Chapter 603 Solitude (Second Update)
Xiao Heng was unaware of Princess Xinyang's situation, but there seemed to be an unspoken understanding between father and son.
Princess Consort Liang came by, but was chased away by Marquis Xuanping.
That's enough information.
Marquis Xuanping may seem unreliable, but he would never act recklessly on Princess Xinyang's territory, especially given her noble status.
Princess Xinyang used to protect him, but now that he's grown up, it's his turn to protect her.
The father and son were in complete agreement on this issue: no one could bully Princess Xinyang, not even the late emperor's uncles and aunts.
After being beaten, Princess Liang will definitely send someone to the palace to file a complaint with the emperor.
Without hesitation, Xiao Heng led his men to surround the old Liang Prince's residence, claiming that someone intended to harm the royal family and that the Ministry of Justice was ordered to protect the old Liang Prince's family.
And for their safety, it's best that no one leaves the mansion until the assassin is captured.
"This is house arrest!"
At the entrance of the Liang Prince's Mansion, Granny Gui angrily addressed the officers and soldiers of the Ministry of Justice.
Minister Li cupped his hands in greeting and said politely, “This old woman is too kind. The old Prince Liang is His Majesty’s uncle. How could we dare to detain his family? It’s just that the Ministry of Justice received a report that the old Princess Liang was attacked and injured on the way. We are only concerned about the safety of the old Princess Liang and the Prince and Princess.”
Granny Gui was furious and said, "What assassin! It was Marquis Xuanping who did it! Why aren't you arresting that thief right now!"
Li Shilang said strangely, "Marquis Xuanping is a hero who helps those in need. He's the one who drove away the assassin. Are you seeing things, Granny?"
"you!"
Granny Gui was so angry she was dumbfounded.
The murderer was clearly Marquis Xuanping, so how did he become a hero!
Is it possible to distort the truth like this?!
Princess Liang, of course, would not give up. After all, she grew up in the capital. Even though she had lost her official position, she still had connections and would always find a way to send the message out.
Unfortunately, Xiao Heng had already spoken to the Kunning Palace, and Empress Xiao wouldn't allow those people to have the opportunity to send the message into the palace.
"His Majesty."
Empress Xiao went to Huaqing Palace and said, “I heard that Princess Liang was attacked in the street. It was my brother who saved her. She was slightly injured, but it should be nothing serious. My brother has already gone to capture the assassin.”
The emperor frowned and asked, "How could there be an assassin trying to kill the Princess Consort of Liang?"
Empress Xiao said calmly, "Who knows? The assassination attempt happened outside Princess Xinyang's residence. Perhaps the assassin was targeting Princess Xinyang. Does Your Majesty still remember those Yan people? Could it be that their remaining followers haven't been eliminated yet, so they came to seek revenge on my brother? It was just a coincidence that the Princess Consort of Liang was present and was thus mistakenly injured?"
The emperor said thoughtfully, "That is indeed possible."
Empress Xiao's eyes flashed, and she said with a smile, "It's better to be safe than sorry. The Ministry of Justice has already protected the Liang Prince's residence. Aheng will keep a close eye on the Liang Prince's residence. Your Majesty, please don't worry."
The Emperor nodded: "I trust Ah Heng to handle things."
Empress Xiao pursed her lips, suppressing a smile, and said, "Your Majesty, I have sent the imperial physician and Eunuch Su to the Liang Prince's residence to take care of the old Princess Liang."
The emperor praised, "You are indeed meticulous and thoughtful."
Empress Xiao smiled brightly.
Is that not thoughtful enough?
They not only placed you under house arrest, but also monitored you.
Empress Xiao was not actually aware of what had happened, but trust between family members was unconditional, and she would not allow anyone to have the opportunity to slander her brother in front of His Majesty.
Wait a minute, it seems her brother really did make a move.
Fine, it's okay for her brother to bully others, but it's not okay for others to bully her brother.
...
With so many patients today, Gu Jiao spent the whole day at the clinic, only managing to get a little free time near dusk.
She returned to the courtyard and first checked Mo Qianxue's injuries, then checked Hua Xiyao's.
Mo Qianxue was injured earlier than Hua Xiyao, but her injuries were also more severe, and she has not yet fully recovered. On the other hand, Hua Xiyao's stitches have already been removed, and the reason she is still staying here is that she is unwilling to go to the Ministry of Justice to go to jail.
"Why do you look so down today? Is something on your mind?" Mo Qianxue asked Gu Jiao, sitting on the bed.
She still shares a room with Hua Xiyao, who sleeps in a small bed.
Gu Jiao asked, "Do I?"
Mo Qianxue looked at her and said, "Yes, you've frowned three times since you came in."
Gu Jiao herself didn't even realize it.
Hua Xiyao chuckled: "Doctor Gu just saved the Seventh Prince and made a great contribution, what's there to be sad about? Could it be... that you had a fight with your husband?"
Gu Jiao looked at her in confusion: "How did you know?"
Hua Xiyao thought to herself, "I was just guessing, who would have thought I could guess it right!"
Mo Qianxue suddenly sat up straight, coughed lightly, and asked, "Weren't you two getting along really well? What's wrong? Did you have a fight?"
Having lived there for so long, she was naturally fully aware of the relationship between Gu Jiao and Xiao Liulang. It was truly unexpected that the guy who had said he would never marry in Yan Kingdom turned around and pretended to be Xiao Liulang to marry a little girl from Zhao Kingdom.
I don't know what he was thinking.
Didn't he say he was going to die soon and couldn't harm that girl?
Could it be that he coveted Gu Jiao's medical skills and was willing to sacrifice his body for her?
No wonder she noticed that he was much healthier than he was in Yan.
Mo Qianxue's thoughts wandered off course rapidly.
Gu Jiao shook her head: "We didn't argue, he just ignores me."
"puff--"
Hua Xiyao's laughter became even more pathetic. "At least when we were arguing, he was still willing to talk to you. But now he's ignoring you completely. That shows how dangerous your relationship is!"
"Really?" Gu Jiao didn't understand.
Mo Qianxue quickly said, "Fine, ignore him then! You ignore him too!"
“But I want to talk to him,” Gu Jiao said earnestly.
Mo Qianxue's face darkened instantly.
Hua Xiyao laughed so hard her body trembled.
Mo Qianxue's displeasure makes her happy.
Mo Qianxue was unhappy that the young couple were so inseparable, so she insisted on helping them reconcile!
Hua Xiyao sat on her small bamboo bed, shook the round fan in her hand, and smiled charmingly, "Why don't you tell me what happened between you two?"
Gu Jiao was tidying up her first-aid kit when she heard this. She paused for a moment and then told her about her trip to see Liu Yisheng off.
Except for not mentioning Liu Yisheng's name.
Hua Xiyao said, "So you mean that your husband has never heard you play the zither, but you played it for other men?"
"snort!"
Mo Qianxue angrily slammed her pillow onto the bed!
Gu Jiao: Why do I feel like there's another fire breaking out in my backyard?
Gu Jiao thought for a moment: "It seems so."
Hua Xiyao laughed and said, "Of course he's angry. He's probably drowning in vinegar right now, and he'd need at least ten jars of aged vinegar to drink!"
Gu Jiao hummed in agreement: "Is it really that exaggerated?"
Hua Xiyao waved her palm-leaf fan and said, "But it's alright. You two are just a couple. You can make up after a fight in bed. When he comes back tonight, just coax him a little."
"How do we coax her?" Gu Jiao asked.
"Do I need to teach you this? You two are a young couple!" Hua Xiyao glared at Gu Jiao, and seeing that she still looked confused, Hua Xiyao covered her eyes with her palm-leaf fan and whispered, "He usually likes..."
"Hua Xiyao, shut up!" Mo Qianxue threw a pillow at her!
Hua Xiyao dodged to the side, since she had already finished speaking anyway.
But Dr. Gu's reaction seems a bit off.
Hua Xiyao frowned and said, "You don't even know what kind of woman he likes the most...? Have you two consummated your marriage yet?!"
Gu Jiao's eyes darted around.
Hua Xiyao's eyes widened: "You really didn't consummate the marriage? I heard he used to be a cripple! Is his leg broken too, making him impotent?"
Gu Jiao said seriously, "He can do it!"
Hua Xiyao's eyes sharpened: "You didn't answer the first question! You two really didn't consummate your marriage! There's only one possibility that a man won't consummate his marriage with his wife—he's impotent! Or... he thinks you're ugly!"
"You're the ugly one!" Mo Qianxue grabbed another pillow and threw it at Hua Xiyao.
This time, he used some internal force, and Hua Xiyao couldn't dodge it, her head buzzing from the impact.
Hua Xiyao touched her head and gasped, "Mo Qianxue, are you sick in the head?!"
Mo Qianxue brandished her silver needles and said coldly, "Hua Xiyao, if you talk nonsense again, I'll cut out your tongue!"
Hua Xiyao couldn't beat Mo Qianxue, so she could only roll her eyes in retaliation.
However, just as Gu Jiao finished packing her things and walked past her, she subtly tugged at Gu Jiao's sleeve, covered her face with her fan, and whispered to Gu Jiao, "I'll teach you a way to make him happy."
After dealing with the matter of the old Princess Liang, Xiao Heng went to the Hanlin Academy.
He has been spending too much time at the Ministry of Justice lately and has neglected his duties at the Hanlin Academy.
He kept busy until his shift ended before coming out of the duty room.
He was feeling a bit down today and wanted to go for a walk. Just as he reached the door, he heard a familiar voice calling him: "Sixth Brother!"
He turned around in surprise, only to see Feng Lin jumping down excitedly from a carriage.
Feng Lin returned to Youzhou with Lin Chengye before the Lunar New Year. He was supposed to return to the Hanlin Academy at the beginning of the year, but it is said that there was an urgent matter at home, so he asked for another month's leave.
Xiao Heng walked towards him, and Feng Lin also ran towards Xiao Heng. The two stopped on the bluestone path in front of the Hanlin Academy.
Feng Lin patted Xiao Heng on the shoulder: "Long time no see, you've grown taller again!"
"Really?" Xiao Heng said, "You seem to have gotten a bit stronger too."
"That's right!" Feng Lin exclaimed, beaming with pride.
Xiao Heng had originally planned to take a walk alone, but since a friend had come, it wouldn't hurt to go out and sit together: "You've come at the perfect time, I..."
Before he could finish speaking, Feng Lin turned back to the carriage and said, "Wife! Get out of the carriage and meet Liu Lang! He is the new top scholar I told you about!"
Xiao Heng was taken aback. Wife? Feng Lin got married?
"I took leave because of my wedding. I only found out why my parents were so eager for me to come home for the New Year after I got back. They had arranged a marriage for me..." Feng Lin explained somewhat embarrassedly.
A young woman stepped down from the carriage. Judging from her clothes, she seemed to be from a wealthy family, and she was very well-mannered.
“She’s the daughter of a wealthy man from our area,” Feng Lin said softly. “Her surname is Hu.”
Feng Lin came from a poor family, but he passed the imperial examination twice and successfully stayed in the Hanlin Academy. A local wealthy man saw his potential and married his daughter to him.
Madam Hu greeted Xiao Heng, saying, "Greetings, Lord Xiao."
She was a woman with pure eyes, and Xiao Heng returned the greeting with a cupped hand.
Seeing that Madam Hu was exhausted, Feng Lin quickly said to Xiao Heng, "We've been traveling for several days. My wife is tired. I'll take her back to the house to rest first, and we can catch up later!"
Xiao Heng never expected that Feng Lin would go alone and return with two others. Judging from their affectionate manner, they were clearly newlyweds with a deep and loving relationship.
After Feng Lin got into the carriage, he lifted the curtain and said to Xiao Heng, "By the way, Lin Chengye got married too! He'll be back a month later! Apparently, his father said he's quite smart and should leave more descendants for the Lin family. I reckon there will be three of them when he comes to the capital next time."
Lin Chengye has one child, his wife has one, and his wife is pregnant with another.
Xiao Heng felt as if he had been shot in the knee.
"Hey, Liu Lang, haven't you gone back yet?"
Ning Zhiyuan walked out of the Hanlin Academy, glanced at the departing carriage, and asked, "Who was that?"
Xiao Heng said, "It's Feng Lin. He's returned to the capital."
Ning Zhiyuan laughed and said, "Oh, you've finally decided to come back. Where's that kid surnamed Lin?"
"You mean Lin Chengye?" Xiao Heng said, "He'll be back next month."
"oh."
Xiao Heng was now really eager to have a drink with someone; he was feeling quite stifled. "Brother Ning, would you like to go for a walk?"
Ning Zhiyuan should be alright. He and his wife have been married for many years and their children are all grown up. An old married couple can't be as clingy as a young couple.
To everyone's surprise, Ning Zhiyuan scratched his head and chuckled, "I'm afraid I won't be free today. My wife is pregnant, and I have to go back to be with her."
Xiao Heng, who had eaten three bowls of dog food in a row: "..."
Xiao Heng felt incredibly frustrated.
After Ning Zhiyuan left, he took a deep breath for a long time, turned around and was about to walk back when suddenly a carriage stopped in front of him.
The masked coachman jumped off the carriage and bowed to Xiao Heng: "May I ask if this is Lord Xiao of the Hanlin Academy? My master invites you in."
Xiao Heng looked at him speechlessly. Just because you're wearing a mask doesn't mean I won't recognize you as Xiao Sanzi.
Should we change the carriage?
Xiao Sanzi, believing he had disguised himself well, said, "Would Lord Xiao do me the honor?"
Xiao Heng looked at him indifferently: "Alright, I'll do you the honor."
Xiao Sanzi: "..."
Is it that easy?
Shouldn't he have asked who his master is? Did he waste his time memorizing the rest of his lines?
"My home..."
Xiao Sanzi decided to finish his lines, but Xiao Heng was too lazy to listen and simply got into the carriage: "Let's go."
Xiao Sanzi: "..."
Xiao Sanzi drove to a pavilion on the outskirts of the city.
Night falls, and a gentle breeze blows.
The pavilion was draped in a hazy, ethereal veil, which swayed in the wind.
The lanterns hanging at the four corners of the pavilion emitted a faint candlelight, and in the candlelight, a graceful figure sat behind a stone table, her slender hands gently caressing the guqin on the table.
The mistress wisely withdrew.
Xiao Heng stared blankly at the figure that was faintly visible behind the thin veil, and walked step by step toward the pavilion.
It must be said that this scene was incredibly beautiful; people were immersed in the scenery, and the scenery was accompanied by the music, each note captivating and enchanting.
Xiao Heng stood on the last step; one more step and he would be able to enter the pavilion.
His heart suddenly started racing.
Just then, a gentle breeze blew, carrying the thin veil to his feet, which he stepped on.
The sheer curtains pulled the entire ceiling down on him with a crash—
He was knocked unconscious on the spot.
Gu Jiao: "...!!"
To be honest, this ceiling isn't heavy. The main materials are tulle and a few rods for hanging the tulle, and only one of these rods is solid.
But it was this solid object that struck Xiao Heng.
Gu Jiao sighed, "What kind of luck is this?"
Xiao Heng woke up a quarter of an hour later. He was sitting on the stone bench in the pavilion and leaning on the stone table.
The pavilion had been cleaned up, and even the Fuxi Qin was gone.
Gu Jiao sat obediently opposite him.
Xiao Heng rubbed his still-sore head, looked around, and then looked at Gu Jiao: "You called me here just to kill me off?"
Gu Jiao said seriously, "I'd rather die than use a pole. I can do it with just one hand."
Xiao Heng: "..."
Gu Jiao picked up a box from the ground and placed it on the table: "I'll show you something good. Nobody has ever seen this before. You're the first."
Upon hearing that it was the first one, Xiao Heng's eyes flickered, but he still maintained a nonchalant expression: "I don't care."
“It’s a lot of fun,” Gu Jiao said.
She opened the box and took out a small bamboo tube with a strange thread at one end.
She asked, "Do you have a tinderbox?"
Xiao Heng took out a tinderbox from his bosom and handed it to her.
Gu Jiao removed the cap from the tinderbox, blew on it to light the tinderbox, and lit the end of the bamboo tube.
She then threw the bamboo tube out, and there was a loud crack as the bamboo tube exploded!
Xiao Heng was slightly taken aback: "This is... a firecracker?"
No, firecrackers are made of bamboo, while the one we just saw was clearly not.
The air was filled with a strong smell of gunpowder.
Gu Jiao smiled and said, "This is a firecracker! It's made with black powder, but the composition isn't exactly the same. It won't vibrate or explode; you have to light it! Do you want to try it?"
Xiao Heng replied with an aloof expression, "What's the point of trying this?"
Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow and said, "Are you afraid of blowing your hand up?"
Xiao Heng said solemnly, "How could I be afraid!"
"Here you go." Gu Jiao handed him a small bamboo tube.
Xiao Heng's fingertips trembled slightly, but he braced himself and accepted it.
“And tinder,” Gu Jiao said.
Xiao Heng held a firecracker in one hand and a tinderbox in the other, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
Gu Jiao said, "I made a long fuse, which gives me enough time to throw the firecrackers."
Xiao Heng did not comment.
Gu Jiao came up behind him and grabbed his two stiff, limp hands: "Like this..."
Gu Jiao guided him to light the firecrackers: "Quick, throw them out!"
Xiao Heng threw it suddenly, *thud*!
The firecrackers went off!
Xiao Heng's eyes widened instantly.
Men are absolutely powerless against firecrackers.
Gu Jiao handed him another one.
One, one, and another.
Someone got so caught up in the fun that they forgot all about it.
When only one firecracker remained, Xiao Heng, overjoyed, lit the fuse and threw the tinderbox out—
(End of this chapter)
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