Xie Lingqin's eyes narrowed slightly. "Marry me."
“Yes, anyway, he’s a wicked man, so be careful. I know the Crown Prince will scheme to marry you, but he can’t be safe from being surrounded by wolves.” An Shangning said, leaning against the carriage wall. “Besides, I will also be one of those who are detrimental to the Crown Prince.”
"You won't have that chance."
Xie Lingqin said, her eyes fixed on her.
An Shangning pursed her lips and met Xie Lingqin's cool, starry eyes. For a moment, her breath hitched as memories of their past together surfaced in her mind. Then, An Shangning quickly looked away.
"Be careful when you get off the carriage. The barbarian lord has more than one son. They all covet the throne, but even so, he can still sit firmly in the position of prince. You, a woman, cannot influence his thoughts."
"I know." After saying that, An Shangning closed her eyes tightly to rest.
Nie Zuier sighed and looked at Xie Lingqin, "It seems there will be some trouble when we get to the palace gates."
"Won't."
Xie Lingqin smiled faintly, "Tingfeng is outside, so the Crown Prince must have known about this matter long ago, and he will handle it himself."
"You woman who has fallen in love, your mind is completely focused on the Crown Prince."
"Of course, I think Bai Yu is also very attentive to you."
As the two were talking, the carriage arrived at the palace gate.
Xie Lingqin and An Shangning alighted from the carriage one after the other. Zhuidamu waited not far away. Heibushui did not immediately follow them into the palace, but stood at the palace gate. However, his eyes were fixed on the direction of Xie Lingqin's carriage, and his expression was terrifyingly sinister.
Xie Lingqin seemed oblivious, and led by Tingfeng, she headed towards the palace gate with the giant clam.
Eunuch Ni was already waiting.
"Father-in-law, have the Princess of Southern Qi, the Prince of Southern Qi, and the Crown Prince Xuanyuan all arrived?"
Xie Lingqin asked very casually.
Eunuch Ni smiled warmly at Xie Lingqin, "We've arrived, a little earlier than you. The Emperor heard about Prince Zhuidamu's assassination attempt on the way and sent me here to greet him. He also told me to tell the Prince that the Emperor has issued an edict ordering the Prefect of the Capital to capture the assassin."
That's incredibly kind of you.
Zhuidamu appeared somewhat satisfied. He glanced at Heibushui again before, with An Shangning and led by Eunuch Ni, they entered the palace.
Xie Lingqin naturally went along.
Just as he disappeared from sight, Hei Bu Shui suddenly rushed toward Xie Ling Qin's carriage. The coachman was taken aback, but was intimidated by Hei Bu Shui's aura and immediately retreated warily, not daring to make a sound.
However, when the curtain was lifted, the room was empty; there was nothing there.
Hei Bu Shui was disappointed. "How could there really be no one? No one has ever left from here."
Hei Bu Shui thought for a moment, then looked around the carriage again, but couldn't find anything amiss. Annoyed, he followed her into the palace.
At this moment, Hei Bu Shui hurried over along the long palace path. His soft words made Zhui Damu's eyelids shrink slightly, but he didn't say anything more.
Xie Lingqin took in Zhuidamu's emotions and Heibu Shui's disappointed expression, and found it amusing.
How foolish.
Did she really have to wait until they reached the palace gates before letting Nie Zuier leave?
There were small windows on both sides of the carriage. Nie Zuier was also flexible and agile. With the two carriages running side by side, there would always be one small window that they couldn't see. It would be easy and silent for Nie Zuier to get out of there.
As darkness fell, a crescent moon hung in the sky, its light flickering in and out of sight, creating a serene atmosphere.
The Emperor held a small banquet in the Imperial Garden.
When Xie Lingqin, Zhuidamu, and An Shangning arrived, the second prince of Southern Qi, the princess of Southern Qi, and the crown prince of Xuanyuan had already taken their seats.
Yu Qingyi also arrived, and he didn't look too well.
The Emperor, dressed in a bright yellow robe, sat at the head of the table with a gentle expression, but his deep eyes made it impossible to discern what was hidden within them. Beside him, Yuwen Yao sat calmly, his face expressionless, only his eyes filled with tenderness when he saw Xie Lingqin approaching.
"Zhuidamu greets the Northern Emperor." Zhuidamu greeted him with a smile, and An Shangning followed suit.
"Come, come, take a seat. Tonight is just a small banquet, no need for formalities."
The Emperor sat there, not paying much attention to An Shangning. He waved his hand, just like a gentle elder in the family. But who knows how many knives are hidden behind this gentleness?
Xie Lingqin also took her seat after exchanging greetings.
She sat at the very bottom, almost opposite the Crown Prince, but there was an empty seat next to Xie Lingqin.
The banquet was filled with fine wine and delicacies, and all around were palace maids and eunuchs who were waiting at his side.
The moonlight was like water, the wine was in the air, and the people were dressed in splendid clothes.
"The Empress should have come, but she has been quite tired lately from preparing for the grand banquet to bequeath the marriage in a few days. So I let her rest and will personally accompany her. I also hope that everyone who has come from afar will find this trip worthwhile."
"Your Majesty is too kind. It is our honor to be treated with such courtesy by Your Majesty personally."
"The Crown Prince Xuanyuan is also unmarried?"
As soon as Xuanyuan finished speaking, the Emperor's next words caused the atmosphere at the banquet to freeze.
"The marriage will be arranged in a few days. Have you thought about how to win the heart of the eldest daughter of my General's Mansion?"
The Emperor, however, seemed oblivious, and smiled as if asking without thinking.
Xuanyuan Du naturally wanted to marry Xie Lingqin. He was attracted to her because of her polite smile when she first reached out her hand to him.
However, these thoughts remained unspoken; his feelings for her were merely pure and innocent.
After all, he knew and understood that Xie Lingqin's heart belonged only to the Crown Prince, and he also felt that she and the Crown Prince were a match made in heaven, and no one else could interfere. Her trip to Beirong this time was just to make up the numbers.
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