nashuaworldcup Chapter 73 Your Majesty, not here, it's dirty here, let's go to the room, okay?
Chapter 73 Your Majesty, not here, it's dirty here, let's go to the room, okay?
"That's too risky!"
Sikong Xuan said urgently, "The dog emperor was drunk just now, and the defenses at Tingtao Garden must be at their tightest right now! Your Highness, please reconsider!"
Xu Longxiang turned around, the lamplight reflecting on his face, outlining his cold, hard features:
"Adventure? This is my palace, my territory. If I wouldn't even dare to see the people I want to see in my own home, how can I talk about any grand ambitions?"
He paused, a hint of obsession flashing in his eyes:
"Moreover, precisely because the emperor is drunk, the defenses are concentrated around him. Qingxue's side... is probably the most relaxed."
Worry appeared on Liu Hongyan's beautiful face:
"But what if... the emperor is faking being drunk and deliberately setting a trap..."
"Then we must go even more," Xu Longxiang interrupted her, his voice carrying an almost frantic resolve.
"I want him to know that no matter what traps he sets, they can't hold me. I want him to know that Qingxue... will always be mine."
He gave no further chance to dissuade them and directly issued the order:
"Fan Li, go and investigate. Everyone else, perform your duties. If anything unexpected happens, evacuate according to plan."
After saying that, he turned around and strode out of the hall.
.......
Half an incense stick later.
Xu Longxiang stood in the small courtyard outside the kitchen.
This is the kitchen of the Prince's mansion. During the day, it is bustling with people and filled with the smoke of cooking fires, but now it is quiet and deserted.
Only a few dilapidated lanterns swayed under the eaves, casting a dim, yellowish glow.
The kitchen door was ajar, and the inside was pitch black, without a single ray of light.
Xu Longxiang remained motionless, hidden in the shadow of the pillars, like a stone statue.
He is waiting.
Waiting for Jiang Qingxue.
He believed that if Qingxue and he were on the same page, and if she also wanted to see him, she would definitely use the excuse of "making hangover soup" to come here.
Because this is the only place in the entire palace that they have secretly visited countless times.
When they were kids, they would come here to steal snacks when they were hungry.
When they grow up, when they have a falling out, they come here, one starts a fire, the other cooks noodles, and then they make up.
This place holds so many shared memories for them.
Time passes little by little.
The night wind grew colder and colder.
Xu Longxiang's heart sank little by little.
Could it be... that Qingxue didn't come?
Could it be... that she doesn't want to see him?
Could it be... that Qin Mu is watching her too closely and she can't get away?
Countless thoughts swirled in his mind, each one making him anxious and uneasy.
Just when he was about to give up—
"Squeak."
The very faint sound of the door opening came from the kitchen.
Xu Longxiang was startled!
He looked up abruptly and saw the kitchen door pushed open a crack, and a slender figure slipped inside.
It's clearing snow!
She really came!
Xu Longxiang's heart was instantly overwhelmed with joy!
He suppressed the urge to rush in immediately, waited a moment, and made sure there was no one else around before quietly walking to the kitchen door, gently pushing it open, and slipping inside.
The kitchen was pitch black.
Only the faint moonlight filtering through the window could barely outline the contours of the stove, water tank, and cutting board.
The air was filled with the smells of firewood, cooking oil, and various ingredients.
Xu Longxiang held his breath and quickly scanned the area.
Then, in the shadows beside the stove, he saw that familiar figure.
Jiang Qingxue had her back to him and was bending over, groping around in front of the stove, seemingly preparing to start a fire and make soup.
Her figure was slender, appearing particularly vulnerable in the darkness.
Xu Longxiang's heart softened instantly.
"Xue'er".
He lowered his voice, his tone filled with barely suppressed excitement.
"I knew... you would come."
Jiang Qingxue trembled all over!
She turned around abruptly.
When he saw Xu Longxiang's face, his eyes instantly welled up with surprise, excitement, nervousness, and a hint of... indescribable complexity.
"Brother Longxiang... I came here under the pretense of making hangover soup. And you were here after all."
Jiang Qingxue spoke softly, her voice trembling slightly.
Xu Longxiang smiled and said, "My Xue'er is indeed clever, just as I thought."
He paused, then asked eagerly:
"Where's the note? Is it finished? Give it to me now."
He assumed that Jiang Qingxue would immediately hand over the prepared intelligence to him.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Qingxue did not move.
She looked at him, her eyes filled with increasingly complex emotions.
There was excitement, joy, and nervousness.
But there was something else... something Xu Longxiang couldn't understand.
Like doubt, like...disappointment.
"Brother Longxiang," Jiang Qingxue said softly, her voice a little hoarse, "I've finished writing the note. But before I give it to you, I want to ask you a question."
Xu Longxiang was taken aback.
problem?
At a time like this?
He thought she would ask him when he would take her away, how his plans were going, and if he missed her...
He smiled, trying to make his voice sound gentle:
"What's the problem? Go ahead and ask."
He assumed she would ask the questions he had prepared.
But what Jiang Qingxue asked was completely unexpected.
"Chun'er..." She paused, her voice even softer, "Why...did you arrange that job for Chun'er?"
Xu Longxiang was completely stunned.
Chun'er?
Which Chun'er?
He frowned slightly, trying hard to recall the name.
Chun'er... Chun'er...
I seem to vaguely remember her; she was Qingxue's personal maid in the past?
He couldn't remember exactly what he looked like or what he did.
With so many military affairs to handle, so many big plans to make, and so many officials to deal with every day, how could he possibly remember the arrangements for a maid?
A hint of impatience welled up in Xu Longxiang's heart, but he maintained a gentle demeanor on his face:
"Chun'er... what happened to her? Oh, you mean that maid from earlier today? She offended you, and I've already had her punished. I'll arrange a new job for her later, okay?"
He spoke casually, as if he were coaxing a sulking little girl.
But to Jiang Qingxue, these words were like a bucket of ice water poured on her heart in the dead of winter.
She looked at him, at the obvious impatience and perfunctoriness in his eyes, at the expression on his face that showed he didn't remember who "Chun'er" was...
My heart sank little by little.
Chun'er...
The maid who grew up with her since childhood, Chun'er who was like a sister to her, Chun'er who kowtowed until her head bled in order to protect her...
In his words, it was simply "that maid."
He doesn't even... remember her at all.
An indescribable sense of disappointment welled up from the deepest part of my heart, instantly drowning out all excitement and joy.
Jiang Qingxue suddenly felt that the man she had loved for twenty years and thought she would love for a lifetime had become somewhat unfamiliar.
"Xue'er?"
Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, Xu Longxiang urged, "Where's the note? Give it to me quickly, time is running out."
He reached out his hand, looking at her expectantly.
Jiang Qingxue looked at his outstretched hand and the undisguised urgency in his eyes, and the disappointment in her heart grew stronger and stronger.
But she nodded nonetheless.
Now is not the time to dwell on these things.
The intelligence must be sent out.
She bent down and reached out to take off her embroidered shoes.
The written note was hidden in the sock.
however--
Just as Jiang Qingxue's fingertips touched the shoelaces, before she could even untie them—
"Squeak."
The kitchen door was suddenly pushed open.
A languid voice, clearly tinged with drunkenness, came from outside the door:
"My beloved concubine... I've arrived..."
The sound was like a thunderclap, exploding in the silent kitchen!
Xu Longxiang's expression changed drastically in an instant!
It's Qin Mu!
Why is he here?!
Wasn't he drunk?! Shouldn't he have been helped back to his room to rest?!
How did I end up here?!
Countless questions swirled wildly in Xu Longxiang's mind, but at this moment, he had no time to think about them!
"Oh no!" he whispered urgently to Jiang Qingxue, "That damned emperor is here! I need to hide!"
After saying that, he immediately looked around for a place to hide.
The kitchen is small, with limited space to hide people.
Behind the water tank? No, that's too small.
Under the stove? No, that's too obvious.
Behind the woodpile? That won't work either, the gap is too big.
Finally, his gaze fell on the large wooden crate in the corner that was used to store miscellaneous items.
The box was large and covered with an oilcloth, which was covered in dust, indicating that it hadn't been touched for a long time.
"There!" Xu Longxiang pointed to the wooden box, then quickly walked over, lifted the tarpaulin, crawled inside, and then covered it up again.
The whole process took only two or three breaths.
He had just hidden himself when the kitchen door was pushed open completely.
Jiang Qingxue's heart was in her throat!
She forced herself to calm down, quickly straightened up, straightened her skirt and shoes, and then walked briskly to the stove, picked up the tinderbox, and pretended to prepare to start a fire.
His movements were somewhat flustered, but he managed to maintain his composure.
"My beloved concubine?"
Qin Mu's voice rang out again, tinged with doubt.
"Are you inside? Why aren't the lights on?"
As soon as the words were spoken, a figure staggered in.
It was Qin Mu.
He was still wearing that black robe, but he had taken off the outer robe and was only wearing his inner casual clothes. His hair was loosely draped over his shoulders, and he had obvious signs of drunkenness on his face. His eyes were glazed and his steps were unsteady.
He was also carrying a wine jug, and would occasionally tilt his head back and take a sip.
He appeared to be a drunken, incompetent ruler who had come to find his concubine.
"His Majesty……"
Jiang Qingxue quickly turned around, curtsied, and tried to keep her voice calm, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty is making you a hangover soup. It's dark here, so I'm preparing to light a lamp."
Qin Mu staggered up to her, looked down at her, his eyes blurry with drunkenness:
"Hangover soup? No need... I'm not drunk... I'm just... just a little thirsty..."
He let out a burp, the strong smell of alcohol hitting Jiang Qingxue's face.
Jiang Qingxue subconsciously turned her head away, but dared not hide too obviously.
"Your Majesty, you've had too much to drink. You should have some hangover soup, or you'll have a headache tomorrow," she advised softly, her voice carrying just the right amount of concern.
Qin Mu smiled, reached out, and lifted her chin:
"My beloved concubine... is so thoughtful."
His fingertips were warm and smelled of alcohol. His movements were flirtatious, yet they made Jiang Qingxue's whole body stiffen.
She could feel that Xu Longxiang's breathing seemed to have stopped for a moment in that wooden box in the corner.
"However..." Qin Mu leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe.
"I don't want to drink soup right now."
His other hand wrapped around her waist.
"I want to...drink you."
This statement is extremely ambiguous and extremely humiliating.
Jiang Qingxue's face turned deathly pale instantly!
She dared not move, dared not speak, and even held her breath.
She could sense an extremely subtle, almost imperceptible killing intent emanating from the direction of the wooden crate in the corner!
Xu Longxiang... is about to lose control!
No!
Absolutely not here!
Absolutely not!!!
Jiang Qingxue suddenly reached out and hugged Qin Mu's waist, burying her face in his chest, her voice choked with sobs:
"Your Majesty...no...not here...it's dirty here...let's go back to our room...okay?"