Chapter 29 Xiao Quexian's abnormal behavior wasn't just...

Chapter 29 Xiao Quexian's abnormal behavior wasn't just...

Zhao Qingyun wasn't the only one to notice Xiao Quexian's unusual behavior; Zhao Danya also noticed it: "Brother, didn't you think Cousin Xian'er's gaze was off when she looked at that pleasure boat earlier? After the boat passed by, she seemed to want to follow it. I think she's acting strangely."

Unlike Zhao Qingyun, who already considered Xiao Quexian as his own, Zhao Danya felt that her cousin must have some feelings for her outstanding brother, but at the same time, she felt that if there were better options, these feelings probably wouldn't carry much weight.

"At that time, weren't the people on the shore all saying that the people sitting in the painted boat were noble people from the capital? Would they also attend the flower-viewing banquet hosted by the prefect's wife?"

I noticed my cousin was particularly invested in this flower banquet. She had three new outfits made, as if she had three bodies. All her headdresses and jewelry were also custom-made by a goldsmith; the materials are quite good, but they don't look elegant enough. She even hired a professional…”

"Get to the point," Zhao Qingyun interrupted Zhao Danya's sour rambling.

"I'm guessing that my cousin might want to break off her engagement with the Qin family because she's trying to marry into a wealthy family."

After all, she only became determined to marry Xiao Yan Hui after her uncle returned from the capital, but Xiao Yan Hui refused to marry her no matter what. Maybe her uncle got some incredible inside information in the capital, which is why the two of them acted that way…”

As Zhao Danya spoke, her voice grew softer and softer, because Zhao Qingyun's complexion was far from good.

"By the way, brother, I heard from my cousin that the prefect's wife is very fond of elegant poetry. Would you like to organize some of her past works?" Years of survival experience made Zhao Danya very aware that she had been too talkative before.

Her eyes darted around, and she immediately brought up a new topic that would surely divert Zhao Qingyun's attention.

......

"Reciting poetry? You said Xiao Jiahao is silent! The only difference between Xiao Yanhui and others is that she's reciting poetry?" Qin Ji's slightly raised eyebrows fully expressed his doubts as he listened to Wei Sa's reply.

“It’s not just reciting poems. Miss Xiao has also memorized some names and information about the ladies and young misses of various families, and she has been practicing games like shuttlecock, pitch-pot, and ball-throwing for the past two days,” Wei Sa replied.

Wei Sa was somewhat confused. His master had previously said not to pay attention to the Third Miss Xiao, but to focus the investigation on the Second Miss. However, a few days ago, a message was sent saying that the rest of the Xiao family didn't need to be monitored, and only the Third Miss needed to be kept in mind.

The problem is that, judging from the information sent back by the people below, there's really nothing special about that third young lady; she's just an ordinary girl's daily life.

What Wei Sa saw as an ordinary daily routine, Qin Ji saw as something quite different.

"Fine, very well. They agreed to cooperate with me on one side, but on the other side, everything is still the same at home, and they haven't said a word." The thought of them wholeheartedly preparing for their blind date made Qin Ji almost laugh in exasperation.

As expected, it was the right thing to do that day to let the horse run over it, which would have been a simple and quick solution.

"Make arrangements to have someone whisper something to Xiao Fuyan, saying that I vaguely heard that Xiao Quexian is dissatisfied with this marriage and wants to break it off, which makes me very unhappy," Qin Ji instructed.

Since someone isn't moving, I'll give them a push myself. But she'd better not harbor any thoughts of being sought after by a hundred families or having countless suitors at her feet. Otherwise...

Dark thoughts surfaced for a moment, then were suppressed.

Thinking back on these few interactions, and seeing her innocent and naive appearance, she didn't seem like the type to play dating games with all sorts of men. She was probably just curious because she had never experienced an ancient matchmaking banquet before.

He was actually quite curious about how Xiao Yan would react if she encountered him at the flower-viewing banquet.

Unfortunately... Thinking of this, Qin Ji felt a little regretful, because to outsiders, Qin Ji had already led his family's caravan out of Jiangzuo City.

The one who will attend the flower viewing banquet tomorrow is Prince Cheng.

Upon hearing Qin Ji's suggestion to put pressure on the Xiao family, Wei Sa quickly nodded in agreement. If he could make decisions on his own, he would have already given the Xiao family a good talking-to.

After quickly considering what to do in her mind, Wei Sa presented two exquisite invitation cards to Qin Ji: "These were just sent by the Prince's Mansion. They are invitation cards from Wang Heng and Su Mingyue. Would Your Majesty like to meet with them sometime?"

"Ha! The whole city knows that I came to Jiangzuo and took a prostitute for a river tour, and only then did I remember to send a visiting card to the Prince's mansion. It seems that I, the Prince of Cheng, do not carry much weight in the eyes of these aristocratic families."

His gaze drifted lightly over the two visiting cards, Qin Ji's tone laced with sarcasm.

"Since the invitations have been sent, let's meet them. It'll make their long journey from the capital worthwhile. But there's no need for them to come to the prefect's residence. They've already moved in, so they'll definitely be attending the flower-viewing banquet tomorrow. See you tomorrow!"

"Does Your Majesty mean that they came here specifically for you?" Wei Sa's eyes revealed a hint of worry.

"What can these two 'romantic figures' do? They can only make some overt tests. What we really need to watch out for are the eyes in the shadows."

“I will have people keep an eye on them and will not give them any opportunity to take advantage,” Wei Sa said immediately.

"No, during this time, you should all act as guards or servants. You don't need to do anything else. You may leave." Qin Ji made his decision after a moment's thought.

He ordered his subordinates to remain still, but he himself was about to get busy.

Qin Ji thought of the flower-viewing banquet tomorrow. He had originally decided to attend it to test the background of Miss Xiao Er.

But he had almost reached a conclusion about this matter and was just waiting to do the final verification tomorrow. At this moment, what was more important was Wang Heng, Su Mingyue, and the people they brought.

Although the two men came to Jiangzuo under the guise of seeking knowledge, Qin Ji knew very well that their real purpose was to find out how well he, the Prince of Cheng, was doing in Jiangzuo.

How much interaction does he have with the powerful figures and local forces in Jiangzuo? How much influence does he have among them? How much power does he actually wield? Is he truly focused solely on developing the Qin family's business empire, and how large is this empire, with how much money at his disposal?

All of this will be the target of these people's investigation.

Ultimately, it was because I had acted a little too aggressively and recklessly a few days ago, which led those people in Beijing to discover some clues about my actions.

There's no need to rush. We've already been lying low for so many years, what's wrong with being patient for a few more years?

With a gentle tap of his folding fan against his palm, Qin Ji pondered his next move amidst the slight pain.

Time slowly passed, and suddenly a flash of inspiration struck me.

Originally, he wanted to marry Xiao Yan, but he only wanted to spare her life for a moment. However, he also had to keep that unstable factor under his control. But at this moment, this marriage might have a better use.

His previous persona of being gentle and indifferent, seeking only wealth and peace, and yearning for a stable and prosperous life, now seems somewhat inadequate.

The desire to continuously earn money and live a wealthy or even extravagant life is a life goal for more than 90% of people in the world.

But for someone of his status, all of this seemed far too easily attainable, and such desires were so shallow as to raise suspicion.

But he must also let people see that he has something to ask for, that he has something to hold onto, because having nothing to ask for often means that what he wants is too great to be revealed.

Therefore, I should add something else to this persona to make it more believable. So, let's shift from a desire for material things to a desire for spiritual fulfillment.

Given his upbringing, his yearning for a pure and innocent love, isn't that very convincing?

If the Xiao family changes the betrothal object from the second daughter to the third daughter, it will be a brilliant move for them if handled well.

......

The suburbs were bustling today. On roads that were usually sparsely populated, dashing young men could be seen riding by from time to time.

Following those magnificent horses, one after another, splendid carriages came gliding by, the sweet laughter of young girls drowned out by the clatter of hooves.

All these magnificent horses and luxurious carriages had the same goal: the manor that the prefect's wife had recently built on the outskirts of the city.

Indeed, what mobilized almost all the prominent families in Jiangzuo City was the flower-viewing banquet hosted by the Prefect's wife.

Although it was late summer, the heat hadn't subsided much. The fragrant osmanthus hadn't yet bloomed, but the four-season osmanthus was already delicately hanging from its branches. Its subtle fragrance, though not as pronounced as the osmanthus, blended with the scents of the other plants in the garden, creating a unique and elegant aroma.

Xiao Yan and her family arrived quite early. After all, to the Prefect's wife, the Xiao family was not considered any distinguished guests. In fact, these merchants were all considered to be accompanying the truly distinguished guests.

Although they sent out formal invitations, didn't they know their place in the invitation? So, everyone knew exactly when to arrive and what to do.

"Why isn't there even a maid to guide us?" Xiao Quexian and Xiao Yanhui walked together, and she was complaining in a low voice, but only the few people from the Xiao family around them could hear her.

Even her face still held a smile, and no one could tell that she was dissatisfied at the moment.

"Didn't a maid just lead us into this garden? She told us to explore on our own, so let's look around by ourselves first."

At this moment, Xiao Yan's gaze was mostly drawn to the beautiful scenery of the garden.

"Those flowers are in full bloom." Xiao Yan's gaze fell on a secluded corner in the distance, which, although remote, was extremely conspicuous.

The entire wall was covered with trumpet creeper, and below the wall were large clusters of hydrangeas in full bloom, creating a truly magnificent and colorful scene.

"Vulgar." Xiao Quexian glanced at it from the corner of her eye and then uttered this word softly.

Did Xiao Quexian get burned today? Xiao Yanhui looked at Xiao Quexian with suspicion.

Although the two women often clashed in private, Xiao Quexian usually maintained a gentle and refined demeanor in public. However, she shouldn't be so aggressive in the territory of the Prefect's wife.

Xiao Quexian clearly realized that her attitude was a bit off; she was too agitated. She took a few quick deep breaths, trying to calm herself down.

"Sister Xian'er, look at that pond over there, it seems quite lively. Shall we go take a look?" Zhao Danya, who had been lagging behind the two of them for a while, walked up to Xiao Quexian's side.

The pond she was pointing to was almost in the center of the garden. The water was clear and light blue, like jade. Only near the waterside pavilion were there a lotus leaf and a few withered lotus stems, presumably to echo the sentiment of "leaving withered lotus to listen to the rain and sleep".

However, at this moment, there was no trace of desolation or loneliness there; on the contrary, it was quite lively.

The young ladies who arrived first either leaned against the vermilion railings, teasing the colorful koi in the pond with fish food, or sat facing each other, sipping tea, or playing chess. From afar, one could see their elegant clothes and graceful figures, more beautiful than flowers.

Just as the group was about to move forward, they suddenly heard a familiar melody drifting over. The melody was exactly the same as the one that had been heard from the painted boat on the Seven Bends River that day.

Then, instead of a painted boat, a small awning boat appeared, drifting slowly on the other side of the pond, quite a distance from the waterside pavilion. The young ladies around, hearing the music, all looked towards the awning boat.

But the next moment, a woman dressed in white, as pure as snow, walked gracefully out of the cabin. Before the music stopped, the woman raised her hand, tiptoed, and then, with a beautiful spin, she began to dance at the bow of the ship.

"!" Huh, what's going on?