20demayo Chapter 152 Lying
Chapter 152 Lying
"Speaking of which, has the Zhou Kingdom responded to the marriage proposal?"
Chu You shook his head, "Not yet. It was the Emperor of Zhou's idea to send Princess Xihe to Dachen for marriage, and the marriage can be settled first. As for the Marquis Xun'an's son and the Fifteenth Princess, it will take time to discuss and require the Emperor of Zhou's approval. It sounds like they're deliberately delaying. Can't even 100,000 black iron ore impress the Emperor of Zhou?"
"Keep a close eye on her." Uncle Qin said nothing more. One hundred thousand black iron ore was too tempting, and this kind of marriage was also "too tempting."
When the Zhou Kingdom married a princess to the Dachen Kingdom, it had to be the crown prince, as this was a matter of state pride. In contrast, the Dachen Kingdom insisted on marrying a legitimate princess to the son of the Marquis of Xun'an, with a dowry of 100,000 black iron ore. Unless Princess Xihe brought a mountain of gold to Dachen, nothing could compare.
His Majesty's "favor" for Tang Ling caused far more worry and trepidation than joy for the Emperor of Zhou. Tang He, Marquis of Xun'an, was the pillar of the Zhou state, and His Majesty intended to bore a hole in it. These 100,000 tons of black iron ore were a poisoned bait, but it was unknown what the Emperor of Zhou would choose.
***
Qi Xiao had been in a bad mood for the past few days after practicing in the Xixing Palace for half a day. His complexion became even worse after being in the training for half a day.
Ning Wanxiao couldn't help but sigh when she saw Qi Xiao's pale face, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness. Doctor Fang had given Qi Xiao two doses of herbal decoctions in the past half day, and Ning Wanxiao was afraid he would faint at any moment.
"Is His Highness the Ninth Prince okay?"
"Thank you, Imperial Master, for personally presiding over the ritual for my mother." Qi Xiao looked haggard, but he still bowed to Ning Wanxiao very solemnly to express his gratitude.
"Your Highness, there is no need for this. Please go inside and rest. Your Highness, take care of yourself. I will take my leave now."
Bai Xiqiao was beside Qi Xiao, and he also bowed deeply to Ning Wanxiao before reaching out to support Qi Xiao.
"Send the Imperial Master off for me."
Bai Xiqiao nodded in agreement and escorted Ning Wanxiao out of the inner courtyard.
Ning Wanxiao walked halfway and suddenly smiled: "I'm tired after half a day and a little thirsty. I want to have some tea."
Normally, the Imperial Master was a distinguished guest who could not even be invited in a sedan chair, but now that he had asked for tea, there was no way anyone would refuse.
Bai Xiqiao was stunned for a moment, but didn't dare to neglect him, so he invited Ning Wanxiao into the side hall for tea.
"I've heard before that His Highness the Ninth Prince is truly filial, and seeing it in person today, I can't help but sigh. Concubine Lin loves her son deeply, and for many years she often prayed for His Highness at Linxiantai. His Highness has been away from the capital for many years, but he didn't expect that his family time would be so short."
Ning Wanxiao sighed as she spoke, as if she was truly sad for Qi Xiao.
Bai Xiqiao didn't understand why Ning Wanxiao was telling him this, nor did he know how to respond, so he could only listen quietly. Ning Wanxiao always seemed to enjoy chatting with him, saying things that seemed important but also seemed unimportant.
Bai Xiqiao brewed a cup of tea and brought it to Ning Wanxiao. Ning Wanxiao covered his eyes with a white veil, which always gave Bai Xiqiao the illusion that he couldn't see. Therefore, he was particularly careful when handing the teacup to Ning Wanxiao. When the teacup was handed to Ning Wanxiao, he didn't put it down immediately. Instead, he gently placed his hand on Ning Wanxiao to ensure that he held it steady: "Be careful, it's hot."
Ning Wanxiao couldn't help but chuckle softly, and Bai Xiqiao suddenly came to his senses and realized that he had done something unnecessary.
"I... have offended the Imperial Master. I hope the Imperial Master will forgive me."
"No offense, no need to apologize." Ning Wanxiao smiled and took a sip of tea. It was indeed a little hot, and his smile deepened.
Ning Wanxiao seemed to be doing it on purpose, drinking his tea slowly and leisurely. Bai Xiqiao stood by at a loss. He didn't know how to serve anyone at all, and no one dared to ask him to serve him since he was with Qi Xiao.
After drinking half a cup of tea, Ning Wanxiao gently put down the teacup and said, "Bai Xiqiao, please sit down. You've been standing for several hours. Aren't you tired?"
Bai Xiqiao hesitated for a moment, then sat down next to Ning Wanxiao: "Thank you, Master Imperial Master."
Ning Wanxiao smiled: "How strange."
Bai Xiqiao remained silent, thinking that they had only met a few times and could not be considered familiar with each other.
"Didn't you tell His Majesty the Ninth Prince about what I told you last time?"
Ning Wanxiao was asking about the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival when he revealed to Bai Xiqiao that His Majesty had ordered the Taichang Temple to prepare the birthday invitations for Tang Ling and the Fifteenth Princess.
"Yes. What's wrong?"
"Hmm..." Ning Wanxiao tilted his head and thought for a moment, "Nothing, just tell me."
Bai Xiqiao was confused and wondered, could it be that Ning Wanxiao had fallen in love with the Fifteenth Princess? Was that why he was so nervous about this marriage? Was he even trying to use Qi Xiao to stop the marriage?
Ning Wanxiao turned to Baixiqiao and smiled: "Whatever you are thinking, it must not be what you think."
Bai Xiqiao was extremely stunned. Not only did he forget that Ning Wanxiao could see, he also didn't know that Ning Wanxiao had very good eyesight and was a living god who could tell fortunes.
"Don't be nervous. I have no ill will towards His Highness. I'm just curious and want to see how things will develop." Ning Wanxiao took another sip of tea. "Please persuade His Highness to cheer up. Even if he is sad, he can't continue like this. A lot has happened in the palace and the court in the past few days. If he continues to be depressed, it will become more troublesome."
"What is the Imperial Master curious about? What does it mean to wait and see how things develop?"
"It's okay to tell you. The last hexagram my uncle divined before his tribulation was 'The bow and arrows of the heavenly wolf appear, and the flute and drums will set the field ablaze.' I'm curious about how his hexagram will play out. I'm sure Your Majesty is curious too."
Bai Xiqiao was stunned. He had heard something truly incredible. Could it be that His Majesty valued Qi Xiao so highly just for a single hexagram?!
"Tell His Highness this. And also tell him that His Majesty will not let him leave Yuanjing City easily."
"Master Imperial Master... why did you tell me all this? Why did you ask me to pass on the message?" Ning Wanxiao had the opportunity to tell Qi Xiao directly just now, and that was also on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
"Your Highness shouldn't be bothered to guess my intentions or deal with me right now. It's easier for me to just listen to you. Besides, these words shouldn't be spoken by me in the first place. Just listen, but you won't tell anyone else, right?"
Bai Xiqiao shook his head: "Don't worry, Master Imperial Master."
Ning Wanxiao finished his tea and smiled, "Don't be polite, and don't send me off. I can go out by myself."
***
The long street was deserted after dark, and the cold wind and light rain brought a hint of mid-autumn chill. The carriage moved slowly, emerging from the darkness and disappearing into it.
Tang Ling came to take Qi Xiao back to the guild hall. Inside the carriage, Qi Xiao leaned on Tang Ling's shoulder, revealing all his tiredness and sadness. He didn't want Tang Ling to see him like this, but he didn't have the energy to pretend for the time being.
Tang Ling had been accompanying Qi Xiao for the past few days, traveling back and forth between the West Palace and the Tong Guildhall. Huang Zexian had noticed something was amiss and, after repeated questioning, Tang Ling offered no explanation, simply letting Huang Zexian handle the situation. He could no longer conceal his affair with Qi Xiao.
His Majesty intended to use 100,000 black iron ore as a dowry for the Fifteenth Princess to force Da Zhou, Marquis Xun'an, and Tang Ling to accept the marriage. Although Tang Ling had Huang Zexian dragging the Ministry of Rites, she had to let Marquis Xun'an know the truth, including his affair with Qi Xiao. He couldn't marry anyone, let alone the Fifteenth Princess.
"You have something on your mind." Qi Xiao leaned on Tang Ling's shoulder and gently stroked his face. "Can't you tell me?"
Tang Ling held Qi Xiao's hand and shook her head slightly: "Nothing is more important than you."
Qi Xiao sighed: "Lie."