noffsinger Chapter 191 He Mingwen's Movements
Chapter 191 He Mingwen's Movements
A few days later, Lan Yu reported the news they had received to He Yanxi.
When He Yanxi learned that He Mingwen had actually attempted to poison the Emperor, a chill ran through him. This was not only disrespect for the Emperor, but also a betrayal of the entire country. However, what shocked him even more was that He Mingwen also intended to join forces with foreign enemies to divert the Zhenguo Duke's forces away from the capital, allowing his men to surround the city, preventing the troops outside from entering, and ultimately seizing control of the palace.
Faced with such a sinister plot, He Yanxi did not act immediately. He knew that He Mingwen was only conceiving the plan in his mind at this time, and had not yet put it into practice. He was waiting, waiting for the right opportunity.
Perhaps He Mingwen is patiently waiting for a perfect opportunity, a chance for his schemes to be carried out smoothly.
Upon receiving this news, He Yanxi immediately consulted with the Crown Prince and the Emperor to devise a countermeasure. The three worked closely together, developing a meticulous plan to address the potential threat posed by He Mingwen. The Crown Prince's gaze was like a burning torch, bright and sharp, seemingly able to pierce through layers of fog and discern the truth. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke to his father in a wise and composed tone: "Father, I believe that if my third brother wishes to poison you, the easiest time to succeed would be your birthday in half a month. At that time, all the civil and military officials will come to celebrate your birthday, and a banquet will be held in the palace to entertain them. In such an occasion, my third brother can take advantage of the crowd and chaos to mix poison into the food or wine without being detected. Moreover, once the poisoning is successful, he can quickly control the officials present, rendering them unable to resist. Therefore, I believe that at that time, it will be a godsend for my third brother."
After listening to the Crown Prince's analysis, the Emperor nodded slightly, indicating his agreement with his point of view. He said approvingly, "Hmm, what you said makes a lot of sense." Seeing this, the Crown Prince felt somewhat relieved and continued, "Therefore, we must make full preparations in advance and absolutely not let my third brother's conspiracy succeed, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable."
He Yanxi chimed in, "Your Majesty, I will do everything in my power to find out He Mingwen's specific plans during this time. When the time is right, we will discuss countermeasures together." The Emperor was also satisfied with He Yanxi's attitude. He nodded again to show his approval and said, "Alright, then I'll have to trouble you."
He Yanxi bowed to the Emperor and then turned and left the palace. After the Crown Prince returned to the Eastern Palace, He Yanxi also came out of the palace. He was extremely anxious, wishing he could fly to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion immediately to see Qin Yaoyao, whom he longed for day and night.
Qin Yaoyao was admiring the flowers in the courtyard when she suddenly heard hurried footsteps. Looking up, she saw He Yanxi rushing towards her. Qin Yaoyao's heart pounded like a deer's, and she was so happy she almost jumped for joy.
Like a cheerful little bird, she hurried forward, a bright smile on her face. He Yanxi also saw Qin Yaoyao, and he quickened his pace, reaching her in just a few steps.
Qin Yaoyao held He Yanxi's hand tightly, as if afraid he would suddenly disappear. She said sweetly, "Brother Xi, you're here, please sit down." With that, she pulled He Yanxi to sit down in the chair next to the table.
He Yanxi looked at Qin Yaoyao, his heart filled with tenderness. He gazed into her eyes, a doting smile on his lips, and said softly, "I missed you, so I came to see you."
Upon hearing this, Qin Yaoyao smiled brightly, like a blooming flower. She said coquettishly, "I miss Brother Xi too, hehe." Then, she personally poured a cup of fragrant tea for He Yanxi, presented it to him with both hands, and said softly, "Brother Xi, have some tea."
He Yanxi took the teacup, took a small sip, and savored the fragrant tea. He looked at Qin Yaoyao, his eyes filled with even more love, and said softly, "This tea is really delicious, but it's still not as sweet as you."
Qin Yaoyao chuckled and said, "Brother Xi is just good at flattering me." Then, she turned to Qiu Ye and said, "Qiu Ye, go play by yourself! You don't need to serve us here." Qiu Ye responded and left the room, thoughtfully closing the door behind her. Seeing Qiu Ye leave, Qin Yaoyao fluttered towards He Yanxi like a light butterfly, asking sweetly, "Brother Xi, did you come alone today?"
Upon hearing this, He Yanxi's eyes narrowed slightly, sharp as a hawk's. He pulled Qin Yaoyao onto his lap and asked dangerously, "Otherwise? Yao'er, do you perhaps want me to come with someone else?" Qin Yaoyao hadn't expected his action and was momentarily stunned. Just as she was wondering what was going on, she heard his question and instantly snapped back to reality. She thought to herself, "This guy must have misunderstood me and is jealous." So, she wrapped her arms around his neck like a nimble snake and said with a radiant smile, "Brother Xi, what are you thinking? Of course, I wanted you to come alone." Qin Yaoyao giggled and said, "Brother Xi, you're so good at making me happy!" After saying that, she turned her head gracefully and said softly to Qiu Ye, "Qiu Ye, go and play by yourself. You don't need to serve me here."
Qiu Ye obediently responded and then slowly left the room. As she left, she thoughtfully closed the door behind her for Qin Yaoyao and He Yanxi.
After the autumn leaves had fallen, a radiant smile, as bright as spring blossoms, immediately bloomed on Qin Yaoyao's face. Like a graceful butterfly, she fluttered towards He Yanxi.
He Yanxi sat there quietly, watching Qin Yaoyao arrive like a fairy, and his heart stirred.
Qin Yaoyao flew to He Yanxi and asked in a sweet voice, "Brother Xi, did you come alone today?"
Upon hearing this, He Yanxi's eyes, which had been slightly narrowed, suddenly snapped open, his sharp gaze fixed on Qin Yaoyao like that of a hawk.
Without a word, he reached out and pulled Qin Yaoyao tightly onto his lap. Then, his voice, tinged with a dangerous undertone, slowly asked, "Otherwise what? Does Yao'er want me to come with someone else?"
Qin Yaoyao was completely taken aback by He Yanxi's sudden action, and she was stunned and speechless.
Just as she was still wondering, He Yanxi's questioning voice exploded in her ears like a thunderclap, instantly bringing her back to her senses.
Qin Yaoyao thought to herself, "Oh dear, this guy must have misunderstood me. He thinks I didn't want him to come alone. Look at how jealous he is..."
After saying that, she whispered to He Yanxi, "What I meant was, did you bring any guards with you this time?" He Yanxi nodded in confusion. Qin Yaoyao continued, "I wanted to ask if you brought Lan Feng with you." He Yanxi replied, "No, what do you want with Lan Feng? With me right here, you're still thinking about other men, huh?" He then lightly pinched Qin Yaoyao's waist, as if to vent his dissatisfaction. Qin Yaoyao looked at the childish He Yanxi, tightened her arms around his neck, and gave him a light kiss on the lips, giggling as she said, "Silly boy, with you by my side, how could I possibly be thinking about other men! In my heart, Brother Xi is the kindest and most beautiful person in the world, and the person I love most!"
He Yanxi stared at her, his face full of suspicion, and asked, "Really?" Qin Yaoyao looked serious, as if she were telling a huge secret: "Of course it's true! The reason I asked if Lan Feng had come was because of Qiu Ye. They haven't seen each other for a long time. A couple of days ago, when we were chatting, Banxia told us that Lan Yu took her out to play and bought her a lot of things. Their relationship is getting deeper and deeper, and they basically see each other every three to five days. To be precise, Lan Yu will ask Banxia out to play whenever he has time."
He Yanxi looked puzzled and asked, "Then what does this have to do with Lan Feng?" Qin Yaoyao continued to explain, "Lan Feng and Qiu Ye met much earlier than Lan Yu and Ban Xia, but they met far less often. Before, Lan Feng would see Qiu Ye every five days, but this time it's been almost a month, and there's been no news from him, which makes Qiu Ye quite uneasy." He Yanxi then realized that Lan Feng and Qiu Ye were already together.
So, He Yanxi asked impatiently, "Is that why you asked?" Qin Yaoyao nodded slightly and said like a chick pecking at rice, "That's right. They've only been together for a short time, and Lan Feng has vanished as if he's disappeared into thin air. He hasn't looked for her for so long, nor has he left a single word. Although she seems no different from usual on the surface, and she always says she's fine when we ask her, we can tell from her often dazed expression that she genuinely likes Lan Feng, and she's extremely insecure, which is why she's so anxious. She always pretends to be strong in front of us, forcing a smile, which is really worrying."
He Yanxi murmured softly, "Lan Feng was sent out on an errand, and he hasn't returned yet." Qin Yaoyao immediately flew into a rage, angrily saying, "I think he doesn't care about Qiu Ye at all! Even if you send him out on an errand, can't you at least leave a message? I think he's a complete heartless man, humph!" He Yanxi, seeing Qin Yaoyao's anger, quickly explained, "No, Lan Feng is definitely not the kind of person who would play with feelings. This is all my fault. There was a situation in the south, and I was extremely anxious, so I sent him over to handle it. Because it was so urgent, he rushed over that very night without stopping, and didn't have time to leave a single word. I forgot about him and Qiu Ye, otherwise I would definitely have told you, and you wouldn't have to worry about me."