eurekapd Chapter 172 Xu Fenghua's intuition: Jiang Qingxue has changed her mind!
Chapter 172 Xu Fenghua's intuition: Jiang Qingxue has changed her mind!
For some reason, Zhao Qingxue suddenly thought of Qin Mu.
That young emperor of Qin was criticized by the people as a "tyrant" and a "lecher."
But Zhao Qingxue could sense that Qin Mu's gaze towards her was more of a scrutinizing, playful look, and the sharp gaze of a chess player towards an opponent.
It was a gaze of equality, even with a hint of condescension.
And Xu Longxiang...
A cold killing intent flashed in Zhao Qingxue's eyes.
"His Majesty."
An aged yet ethereal voice rang out from inside the imperial carriage.
Li Chunfeng had appeared silently in the imperial carriage at some unknown time, dressed in a gray Taoist robe and holding a white jade whisk, like an immortal who had stepped out of a painting.
Zhao Qingxue did not open her eyes, but simply said:
"Did the Imperial Advisor sense it?"
"Yes," Li Chunfeng said slowly. "This old minister just observed that the way Prince Xu looked at Your Majesty... was unusual."
"It's more than just extraordinary."
Zhao Qingxue snorted coldly, her voice filled with undisguised disgust, "That look in her eyes was as if she wanted to devour me alive."
She paused, then added:
"The look in his eyes made me very uncomfortable the last time we met. I thought it was just a man's instinctive reaction, but this time... it was even more obvious."
Li Chunfeng's voice was even lower:
"This old minister has also noticed it. There seems to be a different kind of emotion in Prince Xu's eyes. It's not like simple admiration or covetousness, but rather a possessiveness mixed with complex emotions."
"Possessiveness?" Zhao Qingxue raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile playing on her lips. "He's delusional."
Li Chunfeng remained silent for a moment before slowly saying:
"Your Majesty, this matter... requires utmost caution. Xu Longxiang is a man of deep thoughts and decisive actions, and seems to have a deep obsession with Your Majesty. If he truly harbors treacherous intentions towards Your Majesty, I'm afraid... it will be a troublesome matter."
Zhao Qingxue nodded slowly.
She certainly understood what Li Chunfeng meant.
Xu Longxiang is the heir of the Northern Territory, commanding 300,000 iron cavalry, and is himself a Celestial Realm expert.
If someone like that really has ulterior motives towards her, it would indeed be a considerable problem.
Moreover, they have an alliance.
Although the alliance was based on interests and could break down at any time, they were still allies at least on the surface.
If Xu Longxiang does something irrational because of his obsession with her...
Zhao Qingxue's eyes grew even colder.
"The Imperial Advisor is right," she said slowly, "it seems... we shouldn't get too close to Xu Longxiang."
She paused, then added:
"After returning to Liyang, have someone investigate carefully whether Xu Longxiang had any past interactions with Liyang, especially around the time of my ascension to the throne five years ago."
"Yes," Li Chunfeng replied.
Zhao Qingxue closed her eyes again and leaned back on the cushion.
The carriage slowly started moving, drove out of the city gate, and embarked on the road back to Liyang.
Outside the car window, the morning light gradually intensified, leaving the outline of the imperial city behind.
However, Zhao Qingxue's mind kept replaying Xu Longxiang's complex eyes.
That look made her feel inexplicably uneasy.
It was as if something was quietly growing in the shadows, ready to burst forth at any moment and completely disrupt her carefully laid-out game.
"Xu Longxiang..." Zhao Qingxue murmured to herself, her voice tinged with coldness, "You'd better... not disappoint me."
The carriage gradually moved further and further away, eventually disappearing at the end of the official road.
Outside the east gate of the imperial city, only a deep rut and the marks left by horses' hooves remain.
Further away, the northern cavalry had long since disappeared into the vast plains.
The two groups of people went in opposite directions.
at the same time,
A figure in moon-white appeared silently on the highest star-gazing platform in the imperial city.
Qin Mu stood with his hands behind his back, gazing in the direction where Zhao Qingxue's convoy had disappeared, a cold smile curving his lips.
Behind him, Yunluan knelt on one knee, reporting:
"Your Majesty, Empress Li Yang's entourage has already left the city. According to their route, they will not arrive at the Lancang River for at least two days. Prince Xu Longxiang of the Northern Border also left the city this morning, heading towards the Northern Border."
Qin Mu nodded slightly, his gaze still fixed on the distance:
"Is everything arranged?"
"Yes," Yunluan said in a low voice. "Thirty elite Dragon Shadow Guards have already set off and are lying in ambush at the designated location. All possible Li Yang spies along the way are also under surveillance."
Qin Mu smiled, a smile that carried a chilling undertone:
"very good."
He slowly turned around, his moon-white robes fluttering slightly in the morning breeze, the silver-embroidered cloud patterns seeming to come alive, flowing with a cold yet dangerous luster.
"Then I should set off as well."
Upon hearing this, a subtle change flashed across Yunluan's face.
She raised her head, a rare hesitation in her eyes: "Your Majesty, I have already arranged everything you instructed. Let me accompany you. It will be better to have someone to take care of your daily needs on the way."
Qin Mu raised an eyebrow, his smile deepening. "Daily life? What do you mean by daily life?"
Yunluan's face flushed instantly.
She lowered her head, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible: "Of course... that's what His Majesty is thinking of."
These words were spoken subtly, yet carried an unspoken ambiguity.
Qin Mu's words that night, "You stay tonight too," and everything that followed, seemed to resurface in her mind.
Qin Mu laughed heartily, his laughter carrying a hint of mockery, yet also a rare touch of gentleness.
"Alright," he said, extending his hand, "then you may come with me."
Yunluan looked up abruptly, her eyes gleaming with delight: "Yes! Your Majesty!"
Qin Mu grasped her hand; his palm was warm and strong.
The next moment, the two figures flickered and disappeared from the spot.
.......
High in the sky, a strong wind howled.
Yunluan was held in Qin Mu's arms, her moon-white wide-sleeved robes fluttering in the wind.
Although she had flown before, Yunluan still felt an overwhelming excitement when experiencing the feeling of soaring through the air again.
She looked down at her feet, and the outline of the imperial city was rapidly shrinking, like an exquisite sand table model.
The streets were like thin lines, and the pedestrians were like ants. The entire city gradually turned into a blurry light and shadow in the morning light.
Yunluan leaned against Qin Mu's chest, able to clearly feel the warmth from his chest and smell the faint scent of ambergris on his body.
This intimate contact stirred up a complex mix of emotions within her.
There was shyness, excitement, and an indescribable sense of belonging.
She secretly glanced at Qin Mu's profile.
The morning light shone on his face, outlining his clear and sharp features.
Those usually deep and unfathomable eyes were now staring straight ahead, their gaze sharp as a knife, as if they could pierce through layers of clouds and lock onto a distant target.
This Qin Mu is powerful, mysterious, and unfathomable.
But it also gave her a sense of peace she had never felt before.
........
Meanwhile, deep within the imperial palace, in the Yuxiu Palace.
Xu Fenghua sat upright in a rosewood armchair, holding a cup of hot tea in her hands, calmly surveying the furnishings in the hall.
This is Jiang Qingxue's palace. Compared to the magnificent Huaqing Palace, Yuxiu Palace is more tranquil and elegant.
The interior furnishings are simple, yet they reveal meticulous attention to detail.
Several ancient books were displayed on the rosewood bookshelf by the window, and a painting of plum blossoms in winter on the wall had a cool and elegant style. Several pieces of porcelain from previous dynasties on the antique shelf gleamed with a warm luster.
The atmosphere of the entire palace perfectly matched Jiang Qingxue's gentle and refined temperament.
Xu Fenghua sighed inwardly.
She remembered the girl who always sat quietly under the plum tree reading a book at the Listening Snow Pavilion in the Northern Territory many years ago.
At that time, Jiang Qingxue's eyes were clear and her smile was pure, like a snowflake untouched by dust.
But now...
"Consort Hua."
A soft voice came from the inner chamber.
Xu Fenghua looked up and saw Jiang Qingxue slowly walking out, supported by a palace maid.
Today she wore an elegant moon-white dress, without any makeup, and her long hair was loosely tied up, secured only with a white jade hairpin.
Her face was still somewhat pale, and her shoulder was wrapped in thick gauze, with faint red stains that could be seen seeping through.
But those eyes were much calmer than Xu Fenghua had imagined.
"Sister Xuefei," Xu Fenghua stood up, her face showing just the right amount of concern, "please sit down. You are injured, there's no need for such formalities."
Jiang Qingxue sat down on the soft couch as instructed, her posture respectful: "Thank you for your concern, Sister."
The two sat facing each other. After the palace maid served hot tea, she retreated outside the hall to wait, but did not go far.
Both of them could clearly see the several figures that were faintly visible outside the palace gate.
A hint of seriousness flashed in Xu Fenghua's eyes.
She knew that their every move was being monitored.
Any unusual behavior or private conversation could arouse Qin Mu's suspicion.
Xu Fenghua remained calm.
She had thought of all this before she came, so she had made other preparations in advance.
"How is your sister's injury?"
Xu Fenghua picked up her teacup and said in a gentle voice, "I heard that there were assassins in the Imperial Garden last night. You were injured while protecting His Majesty, and I was very worried, so I brought some medicine to help you heal."
As she spoke, she took out several exquisite medicine packets from the brocade box beside her.
"This is top-quality dragon's blood, with excellent hemostatic and tissue-regenerating effects."
Xu Fenghua pushed the medicine packet in front of Jiang Qingxue, "And this bottle of Jade Dew Ointment is a secret recipe from the Zhao family of Jiangnan. It has an excellent scar-removing effect and will not leave any marks."
Jiang Qingxue took the medicine packet and gently stroked the brocade with her fingertips.
She could sense that something was hidden under the medicine packet.
It was very thin and stiff, like a folded piece of paper.
She raised her head and looked at Xu Fenghua.
Their eyes met silently in the air.
At that moment, a thousand words were left unsaid.
This silent exchange lasted only a moment before the two quickly looked away.
"Thank you, sister," Jiang Qingxue said softly, carefully putting away the medicine packet. "I will take the medicine on time."
Xu Fenghua nodded, picked up her teacup and took a sip, then casually asked, "Was the assassin from last night... caught?"
Jiang Qingxue shook her head: "No. That assassin was extremely skilled. He fled immediately after missing his first strike, and the Imperial Guards couldn't catch him."
"That's incredibly audacious."
Xu Fenghua sighed, "They actually dared to assassinate His Majesty in the palace. Fortunately, my sister stopped them in time, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable."
As she said this, her gaze was fixed on Jiang Qingxue's eyes.
She was testing the waters.
He was testing Jiang Qingxue's attitude towards Qin Mu, and trying to determine whether her selfless act of blocking Qin Mu last night was genuine or feigned.
Jiang Qingxue lowered her eyes and said softly, "Protecting Your Majesty is my duty."
These words were spoken respectfully, but little emotion could be detected.
Xu Fenghua felt a slight unease.
She could sense that Jiang Qingxue had changed.
The girl who once smiled brightly on the snowy plains of the North now has a layer of impenetrable mist in her eyes.
She no longer easily reveals her emotions, no longer easily trusts others, and even maintains a proper distance from her "older sister".
This change caused Xu Fenghua a pang of heartache, but it also made her more vigilant.
The inner palace is like the sea, capable of changing a person deeply.
Jiang Qingxue, on the other hand, had clearly learned how to hide herself in the waves.
"My sister is right."
The two chatted for a few more minutes about trivial matters of the palace. After a few rounds of tea, Xu Fenghua got up to take her leave.
"Take good care of yourself, little sister. I'll come to see you another day," she said gently.
"Take care, sister." Jiang Qingxue stood up to see her off, her posture respectful.
Surrounded by palace maids, Xu Fenghua left Yuxiu Palace, her moon-white figure gradually disappearing at the end of the winding corridor.
Jiang Qingxue stood alone in front of the palace gate, gazing in the direction she had gone, remaining motionless for a long time.
The autumn wind blew by, lifting the stray hairs at her temples.
She was still clutching the medicine packet tightly in her hand.
.......
As night deepened and all was quiet, the lights in Yuxiu Palace gradually went out.
Jiang Qingxue dismissed all the palace maids and sat alone in front of the dressing table in her bedchamber.
A pale and serene face was reflected in the bronze mirror, the candlelight flickering on it, making the cold, clear eyes shine brightly.
She slowly opened the medicine packet that Xu Fenghua had brought.
The aroma of blood-staining ointment and jade dew ointment wafted over, but sure enough, a tiny folded piece of paper was hidden beneath the powder.
Jiang Qingxue's heartbeat quickened slightly.
She carefully took out the piece of paper and unfolded it.