Chapter 84 Father Xi Knows
The last sentence dissipated in the air, and Shanshan suddenly opened her eyes wide.
Shanshan understood the meaning without her husband having to explain. If what the Taoist said was false, then her husband was indeed ranked first. If it was true, then...
"Shhh."
Xu Huaiyu gently covered Shanshan's lips and said, "Don't tell anyone about this. Just keep it in your heart."
The position of crown prince is a matter of great importance. Even if you discuss it casually, you may be convicted if heard by someone with ulterior motives.
Shanshan nodded gently, and Xu Huaiyu let go. He touched her head again and smiled, "If that's the case, then I have to thank Shanshan for establishing this good relationship for me."
Hearing the meaning behind his words, Shanshan's face flushed at first, then her eyes lit up again. "Then Qingwu is also..." But then her face darkened again. "Only if we don't get discovered..."
"I don't think so."
Xu Huaiyu smiled and said, "Didn't you say last night that that guy and Madam Qingwu were in love?"
"yes."
"Then what is there to worry about?"
*
Xi Jianan sat alone in his study, the sound of rain hitting banana leaves outside the window particularly clear. He held the letter from home, just delivered from the capital, in his hands, his knuckles white from the strain.
In fact, as early as half a year ago, he had already realized that the position of the crown prince was unstable - the emperor summoned several older princes to the palace to discuss matters, but left the crown prince idle in the East Palace; ministers in the court were frequently transferred, and officials from the crown prince's line were occasionally sent out.
He didn't care too much at that time, simply because he was a loyal minister of His Majesty and would not participate in the fight for the throne.
Until the emperor personally issued an edict to grant his daughter Qingtong as the prince's concubine, he thought it was the royal family's favor and trust in the Xi family, and that His Majesty was just tempering the prince. Now, thinking about it, this is clearly the emperor's intention - to stabilize the prince's party and lay the groundwork for deposing the crown prince early, but the one who sacrificed was his daughter.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty... Is this the reason you transferred me thousands of miles away so early?" Xi Jianan murmured in a low voice, a hint of bitterness rising in his throat.
He had been in the political arena for over a decade and prided himself on his profound knowledge of officialdom. Yet, at this moment, he felt deeply hurt by the emperor's sudden retaliation. The earnest praise he had received during the marriage was still ringing in his ears, yet the imperial edict deposing him had already been issued throughout the country.
"Master..." Aunt Liu called softly from outside the door, "Would you like some tea?"
Xi Jianan waved his hand, his eyes fixed on the piercing handwriting on the letter: "The Crown Prince has been demoted to a commoner, and his concubine has been secluded in the palace."
His Qingtong, the darling daughter who had been raised in the palm of his hand since childhood, now had to follow the deposed crown prince to that remote palace to suffer.
"Grind the ink for me." His voice was hoarse. Although he was extremely anxious, he also knew that being anxious was useless. Aunt Liu came over immediately and picked up the ink stick with her bare hands. She didn't ask any questions and quickly set to work.
The rain was getting heavier, a curtain of water pouring down from the eaves. As Xi Jianan picked up his pen, a drop of rain trickled down the window slit onto the letter, spreading like a tear. His wrist was shaking as he began to write. The ink dripped onto the letter, spreading a black smear.
Normally, he would have changed the paper, but now he didn't care. He wrote tremblingly, "My wife, to whom I'm addressed: I'm shocked to hear that the Crown Prince has been deposed, and Qingtong has accompanied him. My heart aches. This girl has been pampered since childhood, how could she endure such hardship? Fortunately, Yunhe achieved third place in the imperial examination, and Qingwu should have smooth sailing in the future. This is a little comforting..."
Thinking of his two daughters' vastly different circumstances, he felt a mixture of emotions. After a moment's reflection, he continued, "Send someone quickly to deliver money, clothing, and other supplies to the palace. Don't let anything go unsent. If there's an opportunity, I'll try to bring them back..."
Having written this, he paused, thinking of the complicated situation in the court. As an official from outside the capital, any rash action might cause trouble. Then he thought of the bright and handsome young prince, and felt pity for him being alone and helpless. He could only cross out the first few words and change it to:
"Husband and wife are one. I hope Tong'er can endure the pain for the time being, act prudently, don't give others any leverage, and wait for me to find a way to mediate..."
After writing about this daughter, Xi Jianan immediately wrote about another daughter, "Although Qingwu married a good man, she is just a new bride and also the wife of a top scholar. In the future, she will be in and out of the homes of officials. You need to visit her often and give her guidance, so as not to make her worry and uneasy..."
After finishing the letter, Xi Jianan still felt a knot in his stomach. He summoned his trusted butler and gave him a solemn order: "Send a fast horse to deliver this letter back to the capital immediately. Also prepare some special Jingzhou products for my wife, husband, and wife at home."
After the housekeeper took the order and left, Aunt Liu also followed him out, took a large package from the room and gave it to the housekeeper to take home, hoping that the little girl who was alone at home could relieve her worries.
Xi Jianan was left sitting alone at his desk, lost in thought as he stared out the window at the drizzle. He had no idea that much more was happening at home, and that something even bigger was being hidden from him.
*
"Hey, I just finished planting that acre of land yesterday, and it rained today. God is really helping me."
The girl stood on the porch, watching the drizzle outside the window. The breeze lifted a few strands of her black hair, and she was oblivious to the rain on the hem of her apricot skirt. The man in the wheelchair quietly gazed at her profile, his gaze gentler than the rain curtain under the eaves.
"My dear," he called softly, "don't stand so close, the rain will soak your clothes."
Qing Wu turned around at the sound, a silver hairpin in her hair gleaming with tiny gleams. She smiled, her brows curved, "It's nothing. I just think the rain is good. The seedlings I just planted will surely thrive. Even just hearing the sound makes me feel happy."
Before she could finish her words, a gust of wind, accompanied by raindrops, rushed over. Xiao Ji reached out and pulled her into the corridor, causing the wheelchair to slide backwards. Qing Wu fell into his arms, caught off guard, and subconsciously grabbed his collar. She heard a muffled groan from above her head.
When Qing Wu came to her senses, she had already fallen on Xiao Ji's legs, with someone holding her waist.
The scent of rain mixed with the faint scent of his body lingered at the tip of her nose. Qingwu could feel the warmth of his chest through her thin summer clothes, burning the tips of her ears red.
They were both stunned for a moment, one looking up, the other down, their gazes meeting, each seeing the other's expression clearly. Those peach blossom eyes, now deep as a pool, reflected her blushing face. Their breaths mingled, and it was impossible to tell whose was the more chaotic.
It wasn't until they heard footsteps in the distance that they woke up. Qingwu hurriedly stood up, but tripped over the corner under the wheelchair and fell back.
This time, she found the handrail correctly, but when she fell, her upper body still inevitably leaned towards Xiao Ji. When she supported her body, her lips just brushed the boy's chin, and their cheeks touched.
The breathing of both of them stopped at this moment.
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