"What the hell. That woman is shameless. She is still a princess. I'm really not ashamed."
In the front hall of Lianchenxuan, which was illuminated by bright candlelight, Ye Huawan stared with her hands on her hips and roared ferociously. People around the table held their chins and sighed. The only one who showed his teeth and smiled stupidly was Yi Chenjing. The faint glance turned into an expression of frustration.
"The five envoys from Monan are all well prepared. The Yan Hu Kingdom has even more evil intentions. Tonight's reception banquet alone is full of troubles. I don't know how many troubles will be caused in the future." Bai Qige frowned. She had a cup of incense in her hand. The tea was already cold and I still hadn’t had a sip.
First, an occasional rain shower came and Ruan Yanluo came. Yi Chenjing was melancholy and felt more and more that she had no right to speak. But when she saw Bai Qige's frown, she felt heartbroken. She sighed and spoke carefully: "It may not be possible for my father to retain the marriage. Just choose me. Besides me, there are many princes who have not yet established concubines. Besides, it is not certain whether they will agree to the marriage. After all, Yanhu is not a big country, so the necessity of marriage is not great."
"Didn't you see that the princess is determined to win over you? She didn't look at anyone else from the beginning to the end. She kept focusing on you." Bai Qige held her chin in her hands and her eyes were full of boredom.
Yi Chenjing felt a little aggrieved. He could be as steady as a mountain and sit calmly in his arms. But he couldn't let others stay away from him as if they were abstinent. His eyes were on Ruan Yanluo. She could look at her whenever she wanted. He had no choice but to do it What else can be done besides avoiding it?
Fu Chu and others have become accustomed to Yi Chenjing's expression since the sudden appearance of the rain. Although in fact Bai Qige is not jealous or anything like that. Yi Chenjing is acting like this because of being overly cautious.
"I think it shouldn't be too bad. Didn't His Highness say it before? The Emperor is a man of great dignity. Today, when His Highness said in front of the envoys from the Five Countries of Monan that he wanted to make Sister Bai the Crown Princess, the Emperor did not refute. Then from now on. There is no reason to object anymore. It’s a golden saying. It’s not easy for the king of a country to break his promise.”
Looking at Yi Chenjing's listless expression, Bai Qige couldn't help but want to laugh. Fortunately, Fu Chu's serious analysis brought back the atmosphere. This did not make the troubled Yi Chenjing even more resentful. Ruan Yanluo's appearance made the already complicated situation even more confusing. Bai Qige should have been worried. However, Yi Chenjing's two words at the dinner made all her depressed mood disappear. Such determination was enough to give her peace of mind.
"It's getting late. Li'er has to change her dressing today. I'll send her back first." Looking at the hourglass, Fu Chu stood up and walked to Li'er to hold the wheelchair firmly. He was extremely gentle and considerate.
"Let's all go back and rest. If you have anything to say, we'll talk about it tomorrow." Remembering what Bai Qige said during the day about Fu Chu's crush on Qiao Qingxu, Yi Chenjing looked at the young man's thin back in a daze. She was punched by Bai Qige before she came back to her senses.
Fu Chu sent Li'er back to her room. Zhan Ting and Ye Huawan also left together. There were only two people left in the huge room, tossed by the wind and waves.
"Are you going to tell Fu Chu alone tomorrow about the envoy Yan Hu?" Bai Qige put on her half-length fox white fur. Her cold hands were naturally placed in Yi Chenjing's palm.
"Well, Li'er and Ye Zi are here. It's inconvenient to say." She grabbed Bai Qige's hand and stuffed it into her arms. Yi Chenjing took a deep breath and sighed lightly. "Fu Chu doesn't want these two girls to hear too much about power and political disputes. I don't want them either. I don’t want to. It’s rare that there are still a few simple people in the palace. If they are dyed black, they will never be clean again.”
In a palace full of open and secret fights and intrigues, pure-minded girls like Ye Huawan and Li'er are indeed precious. The innocence and kindness they possess is not only Yi Chenjing, but also Fu Chu wants to protect. Bai Qige is no exception. It was precisely because of this that the conversation just ended in a hurry. The deeper suspicions and speculations about the Five Monan Envoys and Ruan Yanluo were hidden deep in my heart.
Seeing that Yi Chenjing had no intention of leaving, Bai Qige pushed him gently: "It's time for you to go too. The East Palace is still some distance away from Lianchenxuan. Don't go back too late and delay your rest. I'm sure. The emperor will come to you early tomorrow morning I will summon you to Ziyun Palace."
Yi Chenjing shook his head: "I'm not going back. I'll sleep here tonight."
Ever since Fu Chu and others and most of the servants followed Yi Chenjing to the East Palace, only Yu Che and Bai Qige lived in Lianchenxuan. Even with the brazier lit, it was still very deserted. Bai Qige didn't want Yi Chenjing to sleep here. Even though she caught a cold, she didn't object. She hoped to give Yi Chenjing maximum freedom and give him the most difficult thing to get as a prince.
On the way to the bedroom, Bai Qige silently followed Yi Chenjing. Her hand was still tightly clenched, as if Yi Chenjing was afraid that she would lose it. He never forgot to hold her hand. The firm and strong warmth came from him. The palms of her hands rested on Bai Qige's body, making it less difficult to endure the cold winter.
Yu Che had already placed two fire pots in the bedroom. When he returned, the charcoal in the pots was burning brightly. However, this was not enough to warm Bai Qige's body, which was buried deep in cold. In the end, it was better for Yi Chenjing to act as a human flesh stove.
"The remaining servants are living outside the Lianchen Pavilion. We can't ask them to take care of them in the middle of the night." His eyes passed over Yi Chenjing's livid face. Bai Qige guessed that he was worried because she was not well taken care of. Angry. He stretched out his hand to smooth the wrinkles between his eyebrows. His smile became three points warmer. "I'm living a good life. Really. With Yu Che here, everything is in order."
Perhaps it was rare for the two of them to talk about ordinary topics like this. Yi Chenjing was inexplicably greedy for this feeling. She hugged Bai Qige tightly in her arms with a long sigh. She stared at the overlapping shadows of the two people: "Sometimes I will I wonder if we could live a happier life if we were just ordinary people. I think too much, but I don’t think so. If I really become a farmer in the field and you sew and cook at home all day long, I’m afraid that life will be like that. You'll get tired of it in less than a year and a half. What do you think?"
"Everyone has his own destiny. Wealth and honor are in the sky. Those with royal blood cannot escape the shadow of the palace. I would rather you be a prince, prince, or general. Otherwise, your talents and ambitions will be buried." Bai Qige turned over. The whole body was pressed against Yi Chenjing's chest. Her fingertips unconsciously combed the broken hair on his forehead. "It's just like Princess Yanluo. If she was born in the market, she would probably be treated as a prostitute. But once she is trapped, No one dares to criticize the princess's identity. Instead, they praise her for her courage, which is not inferior to her beauty. Even Prince Dayao dares to tease her."
As he spoke, he turned to Ruan Yanluo again. Yi Chenjing couldn't help but smile bitterly: "You really care. I thought you were too broad-minded and wouldn't be jealous at all."
"What nonsense are you talking about? You're talking about serious things. Why do you think I'm jealous?" She gently tweaked Yi Chenjing's ears. Bai Qige said seriously. "Seriously, don't you think that Yan Luo Is the princess difficult to deal with?"
"In terms of your ability to drink, you are more difficult to show mercy to. Your ears are about to fall off."
"I'm not serious when I should be serious."
After being glared at, Yi Chenjing was finally satisfied and put on a positive face. The eyebrows that had just been smoothed were knitted together again: "That woman seems to know a lot about Dayao's personnel. And our understanding of Yan Hu Country is limited to There are rumors of business going back and forth. In terms of knowing ourselves and each other, we have already lost. As for whether the marriage was a spur of the moment idea of hers or whether Yan Hu had already planned it, it is not clear. You can see it at the banquet today. When the other four countries put forward many suggestions. It all depends on Yan Hu’s face. I think Yan Hu is not as poor and weak as they claim to be. It is very likely that it is the core of these five countries. If they can successfully suppress their momentum, it will not be difficult to become powerful in foreign lands. ."
Bai Qige was silent for a moment. Then she sighed lightly: "You also want to continue to expand your territory."
Expansion means invading other countries. War is inevitable. The distant country that rose in the flames of war is not afraid of conquests. But how can the people endure the years of war? A northern expedition caused Lingyun City to be devastated and destroyed overnight. How many more are there to be Tragedies in Lingyun City continue to be staged. How many simple and innocent people like Qiao Dahe will be shrouded in leather. How many people will be displaced and their families will be destroyed.
She had seen enough. She was heartbroken.
"When I was still in the Kingdom of Zhao, my mother told me that the thing she was most afraid of was King Zhao issuing an order to send troops." Bai Qige did not continue the topic. She lay quietly on Yi Chenjing's chest, not knowing where her eyes were falling. "Every time we received an order to send troops, my father and my second brother would rush to the battlefield overnight. After that, my mother would always stand at the door and watch. No matter how late it was, no matter how cold the weather was, she would stand at the door for a long time every day. Until my father and I Second brother returned safely. I understand that feeling. During the Northern Expedition, you went out alone to fight but didn't let me leave the camp. I finally understand what it means to be desperate."
Yi Chenjing closed his eyes tiredly. He rubbed his forehead lightly: "Going to the battlefield is a life-or-death struggle. Do you think I want to? My mother has advised me many times over the years to just be a prince and wait for the title of king. But if I don't wear armor, Where did I get my meritorious service today? I was afraid that I would have become a stepping stone for others in the power struggle. Originally, I thought that everything would be fine after the military merits of the Northern Expedition were paid to Li'er. I didn't expect that my father would..."
"I didn't expect that the emperor would force you to marry someone else. Did you?"
Yi Chenjing nodded feebly. Yi Chenjing let out another long sigh.
"Chen Jing. I want to know the real reason why the emperor doesn't allow me to become the crown prince." Bai Qige suddenly stood up and sat down half-sitting. The faint light from the lamp outside shone lightly on her face through the window paper, reflecting a strangely persistent expression.
There is always a solution to everything. If you know the root cause and find a way out, you will not be at a loss. Now the two of them are just trying to figure out Yao Huang's thoughts or struggling to resist. It has no effect at all. It is better to think about it in the long term. Another reason is that Bai Qige doesn't want As a result, Yi Chenjing had another conflict with Yaohuang. After all, they were father and son. If it was really because of her that the father and son were at odds, she really couldn't bear the crime.
Yi Chenjing knew that he couldn't stop her. He pondered for a while, then raised his fingers and touched his slightly cool face: "If the two of us ask, we will definitely not get the answer. That's good. I'll go talk to General Ou tomorrow. He He is my father's confidant and an old friend. Maybe he will know something."
"Then I'll go find the Empress. After a brief conversation with the Empress that day, I found out that even though she stayed in the Huanqing Palace all year round, probably nothing about the ups and downs of the previous harem could escape her eyes. In those days, she could If the emperor is forced to that point, he must not be a simple person."
It's strange. The words Yi Chenjing said during the day due to the situation seemed to be engraved with a magic spell. When there was no way out for this relationship that they vowed not to regret, it miraculously gave Bai Qige and Yi Chenjing new motivation. The hope that had gradually dimmed was ignited again. It was stronger and clearer than before.