Chapter 20： exposed

Right Prime Minister's Mansion, Study Room.

For a whole night, Xue Cen kneeled on the cold floor tiles with his robes lifted, facing Xue Youxiang, who sat on the seat with frosty temples but still dignified, he still said the same sentence: "Grandfather, my grandson wants to marry Miss Yu Er." .”

Xue Youxiang leaned on a glossy red sandalwood cane with his palms folded, his beard moved slightly, and he didn't say a word.

Father Xue, who was standing on the sidelines, asked in a deep voice: "Can you tell me clearly, which girl from the Yu family do you want to marry?"

"Second Miss Yu, Second Sister." Xue Cen said clearly.

Father Xue couldn't help being furious.

The two families clearly acquiesced in his marriage with Yu Xinyi, but he wanted to compete with the crown prince for a woman, why marry the second girl Yu!

"Niezi!" Father Xue raised his palm high towards his son.

"Wait." Xue Youxiang spoke, and the raised palm paused in the air with just two words.

Father Xue's cheeks fluttered, but he finally retreated to his side with lowered hands, bowed and said, "Yes, father."

The old man with white hair and chicken skin stood up with a cane. He was over sixty years old, but he was still tall and straight, exuding the majesty and nobility that had been immersed in officialdom for many years.

He looked at his most proud grandson, for a long time, and slowly exhaled: "It's not impossible for you to marry the second girl of the Yu family."

"Grandfather." Xue Cen immediately raised his head, a gleam of joy flashed across his reddish eyes.

"But you have to remember, as a courtier, you must never lose your loyalty."

Xue Youxiang looked at Xue Cen with his deep and hearty eyes, and said in a hoarse voice unique to elderly people, "If you marry her, you will owe His Highness the Crown Prince a favor."

There was something in the grandfather's words, Xue Cen asked: "What do you mean..."

"General Yu is the head of the military generals and holds a heavy army, but he has never been subordinated to the Eastern Palace."

After a pause, Xue Youxiang turned around and looked at the words "Loyal and Benevolent Founder" bestowed by the emperor on the beam of the study, "In recent years, there have been rumors in the court that the elders will be abandoned and the younger ones will be replaced. After marrying the Yu family, you need to spare no effort to cooperate." Let the two families assist the prince."

Hearing this, Xue Cen was stunned.

He was so smart, how could he not know that his grandfather asked him to use his marriage with Yu Lingxi to win the Yu family into the crown prince's camp.

Everyone always thought that grandfather, as the head of civil servants, was always strict and indifferent, and never participated in party disputes. It seems that this is not the case.

This is a marriage of interests that has been calculated long ago.

No matter who the Xue family or the prince marries the daughter of the Yu family, it is for the purpose of bringing the power of the general's mansion into the palm of the prince.

"Grandfather, is it the prince's party?" Xue Cen asked awkwardly.

"You can say yes, or you can say no."

Xue Youxiang said, "Strictly speaking, this old man is a party that defends the world's orthodox and respects ethics and morality. The crown prince is the eldest son of the emperor, and the future son of heaven. He should be loyal to the emperor and support him."

"But..." Recalling Yu Lingxi's polite refusal when they parted yesterday, Xue Cen clenched his fingers.

Xue Youxiang looked at this grandson who had high hopes, and said earnestly: "Think about it carefully, if you can do it, the old man will agree to your marriage with the second girl."

In a quarter of an hour.

The sky has changed, and the gloomy wind brings a little coolness.

Xue Cen pushed aside the support of his attendants, endured the pain in his knees, and staggered back to his room with a heavy heart.

The second younger sister is so filial and kind, if she knew that her marriage would implicate her father and brother, and drag them into a camp that the Yu family didn't approve of, she would definitely disagree with this marriage even more.

He didn't want to take advantage of others, and didn't want to hide it from her, but there was no other way.

There is no time for him to hesitate, it is impossible for him to give up the girl he likes and watch her marry into the Eastern Palace.

Xue Cen only wished to be so despicable, at least...

At least the second sister and he are in love with each other, as long as he can marry her, as long as he can solve the current crisis, the rest can be discussed slowly.

For such a long life, there will always be a way to get the best of both worlds.

Thinking of this, Xue Cen's thoughts strengthened a little, he took up his pen and ink, and hurriedly wrote a letter, making an appointment to meet Yu Lingxi at the Qinxin Pavilion in the lotus pond in the north of the city.

After folding and sealing it, he summoned his attendants: "Go and deliver this letter to the Second Miss Yu of the General's Mansion, hurry up!"

…

The sky is gloomy, and the wind blows off the residual red of the branches.

Ning Yin had a dream.

For the first time, he didn't dream of killing and blood, but a mist of mist, and ripples of light shattered the warm light of a pool.

He held a slender woman with black hair like a monster in his arms, pressed her to the edge of the soup pool, kissed and asked for it.

Her apricot eyes were shining brightly, she bit hard, and a pitiful moan escaped from her lips.

The soft jade-like arms were wrapped around his neck, dripping wet, and he called softly: "My lord..."

He bit down like a punishment and licked away the bright red blood bead, his cold and dangerous voice came from the pool: "Here, what should I call me?"

"Wei...Wei Qi."

With the sound of rushing water, the water mist in the pool rippled away, revealing a familiar, flowery and jade-like face.

Ning Yin woke up from a light dream and opened her eyes slowly.

In the secret passage under the meditation room of Jinyun Temple, two ghostly candles danced in the dark.

He propped his fingers on his temples, not quite understanding why he dreamed of Yu Lingxi, and forced her to call his ridiculous pseudonym in that way.

Spreading his palms, he put his fingertips to his nose and sniffed lightly. The gentle and provocative daughter's fragrance in his dream seemed to still linger on his fingertips, with the soft and slippery touch of his skin...

For a moment, Ning Yin felt that making peace between men and women might not be such a dirty and unbearable thing.

In just a moment, this thought disappeared like ripples, replaced by a deeper coldness and depression.

This depression has been surging in my heart since yesterday when I heard that Yu Lingxi and Xue Cen were engaged. The harmonious picture of them loving each other under the sun gave him a headache all night.

"Your Highness, spare me!" The woman's desolate scream pulled him back from his thoughts.

Ning Yin raised her eyelids, and saw a woman in a state of embarrassment crawling on the dark and damp ground.

It can be vaguely discerned from her well-tailored palace clothes that she should be a high-ranking palace lady in the imperial city.

She didn't have a single scar on her body, but she didn't even have the strength to stand up. Her pale face was covered in cold sweat, as if she had been fished out of the water.

The left palm of the broken halberd was wrapped in gauze, standing silently as if he didn't see it.

Beside him, there were still four or five trembling subordinates standing.

The big palace maid kowtowed desperately, as if she could live longer this way, she pleaded: "For the sake of serving the concubine Li and His Highness for many years, please spare this servant!"

Ning Yin waited for the female traitor to kowtow to her feet, then Fang smiled and asked softly: "When Qin Niang betrayed my whereabouts to the emperor and put me to death, did you ever think about those years? mutual affection?"

"Slaves don't dare anymore, really don't dare!"

The maid named Qinniang never thought that Ning Yin could survive Ning Changrui, and even killed her all over the house, she couldn't help muttering, "As long as Your Highness can spare the life of the servant, the servant can do anything..."

"You can do anything?" Ning Yin snorted softly, as if weighing the weight of this sentence.

Qin Niang seized the glimmer of life, and hurriedly nodded her head: "Your Highness, please give this servant a chance to make amends."

Ning Yin played with the short blade between her fingers, half-closed her eyes, as if she was thinking about something.

"Okay." After a while, he easily agreed.

She only raised her chin, and the court lady immediately knelt down to his feet flatteringly.

With a cold smile, Ning Yin stared at the woman under her feet: "I want you to love me."

Just like Yu Lingxi was to Xue Cen.

As soon as this remark came out, all the subordinates in the room raised their eyes in astonishment, completely unable to guess what the master was thinking.

Qin Niang was even more terrified, what does the Seventh Prince mean by this?

Ning Yin has endured his biological father's indifference and sibling oppression since birth, and even his biological mother Li Fei is full of disgust for him.

He is paranoid, ruthless, good at disguising, his short life is full of darkness and distortion, no one loves him.

Qin Niang has only fear for him, and really doesn't know how to love him. But if she wanted to live, she could only bite the bullet and stretch out her hand, her fingertips trembling up along the brand new pair of leather boots, grabbing the hem of his clothes.

Courtship...it should be love, right?

All the women in the palace do this.

As soon as those worm-like pale hands touched the leather boots, Ning Yin's eyes suddenly turned cold.

"It's not like that." He said coldly.

Yu Lingxi's hands were very warm, no matter how scared she was, her eyes were always clear and clean, and when she looked over, there was a sparkle in her eyes.

She was completely different from the woman in front of her, false and kitsch, her eyes were chaotic and without any brilliance.

Only Yu Lingxi can do it, only she has such bright eyes.

Ning Yin finally figured it out.

"what!"

Qin Niang, who had just touched the corner of her clothes, was thrown to the ground, and looked in disbelief at the boy who suddenly changed his face.

"You are too dirty." His pale thin lips spit out cold words.

"Your Highness, I can."

Qin Niang's pupils trembled, and she said tremblingly, "I beg Your Highness to give this slave one more chance..."

"Hush." ​​Ning Yin raised her slender knuckles, signaling the woman to keep silent.

"You should be lucky, I don't kill women." He said.

Qin Niang was stunned for a moment, and then the brilliance of hope burst out in her eyes.

Just when she thought she had escaped, Ning Yin leaned back in the chair and burst out laughing.

He laughed so that his chest shook, but he didn't look vulgar. Instead, he revealed a kind of ironic elegance that fooled all living beings, and asked lightly: "Do you think I would say that?"

Yinqing's repeated tone made the joy in Qinniang's eyes shattered and dimmed.

She knew that she couldn't survive, and in those withered eyes that were about to die, there was a monstrous hatred burning again.

"No one will love you, Your Highness." Qin Niang's voice of crying and laughing was like the most vicious curse in the world.

She screamed: "You can only be abandoned and betrayed, because you are a terrible ghost..."

The cursing stopped abruptly.

No one saw Ning Yin's movements clearly, so Qin Niang's eyes widened suddenly, and she fell limply to the ground, out of breath.

Ning Yin turned the blade between her fingers indifferently, looked around at the few remaining subordinates, restrained her smile and said: "Who was betrayed by Qin Niang, stand up and I will spare his life."

Two of them changed their faces, looked at each other, and rushed towards Ning Yin at the same time.

They all saw Qin Niang's death, it's no wonder that the Seventh Prince would really spare his life, it's better to fight for a chance!

But after taking one step, the two felt their hearts go cold, and then two **** short knives pierced out from their chests and nailed to the stone wall of the secret room.

They didn't even have time to scream, and they became two silent corpses.

Ning Yin wiped her fingers, turned around, and the other two immediately knelt down in unison, sweating profusely, and said, "I swear to follow His Highness to the death, and I will help His Highness complete his great cause!"

"Get up. Since you are innocent, why kneel?"

Ning Yin wiped his fingers very slowly, "It doesn't matter whether it's great or not, as long as you don't get in the way."

There was a sticky pool of bright red dripping down the steps, he frowned, raised his boots and carefully stepped across the pool, and walked up the stone steps casually.

"Your Highness."

Folding the halberd and carrying the epee on his back, he reminded him in a deep voice, "There are rumors in Beijing that Second Miss Yu was stuck on a cliff for a day and a night during the spring search, and a..."

He looked at the black-clothed boy in front of him, swallowed his throat and said, "Having an affair with a lowly slave, do you want your subordinates to stop and kill the rumors?"

"Why do you want to block it?"

The boy showed a brisk smile, and asked back, "Isn't it better like this?"

There was surprise in Zheji's eyes.

He originally thought that his master could take advantage of this marriage to do something, but now it seems that he wants to marry that woman himself...

Qin Niang's words before she died are still in my ears.

For a moment, he didn't know whether to sympathize with the Yu family girl or worry about the master, so he simply chose to remain silent.

Walking out of the secret room, with the cool drizzle on her cheeks, Ning Yin raised her head and looked at the gloomy sky.

"It's raining." He said to himself.

…

Yu Mansion.

Yu Lingxi was leaning on the couch with a scroll in her hand, staring blankly at the rain outside the window: "Why did it suddenly rain?"

"The weather at the end of spring is already changeable, why is it so unusual for it to rain?"

Hu Tao put the refreshments on the desk, walked over and closed the window, and seeing no one around, she squatted in front of Yu Lingxi and smiled, "Miss, after you get married, will you often come back to see your servant? And take it away, this servant is reluctant to part with you."

"Say what?"

Without raising her eyes, Yu Lingxi got up and added two spoons of pepper powder to the tea soup, "Who are you marrying?"

"Xue Erlang! It's rare for a man to love a concubine. If the lady doesn't marry him, who will he marry?"

"For undecided matters, no nonsense is allowed."

Yu Lingxi put the teacup back again, feeling worried that she couldn't even eat her favorite paprika.

Yesterday, in order to decline the East Palace marriage, Xue Cen knelt down in front of his father and brother to beg for marriage. Yu Lingxi felt that she should be happy because everyone thought she and him were a match made in heaven.

But she was full of emotion, but she was still not happy. My heart is as calm as a mirror, and the ignorant feelings of my youth in my previous life can no longer be reflected.

In the courtyard yesterday, Xue Cen blushed and asked her opinion.

She once tried to convince herself, but after thinking for a long time, she finally shook her head with a smile: "Brother Cen is very good, but I never thought about getting married."

At that time, Xue Cen's eyes were more surprised than lonely, and he probably didn't expect her to refuse.

Soon, he figured something out, and said with a warm smile: "Second sister is still young, and it's normal to never think about getting married. It's okay, we can slowly adapt, as long as we can get through the immediate crisis."

Yu Lingxi thought about it all night.

She might be able to marry Xue Cen and spend her life as a respectful guest, but this is too unfair to Xue Cen.

If love is not equal, it is disaster.

You can lie to anyone, but you can't lie to Xue Cen, who knelt down for her twice in the past and present, she can't violate her conscience.

"Miss doesn't want to marry Xue Erlang, do you really want to enter the palace and become a princess?"

Hu Tao pursed her mouth, although being a princess is noble, it is tiring to compete with three thousand beauties!

Unlike Xue Erlang, she is the only one in his eyes and heart.

Hearing this, Yu Lingxi thought about it seriously, assuming that she really married into the Eastern Palace, when Ning Yin returns to the palace in the future, what are the chances that she can survive with the current kindness...

However, can't figure it out.

Ning Yin's temperament is a dangerous mystery.

Just as he was thinking about it, the attendant outside the door handed over a post and said, "Second Miss, the Lord of Qingping Township in Tanggong Mansion invited Miss to talk about something important to discuss."

Yu Lingxi took the post, unfolded it, and frowned slightly.

Immediately thinking of something, she frowned and smiled.

The strokes on Tang Buli's post penetrate the back of the paper, which is enough to show the anger of the person who wrote it.

Tang Buli said that recently there have been rumors among noble women in Beijing that Second Miss Yu was in danger while hunting in Chunsou and lost her virginity to a young slave...

Since it was spread from the circle of noble women, it is only possible that the female relatives who were present at the time were making rumors.

Such speculative remarks were probably made by a woman who wanted to marry into the East Palace to become a phoenix, or by an admirer of Xue Cen.

However, this may be a good opportunity.

Yu Lingxi closed the post and said calmly, "Prepare the car and go to Tang Gongfu."

As soon as he went out, he saw a person walking in the slanting drizzle.

Ning Yin came back from nowhere, did not open an umbrella, her clothes and hair were wet, and her handsome face was slightly pale from the rain.

In the past two days, she was so busy trying to decline Donggong's marriage that she ignored him.

With a twitch in her heart, Yu Lingxi took the umbrella from the servant girl's hand and walked towards Ning Yin.

"Where have you been?" She stopped in front of the boy, separated by half a foot of misty rain.

"Drinking." Ning Yin replied.

Yu Lingxi wrinkled her nose.

There is indeed a faint smell of wine in the humid air, and besides that, there is a familiar smell of decay under the smell of wine, like the smell of an old cellar.

"What wine do you drink on a rainy day?" Yu Lingxi frowned, straightened her arms, and thoughtfully handed over the umbrella in her hand.

However, when she looked down and saw that she was wearing the moccasin boots she gave her, she was relieved and couldn't help but smile.

"Not happy."

Ning Yin didn't take the umbrella, she was quiet for a while, and suddenly said softly, "The Major General once said that if I stay in the mansion, I will ruin Miss's reputation."

He stood in the rain and mist, his dark eyes looked like a student who was sincerely asking, "Miss also thinks that my status is low, is it her shame?"

This question is really inexplicable.

Yu Lingxi laughed back angrily: "If I cared about that, I wouldn't have rode my horse at night to find you."

Ning Yin still looked at her and asked: "Then, will miss betray me and abandon me?"

What is this nonsense?

If it was about betrayal, she should have asked him if he would betray, right?

Yu Lingxi looked suspiciously at him who was slightly abnormal, thought carefully, and then shook her head: "No, since I picked you up, you are my responsibility."

After all, she will rely on this kindness in the future to make him the greatest blessing of the Yu family.

Ning Yin smiled, not knowing why she was happy, she nodded and said: "Okay, Wei Qi understands."

understand what?

Before she had time to figure out what this little lunatic meant, Yu Lingxi hurried to Tang Gong's mansion, put the umbrella in Ning Yin's hand, and urged, "Take it, go back and change your clothes."

After finishing speaking, he turned around and quickly got into the carriage.

Ning Yin Zhisan stood where she was, watching her carriage disappear on the avenue, and the smile in her eyes gradually settled down.

A strange servant passed by him, trotted over, wiped the rain from his chin, and knocked on the corner door of Yu Mansion.

The guard opened the door, and the servant presented the letter in his arms with both hands, and said loudly: "This is a letter from my Second Young Master Xue. The letter is important, please pass it to the second lady of your mansion."

But Yu Lingxi just left the mansion.

The guard took the letter and asked the maid to put it on Yu Lingxi's desk, waiting for her to read it when she came back.

As soon as the maid closed the door and left, a person came out from the shadow at the corner and took away the letter.

…

In the East Palace, there was a lot of wind and rain.

Prince Ning Tan overturned a table of delicacies, smashed two cups, and said angrily: "Who said she has a marriage contract with Xue Cen? Why have I never heard of it?"

A secret guard clasped his fists and reported: "According to the investigation by the humble officer, Xue and Yu's families do have a marriage contract."

Ning Tan is even more frustrated, Yu Lingxi can marry anyone, but why is it the Xue family?

Xue Youxiang obviously does not participate in the party, but secretly he is the biggest arm of the East Palace. Even in the face of Mr. Xue, he can't openly start to rob his grandson-in-law.

Ning Tan had ordered someone to inquire about it, and the second girl of the Yu family indeed had a beauty that was rarely seen in the capital.

There is no woman in the world that he can't get, but such a little beauty is going to be cheap for Xue Cen!

Just as he couldn't hold his breath, he saw another **** rushing towards him, knelt down and held a crumpled piece of letter paper above his head and said, "Your Highness, I just found this thing on the gate of the Eastern Palace."

Ning Tan snatched the letter paper, unfolded it, and the anger between his brows became more serious.

"Tonight at Youshi, I look forward to seeing you at the Qinxin Pavilion in the north of the city..."

Ning Tan grinded up Xue Cen's name bit by bit, and spat out through the gaps between his teeth, "Lang is a concubine, do you want to elope?"

The more he thought about it, the more unwilling he became. He even thought viciously, it would be great if Xue Cen disappeared from the world...

Pausing restlessly.

Ning Tan muttered to himself: "Yes, as long as Xue Erlang disappears from the world, this marriage will naturally fail."

The secret guard was surprised, and hurriedly clasped his fists to persuade him: "Your Highness, the members of the Xue family must not move..."

"As long as you keep your hands and feet clean, and make some accidents to hide from the right minister, you will be invisible."

Dazzled by jealousy, Ning Tan threw the letter on the face of the dark guard and said angrily, "Go!"

…

The rain was getting heavier and heavier, so Yu Lingxi simply waited in Tang Gong's mansion until the rain stopped before rushing back to Yu mansion.

At the time of You, the dark blue twilight gradually invaded.

There is a waning moon in the east, and the accumulated rain between the corrugated tiles falls in front of the steps, shattering the cold luster.

As soon as Yu Lingxi went back to the house and changed her clothes, she was sitting on the couch to rest when she saw the maid come in and said, "Miss, Xue Erlang's book boy sent a letter over at noon, saying it was something urgent, I will leave the letter for you Case number... Hey, where's the letter?"

The servant girl's voice stopped, and she moved the pen, ink and books on the case table one by one, and said in surprise: "I obviously left it here."

Yu Lingxi pondered for a while, and guessed that Xue Cending was looking for her because of her marriage.

This matter still needs to be decided early, and it will not be good for the Yu family and the Xue family if it is delayed.

"Since it's an important matter, I'll pay a visit in person."

Yu Lingxi adjusted her appearance in front of the mirror, and seeing that there was nothing wrong with being rude, Fang said softly, "Prepare the carriage and invitations, and go to Xue's residence."

The road to Xue's mansion was not smooth.

The journey of two quarters of an hour was blocked by beggars for a while, and a vendor's cart overturned, blocking the way.

After a lot of delays, Yu Lingxi simply abandoned the car and walked.

After finally arriving at Xue's Mansion, the servant who came to welcome him was full of surprises and asked, "Second Miss, why did you come here? Didn't my Erlang invite you to meet at the Qinxin Pavilion in the north of the city? He left an hour ago. "

Thinking of the many troubles on the road to Xue's mansion, Yu Lingxi felt a little uneasy for no reason.

The lotus pond in the north of the city.

As the night wind blew by, the accumulated rain on the lotus leaf rolled round and round a few times, and fell into the pond with a splash, startling two swimming carp.

In the ignorant night, I saw Xue Cen wearing brocade clothes and jade belts, pacing in the pavilion with his hands behind his back, looking at the end of the trestle bridge from time to time.

While waiting anxiously, he suddenly heard a deliberately lowered male voice calling from behind, "Xue Erlang."

Xue Cen subconsciously turned around, and was about to ask who it was, when he saw a masked black shadow flash past, and then felt a pain in his chest.

Before he could react, he was pushed back by the huge palm force, opened his eyes wide, and fell on his back into the cold and deep lotus pond.

With a plop, water splashed everywhere.

The two men in black on the shore looked down and asked, "Is it possible to die like this?"

"Press his head down, don't let him come up." Another whispered.

There was a sound of fluttering wings, and the two men with ulterior motives raised their heads immediately, and saw a huge bird hovering over the lotus pond, like a ghost of impermanence, watching Xue Cen, who was constantly struggling and ups and downs in the pond.

"someone is coming?"

"withdraw!"

The two black shadows were afraid that people would see the scene, they didn't care about watching Xue Cen sink, they scattered and ran away.

Almost at the same time, a slender young man appeared under the moon gate in the distance.

He raised his arm, and the gray falcon hovering in the air obediently landed, gathering its wings on his arm.

"Help... help..."

There was a splash of water in the pool, and the moonlight in the pool was shattered.

Ning Yin stood leisurely in the pavilion with his hands behind his back, his eyes reflected the cold waves, and found a good angle to admire Xue Cen's struggling and sinking figure.

Once Xue Cen dies, he will make old fox Xue suspect Dong Gong's head in a reasonable way.

At that time, there will be no need for him to do anything, and there will be two tigers fighting each other, and the monarch and his ministers will turn against each other. Isn't it very interesting?

The lake water was devouring life, and the waves distorted the young man's handsome face.

There was an extremely happy smile on his face, as if seeing the most wonderful scene in the future in the pool water.

After confirmation, don't stay for long.

He turned around to leave, but suddenly met a figure that would never appear here.

Yu Lingxi's chest heaved and she looked at him in shock.