Chapter 28 Chapter 28 The master can't get married, and can't see...

"Do we still need to discuss this with the master?" Biezhi's eyebrows, which had been raised for only half an inch, suddenly frowned. She didn't understand what was still to be discussed. "If the master doesn't agree, can I still not get married?"

Ling Feng: "That's not the case."

Biezhi breathed a sigh of relief. She thought that the old man couldn't get married himself, and couldn't bear to see others in love. She thought for a moment and said, "If the master doesn't agree, then

don't agree." "You're not going to get married again?" Ling Feng frowned, put down the teacup in his hand, and said sternly like a master: "If you really have feelings for Ji Ran, it's not a problem for the master to arrange your marriage. You can't give up easily because of other people's complaints."

He didn't know what he remembered, and his voice froze. After a long pause, she said, "You'll regret it later."

Biezhi: "..."

She blinked. "I didn't say I wouldn't marry Jiran."

Ling Feng knew he'd been distracted by her, misinterpreting her.

He took a sip of tea and fell silent.

"If he doesn't agree, I'll wait until—" Biezhi was halfway through her sentence when she suddenly remembered she hadn't yet told her master about leaving Xianyun Tower. She stopped herself and changed the subject: "My status doesn't warrant a grand ceremony. Just having my master and my fellow apprentices present will be enough."

"I'll try to get you some more." Ling Feng disagreed. Of all his disciples, Biezhi was only six when she came to him. While other girls were at the most romantic age, running through the fields, she had wandered from place to place to survive.

Biezhi was like his own child, nurturing her step by step until now, and he had long since considered her his own daughter.

However, Ling Feng hadn't considered saying such things to her. She already had a man she loved, and what other girls had, she should have too.

He took a sip of tea and said, "Don't worry about it. I'll discuss this with the master."

Biezhi's lips curled slightly at this, and when she saw the unyielding look in her master's expression, she nodded slightly and accepted.

She had a mission to complete and couldn't stay for long. Seeing that her master was once again lost in thought, Biezhi pondered for a moment before bidding farewell to Ling Feng and returning to the Qin residence.

The vast mansion was silent. Aside from the maids cleaning the courtyard, there was no one else. Hua Chao was still in the storeroom, checking the gifts with the nanny.

Biezhi didn't rush to find Xu Wenche.

After last night's incident, Xu Wenche's entourage of servants would undoubtedly increase, and there might even be more hidden servants following him. If she rashly approached them now, it would inevitably lead to accidents later.

Qingshan had assigned her the identity of the Qin family's second daughter, proving that this identity must have its uses. She had a mission to approach Xu Wenche, and Xu Wenche was eager to connect with the Qin family. Compared to the other members of the Qin family, the second daughter, newly returned to the capital, was his perfect candidate.

Biezhi's gaze fixed on the quietly blossoming buds in the courtyard for a moment before he dispatched a messenger to the storeroom to find Hua Chao.

Upon returning, Hua Chao found his daughter sitting at her dressing table and was momentarily surprised. "Are you going out?"

"Arrange a carriage for me." Biezhi opened a drawer on the side of the dressing table and pulled out a long box. Inside was a tasseled hairpin in the shape of a peach blossom. She gestured with her hands, feeling pleased. "Help me dress up. Accompany me to Qingshizhai later."

If he hadn't misunderstood, Xu Wenche had ordered a servant to reserve a private room there before Zhang Yan arrived.

It was already approaching dusk when they left the mansion.

The Qingshizhai was brightly lit, bustling with people, and the scattered seats were already full.

"Miss Qin, I'm so sorry." The Qingshizhai waiter looked at the girl under the eaves with a slightly nervous expression. After the incident with the young master of the Li family, they had already memorized the appearance of the second young lady of the Qin family. They had been instructed to treat her well when she came again in the future. They had never expected her to come so suddenly. He rubbed his palms back and forth and said, "The private room is full."

"It's okay, I can wait." Biezhi knew she had come at the wrong time, and this was exactly what she wanted. "I came alone, there's no rush." The waiter

was stunned for a moment, then glanced back at the shopkeeper who was surrounded by customers. After a moment of hesitation, he tentatively said, "Miss, would you mind waiting under the eaves for a moment?"

Biezhi nodded, "Yes."

The waiter breathed a sigh of relief, not expecting her to be so easy to talk to. He hurried inside and brought a chair, carefully placing it under the green cloth umbrella at the side of the stone steps of the Qingshizhai. He also brought tea and cakes.

As night fell, the number of people on Yongle Avenue increased.

People passing by Qingshizhai couldn't help but glance sideways at the girl whispering with her maid under the bluestone umbrella. No one knew what they were talking about, but her clear almond eyes were full of smiles, and her dimples occasionally rose and fell, which made people feel a little happy.

Biezhi raised her eyes slightly and glanced at the rising moon.

It was time for Xu Wenche to arrive.

Her eyes fell vaguely on Yongle Avenue, passing by the figures coming and going, but in an instant she caught sight of a handsome man standing out from the crowd. He was wearing a black robe embroidered with gold, and his folding fan fell in his hand like a sharp sword, with an elegant posture.

Only by looking closely could she see the coldness under his gentle eyes.

Biezhi slowly withdrew her gaze and turned to Hua Chao, saying, "Go ask again if there are any vacant rooms."

Hua Chao nodded and trotted up the stairs.

Biezhi supported her chin with one hand, waiting boredly for Xu Wenche to approach.

The man's steps had a hint of the youthful briskness that was unique to youth. He was neither like Prince Su nor Qin Xiao. She lowered her eyelids slightly and counted his footsteps slowly.

When a tall black shadow covered the light and shadow in front of her eyes, Biezhi raised her eyebrows slightly, pretending to think it was Hua Chao who had returned. Without looking up, she asked, "What did they say? Are there any vacant rooms?" There was a

lot of noise all around, but her words went unanswered. Biezhi

, who had not heard any sound for a long time, raised her head and instantly met the man's eyes with a slight smile. The corners of her mouth opened slightly for a moment, and a hint of joy appeared in the depths of her pupils. She stood up excitedly: "Why are you here!?"

The girl's familiar voice slowly came into her ears, as if they had been good friends who had known each other for many years and suddenly met unexpectedly after a long time. Xu Wenche's eyes were fixed on her, and the lights under the eaves of the Qingshizhai passed by from time to time, and the mottled light and shadow fell on the girl's raised face, making her every frown and smile even more charming.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Biezhi glanced sideways at Hua Chao, who was still negotiating with the waiter, and asked, "Mr. Xu, are you coming to Qingshizhai as well?"

"Yes." Xu Wenche nodded slowly. "Young lady, are you too?"

"But they don't have any seats left, so I'll have to wait here." Biezhi looked slightly dejected. She curled her lips and said, "If Mr. Xu hadn't booked a private room in advance, he might have to wait here with me for a while."

"I asked someone to book it yesterday." Xu Wenche's eyes fell thoughtfully into Qingshizhai. The seats downstairs were all occupied. "I happen to be here alone today. If you don't mind, you can share a private room with me."

"Is that okay?" Biezhi suddenly raised her eyes.

The girl's eyes blinked, like a sky full of stars, and she looked at him like this. Xu Wenche's eyes paused for a moment, and he looked away slightly: "Of course."

"Hua Chao," Biezhi called out immediately. When Hua Chao looked back, she waved and said, "No need to ask. We'll share the private room with Master Xu."

Then, she looked at Xu Wenche.

Xu Wenche, whose gaze hadn't shifted even a fraction, suddenly met the girl's bright, joyful eyes. He froze for a moment, his eyelids drooping slightly. When he raised them again, his gaze remained the same. He stepped slightly aside, saying, "Young lady, follow me."

Biezhi gestured for him to go ahead and followed closely inside.

Strike up a conversation with Xu Wenche was easier than she had imagined. Her words would have sounded strange to anyone else, but he clearly didn't care, nor did he dwell on the loopholes in his words.

This made Biezhi even more certain.

The Xu family needed the Qin family's connections, even if it was just to hook up with the second young lady.

"The ministers have agreed to overturn the Suzhou family massacre case and investigate it together with the Hezhou incident. Logically, you should still be in the Dali Temple at this time. Why did you suddenly rush to send someone to find me here?"

Su Ci held the teacup and looked curiously at Qin Xiao who was sitting by the window. He then glanced at Fu Huaiqing who was reviewing the memorials with confusion, not understanding what the two of them were up to.

"Zhang Yan asked Song Jingchen to meet here." Fu Huaiqing said indifferently.

The news was delivered to the palace an hour ago.

Su Ci raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard this.

Song Jingchen is currently the Minister of Personnel. He was previously the governor of Suzhou. The matter of overturning the Suzhou family massacre case had just been mentioned in the morning court. That day, Zhang Yan invited Song Jingchen to a small gathering, and he deliberately chose a place with many people and eyes, so that if others asked about it in the future, he would have a reason to respond.

"Song Jingchen and him have always had a good relationship." Su Ci held the teacup, his fingertips slowly stroking the cloud pattern on it. He said thoughtfully, "It seems like this was all planned long ago."

Qin Xiao slightly opened the window and glanced at the bustling first floor through the half-finger-sized gap. "He seems too impatient, and even seems a little deliberate."

Knowing that the Suzhou case had been overturned, it was clear that someone was targeting this long-dormant case, and it was very likely targeting him. Anyone else would have been too busy to avoid it at this point, but Zhang Yan was truly out of character.

"He's deliberately trying to attract my attention," Qin Xiao said.

Su Ci frowned, his eyes darkening. He couldn't tell what Zhang Yan was planning, but if Qin Xiao's inference was correct, "Is he trying to use you to stir up the dust on the Suzhou family massacre?"

Qin Xiao nodded and hummed.

Silence fell in the private room for a moment.

Su Ci looked at the silent Fu Huaiqing, his thoughts growing more intense. He wanted to know more about his Highness Prince Su than about Zhang Yan.

From the moment he arranged for Qin Xiao to personally travel to Hezhou, it felt as if everything was part of his plan. Xu Wenche, Zhang Yan, and even the undecided courtiers were all pieces on his chessboard, some already in play, others still in the box beside him.

Fu Huaiqing put down his pen and looked up at him.

Su Ci: "You—"

"Bie Zhi?" Qin Xiao's deep voice interrupted Su Ci. Seeing Xu Wenche pause slightly and tilt his head to whisper to the petite girl, his gaze fixed for a moment. He then addressed Wei Feng, who stood by the screen in the private room, "Find out why the second young lady is traveling with Xu Wenche."

He had almost finished his words, and before he could hear Wei Feng's voice, the window pane he was pressing against was suddenly pushed slightly open.

Fu Huaiqing had unknowingly moved to his side.