That beautiful face suddenly flashed through the prince's mind, and his brows couldn't help but slightly droop.

Sheng Mingcheng was still bent over, and seeing that the prince did not respond for a long time, he bravely raised his head.

The prince quickly calmed down and asked calmly, "Since Mr. Sheng wants to grant the marriage, why doesn't he let Duke Qing report it directly to my father?"

Sheng Mingcheng smiled bitterly upon hearing this, "To be honest with you, Your Highness, my father doesn't want me to marry Miss Xiao, so I want a marriage grant."

The prince raised his eyebrows slightly, "Why is this?"

Of course Sheng Mingcheng didn't dare to say it, because the General of Cavalry was an upright man, and there were too many secrets hidden in their Duke Qing's Mansion, and his father was afraid that outsiders would know.

But Sheng Mingcheng really liked the eldest daughter of the Xiao family and he couldn't stop falling in love with her at the first sight.

Ever since seeing that stunning face, all the girls at home have become mediocre and vulgar, which is really “hard to swallow”!

Facing the prince's questioning, Sheng Mingcheng had already thought of an excuse.

"I dare not hide it from you, Your Highness. My father thinks that the general of the cavalry is too high-class, and the Duke of Qing should marry someone of lower status, so he does not agree."

This reason is reasonable. The wealthy families in Beijing often have the habit of marrying women of lower status and marrying women of higher status.

The prince's eyes darkened when he heard this, and he suddenly asked, "Does Miss Xiao know your feelings?"

Sheng Mingcheng was slightly stunned. He didn't expect the prince to ask this question.

The eldest daughter of the Xiao family naturally had no idea of ​​his feelings. He just glanced at her from a distance and couldn't help but fall in love with her.

He didn't even have the chance to say a word to the eldest daughter of the Xiao family!

However, in order to get the prince to agree to the marriage, he had no choice but to use any means necessary.

Otherwise, Dad will definitely not let go!

Thinking of this, Sheng Mingcheng lowered his head slightly, looking embarrassed and ashamed.

"Your Highness, to be honest, Miss Xiao and I have been in love for a long time, but we have always followed the rules of etiquette and have never given or received anything from each other privately."

When Qiao Jiaojiao heard this, she almost went crazy.

[Damn it, this Sheng Mingcheng is definitely lying! What's this about being in love with each other? Bullshit! Miss Xiao only has feelings for the prince! ]

[Prince, don't believe his lies! This Sheng Mingcheng must be coveting Miss Xiao's beauty! If Miss Xiao marries him, she will really fall into a fire pit! ]

Unfortunately, the prince could not hear Qiao Jiaojiao's thoughts at all.

When he heard Sheng Mingcheng's words, his brows suddenly darkened and his aura became a little colder.

"Are you in tune with each other?"

Sheng Mingcheng was a little terrified, but in order to win the beauty, he nodded bravely, "Please grant me your blessing, Your Highness!"

Qiao Jiaojiao couldn't help but curse.

[I'm not going to help you! You pervert! You bastard! You bastard who's only interested in sex!]

The prince stood there quietly, neither agreeing nor refusing.

"Mr. Sheng, please go back first. I will consider your proposal carefully."

The matter of the Crown Princess has not been announced to the public yet. Now, apart from the Qiao family, no one knows that Miss Xiao is also among the candidates for the Crown Princess.

Sheng Mingcheng did not receive the prince's approval. Although he was disappointed, he finally had some hope.

"Thank you, Your Highness. May I have the honor to invite Your Highness to have dinner at the pavilion in the eastern suburbs?"

The prince shook his head, "No need, I have already made an appointment with the two young masters of the Qiao family."

Sheng Mingcheng found himself in trouble and could only leave in dismay.

The prince stood under the peach tree in a daze for a while, and then he spoke calmly after a long while:

"Has she already fallen in love with the young master of the Sheng family?"

Qiao Jiaojiao was so anxious.

[It’s easy to spread rumors, but it’s hard to dispel them! Prince, don’t believe it! If nothing works, you can ask Miss Xiao. She may not even know Sheng Mingcheng! ]

The prince walked out of the peach forest holding Qiao Jiaojiao, and Qiao Tianjing and Qiao Diyi immediately came to greet them.

They immediately heard Qiao Jiaojiao's indignant complaints.

[Oh my god, today really opened my eyes. Sheng Mingcheng, that shameless guy...]

Qiao Jiaojiao said a lot of things, and Qiao Tianjing and Qiao Diyi skillfully extracted useful information from it.

Therefore, Sheng Mingcheng wanted the emperor to grant him a marriage, and his target was Xiao Qianlan, the future prince's concubine. In order to achieve his goal, he even lied that he and Xiao Qianlan were in love.

The most important thing is that the prince seemed to believe it!

Hiss, so tricky?

Qiao Tianjing couldn't help but have a headache. How to solve this problem?

He and his second brother are both men, so it is impossible for them to talk to the two young ladies of the Xiao family rashly...

Qiao Jiaojiao was also racking her brains. She thought about it over and over again, and suddenly something lit up in front of her eyes.

[Eh, I wonder if my sister-in-law has any dealings with Miss Xiao. If so, it would be nice to let my sister-in-law act as a middleman! ]

Thinking of this, Qiao Jiaojiao suddenly became deflated again.

[Even if my sister-in-law and Miss Xiao are really friends, so what? I can't say anything, so how can I ask my sister-in-law to help me? ]

[Now we can only place our hopes on the prince himself. I hope he can calm down a little and not trust Sheng Mingcheng's words so easily. Instead, he can send someone to investigate.]

[Alas——Good things take time to come! ]

Qiao Jiaojiao leaned on the prince's shoulder somewhat listlessly, feeling very depressed.

But when Qiao Tianjing heard what Qiao Jiaojiao said, his eyes suddenly lit up.

This is indeed a good idea!

But in this case, I would have to go beyond the rules and meet her in private...

Thinking of this, Qiao Tianjing's heart began to feel hot.

After lunch, Qiao Jiaojiao was carried into the carriage by Nanny Liu.

Having used her brain too much this morning, Qiao Jiaojiao was so sleepy that she fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.

Qiao Tianjing asked Qiao Diyi to take good care of Qiao Jiaojiao, while he quietly walked towards the peach forest in the distance.

At this time, many people were resting in the carriage to prepare for the poetry reading in the afternoon.

Most of them sit in groups of three or four along the river bank, chatting and making friends.

Qiao Tianjing walked towards the depths of the peach forest, with a faint blush already appearing at his ears.

This place is rarely visited, so she must be nearby.

Qiao Tianjing slowly walked past a peach tree in full bloom, and a slender figure with lotus root powder came into view.

Qiao Tianjing's heart skipped a beat and he stopped in his tracks.

"Ms. Han... Miss Han."

Qiao Tianjing actually stuttered a little.

Han Yaxian turned around slowly, a hint of shyness on her quiet face, her face was truly as red as the peach blossoms.

"What...what do you want from me?"

Although they were already engaged, it was still against the rules to have a private meeting before the marriage.

If the servant beside him had not repeatedly emphasized that it was an extremely important matter, she would definitely not have come.

Qiao Tianjing also knew that what he did was inappropriate, so he did not move forward, but bowed lightly to Han Yaxian.

"Miss Han, I am really rude this time."

Upon seeing this, Han Yaxian hurriedly took two steps forward to help him up, but halfway through her face suddenly turned red and she stopped.

"You...you don't have to do this. Just tell me what's important."

The breeze blows, and the petals fall colorfully.

Qiao Tianjing's face was solemn, and he immediately told the story.

His voice was so soft that it was drowned out by the rustling sound of the branches, and no one could hear it except Han Yaxian.