Chapter 210: Lure and Transfer
Xi Qingtong had been pregnant for nearly two months, which was a time when she was prone to morning sickness. She naturally had a reaction after this emotional excitement, and after a period of dry heaving, she barely recovered.
Xi Qingtong took the handkerchief handed to her by the maid and wiped her mouth. Then she heard Prince An say this. She looked at him strangely, "What does this have to do with Prince An?"
Prince An did not answer, but just stared at her with burning eyes, which lingered on her face for a while and then fell on Xi Qingtong's abdomen again.
"Are you going to say yes or no?"
Hearing this, Xi Qingtong turned around and was about to leave, but was stopped by Prince An and his guards. There were not many people burning incense at Baoguo Temple today, and they were now in the back mountain with dense trees, so there was no one around.
Xi Qingtong's heart immediately hung in the air, "You, what are you going to do? I am the legitimate daughter of the Xi family and the wife of the third place winner."
"Don't be afraid, Madam Song, I have no ill intentions..." Prince An's gaze fell on Xi Qingtong's face, and he couldn't help but think of Xiao Ji's princess. They were indeed twin sisters, and they looked exactly the same.
"I'm just curious. Since you're already pregnant, why are you burning incense and praying to Buddha, and why are you suddenly crying? But what's making you feel bad?"
Prince An slowed his tone and smiled gently, "Madam Song, are you facing any difficulties? Although I am not talented, I hold some weight in the court. If anyone has bullied you... I might be able to help."
Even though Xi Qingtong knew that there was no such thing as a free meal in this world, she couldn't help but waver a little, but in the end she shook her head and said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I'm fine."
After saying this, she turned and was about to leave. This time, Prince An did not stop her. Instead, he raised his voice to her back, "Are you willing to accept this? Watching your sister become a high-ranking princess while you can only be the wife of a top scholar, are you willing? Do you think Song Tanhua can rise to prominence? Your father can help, but I can also suppress him..."
Xi Qingtong's steps suddenly stopped. She was already in dire straits. If Song Yunhe continued to make no progress in his life, wouldn't she become a joke? Moreover, it seemed that her concubine sister might marry into the Yang family.
"What do you mean, Your Highness?" she asked calmly without turning around.
Prince An walked forward slowly, curled his lips and smiled, "Guess?"
Xi Qingtong turned around suddenly and saw that Prince An was only one step away from her. Prince An took her hand and put the veil he had just pulled off into her hand. The action made Xi Qingtong blink again and again.
It's too ambiguous. Could it be that Prince An likes me?
A surge of joy quickly rose within Xi Qingtong, then quickly faded. So what if he liked her? Now that she was Song Yunhe's wife, Prince An's liking for her was useless.
"Your Highness, please do not worry about my affairs. As for other matters, please be kind and show mercy. How can you honor me by making things difficult for a woman like me?"
"Because I want to." Seeing that she was unmoved, Prince An put away his smile and said, "Here is a deal. Madam Song, you might want to listen to it."
Xi Qingtong paused, hesitated for a moment, and waved his hand to signal Jinzhu to retreat. If she didn't obey, Prince An would probably not let it go. Seeing this, Prince An also ordered the guards to retreat.
"Your Highness, please speak." Xi Qingtong raised her eyes and looked at the man in front of her, wondering what he would say.
Prince An raised the corner of his lips, and a blush appeared on his pale face. He leaned close to her ear and whispered something. Then Xi Qingtong's pupils suddenly shrank, and she immediately took half a step back.
He actually wanted to spend the night with her!
"You...you are a prince, what kind of woman can't you find?"
Is it really because he likes her? Impossible, she is now a twin sister, could it be that he really likes herself? The self who was once famous in the capital?
At this moment, Xi Qingtong couldn't help but feel a little happy in his heart.
"But I just like your face. I can't get Princess Zhao, but I still have you, right?" Prince An didn't care about the emotions of the girl in front of him. He thought she would be angry, but he didn't expect to see a smile on her face?
But in a moment, Prince An figured it out. It was indeed her honor that a prince like him took a fancy to her and wanted to spend a night with her.
"how?"
This sentence brought Xi Qingtong back to his senses from his complacency. When he looked at Prince An again, he felt that he liked him better. He did have good taste.
Even though she was now known as Xi Qingwu, Xi Qingtong felt a secret joy, a sense of the secret joy of someone who liked her using Xi Qingwu as a stand-in. However, despite the secret joy, Xi Qingtong still refused, because she was not the real Xi Qingwu.
"I am also a well-known noblewoman. How could I do such a secret affair?"
"Then, what if I allow Song Tanhua to join the Ministry of Personnel as the head of the Ministry of Personnel? I, the sixth brother, don't have the time to help you with that right now."
Xi Qingtong still refused. Was she supposed to sacrifice herself to help Song Yunhe? Impossible. Although the head of the Ministry of Personnel held real power, with her father's help, she could achieve that in a year or two.
"Then tell me what you want or wish for, and I can fulfill it for you, as long as you are willing."
A gleam of light flashed in Xi Qingtong's eyes, but he didn't say anything, and Prince An was not in a hurry.
"You don't believe me? Well, tell me a small wish first, and I'll help you realize it, so you can see how powerful I am. You can think about it for two months. My promise is valid for two months. Don't be afraid. Even if you regret it later, I won't pursue it. Just consider it for the sake of my sister-in-law."
It would have been fine if Qingwu wasn't mentioned, but after mentioning her, Xi Qingtong felt a little uncomfortable in her heart. The words that Prince An had said before echoed in her mind, making her unable to calm down and start to be moved.
It's just sleeping with Prince An a few times. Anyway, it's Xi Qingwu's reputation that's being ruined. Besides, Song Yunhe also has a concubine. So what if she's having an affair?
"Since Your Highness has said so...I do have a wish."
Prince An raised an eyebrow and motioned for her to continue.
"I want to..." Xi Qingtong turned her eyes towards the temple hall. They should be burning incense and praying to Buddha at this time, right?
"Prince Zhao's Consort is currently burning incense with Madam Yang, along with her younger sister. They must be discussing marriage. Your Highness, please prevent this marriage from taking place."
Prince An looked at the seemingly weak but actually cruel woman in front of him with great interest. He didn't expect that she didn't want her sister to live a good life. It seemed that this woman who grew up in the countryside was not in tune with the Xi family.
However, this was exactly what he wanted. If the Xi family and the Yang family were tied together, wouldn't Xiao Ji be tied even tighter to the Yang family?
Prince An laughed heartily. "That's fine. At least you won't hear any news of a marriage between the two families this year."
A hint of satisfaction flashed across Xi Qingtong's eyes, but then he lowered his brows and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Prince An looked at her belly meaningfully and said, "No need to thank me, just consider it as soon as possible."
"I understand."
Hearing this, Prince An chuckled and took out a jade pendant from his waist and handed it to her, "Take this. If you figure it out, pass the news to me."
Xi Qingtong took the jade pendant, and it felt warm to the touch, which made her tremble slightly.
The two parted ways. Yang Jingshuo, who had just returned from the toilet, saw this scene from a distance. Although it was far away, he could still see Xi Qingtong's appearance clearly and couldn't help but frown.
Of course, he wouldn't think this was his cousin's wife. After all, he saw exactly how she was dressed. So, could this be his cousin's twin sister? Why was she with Prince An? Didn't she know that Prince Zhao and Prince An didn't get along?
Looking at the backs of the two people leaving, Yang Jingshuo attributed it to coincidence.
He returned to the front hall and chatted with the sister of the Xi family whom he had just met today. They burned incense and worshipped Buddha together. When he looked up at the golden statue of Buddha, Yang Jingsu thought that it would not be bad if his future wife was this sister?
After a pleasant day, on the way back to Beijing, the mother and son exchanged ideas.
"Suo'er, what do you think of Xi's sister?"
Mrs. Yang looked at her son with a smile, and when she saw that his ears had turned red again, she understood a little.
Yang Jingshuo thought the matter was settled, but who would have thought that the Yang family’s door would be broken down in the next few days.
Madam Yang sat in the main hall, watching one noblewoman after another arrive, her brow furrowed. This was already the third lady to come to propose marriage in the past two days, and each one was a family member of a high-ranking official in the court.
"Madam Yang, my niece is only fourteen years old, and she is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting..." The wife of the Minister of War said with a smile, and the matchmaker beside her hurriedly handed over an exquisite gift box.
Madam Yang forced herself to maintain a smile: "Your niece is very good, but my son is still young..."
After seeing off the guests, Madam Yang rubbed her temples wearily. How had her son suddenly become so popular, with matchmakers flocking to him? How could she not have known how outstanding her youngest son was?
"Mother." Yang Jingshuo came out from behind the screen with an unhappy look on his face, "My son doesn't want to..."
"Mother knows." Madam Yang sighed and held her son's hand. "But this matter is very strange... Your marriage is on hold. I will send someone to find out the reason."
In the deep inner chambers of Prince An's mansion, flickering candlelight illuminated an elderly man in a gray Taoist robe. He had white hair and a youthful face, his triangular eyes flickering with an eerie light, and his bony fingers were constantly calculating.
"Your Highness, have you already chosen someone?"
Prince An nodded. "Does the selection of the pregnant woman have any influence on this method?"
"That's natural," the old man said, his voice hoarse as sandpaper, a wicked smile curling up at the corner of his mouth. "This method of changing your luck depends on the word 'luck'."
He stretched out his claw-like hand and drew a spell in the air. "An ordinary woman is no more than an ant. Even if she has good fortune, it's not much. But if she is a noble lady of an extraordinary status, then it's different."
Prince An swallowed unconsciously: "What if it is the princess's twin sister?"
"The twin sisters share the same roots. If the princess has the Phoenix destiny, then the twin sisters will naturally have the Phoenix destiny as well. If the prince can use this to change his luck..." He narrowed his eyes and smiled, "all his illnesses will surely be cured, and his fortune will be extremely good!"
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