Chapter 70 The dream ended just like the night she received the news of his death.
Yu Qing originally had a lot of questions to ask.
But Xie Jing's attitude was speechless, which made her feel that there was no need to ask more questions at the moment. She thought the answer would not make her feel any better.
Moreover, she couldn't face Xie Jing properly now. If Xie Jing continued to stand there, she didn't know what expression she would show. She kept her face tightly fixed and said, "Your Highness probably isn't in the mood for a banquet today. In fact, there weren't any prepared. Please send him away."
Xie Jing had to leave even though he didn't want to. He reluctantly put down the puppy in his hands, but Xuetuan refused to let him go.
Yu Qing said, "Your dog is yours, so just take it with you. It seems to miss you."
Xie Jing's heart sank. He thought, he doesn't even want the dog anymore. Doesn't this mean he wants to break up with him completely?
In fact, Yu Qing didn't touch him at all during the whole process, but Xie Jing felt as if he had been tortured. He didn't know how he got out of Huaifeng Pavilion. He just followed the waiter out in silence. In fact, he was already in a state of despair.
Outside the courtyard, I looked up and saw Qiying.
Qiying looked at Xie Jing with a complicated expression and mood. In the end, she just bowed and said, "Hello, Your Highness."
"Oh, Miss Qiying," Xie Jing said, "Long time no see."
Xie Jing just subconsciously maintained his courtesy and didn't even smile.
Qiying: “…”
She watched Xie Jing walk away with a blank expression, and she was a little confused - hadn't they just met at the Duke's Mansion a few days ago?
·
The puppy was led by Xie Jing, and found that he was walking farther and farther away, and was almost out of the house. Finally, he realized that something was wrong and whimpered tentatively a few times - why are we here? Aren't we going back to the courtyard?
At this moment, Xie Jing could hardly hear what people were saying, let alone what dogs were saying.
When he arrived at the door, he found that there were a few people prepared for him - Qiu Lian and Dong Li huddled together, and a man covered in gauze.
Xie Jing: “…”
Dong Li saw him and said with a sad face: "Your Highness."
The two of them had no idea what had happened until they discovered that the secret guard they had been communicating with had not shown up again. It was not until today when Yu Qing asked them to pack up their things and prepare to leave the house later that they realized they had been exposed.
Xie Jing said: "...Let's talk about it in the car."
Fortunately, the carriage of Prince Jing's mansion was spacious and had more than enough space for a few more people. After Xie Jing listened to their story, he finally understood the reason - no wonder Yu Qing suddenly realized something was wrong, it turned out that she had caught this clue.
He immediately felt very regretful. Why was he so careless and reckless? He probably subconsciously thought that the Marquis' Mansion was safe. There had been many communications in the past without any problems - because Yu Qing would never doubt or restrain the princess before.
Now, he has one more crime against Yu Qing, which is spying on the movements of the Marquis' Mansion.
He actually just wanted to find out about Yu Qing's recent situation and had no intention of monitoring anything else. He felt that he was wronged, but when he thought about it carefully, he was not wronged, as it was indeed him who did it.
Qiu Lian and Dong Li were unharmed, but the other secret guard was in a much worse state. He was covered in wounds, and the unbandaged parts were still bruised and purple. Xie Jing couldn't bear to look at it.
"I have failed to perform my duties and have caused trouble for Your Highness..." said the secret guard.
Xie Jing sighed, "It's all my fault. I've implicated you."
The secret guards denied it repeatedly, saying it was just a flesh wound, no bone was touched. However, Xie Jing had been wounded by an arrow before, and the wound took a long time to heal, so he still felt very sorry.
He said sadly, "Yu Qing beat you like this because of me."
The secret guard nodded honestly.
Yes, the prince thought that he was lurking in the mansion to poison His Highness, and then he got angry and did it himself. How could it not be for His Highness?
Although he was released from prison the next day and a doctor was called in to apply medicine and bandage his wound, he was still grimacing in pain.
As honest men, the secret guards were a little worried. The Prince Consort was so vicious, His Highness should avoid getting involved with him. What if he got beaten one day? They were strictly trained to endure injuries, but if it were His Highness, he would be dead in just a few blows.
Xie Jing understood what Yu Qing meant.
Why would Yu Qing be angry with a secret guard? The secret guard was just following his master's orders.
This was probably a warning or a deterrent to herself. Due to her status, she couldn't do anything to him, but it didn't matter. She could still show her attitude. This secret guard actually took the blame for him.
The two maids saw that his face was getting paler and paler, and he was wrapped in sorrow. They looked at each other worriedly.
Qiu Lian whispered to Xie Jing, "From what I know, the prince actually cares about Your Highness very much. He brought us here from the imperial mausoleum specifically for Your Highness."
"I know, but she cares about the princess, not me," Xie Jing whispered, "I'm nothing."
After returning to Prince Jing's Mansion, Xie Jing ordered his men to take the secret guards away to recuperate and gave him a stack of silver notes as a reward.
The secret guard had an unwelcome request: "Can I still make snacks in the palace in the future?"
Xie Jing: “…”
The secret guard learned a skill temporarily when he first went to infiltrate Yu Mansion. In the past two or three years, he had not had much work to do in the mansion, so he worked hard on cooking and became a master at making dim sum. Now he has found a new path in life.
Xie Jing held his forehead and said, "You do it. The small kitchen is left to you."
The two maids had recovered from the ups and downs of today, and now when they faced Xie Jing, they finally felt the joy and surprise of meeting him again after a long separation.
Xie Jing's appearance now is very different from before, but if you look closely, he still seems to be the familiar prince.
Qiu Lian said, "Your Highness is surprisingly so tall."
Xie Jing: "A little worse than my brother."
Qiu Lian said, "Your Highness is young, perhaps he can still grow taller."
Dong Li knew what Xie Jing wanted to hear, so he interrupted, "But his appearance is still the same as before! Your Highness is still the most beautiful in the entire capital. A beauty as beautiful as a fairy!"
Xie Jing: "...This is called a jade tree in the wind."
After chatting for a while and waiting for them to leave, Xie Jing felt lonely again. The puppy in his arms was in a strange place for the first time, so he was a little reserved and didn't make any noise.
"It's not that I want to bring you back, it's that you and I have been kicked out, you know?" Xie Jing sighed, "I don't know when we can go back."
.
Yu Qing didn't eat dinner that night. She felt uncomfortable when facing Xie Jing, and even more uncomfortable after he left.
She had exposed Xie Jing, but she didn't feel any sense of victory or relief. The huge rock in her heart hadn't fallen to the ground, and she still had no appetite at all.
She dismissed the servants and even asked Qiying to go back when she came.
In her bedroom, she sat on the edge of the bed, her mind in turmoil. She took off the jade pendant from her chest and held it in her hand, lost in thought. For a moment, she was completely bewildered and didn't know what to do.
Because she never wanted to expose her vulnerability to others, even to Qiying or her parents, she felt embarrassed.
All the sharpness is completely restrained when he is alone, like a wounded lone wolf, silently licking his wounds.
She sent all of the people she and Xie Jing were with out of the house, and even had an urge to throw away or destroy everything he left behind, such as his portrait, his white jade flute, and the jewelry boxes he left behind... There were simply too many things.
In the end, I couldn't bear it.
The embroidered handkerchief left by Qingjia was so exquisite that she was reluctant to use it to make a sachet, and she kept it carefully. If she tore it up, she felt that she would not be happy at all, and might even feel regretful, so in the end she left it as it was.
These past two days she finally figured out a lot of things and wondered why she was so stupid before.
Even though the signs and clues were so obvious, she kept avoiding the truth.
She also always had complaints about Prince Rui and Concubine Rong, and even hated that they ignored their dead daughter after they became successful. In the end, she was actually the outsider.
Only she was kept in the dark.
She was the only one who would visit Qingjia's spirit regularly and bring her the things she loved during her lifetime. She was afraid that Qingjia would be too lonely and no one could accompany her. She herself was also very lonely. Every time she faced the cold tombstone, she would imagine that Qingjia's soul was actually behind the tombstone, but she could not see or hear it.
Why didn’t Prince Rui and Concubine Rong feel sad about Qingjia’s death?
It’s not that they don’t care about Qingjia, but because they knew from the beginning that Qingjia was not dead.
Not only was he alive and well, but he was also rising rapidly. There was nothing in that small tomb in the imperial mausoleum, so of course there was no need for a memorial service.
Looking back at Prince Rui's suspicious actions, she completely understood his motives.
He wanted to introduce a girl to himself, asked himself when he would marry again, and asked her to look forward - it must be because he and Xie Jing had been together before, and he was afraid that this bad relationship would hinder Xie Jing.
He and Xie Jing are biological brothers, so how could he do anything bad to Xie Jing? It is obvious that he would not be able to help Xie Jing in any way he wants.
Xie Jing was doing well in the capital, and he could not escape his connection with Prince Rui.
She had thought Xie Jing was a helpless little white flower, and she had thought that she could take care of him more often. He had come all the way from Jiangnan to the capital alone, and he didn't have many relatives. It was completely unnecessary.
Yu Qing could more or less guess the whole story of how Xie Jing married into the Marquis' Mansion.
He disguised himself as a princess since he was young, probably to avoid disputes in the palace. He might have been able to wait until Prince Rui returned, but by mistake he was betrothed to the emperor.
Yu Qing had been distressed for a long time when she received the emperor's summons and had to return to the capital. When she learned that she was being granted marriage, what kind of mood did Xie Jing have when he came to her house? I don't think his mood would be much better than hers.
But he knows how to manipulate people's hearts too well, and Yu Qing has already experienced how terrifying he is.
Like a poisonous snake, like spider silk, like a ghost, both real and fake, it makes people fall into the trap he weaves.
She didn't find any problems. "Qingjia" was a perfect partner. Even a cold-hearted person like Yu Qing was willing to give his heart to her.
Now I really don’t dare to imagine what the princess in my arms was thinking when she was full of joy?
For the first time in many years, she felt a chill. When she made promises to the princess, when she comforted the princess, when she told her her heart, perhaps above the princess's gentle smile, there were cold eyes.
After all, she is a "man". Faced with a husband who has nothing to do with her but is tied to the same rope, Xie Jing can only use expedient measures to protect himself and to get rid of the queen's control. He did a very good job.
Which one is worse?
A person is perfectly fine, but suddenly passes away, and is nowhere to be found anywhere?
Or did this person never exist in the first place?
Yu Qing felt a little regretful. Perhaps she shouldn't have exposed Xie Jing so quickly. But that was her nature. She couldn't wait and wanted to get to the bottom of it.
If she didn't do it, there would still be a layer of paper-mock illusion.
Qingjia and she still knew and accompanied each other. Although the thought of her death was still extremely painful, her beauty and her friendship would never fade. Like solidified amber, lifeless, but still vivid.
There were only a handful of important people in her life.
Her mother, father, sister, Qiying...her brother and the princess had all passed away. Each of them was precious to her, and she couldn't let go of any of them. Of these, the princess was the only one she had added later.
·
When she lost her, Yu Qing was completely devastated. She was also the only one who knew what happened two years ago.
She was at a loss when faced with the cold letter from home, and even suspected that this was a punishment from God. Maybe she really had bad luck in her life?
After the war, she would rather guard the desolate northwest frontier than return to the capital. Because once she returned to the capital, she would have to face the care and condolences of many people, who would repeatedly tell her that the princess had died and that she should mourn and accept the change. She had no way to respond.
Even the occasional concerned glances from the soldiers and guards who knew the news made her feel uneasy.
Even if he forced himself to handle military affairs and do everything himself, he would still think of the princess when he returned to the tent, and nothing could fill his heart.
Why did the heaven take the princess away? What did she do wrong? There was no answer either.
All the torture she experienced turned out to be illusory.
She thought that she and the princess were in tune with each other and that she was ready to accompany and protect her throughout her life. But in fact, she was the only one who thought so.
Xie Jing did not need company or protection. He suddenly became a prince of unrivaled fame and even came to her side in a swaggering manner. He probably had no idea what his face meant to her.
The amulet the princess had given her was still in her hand, now dampened by a drop of water, just as it had been on the night she had received the news of his death, long ago.
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