A bolt of lightning pierced the sky, and there was a roar and thunder.
The two people who were looking at each other calmed down and looked away.
Song Ran raised her hand and wiped away her tears with her sleeves.
Liu Yunqi was silent for a long time before slowly speaking: "You should also be careful when getting along with Chen Chaobai. This person is not as simple as he seems on the surface."
Song Ran's astonished expression was like being struck by lightning: "What did you find?"
Song Ran didn't even tell her brother about the incident when she was eight years old. Liu Yunqi would not even know. So how did Liu Yunqi feel that Chen Chaobai was not simple?
"It's just intuition and no basis." He noticed Song Ran's puzzled expression and continued: "Chen Chaobai has a close confidant named Xia Chun. He is very skilled."
"Does he have a sister named Xia Yu?"
Liu Yunqi looked slightly surprised: "Have you seen it?"
"That day at Prince Xuan's Mansion, she walked in front and you came in behind."
Liu Yunqi suddenly realized: "It turns out that the woman who went out that day was her."
"What happened to Xia Chun?" Song Ran continued to ask.
"This is Xia Yu I'm talking about."
"Does she really have a relationship with Prince Xuan that cannot be revealed?" Song Ran's eyes lit up when she heard this. Is this a reason to break off the engagement? She tried hard to recall the scene when she met Xia Yu that day, but she couldn't recall any ambiguous feelings between her and Chen Chaobai.
Even Chen Chaobai refused the soup?
Are you just pretending in front of her?
She was lost in thought.
"It's not that she has anything to do with Chen Chaobai. It's just that her husband was seen interacting closely with some traders who were suspected to be from Qi State in the north."
"Trader in Qibei?" Song Ran was confused again.
"Yes. I'm afraid that I might alert someone, so I haven't followed up yet."
The State of Qi is located to the north of the State of Chen. Wei State is located to the south of Chen State. The Song family was stationed in Nanjun and had been wary of Wei's invasion for many years. The late emperor sent another general to guard Beijun.
The State of Qi has always been on good terms with the State of Chen, and it is a very common thing for the people of the State of Chen to interact with the merchants of the State of Qi.
Why does Liu Yunqi have such concerns? He must have found something, but he didn't want to say it clearly. In other words, there are still some things that he has not investigated and understood, and it is not convenient to talk about them at this time.
"Brother Qi, are you spying on King Xuan? Or are you investigating something?" Song Ran's eyes were filled with curiosity. Liu Yunqi was no longer the simple-minded brother next door he once was.
Everyone is changing, but she seems to be the only one who is well protected.
"I don't believe that my father was killed by a few bandits. To tell you the truth, my father raised a group of dead soldiers. He was surrounded by people with strong martial arts skills. How could he be killed by a few bandits who only knew three-legged cat kung fu? kill?"
"Master Liu raises dead soldiers?"
"Yeah. After my father died, something happened to the former prince. Is this too much of a coincidence?"
"Uncle Liu is a member of the former crown prince?"
"My father has always been neutral to the outside world. In fact, he has taken refuge with the former prince a long time ago. As a person, we should all know that except for his stubborn temper and his resolute approach, there is nothing else to criticize. If nothing had happened, I think maybe He is also a wise king.”
"Are you suspecting what the current Holy One did?" Song Ran lowered her voice and raised her head to look directly into his eyes.
"If it was him, why did he still promote me to be a bachelor? Shouldn't it be eradicated? This is also what I am confused about? Moreover, the emperor has made it clear to me that my father's affairs have nothing to do with him."
"Then you found Chen Chaobai? But he is also a prince, why should he eradicate dissidents for the current emperor instead of seeking the throne for himself?"
"Alas -" Liu Yunqi closed his eyes and let out a long sigh: "Everything is unclear. I am telling you this because I hope you will be careful."
There were footsteps behind me.
The two of them shut up and deliberately stood apart.
It was Liu Yunqi who followed Ah Ji.
He stood behind them, leaned down and said respectfully: "Sir, my wife ordered me to invite you over. Mr. Jiang and Miss Jiang are here."
Liu Yunqi and Song Ran turned their heads to each other and looked at each other.
When they returned to the house, the princess was still sitting beside the bed. On the wooden stool next to the bed, a maid was holding a bowl and feeding Mrs. Liu soup spoonful by spoonful.
Jiang Chongyan and Jiang Zhiru were sitting at a round table a little further away, chatting with the princess.
Song Ran stayed in Liu Mansion for a long time and only noticed it now. Now only the housekeeper and a cupboard are left in the Liu Mansion, and the rest are only the two maids beside Mrs. Liu.
As for Liu Yunqi, there is only Ah Ji who has been with him silently since he was a child.
Jiang Zhiru heard the footsteps outside the door and turned around with a smile.
At that moment, her smiling face suddenly froze.
Today, Song Ran is wearing a light red dress, with clouds on her hair and a flower-faced golden skirt. She has bright eyes and white teeth, and is wearing a wind dress. Liu Yunqi and Liu Yunqi walked in side by side from outside the house, like a couple.
"It's raining so heavily outside, why did you come here in person?" Liu Yunqi asked with concern when he saw that the corners of their clothes were more or less stained with water, and there was some mud on the sides of their shoes.
"I've met the princess." Jiang Chongyan stood up and said respectfully. Jiang Zhiru was still sitting on the chair next to him. He frowned and pulled the corner of her clothes.
"Young Master Jiang, there is no need to be polite." Song Ran turned her eyes again and looked down at Jiang Zhiru's fingers: "Have Miss Jiang's hands been seen by a doctor? There shouldn't be any scars on such long and fair fingers."
"Thank you, Princess, for your concern. Last night, my mother asked the doctor to go to the house to have a look. She applied some plaster, and she is fine today." Jiang Zhiru dragged her hand, stood up and replied.
Jiang Zhiru looked at Liu Yunqi again and said, "My mother asked the servants to make some lotus seed and lily soup today. I thought Aunt Liu would like it, and I haven't visited my house for many days, so I came over with my brother."
"Miss Jiang, did you go to the racecourse yesterday?" Liu Yunqi turned to look at Song Ran beside him and asked.
"Yes, Miss Jiang and Mr. Jiang were both here yesterday. His Royal Highness Prince Xuan was still regretful and kept saying that it was a pity that you did not go with us."
"It's not a pity. Yesterday, the emperor happened to summon his ministers to discuss matters. State affairs are of paramount importance."
"Hey, I'll ask the princess to invite the prince again later, and we can go together again." Jiang Chongyan then thought about what happened yesterday, and his face darkened: "But next time, I have to choose a docile horse for Zhiru. .”
"Don't worry, Mr. Jiang. When we left the racecourse yesterday, the horse slave had retrieved the crazy horse yesterday. I heard the prince asked the steward of the racecourse to take a closer look to see what frightened the horse."
Snapped--
Jiang Zhiru staggered back a few steps, her calves kicked the stool at her feet, she staggered back, her soles stepped on her skirt again, and she almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, she was holding the round table with one arm.
"Sister, what's wrong?" Jiang Zhiru's lips turned pale, and she looked frightened.
The maid helped the chair up, then helped Jiang Zhiru to the chair and sat down.
Jiang Chongyan saw Jiang Zhiru's expression turned ugly, so he picked up the teapot on the table and poured her a cup of hot tea.
Bang - another sound.
Jiang Zhiru's hand trembled and the tea cup hit the table.
"I think yesterday's shocking scene is still fresh in Miss Jiang's memory. Let's wait for some time at this racecourse and Miss Jiang's mood has eased before making an appointment." Song Ran understood when she saw Jiang Zhiru's reaction. She probably knew the reason for what happened yesterday.
Liu Yunqi also noticed the subtle relationship.
"Yes, yesterday was too dangerous. Fortunately, the princess came to the rescue and saved this girl's life." Only Jiang Chongyan did not understand his sister's reaction and thanked Song Ran again.
"Ranran, are you okay?"
"Were you injured yesterday?"
The princess and Liu Yunqi looked at Song Ran at the same time.
Song Ran was startled and smiled awkwardly.
The princess looked concerned and hurriedly asked Suqin beside her to go up and check.
Song Ran waved his hand towards Suqin who was about to step forward.
"Haha, mother concubine, Brother Qi, do you think I'm in trouble?" Song Ran stretched out her hand and turned around in a circle.
"Girl, you've been wearing skin all day long since you were a child, so your skin is thick."
"Mother, there are so many outsiders here." Song Ran's cheeks turned red in embarrassment, her smile was stiff, and she suddenly said frustrated and aggrieved.
"Okay, it's getting late." The princess of the county adjusted Mrs. Liu's quilt and said softly: "Sister, I'm taking Ran Ran back, and I'll see you another day. If you miss me, too Please send someone to the old mansion to inform you."
Mrs. Liu's face was filled with reluctance, and she suppressed her tongue again, not saying any words of reluctance: "You must have gone to the temple early to pray for me. You must be sleepy by now. Take Ran Ran back and have a rest." .”
"Sister, it's okay. Every time they lead troops to fight, I'm so worried that I can't sleep. As time goes by, my sleep is getting worse."
"Looking at Zhiru's appearance, I'm afraid I'll have to find another doctor to take a look. We'll go back to the house first." Jiang Chongyan winked and asked the maid in his house to take Jiang Zhiru out first. He then respectfully looked at Mrs. Liu on the bed. He bowed and said, "Aunt Liu, my nephew will come to visit you another day."
When she walked out, Jiang Zhiru's steps were still weak, relying on the support of the maids on both sides.
The carriage stopped at the gate of Liu Mansion.
Song Ran helped the princess get on the horse.
"Concubine, wait for me. Arnold has something else for me to bring to Brother Qi."
Song Ran held the hem of her skirt with both hands and jogged a few steps towards the door of Liu Mansion.
Liu Yunqi was standing there watching them.
"Brother Qi. I went to see Arnold before returning to Beijing. She asked me to bring you two words of 'thank you'." Song Ran took out a folded rice paper from her sleeve. The word 'thank you' was crookedly written on it in ink.
"I thought you were going to join me today to investigate, but I was surprised that you didn't say anything before you left."
"Arnold didn't blame you, so why should I blame you?"
"It turned out that I harmed her. I harmed her family." Liu Yunqi's pupils tightened and he stared at the words for a long time.
"Her father gambled away his family fortune and reaped the consequences. It only made Arnold want to marry in such a remote place."
"If it weren't for me, she wouldn't be filling other people's houses." Liu Yunqi sighed bitterly again.
If it weren't for Liu Yunqi Xuexin asking her brother to marry Arnold in Fuyuan, Song Ran might not have known about Liu Yunqi and Arnold.
In Song Ran's memory, Arnold only appeared in front of Liu Yunqi three times. One time was when she was six years old when she was catching chickens at her house, one time was during the Lantern Festival when she was ten years old, and another time... it should be the day she left the capital.
