Xie Lingqiao had lost a lot of weight. At the blind - date banquet back then, she had been silent, but now she seemed more gloomy.
She always liked to look up at people from below, showing the lower part of her eyes, as if observing. But when she noticed the other person's gaze, she would quickly shift her eyes, making it hard to tell whether she was timid or had something on her mind.
Xie Yan glanced at her calmly, then smiled and said, "Second younger sister."
Xie Lingqiao sent all the maids out. Only the two of them were left in the empty palace.
She stood up and suddenly knelt in front of Xie Yan.
Xie Yan was startled and immediately stepped aside. He frowned and looked at Xie Lingqiao as if trying to figure her out. "What are you doing? Get up quickly."
"Second brother, I'm sorry for you." Xie Lingqiao said hoarsely. In a moment, tears welled up in her eyes. "I was confused before and always bullied you. You must resent me in your heart, right?"
Seeing that she didn't get up, Xie Yan felt impatient. He stared at her coldly, as if watching to see what tricks she was up to. Hearing this, he raised his eyebrows slightly and pretended to be surprised. "Second younger sister, you're overreacting. There's no talk of resentment between siblings."
He really didn't resent her. He just thought she was pitiful now.
Being kept in the dark all her life, wasn't that a kind of tragedy?
Xie Lingqiao gave a self - mocking smile. "Siblings? Among us now, who can still be considered siblings?"
Xie Yan just looked at her without saying a word.
She continued on her own. "Xie Guang is ruthless. It must be difficult for you to deal with him, second brother?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Xie Yan still had that faint smile on his face, but a closer look showed coldness in his eyes. "Xie Guang and I are just having a bit of fun. It's not a matter of dealing with each other."
There really wasn't any deep - seated hatred between him and Xie Guang. It was just that they were irreconcilable enemies in the fight for the throne.
Once Xie Guang ascended the throne, his faction would have no way out.
Xie Lingqiao sneered. "At this point, second brother, why are you still pretending? You showed mercy to him, but don't forget that he and the queen wanted to kill your mother."
Xie Yan's face suddenly turned cold. "Second younger sister, watch your words."
If someone said that Xie Lingqiao would repent, he wouldn't believe it even if the world were turned upside down and the sea flowed backwards.
Xie Lingqiao knelt on the ground, not caring whether she looked embarrassed or not. She was a laughingstock now. Besides the title of princess, what else did she have?
Nothing.
Since that was the case, she didn't care about anything anymore.
"I'm just not willing," she suddenly said. "Why does that disgusting bastard Xie Guang still get to live well in this world and even have a chance to be the emperor!"
Her expression suddenly became vicious and she seemed a bit crazy. "Second brother, guess whose child the little prince is?"
Xie Yan stared at her. "Are you crazy?"
He already knew all these things clearly. He was just a bit surprised that Xie Lingqiao knew about them. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration came to him. He remembered the incident on the polo field when the horse went crazy. That horse was originally prepared for a child, and at that time, the most noble child was only the little prince.
His eyes flickered. He had suspected Xie Lingqiao about that incident at first, but whether it was her or not didn't matter to him. Anyway, to him, Xie Lingqiao was no different from Xie Guang.
If Xie Guang was a scoundrel, was Xie Lingqiao, this stupid woman, any better?
"He is Xie Guang's own son! Hahaha!" Xie Lingqiao laughed maniacally, throwing her head back. "Father and son sharing a woman and having a bastard who has defiled the palace! Disgusting!"
Everything in this palace disgusted her!
Xie Yan just calmly watched her go crazy. He even had the leisure to sit down, support his head with his left hand and watch her, while gently playing with his folding fan with his right hand.
After she had finished her crazy outburst, Xie Yan leaned back and calmly asked her, "So, what do you want me for when you called me here?"
He smiled faintly. "Do you want me to help you deal with Xie Guang?"
"No!" Xie Lingqiao flatly refused. Her eyes were blood - red, like a wild beast ready to pounce on someone and never let go. "It's me who will help you deal with Xie Guang."
"Oh?" Xie Yan became interested. "Tell me."
Xie Lingqiao stared at him intently. "Xie Guang will be on guard against you, but he may not be on guard against me. After all, I've always been a fool in his eyes."
She sneered. "That bastard of a little prince should never have existed, right?"
She still wanted to get rid of the little prince.
Xie Guang had no sons of his own now. The only one was this bastard little prince. She remembered the way he had held the little prince and comforted him gently on the polo field that day, and her eyes gradually turned colder.
She wanted to destroy everything that Xie Guang cared about!
But she also knew that she couldn't play any role in the fight for the throne. Only when it came to dealing with this half - grown child, the little prince, could she show some value.
"How do you plan to do it?" Xie Yan asked leisurely.
Xie Lingqiao smiled slightly. "A child is always prone to many accidents, especially in the royal family, right?"
Xie Yan examined her calmly. "So, what's the price?"
It was obvious to anyone with a discerning eye that Xie Lingqiao had something to ask of him when she suddenly offered to help.
"I'm going to get married in March," Xie Lingqiao said without a trace of anticipation in her eyes. "The queen won't choose a good husband for me. I want second brother to help me find out about the Chu family."
She was in the harem and had no informants outside the palace. All the things she knew were told to her by others.
Everyone said that the Chu family had a good family tradition and that Chu Changhe was a young talent. She wouldn't suffer if she married into their family.
But she didn't believe it!
The queen would never arrange a good marriage for her.
Xie Yan understood. He lowered his head and played with the fan in his hand. "If you're worried about this, I can tell you now that Chu Changhe is fine. He can even be regarded as a gentleman."
It was just that the family tradition of the Chu family was not very good. The head of the Chu family was a profit - seeking man. As long as there was a profit to be made, his daughters and sons could be used as bargaining chips for him to climb up.
But Chu Changhe didn't like his father's behavior. He always paid lip service to his father at home.
Xie Lingqiao was stunned and then gave a self - mocking smile. "A gentleman? Do I deserve him?"
"What are you saying, second younger sister?" Xie Yan looked into her eyes. "You're a princess, a member of the royal family. You're marrying a courtier, which is a condescension. It's him who doesn't deserve you."
He said calmly, "You used to be very proud. How come you've become so submissive now?"
It was true that he didn't like Xie Lingqiao because her stupidity was all - encompassing and she had offended him.
But seeing her self - defeating and dejected appearance, he didn't feel any sense of revenge.
Why should he argue with a stupid woman?
Xie Lingqiao was silent for a moment and then said hoarsely, "I understand."
"I have one more thing to ask of you, second brother," she said. "I hope second brother can send me off on my wedding."
"Me?" Xie Yan was a bit surprised and then thought it was a bit funny. "You really trust me. Aren't you afraid that I'll play some tricks?"
Xie Lingqiao sneered. "You won't. No matter who else plays tricks, you won't. You're just such a person."
"Kind - hearted and soft - hearted. I used to look down on you for this. I thought you were just pretending," Xie Lingqiao got up from the ground and slowly raised her head. "But now I understand."
"If you become the emperor, it won't be bad."