Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Taking her out tomorrow is Prince Su's...

The Xu family has been merchants for generations, encompassing numerous industries. Anything not restricted by the imperial court is within their grasp. While the common people are considered scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, merchants are considered the lowest class. However, when it comes to the Xu family, people use a different set of criteria.

Because the Xu family is as wealthy as a nation, and rumors abound of their frequent connections with government officials, and rumors circulate that the current head of the Xu family also has a personal relationship with Prince Su, Xu Wenche's trip to the capital may not be driven by pleasure as he publicly claims. Perhaps he's seeking connections within the capital to facilitate future business ventures for the Xu family.

Biezhi gazed at the palm-sized brochure Shanju had sent him, reading it once more, a thought forming within him.

If Xu Wenche wanted to forge ties with the upper echelons of the capital, he would have to find a way to approach the Qin family. Using Qin Wan and Qin Xiao would be incredibly difficult, and the Qin family's second daughter, who had just returned to the capital, was undoubtedly his best choice.

According to the route, Xu Wenche would arrive in Beijing tomorrow afternoon, and Biezhi had no intention of waiting. "I have to show myself to him tomorrow."

Just as she finished her words, there was a sudden knock on the tightly closed door.

Half leaning against the bed, Biezhi sat up and calmly put away the book in her hand before opening the door. She looked at the woman standing in the doorway and belatedly realized that she was Hua Chao, the maid assigned by the Qin family to serve the "Second Miss of the Qin Family." "Is it Qin—" Biezhi paused, then amended, "Are my parents looking for me?"

"It's Wei Feng, the young master's attendant." Hua Chao took two steps to the side, looking at the figure standing in the courtyard. "Wei Feng said the young master wants to discuss something with the second lady."

Biezhi's face flickered with confusion as she glanced at the familiar figure in the courtyard.

Why would Qin Xiao want her at this hour?

Did he recognize her?

That shouldn't be the case...

Wei Feng nodded at the suspicious girl and led her to the study.

Biezhi followed him closely, her eyes occasionally scanning the surroundings. In a moment, she had the layout of the Qin Mansion imprinted in her mind. Walking through the quiet corridor, she could see the bamboo forest. The rustling sound of the green bamboo leaves could not drown out the laughter in the study courtyard.

Near the arch bridge of the courtyard, Wei Feng stopped and said, "Miss, please wait here for a moment. I will go inside to pass the message."

Biezhi had brushed up on the rules of the noble mansion before coming here, and nodded "hmm".

She watched Wei Feng walk up the arch bridge. After she walked down the arch bridge, a strange face came forward. The man's eyes were sharp, and the sword hanging at his side swung slightly with his steps. Wei Feng didn't know what he said to him, but he picked up his sight and looked at her.

Biezhi had never seen the man before, but she had a guess in her mind.

The man should be the Prince Su . The guards beside him.

It was almost noon, and Prince Su had been at the Qin family for nearly an hour. Everything was just as the rumors said. The Qin family's two children had a close relationship with Prince Su. So she must have been suspicious. He had come here for other things today.

Not long after, Wei Feng came back.

Biezhi followed him inside. When they were about to step onto the arch bridge, they saw a tall and casual figure. He was half leaning against a tree trunk about four people wide. I don't know what others said, but the corners of the man's mouth were slightly raised, and the warm smile in his eyes made him look a little Gentle, like a spring breeze, making people unable to help but look a few more times, reluctant to leave.

The man's eyes fell on Qin Wan's face in front of him, his thin lips slightly parted, speaking slowly and unhurriedly.

Because they were separated by half a yard, and because his voice was slightly deep, Biezhi did not hear his voice, let alone what he said. She just saw that as he spoke, the thin lips that touched each other suddenly pursed, followed by his sudden gaze.

The cold and indifferent gaze made Biezhi's heart tighten slightly, and no matter how hard she looked, she could not see the warmth in his eyes just now.

In an instant, she suddenly felt very Fortunately, Ji Ran is different from him.

Otherwise, his looks would have been wasted.

If it was Ji Ran standing in front of her, she would have taught him how to make good use of this face.

A man so handsome should be gentle.

No one will like him if he keeps a stern face every day, as if others owe him tens of millions of taels!

Qin Wan, who was sitting on the stone bench, seemed to have noticed his gaze and looked back following his gaze. The moment their eyes met, she stood up and waved: "We were just talking about going out tomorrow, little sister, do you want to go with us?"

Biezhi's eyes lit up for a moment when she heard it. She was thinking about what excuse to find to go out tomorrow, but she still pretended to be reserved: "Can I go out?"

"Of course." Qin Wan saw that she was a little hesitant, glanced at Fu Huaiqing under the tree, and asked. "There will be a calligraphy gathering on Yongle Avenue tomorrow. Literati and poets will gather here. Neither of them plans to go with me. Would you like to go with me?" "

Calligraphy gathering?

Biezhi's mouth twitched. She naturally didn't want to go because she had been practicing with swords and guns for many years.

But in the current situation, even if she was asked to attend the calligraphy gathering tomorrow, she would resolutely bring her original calligraphy with her.

Biezhi pulled up a faint smile at the corner of her mouth: "Okay, my sister and I will go together. "

There was no reluctance in the girl's coquettish tone. Fu Huaiqing thought of the paper she sent back to the capital when she was on a mission, and a hint of subtle ridicule flashed across his eyes.

Saying that her handwriting was a ghostly scribble was a compliment to her.

Qin Wan pulled Biezhi to sit beside him and introduced her to the literati who would attend the gathering tomorrow. Biezhi, who knew nothing about it, was confused and showed a confused look from time to time. However, Qin Wan did not give up, but explained the life stories of these people to her in more detail.

Biezhi swore that she had never listened so seriously when the teacher in Xianyun Tower explained the books to her, but she always lost her mind while listening.

Seeing that Qin Wan had no intention of ending for a while, she blinked her tired eyes and stood up like a child in the school . Biezhi straightened her back, and when she caught a glimpse of Prince Su under the shade of the tree, her body stiffened.

When he didn't smile, he looked like the King of Hell.

And as if he had noticed her inattention, he pressed his thin lips into a straight line, his pupils as deep as ink, as if brewing a violent storm.

Qin Wan, who was talking excitedly, caught a glimpse of her little sister who was slightly tense, and stopped talking in confusion. Following her gaze, she looked at Fu Huaiqing under the tree, and was stunned by his expression.

Except for the year when he eliminated the foreign relatives, Qin Wan rarely saw him with this expression.

She frowned, and when she was about to ask, she heard hurried footsteps behind her. Cheng Jin walked over quickly, followed by the little emperor's entourage. The two of them came to Fu Huaiqing one after the other, and bowed and said, "Your Highness, there is an accident in the palace. "

As soon as these words were spoken, the courtyard fell silent for a moment.

Biezhi looked at the Qin brothers and sisters, whose brows were slightly frowned, without asking any more questions, pretending not to hear anything.

Fu Huaiqing said nothing.

He drooped his eyelids, glanced at Biezhi who was sipping tea in small sips, glanced at Jiang Yue behind him, and left without looking back.

Qin Xiao also followed.

But in an instant, only Biezhi and Qin Wan were left in the quiet courtyard.

Recovering from her daze, Qin Wan patted Biezhi soothingly, saying, "The prince's relationship with the family is quite good. You don't need to be overly afraid of him." Seeing her younger sister's skeptical expression, she added, "Those who don't know him well may find him unapproachable, but he has a good impression of you. It was he who suggested I take you to the gathering."

Biezhi was momentarily stunned by this.

Was it Prince Su's intention to take her out tomorrow?

Instantly, Biezhi's impression of him, which had fallen to the bottom, rose a fraction.

Moreover, Prince Su had been gone for only half an hour, and Qin Wan seemed to have other matters to attend to, so she didn't drag Biezhi into explaining the gathering, allowing her to escape.

As Qin Wan was leaving, Biezhi declined her offer to escort her back to the courtyard. After watching her disappear from sight, she headed towards the main courtyard, where Madam Qin lived.

Biezhi also needed to go out.

Madam Qin, upon learning of her purpose, immediately escorted her out of the palace.

Ostensibly, Madam Qin was taking her for a tailoring session, but in reality, the two of them split up upon entering the fabric workshop. Biezhi, donning a veiled hat to avoid detection, quickly raced towards the outpost outside the city gates. Quickly changing into a simple cloth garment, she leaped onto her horse, whipping it along the narrow path leading to the capital.

After about half an hour, Biezhi rode up the hilltop, tethered her horse, and rode for another cup of tea before finally stopping.

After waiting for nearly two hours, she spotted a few servants on horseback exploring the path.

Biezhi summoned her inner energy and followed them closely along the mountain path. As they headed towards Ding'an Gate, she stopped, untied her horses, and leisurely rode back to the capital.

Based on her observations over the past few days, if nothing unexpected happened, someone from the Xu family would come to explore the route tonight. Each expedition involved three people, and including tonight's scouting servants, Xu Wenche had brought nearly forty people into the capital.

With such a large-scale event, the Xu family had long known that this journey was fraught with danger.

Thinking of this, Biezhi smiled.

A business worth ten thousand taels was indeed not easy to do.

She would have to investigate the situation again that night, so she did not rush back to the Qin family. Instead, she rode towards the Suzaku Gate.

Biezhi did not enter the city. From afar, she watched the endless stream of people coming and going at the Wuwei Shop. She sighed. If she were not constrained by her status as the second daughter of the Qin family, she would really like to go over and talk to Ji Ran.

She had a lot of things to say, but apart from Ji Ran, there was no one else who could let her speak freely.

The gurgling sound of the stream was pleasant, and it had a unique effect when it fell on her ears. Biezhi found a place to sit cross-legged in the shade of a tree, watching the people working at the end of the stream, and her long-tensioned heartstrings relaxed a little.

At this moment, a faint sound suddenly rang in her ears. She did not turn around immediately, but listened intently to the footsteps, one or two, that seemed to be coming in her direction.

Seeing the man getting closer, Biezhi's mind gradually focused, and her hand slowly fell on the hilt of the sword beside her leg. She tightened her grip on the hilt, and the moment the sword blade was drawn out, it woke up the birds on the treetops and scared the man who was walking over with a basket.

The moment Biezhi saw the man's face clearly, the sharp sword blade was only a palm's distance away from his heart. She exerted a little strength to barely hold the stabbing sword.

She quickly retracted the sword blade, looking at Jiran in surprise and confusion: "Why are you here?"