If it was any other time, Xie Xuanji would have reported it long ago. But this time … Xie Xuanchen had stirred up a huge commotion every time he woke up. If half of the royal court were to be alerted, how would he explain that he was alone in Jade Qilin Hall?
In the end, it was hard to explain. Xie Xuanji coughed and said, "Second brother only woke up for a while before fainting. Letting the Emperor know will only make him more worried. It's better to wait until second brother's condition stabilizes before we report it to the palace."
The confidant unconsciously frowned, "But Prince Qiyang was born with divine strength and extraordinary martial arts. At this sensitive time, if we don't report it and miss something, won't we be unable to explain?"
"No." Xie Xuanji's tone was firm, "He only woke up for a while before he vomited blood. His body has been deteriorating since the beginning of the year. Whether he wakes up or not won't affect the final result. There's no need to disturb father with these trivial matters. "
Even if the confidant still felt that it was inappropriate for Prince Jin to say this, he couldn't say anything else. Hsieh Hyun-chen was able to make great contributions to the founding emperors of two dynasties. It wasn't a joke. Hsieh Hyun-chen was born with divine strength. At the age of fifteen, he could draw a twenty-picul bow and use six piculs on horseback. Someone once made a bet on whether Hsieh Hyun-chen could lift a hundred catty iron spear. When Hsieh Hyun-chen heard it, he thought it was too light and lifted a two hundred catty iron spear in front of everyone.
When one's strength reached a certain level, there was no need for technique. Just the weight of one's body would be enough to kill one's opponent. Hsieh Hyun-chen's strength was extraordinary. He had been in the army since he was a child and knew a bit of all kinds of weapons. This kind of person was a destructive killing machine in front of the battlefield.
If he was only a soldier, the imperial court wouldn't be so afraid. However, he was also very smart and was a rare talent. Hsieh Hyun-chen joined the army when he was fifteen years old. After that, he repeatedly defeated his enemies despite being outnumbered. Later, Emperor Gong of Jin, Emperor Ai of Zhou, and the Emperor of Southern Tang all died at his hands. Xie Rui could not help but fear him. If Hsieh Hyun-chen was sober, even if Hsieh Hyun-chen gave up the throne, Xie Rui would not dare to sit on it.
Hsieh Hyun-chen had become the Emperor's sore point. Whenever there was any movement in Prince Qiyang's Mansion, the Emperor would lose sleep for several days. Hsieh Hyun-chen's awakening was such a big matter. How could Prince Jin hide it from him?
However, he had to be loyal to the monarch. His trusted aide took Prince Jin's money, so how could he disobey Prince Jin's intentions? Xie Xuanji was not willing to report this to the higher-ups. His trusted subordinate could probably guess the reason.
Xie Xuanji came out of Prince Qiyang's Mansion. Apart from the guards, there was only one living person in Prince Qiyang's Mansion. His trusted aide was well aware of what Prince Jin was doing today.
This kind of thing was not easy to say. If he said too much, it would be taboo. Therefore, Prince Jin insisted on hiding it. His trusted subordinate advised him to keep it a secret, and then tactfully shut his mouth.
In fact, Xie Xuanji was somewhat regretful now. If he had gone to Prince Qiyang's Mansion another day, he could have reported it openly now. In order to please the Emperor, he deliberately built his mansion next to Prince Qiyang's Mansion. No matter what Xie Xuanji said, he was somewhat afraid in his heart.
Who could feel at ease when there was a fierce tiger tied to one's bed? Xie Xuanji also wanted to reveal that Hsieh Hyun-chen was sober. After that, he would either add more medicine or more people. In short, he must ensure the safety of Prince Jin's Mansion. However, the problem was that once Xie Xuanji told the Emperor that Hsieh Hyun-chen was awake, it meant that his whereabouts could not be concealed. How could Xie Xuanji explain to the Emperor and the many imperial physicians that he appeared in Prince Qiyang's Mansion and happened to see Hsieh Hyun-chen wake up when he was talking to Princess Qiyang?
If it was a coincidence, Xie Xuanji himself would not believe it.
It was difficult for him to justify himself, so he could only brace himself and hide the whole thing. Fortunately, Hsieh Hyun-chen only woke up for a while and then fainted, so there would not be a big mistake. As for Mu Mingtang … Xie Xuanji did not care. She was a woman, so what kind of tricks could she play?
Xie Xuanji's feelings for Mu Mingtang were actually very simple. He did not like this lowborn and vulgar substitute. If it were not for the fact that he wanted to create an affectionate persona, stabilize the Emperor, and win over Jiang Honghao, Xie Xuanji would never accept this boorish fake Princess Qiyang. However, Mu Mingtang was somewhat beautiful after all, and she was deeply in love with him. No man would refuse a beauty sent to him. His official wife should naturally be a young lady like Jiang Mingwei. However, it was fine to raise a beautiful vase in the mansion next door and have a taste occasionally.
They each had their own thoughts and walked in silence for a while. When they reached the study, his confidant asked, "Prince Jin, Prince Qiyang used to be like a god and was full of tricks. Although he was in a coma for a long time, he should not be underestimated. Is he really in a coma today? "
Xie Xuanji had also thought about this question. He walked behind the desk, thought for a while, and said, "I saw him vomiting blood and fainting with my own eyes. It was definitely not an act. Even if he can pretend to be in a coma, he can't pretend to vomit blood. I saw it clearly. The blood he vomited was bright red. "
Vomiting blood was not a good sign, let alone bright red blood. His confidant was slightly relieved, but …
"Prince Jin, what if?"
"There will be no 'what if'." Xie Xuanji disdained, "Even if he can really act to this extent, the black iron chains made of fine iron cannot be faked. Even if he wakes up, he can't break free from the black iron chains. He is just struggling at death's door. "
Yes, the black iron chains. When his confidant thought of the heavy iron chains, his heart finally calmed down. The black iron chains were made under the orders of the late Emperor, Xie Yi. At that time, Hsieh Hyun-chen's lethality was much greater than it is now. No one could subdue him. Xie Yi was also angry, so he ordered Hsieh Hyun-chen to be locked up. Later, when Xie Rui ascended the throne, he used Xie Yi's will as a shield to lock up Hsieh Hyun-chen. He even secretly strengthened the chains several times.
The black iron chains were an iron cage that locked up a fierce tiger. No one dared to bear the price of letting the tiger out of the cage. His confidant exhaled, and said, "As long as the black iron chains exist, the country will be stable. I only hope that Prince Qiyang will know his place and won't go crazy again. "
Xie Xuanji sneered, "It's impossible for him to break free. There are two keys. One is with me, and the other is with father. As long as one key is missing, the chains can't be opened. Unless he breaks his own hands and feet, he won't be able to escape. "
·
Outside Jade Qilin Hall, the alarm hadn't been lifted, and the security was still very strict. Mu Mingtang opened the door to get food. Outside the corridor, she saw heavily armored soldiers patrolling back and forth day and night. They didn't relax for even a moment. The imperial bodyguard captain was also guarding the door. When he saw Mu Mingtang come out, he asked, "This lowly officer pays his respects to Princess. Princess, how is Prince Qiyang's condition? Is there any sign of him waking up? "
Mu Mingtang shook her head and sighed softly, "No. He hasn't. He fell into a coma after vomiting blood. He's still asleep. "
The imperial bodyguard captain didn't know if he was relieved or worried. He cupped his fists and said, "Princess, please pay more attention. As long as there's the slightest movement, Princess will immediately come out and tell us. We mustn't take any chances. "
"Yes, I know." After Mu Mingtang finished speaking, she carried the food box and entered the door with a heavy expression. After closing the door, Mu Mingtang quietly leaned against the door and listened for a long time. After making sure that no one outside was suspicious, she sneaked back into the bedchamber like a thief.
"Your Highness, I'm back." Mu Mingtang walked to the West Hall and whispered. "Don't worry, they didn't find out!"
After Mu Mingtang finished speaking, she felt that something was strange, "Why does it seem like I'm hiding someone in the room? Avoiding people's eyes and ears, sneaking around, it's even more careful than having an affair. "
Hsieh Hyun-chen was studying the handcuffs. At first, he was too lazy to pay attention, but when he heard the words' hiding someone 'and' having an affair ', the veins on his hands bulged. He really couldn't bear it, "How can you say that?"
"It's the truth." As Mu Mingtang spoke, he took out the food in the food box, "You see, even food has to be secretly delivered. In the past, the concubine next door to my house had an affair, and it was like this. "
Hsieh Hyun-chen was so angry that he slammed the iron chain hard, making a clattering sound. Mu Mingtang was frightened and quickly shushed him, "Shh, don't make a sound!"
Hsieh Hyun-chen really did stop. The two of them were strangely silent for a long time. Mu Mingtang was still leaning against the window to listen. When he saw that the people outside didn't notice, he let out a long sigh of relief, "You scared me to death. This is not something a normal person would do. If it happened a few more times, I would be scared to death. "
Hsieh Hyun-chen was able to endure this time. A real man knows when to yield and when to stand tall. He didn't care about this insignificant stain. After Hsieh Hyun-chen thought about it, he found that something was wrong. That's not right, they were clearly a proper married couple, so why did he also think that they were having an affair?
Mu Mingtang didn't notice Hsieh Hyun-chen's strange and twisted thoughts. He scooped some food for Hsieh Hyun-chen and brought it to the bed. He had just woken up, so Mu Mingtang didn't dare give him food that was too oily, so he ordered tofu, chicken, and other nutritious foods that were easy to digest. She brought the food to Hsieh Hyun-chen. Hsieh Hyun-chen's face was stiff and he didn't want to.
Mu Mingtang saw his face and knew what this ancestor was thinking. She was very patient and said, "Wangye, you have chains on your hands. These things will make a sound if you touch them. It's better to let me do it."
People under the eaves have no choice but to lower their head. Hsieh Hyun-chen could only accept the treatment of being fed. Fortunately, Mu Mingtang was very skilled at feeding. As soon as he lowered his head, he could take a bite. Each time, the food was just right in his mouth.
Regardless of anything else, eating like this was very comfortable … Hsieh Hyun-chen swallowed the food and asked, "You know quite a lot of things. Where did you learn them?"
"Do I still need to learn?" Mu Mingtang laughed in spite of herself, "With parents to worry about me, I naturally won't be able to learn anything. If you leave me outside, I'll learn everything in less than a year."
Mu Mingtang fed him the food and gave him water before eating by herself. Mu Mingtang ate much faster than Hsieh Hyun-chen. Hsieh Hyun-chen had just woken up, so he could still stay awake for a while. At the moment, he had nothing to do, so he could only watch Mu Mingtang eat.
Mu Mingtang was very serious when eating. When she chewed, she pursed her lips and didn't make a sound or appear flustered. Her cheeks were puffed up like a chipmunk. She ate very delicately, but in fact, she ate very quickly. Every bite wasn't big, but her movements were fast and she wasn't picky about food. At a glance, it was obvious that her eating habits were trained in chaotic times. Those delicate young ladies in Dongjing were picky about what to eat after a meal. By the time they finished eating, the capital would have already been conquered.
Hsieh Hyun-chen's eating habits were similar to Mu Mingtang's. On the battlefield, one couldn't afford to be picky about food. Eating quickly was a necessity for marching soldiers. As for picky eaters … if his subordinates dared to be picky about food, Hsieh Hyun-chen would personally beat them to death.
Hsieh Hyun-chen looked for a while and finally realized something. The bowl in Mu Mingtang's hand looked a little familiar.
In order to not arouse suspicion, the two of them could only use one bowl. Otherwise, if they used two bowls for a meal, wouldn't that be admitting it without being pressed? Hsieh Hyun-chen suddenly felt awkward. He looked away and didn't continue to look.
Mu Mingtang was very focused when eating, so she didn't notice if anyone was looking at her. When escaping, if there was food, she had to eat quickly. If she looked around, it might be snatched away at any time. After she finished eating, she cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks. Seeing that Hsieh Hyun-chen was quiet, she thought that he was tired again, so she didn't think much of it and went out with the food box.
Mu Mingtang left the food box outside, and the patrolling soldiers didn't suspect anything. She cheered in her heart. Today was also the day that she secretly kept someone in her room without being discovered by the outside world.
Mu Mingtang walked back, trembling, and found that Hsieh Hyun-chen was looking down at the black iron chains again. Mu Mingtang already knew the origin of these chains. When she saw this scene, she undoubtedly felt very sad.
Who would have thought that Hsieh Hyun-chen's father, the late Emperor Xie Yi, personally ordered that these chains be chained to Hsieh Hyun-chen? When Xie Yi gave the order, he also said that without his verbal instructions, no one was allowed to open the chains for Hsieh Hyun-chen. However, not long after, Xie Yi died.
Naturally, it was impossible for them to obtain his verbal instructions.
Mu Mingtang felt sad when she saw this. The physical harm that these chains brought to Hsieh Hyun-chen was secondary, but the psychological pain was the most important.
This set of black iron chains constantly reminded him that he was no longer a general who was revered by tens of thousands of people and had outstanding achievements. Instead, he was a sinner who slaughtered his comrades and killed people like flies.
The hero of war had become a sinner of peace.
Mu Mingtang did her best to pretend that she didn't notice anything. She walked in front of him and gently said, "Your Highness, I met a lot of strange people on the road. One of them was a thief, and his lockpicking skills were passed down from his ancestors. I learned it from him for a while. Do you want me to try? "
The next morning, no one woke her up, and the sun didn't shine in, so Mu Mingtang slept until the sun was high in the sky.
When she opened her eyes and saw the time, she was startled. She quickly got up to change her clothes and wash her face. While she was tying her clothes, she sighed in her heart. Fortunately, she didn't need to take care of her parents-in-law after she got married, and there was no one in the palace to care about her. Otherwise, if she slept until the sun was high in the sky on the first day of her marriage, her future days would be much better.
After Mu Mingtang finished dressing, she found another troublesome problem. Jade Qilin Hall had everything, except for a mirror. When Hsieh Hyun-chen bought the palace, he wasn't married yet. There was no mistress in the palace, so naturally there was no dressing table.
Without a mirror, Mu Mingtang could comb her hair, but she couldn't do this every day. Mu Mingtang remembered that her dowry had a full set of furniture. When there was time, she would go look for it in her dowry.
Today, she didn't have a mirror, so she could only make do. Fortunately, Hsieh Hyun-chen was unconscious, and the guards outside didn't let her go out. She couldn't see many people, so no one laughed at her. Mu Mingtang carelessly combed her hair, then hurriedly ran to the west side of the palace.
After a night, Hsieh Hyun-chen didn't seem to have changed. He didn't even move. However, after she wiped him clean, he looked different. Today, Hsieh Hyun-chen looked much fairer and more handsome. He also looked more like a pretty boy.
Mu Mingtang muttered in her heart as she wiped his face with a handkerchief and changed his dressing. After Mu Mingtang tidied everything up, she suddenly found that she had nothing to do.
In the past, when she was running around to make a living, even when she was in the Jiang family, she was busy learning etiquette and poetry. She rarely had free time. She didn't expect that after she got married, she would live a life of waiting for food.
Mu Mingtang sat for a while, but she was too embarrassed to stare at Hsieh Hyun-chen's face. Thus, she stood up and walked around the palace, cleaning it.
She was dusting in the easternmost room when she suddenly heard a sound at the door. Mu Mingtang quickly ran over and opened the door. She found that it was the two servant girls from yesterday.
Mu Mingtang's place of marriage was completely different from Jiang Mingwei's. The servant girls in the Jiang fu cried and wailed. None of them were willing to be part of the dowry. It wasn't easy for Mu Mingtang to keep anyone alive. These servant girls were like her, struggling to survive. There was no need for them to accompany her to death. Therefore, Mu Mingtang took the initiative to tell Jiang Furen that there was no need to choose her dowry. In the end, Jiang Furen only arranged for two people to follow Mu Mingtang to the Prince of Qiyang fu as dowry servant girls.
Mu Mingtang was well aware that these two servant girls weren't part of the dowry. They were sent by the Jiang family to keep an eye on her. However, Hsieh Hyun-chen's reputation was too frightening. The two servant girls didn't even dare to enter Jade Qilin Hall. They only dared to stay outside and talk to her through the door.
Mu Mingtang stood behind the high threshold and suddenly realized that she was like a ten-thousand-year-old tortoise. Jade Qilin Hall was her shell. No matter how fierce the people outside were, as long as she didn't step out of this door, no one would dare to do anything to her.
Thinking of this, Mu Mingtang straightened her back. She straightened her face and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"This servant is here to pay respects to Princess Consort and … to see if Princess Consort is well and if there is anything she needs to buy."
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