Chapter 23 Is This a False Accusation?
After saying that, the stone in his hand suddenly flew out of the window. The stone knocked down a leaf, and a shadow appeared at the base of the wall. He bowed and left.
The little girl was angry. She picked up a pen and drew a pig on the book, and wrote "Third Brother" next to it.
Xiao Mingxuan suppressed his laughter, his eyes filled with imperceptible fondness. He glanced at the plate of pastries, his eyes slightly darkening, "Why did you hit him just now?"
Then he asked tentatively, "Is it... because of me?"
Xihe murmured "hmm" softly, "I don't like them saying that about you, you're such a good person."
Xiao Mingxuan had saved her several times, and they were good friends with a common secret.
Such a good person was talked about, and Xihe was so angry that she started to fight.
Xihe bit her lower lip and secretly looked at the other person's expression, "Little brother, don't you like it?"
She does seem a bit too fierce.
Xiao Mingxuan stared into the little girl's eyes and did not answer. "Xiao Xi'er, have you ever thought that maybe I am the kind of person they are talking about?"
Lowly, gloomy, and low.
He is a chess piece abandoned by his homeland and a plague that everyone avoids.
It seemed as if all the derogatory words came from that group of people and were used on Xiao Mingxuan.
The little girl pursed her lips, covered Xiao Mingxuan's mouth with one hand, her eyes reddened, and said angrily: "I don't allow you to say that about yourself!"
Xiao Mingxuan took Xihe's hand away, played with it in his palm, and didn't say anything for a long time.
"Little brother, I heard something before." Xihe's memory drifted back to the past, and she remembered the national teacher. "That person told me that different people see different sides of the same thing. Identity, personality, environment, relatives and friends make up different people. We are independent individuals with our own thoughts, not vassals of other people's opinions."
The day before she ascended the throne of God, the Imperial Master told her these words from a high building.
One record means so many years.
"Little brother, I'm not the Third Imperial Brother, nor the Fourth Imperial Sister, nor any of those people. I'm Xihe, Zhao Xihe. I have eyes, and I only care about you as I see you. If I only listen to what others say, I'd be a fool."
It was rare for the little girl to speak some profound truths like an adult, but the last sentence suddenly ruined her mood.
Xiao Mingxuan couldn't help but laugh, "Okay, Xiao Xi'er is the smartest."
Xihe's eyes suddenly brightened and her face was full of smiles.
"So you like it?" the little girl asked persistently.
Xiao Mingxuan nodded, "As long as it's you."
It seemed as if some kind of emotion was constantly being generated, hidden under the ground, ready to move, as if it was about to break free from its shackles, twisting the heart and causing waves of numbness.
Zhao Zhinan didn't come back until class started, and the seat in front of Xihe remained empty.
Tutor Li was an old scholar with gray hair. His eloquent conversation made Xihe drowsy.
In order to prevent himself from falling into a deep sleep, Xihe took out a storybook from his bosom and covered the book with it to read.
Sure enough, the storybooks in class are the best.
Xiao Mingxuan listened for a while and then lowered his head to read. Occasionally, he saw the little girl giggling and curiously leaned over to take a look.
When Xiao Mingxuan read the contents of the booklet, he was stunned and his eyes narrowed slightly.
He gnashed his teeth and asked, "Xiao Xi'er, do you usually watch this?"
Xiao Mingxuan read two lines and, considering the rather ambiguous picture, knew without a second thought that it was the most popular storybook on the market about love, hate, and vengeance between infatuated men and resentful women.
But this one is a bit too explicit.
"Yes." Xihe didn't realize the importance of the question at all. "I found it secretly. Don't tell anyone else!"
Xiao Mingxuan hesitated to speak, gnashing his teeth, thinking, "Who on earth gave this to her? What if she's corrupted?"
Xihe was reading with great interest when suddenly a hand appeared in front of him and took the book away.
"I've taken it! You're not allowed to look at it anymore!" Xiao Mingxuan simply flipped through a few pages and suddenly understood where Xi Pingsu had learned those astonishing words. "You're not allowed to let the palace maids buy it for you either. If I find out again, I'll chop off your hand!"
Xihe originally wanted to grab it, but was stunned when he heard the words. He pursed his lips, and when he listened carefully, he could hear some teeth grinding sounds.
I really want to bite him.
"What? Are you not convinced?" Xiao Mingxuan liked to tease the little girl when he was in a good mood.
"That book is right, it says that when a boy grows up, he should marry the girl he loves." The little girl racked her brains and came up with a suitable excuse. "My cousin said the same thing last time. He said he would marry me when he grows up."
The smile on Xiao Mingxuan's lips froze, his eyes narrowed slightly, and for a moment, an invisible layer of frost appeared between the two of them.
After a long while, he asked sinisterly, "Oh? Xu Chengyuan wants to marry you?"
"Yes, that's right." Xihe looked up and met Xiao Mingxuan's gloomy gaze. His voice gradually became softer, and he seemed to lack confidence.
Xiao Mingxuan suddenly sneered, stroking the book in his hand, his eyes dark and unclear, "Does Xiao Xier want to marry him?"
Xihe laughed dryly twice and quietly retreated a little distance. Before he could catch his breath, Xiao Mingxuan grabbed him and said coldly, "Try to retreat a little further?"
The strange atmosphere between the two was noticed by Master Li on the stage.
But one is the most beloved princess of Emperor Jingyuan, whom he cannot afford to offend, and the other is Beili's hostage, whom he does not want to care about.
Master Li pretended not to see anything.
Xihe suddenly stopped moving. She suddenly felt that Xiao Mingxuan might have a knife hidden behind him, and if she answered wrongly, the knife might be sharpened and pointed at her.
"No... no, I'm still young."
Xihe looked tentatively and saw that Xiao Mingxuan's expression gradually relaxed. She breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems the answer was correct, and her poor paw was saved.
Xiao Mingxuan's mood was visibly relieved. He touched the little girl's fluffy hair, and his voice became more erratic, as if covered by a layer of fog. "Xiao Xi'er is still young, don't worry. If you like someone, tell me."
"Would you like to watch it for me, little brother?"
Xiao Mingxuan put the book behind him and hummed imperceptibly.
Kill them for you.
The script was taken away, and Xiao Mingxuan's attitude was firm, leaving no room for compromise. It was difficult for Xihe to concentrate on Li Taifu's lectures, and she soon fell drowsy and fell into a sweet dream.
Although it was late summer or early autumn, the sun was still dazzling. The little girl seemed unable to adapt to the strong light and blocked it with her hands several times.
Xiao Mingxuan leaned forward slightly, casting a shadow, and the little girl fell asleep peacefully.
The National Academy provided lunch, and Xihe woke up just in time, so he pulled Xiao Mingxuan and rushed to the cafeteria.
He had just taken two steps when Yun Hui called him urgently.
"Little Princess, something's wrong!" Yun Hui ran out of breath, her face flushed. "His Majesty has asked me to take you to Jingyuan Palace!"
Jingyuan Palace, the residence of Concubine Xian.
Xihe was about to leave, but after taking two steps, he stepped back, took Xiao Mingxuan's hand, and asked worriedly, "Little brother, in the afternoon..."
Xiao Mingxuan touched her head and said, "It's okay. I'll go back to the palace. Don't worry. Call me if you need anything."
Knowing that the little girl was worried that he would be bullied in the martial arts training ground in the afternoon, Xiao Mingxuan simply didn't go. After all, the tutor and the martial artists didn't really want to teach him, and he was too lazy to just do the superficial work.
Xihe felt a little guilty, "Brother, I'll bring you your favorite pear candy next time!"
Xiao Mingxuan nodded in agreement.
As soon as Xihe entered Jingyuan Palace, she was acutely aware of the smell of blood, which only grew stronger. The palace maids carried basin after basin of blood out, and the thick blood stung Xihe's eyes deeply.
It is a symbol of death, a trumpet of death.
Seeing her little daughter standing there in a daze upon entering, Concubine Chen thought she was frightened by the scene before her, so she quickly hugged her daughter tightly in her arms, "Don't be afraid, Xihe, mother is here, no one can touch mother's treasures."
"Mother, what happened?"
Xihe was a little confused. As Concubine Chen entered the inner hall, the smell of blood became stronger.
There was a sound of vomiting in the room, mixed with the screams of the palace maids.
"Oh no! The Queen is vomiting blood again!"
Xihe raised her legs and wanted to rush in, but was blocked by a pair of large hands. The voice of Emperor Jingyuan came to her ears, "Xihe, don't look, be good!"
"Daddy." Xihe's voice trembled slightly.
Although she had died once, she still found it difficult to face the fear of death. The sound of her virtuous mother's cries of pain continued in her ears, and it seemed that the sound of her second brother's sobbing mixed in, making her feel terrified.
Emperor Jingyuan turned around and hugged Xihe in his arms, blocking her ears with his sleeves. "Don't be afraid, Daddy is here."
Emperor Jingyuan's deep voice was like a reassurance, easing the fear in Xihe's heart.
She suddenly remembered the ending of the virtuous concubine in the original book, bit her lower lip, slowly withdrew from Emperor Jingyuan's arms, raised her head and said, "Daddy, I want to go in!"
Emperor Jingyuan frowned, his brows full of reluctance, "Be good, Xihe, the imperial physician will do his best."
Selfishly, Emperor Jingyuan didn't want Xihe to be exposed to these things.
Xihe shook her head, insisting on her own opinion, and said coquettishly: "Daddy, I'll just go in for a while, it's okay."
He let go of Emperor Jingyuan's hand and was about to rush inside, but unexpectedly collided with the person coming towards him. The person pushed Xihe hard and knocked him to the ground.
"How dare you!" Emperor Jingyuan shouted, raised his leg and kicked the man to the ground, then quickly picked up Xihe and coaxed her softly.
Concubine Chen's face turned grim as she stepped forward and said, "Concubine Su is so crazy, arrest her!"
Mu Yuan quickly waved his hand and asked someone to control Su Bin, who had a ferocious look on her face.
"What are you detaining? Take her away and execute her immediately!" Emperor Jingyuan had a bad look on his face, and he wished he could cut this bitch into pieces.
Concubine Chen said nothing, waved her hand, and agreed with Emperor Jingyuan's approach.
Concubine Su was too arrogant and rebellious, so she died as a warning to others.
Supin didn't know where she got the strength from, but she broke free from the palace maid's grip and threw herself at Emperor Jingyuan's feet, holding on to the dragon robe tightly. The blood on her body stained the hem of the robe.
Emperor Jingyuan frowned, kicked Concubine Su away, and walked a few steps away holding his daughter.
Supin cried out, "Your Majesty, Sister Xianfei was murdered. How could you protect the murderer?"
"Shut up!" Emperor Jing Yuan regretted not having someone silence the woman. "If you say one more word, one more person from your Su family will die. I'll start killing you, starting with your father. Just think about how many people are in your Su family!"
Emperor Jingyuan was furious, but he still had to take his little daughter into consideration and gave Sanping a look.
Get him out of here quickly!
Sanping raised his hand and called the guards to suppress Supin.
Unexpectedly, Supin acted completely reckless. "Your Majesty, are you really so cruel? Sister Xianfei has been with you for over ten years, and now she's been harmed by this little bitch. Don't you care about our feelings at all? Aren't you afraid that everyone will be disappointed?"
The palace maids and eunuchs beside them looked left and right, lowered their heads and dared not look, but their minds were full of thoughts.
Emperor Jingyuan's breathing became heavier and his face became extremely gloomy. If it weren't for Xihe, he would have taken up his sword and killed this ignorant bitch.
Concubine Chen clenched her fists tightly, her white fingertips digging into her palms, and her lips were tightly pursed, obviously furious. "I think Concubine Su has really been possessed by a demon. She has started to talk nonsense and involve others."
"Your Majesty knows very well whether I am talking nonsense or not." Supin looked like a dead pig that was not afraid of boiling water, as if she was upright and had nothing to fear from her shadow.
What Su Bin meant was that the little princess attacked Concubine Xian for the sake of Concubine Chen and the eldest prince.
Seeing this, everyone had some doubts in their hearts. Could it really be the little princess?
Xihe was wearing thin clothes in the summer, and she bumped into the chair. She rubbed her sore arm and asked, "Since Concubine Su said so, where is the evidence?"
Supin glanced at him resentfully, took out a sachet and threw it on the ground, "Just tell me if this was given by you!"
Xihe looked at the familiar sachet on the ground and nodded, "I gave it to the Queen a few days ago. No problem."
Supin sneered, a hint of imperceptible pride flashing across her face. "What else is there to say! Sister Xianfei was fine before, but ever since she started wearing this sachet, her health has deteriorated. This morning she suddenly started vomiting blood, and the moment she smelled this sachet, she vomited even more violently. And you still say it wasn't you!"
Xihe jumped out of Emperor Jingyuan's arms, picked up the sachet and opened it.
Nothing else has been added, and that shouldn't be the case.
Seeing Xihe remained silent, Concubine Su's face became even more smug. "Your Majesty! She did it! She's so young yet so vicious! Your Majesty, please make the decision for Sister Xianfei!"
Emperor Jingyuan's face grew increasingly worse, and he said nothing.
At this moment, a voice came from the inner room.
"Impossible." Zhao Jinyuan stepped out from behind the curtain, his expression grim and filled with worry. "Xihe couldn't possibly have harmed my mother!"
Concubine Su was horrified and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Second Prince! The person lying in there is your mother. How can you speak for a murderer?"
Zhao Jinyuan remained unmoved. "It is precisely because my mother is lying in there that I want to find the real culprit instead of wrongly accusing a child."
Although Zhao Jinyuan was worried about Concubine Xian, he was far from being unable to distinguish right from wrong.
He knew very well what kind of person Xihe was, and there was no need for others to say anything.
I guess today's incident was taken advantage of and I became a scapegoat.
"Second brother."
Zhao Jinyuan gave Xihe a soothing look and walked towards Emperor Jingyuan, "Your Majesty, I implore you to conduct a thorough investigation."
There was a hint of sob in his words. No matter how strong he appeared on the surface, he was still just a fourteen-year-old boy.
There was no fluctuation in Emperor Jingyuan's eyes, which was considered as his agreement.
Supin was relentless, "Then how do you explain why Concubine Xian vomited blood when she smelled the sachet? Is this also a false accusation?"
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
