Liancheng wore a mask to prevent his terrifying appearance from frightening the children on the street. At this moment, except for his eyes, the rest of his face was completely covered by the mask, making it impossible for anyone to see his expression.
He chuckled softly as he watched the hot tea on the table gradually cool down.
"I'm not crazy, why would I kidnap her?"
"Then you..."
"I just wanted to say goodbye to her."
Liancheng interrupted.
“The princess personally brought me into the manor, so her people take extra care of me. If I suddenly disappear, they will definitely tell the princess. The princess will think something has happened to me and may send people to search for me everywhere. If they catch up with me and discover my identity, it will be difficult to get away.”
"It would be better to explain things to her clearly and put her at ease, so she won't have to worry about being discovered before even leaving the Great Liang Kingdom."
The servant frowned: "The princess has been back for almost half a month. If you want to say goodbye..."
"It's just that we haven't found the opportunity yet."
Liancheng Road.
"The prince is too familiar with me, so I dare not get too close to him. Besides, Cui Ziqian has recently returned, so I dare not appear in front of them even more."
"But now the prince is clinging to the princess. He follows her wherever she goes, and I don't even have a chance to say a few words to her alone."
"In the next few days, you need to find a way to lure the prince away. After I bid farewell to the princess, I will immediately set off back to Southern Yan without delay."
He spoke with reason and evidence, but the servants knew it was all just an excuse.
Even if it was just an excuse, it didn't matter. Once they gave him a chance to say goodbye to Princess Qin, the excuse was gone, and he had no choice but to leave.
The servant mumbled a reply, then turned and disappeared into the crowd.
...
After the cold wind passed, the warm sheds that housed the refugees were repaired and reinforced. The people living inside were protected from the wind and snow, and could even warm themselves by charcoal fires. Although their lives were not wealthy, they were at least well-fed and clothed, and lived a peaceful and secure life without worrying about being hunted down by small groups of enemy troops.
Many of the earliest refugees who settled here have already settled down and found places to stay in Cangcheng or elsewhere. Most of those living here now are newcomers, and the number is much smaller than when the warm sheds were first built. This shows that Shangchuan is gradually becoming more stable, and the border will likely return to peace soon.
Yao Youqing hadn't been to the greenhouse for several days because of Yao Yuzhi's disappearance. Seeing that the weather was nice that day, and hearing that her father had gone there early in the morning, she and Wei Hong took a car to go and take a look.
The people hadn't seen her for many days, so they naturally went up to greet her. Yao Yuzhi heard the commotion and looked over. She saw her daughter surrounded by people and was startled. She quickly pushed through the crowd and ran over.
He opened his mouth as if to say something to Yao Youqing, but worried that others would hear, so he swallowed his words. He looked at the two of them with a mixture of anxiety and anger, and whispered to Wei Hong, "Why did you bring her out at this time? What if she gets bumped into by someone?"
Other people's wives are very careful during the first few months of pregnancy, and they wish they could stay at home and rest. But this kid is so carefree, bringing Ning'er to such a crowded place!
What if you accidentally get bumped or knocked by some clumsy person?
Wei Hong knew what he was worried about, but also knew that Yao Youqing was not pregnant, so he ignored him and pretended not to hear, pulling Yao Youqing forward.
Yao Yuzhi was annoyed, but because her daughter's pregnancy was still in its early stages, she didn't want others to know. So she stomped her feet and followed, standing on the other side of her daughter to prevent others from crowding her.
It was past mealtime, and there weren't many people queuing in front of the porridge stall. Most of the refugees had already gone to work or returned to their warm sheds.
Yao Youqing wandered around the neighborhood for a while, and seeing that there was nothing to do, she went elsewhere and walked around the streets.
Cangcheng was bustling with activity, and there were quite a few people on the streets. According to Yao Yuzhi, it was best to take a quick look around and then head back quickly, without lingering.
Yao Youqing only came to visit because she hadn't been there in a long time. Seeing that her father was really worried, she prepared to go back after walking around for a while.
Just as she was about to get into the carriage, an old woman came running from a distance, carrying a basket in her hand. She stopped and said breathlessly, "Your Highness, Your Highness, please...please wait a moment!"
He then took two red eggs from the basket and gave one to each of them.
"My grandson is one month old today, and I'm inviting all the neighbors to a celebration."
"I was just distributing eggs to everyone when I ran into you all."
"If Your Highness and Your Highness don't mind, please each take one, as a way to bring good luck! Wishing Your Highness and Your Highness a son soon and a house full of children and grandchildren!"
The people of Shangchuan did not know that because Yao Youqing was young, Wei Hong had not consummated his marriage with her for a long time. Even when they did consummate their marriage, he deliberately avoided the days when it was easier to conceive, which is why she has no children to this day.
Many people assumed that their difficulty in having children was due to some other reason, so they dared not mention it in front of them, for fear of angering them.
Little did they know that the proprietress of this small street tavern was a kind-hearted woman who actually handed them the red eggs from her grandson's one-month celebration.
The people on the street didn't dare to breathe for a moment, afraid that the old woman's actions would anger them.
Fortunately, the prince and princess were always kind people. Even if they were unhappy, they did not show it in front of others. They not only accepted the red eggs she gave them with a smile, but also had someone send a gift to her grandson before turning around and getting into the carriage.
The old woman watched them leave with a smile. Only after they had gone some distance did someone come up and tug at her sleeve, saying, "Aunt Wang, you're too bold! You actually brought up the matter of offspring in front of the Prince and Princess. Aren't you afraid they'll be unhappy?"
The old woman was still immersed in the joy of her grandson's one-month celebration and the gifts she received from the prince and princess. At first, she didn't react. It wasn't until the person explained all the details that she belatedly came to her senses.
But the words had already been spoken and the eggs had already been given, so there was no point in regretting it. He simply said, "Your Highness and Princess Consort are the kindest of all. They will surely understand that I meant well and will not hold a grudge against me!"
"Besides, maybe they'll actually get pregnant after eating our red eggs!"
These words caused the people around to burst into laughter, but as she said, the prince and princess were not the kind of people who would easily take their anger out on others. Since they had just received the eggs and given the gift, it seemed that the matter was over and there was no need to take it too seriously.
Everyone dispersed, and the streets returned to their bustling state. On the way back, a servant told Wei Hong through the carriage curtain that he had intercepted a letter from Nan Yan containing important information. Cui Hao invited him to his study after returning to the mansion to discuss matters.
Wei Hong's eyes narrowed slightly, and he nodded. After returning to the mansion, he helped Yao Youqing down from the carriage and said, "You and Zhou Mama go back to the main courtyard first. Ziqian and I will talk for a few minutes and then come to find you."
Yao Youqing smiled and said, "There's no rush, Your Highness. You should go about your business."
Wei Hong smiled and kissed her on the cheek before turning to leave.
Seeing that he was about to leave, Liancheng, who was standing not far away, raised his hand to touch a booklet on his chest.
He wrote down his farewell message in the booklet and would personally hand it to Yao Youqing later.
Yao Youqing would definitely ask him why he was leaving, and would also give him some advice on how to be careful on the road, but he "couldn't hear" her, so she could only write it down on paper.
There was no paper on hand, so this booklet was the most convenient. They could ask and answer questions in the booklet, and her handwriting would be left on it. He could take it with him and look at it from time to time.
He felt that he didn't ask for much; he just wanted to keep a little something to look forward to.
It's hard to take personal items, can't I at least leave her a few words?
But before the booklet could be taken out, there was a soft click.
When Wei Hong helped Yao Youqing into the car on the street, he casually put the red egg that the old woman had given him into his sleeve and forgot to take it out. At that moment, the egg fell to the ground and made a sound.
This was originally a trivial matter, but Yao Youqing innocently exclaimed, "Your Highness, your egg has fallen out!"
The Jingyuan soldiers who escorted them back chuckled. Although they knew it wasn't appropriate to laugh in front of the prince, they couldn't help themselves.
Liancheng didn't expect to hear such a sentence. Even though he reacted quickly and stopped himself, a soft laugh still escaped his lips.
The voice was inconspicuous among the Jingyuan Army, but Wei Hong, with his keen ears and eyes, still noticed it and swept his gaze over like a hawk.
Liancheng was startled and lowered his head, hoping that he thought he had misheard.
But Wei Hong's doubts were not so easily dispelled, and he frowned as he took a few steps closer to him.
"Your Highness, what's wrong?"
Yao Youqing noticed that he was staring at Ashu with an unfriendly gaze and asked in confusion.
Remembering that the mute man often followed her around, Wei Hong quickly changed direction and stood protectively in front of her.
"I think I just heard him laugh."
Only those who can understand what Yao Youqing just said will laugh; those who can't understand or hear it won't laugh at all!
Yao Youqing frowned: "Really? I didn't hear anything, and... what were they laughing about just now? Did I say something wrong?"
Wei Hong didn't have time to explain this to her right now; his mind was entirely focused on the "deaf person" in front of him.
He waved his hand, signaling the people next to him to arrest him first.
Liancheng knew that if he were arrested today, he would be finished. Although the scar on his face looked very real, it would easily fall off if he pulled it a couple of times. Once his identity was exposed, Wei Hong would never let him return to Nan Yan easily.
He looked at the people who had come to arrest him, raised his hands to cover his head in a terrified manner, took two steps back, and then turned to look at Yao Youqing pleadingly.
Only if Yao Youqing speaks up can he be saved and Wei Hong be stopped.
But when he raised his hand, his sleeve slipped down, revealing a scar less than an inch long on his arm.
The wound was shallow, but Wei Hong saw it at a glance. His face immediately turned ashen, and he pointed at him, gritting his teeth as he spat out, "Kill him!"
Chapter 122 Jealousy
Wei Hong would never actually kill Liancheng; it was just something he said in anger.
Liancheng was a formidable rival to him in Southern Yan, but in Daliang, he became an extremely useful pawn. He controlled at least half of Southern Yan, if not all of it.
But this chess piece still suffered some physical pain, getting beaten black and blue, so much so that even its own parents probably wouldn't recognize it.
Liancheng was applying medicine to herself in front of the mirror when she accidentally touched the wound on the corner of her mouth. She hissed in pain and mumbled, "As the saying goes, you shouldn't hit someone in the face, but you went and hit my face! Even if you're jealous of me, you can't do this. My beautiful face was almost ruined by you."
Wei Hong leaned against the table and snorted coldly, "I've already been exceptionally merciful by not taking your life."
“What mercy?” Liancheng retorted even in this predicament, “Your princess is indeed merciful, but you should forget about it. If it weren’t for using me to restrain Nan Yan, you wouldn’t have shown any mercy, and you might already be a corpse by now.”
Upon hearing this, Wei Hong's expression darkened further, and he straightened up.
"What are your intentions toward my princess? Why are you always by her side?"
Liancheng's hand trembled upon hearing this, and when he touched the wound again, he grimaced, turned his head, and clutched his chest as if he were about to vomit blood.
"Go ask her yourself! How did I get into your household? I was perfectly disguised as a refugee outside, and no one recognized me! But she kindly insisted on bringing me in!"
"Do you really think I'd want to come? I've known you for so long, why haven't I ever stepped foot in your house? Don't you know?"
"If it weren't for... if it weren't for your princess being so idle! I wouldn't have gotten caught and beaten up by you today!"
Wei Hong naturally knew how he got in, but Lian Cheng was always cunning and scheming. Who knew if he had deliberately acted pitiful to gain Ning'er's sympathy and then brought him into the mansion?
Liancheng looked at his still suspicious eyes, feeling so angry that his liver ached, and waved his hand helplessly.
"You can figure it out yourself. Anyway, I'm already in your hands, and there's no escaping me now. Go and discuss with Cui Ziqian and the others what to do next. Come back to me when you've thought it through. I'll cooperate if I can, but don't mention it if I can't. Either I commit suicide, or you kill me."
Given the current situation, without severing some flesh and bleeding to let Wei Hong gain some advantage, there is absolutely no way he can leave Daliang safely.
Since we already know that we can't avoid making concessions, there's no need to pretend to be determined to resist.
Everyone sat down and talked it over. Once they reached an agreement, they went their separate ways. From then on, they lived long and peaceful lives, with him being the emperor of Liang and him being the emperor of Nanyan, and no one getting in anyone's way.
Wei Hong did not turn around and leave, but remained standing there, looking at him with a cold expression.
"Whether you cooperate or not is not important. Your subordinates will naturally cooperate. They don't want you to die."