Just as Mei Zhenguo was about to go back to console his wife, he saw his daughter's figure. "Xue'er, why are you back again?" His precious daughter, why did she come back at this hour?
"Is it Xue'er?"
Hearing her husband's voice, Xia Ruolan turned around and saw Xue'er standing in the living - room, looking at Mei Zhenguo with a half - smile.
"Dad, did you forget something?"
Mei Qingxue looked at her father with a beaming smile. He thought he could just fob her off by pretending to be confused. If she went back empty - handed today, she'd just stay the night. Anyway, she had nothing to do for the moment.
Du Guqing was still recuperating. Since he didn't go to court, no one would say anything. He'd just been cured of the poison a few days ago and really needed to rest. But perhaps it was Concubine Qin who missed him the most. She had to go into the palace to pay respects to her mother - in - law as soon as possible, lest her mother - in - law get angry.
That would be a real disaster. As the old saying goes, a daughter - in - law and mother - in - law can never get along...
"Nothing at all?" Mei Zhenguo suddenly remembered what his daughter wanted and said with a pained heart.
"So you're trying to deceive our Xue'er like this?" Xia Ruolan sneered. Did he deceive her like this often, so smoothly and without even batting an eyelid?
"Humph!" Xia Ruolan flicked her sleeve and turned her back on her husband.
"No, no. I just couldn't remember for a moment. Really, really. I swear." Mei Zhenguo was so anxious that he swore and made vows. Only then did Xia Ruolan look a bit better.
"Xue'er, come here... Take whatever you like from your father's treasures. Aren't they all for you and your brother? Who else could they be for?" Xia Ruolan waved to her daughter to come to her side.
"Where did you leave my son - in - law?"
"In the yard. He met brother and asked brother to keep him company and chat." Mei Qingxue didn't dare say that she'd deliberately held her brother back. Otherwise, how could she have remembered what her father had just promised but not given yet?
"What do you want, Xue'er?"
Xia Ruolan watched her husband move his beloved boxes towards their daughter. A glint of amusement flashed in her eyes. "Your father has collected a lot over the years."
"If I didn't know my father had so many collections, I wouldn't have... hehe..." Mei Qingxue gave a dry laugh. She wanted to take all her father's good things away.
But her father would surely go crazy.
"I remember Dad has a jade seal in his collection. I'll take a jade pendant too. That's enough."
"Ah, so many?" Mei Zhenguo's heart skipped a beat. Mei Qingxue thought for a while, really hard. "I'll take Dad's jade paperweight to crack walnuts with. That's it." If her father showed any more expressions, she'd call the guards to carry them away.
Mei Zhenguo was so partial. He had so many collections, but he just wouldn't give her even one piece. Did he know she wasn't really his daughter?
"So stingy!" Mei Qingxue quickly wrapped up the things she'd set her eyes on.
"Mom, I'll go back to the mansion first. I can't keep the prince waiting for too long. Mom, keep the nice ones for me. Or you can steal them for me. Steal a few pieces every day and remember to hide them well for me."
She winked at her mother. "Make Dad confess his past clearly. Don't let him get away with it so easily."
Seeing her mother nod, Mei Qingxue couldn't help but snicker inside.
"Father, Mother, your daughter will take her leave."
"Okay, go."
"Quick..." As soon as Mei Zhenguo said one word, Xia Ruolan's beautiful eyes turned towards him. "Huh? Do you mean 'get out quickly' or 'hurry up and get out'?"
"Of course it's 'hurry up and get out'!" She always bothered them and wouldn't let them have any peace.
Hearing what her father blurted out, Mei Qingxue was almost laughing to death. Holding the spoils she'd taken from her father, Mei Qingxue gave a triumphant smile.
Finally, she felt a bit more balanced. Du Guqing had his things, and sister - in - law had hers. She had to act so shamelessly to get her father's treasures. She still wasn't happy. She'd come back to steal, and ask her mother to steal for her.
On the carriage, Du Guqing saw Mei Qingxue's happy look and felt happy too. "Why are you so happy?" Although he didn't know what she'd rushed back for just now, since she was so happy, she must have achieved her wish.
"Why don't you ask what I gave to my brother and sister - in - law?"
"Brother told me in the garden. I think you must have your reasons for giving those things." And a sister wishing her brother to have an early son. His Xue wasn't even shy.
"There are only my brother and me in the family. Soon you'll ask for a fief, and it'll probably be granted. I'm sure my brother won't just be an official in the capital. He wants to go to the border. I think he'll leave after he gets married. If my brother and sister - in - law have a child, with neither of us second - generation siblings around, my father and mother will have something to look forward to. Don't you think so?"
"Yes, yes, yes. Our Xue'er is so considerate."
Du Guqing really didn't know what else to say. Mei Haoxuan going to the border might not necessarily lead to any trouble. But it was as if Mei Qingxue had arranged everything.
"By the way, there's a guard in the mansion, seems to be called Xiao Jiang. I'm not sure. I'll remember when I see him. You assign him as my brother's deputy," Mei Qingxue patted her head. The name was on the tip of her tongue, but she just couldn't say it. But thinking of his words about dying on the battlefield, she was deeply shocked. Maybe her brother thought the same way.
"Okay. You decide on this. I think I understand what you mean."
"You don't understand," Mei Qingxue lowered her head and said slowly. "Although a good man should experience battles on the battlefield and not regret dying on it, I don't want my relatives to be in grief. If I can reduce wars, I'll do everything in my power. If it's beyond my ability, I'll arrange the best and most suitable attendants for my brother. I hope that all our families can be in the joy of victory, instead of waiting anxiously and finally getting a cold corpse."
"If our Xue'er were a man, she'd surely be a great general on the battlefield."
"Come on. I'm so worried," Mei Qingxue frowned slightly. She always felt that something was going to happen.
"Brother just got married. And there are no wars on the border recently. You can rest assured," Du Guqing comforted his wife. The border was stable now. How could there be any wars?
"Although the eldest prince is under house - arrest in the Gulan Garden, he'll be released sooner or later. I'm afraid the third prince won't be peaceful. I'm worried that he might collude with outsiders."
"You mean my third brother? He won't do such a thing," Du Guqing shook his head slightly. Given Du Gujue's principle of "do not do to others what you don't want others to do to you", he might really do it. Now even his little princess had seen it. It was necessary to pay attention. They should see which country he was in closer contact with. Just in case, they had to be on guard.
"Actually, you've thought of it too. Since we're husband and wife, how can we not think alike? It's not that we're afraid of what your third brother will do. Once a war starts, it's the common people who will suffer. The common people are the foundation of the country. Once the foundation is damaged, no matter who becomes the emperor, they'll inherit a mess. This kind of damage is almost irreversible. It'll take a lot of effort to restore the country to its pre - war state," Mei Qingxue looked at Du Guqing, knowing that he was defending his brother.
"What Xue'er said makes sense. But there's really no way to prevent this. I just hope my third brother won't be so stupid."
"People will do anything for greed." They'd just have to wait and see. With so many historical examples, she couldn't be wrong. The poisoning incident was left unresolved, and Du Guming would soon be released. Once he regained power, Du Gujue would be the most uncomfortable.
"Will you go to court tomorrow?"
Mei Qingxue now regretted letting the emperor know that Du Guqing's poison had been cured. She was afraid that the emperor would also list him as a suspect. What Mei Qingxue didn't know was that Du Guqing was once the most suitable crown prince in Du Guyou's heart. Later, when he knew that Du Guqing was seriously ill, he abandoned him. He just thought that if he was an abandoned son, others wouldn't hurt him. Who knew those heartless people wouldn't even spare their sick younger brother.
What Mei Qingxue was worried about was that others already knew Du Guqing was still recovering. She was afraid they'd target him. It'd be better to get a fief as soon as possible and leave this center of trouble. As long as they stayed away from the capital and didn't participate in the fight for the crown prince, those two princes might not only not harm them but also try to win them over.
If the emperor thought Du Guqing was retreating to advance, then it would be hard to say. It was better to leave early.
"I don't want to go tomorrow. What should I do?" Du Guqing didn't want to go to court. All he heard every day were trivial matters or meaningless complaints. No one ever put forward any useful suggestions or memorials.
He was just an on - looker, and he could hardly stand it.
"I think you can just say that you're still weak due to illness and want to recuperate in a place with a pleasant climate. Voluntarily ask for a fief and show that you have no intention of vying for the crown prince position," Mei Qingxue's idea was to use his illness as an excuse to go out for recuperation.
"I'll listen to you," Du Guqing grabbed Mei Qingxue's little hand.
"Yeah. I want to leave. It'd be better if Dad could retire,"
"Father is in urgent need of talents now. He won't let Dad retire. Don't even think about it," Du Guqing shook his head. He knew his father well. That man was extremely suspicious. He wasn't so bad when he was young, but now he was getting worse and worse. He might end up being betrayed by everyone.
No one liked such an emperor. Another reason why Mei Zhenguo couldn't retire was that in the current fight for the crown prince, he was one of the few who hadn't taken sides. If he retired, those people might start to form different camps. The emperor didn't want to see such a situation. The court was already in a mess. As an emperor, he definitely didn't want it to get even worse. Mei Qingxue of course knew the inside story.
"I understand. It's really hard on Dad, being stuck in the middle,"
"Let's wait until we're settled in the fief. Don't be too anxious about this,"
"There must be a way to solve it,"
Mei Qingxue raised her face and looked at Du Guqing. "We'll be fine."