Chapter 3 Crown Prince Xiao Ji
Qingwu didn't know what Baozhu saw, but she knew that the person Baozhu saw was definitely not her.
Baozhu has served me for three years, and the only one who can make Baozhu admit her mistakes at night is my twin sister.
Why was her husband meeting Xi Qingtong so late at night?
After thinking for a moment, Qing Wu approached Bao Zhu and said in a low voice, "I wasn't with my husband just now."
The expression on Baozhu's face changed instantly, and she obviously thought of who that was.
"Tell me in a low voice, what did you see?"
Baozhu had a subtle expression. She glanced at Qingwu and lowered her voice, "It's nothing, actually. They were just standing face to face... I was far away and couldn't see clearly."
There were flowers behind the two of them, and Baozhu couldn't see clearly, but she felt that their relationship was quite intimate and ambiguous. However, even someone as carefree as Baozhu didn't dare to say this easily.
How dare she speak so carelessly about the Crown Prince's concubine and the man from outside her family?
Perhaps it was an illusion because she thought it was her own wife.
Hearing Baozhu say this, Qingwu still had some vague doubts in his heart, but he suppressed them in his heart, "This is close to Liangdi's courtyard, it must be a coincidence. Don't tell anyone about this."
Even though she had a bad relationship with Xi Qingtong, she was still a member of the Xi family, and she still had to pay attention to her reputation as a concubine.
However, this matter has caught Qingwu's attention, so he has to ask about it no matter what.
Fortunately, Qingwu didn't have to wait long before he heard Song Yunhe coming back. Qingwu immediately stood up from his chair, picked up the pastries on the table and walked out.
The west wing was only five or six steps away from the main house, and Qingwu arrived there in a few breaths.
Song Yunhe had obviously just sat down not long ago, and he could not hide his surprise when he saw her coming.
Without waiting for Song Yunhe to speak, Qingwu smiled and placed the plate on the table, even though there was also a plate of identical snacks on the table.
"I was wrong. How could anyone in this mansion forget my husband?"
After Qingwu returned to the Xi family, Madam Zheng forced her to learn a lot of etiquette and rules. She put a lot of effort into dealing with people, so if she wanted to, she could naturally keep it secret.
Song Yunhe breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this. He smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Madam."
After saying that, he waited for Qingwu to leave, as he always did. But Qingwu not only didn't leave, he even chose a stool and sat down.
Song Yunhe couldn't help but think of what he had done when he was drunk before, and felt a little regretful. After all, it was that thing that gave her the thought.
He was just thinking about how to get Qingwu out when he heard her ask softly, "My dear, are you sober now that you went out?"
Qingwu mentioned it seemingly unintentionally, but his eyes were always on Song Yunhe.
Seeing him pause for a moment before nodding, I felt prepared.
She continued to ask casually, "Did you meet anyone? My husband has been out for a while."
"How could that be? I just walked around the inner garden twice."
Song Yunhe denied it immediately, but he didn't expect that the woman opposite him had already seen through his whereabouts.
Even though Qingwu had a premonition, her heart sank upon hearing his answer. It would have been fine if he had just admitted it openly, but the more he hid it, the more suspicion and speculation he aroused.
Before she could think of what to say, Song Yunhe had already changed the subject. He pointed at the cakes on the table and said with a smile:
"I drank a lot of wine tonight and didn't eat much food. Now I'm hungry. I have to thank Madam for sending me some cakes. Otherwise, I'm afraid this plate would only be enough to fill my stomach."
He pinched a piece of cake and put it into his mouth, then looked at Qingwu and smiled as he recalled, "When I first came to the Xi family at the age of eight, I ate this jujube paste osmanthus cake. Now, more than ten years have passed, and the flavor is still the same..."
Song Yunhe just casually changed the subject, but Qingwu on the opposite side was stunned.
When he was eight, she had already gone missing, leaving Xi Qingtong as the only one left in the Xi family. Thinking back to the next decade or so, all he had contact with was Xi Qingtong...
In an instant, Qingwu lost interest in pursuing the matter further.
Although they are cousins, the friendship between them is much closer than hers, so what if they meet in private?
She stood up somewhat listlessly, "Since my dear, you like it, then enjoy it. I'll go back to my room first."
She probably didn't tell anyone because she didn't want to cause trouble. After all, Xi Qingtong is now the prince's concubine and her reputation is the most important.
Song Yunhe paused holding the pastry. He watched Qingwu leave in surprise, feeling that she was like a gust of wind, suddenly arriving and then passing by in a hurry.
But he did not stop her. When his eyes followed her fingertips and fell on the two plates of identical pastries on the table, Song Yunhe's eyes finally revealed a bit of melancholy and bitterness.
*
The gates of the Eastern Palace were locked, and the Palace Secretary reported to Zhao Tong, the eunuch beside the Crown Prince, "Eunuch, the Consort Liang's carriage has not returned tonight."
Zhao Tong waved his hand and said, "I know about this matter, don't worry."
The Palace Secretary nodded and left. At this moment, the door to the inner hall, which had been tightly closed, opened, and a young man, about twenty years old, walked out with his hands behind his back. He was tall, with straight shoulders and an extraordinary temperament.
Zhao Tong turned around and immediately went to greet him, "Your Highness."
When he got closer, Zhao Tong raised his head slightly and looked into the same peach blossom eyes as the late queen.
His eyes, which were meant to show warmth when looking at others, were concealed by seven points, and the three points of affection that leaked out were arrogant and cold.
Looking down further, I could see some childishness on his cheeks, but now this childishness was gradually disappearing.
Zhao Tong sighed deeply in his heart.
This is because the queen passed away the year before last, and the prince was only sixteen years old at that time. How could the little prince live in peace without his mother's protection and support?
Xiao Ji caught a glimpse of Gong Weicheng's back for the last time. He rubbed his brows, fatigue evident on his still somewhat immature face. "What's the matter?"
Zhao Tong immediately bowed and replied, "Lord Xi will be leaving for Jingzhou tomorrow to assume his post. Concubine Liang came this afternoon and requested permission to return home to give her father a farewell banquet. Your Highness was discussing important matters with the other lords at the time, so I took it upon myself to grant your request."
Zhao Tong is the prince's eunuch, with a rank of fifth grade. He is the top official in the Eastern Palace. He has grown up with the prince since he was a child, so his status and position are naturally different. He can make decisions for the prince on some small matters.
Hearing this, Xiao Ji nodded. He had been overwhelmed by the affairs of the court for nearly a month and had not been able to take care of some things. He had learned the news at the morning court, but had actually forgotten it in the afternoon.
Zhao Tong continued, "I have chosen a few beautiful gifts from His Highness's storehouse and have asked Concubine Liang to take them over."
"Okay," Xiao Ji nodded slightly to show his approval, but the worry and fatigue between his brows did not fade away at all.
Walking out of the corridor, he looked at the full moon hanging in the sky and whispered, "I don't know whether it's a good thing or a bad thing to go to Jingzhou at this time..."
Zhao Tong also knew what the prince meant by this sentence.
Xi Jianan's promotion from Chief Censor to Governor of Shangzhou was a right demotion. After serving in the position of Governor of Shangzhou for a few years and passing the assessment without any problems, he would be transferred back to the capital and would be in charge of the Six Ministries. He would be either a Shangshu or a Vice Minister. Many of the Shangshu and Vice Ministers of the Six Ministries followed this path.
It is a good thing that such a promising person belongs to the prince's party, but the current situation is turbulent. At the morning court today, someone actually openly talked about appointing another crown prince, which made everyone in the East Palace shocked.
Although Xiao Ji was born to the late queen, the late queen was the successor queen. The prince was the sixth child when he was born, and he had five older brothers. Now the eldest prince is over thirty years old, but the prince is only eighteen.
The princes were young and strong. When the late queen was alive, they could still suppress the concubines and princes. But when the late queen was gone, they gradually lost control. Even though the prince was cautious in every way, he could not fight against the covetousness of his adult brothers.
His wings were still being gradually eroded, and as the emperor grew older and more suspicious, Xiao Ji's situation became even worse.
"The former envoy of Jingzhou was already very old, so there should be no surprise in his death due to illness. Besides, Lord Xi was originally the emperor's man, not our confidant." Zhao Tong analyzed in a low voice.
This is also the reason why Xiao Ji is not sure whether it is a good or bad thing for Xi Jianan to take office in Jingzhou.
Although Xi Jianan became a member of the Prince's Party because of the concubine's entry into the Eastern Palace, his attitude has always been impartial and he is not the backbone of the Prince's Party. Even if he was indeed sent away, it seems that it has little impact on him.
While Xiao Ji was deep in thought, he heard the personal attendant beside him say, "If you want Lord Xi to stand firmly on Your Highness's side, the best way is to let the concubine give birth to a grandson... Why not wait for the concubine to return to the East Palace and have a chat with Your Highness?"
As the prince's personal eunuch, Zhao Tong knew his master's affairs too well.
On the day of marrying the concubine, the prince's party killed another important official from the Ministry of War. They did not expect that those people would be so heartless and take action on the day of His Highness's wedding.
His Highness was so angry that he smashed the cup. When he came to his senses, he realized that it was the wedding wine. Although he drank another cup later, he had completely lost interest.
In the following month, the situation in the court became increasingly worse, to the point that His Highness has not yet consummated his marriage with the concubine.
When Xiao Ji heard what Zhao Tong said, the beautiful face of the concubine vaguely appeared in his mind. However, no matter how beautiful she was, he had no intention of appreciating her now.
Xiao Ji lowered his head and laughed at himself: "If I continue to indulge in women, I'm afraid I'll have to move out of the East Palace in a few days."
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