hotmtlnovel Chapter 170 Awkward
Chapter 170 Awkward
"..."Xu Xingyin was silent.
"As for what you heard today, just pretend you don't know. This will do you no good but only harm. Do you understand?"
Chen Yuanshi smiled and said, "Whether it's right or not, your uncle is not coming back anymore, so why do you have to argue about the truth?"
Xu Xingyin pursed her lips and retorted, "But in Jiaojiao's heart, the truth is very important."
Chen Yuan was not surprised by this and gently held Xu Xingyin's hand.
"As a member of the Chen family, I shouldn't say this, but as your aunt, I should remind you of this."
The Chen family is full of loyal and valiant people. They are loyal to the emperor and will do their best to support him. Even if Emperor Yanning wants them to die, they will not say a single "no", let alone question it.
But as her aunt, she watched Xu Xingyin grow up, and no matter how high Jing Zhichen's status was, to her he was just her niece-in-law. If her niece-in-law did something wrong to Xu Xingyin, she, as the elder, could speak up.
Xu Xingyin naturally understood the implication of Chen Yuanshi's words and just nodded.
"Aunt, please speak."
"If this is false, how could His Royal Highness, who is so smart, be unaware of your investigation? If he knew, would he still treat you as before? If this is true, what can you do? If the king wants his subjects to die, they have to die. An ant trying to shake a tree will only make you a laughing stock. Whether it is right or wrong, you will be the one who suffers and is in a dilemma. Rather than hurting the relationship between husband and wife, it is better not to know about this from the beginning."
Chen Yuan stroked Xu Xingyin's black hair with emotion, "Jiaojiao thinks the truth is important, but your uncle and I think Jiaojiao's happiness is more important. It's not a bad idea to whitewash the truth."
……
As soon as Xu Xingyin came out of Chen Yuanshi's room, someone reported the news to Jing Zhichen.
"Oh?" Jing Zhichen raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard that, and asked the secret guard, "What was the Crown Princess's reaction?"
After receiving Xiao Anzi's hint, the secret guard replied ambiguously:
"The Crown Princess seems to be shaken, but she still speaks in your favor in front of Chen Yuanshi."
"Investigate Mei Hanrui and the gossiper secretly, and don't make it public. As for the Crown Princess..."
Jing Zhichen looked aloof, his delicate features were covered with the frost and snow of a cold winter, and no one could figure out what he was thinking.
"If she wants to check, let her check."
Du Huaigu, who was leisurely drinking tea on the side, glanced at Jing Zhichen and advised carefully.
"Your Highness's actions are confidential, but as husband and wife are one, Your Highness should not have kept this from the Crown Princess. Rather than creating a rift, Your Highness should take this opportunity to make this matter clear."
"Absolutely not!" Wise people worry too much, and Qiongguang is a typical example. "This matter concerns the safety of Your Highness, so the less people who know about it, the less danger there is."
Du Huaigu and Qiong Guang each insisted on their own opinion and argued endlessly about this matter. Jing Zhichen felt annoyed and drove everyone out.
He leaned against the window, looking at the winter rain falling outside, and actually lowered his eyes.
"Xu Xingyin, as long as you come and ask, I will tell you." He said, "As long as you come."
As long as, if... those overly subjective premises will eventually turn into smoke in the long river of time, and those slim hopes will perish together.
Suspicion is the sharpest darkness in the human heart. Once the seeds are sown, they will be irrigated with blood and flesh, allowing that small thought to grow into a towering tree inadvertently.
Chen Yuanshi died.
Sleeping forever in that night of early winter.
Because he was a criminal, no one was taking care of him, and by the time others found him, his body was already stiff.
After Xu Xingyin learned about this, he went to see Chen Yuanshi off for the last time despite any obstruction, and forced himself to arrange the follow-up matters. Then he returned and claimed to be ill and could not go out.
Jing Zhichen thought she was just throwing a tantrum and didn't even step into Xu Xingyin's yard. He only sent Du Huaigu to treat Xu Xingyin.
Unexpectedly, Du Huaigu was rejected by Dan Feng before he could even enter the yard, let alone Xu Xingyin's people.
It was said that a famous female doctor was invited to treat Xu Xingyin, which would be more convenient.
When Jing Zhichen learned about this, he did not express his opinion and just focused on dealing with the miscellaneous affairs of the yamen.
In the battle at the border of Liang County, Xu Xingyin and his entourage suffered a great setback, with some injured and some sick. Therefore, Jing Zhichen ordered the team to stay in Yuzhou for a few days until the news of his express trip to the capital to ask for an imperial decree came back, and then the group set off again.
"The Crown Prince and Crown Princess were in danger at the border of Liang County. A family from the Zhennan General's Mansion saved them and they were rewarded for their service. They are ordered to use horse-drawn carriages instead of prison carriages while they are in the capital awaiting trial."
The imperial edict, on the one hand, saved the face of everyone in the Zhennan General's Mansion after they entered the capital, and on the other hand, it also took into account the physical condition of the Chen family's female relatives. I think Jing Zhichen had fought hard to get it.
However, Jing Zhichen did not say a word to seek credit. After receiving the imperial edict, he ordered everyone to pack up and prepare to set off.
The next day, the prince's entourage once again marched north to the capital.
When the team reached Jingzhou, heavy snow suddenly came.
Such heavy snow has always been only seen in the area around Beijing. Unlike in the south of the Yangtze River, the snow falls silently and melts as soon as it hits the ground, leaving no trace at all.
The snow in the capital is an endless stream of heavy snow. It falls in large quantities and silently changes the green mountains into a plain look. Everywhere you look, there is a vast expanse of white.
It was rare that Xu Xingyin was in a good mood, so she put on a veil and got out of the car to walk around. Danfeng followed her closely with an umbrella, and a maid hurriedly brought a cloak for Xu Xingyin to put on.
Jing Zhichen was riding a horse in front, with an upright posture, leaving only his proud back to them.
Walking in the snow, your hair will turn white before you are careful.
Xu Xingyin lost interest in the maids' busy work. He told everyone to stop working and turned back to the carriage.
When Jing Zhichen looked back, he could only see a row of footprints of varying depths left in the vast snow.
Because they had wasted too much time before, the group had been traveling day and night during this period.
In the evening, Jing Zhichen got into the carriage without riding a horse. Just as he fell asleep, he heard someone report that the Crown Princess had a sudden high fever and couldn't even take medicine.
Upon hearing this, Jing Zhichen lost all desire to sleep. He put on his outer robe and went straight to Xu Xingyin. He didn't even notice the panic in his steps.
Xu Xingyin was sick, his eyes were closed and his lips were pale.
Her cheeks were red due to the high fever, and she wrapped herself in the quilt in an almost resistant manner, not allowing anyone to approach her.
"Why did the Crown Princess suddenly become seriously ill?"
Jing Zhichen frowned slightly, and his emotionless questioning frightened the servants inside and outside to their knees. However, Dan Feng mustered up the courage to answer.
"Since Madam Chen passed away, the Crown Princess has been ill. Her bones were not fully healed to begin with, and today she may have been caught in a cold and this is why she is like this."