Chapter 180: Speak the truth and convince others with reason

Wucheng, post station.

This was a must-go place for the Empress Dowager when she returned to Beijing from Yuntai Mountain where she worshipped Buddha.

At this moment, a beautiful figure wearing a lilac cloak was standing at the door of the post station, looking up and waiting.

Soon, the sound of horse hooves approached from afar.

The leader was dressed in a moon-white robe and riding a white horse. He was like a ray of light, illuminating the darkening sky and making it seem brighter.

In a flash, we arrived at the door.

"Brother Heng." The woman came forward happily, her face as white and tender as snow, thin and fragile.

Xiao Jinxuan dismounted and saw her standing in the wind in thin clothes. He frowned and said, "It's cold at night. You are not feeling well. Why don't you stay in the house?"

The woman smiled and said, "It's okay. I just came out. Brother Heng, please go in quickly. The old ancestor has been waiting for you for a long time."

Hearing this, Xiao Jinxuan threw the whip to Ling Xiao and quickly walked into the house.

"Grandmother."

He stepped forward and bowed to the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager was already over eighty years old, with gray hair and traces of time between her brows and eyes. Having worshipped Buddha for many years, she smiled in a gentle and friendly manner, just like a caring old grandmother next door.

"Hurry up and let me see you."

She raised her hand and waved, asking Xiao Jinxuan to come closer, and her brows frowned instantly.

"Why have you lost so much weight? Have you been living alone in Beijing and haven't eaten well?"

Xiao Jinxuan shook his head in denial and winked at Ling Xiao.

Ling Xiao quickly replied with a smile, "To the Empress Dowager, our master always eats well at every meal, and I remember it all."

The Empress Dowager looked unconvinced, "Don't cover up for him. Your master grew up in my presence, how could I not know what he is like? He doesn't care about anything when it comes to martial arts training or studying. He doesn't eat or sleep. Only when Qingyi persuades him does he listen."

Zhuang Qingyi took two steps forward and smiled to smooth things over, "Grandfather, you said it was when we were little. Now Brother Heng is already His Royal Highness Xuan, respected by everyone in the country. How could he not be able to take care of himself?"

The Empress Dowager tapped her nose and said, "You, please speak for your brother Heng."

"Grandfather~" Zhuang Qingyi blushed and scolded, secretly glancing at Xiao Jinxuan, "I'll go see if dinner is ready."

Having said that, he left quickly in shame.

The Empress Dowager looked at her leaving and said with emotion: "This girl has been clinging to you since she was little. She is obviously not in good health, but she still goes out to wait for you. Sometimes she is so stubborn that she looks just like you. When you have time, please talk more about her."

Xiao Jinxuan said calmly, "Your body is your own. If you don't cherish and protect it, no matter what others say, it will be useless."

The Empress Dowager glared at him angrily.

How come this kid can't hear anything good?

After a pause, he asked again, "I heard that you took in a mistress?"

"yes."

"You are young and full of vigor. It's not impossible for you to have a concubine, but the Xuan Palace is so big that it must have a princess to take charge."

Whenever this topic was brought up, Xiao Jinxuan would always change the subject to something else.

But today he was acting out of character and nodded in agreement, "What the Empress Dowager said makes sense."

When the Empress Dowager heard this, she was extremely excited.

She originally thought that the news Jing'an sent to her was false, but she didn't expect that after her grandson took a mistress, she actually found out!

"In that case, I think Qingyi is pretty good. She grew up with you, and we have a special relationship. She knows you well. Whether I hand you over to her or hand her over to you, I will feel at ease."

She had wanted to arrange a marriage for the two of them for a long time, but Xiao Jinxuan had always been very resistant to getting close to women, so the matter was put on hold.

But Qingyi is a stubborn girl. Year after year, she has no intention of getting married.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that she was waiting for Xiao Jinxuan to change his mind.

Now, the situation has finally turned around!

Xiao Jinxuan objected with a sullen look on his face, "Grandmother, Qingyi is my sister. What's more, Sun'er already has someone he likes."

He can only have one princess.

He wouldn't want anything else.

The Empress Dowager was stunned for a moment before she responded, "The one you like... you're talking about, isn't it that concubine?"

"Yes and no."

"What do you mean by yes and no?"

Xiao Jinxuan didn't know how to explain that his so-called mistress was just a fake identity of Xie Zhuoning?

Seeing that he remained silent, the Grand Empress Dowager knew that he would not change his mind anytime soon, so she simply said, "Since you treat Qingyi as your sister, then keep her in your house and find a suitable husband for her."

She thought that maybe they had been separated for too long and had become estranged from each other.

After spending some time together, her grandson will naturally recall the good times of her childhood.

By then, he might not even be willing to marry Qingyi to someone else!

Unexpectedly, Xiao Jinxuan agreed readily, "Okay."

Outside the door.

Zhuang Qingyi heard the conversation between the two clearly, and her already pale face became even paler.

She calmed herself down and walked into the house with a smile, "Grandpa, Brother Heng, dinner is ready."

…

In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the prince's wedding.

After Xie Zhuoning washed and dressed himself, he took a carriage into the palace.

As soon as she entered the palace, she was met with a lot of people pointing and talking.

"Am I seeing things? Xie Zhuoning is here too?"

"If my engagement had been broken off, I would have found a place to become a nun. How can you have the nerve to attend the prince's wedding?"

"Oh, don't say that. Miss Xie is also a pitiful person. Who knows, when she sees the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess coming out, she might secretly find a corner to cry."

Xie Zhuoning just frowned and hadn't reacted yet, when a figure rushed straight in front of them.

"How can you say that about Miss Xie? She is kind-hearted, beautiful, smart, confident, and talented. She just didn't have a destiny with the prince, so she called off the engagement. And you are now calling her worthless. How can that be justified?"

There were so many adjectives that Xie Zhuoning felt a little embarrassed.

Is she that good?

I looked up at the person who was speaking and noticed that his face was very familiar.

Who else could it be if not Yang Yijun, the person she rescued at the Duke’s Mansion horse farm that day?

But those people didn't take Yang Yijun, a weak little girl, seriously at all——

"Hey, come and listen to what she said. She almost praised Xie Zhuoning as a fairy from heaven. How can a fairy be rejected?"

"If we talk about fairies, it can only be the current Crown Princess!"

"She wants to compete with the Crown Princess, is she worthy?"

"You, you guys!" Yang Yijun was tongue-tied. The more he wanted to refute, the less he could say. His face turned red with anxiety.

At this moment, a slender and beautiful hand reached out and pulled her behind her. "It's not the right way to reason with people. You have to convince them with reason."

Yang Yijun turned around and saw the person pulling him. His eyes widened in surprise, "Sister Xie!"

Xie Zhuoning nodded slightly at her, then motioned for her to step back.

He walked into the crowd, looked at everyone, and then curled his lips into a faint smile.

"Go ahead, I'm standing right here, why don't you say anything? If you don't say anything, then it's my turn to say it."