Chapter 495 Extra 14 Whose Girl Is She? The Twins' Tacit Understanding
The young woman's voice was soft and sweet at the end, even sweeter than malt sugar.
Zhao Yuanheng didn't wait for her and strode forward.
"Mother."
Ji Qingwu smiled and nodded, then covered her lips and asked quietly, "So, will the young lady also call me 'Mother Empress'?"
Seeing her teasing expression, Zhao Yuanheng said helplessly, "Mother, let's go inside and talk."
In the house.
Empress Chenzhao has not yet arrived.
A large square table, covered with an indigo coarse cloth, with wisps of steam rising from celadon teacups.
A few rays of sunlight slanted through the carved wooden window, landing perfectly on the frosting of the osmanthus cake.
The ceramic pot beside Ji Qingwu still emitted the fragrance of medicine. She and Zhao Mingyan sat in the main seats facing the door.
Xiu Ningchuan sat on the left, and Zhao Yuanheng sat on the right. The girl wanted to sit next to him, but he stopped her with a look.
The little girl could only sit on the opposite side, feeling wronged and resentful.
Ji Qingwu said kindly, "Have some snacks and tea first. There's also a soup simmering for dinner, it'll be ready in a little while."
The girl didn't dare to move, but turned her head to steal a glance at Prince Yu's face on the right.
Zhao Yuanheng nodded slightly before she dared to make a move, taking a piece of osmanthus sweet cake and biting off a crescent-shaped piece.
The girl's eyes widened in surprise, and she happily began to eat.
Its cheeks were puffed out like a squirrel storing grain, its lips were covered in sugar granules, and it had small dimples on its cheeks. It looked like it had a blessed appearance.
Ji Qingwu didn't press for details about who the girl was or what their relationship was; he simply treated her as a friend Yuan Heng had brought back.
Xiu Ningchuan was slightly lost in thought, because Empress Chenzhao had not yet appeared.
After Prince Yu entered, Zhao Mingyan remained silent. Apart from the initial greetings, the father and son had not exchanged any other words.
Zhao Mingyan suddenly said, "Come with me."
Under the square table, Ji Qingwu raised her hand and touched Zhao Mingyan's thigh. They had been married for a long time and both knew what the other meant by her actions.
Zhao Yuanheng got up and followed him into the west wing, gazing at his father's back as he stood with his hands behind his back.
"Father."
Zhao Mingyan asked in a deep voice, "Have you thought this through? This is not a game. If you go back on your word later, it will be difficult to change your mind."
Zhao Yuanheng's Adam's apple bobbed as he said, "Yes, Your Majesty, I wish to marry her as my Queen."
The sound of a tray falling to the ground came from outside the door.
A smile appeared on Zhao Mingyan's lips, and his suppressed aura subsided. He turned around and opened the door.
Caught eavesdropping, Ji Qingwu sheepishly picked up the tray and plates from the ground.
"I was just worried you'd get thirsty from talking so much, so I brought you some fruit to quench your thirst, haha, this tray is too slippery."
Zhao Mingyan stepped aside and said, "Come in."
Ji Qingwu immediately threw the tray on the windowsill.
After entering the room, she pulled Prince Yu to sit down on a chair and asked anxiously, "Yuanheng, whose family is this girl? Have her parents agreed to her marriage?"
Zhao Yuanheng looked at her and replied, "It's the Hu family, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Northwest Army."
The Hu family?
Ji Qingwu blinked and slowly confirmed, "Is it the Hu family with three brothers?"
Upon seeing Prince Yu nod, her joy instantly turned to sorrow.
"This girl has three unreasonable fathers, son, can you handle it?"
Ji Qingwu thought about his interaction with that girl just now, and it didn't seem like they had a sweet relationship at all.
She frowned and said, "Yuanheng, if you have a reason for this, tell your mother."
Zhao Yuanheng said gently, "Mother, no one can force me to marry Hu Yiyi. It is my own choice."
It turns out that the girl from the Hu family was named Hu Yiyi, and she was actually delivered by Ji Qingwu himself while serving in the Northern Army.
Zhao Mingyan said, "Now that you know the implications, your mother and I will not stop you."
Zhao Yuanheng breathed a sigh of relief and said respectfully, "Thank you, Father and Mother. I wish to get married in three months, so I brought my bride here to introduce her to you."
Ji Qingwu looked up at him and asked, "Are you getting married so soon?"
Zhao Yuanheng nodded.
Ji Qingwu then asked, "Yuan Heng, have you been to the Hu family? Have you met her three fathers?"
Zhao Yuanheng shook his head and said, "Not yet."
Ji Qingwu's heart, which had just settled down, jumped again.
Those few in the Hu family are not easy to get along with. The Hu family only has one little girl, so they must cherish her like a precious gem.
After Prince Yu left the west wing, Ji Qingwu also hurriedly returned to his room.
She sat for a while and then started packing her things. Zhao Mingyan pushed the door open and came in. Looking at the bundle on the table, he said, "Awu, this is Yuanheng's own business. He can handle it."
Ji Qingwu had already prepared his reason, and said, "I just want the treasure to be completed."
Thinking of Princess Baocheng, Zhao Mingyan's gaze softened considerably. After a moment's thought, he said, "You and I can stay for a few days."
Ji Qingwu put down the clothes in his hand and said, "That won't do. Your medicinal bath will take another 14 days to complete. You've already soaked for 35 days, so you can't give up halfway."
Zhao Mingyan frowned deeply: "Can't we just—"
Ji Qingwu said seriously, "It can't be missed even for a day."
*
Empress Chenzhao arrived under the moonlight. It was past dinner time, and everyone had gone back to their rooms to rest.
A person was standing on the bluestone steps near the wooden door.
"You've arrived."
The two spoke at the same time, then looked at each other and smiled.
Empress Chenzhao said, "Brother, have you been practicing martial arts lately? You look even stronger now."
Zhao Yuanheng smiled and asked, "Is Your Majesty troubled by matters in the Northwest?"
Empress Chenzhao smiled, he had guessed correctly.
She could have come over at noon, but because of the urgent report from the Northwest, she was delayed and stayed in the Qin Zheng Hall until dark before she had time to come out.
The Empress pushed open the half-closed wooden door, stepped up the stairs, walked to his side, and said with a mixture of resentment and sigh, "Your Majesty calls me Your Majesty, but it seems you've become distant from me."
Zhao Yuanheng readily agreed, "Zhao Zhao."
Empress Chenzhao squinted her eyes contentedly and said, "It's been a long time since I've heard anyone call me that."
The night breeze was cool, and Zhao Yuanheng's voice also turned cold.
"Although the eighteen continents of the Northwest are under my jurisdiction, the assassins planted by Xijin have not been completely eliminated. The King of Xijin may appear to have surrendered, but he is actually making underhanded moves behind the scenes."
"I know," Empress Chenzhao said. "I know everything. Why did you go to the Northwest?"
Prince Yu may have gone to the Northwest to live a carefree and leisurely life as a prince, but in reality, he went there to help her stabilize the Eighteen Continents.
With him there, someone could keep the King of Xijin in check, preventing him from acting rashly.
Zhao Yuanheng said solemnly, "Zhaozhao, the King of Xijin cannot be kept alive. Do you really have feelings for him?"
The words faded into the mountain breeze, but reached the ears of a man hidden behind the bamboo forest, who gripped his cloak tightly.
Empress Chenzhao then changed the subject to other matters.
"I heard that my brother brought back the little girl from the Hu family."
Zhao Yuanheng paused for a moment, then said, "The Hu family had previously been in contact with spies from Xijin, and now they hold considerable military power, making them the best candidates to lure the enemy."
Empress Chenzhao said, "So, this is why you want to marry that girl from the Hu family?"
The two looked into each other's eyes and saw into each other's hearts.
This is probably the tacit understanding between twins.
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