No. 1 Girl in the Imperial City

Chapter 72 Suspicion and Marriage Rejection (Part [-])
There was a light on in a room in the corner of Chenyou Palace, Xie Yan sat by the window and frowned slightly, with a hint of impatience faintly revealing between his brows.

Xie Yan has been living in the palace since he was eight years old. At the very beginning, he lived in Chenyou Palace with his cousin, the later crown prince, Emperor Yongtai, and now the late emperor.

Later, the cousin was officially canonized as the prince and moved to the East Palace, and he lived here alone until he was 15 years old.

Originally, both uncle and cousin had said that they would reserve Chenyou Palace exclusively for him as his future residence in the palace, but Xie Yan firmly refused.

It's just that after living here for several years, those few years can be regarded as the most peaceful and carefree years in Xie Yan's life.

So every time he came back from the battlefield, or when he was in a bad mood, he would always come here to sit.

It's just that he didn't expect that Mrs. Zhu would appear here at such a late hour.

"If the Queen Mother is fine, please leave." Xie Yan lowered his eyes and said in a deep voice without looking at Queen Mother Zhu.

Empress Dowager Zhu's still young and beautiful face froze for a moment, her long nails painted in light red Kodan clenched tightly and pinched the palm of her hand.

She took a deep breath, and her tone softened quickly.

She looked at the man in front of her, sighed softly, and said, "Zhifei, I thought wrong at first, but I also did it for Cheng'er. Your imperial brother only has Cheng'er's bloodline left. If something happens to him thing, I..."

Xie Yan frowned slightly, and finally raised his head to look at Empress Dowager Zhu in front of him.

After a while, Xie Yan said slowly: "So, the emperor's sister-in-law suspects that the king will abolish Ah Cheng to stand on his own?"

Empress Dowager Zhu shook her head again and again, "I, I naturally believe in your character, but..."

"Since this is the case, the Queen Mother only needs to take good care of Your Majesty, and wait until His Majesty grows up to take charge of the government. There is no need to worry about other things." Xie Yan said.

Empress Dowager Zhu walked to the other side and sat down, and said with a wry smile: "Zhifei, don't blame the emperor's wife for being overhearted. However, there are some things...you don't want to, but it doesn't mean that others don't want to. Even if you are the regent holding the township Jun, but some things... are not completely under your control, right?"

Xie Yan naturally knew what Empress Dowager Zhu meant. Even if she believed that Xie Yan did not want to usurp the throne, what about Xie Yan's subordinates?

Which one is more attractive to be a subordinate of the regent, or a subordinate who supports the regent to ascend the throne and has meritorious service?

Now there are so many honorable children in Shangyonghuang City, they may not be very capable, but they are living their lives more proudly than anyone else.Isn't it because the elders in their family are all the heroes who supported Gaozu's enthronement?
If it weren't for the merits of the dragon, Luo Yun, an ordinary person from a farming family, is still under fifty, how did he become the great general of Dingguo and the super-rank Duke of Dingguo?
These are opportunities that many people in the world of peace can only meet and never seek in their lifetime.

Xie Yan was not angry because of Empress Dowager Zhu's suspicion, and it was not the first time he had heard such words in these years.

It can even be said that Queen Mother Zhu's suspicion is not wrong to a certain extent.

Seeing his silence, Empress Dowager Zhu thought that his attitude had softened, and she continued with a little joy in her heart: "You have not been in the capital these few years, how would you know how our mother and son live? If it is possible, I would rather Cheng'er never followed me. We orphans and widows can live a few days in peace and stability with a family business."

"What does the Queen Mother want?"

Empress Dowager Zhu breathed a sigh of relief, and said softly: "At the beginning, I was thinking about it for a while, and you should be angry. You should just be the emperor's wife and forget about it for a while. The empress dowager has always been worried about your marriage. I Thinking... how about you marrying Ah Jin?"

Xie Yan frowned slightly, "A Jin? Who?"

Empress Dowager Zhu was taken aback, and quickly came back to her senses and said, "You haven't come back for a long time, you must have forgotten. You have met several times in the palace. Ah Jin is my elder brother's eldest daughter. Although She can't be regarded as beautiful, but she is gentle and virtuous, even if you don't like her, she...she will be a good princess."

Although the seniority is a bit poor, the royal family doesn't really care about this.

Throughout the dynasties, it is not uncommon for aunts and nephews to marry the same person.

"How many assassinations did you encounter on the way back to Beijing this time? Who did it, don't you really know?"

Empress Dowager Zhu said quietly: "Now that King Ning is very powerful in the court, Prime Minister Ruan's second son married King Ning's granddaughter last year, Taifu Su is old and not energetic. If you come back later, I'm afraid...my natal family Don’t live up to it, even though you intend to support Cheng’er, you are powerless. Zhifei, for the sake of the late emperor and Emperor Gaozu, you should save Cheng’er.”

Xie Yan looked solemn and did not answer.

Empress Dowager Zhu was a little anxious, she gritted her teeth and said, "Do you want me to beg you?"

Xie Yan said calmly: "I will not marry Zhu Jin."

Empress Dowager Zhu's eyes darkened, and she said, "The empress dowager has been worrying about your marriage. If you don't marry Ah Jin, you will marry someone else sooner or later. How many women are there in this imperial city who are worthy of you? Do you want to marry a girl from the Ruan family? Or a girl from the Su family?"

Xie Yan stood up and said: "I will only marry whoever I want to marry, so the Queen Mother doesn't have to worry about it. Now the Queen Mother wants me to marry Zhu Jin, and in a few years... who do you want Ah Cheng to marry?"

"..." Empress Dowager Zhu was speechless for a moment.

"It's getting late, please move the empress dowager back to the palace." This was driving people away clearly.

"You chase me away?"

"There is a difference between men and women, monarchs and ministers. If the Queen Mother has important matters in the future, she can be summoned directly. There is no need to meet in private. It will damage the reputation of the Queen Mother."

Empress Dowager Zhu was a little distressed, "You and I have known each other for many years, do you want to see each other like this? Sure enough, you still have a grudge because of what happened back then."

Xie Yan said nothing, but he could clearly see the meaning of seeing off the guests.

Empress Dowager Zhu smiled bitterly, said "That's all", stood up, opened the door and went out.

Outside the house, a servant and two maids were already waiting at the door with lamps.

Seeing Empress Dowager Zhu coming out, she immediately bowed and saluted, "Your Majesty."

Empress Dowager Zhu glanced at them lightly and said, "Let's go."

"Yes, ma'am."

Luo Junyao lay on the roof, watching Empress Dowager Zhu and his party go away, and then secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

Just as she was about to cautiously go out from the other side of the roof, her body froze suddenly.

Turning back slowly with a stiff neck, she saw a person standing only two or three feet away from her.

The figure was tall and straight, and she felt that the figure was very slender when she lay on the roof and looked up.

Under the moonlight, the man's black clothes faintly had golden patterns flowing.With a slight tilt of the head, the perfect outline, as carved by a skilled craftsman, became deeper and more three-dimensional.

Luo Junyao was still lying on the roof, raised a stiff smile in embarrassment, and waved to him, "My lord, good evening."

dying!dying!
Xie Yan won't misunderstand her as a stalking voyeur, right?
Xie Yan was silent.

Luo Junyao was a little depressed, "I said I didn't do it on purpose, do you believe me?"

Although standing on the roof, Xie Yan walked on the ground like he was walking on the ground, he had already arrived in front of Luo Junyao in a flash, and the roof under his feet did not make the slightest sound.

He leaned over and picked up Luo Junyao, and jumped off the roof.

Being held in his hand, Luo Junyao didn't struggle.

Leaving aside whether she can beat Xie Yan for the time being, in this kind of place and at this time, she won't have any fruit in a real fight.

"What did you hear?"

"I didn't see anything!"

The two voices sounded almost at the same time, facing Xie Yan who raised his eyebrows slightly, Luo Junyao wanted to cover his mouth in annoyance.

Seeing the little girl's listless appearance, a faint smile flashed across Xie Yan's eyes.

Luo Junyao glanced at Xie Yan cautiously, just in time to see the smile in his eyes, and couldn't help being stunned.

Although there was still no expression on his face, Xie Yan seemed to be really smiling?

Can he really laugh?

Holding down his thumping little heart, Luo Junyao raised one hand and swore, "My lord, I promise, I will never tell outsiders what happened just now." Her father is not an outsider.

Xie Yan raised his eyebrows slightly, "Oh, what guarantee do you have?"

"Guaranteed by my father's character!" Luo Jun said firmly.

Xie Yan seemed a little curious, "Why don't you take your own guarantee?"

Luo Junyao was a little embarrassed, "I'm not... I don't have a good reputation, I'm afraid the prince won't believe my character??

Xie Yan said: "That's not the case, didn't you save my life?"

Yes, she is Xie Yan's savior.

wrong!Who knows if Xie Yan will avenge his kindness?
Xie Yan shook his head and said, "Go back, the palace may not be safe, so don't run around."

Luo Jun shook for a moment, a little surprised, "Aren't you afraid that I will say it?"

Xie Yan said: "Didn't you say you didn't see anything?"

Ok.

Luo Jun shook for a moment, then said: "My lord, someone deliberately lured me to Chenyou Palace."

It's just that she doesn't quite understand why the other party deliberately lured her to Chenyou Palace?

Is it just to meet Xie Yan and Empress Dowager Zhu late at night?But what did it matter to her?
That Empress Dowager Zhu was also weird, as long as Xie Yan was summoned openly, why bother to make such a move at this time?

If people bump into this, wouldn't it just cause people to misunderstand?
"This king knows." Xie Yan said.

"Then... I'm leaving?" Luo Junyao tentatively asked.

Xie Yan nodded and said, "Go."

Luo Junyao no longer hesitated, and ran away in a hurry.

A beautiful man is precious, but the price of life is even higher.

Watching Luo Junyao's back go away, Xie Yan's expression gradually became indifferent in the night.

"Overlap."

A black figure came out from around the corner, bowed and said, "My lord."

Xie Yan said: "Check out the people who entered and exited Chenyou Palace tonight. And..."

Die Ying quietly waited for Xie Yan's next order.

After a long time, I heard Xie Yan say in a deep voice: "Check the Queen Mother."

"Yes, my lord."

Die Ying didn't ask the queen mother anything, since the prince ordered, they will naturally do their best to check everything about the queen mother.

"Go." Xie Yan raised his hand and pinched the center of his eyebrows, waved at Duoying, turned and walked back.

"My lord." Die Ying couldn't help but speak, but hesitated to speak.

"What else?"

Folding Shadow asked: "Will the Luo family..." Regardless of whether the second daughter of the Luo family heard anything just now, the news that the prince and the queen mother met privately again late at night is very arousing.

Luo Junyao's embarrassing and stiff little face under the moonlight, with a little bit of curiosity that couldn't be concealed, flashed in his mind.

Xie Yan said lightly: "The Luo family will not spread rumors."

"Yes." Duoying responded with a bow.

Xie Yan understood what the Empress Dowager meant, but she was just afraid that after a long time, he would forget the friendship between Gaozu and the late emperor, and wanted to take her son's throne.

Five years ago, when the Three Kings' Rebellion had just been put down, the Empress Dowager approached him.

It implies that as long as he is willing to assist Ah Cheng sincerely, she is willing to marry him as the empress dowager.

At that time, Xie Yan felt not only angry, but also ridiculous.

What Xie Yan was angry with was not that Empress Dowager Zhu doubted herself, nor was it that she wanted to remarry.

The emperor's brother had already passed away, and the queen mother was only 24 at that time, so Xie Yan didn't think there was any big mistake if he had any thoughts.Even if the Empress Dowager really has a lover, as long as it doesn't affect the situation between Ah Cheng and the court, he won't have any opinions.

However, the emperor's uncle and aunt had been kind to him in nurturing him. He and the late emperor grew up together, and he sincerely regarded the late emperor as his elder brother.

Compared to the first emperor who grew up together, fought together and was punished together, and went to the battlefield together after he grew up, those few people in the Mu Palace were more like insignificant strangers to him.

Although he didn't have much contact with Empress Dowager Zhu, he sincerely respected Empress Dowager Zhu as his elder sister-in-law.

Hearing what Empress Dowager Zhu said at that time, he only thought it was ridiculous, and it was the first time in his life that he got angry with Xie's female relatives.

After that, Empress Dowager Zhu didn't mention this matter again, but she didn't expect that after a few years, the Zhu family would cultivate a new candidate to win him over?

He had indeed seen that girl named Zhu Jin.

Six or seven years ago, the girl had just turned ten years old.

The Zhu family is an old family from the previous dynasty, and their ancestors once had a queen of the Dongling Dynasty.Empress Dowager Zhu's father was an official worship minister of the Ministry of Rites in the last year of Dongling, and he was a minister in the same hall as Gaozu.Later, Dasheng founded the country, and the old and the new alternated. Although the Zhu family was the prince's Yue family, there were no outstanding talents.

Now Empress Dowager Zhu's father has passed away long ago, and only Empress Dowager Zhu's elder brother holds the title of Lord Cheng En and the position of the right servant of the Ministry of Industry.

The rest of the people are petty officials or playboys who can't stand on the stage, so it's no wonder the Zhu family is anxious.

In the deep night, the noise from the jade terrace could be faintly heard, making the Chenyou Palace even more silent.

Xie Yan's face sank like water, and he walked towards the depths of Chenyou Palace with his hands behind his back.

(End of this chapter)