Chen Xiao said earnestly, "When I have time, let's go directly to Xunyang to find them! With your status, it won't be too much of a disturbance. What do you think?"
Yin Yuyao and Xixi both exclaimed "Ah!" at the same time. Yin Yuyao still hesitated for a moment, "That's true, but..."
Xi Xi was quite excited: "Great! We can go out and play! Staying in this palace for decades has been so boring. We can't see any flowers, plants, or trees. It's really so dull!"
Chen Xiao was speechless for a moment before subconsciously retorting to Xi Xi, "If I remember correctly, we just came back from Guangling not long ago, right? And from He Village to the western suburbs of Guangling, didn't you see all those flowers, trees, and shrubs?"
Xi Xi clicked her tongue in shock. "Host, what kind of hellish joke are you playing?!" "Flowers, trees, and shrubs?! That's a grave!!!!"
Chen Xiao ignored her and instead replied to Yin Yuyao, "It's alright. Just think of it as a trip to Xunyang. I'm taking my beauty on a 'secret visit,' and you can just keep me company while I relax. If you think it's inappropriate to look for them later, we can just not look for them. It's no big deal."
Chen Xiao still hoped to resolve Yin Yuyao's inner conflict. Although she seemed much better than before after regaining her memories, as if she had been healed by something, she felt somewhat guilty and anxious.
Chen Xiao knew very well who she felt guilty towards: the Prince of Pingyang and his group, and perhaps Ning Ci and Yuwen Li as well. Her urgency stemmed from a desire to quickly understand what had happened back then, and also to learn about Ning Ci and Ning Qianyun.
Chen Xiao felt that this wasn't necessarily a bad thing; at least she now had people and things she cared about, which was better than having no worries at all.
If that happens, and she returns to the original interface, even if Chu Qiaoling pleads until she's hoarse, she won't be able to save herself.
Yin Yuyao understood Chen Xiao's meaning, nodded, and did not refuse again, but asked with concern, "Then our journey will probably take half a month or more than a month. Will it have any impact on the affairs of the court?"
Chen Xiao mimicked Xi Xi's mannerisms, chuckling mischievously a few times until Xi Xi felt uncomfortable. Then, she said in a sinister tone, "You forgot, there's still the Prime Minister! With him leading the way, court affairs will definitely be handled better than mine. To be honest, he hasn't attended court for twenty years, taking such a long paid leave. Now that I'm here, he'll definitely make up for it!"
Xi Xi exclaimed, "You're so mean!" but secretly she was excited and ready to watch the show.
Yin Yuyao smiled, and seeing Chen Xiao's lively appearance, she imitated Xi Xi and said, "You're so naughty!"
---
The Prime Minister's Residence.
While the Qianqing Palace was filled with laughter and joy, the Prime Minister's residence was eerily quiet.
After returning from the palace, Xu Qian stayed in his study. First, he arranged for his men to go to the teahouse as instructed by His Majesty, and then he discussed state affairs with his colleagues.
This colleague was Zhao Siyuan, the Minister of Works. She and Xu Qian were old acquaintances. She was already the Minister of Works when Xu Qian was not yet the Prime Minister.
The two had a good relationship, but little personal interaction; they were just good colleagues, unlike Xu Qian and Yu Yao who were close friends.
Since both of them had families, although there was no strict separation between men and women at night, basic social distance had to be maintained. This was not for any other reason than that Xu Qian had met Zhao Siyuan's husband, who was an extremely jealous person. Xu Qian exaggeratedly said that he never wanted to see him again.
As for Zhao Siyuan's several husbands, they were somewhat better, but only slightly better than her legal husband.
Xu Qian and Zhao Siyuan were sitting at the same time, but they were separated by a distance as vast as the Milky Way.
Xu Qian did not sit in the main seat, but sat opposite Zhao Siyuan. Zhao Siyuan found his 'precarious' posture quite amusing. She was already used to Xu Qian's behavior; he would only come to her when he had something important to discuss.
Then, upon seeing her, just like the Tang Monk in the storybooks when he saw a woman, he kept a distance of 30,000 meters.
Zhao Siyuan thought of the culprits behind all this: her men. What a sweet burden!
As for why her men acted this way, it wasn't simply because she was a jealous person reincarnated, but because she had actually admired Xu Qian when she was young, though Xu Qian was unaware of it.
Xu Qian, as the youngest high-ranking official in the Night Dynasty, possessed an appearance that, like his name, truly embodied the image of a refined gentleman, elegant and handsome. It's no wonder that such a talented and good-looking person was liked by many.
Looking at Xu Qian before her, Zhao Siyuan, before he could speak, feigned regret and sighed, "We've grown old in the blink of an eye, but the Prime Minister hasn't changed at all. He's still as handsome as ever, and with age, he's become even more charming. Alas, it's just a pity that the Prime Minister is indifferent to women!"
Xu Qian was used to Zhao Siyuan's appearance, but every time he heard her say this, he felt sweating profusely and speechless.
Zhao Siyuan thought Xu Qian would change the subject as he always had, but this time it was beyond her expectations.
Xu Qian mimicked her tone and said, "You flatter me, Your Excellency. You are as stunning and captivating as ever. It's just a pity that Your Excellency is too fond of men."
Zhao Siyuan felt a sense of estrangement when Xu Qian teased her like this. She glanced at Xu Qian hesitantly. It was him, so why was he acting like this? Suddenly, something occurred to her, and she tentatively asked, "Is Xixi willing to see you?"
Upon hearing this, she noticed that Xu Qian's expression had changed. She became even more convinced that she had guessed correctly. Xu Qian must have seen Chu Yanxi to have become like this. Otherwise, why would he joke like this in the past?
Xu Qian was not surprised that Zhao Siyuan knew about his relationship with Chu Yanxi, because they had studied together at Xiaoyuan Academy, although Zhao Siyuan and Chu Yanxi were closer.
But from the way she asked the question, Xu Qian knew that Chu Yanxi had not told her the whole story about them.
From her tone, she assumed that Chu Yanxi didn't want to see him. But that wasn't the case. Chu Yanxi had never cared about him at all, so how could she not want to see him?
Of all these, Xu Qian's problem is actually the biggest.
Since Chu Yanxi didn't tell Zhao Siyuan the specifics, he couldn't say anything.
Therefore, Xu Qian did not explain to Zhao Siyuan, but just smiled bitterly and said, "How could that be?" He then changed the subject and began to discuss the water conservancy project.
Zhao Siyuan originally wanted to inquire further, but when she heard Xu Qian bring up serious matters, she quickly put aside her thoughts and began to talk about how to improve the project plan.
The study here became serious, and so did the study there.
With Chen Xiao's permission, Xu Ruyu returned to the Prime Minister's residence. He was handling matters in his study when he saw Xu Ruyan loitering outside the door. He frowned and called Xu Ruyan in.
As soon as Xu Ruyan entered the study, she winked at Xu Ruyu and said, "Brother, I heard that the Minister has arrived. He is Consort Zhao's mother."
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