Mu Mingtang was stunned for a while before she realized what Hsieh Hyun-chen had done. She covered her mouth in shock, and her first reaction was to look at the maids behind her.
The maidservants were used to seeing storms and waves. They worked for Xie Xuanchen, so how could they not even have this bit of insight? They all retreated and kept their heads down, determined not to take another look or hear another word.
With the maids gone, Mu Mingtang was more or less relieved. When she came back to her senses, she immediately glared at Hsieh Hyun-chen angrily. "What are you doing?"
"Didn't you ask me if the medicine would work?" Hsieh Hyun-chen said, "It's better to do it than to say it. Feel it for yourself. Is it bitter?"
Hsieh Hyun-chen paused suspiciously and said tactfully, "If you can't feel it, you can try again."
"No need!" Mu Mingtang looked at him angrily. Her face was already red, and she said with a taut face, "I see that you're very energetic, yet you still have the time to think of these crooked methods. You call this recuperating? "
"Why can't I think of crooked methods when I'm recuperating?" Hsieh Hyun-chen felt that her logic was wrong and corrected her. "If it's anything else, of course I won't have the energy to do it. But if it's you, not only will I have the energy to do it, I can even go deeper. "
Mu Mingtang looked at him in shock, and her face turned red. Hsieh Hyun-chen didn't think much of it at first, but when he saw Mu Mingtang's reaction, he suddenly became uncertain.
Did Mu Mingtang misunderstand? Was she thinking the same thing as he was thinking now?
Hsieh Hyun-chen didn't know who was the one with the dirty thoughts. Mu Mingtang flew into a rage out of humiliation and glared at him angrily. "You old pervert, what are you talking about?"
Hsieh Hyun-chen hesitated. "Actually, that's not what I meant. But it's fine. "
"Get lost!"
Hsieh Hyun-chen had finally succeeded in making Mu Mingtang even angrier.
When Mu Mingtang was first kissed by Hsieh Hyun-chen, although she was surprised, she did not reject it. Instead, she was very shy. Mu Mingtang was angry yesterday because she was embarrassed. She was too embarrassed to face Hsieh Hyun-chen, so she could only bluff.
After a good night's sleep, the awkwardness in Mu Mingtang was almost gone. She and Hsieh Hyun-chen were husband and wife. They had been married for a long time. It was not a big deal to admit that she liked him.
She felt like she had nothing left to lose, so she endured being kissed by Hsieh Hyun-chen. However, what Hsieh Hyun-chen said after that really angered Mu Mingtang.
Mu Mingtang realized that he had misunderstood. It was already awkward, but this bastard actually said, "But it's okay." Okay my ass. Mu Mingtang angrily glared at Hsieh Hyun-chen. This time, he was really angry.
Hsieh Hyun-chen was a classic example of a tyrant. When Mu Mingtang got angry, he became weak. He immediately pretended to be weak and innocent. This set of actions was very smooth and practiced.
He was very beautiful. Normally, people would not hate him. Now that he was deliberately acting obedient, it made people feel even more helpless.
Mu Mingtang looked at the old "patient" in front of him. He was angry but helpless. He was mentally and physically exhausted.
Hsieh Hyun-chen was addicted to pretending to be sick. He could not help himself and would do anything to take advantage of her. A few days later, Hsieh Hyun-chen drank all of the bitter medicine that Mu Mingtang brought over. However, after drinking it, he took the opportunity to ask for some compensation.
He was so happy that he did not have time to pay attention to what was happening outside. At this time, the peace talks in the capital were in an uproar.
The Northern Tribes and Ye Chao had torn apart the friendly facade of the past few days. They quarreled over a clause or even a word.
Today, because of the issue of the border, the Minister of War and the envoy of the Northern Tribes were in a deadlock. The Emperor personally agreed to withdraw the troops from the border. The two countries would trade with each other. However, where to open the market and how to draw the border became a very difficult problem.
Previously, these things were tacitly agreed and had never been brought up. Now that the two countries interacted with each other, they realized that the misunderstanding between the two countries was not small.
The Ministry of War and the Northern Tribes had many disagreements over this. The Northern Tribes felt that they had taken a huge step back by removing the annual coins. They were not willing to give up on the border and wanted Suicheng and Zhuozhou to be the border.
Of course, the Imperial Court did not allow this. However, this time, the Northern Tribes did not relent. The Minister of War was so worried that his hair fell off. One day, he stared at the map on the table in a daze. Suddenly, he saw a place.
Qiyang.
Qiyang!
The Minister of War suddenly had a bold idea. He immediately took the draft of the Northern Tribes and rushed to the Imperial Residence of Prince An.
At this moment, in the Imperial Residence of Prince An, Hsieh Hyun-chen was enjoying a carefree life. When he suddenly heard that there were guests, he frowned in disdain.
He forced himself to endure and went to the front hall to meet them. After the Minister of War finished speaking, Hsieh Hyun-chen impatiently frowned and stretched out his hand, "Give me their draft."
The Minister of War was waiting for this sentence. He quickly handed it over. Hsieh Hyun-chen flipped it open and scanned through it quickly. He did not even see the bottom and his lips curled into a cold smile. The Minister of War was very familiar with this cold smile. Before the Minister of War could say anything, Hsieh Hyun-chen threw the booklet on the floor.
"How dare they! Tell them to scram!"
Although the Minister of War knew that this was not scolding him, he was still frightened. He picked up the booklet and said hesitantly, "Your Highness, please calm down. I also think that the Northern Tribes have gone too far. However, the Northern Tribes are unwilling to give up Sui City and Zhuozhou. I have tried my best to persuade them, but they are still not convinced. "
"Tell them to scram if they are unwilling to give up. Since when did they have the right to decide the border?" Hsieh Hyun-chen did not look friendly. He raised his eyebrows slightly. It was obviously a very arrogant expression, but he did it with a heroic spirit. It was unbelievably handsome. "If they are tactful, then it is fine. If they are not, then I will draw it myself. When that time comes, it will not be up to them to decide where to draw it. "
The Minister of War hesitated, "But, how should I tell the Prince of the Northern Tribes …"
"Tell them exactly what I said," Hsieh Hyun-chen said coldly. "I gave them face, but they did not take it. How dare they."
The Minister of War broke out in cold sweat. Although Prince An said to tell them exactly what he said, the Minister of War felt that if they really wanted this ally, it would be better to beautify it.
The Minister of War's purpose was clear.
Before he left, he remembered that when he came in, he seemed to have heard that Prince An was recuperating. Out of habit, the Minister of War subconsciously asked, "I heard that Prince An has been recuperating recently. How did Prince An get sick? You clearly saw that everything was fine during the Dragon Boat Festival. "
The Minister of War was secretly worried about this. How was Prince An's health? Why was he so weak when he was charging and riding?
This was related to the future of the Emperor. The Minister of War had to be concerned. Of course, the Crown Prince had to be virtuous, but more importantly, he had to be healthy. A sickly king could easily breed too many hidden dangers.
Hsieh Hyun-chen raised his eyebrows and coldly glanced at the Minister of War, "What does it have to do with you?"
After he finished speaking, he stood up and strode back to the backyard.
The Minister of War wiped his sweat and left. He felt that Prince An did not look like a sick person when he was scolding people.
Then why did Prince An claim that he was sick?
The Minister of War thought about it all the way. When he reached the yamen, he suddenly slapped his forehead. He felt that he had figured it out.
This must be Prince An's strategy. First, he claimed that he was sick to numb the Northern Tribes. Then, when the Northern Tribes became complacent and showed their true colors, he would attack at the crucial moment.
Brilliant, it was really brilliant. The Minister of War praised. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that his guess was right. Prince An was meticulous and had anticipated all the opportunities. This move was unexpected. It was really brilliant!
Jiang Mingwei waited in the Jin Imperial Residence for a long time. However, no one from the imperial court invited Xie Xuanji to save the situation.
She gradually had a bad feeling about this.
This should not be. This was supposed to be an important plot for Xie Xuanji to show his superb political skills. Why, until now, no one invited Xie Xuanji to participate in the negotiations?
Could it be that she remembered the time wrongly? Now was not the time for Xie Xuanji to make a move?
Jiang Mingwei was skeptical. She felt that she had missed out on something very important. As the days passed, Long Summer arrived. News came from the capital that the Northern Tribes would be leaving soon. However, Jiang Mingwei still did not see the plot that she had been waiting for.
When she heard the servants say that Yelv Yan and the others were ready to leave, her heart skipped a beat.
Impossible. Xie Xuanji's important plot. Why did the negotiations not happen?
Jiang Mingwei quickly asked the servants to find out. Later, the servants brought back news that the negotiations were going smoothly. The Northern Tribes were very tactful and did not mention any unfavorable conditions. The current contract was very friendly to Ye Chao.
The Northern Tribes did not cause any trouble. Naturally, there was no need for others to interfere. Xie Xuanji did not participate in the negotiations from the beginning to the end.
Jiang Mingwei also heard the servants say that during this period of time, the people from the Six Tribes frequently came to the Imperial Residence. Every time they came, the negotiations with the Northern Tribes would progress greatly.
Jiang Mingwei finally understood why she felt that something was wrong.
In her previous life, when Hsieh Hyun-chen did not exist, the Northern Tribes were very arrogant in their negotiations. They asked for one million years coins. Later, under Xie Xuanji's efforts, it was changed to eight hundred thousand.
Xie Xuanji became the hero of the country and was praised by the court. With this beginning, the negotiations naturally had to rely on Xie Xuanji. It could be said that the Northern Tribes' excessive conditions were minimized because of Xie Xuanji.
However, in this life, the coins were rejected by Hsieh Hyun-chen from the start. With Hsieh Hyun-chen's reputation, the Northern Tribes did not dare to cross the line. Occasionally, when there was a dispute, Ye Chao only needed to throw out Hsieh Hyun-chen's name and the Northern Tribes would be obedient.
If they still did not change, they would report Hsieh Hyun-chen. Hsieh Hyun-chen was much more unreasonable than the Northern Tribes. In the end, even the Yelv Yan had a headache. They tried to solve everything internally and not disturb Hsieh Hyun-chen.
Weak countries did not have diplomacy. Similarly, bandits did not need diplomatic skills. If they did not change, the Ministry of War would report Hsieh Hyun-chen. In the end, the Northern Tribes would still obediently change their rules.
The negotiations were like a hot knife through butter. Xie Xuanji had no place to use his skills. In reality, no one thought of using him.
Jiang Mingwei was shocked to find that the plot seemed to have … gone completely out of control. It wasn't just the peace negotiations. As early as the Lantern Festival, the plot had been forcefully turned and rushed wildly in an unbelievable direction.
Your brother is still your brother. As long as Hsieh Hyun-chen is there, Xie Xuanji will never be able to make a name for himself.
No matter how unwilling Jiang Mingwei was, the negotiations between Rong and Ye were gradually coming to an end.
On the day Yelv Yan and the rest left the capital, Mu Mingtang and many other women sent the Northern Tribes off at the city gates. Before they left, Xiao Siyi specially ran to Mu Mingtang and waved goodbye to her.
Mu Mingtang also smiled and wished her a safe journey. Although Mu Mingtang said that they would meet again someday, she knew that they would not meet again.
After this parting, if they were fated to meet again, it would either be the Northern Tribes attacking Dongjing or the Ye Dynasty attacking the Northern Tribes. In comparison, not meeting was the best outcome for both sides.
The Northern Tribes envoys traveled far north. They brought with them a lot of silk and tea leaves, as well as the agreement between Ye and Rong. The Imperial Court had been busy with the negotiations for a long time. In these few months, almost everything had to be compromised for the sake of the negotiations. Now that the Northern Tribes had left, everyone in the capital, whether it was the court officials, the women in the harem, or the commoners, all let out a long sigh of relief.
When they came to the capital, the grass was long and the orioles were flying. Now it was the end of summer. It was the transition between summer and autumn. Unknowingly, the summer had passed.
The Imperial Court rested for a short while before slowly returning to its daily routine. During this time, the harem held many banquets. Whether it was the concubines or the palace maids, everyone was very tired. The palace was very quiet for a few days. It was not until mid-autumn that there was news of another banquet.
It was said that the Emperor was very satisfied with the peace negotiations. Since mid-autumn was approaching, he wanted to hold a reunion banquet and at the same time, reward those who had contributed greatly to the peace negotiations.
Speaking of those who had contributed greatly, Prime Minister Song, who had advocated for the peace negotiations, naturally contributed greatly. However, other than him, there was another person who did not appear at the negotiation table from beginning to end. His figure was everywhere during the negotiations.
That was Hsieh Hyun-chen, who had appeared in a strange manner. He did not appear, but every line and word of the agreement could not be separated from him.
What was even more strange was that Hsieh Hyun-chen claimed to be sick during this time. After he finished playing polo with the Northern Tribes and said some harsh words, he suddenly fell ill when he came back. Not only could the Northern Tribes not guess what he wanted to do, even the people of the Ye Dynasty could not guess.
This person was sometimes ferocious and scary, sometimes sick and weak, sometimes aggressive, and sometimes very quiet. And all of this happened on the same day, seamlessly switching.
Many people thought about it repeatedly, but still could not understand Prince An's intentions. Prime Minister Song let out a long sigh. He thought that he was experienced and astute, but he still could not understand the purpose of Hsieh Hyun-chen's actions. Hsieh Hyun-chen was really unpredictable.
Even the Emperor would not make Prime Minister Song feel so frustrated that he could not guess at all. For example, during this mid-autumn banquet, Prime Minister Song knew very well that the Emperor was doing this for Prince An.
The appointment of the Crown Prince could not be delayed. If the palace did not make a statement, the people would tacitly accept Hsieh Hyun-chen, and that would be even worse.
How was King An's health? Who would be the next heir to the throne? Was it time for them to make a statement on this matter? Was it the son or the father's death?
On the day of the mid-autumn festival, when Mu Mingtang arrived, many people asked with concern, "Princess An, Fu An. Princess, I heard that the Prince has been sick recently? "
After the Dragon Boat Festival, Hsieh Hyun-chen suddenly "fell ill". He complained that his eyes and hands hurt, that he could not read or drink medicine, and that Mu Mingtang had to do it personally, or else Hsieh Hyun-chen would be sick to death. If it were not for the fact that he did not dare to test Mu Mingtang's bottom line, Hsieh Hyun-chen would almost have to be fed by Mu Mingtang.
In the beginning, when Mu Mingtang had just married into the Imperial Residence, Hsieh Hyun-chen was still half-conscious. At that time, his energy was really weak, and he was very resistant to being fed. How long had it been, but Hsieh Hyun-chen had completely lost his backbone.
Even the maids in the Imperial Residence could see that Hsieh Hyun-chen was pretending to be sick, but this person did not feel embarrassed at all. He could make a scene in front of everyone, and pretend to be unconscious. This series of actions was very skilled. However, even if Hsieh Hyun-chen was shameless, Mu Mingtang was. The maids on both sides quietly held back their laughter. Mu Mingtang was extremely embarrassed, and could only try to go along with him, and not let him cause any more trouble.
It was too embarrassing.
It was also because of Hsieh Hyun-chen's crazy troublemaking that Mu Mingtang could not leave the Imperial Residence for three months, and basically did not leave the Imperial Residence. Outsiders only knew that after Hsieh Hyun-chen played a game of polo with the Northern Tribes during the Dragon Boat Festival, he suddenly fell ill when he returned home. His illness came suddenly without any warning, and it gave off a strange feeling no matter how one looked at it.
Because of this, there were many conspiracy theories in the capital. Some suspected the Emperor, some suspected the other princes, and the craziest one was that the Prime Minister and the Northern Tribes secretly colluded to poison Hsieh Hyun-chen, who was in favor of war.
There were many different theories, and there were many guesses. However, they could not see the culprit, and there was no way to verify it, so they could only continue to wait suspiciously. Today was the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, and Mu Mingtang was finally going to leave the Imperial Residence. Everyone found the opportunity and swarmed forward, all to gather information.
Mu Mingtang was surrounded by people, and her face was slightly stiff. She could not say that they were thinking too much, and that Hsieh Hyun-chen was actually faking his illness. She could only brace herself and say, "… Yes."
The person who asked the question became more and more concerned, "What caused it? Why did he fall ill again? Is his illness serious? "
Mu Mingtang tried hard to maintain her composure and said, "It's not that serious. It's actually not a big deal. Thank you for your concern. "
"How can you say that his illness is not a big deal?" The other person said with a serious face, "Your Highness's illness has been recurring, so you have to be more careful. If An Wangfei needs anything, please do not hesitate to ask. "
"… Okay."
Mu Mingtang was speechless, and could only agree awkwardly. Along the way, many people were asking about it. Mu Mingtang sighed silently, if she told them the real reason, she was afraid that they would be scared. Would they believe that he was actually faking his illness?
Only Hsieh Hyun-chen would be able to fake his illness to such an extent.
However, the main culprit of all this, the "seriously ill" Hsieh Hyun-chen, looked calm and composed, without the slightest hint of panic. If one looked closely, he really did look sickly and weak.
After the banquet began, the Emperor also asked about this matter, "How is Prince An's health now?"
After the Emperor asked this question, the banquet seemed to have quieted down. In front of so many people, Hsieh Hyun-chen did not panic at all, and even pretended to be serious and said, "It's fine, I've been much better recently."
"That's good." The Emperor said with relief, "I heard that your health was not very good a while ago, and I was very worried. Unfortunately, I could not free myself because of the peace negotiations. Now that I know you're much better, I'm relieved. "
Mu Mingtang was too embarrassed to raise his head to look at the Emperor. His face was ruddy and full of energy, was this how a sick person should look? However, one dared to say it, and the other dared to admit it, pretending to be close uncle and nephew.
The Emperor asked a few more questions with concern, and earnestly reminded Hsieh Hyun-chen to pay more attention to his basic necessities. After a while, someone came to propose a toast to the Emperor, and the Emperor changed the topic.
When the Emperor no longer looked at them, Mu Mingtang lowered his voice, gritted his teeth, and said to Hsieh Hyun-chen, "You really agreed?"
"Yes." Hsieh Hyun-chen did not think that there was anything wrong with this at all, and even said righteously, "They insisted on caring about me, what can I do? I can't let them continue to worry, so I agreed. "
It was really reasonable, and it was his own logic. Mu Mingtang glared at Hsieh Hyun-chen and asked in a low voice, "Then, when do you plan to recover?"
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