Chapter 18 He is tired of this sweet and lingering taste
There were several officials traveling with him, and they sat around the table. Wen Xingluo was neither able to advance nor retreat, so he had to continue hiding under the table.
A middle-aged official said with a smile, "I wonder why Commander Xie sent that body to my residence? I heard that man once poisoned Commander Xie's horse at the White Crane Academy, driving it mad and nearly murdering Commander Xie. Do you think he's one of my men?"
Xie Guanlan said gently, "Grandmaster Du, please be careful with your words. When have I ever said anything like that?"
Wen Xingluo clenched the pearl tightly.
Du Guanghong, the governor of Shu County, lived in Yangcheng and was in charge of finance and people's livelihood. He and the Zhenbei Palace in Rongcheng, which was in charge of military power, were in a position of mutual support but also of rivalry.
Du Taishou asked: "Then why did the commander-in-chief..."
"According to the autopsy results, the murderer is from Yangcheng," Xie Guanlan said gently. "I simply felt sorry for him because he swallowed poison and died. I was moved by his loyalty to his master, so I sent him back to his hometown so that he could return to his roots. Unfortunately, his master was foolish. Not only did his plan fail, but he also lost a loyal servant."
Wen Xingluo bit her lips.
The space under the table was very narrow, and some people stretched their legs very far, so she had to crouch down with difficulty.
Her body gradually became sore and numb, and she subconsciously stretched her hand forward, but pressed on something cold.
Wen Xingluo raised his head.
She placed her hand on the instep of Xie Guanlan's foot...
Xie Guanlan is drinking tea.
Someone held my feet, and a stiffness crept up along the instep.
He lowered his eyes and met a pair of panicked round almond eyes.
The governor Du on the other side chuckled dryly. "The commander is truly kindhearted. If it were me, I would have definitely ground the murderer to dust."
Xie Guanlan's tone remained gentle. "I heard that Governor Du's beloved son is studying at the White Crane Academy, but he doesn't have much talent for studying. Is he planning to join the army in the future?"
The military power in the southwest is in the hands of Xie Jing.
If the son of Du Taishou wants to join the army, he must go through the Zhenbei Palace.
The hidden meaning of Xie Guanlan's words was to use the child's life to threaten Governor Du and stop him from causing trouble.
Wen Xingluo propped herself up and reluctantly moved her hand away from the back of his foot, not daring to look up at him again.
At this moment, the expression on Governor Du's fat face changed again and again.
After a long moment, he clutched the teacup tightly and forced a simple smile. "Well, why are you bringing up that child, Commander? By the way, for the Dowager Concubine's sixtieth birthday, I've specially crafted a statue of Guanyin for her, using two kilograms of gold. Commander and Dowager Concubine, please accept it."
Two kilograms of gold...
Wen Xingluo thought about the golden Guanyin statue and swallowed subconsciously.
But when he looked up, he saw Xie Guanlan staring at him.
The young man's usually aloof eyes and brows were now tinged with an expression of boredom, and he was obviously even more convinced that she was the kind of person who loved gold and silver and coveted wealth.
Xie Guanlan withdrew his gaze and took a sip of tea slowly.
He said to Governor Du, "Since Lord Du sincerely wishes you a happy birthday, it is natural for Grandmother to refuse a gift."
Governor Du spent a lot of money today, but he could only smile awkwardly and dared not say anything more.
Finally, all the officials left. Wen Xingluo just crawled out and saw a pair of black boots embroidered with gold cloud patterns suddenly appeared in front of him.
She bowed her head, feeling somewhat guilty: "My Lord..."
Xie Guanlan stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at others.
She hid under the table for a long time, sweating profusely. A few messy strands of black hair stuck to her porcelain-white cheeks, and her cheeks were evenly flushed, like peach blossoms that had been succulent.
He asked, "What are you hiding there for?"
Wen Xingluo stretched out his hand and showed him the bright pearl in his palm: "The earring has rolled under the table, go in and pick it up."
The girl's palms were also sweaty, and the pearls were soaked in water, like the girl's clear pupils.
Xie Guanlan asked again: "What are you doing in the mountain residence?"
Wen Xingluo withdrew his hand.
The prince of the palace guarded against her as if she were a thief.
Every time she was interrogated, it was like interrogating a criminal.
She said, "Look at the scenery."
Perhaps knowing that he couldn't get anything out of her, Xie Guanlan turned sideways and signaled her that she could leave.
She lowered her head, holding the pearl and quickly left.
Xie Guanlan had no expression on his face.
The air in front of him seemed to still linger with the faint scent of peach blossoms from the girl.
He was a little tired of this sweet and lingering smell.
Xie Guanlan wanted to drive Wen Xingluo out of the palace, but the old concubine loved her very much. In addition, there were bandit attacks in the northwest for months, and he was busy leading troops to suppress the bandits, so he forgot about Wen Xingluo.
The weather is getting hotter.
The Wen siblings were determined to make Wen Xingluo feel their indifference, and they hadn't come to see her in the past few months.
Wen Xingluo was happy to have some free time and studied eagerly.
She reads all kinds of books.
From classics to miscellaneous gossip, she is like a tireless sponge, trying her best to absorb all kinds of useful or interesting things in books.
In this life, she no longer had to work hard for her father and brother, and she spent all her time on herself.
By the end of autumn and the beginning of winter, the girl's grades were already among the top ten in the girls' class.
Wen Xingluo was very happy.
Although she was not first, compared with those noble ladies from scholarly families, she had fallen behind in her studies for many years, so she was very satisfied with this ranking.
If the academy was on holiday, she would go to the study in the mansion.
Xie Shian would come over occasionally, and I don’t know what book he was reading, but he would always be laughing beside her.
She went to see out of curiosity, but he refused to let her see it.
The winter solstice is approaching.
In the study, a slender hand suddenly reached out and snatched Xie Shian's book.
Xie Shian was watching with great interest, but when he was interrupted, he immediately slammed the table and stood up in anger: "Who dares to steal my--"
His temper came to an abrupt end when he saw Xie Guanlan's face.
He was like a wilted eggplant: "Brother, you're back home..."
Xie Guanlan flipped through the pages expressionlessly: "Is this your book?"
"Spring Palace Fire-avoiding Picture".
A picture album specializing in depicting love between men and women.
"No!" Xie Shian denied hastily, his eyes falling on Wen Xingluo in a hurry, "This book is...it's Wen Xingluo's! She lent it to me! Right, Xingluo?"
At an angle where Xie Guanlan couldn't see, he put his palms together and begged Wen Xingluo desperately.
Wen Xingluo was puzzled.
At most, Xie Shian read some popular stories. Why was he so scared after being caught?
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