frankly."
"Your Highness, please speak freely!"
Qin Kou'er knew that this was the most crucial question Lan Xiuyuan wanted to ask.
Lan Xiuyuan gazed at the blooming lotus pond in the distance and said with a smile, "Before entering Yangzhou, I heard that the Crown Prince and Miss Qin had a close relationship. Upon our first meeting, it was indeed the Crown Prince who showed great favor to the Pavilion Master. However, how did Miss Kou'er happen to appear when the Crown Prince was assassinated, and even happen to save the traitor who was plotting to assassinate the Crown Prince?"
Qin Kou'er smiled slightly, standing beside Lan Xiuyuan without any sign of anything amiss, and replied softly, "If I said that what happened that night was just a coincidence, the prince certainly wouldn't believe me!"
Lan Xiuyuan glanced at Qin Kou'er, chuckled softly, but remained silent. If he believed such an explanation, he might as well be friends with a pig.
Qin Kou'er was not surprised at all.
"If I were to say that I was originally going to find the Crown Prince that night, but I unexpectedly ran into Brother Feifan, and in the ensuing chaos, my plans changed, and I had no choice but to rescue Brother Feifan first, I wonder if the Prince would accept this explanation?"
"But you haven't explained why you betrayed the Crown Prince?"
Lan Xiuyuan turned his head and stared at Qin Kou'er with lightning-fast eyes, even the usually gentle and warm smile on his lips seemed to disappear.
"The word 'betrayal' is unacceptable to Ke'er!"
Qin Kou'er looked at Lan Xiuyuan calmly. Since he wanted to talk things out, she would just go along with him.
Why can't we accept it?
Qin Kou'er turned her head slightly to look at the lotus pond in the distance, then walked to Lan Xiuyuan's side and said calmly, "Fifth Prince, before I met the Crown Prince, I was a merchant in Yangzhou City, and after meeting the Crown Prince, I am still a merchant in Yangzhou City. Merchants are concerned with interests. Although my relationship with the Crown Prince is close, it doesn't mean I will betray the interests of Qin Tiange. I think there is one thing that Your Highness understands better than I do: Kou'er's name has been on Lord Shi's account book for several years now! I think Your Highness is aware of this, isn't he?"
Lan Xiuyuan pondered without speaking.
Qin Kou'er continued, "I think a very important reason why Brother Feifan and I are such good friends is because I, Qin Tiange, am the head of the Yangzhou salt merchants. I have made contributions to both the Hu family and the prince. For the past few years, we have all lived in peace and gotten what we needed. But now that Lord Shi is in trouble and that account book is lost, if it really falls into the hands of someone with ulterior motives, I'm afraid I won't be able to explain myself. Don't you think I should do something at this moment?"
"But given the relationship between Miss Qin and the Crown Prince, surely there's a more subtle way to actually obtain the account books than assassinating the Crown Prince on the spot?"
Lan Xiuyuan's wit is no less than Lan Linxue's; there are very few people who can outsmart him. He won't let any flaw slip by.
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