AWB Chapter 925: The Noble Son of the Xie Family in Wuzhou
Chapter 925: The Noble Son of the Xie Family in Wuzhou
The young man was wearing brocade clothes, jade belt, and royal blue fox fur, but he was afraid of the cold.
When he turned around, he brought with him a wisp of fresh plum fragrance, his eyebrows and eyes were picturesque, and his smile was gentle. He said to the messenger, "Sit down, the tea is ready, and I've been waiting for you."
The subordinates in gray were too frightened to take a seat.
The noble young man sat down, holding the pot in his bare hands, and poured the amber tea into the celadon cup, creating a circle of fine lines.
"Since you are working for me, why do you have to be so restrained?" He gently pushed the teacup with his fingertips. The clear light from the window flowed, illuminating the mutton-fat jade ring.
The man in gray remained polite and refused to sit down. "My lord, you have treated me well, but I dare not get carried away."
The noble young man said no more, but just pushed the teacup closer, "Then drink a cup of hot tea to warm your body and moisten your throat."
The gray-clothed subordinate's Adam's apple rolled, and he held up the teacup with both hands and drank it all in one gulp. His rough knuckles rubbed the delicate porcelain glaze, and he respectfully placed the teacup back on the edge of the table, and then wiped the water stains from his lips with his sleeve.
"I originally thought that the princess favored Zhuo Qiran, so she let the children recognize him as their godfather. Who would have thought..." He lowered his voice, "Zhuo Qiran would marry the princess's personal maid in the blink of an eye."
The noble young man lowered his eyes and stared at the tea soup. The foam on the surface of the water gradually dissipated. "Maybe it's a trick." His jade-like fingertips tapped the edge of the teacup and whispered, "But how did you determine that Zhuo Qiran would be favored by the princess?"
The gray-clothed man hesitated for a moment, then replied, "I heard that something strange happened to the princess when she was about to give birth, and she didn't give birth until the full term. It was Zhuo Qiran who used a secret method to save the lives of the princess and her child. The princess relied on him after her husband passed away, and it's possible that she fell in love with him over time."
He recounted in detail what he had eavesdropped on that day, "Zhuo Qiran and his master had a secret conversation by the river at night, and I vaguely heard words like 'taking a risky move' and 'blood in the heart'. The most surprising thing is that his master asked about the reason for his white hair, and it seemed to be related to some kind of witchcraft..."
"Gu magic?" The nobleman raised his eyebrows slightly, turning the teacup back and forth between his fingertips. "This Zhuo Qiran is a wonderful person."
"I dare not get too close. The river wind is strong, so I can't hear clearly. I only know that his master and disciple are on the boat now. I think they are going to Iron Horse City with the princess."
"Oh? Ye Xun..." This name sounds so familiar, where have I heard it before?
The gray-clothed subordinate explained, "It's normal that you are familiar with him. He once sold a pair of Gu to King Qinghui in his early years."
"Ah! Now that you mention it, I remember it. Yes, that person's name is Ye Xun." The nobleman suddenly realized, "I heard that the pair of Tongsheng Gu sold by Ye Xun is very powerful. King Qinghui used this method to kill both the old King Qinghui and the Queen, but we still can't find any clues."
Speaking of Tongsheng Gu, the subordinate in gray had some gossip to share, "I heard that the old Jian'an Marquis and his wife from Beiyi also died in this way."
"Died on the same day?" the young master was curious.
"They did die at the same time." The subordinate in gray nodded in response, "This is no secret in the North Wing. There are many rumors on the streets... Anyway, if you say it has nothing to do with Zhuo Qiran and Ye Xun, I don't believe it at all."
The smile on the young master's lips deepened, and his jade-white fingers gently stroked the edge of the teacup, "So, they are old acquaintances?"
The subordinate in gray was not sure whether they were old acquaintances, but one thing was certain, "The old man Ye Xun had a perverse personality, and Miss Bei Hui often said that he behaved strangely. The princess had never summoned him alone, so she must have allowed him to board the ship out of consideration for Master Zhuo."
The young man suddenly placed the teacup on the table, and the mutton-fat jade ring struck the celadon, making a clear and crisp sound.
He looked at the blue sky outside the window and smiled. "Fortunately, we are only going to give the princess a small gift. It is easier to get things done by building some friendship. As for the rest, haha, I have no intention of getting involved."
He raised his hand to brush away the non-existent dust on his sleeves, "When we get to Guicheng, let's board the ship to pay a visit to the princess. I'm sure the princess will thank me for this gift."
Ten days later, the ship arrived at Guicheng. Chi Shuang got off the ship, and Tang Xinghe and Ma Chuyang escorted her and also got off the ship together.
When getting off the boat, the two of them glanced at the red magpie in the distance at the same time.
Hong Que was originally looking over here, but upon seeing this, he immediately turned around and hid in the cabin.
For such a long time, none of them said a word.
Chi Shuang sighed softly, "Xinghe, please stay."
"No!" Tang Xinghe walked forward with his knife in hand, his back stubborn.
Chi Shuang called again, "Master Ma, please stay. I don't need so many people following me."
"I won't." Ma Chuyang said grimly and followed Tang Xinghe's steps.
Just as the three walked several feet away, the river wind suddenly picked up, blowing up the snow on the shore. A nobleman wearing a royal blue fox fur coat came towards them, followed by two followers in black clothes.
The snow in Guicheng fell so early.
The silver fox fur on the collar of his fox fur coat trembled slightly in the wind, making his face look like a handsome jade.
"Wait a minute." The guards on the boat held their halberds in ambush, their iron halberds gleaming coldly in the snow. "This is a private boat, no outsiders are allowed to approach."
The nobleman stopped walking upon hearing this, smiled faintly across the halberd, took out a gold-painted visiting card from his bosom and handed it over respectfully, "Please tell them that the Xie family of Wuzhou has come to pay a special visit to Her Royal Highness the Princess."
The guard's heart trembled. The other party actually knew that this was the princess's ship! When he took the visiting card, his fingertips touched the coolness of the gilded paper.
He hesitated and looked at the man in front of him - gold woven patterns were faintly visible under the royal blue fox fur, the jade pendant on his waist was as warm as water, and even the posture of the two followers behind him revealed the demeanor of a wealthy family.
"Wait here." The guard put down the halberd, turned around and stepped onto the deck, with his left hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
He looked back every three steps, and his vigilant eyes swept across the three people on the shore like a knife.
Two armored guards immediately filled the vacant positions, crossed their iron spears into a cross, and forced the nobleman and his entourage back to one foot away from the ship.
The young master did not take it as an offense, but nodded slightly.
In the cold wind, snowflakes fell, making tiny noises on the bluestone slabs.
The nobleman gathered the collar of his fox fur coat, and the sound of jade pendants colliding could be heard faintly from his sleeves. The followers behind him retreated half a step tacitly, leaving neat footprints on the snow, just outside the boundary pointed by the halberd tip.
After just a moment, a corner of the cabin curtain was lifted, bringing in a little smell of charcoal fire in the warm room.
The guard bowed and stepped back, making way for a maid wrapped in a sable-skin cloak.
Her collar was densely trimmed with wind hair, her hands were folded in her warm sleeves, and a silver hairpin in her hair reflected the light of snow. She was none other than Miss Beihui, the most favored girl beside Princess Haiyan.
The guard unconsciously took another half step back. The soles of his boots slipped slightly on the frosty deck, and even his breathing became lighter.
Bei Hui stood still at the bow, the white breath she exhaled quickly dissipated in the cold wind, the pair of gilded playing cards hanging around her waist were pressed under her cloak, with only half of the vermilion tassels showing.
She bent her knees slightly, bowed gracefully, and said in a clear and crisp voice, "Princess, why does the Xie family of Wuzhou want to see you?"
The nobleman saw that Princess Haiyan had only sent a maid, but he was not angry. He nodded slightly with a gentle look in his eyes and asked, "Miss, may I have a word with you for a moment?"