Yuan looked at Xia Quan's arrogant face, turned her head gently, lifted the curtain on the side, and said indifferently: "Xia Quan, before I married your prime minister, I studied the art of Zhouyi fortune-telling for a period of time. Everything in the world can generate a hexagram. Do you know what I see on your face?"
Xia Quan sneered, "What did Madam see?"
Yuan lowered the curtain and looked at him. "Your brow is filled with signs of decay. Your fate has ended. Let's arrange your funeral."
Xia Quan laughed out loud, "I didn't expect that Madam would also become a charlatan."
He drove his carriage to the Regent's Palace.
Prince An had been in the Regent's Palace for the past two days. When he heard someone come to report that Yuan wanted to see him, he stood up suddenly, then sat down again, took a deep breath, and said, "Please ask her to come in."
He tried to keep a calm expression as he watched her walk out from under the shadow of the tree. Her green dress seemed to be the same color as the pomegranate tree. There was no expression on her face, and even her eyes no longer had the spirit they had many years ago.
His heart suddenly ached inexplicably.
He remembered that many years ago, he had visited Yuan Daxueshi's residence and she was painting in a pavilion in the drizzle. She was painting the lake on the other side. She bit the tip of her brush, not very satisfied, frowned and stared at the mist on the lake. He couldn't help but walk over and said, "Such a beautiful scenery can be appreciated. If you force it into a painting, it will be lifelike but it will lose its color."
She looked up at him in surprise, raised her lips to smile, and put the scroll away.
That smile made the world pale in comparison.
So, she looked at the scenery with a strange look in her eyes, and he looked at her, and she was the most beautiful scenery in his world.
Today, she is still his most beautiful scenery, but there is no scenery in her eyes.
While his thoughts were wandering, Yuan had already arrived in front of him and bowed, "Your Highness."
"Long time no see, how are you?" He thought the tone should be calm enough. If he hadn't been unable to move his eyes away, this meeting should be considered a good one.
"Okay." Yuan replied.
Xia Quan also followed in and stood aside, keeping an eye on Prince An and Yuan.
"Please sit down!" said Prince An.
Yuan walked over, sat down, and crossed her hands in front of her. She looked extremely dignified, no doubt like any other noble lady.
"I came here today to apologize to the prince on behalf of the prime minister. He was rude and offensive a few days ago. I hope the prince will forgive him." Yuan said politely.
Prince An hummed, "Tell him that this apology is unnecessary."
He didn't say whether he forgave him or not, he just said there was no need to apologize.
Yuan hummed, "Yeah."
She didn't say thank you either, as if she really just came to pass on a message.
She looked up at the servants and guards patrolling outside the mansion and asked, "Is Zi'an here?"
"Zi'an went out." Prince An didn't dare to tell the truth, for fear that she would worry.
Yuan turned and looked at him, "Zi'an, you are my daughter, Yuan Cuiyu."
Prince An actually showed a childish smile on his face, "I know."
Yuan hummed again, and a servant came up to serve tea. She took it and said casually, "Among so many princes now, the one I admire most is the crown prince."
Prince An tilted his head and smiled again. This smile made Xia Quan puzzled. Then, he heard Prince An say, "Yes, the prince is indeed worthy of admiration."
Everyone heard this without feeling irony, but rather as genuine praise.
Yuan stood up and said, "Your Highness is busy with affairs, I will not disturb you any more. Goodbye."
Xia Quan was startled. "Madam, you're leaving now? You're here, aren't you going to catch up with the prince?"
Xia Quan felt that the three sentences of conversation today were too suspicious. She seemed to be here to complete a mission, but the Prime Minister wanted her to chat with Prince An, reminisce about the past, and talk about the past before talking about the prince. She only said that she admired the prince very much, and that was the end of it
Yuan looked at Prince An and asked, "Your Majesty, do you have anything else to say to me?"
Prince An shook his head, "That's all."
Yuan hummed again, looked at Xia Quan and said, "Your Majesty, you have nothing to say to me, let's go."
Xia Quan was very angry, but he did not dare to lose his temper because Prince An was present. He just bowed casually and walked ahead.
Yuan looked back at Prince An. Her eyes contained so much, but what Prince An read most clearly was "please, please take care of my daughter."
Prince An nodded gently and watched her leave with a devoted look in his eyes.
He never concealed his feelings in front of Yuan, it was like this many years ago and it is still like this now.
He doesn't think loving someone is something particularly shameful.
After Xia Quan returned, he told Prime Minister Xia about their conversation.
Prime Minister Xia was also very angry after hearing this. With Yuan's intelligence, she shouldn't have said that. She had a hundred ways to win over Prince An.
Why was she reluctant? Did she think that his kindness to her was fake? Or was she testing him
Prime Minister Xia took a deep breath and said sinisterly, "Okay, Yuan Cuiyu, I will play with you."
Su Qing quickly found out about the meeting between Prince An and Yuan and told Murong Jie and Zi'an.
Murong Jie looked at Zi'an and said calmly, "Obviously your mother chose the wrong person back then."
Zi'an was holding the medicine in his hand, and the spoon was already at his lips. "Drink the medicine first, then talk."
Murong Jie frowned, "Xia Zian, why are the medicines you prescribe always so bitter?"
"It's not bitter, I've tasted it!" Zi'an pushed the porcelain spoon further in and pried open his lips, "Drink."
"Take another sip. If you can do it without frowning, I will drink it." Murong Jie pushed her hand away.
Zi'an lowered his head and took a sip, then slowly raised his head and swallowed it down with a gulp. He said calmly, "It's not bitter, and it tastes a bit sweet with the licorice added."
Murong Jie cursed softly, "Is there something wrong with my tongue?"
He took the medicine and drank it all in one gulp, it was so bitter that it made him grimace in pain.
Zi'an quickly took the bowl and walked out, filled a bowl of water in the kitchen, and rinsed his mouth vigorously.
How could a medicine with so much coptis root not be bitter? It was so bitter! My tongue was almost numb from the bitterness.
After going out, the three grown men discussed whether Yuan had chosen the right or wrong man, and then they also discussed themselves.
Su Qing said: "In fact, looking at the appearance and temperament of this Miss Xia, she is very different from the old fox Xia Huaijun. I really doubt whether she was picked up."
Xiao Tuo, the big mouth, heard Su Qing talking about this, so he looked at Murong Jie and said, "You slept with Xia Zian that night. Why did you sleep with her? If this gets out, your reputation will be ruined."
When Zi'an heard Xiao Tuo say this, he was both amused and confused. Was it her reputation or his reputation that was being discussed
Then, Murong Jie's lazy voice was heard, "Xiao Tuo, have you met the Miss Chen I mentioned before?"
"Why are you so nosy?" Xiao Tuo said unhappily.
Murong Jie said calmly: "Hmm? So what? Aren't you meddling in other people's business now?"
Su Qing burst into laughter.
Zi'an sat on a small bench in the yard, listening to the three men talking about things that had nothing to do with the dispute. This feeling was particularly comfortable.
However, a wisp of black cloud slowly floated across the sky, gradually obscuring the bright sun. Zi'an knew that after Murong Jie recovered from his injury, he could see clearly the faces of everyone in the capital, and that a fight was about to begin.
(End of this chapter)