Chapter 41 [VIP]
Xie Yingchen nodded almost imperceptibly, indicating that he had seen it.
Gu Zhizhuo turned around and said frankly, "I saw it. Wait a moment, I'll ask Young Master Xie to get us some kites."
After she finished speaking, she smiled even more brightly at Xie Yingchen: "Young Master Xie, our kite has flown to the pavilion over there."
The deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, Zheng, who was on duty today, also appeared nearby and listened to the two talking in a rather complicated way.
A fifth princess and the eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, both climbing over the wall for a kite? It wouldn't be unreasonable to order them to fetch it! Zheng Li quickly said, "Miss Gu, please wait a moment."
God help me, please don't fall!
As he spoke, he hurriedly ordered his Imperial Guards to fetch the kite.
Gu Zhizhu thanked her with a smile, then turned to Xie Danling and said, "Someone has gone to get us the kites, you can wait a little longer."
"I want to go up and take a look too."
Xie Danling looked at her little cousin sitting steadily on the wall with envy, feeling a little itchy. She climbed up the rock, raised her hand high and jumped up: "Give me a hand."
"good."
Gu Zhizhuo nimbly bent down and reached out her hand.
Their fingers touched, and Gu Zhizhuo grabbed her wrist.
Gu Zhizhuo lacked arm strength and couldn't exert any force while sitting on the wall, but Xie Danling did exert force. Her face turned red from straining, and she wished she could feel as light as a feather.
Xie Yingchen watched helplessly as Gu Zhizhuo's body slumped to one side, with only his left hand clinging to the wall for balance. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly ordered the Imperial Guards to bring a ladder.
"Qin Chen."
He winked at Qin Chen, signaling him to come to his rescue immediately if there was any danger. He stared intently at Gu Zhizhuo, who was swaying back and forth against the wall, not daring to blink.
"Um..." Qingmei couldn't hold back any longer. She really wanted to say that if it really didn't work out, she could bring the Fifth Princess up with her.
These two are a mess: one is utterly incompetent, and the other is overconfident. What makes Miss Gu think she can lift the Fifth Princess with her weak arms, which can't even draw a single stone bow? And the Fifth Princess, usually so delicate and pampered—she really dares to let her pull her up!
I'm so anxious!
She was so anxious she was about to jump up and down when she suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar bright red color out of the corner of her eye.
Qingmei froze instantly, turning her head stiffly little by little. When she saw that incomparably beautiful yet impatient face, her heart almost jumped out of her throat.
Despite her fear, she still coughed heavily to remind the two who were still climbing the wall.
Waaah, young lady, I will do my best.
Gu Zhizhuo raised an eyebrow and subconsciously looked over, his body suddenly relaxed, and he almost lost his grip.
Xie Yingchen rushed forward and called out in a distorted voice, "Miss Gu!"
Gu Zhizhu swayed a few times, then sat up straight again.
She patted her chest and laughed. Her laugh was as radiant as the sun, dazzling and brilliant.
She waved to him, her clear eyes sparkling like stars: "It's nothing, thank you, young master. I'll be going now."
After saying that, she disappeared over the wall in a flash, her movements so swift that it seemed she had done it countless times before.
Huai Jingzhi looked at his young master, whose eyes had been so tense just now that they could hardly be concealed, as if they were about to overflow. After the death of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, the young master had never shown any strong emotional fluctuations in the face of any changes, and had always calmly planned everything.
This is the first time.
“Commander Zheng.” A guard rushed in from outside and reported, “Outside, it’s Chief Supervisor Shen.”
What! ?
Zheng Li was startled. It was actually that man?!
No wonder even Miss Gu was so quick to climb over the wall and run away.
Xie Yingchen looked up at the high wall, a strange look appearing in his eyes. He suddenly smiled and said loudly, "Miss Gu, I'll bring you the kite in a bit."
Gu Zhizhuo stood under the wall, her eyes crinkling as she replied, "Okay."
As soon as she finished speaking, she looked up and met a pair of alluring eyes that seemed to be smiling but weren't. Gu Zhizhuo's heart pounded wildly, and an inexplicable sense of crisis filled her heart.
"Meow."
The tabby cat followed at his feet and offered him a comforting word.
"Master," she curtsied obediently, "I've come to retrieve the kites."
snort.
Shen Xu was dressed in fiery red, and a dangerous aura surrounded him.
He snorted repeatedly, as if to say: You think I'd believe that?
Gu Zhizhuo smiled calmly.
What she's doing now can't be hidden from anyone except Shen Xu. Even if he doesn't know now that she's here to deliver medicine to the young master, he'll surely guess when the young master's condition becomes critical.
She had experienced firsthand the meticulousness of this person in her previous life.
"hand."
ah?
Gu Zhizhuo didn't ask any questions. He stretched out his hand, palm up, in front of him. His fair palm was covered in black dust, which he had picked up while climbing the wall.
Shen Xu endured it all, his eyes filled with disgust.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Gu Zhizhu followed his gaze, looked at her hands, then at her skirt, and thinking about Shen Xu's fussy temper, she carefully wiped her cheek with the back of her hand, leaving a dark mark on her face.
Then, she dusted off her skirt and sleeves, the flying dust almost making Shen Xu cough.
Shen Xu: "..."
It was intentional! Definitely!
Shen Xu angrily flung his sleeve and strode away, his face gloomy and clouded.
Qingmei secretly gave her mistress a thumbs up in her heart. Her ability to make her mistress run away in such a short time without getting hurt was absolutely first-rate.
"What does he want to do?" Xie Danling asked in a low voice.
"I don't know." Gu Zhizhuo glanced at his outstretched right hand, completely baffled.
She whispered to her younger cousin, "That's called being moody. Moody people are the most unreasonable. Stay away from them."
Understand!
"Master Supervisor, please."
The respectful voice of the Golden Guard came from the direction of the main gate of Xiyunwu.
"I will not go in. Please come out and speak with the eldest son."
Shen Xu stood in front of Xiyunwu, casually looping his prayer beads around his wrist a few times, his eyes filled with intense impatience.
He was still holding a small jade pendant broken in two in his hand, fiddling with it irritably. It was the one Gu Zhizhuo had given him.
He was just about to return it to her.
"Young Master."
Xie Yingchen came out from inside, and the Imperial Guards greeted him.
Shen Xu lifted his eyelids and glanced at him, which was considered a greeting.
Xie Yingchen nodded slightly to him: "Lord Shen."
Shen Xu gave a wink, and a young eunuch brought over a tray with several handwritten books on it.
He said indifferently, "Here's what you wanted."
A few days ago, Xie Yingchen proposed to depose the Crown Prince's handwritten notes from back then, and the Emperor agreed and had them found.
Normally, Shen Xu wouldn't have needed to make this trip himself, but after asking the emperor for it, he mouthed a word to himself as he left.
Qin Chen took the note from the eunuch's hand, and Xie Yingchen said with a smile, "Thank you for making this trip, Chief Eunuch. I will come back to thank you again after I recover." He paused for a few breaths, "...I will come back to thank you again, Chief Eunuch."
Shen Xu understood what he meant. He was saying that he would take the medicine today, then become "seriously ill" so that he could leave the palace.
"Master, will the Emperor attend today's flower festival?"
His voice was clear and unhurried. Even though he was so sickly and confined in a "cage", his eyes remained clear and pure, without the slightest hint of turbidity.
A mocking smile curved Shen Xu's lips.
The Empress enjoys lively gatherings, and there are at least three to five flower festivals like this every year, but the Emperor never attends. He knows this, and Xie Yingchen probably knows it too.
However, if he wanted the emperor to go, it wasn't impossible for him to do so.
Xie Yingchen wanted him to sway the emperor's heart.
But why should I help him?
He knew perfectly well what Xie Yingchen and Miss Gu were plotting, but he didn't expose them.
Just as Miss Gu said that day at the manor, Xie Yingchen's life or death was just a small contribution to him, and he didn't lack that contribution.
What he lacks is further opportunity.
This is far from enough. It's still a very, very long way from what he wants.
So he just watched and saw whether Xie Yingchen was worth his time and effort.
However, ever since Xie Yingchen returned to the capital, he has remained in Xiyunwu without making any further moves, quietly letting the emperor arrange things for him, like a caged bird trapped in the four directions.
If it weren't for the fact that he had met him once in Zhuangzi, Shen Xu would have lost interest in this person long ago.
Shen Xu glanced at him with a mocking look, the jade pendant in his hand making a slight clinking sound as he casually played with it.
Xie Yingchen said without changing his expression, "I heard that Her Majesty the Empress has acquired a new pot of peonies, a unique piece presented by Yongzhou. The Yongzhou Thousand-Layer Purple Peony is truly exceptional, and only ten plants have been cultivated to date. I would like to see it for myself."
Shen Xu's nonchalant expression suddenly turned cold when he heard the words "Yongzhou".
"Has Supervisor Shen ever been to Yongzhou?"
Her cold eyes stared directly at Xie Yingchen.
Faced with that menacing gaze, Xie Yingchen responded with a faint smile: "Back then, my father traveled west along the Wei River and stayed for some time in Heishuibao, a border town in Yongzhou. After returning, he wrote down his notes."
"Here is a volume of the Yongzhou Gazetteer, which I compiled with my father in the past. Your Excellency may take a look and offer some guidance."
"I have always longed to follow in my father's footsteps and visit Yongzhou."
"What do you say, Chief Supervisor?"
Xie Yingchen's last three words were quite meaningful.
Shen Xu's face was gloomy, and the Jinwu Guard standing nearby couldn't help but shiver and quietly took half a step back.
Xie Yingchen took out a book from a pile of books that had the words "Yongzhou Zhi" written on it.
The pages of the handwritten book are yellowed, indicating it's at least ten years old.
Yongzhou.
I really underestimated him.
No one knew that they came from Yongzhou.
He, imprisoned in the deep palace, managed to find his way to Yongzhou in just one month.
Shen Xu was still holding the broken jade pendant. No one knew that the sharp edge of the pendant had cut his palm.
Therefore, Xie Yingchen asked for the deposed crown prince's handwritten notes because of this book, Yongzhou Ji.
Is there something here that you want to know?
He used this to make this deal with himself.
Xie Yingchen coughed softly. His weakness from his serious illness made him look very thin, but he was still as upright as a pine tree, exuding extraordinary nobility.
Shen Xu raised his hand and took the book of Yongzhou Chronicles, his fingers trembling slightly without his notice.
Yongzhou.
Blackwater Fortress.
Shen Xu's bright red clothes shimmered in the sunlight, reflected in his pupils.
His peach blossom eyes had lost some of their shimmering charm, but gained a more eerie, bloodthirsty light. He said calmly, "Since there is Qianzhong Zi, His Majesty will be happy to meet him."
He agreed to the deal.
That's all. If Xie Yingchen can't escape this cage, then a useless person still has no value in living.
If he can get out...
After Shen Xu finished speaking, he left, his sleeves fluttering gently with his movements, red as a raging fire.
Xie Yingchen called out to him, saying, "Lord Shen, your cat."
Shen Xu glanced at the cat that was excitedly circling around Xie Yingchen's calves. The cat's golden eyes were full of excitement, just like before he was almost hit last time.
interesting.
"If it doesn't want to leave, then it can stay."
Xie Yingchen looked down at the meowing cat and, almost without thinking, asked, "What's its name?"
"cat."
No, he asked for the name, not the species!
"..." Shen Xu said impatiently, "Shen Cat."
Xie Yingchen: "..." Could this brief pause mean they were naming the child on the spot?
Anyway, the cat has a name now.
With its tail held high, Shenmao happily followed Xie Yingchen into Xiyunwu.
Having stood in the wind for so long, Xie Yingchen was almost at his limit. When he got back inside, he leaned against the back of the chair with one hand, caught his breath, and then slowly sat down.
Meow. The cat jumped onto his lap, curled up comfortably, and purred softly.
"Young master."
Chongjiu handed over a pill.
Chongjiu and Qin Chen were about the same age, and they had been following Xie Yingchen since the time of the Crown Prince.
While Xie Yingchen went out to see Shen Xu, Chong Jiu evaded the eyes and ears of the Imperial Guards and secretly retrieved the pills.
After Xie Yingchen took the pills, Chongjiu stood silently to the side, her face expressionless.
The pills were sealed with wax.
Xie Yingchen broke open the wax, revealing a piece of silk paper inside, with a brown pill wrapped within.
He unfolded the silk paper, looked at the beautiful small regular script with floral patterns, and a pleasant smile curved his lips, his eyebrows and eyes relaxed.
He read it over, gave it to Huai Jingzhi, and swallowed the pill with warm water. The pill had a strong bitter taste, but it wasn't too hard to swallow and went down easily down his throat.
"Young Master!"
Huai Jingzhi blurted out, his face turning pale for a moment.
He was still looking at the silk paper, which described the various reactions that would occur after taking the pills. He was memorizing it and had no idea that the young master would just take them without warning.
Xie Yingchen asked with a faint smile, "Did you retrieve the kite?"
At a time like this, who cares about kites! Huai Jingzhi asked nervously, "Young Master, how do you feel after taking this pill?"
Huai Jingzhi had originally planned to secretly scrape off a little bit to test the medicine after it arrived.
These days, he has used all his intelligence and informants, but he still can't find out where Miss Gu learned her medical skills. It's as if she suddenly had an epiphany one day and became self-taught.
Xie Yingchen's smile faded slightly, and he repeated, "Where's the kite?"
Huai Jingzhi paused for a moment, then went inside and took out the kite: "It was just delivered by the Imperial Guards."
Xie Yingchen moved the cat away, stood up, and walked up to him: "Jingzhi, do you trust me?"
He was half a head taller than Huai Jingzhi, and his speech lacked its usual gentleness; even the shadow cast upon him was sharp and intimidating.
Huai Jingzhi's expression turned solemn, and he uttered only one word: "Trust."
Far better than one's own life!
Xie Yingchen patted his shoulder and said in an unquestionable tone, "In that case, you trust Miss Gu just as much as you trust me. She won't harm me."
It's a feeling that wells up from the depths of your soul.
"This pill takes an hour and a half to take effect, so don't let unnecessary suspicion mess things up."
"yes."
Huai Jingzhi bowed and agreed.
After saying that, he hesitated and asked, "Young master, are you sure you want to do this today...?"
Even though I've taken the medicine, I'm still unsure if it will change anything.
Huai Jingzhi just couldn't understand why the time they had initially agreed upon was at the end of next month, for the late Crown Prince's memorial service.
They are not fully prepared for this move.
Xie Yingchen looked out the window, his gaze seemingly passing through pavilions and towers, and finally seeing that tall wall.
He wanted to leave; he couldn't wait a moment longer.
He no longer wanted to stand on the other side of the wall, watching her teeter on the brink of collapse, powerless to do anything about it.
He also wanted to reach out to her and tell her: Don't be afraid, even if you fall, I can catch you.
"right."
Xie Yingchen's lips curved into a pleased smile, his narrow eyes holding an unquestionable attitude.
Huai Jingzhi clasped his hands and made a long bow.
"Young master, Eunuch Li has arrived."
Qin Chen came in to report, and after receiving the young master's approval, he led Li Deshun in.
Li Deshun smiled at everyone he met. After exchanging greetings, he said, "Young Master, the Emperor summons you to the Shuangyue Water Pavilion."
He laughed and said, "Today is the Empress's Flower Festival. The Emperor said that you must be bored living in Xiyunwu all day long. Why don't you come and see the flowers with me?"
"This Supervisor Shen is indeed formidable; it's only been the time it takes for an incense stick to burn," Huai Jingzhi thought to himself.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Xie Yingchen smiled and agreed.
After Li Deshun left, Huai Jingzhi put the silk paper and the wax used to seal the pills into the glass lamp and burned them until the wax was completely melted. Chongjiu then took out a cloak from inside and helped Xie Yingchen put it on.
Seeing that they were about to leave, the cat stretched, jumped off the chair, circled around his feet, hooked its tail around his ankle, and meowed sweetly.
"You're going too?"
"Meow."
"Then let's go together."
Xie Yingchen stepped out, followed only by Huai Jingzhi.
Since returning to the capital, Xie Yingchen has rarely stepped out of Xiyunwu. It's as if even the warm breeze that comes his way carries a comforting scent.
"Meow meow."
The cat followed at his feet, walking with an air of utter disregard for everyone else.
It's only about the length of an incense stick's time to walk from Xiyunwu to Shuangyue Water Pavilion.
The Twin Moon Pavilion consists of two side-by-side pavilions located on Twin Moon Lake, connected by a covered bridge. It takes only about a hundred steps to walk from one pavilion to the other.
The Empress's flower party was held at the waterside pavilion on the west side. Many noble ladies were summoned to the palace, and the flowers could be seen in full bloom from afar.
The emperor is currently in the waterside pavilion to the east, accompanied only by a few princes and some close relatives of the imperial family.
When Xie Yingchen entered the waterside pavilion, a court musician was playing the zither, and the melodious music echoed throughout the pavilion.
The cat didn't follow him inside; it disliked the smell of the place.
It rubbed against his calf and then walked away regretfully.
Xie Yingchen, wrapped in a cloak, had dark, deep eyes and an innate air of nobility about him, as if he had stepped out of an ancient painting. He possessed a gentle and refined demeanor, without any ostentatious or aggressive sharpness, yet his mere presence could easily capture everyone's attention.
The pavilion fell silent for a moment.
After returning to Beijing, Xie Yingchen rarely appeared in public, except for that one welcome banquet.
The emperor smiled and waved to him: "Chen'er, you've arrived. Come and sit down."
The emperor's gaze lingered on the man's tired, pale face for a few moments before he said gently, "You seem to be in better health today. Are you still coughing?"
Xie Yingchen greeted him and said with a smile, "My cough is much better. The prescription given by the imperial physician this time is excellent." As he spoke, he took off his cloak and handed it to the eunuch.
"That's good, that's good." The emperor said with relief, "You child, I was so worried about your health. Your grandfather loved you the most when he was alive. How could you have put yourself in such a state?"
Xie Yingchen bowed and said, "It's my fault, Your Majesty. I'm sorry to have troubled you."
"You are too sensible, unlike your cousins, none of them give me any peace of mind." The emperor glared at his sons and said, "When you recover, you should also teach them a good lesson. You are the eldest brother. In the common people, the eldest brother is like a father. You should discipline them when necessary."
The princes quickly stood up and stood with their hands clasped in front of them.
Xie Yingchen replied, "Since Your Majesty has said so, I will certainly agree, as long as you don't feel bad about it."
The emperor laughed heartily: "I don't feel sorry for you."
"Come here and sit next to me."
Xie Yingchen walked over, but instead of sitting directly next to the emperor, he sat down in an empty seat below him.
There was no wine on the table, only some easy-to-eat pastries, a pot of warm milk, and a pot of flower tea, which was refreshing and pleasant.
The eunuch served him flower tea, and after he had drunk some, the emperor asked kindly, "I had Ah Xu deliver your father's letter to you. Did you receive it?"
"Nephew received it."
Xie Yingchen recalled with a slight smile: "Back then, my father was ordered to travel from the capital, through Yizhou and Liangzhou, all the way to Yongzhou, a journey that took a whole year. My grandfather said that these handwritten notes left behind should be carefully organized so that if any officials were to take up positions in these prefectures in the future, they could learn about the local customs in advance. I only organized one volume back then, and now that I live in Xiyunwu, I have nothing to do, and I also want to share some of the Emperor's burdens."
The emperor's face betrayed no emotion, only a look of satisfaction. "Very good. I'll wait until you've finished tidying it up before I take a good look at it."
Xie Yingchen bowed slightly, and the uncle and nephew chatted and laughed.
"emperor."
Li Deshun, having received a report from the Empress's eunuch, came over with a smile and reported: "Her Majesty the Empress has placed all the peonies brought by each household in the garden near the waterside pavilion. Her Majesty said that each person will receive a silk handkerchief, and each person can choose the one they are most satisfied with. The one with the most silk handkerchiefs will be the 'King of Flowers'."
"Her Majesty the Empress also sent some silk."
"This is good."
The emperor praised her with great interest, and then said, "Zhuo'er, Lang'er, Jing'er, you should go and admire the flowers. And you all, what are you doing sitting here with me? Go out for a walk. You're all getting on in years and still can't find a wife. No wonder I look down on you. Go on, and if you see a girl you like, come and tell me, and I'll make arrangements for you."
Several boys of similar age went out laughing and joking, each picking a silk handkerchief from the eunuch's hand.
The waterside pavilion suddenly became much emptier.
The emperor took a few sips of wine and asked with a smile, "Chen'er, what about you? You've come of age, it's time to get engaged. Have you found a girl you like?"
Xie Yingchen said softly, "Your Majesty, my lifespan is short, so I don't want to bring trouble to a good family's daughter."
"You're just spouting nonsense." The emperor glared at him. "You still need to go out and get some fresh air. What's the point of staying cooped up all day?"
"Go quickly."
So Xie Yingchen also came out of the waterside pavilion. He stood by the lake and looked at the garden not far away.
Amidst the profusion of flowers, he spotted the girl in the floral dress adorned with butterflies at a glance. In his eyes, she was like a radiant light.
He summoned a eunuch.
"Go and hang this kite on the waterside pavilion."
The eunuch obeyed and left.
Soon, the tabby cat's kite began to soar above the waterside pavilion, attracting the emperor's attention and prompting him to chuckle.
Everything in Xiyunwu was under his watchful eye. The emperor had already been informed of Danling's actions, including taking Gu Zhizhuo to climb the wall while picking up kites, leaving him speechless.
These two girls are just like they were when they were little, always climbing on the roof and causing trouble for cats and dogs.
"Your Majesty, I have promised to return the kite to my fifth cousin and the others." Xie Yingchen walked in again and said with a smile, "Now they will definitely see it and send someone to pick it up."
"You."
The emperor chuckled and shook his head.
Xie Yingchen sat back down, seemingly uninterested in what was happening outside.
He was talking to the emperor, and no one noticed that his back was covered in sweat.
My internal organs are burning hot.
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