Chapter 17
In the library pavilion, Xie Lingyu listened carefully to the movement outside, but the other party shouted and then fell silent, as if waiting for her reply.
Xie Lingyu slowly turned her head and looked at the man in front of her whose mouth she covered.
Xiao Yanxing's pair of black eyes like glass lowered slightly and fell on her face. Unexplained emotions seemed to be surging in his pupils, as if there was a thick fog hiding them, making it difficult to see clearly.
"Lang Jun, don't speak yet," Xie Lingyu lowered her voice.
Xiao Yanxing nodded slightly as if he wanted to give her an answer, but it didn't matter if he didn't move, because Xie Lingyu's palm was resting on his cheek, and there was still a little distance between the palm and his lips.
He nodded, and Xie Lingyu suddenly felt a warm and soft touch in his palm.
After careful examination for a moment, Xie Lingyu realized that it was Xiao Yanxing's lips that had touched her palm.
Even though she was not an ignorant girl, such sudden skin-to-skin contact still made Xie Lingyu's heart flutter for no reason. Even though she forced herself to calm down, a blush inevitably appeared on her cheeks.
Her cheeks were so fair that the moment the blush appeared, it was clearly reflected on Xiao Yanxing.
This time, compared to when his lips touched just now, his heart was shaking even more.
When no one spoke, the surroundings were even more silent. Only the heart hidden under the chest was beating faster.
Xie Lingyu's palm that lightly covered Xiao Yanxing's lips also shrank back.
It's like being burned by a brand.
"Your Highness, I am here to deliver something to Your Highness on the order of the concubine," Zhang Hanning's voice sounded again outside the library.
Xie Lingyu's eyes suddenly turned cold, and inexplicable emotions arose in his heart.
If she hadn't suddenly disturbed him, he wouldn't have been so panicked.
Xie Lingyu whispered: "Langjun, wait for me here, I will deal with the people outside."
After saying that, she turned around and left. The long silk fabric on her arm formed a beautiful arc in the air, floating with her figure, looking really cool and neat.
But when Xiao Yanxing thought of what she said just now, he pursed his lips slightly and found it funny.
From what she said, it seemed as if they had done something shameful in the library and almost got caught. Now she had to deal with the aftermath.
Xiao Yanxing closed the book in his hand and stood quietly, waiting for Xie Lingyu to deal with the people outside.
Sure enough, Xie Lingyu opened the door and walked out of the library.
Zhang Hanning stood in the atrium of the library courtyard. When he saw the door open, he immediately knelt down and said, "Greetings to Your Highness."
"Miss Zhang, no courtesy," Xie Lingyu nodded slightly, her tone calm and without a hint of emotion.
Zhang Hanning was followed by several maids, holding various painted brocade boxes in their hands. These were probably what she said the concubine asked her to deliver.
"Your Highness," Zhang Han thought for a while, but boldly raised his head, but as soon as he touched Xie Lingyu's eyes, she suddenly lowered her head as if struck by lightning.
It wasn't that Xie Lingyu's eyes were so cold, it was just that Xie Lingyu had given her too much of a shock since returning home.
On weekdays, she is praised by everyone in Yongning Palace, and no one dares to be disrespectful to her.
But when Xie Lingyu came back, she expelled her maid from the house. Not only was she not allowed to complain, she even had to come over in person to please her.
Zhang Hanning raised a gentle smile: "My little girl was ordered by the concubine to bring some utensils to His Highness. The concubine knew that Her Highness returned to Chang'an in a hurry and must have failed to bring back many household items that were used, so she specially selected them. got these.”
"Concubine, thank you for your trouble," Xie Lingyu's voice was as cold as pearls.
It's just that her coldness didn't make Zhang Hanning more afraid, but instead made her a little happy.
His Highness is probably born with such a temperament, not because he hates himself.
No matter what she thought about Xie Lingyu in her heart, it didn't matter. What mattered was that she couldn't make His Highness hate her, so she lowered her profile even more: "Your Highness, although you were generous and magnanimous and did not anger me when I bumped into you, but I still want to apologize to His Highness, but I forgot that Your Highness would forgive me."
Regarding her rhetoric, Xie Lingyu actually felt calluses in her ears.
It was like this in the previous life, and it is like this in this life.
After all, A Niang would feel very distressed every time she was so humble in the past, and she even spoke frankly to make Xie Lingyu respect her more.
Xie Lingyu once did follow Concubine Han's request and always called Zhang Hanning "Ajie".
But this call "Ajie" did not come from her sincerity.
Xie Lingyu stood on the high steps and looked at Zhang Hanning condescendingly, with calm emotions and anger: "Since the concubine likes you, you just have to abide by your duty and serve the concubine well. With this king, you don't need to worry too much and spend less. Just put some thought into it.”
Even if she wanted to send something, Zhang Hanning could just deliver it directly to her courtyard, so there was no need to follow Chunxi to the library, just to spy on things around her.
Xie Lingyu would not show any mercy to her for such a smart-aleck approach.
This time, Zhang Hanning was really frightened. She knelt down and said, "Your Highness, I have no intention of peeping."
"That's very good," Xie Lingyu curled her lips and was about to turn around and return to the library.
But just as she turned her toes, she suddenly paused and turned her body slightly sideways to slash at Zhang Hanning: "From now on, you are not allowed to step into the front yard without my permission."
As for her, of course she would not allow this.
Zhang Hanning knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his head.
When Xie Lingyu re-entered the library, Xiao Yanxing was still standing quietly among the bookshelves, with a tall and thin figure, dressed in unremarkable commoner clothes, clean of dust, and vaguely showing a sense of pride and loneliness.
"Does Ci'an think I'm too unkind?" Xie Lingyu suddenly asked with interest.
Xiao Yanxing looked at the delicate face of the girl in front of him. Her eyes were bright, as if she was really waiting for his answer.
"This is Prince Yongning's Mansion. All rules are determined and moved by His Highness. Your Highness is the heaven here," his voice was calm and cold, but he stood by her side every word.
——I want you to always stand by Xie Lingyu’s side.
That day, she pretended to be innocent, but every word of her words fell into his heart.
*
After entering the palace to greet the saint, Xie Lingyu rested in the mansion for two days, mainly to organize her yard. When she returned home this time, she did not stay in the backyard where she had lived when she was young.
Fortunately, no matter how outrageous Mrs. Han was, she did not dare to let Zhang Hanning live in that courtyard.
As for now, she is the owner of the palace and should live in the front yard.
The front yard was originally the place where her father lived, and no one had lived in it for many years. Fortunately, the servants in the house did not dare to slack off, and the yard was always clean and tidy.
In the past two days, she had someone open the palace warehouse and move a lot of things out of it.
"It's really unreasonable. There's no reason to let an outsider take charge of the family," Tinghe muttered while holding the brocade box.
Chunxi was helpless, she had been hearing this for two days.
Unexpectedly, this little lady was still angry.
Chunxi comforted her: "Just think of her as the stewardess around the concubine. Besides, we didn't get everything we wanted."
It turned out that when Xie Lingyu was not in the mansion, the keys to the mansion's warehouse should have been with Concubine Han.
This time Xie Lingyu sent Chunxi and the others to open the warehouse, and Chunxi went to ask for the key. Only then did she realize that Zhang Hanning was now in charge of the warehouse with Grandma Chen.
What an honor this is.
Aunt Chen is an elderly person in the palace and the most capable person around the concubine. She has no problem managing the warehouse.
However, Zhang Hanning had only been in the palace for a few years, and unlike Aunt Chen who had sold her body deed to the palace, she was still allowed to keep the keys to the warehouse.
Tinghe was unconvinced: "But every time we take something, we have to ask her to come over and open the warehouse. It seems like we are asking for something from her hand. Why?"
They opened the warehouse for two days in a row, and each time Zhang Hanning took the key and opened the door for them.
It is understandable that Ting He would be angry. When they were in Shangyang Palace, she and Chun Xi were Xie Lingyu's personal maids, and both of them would keep His Highness's valuable jewelry and warehouse keys.
They are used to being the masters of the house, but now they have to let others do it even to open a warehouse, so naturally they feel inferior to others.
"Okay, you didn't see it," Chunxi couldn't help but said, "Your Highness has made his own decision."
Tinghe thought for a while: "That's right. I don't think His Highness likes that one either."
"So don't talk endlessly in front of His Highness later with your mouth. His Highness knows these things well."
Tinghe immediately obeyed: "Listen to sister Chunxi."
When they first returned to the courtyard, they saw the maids in the house busy. Chunxi asked curiously, "What's going on?"
"I'm going out of the house later. Which of you two wants to go with me?" Xie Lingyu asked.
Tinghe's eyes widened instantly, full of anticipation.
However, Chunxi asked quite calmly: "Your Highness, where are you going?"
"Chongrenfang, just now Xiao Langjun sent someone to tell me that he wanted to go to Chongrenfang. It happened that I had nothing to do in the house, so I planned to go there to see the excitement."
Tinghe asked stupidly: "What's the excitement?"
Xie Lingyu was in a good mood and tapped her head with the fan in her hand: "The examination will be held in March soon. Now candidates from all over the country have arrived in Chang'an. Those who came early may arrive after New Year's Eve. After all, we need to They have to adapt to Chang'an. As for when they arrive in Chang'an, they will probably live in Chongrenfang."
"Why Chongrenfang?" It was Chunxi who asked this time.
The two of them followed Xie Lingyu to Shangyang Palace when they were still young, and they didn't know much about everything in Chang'an City.
"It's not too far from the Shangshu Province, and there are many Jinzhuyuan. Therefore, every time the imperial examination comes in the spring, thousands of people who want to take the exam will gather nearby. Over time, this place will become particularly lively every spring."
Xie Lingyu patiently explained.
Hearing what she said, both Chunxi and Tinghe were very moved. How can a young lady not like fun.
But Chunxi thought about it and said in a low voice: "Your Highness, you should take Tinghe with you. I have just brought back these items and are about to arrange them. Why not let Tinghe take care of you this time? If you come back next time, When you go out, why don't you change your service to a slave?"
As expected of the older one, everything was arranged in an instant.
"It's a pity that there are no men's clothes suitable for me in the house," Xie Lingyu said calmly.
Chunxi said while dressing her up: "If Your Highness wants men's clothing, I will have someone come and tailor it for Your Highness tomorrow."
"At that time, you and Tinghe will also make two sets each, so that it will be more convenient to go out in the future," Xie Lingyu casually ordered.
After finishing dressing up, Xie Lingyu led Tinghe out together.
When the two of them arrived at the place where they took the bus, they happened to meet Xiao Yanxing and Qingfeng arriving there too.
When their eyes met, compared to the smile in Xie Lingyu's eyes, Xiao Yanxing's eyes were full of surprise.
He thought again and again and finally said, "Your Highness also wants to go out?"
"Lang Jun is not going to Chongrenfang," Xie Lingyu chuckled and blinked: "I happen to have nothing to do at home, so why not go with Lang Jun."
Tinghe on the side was listening to the conversation between the two, and then he noticed something.
That is because His Highness did not make an appointment with Xiao Langjun.
Xiao Yanxing lowered his eyes, thought for a moment, and then said: "Your Highness wants to go to Chongrenfang. I shouldn't stop him. It's just that His Highness is a rich man. Although there are many candidates in Chongrenfang, they are all mixed. , Why don’t Your Highness bring more guards just in case.”
"Just bring a few escorts and let them follow us at a distance. We keep a low profile and nothing will happen."
Xie Lingyu didn't care much. After all, there were people patrolling the streets in the square. Even if there were people who really dared to make trouble, her guards would wait for a while until the patrols in the square arrived.
Seeing that she could not be dissuaded, Xiao Yanxing did not continue.
Indeed, as she said, this place is at the foot of the emperor, especially near Chongrenfang, which is close to the imperial city. Almost no one dares to cause trouble here.
They just need to keep a low profile.
"Mr. Sir, are you going to meet other test takers?" Xie Lingyu asked proactively after getting in the car.
This time she and Xiao Yanxing were riding in the same car.
The two of them were sitting opposite each other, with Ting He and Qing Feng beside them, so riding in the same carriage was not a big deal.
Xiao Yanxing nodded: "There are many candidates from other places taking exams in Chang'an now. Although I am not talented, I still want to experience them."
Xie Lingyu nodded in agreement.
"I have the same idea as Lang Jun," Xie Lingyu nodded thoughtfully, and then said slowly: "Besides, I can also take this opportunity to recruit talents."
Recruitment.
Xiao Yanxing's long black eyelashes suddenly raised to look at her, and his Adam's apple rolled up and down unconsciously.
But even though he didn't ask, Xie Lingyu seemed to see his expression and said with a smile: "I know that everyone who comes to take the exam has the ambition to be on the gold medal list, but not everyone can go to high school. If they fail to pass the exam, they will be admitted." I don’t think it’s a blessing.”
"In ancient times, Lord Mengchang had 3,000 diners. I won't say much, but he can afford to have 3000 diners."
The expression on Xiao Yanxing's face became more and more dull at this moment, and even his eyes were almost emotionless. He only replied: "Then I wish your highness to get what he wishes."
But even he didn't notice that his voice was a little tight.
