Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn

Chapter 69

Setting down his teacup, Shen Tingxuan smiled at Prince Luo Chen: "Please wait patiently for two days, Your Majesty. Your father will make good arrangements and will not delay Your Majesty's journey back to the country."

So many days have passed, and the issue of the marriage alliance is still not resolved?

The two men continued their conversation about other trivial matters. I watched as they seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely, showing no signs of stopping anytime soon, and I couldn't help but feel a little anxious. Looking at Zinuo again, I noticed that he was staring intently at Prince Luochen, or more precisely, at Prince Luochen's waist. I couldn't help but glance at him a couple more times as well. Apart from a finely crafted jade pendant hanging from his waist, there was nothing particularly special about it.

I tugged at Zi Nuo's sleeve quietly. Zi Nuo turned to look at me. I wrote the words "Luo Li" on his hand, meaning to ask if he wanted to see Princess Luo Li. Zi Nuo gently shook his head.

It seems this kid really isn't here to see Princess Luoli. But what else in this inn could possibly be attractive besides Princess Luoli? I wonder if he's seen what he's looking for. I wrote the character "回" (hui, meaning "return") on his hand and drew a question mark. Zinuo smiled and nodded. Since that's the case, there's no need to rush. Let's chat with Chen Tingxuan until we're satisfied.

As they chatted, Shen Tingxuan asked again, "I haven't seen the princess for a long time. I wonder if the princess is getting used to living here?"

Prince Luo Chen shook his head and said, "Luo Li has always been pampered. The north is dry and cold, and she has caught a slight cold. She has been recuperating at home."

Shen Tingxuan nodded and said, "I will ask the imperial physician to come and take another look later. I hope the princess will be in good health when we return to the country."

Prince Luo Chen smiled and thanked him. Shen Tingxuan turned around and looked at me and Zi Nuo apologetically. I immediately shook my head and gave Shen Tingxuan a big smile in return.

Finally, Shen Tingxuan got up to take his leave, and Prince Luochen saw him off at the door.

On the way, Shen Tingxuan still said apologetically, "The people at the post station rarely see Princess Luoli. I thought I could talk to the prince this time to see if I could get a chance to see her, but I didn't expect..."

“Brother Ting, we just wanted to try our luck. It’s okay if we don’t see her.” I quickly interrupted Shen Tingxuan. If Princess Luoli was so hard to see, how could a man like Shen Tingxuan just see her whenever he wanted? Besides, Zi Nuo’s purpose was not Princess Luoli, so how could we let Shen Tingxuan feel guilty?

"However, seeing the flower tea from the Kingdom of Golden Birds was truly eye-opening," I added, intending to show that our trip was worthwhile.

Shen Tingxuan exclaimed in surprise, "Huai'en knows about that flower tea?"

I nodded, puzzled. Was it really necessary to be so surprised?

Shen Tingxuan added, "That tea was brought by the princes themselves. Only the royal family in Jinque Kingdom could afford to drink it. I happened to come across it and drank it a few times. They never even sent this kind of tea to my father, thinking that no one here would know about it."

I couldn't help but regret my quick tongue. How was I supposed to explain this now? I could only smile slightly and say, "Brother Ting, actually I only said it was flower tea because I smelled jasmine in the tea. However, making this tea doesn't seem to be too difficult."

Upon hearing this, Shen Tingxuan looked at me intently. A thought flashed through my mind, and I smiled at Shen Tingxuan, saying, "Brother Ting, after I figure out how to make this flower tea, I'll discuss something with you, okay?"

Shen Tingxuan didn't know what I was going to do, but still smiled and nodded. Zi Nuo looked at me warily: "Sister, what kind of trick are you going to come up with this time?"

I shook my head and laughed, "It's not a clever idea, it's a major event that concerns our future happiness!"

Back at the Second Prince's residence, we changed back into our original clothes before saying goodbye to Shen Tingxuan. Shen Tingxuan looked at Zinuo and me with some reluctance and said softly, "Would you like to come often in the future?"

I would be very happy to come often, but due to my status, I fear it might cause unnecessary trouble. So I said, "Brother Ting, I am willing to come, but I can't come in through the main gate like I did today." I still have "important matters" to discuss with you.

After bidding farewell to Shen Tingxuan, Zinuo and I hurried back to the Prince Qing's residence; we had been out for quite a while today. As soon as we entered Qiufeng Garden, we heard Shen Haoyu's cold voice: "I thought you weren't coming back."

I quickly replied with a smile, "How could that be? We're back now."

Shen Haoyu slowly walked out from under the osmanthus tree, which had long since lost its blossoms, and stood tall in front of me and Zinuo: "I heard that you delivered gifts today and offended the Second Prince with your words, and were imprisoned by him. Is this true?"

Shen Tingxuan is truly brilliant. This way, no one will suspect that Zinuo and I actually went to the post station with him. He and Shen Zexuan are quite adept at using the tactic of "openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass."

I explained, "Your Highness, please don't misunderstand. Zi Nuo and I went to the post station with the Second Prince. The person being held there is the Second Prince's own guard."

Shen Haoyu's expression turned somewhat serious, so I quickly added, "The Second Prince said that this would reduce unnecessary trouble for the Prince Qing's Mansion. He also asked the Young Prince to explain to the Prince that the Second Prince had no intention of offending the Prince Qing's Mansion." And that was indeed the case.

Shen Haoyu waved his hand, signaling for Zinuo and me to leave first. He frowned deeply, lost in thought. Remembering Shen Tingxuan's warning that Emperor Youjing would soon begin dealing with the Qing Prince's mansion, a wave of tension washed over me. Surely I didn't need to remind them; those shrewd people had probably already noticed some clues.

I went back to my room, found a stool, and sat down. Zinuo sat down opposite me, staring intently at me with her big eyes. Feeling a little guilty, I asked, "What is it?"

Zi Nuo lowered her eyes, then looked up at me several times before hesitatingly saying, "Sister, is the Second Prince actually... is he?"

Of course I know who "he" refers to. With Zinuo's intelligence, how could she not see it? My closeness with Shen Tingxuan doesn't seem like the intimacy between a brother-in-law and aunt who have only met two or three times, especially since I've never even met that so-called sister.

I nodded helplessly. Zinuo finally found out the secret. If I had known, I wouldn't have taken him with me. I could have just asked Shen Tingxuan to take him to the post station. I guess I did have my own selfish reasons. I wanted to see Brother Ting.

"You already knew?" Zinuo asked, somewhat dissatisfied. I knew I had indeed hidden too much from Zinuo that time, so I had no choice but to admit, "Not really. The second time he caught me, he recognized me, and I recognized him too. It wasn't that I intentionally hid it from you; I just thought it was better for you not to know. Now that you've figured it out yourself, I won't hide it from you anymore."

"Sister, I know you mean well, but I'm your brother. Shouldn't we face things together?" Zinuo shook his head and said, "If I hadn't figured it out myself, were you planning to keep it from me forever?"

"But sister, I'm afraid you're doing this not only because you're worried about me, but also because you're considering the Second Prince. If people find out about this, how much trouble will it cause?"

I lowered my eyes and remained silent. What Zinuo said reflected my concerns; I didn't want anyone I cared about to get hurt.

"Sister, what did you say to the Second Prince when you sent me away today?" Zi Nuo asked.

I looked up at Zinuo, his little face full of determination. Was he going to face all the problems with me? I smiled bitterly and said, "It's not a good thing, but we just need to find out the cause of Mother's death back then."

Zi Nuo lowered her head and asked softly, "Is it related to him?"

I said, "Yes!"

"Sister, I'm sorry." Zi Nuo lowered her head even further.

I lay down on the table and stopped talking. How much does Zinuo still remember about what happened back then? My aunt is still filled with remorse for my mother's death. What about Zinuo? It would be better if he didn't remember.

Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 54

Chapter word count: 3676 Update time: 09-08-11 17:06

On the 20th day of the tenth month of the 20th year of Tianxuan, Emperor Youjing issued an unexpected imperial edict, selecting Princess Ziling as a hostage and ordering Shen Haoyu to lead five hundred imperial guards to escort Princess Ziling to the Golden Sparrow Kingdom along with the Golden Sparrow envoy's carriage returning home.

The imperial edict caused an uproar throughout the court and the public. Princess Luoli, who had come from afar, was sent back, just as they had wished, no longer having to marry any man of the Youjing Dynasty; the late Empress's only daughter was sent to the Golden Sparrow Kingdom as a hostage, and the young prince of the Qing Prince's Mansion was left among the five hundred Imperial Guards! Those unaware of the situation would assume that the Qing Prince's Mansion was highly favored by the Emperor, while those with ulterior motives understood that Shen Haoyu's journey was fraught with danger. Even harming others had to be done in such a seemingly righteous manner!

What breaks my heart most is Princess Ziling. She lost her mother at a young age and endured hardship in the palace, only to be cruelly abandoned by her father in the Golden Sparrow Kingdom. What was the story of Emperor Youjing and the late Empress? If they were heartless, why didn't a new Empress be appointed after her death? If they were affectionate, why treat the Empress's only remaining bloodline so cruelly? Ziling received little protection from Emperor Youjing in the palace; what will her life be like now that she's far away? A hostage, not even a marriage alliance!

It seems that Emperor Youjing and Marquis Qiyun are not just ordinary brothers, they even have similar personalities!

I sneered, a strange hatred welling up inside me.