Chu Xi was just in his early twenties, and young people were always unpredictable. It was common for him to cheat and deny his deeds. Mei did not find it strange to see this.
Chu Xinian said seriously: "Mother must have heard it wrong."
Mei thought, did she hear it wrong? What did she hear wrong? She was so angry that her hands were shaking. It was Chu Xinian who was making a scene, crying and shouting that she didn't want to marry an ugly woman with a disfigured face. She was not deaf!
The middle door of the Buddhist hall was open. Although the servants outside did not dare to watch the fun openly, they all pricked up their ears.
"It's just a shell. Even if you are in your prime and the most beautiful woman in the world, you will be nothing but white hair and withered bones when you grow old. If people all marry for their looks, in the end they will only get one night of pleasure."
Chu Xinian said as he looked at Mei: "I heard that when my mother was still a married woman, she was one of the most beautiful women in the capital, and countless young men from famous families wanted to marry her. Now that she is no longer young, my father still loves her as much as before, and has never taken a concubine or raised a child. I think this is the way husband and wife should behave."
Mei was stunned by his words and speechless.
As Chu Xinian said, when Mei was young, she was stunningly beautiful and came from a scholarly family. Tens of thousands of people in Beijing wanted to marry her. But who would have thought that after all her choices, she would end up marrying the then-poor Marquis of Quyang, leaving the world with a sense of regret that her talent was lost in the dust.
However, although Qu Yanghou had made no achievements in the court over the years, he loved his wife Mei very much and never set foot in any brothel. He would go to the theatre and walk his birds every day, which was a hundred times better than those glamorous mansions of the rich and powerful.
It’s a pity that people in the world are so foolish that they are seduced by gold and jade and cannot see through the rottenness inside.
Mei was a little bit unconvinced that these words came from her uneducated son, and her eyes were a little doubtful. Even Chu Jiaoping beside him was surprised and frowned: "Second brother, you have to think carefully, the royal family is not like ordinary people, the slightest mistake will cost you your head."
Because he was the protagonist of his own novel, Chu Xinian couldn't help but look at him twice more: "Brother, don't worry. Although I am naughty, I know my limits. After we get married, I will settle down and never act up again."
Chu Jiaoping looked straight at him and said in a low voice, "Do you know that Xie Jingyuan is cruel by nature?"
"I know." Chu Xinian didn't seem to care. He met Chu Jiaoping's gaze with a frank expression. "But even the most cruel person should know good from bad. People's hearts are not made of stone. I will treat him sincerely in the future. I believe he will not hurt me."
After all, he was a writer and eloquent, and with just a few words he dispelled Mei's wavering idea.
Chu Jiaoping wanted to say more, but Mei raised her hand to stop him: "Forget it."
Mei looked at Chu Xinian with complicated eyes. She felt that this useless little son had finally grown up after being beaten. "I didn't agree with your elder brother's idea. It would be disgraceful if it got out. Since you said so, you should rest well today... I will personally send you back tomorrow."
Chu Xinian was the second son, and the title of Quyang Marquisate could not be given to him, so naturally he had no right to have a separate residence. Although he married Xie Jingyuan, he did not even have a decent residence, and had to live in the other party's general's residence, which made him look like a son-in-law.
No wonder the Quyang Marquis’s family is so unhappy with this marriage.
Chu Xinian was stunned for a moment: "So fast?"
Mei said nothing, but walked out the door and left the small Buddhist temple with her personal maid.
Chu Jiaoping watched his mother go away, and then he slowly withdrew his gaze. He sighed and said to Chu Xinian meaningfully: "In a few days, the emperor will return to the capital."
There was a lot of light rain in early spring, so it was inevitably cold at night. There was a drizzle in the evening, but it stopped after a while. The accumulated water dripped down the dark green tiles and fell on the bluestone slabs of the corridor, making a particularly clear sound.
Xie Jingyuan held military power, but his achievements were so great that no one knew whether the emperor was close to him or not. If he favored him, the emperor gave him to Chu Xinian, a playboy, as his male wife. If he did not favor him, the Chu family was still a royal family, so it was still respectable.
A thousand people may tell a thousand stories, but the emperor’s mind is unpredictable and no one knows the truth of the matter.
The general's mansion was heavily guarded, with black armor guards wearing swords standing outside the door, all with cold eyes, emitting chills from inside to outside. Although Jiuyong was Xie Jingyuan's confidant, he still had to remove his sword in the outer room before entering the inner room.
"Master, the spies brought news today."
The air was filled with a strong medicinal smell, bitter and pungent, lingering, the result of years of fumigation with medicinal herbs. Jiuyong was used to it, and took out a secret letter from his sleeve without changing his expression, and handed it to the man sitting behind the desk with both hands.
A candle was placed at the corner of the carved rosewood table, swaying slightly for a moment, illuminating the man's face clearly. His eyebrows flew into his temples, his eyes were long and narrow, and his pupils were seductive and dark. He looked a bit like a fox, but more like a black snake swimming in a cold pond.
A very beautiful half face.
However, when the man slightly raised his head from the shadows, the dim candlelight illuminated the other half of his face clearly. There were several hideous scars on the right side of his face, as if someone had slashed it with a sword several times, which was frightening to look at.
A white wall is covered with dust, a beautiful jade is flawed, it's just like this.
Xie Jingyuan did not open it: "From the Quyang Marquis's Mansion?"
Jiuyong lowered his head: "Yes."
Xie Jingyuan was indeed as rumored, suffering from a serious illness, and looked like he was in a critical condition. He covered his lips with a white handkerchief to suppress the heart-wrenching cough in his chest, then took a breath and asked, "Why, do they want to cancel the engagement?"
Jiuyong didn't know how to answer for a moment.
Seeing this, Xie Jingyuan raised his eyes and finally opened the secret letter, only to find that it recorded what happened after Chu Xinian was taken back to Quyang Hou Mansion by the servants. It recorded every detail, even what was said in the Buddhist hall, word for word.
"He treats me with his heart...?"
When Xie Jingyuan saw this line of words, he paused for a moment, shook the paper in front of the candlelight, and didn't know what meaning he got. Finally, he threw the white handkerchief in his hand aside. There was a thick blood stain on it, and it was faintly black.
Jiuyong raised his head, glanced at Xie Jingyuan's lips which were strangely purple, and said, "I heard that the wife of Quyang Hou will bring Chu Xinian to visit tomorrow. I think they are here to apologize..."
It's an apology, not a break-up.
Yes, a mere marquis's family naturally wouldn't dare to cancel the marriage personally granted by the emperor.
And Xie Jingyuan naturally couldn't do that either.
A general who is seriously ill and can no longer lead troops to fight is no different from a useless person. How can his status compare to his former glory
Xie Jingyuan coughed again. He put his fist to his lips to suppress the sweet smell rising in his throat. He lowered his eyes to stare at the paper without even looking at Jiuyong. His voice was hoarse: "If they want to come, let them come."
The Quyang Marquis Mansion was just the most inconspicuous one among many declining nobles. It was only because of the bastard young man Chu Xinian that it became a widely circulated "gossip" in the capital.
However, Xie Jingyuan's situation is not much better now, and he is walking on thin ice.
Since the death of the previous queen, the prince has been in a bad situation. Some time ago, he displeased His Majesty and was confined to his palace. He has not left since then. There are even rumors that the emperor intends to depose the prince.
Xie Jingyuan is the prince's right-hand man, and many people want to get rid of him. This arranged marriage is just a chess game played by the women in the palace. It is not only a way to insert a chess piece, but also a humiliation.
Chu Xinian fled after her marriage, which made Xie Jingyuan a laughing stock in the capital.
The atmosphere was heavy and depressing. Jiuyong said, "The eldest son of the Chu family has already joined the fold of King Jin. Although Chu Xinian is frivolous and dissolute, there is no guarantee that he is a spy sent by them. Master, should we get rid of him?"
Xie Jingyuan suddenly smiled: "Get rid of it?"
He clenched the thin paper in his hand tightly, making a rustling sound, and then slowly fell into the chair. As expected, he was as moody as the rumors said. He laughed softly, "I heard that Chu Jiaoping is very smart and a rare talent in the capital. How come his younger brother is not very smart?"
Everyone in the world said that he had killed countless people, no matter why, and even gods and ghosts avoided him. Chu Jiaoping had already told Chu Xinian that he was cruel, but the other party actually thought that he would not hurt him
Treat it sincerely
Xie Jingyuan suddenly stopped smiling. He slowly closed his eyes and stroked the hideous scar on his right cheek expressionlessly, as if he was remembering something from the past.
He never believed in that kind of stuff...
Jiuyong couldn't guess what his master was thinking, so he could only stare at the candle on the corner of the table. He didn't know how long he stood there, until the candle burned halfway, Xie Jingyuan finally opened his eyes: "Keep it..."
He slowly said three words: "No killing."
If he was killed, wouldn't that just give the King of Jin a handle? The prince was not favored now, so Xie Jingyuan could only lie low and endure.
Even if the emperor wanted to marry him to a playboy as his male wife,
Even if he, a general who had fought on the battlefield, was forced to lie down on his bed,
Xie Jingyuan could only endure it.
This is imperial power.
The only thing Xie Jingyuan wanted to do was to pull that man off the throne. As long as it could change the dynasty of Great Yan, he could endure anything and do anything...
Chu Xinian had no idea that he had escaped death. At night, he was alone at the desk, writing something down rapidly. A thick stack of papers had accumulated beside him.
"A Thousand Years of Marquisship" is a work he started preparing five years ago, and he has written nearly three million words in total. Although he has not forgotten the main plot, he can't remember many minor details clearly because they have been revised too many times, and it is a bit difficult to recall them.
A ball of light was squatting quietly at the corner of the table. Although it didn't speak, its presence was quite strong.
System asks: Are you recalling the original plot? The plot of this world has been modified long ago, so there is no point in recalling it.
Chu Xinian: "How do you know if you don't try?"
His book has a total of 3 million words. Assuming he reads 100,000 words a day, it would take at least a month. His manuscript was only left at his friend's house for a few days before he took it back. The other party certainly didn't have time to make many changes.
In other words, although the previous plot has collapsed, it may be able to stabilize later.
The moon was on the willow branches, and the night was getting darker. Chu Xinian packed up his paper and pen and was about to go to bed, but suddenly he heard a series of footsteps outside, followed by the voice of Yun Que: "Young Master, why are you here?"
Chu Xinian paused when he heard this: Chu Jiaoping? Why did he come to see me in the middle of the night
There were no female relatives in the entire mansion except Madam Mei, so there was naturally nothing to be shy about. Chu Jiaoping opened the curtain and came in, only to see his unlearned brother sitting behind the desk, and his steps could not help but pause.
"Second brother?" Chu Jiaoping stared at him with a puzzled look.
Chu Xinian put down the brush in his hand and stood up from the chair calmly: "Brother, why are you here?"
Chu Jiaoping didn't say anything. He felt that Chu Xinian was very abnormal today. He usually hated writing, so why was he still in the study late at night? He glanced at the table inconspicuously, and saw a bright big turtle drawn on the paper.
Chu Jiaoping: “…”
It turned out that he was worrying too much.
Chu Jiaoping's late night visit was definitely not to have a candlelit chat with Chu Xinian and talk about brotherhood. He sat down at the table, his blue skirt hanging quietly, and he was a gentleman, saying, "Second brother, you will leave tomorrow, it's not too late to regret now."
Be straight to the point, no nonsense.
Chu Xinian didn't comment on what he heard. He thought that even if he regretted it now, he would have no chance. There were eighteen strong men guarding outside his yard, all sent by the Mei family to watch over him. If he dared to take a step outside, his legs would be broken immediately.
"What are you talking about, brother?" Chu Xinian slowly poured a cup of tea and handed it to him. His eyes looked profound and unfathomable in the candlelight. "Your Majesty's order, can you go back on it?"
Chu Jiaoping's character in "A Thousand Years of Marquisship" is a career-oriented male protagonist who cares about his family and the people. For these, he is willing to sacrifice himself: "Second brother, I still say the same thing. If you don't want to, I will do it for you."
In troubled times, human life is worthless compared to the continuation and prosperity of a family.
Chu Xinian was not surprised at Chu Jiaoping's attitude, but he absolutely could not let him take over. If he did, Xie Jingyuan would surely die.
Chu Xinian: "Brother, you are the eldest son and will inherit the family title in the future. Leave this matter to me. The Quyang Marquis Mansion cannot be cut off from incense."
He put into practice what he had heard from the maid today.
Chu Jiaoping probably didn't expect that his uneducated brother would have such awareness. He looked at him in surprise: "Aren't you afraid that Xie Jingyuan would kill you?"
If I don’t go to hell, who will? Chu Xinian has already understood this sentence very thoroughly: “He won’t.”
Once he died, Xie Jingyuan would be the most suspected. This would give the King of Jin a handle to accuse him, and the Crown Prince would also face endless troubles. The other party would not be so stupid.
Chu Jiaoping looked away, with a look of guilt hidden in his eyes that only he knew: "Second brother, you... don't hate mother..."
Chu Xinian: "She is not wrong. It is good for me to do something for the family. There is always someone who has to go."
Chu Jiaoping lowered his head in deep thought after hearing this, as if he had fallen into some difficult decision. In the end, he didn't know what decision he made, but suddenly looked at him with burning eyes: "... In this case, are you willing to lend a helping hand, big brother?"
Chu Xinian continued to act pretentiously: "Of course I am willing... Hmm? What do you want to help with?"
He realized something was wrong and opened his eyes instantly. He subconsciously looked at Chu Jiaoping, but heard him say, "Although my Chu family is not good, it is also a noble family, so it is inevitable that we will get involved in the muddy waters of the court. Prince Jin is virtuous, kind, brave and resourceful, and is indeed a wise choice for a wise leader."
Chu Jiaoping implied that his family had already joined the Prince of Jin. With so many princes vying for the throne, he was most optimistic about the Prince of Jin, who would definitely be a wise ruler in the future.
Chu Xinian had a hunch that something bad was going to happen, so he tried to probe her without leaving any trace: "Brother, do you mean that the Chu family wants to join the King of Jin? But the Crown Prince is still in the position of heir, and there is nothing wrong with that."
Chu Jiaoping frowned slightly and disagreed: "Although the prince is the son of the late queen, he is the legitimate son. But he is harsh and does not behave like a benevolent monarch. Moreover, our family is related to the King of Jin and has long been on the same boat with him. When the prince ascends the throne in the future, I am afraid he will not let us go."
The mother of Prince Jin, Concubine Mei, and the wife of Marquis Quyang, Mrs. Mei, were sisters from the same clan. Considering their nepotism, it seemed to outsiders that the Chu family had long been a party of the Prince Jin.
Now the Prince of Jin and the Crown Prince have been fighting openly and secretly, and have long been at loggerheads in the court. When the Crown Prince ascends the throne and settles old scores, the Quyang Marquis's Mansion will most likely be in big trouble.
In short, the Chu family has been closely tied to the King of Jin. It is easy to get on this ship, but difficult to get off. The only way now is to go all the way and find a way to help the King of Jin ascend the throne.
Chu Xinian paused after hearing this and asked in an ambiguous tone, "Then how can I help Big Brother?"
Chu Jiaoping lowered his voice slightly, and said solemnly in the dark night: "Xie Jingyuan has a military formation map in his hand. There is a list behind the map, which is all his spies and trusted people in the army. If you have the chance, find a way to copy it."
Chu Xinian paused when he heard this: "Tuo?"
Brother, are you sure you didn’t steal it
Chu Jiaoping seemed to see through his thoughts: "Stealing is also OK."
Chu Xinian: "Oh..."
Is Bian Yi Ge trying to save the country in a roundabout way by asking him to go undercover with Xie Jing Yuan
The author has something to say: Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated nutrient solution during 2021-10-16 17:22:24~2021-10-17 18:36:58~
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