Chapter 28 Liu Shi
Pei Yi left Kunning Palace, feeling a surge of frustration in his chest.
All he wants is to marry his sister Liu!
It was clear that the Emperor nodded slightly when he saw Liu Shizuo's painting, praising his remarkable talent.
However, the Empress Dowager insisted that Liu Shi came from a humble family and was unfit to be the prince's principal wife, and even the concubines thought she had a shallow background!
"They talk about noble families and marriage alliances!"
Pei Yi kicked away an unsightly pebble at his feet in frustration. "Have they ever considered my feelings? Am I, a prince, not even allowed the freedom to marry the one I love?!"
The image of Liu Shi's always shy and timid eyes flashed through my mind... and then I compared them to Xie Sangning, whom my mother had described...
I spent ten years in the harsh, cold land of Xihan, exposed to the wind and sun!
What kind of refined ladies can be raised in a wild and untamed land?
He must be dark-skinned, uncouth, and speak inappropriately, and might even smell like mutton!
Just imagining sharing a bed with such a woman sent chills down Pei Yi's spine.
"Sister Liu is so sensitive; if she knew that Mother was forcing me to marry such a boorish woman..."
Pei Yi's heart tightened, as if he could already see her hiding alone in her boudoir after learning the news, her tears wetting her embroidered handkerchief, yet she dared not even utter a sound of crying.
No! He has to see her!
Even if it's just a few words, he wants to tell her that his heart has never changed!
That Xie Sangning, don't even think about interfering in their relationship!
The thought came to mind, and Pei Yi moved with lightning speed, disregarding all decorum, practically rushing out of the palace gates and heading straight for the back alley of the Yuanwailang's residence.
He found the secluded corner with practiced ease, looked around to make sure no one was watching, bent down to pick up a smooth pebble, flicked his wrist, and the pebble flew in an arc, landing precisely inside the small courtyard where Liu Shi lived.
This was the secret code they had agreed upon.
Before long, a series of light, hurried footsteps approached from afar.
Before long, Liu Shi appeared in front of Pei Yi, slightly out of breath, having clearly run there.
"Sister Liu, please slow down!"
When Pei Yi saw her come out, his heart warmed, and he quickly stepped forward, his tone full of concern and pity.
He instinctively reached out to help her, but stopped before he could touch her sleeve, remembering his manners, and awkwardly withdrew his hand.
His cautious demeanor only made it clear that he was deeply in love.
"Brother Yi?" Liu Shi's voice was tinged with doubt as she looked up at him, her eyes glistening with tears.
"At this hour... has something happened? Why do you look so pale?"
Pei Yi felt even more heartbroken at her concerned gaze, and finally found an outlet for all his pent-up frustration and anger.
He slammed his fist into the wall beside him, causing dust to fall from the wall.
"It's all because of my mother!" His voice was filled with barely suppressed resentment. "She actually forced me to marry Xie Sangning from the Zhenguo General's Mansion!"
"Thank... thank you, Miss?"
Liu Shi then feigned a shocked expression, "That person... just returned from Xihan?"
"It's her!"
"Mother only cares about her father being the Grand General who protects the country! She only cares about the prestige of the General's mansion! Yet she's going to force such a vulgar and troublesome woman on me! What makes her worthy of me? In what way... does she even come close to being even half as good as you, Sister Liu?!"
As Pei Yi finished speaking, his voice was filled with pain, and he gazed at Liu Shi with deep affection.
Liu Shi sneered inwardly.
Vulgar and uncouth? Trouble-maker?
This eldest prince is too well protected by the empress, and he's far too arrogant.
She heard everything Xie Sangning said at the flower-viewing banquet.
That's confidence! That's courage!
It was a sharp edge that even a princess had to temporarily avoid!
Pei Yi's words sounded foolish and ridiculous to Liu Shi.
Xie Sangning might not even look at this idiot.
If it weren't for the fact that he is the eldest prince, I wouldn't have bothered with him.
However, her face showed a tearful expression, her eyes instantly reddening, her pearly teeth gently biting her lower lip, as if she had suffered a huge blow and grievance, her voice trembling: "Brother Yi... don't say that about Sister Sang Ning... she... she is, after all, the daughter of a meritorious official, surely she has some merits?"
She turned her head slightly, and a single, crystal-clear tear slid perfectly down her smooth cheek: "It's Liu Shi's fault... I come from a humble background and am unworthy of Brother Yi's kindness... I dare not... dare not hope for anything..."
Her appearance, where she was suppressing her grief and thinking of him, instantly ignited all of Pei Yi's protective instincts.
"No! Sister Liu!"
Pei Yi impulsively wanted to hold her hand, but reason forced him to suppress it. He could only urgently defend himself: "In my heart, you are the best! I don't care about being the daughter of a meritorious official or about social status and rules! I only want you! That Xie Sangning, don't even think about entering my door!"
Liu Shi raised her teary eyes and looked deeply at him, her gaze filled with dependence and gratitude: "Liu Shi, Brother Xin Yi..."
How could she have chosen such a prince to seduce? She was incredibly stupid.
Will he be able to become the crown prince...?
After seeing Pei Yi off, Liu Shi returned to her room and closed her eyes to review the events.
Yes, there were no mistakes in her performance; she's still the kind-hearted innocent girl.
However... Pei Yi will meet Xie Sangning at the birthday banquet.
The eldest daughter of the Xie family is indeed quite attractive...
That's a bit difficult; men are all like that.
——
At Ruixue Tower, Xie Sangning was unaware that the Empress had already set her sights on her.
They were just about to leave when Xie Sangning's trip was clearly not for sightseeing.
The neighboring county was an important piece of her plan.
Over the years, she has spent a fortune to quietly settle a group of her trusted elites who have followed her since Xihan in Jinling or the surrounding areas under various identities.
Among them were more than twenty carefully selected young men and old men who were intelligent and resilient, and she arranged for them to take the imperial examinations.
Xie Sangning spared no expense for them.
They offered high salaries to invite renowned scholars of the time who had long since retired to the mountains or even changed their names due to the fall of the previous dynasty, without regard to background, all for the purpose of taking the exam.
Even the chief examiner from the previous dynasty, who had countless students, was brought out of the deep mountains and forests by her people to become the true head instructor of this group of students.
Ten years of honing our skills, all for this moment.
The imperial examinations began two months later, followed closely by the palace examination.
Xie Sangning placed high hopes on this group of people. They were not only exam machines honed by the exam-oriented education system, but also, under the guidance of experienced Confucian scholars, they were well-versed in practical matters and adept at political maneuvering.
They will be her sharpest and most difficult-to-detect hidden blades in the imperial court.
Today, we're going to the military parade and to light the torch.
Despite the bumpy ride and the thick brocade quilts inside the carriage, Xie Sangning's brow remained furrowed for a moment.
She critically lifted a corner of the carriage curtain with her fingertips, glanced at the desolate fields outside the window and the gray outline of the county town in the distance, and curled her lips in disdain: "Poor and run-down. Even a place so close to the capital is so bad. This Qing Kingdom is truly a case of being gilded on the inside but rotten on the outside."
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