Chapter 45: It’s been two years since Prince Rui, and Xie Jing still seems to miss him...
Guanlan Hall.
"Your Highness, Yu Qing, pays homage to His Royal Highness Prince Rui."
During the period when Rui Wang Xie Tingzhao was acting as the ruler, he usually met with his ministers in Guanlan Hall. The day after Yu Qing returned to the capital, he was invited to the hall to discuss matters.
"Please stand up quickly," said King Rui, "and take a seat."
Prince Rui spoke in a gentle voice. Yu Qing thanked him and was surprised when she looked up and saw him clearly.
His face was handsome and deep, but there was a hint of gray at his temples. He was in the prime of his life, yet he had so much gray hair. This was probably the result of years of wandering.
The other person's temperament was somewhat deep, but overall he was graceful, noble and elegant. At least at first glance, he did not give people an obvious disgust.
The deposed Crown Prince Xie Tingxuan was arrogant on the surface. Although Prince Rui did not show it on her face, she knew that this man was definitely not a good person and was more cautious than when facing the Crown Prince.
"I have read your memorial. It is a very thorough report, and I have no further questions to ask," Prince Rui said with a smile. "I summoned you today primarily to meet the capable minister who defends the northern borders of Great Qi. You are truly a young talent, a true brilliance."
"Your Highness is so kind."
Prince Rui said, "Don't be so modest. What should I call you? Do you prefer 'Crown Prince' or 'Major General'?"
Yu Qing was stunned. Prince Rui was more approachable than she had thought. She said, "It's all right. Your Highness can call me Yu Qing by my first name."
Prince Rui smiled and said, "You followed your father into battle when you were a teenager. Everyone praised you as 'Young General', a praise I've always heard of. However, I feel that 'Young General' is no longer appropriate. 'Grand General' is better. Grand General, you must have been exhausted on your journey back to the capital."
Yu Qing smiled along.
She never cared much for compliments, and felt uncomfortable when she heard those exaggerated compliments.
But at least the King of Rui's praise was measured and not so unhelpful.
"People in the military are used to it. Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."
"Is the Northern Barbarians peaceful this year?"
The northern barbarians no longer have the confidence to rebel, and their princes are all held hostage in the capital, so they cannot cause any waves for the time being.
However, the small countries further north were in constant friction with each other, with occasional disputes, and horse thieves were also common. The border area was not as stable as the Central Plains.
"Well, these are manageable. As long as the Northern Barbarians are pacified, everything else will be easy," King Rui said. "In the previous dynasty, there was frequent trade between the Northern Pass and the Northern Pass. In the past few decades, the people have suffered from war, and the trade routes have been abandoned. I'm thinking, if feasible, we can open a new trade route."
This coincided with Yu Qing's thoughts. This now bitterly cold borderland had once been prosperous a hundred years ago. Markets had gradually begun to appear in the past two years, but they were far from the grand scenes recorded back then.
"It's not quite ready yet, but we can slowly move forward and plan for the long term. We'll start from the nearest and move on to the most distant. We'll send envoys to various countries to draft written agreements, and then we'll deploy soldiers to garrison along the way to resist banditry and unrest..."
The two began to discuss this matter. In addition to the trade routes, they also talked about the situation in the northwest, the conditions of the people, rewards for the border guards, and compensation for the dead and wounded.
The atmosphere was far more ordinary and relaxed than Qing had expected. They talked about serious matters without too many twists and turns.
Prince Rui also nodded frequently, and half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
Yu Qing discovered that talking to Prince Rui was much smoother than talking to other princes before. This man was not a royal descendant who was detached from the world. He had insights into many things and could get to the point. Even if he had questions, he would understand them quickly once they were explained.
He is a prince with real talent.
No wonder he established a foothold in the court in such a short period of time.
Prince Rui took a sip of tea and said with a smile, "I was so busy talking that the tea has gone cold."
The speaker may not have meant it, but the eunuch at the door immediately apologized and hurriedly poured hot tea and handed it over.
Prince Rui took a sip and said, "The new tribute tea is quite good. Go to the Inner Court and get another one for the Crown Prince to take with him when he leaves."
While the eunuch was wrapping the tea leaves, Yu Qing thought for a moment and decided to flatter King Rui appropriately, praising him for caring about the people and being considerate of the soldiers.
After all, King Rui is in power and at the peak of his career, so superficial respect is necessary.
Upon hearing this, Prince Rui smiled faintly and said, "I have only been in the capital for a little over a year. There are many things I want to do, but I am powerless. I need to rely on loyal ministers and generals like the Crown Prince to help me."
Yu Qing understood the hidden meaning in his words, but just nodded calmly.
Prince Rui spoke again in a clear voice, "Well, we've talked a lot about government affairs, so let's stop here. General, you have made outstanding achievements over the years. You should be given a good welcome upon your return to the capital. However, since my father's illness, everything in the palace has been kept simple, so it's not convenient to hold a palace banquet. If you don't mind, I will host a banquet at your residence in a few days to entertain the Crown Prince."
After leaving Guanlan Hall, Yu Qing’s thoughts wandered.
The King of Rui's overtures were not unexpected. However, she couldn't help but feel a headache when she thought about having to deal with these attempts to win her over.
When I returned to Beijing, I had frequent dealings with the deposed crown prince and various aristocratic families.
She just wanted to live a peaceful life in the Marquis' Mansion and didn't want to work hard for others.
She didn't care about the immense wealth and power promised to her. She didn't want them, nor did she lack them. Unfortunately, no one believed her.
It is not easy to stay out of trouble when you are in a high position.
In fact, if Prince Rui is truly a virtuous person, there is nothing wrong with Yu Qing accepting his offer.
However, she was wary of Prince Rui.
Two years ago, during the war, Yu Qing obtained some information from an important Northern Barbarian prisoner of war by torture.
She had always wondered why the Northern Barbarians were so reckless in launching an offensive. While the new king was certainly reckless and impulsive, it wasn't enough to attract such widespread support. It turned out that the pro-war faction had the courage to attack because they had other backing.
Someone from Da Qi was secretly in contact with them, not only revealing intelligence but also promising to provide assistance.
Yu Qing kept all the relevant testimonies in his own hands, and those prisoners of war were silenced, and no information was leaked to the outside world.
Because the current situation is turbulent, she feels that she has difficulty in control and is afraid of getting into trouble. Without sufficient preparation, she will not act rashly.
Yu Qing's suspicion of Prince Rui was not groundless.
After all, she was on the sidelines and had limited knowledge of the situation. She had no idea how much the chaos back then was related to him, or whether there was another mastermind behind the scenes.
In the absence of evidence, the first person she suspected was naturally the one who benefited the most from it.
From an exiled sinner to returning to the throne of the Dragon's Son, he had every motivation to accomplish all this.
No matter what deep blood feud he carried, the lives of civilians and soldiers were still lives. If he would resort to any means to achieve his goals, Yu Qing would rather keep his distance.
And... she didn't know if it was an illusion, but just now in the palace, although Prince Rui's attitude was correct and calm, she always felt that his gaze was a little strange.
Whether he was observing or calculating, it seemed as if he was searching for something.
Yu Qing couldn't help but frown. This Prince Rui was truly unpredictable.
Although he had some resentment in his heart, Yu Qing did not have much resentment when facing him in person.
The reason is simple: Xie Tingzhao's eyebrows and eyes are somewhat similar to Qingjia's.
After all, they are siblings and both inherited Concubine Rong's good looks, so when she saw Prince Rui, she thought of the ill-fated beauty again.
When Prince Rui returned to Beijing, Qingjia had been dead for several months. He hadn't seen her for many years, so he probably had long forgotten his sister.
When he asked Yu Qing whether she preferred "Crown Prince" or "General", Yu Qing hesitated for a moment.
Because, the last time in the palace, more people called her "Prince Consort".
"The Prince Consort..."
Qingjia's blurry face appeared in her mind again.
Yu Qing still has the jade amulet she gave him on his chest. He has worn it for two years and has long been accustomed to it.
She gently touched the small, hard texture through her clothes, then walked steadily down the white jade steps.
·
Inside the hall, Xie Tingzhao looked at Yu Qing's back as he walked down the stairs, seeming to be lost in thought.
This young man is elegant, handsome, calm and has the bearing of a great general.
He was only in his twenties, yet he had such achievements and courage, which was by no means ordinary.
According to common sense, Xie Tingzhao would appreciate the other party very much.
However, his feelings towards Yu Qing were indeed complicated.
It's been two years, and Xie Jing still seems to be thinking about him. As his brother, I can't help but worry about him.
It is said that during the time when Xie Jing was forced to live in the Marquis' Mansion, he got along well with Yu Qing. The maids and secret guards said that he had not suffered any grievances, and the prince consort took good care of him.
Xie Jing has a special experience, so it is normal for him to be a little indecisive and sentimental. It is also understandable that he is grateful when others are kind to him.
In addition, they had known each other for a long time, and even wooden people would have feelings for each other, so Xie Tingzhao initially thought that Xie Jing just couldn't change his mind for the time being.
It will get better slowly in the future.
As a result, not long ago, Xie Jing sent a message to me. I don’t know how he learned that Yu Qing was going back to Beijing. He specifically told me that if Yu Qing returned to the court, I must take good care of him and not make things difficult for him.
After reading the letter, Xie Tingzhao felt that he had grown two more white hairs.
·
Prince Rui's Palace.
The entire mansion has been newly renovated, with a brand new, magnificent and gorgeous facade.
The warm room was filled with luxurious fragrance, and the brocade screens and gauze curtains were all exquisite. Maids came in one after another, serving food and pouring wine.
The "welcoming banquet" hosted by King Rui was very grand, with all kinds of delicacies from land and sea, fine wines and delicious drinks, and the singing and dancing at the banquet were also quite exciting.
In addition to Yu Qing, there were several colleagues present. Some of them, like Yu Qing, were civil and military officials who had returned to Beijing to report on their work a few years ago. The rest were probably officials in Beijing who were close to Prince Rui.
Yu Qing was no stranger to the officialdom customs of exchanging pleasantries and drinking and chatting.
Whenever someone came over to toast her, she would smile and raise her glass, and her face was stiff with smiles all night long.
A group of dancers in colorful clothes finished their dance and gracefully left the stage. Then the music started to play and the drum beats changed. A girl in red came forward, holding a sword in her hand.
Her eyebrows and eyes are picturesque, and her sword is like a rainbow. As the music rises and falls, her figure swirls smoothly and lightly. As her red skirt and sleeves flutter, the sharp edge of the sword changes accordingly, making people dazzled.
"good!"
With the presence of military generals, one could tell that this woman had some real skills. Although her moves were mainly for performance, the strength and momentum between her opening and closing movements were not something that could be achieved through ordinary dance practice.
The girl smiled and swam in the courtyard to the beat of the drum. When she came close to Yu Qing, she looked at Yu Qing for a moment. As a result, the tip of her sword tilted, and the next few beats were a bit messy and missed. Yu Qing didn't understand what was going on, but she quickly corrected her movements.
The music ended, and the woman took her place in the center. Everyone applauded and cheered, but King Rui spoke slowly, "This sword dance isn't as good as usual. How come there are so many mistakes?"
The girl leaned forward gracefully and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me. It was a momentary oversight of mine."
This harmless mistake cannot be noticed if you don't pay attention.
Prince Rui laughed and said, "You are not careless at other times, so why do you careless at the banquet?"
The girl said nothing, but glanced sideways at Yu Qing.
Yu Qing was eating a lamb chop: "?"
The woman spoke softly, "With General Yu here, I'm afraid my little tricks might be showing off before an expert, so I'm particularly nervous."
Yu Qing swallowed the food in his mouth, cleared his throat, and said, "It's okay. The young lady's sword dance is truly unique, and the flaws do not outweigh the merits."
The girl said, "Thank you for your praise, Your Highness. I'll toast you."
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