Chapter 75: I am Dongfang Qi, pleased to meet you!

Dongfang Qi patted Xie Shouzheng on the head and said, "That's enough, I won't drive you away. But you must restrain your temper in the future. You are an official of the Great Qi, not a wolf, and certainly not a dog! You must be more reserved and steady! Do you understand?"

Xie Shouzheng laughed foolishly: "I understand, I understand! Xiao Hui only loses his composure in front of his master; at other times, I will naturally maintain my official dignity!"

Only then did he suddenly remember Lin Qingyue. He turned to the side and introduced her to Dongfang Qi: "This is Deputy Envoy Lin. Your Highness probably hasn't met her yet, right? Deputy Envoy Lin is now the second-in-command of our Profound Mirror Division, and she is also the talent I, Xiao Hui, recruited for Your Highness! Haha, how about that? I still have a good eye for talent, don't I!"

He did not know about the matter of Xiao Hua, so he naturally assumed this to be the case.

The man, dressed in white like a Xianling, nodded slightly toward Lin Qingyue, his gentle voice like a spring breeze brushing against one's face: "Deputy Envoy Lin, I am Dongfang Qi, pleased to meet you!"

——I am very happy that I can finally meet you as my true self.

Lin Qingyue smiled slightly: "Your Highness the Crown Prince, pleased to meet you."

Xie Shouzheng, however, felt it was a bit strange: although my master is respectful to the virtuous and condescending to the lowly, his attitude toward Deputy Envoy Lin is perhaps a bit too respectful.

Oh, how could I have forgotten? Deputy Envoy Lin is not just a minor official; she has another identity as well.

So he spoke quickly and bluntly: "Deputy Envoy Lin is the Princess of Jin; strictly speaking, she is Your Highness's sister-in-law!"

Dongfang Qi was stung by the words "sister-in-law" and couldn't help but glare at Xie Shouzheng.

Xie Shouzheng didn't notice and continued to talk to himself: "Thinking about it this way, we are all our own people, so there's no need to worry about any awkwardness on this journey."

——It only became awkward because you said it, alright?

"It's getting late, we should be on our way." Mentioning Dongfang Yan, Lin Qingyue was still a bit worried that if they didn't leave, it would be troublesome if he caught up.

"The journey to Beijiang is long, so I specially prepared a carriage. You can rest inside when we travel at night," Dongfang Qi said, personally lifting the carriage curtain to invite Lin Qingyue inside.

Lin Qingyue did not decline. She stepped into the carriage, sat on the soft animal-hide blanket, and leaned against the fluffy bolster, her whole body instantly relaxing.

Xie Shouzheng immediately came over to drive, but Dongfang Qi sat on the carriage first: "I will drive; you ride the horse."

"Ah?" Xie Shouzheng hurriedly said, "How can that be? Your Highness, you are of noble status, how can you do the work of a coachman? Let me..."

"When traveling, keep a low profile. There is no Crown Prince here, and there is no need to fuss over status. Go ride your horse, and stop nagging. Lead Deputy Envoy Lin's horse as well."

While speaking, Dongfang Qi had already flicked the whip and struck the horse, driving the carriage forward.

Lin Qingyue watched coldly from the sidelines, knowing that he was showing his sincerity to her, so she gladly accepted it.

"There are snacks in the drawer on the left side of the carriage; you can eat if you are hungry. The tea on the small table in the middle is already brewed; drink it if you are thirsty. There are also a few storybooks in the drawer on the right. Don't read them at night as it will hurt your eyes, but you can read them when you are bored during the day."

From beyond the curtain, the man's clear, gentle voice drifted into her ears.

Lin Qingyue took out a pastry and took a bite; it was surprisingly still warm, soft and sweet to the heart.

"I didn't expect Your Highness to be such a considerate person. Thank you." Lin Qingyue's voice carried a hint of laziness, yet it was very pleasant to hear.

"You are taking risks for me by going to Beijiang; this is the only small thing I can do for you."

The carriage wheels rolled and the horse hooves clattered, rushing toward tomorrow's morning sun against the moonlight.

At the same time, Dongfang Yan was still searching the whole city for Lin Qingyue.

Finally, he learned from the city guards that Lin Qingyue and Xie Shouzheng had left the city with the Profound Mirror Division's token.

"With Xie Shouzheng?"

Dongfang Yan suddenly remembered that ever since he married Lin Qingyue, Xie Shouzheng had been popping up in front of him from time to time. Later, he even recruited Lin Qingyue to be his subordinate.

So, was Lin Qingyue abducted by Xie Shouzheng to elope?

Or was she deliberately mingling with a country bumpkin like Xie Shouzheng just to take revenge on him?

Thinking of this, Dongfang Yan was furious and went straight to the Changning Hou Mansion.

Finally, he found Bi'er at Liu Wanqing's place.

Bi'er was sleeping soundly at the time. Hearing in the middle of the night that the Prince of Jin wanted to see her, she couldn't help but complain wildly in her heart: Why is he not sleeping in the middle of the night and looking for a maid like me? What kind of prince is this idle!

Seeing Bi'er, Dongfang Yan asked impatiently: "Where is the Princess? Where has she gone?"

Bi'er rubbed her sleepy eyes: "Isn't the Princess at the Wangfu?"

Lin Qingyue only told her to stay at the Changning Hou Mansion for a while; she didn't say anything else.

Dongfang Yan said: "Don't you dare play dumb with me like your mistress! If she hadn't planned to elope with someone, why would she have sent you back to her maiden home in advance?"

"Ah? The Princess eloped? With whom?" Startled, Bi'er was now wide awake.

"With... that is not the point. The point is, did she ever reveal to you where she was going?"

Bi'er shook her head.

"Or did she mention any place names in front of you?"

Bi'er continued to shake her head.

"When she was with Xie Shouzheng, did she say anything?"

Bi'er still shook her head.

Dongfang Yan was annoyed: "As her personal maid, how can you know nothing?"

Bi'er said: "Your Highness, you are her husband; if you don't know, how would this servant know? If the Princess really left, it could only be because she was driven away by your anger. Since she married into the Wangfu, how have you treated her?"

"On the wedding night, you left her to meet the second young lady, and the Princess waited for you all night, only to end up with that fake Princess!"

"She was bullied so miserably by the fake Princess, and you didn't even say a word of concern! You just threw her in a side courtyard to fend for herself. Have you ever thought about the consequences? What if she had really been killed by the fake Princess that day?"

"Later, for the sake of the second young lady, you dragged her away and locked her in the Dungeon in front of her family! She is the Princess, your wife, and you didn't care about her dignity at all!"

"Driven to the point where she had no choice, she couldn't use her noble status and had to show her face in the Profound Mirror Division to survive! She is a weak woman, yet she has to deal with those drugs and monsters every day. Do you know how dangerous that is? Have you ever cared?"

"Not only do you not understand her hardships, but you always complain that she embarrasses you, and you find trouble for her time and time again!"

"Now it's fine, the Princess has lost all hope in you! She has left, so what is the use of you coming here to make a scene? Don't you know that you never gave her the dignity of a Princess, and you married her younger sister only a month after your wedding, causing her to lose all face! How could she possibly come back? Can she even return to her maiden home?"

Speaking in anger, Bi'er didn't even care about status and rebuked Dongfang Yan: "If you still had any conscience, you should reflect on yourself! What is the point of coming here to torment a maid like me?"

"You, how bold!" Although he was annoyed, Bi'er's words were reasonable, and with Lin Rufeng and his wife protecting her nearby, he could only return in defeat.

Having not slept all night, his mind kept repeating Bi'er's accusations and all the events of the past.

In the heavy snow, that frail woman was able to carry him on her back all the way to the city gate; what kind of hardship was that?

But what about himself? He had clearly promised her that he would repay her kindness, yet in the end, he had mistaken his savior!

Not only did he mistake the person, but he also treated her with all manner of disdain and humiliation.

Whenever he thought of their wedding night, of her sitting all alone in the bridal chamber waiting for him to lift her veil, he felt incomparable heartache.

Scoundrel, he really was a scoundrel!

No wonder even that girl Bi'er dared to scold him like that. He truly deserved to be scolded!

No matter what, this Prince must still find a way to win back his beloved consort. Our fate is ordained by Heaven; even if there are misunderstandings between us, as long as this Prince repents with sincerity, his beloved consort will surely have a change of heart!

Besides, this Prince is of imperial blood and noble lineage, a dignified Prince, and will even soon be invested as the Crown Prince; there is no way someone like Xie Shouzheng can compare to him!